tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32481281579752389392024-02-21T17:39:11.929+11:00nellie and oliverAdventures of a twenty-something day-dreamer. Style, food, travel, home decor and day-to-day happeningsHannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-48355126618841592262014-07-14T20:05:00.000+10:002014-07-14T20:05:36.658+10:0015 thoughts I had while taking a bath tonightAfter a long and tiring Monday I decided there was no better way to clear my head than a nice warm soak in the tub. That was until my brain decided the peace and quiet provided the perfect opportunity for a million and one random thoughts to pass through. Here are just 15 of those:<br />
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1. Mmm this is nice. Nothing but me, the warm soapy water, the soothing scent of my candle and the dulcet sounds of Ben slaying dragons on his computer.<br />
2. What should I take for lunch tomorrow?<br />
3. I must not forget about the five Chobani yogurts I bought for $5 at Coles. What a bargain.<br />
4. Rove McManus was an excellent choice for the new host of The Project. Carrie and Rove, back together at last.<br />
5. I hope I don't slip and fall when I get out of here.<br />
6. *Picturing myself falling out of the bath*<br />
7. It's funny how the water rises when you hop in.<br />
8. Can't wait to make a pizza after this.<br />
9. I should write a blog post about this!<br />
10. Remember when I used to blog every day?<br />
11. I hope this cheap bubble bath doesn't make me itchy tonight.<br />
12. How cool were those foam toys we used to stick on the walls in the bath when we were little?<br />
13. I should have put some music on.<br />
14. Time to get out before I turn into a prune. Also, pizza.<br />
15. Must...not...fall.<br />
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This post was inspired by Bec from My Bloggable Day. You can read <a href="http://mybloggableday.com/2014/06/19/30-thoughts-i-had-during-yesterdays-run/" target="_blank">30 thoughts she had during a run</a>, <a href="http://mybloggableday.com/2014/05/20/30-thoughts-i-had-during-yesterdays-trip-to-medicare/" target="_blank">30 thoughts she had on a trip to Medicare</a> and <a href="http://mybloggableday.com/2014/04/03/30-thoughts-i-had-during-this-mornings-coffee-run/" target="_blank">30 thoughts she had while waiting for her coffee</a>. Glad I'm not the only person susceptible to brain overload!Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-40873594935340359222014-03-31T16:01:00.000+11:002014-03-31T16:01:56.442+11:00LatelyGoodness me, it's been three months since I last blogged. The year is flying by, as expected, and between work and wedding planning I haven't had the energy for much else!<br />
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I've taken a much needed day off work today and am enjoying it immensely. I took myself on a little shopping date, to buy new work shoes and pay off some money on our wedding rings. I also treated myself to a mani-pedi (and for some reason went with eggshell blue polish, but I'm digging it).<br />
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It's just over 6 months until the wedding, which means we're half way! How crazy. We're pretty organised, with all of the following locked in: venues, catering, my dress (being made by the wonderful <a href="http://bell-street.com/" target="_blank">Bell Street</a>), bridesmaids dresses, bridesmaids shoes, flowers, makeup, hair (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hairbymisssophie?fref=ts" target="_blank">my sister</a>), cake, styling (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/StyledByLinda?fref=ts" target="_blank">Styled by Linda</a>), wedding bands (on lay by), stationary (<a href="http://suelyludesign.com/" target="_blank">Suely Lu</a>), photographer (<a href="http://jamesgoffphotography.com.au/" target="_blank">James Goff</a>), wedding night accommodation and <a href="http://instagram.com/p/k0aa0hnjXo/" target="_blank">save the dates</a> (were sent a month or so ago). Things we still need to organise: all the boys' clothes, wedding favours, cars/transportation, music, order of service/running sheet, speeches, my shoes (!), accessories (for me and the gals), honeymoon (!!), all the little decorations...and I think that's it! Getting there.<br />
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Ben and I are a bit restless at the moment. It's a combination of excitement for the wedding and also a bit of uncertainty in terms of what we want to do after that. It's also been about a year since our last holiday and work for both of us has been a little full on. I'm not feeling stressed about the wedding itself. Financially, it is challenging and with our landlord just putting our rent up we're feeling the sting even more. It feels like a bit of a first world problem to complain about this. We truly are lucky and this is a very exciting time for us. Overall, I'm really enjoying the planning, no matter how time consuming it is!<br />
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I was just trying to think of other news aside from wedding and work stuff.......there really is not much else! We had a close friend of mine stay with us for a few weeks, which was fun. I enjoyed having her around as we really haven't seen much of each other over the past few years. She's also one of my bridesmaids.<br />
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My older brother got engaged about a month ago (exciting times for the Lewis clan!) and we're all over the moon. His fiance is from India so they are heading over there for a big engagement celebration with her family in June. Mum, Dad and some of our other relatives are making the trip too. I really wish Ben and I could make it, but it's too hard at the moment. Looking forward to their wedding in Tamworth in about a year! We just had Sam (brother) and Asha (his fiance) stay with us this weekend, which was really lovely.<br />
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I went to Perth for work about a month ago - it was my first trip to Western Australia and I loved it. We also joined the gym and have been going fairly regularly.<br /><br />Back to wedding stuff - my hens is in about a month! I'm having it early as two good friends are going overseas. My bridesmaids are organising it and I don't have a clue what we are doing which is kind of killing me but I trust them. All I know is that we're 'going to a destination'. Exciting!<br />
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Anyway, if I have any readers left I hope you're all well! Will try and post again soon xoHannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-5536291170032499842014-01-04T19:27:00.000+11:002014-01-04T19:27:09.939+11:00Hello 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>1. Ben and I on NYE. 2. The family minus my brother on NYE. 3. A visit to The Gap at Watsons Bay. 4. Adventuring at Bondi. 5. The Gap and I.</i></div>
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Well folks it's been 13 years since the Y2K bug threatened to kill us all. I for one am quite pleased it didn't.<br />
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The festive season is almost over (almost because it's my birthday on Monday) and I certainly ate, drank and was merry. Ben and I spent Christmas in Tamworth with our families. We stayed for five nights which is the longest we've spent at home in a while. Every time I go back I gain more of an appreciation for just how beautiful it is up there. #howstheserenity<br />
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We returned to Sydney for New Years Eve and what a spectacular night it was. Definitely the best NYE I've had in a long time. We had some family visiting from the US so we (my parents and sister also came to join the festivities) began our night with expensive champagne at their hotel. We were very lucky to nab a table at Jamie's Italian for dinner so headed there for our last feast of 2013 - it did not disappoint.<br />
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For the grand finale we were fortunate enough to have access to my office building and therefore an amazing view of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House to watch the world-renowned Sydney fireworks. Most of us had never seen the fireworks (apart from on TV) so it was a real treat! We managed to wrangle our way to the very top floor of the building (with thanks to a friend of my cousin who also works there) and had an absolutely incredible view. It was such a special way to bring in the new year!<br />
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Like life in general these days, 2013 was non stop, but in the best possible way. I really cannot think of many gripes. There were certainly challenges - a new job and sad goodbyes at the old one, for example, but on the whole it was pretty damn tops.<br />
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I haven't written any resolutions as such but I do have a few things I'd like to do this year, or new habits I'd like to make (I guess they kind of are resolutions).<br />
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<ul>
<li>Practice yoga more regularly.</li>
<li>Ride my bike.</li>
<li>Buy some new plants (and keep them alive).</li>
<li>Organise and redecorate our spare room.</li>
<li>Set up a cocktail cart for our apartment.</li>
<li>Keep up with my $5 note challenge (saving every $5 I get).</li>
<li>Switch off.</li>
<li>Read.</li>
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And of course, I can now officially say I'm getting married this year! 2014 is definitely going to be a busy one and I'm sure it will fly by. In fact, it's exactly 9 months today until we get married. I'm looking forward to all the planning and festivities along the way, but I'm mostly excited about the guarantee that I'll get to party with a lot of our friends and family (many of which we don't see often) on the big day. It's going to be a hoot! Plus, there's the honeymoon, which we're currently researching. Thinking Bali, so if you have any advice, be sure to comment!</div>
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Wishing you all a really wonderful, safe and happy 2014. I hope it's full of adventure. xo</div>
Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-70467704809199642662013-12-15T13:07:00.000+11:002013-12-15T13:11:14.221+11:00Engagement Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We celebrated our engagement last weekend with a casual picnic style party with a bunch of our friends and family. We decided to hold the party in Newcastle and were fortunate to be able to use a lovely common park area near my sister's place (also where Ben and I used to live). This meant we had free venue hire which saved us a lot of money. We were blessed with perfect sunny weather which made for a beautiful afternoon/evening of celebrations.</div>
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My wonderful friend Linda helped me with the styling/decorations and kindly lent me a lot of her props, including some beautiful picnic baskets, rugs, bunting and the beautiful drink dispensers for our beverage table. I chose the drinks (Pimm's, pink lemonade and water with lemon and mint) and bought all the ingredients, cups, straws etc but it would not have turned out so well without Linda's creativity and attention to detail.</div>
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For the food, we decided to put together 10 picnic baskets full of goodies for people to share. They contained cheeses, crackers, dips, chocolates, fruit, nuts, jams/fruit paste and fresh bread. I had heaps of fun buying various things to put in the baskets, such as wooden cutlery, paper plates, mini jars for jams etc. Most of it I bought at two dollar shops! Ben had his own bar too (not pictured) with a few different types of tap kings (beer in a mini keg thing). We also had wine and champagne aplenty.</div>
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We had a few games set up for people to play - darts, ring toss/quoits and boules. My mum and Ben's mum made cardboard bunting and asked us to write 10 things about ourselves and 10 things we love about each other, which they then wrote on the bunting and hung around the park. It was a good conversation starter and quite funny to read what each other had written.</div>
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Ben's grandma made our engagement cake - a delicious mud cake. It was so good. Ben's mum decorated it with fresh flowers and cute paper bunting. I was so happy with how it turned out!</div>
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It was a really lovely afternoon and so nice to see so many of our friends and family who we don't see very often. It was also great to introduce some of our Sydney friends to our families and other friends from various places. We feel so loved and excited about our wedding next year! Thanks to all of the special people for helping us celebrate and pitching in to make it such a nice party.</div>
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<i>Special thanks to my brother Sam and our friend Ian for some of these photos.</i></div>
Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-75098449379337493602013-11-13T21:38:00.000+11:002013-11-13T21:49:18.254+11:00Wedding Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well the whole 'now I have a laptop I can blog again' thing didn't really go as planned! I could try and come up with some kind of excuse or go on about being 'busy' but in reality, I probably could have spent less time stalking former Big Brother contestants on Instagram and Twitter and more time blogging.<br />
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Anyway! The wedding plans are coming together - we've locked in our date, venues and photographer and I'm currently looking into florists. We're getting married on 4/10/2014 which is actually a palindromic date (4102014...geddit?)! We actually didn't plan it that way but it's pretty cool. That's the long weekend and probably one of the most popular weekends to get married on, hence the need to plan things quickly!<br />
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We've chosen a beautiful old church in Hamilton (Newcastle) for our ceremony and will be married by the minister from our parents' church (both our parents go to church together). He's a good friend of both of our families and a really down to earth, funny and personable guy. The reception will be held at the <a href="http://www.newcastlemuseum.com.au/venue-hire" target="_blank">Newcastle Museum</a> in their awesome event space. It's a beautiful room with exposed bricks and lovely arched windows. Very industrial but also kind of rustic. Oh, and I've also booked our chairs which I'm probably more excited about than I should be. But they're awesome chairs!<br />
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I've been using <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/hanlewis/wedding/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> a lot which is a life saver. Seriously, how did people organise weddings before it existed? I kiiiind of have an idea of the type of dress I want, but I haven't tried any on yet so I will have to wait and see. My amazingly talented friend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StyledByLinda?fref=ts" target="_blank">Linda</a> will be our wedding stylist and we're already having heaps of fun sharing ideas.<br />
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But first, we've got our engagement party in a few weeks and I seriously cannot wait! It's going to be a blast.<br />
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xoHannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-52525949016162360982013-10-26T13:50:00.000+11:002013-10-26T13:50:31.143+11:00Back in business<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hooray! I'm back! After over a month without a laptop I can finally blog again thanks to purchasing a shiny new Windows Surface tablet. I know what you're thinking, it's not Apple (shock horror!), but this thing is seriously awesome. It has all the convenient features of a tablet but is basically a very powerful laptop as well. I can even draw on photos as it comes with a digital pen thingy. You can expect lots of that in the future.<br />
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Anyway! Life is pretty awesome at the moment. We're busy planning for our engagement party in just over a month and have even locked in a date and venue for our wedding. It's going to be on 4/10/2014 (which we just discovered is the same backwards - how cool!) in Newcastle. Feels so good to have that locked in already.<br />
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My new job is keeping me busy but I'm settling in and enjoying the challenge.<br />
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Now that I can blog whenever the heck I want, I'll be back soon to share some wedding inspiration and a few sneak peeks. Yay!Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-19116787335516236422013-10-02T18:59:00.000+10:002013-10-02T18:59:38.172+10:00Life UpdateGreetings internet. Is anybody out there?<br />
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I just wanted to pop in and say hello. When I gave up my old job I also gave up my laptop. It belonged to work and they kindly let me use it for personal stuff as well. I miss it terribly! So until I save up for one of my own this little old blog might be a bit quiet. I'm currently on Ben's computer which is quite literally a MACHINE.<br />
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Anyway, life's been busy but good. I'm a week and a half into the new job and while the days are long (largely due to more travel, the hours are quite good so far) I'm really enjoying it. Working right by Circular Quay is amazing, especially with the good weather we've been having. It's so awesome to be able to pop down to the water or grab a baguette and a macaron at the French cafe at The Rocks during my lunch break. I'm finally starting to feel at home in Sydney - it's only taken two and a half years! We also have an incredible view of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House from our office. I try and act cool like I don't care but secretly I'm super excited.<br />
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It was really sad finishing up at my old job. They made me feel extremely loved with a special farewell afternoon tea (complete with a table of cheeses!), a huge indoor picnic lunch, a bunch of gorgeous flowers, an Asos gift voucher and an incredibly special photo book full of sweet farewell messages from the team. I'm so grateful for the experience and everything I learnt while working there. The fact that I was able to make some great friends at the same time is truly awesome. I'm going to do my best to stay in touch with everyone and so far so good.<br />
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On the wedding front, we've been investigating our options for holding it up in our home town of Tamworth. It's now starting to sink in just how much is involved in planning a wedding but I'm going to try and enjoy it as much as possible. My ring had to be resized so I've been without it for almost two weeks now. Thankfully I'm picking it up tomorrow! The separation anxiety has been intense ;) We're also organising our engagement party and hoping to have that before the end of the year. I'm really excited to celebrate with our family and friends!<br />
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We have a long weekend coming up and Ben and are I joining our parents at the Central Coast for a few nights. We'll be camping by the beach and I'm super keen for some lazy days in the sun. I hope you're well wherever you might be!Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-26699859797949484212013-09-15T20:19:00.001+10:002013-09-15T20:36:08.630+10:00#ENGAGEMENT!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What started out as a pretty ordinary weekend turned into one I will never forget! After eight and a half years, Ben decided to pop the question!! Oh, and I said yes :)</div>
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The story of how it all went down is kind of funny. Ben had a big night on Friday night and slept in while I went out for an early morning trip to the markets. He was still in bed when I got home so I spent the next few hours doing chores. When Ben got up we cooked breakfast like we do most weekends. It was pretty much how we would spend any Saturday. We watched a few TV shows and were generally just hanging out. Earlier in the day I checked the mail and we had received an invitation to Ben's cousin's wedding. Ben made a comment that everyone was getting married (we've got two weddings to go to before the end of the year) and I replied with something like 'I'll probably have to wait until I'm 30'. Oops, sorry babe! And by the way, that wouldn't have been the end of the world (maybe...hehe). So I guess it's safe to say that marriage was on the mind. Still, I really didn't expect what happened next! </div>
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I took a nap on the couch and after I woke up, Ben came and sat down with me. He seemed to be acting strangely and started saying stuff like he wanted me to have a good story to tell our kids (about how we got engaged). I told him I really didn't care how it happened and I had told him a few times before that if it happened in the kitchen while we were in our pyjamas that would be totally okay with me. Ben suddenly went all quiet then got up and said 'I can't wait any longer'. He went into our bedroom and I started to realise what was happening. He walked out with a ring, got down on his knee and asked me to marry him! It is all a bit of a blur and I actually don't recall whether I said yes when he asked me. I just grabbed the ring and put it on and hugged him! He then said 'Wait, you said yes right?' haha. I'm honestly so glad it happened how it did. I've never wanted it to be a big deal and I think it was more of a surprise this way as if he had taken me out for dinner somewhere fancy I would have definitely known something was up! Ben had been so worried about how he was going to ask me but the fact that he couldn't wait makes it even more special. I still think it's a pretty good story, too.</div>
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We immediately called my parents to tell them the news. They had had an agonising week since Ben had asked my Dad his permission when we were in Tamworth last weekend. They knew it was coming but didn't know when. Mum and Dad were having lunch with some of our relatives so it was nice to be able to share it with a lot of loved ones at once! We then told Ben's parents (who also knew it was coming), my pop and Ben's nan, our siblings and a few of our friends. My best friend Jess had the best reaction. She was so excited I couldn't understand what she was saying! We then made it Facebook official, as you do! Luckily we had an unopened bottle of champagne in the kitchen so we popped that to celebrate and spent most of the afternoon messaging friends and trying to calm down (well that was me, anyway). We ordered Thai for dinner and had that delivered. By about 9pm we were both exhausted and went to bed early. Too much excitement for one day!</div>
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This morning we went out for coffee and I had my nails done (only natural when I'm gonna be showing a lot of people my hand, right?). We then headed over to the <a href="http://groundsroasters.com/" target="_blank">Grounds of Alexandria</a> for a celebratory lunch. Despite having to wait an hour and a half for a table, it was an awesome way to celebrate. Any other day I would have been annoyed but we were in such good moods that it didn't matter! Plus, we killed time by sampling lots of different treats which were on sale at various stalls throughout the gardens. The food was excellent and I'm glad I finally got to take Ben there.</div>
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Admittedly, my mind has already gone into overdrive thinking about all the possibilities and things to plan. I need to settle down before I become bridezilla! I've got my last week at work this week before I start my new job and I need to get settled there before I start going too nuts with the planning. Crazy times ahead!</div>
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I'm absolutely over the moon at the thought of marrying my high school sweet heart and feeling so blessed with the knowledge that we have an amazing future together (plus I get to wear a beautiful ring..it's so perfect).</div>
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I thought I'd also share a few photos from my trip to the flower markets with my friend <a href="http://www.thelovelyk.com/" target="_blank">Kristine</a> yesterday morning. I can sense a few more trips will be on the cards soon!</div>
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<br />Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-62888962391283082672013-09-09T20:34:00.000+10:002013-09-09T20:34:31.768+10:00Season of Change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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They say that Spring is full of new beginnings and that has certainly been the case for me. Two weeks from today I'll be starting a new job as Communications Officer with the British Consulate here in Sydney.<br />
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I've done a lot of thinking about whether it's the right thing to do. Overall I've been really happy in my current job. It's given me so many amazing opportunities and I've learnt so much. Plus, I couldn't have asked for better people to work with. It's the people that have made my decision tougher - they're an awesome team and also great friends. I was so nervous about breaking the news to them, but everyone has been so supportive and excited for me. Plus, I have no doubt that we'll stay friends and have plenty of adventures in Sydney in the future.<br />
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I'm ready for a new challenge and to learn some new things. Ever since working for the Australian Consulate in NYC I've had an interest in that kind of work, so when I saw the role advertised I knew I should at least apply. I'm excited for this new phase of my life in Sydney. Everything's looking up, Millhouse.<br />
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Meanwhile, I spent a lovely weekend at home in the country with my family. I've managed to come down with a cold, but hopefully all the amazingly nutritious meals I've eaten over the last few days will put me on the mend quick smart! Seriously, my Mum is an amazing cook. Plus, I got breakfast in bed on Sunday! So spoilt. Hope your weekend was dandy. xoHannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-62342679935036675702013-09-03T19:14:00.000+10:002013-09-03T19:14:11.517+10:00Lately<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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1. Lots of early morning visits to the city of late. Meetings galore!</div>
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2. Visited Newcastle again on the weekend and paid a visit to the antique shop down the road from my old place. So many temptations, but I walked away empty handed.</div>
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3. Coffee in the sun on the weekend. How cool is my sister's little coffee table? She covered it in the awesome Frida Kahlo fabric then lacquered it up.</div>
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4. Say hello to Benny the pup! My sister and her boyfriend recently adopted him from the animal rescue and I was super stoked to meet him this weekend! Such a friendly little dude.</div>
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5. A big shout out to my amazing Dad for Father's Day which was this past Sunday in Australia. Can't wait to see you next weekend! We're both rocking awesome hair styles there.</div>
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I hope everyone has been super well. Happy Spring to my pals Down Under!Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-48988431502141194662013-08-25T15:16:00.000+10:002013-08-25T15:16:14.794+10:00Signs of Spring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is an absolutely glorious day in Sydney today, with a high of 23 degrees and not a cloud to be seen. While this Winter has been quite mild, I'm still incredibly excited that Spring is only a few days away.</div>
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I'm also in Spring cleaning mode and did a quick wardrobe cull this morning. I managed to fill three plastic bags of clothes I no longer wear and my shelves are looking much more orderly! I decided to walk up to the charity clothing bin to drop off my bags and couldn't get over how warm it was out. Every day I pass this glorious tree which has been blossoming for a few weeks now. I was really surprised the first day I saw it blooming as I'm 100 per cent sure it didn't flower last year. I walk to the train every day and I'm not one to let beautiful flowers go unnoticed! I love that the little stump next to it is also blossoming - go you good thing!</div>
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It's been a really nice relaxing weekend. We had some friends over for dinner and a movie last night which was a lot of fun. They also slept over as our place is much quieter than theirs and they wanted a good sleep! We all ended up sleeping in until 10am today then having coffee together. </div>
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Tonight Ben and I are going to see Kick Ass 2 in Gold Class with some of his work mates. I've never seen a movie in Gold Class before so I'm quite excited! Life is bliss.</div>
Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-51326731873454633812013-08-23T19:00:00.000+10:002013-08-23T19:07:55.137+10:00An Ode To Friends<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few months ago I decided to embark on a life changing journey. A journey of love, laughter and many tears. Like with most things I do, I threw myself into it, even going so far as to not seeing the outside world for days at a time.<br />
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Yes, I decided to watch the whole 10 seasons of <i>Friends.</i><br />
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Now, I'm not one to exaggerate (cough..much), but this might rank as one of the best decisions of my life. Growing up I'd catch the occasional episode on TV and the scary thing is, I somehow convinced myself that <i>Friends </i>wasn't really my kind of show. In fact, I went so far as to call it "cheesy". Oh younger self, you were so foolish.<br />
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With age comes wisdom and understanding and by about episode five of season one I had decided that <i>Friends </i>was the greatest show ever made.<br />
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In all seriousness, I'm actually glad I waited until I was a bit older to watch it. When I was younger, some of the jokes flew straight over my head and I wasn't able to empathise with the characters.<br />
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Here are a few things <i>Friends </i>taught me:<br />
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<ul>
<li>I'm possibly dating a real life Chandler Bing.</li>
<li>New York is the greatest city on Earth (well hey, I already knew that).</li>
<li>Never date anyone named Janice.</li>
<li>You can fall in love with your best friend.</li>
<li>They wore a lot of turtle necks and overalls in the 90s.</li>
<li>Jennifer Aniston has an amazing body.</li>
<li>Bras weren't quite so supportive 15 years ago. Lots of high beaming.</li>
<li>Never date anyone named Ross.</li>
<li>Never assume you were 'on a break'.</li>
<li>You <i>can </i>achieve anything if you put your mind to it. That includes watching 10 series of a TV show in less than two months.</li>
<li>Matt Perry's weight was extremely unpredictable.</li>
<li>It's okay if you haven't quite figured everything out in your 20s, let alone your 30s.</li>
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Now that it's over, I will admit that yes, a part of me is missing. But it's nice to know that if I ever need a laugh, I can rely on my trusty mates in apartment 20.</div>
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<i><a href="http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&docid=ZBpxcWUsusfLgM&tbnid=40fh4NioyDMTPM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jtmagz.com%2Fcourteney-cox-friends-interview-on-nbc%2Ftv-sitcoms-future%2F&ei=UyMXUpaUDYXSkwWfrIGACg&bvm=bv.51156542,d.dGI&psig=AFQjCNHUL9hbfVXLqkTyMMVpxU7Ab50wGQ&ust=1377334480926577" target="_blank">Image one</a>. <a href="http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&docid=pzsCJqQtOZo5qM&tbnid=V6ADf0Z4tWqmzM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffriends.wikia.com%2Fwiki%2FSeason_10&ei=DCQXUqLEIo3KkwXmzIHAAw&bvm=bv.51156542,d.dGI&psig=AFQjCNGukFbX3ONDCUU0WN47DMIL8jZTnw&ust=1377334666022013" target="_blank">Image two</a>.</i></div>
Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-32011415205035417422013-08-11T21:39:00.000+10:002013-08-11T21:39:53.253+10:00Ben Turns 26<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was Ben's 26th birthday on Thursday and we've had an awesome three-day-long weekend of celebrations! We started by dragging our sleepy butts out of bed early on Thursday morning to have a hot breakfast together before work. I gave Ben a few presents and we have just acquired a BBQ which counts as a super awesome extra present (and I benefit from it too...best kind of present). After work that night we met in the city to have dinner at <a href="http://churburger.com.au/" target="_blank">Chur Burger</a>, a new and popular joint in Surry Hills. It was packed but we didn't have to wait long for a table and the service was great. I loved my veggie burger with beetroot slaw and honey labne. So good!</div>
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We both took Friday off and after a big sleep in we met a friend of mine for lunch at Element 6, a cute cafe in West Ryde which I wrote about <a href="http://nellieandoliver.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/neighbourhood-favourite-element-6.html" target="_blank">here</a>. My friend is an Aussie living in New York and she was home to see her family. It was great to catch up and for Ben to finally meet her! We had a lazy afternoon, watched <i>Epic</i> (it was), then headed out to Parramatta for a farewell for one of Ben's work mates. Saturday was mostly spent doing chores, but we also took a walk to the shops and soaked up some of the seriously amazing sunshine Sydney has been blessed with lately. </div>
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On Saturday night we met a few friends at <a href="http://sodafactory.com.au/" target="_blank">The Soda Factory </a>for some birthday drinks and hot dogs! My sister and her boyfriend also drove down from Newcastle for the occasion and we had such a good night out with our closest Sydney friends. The Soda Factory is a very cool bar and the hot dogs were amazing. It was too dark to take a photo but I had a veggie dog with onion rings, slaw and mustard. We drank and danced for a few hours before heading up to Flinder's Bar near Taylor Square. Another friend of ours works there so we ended up scoring a bunch of free drinks (probably a few too many actually...today has been...a struggle). I had so much fun and whattya know, managed to stay out until 2am! This granny can party after all. This morning called for a big BBQ breakfast followed by several hours of <i>Friends.</i></div>
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Happy birthday Benny boy, love from your biggest fan. x</div>
Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-42458491724155605712013-08-04T20:00:00.000+10:002013-08-04T20:00:19.122+10:00A Quick Trip to Newcastle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ben and I made a last minute decision to head up to Newcastle for the night on Saturday. One of my good friends was visiting Newcastle from Brisbane and I hate to pass up the rare opportunities to catch up with her. Plus, Ben and I both used to live there and now that we are big city slickers we always love going back, seeing our friends and family and enjoying the more relaxed lifestyle.</div>
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We got there Saturday lunch time and met my friends at a new cafe in the Hunter Street Mall called <a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/349/1734516/restaurant/New-South-Wales/Ground-Floor-Cafe-Newcastle" target="_blank">Ground Floor</a>. It was a really cute little spot which actually used to be a Gloria Jeans franchise. Nice to see it turned into something a bit more charming. After a good catch up we parted ways before meeting up again for dinner. In between, Ben and I took a short stroll to Newcastle Beach. It was such a warm Winter day. Hard to believe I was wearing sandals in August (and that's coming from someone with perpetually cold feet!). While waiting for my sister to get home from work, Ben and I bought a bottle of sparkling red and some plastic cups and sat in my car enjoying the afternoon sun streaming in. It was bliss.</div>
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For dinner we went to a new-ish mexican restaurant called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/casadeloconewcastle" target="_blank">Casa De Loco </a>(or House of Crazy!). I'd heard good things about this place and it didn't disappoint. We feasted on soft tacos, quesadillas, tostadas, stuffed jalapeños and more. The drinks were also flowing and it was hard to choose from the extensive cocktail list. We eventually settled on some white sangria and then my sister, one of my friends and I got a little daring and ordered a cocktail which had some kind of jalapeño soda in it. Let's just say our throats and stomachs were well and truly warm after that!</div>
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After dinner we took a short walk to <a href="http://grainstorenewcastle.com.au/" target="_blank">The Grain Store</a> which is also a relatively new bar (although the building itself has been there quite some time and it used to house a bar by a different name). It's a really cool space but it was so busy and loud that it was hard for us to talk. We had a few drinks but decided to move on to another pub nearby. A few more drinks and most of us were ready for bed. Old age is certainly getting to us! </div>
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This morning Ben and I visited my sister who was working for a few hours. She recently scored a second job at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/MisKonduct-Klothing/142132302491446?fref=ts" target="_blank">Miskonduct</a> - a retro clothing store with a cute cafe out the back. We grabbed a couple of coffees before meeting my friends again, this time for breakfast at <a href="http://talulahbar.com.au/" target="_blank">Talulah</a>. We had another delicious meal with great company to finish off a short but sweet weekend away. Before heading home my sister kindly gave both Ben and I a hair cut so we are feeling fresh and ready to tackle the week ahead! Hope you all had a smashing weekend. xo</div>
Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-6556361027221856712013-07-31T21:20:00.000+10:002013-07-31T21:20:49.886+10:00On Gratitude<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/tania_luna_how_a_penny_made_me_feel_like_a_millionaire.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="560"></iframe><br />
Just popping in to share this wonderful short Ted talk I was lucky enough to stumble upon thanks to one of my friends sharing it on Facebook yesterday - 'How a penny made me feel like a millionaire'.<br />
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It's so easy to forget to practice gratitude in our every daily lives. To open Facebook in the mornings and feel pangs of jealousy at that distant acquaintance who's sailing around Croatia, or shopping in Paris, or climbing mountains in South America. Or to get on the train every day and join in with the masses staring at their mobile devices the entire journey without even thinking about just how incredible those contraptions are. Or to open the fridge and stare at the shelves of food, all the while yelling out to your boyfriend that there's simply nothing to eat.<br />
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I'm guilty of all of these scenarios. Hearing Tania's memories and the way she describes the richness of her childhood, despite living in circumstances I can't even begin to imagine, really struck a chord with me. I hope you get something out of it too.Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-22410083581802731772013-07-28T16:44:00.000+10:002013-07-28T16:44:44.154+10:00Life of Late and Our New Toy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>1. Happiness on sale at the local florist near work. 2. Watching The Matrix on our new beast. 3. Yum Cha at a farewell lunch this week. 3. Pretty blooms reminding me that winter in Sydney is not so bad.</i></div>
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Hello friends. It's been a bit quiet round these parts of late so I wanted to pop in and say hi. I really need to start taking more photos with my camera again and line up some more interesting posts. But for now, here's a few phone shots from recent times.<div>
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The most exciting thing to happen this week was Ben and I investing in a new fancy smart TV. Thank you tax man! It's a huge upgrade from our last one and to be honest I'm still not quite sure how to use it. Nonetheless we have enjoyed a quiet weekend at home with lots of movies, youtube dance parties (the TV plays youtube!) and back-to-back episodes of <i>Friends</i> (in high def!). We were planning to go out for dinner last night but our laziness got the better of us and we ended up staying home, ordering pizza and watching <i>Jurassic Park</i>. Just call us Nanna and Pop.</div>
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But don't worry yourselves too much, we <i>did</i> manage to leave the house for breakfast yesterday and a jog up to the shops this morning (for more supplies...i.e. tacos). I've also just finished a book so I feel like it's almost time for some more <i>Friends</i> on the big screen. It's just so shiny!</div>
Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-62051749296326267732013-07-20T14:25:00.001+10:002013-07-20T14:25:52.730+10:00The Week That WasWow, what a week! From the moment I walked into the office on Monday morning, things were happening at a million miles an hour. I had a few hours in the office before my colleagues and I headed to Darling Harbour to start the set up for our annual national conference at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. It was a crazy few days but also a lot of a fun and despite being absolutely exhausted by the end, I was also feeling really inspired thanks to the range of speakers I got to hear from and all the people I met. Working in the NFP/associations sector means I'm always surrounded by leaders who are achieving great things in their respective organisations and industries.<br />
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<i>Yummy bruschetta at our team dinner on Monday.</i></div>
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<i>The beautiful Sydney skyline from Darling Harbour.</i></div>
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A highlight at our conference is always the dinner on the second night. This year it was held at Dockside at Darling Harbour and the 400 odd guests were treated to a delicious three course meal followed by live music and dancing. After all the hard work my team had put in over the last few months, it was great to bust a few moves together and let loose. The dinner was followed by an after party at The Star where we hired out the karaoke lounge. I fulfilled my duties as chief backup dancer (from the comfort of my chair) and managed to stay out until 2am. A pretty impressive achievement, considering we'd all been working since 7.30am! Still, I was one of the first to leave and word is some of my work mates stayed out until 4am, slept for two hours then got up for a fitness session at 6am and then managed to stay awake for another full day of conferencing. Crazy cats.</div>
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<i>Toasted marshmallows at our conference on day one!</i></div>
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This year we had the pleasure of hosting a group of American delegates at our conference. On Thursday, they were booked in to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge. At the last minute, my boss decided not to go which meant I was offered a free ticket to join them! Before I knew it, I was wearing an extremely attractive jump-suit and being briefed on the ins and outs of bridge-climbing. Now I've never been one to say I'm scared of heights, so I was feeling pretty chilled out. That was until I found myself climbing four very steep vertical step ladders on the edge of the bridge with the water to my left and hundreds of cars whizzing by beneath my feet. At this point I was beginning to wonder what I'd gotten myself into. Even though I was safely attached to a cable, I felt so exposed and it was like those ladders were never going to end. I eventually emerged at the top of the last ladder but was feeling quite dishevelled (in a hands shaking and sweating, short of breath, mouth completely dry kinda way). I had to talk myself out of it in order to keep on going and not let the height get to me. After all, there I was climbing one of the world's most iconic landmarks with the beautiful Sydney Harbour beneath me and skyline behind me. How lucky was I!<br />
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The rest of the climb was relatively easy as it's basically just one long stair case up to the top. At times the fear would creep back, but by the time we got to the top I was feeling so excited and the view was out of this world. We stopped for lots of photos and our guide George was full of heaps of interesting facts about the bridge and Sydney in general, much of which I had no idea about. The walk back down was much easier and we even had a chance to sit down while we waited for some of our group to have their photos taken. As I was sitting there, on top of the Harbour Bridge, the whole concept was blowing my mind. I mean, I've seen that bridge so many times now, stopped at various look-outs to take photos and driven over it at least once a week. To think I was there just chillin' on top of it was so crazy! I'm so thankful that I had this opportunity. If you ever hear me complaining about my job, just remind me that I got to climb the Harbour Bridge for free as a result of working where I do!<br />
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<i>My workmate Alex and I looking super attractive in the full bridge-climbing gear (hats at night time? it was windy!). But hey, check out that view!!</i></div>
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Come Friday I was feeling a little sorry for myself thanks to aching muscles and lack of sleep. It was all worth it though and I managed to get 12 hours sleep last night so I'm feeling happy as larry. Ben and I are having a quiet weekend. We're going to do a bit of shopping this afternoon and having a movie date lined up tonight. I hope you all have a splendid weekend. xoHannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-72594923553985945412013-07-14T16:55:00.000+10:002013-07-14T16:55:31.828+10:00Coffee Talk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'll let you in on a little secret. I used to be a coffee hater. I couldn't stand the stuff. Ben has always been a coffee drinker and I remember him trying to get me to drink it. I'd have the tiniest sip before screwing up my face in disgust and declaring it poison!</div>
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I can't remember the exact turning point, but I think it was around the time I was doing my internship in NYC. Late nights and long days culminated in me dropping an order into the daily coffee run. Hey, everyone else was doin' it! Fast forward a few years and I'm a one-a-day kinda gal. I'm far from being a connoisseur, in fact I'm drinking a cup right now and it kinda tastes like dirt. Still, I definitely look forward to my daily injection (and usually it doesn't taste like dirt, so that's a bonus).<br />
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It's been a lazy old weekend for Benny and I. After a massive sleep in yesterday we headed to our local cafe for breakfast, then a little shopping at Myer. Ben was working nights all of last week so it was the first time we'd properly seen each other in a while, apart from a few grunts from me when he would come to bed at 2am and then a few in return when I would head off to work in the morning. I then spent my entire Saturday night watching Friends. I've just finished season four and by golly, it's good. Feel a little silly declaring Friends as good. A bit like announcing that chocolate tastes awesome! Just another example of me being late to the bandwagon.<br />
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Today has been much the same as yesterday. We took a quick trip to the shops for lunch and picked up some donuts to have for afternoon tea. Feeling a little bit naughty but it was worth it! Treat yo self is my new life motto.<br />
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Hope you all have a wonderful week! Our company has its major conference on Tuesday and Wednesday so it's going to be a busy one! We're staying in the city for two nights which will be fun. Always lots of shenanigans to be had with my work mates :)Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-79482355720522934442013-07-09T18:29:00.002+10:002013-07-09T18:34:41.048+10:00Weekend in Forster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I spent a glorious few days in Forster on the weekend, visiting my best friend Jess. I left work early on Friday to tackle the four hour drive and made it in time for a scrumptious dinner of pizzas, fries and wine at a cafe just five minutes from Jess' apartment. In fact, everything is about five minutes from her apartment, which is always such a welcome treat for this Sydney-sider. I definitely needed to slow down a little so this was the perfect solution. Jess and I don't get to see each other very often these days, so these rare opportunities are always met with great excitement, endless chatter and laughs.<br />
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On Saturday morning, Jess, her boyfriend Drew and I headed back to the same cafe for breakfast. In fact, we ended up eating four meals there throughout the weekend. It could be seen that there aren't many options, but this little place is perfect in my books. Good coffee, good food, cute decor and plenty of sunny spots to sit.<br />
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Following breakfast we headed to the Annual Forster Book Fair! We spent a good hour or so browsing the rows and rows of second hand books. I ended up coming away with a huge stack of old classics for $27. I think I got about 10 books all up!<br />
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Around lunch time, we drove out to Pacific Palms to a quiet little (nudist) beach. It was such a glorious day and I loved the chance to get outdoors and exercise a little - something I definitely don't do enough of here in Sydney. After our stroll along the beach and adventures in <a href="http://instagram.com/p/baL6tlHjfT/" target="_blank">Instavideography</a>, we headed to the local shops for a coffee.<br />
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Upon our return to Forster, we took Jess' new bike out for a spin down by the water. We took turns riding and running and I even had my own little personal trainer trying to whip my butt into shape (if there's one thing best friends are good for it's telling you to keep running even when you're clearly dying).<br />
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While we were out we got a call from another friend who happened to be in Forster for the night! We did a quick rally of the troops and ended up having a little shin dig back at Jess' place that night. I got to meet one of her good Forster friends and also catch up with a few others from our Newcastle days. Before long, we were in the midst of a competitive game of 'Substitute', as per the TV show 'Spicks and Specks'. If you're not familiar, this basically involves picking a song and then substituting the lyrics for a passage in a random book. It's actually quite tricky, but super fun! Next on the cards was 'Articulate', which we somehow always end up playing in Forster. Jess got super into the game and practically forced me to keep playing one-on-one, long after all the other guests had departed. Who am I kidding, I was nailing it and could have kept playing until 3am if I wasn't so tired (note: we did play it by ourselves until 2am haha).<br />
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On Sunday morning we headed back to the cafe for round two breakfast and coffee with yet another Newcastle friend who was visiting for the day. Added bonus! Annnnd we ended up staying there for lunch, too! Best paying customers that weekend, that's for sure. It was so lovely to just sit and chat for hours on end! Before long the day was growing shorter and it was time for me to journey back to the big smoke. I'm so glad I decided to make the trip - it was a perfect weekend.<br />
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Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-2095418041390706312013-06-30T16:42:00.001+10:002013-06-30T16:42:25.651+10:00Just A Minute In June<br />
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Now that I've finally finished blogging about our trip to the USA, I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things. It's almost time to say goodbye to June so I thought I'd do a little update on life lately.</div>
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<b>Reading</b>...The Potato Factory by Bruce Courtenay, although it's taking me a while to get into it.</div>
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<b>Watching</b>...Friends! I've never actually watched the full series, having only caught bits and pieces when it's been on TV. I'm currently up to Season 3 and absolutely loving it. When I was younger I didn't find it very funny but I think that's because I probably didn't get the jokes! Such a great show. Ben and I are also watching the new season of True Blood which has been pretty awesome so far.</div>
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<b>Eating</b>...I feel like we've been eating out or ordering take-away a bit too much lately so I just did a massive grocery shop and stocked up for the week. I've just put a vegetable and chickpea curry on using my slow cooker (first time!) so we'll be having that tonight. It already smells amazing. For the rest of the week we'll be having things like pasta, burritos, veggie schnitzel wraps and homemade pizzas. Feels good to be stocked up and not have to worry about going to the shops every night.</div>
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<b>Listening to</b>...The new City and Colour album, a bit of Matt Corby and Of Monsters and Men.</div>
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<b>Loving</b>...The fact that Ben and I have been getting out a bit more lately, spending time with old friends and making new ones and also that we are feeling a bit more settled in Sydney. There are exciting things on the horizon for both of us :)</div>
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Hope you all have a great week ahead. Fingers crossed the rain stops in Sydney. Seriously...8 days and counting!!</div>
Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-34478773719567579652013-06-29T17:08:00.000+10:002013-06-29T17:08:57.522+10:00Chicago Part Two: Cake Flavoured Vodka plus moreGosh, it has taken me long enough to finish sharing the rest of our time in Chiacgo and the States in general. We've been back for a month now - how sad!<br />
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The weather took a little turn for the worse on our second day in Chicago, with heavy rain and wind settling in. We decided to use this as an opportunity to boost the American economy and take a trip north near the Wisconsin border to the Gurnee outlet malls. We spent the whole day at the mall and all came away with multiple bags of goodies. Still can't get over how cheap shoes are in the US. We're being ripped off down under, folks.<br />
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That night, my cousin Denise took us out to a vegetarian restaurant in Evanston called <a href="http://www.blindfaithcafe.com/" target="_blank">Blind Faith</a>. We shared the most amazing vegan chocolate peanut butter cake. Still salivating over it now.<br />
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The next day was absolutely FREEZING. We all rugged up and decided to head back downtown. I made a quick stop at Urban Outfitters to buy a beanie - my ears thanked me. We headed to Millenium Park to take selfies in the bean (or Cloudgate) and had a look at some of the public art. The clouds cleared so we decided to head up Willis Tower but when we got there we found it was closed due to the strong winds. Dang, was really looking forward to scaring myself silly on the glass viewing platform! Next time.<br />
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It was still pretty damn chilly so to warm up we took the train north of the city and found a dive bar called <a href="http://www.yelp.com.au/biz/friar-tuck-chicago" target="_blank">Friar Tuck</a>. My sister's boyfriend Al had recommended it for its super friendly staff. We had an awesome afternoon sitting at the bar and chatting to the (super friendly) bar tender. She gave us multiple free drinks and also got me to try cake flavoured vodka (!) which was amazing. I seriously wish I could find some here. By the way, they also had buttered popcorn and glazed donut flavoured vodka, among about 10 other obscure ones. We had the best time there and couldn't believe how dang friendly the staff were.<br />
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Across the road was a hot dog shop called <a href="http://www.flubadubchub.com/" target="_blank">Flub-a-dub-chubs</a> (also recommended by Al). We headed there for a dinner of delicious Chicago-style hot-dogs (vego for me) and fries. At the bar we got chatting to some people who told us about a new arcade/bar (Beercade, to be precise) that was opening that night nearby. We headed there after dinner for some more drinks and unlimited games of pinball and old school video games. Ben is a pretty keen gamer so he was right in his element! I also met a really lovely bar tender here and I swear we could have been great friends. If only I knew her name. Would have to say that this day was one of the highlights of our whole trip!<br />
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On our last proper day in Chicago, we decided to go to Six Flags! I wasn't too keen on the idea to begin with, but I'm so glad we went. We had an absolute blast riding roller coasters all day. So proud of myself for going on some of the really scary ones, too. It had been so long since I'd done anything like that and I had forgotten how amazing adrenaline feels! I would definitely recommend visiting Six Flags if you ever get the chance. That night, we were invited over to Denise's house for cocktails with the people she lives with. They also took us out to Blind Faith again for an amazing meal and lots of wine. Again - the mid west hospitality is incredible. We certainly felt the love. Before we knew it we were heading to the airport for our long journey home. It was great to meet up with Soph and Al again and hear all about their time in New Orleans. I have to say that even though it was my third trip to the States, I still can't wait to go back!Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-27460640377304072792013-06-14T20:23:00.000+10:002013-06-14T20:23:45.818+10:00Chicago Part One: Architectural River Cruise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The last stop on our American adventure was Chicago, Illinois. A few years ago when I was living in the States, I visited Chicago to spend Christmas with my Mum's cousin Denise who has been living there for nearly 15 years. It was Winter, of course, but you haven't experienced Winter until you've spent it in Chicago. I loved my first visit, despite the cold, but was pretty excited to visit the Windy City in Spring.</div>
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On our first afternoon we made the most of the clear weather and went on an architectural river cruise through the city. This had been highly recommended by a few friends as well as Denise. Chicago is such a beautiful city with so much history and the architecture is pretty amazing and so diverse. The tour we did was with <a href="http://www.wendellaboats.com/" target="_blank">Wendella Cruises</a> and I would definitely recommend it. It went for about an hour and a half and the guide had lots of information and stories to share about pretty much every single building we went past. </div>
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Now, I'll always stay true to my one and only love (New York), but I have to say, Chicago falls pretty high on my favourite U.S cities, so far. I honestly couldn't get over the rows and rows of tulips lining the streets downtown and the large amount of parks and greenery. Plus, the mid-west folk are so darn friendly!</div>
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Deep dish pizza was a must-do on all of our itineraries. Denise took us out to <a href="http://giordanos.com/" target="_blank">Giodarno's</a> in Evanston, near where we were staying. It was certainly worth the food coma, let me tell you. We were a little bit ambitious and ended up with heaps left-over. Who would have thought 'serves two' actually means 'serves a large family'?</div>
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More from this lovely city coming soon.</div>
Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-8660000706825059382013-06-11T19:45:00.000+10:002013-06-11T19:45:28.980+10:00I love you, long weekends<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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1. A beautiful sunset over the suburb where I used to live in Newcastle.</div>
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2. My sister treated me to some pancakes on Monday morning. Green juice expertly juiced by me.</div>
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3. We went for a drive to the headland and turned up just in time to spot some whales migrating. Very exciting!</div>
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4. A blog post wouldn't be a blog post without mentioning food. We made some veggie mince pies for a late Monday lunch. Pie-makers are the bomb.</div>
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5. Green juice for everyone!</div>
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6. I miss the seaside.</div>
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7. Think I found my dream house.</div>
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8. One thing I miss about Newcastle is the amount of awesome cafes and how accessible they are.</div>
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Just a few snapshots from my long weekend which I spent in Newcastle with my family (minus big bro). I got to catch up with a couple of close friends, finally saw Gatsby (LOVED it) and generally had a very nice relaxing time with my loved ones. Hope yours was equally as nice!</div>
Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-50016641956669911702013-06-03T10:00:00.000+10:002013-06-03T10:00:04.362+10:00NYC Part Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is the last instalment of my adventures in NYC. On the Saturday we headed out to Williamsburg to eat ourselves silly at <a href="http://www.smorgasburg.com/" target="_blank">Smorgasburg</a>. If you're ever in NYC on a Saturday (during warmer months) I would definitely recommend checking it out (that's if you like eating). The Smorgasburg markets are part of the Brooklyn Flea, which is on every Sunday at the same place. The choice of food is quite amazing and you'll see things you've probably never heard of before. My sister and I started by sharing a passionfruit doughnut from <a href="http://www.yelp.com.au/biz/dough-brooklyn" target="_blank">Dough</a>. Isn't there some kind of saying about eating dessert first? Anyway, next I had a vegetarian hot dog from <a href="http://asiadognyc.com/menu" target="_blank">Asia Dogs</a>. They have so many interesting varities of hot dogs with all sorts of toppings. Mine had a mango coleslaw and peanuts! Next I had some eggplant dumplings - also great. I would have liked to stay the whole day and eat but I'll probably have to do that another time. </div>
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We walked around Williamsburg for a little while until it started to rain. We found a coffee shop/bar on Wythe Avenue (I think it was called Kinfolk) and huddled there to try and wait out the rain. The rain stuck around but we realised we were right near <a href="http://www.brooklynbowl.com/" target="_blank">Brooklyn Bowl</a>. Can't think of many better rainy day activities than bowling! Brooklyn Bowl is a really cool music venue and bar and has about 15 or so bowling lanes. We played one game (I came second last - thanks to my sister for being worse than me hehe) before heading back to Manhattan.</div>
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On the Sunday morning I met my friend Amy for brunch in SoHo. Amy was also visiting from Australia and fortunately our itineraries just overlapped. We had brunch at <a href="http://www.balthazarny.com/" target="_blank">Balthazar</a> which is a really popular French restaurant and bakery. If you go on a weekend you can expect a wait - it was about half an hour for us. It's a beautiful old restaurant and the food is excellent. I had the most amazing waffles! After brunch we had a look around some of the shops in SoHo and met up with Amy's friend. As I was super broke by that stage I left them to do their shopping and headed back to the hotel.</div>
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That afternoon I got to catch up with a couple more of my NYC friends. I met one friend at <a href="http://www.thesmithnyc.com/" target="_blank">The Smith</a> which is a bar and restaurant near the hotel where we stayed. I wish I'd discovered it sooner at it was very cool. They also have a restaurant in the East Village. That night, Ben and I went for dinner with two other friends on the Upper West Side. It was awesome to be able to introduce Ben to my friends and also see their new, beautiful apartment. They invited us back for a drink and a round of a board game called Blokus. It was a perfect way to spend our last night in NYC!</div>
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On our last morning there we made a spontaneous decision to visit <a href="http://www.topoftherocknyc.com/" target="_blank">Top of the Rock</a>. I'm glad we did this as even though I've done it a few times now it's always so amazing to see the city from above. Before long we were headed back to the airport to make our way to Chicago. As you can probably guess, I had an amazing time in NYC and I'm glad I got to share it with my siblings, Al and Benny. </div>
Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3248128157975238939.post-37444246260956692392013-06-02T13:16:00.001+10:002013-06-02T14:51:21.229+10:00NYC Part Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Next on our itinerary was to catch the (free) Staten Island Ferry for a view of the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan. Seeing the new World Trade Center from the water really put things into perspective. That thing is massive! It was a pretty grey and cold day and we weren't too sure what to do next. In the end we caught the 1 train up town to the Upper West Side and had lunch at one of my old favourite haunts, <a href="http://www.peacefoodcafe.com/" target="_blank">Peace Food Vegan Cafe</a>. I wish I'd had more time to spend up there - definitely one of my favourite neighbourhoods. </div>
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That afternoon we found ourselves back in Times Square (I can't really remember why) and the boys (Ben and Al) ended up getting hassled into buying tickets to a comedy show while Sam, Sophie and I managed to escape. They had a great time, thankfully, but it was a very frustrating experience. Being heckled is one of the not-so-fun parts about being a recognisable tourist. That afternoon, the boys went off to see a movie (it was a pretty miserable day) while Soph and I did some girl things like visit the Mac makeup store and eat Magnolia cupcakes. </div>
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While Al and Ben went to the comedy show that night, Sam, Soph and I headed back down to the East Village to another old favourite of mine, <a href="http://www.smacnyc.com/" target="_blank">S'mac</a>. This place specialises in Macaroni and Cheese. You can choose from lots of different combinations and toppings. They even do gluten-free and vegan! We eventually rolled ourselves out of there and while Sam headed back to the hotel, Soph and I went for a couple of drinks at a rooftop bar in midtown called <a href="http://www.230-fifth.com/" target="_blank">230 Fifth</a>. You can see the spectacular view of the Empire State Building above!</div>
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Ben and Al had a little too much fun at the Comedy Show so the next day we all did our own thing while they slept it off. Okay, that was just Ben haha. It was a lovely day and I decided to head out by myself to the Upper East side where I spent a few hours strolling around Madison, Park and Fifth Avenues admiring the amazing apartments and thinking about the entirely different world some of those people live in. </div>
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I had heard about the <a href="http://www.deandeluca.com/" target="_blank">Dean and Deluca</a> store in SoHo so was really excited to find they have a smaller one on the UES. I spent a good half hour or so salivating over all the cakes and bread before eventually settling on some sushi to take to Central Park for lunch. It was really peaceful sitting in the park with my lunch. There were a heap of people sun baking because it was so warm that day. I then spent a little time window shopping along Madison Avenue and convincing myself that every well-dressed person was famous. I stopped at the <a href="http://www.deandeluca.com/" target="_blank">Aesop</a> store and bought some moisturiser and scored a few samples from the lovely sales assistant. Before heading back to the hotel I decided to treat myself to a manicure. </div>
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That night was the baseball! Ben had been looking forward to this the whole trip and we had so much fun. My brother Sam came with us too. Ben managed to pick really good seats and we were only a few rows back from the field. I was actually kinda paranoid about being hit in the face by a ball! We drank a few beers, ate some terrible food and had a great time. Unfortunately the Yankees lost, but it was a close game!</div>
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We made the most of the good weather the next day and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. The highlight of course was eating pizza at <a href="http://www.grimaldis.com/" target="_blank">Grimaldi's</a> on the other side! Ben's face above says it all.</div>
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That night was a highlight for me. Some Australian friends of mine who live in NYC invited Ben and I to a competitive story-telling event in a bookstore in SoHo. The event was called '<a href="http://themoth.org/" target="_blank">The Moth</a>' and happens regularly around the country. Storytellers are given a theme and the opportunity to put their names down on the night. They are then called up to tell a five minute true story which they are then scored on. It was so much fun and felt like such a 'only in New York' thing to do (even though it happens elsewhere hehe). The theme that night was 'envy'. Some of the stories were hilarious while others were quite serious and powerful.</div>
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Following that our friends took us to the West Village for dinner where we crammed into a hole-in-the-wall Indian joint for some delicious <a href="http://www.thelewalanyc.com/" target="_blank">Kati Rolls</a>. Because we weren't quite bursting at the seems yet, we walked a little further to a gelato shop to seal the deal. It was great to see my friends again and a perfect night of laughs and food.</div>
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I've just got a few more days to write about but I'll do that in another post as this is long enough!</div>
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<i>Photos by me.</i></div>
Hannah - nellie and oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02511222670004936963noreply@blogger.com1