if i had a piccolo martello

katy is

... excited to see this boy next weekend!

does anyone have any suggestions about fun places to stay, see, eat and do in bologna or the most tranquil principality of san marino?

RIP dennis hopper

caves aux vins

saturday was the annual fetes des caves aux vins in geneva et environs. A, R, E and I drove out to Satigny (along with half of geneva) for wine tasting, beautiful countryside and raclette.

A beautiful day; unfortunately coloured by R and A drunkenly mocking both my driving skills and my pronunciation of "grazie".

surfin' safari

J held the first of his summer of surfing movie nights last night. Of course we started with The Endless Summer

and Pina Coladas!

Next week, what do you think?

Swayze.

Reeves.

I think the bankrobbers might be surfers.

montreux jazz festival

today i bought my tickets to the montreux jazz festival. so exciting!

i am going to see this band

with this boy

but i still need a date for this band

any takers?

mardi soir a la barge

with new friends ...

and a surprise sighting of an old one!

things I wish I was in byron bay for #1

the wedding of the year! congratulations, ladies.

now if only the stinky government would get on board and recognise it. It's about love, damn it, and denying people as wonderful and generous and brilliant and saucy as these two smokin' hotties the full rights and protections extended to everyone else demeans us all.

bon dimanche

this afternoon i am pottering in my apartment, reading; gardening, springcleaning; hanging with J; eating popsicles and shakin' my booty to the new black keys album, brothers. Parfait.

What are YOU doing?

spring is in the air (again)

i know i got cocky about spring too soon this year, which i can't help but think contributed to the weather deciding to slap me back down with the winter that wouldn't end, but it seems like this weekend may actually mark the arrival of a change in the season.

and what better way to spend it than a tasty brunch with R, hilariously sneezing his way through muesli and coffee?

tuesday in prague

geneva weekend

R came to town for a visit. Lovely! Yummy food (thanks Rob!), cosy rainy chats, beautiful Sally Mann photography, rambling in Grottes, and Geneva's cutest cheapest drinks at La Galerie.

things I wish I was in melbourne for #2

Holy cute, Bennett made something super adorable!

... but I guess I experience it first hand in Geneva.

baked goods

chili-chocolate cupcakes

(a less ethical adaptation from vegan cupcakes take over the world. The vegan version is better, I just didn't have everything i needed)

cupcake ingredients

wet

250 grams butter

1andahalf cups sugar (not actually wet, but gets that way quickly!)

2 teaspoons vanilla

i tablespoon almond essence

1andahalf cups coconut milk

half cup almond milk

3 eggs

dry

2 cups flour

cup cocoa

half cup almond meal

2 teaspoons baking powder

teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

half teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon cinnamon

half teaspoon cayenne pepper

frosting ingredients

tub cream cheese

150 grams butter

teaspoon vanilla

tablespoon milk

cup icing sugar

cayenne pepper to taste

onequarter cup cocoa

cupcakes

preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. cream butter and sugar, then add rest of wet ingredients. beat. sift and mix in dry ingredients. spoon into cupcake pans, twothirds full. bake for 20 minutes, rotating pan at halfway point.

icing

cream cream cheese and butter, stir in vanilla. sift in dry ingredients. moisten with milk as required. beat until creamy. frosting may benefit from some time in the refrigerator and then rebeating for fluffiness. pipe onto cupcakes. decorate, and display on awesome new stand (thanks mum!)

serve at screening of Royal Tenenbaums, or share with work colleagues.

miles above you

RIP lena horne

jardins en fete

E and I spent a perfect sunday at Jardins en Fete in Coppet: Ikebana, beautiful gardens, tea, cake and a funny bit with a dog.

Next stop: Sissinghurst

Oh, I can't wait to have a house (and a garden) of my own.