Tuesday, February 25, 2020

The Fig Tree Store - a taste of The Mediterranean at St Leonards

The Fig Tree Store boasts a Mediterranean charm in both its ambience and menu. What better location than seaside St Leonards, where you can certainly view the water and pier from its front door, or perhaps inhale the fresh air with its outdoor street seating, and feel the seaside vibe.


After seeing a few tantalising photos shared on social media by The Fig Tree Store, I knew that I wanted to make the time to stop in to try it for myself. On this particular day we were meeting up with a couple of friends, so I it was the perfect opportunity to head over there.


Upon entering, you could feel the sense of an inviting, and relaxing atmosphere, with its homely touches and decor. As this was my first time here, I was drawn to walk around the café and look at their decorative items and of course their delicious food display. Oh the deliberation... to sit on a comfy looking couch, or table and chairs...


Ordering was easy, I knew what I was going to indulge in, even before coming here. I opted for Greek traditional and ordered the Spanakopita along with a medium-sweet Frappe. When the waitress brought my selection to the table, they looked perfect! How did they taste?
Even though for me personally, I would have liked the spanakopita to be a bit warmer, it tasted wonderful. Very authentic in it's texture and flavours, just like my mama would make at home. As for the frappe, it was perfect! It took me back to my last visit to Greece just over three years ago, where ordering frappe became a daily ritual, whilst out and about visiting cafes, eateries, and exploring the majestic ruins and scenery... Aaaah the memories!



The Staff were indeed welcoming, hospitable and friendly. We were treated to a taste of their baklava, which was a lovely touch and much appreciated.

Overall I definitely recommend The Fig Tree Store, and will be visiting again as I am keen to try more of their delicious array of sweets and traditional menu items.



The Fig Tree Store is located at 1370 Murradoc Road, St Leonards Victoria

Click here to visit The Fig Tree Store facebook page.




Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Metamorphosis Exhibition by local Artist Michelle Boland

The Bellarine Peninsula boasts a plethora of many talented local artists, and it is always a pleasure for me to meet many of them in my travels.
On this wonderful occasion I was invited to visit the Artisans of Australia Gallery in Drysdale for Local Artist Michelle Boland's Debut Solo Exhibition: Metamorphosis.

 

Michelle in her 30's, is a Bellarine Local and has lived here all her life.
She is a single mother with 5 children and diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) but has not let this stop her in the pursuit of her dreams.
Even during her most challenging times, and moments of self-doubt, she pushes through and takes her own advice to keep going.


Michelle, a painter of just two and a half years, dug deep for her inspiration to start. As a teenager, she always liked to sketch, and enjoyed being creative.
After separating, she took Art Classes and went from there, growing her experience and education. Michelle has completed a Diploma of Visual Arts and was excited to share her news with me that she has been accepted into Deakin University to complete 3 years of full time study for her Bachelor of Creative Arts.


Michelle came across the Artisans of Australia Gallery when she saw a post on Facebook by Gallery owner Helen Meikle. She messaged Helen and after discussions it was evident that Michelle aligned with Helen's vision for her great hub for creative minds, and thus had no hesitation in booking a permanent bay at the Gallery.
To take it a step further, Michelle approached Helen Meikle to conduct a solo exhibition.
She wanted to increase momentum in the hope of people attending to enjoy her Art, which is a Celebration of years of study, portraying a snapshot and evolvement of all her learning, and thus her Metamorphosis Exhibition came into fruition.


Michelle loves bringing her surrounds to life, and the majority of these scenes come from photographs she has taken herself. She brings emotions and feelings of the day into her work, with the use of colour, light and movement into the paintings.
She can never keep up with her endless flow of ideas. Her passion for what she does is always evolving and even though she has not found her niche yet, her strengths are Acrylic paintings, specifically seascapes and landscapes.


Michelle's advice for all who are thinking about starting or pursuing a direction in art: 
"Give it a go - everyone is artistic in their own mind. Use your creativity to keep expanding, and associate with other Creatives. Stick with it, all good things take time, and your abilities will catch up with your mind, as you continue to evolve."


Michelle's hope for the future is to exhibit more and establish herself as an artist whilst she continues to evolve her work.

Click here to visit Michelle Boland's "Arty Chelle's Corner" Facebook page.


Artisans of Australia Gallery is located at 40 Murradoc Road Drysdale.
Click here to visit Artisans of Austalia Facebook page.




Monday, February 10, 2020

Life On the Bellarine Bushfires Fundraiser

What a heartbreaking time for all Australians with the uncontrollable bushfires massively blazing across our Country.
We have all been impacted by one way or another, and our hearts have been crushed by the devastation that has preceded. 



Feeling helpless, I wanted to find a way that I could personally contribute, and hence decided to run a fundraising Auction via my "Life On The Bellarine" Facebook page.

It was an incredibly massive feat, but I was determined to follow through -  albeit whilst suffering with chronic pain.

I knew that the best way for me to contribute was via an online auction. I wanted to make sure that EVERY single dollar was donated to this important cause.

An album was quickly created with items to be auctioned.
Initially it was only going to be items from my photography collection.
It wasn't long before members of our wonderful community also wanted to contribute.
Many expressed that this was exactly what they were looking for as they too wanted to do something important and heartfelt as a community.
The Facebook and Instagram messages were a surprising welcome.
I was completely blown away by the amount of contributors, quality works of art, handmade items and incredibly generous local businesses. 



Massive Heartfelt thank-you 
to all the individuals and businesses who came together to support our online Fundraiser.
The payments flowed in smoothly and without delay and all items have now been finalised.
After tallying up the final bids, the total amount raised from our Online Bushfires Fundraising Auction was an
INCREDIBLE
 $2905. 



All Money raised from this Auction was donated via the Bushfire Disaster Appeal At Bendigo Bank. (Receipt of $2935 shown).
Congratulations to all on a wonderful result.



"Amidst all the chaos and misfortune in our personal lives and happening all around us, it’s good to just pause and reflect. Sending light and love to anyone going through difficult times." - E.M.


Click here to visit Life On The Bellarine Facebook page.


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