Weekend links

We made it to Canberra and despite feeling a little worn out, it has been pretty exciting to set up our new place. Our friends are going to bring us dinner tomorrow night and I'm so looking forward to seeing a few familiar faces and eating ice cream sandwiches on our balcony. Here are a handful of things I discovered this week:

Have you seen the Kmart Forecast? I'm addicted.

How to leave a job gracefully.

A pancake birthday cake.

For anyone who gets anxious waiting for people to text back.

My late-night packing playlist.

A fascinating and troubling report about the rise of anti-Muslim extremism in Australia.

And just in case you're having friends over, some super easy starters (and a cheesy olive recipe from Tanya Plibersek!).

Amazing cake

On our last full day in Wagga Wagga we shared a spectacular cake in the park with friends. My friend Sophie even made a spreadsheet so we could vote for our favourite flavours and toppings. We ended up with a white chocolate cake with cookies and cream filling, buttercream icing, salted caramel drip, macarons, honeycomb and edible flowers. Phew!

Nadine did a big coffee order and we picnicked in my favourite park, feasting on amazing cake and playing with babies. It was the best possible send off. 

I have such mixed feelings about the move. I am so excited about settling into our new apartment and exploring the neighbourhood. I'm a little nervous about starting a new job and I am also so grateful for the time I've had in this town. We haven't left yet (the truck comes at 9am tomorrow!) but I'm beginning to wonder just how much I'll miss it. I suspect a lot.

Photos by me and Vanessa Keenan.

An excellent new podcast

What are you listening to at the moment? I'm loving The New Yorker Radio Hour, it's like a variety show with a top-notch cast of writers, cartoonists and guests each week.

Weekend links

Hello from the Blue Mountains :) In between finishing up at work and our move to Canberra next week, we decided to take a mini-holiday. Best decision ever. We've loved waking up late, going for walks and browsing a few favourite shops. I managed to save my copy of Lunch Lady magazine for this trip and adore it. Here are a few links for your weekend, have a great one:

Front door envy.

The simple pizza dough we've been making every week.

Amy Schumer speaks her mind.

Loving the new Blank Goods range - teeny tiny stickers, this Christmas stamp and special boxes for baked goods.

The very best chocolate cake (here's how mine compared).

A moving story from the ground - Paris The Day After via Garry.

And just in case you haven't seen it, a French father and his five-year-old son discuss the terrorist attacks.

Raiding the card stash

I have a giant box of cards that I'm constantly adding to and this week it really came in handy. I sent this cute pineapple card to a newly engaged friend, wrote four birthday cards (!) and had some special friends and mentors to thank after finishing up at a much loved job and preparing to leave town.

I love buying cards in advance (I found a first anniversary card for Tony on our honeymoon!) and my favourite ones come from art galleries, bookshops and lovely gift shops. I bought these three from Kiki K, Paperchain and Mozi .

I also love Rifle Paper, My Messy Room and spend far too much money at Paper2 when I'm in Sydney. I used to stock up on birthday cards but now a few extra varieties are sneaking into the mix - wedding cards, thank you cards, new baby cards and housewarming cards too. I must be getting older ;)

P.S A funny thank you card that I've picked up in Dymocks before.

Desktop - Rachel Viski & Kath Priest, Melahomies

Rachel Viski and Kath Priest are close friends and young mums with something surprising in common - both have survived melanoma. Together they run Melahomies, a Facebook page where they post their everyday approaches to sun safety and wellbeing. Today they share how surviving cancer has changed their lives, and what they hope people will get out of their personal posts.

Weekend links

I hope you've had a great week. I've been loving the stormy weather (when I'm all tucked up in bed of course) but hope it clears so I can visit the Wagga Farmers Markets one last time before we leave. I have two full days of packing ahead and after the shock of the first few boxes, I've found it to be a nice opportunity to sort through my things. Here are a few favourite finds from this week:

Hello weekend.

Do you schedule down time?

A fun new food website with the best name.

My girlfriend and I laughed over this - lingerie vs real life.

Loved these social media dos and please don'ts.

A new app for the list obsessed.

My dream outdoor area.

A great idea via my friend Kristy.

Flowers by Sophie.

Big news

We're on the move. In less than three weeks we'll be leaving Wagga Wagga for Canberra so that I can start a new job. When my friend Vanessa found out she said she was sadcited - a combination of sad and excited. I am too!

We've spent close to five years living in Wagga Wagga and it feels like home. I've seen babies grow up and made new friends who now feel like family. Since we've lived here, we've been engaged and then married, kicked some career goals we never dreamed of, and learnt how to be part of a community too.

But I am excited about a new home (and one near IKEA no less!) and a new job. We've spent a bit of time in Canberra this year and I love that it's packed with great cafes and things to do - like cat film festivals (!) and off-beat food fairs.

So now we pack. I've done three boxes so far and broke into one of them hours later! In the coming weeks we'll be cycling around town, catching up with everyone we can fit in and getting ready to say goodbye. There have been no tears yet but I have a feeling they're just around the corner.

P.S This little rainbow appeared on Tony's shirt after a hectic day of house hunting in Canberra :)

Real Girl Wardrobes - Rebecca Keane

Rebecca Keane is the boss lady behind a string of successful Sydney cafes (she opened her first one at 24!)  and a new mum to baby Harrison. She’s clever, down-to-earth and gorgeous too, and today she shares some of her favourite brands and how moving from inner-city Sydney to the Central Coast has changed her style.

Weekend links

The shortest list of links this week because it's been a busy one. Tony bought a bike last weekend and we've been riding whenever we can. The other day we raced to get home before a big storm and just made it! I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead. We're making an impromptu trip to Canberra and I'm looking forward to eating great pizza and catching up with friends.

De-stressing an hour at a time.

The French salad dressing we've been making all week.

A life-changing watermelon skirt. 

Modern love.

An stunning (and chilling) radio documentary about a small town murder and the family members left behind via Vanessa.

And a video I made a little while ago - my first time directing a drone :)

Would you take six months off?

My friends Maayan and Sam, both 31, have just returned home to Canberra after spending six months overseas. They road tripped up the coast of Peru, went snorkelling off the Galapagos Islands and found excellent pizza in Bolivia. They made it to the States too, to spend time with family and visit Harry Potter World in Orlando.

Today the couple share how they did it, from packing up their house to putting work on hold, along with a really cute ritual that helped them plan their trip in 10 short weeks.

Desktop - Natalija Brunovs, photographer/artist

I am thrilled to introduce you to Natalija Brunovs, a photographer, designer and artist who is based in Fremantle, Perth. These days Natalija is a very busy wedding photographer but a few years ago we were workmates at the ABC, only based in different states.

While we've never met, I've always been inspired Natalija's work, whether it's a professional or personal project. This blog post, where she shares four different crafting projects she tackling at home actually inspired this Desktop series. Today, Natalija shares what she's got on this week, what she's dreaming up and how she handles really busy periods.