Showing posts with label Blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogging. Show all posts

Wednesday, 2 April 2014

Catching up with Prue Hufton from Olive & Clover

Today on our "Catching up with" series, we have the very clever and stylish Prue Hufton- owner and founder of the gorgeous online store, Olive & Clover.


You might recognise Prue from a recent article in January's Country Style magazine. Prue's family home, near Harden in NSW's south west slopes, was on display showing what talent Prue has for putting colours, textures and her favourite homewares together. She really does have a gift for putting things together and making them look so incredibly good and homely.

Prue's latest venture, Olive & Clover, is a lovely online boutique selling women's fashion, accessories and homewares, of which she runs from home. Having just opened almost a year ago, Prue has gradually been sourcing and adding to her store, filling it with beautiful and ecletic pieces that represent her style and personality- classic, sophisticated and fun! Stocking homegrown australian designers as well as some overseas ones too,  there are some truly divine items that will add some 'pizazz' to your wardrobe…and your home!

Prue's background is in interior styling and fashion marketing, so it's only natural that she has her finger on the pulse when it comes to undertanding new trends and styling. Her business offers styling advice and her showroom in Harden is open by appointment only. Otherwise, the convenience of online shopping makes it so much easier for us, and the rest of the world, to browse through Olive & Clover's wares. You can also find Olive & Clover at market days scattered around central and the south west slopes of NSW- so keep your eyes and ears open if you live in that area!


Prue writes a blog alongside her online store which is definitely worth a read. She writes regularly about new stock arrivals, fashion and style tips, homeware trends and country living. One post I particularly enjoyed was this one about the Art of High/Low Dressing. That is, the idea of combining a designer piece with a cheaper piece of clothing and still being able to make it look amazing without having to sell your house to fund your wardrobe!

It is also worth checking out Olive & Clover on Instagram and facebook  for regular photos and posts for inspiration on fashion and how Prue mix and matches o&c's clothing range.

It's no secret that Olive & Clover is one of my favourite online stores- its a place I go to, to drool and immerse myself in beautiful, classic and stylish pieces.

So, without  further ado ….here is Prue, answering some hardcore TMCM questions…..

1. How would you describe your personal style?
Feminine and sophisticated. But I always try to add a bit of fun to an outfit. I dont take fashion or style too seriously that's for sure. It could be a quirky necklace, or bright coloured shoes I will try to always have fun with my outfit.

2. What item in your wardrobe are you loving most at the moment?
My new "Flower Bomb" pants- they are so fun to wear. You can never have a bad day in something so bright and fun!

3. What inspires you?
 I do get a lot of inspiration from magazines and bloggers, but nowadays I find a lot of inspiration via Instagram and Pinterest. Instagram in particular, allows you to gain up to date inspiration from people the world over. People who you may not have heard of or been in contact with before. Locally, I get a lot of recipe inspiration from Local is Lovely by Sophie Hansen.

4. What beauty/fashion/decor items are you loving at the moment?
Beauty items- Cloud 9 Wand. Im thinking of embracing my hairs ability to create a wave all of its own. However, my hair needs a bit of help in creating a loose controlled wave, instead of the disheveled look it goes for on its own.
Fashion- A pair of black leather pants for winter. Not sure yet if they will be legging style or more of a loose boyfriend style pant?
Decor- rugs! We are currently in the process of ripping up the old carpet and some of the tiles in our house, exposing the beautiful floor boards underneath. With winter fast approaching we are going to be needing plenty of rugs. This one is currently on the top of my wish list!

5. Favourite piece on Olive & Clover site?
They are yet to arrive, but I am having my own vintage Kantha vests and jackets being made in India at the moment exclusively for Olive & Clover. I cant wait for them to arrive, which should hopefully be around April.

6. Ultimate travel destination and why?
Paris! Seriously, who doesn't love Paris? My husband and I travelled over to London a few years ago to visit some friends we have living there. We jumped on the train for a few days in Paris and it was by no means enough. We decided to ditch some of the tours of all the touristy things I had booked us in for and just spend our time walking the cobblestone streets and taking in as much of the atmosphere as we could. I can't wait to get back there one day.

7. What do you love most about living in the country?
I know this sounds cliche but it really is the best place to bring up children. From horse riding and motor bike riding every day after school- even my 3 year old can catch the bus to pre school has been a huge milestone and help our day to day lives. I guess I am lucky having my parents live in Sydney that we spend some of our school holidays up in the city, so the kids get to experience the best of both worlds.

8. What do you love most about your business?
Setting up and running my own online store has been something I have always wanted to do, but the timing was just never quite right. But now that the children are all growing up (the tricky toddler days are nearly behind us), things have just been working out as I had always hoped. I have always loved finding new and interesting products, and I have always loved finding unique fashion pieces to add to my eclectic wardrobe. People used to often say to me… can you take me shopping? or the next time you buy a dress can you buy two, one for you and one for me? This now gives me the opportunity to do that, and share my passion with women all over the world.

9. Five essential items for this Autumn/Winter?
A Vintage Kantha Blazer / Vest (of course)
Silk… anything!
Kimono Jacket
Great pair of boots
Warm woolly scarf.

10. Best styling tip?
A stripe Tee goes with just about everything.

Here are some of my favourite Olive & Clover pieces……


'Providore at Four' Blouse- so incredibly classic!

'The infamous & must have wardrobe item'……Saint James Stripe Tee

"Beach Cottage" Map Dress- fun, yet oozes so much style and grace!

Talitha Knit Wrap- OMG…..drop dead gorgeous!

Gypset Woolen Scarf- perfect for that cold winters day! How gorgeous are those pom poms??

Apple Dish- quite simply……cute!

Indigo Tweed Pot- perfect pop of colour on the kitchen bench filled with herbs!

Hopi Tray- see Prue's blog post here for a clever and fun way to add some art to your walls!

(All images from Olive & Clover website)

You can find Olive & Clover at the Milthorpe Markets  
this Sunday 6th April
8am- 4pm
Redmond Oval, Milthorpe
(Milthorpe is 3.5 hrs from Sydney and Canberra, 30 mins from Bathurst and 20mins from Orange)

If nearby, drop in and visit Prue and her lovely store!

Otherwise pop over to the website!!!

Special thanks for Prue in participating in our "Catching up with" series!

Until next time x









Thursday, 27 February 2014

Delicious Berry Cheesecake



I think one thing we can all agree on, whether we live in the country or the city, is what a hot and dry summer we have had this year!
And although Im looking forward to some cooler weather, the downside is, I will miss being able to buy berries in the supermarket at a reasonable price.

The recipe below I have been baking for several years now. It's a Tessa Kiros recipe from her gorgeous cookbook Falling Cloudberries. This cheesecake is a firm family favourite and one that has been whipped up for all occasions many, many times- dinner parties, birthdays, and I think we even had it for one of the children's christenings too (I know I should remember these things, but the last few years have been a bit of a blur!).  
This is a perfect dessert for any summertime entertaining, but when the prices of berries start going up, frozen ones will work equally well. Which also means….a great dessert for the cooler months too. 


Berry Cheesecake
250g Granita (or Digestive) Biscuits, coarsely crushed
125g Unsalted butter, melted
750g Cream Cheese, best at room temperature
250g Caster Sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoon Cornflour
400g Fresh or Frozen Berries
1 teaspoon Lemon zest

Preheat your oven to 180 deg celcius. Grease a 24cm springform tin ( I also dust with a little flour too). Mix together the crushed biscuits and melted butter. Using the back of a spoon or your palms, press the biscuit mix into the tin so that it covers the base and up the side. Place in freezer whilst making the cream cheese mix- I find this helps the base 'set' before you had the mixture, and not crumbly. 

Whisk the cream cheese in a bowl with 200g of the sugar- the other 50g is needed for the berry mix so be careful not to pour it all in. Beat in the eggs one by one and then the vanilla until you have a smooth thick cream. Pour over the base and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for about 40-50 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and wobbles only a little when you shake the tin.

Cool completely, then chill in fridge for a few hours.

To make the berry topping- mix the cornflour with a couple of tablespoons of cold water until it is smooth. Pour into a saucepan to heat up, then add the berries, lemon zest and the remaining sugar- the amount of sugar may depend on the sweetness of the berries. Cook for a couple of minutes, addend more water if it gets too thick. Combine and then remove from heat before berries collapse. Set aside to cool completely.

Spoon berry mix onto of cheesecake. Remove ring from tin. Serve with Ice cream, cream….or both!


This post is dedicated to the lovely Yvette from The Stylist Splash who recently asked me to be a guest blogger on her beautiful blog. It was my first guest post so I was incredibly excited to be working with Yvette and also so very chuffed. 

For those who missed my post last week about Yvette, you can read more here. Make sure you pop over and visit  The Stylist Splash for a daily dose of lovely lifestyle topics. 

I would also like to welcome all the new readers to my blog…. A very big Thank You for popping by. Its always nice to know that someone is reading my blog and all comments are so greatly appreciative too!!! 


Have a lovely day…..

Thursday, 20 February 2014

Catching Up with Yvette from The Stylist Splash…

Today I would like to introduce you to Yvette Wilson who is the colourful and talented writer behind one of my favourite blogs- The Stylist Splash!

The Stylist Splash is a lifestyle blog where Yvette shares lots of great ideas and her finds on food, styling and decorating tips, interior design news, fashion, home living, kids stuff, just to name a few. I love how every day she has something new to read. Yvette has a real flair for styling and colour. Her photos are always a visual treat! You may have come across her in Adore Home Magazine, Inside Out magazine, Sunday Style magazine, Interiors Addicts Seven Vignettes and she even won a styling competition for Kiki K. I think this is definitely a blog to watch as Yvette's talents are discovered by all. 

So, some questions for Yvette…..

1. How would you define your style? 
I would define my style as contemporary with pops of colour 

2. Can you tell us what is currently inspiring you?
Muuto wall dots and big rustic dining room tables with coloured chairs. 
Inspiration from The Block (Channel 9).  I am coveting all of them at present.

3. What is your favourite colour and colour combinations?
Fave colours are yellow and pink.  I adore yellow and grey together.  White, taupe and duck egg blue and currently loving coral, navy and gold together. 

4.Name three things you couldn't live without at the moment? 
Three things I could not live without would be my iPhone, lipgloss and my running shoes.

5. Your favourite room at home? and why?
My favourite room at home would be my home office space.  I can hide away in there away from the hustle and bustle and no one is allowed to touch anything so it always stays the way I left it.

6. Your ultimate job?
My ultimate job would be to own a little coffee gift shop and only run it in school hours. 

7. A quick summary of your blog "The Stylist Splash'?
My blog The Stylist Splash is a place where I share all the lovely things I come across in the world of design,interiors, kid style, cooking and lifestyle and just a place I can be creative and share what I love.

8. Have you a favourite designer/s that you seek inspiration from?
I have a few favourite designers.  I love Rachel Castle from Castle and Things.  Her colour and mantra to life are happy and bright and I always admire her work.  I love the work produced by Lovestar, those vases are to die for.  The Brown Trading Company for its bright, colourful homewards and gorgeous cushions

9. Favourite holiday destination? 
My favourite holiday destination is Noosa.  I love the relaxed, warm environment and the fact that we really have some beautiful beaches and resorts right here in Australia.


Below are a handful of Yvette's images - a mixture of her recipes, vignette's and home styling





So be sure to pop over and visit Yvette at The Stylist Splash…..
it always brightens up my day, and Im sure it will do the same to yours!


Sunday, 2 February 2014

Five Fast Questions!


Today I thought I would do something fun and a little bit different- a way for you to learn a bit more about me, if you don't already know me…..!

As seen on Honey & Fizz's post, Id like to join Simone in sharing Five Fast Questions with you.

1. Introvert or Extrovert?
Introvert

2. Dress or Shorts?
Dress

3. Big City or Open Spaces?
Open Spaces 

4. Cheese or Chocolate?
Chocolate- My all time favourite is Terry's Orange Slices!

5. Sunrise or Sunset?
Sunset….preferably with my best friend (aka Husband) and a G&T in hand!

Please join in, especially if you have a blog….. Kylie x

Thursday, 14 November 2013

Blog Make Over…

The last few weeks have been very busy and sadly distracted me from pottering on my blog.

I signed up to do two online courses. One on how to use Photoshop with Nicole's Classes, and the other a blogging course- Decor8-Blog My way- Intention & Style.

This blog was always a guinea pig design….I needed to start somewhere and learn the basics. And now, after six months of playing, Ive decided I enjoy blogging and I want to learn more and recreate my blog to represent me better.

Each week we are given homework/tasks to improve our blog. We pair up with a partner and critique each others blog. From that feedback we need to make some changes or improvements.
I have added  LinkWithin which hopefully will help you find other posts that may be of interest. Very excited about finding that….the things we learn!

Please be patient whilst I change over the template design, and iron out any little problems I might discover along the way. It may take me a few days (or more) to get it all sorted and back to normal and hopefully, easy to read and navigate.

And once Im finished I would love some feedback…
Until then…… I best get busy! Kx

Thursday, 29 August 2013

Ive finally discovered Instagram...and I love it!

I recently discovered Instagram...yes, welcome to 2013! Finally!!!

It's not that I hadn't heard of Instagram but rather had placed it in my 'Oh My... another social media gadget I need to learn, and well, don't have time too!' balloon.
It's a bit like Twitter- I set up a  twitter account ages ago, but have NO IDEA how to TWEET. And more importantly, haven't found a good reason to motivate myself to learn how to tweet, and benefit from it. I don't really care what Miley Cyrus is wearing (or not wearing), nor what she has to say.  But I know there has to be a more positive way of using it- like participating in live TV perhaps? Im not totally sold! (and Im not that quick on my phone either!!!)

Since setting up this blog though, Ive learnt how Instagram plays a big role in the blogging world (as does Twitter). Most bloggers have Instagram accounts linked to their blogs. Its another way of reaching out to readers and discovering even more blogs, websites, and just everyday people expressing themselves.

I love it because of the photos- its a simple concept.
I enjoy flicking through each photo taken and seeing the world through other peoples eyes.
It's so quick and easy to participate- especially thanks to cameras on phones and fantastic apps that help edit Photos which then at a press of a button , goes straight to your instagram account.
It's basically Facebook but on a visual level.

When I set up this blog I did make the decision not to add the Instagram link button- I was in that zone where I would deal with it later. But as we were on the road the last few weeks travelling, I decided to have a play and see where it led me. I quickly and very easily set up an account. I searched for my favourite bloggers and even just 'cruised' my way through random photos posted. I cannot lie, it was very addictive! I came across a young girl who was 13 and her photos were amazing- how inspiring to know what talent there is out there. I just wish I had 'followed' her but that was in my early days of playing and not understanding how Instagram worked. I do have a problem still with following random people I don't really know....I can't help but feel like Im stalking someone. But Im sure this will pass. I must confess I don't yet completely understand the @ and # thingy's. Again, Im slowly learning, but if any readers know about the etiquette of instagramming, please let me know!!!!!

Funnily enough (or otherwise the universe opening doors for me), I then was reading a post on FatMumSlim's blog earlier this week about the FMS Photo A Day Challenge. I have often heard of these but again not being into Instagram, I had no idea what it entailed. Reading the post I decided that this challenge would be a fun daily activity for me to learn more about Instagram as well as expel some creative juices. Not that I need nor want another 'thing' to do, but, I take photos all the time on my phone so why not play the game and have some fun.

I have printed off September's list and am ready to go...

Photo-FatMumSlim

So, here I am.....tillywillso (thats my instagram name!!!!ha!) with all of my 7 followers who Im sure are due to a facebook default...but thank you all the same.

The challenge begins on Sunday and hopefully I can keep up and complete the task.
To jump on board, click here for more information on how to play.

My next challenge, should I succeed will be.....#7vignettes


Are you into Instagram?  Any tips to share?????

Happy Snapping!







Sunday, 16 June 2013

Five Blogs Im following at the moment.....

The world of blogging intrigues me.......

There is just so much information out there that we can access at the push of a keypad.
Yes, Google is fantastic for finding the answer to removing stubborn grass stains from your child's pants or red wine from carpet. Or perhaps finding a recipe to use up that leftover turnip stashed in your fridge. Even finding You tube videos teaching you DIY jobs around the house. Its endless!

Blogs however, invite you into a very personalised world of someone, be it that they are near or on the other side of the world. The topics and discussions are endless, and in many ways I feel it is a way of each blogger expressing themselves in an open diary situation. So without sounding like I have stalking tendencies, I just love reading blogs and could easily spend my days browsing and going from blog to blog.

Here are five blogs Im currently following......

1. The cook who knew nothing - A finalist in the 2013 Best Australian Blogs Award.
If you are into food and photography, then you will enjoy this site. Tanya Zouev is a food and lifestyle photographer, and this blog is a result of her passion for both subjects. She shares practical yet delicious recipes. If the recipes don't make you drool, her beautiful photos will! I love her styling- both photography and writing.
Photos taken by Tanya Zouev

How delicious does it look? 
This blog is definitely worth a look for any foodie!

2. Nicoles Classes - Late one night I was exploring the net trying to find some on line tutoriols on how to use Photoshop and Illustrator programs. I came across Nicolesclasses.com -based in the United States. They offer a range of art & design courses online. I have since signed up to the Illustrator course and well, I want to do them all. Nicole has found the inner design goddess in me! Im hooked!
The blog is just a daily snippet of courses they are running, topics related to classes, free tutorials and downloads available, and creative works by their students. If interested in doing any online classes from photography to sewing to water colour to design, check this site out!

3. At Penny Lane- Meet Bec, a mum from the Gold Coast. At Penny Lane is a blog about styling your home without spending a lot. Its about being creative, on a budget, but with great results. Bec's topics aren't just about being a decor queen but also about being a busy mum to two small children, food, life in general and better blogging tips. I love the diversity of her blog....each blog is a surprise and a bit like reading your favourite mag! 

4. Not Quite Nigella- Yes, another foodie blog. Not Quite Nigella is a lovely collection of restaurant/ cafe/ travel reviews, and a collection of NQN recipes. I enjoy the stories that go along with each piece. And I love the title.....Quite relate to that one. Im currently reading the writers latest book called Not Quite Nigella- of course!  

5. Caitlin Wilson - This is the blog that tempts my craving for gorgeous fabrics and textiles. A very easy blog to read, filled mainly with photos of home wares. I just love her current range of cushions.


Photo taken from Caitlin Wilson Textiles website

Have you a favourite blog you are following at the moment....please share! kx