Farewell 2011

New Years Eve.

Urghh..

This post is difficult for me because this time of year makes me anxious. Like there's an elephant on my chest and I can't get enough oxygen into my lungs kind of anxious.

I stumbled across this quote on Pinterest yesterday.. And honestly ? It was made for me.

Pinned here

Most people you speak to will admit that New Years Eve is the most over-rated event in the calender. And every year it's a struggle to organise where to celebrate; how to get there; and possibly the most stressful decision - What to wear.

But as this year comes to a close, I've been a little blasé about the celebration side of things, instead involuntarily getting all up in my head about the past and also the future.

This year has been particularly challenging for me, so I know I should be saying goodbye and good riddance to 2011 and welcoming 2012 with open arms.. But I can't help but feel a little nervous. A little apprehensive. A little unsure.

It's like writing in a brand new notebook or diary - You don't want to make a mistake and ruin the perfect pages.

But this anxiety is exhausting me. And I know it's not particularly productive.

So tonight, as the countdown begins I'm going to focus on my new years resolution -

Pinned here

And to you, my lovely readers - I wish you a safe and happy New Year.

xx

Project Healthy House

I'm fairly confident that I'm not alone when I say that I have indulged in far too much food over the past few days.

My routine came easily - Melting Moments and Choc Caramel Slice for breakfast; Pavlova for lunch; Ice-cream and Custard for dessert. Fruit ? Barely. Not unless it was chocolate covered...

Oh!  There were pieces of strawberries in mum's Jelly Slice...!

Anyway, after solidly eating may way through the first half of my holidays, I am now turning my attention to a new plan.

Project Healthy House.

I live with 2 gorgeous girls, but the three of us have decided that if we work together to make healthy choices, the lifestyle will be easier to maintain.

Plus Miss Morgan was given Wii Zumba for Christmas and we're super excited to give it a try (Once we figure out how to get the Wii to work...)

I've posted about fitness before. And while it seems to conflict somewhat with my blog name, I have decided that it can/will be possible for me to bake my cupcakes and eat them too.

For me, it's about focus. It's about making choices that make me happy. It's about putting myself first.

So three cheers to Project Healthy House (and yes Miss Jodie, you can join in too).

How to Reach Your Fitness Goals. Pinned Here

xx

My Style : Sea, Sun, Stripes

Loving Summer Holidays... I've been dreaming of the sun and the sea for weeks.

I've also been dreaming about summer fashion.

I'm currently embracing all things nautical - I've noticed navy and white striped dresses, tank tops, bikinis, hats and jewellery creeping into my wardrobe.

This polyvore board is inspired by the many new additions to my clothing collection, specifically a cute pair of tan platforms which I've now worn three days in a row...

I'm now looking forward to the warmer weather that's forecast for the end of the week so that I can spend some quality time in the sun at the beach.

xx

The Weekend That 'Flew'

So, we had our work Christmas Party on Friday night - The theme was 'Australia'..

And The Cool Pod rocked it.

Our interpretation of the theme was a little outside the square, but you can read more on that over at LukaMish.

Saturday was a very quiet day.. and by quiet, I mean that I barely moved from the couch. Frozen coke was my saviour.

So today I felt like I needed to be super productive to make up for such a lazy Saturday. The days activities included Christmas shopping and lunch with mum.

Then I spent a few solid hours in the kitchen - simultaneously baking, singing and dancing around to my latest and greatest playlist.

The result ?

A candy house and a cake for dessert.

 Not bad, right?

Can you believe there's less than a week left until Christmas now?

There will be more baking, singing and dancing later in the week as I prepare some sweet treats for Christmas Day..

xx

Hen's Day Cupcakes

Miss Morgan hosted a Hen's Party at our place last weekend.

I contributed by baking some cupcakes. Hen's Day-appropriate cupcakes.

Please avert your eyes if you're easily embarrassed...

Oh, there are soooo many jokes I could make. But let's try to keep this clean shall we?

Admittedly, with these cakes, it's probably less about the taste and more about the looks, but I'll share the recipe anyway..

Chocolate and Almond Cupcakes

Ingredients

100g dark chocolate, chopped

50g ground almonds

90g self-raising flour

4 eggs, separated

115g caster sugar

2 tbsp warm milk

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Line muffin tray with patty pans

Place chocolate in food processor and process until finely ground

Add ground almonds and flour and process until just combined

Beat the egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes, until thick and pale

Stir in chocolate mixture

Stir in milk

Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form

Gently fold whites into the mixture with a metal spoon until just combined

Divide mixture among the cases

Bake for 10-12 minutes

Cool on a wire rack.

And, yes - They were a HUGE hit. 

xx

Missing My Fur Child

I love my new living arrangements.

Sure, I had some reservations before I moved in. How could I not? I have never lived with anyone other than my ex in the past. I am used to my own space and the silence that comes with living alone. I wasn't sure how I would find living in a share house with two other people, but my housemates are both gorgeous and so far, all is good. I am loving our family dinners and having people to watch tv with. The endless supply of magazines and the equally limitless "That's what she said" jokes, because we're all super mature.

It's the simple things.

But today I am missing my fur child, who due to a silly clause in the lease agreement, can't live with us and join in the girly fun too.

xx

I believe...

i believe in pink

What else do I believe in?

Well, I believe in the power of retail therapy.

I believe in changing your nail polish to match your outfit.

I believe in spontaneous road trips and booking last minute airplane tickets.

I believe you can never own too many pairs of shoes.

I believe everyone looks better with a tan.

I believe in cheesy philosophical quotes like 'Everything happens for a reason'.

I believe in licking the bowl after making a cake and eating raw cookie dough.

I believe in splurging on delicious food at fancy restaurants.

I believe in forgoing the towel and letting the sun dry you off when you get out of the pool.

I believe in choc top icecreams at the cinema.

I believe in loving your surrounds - a pretty home is a happy home.

I believe in always saying what you mean and meaning what you say.

I believe in staying up late and waking up early.

I believe in telling the people you love that you love them.

And obviously, I believe in cupcakes.

xx

He's Chuck Bass

Chuck Bass.

Need I say more ?

We're gonna spend some time together this weekend.

Chuck Bass

On another note - this is my most re-pinned pin on Pinterest. Over 110 people have re-pinned this image because it's so fabulous.

Flowers, parcels and a foot-popping kiss. *swoon*

Happy weekend everyone.

xx