Perched on the balcony of the cafe, at the edge of Paddington’s steep and winding La Trobe Tce, it was hard to keep track of my brekky date’s conversation, as I continued to lose myself to the view over the leafy suburbs of Rosalie and Milton.  Such a pleasant distraction…

The Hamptons Home Living breakfast menu created an even bigger distraction for me however and it was lucky I’d done some online research prior to arriving; I had at least formed some sort of short list before I’d even sat down.

My creamy cappuccino gave me the focus and kick I needed to make a decision, and finally I was confident the smoked bacon and corn fritters, tomato relish, salsa verde, poached egg and jamon ($17) would float my proverbial boat.

A little on the pricier side of what I usually like to pay for breakfast, I was so delighted to see the dish arrive with ample portions of fritters, salsa and (so much) jamon.  The egg was poached with perfection, the fritters were full of flavour (not doughy) and the jamon was fresh, tasty and as mentioned, plentiful!

RD had to endure grunts of pleasure from my side of the table however he was having a love affair of his own with the Hamptons full breakfast; double smoked bacon, eggs, rosti, Portobello mushrooms, Roma tomatoes and leavain sourdough ($22).

The mushrooms were a standout – so buttery and lightly salted, also a very generous serve.  The rosti was crispy on the outside with soft potatoey goodness inside and the bacon had good crispy factor, while the scrambled eggs were bright and fluffy.

Other eye catching choices on my short list were the baked eggs, chorizo, slow cooked tomato, Yarra Valley Persian fetta and sourdough ($16) and smashed avocado, sourdough, Yarra Valley Persian fetta and rocket ($14).

After digesting the food and a bit more of the view, we headed inside to check out the home wares side of things at Hamptons Home Living.  The front of the store is packed with a range of home wares including French inspired trinkets, hand creams, lounge furniture, throws and cushions…the list goes on.

The Hamptons Home Living store has a very friendly, cosy feel to it; the staff are lovely and patient, on this occasion reflecting the serenity and peace of the view they get to admire all day long….jealous much?

• Hamptons Home Living – 180 La Trobe Terrace, Paddington +61 7 3367 2002

Stones Corner reeks of social potential and those of us with a soft spot are waiting with bated breath for things to go pop.  Last Sunday was the first of many market days to come, with Jan Powers vowing to return and hitch her market cart outside the famous Stones Corner pub on the second and fourth Sundays of every month.

So how did the first market day stack up?  Well I’m 110% committed to the Stones Corner revival cause and to see the strip packed with stalls and people jostling for space was fantastic – so yeah, I reckon the first market day stacked up ok and I can’t wait for the next one.

I guess as far as markets go, it’s fairly standard and on par with the other Jan Powers farmer markets around Brisbane. 

There were plenty of fruit and veg stores that were on the cheaper side of well priced and the produce looked good.  There were a range of food and beverage stalls oozing personality and all sorts of mouth watering smells. 

There are plenty of stalls to tickle your home wares fancy as well as a range of flower stalls to choose from.

Aside from the markets, there are some new cafes in the area at which you can rest your weary feet over a coffee or brekky and also some boutique clothing stores that are well worth a look.    

The next Stones Corner market day is Sunday 25^th September. 

• Jan Powers Farmers Markets – Logan Rd, Stones Corner.

Good thing we agreed to meet our friends nice and early (at the rather uncivilised hour of 8am), because before long the place almost resembled Myer on a Boxing Day sale, which I figured could only be a good sign.

A fairly open, airy and echoy venue, Home Store & Cafe does, as the name suggests, provide a lovely cafe setting for families of all shapes and sizes with a nice section dedicated to lovely kids toys, books and other small home wares that may take your fancy.

The menu took my interest straight away with some not-so-ordinary options like minted pea and feta fritters, bacon and egg brushetta and other lovely combinations.  I couldn’t go past the home store avocado smashed on sourdough with baby vine tomatoes, crumbled feta and preserved lemon, with a side of poached eggs ($12.90).  The dish was humongous – serious brownie points were awarded for the presentation, flavours, creativity and the price.  It was easily the best out and about breakfast I’ve had in months.

MM stuck to his usual game plan of poached eggs with toasted sourdough ($9.90); nothing too interesting to report here, however worth mentioning that the eggs were poached perfectly and a generous serve of toast was provided.

RD opted for the savoury mince breakfast with chorizo, poached eggs and rocket salad with toasted Turkish bread (sorry, no price on this one).  Not my cup of tea for breakfast but according to RD a tasty and mildly spicy combination and once again a really generous serving of goodness.

The coffees, ranging from $3 to $4 were all creamy with the right amount of kick to keep us going for the rest of the day.  While the shop front of Home Store & Cafe was pandemonium, it wasn’t unnerving at all, in fact the bustle and vibe they had going on was pleasant and friendly and the service didn’t falter one bit.

• Home Store & Cafe – 20 Stewart Rd, Ashgrove +617 3366 6652

One of the participating retailers is the ultra cool and seriously original Stone and Metal Contemporary Jewellery.  Located just off James St, Stone and Metal is an almost hidden treasure and well worth a visit if original, chunky, raw, delicate, how-did-they-do-that pieces are your kind of thing.

The Stone and Metal gallery beautifully displays contemporary jewellery from around the world as well as hand crafted pieces from Australian designers.  Just my luck, the beautiful sterling silver bracelet bundle I had my eye on was a little (ok, a lot) outside my price range but there are plenty of affordable designs as well, of all shapes and sizes.

Combinations of sterling silver pieces with pretty gemstones, chunky aquamarine, amethyst and other rocks of beauty (ok, geology’s not my strong point!) feature in the beautiful display cases.

Owner and super-goldsmith Samantha showcases her own handcrafted pieces which are a perfect balance of strength, delicacy and femininity.

The Art on James program will bring a new, fresh vibe to the already fashionable James St precinct and it’s so refreshing to see Brisbane embracing these sorts of initiatives.  The retailers such as Stone and Metal are putting on bubbles, tunes, nibbles and more to flaunt their wares as well doing their bit to support local contemporary artists.

• Stone and Metal – Shop 3/60 James St (Cnr Arthur St), Fortitude Valley +61 7 3254 4454

Friends had recommended we visit a shop on the North side of town that would solve our mirror issues, but unfortunately they didn’t know the name of it, they just gave us general directions.  Like the blind leading the blind, somehow we made it to the said ‘mirror shop’, which as it turns out is called The French Corner.

I wasn’t expecting this to be successful; after all we were unsure of what we really wanted in a mirror, and these things never end up being easy (or cheap).  When we walked through the doors of The French Corner….voila!  It took only seconds to find a perfect match for our dining room and then fall in love with pretty much every item in this delightful French inspired shop.

From prints of Paris and the River Seine in the 1920’s, to old clocks, handbags, jewellery, storage holders, bedroom suites and framed photographs of the gorgeous Audrey Hepburn, The French Corner has so many beautiful trinkets, furniture and clothing items which ooze sophistication, class and taste. 

A purchase from The French Corner will set you back anywhere from $20 to $2000.  There is no end of stock (kept beautifully clean, dust-free and well maintained) but store owners Gary and Ann have handpicked a selection of suppliers to bring to their clientele individual and original pieces that don’t have the slightest hint of gaudiness, but rather inspiration, beauty and warmth. 

Whether you’re looking to trim your home or adorn yourself with jewellery and accessories, The French Corner will bring out the creative decorator within you and with professional, friendly service you’ll no doubt be pleased to support this local business.

• The French Corner – 240 Enogerra Rd, Newmarket +61 7 3856 4321

Alarna has packed a huge amount of her boutique stationery range into the Little Jane St store, which was launched only a few weeks ago in the laneway off Winn Street in Fortitude Valley — right next to Flamingo Cafe and The Outpost.

In addition to the stationery items, Little Jane St also sells tote bags, ceramic magnets and garden labels, prints, and very pretty hand-printed ribbon, as well as items from other creative types — such as zines, washi tape and other trinkets.

Little Jane St is open seven days a week, which means you can coordinate your visit with a lazy weekend brunch at Flamingo Cafe  if you want to. Or you can drop in as you’re moseying through the several hidden laneways that make up the recently launched Laneway Valley Markets.

Go on. Get out there and support some local talent. If you can’t get to the store, you can also keep up to date with what’s going on with Little Jane St on Alarna’s blog.

Photographs courtesy of Hailey Bartholomew.

• Little Jane St – 5C Winn St, Fortitude Valley, +61 7 3122 1306

 Lovers of the cute, the vintage, the stylish, the environmentally friendly, the quirky and the cute (oh wait, I already mentioned that) will no doubt find themselves drooling over literally everything in Nook. Yes, the shop is tiny if you compare it to other more ‘traditional’ retail locations, but it’s super cosy — and I can assure you that it contains A LOT of stuff.

Nook is a great place to find stuff by emerging Australian designers all in the one super-handy location. It’s like Michelle has found the best little trinkets from the Etsy and Made It websites and put them all in her shop — much less hassle for us hungry little consumers, and much more fun too because we get to see stuff for real before we buy it!

 The best part about Nook is that you can not only pick up some wonderful and unique handmade gifts (or, indeed, stuff for yourself — as is usually the case for me, often with husband in tow), but you can feel comfortable and warm and fuzzy knowing that you’re helping the planet too.

Nook is full of recycled wares for you to adorn yourself with (such as handmade paper bangles, and belts made from old tyres), as well as other stuff to help you become a much more eco-friendly citizen, like cotton tote bags, rebound diaries and reusable coffee cups.

 If the above still hasn’t been quite convincing enough, ask yourself these questions: ‘Do I like cute birdies?’ and ‘Do I like cute brooches?’ Well, how about cute brooches shaped like birdies? That’s a winner in my eyes. Really, who can resist an adorable little wooden bird-shaped brooch? Basically, if you want something awesome for your house, or for yourself to wear, or to give to a lucky friend, Nook is the place to visit. Plus, it’s great for the conscience.

•  Nook, 19 Browning Street, West End, +61 7 3844 6050

Just a reminder that Eco Fashionista’s first Brisbane trunk show will be held at Red Sea Gallery, New Farm, on Thursday 26 November 5-8pm in conjunction with the award-winning New Farm day spa Outshine.

Check out clothing and accessories brands such as Good Society, Sublet Courtney, Beyond Skin, Minna, Fifi Bijoux and Ashley Watson, many of which are not available in Australia.

To get into the Christmas spirit, 10% of the profits from all sales through Outshine and Eco Fashionista on the night will go to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

If you’d like to attend the free event, RSVP at info@ecofashionista.com.au and just mention that BNE: HOT OR NOT sent you.

Check out the review and pictures from Eco Fashionista’s recent trunk show in Melbourne here.

Over a soy latte Alex chatted to me about fashion, living eco-conscious and being a business-owner with a young toddler.

Alex, how did Eco Fashionista come about?

Eco Fashionista was launched almost a year to the day my son Max was born. Max’s arrival (and the huge sense of responsibility that arrived with him) was the catalyst for me to make a bigger commitment to being “green” – and, ever the keen shopper and fashionista, I realised the “greening” needed to extend to my wardrobe!

As I began to explore whether there was such a thing as “designer eco fashion”, I became so excited about the amazing labels I was unearthing – many of which weren’t available in Australia and in the one shopping destination. If I was going to seek out these chic pieces for myself, then why not share the love and let others in on my discoveries? I believe most people want to be eco-conscious about their lifestyle, but they also don’t want to give up the things that matter – such as style, quality and individuality. And that’s where Eco Fashionista comes in….

With so many fashion designers out there, how do you select the stock for Eco Fashionista?

A lot of brand research lies behind Eco Fashionista’s collection and the designers must demonstrate serious design and eco credentials.  How they achieve their “eco fashion” mission differs – from using organic, sustainable or vintage fabrics,  eco-friendly production, making small quantities to order or by hand and ensuring fair work conditions. We have given ”eco attributes” to each piece in our collection with these symbols.

Where do you turn for eco-fashion inspiration?

I’ve always devoured fashion magazines, and it’s wonderful to see titles like Vogue, Madison and Marie Claire now turning out green glamour and eco chic issues. I also read the stylish Australian eco fashion magazine Peppermint, and inspiring eco fashion blogs -  Eco Stiletto and Green Lashes and Fashion just to name two. For high-end designers with a conscience, it’s hard to go past Philip Lim (who launched his “Go Green Go” line in 2008) and Stella McCartney.

What advice would you give to someone starting their own business?

Three words have guided me over the last few months  – patience, perseverance and perspective. Having a clear vision of your business and its direction is essential, but equally important is the flexibility to adapt to the challenges that will be inevitably thrown at you. I’ve also had to learn that sometimes I am not the best person for the job! You need to concentrate your energies on your strengths, and in areas where you lack experience or skills – delegate or outsource if /where you can.

What are you wearing at the moment?

I’m wearing one variation of my “home with Max” uniform - Good Society jeans, Sublet Courtney top and  Beyond Skin Tilly floral ballet flats. It’s all about comfortable style these days.

I do love to dress up when I get the chance though! My fiancé and I have a rare dinner date tonight, and I’m looking forward to wearing my Minna Maria vintage print dress, accessorised with a pendant from fair trade jeweller Fifi Bijoux and Ashley Watson’s super-soft recycled leather oriole clutch.

Eco Fashionista’s first Brisbane trunk show will be held at Red Sea Gallery, New Farm, on Thursday 26 November 5-8pm in conjunction with the award-winning New Farm day spa Outshine. Even better, 10% of the profits from all sales through Outshine and Eco Fashionista on the night will go to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

If you’d like to attend the free event, RSVP at info@ecofashionista.com.au and just mention that BNE: HOT OR NOT sent you.

Check out the review and pictures from Eco Fashionista’s recent trunk show in Melbourne here.