Vintage Wonderful

Summer 09

2009-09-27T15:14:00.001+10:00

summer chillin' in the edinburgh gardens by Rae Street

Court Jester Cafe, Brunswick

2009-09-12T14:56:00.003+10:00

Some of my in-real-life friends have had to listen to me whinge about my disillusionment with Brunswick eateries of late, either because of sub-par service or mediocre food. I can still remember visiting Brunswick for the first time years ago, and being enthralled by the spirit of the place exemplified by the likes of Ray's, Empire Cafe and Lentil As Anything. Things seem to have changed (as have I), and it's been a while since I've felt that heady mix that comes from being fed well, treated well, and swivelling your head around to see everything on display.

Part of me doesn't want to let other people know about the Court Jester Cafe, because I love it so and want to keep it to myself. But hey, these guys deserve it. And since I found out about it from Fitzroyalty, not sharing feels a mite hypocritical. So if you're looking for the spirit of Brunswick, it's at the Court Jester Cafe. And if I were you I'd hurry, because it's not going to be quiet for long.

The Court Jester Cafe is hidden in an industrial zone, on one of the back streets running parallel to Sydney Road and the Upfield train line. It was probably a warehouse or something, because the interior is long and tall enough to accommodate a truck. A single communal table runs along the length, with a motley of chairs, some more throne-like than others. There are plush velvet couches and artwork along the walls, and a curious bicycle up near the ceiling.

Note: photos were taken with a phone camera, which was embarrassing enough thank you very much.

This photo is of the low-ceilinged end, and doesn't do the place justice at all.

Coffee is good, though not great.

The sugar dish is some sort of magical.

Breakfast goes all day, and lunch kicks in at 11. The food is Polish-influenced, and is apparently prepped on-site by one of the owners, along with his mother and grandmother. I give a gazillion yums.

Benjo had the Kugel Stack, with the kugel made from a recipe that's been used for five generations, we were told.

Kugel Stack- Free range scrambled eggs with ~~polish sausage~~mushrooms, roasted roma tomatoes, buttered spinach served on top of a crispy homemade potato kugel. $12

Portions are quite generous. I'm a pretty big eater, and had to choose what to sacrifice to leave room for the excellent pierogi (goodbye, toast).

Creamy Casper - Baked free range eggs in sour cream w/ mushrooms, zucchini, spinach and shredded gruyere cheese. Served with crispy 'Dench' bread: $11

Potato and onion pierogi, $4.50 for 3

Service is friendly and chatty (we were greeted as soon as we walked in, and by all the front-of-house staff/owners), and it was nice and quiet for Saturday lunchtime. But they've only been open two-and-a-half months, so don't expect the quiet to last. It is Brunswick, after all, and the Court Jester Cafe is going to be big.

And now that I have used far too many hyphens in a blog post, I bid you adieu.

Court Jester Cafe
15 Breese Street, Brunswick
Wednesday - Saturday

Round sunglasses?

2009-09-07T17:51:00.005+10:00

It's never certain why a particular trend catches a person's attention, although there are likely explanations: the influence of the trend-setter(s), the connotations the trend carries that a person wishes to incorporate into their idea of self. Or at least, if I'm honest, those are the things that influence me.

But rather than study why I am so drawn to round sunglasses*, let's discuss options. The first three are from Chanel, who have had round sunglasses on the menu since last year. The last two are the more affordable options, both from Sportsgirl. Unfortunately, none of these quite match my requirements.

The pair below, from Sportsgirl, are probably closest to what I want: oversized, plastic and lightly tinted. They only come in Emerald though, and I would like something a little more neutral.

What do other people think about the round sunglasses trend in general? Yea or nay? Do you know of any other sources?

* Here is what can probably be noted as the final cause of my downfall:

image via facehunter

Working in a corner...or not.

2009-08-26T19:40:00.002+10:00

OHAI!

Can't believe it's already Wednesday. I've been a bit naughty and have taken it light on the schooling this week, even though Byron Bay last week was meant to be the only period of laziness this semester. What was that, Conscience? LALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

Anyway, between watching too many awkward sex scenes in True Blood and driving through Melbourne hail, I got in a little op-shopping. Because, you know, pretty dresses are more important than study. YES.

I was pretty excited about the little boy's blazer, but haven't decided yet if it's a little too small for me. Any excitement experienced while wearing it, accompanied by rapid arm movement, might cause me to Hulk rip through it. Poo.

Which would better serve this purpose?

2009-08-24T19:29:00.005+10:00

Laptops can get too hot for laps when they're asked to run many intensive programs simultaneously. It's better to place them on a hard surface, such as a table or large book, rather than a lap or a blanket where airflow may be restricted. But, what sort of book would be the best at cooling? Should I use Anna Karenina (Russia = lots of snow, and there's that fabulous bit with Kitty and Levin ice-skating), or a book of horror stories that sends chills down my spine?

New items! Hooray!

2009-08-15T01:07:00.002+10:00

Just a reminder that there will be new items in the store from 7pm AEST on Saturday August 15th (today!). I think I'm going to try for greater regularity with getting items up in the store, so tentatively...check for new items every Saturday. :) Head on over and check out the new dresses! Honestly, I would love to keep them all but this is beginning to happen more often:

Me: Stop! Stop! You're stepping on my clothes!
Benjo: *deep sigh* Woman! How can I not! They are EVERYWHERE!

Ahem.

Click to go to the store!

Toodles, everyone! I am wagging uni for a week to frolic in Byron!

Advanced Style

2009-08-13T20:47:00.005+10:00

Following links today I discovered what I am now declaring as THE. BEST. STYLE. BLOG. EVER. It is called Advanced Style, and it documents the street style of elders. I would like to be just as awesome when I grow old. Actually, I would like to be just as awesome right now.

Here are a few of my favourites.

All images are from Advanced Style.

The blog reminds me of a poem that used to be stuck on the door of our sharehouse bathroom.

When I Am an Old Woman
When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and a pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We will have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old and start to wear purple.

- Jenny Joseph

2009-08-12T20:38:00.003+10:00

For some reason, I thought that eBay lets you list items for 14 days. Turns out that isn't the case, and so the items I'd planned to start tonight are instead starting on Saturday. Still a little bit of an eBay n00b. I would have begun them tonight anyway, but I'm going to be away all next week...in BYRON BAY! YEEE! Yay to a week of warmth! Not so yay about doing homework on the beach.

Lately on my drives to and from uni, I've been listening to talks from TED. They're free to download, either as mp4 videos or mp3 audio files, and a great way to be inspired and learn new things. In the past few weeks I've learned about the large hadron collider, and how that's going to be (or is being!) used to test for more dimensions of space, how a simple box and mirror can help cure phantom pain, and how to listen to classical music. :) From their website,

TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader.

Here are a few of my favourites from TED's YouTube channel:

Aimee Mullins - How my legs give me super powers

Benjamin Zander - Classical music with shining eyes

Nellie McKay - "Mother of Pearl" and "If I Had You"

I love TED talks so much I'm modifying my blog template so their widescreen videos will fit..!

new stuff!

2009-08-12T00:21:00.004+10:00

Stuff that will be going into the store on Wednesday! Yay! So many pretty dresses this time around. I've really enjoyed getting to play with them for a bit in front of the camera. Until quite recently, I used to be painfully shy around cameras, and was always distraught over how awful I look in photos all the time. Having to take photos for the store has been quite liberating in its own way. It's taught me that there is a certain practice in being photographed well! And that, uh, it's probably a good thing I didn't follow through with becoming a life model because I appear to have a very limited range of poses.

Anywhoo. On to the goods! My favourites are the two-tone blue dress, and the blue and white striped mini-dress. Actually, that two-tone dress would be great for a function I have coming up. Hmm.... *has second thoughts*

Playing Barbie

2009-08-08T21:08:00.002+10:00

Things have been a little hectic on my end, hence the very long delay with getting new clothes up in the store. I think, secretly, part of me just wants to hang on to all the beautiful dresses too. So happy to be busy, though, because I am doing things I love. One of the things includes being on the editorial committee for an anthology of short fiction my university is producing this year. Yes, that's right. My name! In a book! A copy of which will be housed in the State Library! My place in history is confirmed, heh.

This is one of the dresses that will be going up for sale soon. I call it the Barbie Dress. I love it so!

Sukie was a kid, she liked to hang out in the graveyard

2009-08-08T19:20:00.003+10:00

Hello there! Lovely to meet you. My name is Sukie. What's yours?

I have a cunning plan!

It is to hypnotise you with mah cuteness.

Working yet?

Here is my theme song. It's called 'Sukie in the graveyard' and is by Belle and Sebastian.

Liar McLiarson

2009-08-03T20:31:00.003+10:00

Go on, you can say it. Where are the new products for the store? I know, I KNOW. I had such good intentions for this weekend, and then some absinthe came along and the next I knew I was being dragged around city laneways in search of a certain punk bar that never materialised.

I placate you with a cup of your preferred succulent.

Fandango, North Melbourne

2009-07-27T20:13:00.004+10:00

In Melbourne, we are absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to having a great coffee and meal, and as a result of this there is absolutely no reason to put up with bad service.

Fandango in North Melbourne is one of the places with the complete package: great coffee, great food, and exemplary service. The only trick is visiting when they're open (Tuesday to Saturday).

After a few false starts when I had to eat at the Auction Rooms next door, Benjo and I finally got our first Fandango experience one weekend. He had poached eggs with a beetroot and fetta relish, while I had an enormous stack of pancakes with strawberries and cream cheese, and an entire bottle of maple syrup (not that I finished it!). Fandango certainly isn't stingy with its portions.

It's a cosy place, with only about five or six tables in the front room. There are a couple of tables outside, and more out past the kitchen I'm guessing. They can get quite busy, but they're always upfront about waiting times if there are any.

On a later visit, I had the pesto scrambled eggs with tomatoes and extra mushrooms. Knives at Fandango are very serrated, which is lucky because you need them to attack the thick toast.

If it's a Saturday and you don't feel like dealing with sullen wait staff, head over to Fandango for a cheery smile and teapots dressed in tea cosies.

Fandango
97 Errol Street, North Melbourne
Tuesdays to Saturdays

Other reviews:
where's the beef?
the breakfast blog

*

I'm working on new things for the store, and hopefully they'll be ready sometime this week. Got some really fantastic things that I'm eager to share!

2009-07-20T00:21:00.002+10:00

Benjo, my partner, goes skydiving on the weekends, and I like to follow him out to the country to poke around in the small towns (and sometimes the many wineries) in the area. This weekend was particularly lovely, not just because of the sunny weather; I snagged the following:

Birki's! For $1!

Vintage sunnies, $2.50

Boots, $5

Am especially happy with the $1 Birkenstocks. Unbelievable! And as I was paying for the boots, the lady at the counter told me how much her daughter would love them, which only made me want to crow, "HaHAH, but they're MINE".

On Sunday, we trekked to the city for our first Melbourne Open House. 32 buildings in and around the CBD were opened to the public, some for the first time. Queues were quite long for the more popular sites, so with our late start we tried to visit places with little to no waiting times. My favourite was the Capitol Theatre on Swanston Street, and I am still amazed that some lucky RMIT students get to use it as a lecture theatre. Other than that, we caught an organ recital at the Town Hall, saw the old reading rooms in the State Library, marvelled at Council House 2 (which we queued an hour for), and had a silly conversation in a church on Collins Street. I will be more prepared next year!

it's a STORE

2009-07-16T21:00:00.003+10:00

So, the store is finally ready, and the nine items I previewed for you earlier this week are available for your purchasing pleasure. All auctions will end between 6pm-ish and 9pm on Thursday, AEST. Tell your friends!

Visit the Vintage Wonderful store!

yeah I know your hands will clap

2009-07-15T15:38:00.003+10:00

Have you heard of the Black Cab Sessions? Someone thought it might be a good idea to take a musician (or a bunch of them), put them in the back of a London cab, drive around while they play a song and film the entire thing. Turns out, it's a great idea. The Black Cab Sessions have been running for quite a while now, with such notables as Brian Wilson and Bill Callahan having had a turn.

One of the stand-out sessions is Swedish singer Lykke Li's performance of her song, 'I'm Good, I'm Gone'. It's a megaphone. In the back seat of a cab.

Another favourite is violinist Charlie Siem. Firstly, he's doing things with a violin I didn't realise were possible; secondly, he's doing it while SITTING ON THE FLOOR OF A MOVING VEHICLE.

Higher quality videos are available at the Black Cab Sessions website.

first collection!

2009-07-15T00:10:00.003+10:00

These are the first things going into the store. I hope you like! The store itself should be up in a few days for your buying pleasure. Rawr.

mine

2009-07-14T15:51:00.002+10:00

Took photos for the store this afternoon. Just me, a camera, and a stack of thick, hardcover books for a tripod (thereifixedit.com, hehheh). Below is a dress I'm keeping for me. How much do I love it? Thiiiiiiiisssss muuuuuuucccch.

it's some sort of delicious biscuit

2009-07-13T14:54:00.004+10:00

This long shirt/dress is one of the things I will be putting in the store. It's ~~some sort of delicious biscuit~~ made with a light, almost papery material, great for a night out over some leggings. I love it, but worry my legs are insufficient. You see, I am very short. Very.

There would have been more photos of other things, but my camera has decided to retire for the day. And what a beautiful day it is, for a Melbourne winter! It's only slightly overcast.

Why, yes! I do look like an unhappy, silk-wrapped dumpling in the second photo!

I will care as much as anybody else will bother to

2009-07-13T11:00:00.007+10:00

I'm unsure now of how I stumbled upon Shenandoah Davis, but she is definitely one of the more delightful things I've found while wasting time on the interwebs.

A singer-songwriter from Seattle, Shenandoah Davis' songs are intricate and lilting, and put one in mind of a carnival (the good kind). It is perfect music for a wide range of activities, or at least the following tested ones: being wrapped in a doona; walking; being in a car. Surely it won't be long before she'll be on the playlist of coffee establishments in Melbourne, known as much for their skinny-jean-wearing baristas as for their discerning musical tastes (ahem). Maybe she already is!

Website: shenandoahdavis.com

Myspace: myspace.com/missshenandoah

a beginning of sorts

2009-07-12T19:38:00.004+10:00

photo by Peter Franc, on the set of The Picture Show At The End Of The World

The yummy dress in the photo above was made by a friend of mine for a VCA short film called "The Picture Show At The End Of The World".

Welcome to Vintage Wonderful, a blog of vintage and other wonderful things. My name is Rae, and I'm from Melbourne, Australia. I love beautiful things, and I love sharing them with other people. Hopefully, you'll love what I have to share. :)

I'm in the process of setting up an online store, too, selling some hand-picked vintage and retro clothing, so make sure you stick around for that. I'm choosing which pieces will make up the first collection (and trying to talk myself out of keeping everything for me), and plan to have it ready for sale some time this week. Previews soon, too! Tell your friends.

xx Rae

p.s. My friend is a tremendous costume designer who you should get in touch with for all your costume design needs. Send me an email at vintagewonderful@gmail.com for her details.