Every City needs a coffee festival! That's where we spend our Sunday.
Starting the day with a ferry ride to get to a breakfast spot, just made for the best little day off.
This city is just so pretty! We had the most amazing views from the water, and although I have seen it now for a while, I am still stunned every single time I see the opera house and the bridge, the skyline by the water...this city looks good from every angle!

The actual Aroma Festival was so crowded with looooong queues in front of ever single coffee stall,
so we actually went to the nearby cafe on top of the museum which has a bit a view and saw the whole thing from above.
It is really smart that this coffee festival takes place in Winter as my body really couldn't cope well with coffee in the Summer time here. So I enjoy it while I can. The smell of all the fresh roasted coffee and spices was amazing.
It was so good to catch up with The Gentlemen and get some great ideas together.
A little bit of good coffee, amazing food and strolling around and I feel fully recharged.
I am currently revamping my good old professional blog, which I started as when I still worked as fashion designer, years ago. I got quite some plans for it and will keep you in the loop of what is happening! I am so excited, I am actually bubbling around with excitement like a child before Christmas.

What have you been up to?

We spent a day in the mountains!
The weather was beautifully crisp but not too cold for us Summer lovers.
While I was loving the air, the views the fantastic food and cute little shops, I couldn't help but realize that I look a little tired, even though I was smiling & happy.

My face is telling me I need a holiday.
I think we were a little zombied out. Loving our jobs so much makes it harder to take time off, but I realized lately that health always has to come first.
Thank you face for showing me when it's time to rest so made room for daily yoga before work in the mornings. Relaxing has become that foreign concept...

No matter in which direction you drive out of Sydney it seems it you will always end up in the most beautiful nature. I have been up and down the coast by now and further inland at the Blue Mountains it just as amazing as by the beaches.
Although I have seen pictures of this area before it's very different to actually see it with your own eyes. They aren't really Mountains, like the Alps, but they are sure incredibly beautiful.
There is a blue mist surrounding them from the eucalyptus trees and it smells very fresh and sweet.
I felt like going hiking and exploring straight away, but we were saving that for our next trip when we will bring a little more time along. I can't wait!
I am still feeling like a tourist, after living here for half a year now.
But instead of traveling & holidaying I just still feel so driven to make things happen.
I am so grateful for every opportunity, to meet new people, to collaborate & to be a better artist every day. Some new ideas were nourished by the yummy blueberry pancakes for breakfast and all the other treats. Australia sure knows how to make food!

So so much has happend since I last updated this little blog of ours.
I have had week where I had a photo-shoot every single day, most of them in the pouring rain on location...but it was still really really fun and so worth it.
I have gotten a great opportunity for more fashion makeup work, which is super exciting and my little wedding business is growing and growing, so many lovely brides to be, it's always great meeting them and creating their makeup & hair.
I am now listed on The Lane, which is super exciting and I have lately met so many inspiring people.
I am over the moon and so grateful for all this great opportunities and can't express how much I love my job. There is also a little photo makeup tutorial over at This Little Port, check it out if you haven't already.
All very exciting, so we have both been working our butts off lately. Dave has a challenging and great project to design right now, so we have both had long days and short nights.

We had Pizza in bed & one night in front of Dave's parents fireplace.
One night we even celebrated a little and went out for a yummy local dinner.
The other day we met up with some fam and explored the farmers markets for an early breakfast.
And I have been shopping some spicy teas to keep us warm.
I love this city so much, and there is still a lot to discover.

Well that was a little roundup of mainly work work & work.
And while I love it like this, I am dreaming of a little weekend away in the mountains next month, just to catch up and get some time with my awesome man!
And some time for picture taking.
What have you been up to?

 Dave is back! And with him the camera and our pictures.
While I have been busy I have missed him and and it's good to have him back.
He also came with a big bag full of makeup for my professional kit, as I gave him a list, what to get.
(For the ones that haven't bought cosmetics in Australia, you might want to know that the price for most makeup products is double the amount of what you pay in the USA or UK, and I go through A LOT of products, as it's my job!)
So it has been one happy start of the week. Much needed, as the temperature has now really dropped and it has been constantly raining for over a week, which has messed up my work schedule a little. Some location photo shoots I was supposed to work on, had to be rescheduled.
Winter also really leave more time to reflect and set goals, once more.
I am finding myself on a roll with my work and having big plans.
And I am back into an amazing routine daily yoga, which feels soooooo good.
The good side about it is, it's so much to be indoors hearing the rain, getting work done and even finding pleasure in the most boring paperwork.
And in the evenings? We are looking at some gorgeous houses online, which is so much fun. We are hoping to get one with a nice outdoor area, so once Summer is back, we can eat outdoors. Dreaming of a big kitchen lovely new equipment and a view. 
And we are cooking delicious meals, like this roasted stuffed pumpkin.
Do you want to try our recipe? Here it is:

You need: (this serves 4)
2 small butternut squash

garlic clove, crushed
3 tbsp olive oil
a pinch dried chilli flakes
1 tsp thyme, chopped or dried
courgette/zuchini, cut into 2cm chunks
red pepper, cut into 2cm chunks
2 small red onions, cut into thin wedges
200g cherry tomatoes
50g pine nuts
100g goat's cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tbsp parmesan

How to put it all together:

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds then cut criss-cross patterns over the cut-side of each one. Mix together the garlic, 2 tbsp olive oil, chilli and thyme and brush this mixture over the flesh. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the flesh is tender.

I hope you enjoyed as we are not often posting recipes?
In case it's wonderfully sunny where you are save this recipe for Autumn, to cheer you up once summer is gone. Or maybe try this with red peppers and put it on the BBQ instead!?
Happy cooking!

Winter is so different here and I am really enjoying it.
At night time we started using the little gas heater, we are burning candles, cooking soups, sleeping with hot water bottles and staying in much more, sometimes watching a movie.
The cold green smoothies for breakfast have been replace with warm porridge in the morning.
It feels very good this Sydney winter.
During the day it's very mild no need for heavy coats, boots or gloves. It's crisp. Plenty of blue skies and bright days. I even enjoy the darker grey days though, they remind me of London and also help to stay productive.
After my computer died recently I am still organizing files in a new and better way and just generally finding a good time to review and improve things. Sorting, tidying, decluttering and getting ready for a brand new Spring time soon.

My apologies for the iPhone only photos at this time. Dave took off to a business trip in Arizona and he took the camera, including all photos we have snapped over the last weeks: Ooops.
So here just a little sneek peak from the phone and more very soon.

We have been exploring more of the Inner West and Redfern lately, including the great light installation at Carriageworks.

Dave left this morning and I am missing him already. The upside is that I am excited for him to travel in his new job and he is also going to bring lot's of wonderful makeup for my professional kit back for me. While I was updating all my client files and doing some admin tonight, I went through quite some photos of us during the last years and it feels like we have done a lot.

We haven't even been here in Australia for a year, but so much new and exciting has happened already.
I am feeling incredibly grateful about how my career is progressing and how many fabulous opportunities keep popping up. 
Oh and in case you have enjoyed my previous skin guest posts for White magazine, check out the other parts here too.
I will update you all with more about us as soon as Dave returns!
What do you like to do in Winter? Or if there is Summer where you are, how do you adjust your routines with the seasons?

Getting up early going for a run, going for the best breakfast we have had over here and afterwards just walking- all day long, stopping at several book stores, flicking through pages and pages of inspiration for upcoming projects, and then walking further, into the night, watching the lights at the great Vivid Festival.
With the bright full moon and all the wonderful light projections the city looked even better than usual. That was our Sunday! And so we fell in love once again, with Sydney.
This is such a special place and I am so happy and grateful to call it my home.
Thanks Sydney for being such an awesome City.

 P.S. The best Breakfast was at Tuk Tuk, in Paddington, we will sure be back!
PPS: I received some really beautiful flowers this week which I then photographed for my
Exercise For Glowing Skin post, here at WHITE magazine. Go over and check it out too, if you like!