The Weekend

Be-warned this is going to be a bit of a photo dump at the end!

So, it is quite obvious that I have not been posting every weekend as I have been planning to. Today is Friday and I got so excited driving home for the last time for the week (I have a 2 hour commute on Friday as I live where most people have their weekenders) that I thought I might try doing a post on all the things I am looking forward to doing on the weekend and also put up some photos of the last week (well last few in this case).

So here is my list for August 12, 13 and 14.

• Pore over Sarah Wilson's blog. If you are obsessed with food and the different way people eat and why then this is a good blog for you. It is a lot to do with health and while I do not agree with everything Sarah says or posts about it has a lot of great links to other food-like-minded bloggers/websites and articles.

• Walking along the beach on Sunday morning. I have grown up most of my life near the water (as in 10 metres away) and while I do now live about 20 minutes away I am still relatively close, for the last 2 weeks I have been enjoying this more that I thought I would. I walk for about an hour. This weekend it is supposed to be a bit rainy - which is even better because that will mean less people and generally wilder surf.

• Getting into bed early with a pot of tea (but sadly I have run our of Sleepytime) and cookbooks to flick through and dream up my menu.

• Catching up with family on Saturday morning - I feel like I haven't seen my Grandparents in forever. I will make them some friands.

• Cleaning the house. Yes, it is therapeutic and I have to do it to face another work week.

• Watching the Block with my husband. Sadly we have been drawn into the vortex of a renovating reality show! Argh!

• Getting ready an outfit for the 50's Fair. I have been making a dress for the past year and a bit. First the sewing machine broke and then I got married and blah, blah, blah. But now I have a new machine and I have been married for almost a year (a week after the Fair this year) so should be able to finish.

OK, get ready for the photos:

The above 3 are from some Vanilla Bean Scones that I made last week when I wanted something to eat cream with. They are from Woman's Weekly Tea Time. They turned out well and my husband who was screwing up his face as I offered him one, ate 4!

This is a picture of our spare room, with the new curtains I made. Too blue?




The above three are two Donna Hay recipes I tried from Fast, Fresh, Simple.
Goats Cheese Souffle - with an apple salad
Cheat's Creme Brulee - easy and delicious (maybe not so much sugar next time).

These last two, not-so-attractive photos are what the kitchen normally looks like. A mess and a hovering cat.

Favourite things to do on a Rainy Day

Today it is seriously raining here. So much so that I have declined going to a family birthday in Sydney because I do not feel comfortable driving in rain this heavy. So I thought I would share my favourite things to do on a rainy day with you.

Watch Old Movies:

I have also included some pictures of Cyd Charisse from Singing in the Rain. Can you imagine having legs like that? And also of the brother Ephraim in Seven Brides. He looks a lot like my husband!

My all time favourites are:

Oklahoma
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Singing in the Rain
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Walk along the beach

I love it when there is the taste of salt in the air, a huge surf and it is windy and cold. Nothing is more refreshing or soul resorting that walking along on your own and then coming home and having a cup of tea in a lovely vintage cup.

Reading



These are some pictures of my library at home as it is today. Most of the books o the tall bookshelf are to do with music and all the books on the low bookshelf are cookbooks as are many on the floor.

At the moment I am re-reading the Patrick O'Brien naval series (there are 20 books and a unfinished manuscript) for the 6th time and then my lovely friend has lent me My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares so that will be next.

But I also enjoy reading particular cookbooks when it rains. Namely, Nigel Slater Tender I, Nigella Lawson's How to Eat.

I also like Bombshell Manuel of Style by Laren Stover, Ann Veronica H. G Wells, Memoirs of a Geisha Arthur Golden, A Foreign Affair by Valarie Barnes and My Life in France by Julia Child.

Playing computer games

I know that this is not a very vintage thing to do but I got into computer games when I was trying not to spend any money and didn't have a job. They fill out the day amazingly. I like strategy games where you have to build up a city or something like that. I remember at school learning how to play Sim City and the ones I play now are similar in style, They are Ceaser, Napolean Total War, Clepoatra and Pharoah. I also play some games on Facebook but I do not like how you have to ask your frineds who also play to send you materials to finish quests etc. as I am a bit embarrased at my childish gaming tendency!

Budgeting, List making, Menu writing

I know that this also sound odd but nothing gives me greater satisfaction that working out a budget and playing with figures. I think that there must be some part of my brain that loves reasoning. I always write out to-do lists, menus, shopping lists and I am always using them. I also like to do all these things by hand. I have notebooks full of lists and names of things I want to read, listen to, try cooking, research.

The top image is from Lushlee a blog that I stumbled across while looking for beautiful notebooks. The bottom image is a tutorial to create a vintage style notebook.

Weekend Plans

Good morning,

This weekend is shaping up to be super busy. It's my first weekend back at work (though so many kids are sick at the moment).

The things I have to do are:

• Put away sooooo much washing
• Vacuum
  
• Dust
• Water my plants
• Buy a birthday present for a 5-year-olds party tomorrow
• Begin my last university subject (yeah)
• Put away all the new vintage knitting pattern I bought over the last two weeks (I can't knit but it's my new addiction)
• Begin a spring cleaning plan.
• Clean out and re-pack the garage with my brother.  This is going to be a huge job as at the moment we can't even get in!
• Write the Band Bugle
• Post about my 50s far outfit.

The lovely blog 50s Gal has got me inspired to clean, clean, clean!!!

Goulburn Weekend

Last weekend I travelled down to Goulburn to visit my Beau.  I think I might have mentioned that this is the weekend of over indulgence that sparked the (best-intentioned-but-not-so-successful) healthy week that is happening.  Here are some photos from the weekend.

This is me on a walk of one of the caves. I had to cover my ears it was sooo cold.  The top s a vintage item I got op-shopping the week before.

The Beau took this pictures of some Rosellas.  I cannot believe how much bird life is around Goulburn - just in general they are everywhere.

I really like this photo.  I guess it is one of the caretakers cottages at the caves.  It could have been built at any time.

Sunday Dinner and Drinks

Today it was sesame prawn toast and Buck's Fizz for lunch.  I really enjoyed both of these.  And now have the happy prospect of the rest of the champagne for the rest of my Sunday afternoon!

The movie that Buck's Fizz is paired with Top Hat (1935) and can be found on page 76 of Hollywood Cocktails (Bounty Books)

Weekend

The Beau will be home in...... hopefully less than 2 hours so we can keep our dinner date.   I am very excited to see him.

Today I went with my Mum and Grandparents to the new Salvation Army store at Mona Vale.  It is huge.  I thought that moving to new premises would mean that they lost all the good things they had in the old store but they didn't.  I bought too much.  I got three tablecloths, some sewing odds and ends a beautiful summer dress in pale pink cotton eyelet, a lemon-yellow winter peignoir, and a beach wrap that is lovely and warm.

However,

I didn't the get the original silk 50s dress that I saw there.  I was almost in tears when I couldn't get the zipper done up at the side.  It was the first "real" fifties dress that I have found and tried on.  I was arguing in my mind wether I should have just bought because it was so amazing but I don't think it would have been worn and it was too fragile to try and alter it.  My Grandma said that having on a girdle wouldn't help either so....  I let it go (sniff).  It may very well always be he one that got away.

We are going with our (my favourite) friends to an Indian restaurant in Freshwater that apparently always gets good reviews (i'll let you know).  This will be the first time that I have been to Indian while being a vegetarian so I am looking forward to it.  I'm sure that they will have lots to chose from as some Hindu people are vegetarian.

Other than that for the weekend we don't have much planned apart from working tomorrow, but it's only one week out from Winter holidays so I think I'll survive.

Weekend

I am hoping that this weekend will be filled with:

• Catching up with friends
• Watching old movies
• Reading cookbooks
• Vintage Shopping
• Baking
• Pin curling my hair
• Reading lots of vintagey blogs
• Learn how to charge the new camera so I can take some more photos for my blog
• and no study - because I'm now on university holidays!!!!!

I cannot believe how fast my practicum went.  I thought that it would be boring being at the same school every days for 4 weeks, but instead I had a great time and didn't even run out of outfits (one of the other male teachers remarked he had never seen me wear the same thing twice).

I enjoyed it a lot but am glad it's over as I have felt bad about the amount of time I have spent away from my paid work (conducting) and am hoping they still remember me.  I have left them with very close friends though - so they should be playing better than ever before.

The week past

This week has been quite busy.  I have been on prac and had n exam but have still managed to follow all the blogs on my pages and feel inspired to do some vintage hair!  

Here is my hair from last night.  It involved some backcombing, pinning and hairspray.  I also did some Marilyn inspired make-up, with the wings.  I don't think it looked too over the top - especially when I had my glasses on.

The other photos are of my current half-macrobiotic breakfast (polenta with ginger, tamari and a coffee) and the view the other morning.  The light was just incredible - I wish I could take better photos to show just how wonderful it was.

The plan for my first Sunday no study to do is:

• Be the Perfect Housewife and do dusting and washing until the cows come home.
• Do some cooking today so during the week I will not be living on junk - well healthy junk but it's still not great.
• Try not to miss my Beau too much - I haven't seen him for 15 days now - that's the longest it has ever been.
• Watch Mona Lisa Smile
• Hopefully go op-shopping and food shopping.
• Visit my best friend, Christine, will she is at work and get a coffee

Plans for a rainy Saturday

1.  Plan something romantic for dinner

2.  Clean up the mess that has accumulated around the apartment since my brother has moved in with me.

3.  Create a list of point to discuss with my brother about what is and what is not acceptable.

4.  Teach

5.  Go to the gym and do something

6.  Do some paperwork in preparation for work this week.

7.  Write out menu for the week (including Thursday night birthday dinner)

8.  Write a list of what will be needed next weekend as I'm going to the Hunter Valley for a birthday weekend (the boy is 30).

9.  Try Super Kawaii Mama's hair rolling technique!

Looking at it this list might take me the whole weekend.

If I am being super good I will add: learn how to make blog look more individual!