PALE PINK AT THE PALACE

I bet the Queen is having the best time, celebrating her Jubilee.

This week the sovereigns of the world have been in London to join the fun.

I must confess to a lifelong soft spot for pale pink, and loved the look

on Kate and Charlene.  Both looked gorgeous  ..

Here they are chatting at lunch, when Charlene sported a new short haircut and pretty pale turquoise.

Here is the Queen surrounded by all the monarchs at Windsor Castle.

The little girl in me wishes they had all worn crowns!

I have no idea who most of them are, but I did think the Emperor and Empress of Japan looked particularly endearing at the evening function:

I still recognise the exiled King Constantine of Greece and his wife Queen Anne-Marie,

who have lived in London these past 40 plus years.

If they weren't exhausted by the official lunch and dinner,

they joined the Queen for a Military Parade and Muster at Windsor.

Uniforms and Medals were the order of the day.

Isn't Her Majesty amazing? 

She looks fresh as a daisy despite having the Mother of All House Parties!

Wonder what we will see this week ...



ART DECO DAYS

I hope no birds were hurt in the production of this hat, but what a Dazzler!!

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, wore it this week. 

Hasn't she come out of her shell this past year?

Did you see the Princess Charlene interview on the Today Show?

I really liked her; she is quite delicate, very pretty and speaks in a charming South African accent.

They say men often look for a wife who resembles their mother in some way,

and one can certainly see echos of the late Princess Grace in Charlene, not just in looks but in her sweetness and gentle caring ways. 

I can see why Albert was keen to keep her!

I like to read at least 2 books at a time:

Finally got around to the very popular Good Living Street: The Fortunes of my Viennese Family by Tim Bonyhady.

This is a family history of an early 20th century family living in great beauty and luxury in Vienna when it was the centre of European art and culture prior to WWII.

Their opulent apartment was designed by the legendary Art Deco/Modernist designer Josef Hoffman, and they owned portraits and paintings by Gustav Klimt.

Escaping Vienna at the onset of war, they relocated to Cremorne, Sydney, complete with much of their fabulous collection.  I am loving this beautifully illustrated book.

Here are some Hoffman designs I found to show you:

Timeless chic - he worked a lot in back and white, with silver accessories.

Remember the wonderful 2010 Valentino Exhibition at GOMA?

It included black and white gowns inspired by Hoffman.

Valentino found inspiration all around him.

My other book is a complete opposite.

The Last Explorer was Hubert Wilkins, a relatively unknown Aussie from the early 20th century.  A polar explorer, war photographer and reporter, early aviator, writer, spy and scientist - and lots more.. he was the first man to take a submarine under the polar ice.

My old Dad knew about him because Wilkins was on the battlefields in Ypres in WWI, where Dad's father, (my grandfather) was an Aussie soldier working as a medical orderley (with a donkey cart removing the wounded from the field).

Perhaps I should put the books down and do some washing ..

or sewing .. whatever....

WOMEN CAN DO ANYTHING

First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,

two strong and interesting women,

presented International Women of Courage Awards to 10 women who have shown exceptional courage and leadership as advocates for Womens rights and empowerment

on International Womens Day this week.

My efforts are very slight, but I do like the cushion I embroidered for the day a few years ago:

Women Can Do Anything.

Little Aussie visited - Bliss!

Swimming with his Dad in "Pa Pa's'' Pool,

he said he wanted to go on the Rainbow!

It took a while, but we realised he meant this section with the curved steps going into the pool.

Isn't that adorable?

The child has the mind and soul of a poet!

(blindly biassed grannie speaking here..)

Princess Charlene of Monaco is visiting our shores.

She opened a wonderful Exhibition at the Bendigo, Victoria, Art Gallery:

"Grace Kelly: Style Icon"

direct from the V&A Museum, London.

Featuring 100 items belonging to her late mother-in-law Princess Grace of Monaco,

the exhibition includes costumes from Alfred Hitchcock's film Rear Window, and haute couture from Dior, Balenciaga, Chanel, and Givenchy.  Sigh....

I would so love to go to see it!

The exhibition runs from 11 March to 17 June.

What a coup for a regional Art Gallery! 

Younger Son and Delightful Daughter-in-law called in to socialise with nephew Little Aussie.

And they brought lunch:

A beautiful salad, and a variety of individual quiches from

Jocelyn's Provisions.

Delish!

I hope the coming week is excellent for you xx

THE VILLAGE, THE STABLE, AND THE CHRISTMAS TREE

My tiny tiny people are singing carols in their tiny tiny village,

after building a couple of snowmen -

yes, Christmas is just around the corner, readers.

The Nativity scene is out

(camels from Dubai airport - Christmas lovers

are ever on the shopping alert).

The Tree is up and I had a lot of fun ornamenting it.

Actually it is an ongoing process,

I am considering replacing the star,

and the tinsel .... hmmm..

Maybe I can squeeze on a few more ornaments,

as the fantastic Faux Fuchsia says, More is More!!

Princess Mary is lovely, isn't she?

After being smitten by her cool white with stunning hat, yesterday,

I am totally won over again by today's bright and pretty dress:

Isn't that the most divine print? Gorgeous ..

Princess Charlene is looking much happier,

and the body language with Prince Albert is improving out of sight:

Look at them, leaning in towards each other,

he with a protective arm around,

both with gentle smiles.

Could there be an announcement on the way????

JACARANDAS

October in Sunny Brisbane always means Jacaranda Time.

Our city is draped in thousands beautiful purple blooming trees.

I popped into the Qld Art Gallery to revisit the painting

Under the Jacaranda, 1903, by Godfrey Rivers.

It is a quintessential Brisbane image, yet the jacaranda is not a native tree.

This painting features our very first jacaranda which arrived in 1864 and was planted in the City Botanic Gardens near the kiosk.  It was imported from Brazil and stood for over 100 years before it was blown down in 1979.  By 1875, they had given away 50,000 seeds, and the result is the mass of blooms we see ever October - this is the mother of all those beautiful trees.

The two people in the painting are the artist, Godfrey Rivers, and his wife Selena.

He came to Brisbane in 1890 and taught at Brisbane High School and Brisbane Girls Grammar School.

Through his efforts the Qld National Art Gallery opened with him as its first curator.

This pretty impressionist-style painting makes great use of the new chemical colour mauve, which had recently become available.  The red umbrella is key to the colour palette here - it intensifies the jacaranda blooms and makes them the star of the painting.

During jacaranda season, people smuggle in a few blooms and scatter them on the floor in front of the painting.  Isn't that a sweet touch?

I love the purple carpets which emerge under these gorgeous trees.

Source: Australian Traveller

During my weekly decluttering efforts,

I unearthed this orange glass vase the other day,

 hiding in a dim corner of the nest.

I thought I'd thrown it out years ago, so greeted it with the enthusiasm of

a newly liberated orange fancier!  Orange is Back!!

I treated the vase to some orange gerberas as a back-in-vogue gift:

It only takes a bit of rain, and look what appeared in the garden today:

Heavenly perfume - you could just eat it!

Princess Charlene is looking a little happier with Albert these days.

Doesn't she have a killer wardrobe?

Have a good weekend - we are off to Vinnie's with a mega load to donate tomorrow.