Girl in the Pjs

February Photo-a-day week 1.5

2012-02-12T09:27:00.000+09:30

I've been participating sporadically in the Fat Mum Slim February Photo a Day Challenge. As my total photos for Feb are 4, I thought I'd throw in my two crafternoon photos from this week. Monday I made a mobile for above the baby crib and on Wednesday I made a lot of bunting for our pre-baby BBQ this weekend. Photos of the finished products will be shown soon, I promise :)

36 Weeks

2012-02-10T09:45:00.000+09:30

This barely deserves a 'frockin' up' title & so I haven't given it one, however what you can't tell from the photo is that I have showered & am wearing tinted moisturiser and eye make-up. So 'frockin' up' has been attempted and this post will be labeled as such.

Much like during our time in Revelstoke, this maternity leave/new baby time could be an excuse to wear pjs and no make-up all day and while I am all for pjs & make-up free days, it is nice to dress up, even a little. Hence wearing a lick of make-up with what I refer to as 'my bank robber' outfit. As with my Revelstoke resolution which started these 'Frockin' Up' posts (see here), over the coming weeks I am going to ensure that my pjs only days are restricted to one or two days a week & that most days I've showered & attempted to make myself presentable. This shouldn't be too hard, should it?

Much Love Monday

2012-02-07T09:03:00.002+09:30

Love: Getting things done I am ticking things off the big to do list in my head & it feels great! This week I am going to the dentist, getting my tax done for the last two financial years (I found everything I need to do this too. All I am missing is one 6 month statement. AMAZING), getting my hair cut and coloured. Nick & I are finishing the touches on the baby room, the house and the backyard. Things are getting done. We also finished watching season one of True Blood which has been on my list for ages, but the dvd player on my computer was stuck to Canada..... Things are getting done!!!

What are you loving this Monday?

(Well, it's still Monday somewhere right?)

See other Much Love Monday links here

Nursery Progress - Eclectic & Crazy

2012-02-04T10:06:00.000+09:30

As we continue to put the nursery together, I'm finding more & more that it isn't sticking to one particular look. Many of the nurseries on blogs have a clear colour scheme & everything fits within it. Well, ours is becoming more & more eclectic. So I was delighted to find this nursery on Apartment Therapy this morning.

Images: Souris Hong-Porretta via Apartment Therapy

I love that there isn't just a two or three colour scheme and I love that it incorporates all sorts of art, not just art deemed for 'kids' rooms. It's given me a bit of courage to make our mix work.

See more of the room on Apartment Therapy here and check out the blog of the room's owners, Tiny Iron Fists. It's the first blog I've seen that mainly uses video rather than photography and it works well.

Check out my Pinterest board, Maybe Baby, for more nursery inspiration.

Frockin' up - AACTA Awards edition

2012-02-01T17:48:00.000+09:30

If you're like me you may have been wondering what on earth the AACTA Awards are. Well, the AACTA Awards is the new name for the AFI Awards and you can't have enough awards nights now can you? And let's face it, for the majority of us awards nights are all about ogling frocks. Collette Dinnigan's frocks were a winner with me, her dresses can be seen below on Gracie Otto, Cherie Cassidy and herself. I also thought Claudia Karven's dress was a winner, a bit of animal print never goes astray.

Who was your favourite?

Frockin' up - last day of work, week 35

2012-01-31T07:48:00.001+09:30

Dress - Sadie
Shoes - Thongs - the only shoes that fit me now!
Necklace - Black Jewls

Today is my last day at work. I never thought that I would actually be looking forward to it. I love my job. I love that I have employment in my chosen field when through out uni people wondered how an Anthropology degree would get you a job outside of academia. The people I work with are fantastic and the job is fun, but.....

it's so uncomfortable sitting in an office chair. Putting my feet up hurts my back, but not putting them up hurts my feet. My feet swell too much to be able to do anything outside the office (not good when part of my job is to be in the great outdoors) plus I fell like I need to pee pretty much every time I stand up. I get so tired I need coffee mid-morning & at lunch just to get through the day which is not ideal. So it's time to give it up, put my feet up & rest a little before this baby arrives.

PS. My dad just mentioned that all the women in his family have given birth two weeks early! Plus my friend said she went 3.5 weeks early with her first! AGH! 3.5 weeks is the weekend after next!!

Nursery progress

2012-01-28T07:00:00.000+09:30

The nursery preparation has begun.

Nick put together the bookshelf and crib while Elton & I 'helped'

Well, Elton played in the paper & then took a nap

I've been asked a lot recently if the nursery is set up & if we have everything and it's a little bit stressful saying no. So it's nice to finally have it started.

Details thus far:

The bookcase is from Kmart. I wouldn't recommend them. Out of the 4 we bought, 2 had to be returned as they were faulty.
The crib is from Ikea. Yep, they deliver to the Northern Territory.
The little chair and rocker are mine from when I was a kid.
The cushion on the rocker was made by Noosh
The monkey is from BlaBla Kids

Beach love - Lorne

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000+09:30

Lorne, January 2012

Happy Australia Day!!

Photo taken with Diana Mini

Bikinis & Pregnancy

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000+09:30

Taken by Nick with his new GoPro

Jessica Rudd recently wrote this piece for MamaMia about how amazing she's finding her body to be now that she's pregnant. In the past she'd go through a major body prep ritual to prepare for wearing a bikini, but now that she's pregnant she didn't think twice about putting on the bikini & heading for the water.

While I've always proudly worn bikinis despite my wobbly bits, I know there are many who don't. And you know what? You're most likley never going to be skinnier than you are now. Don't wait for a pregnancy to make you accept your body for what it is. Go for it. Crack out that bikini & wear it proudly.

Birthday Weekend

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000+09:30

My birthday weekend started nicely with a dip in this lovely pool Friday night

Saturday morning Elton & I snuggled while I caught up on the interwebs goings on & an episode of Grey's Anatomy

Dress - French Kitty

Once Nick finished work we headed into town for lunch at Page 27, followed by the Muppet movie.

Dress - Jay Jays

We had my birthday dinner with Nick's family & my friend Noosh, at Hanuman.

Sunday morning Nick made pancakes to accompany the raspberry coulis I'd made. YUM!

How was your weekend?

Baby Things

2012-01-21T09:59:00.001+09:30

After spending a few hours with my friends and their gorgeous new born baby I realised how grossly underprepared we are for the arrival of the baby. Their baby went through a change of clothes and blankets within the first hour I was there & what about the rest of the day?

Turns out we do already have 5 baby muslin wraps, the baby books say to have 6, so we're doing ok here. But the clothes are another story. We have maybe two or three newborn - 3 month old onesies. So yesterday I happened by Target, where they are having a massive baby sale (yes you can buy giant babies from them) and picked up a few cute onesies. Don't tell they baby, but they're mostly 'boy' ones. Why are all the girl clothes pink and the boy ones cool patterns (like the whales & elephants below) or fun green and blue? Well, she's going to rock the cool 'boy' clothes.

Now to go back next week and get the lotions, nappies, cot sheets , baby monitor, etc, etc.

Frockin' up - Baby Bump 33 weeks

2012-01-20T10:53:00.000+09:30

Scarf - Sportsgirl
T-shirt - Sportsgirl
Skirt - K-Mart
Thongs - Havianas
Glasses - Raybans

I finally found my other pair of thongs, only to depressingly realise that thongs aren't the only shoes that fit me right now. Over the last few months I've stretched the pair I've been wearing to fit my feet! Ugh. Anyway, as usual black clothing manages to make me look only half the size of a house.

Weekend round up

2012-01-16T15:03:00.000+09:30

Nap time with Sir Elton

Chewy Cinnamon Cookies made from this recipe

Catching up on Bones on the laptop
as we have yet to plug in the DVD player.
Note: Swollen Pregnancy feet

Eggplant & ricotta roll ups for dinner
from this recipe

Also on Saturday we finally attended an antenatal class. Not as scary as I imagined. Plus most other ladies there were as far along as me, so we aren't the only ones who leave it until the last minute.

How was your weekend?

On New Years Resolutions

2012-01-15T07:00:00.000+09:30

I think I might just adopt these New Years Resolutions, borrowed from Virginia Woolf

Sometimes to read, sometimes not to read.

To go out yes—but stay at home in spite of being asked.

As for clothes, to buy good ones.

See her other resolutions here - The Migrant Bookclub

Photo taken with Diana Mini

The Love Train

2012-01-14T05:39:00.000+09:30

I know we've just finished Christmas & it's way too early to be thinking about this, but the Love Train Postcard set is perfect for letting someone (maybe your Valentine? Or your long lost friend? Or your best friend?) know that you are thinking of them around this commercial holiday that can be rather lonely.

Purchase the Love Train Postcard Set here.

Best JB-HiFi Review

2012-01-13T11:00:00.000+09:30

Also, this review of Keeping up with the Kardashians is pretty spot on...

Photo from The Wall

Moonrise Kingdom

2012-01-13T08:38:00.002+09:30

I cannot wait for this movie to come out. Summer camp, running away from home, vintage dresses, oh yes!

Beach love - Porteau Cove v Marengo

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000+09:30

Porteau Cove, BC, Canada

Canadian beaches have a delightfully winter feel about them. You can imagine walking the beach in your boots with your jacket pulled tightly around you. Australian beaches, on the other hand, have a distinctly summer feel about them. Bright sunlight & white sand lead you to believe that the weather is much warmer than it is. In reality, the weather was roughly the same temperature the day I took both photos.

Margeno, VIC, Australia

Photos taken with Diana Mini

Baby Bump 31 Weeks

2012-01-07T09:00:00.000+09:30

Wow, when we drove down to Apollo Bay I was 30 weeks, while we were there I was 31 weeks and I drove back in week 32. It is amazing how different the weeks are.

During week 30 I could still wear my wedding rings, by the end of week 31 I could wear them no longer. For everyone who said the swelling was bad due to the heat, well it was 19 degrees in Apollo Bay and I still couldn't wear any shoes other than my thongs due to my fat feet.

I now can't walk more than 5m without needing to pee. Weirdly enough I can sit for hours without needing to pee. Useful for long car trips. It must just be because of where she's pressing when I'm standing?

I slept and slept while we were away. Going to bed by 10:30pm, waking around 9:00am, then having a 1.5hr nap in the afternoon around 3. So tired.

By the end of week 31 my belly ached and ached. She's growing way to quickly for me to catch up! On the drive down I wondered what everyone was fussing about, the drive was fine, I was as comfortable as you can be in a ute. The drive back was a different story. So uncomfortable, baby pressing up against ribs, back aching, wishing I had flown back.

Other than that I'm just 'glowing' - more likely it's the sweat glistening in the 41 degree Alice Springs heat.

Roadtrippin' - Alice Springs to Apollo Bay

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000+09:30

This year we drove down to Apollo Bay for Christmas with Nick's family, stopping in Adelaide for a few days to have first Christmas with my family. It's fun to have two Christmases!

The drive from Alice Springs to Apollo Bay covers 2310km and takes two days. In the past we'd flown, but this time we needed to pick up some of our stuff we had stored at Nick's family beach house. So we borrowed a ute and drove. While there's no denying that it's quite a drive, it is interesting watching the landscape change as you move across the country. From hills in the Territory to scrubland in South Australia to farmland in Victoria. If you get a chance to drive you should do it.

Sunrise leaving Alice Springs

Early morning on the Stuart Highway

Camper, Shoe tree & rain at Kulgera, NT

Mines approaching Coober Pedy, SA

The happy driving couple

Train south of Port Pirie, SA

Vineyards & gum trees at Padthaway, SA

One lane highway between Harrow & Balmoral, VIC

Highway between Caramut & Hexham, VIC

Great Ocean Road between Skenes Creek & Apollo Bay

2011 the year that was

2011-12-31T09:00:00.000+09:30

Snow!!

Revelstoke, Lake Louise & Red Mountain

Too much Poutine & Wings

Mid-Season Bush Break

Vancouver in the Spring

Ferry rides and Camping

Seattle trip with my brother

Pregnant!!

Renovations

What a year it's been, we've gone from snow to desert, from Canada to Australia. We've renovated (though that is far from finished, so I guess should be said that we're renovating). We're having a baby!! So 2012 is bound to be exciting, bring it on!! Happy New Year!!

Best Movies: Bridesmaids & Super 8

Album on repeat: The Green Album

Books: Finished the Diane Fallon series by Beverly Connor

Read about what happened in 2010 here

Merry Christmas

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000+09:30

Presents are wrapped and nestled under the tiny twig Christmas tree. Work is finishing up and it's almost time to pack up the car & head down south to the beach & our quick Christmas holiday.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas. Enjoy xx

Just a Minute in December

2011-12-18T09:00:00.000+09:30

Reading...... King Brown Country by Russell Skelton. A investigative exploration into the running of Papunya, an indigenous community in the Northern Territory. I'd heard rumors of many of the things written in the book, shocking & saddening to have them confirmed.

Listening....... Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits and She & Him Christmas Album

Making....... Gingerbread. Am using an excellent (ie easy) recipe I found in a Woolworth's catalogue - see below.

Watching...... Gilmore Girls

Trying........ to decrease my puffy feet. Not having much luck with this.

Christmas Gingerbread

1/2 cup brown sugar

125g unsalted butter, softened

1 egg

2 & 1/2 cups plain flour

1 tsp bi-carb soda

2 tsp ground ginger

3 tbs golden syrup

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

2. Cream brown sugar and butter together until light & fluffy (I use electric beaters for this). Beat in egg until mixed.

3. Sift plain flour, bi-carb soda and ginger together, add to creamed mixture.

4. Stir in golden syrup

5. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured board & knead lightly for a few minutes. Wrap in cling wrap & chill for 30 minutes

6. Roll out mixture until 5mm thick

7. Cut into gingerbread men or Christmas shapes

8. Bake on trays covered with baking paper for 10 minutes

9. When cool, decorate with icing

A very Calvin & Hobbes Christmas

2011-12-16T08:54:00.001+09:30

This video was shared on my twitter this morning & I love it.

Wishing just a little that we were near the snow this Christmas, however I will take a beach Christmas over the snow any day, how about you?

Baby Bump 28 Weeks

2011-12-10T08:27:00.001+09:30

Thongs/flip flops are the only shoes that will fit on my feet & over the weekend even this was doubtful. Turns out 40 degrees Celsius & 40% humidity inflates you like a balloon. The heat also causes all sorts of other ugly problems I won't even mention here.

Top: Urban Outfitters
Pants: Kmart
Shoes: Havianas
Glasses: Raybans

Since this photo was taken we now have a bed, making getting up two or three times a night much more easy. We also have couches! Yay! Comfy places to sit. Life's little luxuries.

My Christmas Tree

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000+09:30

We had our first annual Christmas party last Saturday night & it was only right that the house reflected a little Christmas spirit. The above photo is our Christmas tree. I love the simple stick Christmas tree, but when I asked Nick about it he said 'it's a nice table decoration, not a Christmas tree'. Mmmm, thanks for the feedback. Needless to say, next year, with the baby, we'll have a 'proper' Christmas tree!

Above are some of the other decorations and below is the house ready for the party (sorry for the blur!). I'd hung strands of star christmas decorations on fishing line (incredibly hard to find in Alice Springs (nearest ocean/river 2000km away) from the ceiling. Unfortunately you can't really see them in the photo below. I'm going to recycle the stars into a mobile for the baby's room.

We also made gingerbread & sausage rolls, two Christmas essentials, and many, many cocktails.

How's your Christmas looking?

PS. One of my favourite bloggers, Nat The Fat Rat, is posting each day about other bloggers Christmas trees (see them here)

The new pram

2011-12-05T08:04:00.001+09:30

My friend was at a lawn sale Saturday morning and spotted this beauty! She'd seen it at a lawn sale a few years ago but wasn't pregnant then and passed it up. So she was pretty excited to see it again & while she didn't feel comfortable buying me a pram, she told me all about it yesterday & we went back to the lawn sale house. Luckily it hadn't sold & we are now the proud owners of a vintage pram!

The hard wheels are well suited to Alice Springs. We have so many prickles here that the wheels on modern prams get a lot of punctures. Hard wheels just roll right over the top.

A little work is needed to get the pram up to specs. The navy lining is a little ripped at the feet end & on half of one side and it also needs a new mattress but other than a little dust & cleaning, the pram perfect. Hopefully the upholsterer can fix the lining.

I am so thankful to my friend for thinking of us. She also gave a a huge bag of baby clothes she'd picked up at the lawn sales, many of which were hardly worn Pure Baby & Seed clothes. The only proviso is that she'd like them back if she has a girl one day. I'm fine with those terms. Lucky, lucky us!!

Mini Diana bush wedding love

2011-11-30T20:33:00.001+09:30

I recently had these photos from my mate's wedding developed. Taken way back in March, during my brief hiatus from the chilly Canandian winter. I love the bush and each element of this wedding reflected the bush setting so wonderfully. All decorations, design were made locally and local suppliers were used. The perfect bush wedding.

Frockin' up - ARIA edition

2011-11-28T09:28:00.001+09:30

The ARIA (Australian Music Industry) Awards were held last night. I love a good frock watch, here are a few of my favourites:

Kimbra in Jamie Lee.If you haven't checked out here collection, you should. Her clothes are a fabulous infusion of colour & ruffle. They make you happy just looking at them.

Delta Goodrem in Lisa Ho. An elegant twist on a long, formal dress.

Sarah Blasko, Holly Throsby & Sally Seltman (Seeker, Lover, Keeper). All three ladies look gorgeous in their formal causal outfits. I love the ruffle on the front of Blasko's dress & her red lipstick & nails. She brings a bit of Melbourne chic to the Sydney event.

Who was your best dressed ARIA pick?

PS I will post a Walkley Awards (for excellence in Journalism) edition as soon as I find some photos.

Source: Photos from Harper's Bazzar

Frockin' up - Baby Edition

2011-11-25T08:51:00.001+09:30

Source: Bonds clothing pics from Bonds

Each week I've been sneaking a little something for the baby into the shopping trolley. Mostly Bonds stuff in sizes she wont need for a little while.

I love this off centre jumpsuit. The little feet are just too cute.

The second outfit is a pj set. The pjs are actually a cool shade of hot pink, despite looking a little red in this picture.

And did you know, Bonds now have an online store, complete with Maternity stuff? Excellent for when Target doesn't have what you want in your size.

Are you a Bonds lover? I can't get enough.

Christmas Gift Tags

2011-11-20T11:01:00.001+09:30

Christmas gift tags are now available in my etsy shop. You can pick up a set of 3 for $2.50. There are two sets to choose from, Gingerbread & Eccentric Snowmen.

Gingerbread

Eccentric Snowmen

Perfect for jazzing up a gift or using as small Christmas cards.

To purchase, click here

Kermit & Brett - The Muppets meet Flight of the Concords

2011-11-20T10:48:00.001+09:30

Did you know that many of the songs on the new Muppet movie were written by Bret McKenzie from Flight of the Concords? Well, neither did I until a friend of mine posted a link to a New York Times article on it (see article here). What better collaboration could there be than the Muppets & Flight of the Concords? I cannot wait for the release of this movie.

Do you love the Muppets? Are you counting the sleeps until the premiere?

Gingerbread lattes & Macarons

2011-11-11T16:25:00.001+09:30

Source: Donna Hay

My love of Macarons (macaroons) is quite strong & there is no where in Alice Springs to treat yourself to a Macaron with your coffee. So when I spotted the Donna Hay packet mix Macarons I was excited but apprehensive. My friend Noosh had made macarons a while ago & I remembered that it required a lot of work. Thus I avoided buying the mix for quite a number of weeks, but as I had this week off work, my list of excuses was running low. So what if they took all afternoon? What else was I going to do?

Making the macarons turned out to be quite easy. Of course Donna Hay has done the hard work. As long as you have a good hand mixer, you're set. This mix isn't like other mixes where you need to buy a shit load of other ingredients, all you need is a tiny bit of light cream to melt the chocolate, something you could skip in a pinch. My macarons didn't quite turn out as pretty as the picture on the packet, but they tasted great.

The perfect accompaniment to my macarons was a homemade gingerbread latte. It's that time of year again & the nearest Starbucks is 2000kms away, plus do you really want to spend your money & time there when there are so many other great coffee houses around? I figured that google might have a recipe for me & it didn't disappoint. I've typed out the recipe below, it was originally from here. All I will add is that I found the flavour to be stronger & more syrupy after refrigerating the mix overnight. All you need to do is add it to your milk before you heat the milk & it will be nice & strong. Also works well chilled.

Sticky Gram

2011-11-10T10:06:00.000+09:30

So fridge magnets can be a little daggy but what better magnets to have than your own instragram photos? Sticky Gram* turns your instragram photos into magnets for a small fee & they have free postage! Free postage means everything when you live in Alice Springs. They arrived within 12 working days. Also a small miracle given it normally takes at least 4 working days, if not more, to get a letter from Melbourne. Anyhoo, the magnets are fabulous.

*This is not a paid endorsement, I just love the product

Baby Bitar - Nursery Inspiration

2011-11-08T07:00:00.000+09:30

Baby Bitar is a GIRL!! We are so excited. Well, we would have been excited either way, but it sure is nice to know. She was plenty squirmy during the ultrasound a few weeks ago, and she has her fighting moves down, balling up her hands into fists & covering her face with them when the technician was poking her.

My nursery inspiration has certainly narrowed down since finding out. We're thinking grey walls with lime green and yellow furniture/textile accents. Something not too girly, but still baby appropriate.

Source: Ninemsn

Source: Apartment Therapy

Apartment Therapy

Source: TheStirCafeMom.com

You can see more nursery inspiration & other cute baby things on my pinterest board Maybe Baby

Reno update & inspiration

2011-11-06T10:47:00.000+09:30

You know when you pull up the carpet (more like when you watch Nick, Scotty & Jade pull up the carpet) and find lino & the all the tilers you speak to recommend pulling it up? Well then you know exactly what Nick is doing this weekend. Unfortunately (hehe) pulling up lino is not a pregnant lady job so I am taking it easy this weekend.

It has been a good weekend for collating inspiration photos. I am so excited about finishing off the painting and decorating the house.

Love a good chalkboard wall, perfect for shopping lists, event lists etc...

Source: Refinery29.com

Great dining table & blue chair..

Source: Homelife.com.au

Grey walls with orange

Source: A Girl in Transit

Lime green & Orange walls!! Yay!!

Source: Design Sponge

Many more inspiration photo can be found on my pinterest board Cool Digs

The Rest is Silence

2011-11-05T09:14:00.000+09:30

I am participating in an art exhibition which starts this Tuesday night (8th November), so if you're in Melbourne, get down to Death Be Kind, 134 Lygon St East Brunswick & check it out.

The Snow

2011-11-03T01:00:00.000+09:30

With Christmas just around the corner, this postcard set is perfect for sending out a little bit of winter cheer to a mate.

The photos were taken at Revelstoke Mountain Resort last winter. A world away from the Australian summer I'm experiencing right now!

Pick up a set here.

Frockin' Up - Swap till you Drop

2011-11-02T07:00:00.000+09:30

Last Friday night my friend hosted a 'Swap till you drop' night. We each had to bring six clothing or accessory items. We then received 6 buttons we could trade for clothes. Shopping our friend's closets while giving away items we don't want.

It was so much fun. Nibbles, champagne & girly chats. Since I'm pregnant & have no idea when I'll be back to 'normal' I restrained myself from collecting too much. I did, however, get a lovely vest and a tank top.

This is what I wore:

Dress - Mink Pink from Mixed Lollies
Boots - Random Store in Barcelona

23 Weeks

Colour swatch issues

2011-10-31T20:55:00.000+09:30

So sometimes the paint doesn't look like the colour swatch when you paint a whole wall of it. Nor does it look like the tester section you painted. It just looks slightly pink rather than steely grey, especially under lights. And thus we had to revert back to Whisper White (our ceiling white) after trying yet another grey that looked purple when painted on the wall. So long Polar Bear.

We have now painted all the walls downstairs, apart from the skirting boards. With a bit of help from our friends, Nick pulled up the carpet and I've painted some feature walls. It's coming along nicely.

Here are a few progress snaps I captured on my iPhone:

The Chalkboard Wall

The green wall

A spot of orange, which I am still unsure about

Read more about our paint selection here

Wisdom

2011-10-28T07:00:00.000+09:30

So I'm starting to rethink the wisdom of being 5 and a half months pregnant, renovating the house & working full time. My feet are swollen again and I am so tired I can't even think to finish this job application I'm working on. Plus I have to wrap an artwork to send to Melbourne tomorrow morning (I'm a contributing artist in this exhibition, nothing like leaving things to the last minute). Agh.

The midwife says that everything is fine with the baby, but I'm sure that slowing down just a little wouldn't be a bad thing. My iron levels are down so I've been given the all clear to have lots of Milo - YUM!!

How's your week been?

The Sunflowers

2011-10-26T01:00:00.000+09:30

On an early morning walk in Riberac, France, I came across this field that once contained sunflowers. Left along the edge of the field were these dying sunflowers which looked so beautiful, & at the same time heartbreaking, in the early morning light. The photos I took became the Sunflower Postcard Set.

This postcard set can be used as birthday cards or framed as collection.

Purchase the Sunflowers Postcard Set here.

Selecting Paint Colours

2011-10-25T07:00:00.000+09:30

Nick loves bright colours and a few years ago he bought wooden cd boxes from Carey Potter at the Rose Street Markets. The cd boxes are in blue, green, orange and red. Using the colours of the cd boxes, we came up with a colour selection which would be the base point to start from.

Colour Selection

There was much debate as to whether or not we have white walls. I'm against them, having lived in the house before with white walls, it all tended to be a bit too white for my liking. Maybe because I tend to wear a lot of black, it's nice to have colour in my home?

We selected two Dulux whites to try, natural white & whisper white. We painted a test patch & when we returned the next day, of course we'd forgotten what was what. The whites seemed to blend too much with what was already on the walls and we came to the conclusion that a greyish or brownish white was needed.

A second trip to the paint store, while Nick began jackhammering up the tiles, and I returned with Haymes Sandstorm, Taupe Grey and Polar Bear. On the colour cards Taupe Grey looked a lot more like Polar Bear and Sandstorm was about three shades lighter.

Polar Bear was the winner, the others would have made the space a little too dark against the grey tiles we're having put down. Whisper White will cover the ceiling & skirting boards.

Colour for feature wall in living room

Recognising that at this stage we don't have a lot of colourful furniture nor artwork, we decided that a feature wall in the living area would add that little bit of colour. For the wall we've chosen Haymes Jade Lime.

Colour for feature wall in bathroom

While we had the idea to accentuate white bathroom walls with colourful towels, it's hard to find towels in the right colours & much easier to find beige/brown towels & have a colourful wall instead. We chose Wattyl Tangella+ for the bathroom feature wall. The other walls in the bathroom will be either Whisper White or Polar Bear.

Colour for laundry

My Aunt has a laundry/toilet that is painted a Cobalt Blue & the more I thought about it the more I liked the colour. We opted for Haymes Ultra Blue. The whole laundry will be painted this colour, with the white basin, tiles, toilet & washing machine to break it up.

Now onto the hard part, prepping the walls & painting.

Tattooed Barbie

2011-10-23T09:50:00.001+09:30

Mattel has released a limited edition tattooed Barbie called tokidoki Barbie. While the thing I think I like best about her is her leopard print leggings & bone top, it's also worth noting that her dog is wearing a halloween costume!

Source - Daily Mail

Some parents are complaining that the doll gives girls the wrong idea about tattoos, but seriously, really? You're going to get a tattoo because your barbie has one? You're more likely to get a tattoo because your Uncle Craig has cool tattoos than because your barbie has them. Plus most of these were sold to collectors anyway. You're not going to see them on the shelves at K-Mart anytime soon.

I'm just bummed because I found out about her too late. Tokidoki Barbie is sold out everywhere except ebay. Somehow $319 is not as tempting as $50!

See further article about tokidoki Barbie here

Baby Bump 21 Weeks

2011-10-22T17:52:00.002+09:30

21 Weeks - Photo taken by Nick

Frockin' Up - Sunday Arvo edition

2011-10-22T10:09:00.000+09:30

Ok, so this photo is less than flattering, but all the other ones I took were blurry. Last Sunday was my friend Marni's baby shower. A fun afternoon which ended in us starting a sweep (betting) on when she'd be due & what sex the baby will be. Good Times. Due last Thursday the baby isn't here yet. I'm thinking it will be here next Friday (28th), but Marni is hoping it's here way, way, way before then.

Dress - Anthropologie
Shoes - Witchery
Beads - bead shop in Victoria, BC

The Renovators

2011-10-19T07:16:00.002+09:30

While I haven't seen the show 'The Renovators' it has become my life at the moment. We had decided to re-paint my place before moving back in & put up some new curtains. From this 'simple' renovation, it has quickly turned into a host of other renos.

As you can see in the above photo, the townhouse is open planned downstairs, with tiles in the kitchen & carpet in the living & dinning rooms. I've always wanted to rip up the carpet & tile through out. I figured it was something we could do later. But it did make more sense to do it now, before we move in. So new tiles here we come.

While we're putting in new tiles, we might as well change the tapwear & install new toilets. It's going to be a busy few weeks.

Frockin' Up - Weekly Edition

2011-10-15T07:00:00.000+09:30

Last Saturday we attended a BBQ for a friend's 30th. It was a delightful afternoon, eating, drinking (me hitting the Perrier hard) and catching up. This is what I wore....

Top - Motherhood Maternity
Leggings - Kmart
Shoes - Witchery
Green Bracelet - Dinosaur Designs
Black Bracelet - Sportsgirl
Silver Bracelets - Mixed Lollies

The Mini Di

2011-10-14T07:00:00.000+09:30

I love how the Diana Mini creates visual illusions through overlapping photos and a soft focus.

The two photos in the first row were taken in Riberac, France. The first photo in the second row was taken in Bristol, England. The final photo was taken in Monbazillac, France.

Use this postcard set to tell a friend you're thinking of them.

You can purchase the set here.

20 week ultrasound

2011-10-12T06:00:00.000+09:30

Today we have the 20 week ultrasound. I am so excited about seeing the baby again and this is the scan where we find out if it is a boy or a girl!

I can't wait to find out. I couldn't imagine having to wait until it's born to find out. March is so far away! I love that everyone has strong opinions on this. What's your opinion? Did you/would you find out or did you/would you wait?

Bushfire sunset

2011-10-10T06:30:00.000+09:30

During our first two weeks back in Alice Springs there were numerous bushfires close to town. The air was filled with ash, making it seem cloudy when it wasn't. A lot of people had breathing difficulties and the fires are causing pneumonia in native animals (read more about that here). While the fires around town have calmed down somewhat, bushfires still rage out near the Plenty Highway. It is estimated that 20% of pastoral land south of Tennant Creek has burned and this figure doesn't include non-pastoral land. Scary stuff.

Crazy busy

2011-10-09T11:28:00.001+09:30

I knew life would get crazy busy when we moved back to Alice Springs but I think I completely underestimated how crazy busy it would get. Between starting a full time temp job, picking out items to begin renovating my place (new tiles! new taps! Paint!), doctors & hospital appointments for my pregnancy, catching up with friends (I have a social life again - yay!), and day to day living (grocery shopping, washing etc) it has been non-stop go.

My body chucked a fit about this yesterday and today I'm taking it easy. Ticking off everything on my list of online jobs, doing some washing and then baking healthy biscuits (cookies) to take to work next week. What are you up to today? Taking it easy or super flat out?

PS I added a new postcard set to my etsy store this morning. In this set you get to choose 4 postcards from a selection of 8. Check it out here.
I know it seems way too early for this, but I also added two sets of 3 Christmas gift tags, eccentric snowmen & gingerbread. Check them out here & here. Did you know it's only ten weeks until Christmas? ARG!

The Rachel Zoe Project

2011-09-29T06:30:00.000+09:30

So I'm a little late on this one, after all it is up to season 4, but after watching one of the season 4 episodes, I've become a little addicted. I downloaded the other three seasons and am now almost through season 3.

Aside from the fashion, which is amazing, it's great watching someone build their business, with all the problems & challenges that go along with it. Rachel & Rodger are just the cutest couple. They've been together for well over ten years and make a great partnership with him handling the business end & her the fashion end.

Get into it, you won't regret it. You will wonder where the day went as you watch back to back episodes....

Exhausted

2011-09-27T10:06:00.001+09:30

Moving countries is exhausting. I had all these errands to run yesterday but ended up spending the morning watching the Rachel Zoe Project. When Nick came home for lunch I managed to fall down the steps outside our place. Hurt knee & twisted ankle then lead to almost fainting while sitting at a table. Not too good. This meant that the afternoon was spent with my legs up watching the Rachel Zoe Project. Errands put off for another day.

Above are some photos from my day. Due to the awful bushfires that currently surround Alice Springs, the skies have been hazy with the most amazing colours. It was fascinating watching the colours change over the course of the day. How was your Monday?

The Spaces Between

2011-09-25T01:00:00.000+09:30

Today I'm featuring my postcard set, The Spaces Between. I love a good bit of street art, how it settles with the spaces around it and between it.

The top two photos were taken in Fitzroy, Melbourne. The garbage can photo was taken in a Melbourne CBD laneway and the last photo was taken in Mitte, Berlin.

I love to use this postcard set as birthday cards for friends. But it's also great for just sending a note or a thank you.

Pick up a set for yourself here.

Frockin' up - post flight edition

2011-09-23T07:00:00.000+09:30

There is nothing better after an international flight than a long hot shower, well actually a long soak in the bath with a few back issues of Aussie Vogue & Inside Out, is a little bit better. This is exactly what I got up to yesterday afternoon. And at the end of the soak, while shaving my legs I took a good look at my ankles, discovering that they had swollen to the size of balloons. Ugh. I am assuming this is a combination of the plane flight & pregnancy, not the bath. Anyway so this is what I wore to cheer myself up after bath & for dinner at Nick's mum's place:

Top: American Eagle
Skirt: American Apparel

Hair Sparkle: Ban Do

While passing through duty free we treated ourselves to a few goodies, Oh Lola for me & booze for Nick. I think it's quite mean of him to pick up such nice gin when I can't really have any of it. He's welcome to the DonJulio. Tequila? Yuck!

Home

2011-09-22T02:25:00.000+09:30

Today we will be reunited with this cute, cuddly/cold, indifferent cat. I can't wait!

Black & White

2011-09-20T01:31:00.000+09:30

The guy at the camera shop swore that this film was just like the Kodak Black & White 400 film that I bought last time, but now was out of stock. Turns out the film was nothing like the Kodak film & needed to be sent away for processing. I figured I'd find a place overseas to process it & almost a year later the film has been developed. Here are a few shots from around Alice Springs...

Love this car, but this laneway has a scary dog with a loud bark & I always nearly fall off my bike with fright each time I ride down it.

Can't wait to taste Casa Nostra's cheesy garlic focaccia & gnocchi with spinach again.

I have no idea why I had my Diana Mini in the carpark of McDonalds. Guess I was picking up a Sausage McMuffin & Hash Brown on a hungover morning?? You can just see ANZAC Hill from behind the building.

Day trip to Bellingham, WA

2011-09-18T01:30:00.000+09:30

Wednesday I woke up incredibly early & caught the greyhound bus to Bellingham, Washington State. I originally booked the trip to check out the Missoni for Target collection. But as less & less of my pants fit, it also became a maternity clothes trip.

The greyhound lets you off in Fairhaven, a historical district, with well preserved buildings and a leafy streetscape. From the greyhound station you can take a public transport bus into Downtown Bellingham for $1! Yep, $1. Public transport everyday people can afford. After disembarking downtown I wandered the city blocks to find a cafe for breakfast while I waited for the mall to open. Downtown reminds me of the 50s town in Back to the Future. Buildings from the same era. I could have just spent the day wandering the downtown.

I ended up finding a great cafe just down the block from the bus station. After only a few seconds in Avellino you get the idea that Bellingham is a close knit town where everyone knows everyone. The staff were so friendly. This should not be a surprise but rude staff has become the norm for a lot of cafes.

And it wasn't just downtown that were friendly. I caught the bus from downtown to the mall (again a $1) and at the mall people were friendly. At Target girls started talking to me about the meager Missoni selection left. The sales people at all store I went to were friendly & helpful. Back downtown at the post office the postal worker came out from behind the counter to help me pick out the appropriate package size for the things I needed to post. All the while greeting most customers by name. Amazing!

As for the Missoni? Well most of it was gone, the rest looking cheap & nasty. The suede high heel looked ok & I picked up a pair for my sister in law & myself. Since I fit into a child's large cardigan I bagged myself one of those too.

Did you realise the Missoni plates were plastic? The blouses polyester? Which is how they kept the prices so low. I can't decide if they have sold out or if they're clever, bringing their brand to the masses without making you ditch their high end brand.

Did you see the Missoni Collection? What did you think?

Oh & people of Vancouver? Head down to Bellingham for a lovely day. You won't regret it.

A Sunday in Vancouver

2011-09-17T06:01:00.002+09:30

If you're ever in Vancouver and stuck for something to do, rent a bike, ride into Stanley Park & stop by the Aquarium. Cute sea creatures, exercise & sunshine, what more could you want?

Thanks to Noosh's timekeeping skills & no thanks to me, we arrived in time to see the Beluga whale show. Unfortunately one of the whales we saw died today. Cause, as yet, unknown.

After the aquarium we continued on our bike ride around Stanley Park.

Stopping at the Teahouse for a spot of very late lunch (I think it was after 4). I had the sesame crusted Ahi Tuna & market vegetables. Yummy! The Teahouse makes great cocktails & will do a virgin strawberry daiquiri. Excellent after a long bike ride.

A perfect, Vancouver Sunday afternoon

Roadtrippin' - Enderby Flea Market

2011-09-13T01:30:00.000+09:30

The best thing about road trips is when you aren't on a break neck schedule & can do a quick u-turn after you've just passed an awesome flea market.

"People's Choice Market Place, 1 Shopping Adventure"

The stalls had everything you could want & more. From old records, to tea cups, to royal memorabilia, to toy cars, to fresh cherries

Nick would have loved to be able to purchase this awesome motor home. It is for sale, we just couldn't see a way of getting it to Australia.

"Thank you for shopping at the South Enderby Flea Market"

Roadtrippin' - 3 Valley Gap

2011-09-12T03:17:00.000+09:30

The next stop on our roadtrip from Calgary was the 3 Valley Gap Lake Chateau. The Chateau is like something out of a movie, perched on the edge of a lake, complete with a ghost town.

You could easily get lost inside the Chateau trying to get from one side to the other. While making our way to the restaurant we came across this awesome room. You could just imagine hosting a 70s party in this space.

If you follow me on twitter you'll know that this Chateau also boasts a titanic themed pool. A friend asked if they place Celine Dion, disappointingly, especially for a Canadian establishment, they did not.

The next day we visited the Ghost Town. We did not see any ghosts. We did, however, see numerous old buildings & old things. If you love vintage things, the 3 Valley Ghost Town is the place for you. It's like a large outdoor museum. Fun.

Roadtrippin' - Lake Louise

2011-09-11T01:30:00.000+09:30

Last week we did a whirlwind road trip to Calgary to return the trailer. My parents are visiting from Australia so it was a great chance for them to see a bit of the countryside. We be-lined straight through on the way there, stopping only at Revelstoke, but on the way back we took our time, stopping first at Lake Louise.

The Lake looked beautiful with the snow in the background and the flowers in the foreground.

And I just love this lady's grumpy take on our photo. Maybe just move over a little if you don't want your picture snapped? Anyway, it was delightful having afternoon tea at the Fairmont, though my San Pelligrino was a poor substitute for champagne.

Shoes! Tiny Shoes!!

2011-09-10T01:30:00.000+09:30

I've yet to do any baby shopping so while we were in Victoria Mum & I quickly popped into baby gap where I promptly fell in love with these cute, tiny shoes! I had to buy them (plus they were 25% off, can't say no to that!). We have no idea yet if we're having a boy or a girl and a number of members of our family are convinced the baby's a boy, but what if it's not and the baby missed out on wearing these cute shoes?

Construction bunting

2011-09-08T01:11:00.000+09:30

How cute is the bunting around this construction work in Victoria BC? They get their point across that there is a hazard without alarming you. Gives the street a little bit of a festive feel, don't you think?

Pregnancy books aka bricks

2011-09-06T01:30:00.002+09:30

Purchased my first pregnancy related book the other day. I'd put off buying any book till I was sure this one was sticking and mostly because the books all look like bricks. The one I purchased caught my eye, not just because of the size (a tenth of the bricks) but mostly because of the title: 'The lazy girl's guide to a blissful pregnancy'. Lazy girl - yep, blissful - yes please.

The author is British and her knowledgeable conversational tone makes you feel like you're having a chat with a girlfriend. All warm & cozy. She's put my mind at ease about a lot of things. Little things like 'am I seriously having hot flushes'? How to cope with friend's reactions and Pregnancy fashion. It also includes a section on things you might need to know post birth. All in book so light that it probably wouldn't hold a door open.

Architecture of Victoria BC

2011-09-04T01:30:00.001+09:30

Victoria has amazing old architecture reminiscent of old Melbourne architecture. On this last trip to Victoria I made sure to take a few photos, practicing my building technique.

As well as old buildings, Victoria also has a number of 'floating' houses, stumped into the water. More info on the floating houses can be found here.

Profile Pictures & Ultrasound scans

2011-09-02T01:43:00.002+09:30

As you may know from this post, we had an ultrasound Monday before last and I get a little bit now why people want to make the scan picture their profile picture on facebook. It is just so exciting to see that there is actually a baby in there. Since I stopped feeling really sick I kind of wondered if I made the whole thing up. Apart from the fact that you've not had your period for three months, there isn't a whole lot different.

Seeing the baby on the ultrasound made it all real again, we're actually having a baby! It's so exciting and that's why you end up making it your profile picture. But at the end of the day it does look like any other ultrasound picture of a baby & even then some people have trouble picking out what it is. So maybe your profile picture isn't the best place for it? A profile picture is supposed to be a picture of you after all. Maybe it's alright just giving the scan pride of place on the fridge? Or are you a profile picture kind of gal?

Cinnamon Rolls

2011-08-31T01:30:00.000+09:30

The other week I desperately wanted cinnamon rolls & having injured myself making the Cinabon ones from the can (who knew that you didn't have to open them with a can opener?) I figured that there must be a way to make them from scratch. Turns out there is. I used this recipe because it didn't use yeast & you don't have to leave them overnight.

I didn't have any icing sugar so I tried to use drinking chocolate. It didn't really work. I'd recommend getting the icing sugar. I also only had brown sugar, but that worked perfectly.

The recipe was really easy, give it a go!

Frockin' up - Ultrasound Edition

2011-08-29T01:30:00.000+09:30

Monday we were scheduled for the ultrasound & afterwoulds I was going to hit up Anthropologie to return a dress I bought in July (amazing that they will give you a full refund even though it was purchased more than a month ago, I did still have the tags on & the receipt) so it was the perfect time to get out of pjs/gym clothes uniform I have been sporting lately.

Cardigan: Banana Republic
Top: H&M
Jeans: American Eagle
Shoes: Tony Bianco

Overnight Adventure - Nanaimo

2011-08-27T00:30:00.000+09:30

Nanaimo has been on our to do list since we arrived in Vancouver. Last Wednesday we finally made the big ferry ride out there.

The big ferry (as opposed to the tiny Granville Island ferry) leaves from Horseshoe Bay and takes about 1.5hrs to make it's way to Nanaimo. Plenty of time for iPad reading.

Exploring the town in the late afternoon, we came across this laneway with cute mexican bunting, along with the lovely Wesley Street Restaurant. It was far too early for dinner so we kept walking & returned later that night for the most delicious dinner. A foodie paradise.

Nanaimo has a few old buildings left standing, including the old garage below. Opposite it was a lovely old pub, reminiscent of old Melbourne pubs, same architecture, including tiles on the bottom third of the outside walls. Unfortunately it was a strip joint & we didn't go inside to see if they'd retained original fixtures & mouldings.

Nanaimo has a frequent seaplane service to Vancouver. Late afternoon is perfect for seeing the planes returning.

The following day we had brunch at Mon Petit Choux, the cutest french bakery, bathed in sunlight. We sat for a long time savouring our tea & coffee, before we explored the rest of the downtown area. It wasn't long before we were starting to get hungry again, calling for yet another ferry ride, this time a small one, to the Dingy Dock Pub on Protection Island, a tiny Island of the coast of Nanaimo. The pub had everything you'd expect from a floating pirate themed pub, including a 100 year old skull found on the island. It also had great fish & chips.

Me on the Ferry

But all too soon it was time to head back to Nanaimo & catch the big ferry back to Vancouver.

Porteau Cove

2011-08-25T03:30:00.000+09:30

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to get a last minute spot at Porteau Cove. The Porteau Cove campsite is a government site & is booked out sold for months in advance. Somehow we snagged a free site, just back from the water. In the photo below you can see the waterfront sites. So pretty.

A late afternoon spent reading on the beach. Nick cooked up a a yummy sausage appetizer on our tiny BBQ. The Rocky Mountaineer roared past & I managed to snap a photo as it disappeared around the bend (I nearly called it the Ghan, what country am I in now?).

A quick steak dinner back at the campsite

Then back to the beach to watch the sunset.

A cozy campfire & neighbours with marshmellows made us realise that the next time we go camping we have to have marshmellows. It's non negotiable.

The next morning was another bright sunny day. You can just spot the snow still at the top of the mountain. I guess the snow isn't going anywhere as it's only going to get colder from now on.

Salty & Sweet

2011-08-24T03:02:00.001+09:30

For the first few weeks I was pregnant could eat nothing but salty, savory food. Each day I woke up with that terrible nauseous feeling, like being hungover but without the fabulous memories from a great night out. Vegemite on Wholemeal English Muffins was the only thing that got me through. I had them at least two or three times a day.

Now that I'm well past the ten weeks mark, I've moved onto other tastes. Mainly for sweet things like pastries, which I don't normally go for, I'm way more of a savoury person. I have not stopped wanting Cinnamon rolls. These ones were made using a can from the supermarket.

I have also been making a lot of muffins for breakfast. With so many fresh berries in Vancouver this time of year, it's a crime not to! These muffins have a lot less sugar than cinnamon rolls, using less than half a cup of sugar & substituting yogurt for the rest of the sugar. The muffins below are blackberry ginger. Just get a plain muffin recipe off the internet & add a teaspoon of powdered ginger. Yum!

You you have any weird food cravings?

Big News

2011-08-23T06:16:00.001+09:30

After much thought & deliberation we have decided to move back to Australia. I've been unable to find a job in my field to even apply for, let alone feel the sting of rejection. I really miss all our Aussie friends and our fluffy cat Sir Elton. It has been a fabulous holiday but it's time to head home.

On a bigger note, we're expecting a baby at the beginning of March! We're so excited and very apprehensive, lest anything should happen. I was feeling fairly sick up to about week 10 and now that I'm not feeling sick it kind of doesn't feel like I'm pregnant any more. Which is silly. Yesterday was the beginning of the second trimester and this morning I had an ultrasound. It was awesome seeing the baby for the first time. This really is happening folks!

Warning signs

2011-08-22T02:47:00.000+09:30

We were camping up at Squamish a few weeks ago and on an afternoon walk we came across this river flowing quite rapidly. I had wanted to go swimming but the river looked like it could easily carry you away, plus the water was like ice.

We waded our feet for a little while & then kept walking unitl we came across this other little river. This one had a clear warning about the strong flowing water, however the water was still. So still you could see the reflection of the trees & the banks in it. Thank goodness they sign posted it, otherwise we would have been swept away!

Elements of our house

2011-08-21T04:47:00.000+09:30

Back in February I gave a little tour of our apartment in Revelstoke and I thought it was about time I showed a few photos of our place in Vancouver.

My favourite elements by far are the blue chair and the dressing room lights in the bathroom. I also love that I can grow herbs here, having failed terribly at it in Alice Springs.

Frockin' up - New duds

2011-08-19T01:59:00.001+09:30

Big news in the fashion blog world over the past week has been the release of the new Mad Men collection at Banana Republic. Designed in collaboration with the Mad Men costume designer, Janie Bryant, the collection is a celebration of the 60s female silhouette.

I popped into Banana Republic last Thursday & picked myself up this cute leopard print cardigan:

See it styled on Cheetah is the New Black here & on Could I have that here.

I also thought it was high time that I treated myself to a new bikini, having been the proud owner of my old one for well over two years now. While at Whistler the other Wednesday I checked out the offerings in the Billabong store. To my dismay they'd already started to stock winter clothes, but their limited swimwear stock was discounted, which was a bonus. I chose this one or rather it chose me as it was the one that fit the best.

Pretty, don't ya think?

One way to relax

2011-08-17T03:30:00.000+09:30

A relaxing use of the sculpture at English Bay...

Just a Minute in August

2011-08-15T09:57:00.000+09:30

Reading...... In the Woods by Tana French. Unfortunately I've come to the end of the Diane Fallon series by Beverly Connor. The last book was so good, but I'm at a bit of a loss now. Hopefully there will be a new one, however Connor has released two books a year for the past two years, so I think she deserves a little bit of a break.

Listening....... Trampled by Turtles live recording from the Newport Folk Festival. Thanks to Timber & Steel for sharing the link.

Making....... Cinnamon buns

Watching...... CSI. Just finished season 9.

Trying........ out the SLR. We've lost a few cameras here, so the only one with a memory card & a battery that we have is the SLR. I should have tried it out more a long time ago. Better late than never.

Break

2011-07-23T01:30:00.005+09:30

I am taking a little break from the blog. For a little while now I haven't been feeling well & blogging/internets seems to make it worse. So I'm taking a break for a while. Thanks for reading & check back once in a while because I will be back, for sure.

Ivy & Bridges

2011-07-22T02:34:00.000+09:30

I found this little house hiding behind the Granville Street Bridge. It looks so cute. I imagine that it was there long before the bridge was.

Frockin' up - Star top edition

2011-07-21T04:52:00.000+09:30

The other week I popped into the Zara sale, tried on a bunch of clothes & out of all of them (turns out Zara dresses in small fit my top half but not my bottom & the medium is just too big) I picked up this star top. A new fav.

Sadly this is the last photo of these Bettina Liano jeans. I picked them up at Mixed Lollies in Alice Springs 4 years ago & have pretty much worn them daily ever since. They finally gave way the weekend we were in Victoria. I fell a little lost without a go to pair of comfy black jeans.

Rainy days & movies

2011-07-19T01:30:00.001+09:30

I had planned to take it easy on Saturday anyway and when I woke up it was chucking it down. It rained for most of the day. What to do on a rainy Saturday? Well I watched movie trailers on Apple. The pick of the bunch were:

Griff the Invisible - An Aussie Romantic Comedy/Superhero Movie

Girlfriend - About a young man with down syndrome who comes into some money & uses it to pursue Candy, a girl he's loved since highschool.

The Devil's Double - based on the terrifying true story of Uday Hussein's body double.

Street Art Sunday - Sunny Victoria BC Edition

2011-07-18T01:30:00.001+09:30

Just a Minute in July

2011-07-17T04:22:00.000+09:30

Reading.... The Help by Kathryn Stockett. An amazing book about what it's like to be a black maid in a white home in the South in 1962. It has recently been made into a movie, but read the book first, it's so good.

Listening.... to Triple J via the internet. Missing home so listening online is the next best thing

Making..... dinner tonight. It's been way too long since I've eaten dinner at home. Now that all our guests are gone & Nick's still on Man Trip, it's time to cook up healthy comfort food. Chicken Kiev that I picked up from the Granville Island Markets is on the menu tonight, with salad & veggies. Yum.

Watching.... Modern Family. I put off watching this until I'd finished all of Parks & Rec because for some reason I thought they were hour long episodes, but they aren't. Just a cute, funny half hour of fun.

Trying.... Countess of Seville, sweet orange green tea from David's Tea. Delicious.

Just a minute via Daydream Lily

Frockn' up - Hot day

2011-07-16T03:15:00.003+09:30

Last week it was hot! For a day! Yay! Well, hot is a relative term. I think it was probably 23 degrees & sunny with no wind, but it felt hot after the dismal summer we're having. My brother & I went to Commercial Drive where we had lunch & then wandered the vintage stores. An awesome afternoon out. I picked up a cute top from Mintage which you may see in the coming weeks.

Hat - American Eagle
Dress - French Kitty
Shoes - Toms

Daytime wanderings in Victoria BC

2011-07-14T01:41:00.000+09:30

We started the morning at Wildfire Bakery. They have the best coffee & muffins. We then spent the rest of the morning wandering down Johnston Street. Johnson Street has numerous independent & vintage clothing boutiques. It reminded me of being back in Melbourne. They even have their own tea shop, David's Tea, to rival T2!

Wildfire Bakery

The tiny green Turtle Hostel

A yellow Fire Engine

Pretty hanging baskets against a fairly industrial parking garage

Johnson Street

The ferry, heading home

Victoria BC

2011-07-13T02:41:00.000+09:30

We arrived into Victoria as it was getting dark and after checking into our hostel, the Turtle, then finding a place that served dinner after 9:00pm (not easy, we ended up at Smiths Pub, very good food), we wandered down to the water to take a look at the parliament building all lit up. Victoria is the capital of BC and the fancy parliament building is located there. It looked so pretty covered in Christmas lights.

Ferry rides & sailing

2011-07-12T04:31:00.000+09:30

On Friday we hopped the ferry to Vancouver Island & headed down to Victoria. The ferry ride was so much fun and so easy. I thought that it all might be a bit too hard, but we took the central line sky train to Bridgeport then took the number 620 bus to the ferry terminal and before you knew it we were on the ferry, sailing to the Island.

Berlin Calling

2011-07-11T01:30:00.000+09:30

A few more random street art shots from Berlin

Frockin up - Weekly Edition

2011-07-09T01:30:00.001+09:30

Singlet - Bonds
Jeans - Sportsgirl
Thongs - Havianas
Broach - Emily Green

Monday there was a hint of sunshine so I cracked out my singlet & thongs & was on my way out the door.

Surfboards in the city

2011-07-08T04:22:00.000+09:30

Walking across the Granville Street bridge the other day I came across this apartment building, complete with surfboards! Surfboards in the middle of the city, miles & miles from the nearest surf beach. I sensed their loneliness.

Cute cars

2011-07-07T04:02:00.000+09:30

On Canada Day this cute parade of Eatery cars happened to drive past where we were waiting to cross the road. Cute!

Like bees to begonia

2011-07-06T01:30:00.008+09:30

Sometimes the sisterhood is great at sharing & other times they totally let you down. As I mentioned in this post, I never imagined that it would take more than a month or two to get pregnant, yet here we are. Infertility is not often the topic of conversation. Just the word sounds a little scary! But after hearing about my miscarriage, my friend sent me this book, The Conception Chronicles. It's the story of three friends who are trying to get pregnant, their emails back & forth & an in depth look at fertility treatment.

The friends share little known truths such as "the average couple has a 10 to 20 percent chance of conceiving each month" (p7) and "the success rate for couples in their twenties is only about 20 percent for each month's attempts" (p7). You start to wonder how these couples fell pregnant when 'they weren't even trying' and why did we bother so much with contraception when there is only a twenty percent chance of falling pregnant?

"Like bees to begonia, so too are overnight guests drawn to an ovulatory house" (p92).

The book handles what is a fairly serious, emotional topic with a little bit of humor. The friends draw you in and make you feel like there is someone who knows how you feel & what you're going through. Once they get into the fertility treatments and IVF the information becomes mind boggling. Where you could get lost in technical jargon the friends continue to bring it back to their story, personalising the process. If you or a friend is trying to get pregnant I would recommend picking up a copy of this book.

Sunny days & weekends

2011-07-05T02:43:00.000+09:30

Sunny days in Vancouver have been rare so a sunny Saturday was the perfect time to check out the farmers market, pick up some tulips, have coffee in the sunshine & read the paper.

How was your Saturday?

Hipster babies & music festivals

2011-07-04T07:31:00.000+09:30

Today's street art comprises a few random shots from Berlin.

I imagine this baby belongs to hipster parents who've just taken her to a music festival that she has thoroughly enjoyed.

"Between you and me, I don't Chang a lot of chicks"

2011-07-03T03:00:00.019+09:30

We have been really getting into Community lately (well since my brother shared his copy of it with us, how nice is he?). Community follows the story of a lawyer who is sent to community college when his firm discovers that he actually doesn't have a degree. At community college he meets a cute girl who doesn't want to go out with him so he forms a Spanish study group so that he can crack onto her, sorry, get to know her. The study group becomes close & hilarity ensues. The characters are brilliant. I wish 'Troy & Abed in the Morning' was a real Morning Show. I'd watch it. Chang never ceases to amaze (his quotes get better & better in season two, including his over use of the word 'Chang') & somehow we all just love Annie, inspite of ourselves. Get into it, you'll not be able to stop.

Frockin' up - Museum Edition

2011-07-01T23:45:00.000+09:30

I've been offered a position as a volunteer researcher at the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver. Of course I accepted & Monday was orientation day. This is what I wore.

Scarf - H&M
Top - Topshop
Jeans - Bettina Liano
Shoes - Witchery

Apartment Buildings

2011-07-01T02:00:00.001+09:30

The columns on this building remind me of the Flintstones/Jetsons. with their rocky mid-century feel. The rest of this building (if you could see it) is reminiscent of public housing towers. You cant have it all.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

2011-06-30T01:30:00.000+09:30

"My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don't know".

After reading modern crime fiction, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes are quite quaint in comparison. There is hardly any blood, gore or murder and no forensics. Just a series of clues & deductions which lead to the mystery being solved. Sherlock reminds me of The Mentalist, reading people, their actions & omissions. And just like modern tv crime shows, the cases are solved within the chapter, perfect for bedtime reading.

The older language in the book is a treat, with phrases such as "Very sorry to knock you up, Watson". In Australia this means 'sorry I got you pregnant', where as Sherlock is simply apologising for coming over too early.

The Adventures were thoroughly enjoyable & if you like how the Mentalist 'reads people' then you'll like Sherlock Holmes.