Weekend Flowers

Sorry it has taken me till Monday to post my Weekend Flowers! Slack aren't I!!

The past weekend we enjoyed some beautiful yellow orchids, lovely bright pink spray roses, and some ole fav lillies! The apartment was full of colour, and lovely flowery smells! Speaking of flowery smells, it won't be long till we get our Chrissy tree, I just LOVE the smell of pine in the house for the whole of December. It is so Christmassy and fresh!

Happy Monday! xox

Weekends just come and go so fast!

I feel like this past weekend just flew by, and now I am once again sitting here procrastinating about getting ready for work on Monday morning. Don't get me wrong, I love my job - but not as much as I love my weekends!!

This past weekend was spent in the park with CoCo and catching up with friends. On Friday night, after taking CoCo for a play in the park, we had a quiet BBQ at home with Lou. Saturday I took CoCo to the park again (I love that place, can you tell!), Lou and I had a ladies lunch followed by mani/pedi's and Saturday night our lovely friends Stacey & Paul came for dinner. Whilst Lou and I pampered ourselves, Will was out hiking the Maclehose Trail (too much energy that boy!).

Yesterday we caught up with Tom & Lucy for lunch, and then had an afternoon tipple with Nic T, Gabs, Nic B, Tom & Lucy at the SoHo Village Festival. Oh, and then we went to the park again (she is spoilt isn't she), and popped in to see Ross & Grace at the cute little Margaret River wine shop on St Francis St (our old street) before heading home and crashing.

I hope this week flies by as fast as the weekend just did!

Image from Home Beautiful (June 2007 edition)

There's something about me you may not know...

I am a HUGE Jamie Oliver fan! I only really started cooking Jamie's recipes about 4 years ago now, but ever since I started I have been completely obsessed. Every recipe of his I have ever cooked has turned out fabulously, and they are really simple and easy to make!

I popped onto his website a couple of months ago (actually to sign up for a subscription to his new(ish) mag which I adore) and stumbled across a promo for his new book. Given my obsession, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a signed copy, and promptly whipped out the plastic to sign up! I have had it in my hot little hands for about a month now, but haven't managed to cook anything until this past weekend.

Stacey & Paul came for dinner on Saturday night which presented the perfect opportunity for a launch party. For starters we had Killer Mac 'n' Cheese (only a tiny portion though cause it's quite filling), then we feasted on Traybacked Chicken, and for dessert, Bread Pudding and Chocolate Beer Sauce. All went down a treat, especially the chicken and the pudding. The Mac 'n' Cheese was good, but probably not cheesy enough (I would suggest that you add an extra portion of tasty cheese to the recipe if you make this recipe).

I am now inspired to try more of his 'America' dishes, Friends, be warned!

I've been busy buying...

LOTS & LOTS of books!

I am in love!

I totally [heart] wallpaper! Have you seen the range of scrummy wallpapers that are on the market? Gone are the days that only Granny got away with it, the wallpaper industry has been well and truly revamped.

I am currently contemplating whether or not to bite the bullet and create a feature wall in our new (but rented) apartment here in Hong Kong... I recently attended an event at Lane Crawford and got to meet the lovely David Lennie (owner of Signature Prints - the fab oz company that are the proud custodians of the extraordinary Florence Broadhurst range) who assured me that todays wallpapers are much more user-friendly.

The problem I have is that I cannot choose which one I want. It is sooooo hard to commit to one design/colour, and to tell you the truth, it scares the hell out of me! What if I get it wrong, will it go with our furniture, will it be overbearing and on and on go the questions in my mind. Then I tell myself, what's the worst thing that could happen? I have to take it down and paint the walls white again... I guess that wouldn't be the end of the world.

Images via katiesellers.co.uk and signatureprints.com.au

Lets eat cake!

I couldn't resist sharing this absolutely beautiful pic with you! I am going to have to insist on having this cake for my next birthday (which incidentally, will be the big three zero), and with a whole year to go, I think Will might just about have enough time to arrange it:)

Alternatively, I could put my KitchenAid to work and try to recreate this masterpiece myself... any tips on how to get the icing looking like this? Isn't it divine!

We are off to a wine dinner tonight - and not just any wine dinner I might add. We will be drinking none other than Chateau Haut Brion from the famous Domaine Clarence Dillon. Why, aren't we fancy!

Image via Mary Ruffle

Bath time

I am happy to report that I survived the 'adventure' day - and whilst I am loathe to admit it, I actually quite enjoyed myself! After a day at the Food & Wine Festival on Saturday (OMG - it was crazy, our little stall was 4 rows deep in peeps waiting to try Ross' lurverly wine) and the 'adventure' day yesterday, we were well and truly pooped come Sunday night.

Aside from the oven and the balcony (which I have already mentioned), the other great thing about our new apartment is that we now have a bath! Squeal!!! And, it is the perfect size - not one of those tiny tubs that you have to sit cross legged in, which are very common in Honkers.

Sooooo, last night I drew myself a bath and soaked for a good hour! Then I took myself off to the couch and didn't last 10 mins before lights were out (and it was only 7.30pm)!!

Whilst I am extremely happy and content (for the time being anyhow) with my lovely bath, wouldn't you just love to be sitting in this bath! OMG - isn't it just delicious. I would be well and truly wrinkled by the time I emerged from this bathroom.

Image via Dransfield & Ross