Doggie beach

Pop quiz: where in Sydney can you find lost thongs, goggles, dog collars and leashes?Why, at the doggie beach, of course!
It's so hard to find off leash, dog friendly beaches in Sydney, so Rowland Reserve, (where dogs can run and swim free) is really a gem of a find. My friend, Claire and I brought her little dog there recently for a day of doggie beach fun. It was so wonderful to see dozens of dogs at the park, sniffing each others' bums, chasing, playing catch and swimming.

I wonder, why is it that all dogs seem to magically know how to swim, without need for formal lessons?
I'll admit; I had plenty of fun myself collecting seashells, finding starfish and going for a quick dip. Summer is coming to a close very soon and it's good to know everyone - man's best friend included, has had the chance of a summery good time in the sun.

Moments from the weekend

Dahlias, from Stu ♥
Sewing lessons from my mom-in-law; she taught me how to sew elastic in my new vintage purchase - which is this awesome $8 floral, pleated skirt. A score in my books!
Mint flowers and fresh mint tea; the mint in the vege patch has flowered and grown out of control, so we trimmed it right down. And made ourselves some fresh mint tea.

Baking (and eating). But more on that in a later post.

More flowers. Hydrangeas and chinadoll flowers from my mom-in-law's garden.
And I indulged in a bit of shameless self-portrait taking with my lovely blooms as a way to end the weekend. Stu laughed when he saw me posing in the garden. Then he proceeded to pick this one out as his favorite.What did your weekend look like?

Stylist's Own

Have you ever flipped through a magazine and saw a gorgeous piece of clothing in an editorial that you love, only to find it's "the stylist's own" and there's no chance on earth you can find it in the stores? Sigh. I sure have.

Well, one very talented Australian fashionista, instead of despairing (like I do), took it upon herself to create her very own label of Australian clothing and accessories, offering pieces inspired by those "stylist's own" clothing one often sees in fashion magazines and editorials. She named it Stylist's Own.Think off duty model styles, nifty basics with a twist, band tees and boyfriend shirts in a clean colour palette and you'll pretty much end up with their latest collection - Fast Forward.Pretty neat huh? Stylist's Own is offering you, my readers, a 10% discount to perk up your wardrobe. Just use the code trishie1 upon checkout.

What will you get? I'm putting an order in for this very fabulous wrist cuff; can't wait to wear it! Happy shopping!

My week with Marilyn

She really is quite wonderful, you know? And I am utterly fascinated with her.In the movie, Marilyn Monroe was portrayed as unreliable, profoundly unhappy and insecure but at the same time, she was vulnerable, childlike, insanely beautiful and magnetic in her charms. I'll admit I fell in love with her during the course of the movie last night and in true stalker fashion, spent hours googling her and today I borrowed one of her movies on DVD.

I could go on about how much I enjoyed the movie and what a fabulous actress Michelle Williams is , but I think you really should just go and watch it for yourself.

Please let me know if you love it as much as I do!

12 things: Vege patch

We have a vege patch!Currently we are growing a variety of herbs, including sage, coriander, oregano, thyme, basil and mint, as well as okra, rocket, spinach, chillies and tomatoes.The first of the tomatoes are just ripening and there are still plenty more to come, judging from the flowers on the plant.

My chilli plant, having survived years in apartment living has just blossomed in the vege patch, producing bigger and much more chillis than ever before. It's amazing what plenty of fresh air and room to grow can do.I'll admit, the reason I wanted to grow a vege patch this year as part of my 12 things is because I have been awestruck by cooking shows where the chef so nonchalantly goes out to the kitchen garden and picks out a few things to cook with.

I've always wanted to be able do that myself. And I totally did! When life throws basil at you, make a mean pesto (and a paperbag snapper dish)! And let me tell you, homemade pesto smells and tastes absolutely sensational and is a beautiful bright green.


Do you have a vege patch? What are you growing at the moment?