All rugged up

Hello friends!

Happy new year and all that jazz. I'm back, and I'm excited and I've got a spring in my step that's been missing for a while.

I have lots of plans for 2016 but am not going all gun-ho and OTT with my new years resolutions. I have some realistic goals to keep my motivated and on track, but nothing too life changing.

In the last few weeks of 2015, I started a new job in the city and I moved into a little place of my own. Life is good and I'm just focusing on things that make me happy. My little flat is gorgeous, I feel so at peace there - lots of natural light, a great kitchen, white walls and big windows. So now it's all about adding the Kate factor to it! 

I'll share some pics with you shortly as I'll be needing some support on my decorating journey, but in the meantime, I just had to post this image as I'm OBSESSED with the rug. I NEED one just like this. Like, urgently. And rugs are so expensive!

Anyone have a clue where I can get my hands on something similar? I have lino/fake floor board looking floors in my lounge room and it really needs a rug to anchor the couches.

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated!

Pic from apartment therapy

Investing in me

2015 has been a year of ups and downs. But to turn it around, I've decided to focus on me and invest in what makes me happy. And I'm having a ball.

In the last four months, I have taken conversational Italian classes, learnt how to marinate cheese, become obsessed with fit barre, started practising mindfulness, holidayed in Sydney, changed my hair colour, committed to running, adopted a new perfume and started colouring in.

Busy hey?!

But the activity I'm most excited about is coming up this weekend. I've booked in for the Georgeous Classroom and I'm like a kid before Christmas! I've long had a girl crush on the team from Georgeous and can't wait to meet the minds behind the creative.

Im posting from my phone and have no idea how to embed a link so here's the address: http://www.georgeousclassroom.com

A CLASSROOM FOR DREAMERS,

THINKERS AND CREATORS...

GEORGEOUS CLASSROOM has been a little dream of the Georgeous team for far too long now. We have decided 2015 is the year to open up our doors and to share our world with you...

I can't wait to get my creative on and perhaps take the next step in working out what I want to do with my life. Georgie is an inspiration in terms of building a small business from the ground up and it is this business nouse that I need to nurture and develop. I'm going to be like sponge and soak it all up!

Most importantly, I'm really keen to meet more likeminded friends. I sometimes feel like such a leper and don't know anyone on the same page as me, especially as I get older.  Can't wait to see who my fellow students will be and what possible friendships will form.

Stay tuned for a recap. I've got my groove back - I think - and hope my blogging mojo will follow.

Clothesline decorating

How much fun is Christmas?! It's a great excuse to get everyone together to celebrate the ups and downs of the year. I know there are lots of bah humbugs out there who curse the frantic festive catch ups in the lead up to Christmas, but I revel in them.

I indulged in the merriment of the season gathered my Melbourne family for lazy Saturday drinks at my place. I am so grateful for my little support network over here. I haven't made many friends from scratch, but rather borrowed from my existing friends' pool of friends. Sharing is caring, right?!

Well, we all know I love a nibbles platter or two so experimented with a few Michelle Bridges canapé options and some serious sangria - red and white.

Fun fun fun! My laptop is flat so I can't link to recipes right now but stay tuned for these guilt free treats that I'll share tomorrow.

Ps. My housemate is caving, she even helped put up the decorations. I can be very persuasive when I try ... and I find bribery works!

 

Update: Links to recipes below

 

Donna Hay's white sangria

 

Mexican dip

 

Christmas cakes

 

Traditional sangria

 

Beetroot and goats cheese tarts (my own little concoction)

• Puff pastry rounds (a scone cutter is about the right size for mini muffin tins)
• Beetroot relish (hello Beerenberg!)
• Goats cheese
• Fresh mint

1. Cut out the puff pastry rounds and line mini muffin tins (spray tin with non stick oil first)
2. Prick the bottom of each pastry round with a fork
3. Fill each cup with a small dollop (not quite a teaspoon) of beetroot relish (do not go overboard otherwise it will spill over)
4. Top with a sprinkle of goats cheese (about half a teaspoon)
5. Cook in a preheated oven at 180C until puffed and golden
6. Cool in tray until easy to handle and then transfer to wire rack
7. Sprinkle with torn mint leaves and serve

 Michelle Bridges 12WBT Chicken & Herb Tartlets

• 1g Olive oil spray        
• 2 1/3 slices Wholemeal mountain bread (58g)
• 250g Cooked lean chicken breast, diced
• 2 stalks Celery stalk (40g), finely diced
• 2 tablespoons Chives (6g), finely chopped  
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves (6g), finely chopped
• 1 teaspoons Lemon zest (5g), finely grated        
• 2 tablespoons Low-fat natural yoghurt (40g)        
• 2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise (40g)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly spray 20 holes of a 24 hole mini muffin tin with oil. Cut each full piece of mountain bread into 9 even squares. Cut the 1/3 bread into 3 squares. Press into prepared holes, to form a shell. Spray lightly with oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
2. Meanwhile, combine chicken, celery, chives, parsley, lemon zest, yoghurt and mayonnaise in a medium size bowl. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
3. To serve, spoon 1 tablespoon of chicken filling into each tart shell (you will have one extra shell).

Michelle Bridges 12WBT rare roast beef, white bean and red pesto crostini

• 1 baguette sourdough (80g), cut into 20 slices
• 1g Olive oil spray
• 2 teaspoons Olive oil (10g)
• 1 cloves Garlic (3g), crushed
• 1 cups drained cannellini beans (173g), drained and rinsed        
• 2 teaspoons Lemon juice (10g)        
• 1 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves (3g), chopped        
• 2 tablespoons Chives (6g), chopped        
• 150g Lean beef fillets        
• 5 teaspoons Sundried tomato pesto (25g)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place baguette slices on tray and spray lightly with oil. Bake for 10 minutes, turning once during cooking, until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool.
2. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring, for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add beans and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds more. Add lemon juice, parsley and half the chives.Transfer to a food processor and process to a rough puree. Add 1-2 tablespoons hot water if too thick. Set aside to cool.
3. Spray a small frying pan with oil and heat over high heat. Cook steak for 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Cut into 20 thin slices.
4. To serve, spread some white bean puree over each crostini. Top with a slice of beef and a small dollop of pesto. Serve immediately, scattered with remaining chives.

 

A vision

Feel like treating your eyes to a visionary feast?

Well, head to Black & Spiro's freshly launched website.

www.blackandspiro.com.au

It's beyond beautiful.

I've come in to work to tidy up a few things before I leave and I've been here for nearly an hour and still haven't opened any emails or actioned any items on my list. I've been distracted. But do you blame me?

Check it out now and read about it on Anna's blog here.

Green is good

Having lunch with a very dear and very pregnant friend today and realised I hadn't shared pics from her gorgeous baby shower the other week.

It was so sweet, such a gorgeous afternoon on the lawn.

The food. A+

The company. Top notch

The games. Subtle (thank goodness!)

The setting. Perfect

The decorations. Divine (care of Bliss Events)

All the best BK x

Fitzperfect

Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?

Georgeous | Simply Georgeous Occasions never cease to ah-maze me. Their work is perfection, out of this world, totally exquisite.

This wedding in Melbourne's Fitzroy Town Hall ticks all my boxes - colour, flowers, community, magic . . . everything.

Check here for the full facebook album

In the meantime, back to researching my 30th . . . 

Mambo Italiano

The lovely Pete and Michelle hosted a gorgeous long lunch on their back lawn in celebration of Michelle's 30th birthday last week.

It was stunning weather, great company and perfect food. Not so sure about that orange liquor though Michelle, I'm going to blame that for my killer hangover on Sunday!

The menu included meatballs and bruschetta to start, with beautiful shared antipasto platters and then roast meats with salads to boot - including panzanella, calabrese, fennel and orange, and beans. And then for dessert, a gelati bar.

Plus copious amounts of prosecco.

Molto bene, people!

Backyard brilliant

Don't you love playing tourist in your home town?

Especially when you can show off new places to relatively new Adelaide residents.

I took my friend Kristie and her pregnant belly to an old favourite for dinner last night. When you haven't been for years, there's always a risk that it will never live up to the memories.

Cafe Salsa lived up to the hype. Phew!

One of the best pizza  bases I've had in a long time. And I just love the fit out, so retro and cool, like Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast 50 years ago.

Go exploring in your own backyard these Summer holidays, you'll fall in love with your home town all over again!

Clean slate

Isn't this a lovely idea for a New Year's Eve shindig?

'Ring in the New Year with a clean slate' by the ever so talented Loralee Lewis

I love blackboards and chalk and this has inspired me to come up with a new design for my kitchen chalkboard door, fresh for 2013.

I'm turning 3-0 next year and look forward to starting the year with a clean slate. And a new mind-map (yes Bree, I'll get to it soon!)

Do you make new year's resolutions?

Project fail

Oh Pinterest, you gave me so many ideas for Christmas this year.

And I did not complete a single one of them.

Hats off to all the motivated, creative and inspiring people out there who actually 'do' while I 'talk'.

There's always next year . . .

In the meantime, happy Christmas Eve everyone! 

I'm celebrating at Mum and Dad's with a swim, bottle of bubbles and Carols by Candlelight on telly.

Perfect!

hard to find but easy to read

I love a new online magazine find!

Hats off to the team at hard to find - their marketing is fabulous and they have certainly got my attention.

If it's not the beautifully presented catalogues that come in my monthly mag, then it's the daily email updates I get that brighten my day.

Their styling is awesome and their offerings so fresh. 

So it was no surprise that their latest venture is so spot on the mark.

htf. magazine is truly beautiful. And clever. Sure, there's lots of product placement but they've done it so intelligently. It's not all 'look at us, we're so great', it's more subtle and classy and I'm impressed.

Click here to read their launch issue.

From where I'd rather be . . .

Happy Melbourne Cup Day!

To get you in the mood and make you totally green with envy as you sit at your desk, here are some gorgeous pics from the team at Georgeous - event planners to the stars.

They do The Races like no other. I have a serious girl crush on the owner, Georgie Kay. What an absolute talent!

From David Jones at Caulfield to the Herald Sun at Flemington, they spoil their clients with beautiful blooms, innovative design and personalised finishing touches like nothing I've seen. Their interiors are mind-blowing and ground breaking, it's not the stock standard hospitality marquees you'll see at other events.

Follow them on Facebook here and while you're at it, look them up on Instagram (@georgeousoccasions), I love their behind the scenes shots.

All pics from Georgeous Facebook page