A WALK THROUGH NOOROO GARDENS

 Good morning, dear friends.  Hope you are well.

It is winter here in OZ and we are freezing, not so much from the lower temperature but from the gusts of cold wind that brings you chills and there is nowhere you can hide from it.  Don't trust those Aussies who would tell you that there is no winter in Australia, they are in denial and can't be trusted.

Of course, it is not the winter we used to have back in Russia but we had a different approach to it, either.  For starters, we wore warm clothes, the dwellings had central heating and double glazed windows, etc.  Here, the temperature would not be higher then 12 degrees and you see people on the streets dressed in the same clothes they wore during the summer months, ie thongs, shorts and t-shirts.

I have been living here for over thirty years now and are as fascinated by this phenomenon as I was when I saw it for the first time.

The one thing I love about winter is watching how the trees and bushes have gradually changed their colours.  Some turned their leaves into a golden yellow, while others become coloured in deep reds and burgundy.  It is a perfect time to take a drive to the Blue Mountains, a rugged region West of Sydney known for its dramatic scenery, steep cliffs, eucalyptus forests, waterfalls and villages dotted with guesthouses, galleries and gardens, and take a walk through the gardens that are hugely popular among the locals and tourists alike.  Just make sure that you are appropriately dressed as the weather there is far cooler than by the coast.

Last Sunday the air was cool but calm, the sun was nice and warm so we decided to take a trip to Nooroo Gardens, one of many parks spread along the mountains to see the change of seasons before the leaves fall off completely. 

I didn't hesitate to bundle up into my all time faithful puffy jacket, scarf, gloves etc.  It was a minimum of five degrees cooler and I felt it in my bones, no matter how fast we walked.  After a pit stop at the local cafe for a bowl of pumpkin soup and a toasty which was exactly what the doctor ordered, it helped to keep the cold away and we thoroughly enjoyed the grounds.

The air was so clean, crisp and fresh that our lungs went into overdrive from the abundance of oxygen.  The colours of the foliage were magnificent, we couldn't stop admiring this wonder of nature.  The only flowers that were still in bloom were Hydrangeas, some of their colours I never seen before.

It was a lovely invigorating day and we returned home recharged and refreshed.

Have a great week ahead

Until then,

Anna

xoxo

THREE ESSENTIALS TO TRANSFROM YOUR OUTFIT FROM DAY TO NIGHT

Hello dear friends,

Today’s post is all about the power of accessories, how with the help of just a few statement pieces you can change the mood, the look and the purpose of your outfit.  Just take a look at one of the greatest living examples and master accessorises of all times, Iris Apfel and you know what I am talking about.

Well, I am not exactly Iris, nor do I possess such a vast collection of everything, I do however have a few tricks of my own that I like to pull when the necessity arises.

Case in point, my outfit today.  In the past I wore this slouchy jumper paired with flared pants (seen here) a pair of jeans on my casual days or with a pair of smart pants for the office but never for a special occasion until one day I had to attend an evening event straight after work and didn’t have a chance to drive back home to change.

What should I do?  The answer was simple, change your accessories which will change your outfit.  So I went and packed the three essentials that I knew would be ideal for the purpose, the accessories that would help me to transform my business outfit into something more appropriate for the event ahead: a pair of evening slingbacks from Boss, a string of pearls and Chanel evening clutch and et voila. 

A dash of bright red lipstick was like a cherry on a cake 👄👄👄. 

Have a great week ahead, everyone

Until then,

Anna

xoxo

HOW TO WEAR A SILK SKIRT IN COOLER MONTHS

Hello dear friends, how are you doing?

The Antipodean autumn is almost over but we are quite blessed with warm weather which allows us to keep our warm coats in the closets still and just a warm jumper will suffice.

It’s a perfect time to put the versatility of my summer purchases to the test and see how they will fair in cooler months, starting with my Ganni tie-dye silk skirt that I purchased and wore all through last summer.  It looked good paired with the satin spaghetti straps top (seen here) but I was hoping that I would be able to extend its use by wearing it with something that will keep me warm.  

So last Sunday I did just that.  It was one of those typical autumn days when it is quite warm during the day while mornings and evenings have a bit of chill so with that in mind, I chose to wear my silk skirt paired with the white cotton knit jumper and a pair of boots.

I quite like the juxtaposition of smooth silk against the rough knit, highlighted by the high-heeled tall boots.  We are on our way to a Sunday lunch and just made a quick stop to take the photos.  I couldn’t resist capturing the wonderful colours of autumn.

I can’t see why this exact outfit couldn’t be worn to an office where the dress code is flexible and approves of smart/casual vibe.  And if I want to smarten it up, there are always some statement accessories and jewellery that can come to the rescue.

Hope you have a lovely week ahead

Until then,

xoxoxo

Anna

WHAT I WORE FOR MY HUSBAND'S BIRTHDAY

Hello everyone, hope your Easter break was enjoyable.

We had a lovely break filled with all kinds of activities, you can catch up on the full report here.

Now, that this is over, the next important event on our calendars was my husband’s birthday at the end of the month.   Traditionally, we love to go out to celebrate and this year I was more determined than ever to do just that but with a slight difference.  Instead of booking one of our favourite restaurants, I booked us a dinner with Secret Foodies, culinary event creators specialising in organising themed dinners at secret locations as well as designing unique corporate and private events, from intimate dinners to lavish parties with over 500 guests.   

I subscribe to their newsletter and when the Secret Dinner themed “From Paris with Love” invite landed in my Inbox, I decided to give it a go and bought us tickets. The reason it’s called Secret Dinner means that you have no idea where or to what restaurant you would be going.  

The invite stipulates the cuisine (French, Mexican etc), the offer (cocktails on arrival, unlimited drinks) and the vague name of the area where we will be going.  The name of the restaurant and its exact address are revealed to diners just two hours prior.  I was slightly worried about the whole idea.  It’s a first time we ever done something like that and I don’t know what to expect.  On the other hand, it had a sense of adventure and challenged us to get outside the box and it was quite exciting.

And here is the most important question of all - what should I wear?  Since the dinner is called from “Paris with Love", it is safe to assume it will be at the French restaurant which are known for its delicious food, immaculate service and extensive wine list and thus attracts a certain type of patrons.  Besides, my husband always says that it's better to be overdressed then underdressed and I agree with his view on dress-code so that settled my choice of a dress for the evening.

It has been quite a while since we went out to a classy restaurant for dinner: between both of us being sick with COVID, then recovering from it, my husband’s radiotherapy and other unpredictable hurdles, we were not up to it but now, despite my trepidation, I was really looking forward to the night.

The dress that I chose to wear was purchased back in December during the big sales.   I was walking past the Ted Baker shop windows minding my own business when I saw a dress that I immediately liked.  To paraphrase Julius Caesar "I saw, I tried it on, I bought it".  The End.  And that’s what I was going to wear for our dinner date.

It’s made of super soft jersey with catchy abstract tie dye print that provides an ample opportunity for dressing it up yet its slinky silhouette makes it feel very light and comfortable.  I like its mock neck, it’s not too high for wearing long dangling earrings yet high enough to hide a few wrinkles around my neck 😊.

I decided to forgo comfort for glamour and thus I dusted off my high heels 👠 and put them on.  I felt strange walking in them and my first couple of steps were shaky but then I tighten my core (thank you Pilates) and strode along with confidence 👍.  

The dinner was taking place in a newly opened French restaurant called Loulou.  As promised we were greeted by the glass of bubbly on arrival and after warming up to the atmosphere, were asked to take the seats and the three course meal followed.  Both of us love French food and were thoroughly enjoying each course.  

The wine never stopped pouring so in the end I was quite tipsy.  Luckily for me, my husband chose to be a designated driver for the night and was mindful of not going over the limit and let me enjoy myself which is funny because he was a birthday boy and meant to have fun but being a true gentleman as he is, he left the fun part to me.

Now that we know exactly what to expect, we will be keeping an eye on their next secret dinner destination.

What you try something like that and trust your evening to total strangers? Do please let me know.

Outfit details:  Dress - Ted Baker, shoes - Balli (old), handbag - Furla (old), jewellery -Tiffany Bone Cuff

Until then

Anna

xoxo

 

OUR VISIT TO ONE OF SYDNEY'S WORST KEPT SECRETS, WENDY'S SECRET GARDEN

Hello everyone, hope you are all well.

We had lovely relaxing time over Easter break.  On Friday, we had my family over for Passover dinner which was almost cancelled as my younger daughter who lives with us got COVID 😞 and was just released from isolation on the same Friday which was quite nerve racking.   I was worried that my guests don't want to be in close contact with her and would cancel the dinner.  However, luckily for me, all of them!!! 😮including ourselves just had COVID in the last two months and didn’t worry too much about spending the evening in the same room as her.   I can’t believe I just said it, that sounds so perverse, yet it is the reality we are now living.

I cooked a lot of traditional dishes which my guests thoroughly enjoyed, the kids had fun and we had a lovely family time together.   The next day it was my granddaughter’s 5^th birthday party in the park.  It was a typical children’s party thrown by the extremely busy and sleep deprived parents. The food in the form of pizza was delivered from the local Domino shop and the cake was store bought.  It was nice to watch the kids running around entertaining themselves while we adults were chatting with each other over the glass of wine poured into the plastic cups.  Priceless, wouldn’t change it for the world.

Sunday was a day of relaxation.  We couldn't believe our luck with the weather.  As if Mother Nature decided to make it up to us and after having an awfully wet and cold summer, granted us with the sun and warmth.  It was a perfect day for heading outdoors, preferably somewhere along the coast but it was during the Easter break and school holidays, we knew that the traffic on the roads would be chock a block and decided to go locally.  

A few years ago we read in a paper about Wendy's Secret Garden created by the wife of the late renowned Australian artist, Brett Whiteley near the house where they lived in Lavender Bay on the Sydney's Lower North Shore .  

As the story goes, after the death of her husband, grief-stricken Wendy was in need to regain back control of her life, to clean up the mess it was in, found herself savagely attacking piles of overgrown rubbish of the unused railway land in front of their home.  She threw herself into the clean up, day in and day out, too tired and exhausted by the end of the day to think or feel anything.  

Once the land was cleared, it was the time to create a garden.  Not everything went smoothly, the railway authorities were trying to stop her accusing of invading state property but with the strong support of local community and her powerful friends in artistic and political circles, the garden was saved and remains open for visitors who go there to appreciate its beauty and the creative soul behind it.

 We were intrigued by the story and went to visit it and fell in love with this place.  So on this particular Sunday morning when we were discussing the plans for the day, we both agreed that a trip to Wendy's  Secret Garden is in order and set off.

It was as beautiful and charming as we remembered.  The air was warm and tranquil, filled with the aromas of the flowers and freshly cut grass.  The soft breeze from the ocean was gently rustling the leaves of the giant trees. 

The autumn colours of foliage were magnificent, dark and rich.  Here and there old curiosity objects were on display placed on antique garden tables and pedestals.  

The picnic tables, strategically placed in the shade, were occupied by people who had smartly brought with them picnic lunches and bottles of wine and were enjoying their food, company and beautiful surroundings. 

The view from the garden over the bay and the city beyond was postcard stunning.  

We spent few hours walking up the down the garden following the pathways that lead to the focal points around the grounds.  We didn't bring any food with us so we left the garden to have our lunch at the local pub.  Afterwards, we strolled around neighbourhood, then went to our car to head back home.

It was such lovely day, we both felt refreshed and recharged.

What did you do during the break?  Hope your Easter break was enjoyable.

Until then,

Anna

xoxo