Over the rainbow

I will confess that I did use to bite my nails and then had acrylics religiously for about four years.  Not only are they expensive to keep getting them tended too they also ruin your nails underneath making them weak and flakey.  

Half way through this year I stopped biting them and purchased every nail strengthener, grower and bad tasting polish I could get my hands on and it's done the job.  I still have to keep them fairly short as they are still strengthening but I really enjoy being able to wear nail polishes now without worrying about how bitten my nails are or grown out acrylics.

So with these new found nails that I have, I've gone a little polish crazy and buy new ones all the time like today when I guiltily bought two Essie polishes.  Oops!

As summer is slowly edging in I love a mixture or pastels and brights.  Below is a photo of my go to colours at the moment.

*OPI ~ Color so hot it berns

*Revlon ~ One perfect coral

*Revlon ~ Sunshine sparkle

*OPI ~ Shorts story

*Essie ~ Chastity

*Bloom ~ Flamingo sands II

*Revlon ~ Passion fruit (scented)

*Elf ~ Mint cream

* Deborah Lippmann ~ Glitter in the air

*Essie ~ van d'go

*Essie ~ topless and barefoot

I am in love with Van D'go that I bought today.  It's a colour that will look great with a tan and can really add to an outfit.  These two will defiantly be coming in my with me to Fiji.  Essie and OPI would have to be my guilty pleasures, which isn't good as they rack up to nearly twenty bucks each. Yikes!

Happy shopping!

Louis Vuitton - Paris Fashion week

As the guests sit and wait in anticipation the curtain lifts.  The main focus - the white carousel in the centre of the runway.  Starting from the front the girls step off the moving carousel and walk a circuit of the catwalk.

The outfits are stunning.  With a 60s feel and pastel colours they oozed femininity, class and elegance. The detailing and patterns are just so beautiful.  Ending the show, an unrecognisable Kate Moss appears looking fresh faced and glowing wearing a white laser-cut dress.  She makes everything look so effortless.  If I had the money to spend I would buy one of each...and the bags!

Images borrowed from daily mail

The Lady is a Tramp

Tony Bennett is an absolute hero and what a voice and performance from both.

 

Chinese Whispers

In the city tucked away behind Darling Harbour is a little oasis, that unless you investigate, you wouldn't even know it was there, hidden behind a tall walled off garden.

I love going here.  It's like another little world.  It's so peaceful and serene and not to mention beautiful. As you stand on the bridge gazing down into the water, huge Coy Carp come racing over to you in the hope of receiving food.  They are amazing to watch and the colours are breathtaking.

As spring creeps in all of the flowers, blossom and trees perk up and the gardens transform.  If anyone comes to Sydney I'd defiantly recommend going here.  There is also the opportunity to dress up in traditional Chinese garments.

Rhubarb & Apple cake

After a bank holiday weekend filled with hangovers and lack of sleep I decided it was would be the perfect afternoon for a little baking.  The other day the boy and I both bought Rhubarb on separate shopping trips so we had to use it up.  After scouring the internet we found a recipe for Apple and Rhubarb cake.

So here is what you will need:

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 cup of milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups of flour

2 cups of raw rhubarb chopping into 1-2cm segments

2 cups finely chopped raw apple

1 cup sultanas/rasins

1/8 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

Weigh and cut all your ingredients.

Mix in a bowl together the melted butter and brown sugar to make a thick like texture.

Take the eggs, milk, salt, baking soda and flour and mix together until it makes a dense cake mixture.  Then get the fruit and slowly fold it in until it's all covered.  While mixing add the cinnamon and sugar.

Add the fruit and cake mixture into a cake tin or baking dish.  Make sure to grease it well so it doesn't stick.  We had a little left over so we popped it into a small dish along side the bigger one.  Pre-heat the oven to 190C (fan bake) and cook for 35-40 minuets.  And then voila.  

When you open the oven door you will be greeted with a moist fruity cake that will keep you going back for more.

Mini cake from leftover mix

Dirty Thirty

For a month my boyfriend and I had been organising a surprise 30th birthday for a friend of ours.  Getting thirty-five odd people who were attending to keep this a secret from him (which is not easy when you pretty much see him every day) was proving very difficult. 

Still the big day came.  The theme was 'Dirty Thirty'.  

Everyone got the to bar we hired out for the evening, on time with regular updates from the boy who was with the birthday boy watching the rugby.

As they were outside making their way in we all gathered around for the big surprise.  He had no idea until he was coming down the stairs when he thought it was unusually quiet down there.  We all had an awesome evening drinking, chatting and admiring everyones costumes for the night!