weekend adventures

on friday, i decided to surprise michael with a quick getaway to the hunter. when i say quick, i mean quick. a friend of mine was in town on saturday and i wanted to catch up with her, so after some sufficient girl talk and catch ups, michael and i dashed away to the hunter.  as we drove through the beautiful hawkesbury region, rain sheeting down, there was the most beautiful blush sunset that took my breathe away. upon arriving in the hunter we settled into the most delightful inn, 'the vine valley inn' which i book at the last minute and what a treat it was!! after checking in we dashed up to the royal oak hotel for a delightful dinner. 

the next morning we had a big breakfast before i started into the the wines, michael was skipper.  the wines in the hunter are so completely different from the barossa and margaret river and we totally loved exploring the region. tyrells wines was a great surprise then we grabbed some beautiful cheese from the hunter cheese co. what a treasure! overall it was a super quick trip, but what a wonderful trip. i loved exploring the region with michael and can't wait to head back to give the hunter some serious time! 

betsy is here, in sydney, now

six months ago I moved to sydney, I followed my heart and took a leap. moving cities is a challenging task at the best of times and the whole process, moving, finding a new job, new friends and learning to live with my lovely boyfriend has, at times, been challenging. it's a difficult thing, to learn to live without all of the things that you took for granted. somedays i miss my family and friends, more than I ever knew I could. but, every other day i get to explore all that this city has to offer.  this is a slice of my new life, one i get to share with the love of my life.

bib & tucker

i recently hit up bib&tucker in north fremantle with a friend. and i can say with confidence that is one of the most beautiful spots on the coast. the atmosphere and the surroundings were perfect. the chips were also delicious and we were able to enjoy a 'cheeky monkey' drop.  i always love bars/restaurants that support local producers and this is a great example.  cant wait to head back!

happiness, according to my instagram photos

this past weekend i escaped with a friend to margaret river. the weather was perfect down south, sunny and crisp in the day and cool in the evening. despite trying to get over a stomach flu i was still able to enjoy some of the food and alcohol from the region, which is always terrific. the food at the farmers market, i wanted to eat it all.... especially the cheese from the worlds best salesman.

it has been about a year since i have headed down south and this time we stayed at llewellins guest house, run by the brilliant Joanna and James Llewellin, this was the most delightful bed and breakfast.  we were heading to the cheeky monkey brewery 1st birthday party, which was excellent. i had never been there before and it was fantastic, such an awesome range of ciders and beers. overall it was a perfect weekend getaway.

meanwhile at the mechanics institute

i recently went to the mechanics institute for a cheeky sunday drink not realising that was cheeky short sunday.  all the waitstaff were wearing, shall we say cheeky shorts and i had the best time, exploring the extensive alcohol range and checking out the umm... "shaker collection".

the location of this joint is perfectly fun and the atmosphere is excellent. offering delicious takeaway from flipside and a supremely terrific collection of beverages i recommend this spot for your next city adventure. thank me later....

source unknown

more pictures and no need for words

a slice of heaven

there is nothing that I love more than complex carbs, well at least this week!  who knows what next week will bring and if it is as delicious as these pizza's, i cannot wait.  family dinners are such an occasion with my family and once a week we pull out all stops and enjoy the ritual of cooking and eating together.  this is my little attempt at a casual family dinner last sunday.  a few glasses of wine and some sunday night tv, what more could you want?

spring through the subiaco streets

spring has sprung and nowhere is this more evident than in all of the front gardens around subiaco.  walking through the streets last weekend i had the joy of snapping a few little homages to spring, mostly flowers, but as you can see - the occasional 'spring clean' item. aren't you just loving this change in the weather?