Maleficent - a movie review.

I went to see Maleficent yesterday, since it was a public holiday, and DD, her bestie, and DH came too. We chose this film because we thought DD would like it, and since it was rated 'M' we thought we'd better be good parents and not send her alone or with her buddies. So far she has not been allowed to see any 'M' rated films. She's only twelve and there is plenty of time for that when she is older.

I didn't really know much about it, but I'd heard it was a dark fairy tale, and a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Angelina Jolie stars as Maleficent. The story is narrated in true fairy tale style, but hubby thought this was a sign of a weak story, when the narrator is needed to fill in the gaps. It even starts with the Disney castle from the opening credits, which thought was pretty cheesy. 

Maleficent is a fairy in a fairyland called The Moors where there are no kings or queens but all the magical creatures cooperate and look after each other's needs.

Next door is a kingdom ruled by a grumpy old king. He wants to take over the  fairyland just because it's there, and when Maleficent defends her land she makes an enemy for life. 

It turns out that Maleficent is the bad fairy who does not get invited to the princess' christening and who curses the child to prick her finger on a spindle and fall asleep forever. In the Sleeping Beauty story it was because was cranky at being left out that she cursed the baby, but in this version it is because she has been tortured and betrayed by the baby's father, the new king Stefan. For some crazy reason the king sends his baby daughter off for safekeeping with three ditsy little fairies to be brought up in the woods just outside The Moors. 

There are all sorts of other details I've left out, but I don't want to ruin any surprises. But if you like fairy tales you are bound to love this one. Jolie does a great job and portrays Maleficent with sensitivity.

Like most fantasy movies these days, there is a lot of CGI. A few of the fairyland creatures look like Jim Henson creations and reminded me of Labyrinth (one of my favourites).

I have not seen Sleeping Beauty so I didn't really know that Maleficent had a name or a part in the Disney film. 

DD gives the movie 4 stars. Her favourite part was the magic land of The Moors. I'm going to take her to see Neverending Story at the movies next month, I think she will love it!

Hubby said 4 and then changed his rating to 3.5. 

I think I will concur with him and give it 3.5 stars too.

The Sapphires

On the weekend I went with my mother, my sister and my recently turned eleven year old daughter to see The Sapphires.




The Sapphires is an Australian film about three Aboriginal sisters and a cousin who team up with an Irish manager and go to Vietnam to entertain the troops.
It is set in the 1960s, amidst a background of racism and the civil rights movement, the forcible removal of Aboriginal children from their families, soul music, go go dancing and of course, the Vietnam war.



The sisters live at Cummeragunja Mission on the Murray River which divides New South Wales and Victoria. Mum says it must be on the NSW side since they don't drink Resch's beer in Victoria! They are from the Yorta Yorta people. They start out as the Cummeragunja Songbirds, singing country and western tunes in talent contest at the local pub. They are not welcome at the pub since they are Aboriginal, and the first prize is given to a talentless white woman. The MC of the talent contest is a drunkard named Dave, and the girls persuade him to take them to Melbourne to audition for a job entertaining American troops in Vietnam. Dave realises that they can be a big success, especially with the youngest sister Julie (played by Jess Mauboy of Australian Idol fame).One of my favourite parts of the film is when Dave has to go out to the mission with the girls to ask their parents' permission to take them to Vietnam. The whole extended family comes out onto the verandah to consider his "application". Their parents are not very happy about the idea, but Dad suggests they take their cousin Kay along and makes Dave promise to look after the girls.

Of course, the girls wow them at the audition in Melbourne, change their name to the Sapphires and sing their way into the hearts of the Americans. Plenty of action and romance follow, but the girls always remember their family and the land where they belong. It was one of those movies where I laughed and cried. The scenes at the mission by the river were sunlit and hazy, the family were shown as content with their surroundings and their life in community, although the girls were ambitious and not content to be ignored. In Vietnam we saw the green fields but mostly it was dark and a bit scary.

I loved the way the girls were determined to follow their dreams, but did not forget their family and where they came from.

It is inspired by a true story, and you get to see the real Sapphires at the end.
You can find out more about this movie on the distributor's website, and I have filled out the parent's advisory on IMDB. It is rated PG for  "mild violence, themes, coarse language and sexual references".


Here is a treasury I made from vintage and vintage inspired items on Etsy.

'The Sapphires' by bananaorangeapple

Just saw an amazing Australian movie today. Highly recommended!

Light in the Dark ddisillusion $24.95	paisley gogo dress bluesvilleusa $32.00	Modern Silver Hoop Earrings,... marygracejewel... $21.00	Vintage Map of Asia and Adja... HobartCollecta... $5.23
Vintage 60s MOD SILVER Metal... fabulousmessvi... $195.00	Beautiful Vintage /retro Pri... dart153 $50.00	Vintage 80s Huge Black Sequi... RATBAGRAGS $29.00	Vintage retro dress, small -... sesslebvintage... $38.00
Glitter nail polish - "... EmilydeMolly $10.00	Sunshine yellow bohemian mex... GypsyTongueBaz... $30.00	River lilies (A3 11 x 16 inc... gregorybishop $25.00	she likes to roam far - prin... FleurRendell $400.00
Sunshine Clouds Print, Seasc... Colourscape $15.00	Vintage 90s Mod Ribbed Sweat... RATBAGRAGS $19.00	I Have a Dream - Martin Luth... no9images $30.00	Amazing kelly green sequined... wornstitches $98.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

April holiday fun

We've just returned from a holiday at the coast, staying in the far south of New South Wales in the little town of Tathra. I would like to share some highlights and some holiday snaps with you. If you know anything about how to get the photos nice and neat on the page, please let me know. I have given up trying to get them all in a row, they just keep spreading out no matter where I put them!

 First off, we stayed in a town called Mollymook. Hubby was keen to try the pies at this pie shop, and they must have been good since he went and bought three more to takeaway. Just   in time on the day before we left I received a package of frames in the mail from my supplier in, no joke, Framingham USA. So I was able to get my first cross stitched pendant ready for my shop, a lovely red and pink rose.

Note address: the Princes PIEway LOL

We arrived in Tathra and set off to find our holiday house, which we borrowed for the week. It  was absolutely beautiful, having just been renovated. Hubby loved the bifold doors which opened up onto a deck with a sea view. I told him I would rather be enclosed and live a little like a wombat. Oh well. 

Sadly, the weather was not ideal. We had to find other activities as the clouds opened up and the seas were rough and stormy. 

We had several day trips, and pretty much everywhere we went we had coffee and cake, or in the case of the Pickle, caramel slice and a milkshake. I managed to find some interesting items at the local op shops. We went to Merimbula a few times. In the St Vinnies op shop I bought some patterns. We went out for dinner at the sports club and then to the movies. We saw the Lorax in 3D, which we all liked a lot. The Pickle is really fond of his moustache, and here she is giving him a friendly cuddle. I said to hubby as we went in that I felt like I'd already seen this movie since I'd seen the preview, but it turned out there was enough surprises to keep me interested.

 I cross stitched this little brooch and put it up for sale in my shop. It was really nice to have some handwork to do while I was away from my sewing machine. you can see the coloured grid which I graphed out beforehand.

Cheese making machine

There's something not quite right about this cow

We went to Bega to visit the cheese factory. My daughter showed me how to eat a "Stringer" which is a lunch box snack that was not invented when I was a kid. At the Salvos in Bega I bought an 80s cardigan which I wore nearly every day for the rest of the trip.

New pair of flower earrings, $3 from big W. I am a big spender!

I resisted buying any plants since hubby said they wouldn't fit in the car.

A close up of my 80s cardigan - it's acrylic! 

$3 earrings I bought at the Bega BigW. 

Gratuitous food shot: this was roast mushrooms with beetroot and feta. It gave me garlic breath but I didn't mind. MMMMM

The barber shop in Bega is also a shoe store - I wanted to try on a pair of shoes while having my hair done but Hubby said no.

A cool old car

These are my all time favourite earrings, I wear these most days and even to bed. I have decided if I ever lose one that I will commission a jeweler to make another pair straight away. They have outlasted many a pair of $3 earrings! I bought them in Armidale in 1998.

We visited an amusement park in Merimbula named "Magic Mountain". Sadly a tree had fallen on the toboggin run and it was out of action. It was smaller than I thought it would be, and it started to rain, but that did not stop the Pickle from having fun. My favourite ride was the go-karts, but hers was the waterslide. Oddly enough, it went underground through a tunnel. Hubby and I were too chicken to go on it. Well, to tell you the truth, we just did not want to get wet. We stood under an umbrella and cheered her on. 

Hubby and I agreed that this must be where old council playground equipment comes to die - they also had a roundabout that did not go round, and a Huckleberry Hound see-saw. 

Pickle and I got hopelessly addicted to watching The Voice each night. She is on Team Delta, and I am on Team Keith. Luckily I had something useful to do while I watched - I made this little pendant which the Pickle has named "The Gumball Tree". It is made with French knots in all colours of the rainbow.

We had an outing to Bermagui, which is a lovely little harbour town. In an antique store called "Belongings" I found the perfect dressing table for our bedroom, but sadly we could not think of any way to get it back home. We had to leave it there.
I found an amazing, fantastic, awesome antique store called "Strangers in Paradise". I wanted to move in there right away. Well worth a look in if you are ever in the district.
 I bought a pattern from 1955 to make my sister a swing dancing dress. it is this one here if you want to check it out or make your ownvintage pattern for sale I am sure she'll love it!

The harbour at Bermagui

I got a bit bored one evening waiting for The Voice to come on, and commissioned an artwork from my friend Niki - it is my first commission if you don't count my custom etsy banner which is at the top of my blog. It will be kinda like this one, but it is a drawing of one of my puppies, and it is a birthday surprise for the Pickle. Sssh, don't tell her!

I am so excited to be able to see what Niki comes up with. You can look at her beautiful artwork here http://www.etsy.com/shop/VintageNiki

This little guy is Wilbur the guinea pig. Isn't he sweet?

On ANZAC day we went for a bike ride, and The Pickle and her daddy made these sculptural "houses" by the Mogareeka Inlet at Tathra.

Since it was our last day, I thought we'd better take the Pickle for a swim at the beach. The water was too cold for hubby, but the kid was mad keen so I took her in. I was really really cold until I went totally numb, and then I could not feel anything anymore so I was quite happy. My fingers and toes went white. There were a few hardy surfers with full body wetsuits on, but apart from them no-one else was brave enough to enter the surf. Even though it was a public holiday.

We visited the historic Tathra wharf. It is a lovely shade of orangey pink that matches the cliffs nearby.

A strange rainbow that looked kinda like an exclamation mark.

Hubby and I both agreed we'd like to live in this cliff top house.

Looking back at Tathra beach from the headland above the wharf.

Here's my handsome hubby trying to take a photo of me. He is saying "just take a  step back, now  another step..."of course, I am standing on the edge of a cliff. Har-di-har-har. The Pickle is coming to my defence.

For something different on the way home we travelled through the historic town of Bombala. 1500 people who don't mind the cold live in this little town at the top of the mountain. The road to Bombala is windy and very steep. We opened the car windows and looked out at the tree ferns in the rainforest on the way. Did you know that Bombala was almost chosen as the site for our Nation's capital? Bombala is known as "platypus country" and the main reason I wanted to visit was to catch a glimpse of one of these amazing creatures. The platypus and the echidna are the only two animals in the monotreme species. These are mammals that lay eggs. How extraordinary!

I had a snoop around looking for platypuses, but no luck. I would like to walk along beside the river one day.

Some interesting characters at the Bombala swimming pool

the river that runs through the town

A beautiful golden elm tree. I hope to plant one of these at my place.

Hubby warned the Pickle that dancing on the clifftop may result in falling poop.

Perfectly located halfway between Sydney and Melbourne (well almost)

The local cinema

the Bombala post office

The main street is named "Maybe Street" and here's the intersection with "Caveat Street" A horse chestnut stands on the corner, and the Pickle and I have collected some conkers.

An Aussie flag garden outside the RSL. Sorry, it is upside down, but you get the idea.

 At Bombala I visited the local Anglicare Op Shop which has a great selection. I bought some awesome vintage linen to be revamped and recycled into new clothes for the BananaOrangeApple store. I also bought some navy and white striped stretch knit which I hope to turn into a maxi-skirt.

There was a lovely little shop in Maybe Street called LouLous, right up my alley. Kids and ladies clothes, handmade jewellery, beautiful homewares - it had it all.

I resisted the urge to buy any goodies having splurged at the opshop, and here's a link in case you feel like window shopping too. I would have bought the Pickle a skirt, but they didn't quite come in her size. I am happy to see they do mail order.. http://www.loulousbombala.com.au/ or her FB page LouLous

Just to make the trip home even more interesting, I persuaded hubby to stop by the highway at the beautiful McLaughlin river to have another hunt for a platypus. Sadly none were forthcoming, I think they were burrowed away to get out of the wind, but here are some nice photos anyway.

A feral blackberry, these are noxious weeds in Australia

We noticed a camel in this paddock

The river with a farm in the background.

The McLaughlin river

An  apple tree gone feral and bearing plenty of lovely red apples. 

We had a break at Cooma for lunch, and I ran into Vinnies to see what they had on offer. I bought two more sheets - one with Paddington and the other Humphrey B Bear. How cool! The Pickle bought a yellow Woodstock stuffed bird, from Snoopy. 

We wandered around, enjoying the chilly sunshiny air and the busyness of this town.

I have decided that I am more of a mountain person than a beach person, but that won't surprise anyone who knows my background. I was, after all, born in Batlow, and was known when I was a baby as "the Mountain Maid".