Goodbye Weekend

It gets a lit sad this time on Sunday evenings when the weekend is almost over and time to get ready for another work week.
Saturday morning it was time for a haircut,I really do not look forward to this,I hate waiting around for the hairdresser,they seem to always be in a rush on Saturdays but there are no other times i can go.
Yesterday was a miserable rainy day and I took the time to relax with the latest issue of Frankie magazine and a bowl of vanilla ice cream with sprinkles.
Took out my new toy,the sewing machine and learnt how to thread the machine and get started and had a few practices of sewing straight lines,it was so easy to control the fabric.
Today I met a friend for a lovely leisurely Sunday lunch at BBQ King in Chinatown.


This week I just need to get ready for my trip to Melbourne and do a little research on things to do or where to go while there.Cannot wait!

A little late

Even though I took down my Christmas decorations down on January 6,I left my little wooden tree up as I had to find a box to store all my Christmas paraphernalia,decorations,cards,recipes,ribbon and articles full of ideas,a central place I could have sitting in the corner of my wardrobe so I didn't have to try and remember where everything was come December,I may even add other cards and general wrapping accessories in there.
I had a look around different stationery stores for the perfect box,I wanted one in red since it's always associated with Christmas,the boxes at Kikki K were perfect but probably too expensive at $35 just for a box,then later that day at Officeworks,inspiration struck,I decided to buy a cardboard box used for the post and bought some pretty red patterned paper,measured all the sides and glued all the paper on,it isn't perfect but it will do,the box only cost about $2 and then a couple of extra dollars for the paper.

Akira Isogawa for Designer Rugs

Australian fashion designer Akira Isogawa is the latest designer/artist to release a range of rugs for Designer Rugs.Past designers have included the crew from Dinosaur Designs and Julie Paterson from Cloth.This one above is my favourite,and Home Beautiful have a new competition where you can win one,ok off to think of a great answer for the competition.

The weekend

*Woke up with a massive hangover and dehydrated after not eating much and drinking too much on Friday night.
*Some stationery shopping at Officeworks,I'm impressed with some of their funky designs.
*Couldn't believe the Phillipe Starck clear ghost chair i want is reduced by $100 at Kartell,i really want one,I wonder how long they're on sale until.
*Made the trek out to Spotlight but lost track of time and arrived just after closing time.Aargh!
*Bought season 1 and 2 of Will and Grace on dvd and started a mini marathon this afternoon
*Made lasagne for Sunday lunch,I've never made a traditional lasagne before,so easy and so
yummy with ricotta cheese and fresh mozzarella cheese on top.
*Enjoyed a cheese platter for one out on the veranda tonight enjoying the cool breeze showers bring after a hot day.Tried Buche D'Affinois for the first time after a friend recommended it,so worth the high price.

The card above is how I'm feeling right now,I was so touched with the lovely comments and people leaving comments on my last entry.This whole blogging thing is odd,you're happy to just do it for yourself and occasionally when you don't get any comments at all you think why am i doing this can I be bothered?
I received this thank you card recently from my recently married friend,I loved that the message inside was personal and not the usual,thanks for coming and thank you for the gift.It can be the little things that make such a difference.
Some good news this week,Last night i attended what was to be my friend's farewell before leaving for London but she is staying so last night's event ran on a different theme,such great news,love can do very funny things.

My last mail goodness for 2007 were some cute country and autumn themed stamps and Lotta Jansdotter fabric bought on Etsy.This will have to be used much later when I have experience at using the sewing machine,the fabric is too special and must be used for something amazing.

Goodbye 2007/Hello 2008

In an recent post I mentioned how I used to love buying new stationery at the beginning of a new school year.I'm no longer in school but i do still love to buy some at the start of the year,how cool are these pencils.
I don't really want to make any new years resolutions but here is a summary of highlights of 2007 and things I'd like to do or planning in 2008.

2007
*Started this blog of course
*Discovered Etsy and became addicted
*Attended 2 friends weddings,one was even on a tropical island
*Traveled to the mountains with friends
*Became addicted to apple martinis
*Had a few stomach bugs-so not fun
*Found the perfect scone recipe
*Found a lovely and kind magazine swap partner and we have kept in contact,I still love
receiving lovely packages in the mail and finding out what's happening in their world
*Had some cupping done by my physio-that was umm "interesting"
*Completed my first DIY project
*Enjoyed many lovely park lunches and other food adventures with Lisa
*Had more indulgent champagne breakfasts with friends
*Was introduced to Clover my Tasmanian Tiger
*Discovered a love of karaoke
*Attempted many new recipes
*Found the perfect dress.
*Realised I'm much stronger than I think,learnt that while having a hard time with a boss at work

2008
Travel overseas
Visit Melbourne(am now planning a trip)
Wake up early on weekdays
Read at least one book per month
Move
I haven't renewed any of my cooking magazine subscriptions to be able to use my cookbooks more
Save every month
Make a perfect pie crust
Learn to sew with my new machine
Draw
Take more photos
Post more often on this blog
Start attending the ballet again
Find a new job
Learn to knit and make a scarf this winter
Take my lunch into work more often
Spend money wisely
Eek,I'm turning 30.
Travel down the coast to another friend's wedding later this year
Attend a cake decorating course

Away

While I was gone from posting in the past 2 weeks I have
*Continued to go to work while most people are on leave,it's been very quiet and I've basically turned up to get paid

*Cleaned my room to an inch of its life,i can get very messy and then it gets to a point where i can no longer stand it and need to clean immediately

*Done lots and lots of reading of books and magazines to the point where I got bored of it

*Taken advantage of the abundance of mangoes,berries and stone fruit available this time of year

*Made raspberry semmifredo with the punnets of raspberries pictured above(unfortunately they got squashed on the way home) but the semmifredo was so yummy,so glad I used fresh ones and not frozen

*Had my first attempt at macaroons,almond with a white chocolate filling,unfortunately our food processor died a week before and packaged almond meal does not have a strong enough scent.The filling recipe was also wrong,very runny but I added whipped cream and saved the day,we devoured them all the next day at work.

*Have been avoiding the sales except for today when I found some shoes I was after at about 60% off.

*Attempted and failed at origami :(

*Had an amazing pre-Christmas dinner at Fix St James

*Watched 2 Days in Paris,if you loved Julie Delpy's other movies then you will enjoy this one as well.

*Bought myself a sewing machine,it's still in the box,just waiting for a spare weekend to be able to sit down and go through the manual and dvd.

*Am now planning a trip to Melbourne in late January,cannot wait to return,it has been over 8 years since i last visited.

Happy New Year!

Starting a new near is like the days when you used to go stationery shopping before school,time to get all the new things out.
And today I've taken out my new letterpress calendar,now i just need to find a new date planner or diary to have in my bag everyday.


There's only one way to celebrate after a big night out and that's relaxing before it's time to go back to work tomorrow.The warmer weather has recently returned here in Sydney and it was lovely to be able to lie down outside today in the shade with a book and ipod.
There's a bit of a Moroccan look going on here.

New Years Eve

My glow stick bracelets

A beautiful sunset to begin our evening with

Had an amazing time last night celebrating on Sydney Harbour the end of 2007.This was the first time I had experienced the amazing fireworks display right on the harbour.We all met at Mosman Bay to board our catamaran and the captain went looking for a spot amongst the other cruisers and yachts.We found a great spot looking straight ahead towards the Harbour Bridge.
This year's theme was "Time of our lives" with an interactive Hourglass illuminated in the centre of the bridge.
Being right amongst it was amazing and you felt the vibration of the fireworks above you right through your body,and they were so loud,had such an amazing night and it was a great way to leave 2007.

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.