Pockets of Heaven

My Favourite Restaurants

You can see why I love these places by checking out these links!:

Little Creatures, Wagamama, Dome, The Moon, Cocos

Lost Time

(making up for last Thursday)

The People I Love The Most

• Mum
  
• Marissa
  
• Natalie
  
• Dad
  
• Phoebe
  
• Nonna & Nonno (RIP)
  

  

Those that love you unconditionally are the most important people in the world

Tongue Twisters May Treasure These Tangy Treats

Baked today: Poppyseed and Lime Cupcakes with Lime Drizzle

P.S: Mum won't be pleased. There's 36 of these babies waiting to be devoured, and my darling mother only just started her "diet" yesterday... I'm so cruel

"I've Never Missed A Stranger Before"

In memory of one tonka tough goldfish

You were an amazingly friendly fish little Angus

We'll miss you and the way you lit up our kitchen counter

For those that don't know, I received a goldfish from my university last semester as part of what was known to us as our "kit project". Each student in the unit 'Visual Praxis' was given a bucket full of bits and pieces to make art from, as well as inspire us. You can only imagine the commotion that came with discovering one of these "items" was a live goldfish!

I was almost certain that he was going to die the day I got him, the poor bugger. But alas, he survived for just about 5 months! And now his sadly drawn out death (it was over 2 days) will indeed continue to serve as inspiration.

It was funny what issues surfaced in the event of a goldfish dying. For one, my mother and I had opposing views concerning euthenasia for a fish - And it surely made me question my values. Would I feel the same about a human? Could I bare to let them suffer right through to the end? It's also troubling me a little that I'm not too upset by his death. Is it because I expected him to die sooner rather than later that whole time, or simply because I never bothered to give the fish a personality, like we tend to do for other pets such as cats and dogs?

So be the questions of life...

Psst

Things Most People Probably Don't Know About Me

• I was brought up to be a Catholic - baptised, holy-communion(ised), yet never quite confirmed
• I can't swim
• I don't have much of a right ear drum / am partially deaf in that ear
• My childhood "thing" was taking modelling classes
• The length of my fingers makes it impossible for me to click
• I share my birthday with Emily Dickinson
• I learnt guitar for 2 years, keyboard for over 1 year
• I'm some kinds of artistic
• I secretly enjoy baked beans

Songs for the Faun

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

"All My Loving"

I'm well and truly intrigued by the butterfly effect: If the financial recession means less customers in the shops, thus less money for businesses to pay their employess with, and therefore less hours for me to work in the week - then so be it that I otherwise fill my time with baking and drawing! I'm not complaining.

The other day was my second attempt at making cheesecake cupcakes which, in my humble opinion, combines two of the greatest concepts in the world of baking. In both endevours I took my recipes from the amazing book '500 Cupcakes'. My first ever batch, all that time ago, worked out quite well. They were made in the Texas muffin tins (which make 6 large muffins) and simply had blueberries arranged on top. I thought I would be a little more adventurous with my second batch the other day, and go for a low-fat variety that had blueberries throughout the filling, as well as trying to make some sort of crumble to sprinkle over the top.

And yet I still don't feel like I've perfected the art of little cheesecakes! I'm thinking that it's not really worth the money spent on large amounts of ricotta to make the low fat variety - as they are a little plain, and the margarine used in the base makes them slightly too moist. While both versions are definitely decadent, they seem to lack a little something. A little something I must find.

It's possible that I've found the answer.



How sweet are these little raspberry cheesecakes? These come from the amazing book 'Little Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse' by Kaye Hansen & Liv Hansen, which is packed full of the most adventurous cupcake creations I have ever seen! Not to mention some fantastic tips. At first glance, you could be sure that you heard that little cupcake whisper "I love you"...
All too perfect for Valentines Day!

Aside from some rather pleasing aesthetics, the recipe - though in American conversions - looks promising. Unlike previous occassions, there is no ricotta (only cream-cheesey goodness/evilness), no icing sugar (just your average castor sugar), the use of flour (which I found unusual), as well and using the zest and juice of lemons. Lemon cheesecake is truly awesome, and this addition to the recipe would save me from listening to my mother's complaints that my cheesecakes need a flavour through them; "something like lemon".

And doesn't that raspberry sauce look divine? How to make that sauce:

In a food processor, combine and mix until pureed:

• 1 six-ounce container fresh raspberries, gentle washed and picked over
• 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or Framboise liqueur

Strain into a bowl to remove the seeds. Set aside.

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Meanwhile, I've seen heart shaped pans in Kmart for just over $8.00 for a pack of 4, or individual pans that have more shape (and possibly a longer lifespan) for $12.00 each at a specialty homewares store.

No matter what, such a sweet idea is bound to impress! So if you're a firm believer in reaching a person's heart through food, you can't go wrong with appropriately-shaped cheesecake.

Upside Down

My Biggest Fears

• insects, namely bees
• great heights
• drowning
• hurting the people I care about most
• failing

I suppose I'm also highly paranoid about losing close relationships with people purely out of neglect. I'm always expecting the other person to nurture the relationship, or think that extra nurturing shouldn't be necessary, that a friendship should fuel itself. But alas I've learnt, we must love (until our hearts hurt) in order to be loveable.

Time Passed So Slowly

My Past Jobs

• Grocery Assistant @ Coles Supermarket: April 2004 - April 2007
  
  
• Store Refit team member @ Coles Supermarket: Oct - Dec 2006
  
  
• Call Centre Assistant for Challenger TAFE: June/July 2007
  
  
• Admin Assistant (filing - much to my distaste) @ Education and Training International: one whole week in August 2007
  
  
• Receptionist / Admin Assistant @ Hazelwood Resources/McAuliffe Legal: Aug-Dec 2007
  
  
• Checkout Operator @ Kmart: Jan 2008 - Present
  
  
• Supervising Assistant for wristbanders @ West Coast Blues and Roots Festival 2008: volunteer for one day

It's funny to look back on these jobs and recall why exactly I did them, which tells a whole new story about the person behind each of these jobs.

Obviously we've all been in the retail business before (or at least I think the fair share of people have) - and they're usually jobs that you keep to get you through your school years. Coles supplied me with pocket money wasted on alcohol, clothing and outings while I was in Years 11 and 12 at school, and then while I was at TAFE the following year. The full-time position I served while trying to completely re-shelve the store paid for my first car and some better Christmas presents for the family.

My short-lived job at the TAFE's Call Centre lasted as long as the enrolment period allowed. It was the crusiest job as there were times that hardly anybody even called up, yet you sat there surfing the net and got paid a fair government wage for doing just that (as well as occassionally processing an enrolment online).

The filing job landed in my lap thanks to the lady in charge of the Call Centre, which I took up out of desperation for fulltime work. It was based in the city in some hectic office where nobody was calm and it seemed as though everything went wrong. I was originally told that I would be doing database work, which I was fine with when trained. It was only when I started asking questions in order to get my head around it clearly that they thought maybe I was actually incompetent and made me do filing all day every day instead, where you were treated rudely if you ever stopped rushing around off your feet. I felt elated the day that I quit!

My job in reception was purely "for experience". Actually, all of this office work was just to have some full-time work away from customers, gain some skills (particularly in my communications), and look good if I ever choose to go and work in the UK! However I was underpaid and surrounded by bitchy and cruel women that I haven't quite had the time to think about forgiving just yet....

Volunteer work at Blues and Roots was my ticket to see Gotye that evening...

and my job at Kmart gives me pennies to survive my years at uni!

I reflect back on this and see that it was only working at a festival (the volunteer job) that was done purely for, what I thought would be, enjoyment's sake.

Once Upon A Time

While deep down you know that every single person surrounding you has a creative spark smouldering away inside of them, it's sadly not expected that everybody will give their creativity a chance to escape and flaunt itself in the big wide world.

So when you do get to see artistic talent (in whatever form) flowing from somebody, it's truly uplifting and enviable.

I feel like it's all the more awe-inspiring when it's unexpected of people to produce beautiful things, such as these images taken by my father many years ago.
















My dad used to study Photography at "Tech" when he was younger, and I (in my somewhat biased opinion) think it's such a shame that he never continued with it professionally, and seemingly only practiced his skills from there-on by trying to make our family snaps feel more dramatic than the situation intended.

It's still the case today, that the arts aren't quite as glorified as maths or science, and therefore fall second-place. Parents aren't encouraging their children to engage in visual arts, film-making, photography, journalism, etc. etc - mostly because they want their kids to be money-making machines and probably feel there just aren't any jobs in such fields. But I believe that creative minds can make anything happen for themselves in their life journey, all with a bit of positive thinking and effort. If only it were reinforced that we should "do what we enjoy" for work!

I'm hoping that when I finally get to teach Art (or English) in schools, that I will be able to encourage, inspire, and change minds.

Rebel Rebel

Current fashion-trend crush: rebel girls / early 90s;

The mesmerising tale of when Simplicity met Attitude

with a love for white tees, denim and acid-wash, throws of plaid, as well as tousled hair and blunt fringes.

Idolising the likes of:

Chloe Sevigny

Francoise Harding

Jane Birkin

Liv Tyler

Lou Doillon

Because we have no shame revelling in our youth

post insprired by previous issues of RUSSH magazine

"The world plays for our pleasure on this windshield silverscreen"

My Favourite Films

• Across the Universe


• The Prestige
• Pan's Labyrinth
• The Little Mermaid
• Into The Wild
• Once
• X-Men (trilogy)
• Amelie
• Big Fish
• The Notebook
• Garden State
• Donnie Darko
• Miss Potter
• Mary Poppins

Beauty is Power

How about a sundance?

I've come to the realisation that Summer mornings are a bit too precious to miss, hence why I've been waking up between 6:00 and 7:00 am all throughout the holidays.

I will admit, it's probably something to do with my uncanny habit of waking with the sunlight that manages to slip through the slits in the blinds... Even so, I'm grateful! For me, early morning is the most peaceful and tranquil time of the day. I've just woken up and have no worries, because the magic of dreaming is that it allows me to filter my thoughts and happily* greet a brand new day. There's generally nobody else awake (or just not home), so I can just feel at ease.

There's something awe-inspiring about the way that it is cool, with a light breeze and a rising sun, which continuously changes the colour of the sky and the appearance of your surroundings. How could you not help but want to plot out your day to keep the good vibes running right through?

And of course, my favourite thing about the morning.... Breakfast!

Breakfast is my hands-down favourite meal of the day, and probably the number one reason why I can drag myself out of bed in the morning. While some may think that my daily usual of cereal with soy milk, a banana and a cup of tea is boring - I think it is the greatest and most exciting thing since sliced (raisin) bread! Though I wouldn't object to french toast, or scrambled eggs, muesli, a bacon and egg muffin...

To think that some people give it a miss...

All this talk about the joy of mornings, and yet it's still the late hours of the evening here in Perth, WA. On that note I should probably get some rest so that I can rise and shine tomorrow!

Good night and very good morning x

*Not a guarantee

Note: all images posted on this site are either created by, or photographed by, me (or taken by a family member!), unless otherwise stated :)

The Good Eggs

It should seem that Thursday is upon us once again, and I've decided that it's a good day to keep going with my Listography.

My Closest Friends

• Marissa (whom happens to be my sister)
  

  

• Natalie (also my sister, but my sisters are my best friends - I can't exclude them from this list!)
  

  

• William
• Matt
  

  

• Nikita
• Belinda
  

... All of whom can make my day a little bit brighter

Top Picks: Summer Skin - Face & Body

Laura and Marissa @ Southbound '09

summer music festival; sunscreened up

If there's one thing that I've learnt from camping down south over the weekend, it's that the Australian sun shines no mercy upon the outdoors-lovin' folk, but only raw and blistering heat that leaves your skin dry and quite possibly a nice shade of crimson.


It's taken me a few times of getting seriously burnt in previous years (so bad that I still have tan lines on my knees from getting burnt two years ago) to realise just how important it is to remember to "slip, slop, slap" in this climate. Therefore I am now proud to say that I have been converted and am a regular-sunscreener! My Pop has undergone many-an-operation to remove skin cancer, and I definitely don't want to end up in the same situation, nor encourage any more wrinkles than I deserve any time soon!


So in the summer-spirit I've put together a collection of low budget skin-savers and other fool-proof products that I'm currently using, and don't think that I could live without.



1. Nivea Visage Gentle Cleansing Creme: A moisturising facial cleanser that leaves your skin soft and feeling hydrated

2. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula - Moisturising Body Oil: I use this as an alternative to a moisturising cream or lotion. It's much lighter, goes on easily, and smells heavenly.

3. Cetaphil Moisturiser: Cetaphil products are incredibly gentle, so you know that they will always be a winner. This is quite a thick moisturiser, so you generally don't need to use a whole lot of it on your face. I usually opt for something lighter, but have found this to be a life-saver after plenty of sun exposure which has left my skin relatively dry.

4. Nivea Moisturising Fluid SPF 15: As most sunscreen lotions are quite thick and greasy (even if they state that they are non-greasy formulas!), this facial moisturiser with SPF protection is perfect for those with oilier skin types.

5. UV tripleguard sunscreen lotion: This stuff goes on blue and rubs in clear, as well as smelling sweet and pleasant! It claims to be non-greasy (which it is in comparison to other lotions), and has very good protection! I'm impressed by this one.

6. Lucas Papaw Ointment: What can't this stuff do? I was originally introduced to this stuff to stop my mosquito bites from itching when I was younger. Then I found out about it being a miracle product that can be used on cuts, burns, chaffing, everything. I now use it on my lips and would reccomend it as one of the best "balms" that I have used.

7. Klorane Dry Shampoo: So obviously this one is for the hair, but it's a life saver if your hair is prone to getting oilier a lot easier during the summer months. Spray, leave for two minutes, brush out, and wha-lah! Fresh hair! I'm not a fan of the smell (a bit like fake tan), and feel that you could probably get the same results by using baby powder - But the can is a much more practical method.

8. Nivea Refreshing Cleansing Wipes: Can you tell I'm a bit of a Nivea fan? I think it might be because it's a very gentle brand that still does the job (something I needed after subjecting my skin to pro-activ). These wipes clean up any make-up after a big night - which proved perfect for the festive season, and even better for camping.

I would also recommend Clinique Moisture Surge (both moisturiser and mask in one), as well as drinking plenty of water!

So remember that looking after your skin is looking after your well-being, and I bid you happy sunny days x

"He who walks honestly walks securely"

Honesty: a quality we admire in people, that allows us to trust them and thus build big, wonderful, tonka tough friendships! Or at least that's how I feel about honesty...

Before Christmas (I think it was) I was awarded and tagged by the lovely writer of Loveology, Mila, with the Honesty Scrap Award. Therefore I need to share 10 honest things about myself and go on to tag another 7 people to do the same. I've left this post for far too long because I'm quite new to the world of running a blog, and therefore don't have seven people in mind that I would like to tag! I figured I'd get the post out of the way now and find my honest seven soon enough - and inform you who they are at a later date. So the tagging will indeed continue!



I honestly...

1. enjoy myopia - I am indeed short sighted! Call me crazy, but I'm pretty content without contact lenses or constantly wearing glasses. Sure, seeing things clearly is refreshing and less frustrating - But I like the way my vision gently blurs the reality, kind of as though it airbrushes my surrounding and makes everything smooth and pretty.
   


2. am a bit of a health freak - I don't enjoy junk food anymore and most certainly miss exercising as frequently as I did at one point last year. Now that it is the new year, I'm determined to cut back on the alcohol and get back into the gym or other physical activity.
   


3. have terrible anxiety - I can hype myself up to feel worried about the most straight-forward things. I hate this.
   


4. often make elaborate and exciting plans in my mind and never acually follow through with them - This usually is the case for holidays I dream of going on and such. The general reason for not following through is my dreadful inability to save money.
   


5. feel that my wine drinking makes me as equally classy as it makes me bogan - I'm sure this works somehow?
   


6. have never had a boyfriend - This looks quite sad when I type it out. I guess I have my reasons though. I wouldn't go out much before, and when I did - it was always with my two best friends, of whom were male. You can imagine how this would be the instant boyfriend repellent. Plus I didn't feel inclined to find a boy seeing as I had male companionship already... That and I'm fussy. Did I mention I'm fussy? I'm very fussy. But alas! I'm ten times more comfortable with myself now, rarely see these friends I speak of anymore, and feel more ready than ever for somebody to sway me.
   


7. am incredibly crabby when I'm tired - I'm also very stubborn. Don't take it personally... I just need to work on finding a way to still be nice to people when I'm in this state
   


8. can usually only pinpoint exactly how I feel about particular people when I sit down and write out my opinions - The wonderful thing about writing is that you're in your own comfort zone, you're chilled out, you're well aware of your values, and you have time to consider exactly how important and wonderful each individual in this game of life actually is. Even if the person seems like a bit of mole, I could probably bless them for shaking things up and creating a point of interest.
   


9. can't define my personal tastes - I think this may be because I'm open to everything, and also know that I could easily change my mind about something within a couple of weeks
   


10. cannot eat raw carrots - I do not know why, but I cannot eat a whole raw carrot. It is impossible for me to swallow.
    
    
    

And so there we go! A glimpse at the strange but honest things that make me, me. It feels good to have spilled that information out and into the open, because it even allows me to get a better idea about myself. I'm still learning you see...

Stay truthful x

To Be Clean Again

... is a magical thing!

More on Southbound 2009, as well as actually completing a post I've been tagged to do, all coming soon!

The Loyal Ones

I may have mentioned once before that on my birthday I was able to open a package from my friend who was studying in Canada at the time. One of the many sweet gifts that he had sent to me was an amazing book called 'Listography: Your life in lists' by Lisa Nola.



I am in love with it. Complete with illustrations and pencil-like fonts, this book asks you to create your autobiography through list-making. The subject for the list is stated at the top of the page, and your job is to fill in the blank lines provided below!

As I'm a bit scared to fill in the book just yet, I thought it might be an idea to publish one list per week on my blog, as a way of easing into it without damaging the pages. Well, not anytime soon anyway.

So taking it one list at a time (and in the order they are in the book), today's list is

PETS I'VE HAD AND THEIR NAMES

• our first goldfish: Blacky, Goldy, Splotchy, and Stripey!
• while we had many canaries over the years, the only names I remember of all of them were: Twinkle, Frisky, and Peachy
• budgies: Blinky and Blossom
• hermit crab: Sebastian
• rabbit: Molly
• dog: Phoebe
• current "goldfish": Angus

Carpe Diem

image by jimroot @ deviantart

Happy 2009 m'loves! I'm hoping that it's an amazingly fun and prosperous year for everybody, and that plenty of good things come your way.

While the New Year may have started in a park, feeling bitter at being a third wheel (only to be followed by finding a friend in the taxi line and coming home to pig out on copious amounts of bread?) - I've decided that the day time is going to be a time of personal healing. What happened at 2am will not effect my determination to undergo some kind of detox today!

I'm determined to eat light and relatively fresh

Water is the only drink that will touch these lips!

I've showered and made sure that I rid my face of every trace of remaining make-up from the night that was

Today is a make-up free day

I'm going to clean my room

I'm going to clear my head, do some writing

I'm going to tell myself the positive things

I'm going to make whimsical plans for the year to come!

I need to pack for Southbound.

I'm really hoping that 2009 is a year of growth and learning for me, as well a whole lot of positivity, new friends, and appreciation for the little things! x