Winter Shabu Shabu

Shabu shabu, otherwise known as steamboat, would have to be a winter favourite.  The hot flavoursome soup full of tasty morsels is always so comforting in chilly weather.  It is also one of those meals that is best shared.  We used a miso soup base flavoured with extra wakame.  Anton and Oi Lai brought the scallops and king prawns.  Yum!

Strawberry Chocolate Macarons

Last weekend we got together for another macaron making session.  Disaster!  I recently bought a new recipe book promising much simpler steps.  Needless to say the first batch went straight into the bin and we reverted back to the tried and true sixteen step recipe.  With new success I will attempt to forget the unfortunate mishap and relegate the new book to the back of the shelf!  The strawberry chocolate filling provided a nice tart contrast to the sweetness of the shells.

Marshmallow Cupcakes

Cocoa coffee chocolate cupcakes topped with mini marshmallows.  Helen made the cupcakes, I just arranged the marshmallows.  We served them as dessert following a tasty seafood lunch with Dad, Leonie and Alan.  It's a shame we didn't capture the lunch too!

Typewriter Tip, Tip, Tip

Here's one for you Anton.  This morning Bruce came past and showed us his newly acquired vintage typewriter, much to my amazement considering our recent discussions.  This 1970s typewriter is just beautiful in glossy red and in great condition too.

Chinoiserie Style Deja Vu

I guess sometimes things are meant to be.  I posted earlier last month about regretting having lost out on a Chinoiserie style bamboo desk and chair setting.  Not too long after I couldn't believe my good luck at finding a second setting and what's more in much better, almost pristine vintage condition!  Enough said I didn't hesitate at making sure I didn't let this one go.  So here it is sitting in a snug corner of our apartment.  I'm looking forwards to sitting in this little nook organising bits and pieces.

No doubt I have mentioned myriad times how much I love blue and white and lucky me I received this beautiful print as a birthday gift from Oi Lai of delicate blue and white Chinoiserie porcelain. Can't wait to get it framed, perhaps in a brass faux bamboo frame. Our birthdays are exactly one week apart and I have a lovely little something for her too but will post a bit later!

Aperitif

Pimms No1 served in a tall glass with plenty of fruit.  A good mid week pick-me-up!

Cloud Studies

I suppose many people interested in photography will at some stage gather a collection of photos gazing at the sky.  These photos were all taken on one spectacular afternoon in 2004.

Friday Flowers

Stanton gave me the most enormous bouquet of flowers yesterday as a belated birthday gift.  Unexpected but very welcome for the weekend.  The bouquet was beautiful but so large that I realised upon arriving home we had no vase large enough to accommodate it!  Hence, I broke the bunch up and dispersed the blooms through our apartment.  I thought it was a shame to break them up at first but it does look so lovely with flowers everywhere.

Osa Johnson Tomes

If anyone has vintage copies of Osa Johnson's I Married Adventure and/or Four Years In Paradise and would like to off-load, please, please consider dropping me a line before tossing said books into the Lifeline books bin!  Will probably agree to paying a small fortune in exchange considering my lust-after factor for these tomes!  The cover designs are beautiful and I'm on the hunt.  I hear the writing is good too which is a bonus, not that I'm one to judge a book by it's cover but by golly it helps!  It's going to be a tough rummage through the dusty shelves at the back of second hand book stores though since they're out of print.  I stumbled across these images from I can't remember where on separate occasions and realised that what I loved most about the images was indeed the book. Too chic!

Books and Seashells

One of my favourite things to do on a lazy Sunday morning is to lounge in bed with lots of books and magazines.  I was looking forwards to reading my latest copy of Vogue Living and one of the new design books I recently bought up at the beach.  David Hicks was such a consummate designer, his interiors are as fresh today as they were during is reign as decorator du jour.

After spending time by the ocean I'm always so inspired by all things beachy.  Hence I felt a sudden urge to buy an enormous collection of seashells!  I placed them on a platter so I could contemplate them sitting there so beautifully.  I now have the shells in a giant glass candy jar but I'm afraid it doesn't quite feel the same as when I was contemplating them by the sea...sigh*

The Rainbow Beach Hotel next to where we were staying had a divine interior - all white metal pressed ceilings and white walls, palms and pineapple motifs, and bentwood chairs as far as you can see. Very stylish for an old Queensland pub in a sleepy little beachside town.

Lunch by the Beach

Popped into Noosa on the way home yesterday for lunch and a stroll.  I hadn't been since Hastings Street had been redeveloped so for me this was a treat.  Noosa is so green and lush.  At first I was a little annoyed by the fact that development could occur directly on the beachfront however I do like the fact that the traffic is separated from the beach.  The restaurants and cafes dotted along the beach don't have to compete with the bustle of the main retail strip.  The boardwalk makes them quite accessible and the view so inviting.  We enjoyed fresh mahi mahi with Pimms No.1.

Seaside Weekend

Just back from a long weekend at Rainbow Beach, just south of Fraser Island.  We decided to exchange our busy city apartment for a leafy seaside resort to rest and recharge and to celebrate Helen's Birthday of course. Opening up the doors to palm trees and the ocean definitely felt like a seachange.  Saturday was a particularly beautiful winters day.  We arrived in time for a late lunch of fish and chips enjoyed on our rooftop terrace.  The ocean view and warm sun was perfectly calming and for me a walk along the beach before sunset was a definite highlight... even though my feet were almost numb from the ice cold sand.  The unseasonably warm weather Helen wishfully hoped for didn't quite eventuate but still it was a worthwhile break.

Birthday Dinner

Every time James asks me what I would like to have for dinner on any occasion be it anniversary or birthday or whenever really, I always say Japanese!  I really should leave off the sashimi for a while as I just love to have it and should try to be a bit more adventurous and have something other than Japanese cuisine.  It's just that it's so amazingly good! This was dinner at Sono in the city tonight, chawan mushi and a large platter of sashimi.  James gave me a pair of the cutest Marc Jacobs ballet flats, I can't wait to wear them! I bought myself a gift too, a Canon S90 camera. I'm so looking forwards to taking lots of photos on our trip up the north coast this weekend. Here's hoping for unseasonably warm June weather!

Bar Style

I'm loving the idea of having a bit more of a feature bar area at the moment, even just a small one as per the image from Tom Scheerer.  It's always so inviting seeing all the vibrant colour of liqueurs and spirits in equally jewel like glass bottles.  I find Bombay Sapphire and Noilly Prat bottles so appealing.  All the glassware, reflective bar equipment, trays etc make for an eye-catching corner.

Time To Go

One final post about my beloved Val.  She sold just last week and is already being given a facelift by the new owner.  Thankfully he is in the business of restoring Valiants and was keen to take on my neglected beauty.  I do regret letting her go in some respects.  Fact is though that I don't have the time to fuss over a car, nor the space.  A 1967 VC Valiant, my first car thanks to help from my Dad.

Simple Shelving

It would appear that the very simplest modern shelves are just not accessible enough.  We've been searching for some sleek freestanding modular shelves in gloss white and chrome.  No fuss, strong and functional with a punchy finish.  Helen has set her mind on high shine chrome finish after being inspired by a David Hicks version.  With no local sources we have decided to venture into the realm of custom design.  This is a low res render of the first cut...

Blue & Green Interior

I admit I just can't go past a blue and green interior against all white with hints of black and brass highlights.  I love this interior by Jonathan Adler and I'm seriously lusting after those coffee tables!  I'm not sure I would go for the animal print rug but it looks great in this room in designer Liz Lange's country residence.  It also happens to be the same source for the image of the yellow Chinese chippendale chairs I posted about late last October.

Winter Breakfast

Lately I've been craving oat porridge for breakfast because of the cooling weather.  It's always such a comforting breakfast in winter.  This morning we made a cinnamon version with caramelised banana and honey.  I have to remember to soak the sultanas in clear apple juice next time to make them plump but all in all it was very yummy.

Flowering Zygocactus

This morning I noticed many more flowers on our cactus plant had opened up.  This pink Zygocactus or Crab Claw was given to us by Ron about this time last year and it has thrived on our balcony.  The asymmetric bright pink flowers at the tip are so beautiful.  I'm looking forward to the rest of the buds opening up.

Italian Torte

Morning tea on Sunday featured an Italian torte made by Oi Lai. Reluctantly we then continued with our work.  Task saturated at present and looking forward to a holiday...  and more mahjong!  I'm going to bake cookies apparently...