I'm Back

Hello lovelies, or anyone that is still reading since I haven't done a post in over 2 months!! Apologies but I needed a little break from taking my outfit photos, from taking photos of my food before I eat it, from life in general really. I had a minor health scare (all good now) and my father is very ill which has and continues to knock me for six. So I just spent some time close to home doing not too much at all. I don't think I've really spoken of my father's illness as I try to keep it light on here but he has dementia and has no idea who I am anymore. At 63 he's far too young and the sadness of seeing him vanish into dementia has been heartbreaking for me and my family. The loss of love has been unbearable, I was his favourite person, and he mine, we were extremely close and I miss him everyday. I'm often scared I can't remember what he used to be like - his laugh, the sound of his voice, his smell, so I've adored spending time with mum, drinking wine, cooking food I don't photograph (although there has been the odd instagram snap...I can't help myself), crying, laughing and talking about how he used to be. Anyway, I'm back and I promise to post more regularly.

So anyways, above is a photo I used to enter the recent Red Magazine Denim Challenge with the hope to win two pairs of jeans for me and a friend at Selfridges Denim Studio. Was my first foray into boyfriend jeans - wasn't sure how they'd go with my short legs - but my friend pushed me into the purchase and at $39 on sale at Zara I wasn't too concerned if they didn't see light of day.

Zara Top | Zara Boyfriend Jeans | J Crew Everly Heels | Vintage clutch

Blue Vintage Dress

This dress is an old favourite and it was a steal on eBay at $15 - no wonder it's a favourite.  I get asked a lot how I always seem to find 'good' vintage dresses so here are my thoughts/tips:

1. Know what you like, and more importantly, what suits you. (I gravitate toward 'knee-length' styles that nip in at the waist and 'pleated skirts'). Key words will definitely help when shopping online; refine a search and save you time.

2. If looking online, take note of the model's measurements (and don't be afraid to ask if they're not listed) as vintage sizing can be very different to today's sizing.  I find working with a model's measurements is a much better guide.  

3. I've mentioned before (see here) and I cannot recommend it enough, get a good tailor. Then you won't be too discouraged if you find something in a beautiful print that may be a size too big or too long as a good tailor can make anything work for your shape.

4. Give yourself time to look.  I can trawl ebay and etsy for hours on end to find a hidden gem. If shopping in stores, don't think you'll find something immediately, or even every visit - allow both time to sift through the racks and to try things on.
   

Vintage Dress | Sportsgirl Belt | Madewell Heels | Balenciaga Bag

Oreo and M&M Slice

My friend Erin sent me a link to these amazing M&M Oreo Cookie Bars. They looked and sounded like a winning combination so I gave them a go last weekend. I adapted the original recipe using 115g butter as we don't have sticks of butter in Australia and I substituted original M&Ms for peanut. When I make them again I'll use the originals as the peanuts were a little over powering. As the original recipe suggests, you could really add any confectionery you have in the cupboard into the basic mix.

115g unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 pack of Oreo Original Cookies, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup M&Ms

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 20cm square cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
Mix the butter, egg, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a whisk until smooth.  Add the flour and stir until just combined, don't over mix. Stir in the Oreos. Pour mix into prepared tin, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula. Sprinkle the M&Ms over the top, lightly pressing them down. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool in the tin before slicing into pieces.

Very Berry Blue

The gorgeous Judith from Anna Vie recently launched her own collection of silk blouses. I immediately snapped one up and here I am wearing the Very Berry Original Shirt. The fit is perfectly feminine and the silk fabric so luxuriously soft that it's become both a work and weekend staple. Now I've got my eye on the sea green version.

Also sorry it's been so long since my last post, I've had a crazy couple of weeks at work and home. I'm off now for dinner but hope to be back to somewhat regular posting again next week for any of you that do check back for updates!

Anna Vie Shirt | Zara Trousers | J.Crew Heels | Mulberry Bag | Michael Kors Watch

Fruity Prints

It’s no secret  I love a bold print. So no surprises that I’ve got my eye on most of Gorman’s latest fruity prints. I’ll probably wear some double fruits (yep I will) but I also think I can incorporate these prints easily into my wardrobe as separates. Of course the trend isn’t new – fruit featured heavily in designer Stella McCartney’s 2011 Spring/Summer collection - it’s just got a little more affordable for the masses.

1 Gorman I Like Pina Colada Tank $189

2 Dolce & Gabbana Floral and Fruit Print Bikini $493  

3 Gorman Yellow Melon Mini Skirt $169

4 Chip Chop! Watermelon Clutch $89 

5 Madewell The French Knot Pointer Skimmer $98

6 Gorman Pink Melon Tank $189

Vegemite Cheesecake

Last Thursday at work we had a 'Bake Off'. Each team of three was tasked to make a cheesecake that would be judged on originality, creativity (overall visual appeal) and taste. To make things a little more difficult interesting we were also given a secret ingredient - ours was Vegemite! At first we freaked out (others were given peanut butter and coffee) but decided if we had any chance of winning we needed to embrace the Vegemite and use it throughout the cake. We added one teaspoon (you could definitely add 2 if you wanted) to the main filling which added a subtle malty flavour that complimented the rich caramel fudge perfectly, and another teaspoon to the toffee shards. I think it was the toffee that got us over the line (we won!) - we're onto something here with Vegemite toffee - it was amazing! Whilst not the simplest of cakes (we were trying to impress the judges), it was pretty straight forward and I will definitely make it again for a special occasion. If you don't want to bother with the whole cake, try the cake pops on their own - super simple and so delicious!

250g packet plain chocolate biscuits
150g butter, melted
500g Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
3 eggs
1 teaspoon Vegemite
3/4 cup thickened cream

Fudge
200g block milk chocolate, chopped
1/2 x 395g can sweetened condensed milk
25g butter, chopped

1 tablespoon thickened cream, for the topping

Cake Pops

300g chocolate biscuits (we used Caramel Tim Tams but you can use Oreo or any chocolate biscuit)

100g Philadelphia cream cheese

150g white and milk chocolate melts, for coating

Sprinkles

Vegemite Toffee Shards

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon Vegemite

Preheat oven to 160C. Using a food processor, process biscuits until fine crumbs. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the butter. Press over base and side of a 21cm round (base) springform cake pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the fudge, place chocolate, condensed milk and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes or until smooth and combined. Remove from heat. Stand for 2 minutes. Remove 3 tablespoons of the fudge and transfer to a bowl to use later for the topping. Pour remaining fudge over prepared base, gently spreading to cover. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until well combined after each addition. Add Vegemite and cream. Beat for 3 minutes or until combined and mixture thickens slightly. Pour over fudge layer. Place pan on a baking tray. Bake for 1 hour or until cheesecake is just set (cheesecake will wobble slightly in centre). Turn oven off. Cool cheesecake in oven with door ajar. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. 

Cake Pops: Process the biscuits until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Add the cream cheese and process until just combined. Roll into balls. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Coat the balls in the melted chocolate and place on a lined baking sheet. Top with sprinkles and put them back in the fridge until set. 

For the Vegemite Toffee Shards, stir sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat until the sugar is dissolved (don't boil until sugar is completely dissolved). To dissolve any sugar left on the side of the pan, brush down with a wet pasty brush. Add Vegemite and bring to boil.  Cook until the mixture is a rich golden colour and the mix thickens - don't let it burn. Remove from heat and pour onto paper lined baking tray. Set aside to harden. Once completely set, break it into shards with the end of a knife.

To make the fudge topping (this is simply to provide a base for you cake pops to stick to). Reheat the 3 tablespoons of fudge you've kept aside in microwave. Add the tablespoon of thickened cream and whisk with a hand whisk until smooth.  Spread this over the top of your cheesecake, top with cake pops and Vegemite toffee shards.

Always time for posing mid bake

Sunday Brunch

The boy and I went for brunch on Sunday (zucchini fritters with salmon and poached eggs for me, poached eggs with avocado for him), followed by a drive down the beach, and later that evening we went out for Thai. I love a cruisy Sunday together that revolves around food.

Also, my package finally arrived from the US and it was well worth the wait for this vintage dress (the Saint Laurent Skirt is also A-mazing and will be worn this week). I love a vintage dress and seem to have a knack of finding great ones that suit my shape and are in near perfect condition (much to my girlfriends' annoyance).  This one has an adorable cockatiel print and will be on serious rotation this summer.

p.s I mixed up the background with this wall down the side of my house.

Vintage Dress | Kimchi Blue Heels | Mulberry Bag | Toms Sunglasses