by VioletLeBeaux | Aug 16, 2010 | Baking, Life
This week is going to be insanely busy for me but I’m going to do my best to keep up with you all! Sorry if I’m slow to reply to comments and emails please be patient 🙂
I’ll post abut everything that’s going on properly tomorrow but for today I wanted to post the photos from our Master Chef Finale party ^_^
I didn’t really follow Master Chef at the beginning because it looked boring. People cooking on tv? I can watch James do that in my own kitchen mwahahah! Anyway by the end I was a little hooked just like everyone else in Australia so when Celeste invited us over for a Masterchef finale party I couldn’t say no XD
Each of us was to make a dish from the show, James and my contribution was the macaron tree (surprise!)
This is them cooling:
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And our finished macaron trees… Yummy looking right?
Celeste and Kev made beef bourguignon (sp??) and stroganoff. They even hand made the pasta… omg it was so yummy! Seriously this was one of the best dinners I have ever had!
There was a little bit of this during the night…
But it was mostly this…
SMILE KITTY!
Getting to play with such fluffy kitties was a novelty for me, so damn fluffy!
We also had scotch eggs which were yummy!
Here I am putting together one of the trees, James did one and I did the other. *cough* guess who’s looked better!
Pistachio and green tea, Raspberry and white chocolate and Bueno flavors this time!
James making his tree:
Taste test? Why thank you!
Desert was also fantastic with opera cake! So delicious 😀
Gangsta kitty is gangsta.
The kitchen was full of delicious chaos!
The tea was delicious and free flowing. It’s nice to meet other people who love tea as much as me! Celeste has over 40 different kinds of tea in her cabinet!! *40*
And lastly I will leave you with this. Because I can.
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by VioletLeBeaux | Aug 14, 2010 | Craft, Life
When we first moved here, we brought everything down in a car. I mean *everything*. It didn’t leave much room for furniture though so our new apartment was very empty. Well it was full of stuff but we had no where to put it and no where to sit and no money to buy anything to fix it.
So I looked around at what I did have and tried to come up with a solution. I had boxes, the packing junk that comes in boxes and craft supplies.
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My brain made lots of clicking and whirring sounds. Lots of cutting and swearing ensued.
This was the first thing I mocked up. It’s a set of shelves for my craft junk. At this point nothing was taped together, it was just balanced so I could see how it would end up.
I taped and hot glued everything in place. I wasn’t aiming for perfect, just workable. Next I covered it all in fabric.
Covering the back was a bit of a waste but I can always re-claim the fabric when we have more money for better shelves. Covering the insides was more time consuming but still very easy.
If I was going to do this again as a proper project I would spend more time ironing the fabric and making sure everything was even/straight. Considering I had limited time though this worked out well. After covering with fabric…
Lastly I covered all of the ugly seams and joins with ribbon and added a couple of bows to cutesy it up a bit. |
BAM! Finished and ready for craft supplies:
You’re probably thinking it wouldn’t hold anything but the extra supports in the middle+hot glue+tape really make it a lot more structurally sound. Currently it is full to the brim with yarn, craft junk, fabric, my sewing machine and overlocker, nail art stuff and deco bits.
Next my make shift couch/ottoman.
I took all of the boxes we had and cut them flat. I then stuffed a bigger box with them. I packed it full then I stood on it and packed it even fuller. James stomped on it and we packed it again.
I taped an old ugly pillow I was going to chuck out to the top.
Got some kick-arse (that’s kick-ass for my American friends) purple zebra print fabric…
And covered the whole thing. I’m planning to cover the seams using silver thumb tacs when I can find some that aren’t ridiculously priced. It seems silly but we couldn’t afford a couch and this has been perfect so far. 2 months and still going strong ^_^ I also made out tv stand this way but I haven’t had time to cover it yet, I want it to be pinstripe!
So have you guys done stuff like this before? I think it’s very common to see students with furniture built out of milk crates and stuff, it’s like a right of passage XD
by VioletLeBeaux | Aug 7, 2010 | Life
Evening everyone and welcome to another edition of random snapshots from my life 😀
Let’s start with some out and about photos
These horse and carriage sets are everywhere in the city, some of them are really beautiful though it always makes me a little sad to see the drivers wearing Akubras >_<
Also the buildings here are really old and pretty!
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Ok I think I have some kind of weird obsession with architecture so enough of that now
There is a free tram which we worked out goes right from near our place to the Victoria markets! WIN! It’s mostly for tourists so it’s all old and pretty too.
Catching the tram to get groceries…
And here is Jameson the same day being unable to take a non-scary photo XD This was the best of 3 I took!
This is my favorite stall at the Victoria Markets… the fresh pasta store! I loooooove pasta and I’ve never tasted such delicious pasta as this! Super yummy and super good, I want to learn to make my own one day.
While we were taking that photo the lovely stall owner from the shop next door insisted on taking a photo of James and I together…
And then one in front of his own store…
And then one in front of his other store… So friendly! He was a really nice guy and his cheese store had a little model bicycle which completely working parts because of the Tour De France!
I got to meet up with Vanessaat Theobroma and have awesome hot chocolate 😀
She is just the loveliest girl ever! We drank so much chocolate it was crazy! Mine was so big it came with it’s own warming stand *_*
And zomg she brought me this huuuge box of presents as a welcome! My favorite part is the little foil package in the back, it grows real clovers!! I can’t wait to set it up in a window box I’m just waiting for a little warmer weather 😀 So thoughtful of her!
Celesteand I went to the Round She Goes vintage markets which were very very crushingly busy and fun.
Afterward one of James’ life long dreams came true…
He got to visit the USA food store! He’s always wishing and fantasizing about the food from America so he stocked up on some old classics like… |
Sloppy joes >_<
Very pleased with himself:
Very unconvinced:
I’ve been doing lots and lots of crafty projects too! I’m planning to add some of the deco I’ve been doing to the Store soon, I just need to find a day free! I’ve also gotten a whole lots of new nail supplies to play with so expect more fun to come 😀
Alice made green tea shortbread and she shared it with me! Yummy! So yummy in fact that I ate them so fast I forgot to take any other photos >_<
I met up very quickly with Nittyafter she got back from Japan too…
She brought me the cutest little nail stand back from Japan for my birthday!
We met at my very favorite cafe ever the N.Lee Bakery Cafe.
The owner saw us taking photos of each other and as they were closing up he ushered us behind the counter so we could take photos pretending to be baristas! How insanely nice is that?? He took a whole bunch of photos for us and the staff there are always so nice.
They make delicious hot chocolate and the large which is maaaasive is only $3.80 😀
James has been doing lots and lots of baking now that his parents brought down the bread maker. His favorite at the moment is pizza but he makes the dough from scratch *_* Way too much effort for me!
On the way home from the Koko Black meet we spotted a wedding party with cute classic cars!
People here love to take photos, I’m used to people asking for photos because when I wore Lolita it would happen all the time. Not used to people asking while I’m wearing Hime Gyaru though! I went shopping with James’ Mum while she was visiting and when she went to the bathroom there was a line up of people taking photos with me… it was a very surreal experience! One of the ladies thought it was very odd when I asked to take a photo with her too just so I could prove to James’ Mum I wasn’t making it up! XD
On the way home I spotted the man cleaning out and maintaining the photo booth near Flinders Station… it reminded me so much of the movie Amelie I couldn’t resist taking a photo of him in pin-hole mode!! Teenage fantasy checked off the list!
I got to have a very delicious dumpling lunch with the ever beautiful Super Kawaii Mama before she jetted off to Queensland for Greasefest. I made her a set of nails as a present and she surprised me with some earrings!
And I’ll leave you now with my two favorite snacks at the moment.
It may just be a cheap home brand but this caramel hot chocolate is seriously awesome! I like it with whipped cream 😀
And I’ve been eating lots of the little green tea/chocolate bites. Healthy diet as always XD
I hope you enjoyed these snapshots from the last few weeks, what have you all been up to?
by VioletLeBeaux | Jul 29, 2010 | Hime Gyaru, Life
Last weekend a whole lot of bloggers met up at Koko Black to eat a whole lot of chocolate. A whole lot of fun followed.
There are a huuuge number of photos from the day, around 30 or so bloggers turned up, each with their own cameras in hand. I’ve put my photos in a gallery here so you can have a look through easily and to avoid this post becoming just full of “…and this is me with ___” I’ve added some of my favorites below ^_^
Koko Black Gallery:
Click for larger photos or navigate through the pages at the bottom. To get out of gallery mode just click the photo again.
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The lovely Penny from Jeroxie and I were the organizers of this one and Nuffnangsponsored our chocolate addiction. Yummy!It was so lovely to be able to meet a lot of people I’ve been talking to online in person!So many people came and it was fantastic! I wish I had gotten more time to chat with everyone there but I had a great time anyway!
The view from the other end of the table! There were even more people than this but we took the photos at the beginning.
Sarah from 100 Dates was a little bit silly to bet me that I couldn’t finish both my ice chocolate aaaand a hot chocolate.
I win!! Where’s my prize? I felt soooo full afternoon even though I forgot to have lunch before hand >_<
The silly scarf brigade 😉
Makes it slightly difficult to eat chocolate…though not for lack of trying!
There was such a lot of photo posing going on! I don’t want to post every one of these so please do check the gallery above for the rest ^_^ |
This is Sylviaand I, we had been talking online for so long it was almost like meeting an old friend!
Alice and Ness who I was so happy were able to come! Having a few friends at events like this makes it so much easier to break the ice ^_^
Bunnywho is the sweetest person I think I’ve ever met!
Of course Penny and I had to be slightly silly and take photos of each other taking photos because we have the same camera XD Though I deco’d mine this week so it looks slightly more pink and sparkly now XD
Everyone wrote their blog addresses down so we could catch up with each other again soon, here is the list, please go have a look at their blogs ^_^
I think that’s everyone, if I missed you I’m sorry please let me know in the comments ^_^
I had such a wonderful time and I really hope we can have more events like this soon!
by VioletLeBeaux | Jul 25, 2010 | Life
A big part of Sneaker Sunday is the different types of sneakers we see!
It’s all about audience participation and that’s why Valerie and I just love it when you guys all send your photos of how you wear your different sneakers. The best part about sneakers is that you can own all types of sneakers and no one would complain because they’re all different! 
The different sneaker brands available in the market make for such a wide variety of choices too!
So today is all about showing you all how much we appreciate all of your efforts in Sneaker Sunday! All of the photos showcasing the different types of sneakers have been submitted to us and are credited to the owner’s they’re linked to.
Knock yourself out by taking a look at all the different types of sneaker posts and if you would like to take part in Sneaker Sunday, just email your link to either Valerie or myself.
Click the photos to have a look at these awesome blogs.
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I’m going to a Masterchef Finale party tonight, I’ve never been super into Masterchef but I sure like to eat so it’s going to be fun!
So what have all of you got planned this Sneaker Sunday? |
by VioletLeBeaux | Jul 22, 2010 | Life
Hello! I am always quite hesitant to post snapshots like this because I’m never sure if it’s really boring for all of you or not XD
I keep taking huge amounts of photos because we’re actually going places and doing fun things so it seems like a shame to just let them sit in a folder somewhere!
These photos go all the way back to Brisbane ^_^
This is the cutest cake in the whole universe… Yay Breadtop! I think I need one of these for my next birthday!
This was all the way back when we had to clean our old townhouse before leaving. See having tall hair really doesn’t prevent me from vacuuming!
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We bought one of those family meals from MacDonalds and the box was so comically big so I had to get a snap shot!
Before we moved Jamesreally got into baking, he made us fresh bread all the time 😀 He was very sad when we couldn’t bring his parents breadmaker with us but they brought it down as a surprise last weekend! Woo yummy bread again 😀
Being very silly with a face mask from the Face Shop which I’m totally addicted too. They make you look like a scary Egyptian Mummy though!
And here are the obligatory trying-on-silly-glasses shots 😉
Classy no?
And the lovely Super Kawaii Mama and I indulging in bubble tea. This was my first one in Melbourne but I have to say that Bubble Cup is no where near as good as Easy Way. Yummy!
James is quite the baker, his special is chocolate chip pancakes from scratch!
My current favorite drink! This is soooo sweet and delicious. Very hard to find though so I’m hoarding a bottle in the back of my fridge heehee!
And now a distraction… here’s a cute puppy! It’s kind of weird that I take photos of random puppies in pet stores >_<
Being awesome in my glasses 😉 Deco glasses for the win!
Omg this gigantic snake was outside our window in Brisbane!! Scared the hell out of me!
This was my delicious hot chocolate at our Pancake Manor going away dinner (the first of like 6 going away dinners!).
We’ve been meeting up with so many awesome people! Weekly lunch with the lovely Celesteis always fun. Although the first time, I ordered the spiciest pasta EVER without knowing >_< Totally my luck, I keep ordering spicy food by accident!
Celesteand I! She is just adorable!
I’ve been taking every single chance I possibly can to try out hot chocolates around town too! Haha I should start reviewing them! |
Alice and I went to Koko Blackto test out their hot chocolates and other delicious things 😀
Look at these drinks!! They were so yummy 😀
Haha oh no I’m turning into a food blogger XD Mmm food!
I’ve even started to try and cook nicer food at home. This steak is the fanciest thing I’ve ever made 😀
Alice and I made macarons as well. We tried chocolate as well as green tea with redbean filling for a Japanese twist. They didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped because we couldn’t get the temperature in the oven right but still super yummy!
Oh and for those of you that keep asking for photos of me without make up… here’s one 🙂
Alice made a heart shaped one, how cute ^_^
Alice brought me flowers too, all of the friends we’ve made here are so lovely!!
These are some of the other macarons James and I made. They are lemon and… wait for it… BUENO FLAVOR!!! That’s right! I worked out how to make Bueno macarons, thus combining my two favorite things! YUM
These ones were a gift so I put them in a little bag and made a handmade sticker to go on it ^_^
And the other side of the sticker!
I have so many more photos from other fun things and fun meet ups with new friends but I’m quite sleepy so next time ^_^ If anyone’s actually interested maybe I should do this once every few weeks. It’s a novelty for me to have this many interesting outings in such a short period of time!
This weekend it’s the Nuffnang Koko Black meet up too, what have you all got planned? Hope you enjoyed the snapshots!
