My Bloggable Day

Some changes around here!

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Bec

New house:

White picket fence!

On Monday I get the keys for this delightful dwelling! My housemate Bec and I will move-in in a couple of weeks. Having lived in townhouses/units for the last three years I’m so excited for a backyard and some lawn (I’m sure the excitement will wear off as soon as mowing is required). It’s a lovely old house with beautiful wooden floorboards and high ceilings. I can’t wait! Bring on Spring and garden tea parties.

New look blog:

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

You may have noticed some changes around here this week. The very talented Felicity from Pursuit of Felicity Designs designed my new header and I love it! She took my very vague guidelines (“ummm throw a diamond in there somewhere with swirly writing?!”) and created exactly what I was hoping for. It’s a very superior replacement to the lame header I made using some random online program akin to Word a few years ago. So thanks Felicity!

Also, and I am way too chuffed with myself for this, I created my own social media icons (they grey hearts to the right) using this tutorial from Geek Fairy as well as these free downloadable heart shaped icons. It was really easy, I wish I had done it sooner.

‘New’ colourful me

Werk

Well ‘new me’ is probably a long stretch, but I have been wearing colour all week (and silently hating it). I know the aim of this week was to extricate myself from my monochrome rut, but frankly, I’m looking forward to returning to the rut at the end of this week. Black and white are a classic combo for good reason. So there.

Plans for the weekend? This made me laugh (the flag pants!) and so did this. Have a good one!

Posted in Fashion | 12 Comments

The cookbook that looks like my childhood

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Bec

Chances are, if you were an Australian child during the 80s and 90s, you had a birthday cake made from the above book. Maybe you had the doll cake? Or the train? I had the castle cake, with the upside down ice cream cone turrets.

Last week, the editor of this and many other Australian Women’s Weekly cookbooks was interviewed at my work. I felt oddly starstruck. When I shared the interview on Facebook, plenty of people were quick to comment with the cake they had and loved. It seems bizarre that one cookbook was so paramount to an entire generation of birthdays.

I remember keenly flicking through the pages, months out from my birthday, staring at the cakes and choosing one, only to pick a different one a moment later. The cakes now look hilariously dated, especially compared to the flawless cupcakes and other creations you see now. I can’t imagine any parent dying desiccated coconut green for a football pitch cake nowadays.

Although my interest in baking has only really blossomed in the last couple of years, I do remember spending a lot of time looking at Mum’s cookbooks as a child. There was a Marie Claire book with a particularly decadent chocolate section, and another Women’s Weekly book with a lemon slice I desperately wanted to make after seeing my sister do so. But my interest only lasted long enough to realise we had none of the ingredients in the cupboard, before I gave up and moved onto something else (the Super Nintendo no doubt).

My birthday is a couple of weeks away and I’m kind of tempted to bake one of these cakes, but really, nowadays I’d much prefer a simple cheesecake than a slightly bland over-iced spongecake.

Do you have a birthday cake from your childhood that you’ll always remember?

Black and white clothing ban: Tuesday and Wednesday

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Bec

I hated what I wore on Tuesday. I felt like a clown. I also hate that I hated what I wore as if what you wear really matters that much and is worth expending that much emotion on.

I was also really tired and would have just loved to have been in pyjamas instead. Ahem.

Part of Tuesday’s clown outfit

I suppose I never considered that dressing differently could affect my mood. That stepping outside a comfort zone, no matter how trivial, would be uncomfortable! One of the major benefits of this is discovering which clothes I will not miss at all when I hurl them into a charity donation bin at the end of the week. Silver lining!

Moving on. Today (Wednesday) was a vast improvement.

I wore my blue jeans (always a winner) from Lee, a white shirt (another winner) from Zara, Target blue and white jacket, nude shoes from Betts and a handbag from Oroton.

I seem to look down a lot?!

The orange Oroton bag was bought with a delightful orange slice coin purse, reminiscent of all those oranges eaten in between netball games… If I had actually played netball, and not basketball, as a child.

The orange slice.

Conclusion: I reeeeally miss wearing black and white.

Posted in Fashion | Tagged Fashion, Outfit of the day, style | 6 Comments

Travel Tuesday: 3 things you must do in Budapest

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Bec

The iconic Hungarian parliament building

It feels kind of naughty blogging retrospectively about my travels, especially because this trip happened all the way back in 2011… But everything mentioned in this post is still up to date and relevant (according to the Internet), I promise! I went to Budapest with my friend Sophie when we were living in Austria, just before starting our winter semester at the University of Vienna. After one short train ride we arrived in Hungary for a long weekend. You’ve got to love Europe in that regard. These 3 things are what I enjoyed most about our short sojourn.

Watch the sunset from the Danube Promenade

I’m a fan of most sunsets anywhere, but the Hungarians really know how to light up their beautiful buildings and bridges. Standing on the Pest side of the Danube, you get amazing views of Buda Castle, Matthias Church and the Széchenyi Chain Bridge.

Buda Castle

If you get a nice clear evening like we did, the colours of the sky and their reflection on the water are really beautiful.

The Chain Bridge, built in 1849

As the darkness falls the skyline really lights up, excuse the pun.

Shoes on the Danube Bank

The Shoes on the Danube Bank are a memorial to the Jews who were killed by fascist Arrow Cross militiamen in Budapest during World War II. They were ordered to take off their shoes, and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away. It represents their shoes left behind on the bank. Pretty moving.

The Hungarian Parliament at night

Visit a thermal spa

There are about 15 different public thermal baths around Budapest. We went to Széchenyi Baths in City Park. I have no idea what the actual health benefits of thermal baths are… It really just seemed like a warm pool, but it was really beautiful.

And quite popular amongst Budapest’s older citizens.

You know the rule: the older the man, the smaller the bathers

Sophie and I

Fancy!

Eat at Szeraj

I’m all for trying the local food, and honestly Soph and I did give Hungarian food a go. We found a small restaurant and had some kind of lukewarm lentil soup with a miscellaneous deep fried accompaniment (there were no English menus or English speaking staff) and it was ok.

Buuuuut, right across from where we were staying (The Groove Hostel) was a fantastic Turkish diner called Szeraj. I think we ate there 3 times. It was some of the most delicious felafel I’d ever had. Here’s a really bad photo:

My food photography skills have really improved since 2011

We ate so much felafel there and decided it was the training for our NYE trip to Turkey, which is funny because once we got to Turkey we couldn’t find felafel ANYWHERE. Turns out it’s more of a Middle Eastern thing. Shame.

I wish I had this right now

They also had delicious baklava and other desserts.

A really unfortunate photo of chocolate baklava

Such a lovely little trip. Have you been to Budapest?

Checking out the graffiti in Buda

The famous lions on the Chain Bridge

Posted in Travel | Tagged Budapest, Hungary, Travel, Travel Tuesday | 2 Comments

Black and white clothing ban: Monday

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Bec

For those who missed yesterday’s post (the one declared “the most boring blog post I’ve ever read” by my boyfriend, cheers buddy) I’ve decided to ignore my awkward hatred for outfit blogging and document my sartorial escapades this week. Because I’m banning black and white for a while (at least a week). Because I am in a terrible rut.

So last night I ironed four silk shirts. Apparently it made no difference:

“I’m so glad I bothered to iron this shirt…”

I’m wearing a Country Road shirt bequeathed to me by my friend Claire, a cropped sweater from Sportsgirl, Mavi Jeans, Zara shoes, a really old necklace and that’s a Target handbag hanging WAG style from my forearm.

Thanks to Em for taking these snaps, well the one above.

I got the idea for this outfit from Pinterest, I just searched ‘grey sweater’ and arrived here. That photo reminded me that I too, own a brightly coloured shirt. Pinterest is great like that. If you ever need ideas on how to wear certain items just do a Pinterest search and voila! A million options. Pinterest is dangerous though because it’s full of delicious foods and links to beautiful expensive things, so be careful.

You may notice a few changes around here in the coming days, I’ve been Googling how to do things like make social media buttons (those little grey hearts on the sidebar). And I’ve finally added an Instagram widget there too. Baby steps!

How was your Monday?

Posted in Fashion | Tagged Fashion, Outfit of the day, style | 6 Comments

Black and white clothing ban

Posted on July 20, 2014 by Bec

It’s kind of hard to believe that when I started this blog, it had a definite fashion/style focus. I did outfit posts and everything! And then those posts became fewer and fewer until they dried up completely. I still love clothes but frankly, I felt like a superficial idiot posing for photos in them. I’m no model. Or authority on fashion.

But I want to talk about clothes again because something completely unsurprising (in hindsight) finally came to my attention on Friday night:

Groundhog day

The stripes, specifically the black and white ones, need to stop. How can I be 25 (26 in less than a month… Whyyyyy?!?) and already in such a massive rut? The above photo barely shows the full picture, there are plenty of stripy tops and jumpers as well as black and white squares. It’s all the same. So late on Saturday afternoon I put a ban on black and white, effectively immediately.

Saturday night:

To make the ban slightly more pleasant, I bought a new top to kick things off. It’s Three Of Something from my friend Jo’s shop. It went perfectly with NARS Shiap (lipstick). I bought these Mavi jeans a few months ago and I’m still not sure about the return of low-rise, but I like the colour. And the ripped knees.

I threw on my housemate Bec’s brown Top Gun style jacket and went out to a party.

Sunday:

I rugged up to help out backstage at my local community theatre club. I wore Bec’s jacket again (if you’re reading this Bec, thaaaaanks), a beanie and thermal top from Kmart and a scarf I bought from H&M back in 2010 when I lived in Vienna.

The ban is firmly in place for at least a week. And then we’ll see. Sorry for the selfies, but I’m home alone for most of the week.

Do you find yourself wearing the same things over and over?

Posted in Fashion | Tagged Black and White, Clothes, Colour, Fashion, Fashion Rut | 3 Comments

Hilarious/Interesting/Inspiring

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Bec

Seen on Burt Street, Boulder, this week. Would you be keen to catch a lift?!

Links from around the Interwebs that I loved this week.

Inspring How changing my password changed my life I am so trying this.

Interesting 16 Surprising Things About Parenting in Congo This is part of a series on Cup of Jo (one of my favourite blogs) on parenting around the world. Obviously I don’t have children but I find it so interesting. The one she posted on China this week was also great.

Hilarious 31 Dogs Who Failed So Hard They Won Needs no explanation, just click.

Posted in Misc | Tagged Links | Leave a comment

Travel Tuesday: 3 things you must do in Dubrovnik

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Bec

I used to do a thing called ‘Travel Tuesday’ where I would blog about somewhere awesome I had been or would like to go. I used to do it on a Tuesday, surprisingly. Anyway, somehow they died off but I’m going to revive them. Mostly because I am so gosh darn itching to travel right now that I’m surprised I don’t have an actual rash. Gross.

So for this edition of Travel Tuesday I’m casting back to May 2012 when I was in Croatia, to share 3 things you must do in Dubrovnik.

Walk the City Walls

There’s a pretty good reason every Dubrovnik travel book lists walking City Walls as the first thing to do. The view over the terracotta roofs is outstanding.

Also, it is much more quiet up on the walls compared to the claustrophobic streets below. I think it’s because Dubrovnik is a cruise ship destination and there isn’t really enough time for people coming off the ship to wander the city walls before getting herded back on board. Or because Dubrovnik is a retiree destination and some of the steps on the City Walls are rather steep… Who knows.

How’s the terracotta?

So much terracotta.

Walking the City Walls also enables you to have a delightful snoop in people’s backyards.

Interesting…

Old Town Main Street

Have a drink at Cafe Buza

It’s set into the cliffs on the south side of the Old Town.

Lokrum Island in the background.

From memory, the beers were kind of expensive and the wait staff kind of surly, but you’re only there for one thing…

The view.

Eat a lot of gelato

And not just because it’s delicious, eat it because Croatian food is not. Most of what I ate in Split and Dubrovnik was average Italian food. Pretty sure the only Croatian food I found was Cevapcici (kind of like a small sausage made from mince meat) that was really dry and came with fries. Don’t get me started on the wine. I usually can’t tell the difference between an $8 bottle and an $80 bottle, but I know what vinegar tastes like.

Anyway, thanks to the Italian influence, there is gelato everywhere.

Chocolate and pistachio… probably.

These people probably aren’t enjoying the food.

Seriously, just eat gelato.

Have you been to Dubrovnik? Where do you dream of travelling to next?

Posted in Travel | Tagged Croatia, Dubrovnik, Travel, Travel Tuesday | 7 Comments

Degustation dinner at Beaten Track Brewery

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Bec

To say I had been looking forward to Beaten Track’s degustation dinner would be an understatement. A very large understatement given that on Saturday afternoon, having been sick 14 times, I found myself in the emergency department of my local hospital and still knew I wouldn’t be missing dinner. After running a hundred tests the doctors finally let me go at 6pm with medication and instructions to monitor myself for possible appendicitis. By 7pm I was sitting down at the Brewery, about to embark on a four course meal with matching beers. Ondansetron truly is a miracle drug.

All that cutlery.

Our charming company for the evening, Emily and Tristan.

Caaauuuute

Beaten Track is an absolute gem and I’ve been there for tastings a few times. This was their first degustation dinner (that I’ve heard of anyway) and it was a an absolute success.

We sipped Autumn Lager on arrival and tucked into the homemade bread.

Mmm buttery.

First course

Scallop and black tiger prawn tortellini with lemon beurre blanc, fried shallots and herb salad paired with Munich Lager and Hamelin Bay Hefeweisen.

It was delicious.

Light and creamy

I know what you’re thinking, and no, I didn’t drink all the beer on my rather sensitive stomach. But I did try them all before passing my glass over to a very obliging boyfriend.

Second course

Grilled paprika rubbed quail with skordalia mash, baby rocket and a reduction sauce paired with Belgian Lager and Small Batch Belgian Saison.

I always forget how adorably tiny quails are. And tasty.

Tucking in.

Third Course

Braised beef cheek cassoulet with parmesan gratin and green beans paired with Niro Winter Stout and Small Batch Red Ale. This was my favourite course along with dessert.

These were my favourite beers

The beef cheeks were beautifully tender.

Dessert

Triple chocolate tart with cinnamon and ginger ice cream paired with Double India Pale Ale and French Oak Aged Sour Lager. My god the Double IPA packed a punch. I’d never really thought about matching beer with food, but it was amazing the difference it made. I found the Double IPA far too intense until sipping it between mouthfuls of dessert, the sweetness really balanced everything out. Amazing.

The cinnamon ginger ice cream was to die for. It tasted just like Christmas, I’m going to try to recreate it one day.

We finished up with tea and coffee and chocolates made by a very talented local lady, Cathy. She uses local flavours like quandong, wattle seed, lemon myrtle and even a Beaten Track stout in her handmade truffles. (I did a story on her once)

That orange square is the Beaten Track logo, clever!

It was such a delicious evening and I’m really glad we scored tickets before the event sold out in just two hours. Thanks to Nick and everyone at Beaten Track for having us.

Oh and my appendix is just fine!

Posted in Food | Tagged Beaten Track Brewery, Degustation Dinner, Food, Kalgoorlie | 9 Comments

Cheer me up choc chip cookies

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Bec

Yesterday was just a bit ‘blah’. Nothing drastic. No emergencies. Just a regular First World average day. And I knew of only one remedy that would hit the spot.

Cookies.

I was recommended the Meet Me at Mike’s Best Ever Choc Chip Cookies recipe ages ago by someone, so I thought I’d give it a whirl. I had all the ingredients except the choc chips, so I went to the supermarket and only realised I’d left my wallet at work when I was at the checkout. Sigh. I almost gave up there and then. But I didn’t. Obviously.

125g salted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 small eggs
1 or 2 drops of vanilla essence
1 3/4 cups self raising flour
250g choc chips

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugars until pale.
Beat in the eggs and the vanilla until nicely mixed.
Beat in the sifted flour until mixed through.
Fold through the choc chips.

Grease or line a baking tray with baking paper. Roll dough into teaspoon sized balls and pop onto the tray. Bake for ten to twelve minutes. If you like them chewy don’t let them brown. They will crisp up as they cool down. makes about 48.

Apply to the mouth.

I don’t know why I make cookies more often, they are just so easy. And delicious.

I was wondering why they weren’t flatter, and then I remembered the self raising flour. Do you use self raising flour for cookies? I might try plain flour instead next time for a flatter, more traditional cookie.

They certainly hit the spot.