{bubble tea love}

I have the office to myself this afternoon so I can ditch the headphones and am turning up the music. I used to be really up to date with music, read music blogs and keep up with new songs, artists, go to gigs.. but this has sort of faded out in the last few years. These days I seem to rely a lot on Spotify and their playlists and recommendations which is great for busy people! But this afternoon I am feeling a bit nostalgic so reminiscing and playing some songs played at our wedding back in 2010 which is bringing back some beautiful memories.   Walking down the aisle:  First dance:

And I'm back... I have found myself with some more spare time up my sleeve recently and a friend suggested that I should throw myself back into blogging again so here I am! It's crazy that it's been almost a year since my last post. 2015 was a bit of a pretty dramatic year for us on the health front so we are hoping for a lot less drama this year! But it will be a big year with a new home purchase and us moving in mid-year.  So that means some renovating and decorating which I will hopefully post about here.  The pinning  has already begun...! In the meantime, we just enjoyed a lovely long Easter weekend at home and hosted some friends for lunch on Easter Saturday.  First time we made a lamb roast (and it turned out great to our delight) and we also pulled out the same hot cross buns recipe that I used last year which was a hit. I think this will become an annual Easter tradition. I really do love cooking for family and friends so I think my next hosting cha...

Today I need to concentrate and write a briefing paper for my boss' boss.  Being in an open plan office it means putting on my headphones and turning on Spotify to listen to their Afternoon Acoustic playlist.  It's my go-to playlist and features this sweet little tune from John Mayer...   

Love Kate Spade . Love Anna Kendrick.  Love the Pink Flamingo swimmers .

I got back last Friday from a week away in Washington and I fell in love with the place.  I was there for work so didn't have too much time to get out and about.  I did land on a Sunday though so had that day to myself to sightsee which was lovely. It's such a great city! I just walked and walked and walked... One of highlights was chancing upon the White House Spring Garden Tour by complete accident. The timing was perfect as they only open the gardens for two weekends a year so I was able to go in and have a closer look.  I didn't have time to see too much of the city but I loved walking through  Georgetown  and the National Mall  and it was such beautiful Spring weather.  It's definitely a city to revisit. One of the best things about being in the US was the food.  I love bagels and they are so hard to find in Singapore so I took advantage and had a bagel with cream cheese every morning.  I also spent ages in Whole ...

When we were in Phuket last month, the Mr found some really tasty locally made granola by Crunchy Monkey  at the supermarket.   We liked it so much we bought a few bags home with us.  The little Miss is a big fan and is always asking to eat 'crunchy monkey' (even when it isn't breakfast time!). Unfortunately our stocks are running low and good quality granola (that is not just toasted oats) is so expensive!  So to keep me and the little girl busy on the weekend and to try and combat the jetlag I was suffering, I decided to try and make our own.  It was way easier than I expected and is super yum.  It was also a fun and easy way to get the little Miss involved in cooking. I tried a simple recipe but I think I will try other variations next time.  I turned to trusty google and this  one  was the first result after searching 'home made granola' so I adapted it and gave it a go... Homemade Granola  Ingredients: 2 cups roll...

I first tried chia seeds when I started getting into green smoothies  last year.  I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.  At that time, all I knew was that chia seeds were those those things from Chia Pets that you may have had as a kid!  They are actually quite the superfood and full of nutrients, antioxidants, omega 3 etc.   I used to see all these chia seed pudding recipes and was very skeptical but chia seeds soaked overnight with some milk, honey and topped with fresh fruit really is yum and a good option for breakfast or dessert.   Then I saw this recipe this morning on Beauticate ... rose and figs - two of my favourite things!  I definitely want to try this recipe out.  

Australian illustrator, Megan Hess , has just launched a gorgeous collection of limited edition lace inspired prints that can be purchased on her site. Super beautiful.  I am so tempted to get one for my walls at home.. LOVE.

This year marks 50 years of the iconic Carla Zampatti fashion label.   After being denied a pay rise from her  £13 a week job designing blouses for a wholesale fashion house in 1964, she launched her own label a year later and the rest is fashion history.  The fashion house  celebrated yesterday with the 2015 Spring/Summer showcase in Sydney at the Opera House.   A beautiful, elegant and gorgeous collection.   Well played Ms Zampatti. 

A great Linkedin career advice post from Shane Rodgers appeared on my Facebook feed this morning.  Although it is titled advice for 25 year olds I think it rings true for all ages and all careers.  The full post is here but I have extracted a few I particularly liked:  A career is a marathon, not a sprint Chill. When we are younger we tend to be impatient... Most success comes from repetition, not new things ...The lesson here is to get good at things before you try to move to the next thing. Genuine expertise belongs to an elite few. They seldom have superpowers. They usually have endurance, patience and take a long-term view. They also love what they do. If your find that, don’t let it go. Deprioritise your career when your kids are young If you have skills, commitment and passion, careers tend to take care of themselves. Over the long haul, it really doesn’t matter if you have a few years when your career is in canter mode while you prior...

The Design Files has featured Vietnamese recipes all this month in its Tasty Tuesday series courtesy of Michael Pham of the Phamily Kitchen . All my faves are there including Thit Kho (caramelised pork belly and eggs), Pho  and Banh Xeo (Vietnamese pancake).  Click here for all the recipe links.

In Australia around Easter time you can expect to find hot cross buns selling in every supermarket and bakery in town.  They are a must have at this time of year.   However, in Singapore they are an extremely rare commodity. After seeing lots of pics of hot cross buns on Instagram, I was having a serious craving for them.  We had no big plans for the long weekend so I decided to try baking them for us.  I was very chuffed as they turned out great! We even ended up making two batches over the long weekend as we brought a dozen over to our friend's place for Easter Sunday lunch. They are surprisingly quite easy to make but it just takes a bit of time as you have to wait for the dough to rise and proof. I googled and found this recipe from the BBC  which seemed the easiest and most fuss free.   I skipped the fresh fruit and just used 230g of dried mixed fruit.  I also used marmalade/other citrusy jam for the glaze as I didn't have any apricot jam...

Two political leaders who have had personal impacts on my life passed away in the last week or so.  Former Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser and Singapore's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew .  Malcom Fraser was instrumental to the Australian Government's policy shift in the mid-late 70's which embraced and welcomed Vietnamese refugees to Australia.  This move was the first significant step towards multiculturalism following the dismantling of the White Australia Policy . When he came to power  in 1975, less than 400 Vietnamese lived in Australia. By the end of his term, tens of thousands of Vietnamese would be recognised as refugees.   My parents and sister were three of those people.  Upon hearing the news of his passing and then seeing the coverage of his funeral, I surprised myself at how emotional I felt for this man I had never met.  He was a man of true compassion and strength whose support for human rights was unwavering ...

A friend linked this on Facebook this morning and I loved it so wanted to share.

Sienna Miller (who was one of my favourite looks at the Golden Globes ) pulled out another winner at yesterday's Oscars wearing Oscar de la Renta. So pretty.

I love this time of year. It means time with family and friends, lots and lots of good food, lion dancing, firecrackers, red packets and since moving to Singapore,  I have discovered the delightful  pineapple tart !   This holiday is the most significant for my side of the family.  Some of my fondest childhood memories are of going to the Tet Festival every year in Brisbane where we would indulge in sugar cane juice and beef skewers wrapped in betel leaves (the only time of year we used to eat it).  I remember my dad covering my ears when the firecrackers were going off and being scared of the guy in the mask with the rosy cheeks who teases the lion dancers.  I think I still find him a bit creepy :)   Whilst we will not be in Brisbane this year to celebrate, I am looking forward to starting some new traditions with the Mr and the little Miss.  Gong Xi Fa Cai / Chuc Mung Nam Moi!

As a mum working in the finance industry I was really interested to read a recent  Financial Times feature called " London: Sexism and the City " on women, leadership and the finance industry.  It focuses on London but I think a lot of it applies and is relevant to other countries. The statistics are pretty telling - only 16.2% of the managing director level positions at banks are held by women.   The report touches on the reasons behind the statistic including gender stereotypes and bias, sexual harassment and sexist cultures and career disruptions due to parenthood.   It also suggests some possible solutions including incentives for diversity, adequate maternity leave and return to work policies. Some very good food for thought.

Over the weekend I hosted a friend's baby shower afternoon tea.  I like baking and cooking but I am also short on time so when deciding the menu, I wanted minimal ingredients, time and effort. For the savoury, I chose  mini quiches  and pumpernickel bread topped with egg + smoked salmon and cream cheese. Image from nigella.com For the sweets, I went with  Nigella Lawson's Rocky Road Crunch Bars and Frankie Magazine's All Together Cake from their Afternoon Tea book/ app . The Rocky Road is super easy to make and sooo good and moreish!  Nigella has dark chocolate in her recipe but I just melted choc chips I found at the supermarket.  I also used honey instead of golden syrup as that is all I had in the pantry. The All Together Cake is also super easy (recipe below).  Just make sure your self raising flour isn't too old.  Mine was nearing its expiry date so the first cake was a disaster as it didn't rise! All Together Cake Recipe: In...

January is over and I am finally starting to get back into my exercise routine again after a holiday season hiatus.  My morning routine (which I try to do a couple of times a week) is to drop the little Miss at nursery, go to the gym and then head to the office.  I usually try and get in by 9am. To do all that usually means my max workout time is 20-30mins + a super fast shower and beauty routine at the gym.  That's why I loved this little discovery on Beauticate  (great beauty blog by ex Vogue beauty editor, Sigourney Cantelo) on how to do your eye liner in like 3 seconds. It works a treat!  There is also a great vid on 5 minute glowy makeup.  

We spent a wonderful 2 weeks back home in Australia over the Christmas/New Year period.  We had lots of family, beach and chill time.  I was also super excited to go shopping in Aussie supermarkets and big box stores like Kmart and Target haha.  Living away does mean you often miss the conveniences and way of life back home so some recent discoveries have given me a few little cute reminders of Oz....  Australian bird prints by  Studio Cockatoo  which I purchased from Lamington .   I also spied these wooden kids toys from Make me Iconic  recently - I think it would be a cute way to introduce some Aussie food to the little Miss!