Leeloo is an online community and store where treasures from emerging Australian designers and artists can become yours!

Nurturing young designers and presenting their incredible wares to the world, Leeloo stocks exclusive and one-off items which won’t be found anywhere else. The stock is produced within Australia and is always limited-edition, one-off or a Leeloo exclusive!

Join the up to 50% off selected stock sale including young up-and-coming Australian labels such as Fine Cloth, Kara Smith, Heartbreaker, Erin Jane, My Charlie Girl, Scarlett Skye, Nanna Dee, sweet dreams & monsters, Alyoisius Spyker, Cat Davison, Dolly Rockers, Tutu, My Fourtune Cooki and Quiff Designs. While stocks last, sale ends 30th June 08. Head to the store for more details!

Two Flat Whites is proud to continue it’s support of the Apex Australia Teenage Fashion Awards which encourages excellence in high school and secondary college students undertaking studies in design, manufacture and modelling their own fashion garments.

This competition is an opportunity for students to develop their talent, self esteem, ability to set and achieve goals, and to improve self confidence. As well as providing inspiration and growth to some entrants, to others it has been a stepping-stone into the world of fashion and design. Many past winners and finalists have progressed into the fashion industry, some to great heights, creating their own fashion labels while others have won scholarships to work in large fashion houses around the world.

The State Finals are underway with the Gold Coast hosting the glamour event & showing off the talents of the students in the sunny state last night. Check your local guides for upcoming events. The national final will be held in October 2008. Good luck to everyone!

We wanted to touch base with you all & keep you up to date on the latest at Two Flat Whites. We have been fortunate to have so many wonderful writers write an article or two for the site. If you want to check out the articles written by our network of Australian writers then just check out the “mindless banter” section on Two Flat Whites.

Two Flat Whites now has over 120,000 readers every month & this is growing at a rapid rate. We have had lots of feedback from many regular readers commenting on the articles written by you. This part of the website is proving to be a winner for all our readers.

We would love for you all to consider writing an article or two or become a regular contributor to the site. It’s very easy to submit the article, just email through your article in a word document (attaching a photo if you wish, but not necessary), 3-4 paragraphs in length & we will post it on Two Flat Whites for all to view. We will make special mention of the author. This is a wonderful chance for young emerging writers or established writers to continue to showcase your work!

Our network focuses on:-

• Fashion and Design
• Music and Film
• Food and Lifestyle
• Community and Writing

We would be happy to receive an article on just about any topic including but not limited too: -

· News/ current events of today
· Topical issues of debate
· Places around Australia
· Film reviews
· Restaurant reviews
· Fashion news
· Competitions
· Events/ Exhibitions coming up

If you would like to help out or know someone that may want to write for Two Flat Whites, let us know.

We appreciate all your support!

Cheers,
Ben..

Discovering, promoting & nurturing Australian talent!

Jesus In The Sky With Jet Planes – Nicholas Fintan

Beginning on Saturday 21st June 2008, our good friends at the Hardware Gallery will be exhibiting a new painting extravaganza featuring two young & talented artists Boyd Sanday & Nicholas Fintan. They have spent the last six months sharing a house in Petersham & have been using there lounge room as a make shift painting studio. So go & check out the exhibition & tell all of your friends!

Lounge Room Painting Adventures
New paintings by Boyd Sanday & Nicholas Fintan

Opening Saturday 21st June 2-4pm
Exhibition continues 21st June – 19th July 2008

Hardware Galley
263 Enmore Road, Enmore NSW 2042
Ph: (02) 9550 4595
Tues – Sat, 11am – 5pm

A songwriter never can tell where the next one is coming from. Inspiration can strike from anywhere: a painting hanging on the wall, an 18th Century book of poems, or just the joys of driving around. Other songs rise up from a vocabulary that pays as much heed to old-time music and language as it does to current events and sounds. One embodies the horror of killing in the name of religion, another comes from the pages of the Old Testament.

It’s all there on Paul Kelly’s new album, Stolen Apples, which not only features a title tune based on the oldest story in the book, but is a collection as rich and rewarding, and surprising, as any in the 30-year recording career of one of the world’s greatest songwriters. While the sources for his material are varied and fascinating, what matters most with Paul Kelly is that the great songs keep coming, at a time of life when the well for many songwriters dries up and they more often trade on former glories.

Artists with needle and thread, with a brush, with words, with a guitar. There is room for them all on Paul Kelly’s Stolen Apples. If you love your Australian music as much as we do, then support the musicians by buying there music directly through them! Purchase a copy here.

Two Flat Whites is happy to encourage our readers to check out a wonderful website that promotes Writing Competitions. There are hundreds of competitions for all age groups from students to adults, from poetry to short stories, from big cash prizes to publishing opportunities. The Australian Writers’ Resource website has a competition for everyone. Check out some of the competitions running over June 2008 below: -

The 2008 Eureka Street/Reader’s Feast Award for Social Justice/Human Rights Writing (open age category) – $5,000 in prize money

Margaret Dooley Award for Young Writers 2008 – $2,000 in prizes

The Blake Poetry Prize 2008 - $5,000 first prize

Australia’s Richest Radio Play Writing Competition – $3,000 first prize

Young Aussie Writers Award – cash prizes

Max Afford Playwrights’ Award – $10,000 in prizes

If you’re finding it difficult to see the funny side of Brisbane, look no further than Brisbane comedy festival In Stitches for a little inspiration. Some of the funniest people in the country head to Brisvegas for 12 side-splitting nights of stand-up comedy, live music, theatrics and general buffoonery from June 17th to 29th June 2008.

In Stitches takes place at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and includes the antics of Jimeoin, Anh Do, The Umbilical Brothers, Fiona O’Loughlin, Julia Morris, Cal Wilson, Carita Farrer, Akmal Saleh, Scared Weird Little Guys, Puppetry of the Penis and the Chaser’s Age of Terror Variety Hour. Though events are ticketed, free performances take place late each night in the Cascade Court.

Two Flat Whites found a fantastic new restaurant in Gordon named ‘Melange Restaurant & Café’. This restaurant oozes with class with its tasty Modern Australian cuisine & friendly service. Two Flat Whites discovered that Melange is owned & run by four talented chefs.

We had the pleasure in interviewing one of Mélange’s chefs recently in Geneviere Rossouw. Gen studied certificate 4 commercial cookery in TAFE & recently won the state modal for certificate 4 commercial cookery in TAFE. Gen started her apprenticeship under Juan Luc from Ritz and Jon Levy head chef for the Hilton in Sydney. Gen has worked with many talented chefs & has brought a fusion of tastes to her food that is worth making the trip to Gordon for.

Where did you grow up & where do you hang your hat?

I grew up in Pretoria in South Africa and at the moment I call Sydney home.

In your own words, what do you do?

I run the kitchen at Melange and all that encompasses i.e.: cutting, cooking, rotating, creating, ordering, cleaning, mixing and tasting.

What inspired you to become a chef?

I love the creativeness as well as the practicality that is cooking. I also love that you can create so many different dishes from the same ingredients.

What is your favourite meal?

I don’t have a favourite meal, I seem to go through phases of loving something and then I move on. At the moment I am all about duck.

Name three (3) restaurants you dine at?

Fahims in Newtown
Mickey’s
Tex Mex

Can you share a recipe with our readers?

I have a recipe for hedgehogs, which is an Australian tradition as I understand. I grew up eating these as well in South Africa: -

Ingredients:
1/2c sugar
1/2c butter
1Tbsp cocoa
1 egg well beaten
1/2 pkg Maria biscuits.

Melt the butter in a pot; add the sugar, cocoa and egg. Stir until simmering, remove from heat, crush biscuits and add in. Line a tray with the mixture and let set in fridge for 2 hours. Cut and enjoy!!!

Childhood Memories:

TV Show – Smurfs!!!!

Hobby – Horse riding

Food – duck and chocolate at the moment.

Fear – Not realizing all my dreams

People – Nelson Mandela, Gordon Ramsey and Brad Pitt

Defining moment – Moving to Canada at the age of 16. The experience opened my eyes to differences in cultures, lifestyles and ways of life. It really changed me as a person and is an experience in my life that I never will forget.

Schooling memories, chore or cherished?

Chore!!! I hated the uniform and all the subjects especially physics.

Where is the most beautiful place in Australia you have visited?

Fraser Island. I think that the whole of Australia is unbelievably beautiful but Fraser really stuck out for me. I loved the shipwreck most of all.

From the hours of 9am to 5pm, what do you get up too?

Cook, cook and cook. Unless it’s my day off and then its sleep.

Where can people see your work?

Melange Café & Restaurant
760 Pacific Highway
Gordon NSW 2072
Phone (02) 9498 8575
Fax (02) 9498 8517

For love or money?

Love definitely. Being a chef is something that you have to have a passion for. It’s a hard job with long hours so if the love isn’t there, you are wasting your time.

What future endeavors are in the pipeline?

Further study, traveling and of course cooking!!!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years????????? ????? ????????

In 5 years I would like to have a hat in the Good Food guide, traveled extensively and have published my own cookbook.

If you could invite 3 people to chat over coffee, who would they be & why?

I think at the moment I would invite my family to coffee as its been a few years since I saw them last and I would love to just sit down and catch up for a chat.

Coffee or Tea?

COFFEE!!!!!! I am a coffee addict. Sort of comes with the territory really.

Fusing both the beauty of art and the elegance of mirrors Studioart creates original contemporary wall displays and fixtures for the modern interior. MirrorArt is unique and makes a bold statement either to complement an existing space or make a focal feature out of any room.

Enhance your space with MirrorArt. Innovative & inspiring wall art. Studioart mirrors can be used in the home, office, restaurant, boutique, shop fitting, hotel, entrance and any space in between. The sky is truly the limit. You can check out more MirrorArt right here.