Keep on walking.

I may have mentioned before how there is nothing better than crashing in your bed after a particularly long and tiring day. My poor toes have some nasty blisters on them after attending lectures/tutorials in the morning, then heading to the travel agent to grab my plane tickets to Israel. Energising myself by grabbing some sushi for lunch, I decided to take the scenic route through Southbank to the city, thinking 1. The exercise will do me some good, 2. Nice weather! 3. The agent wasn't that far was it? Well yes Lisa, it was! But now I have one hot itinerary in my hands ready for some travel this upcoming July. So keen! 


To all the international readers who wonder what exactly Southbank may look like, I took a few photos on my way to Brisbane CBD. They aren't extraordinary (pretty mundane in fact) but well, you get the picture! Hope you all started your week on a positive note! 

Yaaay favourite part of my day! Can I leave tomorrow? :D

Time Lapse #2- Venice

Oh boy, this really does not help my 'want to travel' addiction. The simplicity of the video once again proves to me that there's something magical about Venice that I'd like to explore. 

Venice in a Day from Joerg Niggli on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday Mum!

 I love you SO much and I hope you enjoyed your special day ♥ 

Time Lapse #1

It's been a few days since I last posted, which frankly astounds me as I feel like I haven't accomplished anything! Even though I have plenty of assessment due over the next weeks coming, I'm really struggling to get back into a good study rhythm after the Easter break. Hopefully today will spark some kind of interest and I'll skip straight to third gear with all this work. 
One video I wanted to share quickly this morning was a beautiful time lapse of Yosemite National Park in the United States. I LOVE time lapses - most of the time I'm astonished at how much raw beauty each place has to offer. So enjoy as much as I do! (And expect to see plenty more of these)

Ps, just a tip - play it full screen ;D

Yosemite Range of Light from Shawn Reeder on Vimeo.


Check out more of Shawn's amazing work at: shawnreeder.com

Omnomnom.

Today I decided to let loose... in the kitchen! I found this delicious looking-extremely simple cookie recipe from a new blog I came across - http://everylastcookie.blogspot.com.au. A cute blog where everything baked has come out of Martha Stewert's Cookies book. All recipes are featured with good and negative aspects being explored and written about in a no-nonsense type fashion. 

Only good feedback can be said of the Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies I tried. I tweaked a few parts of the recipe, however the end result turned out so scrumptious, they are like high-end shortbread when compared to the plain ones I normally make. My nearest and dearest certainly had no complaints ;D 

My only tips: #1: Try not eat all the cookie dough before you bake them!

#2: I used self raising flour to make them a little bigger/taller.

Ingredients:

2  3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup pecan halves, finely chopped  + pecan halves for decoration 
1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup vanilla sugar (I ended up using 1/4 vanilla sugar and then the rest was caster sugar [or there abouts]. A sprinkle of vanilla essence was also added for an even greater taste)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup 

2 egg yolks

1 large egg, beaten

Turbino sugar (or any dark brown sugar) for sprinkling

Method: 

1. Sift together the flour, salt and pecans in a bowl. Whisk together to combine and set aside.

2. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and maple syrup. Beat until thoroughly combined.

3. With the stand mixer on a low setting, slowly add the flour mixture until all is combined. The dough should be pliable but come away easily from the sides of the bowl.

4. Shape the dough into a flat disk, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Don’t skip this step. Its important.

5. Preheat the oven to 180C and line your baking trays with parchment paper.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut out rounds with a 5cm cookie cutter, brush the cookie with the beaten egg, top with a pecan half and sprinkle with turbino sugar.

6. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cookie are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before placing on a wire rack to cool.

* A cup of cold milk goes really well with these cookies.

Direct source: http://everylastcookie.blogspot.com.au/2010/07/cookie-083-maple-pecan-shortbread.html

Cha-ching.

Now I finally understand why my friends all warned me about getting used to the idea of being a poor student when I started this year. I thought I'd easily find a casual/part time job and be able to still buy all the things I love whenever. Boy, how wrong could I be? So far = no job. My bank account is crying with shame and all I can do these days is window shop to my heart's content. 

I stumbled across this very useful article from http://www.breakfastwithaudrey.com.au about easy ways to save on cosmetics (in particular) and making sure you get your moneys worth! I realised (a little proudly) that I already follow pretty much every tip she's written (except for the last one) so hopefully you get a little inspired yourself and perhaps in the long run save a few extra dollars here and there!

Ps, for anyone who is interested, as a quick review on Battleships that I saw a few days ago: it  can be described as your typical Hollywood action/effects movie with lots of good looking navy men, some aliens thrown into the mix and well, not your best romance story. However I personally really enjoyed how they brought the aspect of the Battleships game into it. Rihanna was also surprisingly good in her role (not a bad first movie to be involved with if you ask me) so overall, if you're up for some good no-nonsense action, go give it a look! 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend :) 

5 Ways To Stretch Your Beauty Dollar

27th March 2012

Jenny

1. Get surgical

Don’t be fooled by a seemingly ‘empty’ product container. Get a cutting board, a sharp knife/scissors and cut through any tube/bottle that you may have. You will be surprised at the amount of product hiding away in the container’s crevices. Scoop out the product with a clean spatula into an empty glass jar – and it’s ready for use! This is great for liquid products, such as eyeshadow primers, foundations and moisturisers. Obviously, don’t try this idea with any glass bottles, you would probably lop off both your thumbs in the process.

2. Sample, sample, sample!

I am a true believer of ‘try before you buy’. When purchasing any skincare or makeup from department store counters, I always make a note of other products that I’m interested in trying, but not quite willing to shell out the money. Don’t be afraid to ask the cosmetics assistants for samples – more often than not, they’re readily available and it’s always best to try products at your own pace, in your own environment. Many cosmetic products also provide samples for new product launches, so keep your eyes peeled for offers in magazines, emails and Facebook pages. Some companies such as M.A.C also provide samples of products in little jars upon request.

3. Gift with Purchase (GWP)

Ok, I’ll tell you a little secret. 90% of the time I buy high-end cosmetics will usually coincide with a GWP offer. Generally, I make a mental note of which products are running low, and then going for the kill when the GWP offer springs up in my inbox.

Every season, many cosmetic companies offer a generous set of deluxe samples with a purchase over a nominated amount – usually $60-$80. The set often comes with a plethora of items, such as a cosmetic bag, moisturizer, perfume, lipstick, mascara, anti-ageing skincare and eyeshadow palettes. These are perfect to trial the products, a great size to use for travelling, and hell, you have fancy-schmancy new prodz to slather all your face! Win. The most notable brands for Gift with Purchases include Bloom, Natio, Revlon, Estee Lauder, Lancome and Clinique.

4. Double duty

Just like your boss might get you doing the coffee runs as well as the filing, start thinking creatively when using your make-up. I’ve previously used mascara as a brow groomer, lipstick as blush, blush as lipstick (mixed with a bit of gloss), eyeshadow as a cheek highlighter – the list goes on. If the colour is appropriate, go ahead and try the formulation on your cheeks, even though it’s meant for your kissers. And use commonsense. You bet that you would look ultra-weird if you wore blue eyeshadow on your lips. Unless you are auditioning for the cast of ‘Avatar’, in which case, you are ridiculously late.

5. I love lipstick nubs

Have you worn your favourite lipstick down to plastic? Don’t even think about throwing it out. Get a cotton bud, snip off the end to expose the plastic tip, and scrape it all out. I swear there is half a lipstick hiding in there each, begging to be used. Store in lipgloss pot. If you don’t like the messy appearance of mooshed lipstick in a container (I am bringing out the OCD in you, aren’t I?), go ahead and heat the chunk of lipstick in large metal spoon, over a candle. It will melt into a liquid, and then you can pour it right into whichever container that you desire. And it will look absolutely brand new!  

Direct Source: http://www.breakfastwithaudrey.com.au/2012/03/27/5-ways-to-stretch-your-beauty-dollar/

Breakfast Inspiration.

Lately I've been feeling like my breakfasts have been lacking in the imagination department. To keep myself interested and full until lunch, I've had to start inventing/investing in a few new ideas to kick start my day in a motivating fashion. One recipe that I found from one of my favourite food blogs - http://www.anjasfood4thought.com, is her Lemon and Coconut Granola. Mixed in with some natural Greek yoghurt and a berry smoothie on the side... just perfect! What's even better is the fact you can easily choose your own favourite nuts and dried fruit to add in. 

Trust me, after making it once, you will not be able to stop!

Lemon and Coconut Granola. 

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup flax seeds
1 cup chopped nuts (almonds, hazelnut, pistachios)
1 cup desiccated coconut

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1 lemon, peel of
1/2 lemon, juice of

1 cup dried currants (or other dried fruit)


Preheat oven to 150C.
In a pan, combine coconut oil, honey, lemon peel and lemon juice. Bring to boil. Take off the heat when the honey is dissolved. Let cool a little.
In another bowl, combine oats, flax seeds and chopped nuts. Mix well. Pour the honey mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until the oat mixture is well coated.

Spread the granola evenly on a baking pan, and bake for 20 minutes. Turn over the granola, and stir in the coconut flakes. Bake for another 10 minutes. Let cool and stir in the currants. Keep in airtight container. 

Images and Recipe sourced from: http://www.anjasfood4thought.com/2010/02/lemon-coconut-granola.html

Ps, tonight my lovely sister and I have decided to go on an evening outing and watch some handsome men in uniform. Hehe... yep, come at me Alexander Skarsgärd! Will let you know whether Battleships, one of the world's latest blockbuster's is worth a watch! 

Logies Lovin'

I can't say the Logies are the most anticipated award show in my household, however we do love checking out and judging all the red carpet glamour (no matter what the event really!). This year even though there seemed to be a lot of lovely (safe) black gowns being strutted but some definitely stood out among the crowd. Below are what I deemed some of the best!


1. Samantha Weaving - absolutely gorgeous! Probably my favourite of the night! (Even black, the lace made it a riskier choice which she totally pulled off). 

2. Jennifer Hawkins - as always, gorgeous. Loved the pop of colour her dress brought to the stage. (The photos don't do it justice!) 

3. Kate Richie - a surprise in my books! The perfect dress to show off her lovely, curvaceous figure! 

4. Magdalena Rose - At first I wasn't too sure... but then I thought about what she was wearing and realised you need a pretty damn good figure to pull it off. Which she has/did! 

5. Esther Anderson - Another lady who is always gorgeous at every event. The dress just looked like it was made of the most comfortable, 'floaty' material. Kudos to Alex Perry! 

6. Last but definitely not least, the Grecian Goddess Delta. She can do no wrong (especially with that luscious hair!) 

Special mention: Could not overlook the fact that one of Australia's funniest, Hamish Blake, took home the gold logie. Definitely a deserving candidate! Congrats :D 

Follow the green grass trail?

♥ 

The beautiful town of Jaujac, France recently became part of an art installation designed by Marseille-based artist Gaëlle Villedary. A visionary design made out of 168 rollers of grass attempts to connect the inhabitants with the surrounding nature. This display of grass cannot be ignored, as it runs through the village leading to the city center. Undulating down the hill and marking the middle of the pedestrian trails, the Green “Red Carpet” - Tapis rouge! -  installation stretches along 1,400 feet and weighs 3.5 tones. Carefully placed on flights of stairs and taking straight and circular corners, the green carpet crosses a bridge and continues through the sand covered area where people can rest and play. Designed to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the village’s arts and nature trail programs, this perfectly adapted bio installation strongly connects the picturesque landscape to the solid stone buildings, creating a fairytale atmosphere.

(http://freshome.com/2012/03/30/green-carpet-installation-following-picturesque-pedestrian-trails/)

Smile!

Surprise....

I am utterly exhausted! Today I spent almost the entire day prepping for a surprise dinner party I organised for one of my closest friends in honour of her birthday (this Friday). She had no idea (even though I was paranoid she knew) which made the night a success in its own right :) I can't say I was totally pleased with the food that I cooked (my mashed potato turned into this sticky vegetable puree....where on earth did I go wrong?) BUT as always, practise makes perfect!

Besides, any event can be great as long as you have good company! So a virtual thank you to my sister for her patience, cooking guidance from mother dear and for all my wonderful friends bothering to show up & continuing to politely smile at my attempts of hosting the evening's event. Now I totally understand why my mum has been so stressed before when fulfilling the duties of a hostess! There's so much to do, it makes me dizzy thinking about it! On that note, my bed is clearly calling my name xx 

In the last few days I...

1. Have eaten WAY too many calories. Starting with this chocolate mousse box...(de to the licious)

2. Enjoyed a lovely Easter Conference.

3. Finally managed to start layering my clothes a tad more...(yaaay Winter!)

4. Taken the time to chill out and watch some re-runs of a top show: Scrubs.

5. Have not stopped gawking at this amazing New York townhouse. 

And that's pretty much it! Man, you gotta love the holidays ;D (no matter how short they are!) Hope you're all travelling well x 

To everyone...

HAPPY EASTER 

/

HYVÄÄ PÄÄSIÄISTÄ 

♥ ♥ ♥

 Source: http://lucashickey.tumblr.com/

Good Friday Tidings.

Happy Good Friday to everyone! It's the first day of the short mid-term break, two major assignments were handed in yesterday, my church's Easter conference started today and I'm as Michael Buble would say, I'm feeeeeling good! Besides a busy day of attending the conference and cooking up a storm with the sister in-between meetings (just for the heck of it!) I'd like to point out a particular topic that came to mind this evening. 

My family and I went to visit an elderly Finnish couple who have been friends with us for a long time (the husband is unfortunately rather ill at the moment, so we popped into the hospital he's staying at) We were greeted so warmly by his wife I couldn't help but feel somewhat inspired by this approach. I mean, here is a lady who loves her husband so dearly, having to watch as he struggles with every breath he takes. Just to see her fixing his blankets, talking of fond memories and coming to terms with the disbelief of how quickly he has deteriorated, it really touched a nerve. 

This nerve would relate to the rapid decline of what I'd consider 'true love' or even a honest commitment to someone else. These days, marriage has become more of a luxury than a necessity between men and women who are 'in love'. Witnessing such pure joy our friend had in looking after her husband after nearly a lifetime of being together was so motivating. It saddens me to see how little people seem to care about 'til death do us part' and instead, just marry for the sake of being 'married' and seemingly divorce 72 days later (that's right.. I'm talking about you Kim K). 

Personally I will always consider marriage as a religious union between a man and a woman (that is how I was brought up) and love a person to the best of my ability for as long as I am alive. Sure things change, problems may occur and one day I may have to take back those words, however I think the major difference is that I have already made a decision to honour my initial belief and not feel pressured to change. 

Sadly I just found out that our friend (the husband) passed away only an hour and a half after we left. If anyone ends up reading this, no matter whether you agree or disagree with what I've written, I encourage you to take time to tell those around you how much you love them and to constantly remind them of the joy they may bring to your life! Even if you are struggling with a relationship, do not give up! Life was never meant to be a stroll in the park. Simple words of affection may even be the difference in making someone's day just that little bit brighter and via these little efforts and commitments, a world of problems may be fixed sooner than expected. 

♥

Weekend Habits.

Good morning world! After a nice productive/unproductive weekend (yes it was both) I am refreshed to start another week. This morning's walk proved a bit of an adventure with a snake making an appearance D: It's been a VERY long time since I've seen one slithering around the block (people not from Australia expect that we see them all the time in our backyards or something... but we really don't!). I did however steer well clear of its path (and the poor birds whose home it seemed to be invading). 

I just thought I'd mention two wonderful movies I watched on the weekend (they were in the 'unproductive' phase of course - it's becoming more of a weekend habit): His Girl Friday (1940) directed by Howard Hawks and Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) directed by Rob Marshall. A basic plot summary is below:

A newspaper editor uses every trick in the book to keep his ace reporter ex-wife from remarrying.

 

Nitta Sayuri reveals how she transcended her fishing-village roots and became one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.

I thought both movies were absolutely fantastic! His Girl Friday was witty, quick paced and an excellent example of how a good script can really shine on screen. What makes it even better is the fact that it has no fancy visual effects, is still in black and white colour and has very few changes of scene locations! Amazing!

The same can also be said for Memoirs of a Geisha. A surprising fact for many is that I love everything and anything to do with the Japanese culture! Visiting Japan is one of my ultimate goals (fingers crossed it will happen someday soon!) hence I was surprised I haven't watched this movie earlier. The costumes are beautiful, the scenery is beautiful, the story is heart wrenching. The entire film crew did such an amazing job capturing the essence of Sayuri's journey - definitely recommend it if you haven't watched it! 

If you have also seen these movies, let me know! I'd love to hear what you thought. Other than that, I best be off to get ready for the busy day that's ahead! Countdown to Easter: only 5 days! :)