Mother's Day Lunch..

Super cute lunch bags and canvas wine bottle bags from Southwood Home

A few very quick snaps from Café Dre - more to follow in a few months during a more extensive trip to Melbourne

All Images © Katie Quinn Davies 2011

So 3 more sleeps until our holiday - which due to manic 24/7 workload for past 6-9 months, I am super excited about heading off on (!) I cannot wait to get back to Dublin and meet all my buddies, have a few pints in my old favourite haunts, stock up on all things Marks and Spencers and every Irish and U.K. girls chemist infatuation: Boots, before heading on to New York, New England (Martha's Vineyard, Cape Cod & Boston) the onto New Mexico, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Vegas then finally a week in Venice Beach and a day or two in Santa Barbara... Case is (almost) all packed and other than a mag shoot this Wednesday I am lapping up a few days of chilling before we fly off on Friday. I'm also really looking forward to hooking up with my buddies Jim and Melina and Nicole who I met via the blog over the past year or two. New York is always a highlight for me (I'd live there in a heartbeat) and I've booked some wonderful eateries during our 8 night stay; Babbo, The Little Owl, Pastis, Minetta Tavern and I'm also hoping to get to Breslin if I can. I pondered going all out and trying to

I spent a few days at the end of last week in Melbourne, one of the day was spent shooting a furniture store in South Melbourne - Southwood Home - Catherine who runs the store has amazing taste in all things homewares and there will be new pics of the shop up on my main website which is relaunching tomorrow or Thursday before I head off - keep your eyes peeled. Two of the things I particularly noticed in her shop accessory-wise whilst shooting, were the above little adorable lunch and wine bags, so cute especially the former, which is made of a heavy duty canvas and a super swish way to carry your lunch to work. Whilst I was at the store I met a great guy called Stephen Sam who along with his parter Andrea Reiss, runs a fabulous patisserie behind Southwood Home called; 'Café Dre' specialising in all things macarons, pastries, cakes and other delectable treats. I will be taking some specific shots of the patisserie team's work when I am back in Melbourne in early July, I'll be sure to post them on the blog when I do along with some other foodie gems from Melbourne and the surrounding area just north of the city called Daylesford. But until then, I'm US bound YeeHaw! (excitement overdrive anyone?)

Ooops probably too should note above, a few recipes from a lunch we had this weekend to celebrate Mother's Day, my mum unfortunately not with us anymore (she sadly passed away 3 years ago after a long battle with that God-awful disease Alzheimer's) but I felt it only fitting to create a meal for a few of our mates on Sunday just gone which reflects what I would cook for a lunch on such a day had mum been around to share it with us. I felt it only fitting to focus more-so this week on baked good as that's what my mum was so amazing at cooking in particular and where I think I have developed my passion for baking - I've often played with the idea of doing some intensive pastry chef courses but time alas recently has prevented me from doing so.

I'll be in touch before I head away but whilst i am away I am not 100% I will be able to post as much as I would like whilst away, the roaming internet costs with an Aussie provider and e.x.t.o.r.t.i.o.n.a.t.e (!!) but I will endeavour to get internet connection in the US on a US plan to get a few updates up during our travels. Not to mention a mammoth post when I get back :)

x