VICTORIA MASON

Ever loved something so much you wanted to wear it every day? Well here's a jewellery collection that helps you sport those harder-than-usual items like teacups and chairs. Victoria Mason is so inspired by everyday household objects that she made a range of silver jewellery to celebrate it. Whether it’s her tiny silver earrings shaped as spoons and forks or the Pencil Sharpening necklace, they remind us that it’s often the smallest things which give us the greatest pleasure. For more information visit http://victoriamason.com/ or their blog http://www.earlandcookie.blogspot.com/

MAMACITA by LITTLE THING

How beautiful is this range of children's clothing? Mamacita by Little Thing is a range of hand-made clothing from Mexico, commissioned to textile families to support trade into Australia. For more information visit http://www.littlething.com.au/

GIRLZ PICNIC IN MANLY

Sunday was a great day, after a very hectic week, the girlz and I decided to unwind (and unwind we did) on a beautiful Spring afternoon in Manly somewhere on Sydney's beautiful Northern Beaches.



We started at The Winery on Manly Beach, what a great venue. I've been to the Surry Hills and Kings Cross restaurants but the one on Manly Beach is special. The vibe is very chilled, low key, cool and relaxed. No posers here... thongs and board shorts welcome!! The staff are so friendly and helpful and the menu rocks (as does the Margaritas). We had the "Girlz Picnic" menu which included glass of bubbles on arrival, then lovely share plate of tomato/mozzarella salad and some assorted meat. Then a high tea selection of sandwiches, small quiche, tartlets and yummy petit fours. I'm a huge fan of the Winery they just get it right every time from the atmosphere to the staff to the food, for more information visit http://thegazebos.com.au/manly/





After a VERY long lunch at the Winery, we decided to wander down to Manly Wharf (opposite end to the beach) and sit by the harbour and watch the sun set. The best place to do this would be Hugo's on Manly Wharf. The open air setting and bar/lounge area is the perfect place to grab a light snack (pizza etc) and of course another margarita and watch the world go by. Hugo's has a few venue's throughout Sydney visit them at http://www.hugos.com.au/ for more information.





A little fact that most people don't know is that Manly holds some of the last mainland breeding pairs of Little Penguins. There are some wonderful volunteers that arrive at dusk to ensure the Penguins come to shore in safety and then stay with them until they go to bed. It's so very cute and so admirable to have people to help ensure these beautiful animals safety, especially in a high-traffic tourist area. We interviewed one of the volunteers who to my surprise said that 98% of the time everyone is just lovely and genuinely care about the Penguins. Manly Council have done a lot to ensure the survival of these guys, if you are interested in helping out or want more information visit the co-ordinators blog site at http://penguinprattle.blogspot.com/

JARDAN

Jardan Australia is a Melbourne company that has been designing and making custom-made furniture since 1987. The quality of their craftspeople is first class, and the design of their furniture is so unique it really cuts through the awful furniture in market. For more information visit http://www.jardan.com.au