A just-for-fun Christmas list

I love gift giving, especially at Christmas. But for the first time in a very long time, I haven't gone overboard shopping for it, and don't plan too. My family will be in Canberra for Christmas this year - including my brother and his wife all the way from London. Because we haven't all spent the holiday together for years (at least three!), we're just excited to be in the same city and country.

But just for fun, here's my annual wish list of things big and small that'd be fun to open on Christmas Day. Starting with these snacking containers for summer picnics, or a stainless steel bento with built in dividers!

A pair of high-rise yoga leggings from Girlfriend Collective, which come in the best colours. A couple of girls at my yoga studio have them and really rate them. A tie-up shirt would be lovely for practice (and weekends) too.

What is a Christmas list without a cookbook? I have my eye on Alison Roman's Dining In. She's formerly of Bon Appetit magazine, and now writes for the NY Times. I'm also all about eating in! Annabel Crabb's latest looks good too. I love this description, "Hosting your friends is not about showing off; it is about delighting others."

Abbi Jacobson's book looks like the perfect summer read, Lily Allen's too. I would also like a copy of Ta-Nehisi Coate's book of essays that cover the Obama presidency. I borrowed a copy from the library earlier this year, and while it wasn't an easy read, I learnt a lot from it.

And something fancy - vineyard glamping, complete with a basket of pastries for breakfast the next morning. Just not while the snakes are out!

P.S - one of the best Christmas gifts I ever received was a box of mangoes from my uncle Mark. There must've been 20 mangoes in there, just for Tony and I, and they were right at their peak.

The lovely list

I turned 33 on Sunday and had such a relaxing day. There was brunch somewhere new, lots of sunshine, and cold coconuts too :) I find it hard to make solid plans for my birthday, so this year I made a list of fun things to do either on my birthday weekend or anytime in August. Here's what I managed to tick off the list...

First up: Take advantage of birthday perks. On Saturday, I went to see The Big Sick at favourite cinema for free with complimentary snacks too!

Also on my list: Make an elaborate birthday cake to share. Inspired by Molly Yeh (and my own indecisiveness), I made a cake with three different flavours - chocolate, sprinkles, and coconut and rose. I baked and froze the cakes during the week, and iced it on Saturday night, while listening to podcasts. Because it didn't have to resemble a bus shelter, I was done in time for a pizza dinner with Tony. We're obsessed with this pizzeria at the moment. They make a pizza with gorgonzola and mascarpone.

On my birthday, Tony and I walked to the NGV Sculpture Garden to see the fog sculpture, which is only on for a few hours a day. The best thing about having no real plans was that we just went from one thing to the next, depending on how we felt. There was some time at home for tea and present opening, and when we got hungry, a trip to the city for a big plate of noodles and coconuts.

From there it was time for a bit of window shopping and then my first-ever affogato. We went to Monster Kitchen and ate ice cream by the fire while we plotted our next move.

I really wanted to make my own birthday dinner this year, so we cancelled our dinner plans and headed home. I made a Mexican dinner, while listening to a playlist my brother Derrick made specially for my birthday. The photo he chose to go with it cracks me up! I'm the one clutching the Magna Doodle.



I received lots of lovely things this year. Tony gave me an overnight bag for upcoming adventures, and a copy Ivan Ramen. My sister included a favourite red lipstick in my birthday card, and my friend Sarah  gave me a copy of the The Desserts of New York. I've already found my cake for next year in it!

Keen to stick to my plan to make a fancy cake and share it, I bundled up three hefty chunks of cake at the end of the night to give to friends the next day. And here's what's left on the list... drinks somewhere with a fireplace, climb a new mountain (and pack lots of snacks), and make dinner for friends. 

P.S My birthday last year and ... turning 30.

Mini lemon birthday cake

It's Tony's birthday today so I made a cake that combines two of his favourite desserts - cheesecake and lemon meringue pie. This time last year, we were staying in a bed and breakfast in Wagga Wagga for his PhD graduation so he ended up with a Streets Viennetta!

I used a recipe from Small Victories - one of my favourite cookbooks from 2016 - for the cake. It's a lemon olive oil cake that comes together really quickly, making it perfect for weeknight baking. Then I made a small batch of cream cheese icing to finish it off.

The pineapple candle makes it look extra festive :) My friend Kristy sent them all the way from Perth. We're about to head out to eightysix for dinner (I'm ordering for the fried chicken!) and then I have one more surprise up my sleeve - a nightcap at Molly, a speakeasy that specialises in whisky. I love birthdays!

Small presents that punch above their weight

When I started my new job, just over a year ago, I was pretty scared. I'd been in my last position for five years - enough time to really settle in and feel confident about most things. While I was still with the same organisation, I was moving to a new city and a bigger office where I would be working on a pilot project.

Work remained daunting for months but now that I'm days away from going on holidays (yipeee!) I can truly appreciate how much I've learnt from the people around me. Which naturally brings me to my favourite chocolate chip cookies :) I'd been wracking my brain for ways to say thank you to the people who have helped me most (some daily!) before I settled on something simple and homemade. Here are a few other ideas for small gifts that may not cost must but can say heaps:

A handwritten card

I visited Tony in the studio the other day and he was excited to show me a card that had been left for him by another artist who works in the same complex. She wrote to congratulate him on his recent exhibition and share what she enjoyed most about his show.

Sometimes I struggle to write cards - the blank space can freak me out - but Tony has given me some great advice in the past. He says to take a moment to think about what you really want to say and simply write that. If your'e writing a thank you note, I thought these tips that came via Jo were great.

A personalised CD

My first car had a cassette player, so I became a very dedicated mix tape maker and the lucky recipient of many personalised tapes too (one of my girlfriends even made me a Christmas tape!). When I was in uni I used to burn CDs for friends, especially when they needed cheering up.

The other day my friend Irini texted to say that she had been listening to one in the car with her husband, who recognised the song I walked down the aisle to (!). So for Christmas this year, I'm making her an updated one. I'm still in the planning stages but it's super fun.

P.S My final story for the year went up today, and it's one I'm especially proud of. It's here if you're keen to check it out :)

Rainy Sunday fun

This morning after a pancake breakfast and a visit to my favourite farmer's market, I joined a cake decorating workshop. Best rainy Sunday! Check it out:

It was a cake topper workshop hosted by The Floral Society, whose work I adore, and it was free! There were a bunch of flowers and greenery to work with and a mini buttercream cake too.

When it came to working with the flowers I was really hesitant at first but went with it and was super happy with how my cake looked in the end. Ta da!

Other good Sunday things - I finished my book, listened to this interview with Helen Garner that Kristy sent me and watched a doco that a friend's been working on. Oh, and there's a whole cake in the fridge to help ease us back into the week. Hope you had a lovely weekend.

Surprise birthday weekend

I turned 32 yesterday and had the best day - my friends Irini and Angie had organised a surprise visit so I spent the weekend doing all of my favourite things with some of my favourite people. Here's a little look:

A favourite chocolate birthday cake

For the last few years my friend Sophie has been making my birthday cakes and she knew exactly what I liked - chocolate. When I turned 30 she made a giant black forest cake and last year, a fudge cake topped with homegrown flowers. 

It became a bit of a tradition because while I was living in Wagga Wagga, I made a few of her birthday cakes too - a hummingbird cake for her thirtieth and a fairy bread cake the year earlier. But now that we're separated by a few hundred kilometres contingency plans have to be made.

Which brings me back to the first ever cake Tony made from scratch for one of my first birthdays in Wagga Wagga - Nigella's chocolate guinness cake. It's an excellent chocolate cake - it's dense without being too rich, and chocolatey without being too sweet.

I made it for the first time for the office bake off for the boozy theme and it's pretty quick to make. It's a melt and mix cake, which is great for winter because butter doesn't really soften easily. One slightly unusual aspect of this cake is its cream cheese frosting but it really works. I've only just realised is meant to make the cake look like a glass of guinness!

So this year, there's a chance I'll be having this cake or something I've been wanting for years - a mini croquembouche :) I'll keep you posted.

P.S Here are two other favourite chocolate cakes - Smitten Kitchen's 'I-want-chocolate-cake' cake is unfussy and classic while Ruth Reichl's giant chocolate cake can feed a crowd with leftovers.

My christmas wish list

I really enjoy Christmas shopping, it's like a sport to me and I'm usually done by November. The hardest part is not buying people extra presents, especially as the shops and markets become more festive. Today, a handful of things I'd love to receive, beginning with this small plant stand, to kick start my indoor plant situation.

A subscription to Lunch Lady, a beautiful and fun new food quarterly. It's Australian too :)

This pretty and practical toiletries pouch for weekends away and camping trips - one day.

A new fragrance because I've been wearing the same one since I was 18!

A really good book because we're spending Christmas in Canberra.

And just for fun, a waterproof radio, for uninterrupted morning listening.

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.

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.

A laid-back first anniversary

Tony and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary over the weekend and it was so much fun! We decided to have a simple celebratory weekend at home, which was a lovely break after weeks of travel.

We stuck to tradition and exchanged paper inspired gifts, and I couldn't stop laughing at our almost matching wrapping paper. Tony gave me three cookbooks I've been eyeing off for ages, along with three special drawings he made himself.

I gave Tony a tea strainer and two framed poems that were written on our New York honeymoon by a guy who was writing and selling poems on the sidewalk. He wrote one on the theme honeymoon and another about adventure, and we're planning to hang them above our bedside tables.

Sunday was so lovely and warm and we walked into town to have lunch at one of our favourite cafes. At night, Tony made a much-loved pasta and I baked a strawberry and coconut cake, which was one of our wedding cake flavours. With a gifted bottle of fancy champagne, it felt equal parts cosy and celebratory :) We had such a great day and by 11pm, Tony was already looking up what the present theme was for our second anniversary - it's cotton!

P.S Do you celebrate anniversaries?

Wedding photo by Wattle + Lace.

Alison's gorgeous family photos

My friend Alison has the most beautiful professional photos of her growing family. Today, the make-up artist and mother-of-two shares her tips for feeling confident and natural in front of a camera, even if you've just had a baby.

My birthday wish list

I'm turning 31 this week and can't wait to take a day off work, go out for a fancy meal (we're going here!) and spend the weekend with my family. Just for fun, here are a few pretty things I'd love:

A beautiful sleeping bag from Fabrik because I'm on the move a lot lately and am going camping for the first time in October. A spotty pillow would be lovely too.

Rachel Khoo's latest cookbook, I'm loving her Melbourne series that's screening on SBS at the moment. Fun fact - my brother worked on the show!

A simple gold bangle like this one from Lucy Folk. I have a few of her tiny earrings and am ready to start wearing a bit more jewellery.

A copy of Wind/Pinball by Haruki Murakami, which combines two novels that were written in 1973. For two years running, a new Murkami novel has been released right before my birthday. Last year it was Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage.

And what is a birthday without an incredible cake? I know I live in Wagga Wagga but I would dearly love a chocolate cake from Unbirthday bakery. It would make the ultimate day-after breakfast cake.

Photos of cake by Nikki Lee.