2.25 Lime Tart

This is the lime tart I made. Quote unfortunate looking isn't it?! Thankfully it tasted amazing and the girls forgave me for adding green food colouring to the lime filling! Ahh, another silly kitchen adventure gone wrong.

I made the base from scratch! Yay me! I've only tried making shortcrust pasty one before and it was pretty disastrous. This one was beautiful. I might start trying to make some more tarts now that I have a bit of pastry confidence.

I hope you all watched the Farmer Wants a Wife finale!! There were no huge surprises but it was great to see everyone happy.

Day 337: Daniel Pearce for North Sydney

Everyone, this is my gorgeous friend Daniel Pearce who is running for the Democrats in North Sydney in the upcoming election. And these are my other lovely friends, Damo and Sarah, posing with Dan's awesome posters.



We all met up with our friend Claire to have breakfast at Burnt Orange in Mosman. The views are gorgeous (I didn't take any photos, it was a miserable rainy day) but everything else is a little underwhelming. Not to worry, the fabulous company more than made up for it.

Day 334: Please see attached

Ever sent an email where you had written "please see attached" only to send the email without the attachment? Well no more, thanks to Google!

I did this very thing tonight where I hit the send button without the attachment - thankfully google warned me before hand and I was able to attach the file, send it off, and not look like an idiot. Brilliant!

Day 330: Planet Cake

Today I went to an open day at Planet Cake which is a two hour session where you are given a tour of the facilities, history of the company, information on courses, a demonstration on how to ganache and cover a cake with fondant, and are shown how to decorate a cupcake which you get to take home with you.

The first pic is of me and Jess, who along with Betty and Jun, presented the content. I have to say, these were three of the nicest people you will meet! They are also very passionate about cake decorating and are very skilled at what they do.



These are some examples of the cakes that Planet Cake can produce. Amazing aren't they?



I fell in love with the 3 tiered square cake which has crystals as the centre of the flowers - I didn't take a closeup pic, but it really was stunning.

If you are wanting to make cake decorating a career or just develop your personal skills in the area, I highly recommend going to one of the open days to get a better idea about what Planet Cake does and the environment you will be taught in. I am planning on doing one of the courses in the near future!

Check out their website at - http://www.planetcake.com.au 

Day 323: Nubar 2010

Is this not the coolest polish ever?

My friends, Tegan and Val, have been trying to get me on their glitter polish love train for a while now but I have been resisting, until now. The girls were so excited about the Nubar 2010 polish I thought I should try it. T bought it for me and when I got it I thought "meh, it's alright but nothing spesh".

But when I met up with Val for lunch during the week she was wearing it over a dark colour and it looked amazing!!

My nails now have 6 coats of polish - seche vite base coat, 2 coats of OPI Black Onyx, 2 coats of Nubar 2010 and a coat of seche vite dry fast top coat.

Day 320: Origin 3

BEST NIGHT EVER!!!!

Ohmygosh I cannot even begin to describe the excitement and elation I am feeling about Queensland taking a cleansweep of the series this year! We have now won 5 series in a row (yeeeewwwww!!!) but have not had a whitewash/maroonwash.




I headed out to the game with Bree (above), Anna and Fi and we had fantastic seats 3 rows from the front behind the goal posts, in the Queensland supporters section.




Queensland were leading at half time but the Blues come back and fought hard for the next 30 minutes or so. I cannot believe how much time the Queenslanders  spent defending their line. It was really hard to watch and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. When the Blues scored I thought we were done as we had barely had any time in the Blues' half. WRONG!!!

You can never write off the Maroons! With two amazing tries in the last 10 minutes the entire Maroons supporters section did not sit down, screaming and jumping around. It was a really memorable night and I don't think I have screamed and cheered that much in my life.




Here is King Wally presenting Billy Slater with his Player of the Series award. Well done Billy, you truly deserved it and were the standout star for Queensland this year. I could not believe it when he held up Anthony Watmough in what looked like it would be a definite try for the Blues.




QUEENSLANDER!!!! I was so excited (and filled with pride) to watch the boys hold up the trophy and do their lap of honour. They have truly been an amazing team, possibly the best in Origin history. The most exciting part is that I don't think the dynasty is over just yet.


I had to include this pic. Suck it Barrett!! (photo courtesy of www.dailytelegraph.com.au)

We then headed to a pub in the city to watch the replay on FoxSports and celebrate well into the night!

QUEENSLANDER!!

Actually, it was an awesome day all round! B and I slept in, googled random stuff, went to the city to meet Val for lunch & macarons and then we headed home to watch trashy tv before having dinner in North Sydney and heading to the game. Awesome!

Day 319: Cocktails

After work today I met up with Bree & Robyn for cocktails at Martin Place Bar which does 2 for 1 cocktails on Tuesday nights. I can highly recommend the Liquid Gold which is passionfruit, lychee & butterscotch.

After more than a few drinks, B and I headed to Blackbird for a late dinner. I hadn't been there in ages and they've done some refurbishments to make it look even funkier than it already was (even if ideas look very similar to some parts of Sydney's Ivy and Brisbane's Cloudland)

Day 314: I'm Chuck Bass

Ed Westwick, the hottie who plays Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl, is currently in Sydney and did an instore appearance for Virgin Mobile today.

Me, secretly being a 15 year old girl, just HAD to go see if I could get a glimpse of the GG star, and thankfully I did! Seriously, swoooooon.

Unfortunately I couldn't get a photo as the security were badass and wouldn't let people stop in front of the store. Rightly so, Pitt St is incredibly busy at the best of times, let alone adding hundreds of screaming girls (and a few boys).


I did get a signed photo of him looking super hot!

I promise tomorrow I will turn back into the 28 year old woman I am supposed to be!

XOXO

Day 312: Entourage

Season 7 kicked off today in the US so as soon as I got home I downloaded it. First ep was a great way to start the new season, so much to look forward to!

Turtle is looking even more fine than normal! And Eric & Sloane - love them so much. So happy they got back together at the end of last season.
Ari is still my fave tho, I wish I was as badass as he is! This pic is actually a postcard I bought from the HBO store in NYC - we all need to get our Ari on sometimes!

Day 305: everyone hearts Mel!

So today was pretty damn awesome! A major project I've been working on was all tied up & had all its documentation signed off! I was a very happy camper & so was my boss who bought me 2 bottles of wine. Thanks R, you rock!

I also caught up with my friend Lesley who had been to the US and bought me presents from Sephora! I cannot even begin to explain how much I heart Sephora. Part of the present was a cute set of OPI Havana Nights polishes which I'll blog about later when I swatch them all.

Day 303: Vivid Sydney

The pics pretty well speak for themselves. Vivid Sydney has been on for a few weeks now and tonight was the last night so I thought I should go see it. The lights were really interesting and there were a lot of ppl walking along the trail.








You can see some better pics at www.vividsydney.com.au

Day 278: Origin!!

QUEENSLANDERRRRRRR!!

Today's pic will be from Origin, no doubt of me looking like a drowned rat (with curly hair, my straightener can't help me against this type of weather) from this torrential downpour we're having in Sydney atm. Crazy.

Super excited for tonight! Go Qld!!



Update: Origin last night was awesome, especially as the mighty maroons won! Yeeewwww!!!
Turns out the weather wasn't nearly as bad as we expected with none of the thunderstorms and only 1 heavy period of rain during the game. Thanks weather gods!



The usual things happened in the game - QLD were awesome, NSW challenged, a QLDer made an error (Billy Slater's dropped catch), NSW cheated and were awarded a try that shouldn't have been given, the ref lost his contact lenses, QLD got in front, NSW were awarded a few penalties in the last few minutes and staged a comeback, QLD were still too good for them and won the game. Sounds really familiar doesn't it? That's because that seems to be how most Origin games go, especially the part where NSW are dirty cheaters!



The Hoodoo Gurus provided the pregame entertainment from inside the stadium because someone didn't have the forethought to purchase some kind of clear tent to put over the stage so they could be out on the field. It's not like the bad weather came as a shock lol.



Was a fabulous night yelling and screaming and calling lots of people the less polite version of mofo's. ANZ doesn't have the same atmosphere as Suncorp, tho that could just be because there are more people to celebrate with in Queensland.

Wish I was going to be home for game 2, I have lots of fun memories of afternoons spent at the Caxton, watching the buses drive down Caxton St to the stadium and then walking down with a huge mob of people all yelling "QUEENSLANDER".

Day 267: Baby Shower Cupcakes

As I mentioned on Wednesday, the gorgeous Mel asked me to make some mini cupcakes for her baby shower today. The only specs I had were that they should be bright and a mix of chocolate and vanilla.

Sounds easy right? Well it should have been but I was unsure exactly how to do it and what types of decorations to use.




I decided that the icing should be pale buttercream with some bright fondant stars on half the mix and some bright coloured sprinkles on the other half.

I'm quite happy with how they look and hope Mel likes them.

Day 258: retreat round 2, day 2

Today was the big work day of the retreat and I think a few of us struggled due to not much sleep the previous night (I was on the lookout for ghosts but didn't see any. They do ghost tours there and I'd love to go back one night to do it)

We all kicked off with breakfast and a bit of a wander around the grounds before getting settled into our teams to work out what we do well and not so well and make plans for the next financial year. It was really quite enjoyable (yes, I am a bit of a geek) and was great to have everyone in the same room.




I'd highly recommend Q Station ( an old quarantine station) for a visit. The accommodation was really modern which I was quite surprised about as most of the buildings have their original look to them. There is a restaurant down the bottom to the grounds on the beach which looked great too. Plus, you really can't beat the gorgeous views!

Day 257: Retreat round 2

For our second corporate retreat we headed to Q Station at Manly for 2 days. It is an absolutely stunning venue with amazing views over the harbour.

Some people on my fb and Twitter have asked why I've been so lucky to be able to go to 2 retreats. The reason is that the team I work for is a satellite team and works across 2 separate departments. As I have portfolios in both, I was invited to both retreats.



Today was a great day and it was nice to meet a couple of people I hadn't previously met who aren't in our Sydney office. The afternoon was spent adventuring around tge expansive grounds in order to win a team challenge competition thing. Our team didn't win unfortunately but we had a great time.





We played trivia at dinner that was mixed in with a bit of pictionary and charades. Seeing one of my managers act out the movie title "Born Free" was hilarious!! Afterwards a group of us came back to my room for more drinks, some music and hilarious convo. Next time, I think we'll do that in someone else's room tho hehe.

Day 254: Birthday Fiesta!

Birthday Fiesta Week kicked off on Friday night at the movies with the boys, continued yesterday with getting my hair did then going to the AFL. Today's instalment starts with early afternoon drinks at Cabana Bar and finishes with me wielding a sword at dinner!




The lovely Abigail introduced us to WOW lol. Of course I made everyone do WOW for photos haha. We also came up with a Wessssssssside WOW cos, you know, I'm gangsta and shit. Today was my first time meeting Abi and she has left a lasting impression with not just her WOW abilities but also her hilarious stories (especially the one about the troll!)



We were at Cabana Bar enjoying a few of their delightful cocktail jugs to celebrate my upcoming birthday which is on Saturday! I'm going to be in Brissie next week so decided to have a little get together this weekend.




Of course a couple drinks actually means a couple jugs. Each. It was a lovely warm and sunny afternoon which made a nice change from the cool weather we've been having lately. Cabana is the perfect venue for the warmer weather too with a huge outdoor area and, of course, the fabulous cocktails.



We ended up leaving Cabana around 8pm and heading to Lees Fortuna for dinner. This place has seriously amazing Chinese food and the best lamb pancakes I've ever had. The service there is fantastic and we even got shown a few magic tricks!! I was also given this fabulous icecream cake that they let me cut with a sword!! Hell yeah!!



Was such a fabulous day and I'm so happy to have such a wonderful group of friends.

Day 239: Choc Chip Cookies

Despite the fact that I am always making cupcakes, I am generally not a baker. I stick to cupcakes cos I am good at them (tickets lol) but have been wanting to venture out a little and try my hand at biscuits (mainly so I can ice them in pretty designs with royal icing). I decided to start with something relatively easy first to see how it went and thought choc chip cookies should be easy enough to handle.

I searched online for various recipes and came across this one from Exclusively Food which seemed easy enough - http://www.exclusivelyfood.com.au/2007/11/chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe_24.html

The recipe was really simple and easy to follow and I had no dramas getting it to the final mixture stage. This is where the problems started though - I ended up eating some of the cookie dough! Oops! I still had enough left to make 30 or so cookies, but I didn't feel like eating them after the dough. The other issue was that I didn't really bake the cookies for long enough. I am not a fan of crunchy biscuits (or any foods really) so was happy for them to be soft and chewy, but think other people might not enjoy them being so soft.

I think our oven is a bit out of sorts too and doesn't heat properly as after baking for 15 mins, they were still super soft and prob undercooked to most people. Guess that means I'll just have to make another batch and keep this lot for myself!

Awards Season - Round Two

The idea behind this award is to name your top 10 blogs and top 10 things that you love. I would struggle to narrow it down to a top 10 but also to put them in any kind of order. So, considering I have already listed 15 blogs in my previous award post, I have simply listed another 10 that I enjoy reading (at least 2 of which should have been in my previous awards but were somehow overlooked - oops!)

1. Farrah and Wayne's blog is a 365 day blog dedicated to their first year of marriage. I cannot believe I overlooked including their blog in my last awards as this is one that I check regularly and always love hearing about their journey. 
2. A Letter from London - my wonderful friend Jamie's blog about his new life in London. Jamie & I used to be flatmates and I miss him heaps so it is always wondeful to be able to read up on what he is up to
3. Too Much Blush - love Em's makeup looks! She is such a gorgeous girl and her blush is always perfect! She has a fabulous makeup collection and I am always excited to see what products she is using.
4. Not Quite Nigella - a very talented cook who posts mouthwatering photos of food she has made herself as well as that from many of Sydney's restaurants. When I am after a new restaurant, I always refer to NQN.
5. Bakerella - home of the marvellous Cake Pops! It was recently announced that there will be a Bakerella book coming out in the near future and I am beside myself with excitement!
6. Scrangie - my favourite nailpolish blog! I am constantly in awe of her gorgeous nails and perfect application. Very envious of her mad skillz!
7. Lady Melbourne - I am a fairly new reader to her blog, but I think she is a stunning and interesting young lady who has a wonderful sense of style.
8. People of Walmart - I'm not sure if this is classified as a blog as such, but is more a photo journal of some of the crazy getups people wear to Walmart! I am fascinated by Walmart for some reason, though was a bit disappointed when I fianlly got to go to one haha.
9. The Beauty Look Book - wonderful reviews of beauty products. I always love the colour/tonal comparisons of products, it hs helped me make a decision on the right shade of eyeshadow a few times
10. Sephora Blog - I heart Sephora, so naturally love its blog.

Top 10 things I love (this is mofo hard!):

1. My family and friends - goes without saying really! I have been blessed with some amazing people in my life and am very grateful for every one of them.
2. Brisbane - having moved away 5 years ago, I definitely appreciate it a lot more now and love going back home.
3. Flying - I know many people are scared of it but I enjoy it. I love that flying takes you to another place fairly quickly, whether it be a fantastic holiday destination or returning home, the feeling of touching down is fantastic.
4. Baking and cooking, especially cupcakes. I love the entire process from measuring the ingredients to doing final decorations.
5. Mess - I can't help it! I am never going to be one of those super tidy, orderly people. I love a bit of mess haha
6. Accessories - I have more than I will ever need, but always less than I want hehe. There are just so many gorgeous items available.
7. The internet - my gosh, what did we do before it??
8. Magazines, blogs and trashy books - I love a bit of celeb goss and chicklit. Lame and should be embarassing but I just can't enough
9. Reality tv - as above! If it's of the reality genre, I'll watch it.
10. That giddy, tingly feeling you occasionally get, randomly, that is of pure excitement and happiness. I got this today when I was walking around doing nothing spesh, was a lovely little surprise.

it's Awards Season!

I have been tagged in 2 awards in the last few days - yay!

Thank you to the gorgeous Sydney Shop Girl for the two awards below:

Rules:

1. State 7 things about yourself.

2. Pass the ‘Creative award’ to 7 bloggers.

3. Thank the person that nominated you; link to the person that gave you the award.

4. Pass the ‘Beautiful blogger’ award on to 15 bloggers you’ve discovered and think are fantastic.

5. Contact said blogs and let them know, they’ve won.


Seven things about me:

1. I feel like I'm a bit of a geek at times, though I am nowhere near smart enough to stake that claim
2. I used to be the biggest tomboy ever when I was a kid. I used to love making mud pies (as you do!) and playing with cars under our old house. Fun times!
3. I am now in love with pretty, girly, sparkley things and I don't see this ever changing
4. I find it hard to tell jokes and relay funny stories to people as I cannot stop laughing myself to get the story out.
5. I am always looking for something more or something different to what I have or am currently doing. This is generally a good thing (imo) but not always
6. I love rollercoasters and thrill rides! I am usually terrified until I get on, then I love it, jump back in line and am terrified all over again!
7. My friends are the most amazing group of people ever and my friends numbers have possibly tripled over the past 2 years. It's because I am so awesome!

Tagging up to 15 blogs that I enjoy:

1. of course, Sydney Shop Girl must be tagged. I adore her blog and am always in awe of the stunning photos that she takes. 
2. Cabs are for Kissing - the blog of an NYC taxi driver. It is fascinating the things people talk about in the back of a taxi
3. the gorgeous Sian who is a relatively new friend of mine and is always such a positive and happy person
4. Donna who is also a new friend and such a beautiful person inside and out.
5. Nikki's Flair to Remember - it is possibly the most visually beautiful blog I have ever seen
6. Realestalker - real estate porn. Enough said.
7. Sophia's BFF Productions - which I first came across after discovering Sophia was a member of The Hills' team. She posts a lot of random youtube videos which are very entertaining.
8. Shannon's Sweet Valley High Blog - gold! she is reviewing all the old SVH books. Takes me back to my early teen years
9. Kiki Chaos is a reasonably new blog but I am smitten with it. I adore the background and layout and always look forward to what she has to say.
10. Faux Fuschia - she is fabulous on so many different levels. She inspires me to not have chipped nailpolish and to declutter.
11. Grab Your Fork - an amazing Sydney food blog with stunning food porn photos
12. Tasted by Two - another fabulous Sydney food blog that I have recently discovered. It has some of the best food photos I have come across.
13. HillsFreak - where I get all of my deets on The Hills, The City and ex Laguna Beach castmembers
14. Crumbs and Doilies - what I want my cupcakes to be when they grow up. They really put mine to shame
15. Jacqueline's A Brilliant Brunette has some amazing makeup looks. Some of them are really creative and I love seeing what concepts she comes with