Dreaming of the Sun

My partner and I have been lucky enough to be invited to a wedding in Fiji at the beginning of August, and I'm SUPER excited.  I can't wait to escape the cold and spend a few days swimming, enjoying spa treatments and cocktails in the sun..it's going to be bliss.  Not to mention the wedding which is at sunset (swoon!) and will no doubt be a gorgeous, happy event!

The one thing playing on my mind is what to wear!  I've been to quite a few weddings in the last three years, but not one in a different climate. I know I can dress less formally to allow for the heat, so I've been playing around on Polyvore to make a few bright summery outfits with matching swimwear, just for fun.  I like the idea of something simple that can be accessorised to make different outfits, which will also save on suitcase space!

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 I bought the Jets polka dot bikini yesterday...can't wait to have an actual reason to wear it (as it's probably not entirely appropriate for casual Friday in the office).

x

I'm Pretty Sure I Definitely Need This

Not only do I love shopping for clothes (new and vintage), but I am currently renovating my house, so am always on the lookout for cool appliances and decor ideas.  This feature is just so I can share what I'm currently drooling over, whether it's something I can afford or not!  I'll probably include the occasional craft idea too, because I love the idea of having original pieces in my home that truly reflect my personality and style.

The first item on my wish list is a kitchen mixer, something I've wanted for AGES but will probably never be able to afford new!  So I'm constantly on the hunt for a vintage model in good working order.  Who knows though, fingers crossed I can one day afford a brand new one of these babies - they come in customised colours named after foods like Mint, Cupcake and Lemon Meringue, so I was hooked from the very beginning! Let's just say I'm pretty much in love.

  

Of course, I'm still holding out hope that I'll miraculously stumble across one of these, and then I can get the whole thing spraypainted in the colour of my choice....I'm sending the request out to the universe as I type...

TRUST Me, It's Delicious (PB & J French Toast)

Welcome to my second monthly feature, which is all about foooood. Brilliant.  I think about food a lot and it's one of the things that brings the most joy to me, hence the title of the post! I know I'm not the only person like this so I really hope this feature is enjoyed by lots of people! 

Now this "recipe" is almost too embarassing to post about, but it was so delicious that I don't care. And I know I'm not the only person that would enjoy this.   It's PB & J French Toast. Yep.  Just like regular peanut butter and jam on toast but fatter and approximately 5% fancier.  

Don't judge me. I know you'd try it! Also....I'm no food photographer so it tastes better than it looks...

PB & J French Toast

Ingredients:

2 pieces bread of your choice (slightly stale is better as it will soak up more eggy mixture) 

1 Tablespoon crunchy peanut butter 

1 Tablespoon jam of any flavour (I used three-berry)

1 egg

1/4 cup milk (fatty is better but trim works just as well)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Pinch of salt 

Butter (or oil)

Icing sugar 

Method:

Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Spread the bread with the peanut butter and make a sandwich.  Thoroughly mix the egg, milk, vanilla and salt in a shallow dish.  Gently place the sandwich in the egg mixture and soak for a few seconds until soaked in.  Turn the sandwich over so both sides are thoroughly coated. Don't leave it in too long or it will become too soggy and fall apart.

In the heated pan, melt a teaspoon of butter and place your eggy sandwich in (the pan should be hot enough so the sandwich gently sizzles).  Cook on one side until nice and golden, then carefully turn and cook the same on the other side.

While the toast is cooking, heat your jam in a small dish in the microwave for approximately 20 seconds so it turns to liquid.  You can also add a tablespoon of water before you do this to make the jam really runny.  I sieved my jam to get the seeds and lumps out.

To serve:  Place your cooked french toast on a plate, cut in half and dust with icing sugar. Drizzle your jam over and eat up.  Really good with strong hot coffee, on a wintry Saturday morning, with the telly on and still wearing your PJs...trust me. 

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Ooh, Thrifty

I've decided to do monthly features to keep me posting regularly, and this is my very first one!  Ooh Thrifty will showcase my most recent vintage finds, which means I have to go opshopping at least once a month.  Luckily this isn't a hard task for me at all...

This month is the perfect time to start, because yesterday I went to a big second-hand fabric sale that happens once a year. I've never heard of it until this year, even though I've been in Dunedin for 9 years...I must have been living under a rock! 

When I first walked in the door I felt like Homer Simpson freaking out before he sinks his whole head into a giant sundae.  The entire hall was filled with tables piled high with bundles of fabrics, plus there were vintage fabrics on racks, rolls of fabric, scraps for super cheap and a whole other room with patterns, buttons and zips. I nearly lost concentration with the excitement of it all.  But instead I just put my head down and got in the zone, thankfully even though there were hundreds of people I managed to to avoid any paisley-related confrontations with like-minded crafters...

I came home super happy with all my finds, I managed to filter out all the "maybes" and probably saved myself a good $50 and a whole lot of buyer's remorse!  I really love my whole fabric collection now, and hopefully I've got enough to last me until next year. I can't wait!

It's The Thought That Counts

As usual I've let my blog slide, but I'm once again feeling inspired and ready to get back to posting regularly. Really this time... I've got lots of ideas for regular features which will hopefully keep me on track, and the winter weather is conducive to snuggling up doing crafty/bloggy things anyway.

ANYWAY, I realised that I've had this blog for over a year now, and didn't even celebrate my "birthday" way back in April. Hence the pictures of delicious cake. 

Happy late blog birthday to me, and here's to many more to come!

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SUNday

The most fun part of DIY - smashing stuff down

Another vintage wallpaper discovery...

Found inside the wall!

Finished fence - yay!

Oh I love you too, garden!

Our own lettuce, mint, AND tomatoes...I'm so proud!

Wow. This weekend has just been amazing. The weather was not only gorgeous but WARM as well, and it's brought out the best of everyone in our household! We've been very productive - smashing things down, building more things, doing washing, gardening, drinking lots of wine with lovely girlfriends (that was me) and trying out new recipes to create delicious food using produce from our garden.  I even managed to sneak in a laze on the couch with Food TV - bliss.

There's a lot to be said for being incredibly but pleasantly tired, and knowing you've made the most of your precious weekend time.  Can't wait for next weekend....Easter, 4 days off!  Fingers crossed the weather will be just as stunning.

Embracing Autumn

 There's no denying it any longer, the weather in Dunedin has definitely turned.  While we did get a few sun-soaked days, the overall temperature has really dropped and it feels like winter is stalking us, slowly getting closer and closer.

But as I've mentioned in earlier posts, I love using cold weather as an excuse to get cosy, and when it comes to clothes it's no different!  Over the past week or so I've had made a few sneaky purchases that have got me excited about layering up in colours that remind me of slowly transforming leaves and crackling toasty fires.  It's all about embracing the changes.  

Next purchase I'm considering...a onesie. Thoughts?

 

You Give Me (Wedding) Fever

This year we've been lucky enough to be invited to three weddings, the first of which was a few weeks ago up in Auckland.  The weather was hot, the champagne was cold, the scenery was beautiful and the friends were great! I caught up with old friends and made some fantastic new ones. 

Not to mention it was an opportunity to get dressed up fancy, and of course no-one was fancier than the bride herself.  My absolute first reaction was to gasp, and then straight away in my head I thought "what a bitch!". Which I suspect is how most brides want their girlfriends to react! Haha.  Everyone danced the night away to fantastic classics by a great live band, and of course the next day get-together allowed for tales of the previous night's shenanigans!

There's honestly nothing better than a celebration with food, drink and lots of people all brought together for one reason - love! Awww.  Cheers!

Cosy Days

Rainy days outside mean cosy days inside: sewing projects, staring out windows, cuddly jumpers (and even cuddlier kitties), hot cups of tea, baking biscuits then eating too many of them...bliss.