hunter valley and life lately

1,2,3 Views at the beautiful Hunter Valley 4,5 entree and main course at Cracked Pepper Restaurant, Hunter Valley, 6 Pho from Gia Hoi, Haymarket Sydney on a windy day 7 Little blue box from my boy

I went to the Hunter Valley in early July with my boy to see the winter festival thingies in the Hunter Valley Gardens. This is actually my second time ever.. my last one was on around the same time last year. We came fully expecting a beautiful ice rink by the lake and a big snow man but we left dissapointed as the rink turns out to be really small and the snow man is not even made from real ice.  One thing that makes our visit to the Hunter Valley Gardens better was the chocolate festival, which is running at the day we were there along with the winter festival.  Hunter Valley is beautiful as usual although the vines are still dry and the vineyards basically looks like lines and lines of dead branches. I should really make my way here again in summer.. vineyards when it is green and in its full glory should be prettier compared when they're all dead and brown in winter. We ate some really good food as well there - pictured above the stuff from Cracked Pepper restaurant in De Illius Winery. Food there is fabulous, those bread and dips thingies are to die for.

Sydney was so colddddddd last weekend especially because of the damn 100km/h wind thats been going on since friday. I managed to get my ass moving and went to the gym for a run on saturday though. I started on my running again with the help of the C25k app... it feels great to be running again despite all the pain related to cardio. Sunday was cold as well but I went to the city to have lunch the the boy.. we had pho in Gia Hoi which my vietnamese friend have recommended. It was great! Pho is possibly my favourite noodle soup ever... it probably surpasses my love to japanese ramen noodles.

Anyway I did get a year older in July and getting closer to mid life crisis.. I'm already having a terrible itchy feet syndrome now and I'm just so, so, so, desperate to GTFO my normal everyday life and just lay around like a slob on a nice beach somewhere (well for this I have booked my self, the boy, and my girl and her man a long weekend getaway in Gold Coast in September holiday). The boy gave me a little blue box with a white gold skinny band ring on it which he said is an upgrade from my old silver ring from him last year. No diamonds but I love it regardless. At this rate I'm expecting that he does another upgrade next year hopefully with real diamonds muhaha... (hear hear, mr liz)

Anyway hope you all have a good week - now lets go back to the all dreaded working-monday-day! :(

xxxxxxxxx

la garconne

Some inspiration from La Garconne. Not sure how but they always manage to use the simplest items to look chic... I am so drawn to this simplistic style at the moment, it's just so much easier to throw some basic pieces together knowing that they'll look good whichever pieces that you put on. So comfortable as well.
I'm toying with the idea of flower pants as well. Miranda Kerr looks so good in these two:

They have started popping up everywhere but I'm not sure if I should get a pair. They look like something that I'm gonna wear once only (yeah like that maroon jeans...) but they are so.pretty. 

and oh rain, please stop it you.

xxxxxx

fifty shades of yum

I am a curious cat. So of course I have read Fifty Shades of Grey. 

I have heard many, many things about this book, mainly about how poorly written it is and how much sexy time is in it. First, here's a gif image that shows pretty well my reaction when I first read it:

..and my opinion on this book, in dot points:

• I didn't think that it will be that the sex part is going to be so descriptive and confronting.. then again this is my first R rated book that I have ever read.. so yeah (sorry for lack of words)
• The sexy time drags the book for so much.. I reckon they could've chopped some/most of the sex parts and make this series into 2 books and not three. 
• Book 3 is the most boring book. Far out. 
• I agree that it is written like a 15 year old write a sick fanfic. but then again it started as a fanfic so really.. can't complain.
• all the Holy Cow, lip biting, inner goddess thing is annoying. 
• Christian Grey is a batshit insane psycho. He actually reminds me of a controlling and obsessed ex of mine. Saying that, I am more attracted to Christian rather than Edward Cullen though.. maybe the appeal is on how a person like Christian may actually exist and also the fact that Edward is a sparkling vampire *vomit
• Christian Grey don't have that much fashion sense.. all he wears is black jeans, dirty ripped playroom jeans, suits and tshirts. The writer could have described this better.
• How can a 22 year old chick be so clueless about sex, relationship and her body in general? 
• I can so imagine Angelina Jolie be Elena and Meryl Streep as Grace Trevelyan.
• I still dont get about Jack's grudge against the Greys?? is it only because they adopted Christian, not him??That's just silly...and what's with Elizabeth? is she his old PA/lover kind of thing?? (I obviously skipped a lot of the book) this whole thing is just confusing...

In summary, I'll give it a 3.5/5... trashy but enjoyable. Read only if you actually have a time to kill. I think I enjoy it most because I imagine Matt Bomer as Christian Grey when I was reading it.....

Pretty sure the writer mentioned somewhere that Christian wears black jeans and black leather jacket?

Now in suits. oh and this is my favourite photo:

Aw Mr Grey you can spank me anytime! Can't imagine anyone else as Mr. Grey. Yum Yum.

What do you think of the book???

xxxx

PS pics are from here. You are welcome ;)

white shirt

via Vanessa Jackman

I'm still dribbling over the perfect white shirt.. 

leica

The mr is obsessed with cameras. he was so excited when he bought his leica and I don't understand why because for me its really just like those oldie cameras that you find on Surry hills market. The above are some of the photos that we took using that grandpa of a camera.. I think it looks pretty cool.. like a subtle version of instagram (just with real actual camera) I feel a bit weird because I can't see what the pictures looks like straight away.. and then I realize that it has been that long since the last time that I used or have someone take my picture with an analog camera. The above pictures are taken in a place called Magic Point (when it was still warm enough to be barefoot).. it’s quite a scenery isn't it. On one side you've got a rocky edge and the sea and at the other side is all green and grassy (Sorry for lack of better words) It's nominated as one of the 'getaway places within Sydney' by SMH few months and I agree with them, the place is really peaceful and it gives you the sense of being somewhere far away from the city whilst it is actually just 20 minutes from the CBD. 


Here's the outfit talk - this is basically all I wear all winter and probably the direction I am heading at. I think I've gone past that phase of buying everything that I think is 'OMG SO CUTE' and have become someone that shops more wisely with much less impulse-induced purchases- which I am proud of!


Have a good weekend everyone xxxxxxx

Priceline beauty gift bag!!

Holy sheet.

I receive an email few days ago from Priceline about their skin care gift bag. You basically have to buy $50 worth of products from a list of brands (Palmers, Sukin, Dove, Biore etc) and then you'll get your bag'o'goodies. My kiehls blue herbal face wash is running out so I decided to try and swap my skincare routine products to Sukin. Not that Kiehls is bad, it's just that they are so pricey... and honestly I have no idea if it actually make much difference with my skin. I actually got less breakouts but I'm not sure if that's because of the cleanser or because I started using Benzac AC as spot treatment again.

Anyway here is what I got!!

So to make up for the $50 I bought the following Sukin products: Rosehip oil, cream cleanser, face scrub, body scrub, eye cream, toner. I didnt buy the moisturizer because I know there's one inlcluded in the giftbag ;) They are also having 3 for 2 promotion for Sukin, so all the 6 turns out to be $62. 6 products for $62! ain't that amazing. That much money can only buy me a bottle of kiehls cleanser and a toner...

(if you don't live in AUS and think WTF that's too expensive, that can't be right.. no no Kiehls, and most other overseas brands are ridonkulously overpriced here)

I tried Sukin's face scrub in the shower today and oh my gawd it's amazing. Rubbed and scrubbed for 1 minute and my face is as soft as a baby's bum (maybe not quite, but still). I don't know what I have been scrubbing my face with in the past few years. The scrub texture is actually really creamy, creamier than I thought it will be. I love this and actually can't wait to use it again.. there's no feeling like touching your face and comparing it to your other body parts, and then realize that your face is oh-so-smooth.

I have the rosehip oil and the eye serum on my face right now.. I have been wanting to try the rosehip oil but I have been too paranoid to try it (I have been having troubles with pimples since age 13, so I am heaps cautious with what I put on my face) so far its pretty good.. the oil sinks right in and it doesnt feel greasy like when I use bio oil on my face (dont know why I did that, it was crapola) I will report about this in my next post.

Anyway I'm pretty happy with the gift bag.. they have plenty of moisturisers (Dove, Palmers, and Vaseline) as well as hand cream (nivea, and the one on the left of biore cleanser.. ) and both of them I use a lot... Other than these you get a paper style face mask (the one on the far left) and a face mask with cereal on it (on the right) There is also a witch and OXY blemish stick, Avene water thing, Yes to carrots face wipes and a lip balm. I think I won't need to buy any more skin care product for the rest of the year! 

xx

The white shirt

I have been ooh and aah-ing over A.P.C's work ever since my bf introduced me to it through his enthusiasm to their New Cure Raw denim. I still don't get what is up with raw denim as to me it's all the same- but what I love with A.P.C is it's simplicity and high quality fabric. I purchased this shirt last thursday from Barneys NY. It came to my work place on monday but I received it just yesterday because mr postie dropped my pack to the wrong office! boo. The DHL people was very nice and fixed it quickly though. I'm still very happy with the shipping, 4 days from the US, how good is that.

I am a bit dissapointed by the fabric though, it's thinner than what I thought it will be, a bit sheer even. Definitely a white shirt for summer days. Luckily it fits well, a wee bit too long on the arms but it's fine (I have short arms). Hopefully it will last me for quite some time. (no photos yet.. sorry :P)

Now behold some food porn....

 Went to eat in Menya noodle bar, Sydney CBD last Tuesday.  I've been wanting to try since forever..... but just never made it here. It's probably because of its location; it's kind of hidden under the big BT tower building in Market St. I ordered the Menya tonkatsu ramen and the Mr ordered Kimchi ramen. I love them both equally... the tonkatsu ramen is probably the best in the Sydney, the broth is soooo rich and the slightly gooey egg completes the dish. Loved it loved it loved it.

 

 

 

On Friday I went to Ichiban Sushi Train in Mona Vale, in the Northern Beaches of Sydney. That day I thought that we're going to the $25 Sushi Choo train in the Ivy, but the mr actually meant that he wanted to go to here.. That day was probably the first time that I had an epic communication problem with the Mr.. hehe. Luckily I managed to catch the bus alright. The place is not too far but gawd damn Sydney buses took me for a ride for an hour until I reach the place. The food was worth it though... 

The place is quite new but there's already a few patrons there when we came in. When we finished the place was fully packed. The first thing I notice here is that the Sushi are not conventional... well not traditional at all compared to other sushi trains (but then again I don't go to much sushi trains) First there's chicken sushi with red rice (yum), kingfish sashimi, which is the catch of the day, which is so plump, juicy and fresh of course, then a grilled prawn with cheese and some sort of bbq sauce, as well as seafood sticks with cheese and bbq sauce (last pic). This one is my favourite plate:

Prawns and unagi. Yum. I wish I had more. The mr cringes to the idea of sashimi with cheese and mayo, but I loved it. a lot. I'm definitely going to come back. 

My Glassons order.. I bought 2x of merino wool tops that everyone have been raving about. It's nice, warm and pretty cuddly... good value as well I suppose... Loved the packaging, it's actually better than Barney's! Barney's one only comes in a dhl brown envelope thing, boo.

So there's my week. 2 more working days to the long weekend!!! Who's looking forward to it??

xxxxxx Liz