New York; the old first day

I have been jabbering on about NYC like a crazy lady lately. The 3 following reasons are the cause:

1) In approximately 12 days I will be returning to this AMAZING place

2) One of my best friends are over there as we speak and I really wish we could have teed up our trips together because we should just scream at everything together! We have similar tastes/humour and we both get excited about food/travel/80's/90's fashion-music/both love thrifting (You should see the stuff she got me for my birthday!)

3) My blog feed is clogged up with all the beautiful ladies who are currently in NY for FFFW. I wish I was there!!!!

I will have to plan my timing better next time. But I'm definitely happy to be spending 4th of July over there. I already have an outfit ready for that day :)

Here's some pics of my sister, friends and I on our first day out in New York last year.

Photo credit/edit Emma Magenta

Nat geting a portrait and Rhiannon having an ice-cream in Battery Park

Mele & Emma Magenta

Waiting outside the small WTC memorial building (the new one was being built when we were visiting.

First slice of that NY pizza. It was so good. Thin crispy crust, not too much cheese and guy who served them was a charming New Yorker. Hollaaaaa ;)

 What I wore:

While packing for the summer in the US I didn't really know what to expect. I knew I wanted to be bright, comfortable and practical. Even though I love watching Sex in the City (yes I am cheesy) seeing Carrie glide effortlessly through the city, I knew that wasn't gonna be me. So I packed light sheer tops, skirts and tights for day wear.

This is one of my favourite tops. A cheap one from Best and Less (an Australian store) and I desperately wanted to find some yellow shorts. No luck with that search so I made this yellow skirt. It was the colour I wanted so I was happy.

I'm packing slowly here trying to fit in every possible outfit option. Here in Australia people in general are not really into fashion. Sure we have fashion hubs but in general people don't "get" the way I dress sometimes. And I'm not even that loud! So when I go to New York I really love to pull out all my 'cool shit' that I have been saving up. I'm one of those people who will save an item of clothing until it's ready for the right occasion/outfit. Yes I know I'm crazy.




Big Love,




Falala Mele xo

Munchin' Out. 1

 

So I love food.....I think my love for food has developed into a real joy and love for cooking. I mean I don't wanna be no Masterchef but I like the fact that I can prepare something that I genuinely love to eat....and this can take some skill when your trying to make things YUMMY as well as healthy.

I really love cooking for family and friends but it's also the event of eating with people and the conversations that move fluidly throughout the table as the passing of food around occurs like a merry little dance. 

My biggest challenge when it comes to maintaining a healthy (or at least healthier) lifestyle is eating in moderation the things that I  L O V E!! I honestly could be happy eating bread and pasta and cheese and nuts for the rest of my life.....But that wouldn't do my insides (and my outside) much good.

My Doctor recommended that I go on a Low GI diet as it helps you to loose weight (well duh...all diets do that I guess) so I try to avoid high GI foods most days....I mean if I'm out and somebody orders a delicious garlic bread or pasta....this girl ain't saying no that....but when I shop I try to fill my trolley with live stuff (mainly fruit and veg) because I believe this stuff will give my body the nutrients and fibre it needs. 

So most days I try to avoid bread, potatoes, pasta, cooked carrot, corn and peas (apparently high GI foods) and when I'm craving bread I try to opt for the most healthiest option and for pasta I either get Spelt  or Quinoa  pasta and I have made fresh lasagna sheets out of Lupin Flour  as well.

My weekly meals are split between vegetarian and meat options...I like both and they usually have broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower (I'm not in love with it....its fresh and cheap where I am living ATM) capsicum, onion, garlic, Asian greens (when available) and frozen spinach (I never see the fresh stuff if Farmer Jacks)......I REALLY REALLY MISS fresh sweet tomatoes, mushrooms, fresh sprouts and bean shoots, yummy salad leaf mixes (its the good old ice-berg lettuce and that's all) and fresh herbs...mainly basil and coriander...the both make everything fresher and better.

I would be EXTREMELY HAPPY if you fed me any of the following:

Bruschetta (soooo easy....but the taste in insane)

Anything with an amazing bolognaise sauce

Homemade pizza with HEAPS of garlic, fresh tomato and basil

Lamb or Chicken Curry

Rice (with any delicious sauce)

A wheelbarrow full of cashews, pistachios, peanuts, walnuts, macadamia nuts, almonds

But my body tells me I should only have them sometimes....not never....but not all the time either (DAMMIT >,<).

I also cook with loads of lentils, because they fill me up and they are good for me and with the colder weather setting it....I just soak them overnight....chop up and vegetables that I have and chuck it all in the rice cooker with stock.... easy as.... OKAY well I'm so off track.....See! I can go on and ON AND ON about food. But I wont. Oh but I also try avoid sugar....or as my Dad likes to call it "The white plague". I'm not crazy strict about it (I honestly love food and eating too much to deny EVERYTHING) but I find I really enjoy food a lot more because when I go out and I order something special and I don't feel guilty because for most part....I eat okay.

The above photo is Lamb and Lentil Curry with spelt flour, chia and garlic rotti (if you haven't looked into spelt flour and chia seeds you should really do it....they are SO GOOD for you!). I thought I'd be bad ass and have some carrot in it as well......I was sad I had no potato in it so at least the carrots made up for that whilst the lentils thickened it the same way the potatoes do. IT WAS YUMMY!

Big Flavour, 

Falala Mele

stitch it

most annoying thing? Being seen in the same clothes as someone else...... EWWW.... kill my life..... I would rather go and find some cool material and stitch something up myself....its soooo easy.... and cheaper.... and a better way to ensure that you wont be caught out in wearing something that someone else has.... Moral to the story? Invest in a machine..... and make something!

ps...I love sunglasses.... just thought I'd share that one with you :)

Ready for disco?

I made my dress....Pulu is wearing a peice from the Expression range

 Both skirts made by me... colourful material found at Cabramatta for about $2 a meter and the blue material was about $3 a meter at spotlight.... Both mine....but we steal each others clothes....

I just love the vibrancy of these outfits. Pulu's skirt was found and brought as a beach dress and was altered to shorten the length of the skirt to enhance the look of a dress. Oh and indian sweets are the serious bidness!!! Yum