This is the view looking up, while supine on a park bench beside the Lachlan River, Bathurst. Many delicious hot cross buns consumed from a fabulous bakery in Blackheath, too many yummy chocolate eggs from Belle Fleur and I am about to go back to the farm to cook a shoulder of pork with quinces I picked yesturday by the creek. I am not sure life gets a whole lot better than this. The quince tree has so many beautiful golden fruit on it that I will have gifts for all at the showroom, on Wednesday morning.

When Spence & Lyda first opened, we were on Holt Street, Surry Hills. One day early on, I was alerted to the peeping of what sounded like a duckling outside. Confused, I walked out onto the street searching for the source of the sound. To my great surprise a duckling literally fell out of the sky, almost into my arms. My daughter Marlo was only about 9 months old so the maternal thing was running high. In a panic for these little babies I gathered then in my arms and ventured in to building from whence they had apparently fallen only to be told once I had reached the 6th floor, that it was a common occurrence as there was a water cooler pond up there… computers with reeds and the lot.

So last night I visited Jared Ingersoll of Danks Street Depot’s new restaurant Cotton Duck for dinner, only to be told this was the origin of the name! I know I am late, coming to this restaurant but I am glad I did. The meal was spectacular, clear winners were the pork belly  (surprise surprise) and the blue swimmer cannelloni. Also, I never have desserts but was persuaded this time around….yum.

Kathy Allam, signs of life, Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 2011. Photo Karen Castle.

These are some of the more interesting offerings at Sculpture by the Sea Western Australia this year (March 3-22).

Tom de Munk-Kerkmeer, luchtkasteel (castle in the air), Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 2011. Photo Viviane Dalles.

I just love the idea of watching sunset over the water too, at least one reason to live there.

Nic Compton, they are not like us! are they not like us?, Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 2011. Photo Roger D'Souza.

Unfortunately I did not jet to Perth for this, I was up at Oberon, on the farm, spraying blackberry. I did feel as though I achieved a lot though, and had the intense pleasure of gorging myself on the freshest, ripest and most wonderfully organic blackberries (before I sprayed them). There are some compensations in life.

I am determined this will not be the case next year, I think the family needs to come and experience this magical city and I need to do something in the city aside from rushing to and from the Parc Des Expositions.

The best visual I saw at Maison this year, aside from Missoni of course, was Richard Ginori.

They are consistently producing great stands that display real creativity. This shot is of the display of one of their oldest designs, reissued and looking perfect for a modern setting all in simple white. The shapes are lovely and work even though they are traditional and not at all contemporary.

The other was a fabulous hand-made textile booth, but then again I am the original textile-head, so  I am reduced to hushed passionate exclamations in its presence. One thing in particular was a book, about to be released, documenting Iranian dowry kilims, some over two hundred years old but putting the modern art movement to shame.
The other was a lovely collection of simple vessels crafted in honest materials but to perfection. Copper, wood and earthenware never looked so good. The company is Sfera out of Japan soon to be seen in Spence and Lyda.

Spence and Lyda is shifting gears a little and moving back to providing exclusive accessories of exquisite quality.  I have found some truly glorious things to build that story with during this fair,  as well as the recent trips I have been making to far-flung corners of the globe. I

I am not sure why I have only just noticed but Paris is on sale at this time of year…..so I gave myself half a day to shop.
Somewhat startlingly I found the atelier of a French fashion designer whom I originally spotted in Singapore…Lilith..ON SALE! Check out the website,  the spring/summer collection is gorgeous! www.lilith.fr.

And across the road are a number of the edgier fashion boutiques to be found in Paris. Rue du Cherche Midi is my new fashion Mecca when I am here.

My other favourite street is full of high-end 20th century shops. Always spot something amazing, these early board games built into coffee tables were very tempting,  fortunately it was too late and they were closed.

I also had the good fortune to go to a cocktail party one evening in a lovely apartment in St. Germain thrown by the editor of one of the Californian interior magazines represented by my dear friend Penelope Francis from L.A. She and I worked together when Morris and I lived in Los Angeles so it was great to catch up after many many years. While still in full ‘do you remember when’ mode that we stumbled upon a restaurant called ‘the Club Of the Sicilians ,’ on Rue du Dragon. What magnificent serendipity and what a sublime eating experience it was. Very fortunately Giulia, my sales manager for Ortigia, the lovely Sicilian homewares brand we carry, was with me and selected a bottle of red that defied description.

Goodbye Paris for another year, you always leave me wanting more.

I left for home, via Dubai. I fell asleep the second we took off, and woke as we were about to land – love when that happens. We flew in over the water for the first time, that early morning bleeding into a sunrise that promises a very hot day in the desert.

The Gulf was silver-turquoise reflecting the hazy sunrise blush, flat water lapping flat land with the fruits of men towering over the vista, the Kalif tower sharp and startling in the middle… But then you already know what I think of Dubai…it hasn’t changed but nature was doing it’s best this morning.

So wonderful to see these amazing creatures en masse’. Don’t you love the pom pom on his nose!
Found some incredible textiles here, all are now in the showroom for the christmas Caravansarai.

Amber Fort

I have fallen madly in love with this city, in marked contrast to Delhi! (I am told I will develop the same sentiment for that huge bustling metropolis but I still can’t see past the rubbish in mounds beside the roads…… everywhere! Very bourgeoise, I know, so I just whispered it.)

Can’t get enough of seeing camels and elephants in the streets battling it out with a million push bikes, rickshaws, taxis, humans and dogs , all trying to make their way somewhere.

The ‘Pink City’ is decaying, but she is incredibly beautiful as she goes, like some aging beauty queen who is content to watch the march of wrinkles and those all too engaging laughter lines, as they thread their message of a life well spent. Really, she is like my 90-year-old mum; impossibly, more beautiful with age.

Photos from Delhi earlier in the trip:

Rajistani Dancer

I thought long and hard and have ultimately erred on the side of practicality: Something I rarely do (admittedly) but a  nonetheless. I think that considering the dog, the daughter and extended family, I would have to be insane to put a piece of art of that calibre on my floor. Walls, yes, floor..insanity. I think it would cramp our combined style to worry as life happens… on the rug and I don’t picture myself being diligent enough with the salt for the inevitable red wine spill.

There are many people who don’t have these particular considerations, and maybe I won’t in another life, but in the here and now, I am on the search again.

I just love the Hepsi rugs from Loom in Melbourne, have just discovered that Koskela, around the corner from my showroom have the Sydney agency…hurrah! So now I can go there to touch and feel rather than fly to Melbourne. The problem right now is that they do reds particularly well and for the first time in my life this is not my palette.

I am all about neutrals, black and white and blue’s for this apartment.

Think this Dhoku would be good, the pattern echoes the Beat Lamps, just wonder about sitting on it, flat weaves aren’t very skin friendly.