Nice Socks

Nice socks are one of the little luxuries in life that I cannot do without. Socks with holes actually really depress me. I got these pairs from Vanishing Elephant a few weeks ago and they are just so nice that they have barely left my feet. I haven't even been able to part with them to wash them. Which is pretty gross. I haven't really been going out much though. Alright, it's still pretty gross.

The 90s are Coming

Graphic designer Mike Wrobel has done a series on Game of Thrones characters as set in the 80s/90s. AMAZING! I can't believe we have to wait a whole year for new epsiodes :-(

See the rest here

Winter Recipe

I've spent a lot of this year feeling sleep deprived, and generally on the verge of sickness, so trying to eat some healthy meals has been a top priority. Now that winter has arrived, I'm sure there's a lot of you out there feeling a bit sniffly and miserable too. Might I suggest this super immunity boosting dish? Adapted from Marion Grasby's Beggars Chicken recipe, this is a meal to help you get back on your feet if you're feeling rundown.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch coriander
• 10 cloves of garlic
• few cms of ginger
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 6 x chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 5 star anise
• ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon white sugar or palm sugar 
• 1 litre chicken stock or water 

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 head of broccoli
• one bunch of spring onions

Method:

Cut the leaves off the coriander, and rinse the roots and stems. Chop into a fine mush, along with the garlic and ginger. Use a pestle and mortar if you have one big enough.

Heat your oil in a large saucepan and add the coriander-garlic-ginger, heating through for a minute or so to create a fragrant paste. Add the whole chicken thighs and cook for a few minutes until slightly browned.

Pour over soy sauce, fish sauce, and stock or water to cover your chicken.  Add the star anise, black pepper, and sugar, then simmer the lot for about 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, and you have a delicious broth.

While this is cooking, get your brown rice on. I use one cup of rice, to two cups water. Or pour enough water over to sit two centimetres above the rice. Cover, then once the rice is boiling away keep an eye on it until it looks like the water has just about evaporated, and then turn it off. If you keep the lid on the rice should just steam itself cooked in about 20 minutes. This is my fullproof rice cooking method.

Add your chopped broccoli to your pot of rice, and it will all steam up nicely together.

Before serving, add chopped spring onions to your chickeny broth, and the shredded coriander leaves. Pull the chicken out and slice into bite sized pieces, to make it extra nice and easy to consume. Layer up your rice and broccoli in bowls, and cover with your chickeny broth. Delish!

Salinger

I read The Catcher in the Rye every year from age fourteen to twentysomething. I'd love to see this documentary.

Moo Moo Woof Woof

Moo Moo Woof Woof poster by Laura Carlin and Chie Miyazaki from finelittleday

This cute kids poster from Fine Little Day caught my eye. I'd love to try and do something similar for Ray's room.

Home at last!

The wee dugong has been home with us for four weeks already, boy has it flown past. I don't think I need to say how great it's been having him home where he belongs. Thank you so much to everyone who has sent kind thoughts our way during this crazy rollercoaster journey we've been on!

Mr Meet-cute got to take 2 weeks paternity leave, and my lovely Mum has been staying to help out for the past week and a half, but she flew home this morning, so now it's just me and Ray at home, the real deal! We've managed a few exciting outings since he's been home - even just getting out to the shops is extra thrilling now with the wee dugong in tow! Apart from that, Winter has really set in, so I'm happy to be hunkered down with Ray at home with the heat on, wearing my comfies all day.

This guy seems pretty excited about being home too!!

Mothers Day

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Three Good Songs

With good videos (do people still call them 'videos'?)


Say That, Toro Y Moi



Amanaemonesia, Chairlift



Step, Vampire Weekend

Dreamweaver

I attended a little weaving craft-a-night with the super talented and lovely Maryanne, who you may have read about a few weeks ago on the Design Files. This is a work in progress shot of my first little piece, I was too excited about these new skillz to wait any longer to share it. Weaving is so fun, and rewarding! After struggling with learning to crochet earlier this year, and pottery classes all last year, I have to say, weaving is something that you can get amazing results from right away. Though, if you've seen Maryanne's awesome weaving on instagram, you'll see that I still have heaps of room for improvement!

I'll share the finished results as soon as I'm done with this little guy. In the meantime, here are some inspiring shots of the lady herself, working her dreamweaving magic.

Photos from the Design Files

And some pieces from one of Maryanne's influences, New Friends. The colours and textures used in these are amazing.

All photos from New Friends

Ray Ready

The Ray Readying has been going well. Now we just need Ray to come home!

I just love woolly blankets. We're getting quite the collection.

Framed print from my Mum, via Hello Polly

My sweet friend Roses made this cute embroidery

A dugong toy for the Tiny Dugong! From Ray's Godmother

Much coveted Beci Orpin dream catcher from Ray's Aunt

 Toys! I always had heaps of toys when I was little, and it looks like Ray will be the same.

Tiny Dugong sneak peek!

Ray's due date is next Sunday, and I am really hoping he will be home before then. We are so ready!! I really thought he'd be home by now, so it's really hard still having to say goodbye to him and leave him in the hospital every day. He had been going so well, just growing and chubbing up nicely. Then a few weeks ago he caught a bug which had him moved all the way back to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It was so unexpected. He'd just made it to the end of the Special Care Nursery, which is the area with the babies that are almost ready to go home - last stop! So it was a huge jump backwards and a massive scare. Thankfully he is all recovered now, and he's back in the Special Care Nursery again.

He's still taking his sweet time with getting strong enough to come home though. Maybe I should show him these pictures, "Look at your nice room Ray, all ready for you!"

Anzac Day

My grandad, and baby Ray's namesake, Ray Adair

Last year on Anzac Day I stayed home and baked Anzac biscuits. This year I'll be doing the same thing as every other day since February 21st - heading in to the hospital to see baby Ray. We're nearing the end of the hospital road now FINALLY, and hoping to bring him home next week. I'm so looking forward to a cosy Winter spending lots of time at home having bebeh cuddles!