"You can't handle the truth..."

A few years ago, I took it upon myself to ensure 2011 was the year I became a runner. 2011 holds no special qualities or running superstitions, it simply came after 2009 and 2010.

I have always been an exerciser, so I have always been aware of the unspoken 'outside exercising' rules; stay to your left, perform a swift and immediate commando roll upon hearing a bicycle bell and smile at your fellow pedestrians.

I would like to focus on the last point for a moment; Smile at your fellow pedestrians.

As we all know, there is nothing more uplifting then receiving a smile from a stranger (except when it's of the creepy variety). We also know that it really doesn't take much to smile and say good morning/evening (or GOOD EVENING!! If you have headphones on and are unaware that you're shrieking). And the last thing that we ALL know is that we 'ladies' are always and without a doubt, awfully polite.

Well... much to your disgust I am sure, I have to admit something to you all. This isn't easy for me and please know that I am working my hardest to achieve greatness in the area but…I am of the 'avoid eye contact' type, I am.

I don't know why. I certainly have no reason to be and I really get quite upset and often unnecessarily angry (usually holding imaginary confrontations in my head) if the situation is reversed but it's the truth. I put my head down and I run on.

Just last Monday, I was happily running with along with my boyfriend Geordie (who is thankfully aware of my down fall and over compensates for my lack of eye contact) and we ran right past another runner. Geordie – beautifully polite, smiles and says “hey mate!” and the runner just kept running. I found myself so angry that he would be so rude not to reciprocate the politeness that Geordie had so nicely displayed that I turned around and gave him the stink eye. I am shocked at my own behaviour, I really am.

I hate to think of how many people I have upset or offended on my way to becoming a runner and I sincerely apologise if one of them is you, but I am trying to overcome this and with each run, I feel I am getting a teeny bit better.



Be sure to ignore me if you see me running.

MINTspiration

I love mint, it's all I can think about, it's all I want...

Alice McCall + Forgetting Details

Lyla & Blu + Christian Bauer Photography

Your cup of cake

Foam Pillowss

 And when it's paired with blush...perfection

Aurevoir Paris + Rainbow Wild Fox

etsy

The hunt for a new collection

Since stumbling across this pic of Vintage Seltzer bottles, I am officially on a mission to start my own collection. Imagine walking into a chic French bistro back in the 50s or 60s and asking for an icy cold lime soda, poured straight from this stunner! I absolutely love the look of coloured glass grouped together for a vintage styling touch too. Some of these bottles date back as early as the 1800s!

Vintage Glamour

Sophia Loren

Audrey Hepburn

Grace Kelly

Marilyn Monroe

Twiggy

10 Things to do in Perth on a rainy day

1. Visit The Berndt Museum of Anthropology

2. Go to a Luna movie.....on your own.
3. Try out the cocktail menu at ‘Ezra Pound’ in Northbridge

4. Pop your 'sensible' back in his box and go and dance in the rain

5. Stay home and revel in your own laziness
6. Visit The Art Gallery of Western Australia
7. Go to work and whinge about not being able to follow this amazing list of things to do because you're at work.
8. Spend the morning sipping on tea at ‘il Cibo’ in Freo and do some shopping while you’re there, the homewares store upstairs is unreal.

9. Catch a play at the Black Swan Theatre
10. Read a great book like ‘Room’ by Emma Donoghue.

Our beautiful new identity

Be still my beating heart...

There comes a time in a girls working day where things start to move a little slower. Typing gets messy, computer screens are blurred (even after she realises her spectacle lenses haven't been cleaned in days) and the usual pick-me-up snack of a boring old apple just will not cut it.

Cue 3.30 itis.....

Thankfully, my workplace of choice happens to be just around the corner from what I believe is Perth's best bake shop, Sherbet Cafe and Bake Shop.

Located on the bustling (and rather funky) Whatley Cres in Maylands, the sweet treats in this darling cafe are to die for.

Not only are their baked goods magnificent, but the people who are lucky enough to work there are just delightful (and not just because they kindly let me take some snaps for this post)!

The above pic is of the freshly baked 'Chocolate mud cup-cake'. Although it looked AMAZING, I can never go past the Vanilla/Coffee cup cake. I don't think I spoke for about 20 minutes after eating it. I was in awe. Awe I tell you.

Need I say more....

When Wednesday is in a mood...

Bake an old favourite:

Weetbix Slice!

Preparation Time 10 minutes
Cooking Time 15 minutes
Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients

3 wholewheat breakfast biscuits
1 cup (85g) desiccated coconut
1/2 cup (120g) caster sugar
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
2 tbs cocoa
150g butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture
Extra 1 tbs cocoa
2 tbs hot water

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 16x26cm baking pan and line with baking paper. Break up biscuits. Place into a mixing bowl with coconut and sugar. Sift over flour and cocoa and stir.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over a low heat. Pour over dry ingredients. Add vanilla. Mix well.

Spoon mixture into prepared pan and press down to level. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked.

Sift icing sugar and cocoa into a small bowl. Add water and stir well. Ice slice while still hot. Cut into squares to serve.

Alexa Chung - my Tuesday style crush

Just a thought....

From MIND.BODY.SOUL

All is FAIR in love and war...

Thanks to the lovely Mika Thuijs, we spent our Sunday morning sifting through treasures at the Victoria Park Collector's Fair. With a not so strict budget, we walked down the stairs of the Curtin Stadium, breathed in the smell of mothballs and began our mission to find the loveliest things we could without going over budget.

We lasted 20 minutes before we were asking the dear old ladies behind their stalls to hold the treasures for us so we could run back to the A.T.M. But boy were those treasures worth it.

Quite possibly my most favourite

Actually, this is my favourite. I have been looking for an
original flour sieve for YEARS, years I tell you.

Hang on, this original KRAFT Cheese wooden box
is amazeballs. Definitely the best buy....

We left the fair with happy hearts, empty purses and a complimentary cuppa tea and a biscuit (not to mention a free 'Young Talent Time' concert and some light entertainment brought to us by the wind and rain).

There are plenty of Fairs coming up, so don't pout if you missed this one - as a matter of fact, there is one this weekend! See you there x

The biggest and the best!



One for the Country Bumpkins

'Highly Commended' Lemon Cake with Earl Grey Icing

After our recent participation in the North Freo Cake Bake , I thought it would be fitting to share with you the recipe that earned me the coaches award for icing efforts. Quite chuffed with the acknowledgement, I must admit! The recipe came from my favourite coffee table book 'Food Fashion Friends' by Fleur Wood. A beautiful compilation of recipes and styling ideas to create unforgettable parties.

225g (1 1/2 cups) self-raising flour

100g (2/3 cup) plain flour

240g butter, softened

170g (3/4 cup) caster sugar

zest and juice of 2 lemons

3 eggs

flowers to decorate (optional)

Earl grey icing

4 earl grey teabags

2 tablespoons boiling water

100g butter softened

160g (1 cup) icing sugar sifted

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and lightly flour a 20cm round cake tin.

Sift the flours into a bowl. In a separate bowl, use an electric beater to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and then the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Gently fold in the flour, then add the lemon juice. Transfer the mixture to the cake tin and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into middle of cake comes out clean (personal note: I found 30-40 mins was long enough in my oven). Place on a wire rack and allow to cool before icing.

For the earl grey icing, place the teabags in a small bowl and pour over the boiling water. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool completely and allow the flavour to infuse, then squeeze each teabag to extract the liquid. Place the butter and icing sugar in a separate glass bowl and use an electric beater to beat until pale and fluffy. Slowly pour in the tea infusion and beat for 1 minute more. Use a small spatula to spread the icing over the top of the cake, creating small peaks as you work.

To serve, decorate the cake with flowers of your choice.

Serves 8

"Cuppa tea anyone?"

This past Wednesday the 14th of September 2011, shall be dubbed ‘The official day of oldness’.

The Background:

My two youngest cousins (who shan't remain nameless), Dylan and Tayla, who are 17 and 15 respectively, were visiting to receive haircuts from my very talented hair-cutter sister Tenille.

After Tenille had removed Dylan’s mullet, we spent an hour discussing the latest iPhone apps, a further 20 minutes was spent teasing me about the face mask I had on and another half an hour about the latest Jersey Shore episode. Once this important discussion was over, the conversation went a little something like this:


Nicole: “What happened with Anastaaaaaaaaaaaasia Dylan!?”


Tenille: “Oh yes Anastaaaaaaaaaaaasia, it sounds far more posh when you say it like that!”


Dylan: “Anastasia? Oh we broke up like 8 months ago.”


Tayla: “Yeah he’s had like 4 girlfriends since then, Priscilla, Alida, Devon and Ivy”


Nicole: “Well it’s obvious where you’re going wrong, you need to start going out with girls with normal names like Sarah or Rachel.”


Dylan: “…….”


Nicole: “Well good to see you’re moving on”


Nicole: “How’s your new job?”


Dylan: “Yeah it’s awesome ey! They hired me with a mullet so I reckon it’s going to be a wicked place to work!”


Nicole: “Yeah totes!!! I bet you’re excited to finally have you license!?”


Dylan: “Haha no one says totes anymore Nicole...Yeah it’s sick ey. When your old boy gets back I need him to help me get a car over from Queensland, this one chews through the tyres ey.”


Nicole: “Oh I’m sure he’d be happy to help you with that……so would anyone like a cuppa tea?”


Dylan: “What are you like 80?!”


Need I say more.

Desert Delight

Having recently visited the "desert" also known as the Australian Pilbara Region, I was reminded how damn hot it can get up there...and consequently, how damn refreshing a chilled cocktail can be. One balmy night whilst over looking the following starry landscape with a good friend, we may have enjoyed one too many of these rummy beverages.

The following recipe is guaranteed to refresh and delight (desert landscape recommended but not mandatory):

Lime and Rum Quencher

Ingredients: (Serves 6)

3 limes quartered

2 tbs brown sugar

12 mint leaves

180 mls good quality rum

Soda water

Ice cubes to serve

1. Place 4 wedges of lime, mint leaves and sugar in a cocktail shaker (or jar will suffice). Use the end of a rolling pin or pestle to muddle the ingredients.

2. Add the rum and shake until well combined.

3. Pour over ice (use a tea strainer over each glass if you want a smooth drink). Place the remaining wedges of lime in each glass and 2 mint leaves in each glass and top up with soda to serve.

4. Be merry!

Worry Dolls

The world can be a pretty scary place for little ones (and us 'grown ups' too!). So when I heard that a friends twin girls were having a bit of a tough time sleeping due to their constant worries, I remembered that a very dear friend of mine Angela - my fellow blogger, gave me these beautiful worry dolls when I was having a 'worry wart' moment of my own.

The legend of the worry dolls says that when a child or adult is filled with worry and has a difficult time sleeping at night, you are to whisper your worries to your little doll and place her under your pillow. She will carry all your worries during the night, allowing you to sleep peacefully.

These dolls can be picked up at your nearest Oxfam store.

Over the hill?

If you’re anything like me, your mid-twenties snuck up on you like your little sister used to, when you were diligently transforming your shoe boxes into little cottages for your dolls; ensuring said dolls had all of the essentials to living a happy life; a white picket fence a husband and a baby.

Not dissimilar to my precious dolls, the entry ticket into the life of a ‘twenty-something’ came with complimentary tickets to friends house warming parties, engagements and weddings and the extra special tickets to view their tiny new babies.

With all of these very important occasions in the lives of loved ones, comes the great responsibility of purchasing the perfect gift.

With special thanks to Frankie Magazine, I stumbled across the beautiful website 'I ran the wrong way' which is full of stunningly unique items, including gifts. My first purchase was this gorgeous ‘Newborn' gift set, for our brand new cousin…

This gift contains one hand embroidered cotton baby wrap
and one handmade non-toxic wooden maraca. Both are
ethically made in India.

Some other lovely gifts for important life events include this gorgeous 'New Home' gift set and a very unique 'Wedding' gift set.

This gift contains a small cork board, perfect for cheese
and crackers, a cheese knife with organic bamboo handle,
a bag of 12 pure beeswax tealights and a gift tag which
contains a seed packet.

These pieces of Colombian cookware are hand made from
natural clay and go really nicely with another well designed
natural product  – the cork chopping board. Beeswax tea
lights seal the deal for a sustainable dinner for two.

So whether you're like me and slightly daunted with the changing lives of friends around you (as well as your own!), have made it through the twenty-something phase or are yet to be granted entry, good luck on your journey and remember, "Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone".

The New 'Keep Calm & Carry On'?

'Keep Calm & Carry On' definitely had it's place, but alas it has also had it's day!

Along the same lines but to my knowledge not propaganda, nor as patient; I think this little fella needs to placed on my wall at work. Bring on the warm and fuzzies!