• The Studio

    Introducing the Jocale Design Gift Bag

    We are all familiar with the expression that first impressions count. This naturally extends to gift giving. For most women opening a gift is very much a part of the experience. Somehow a beautifully packaged gift can create a great sense of anticipation and sets your expectations for what you are about to find inside. With this in mind, I have been considering for a long time how best to package your jewellery for you to allow you that brief moment of anticipation. Today I’m very excited to share with you the new Jocale Design silver jewellery gift bag!

  • The Studio

    What To Do With Your Old Gold & Silver

    Let’s face it gold & silver are expensive! Despite today’s throw away society, even if we are no longer in love with it, gold & silver are not something that any of us just throw into the bin. That would be such a waste of precious metal! So what do we do with it? A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to tour a Gold Refinery. This is what I learnt.

  • Home,  Recipes

    Delicious Homemade Tropical Guava Jam

    If you’re lucky enough to grow fruit in your back garden, you’ll no doubt be familiar with the pleasure of harvesting your own home grown produce. How good is it when, after months of watering and feeding, the fruit finally ripens and is ready to be picked and enjoyed! In our house this feeling is very quickly replaced by one of panic – what are we going to do with all that fruit? How can we possibly use it all before it goes off (which would be such a waste)? To help solve this problem I have started to make jam – this is my take on an easy recipe for Guava…

  • Expat Life

    HOT, HOT, HOT! (Summer in Brisbane)

    One of the many attractions of moving to Australia from the UK, let’s be honest, is the weather. After spending most of my life living in the UK, the thought of blue skies and sunshine was a huge attraction. Having lived down under for over 5 years now I thought it time to reflect on what it’s like living in Brisbane (in the Sunshine State) during those hot summer months.

  • Home

    An Expat’s view of Christmas in Australia

    Christmas is only days away, conjuring up images of cozy family gatherings, wearing Christmas jumpers, log fires and the faint hope that there might just be snow on Christmas Day. How things have changed – 5 years ago we moved from the UK to Australia. This will be our 6th Christmas in Brisbane and I thought you might like to read my expat’s view of Christmas in the land “Down Under”.

  • The Studio

    6 Reasons to Buy Handmade

    My daughter has been making a quilt at school. It’s just a school project, no more, no less. However, in reality it is SO much more than that. It’s also given me a whole new perspective on handmade and why I believe we should all be buying more handmade goods. Here’s my 6 reasons why.

  • Holidays,  Travel

    Coastal Road Trip from Brisbane to Sydney

    With the summer holidays fast approaching, I thought you might like a little holiday inspiration. If you are keen on the idea of a road trip along the coast road from Brisbane to Sydney (or vice versa), here are a few of the less obvious places that I believe are worth a visit.