Goodbye Darling Harbour...

After a long week at what turned out to be a successful event I am saying goodbye to comfy hotel sheets, dorky business suits, nice (and not so nice) exhibitors, the 'Spanish Quarter' of Sydney and good old Darling Harbour.  The craziness continues as this weekend I'll be working at Magnolia Square before my parents arrive on Sunday!

The Fluro Vest...

Yes, it's that time of year when my day job takes over my life and I practically live at the Sydney Exhibition Center while we set up our event.  For the past few days I've been working crazy hours, wearing a ridiculous fluro safety vest and dodging forklifts left and right.  On the plus side, it means that J and I get a hotel room in the city with pretty cool views so we're making the most of it - back soon!

Valentine's Day...

Our romantic picnic on the beach turned into a picnic on our bed considering my cold has resurfaced and I spent the day curled up under the covers.  It didn't stop us from enjoying some wine, homemade pizza and a movie - oh and lots of chocolate, way too much chocolate. It was simple, just the two of us, just the way I like it.  Happy belated Valentine's Day to everyone out there...

Rainy Days...

This weekend, the sun was gone and in came the clouds and cold weather - so of course it was the perfect excuse to sit on the couch and watch movies (and reality TV - hello Jersey Shore!)  We did venture out at one point for some shopping and I picked up some of my favourite MOR products - love this stuff.  The coming week is going to be a bit crazy so glad I got a chance to rest up, I'm going to need it!

Marley Moo...

In the 8 months since I've started my blog, I have held off the temptation to blog obsessively about my sister's dog, Marley.  I love this dog.  I am obsessed with this dog.  Today I finally caved - Marley this post is for you!

p.s. happy birthday to ms. mango & ms. liz...

Kiwi Fiesta...

Nothing beats a mid-week Mexican fiesta (and of course a few flowers to brighten up a cloudy day).  Tonight we made tacos and watched trash TV - the only thing missing was a margarita.  We also began to plan the arrival of my parents in two weeks and the trip we'll take with them to New Zealand. We'll be traveling 'National Lampoon' style, and taking a road trip through both the North and South islands.  I can't wait and would love to hear any suggestions from anyone who has been!

weekend.

The heat in Sydney was insane this weekend, the hottest it has been in decades. We spent most of Saturday hiding in the shade and cooling off in the pool, it was too hot to do much of anything else.  Luckily the cool air blew in on Sunday and we took a trip to Balmain to stroll around, do some window shopping, visit the markets and of course I couldn't help but stop when I saw the line out the door to the Adriano Zumbo's pastry shop. I'm not normally a 'sweets' person but you couldn't help but be impressed with the insane desserts he creates.  The temptation was too much and I walked away with a pumpkin and pine nut quiche and had half of it shoved into my mouth before I was even out the door. Amazing. 

I love Sunday nights in the summer, when the sun doesn't set until 8pm and you try to squeeze as much out of the day as possible. That is what we are doing right now, relaxing, getting ready for the week and watching Black Swan. Natalie Portman - wow.  

Hope you had a great weekend...

Tea Time...

I've been feeling a bit under the weather this week, which will explain my lack of posts.  I'm still here, surviving this heat and humidity and thinking of my friends and family back home buried under massive amounts of snow - I know they are all sick of shoveling and can't say I blame them.  

So what's been happening with us? Well J's first week at the new job was a sucess, I am in love with Jamie Oliver everything and anything, having a pool is paradise in humid weather, I've been busy running to the post office making sure invites to Magnolia Square are sent off in time and drinking copious amounts of tea to get me through the day.  Oh, and I would give anything for an vanilla iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts this week (Leanne I'm talking to you!) Bring on the weekend...

Snippets...

Ahh, somebody please tell me how it's all ready February? Between traveling, visits from overseas friends and the holidays, the past few weeks have just been a blur.  I have been slacking on the blog front and haven't had any time to read all my daily favourites or post as much as I'd like - but I do have an excuse.  I've been working on a little side project and I'm happy to announce that I am officially the new Blog Editor of Magnolia Square!  

Yes, many of you might remember that I did some work with Magnolia Square last year and now you'll find me working on their blog, interviewing designers and having a bit of fun.  So when I'm not at my day job or posting here, my fingers will be typing away at the Snippets blog and I couldn't be more excited!  

So of course I invite you all to check it out, follow me if you'd like (would love a little blog love!) and of course if you are in Sydney come visit the Sydney event this February 25-27 at the Paddington Town Hall. 

Here is the link: http://www.magnoliasquare.blogspot.com/

TGIF...

Gone are the days when Friday nights would mean getting all dressed up and ready to paint the town red (yes, you are officially old when you actually begin to use the phrase 'paint the town red').  My 18yr old self would cringe in horror to think a time would come when I would look forward to Friday nights not as a time to go dancing, but rather as a time to relax, put my feet up and enjoy a movie or eek - maybe even read a good book! Oh how times change.  

Tonight I couldn't wait to get home from work and enjoy a quiet Friday. I walked in the door and as I flipped through the mail I discovered a card from one of my best friends back home that brought a smile to my face, always a good way to start the weekend.  Since J was out with a few mates, I got complete control of not only the computer but also the remote - happy times.  Hope your weekend is off to a great start...

Australia Day...

I love Australia Day.

Since moving here almost 4 years, Australia Day has become one of my favourite holidays.  For those of you who don't know, Australia Day is like the down under version of 4th of July.  The country comes to a stand still and national pride is on display everywhere imaginable.  Luckily, yesterday the sun was out, the bbq turned on and we relaxed the day away with friends and way too much food.  The only thing missing was fireworks.

Suit Up...

This past weekend J and I took a stroll around Paddington and I got the urge to pop into a few of the shops. For most people this would be a normal reaction but for those that know me, know that I am not a huge fan of shopping and have even less interest in fashion. Yes, I know for some of you that is hard to fathom. It's not that I don't enjoy new clothes, I just hate the process and seem to be hopeless when it comes to putting together outfits.  I am a jeans and t-shirt kind of person and for many years that is the only thing i wore, however, it is a totally different story when I'm shopping for someone else.  

In this case, the 'someone else' was J and I happily helped him scout out a few things for a new job he'll be starting next week...

p.s. - Happy Australia Day to all you Aussie's....we're off to the beach!

The Island...

Here are a few last remaining photos from China. We had one free afternoon to take a ferry over to Gulangyu Island and explore the tea houses, markets and amazing views of the ocean. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend...

Five Senses...

Sensory overload.  Everywhere I looked in China there was something new to take in - sights, smells, food. The sheer size of China is overwhelming and the fact that Xiamen, a clean modern city of a few million, is considered small compared to some areas is just staggering - and hard to capture and express in just a few photos...

Since this was a work conference little time was left for adventure but we did manage to find a karaoke bar in the form of a giant pirate ship (yes, a full size ship in the middle of the city) and lead the bar in a rendition of 'Sweet Caroline'. I was also roped into dressing as a koala bear to represent Australia in one of the conference events and bravely tried the local seafood cuisine during 13 course banquet dinners.

Lastly I am happy to say that I survived my presentation and was pretty proud of overcoming my fear.  I did have a mild panic attack when I first saw that the stage was huge and look as if it was hosting Anthony Robbins. There was no table to hide behind so I had to work the stage as if I was auditioning for 'So You Think You Can Dance'.  When the mic (which was clipped to my jacket, leaving my hands free so I could attempt to make professional hand movements - whatever those are supposed to be?) stopped working I had a moment of panic creep in but luckily it was fixed before anything major happened.  

Once it was over I completely blacked out and don't remember anything that was said but since the audience clapped I assume all went well.  Let's hope I don't have to do another presentation anytime soon...but at least this time I'll go into with a bit more confidence.