I've blogged before about my inability to make tea. See, I'm impatient and never, ever let it draw long enough to give me the rich hit I need.
I truly think that the best way to save money is never to see it in the first place. We organise for a chunk of funds to be paid directly off our mortgage, and whenever there's a windfall it goes straight into the home loan. Now I'm setting aside a portion of funds toward our holiday. We've worked out a budget {a realistic once, hence, a scary one} which is so easy to do with the internet. 
Sure, I'm away, in the country, but that doesn't stop me from posting an exquisitely classic pair of pumps does it? {thanks Maxabella for the tips!} These Ferragamo mary janes are so pretty I nearly burst into a spontaneous round of applause when I spied them.
In just a few short hours we'll be hitting the road and driving south for a holiday {sadly, not in a cute-as-a-button Citroen 2cv - my dream car...}. 
I'm playing along with Maxabella today and taking note of all the things I'm grateful for. 
I do love the little mop-headed allium flowers. So fuzzy and sweet. I always plan on planting some around the base of my roses, between my catmint, but have yet to get around to it. This year perhaps?
It might be friday, but I'm hankering for Sunday. On Sunday we're off for five blissful days down south in my favourite town in Australia {besides my own...}. Yep, we're hitting Burrawang in the Southern Highlands. Last year we had the most incredibly relaxing, yet fun, holiday with another family and we've booked the same holiday house again this year. The girls are beside themselves with plans and we adults are looking forward to days spent lazing, and nights spent sipping champagne in front of the fire {surely it'll still be chilly enough for a fire at night - won't it?}.
I'm having a wee bit of a floral crush on ranunculas at the moment. Kind of a cross between peonies and roses, these delicate little blooms come in just the perfect palette of prettiness. I'm itching for a bunch of these to brighten up my bench - particularly as I have a pale blue milk glass vase that'd just make them pop!
The new trailer's released today. You just know I'm going to be linking to it don't you {just did - back there - it's on facebook so I presume you have to log in - but you're on facebook aren't you}? If not, try here. Now, I'm a little bit scared that I'm going to spontaneously combust with anticipation about this film - and the fact that it's in two parts? Eep.
In the dictionary, right there next to the words Elfin Elegance is a picture of Carey Mulligan.
As you know, I've been cutting back on spending to save for our OS trip next year. I'm finding there's quite a few areas I'm happy to cut back on {homebrand flour - that'd be you} but others, I still need to splurge on. Washing powder's one. Now I already save as I only use half the recommended amount and I still get the washing clean {with sports clothes I throw in half a cup of homebrand white vinegar to get the sweaty smell out}. But I need my washing to smell pretty when I take it from the machine and after I remove it from the line. So I was very excited to spy a Surf powder with jasmine when I was out shopping. Hurrah - jasmine! 
I do love a party. I love to attend one, and oh boy, do I love to plan one. I'm planning one now in fact. Every year the Year Five mothers at our school organise a get-together and a farewell to the Year Six mums. Now, apparently, at the last mums get-together a friend and I put up our hands to organise this years {I still have no memory of this, I was probably in the middle of hugging someone and telling them I love them - I get enthusiastic after a few champagnes...}
Well, last week's pantry cooking went really well. I managed to get a number of meals cooked from my pantry: salmon, potato and corn patties {with six leftover in the freezer for another meal}, chicken schnitzel and last night's chicken and chorizo risotto {and my gal's risotto cakes for lunch - leftover risotto mixed with egg and smooshed in a patty pan and studded with cooked chorizo and baked for 15 minutes till crispy}. 
I thought these Versace numbers I found at net-a-porter.com perfectly illustrated my blog post today. See, they're ridiculously high, almost ludicrously so, and yet, they're so perfectly formed walking in them would actually be achievable {it'd just take a little practice...}
How's tricks? I'm uber-excited as we're off to the Farmer's Markets for the first time since the great knee injury of 2010... {which, by the way, is on the mend. I merely stretched my ACL and then tore the living daylights out of the cartilage, so it's on the healing process}. We're going to buy coffee beans, roasting meat, vegies, some fruits and delicious turkish gozleme for lunch. Mmmmmmm. Gozleme....
Hey, Saturday, how's tricks? You are lookin' gooooooooood. After a week of working frantically I'm going to reward myself for my labours with a few hours of doing absolutely NOTHING today. Hubby's off at golf till after lunch and my gal's off to a picnic in the park at 11am. So for a couple of hours in the middle of the day I'm going to go up to the pavillion, loll on the daybed and read. And maybe look at the sky... That's it. I'm not going to:
I was just sitting on my front step, enjoying the sunshine for a few minutes, when I was overcome by a distinctive perfume. I looked up and rejoiced at the abundance of Wisteria blooms that have fringed my front veranda. Aren't they spectacular? They're still not at their peak - maybe in a few days - but boy, are they glorious.
Those Olivers are damned good at having babies aren't they? I didn't even realise that Jools was pregnant until Jamie tweeted "It's a boy" last night. Here they are with the new addition. Now, let me say, I LOVE the names the Olivers give their babies, Poppy Honey Rainbow, Daisy Boo Pamela and Petal Blossom Rainbow are now joined by Buddy Bear Maurice. 
Dita Von Teese just posted this shot on Twitter. Guess whether I'm deeply, madly and truly envious of her wardrobe...
