I know it is a little bit late – so please forgive me, but I am very excited to share with you my cooking tutorial.
It’s my Lamb Roast!
Please view and share the video and give it a try, and let me know how you go – it is absolutely delicious!
x
Discover Your Own Backyard.
15 AprBefore we get to the reason behind my title, let me first apologize for the lack of posts! I have been busy with a few exiting projects – including the creation of some recipes for me to share with you all!
So a last Saturday (if you follow me on instagram you may have noticed), I was invited to discover the city of Stonnington, a city that boasts an incredible cafe scene, designer boutiques and everything in between. I don’t live in the city of Stonnington, however I frequent it often because of the amazing things it has to offer – especially in the areas of cafe’s and fashion. Some of my favourite places to have breakfast and coffee are situated within the city of Stonnington, and if you’re a lover of Chapel St like myself, you would know that too sits cosily here too.
And yet, there was so much of the city, that I hadn’t discovered yet. I want to share some of my favourite new places with you, so if you’re ever contemplating on something to do, you can visit these places and soak in the wonderful-ness the city of Stonnington has to offer you.
1. Parlour Diner: 64 Chapel Street Windsor, the burgers here are a treat, and make sure you ask for a bowl of curly fries because they are delicious.
My yummyyyyy burger from Parlour Diner
2. The Red Balloon Candy Artisans: Shop 5, 3 King St Prahran – this place is any child’s (or inner-child) dream come true. The walls are covered in many candy treats and we had a live demonstration (see picture below, it is definitely an art!). These candies are truly special and I’ll be doing a featured post about them another time!
The amazing delights available at The Red Balloon Candy Artisans.
Like I said, it’s an art right? All their candies are HAND MADE!
3. Cylk: 497 Chapel Street, South Yarra. Now I have just posted a picture of the beautiful air plant display they have at their flagship store, however their collections are stunning! Their clothes are a treat for the eyes and your body – they are, in my opinion, flattering, feminine and fresh. Plus you can purchase online (hoo-ray!), so do yourself a favour and jump online or into their store (maybe just walk in if your visiting in person), and buy yourself a treat you wont regret. Trust me – their clothes are nothing short of perfection and they are an Aussie brand, so support them!
So pretty! Visit http://www.cylk.com.au to make that purchase! x
4. Market Lane Coffee: Shop 13 Prahran Market, 163 Commercial Road Prahran. Want to know something cool about this place? They are coffee specialists, meaning they do it well, meaning you will always get a perfect cup of coffee, meaning that they only do coffee. I love their philosophy, they wanted to do coffee with excellence so they focused all their energy and resources into making sure each customer left with the perfect cup of coffe, every time. Although the cafe experience is different to your “normal” cafe experience (i.e. they don’t do food, tea or hot chocolates – just coffee and the exception of a few baked treats), it is one you must experience if you love coffee.
That’s me staring intently at the coffee delights!
So my little experience got me thinking about the gems hidden in my backyard – and maybe you could tell me about some of the gems hidden in yours!
x
The heart and vision behind the video tutorials.
7 AprSo the video tutorials are coming soon! It has taken a bit longer than first expected, but they are happening I can promise you that!
I wanted to share a bit of the vision and heart behind why I was doing these tutorials, and at first I was going to write a big long post about it – but seeing as the tutorials are in video format, I thought why not video it! So here it is, I hope you catch on to the vision and get excited about this cooking journey we are all going to take!
Also please note, on the video I say the recipe will be up in one week, but it will be up in two weeks – the 22nd on April to be exact!
Enjoy!
x
It’s cold in the mornings.
4 AprThe cold season is upon us here in Melbourne, and after a Summer without air conditioning I am pleased to say that I welcome the cold with open arms. I have always loved the threads that come with Winter, the long coats, the scarves, hats, stockings and big boots.
It’s the season where leaves crunch under your feet as you walk down the footpath, when the sound of rain entices you to curl up under your blanket and when hot chocolates, chai lattes and toasted banana bread are the only things you want to order at cafes, at least they are for me. When your facebook feeds are flooded with images of people at the snow and you search high and low for your favourite faux fur scarf, the cold season is nostalgic for me as it is the time when I tend to reminisce the most about years gone by.
And doesn’t time just fly?
Anyway enough about that, Winter seems to be associated with the dull and dim colours but I think we should embrace the cold with a flurry of colour.
So here are my favourite looks for the season!
Kenzo jumper, photo by The Haute Pursuit http://thehautepursuit.com/
Carven jumper, photo by Phil Oh http://streetpeeper.com/
Balenciaga jumper, photo by The Street Fashion 5 Xpro http://thestreetfashion5xpro.blogspot.com/
LFW Street Style by http://www.stylestreetstalker.com
Christine Centenera is always spot on.
Love this look, especially those blue booties!
My gorgeous friend Jess Dempsey of whatwouldkarldo rocking the Mickey T-Shirt – follow her blog at: http://www.whatwouldkarldo.com x
The Stunning Nadia Coppolino (follow her blog: http://www.chroniclesofnadia.com.au) rocking a gorgeous Viktoria + Woods coat and Celine bag! x
What look are you most excited about for the season?
x
Girls Night In for Alopecia
25 MarAlopecia was a condition that I hadn’t heard of until late last year, and if most of you are like me you may not have heard of it either.
According to the Australian Alopecia Areata Foundation (AAAF), Alopecia Areata is an immunological disease under genetic control, which disrupts the normal biology of the hair follicle. For more than 30 years, leading Dermatologists around the world have been studying hair growth patterns, genetic and immune theories, striving for a cure and an acceptable treatment for Alopecia Areata. There are three types of Alopecia Areata; Alopecia areata, alopecia areata totalis and alopecia areata universalis. There are different types of alopecia, with the most common being androgenetic.
Alopecia areata, the most common variation of the autoimmune disease, presents itself as round, smooth patches of various sizes anywhere on the scalp. In over half of those affected, the hair regrows, without any treatment. Alopecia areata totalis is complete loss of hair on the scalp occurring either all at once or within a short period of time. Alopecia areata universalis is the rarest form of alopecia areata and presents itself as the loss of hair over the entire scalp and body.
I met this beautiful girl named Mel just under a year ago, totally unaware of her condition (she has the coolest wig) and when I found out she had alopecia I had to ask what it was and was in disbelief that she had this! As I got to know Mel better, I found out many things about her – she makes the best cookies you’ll ever eat, she has the coolest vintage style and she has an amazing outlook on life, and I for one count myself very lucky to have met her and have her as a friend.
On Saturday night she had a girls night in to celebrate her 4 year “wigaversary” and raise funds for the AAAF – a foundation that does amazing work for people with alopecia. We watched a documentary created by Australian actress Georgia van Cuylenburg titled; Baby Let Your Hair Hang Down, which goes through her journey with alopecia, a journey that is both heart warming and heart breaking, confronting and real. We wore wigs, ate delicious treats and talked for hours - as girls do, it was a special night and it really opened my eyes about alopecia and the wonderful work the foundation does. Mel raised over $650 and $400 covers one wig for a person with alopecia, the foundation also has a support network and do amazing things to support people with alopecia.
Today, there is no cure for alopecia but that does not mean you can’t make a difference. You can donate money (all donations are tax deductible) and you can donate your hair too, visit www.aaaf.org.au to read about the amazing things the foundation does and find out how you can make a difference.
A group shot of the guests at the girls night in, featuring the cute George on Mel’s lap!
I wanted to wear a reallyyy outrageous wig and this was the blondest wig Mel had – I quite liked it!
It’s a cause worth supporting!
x
5 minutes for the ones you love.
21 MarLife can get super busy, don’t you agree? You can go days, weeks and even months without speaking to people you really care about – not because you’re avoiding them but because you have simply forgotten, you are busy or you haven’t realised it yet.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes as I am entering into a wonderland of sleep, my mind gives me a sharp reminder of someone I haven’t spoken to in awhile. So naturally, I reach to my phone to send them a quick “love & miss you” text, only to realise it’s 1am and my text will probably wake them and ruin their sleep. So I don’t send the text, hoping that my mind will give me a reminder the following day at a more appropriate time, knowing that it probably wont.
It amazes me at how the busyness of life can just take a hold of everything you care for and completely become the priority – whether it’s work, extra commitments or even a hobby, it has the power to completely overtake everything else that is important in your life. Sometimes it can be difficult to prioritize with a good balance, and yet in hindsight most people (I know I count myself as one), wish they did things differently.
So instead of waiting for a day off, the weekend or for a project to be over, why not set a reminder on your phone or computer and take just 5 minutes out of your day and use that time to remind people you care, give your parents or grandparents a call or even just write an email to a loved one. It’s only 300 seconds and it will make a difference to your day and overall well-being, I know that it has definitely made a difference to my own, plus it’s just 5 minutes so why not give it a go and see how it affects your day.
At the end of the day, there should always be time for those you love, whether you think they need it or not a simple message of love can help alleviate stress, give comfort and restore hope.
Love times eternity.
Life is what you make of it.
love is spelled time.
You have the gift of life, which includes the gift time, use it right while you have it.
x
How to make your Easter more festive!
19 MarIf you haven’t already worked it out then let me be clear now – I love celebrating!
Easter is a beautiful time of the year and the meaning behind the celebration is even more poignant. It’s that time of year when the wait for food at the local fish and chips shop on Good Friday is super long, the time when we remember new beginnings, eat copious amounts of chocolate, and reflect on the painful death of a Saviour so real.
For me, it’s a time to think about how I bring my parcel of goodness into the world and think about how I show love, hope and kindness to the people I am so privileged to meet. It’s also a time to reflect on my faith and remember that there is someone out there that loves me so dearly, that He would give His life away to make sure I had the chance to freely live mine. A saviour that I will forever love.
It is because of that love, that we get to celebrate and enjoy the festivities of the Easter season. I like to adorn my Easter with 100′s and 1000′s, colourfully covered chocolates, family, friends and lots of food! It’s a time to celebrate life and a time to celebrate hope.
So here are my visuals to help me create my wonderful Easter!
Cutest Easter cake ever – right?
Yummy!
Why not adorn your living area with a “Happy Easter” bunting!
Very cute idea, my colours this year would be light pink, lavender, light yellow and sky blue!
This is a great way to liven up your boiled eggs this Easter – or drain the egg out, decorate the shells and use them as decorations!
You have to love Cadbury Easter Eggs, my favourite! I could inhale that basket…YUM!
Are you excited too for Easter? What are your traditions?
x
