Tis the season

Hello world!

And so here we are yet again, another year almost past. Hope you’ve all enjoyed, or are still enjoying, a blissful holiday season. I know I am!

Though Christmas 2012 may be gone, its spirit is still lingering in the house of Rose, thanks to a turkey load of left-over turkey. And while I would love to fill these pages with scores of leftover turkey recipes (think turkey omelette, turkey pie, turkey breast stuffed with turkey, turkey mince, shall I go on?) I shall restrain myself and instead share with you my “other” favourite moments of Christmas 2012.

 

My love of decorating really went into overdrive this Christmas, with the perfect summer Christmas dinner planned. Up went the fairy lights on the deck, accented by yellow and white lanterns, down came the table setting with plum tree ferns and traditional red poinsettia’s, pop would go the beautiful French bon bons and...belly up would go all these plans come Christmas day, because lo and behold, mother nature decided to literally rain on my parade. Boo!

So while the much longed for outdoor dinner was never to be, here’s a glimpse of the festive table on the day:

 

Quick tip, if you’re looking to create an abundant centrepiece without splashing out on an enormous flower arrangement, why not use potted flowering plants, ferns and other au natural products
i.e candles, to create a decor fit for an...abundant centrepiece!    

I also have to confess that I did very well the Christmas present front.

A quick rundown of my kitty includes, my beloved Lily gifting me with the gorgeous interior design book Couture Interiors by Marnie Fogg. Though the Husband may have his faults (as we all do), present giving is not one of them. See glimpse of black and white stripey ballet flats and cute doggy slippers, courtesy of Country Road and eponymous sleepwear label, Peter Alexander below.  

 

Our family’s collective love of Paris and Manhattan extended to my present giving, with Lily receiving a pin from the recent Toulouse Lautrec exhibition and a pillow with references to the streets of Manhattan, and the Husband receiving a block of salted caramel chocolates, straight from the chocolatiers of France.

These items were also a reminder of our amazing holiday last year, which saw us visit these wonderful cities as one big fat family (Lily, me, our mum and dad, Petite Rose and the Husband). And while it was an unforgettable trip, it was all the more special because of the people I got to share it with. So, on that note, here’s to all your families in all its crazy shapes and forms, and a safe and happy New Year shared with those you love!

Until 2013...Rose. xx

He sells seafood by the sea shore

Hello hello!

It’s Lily here, inspired by Rose’s recent posts to provide a culinary update. To celebrate graduation, my friends and I went to the coast, with Mollymook being our chosen destination. Mother nature was not in our favour as we spent approximately 30 minutes on the beach in freezing wind which whipped sand against our legs (I never knew sand could be so vicious!). That being said, the culinary gods were definitely in our favour when we dined at Rick Stein’s at Bannisters. I had high expectations going in, given how Rick Stein is hailed in the celebrity chef/reality cooking/ABC programming world. I’m very pleased to report that my expectations were met!



Scallops with toasted hazelnuts and coriander butter, so delicious! 



Lobster Raviolo. Delicious mouthfuls of soft lobster encased in  pasta



Fried snapper in a spicy chilli sauce, this dish had some punch



Fish pie, crispy on the outside, creamy deliciousness on the inside 





Can never resist a creme brulee




The world really owes the person that made the first chocolate fondant 


I have officially started drooling in the course of writing this post. One of my highlights of the meal was a seaweed butter which was served with the bread, I don't know how to describe it but I can still distinctly taste it on my tongue. The restaurant itself was lovely, with doors opening out to a deck by the ocean. The only let down were mosquitoes which flew in and attacked during dinner. As much as I loved the indoor/outdoor setting, being forced to put on aeroguard at the dinner table kinda detracts from the ambiance. That aside though, the food was fabulous and I would go back any day of the week!

Lily xx

Much ado about nothing #2

Hello world!

Phew, what a week, Lily’s graduation, the Husband’s birthday and the week before Christmas!

And to top it off, you would think the end of the year would entail a quieter period at work, mmm not so much, think 12 hour days. Boo!

Having said that, the universe obviously felt sorry for me, because despite being exhausted and over whelmed, my weekend was full of spontaneous outings and a pre planned/much needed catch up with my gorgeous friends, Teak, JJ and Miss A.

One the things I love most about hanging out with these ladies, besides the non stop larfs, is gabbing about our mutual love of travel, food and art. Perusing the divine works of Toulouse Lautrec at the NGA (see Teak's eloquent write up here) then spending a lazy, rainy Saturday afternoon lunching at Canberra’s Me and Mrs Jones was food for the eyes, tummy and soul.

I loved Lautrec's pieces focusing on the 'working girls' of Paris. The images portray such tenderness and empathy towards the subjects. Just beautiful.     

I later came home to an immaculate house, which for those who know me, gladdened my heart to the nth degree (thanks Husband) and then out again for a long overdue date night.

A quick dinner at Mexican diner, Guzman y Gomez, with the barramundi quesadilla hitting just the right spots we settled down for a dose of 007.

Cinema Update

I have to qualify my review by declaring I’m not usually a huge James Bond fan. While I’m well aware of Bond’s iconic status and freely admit its strong appeal to movie goers, I guess I’ve always felt slightly uncomfortable with the whole ‘objectifying women/using them as props/Bond girl’ thing.

Watching Skyfall, however, made me slightly rethink this position. Not that I disagree any less with using women as props, but I realise Bond movies are as much about “plots” involving espionage, as they are about the objectification of characters. Not only are the women objectified, but so is Bond (cue 124 shots of a shirtless Daniel Craig) and even the violence get’s a high dose of glamour. Almost every element of the movies is stylized to fit within the Bond theme, so with that being said, I happily admit that I really liked Skyfall.

Daniel Craig’s appointment as the 7^th actor to play Bond was a masterstroke by producers. While wholly unfit to play the tall, dark, handsome Bond archetype, Craig brings a brutish, almost maudlin element to the character, which makes the movies far more interesting in my view.

While the plot of Skyfall is pretty stock standard, revenge, espionage, damsel in distress etc, the acting and direction is not. I was definitely surprised to learn, as the opening credits rolled to the beautiful sounds of Adele, that Sam Mendes was at the helm of Skyfall.

Mendes’s ‘American Beauty’ is a movie I very much liked, and with all his films, I feel he always brings a sense of reality and humanity to his characters. None of us are perfect, and that’s certainly the case with this version of Bond.

In Skyfall we get a glimpse into Bond’s childhood and perhaps an explanation of why he is so...well, detached. Skyfall also sees the transition of many of Bond’s characters, including Judi Dench as ‘M’ and the inclusion of a rather charming and youthful supplier of Bond’s famous gadgets ‘Q’.  Javier Bardem just proves yet again why he is so freakin versatile and fantastic, and while the beautiful French actress Berenice Marlohe plays the standard prop, she is dazzling to look at on screen.

Also loved seeing Naomie Harris kick some butt as Miss Moneypenny and all the supporting actors including Ralph Fiennes and Albert Finney were fantastic. All in all, highly recommended, 4 stars.

Until next time...Rose. xx

I bought a zoo...I mean a dress

Hello world!

Quick one today. I was let out of the Zoo last Sunday by Petite Rose and the Husband so of course I headed to the Promised Land, the mall.

I bought a number of items, including a dress I don't need, a new pair of flats, as my current one's have expired, http://rusabs.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/robbing-peter-to-pay-sportsgirl.html and the best eye liner ever!

The dress is soooo comfortable, and the shirred waist is kinda cool, thanks Country Road, I'll be wearing this to Lily's graduation tomorrow!

http://www.countryroad.com.au/shop/woman/clothing/dresses/60152015/Shirred-Tank-Dress.html

 

I heart ballerina flats, my 1429th pair, thanks again to Country Road.

I love the 'Perfect Blend' eyeliner from Covergirl, it's super glidy and the pointed sponge is perfect for definition and winged eyes. Plus it's a steal at around $15.

 

http://www.covergirl.com/beauty-products/eye-makeup/eyeliner 

 

 

 

Until next time...Rose. xx

Much ado aboout nothing #1

Hello world!

In the habit of getting me to blog more regularly,as opposed to writing posts resembling War and Peace, I (and sometimes Lily) will attempt to capture a few key events/issues/purchases/ramblings each week, so that:

a) you stay with me, and

b) I can call my self a 'blogger', as opposed to person who occasionally writes random things...randomly.

I can't promise to be coherant, but I will try to be regular.

So on that vein, this week:

I'm trying very hard to live up to my self proclaimed status of being 'well read'. Thus am attempting this (review to come when I finish, which should be around 2020):

 

I'm finding it very easy to live up to my self proclaimed status of a  total money waster by purchasing a bunch of these every week (but it makes me ever so happy):

And I'm very much looking forward to presents under this (cue freak out at the prospect of entering the depths of hell, or more commonly known as department stores before Christmas) :

Oh and finally, my new headboard arrived this morning!

 

 

 

 

I chose this sweet check print by Fabric company Potpourri

 

 

 

Here's what it looks like in full. Kinda goes with my contemporary/vintage/old lady/no real theme interior style.

 

Until next time...Rose. xx