Saturday, December 31, 2011

Dressember day 31

Cashmere love for the final #dressember

Cashmere sweater and sheer midi skirt because Wellington has decided that it s NOT summer. 

And finally?

Ending #dressember with a bang

Favourite LBD for New Years Eve. 


Don't tell Amy but chances are that, come tomorrow, I will be found wearing jeans or shorts. Weather dependent. 

Favourite Photos: 2011

January
Monday: Craig and Diamondhead

February
Thursday: C and the Light Box

March
IMG_2614

April
Saturday: buying Charlotte's wedding dress

May
Thursday: leaving the office late

June
Thursday: on the bus to opening night

July
Friday: Graffiti in Wellington

August
Snow on the Buddha

September
Monday: I am in love with my new commute

October
Eastbourne Sunset

November
Wednesday: reflections

December
I love this Wellington Graffiti

Another year over

Saturday: Charlotte getting bronzed


2011 was a year with a lot of up, a lot of down, and quite a bit of in between.

In 2011 Craig and I said goodbye to the Hutt Valley for city living in Wellington. We travelled to Hawaii and not much of anywhere else. Work was both stressful and fulfilling, full of sound and fury, culminating in ... not a lot.
My family expanded by one when my baby sister got married. Full family dinners are now a table of eight.
I am skinnier, richer, happier, and more complicated than ever before. I made new friends, kept old ones, and made the most of living in town.

Best of all, best of all, I became an Irish citizen.

In 2011 I resolved to:
x be more frugal - yes? yes.
x maintain the healthy-ish lifestyle I managed in 2010 - yes.
x declutter - oh yes.
x take a photo every damn day - yes! yet again. I missed two self-portraits though.
x keep percolating this tattoo idea. - yes! and uh ... also yes.

I am ever so excited about 2012:
x Europe*
x a new job**
x taking a photo every damn day
x new tattoos***

Let's see how it goes. I can't wait!

LONG HAIR Au Revoir 2011
first and last


* in April Craig and I are, leave from work notwithstanding, heading to Europe for a month.
** fingers crossed. I have leads and plans.
*** I have plans for two in 2012. I've managed to make it onto the list for one of my wishlist artists. I cannot wait.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Penultimate! Dressember day 29 and 30

Day #29 (TWENTY NINE!!) of #dressember

Purple flowers for a boring day of errands.

<3 It was my boots! And they are amazing.

Day 30, the penultimate #dressember

White t-shirt and sheer midi skirt.

Today? today we spent an hour at the travel agency. Craig and I are planning a European Excursion for April/May 2012. I am ever so excited. We just need to work out the ... employment side of things and then we're going to book!

So so excited.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Dressember day 27 and 28

#dressember day 27

Linen mini skirt, white cami, & a faux miu miu jacket printed with birds. 

My jacket is printed with birds
BIRDS

I am so sick of #dressember (day 28)

My "I just blue myself" dress. 

I am so very very ready for Dressember to be over. Not because I wouldn't be wearing dresses but because, oh lord, it has been agony stuck taking these terrible photos every day. Don't even get me started on posting them here. I hate myself SO MUCH. 

<3 Boxing Day with the cousins
Starting in on one of my xmas presents Brunch times!
Karen Walker Runaway Girl <3 Can I be bothered to go out for coffee?

Monday, December 26, 2011

Dressember day 25 & 26

Purple dress for #dressember 25

Purple dress from Forever 21 Hawaii for Christmas day. 

I inadvertently matched both my xmas present from my adorable husband AND my lovely mama's xmas table colour scheme. I love matching. 

! @meadowlarknz & #thewire from my Mr Backyard croquet

Sheer black shirt dress for #dressember day 26

Sheer black shirt dress from Cotton On - perfect for two Boxing Day events. More food! More sun! More cider!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Dressember day 24: Christmas Eve Styles

Found a dress I hadn't worn before! #dressember day 24

Blue and white stripes from asos

I found a dress I'd completely forgotten about - a brief reprieve from repeats. I'd forgotten about it because, honestly, I don't really like it. 

Annoyingly enough I received ... many compliments on this dress. From twitter, from my husband, from the girl at my coffee shop, it was baffling. 

I still don't like it. 

About to brave the supermarket - need a coffee first Xmas presents all wrapped, finally.
Everyone's in the Xmas spirit Out for lunch
Beaching it on Christmas eve Classic me. At least my tattoo isn't sunburnt
Wine & Hugh Grant!
Christmas Eve
pre-supermarket coffee / presents finally all wrapped / local art in the xmas spirit / lunch at Beach Babylon / hanging on the sand / priority: don't get the tattoos sunburnt / finishing the evening with Christmas movies & wine.


Friday, December 23, 2011

Dressember day 23

Purple flowers for #dressember day 23

Purple flowers.

A day spent in either the supermarket or the kitchen.
I made: chocolate candy cane (salted) brownies, mushroom and walnut pate, and peppermint bark.

Candycane chocolate brownies

Candy Cane (salted) Chocolate Brownies

7

Christmas just isn't Christmas without any Candy Canes


To me, chocolate and peppermint is the flavour of Christmas. I can't help it. With that in mind, I fiddled around with my favourite brownie recipe and created Candy Cane (salted) Chocolate Brownies. They are so good.

(NB: my pan is a little larger than required so I made a one-and-a-half batch. The recipe below is just for one)

Candy Cane (salted) Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

8 tbsp butter
1/2 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 c flour
1/2 c cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp peppermint essence

For the icing:
2 tsp butter
Icing sugar
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp peppermint essence
3 candy canes


Ingredients


1. Preheat Oven to 200c

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Christmas calories don't count, right?


2. Melt (entirely too much) butter in pot over stove

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3. Remove butter from heat, let cool about a minute, then add sugars (I use the pot as my bowl the whole way through. I'm all about saving on the washing up). Mix well.

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4. Add eggs, flour, cocoa, salt, and essences. Mix well.

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5. Line pan with baking paper, pour in batter, and pop in oven.

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6. Bake 20-25 minutes, test with a knife in the center and remove when only a few little crumbs cling to the knife.

7. Cool one hour.

8. In another bowl mix the butter with enough boiling water to melt it, icing sugar, cocoa, peppermint essence, and another pinch of salt, until you have an icing with a good consistency - add water a tsp at a time to water it down.

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9. Have your handsome husband (I mean, if you have one lying around, it's handy) unwrap the candy canes and crush them. Try not to eat too many of the bigger pieces.

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10. Sprinkle over the icing! Enjoy. Also, if you happen to have a metric tonne of melted white chocolate from when you also made peppermint bark? you can add that too.

Addendum