JANUARY IN PICTURES

January can be a month of so much promise, so many declarations and new beginnings. For me, these past 22 days have been filled to the brim with family, friends, beautiful puppies, delectable food and a birthday or two. I also learnt a few critical things; that my boyfriend of 3 years is a maestro at making wine glasses sing, that my magnificent niece of 4 and a half years may very well be smarter than me and that my family is my world and my rock. I discovered many new foods this month, appetizing dishes just got more delicious in the steamy weather and that my amazing puppies continued to amaze and delight me. I received unconditional support from my family, friends and LuLulemon Athletica, a company that constantly surprises me with their ingenuity, community spirit and generosity. And lastly, I realised that a sisterly love is one of the best and most beautiful relationships in life. I say goodbye to my other limb, my sister Laura, very early this Wednesday morning, and I wish you wild adventures, never ending fun but most of all happiness. 

x Emily 

SO LONG 2012

Another year gone by. Blink and you miss it. December 31^st creeps up on us and swiftly departs, leaving us staring down the business end of January and all the promises we make ourselves. Instead of crowding your mind with new years resolutions and declarations on how 2013 will be better than 2012, how about you reminisce on the remarkable experiences, emotions and adventures that this year brought with it. What visualizations are evoked when you think of the year gone by? Take a moment today to reflect on the year you have just experienced. Recall the thrilling ups, the heartbreaking downs and all that was in-between.

Cheers to all my beautiful readers - here’s to a transcedent new year and another chance for us to get it right! 

x Emily 

THURSDAY THOUGHTS

Each of these photos has taken my breath away at one point in time. Now I pass them onto you on a gloomy Thursday. Hope they bring a smile to your face or some inspiration to your life, as they have to time so many times. 

x Emily 

SUMMER LOVING

What does summer look like to you? As the hot weather approaches and the days lengthen and linger, its time to strip down, lather up and enjoy life at its finest. Below are a few pictures of what summer means to me (and of course food plays a pivotal role!).

x E

A PORTRAIT OF SPAIN IN BRISBANE

Unfortunately, due to some sickening food poisoning over the past weekend, the last thing I want to do is look at food. Cooking is out of the question, which as you can imagine is quite tough when you write a predominantly food related blog. So when one cannot write about what they truly love, they find something else to write about.

I was lucky enough to secure a ticket to see the much talked about 'Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado' painting exhibit recently held by the Queensland Art Gallery. What made this exposition extra special was that it was the very first exhibition from the Prado collection ever to be displayed in the Southern Hemisphere. That’s right, small town Brisbane beat out the likes of Melbourne and Sydney to showcase this exhibit for over three months. The spectacular paintings had a long journey ahead of them, as they travelled all the way from the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, Spain. These 100 plus masterpieces tell a romantic and somewhat violent story of the evolution of painting and the history of Spain over several centuries. Now, I will not pretend to understand art and tell you all about the intricate brush strokes, vivid still lifes and juxtaposition of the foreground and background. Instead I will leave with you a few of the paintings that caught my eye and you can decide if they are worthy of a second glance.

 x E