Trick or Treat...

Although Halloween isn't a huge deal here in Australia, I still felt it was my American duty to post this photo of my sisters and I all dressed up for Halloween a million years ago.  Let's not discuss my lack of teeth or how crazed I look (or my grandfather for that matter!) but I still love the idea of getting dressed up, running around the neighborhood and eating candy in large doses.  So where ever you happen to be in the world make sure you eat a little extra chocolate this weekend.  Happy Halloween...

Thirsty Thursday...

Just a reminder that if you live in Sydney and feel like being social, come on down to the first Sydney ABCD meetup.  Feel free to bring a little something for the goodie bags or just bring yourself!  Hope to see you there...

Here are the details:

Event: Sydney ABCD Meetup Spring 2010
Date: Thursday 28th October, 2010
Time: 7pm - 9pm
Venue: The 3 Weeds Hotel (the lounge), 197 Evans St, Rozelle, NSW

House Tour...

I'm walking around the empty apartment singing the Crosby, Stills Nash & Young song "Our House" and getting strangely sentimental about leaving.  I'll miss this place and the fun we've had here.  I don't want to let go of the keys, I'm not ready to close the door so I'm doing one last post with pictures of our little apartment.  Please forgive the stretched images...

British Invasion...

Despite the damp and rainy weather, my weekend was brightened when a little package arrived in the post. A few weeks ago I mentioned that I had sent Nell, who lives in England, a copy of the Australian magazine, Frankie.  I love reading Nell's blog - On The First Day of Marriage - and we've become quite good blog friends over the past few months. She had hinted that she made a little gift for me and was shipping it across the ocean so I was pretty excited to see what goodies it held. 

I first unwrapped the most delicious fudge but devoured it before I could even snap a photo. Then inside her pretty little package was the most adorable pint size purse - knitted in stripes with a little nautical gold button. It is the perfect size to hold all my spare coins and I have a feeling she'll be knitting non-stop when requests come in for more - they'd make perfect Christmas gifts!  So I'm sending a huge thank you to the very talented, very crafty Nell - now my only question is when are you coming to Australia so you can teach me how to knit?

Raindrops Keep Falling...

 

Sydney couldn't make up its mind about the weather this weekend but gave us all a great excuse to relax. Saturday we woke up to beautiful blue skies and after J went for a quick surf we decided to take further advantage of the warm weather and head to the beach. It was the perfect afternoon spent reading books, laying in the sun and going for a swim but wasn't long before the clouds rolled in and the thunderstorms began.  

On Sunday the rain continued and I decided it was the perfect day for a movie.  I met up with my new friend Julie, who just happens to be from Boston and feels like an old friend already - it's nice when that happens and you meet someone new and things just fall into step without any effort. In true Boston fashion we went to see 'The Town' and it made me miss home - thick Boston accents and all. As I type this post the rain is still falling but I feel relaxed and ready for the week ahead. I've got the last episode of Mad Men to watch, J is cooking up lamb shanks in the kitchen and he has just poured me a glass of red wine - if only the weekend was three days instead of two...

*I can't take credit for the photo of J surfing since I was soundly sleeping. Photo is courtesy of this website.

The Big 3-0

Turning 30 is a big deal. Some love it and others hate it. I loved turning 30. I loved the idea of stepping into a new chapter and saying goodbye to the old me. It was a chance to learn about myself and I had all these crazy ideas that turning 30 meant you were given the key to some sophisticated, confident, successful bubble. In the end turning 30 made me realise that age is just a number and now is a better time than ever to embrace change, challenge yourself and live in the present.

Today (technically tomorrow in the US) is my middle sister's 30th birthday - happy birthday Mel! You have grown into such an amazing person and I am so proud of you. I wish you a year full of happiness, a year of positive changes, the chance to travel, laugh, love and seize every moment and opportunity that comes your way.  Since I can't be there to celebrate with you I might just be forced to pop open a bottle of champagne in your honour! xo

Moving On Out...

We're moving.

Yes, after two years in our little nest we are packing up and moving onto the next adventure. Since we don't know exactly what this next adventure is, we've decided to move back in with - brace yourself - the in-laws!  

I know what you're thinking. The very thought makes most people recoil in horror or run for the hills but considering J's parents are lovely and generous enough to welcome us (they also just happen to live by the beach), we've decided to embrace the change and go for it. So there you have it. For the next few months we'll be saving our pennies for what will hopefully (eventually) become a deposit for a unit (although with the current market in Sydney this process might take a few trillion light years). The big move happens next weekend and although it's been sad saying goodbye to our little pad (and privacy!), the next few months will be a welcome change...

This Sh*t Is Bananas...

I don't know about anyone else but I think of food all the time.  From the moment I wake up I'm thinking "Whats for dinner?" I love food. I love to eat it, cook it, read about it, have other people cook it for me, look at blogs that photograph it - well you get the idea.

Tonight I came home from work and had been craving something sweet. Since we've been packing,most of the kitchen is bare except for a bunch of bananas sitting on the counter just calling out to me. I ended up finding this recipe for baked bananas which took all of 10 minutes to make and was delicious. For the rest of the night I just kept walking around the house pretending I was Gwen Stefani, singing 'this shit is bananas...'  

Weekend Warriors...

Maybe it was the sunshine or maybe it was the countless cups of coffee I consumed but whatever it was I somehow maintained my productive streak well into Sunday. Two full days of accomplishing tasks – this might be a record!

While J went for a surf, I assumed the role of travel agent and did some planning for my parent's first trip to Australia this February – I’m so excited for their visit!  During the rest of the afternoon I managed to squeeze in some exercise and stop by a neighborhood street festival before heading home and putting together a backyard BBQ.  Unfortunately my productive streak ended the second I got into work this morning and started to sort through the hundred or so emails that greeted me – happy Monday!

List Love...

I love lists.  More than anything I love creating a 'To Do' list and crossing things off as I go.  We had lots of things to cross off this weekend and so far I'm happy to say we've been more productive than I ever expected.  I took Friday off from work and we took a bunch of furniture out of our apartment and put it into storage.  Afterwards we treated ourselves to a stroll through Luna Park but the ferris wheel was closed so we instead enjoyed a drink by the harbour.  

Saturday involved a trip to Bunnings, food shopping, holiday planning, tax preparation, bill paying, taking more photos off the wall and the surprise delivery of J's new bass guitar.  I decided to cook up some spaghetti bolognese and crack open a bottle of wine to celebrate our productivity and the fact this could be our last weekend in our little place. Here's hoping that tomorrow is just as productive...

Hello Weekend...I've Been Waiting For You

{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

ABCD...

So last week I told you about my blog blind date and now I'm here to tell you about another Sydney meet-up organised by Steph from Bondville and Lisa from The Red Thread.  

This is the first ever Sydney ABCD (Artist, Blogger, Crafter, Designer) Meet up and should be a fun night out. So if you need to escape a screaming child, an excuse to skip the gym or just want to share a glass of wine with strangers check out the details below - I'll see you there!  Here are the details:

Event: Sydney ABCD Meetup Spring 2010
Date: Thursday 28th October, 2010
Time: 7pm - 9pm
Venue: The 3 Weeds Hotel (back bar), 197 Evans St, Rozelle, NSW
RSVP: via the ABCD Facebook page (*Optional: bring something for the goodie bag to help your new friends remember you)

Working On My Fitness...

Tonight I was back at the gym working on my fitness. Sewing isn't the only area that I've been slack on lately so it feels good to try and get into a new routine.  I'm sorry to disappoint anyone but this post isn't about mastering Zumba or promoting the benefits of stretching.  No, this post goes much deeper.  Brace yourselves because I'm about to delve into the inner sanctum of every gym - the women's locker room. 

Let's be frank, is it only me or is the gym locker room on par with the twilight zone? I have never experienced stranger sights or encountered more bizarre people than when I've been in a locker room.Let me just clarify that I belong to your typical, over-rated, chain of gym franchises - nothing too fancy but the things I've seen lately are just too over the top to keep to myself.  

It first began when I saw a new sign posted next to the hairdryers.  It simply read, "Hair Dryers Are To Be Used For Hair On the Head ONLY."  What?? I thought to myself that this must be some kind of joke, that is until I saw some woman drying her lady bits with the hair dryer. Yes I just said 'lady bits'.  This incident could only be matched by the woman who brings in family size jars of olive oil to moisturize herself, creating an oil slick and OH &S hazard around her.  Wait - there is more!  Recently I was getting changed and glanced over at the woman next to me who just happened to be putting on a french maid costume, complete with stilettos and fishnets.  As I stood there stunned and not knowing where to look, she threw on a trench coat and walked out the door.  Kinda put my little cardigan number to shame.  Who knows what adventure awaits me tomorrow?

The Sewing Room...

Okay it's time to confess that I've been totally slack in the sewing department, despite my purchase a few weeks back of a really super duper sewing machine. I had all these lofty plans to complete blankets, bags, dresses you name it but how much has actually been done? None. Zero. Zip. Zilch.

Does this happen to anyone else? Am I the only one that can be distracted by an episode of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and before you know it three weeks have gone by and the pile of fabric is still sitting untouched? Well,I figured the first step in the right direction is to actually learn how my new sewing machine works. It's got all these fancy new buttons, stitches and gadgets that I know nothing about so I took advantage of the free lesson that came with the machine. The very patient staff from the Bernina Center sat me down and walked me through the wonders of my new machine. I learned a hell of a lot, mostly that a second lesson is in order before I fully grasp its true powers. Hopefully in the coming weeks I'll bond with my little Bernina 380 and start producing some handmade gifts because the Christmas clock is ticking...

Off To Market...

 

I have always been a flea market junkie. Give me a garage sale, estate sale or weekend market and I'm in heaven. Lucky for me, Sydney is full of markets and this weekend we kept it low key, packed boxes and were able to visit not one but two markets. On Saturday we met up with our friends Jack and Ness for some flea market fun. I somehow managed to escape with no damage to my wallet - a miracle of sorts but the lovely miss Ness scooped up a little green beach cruiser for a cool $15 while Jack stole the spotlight by grabbing a Tasmanian devil satin vest that was worn sans shirt to really capture that 80's prom look. We all agreed that it was too ugly to see more than 5 minutes of sunlight, which gave the opportunity for at least a couple snaps.

Sunday we took a stroll to our neighborhood market before returning to continue our packing spree.  Much to my horror while cleaning the kitchen I came face to face with my first huntsman spider. I swear it was the size of my hand and I did what any rational person would do in this situation - I screamed at the top of my lungs, sprinted out of the kitchen and refused to go back until J had removed the beast from the house.  It seems I'm not as adjusted to Australian wildlife as I thought...

Dreaming of The Open Road...

{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

* photo is from our trip across the US in a car named the Tom Flurkey. I miss that car. Hope your weekend is full of adventure, both on and off the road...

Date Night...

I did something last week that I normally don't do - I went on a blind date.  

It's not quite what you think since I'm happily in a relationship but when I told my sister that I was meeting up with two girls I'd never met or spoken to in my life she summed it up pretty accurately "so basically you're going on a blog blind date," she said. I couldn't argue. Since our Blogging Your Way class was just about over, a few of the Sydney girls decided to get together. It was rather last minute so the date was small but I met up at the Union pub with the lovely Jessica from Oscar and Ruby and Leanne from Mrs A In The Cove. Both ladies were wonderful and we sipped wine, shared laughs and swapped stories of how we all ended up in the same class together.  

As an adult, it feels strange to walk into a place (or pub) and meet a complete stranger. Sure you feel a bit self-conscious, get flashbacks from high school and feel the urge to tell really bad 'dad' jokes out of pure nervousness but that's half the fun. Soon you find that friendships begin to form and you have a lot more in common than you'd ever expect. All around it was a great night (thanks Jess and Leanne) and I look forward to the next one. If any local Sydney ladies are interested in joining our blogger blind date just let me know...

Happy Birthday To You...

Today is my Dad's birthday so I'm sending him wishes for a happy, healthy year ahead. Back in the day he used to have long hair, drive an MG and rock out at concerts bigger than Woodstock (check out that mustache!). Raising three girls, he never missed a soccer game or track meet. A man of few words, he has supported me through all of my crazy decisions, including the one to move across the world. Most importantly he can dance 'The Twist' like nobody's business. Happy Birthday Dad - I love you. x

Weekend Ramblings...

It was a long weekend here in Sydney which means daylight savings finally arrived and summer is just around the corner! In order to celebrate the longer days I stepped away from the computer and gave myself a break from posting.  Isn't it strange how a long weekend always seems to go by so much faster than you expect? Unfortunately (and somewhat typical) the summer weather disappeared and the rain rolled in, allowing for lazy afternoons spent curled up in blankets, watching movies and relaxing. The rest of the time was spent at indoor bbq's, watching the rugby grand final and eating way too much comfort food - everything a weekend should be. 

As I type this post the afternoon sun has just decided to come out and brighten our little apartment which will only be ours for a few more weeks. I'll post details about our move soon but for now I'm running back to the couch and plan to slip into blissful denial that the weekend is almost over...

...Will Make You Jump, Jump

{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

p.s - shout out to Mango - you're my kris and I'm your kross.