Farmers Market Morning...

There's something about hanging out in a farmers market that makes one feel warm and fuzzy inside, don't you find? Well, this morning - that's exactly how I'm feeling after my expedition to the Bangalow Farmer's Market - held every Saturday behind the pub (if you're visiting...) where I bought these lovely tomatoes from the Coopers Shoot tomato clan (aren't they heavenly...) Living on a farm - I know how much work goes into such things - it takes a lot of toil, commitment and love to grow anything particularly the food that we eat - beautiful, healthy, non-toxic, taste good food... We are so lucky to have many committed growers living around the environs of Byron Bay... These growers grow fresh, bountiful, organic produce - good, beautiful food. Let's face it - there's not much in the way of $$ if you're a grower - and so the love of growing is the real motivation for many of these producers. It's a tough, non-glamorous life - and so every time I visit the market I tip my hat to these people who have made the commitment to grow... And every time I prepare farmers market produce, I think of them, with a smile... I was concerned when I recently heard that the life of the farmers market is under threat by way of new legislation that is creeping through - effectively allowing large supermarket chains and similar to sell their wares in a farmers market environment... Whilst I'm all for choice - I think it's such a shame that the sacred ground of the farmers market could soon be monopolized by super-sized suppliers... How will our much loved smaller producers survive, I ask? We have so little control over much of what goes on in our day to day lives these days - to know that the food that we eat has come from the farm to our tables - with little traveling time in between - is simply one of the most joyous aspects of living... I would go so far as to say that it's our right as human beings to have a clear idea as to where the food we eat has come from... At its core, the farmers market environment provides us with some kind of faith in the food chain. What a shame it would be if we lost this to big business too... Please remember to support your local farmers market if you have one near by - every bite you take will be worth the effort you've made to get there... And in the process you will be allowing smaller producers to continue to survive on the land... Happy Weekend all....

Bill Me...

I'm loving the look of the exterior of Bill Granger's new restaurant digs in Notting Hill, London called Granger and Co... Great to see a little sunny yellow has made it's way into the palette - an uplifting sight in an otherwise grey landscape... Congrats Bill - can't wait to get into your ricotta hotcakes - London style...

NYC Dreaming...

I'm so excited to fitting a quick trip to NYC in before Christmas this year - I have so many excuses to get over there these days - so many friends to visit - so many shows to see - so much shopping to be done... Cross fingers that we'll have a little pre-Chrissie snow to get us in the festive mood. Along with all of this, I'm over the moon to be catching one of Deepak Chopra's talks at the Deepak Chopra HomeBase in ABC Carpet & Home - five or more storeys of eye candy for the home... It's was a last minute grab for a seat at these ever so popular events - which sell out within minutes... But I managed to secure my place and am very excited to be there as he'll be chatting with Goldie Hawn...
Here are some pics of ABC Carpet and Home and the man himself (in the HomeBase - isn't it gorgeous!) - I'll let you know what words of wisdom he imparts - it's sure to be an insightful evening...

pics abc home

Where Are They Now...

Hi Everyone,

On this lovely sunny Friday, it's so much fun to be catching up with Shannon Fricke Workshoppers past and present... Today's post is about Anna Critchley - a vibrant, energetic member of our workshop club... Here's what Anna has to say about what she's been up to since attending a workshop a year ago...

'Since coming to visit you at the Little Cottage Nov 2010 I have plucked up the courage and enrolled in an Interior Design Diploma through distance education at the CATC in Sydney.

And I LOOOOVE it! I must admit it is challenging studying with a young family and life to run, but working on assignments that I am excited to research is an  amazing feeling. The hardest part is letting go and just doing them without over thinking. That is the hard part about designing , the constant little voice in your head that asks “Is this good enough?” or “Will other people like this as much as I do?”.

The best part is that the course challenges me to think more, read more and act more......and I remember you saying on that day in Nov last year.....”Just start doing it!”'

Wow Anna - I'm just so proud of you... Yes, designing is a journey - and yes, it is difficult to juggle life with a family and your inner most passions... But, well worth the effort I say, because the satisfaction is just too great to ignore... Congratulations Anna. I look forward to seeing how your creative journey continues to unfold...

Aren't you just so inspired all? And so with this... Have a lovely weekend. Enjoy the days... And we'll meet here again next week... Don't forget to send in your stories post Workshop all... We love to hear what you've all been up to...

sx

Styling Tip No. 1....

First step when styling a photo shoot is - to call in all of your props... Lay them out all over the place.... Then drool...
Ah, yes, I do love these days when props begin to arrive at the studio for the latest photo shoot... It's an opportunity to see what's out there, to be creative - and to make some serious mess! This is The Little Cottage on these days of experimentation... The days when we see how things go together, when we make decisions on what goes with what and where... When we put our imagination to work and play, play, play... It's loads of fun - the mess before the order... Because, of course, once on set - everything has to be spick and span and in it's place... No mucking around! But today - well that's another story...

Be Certain Of Uncertainty...

If there's one thing that I've learnt about life in the 42 years that I've been on this planet is that there is no certainty... In fact, I'm certain of it!  As much as we may try to create a solidity or a structure around our lives, as much as we develop routines, rely on patterns of behaviour, on schedules, on systems - at the end of the day, these things are just not certainty-proof... Most of us are seeking a kind of certainty, don't you find... We strive for a certain world because we fear the unknown... We fear losing control... Even, in the world of aesthetics - we are striving for a certain outcome... We create plans, models, schemes - to ensure a kind of certainty in our work... But in reality, no outcome is ever truly certain... And why would you want it to be I wonder... For the uncertain outcome is often the most exciting... We spend a lot of time in the workshops at The Little Cottage looking at the idea of uncertainty in creativity and design... I find that most women who come along to the studio are looking for a kind of certainty - they're hoping to find the skills they need to decorate in a way that dazzles... And while decorating is about accruing and testing skills - it's just as much about being aware of and then embracing uncertainty... Speak to most creative luminaries and they bring with them the same story - the story of finding peace in the face of uncertainty... In the face of the unknown outcome... As creatives, we need not to fear uncertainty but to embrace it... It is in this uncertain space that the most dazzling beauty lies... If you can bring yourself to let go - to free fall (metaphorically speaking) - then you find trust... You find trust in yourself... In your work... In your life... And when you trust yourself in this way - then you can tap into the beauty within at any time... And that, I believe, is the one thing that is, for certain...

p.s if you're a Shannon Fricke WorkShoppper - recent or past - then send me a line and let me know what you're up to... I'm planning some more 'Where Are They Now' posts and would love to hear your story to include in a post... With pics too... send them to my email HERE

pic from taverne

I Love Lellow...

I remember the day that I fell head over heels for Lellow - um, I mean Yellow... It was the day that my son Joe first said the word. He was only a wee thing back then - and his attempts at saying the word - but replacing the Y with an L - were just too cute to ignore... Consequently, I've been in love ever since - with Joe, of course, but also with the colour... It's crazy to imagine that I could ever love yellow... My mother has been a huge fan of it for years - trying to entice me to it too.... But my heart just couldn't stomach it... That is, until it became Lellow - now I simply can't get enough... I've even used it in clients houses - sparingly to begin - but with greater gusto as I grew in confidence. I even have bits of it at home... And a big dollop of it in the studio... Whether it's a bowl of lemons in the kitchen, or a wattle yellow in a fabric - I do love Yellow - um, I mean Lellow! Now I'm confused!!!

pic from Anthology Magazine

Rummaging...

My first stop when I'm propping for a photo shoot is always my old shed... There are many things living in the shed - old cushions, fabrics, some furniture, interiors bits and bobs - and I'm sure a snake or two! Most things are tucked away in plastic bins - to protect them from the dust and dirt - and when I have a shoot on the way, I rifle through the bins with the hope of finding something that I'd forgotten about... Today, I found a bin that was tucked away behind all of the others - and boy oh boy, did I find a few old treasures in there... One of which, was this old table cloth... My aunt gave me this table cloth many moons ago now. I just love the colour of it - and you just don't find lace work quite like this, these days... I was so excited about the discovery that I just had to drape it over a chair so that I could catch a glimpse of it every time I walked by! Crazy non! Already I'm beginning to plan the Christmas table around it... Can't you see it?
I've also been having fun with some beautiful petunias that are growing like weeds in the garden... I've taken to stuffing them in old glass bottles - roots and all - and dotting them around the house. They last for days... And look oh, so pretty.
And on this note - I hope you all have a lovely weekend... Perhaps a little rummaging will spring forth at yours over the next couple of days.... Be sure to let us in on what you find... Happy days...

Like A Flowering Stone...

It's just possible that I was married to a stone mason in a past life... That could explain why I love stonework so... These are the stone steps that Joni our stonemason has just completed... Every time I catch a glimpse my heart does skip a beat... Oh, and I had to share a little of my new garden beds with snapdragons and other pretty plants  -and potager replete with beans, tomatoes, zucchini... I'm so proud of my little garden... Could there be anything more fulfilling that popping a seedling in the ground and watching it grow? Ah, everytime there's a new shoot, I think I've died and gone to heaven! Do you have a potager at home? What are you growing that you love...

What Goes On Behind The Blue Gate...

Well, I'll leave that for you to ponder over the weekend...
I love this pic that Nicky from NV New Vintage sent through yesterday... Bring on the stone walling and archways I say... Such incredible beauty...
Happy days all....

Where Are They Now...

Hello all,

I hope you had a lovely, and messy weekend (!) and managed to kick off your shoes and enjoy the days... Hubby and I had a day to ourselves which is a rarity up here at the farm - and so we spent it hanging around the pool enjoying the sunshine and the rolling green hills trying to ignore the overgrown garden!

I thought I'd share a little inspiration with you today... I received a lovely email from Vanessa Kidwell last week. Vanessa attended my very first How To Decorate Workshop up here at The Little Cottage in Bangalow last year with the aim of - not only having a hoot of a time - but also exploring a more creative life. Perhaps, eventually, Vanessa thought she may open her very own store filled with gorgeous homely goodies and the workshop was, kind of, a first step for her... Like so many of us know - wanting to do something brave and actually making it happen are two completely different things. Putting your creative self out there for the world to see and taking the creative leap is daunting... Well, I'm very excited and proud to say that Vanessa has done it - creating her own store called livedincoogee in the seaside Sydney suburb of Coogee... Of course, I love that Vanessa found the workshop gave her just the kickstart that she needed to take her leap of faith - now she is actually doing something that she's been dreaming of doing for years... I just love stories like these ones because - at the end of the day helping people connect with their creative self is what the workshops are all about... 

Here's some pics of Vanessa's beautiful store for you to check out - I love the tiled exterior and the old floorboards Vanessa (not to mention your lovely homewares) - and you can go to her online store as well, to check out her goodies...

Congratulations Vanessa and thank you for sending me your lovely email... It's made my week...

sx