This year it was our turn to host our Annual Friend's dinner and given that we are in the fancy new house I thought that I better go extra fancy and make it a black tie event. Because...why not! Everyone loves a chance to get their fancy suits and frocks out and I had just the backdrop. This year … [Read more...]
Life, lately
July 6, 2023 by 6 Comments
It's the winter school holidays, already, so soon? Apparently yes. Which means that it's been almost one year since we moved house waiting for the renovation to begin. I cannot believe how fast that has gone and that there are piles of stuff in the garage that I "meant" to get sorted after I just a … [Read more...]
Cooking & Conversation: Birch X Add to Cart Event
March 28, 2023 by 1 Comment
We hosted our first Birch X Add to Cart Event on the weekend in the restaurant - what an amazing afternoon we had sharing ways to host the ULTIMATE feast. Lots of amazing food, wine, chatting, cooking, eating, and then shopping! What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon! Ideas for hosting … [Read more...]
Visiting the Southern Highlands? Read this!
March 8, 2023 by 1 Comment
The last time I updated this post was in 2017 so I thought it was well and truly in need of an update as I am often asked about where to go and stay and what to do in the Highlands. Lots of these posts are a number of years old and won’t have the most up to date places and there are new places … [Read more...]
Summer Days, drifting away
January 24, 2023 by Leave a Comment
The days have been long, endless driving for bored teens in the country with no public transport. Keeping small kids while working...oh yes, that old juggle. Cake eating, cleaning & organising, washing, board games, lots of cooking and eating and gin swilling. Book reading, tv show binging, … [Read more...]
First Annual Friend’s Trip to…Jugiong
January 6, 2023 by 2 Comments
I have been meaning to do this post since AUGUST last year and with some time in early January I wanted to finally get the time to share one of the best weekends I have ever had...our first annual friend's tip that we did in August 2022. The weekend was a celebration for Lucy's 40th and James' 50th … [Read more...]
Friend’s Christmas Dinner 2022
December 29, 2022 by 2 Comments
Last week (was it really last week?!) we celebrated our annual Friend's Christmas dinner at Lucy and Chris' place for a group of our mates in the village. This was the crew that went to Jugiong on our first annual trip away (I really must do a post on that trip over this break) who all live in the … [Read more...]
Southern Highlands Wineries: 6 vineyards in 6 months
November 7, 2022 by Leave a Comment
SPONSORED POST FOR SHFWA We’ve been living in the Southern Highlands now for 12 years and while we are surrounded by so many fabulous vineyards and wineries, and we enjoy the delicious wines that come from them every week, there are still so many wineries we have yet to visit all these years … [Read more...]
Renovators, mount up!
July 8, 2022 by 82 Comments
It was a clear black night. A clear white moon...oh hang on. So, I have an update for you guys. Nothing too dramatic, but exciting! Slash exhausting. But mostly exciting! We are renovating our home! It’s been years in the planning and will take 9 months or so (probs a year right I am discovering … [Read more...]
Lucy turned 40!
June 9, 2022 by 2 Comments
It's been a big month of birthdays in our family...we have had Dots, then Mum then Rob and Maggie and ending of course with the big 4 0 for Lucy last week! This was such a special occasion for us...the baby of our (grown up family). We celebrated her birthday on Thursday with lunch with Mum and … [Read more...]
Full & Thorough Reporting: March
March 31, 2022 by 8 Comments
When you look back on the month that was March 2022 you can't help but be relieved that it's over. But looking out my window from my office this afternoon at pouring down rain and an icy wind that makes it feel like 10 degrees it seems about right that it's seeing the month out, just as it began. … [Read more...]
Friend’s Christmas Dinner 2021
December 23, 2021 by 3 Comments
You guys this is one of my favourite nights of the WHOLE year and didn't we deserve it more than ever this year! It was late in the season and not everyone was able to be there which was a shame and a last minute wet weather change of location from Mrs Munro's to our place but we pulled it … [Read more...]
Full & Thorough Reporting
November 10, 2021 by 2 Comments
Well hello YOU. It's been a while. There's so much to catch up on including the fact that I got new shoes so let's go. We left lockdown just under a month ago and it's been SO busy ever since. All those weeks and months of desperately wanting to be seeing and doing and BEING and now we are … [Read more...]
The Italian Job (and or dinner party for 6)
August 4, 2021 by 8 Comments
Have you been travelling via Instagram at the moment too? Watching the world enjoy the beauty of Italy or France while we are stuck here in Australia with our borders, well boarded up and our states locked down in the midst of winter? Some days it can be an actual salve for the soul, seeing that … [Read more...]
Long Weekending
June 16, 2021 by 2 Comments
Some scenes from our long weekend. Lots of time around creatives and art, food and wine, family and friends and sunshine after a bitingly cold week and Rob being away. Just what we all needed. Bring on the school holidays. How was your long weekend? Looking forward to a … [Read more...]
A Winter birthday lunch for Lucy
June 4, 2021 by 6 Comments
Lucy had her 39th birthday this week (still so young!) and Mrs Munro put on a beautiful small lunch on a glorious winter's day for her. No one can pull together more artistic and creative tablescape than Mrs M, everywhere you look a visual delight and vignette a go-go. I went mad with photos as I … [Read more...]
Full & Thorough Reporting: Pavs, pottering & pools
January 27, 2021 by 10 Comments
I've woken early for the first time since mid December, my mind a little foggy but my heart fill from a wonderful summer holiday. We have been packing as much into the last weeks of school holidays as we can with lots of time at home and around the Highlands, time with family and lots of eating and … [Read more...]
Summer days, drifting away
January 13, 2021 by 11 Comments
Yesterday afternoon we had the most glorious swim at Belmore Falls (not the base of the falls, the top). Mrs Munro, Miss Rabbit and I took the kids down to the waterhole for a float, swim and afternoon picnic as the sunset before heading back to Mrs Munro's for a paella over the fire. It was … [Read more...]
A European summer Engagement Dinner
January 11, 2021 by 10 Comments
We had some lovely news on Christmas Eve as friends (James & Tony) of ours got engaged! Being old and very much married, it's been ages since anyone we knew had wonderful news like this so as soon as we got home I thought I better prepare a dinner for the happy couple. I love these dinners when … [Read more...]
Girl’s Christmas Dinner 2020
December 13, 2020 by 7 Comments
One of my favourite dates in the entire year is our girl's Christmas dinner that is hosted in December every year. A chance for us all to come together and celebrate a year, eat good food and enjoy beautiful surroundings. This year was no exception down at Mrs Munro's farm - she created the most … [Read more...]
