FLARE

This dress is the bees knees. I have worn it so much over the last few months because it is so versatile. I love the print and the shape which is odd because loose, flares usually look terrible on me.

THE 1975

Due to my diminished bank account, (I hate you Rag and Bone) I have spent the last four Saturday nights that I have been back in reality cuddled up on the couch with green tea and my cat. Much interesting, very excitement! I have recently gotten into the English indie pop band, he 1975 and I thought I'd share a few of my favourite tunes from the boys. I love the lead, Matty's vocals and just their sound in general.

1. Girls

2. Chocolate 

3. Settle Down

4. The City

5. Heart Out

I also just heard they are playing in Adelaide on the 10th of January and my day became awesome.

Love, love

T x

HOW TO NEW YORK

How do you tackle the big city? You have 24 hours and because it never sleeps, neither will you! I am going to give you a list of my top ten MUST DO/ VISIT activities and places from New York. I have not included shopping on the list as that would take up every number so I would say make sure you visit:

- Century 21 - BARGAINS GALORE!
- Bergdorf Goodman - just don't even get me started on how much of my savings went into their business.
- Macy's - like Myer but better
- H&M - good for cheap bargains, not amazing but great basics.
- Henri Bendel - Wicked candles and jewellery
- Tiffany and Co - this is a must visit and must buy something shop
- The Apple Store 'da cube' - This is pretty cool, its a giant glass cube, and then the store is underground. Very specky, must tourist!

I've included some pictures from my instagram account which I was constantly spamming everyone with, sorrynotsorry. Here goes!

10. Have real NY pizza/ cheesecake. You can get pizza for 99c nearly anywhere but go to a nice restaurant and have a mother fricken big slice of pizza.

9. Visit the Met, very famous and many famous people have been here. Gossip Girl scenes where filmed her, not to mention the annual Met Gala is here. Have a photo on the steps and feel like Blair Waldorf but with not as much money and no Chuck Bass - sad face.

8. Visit the New York Public Library - because ceiling! Its quite beautiful and immaculately designed.

7. Sex and the City tour - highly inappropriate and highly entertaining. You see where they lived, shopped and where Miranda took that infamous stack in front of Steve and his new girlfriend, LEL. They also give you cupcakes, cosmos and you visit a sex shop, holla!

6. Take a tour of the island on a circle line ferry. You get to see all around the big city, Brooklyn, Long Island and the Statue of Liberty to name a few.


5. Eat at Buddakan where Carrie and Big had their wedding rehearsal dinner in the first movie. the food is sensational and so is the service. Reservations are recommended as it is quite popular so book about two days in advance. If you do the Sex and the City hotspots tour you also get a free cosmopolitan ala Carrie Bradshaw!

4. Get a pretzel/ hot dog/ ice cream/ bagel from a street vendor. It's sah cheap and a true New York experience. Adelaide seriously needs more of these for us poor uni students. $2 cream cheese bagels, hello!


3. See a Broadway show. You can't not do this! book a few days in advance if you want good seats at a particular show or book on the day at the box office in Time Square but risk going home empty handed, Broadway regularly sells out!


2. Time Square, there is so much shopping and life around here, it is always chockers. H&M, the M&M shop and much more. Just watch out for pickpockets, I yelled at a women because she tried to steal something out of my wallet.

1. Take a pedicab or horse drawn carriage tour of Central Park and just sit down in the middle with some fresh fruit, cheese and juices and take in the nature. It is truly one of my favourite places in the world. It is so big too, you could easily get lost.

If I could make a list of one hundred things to do, I would, but #studentlife and a politics essay await.

Ciao bellas 

T x

GREASE IS THE WORD

If anyone reading this has not seen or can not name at least five songs from the musical/ movie 'Grease'... GET OUT YOU UNEDUCATED WEIRDO! I kid really but srsly, do yourself a favour and at least watch the movie, Johnny Travolta was a complete STUD!

The other night, my best friend, her BF, her mum, her sis, my mother and myself went out for cocktails at the Sebel before treating ourselves to the grooviness that is Grease the Musical. Of course being Carrie Bradshaw I had a cosmopolitan while we caught up on what had been happening over the last week or so.

The musical was fabulous, so bright, energetic, funny, ROB MILLS YOUR HOT, catchy and boy was Todd McKenney a star or what? For the five minutes that teen angel was in Grease, Todd sure showed the difference between an actor and a star through the audiences reception of him, they went absolutely wild! I loved John Paul Young's little two lines from 'Love is in the air' he snuck in during the finale, twas a pretty cool crossover. Burt Newton was charming, as was the actor who portrayed Kenickie. I didn't think much of the actress who played Sandy though, she was a little dull and looked out of place and awkward compared to the other characters.

Overall it was a great night and I was totally ready to bust into the nearest night club and pull my best grease lightning/ hand jive/ beauty school drop out dance moves.

JACKET: Witchery

TOP: H&M

SKIRT: T by Alexander Wang

SHOES: Dolce Vita 

BAG: Chloe

RINGS: H&M

Love each moment

T x

RAW/ VEGAN CHOCOLATE & CARAMEL TART

Being a vegan means breaking girl rule #1 chocolate is the only thing who will never disappoint you. Unless your like me and count New York as your first love and chocolate as the second then you would probably run and scream when I told you I made a delish tart the other night using cacao powder and AVOCADO for the chocolate. Yes you heard me right, avo is the bomb when it comes to making this raw, vegan tart. My taste buds were praising the vegan food gods and I felt pretty damn good about my first 'sah tumblr' cooking expedition. I originally prepared the tart for my friend Sarah's birthday, but we ate too much food and champagne for dinner that we forgot about this heavenly tart. The tart is three layers, the first being a beautiful coconut and almond biscuit, the second a caramel type layer and the third a MAJOR MOTHER FRICKEN OVERLOAD OF CHOCOLATE!! It requires absolutely NO COOKING and the only thing you'll need besides the ingredients are a pie/ tart dish and a food processor/ blender. The recipe was originally from paleo.com but I tweaked it a little to suit the food I had in my house. What can I say? 'aint no body got time for food shopping!

Ingredients:

For the base:

1 cup ground almonds - (you can do this in a normal blender if you set it on pulse. It does it in about five seconds and means you can use normal almond nuts rather than buy ground almonds)

1 cup desiccated coconut

2 medjool dates, pit removed

1 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp coconut oil

For the caramel layer:

1 heaped tbsp almond butter

1 tbsp coconut oil

4 medjool dates

2 maple syrup

a small portion of almond or soy milk, just enough to give the caramel a smooth consistency

a pinch of sea salt

For the chocolate filling:

1 avocado, skinned and pitted

¼ cup raw cacao powder

¼ maple syrup

1 tbsp coconut oil

Method:

If you do not have a pie tin, line a cake tin with some baking paper.

To make the bottom layer, combine ground almonds with the desiccated coconut in the blender. Add the dates, maple syrup and coconut oil and blend until combined into a dough like mixture. Press the mixture into cake tin and put into the freezer for ten minutes to set. 

To make the caramel, combine coconut oil, dates, maple syrup, almond butter and sea salt in blender. Blend until a thick paste is formed and gradually add a small amount of almond or soy milk to thin down to a smooth and silky consistency. Scoop the caramel out and spread evenly over the base and return to freezer for a further ten minutes. 

Prepare the chocolate filling by combining avocado, cacao powder,  maple syrup and coconut oil in the blender. Blend until smooth and this should only take a few seconds. Fill the tart and smooth top evenly. Return to fridge for around an hour then go for your life. This really does knock your socks off. And better news, its guilt free because there are no nasties and its completely raw. 

Remember to love the moment your in!

T x 

DEVOUR

For the past ten years that I have lived in my current house, we have struggled to find a good coffee and breakfast joint that wasn't the disaster that has become of Billy Baxters. Earlier this year, our prayers to the coffee gods were answered in the form of Devour Cafe and Patisserie. Its located in the suburb of Richmond on Davenport Terrace and open for breakfast, lunch and that afternoon coffee and cake craving. 

I stopped by yesterday (again) with my home girl Jem from jemimahgrace.blogspot.com.au  for a long overdue catch up after my trip to America. Although I have reverted back to being a vegan, they don't cater for us nut jobs so I had poached eggs on sourdough toast with smashed avocado, asparagus and a pinch of crumbled feta cheese. Although I never-ever eat meat or drink milk anymore, I couldn't resist. I swear I am the worst vegan ever.

If you love your eggs and tasty pastries get your ass down to Devour for good coffee, good friends and food to die for. They also have macaroons, 'nuff said. 

T x

PAPER HEART

Before I went away to New York I promised myself I would not buy any more clothes. Yeah well that failed because when I popped into Wild Child (for a look) I found this amazing skirt and the jumper also. Half an hour later I was half scolding and half high-fiving myself.

JUMPER: Another

SKIRT: Paper Heart

Boots: Witchery

RINGS: Pandora, Bondi Markets, Myer

T x