'Twas the night before Xmas

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Wishing all a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Back in 2013!

What I've been up to

via my instagram

With time having snatched me off my backside and challenging my energy supplies, this poor little blog has suffered a lack of love.  Here's a little of what I've been up to (ok, I'm justifying my absence...)

via my instagram @ mariaeleni_

1.  Final ballet rehearsals and presentations have not only ripped my feet to pieces, they've had me battling every urge to sleep through any available morning hour. Thank goodness a no-pain-no-gain attitude (towards ballet) makes me happier than a kid with cake!

2.  I have been head-down-bum-up focusing on my latest work assignment...until I started questioning everything when I came across the book How to Find Fulfilling Work via this blog.

3.  Whistling Christmas carols.

4.  Not the sort who enjoys dodging Christmas shopping crowds, I decided to be organised and get the pressies sorted damn quick. If I had London's top 10 shops at my doorstep, I imagine I'd be a touch more inclined to drag the process out.

Jacaranda

5.  Time with my boy has been low on availability so when we've snatched a minute from our schedules, we've ditched the predictable and taken to lying side-by-side under the Jacarandas of the North Adelaide parklands, chatting the minutes away watching the evening light fade. Bliss.

Hope you're spending your time doing most, if not all, things you love!

Friday's Finds



via the design files

First week of December, done! Must admit, I've been a little off the blog-radar lately and it's got everything to do with diving into the first week of my newest assignment doing all things online-communications-y. Pretty snazzy stuff. In between that and drilling my toes through hours of ballet class, I've been keeping a few bookmarks up my sleeve for a cheeky time-eater post. Click away and enjoy!

1. It's everything hot-and-summer-time-fun in my neck of the woods offering the perfect excuse to whip these mango and salted coconut Popsicles! 

2. Design buffs, be seated and hide your credit card. This fab open house went on in Melbourne a few days ago with all sorts of wild design covetables hanging about.

3. I'm on a bit of a Melbourne rant in this post, but it's impossible not to share these gorgeous finds. The new Mynd Interiors store is no exception.

via my iphone whilst on a walk down south yarra way....

In case anyone asks, I'm headed off to a wonderful summer-sun-drenched weekend spent amongst my nearest and dearest. I'm especially giddy about the time I'm getting to spend with the boy over delicious eats and a glass of 'grapes', talking about anything, everything and the rest. Lately, as work picks up a roaring pace for him, our time to sit and do jack becomes less frequent but that much more brilliant...

How are you spending your weekend?

Crafty offerings

pics via

Unless productivity can be measured by a beach-bronzed body and a new pair of pony-skin kicks I snapped up, then it's pretty fair to say I have just about zilch to show for my 3-week-no-work stretch. I had every good intention of making all those Christmas pressie purchases...promise!

Thank goodness for my sticky beak into Craft Vic's window the other day. It lead me right on over to their revamped catalogue of brilliance; the little day-saver disorganised folk (like me) have been waiting for. Christmas offerings, solved.

p.s. My name is all over those ceramics, in case anyone is asking.

Fun in the sun

What's it called when you have 3weeks off from work during spring's most gloriously sun drenched days? Pretty damn lucky...or something like that, right? At this moment, I'm doing a fine job of kicking back between the been-and-gone and the up-and-coming work assignments - I've  been on my A-game snapping up proof of just how much fun-in-the-sun I've been up to. Thought I'd be extra cheeky and share a little a bit with you....

By day, it's a lot of time spent with one of my most favourite people on this earth, my would've-been-sister-but-is-my-cousin, Nicola. This lovely lady and I are taking it upon ourselves to trial the finest coffee and brunch spots across Adelaide, only after a super-charged beach exercise sesh, of course!

A Mother's Milk Unley Rd

Hey Jupiter Ebenezer Place

And if we're not testing the pro-made stuff, we've been spotted sipping a brew and soaking up the rays in my flower-flooded backyard...reading a little of Megan Morton's design file and savouring pure gold (aka honeycomb), as you do.

By sunset, there have been plenty of these extra special dinner hours spent lapping up the still spring nights. Naturally paired with a fine wine in hand and swooned by these delicious tunes...

Handwritten love

The grass is definitely greener since I unwrapped my very own copy of Things I Love by Megan Morton - you might remember this post where I waved a few pompoms around for the release of the delicious mish mash of style inspiration. Making things that much more special is the little personal touch of Megan's grey-inked, handwritten note inside the cover. If you don't already know, anything handwritten sets me giddy; there's something especially charming about a pen-to-paper note of hello, don't you think?

Here's another little sticky beak into a few pages of this beautifully styled print brightening up my days...

all snaps taken by my iphone - sorry about the quality

Friday's FInds

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Kick 'em heels up, it's Friday! To get us over the 5pm hurdle a little smoother, I've got a few sneaky links I saved through the week. Enjoy.

1. Here's your latest time-waster. Save it in your favourites and you'll have randomly bouncing cats on your screen at the click of a button. If you see one losing velocity, give it a little click and thoughtfully send it flying again.

2. Should you text him? I dunno. Maybe check this convoluted flowchart that someone whipped up to guide you to that well thought through answer for those problem-relationship moments. I'm still stuck on the fact that someone thought to create it...

3. Still twiddling your thumbs? Here are some pretty fab looping animations by Thoka Maer. The more you watch them, the better they get.

On that note, I'm ready to kick off into the weekend. In fact I can't quite get grip, giddy for the few days to come where I'll be doing nothing too much other than enjoying 3 of my favourite things:

1. Time with the boy, sitting back over a wine and catching up on the whirl of a week just gone
2. Strapping on the pointe shoes and grinning through some no-pain-no-gain hours of training
3. A little time to get my Nigella-esque skills polished up in the kitchen. This time, a little sweet is on the menu. I'll keep you posted!

How do you spend a relaxing, no-plan weekend?

Things I Love by Megan Morton

I'll admit my attention span leaves a lot to be desired, which does me no real favours when I'm staring down a challenge of finishing a novel. Great news on the book-finishing-front, for me and anyone else who's eyes dart off to any sort of visually delicious thing, is the gem I've stumbled across in Australian publishing land. Sydney stylist Megan Morton's book Things I Love is all about the spirit of aesthetic enquiry, pulling together a messy mish mash of reference material, house (interior) pervs, creative ideas and all sorts of useful info to build an eclectic encyclopedic tome. Megan set out to create an interior book unlike any other - with her tips and stylist tricks, she's delivered us this gorgeous read with that infectious energy of hers, minus the snooty design nonsense. I'd say she's bang on her game plan.

images via

Things I Love isn't designed to be read cover to cover, either. Hurrah! Retailing at $49.00, published by Lantern / Penguin, the book will be available from all good bookshops Australia-wide from this Thursday. Or you can buy online like me, here.

Spring baking

Baking is high on my to-do list whenever I have a little extra time to swan about doing not too much at all. Thanks to a weekend filled with these extra minutes it seems I've finally cracked the code on baking a perfectly risen, most delicious of country loaves. In fact I threw my own little spin on things and transformed this beauty into an Olive Loaf. Here's how...

The wet ingredients:
To make the yeast combine 7g dry yeast in 1/2 cup warm water with 1 teaspoon of soft brown sugar. Put this aside to work its magic for 10 minutes or so. I spent a good few minutes soaking up the spring sun whilst I waited...




Reading a little Bach, soaking some UV and sipping back a coffee while I wait. Absolute perfection in my books.

 The dry ingredients:
Incorporate 2 cups plain flour, 2 cups wholemeal flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar before adding 1 more cup of water and the yeast mixture. This is where I added some chopped olives. Give this a little mix with a wooden spoon until you can start kneading it on a floured surface.
Once combined, place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and set aside for 20-40 minutes covered with a damp tea towel, or until doubled in size. Again, the perfect excuse to soak up a little UV! Once the time is up, knock back the dough and kneed again for only a few minutes. Shape it however you wish (round is generally the go), and place on a lightly dusted (with flour) baking tray. Cover with the tea towel and set aside for another 20-40 minutes. Then you're ready to place it in a preheated 180degree oven for 20 or so minutes. I like to lightly oil the loaf and dust with a little flour before baking.

The perfect accompaniment to our Sunday roast, enjoyed in the most beautifully still night amongst our spring garden blooms.

//all pictures via my iphone

It's black and white

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The talent that screams through Lina Arvidsson's lens had me stuck in my tracks when I came across collection after collection of her brilliant photography. I thought this image was by far the best to reflect a little of the giddiness I'm feeling and finding in the things that fill my days. Sometimes all that's needed to plant my feet firmly on this ground and centre every sense of my being is to don the old black and white approach. Finding that simplicity and calm gravitates my energy to the treasures that fuel me - my love, my family, my friends.

Design file

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I'm a sucker for brand I.D, for those who didn't know and this beauty is no exception. In a serious state of kid-and-cake heaven, I've been stuck, giddy in my tracks, gawking over my latest find at SeptemberIndustry, and with good reason...

As part of the State of Design Festival the pop-up Micro Kitchen was standing around Melbourne-town for a week in its lofty space. The plywood furniture, hand painted branding and tongue-in-cheek design concept of designer 'spooning' chef was the result of these clever cookies. Even if you have no design-love-bone in your body, the snaps are worth a peep!

Friday's Finds

via 73 Letterpress

Bring on the weekend! Here's a sneaky three links to help us through the last few work-day-hours...

1. As part of a 'homemade instruments' submission, this smarty pants has taken things to a new level. Sit back and enjoy...Fast Food in C Major.

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2. Having stumbled his way across the globe, this whisky pro presents us with the 101 WorldWhiskies to Try Before You Die. I'm not supporting any drunken silliness...in fact, I'm just a tad swooned by the catalog design!

3. If your lost with nothing to do, I suggest you click your way over to 73 Letterpress and flick through a set of time-passers! Brilliant.

I'll see you on the other side of this wonderful weekend! Welcome to my lovely new followers too. x

27 candles

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I've never really taken to posting too many "What I've Been Up To's" on this blog, but the bug's got me and I think, for as long as this lasts, I might just have to share a little more about my days than I have been. Here's 3 things I've been up to...

Peanut butter and ice cream coated in caramel and choc. As I'm ready to knock mine back in one bite, I don't need to explain just how heavenly this mini-treat was!

all iphone snaps

1. Last Friday saw me sip back sangria with the most beautiful ladies I'll know to mark my 27th year of (my) birthday celebrations. After eating our way through Grace Establishment's gorgeously grilled wagu burgers, tacos and croquettes, we devoured the best birthday-cake-replacement you could hope for - chocolate and caramel coated vanilla ice cream with a lip-smacking chunk of peanut butter hidden inside! Sweets and sangria aside, I was mighty spoilt and blushing with the thoughtfulness and love shown by my nearest and dearest.
*Happy B'day to my twin brother too. Nothing beats having a brilliant brother to share old age with!



my iphone working its magic again

2. I've ditched the gym sessions and jumped right into these glorious spring days by taking to the soft sand and striding through some beach power-walk sessions. Not only are they killer workouts for the thighs and derriere, there's something to be said about the therapeutic qualities of getting down to the salty air and crystal-like waters. Even though I pace along the coastline huffing and sweating like a mad-woman for 60 minutes, I end up leaving feeling totally rejuvenated, relaxed and like my heaviest thoughts have been magically swept away.

via pinterest

3. If you get the impression that I've been floating away to some kind of happy land all week, you'd be half right. I've also managed to squeeze in a bit of thinking when I haven't been busy pinching myself for being so damn lucky. I came across the quote above and laughed; you see, before I hit my 20somethings, my Grandma would always tell me the old "show me your friends and I'll tell you exactly who you are". Now, in my closer-to-30's, I'm looking at the people around me and realising the deepest and greatest respect I have for each and every one of them and their own unique light they shine in my life. If I'm anything like what I see in them, I'm quite the happy camper indeed. x

Friday's Finds

//via my instagram

Phew.  That bumper of a week has left me spinning and ready for what the weekend has in store - time with my boy who just got back from his os travels and my early-b'day-pressie calfskin Ralph Lauren wallet that came with him! Must say, as much as an early b'day pressie can smack a big, fat ear-to-ear on my noggin, nothing can quite match the giddiness of being able to hop-skip-and-JUMP back into his arms. Before I kick off into the weekend joys, here's a few random finds that'll be keeping me busy and entertained. Enjoy...

1. I'm all about sourcing a good DIY lately.  I've also been on the hunt for tea cups with a difference...until I realised I could DIY my way to tea cup individuality!

2. I'm a sucker for old school ways...the sound of typewriter keys clicking away included. You too? Check this out. Typewriters are now fully functional USB keyboards for iPad, PC and Mac.

3. I've fallen for rings of the super skinny kind. Timeless. #1 would be more than welcome as an addition to my digits.

27cm rule

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As a joke (funny to me) I had this imaginary "27cm rule-thing" going in my mind. A few years ago after moving to Melbourne, this randomly plucked number became my imaginary ruler that would measure the distance I'd hold myself back from all things wonderful but challenging. Subconsciously (mainly out of fear of falling flat on my backside) I'd be standing just "27cm away" from kickin' a few goals in my achievement-department; I'd be holding myself back those "27cm" from digging my digits into something I really, madly wanted. Fear, hesitation, all that energy-wasting-stuff would make up those 27cm's. Pathetic really.

These 27cm have recently crept up on me again and placed themselves between me and my ability to tap away at this blog. I'm not sure how other bloggers feel, but occasionally I feel I can’t quite get a grip of my ability to post something half-interesting. I've kept this up long enough to place a firm 27cm distancing me until I find the exit from hesitation and get a rejuvenated blogging confidence. Posts might be a little less frequent for the moment but I do hope to see you all when I’ve kicked my 27cm ruler in the butt for good.

Isn't it a great feeling when you free yourself from all that doubt-driven-rubbish and just go for 'it'.

Lights, camera, instagram-filter...

my tappers via my instagram

I'm very proud to announce...the (late) arrival of my instagram profile. After much, much persuasion, I've jumped on board the snap-happy-app and (I hate to eat my words and admit) am loving it more than expected! Head on over and follow my snaps of the little things stopping me in my tracks, plus the random happenings alongside my daily do's.

1 picture/1000 words

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I've been sharing an awful lot of "me, me, me" posts lately - sorry to hog the spotlight. I have one more "me moment" for you, though. I found the pic above this morning and cracked myself up - this is exactly how I pictured myself in last night's class! Some of you might not know that after (way too long ago) thinking I'd hung up my ribbons and tights for good, I got sick of procrastination and stomped my foot down in the decision to complete my ballet quals. With 3 exams set for next year and no time for muckin' about, I've got right into things - last night I found myself (for the first time in years) 'articulating my feet' and springing back up to the tips of my less-blistered-more-pampered toes. As much as I'm revelling in getting back into the greatest thing I've known, my feet aren't exactly expressing that same joy this morning thanks to last night's less than subtle reminder of the salt baths, methylated-spirit-blister-soaking sessions, and band-aid-strapped toes to come. Funny thing is, that's surprisingly all part of the fun! All pain aside, with ballet ready to re-consume 92% of my life again, I'm finding it pretty easy floating through the day to the words below...

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Enjoy your day, lovely people. Thanks for stopping by and to those that leave a message or two. x