what's cooking wednesday

Back to school - woo hoooo!

Tonight my parents are popping in for a night on their way from Melbourne to Nimbin so I'll make up a big pot of pumpkin soup - served with crusty sourdough.

Thursday: Steak and salad.

Friday: Royal wedding party - we're taking red velvet cupcakes and making Royal Sapphire martinis.

Saturday: I'm catching up with friends for dinner.

Sunday: Roast chicken and vegies.

Monday: Crispy pancetta and spinach risotto.

Tuesday: Back to french lessons - lamb and bean casserole.

Enjoy your week.

a bun in the oven

My gal loves a finger bun - loves 'em. So when I heard that Baker's Delight were donating 100 per cent of the profits from the sales of their pink finger buns to raise funds for breast cancer - well, hello, time to buy up big. From tomorrow, for a whole week, pink buns will help fund the breast cancer network.

C'mon, pink's always tasty - why not get sweet for a good cause.

spotty shoes make me smile

I think it's been about 400 years since I've posted a pair of Marc Jacobs shoes - how remiss of me. So to make up for it, I present you not only with Marc Jacobs, not only wedges, not only t-bar but SPOTTY!

You're welcome.

hydrangea cupcakes

How clever and beautiful are these cupcakes? Check them out over here.

easter egg hunting

Happy Easter! We're off to the Hunter Valley Gardens this morning so our gal can do a spot more egg hunting. It's a glorious day today so quite the day to visit the gardens.

Hope the Easter Bunny brought you some yummy chocolate {luckily our Easter Bunny seems fond of Lindt easter chocolate - yum}. Enjoy x

come fly with me

Obviously I need no encouragement to fly to Paris, but for those who do, don't you think these fabulous posters by David Klein would help the travel bug hit hard? There's a gorgeous range of his work over at Flavorwire - check it out.

PS: my other faves are Los Vegas and Spain {ole!}

flowers for friday {night}

Whoops - late! But it's my third post for the day so surely I'm forgiven - and they're PEONIES. A pretty mixed pastel bunch of peonies no less.

Sigh, I need to move to a colder climate so I can grow these things...

sweetie, darling!

So apparently I'm also going to spend this Easter catching up on my blogging. But GUESS WHAT? There are going to be three new Ab Fab episodes hitting our screens. Lord knows when we'll get them in Aus, but they're on-screen in the US in their summer.

Anyone with friends at the ABC? Do some hassling will you?

Oh, and bring out the Bolly darling.

happy easter

Oliver, the winner of the Easter Pets competition over at Martha Stewart would like to join me in wishing you a happy, happy easter. I know that I'm going to spend the next five days sleeping, resting and spending some time with my man and my gal.

You?

helen mirren: style guru

THIS!

This is why I love Helen Mirren. This woman defies any conservative conventions about how women should dress over 40. Honestly, if someone said to you "Yeah, an over 60-year-old can totally rock a leopard print maxi dress and a leather biker jacket!" you'd look at them like they were insane. And here she is, not just rocking the look, but totally and utterly owning it.

I don't know who her stylist is but they're some kind of genius. Which probably isn't too hard when you consider what they've got to work with. But I'm in love with so many aspects of this outfit - including the hair, the make-up and accessories.

No wonder Russell keeps on finding opportunities to snog her. Lord knows that given any kind of a chance I'd be doing the same.

LOVE!

nail file

Sure, my basket of nailpolishes might be seriously overflowing - but I'd make space for these. Sweet Peacock is my absolute favourite, but I'm also loving on Sea Girl and Lucky Duck {oh, and Fowl Play - which really only leaves the coral and the beige - which are also kinda fabulous...} I think I deserve these.

what's cooking wednesday

Do you have any idea how much I need a pale green, retro Smeg Fridge? A. Lot. Crazy beautiful. But I don't. I have a rather ordinary Fisher&Paykel, which does the job - just not very attractively. Sigh. But I have planned the next week's meals. That's good.

Wednesday: I have a hankering so deep, so wide and so strong for lamb shanks - so I'm going to make them.*

Thursday: I'm making pea and ham soup. I have yellow split peas and bacon bones. All I need now is the world's most amazing sourdough. Luckily I live not a five minute drive from Sourdough Baker in Newcastle. Mmmmm.

Friday: well, c'mon, it's got to be fish. I have bought the world's most enormous tin of tuna and shall be making spicy thai fish cakes. With some noodles strewn with vegies. And sweet chilli sauce. Oh yeah.

Saturday: Nigella makes this amazing lamb casserole with green beens. That's what I'll be making too - just need to find the recipe.

Sunday: Okay, today's the day we're going on an egg hunt at the Hunter Valley Gardens. I really should organise something for the slow cooker. Minestrone?

Monday: I didn't make the orichette with broccoli and anchovies last week - that's a crime. So I'd best make it tonight. And grate some lemon zest over it as penance.

Tuesday: Best give my husband a simple steak and vegie night. As you can see, I like my fancy schmancy and so does he, but he does crave a bit of simple. Best offer it up.

*Okay, the slow roasted lamb shanks with lentils recipe was so good, it deserves writing down. Coat frenched lamb shanks in a liberal dose of seasoned flour {plenty of salt and pepper}. Then, in a heavy bottom pan, brown them in a little olive oil. Really brown them. Next, add one litre of beef stock, 1 cup of red wine, one whole anchovy {trust: it'll melt}, two cloves of crushed garlic and three bay leaves. Add one cup of french lentils du puy. Add loads of freshly ground pepper. Stir and then bring to the boil. Cover tightly {I cooked this in my le crueset french oven} and pop in a low oven {140 celcius} for at least 3 hours. Serve with creamy french mash and green beans. So good. My husband said it's as good as duck confit and in my house there is no higher praise.

a royal sapphire

Hey, you know how I'm going to a Royal Wedding party at the end of the month? Well, I've created a cocktail in its honour. A Royal Sapphire. First of all I'll dip the martini glass in egg white and then put a sparkling rim of caster sugar around the edge {you know, like diamonds}. Then I'll combine this deep blue liqueur I saw the other day {deeper than curacao - not sure what it's called}, some Gin {probably Hendricks - that's royal}, a splash of lemon and top it up with champagne.

It's just like Kate's engagement ring! I KNOW!

Seriously, I should take a patent out on that - how freakin' awesome does it sound? Feel free to make one yourself. Cheers.

lessons learnt

Wow, this has been a big month on the learning scale. Now, allow me to tell you something. I'm not really one of those astrological people {if I was, hey, as a Leo would I really have married a Taurean? Probably not, but so far it's turned out pretty awesome!}. But, my point, and I do have one, is that there are two astrological events that I always listen out for: Saturn Return and Mercury Retrograde. When it's the Saturn Return period I'm extra, super-dooper careful around electrical appliance because if they're going to cark it - this is when. I lost a TV, a computer and a dishwasher in two days in one Saturn Return {bastard}.

The other phase is when Mercury is Retrograde. You know those arguments that go "That's not what I said!" - "Well it's what you meant!" {!!!!!} well I can pretty much guarantee you that they'll have taken place while Mercury is retrograde. See, Mercury rules communication - so when he's going backwards, well, strange things are afoot at the Circle K {see, I'll even thrown in an obscure Bill and Ted's reference - random}

So, if you've been feeling misunderstand, misrepresented and just plain misheard - come and stand in line behind me. If an argument starts brewing, bite your tongue and run in the opposite direction. And don't worry - it's nearly over. Phew.

take my breath away

Guys, seriously, I'm going to need to be hooked up to an oxygen tank soon - there are only so many breathtaking moments a gal can take...

I just love how these Valentino beauties look like you've stepped into a bridal bouquet - honestly, what are shoes for if not to be utterly fabulous? {What's that? Protection from the elements, warmth, decorum? Pshaw.}

I'm going to take this image and hold it to my heart all day - oh hell, all week. I need me some pretty.

hand-sewn book covers

Excuse me for a second while I fan myself - have you seen the hand-sewn covers of Penguin classics? Beautiful. Just so beautiful. Three classics: Emma, Black Beauty and The Secret Garden will be released with these gorgeous limited edition covers designed by artist Jillian Tamaki. They're released in the US in fall 2011, and I plan on being first in-line, on-line to buy one. Go here to find out more.

Oh, if I owned one of these beauties I would pet it, I would love it, I would name it George {wait, that could be confusing for Emma - let's just say there'll be a lot of petting and loving...}

I would, once again, like to thank The Fug Girls for bringing such fabulousness to my attention - seriously, is there anything they can't do?

sweet, sweet sunday

Hey, how's things? Grey? Drizzly? Sunny? Oh, I'm hoping you've got a sunny. It's very odd here - grey out the front and blue out the back. But I can't complain as I'm keen to get in and get the house in a bit of order - it's scaring me at the moment.

We're dropping the gal off for a few days at her grandparents' later this afternoon. She loves her holidays with her Nana and Pa. There's baking, pottering, playing cards and just generally reveling in their company. Gotta love that.

Enjoy your weekend x

flowers for friday

Some days you need more than just a bunch of flowers - you need a spread like this! How's this for an Easter table? I found it over at Martha and it's so pretty it's almost distracting me from a to-do list that's about 7km long. Almost.

Luckily my gal had a sleepover at our friends' last night, so she's entertained for the day. Leaving me to knuckle down and get onto it. And get onto it I shall.

a right royal wedding party

The only thing that gets me more excited than a party - is a theme party. Seriously, I LOVE THEM. So, imagine, if you will, the level of my excitedness when I received an invitation to a Royal Freakin' Wedding Party {um, the actual invitation may have left out the 'freakin' part}

So yes, there will be Pin The Ring on the Bride {not, the groom!}, and champagne glasses will be decorated with wee lil Kate and Wills teabag toppers, and yes, I make take along some treats inspired by the Hilton Park Lane Podium Restaurant Royal Wedding Sapphire Tea. How could you not?

Now, as you all know, I do like to match my nails to my drinks - or, more accurately, I like to contrast my nails with my drinks. Should I be drinking rosé then chances are that I'll be sporting pink nails. With champagne I like a rich Chanel red. Well, hello Kate and Wills nail decals - you are somewhat hilarious.

Dare I?

mais oui

I've been starting to get excited about our upcoming holiday - it's really coming upon us quickly. So can you imagine my excitement when I spied these two photos in my in-box this morning? It's the Mas, or farmhouse, that we're staying in for a week in Provence. I know - shut UP! Picture perfect non?