Unboxing my Burberry Orchard bag

I always had a fascination with Burberry, this quintessential British fashion house which is synonymous to trench coats that it globally popularised. Long before acquiring designer purses I was dreaming about this sartorial check bag with a matching wallet to be a staple in my wardrobe. But somehow it got taken over by Louis Vuitton which made my captivation for Burberry grew even more. So I ended up getting not only one but three check bags. This bag that is featured now is my ultimate Burberry item at the moment… presenting the Orchard in Sartorial house check. I ordered this online in brand-new with tags condition from Reebonz. One day when I came home from work, (hence, I was still in a suit) there it was on the coffee table waiting for me. Good thing I remembered to take a photo before unboxing, well, normally I can’t wait to rip the wrap and untie the ribbon.

Street Magnolias

I was lucky enough to catch these pink flowers in my street in full bloom which from the distance we thought as cherry blossoms. It was in the last month of winter (i.e. August) that I finally grabbed my boys to snap photos for me. Lucky too that it was shot in the middle of the day and the sun was on its peak so it was a bit warmer. A couple of weeks after we took the photos, the flower started to fall and new kinds of flowers started to blossom. It's spring now and my street has a different colour theme. Meanwhile, here are the remnants of the pink hues that saturated my street when it was on its coldest.

My first high-end designer bag

This is it, the bag that caused it all. This is my first high-end designer bag, Louis Vuitton Hampstead in Ebene PM (small) size. It was an ordinary shopping day out with my mum, nieces and nephew who was our driver :-). I was wearing my blue flip-flop because of anticipated walking in the mall and paired it with my blue Oroton tote (not pictured). Before hitting the mall, we went to the city to pick up the LV that I pre-ordered. I was so awestruck as soon as I held the bag in my arms (ahhh!), the rich fine finish of the damier canvas and the red alcantara lining inside. I was trying not to get a bag with the monogram canvas at that time because I didn’t want a loud print screaming LV all around the purse but that soon changed after a few months passed :-). What attracted me even more to this bag is the shining gold metal plate in the front which is not common in the new LV releases.

Celebrating Father’s Day

Father’s Day is observed in Oz and NZ on the 1^st Sunday of September and I think in Sweden as well. It’s the first time we celebrated outside the house ever since Jace was born, for obvious reason and that’s because he was only 3 mos and a bit during last year’s Father’s day. I said obvious since you can never make me go out with a new baby just to dine in a restaurant. With babies less than 6 months I only go outside the house for their doctor’s appointment. If he can’t be on a high chair yet then restaurants are off limits. I’m sure there will be plenty of time later for him to try out the kid’s meal when he can actually chew the food in the comfort of the resto’s high chair. So last Sunday, we went to Outback Steakhouse since the boys had voted for it. Hubby went for the steak while the boys were up for the ribs and milkshakes. Well everyone was not disappointed including Jace who even enjoyed eating the lettuce from his dad’s salad. Me, I was after for the dessert portion, my only regret was I should have ordered the bigger size haha.

My grilled salmon in between the Vanilla and Strawberry milkshakes.

My first Chanel

Featured is my first Chanel bag, it’s a seasonal Chanel with nautical charms. One day mid this year I just woke up deciding to jump on-board the bandwagon collecting high-end designer bags. Don’t know what really hit me, I suspect it’s my sudden penchant to reading fashion and lifestyle blogs that started late last year. 

If hubby has massive collections of old computers and aircraft models (among other things really since he’s a hoarder) I have this bag hag tendency.  I actually planned to get only one bag of each brand just to feel the designer’s glamour but 2 weeks later I got a Chanel Medallion tote and a month after I finally embraced my long-time dream - a classic Chanel. Oh what a feeling, I thought I’ve accomplished something haha, so shallow!

But I felt guilty afterwards that I decided to sell this seasonal flap but never really had the strength to do so. I just fell in love with it, I can’t let it go. I know it’s nothing compared to the beauty and timelessness of the classic flap but this one is lightweight and easy to carry that I can wear it as a crossbody bag. And the fact that it’s a seasonal item so it’s harder to find. The hardware of this bag is matte gold that adds glam to it, well most seasonal Chanel bags have matte gold anyway if not silver. Though my classic Chanel is my top bag at the moment yet I haven’t worn it. See I’m showing signs of a vain collector already but what can I do I have no night life anymore. So I will blog about it when I finally take it outside the house or when it has seen the light of day. But this seasonal Chanel has only been out to our front yard on one Sunday afternoon while hubby and kids were picking kumquats and blood orange.

A Gastronomic Weekend

We were cooking up a storm last weekend from Friday night til Sunday night, obviously no rest for the gastronomically wicked. We normally treat our kids to McDonalds on Friday nights (we call that a treat, bad parents :-)) to spare us from washing (aha there you go) instead I cooked salmon and baked broccoli with cheese. On top of that I made a rich chocolate mud cake that I also brought to our connection group on Saturday. I tell you it’s the best tasting mud cake ever, I’m happy that I finally got the perfect recipe. Better than any store bought, well, I always stop and buy rich and dark chocolate cakes and brownies in every café that I see around Sydney.
 

Doesn't it look moist and inviting?

The Trench and the Boys

I have to publish this post before the end of cold season in Southern hemisphere. While trench coats are colourful and mood uplifter on a rather dreary and cold mornings, I wouldn’t wear these to work on a normal winter’s day since it couldn’t really protect me from Sydney harbour’s chilly wind even in mid morning or early night. I like wearing trench on a Sunday to church or when I’m out and about with the boys in the shops and around the neighbourhood.

My love for trench is growing and here goes a juxtaposition of my trench coats and the boys. First up in green trench with black and white stripes lining. It’s nice donning it with a body-hugging dress underneath so it won’t look frumpy then leave it unbuttoned.

Movie time - Jurassic World

Few Saturdays ago my family (minus baby Jace) went to watch the movie Jurassic World, something that we haven’t done for quite some time. This movie sparks an interest with us because of its blockbuster predecessor Jurassic Park and it’s a family movie so we can’t go wrong. It has a bit of science lesson too which is good for students but not according to my oldest son. I don’t know what’s with the teenage hormones as nothing is good for him anymore; nevertheless, he came with us because he had no choice. It’s a family thing and he had nothing more to say.

My Fiji Getaway - The Beach

Back to my Fiji getaway, the beach story this time. I wasn’t aware Fiji is 2 hours ahead from Sydney, all the while I was thinking only 1 hour to add from the time in my mobile. So we woke up at 8am (but was really 9am) and headed for the beach. It was refreshing to get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep (never had one for more than a year since giving birth). Because my mum cannot walk in rough edges much more in big rock boulders she opted to stay in the sun lounger by the pool still enjoying the fresh sea breeze. The beach was accessible by going down on a wooden staircase which was quite steep.

Ahh the fine sand!

Love this wooden staircase, almost like stairway to paradise.

My Fiji Getaway - The Resort

My recent mini-getaway in Fiji was almost like a dream, it was so short but my hundreds of pictures proved that I was there. Honestly, who has the time to take a few hundreds of photos after being there for only a little over 24 hours? Trust me, I always do :) 

My mum who is here on a tourist visa in Australia can only stay up to 3 months so we have to exit her out and chill some place we fancy. It was my turn this time (my sis took her to Sg then my brother back to the Phils) and I preferred to go somewhere close but warm enough to sink my feet in the sand. Fiji is only a 4-hr flight from Sydney though the airfare is still not cheap. Well, it’s supposed to be a favourite hide-away for Aussie families because of the close proximity to the country and that explains why there were a lot of crying infants and toddlers making so much noise inside the plane, louder than the jet engines. I thought to myself before boarding that it would be a chance for me to have a good nap since I only got a 2-hr sleep the night before. Oh boy, oh boy was I wrong, the noise was unbearable though I feel sorry for the little kids. Why can’t these parents tuck them at home instead of dragging them to where I am going? And at that moment, I was glad I didn’t take Jace with me, maybe these whinging tots have busted their eardrums already :)

As soon as we landed in Nadi airport, it felt like a relief as suddenly the kids have stopped crying too. When we got out to the tarmac, the first thing I noticed was the humid air which for a second I thought I was in the Philippines. Then there were airport attendants offering help for my mum to wheel-in all the way to the taxi bay even waiting for me buying a big box of almond chocolates and sunblock lotion in the duty free shop. For a FIJ$10 tip she was so happy and wished us well for an unforgettable overnight stay.

The taxi ride only took 20 minutes to Denarau island where Wyndham resort is located next to the other resorts like Radisson Blu, Sheraton, Westin and Sofitel. Like any other Wyndham properties, this one doesn’t miss the boat. It’s a sprawling haven with more than 300 rooms that are all fully self-contained. The resort concierge was worried when she saw my mum in wheel-chair as she booked us in the 2^nd floor room that has an ocean view. Well, forget about the view, we were happy enough that she was able to transfer us to a room in ground floor with a garden view in less than a minute. What a friendly service that was! Got settled in at half past 3pm Fijian time and there was not much time to lose before the sun sets. So mother and I went out and headed for the pool and beach. This was the view and the resort amenity that greeted us under the warm sun of Fiji.

Glorious sunset of Fiji

A girl photobombing and giving a peace sign.