Summer Shorts

When it comes to Summer dressing you will almost always find me frolicking around in dresses or skirts. Whether they be long, short, tight, floaty, patterned or block coloured there's no denying that I'm a self-confessed skirt girl. So this Summer, as I looked at my rather sad and measly collection of shorts, I made a resolution to embrace my two-legged friends and get my short-stylin on. Needless to say this required a shopping trip (as, I have discovered, most scenarios in life generally do), which resulted in this lovely new pair of black shorts from Bardot. The pretty lace keeps them feminine and summery while the black makes them easy to wear with any colour on top. They'll be perfect in Autumn too, paired with black stockings and ankle boots, so really they were a total investment purchase...that's what I tell the people at my bank anyway.

What I wore:

Shorts: Bardot

Singlet: Miss Shop

Shoes: From Italy

Necklace: Stannard Inc

Sunglasses: Cotton On

Nail polish: O.P.I.

Australia Day Style

Ahh Australia day...what a wonderful excuse to drink beer before lunch, invite friends over for a BBQ marathon and squeeze an extra day out of our weekend. Whether you were chowing down on some burgers, tuning into Triple J's Hottest 100 countdown or being a total bogan and wrapping yourself in the Australian flag, there's no denying that as a nation we certainly know how to celebrate. I think Australia Day is all about paying tribute to the things we love most about our young country and for me that is, of course, classic Australian style. Around the world Australians are known for their laid back, relaxed look, which make us uber cool to our contrastingly slicked-back fashionable European friends. I know, it's hard to believe that rolling out of bed, throwing on a pair of denim cut-offs and a white singlet can be described as a 'look', but hey, I'm not complaining! With tousled beach hair and tanned limbs, Australian models are often the top pick for high fashion runways and Australian designers such as Collette Dinnigan, Akira, Martin Grant and Sass and Bide are now internationally renowned. So, in order to honour the stylishness of my country, I decided to wear one of my favourite current outfits to ring in another Australia Day. Don't worry, I totally passed on the flag wrapping.

 

 

 

 

What I wore:

Singlet: Bardot

Skirt: Pare

Sandals: Rubi Shoes

Rings: Market finds

Grain Store Goodness

Melbourne City's King Street area is not somewhere one would expect to stumble upon a bustling and innovative cafe. In fact, with its density of clubs, office buildings and stripper joints, you'd be lucky to find a flat white that doesn't come with a side of techno music and a lap dance. But this somewhat forgotten end of the city was not always this way. Once, it was filled with buildings that used to store shipments from the Yarra River, often of grain...and that's where city cafe Grain Store comes in.

Located on the corner of Flinders Lane and King Street, Grain Store is a bright, light and open space, which I'm sure bares no resemblance to the interior of the Spearmint Rhino just down the road. I'd heard good things on the grape vine (or should I say grain vine?) about this place and I surely wasn't disappointed. Here, the coffee is good but the food is a standout, where great focus is placed on local, nutritious and ethically grown ingredients, which shows on the menu with a wide array of fresh and healthy choices. Breakfast includes some ridiculously delicious sounding sweet dishes such as the buttermilk french toast with poached peach, peppered caramel, lemon curd and oreo crumble. That's right people, oreos for breakfast. But don't worry if you're more savoury inclined, because choices like grilled asparagus with house smoked salmon, crispy quinoa, goats curd and a poached egg or the portobello mushroom with potato rosti and hazelnut hollandaise, will make your decision extremely difficult. Lunch is just as appealing with wagyu minute steak and Port Arlington mussels with Tasmanian sea trout on offer. You can guarantee I'll be back for those ones.

I arrived on a busy Sunday for lunch and, though I had to wait a good half hour for a table, I can say my experience was most definitely worth it. I was feeling like something light so opted for the vegan cauliflower, quinoa and goji berry salad with pumpkin hummus and seeds, which was fresh and tasty. I felt it might have been a little heavy on the salad greens, so if you're feeling super hungry this might not be a go to dish, but the flavours were well balanced and it was texturally interesting. One of my Grain Store companions couldn't resist the call of the cottage pancakes with passionfruit, almond butter and strawberry puree...which really isn't that surprising, let's be honest. I was drooling just thinking about them, and rightly so because the pillowy-soft pancakes were presented so beautifully alongside the blushing pink puree. It was almost too pretty to eat...but then again, not really. The other dish of choice was the house made fennel sausage with sweet corn blini, poached egg, avocado, persian feta and cider relish. I have to say this was the pick of the day, with the beautifully sweet blini, creamy avocado and ridiculously good relish.

 

If you happen to be stuck around this end of the city and find you're tummy grumbling, don't be disheartened-It's not all clubs and men in business suits. Just wander to The grain Store and before you know it you'll be gorging yourself on some wonderful concoction that will more than satisfy. And who knows, you may even get that lap dance with your flat white, if you ask the staff nicely.

Impromptu Countryside Photo Shoot

From Port Douglas to Sydney and then the Victorian countryside, this truly was the holiday that just kept giving. Before heading out to dinner in beautiful Daylesford, I couldn't resist a little photo shoot in my floaty, etherial Backstage dress. The evening light was perfect and too good to pass up. I hope you enjoy the photos!

What I wore

Dress: Backstage

Necklace: Stannard Inc

Shoes: Target

My Last Morning in Sydney at The Grounds of Alexandria

So far my holiday has been filled with beautiful Queensland beaches, folky markets, Great Barrier Reef adventures and a night with Jamie Oliver. Despite all these remarkable spectacles there did seem to be one crucial thing missing from my trip. Good coffee.  But where to find said amazing coffee when a 'mugaccino' is unfortunately common in Port Douglas and everyone knows Melbourne trumps Sydney for coffee quality...sorry, I couldn't resist that one. It can be tricky finding a good cafe on foreign soil, particularly when we're more than spoilt for choice in Melbourne. But after a little bit of insider assistance from a local who recommended Sydney cafe The Grounds of Alexandria, on my last morning in Sydney I found a place that, not only scratched my coffee itch, but left me speechless at its awesomeness. Rest assures folks, there was not a mugaccino in sight.

Built into the remains of a heritage listed Four'N Twenty Pie warehouse (it doesn't get much more Aussie than that) and spilling out into an enormous organic garden and courtyard in Sydney's West, The Grounds is as much a spectacle as the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is a completely innovative space unlike any I have seen before, where specialty coffee mingles with science - theres a coffee research and testing facility on site - and sustainability in a perfectly balanced equation. The expansive garden is home to heirloom vegetables and fresh herbs which are used throughout the wholesome and rustic menu. There are also numerous stalls scattered throughout the gardens selling everything from organic blueberries to strawberry lemonade, as well as a cubby house for the kiddies and an animal pen for a very well fed pig by the name of 'Kevin Bacon'. Oh yeah, they went there! The vastness and innovative design of the cafe itself, with exposed brick walls, hanging pot plants and industrial light fittings, was alone enough to render me speechless...actually that's probably the wrong expression given I couldn't stop exclaiming about the fit out for the first 20 minutes. But don't be fooled by the remarkable appearance of this cafe people, its not all just good looks and charm, because when it comes to coffee The Grounds put me at serious risk of hyperventilating. Their NASA standard of coffee toys (unfortunately these are not the kind if toys which can be purchased in a brown paper bag from a shifty guy for 15 dollars) starts with a new generation Syneso espresso machine, a customised Clover brewer, twin 7kg Probat roasters, volumetric milk taps (...I don't even know what that is, but it was invented by these guys) and finally a one of a kind retrofitted GS2 espresso machine taking centre stage on the brew bar. Oh yes, this place is the holy grail for coffee addicts all over the world. 

Not to be overshadowed by the coffee, the menu displays possibly one of the best breakfast and lunch selections I have ever come across. And that's saying a lot because, ladies and gentlemen, I've been around. The tantalising breakfast menu includes choices like The Grounds Smashed Avocado with roast tomato, grilled haloumi, Ligurian olives, parsley oil and a poached egg, and the ever so popular Breakfast Board, with double smoked ham, avocado, fresh tomato with Persian feta, two poached eggs, chunky pesto and house-made sourdough. My choice was the 'Well Being Breakfast': house cured ocean trout, gribiche eggs, and a green bean and fennel salad with beetroot relish, dill creme fraiche and two slices of charred sourdough. Its ok, I was drooling too. The flavours and textures of the crunchy, zesty salad complimented the rich smokey trout and the creamy eggs perfectly, with the beetroot relish adding a necessary sweetness that balanced the whole dish. My partner chose the breakfast burger: a fried egg, avocado, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato relish and smokey mayo on a brioche bun. Classic and delicious. 

 

Honestly, I could go on and on about the grounds of Alexandria. I could tell you about the delectable lunch menu, the remarkably cheery staff, the in house Grounds bakery that boasts a huge 800kg bread oven and produces house bread and sweet pastries, or I could write a whole nother paragraph about the deliciously fruity, sweet and perfectly balanced coffee...but I don't want to bore  you. Forget about the Sydney Opera House, don't worry about Bondi and laugh in the face of the Harbour Bridge. If there's one thing you must (read: MUST) do in Sydney, it's visit The Grounds of Alexandria. Throw away your guide books and get lost in the wilds of Sydney, I promise that you won't regret it.

Jamie's Italian. My Tale of a Culinary Crush

I'm going to let you guys in on a little secret...for most of my life Iv'e had a crush. I haven't ever met this person, but since the age of seven I have spent countless hours staring starry-eyed at the television screen watching him grind spices, create sumptuous dinner parties and just generally been wooed by his blond hair, boyish good looks and cute British accent. Thats right, my biggest celebrity crush is Jamie Oliver. While most young girls I knew dreamt about the Backstreet Boys or Ryan from 'The OC', I was left to coo over the adorable young Essex chef by myself. So while on holiday in Sydney I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a little closer to my dear Oliver by visiting his renowned restaurant 'Jamie's Italian'.

Situated on bustling Pitt Street (which I had no idea actually existed until three days ago), Jamie's Italian seems to epitomise everything that Jamie Oliver preaches about food. Upon walking in, I was immediately drawn to the long narrow restaurant, complete with leather couches winding their way along the walls, exposed brick and giant dried meats, chills and boxes of fresh vegetables dotted artfully around the kitchen counters. The menu is simple, fresh and fun, just as all of Jamie's (we're totally on a first name basis now) food seems to be. Everything seemed so appetising in fact, that it took the waitress three tries before she could even get a drink order out of us, which by the way, was a deliciously fresh blubbery and basil cocktail and a wonderfully strong mojito. For entrées the menu is split into sections; a variety of antipastos are presented on rustic wooden boards and are comprised of treats like San Daniele prosciutto, Wagyu bresaola, finocchio and artisanal mortadella. There is a selection of bruschetta and Italian inspired nibbles such as the baked field mushroom with smoked mozzarella and crispy bread. The 'pasta and risotto' section kicks of the main courses with offerings like Spring pea and mint ravioli with broad beans, asparagus, ricotta and lemon, and the wild rabbit ragu tagliolini, before you head into the territory of Jamie's Black Angus beef burger or grilled chicken in a chilli, olive and caper sauce.

To kick off our feast, we selected the crispy tomato and mozzarella arancini accompanied by a fiery arrabbiata sauce with pickled chills. They were crisp, rich, had the perfect amount of spice and are the tastiest balls Iv'e ever put in my mouth. We also selected the light and fresh crab and avocado bruschetta with blue swimmer crab. It was a beautifully textural dish with the addition of crispy apple, smooth avocado mousse and was wonderfully zingy with chilli, lemon and mint. For mains my holiday homie picked the winner with the black angel spaghettini with scallops, chilli, garlic, anchovies and capers. The whole dish was bursting with a rich flavour that perfectly coated every strand of the pasta. My choice was the baked king salmon with balsamic roasted vegetables and whipped lemony ricotta - delicious and perfectly cooked, though towards the end the flavours fell a little flat. Afterwards we were too stuffed to even contemplate desserts though I wish I'd had room for the tiramisu with orange mascapone or the 'epic brownie' with amaretto ice-cream.

 

So that was that. My one night love affair with Jamie Oliver. And yes, I would definitely call it love. From the wonderfully genuine food to the great service it was everything I hoped for and more. I'm going to be a bit creepy and say that this whole dinning experience has bought me a little bit closer to my culinary crush...

Beach, Bikinis and Bondi Market

Ahhh Bondi, filled with budgie smugglers, bikini-clad babes and, what felt like, billions of people. Though the beach is the main draw card for many, my interests lay in something a little more sartorially focused-the Bondi Market. That's right folks, even on holidays I'm still determined to conquer every market that gets thrown my way. So today we hopped on a bus (it should say somewhere in Sydney's brochures that Bondi Beach is not, I repeat NOT, close to the city center) and headed beachside for some market investigation. 

Open every Sunday the Bondi Market was established in 1993 and is located on the bustling beach front grounds of Bondi Beach Public School. Thankfully we saw no old dudes walking around in the afore mentioned 'smugglers de la budgie', but instead found a fantastic array of original designer clothing, hand-crafted jewellery, accessories, arts, crafts and vintage clothes. There were many stalls selling beautiful beachy maxi dresses, colourful rompers and lacy high waisted shorts. The jewellery (as usual) was one of my favourite aspects of the market, with many fine sterling silver rings, large copper necklaces and delicately woven pieces which incorporated semi-precious stones. Though I was sweating more than a beached Humpback under the hot NSW sun, the vibe of the market was fun and energetic, welcoming new designers into the mix along with veteran stall holders.

After the markets we could hardly withstand the call of the beach and fought our way through the throngs of people to dive into one of Sydney's greatest landmarks. I'm preeeeety sure we were there with at least half of Sydney, battling it out for a prime spot on the sand. After admiring local designers at the market and soaking up the sun and exotic atmosphere of Bondi, I gotta say (and as a Melburnian I find this exceptionally difficult to admit), Sydney's growing on me. But if you tell anyone I said that I'll deny it!