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Hello? Blogger are you still there?

gosh... I've been completely MIA for about a week now. I'm sorry dear blogger - I didn't mean to ignore you! I've just had the biggest whirlwind of a week - great ups, and really awful downs - just didn't have a spare second to speak with you! Although I made sure to take lots of pretty pictures of what I've been up to. This post will therefore be mainly a picture update! Prepare to be visually stimulated like never before:

Firstly - I've suddenly become rather obsessed with making my own smoothies! Until recently I'd never actually learnt what went into a smoothie - instead I generally made my way to the nearest Boost Juice and lapped up the nil effort/delicious tasting berry squeeze from them! 

Little did I know making your own smoothie is so much more delicious (and nutritious! - some of us are just slower I guess). Especially after learning that you can hide little treats like flax seed oil, and organic antioxidant powders within the delicious berry's and yoghurt! This little gem I whipped up using almost an entire packet of frozen berries! Due to the sad fact, I still have my braces on I crushed some toasted muesli in for good measure - a couple of scoops of fro-yo, and a squeeze of juice! yumyumyum!!

While on the topic of food - the lovely boyfriend and I had a delicious dinner at the Casino's Cafe North during the week - wowweee! The food was uh-maaa-zingg! I ordered an entrée of the rare seared tuna and oyster beignets - with char grilled courgette ribbon, glazed in wasabi-port reduction, and yuzu vinaigrette. 

Holy mother of all things delicious - in the words of miss Sarah - 11/10 good!

 I hate to make this entire post revolve around my gluttony - however I need to make a little note about hands down the BEST take away Japanese food in Adelaide. In the little arcade down from the Myer Centre, is Maki-Maki - honestly, the yummiest, freshest, quickest, most genuine Japanese take away ever - the sushi; TO DIE FOR. I stumbled upon this little gem a couple of years ago and have made sure to go back at least every month or so to indulge my culinary senses. 

As far as I'm concerned, the creme de la creme of culinary genius's are of course, The Iron Chef's - being not only my favourite cooking show, but my favourite reality tv show also - the Iron Chef's are a bar above the rest of the culinary world. Forget your Michelin Star restaurants, your Maggie Beer(ew) and your Gordan Ramsey,  these gentlemen are the best! 

The reason I bring up the Iron Chefs whilst speaking of Maki-Maki is due to the fact the owner/chef of Maki-Maki was invited to attend the 2011 Annual Iron Chef convention held in Melbourne. (I know what you are thinking: a) why the hell didnt you hear about it either and b) where in the world was my personal invite?). Not only did he attend - he stood side by side with Hiroyuki Sakai (Iron chef french- absolute fave!) and Chen Kenichi (Iron Chef  Chinese). The point is - any man worthy of creating culinary inspirations beside Sakai and Kenichi has my vote of best Japanese in Adelaide. Don't believe me? Go try yourselves!! Yummmm. 

 This is their delicious Tempura Prawn Bento - only 10$ get involved!

In exciting news - my birthday is far too soon for my liking!! Regardless, preparations are well under way for the event of the season (being the all awaited 21st extravaganza!!). This week I've kept myself busy by making/writing/distributing the invitations! Danii and myself were a little slow when it came to creating/posting these - but better late then never really! They surprisingly came out really beautifully! 

  We did these in about 30 mins on Publisher - winning! (awful photo I'm sorry!)

Speaking of beautiful things, I have some really beautiful people in my life! The past week at my second job has been insane... I mean completely, insane. My work tends to enjoy making up ridiculous marketing schemes which involve 20x people to create, rearrange and maintain an entire store, but of course expect 2 people to do it, whilst taking care of customers in one Saturday.

Luckily, I was rostered on with a lovely girl who planned out the entire days schedual. It was tough, but we blitzed out the store in Christmas cheer, and managed to keep most of the customers happy. 

 As a thank you my manager bought her and I a BEAUTIFUL floral arrangement. Today the oriental lillies bloomed, so of course I spent the morning trying to get the best photo to show their grand size and intense colour. They are breathtaking, and the choccies that came with them weren't so bad either. Thank you very much Chris <3 

Below are two things this week that cheered me up immensley! Firstly - the most delicious cocktail I've ever had! (Go to Joey at the Chandelier Bar at the Casino, and ask for something special - he will whip you up a cocktail of dreams!) This one had lemon curd paste in it, fruit tingle flavoured vodka, several shots of other delicious things and of course was hot pink - thus I was extremely satisfied with it! Secondly, my 21st shoes!! I decided that the Christian Louboutin dreams would have been beautiful but for the price, I will wreck them in one evening. I settled for a similar take by Whittner - they have such a huge platform though! I will be a giant in comparison to everyone else!

In super exciting news: The New Burnside Village has opened, and you know what this means dear readers - ZARA!! (squeeeee)

I visited today with my mother - it's always fun going to Burnside Village - I'm always spotting myself 30 years from now - in my white jeans and pearls, pushing my grandchildren around in the prams, on their ipads - I cannot wait.

A couple of snaps of the new inside/tree/cibo area! (if you're hanging out for a cibo coffee here you are dreaming - unless you want to wait an hour be my guest!)

Lovely! Except so so crowded - I suggest waiting a month or so, it was seriously ridiculous!!

My favourite splurge shop - I don't need anything from Peter Alexander, but I have the most insatiable need to purchase everything any time I go near a store. Glasshouse Candles - need I say more?

I once heard the line "you need to spend money to make money" - and so I did. With the ambition to save money for the next year, I knew I NEEDED a piggy bank. I do get quite generous tips from work so having a place to put them, rather than spending them on useless stuff I don't need is the perfect way to save money right? right. I stumbled upon this GORGEOUS little bunny money box at "Raw Space" in the city. They have amazing things! These little bunnies were just too cute not to scoop up so I of course grabbed the teal one (teal and pink - new colours that seem to be popping up in my life a lot currently). Send me good saving money vibes please! <3 

Whilst on the subject of saving money, here's what I bought today:

ZARA fun:

I am in love with Lavender! I would change my hair to lavender if I could but alas - no dice.

Peter Alexander fun:

 The girl at Peter Alexander in the mall told me yesterday that the Disney rage is completely sold out and I'll have a hard time finding any of it. Miss thing lied to my face - The Burnside store still has quite a few items! Get involved ASAP! I couldnt go past the Bambi silk PJ shorts - adorable. Almost as adorable as my little Elfia who was demanding the attention my purchases were getting over her. 

Milk and Honey Fun:

Going with the theme of Pink and Teal that is my life currently - I stumbled across this little gem in Myer. I'm a self proclaimed token goth, and am never to be seen in colour, ever. Although, something about this cute slip dress screamed I had to have it. Milk and Honey by Ruby Rose - the range is actually surprisingly brilliant! Definitely have a look! (two pictures because the colour looked so different with/without flash!)

 MAC Fun:

 And lastly - I am all for illuminaters (so much so that my boyfriend once stupidly asked me if I was glitterly or sweaty - maybe you can have a little too much on). I came across one by MAC that can be mixed in with your liquid foundation. It's superb!! The colour is Pink Rebel, and I promise you your skin will have never looked so glowing and beautiful! 

Mmmm Retail Therapy! <3 Hope you're all enjoying your weekends! Bisousxxxxx 

p.s. Unfortunately,  there may have been a reason I ended up spending so much time indulging in retail therapy this week. After noticing my oldest cat Slash had been missing from dinner time for a few nights, I was a little worried and went hunting for her. Slash was my first ever cat - I adopted her as an adult, as she was taken from her first home by the RSPCA and was on the 'to be put down' list due to the fact she wasn't being adopted. Over the 7 years I had her, she was an exceptional kitty. Although being extremely old, I had noticed she had been losing quite a bit of weight for a while now, however for the past year she seemed to be in high spirits so I thought little of it, until I found her curled up at the back of the garden. She hadn't eaten in a few days, stopped grooming herself and was looking a little worse for wear. Long story short, the vet was unsure what was wrong with her- the vet had speculations but without running tests she couldn't confirm (tests which could cost me several thousands of dollars), as well as immediate hospitalisation which cost me 500$ for the first night. Being a poor student I could not afford to do these, and was feeling exceptionally distraught, as I was unable to find out what was wrong with her, or help her get better. My absolutely LOVELY mother however, stepped in and agreed to pay for the testing and treatment. My spirits were high as I thought we had a chance to find out what was wrong with her and set her on the road to recovery - only to find in the first chest scan, that she had a lymphnode tumour in her chest - a size larger than her heart which was causing her lungs to collapse. However, it was not the cancer that was killing her, it was an infection - due to the cancer spreading to her bone marrow there were no white blood cells in her body to combat the infection - so she became a very very sick little miss. Regardless of the infection, she had been fighting a huge tumour in her chest for gosh knows how long - and still being the loving, gentle, beautiful kitty she ever was. We had to make the really hard decision to put her down - and as much as I know it's for the best, I would do anything to have her here now still. Miss you princess - I'm sorry for not being able to help you or fix you sooner. Hope you're comfortable now xx

Im going to make the worlds most sookyest vet - I cannot even being to thank Dr Sally for being so supportive. She is the best vet I've ever come into contact with and hope I become as fantastic as she is! 

Sorry to end on a sad note :(