Otto's new couture...

Gross Hong Kong pizza #218... introducing The Volcano!

"Overflowing with warm feelings".... mmmm

Warning outside our local spa....

Dear spa, I don't think you are a patron if you haven't been serviced.

Funny sign in my neighbourhood...

Jane thinks I'm stylish!

Jane from Me 'n my Monkeys that is; she very kindly nominated me for a Stylish blogger award, yay!

I suddenly don't feel so bad about writing this in sweat pants...

There's a few conditions to receiving the prize:

I must link back to the person who gave it me and thank them... oh do I HAVE to??? Ha... thanks so much Jane. Now everyone go and check out Me 'n my Monkeys!

I have to also share 7 things about myself, so here goes, ummm...

1. I am not a natural blonde. But who is?? Actually a few people I know, so scrap that last comment.

2. I can hold a tune and used to sing in a band. It really wasn't my calling, but at least I gave it a go. Occasionally I can still be heard serenading my boyfriend, which after awhile, usually results in him wincing and asking me to please stop.

3. I like cold Christmases better than hot ones... and I'm Australian! Blasphemy. I just can't help but feel more Christmassy when I need to put a coat on while shopping for gifts. And I usually hate the cold, there is simply no excuse for it... except at Christmas.

4. I can never make up my mind. I have serious issues with indecision. A fine message for my gravestone would be "Here lies her who should have picked the blue one." Now there's a happy thought.

5. I hate missing out on things. I'll often decide not to go to a dinner, party, or other similar event that my friends are going to because I'm exhausted and in serious need of rest, but then when they're all cooing about their fab night the next day I'll kick myself. I think this is related to that indecision thing.

6. I count on my fingers. I never learned to do fast sums any other way and it's highly embarrassing in public situations. Can you just work out the bill and tell me what I owe?

7. I am a total workaholic during the week, but on weekends I panic and go catatonic when someone asks me to work.

I then have to pay the kindness forward to fifteen other amazing bloggers and also let them know. My pleasure. So here goes, in no particular order:

1. Cupcakes, Frocks and Pink

2. Scenic Glory

3. Kandeeland

4. Cupcakes and Cashmere

5. Bright Wishes

6. Mummahh

7. Passports and Prada

8. Under Lock and Key

9. Red-soled Fashionista

10. Snappy Q

11. Dutchess Roz

12. Beautiful You

13. That is All

14. Sherbet Blossom

15. Ish and Chi

Have a wonderful Christmas to ALL you stylish bloggers.

Hong Kong: Where folks queue outside designer stores.

Barbie's own beauty shop... Cute.

Sorry.

For the lack of blogs this week folks, I'm sure were are all boating in similar waters when I say it's pre-Christmas madness!!!

I've been trying to catch up on a lot of work this week in order to grant myself a couple of days off next week but, sadly, I do not see that happening as I can't seem to reach the top of this Mt Everest work pile. It's big.

What do y'all have planned for Christmas? I love hearing from you and heart your lovely comments...

Here's our Christmas weekend schedule:

Christmas Eve: Dinner and Christmas movies at home.

The dinner: Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

The dessert: Peanut butter & chocolate cheesecake

The movies: A Christmas Carol, White Christmas

Christmas Day: Lunch with two of our fabbest HK friends at the oh-so-chic W. Hotel! Bring on the buffet!

Boxing Day: Drinks with friends, sleeping in. And more sleeping in.

Oh and the sweet Jane from Me 'n my Monkeys nominated me for a Stylish blog award! I promise to post answers to her questions soon and, in the meantime, please check out her cute as a button blog. Thanks Jane.

Merry Christmas my friends.

Which is your favourite Christmas carol?

B and I are staying in Hong Kong for another holiday season, which means B is in serious danger of me forcing him to sing Christmas carols with me on Christmas Eve.

Would that be cheesy?

Just the two of us singing carols together, over some Nigella cooking, a glass of red wine and the two dogs?

Nah... not cheesy at all!

Will you be caroling this year? Which one can't you wait to sing? Here's mine... sung by myself, B, and Mr Bing Crosby of course.

White Christmas

I'm dreaming of a white christmas,
just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten and children listen
to hear sleigh bells in the snow

I'm dreaming of a white christmas,
just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten and children listen
to hear sleigh bells in the snow

I'm dreaming of a white christmas,
with every christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright,
and may all your christmases be white

I'm dreaming of a white christmas,
just like the ones I used to know
May your days be merry and bright,
and may all your christmases be white

I'm dreaming of a white christmas,
with every christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright,
and may all your christmases be white

May your days be merry and bright,
and may all your christmases be white

And may all your christmases be white (All your christmases be white)
And may all your christmases be white (All your christmases be white)
And may all your christmases be
(All your christmases be white)
(All your christmases be white)

Dear B, will you please buy me these cups?

Love,

Massaman Beef Curry. YUM.

Holy smokes, I can cook! I think good ol' Albie Einstein must have had a similar feeling of 'WTF' when he discovered his theory of relativity.

As mentioned in a previous post, I'm on a mission to correct my impaired cooking gene (which is an odd gene, since most of my family are amazing cooks and my mum has written three cookbooks).

So I bought Jody Vasello's excellent book 'Asian: One Step at a Time'... it's completely idiot proof with photos for every step - even what each ingredient looks like in case you aren't sure what bean sprouts are (*cough* like me).

I'm not going to give away all the recipes because I'm sure young Jody would rather everyone bought the book, but I did begin with Massaman Beef Curry the other day, which was a rather odd choice because I don't actually like curry.

Until I tried this one.

Be still my rumbling tummy, I promise to feed you Jody's Massaman Beef Curry again soon. Now hush up.

Here is the recipe - I promise you won't regret trying this one... I'm so inspired to cook more!

p.s. The side dish in the photo is Chicken Pad Thai which was also a thousand shades of delish.

MASSAMAN BEEF CURRY

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 potatoes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoons Massaman curry paste

500g rump steak, cubed

1 onion, chopped

500ml coconut milk

2 tablespoons grated palm sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate (puree)

3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped

Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method:

1. Cut the potatoes into large pieces then steam or parboil.

2. Heat the oil in a wok, add the curry paste and cook gently for 3 minutes, or until fragrant.

3. Increase the heat to medium. Add the potatoes, steak and onion and cook until the steak browns.

4. Stir in the milk, sugar and fish sauce. Boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Add the tamarind and cook for another 5 minutes.

6. Top with the chopped roasted peanuts and serve with steamed jasmine rice.

So lovely.

This week, on a cold and rainy night, my fab friend Danielle and I made plans to try a new restaurant in town for dinner...

A timely excuse for a wine, pasta, and Christmas catch up!

I was - shock, horror - running late, and Miss D was patiently waiting for me when I arrived. As I sat down all flustered and in dire need of something liquid, the waitress rushed over and asked me if I would like a glass of chardonnay.

"Um, well, yes I would!" I said, puzzled by her apparent knowledge of my taste in wines - and, as we all know, chardonnay isn't exactly trendy. It pales in coolness comparison to a sav blanc.

Darn you sav blanc for being so effortlessly chic while chardy suffers in in the cheap seats!

Anyhoo, as it turned out, my darling boyfriend B had noticed I had been a bit stressed with work overload this week, so he dropped into the restaurant on his way home and bought us girls two glasses of wine in advance, and had obviously told them what I would order.

SO cute - thank you B! x

Hats. Oh my!

I'm quite frankly thrilled to be working with Louis Vuitton on a project and, the other day, the name Philip Treacy came up in an interview.

Ah... Philip Treacy.

Do you know him? He's the milliner extraordinaire who designs the most ingeniously inventive hats for people like Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen and Lady Gaga (who applied for an internship with him!)

He is, quite simply, fabulous.

I'm in love with these at the moment... Which is your favourite? Or are they not really your taste?

Hi, good looking...

May I please wish you a lovely day.

Point & shoot: Folks' visit.

This is a point and shoot post with a twist, as it isn't quite photos from my weekend, but a few pics from my mum and step-dad's recent visit to Hong Kong. Does that count?

The stayed for around 12 days and I had only three wishes:

1. The weather would play nice and be hospitable... check! Gorgeous sunny days, blue skies and perfect temperatures... thank you, mother nature, I owe you

2. They would fall in love with the grandchildren (our dogs)... check! They slept with them every night and were perfectly gracious, even when little Ted vomited on the bed

3. They would like Hong Kong and understand why we are living here... check! At one point they were discussing apartment prices downtown

Here's a sample of our lovely week-and-a-bit:

♥ We took a cable car ride across green mountains to one of the world's largest outdoor Buddhas

♥ We stayed in and made Chinese-style crispy lemon chicken and friend rice

♥ We got fat dining on dim sum, peking duck, Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese

♥ We got jazzed up and ate at Hutong, one of Hong Kong's fanciest restaurants, with a breathtaking view of Victoria Harbour

♥ We hiked the Dragon's Back mountain ridge and had a lazy lunch in a sleepy beach village called 'Shek O'

♥ We shopped, shopped and shopped, and then shopped again, for clothes, kitchenwares, computer stuff, and more, and found some awesome deals

♥ We had drinks at some sensational cocktail bars (with sensational prices to match)

♥ We had lazy mornings sleeping in, playing with the dogs and having coffees

♥ We went to a big group dinner with friends when my dad was also in town for the one night, and gorged on pigeon, duck, mutton, chicken, beef, and seafood

♥ We visited a local tailor and had jackets and pants custom-made... snazzy

♥ We spent some much-needed time together

It was a truly gorgeous week... come back soon guys, we all miss you.