my creative space: a handmade top, 2 ways

All photos by my awesome flatmate, thanks a million Alanna!

I whipped up this little cropped top a while back, but only just got around to getting photos of it. I got the inspiration from Minxy Vintage and then kind of improvised. I remember being so frustrated because right as I thought it was working out I realized that I had sewn one right side to one wrong side. Many expletives followed. I did still manage to finish it in one afternoon though, so it could not have been too tricky!

I got both the fabric and the vintage lace applique from a wonderful fabric sale that Katie and I went to last year. Between moving and all of the chaos of my present situation, much of my stash is still in boxes and I am starting to itch to make something. Maybe, just maybe, I'll get organized this week and find my way back to my beloved sewing machine. Fingers crossed...

What have you been making lately?

11:11 (or, my answers to 11 questions)

The lovely Tori from The Editorial tagged me in her 11:11 post so here are my answers to her 11 questions...

1. If you could only use one makeup brand, which would you choose?

I'm assuming that in this hypothetical scenario I'm independently wealthy, right? In which case, I'd choose Dr Hauschka. Can't beat all natural makeup!

2. Favourite scent?

I love the smell of jasmine and frangipani trees in the springtime.

3. You're making a sandwich, what do you put on it?

Avocado! Best vegetable ever (oh wait, avocados are actually fruits aren't they?), like nature's butter...

I'd probably throw on some tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, and cheese as well. And now I'm hungry, damn.

4. Favourite App?

Can I pick two? They would be instagram and cartolina.

5. What is your go to nail polish colour?

I have nail polish ADD. Yesterday I painted all of my nails black.

6. Favourite movie as a child and favourite movie now?

I'm having a really hard time thinking about what my favourite movie as a child was... I know that I loved The Parent Trap, but I'm not sure if it was my favourite.

My favourite movie now is definitely Amélie. It's completely mesmerizing.

7. If you could only read one blog for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Oh gosh, that question is way too hard to answer! I will take this opportunity to plug one of my besties who recently started a blog that I'm really enjoying: eesh your heart out.

8. Favourite book you've ever read?

Another very hard question to answer!

Last year I read the book The Golden Spruce by John Vaillant and it continues to stand out as one of my favourite books ever. It's truly a masterpiece of a book.

9. Favourite fast food?

There isn't a lot of fast food that I can eat as a vegetarian but once in a while I get a hot fudge sundae from Mcdonalds and I heartily enjoy it :)

10. What's the best date you've been on?

I'm going to go ahead and take a pass on this question, sorry Tori!

11. Favourite song at the moment?

Because I saw him recently, I'm totally on a Bon Iver kick right now. I adore the song Blood Bank, and when he played it live, it was mind blowing.

plum and chocolate clafoutis

So as I was uploading these photos to post on my blog, I was hanging out with my friend Maz (of buddha belly bites) and chatting about her new raw vegan cafe. Yeah, um, this dessert is neither vegan or raw or in any way healthy, not gonna lie. But it is scrumptious.

It's a plum and chocolate clafoutis and I found the recipe here.

I've only made clafoutis once before, and, failing to understand the texture, ended up with a tin full of slop. This time around was a vast improvement. I highly recommend whipping one up and serving it with tea. Flowers don't hurt either.

i have a garden, hoorah!

One of the best things about my new home is that for the first time in years I have a yard, with real grass and other things that grow. It's amazing.

Of course, it's also a wonderful place for China (the bunny) to roam and for my black milks to dry in the sun. I'm so glad that we're still getting lots of sunny days this autumn. In fact, Saturday afternoon I went for a big ocean swim and it was wonderful. Here's hoping the sunshine continues through the week!

Happy Monday friends!

my life in iphone photos round 13

In the last couple of weeks things have really been coming together for me. The most exciting piece of news that I have to share is that I'm not homeless anymore, yay!

I moved into a great place with three wonderful flatmates and a pet bunny named China. I can't wait to share more about this new development, but unfortunately our internet connection at home isn't set up set, hence the severe lack of blogging lately. In the meantime, here are some snaps from my iphone...

homemade chocolate chip cookies and tea, the altar at sukha mukha

sitting in the park class planning, the waverley cemetery

remember when I said I wanted to try this tutorial? Well, I did and it almost worked... My friend Katie in her backyard.

a mural at jivamukti yoga sydney, a couch at sukha mukha

Jessica and the bunny, yummy dessert at black star

living room forts

After an oh so hot Friday, us Sydneysiders woke up to a rainy and grey Saturday. That, coupled with a rather late Friday night, meant that my friends and I stayed in all day. I seriously did not leave the house until 7 pm when I had to go to a dinner party.

We built a fort in the living room using my handmade flannel duvet cover as the cushiest base ever, and piled up pillows all around. Tea time involved a beautiful French tea pot and vegan banana bread made by Sandy, delicious. Oh, and did I mention there was a sweet black bunny to cuddle? Sometimes, laziness is just what the doctor ordered. I hope you all had a restful weekend!

Sukha Mukha Yoga

{a fellow yoga teacher and I practicing pincha mayurasana}

{Jess giving me an assist in wheel pose}

Since becoming a yoga teacher last year, I've taught at quite a few different places. Of those, there are only a few yoga schools that I have really connected with. Places that felt like home, from the moment I stepped in.

Sukha Mukha in Waverley is one of those places. The walls are painted bright, beautiful colours, the teachers are sweet and the beach is oh so close! Perfect for an after class ocean dip.

Idit Hefer Tamir opened Sukha Mukha fairly recently, and as far as yoga studios in the eastern suburbs go, it really is unique. I'm delighted to now be teaching there a few classes a week. If you live in Sydney, make sure to stop by! The timetable is big and diverse and there are lots of exciting events coming up, including an opening party on Sunday 15 April.

Hope to see you there!

cartwheeling

My Saturday was spent cartwheeling at the beach. At this time of year, I am trying to soak in every last beach swim possible. And when friends and cartwheels are involved, so much the better.

I leave you with my friend Sandy, who learned how to do a cartwheel that day...

easy apple tart recipe

Last time my mom came to visit me in Australia, she made this really yummy apple tart for dessert. I couldn't quite remember and/or find the recipe but I decided to just go for it yesterday and it worked out quite nicely. The best part is, you only need 3 ingredients!

Wanna make your own? Here's the recipe:

Easy Apple Tart Recipe

2 apples (I used golden delicious apples but any kind that are good for baking will do)

1 pack of ready rolled puff pastry

little bit of white sugar

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Lightly grease a baking tray.

Cut the apples into quarters, remove the cores and then slice them finely. You want the pieces to be quite thin so that they will lay nicely.

Take your puff pastry and make 4 circles. I did this by choosing a small plate, laying it down on the pastry and then cutting around it with a sharp knife. Easy peasy.

Arrange your apple slices on your puff pastry circles, overlapping the middle corners. Don't worry if they're sticking up, they'll flatten out nicely in the oven.

Sprinkle about a teaspoon (don't worry about being exact!)of sugar over each tart.

Pop in the oven for 20 minutes.

Serve warm with a dollop of cream or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

p.s. I reckon this is a perfect dessert for a dinner party because you only need a few things, it takes about 5 minutes to assemble and you end up with a beautiful dish that's yummy to boot ♥