The Week That Was

Wow, what a crazy week it has been. Is it really Friday again? How did that happen? Work has been pretty full on lately but there are lots of exciting things happening and new projects in the works. Plus, I've just started a course in online community management, which I am very excited about! Anyway, enough about work. Here are a few snaps from the past week that I shared on Instagram, or perhaps 'Foodstagram' is more apt in my case.

This week involved a lot of juicing, finishing reading 'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close' (a post about all the books I've read lately is coming your way this weekend!), daydreaming about my next trip to NYC, spotting some pretty flowers on my daily walk to the train station and finally, tonight I caught up with my lovely friend Alyssa over a mezze platter, glass of wine and oreo cheesecake.

I'm now home with my feet up, contemplating whether I should put the kettle on (requires standing which is proving difficult) and listening to Tracy Chapman's Fast Car (I was inspired by some unsavoury youths who were playing it loudly on the train ride home). Hope your weekend is shaping up nicely! xo

Eight Years

Yesterday, Ben and I celebrated our eight year anniversary! We started dating in high school when we were both 17 years old. I honestly can't believe it's been this long! In some ways it feels like it's gone by so quickly but then I start to recall everything that has happened in those eight years and it feels more real. There have been highs and lows, plenty of laughter and plenty of tears but in the end it all comes down to the fact that we can't live without each other (trust me, we tried that once or twice). No matter how different we are (hint: very) I think the simple fact that we're friends that laugh at each other every day has helped us last this long. I've no doubt there will be plenty of multiples of eight years to come and I can't wait!

Anyway, enough with the sappy stuff. We celebrated by doing what we do best: stuffing our faces. We ordered pizza and took it to a park in our suburb with a bottle of Chandon (served in plastic cups, no less). We also played on the see-saw and I coerced Ben into taking a selfie with me. Small wins, I tell you.

Love ya, silly bugger xo

Adventures in Juicing

Pineapple, watermelon, apple and mint.

Carrot, orange, beetroot and mint.

Pineapple, kale, apple and ginger.

I scored a juicer for Christmas and have been having a lot of fun trying new combinations ever since (minus the cleaning up - that blows). I stocked up on plenty of fruit and veg this weekend in order to try a few different flavours and share them with you all. I think my favourite was actually the green juice. I promise you can't even taste the kale! The first combination made about four glasses and the bottom two made about two glasses each. Ben wasn't so keen on the juices that had vegetables in them, though I did get him to taste the kale one this afternoon and he was fine until I told him what was in it. Ah dear, one day I'll get him, one day.

Do you have any favourite juice combinations?

Let's Be Friends

I started this blog in June 2012 after being an avid blog reader for many years. I wanted a space of my own to share little snippets of my life and my interests. I posted sporadically throughout 2012 but have had a burst of motivation to really get this thing off the ground lately. I've got a list going of all my ideas for blog posts and I'm quite excited about it. I've been posting every day for the past week and my traffic and comments have increased quite a bit. It really goes to show the importance of consistency when it comes to getting your blog started. I've found being able to schedule posts in advance really useful as I work full time and don't always have the energy to blog after work. I also commissioned my talented friend Kate to illustrate my new blog header which I'm liking a lot!

So, basically I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who've been kind enough to have a look my blog and leave such nice comments. I'm excited about what's to come and hope you'll stick around for the ride.

Before I go, just a reminder about ways you can stay connected with me:

• Google Friend Connect: If you have a google account (in fact, I think maybe even if you don't...maybe..don't quote me) you can connect with my blog via the 'Join this site' button at the bottom of the left hand column of my page.
• Bloglovin': This is an easy way to keep track of blogs you like no matter which platform they might be on. You can sign up to get daily or weekly updates about new posts on the blogs you like. You can click on the link on my page (left hand side) or join me here.
• Twitter: You can find me here.
• Instagram: Follow me here.

Farmers' Market Haul

I've been on the hunt for some good farmers' markets for a while now and today I think I may have found my new regular. I visited the Lane Cove Farmers' Markets which are held every Sunday from 9am - 1.30pm at Lane Cove Public School. While the Lane Cove markets didn't have a huge selection, the two fruit and veg stalls were well-stocked and cheap. I purchased all of the produce above for less than $20. They also had some other gourmet food stalls which looked pretty awesome. I'll have to go back with more pennies up my sleeve. I wanted to take some photos with my proper camera while I was there but felt a bit awkward so ended up just snapping some with my iphone and the last photo with the camera once I got home.

This week I'm planning to do a lot of juicing and will be sharing a few recipes here on the blog. Tonight I'm looking forward to baking some of these veggies for our "Sunday Roast" (in inverted commas cause the roast part is actually vegetarian schnitzels). I hope you've all had lovely weekends so far. I've finally jumped on board the Game of Thrones bandwagon and watched the first three episodes last night. I'm really enjoying it so far!

Neighbourhood Favourite: Element 6

This is the first in a little series I'm doing on some of my favourite local haunts. I think it's important to make the most of your local surroundings and appreciate what might be right in front of you. Living in Sydney, it's easy to get caught up in the mindset that the only hip and happening places to go are in the inner city or inner western suburbs. Sure, I love hanging out in Surry Hills as much as the next person but I get a little cranky that a lot of people wouldn't dare set foot over the north side of the Harbour Bridge. Since moving to Sydney almost two years ago I have only lived on the north side (three apartments in less than two years!). I now live quite a fair way north so it has forced me to be adventurous and make the most of what's on offer out here in the 'sticks'.

I was really excited to discover that a new little cafe, Element 6, had opened next to West Ryde station. Ben and I decided to check it out this morning and we were very impressed. It's quite a small space and it was pretty packed when we arrived. We thought we might have to wait a little while but luckily a table became free within a few minutes. The decor is very cute, with vintage wooden school chairs, exposed brick walls and hot air balloon paintings on the walls. The staff were very friendly from the get-go, even fixing our wobbly table without being asked. We both ordered coffees which were huge and arrived very quickly. Ben liked his coffee so much he ordered another. I got the vegetarian big breakfast which consisted of two poached eggs on sourdough, mushrooms, a really yummy onion jam, some beans and lentils on the side, a sun dried tomato, corn cake and spinach leaves. Ben had the regular big breakfast which was basically the same as mine but with bacon. We were very pleased and it being just a 10 minute drive from home was an added bonus.

Stay tuned for some more hidden gems in my area and have a happy weekend. xo

All photos taken by me on my iphone 5 using the After Glow app.

Styled by Linda

It is becoming more and more evident that I have some extremely creative and talented people in my life. Today I wanted to share with you the wonderful work of one of my colleagues. Styled by Linda is the beautiful brainchild of Linda Nguyen. Linda manages the sister company of the business where I work but spends every spare second on event styling. Most weekends you will find Linda running about at weddings or other special events setting up fabulous dessert, beverage or cheese tables or just generally making the venue look incredible. 

Here are just a few examples of her recent work. She sources the best and yummiest treats from all over Sydney and is constantly collecting new props for whichever theme might be next. You can find her Facebook page here.

All photos from Styled by Linda.