THE RETURN OF AN ABSENT BLOGGER

 Hi everyone, hope you are all well

It has been a long time since my last post. After a long hibernation, I finally managed to shake off the winter slumber and decided to get back on the horse or in my situation, back to blogging.  I can't actually put my finger on why I completely withdrew from the blogger-sphere.  It just happened, one day I woke up and felt that I want nothing to do with it.  I tried to rationalise my feelings but it was nothing there to work on.  Let's just call it hibernation and move on 😄.  Surprisingly, seems like my mojo has come back thanks to return of spring and hopefully it will stay for a long time.

Speaking of spring, we are in the second month of it already but the weather is still like a yo-yo.  One day we are all heading to the beach and the next are shivering in our t-shirts and thongs as we Australians call flip-flops 😎.

My husband and I are not big beach lovers anyway, we both prefer the walks along the coast or cooler weather so we can go for long walks along the coast for a breath of fresh ocean air and be closer to nature or do something totally different and embark on one the of the urban walks discovering new neighborhoods and their surroundings.

Last Sunday we chose to have a city walk between Barangaroo and The Rocks.   Barangaroo is an area of Central Sydney within walking distance from CBD named in honour of an Aboriginal woman, the second wife of Bennelong, who was an interlocutor between the Aboriginal people and early British colonists.  Historically it was important land for Aboriginal People prior to colonial settlement.  With the arrival of Europeans, the indigenous people were driven off this land and what was once their hunting and fishing grounds, was redeveloped into multiple shipyards.  Over the years, as the ships became bigger, more capacity was required to accommodate them thus new bigger shipyards were require to accommodate them.

Thus this area has become abandoned and been hardly used until about twenty years as the State Government designated the site for redevelopment into parklands and also commercial space.  It took many years of planning and designing, not everything went according to plan and there are some bits and pieces needed to be finished but the whole development looks absolutely amazing.  

Today it is a thriving hub busy with all sorts of activities.  Its three high-rise towers are the home for myriads of offices, the residential apartments cost mega bucks, multiple dining venues offer food from all around the world.  There is a hotel with a casino on its premises and award winning restaurants such as 3-Michelin star Oncore by Claire Smyth where we went to celebrate my husband's seventieth birthday last year.  And right next to this bustling precinct there are beautifully landscape parklands and vast areas of public land for all of us to share and enjoy.

It is a short Metro ride for us to get there which is great because finding parking in this city has become an absolute nightmare.

We alighted at the station, and within minutes we were on a walking path that snakes gently following the shape of the shore and as we walked and watched the bustling ferries, private yachts  and tug boats darting up and down the bay with the neighbouring suburbs beckoning across the water the smoothing lapping of the water accompanied our stroll.

Once we left the parklands, we found ourselves directly under the Harbour Bridge in the historic neighbourhood  The Rocks.  You can read more about this fascinating part of Sydney in one of my previous posts here.

It was rather a long walk and we felt quite hungry.  The Rocks is full of places to eat, from fine dining to pub staples.  We settled for the latter.  I love pub food, the portions are big while the prices are not.  Besides, you get this lovely atmosphere where everyone feels like they belong, especially after a glass or two of wine 😊.

I had good time writing this post.  Hopefully, it will stay with me for a long time.  Can't wait to see what you my dear bloggers have been up too.

Catch up with you soon

Until then,

Anna

xoxoxo

SUNDAY WALK AROUND CAMELLIA GARDENS

Hello everyone, hope you are all well.

I know people who love winter but I am not one of them.  I didn’t like it back when I was living in Ukraine and although Australian winters are not even remotely as cold, I still don't like it. 

I am convinced that Australians in general are in complete denial.  You’ve probably seen pictures on social media of men and women walking around dressed in shorts, t-shirts and a pair of thongs (flip-flops) on their feet totally ignoring the fact that the temperature outside is no higher than 15 degree Celsius.  Believe me, Sydney’s winters are cold and unpleasant.  

Even when you live near the coast like I do and the temperature is a few degrees warmer, it does not make much of a difference.  For me, the biggest problem is that our dwellings are not properly insulated like the homes in Europe or North America.  

There is no double glazing on the windows and the frames are quite often are not sealed tightly, there is no central heating that keeps your home warm all the time.  If you live in a building that is 40 years or older, they don't even have built-in air-conditioners, you have to install your own which is quite costly or get yourself an electric or oil heater.  Unfortunately, they have to be on all the time because the moment your turn them off, the temperature in the room drops and the air inside your home is about as cold as it is outside.

Of course, you can let them run all night but be prepared for a very high electricity bill.

However, like everything else, there are two sides to each coin.  As much as I prefer warmer months to winter colds, there are few things that I love doing in winter.  Number one – the mulled wine, that is love, is back on the menu and two – visiting parks and gardens that contrary to the continental winter are alive and blooming.

Previously, I shared with you our visits to Breenhold Gardens  and Nooroo Gardens during winter months. Today’s post is about visiting Camellia Gardens.  The beauty of this place that you don't need to drive to Blue Mountains like we did in the past, they are situated within the city limits and it only took us about half an hour to get there.

These gardens are over 50 years old and are recognised by the International Camelia Society as a "Camelia Gardens of Excellence".  They are very popular not just amongst the locals but with tourists alike.   Apart from for its picturesque grounds, you can also find a period looking cafe where you can pre-book your afternoon tea with scones and jam or just have lunch on the veranda overlooking the gardens.  The kids love chasing the ducks and at certain times you can actually feed them.  

There is a calm and clean stream tickling along and you can see ducks and other birds swimming up and down the stream. 

The best time for visiting the Gardens is in autumn or winter because it when the Camellias are in season.

Luckily for us, the day when we chose to go there was sunny and quite warm so there was no need for a jacket. 

All and all we had a very nice relaxing outing, having a nice break from the busy activities of our everyday lives.

Hope you had a nice weekend too.

Until then,

Anna

xoxoxo

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WHAT I WORE FOR MY HUSBAND'S BIRTHDAY LUNCH

Hello, my dear readers, trust you are all well.

It seems that I am taking longer and longer breaks between the posts for reasons that I cannot explain, I just do.  It is not that I have left free time left for blogging, I still work the same number of days (just 2) as I used  do in my old job, look after my grandkids twice a week as before and three times a week I go to the gym as I have been doing for years.  Yet somehow I find it challenging to keep up.   It upset me at first but then I said to my self that since blogging is not my livelihood, I have no reason whatsoever to stress out over it.  Just do it when you can and when you feel like it and feel much better now.  Have you been through the situation like this and how have you dealt with it?

So it should come as no surprise that this post is over month overdue.  It is about the outfit that I wore for my husband's birthday that was in April but as they say: "Better later then never", right?  The birthday was not a significant milestone so just the two of us went to have lunch at one of our long time favourite places,  Ms. G's in Sydney's Potts Pont.

Since it was a celebration, I wanted to honour it by dressing for the occasion but since it was a casual lunch, I didn't want to look like I was trying too hard.  This bustling place that serves inventive Asian-fusion plates is loved by young and funky crowd and I wanted to play along.  

Well, I've decided to compromise. Have you ever heard the expression "Business in the front, party at the back"?  Historically, referred to a hair style called the Mullet, I gave it a slight twist and applied it to my outfit:  dressy top and casual bottom - a grey silk blouse decorated by a string of pearls bought at Almacenes San Jose Handicraft Market in Havana when we were on holidays in Cuba paired with black Levi's jeans and LV sneakers.  

I don't even care to remember when I bought this blouse, seems like years ago but it was made in France of pure silk and you don't easily throw away a silk blouse from France.  The jeans, on the other hand, is quite a recent purchase.  I deliberately avoid buying something that was on trend but instead went for a classic cut that I can wear anywhere, whether it is a casual Sunday outing or a day at the office.  

I do, however, remember how long I have these sneakers:  they were a birthday gift from my husband, among some other things, for my 60th birthday, nearly 4 years ago.

The food is always great at Ms. G's and this time it was no exception.  They also make delicious cocktails and after having a couple of those (my husband volunteered to be the designated driver for the day despite the fact that it was his birthday), I was on cloud 9.

Afterwards, we went for a leisurely stroll around the neighbourhood admiring the tall art-deco buildings with their ground floors occupied by a book store, fashion boutiques, homewares and antique stores stopping near the famous El  Alamein Memorial fountain for a photo shoot.

We had a lovely time and I could see that my husband was quite happy to have his birthday this way.

Be well, my dear friends 

Until then

Anna

xoxoxo

WHAT I WORE LAST WEEKEND

Hello my dear friends, hope you are well

After  a few weeks of torrential rains, Mother Nature finally took mercy, cleared up the skies and let the sun shine upon us. Hallelujah!!!

The timing coudn't be better as the pile of washing in my laundry has grown up to the ceiling and everything in my wardrobe and linen cupboards felt damp to the touch.

But when I woke up and saw the sun streaming through the blinds, my first urge was to go down to the beach and have a nice long walk along the coast to enjoy the warmth of the sun on my face and to take a deep breath of the fresh smell of the ocean and so we did.

There are many coastal walks around Sydney, each of them offering different views, all of them spectacular in their own way but for me there is one walk that every visitor and resident of Sydney should take – a cliff top coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee in the Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. Whenever we have visitors from out of  town or overseas, we always recommend them to take this walk.  It runs for almost 6 km and although we have never done the full circle as in some parts of the walk could be quite steep or there would be a lot of up and down steps which my husband is not a big fan of so over the years we developed our favourite routes that suit his fitness and like to alternate between them.

As the name suggests, it runs along the coast of the Pacific Ocean and features stunning views, beaches, cliffs, bays and rock pools.  You can stop at any time to take a dip, to surf or have a coffee and a snack at one of the many coffee shops along the route.

On this particular day, we chose the path that runs between Bondi and Bronte beaches for two reasons.  Number one, the path is mostly flat and number two - we were meeting our friends for lunch at one of the cafes overlooking Bronte Beach. 

Normally, if we are going for a walk, I prefer to wear my gym clothes but since we were having a lunch too, I didn't want to look like I have just finished my training session at the gym.  These days many people, young and old, tend to wear gym clothes anywhere they go but I resent doing that.  I am a big believer that different occasions require a different style of clothes.  

I still wanted to feel comfortable and not so out of place, so I put on my wide-legged ecru colour un-cuffed jeans and a bright orange oversized shirt.  I feel that my clothes should reflect the sunny weather and my good mood.

As for accessories, I chose to wear a long string of beads wrapped around my neck in a complimentary blue colour.  If you follow my blog, you might remember me talking about the the nature of complimentary colours in relation to colour theory and today I am following the same principal.  I like how the blue colour really stands out against the orange.  I am also wearing a turquoise ring to complement the necklace.

And that is that.  Be well, everyone

Until then

Anna💖

 

BLACK AND WHITE BLOUSE STYLED TWO WAYS

 Hello dear readers, hope you are all well.

First of all, I would like to share with you exciting news - last week my middle step-son (I had three step-children from my husband's first marriage and he has two step-daughters from me😄) and his partner had a baby boy👦. She is originally from Japan so the baby has her almond shape eyes and thick mob of jet-black hair on his tiny head and looks absolutely gorgeous.  No name yet, though.  In Australia you have 60 days to name your newborn and after that the name will be assigned by some Government body.  Hopefully, it will not come to that.

Another not so exciting but still very important news is that after five months of looking for a job, I finally got one.  Back in September last year, the owners of the company I worked for 10 years decided to retire and sold the business to a company based in Melbourne.  I didn't not see it coming, I was hoping to stay there until I chose to retire in a few years time but that was not meant to be.  The job that I was doing was transferred to their Melbourne head office thus rendering my position redundant.  I was devasted.  

It was a small bookkeeping job, just two days a week which suited me perfectly.  It left me with enough time to help my older daughter with her two kids twice a week, and attend yoga, pilates and barre classes in my gym.  It gave me a reason to leave the house in the morning, dressed in clothes other than the gym gear, talk to people outside of my usual circle of friends and acquaintances, give my brain something  to do and earn some money.  Not that my husband ever denied giving me as much as I want, I still wanted to have my own funds.

It took me almost five months to find a replacement and it was an absolute struggle.  Sadly, my old bosses were literally old and not big friends of modern technology. Once I started viewing job ads, it hit me how far the technology has moved on in the past few years.  And it not only applies to accounting software but how much the technology has become an integral part of all aspects of the business.  I don't want to bore you with the details but if you imagine that you have been using the rotary phone and then one day someone hands you the latest model of an IPhone and tells you that this what you will have to use from now on and you have to figure it out all by yourself.  It was not enough that I have over 10 years of accounting experience, in the eyes of the recruiter I was a ignorant neanderthal.  Which is not far off, giving that I am turning 64 this year and probably was the oldest job seeker on the market.  there were days when I felt stupid, useless, hopeless and frustrated.

I was just about to give up, when a recruitment agent who saw my profile on Seek (Australian job seeking site) and offered me a role in a small company, doing exactly what I was doing for two days per week.  Sounded good to me, so I asked him to set am an interview with the MD.  During the interview, I realised how many similarities this company shares with my old workplace.  The software that they were using was about 20 years old, every document is printed on paper and either filed in the old fashion manila folders or piled high on the desks and tables or along the walls.  The MD himself is a man in his seventies so my age didn't bother him in the slightest. All he cares about is that the job is well done.  And here comes the best part - the office is literally 500 meters away from my home and I walk there in under 5 minutes.  So all and all, it worked out in the end for me, fingers crossed.  I sincerely hope, it will last🤞.

Now that my mind is in a better place, let's talk about fashion.  For today's outfit, I chose a monochromatic black and white colour scheme.  I do love bright colours and wear them quite but today  we were going to see a French movie called "The Taste of Things" which was a part of French Film Festival and I wanted to wear the colours that are so popular amongst Parisian women.

The blouse is a new addition to my wardrobe.  My younger daughter bought it for me when she was working at Country Road retail store over the Christmas break.  In fact, I was just wandering among the racks and this print caught my attention.  I also liked the fact that the blouse is cropped so I don't need to tuck it in which comes very handy when you are wearing a silk pencil skirt and you can't tuck anything inside it as it will ruined the smooth look of the fabric. 

I asked my daughter if she can apply her staff discount but she generously just paid for it.  

My cropped unhemmed pants are so old that I don't care to remember how long it is since I bought them but I like their style, they look trendy, I can still fit into them and that is good enough for me.

The movie was an absolute joy to watch. The lead roles are played by Juliette Binoche, who plays Eugenie ( a renowned cook with no equal) and her ex-husband Benoit Magimel playing Dodin, "an epicure whose ideas for recipes combined with Eugenie's talent, combined culinary magic" .It's brilliantly filmed, both actors are on top of their game and if you haven't seen it yet, I strongly recommend.

The other night we were going to the Opera House to listen to a classical concert and I was wearing this same blouse but this time instead of white jeans, I put on black pants adorned with pearl buttons running along the bottom part of the pants;  the sneakers were replaced with black patent cup-toe shoes (worn here) with a pearl clasp and swapped silver chains hanging around my neck with a long string of pearls linking all the elements of my outfit together.  

I like this blouse when I just saw it hanging on the rack and now knowing how adaptable it could be, makes me feel even better.

Until then,

Anna

xoxoxo