mindless ramblings & misadventures of miss clio

Big swollen feet

2012-01-28T22:58:00.001-08:00

Its my last week of being pregnant and my feet are swelling up like balloons ( much to my brothers amusement) but hubby is being a real champ and massaging my feet to help with circulation Bless Him! Wow wont be long till the 2 of us becomes 3 cant wait to meet bubs xxoo

curry puff!

2012-01-20T02:37:00.001-08:00

so i needed a lil cooking project to keep me busy. i have been very bored since my baby shower and i havent been going out much coz its so damn hot here and being 38 wks preggers is not much fun. so curry puffs it is, im trying them first with puff pastry coz its easy, i will also try making my own pastry and try to make the curry puffs the proper malaysian way :)

mmmm breakfast

2012-01-14T18:52:00.001-08:00

this is sundays late brunchy breakfast. ham and cheese buns from coles ( 4 pack for $2.50) and i stuffed it with ham, pineapple and cheese then stuffed it in 200 deg oven for abt 10 minutes - yum!

my cookies!

2012-01-14T05:17:00.003-08:00

cookies for my baby shower with and without the flower :)

bits n pieces

2012-01-14T05:17:00.001-08:00

sugar cookies i made as favours for my baby shower and the pin wheel decorations i made for the back drop, sooo pretty! (even if i do say so myself!)

mmmm cookies

2012-01-02T05:01:00.001-08:00

fresh from the oven and they smell amazing!

i love my mixer

2012-01-01T19:17:00.001-08:00

gonna be a busy bee today, baking sugar cookies for up coming baby shower. xo

hawker food at newton circle carillon arcade city

2011-12-30T05:19:00.001-08:00

when we go into the city this is one of our favourite food haunts. i had the combination hor fun and hubby had the char kuay teow with chilli, the food here is really good and made to order. i also like the 'help yourself' chilli counter - coz i load up on the pickled green cut chillis n drown them in soy sauce- goes perfectly with the hor fun.... mmm im drooling just thinking about it now. hor fun has been a childhood favourite of mine and i can never get enuf of it.. its always something i look for in any hawker place in any country ... if u have never had it before, give it a try. xo

graduation cupcake

2011-12-26T17:02:00.001-08:00

2 weeks ago the yr 6 had a graduation party, this cupcake was part of their souvenirs. it was part of their chinese oriental theme, it feels weird knowing u arent going to be part of the whole graduation thing again- guess i was a part of it for so long, i just got use to it

more tummy pics

2011-12-24T02:54:00.001-08:00

just some more tummy pics :) funny i dont feel so weird about it anymore xo wish i started taking pics ages ago

my tummy

2011-12-20T05:50:00.001-08:00

my very large and pregnant tummy, sometimes i cant believe im pregnant. and! i cant believe my little bubs is coming out soon, it wont be long till we meet each other face to face :)

xxoo

my tummy from a couple of weeks ago [i think?! could be more - im much bigger now]

baby shower at school

2011-12-17T16:42:00.001-08:00

i had the most amazing surprise baby shower at school last week with all 60 yr 6 students. one of the mums organised it with cakes and everything, this is the last thing left of that super yummy cake, my cake topper ... its sooo cute! more pics to come of my baby shower haul ( its huge!)

my baby haul from my year 6 baby shower!
amazeballs no?

birthday dinner with the family

2011-12-15T15:06:00.001-08:00

foo wah chinese restaurant collins rd willetton, not cheap but nice food

shopping!

2011-12-04T00:38:00.001-08:00

we all know i have a not so secret stationery obsession, which is one of the reasons why i teach,
i stay nice and close to cute stationery - whether they are totally functional or not..hehe

anyways, the stationery scene in australia is getting better and better
we have 3 dedicated stylish stationery stores that target different categories of the market, plus we have officeworks, target and kmart dabble a bit here and there with their own budget collections.
this keeps a lil stationery whore like me on her toes - keeping up to date with sales and the latest collections.

anyways, in my email box the other day i got notice that 'typo' is having a 30% sale [online store www.typo.com.au] and if you spend over $55 they throw in free shipping!!

nothing like a sweetener like that to get me going!
anyways, i dutifully checked out their website and sussed out all the great bargains, and here are some of them

white magnetic tree, will hold necklaces and stuff, very decorative and not much function
$10.95 [ i wanna order 2 for my baby shower but i dont know if i will or not...]

made with love aprons $6.95
these will be super cute as the prizes for the baby shower

white lace filigree pencil holder $3.47

baby blue duffle bag $17.47

birdcage key organiser and hanger $20.97

filigree heart book end $20.97

babushka book end $20.97

pink heart lanyard $2.07
i need one of these, my old one just died - keeps my keys organised

after spending too long browsing and chucking things into my cart, i ended up with 25 items at a total of $109.95, which i must say is pretty darn good...

happy shopping y'all

xoxo clio

antacid

2011-11-17T01:09:00.000-08:00

so i have decided to do something for my heartburn
went to the chenist to get some relief
got the mylanta chewable tablets [$4.95 for 20]

hrmm.. i got to say im not impressed
it taste like powdery minty bi carb soda
its pretty gross
i wish i got the liquid form instead

but i must admit it does do the job
oh wells
beggers cant be choosers
ill just finish this packet before i get the liquid pack

xxoo

grumblings...

2011-11-16T05:24:00.000-08:00

my mum just rang and things arent so good at home
i have a really sick dad
really sick

his sickness isnt really that bad, but my dad plays the victim and demands sympathy from everyone
yes we know he has slowly degenerated over the years and im sure its horrible feeling yourself decline slowly into a vegetable, but my poor mum is not coping well anymore
she has been his sole carer for 3-4 years now and he is slowly making my mum really sick herself

it makes me really angry listening to the stupid shit that happens at home
the 'silent treatment' he gives my mother
the hard time he puts her through
even though she does everything for him [literally wipes his ass and more]

unfortunately my dad is a really sick bitter person
he has not accepted his situation and is pretty much angry at everyone
for how he is today
he cannot find peace or comfort from family
he cannot find peace or comfort from religion

i cant wait until he moves on
because it would make life a lot more easier for everyone
but that is such a horrible thing to say as well

its hard to talk to him
because he doesnt want to talk
my dad just shuts up like a clam and wants everyone to read his mind
and do what he wants
seriously its like talking to a brick wall but worse
and the bad part is
when he does talk, he has a lot of difficulty talking
he can barely speak english [my preferred tongue]
and when he talks it is hard for him to pronounce his words [they slur]
it puts him into a coughing fit and effects his breathing

sigh.... what ever he has ... its horrible... really horrible.. it robs you of your life
but it takes it away from you so slowly and so painfully

my dad is the not the dad i know and remember when i was younger
which is the saddest part
dad was always a good guy, strict, tough but fair
i want to remember him always in the good days

not the bitter horrible person he is today that treats my mum like shit
god its depressing
its no wonder i dont like going home much
its too depressing and too much effort
but i guess as the good dutiful daughter i have to

i guess you cope and just do your best
what else?

xxoo

my dinner

2011-11-13T04:39:00.001-08:00

this was my dinner tonight
a seafood basket from winthrop fish and chip store for $15

i've been craving for fish and chips for months now
but because hubby doesnt like fish and chips at all
this is something i rarely eat

and i waited till he left to go to jakarta before i could indulge
and indulge i did :) [grin]

chips were super crsipy and piping hot with the right amount of seasoning
the batter was crispy and crunch
and the seafood just yummy

its such a large portion, you could easily share it between 2-3 people
depending on how much you eat
however i didnt finish my meal but my naughty dogs polished it all off for me
while i went outside to collect the laundry
lil bastards

now im craving vanilla cupcakes :P
ill just have to make some and satisfy my craving

xxoo
clio

my lunch

2011-11-11T21:03:00.000-08:00

this was my lunch today

i had some coriander and mint hanging around my fridge and i wanted to use them up before they went all crappy. so after hunting around the internet for mint and coriander recipes i came across this, a yoghurt, mint, coriander and cucumber yoghurt or otherwise known as a raita. Super easy to make and delicious with turkish bread, naan and other indian breads. Anyways my lunch ended up being a hodge podge of dips and stuff with turkish bread from the kebab shop in winthrop village. The turkish bread there is AMAZING!! its soooo fresh and made daily, my bread was still warm in my hand when i bought it at 12pm for lunch.

Anyways, onto my super simple recipe...

Raita yoghurt dip
1 lebanese cucumber
1 small bunch of coriander
1 small bunch of mint
200 ml of plain greek style yoghurt
salt, pepper and sugar to taste

1. grate the cucumber, and squeeze out as much water as you can from the shredded cucumber
2. finely chop the coriander
3 finely chop the mint
4. add cucumber, mint, coriander and yoghurt into a bowl, mix with a spoon, add salt, pepper and sugar to taste.

you can adjust the quantities of herbs to suit your taste buds as well, i like mine heavy with herbs, i love the flavours of mint and coriander - so im rather generous with them, if you arent so keen, start off bit by bit until its just right.

the other condiments i had in the small bowls were olive oil, sweet balsamic vinegar and homemade dukkah [got it as an xmas present from a student- super yummy!] it all goes well with fresh turkish bread. [i dont bother buying turkish bread from coles or woolies - its the same price as the kebab shop but no where near as fresh!]

enjoy!
xoxo

heartburn

2011-11-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

i dont normally suffer from heartburn, but now that im mid going into my third trimester - all i can say is that heartburn is a bitch! it really makes it uncomfortable for me to lie down and im scared of throwing up. my stomach is all squished up (thanks bub) inside and all of my insides are pushed aside to make room for bub. its hard to find a comfy sleeping position that will stop the heartburn and take pressure off the tummy... sigh... as much as im enjoying the pregnancy, theres parts im not enjoying at all

small splurges

2011-11-10T05:34:00.000-08:00

yay!!
my tax refund cheque came through and to celebrate i
bought myself a new candle :).
i LOVE LOVE LOVE burning candles,
especially when im trying to do housework [makes the house smell fresh]
or chillin' out and relaxing
while im working to put me in a happy mood
i also use it sometimes after cooking smelly, herbally stuff

My favourite fragrances are always light fresh and flowery.
they normally end up being gardenia, jasmine or frangipani
im just a sucker for those scents

So its no surprise i found the following candle in a peter alexander pj shop
it has about 80 hrs burn time and $38 for a rather large jar
this would probably last me 6-9 months
its a little on the $$ side, but this is one splurge i love the most

i love my candles [just ask hubby!]

my new candle!
cant wait to use it :0)

xxoo
clio

i love pay day!!!

2011-11-09T03:17:00.000-08:00

i love LOVE LOVE pay day

i just wish i hadn't spent so much money yesterday

i wonder when the tax refund cheque is going to come through

xo

one step forward, two steps back

2011-11-08T05:03:00.000-08:00

damn!
why is it when i think im ahead and i have been sooo darn good money wise and all,
i get giddy, stupid and weak

and end up in the same freaking mess i started out with?

when will i learn and grow up?! why does my husband tempt me so? evil.....

luckily it wasnt a very expensive mistake, but a mistake none the less

xoxo

btw

2011-11-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

baby is moving heaps!
[ill be 28 weeks on friday! insane or what?! moving into the final trimester]
keeps bumping, kicking and moving about inside which can be a real distraction
clothes keep getting tighter and tighter - plus they dont look so good anymore

i just wanna wear normal stuff and be comfortable [sigh]

Another assignment

2011-11-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

helooo
i have another RE assignment to do, and this time i'm actually doing it straight away!!!
OMG!!! i know, is this really ME? the procratinator? well i suffered heaps and heaps doing the last assignment and i have definitely learnt by lessons.

DO THOSE DAMN THINGS WHILE ITS STILL FREAKING FRESH IN YOUR MIND.

right now im just writing everything down to do with the assignment. i dont really care if its all gobble -dee-gook right now, im just putting it all down while its rolling around the noggin relatively fresh.

ill prolly come back to it a little later and read some of the prescribed texts so i can do referencing and stuff. i think it sounds like a plan. i even used my recess time to go to the catholic library to get more books out - insane!? is this really ME?!

well if i dont get these RE assignments done, i have ALOT of explaining to do to my principal and my contract states i have to do them, and there is a time frame i have to do them by.... scary....

i think ill do this everytime i have an RE assignment to do, day 1, start the assignment and put as much crap down as possible. day 2 same thing, add referencing and other crap a bit later [but not too much later] where you forget stuff.

anyways as a reward im looking for a nappy/diaper bag.... so confused... i [for once in my life] dont know which handbag to get?! im sooo out of my depth here? i just know i need a big one to fit in all my crap and lots of compartments must be good for the nappies, bottles and random junk, but im not really liking whats out there in the nappy/diaper bag world. they all look blah!

hrmmm... shall continue looking .... hopefully ill see something i like :D

we have a weevil problem

2011-11-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

we have pantry moths or weevils in our pantry
and i think its a bad infestation :(

anyways, mother in law and i agreed that the pantry needed cleaning out and we needed to fix the weevil problem.
- my solution to the problem, clean out the pantry, take all the food and crap out, soap, wipe down and throw out infected foods.
- mil solution, take all the food and crap out, clean pantry and spray it down with mortein!!!! then put food and stuff back in [yeh right!!!]

basicaly i told her 'NO' - we are not going to spray our pantry with mortein then put our food back there [seriously - are you crazy?!! she thinks its completely harmless] then again my mil sprays her indonesian servant's hair with mortein when they first arrive in their indo house, this is to get rid of lice, bugs and other 'shit' that live in the poor girls hair.

anyways 2.5 hrs later and after many tense conversations - the job is done.
we have a SHIT LOAD of opened packaged foods that arent sealed properly and probably attract the bugs.
[ i blame mil - i think she blames me, since i live here most of the time - she prolly thinks im a grot]
anyways a CRAP LOAD of food stuffs get thrown out [mostly MILS] she aint happy
well ... i told her she better start sealing her food properly after she opens it [not impressed with me]

too bad i dont care... im not the one with the bad habit of buying herbs and stuff, using it once, then put it away unsealed, forget about it, then buys another packet, use it once and put it away unsealed again!
this happens sooo many times i have a habit of throwing crap out when she leaves.

seriously you should see my fridge before and after she leaves - oh wells that's another days worth of ranting and raving

xxoo

shopping the basics

2011-11-03T06:27:00.001-07:00

26 weeks into my pregnancy and i have bought very little maternity clothes.
i was hoping to not 'grow' too big and hope my current wardrobe would be enough to carry me through the 40 weeks.
it was not meant to be, i had no idea how uncomfortable normal clothes were and how it all cut into the tummy in the worst place. Because im on such a tight budget, i have resisted buying too much maternity clothes because its expensive and honestly - quite daggy [have you tried to find really nice, flattering, skinny maternity jeans under $40 - impossible!]

anyways, after many many many days of rotating the same old stuff - i decided to add to my maternity collection - first a simple straight stretchy black skirt with a lot of give and elastic $15.00 at kmart

bargain!!

i also bought a pair of black harem pants with lots of stretch for $15 at kmart.
Only thing about wearing harem pants when you're pregnant -- all those pleats and baggy bits? - hah! they aint baggy anymore!! but definitely comfortable.

along with these 2 items, the only other maternity clothes i have bought are 2 black maternity leggings [i wear them religiously] and 1 stretchy brown skirt from salvation army [$8 bargain!!]

For tops im just wearing whatever fits and looks decent :D
luckily i've been buying baggy-ish tops in the last couple of years - so they are very forgiving and seem to go well with my bump.

i havent taken a lot of photos of myself while im pregnant
i guess because i feel so self conscious
but i better do it - because i dont know if i will ever do it again?!

xoxo
clio

Palmier pastries

2011-10-30T08:09:00.001-07:00

Been meaning to make these for ages, finally got round to late one Sunday night. They are soon easy to make.
1. Mix brown sugar with caster sugar and cinnamon.
2. Take out frozen puff pastry and brush with melted butter
3. Cover pastry with sugar mix in a nice layer
4. Roll the pastry into the middle
5. Stick the roll of pastry and sugar into the freezer to stiffen
6. Preheat oven to 180 and cut the pastry roll into thin slices, place them on baking sheets and cook for 15 mins or golden brown

Enjoy!
xo.clio

loving the new iphone 4s

2011-10-29T06:16:00.000-07:00

hubs has bought the new iphone 4s and i am totally in love LOVE love with it!
OMG this phone can do amazing things!
today i just learnt how to post pics and facebook updates with it
AND!!
i can also post blogs with pics
PLUS!!
the camera on it is awesome, 8MB and its sooo clear
so you can leave the dinky lil cameras at home

i know i want one
but i just cant justify paying so much for one
considering im not working next year
and my current financial status is CRAPOLA

ill just have to make do with 'borrowing' hubs' phone

xo
clio

ps: i know im a technological dinosaur - haha it took me so long to figure out such simple things :P

Oakover winery and restaurant, swan valley

2011-10-29T04:43:00.001-07:00

Gorgeous day today so hubby and i wanted to make the most of it. First stop was oakover winery for lunch. Hubby ordered the steak, potato rosti and brocollini, I ordered the fish with herb bread crumb and potato mash. I wolfed down my lunch very quickly coz I was so hungry. We were going to have a baci chocolate cake for dessert but they ran out :(. Over all great meal, would come back again, also good value if you use your entertainment card at 25% discount.

Xoxo
Miss clio

money management

2011-10-13T05:33:00.000-07:00

now we all know i have a lil shopping habit

which i think is under control
but sometimes gets out of hand

because of the impending addition to our little family
budgets are VERY TIGHT and i am taking another mature step into adulthood

i am leaving my credit cards at home

they will not live in my wallet anymore and i will now live on cash and my regular savings atm card

it feels scary but very liberating at the same time
only because i know its something i really need to do

.... Mr P A my accountant, PLEASE PWETTYPLEASE FINISH MY TAX RETURN ASAP
i need my refund bad! :o[

xxoo

going to make more cupcakes, im in the mood for baking!

i won i won!!!

2011-10-09T07:59:00.001-07:00

i won i won i won!!
i have won this beautiful painting by Chris Chun!!
i'm sooo excited, i dont think i have won anything this amazing before

how did i win it? i left a comment about what made me smile on his facebook page and taaa daaaa!
i couldnt have done it without lil bubs, she was the one who inspired me

so this beautiful painting is going to be hung in the nursery
just for bubs

[i might have to buy more paintings, just for me!]
xxoo

photo is courtesy of chris chun from www.chrischun.com

Damn....

2011-10-02T00:56:00.000-07:00

Can't believe I already broke my new pram while 'playing' with it... Fml... So don't need this right now. xxoo

I got myself a new accessory

2011-09-26T07:44:00.001-07:00

Today got myself a pram for bibs and we got a bugaboo chameleon and I love love it!

on a totally different note ....

2011-08-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

i love that my students totally get sarcasm :o)

i REALLY do love teaching the older kids...

give me a class of 30 eleven-twelve year olds any day

xo

SOOO OVER....

2011-08-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

i am soooo over flakey deadbeat freinds...really, i have no time to be friends with you...
and when you are invited to a picnic, you're expected to bring food DUH?! it's a frickin picnic.
what did you expect? that a cafe or restaurant would conveniently be there?

wotever... i'm in such a bitchy mood....[*evil grin*]

xxoo

okay..

2011-08-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

i have one more week before my RE assignment is due in
yes i have left the bloody thing to the last minute [very typical me!]
but it's just soooo darn hard... i have even asked colleagues to lend prior assignments to me in some vain hope that their assignment might shed some light on mine...haha ... no such luck... our ingenius lecturer makes sure that the assignments he sets are always different :o(

the only thing i have learnt from reading my colleagues assignment is that he has VERY HIGH standards and expectations for these assignments... EEEEEEEEEEEEK! im sooo screwed!!

oh wellsss. i have made a start, it looks like a bloody dog's breakfast but im going to toil away and hand in something... if i fail i have the chance to redo and resubmit ... hehe... still a bloody pain in the ass...

anyways i know that there are many people out there far more intelligent then me ... so if you can shed any light on any of these assignment questions.. i shall be eternally grateful and wish upon them amazing karma and blessings from the lord almighty.

my assignment questions

1. define and then explain your understanding of the 'Principle of Sacramentality'. Use an example that you might describe as an experience of the 'Principle of Sacramentality'. [150 words]

2. give a concise history of the development of the sacrament of Baptism [must include 2 foundational biblical texts].

3. state and explain the church's theological understandings of the sacrament of confirmation.

SOOO if there is anyone out there who can help ...please please please leave a comment :D

xxoo

headache...

2011-08-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

i had a money headache earlier today

had a chat to our financial broker about our qld investment property
and we talked about moving a lot of money around...

unfortunately the money was not going INTO my account and i had a big heart attack
now that im preggers... im acutely aware how poor i will be when the bubs arrives...

now that i have about 6 months left of money rolling in... its really FREAKING scary...

what i thought i had put aside for emergency money for when the baby arrives.. has now been reduced by a lot and im shit scared :(

i have never felt so underprepared in my whole entire life...and now i reaally have to count all my pennies .... reduce all non essential spending and stick to a BUDGET !!!!!! [grrr such a dirty word]

im not used to this, im soooo used to getting wotever i want when i want it... ive never ever really had to budget. i guess im quite lucky that way....

think i might have to go back to full time work sooner then i expected :[ or hopefully win the lotto

lets hope i win lotto

xxoo

a positive and a negative

2011-07-20T18:19:00.001-07:00

[+] the other day we made passion fruit macrons and we made them without looking at the recipe once! insane :) just shows we have made them way too many times. funny thing is... i dont even like eating them anything because they are too sweet.

[-] i drowned my digital thermometer in water ...boo..hisss... not happy ... i have dried it up but its not working so good anymore

wow... its been sooo long

2011-07-14T21:14:00.000-07:00

its been a crazy busy hell of a term

i think the last time i wrote anything on this blog was during the last school holidays.
anyways i think i have my stuff together [kind of] and i feel like verbal diarrhea ... so dont be alarmed by the massive verbal dump

1. i kinda have my financial crap somewhat organised, my spending has been limited and i have cut down a lot on impulsive bad shopping habits. i have stopped using the credit card where ever possible so that my bills are somewhat manageable now [no more massive heart attacks and cries of woe 'how the f*** am i going to pay for this!'] im very proud of that and hoping to continue until all the horrible credit card monsters are chopped down for good.

2. there have been AMAZING sales on this EOFYS[ end of financial new year] and i have somewhat resisted the urge to buy anything designer, outlandish or expensive [shock!!] it's totally bizarre but feels damn good. we have too much junk anyways

3. we cleaned out the spare room because we had a guest stay for 2 nights. it awesome because i got to chuck out and sort/clean a lot of junk [hubby's crap]. now the room feels a lot cleaner, brighter and less cluttered [for now anyways]

4. my MIL is staying with us and currently sending me and hubs mental. yes she is sweet, and yes she is pretty much harmless... but i find me and hubs have less and less patience for her now days... grrr 2 more days and shes gone for 2 months.

5. i have 4 tutoring students now, which helps out a lot with cashflow. i am loving the extra dosh i earn and thats the money i spend on a weekly basis - i really try not to touch my savings or cc whenever possible.

6. winter is here and its blaaaarrrrdy marvellous.. loving the cold crisp air and sleeping in when its raining outside. however i find my skin is getting thinner and i am less tolerant of winter then i normally am. i am having to layer clothes on [ singlets, jumpers, thermals, jackets etc etc ] just to keep warm. plus it doesnt help that my house feels like an igloo - we have no heating what so ever. just lots of blankets.

7. i have a few holiday porjects of the foody kind
- i want to make a roast chicken from scatch
- make an apple pie from scratch
- make curry puffs malaysian style
- make a whole bunch of yummy soups
- make belated birthday cupcakes for my bro's bday

8. i have freaking RE assignment to do... yes i am FER REAL!!!
i have to write a 1500 word essay on sacraments and rituals of baptism, communion and confirmation with proper referencing... lord help me, i dont even know where to start... sigh

i really need to do this too

9. i think i need retail therapy to get me started *wink*

xxoo
clio

anniversary dinner at rockpool bar and grill

2011-04-30T21:58:00.000-07:00

it was our 6th wedding anniversary earlier this year and as a VERY special treat we decided to go to rockpool bar and grill burswood as a special treat to us. the restaurant only just opened late january and was an instant hit with all the perth food bloggers and locals. this restaurant is fully booked on the weekends for the next few months

anyways, sped me put these photos in reverse order - and i cant be bothered to do it properly
so here is our night in REVERSE order...

1. on the way out we bumped into neil perry and i had to have my photo taken with him :D
im just a sucker for celebrities.... hehehe....
[this is a really bad foto of me... makes me look like i am pregnant but im NOT! wish i was..]

our dessert a dark chocolate tart with strawberries and balsamic vinegar ice cream
the ice cream had very light balasamic vinegar flavours but went very well with the rest of the dessert
i liked the ice cream the most

hubby's medium steak - very delicious and tender, meat just melts in your mouth
i think it was a rib eye on the bone, the steaks had a delicious smoky bbq flavour to it
and you have a choice of sauces to go with your steak [mustard, hollandaise, mushrooms etc]
all the steaks here are aged to perserve their flavour and tenderise the meat
i definitely recommend the steaks here, this is what their specialty is

my dinner choice was a little different
i saw that they served tripe and i like tripe
and its unusual for western style restaurants to serve tripe and the curious side of me wanted to know how they would serve it up and how it would taste. the tripe was nice, and they gave me a huge serving of it, it was tender and tomato saucey with other herbs put in too.
i would probably order something else next time - like a steak :oD

the other dishes you below are our side dishes
we had onion rings - absolutely delicious $9
cauliflower cheese - ok, more cheese would have been good $12

my entree - yabbie with cucumber & zuchini salsa

we had a great night out
definitely a good restaurant for those special occasions
stick to the steak menu items, you cant go wrong

xxoo

fun shanghai [part 1]

2011-04-29T00:29:00.000-07:00

since im super dooper behind in my shanghai - china postings,
and i cant remember what we did on which day
im just going to blog in any random order
starting with this meat fest :D

strolling through the biggest shopping mall in shanghai [super brand mall] in the pudong area
we came across a cook your self bbq place
looked really good and promising and busy
so we decided to eat here

one look at the menu and we were stuffed!
there is not a SCRAP of english anywhere eeeeeeek!!!
there were pictures, which was some saving grace but apart from that
nothing in english.

so we ordered - which was another challenge -
we speak no chinese and the waiters spoke none or VERY little english
one poor idiot was assigned to us, i think because he had the most english out of the whole lot of them
and lets just say he didnt speak very much at all.

anyways it all worked out in one way or another and we got all our food without ordering strange meats like dog and crocodile etc [good sign]. but what we noticed was that all the other tables ordered lettuce and NO ONE ordered rice. we thought that was strange - no one eats rice? well they dont. unlike me and my peasant hubby - who do eat rice. what they do is place their grilled meats and veg into the lettuce cups, roll it up and eat it. and so we learnt something new that day. and that explain why they had so many different types of lettuce on the menu [and there i was thinking, what the f*** ?! people here eat grilled lettuce?]

the dipping condiments were very yummy, the one on the left is a peanut sauce style, and the spices on the right were like a spicy dhukkah. it all went down very well, very tasty, reasonably priced for shanghai [$25 aud for 2 ppl] - just a little greasy.

xo.clio
more adventures to come!

windchimes cafe, winthrop

2011-04-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

i got really excited when i found out that we had a little local vietnamese cafe opened really close to our house..yum!!! my hubby knows how much i LOVE LOVE LOVE vietnamese food.

so i tried a typical pho noodle soup for lunch $10.00

overall it wasn't too bad, the soup was clear and light in flavour
i found the noodle, beef and herb portions a bit on the skimp side for $10
i guess i would come back to try the other things on the menu, and it is a nice to be able to eat something else around here apart from chinese food.

xo

i'm a book worm....

2011-04-27T20:26:00.001-07:00

as you know i read a lot of childrens books

1. because i need to know the answers to those darn reading comprehension questions
2. so i can recommend good/appropriate books for kids to read - depending on their personality and interest
3. so i can recommend books to their parents
4. so i can plan and organise english lessons around certain themes and books
5. so i can find really good books to read to the whole class

the last reason is probably the hardest of the lot
what will work for 1 class will not always work with another
theres lots of 'good' books out there,
but hardly any really fantastic books that all kids will enjoy or get something out of.

but anyways, since i'm on school holidays i've been doing some holiday reading.
and these school holidays i have been reading and finishing the specky magee series.
i've heard a lot about these books being really good for boys
[its REALLY REALLY REALLY hard to find good books for boys aged between 10-14]
and yes i would definitely recommend these books for any boy between 10-14.
the themes are fantastic, the character specky magee is a fantastic role model for any kid
and it has SHIT LOADS of information about footy and the AFL.
i also picked them up from the local red cross store for $1.50 each - bargain!

this is my little haul from the book depository
i LOVE the book depository!
1. the books are really cheap, very competitive prices
2. they stock all sorts of rare and out of print books
3. they ship for free from england!!! how awesome is that?!

more reading for me... im going to use these books in the classroom
im teaching my kids to like calvin and hobbes [and understand sarcasm]
kensuke's kingdom is another book being recommended to me to use in the classroom

this is my bookclub haul
do you remember bookclub with lucky the cat and arrow and star etc?
well we still get them and the awesome part is that teachers get bonuses and freebies and really cheap books!
[i need a library if i ever build my own house!]
finders keepers is an oldie but a good i read long time ago
i'm rereading it to see if it can fit into our english program
the tiger rising is a book by my favourite children's author kate di camillo
hiding edith is something very diary of anne frank, which i am always interested in
and it might be good for a class read - who knows?

happy reading people!

obsessed with stationery

2011-04-27T20:17:00.001-07:00

i am a little obsessed with stationery
especially when there is a ridulous sale

hence my loot from the CRAZY officeworks stationery sale
all the stuff inside the box below is either $1 or $2
even the massive storage box was on sale from $25.00 to $4.00
[i could NOT resist]
there's actually more stuff - but i have stored them all over the place ...hehehe

i'm planning to use them for miss c's upcoming baby shower
i'll be using some of the stuff as prizes for the games we're having
and most of the other stuff is going to be given as prizes for the kids

xo clio

there's nothing like puppy love...

2011-04-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

these are photos of our pups at 7-8 weeks old
they were taken the day before puppy Sophie went to her forever home

i do miss them heaps
and i miss having such adorable little pups to cuddle

enjoy...xo

sophie is the one with white tips on her ears
barney is the chubby lil fella

my easter haul!

2011-04-21T22:49:00.000-07:00

i've been super spoilt by my students this year
this is my easter haul for 2011
there's 2 missing bunnies [1 i gave to a colleague and the other to a student]
this is by FAR the most i've ever received from my students for easter
normally its about 3-4 chocolates/bunnies/eggs etc

my hubby LOVES the dark chocolate collection from lindt - you can see some missing chocolates from the set- there's an empty spot where the dark choc lindt balls use to be

what i love is the easter card made by one of my students - she twilled it all by herself!
and in the paper bag is a super cute collection of gifts - a bunny pen, a handmade card [with super cute hand drawn garfield pictures inside] a bookmark and a paper crane. love it!

these are the sweetest kids i have ever had :D

handmade twilled easter card - love it!

happer easter everyone!

xo

ps: i am NOT eating all that chocolate :P

baking up a storm...

2011-04-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

i'm on school easter holidays and i've caught the baking bug.
i did a fondant class earlier this year and i've been itching to make some pretty cupcakes.

i made these the other day. they are for miss c's upcoming baby shower
she loved them - but i'm still iffy on the design

and below is a basic chocolate cupcake with buttercream frosting
this is me practising my piping skills

stay tuned for me!
planning to make macarons these holidays
i hope they will work out, its been a year since i last did them
i might have lost my touch... eeek!

xxoo

feeling..

2011-04-07T06:21:00.000-07:00

really lost at the moment

like i dont really belong anywhere

i think i need a really good bitch sesh

really missing my friends :(

louis ghost chair

2011-04-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

i am obsessed with this chair.. and i have just found out that www.relaxhouse.com.au is selling them for $129 each. This is the cheapest i have EVER seen these replicas being sold.
i want one soooo bad... i can just see it now in my perfect beautiful house, in my white study room...
i just dont have the need for it now, and definitely no room...

i would love to have a dining table with 6-8 of these chairs around it :D

sigh sigh sigh... i dont even know which colour to choose!
decisions decisions

MIA

2011-03-30T03:35:00.000-07:00

sorry for not posting for a while, i've been very busy and distracted with ..life, work and etc..
i know i have a HUGE back log of stuff to post and blog about, but i'm starting to question if it would be worth it or not..? i'm very tempted to shut down my blog ... because the original intent was to use it as a way for me to catch up with my friends who were far away... now that it is not the case anymore.. i don't think anyone bothers to read it [ not you miss j i know you still check in every now and then]

sooo... i'm thinking of shutting this down... i might start another one.. maybe a blog with a more specific audience? i dont know, i'm just too busy at the moment... and i have a bad feeling life is going to get busier too ...

xo
clio

just a few words....

2011-03-05T23:38:00.000-08:00

michael buble concert was AWESOME!!!

love love love LOVED it !

he is just such an awesome entertainer and singer

however i do have a couple gripes...
i wish i had upgraded to the VIP tickets,
i think they would have been worth it - they were VERY expensive...

and he was just too far away... hehehe

xxoo
miss clio

Goose Cafe Busselton

2011-02-05T04:02:00.000-08:00

Morning after Miss S's wedding we had to leave early to get back to Perth
BUT! we decided to have breakfast in Busselton before making the journey back

boy was i glad i did!
because breakfast was delicious!!

i am not normally a breakfast person, but i think i have been converted
if i get to eat a breakfast like this everyday i would be a very happy person :D

me still admiring my french pedicure - also feeling very relaxed and chilled

The amazing view of busselton jetty from the goose cafe

hubby's big breakfast

my french toast with bananas, bacon and maple syrup YUMMM!!!

i was really hesitant to order a dish that mixes sweet maple syrup with salty bacon
but OMG i am soooo converted, it is like the most amazing combo!
i ate this dish with the biggest grin on my face, it was delicious... hubby got food envy and wanted a piece of the action. He also mopped up the leftover maple syrup with his bacon, eggs, tomatoes and everything else.
now i understand why canadians pour maple syrup over everything

Goose cafe is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
on the beach over looking busselton jetty
Geographe Bay Road
Busselton
ph: 08 9754 7700

this restaurant is a favourite with the locals and the food is always good

Caves House Hotel, Yallingup

2011-02-04T05:31:00.000-08:00

For Miss S's wedding we went south for a night to Yallingup.
It was a wonderful warm wedding, intimate and fun.

They picked Caves House Hotel for their reception, which is a stunning location and the food was awesome.
Every dish was delicious and very generously served.
The most memorable dish/es were the hors doeuvres served right at the beginning of the night.
They had the most tender marinated lamb cutlets served on the bone that just melts in your mouth.
Hubby and i happily munched on a couple of those.
mmmm what i would give to have some more of those lamb cutlets....

anyways ... here is the rest of the wedding.. in food.
i didnt really bother taking photos of the wedding and people ..[sorry! i got lazy and the lighting was bad]
so here it goes ...

my favourite dessert, strawberry pavlova and cream.
Absolutely devine, the cream and strawberries really balanced out the sweetness of the sweet meringue.

crispy skin fish with asparagus

roast lamb with eggplant - absolutely delicious! the lamb was perfectly cooked and very tender
[not smelly at all- i tend to find lamb to be rather smelly] they were very generous with the portions and gave each person 2 huge pieces, i could only manage 1 peice and felt really bad for leaving the other piece behind
[maybe i had too many cutlets earlier?]

our entree was a duck leg confit in a soy broth with veges. again, very nice but a bit salty

i totally recommend caves house hotel for their food
all the dishes were delicious and had large generous portions
everything was also super fresh and locally sourced, which you can taste in all their dishes
can't really go wrong here

caves house hotel
yallingup beach road
yallingup wa
ph 9750 1500
about 2.5 hrs south of perth

2011 Perth Cup

2011-01-30T06:27:00.000-08:00

The Perth Cup is a pretty huge event here in Perth,
but, something i must admit i have never been to.
It's a huge racing day where girls get all dressed up in their finest and get all fancy with
fascinators and stuff. The boys also make an effort to look just as good as the ladies.

Miss S was getting married and they organised a hens party at the Perth Cup.
The party was very well organised by Miss N and fellow bridesmaids, lots of great finger food,
good company and innocent party games ...hehehe

The Perth Cup is great fun for people watching and checking out what people are wearing.
There were some stunning outfits that day and i should have taken their photos!
Oh well... i guess i'd be too shy to ask

So here's photos of me and Miss A who is a fellow teacher

Me again with Miss S, the bride to be!

review dress
grey belt - indonesia
flower fascinator - diva

before i forget...

2011-01-30T06:15:00.000-08:00

my birthday gift from my dear dear friends was a manicure and pedicure voucher
AND
a jurlique face refresher

Thanks guys!
the mani & pedi was just what i needed,
especially with new years and weddings and stuff

my beautifully groomed feet
in witchery roman sandals
[yes...the ones i was lusting after in earlier posts]

thank you to all my dearest bestest friends
who chipped in for my bday present
i had an awesome time being pampared :o)

I've been very very busy...

2011-01-30T05:49:00.000-08:00

One of the first things i did during the school summer holidays was catch up with my gurlz for a birthday breakfast. We met up at Sayers Food in Leederville, a super cute little cafe that's very popular with the locals.
We met up at 9 am on a normal wednesday morning and the place was packed! So that was a really good sign.

Breakfast menu had a great range and reasonably priced starting at about $6 to $24 for the bigger meals.

pink sea salt and cracked blacked pepper on every table

my poached eggs with bacon and wilted spinach- yummy!!

The big breakfast, home made baked beans, potato rosti, bacon and fried eggs with toast [ i think there is a mushroom or two hiding behind the toast]

Now Carrie had this and it was really yummy too, but i can't remember what she had - a pakora?
doesn't really matter, because you cant really go wrong at Sayers :).

Birthday girl and her breakfast

Sayers Food
224 Carr Place
Leederville WA 6007
ph: 08 9227 0429

2011 resolutions

2011-01-03T22:52:00.000-08:00

Wow another year has passed and here we are again,
i have been thinking a lot about the resolutions i made last year
and i am quite happy with what i had achieved last year

i will probably stick to the same resolutions because there is definitely room for improvement

1. i will not procrastinate. just get the stupid thing done, as soon as possible.
i'm still really bad at this and my motto this year will be JUST F********* DO IT!

2. spend less on material things. woooo boy this is a tough one... (did i mention i have a bad shopping habit?)
still really hard to do... i still have a bad shopping obsession
its all about control and i need to say to myself
LESS IS MORE!

3. put more money into my savings account or put more money into my mortage.
(2 mortgages to pay off... daaaaaaaay-em!)
definitely need to do this,
i will be making a conscientious effort to put money into my savings account every month.
i am also going to make a huge effort to pay off my mortgages
now that i have 3 [eeek!]

4. walk my dogs more often. more exercise for me = fitness = lose weight (i hope)
i am keeping this one, i did do a good job of walking them quite regularly last year and i want to do the same thing this year

5. mark kids school work asap - don't be lazy, giving back work to them one month later is NOT good enough.
i am proud to say i did a much better job of this last year
its a good feeling to get the stuff marked and giving feedback to the kids as soon as possible
keeping this resolution again - i can only get better right?

6. eat more healthy and eat less! (small portion sizes)
ok... i am keeping this one

7. be MORE organised...
proud to say i got much better at this last yr
but still heaps of rooms for improvement
[btw BEST investment of 2010 was my filing cabinet and my dymo label maker]

8. stop WASTING time .... be more efficient
keeping this one too

9. put home and family as number 1 and work number 2 (i find this really hard to do!)
keeping this one.... i am getting a little better at the home/work life balance thing
but still heaps of room for improvement

10. some new resolution for 2011
declutter declutter declutter
i am in the process of streamlining my stuff
and getting rid of stuff i don't need or wear anymore
[ i just need to declutter my partner's stuff too!]

11. pay off my debts and credit cards - GRRRRRR

12. last but not least ... hopefully fall pregnant and start my own little family

well those are my most important resolutions.... heres a few more - but they are more of a to do list...

10. put a full length mirror near the front entrance (i've always wanted a full length mirror)
proud to say i have done this and i love it! so useful :o)

11. change the carpet in the bedrooms to wooden floors
still to do - hopefully this year

12. change the spare bedroom into a walk-in closet :o)
still to do ...really hope its this year

13. install the last set of blinds in the games room (morning sun reflection on tv is NOT good)
done!

thats it for now... i don't think i can handle any more ... but they were the most important ones i could think of.

what are your resolutions?.....

ps: happy new year everyone!

may the coming year be filled with prosperity,

joy and friends!

food when you're sick

2010-12-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

because i'm sick
i eat what chinese people always eat when they are sick
rice porridge, congee or bubur
[people also eat it for breakfast when they aren't sick]
its a savoury dish thats very simple and comforting

i loaded mine with lashings of garnishings
to give it heaps of flavour

this was the bowl i had for lunch and i added
- chinese crullers [ char kuay]
- sweetened pickled radish
- spring onions
- fried crispy shallots [ bawang goreng]
-soy sauce
- white fine pepper
- sesame oil

to make the basic plain congee
i added 2 cups of cooked white rice into a large pot
added about 2L of water
and put it on medium heat on top of the stove, stirring every once in a while

eventually all the rice grains breakdown and it becomes a thick porridge

to make it more flavourful you can add
- chicken stock
- vegetable stock
- chicken pieces
- pork mince
- thinly sliced fish
- century egg [ for the adventurous!]

in my porridge today i added pork mince and century egg
because its my favourite flavour combo :)

my throat is getting better but my vow of slience continues
xxoo

lost my voice

2010-12-14T04:17:00.000-08:00

with all the craziness that goes with teaching the graduating year group
i have lost my voice

i really really really pushed myself this time
and now my body is paying for it

it has been such a super duper crazy 2 weeks and it is seriously non stop
my body is so tired and exhausted - i guess something had to give

anyways, here is the graduation cupcake from the yr 6 2010 graduation dinner and dance party
our theme this year was winter wonderland and the parents did an AMAZING job
putting the party together

it's too cute to eat!

circa home candles

2010-12-11T01:27:00.000-08:00

i really really really love my candles
but i don't just like any old candle
i'm quite fussy about the ones i buy

i love the ones that smell f beautiful fresh flowers
or a crisp fresh fruit in season
or a fresh light scent that reminds me of a glorious day at the beach or picnics in field of flowers

as a little reward to myself today
[i have been very good at sticking to a basic budget and got my cc under control]
i decided to buy myself a candle :D

i went into bed bath n table looking for a beach towel for a kk present
but found myself a gorgeous candle that reminds me of my bali holidays

Candle is made by Circa Home in Jasmine & Magnolia
$29.95
45 hrs burn time

I'm burning it now as i write this blog and it is just gorgeous!
The jasmine & magnolia combination is light and sweet,
and smells like a tree full of frangipani flowers from bali

There were other fragrances ... but this was my favourite by far :)
check out the full range at www.circahome.com.au

image courtesy of circahome

bye bye puppies..

2010-12-10T19:13:00.000-08:00

the puppies are finally gone and we're back to 3 adult bassets
no more puppies
not for a reeeeeeeeeeeaaaal loooong time

it's sad but it's also a relief
having puppies is like having young children/babies in the house
they're A LOT of work
but very very adorable and fun

so its back to loooong walk to piney lakes
walks around the block
doggy showers
and lazy sleepy logs that look like bassets

procrastinating

2010-11-28T06:11:00.000-08:00

i have school reports to do

but i am getting easily distracted by the billion and one pretty things to see on the internet

oh lord help me...

really need to finish these d*** reports... GRRR

ps: went to a quiz night on saturday - was AWESOME fun
the competitive geek in me loves quizzes
unfortunately our table didnt win anything [just not geeky enuff!]
but the organisers raised lots of money for a very good cause

www.afesip.org
an anti human trafficking organisation thats trying to stop the child sex slavery industry in cambodia
check out their website, their stories will touch your heart
and donate what you can

PRADA

2010-11-27T21:42:00.000-08:00

Prada is opening in Perth!

The Perth Prada store located on the corner of Hay St and King St is due to open on the 6 January 2011

Very exciting times indeed for the Perth fashion pack
as another international labels hit our streets.

Can't wait to check out the store, I've always had a soft spot for Prada,
especially their durable and practical nylon and canvas bags :)

There goes my 'bag ban' and savings account
[hehehe]

birthday

2010-11-27T00:59:00.000-08:00

birthday pressie from DH

my first Tiffany jewellery piece

Kikki K Love

2010-11-20T19:28:00.000-08:00

i can't believe i forgot to add this
this is what i have been pestering the poor sales people at kikki k for
i know i have enough pens
but the stationery monster inside me can't get enough of gorgeous coloured felt tip pens
its a super bonus that it's also in white :o)
[grins]

numero uno on my wish list
felt tip pens 10 pack $12.95

Kikki K Love

2010-11-20T18:41:00.001-08:00

to all the stationery geeks out there

Kikki K has a secret sale on now!
sign up as a member and receive 20% off all full priced items

this is what my kikki k wishlist looks like

1. peek a boo shopping basket $14.95

2. magnetic whiteboard $49.95

3. white letter holder $34.95

4. bin bin $79.95

5. 2011 family calendar $29.95

guess what my favourite kikki k colour is?

[white!]

summer shopping

2010-11-20T18:10:00.000-08:00

high on the top of my summer must haves is this pair of sandals from witchery
ever since my bargain basement country road strappy sandals broke [i cried and weeped over them]
i have been on the look out for a replacement
this is the probably the next best thing to my beloved broken pair
i love that its comfortable to wear every day [i probably will]
that it can be dressed down or up
and this picture does not do the poor sandal justice
[i want mine in black and gold]
$99.95 at a witchery store near you

The outnet has a great sale on and here are a couple of things i should've, could've, would've bought if i wasn't so poor and if they hadn't already sold out.

Thurley
Crystal embellished sillk chiffon dress
rrp £382.98
now £191.49
50% off!

gorgeous dress for any cocktail or glamorous event
love it!

Alexander Wang
Rocco Mini Studded leather bag
rrp £489.36
now £244.68
thats 50% off

another beautiful leather handbag that has an amazing celeb following
i love its lush leather and discrete studded accents
would love to add this to my collection :o)
but ...alas... unfortunately i was too slow and now its all sold out

top pic in grey and bottom in black
[love love the grey one!]

Alexander Wang
Alla leather wedge mules
rrp £ 387
now £ 174.25
thats 55% off

i love these, very out there and will spunk up any outfit
its a same its sold out

san choy bau

2010-11-07T02:36:00.001-08:00

one of my ALL time favourite foods is san choy bau
i just love the freshness and crispness of this dish
tasty porky mince wrapped in lettuce cups
yummm... to die for!

i dont think i ever get enough of this
last week it was melbourne cup day [02.11.2010]
and as a school tradition we have a pot luck lunch and sweeps for fun

in the past i have always brought fresh veitnamese spring rolls but this year i wanted to stir things up and do something different [dont like being predictable ]

so i brought san choy bau to school to share with colleagues
i must say it was a big hit
every last lettuce cup and every bit of mince was finished
with requests for me to share my recipe

so here it is .... and enjoy!
ps: i think san choy bau is the best spring/summer food [crispy, fresh and light...oh drools...i am making myself hungry]

San Choy Bau Recipe

Ingredients

· 1-2 large iceberg lettuce washed and seperated into leaves [coz lettuce is ok too]

· 1 Splash Sesame Oil

· 500 g Pork Mince or chicken mince [or combination of both is ok]

· 1 Onion peeled and finely chopped

· 1 tablespoon Ginger finely chopped

· 2 Garlic Cloves peeled and finely chopped

· 1 small tin of mushrooms chopped into small pieces

· 1 small tin of water chestnuts chopped into small pieces

· 1.5 cups of frozen peas, carrot, corn mix

· 3 tablespoons Oyster sauce

· 1 tablespoons Soy sauce

· 3 tablespoon of hoi sin sauce

· 3 tablespoon of kecap manis [sweet soy sauce]

· 1 tablespoon of fish sauce

· 2 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions [optional]

Method

1. Heat about a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok or large pan over a high heat; add the onion, garlic, ginger

and the pork mince.

2. Once the meat has browned add all the veges [water chestnut, corn, peas, carrot and mushrooms]

3. Add in all of the sauces [oyster, fish sauce, hoi sin, kecap manis etc]

4. Bring to the boil, once the sauce is thick and of a syrup consistency have a taste for seasoning.

Toss through the spring onion.

5. Serve the meat in a bowl with the iceberg cups on the side.

To munch simply spoon the cooked mince into the lettuce cups.

thoughts

2010-11-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

why is it ..that everyone around me is either
pregnant, trying or recently had a baby

feeling really left out and depressed about it

feel like im being left behind
like it will never happen

guess i'll just stick to my four legged furry babies <3

feeling

2010-10-27T04:48:00.001-07:00

so tired,
exhausted
and frustrated

im over it

i dont like these games

i feel like the geek thats always on the outside

sigh

you know what?
i really shouldn't care

get over it

feeding the puppies

2010-10-23T00:06:00.000-07:00

too cute for words

2010-10-22T23:59:00.000-07:00

took these photos the other night,
they are just too cute for words

had to share them with everyone
:oD

feeling

2010-10-20T03:39:00.000-07:00

frustrated ...grrr....

spring

2010-10-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

saw this stunning tree in full srping blossom behind the cinemas at garden city
could not take my eyes off it
i dont know what tree it is
but i love love LOVE it

too pretty!

in the perfect world
in my dream house
in my garden
i want one of these trees

coffee with friends

2010-10-16T07:13:00.000-07:00

i will never be a good food reviewer, becuase
1. i keep forgeting the names of places/restaurants i have eaten, even if its really good.
2. i keep forgeting to take photos of the food!

i get so carried away with all the delicious looking eye candy i just dig in and then say...f@$%!!
i was supposed to take a photo.
anyways, this time i remembered to take a photo but i have forgotten the name of the restaurant.
i know its in sth perth and it used to be linq/oyster bar and it is right next to cocos.
so if you're a perth person, those clues should give you a good idea about where we ate.

the menu look liked it was indian inspired because there were a lot of spices and unusual combinations for desserts.[sorry i dont actually remember them!]
anyways i ordered an ice chocolate which was delicious and refreshing.

this is the dessert tasting plate we shared, lots of exotic flavours which was nice but not quite my cup of tea.

this little coffee session was to say goodbye to our friend mrs madsen. who has relocated to singapore to be with her husband. it was not that long ago when she moved from brunei to perth and now shes gone again. our little santa group has lost another person.

there is nothing like a group of old friends who you have shared your life with
<3

school holiday projects

2010-10-11T07:01:00.000-07:00

Every school holiday i try to get things done around the house.
Just little improvements to make life a little easier and hopefully a little more organised.
Here were these school holidays "projects"

1. Put together the new shoe shelf from ikea and add extra shelves
i love this one because i can now keep all my shoes organised, theres heaps of room and
the extra shelves are awesome!
i keep the heels to one level, flats in another and sneakers in the same place.
Now to improve this i could get those clear shoe boxes from www.benjibox.com.au...
now that would look awesome!

clear shoe boxes from benjibox.com.au
i love how they are stackable and slide out
the perfect shoe organisation system - definitely want to add these to my wardrobe
my shoe shelves - the taller one was from ikea - $79
extra shelves made up from bunnings $15
extra organisation & storage = priceless
[the short grey shelf is for my hubby's shoes]

remember how i bought that large white mirror?
well it took me a loooooong time to hang it up
it's finally up and i am totally loving it because i can now
properly check out my outfit before i go out :0D
[you can also see my hubby's messy study table hehehe]

the other major project of these school holidays are the puppies!!
mummy Bella is living INSIDE the house with us
she is normally an outdoor dog
she is now fully doted on by 2 humans
we are on call 24/7 to all of her needs

toilet break at 3 am - no problems [escorted outside to do her business]
hungry at 11.30pm - easy [ a range of snacks will provided for]
need a break to get away from the kids? - done, hang out with mum and dad in the games room - get lots of cuddles and pats
makes a mess ALL OVER the house? no problems, mum runs around cleaning up all of Bella's discharge and blood and gunk and whatever
oh it is a sweet life for our little mum
she is fully loving it and milking it for all it's worth
she does not want to be an outdoor dog again

how ever we do get to play with these adorably cute pups
and thats priceless!

meet the puppies

2010-10-06T23:13:00.000-07:00

puppies were finally born on tuesday evening, around 5.30pm or so
we have been waiting for these lil buns in the oven to arrive,
very excited and nervous, we had sooo many questions
are we going to get a girl this time? what will they look like?
would they be like mum or dad? how many?

our questions were soon answered
4 pups in total
2 passed away
originally there were 2 girls and 2 boys, but now we only have 1 girl and 1 boy left.
1 of the pups had their stomach develop outside the body[very deformed] and not operatable
the other lil one was very weak and had lots of fluid in his lungs
no matter how much we tried to revive him, he just didnt make it
[there was a lot of human/puppy mouth to mouth resuscitation]

mum was super groggy after the c section
but bounced back on the next day
shes doing such an awesome job looking after her babies
shes such a natural at it

we all slept on the sofa on the first night just to make sure bella and the pups would be ok
they slept on the floor next to us

the vet also told us that bella wont/shouldnt have any more puppies after this
apparently theres a lot of scar tissue on/in her uterus
any future litters would be very complicated and put her life at risk
so this is our last litter with bella & boo
we're going to get her snipped before her next season is due
oh well, at least it makes planning holidays easier
no more last minute emergencies :oD

here are some gorgeous pics of mum and babies
[puppies are very shy, they dont want to show their faces yet]

i hate housework

2010-10-06T23:06:00.000-07:00

i've probably whinged about this before

but i really really really hate housework
why does it feel so endless?
it seems one day i do such a fantastic job, cleaning, re-arranging, organising, sorting .... and then...
30 minutes later everything just goes into shits again!
argh!!
hate it hate it hate it
it doesn't help that im a messy person [ so is hubby] [ he is worse then me tho]

my kitchen looked great about 24 hrs ago, and now it looks like the aftermath of the 9/11 bombings

its a never ending list of chores, laundry, cooking, cleaning, washing, folding, putting away...
i think it makes me feel sick, especially when all i do all day is cook and clean..urgh
i would be such a bad house wife

its no wonder i run to the shops for retail therapy :oD

on another note, i have been VERY productive school wise
just finished marking the kids spelling and maths test - very unsual of me
hope i keep it up

retail therapy

2010-10-04T02:30:00.000-07:00

school holidays always mean that i spend far more money then usual
and as usual .. on all sorts of random stuff i dont really need but i cant seem to live without
go figure?!

im going to stop typing and start posting pics of stuff i have bought recently and not so recently

ps: this post is dedicated to my current obsession : head bands, cant get enough of them

equip flower ring $5.00 on sale :D

just a bit of fun, great for summer and dressing up

forever new soft pink flower head band $7.00 [i think- cant remember]
super cute with pink outfits or any other pastel colours

dusty rose satin flower head band from diva accessories

equip butterfly head band $3.00 - bargain!

white chiffon flower head band - diva i think?

silver beaded head band - diva

super kawaii red ribbon head band- $5.00 sports girl
theres a red and white spotty one on sale right now
for summer they have launched a range of gorgeous pastel colours in the same style
trying really hard to resist... maybe when they are on sale?

latest aquisition : mimco love heart head band.
rrp$50.00
on sale for $23.00
love a bargain [plus i used my gift card, so its kinda like free?!]

xxoo.clio

Monday

2010-10-03T23:45:00.000-07:00

lots of errands to do today, but i started really late...

better catch up quick!

xxoo
miss clio

we shop: kikki k

2010-10-02T07:18:00.001-07:00

everyone knows i am a die hard stationery lover

always have and always will be :o)

i needed a new calculator and i fell in love head over heels with the kikki k white calculator
i just love the clean white lines, big display screen and big number buttons
$14.95 at kikki k - [sold!]
these little babies sell out very fast and i have been wating for about 2 months for these babes to be re stocked. i am sooo tempted to buy another one to keep at school, but the sensible, budget conscious me says no.

to go with my all white calculator i had to buy this super cute mechanical pencil in white.
i am starting to get very matchy matchy with my stationery and i love all things white and clear acrylic :o)

only thing is, i started using my pencil at home and its already stuffed, i need to take it back to kikki k garden city and get exchanged.

Banh Minh Love

2010-10-02T06:34:00.000-07:00

banh minh - vietnamese bread roll stuffed with char siu pork, home made pater and mayonaise, pickled carrots, radish [sometimes], cucumber, spring onions, coriander and optional cut red chillis, seasoned with soy sauce, fish sauce and salt and pepper

the sandwich of dreams :o)

i am soo addicted to these sandwiches its crazy
while we were in sydney [ i know i keep talking about sydney - im 6 months behind!]
we ate one of these bad boys every single day [sometimes 2 if we could manage it]
they were sold everywhere, especially in a vietnamese brakeries
made fresh on the sport to order
my taste buds started to jump for joy every time we passed one of these little shops and we had had HAD to stop at every one to buy one

they came in all sorts of flavours [unlike perth, where it is a standard pork, pate & mayo etc]
grilled chicken, beef, char siu pork, roast pork,
beef ball, grilled pork... sausage.. and more! OMG!
and at most places selling from $3.00 to $5.00 max...
an absolite bargain if you ask me
how many places can you get a decent lunch for under $5

anyways coming back to perth was a real downer when it came to banh minh
no one makes it fresh to order - sydney style
there are a few places that do sell these rolls, but its always pre made hours in advance
so its not the same...until...

a little birdy told me that a super deli place in west perth sold them
fresh and made to order!

its not the same the ones in sydney, but its pretty damn close
they did offer a number of different flavours but you have to get them during the lunch hours.
$5.50 each, not the cheapest but i aint complaining

a little piece of heaven.... i could eat this for lunch every day...mmmm

city provisions store in west perth on hay street [near all the office buildings]
made fresh to order from 11.30am-2.00pm
monday to friday only

ps: i am soo addicted to these that i get all my relatives coming from sydney to buy me these instead of krispy kreme donuts- banh minh any day [i am not a big fan of krispy kremes]

Thai food in Balmain

2010-10-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

These fotos were from our trip to Sydney in early May for my cousins wedding.
It was a very short trip, we were only there for the weekend, but in true drama style we nearly missed the plane again!! i swear there is something with us travelling to sydney, we almost always seem to miss the plane. Thank the GODs above that there are truly amazing people with super kind hearts who let us on the plane with 2o minutes to take off. Scary stuff, if i missed another plane for a family wedding my mum would personally hang me herself.

anyways, on our last day in Sydney we went to Balmain to check out the food offerings and delights of the area. Balmain is a very nice area near the water, a middle/upper class white suburb with a great main road.

We came here for the Adriano Zumbo cafe breakfast which did not work out because we arrived at 11 and the menu changed from breakfast to lunch, toasted focacias and sandwiches weren't so appealing. Walking along we found a thai restaurant, it looked alright and my cousin insisted that thai restaurants in sydney were great.

we ordered 3 dishes to share, because we had another lunch meal appointment in a couple of hours.
the food and presentation were fantastic, and the prices were very reasonable.

we ordered a pad se ew - a thai version of char kuay teow but a bit more sweeter

we ordered a banana flower salad, which was just amazing.
the dish was served in the middle of banana flower petals, it was delicious but very strong on flavour.
the young banana flower tasted like a crunchy, nuttier version of cabbage, it was pickled and marinated with rich hoi sin sauce, fish sauce, vinegar and lots of chilli and gula melaka.
this is someting you dont see everyday and very hard to find in perth, i had no regrets ordering this.

for a small entree we also tried seasoned pork mince wrapped in betel nut leaf.
again something i have never seen before in a thai restaurant and i had to try it.
again, it was delicious, light on flavour and very tasty.

food review: seto fumi furikake

2010-10-01T02:18:00.000-07:00

a colleague at work recommended these rice seasoning toppings to eat with fresh warm rice.
and they are delicious!
the one below is probably my favourite, its a combination of seasoned seaweed, bonito flakes [dried fish flakes] salt, pepper, sugar and some other stuff.
i am soooo addicted to it!!
i would happily eat rice with a heap of furikake sprinkled on top.
that says a lot because i dont like rice very much, i prefer to eat noodles, pasta, mashed potatoes or anything else.
furikake rice seasoning comes in lots of different flavours [wasabi, salmon, egg & more]
found in all good oriental supermarkets in the japanese section
cost around $3.95 or so

just add to rice or soba noodles or anything else that takes your fancy
yum!

cup cake shopping in balmain sydney

2010-09-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

these photos were taken a very long time ago,
it was our last day in sydney and we went to balmain to check out the adriano zumbo cafe and patisserie.
but we found many other delights.
we could not resist the cupcake shop,
the detail and range they had was amazing.
i had to take photos :)
yum yum yum

Armani Campaign - Housekeeping ft Cristiano Ronaldo

2010-09-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

now this is super hot
i had no idea christiano ronaldo was so freakin gorgeous!!

mmm could watch this all day
:)

Megan Fox x Armani The Tip 2010 Sexy Underwear Model Full Commercial Pr...

2010-09-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

love love love the ad campaigns for armani jeans, i think its very clever and cute
[still not a fan of megan fox]

long weekend challenge: food safari black forest cake

2010-09-26T23:30:00.001-07:00

food safari had a german food theme a couple of weeks agao, and they showed us how to make a black forest cake. it looked easy enough, the recipe is pretty straight forward, its just takes a really long time to assemble everything. there's a lot of layers to this cake and parts to do, but my husband is VERY keen on making his own black forest. he loves loves loves black forest cake.
me personally, its nothing special, too much chocolate, cream and alcohol.
i'm not a big chocolate fan, i dont really crave chocolate, i like it enough, but it doesnt do anything for me.
my hubby is a huge chocoholic, especially dark chocolate. he just loves any dark chocolate sweets and desserts. personally i love chips and crisps, pate, dips and crackers. anything salty and crispy, i do love my junk food.

anyways, ill stop blabbering and share with you the food safari black forest cake recipe.
click here: http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/621/Black_forest_cake/search/true

plans undone

2010-09-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

our big holiday plans to go to shanghai and kl have gone up in smoke

too much going on at home and my little baby girl Bella is going to have puppies next week while we were supposedly on holidays.

we couldnt do that to our poor little doggy, so we cancelled our trip and postponed it all to january.

i guess its not a complete waste. but its such a let down, when you have been excited and building it up. oh wells, ill just look forward to january.

on another note, air asia is on special to japan!!!!!

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH i soooo wanna go... but we really shouldnt over do the holiday thing like we did this year. sigh. i just cant make up my mind.

we're suppose to focus on the whole baby thing, but these holidays are a MAJOR distraction, its too exciting to not think about.

fark.. japan... havent been there for ages and would love love love to go back again.

sooo cheap... so how? go or not ya?

confused.miss.clio

ps: yay!!! bring on the holidays.

pps: finally figured out how to use skype properly, its amazingly easy and im just a techno noobie

resumes

2010-09-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

there's a job opening in a certain all girls school

i'm applying

i hate redoing my resume,
i hate writing selection criterias
i hate writing cover letters
it's been 3-4 years and i can't really be bothered,
but i do want that job so bad

toughen up princess

just do it....

ps: i need a reference from my parish priest - EEP!
i'm stuffed!

i love bali food!!

2010-08-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

i just downloaded picasa 3.8 from google, and i am VERY impressed with it, especially since its all free and stuff. BRILLIANT!! i made a quick collage of foods from bali, was pretty simple to do, but required a bit of fooling around first.

photoshop elements got really good reviews, but its not cheap or free. im happy to stick to picasa for now, i especially love the collage feature, which makes it very quick to put together, better then anything i have seen before. i also love the instant upload feature onto my blog! me loves google. :oD

what i did this weekend...

2010-08-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

- chopped down half the trees in the back yard for our green waste collection.
- bought a new filing cabinet & accessories :D
- redid my whole filing system [took me forever!!]
- went to betchly park to check out display homes... sooo confused!
- very determined to knock down winthrop house and build my DREAM home... sigh...
- nice long walk to piney lakes with the dogs. always heaps of fun

- bills bills bills to pay...yuck
- marking spelling test and other stuff - last minute... as usual .. :D
[so typical me]

what did you do?

big white mirror

2010-08-08T08:40:00.001-07:00

oz design in myaree is having a HUGE sale!
they are basically clearing out their store, getting rid of all stock.
they aren't really closing down but they are planning to relocate their whole business
so they are temporarily closing the store until they have a new showroom and warehouse figured out.
which can be 1-2 years away.

but there's bargains to be had!
i picked up a BIG white mirror at the sale, from $275 down to $99
YIPPEEE!!!!!!!!!!

it pretty much looks like the one below.
i have been wanting a huge mirror for ages.
just something big enough so i can see my whole outfit at one go.
now i have to figure out how to put it up.

hrmmm....
next weekends project?

Not happy jan

2010-07-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

went to a cute cosy little cafe yesterday,
ordered an eggs benedict, egg & chorizo bake thing and a hot chocolate.

i was VERY excited because i have never had eggs benedict before.
was very much looking forward to my brunch.
heard the hype, seen the pics and it sounds yummy.

anyways... they mixed up our order.
our order went to another table,
we sat and waited for about 40 mins like idiots.

queried about our order - said it was coming
queried again when nothing came - they lost our ticket.

F$%#%!!!!

NOT HAPPY!!
AND NOT GOING BACK!!

very disappointed because it seemed like every body else got their orders and enjoyed their food very much.

SIGH....

we got our money back (partial)
but still very unhappy.

i love...

2010-07-22T04:57:00.000-07:00

PAY DAY!!

Nothing like getting paid :D

now i can't wait to get my tax refund

but no handbags for me this time...the $$ is going towards mortgage and cc bills.

sooo boring

whinging...

2010-07-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

i have to mark some english narratives

urgh...

it is one of the MOST painful things about teaching

i guess i have to be grateful that i'm not a highschool english teacher

1 down, 24 to go... one powerball!

my city - east perth

2010-07-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

i live in perth, western australia.
my family moved here more then 25 years ago to start a new life.
even though it is a small city compared to sydney or melbourne,
i still love its small city, simple laidback style.
i love it here, it is home for me, i dont know if we'll ever move.

i've decided to showcase bits and pieces of perth that i love the most.
the following pics are mainly scenery, houses, art, architecture or anything that takes my fancy, that i have found around a particular area.

first suburb: east perth
primarily an industrial area in early twentieth century, it has now turned into a yuppy-ish suburb full of modern townhouses and apartments. Many of the townhouses are custom designed and built to accomodate for the small land lots. The creativity of these architects absolutely fascinate me.

i would love to live in east perth [if i could afford it], it has a great city feel with lots of amazing parks and facilities nearby. if you do get the chance to visit perth, and you have some spare time, come and check out east perth, especially the claisebrook area. take a short walk, have a coffee along the waterfront and check out the amazing terraced townhouses along the waterfront. they are just charming! my pics really did not do them any justice.

ps: i was in the east perth area because i had to go to the chinese consulate to pick up my passports! shanghai here i come!

Currently loving...

2010-07-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

Can Can fashion magazine from Japan.
I am really truly loving the uber cute fashion styles coming out of Japan.
I bought this from Kinokuniya (best book shop EVER!) for about $20, which ain't cheap for a fashion mag that i can't read or understand. But hey?! there's lots of gorgeous pics of clothes and girls to stare at. Now i can't wait to travel again so i can get another mag... unless someone wants to send me one?.... :P All the clothes in that issue are summer based and it is far too cold in Perth, WA, right now to wear anything like that...would really love to get my mittens on a winter edition.

The models are just gorgeous [i think!] and it has influenced me heaps with regards to fashion style, hair and make-up. More easily relateable then CLEO or Cosmo - Ewww! My false eye lash obsession started all because of this mag..heheheSome of the super cute outfits they had displayed.
I use it as a point of inspiration.

Macaron batch 4 and 5

2010-07-16T01:12:00.000-07:00

Currently reading...

2010-07-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to read this for a while,

and i'm glad i did. Even though i haven't finished reading it,

i'm really enjoying it.

It is similar to Jane Austen style of writing, but not as funny or witty.

The plot is very interesting and draws you in, the characters

are well developed, which you grow to love or detest.

There's lots of french phrases - which aren't translated, so it can be

tricky to read. My limited high school french is just not cutting the mustard.

Apparently there's good twists and turns in the later half of the book,

and i can't wait to watch the tv movie version of it.