we go walkabout

SO christmas came early this year, in the form of all our boxes. It’s only taken six months - but hey, better late than never. It’s such a treat having ‘homely’ things, but also, i have to say, it’s really quite overwhelming how much crap stuff we have! I think life may have been easier before? Kinda see the whole -moving to the mountains and becoming a monk thang - a bit more clearly now.

Was quite a tiring experience unpacking, but we got there in the end - was a bit like simba surprise opening all the boxes! Did contemplate hiding a few things like a playstation - say what?!!! but put on my big girl panties and now it sits with the DVD player.

We have decided we have enough cutlery to open a restaurant and enough irons / ironing boards and clothes dryers to open a chinese laundry. SO if any of you need cutlery for a wedding or something like it - you know where to find us!

Wow - where have the last six months gone…

See ya later x

spotted at 9/24 balfour last week : DA DA DAAAAAAAAAA

Imagine my horror, when last Sunday, in my dozey pre - coffee state, i saw THIS on our kitchen counter. GROSS. Seems we have cockraoches. I’m SO BLEAK, creeped out, and annoyed all at the same time. So that very day, before beaching it, we declared war on the little beasts by ‘bombing’ our flat. Please believe our house is super clean, we’re actually really good at cleaning up after ourselves and quite frankly i don’t know what they eat.

1. PREPARING FOR BATTLE - finding hiding places

2. MAKING SURE WE DONT CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT

3. GO TIME

So, we did three bombs, and please believe, our very pretty flat, is also very tiny. We have also left out ‘lure and kill’ - which i hope IS as sinister for the imposters as it sounds - sick man.

AND STILL WE HAVE ROACHES.

VT aptly summed it up by saying - just as you get cocky they roach you - and that they have.

All suggestions as to how we get rid of the ^%&%^& ‘ers would be greatly appreciated,

See ya later x

Thinking about purchasing / making me some of these bad boys in an effort to get home quicker from the ferry in the evenings. I think i could pull it off - except for the fact that i’m lacking in the co-ord department - I think i could manage a backwards and forwards shuffle vibe. What thinks ya?

See ya later x

I’m SO embarrassed. So for the past few years VT has teased me MERCILESSLY as i can never remember how old i am. I am going to put it out there, that i lost my Charlie on my birthday a few years back, and from that time, i have been STUMPED whenever someone asks me how old i am - it’s like i lost a year. It’s like my brain goes completely vacant and i have NO clue. If VT knew how scary it feels when my brain scrambles at this very question he wouldn’t tease. SO today i went for coffee with two gorgeous girls that i was meeting for the very first time, and when, in conversation one of them asked my age - i replied with TWENTY THREE.

You can imagine how blonde, slow and well stoopid i felt all at once when, even when i knew 23 wasn’t right, i couldn’t even remember the right number. The irony is that today i’ve realised i’m getting wrinkles. I am officially old and thinking i’m a teenager. There are no words. Sun hat, eye cream and for me - i will also download a mind-game app on my phone for the morning ferry. Maybe this will help and MAYBE i might get invited out again by the lovely girls *here’s hoping*.

See ya later x

So the twilight wander back from the ferry tonight left my eyeballs feeling violated and my mind curious- i mean….

VT was concerned as i kept trying to get a better look to see if what i was seeing was really WHAT I WAS SEEING - and yep, it was. Fully grown men, frolicking in the water, in g-strings. I just googled it and i found this, from a rowing dude…

“You wear your bathers hitched up like a G-string, you wet the fibre-glass seat you row on otherwise you’d get lacerated, and then you bob down with waves crashing in on you” 

Yeah, no, not convinced. But anyways…back to Halloween.

I still have a few FOMO (fear of missing out) issues regarding this day. As littlies, Jilly wasn’t too keen on us roaming the streets asking for sweets, which i totally understand - she actually told us that ‘nasty people put razor blades in sweeties’ but i’m choosing to put that under the category of “of course you ate those easter eggs, you just forgot” *jilly wipes choccy from her mouth*. I also understand her reservations re the REAL meaning of Halloween - the kind that now, lurks pretty deep under layers of orange netting and spray-cobweb-stuff. Point is, i think next year, to overcome my FOMO i will maybe have a halloween party - it will purely be an excuse to dress up and make cool stuff like this - mummyfied pizzas.

and this

i may even dress up like this - when else will i get to wear an owl costume huh?

If not the owl costume - maybe this vibe - Did any of you read Winnie the Witch when you were little? It was one of our most loved and dog-eared books. She wore tights like these. DIGGING on her vibe.

Anyways, so if you fancy trying out halloween (will have to think of a more jilly-friendly name before next year) but we’ll be here - and if you’re lucky i may even don a birdie suit. You are officially invited, its only 365 days, so get outfit-planning soon k?

Love you Jilly - you are the best mum in the world - even when you did eat all of our easter eggs and left lucy and I in a death match trying to figure out who done it.

See ya later x

SO, it’s now been about, well, over four months since we arrived in the Land of Oz, and still we don’t have our ‘stuff’. In the beginning it felt wierd not having things that were familiar and you’d go to get something out of the cupboard, and well, it wouldn’t be there. Then we got used to it, and it’s actually AMAZING how you can survive with so little ‘stuff’. In fact something tells me we might have a clear out when everything arrives (when it DOES arrive). But now i’m back to being frustrated that we need things like our John Mayer music DVD, stove top coffee maker and flip flops - NEED.

When we were packing up shop back in SA, my lovely Robsie, encouraged me to see this little adventure as just that - see below.

I miss you Rob, and i wish you had come over in my suitcase as i know your inspiring sense of style and colour would’ve helped me achieve this, alas, i am now having complete sense of humour failure that i have no summer clothes and temps are reaching over 30 deg some days *Sweat*.

Last we know our container was discharged from a ship like this one - except ours was called HMS Lucy - i am hoping this is a good thing - the Lucy part - that it’s as reliable and as trustworthy as my beautiful sister. I find the pics a little disturbing. Maybe i’ve watched too many movies like the one with ashton kutcher who is suspended by a rope in swells higher than the sydney viewing tower and maybe i should’ve packed special things in my hand luggage and not the container. 

In the meantime i will continue to get in trouble for stealing the husbands boxers to sleep in as all my summer jim jams are with Lucy. Will keep you informed.

See ya later x

So VT has ‘joined’ a group of crazies who swim across the bay at Bondi every morning, and whilst they’ve all been swimming for ages, Saturday marked D-day for the beginning of Ro’s new summer hobby. So despite a festive Friday night out and about in the City, up we got at EIGHT, and headed across to Bondi. We did feel ever so smug driving for a swimrun (i have been going for coastal trots at the same time) at Bondi which just happens to be three minutes away when people come from all over the world just to put their toes in the sand. 

It was so beautiful, the crazy bug bit and up we got this morning at FIVE THIRTY to do it all over again. I am now in a world of pain from running in the sand and it’s only lunchtime so, yeah, i could be walking home funny by the time we reach the end of the day. It was gorgeous though and quite possibly the best way in the world to start a week. LUCKY we most definitely are.

See ya later x

Serious stuff these swimruns are - stretching (as i’m now realising) is essential.

This will be true of me tomorrow.

SO this week has been summer - and it is glorious!

We have had the most BEAUTIFUL poppies in our house ( until VT got the hayf and we had to chuck them ) but they were amazing, maybe even a lil piece of heaven.

SO in the spirit of summer and colour - today’s get up has consisted of this scarf and OPI Dutch Tulips, courtesy of my ever-stylish, sophisticated and beautiful sister in law who bought me this little pot of summer last christmas - come to think of it - it’s also like Christmas nail varnish hey?!

YAY FOR SUMMER!

See ya later x

FOR THE SINGLE LADIES…

SO every morning on our gorge ferry ride we pass the navy base. And yesterday VT pointed out all the Sailors out on the deck of the ships doing PT in their smart whites.

Girls, girls girls, as i’ve said before, we have a spare room if you wanna come stay for a bit… That’s all :)

See ya later x

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Early last week, en route home, we pulled through Hyde Park, which is right-bang-smack in the middle of the city, for the night noodle market. We met up with Dave and Bailey and had such fun eating yummy dim sum and other asian goodies - highlight of the night was pancakes - Rowan, usually ever the gentleman, didn’t even give me a look in when it came to the last few on the plate. Before he’d even finished asking me if i’d like the last one, he had a devilish grin on his face and caramel dripping down his chin. 

Hyde Park is always beautiful. We often end up wandering under the green rooftop of trees after Thursday Late Night Shopping *note to self to do blog on late night shopping* and it’s really quite magical. So imagine adding fairy lights, wine, great friends and crazy chinese dragons, it was pretty damn cool.

As new sydney-siders we feel it is only right that we support the rest of the food festival and attend Brekkie at Bondi this upcoming weekend. It’s like holiday time during the year when your day revolves around food. GOOD times ahead.

See pics below x

This is Rowan’s “I’ve spotted the beer tent face” 

My apologies for being M.I.A over the last month - shjoe, what a month it’s been. It’s been one of those little stretches of time where you kind of just put your head down, go incognito for a while and well, peddle furiously under the water. A bit like this here incognito doggie…

Over the last month, i’ve felt both terribly far from family and incredibly happy with our current little place called home. In true Heyes style, there hasn’t been a dull moment over the last few months! The latest being that my poor Mum, has yet again spent a wee while in Hospital, and has once again, proven how strong she is by getting up and on even though, once again, things were looking pretty bad - we love her and hope that one day, we’re half the woman she is today. SO, the to-do list we have on our fridge for the ‘jillybean tour’ will have to wait until she is well enough to travel - but it’s ok.

Kind of overnight, Sydney has gone from being beautiful to spectacular. Daylight savings means gorgeous walks to and from work and weekends mean beach time. Life isn’t good its fan-friggin-tastic. 

Anyways, i have such a back-log of things to write about i have absolutely no IDEA where to start. SO, please bear with me, i shall download some piccies off my trusty iphone and well, who knows - we might start with what happened yesterday or what happened two months ago…

see ya later x

So i keep hearing the word ‘Daggy’ - like, “oh that’s a really daggy joint” or ” wow that dress looks really daggy” - wierd.

Here’s what urban dictionary has to say about it….

Just a lil aussie education for the day,

See ya later x

So if you read my blog a while bag you would’ve seen that i almost hugged a guy on the ferry when i saw he was using this bag - i felt like because he was OBVS a south african, he was, kind of a friend that i just didn’t know yet, ANYWAYS i digress…

TODAY IS RHINO DAY - buy one of these bags at woolies. Not only is it supporting a community project of amazing people who are just trying to earn an honest living, but for every bag sold, R10 will go to WWF’s work with saving Rhinos. At times, the problems in the world can seem so big and we’re small = apathy. At last, we can actually do something instead of telling people on Facebook that ‘they shouldn’t poach rhinos’. I’m all for social media, but here’s a way we can STEP UP AND GET INVOLVED. Also, all of these bags are actually gorgeous, i love that Woolies aren’t expecting us to ‘sympathy buy’. I would HAPPILY carry one of these bad boys on my arm.

Still not convinced? Go to www.woolworths.co.za and follow the link on their home page to watch a movie that WILL convince you. In the movie, the factory manager (who produces these bags) says she hopes that one day her kids will see what Rhinos look like - THIS is how dire the situation is, let’s hope we’re not too late ‘ey? 

See ya later x

This one’s especially for you sef’frikans… The whole “how are you?”, “im fine thank you, how are you” has become such a commonplace greeting in South Africa, and obviously across the rest of the world, that people would ACTUALLY fall over if your response was anything other than ‘fine’ - i dare you to try it…

My very lovely sister-in-law sent me this link this morning  - http://www.ruokday.com.au/content/home.aspx ( sorry my blogging skills are so basic, i don’t know how to activate this - good ol copy and paste for you folks ) PLEASE go and have a look…

Are you ok is an initiative that was started when a businessman who appeared to have it all together, took his life in 1995. It’s a dedicated day ( TODAY ) where you get to ask people around you - for reals - if they’re ok. The idea is that is we share the small things, whilst they’re still small, they won’t amount to big, overwhelming problems that can push even the most grounded people over the edge.

The last few months have been bitter/sweet for VT and I, as for some reason, the most special and wonderful people in our lives have had to face things that, well people just shouldn’t have to face. Our thoughts have been consumed by these brave people and it kind of struck me when i read this that, potentially there are so many people we know that are struggling with problems we don’t even know about. If that’s you, i hope you’re ok - and more importantly, when someone asks you if you’re ok maybe actually tell them you’re taking a bit ‘o strain - you might be surprised by their response ( Let’s hope they give you a hug instead of getting nervous and running away ).

I grew up in a typically British - stiff - upper - lip kinda house and it’s taken me, and us as a family, a while now to figure out that it’s ok to not be ok sometimes - it’s amazing how people can take it turns to pick each other up when it’s needed. 

Ok that’s all for now, i feel like this has been bordering on vom-in-ya-mouth Dr Phil vibes, but sometimes blogging calls for more than frilly panties and cupcakes y’know?

See ya later x

WE’RE OFF TO THE WORLD CUP IN NEW ZEALAND! Just for a wee little weekend but a break none the less! We are going with the whole Vt clan - can’t wait for a little dose of family. This is kinda like the dance my husband did in the bathroom this morning whilst getting ready for work - gotta love how he’s never too old to get excited like it’s christmas morning…Will post some pics of us in our drenched ponchos next week and you can all point and laugh - it’s my way of making y’all feel better about the fact that WE’RE OFF TO THE WORLD CUP IN NEW ZEALAND. K i’m going to stop now.

See ya later x

Just as we were drifting off to sleep last night, we were awoken by what sounded like world war two - well that’s what it sounded like through my ear plugs anyway. Turns out it was our neighbours hating on us…

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..not so much lil squirrelpants - at least not in AUSTRALIA - did you know there are NO SQUIRRELS in Australia?! I feel quite blonde admitting this, but in my mind, squirrels are like ants, or cats, they just exist everywhere - imagine my surprise when i began to google “are there S…” and up popped the search suggestion “are there squirrels in Australia”.. HUH learn somethin new every day. 

Should probably add that the reason we started discussing/debating this last week, was that one HORRIFEID VT found a turd that looked like it had been left by a small child animal on the bonnet of the car. We’re still trying to figure out what creature left us the present…

See ya later x

So we’re currently experiencing Masterchef withdrawels, so the weekend seemed like the perfect time to get cracking on a few Aussie dishes… i kicked things off with our first ‘CHOOK’ pie - yum…

My other half tried succeeded (not that it’s a competition or anything) to up the anti by making some Donna Hay treats … see recipe / directions after the jump - such delish comfort food om nom nom…

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