Austraya Day!

Another year, where I fail, unfortunately to have the day off that I deserve as an Aussie, so what did I do, well I had to make do.

Firstly at work we had all promised to contribute to make it a day at work that was as Aussie as possible, we had scarves, pinny's and tattoos representing Australia and food. Lots of food.



I as you can see choose to make lamingtons, not having the luxury of just popping into Coles for a dozen. They turned our fabulous, even though I choose the tricky option of making them with a jam centre.

MMmmm.... 2 hours of my time well worth it for sure. And below is the proof that I actually prepared them myself, yes you do see cooking utensils and the like in the picture, it is not a subterfuge!!



Here below is all our goodies lined up, mainly from a very worthwhile trip to the Australia shop in Covent Garden. We have BBQ shapes, Twisties (Cheese and Chicken), Minties, Pavlova, Monte carlos and of course THE lamingtons.

We also had mini packs of BBQ shapes and Freddo frogs on our desks. (PS feel free to send me any of the above anytime you like - I am happy to provide my address for such goodie delivery's)



After work, Matt, Rachael, me and our token Aussie Amy, headed over to the Walkabout for a few quiet drinks. Well it was quiet and noisy at the same time because one you cannot speak, or hear anyone speak and the music - all Aussie - is so ear drum shattering its not funny.

We got the lot, some oldies Midnight Oil, John Farhham, Jimmy, Crowded House, Men at work, The Angels, Cold Chisel, and one of my favs Hunters & Collectors, along with the grown up INXS, Powderfinger and the new Sneaky Sound system. Oh and we got a few random versions of Advance Australia Fair and Waltzing Matilda too.

Ah bless, you can only do one thing and that is join in with the flag/jersey/thong wearing and waving, skippy swinging, tattoo (Aussie Flag) wearing crowd...! Or queue at the bar which was a 15 min, 3 deep wait at best.

Rachael and Amy

Me with Matt and Rachael.

PS Happy Australia Day everyone! Cheers!!

Just a preview....

http://www.findaproperty.com/displayprop.aspx?edid=00&salerent=1&pid=3184154

Just a preview of our lovely new flat, obviously I will make it lovely and homely, then put up more pictures for you all.

PS have a peek at this soon, as am not sure how long the link will live for!

Parcels of deliciousness - French vs English

I have recently been reading a book called the Goddess experience, which is mainly about all the wonderful things in life that make us happy from one girls point of view.

One of those things was Laduree macaroons, which got me drooling and wishing to run to Paris to line up with the cool locals for tiny morsels of deliciousness, as I remembered that my boss at Work Directions had bought us some back from there a long time ago.

Laduree macaroons (note - my desk and my little Aussie flag in the background)

BUT then ..... this lovely girl pointed out that a tiny Laduree shop is on Piccadilly, just here in London. Just a 20 minute walk from work. So what could I do, next day at lunch headed up there to the gold cavernous shop (it looks like a golden cave, with gold leaf covered stone walls) and purchased an array of 8 scrumptious macaroons, which were I must say just divine.

THEN I noticed Fortnum & Mason were just across the road, humm.. my friend Sophie had told me the cupcakes were to die for so I decided to pop in to see what they had. I would have a taste off between macaroons and cupcakes.

Fortnum & Mason - Cupcake

Well Fortnum & Mason have everything, they are like a massive department store/ supermarket over several levels, that sells everything from caviar, chocolate (delicious), to linen, to handbags, to salmon to wine. It was seriously the most expensive supermarket I had ever been in. Not likely for my grocery shopping, but I only wanted a cupcake, and time was short so the temptation to buy was obstructed by my short already nearly over lunch break.

Well the competition was stiff, the cupcake moist and delightful the macaroons beyond perfection, especially the vanilla and strawberry, so well - they both win...YUM

Some family photos from 2008

Quote me...

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."

Helen Keller

Silence is...

Lisa being sick *sniff sniff snort...splutter* and spending time with her beloved *blissful sigh*, flat hunting *urgh* and well just not having time to spend on the computer, well at home anyway. I am at work all day, on a computer and sometimes all night, well at least till 8pm. I don't have proper internet access at work so basically with blogs, yahoo and facebook out of sight, its out of mind and I forget.

So what is new....well I am flat hunting, in Kentish Town and around that area, which is proving a pain in the arse. However, its like most painful things, you forget the pain till the next time it happens, so I had forgotten the pain of searching, interviewing (I flat shared last time), packing, moving, lugging boxes, unpacking and disapointments. Crap flats abound no end....its wiser always be prepared to be disapointed and pee your pants with excitment when you find something remotely delightful. Oh well despite all that I am excited to have my own place again, thus there is a lovely light at the end of the grungy, grotty, property hell tunnel.

The weather is finally warmed up (no really don't laugh). Its been in the minuses and its HORRIBLE... So so cold, hands in gloves, but still need to be shoved in pockets up to the elbows, face and ears frozen, cannot feel them kind of cold. We went for a wander around Camden last Saturday and all I could think of was "its cold, I cannot feel my fingers and can we eat now, somewhere warm". It was about 10 today, so that is practically balmy, no gloves required. I am hoping the cold comes back just for a couple of days so that we get fog, as I have some great photo ideas for fog, that I need fog for!

Work is fine, contract got extended, so more holidays here I come. I am going to start ice skating lessons soon, it was that or dancing and I have done that before (awaiting a place to be available). I will begin socialising again soon, flat hunting as I mentioned takes priority when you need to be available to view properties in the evenings.

Other news...thats not mine, but super important.

My best friend Laura and her hubby Graham have a new bouncy baby boy - Mitchell Ashley, who arrived safte and sound on 5th Janurary, Tim & Jacqui had a lovely wee girl Holly late last year, my friends Dix and Szu-Yuen got engaged over the weekend and I do have another wedding to go to in May for Anais and Ahmed, despite the fact that I miss one in March for Katy and Ben this year, because its in New Zealand (beyond the budget am afraid).

However, most excitingly is that my sister is going to have another baby in June this year, so I will be an Auntie all over again. How lovely.

New Years Resolutions! 2009

So what are my plans for 2009, what are my New Years Resolutions…? Well first lets have a look at last year and see how that went….seems I did very well under reading, sleeping, seeing friends, travelling and seeing shows – oh well maybe better luck next year for the rest of it.

1.Exercise
a. Start running again (nope…but joined a gym)
b. Pilate's for Monday mornings with Kate at 7am (nope)
c. Maintain current ideal weight (got fatter…just…a tiny bit...and then some)

2.Food
a. Proper meals at home 3 nights a week (ha)
b. Actually go food shopping once a week, proper food – fruit/veg/meat (ha)
c. Eat breakfast everyday – fruit/yogurt or muesli (muffins Fridays only) (eat porridge yum)
d. No chocolate at work (try….)
e. 1 x coffee a day and no tea at least 3 hours prior to sleeping (dislike coffee…and only have tea at work)
f. Eat out properly once a week (ate out lots)
g. DO NOT go out drinking more than 3 nights a week and in moderation (so over that anyway)

3.Well being
a. Take up French lessons again (nope…but want to do photography lessons)
b. Go to history events (i.e. Hampton court) (nope, pass)
c. Read more books, at least 1 a month YES
d. Join a volunteer group (nope)
e. Get a massage every 2 months (hummm…nope)
f. Get at least 7 hours sleep a night YES
g. STOP Procrastinating!.... (nope, never, I don't think that will ever happen)

4.Organisation
a. Schedule friend catch ups in diary YES
b. Email friends and ring home more often (sorry guys…nope)
c. See at least 1 ballet, 1 opera, 2 shows & 2 bands (before Jun-08)…(yes Ballet, no Opera but went to Summer Proms at Royal Albert Hall, shows 6 (French & Saunders, Grease, Dirty Dancing, Woman in Black, Rainman and La Cage Aux Folle) by end Dec-08, and 3 bands by end 2008 (Lenny Kravitz, Kaiser Chiefs & Razorlight), though had booked for 5 – I missed Ash and Ting Tings)
d. Organise holidays/breaks in advance - plans for Polo lesson (done), Belfast (done), Val d'sere (ski) (Italy, but done), Cinque Terre (Italy) (nope), Champagne (nope), Korcula (done, and Split too), New York (done), Eastern Europe (Contiki) (nope…but went to Bratislava in Slovakia), Prague (done), Paris (again) (nope..but nearly, just went to Edinburgh again instead), Egypt (no but moved to list for 2009) and I am sure I could figure out more! (then add….Madrid, Manchester , Peaks District and Maidstone, along with the usual trips to both Brighton and Worthing, as well as Australia for 3 months too)

5.Money
a. Get budget back up and running – and actually be responsible for spending! YES
b. Buy a flat in London (hhhahahah very funny…nope)

6.Work
a. Get a permanent job! (nope….contracting pays better)
b. Do more work related study. (nope…well kind of as did lots of in-house training)
c. Stay focused and organised! (diary for 2009 is ready to go!)

7.Random
a. Go to a concert on own or even a music festival (hummm…nope)
b. Update blog weekly (sometimes twice a week)


So this year…. dum da dum..................

Go to the gym 3 times a week at work

Move to Kentish Town

Travel to Egypt , Portugal , Denmark , country France (inc Burgundy & Champagne ), ski trip (somewhere….maybe France ), Cinque Terre and more of Italy , Finland (Fjords, possibly via Contiki), more Eastern Europe (Contiki), Greek Islands again, Inverness ( Scotland ), Vienna and Salzburg , Alicante ( Spain ), Cornwall and well I really do want to go to Paris again. Other options…but are if cans not musts are to go to Croatia and Turkey again, as I love them both.

Entertain at home and learn to cook a mean Sunday Roast

Eat more fruit

Photography lessons, though this also means to by a new DSLR

Take Dad to Cornwall , to Paris and to Wimbledon

Keep working at my current contract….cause I like it.

Keep a permanent to do list

Email friends once a month and ring home more often

Stop buying books, stupid but I have no room!!

Take a wine course

Buy a Mulberry handbag – had to add this as I have coveted one for about 3 years and did not buy one single new bag in 2008 as a compromise.

See lots of shows (Billy Elliot, We Will rock you, Pantomime (Snow White), The 39 Steps, Manon (ballet), an opera)

Bands (Snow Patrol, Sneaky Sound System, Killers, Oasis, Lily Allen, Gabriella Cilimi and Rock Werchter Music Festival)

I think that is all for now, I think I did ok last year, so I might be ok.

How it might work…… for travel....though Jan is already looking slightly unlikely....

Portugal (Jan)
Ski (Feb)
Vienna & Salzburg (Mar)
Alicante/Cinque Terre (May)
Cornwall & Paris (June)
Werchter Music Festival ( Belgium ) & Greek Island holiday (July)
Scandinavia, inc Finland (Aug)
France (Sep)
Denmark (Oct)
Egypt (Nov)
Inverness (Dec for Xmas)

That’s All folks…wish me luck! x