Friday Fancies

Hey guys!

This is my first time linking up with {long distance loving} for Friday Fancies.  The theme this week is 'dress yourself', so I have come up with an outfit that is absolutely me.  Anyone who knows me wouldn't be surprised that I went straight for a white dress and added tan accessories.

Dress: Forever New, Jacket: Forever New, Sandals: Wild Pair, Necklace: Wild Pair, Hat: Roxy, Satchel: Etsy

Let me know what you think!

X
Molly

Pork with Plum Sauce

Hello my lovelies.  Time for another recipe!  This is a quick and easy meal I like to whip up on a busy day.  It can be on the table in the time it takes to cook the rice!

  Pork with Plum Sauce

  500g diced pork

  2 Tbsp flour

  3 cloves garlic, crushed

  1 tsp ginger, crushed

  1 onion

  1/4 C plum sauce

  1 Tbsp soy sauce

  2 tsp hoisin sauce

Roughly coat the diced pork in the flour.  Brown the pork in a frying pan for a few minutes before adding the onion, garlic and ginger. I like to cut the onion into thick wedges, rather than dicing it.

Cook for a further two minutes, until the onion is softened.  Add the plum sauce, soy sauce and hoisin sauce.  

Cook for roughly five minutes, by that time the rice should be done!

Serve with rice, either white or brown.

Enjoy!

X
Molly

Pastel Love

Lately I've been loving pretty pastel colours.  Over here, pastels are all over the shops right now, but I think they are great on more than just clothing.  I would love to decorate my whole house in pretty pastels! Don't you think they are so calming and serene?

1/2

1/2

1/2

1/2

X
Molly

I won a Liebster Award!

The lovely JC from Sweet Love and Ginger nominated me for a Liebster award! The award is given out to small blogs as a way to spread the love and share some up-and-coming blogs that maybe not everyone has discovered yet. I want to thank JC so much for nominating me!

Award Rules:

1. Post 11 things about yourself
2. Answer all the questions your nominator sets for you
3. Come up with 11 questions for the people you’ve nominated
4. Choose 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award (200 followers or less)
5. Go to their page and tell them

11 Things About Myself

1. I can’t get through the day without at least 6 cups of tea 2. I live for summer 
3. I feel like my life is complete now I have a kitten 
4. Baking always relaxes me 
5. I dream of living in Italy 
6. I’m addicted to Gossip Girl and will be heartbroken when it ends 
7. I love sleeping 
8. I’m a sucker for dresses and wear one almost every day 
9. I absolutely love flying, although this may be because I have never been on a long-distance flight 
10. My favourite band is Guns ‘n Roses 11. I love banana smoothies

JC's Questions

1. If you could be a superhero which one would it be? 
Spiderman - I would love to climb big skyscrapers! 

2. What is your favourite way to spend an afternoon?

With friends at the beach, having a picnic, lying in the sun and having a dip in the sea 

3. What is your favourite colour?
Blue

4. What got you into blogging? I didn't even know what blogs were, but I somehow fell onto Here Comes the Sun and I knew I had to get into it. 

5. What is your biggest pet peeve?
People chewing with their mouths open

6. When you were 5 what did you want to be when you grew up?
My mother

7. What is your dream vacation? A relaxing break at a tropical island with the husband 

8. What is your guilty pleasure? Potato chips 

9. What drives you? (It can be a long term goal, or purpose in life etc..) A desire to help people and improve their lives 

10. What do you spend the most money on? Groceries 

11. When you wake up what is the first thing you do?
Admire the gorgeous man lying next to me


My Nominees

What's in a Name

Emmy in the Making

Tea for Bohemia

Whimsy & Juno

Nellie and Oliver

Tea Tree Vintage

Arrow in the Eye

The Peppermint Peach

My 11 Questions

1. Describe yourself in three words.

2. What is your absolutely mega-favourite blog?

3. What made you decide to start blogging?

4. Do your family/friends know about your blog?

5. What is your favourite movie?

6. Who is your favourite celebrity?

7. Describe your perfect holiday.

8. What is your favourite animal?

9. Where in the world do you dream of going?

10.If you had a few spare hours for 'me time', what would you do?

11.Tea or coffee?

Carrot Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup self-raising flour
1 1/2 cup wholemeal flour
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking soda
2 cup Chelsea Raw Sugar (Blitz in your food processor for smaller crytal size)
6 large eggs
2 cup sunflower or canola oil
2 tsp Vanilla essence
1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
4 cups grated carrot
1 cup sultanas or raisins
4 Tbsp desiccated coconut

Cream Cheese Icing
250g cream cheese, softened
100g butter, softened
5 cups Icing Sugar 

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Sift flours, spices and soda into a large mixing bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined, don't beat.
Line a 20 x 23cm cake tin (6 cm deep) with baking paper and grease well. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 1 hour. The cake is cooked when a skewer is inserted into the centre of the cake and the skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool then remove from the cake tin and peel away the paper.
Spread the top of the cake with Cream Cheese Icing.

Cream Cheese Icing
Beat all the ingredients together until smooth icing consistency. Spread over top of cake.

 

X
Molly

Friday Letters

{via}

Dear Friday: For once your arrival means a weekend off to relax with the husband with no study.

Dear Summer: Feel free to show your face around here anytime soon, I have forgotten what you feel like.

Dear Pinterest: Thank you for giving me something to do every spare minute I have to myself. You are a wealth of inspiration.

Dear Smudge: You make me so happy, I'm so glad we chose you.

Dear Husband: Hope you feel better soon and can't wait to spend quality time with you.

adventuresofnewlyweds.com

Bella of Sweden

Loving these beautiful photos from the gorgeous blog Bella of Sweden.  Are all Swedish people beautiful? Check out her blog, so dreamy and whimsical.

All pictures from Bella of Sweden

X
Molly

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Lisa M via Pinterest

Hey guys

I want to say a big hello to all my new followers, I have reached 100 yay!  

Well things are a-changing around here. I have been flat out with uni the last few months, but I had my last exam for the year on Tuesday so I will have a lot more free time!  

I plan to post a lot more regularly, so expect to see some great recipes, DIYs, and some more corners of my home.

I'm planning a few Christmas themed posts, and I'd love to have some of you guest post here! Email me if you're interested at thecottagediaries@gmail.com

X
Molly

Introducing Smudge..

Well we finally managed to find ourselves a  beautiful kitty! We drove half way across the country (not far, in New Zealand) and adopted our new fur baby from a shelter.

And we named him Smudge.

The hubby has bonded with dear Smudgie-pie surprising well, given that he is more of a dog person!

Gorgeous Smudge has fitted into our lives just perfectly, and now I have someone to talk to when hubby isn't home.

Isn't he the cutest?

X
Molly

I love Fall

The lovely Rebecca from Rebecca Recommends has tagged me in an I love Fall post!

Although it is Spring here in New Zealand, Spring here really means we get all four seasons in one day, so what better time to re-visit my favourite things from Fall!

1. FAVOuRITE FALL LIP PRODUCT

Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick in Berry Blush

2.
 FAVOuRITE FALL NAIL POLISH 

O.P.I Dim Sum Plum

3. 
FAVOuRITE STARBUCKS FALL DRINK 

Shott Spiced Berry drink mmm.

4. 
FAVOuRITE FALL CANDLE 

Ecoya Vanilla Bean smells so divine!

5. FAVOuRITE FALL SCARF OR ACCESSORY 

Love a scarf with a bit of colour, like this.

{via}

6. 
HAUNTED HOUSE, HAUNTED HAY RIDE, OR HAUNTED CORN MAZE 

These all sound amazing, but I think I would pick a haunted hay ride!

 

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOuRITE THING ABOUT FALL

It's hard to pick one thing, but I love wearing boots, and the feeling on the sun's warmth on a nice crisp morning in Autumn.

X

Molly

Happy November

Happy First of November everyone!

{via}

For us here in New Zealand, the warmer weather has finally arrived! November means picnics at the river, fireworks, and time to dust off the barbie!  Unfortunately, it could also mean wind and rain, and cold nights by the fire.  You never can be sure in New Zealand!  

So many of you North American bloggers have mentioned how excited you are about Fall, and how good it is to get some colder weather.  This is something I just can't understand! I may have to visit one day and find out for myself.  

X
Molly