feeling festive, then flop

Oh, this is that odd time of year isn't it? Surely you should still feel all festive, you know, gearing up to new years and all. Instead, it's kind of like some limbo-land. Certain businesses and cafes close, people are in holiday-mode, while others {such as myself} are still working.

Thank goodness I'm working from home. A few years back, when I still caught the train down to the big smoke two-days-a-week, I went to work on Boxing Day {ah journalism - two guaranteed days off a year, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day}. So I get off the train and realise that virtually every cafe in Surry Hills has closed over the break - eep. No coffee, and no food! Thank goodness a trek around the suburb revealed something open.

Well it's rainy here today, and a little bit gloomy. My husband has this week off so he's on gal-entertaining duty while I work.

Now, finally, onto these shoes. Should I have a glamorous New Years bash to attend these would be just the shoes to do it in. Instead, this year I think it's just me, hubby and the gal - and some french bubbles while we watch the fireworks on telly. Bliss.

You?

don't you think...

Life's too short not to be fabulous.

merry christmas

I won't be posting for a few days so I just wanted to wish you all the merriest of Christmases and a rather fabulous new year. xxx

christmas is the time to...

We're nearly there! Only two more sleeps!! How's your festive season treating you? Mine's treating me to a wee bit of a hangover this morning after a few too many champagnes last night, "t'is the season..." And apparently I decided to sleep by tying myself in knots - or at least that's how I feel this morning. But a good night was had by all, and a few more good nights were arranged. Got to be happy with that.

So I'm going to be diving into my work this morning - no point trying to shirk it. I've got a few more essentials to tick off the to-do list before shutting down for Christmas.

Enjoy your day x

what's cooking wednesday

Obviously not a great deal is cooking this week as it's nearly Christmas {squeee!} . However, this year I'm determined to be organised and ensure we actually have food in the house for Boxing Day {I always forget, and as we have Christmas lunch and dinner at my in-laws we have no leftovers}. I imagine there'll be plenty of liquid refreshments on offer, so here's what I'll be whipping up.

Wednesday: we're off to a friend's house for a Christmas celebration - just the mums and kids while the dads do dinner together. It's going to be really simple - we're ordering in pizza. However, I am bringing a pudding - so I might just do a special christmas ice cream mix... And champagne, natch.

Thursday: it's the Twilight Farmer's Market so we'll be eating there {gozleme probably - we're all addicted} and I'll be buying some saltbush lamb and Burrawang's Spring Hill Beef for meals later in the week.

Friday: Christmas Eve! We're off to a Carols in the Park event down at the beach. So a picnic's in order. Then we're off to my in-law's for supper. I'm taking Turkey meatballs with a mint and cranberry dipping sauce this year. Mmm.

Saturday: Christmas Day - hurray!

Boxing Day: Salad and whatever meat I've picked up at the market.

Monday: Meat from the market again, and more salad.

Tuesday: BBQ I think - let's hope the weather thinks so too.

oh! christmas!

Excuse me, but have you ever seen a more divine Christmas setting?

I'm dying here. Dying.

a good drying day

Well the weather mightn't be what we'd expect for this time of year, but today was what is known in the trade as "A Good Drying Day". Bright blue sky, a little warmth - and winds - lots of wind.

A good drying day makes me happy. I love hanging out clothes and towels knowing they're going to be lovingly dried by the wind. Ideally I'd have done some sheets - but that wasn't to be. Is it too much to ask for another Good Drying Day tomorrow?

{and another thing I'd like to ask for is this laundry - prettiness!}

festive footsies

T'is the season for fabulous footwear non? I am seriously in love with these hot pink Miu Miu numbers as they'd be the perfect accompaniment for the lipstick red frock I'm planning on wearing on Christmas day. And then I spied these Diane Von Furstenburg pretties and just imagined them with a full-skirted little black dress - divine non? This is a colour I absolutely cannot wear - with my olive skin it makes me look dreadful, but on the feet, well, surely I could get away with that.

On the Christmas wish list perhaps? {which, by the way, is empty - there's nothing I want. Well, aside from piles of euros to spend in Paris during the July sales...}

baby it's cold outside

I'm more than a little bit in love with this festive tune - and oh, these boys... So adorable... PS: that mantle, oh I'll be needing one of those one Christmas.

the inside story

Not having a camera at the moment means that I'm missing out on a lot of shots. The iPhone camera's great, but in low light it's lacking a flash. That meant I'd missed a focussed shot of the interior of the rainbow cake. Luckily there was a teeny, tiny sliver left and I snapped this for you. Yes, ideally it would be styled on a pretty cake plate with a teeny fork, but you'll forgive the rather rustic background of my well-worn chopping board won't you? After all, the colours are soooooo pretty!

taste teste

Have you tried the Etsy Taste Test yet? I did and look what it decided I'd like. Yes, thank you Etsy I do like this very much indeed.

over the rainbow

If there's a birthday cake guaranteed to bring out the ooohs, the aaahs and the 'awesome' it's this. Our rainbow cake with white royal icing {and a hundreds and thousands 'rainbow' on top} was a smashing success. I found the recipe over at not quite nigella and I must send her a big thank you. It was a simple butter cake coloured with gel icing {very important - these are vivid colour yet don't affect the taste or texture of the batter}.

The cake topped off a wildly successful party. The girls had fun making rainbow bracelets with the different coloured strings I'd bought {beads, not so sucessful, some of the holes too teeny to thread}. Then there was a riotous game of Celebrity Heads {my husband's inclusion of the school principal was inspired - hilarious}. Then the food. The sushi platter I'd ordered in was swooped on. The honey chicken wings gobbled up, as were the pizza and the pesto pinwheels. The surprise love was the olive oil and balsamic dipping bowl I'd put out with the baguettes - obviously a lot of restaurant-savvy kids as it needed constant topping up.

Then there was a spot of dusk swimming, despite the weather. And some beautiful, thoughtful presents.

My kitchen may still need mopping of some multi-coloured icing messes, but it was ever-so-worth it. Now, bring on Christmas shall we?

flowers for friday

My hydrangea from last year is still kicking on. Still teensy, but it does have flower heads {these are from last year}. Hopefully a bit more love, water and sunshine and they'll take off.

It's my gal's birthday party today. The rainbow cake's made {and looks awesome!}, cupcakes are baked and all the shopping's done. All we have to do is cut up the salad stuff {vegies and fruit} and throw a few things in the oven at 5.30. Oh, and cross all our fingers and toes that the sun breaks through this grey old day. Pool parties could quite do with some sunshine - even some twilight ones!

money matters

At this time of the year I tend to get a bit reflective when I have a spare moment. There's nothing like Christmas craziness to make you assess what's important. Last year, when I was frantic around Christmas I asked myself a question, "If I don't do this will anybody cry or die?" if the answer was no, then obviously it wasn't worth bothering myself over.

Lately I've been pondering money, and what's worth spending money on. Obviously I feel very strongly that holidays are the perfect thing to spend money on: you're broadening your horizons, experiencing something new and creating memories that'll last long after you've paid the bills. Our holiday next year in France and England is going to be worth every cent - and I'm determined to savour every second.

It's interesting to watch people and ponder their priorities. I never like to judge, we're all different and we all have differing things that make us happy. But sometimes you've got to wonder how many people really stop and think about what makes them happy. Truly happy.

Is it a high paying or high status job that means they have to spend hours and hours and hours working? And when they stop working how often do they immerse themself in something that makes them feel joyous? That money they're earning, are they spending it on something that makes them smile?

I'm working hard at the moment. Harder than I have in a long time. I'm doing something I've never really done before and it's a steep learning curve. But it's enjoyable. I'm creating something and feel like I'm achieving. I'm also making sure I still spend time doing things that matter. Today I took a break and went and swam some laps in the pool. I love our pool, and our backyard, every dollar we poured into it was worth it. I loved swimming those leisurely laps, and tomorrow I'll swim with my gal, watching her do handstands, racing her and then sitting by the side while she plays her imaginary mermaid games.

You can't put a price on those moments.

They're what make me happy.

nothing but the truth

what's cooking wednesday

Well, it's 5.45am and I'm just back from dropping my parents at the airport. What a lovely week's holiday we've had. Sure, I was working while they were here - but at least I got to have coffee and lunch breaks with them which I wouldn't have if I were working in an office. After a week of functions, picnics and outings it's time to get back into some form of reality. Here's what we'll eat this week:

tonight: chicken provencale with roasted vegies and green salad

Thursday: Husband's off to a cocktail party {as you do} and the gal and I shall be baking cupcakes and birthday cake. I think I'll do some salmon on the bbq.

Friday: The big birthday party - 5pm to 8pm. We'll be eating party food - but as there's sushi on the menu that's not a bad thing at all.

Saturday: Nothing planned - bliss. Easy dinner of lime and pepper chicken breasts on the bbq with a shredded vegie salad.

Sunday: I have a hankering for seven hour leg of lamb - so that is what I shall be cooking.

Monday: poached chicken, mango and avocado salad.

Tuesday: Let's try for fish on the bbq again - a white fish this time. And mango salsa {c'mon, it's mango season, best make the most of it...}

Then Wednesday my hubby's out with some boys - so we gals and the kidlets are catching up at a friends for dinner and bubbles and swimming. Noice.

You?

how many sleeps?

How are you going with the Christmas craziness? Today's our last day of school, and last night we had the school christmas concert {which was just adorable}. I think I'm all prepared for my gal's birthday party Friday night. I've ordered the Sushi platter, I'm going to buy in some honey soy chicken wings {Christmas is nothing if not a time to be realistic}, and we've bought the gift bags, complete with rainbow coloured nailpolishes. Thursday night will be cooking night when we'll bake the rainbow cake {yes, I'll post pics} and make the pesto and cheese and the pizza pinwheels.

Phew. So how goes it with you?

monday, hello?

Wow, now that's what I'd call a weekend. Our lunch for our friend's 30th was amazing. The venue was divine - and the food! We started off with zucchini flowers stuffed with a ricotta and heavenly truffle mixture, which were then encased in a seasoned tempura batter and served on a bed of wilted bitter greens. Divine. Then we had mahi mahi fillets, perfectly cooked, accompanied by rosemary and garlic roasted veg and an incredible 'coleslaw'. Mmmmm. The meal was finished off with a delicious pear and ricotta tart. Oh yes. Then we kicked on at a very fashionable Surry Hills pub, spied a few MasterChef alumni {Adam, bless, Callum, bless, and Matt, um, not so bless. Seriously, dude, sunglasses after dusk?}. We kicked on till close enough to midnight to satisfy and then wandered back to our hotel.

Next morning we found the most divine cafe housed in a gorgeous old weatherboard house - RoboCog - owned by the friendliest bike-loving, robot-loving guys you'll ever meet. We'd stopped in for a quick coffee on the Saturday afternoon and when we rocked in with our friends the waiter greeted us like long-lost friends and remembered out coffee order. Bless. I wanted to take him home...

Now, onto important things: these shoes. They're by Alexandre Birman and I think they'd make me mighty happy should they ever find their way onto my feet. Aren't they just the most glorious shade of smile-inducing tangerine?

birthday celebrations

We're off to Sydney today to celebrate a friend's 30th {bless}. We're having lunch here: a place called Table For 20 in Surry Hills, then we'll go freshen up at our hotel before heading off for drinks at a pub to complete the night.

My new frock's ready to go. My hair's washed and will hopefully dry in a reasonable state {damn you frizz-inducing humidity!}. Can't wait to catch up over good food with good friends.

Enjoy your weekend!

well stocked

Oh, I'm so loving having my parents up at the moment. Mum's been cleaning and I have a sparkling clean bathroom for the first time in eons and floors that are mopped when they need it, not after me stepping over it saying, "Damn, I really need to mop that floor". We've also moved our newest bookshelf into the kitchen for the time being. And look, I've set it up with all the essentials {including the ingredients for a violette martini - vodka, cointreau and violette syrup!}.

Cookbooks need to be moved to lower shelves, but that can be done later. Oh, I am loving this sense of order. Do you think I can convince them to stay?