What are you doing for NYE? I'm going to Opera Bar!!!

Yep, I haven't even thought about Christmas yet, but I already have plans for NYE.  This year I am spending it in the picture below:



... at Opera Bar overlooking the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.  Yes it cost me quite a lot of money and yes I will probably never get over that.  But Tom's band is playing there from 11pm til midnight and I obviously want to spend NYE with my significant other.


The night is being plugged as a "beach party" - what exactly does one wear to a beach party slash nye party that has no sand and no body of water you can jump into without risking catching a few diseases? And do you have plans for NYE or is it only crazy incessant planners like me who have already bought tickets to an event?

Louboutin #5 - Purple Bianca - my 'accidental' purchase

Ok I've called this my accidental purchase because in my opinion I bought them accidentally, although many others will disagree with me.

I spotted these babies on eBay for a Buy-It-Now price or Best Offer.  So I submitted my best offer.  I thought the process was that the seller would be notified of my best offer and then agree to accept it or reject it.  I did NOT know that eBay can magically automatically accept your best offer and suddenly after I clicked Submit on my best offer, it told me "Congratulations you have now purchased blah blah blah".

ANYWAY, these are a 35.5 (my TTS) and they give me major heel slippage even AFTER I put heel grips in the back.  I don't feel like they're too big as they fit perfectly in the width and length, but for some reason my heel just won't stay in there.  I might have to go down to a 35 next time and just stretch the crap out of the toebox.  The general recommendation is to go down 1/2 or 1 whole size but obviously this is difficult to do when your TTS is 35.5 and it's almost impossible to go down 1 size.

They're not the easiest to walk in because of the heel slippage.  I also find my toes a little cramped at times in the toebox.  Not sure if I would buy another pair of Biancas - I love the look of them but they just seem ill-fitting on my weird feet.

I REALLY want this egg chair

Damn you Aldi for being cheap and awesome.  I love you.  I hate you.

I really want this egg chair and have wanted it for many many years.  And now Aldi has it.  For cheap.  Problem is, it's not a practical chair by any means, and living in an apartment makes it difficult to find a place for this amazing piece of furniture.  My balcony gets dirty really easily because my apartment building backs out onto bushland (ok not really bushland, but lots of trees) and train tracks.  And there is no space inside the apartment because we already have a 3-piece leather ensemble on top of a large flatscreen TV, dining table and about 3 bookshelves :S

Should I or shouldn't I?

Sculptures by the Sea 2012

This annual event normally signifies summer approaching for me.  Last year when I went it was a scorcher.  Fortunately this year was a fair bit cooler so there were much less crowds which made it more pleasant (can you tell I hate crowds?).  I normally start at the Tamarama end and walk up to Bondi but you can easily do it from Bondi to Tamarama.  I actually started at Bronte this year, then walked up through Tamarama to Bondi.

Bronte beach

Life is short... get it?  ;)

Plastic spoon and fork art

Cat with a turd

 

I can't say I always get art

My sister hanging out in a sunnies frame

Fishing rods

Sculptures runs til Sunday 4th November so you've still got next weekend to visit if you want.  It's free to visit and a great way to spend a few hours if the weather's good.  There's a fair bit of stair climbing so I wouldn't recommend it to someone who's really unfit.  But really, I did it with no issues, and on a scale from really fit to unfit I hover near the "I can't run more than 5 seconds" mark.

Salmon fillet with semi-cooked veggies and quinoa salad

Ok I wasn't planning on blogging today but I made one of the most amazing dinners last night and HAD to share it!  As per usual I googled 'quinoa salad' and got a few ideas, then made up my own recipe.  Here goes...

• 2 salmon fillets
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• small handful green beans
• small handful rocket
• 4 mushrooms
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 capsicum
• 1/3 block haloumi
• slivered almonds
• 1 cup natural or greek yoghurt
• dill
• tiny squeeze of honey
• salt and pepper

1. Rinse quinoa thoroughly.  Put 1 cup water in a small pot and bring to the boil.  Then add quinoa and salt and bring to the boil again.  Then turn it to low and cook with lid on for 12-15 mins.  Once done, set it aside with lid on for about 25 mins.
2. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the salmon fillets and let it marinate for a bit while you....
3. Chop all the veggies however you like.  I blanched the zucchini, capsicum and green beans (pot of boiling water for a few mins, or put in a bowl with water and nuke it in the microwave for a few mins)
4. Pan fry haloumi until golden brown on the outside, set aside
5. Toast slivered almonds in frypan for only a few mins til it turns golden brown, set aside
6. Olive oil in a frypan til hot, then salmon skin side down for 5 mins, then flip for 5 mins
7. Add yoghurt, dill, salt and honey to a small bowl and mix
8. By now the quinoa should be ready - get a mixing bowl and toss in quinoa, all veggies, haloumi and almond.  Add a bit of the yoghurt dressing and toss
9. Put salmon and salad on a plate and EAT (and maybe instagram it?).  Oh and don't forget to put the remaining yoghurt dressing on the salmon fillet!

On another note, this little guy was sitting in the garden singing Good Morning to me when I left the house this morning: