Flower jars

It's been way too long since my last post, but after the craziness of exams and catching up on work, I finally have a couple of weeks of holidays to get back into the swing of things and start documenting all the inspirational ideas that I've back logged over the last few months.

First of all, this is a cheap and easy idea for a quick table top decoration that you may need for any event you may have, whether it be a dinner party, a wedding or even a backyard barbecue. The idea of have a mix of blooming flowers and greens placed in assorted jars and decorated with some complementary ribbon is such a simple, delicate and rustic idea that I have completely fell in love with. It's so easy to collect jars in all different sizes - tall pasta jars, small sauce jars, round salsa jars - ever since I've found this idea, I've been consciously washing all the glass jars we use and storing them for future use. You can even use them for candles, drinks or lollies to add an extra dimension to the basic flower idea to create something really personal for you special event.

 

The Royal Wedding

Last Friday the 29th April was the wedding of William and Kate, a modern day fairytale and a historic event that captured 2 billion viewers worldwide! The best kept secret and most anticipated detail of the day was Kate's dress, a custom made creation by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen that was tastefully classic yet modern  and drew inspiration from Grace Kelly's wedding dress more than half a century ago.

I think that Pippa Middleton, Kate's sister, looked gorgeous in her maid of honour dress (so simple and elegant, I loved the flowers in her hair!) as well as her sexy emerald green dress (love love love the colour!)

Finally, Will and Kate looked so happy on their special day! Amongst all the pressure and nerves that they must be feeling knowing that the whole world was watching, they carried themselves so well and really looked like any other loved up couple on their wedding day. She looks so happy to finally have her prince charming and he looks at her like she's the only girl in the world! I love fairytales and happy endings!

Easter Egg Nails

Getting into the spirit of a 5 day Easter long weekend! This cute Easter Egg nail polish look is easy if you have a ridiculously large nail polish collection like I do. You can never have enough though it seems, I still had to double up on each hand because I didn't have baby green! I did my toes too but they're not so photogenic. They look so good I just want to gobble them up! Happy Easter!

The Tourist

It's been a sweltering few weeks in Sydney with temperatures reaching 40 degree highs this week. Some friends and went into town today to catch the Chinese terracotta soldier exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. We thought it'd be cooler in the city than in the west but it was still an unbearable scorcher. The exhibition was really cool with real terracotta soldiers on show, although no photos were allowed so I could only take some of the horses in the foyer. We kept the rest of our photos for the beautiful architecture of the Art Gallery, St Mary's Cathedral and Hyde Park. From the photos it looks like such a gorgeous Sydney day...until you feel the sun's rays mutating your cells into melanoma skin cancer! Next time I think we'll head to the beach!

Happy New Year!

First post for the new year and the new decade! I can't believe how fast 2010 went by, it feels like just yesterday that I was in Michigan, freezing my ass off, getting ready to start my semester abroad. This past year has been full of change, adventure and growth. I experienced challenges that have made me stronger and more independent than ever. I have learnt to take advantage of opportunities, push the boundaries and step out of my comfort zone to make dreams a reality.

What better way to kick start 2011 than to spend a gorgeous new years eve in the city to ring in the new year with Sydney's famous fireworks! I spent time with my family in Darling Harbour for the 9pm fireworks before heading across town to my friend's house in Vaucluse to watch the midnight fireworks from the amazing harbour bridge views in his back yard. It was a perfect warm summer's night and being with family and friends on the harbour made me love being back in Sydney for this new year's eve. I hope you all had a wonderful night as well and all the best for the new year to come! Here's a video of Sydney's famous fireworks this year and some photos from the night, enjoy!

Christmas 2010

I can't believe Christmas has come and gone! After a long weekend of food, family and friends, I've finally had a chance to upload my photos and share with you my very first attempt at making Christmas dinner for my family:

Entree: Tuna & Cucumber Canapes

Side: Mango & Avocado Salad

Side: Roasted Carrots & Potatoes seasoned with Rosemary

Side: Tabouli Salad

Main: Lamb Cutlets with Caramelised Mushrooms and Onions

Main: Salmon Sashimi & Cocktail Prawns

Main: Herb and Mustard Roast Turkey Breast with Sage and Onion Stuffing Balls

Drinks: Anna's Secret Recipe Sangria

Dessert: Berry Tiramisu

After a week of planning and a whole day in the kitchen, our Christmas feast was a success! It was alot of fun and very rewarding so I can't wait to try some new recipes next year - I really wanna try making a traditional Christmas ham. 

I'd say the most important lesson I learnt was to plan ahead and stay organised. Some tips I found useful: prioritise your shopping list to buy dry ingredients first, use everything you already have in your pantry, buy fresh veges and seafood as late as possible, delegate dishes/courses (my sisters made the entree and dessert) and time your oven use well. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas weekend filled with lots of love and of course, food! Can't wait till next year!!

4 Days till Christmas!

Just a quick post to share some Christmas spirit with you all! I went to Carols in the Domain on Saturday for the first time in years and it was alot of fun. The weather was great - sunny with a nice breeze and we spent the day picnic-ing and playing cards and games. It was so crowded - as always - but it was very well organised and we even got cardboard floor seats for free and an awesome show bag for $15! I went with some friends and family and had a great time singing carols by candlelight:

I painted my nails Christmas themed last night and now they keep distracting me! They're pretty bling but I love them because they feel like Christmas decorations on my hand - check them out (it was so hard to take a photo of my hand without it looking freaky and weird!)

I also made some Christmas cookies today and they made the house smell all festive and yummy! I tried to make the stain glass window cookies (above) but my oven was took hot and the lollies burned so I decided to use cashous instead:

Crushed lollies look so pretty

They looked so good before they went into the oven and failed!

My second batch with cashous

I hope you guys are enjoying your Christmas week! I can't wait for all the yummy food (and presents!!) this weekend! Stay tuned for more festive posts to come!

Christmas Food

With only one week till Christmas, I'm getting geared up for a whole long weekend of Christmas cooking next week for the various Christmas dinners and parties I have lined up. It might be because it's the time for giving and feasting that I feel obliged to bring along a plate (or more) of food to each gathering but either way, the annual Coles and Woolies Christmas magazines as well as Taste online have really helped me find some great ideas for each course! Here are some of the things I'm thinking of making but I guess you'll have to wait till next month's December food blog to check out the results!

Entree: Asian Ginger, Soy Sauce & Sesame Prawns

Main: Turkey with Sage Butter, Leek & Celery Stuffing

Side: Roasted Dill Carrots

Dessert: Berry Tiramisu

Baking Treats: Christmas Glass Cookies

Christmas Gifts

With only 2 weeks till Christmas, everyone's busy with their Christmas shopping and sometimes it gets overwhelming trying to find the perfect present for all your family and friends. I love shopping for presents, especially for girls because it's always easier to buy something that I would want to receive myself! If you're having trouble trying to find a gift for your mum, aunt, cousin, sister, friend or girlfriend, here's a list of foolproof ideas that might be helpful...

Cool Stationary: Recipe Books, Travel Diaries, Calendars, Diaries etc

Ideas: Pre-decorate your gift with photos/magazine cut outs of memories/plans to make it more personal E.g. Decorate a travel diary with pictures of places they intend to visit

Where to find: Kikki-K, Borders, Typo, Myer, David Jones

Cute Pyjamas: Singlets, Shorts, Sleeping Dresses

Ideas: Matching sets are a great gift idea and sometimes come with cute extras such as eye masks!

Where to find: Peter Alexander, Bras N Things, Target, Myer, David Jones

Beauty Gift Sets: Make up, Perfume, Skin care

Ideas: Department stores usually have special discounts leading up to Christmas so shop around and take advantage of the offers

Where to find: Priceline, Myer, David Jones

Christmas Decorations

Yay! It's finally that festive time of year again! I love seeing Christmas lights and decorations go up at the beginning of December - from the city to shopping centres to your neighbours across the street, there's nothing like the exciting feeling of preparing to entertain your family and friends at Christmas. This year has really flown by for me and before I knew it, there's only 3 weeks till Christmas! What better way to count down than to do a dedicated Christmas blog every week until Christmas? I hope these ideas inspire you in your own decoration adventures this Christmas! 

Make you tree look full and festive by hanging a variety of ornaments.

You can add different shaped ornaments, candy canes and home made decorations to the tree too!

http://www.myer.com.au/christmas_decorating-your-christmas-tree.aspx

Colour themed Christmas decorations lets you have a different tree every year.

Complete the look with matching gift wrapping and wall features - I love the bauble wreath!

http://www.coles.com.au/Products/Christmas-Magazine.aspx

Christmas tree wall feature made from Christmas lights can be a nice change.

A perfect idea for those who are short of space and still want some Christmas spirit in your home!

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/christmas-lights

Fashions on the Field

The Melbourne Cup has always been known as "The Race that Stops a Nation" and this year being the 150th anniversary of this iconic Australian event makes it all the more spectacular.

The 3pm Emirates Melbourne Cup definitely lived up to it's reputation of being the most anticipated race of the year with the hyped up favourite, So You Think coming in third following an impressive performance by Maluckyday and this year's champion, Americain. There's nothing like the feeling of watching the last 200m of the race, the jockeys really kick their horses into top gear, you can hear the roar of the crowd, the commentary builds up to a crescendo, and just as the winning horse passes the finishing post, you know that you are sharing a historic moment with the rest of the nation.

Besides those 3 and a half minutes, most of the focus of the Cup is on the Fashion. Spring Racing Fashion is a season in itself with major retailers and department stores putting great emphasis on their campaigns and ambassadors. Here are some of my favourite fashion tips from Myer:

Myer Website

Look Books, How To Guide, Spring Racing Trend Guide, Fashions on the Field

http://www.myer.com.au/fashion_spring-racing.aspx

Dressing for Derby Day '10 - Myer Spring Racing Carnival

Held on Saturday, marking the beginning of Melbourne Cup Week and known as Men's Day

Derby Day is traditionally black and white

Choose a classic and sophisticated ensemble with a statement headpiece
Flower = Blue Corn Flower

Dressing for Melbourne Cup Day '10 - Myer Spring Racing Carnival

Held on Tuesday, featuring 'The Race that Stops a Nation"

Melbourne Cup Day is all about making a statement

Look fabulous, add some colour, have fun and place those bets!
Flower = Yellow Rose

Dressing for Oaks Day '10 - Myer Spring Racing Carnival

Held on Thursday and known as Ladies Day

Oaks Day is perfect for dressing in your most feminine outfit

Choose soft feminine colours, shapes and accessories
Flower = Pink Rose

Sydney International Food Festival 2010

October is food month in Sydney and it's also my birthday month - which makes it my favourite month of the year! In the last week I've been enjoying plenty of great food and drinks with my family and friends to enjoy Sydney's yummy range of restaurants and cafes and to make the most of food festival events which were drawing to a close.

As you can see, the food was amazing but needless to say, it's the company that made it all the more memorable! My personal favourite for the week was the 3 course brunch at Hyde Park Barracks Cafe this morning - the final day of the food festival - we definitely saved the best for last!

Here's a run down of my scrumptious week of plumping:

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Bavarian Bier Cafe

Bavarian Tasting Platter

A great selection of meats and condiments - love the variety. Don't forget the Beer and Schnapps!

http://www.bavarianshavemorefun.com/

Guylian Cafe

100% Pure Pleasure 

Belgian Chocholate Mouse with Almond Panna Cotta and Guylian Shiny Icing

I didn't order this but it looked so pretty and apparently it's heaven for a chocolate lover!

http://www.guyliancafe.com.au/

Wagaya

Salmon and Scallop Box Sushi

Ordered via a touch screen menu and one of my favourite sushis ever!

http://www.yesfood.biz/

Sugar Hit - Bel Mondo

Poached Pear, Medjool Date, Hazelnut Praline Ice Cream, Spiced French Toast and Butterscotch Sauce
Inside Scoop: Bel Mondo will be continuing Sugar Hit in November with a Chocolate Fondant Special! The atmosphere, decor, views, vibe and of course, desserts are amazing so don't miss out!

http://www.cravesydneyfoodfestival.com.au/event.php?intid=553

Pyrmont Bridge

Little Rock Cafe

Bacon and Eggs with Hash Brown, Grilled Tomato and Toast

Birthday breakfast at my favourite local cafe!

http://www.stockland.com.au/shopping-centres/nsw/stockland-baulkham-hills.htm

Let's Do Lunch - Glass Brasserie

Roasted Pork Belly with Swede Puree, Roasted Apple, Fine Herbs
Good food and wine, fancy venue and first class service!

http://www.cravesydneyfoodfestival.com.au/event.php?intid=627

Grill'd

The Almighty 

Grilled 100% Lean Beef, Cheese, Bacon, Egg, Beetroot, Salad, Relish & Herbed Mayo

A true blue Aussie burger - and healthy too!

http://grilld.com.au/

Let's Do Brunch - Hyde Park Barracks Cafe

Course 1 - Homemade Granola, Vanilla Yoghurt, and Poached Fruit

The granola was really good but the yoghurt was a little sour.

Let's Do Brunch - Hyde Park Barracks Cafe

Course 2 - Eggs 3 Ways - Egg, Chorizo and Roast Tomato Tart; Feta, Spinach and Mushroom Omelette, Ciabatta; Ham and Eggs Benedict, on English Muffin 

Gourmet eggs at it's best! They all complemented each other very well.

Let's Do Brunch - Hyde Park Barracks Cafe

Course 3 - Raspberry waffles, white chocolate sauce, vanilla gelato and berries

Not too much and not too sweet. A perfect end to our brunch!

http://www.cravesydneyfoodfestival.com.au/event.php?intid=507