The Holdens in Honkers

Dreaming of being here...

2011-01-25T16:39:00.005+08:00

... instead of at work. Damn reality!

Not long to wait though, this time on Friday work will be a distant memory and we will be sitting on that sun lounger soaking up the sites and sipping cocktails, I mean mocktails... can't wait!

Oh my God

2011-01-25T16:28:00.003+08:00

How gorgeous is this kitchen (and that blue)!

Note to self: must stop daydreaming about how big a kitchen I could have if we moved back to Oz. Be content already!

Seen here

Wowzaz!

2011-01-23T10:13:00.003+08:00

Don't ask me why the hell am I looking at pictures of swimmers in my current state (i.e. 5 months pregnant...) but I couldn't resist posting this pic. These swimmers are absolutely divine! When I need my next diet inspiration (like today I guess, cept I am taking 9 months off), I will stick a pic of these on my inspiration board.

Wowzaz!

Seen here

PS. As an after note, my husband just hilariously revealed his ever so practical nature, and it had me in stitches. We are off to Thailand next week for 9 nights (babymoon time, bring.it.on!) anyway, I have been meaning to try my swimmers on for days now to make sure they still fit. When I did this post I called hubby over to show him how incredibly beautiful these swimmers were and the only thing he had to say "don't think you would like to swim with those big tassels hanging off you..." to which I promptly replied (complete with full visual of Thailand next week in my head "I don't think they are intended for swimming laps, more like swanning around a resort pool looking incredibly gorgeous". Sometimes men just don't get it do they:)

What do you think?

2011-01-21T17:04:00.003+08:00

So this whole boy thing has got me thinking about nursery themes/colours...

Last year during our trip to Paris, I spotted the most adorable window display for a children's shop called Zef Piccolo. I took some pics (sorry, don't have them now to post unfortunately) and always thought that if we had a boy, I would love to use the colour scheme from that window display (navy, red and white - with stars and stripes).

Whilst I still LOVE the idea, I have googled, and Ohdeedoh'ed, and project nursery'ed for some inspiration using this colour scheme, but have really turned up a blank. The only real images/ideas in these colours tend to be nautical themes, and that's not what I am after.

In my quest however, I did stumble across the pinwheels above (which I promptly purchased) from the lovely Etsy store ElizabethSt. I must say that I am a bit partial to this colour scheme, and may be persuaded to change tact. What do you think?

The paper is from Anna Griffin. I am on the hunt to see whether she also produces the prints in fabric. That would be too easy wouldn't it! Will let you know how I go...

It's a boy!

2011-01-21T07:24:00.002+08:00

I seriously can't believe it. Think I am still in shock...

On Wednesday we went for the morphology scan and most importantly found out that the little one seems to be perfect (as far as they can tell that is). We also found out that the little one is a boy!

I have always wanted a little girl (sorry, but it must be said). Since I fell pregnant I have had a very strong feeling that it was a boy. Thankfully I have spent the past 5 months thinking it was a boy and mentally preparing myself for this... or so I thought. Before you judge me, let me explain that of course I don't care what sex the baby is, I only care that it is happy and healthy. But because there are so many girls in my family, and because I have two young sisters, I only know girls. I didn't intentionally want a girl, I just naturally thought that that's what we would be having.

Well despite having spent the last 5 months thinking I was having a boy, when the doctor confirmed my suspicions on Wednesday, I have to say I was a little shocked. Seems I must have still held a little inkling of hope deep inside that it would be a girl. We have spent the past couple of days getting used to the news, and to be honest, we are thrilled!

Boys are always so close to their mummies, and they are much easier to handle in their teenage years! All that ahead of us, but for now, let the shopping begin...

Nursery colour schemes

2011-01-15T08:58:00.004+08:00

Without knowing the "flavour" y.e.t. we haven't fixed any colour schemes for the nursery. We do have a few ideas floating around in our heads, and are quite fixated on navy, red and white if it is a boy. But what about a girl...

We don't want pastels, and definitely don't want all pink (although there will certainly be some pink!). I stumbled across this pic on Emma's blog yesterday. It is from here. I LOVE it - the right amount of girly cutsie without being too girly or cutsie, know what I mean?

Little HB

2011-01-11T08:09:00.003+08:00

I can't tell you how relieved I was to finally hear our little ones heartbeat (HB) yesterday. In previous scans we had certainly seen it's little HB, but it wasn't till yesterday that we actually heard it.

Ever since the first scan, our bub has been nicknamed HB, simply because right from the start the doctors have always commented on what a strong (and fast) HB our baby has.

Seems odd then that I have spent the past two weeks worried that it may have stopped ... when the doctor asked if everything was ok (we didn't actually need the appointment yesterday), I explained that we were just being paranoid first timers who needed reassurance that the little one was doing fine. It had been 7 weeks since our last scan, and to be honest, it was just too long.

Whilst we didn't get to see the little one, it was so re-assuring to know that he/she is doing fine.

Is this weird? Am I weird?

My belly is growing so I know I should feel re-assured, but I have heard/read so many heartbreaking stories about couples losing their bub around the 17 week mark, and I am sure I had almost convinced myself that we would be one of those. Does that make me morbid? I had no signs that anything was wrong - well except the lack of pregnancy symptoms, which I can hear you all say I should actually be rejoicing about! Now that we have gone the longest stint between scans, we are back to the regular 4 week scan, so here's hoping for no more freak-outs.

I walked out of the doctors and back to work yesterday with a little skip in my step rejoicing in the fact that I might actually be a mummy one day soon, that I was still pregnant, and that we might actually make it all the way and be blessed with a little bubba at the end. I don't know why this is so hard for me to accept, like it might be stolen from me at any minute. Perhaps its about control? Something is happening in my body/life which I have no control over. Maybe I simply can't handle not being in control? Could that be it? I guess that's what faith is for then right? And perhaps because my faith is not the strongest, I am having trouble believing that everything will be ok. Who knows?

There are some big questions there, might have to ponder this one a bit longer... for the moment, I am just going to stop worrying and enjoy being pregnant:)

Image from here

What's happening round here

2011-01-10T08:05:00.002+08:00

Rather than post on anything particular this morning, I thought I would post on nothing in particular and fill you in on what's happening round here at the moment ("round here" referring to the Holden household). So here goes, in no particular order...

* Anna Spiro provided another light bulb interior design moment for me last week. We have a side board in the living room and an empty wall above. I have been toying with the idea of making it into a picture/collage wall for a while, but have fallen in love with the pic above and the idea of having a mirror in the room. Think it will work wonders to open the space up and make it look bigger. Incidentally, was meant to go shopping on Saturday for said mirror, but ran out of steam... figure I will also have to buy some new lamps to go along with it. Such a chore:)

* heading to the doctors this morning for a scan. To say I am uber excited is an understatement. Haven't seen the doc since I was 12 weeks (which is a whole 7 weeks ago now) and it feels like a life-time. Truth be known I am really being a paranoid first timer, cause I have another appointment (for the big 20 week scan booked for next week), but I just couldn't hold out any longer. Have been playing a mental game with myself for the past 2 weeks to test out whether I truly am a paranoid first timer, and turns out I am - can't pretend any longer...

* have been having horrible pregnancy tension headache's since entering the second trimester - thought all my dreams had come true when the morning sickness stopped, but seem to have replaced said morning sickness with headaches. Don't get me wrong, I am much preferring the headaches, which aren't constant, but when they do come, they seem to last for 3-4 days:( Had my third come on yesterday, but managed to spend the day resting, so hopefully I have put that one to bed.

*other than the headaches, and the expanding waistline, no other real pregnancy symptoms at the moment. Oh, I have had a sniffy nose (which they say is par-for-the-pregnancy course), but other than that - thinking it is true what they say about it being the "golden" trimester. Hope it continues that way... sans headaches and sniffy nose if I want to be really picky (you can dream can't you...)

* haven't felt any baby movement yet - had a few little flinches which resemble gas (charming hey... especially considering they may well have been gas). The books say any day now, so hopefully I will feel something soon. I shouldn't admit that I do stop still sometimes and focus on my tummy so much, thinking, "can now be the moment I feel something"... please!

* had Indian takeout for dinner last night. Planned to make Cote de Boeuf (with the most amazing piece of beef), but after a day already spent in the kitchen - I {attempted} to make brioche (cinnamon scroll brioche to be precise) which didn't work, then homemade pasta for lunch (which incidentally, did work), I couldn't face the kitchen again. Truth be known, whilst I could not be bothered cooking dinner, I was also less than enthused facing the kitchen with the mountain of dishes I had created from the morning cooking session. Rather than clean it up (which would have been too sensible), I cursed the fact the Luisa (our maid) had to have a day off... nice of me hey! BTW - before you say anything about the maid comment, it is true, we have a full-time live-in maid, just to look after my husband, myself and the little CoCo dog. One of the many perks of living in Hong Kong I must say, although (and you will curse me for saying so), it is hard work having a maid:) More on that anon.

* soooo looking forward to Chinese New Year - we are heading to Phuket for 10 days and we both can.not.wait!!!! Having not gone away for Christmas, we are hanging out for our next holiday. Seriously, as in we laid on the couch yesterday just dreaming about all the things we were going to do (or not do as the case may be).

* having trouble working out the visiting schedule for when bub arrives. I can see that having a child is going to be one of the most difficult things about living away from family and friends (derrrr you might say). We are currently debating the whole - when to have the parents visit thing. On the one hand, you want your mumma to come to the hospital and meet your precious little one asap, but on the other hand, knowing that that means you will also have a house full of visitors when you come home from hospital, is a daunting prospect. Will and I have pretty much decided that we need at least a few days at home with the little one before we welcome the first lot of visitors, but having decided that, I'm not sure I can handle not having my mum come and visit at the hospital. Not to mention that I want to see her, I also feel a huge pang of guilt that she won't see her grandchild until he/she is a few days old, and will never see the little nursery crib, the hospital room, etc etc that her grandchild was born in. Ok, so I must admit that if I was referring the Nambour Hospital (where my husband and I were born), I could probably spare mum the experience, but we have decided to go to the Matilda, which is more akin to the Four Seasons than any kind of hospital. She should see that right?

*had loads of skype sessions recently. Our little nephew turned 5 on Saturday (can't believe how time flies!!) and we got to see him rafting away on his new Konnect (which for those of you who are not in the know, as I was a week ago, it is part of the Xbox which enables you to play video games with NO hand controls... can you believe it??). He was so cute, and even cuter was his precious daddy who had made him a chocolate cake for his Birthday. We also had skype sessions with Mum and Eb's and my FGM (fairy god mother) Roz. So good to see everyone!

* booked in for my first pregnancy massage tonight (I tell a small lie, I had a couple in Bali last September before I knew I was pregnant). I have chosen a place right beside our apartment for 2 reasons - they had a sign up advertising pregnancy massages (thought that implied they must know what they are doing...), and secondly, they are cheap. They invited Will and I to have a peak at the room when I made the booking and it didn't look at all inviting (in fact it didn't look like it had ever been used), and so Will has been trying to convince me to go somewhere more expensive (when does that ever happen...). I figure they are worth a try. If they are good, I can justify having a weekly massage. Alternatively, if I have to go to the Grand Hyatt or Mandarin Oriental (all top places in HK for pregnancy massages), I will only be able to justify going for one every month or so. Worth the risk? I'm still debating... wish me luck.

I'm sure there are loads more things going on but think I will spare you the rambling (plus I need to get ready for the Dr appointment!)

Have a good week:)

Image from here

2011-01-07T09:32:00.000+08:00

Janet is coming to HK

2011-01-06T12:20:00.003+08:00

Ok so I am not a closet fan, but I must confess that in my youth (i.e. mid to late teens) I was totally in love with Janet. I can recall locking myself in my room and listening to her "Janet" album belting out her lyrics at the top of my lungs (perhaps even with a tear in my eye sometimes), thinking that she was the only one, aside from Alanis Morissette, who truly understood what it was like to be me.

I can say hand on heart that I probably haven't listened to JJ for the past 10 years, although I am quite excited about her upcoming tour to HK. Especially considering it is called "Number Ones" so hopefully all my old faves will appear.

Best of all, I managed to convince my darling husband to come along - in fact, he didn't need any convincing truth be known, and so V Day this year we have a date! I can't wait.

The Bump

2011-01-06T10:20:00.002+08:00

Whilst Jess was staying over Christmas, I finally remembered to take some pics of the bump (i.e. my expanding waistline) - this is the one and only time in my life that I will ever be happy to visually document an expanding waistline I can tell you!

Will and I are going to take some more pics on Saturday - we are feeling slightly guilty that I am now in my fifth month and only have 2 pics to show the little one of his/her journey inside.

I {heart} you!

2011-01-05T10:45:00.003+08:00

How sweet is this heart shaped berry wreath!

I spotted it this morning on Etsy and just had to share:)

Flavours

2011-01-03T07:44:00.003+08:00

Being in my 18th week, it is only a couple more before we get to find out whether we are having a boy or girl. As I may have mentioned, I am convinced it is a boy - not that I have any preference whatsoever.

Because there are so many girls in my family, I had always imagined having a girl. When I fell pregnant, I just couldn't imagine having a boy. Our friend Jess remarked the other day that she didn't think I would know what to do with a boy - to her, I just simply had to be having a girl! Well, from day dot I started imagining having a boy, trying to get my head around the possibility and alas, it stuck. In fact, not only am I now convinced we are having a boy, I am actually looking forward to it.

Thankfully, the wait is almost over. I do hope the little one co-operates at the ultrasound so that we get to find out! And in retrospect, I think it has become non-negotiable that we do find out (not that we were debating it). Imagine being in the delivery room, as utterly convinced as I am that it will be a boy, and then giving birth to a pink flavoured one! That might just be a bit too much emotion for this mumma to handle... not to mention all the cute boys clothes that would go un-used:)

Pic from here

New Years Eve

2010-12-31T08:08:00.004+08:00

What are your plans for this evening?

Will remarked during the week that we should really be going out to paint the town red tonight considering it will be our last NYE sans children. That all sounded like a good idea until I reminded him that I would be painting the town red...sober!

I guess, unbeknown to us at the time, last NYE was really our chance to shine! Can't even remember what we did to be honest. Sad, I know.

After abandoning plans of all night partying, we decided that a night in experimenting with our new Kitchen Aid pasta attachment was the perfect recipe (Christmas pressie from my lovely in-laws). Whilst I was getting my hair done last night in prep for date night, Will went and purchased supplies for our feast tonight (an assortment of mushrooms, ever so thinly sliced veal, pasta flour,eggs, delicious cream, truffles (of the mushroom variety) - YUMMO). Fingers crossed the pasta works out...

The thing for me is, I have never really been a big fan of NYE. My favourite day of the year (aside from my Birthday and perhaps Christmas Day) is new years day. The first day of the year. It is (and always has been) really, I mean fundamentally, important for me to spend new years day with a fresh head and a positive spirit. This is somewhat hard to do with a hangover as you can well imagine...

So no matter what I usually do on NYE (and I will admit there have been a few exceptions to this - probably around the ages of 18, 19, 20 - ...), I usually try not to drink too much so as to wake the next day feeling less than 100%.

So now you all want to know what we have planned for new years day. To be honest, nothing extraordinary. We are going to visit a friend's new bub in hospital (I guess this qualifies as extraordinary, especially considering he was delivered super early and did not have the easiest time in his mummy's tummy), then we are going to lunch at a (semi) (sense a trend here) new restaurant in town - 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo by Bombana (what are the chances he will be cooking on new years day - unlikely I say) (I guess this is also kind of extraordinary considering that I have wanted to try this restaurant for ages and now I finally get to go). Then we are having some friends over for dinner, which whilst not extraordinary (cause we tend to do this a lot), will make a lovely end to the first day of the year.

Usually we are back home in Oz for new years day and hence we spend the day outside in the glorious sunshine, at the beach, going for picnics, spending time with the family.. all that jazz. Oh, I do miss home this year:(

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, make sure you enjoy a glass of bubbles for me:)

Date Night

2010-12-30T15:05:00.003+08:00

Tonight is date night in the Holden household (well outside the household to be exact, but you get my gist). I don't think Hubby has cottoned onto the fact that we also have a romantic evening planned for tomorrow night to celebrate NYE. Who am I to say anything - two date nights in a row are fine by me...

So I am off this afternoon after work to have my hair done (desperately overdue btw), then out for dinner at a (semi) new restaurant called Lily & Bloom.

Let's hope our night is not as eventful as the one shared by Tina & Steve in the movie...

The world is such a small place...

2010-12-30T08:19:00.003+08:00

... made all the smaller through blogland!

A couple of weeks back I was in London (for work) and managed to snag a day for shopping. I have to be honest, I didn't do the town justice - I only managed to do two shops (but boy did I do them well). Which two shops you ask??? Mama's & Papa's (for obvious reasons) and Liberty (for obvious reasons!).

I managed to spend the entire day in just two shops, and it was heaven! Whilst strolling the floors in Liberty I stumbled across a display of the most delightful tableware ever. I couldn't resist, and bought two matching cups and saucers (the pink & blue one in the pics above). The brand was not one I had heard before, Pip Studios, but boy did I love everything in their range.

Anyhow, I was actually sitting here this very morning sipping my morning coffee out of my lovely new pink cup when I read the post by Cannelle et Vanille and stumbled across this pic and a story about Pip Studios. All of their products are so delightful - I just wish my suitcase had of been bigger :(

Small world hey - who would have thought that my little indulgence in Liberty would turn up in a post by one of my favourite bloggers...

Annechovie sale!!

2010-12-29T15:58:00.009+08:00

Yeap - you read right! All stock in Annechovie's Etsy store is 50% until the end of the year...

I have to confess that I might be slightly addicted, having purchased all of the prints below - and I am sure I have forgotten some... hurry on over here and nab yourself some before it is too late!

Whilst I have all of the above in my collection (saving them up for the cluster wall of my dreams) I can't believe I don't have 1 of Annechovie's iconic "Keep Calm and Carry On" prints. I may have to allow myself just 1 more print to take advantage of the sale ... I'm thinking pink ...(does that surprise you!)

Louise & Zoe - I am thinking of YOU right now...

2010-12-29T10:45:00.003+08:00

I know it is a little late for Christmas wishes - but if I could wish something for you girls it would be a shoe closet just like this one!

Pic from here

Note to self: DO NOT MAKE THIS RECIPE!

2010-12-29T08:11:00.005+08:00

One of the most perplexing things about being pregnant is that my taste buds have totally changed. I don't mean that things taste different, but I desire different things than I used to.

A couple of examples...

Whilst I have always liked fruit, since I have been pregnant I can't get enough... and when I eat it, it tastes so beautiful I wonder if I have ever tasted something so yummy in my life. Last night pineapple and cherries were my victims - and they quite possibly were t.h.e BEST tasting cherries and pineapple of my life (I'm not joking). Incidentally, my husband thinks I am mad - I am constantly chucking fruit in his mouth and making him verify how beautiful it tastes...

Milk - I have n.e.v.e.r been a milk drinker. When I was a kid my nanna used to have a milk glass for each of her grandchildren. I never had one cause I never drank milk (and yes, it has scared me)! It's not that I don't like milk, give it to me in coffee aNy day and I am a happy chappy, but I have never been one to drink a straight glass of it. Since I have been pregnant, I am constantly dreaming of tall icy glasses of milk (with a few drops of vanilla essence) - YUM!

These two changes I can cope with, in fact, I would be quite happy if they stuck around after the little critter was born (no disrespect intended, that's the name we/I have given to our little munchkin) - BUT - the next one can disappear as fast as it came...

I have always been a savoury girl - ALWAYS! I worked in a gourmet deli through High School and I am well and truly on the savoury side of the fence - except for now... from the minute I fell pregnant I have had a crazy sweet tooth. It is so weird for me cause I have never been one for chocolate.cake.sweets.desserts.lollies. Ok, well perhaps I have always had a soft spot for ice-cream... but now I can't get enough of the sweet stuff. I now understand when people say that they can't open a pack of biscuits without wanting to finish the entire thing in one go.

This for me is weird, super weird. Going from the girl who would always chose a bag of crisps over a piece of chocolate, I cannot understand how, being pregnant, can change your self of taste. I am constantly amazed by it, and am constantly hoping that I will revert to my normal savoury self! I am not looking forward to the gestational diabetes test - if ever there was a candidate, it was me!

Anyhow, I digress... the reason I started this rambling was to explain that my former, un-pregnant self, would never have though twice about this homemade nutella recipe - I would have admired the gift idea and moved on... but now, oh no, I am a changed woman. This nutella recipe has to be made (and consumed) asap. Doesn't it sound divine. I have no idea what cocoa nibs are, nor whether I can get them in Hong Kong, but I am determined to find out!

The worst thing of all, if I make it, I will have to eat it... ALL!

Photo and recipe via Bon Vivant

A woman should have...

2010-12-29T07:36:00.005+08:00

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
something perfect to wear if the employer,
or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
a youth she's content to leave behind...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
a part juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
one friend who always makes her laugh...
and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honoured...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without;
ruining the friendship

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder.. and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone...even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming Inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month...and a year...

I love reflecting on this. Every time I read it it gives me a sense of empowerment, and a yearning for self improvement. Whilst there are many things I can tick of the list, there are many more I still need to work on.

I have two younger sisters - 16 and 20. If I was given a piece of paper and told to impart my wisdom for how to live their lives, this would be it! Not because I have conquered it, far from it in fact, but because I believe that as women, you need to be empowered. Empowered and in control of your life.

It doesn't mean that there won't be times when you need to lean on someone for support, emotionally or financially. What it means for me is that you are not dependant on someone for emotional and financial support. That if that person was to disappear, however devastated you may be, you could pick up the pieces and carry on, with the knowledge and ability to know that you can take care of yourself.

Whilst I am c.o.n.v.i.n.c.e.d that we are having a boy... if I am blessed with a little girl, these will be the lessons that I will try to impart on her as she grows up. Easier said than done, I know...

Photo - I am really sorry but I don't have any idea where I got this pic from. If you know, please tell me so that I can properly credit the author

Most of all...Be Happy

2010-12-28T07:46:00.004+08:00

I spent some time over our mini Christmas break sorting out the study (I know, not very festive...). Since the minute I fell pregnant I have had the most overwhelming need to clean/cull/sort out our apartment. My husband jokes that if he sat still long enough he would be thrown out too;-)

As we will be converting one of our spare rooms into a nursery, we needed to decide whether the other room was going to remain a study or become the guest bedroom. It was a tough decision... whilst we do get quite a few visitors, that is the o.n.l.y. time that the room gets used. There must be weeks when I don't even go in there. The study on the other hand (it's actually my craft room, but I call it the study so that my husband appreciates it's purpose and doesn't complain...), we use EVERY day. It houses my craft table and all of my craft supplies, our reference and cookbooks, a stack of containers full of storage items, and my husbands wardrobe. Yes, we need a bed for guests to sleep in, and yes, we are likely to be getting a billion more next year when the little one arrives, but, we also need storage space, and I NEED my craft space:)

The decision was made to make it both a study and a bedroom. Soooo, boxing day we re-arranged all of the furniture to accommodate a bed, whilst keeping all of the other stuff in there too. This meant lots of cleaning/culling and sorting (which I was extremely happy about). Whilst going through a pile of papers, I stumbled across a few verses which I had kept (some since I was a little girl). I wanted to share them with you (and truth be told, I also wanted them recorded on the blog so that I could throw the pieces of paper out - see what I mean about the culling, it has taken over my life - and now my blog!).

I thought this one was a timely, following the most indulgent and consumeristic (is that a word?) time of the year.

Most of All...Be Happy!

Always see the goodness in this world, do your part in helping those less fortunate,
walk hand in hand with those of less talent,
follow those of more knowledge, and be equal with those who are different.
Find your special purpose in this world so full of choices and help lead those who stray.
Become your own individual - set yourself apart from those who are the same.
Have the self-confidence to say no when it is necessary and the strength to stand alone.
Give yourself the approval to love and respect everything that you are and will become.
Reap the fruits of your talents, walk with pride down the road of life, be humble in your successes, and share in the praises and joy of others.

Most of all, be happy. For when you are happy, you have the key that will open all the world's doors to you.

Jackie Olson

Photo via Mary Ruffle

A little news to share

2010-12-08T07:53:00.002+08:00

WE ARE!

I think I may have been T.H.E. most slackest blogger in the history of blogging recently. I have been following all my fav blogs on a daily basis, but just haven't got around to updating my own. It's a sad state of affairs really and I feel ever so guilty for soaking up loads of inspiration from all my favourite blogs, but not contributing anything myself.

Well hopefully that's all about to change... I set up this here bloggio to keep our family & friends back in Australia in the loop with the goings on in the Holden household in Hong Kong. Truth be known, the Holden household has been busy, busy making babies that is:) Not really something that I could share with you all at the time... but now, it's a different story.

On 5 June 2011 we are expecting our first little bubba. Very exciting news. Given that our family & friends are so far away, I am going to try and make sure that I update the blog regularly so that they (and you) can be involved in watching this little human develop.

We are in Week 14 now, and things are sailing along nicely. Would be a whole lot nicer I have to admit if I hadn't spent the past 14 weeks feeling so sick. Haven't felt sick since Friday so hopefully (fingers & toes crossed) I have turned the magical 14 week mark and that will be a thing of the past. I can tell you, there were times in the past 14 weeks when I didn't think I could handle it anymore. I have always been prone to car/motion sickness, and living with that feeling constantly for 14 weeks ain't pretty.

Aside from the morning sickness (how the hell it ever got the name "morning" sickness, I'll never know), things are all going well. I think we spent the first 12 weeks freaking out about what it meant to be having a baby, what change it was going to bring to our lives, and whether we were ready to cope with it. We have spent the past 2 weeks contemplating the millions of purchases that we will need to make - it usually goes like this - walk into a shop, look around, get heart palpitations, walk to book section, buy a "how to" book and then run out of the shop.

Now, in Week 14, I am happy to report that the heart palpitation moments are slowly decreasing, and it is starting to become a reality.

Don't get me wrong, we desperately wanted this child, even planned for it in fact... But I am not sure that any amount of planning can calm your nerves when you eventually pee on that stick and find out that you are pregnant. The thoughts that race through your head, the anxious feeling you feel when you start contemplating the e.n.o.r.m.o.u.s. responsibility you are about to take on (have taken on...), it's all a bit overwhelming.

The fact that I am able to blog about it now, means that things are starting to sink in, we are slowly getting used to the idea, and even in fact, starting to get a little excited:) Ok, a LOT excited!

soul symphony

2010-11-11T08:16:00.003+08:00

something to aspire to...

How good are Saturday mornings!!

2010-10-30T09:16:00.002+08:00

My friends, what are you up to on this lovely Saturday morning?

I woke bright and early to bake a dozen Lemon & Raspberry muffins (a-la-Nigella). Ah, the simple pleasures - how {good} is the smell of freshly baked treats in the morning. The raspberries were so juicy and sweet, I couldn't wait to pop one in my mouth...

Life never stops for the Holden's, we were back in Oz last week to celebrate the nuptials of Kristy & Matt and Gen & Tim. Both weddings were amazing celebrations of LOVE...but mmoorree on that later...

No sooner did we arrive home, the house was filled with visitors. We have 2 of Will's brothers and one of their friends staying with us for 10 days. The boys are off to Macau for the day on a "boyz day" = go-carting, sight-seeing (not sure how much of that they will get done), big feed of Portuguese at the fabulous Fernando's and then on to the casino's. Watch out Macau - the Holden boys are on the loose...

I on the other hand am off to visit a lovely friend and her fam to enjoy mani/pedi's before packing the passport and heading over to the dark side (TST) to help a friend at the Food & Wine Festival. Last years event was H.U.G.E. and no doubt this year will be even bigger. If you are at a loose end (and happen to be in Hong Kong), come visit us at Booth D118 (Margaret River Wines).

Thankfully, we have been blessed with perfect weather today. The humidity is all but gone and the temperatures have dropped - the sky is even blue!

As the boys won't be back till late, I am SOOO looking forward to a quiet night in. I am planning on testing some recipes out of Jamie Oliver's {newish} recipe book Jamie does... I have my eye on the Spring & Summer Minestrone (my motherly instinct has kicked in and I feel compelled to feed the boys vege's), and the Beef Tagine. Full report to follow...

This recipe ROCKS!!

2010-05-25T07:29:00.001+08:00

A few weeks ago I stumbled across the wonderful 64 sq ft kitchen blog. Warda's blog contains her favorite family recipes from Algeria and The Maghreb. Now doesn't that sound yummy!

The night after I made the discovery I was having a couple of friends over for a casual Sunday night supper (BTW - I don't normally refer to dinner as supper but this blog has me hooked!). I had promised said friends homemade burgers done on the BBQ and intended to make my stock standard wedges as accompaniment (potatoes cut into wedges, sprayed with canola spray and sprinkled with cajun = low fat, scrummy fake chippes). After seeing this recipe, I decided to change plans and try something new. Oh boy I am glad I did (and so were my guests), the chips were absolutely delicious!

Warda calls the recipe "Weeknight Potatoes" but I'm afraid that in the Holden household, these would count as "Main Event, Saturday Night Dinner Party Potatoes". They were a real hit!

I have reproduced (copied) Warda's recipe below. I have also included the link above. I know this might sound crazy, but this recipe is a keeper and I want it saved on my blog permanently!

Roasted Spiced Potatoes Recipe: serves 4

Six big Yukon Gold (or any of your favorite yellow flesh potatoes)
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 tsp Harissa, or your favorite hot sauce (Optional)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven at 400F.

Peel and slice the potatoes into wedges or fries. Put them in a bowl, along with the olive oil, salt, black pepper, ground cumin, paprika and harissa, if used. Toss the potatoes to combine.

Arrange them in a baking sheet in a single layer and bake until golden brown and crisp on the outside, turning them over once, about 25-30 minutes.

Mix the herbs, garlic, lemon juice in a bowl. When the potatoes are baked, toss them quickly with the garlic infused herbs and serve.

Image from here

Hi there !

2010-05-24T08:28:00.001+08:00

Happy Monday morning (if it's ever possible to be happy on a Monday morning)!

How was your weekend? Did you get up to anything exciting? Try something new?

Unfortunately I didn't have the best week last week. About this exact time last Monday morning I was getting ready for work and managed to hurt my back (which I later found out meant I slipped a disc - VERY painful)! I was forced to spend the rest of the week flat on my back in bed/on the couch. I tell you what, that experience gave new meaning to the words "cabin fever". By the weekend I was literally pulling my hair out (and anybody else in close proximity).

It is going to take a while to make a full recovery (loads of physio and exercises etc.) but I am at least mobile now, for which I am extremely grateful. I am even going to head off to work today and see how that goes. Hopefully I last the whole day as I have truckloads of work to catch up on, but if not, then alas, there is not much I can do about that.

Due to last week's stresses, I was unfortunately not able to carry on with The Project. It got me thinking though, whilst flat on my back in immense pain, I found myself stressing that I hadn't taken my daily pic. That got me thinking even more, was it the fear of failure in not being able to stick to it that bothered me, or the fact that I didn't have anything exciting/interesting to capture and show you? What/who was I doing The Project for? That's when I decided (I had a LOT of time to think last week...), that I would take The Project "off-line". To be honest, I felt the pressure to capture something exciting everyday too much. Some days I just go to work and come home and whilst there are adventures along the way, they may not be particularly noteworthy, or picturesque. If I am going to do The Project, then I need to feel free to capture stuff that isn't necessarily for your eyes (I mean that in the nicest possible way). Like when I was on the couch in my most comfy (aka least fashionable) attire, looking like I was on my death bed, did I really feel comfortable publishing a pic of that here for all to see. The answer is no! But it was my day, my reality, and if I am to use The Project to capture my daily life, then that was it! It's not that I only want to share the glamorous side of life on here (I try not to make this a brag book!), it's just that a diary is I guess private by nature, and it needs to be in order for the author to truly express his/her feelings in an honest and raw way. Do you agree? I guess to a large extend it depends on the diaries purpose...

Anyway, the long and the short of it is, I am going to try to stick to The Project, but in a more private "off-line" kind of way.

Now that I have got that off my chest, I had better get ready for work. I am looking forward to this week! We got the Award (judgment) on the Arbitration I have been working on AND WE WON!! Of course, we got it last week whilst I was flat on my back, and so the elation of the win will be all but gone in the office by the time I arrive this morning. Nonetheless, there are a million things to do now that it has been decided, and I need to crack on with them. It also means that we are 1 week closer to Will's 30th, which means 1 week closer to his parents arriving (that is a good thing btw - I love my in-laws), and 1 week closer to our Paris/Spain adventure. Oh boy do we need a holiday!

Hope your week is a lovely one. xox

Image from here

Would you choose this?

2010-05-17T07:45:00.001+08:00

Whilst most people dream of living at The Peak, I don't think I could cope with the constant cloud and mist that would shroud your existence. I took this pic yesterday on our walk, looking down from the very top of the peak. It's a bit gloomy hey?

It's not like this is a rare occasion either, I would hazard a bet that this is a typical view - 80% of the time. Last week when I went to visit baby Barrett in the Matilda (which is incidentally also at the Peak), you could not see an inch out of her window. Not to mention how you would ever get anything dry or keep mould at bay (although I am sure peeps living up here don't concern themselves with that sort of thing)!

I never realised, before moving to Hong Kong, what havoc humidity can play in your house. We have to have de-humidifiers running constantly otherwise our clothes, shoes etc. would be ruined from all the damp. And then there is the daily commute, suited up in heels and all. You really have to consider having a second wardrobe at work. These days I usually opt for dresses and wear thongs (flip flops!) to and from work.

The humidity makes you feel alive though, and for me, it is a constant reminder that I am living in Asia - which I LOVE!!

PS. I haven't forgotten Day 10 (it's just that the pics are on someone else's camera:)

Day 11

2010-05-17T07:31:00.001+08:00

16 May 2010

A stroll in the woods.

After taking CoCo for a play in our favourite park (yeap, the one at the top of the Peak), we walked back down the path to the ring road and around to the touristy part of the peak. It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon, and I think CoCo enjoyed it too!

Day 9

2010-05-17T07:25:00.002+08:00

14 May 2010

Dinner at Bistecca with Zoe & Saf.

Bistecca is a new Italian steakhouse opened in Lan Kwai Fong. Whilst "Italian" and "steakhouse" wouldn't first come to mind as a dining combo, that may be more a display of my lack of foodie insight than anything else. And, it worked well I must say!

Obviously the main thing on offer here are steaks, HUGE steaks! Although there was a range of other Italian specialities to choose from.

Steak and I have a love/hate relationship. Truth be told, I have never been a big steak eater. I like meat don't get me wrong, but I would rather it served in smaller pieces than a big fat slab. I love the thought of a nice steak, but I usually find after a few mouthfuls I am feeling stuffed and bloated, and like on Friday night, totally zapped of energy whilst my body starts the digestion process. Too much info I know!

Anyway, the dinner was lovely and as always, it was nice to try something different.

Day 8

2010-05-14T07:07:00.001+08:00

13 May 2010

Last nights dinner!

For some reason, this pile of vege's we had for dinner last night tasted sooooo good. It must have been exactly what Will and my bodies' needed cause we both devoured it whilst licking our lips and making loud "mmmm" sounds.

Will has been feeling a little under the weather this past few days. A fix of vege's should sort him out I reckon. Although, on second thoughts, that dreaded man-cold is a pretty nasty thing. Us girls wouldn't know of course, having never had the experience. I hope he feels better soon!

Day 7

2010-05-13T07:52:00.001+08:00

12 May 2010

My desk at work. Something a little bright today after the rather depressing post yesterday about the dog poisoner!

I like to start the work week with something bright and cheery on my desk. This usually involves me stopping in to visit the lovely flower stall in the markets on my walk to work. This week they had peonies, which they informed me where HUGE (at the time they were only teeny tiny buds).

I must confess I have had mixed success with peonies here in Hong Kong, despite them being my all time favourite flower. I often buy them with great anticipation of things to come, and then a couple of days later find the buds droopy and dead having not opened at all.

Anyway, I am an eternal optimist (especially when it comes to peonies), so I took the risk and bought some. I took them to work, trimmed them up and placed them on my desk. To my absolute delight, before the morning was over each of the buds had burst! One by one the little darlings opened up to reveal the most amazingly soft layers of pink. They are absolutely magnificent and have worked a charm in keeping a smile on my face this week. They smell good too!

NB: Upon complaining to my florist friends that I was having mixed success with their peonies, they let me in on a little secret. Because peonies are so tightly held in the bud, they sometimes need a little massaging in order to help them open. I know it sounds funny, and let me tell you people will think you are crazy if they catch you doing it (picture me at work lovingly massaging the little buds whilst singing a happy "open up" tune - people think I have finally lost my marbles). BUT, it works a treat so I don't care!

Happy hump day friends!

Day 6

2010-05-13T07:30:00.001+08:00

11 May 2010

Unbelievable! Right behind our house there is the most wonderful walking/running track called Bowen Road. It skirts the city from Midlevels to Happy Valley, with amazing views along the way.

I try to get up there for a walk (and these days, a run) about 2 or 3 times a week. I usually take CoCo, and would prefer to let her wonder off the lead EXCEPT... for years there has been a dog poisoner on the loose laying baits along the track in an attempt to kill as many dogs as possible. Can you believe someone would do that!!

There are all sorts of conspiracy theories as to who might be behind the scheme, but to date, no-one has been caught. I must confess that there have been many a time I have been walking along the path watching out for suspicious persons. It always gets me thinking about what I would do if I caught the culprit... I would not like to be responsible for my actions that day, I can tell you.

Unfortunately for us, this means that CoCo is kept on the tightest leash and not allowed to sniff a thing. I think she still enjoys being in the great outdoors, but I do feel sorry for the little thing.

Day 5

2010-05-12T07:32:00.002+08:00

10 May 2010

Our gorgeous puppy CoCo!

She really is the most adorable little thing (and I'm not biased...!) She is a little over 1 now, so I am not sure if she still classifies for the "puppy" title - but we continue to refer to her as one. She is just so small and cute, and she still runs and plays like a puppy.

I often see older dogs who have lost that puppy energy and I really hope she doesn't lose hers to quickly.

Day 4

2010-05-10T09:10:00.003+08:00

09 May 2010

Baby Barrett's first day in the world (born 8 May 2010, 10am).

Today we went to visit our dear friends new baby. She is absolutely perfect in every way. Cute as a button, and yummy enough to eat.

Aren't new babies just divine - they have such an innocence and gentle presence about them. I could have sat and watched her all day:)

Congrats guys!

I also wanted to wish my ma a big Happy Mother's Day! Hope you had a lovely day mum, wish we could have been there to spend it with you. xox

Another level

2010-05-10T08:12:00.001+08:00

When a new shop opens in Hong Kong it is customary for friends, family & business acquaintances to send bouquets of flowers. Not just any bouquet - a massive one!!

This is not a new thing, so we are quite used to seeing them. However, the new shop we walked passed on Saturday took it to another level. As you can see in the pics, there were so many flowers that you couldn't even see the shop. I have no idea why this particular shop was so special or popular - but I am intrigued to find out. Perhaps someone famous owns it?

I want to open a new shop just to get the flowers:)

What did you get up to on the weekend? Did you have a lovely Mother's Day?

We had quite a jam packed weekend. Friday night I had a work function, followed by drinks with Em (who has incidentally finished her 4 month dream holiday), and a house de-warming party all in one night. Saturday I took CoCo up to the park with Michelle and her two boys, then headed out to Horizon Plaza (27 story industrial building housing all sorts of shops - and home to our butcher, Pacific Gourmet - num num), then our lovely friends Louise and Kristine popped over for dinner (burgers and these chips)!

Yesterday we did something very random and hired a car (!!), rallied together 4 of our friends, and had a lovely afternoon in the peak park. The dogs played all afternoon whilst we laid around relaxing. The weather was spectacular and we had such a nice afternoon. We popped in to see the Barretts new bub (more on that anon), and then drove out to Shek O for thai on the beach (just because we could - and because we had to fit as much as we could in whilst we had the car).

Sound like a jam packed weekend? It was, I can tell you! I love weekends like this, but then again I also crave weekends where we do nothing. Perhaps we will reserve next weekend for doing exactly that.

Have a lovely week!

PS. For those that are wondering, the shop is actually a Canadian food store (i.e. a store selling Canadian produce).

Day 3

2010-05-09T08:19:00.001+08:00

8 May 2010

The (secret) park at the Peak.

The things you find out when you become parents...parents of dogs that is! When Will and I got CoCo we were on the search for dog parks in Hong Kong. A friend told us about a park at the Peak, not the part of the Peak everyone knows, a secret place. You see, the Peak is not actually the peak - if you keep driving to the top (which is quite a way further up), you get to the actual peak of the mountain. That's where the park is!

We were absolutely blown away with how beautiful this place is! In terms of public spaces in Hong Kong, I'm afraid to say that the Hong Kong government usually gets it wrong. This park however, they have got absolutely right! It is wonderful - there are wide open spaces, meandering gardens, blooms galore, streams, park benches - in fact, everything you would expect to find in a park back home in Australia.

Given how special this place is, you would think it would be filled with people all of the time. Quite the contrary actually, the park is always quiet and peaceful which makes it extra special.

The other amazing thing about the park is that, unlike most places in Hong Kong, dogs are actually allowed here. In fact, it is a designated dog park!

Today, the very friend who told me about the park drove CoCo and I up there with her two doggies (also poodles) for a play. We had a lovely morning in the sunshine chatting and playing fetch with our furry friends. What a perfect way to start the weekend.

Day 2

2010-05-08T09:22:00.003+08:00

7 May 2010

I work on the 50th floor of Central Plaza. This is the view from my office.

I wasn't intending on capturing this view today. In fact, this is not always the view from my office (and not because we hot-desk)... because most days those mountains in the background are clouded in the most horrible pollution. Yeap, they are usually invisible! Yesterday however, they were as clear as could be, we could even see the satellite towers on top of them. The cloud through the buildings is just morning mist/cloud. I thought it made for the most interesting photo, and a rare one at that.

When we moved here 5 years ago, the pollution was nowhere near as bad as it is today. Some days it's ok (usually after heavy rain), and others it is unbearable! Why do we live here you ask? I don't know, I grew up on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland Australia so I do know what clear blue skies are and if I really knew what it was doing to my health, I would probably feel compelled to move. But complacency is an amazing thing. You just seem to get used to it. IT becomes the norm. The blue skies back home become the unusual...

Incidentally, the view is from Hong Kong island looking back to Kowloon, near Kai Tak - the old airport.

Day 1

2010-05-07T08:04:00.001+08:00

6 May 2010

Walking through the Wanchai markets on my way to work. You can see snippets of a flower stall on the right (not my fav one which is down the road a bit further, but one I occasionally buy from).

I don't have to walk through the market to get to work, there is a side road which I could take if I wanted to avoid it. I don't know what it is about the market, but I LOVE walking though there everyday - it makes me feel alive, reminds me that I am living in Asia, and makes me very thankful. Most of all, thankful that I have this wonderful opportunity to live in amongst another culture.

The market is always bustling, and I ALWAYS find new things everyday when I walk through. If you ask any of our visitors, they usually say that they enjoy visiting this market the most in all of Hong Kong. It's only small, but there are so many treasures to be found.

Last night when I walked home through the market I went to visit the local tofu lady (who incidentally also sells bean sprouts - which is what I was after). Just as I arrived she pulled out the fresh batch of tofu and proceeded to yell down the street to alert everyone to its arrival (well at least that's what I could make out of her Cantonese). Then I called into the fruit shop to buy some mango's and got caught buying a bag full of fruit - lychee's just in season, the most wonderfully aromatic guava's, and some cute little pink gala apples (guess what we had for breaky this morning - fresh apple and guava juice! YUMMO). Then I called into the thai shop (one of my absolute fav shops in the market) to buy fresh mint, basil and lime. I had a quick chat to the owner (who incidentally used to be my beautician at the Mandarin Oriental before she opened this shop), before heading home to cook dinner.

I thought a shot of the market was appropriate for day 1 considering how integral it is to my life in Hong Kong, and also, just because I LOVE it so much!

The 365 day project!

2010-05-07T07:37:00.005+08:00

That sounds quite daunting doesn't it?

Yesterday I came across an idea which I thought was fantastic. A friend of mine has started a visual diary where she records her days through photo's - 1 pic per day for 365 days. I was feeling so inspired by the idea, that I have decided to try it out for myself. I thought this here bloggio was the perfect place for publication of the pics, considering that the inspiration behind The Holdens in Honkers was to keep in touch with fam & friends back home whilst we were living away. I think this project will hit the mark perfectly!

Hopefully I don't forget to capture each day... wouldn't it be annoying if after 365 days you only had 320 photo's! I guess I could live with that, although I will try my best to complete the project with 365 pics.

My greatest fear is that in the day to day humdrum of life, there won't be much to capture - let's face it, you can only take so many pics of your work desk (which is where I tend to spend the majority of my days). Anyway, I guess it will just force me to get creative which is not a bad thing.

So, here goes. Wish me luck!

I am a bad girl

2010-05-05T11:12:00.004+08:00

Instead of working, I am sitting here at my desk dreaming about our upcoming trip to Paris and Spain (Barcelona, San Sebastian, Seville & Madrid). I can't stop thinking about it, and just wish I could fast forward the calender to 15 June NOW!

I really feel like I need a break, not a day off here and there, but a solid block of time to let my mind wander idly, without a thought of work or deadlines or 6 minute blocks of time. I want to be free to roam the streets and discover hidden treasures and spend time with hubby enjoying his company and our general banter about nothing and everything. I want to experience something new and exciting, something exotic and different, something fresh and inspiring - I am hoping for all these things on our trip. I don't think that will be too much trouble considering our destination...

Until then, I need to FOCUS! I have work to do, Will's 30th to organise, in-laws to visit, and loads of other stuff on my plate. 15 June feels so far away today, oh please hurry up and get here!

41 sleeps to go!

To show my appreciation...

2010-05-05T07:50:00.000+08:00

for all the assistance the lovely receptionists at work give me throughout the year, I gave them each a little tin full of homemade cookies. I know, it's only a token gesture, but I wanted to give them something little and heartfelt to let them know that I do really appreciate their help.

I felt inspired to make cookies, and came up with the perfect idea of how to use the peppermint Haighs chocs that my lovely friend Louise bought back from Australia for me. I used a Nigella recipe as the base, and added the peppermint chocs (and a peppermint crisp - don't you love those!). Needless to say they were a little naughty (i.e. calorific), but they tasted so yum.

The girls were so surprised to receive the little treats, and I did notice a smile on their faces for the whole day following! Isn't giving such a wonderful thing. The feeling you get when you give is right up there in my books.

CNY Dinner at the Holden's

2010-04-30T07:38:00.004+08:00

I thought it was about time I posted pics from our Chinese New Year dinner.

It was a HUGE effort to prepare 8 courses for 10 people (yeap, you read right!), but it was oh so worth it. We had a fabulous night!

I love HK around this time of the year, it's kind of like Christmas back home. Everyone is racing around frantically trying to get all their preparations done, the streets are overflowing with decorations, and people are generally in a festive mood. The whole town glows red.

Preparing the dinner got us right into the spirit as I frantically raced around sourcing ingredients, decorations, making menu's and invitations, putting together lai see packets for the guests, investigating Chinese zodiac signs, and generally making the most of the occasion.

Here are a few pics from the night that I thought you might enjoy.

My new lamp

2010-04-25T10:22:00.002+08:00

I was soooo excited to pick this beauty up from my lovely lamp man the other day. I am totally in love with it!

I don't think I have mentioned my lamp man before?

A few months ago when I purchased this chair, which was originally intended for our bedroom (it hasn't made its way in there yet), I decided we needed 2 new matching bedside lamps. Previously we had 2 bedside lamps that didn't match (and were old and crappy) and I was desperate to get rid of them.

Well, the lovely lady at the interior shop I purchased the chair at helped me to source some matching fabric for the lamp shades, and then ever so helpfully gave me the details of a guy that hand makes lamp shades here in Hong Kong. It's a dying art you know? I was so delighted to get his details, and even more delighted when I fronted up at his store to discover a treasure trove of lamp bases and carefully crafted shades. Added bonus, his English was pretty good too!

Well 6 shades later... I think I may have over done it just a bit...

The lamp above happened by accident cause I spotted the base in his shop and immediately fell in LOVE with it. At Christmas during our trip home I had purchased this cushion from Signatures (my all time fav shop) in Noosa, and loved the fabric so much that I decided I would track done it's origins (thanks again to the lovely lady at the interiors shop) and have the shade made in the same fabric. The guy at the lamp shop was a bit concerned about my fabric choice, which made me all the more nervous that he didn't completely understand what it was I wanted him to do with it, but much to my delight - when I collected the lamp a few weeks ago, it was absolutely perfect! The craftsmanship is beautiful, with gorgeous silk hand stitched lining. He did such a good job!

I much prefer the softer lighting of lamps in the house, it makes you feel instantly relaxed and soothed don't you think?

Baby shower galore

2010-04-21T08:22:00.000+08:00

Two of my bestest friends are having babies next month - my lovely bridesmaid Sophie (who lives back home in Oz) and the lovely Lucy (who lives here in HK with us).

The girls are due 3 days apart - can you believe it! Unfortunately I couldn't make it back for Sophie's shower, but I still managed to play a small part in her day - I made these little party favor bags for the girls to take home. Aren't they cute? Soph sent me a pic of the cutie patootie little bags all laid out on display. Can you tell Soph is expecting a little girl ;-)

As for Lucy's shower, we hosted that at the Holden's ranch (he, he - that sounds so funny given the size of HK apartments) the Saturday before my sisters left (thank god I had them here to help!). Those are the invites I made above - cute hey? Unfortunately I got too busy on the actual day and forgot to take piccies of the dessert table and decorations :( Oh well ! I think everyone had a good time, and most importantly, Lucy got spoilt with loads of nice pressies and an afternoon with the girls.

I can't wait to meet their little bundles soon!

Can anyone help?

2010-04-20T08:13:00.001+08:00

A while ago I saved this image from over at the lovely Decor8 blog. I pulled it up recently and have fallen in love with the plates! Does anyone know who makes them? I seriously need to get my hands on some!!

Last year hubbie and I were trying to decide on a nice new "grown-up" dinner set. We looked at all sorts of sets but couldn't commit to one. Whilst holidaying in New York we popped into Yves Delorme on Madison Ave and got chatting to the ever so lovely sales assistant. During our conversation we explained our predicament regarding the dinner set (might have been spurred on by one of their gorgeous sets which said hubbie wouldn't let me bring home...). Anyway, he very helpfully suggested an idea that we loved - start with a plain white base and then add in different coloured pieces to suit different occasions. And that my friend, is what we did... (are doing more like it). We haven't as yet started adding pieces. I thought these plates might make a nice first edition. What do you think?

I would love to buy 8 dinner plates, or bread and butter plates (not sure what their official title is???). They would go perfectly with the rest of the set, and would add such a nice drop of colour and style to our next dinner party.

If you know where I can get my hands on some, or who makes them - I would be ever so grateful!

What's been occupying our time...

2010-04-19T08:30:00.003+08:00

Visitors!

Straight after my hearing finished in March, our lovely friends Deanne and Larry came to visit. We had SUCH a good time together, it is really fun showing good friends around our town (which we have come to know pretty well after 5 years). We had an absolute ball together, so much so that D&L reckon they are coming every year, we can only hope they hold true to that threat!

Overlapping with their stay were my 2 sisters who came to spend Easter with the Holdens in Honkers. It was sooooo lovely to spend time with the girls. If you have ever lived away from home (far away), then you will know what it's like when you travel home on the yearly pilgrimage - you have a million people to catch up with, and as a result, never get to spend the quality time you would like, with everyone. Well we had 10 days of togetherness, just the 4 of us (& CoCo) and it was divine.

In some ways I wish they hadn't come, having spent so much time together it made me realise just how much I miss them and I have been a blubbering mess ever since they left. Every time I go somewhere we went together, or do something we did, it reminds me of them and the fact that they are now gone! You really don't appreciate things until they are gone, do you?

Now that everyone is gone, things are pretty quiet around the Holden household. We are going to try and keep it that way, till June at least, when Will's parents come over to celebrate his 30th birthday!. Then we are off to Spain for 2.5 weeks. Oh, that will be fun. What have you been up to lately?

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you

2010-04-19T07:51:00.004+08:00

Given my complete slackness in the blog department recently, you can imagine how surprised I was to receive this {very sweet} sunshine award from the lovely Kathy over at SweetSimplicitee.

Truth be known, Kathy is my sister-in-law so perhaps she was just trying to do her very best to prod me out of my blog spell, and motivate me to start posting again. Whatever the reason, I am very grateful!

Pop over to Kathy's blog and marvel at her stunning creations - she is one truly talented gal! She has also started a new Etsy store to sell her lovely fabric creations. Go check it out, you won't be disappointed. Thanks Kathy!!!!!

This award thingy is all very new to me! Apparently I now have to select 12 of my fav blogs to pass this award onto. Problem is, how can I stop at 12... here goes:

Beach Vintage

Absolutely Beautiful Things

Katy Potaty Cupcake Lady

French Essence

My Favourite Things

I recommend you make yourself a nice cup of tea, sit back and relax - you might be here for a while! Thanks to the lovely ladies (yes, randomly they are all femme bloggers) above - you bring sunshine to my day, everyday! They are all so talented and inspiring. Sometimes I find it VERY hard to get off the couch and ready for work when I could so easily lose the day reading all your lovely blogs.

To keep the Sunshine Award travelling, all you need to do is:

(1) Send a big Thank you to the person who gave it to you;

(2) Copy the award and place it on your blog;

(3) Link to the person who nominated you;

(4) Pass it along to 12 other bloggers that light up your day.

Oh boy...

2010-03-23T13:39:00.003+08:00

...i've lost my mojo! If anyone finds it please let me know...

I finished the trial last week and have been trying to get motivated to dive back into work (post-hearing) and also to start blogging properly again - but I just can't seem to find any motivation.

Perhaps that's because I have been counting down the days (hours (4) now actually) until our wonderful friends arrive, and then my sister arrives on Thursday. If that's not enough, my other sister arrives next week in time for Easter. With so much to look forward to it has been hard to stay in the moment that is NOW, and crack on with those things on my "Need to get done before said guests arrive list". We also have the Rugby 7's this weekend, so HK is about to launch full steam into party town mode (and so are WE)! YAH

I am hoping that a few days off with friends and family will be just what the doctor ordered and that somewhere between now and next week I find my mojo and get back on the work horse!

I have to confess that whilst I have not been sharing much blog love recently on this here said blog, I have been soaking up inspiration and whiling away hours reading all of your gorgeous posts! Thanks so much for all your inspiration and bloggie luv! During one of my ramblings I stumbled across this gorgeous (to die for) frock on the lovely blog, French Essence. Oh boy I wish I could (a) get my hands on this dress; and (b) fit into it!

Wish me luck finding my mojo, and if you find it before I do, please send it home!

It's over!

2010-03-17T14:04:00.005+08:00

I am happy to report that my trial (arbitration hearing, actually) finished yesterday and whilst I still have a pile of stuff to complete in a relatively short time frame - life can resume to normalcy... well, for a few days at least...

Next Tuesday our fabulous friends Deanne & Larry are coming to stay, then my sister arrives on Thursday (2 yah's in 1 week!), then we have the Rugby Sevens, and the week after my other sister arrives for Easter. Goodness me I am tired just thinking about it.

We are soooo looking forward to spending time with friends and family, and taking a few days off here and there to play tour guide. Don't you love doing that - I always enjoy playing tourist in my own city, discovering new things and seeing the mundane through new intrigued eyes.

Before then I have to find a chunk of motivation to get through the tasks on hand, to focus on work and not play, and to stop dreaming about being anywhere but where I am. What I would give to be sitting in the garden pictured above right now, feeling the sun on my back, without a care in the world.

Oh well, another day perhaps!

Image from here

Dreaming of...

2010-03-08T21:40:00.000+08:00

...eating macaroons in Paris, from Laduree to be precise!

Wanted to pop in quickly to let you know I haven't forgotten about you, just snowed under with work at the moment (and likely to be until end of next week). The hearing is going ok, albeit always a million things to do and rather long days to contend with.

I managed to get a few hours to myself yesterday and started planning our upcoming trip to Spain (via Paris of course). I will definitely be ensuring that we make a trip to Laduree to partake in a bit of scrummy macaroon action!

What flavour would you choose?

xox

Mini-break

2010-02-22T08:13:00.000+08:00

We are back from our short 4 night stay in KK, Malaysia. It was so lovely to get away, even if it was just for a few days. We spent the whole time relaxing, and hanging out with friends (oh, and a bit of time in the spa getting pampered!).

The closest room to you in the 2nd pic was ours, yeap direct access into the water off our deck - bliss! And just to make you even more jealous - the infinity pool features in the fore front of each pic - you can't tell the difference between the ocean and the pool (giving true meaning to the term "infinity pool" I guess).

Anyway, unfortunately all that is now but a distant memory - cause I am one week (to the day) away from my trial starting and things are going to get very hectic around here. Whilst I will try to keep posting, I am afraid you will have to forgive my slackness for the coming month (arghhh). How am I ever going to cope!

Please bear with me! Ciao for now

xox

Sorry I have been so slack...

2010-02-10T13:23:00.002+08:00

... I have been spending all of my time working on getting a body like this to give to my husband for his 30th birthday!

HA - just kidding, although I have been spending time exercising and dieting lately {what's new...}.

Things are rather hectic around here at the moment. I have a trial starting on 1 March lasting for 2.5 weeks and the preps leading up to that have meant that my spare time is somewhat limited. I have also been busy for the past 2 weeks organising the Holden's Chinese New Year Dinner which went down a treat last Saturday night. I promise to post pics soon!

We are heading away {to Kota Kinabalu} on Friday night for 4 nights with a bunch of friends which should see some well deserved {even if I do say so myself} R&R. It will unfortunately be short lived, cause work will only get busier when we get back and then I might as well right off 1 - 17 March whilst the hearing is on.

Good news though, once the trial is over we have lots of visitors to look forward too - Deanne & Larry, Ebony & April, Dan & Val, and maybe even Jess if we are lucky. Then it will be June and we will be off to France & Spain for 3 weeks - yeah, you heard it, we are going on another holiday! I think we will need it after we get through the first half of this year.

I guess this is a long way of saying that I am sorry I haven't been contributing at my usual pace, and I can't promise that will improve in the coming few weeks/months. I will try my best though, you have my word on that!

xox

Image - flickr via Brabourne Farm (oh my, this blog is sooooo inspiring - love ,love, love it! I think I will try and work towards getting this body to give to my gorgeous husband for his birthday - 6 months left and counting! Wish me luck)

Hey, It's OK...

2010-02-03T08:15:00.003+08:00

I was flicking through some hand-me-down mags the other day when I stumbled upon this piece in Glamour magazine (not my usual choice of mag, but hey, it was free). Something about it just stuck, so I thought I would share it with you (and add a few tid bits here and there)...

Hey, it's ok...

...to be irrationally annoyed when no one compliments your brand new dress (crap, I can't remember the last time I had a new dress)!

...to order your favourite takeaway over and over. If it ain't broke, why fix it? (oh, totally dreaming of my fav Nepalese take out right now)!

...to be weirdly obsessed with miniature shampoos, fun-sized chocolate bars, mini mascaras etc (don't get this one, I have a compulsion whenever I get one of these (and can't bear to throw it away), to use it all up straight away so that I can feel better about binning it and not being wasteful. I wish it didn't come into my hands in the first place. When we travelled when we were younger I used to {steal} all the little miniatures in hotel rooms only to get them home and hate the clutter they created, stash them in the back of a cupboard {out of site out of mind} and then dig them out a few years later and bin them, after all they were soooo out of date they were useless - now-a-days, I just bin them straight away, or don't take them in the first place - unless they are Salvatore Ferragamo treats like we had in Tuscany, then I keep {and use} them:)

...to have a "to hell with it" moment and leave your car in an inner-city car park overnight (don't have a car so a little hard to have a moment like this, but akin to it, I guess, would be deciding to catch a cab home when you are only 5 mins walk away... or maybe that's just lazy...)

...to be outraged when a friend "steals" your favourite baby name. You claimed that one when you were 12, dammit (hmmm, can't say I have experienced this either, but I dare say my time will come...)

...to tell your mobile phone company you're thinking of leaving, when you have no intention of going so. Gets results (yeap, been there, done that!)

...if you "forget" to reply to boring texts that simply ask, "How are you?" (me, Ha, I would never do this... ;-)

...to have "Santa Baby" or "All I Want for Christmas Is You" on your ipod. All those Scrooges out there, two words: lighten up. (can't say these two tunes in particular are on there, but equally embarrassing is J. Lo - which I {love} to exercise to! God help me if anyone heard what I was listening too sometimes - whatever gets you going I say!)

Happy hump day everyone. I have a busy day at work (partner is in town - eek), then I am off to pilates! Enjoy xox

Image from here

I can't quite believe it...

2010-02-02T08:18:00.001+08:00

I actually have a card to share with you today!

On Saturday afternoon I actually managed to sit down and spend some time crafting (in my new study)! I spent the morning setting the room up, packing my little hutch with all things craft - getting the colours and decor just how I like it. Then, with a cuppa beside me, I spent a few hours playing. What bliss!

It's been a long time coming, but alas, it is finally here. I have a craft room, and a desk! The best best best thing is, I can now get half way through making something, walk out of the room, close the door, and not worry for one minute that the house looks like a pig sty because the dining room table has just had a bomb explode on it! As you can imagine, Will is pretty wrapped about that too!

Yah for my new craft room! xox

I'm in LOVE

2010-02-01T08:01:00.001+08:00

with my new chair!

Whilst out shopping for a desk the other week I stumbled across this gorgeous Mulberry fabric chair! I couldn't resist entering the shop and enquiring as to the price (I know, I am a sucker)! I was totally swept away when the sales assistant told me that I could have the display one for $4,000 HKD (that's about $580 AUD and $515 USD). To give you an idea of what a bargain that was, if I ordered a new one it would have cost about $14,ooo HKD ($2,000 AUD or $1,800 USD).

To be honest, by this stage I had totally fallen in love with the chair so I don't suppose it would have mattered how much she said it was. The fact that it was a bargain only reinforced my decision that I had to have it {and allowed me to feel a little better about the impulse purchase}. I did run it past Will first, but thankfully he agreed that it was too good a deal to refuse {don't I have the best husband eva!}

I had been searching for inspiration for our bedroom since we moved into our apartment last year. My original intention was to put it in the bedroom, and use it as a base for decorating the rest of the room. Whilst I still intend to do that {at some point}, the delivery guys placed it in our living room, and boy does it look good! It hasn't yet made it's way into the bedroom, but I figure it deserves a little centre stage attention!

Weekend Flowers

2010-02-01T07:44:00.001+08:00

I couldn't resist the stunning iris' on Friday night as I made my way through the markets. The pink roses were also begging me to take them home!

Whilst my husband is on STRICT instructions never to bring home carnations (I'm sorry, there appeal for me died with the 80's), I surprised myself and fell for the prettiest bunch of pale pink ones. Perhaps it's when they are in multicoloured bunches, or placed on a lapel that I can't stand them. Alone in single coloured bunches, they are bearable, or perhaps it was just {this} colour pink that I feel in love with? Whatever it is, they do look pretty in the centre of our dining table.

Hope you had a great weekend. Here's to the next one!

xox

Sneak peek

2010-01-29T09:06:00.000+08:00

You may recall me posting a while back about my craft room dilemma. Well I finally bit the bullet and bought a desk (and it's white)! The pic above is of the top part. Whilst waiting for the desk to arrive (more on that little drama anon) I couldn't resist displaying some of my hubbies espresso cup collection, and some fav books I have been exploring recently. It totally didn't go with the decor in the rest of our house, but I think the colour on the white palette looks so pretty (and hence the reason why I chose white as the backdrop for my craft room)!

The remainder of the desk arrived during the week, and once I have it all sorted I promise to post some pics. After all this time, you would think I would have locked myself in the craft room all week crafting up a storm...bizarrely I have been rather fixated on decorating the new room and setting up just so, rather than getting any actual craft done! I've also had a busy week at work, and have preferred vegging on the couch when I get home than doing anything productive. Thank god it's Friday and the weekend is just around the corner, I am definitely ampted to spend tomorrow in there making some pretties! The weather is cold and dreary here, perfect weather to stay indoors I say.

Dreaming of pretty rooms (when I should be getting ready for work!)

2010-01-28T08:28:00.001+08:00

How gorgeous is this bedroom! I don't know what it is about it, but it rocks my world! I love it. The colours and decor are just right. Nothing like my own bedroom, in fact, nothing like what I would normally go for - but hey, it works and I love it!

The second room also got me dreaming. I am so used to seeing pics of gorgeous things that I just can't get my hands on in Hong Kong. I wouldn't have any trouble with this room though - we have millions of antique shops in Hong Kong that sell exactly those cupboards (there called Chinese wedding cabinets), and antique bird cages are a plenty! Yippee

I have been in a refurb/redecorate kind of mood recently. Me thinks me needs to go shopping (shhhh, don't tell Will)!

Images from Coastal Living via Beach Vintage

Signatures

2010-01-26T07:48:00.001+08:00

One of my fav things to do whenever we visit home is to head to Hastings Street in Noosa for a little retail therapy. Signatures would have to be my all time favourite shop! You know those shops that as you enter you feel instantly good - well that's how I feel when I
enter Signatures.

Their gorgeous home wares are spread over two floors, and it is quite possible to waste (well I wouldn't exactly classify it as "waste") hours and hours in there. Not to mention the huge amounts of cash that inevitably get spent whenever I am allowed to enter!!

We normally spend a week in Noosa after Christmas, and I can tell you I have been known to visit this shop every one of those 7 days. This year I didn't have the luxury of time, and had to confine myself to a couple of minutes in there:( I managed to buy a few souvenirs (see pics above) - and walked out with a smile on my face.

Oh I wish there were stores like this in Hong Kong...

side note:

you may not know this but Hong Kong apartments are so small that people don't usually entertain at home. The result of this is that home ware stores don't seem to be as plentiful in HK, and people are more reluctant to spend money on interior decor. One of the things you may notice when you visit HK is the amount of peeps you see on the street with designer handbags etc. In the past you have probably assumed they were fakes - but alas, this is not usually the case (and to tell you the truth, it's usually only the expats that would dare be seen with a fake)! You see, people don't use their homes as a show of their style, affluence etc., they use themselves! In order to do this, they have no objection to splashing huge amounts of cash on designer fashions that they can then show off around town. In Australia, we usually invest quite heavily in our homes - this is their equivalent! I once had a secretary who would quite happily invest her entire months salary on a new "it" bag, every single month (preferring to live off her husband, or parents for the essentials). At least she looked good!

Image 1 - Brown Button

Image 2 - taken by mwah

Balthazar et Valentine

2010-01-25T22:23:00.004+08:00

Whilst out shopping with a friend on Saturday afternoon we stumbled upon the most gorgeous children's toy store I think I have ever seen (well except for FAO Schwarz in NY that is)! A common complaint amongst parents (or so I hear) is that good ole fashioned wooden toys are hard to find. Well not in HK apparently!!

Little Beetle (cute name hey) was filled with timber toys galore! Stove sets, ironing boards, tool sets, even BBQ's (complete with timber shish-kabob set) were a plenty. They had market stalls and all kinds of timber groceries. I know how much little girls (and boys too) love playing shop! The toys are all imported from Europe - which makes them all the sweeter if you ask me - french milk crates, hessian shopping bags, pastries... you name it, they had it!

Whilst I could hardly be seen purchasing any of the above mentioned (sans child), I had to settle on some cute little dolls (which I think is totally acceptable mind you). I absolutely fell in love with the Moulin Roty range of soft toys. Completely by coincidence, I purchased the 3 in the first pic - aka Birdie, Balthazar, & Valentine (I also had to take Little Felicie home too - she was so sweet and has the cutest little dress)! The packaging was absolutely gorgeous (this always wins me over). I am completely smitten!

All I need now are some bubs & birthdays to give me an excuse to go back and visit the lovely shop again!

xox

Weekend Flowers

2010-01-25T08:25:00.001+08:00

It's been a while since I posted any pics of our weekend flowers (sorry about that)!

On Friday night I stopped in at the little flower stall in the Wanchai market and bought myself a bunch of white orchids. The best bit about them, aside from how pretty they look, is that they only cost me $12 HK dollars (that's less than $2 Aus dollars). I guess they grow in abundance in Asia, and so they aren't expensive. Gotta love that!

I was doubly spoilt on the weekend though, cause my lovely husband bought me home a bunch of flowers on Saturday after he finished work. No pics sorry, the weather was rather gloomy on the weekend and I couldn't seem to get sufficient light to get a good pic:( The one above I took early Sat morning (before I received the other bunch!)

I {heart} fresh blooms in the house!!!

Happy Monday peeps!

xox

Homemade preserved lemons

2010-01-25T08:11:00.006+08:00

We really love Moroccan cuisine in the Holden household. Trouble is, every time I pull out the recipe books and set my heart upon a lovely recipe, it always calls for preserved lemons (which I don't usually - well until now - keep a stock of in the kitchen).

After seeing this post on Sunday Suppers, and being inspired by their chicken tagine with preserved lemons, green olives and golden raisins, I decided that I wouldn't be caught out again.

Yesterday I set to it and jarred up two jars brimming to the top with lovely fragrant preserved lemons. Not sure how long I have to wait until they are technically "preserved" but I will be waiting with baited breath!

Image 1 - taken by mwah yesterday in our kitchen

Image 2 - Sunday Suppers

happy 60th birthday mum !

2010-01-24T17:59:00.001+08:00

I must confess, I am a bit late with this post!

My wonderful mother turned 60 on Wednesday and I wanted to make sure that I wished her a Happy Birthday from the blog.

Unfortunately we didn't make it home for her birthday, but we were thinking about her all day (and certainly wishing we had flown home)!

Happy Birthday Mum, hope you had a fabulous day!

xox

Image from here

Spending time with our (not so little anymore) nieces!

2010-01-22T08:21:00.002+08:00

Another special moment from our trip home at Christmas - spending time with our (not so little anymore) nieces, and their mum & dad.

I have been holding off posting about this special moment cause I wanted to take some pics of the gorgeous Chrissy present my sister-in-law Kathy made me. Unfortunately, cause I only get time to blog in the early morning and late night, the light hasn't been good enough to get the perfect shot. Instead of holding off any longer I have pinched some pics from Kathy's fab blog (hope you don't mind Kathy!).

Isn't the bag gorgeous, Kathy is so talented and I felt super special receiving one of her handmade goodies.

Our nieces start Prep next week, and when we were home we got to see their little uniforms. I can't believe they are off to school already, how time flies!

In case you missed it - these two little cuties were the lucky recipients of the gorgeous Southern Sassy Pants pillows last year.

Image 1 - taken by mwah at Christmas

Image 2 & 3 from Kathy's Kreations

I wish I lived in NY so I could...

2010-01-19T22:14:00.000+08:00

... ask Amy Atlas to make one of her incredibly gorgeous dessert tables for our next party!

such eye candy...

num num !!

xox

Amy Atlas (Part 2)

2010-01-19T22:07:00.001+08:00

I couldn't resist sharing some more Amy with you...

Enjoy!

xox

All things Hermes

2010-01-19T08:26:00.006+08:00

I have a little obsession I haven't told you about...

I LOVE all things Hermes, especially their scarves!

I am not normally fussed about high end designer brands, but there is something about Hermes that I truly love. I have started collecting their scarves, not to wear cause I am not a scarf wearing kind of person, but to frame and hang on the wall. Their designs are so unique and colourful, and each one has it's own story to tell.

One of my fav things to do when I am in the city is pop into the Hermes store, just being in there makes me feel so good! I love going through the scarves and looking at all the beautiful designs, then showering myself in un jardin sur le nil and floating dreamily out of the store.

My husband has a small collection of espresso cups, so for Christmas I splurged and brought him one from Hermes, isn't it divine!

Cheese heaven

2010-01-18T07:53:00.002+08:00

Isn't this cheese table adorable!

For those of you that love cheese (and that includes me!), I was so inspired by these pics and the story over at Sunday Suppers. The gals at SS were asked to guest post over at Martha Stewart's wedding blog: The Bride's Guide with Darcy Miller, and this is what they came up with.

Whilst their table was designed as a wedding dessert table, I think it would be just as befitting at a cocktail party. In fact, I am trying to think of reasons to host one soon, just so that I can prepare one of these gorgeous tables!

In terms of weddings though, the best thing about this idea (aside from the fact that it looks so darn good), is that it is attainable for every bride (and budget). I have a few friends getting married this year, and I am definitely going to recommend this idea to them!

Speaking of cheeses, on Friday night we celebrated a friends 40th birthday with a few drinkies at a new bar/restaurant that's just opened in Hong Kong - Posto Pubblico. Whilst I was still recovering from a bout of food poisoning and was off the wagon - both in terms of food and drink - we sat near the open kitchen (a rarity in HK I must say) and I watched the chefs prepare the most awesome looking food. The dish that particularly caught my eye was a pasta made with fresh Parmesan. Basically (from what I could see anyway), the chef just threw the hot pasta into a huge wheel of parmesan (that had a whole carved out the middle), and swished it around until it was all creamy and gooey. It looked so darn good I wanted to take the plate right out of her hands and gooble the whole thing.

It got me thinking though, what a fabulous idea for a dinner party. Whilst the purchase of a whole wheel of parmesan is a little OTT, I wonder if I could source a not so big wheel that would have the same effect... Then I got thinking, you could serve the pasta in a big bowl on the table, alongside the parmesan and a platter of all kinds of yummy accompaniments. Your guests could then make their own pasta however they fancied. YUMMO!

All this will have to wait however, as the diet continues... I was helped along last week by the food poisoning, but I am resolute that this week I am going to continue to be good! Wish me luck.

Hope you had a fabulous weekend! The weather in HK was divine - a little chilly, but nice and warm in the sun with gorgeous blue skies. I was even lucky enough to get to spend the whole weekend with Will (who had Saturday off)! I feel almost ready to face a new week...almost!

xox

Image via Sunday Suppers

Meeting baby Matthew

2010-01-13T19:12:00.000+08:00

Back to the special moments we had on our recent trip home, one of the definite highlights was meeting baby Matthew, the adorable son of our dear friends Andrew & Andrea. Oh, and of course seeing Andrew & Andrea was pretty good too;-)

Unfortunately (as you can see from this pic), we only got to spend a short while with them at the airport before our flight out. Just goes to show how jam packed our trip was hey...

Foodie inspiration!

2010-01-12T13:30:00.006+08:00

Following our visit with Dee & Laz, I have come home full of enthusiasm on the foodie front. Trouble is, it is in complete contradiction to the diet I have just started...

The books above are on the top of my book list, but I may just have to hold off on purchasing them until I have progressed a little further on the diet front, seeing as though it is only day 2 and all...

Perhaps I can use this as inspiration to keep me on track, the sooner I shift the weight, the sooner I can purchase these books and cook up a storm!

Wish me luck :)

xox

Hanging at the beach house with dad & his mates

2010-01-12T08:05:00.000+08:00

Ever since I can remember Dad has had 3 best mates - George, Chris & Dan. While we were home we managed to get all three together at dad's for a BBQ. It was so nice to catch up with them and hear what everyone is up to.

It was also nice to spend some time at the beach house, albeit the ocean was a bit rough:(

Fun times!

xox

Visit with Fairy Godmother

2010-01-09T10:53:00.001+08:00

Visiting my FGM is always a special event - I LOVE spending time sitting in her back garden room catching up on the years events over a cup of tea or a vino (depending on the time of day!)

Ros is so special to me, and I dearly miss her companionship throughout the year. Thankfully she is up with the technology and we do communicate quite regularly via email, but it's not the same as sitting on the couch together nattering about everything and nothing!

Sleepovers with Dee and Laz

2010-01-08T07:51:00.001+08:00

OMG we had such a good time catching up with our very dear friends Deanne & Larry! We managed to fit in a sleepover, which was just as well because we were certainly not in a state to drive anywhere after our fabulous afternoon/evening together.

Laz took us for a cruise up the Noosa river and then treated us to a seafood feast - abalone, bugs, mud crab (squeal!), and lots mmmooorrreee. Not to mention some of the most scrummy wine and bubbles I have tasted in my life.

We had such a lovely time, only wish we could do it more often!

xox

PS. We mustn't have been such bad company either cause the very next day they booked their flights to Hong Kong for a little visit. We can't wait to host them in our adopted home town!!!

Hanging with my little nephew and bro

2010-01-07T08:22:00.000+08:00

I always cherish the time I get to spend with my adorable little nephew and my big bro!

This is one of the totally poo poo things about living in Hong Kong - being away from the little munchkins who are growing up so quickly. The thing I hate most is that with the little'uns, you always have to spend the first few hours letting them warm up to you cause they haven't seen you for so long, even though you may have spent every minute of the previous year thinking about them and loving them to pieces - they are just too young to understand. Thankfully this little fella is old enough to understand that Uncle Will & Aunty Brooke live a long way away and that means we don't get to see each other a lot, although we still love him to pieces even when we are apart!

Mumma bears

2010-01-06T08:52:00.000+08:00

and here is a pic of the mumma bears (with Will) on the balcony at the farm!

Spending time on the farm

2010-01-06T08:48:00.000+08:00

I promised you I would post about some of the special moments we had on our trip, so here is the first.

We spent both Christmas Eve and New Years Eve with the Humblecrofts on their farm in the Mary Valley. From the minute they bought this property Will and I have always found it to be a sanctuary, one which we have over the years escaped to many times.

Not only is the property divine, it is home to some of our bestest friends in the world. We have a ball every time we go there, and it is one place that makes me instantly miss home the minute I think of it. When I am having a crap day in the office, or life is getting too much, I always picture myself sitting on the balcony at the farm relaxing with a glass of wine, and mulling over the woes of life with one of the peeps pictured above.

It's a tradition for the Cosima gals (+Will) and the Humblecrofts to spend Christmas Eve together, and this year we managed to convince mumma Cosima to come with us to the farm! I had been wanting to take her there for years, and we finally got to do so. Thanks mumma.

Yah for happy times at the farm!

xox

PS. Timmy (far left) finally popped the question to Ms G (second from left) in 2009, and October will see the boot scootin cowboy and gal get married. True to form they will be celebrating the occasion at the farm, and Will and I are hoping to be there to celebrate with them! Congrats T&G!!

PPS. The first pic above is of Ms G in her flower farm, isn't it pretty? Doesn't every girl dream of playing with flowers all day long!

All things bright & beautiful

2010-01-05T07:32:00.004+08:00

Whilst downloading my holiday pics this morning I realised how many gorgeous blooms were out whilst we were home. Just look at the colours in these lovely flowers - aren't they divine!

I wanted to share with you some pics from our trip, but rather than bombard you with millions of photos and a blow-by-blow account, I thought that over the next couple of days I would post a few snippets of the special moments we had instead. That doesn't mean that every moment wasn't special, but these ones stand out in particular!

(oh, and cause I am late for work (!) I will have to start tomorrow!)

Happy New Year Folks

2010-01-04T08:32:00.001+08:00

Happy New Year!

I don't know about you, but I have a good feeling about 2010. I haven't pinpointed why, I just do, and I figure that can't be a bad thing, right?

I hope you all had a fabulous festive season, I know we certainly did! Whilst we did a lot of running around (in fact we hardly stopped), we enjoyed every minute of it and wish that it wasn't over already :(

I just wanted to pop in this morning and say a quick hello - we landed at 9pm last night and are both off to work this morning. Hope you have a happy day, and I will be back shortly with more tales to tell of our fabulous trip home.

xox

Image via It's Mary Ruffle

Well my friends...

2009-12-22T08:26:00.001+08:00

... are you ready for Christmas?

Today is "D" day for us as we fly out tonight and hence have to have every last present wrapped and every bow tied (plus all the packing etc. done) by 9pm tonight. I think I am almost there, although I am sure there are a load of things I have forgotten, plus I have a full day of work ahead of me! Arghhh

I am so looking forward to getting on that plane tonight! It means that today will be over and I can finally relax. This past 2 months have just flown by and I feel as though I haven't stopped. I tell you what, talk about looking forward to Christmas, I am looking forward to January, when I can come home and relax, without having a list of things to do longer than my arm!

Now where's the Christmas spirit I hear you say, and yes, I am trying to remind myself of that! I do love Christmas (it's my absolute favourite time of the year), but it is also the busiest and most stressful time.

Hope you are managing to keep the stress levels down, and enjoy the festive season. I plan on doing that at about 11.30pm tonight when we board the plane and I answer yes to "can I offer you a glass of champagne ma'am?".

I hope to post while I am away, but in case I don't get a chance (highly likely), then let me wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We get back on 3rd Jan, so if I don't speak to you before then - stay safe and have a wonderful Christmas with your family & friends.

xox

P.S. The pics above are ones I have collected over the past couple of months (mainly from the lovely blog A Pretty Trip), although the first is from here (what a great idea!). I wanted to make sure I shared these pretty pics with you before I left, so sorry that they have all come at once!

Merry Christmas from the Holdens (aka the annual Holden update)

2009-12-19T10:20:00.001+08:00

Seasons Greetings,

The Christmas season is upon us again, and don't we all find ourselves sitting here wondering where 2009 has gone! I know we say this every year, but in all seriousness, time seems to be evaporating these days. You know what they say though, time flies when you are having fun… and 2009 was a fun (and busy) year for the Holdens!

We have both been extremely busy at work this year, Will started a new project building the Lai Chi Kok Transfer Scheme (a drainage tunnel in Lai Chi Kok), and I have been occupied on an arbitration set for hearing in March 2010.

On the travel front, we managed to fit in a number of fabulous trips. No sooner had we returned from our Christmas trip home, we were off to Cebu in the Philippines for a wonderful week of R&R.

We spent Easter in New York soaking up the sights and sounds of what has to be one of the best cities in the world! We had an amazing trip, and can’t wait to go back and see more.

This year Will commenced his Masters of Engineering in Project Management through the University of NSW. He was lucky enough to be offered a scholarship through Leightons, who have designed their own Masters program in conjunction with the University. In April we headed home to Oz for Will to attend a uni residential week in Sydney. Whilst I didn’t make it to Sydney, I did manage to spend a lovely week at home catching up with family and friends.

June through September were extremely busy months in the Holden household. Zaac & Tracey came to visit, we welcomed a new member into our family (more on that in a minute), we took a short trip to Bangkok to meet up with Ebony & Beth who had been travelling around Thailand on their uni break, we moved house, had a lovely visit from Jess, followed by Val, Simon & Matt, and on top of that, I also had to take a last minute trip to Guam for work.

As you can imagine, by September we were in desperate need of a holiday. It was our 5th wedding anniversary this year, so we treated ourselves to a second honeymoon… 8 nights in Koh Samui! We managed to do nothing except eat, drink, sleep and read for the entire time, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

I mentioned before that the Holden clan has expanded. Before you think it, I wasn't referring to a child, but to our gorgeous little puppy, CoCo. On 7 July we adopted a 3 month old red toy poodle. She is just adorable, and we love her to bits. Sorry grandparents in waiting, no sign of a baby yet!

We are heading home for Christmas again this year, and will be around from 23 Dec till 3 Jan. We hope to catch up with as many of you as possible! It’s been almost 5 years since we moved to Hong Kong and we miss you all so much!

We hope that this year has been a happy & healthy one for you and your family and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Lots of love,

Will, Brooke & CoCo xox

Image from here

When I grow up...

2009-12-17T08:40:00.001+08:00

...i want to own a big house that has lots of bright open spaces like this! I LOVE the feel of this room (just by looking at the pic you can sense the feeling you would have sitting in there can't you!).

I say when I grow up, cause although some would consider that I may have already reached this point, I never feel as though I have. I still feel like the young carefree gal who's off on an overseas jaunt, escaping reality and living the high life.

One day we will have to pack our bags and head home, and when we do, I am definitely going to ensure that my grown up life is spent in rooms like this!

Image from Coastal Living mag via Beach Vintage blog

Christmas Wish List - UPDATE

2009-12-16T21:17:00.002+08:00

Can you believe that I have been lucky enough to have already received one of the presents off my Christmas Wish List!

Today my trainee at work (sometimes I wonder who is in more need of training, him or me!) gave me an early Christmas present. It came as a complete surprise, but boy was I thrilled to receive such an unexpected, but much desired gift. Thanks Alvin!

I have promised to cook him a meal from the book in the new year, and I am determined to keep my promise.

Happy Birthday Lara & Tahlia

2009-12-16T08:34:00.001+08:00

Wishing our (not so) little nieces Lara and Tahlia a BIG Happy Birthday for today! Hope you have a lovely party girls, sorry we can't be there to celebrate with you.

The pic above is of their birthday present (which I hope they have opened by now, so as not to ruin the surprise)! I have been dying to share with you a pic of these gorgeous applique pillows ever since they arrived in my hot little hands. They were made by the lovely Ann over at Southern Sassy Pants, and aren't they just fab!

Happy Birthday girls!

Pretty Pics (with a special message)

2009-12-15T09:51:00.002+08:00

This morning I wanted to share with you a couple of pretty pics. Whilst I LOVE Christmas (it's my favourite time of the year), I thought I would post about something other than Christmas to break it up a bit.

I love these images above. The first is so bright and cheery, you just wish you could get your nose in there to get a whiff of the scent of those roses don't you!

The message in the second image is so true isn't it? But who can honestly say that they take time each day to be thankful for the things they have in their life. I know I don't. Seeing this picture above reminded me that I need to take time out more often to appreciate all that I have to be grateful for, and I know there is a lot!

Hope you are enjoying your Tuesday.

xox

Images from Joyful Living blog

The Holdens HK Christmas

2009-12-14T07:53:00.001+08:00

As I mentioned, on Saturday we played host to the Holdens HK Christmas. We had 13 of our nearest and dearest friends come over for an afternoon/evening of Christmassy fun!

This year we cheated a bit and ordered a Turkey from the Mandarin Oriental (see the big box in the pic - Will felt so spesh picking it up, little did anyone know that it was actually a Turkey inside!). In addition to turkey we also glazed a ham and cooked a mountain of accompaniments - creamed leeks (ala Jamie Oliver), sweet potato crumble, goose fat potato's, mashed pumpkin, Mary's homemade cranberry sauce, Nic T's vege stuffing, pigs in blankets (also thanks to Jamie), and of course bread sauce & gravy. Louise was in charge of nibbles and did a stella job (as usual), and Nic and Gabs made a lovely salmon roulade with homemade soda bread for starter. We finished the meal off with a lovely Christmas pud made by Zoe (complete with brandy butter), and threw in a few of Will's rum balls for good measure. Oh, I mustn't forget to mention Will's yummy mulled wine too!

Santa was there to hand out the presents, and the muppets made an appearance on the big screen! All in all it was a fabulous day spent with good friends - and after all, isn't that what Christmas is about!

Christmas decorations

2009-12-11T08:20:00.001+08:00

We have been busy decorating the apartment these past few days ready for our Christmas lunch tomorrow. We have 13 of our nearest and dearest peeps coming round for Christmas dinner.

I even managed to get Will involved this year, although admittedly his involvement was inspired by the fact that his tasks all had to do with alcohol, buy the brandy, make the rum balls, brew the mulled wine, etc. etc. Luckily I found some Bundaberg rum for his rum balls (he wasn't that interested in making them before I found this - they just aren't proper rum balls without Bundy rum he said!)

Last night whilst we did some preps for the lunch, we watched Miracle on 34th Street! Now isn't that the sweetest Christmas movie eva.

How are your Christmas preps coming along?

We (well lets be honest, "I") had originally chosen a blue & silver theme for Christmas this year. After making this decision though, I found all of our gorgeous pink, red and green Chrissy decorations and just couldn't bear to keep them in their boxes. So, this year we have a mix match of blue & silver, red and green - and of course, some pink too!

PS. You know the pic I showed you last week of the purple Asiatic lillies which hadn't yet bloomed, well that's them in the first picture - not purple at all! Strange hey...

Chrissy gift tags

2009-12-11T07:39:00.001+08:00

To match the blue & silver colour theme for our pressies this year, I made these cute little gift tags. They were so quick & easy to make, and I think they turned out alright...

My Christmas Wish List (Part 2)

2009-12-10T08:24:00.001+08:00

Ok, so here is Part 2!

5. Jamie's Kitchen - we now have the entire range of Jamie Oliver cookbooks, bar one - Jamie's Kitchen! Want it, need it, have to have it!!!

6. Christian Louboutin at LadurEe - ok so I am dreaming to think that this will appear under the Christmas Tree, but this is my WISH list, so I an entitled to dream! Christian L has teamed up with the folks at LadurEe to release this gorgeous set of macaroons! Divine...

7. Jo Malone bath oil set - not sure how easy this is to get in Oz, and to be honest I have been dropping some not so subtle hints to Will about my coveting of this set of bath oils. You know men though, they do take a while to get the hint!

So there you have it Jas, some ideas to make your Christmas shopping easier - and these are just off the top of my head! I am sure if I gave it some more thought, there would be a million more things I could add, yeap just thought of one, and another...

My Christmas Wish List (Part 1)

2009-12-10T08:10:00.002+08:00

My brother called the other day to ask what I wanted for Christmas (isn't he nice)! He was banging on about how hard I am to buy for so I thought I would solve that problem for him, and tell him exactly what I want...

So, on my Christmas Wish List this year is:

1. a sewing machine (I think I have managed to convince Will to get this for me, although it's been a battle!)

2. Perfume - a girl can never have enough really! I have almost ran out of my bottle of Chloe perfume and had stopped using it (you know how you never want to use the last few sprays, wanting to save it for good...) but the other day I bite the bullet, sprayed it, and was reminded of how much I love this perfume!

You know how a smell can take you to another time and place within an instant? Well Chloe does that for me with New York. I always seem to take a new bottle of perfume away with me when I travel, and aside from the fact that it allows me to smell damn good, I am reminded of those special times again and again whenever I catch a whiff of that particular perfume. Well Chloe was my New York perfume, and I just can't get enough of it (or New York for that matter)!

I also love Narciso Rodriguez, so sexy and nice. I haven't had a bottle for ages, so thought it might be time for another. And while I am on the subject of perfume, I smelt Marc Jacobs new scent Lola the other day, isn't it a beauty!

3. A candle from Diptyque - I am such a sucker for candles, and having heard my dear friend Zoe rave so much about the Diptyque range, I have decided I need to try one for myself. Not sure what scent, do you have a favourite?

4. The Fat Duck Cookbook - one can only dream of being able to whip up creations such as theirs, but I am willing to give it a try!

If this isn't enough inspiration for you Jas, then I will be back with Part 2 in a minute!

It's better late than never...right?

2009-12-10T07:31:00.002+08:00

Last night I finally managed to write some Christmas cards, ready to post today! The receptionists at work have been sweetly reminding me every day that the deadline for guaranteed international post was last Monday, and I am LATE!

The thing is, I had 80 cards to make and write, and the task got somewhat overwhelming. I started with the best of intentions, and actually thought that this year was going to be different. I actually started making my cards in October!

Having made a few back then, I must admit I got a little cocky, thinking that I was all prepared, and boy did those last few months whizz by. Before I knew it, December was here and all the sudden the 10 or so cards I had made, seemed like nothing compared to the 70 I had left to do!

Anyhow, I have managed to make about 65, and I think that's all that I will be able to manage this year. Considering I can't bring myself to buy any cards (that would after all, be admitting defeat), I think some people will just have to go without this year! Sorry folks.

My intention for this post wasn't actually to tell you that story, but there you have it! I rather wanted to show you all our Christmas card address labels which I purchased from the lovely Lara at Sweet Bella Cards on Etsy. The address labels are so sweet, and Lara is such a lovely lady. It was a pleasure doing business with her! Her shop is definitely worth a peep if you haven't checked it out already.

A little bit of Christmas pampering

2009-12-09T08:59:00.001+08:00

A few weeks back I was picking up some supplies (i.e. India Hicks products) from Crabtree & Evelyn when I stumbled upon their Christmas range - The Noel Collection, Pomegranate, Citron & Mistletoe.

Always a stickler for testing out new products, I lathered on some cream and was instantly addicted to the gorgeous smell! I couldn't stop at the body cream (which by the way has just the right amount of Christmas sparkle), I had to buy the whole range!

Boy am I loving bath time at the moment...

Do you have a favourite product you like to use at Christmas?

xox

PS. I promise to post some pics of our gorgeous Chrissy tree soon, oh and some pics of the cute little gift tags I haven't quite managed to finish ...

It's beginning to feel a lot like christmas

2009-12-07T08:10:00.001+08:00

Whilst I didn't manage to achieve everything on my to do list over the weekend, I did manage to get a few pressies wrapped. I would like to say... wrapped, and under the tree - but alas, CoCo has decided that presents and ribbons are the best (I told you she takes after her mum), and last night we caught her in the corner quietly unwrapping one of them!

I also managed to complete my gift tags (sans string, which I will hopefully get a chance to do tonight!), made about 40 cards (only 20 more to go...), popped into Spotlight for a few last minute supplies (only to find out that Spotlight is closing in HK, whilst this meant 50% off, I would rather have it stay open and pay full price - majorly bummed about this!!), picked up some last minute Christmas shopping, lunched with Zoe and the pups on Saturday, lunched with James & Mary yesterday, had a lovely dinner with Nic & Gabs on Friday night and a fabulous dinner with friends at Louise's on Saturday night, took CoCo to the park on Saturday morning (I even managed to spend a bit of time reading in the sun), went to Ap Lei Chau to pick up some wares for next Saturdays Christmas lunch, and last night, soaked in the tub and then watched (half of) Julia and Julia. A pretty productive weekend all in all!

As a side note, I am absolutely hopeless at staying awake through an entire movie - it's like it is completely impossible for me. I have been wanting to see Julia and Julia ever since it came out. You would think this would have been enough motivation to keep me awake. Nope! I even had a row of projects (painting nails, putting string on gift tags, sticking things on my half made cards) in front of me to try and keep me occupied and awake through the whole thing, but that didn't work either... so annoying!!!!

Hope you had a good weekend!

xox

Weekend Flowers

2009-12-06T11:51:00.001+08:00

Now that the weather is getting cooler we are starting to see some of the cool climate flowers coming into season. Hooray!

Lucky for me, there was one bunch of tulips left on Saturday morning when I did my weekly flower shop (I couldn't make it on Friday night cause we were meeting friends for dinner and picking CoCo up from the doggie spa where she spent her afternoon being pampered! What a life...).

I nabbed the tulips and a bunch of the most vibrant purple Asiatic lillies I have ever seen. Well, I tell a lie... they haven't opened yet but from the outside, it looks as though they will be the brightest most vibrant purple colour I have ever seen, and I can't wait.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend and getting on top of all the Christmas prep. So far I have managed to knock a few things off my list, as well as fitting in a little time for relaxation!

xox

Camping out

2009-12-04T14:10:00.003+08:00

Sorry I have been so slack with posting this past couple of days. To tell you the truth I have been a bit overwhelmed with the length of my to do list, and am feeling rather stressed. It doesn't help that I have had work related Christmas functions on the past couple of nights and am feeling a little run down.

In fact, I think I need to camp out in this tent for a few days (or even a few hours) and take stock of what's really important and stop trying to get a million things done each day.

I am looking forward to the weekend, where I can hopefully tick off some of the bigger items on my to do list and start clearing my head a little.

Image via It's Mary Ruffle

Yummy Pizza!

2009-12-02T08:48:00.001+08:00

I thought I would share with you some pics of the yummy pizzas we made on Sunday night (bases and all!). The first is spicy salami, olive, and cherry tomato, the second is garlic cheese, and the third is mushroom, gorgonzola, walnut and pecorino.

They were incredibly yummy, although I must admit we still have a little work to do on the bases. Any tips?

I'm funny when it comes to pizzas - as you can see by the toppings above I do like a gourmet pizza (I spent many years during uni working in a gourmet pizza shop), although on the other hand, nothing beats a good Hawaiian or BBQ meatlovers pizza does it! Unfortunately we don't get Hawaiian pizzas in Hong Kong (boo), unless you want it complete with corn kernels and cocktail sauce, a la Pizza Hut - no thanks!

Next time I might try my hand at the old classics and try to perfect those bases while I'm at it.

Oh, and in case you are wondering what happened to our afternoon spent mastering the art of french cooking (and wondering whether my lack of promised reporting was because it didn't go so well!), it didn't happen - friends called over and instead we cooked a BBQ! C'est la vie

Eye Candy

2009-12-01T07:40:00.001+08:00

Oh my, how gorgeous are these pics!

The lovely Candace over at A Pretty Trip recently introduced me to the Nostalgia Organics: Joyful Living Blog. The site is full of eye candy (like the pics above) and is somewhat of a sensory overload, if your anything like me and love gorgeous images of pretty things.

I am now completely smitten with both the Nostalgia range of products, and the blog itself.

Don't you just love the Christmas soaps - there is a little line to write the name of the person lucky enough to be receiving this wonderfully smelly gift. I popped straight onto the website and ordered a bunch of Chrissy presents! How easy.

Best of all, the soaps come wrapped in either paper (100% post consumer recycled paper) or limited edition vintage inspired fabric all designed by Elea herself! To make it even better (and to use Elea's words), "The label unfolds to a reusable craft or sewing pattern that can be used to repurpose (or “upcycle”) your soap sack into new and useful goods to cherish long after the soap is gone."

On her blog Elea talks about the inspiration behind this idea...

"I have a particular fondness for packaging that is reusable and can take on a new life after the product is gone. This ideology was passed along to me by my grandmother. She would reuse glass water bottles for flower vases or head a fun-filled potato sack race across the yard. She was thrifty and innovative with her hard-earned money and took great pride in wasting nothing.

Among the cherished pieces created by my grandmother, were patchwork quilts she handmade from scrap fabrics. Each patch was carefully linked together next to different colors and patterns. My grandmother collected many of these fabrics in her youth, when large decorated sacks full of flour and sugar were delivered to her parent's ranch home. The fabric sacks were repurposed into linens, dresses and toys that my grandmother and her sisters cherished and used until they fell apart. The remaining scraps were rich in memories and human touch and unfolded my grandmother’s childhood stories, lessons and dreams. My grandmother and these tiny scraps inspired my newest collection and fulfilled my objective to source packaging that is both green and purposeful."

Now what's not to like about that!

The new layout

2009-11-29T14:52:00.001+08:00

Yes, I changed my blog layout today! Hope I didn't startle you too much:)

There were two main reasons for the change:

1. whilst I had changed the background colour to pink in the font/colour tab of blogger, for some reason it appeared as blue on everyone's computer but mine - strange!

2. I tend to think 2 column blog layouts look more appealing cause there is less white space on the sides when you scroll down the page to read earlier posts.

Hope you like it!

Will and I are off to buy yummy pizza ingredients to make homemade pizza's. We have been dying to try out the dough hook on my new KitchenAid, and today just happens to be the day!

Image - if this is your image please let me know and I will credit it to you, I seem to have lost the details of where I got it from but couldn't resist sharing it with everyone. Sorry!

Amy Butler Love

2009-11-29T10:15:00.000+08:00

I am such a sucker! I have been desperately wanting a sewing machine for some time now, but haven't bitten the bullet and made the purchase. The thing is, there are so many to choose from and I want to make sure I make the right decision.

Consequently I am still sans sewing machine :(

I have managed to convince my husband to buy me one for Christmas, now I just need to make the decision.

Back to the sucker part... despite the fact that I still don't have a sewing machine, I can't resist buying scrummy fabrics (like the Amy Butler Love collection in the pic). I buy them, wash and iron them, and then they sit on the shelf, looking adorable (but completely useless)!

Brown Button can you help?

2009-11-28T10:06:00.003+08:00

I recently purchased a selection of these gorgeous flowery painted metal tumblers from Brown Button Trading.

Now I have seen these and I want them too!!!

Brown Button can you help ?

Image from Joyful Living Blog (go check it out!)

Mastering the Art Of French Cooking

2009-11-28T09:32:00.001+08:00

That's what Will and I are planning to do this afternoon/evening!

Not sure how it will go, but I'm sure if we involve a nice bottle of French wine it won't be too bad.

Reports to follow, I promise...

What have you got planned for the weekend?

The weather is just glorious here today, planning on making a few Chrissy cards this morning, taking CoCo and her brother Ari to the park and then commencing our foray into french cooking this afternoon.

Have fun whatever you are up to!

xox