“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”
Winston Churchill
Thursday thought…
Gift wrapping idea of the week: Glitz and Glamour
It’s Wedding Month on the Mr Gift blog this September, which means that many of our posts will have a wedding theme. Our first ‘wedding orientated’ post is dedicated to gift wrapping. The below gift wrapping examples originally came from a post on Christmas gift wrapping, but we love this glamorous style of gift wrapping and think it would suit a wedding or engagement gift…
This glitzy, glamorous gift wrapping style is perfect for wedding and engagement gifts for couples
Image from www.handmademood.com
Why we love it:
1. Weddings and engagements are special occasions that deserve to be celebrated in style – we’re all for ‘going to town’ with the wrapping paper and accessories.
2. Metallic colours set against black and white work well for men and women and are a great theme for presents for couple.
3. You can unleash your inner Magpie to collect lots of glitzy accessories such as gold and silver braid and ribbon, sequins, glitter, metallic wrapping paper and gift tags. If you get stuck, you can always grab a can of metallic spray paint and go nuts spraying plain coloured objects like buttons, leaves, and other accessories yourself.
Check out our other gift wrapping ideas here…
Gold or silver? Which metallic colours do you like? We’d love your thoughts – please comment below…
Why I do what I do: Renae Smith, The Atticism
When you read Renae Smith’s bio, it doesn’t take long to figure out that she’s a hard worker. Fans of Channel Ten’s MasterChef will recognise Renae from MasterChef 2014, but Renae has many talents, in addition to her passion for food and cooking. Renae has very kindly shared her inspiring story with us below…
1.Tell us a bit about your job and how you got to where you are now?
I have two jobs. My ‘main job’ that pays the bills is a PR Agency called The Atticism.
My focus there is on sub culture and urban products as this is where I feel my skills lay.
I started this company after I got sick and tired of working in law. The hours are just ridiculous and I felt very uncreative – I had always helped friends and contacts with marketing and PR so figured, “Why not do it and get paid for it.”
Apart from that, I teach cooking to people across Australia and Asia (so far). I specialise in vegan and vegetarian food and have travelled to India, Sri Lanka and Singapore as well as teaching on Food and Wine cruises with P&O, Festivals and catering events. I got into this because of MasterChef – food has always been a big part of my life, but meat hasn’t – and I think it’s hard to get this type of food to be as popular as mainstream food – but I’m trying.
2. What do you love most about your job?
My favourite thing about PR is the fact that I can be really creative. Coming up with concepts for a client can be hard work, but when you finally get the vibe and can work with them to come up with some really great ideas – it’s a fantastic feeling to watch those work and to allow others to see what you see in a brand.
For my cooking work – the thing I love the MOST is when I give someone a sugar-free, raw, vegan dish to eat and their face lights up and they say “Oh wow, I would never have thought it could taste this good.” Every little bit of healthy and consciousness helps and I am glad to be a part of it.
3. What’s your life mantra?
I live by “If it doesn’t make you happy, don’t do it.” That’s my one and only mantra.
Renae Smith, founder of The Atticism PR Agency and MasterChef 2014 contestant
4. What else would you be doing if you didn’t do what you do?
I’ve always wanted to be a psychologist and to study addiction. It’s something that both terrifies and fascinates me and I believe, in my uneducated opinion, that there’s a connection between genetics and specific types of addiction. I would love to work out if this is right, and if we could potentially work on a preventative treatment for those who suffer addiction of certain substances and not others.
5. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
I’ve never really dated anyone who’s been huge on the gift front. I’ve received the odd thing here or there, but I’m not really a materialistic person. If I had to choose one, it would be from one of my boyfriends YEARS ago. We started dating and he had a daisy bush out the front of his house that I commented on the first time I went to his house (I love daisies). A whole year later I received a pressed daisy in a frame. He had picked me a daisy on that day and pressed and framed it for me as a gift. That was pretty sweet.
6. What’s the best gift you’ve ever bought someone?
I’m actually secretly very romantic, or lame – i haven’t worked it out yet. I once bought someone a star – hah. It sounds lame, but they travelled a lot and we were going to have to be apart a lot of the time. We were both feeling really sad about this and I ended up buying him a star – and getting the coordinates etc. Then, I gifted it to him and said that no matter where we were in the world, we could always look up and share something that was just ours and we could have a moment to not feel so alone. I know – super mushy! I don’t think I’d ever do that again haha. A nice journal will suffice next time.
Here’s a delicious Dumpling recipe Renae shared with us recently…
Learn more about Renae at www.renaesmith.com.au.
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK: Hessian Tool Roll
Spring is a great time to treat yourself or someone you know to a new set of hand tools, and these ones tick the box for quality and durability…
Why we love it:
- This set (including the tools) are made in Australia from quality materials designed to stand the test of time
- The Hessian case protects tools by keeping them clean and dry so that last longer
- This is a great gift for gardeners whose tools may have seen better days!
Happy Father’s Day!
Wishing all dads a very happy Father’s Day 2015 – we hope you have a wonderful day with family and friends!
“I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.”
Harry S. Truman
Five reasons to get out in the garden this spring…
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The best advice my dad gave me: Theresa Charles, Gidgee Baskets
Theresa Charles shares her dad’s wise words in our latest installment of The best advice my dad gave me…
“The best thing my dad taught me was to show compassion for others, to never judge a book by its cover and two wrongs never make a right. My father believed in me, and loved me unconditionally and that’s the greatest gift he could ever give me. He passed away before I had my children and a day doesn’t go by that I wish he was here. My sister and I had engraved on his headstone ‘you are our world, and the love of our life’.”
Theresa is a wife, mother of 4, nurse, retailer and most recently author. “I live in a far north Queensland town, and as with all small communities it has it ups and downs but even after backpacking around the world (before children), it is always great to come home,” says Theresa.
Theresa’s business is Gidgee Baskets, which can be found here: www.gidgeebaskets.com or on Facebook. She has also written a book – Fine Wine and a Midlife crisis by Tara Freeman.
Father’s Day Recipe: Prawn and Ginger Dumplings
The below recipe is one of Tristram Morgan’s family favourites. It has been adjusted and tweaked over the years to get it just right. “I originally made some pork dumplings from a recipe in an Asian cookbook, but have gradually tried new ingredients and have arrived at this combination,” says Tristram.
Ingredients:
- 2 packets of gow gee dumpling or wanton wrappers
- 500g green (raw) prawn meat
- 300g wombok (Chinese cabba ge) or bok choy/choy sum etc.
- 200g bamboo shoot slices or chunks
- 2 spring onions (green onions/eschallots)
- 1 piece ginger 3cm x 3cm
- 2 tbsp fish sauce (or light soy sauce)
- 3 tsp sesame oil
Dipping Sauce
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp chilli oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 spring onion (green onion/eschallot)
Tristram Morgan’s Prawn and Ginger Dumplings – a delicious and healthy Father’s Day treat
Method:
1. Finely chop or mince the garlic cloves and spring onion for the dipping sauce. Mix all of the other ingredients together in a small dipping bowl and add the garlic and spring onion, stir well and set aside.
2. Finely chop or mince the prawn meat in a food processor (pulse until chopped but don’t overdo it) and place in a large mixing bowl.
3. Shred the wombok or Chinese greens thinly, then chop into small pieces and add to the prawn mince.
4. Finely chop the bamboo shoots and add to the mixture.
5. Use a fine grater to mince the ginger and add it to the mixture.
6. Add the fish sauce or soy sauce and the sesame oil, and mix it all together thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly distributed (your hands are best for this).
7. Place a teaspoon of the mixture into the middle of a gow gee dumpling or wanton wrapper, wet the edge on one side with water and fold the two edges towards each other and press together firmly to seal. Repeat until the mixture is used up (probably 1 and ½ packets or wrappers).
8. You can either steam the dumplings over a pan of water (line a bamboo or steel steamer with baking paper to stop them sticking – keep them separated or they will stick together!) or shallow fry the dumplings in small batches (a wok is best, but a frying pan will do), depending on your preference. They will cook in about 3-5 minutes depending on temperature and the number of dumplings you cook at one time.
9. Keep cooked dumplings warm on a baking tray in a very low oven (if steamed, covered in foil to prevent drying out). When all are cooked, serve with the dipping sauce.
Make an Impact Clothing by Tristram Morgan
This recipe was kindly shared with us by Tristram Morgan. Tristram is a keen amateur cook with a special interest in South-east Asian cuisine. Tristram’s business, Make an Impact Clothing is an ethical and sustainable clothing company using organic cotton and other environmentally friendly fibres, with no sweatshop labour or exploitative employment practices. Check out the range here: www.makeanimpactclothing.com.au
Thursday thought…
“I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us.”
Umberto Eco
Competition time! Your chance to win a Beauty Mate men’s grooming kit…
If your man needs a little help with his grooming, these Beauty Mate grooming kits are for him. There’s not a hint of pink, girly packaging in site, so he won’t damage his “manly image”, whilst keeping his skin and hair looking their best.
To enter:
1. Visit the Mr Gift Facebook page to find this competition. Like the Mr Gift Facebook page, as well as the Facebook competition post.
2. Check out the Beauty Mate range (http://www.mrgift.com.au/grooming.html?manufacturer=23) and comment on this post by telling us which kit you’d pick?
3. Comp ends midnight Thursday 3/9/15 and winner will be randomly selected (open to Australian residents only, sorry!).
