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Over the past 7+ months we have been installing our new kitchen...to say its been a long drawn process would be an understatement and while I was as organised and decisive as I could be, 7 months later we are still waiting on a few elements to be completed. As kitchens tend to be the heart of most peoples homes, it's understandable our clients want to be completely confident in their design. As always we take the approach of 'done once, done well' and while working with all styles, budgets and locations its important to make sure the whole space is curatored to suit the clients home and family, but we have five key tips and tricks to help you prepare for your kitchen build. ONE: Research + Refine While it is great fun researching inspiration for your new kitchen one of the biggest pitfalls I see are clients that are trying to incorporate too many differing styles into the space, they are oblivious to the costs of varying elements or are trying to create something that just doesn't suit their home (or budget) Before you start planing your kitchen design, go through all your images and consider what is both common features you love but also what is practical for your build and work towards creating something that is realistic. Don't be afraid to be brave or stick to your initial style, just be conscious of where to spend and where to save to achieve your dream design. TWO: Understand your costs I am as guilty as anyone of seeing a beautiful space and wanting to replicate it in my home, but its important to understand the varying costs involved in creating those spaces + being aware that a lot of designers can afford to have bespoke, high end finishes and fittings beca use they are either getting gifted products or taking advantage of their trade discounts, so while it all looks magnificent in your Instagram feed it might just be well beyond your budget. AS AN EXAMPLE somethings to consider are the style of cabinetry from, the painted finish to the profile there are HUGE variations in the pricing depending on what style you go with. Basic would be a thermolated through companies like Laminex and Polytec, moving into laminate, two pack painted finish and finally your veneers, hand cut or hand painted cabinets with your prices varying on a surface level from low $100's/unit for the basic to high $100 for the bespoke. To further break that down; - THERMOLATED you have limited colour options and profiles but the costs are relative - LAMINATE thousands of options in colours or finishes but you are restricted to flat profiles as you cant wrap the laminate around a rail - TWO PACK, any colour or profile you desire and your cabinetmaker may cut the cabinets themselves or have the option to order the raw units from the bigger manufactures named above. - HAND CUT AND VENEERS, you can have any detail, profile, colour and finish you desire (think the bevelling in Rosedale Farm image above) but the costs are reflective OTHER areas to consider are the lighting, tapware, hardware (I recently got the Rosedale farm hardware quoted, each piece was over $100!) benchtops and flooring...my biggest takeaway would be invest where its important or going to last and be frugal where it's not, work towards your budget, shop around for the fittings and be really comfortable with your choices THREE: Redefine You Design Once you have settled on the look and feel of your kitchen really sit with the design and layout and make sure you are not just happy with visually how it will look but most importantly the flow and function. So many people make the mistake of designing an aesthetically beautiful kitchen and then get to the actual use of it and find; - there isn't enough storage - drawers aren't deep or wide enough for your specific cookware - the soft touch, recessed handle or push release system means your gorgeous matte finish marks or leaves finger prints (yes even if they say its 'fingerprint proof) - the general layout doesn't work and your flow and function is affected You would have heard of 'the cooking triangle' making sure your bench, oven and food are all easily accessible. While this is very important also making sure you have flow and function generally right. Dont get caught up in the look that you overlook things like 'Can I access those high shelves?' or 'Where do i put all the Tupperware?' Go though all your wants and needs and make sure the things that are important to your family and living style are well considered. FOUR: Sampling + Visualising Not everyone has the ability to fly blind when it comes to design and often a material or finish looks perfect in a lifestyle image or digital medium but in reality falls flat. Once you have worked out what your layout its really important to get your samples together and make sure the look you have landed on is going to work. From your tapware finish to the hardware, flooring, cabinetry colour(s) and benchtops, try and get as many samples together as possible and lay them down to see if the overall style works, if the colours and finishes complement each other as well as seeing if the finishes/colours are as you envisaged when researching and digitally designing your space. As mentioned previously, not everything looks great in reality but also your space, light and design may just not be suitable for certain elements, so best way to build confidence in your kitchen selections is to see them altogether. FIVE: Ordering + Organising I would say in terms of your schedule or in the instance where you are ripping out an old kitchen and replacing it, this would have to be the most important part of the process in ensuring minimal disruption or delays. Too often clients get complacent and think that you lock in the design and everything will not only be available for your install but that you hand over to the cabinetmakers and there is no further organisation required. In truth there are lots of moving parts to your kitchen installation so as soon as you have settled on the design and all your fittings and fixtures I would not only start ordering, I would work through a timeline with the cabinet maker to line up all your other trades to complete the job. Particularly now in our post covid world lead times and delays not to mention price increases are a common occurrence so it pays to be prepared! As a basic guide; - Order tapware, sinks, lighting, flooring, tiles (if using as a splash back) and hardware. due to a number of factors there are delays of anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 month, so make sure you get onto this as soon as you can - Discuss with the cabinet maker their timeline to understand realistic ETA for your install. Note they will have to consider external trades like painters so this will only be indicative but will give you idea of when to line up all your required trades - Contact all your trades; noting you'll need different trades before, during and after install so make sure you dont leave anyone off the list! Again as a guide you'll need carpenters, plasters, electricians, plumbers, potentially a builder, potentially a tiler, glazier if you are putting new windows or doors in and painter (if that person isn't you!) - Order all your appliances, generally these will all be stocked or with short lead times and best to put the list together to get a package or deal from one supplier...we all love a bargain! Understandably designing your dream kitchen is equal parts exciting and daunting. It's a huge investment and something you don't want to rush, make poor choices on or regret. Be bold, be realistic and be prepare, but if the whole process is completely overwhelming we might just know a few people who can take the stress and anxiety out of the process. Happy designing xx

Whether requested by the client or suggested by Hunt.CO , paneling; in the myriad of styles and applications it comes in, is a beautiful way to add texture, depth and character to your home. It transcends design styles and movements and thusly works in homes inspired by anything from the Arts and Crafts movement the the Hollywood hills. With such a diverse range of use working out the best application for your build can be one of the biggest challenges so here are five Hunt.CO hints to help you figure out if your home is more country cottage than Mid Century modern and how to effectively install the right style to take your home from boring to boogie with this timeless design feature. HUNT HINT #One, Your purpose: Whether you are looking to create a sense of grandeur, an eclectic cottage feel, add texture and depth to an island or simply looking to break up high or long walls, paneling can really transform a space and have a lasting impact on your home. You can mix or layer styles, work with different profiles, colours and finishes but the key is to keep these within the same palette and tones to maintain continuity across all surfaces within the space. HUNT HINT #Two, What is the best option for your home?: FIGURE out your home style! It is easy to get overwhelmed trawling through instagram and pinterest and want to replicate all the beautiful images you save and swoon over, but not all styles of paneling will suit all homes. You have to be sympathetic to the location, age and type of home you live in, if your home is a 1980's brick veneer you are unlikely to have wide hallways or high ceilings so I would look at a full wall VJ board or in the profile of your cabinetry as opposed to a baroque or board and batten style as these would be too opulent for the home and the size of the spaces. Hunt Hint #Three, What is the Function of the Space Be practical about the use of the space and don't just think of the room isolation but consider its function and flow into the rest of the home. It seems obvious to say, but you want the paneling to enhance the room, not become intrusive or impractical, so while certain styles of paneling can be a great way to add warmth and create a sense of intimacy they may not be the right selections for your kitchen or mudroom but more appropriate for a walk in robe, den or guest bedroom. HUNT HINT #Four, Retro Fitting...a Case Study: Adding paneling doesn't have to be expensive, in fact it could be a solution to your interior problems, be it used to fix some design faults, repair damaged walls or to add insulation and assist with acoustics, however it can but can be fraught with issues if not executed correctly. Take into consideration our above HINTS as well as what you are wanting to achieve in the space and what you overall budget is. From there look at the room, its proportions and function before working out what the best options are for your paneling style. To give you an example, I live in a 1907 Victorian Era weatherboard, which inherently had oodles of character (albeit a little hidden by years of poorly executed renovations and bad design choices). With its high pressed metal ceilings, stained glass windows and fretwork adding paneling came from a need to restore and repair poorly worn and crafted masonry rather than a need to add more opulence and detail. As a farm house, repairs were a long way down on the priority list, but in a mid pandemic surge in DIY enthusiasm I started what i thought would be a simple paint job. It turned out the hideous colour scheme was painted over multiple layers of paint which was painted over wallpaper, and hours of trying to remove was never going to result in a clean, crack free wall, easy to prime and paint...not to mention no two walls were even! while we could have gone down the route of re-plastering all the walls we were restricted not only int he cost, but the lifespan of the paster given the home has no solid foundations. So considering my budget and my canvas, we opted for full wall VJ boards (which cost around $100/2700x1200mm board) for the bedrooms and for the hall our builder made our regency style dado paneling to suit the walls rather than buying pre fabricated boards which wouldn't be square to the wall and would make the fact they were not an original feature very obvious. So using MDF and timber trims he made each section in proportion to the length of the walls and suffice to say looking at it now, you assume it was always a part of the home, so much so even regular visitors assume it was just a fresh coat of paint that revived the panels rather than a totally new feature. HUNT HINT #Five...Research, Review and Reach Out: As you may have gathered, Hunt.CO love paneling, not just how it can enhance your home but how well it works in different homes, locations, for different demographics and different budgets. Our fifth and final tip it to research different paneling styles and applications, review your mood boards and look at your most dominate aesthetic and styles and consider how this is best going to work in your build. HONESTLY, HANDS UP if you are guilty of aimlessly saving images and inspiration for your 'dream home' only to come to a point where you are struggling as to where to source the right materials, fittings and fixtures from or how to scale back your differing styles to create a cohesive home aesthetic that suits you and your family?! Whether Victorian Era Farmhouse or Modern Country, Coastal or Desert Luxe, Southern Plantation or Scandinavian its easy to get lost in the rabbit hole of interior inspiration and end up creating a space that doesn't meet your brief. As a regional design service we specialise in tailoring schemes to suit each client and while paneling is a key feature of our general style we work across different mediums and aesthetics. if you have taken onboard all expert tips but feel you need assistance with your paneling project or design project as a whole, reach out, we'd love to hear from you and how we can HELP you on your design project. Email: Millie@huntandco.net

Hi there, I know I promised to regularly update my blog (and my website for that matter), but as tends to happen, I have been bogged down in life in the store and on the farm and before I knew it, almost 12 months passed by with little to no updates, for this I am sorry. But this post isn't about 'picking the best colour for your nursery' (a very topical point in our home at the moment), this post is a little more personal! I was well aware of the drought when I moved to the farm and while we had no significant rains last year, Hamish produced; from what I could see, a reasonable yield on his crops, expanded the farm into livestock and to my knowledge, has successfully run a small feedlot. Something that cropped up in conversation a lot as the feedlot grew, was the price of stock being sold north of us...because of the drought. I understood it was pretty dire, but ignorantly assumed that it was just marginally worse than what we were experiencing, and so continued on with my farm life. When I opened the doors to the store, and had a feeling I would appeal to the wives and girlfriends of farmers or those whose livelihood is reliant upon the land rather than the people living in town and wasn't wrong in my assumptions. I started talking about rain in the same way I use to talk about the daily work commute in Sydney...you know the question you ask but you already know the answer to; 'shit house'. I have made a point of stocking and supplying Australian made products, or those that are ethically sourced or manufactured by small business owners to capitalise on the market I was targeting and despite being extremely juvenile in this regional retail field and the fact I am by no means setting the world on fire I have managed to establish wonderful relationships with many farming families, all the while being aware of the drought that surrounds me and not doing anything to acknowledge it or support it. As the partner of a farmer, on a farm in regional NSW, about to introduce a new generation of farmers to life on the land I am fortunate enough to be located in the 2% of NSW that is currently not in drought; not yet that is. I have the means to be able to make people aware of the state of the State and I feel obliged to give back to the community that has so far supported me. You may not be aware as the daily news fails to adequately highlight the issues affecting rural Australia; but 100's of 1000's of livestock are dying or being killed on a daily bases across eastern Australia. Water supplies are at critical levels and the cost of buying and supplying feed is more than most farmers can afford. Inability to cope with these conditions has led to an increase in what is an already disturbingly high number of farming related suicides and it breaks my heart to see young children living without proper food or water because their families have no means to support them. I am guilty of the out of sight, out of mind mentality but this is a crisis, it should be considered a natural disaster and whether you know it or not, it does affect people far from the regional communities living through this. For the month of August I will be setting up the physical and online store with some new products, including some original artworks and prints, locally made timber wares and a range of other goods to then host a drought relief fundraiser on the first weekend in September. I know its a seemly small gesture or one that is mutually beneficial but my aim is not to personally profit, it is to encourage people to sit up and take note, to give a little back to the industry that directly or indirectly has supported so many of us. If you are not good with computers or don't live within a 500km radius of Echuca, but want to help anyway jump on this site https://www.ruralaid.org.au and make a donation. I will keep you all updated over the next 4 weeks and of course let you know what contribution is made in September. XX

I am your quintessential minimalist when it comes to colour. While I appreciate a pop of colour, I rarely use it and rarely wear it (except on my lips...always wearing red lippy!) However as a 10 year old I was given the choice to re-paint my room as a birthday gift from my parents. I could pick ANY colour and style I wanted and my dad and I would get decorating! I am embarrassed to admit this now but I perused over the paint sample books for weeks; looking at styles, colours and new techniques to work out what I really wanted to do before deciding (as was the trend at the time) to create a sponge affect on the walls...not just any sponge affect a pale blue base with a pastel yellow overlay. I know, I know OH MY WHAT WAS I THINKING????? In my desperate attempt to defend myself, I was 10, it was trendy (trust me) and I did think we did a wonderful job of painting so kudos to us! But since that design faux par my colour palette has softened dramatically and I have learned to use colour as an accent rather than the main feature. Actually the ever talent, master of mixing patterns and colours, Anna Spiro has adopted the same ethos when it comes to painting, the blanker the canvas, the better. What do I mean? Its all about the whites! My store is the perfect example of this, I have white wall and white timber flooring and not a day goes by where people don't comment on how well it showcases the products, or how lovely and effective it is. There is absolutely no reason you cannot introduce colour as a feature wall in a paint or wallpaper, add bold artworks, textiles or rugs to a space to give it that extra 'oomph' but the beauty of whites are that they can take on any trend, any style and movement and compliment it. White has the ability to open up a space, maker it feel cleaner and clearer, make ceilings feel higher and can feel both warm and cool. Whether a modernist, minimalist, a lover of Scandinavian style, or someone who loves tradition and antiques; it will help create the perfect base for your style. But whites are not all the same, its important when picking a white for you to consider the amount of natural light, the purpose of the space, the style of the accents and how it will be used in order to pick the right white! The base material will greatly affect the way the colour appears, timber, masonry, plasters, gyprock etc as well as the initial base colour will greatly affect how the white takes to walls and space. My suggestion is to take 2-3 sample pots with you and paint a square on your wall; from day to night you will see how the colour appears, if its got a grey undertone, a pink, yellow or cream. Paint each sample in a different place and not too close together so you are not put off or overwhelmed looking at them side by side. Sit on it for a week or two and look at them at different points in the day and you'll often be surprised how different they are, or how the white you thought was perfect may be too cool or too warm for the space. Its much easier to change your accents if too bold than it is to change a wall so put your energy into creating a space that reflects you, your style and the rooms functionality and save your self the heartache of repainting later! So if you are stuck on what is a good white here are some of my personal favs;

I am sure at some point, in some way on the website I have touched on my love of natural products.I could be accused of using the phrase 'design integrity' a lot but it is truly what draws me to a product. In having a small business, more over a small business that is regionally based it can be a really tricky thing to manage because I know people are both loyal to their existing local stores and wary of their spending. I was and am still very conscious of this in setting up the store, in selecting products and in pricing my ranges and I WISH I could compromise and find 'average' products from 'average' suppliers and be content...but if I feel something is poorly made, has no originality, is made through poorly managed businesses or is a complete fabrication of a design or product then I struggle to bring myself to support the label. I have been pleasantly surprised by the amount of regional support I have had on my quest to bring unique, bespoke products and labels to the area. Constantly humbled by the amount of people; who like me are aware of brands and labels and are willing to pay a little more to support quality Australian importers or manufactures. I guess the biggest benefit of social media is having the ability to reach people all over the country and the world; conversely for those people to be able to research and acquire a sound understanding of styles, products, designs and designers making my job of marketing and selling such goods that much easier. Something that I cannot understand and something that has become increasingly apparent to me particularly in the past few months is the number of Australian designers either claiming their designs as originals, or naming, shaming and discrediting other designers in order to promote themselves. They do say copying someone is the highest form of flattery, and as a designer I know that it is flattering but also frustrating because you work hard to develop and manufacture your designs so seeing someone else copying them is more upsetting than flattering, but in a world of technology and few original designs I guess it becomes a case of the chicken and the egg...who designed it first? I can understand the frustration when your entire collection is copied, because regardless of its origin and originality curating a range IS unique, it is what creates a brand, but copying a chair, ladder, hook or bassinet is hardly worth singling out another brand to discredit them. I have found a number of Australian labels who will refuse to supply me because they look at some other labels I support and see them as un-origional and manufacturing direct knock offs of their products. I think it is a terrible shame they are not confident enough in their brand, design and marketing that they can't just focus on what they are trying to achieve. As designers and manufactures we all go to the same fairs, we see the same products, we know the original designs and follow the trends so if someone else happens to have the same styles or products as you, prove you are the bigger person by promoting your range better, target the clients you want to support you and build on the relationships you already have. I buy from people I enjoy dealing with, who make beautiful products I am proud to use and sell. I love when a brand has a great story, or the manufacturer has an obvious passion for what they do; it is for these reasons I select what I do for the store and for people's homes. My store is a bespoke emporium of a variety of products, it is also a reflection of me, my style, my taste and my mentality towards design in all its forms. SO check back in 12 months, but my hope is that I can continue to find a range of product that meets the above criteria, that I don't waiver from my desire to be unique and that I can encourage more and more people to shop small, shop local and support the Aussie brands I am passionate about promoting!! Note: At Hunt Co we are always excited to see or hear of fabulous new Aussie labels, if you know of one, or are yourself a designer or artisan and you want to get your range into the store drop us an email, we are always keen to find new labels to support!

Having worked in product design here, the US and UK for the past 8 years I have spent enough time in and around retail stores to get a pretty good idea about decorating for Christmas. I know how easy it is to walk into a retail store and see the beautiful tree, the lights and decorations and think 'I want that one!' but then you tally it up in your head and think with gifts, food and for most of us travel your decorating budget all of a sudden shrinks and you start thinking about the inevitable costs of everything else. So i thought I would impart some ideas for you to be festive on a shoestring... because lets be honest there is a child in all of us desperate to sing carols, decorate a tree, write a santa wish list and generally get into the festive spirit...even if we have to be adults now! So here are some guidelines; WRAPPING...keep it simple. Buy PLAIN paper so you can use it year round. Its the thing you never really budget for, yet always need. I am anal about wrapping, love themes and continuity but this can all be done on a budget! Your garden, a garden or the side of the road make great hunting grounds for wrapping accents. The hardier and planer the better so your eucalypts, rosemary, ferns make for the perfect finishing touch to your white or kraft paper wrap. If you have children its a perfect holiday activity to paint your wrapping paper, everyone loves something that is whimsical and creative and what child doesn't love spreading paper out on the table or pavers in the garden and get their Picasso on??! Don't be fancy, the more authentic and personal the better! TABLE AND TREE...I feel the same goes for the table and tree as for the wrapping; keep it simple! Kraft paper runners, hand drawn placements, rosemary wreaths, there are no rules but your table is always going to be busy with food so there is need to overcrowd it with decor. Again your garden is a perfect source of material and perhaps invest each year in a piece of tableware that you can use all year round but that is a bit special rather than getting caught up in trend theming. Think the same way about your tree; whether you invest in a real tree every year, a timber tree or faux fir (haha) decorating it should be a cumulative thing. Don't go all out year one and buy a tonne of same same decorations. Your tree should be just as gorgeous naked as it is filled with decorations. I invest in one or two new decorations each year, whether it is a reminder of somewhere I have been over the festive season or a place I worked or city I have lived in each one generally costs less than $15.00 and reminds me of something special. Its also a fun activity for the children to partake in each year selecting a new decoration that they love, its fun in years to come to look back on the choices and stories behind them. Have you noticed the influx of clay in your life recently?? Its a cottage industry taking the country markets by storm...and quietly making a tidy profit for its makers. While colours and patterns are great, its just as effective to grab some good old cookie cutters and make decorations, garlands, place settings (you name it) out of plain white clay, bake and go. They are really easy, really effective and really inexpensive! The way I see it, Christmas is about food, fun and family. It should be relaxing, stress free and in the weeks leading up to the big day you can tap into your or your children's creative sides and create traditions that you'll look forward to year round! Oh and one final piece of advice...be organised!!! You know that feeling of walking into the supermarket hungry...you feel like you have 'earned' every and any snack you can open while you shop and then spend twice as much as a result?? Same goes for Christmas shopping...leave it to the last minute and you'll spend way too much, over compensate and think 'ill sort it out later'... you never do! Happy holiday prepping x

I know I promised regular updates, then a few months went by and ops nothing!! But to be fair its been a busy few months and here we are 7 months after moving to Echuca/Moama and I am now a fully fledged shopkeeper! I know WHAT?? How does that even happen...don't worry I ask myself that almost every minute so Ill get you up to speed, hopefully somewhere, somehow Ill make sense of this for you. When I made that crazy decision to quit my job in homeware design, pack my life into Warren (the VW) and follow my farmer to a little know place called Womboota I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. Hamish (farmer) was a no brainer, I had lived on a farm as a child and knew I would love the lifestyle, figured I would be more than happy to swap F45, soy lattes and a 1.5hour commute to work for blunstones, John Deere, dusty walks and a window of work opportunities that was only slightly ajar, but particularly in the first few months I found the isolation difficult and felt like I had lost my independence and to some degree my idenity. It wasn't the bustle of the city I missed, more that I watched Hamish passionately carry out his day doing something he absolutely loved and I craved that feeling of doing something I was truly passionate about too. I was working two retail jobs and being a fairly attentive "housewife" but I felt completely unfulfilled work wise and not at all challenged. Now I feel I can say this because the likelihood of Ham reading this is slim to none, but in one of my many moments of utter despair he (thankfully) said 'well we need to get you set up with your own studio and business' and just like that the hunt (insert winky face emoji) began! I had never properly run my own business despite running multiple side businesses over the years and I was new in town so no bank would fund me and I had limited 'friends' to call on for support; but I had the unwavering support of my partner. One Sunday, while packing up the store I was working in, I spotted this adorable little shop across the road. I shut the doors and wandered over to press my face on the window; and while terribly painted and accessorised its charm and potential was simply too much to resist. Telling Ham we called the owner and after almost a month of negotiating I signed a pretty scary document to officially open my own studio/retail space; Hunt Co!! After a nerve-wracking 6 weeks of sourcing (and still waiting) on products, designing business cards, signage and curating a range of unique, mainly handmade or Australian made home decor, furniture, lighting and baby wear I finally opened the doors just over a week ago and so far the response from people has been wonderful. Do I question my decision? EVERY DAY!! Do I lose sleep, my appetite and wonder if I have gotten even crazier for doing this? All the time!!!! But then I think for my entire adult life people have encouraged me to start my own business, doing what I love which is working with texture, interior space and in design and I absolutely love working with my clients here helping them find all those things they need to finish off their homes. My friends and families support has been nothing short of amazing. I feel lucky everyday that so many people have gone out of their way to offer support, advice and encouragement. It still scares the life out of me, but I, no they actually keep reminding me 'you are one week in'! So where is this overly self-indulgent blog going you ask; well simply put I am no expert in business or country life, but I am willing to give things a go. For better or worse Ill take my introverted self out to meet new people and extend myself to see what I am capable of, it might be the biggest regret I ever have or could be the best decision of my life, only time will tell!! So if you are anything like me and making a mad decision to follow your heart or simply looking for a life change please feel free to contact me, I may not always be the most articulate but definitely have a few stories to ease your trepidation! Or if you are local to the Echuca area, passing through or looking for an excuse to visit the home of the steamboats, pop in I'd love to see you!...now here are some pics of all the treasures you can pick up when you visit! xx

It has taken me a while to write this post...partly because I have bugger all internet, but mainly because I have been...as Hamish would say 'flat bikkie' since I moved. I'll try my best to give you an overview of how I ended up on a farm in southern NSW and get to the real reason you are reading this article; wanting to know who did steal the melting moment?! I met Hamish a little over 9 months ago now; then I was living in sunny Sydney where I worked mainly in homeware development and design and dabbled in a bit of commercial cooking, residential interior design and a whole lot of retail therapy. Ham was, and still is a broad acre crop farmer, dabbling in a bit of livestock, trucking and anything to do with Mr Deere (John that is). Its safe to say we didn't meet in convention circumstances and fair to assume that it was quite a struggle explaining to people how a designer from Sydney fell in love with a farmer from Beeac but I assure you our story is really rather awesome (I'll fill you in one day)!! So upon settling on a new property in regional NSW, I packed a trailer with all my worldly possessions...Hamish unpacked a few of the 'essentials' he had collected over his backing years and we moved into our little patch of paradise...Hazeldean! The move has thus far been an amazing whirlwind of challenges for me..I grew up on a property so its not the isolation that troubles me as much as the constant washing, cleaning, cooking, hosting of guests, dusting, bed making, lack of modern conveniences,dusting, food shopping, farm tours oh and did I mention dusting?? Despite my incredibly supportive partners constant encouragement I felt, and still feel like I have given up a huge part of my independence in moving. I mean earlier this year I was travelling the world selling my products, making my own income while forging an international career in design and decoration and now I live in the back paddocks of Womboota! But despite the aforementioned challenges I would not change a thing. Through Hunt.Co I am now working on a range of home decor, tableware and fashion essentials to suit the modern Aussie country girl, while offering my services and skills in decoration and design to help regional clients develop, re-invent or create exciting new retail spaces, events or interiors...taking my former life and making it work in and for my new one! So who stole the melting moment you ask....well everyone!! In Sydney a knock at the door was likely a delivery driver, a miss hit on the buzzer or a real estate agent now we might as well remove the front door because everybody just drops in. There is no point me questioning who they are because they could be anyone from a passing friend, to a livestock agent or distant neighbour...the door opens and in they come, boot off, kettle on. Luckily for me I love to cook so there is always a sweet treat on the counter ready for all our drop by guests but I know most people are not like me and so until next blog here is the recipe so other PLU's (people like us...or just people like me) are not left in the kitchen with a random traveller offering him nothing but Earl Grey. Happy hunting... MELTING MOMENTS: ....The thing i LOVE most about these, is not that its super easy, but that most of the ingredients you would have in the cupboard/fridge, which, for drop ins in a place where the closest store is 20 minutes away, is essential! WHAT YOU NEED... 2Oz Icing sugar 6Oz Butter 2Oz Custard powder 6Oz Plain flour NB you can easily double this recipe which is what i do, but depending on the size of the balls you roll you should get around 16 from the above quantities. 1. Heat oven to 160C and line some flat baking trays with grease proof paper (you'll need 1-2). 2. Cream butter and icing sugar together to make a light, fluffy mix. 3. Add sifted flour and custard powder to the mix and blend till combined. 4. Roll mix into balls and place around 2cm apart on the baking paper. Press a fork into the top to softly flatten the balls and add a decorative feature to the biscuit. 5. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden. The allow to cool 6. Mix some icing sugar with a bit of water to for a thick gooey syrup. Pair up the biscuits, adding the mixture to one and placing the other on top. allow to dry together...AAAAAAnd you are done. YUM