SmallNotes

BEAUTIFUL STARS With the warm breezes of spring invading, it’s...

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:24:52 -0400

BEAUTIFUL STARS

With the warm breezes of spring invading, it’s back to the cellar for your Merlots and Pinot Noirs. In their place, the heat begs for something cooling, with notes of lemon and lime or black currant.

Stella Bella Wines, hidden in the Margaret River region, offers a distinctive selection of replacements for winter’s Reds. A blushing Muscat with an aroma of rose petals, musk, and Turkish delight; Chardonnay promising notes of peach and honeydew; the Semillon Sauvignon Blanc thoughtfully blended with spices and stone fruits.

For each wine, Stella Bella also offers a food pairing suggestion and time frame for imbibing when it’s most vital.

As a special treat to all SmallNotes readers, Stella Bella would like to offer you 10% off any order placed online. All you have to do is enter the code SBW10 in the coupon box. Better yet, delivery is free within Australia. Click here to order.

Stella Bella is open daily from 10am - 5pm. They are located at 205 Rosabrook Road, Margaret River, Western Australia.

FRECCIA GASTRONOMY For those of you who love authentic Italian...

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:47:59 -0400

FRECCIA GASTRONOMY

For those of you who love authentic Italian food, but want to avoid the sluggishness that comes with a traditional, post-pasta binge, Freccia Gastronomy in Subiaco is now offering a range of internationally recognised gluten free fresh pasta.

Guiltlessly feast on fettuccine, spaghetti, beef lasagne, pumpkin ravioli, beef ravioli and potato gnocchi. Better yet, it’s all made in Western Australia by WA Gluten Free.

As a special treat to all SmallNotes readers, Freccia Gastronomy would like to offer you 25% off their lasagna, gnocchi and ravioli ranges for the next week.

While you’re there, try Alessandro’s gnocchi (via his Nona) it’s so light and delicious. Team it with fresh tomato sauce and basil leaves and you’re good to go. Or sample his aranchini. Bitting into those rice balls filled with goodness, made us feel like we were back in Rome sitting in Piazza Navona watching the world go buy.

Freccia Gastronomy are located at Shop 4, 1 Forrest Street, Subiaco. They’re open Monday to Friday from 10am to 6pm. Tel: 9380 9992.

DELICIOUS DAYS The days ahead hold the promise of rice pudding...

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:47:00 -0400

DELICIOUS DAYS

The days ahead hold the promise of rice pudding laced with coconut, Zwetschgendatschi layered with juicy Damson plums and almond slivers, and shell-like Mallorcan Ensaimadas.

delicious:days, a porthole into the kitchen of Munich lovebirds Nicky and Oliver, is a gluttonous treasury of recipes and culinary inspiration.

When you’re full and sleepy from Panisses and Easter Bread with Chorizo, visit their suggestions for fun, secret spots in Munich to plan your next trip.

Visit delicious:days or, for something a little more tangible, pick up their cookbook here.

SPRING TEA IN THE GARDEN Samantha Robinson has crafted all...

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:13:00 -0400

SPRING TEA IN THE GARDEN

Samantha Robinson has crafted all you’ll need for spring tea in the garden.

Porcelain illuminators cast an ethereal glow on freshly blossoming flowers. Tea cups, some blooming with poppies, others scattered with peacock feathers, and gourd-like teapots wait for Earl Grey.

Our personal favourites are the juicy red and green bowls, which call to mind the fruit they’ll eventually hold.

Visit Samantha online, or visit her every Saturday at the Paddington Markets and Sunday at the Bondi Markets in Sydney to purchase her wonderful porcelain creations.

MERCHANTS OF FANCY Flying trapeze artists, a dervish-like...

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:54:07 -0400

MERCHANTS OF FANCY

Flying trapeze artists, a dervish-like shot-putter, and tea-cup-pollinating bees act as tour guides in a virtual amble through DISTRACTED: Merchants of Fancy, Perth’s preeminent curiosity shop.

It’s an alluring dance to get you to visit in person. When you do, you’ll get lost perusing French cutlery, Lomo cameras, and BedHead pajamas.

Extract yourself in time to stop by the Haircut shop where the stylists will make you feel polished without using your head as their own personal canvas. See Connie “The Ripper” Burt, their efficient waxing specialist, for a different sort of maintence.

Refresh at the Coffee shop, with sustainably-grown Fiori coffee, an ever-evolving menu of delicacies, and rich treats by neighborhood bakers. Or contemplate works by local artists in their gallery.

Make sure to mark your calendar for the first of every month, when they host their Distracted Manual Arts Academy, a workshop with instructors from a roster of respected local artisans.

SEND ME SEEDS There was never a more delicious way to minimize...

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:27:56 -0400

SEND ME SEEDS

There was never a more delicious way to minimize your carbon footprint than by growing and nurturing your own garden.

Here to motivate you are sisters Sas and Kylie Allardice of Send Me Seeds, Pip (Pollinate, Inspire, Propagate), a seed subscription service offering natural, locally-sourced seeds for your own lush, sustainable Eden.

A one season subscription includes 6 seed varieties carefully selected to thrive in your current planting season and climate, where an annual seed subscription will assure you an abundant harvest throughout the year.

If you’re not confident your thumb is green enough, Pip also offers hints to guide you on the path to a flourishing garden.

Kitchen Casanova In our misty fantasies, we have access to a...

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:57:00 -0400

Kitchen Casanova

In our misty fantasies, we have access to a Cyrano de Bergerac who not only tells us what sweet nothings to whisper to our paramours, but also hints at what to do in the kitchen to impress them.

Our dream-come-true has arrived in the form of the Kitchen Casanova who writes Cook to Bang, a blog about the culinary avenue to seduction.

Whether altruistically improving tenuous Canadian-American relations with succulent shrimp, sharing an oyster recipe as formidable as his ninja skills, or exposing his innermost, blondie-obsessed demon, Cook to Bang arms you with potent tools for getting some action.

A LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE Once again SmallNotes has found a pot...

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:54:00 -0400

A LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE

Once again SmallNotes has found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

To the delight of all women in Perth, Aurelio Costarella is having another one of his famous sample sales. His highly coveted designer dresses have been popping up on red carpets around the world, most recently Jennifer Hawkins, Dannii Minogue, Jess Hart and Gerri Halliwell to name a few.

The sale starts on Monday 21st September, 10:00am til 8:00pm FOR ONE DAY ONLY at 32 Wickham Street, East Perth.

The sale is CASH ONLY, but with garments starting at $20 be sure to get in as quickly as possible. His pot of gold has a habit of disappearing fast as well all know!

Check out his collections at aureliocostarella

GLOWING LIGHT The soft lines and glowing light present in...

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:11:00 -0400

GLOWING LIGHT

The soft lines and glowing light present in Polaroids infuse the memories they capture with something beyond the ordinary.

Curated by Jenifer Altman, Polaroid Notes presents 20 such moments in notecard form. Red balloons stretching toward the sky, a richly frosted cupcake, an airplane wing cutting between clouds and deep blue: all evoke the nostalgia that goes hand-in-hand with the soon-extinct film.

Pick up your own set here.

SWEET ‘N SASSY Misbehavior is inevitable, as are the...

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:50:58 -0400

SWEET ‘N SASSY

Misbehavior is inevitable, as are the requisite apologies that follow. Here to help you use your words is The Beautiful Project with their tastefully conceived note cards.

“I’m Sorry For Being Such an Ass” is simple and direct. Want to lay it on thick? How about “You Look Beautiful Today”? However, if you’re completely remorseless, we recommend “Hooray for me & F___ You.”

Visit their online shop here for more touching sentiments.

DOT DOT DASH You’re sinking, sinking, sinking into...

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 22:59:00 -0400

DOT DOT DASH

You’re sinking, sinking, sinking into Quicksand… fortunately, it’s the first issue of dot dot dash, the thoroughly absorbing new literary magazine out of Perth.

Christened for Morse code’s letter U, its similarity to “duck duck goose”, and the glee of annoying people trying to get to their website (“just go to double-u double-u double-u dot dotdotdash dot org”), the quarterly publication is a treasury of poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction, comics, illustrations, drawings, and photos.

The dot dot dash collective also hosts Draw Rites, a series of free collaborative workshops meant to foster artistic discourse between writers and artists.

Pick up your own copy here, and if you’re feeling particularly brave and talented, go here to submit your work.

LOOK, NO HANDS Minimalism is so appealing, if only because it...

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:56:00 -0400

LOOK, NO HANDS

Minimalism is so appealing, if only because it means there is less for you to snag your sweaters on. We have come across something refreshingly sleek and hands-free to tell you the time.

The QLOCKTWO, resplendently shiny and German-engineered, lights up with the time all spelled out for you in five minute intervals and even automatically adjusts itself to accommodate day light savings time.

Visit Beigert & Funk here for your own or stop by iTunes to download their QLOCKTWO iPhone app.

Watery Muted Landscapes Joanna Logue’s watery, muted...

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:10:50 -0400

Watery Muted Landscapes

Joanna Logue’s watery, muted landscapes immediately call to mind the blissful state between sleep and wakefulness, the moment you grasp at consciousness unsure of your position in dream or reality.

Her ship studies, currently on view at Perth’s Gadfly Gallery, are ghosts across canvas, as intangible as ribbons of smoke.

Drift through the exhibition at Gadfly any time between now and September 13th or visit online here.

Gadfly Gallery
131B Waratah Ave
Dalkeith 6009 Western Australia

LITTLE JANE STREET We know the 80s are back, but the sad-eyed...

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:19:00 -0400

LITTLE JANE STREET

We know the 80s are back, but the sad-eyed kittens who crowded that decade’s birthday cards shouldn’t make a reappearance (they’re creepier than banana clips).

Little Jane Street’s line of stationery offers a chic, simple avenue for conveying your best wishes. From a love letter strung through a robin’s egg blue typewriter to a girl popping out of the envelope with a polaroid camera, you’ll find these uniquely-composed cards charming and fun.

And if you feel yourself craving saccharine-sweet baby animals, they have a sunshine yellow pair of bunnies on the offering.

Visit Little Jane Street here.

BAR CENTRAL Off Barcelona’s La Rambla sits La Boqueria, an...

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:51:00 -0400

BAR CENTRAL

Off Barcelona’s La Rambla sits La Boqueria, an open-air market and virtual hive humming with the steady activity of its vendors. And at the back of La Boqueria, past swinging legs of cured ham, pyramids of tender peaches, and gelatinous octopus heaped on mountains of shaved ice, is Bar Central.

Little more than a stove, counter and beer tap, Bar Central is consistently crowded with those fortunate enough to have secured a stool, and the hungry masses who circle the counter like sharks, waiting to snag an opening.

SmallNotes’ best Barcelonan spread started with a glass of Estrella, followed by artfully arranged asparagus. The plate of crawfish arrived soon after, and we gleefully chopped off the heads and peeled them with our hands. We finished with a pile of deep-fried sardines. Pure heaven.

Bar Central
91 La Rambla,
Mercat de la Boqueria, No. 494–496
Barcelona, Spain
34-93-301-1098

Photo

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 03:28:51 -0400

Mind your beeswax It might be charming to light a candle and...

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:17:00 -0400

Mind your beeswax

It might be charming to light a candle and have a pine forest spring up in your living room, but not only does the scent lose its novelty quickly, the candle most likely emits paraffin, which floods your environment with toxic chemicals.

For a more soothing alternative, Queen B uses 100% pure Australian beeswax to create tea lights, votives, hand-painted pillars, and diminutive bee hives.

Beeswax is a natural ionizer, cleansing the air as it burns, leaving it deliciously honey-infused.

Visit Queen B here.

STUDIO VIOLET Missing your imaginary friends? Studio Violet, a...

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:26:00 -0400

STUDIO VIOLET

Missing your imaginary friends?

Studio Violet, a collaboration between two Swedish illustrator-designers, has mobilized a whimsical troupe of characters to grace your walls and charm your playmates.

Mr. Mustache stands proud, a little bowler hat atop his inflated head, as a pipe-smoking bear parades by. Dewdrop wall stickers make it rain indoors. Krakatoa explodes. And Katta, a snappily-dressed feline, can be sent through the mail to say “Hello” to your friends.

Record the daydreams they trigger in one of Studio-Violet’s boldly printed journals.

Visit Studio Violet here.

EAT LIKE A GIRL For some, to “eat like a girl” might call forth...

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:38:38 -0400

EAT LIKE A GIRL

For some, to “eat like a girl” might call forth visions of a pinch-faced priss cutting her salad into tiny pieces and turning up her nose at the dessert cart.

Really though, to “eat like a girl” is to consume for pure pleasure, which is what Niamh shares with us in her aptly titled blog.

The London-based Irish expat gleefully invites us along as she navigates and improvises new recipes for dishes like succulent prawn curry or a body-warming lentil and spinach soup.

Being the enterprising gourmet she is, Niamh also recently set up a stall (with her partner-in-crime at The Winesleuth) in Convent Garden with prosecco and silky smoked salmon layered over homemade soda bread.

To gracelessly salivate at your computer, visit her site here.

CURIOUSLY CLEVER A silver musket for self-defense (or...

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:41:28 -0400

CURIOUSLY CLEVER

A silver musket for self-defense (or self-adornment). Tiny mustaches to flutter against your earlobes. Nuts and bolts to hold you together.

These bizarre objects populate the cabinet of oddities that is the Giles & Brother online shop. Cleverly conceived, each piece elicits the feeling of having discovered a rare treasure.

Visit Giles & Brother here for your own curiosity.