Saturday Scrapbook : Skulls

5 Skull Necklace by Meadowlark 

I have a weird (and sort of secret - until now) love of all things bony and macabre. While living in London, one of my favourite things to do was visiting the various catacombs around Europe, squinting in the dark to see the old skeletons and skulls. A spin-off is that I find it really hard to walk away from jewellery or homewares decorated with bones of any kind, and am hoping to one day own a house big enough to find space for a life-sized skeleton of some sort. Creepy? Guilty as charged. But I know I'm not the only one...enjoy...

Paris Catacombs (image credit unknown)

Skull beanie on display at Superette Ponsonby 

Skull cameo from Yellow Brick Road Boutique

SS2012 collection from Stolen Girlfriends Club, read the full review on Thread here

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Currently...March

Photographing: skulls, skeletons and bones (all will be revealed tomorrow)

Saving for: a winter holiday here.

Eating: Feijoas.

Coveting: everything from The Row AW2012.

Drinking: Church Road 2010 Rose - gorgeous with my Mum's plum Brownie

Watching: Offspring

Reading: 100 NZ Love Poems (more on that next week)

Listening to: The Shins, and Jack White

Wearing: Huffer 'I think therefore I am dangerous' tee

Talking about: Best lyric ever 'I don't give a number 2'

Waiting for: Maurie & Eve rose-gold tipped Sedgwick Shirt. It's at the port...dang that strike...

Smelling: EcoStore Baby Shampoo

Searching for: a good, juicy tawny Port for winter. Any suggestions?

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You've got to be all mine, all mine

I've lost count of the number of times I have been stopped on the street to be asked where I bought these shoes, so this is a public service announcement:


They are from Kate Sylvester
Yes, they are current season
And, yes, they feel just like real slippers.


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Just waiting for winter

I love winter clothes. There is something so sensual about all the soft textures, even though we spend months and months hidden away under layers. Have you ever worn a silky camisole under a wool jumper? Delish!


I was putting away a couple of new purchases and couldn't resist snapping the line-up in my wardrobe, just waiting for a chilly morning. Clothes this winter are especially appealing, with sequins and prints and soft, squishy knits. I've already listed all my favourite things about Autumn, and layering up snuggly colours and textures each morning is top of my list for winter. I even bought a fur trimmed beanie, although I'm not sure it will ever get cold enough in Auckland to justify that one. Perhaps a trip to the South Island then...


What new winter things have you bought, Beaunz belles?


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There's a new chick - en town

One of my daily pleasures is listening to Morning Glory on bfm. Not only is the music and content brilliant (anyone else have a secret girl crush on Charlotte Ryan?) I always hear about something new to try. For the last month or so, Bird on a Wire has been mentioned almost daily, so during a lunch break at a Writers Workshop last weekend I popped along Ponsonby Road (sandwiched between Rocket Kitchen and Fatimas) and ordered their chicken, iceberg and tarragon mayo roll.


Oh. My. God.


For the first time in weeks (I'm one of those boring people that can't eat when they're stressed, read yesterday's post if you want all the gory details), I demolished every last bite of my lunch and wished I could eat the whole thing all over again.


It was such a simple sandwich, but each element was done perfectly. Tarragon mayo...! Who would have thought it could taste so good? I'm a convert to that shy little herb. Add to that a chewy, crusty French stick, tender chicken and the freshest, crispest lettuce you could wish for and you've found slow-food-made-fast-food nirvana. 


The service was really friendly (I ask way too many questions) and the fact that the chicken is free range seals the deal; Bird on a Wire is my new food obsession. Check out their menu here, and promise never to line the pockets of Colonel Sanders again. 


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I can see the light ... and it's no longer the train

Wow, so it has been 24 whole days since my last post. That sounds like the beginning of an AA meeting, right? (It certainly hasn't been 24 days since my last drink - wine has held my hand many times these last few weeks) That's not to say I haven't been on Beaunz. I've read through many old posts, reminding myself of all the beauty in my life, and that things will get better. That's the great thing about this blog in fact, when you need a hit of happy, it's all here baby...but...


...that's partly why (other than a complete lack of time or space to write) I haven't been posting. My daughter has been really, really unwell, had surgery and come through a horrendous recovery.  There were days when she barely stopped crying all day and all night, and it was torturous knowing that there was actually nothing I could do to help. I could hold her, and sing to her, and occasionally ease the pain with some drugs, but other than that the only thing it would take was time. She started feeling better a few days ago, but I was still emotionally battered and traumatised, and needed time to get back on my feet. So, today, here I am. Ready to embrace the world again in all its beauty...and have I got some beauties to share with you! Starting with my new food obsession, tomorrow, and it doesn't involve sugar I promise.


The other thing to note is that I have turned comments back on, after switching them off for awhile, because I miss having interaction with you, so please come back and leave comments! I love to hear what you think. And, please tell your friends about Beaunz too, if you think they'll like it. Share the love.


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Beaunz at large : Jonathan does Sydney

Jonathan and his wife Melz are one of the coolest, and humblest, couples I know. They have been living away for years now, doing all sorts of creative and inspiring things in Sydney, but I have just been told of a move back across the ditch so Jonathan can take up an exciting new role as Principle 2D artist at Gameloft. Yes, game-nerds, he will be designing games for a living. Tom Hanks in BIG springs to mind! Over to you, Jonathan.

I’m living in…
Dulwich Hill, Sydney. Or as the locals say... "The Chill".

I’ve been here…..
Since August 2001. I originally only wanted to come over and work here for a year. The good thing about that was I managed to convince my girlfriend Mel to come with me. "Come on!... it's only one year."

I’m here because…
I applied for a job at Walt Disney Animation Australia as a traditional (Pencil/Paper) Animator. I don't know why I thought a year would do me. When I got here I realised I had a lot to learn professionally. Also, Mel and I quickly made heaps of friends and I fell in love with Sydney and every year we found it harder and harder to think about leaving.

The first thing I bought when I arrived was…
The earliest thing I can remember buying was a pack of four Bagels. I have since learnt they aren't that common here. However, here is a tip, go to Ella cafe in Redfern and order the blueberry bagel with cream cheese... Yum, freshly baked!

My favourite thing about where I live is…
The weather, beaches, friends, food quality, food variety, ethnic diversity, the love of sport, strong Aussie dollar, lack of rust on cars, bike paths, little suburbs with little shops and the Opera house.

The thing I miss about NZ is…
Family to the max! Waiheke island and beautiful Rocky Bay.

The thing I don’t miss about NZ is…
Small town mentality. I think we fear other countries bigger than us. I often hear of the "Asian invasion".

I wish I could…
Have a white bungalow in Mt Eden, with a nice slightly upward sloping back yard. In the yard would be a sunny deck, a proper Finnish sauna and a brick oven that I build with the help of my Dad.

Since leaving NZ I…
Have become a little less funny. Or maybe, it is that I have become more adult and spend time thinking about and discussing things like term deposits, health insurance and updating my Linkedin profile.

The best place for coffee in Sydney is…
Campos Coffee in Newtown. Have the Affogato, I think they use white chocolate ice cream.

The best place to eat in Sydney is...
Quay, Tetsuyas, New Shanghai in Ashfield and Sumalee Thai in Newtown. The first two are top notch, world class resturants, where you spend 4 hours grazing and only talk about the food. New Shanghai is only a step up from a food court but is cheap, super tasty and you can watch them make your dumplings. Sumalee Thai is simply the best Thai in a town full of Thai restaurants.

I stay in touch with what’s going on in NZ by…
Listening to my wife Melanie.

Before I came here I thought Sydney was…
A big trashy city and Australia was mostly red dirt.

And I thought I...

Looked cool in baggy pants.

The biggest change in me since I moved here is…
I am now married, have a 4 month old boy, swim a lot and I have lost 20kg.

When people visit I always take them to…
Petty Cash cafe in Marrickville where they serve tea with tea cosies and souvenir tea spoons. Also, a big favourite is the Bondi to Coogee walk with a swim at the Maroubra rock pool.

For me, home is…
Where Mel and Miko are. Unless I am in the dog box which means I am literally, in the dog box... which is also weird because we don't even have a dog?

When friends are visiting NZ I tell them to…
Go to the South Island because I haven't. I know, embarrassing.

If I could describe my life here in three words it would be…
Warm And Friendly.

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A lick from winter's tongue

'Sprinkles' by Amy Borrell

And so begins my favourite season of the year...Autumn. With none of the extremities that can make summer and winter tiresome, it's the best of those seasons rolled into one. 

The last few nights have been noticeably cooler and it makes being in bed so delicious, don't you think? I'm already anticipating the delights of the cooler months:

Crisp, golden light... Snuggling into a new jumper... Hot chocolates... Sheepskin... Feijoas... Fur trim on jackets, boots, scarves, everything... The first dusting of snow... Apples... A late enough sunrise to enjoy every day... Mulled wine... Chicken pot pie... Cashmere hot water bottle covers... the All Blacks... Bed socks... Trees rusting... Chilly evenings cuddled on the sofa watching new season tellie... Tikka masala... Planning a winter holiday... Flocks of birds leaving us behind... The extra hour once daylight savings ends... The smell of a new oil heater... Kindling... 100 denier opaque tights... Pale skin and red lips... Hot pools... Slippers... Puddings... Vicks vapour rub... The feet setting on the car heater... Dry leaves scuttering everywhere... Hot custard... and my absolute favourite: snuggling up in bed with my daughter and snoozing the alarm. Why is forbidden sleep always the cosiest?

What do you love about winter, Beaunz belles?

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