Factual Friday: Wherefore Art Thou

ink & watercolour illustration, 7.25" x 7.25" [18.5 x 18.5cm] BROWSE PRINTS

There's rarely a deep and meaningful reason why I draw a certain subject matter.  "Ooh, that's pretty!" is usually enough.  And I remember clearly having that thought years ago over this gracious old dame on Ann Street, Brisbane.  She provides one of many delightful little heritage flourishes amongst the standard office blocks in the middle of the CBD.  We can safely say she was home to the School of Arts at one time, but I know little else of her history.  So about all I can offer you for now is, "Ooh, that's pretty!"  and procure some appropriate attire.  I feel smocks are in order for our visit.  And Singapore Slings on the upstairs verandah to counter the colonial humidity.  And on that note...

Happy Factual Friday to you!

Francophile Friday: Scootering Da Rocco

ink & watercolour illustration, 8.75" x 7" [22.5 x 18cm] ACQUIRE PRINTS 

When I sit down to illustrate without a specific project, I often have no idea as to what I'm going to draw.  At times like that, I'll resist the urge to spin the bottle and instead, will open my tear-sheet ring binders or the inspiration folders on my laptop, skim through my Pinterest boards, and gaze at the overflowing mood board next to my desk {and invariably think to myself that I need a much larger one, then daydream about gilt frames and somehow ending up wondering what Hugh's wearing today ... and not regaining consciousness until the best drawing light is dwindling fast.  Damn it.}

Today, my eyes alighted on a photo sent to me some months ago by Pop Culture Nerd and taken when one of her loved ones was in Paris ~ she thought of me when she saw it.  Thank you, my sweet!  I loved it and filed it away to wait for little lights to flash over it when the time was right ~ which turned out to be today.   And for those of you who are smitten with both Paris and Italy, Da Rocco Trattoria in the 7th arrondissement is made for you... a taste of both worlds.  {And the reviews look excellent!}  The sidecars are waiting and the red wine is breathing discreetly.  We can relax elegantly in trousers so it doesn't matter from which angle the paparazzi catch us.  And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

Factual Friday: Treasury of Brisbane

ink & watercolour illustration, 8" x 7.75" [21 x 19.5cm] BROWSE PRINTS

I was ever-so-gently reminded recently that it might be quite nice to don my ambassadorial hat again and show you a little of my local slice of heaven.  As my week turned out to be shorter than the length of my To Do list, I donned my white cotton gloves {oh, the humidity} and rustled discreetly through my archives {always better to rustle discreetly through such things} and came up with this: a piece of heritage architecture whose facade connects us to a genteel place and time.  The subject for today is Brisbane's Treasury Building, now home to the Treasury Casino and Hotel.  {I shall not weep for its lost virtue.  The council thankfully made it rewardingly irksome to insert said casino into said lodgings and required all manner of retention of heritage colour schemes and trims, skirting and architraves, yin and yang, Sonny and Cher... what was I saying?}  If you look at the Casino's website, you'll see that a sizeable bauble of street sculpture has been added since I drew my illustration once upon a time. 

Anyhoo, here we are.  Gambling for the weekend in glamorous surrounds.  Or we could engage ourselves more productively with some fine dining and live music.  Better dust off the cleavage and choose from this, this or this {my personal favourite}.   Kir Royale, anyone?  And on that note...

Happy Factual Friday to you!

Venerdi in Venice: Florist by a Whisker

ink & watercolour illustration, 7" x 8.75" [18 x 22.5cm] BROWSE PRINTS

Happy New Year!  Special delivery for our weekend in Venice.  Our little kitty is just applying one last fluff of the flowers before he pulls on a plump red satin hand-plaited and tasselled rope to ring the doorbell.   No need to change out of your silk pyjamas.  A cat always appreciates the value of such fineries.  Thank you to dear Danielle of VenetiaMicio for the beautiful inspiration.  We visited nearby another day, but views like this are worth returning to, and it's been a while since Venice graced us with her beguiling beauty.  And it's not every day one's flowers are delivered via boat.  Or a kitty cat.  And on that note...

Happy Venerdi in Venice to you!

Francophile Friday: Merry Macarons to You

ink & watercolour illustration, 7" x 8.75" [18 x 22.5cm] BROWSE PRINTS

A valiant effort, though I haven't quite covered the partridge, turtle doves, calling birds and I don't think these little feathered friends would pass for French hens, either.  But I have a feeling you'll excuse me for trading five golden rings for this tower of raspberry macarons {if you close your eyes and make a wish, yours will turn into whatever flavour you fancy}.  Thank you, dear Virginia of Paris Through My Lens, for the lavish inspiration provided by you and Printemps in Paris.  I've decided to call this style Bacchanalian-chinoiserie.  Could we be daring enough to wear this while we indulge?  And when the last crumb has gone, we can visit animal refuges to make donations and give out cuddles.  {To give just by clicking your mouse, no money required, please pop over here. Often.}

Wishing you a Christmas filled with love and laughter with those who make your heart sing and your spirit tap dance.  And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

Francophile Friday: Paris by Carrousel

ink & watercolour illustration, 8.75" x 7" [22.5 x 18cm] ACQUIRE PRINTS 

When life throws you curve balls, escape to the nearest carousel, I say.  What this one lacks in proximity, it more than compensates for in magic.  Please slip over to Genie's Paris and Beyond to view the original breathtaking sight in le Jardin des Tuileries, captured by her beautiful eye in the late afternoon winter light, bulbs twinkling and perfectly described by Genie as a 'blue and white wedding cake of a merry-go-round'.  Thank you for the very pretty inspiration, dear Genie ~ bisous!  I'm not sure how they hold up to snow, but I've arranged for a fairy floss vendor [aka cotton candy] to provide our refreshments in every pastel colour.  And not a plastic bag in sight ~ these ones are spun onto renewable-bamboo sticks or paper cones fashioned from vintage Paris maps edged in silk passementerie, depending on your fancy.  {There are also fairy floss martinis, but caution: when combined with enough carousel rides, the result can cause hallucinations.}  Let's take her for a spin.  And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you! 

Fashionable Friday: Mise/Pretty Far West Illustrated Gift Guide

ink & watercolour illustration by Shell-Sherree - curation by Mise/Pretty Far West
~ see below for links to individual items ~

Fortified by a magnum of champagne and fruit mince pies, we arrive at the second in our little teensy mini-series of illustrated gift guides, curated by a few of my favourite style bloggers and illustrated by little teensy me.  Last Friday, we were in Provence with Vicki Archer of French Essence.  Today, we travel par avion Pretty Far West to Ireland, where our guest curator Mise can be found plucking dewy blooms from the garden and nonchalantly arranging them in an endless array of Bonne Maman jars, before working some W.B. Yeats into her needlepoint project, perched on her pink and white toile de jouy Louis chair, warmed by her ivory stove as her sourdough rises in the kitchen.  All this before breakfast.  If ever there was a reason to visit Ireland {and there are many, to be sure}, visiting their Queen of Fudge, Wit and Domesticity is an excellent one.  Many of you will know Mise from our frivolous and fanciful deep and meaningful discussions in the comments, so you'll be keenly aware of her inimitable humour and charm, and her choices for our gift guide reflect that in spades.  {Hers is pink, I'm rather sure.}

I asked Mise if she could choose anyone to dress up as Santa and climb down her chimney, who would it be and why.  To which she replied, "I'd choose your dear self, as we'd surely have the best of chats by the fire, sipping champagne and munching florentines as we spoke of the nature of whimsy and whether pale blue can overcome all strife. I might not insist on the Santa suit, though, if you would prefer to wear a divine frock."  Thank you ~ I would be profoundly honoured, dear Mise!  I'll get back to you regarding attire, though I'm leaning towards this Tom Ford number, as I know your chimney would be impeccably clean. And on that note...

Happy Fashionable Friday to you!

Mise/Pretty Far West gift guide sources [left to right, top to bottom]: (1) Brian de Staic Fuchsia Earrings; (2) Vogue Pattern Sixties Dress; (3) Joules Bobble Hat; (4) Labour & Wait Milk Pan; (5) Hotel Chocolat Cabinet; (6) Barbican Pendant Lights; (7) Aspinal Vanity Case; (8) Berry Red Boudoir Chair; (9) Runaway Coast Striped Cushions

Fashionable Friday: Vicki Archer/French Essence Illustrated Gift Guide

ink & watercolour illustration by Shell-Sherree - curation by Vicki Archer/French Essence
~ see below for links to individual items ~

One of my minor weaknesses leading into the festive season is fruit mince pies.  Not a concept I grasped at all when I was a child ~ I pictured a combination of beef mince, gravy and glacé cherries and couldn't possibly imagine what anyone would find fetching about it.  But at some point the penny dropped, and now I'm quite partial.  Today, I ate my first fruit mince pie to officially cut the ribbon on my Christmas planning ~ which leads us to today's post.  I was doodling around last week and illustrated one of the J.Crew guest gift guides for the fun of it ~ and it led me to thinking it would be fun to do a little teensy mini-series of illustrated gift guides, curated by a few of my favourite style bloggers.  And with grace and aplomb, they agreed to play along.  Hooray!

Given the fondness for French influence around these parts, our first gift guide is contributed by Vicki Archer, author of the sumptuous books My French Life and French Essence {stories of her life} and dreamy blog of the same name.  Vicki created her blog 'for those, like me, who are mad for fashion, interiors, and all things French.'  I like to think we're related through our Australian DNA {if you're a genetic scientist, I don't want to know...}  She is one of the most romantic souls I've 'met' and she has a way of writing her posts to you and you alone ~ even though you know they are there for all to see.

I asked Vicki if she could choose anyone to dress up as Santa, who would it be and why.  To which she replied, "As for Santa… I don't want it to be anyone but Santa because if I knew him… he wouldn't be Santa…. 'Those who don't believe don't receive'… That's what I said to my children when they were small and that's what they say to me…."  Thank you, dear Vicki!  And on that magical note...

Happy Fashionable Friday to you!

French Essence Gift Guide Sources [left to right, top to bottom]: (1) Annick Goutal Gardenia Passion Eau de Parfum; (2) ‘Vogue: The Covers’; (3) Annick Goutal Noel 08 Scented Candle; (4) Parisian Pagoda Parasol; (5) Red Wellington Boots; (6) ‘One Hundred Flowers’ by Harold Feinstein; (7) Casio Men’s XL Red G-Shock Watch; (8) The Sunrise Collection Picnic Basket; (9) Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Hi Tops

Francophile Friday: Américain in Paris

ink & watercolour illustration, 8.75" x 7" [22.5 x 18cm] ACQUIRE PRINTS 

As night draws its cloak over the warm and fuzzy glow of gratitude and Thanksgiving for our American blogpals, this scene seemed a nice way to tuck the day into bed.  {And a thousand thanks to dear Virginia of Paris Through My Lens for her inspiration ~ merci, ma chère!} Our little kitty looks grateful for her fine view of proceedings at Mondrian in Paris. {And she's grateful for the beautiful souls who adopt rescue animals ~ needed now as much as ever.  Please read some of their touching stories gathered at Altadena Patch by our friend Altadena Hiker.}

Apparently bar américain indicates that cocktails can be procured within.  I'm willing if you are.  I've taken the liberty of sourcing appropriate garments for us to wear.  The one-shouldered look is so very 'in' this season.  But nothing beats a full skirt as a crafty means of gaining more precious real estate if the bar is crowded.  Pop into the fitting room and join us when you're ready.  I hear Hugh could be recovering here from his latest iced-tea commercial.  And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!

Tea for Tuesday: On Wings of Teacups

ink & watercolour illustration, 7" x 8.75" [18 x 22.5cm] BROWSE PRINTS

Surprise!  I'm back already, with a large pot of ginger tea brewing left of stage.  Which is entirely different from left of centre.  Or so I'm told.  I took this inspiration on a flight of fancy by replacing the perfectly functional handles with golden winged ones.  Somewhat cumbersome to drink with, but worth it for elevation of the Fetchingness Factor.  Please, take your cupcake at your leisure and I'll pour when ready.   No tea party would be complete without some music. Ella prefers her namesake's rendition, though the Muppets come a close second.  Stop me now.  And on that note...

Happy Tea for Tuesday to you!

Fashionable Friday: Vintage Road Trip

ink & watercolour illustration, 5.75" x 8.5" [14.5 x 21.5cm]

Bonjour. I have returned.  No, this is not a self-portrait, though my hair could easily have grown this long in my blogging absence if I'd allowed it to.  Nor have I been driving around Australia with a rakish puppy dog poking his head happily out the window of a charming old petrol-guzzler.  But somewhere out there, it made for an attractive photo shoot.  {I drew on this for inspiration but its photo credit source has vanished, sorry... probably with a large pastel-coloured picnic basket into an eternal country summer.}

But what's that I hear you saying as your forehead furrows with concern.  Où est Francophile Friday?  Dove è Venerdi in Venice? Fret not, they will be back!  But while contemplating my navel for a protracted period {it's easy, I do yoga}, I thought it might be fun to post more serendipitously ~ more on a whim ~ which feels rather fitting.  Often on Fridays, and sometimes not.  Perhaps a different day entirely on the odd occasion.  Let's take the notion for a spin and see how it goes.  All that aside, it's magnificent to see you again.  You look even lovelier than before.  And on that note...

Happy Fashionable Friday to you!

Francophile Friday: Macarons Stripe You Lucky

ink & watercolour illustration, 7" x 8.75" [18 x 22.5cm] ACQUIRE PRINTS

Firstly, I must apologise.  My hand-engraved invitation to Hugh to announce the winners of my giveaway went astray.  Never hire a chicken to do a carrier pigeon's job.  As a result, there's no opening number ~ no singing and dancing or sailing in on a highwire {the latter is probably for the better, given he's a bit accident-prone when airborne}.  But perhaps I can distract you from your disappointment with some macarons and tea.  And this picture of Ella wearing the hat we used to draw the names.

Without further ado, here are the winners of my Paris postcard sets, in reverse alphabetical order to keep us on our ballet pointes:  Susan Campisi, Pop Culture Nerd, Petrea Burchard, Ms M, mise, the GyPsY, Favourite Vintage Finds, Cafe Pasadena, altadenahiker.

Felicitations and congratulations to those who bribed Ella best had their luckiest vibes on!  Please contact me via shellsherree[!at]gmail.com to advise/confirm your address, and I'll have your postcards on their way ~ enjoy!

Thank you so much for your lovely comments and friendship.  As the sun sets on my 3rd blogoversary celebrations, I shall be taking a little break to recharge my blogging batteries.  But first, please stay a while.  We shall graze on this bottomless plate of macarons and drink from these bottomless striped teacups, or those bottomless rose-coloured glasses, filled with your beverage of choice.  And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you. À bientôt! 

PS: As a valued reader of my blog, you have until 15th October to receive 20% off all items in my store. Simply enter the discount coupon code 3RDBLOG during the checkout process.