Going Back to Cali...

I stayed up late to watch the Emmy’s last night - I’m a sucker for award shows.  I love the dresses, the cheesy interviews on the red carpet and those often ridiculous opening dance routines. Watching the show (or at least the opening segment) made me a bit nostalgic for my LA days which now seem like such a distant memory…

Say what you will about LA (the smog, the botox, the In & Out burgers) but boy oh boy did I have fun when I lived on the West Coast. I still tear up every time I hear “Going Back to Cali’ by Notorious B.I.G (I joke, I joke).  Anyway those days are now over and the fact that I actually stayed up past midnight to finish watching the show meant that I dragged myself through the day, barely able to keep my eyes open, surviving only on caffeine.  I'm calling it an early night - off to bed, california dreaming...

La Vie En Rose

Last night I watched Amelie (again).   After watching the movie I concluded (again) that I not only wanted to learn French (it's been on my list for awhile, thanks Casie for the reminder) but that I want to be French.  Perhaps if I drink as much red wine as possible and listen non-stop to Edith Piaf I will somehow morph myself into an effortlessly chic French woman.  Doing this would allow me to be stylish at all times, wear a scarf without looking like I'm strangling myself and be a great excuse to toss out all of my cotton undies and replace them with luxurious, lacy undergarments. 

If I was French I would automatically age gracefully and walk around with fresh baguettes but more importantly I would be able to eat one teeny, tiny bite of decadent desserts and say "no more for me, thank you, I'm full".   Well, a girl can dream...

I Wanna Dance With Somebody...

Well...my weekend didn't go exactly to plan.  

Sometime on Saturday morning I took my plan and threw it out the window.   I'm not sure if it was the stack of dishes waiting to be washed or the intimidating pile of fabric that was waiting to be sewn but for some reason I lost all motivation to be productive this weekend.  Since we had no plans or obligations I embraced this freedom and ran with it. So what did I do instead, you ask?  Well I met up with some girlfriends, laughed loudly, drank too much champagne and danced to Whitney Houston (how could anyone resist?)

I continued my unproductive streak on Sunday by happily leaving the house a mess and going to cheer on some friends as they played soccer.  The rest of the day was spent soaking up the sun, reading books and taking in this amazing view of Sydney Harbour.  So yes, as I write this the dishes are still in the sink, the apartment is still a mess and I'm feeling a bit guilty about not completing any of the tasks I set out to do but I've found that sometimes not crossing things off the 'to do' list can be just as enjoyable. Hope your weekend was equally as (un)productive...

Hope Your Weekend is Off To a Flying Start...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - capturing a moment. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Inspired by SouleMama

The Book on the Shelf

Today was one of those days.   From things on my mind, to issues at work I just had a crappy day all around.  Sometimes those days are needed to make you appreciate the really, really good ones.  I'm sitting here now, listening to She&Him, and the pity party is over, the issues will all work out, as they always do.  There is a book on my shelf, given to me by my aunt years ago, and although the cover is worn and the pages torn, it remains a favorite.  Such a simple concept, just a list of 14,000 things to make you happy - how brilliant is that?  So regardless of what happened during your day, all you have to do is flip through the pages and you'll find a little reminder that happiness comes in all forms...

Needle & Thread

This weekend I plan to create some craft chaos.  To help keep my motivation moving in the right direction I thought I'd post some of my recent craft adventures...

It's amazing what you can do with a bolt of fabric from Ikea or some scraps from Spotlight.  The quilt has kept us warm all winter while the throw pillows gave new life to our living room.  The baby bibs also made perfect shower gifts - just don't look too closely at my stitching!

Party of Four

It's been ages seen we've seen J's parents - even though they live close by - so it was nice to have them over for dinner the other night and catch up.  I love to cook and although I'm not a fantastic chef I do have a slight addiction to cookbooks.  Even if I never make one recipe from those books I enjoy going through pages and pages, drooling over the photos and trying to find that perfect recipe.   We decided on something simple  - gourmet pizzas with homemade dough.   J's pizza stole the spotlight - prawns marinated in pesto, wrapped in prosciutto, with a cream base and topped with lemon - yum... 

The night wouldn't be complete without dessert so after seeing this recipe posted on the Rummey Bears blog, I knew I had to try it.  I baked the cake the night before so this photo doesn't do it justice (I'm adding 'food photography' to my list of list of things to learn, so bear with me).  It was gooey, dense and delicious and yes, I even snuck a few more bites after everyone had left! We had a great night although it made me miss my own family a bit, how nice would it be to have them over to our place and cook up a big feast?  Soon...

Running Down a Dream...

There is a scene in the movie 'Run, Fat Boy, Run' where Simon Pegg decides to run a marathon and during the first day of training, does a full 5 seconds of stretching before running down the street, turns around and then heads home.   That pretty much sums up my workout today.   Don't get me wrong, I had good intentions and plan to remain committed to my new exercise routine but today my heart was only half in it.  Perhaps the last six months of over indulging in warm winter goodies and a few too many glasses of wine played a part?  

Whatever the reason, summer is on its way and it's about time I come out of my winter coma and begin to embrace being active (and yes by 'active' I mean saying goodbye to Don Draper, leaving the couch and going outside).   Years back I used to be an avid runner, but it has been a while, so let's hope my body doesn't go into full shock tomorrow when I lace up the sneakers, hit the pavement and give it another go...

Sleepy Sunday...

How great are Sunday mornings?  I use the term 'morning' very loosely considering I didn't actually get out of bed until half past ten.  I admit it, I love to sleep in.  I didn't always used to be this way and with my gym schedule kicking off tomorrow morning, I don't think I'll be doing it much longer but boy oh boy do I love a good Sunday morning sleep in.  What made today even more special was that a little package arrived recently from my lovely parents that contained two enormous bags of Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla coffee.   

Now as a Boston girl there isn't anything that conjures up memories of summer than re-creating an iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts and yes I'm fully aware that most Australian recoil in horror as I talk about drip coffee in such high regard.  I admit that coffee here is far superior but as I sipped my french vanilla brew (skipping the ice for now) and read a few chapters of 'Cold Mountain' I couldn't think of a better way to pass my Sunday.  After countless cups of jo I was buzzing with energy and did a full spring clean of our place, much needed after our holiday, and flipped through some old issues of Real Living.  Am I the only one that hoards old copies of magazines and never tires of looking back through them?  Anyway as I sit here and type I'm finally catching a glimpse of 'Alice In Wonderland' and devouring this recipe from the amazing blog, What Katie Ate.  Hope your Sunday was just as wonderful...

Ms. Crafter Disaster

In an attempt to channel my inner Martha Stewart I have treated myself to a brand spanking new sewing machine - behold the Bernina 380. When replacing my old machine what I was actually looking for was a machine that would buy my fabric for me, sew it together and wrap it up all pretty without requiring me to actually do anything.   You see, despite my attempts to piece together craft projects, I really am an impatient person and normally end up yelling obscenities at my machine in frustration. 

Luckily for me, I was able to meet up this weekend with my lovely (and very patient) friend, Alexia, who is helping me put together a simple dress.  This will be the second time I've attempted to sew a real piece of clothing (the first attempt remains unfinished in the back of my closet).  So I've included a little sneak peek here and will post my progress in the coming weeks. Here's to happy sewing ahead...

Pennyroyal Retreat

Never a morning person, I suddenly found myself up at 7am, standing in front of the fire (J was already up and had made the coffee and got the fire going -am i lucky gal or what?)  Bursting with energy we cooked up a massive feast (is there anything better than an Aussie breakfast?) which we had while looking at all the animals grazing below. With the rain still coming down we decided to explore the area of Dean's Marsh and see what the coast looked like a bit further north.  The sun decided to come out and for a brief time we actually enjoyed blue skies which made our trip to Teddy's Lookout and Erskine Falls all the more beautiful.  To round off any true Australian adventure we also encountered a big ole kangaroo grazing on our walking path.  Once back at the cottage we put on the gumboots, splashed around in the mud and went to see some of the animals that roam the farm.  

Tired from our full day we cracked some beers and curled up on the couch to watch a few movies by the fire.  The next morning as we slowly packed up, that horrible feeling set in that happens to me every time I have to go home after a holiday.  I stood and tried to soak up the views and take in that feeling of complete relaxation and hopefully carry it with me all the way back to Sydney.  After a drive back to Melbourne and a short flight home, we found ourselves sitting on our couch looking through our trip photos.  As we cooked up our traditional 'go to' menu of pesto tortellini, we sat back, enjoyed one last bottle of Yarra wine and relived memories from the past few days...

Apollo Bay & Lorne

The next morning, I hesitated as I opened the curtains hoping to see some morning sun, instead we were greeted again by cloudy skies and the promise of rain.  Our spirits would not be dampened so we hit the road early, stopping by to see the Twelve Apostles again, this time we were the only ones there to enjoy the early morning air and smooth seas.  Over the next few hours I could feel myself slipping even further into holiday mode.  The road weaved in and out of the national forests, up and down long stretches of country road before spitting us out onto stunning views of Apollo Bay just as the sun broke through.   We admired the coast and pulled over every chance we could to try and take a photo that would capture the true beauty before us.  

As we pulled into the resort town of Lorne we were ready for some relaxation - it was time to leave the driving behind us and enjoy the rest of our stay.  After a cold beer and some fish and chips by the sea we drove a bit further inland to our final destination - the tiny town of Pennyroyal.  Deep in the country, we found ourselves on a farm, in a little cottage with amazing views.   Once the fire was going we wrapped ourselves in blankets and ventured out on the deck to take in the valley views below.   With no internet, phone reception or neighbors to be found it was the most relaxed I've felt in ages...

The Great Ocean Road

Continuing on our road trip, the next day was mostly spent in the car heading towards the coast.  The rain held off and after getting away from the city, the scenery changed and we found ourselves alone on beautiful country roads, littered with dairy cows and ever changing scenery.   As we got closer to the coast the skies finally opened up and for a while we doubted if we'd be able to even see the famed Twelve Apostles due to the dense fog. 

Luckily for us, by the time we finally viewed the ocean the storm had passed and we stepped out of the car, ready to take some happy snaps.  We weren't the only ones.  At the lookout posts and viewing centers, there seemed to me bus loads of tourists all milling about and this was winter - I can't imagine the crowds in the summer time!  Anyway we layered up and brazed the cold and crowds to check out the dramatic coast line and see the stunning Twelve Apostles, which are actually now only seven.  We also took a stroll around Lock Ard Gorge and happily indulged in some fresh air and infamous jump shots.  Ready to settle down we headed to Port Campbell where we put our feet up and made it an early night - tomorrow is going to be another long day...

Yarra Valley

 
I love everything about wine regions - the rolling hills covered in sunshine and different vineyards around every corner, the chance to taste all sorts of wine (for free), the fact that after a few glasses of local vino I start to actually believe that I know something about wine.  I suddenly can hear myself say 'why, yes I do taste a hint of blackberry' or 'chardonnay is this year's shiraz'.   It's as if I've stepped out of the movie 'Sideways' and quite honestly I love it.  I've been wine tasting with my parents in Santa Barbara, my friend Kristin and I toured Sonoma and in Sydney a trip to the Hunter Valley is high on my list of favourite places, so when J and I decided to visit the Yarra Valley after our stay in Melbourne I was as excited as can be. The Yarra Valley didn't disapoint.  Okay, so the weather wasn't perfect but the cold mist that hung in the air actually made it more romantic and we found ourselves falling in love with the area.  

We stayed in Healesville and strolled the streets and explored a few local op shops before settling in at the local Healesville Hotel.  It was the low season so we found ourselves the only people in the pub so we pulled up a few chairs up by the fire and chatted up Andy, the friendly bartender.  Over a few glasses of wine and local beer (J's new favorite) we got the full scoop about the area and made a mental note to come back again in the spring.
  

Later we headed to our little cottage and spent the night by the fire and polishing off the last drops of the Rochford pinot...

Melbourne Madness...

Now that I'm back in Sydney, memories of our little getaway to Victoria seem like a distant blur.  Although the time went by too quickly it was a an amazing trip that allowed me to visit some even more amazing scenery.  The first week I was camped out at the South Wharf Hilton, taking advantage of the impressive pillow menu and complimentary lavender heat packs.  Each night, after a long day at work, I'd submerge myself in the bath and drag myself into what has to be the most comfortable bed ever.  

Mid-week J flew down to stay with me and together we explored the laneways of Melbourne until finally work was over and we could begin our road trip.   The next four days we were road trip warriors, covering countless kilometers and happily playing tourists.  I'll post some more photos and details soon...

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

I'm off to Melbourne for two weeks...

For the most of the time I'll be running around for work here as we finish up our biggest event of the year but after J and I are off on a road trip.  Looking forward to hitting the road, wineries and exploring some rugged coast just the two of us...

Christmas in July

This weekend we feasted, plain and simple. It was French on Friday as we headed with a group of friends to Chez Maurice et Linda in Balgowlah.  The wine flowed freely and the escargot and beef wellington were amazing - guess the wine flowed a bit too freely since the next morning got off to a slow start.  Despite a lazy Saturday it was nice to relax and catch up on the new episode of Mad Men and yes my crush on Don Draper is in full effect.   On Sunday we headed over to Erskinville and were treated to a beautiful Christmas in July dinner courtesy of Mel and Greg.  I'm one of those people that could listen to Christmas carols year round, much to the dismay of those around me, so imagine my sheer delight when I got to listen to holiday favorites.  After polishing off the Christmas pudding and the last few drops of mulled wine we dragged ourselves home and off to bed, while dreams of sugar plums danced in our heads...