I have had some comments from customers in our shop as to why I don't mention Mr Stell much
Well he wants it that way, but has given me permission to say a few words.
He is from New Zealand originally but has lived in Australia for more than half his life.
However he still retains those quirky Kiwi ways, that most NZ's have.
Far too numerous to list all here.
What is he like ? well...he is a mass of contradictions...or should I say mess.......either will do in his case He is very artistic...a trained upholsterer by trade, he is more gifted than most in his field. He has a way with colors and a good eye for the small details...those ones that make all the difference but you don't really know why. He makes the best cup of coffee I have ever had in my life, and for our Cafe, this is quite an accomplishment, for someone who for years has been making the worst cup of instant coffee imaginable !!! He is now known as a Barrista "extraordinaire"he has a real feel and taste for it.
He is a very kind and gentle man, but has his moments of anger, mostly due to injustice of some kind, he is fair but tough...his star sign is Libra
Mr Sell fishing in our town
He is very clean, but will be the first to admit to being as rough as guts !
No tool lasts long once he gets hold of it, his excuse is...they don't make things like they used to.
weeding the whole world !!
He is capable and fast and can turn his hand to most tasks.
You would not call him book learned or scholarly...... yet he is the smartest, most aware man I know.
He loves to read
He loves mushy romantic movies
He loves good music
He loves beautiful things, but would prefer to live without the clutter I create from my collecting.
He has a good business brain without realizing it.
He has always worked hard, but has always been too busy to make a fortune
He is hopeless.... a lost cause on the computer
His great love is our land and cabin in the isolated Aussie bush...this is not our home as such, but a Holiday retreat.
Our Cabin in the bush
He is so involved when in the bush...I have a big problem getting him to remember to dress
He is so bull at a gate, to get things done...he forgets to wear clothing
He says he is modest........think again Dear heart !!
Laughs*.... this cracks me up...typical Mr Stell
He will kill me but nevermind
After a hard days work
A bush bath
He has 2 children a boy and a girl and 3 Grandkids that he loves dearly
He loves a beer
He loves me
He loves his cat Hector
He is as strong as an ox
He is the best host at our Coffee Shop
People love him
He cooks well
He takes good care of me, and tolerates my eccentricities, and lack of good housekeeping
Our Cafe come Art and gifts shop
Mr Stell and my Brother designed the sofas, and Mr Stell upholstered them
They are admired daily
We sell Stuff !!
Another of his creations... customer at counter...not me
Quite cool our shop...if I don't say so myself
We make no money
We work hard
And it would not work without Mr Stell
I leave you with another two of Mr Stell's favorite photos....Meditation by the creek and a rainbow at end of day
Taken from a scan me meditating
The date is set wrongly on my camera pic is recent
So the lovely Jamie from Day & Age Design Blog found Here asked me to do a Questionnaire
She has one of the best Design blogs I have ever seen, informative beautiful photos, and not too serious...you must take a peek
Anyway here are my answers for what they are worth:
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No my name is a beautiful Greek or Russian name but has been shortened to make it easy to say
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Last night...no yesterday morning when someone was so sweet and kind to me, I was feeling down and she made my day, and last night watching the end of a good movie....I am a softie
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
No...not at all...I went to so many schools, all taught different handwriting, so it is now a complete mess, I write half script half print...even I can't read it.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Normally I don't eat lunch meat, ham...rarely or chicken...maybe Tuna or Salmon
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? No...not my own... Step kids, good one too
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes.... but I might clash with my strong willed self
7. DO YOU HAVE SIBLINGS? Yes I have a lovely younger brother
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes I do, but no adenoids, they took them out instead
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
No... but only because of my age and bad back not because I am scared
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Organic puffed brown rice with fruit and yogurt
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Sure... when I can get down to do it, sometimes if my back is killing me, I try to get Mr Stell to do it, often with no luck.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Very... in all ways, strength of body and mind
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
I Rarely eat it... and if I do usually some sort of cornetto
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Voice...no idea why...I am vague to a degree ....unless a person is outstanding in some way and it doesn't have to be physical, I don't really notice faces..they all blend to me, of course I am as blind as a bat.
15. RED OR PINK? Pink ...I dislike red
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My lack of being able to show affection...I am pragmatic and not mushy, a bit like a man affection wise I am afraid.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My family, they don't live that close... my Mother, my Father, my Brother, my Step-kids, their children... my Grand children and my two deceased pets Hermes a dog and Saskia a cat
18. WHAT IS YOUR ZODIAC SIGN? Scorpio
19. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PAIR OF SHOES? No I collect...I own 130 pairs of shoes and love the lot
20. FAVORITE MEAL? Garlic Prawn Pasta...that I cook well
21. FAVORITE GENRE OF MUSIC? I am so eclectic in music, hard to say...not main stream..... sort of Indie, laid back blues Jazz even opera and classical...anything that moves me
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Purplely Pink, Cobolt Blue and Sea green I can't choose one
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? My favorite Perfume Coeur Joie by Nina Ricci
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My darling Mother
25. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY OR BEACH HOUSE? A cabin in the bush...that I own...I am an Aussie after all, and I live in a beach side town
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Tennis or none at all
27. HAIR COLOR? Dark brown very long
28. EYE COLOR? Green
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No....but I do wear funny vintage glasses
30. FAVORITE HEIRLOOM?
Surely you jest !!....have you seen my blog..... 2 or 3 hundred pieces...I love them all
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? I am not into either really I like film noir, or foreign movies most...and they all have unhappy endings
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Sisterhood of the Ya Ya's or something like that, yesterday night
33. FAVORITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING? Again I collect... maybe....my Ya Ya Jeans or my hand painted Joie jeans both from the USA I buy mostly vintage and own so many clothes.
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter I hate the heat in Australia
35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? My Mother's Pavlova
37. STRENGTH TRAINING OR CARDIO? Walking and Yoga.
38. COMPUTER OR TELEVISION? Computer
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? WOW....I am a fiend for reading.... I have about 5 going at one time...at this moment I am out of books and re reading Christopher Isherwood Diaries, I mostly read biographic books.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Nothing...a cheap plain red one... yuk !
42. FAVORITE SOUND? My cat purring
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? No contest ...The Stones...been a big fan for years
44. WHAT IS YOUR DREAM CAR? E type Jag
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I have a talent for learning new things, language, design, and making different and unique types of jewelery
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? London England but to Aussie parents, this gives me dual nationality
47. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW? Somewhere in NSW Australia
48. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST FEAR? Loosing my Parents or my Partner Mr Stell
49. WHAT BRINGS YOU THE MOST JOY? My life, who I am now and my family, including my cat
50. WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR YOUNG SELF?
None...You live and learn, you can not put an old head on young shoulders...I would not have listened anyway
So there it is...have you learned anything new about me ? I think not...sorry to disappoint...
I am so sorry to have taken so long to do a new post, it has been a busy time for me of late.
I was thinking about what to do for a new post....
Of course I have enough jewelry for thousands of posts...
But I thought I should try something different...
Soon I will be doing a post about another jewelery artist that I just discovered I think she is very good and will be truly famous one of these days, I am just waiting to interview her...I think dear viewers you are in for a visual treat.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, I have been wanting to show you all some photos of my travels in life ...but I don't really have any, the custodian of our photo's is my Mother and she is not close by...so I will pull out a few random things a write a little.
TIM BUCKLEY
For some reason Tim Buckley the musician and Father of Jeff Buckley has been a big influence in my life, why? I don't really know... a lot of good times in my life have happened while listening to his music.
From Wikipeadea:
Timothy Charles Buckley III (February 14, 1947 – June 29, 1975) was an American vocalist, and musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years; his first album (1966) was mostly folk oriented, but over time his music incorporated jazz, psychedelia, funk, soul, avant-garde and an evolving "voice as instrument," sound. He died at age 28, leaving his son Jeff Buckley from his marriage to Mary Guibert.
It's his voice that dose it for me...100% better than Jeff I think, of course he died young of an overdose of drugs so God only know what he would have become, most of the recording he did are not the best, in terms of quality, but one CD I love is called LIVE AT THE TROUBADOUR I think the venue still exists in LA
Tim Buckley circa 1971
Painting by Jennifer Stace
The first of his albums I heard was sometime in the 1980s called "Greetings From LA" but it was in fact released in 1975 I believe, he was never really main stream although he had his hits.
The raunchiness of the CD astounded me, a bit like Tom Waits only with a much better voice.
As I heard it in a Dress Shop in the middle of Sydney AU I asked the name and promptly went out and bought a copy.
It very quickly became a firm favorite in my collection of Albums.
Next I bought the "Live at the Troubadour" CD...which I thought even better in some ways because you could discernibly feel the pain of life in his voice...it was during some tough times in my life that I listened to Tim Buckley songs, and even now, listening to him brightens my day.
Listen to this
And this one
And from "Live at the Troubadour"my favorite listen to that voice sublime !!
MY MOTHER
Last week was Mothers Day, and I wanted to do a post about my Mother but was too busy, so here it is.... better late than never.
I will have to apologize for the quality of my photos, seeing that I have no old photos on the laptop, plus the fact that I have hardly any pics at all at my disposal...these come from old photos that I have re taken with a digital camera
There is so much I can say about my Mother, but I wont blabber on ...first I love her very very much.
Second she was/is very beautiful in my eyes and in the eyes of others as well, maybe not in a traditional way but in an extremely striking way.
She is flirtatious vivacious, funny loving and temperamental often all at once.
She has had a hard life in some ways, but seemed to my child like eyes to conquer most things life threw at her.
Born a middle child she has Greek and English ancestry and spent a lot of happy times with her Greek Grandfather, I think she loved him and his funny Greek ways dearly.
My Mother me and my baby Brother
She met my Father fell in love because he looked like a young Errol Flynn, and at the age of 24 married.
She had trouble falling pregnant and in those days there was not much you could do, but my brother and I came along eventually after quite a few years of marriage.
Soon after we became toddlers my Fathers career with the Australian Government took him overseas as a diplomat.
My Mother and us Kids followed.
One of his fist postings was in Greece for three years...this was the place my Mother wanted to be, it felt like home to her, you know once a Greek...she was the happiest I can remember her ever being.
On the beach in Greece..poor quality photo but what a figure
Eventually my Fathers career took him to more and more places, it was very hard for my Mother as she was still a house wife and Mother, but in strange lands, where she couldn't speak the language, we were always packing and going to new schools, it was my Mum that kept the family unit going as my Father was rarely seen, us kids were usually in bed before he got home, it was a hard life for a woman and a lonely one.
I know how much my Mum suffered mentally, I was there there and old enough to understand, and I was the one she talked to, she had no family or friends for support the Internet did not exist...it was letter days.
Of course we would return to Aussie at times, my Grandmother died while we were overseas.
We did live the good life though in many ways....it was fun for kids, and my Dad I think... but not for Mothers.
2 passport pics 1970s I think
In those days we traveled by ship or boat a lot, and I think some of my Mum's most fun times were had on the big liners of the day, often my Dad went on ahead and we would be traveling for 6 to 8 weeks.
My Mother was always the belle of the ball, and had men and officers fighting for her attention, she has always been elegant but some of her evening dresses were amazing a different one every night, quite the glamor puss !!
Please forgive the poor quality photos, my Mother Father and Brother in Germany circa 1980's
So by the time my Dad retired we had been everywhere man !!
And after settling back in Australia, I think my Mother was a lot happier.
Always a stylish women she has since traveling around the world, bought and sold various homes and units, each one decorated in her unique style.
Both my Brother and I inherited her love of beautiful things, me jewelery of course, and my brother went on to become a very good and renowned Interior Designer.
My Mother and I taken around 5 years ago
My Mother now
So there it is a brief story about the main female in my life...
Happy Mothers Day Mum...I will love you forever
And you do make the best Pavlova ever !!
YOUNG ME, INNOCENCE PERSONIFIED ?
There was a time when I was young and innocent !! hard to believe...I know
Once again I apologize for the quality of the photos they are old and I have re photoed them for this post.
Once I lived a sheltered life...I had few friends as we traveled so often and I went to so many schools that I didn't know much.
The only way I could be called worldly, is because I lived all over the world !!
I did see fantastic places art and wonders, I was well read but green as grass.
When I got back to Australia every so often.... I suffered badly at school ...I was bullied and tormented for being different, the way I spoke the way I looked.
Torture I tell you....but I survived.
Below is proof of my innocence, and I am skiting a bit I was a pretty young thing:
Baby Stell stubborn and determined even then
At 13 innocent as hell
At 14 or 15 so shy I could not lift my head or speak
At 18
At 19
At my 21st with my Father and Brother in Germany
I was constantly drinking and smoking in Germany just a big party really, no wonder I don't speak good German "enie bier bitte" !! is all I learnt
At around 24 back in Aussie
And so here ends the story of how I lost my innocence I think I can safely say it was in Germany, well that is the start...the rest is another tale...hopefully with better pics next time.
Do I have any right to give out tips ?
Who knows.... I have learned a few things in my life
Are they useful ?... again who knows ?
My brain is just full of random ideas
Do I like to tell people what to do...hell yes I love it !!
So my tip of the week is:
Taking care of your face in a hot climate
See the above photo.....
Well I live where that photo was taken, all year round we have sun, the sunlight is strong ...even in winter..it is Australia.
About 20 years ago I started to notice my face had brown splotches on it, and I had a V neck.... a brown blob where my neck and chest was exposed to the elements.
The rest of me was OK.... as I have olive sallow skin.
Now 20 years ago.... were the days when we did not wear sunscreen as an everyday thing, nor hats...It was well before.... slip slop slap...that means slip on a top, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a hat..or something similar.
What to do?
No 1
Use a good sunscreen....
I have used them all....the above is the currant favorite it has won some world awards as being best or most popular sunscreen...no wonder...not greasy, light,.... you would not know you are wearing it.
If I need some colour.... I will use "Invisible Zinc Tinted Sunscreen" you know the one Jerry Hall and Georgia Jagger tout
I find that since I have been using sunscreen... and that's been since I was quite young... I have no more brown blotches, just clear skin, and definitely not as many wrinkles as some.
I wear it everyday.. never forget.... Summer and Winter.
*Shout's* It works I tell you !!
No 2
Hats.....
Now as you can imagine I collect hats....
I can't be bothered doing a photo of all my hats but the one above is a vintage sun bonnet... perfect to protect your face from nasty sun rays.
Not any old hat is good enough...it should protect the sides of your face and neck...needless to say, when I wear this old dear bonnet/hat, Mr Stella wont go out with me !! ...... but I don't care it works !! [when I can see where I am going].... I did warn you I am slightly eccentric....I am well known for my hats in certain circles !
No 3
Wear a scarf....
Around your neck... to protect your neck and chest area from sun damage.
Once again... [this is getting quite boring I agree]...I collect vintage scarf's.......silk and crepe de chine being particular favorites, the above photo is just a few I pulled out of the wash......obviously ! because of the creases in them ..[I have trouble with hand washing..I never have enough time]
No matter how much botox, or face lifts a women can have...the dead give away to age...... is the chest and hands...so one should protect both.
A beautiful scarf and SPF 30 hand cream, is the way to go.
No 4
Exfoliate...
In a hot climate it is very important to wash away all the salty sweat from wearing a hat and sunscreen.
Any grainy scrub will do..... I use the one above at the moment.
But sometimes I use crushed aspirin [yes the headache sort] mixed with water or cleanser as it contains salic acid, the same stuff they use in professional face peels.
I also use plain yogurt and honey ...yum...leave while in the bath then rinse with a facecloth.
Or I rub my face with paw paw or papaya a great natural exfoliator
No 5
Replenish...
In other words, use a serum or cream or some sort of treatment to re moisturize your face.
I use this Avon face brightening serum at the moment combined with the same Skin Brightening hand cream, that has a factor 15+ sunscreen.... then apply whatever I can find that's thick and gooey..... some random cream... [I own lots]
This stuff also clears the face...strips it in fact .... using AHA's that take a layer of skin off the face to brighten, and get rid of any discoloration.
Then I use a cream..... a good one ....I am using Olay Regeneriste Night Cream at the moment, but I also use oils, say Trilogy Rose Hip oil..... pure and renowned, Vit E capsules [just prick a tablet and use on face] or anything that works to saturate the face with goodness.
Good skin care doesn't need to cost the earth ....regularity of product use is the key.
I also use a good eye cream, and Sun Glasses at all times while outdoors
The End.......I hope I have saved one face from the revenge's of sun so therefore of age
Note: I am definitely not being paid to promote above creams yet !! lets hope eh...one day
What are my musings today......
I have been thinking [it is my day off work] that I really enjoy reading some of the fantastic blogs I have discovered, while browsing others blogs to learn... about blogging in general.
In the course of the last few weeks... some how I have aimlessly stumbled across some fabulous sites.
Of course I have read blogs from time to time, but until I started my own, I never really followed one.
Now I do... and I can hardly wait to read more.
Ahh for the luxury of time
So Thank You !! to all out there who do blogging because you have given me a lot of visual and mental stimulation this week.......
And I have needed it.
On another note, I went to *The Big Smoke* today [a bigger Town] and as this is a visual blog about collecting... I will show you what I wore, it's no big deal...but I felt I looked OK
I had to chop off my head because to take your own photo is not easy... and my head looked terrible..sorry about that !! but believe me when I say you are better off by a mile not seeing it !!
I collect vintage Chongsams, this one is silk, hand made, and a little too big so I used a soft leather belt tied a bit higher up than normal to show the lines a bit better, and so as to not cut me in half,,,I am small.
The Handbag is wool...made by a crafter in my area.
I cut my shoes out but they are very cute kitten heels with a front bow in the same colour as the bag.
The only jewellery I wore was a pair of enamel drop Art Deco earrings, that you can just see if you look hard and my signature silver and ivory bracelets [also cut out by cropping]
I felt and cool/comfotable as it was a beautiful day, but the looks I got from the old folks at the harware shop certainly did nil for my self esteem.
What is a strange big Town girl doing in a small town ? I have to ask myself...but that my dears is a question for another day.
I got to thinking... being that this is a blog about collecting...well mostly....whats the the things I love most.
I love lists of things.
But problem !!...there are so many that I think I will have to make, say a monthly post of 5 things at a time.
So here goes post 1
No1} My Cat "Hector" I love my cat he is my little big man, here he is getting ready for Christmas ...lucky it was my Dad's plate he was sitting on.....
No2}Books...I love reading, mostly obscure random autobiography's here is 3 I have been reading this month.
No3}Vintage Perfume...Of course I collect vintage perfume why? because I don't like the new synthetic perfumes much.... this is just a small selection of what I own...my favorite is "Coeur Joie" by Nina Ricci it is just sublime... very rare and very expensive, I bought some when I did have money.. it stopped being made in the 1960's although sometimes they bring out special editions.
No4}Australian Pottery...I have been collecting these Vases and pots since I was a teen, I just love the colors and dripping glazes...photo was taken in my Cafe where I use them as decoration not for sale...ever...painting at the back is another of my brother's the artist, it is for sale !
And more
No5}Antique Art Deco and Art Nouveau Rings....I own a hundred or more.. sets in different colors one for each finger, most likely one of the best collections I have ever seen [she says modestly] this is just a few I could be bothered to find today, stunning I think..
OK now that's done...What are your first 5 favorite things ?
I picked both the shoes and the plastic bobble 1950's bag up from my local Op/Thrift Shop I wear them all the time I hate red on my self in clothing but these look great when I wear all white I keep my jewelery simple for me !! I wear a set of Aluminum necklaces [6 necklaces in varying lengths] with clear Czech Crystals and earrings from West Germany early 1960's, my rings are all large plain silver doubled up and of course my "signature" bracelets that never come off.
Our Cafe come Art and gifts shop
