la lupita

Date nights are important. So is spontaneity. And Mexican food.

After reading this review in the SMH this week, I decided to surprise Chris with an unexpected date night. No details were revealed except for a text "taking you out tonight - be ready at 6.30pm." 

I had him stumped and it drove him nuts, but it was so worth it. As frustrated as he was, I could tell that he appreciated my spontaneity. It was fun - especially for a Tuesday night. Having moved to Marrickville recently, the look on his face when I started to drive in the direction of Canterbury, a place we hadn't really discovered yet, was priceless. When we got to 325 Canterbury Road, I pointed to the shop front with black windows and no signage and told him we were going there. 

When we walked through the door, the smell of charcoaled meats instantly made us smile, and from that point on, La Lupita blew us away. It felt like we had stepped into another world, and by the end of the night we didn't want to leave! A huge light box with a beautiful black and white photograph set the atmosphere perfectly, as did the industrial light fittings swept across the roof. There were candles in huge glass jars, long industrial tables, a street cart serving drinks and an open kitchen inviting all to see. 

The staff were extremely friendly and helpful in explaining the process of ordering (which is like yum cha - you want, they stamp) It was also great to meet the owner, and let him know how much we loved it.

The food - indescribably good. The best. The habanero chili sauce on our tacos ($6 each) was perfectly complimented by the sweet cinnamony sangria ($6 a glass). The charcoaled hot wings ($10) were insane. 

We had very happy bellies and we're craving more already. We'll be back and we're bringing our friends.

As much of a surprise as it was for Chris, I was just as excited and amazed to had discovered this little treasure. We had a fantastic date night in a truly awesome venue, and hopefully many  more to come! 

tea + wool

It's only mid March, but I'm so excited to snuggle up in the new apartment, start a new crochet project and sip endless cups of tea!

New colours to choose, new flavours to discover.

  

There's also the chunky scarves, warm long socks, ugg boots, beanies & flannelette pj's to look forward to. 

A million soup recipes to be cooked. 

Endless warm cuddles to be shared. 

Winter adventures to be had.  

we now own a little home

We always wanted a big backyard, a bbq and dogs.

Saving for our first home last year, we had exactly that in mind. We day-dreamed, fantasised and spent hours scrolling through thousands of houses for sale online. Even building became an option when house+land packages surprisingly fell into our budget. When that deposit was just in reach, we went and looked at a few old houses in Camden, NSW. Both growing up in South West Sydney, we loved Camden for its little cafes, produce markets and community culture. It was still close to where we grew up, to our families and friends. It was familiar; it felt like 'us' and the obvious way to go. But we both worked in the city and it meant traveling an extra hour every day. We were pretty sure that it would be worth it.

Last September, we bought our very first home - a little apartment in Marrickville, NSW. We completely changed our minds, changed our paths and changed our lives. I've always believed that things have a way of just falling into place when they are supposed to happen, and this is a perfect example. We didn't really know the area, but liked what we had seen of neighbouring suburbs and loved the idea of being closer to the city. So we just did it. We took a bit of a leap. We didn't over think it or weigh up the pros and cons. We decided to go on an adventure. It payed off.

Our ground floor 2-bedroom apartment is home. Older in style with gorgeous wooden floorboards, high ceilings and huge white walls, it's small but just big enough for two. It houses our little nick-knacks perfectly, with the kitchen window sill my favourite place to display plants, teapots and spices. The paint peeling off the window frames adds to its character, as do the daddy long legs' living in the corners. We shower in the bath tub and friends crash on our couch. We don't have a clock, matching sheets, a dishwasher, a microwave or a vacuum cleaner - but we're perfectly content with the imperfectness. We're enjoying simple, smart living. There's no lawns to mow, and not a lot of house work to do at all. It's so, so quiet and we often think we're the only ones in the entire block. We are surrounded by green trees, and  hear the birds in the morning, the rain drops as they fall and the crunch of leaves is now the sound of home. It is so nice when we do see the neighbours though, and the smell the multicultural meals being prepared reminds us of our little community.

Marrickville (what we've discovered so far) is an absolute treasure, and we're so lucky to have stumbled upon it. There is just so much to look at - vegetable gardens, mosaic tiles, federation homes, fruit trees, Nonna's in nighties, old men having conversations on corners, art, graffiti, tattoos, recycling, FOOD, hipsters, planes as they fly by and the city skyline not so far away. There's still so much to see, so many places to explore and so many memories to create.

We're getting fatter though. There's not much time for exercise with all the food there is to eat. There's the pork rolls which never fail to satisfy any hunger type, craving or snack decision (just can't describe their goodness), the Greek bakeries selling ridiculously cheap cakes (and breads and biscuits and macarons and pastries), the Vietnamese restaurants serving flavour-bursting pho and fresh rice paper rolls (currently working our way through the 8 or so we have within walking distance), the best pizza ever (an important staple), Portuguese around the corner at Petersham, our favourite Turkish over at Newtown (+ all the other amazing eats along Enmore Rd) and then there's the coffee! A Sunday breakfast cafe venture with friends is our favourite - there's Vesbar serving huge Italian doughnuts with a knife and fork on rustic breadboards, and Beejay's which turns into an awesome little bar at night. For more baked goods, there's Bourke St Bakery and we are still yet to try Double Roasters and Cornersmith! The local markets are insane. While a bit hesitant at the beginning, Chris is all on board for our Sunday market veggie-stock-up-sessions now that he has discovered THE BEST BACON & EGG ROLLS (yep, indescribably good!). The local grocer Bananna Joes is great for pistachios and spanish salami, while the outdoor Asian grocers have fresh herbs for 50c a bunch, bananna leaves (must make pad thai & get these for serving), fresh rice noodles and mangoes the size of my head. Then there's our Turkish grocer down the road selling fresh roasted nuts, buckets of cheese and spices by weight. So our pants are tighter but our bellies are happier. We did buy bikes though, and the plan for this year is to find the perfect balance between eating and still being able to fit into our clothes.

The hardest, hardest part and only downfall to this little adventure, is that my Oscer Boy cannot be part of it. I could never leave a dog alone all day in an apartment - no way. I know he has a very, very happy life with my Mum and his brother Ollie, with a big backyard to run around and cats to chase. But I do miss him - oh so much and everyday. Of course he visits us in Marrickville and we visit him, and the time we now spend together is very special. There was one day though not too long ago when we just had to doggy-nap him for a sleepover.
 

We won't be here in the little Marrickville apartment forever. The feeling of discovering a new place is just too good. We do want a house, with a backyard, a BBQ and dogs, but it will come.  Stories of "that little apartment in Marrickville" have already started, including the beaded necklace which broke on the day we moved in (will be finding tiny green beads forever!), the birth of one of my girlfriend's drunk alter egos (Phil!), and the Christmas Eve nerf gun war by candlelight. We know these stories will be remembered and cherished. It's a special time in our lives - and we love it.

 

Absolutely more Marrickville photos to come!

motivation

I haven't written in forever, but something happened this week and I just have to share my proudness - it's bursting out!

Bec became a Mum and Troy became a Dad.

Chris became an Uncle and I became an Aunty.

Welcome to the world little Evie Joan!

She is just a delight. 

A tiny person full of wonder. 

The perfect addition to our family.

This is true happiness. What an adventure!

I snapped a few pics of the beautiful Mum-to-be with her belly a week and a half  before the birth.

 So proud of you Bec & Troy.

Thank you for the motivation little Evie X

a granny blanket for our new home

It all started here. Inspiration came from there. Now we have a new home & a colourful granny blanket to share! 

pink sherbet ice cream

The perfect way to end a sunny long weekend!

traditionally tropfest

Each and every year we pack a picnic, pick a patch of grass + plonk ourselves in the sunshine .... waiting to watch the 16 short films that are Tropfest.

This year (and I know it's hard to believe from the photos below) a huge thunderstorm decided to pay a visit as soon as the second film started! The rain was so heavy that we were forced to quickly throw everything into the esky and head home :(

We blocked out ears over the news announcing the winner, and held out the whole week until we got our hands on the DVD thanks to SMH. Tropfest take two @ home in the backyard on a warm Summer's night was amazing ...  

+ perhaps it will be a new tradition :) We never really agree on the winner but that's half the fun! A light-hearted and funny story about a man and his Grandfather, and their successful refreshment stand - LEMONADE STAND took out the top prize this year and it definitely put a smile on our faces.

NOTE: The Tropfest Signature Item item for next year is BALLOON - we always forget!

an arabian engagement

colour | kebabs | sheesha | dress ups | baklava | love. 

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moon travel

Last year I invented the sunnymoon. After being away from my partner Chris for 5 months while he travelled Asia & Europe, we finally met up with each other again in Germany. It felt like a dream to be in a different country with him after so long. He proposed on a bridge in the rain with a ring that had been carried around for months in his backpack, and we were over the moon. The best part was that it was followed by an amazing three weeks of travel. Newly-engaged, we were filled with happiness. Exploring the sunny Amalfi Coast in Italy and island hopping in Croatia, it felt like a honeymoon but we hadn't had a wedding.

The word honeymoon originates from the the idea that the first month of marriage is the sweetest. Sweetmonth = honeymoon. The idea of bungalows over aquamarine water, scattered rose petals and champagne waiting on ice, sunbaking with cocktails and room service breakfasts, massages by the water and white fluffy robes does sound pretty sweet - not to mention the unlimited sexy time! However some couples these days are starting to trend towards travel rather than holiday -adventure over relaxation, or if they're lucky enough a bit of both! It is now common to hear about couples using their honeymoon as an opportunity to experience the world. Europe discoveries, action packed snowboarding, asian trekking and elephant riding, site seeing and culture chasing -again sounding pretty sweet to me. 

But the idea of only having a period of sweetness at it's sweetest at the very start of a couples lives together doesn't really sound very sweet. While you'll always remember the holiday that was your honeymoon, I believe that any time away and alone with your partner can be just as sweet, and is just as important.

Babymoons are also becoming popular theses days with couples taking a holiday before their new baby arrives. I don't think there could be anything sweeter than welcoming a baby into the world, but any excuse for a holiday is a justified one.  

Our honeymoon is unfortunately a fair way off, and a babymoon is far ahead in the horizon. Meanwhile, a little cottage on the South Coast made for the perfect place for a honeybreak. Bacon & egg bbq breakfasts each morning, reading books on the beach, cheese and bickies, sleep ins and a few gummy bears for added sweetness. 

travel belly

Travelling through Italy with my girlfriends a few years ago, we were lucky enough to experience the Blue Grotto in Capri. The water inside was magical and out of this world, and as the old Italian man rowing our boat started to sing, we were mesmerised. The bluest water I have ever seen, we jumped in. Getting back into the boat was tricky, and our rower had had to lift us out from the water. Struggling, he responded in his thick Italian accent “too much spaghetti, too much spaghetti!” We looked down at our swollen bellies and laughed and laughed and laughed. We had the biggest bowl of spaghetti we could find for dinner that night.

A few months ago while travelling through Thailand with my girlfriends, we discovered the absolute perfectness of a 50 baht Pad Thai. The ultimate way to cure hunger cravings after trekking, elephant riding and shopping, we ordered our $1.50AUD meal every day. The tofu, the dried shrimp, the tamarind, the lime! We judged the style and technique from the different street chefs, taking mental notes which would come in handy for the rest of our lives. Laying on the beach in our bikinis every afternoon, we would poke each others swollen bellies and joke “too much Pad Thai, too much Pad Thai!”

Then there was “too much baguette!” in Paris, "too much schnitzel!" in Austria, “too much currywurst!" in Germany, "too much paella!" in Spain, "too much squid!” in Croatia and “too much turkish delight!” in Istanbul. All the while knowing that too much is never too much. There is no saying no to food while travelling, and there is no need to make excuses for having gelato twice in the one day.

For me, travelling is eating and eating is travelling. When I think of the countries that I have visited, I think about the food that I ate. I am constantly cooking food from different cultures and love the colour and smells that are created. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely times when vegemite on toast for dinner is the most satisfying meal in the world, but, my international cook book collection is growing and I aim to host more big cook ups at home – one pot, many bellies.

Friendship is eating and eating is friendship. Catch ups with my girls always involve eating and chatting, often about past and future travel. We are known to induce cravings into each others minds; ice-cream is popular amoungst our bellies.

 

A meal for two with a bottle of red is always special when shared with my man. I love eating with him, cooking with him, travelling with him and growing a travel belly with him.

I can’t wait to experience more international eating. This year, saving for a house and a wedding will take all of my saving strength, and will undoubtably mean that there will be many eggs-on-toast dinners. I'll be sure though, to add every coin I come across into my travel teapot, and hold onto the thought of growing a travel belly with too much tagine in Morocco, too much naan in India and too much pho in Vietnam.