take 5

Honestly, how good are you at the five a day thing? You know, five serves of veg, and two of fruit? Do you manage it? I'm always struggling to find new and improved ways to boost our fruit and veg intake - but am always pushing the vege-phobes in my family to consume what I've prepared.

So I'm looking for some new side-serve options. I know the veg should take up half my plate, so I'm going to make it as gorgeously edible as possible. I went to a new cafe on Saturday and was very impressed with a salsa salad they'd made. Baby rocket {normally the bane of my life as it's often a dry, teetering pile of the stuff that just gets caught in my teeth}, roasted fresh corn kernals, an avocado 'dressing', little orange tomatoes and wafer-thin slices of red onion. Perfection. Almost all the colours of the vegie rainbow were represented, and oh, did it taste delicious.

That's my new aim. Something new, something vibrant and something tasty served up with each meal. I'm going to copy their salad tonight - but for the rest of the week? Well, stay tuned for my menu posting tomorrow - there will be innovation and inventiveness. Wish me luck.

dark desires

Last night I finally fell prey to my curiosity and watched Dating In The Dark. Have you seen it? The premise is that six singles, three guys, three girls, hole up in a mansion and only get to meet each other in complete darkness. They chat, they flirt, they kiss, they snuggle - in the dark. There's a psychological profiler who assesses each character and ultimately they get matched up with someone and they can finally 'see' each other.

You know where this is going don't you? Last night the obnoxious, angry girl with great hair but little else to sell her was mouthing "Please be hot, please be hot" before her guy was revealed. Was he hot? He was not. He looked nice, he seemed lovely, in the dark they bonded, she liked the way he kissed, but in the end she left him on the balcony while she walked out the door with bags packed.

Devastating. This show is the ultimate in rejection, "Hey, I like you in the dark, but in the light - hell no". I'm surprised more episodes don't end with participants attempting to plunge from the balcony.

It's hideous, but it also reveals why so many of these people are single. They're waiting for the spark, the fire, the butterflies - all perfect harbingers of lust, but love, maybe not so much. Sure, you want the attraction, the 'cor, cute butt'. Do you get that in 30 seconds? Hardly. And if you do, does that last? Hopefully these people will watch the show and see what they've missed out on. Then they might realise that if they truly are after a relationship that'll last long after the cute hair has receded, that tight bod has loosened, looking a little deeper may be the only option.

seriously spooky

Here are a few of my favourite things from last night's Halloween. First of all, the houses that got into the decorating - including my number one pick with graves, ghosts, scaredy cats, massive spiders and webs. It's also the house that had the guy in the freaky mask and costume leap out in a spooky manner. He was really into it, not surprising as he was originally from Colarado {and apparently delighted that we're now doing Halloween down under!}. The goth couple around the corner had the coolest lollies {body parts, coffins, brain poppers...} and I love these wee ghosties in the frangipani. At the bottom are my cupcakes - black icing and wee ghosties floating in the night sky. Went down a treat they did.

A Happy Halloween indeed.

a red hot start to the week

After the somewhat frustrating and annoying nature of the last few weeks I'm determined to start this one off well. And what better way to start off a Monday than with a pair of lipstick red Ferragamo heels?

Pretty!

So, how was your weekend? Ours was fabulously jam-packed. The Halloween Party last night was a success. 10 kids all costumed up went around the neighbourhood trick or treating at homes that were decorated to show they were interested {oh, and some of the decorations were incredible - I'll have to post them later!}. The kids had so much fun wandering the streets {with us mums as a close distance to help them cross roads and to yell out "Don't forget to say 'thank you!'"} and they all came back for a swim and a snack afterwards. Bliss.

Sure Halloween's an American tradition, but it's an excuse to dress up and for kids to have fun, so I'm happy with that. Also, it's an opt-in or opt-out event. If you're keen, decorate a Jack O Lantern and pop it out the front, if not, then ignore the pesky knocks on the door.

Enjoy your Monday, and your week!

happy halloween

Creepy, spooky, and a little bit kooky, I must say that I'm glad Halloween's coming to Aus. It's a good reason to dress up and get together with friends over ghoulish cupcakes. We're off to a party at a friends' where the whole street gets involved. Plenty of kids, and plenty of keen doors to knock on to fill up those little jack'o'lantern lolly pots.

Cuteness.

mighty fine dining

Oh, the excitement when you uncover a gem. I'd heard a wee bit of buzz about this new-ish place in Newcastle, East End Enoteca and had it in the back of my mind as a dining option. So when I heard that foodie friends were coming up from Sydney and Melbourne, well, I knew Newcastle had to turn it up a notch.

So last night eight of us turned up at this fabulous place. Perfect size, perfect atmosphere - and oh, the food. We went with the tasting menu where delicious plates of Italian-inspired produce were continually produced before our ever-so-amazed eyes. Oh my.

Starting with either a Kir Royale or a summer cocktail of Elderflower and Prosecco {or Peroni for some of the boys}, we nibbled on spicy grissini sticks and marinated olives. Then came the food. Lordy - can words do it justice? A lemon tuna paté that was quite possibly one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten was followed by pork meatballs in a sweet tomato sauce, ocean trout and scallops so plump and tasty I'm drooling at the memory, then an incredible pork number, salads, crispy garlic potatoes, pan fried snapper fillets {with more scallops and a carrot puree} and finally a massive rib roast of beef.

Think that's enough? Oh no, there were also delightful morsels of aranchini and a gorgonzola risotto so creamy, so delightfully tasty, so perfectly accessorised with wilted radicchio that I may never eat another risotto such was the lofty taste heights that this number assumed.

We concluded the night {and by we, I mean me} with a cassis panacotta {mmmmm} or affogato and then icy limoncello.

If you're ever in Newcastle, no, hold on, make plans to come to Newcastle and book in with a group of friends. Oh, and we also highly recommend the Tuscan Sangiovese that helped wash everything down so well.

Sated? Oh yeah.

utter perfection

Well, Sarah Blasko was a revelation last night - what. a. voice. We saw her a few years ago in an inner-city pub and she was amazing, but in concert in a beautiful theatre? Well, the acoustics and atmosphere only served to enhance her angelic voice and mesmerising performance.

The only thing I kept getting distracted by were her musicians - they were amazing. Totally into their performance and with fingers that flew across their instruments. She had the most delightfully voluptuous violinist with a talent for the instrument and a pair of shoes I ached for. And the pianist! Well, he was fabulous, and I couldn't stop thinking of Rianna at Last Doll Standing {love, he's your HUSBAND - the beard, the hair, the boots - oh my!}.

A totally perfect night that made me fall in love with Sarah Blasko all over again {as if I weren't already seriously smitten}

grey moods

Feathers! Shiny corsets! Marion Cotillard! Am loving on this shot from the new Dior Campaign Lady Grey featuring the divine Ms Marion.

I'm extraordinarily fond of the shiny showgirl look and think it's the perfect way to dazzle the dreariness out of today...

something's gotta give...

Well, I don't know what's in the stars, the air or even the earth's core but whew, these past few weeks have been challenging. Here I was, juggling away, I had a few daggers, a couple of flaming torches, a chainsaw and even a couple of those squishy balls made from birdseed-filled-balloons when suddenly whole new dimensions were added to the mix and that's it, it all came tumbling down.

From the massive, teetering piles of washing that seem to keep growing no matter how often I wash, to the general grottiness of the house, to a job that caused me palpitations and angst into the early hours - and ended up a complete and utter shocker - to a forgotten birthday, hidden on the calendar amidst many other "DO NOT FORGET" items.

Sigh.

I've beaten myself up over it and am trying to gather myself and move forward. But I know I'm not alone. I've read other blogs and thought, "Oh my god, you're totally living my life..." The realistic side of me knows that these things have to occur every now and again just to force us to pay attention and move forward in a better and brighter manner. But gee, couldn't they be a little more gentle and subtle about it? You know, more of a tap on the shoulder rather than a slap in the forehead?

It's time for me to prioritise, organise, timetable and activate myself to ensure I don't let this happen again.

what's cooking wednesday

Sorry for my tardiness - I seemed to have some 24 hour virus thing that was thankfully resolved with a nap until lunchtime {I swear my body puts these things on just to force me to sleep...}

Anyway, here's what's on the menu this week.

Tonight: Dad and step-mother are visiting - so salmon on the bbq with some salads. Yum.

Thursday: hubby and I are off to see Sarah Blasko performing at the beautiful Civic Theatre. Le sigh. Sister-in-law and her two gals are babysitting. I think mini hamburgers made with chicken mince burgers {s.i.l. doesn't eat red meat} will go down a treat.

Friday: Out to dinner with friends. Hurrah. We're checking out the East End Enoteca - a place I've heard quite the buzz about on Twitter. It's an Italian-inspired place with a Family Table policy - small meals shared around groups. With options such as peppered venison and scampi and yabbies those plates won't want to be placed in front of me as I'll be ever-so-inclined to be greedy!

Saturday: Nothing planned. Hurrah. I think we'll have a salad with poached chicken breasts, crunchy prosciutto, poached eggs and cos lettuce {yep, does sound like a caeser salad doesn't it?}

Sunday: Roast night. Standing rib roast of beef appeals.

Monday: Twilight Netball Night: San choy bow with turkey mince perhaps {I'm woefully remiss when it comes to cooking with turkey - but thanks to Frilly Hills Liss I think I'll give it a shot.}

Tuesday: Pork cutlets will go down a treat after ballet don't you think? With an apple 'coleslaw' perhaps.

What are you nibbling on this week?

road trip

Big drive to the big smoke for a meeting today. Regular blogging shall resume on my return!

look at me, look at me...

I'm featured over at BellaMumma today spilling a few of my beauty tips. Go over and say hi. {PS: This photo - not me...}

presenting...

A cold, rainy, blustery monday deserves a pretty pair of shoes. So here I present to you these Giuseppe Zannoti numbers - all tied up with a big bow. I can't imagine a prettier pair of party shoes - can you?

waiting for the rainbow

Typical. We have the English nieces over today and it's bucketing down. My plans of plenty of swimming, followed by fish and chips at the beach, followed by swimming have been washed out. Eep! What to do? Perhaps a bit of play, a little crafty stuff then we'll close the blinds, rent a DVD, pop some corn and have a movie experience at home. I'll also let them stay in their jammies all day - that's always fun!

oh what a night...

As you can probably guess by my late posting, the mother's night went well. Really well. The change of venue went down a treat, there was plenty of yummy food circulating, the people who spoke were really well received, and everyone frocked up and looked fabulous. There was even dancing thanks to my iPhone {seriously, anything those things can't do? I made up a party list of songs on its iPod and we had music through the night}.

And yes, before you ask, some people with a bung knee may have worn heels {teeny little mary janes - teeny}. And yes, some people with a bung knee may have danced {but you know, dancing these days is all about the arms - not the feet!}. And yes, said people may be needing to ice said knee - but gee, some things are worth it.

My fabulous friends made this all worthwhile. From C who found the venue, to J who sorted the speakers and introduced them all, to G and K who were the door beyatches from heaven to N who helped kick off the dancing - oh, it was a night alright.

Now, best get myself ready to do it all over again - at least I'm not organising tonight's function - I merely have to turn up and have fun!

GLEE - "Time Warp" Full Performance from 10/26!

new love

Apple know their stuff. They know how to make covetable items for suckers like me. You know how just this past weekend I'd decided that I was gonna get me an iPad? Well, check out the new MacBook Air. Teensy, lightweight, gorgeous, multi-functioned and cheap{ish}. Just over $1100 will buy me one of these pretties.

Come to mama...

hear me roar

As a Leo, astrologers often suggest that I'll feel my most glamorous in animal prints but I've never been a lass to douse myself in leopard. However, when I saw this outfit on the lovely Livia I changed my mind. I could do this - particularly the accessories {and yes, I am talking about the lovely Mr Firth...}.

Love everything about this look - the shoes, the top, the hair, the lippy - the length and fullness of the skirt. Oh, and Colin Firth... {le sigh}

friday flowers

I was checking out my garden yesterday and noticed new shoots covering the hydrangea we planted last year. Woo hoo. Now I'll just need to find some bluing solution to ensure I get blue mop-topped fleurs rather than the pink they're struggling to be in my soil!

i'm gonna put on, my boogie shoes...

Well, at least a low-ish pair of heels... Yep, tonight's the night of our school mother's night that we've been organising and it looks like everything's fallen into place. We've got bigger numbers than they've seen in years, we've bought lovely french sparkling wine as a farewell gift for the mums who are leaving {rather than paint-stripper nasty stuff} and I do believe I even have a frock or two in mind.

Because we changed both the venue and the format for the evening {from a two course sit-down dinner at the local pub to finger food and champagne at a gorgeous new bar in town} I was worried we'd have a backlash from those expecting 'tradition'. However, as I said to a friend yesterday, traditions should really only be celebrated if they're successful and fun. While the other years have been fine, the venue couldn't offer us Friday nights - only midweek - and who wants to go out midweek and then have to get up for the school lunches the next day? Not this little black duck. Also, the sit-down format meant that there little opportunity for mingling and chatting - the real point of the evening.

So tonight there will be mingling and chatting. There'll also be a bar that's filled with cocktails and a really good variety of wines and spirits. There will also be plenty of food circulating - and some traditions will still stand {speeches from a few mums who're leaving, presentation of gifts to the mums and even coffee and tea available for the non-drinkers}

Off to paint my nails now {and my gal's who's on a pupil-free day today}. Wish me luck x

gucci coochie coo

Excuse me - J-Lo and her twins - cuteness incorporated! New Gucci campaign via Grazia.

oh yeah!

The ever-so-lovely Belinda from cupcakes frocks and pink saw this and thought of me {bless!}. So I thought I'd best share it with you - as I know there are quite a few of you who'd agree...

and repeat...

There are many things about this week I'm not liking - the world's most horrid and annoying job not working out like it should {instead, unsurprisingly, it worked out horrid and annoying to the end} and so many other niggly bits and pieces. I'm going to learn from them and then put them behind me - before moving forward.

I'll be needing some words to help propel me - and I think I quite like these. What's done is done, spending time fretting over it won't change it. Accepting it, learning from it and moving on is the best way to live a well-lived life.

two weeks in provence

Here's a sneaky peak at the farmhouse we've rented for our second week in Provence. It's really close to Isle sur la Sorgue, the most gorgeous village - and, as you can see, has a pool and a lovely shaded terrace to sit on and sip rosé.

Yes, it has vines, yes it's stone, and yes it has shutters! The french doors are also some kind of amazing copper or other metal - they look beautiful. And let's not go into the beams inside... Yep, it's 70 kinds of bliss. Hurrah for the internet for helping us find this beauty.

Best do some work to pay for it now...

bigger isn't always better

I think it's easy to put off doing a kind deed because you want to make it special. A friend's sick and you think to yourself, 'Oh, I'll have to take them around a meal' and then you spend so long worrying about what to cook, whether they'll like it, whether it's special enough that before you know it she's well again.

That's where I think the small gestures come in handy.

I was chatting to my mother-in-law the other day and I mentioned how I like to try to live by the maxim "The smallest gesture is better than the grandest intention" - and it's true. So often we'll think about all the things we 'should' do that'll make a difference, but because we're so busy and life gets in the way we just don't get around to it. Then we feel guilty and often the friend we hoped to make feel better just feels neglected.

Instead of coming up with a beautifully made card to send to someone - it's best to send off a quick email or text to say, "Hi, thanks!" or "Thinking of you x". Obviously a phone call's better - but a fill in text can be like a smile, just to let them know they're in your mind.

What small gesture can you make today?

what's cooking this week?

This week = busy. Therefore here's a meal plan to suit:

Tonight: Ballet and it's a wee bit on the frosty side. I'm thinking pork cutlets, mashed pumpkin, green beans with almonds and some sweet potato chips for my pumpkin-loathing lass.

Wednesday: Steak and salad

Thursday: French lessons, so I'll whip up a Provencal chicken, rice and salad.

Friday: I'm at my mum's night out {squeee!}, gal's at her nana's having a sleepover with her cousins so it's just my hubby home-alone. He'll enjoy a t-bone steak and steamed vegies.

Saturday: English cousins having a sleepover at our house so their mum can enjoy time with her mum. We should make home-made pizza - complete with home-made dough. Either that or I'm thinking those honey soy chicken wings and noodle salad from Jr MasterChef last night - yum!

Sunday: Leg of lamb and roasted vegies all in the slow-cooker.

Monday: Twilight netball night, therefore a chicken curry that I've prepared earlier for the slowcooker will go down a treat. All I'll have to do is cook some rice and wilt some greens and serve.

penny pinching for paris {and provence}

My saving needs to spill over in Christmas pressie buying this year. Luckily we do a Secret Santa with all the adults in from my husband's side of the family and we don't exchange gifts with my mum and step-dad. I want to save, but also support small businesses so I'll be shopping on etsy, rudy and the dodo {cute little aussie company www.rudyandthedodo.com.au} and I might even be inspired to make the odd pressie. I do love these pretty teacup candles featured on Martha - how adorable are they!

Thoughtful, thrifty shopping means getting in early and checking out what's on offer - so I'm determined to spend a little time each week checking out what's available. Normally I just do the last minute rush - but not this year. Nope, organisation's going to be my middle name!

oooh, what a manic monday

This morning started off manic {rush to buy milk for breakfast, dash over to the next suburb so hubby can pick up the car we left at our friends' on Saturday night, race to canteen to report for duty} and now I'm looking at a list around a kilometre-long and trying to breathe...

I'll start with the essentials {such as finding these fabbo D&G heels on Zappos.com}, move on to paying the deposit for the farmhouse we're renting in Provence {yep, our second place is booked - will post pics soon! Squeee!}. It's all do-able - if I can keep my cool.

How's your week looking?

all fired up

We went to friends' house for dinner last night {an absolutely delicious Jamie Oliver-inspired meal of roasted chicken, vegies and white beans - I must have the recipe - it was divine!}. Along with all the chatting, eating and {ahem} drinking, I also found the time to fall in love. See, our friends are also Mac-fiends, and their love runs even deeper and truer than mine. They have iPhones, iMacs {including the adorably retro coloured-belly mac!} and, le sigh, an iPad.

Now remember how I said I'd be sensible and look into buying a laptop to take with me OS? Changed my mind. I need an iPad. I tested out the screen-accessed keypad and was easily able to type a few sentences, even after a fair bit of champagne and with fingernails too long to type properly {I miss netball because I always trimmed my nails weekly to play - now I tend to forget...}

Apparently you can buy a dock that contains a keyboard - sold!

Oh, iPad, you must be mine...

rocking my foundations

Wow, did we have some wind last night. At one stage I was pretty sure our house was going to be picked up and transported elsewhere it was so crazy. Everything still seems to be in the right place this morning - so that's a good thing.

Apparently it's snowing in Goulburn today - which helps explain this crazy cold as well.

Oh spring - come back, please...

it gets better

I am loving this new project where famous faces are putting themselves forward to tell teens who are being bullied, ostracised or are experiencing any difficulties due to their sexuality: "It Gets Better". Their messages are heartbreakingly honest and I've found it hard to watch any without shedding a tear. Tim Gunn is spectacularly honest in his video, and if even one teen is helped by his words it's been a massive success.

Chatterbox Sara has written a beautiful post over on her blog that covers this subject in far more detail: check it out.

Here's hoping that our children grow into a world that practices tolerance, love and understanding - regardless of any differences of sexuality, colour, looks or practices.

Along with hoping we can do our best to raise children who not only aspire to these ideals - but will be brave enough to stand up for them too.

what's in a name?

If you'd asked me two days ago how I came up with the name for my blog I would have said, "Oh, I don't know - it just sort of came to me". But if you asked me today I would have realised that the name came to me because my gal's first ever pair of shoes were a pair of bright pink patent mary janes {and we continued the mary jane theme for as long as possible - damn they're a classic shoe...}.

I do like a story behind a name. Our gal's name has a story: a good one. When I was barely pregnant we travelled to the UK for my sister-in-law's wedding and as she was getting married up near the scottish border we decided to travel to my ancestoral town in Scotland. My grandfather had recently given me an oral history of our family which went back to the town of Crieff in Scotland - so I knew I had to go there. Visiting I realised how popular my family name was: streets, pubs and even the castle above bore my family name. It was while we were reading the history of the castle that a girl's name leapt out at us. She was the Queen who lived in the castle in the 16th century and both of us knew that would be our daughter's name.

Sure enough, we were blessed with a wee bonny lass and she has a name with history, a story and great beauty. It's a name to be proud of and one that just suits her to a T!

loving mr lynch

Twin Peaks, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, even the virtually incomprehensible Mullholland Drive, all leave me with a lasting love for David Lynch.

I'd love to see this exhibition of his photographic work in Paris. Sigh.

But for now I'll content myself with the fact that Foxtel are about to start screening Twin Peaks from the end of the month {squeeeeee!}

friday flowers

I do love Crepuscule roses - their pretty peach faces look ever so lovely rambling all over buildings and arches. Before our wisteria took off I was thinking about replacing it with a crepuscule rose, but now I'm far too deeply in love with the pendulous violet blooms - as fleeting as they are.

It's another grey and murky day here - why does Australia turn on the worst weather when we have overseas visitors? My gal also has a pool party to attend this afternoon - although a bit of grey sky's never put a child off a swim. But I hope for the birthday gal's sake that the sky clears before the party.

Aaaah, Friday. Gotta love the day that signals a weekend!

hey girly

It will come as no surprise to anyone who's had more than a cursory glance at this blog that I'm quite a girly girl. I only wear dresses and skirts - pants are for sport and the odd spot of lounging. My nails are never nude - but always clothed in pretty colours. Going up means glamming up with make-up and I take no greater delight in planning how to make-up my face well in advance of the event. My home is filled with flowers, pretty colours and fripperies that cause me delight.

But in some ways I'm the antithesis of what's expected of a girly girl.

I shower quickly. In, wash, out.

I loathe shopping. Window shopping is my idea of personal hell - I shop with a purpose and much like showering I'm in, buy, then out.

Chatting on the phone - eek, not my thing. But commenting on blogs, facebook statuses and twitter - oh-so-my-style...

High maintenance? Nope. My hair's home-dyed {thank you Clairol Nice'N'Easy}, I don't do regular facials - my only indulgence is leg waxing - which is an essential really.

I don't buy new frocks for special events - I just re-accessorise. {frugal - but if I'm honest it's my loathing of shopping that makes this a necessity}

I'm the first one in my family who's ready to go out - even when I've done the full make-up. I've learned not to stand fretting at the front door and now I lie on the bed and read until they're out the door.

You?

getting closer...

We're finally getting a Gold Class cinema in this neck of the woods - and it's meant to be open in time for the premiere of Harry Potter - S.Q.U.E.E.E.E!

jeff probst i heart you so

Have you seen this? I've been a huge Survivor fan since the very start, missing a few series in the middle when Channel 9 decided to either screen it at Midnight Saturdays or not at all. And I'm loving this new series to bits - especially now Jeff's blogging about the episodes! I adore how he's sitting at home, watching with us and offering up insights - and how he loves and loathes the same people I do {Naonka - evil piece of work}. Tragically they've now moved it back to a later time slot so I'll need to prop open my eyes with match-sticks to keep viewing it - but oh, it's worth it...

my baby's a buddy!

It feels like only yesterday when my gal went off to Kinder Orientation to meet her 'buddy' - and today she's training to be a buddy herself! She's desperate to meet her little kinder friend and to guide her through that first school year.

Today's an out of uniform day for Buddy Training and my gal's looking cute-as-a-box-of-buttons in shades of pink and green {right down to green toenails, bless!}. In just a few short weeks she'll meet her lil buddy - can't wait!

aaaaand, back to bed

Ouch. Have a migraine. Developed last night, and has refused to abate despite drugs and sleep - so more drugs and sleep it is.

See you tomorrow x

glee + rocky horror = squeeeeeeee

Can.

Not.

WAIT!

Go here if you want more {more, more, more}

penny pinching for paris {and provence}

I think the most important thing about being frugal and saving is to make it enjoyable. Rather than concentrating on what you're missing out on, focus on what you're creating. Keep tabs of how much you've saved and celebrate milestones with something the family can enjoy.

We had a family picnic the other day with my sister-in-law and her two gals. Now, normally when we picnic I head straight for the shops for baguettes, cheeses, olives and all manner of yummies. This time I made chicken, avocado and lettuce sandwiches, popped some popcorn, grabbed some crackers and a dip from the fridge. I filled a big bottle with water, took down a tablecloth and we set up at the beach. Guess whether we had just as much of an enjoyable time with a put-together meal as opposed to a $50+ banquet?

It's easy to fall into expensive traps. I know that I've done so in the past. Spending money's a helluva lot easier than saving it. Saving takes a little thought and preparation - but boy, does it make life simpler in the long run.

It also helps to include your child in the frugality - and helps set them up on the path to financial freedom in the future. They don't need to worry about money, just learn that there are more frugal options - and often ones that are more environmentally responsible too.

you little sew-and-sew

With the Australian dollar virtually equal to the US dollar I'm going crazy checking out Amazon and Etsy. On Amazon I found THIS what I believe to be the book that will help me learn to sew. I need it, I want it, I must have it...

meal-planning monday

Woohoo, school's back! Now we can get back into something resembling normality. Starting with meal-planning: here's what we're eating this week.

Tonight: twilight netball resumes, so it's an easy, thrifty dinner. I've removed some salmon patties from the freezer and we'll have them with salad. Perfect!

Tuesday: We'll be eating the pork roast I bought from the markets but didn't have time to cook last night as we were out visiting until late.

Wednesday: Chicken and chorizo pasta bake.

Thursday: French lessons resume, and then I'm off to a party afterwards {I know!} So I'll put a beef curry in the slow cooker for the boy and the gal. There'll be plenty leftover for a thrifty freezer meal next week.

Friday: Now the weather's warming up I want to start bbq Fridays. I'm thinking some fish on the bbq with a thai salad on the side.

Saturday: Steak and salad will be easy/peasy.

Sunday: Roast chicken and vegies {normal meal traditions will resume...}

I also need to get in and do some school lunch baking. I'm thinking pizza scrolls {puff pastry, pizza sauce, cheese, diced onion and bacon, rolled up and baked.} Luckily I bought a yummy banana bread at the markets yesterday so it's been sliced and individually-wrapped and frozen. I love having options in the freezer ready to load up the lunchbox - the more the merrier.

purple power

There's just something about the colour purple that screams strength to me. I don't know about you, but I'm extremely influenced by colours. Even though navy and white are a classic combination I still can't wear them as they remind me of my school uniform and signify the opposite of elegance. In winter I love black and not because it's safe, or 'slimming' but because I think it's a truly striking colour when accessorised well.

In spring and summer I burst out in colours - the brighter and bolder the better. I'm also lusting after paler shades of peach and apricot and shall need to find at least one item in these colours.

Do you have a confident colour?

sunny sundays - hurrah

It's a lovely sunny sunday today - which is lucky as we've quite a bit planned. We've just finished breakfast and soon we'll be heading off to the Darby Street Fair, followed by the Farmer's Markets and then off to Morpeth with the English rellos. We're also hoping to fit in a quick visit to our fave nursery just outside of Maitland - and, as I have nary a bottle of champers in the house, I think we'll need to stop off at Dan Murphys too.

Dinner will be something roasted from the Farmer's Markets. Love a Sunday roast.

What are your plans for the day?

my favourite monster

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Grover+Old Spice = Much Hilarity.