Christmas Wishes

Mindi was the lucky recipient of a very special housewarming present from the rest of the Dandi ladies when they came over for some dumplings a few weekends ago.

These gorgeous butter knives are still in their original silk lined case and what is even more special is that the card from the gift giver is still attached!

The card reads: "To Muriel, with love and all good wishes, from Mabel - 25/12/1925

Pretty special huh?!

Mindi's Birthday

Yesterday the Dandi ladies all celebrated Mindi's Birthday! We sampled two different types of cake, Chocolate Mud and Orange and Almond flourless, as well as delicious cupcakes from My Little Cupcake (courtesy of a friend in Cairns - how cute!).


We also sat down to the traditional Dandi birthday lunch of yummy sushi and present unwrapping....


Two pressies! + a gorgeous handmade card by resident dandi Artist, Manny


Pressie number 1: The very cool new book by Sydney chick Kelly Doust : The Crafty Minx

Some projects from the book: Top: Beach Bag - a summer essential! Bottom: Elegant clutch? Yes please!

Pressie 2: Speaking of elegant clutches... how gorgeous is this Organic Cotton clutch from aussie company Apple & Bee? Now Mindi just needs to go shoe shopping for some killer heels to match!

PAD Australia

Very often in life, a change is as good as a holiday, and with this in mind Caroline and Mindi decided to spice up their living spaces with some yummy new cushions from Pad.

We first spotted Pad over a year ago and have been loving their gear ever since. The current collection features an awesome range of colours including fresh green, sapphire and ash grey and the quality of fabric is the very best - durable and snuggly at the same time.

Its fair to say we went a little crazy and our living rooms could now double as Pad showrooms, but the end result breathes new life and inspiration into our worlds and that is what is most important, right?

You can find Pad cushions at the following stores in Sydney

Magnolia Home and Gift, Shop 6-9/ 19 Bungan St Mona Vale NSW 2103

Essentials or Home, 112 Cronulla St, Cronulla NSW 2230

or at Oz Design Stores nationally

Behind the Scenes

Yesterday was a wonderful photography mission in the land of Dandi. The Dandi ladies spent all day setting up and photographing 10 new looks to be revealed in the coming months. The whole experience was such a myriad of emotions, from the manic supplies shopping, to the precision flower arranging, and the calm setting of the table and the never ending ironing!

Here are some behind the scenes photos of the fun day we endured. Lets just say we all enjoyed putting our feet up at the end of the day and eating a post-shoot cupcake. We now also have some wonderful photographs to share with you in the coming months.

above image: props, props and more props!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Leezar and Mindi, styling and shooting

Caroline multitasking!

Please be Still

Mindi ordered these two prints from talented illustrator Jen Renninger via her etsy shop Pleasebestill. They arrived today and she can't wait to get them all framed up for her new pad.

The Only Neat Corner of Mindi's Home

Mindi has just moved house (well two weeks ago actually...) and everything is still in boxes strewn across the place. However she managed to clear enouch space and make a quick custom covered canvas to have a proper 'dandified' corner in which to relax and get crafty. What do you think? The gorgeous cherry blossoms were a present from Caroline.

DIY: Baby Shower Presents

A recent invitation to a baby shower had Mindi itching to get creative with dandi fabrics to make some unique gifts for her friend. Using remnants of Geo Duckegg and Plain dyed Duckegg fabric she created this whimsical cloud mobile which will look stunning hanging in any babies room.

This little stuffed toy kitten is made using a pattern from Amy Butler's free pattern collection which you can download here. It is super easy to make and very cute. As you can see from the photograph it could be used as a regular cushion on any couch and also as a cushion or soft toy for a baby crib.

If you have purchased dandi fabric and made your own projects we'd love to see them, please email us some pictures and we will post them on our blog!

Dandi Puppy

A recent visit from little puppy Leila (a cocker spaniel) had the dandi office very distracted, but equally delighted. Mindi was minding Leila for a few days while her owners (Mindi's sister and brother inlaw) were away. We are now wishing for a permanent dog in the office - such fun!

Inspiration Board: Mindi McBride

The final installment of our inspiration boards comes from Mindi. Influenced by vintage fashion and retro interiors, Mindi draws inspiration from odds and ends she picks up from op shops and her grandmothers treasures for upcoming projects. A clash of yesterday and today are characteristic of her design style as well as use of decorative patterns and bright colours.

Beauty and Lace Interview

Mindi's designer profile was recently listed on the very girly, very fun beauty and lace blog

Check it out here

New Books!

Mindi accidentally slipped over and bought three new cookbooks... time to pop on a pini and get back into the kitchen!

You can make friends with friands

Today's post is Mindi's favorite thing to bake, friands. They are delicious, easy, and look amazingly professional when dusted with a little icing sugar. Try these out as the perfect afternoon tea snack!

Orange & Poppy Seed Friands

Makes 12 Friands.

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain flour (or gluten free plain flour, for gluten free friands)

1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted

1 cup almond meal

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Zest of 1 orange

Juice of 1/2 orange

5 egg whites, beaten till lightly frothy

150g melted butter (or nuttelex for dairy free friands)

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease 12 friand moulds or line moulds with friand cases

Sift Flour and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl. Stir in almond meal, poppy seeds and orange rind.

Stir in egg whites, melted butter and juice.

Divide mixture evenly among friand moulds. Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.

Dust with icing sugar and eat warm or wait til cool and dust.

Friands can be stored for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge, or frozen and reheated.

Variations: Jaffa Friands - Omit the poppy seeds and add two heaped tablespoons of cocoa powder for yummy choc- orange flavour. Lemon & Poppy Seed Friands - substitute orange rind and juice for lemon rind and juice.