Trustee - A night out in Perth

Friday night out in a new city and I was in the queue of a newly opened bar. How chic of me. Trustee, hosted in a lovely heritage building on 135 St George Terrace, not far away from many office buildings aspires to be the typical bankers' watering hole on weekdays. A large selection of wines and a cocktail drinking crowd made for a bustling opening. After being promised a twenty minute wait in the queue but let in after five, I gratefully sank myself onto the plush leather couch in a corner of the bar with my newfound Perth friends.

We ordered wine, because it would have been a terribly long wait for cocktails, and the Dry reisling we had was really yummy. To be honest, I don't remember enough of the night for a detailed post, and trying to remember details still brings about a dull throb from the hangover I had to endure the next morning on a 5 hour flight back to Kuala Lumpur (Not recommended btw). But, I do remember what inspired me to take the few pictures I found on my phone the next afternoon.

Clockwise from top left:

1) The expansive brass and glass wine cellar-vault that sits in the middle of the bar floor.

2) The old world charm decor of the place with the iron-wrought lamp stands and old chests for coffee tables


3) Fat chips. No, seriously fat chips almost the size of a non-smart phone.

4) More of the decor, this one we deduced is themed to match the place's name ~ the Trustee.

Alcohol-induced revelry made it impossible to believe that my visions of freaky babies popping up in our drinks wasn't a mere hallucination, but there were some tipsy cajolling and tossing around naked toy bubs and placing them in compromising positions. And I swear they found their way with me on my trip to Kuala Lumpur.

I beleive that we all had a great night, despite, the hazy memory, the waitress that kept removing our full beers, the long waits for alcohol and despite the cancelled credit card the next day because I thought I had misplaced it.

Fantabulous place to hang out and I'd go there again one day I think, just to try out some of that french food they are supposed to also serve in their bistro.



Trip to Perth, the Pan Pacific

I had the fortunate opportunity to be sent to Perth for work last week, it was my first time being here and it was certainly refreshing to be in the other half of our two-speed economy I'll tell you that. For starters, there were no talks of doom and gloom. China was the focus, not Europe. And with the wealth, the biggest issue was coping with growth and not so much the sustainability of the business.

I stayed and worked at the Pan Pacific in those two days. And whilst the rooms weren't anything much to write about (the story is there is so little supply for accommodation in Perth that hotels can't bear to miss out on the revenue they are still able to command with these nineties styled Mod rooms).

What the hotel lacked in style and room facilities, it didn't exactly make up in the in-room dining either. I ordered the most indulgent dish on the menu, a squid ink linguine cooked in a white sauce with scallops and prawns. Whilst it presented really well, and the scallops and prawns weren't overcooked, the cheesiness of the sauce masked the freshness of the seafood. Furthermore, the linguine wasn't al dente and the whole dish was really just a cheesy mess.

 The White wine poached pear that I ordered was comparatively heaven with its chopped topping of strawberries and mint. The delicacy of the refreshing favours acted as the perfect palate cleanser, ridding my buds of all that nasty cheesiness.

Where I worked however, where the conference rooms had been refurbished merely a year or two ago, it was an opulent world. Black chandeliers and luscious leather chairs dotted the halls where we were to hold our cocktail function.

 It was gorgeous. I thought of writing too about the things I got up to in Perth, but perhaps will save that for a different post.

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone

Is it wrong (borderline evil) to hope that that's the tune the Husband will be singing whilst I am doing my epic work/pleasure SYD - PER - KUL - SYD - ADL - SYD trip?

When we were doing our premarriage course, the priest had said that he might not know what it is like to be married, but he knows that women certainly know how to bring the little things in life to make more it all the more comfortable.


This is what I have left behind for the poor hubby of a busy travelling wife:




A packed lunch, frozen homemade lagsana dinners, a stock of ironed shirts, tulips on the dining table, and loads of social events with mutual friends to make sure he doesn't turn into slush on the couch whilst I am gone.

Poor babe... He won't survive a day without me. That's what the narcissist in me thinks. But he seems excited enough that I am on my way... Maybe his helplessness in domestic affairs is just an act to show that he needs me... Real or not, I am sure he will put on a good show when I come home, letting me know that he hasn't eaten healthily and that I have a load of laundry he didn't know what to do with and how much he missed me...if some flowers are involved and the toilet-seat goes back to staying down then he'd be the perfect Stepford Hubby! Haha


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Sunday OOTD

I have been dying to wear this dress eversince I picked it up in the markets at Brisbane. It's a nice little pleather skater cutout dress with an animal print, to keep it fun, but not too crayzee that I couldn't wear it to work. Friday afternoon I ran around Met Centre trying to complete the outfit.

I needed a belt having decided that I haven't got the time to get the Tory Burch skinny belt I really want (fast as shopbop might be in their delivery). A colleague had tipped me that Sheike was selling these lovely coloured skinny belts for only $20, so I was there in a jiffy. Not before this cute twill jacket from Ally's caught my eye though. It was only $40! Score! Much needed in this cold weather.

Modelling pics. The belt matches the colours in my Collete necklace perfectly

 I wore it to a darling friend's engagement party which was an intimate yet casual affair at Bondi Social, which overlooks the beach. Lovely house sparkling and a simple but tasteful selection of beer on tap. The food was really good too at this place. Great Fish and Chips, and I wish there was more of that vietnamese spring roll that was packed full of flavour. But I only got the one sadly...


We finished off the engagement party winding down at Moo's, a Black & White burger, washed down with a Berry Ripe Milkshake. Yummo!

 In a semi food-coma now so am just gonna knock off here and veg out...

<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1467257/restaurant/Sydney/Bondi-Bondi-Beach/MOO-Gourmet-Burgers-Bondi-Beach"><img alt="MOO Gourmet Burgers on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1467257/biglink.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:200px;height:146px" /></a>

Last night at Blancharu

The title says it all. we went there for dinner yesterday and I swear it'll be the last time I ever pay money to eat there again. The service there is atrocious!
So many things I can list that went wrong last night:

1) The waitress walked past me three times with the bread basket and didn't serve me bread
2) Took forever to get their attention to get a wine list
3) The Reisling they served (at $42 a bottle) was warm
4) The Grenache we ordered to go with the mains came out only after everyone was halfway through tucking into the mains
5) The coffee and tea order was taken after we were served desserts
6) Sugar and milk for our English Breakfast was brought out only after we had already consumed one cup of black tea

I am not sure if I missed anything else, but for a place that has faultless food and a respectable wine list, we didn't enjoy the experience one bit which was a terrible shame and the reason we only left a 5% tip instead of our standard ten.

Granted, the company was my restaurant crowd, a group of us who trained together in the art of wine appreciation and table service back in uni when we all worked in a Darling little restaurant in the Harbour. It may not have been my most glamourous job yet, but it certainly taught us the art of enjoying a fine meal and sealed some lasting friendships amongst us, a teenage group of ungoverned students living in a world of opportunity and hope.

Now, on to the plus of last night. I don't think I could really fault the food, a French-Japanese affair.
My three course meal of $55 were constructed of the following delights:

Roasted quail breast, gourmet salad, porcini Madeira sauce, Poisson Du Jour, Minute bake gateau chocolate, strawberry cream tower

Other Mains around the table: Spatchcock en croûte de sel a la Haru, Twice cooked Lamb saddle, lamb rib, couscous and ratatouille, Slow cooked duck “Akita sugi-ita yaki”

Other Desert options: Refreshing Lemongrass pannacotta with coconut sorbet, pineapple salad, Traditional Crème Brûlée with coffee ice cream and crushed almonds

All the goodness of the rich food has left my tummy a little unsettled this morning. Or perhaps it was the consumption of the warm reisling. I am sitting at my desk this morning, sipping on some good ol' Lipton (Not fortified as the cup may imply).

On to prepping for the engagement party next. Enjoy your day lovelies, I know I'll be sipping away at bubbly!

Save or splurge

I am in a shopping dilemma. Maybe it's work wearing me down this week but I am lurking around shopbop a lot this week, trying to find material means of happiness satiation.

I have two things in my cart and I'd love to press "proceed to checkout" if only a) the Aud didn't slip ever so slightly to below parity, and b) I had a spare $700 that I didn't intend to spend in KL when I go next week.

The odds are against me, but I can't help but feel I am already saving if I told you what my true fashion aims were for:

Louis Vuitton Pomme d'Amour vernis leather belt vs Tory Burch skinny patent logo belt in red.




 

Chanel single flap bag or the Rebecca Minkoff quilted affair bag?


Grrr.... To buy or not to buy? Tough question to answer


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Mother's Day

I was drawn to this crop of a shot where my new husband was weaving us through the tables at our reception, making our way to our Central Park table. I was stunned by how similar the expression on my mother's face in the background mirrored mine and remembered how she had shared with me that her happiest moment at her own wedding day was when my Dad also weaved her through their tables, stopping at each one to proudly introduce his new wife, all the while hanging tightly on to her hand, as if that if he did let go, all this might just not be real.

This was possibly the latest moment I had a nice picture taken with my mum. Being apart sucks. Being married and having your own family keep telling you that your in-laws are like family now and that I should treat them like I respect mine, makes it really interesting. Whilst I don't disobey my family, this instruction makes it hard to rock both worlds at the same time because they are all so different and each person want something from me that is different.

Just this Mother's Day has been testament to that. I rushed around the Farmer's markets yesterday, trying to find the finest fromage, the gorgeous flowers, basil and heirloom tomatoes to make a salad for my Mother-in-law, who bless her soul had offered to cook her own Mother's Day dinner despite our numerous pleas for her to sit back and enjoy herself. Apparently being a Mother and fussing over us would be her greatest present already.

At least she seemed to enjoy the home-made Spanish salami and garlic prawn pizza and the apple pie with Pavlova Passion ice cream dessert that we contributed to the meal last night. But I know my own mother would have been a lot more excited to be eating gourmet tomatoes and being fussed over. Or perhaps that was ten years ago, cause when I called home to wish her well last night and to promise that I owe her a grand Mother's day meal when I am back in two weeks, she plainly declines and demands instead that all she wants is a grandchild. *Gulp*

Thing is, we are just not ready yet and guiltily, I am spending Mother's Day resenting my own because she isn't here to see how hard it is for the two of us to get to know each other again now that we are living together. How financially stressful it is that we are carrying three mortgages on our shoulders and how little work there is for my husband that keeps him engaged in his role and how often it is he thinks of just leaving all of this behind. I told her all this the last time we spoke and she has decided that the best solution is to have a child anyways. That if it doesn't ground him and he still leaves us behind, at least I will have a child. One that she'll get to fly over here to take care of. I know that will never happen because talk is cheap and its easy to cajole someone else into making a life-long commitment than to really put yourself into their shoes and weigh out the benefits that do not seem to outweigh the cons.

So, I have nothing else to say but to just tell her no, that my in-laws tell us not to pressure ourselves with children if we aren't ready and I have to obey their wishes too. And just like that, her Mother's day has been turned around into the worst one ever and I am left trying to figure out how did I handle that one so wrong and how to deal with this emotional guilt I have in me now.

I just want to go back to six months ago when she and I were just happy at the same time, having achieved the same goal and was appeased. When I wasn't failing her and certainly before we both knew what lied ahead of us.

Exploring BrisVegas

Mr.HEA and I had never properly experienced Brisbane, and the reasoning behind why it warrants the nickname BrisVegas eludes us.

Exploring the Southbank of Brisbane last night might not have yielded any answers, but it certainly had a charm that was friendly, relaxed and inviting. Or at the very least that was the company I was with.

The two companions that were showing me around whisked me to QPAC for the last night of the Green Jam sessions where we caught the last hour of the Euan Cumming Jazz Trio. Such a novel concept, Hazily strewn cushions on ikat mats, low backed sun loungers, fairy lit trees with the sweet strains of Blues. We should do this in Sydney!

 

We strolled around more afterwards shopping the night markets (yep I bought a skater dress. Animal print of course) and settled in at Sardine Tin, picked for its industrial fit outs and Ferran Adria cookbook display. We were not disappointed at all! The little shared bites we ordered to accompany our Tasmanian Pinot noir were gorgeous to every last morsel and flavorful in every bite.

 

Clockwise from the top: Roast quail with carrot purée and raisin jelly; divine ceviche served with kumara chips on a rockbed; menu booklet; Scallops and veal cheeks on a smear of cauliflower purée. We also ordered this rustic but honest Heirloom tomato, basil and goats cheese mousse salad, and the truffle pecorino gnocchi which don't plate up as prettily, but are definitely moorish dishes.

Lotsa laughter and a bottle of wine later we went back to their apartment where we sobered up with a palate cleanser of marinated watermelon and a generous plate of haloumi, Pistachio, almonds, mint and rose petal pilaf rice from a Nigella Lawson recipe whilst we discussed freely the necessity of school and the inequities of the Malaysian education system.

I crawled into bed well fed, well spoilt ( they left chocolates on my pillow!) and happy for having had a grand time with amazing people tonight.

I was woken up five hours later to the smell of newly made pancakes, and sizzling bacon. A cup of aero pressed coffee and fluffy berry pancakes were produced on the breakfast bar to wake me up from my zombie state and prepare me for my flight home.








I have some delightful friends in Brisbane! Makes it all the harder to say Goodbye...




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Stamford Plaza Brisbane treat

Doesn't this room look inviting after travelling interstate with a long work day ahead of you?




And I had come prepared for pampering with these Lush babies:



Vanilla Fountain



& Marzibain

After work, I drew a lovely scented bubble bath from these dessert-inspired bars and enjoyed the soaking




Whilst sipping on Strawberries & Lime Kopparberg premium cider.




And watching Free-to-air tv on my room's bathroom TV.




A little extra luxury for my relaxed , baby smooth and cake-like scented skin: Chanel Ultra Correction Line Repair anti-wrinkle eye cream and the Day cream substituting night cream.




Now relaxed and blissfully almost comatose, I am going to slip between the luxurious sheets and fluff the pillows beneath my tired head and slip away into some restful sleep dreaming about ham and mushroom omelette or smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel room service for breakfast.


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Friends, food and facial

Sunday spent at the Fish Markets for an overdue catchup with friends, one laments the goverment, another whinges that the economy is flat, there is a broken heart and a hopeful one. All tucking into a lovely fresh meal of delicate oysters, sashimi that is firm to the bite, exquisite scallops and prawns, washed down with light sparkling wine or orange juice in the bright Sydney sun.

 
High Tea at home was next on my agenda and I tell you it's a force to be reckoned with. Imagine the usual fancy fare with dainty cakes, savoury bites and decadent tea, but the unrestrained comfort of being just yourself with the girls (Husband's been chased out of the house), throwing your heads back in shreiks of laughter and offering solace in strong support at the hint of one going through a tough time in her life. I didn't host this, but the girl who did has a real talent:

It was late when I begrudgingly hauled myself back home, showered and climbed into bed with Mockingjay, the last in the Hunger Games series. I finished that last night and am now hungry for more of the story. The ending appeases me somehow, knowing that Katniss ended up with the right lover, but the torment, the pain, the untold stories. I wish I knew more. The thing with reading books after watching the movie is that your lust to know more about the characters is often satiated, but not so if you've just finish reading a book. Other than email-stalking the author(which crossed my mind) or find forums of fans who might have created other paraphernalia to fill the voids.

But I won't end this post on that note, I'd prefer this cheery one. Look what arrived in the post yesterday! All for lurking on Twitter at an opportune time.











The La Prairie 15ml tub was a welcome treat when applied to the deep lines around my sagging eyebags from troubled dreams. It absorbs luxuriously and poses a significant improvement for the next morning. Thank you La Prairie for your generosity!

Saturday in Manic May

Writing this in the sun rays streaming into my writing nook, reflecting flecks of crystal light onto the wall behind the whiskey trolley that bears my Husband's antique crystal decanter, listening to the boppy strains of Bic Runga's latest album Belle while recovering from Saturday.

Aside from the routine loads of laundry I had to run yesterday morning, I pulled together a brunch pizza for my beloved which we waffled down because he's looked up The Avengers Gold Class schedule and we are aiming to make it to the 12.15pm sesh.



Tomatoes, sausage, bacon, eggs and mozarella on a pizza, If that's not the perfect cure to Hubby's Baxter Inn hangover, then what is?



Events Cinema's Gold class in Bondi Junction is quite something, walking through the frosted sliding doors to a private lounge where the fully stocked bar and cosy couches make it difficult to remind yourself that you are here to watch a movie. The Avengers is a really good movie with a great hilarious script which takes time building rapport between the characters of the movie so that you can take in the teamwork that goes into the fight scenes. Everyone performs well except for the Robin-Scherbatsky chick who really should stick to How I Met Your Mother. We laid back in our reclining couches and are brought our frozen cokes when the movie starts and it was an intimate experience with all of only thirty pax in the theatre. It almost seems rude to laugh out loud in the movie.

We went home with plenty of time for a Grocery run and a fantastic dinner. I set a lamb rack in the oven and made a few random sides based on what else was in the pantry and the Cinco de Mayo forces must have been at play because I made a salsa of sorts and a mean jalapeno mince with El Paso nacho dip unknowingly to go with the lamb. A rather beserk combination but Mr.HEA laps it up anyways.

 

Then it was time to stick on the falsies and smouldering eyes, a fresh slick of lipstick and some cute Charles & Keith black party ankle boots and head out to The Beresford Hotel in Surry Hills for some serious partying. In my hazy, tipsy stupour I remembered I hadn't taken a proper shot of my OOTD all day so I did this in the bar. Does this make me a loo blogger? Why else do they put full length mirrors in cubicles? Oh to let you check you haven't got your skirt tucked into your hose. Why else?

Rules by Mary dress, Leona Edmiston stockings, LV epi electric Iena clutch



  Hmmm... it's time now for another day and I am a little worse for wear having knocked back a few vodka cranberries last night because it was so warm in the bar. The Birthday girl wore a goegeous peplum dress which makes me make a mental note to self that I will need to check out this style on me if it is as hot as all the Mercedes Benz Fashionistas during fashion week imply. The Beresford Hotel is a place for Hawt people seriously. At least last night it appeared to be like that. Just tons of beautiful people all having a great time, present company included of course.

Oh yeah, I was meant to wrap up in the start of the last paragraph, I do ramble on. Have a great day everyone! I most certainly intend to!



Happy Friday!

It is always a good day to wake up to. And this week has been particularly big so sleep has been secondary in order to try and juggle and fit everything in.

I'm saying caught up with the girls and finding out one of them got married impromptu.
Over this dinner.

Or orchestrating the perfect office birthday celebration for the girl who put in every effort to organize my birthday this year:

Check out the balloon:






And organizing this kobe jones lunch with eleven of her closest and dearest at work:

I had the katsu tofu. A first time dish but certainly won't be my last.

She got a lot more gifts on the day too. We kid that her desk was a pop-up florist's

Just goes to show that it is worthwhile being nice and developing real friendships at work.

Who can forget it was fashion week too? I purposely tried out ombré nails in recognition of the fact:



 

Perhaps not quite ombré but certainly very attention grabbing.

Have been following many fabulous fashion bloggers' instagram's and tweets whilst mentally noting that peplums, neon colours, prints and sparkles seem to be the next season's choices. Gold eye makeup too according to Nikki from Styling You. A week ago i might have huffed at it, but i have fallen in love with the Hunger Games' characters this week, having devoured every page of the first book already of this Monday delivery:

So channeling Cinna's gold eyeliner seems to be understated chic to me now and i approve.

It wasn't just the fashion world that was celebrating in Sydney this week. TimTams had gone to town too with this Timtams-should-grow-on-trees get up:






I watched them set up late the night before and was pleased to see the final results:

But the week hasn't ended yet, no the weekend is yet to come where there are birthday drinks, reunion lunch and housewarming high tea.

Have a happy Friday my readers, and let today not be a hectic one!

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