Almost Christmas

Can't believe we're almost here,just a few days to go before Christmas.The lunch hour goes by so quickly because it takes forever to get back to work,working your way through the crowds,there's a queue wherever you go.I figured it would be quiter after work so I finished my Christmas shopping last night.

The tree above is the huge Christmas tree in the QVB.It's decorated with Swarovski crystal ornaments and spans 3 levels,must take forever to build and decorate.

I received my first Christmas gift in the mail yesterday,some lovely stationery from Heidi.And how cute is this lace tape on a package i received recently.

Sadly i don't get any time off apart from the public holidays,the business doesn't close down and someone has to be here to do some work.It's overcast and raining most days so I don't think I'm missing out on much,may plan a little getaway in January or Febuary.

I'm going to take it slow and chill out on my days off,lie in bed or hopefully out in the sunshine and read,or maybe a trip to the movies,I really want to see 2 days in Paris.

I will most probably take a little blogging break,need some time away from the computer,and nye is my 1 year blogging anniversary.

My Christmas wishlist

A list of a few things i would really love to get this Christmas.
*I want to get a desk for my room and the Louis Ghost Chair by Phillipe Stark would go so well.
*A Dibbern teapot in burgundy to match the sugar bowl and creamer I found on sale recently.
*A Marimekko toiletries bag i missed out on getting from Funkis a few months ago,the item has now shown up on Reprodepot but shipping costs more than the actual product!
*The Bathers Pavilion Cookbook-i was impressed by the food there and am eager to try some more difficult recipes next year.
*Cheese Slices by Will Studd,i love cheese and loved watching the series on The Lifestyle Channel and now all has been published in this great book.
*And i forgot to add,a sewing machine so i can start sewing,one of my new years resolutions is to learn properly.

Playing Hrd To Get

It looks like playing hard to get works in other ways.2 years ago I subscribed to some magazines as they had a great deal of 2 years for the price of 1.My subscription is about to end and I recently received a letter from the publishers asking If I'd like to renew,the deals this time are not that great and I probably don't really need these magazines so I did not reply or log in online to renew.This week I received another reminder with an even better price plus 2 extra copies for free.

The Silly Season

Or it should be called the ridiculous season.It takes forever to get anywhere or get anything done at lunchtime,it doesn't help that i work just above the main shopping mall.And you can't find a decent spot in a city bar,every day there are numerous Christmas parties being held and they are taking up all available spots.

I replaced the decorations in my room with a Christmas tree garland,I like this one much better and bought some Merry Christmas tags on Etsy.On the weekend i made some Coconut cookies in the shape of trees and stars.The recipe if from the Australian Womens Weekly Cookies book and the icing on top is made up of eggwhites,sugar and dessicated coconut.Someone at work asked for the recipe but i guaranteed them they wouldn't want to try them,it was very time consuming.

Getting into the holiday spirit

Starting to get into the holiday spirit,now it really feels that Christmas is just around the corner,work is slowing down,parties to attend,the shops are full,and I'm still decorating,the total opposite to last year when i had everything organised and bought by the first week of December.

As it was quiet at work last week i spent an afternoon at my desk tracing and cutting up trees to put up and some more etsy goods arrived like the Christmas tags which I will also put up and I found some red and white bakers twine in Sydney,can't believe something so simple can excite me so much.
Off to start baking some cookies now.

A lifetime's worth of twine

A good mail day

Receiving anything besides bills in the mail when i get home makes me very happy.I received 3 packages from overseas in one day.Some etsy goods (I am no longer on a ban,besides they were cheap things) and my package for Seasonal Exchange from Germany.And how great are these drinking girls coasters,I absoloutely love it.I received one in my swap package.I have found the seller on Etsy and am going to order some more.

I managed to put up some decorations in my room on Sunday night,1 day late but oh well i was still busy completing things On Saturday night with High School Musical on in the background(how sad).

I had kept some templates of ornaments from a magazine as well as some ideas from an issue of Real Simple and Donn Hay and then realised I had destroyed a heap of sheets from magazines when I was running out of storage,damn,they had so many great ideas as well.

I was going to paint my little tree white or silver but thought it was a little too much so decided to just leave it in its natural state.

I've now found some new templates so may add to the decorations.

No breakfast photos today,I woke up very tired,have been having too many late nights and believe it or not I was actually craving some toast after all those ellaborate breakfasts.
Now that we have warmer day I haven't been using my hug mug so it's been used to store things at the moment.I will most probably be using this blue and white turquoise ribbon on my Chritmas decorations which I'm hoping to complete this weekend,I have fallen behind as I've had a few nights out after work this week and just want to sleep when i get home.
Hoping for some lovely weather this weekend to enjoy the markets.

Thursday breakfast

Coconut pancakes with passionfruit syrup and banana

I woke up this morning and thought,what was I thinking with this idea to make pancakes on a weekday morning,but since I came up with this challenge for myself,I knew I had to complete it.


I made a large batch to be able to freeze some and enjoy on the weekend.Pancakes are definitely something that should be made on the weekends when you can have a lazy late breakfast.I didn't have any coconut milk so just added some extra shredded coconut and used buttermilk instead and they still had an amazing but subtle coconut taste.And the passionfruit syrup goes so well together with the coconut

Wednesday Breakfast

This morning i realised i was missing some key ingredients for a special breakfast so decided to have muesli with mashed raspberries and yoghurt.It tasted much better than what it looks.

Tuesday breakfast

Even though i didn't sleep well,I managed to wake up early enough to enjoy breakfast.Today it was mushrooms on toast.Must use more parsley next time,it all wilted away.

Enjoying breakfast

The past week i was getting bored with the same breakfast every day that some days i wouldn't bother and just get something on the way to work.
This week I've set up a challenge for myself to get up early and sit down and enjoy a lovely breakfast.I knew i would get lots of great ideas from Bill Granger ,the king of breakfasts and had a look through his cookbooks.
Today i didn't go to work so was able to prepare at a leisurely pace and decided to make some sweetcorn cakes with avocado salsa.

A productive weekend

As i gathered my shopping list on Saturday morning i realised I had not done a proper grocery shop in 2 weeks.I had become too lazy and was eating out most of the time to bother with cooking.Before going out i did get the voting for the Federal election out of the way,I'm the type of person who just walks in and looks straight ahead and doesn't pick up any pamphlets.Saturday night i made lamb with eggplant and tzatzkiki,always a good combination.Pretty much lied in front of the tv reading with the election coverage on in the background,I really don't get what was so great and less boring about the Channel 7 coverage that they were going on about.My vote goes to Ray and Kerry O'brien,superb job.

Selecting a colour scheme and patterns

I felt like i was 6 again cutting out shapes,it's quite therapeutic

I did manage to start with my Christmas decorating,not the actual decorating but making some paper ornaments,I hate the overload of the cliche green and red look this time of year so my colour theme is blue and green with a hint of silver.I was ready to keep going but didn't buy enough of a certain paper so will have to continue during the week,at least it gives me something to after work besides colapse in front of the tv.

I finally got around to changing quilt covers and changing from a winter duck down quilt to my light cotton one for summer,this is one job i really hate,inserting the doona inside the quilt cover and because i made a mistake and the quilt cover is showing on the wrong side i will have to redo it,really not looking forward to it.Also have to buy some pillow inserts for some new blue morrocan style print cushions I'm using.

Blueberry and almond tarts

Later this afternoon i made some blueberry and almond tarts that were featured in this week's Good Living section of the paper.I used the Careme Pastry i had seen on Julia's blog.Because it was a hot afternoon the pastry was not behaving so i rolled the pastry into a few balls and left them in the freezer for a bit and then push the pastry on to the tart cases like Lisa had shown me once.
Just watched The Royal Tenanbaums on dvd,not a huge fan of Gwyneth Paltrow but i loved her in this as Margo,the outfits and the whole look with the dead straight hair and kohl eyes.
It's sticky humid at the moment,about to go have a shower and pop into bed and read before going to sleep early.
Have to be up early tomorrow to start my new challenge for the week,more about that tomorrow.

The $8 pastry

In bloom

Our garden is full of hydrangea at the moment so i took the opportunity to add some to my new turquoise vase on my bedside table.Hopefully the flowers will now help me get some decent sleep which i have been lacking this past week.I've woken up still half asleep and in a very bad mood until i get to work and consume some coffee.
I am in desperate need of a holiday but cannot get any annual leave until February next year,maybe I could plan a late summer getaway once school holidays are over.
I've decided to try and make some handmade ornaments for Christmas,hopefully it all works out,if no pictures emerge,it means i have failed.But I am looking forward to decorating my room and desk at work for Christmas,hoping to start planning next week in anticipation of December 1st.I was also thinking of setting up a challenge for myself,with all the holiday baking ideas i thought of a 12 days of Christmas baking but I don't want to induce a heart attack on anyone before Christmas,will definitely make a few sweet treats.
Can't wait for tomorrow afternoon to arrive to start enjoying the weekend.I am having a very quiet weekend,voting in the Federal election on Saturday morning,watching dvds,attempting my holiday crafts and maybe a trip to Zumbo after grocery shopping in Rozelle.

I love Sydney

Love this time of year enjoying a few drinks out in a bar and so close to the harbour.Met up with a friend to finally try yum cha at Zilver,the trolley ladies were soooo aggressive,like we've never seen before,but all was forgiven when we had some amazing mango pancakes and it was a nice touch to have someone come around and ask if we would like to order some duck panakes.
Enjoyed the sunshine outside at Opera Bar with a refreshing cocktail and several bottles of champagne then ended the night in a bar in Darlinghurst.

A good view to have while drinking

The finale to our degustation dinner

Saturday evening a bunch of young women gathered to celebrate my friend's Hens night.We started the night early at ECQ bar in Circular Quay with a cocktail and a few glasses of champagne.Being daylight savings,it was lovely having an amazing view over to the Harbour Bridge with the sun streaming into the bar through the open windows.The ship that's in the photo later left so we got an even better view.

We got cabs over to Bistro Lilly which is on the ground floor of the Observatory apartment tower next to the Harbour Bridge.Luckily for the other diners,they seated us in a private dining area away from other diners.The plan was to have the 5 course degustation menu with matching wines,we were all impressed that they were full glasses for each course,many other restaurants only serve you half a glass or it's one glass for every 2 courses.The waiter would give us a brief description of the next course but unfortunately didn't tell us the venison was cold and we would whisper to the person next to us "Is your venison cold?"The standout of the meal was dessert described as Yukatan Chocolate Pudding with Stracciatella and drunken chocolate sauce.

The rest of a night we stayed in a great room in the Quay Grand Hotel,we kicked off our heels and talked all night while enjoying the view,drinking more champagne and having some late night snacks.Finally made it home at 4am,i cannot remember the last time i had such a late night and i definitely felt it the next day.

I've had to put myself on an Etsy ban for this month,went on a bit of a spree last month and the budget will be very tight for the next fortnight with hens night,wedding costs(and I'm not even the one getting married) the amount you can spend all adds up,new accessories,hairdresser appointments,travel costs,wedding gift and so on.The necklace above was my last purchase and I will probably wear it to the wedding next week,I can't wait,i officially got all excited the other day when i tried on my dress and new shoes.
Off to my friend's hens night tonight,it will be massive and I'm sure all i can handle tomorrow is recovering and relaxing with a dvd or getting into the big stack of magazines I have.
It's good to see the sun out this morning,it has been overcast,cold and raining all week,good to see spring back.

Leaf Chair

This chair would be perfect out in a garden or courtyard for summer or the lounge chair to sit back and read under a big tree.From Italian furniture company Arper.

Zucchini and feta fritters

There's nothing ground breaking about this meal but it was probably the first time I've actually cooked a meal in weeks.I've loved fritters ever since the first time i tried the corn fritters at Bills,and have looked for them at other cafes along the way.It's very disappointing though when you're served fritters with too much dough,you need to get the ingredients to dough ratio right.
These are so easy and are great for any time of the day.

Zucchini and feta fritters from Delicious magazine
Serves 4(makes 12 fritters)

600g zucchini (about 4),coarsely grated
1 small onion,grated
1 garlic clove,grated
100g feta
2 eggs
2tbs each chopped fresh parsley and mint
1/3 cup(50g) plain flour
30g rice flour
1 tsp sumac
2-3 tbs olive oil

Place zucchini in a colander or sieve and squeeze out excess water.
Combine zucchini,onion,feta,eggs,herbs and a pinch of salt in a bowl.Add flours and sumac,then mix with a spoon.
Heat oil in a non stick frypan over medium to high heat.Add 4 heaped tablespoonfuls of mixture to the pan and flatten slightly.Cook for 1-2 minutes each side until golden and heated through.Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve with salad.

Lilac

Footpaths,driveways and gardens all over Sydney are littered with an amazing shade of lilac from the jacaranda trees in bloom.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Received a lovely bunch of dark pink roses last night when i met up with friends for drinks at Gazebo Wine Garden in Elizabeth Bay.Lovely food and a continuous flow of champagne,what more could you need.Was a pretty early night which shows that i'm getting old but i did have to look half decent this morning for my appointment at the hairdresser,was in desperate need of a cut.

The Goddess Guide by Gisele Scanlon

I received this book last Christmas and have only just got around to reading it,i had flipped through it many times(I'm a major book and magazine flipper).I absolutely love this book,tips on everything from travelling,beauty and guides to her favourite stores in London,New York and Paris.The author,Gisele Scanlon,is a Dublin based writer who writes about fashion,beauty and travel and likes to collect all bits of information.Adding to the appeal of this book are the gorgeous illustrations and ciollages by the author herself,what a talented lady.And to top it off the cover of the book is covered in a beautiful black flocked print.

Making Granola

On Saturday afternoon before leaving for my friend's place i made granola from this recipe and placed it all in a jar as a housewarming/hostess gift,i think it's the first gift i've given for a dinner party apart from the wine i take to drink.Lucky for me there was extra so i tipped the rest in a jar for myself.The next morning after dinner we all had a bowl of granola(i keep calling it museli actually) everyone seemed to like it,or at least they were kind enough to say it,i personally found it a touch too sweet,will have to put less maple syrup next time.

The nut mixture that i added was sunflower seeds,pecans,pistachios,flaked almonds and shredded coconut.

Dining by candlelight

A fairy birthday party

She's walking!

So daylight savings has begun and with that starts that time of year where it is stinking hot as soon as you wake up in the morning,especially in my bedroom where the sun brightly streams in.I've started wearing a hat every morning for the 15 minute walk up to the train station.It's not even summer yet but the sun is so strong, but at least there's more daylight to enjoy after work.

On Saturday night a friend hosted a lovely dinner party at her fairly new apartment,which is looking even better now with some floorboards.Dinner was fantastic,you would not have know this was her first time hosting a dinner party.We knew it would be a big night and there would be quite a lot of drinking so most of us stayed the night,i probably only managed about 4 hours sleep as i kept waking up every hour which i usual;ly do when not sleeping in my own bed.

On Sunday afternoon we celebrated my niece's 1st birthday with presents and cake at my sister's house.Only a week ago my niece was just taking 1 or 2 steps before collapsing and now she is running around everywhere,she's officially trouble.

Splurge and Steal

My new Sonia Rykiel shoes

Some cheapies for summer,they look yellow but are actually mustard colour

I wonder if anyone else likes seeing these comparisons in magazines,when they show 2 items,one is blow the budget fantastic and then a similar item at budget prices.Well they're not the same item but after splurging on a fabulous pair of shoes at the Cosmo shoe sale earlier in the week,i decided to buy myself a cheap fun pair of sandals for summer just for fun.
We didn't stop drinking champagne all night while we made several rounds of the store,You see when you're faced with so many shoes,you forget which ones you liked and where you last sw them.Probably because of some hideous recent trends,the shoes that were already reduced were much nicer than the new stock which was good for us.
After we had decided what to buy we stuck around for more free champagne and my friend showed her great skills in convincing random people they really did needed those shoes they were contemplating.
I was a little shocked to see a lady walking around with a raincoat for her Birkin so the rain wouldn't ruin the leather,only in Double Bay,darling!
We continued our drinking down at The Sheaf until just before 11pm and i felt very seedy when i saw a work colleague in the city on my way home so late at night,we had a little laugh when we saw each other the next morning,i think I've only just gotten the hangover and last night i was at home by 7:30pm which is very early for a Friday night.

I have a busy weekend ahead of me,off to do some shopping,making something for a friend's housewarming dinner tonight(she only bought the place 1 year ago but there have been renovations).Then tomorrow celebrating my niece's 1st birthday.

Edit:Forgot to add that during the week I had yum cha with work colleagues at Palace Chinese which this year won best yum cha at The Good Food Guide Awards.The dumplings and duck were great but my favourite mango pancakes were very disappointing,they lacked flavour as the mango pieces were not ripe at all.And some of the trolley ladies started speaking chinese to my colleagues which i thought was rude to exclude me,as they are Asian but not even they knew what the ladies were saying.Nothing can top Sky Phoenix for yum cha but hoping to try out Zilver soon.

Who,what,when,where

I don't have anything to blog about at the moment so here's a list with a bit of everything,what i love,hate or looking forward to.

I love walking through The Strand Arcade(pictured above) at lunchtime,so many cool boutiques in this beautiful elaborate arcade.I love looking at the windows of the antique stores and sometimes treating myself to a milk chcolate frog from Haighs Chocolates.

Looking forward to a friend's wedding at Bathers Pavillion.It's going to be amazing.

And staying here for the night.

Being invited to the VIP sale shopping night at Cosmopolitan shoes this week and they serve free Moet rose and canapes. Cannot wait to meet my new shoes,what shall i get?Manolos,Choos, or a little Miu Miu?

My new Sheridan 400 thread count cool sheets,they're white,crisp and i thought it would be a gimmick but they really do feel so cool against your skin,perfect for summer.

Selecting things to include in the Seasonal Exchange swap,and because there are many more people from the Northern Hemmisphere participating they needed some people from the Southern Hemmisphere to double up and send out 2 packages which means I will get 2 back.Yipee!

Having a fun night out to celebrate my birthday.

Waiting for etsy goods to arrive in the mail.

These designs being available on Moo hopefully soon for Christmas

My weekend of nothing

Saturday morning i woke up to a massive hangover so it was straight back to bed for me.I woke up again after midday.I cannot remember that last time i slept in so late.I usually like getting up early on a Saturday,getting all of the domestics out of the way.By the time i did everything it was 3:30pm and i thought by the time i have a shower and get ready the shops will be closing,so i just stayed in bed reading all afternoon and evening.Went through 2 magazines and have nearly finished my book.
This morning i had to attend a memorial service and then it was off to my sister's place for lunch.It's stinking hot here right now and couldn't imagine going out later as planned so decided to come home and prepare champagne jelly with apples for my entry in the latest round of Sugar High Friday and wasn't happy to discover somebody had thrown out the pack of gelatin i had with the rest of my baking supplies.So here i am late on Sunday afternoon wondering where my weekend went and not looking forward to the week ahead and hoping my brother doesn't come home too late and can find some in the supermarket for me.