Summer Ideas - Top 5

As Summer draws ever closer (though today, with the amount of rain in Adelaide I would hardly believe it were true) I thought I would put together a little post about the things I love in Summer.

1. Pretty bathers via Gorman. The colours and patterns for this summer are just perfect!

2. Thongs (or flip flops, whichever) Haviannas are my preference.

3. Somewhere comfy to park myself in the sun. These from Bunnings are oh so comfy and only around $20

4. A digital radio to chill out with. SBS Chill or Fresh FM are pretty good stations for a lazy afternoon in the sun.

5. Something tasty and refreshing to drink. Rekorderling Strawberry and Lime Cider is the perfect addition to a Summer afternoon. It's sweet without being sickly, bubbly and refreshing. Great served over ice, with a couple of mint leaves. MMMM.....

Happy weekend!!!! 

Friday night fun / Brazil Film Festival Opening

Last night after work Mr Haphazard and I trecked down to the East End to attend the opening night of the Brazil Film Festival. Can I just say, a great night out!

Amazing canapes, of a brazillian nature, were served. Pasteles featured, which are kind of like pasties, but filled with shredded chicken or beef and very cheesy and deep fried. I am definitely going to attempt to find a decent recipe and whip some up at home.
Also, I discovered a new drink. Caipirinha. And how lovely it is!

Mmmmm.Tasty.

How to do it:

Basically, you take one part cachaça , some sugar and a heap of limes (cut up into small chunks) and mix it up in a short tumbler with some crushed ice.
Perfect for these warm nights we have been having lately.

But, enough of the food and drink....

The film which was shown for opening night was Trap.com. Absolutely HILARIOUS! I was pretty much in hysterics the entire time. I definitely recommend checking it out. You will laugh and maybe even drop a tear at the end. It is a very sweet, farsical film with a heart of gold.

If you are free over this weekend, and in Adelaide, I highly reccomend catching a Brazillian film or two. All details via

Tonight, we are heading to the Valley to see old friends and spend a little time with my family.

Friday catch up / Shoe lust

Ok sooooo much has been going on since last Friday and I can't believe I have been this lazy at trying to get a post out, but to recap:

1. Mr Haphazard successfully ran a charity show on Saturday night. Very fun. Many drinks were had and many a good boogie on the dance floor.

2. We finally had our engagement party and my oh my it was a fun day.
My 91 year old Grandmother was in attendance as well as a bunch of people who had flown in especially for the day! (thanks everyone) A good time was had by all, drinks were consumed and a pretty dress was worn...
But more on that later...

Shoe lust.
Can we just talk about these...

Available via ASOS. Ridiculously sparkly? Check. Nice and high? Check. Totally impractical for the office and the 2km jog i have to do between jobs on a friday morning? You better believe it! But I can't help myself. (oh and they are on sale! EEk!)

Yep. So more details to follow re: engagement and pretty dresses, but for now... Pretty, pretty shoes!

Also.... TGIF!

Friday night fun!!

This little puppy is sure to get your Friday night started. Take one part good quality vodka, one part peach schnapps, cloudy apple juice and shake in a cocktail shaker with generous ice then pour into a chilled martini glass and drop in a cherry. Ohhhh yeaaaaahhh. Friday night has a flavour and this is it!

Friday Fuzzy/ Almond Tree Designs

Via

Something to make you feel warm and fuzzy on Friday.

Top 5 weekend / Bowerbird Bazaar

This past Sunday I took myself (Mr Haphazard was working) into town for a little thing called the Bowerbird Bazaar. And it was AMAZING!  You know, lately I have been saying that something is AMAZING quite a lot, but this, I assure you, is well deserved of caps. Held twice a year in the Queens Theatre, Adelaide, this market features artists and designers from around the country and local food and wine sellers.

 So first off, the line for entry was crazy long, but luckily it moved quickly.

 These beautiful flower arrangements, provided by Fleurs de Nadia, were the centrepieces for the tables in the cafe area. 

 She has a real flair for arranging native flowers and she had a ton of them for sale too. Like these kangaroo paws. Definitely a favourite of mine!

How cool are these? These were the chairs and tables dotted around the venue, made of cardboard and absolutely gorgeous.

Ok, I think I may have mentioned before my obsession with cool lighting, yes? But how awesome are these chandeliers? Sustainable and flat packed, ready for assembly Who did that offer a range of chandeliers, among other products, of exquisite design and quality.


All in all it was a great day spent wandering the aisles discovering cool and interesting new products.

My Top 5 from October Bowerbird Bazaar:

1. Delilah Devine for these fun and quirky upcycled vintage wallpaper horse wall decals

2. Almond Tree Designs,  for this cool piece, (a highlight of my purchases for Mr. Haphazard)

3. Who did that , because, well, see above ranting about awesome lights.
4. Marble Merchants, because Marbles are always awesome, particularly these handmade little balls of amazing. Seriously, check them out.
5. Monolog, for their super lovely printed fabrics.

An absolutely great experience in little old Adelaide town. Now, to save up for next time.
If you want more info on Bowerbird Bazaar check it here.

Hold up.... WHAT!!! / Awesome Product

Ok, I don't know if maybe this was just something that everyone knew existed but WHAT?! How long has this been around for!?
It's literally a light which projects a rainbow onto your wall. Called Rainbow in my Room. From UrbanOutfitters.
But really?!? This is possibly the most AWESOME (note the caps) thing I have ever come across in my long hours spent trawling through google for new and exciting products. Now I know as a theatre lighting tech in my spare time I am probably, just maybe, likely to get a little bit more excited about cool lighting than the average gal, but seriously, this right now has blown my mind.
Did anyone else know about these?

Golf Day / Relaxation

One of those rare days where Mr Haphazard and I both have the day off together and were able to share it playing golf in the sunshine.

This shot, sorry for the iphone dodgyness, was taken on the 11th hole at Cudlee Creek Golf Course. (even the name is adorable) A beautiful par 3 in the Adelaide Hills. Though it claims to be par 3, I find it sits somewhere inbetween real golf and par 3 which, with my lack of golfing prowess, makes it quite perfect!

Outfit for the day went a little something like this...

Simple shirt and shorts from Cotton On. Definitely a favourite for those wardrobe staples.

And of course...

Old faithful and beautifully comfortable all day long. Available here.

Oh, and plenty of this...

Invisible Zinc. Perfect for all skin, particularly in the harsh Australian sun! I crisp up at even a HINT of UV light. Mr. Haphazard is a little more blessed. He tans well, whereas I go from pastey white, to burnt BRIGHT red and back to pastey white without even so much as a hint of a tan. But hey, everyone is different, but everyone needs sunscreen!

Wednesday Happy/ Awesome body products

Mmmm, lotions, potions and happiness.
Let's take a second to talk about Lush. Possible some of my favourite products of all time come from this store and I just thought I would share my obsession.

This...

Big Blue. A beautiful bathbomb with notes of lavender and lemon and an amazing cleansing quality which makes your skin squeak after your bath!

If, like me, you don't have a bath this is just as good.

Snow Fairy shower gel. It's pink, sweet and sparkly. The perfect morning pick me up.

And, for something beautiful smelling why not give some solid perfume a go?

Orange Blossom solid perfume. Pretty self explanatory, orangey notes with beatiful woody scent. Did you know it is also Vegan? Ooooh yeh....

So there you have it. Some pretty awesome products to help you smell and look amazing.

All images and products Via

Friday night fun!

Jansz. I love it. The best, most perfect bubbly to celebrate Friday night. Cheese is a pretty awesome accompaniment!

Thursday Treats/ Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter and Chocolate. Is there a better combination? These cookies I baked today certainly make it hard to think there could be.

 Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanuts
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup Baking Cocoa
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large Free Range eggs
1 cup choc chips
1 tsp salt
Sea salt for sprinkling

What to do:
Preheat oven to 200 C

1. Combine flour, salt, cocoa and baking powder in a mixing bowl
2. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar
3. Add eggs, vanilla and peanut butter and mix well
4. Combine with dry mixture
5. Add chocolate chips and peanuts and mix until just combined
6. Spoon mixture onto well greased baking tray, sprinkle with a little sea salt and bake for 15 minutes 

The mixture for these cookies is so light and fluffy it was a struggle not to eat the whole lot straight from the mixing bowl!!
Best enjoyed in the sunshine with a cup of Chai tea.

Wednesday handy/ Planning the wedding

Ok so, a few posts missed due to excitement but never fear, I will catch up with posting!!!

Yep, I am now engaged! Wooo! Actually, the planning is pretty much done. Mr. Haphazard popped the question in the Barossa Valley 2 weeks ago and already we have locked in Band, Venue, Celebrant and *fingers crossed* catering will be next.

Details for all to follow!

Onto other, more exciting things. I love Mason jars. Always have. Always will. There is something about the simplicity and beatuy of the jars that I find alluring.

Whether they are used for drinks... Ala Kris of youngmarriedchic.com

Find her AMAZING recipe for Apple Pie Smoothies here.

Or, used to store those little things we all have lying around the house...As shown here at Homemade by Monica

Like I said, I love Mason jars! Verstaile and beautiful.

And!!! Most importantly I have found a seller in Australia! Redback Trading Company, found here, have mason jars!!!

So, here is my problem now... how best to utilise these at the wedding?!

Please comment if you have any ideas!!!



Wednesday Desire

These.
Found here.

Ooooh yeh.

I can definitely see myself wearing one of these babies on my finger. I really like rings, they are my weakness. I have one beautiful ring which never gets taken off, it was purchased at the Sydney Rocks Market and is very VERY special to me. But the rings on my other fingers are constantly interchanged and I think one of these could be a good addition to the collection.
Pics via

Lunch Today/ Tabouleh Goodness

So... was it glamorous? No. Was it homemade? No. Was it absolutely delicious?! You betcha!

With the weather heating up here all I wanted today was a salad for lunch. Now, considering this morning I was running really late I didn't have time to whip up a tasty salad for my lunch so the only option was to purchase one. So, this morning I popped into the nearest supermarket and grabbed a store bought, plastic clad salad. And to be honest... it was awesome! I just love tabouleh, particularly at this time of the year, the freshness of the parsely with the tomatoes and dressing... mmhmm.
I do, on the occasion where I am not running ridiculously late in the mornings, like to make my own tabouleh at home and thought I would share the recipe. It's easy and great for entertaining as all you need is 4 basic ingredients and a good quality olive oil.

Tabouleh Recipe
Ingredients:
1/3 cup Burghul (cracked wheat)
2 bunches parsely (Either flat or curly leaf. I use a combination of the 2)
1 spanish onion
1 large tomato
1 large lemon, juiced
1/2 cup olive oil

How to make it:
1. In a bowl, place burgul and cover with cold water, set aside until soft (usually about 45 minutes)
2. Finely chop parsely, spanish onion and tomato and place in a large salad bowl. Discard any large parsely stalks
3. Once the burghul is softened, drain through a sieve, pushing down on the burgul with the back of a spoon to get rid of all the excess moisture
4. Add burgul to parsely, tomato and onion
5. Dress with a little salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil

Eat and enjoy!
And this is what I followed up my tasty, tasty salad with...

The sweetest strawberries I have ever eaten!
We are currently growing strawberries at home, however they are neither this big nor this red, they are still somewhat smallish and green. Definitely not yet suitable for lunch!

There you have it, this was my lunch today, not particularly stylish but damn tasty!

Also, before I forget, the drink bottle in the background of the tabouleh pic is my "never leave my side" item of the moment! Made by Aladdin, BPA free and as it holds 300ml, perfectly sized for my handbag and not so big that I get daunted by the thought of having to drink al lthat water. I know, i need to drink more water but I just struggle *sigh*.

You can check out all Aladdin, earth friendly and reusable products here. These are, unlike my lunch, very stylish!

Spring Sun and Showers

So whilst the leaves in the Northern hemisphere may be turning all those lovely orangey brown hues and pumpkin starts to dominate in the kitchen, things here in Aus. have definitely started getting summery! The garden is currently awash with blossom from the various trees and shrubs and the grapevine is literally covered with new growth.

Fingers crossed the cherry tree will do likewise... We planted one in the backyard during the week and so far it has tiny little leaves growing on it! So exciting!

And if that isn't enough check out the amazing wildflowers I saw last week whilst walking up Anstey Hill. 

While it is nice and toasty during the day (I even got a little sunburnt playing golf... but that is a whole other story) it is still cold enough at night to need a nice cosy cardigan. And with all the sales on at the moment I can totally see myself in something along these lines...

Both via Dotti

I am totally excited for the warmer weather and cannot wait to start eating fresh cherries on lazy Sunday afternoons in the hammock. Cherries and hammocks, definitely my favourite things to enjoy in the warmer weather. What are yours?

Friday Pretty

This cute little guy was a gift from one of my best gals. Made by De Nardi creative design right here in Australia! You can find the etsy store here with some absolutely lovely jewellery!

I LOVE this one and think it would look super lovely on my cardigan.

Pics via

Friday night fun!

Friday night spots...
This place is great! Cosy, great food and a brilliant vibe. Not to mention a GIANT apple tree in the cider garden.
More pictures to come....

Tasty Treats!

I really REALLY enjoy cooking and eating tasty food. I love being able to share food with my family and friends and today I'm going to share a brilliantly easy recipe for tasty pastry scrolls. These make a great appetiser and are really handy finger food. I mean, who doesn't like beautiful pastry filled with cheese and sauce...

What you will need:
1 Sheet thawed puff pastry (I used Borgs brand)
1 cup pizza sauce or tomato paste
2 cups Tasty Cheese (grated)
1 1/2 cups ham cut into strips

How to make it:
1. Take your thawed puff pastry and place it on a clean bench
2. Spread pizza sauce or tomato over the pastry leaving a 2cm gap around the edges
3. Sprinkle cheese and ham over the sauce or paste
4. Roll up pastry
5. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge until required
6. Pre-heat oven to 210 degrees C
7. Take chilled roll out and cut into small pieces, about 3cm thick
8. Place these on a greased baking tray and bake for around 15-20 minutes.
Keep an eye on them, you will know they are done when the pastry puffs up and goes golden!

Ok, so they aren't so pretty to photograph, but trust me... YUM!

You can really interchange any recipes for the fillings.
Great filling ideas include:
Pesto and cheese
Mushrooms, sundried tomato and grilled eggplant
Turkey, cranberry and spinach
Or even try a sweet one with jam or Nutella...

And if you are like me and are a wee bit over zealous with the whole preparation thing and make a ton they can be frozen for another day.

First. Ever. Post.

So here goes. My first ever foray into the blogging world. After reading all the pretty/chic/awesome blogs written by some very talented ladies out there and realising that so many of them, not all but most, were written about the USA and NYC in particular, I thought, hey, why don't I write something for those of us with a more "down-under" view on all things chic/tasty/pretty and awesome in life.
So here it is.

This beautiful place is Ansteys Hill. Not too far away from the house I share with my partner and 2 gorgeous cats. (more to come later on them)
Aren't those lillies just AMAZING!!!

Coming Soon