Family
Puppies Galore
I miss my babies and wish I could see them more often. The naughty pair came over for visit this weekend and did cause some havoc, but isn’t that what puppies are for?
Buffy likes to burrow into the cushions – as captured below. The girls liked to cuddle up to their dad as well. Alec calls them “stalker dogs” because they don’t like us to be out of their sight. If I get off the couch to go to the kitchen, I turn around and there is one or both of them, at my heels looking up expectantly. Somewhat disturbing, somewhat cute. It’s hard to decide.
I met up with my parents to hand over my babies again. I really like walking the dogs here on a nice day like today.
Mum with baby Buffy. She is such a little micro dog.
Kahlua – my soul mate in doggy form.
Girls’ Day Out
Beverly has been telling us about this fabulous French cafe for a while, so I was more than happy to begin our shopping bonanza with hot chocolate and pastries. I’ve been to France a few times and am planning another trip, so it really got me into the “I’m going to France” groove. Which also reminds me that my lapse in practicing French has left my language skills as abysmal. Must refresh my memory before venturing the land of chocolate!
Back to the cafe, it’s called La Gerbe D’or and is in Paddington. Beverly knows the owner, a lovely French fellow, who recognised her and came over for a chat. The cafe was extremely busy, both with fellow diners inhaling gigantic amounts of hot chocolate, as well as locals popping in for exquisite pastries and baguettes.
Beverly points to the many items she is about to order.
This is not a distorted image. The bowl is as large as my head. We worked out it was about four cups worth, and only cost around $5. Bargain – and sickness-inducing.
Onion tart.
Mushroom quiche.
My late breakfast – so tasty and fluffy. It cost around $8, which I thought was a reasonable price.
Yes, another demonstration of how piggy we are.
Three girls, ready to pig out and buy lots of pretty things.
Lisa’s dessert.
Drinking my way into queasiness. It was so divine I just couldn’t stop. It was very sweet and light, but next time I will split it with someone.
In Alannah Hill I fell in love with this princess dress. I wasn’t exactly in the market for another dress, but what can you do when fate throws you the perfect frock?
After a day of trying on dresses, we adjourned back to the apartment for pizza gluttony from LCC. After boasting about the glory of LCC pizza, the girls insisted we all try it and decide once and for all if it is indeed the fairest pizza on the North Shore. The evening did not start auspiciously – the pizza took an hour to arrive. That is the standard delivery time for LCC and we’re used to it, but our guests were impatient for foooood.
Posing. Of course.
“Limpeted!”
Don’t know what was going on here. Beverly has “I’m cranky, feed me” face. And Chris has … I don’t know what to call that.
Finally! Food! LCC were good to us and threw in a large garlic and herb pizza and garlic bread.
Alec tries to save me from myself.
Chillin’. Ahhh pizza satisfaction!
Spellbound by the Wii.
Cuties with their toy ferrets.
Couldn’t resist throwing this one in. Too cute for words.
La Gerbe D’or
255 Glenmore Road
Paddington, NSW 2021
Sakura Japanese Kitchen
Shelley took me to Sakura Japanese Kitchen before we saw a movie last week. It’s a tiny little place that serves fast, tasty, cheap Japanese food. There were lots of Japanese people in there so I think it’s safe to say if it’s a hit with the locals then it’s more than good enough for us!
The service is fast and friendly and the food come out within 10 minutes of ordering. Shelley had rainbow rolls and prawn and vege tempora, and I had vegetables tempora and udon noodle soup. The noodles were super tasty, the soup was delicious and the veges were huge! I also thought the food was good value – it cost about $11 for my dish. We will be back!
Sakura Japanese Kitchen
Shop 325 Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel. 02 9261 0711
Open seven days
Birthday Escape: Glen Davis and Katoomba {Day 3}
It’s cold out here. Bone-chillingly cold. The sky is blue today though so it’s a great day for the drive to Glen Davis, a tiny little town where my dad grew up. It was a mining town where my uncle, grand-dad and great grand-dad all worked in the mines, but became a ghost town at some stage, and has now come full circle with people moving back into the town to retire. It’s quite eerie as it is a town in name only – there’s nothing there except for the houses that have moved back, and they sit amongst the ruins of foundations from the previous houses, school and shop buildings.
There is nothing left here of my dad’s house except the front steps and some foundation blocks, but it was really amazing to visit it and see where my dad was a little boy running around. The countryside is amazingly beautiful, so it would have been a very pretty place to live even though it was so isolated it would have been really hard to get anywhere to get supplies.
After visiting Glen Davis we slowly drove back to Sydney, stopping at Lithgow for food and Katoomba for hot chocolate and waffles. I love this little art deco cafe called Paragon on the main street of Katoomba. It has fabulous chocolate for sale, hand-made on the premisis I believe.
Since we were so close we drove down to the Three Sisters Lookout. We came up here on one of our first dates, two years ago, so it was really sweet to come back and look around again and reminisce.
Birthday Escape: Mudgee and Relaxing {Day 2}
A big fail on behalf of Google Maps (or my map reading skills) lead us to drive into Mudgee while looking for a little town called Glen Davis that my dad grew up in. Turns out Glen Davis was in the opposite direction .. whoops! Never mind, it still ended up being an interesting drive.
A pretty church in Mudgee. Everything was closed when we got there just after 2pm. We ate an an Asian bakery as it was literally the only food place open apart from Subway.
We stopped off at Windermere Dam on the way back to our cabin. It looks fairly good weather here but it had been raining all day on and off, and when we got back in the car it started to snow!
Birthday Escape To The Blue Mountains {Day 1}
For my last 20-something birthday Alec took me away for the weekend to stay in a river-side cabin at Turon Gates, about 4-5 hours hrs drive from Sydney.
After a long and somewhat dramatic drive there, we awoke the next morning surrounded by bushlands.
Our solar-powered cabin, right in the middle of a nature reserve.
Alec takes a look around.
This photo is begging for a funny caption. Pity I can’t think of one!
Scenic bushlands and nature were all around.
It was awesome waking up every morning to look ut of the window at this river. The river was a major site during the gold rush and the remains from the gold prospectors can still be seen here. The river is crystal clear (and bloody cold!). In summer I can imagine it would be a great place to swim and canoe.
Ghost gums – everywhere!
Pretty! I loved how much wattle was everywhere – the bright yellow against olive green and red and brown dirt. So Australian!
Playing with my 50mm lens.
Very obliging boy.
So rugged and manly!
Who da man?
Cheesy! A happy photo on a happy day.
LCC Pizza & Wii Night
LCC is out staple pizza delivery place in Artarmon. I always order the same thing – bocconcini, tomato and basil, but it’s such a winning combination I never have the urge to order anything else.
The store front – it’s super tiny.
Delectable menu.
Matt hangs out.
The elder Cooper brother looks mightily red here.
Waiting in the cold. It would be awesome if LCC invested in some outdoor heaters in winter.
Our stack of delicious pizza ready to be inhaled.
Alec praises the lord that his pizza is here at last.
Alec ordered a Mediterranean pizza this time – not a touch on the usual but still good.
Matt models his b’day present from Aya.
Alec is so hungry he eats where he stands.
Trying to mute me with the Wii.
Post pizza carb overload.
Working off the pizza with Wii bowling.
And Wii baseball.
I was just taking photos here to see what faces Alec was pulling. He never disappoints.
Pulling a face of my own with Aya.
With Aya and her new flatmate Marianne.
Home time! Good bye!
LCC Gourmet Pizza
Shop 4, 1 Wilkes Ave
Artarmon NSW 2064
Phone: 02 9412 4411
High Tea At The Queen Victoria Building
I’m a bit freaked out about having my last 20-something birthday next week. I thought I would try and celebrate it as much as possible to hopefully leave me less freaked and more excited …
I’ve been wanting to try high tea for a long time, so Beverly suggested we go for my birthday and helped me selected the perfect venue – the QVB Tearoom.
The Tearoom is situated at the top of the old QVB. I’ve been visiting the QVB all my life and never realised it was even there.
Entering the Tearoom is like taking a journey back in time to a more elegant era. The decor is amazing – beautiful plush seats, chandeliers and very smartly dressed waiters with white gloves.
View of the shops below.
Lisa decides what she’ll have.
The Tearoom area – high ceilings with lots of natural light.
Prince Albert china.
Silverware! I felt so refined …
Alec is humouring me here.
So many nice things to order!
Pretty!
“Tea?”
Lisa ordered the gluten-free platter.
Shelley, Rosalie and I shared this arrangement of goodness.
Tomato and avocado sandwiches for me, tuna and chicken for the girls.
Sweeties!
Delicious scones.
This spinach and cheese thing was divine.
I ordered English breakfast – not very original but I love it.
Fresh scone – crunchy on the outside and not too doughy on the inside.
Smothered with rich jam and cream.
Pistachio meringue – deliciously light.
Cheesy thing – it was a bit over-powering for me, but everyone else loved them.
Passionfruit cream on a biscuit base. Delicious!
Little chocolate square.
Strawberry cup.
Nom nom nom-ing.
“Cheese?”
Inhaled!
“Tea?”
Very refined … where is my pinky, dammit?
Stuffed!
“Hmmm, I shall ponder it.”
“No, we’re not talking anymore.”
“She said she would be right back!”
Bev looks so stylish!
The Tearoom
Lvl 3, north end QVB
455 George St, Sydney
Ph: 02 9243 7279
Make sure to call plenty in advance for a good time slot.
Regular high tea or gluten-free high tea costs $30pp, plus 10% surcharge on weekends.
Puppy Power!
I just realised that I still call my dogs “puppies”, even though they are all grown up! I think it’s because they’re so small and act like puppies. Particularly Buffy, she’s such a midget and makes the cutest baby noises.
I had the girls over on the weekend for some quality puppy time.
On the couch, Buffy likes to wedge herself under the pillows. Yawn!
Kahlua tries to lick Alec.
Buffy tries it on too.
We took the girls to a dog exercise park nearby to enjoy the sunshine.
Snuggled up to Dad.
So TIRING being so cute!
Whatcha looking at, huh?
Oh, me!
I know I’m cute …
Kahlua explores …
This pointer wanted us to play with him. He dropped his slobbery ball at my feet until I threw it for him. Which he fetched …. again, and again, and again …
This other big doggy adopted us. He was huge and friendly, but Buffy didn’t like him encroaching on her territory and growled at him. She was lucky she didn’t get eaten in return.
It was so great having my girls over – they are such sweet babies, and were amazingly well-behaved. I can’t wait to have them with us full-time.