Vintage and Retro Fashion at Hibernian House

Dear Sydneysiders,
For you and you only, Owl and the Grapes and SixOhOne are collaborating to create a one-day pop up store. Just like those fairy tale pop up books you had as a child, but better. You wouldn't have imagined such a thing was possible back then, but trust us, it certainly is.
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Okay, so the 'collaboration' thing is a partial lie, considering that Owl and the Grapes and SixOhOne are essentially run by the same people. That the event will be a treasure trove of vintage and retro fashion however, is definitely no lie.

In the Green Room housed by SixOhOne, we will be bringing to you all that Cinderalla could have ever wanted. Indeed, we will have food (of the cookie kind), drink (of the BYO kind), The Beach Boys (of the Ipod kind), two cozy cats, a big comfy couch to chill the fuck out on, shoes, bric-a-brac and lots of vintage clothes, mainly of the female genre.

It's the same Saturday as Surry Hills markets so drop down before and/or after to enjoy a laid-back Saturday in our company - we're quite literally just down the street. In fact, we're close to Crown Street, Oxford Street and the City too.

Find us on Level Six of Hibernian House, 342 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills. On the corner of Kippax St, just up from Eddy Avenue, opposite Ding Dong Dang, entry via the Stained Glass sign and next door to the (dodgy) Indian restaurant. Zip up in the lift to level 5 (be patient) and there's a security gate on your right. Head up the stairs and at the top you'll see two doors. We're the one on the left. If you're worried you'll lose yourself, don't. There'll be signs.

On My Shoulders

Five hundred grams of the three kilos of clothes we bought last weekend.

Vest, shorts, belt, blouse: Anglicare
Shoes: Local vintage store

The Angels Hung Around

As some of you clever munchkins may have gathered from my last post (which featured a new Anglicare find), over the weekend we paid the Angels another visit. Incredibly, the warehouse of pay-by-the-kilo clothes was packed. Quite full. Despite this, we got down and dirty and walked out with three kilos of clothes, one pillowcase and a four kilo curtain. It's a heavy curtain. Before the end of the week, I'll try to post a photo of a few bits and bobs. For now, here's a little peek (of the a-boo kind).

Kitty

If you can tell me with a straight face that you do not find a kitten racing around the room trying to catch bubbles with its tiny paws entertaining, either you have never tried it or you are lying to yourself. While the boy called me simple, it was indeed the most I laughed all evening - so much so that my stomach ached.

Indeed, now that we (the word we being used loosely, and actually referring to my housemates) have a kitten, this is how I spend my Sundays.

Scarf: Chapel Street Bazaar, Melbourne
Vest: Surry Hills Markets, Sydney
Skirt, pinned up at the bust to wear as a dress: Anglicare, Sydney
Tights: Hand-me-down from Mum that I've cut up
Shoes: Cream on Crown, Sydney
(All thrifted)

Coming down the hill

I love running down hills. With the wind blowing through my cropped hair and the sun guiding my way, it's beautiful, fun and makes me giddy like a little girl. Running up hills, however, is not so fun. Every time my local shops at Surry Hills beckon, I take a five minute detour in order to avoid the giant hill that is Foveaux Street. While I'm sure it's purely because I am grossly unfit, Foveaux makes my buttocks ache and wish I had shoes like Dorothy.

Thankfully Alannah Hill is just the right type of Hill. One that is certainly associated with the feelings of the former. Her boutiques are fun, girly, beautiful, and indeed make many people giddy with joy.

Earlier this month I received this gorgeous Alannah Hill piece. However, despite my gratitude, I find the above pictured necklace doesn't quite make my wardrobe giddy with joy. Instead my clothes and head um and uh on how to wear such a stand-out piece. Hence it has unfortunately never been worn.

I've placed it on Ebay in the hope that someone more stylish than I will know how to wear it. You can see the listing and details just over here (that's a link if it's not clear). If you mention this blog and tell me how you found out about it at checkout, you'll get free postage and handling too!

The listing ends on Monday the 24th November so be quick, and in the meantime I'm off to get giddy like a little girl.

Take this bread

The take-away sandwich. Too many times have I been disappointed by this animal. Thankfully, no more. For those who have been awaiting the day where they no longer have to endure the overpriced and unsatisfying, say hello to Malibu.

This hole in the wall sandwich bar tucked away in the scummy part of Surry Hills is absolute heaven for any sandwich-loving foodie. Their sandwiches are large enough to feed a small nation and made with only the freshest ingredients. It's run solely by the two owners, Marc and Marcella (I find Marc a little more generous, so sidle up to the front when you see that glint in his eye and oh my wholemeal, yes please) who pile on ingredients as you stand wide-eyed.

Despite it's word of mouth nature and the fact that people like me lived two minutes from it for months without ever hearing of it, at lunchtimes there can be quite a queue. Yesterday, for instance, after standing in a line that stretched onto the footpath outside the tiny shop for five minutes I realised that I had the whole of 20 cents in my purse. While Malibu sandwiches are great value, unfortunately they do not yet give them away free of charge. With one setting you back $7 to $8 (with a full purse, being an absolute bargain) I found myself $15.80 short. So it was all the way to the ATM after which I repeated the whole process.

However, despite being gone for thirty minutes longer than I had said I would be, those gargantuan alo-foil wrapped sandwiches well made the trip and the wait worth while. The two wholly vegetarian sandwiches lasted us from lunch through dinner and looked scrumptious enough that when the housemate walked by to see us trying to unlock our jaws in order to get our mouths around the Surry Hills skyscrapers, she immediately asked for directions. It's just on Foster Street, off Elizabeth. You'll see the tattoo parlour and follow the graffiti. There are a few umbrellas and a bunch of crates out the front and very possibly a line. You might even see a halo hovering above the roof. Don't be surprised, just ask for Vienna bread with whatever you feel like.

Yes yes.

People who plan to vote McCain - or not at all, which is JUST AS BAD - need to get their arse informed and their hind legs to the voting booths. The American election is this Tuesday (that's tomorrow kids) and my many cats, at least, are already well on their way to the voting booths. It's really not extraordinarily difficult you see, and yes, it will affect everyone.

It's times like these I wish I were American. And believe me, these times do not crop up often.

Though no longer brand spanking new (and forgive if you've already seen it a few times over), a few cheeky Brooklyn women created this refreshing poster (top right) that's a reworking of a famous '60s anti-war poster (top left). With their tongues firmly planted in cheeks, Casey Brooks (photographer) and models Anna Bean, Karen Maine, Dana Gluck, and Lindsay Withers succeed in making at least one girl smile.

Hat: Bobby's
Dress: Vintage, and on Ebay.

In homage to these ladies and their poster, I've just popped two beautiful dresses (one of which I'm wearing up top) on Ebay which I would really rather not sell but alas rent day is looming and if not here than it shall be at the markets. Click on the photos to go to the listings. It's easy as one two three through seven and a no on Prop eight.

The owls go

Baking and overcast days go hand in hand like love-struck schoolkids.

Is there any better way to spend a gloomy day? The not-quite-halloween-themed-cookies didn't turn out quite as well as I had hoped (and the recipe had to be slightly adjusted) but the once-full cookie tin seems to be suitably diminishing.


Ingredients:

200 g brown sugar (the recipe calls for white sugar but I so prefer brown, if you use white you may need less flour)
170 g butter
1 egg
5 ml vanilla extract
380 g plain flour
9 g baking powder
3 g salt
25 g unsweetened cocoa powder
170 g semisweet chocolate chips
100 g cashew halves

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add baking powder and salt. Beat well. Add flour and mix until blended. Depending on consistency of the dough, more flour may be needed. Remove 3/4 of dough. Roll or pat dough out to form two 10 x 4 inch rectangles. Add cocoa (amount depending on personal colour preference) to remaining 1/4 of dough. Mix until blended. Shape chocolate dough into two 10 inch long rolls. Place on rectangle and roll plain dough to cover chocolate dough completely, not including ends. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
3. Cut dough into 1 centimetre slices with a sharp knife. Place two slices side by side on a cookie sheet to resemble an owl's face. Blend them together just a tad to make sure they stay together when baked. Pinch upper "corners" to resemble ears. Put chocolate chips in each dark circle for eyes and two cashew halves in the centre for the beak.
4. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned

The original recipe can be found here. As each owl has it's own personality, I also recommend naming them (which might also discourage you to eat them, which is good, because they last forever).

Very simply, it was a hoot (pun fully intended).