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the builders have arrived!

October 23, 2011 By corrie 30 Comments

This morning was the start of the new me – the me that gets up at 6am, showers and moves the car out of the driveway at 7am. Let’s see how long this lasts!

But I’m battling a serious case of butterflies as the reality sinks in. I felt sick to the stomach this morning rather than super excited. Retro daddy has left for the week and I wish he was here.

One month of renovations, people coming and going the entire time, walls coming down, potential problems and my biggest fear that rats or mice are going to come running out of walls and up to my bedroom!

Don’t laugh, we had rats in our ceiling when we moved in and retro daddy announced on the weekend that he heard scratching!

Can you tell we’ve never done this before. Can you believe how much BROWN we’ve been living with!

We’ve always bought houses where the work was done for us but I know it’s worth it. I keep thinking of the final product.

I quickly grabbed my camera and took the last before shots in morning light. I can’t believe it’s all happening but I’m so glad we got all the packing done and have empty rooms in time.

Fingers crossed…………….

Filed Under: homes, kitchen, renovations

our kitchen renovation – before

October 23, 2011 By corrie 16 Comments

Well I thought it would be fun to keep track of our kitchen renovation right here on my little blog! I promise not to bore you with very exciting things like installing steel beams in my ceiling. But getting a new kitchen and turning 4 rooms into 1 is very exciting. We have spent the entire weekend packing, moving things out and wishing we had a garage. We don’t. We needed to find homes for everything and it was quite the task. We finally finished at about 9pm and the builders arrive 7.30 tomorrow.

And you know my last post about how in love we are…..um yep well there wasn’t much love by 9 o’clock moving all that furniture around and telling retro daddy he still had things to do. And writing that has just reminded me that I haven’t emptied his sports trophies out of the bar yet! oops better go and do that now.

So, our current kitchen is at the front of the house but we are putting it out the back and turning half the downstairs into a large open plan area. It’s no small job and the builder gets the biggest chunk of our budget

this wall is coming down….and not soon enough

I just asked them to stand together!

this bathroom is coming out

bye bye bar – no retro daddy you are not getting a bar again

wall coming out and sliding doors to be replaced with white french doors

all coming out

I still can’t believe it’s all happening. It just seems as if I was going to have a brown 70’s wooden kitchen forever. Let the fun begin…………

Filed Under: homes, kitchen, renovations

ProBlogger Training Day – proving that blog conferences are for everyone!

October 22, 2011 By corrie 13 Comments

I can’t believe I’ve just attended my 3rd blog conference…………..this year! And I am getting better at meeting people and getting the most out of them. I know that a lot of you think ‘oh no a blogging conference isn’t for me because I have just started/my blog is for fun/I blog about craft/I’m just a mum/I don’t have time/it’s too technical for me/I’m not into that stufff/ I don’t want to make money…..

But the reality is that blog conferences are for everyone! Yesterday, 300 bloggers met up at Novotel on Collins for ProBlogger training day. There were new bloggers, professional bloggers, people thinking about a blog, people in their 20’s to people in their 60’s, people in suits and people in jeans, mummies, husbands of bloggers, fashion, food, reality, beauty, travel, geek, mummy, design, craft and every sort of blogger you could think of. There were even super cute little babies there too. I may have stared a little too long on those babies.

Now I may appear like a super happy, chatty and outgoing person but put me in a conference situation and I get a bit nervous. I really recommend taking a buddy with you or organising to meet someone there to overcome any nerves. Liss almost crashtackled me at the registration desk as we haven’t seen each other in months since she is working in Manila at the moment. I miss my Liss terribly so I loved spending the day with her and we’ve been blog conference buddies this year.

And yesterday I did something different. I went out of my way to talk to every single person that I sat next to, stood next to, made a coffee for (there was a fancy nespresso machine that I mastered and then went on to make about 8 coffees for other people at various times of the day), on my way to the bathroom and so on. I would turn to whoever I was sitting next to and ask them what they blogged about. That started it off. I was so proud of myself because I got so much more out of the conference and met so many new people. And there were so many gorgeous people to meet all at different stages of blogging. Retro daddy said ‘good for you, you were networking’. Well, yes I was.

The blog critique session was really great – imagine having your blog up on the screen for a professional blogger to critique. In front of a packed out room. He picked two brave bloggers to have their blogs up there. Where should you put your posts, your about me page, your email subsciber form, how big should your font be for your readers to enjoy, social media icons – do you need them, where to put pictures and so on. See this isn’t super technical stuff – this is relevant stuff for everyday bloggers to think about so that everyone can find and enjoy your blog.

In fact the first session of the day was about blogging from the heart and blogging smart. I can honestly say that I always blog from the heart and think of you my lovely readers before I put a blog post out there or accept an opportunity. But I know that there are more efficient ways I could be blogging, ways I could change the way my blog looks and so on. For these reasons blog conferences are perfect for me and of course it’s the meeting people who love doing what you do. So here are MY top tips for getting the most out of a blog conference

1. Talk and listen. Don’t be shy. Just talk to other attendees about what their blog is about – it’s the best icebreaker in the world. Chances are they might be just as nervous as you are. If you’re really, really, really shy then invite a buddy. It’s great to have a buddy to beat any nerves and meet people together, have someone for break time and so on. Always sit somewhere different during the day too and start talking to the person next to you.

2. Take notes of what is relevant/resonates with you and write a call to action before you leave! So many things can slip away from your memory but I wrote a one page of things I could do straight away and things to work on over time.

3. Get on twitter BEFORE the conference with the hashtag and find out who’s coming, start talking, arrange to say hi, meet up and get excited.

4. Ask for business cards, hand out your own, get blog names and twitter names of everyone you meet.

5. Don’t assume that blog conferences are too high tech or advanced for you. They aren’t. There are people thinking about starting blogs who attend and people from all walks of life.

I missed this girl like crazy so here she is sitting while I type today!

And to prove I met lots of people here we go – these are the people I met – are you ready? Frills in the Hills, Problogger, Chris Garrett, Sonia Simone, Vanessa Monaghan, Lori from RRSAHM, Woogsworld, Nicky from Styling You, Edenland, Sawhole, StMurphy, Goodgoogs and her gorgeous baby Piper, AngelicaMinx, Shae from Yay for home, Denyse Whelan, Toushkalee, Picklebums, Miss Poppett aka Cintia (see a craft blogger was there too), Pilgrim Lee, Crash Test Mummy, Lynda from Nuffnang, the House that AM Built, Blogchicks, Dani Mezza, Lizosaurus, Fox in Flats, 74LimeLane, Elise from meditatecreate, emma from realityraver, Tina Gray, Organised Housewife, Fashion Adjacent, Dorothy and a few more too.

I have to say a huge congrats and thank you to ProBlogger, the organisers and the speakers. Chris Garrett and Sonia Simone were a highlight. The topics and discussions were so relevant. And that’s the beauty of a blog conference, you can take away a little bit or a lot. I promise to share more with you that I think you’d be interested in. Watch this space………….

Filed Under: blogging, problogger

The day I met Gok Wan

October 19, 2011 By corrie 10 Comments

Sponsored by Nuffnang

Long time Gok Wan fan here. So it was an exciting day when I got to head out to Westfield Miranda to check out his show………………….from the front row. But before I left home I was having some last minute doubts about what to wear, would I get cold, should I wear pants and so on. In the end I settled on black pants and here I am before I did my makeup. Donny picked this Sheike top at my makeover earlier in the year and the earrings and silver cuff are from Colette Accessories. All from Westfield, of course. I am so in love with this top.

And what a show Gok puts on. If you ever get the chance to go and see Gok live, do it! He is just so entertaining and we were laughing the entire time. Everyone was just so excited to see him live on stage. Myself included.

Through my blog I’ve been lucky enough to meet a couple of tv celebrities and I’m always in love with the people who have time for their fans and genuinely like them. Gok is definitely one of those celebrities. He just has a natural way of making people feel special, of feeling beautiful and is just a real person. And don’t believe me? Watch the video……………….

He kept everyone laughing and participating the entire time. When one starstruck fan was chosen for a makeover he said to her ‘It’s only Miranda, it’s not x-factor’.

When we arrived at the show, Donny was working the crowd for half an hour or so. There were videos to watch, shoppers were selected to come up on stage and have their body shape worked out and we practised cheering for Gok.

And then Gok comes out and the crowd goes wild. Wild. Yes, I was ‘woohoo-ing’ throughout the show. Gok talked for a while and then it was time to pick some makeover candidates from the crowd. Yes just random shoppers who were out for a shop or to come and watch the show were picked for a makeover.

Gok would shout out some advice to backstage of what he wanted done – sometimes he’d say extra security for this one if they were a little too starstruck. Behind the scenes there was hair, makeup and Westfield stylists to create the looks for each of the selected shoppers. And the transformations were amazing! In fact look at the ladies walking on the stage – they looked like professional models.

And I couldn’t go past these shoes. Remember Donny told me that wedges and espadrilles were going to be huge this season – huge in height and hugely on trend. I want this pair – not so sure I can pick up after the kids or carry a baby in these but they are just gorgeous.

So, what did I learn? Well. Get to know your body shape first and enter your measurements in the Westfield body shape calculator here for a quick and easy way to find out.

Just have fun with fashion. There are no rules, colour blocking is a huge trend this season (but you already knew that) and skirts are huge. All types of skirts and there are no rules with skirt lengths. Don’t be afraid of colour. Accessorise your outfits. Nip in your waist with a belt. Show off your best bits. Oh and get your bra fitted properly, it makes a huge difference but most people don’t.

Oh and here is something you probably didn’t know about Gok. One of the audience members asked him why he always recommended people wear colour but he always wore black. Oh yeah. I wonder why? Well, it turns out that for his first season on tv he wore all this bright and colourful outfits and he realised it detracted from the lovely ladies he was making over. He wanted the attention and fuss to be on the ladies and not himself so from season 2 he wore black and has ever since. There you go. You heard it here.

It really was an entertaining hour and after the show Gok came out and signed books, gave lots of hugs and photos and I was lucky enough to get a photo with him too. Unlucky for me I have a double chin in it! He really did have time for everyone. Oh and I gave him a bag of Caramello koalas! I almost forgot to give them to him until after I had my photo – I would have been kicking myself on the way home if I had forgotten.

And that my lovely readers was the day I met Gok Wan. Thank you Westfield for the opportunity….I had so much fun and loved getting to see the show from the front row! And thank you Jenny my lovely reader for keeping me company and taking this pic!

Filed Under: westfield

Quilts for Queensland – almost there

October 19, 2011 By corrie 5 Comments

Well with the builder and his crew arriving next Monday at 7.30am to start pulling down walls – I have to wind up quilts for Queensland. And quickly.

I thought it would be fun to empty the boxes and see them all piled up……impressive! Piled 3 deep and as high as I could pile them. On towels of course to keep them lovely and clean.

and it looks so much prettier than the boxes. Now these are just the finished quilts. I also have 2 boxes of quilt backings, quilt tops and a few odd blocks. I have decided to send these to up to a quilter to distribute to restash quilters and local quilting groups.

the 6 boxes of completed quilts are going up to 2 different quilters, Sue and Carol, who have contacts for distribution. And after all of that, do you know what I didn’t do? Well I didn’t count them. Derrrrr. I will count them before they head off this friday.

I know there are still quilts to come so I have a big empty box waiting for them so please don’t stress if you’re reading this post and have a quilt for me. I will still be sending another box up late in November.

And more blog posts to come, this was certainly a big project and it isn’t over yet!

Filed Under: quilting, quilts for queensland

i have red saltwaters

October 18, 2011 By corrie 8 Comments

They are here. At last. Red Saltwater sandals. I love them. I needed some detective skills to track down a pair in red and found some in Chico, California here and paid a bit more postage than I normally would. But I’m worth it. Red for adults is a really, really hard to find colour at the moment as it’s out of stock at Saltwater until December and most shops are out of stock.

They are a cute shoe to wear but unfortunately I spend so much time in my birkenstocks that they aren’t as comfy as them. But for a sandal they are comfy. And I love the colour. So glad I waited to get red. But I did realise I might have looked a bit mother earthy when I was wearing elodie in her ergo, these sandals and picked up some quinoa at the shops yesterday.

Oh and I make a bad footwear model. I broke a beautifully pedicured toenail at the gym last week. It’s going to take a while to grow it out. See exercise isn’t always good for you.

Filed Under: review, saltwaters, shoes, shopping

Vegetarian sausage rolls

October 16, 2011 By corrie 18 Comments

I know I haven’t had a recipe on my little blog for a while….my pesky scales won’t budge and I can’t shift a couple of kilos. I just keep doing so much baking but need to do more healthy wholesome cooking. Less of the buttery and sugary goodness and more of the wholefood fill-me-up meals. So I picked up another Thermomix cookbook and had to make this recipe from it.

This is a winner. Oh my it’s good. But when I first saw the ingredients I thought they were a little ummmmm interesting. Oats, feta, nuts and tamari???? Interesting combination, but so good. They have exactly the same texture as a regular sausage roll which totally fooled the kids. Except for Keira. No fooling her. But she loved them. Now I know the recipe uses puff pastry which isn’t super healthy but retro daddy (who does the groceries for me…..any chance he gets to escape the crazy and he takes it) found me a lower fat puff pastry.

Definitely make this. A thermomix or food processor will make light work of the chopping but if you don’t have one that’s ok. Just go old school and chop them all up finely. I’ve adapted the recipe from here

3 sheets of puff pastry

1 onion, peeled and halved

handful of fresh herbs (parsley, basil, mint..whatever you’ve got going at the time)

3 eggs

100g nuts (I used almonds but the recipe calls for walnuts but any nut could work)

150g feta (I went a low fat one)

100g rolled oats (I needed 150g as my feta was very soft)

2 Tbsp soy sauce (the recipe calls for tamari but I used soy sauce)

about 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Place the onion and herbs into the thermomix bowl/food processor and chop for 5-6 seconds on speed 6. Scrape down the bowl. Add in the nuts and oats and process for another 5-6 seconds on speed 5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Add in tamari, feta, eggs and breadcrumbs and process for 20 seconds on speed 5. Now my mixture seemed not quite thick enough and was rather creamy so I added a couple of Tablespoonfuls of oats and breadcrumbs and it thickened up beautifully so I could spoon it out. I think it has to do with the feta you use so play around with it.

Now take a sheet of your puff pastry and using a knife cut down the centre – you want your pastry semi frozen/just thawed and place about 1/5th – 1/6th of the mixture on one long edge and mould into a log, roll pastry over and cut into 4 pieces. Repeat with the rest of your mixture and puff pastry – I got 20 rolls. Brush with some milk and you could add sesame seeds and bake for 20-30 minutes in a 200 degree oven until lovely and golden on top.

We served with tomato sauce – the kid’s favourite – but I think a pesto type of dip would be really nice with these too. You can add more herbs or tamari if you need a bit more seasoning but I found the taste was just right for the kids. Enjoy!

Now if you have a vegetarian sausage roll recipe at your house then let me know! I’d love to try a few variations as the kid’s went nuts for this and for a quick and easy dinner that they will eat you can’t go past these.

Filed Under: baking, dinners, thermomix, vegetarian

I finished a cardigan for Elodie

October 15, 2011 By corrie 16 Comments

I know, I know. Long time no knitting project. I forgive my crafters for not reading my blog as there has been no craft action going on.

I actually have 4 little cardigans waiting for buttons and to be finished and have made that a priority for this week. But on Friday night I managed to finish this little knit which I started on the trip down to Melbourne for the i-Miev day.

This is Jane by tiKKi and I love it. The pattern is an unusual construction and it pays to read the pattern first just to get your head around it but the instructions are so easy. Georgie thinks of everything when she writes her patterns

but somehow I kept forgetting a yarn over and redid a bit 3 times before I got it right. Oh I hate nothing more than pulling out work and redoing it. It was all my fault. It usually is. Especially late at night!

Now I’m not normally a yellow knitter but this colour just suits my little elodie so much. And because I love pink so much it goes really well with most of her wardrobe. I know, yes we are still talking about a one year old but she does have a lot of outfits for a one year old.

But she does actually need light cardigans that I can throw over an outfit and this is why I love the pattern. It’s perfect and goes up to a size 12.

Oh and I used Debbie Bliss cotton dk and loved it. It really holds it’s shape compared to Bendigo Cotton and I think I’m a convert to it. It’s thicker and would you believe just as I got to the last round of the sleeve I ran out of yarn. Waaaaahhhhhhhh, I had to start a ball just for the last bit but that was ok. 3 balls and a teensy bit for this cardigan and I know we’ll get a lot of wear from it.

And she loves it…….see, she wants it back! Mummy, stop taking photos and give me back my cardigan!
Ravelry details are here

Filed Under: debbie bliss, knitting, ravelry

What is the messiest meal at your house?

October 14, 2011 By corrie 8 Comments

Sponsored by Nuffnang

If I had to pick my most favourite baby photo of all my lovely babies it would have to be this one – Keira eating pasta! Talk about a mess. It was straight in the bath after this one. Sometimes I make the little ones take off their clothes before we eat pasta in this house. Why am I telling you all of this? Well Finish Quantum has launched their ‘We Love Messy Meals’ campaign and it got me thinking about the messiest meals we have here.

And hands down, my lentil bolognese is definitely the messiest meal I make – the cooking, the eating and the cleaning up. It’s all messy. And if you have a messy meal at your house then you just have to enter the Finish Messy Meals competition. All you need to do is send in your funniest photos or videos of messy mealtime at your house and you could win $25,000 and feature in the next Finish Quantum TV commercial. What I would do with $25,000. New car? New kitchen? Family holiday? Finish will select the top 3 entries and then will be asking the public to vote for the winner. You can check out the competition and entries here at www.messymeals.com.au and be quick as you don’t have much time.

Now I also realised I hadn’t even shared my lentil bolognese recipe with you. If you love spaghetti and are looking for a vegetarian version then this is it. There are so many things to love about this recipe and it’s so good that we never make the meat version here. Ever.

My Lentil Bolognese
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic crushed (or a tsp from a jar)
2 cups red lentils, rinsed
1 large jar tomato passata (or a jar of pasta sauce)
2 jarfuls of water (from the jar you’ve just used)
1Tbsp stock
2-3 Tbsps wine (optional)
cooked spaghetti
grated cheese
pepper for seasoning

Heat a large saucepan with some oil, add in onion and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. You have the option of adding in some wine now and cooking it off to add some flavour (totally optional but I love doing this with a bit of red wine). Now tip in the red lentils and coat in the oil and onion and fry for half a minute or so. Pour in passata and about 1 and 1/2 – 2 jars of water and your stock powder. Bring to the boil then simmer. Keep stirring for 20-30 minutes. Lentils will be soft and sticking to the bottom of the pan so you need to keep stirring occassionally. This dish is very forgiving, if it’s starting to look dry and your lentils aren’t cooked then add some boiling water to the pan. Retro daddy likes me to add tomato sauce while I’m cooking it and fresh or dried herbs like basil are also delicious.

The dish is done when the lentils are really soft, most of your liquid has been used and you have a nice thick saucy consistency. The little ones love their bolagnese on top of spaghetti with cheese on top. I prefer mine all mixed through my pasta with the cheese and lots of black pepper. Retro daddy loves tomato sauce all over his (don’t get me started on that!). This is my own recipe which I’ve been making for over 10 years and I just love it as a family meal.

BUT it is messy. Messy pans, messy plates, it sticks to the cutlery, the kids get it all over the table, chairs, floor and themselves. For some reason they weren’t getting too messy when I needed them to on this occasion…..so I asked keira to get messy and so she smeared some on her face.

If you have a messy meal at your house then you definitely need to enter the Finish Messy Meals competition. All you need to do is send in your funniest photos or videos of messy mealtime at your house and you could win $25,000 and feature in the next Finish Quantum TV commercial. Finish will select the top 3 entries and then will be asking the public to vote for the winner. You can check out the competition and entries here at http://www.messymeals.com.au/.

Now I must admit I use shock horror home brand dishwashing products but still have trouble with certain dishes – particularly melted cheese and have to either put them back in for another go in the dishwasher or wash by hand and give them a good scrub. I’m happy to report that just one go in the dishwasher with the Finish Quantum and they are all clean. Cheese, pasta sauce and everything came off. I was actually surprised and might need to ditch the home brand from now on.

So think about your funniest meal time or have some fun and make up a new one and you might be $25,000 richer and feature in the next Finish TV commercial. Just remember to enter here and be quick!

Filed Under: recipe, vegetarian

our blue mountains weekend – part ii

October 14, 2011 By corrie 3 Comments

Ok so to recap, we went to the Blue Mountains last weekend. I didn’t pack enough warm clothes and we had a blowy time at Echo Point which was right next door to the hotel. Thankfully the next morning it was much calmer and warmer.

Now staying at Lilianfels was an experience in itself.

I was a little nervous taking 4 little people to the hotel as the website didn’t show any children…………anywhere.

But I am happy to say that we saw a couple of other families over the weekend and the staff were super friendly and accommodating.

The bedrooms were gorgeous, each bed had a kookaburra on it and if you squeeze it it lets out a big kookaburra laugh.

Imagine the orchestra going on when we bought 4 of them. Well we had to as they were obsessed with the kookaburra’s. Tillie ducked her head back in the room to give it a kiss and say bye bye when we left.

I loved that a pile of the latest magazines was in the room which was a personal invitation to sit down and relax for a while.

Elodie had other ideas and kept moving herself towards the heavy drawers…I had visions of squashed baby fingers and we kept pulling her back. She was like a moth to a flame……every chance she got.

Dinner was a 6pm affair….no sooner had we sat down than hands were deep in our water glasses fishing out ice, cutlery was being played and we were noisy.

Thankfully most of the other guests came down to dinner at 7.30 so we didn’t bother anyone.

the food was delicious and in another sign that I don’t get out much I enjoyed 2 champagne cocktails during dinner. I think that might have exceeded last year’s annual champagne consumption. I can’t say no to a good kir royale….then they ran out of cassis.

And I can’t say no to dessert either. Really you need to leave your diet at home when you head away for a weekend.

back up to the room and it doesn’t get more romantic than retro daddy falling asleep in one bed with finn and tillie and mummy falling asleep in the other room with elodie and keira. That is love. Or a romantic getaway when you have 4 small children.

But we had a ball, the kids had a ball, even elodie had fun…..

we walked, we shopped, we ate, we talked and the kids were well behaved. Ok retro daddy had them reciting – no burping, no fighting, no biting, no poo jokes. It worked. Sort of. More photos coming soon of the gorgeous scenery…….

Filed Under: holidays

elodie’s pink rainbow cake

October 14, 2011 By corrie 27 Comments

Let’s blame this picture on pinterest. I knew that was the cake I had to make for Elodie’s birthday. I couldn’t get it out of my head and I was confident enough to wing it…………perhaps there is a better or more professional way of doing it but it all looked pretty straight forward to me. And mine isn’t perfect but for a home birthday cake…….well I’m pretty proud of myself.

2 quantities of butter/vanilla sponge cake mixture (packet or from scratch – I went packet)

pink food colouring (I just used a 90 cent bottle from the supermarket)

lots of white frosting – I used my cream cheese frosting recipe below

round cake tin/s (I baked in about 18cm cake tins and trimmed down to 16cm round)

it doesn’t look pretty but it all comes together

so first of all make up the double batch of butter cake mix. I did mine in my kitchenaid. Divide the batter equally between 5 bowls. I kept one bowl plain which I used for my lower layer. Then I used a drop of pink in the next bowl, mixed it and had a pale pink. You add a dash more colouring to the next bowl and repeat for the other 2 bowls. Lay them out on in a line so you can see the shades of pink. I found I really had to add a few drops to the last bowl to get a hot pink. Now you are going to bake each coloured batter separately. I bought 2 small round cake tins from the supermarket and baked 2 cakes at a time. They don’t need long in the oven just until a skewer comes out clean. Lay baking paper on a cooling rack and leave the cakes to cool on the paper – I didn’t with my first cakes as you can tell.

Now it’s best to make your cakes the day before so you can ice them easier. I also trimmed my cakes using a slightly smaller cake tin and knife but it’s up to you. Now my lovely facebook friends have told me to freeze them a little first then ice. So make up your frosting. I use about 125g soft butter/margerine, 150g light cream cheese, 1kg-1.25kg icing sugar. In your mixer, whisk your butter and cream cheese until thick and creamy. Add in icing sugar gradually as well as a dash or two of milk as needed to get the right consistency. You want a nice thick consistency that stays on the beaters but not too thick that it takes your cake with it when you spread it.

Almost half of the frosting will go in between the cake layers. Get your cake board or large plate ready and lay the plain cake on it in the centre. Place a dollop of frosting over the top and with a wet knife, spread the frosting evenly over the cake. Spread it right to the edges. Now repeat with the rest of your layers going from plain to the darkest pink.

Now ice the top of the cake and the sides with a layer of frosting. Using a wet knife spread the icing over all of the sides. Crumbs will get everywhere but you’re going to put another layer of frosting over the top. Refrigerate it first then cover the entire cake in frosting, using a wet knife to smooth the frosting. Decorate the top and you’re done. Sit tight and get excited for the moment you cut into it…..these little people were getting very excited.

A couple of general tips from me to you……..

– give yourself plenty of time to make and ice the cakes
– try to make your cakes the day before
– make lots of frosting. My recipe above will be the right amount for the entire cake
– because I know you’ll ask: each cake measured 16cm across and 2-2.5cm high.
– lay baking paper over your cooling racks as I got serious indentations from the rack onto my cakes
– trim your cakes if necessary, I did this with a slightly smaller cake tin
– keep the cat out of the kitchen because it will want to lick the icing
– forget about how much frosting you are putting on the cake and then eating
– the best diets always start tomorrow/on monday/next week/in the new year

and that was my first ever rainbow cake…………….and I loved it. I will definitely make one again and it’s so worth the time and effort.

Filed Under: baking, cake decorating, cakes, kitchen aid, recipe

let me introduce PiP studio

October 8, 2011 By corrie 13 Comments

Last month I discovered PiP Studio. I think a reader had told me to check it out earlier but it was still on my to do list. Well, I wish I had a bigger budget because there is a lot that I want from this gorgeous Dutch brand. I had actually walked past Domayne and seen some stunning plates and bowls. Unfortunately for me one plate was going to cost me $79.95 so I put it back and came home. I’m supposed to be saving for the kitchen.

But then I couldn’t stop thinking about the plate (and maybe this bowl) and I went on to pinterest and realised that the brand was definitely something I needed to have. So I did what any sensible woman who sees something they want………I went back the next day and they came home with me.

These stunning images come from the PiP Studio Facebook page here….I could spend a lot time on there. And of course there is pinterest …….but I did warn you!

Filed Under: homes, PiP studio, shopping

Win $1000 to spend at Westfield this Spring/Summer

October 3, 2011 By corrie 146 Comments

Sponsored by Nuffnang.

I’ve said it before but life is sometimes tough here at retro mummy. Like when I HAVE to go to Westfield for an afternoon with my stylist Donny Galella and one of my lovely readers, Julie. Shopping is one of my absolute favourite things to do so retro daddy took the twins and Elodie and I went shopping. But the purpose of my little trip out to Eastgardens was actually to catch up with Donny, talk about trends for this Spring/Summer and give one of my lucky readers a little style session.

And Westfield have gone all out with a pop up Style Lounge on the lower ground floor of Westfield Eastgardens with comfy couches and a little space to have a chat and get a free 20 minute style session with one of their stylists. You can find your nearest Style Lounge and dates here and it’s a great opportunity to get some advice before you head off shopping. Talk about making stylists accessible for everyone – how can you say no to a free mini style session. Send your hubby and kids off to the food court and you get some advice tailored to your body shape.

Now my lucky reader was Julie and I was meeting her for the first time. I have to tell you she is so sweet and lovely. But I also have to tell you that she failed to tell me she is tall, slim and has aboslutely perfect body proportions. In fact about half way through the shopping trip I was starting to feel like a little white marshmallow standing next to her. Donny worked out that she is an elongated hourglass body shape – and you can work out your own body shape over here. I’m a pear – what are you?

Donny shows Julie a dress and how it will suit her body shape

Now the hottest trend this spring/summer according to Donny has to be colour blocking. What is it, you ask? It’s about wearing big blocks of colour and colours that you wouldn’t normally wear together. Check out the Style Guide here for an idea. Bright red skirt, pink top, purple clutch…that sort of thing. And lucky for your budget, accessories are the most perfect and affordable way to incorporate colour into your wardrobe.

Donny really focuses on building the basics of your wardrobe so your black pants, a white shirt, a little black dress, a daytime dress, black skirt, trench coat and black leggings. Then twice a year or each season you add a few new items into your wardrobe that incorporate the latest trends. And what I love about shopping with Donny is that he takes a dress or an outfit from the rack and totally accessorises it with belts, handbags, jewellery and takes it to a whole new level.

And before I met up with Donny I put the call out on Facebook for your burning fashion questions this season so here we go!

Colour blocking? Can I do it if I’m plus size or over 30? The answer is YES! Anyone can colour block and the best way to start if you’re a little unsure is with a statement piece. Maybe it’s a bright coral bag or red shoes or a bright blue dress. Pick another colour say a fuschia necklace or a big red belt and you are colour blocking. Walk into any store at the moment and you’ll find big bold colours so you won’t have to search them out too hard.

I hear lace is a big trend this season. What if I’m a larger lady? Lace is a big trend and a great way to incorporate some lace into your outfit is by making sure it highlights your best bits. Perhaps a lace trimmed camisole or a lace scarf. Remember the goal with fashion and making an outfit look fabulous is to highlight your best bits and what you love about your body so that if you need to you can hide your problem areas. I don’t think Julie has problem areas but you know what I’m talking about………

What are the rules with stripes? Just like a print you want clothes that elongate your body. Vertical stripes do this for you. But there are a few exceptions – for example if you’re a small busted woman you could get away with wearing vertical strips up top which will give the impression of looking bigger .

If a trend comes around again can I wear it if I’ve already worn it the first time? Donny says yes since fashion is meant to be fun. But the second time around you might want to wear it more subtly. Best not to bring out your hugest flares from the 70’s but opt for a more subtle/less flared version.

I don’t have a big budget so how can I incorporate the latest trends this spring/summer. Donny says if you have $200 you should buy a little floral dress at say Portmans, Jeanswest or Target. Team it up with a wedge or espadrille (Payless Shoes had some great ones that I’m heading back for – just $59.95). Go a bright coloured handbag with the rest of your money. You can mix these pieces with basics in your wardrobe.

After I spend time with Donny I’m reminded not to dismiss shops just because they look teeny bopper-y. For example a great new store called Chica Booti – say that with some feeling won’t you! Chica boooootiiiii! This store is full of the latest styles for a very small price. I picked up some cute flutter sleeve tee’s for $15 which will work well with the basics in my wardrobe. This little white jacket completes Julie’s outfit perfectly and wait for it – $35. I’m not kidding you.

So we had a great afternoon with Donny and left confident that we could put some great outfits together on our own. Since having my own style session I actually spend less money on clothes because I only buy outfits that look wow and suit my body shape. And it’s so easy to book a session with a stylist for yourself. You just popover to the Westfield website, find your nearest centre and book a session. And if you just have to have Donny then you can go here

And now one lucky of my lucky readers will win a $1000 Westfield gift card to spend. Woohoo. I just love giving these away because I know that us mummies always put everyone else first. But this is your chance to spend some money on yourself – guilt free. Get yourself a nice dress, perhaps some wedges, new handbag – whatever you want. And to go in the running you just need to tell me why you need to win and get a new wardrobe this season. Thank you Westfield. Full terms and conditions are available here and this competition is for Australian residents only.

And before I go! Get out your diaries all you Gok Wan fans! Westfield are bringing him out to Australia this week (yes!) and his tour dates are now available here – I am so excited that I’ll be going along backstage to one of his show at Westfield Miranda. And in case you missed it here I’m picking one of you to come with me so don’t forget to enter. If you’re a huge fan then you are going to love his live shows.

Filed Under: giveaway, westfield

fruit + nut biscotti

October 2, 2011 By corrie 7 Comments

I’m just going to say it…… I have such a sweet tooth! But you probably already knew that with all the cakes, cookies and sweet things I love to make. Unfortunately for me my thighs don’t love all the baking I do. No they don’t. And I do have to go the gym to work off the sweet treats. So I was excited when I found this recipe for biscotti that is absolutely jam packed full of fruit and nuts. And it’s good for you too.

I’ve got to say this is a real winner. It’s been a really nice sweet treat to have with a cup of coffee or as I’m quickly dashing out of the house. I’ll just warn you though that you bake the biscuits first in big logs, then cool, then slice and bake again on each side. This is a seriously dangerous time to be in the kitchen. Warm cookies all sliced waiting to go back in the oven. I don’t know how they made their way into my mouth but they did!

500g (3 1/3 cups) plain flour

500g (2 1/3 cups) sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

5 eggs lightly beaten

100g craisins (or raisins or sultanas)

100g dried apricots

100g pitted dates

100g pecans

100g blanched almonds

100g hazelnuts

finely grated zest of 1-2 lemons

In your food processor or thermomix place the dried fruit. Roughly chop – in my thermomix I did this on turbo with closed lid setting – just press turbo once or twice. Remove and set aside. If you don’t have a food processor or thermomix chop your dried fruit up with a knife. If you have a thermomix then you can process the raw sugar on speed 9 for 8-10 seconds to make raw caster sugar.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder and sugar. Stir in beaten egg and combine with a wooden spoon. I needed to use my hands until it all came together. You don’t want a really wet mixture so if you don’t need to use all of the egg mixture then don’t. Add in nuts whole, fruit and lemon zest and combine together. I needed to use my hands to make sure it all came together.

With wet hands divide mixture into 6 balls and roll into logs. Place 3 logs on a lined baking sheet and repeat with the other 3 logs. Flatten slightly and place trays in oven. Bake for about 20 -30 minutes. Remove trays from the oven and leave to cool. My logs spread quite a bit so spread them out across the baking trays.

Slice logs using a serrated knife and place slices with one side facing up on the baking trays. Reduce the heat of the oven to 140 degrees and bake the biscotti on this side for about 10 -15 minutes until pale golden brown. Turn each biscotti piece over and bake again for the same amount of time. Leave to cool on cooling racks. Now my oven is as slow as the hills so I needed to do each oven tray separately and it did take some time for the whole process but is so worth it. The recipe says you should get about 100 cookies. Mine were longer but I filled two containers.

These biscotti will keep for up to 10 days in an airtight container. These won’t last 10 days in our house. I’m thinking this would be gorgeous with pistachios and craisins at christmas time all wrapped up in cellophane with a big red bow.

This recipe has been adapted from the Fruit & Nut Biscotti recipe in Monday Morning Cooking Club – one of my all time favourite cookbooks.

Filed Under: baking, christmas, christmas recipe, recipe, thermomix

Come and see Gok Wan with me

October 1, 2011 By corrie 16 Comments

OK! Well this is defnitely another ‘pinch me is this really happening to little old me’ moment! In case you didn’t know, Gok Wan the super fashion stylist from Britain is coming out to Australia next week. And next Thursday I’m off to see his show at Westfield Miranda. He’s touring around Australia thanks to Westfield and you can see his dates here. And I got the exciting news yesterday that I have 2 reserved seats and a backstage pass to his show. That’s for 2 people. Well there is only one of me (and I hope my friends don’t hate me) and I’m offering one of my gorgeous readers the opportunity to join me. This isn’t something I was asked to do but I really wanted to take another one of my readers with me as I know I have some big Gok fans out there.

image source here

I have absolutely no idea how to pick one of you so I’m going to ask you 2 questions and I’ll help retro daddy pick a winner. Now please pretty please make sure you’re available from 5pm next Thursday 6th October and able to get yourself to Westfield Miranda. I’m going to pick a standby winner just in case something happens to the winner – and no that doesn’t mean you can go and knock off the winner so you can attend. Please let’s be nice.

OK are you ready for this…….

1. Why should I pick YOU to come and see Gok’s show and come backstage with me?

2. What will you wear?

and this is what I’m wearing……

And don’t worry, the great news is that everyone can attend any of his shows. You just need to get there and join the crowd. I’ll be sharing every little bit of my night with my lovely readers AND I have a $1000 Westfield Gift Card to give away next week so don’t be too upset if you don’t win.

Filed Under: giveaway, westfield