Linen love

Now that it's summer (!) I'm bringing out all of my favourite cotton clothes and eyeing off the Frosty Fruits whenever I'm at the supermarket. I've also been tempted by a few pretty linen pieces from Australian designers and would love to invest in something that's both cool and hardy. Here are three of my favourite pieces, beginning with this top from Hunter, a new-to-me Canberra brand. The entire range is beautiful and made to order.

I've often admired Jorja and Jessica in Mimi Holvast dresses - they seem comfortable and versatile and I like the look of this pinafore with playful cut outs. Scrunchie pants are coming soon :)

And finally this short robe would come in handy for staying with our families over summer and early morning baking.

Morning walks and meatballs

How have you been? As the end of the year approaches, I'm trying to slow things down and savour some of the smaller parts of my day. I've been going on morning walks without my phone and packing better lunches for work. And at night Tony and I have been sharing cold mangoes and dark chocolate, which feels so decadent.

Spaghetti and meatballs is my all-time favourite meal and I've been experimenting with lots of different recipes. I made Molly Yeh's meatless balls the other week, after laughing over the recipe's name with a friend. They were delicious and made of nuts, panko crumbs and parmesan cheese. We're having them again tonight. This recipe is next on my list.

And I'm trying to use Facebook a whole lot less. Last weekend I was actively avoiding it while I made my way through the new Gilmore Girls episodes (nostalgia overload!) and instead of checking it whenever I was inbetween tasks, I ended up being far more productive - and happier - than I'd like to admit. Less Facebook means more time for random food prep and reading. I hope you have a productive and enjoyable week :)

Weekend links

How cute is this mini sourdough? I'm planning to make them as gift loaves, inspired by this bakery. What are you up to this weekend? I'll be watching the new Gilmore Girls episodes and making a Thanksgiving-inspired dinner. I'm thinking a roast chicken and some kind of pie (maybe this one!). Have a nice weekend:

I'm doing this, who's with me?

A handy gift guide for guys.

DIY snack boxes because more snacks = greater productivity.

Keen to try these shoes (my friend says they're cute and comfy).

A beautiful honey bundt cake.

A moving documentary.

A pay-what-you-like a cake stall.

Being Asian-Australian.

Joy the Baker on Radio Cherry Bombe :)

And we made these mud mug cakes at work this week. They were the best.

Lipstick for shy girls

Ages ago, my friend Angie came to brunch wearing a fun knitted jumper and bright pink lipstick. It was such a cute look and I made a mental note to give lipstick another go. I asked my friend Alison if she could help, she's make-up artist who makes everything beauty seem easy and fun. Here are her tips, just in time for the festive season :)

Do you wear lipstick every day? How do you get into the habit of putting it on?

Yes, I wear some form of lip product every day - I just don't feel complete or like I can tackle the day without it now!! I think it's such a fun way to introduce a pop of colour into your outfit. As a busy mum with two kids, wearing a bright lip colour means I don't have to spend as much time on my eyes and I can get out the door quicker (well I try to anyway!). 

Are there any tricks to wearing it with confidence? I'm constantly thinking - is it on my teeth? Is it still there? How often should I be touching it up?

If you are wearing lipstick for the first time, try a lighter colour as it can tend to end up in random places all over the face! Or otherwise there are some great products out there that are long lasting and stay, so they're also a good option to ease the nerves of wearing a bold colour. Touching up with lipstick needs to be done regularly - after you eat or drink is a good starting place.

I'd love to know how wearing lipstick changes your mood, outfit or look.

Lipstick is an amazing mood enhancer! I can't tell you how much a bright crazy colour can make you feel adventurous and it definitely brings a smile to everyone's face! Colour reflects emotion and so a lovely bright colour can help brighten, as much as a dark soulful colour can make you feel strong and courageous, or a light colour can make you feel romantic and flirty.

I'm starting from scratch - what can you recommend?

Mac's Vegas Volt is a great punchy coral, perfect for coming into the summer months! Younique's new matte liquid lipstick in Spontaneous is a gorgeous mulberry colour and feels so creamy on your lips. And if you're after a creamy lipstick that stays on then Lime Crime's Matte Velvetines in Red Velvet is a gorgeous statement red - every girl needs a classic red in their purse!

Thank you Ali! Alison is a mobile make-up artist who runs Gypsygirl Beauty. She travels around the Riverina region of NSW and to the ACT too. She also has her own studio in Temora, where she's based. When Ali did my wedding make up, I felt like myself just way more beautiful :) 

Illustration by Danielle Urdinlaiz. Photos by Alison Swanston and Killarney Photography.

Collector pit stop

We've embraced quick trips to Sydney this year, now that we're a good 200km closer. Most weekend visits are jam-packed with catch ups and events but today we were able to get away a little earlier than usual. We stopped by roadside fruit stalls (hooray for mango season!) and finally checked out the town of Collector.

I've been busting to check out Some Cafe ever since I read about it on Megan's blog. The drive home was sunny and hot so we ordered frittata, salad and sodas. There was also a caramel slice for the road :) The Collector Wines cellar door is in the same building and it's beautiful and friendly. Fun fact: most of their wines are named after Rosaline Gascoigne artworks.

This last visit to Sydney was especially family driven. We celebrated our nephew's second birthday and spent some time with my grandfather, who has been in and out of hospital. There was also tea and The Good Weekend quiz with Tony's parents, and pizza and Pictionary at my sister's place. It's lovely to be home, it's storming and we're planning some kind of pasta for dinner. And after a week of taking a break from the news last week, we may also watch this. Have a great week :)

I took the day off work today and it was the best decision I've made in a long time. I slept in, went for a long walk, did some Christmas shopping and had lunch with Tony. We're having homemade pizza tonight and hoping to check out this night market too. It definitely feels like the holidays are on their way. Here are a few relaxing things for the days ahead:

A Scandinavian-inspired brunch with meatballs.

39 reasons to feel content.

Simple gifts for the home (I'm especially interested in this book).

How to make Kung Pao chicken at home.

An insane elopement.

The Food Podcast was love at first listen. I just finished the food rituals episode. 

I also found this podcast about farming in Japan incredibly relaxing. 

Two new presidents, two very different New Yorker covers. 

And I've just discovered Chris Ware's latest graphic novella, The Last Saturday.

Have a great weekend!

I made a cake in the shape of a Canberra bus shelter this week for a special city-wide bake off. The theme was Canberra icons, and I decided to make a concrete bus shelter because I'd worked on a story about them earlier in the year and fallen in love with their unusual round design. It also happened to be a super simple cake shape. Here's how it came together:

I wanted the cake to be sturdy so I baked and froze three white chocolate mud cakes on a quiet weekend while Gilmore Girls played in the background. I doubled the recipe and ended up with heaps of leftover batter, so there were cupcakes too.

The last time I made a novelty cake (a rubber ducky no less) it was rushed and messy, so this time I was a bit more organised. Earlier in the week Tony helped me sketch out the basic details of the cake, working from my bus shelter mug. He also mixed the colours for the fondant while I traced the shapes I needed and cut them out.

The next night I iced and assembled the cake with Rocky 3 was playing in the background (Tony's choice). It was surprisingly straightforward, mainly because I followed Joy the Baker's excellent how-to-frost-a-cake tutorial which meant the usual things that go wrong didn't. Eye of the Tiger helped too ;)

My office was hosting a mini bake-off that was part of the bigger event, so somehow I had to get my very tall and heavy cake to work. This was not a good way of transporting it. It almost slid into my lap at the very first turn even though Tony was driving very carefully. The rest of the drive was tense. Thankfully I had a giant sheet of baking paper to gingerly hold it in place. Next time I'm investing in a fancy box.

And here's what it looked like on the inside - like a wedding cake! Because it was such a giant cake, plenty of my work friends wrapped up slices to take home to their partners and kids. It reminded me of the slices of birthday cake I used to carry home from parties, wrapped up in napkins.

The Canberra-themed bake off was in support of PANDSI, a local post and antenatal depression support service. Supporting women's mental health is so important to me and you don't have to donate money to make a difference. Sometimes it can be as simple as texting a friend to say hi, organising an afternoon walk with your neighbour or dropping off a meal to a family member that can help difficult conversations begin.