Weekend links

I have some lovely new books to enjoy this weekend, including my friend Ebony's craft book, which has finally arrived in Wagga Wagga. I'm also planning to watch the film adaptation of Wild - I hope it's good because I adored the book. I may also be sampling this double peanut butter ice cream bar :) Have a great weekend, here are 10 links to keep you busy:

A super fun dress.

16 podcasts hosted by women.

A clever way to use up pasta odds and ends.

Is Facebook becoming the gatekeeper of news?

Stop the violence.

A bright white Brooklyn apartment and the sweetest craft project.

How to survive magpie season.

Viewing life's challenges as a video game.

A journal that always surprises me.

And something exciting, Tony had a special visitor at the Sydney Contemporary art fair this week. Thanks for sharing the snap Lee Tran!

Pink grapefruit and orange juice

I love ordering freshly squeezed juice when I'm out for breakfast and this week I've been making pink grapefruit and orange juice at home. It's super easy and makes my mornings feel a bit more festive.

I've been squeezing one pink grapefruit and an orange if it's just me, and if Tony's home, I'll add an orange or two. On the weekend, I'd drink it with a fresh croissant, or this easy egg roll. On weekdays, it makes my bowl of Weet-Bix seem that little bit cheerier :)

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.

Weekend links

How nice is spring? Even though we've had a few rainy days in Wagga Wagga this week, when the sun has come up it has been glorious and warm. I'm wearing a t-shirt to work today (!) and am looking forward to spending a whole weekend at home. I'm going to sleep in, bake an anniversary cake and go for a few walks. I hope you have a great weekend, here are a bunch of discoveries from this week:

A funny last-minute gift for kids.

A cheat's guide to tidying up.

Joy the Baker now has her own recipe app.

Fancy rooftop camping in Melbourne.

'I have never felt so shy in my life.'

How to brew sticky chai.

An exciting TV series that started this week.

A gorgeous (and simple) birthday surprise.

An easy weeknight pasta (it's vego too).

And a surprising interview with comedian Greg Fleet who shares what it was like to live and work with a heroin addiction.

P.S How great is my clay pug? My friend Alice made it for my birthday :)

Miranda July's first novel

Do you like Miranda July? I'm a big fan of the wildly imaginative artist, writer and director and have just finished her new book, The First Bad Man.

Like her earlier films and books, The First Bad Man is packed with offbeat characters who are surprisingly relatable at times. There are some beautiful and hard truths in this novel, and while I found it a bit perverse to begin with, it became a tender story about falling in love and becoming a parent that I didn't want to end.

I've been trying to save money and borrowed a copy from the library but I will probably cave soon and buy it, to complete my collection of Miranda July books :) And just for fun, here's a clip that came out with her 2011 film The Future. I loved it, talking cat and all:



The film's companion book It Chooses You is really great too, it's non-fiction and you can read excerpts here.

P.S - It's finally warm enough to read outside again and I've recently found a sweet new cider that doesn't make me go bright red!

A week of saying yes

Last week was really fun because I ditched my routine and said yes to everything I was invited to. So instead of working my way through my to-do list (which I secretly love doing), I saw three art exhibitions, ate meals at odd hours and found myself making caramel sauce for a dinner party in another town.

After a few busy task-focussed weeks, it was the best reminder to leave room for spontaneity. And napping :) I'd love to know if you have anything that is guaranteed to snap you out of your routine, I'll drop almost anything if there's a chance to Skype my niece.

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.