Happy Birthday Dordie!

It has been a mad few days of birthday celebrations here in the World of Cole. First Eady on Thursday and then his sister Dordie yesterday. Eady put me in charge of present buying and as I knew that Dordie was in dire need of a new wallet following my none-to-subtle questioning ("So do you want anything in particular for your birthday?") I focused all of my attention on finding the perfect Dordie-style purse. I put my fingers to the keyboard and after a visiting all the usual Internet haunts, I found the ideal specimen if I do say so myself. So with no further ado, let me present to you Dordie's Bday gift: a cherry red, mock croc Furla cheque wallet. Isn't she a beauty?!!

Happy Birthday Eady!

Eady's birthday was today, woo hoo! The present opening ceremony was held at home after work with all of my presents for Eady having been lovingly wrapped by Mr Porter himself in black tissue paper and his signature boxes. This impressed Eady immensely and may well have given him insight into some of the pleasures that come with online shopping. After all, who doesn't get a shiver of excitement when their purchases come elegantly wrapped up in a box instead of a scrappy plastic bag? Infact Eady's extreme keenness to visit Mr Porter after seeing his gifts may well be a cause for concern - this house just ain't big enough for two internet shopoholics....!

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I gave Eady a beautiful navy blue cashmere hoodie from J. Crew and some grey suede boots from Common Projects. He loved both and they fitted perfectly too. When Eady tried on his pressies, I realised yet again that I have one handsome hubby who is a cinch to buy for! The act of buying presents for him and watching him open them is really exciting, probably more so for me then him (and he gets pretty darn excited with presents so that is really saying something!). I'm sure that it is because Eady just looks amazing in everything so it is virtually impossible to go wrong when choosing gifts for him. Strangely enough, Eady doesn't see this himself but seems to think that I have this amazing talent for present buying. I really wish I could take credit, Ha! Ha!


After presents, we headed across the bridge to Surry Hills to celebrate. We started off with a glass of prosecco at The Lounge, followed by another at The Winery and dinner at Billy Kwongs, cooked by the lovely Kylie Kwong herself. It was a fantastic night for us both and Eady had a lovely time celebrating being one year closer to the big 4-0!

Pre-Birthday Boots for Eady

Today we hit the Oxford Street shopping precinct to find Eady some classic boots. He has wanted a pair for quite some time now but just hasn't been able to find the right ones. He already owns has a couple of pairs from Chronicles of Never and whilst they are made from beautiful leather and the design element of them is pretty spectacular - they would be appropriate for any number of occasions from traipsing through bars on a Friday night to an adventure in Middle Earth with a gang of hobbits, they are not the most hardy of shoes and tend to be a little delicate (to put it quite mildly).

We tried all the usual haunts on Oxford Street but just couldn't find anything suitable. So we decided to hit Kings Cross and venture to a little shop just off Darlinghurst Road called Recollections Past. It is such a beautiful store! Whilst I marvelled at the polished concrete floor, Eady tried on some boots that were just what he was looking for - the right style, his size in stock and available in black and chocolate brown.  Even better, they are handmade by a small Aussie company called Baxter, from a pattern that hasn't changed since the late 1890s. They were perfect in every way. I managed to convince Eady that the chocolate brown colour would be far more versatile and seemed to have a vintage charm about them which would become more evident as they are worn in, especially if the Store Manager's boots were anything to go by. Luckily he agreed and happy with this choice, a purchase was made. Bingo.

All Quiet On The Blogging Front

The last week or so has flown by in a bit of a haze. Not surprising really, given the events that have occurred. Firstly, Eady lost his Grandfather after which we had a mad dash to Melbourne to attend the funeral. It was always going to be a difficult trip but the high point was watching Eady do an amazing reading at the service which made me so very proud - the strength and composure he showed was really inspiring! Along with this Eady had to go to hospital for a day. This meant his usual wardrobe of Nudie jeans and Converse made way for a standard issue hospital gown accessorized with a plastic ID bracelet and a pre-op prep that can only be described as uncomfortable and highly inconvenient. But Eady being the trooper that he is, sailed through it all with his usual aplomb. The good news is that everything went very well plus he has been given the all clear. Yay!!!

Today is also my one month anniversary of starting my new role. I still LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it, am learning heaps and having lots of different experiences too (meeting at Parliament House anyone?!!).

Obviously between work and home things have been a little chaotic in the world of Cole lately but with a bit of luck, everything should now be back on track. Lucky, as I can feel some online shopping blogs coming up...!

Our hearts are sad

Eady flew to Melbourne very early this morning with his sister Dordie. They heard late last night that their beloved Grandfather, Grandpa Des, had taken a turn for the worse and was not expected to live beyond the weekend. Grandpa Des has been battling lung cancer after being diagnosed a few months ago and whilst he has been fighting it with the understated yet steely strength that he is known for, it has become much a much harder fight over recent days and his health has deteriorated dramatically.

I have known Grandpa Des for close to 16 years, having fallen head over heels in love with Eady at first sight way back then and meeting his family soon after. Grandpa Des was just so lovely to me at our first meeting and made me feel like I was a very welcome addition to the clan despite the fact that Eady and I were very, very young yet extremely adamant that we were made for each other! So whilst there were a fair few cynics in the early days (understandably), we never had to justify our feelings for each other to Grandpa Des as he was able to see just how much Eady and I felt about each other despite our age and our relatively new relationship. He just accepted the whole "Cole loves Eady for ever and ever" at face value and made me feel like a Granddaughter-in-law from the very start. Therefore, it seemed only right that I call him Grandpa Des.

Unfortunately I got a call from Eady early this afternoon to confirm that Grandpa Des had passed away. My heart is sad to have lost this dignified yet warm and affectionate man with a tremendous love for his family. Sad too, for what Eady is feeling right now as his grieving begins. I really just want Eady to get back to Sydney so I can wrap him in my arms and reassure him that for as long as there is love, Grandpa Des will always remain in the hearts of all of those who loved him dearly. Me included.

Rain, Rain, go away...and you too Wiggly Worm

The rain in Sydney is wearing me down. It just won't stop and according to Tim the Channel 10 weatherman, it is likely to continue until well into next week. Shimmer, my cute-little-car, is not coping well either. There is so much water on the road that every time we drive through a puddle that is inevitably a lot bigger and deeper then it appears to be, we veer all over the road which gives us quite a fright. I end up gripping the steering wheel for the rest of the trip, praying that we get to our destination in one piece. Apart from Shimmer and I, Eady is having a tough time too. He works in the city and despite catching the bus and holding a huge kick-arse umbrella over him when he is walking, he has arrived home dripping wet the last 2 nights. His sense of humour about this is wearing decidedly thin and I fear this will not only result in major disillusionment towards the weather here but even a re-adjustment in the Melbourne vs. Sydney debate that rages within him (with Melbourne taking a convincing lead).

I am sure that the torrential rain we have had over the last week is also the reason we got a visit from Wiggly Worm last night. And I don't mean my niece, whom my Mum affectionately calls Wiggly Worm. I mean a real-life wiggly worm from the garden.

Yes, that's right, there was a worm on our cream carpet. Although the front door is only about 50cm from the worm's chosen spot, I am not sure how he could have navigated past the various implements that are in place to stop home invasions of the non-human and criminal variety. I suspect that he might well have caught a lift on Eady or I and then decided to settle in for a bit of R&R and a dose of Angry Boys on the afore-mentioned carpet. Unfortunately for him though, he was discovered before he got too comfortable. Thems the breaks worm.

Post-script: Eady is extremely concerned that by me writing a blog about a worm being found on our carpet, judgements will  be cast regarding the cleanliness (or rather the lack of), in our house. So dear readers, please let me confirm that Eady is a Type A personality who may be bordering on obsessive-compulsive regarding all things cleaning and that he lives with a wife who is petrified of clutter, mess and all kinds of bacteria especially the squiggly and spiral kinds. Therefore, the fact that a worm was found in our house is down to bad luck and not bad hygiene!

It's so warm and toasty in bed!

After returning to Australia five and half years ago when the sub-zero temperatures of the European winter became too much to bear, we thought we would be on easy street in Sydney weather-wise. Oh how we laughed about storing our thermals indefinitely, buying a house with no built-in heating and wearing thongs instead of ugg boots in the depths of winter. With a high of 19C today which is really just a typical mid-winter day here in Sydney and an overnight low of around 9C expected tonight, it is a little bit cheeky to complain about the chill when this temperature range would constitute an average summers day in the UK. But complain I do, as it is really bloody cold now that I have officially acclimatised! So cold infact, that yesterday on my way to afternoon tea with Elle B and Lyndal (cakes, fruit platters and knitting in between a far bit of chat) I had to stop off and buy our first ever electric blanket. We trialled it last night and in the space of 24 hours, the new blanket has become an essential appliance in our house, carbon tax and carbon footprint be damned!

What's in the oven?

Strawberry, raspberry and ricotta muffins

The Daily Commute

I admit that I was pretty spoilt in my last job with regards to my daily commute. It was a grand total of 3 kms from home to work with the longest part of the drive taking place in the carpark underneath my building - my specific car spot was hidden 7 levels underground. With my new role though, I now have a commute of 20 kms each way and it involves me travelling through the Sydney Harbour Tunnel to the outer Eastern suburbs of Sydney. It is a drive that has taken me anywhere from 25 to 35 minutes each time this week and probably likely to be even longer next week when the kiddies return to school and traffic returns to normal. Still I find the drive quite soothing, it gives me time to wind down after work (or fire up for the day ahead) and sing along to my favourite 80s power ballads replaying constantly on  Bogan FM. An added bonus is that I park less then 10 metres from the front door of the building and 20 metres from my desk. I know, crazy right? Whilst I am LOVE, LOVE, LOVING the carpark situation I do acknowledge that it is only my first week of cross-country driving so it remains to be seen if my zen-like acceptance of the daily commute continues.

Today I wore my black Giallo pumps to work. They have an almond toe and are very simple in design, almost to the point of being a bit boring. To liven them up a little, I like to decorate them and make them a bit more fun. Hence the purchase of some clip-on earrings from a local antique store. I attached the earrings to the front of each shoe which adds a point of interest to my feet (and distracts from the toe cleavage that is always on display thanks to my obscenely long toes that even Eady finds freaky). The clip-ons I chose to wear today were an antique silver pair that are really quite pretty and dainty. I didn't wear any socks/stockings/tights with my shoes but compared to yesterday, it was practically a heat wave in Sydney so all was good in the World of Cole.

Thank goodness for roast chicken!

I am on a very steep learning curve at my new company and I am finding that I'm so tired by the time I get home at night that all I want to do is crawl into bed and fall asleep! So with me having used all of my energy up at work and Eady having had a day best described as annoying, I made an executive decision to buy a roast chicken for dinner to avoid either of us having to spend time in the kitchen. Of course this meant I also had to buy roast potatoes (although I am sure that "deep fried" potatoes would have been a more accurate description) and a giant bottle of Pepsi Max, neither of which are all that acceptable given that it is currently Diabetes Awareness Week across Australia. But despite exercise and healthy eating having fallen by the wayside of late, it is not all doom and gloom as I can honestly say that I am still making an effort with my work outfits...which is lucky given it is only Day 3.

Today's outfit consisted of an LK Bennett dress, a brand that is thoroughly endorsed by The Duchess (and therefore me) which was accessorised with a patent leather belt from Cue and my Bianca Spender jacket.

I have already started to think about what to wear tomorrow which is going to be a "pants" day (as per my one day pants, next day skirt rule). I haven't quite decided yet what the final outift will be but I do know one thing, it needs to be very warm to keep out the winter chill!