Handmade Baby Cuffed Pants and....

I made a pair of baby cuffed pants out of T's old T-shirt, which he was about to toss out. It didn't take too long and I'm happy with the result.

I guess it's about time I share the news. We're having a little boy! :)

[Sydney] - Till next time

Hi there, we've come to the last post. I hope you've enjoyed this Sydney series. I'll remember this trip for a long time. It'll be a while before I travel again. But I'm sure I will. I believe that life is about experiences and traveling is about self-understanding.

When I first started this blog, I had no idea that it would document so much of my travels but I like that it has evolved this way, to become a mix of travel, design and craft. Has this been to your taste?

How can I wrap up without leaving you with photos of the Sydney harbour?

[Sydney] - Newtown

I don't know how we managed to experience so many things during our short Sydney trip and yet not have a crazy schedule. I'm not complaining though! We traveled outside the city center one day to Newtown. It was just a convenient train ride away. The vibes were definitely different there. It felt a little slower but also pretty hip. There were quite a few vintage shops lining the main street just outside the station. It was fun just strolling along and popping into those that interested us. 

Brunch was at this little cafe we spotted. No frills but friendly service, good food and oodles of charm. 

Cute little bear cookie!

"Mandatory" graffiti that we see near train stations all over the world, except Singapore.

[Sydney] - Hugos at Manly

Any kid will be able to tell you that the aftermath of playing in the pool or water is hunger. So, we headed to Hugos @ Manly for some food. This is a gorgeous restaurant that sits on the waters near the wharf. It was late afternoon when we arrived so only a few tables were occupied. Soft laughter punctuated the air occasionally. We had a spot facing the sea and watched the sun slowly set. 

 

 

I've never heard of figs pizza but we were adventurous and ordered it anyway. It was super delicious! The sweetness of the figs were subtle and it complemented the savoury cheese very well! Lovely thin crust. Mmm... Holidays ought to be like this :)

 

For dessert, we ordered pumpkin cheesecake. Once again, we were pleasantly surprised. Not your usual cheesecake. I loved the mix of textures in there. Haven't had such a good dessert in a while. 

We returned to the Sydney on the ferry. Picked the outdoor section and like kids, couldn't keep our butts to the seats. Excitedly took in the sights and felt the winds caressed our faces. 

[Sydney] - Day trip to Manly

T and I made a trip to Manly on one of the weekdays (no crowd) and we were thankful for the beautiful weather. Manly afterall is akin to what you see in the Billabong and Roxy surfwear ads. The sun, the sea, the waves, the sand, the seagulls and the cool dudes and babes. 

We arrived in the late morning via the bus (instead of ferry. There was a strike that morning) and decided we should charge up first. We randomly picked one of the cafes that lined the beach. I opted for pancakes and man, was I not disappointed!

I have a couple of times had pancakes cravings in Singapore. But what was served differed greatly from the image in my mind. Not to mention, they didn't taste much better than how they looked. But this! This was what I had envisaged. This was material that glossed magazines. And it tasted heavenly! If ever there was a moment to indulge, you got to make it worth it and this was it! I loved the imperfect look of these pancakes, the slightly burnt taste they had and the sweet blueberry toppings. 

The beach was of course beautiful and we strolled along it, watching the surfers do their thing, jogging mums with prams... Ah, is paradise something like this? T was so tempted by the sights that we got into one of the nearest shops, bought a pair of surf bermudas and within 10 minutes, he was playing with the waves. Cold, he later said, but totally worth it.

[Sydney] - Street Shots

Some photography enthusiasts are going to be up in arms but I found in my recent travels that using my iPhone was good enough for me. Perhaps a large part of it is laziness and practicality. Not wanting to add to the weight my bag as I gallivant. And in cold climates, I just want to whip out the equipment fast, snap the shot as quick as possible and return my fingers into the warmth of my pockets. Are you like me?

Anyhow, here are random shots I took while walking around Sydney. They either amused me or I found them interesting/ eye-catching.

[Sydney] - MCA Zine Fest

I hope you are enjoying this Sydney series of posts so far. Today, I'll share with you one of my definite highlights of the trip. The MCA Zine Fest!! Part of the Sydney Writer's Festival, the zine fest was awesome! Even more so for me since I haven't witnessed one of such a scale! 

Held at the Museum of Contemporary Arts (MCA), there were some booths in the outdoor area and a huge space indoors. I loved the energy in there! There was so much appreciation and support for zines in that hall, from people of all ages. I mean, zine culture has been in existence for quite a long time. And whatever genre of zines you are into, you'll find it in there. I happily blew my cash, building up my zine collection. I also met my lovely friend, Anthea of Spoonful who had a super cute booth there!

 

 

 

Table where you could make your own zines.

Start them young!

After my pocket got quite empty, we checked out some of the cool exhibits in the MCA.

[Sydney] - Picnic

T and I try to make it a point to experience what locals do when we travel and not just be caught up with the tourist traps. We've been blessed with more or less good weather since our arrival in Sydney and when the sun shone brightly on a Sunday morning, we decided it had to be picnic time!

Because we slept in a bit (no crazy jam-packed schedules for us, please), it was close to noon by the time we laid down our mat on a lovely spot in the Royal Botanic Garden. It's autumn and the winds were cool and nice. It was the weekend so many others were out-- joggers, families, lovers. The Garden's HUGE so one never feels like it's crowded.

We spent the next 2 hours basking in the simple happiness that life brings-- good food, loved ones, nature. 

We had a view of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge in front of us.