Just Like Martha

Weekend Escape - Hyams Beach

Another weekend escape this time to the stunning HYAMS BEACH close to Jervis Bay on the south coast of New South Wales...famous for stretches of white sandy beaches that are perfect for a mid winter escape with good friends.

We packed the car and headed down after work one Thursday, grabbing dinner on the way, before we knew it we were sitting in front of the fire with a glass of wine. An early night followed by a pre-breakky walk along with beach, coffee in hand was the perfect start to a few days of R&R and catching up with good buddies.

Shhhhh don't tell anyone but it really is the perfect winter escape...everyone flocks down here (including the tourist buses) in summer but the truth is Hyams Beach is only a few streets and it can get overcrowded in summer but in winter for some reason everyone forgets about it...lucky for us!!!!

A lazy day of lounging, walking, eating, lounging, more eating followed by a few wines, more eating and some card games, meant for another early night so we could get up early and venture off on a long walk..more than 20 kms in total.

So many opportunities to snap the camera along the way, this really is a magical coastline.

We did treat ourselves when we arrived in Huskisson with some morsels to keep us going for the long walk home.....and they were delicious!

Ahhh YES just what we needed, a winter weekend escape in a magical part of the world.

Thanks for stopping by x

 

Weekend Escape - Canberra

I LOVE a weekend escape and even better if it involves a road trip, a wonderful hotel, good food and drink and some activities thrown in for good measure!

Friday morning we hit the road, the landscape notably drier and 'browner' than last time we travelled to Canberra. We stopped on the way in Bowral to catch up with friends for a leisurely lunch so didn't arrive at our destination until late afternoon. The Hyatt Hotel - Canberra never disappoints such a wonderful hotel. We checked in, went for a walk then decided a glass of wine, cheese platter and luxury bath robes whilst we watched a movie was in order - the perfect night in!

The next morning we were up early to enjoy the hotels buffet breakfast (yum - it never disappoints) then it was time to explore. On todays agenda was the National Arboretum, featuring 94 forests of rare, endangered and symbolic trees from around Australia and the world. Many of the trees are still young but two of the forests are over 100 hundred years old. There was a wonderful bonsai exhibition to see along with the featured 'knitted' tree exhibition.

Not only trees on display but a few very funky sculptures as well....

Time to head back to the hotel for a swim, spa and sauna before getting dressed for dinner. First stop a glass of wine near the roaring fire in the Library Bar at the Hyatt...second stop our favourite restaurant in Canberra Otis Dining Hall for an amazing meal. John ordered the 4 course truffle menu and was VERY happy.

Thank you Canberra for another wonderful weekend...hope to see you again next yer for another weekend escape!

Taylor's 21st...

Well the last balloon has been popped and the cake almost gone....but the memories will last.

Our little girl is all grown up!

Taylor turned 21 on the weekend and we had a "Mexican Fiesta" themed party with family and friends to celebrate the milestone.

Pops of colour everywhere with balloons and our Mexican tissue paper "Day of the Dead" decorations (all the way from Mexico thanks to a friend), a quick dash to the flower markets for lots of colourful flowers which we placed in tins. We had a "Pizza Station", "Soft Taco Station" and of course a "Dessert Bar" featuring the beautiful layer cake made by the Birthday Girl herself.

So many people got into the spirit of "dress up" (even the grandfathers with their 'accidental' matching moustaches)...we had a photographer come for a couple of hours, cannot wait to see his photos!!

I still cannot believe that Taylor is 21..we are truly blessed to have two wonderful daughters...

John made a wonderful speech which included this wonderful quote which I love...

"For beautiful eyes, look for the good on others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone..." Audrey Hepburn

Party Planning....

We interrupt the business of the past few weeks to make an announcement....I have an almost 21 year old in the house...eek...how did that happen???

We have been busy planning and creating...can you guess the theme???

Pop back in a few days for lots of photos but for now just be inspired thanks to Pinterest!

Finale....December Daily

So happy that I managed to take a photo EVERY day in December, it really was a great way to document such a special time of year.

Day Twenty-Six

Mills Family Christmas follows a format...Christmas Eve party in the double garage at Mum and Dads, Christmas Day on the Jetty Foreshores then back to Mum and Dads for presents and an array of delicious desserts...Boxing Day is out at "the farm" (my sister and brother in law live on a farm in Crossmaglen - so pretty).

I love this photo of the 'baby' of the family (youngest great grandchild) telling the 'baby' of the family (youngest grandchild) a secret...too cute!

Day Twenty-Seven

Today was a big one....my father -in-law...John, aka Jack, Dad. Poppy turned the big 90 and of course another celebration was planned...a few extra friends and family members thrown in for good measure and another picnic this time at the site of the house where dad grew up...wouldn't be a celebration without a special cake, this one was a beauty!

Day Twenty-Eight

Time to pack up and head on home....road trip in reverse lol. A few days of rain had already worked its magic and the scenery was green and picturesque all the way home.

Day Twenty-Nine

Back to reality, loads of washing, unpacking and sadly almost time to pack up the Christmas decorations for another year...maybe we can stretch it to new years day - its so pretty after all!

Day Thirty

Family night at the movies, ever since its release we have been 'busting' to see that latest Hugh Jackman movie "The Greatest Showman"...amazing - we LOVED it...ha whats not to love a great cast, great songs, great story, Hugh Jackman AND Zac Efron and another talented Aussie Michelle Williams..

Day Thirty-One

New Years Eve 2017, after a relaxing day at home we headed out to a party in Manly, good friends who live in an apartment with amazing views of Manly and beyond. The 9pm Manly Fireworks did not disappoint..we could also see the city fireworks and further up the beaches...amazing!

Hope you have enjoyed a glimpse into the month that was DECEMBER DAILY....and welcome to 2018!

Thanks for stopping by xox

The next instalment.....December Daily....

Continuing on my quest for a Photo every day in December,,,,here goes...

Day Thirteen

Our decorations always make me smile, some old, some new...last year Taylor made this HUGE wreath which adorns our entrance way and lights up with fairy lights at night..its quickly becoming a favourite..

Day Fourteen

A quick catch up with friends for a bite to eat one night in the city...a new restaurant One Bent Street of "Kitchen by Mike" fame, delicious 'sustainable', 'whole-foods'...we feasted on lots of amazing tasting plates, my favourite: Hand pressed tofu, cucumber, crispy chicken skin, chilli sauce...YUM

Day Fifteen

Christmas is about traditions and every year I catch up with a group of "mums" for our "Annual Chrissy Breakfast" we swap a "Secret Santa", drinks lots of coffees and 'compare notes'...this year we headed down to Manly to sample breakfast (can definitely recommend the "Holy Avo") at the newly opened Girdlers.

Day Sixteen

This year we were heading north for a MILLS family Christmas so we celebrated with the BARSON clan the week before....table set and ready to go...

Day Seventeen

Some 'props' helped make photos easy and set the mood...

Day Eighteen

The last of the Chocolate Orders were boxed up and left the house...

Day Nineteen

Even 'Buddha" got into the festive spirit...

Day Twenty

"Sisters" ...enough said...

Day Twenty-one

Work has officially finished for 2017....yay...time to ENJOY!

Day Twenty-Two

Road Trip....the car is packed...and we are off!

Day Twenty-Three

Arrived safe and sound in Coffs Harbour, after a big sleep, Lilly and I were keen to go for a long walk and check out the beach....our usually favourite walk up over the headland along the beach and home...(forgot how hot and humid it gets in Coffs at Christmas time...we were wet by theme we got back for breakfast lol)

Day Twenty-Four

"Twas the day before Christmas"...a few last minute preparations and then let the celebrations begin....

Day Twenty-Five - Christmas Day

Wishing our family and fiends near and far A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS xxx

Back soon with the 'last instalment' of my December Daily....

"Twelve Days of Christmas".....December Daily

December is in full swing and Christmas is only a short time away....I have been 'enjoying' the season and making sure I capture a "photo a day" (its s easy to get caught up in the panic of Christmas and not enjoy the little things...) so here you have it a 'snapshot' of the month so far...

Day One

Our tree went up early (any excuse really will do - but we were entertaining on December 1 so wanted to be nice and organised)

Day Two

The first of many 'gatherings' to celebrate the festive season...we invited John's "team" over to spread some Christmas cheer..and a gathering deserves the best nibble platter ever!

Day Three

The first of the Chocolate Treat boxes were packed and wrapped...lots of orders this year to complete...

 

Day Four

Taylor has been busy again with her amazing cake creations...this one a custom order for a Family Christmas gathering...what do you think?

Day Five

Lots of Christmas entertaining means lots of flowers...a local gum tree provided me with the base and a bunch of pretty hydrangeas completed the effect!

Day Six

Starry, starry night...a starry display on my entrance table, so pretty.

Day Seven

More flowers...these beauties came from a friends garden...stunning..and the smell...!

Day Eight

A picnic rug, bottle of wine, cheese platter and good friend kinda night...oh and a carol performance in Manly followed by a fireworks display...starting to feel like Christmas!

Day Nine

My mum's famous shortbread has been popular once more this year...lots of orders...lots of amazing decorated boxes...

Day Ten

Perfection in a magnolia flower...wish they could last longer...but hey a day is better than none at all...

Day Eleven

The centrepiece of our dessert buffet this year at our annual Christmas party...introducing RUDOLPH, he is pretty cute (yes the clever Taylor has been at it again)

 

Day Twelve

Every year we try to go to the city to enjoy morning tea and do some Christmas shopping, even more important now as the girls are older and we lead such busy lives...this year we managed to sneak in High Tea at the Queen Victoria Building...John joined us for a few hours and we sat and talked, drank copious amounts of tea and reflected on the year that was...there may have been lots of yummy treats to enjoy as well....after all it is Christmas.

Hope you have enjoyed "Twelve days of Christmas"...I am hopeful my December Daily will continue for the entire month so I'll be back soon with more photos...in the meantime enjoy the Festive Season one and all xxx

 

Another catch up....

Oh dear, has it really been a month since I last spent time with my little ol' blog...I did have the best intentions but time has just slipped away...the good news is I am super organised for Christmas which is just around the corner...so, hopefully that will mean more time to enjoy my blogging and share some Christmas posts!

Spring has been glorious and we have enjoyed getting out in the sunshine...lots of weekend bush walks..along the coastline near where we live...did I mention how lucky I am!

Birthday Celebrations for me were low key this year...just a few quiet drinks and pizza out with my beautiful family (we all got the memo re the off the shoulder top lol)

Well actually, maybe the boys didn't!

There has been a lot of excitement at our place recently with the arrival of our latest addition - a spa!!! We have wanted one for ages and our cruise at the beginning of the year sealed the deal..there has been lots of work to get the garden area prepared, garden beds finished, deck built, even an outdoor shower! The process took a little longer than we hap hoped by wow the result has been worth it....we LOVE it!

Taylor has been busy baking her CAKE CREATIONS, she has become quite the baker and the orders come in thick and fast...

This weeks creation was a very pretty Birthday cake to celebrate a special friends 60th....oh my it was delicious and oh soooo pretty x

Of course we had to take a trip to the Sydney Flower Markets to select the flowers that were going to adorn this creation (any excuse right)

A stop for coffee on the way home is ALWAYS needed after such an early start. We usually leave home just before 5am its easy to think its later as the flower markets are alive and buzzing even at 6am!

I also used some of the flowers to make a cute little present topper...it looked so pretty sitting on top of the present.

And of course no Birthday gift is complete without a Birthday card...

Christmas baking has begun in earnest, and I have been making lots of my chocolate treats and rocky road ready for gifts and sale. Taylor has taken a few large cake orders...our kitchen will be VERY busy over the next few weeks...stay tuned, I promise to blog separately on 'Santa's Kitchen Workshop' x

Thanks for hanging in there with my 'lack of posts'....until next time xox

 

Around here lately....

Around here lately...also known as a "blog catch up"....here goes...

Taylor has been baking and creating again...oh my she is getting so good and the cake this time was delicious (not that the others haven't been lol but this one was hmmmm exceptional!!!)

This was an "order" but lucky for us she experimented with the cake mix so we got to enjoy our very own at home...almond cake with cinnamon buttercream frosting! (okay so ours didn't have all the pretties on top but it still tasted yum!)

Lots of Birthdays over the next few months so I am getting super organised. I am using up lots of my craft stash too which is always rewarding...

My recent scrapbook photo project of our holiday in New York and the Carribbean saw me print out more photos than I needed so its nice to 'share our memories' with some of my card creations..

Last weekend was a long weekend in Sydney, the perfect time to catch up with lots of friends.....lunch with girlfriends on Friday...brunch Saturday morning...dinner party Saturday night...High Tea Sunday morning...friends for dinner Sunday night...hmm maybe I should add gym on Tuesday lol!

John received a voucher for "High Tea" from friends for his Birthday in August..lucky me I got to join him. It was at a venue called Soiree Cakes and was amazing...the food was delicious and we were surrounded by cakes that were truly 'works of art', a lovely way to spend a few hours on a Sunday morning x

There seems to be a cake theme happing here...truly it happened by accident but Sunday nights dinner was to celebrate a Birthday of a dear friend...it definitely called upon Taylor to make one of her creations...(I couldn't go passed another almond cake with cinnamon frosting...yummo!)

I promise you the cake was our dessert AND I did insist that our friend take the leftovers hone to enjoy!

A weekend of entertaining inevitably means a weekend of flowers (lucky me) our home does resemble a florist (not that I am complaining!)

There you have it a catch up on whats been happening around here lately....time for a nap I think!

Bali...part two

The second part of our holiday was Bingin Beach, an area well known to surfers for its great surfing and relaxed lifestyle...

We spent the morning with our friend Made who collected us from Jimbaran and drove us to our next villa stopping enroute to explore the Uluwatu Temple....

We settled into our new 'home' and headed out to enjoy the first of many sunsets the beach...and a delicious dinner...Bingin Beach is located on the "bukit" which means hill in Indonesian and is its main attraction...hilltop resorts with stunning views against the dramatic water of the Indian Ocean...

Acacia Bungalows was our home for the next week and it was "perfect"...

(the following two photos are from Acacia Bungalows website)

We pent our days at the villa relaxing, reading, napping and enjoying the pool....there was also plenty of eating and happy hour started a little earlier every day lol...

Did I mention the food......it was a vegetarian paradise for us, so much choice, hard to go past the menu at our 'local' The Cashew Tree but we did enjoy a few meals along the beachfront and our villa staff made a mean Indonesian Gado Gado and Mie Goreng.

Sadly our holiday came to an end and it was back to reality...work and home beckoned...time to go home...