Were on Stylemepretty.com + Bridalbook.ph

Who would have thought. Thanks Stylemepretty.com... woopeeee!

Southern Treat: Grandma's Bakery

Ever since moving to Canberra, I'm constantly comparing it back to Sydney. From Food, coffee, places, people. In the first 6 months I complained my dear husbands ear off ( feeling sorry for him now....no sympathy). However from time time I find myself very lucky to have found middle ground....I have a really cool YOGA studio i attend regularly, found a hairdresser just last month, just yesterday I was fixated on making philly cheesesteaks that I scoured for a local butcher that would shave sirloin for me and voila...new bestfriend! The list can go on and I will most likely continue to show Canberra through a Sydneysiders eyes....

A couple of months back my dear mother in law (MIL) took me to Grandma's Bakery along the federal highway. It's got this country charm mish mash with Italian influence...very weird design wise but the food is yum. Here a few photos I took.

Mezze Plate

They grow their own olives, bought a litre of their olive oil, deliciously smooth!

Geese in parade

I had the pasta, perfect on a chilly winters day

Hong Kong Flash

The gradually noises abate
and ghostly shadow congregate
on city streets.

For some few hours peace will reign
before the noise will start again
on city streets.

The early morning traffic sounds
start with the milkmen on their rounds
on city streets

We went to Hong Kong for the second half of our honeymoon, I've never been to HK but heard so many things about. Some were good, others were not. I was excited to see for myself. We stayed at the Mira Hotel in TST. It was such a cool place, the comfiest bed ever, excellent room service and spa as well....swoon

The egg chair in our room, I really want one.

One of the nights we went to Hong Kong Island.

This Caviar with gold leaf from Liberty Private Works....you need to go here.

Hong Kong can be a little overwhelming. However Agnes B cafe at the IFC can help you get over it. Yummy coffee and pastries. Don't forget to stop and check out the Agnes B florist shop with the most luscious blooms.

A sumptuous lunch was had a wooloomooloo . The views aren't bad either

Awesome views.

If you're ever in HK and looking for an awesome place to eat for next to nothing. Pay a visit to Tim Ho Wan. The cheapest michelin restaurant....salivating.

A Beautiful Dream

A beautiful magnificent dream, It was magic. I close my eyes to relive the memory … snapshots of each scene of our very special day. The smell, sound and feel for the day. I was told to take it all in , it will happen all too fast …..All true.

Paper Love and balloons

Inspired by a poem by E.E Cummings....I carry your heart

Happy New Year to everybody, so glad to be blogging again. I'm just so busy organizing all things related to "bridal" that I haven't had any time to blog whatsoever. I thought I'd share my love for letterpress....yes you heard me right letterpress.

For those of you who don't know much about letterpress, I stumbled across it during my wedding invitation research. Letterpress printing is truly the most beautiful craftsmanship - It is a centuries old art form, which is timeless, classic and results in a beautiful tactile impression into the paper.

Letterpress is the oldest and one of the most exquisite forms of printing available. Letterpress hasn't changed much since 1440 when Gutenberg developed movable type and the first ever printing press was invented. For the last 520 odd years, letterpress was the most common form of printing, it was a craft of masters, it was something terribly precious. However during the last century the development of faster, motorised offset printing presses meant that centuries of knowledge and craftsmanship were lost in an instant. However revival of such art is getting more popular today. Although expensive,it makes a beautiful lasting impression...pardon the pun

I love the history and ofcourse how beautiful it is.. enjoy

These were my Save the dates...don't you just love the bridesmaid cards from Mr Boddington

My world custom made world map liners

sneak peek of my wedding invitations....custom made by craftmaster

Smock Letterpress

Atlas and Campbell

Finally Bella Figura....my fave letterpress company

Back to Normal.

Pssst! I have a secret to tell, I had this thing about blogging and notions of how it exposed my private life and people looking at my pictures and reading about my travels etc. I even stopped looking at other bloggers. I was getting crazy busy , trying to juggle life, preparing for my wedding, taking photographs, adjusting to a new city, getting back to yoga, trying new things ...ahhhhh there alot of stuff!!!

Then I remembered my blogger password and voila! private messages asking me about travel, hosting an engagement party, photography...the lot. It took me approximately an hour of solid patience answering questions. Then it dawned on me, this blog maybe about me (however narcissistic I am) it does however help other people out, it's a community after all. and yes...you do get those random weirdos from time time...but if it means that about 100 or so people still check out my blog...I'll damn try my very best to entertain you all 100 or more.... and maybe keep my sanity along the way...I'm back!

this is what i've been up to....

I went to Tasmania for my birthday, FH treated me to yummy lunch at the Bay of Fires

You must try the food at Angasi at the Bay of Fires....worth the drive....mmmm

In Launceston we stayed at the Pepper's Seaport....this was the view from our room

I can't forget to mention the spa at Cradle Mountain , Waldheim Spa is to dieeeee for.

My Panama

Have you ever put a piece of clothing on and feel totally transformed? Because in so many levels this panama hat is giving me so much added.....mm..mystery ? hahaha Totally! I'm in love with it. I have worn it so many times since i bought it from a chic boutique in Berry, a cute little town south of Sydney. You must visit this store called Roots and Wings, because they have the most loveliest items from Missoni, Ginger and Smart, Dita, Jac + Jack and Elsom just to name a few.

Well about my beloved hat, I've been searching for a genuine panama hat for so long that was reasonable in price, I saw some online for $500! Yeah I know pricey right? There were some at Bondi markets however I was a bit skeptical as so many vendors professed their authenticity albeit having no real clue what panama hats were made of. Having done some online research, Panama hats are wide brimmed hats of Ecuadorian descent made of plaited leaves from the toquilla plant .The reason why they are called "Panama hats" is because they are actually made in Ecuador not some factory in china or mexico.Fact:)

So about my hat. It is a Montecristi Ecuador Panama hat. here's an excerpt that i found really interesting about these lovely hats.....

"Montecristi, Ecuador Panama Hats - This village is internationally renowned for the high quality of the “Panama Hats” they produce (yes, you read correctly, Panama Hats are and always have been from Ecuador and not from Panama). In Montecristi, Ecuador live a handful of master weavers, the creators of the finest straw hats in the world "Montecristi Panama Hats". Hats so fine, they almost defy description. Montecristi panama hats are made from toquilla straw, hand-split into strands not much thicker than thread and woven so finely, at first a panama hat appears to be made from linen. Masterpieces of detail, the edges of these panama hats are woven back into the brim never trimmed and sewn like lesser quality panama hats. Each panama hat is woven by a single artisan, hand-blocked, and takes months to complete. Because there are so few master weavers of panama hats left (two generations ago there were 2000 panama hat weavers; today there are about 20 weavers of panama hats), these works of woven are endangered to the point of disappearing" FACT!

wearing my fave hat....swwwooon

Roots and Wings and the lovely owner Rebecca Riles.

Sweet Disposition

Just wanted to share some lovely snippets of my engagement party. In true Roxyheart style, It was very much pretty pastels, hues of azure, white and all things light. I got my inspirations from Martha Stewart, Marchesa, beach, relaxed, cool waters and yummy cupcakes decorated with pretty candied butterflies. Enjoy!

My mommy dear made the invitations, Paper by Cristina Re

Our Beach themed cards

Yes...he put a ring on it!

Cupcakes made by my Mommy, cousin Michelle, Sis and Moi:)

I love his dapper suit and my Marchesa inspired dress. Dress by Villoni

made lovingly by my mommy, sister, cousin Michelle and decorated by moi.

Flutter flutter...

Too pretty!

Beautiful!

David Austin Roses!

Martha Stewart lanterns.

I'm the Captain of My Soul

I got home from work this morning ...yes i got home at 8am...had a shower and went to bed. Woke up at 3 in the arvo from a wild dream of me being drowned in taffeta, chiffon and tulle! A brides nightmare.....urgh! So I got my camera and found my fave grandma shirt and houndstooth jacket and a lil attitude and went to get a soy cappuccino.... Now let's dance to Jay Z.

Mmmmmm....

This is so gorgeous!

The salad that i made a couple of nights ago

Pastry shop in Soho

I love this NYC gals boots

My dream come true...at the Plaza hotel:)

I've noticed that despite my absence in the blogosphere many lovely people still email me and drop by and check out my humble blog. I do apologize for my invincibility. I've been so busy finishing my postgrad studies that i just can't conjure enough strength and creative juice to pick up my camera and take pictures of myself or anybody else for that matter....i found some old pictures I took last year when i was NYC that constantly make me happy and hoped it would make a lovely peace offering...are we still friends? helloooo anybody there? Ok not you mother...or my Fiance but like minded people in the blogging world?....1 week more to go and i should be free. Peace!