Life Lately // New Years Eve Hens Party

I thought I would finally post these! I just got them off one of the girls who had her camera at the hen’s night we had for my friend on New Years Eve. 

Yummy strawberry cupcakes & carrot cake cupcakes both with cream cheesse icing

The day before was one of the Bridesmaids birthdays (my long-time friend!) so I made a double batch of strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese icing and we had half for her birthday dinner and half for the hens night. I also made some carrot cake cupcakes as I knew the Bride liked carrot cake!

The Brides Sister-in-Law & me! (I'm wearing my lighthouse dress I made)

The completed bendy wax-man

We spent the afternoon playing games, including 20 questions about the Groom the Bride had to answer & making a man out of this bendy wax stuff. We all had to make a limb and an accessory for him. He looked pretty good when the Bride stuck him all together!

 All the girls at dinner

After the games and snacking on some yummy fruit & vege platters, we headed off to a local restaurant – Salt – for dinner. I played sober driver so the other girls could have a drink. After a tasty meal we drove back to where we are staying, had a couple of drinks and cupcakes for dessert and got ready to go to town for the fireworks at midnight! I wore my black sparkley lace dress I had made & my comfortable wedges which made walking so much easier!

Me with my halo at a jaunty angle & my prize from pass the parcel!

Group photo before we left for town

We only ended up staying in town for an hour or so, before the Brides brothers gave us a lift back to where we were staying – pretty cool!

The next day I drove one of the girls to the airport to catch her flight and then headed back to the house where we devoured the rest of the cupcakes & lay around watching movies until late afternoon.

It was a fun weekend! I love the group photos of all of us, we were so busy giggling because it was windy and our dresses were going everywhere!

Ballet Reviews // Russian Ballet & Sleeping Beauty

I was lucky enough to be invited to review two ballets recently - the Russian Imperial Ballet Company's A Festival of Russian Ballet and The Royal New Zealand Ballet Company's Sleeping Beauty. I decided to attend both in Dunedin, as my pool of available ballet-loving friends is slightly larger than what I have in Invercargill!!

I went to see the Russian Ballet on the 5th of November and took along a friend I used to do ballet with back in the day. You can read my review here! I enjoyed it but found some bits a little hard to follow, nothing a bit of research on the interent couldn't fix though! I met up with some friends afterwards and we had some quiet drinks in town which was nice!

I went to the RNZB's performance on the 12th of November. I absolutely loved it! It has been in the works for a couple of years so it was so well rehearsed with beautiful costumes and cool sets! Here is my review. I took my sister this time and she enjoyed it too so that's good!!

I love getting to see all these awesome ballets and dance performances - it's pretty cool!! Here is a link to all the reviews I have done so far. I'm looking forward to doing a whole lot more next year!!

If you want to go see a performance of any kind in New Zealand, chances are there is a review of it on Theatreview. It definitely helps to see what you might be in for!

Recipe Post // Banoffee Cupcakes

I'm always trawling through the recipe apps at the app store on my iPhone and the other day I came across one from Primrose Bakery. After having a quick look at the screen grabs I was smitten and immediateley downloaded it!

The first recipe I wanted to try was the Banoffee Pie Cupcakes. The cake itself is so yummy and moist! I decided to use the icing recipe I have been using for my other cupcakes. I made a plain buttercream icing and then added a couple of tablespoons of golden syrup to give it a yummy caramel flavour. 

Banoffee Cupcakes

125g Butter

250g Castor Sugar
2 Eggs
1 t Vanilla
250g Plain Flour
2 t Baking Powder
4 Ripe Bananas
Dried Banana Chips (to decorate)

Frosting:
115g Unsalted Butter (I just used salted - its cheaper!)
60ml Milk
500g Icing Sugar
2 T Golden Syrup

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a tray with paper cases.
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, add eggs one at a time until well combined.
Add the flour, vanilla and baking powder and mix again.
Mash the bananas and add, mixing again.
Spoon mixture into paper cases (I used a icecream scoop so they were all even-sized)
Bake for 25 minutes or unitl cooked through.
Leave to cool on a wire rack.

For the frosting:
Cream butter, milk, vanilla and 1/2 the icing sugar. Add the rest of the icing sugar and the golden syrup and beat to combine. Place in a piping bag with chosen nozzle attached and top cupcakes with frosting.

The recipe says it will make 12, but I managed to get 16 good-sized cupcakes out of it!

 

I think the app was $4-$5 NZ which isn't too bad for a recipe app that looks pretty, is easy to use and (so far!) gets yummy results! I took a bunch of cupcakes up to Dunedin with me to feed all of my family and they all gave them a thumbs up. 

I spent the weekend seeing 'Sleeping Beauty' with my sister, catching up with friends, shopping for summer dresses and I finally got a candy thermometer!! I can't wait to start making yummy Christmas treats.

Work is beginning to wind down for me now, as any consents for new buildings have to be in to the council within the next 2 weeks before they close over Christmas, so I'm gonna have plenty of time for baking, recipe posts and fun DIY's!

Are there any recipe apps you would recommend? What did you get up to in the weekend?

Instagram Fest // The Week That Was

I realise I have been a little absent lately! Between sorting my internet, trying to get rid of the pile of cardboard boxes that are still littered around my new house and frequent trips to Dunedin in the weekend blogging has been at the bottom of the heap over the last couple of weeks! I have plans to get back onto to it ASAP though, so no worries!!


I went up to Dunedin in the weekend and reviewed the Imperial Russian Ballet Company's 'A Festival of Russian Ballet' which is touring New Zealand at the moment.You can read my review here if you like! also caught up with a couple of friends and had a quiet drink in town which was fun!

So you all know what else I've been up to lately, here are some lovely Instagram pics to fill in the gaps. I love how my phone is always there to capture little moments and entertain me when I'm bored!

 A pretty thrifted playsuit I bought off Trademe, making hot chocolate at home on my espresso machine, a pair of thrifted silver mary janes I plan to do a DIY on, the dress pattern and material I am using at dress making class (middle right!), my old ballet shoes I found when moving and wore while doing plies using my dresser as a barre, the view from my awesome seat before watching the Russian Ballet Company perform (read my review here!), a cheeky cherio lunch yesterday, an awesome vintage tutu I just bought (I've been looking for one for ages!!) can't wait to get it!!

If you have Instagram too look me up sometime - my username is sparkleylining. I'd love to see what you take photos of!!

The rest of this week will involve looking for storage solutions for my sewing/dressing room and cake studio, baking some tasty treats to take to Dunedin this weekend  when I go up to see Sleeping Beauty (yes, more ballet!) beginning to sew my dress at dressmaking class on Thursday and waiting by the phone in case my little nephew decides to make an appearance this week!!

What are your plans for the rest of the week and the weekend?

Life Lately // NZCDG Conference 2011

 The venue where the conference was held - Malborough Convention Centre

I mentioned in my last post I was away at the National Cake Decorators Guild (NZCDG) annual conference over the weekend. It was the first one I have attended as I only joined up late last year so it was a bit intimidating/scarey not knowing what to expect!!

 My Dunedin group (me - bottom left!) - A few travelled up by themselves

There were 6 of us going together in a van from Dunedin, which was a long trip! We did it all in one day with quite a few stops, we left at 8am on Thursday and arrived in Blenheim about 5:30pm that night!

Because I was a newbie I got to be a delegate for my local club (I represented the Dunedin Sugar Craft Guild but I'm also a member of the Foveaux Cake & Sugar Art Guild in Invercargill!) which was so scarey! Me and another member went to the AGM on the Friday and had the responsibility of voting for the new President of the club and also voted on where the next South Island conference would be held - the options were my Invercargill Club or Nelson - unfortunately Nelson won by 2 votes!! So close.

My favourite berry of the lot - Rosehip. 
Demonstrator - Betty Debnam from Tasmania, Australia

 

 Wedding Dress Cake - Piping, brush embrodiary, pleating fondant

Demonstrator -Toba Garret from New York, USA

 

 The goodies I bought on Saturday - From the Trade Show

On Saturday I saw some 2 demonstrations, 1 on some berries which would make perfect fillers for floral arrangements, and a pretty wedding dress cake - the piping was so perfect and tiny!! I also got to go shopping - they have a whole lot of trade tables with people selling all kinds of cake decorating equipment. I didn't spend too much but I got some things I had been meaning to get for a while!! I also checked out the plaques some of the clubs entered and the competition flowers and cakes!

The plaque my club entered - The theme was "Through the vineyard window"

 A competition cake I liked

The cake that won the Peoples Choice - It was covered in tiny little fairies - including a 

Bride and Groom fairy!!

On Saturday night we had a formal dinner at the Malborough Convention Centre where the conference was being held. I sat next to a woman from the Whangarei club and it was really fun chatting to her all night! There was also a Cake Decorating Judge at our table and a few other women who had been to lots of conferences so they told me all about the ones they had been to in the past. 

 I absolutley love this little Elf - Strip cutter used for stripes (they sold out I missed out!)

Demonstrator - Raewin Kelly from Gisborne, New Zealand

 Butterfly Lily - She also showed us a ribbon rose (left)

Demonstrator - Pam Archibald from Victoria, Australia

Sunday was the final day of the conference that we were attending, and I saw 2 more demonstrations - 1 on a super cute little Christmas elf (I loved the tips for modelling little people its right up my alley!!) and the other was a pretty Butterfly Lily. 

 Bottom left are some seals on the beach!

A cute little road-side shop - Near Kaikoura

We headed home again on Monday, stopping briefly just out of Kaikoura to watch the seals playing on the rocks and to pick up some crayfish at a cute little road-side shop!

It was really cool being in the same place as a whole bunch of other Cake Decorators, learning heaps of new skills and tricks and remembering names and faces for the next conference I go to. We really need more young members like me to join so the older ones have someone to pass their skills and experience on to!! Definitely look up a local club if you're interested in Cake Decorating, I'm pretty sure there will be something similar all over the world. Next year I'm keen to attend the State one held in Melbourne, Australia too!!

Life Lately // Plans for November

Advertising for the Cake Decorating Conference in Blenheim - iPhone/Instagram

 Hello everyone! It's been a while. It wasn't a deliberate break, but more of an unfortunate situation involving Telecom and their inability to sort out a faulty phone jack point for an entire week!! No internet for work or play!

Anyway, I'm back in action!! I just got back last night from the New Zealand Cake Decorators Guild (NZCDG) annual conference which was held up in Blenheim this year. It's held in the South Island one year and then the North Island the next year. It was a pretty cool experience - I was a Delegate for our local club (Dunedin Sugar Craft Guild) and attended the AGM meeting, I saw 3 demonstrations from Cake Decorators hailing from America, Australia and New Zealand and I picked up a bunch of cool cake decorating supplies. The next South Island one will be in Nelson in 2 years so I'm looking forward to it! I'll post some photos from the trip tomorrow!

This weekend coming I'm reviewing the Imperial Russian Ballet which is touring New Zealand at the moment. I'm so excited! The last time I saw the Russian Ballet was just after I graduated with my Architectural Draughting Diploma - I had started my first 'real' job and shouted my Grandma a trip to the ballet. The following weekend I'm reviewing Sleeping Beauty from the Royal New Zealand Ballet which I have been looking forward to since I heard about it almost 2 years ago! So I'll have a busy couple of weekends up in Dunedin over the next little while. 

To top it all off I'm about to be an Aunty soon! My sister is due on the 15th November so not long to go now!

What have you been up to lately? Do you have any exciting plans for November? Oh! For the guy in your life - get them involved in 'Movember' !! I used to work in an office where I was the only girl among 10 or so guys - they all grew beards until the 29th November, then shaved most of them off into funky beards or moustaches. There were prizes for the best design, least hair grown, etc. Great cause!! 

Thrifty Friday // Scarves and Belts

Brown Leopard Print - Shop on Carrol, Blue - Salavtion Army Tay St,  

Olive Green - Salvation Army Tay St, Red - Salvation Army Tay St,  

Purple Italian Buildings - Shop on Taieri

 Brown leather w. Silver - Shop on Taieri, Navy Blue Skinny - Opshop St Andrew St,  

White Belt - Savemart, Dunedin, Navy and Gold Clasp Belt - Salvation Army Mosgiel,  

Dove Grey Belt - Salvation Army Tay St, Red Skinny - Opshop St Andrew St,  

Brown Leather Girl Guides - Shop on Taieri

Here's a little sneak peak at 2 of my collections that seem to be growing a lot lately - scarves and belts!!

I actually picked up 3 of the scarves the other day from the Salvation Army Store on Tay St, I seem to be finding a lot of bargains there! l Iove how they all have so many different colours in them so they'll go with lots of different outfits!

I usually wear my scarves around my neck, but I think I might try some in my hair for a change. I'll see how it goes! 

I'm so happy its Friday, the sun is shining and its nice and warm for a change. Think I'll make the most of it on my lunch break!!

What awesome things have you bought lately??

 

Girl About Town // Maria in Dunedin

I'm so excited to introduce this new little feature series for my blog! As I've mentioned before, the Rugby World Cup is in full swing here in New Zealand and there is currently an influx of rugby-mad supporters travelling around the country in campervans and flag-covered cars. So why not introduce my lovely readers to some of the awesome cities around our little country? Sounds good!!

First up is Maria from Pepper Dee telling us about Dunedin (my home town!!) and some of her favourite places. 

 Can you see the stadium?

Hi! I’m Maria from over at “PepperDee” I was so excited to do this guest post because I love my city and there are so many places in it that are wonderful to visit. Plus I was flattered, because I’m sure Kasey knows Dunedin just as well as I do!

My favourite cafe in Dunedin

It wasn’t difficult to choose which cafe in Dunedin is my absolute favourite. Only a month ago a new cafe and dessert bar opened up on George st, in the central of the main shopping area, right opposite the Meridian mall. It’s called Angus, and has the best food you can possibly imagine! Think anything from burgers and fries to pasta and salad, cheesecakes and gateaux, coffee or alcohol, all for an affordable price.

baileys triple chocolate gateaux, bacon panini, $7 each

It’s a big place, but it’s always packed and has seating from couches, to booths, to regular dining. Their interior decorator is an absolute genius, so if you don’t visit for the food, at least visit to check out the lighting! You can find locations and info here. They also have a bar and restaurant around the corner for evening dining. One of the barmen is famous for making up unique cocktails on request, and they flick around the glasses and bottles to keep people entertained - even though sometimes they drop and smash them!

My favourite shop in Dunedin

It was difficult to decide which shops in Dunedin were my favourite because to be honest, most fashion stores are franchises which are available in any other main city in New Zealand. There is a unique little boutique called modern miss which is also in the middle of town. 

 I love this window display!

They sell beautiful vintage clothing which is a little pricey, but beautiful quality. I’ve been going there to look for a unique and vintage wedding dress that suits me (so far no luck) but if you love vintage pieces, this is definitely the place to go. At the very least, it’s fun for a browse!

And I wish my shoe closet resembled this! I sourced these photos from the Modern Miss facebook page

My favourite place in Dunedin

My favourite place in Dunedin is the peninsula. It's more like a scenic drive than a 'place' but you can spend the day driving along Highcliff Road and then back along the winding road around the harbour, visiting beaches, the albatross colony, old bunkers from the war, and New Zealand's only castle. I honestly believe it is the most beautiful place I have ever been.

via google maps

 What you might see:

The first photograph in this post is taken on the peninsula, so you can see how close it is to town!

Well, that’s it! I hope I’ve inspired you to come and visit us down south. I had heaps of fun putting this post together - now I can’t wait to read about other places in NZ!

Thanks so much Maria!! I can agree that the cake from Angus Cafe is AMAZING and as I was bought up in Portobello on the peninsula it holds a special place in my heart too.

Check back later for more posts from some blogger friends in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland, plus I'll post some of my favourite places I have found in Invercargill so far!