Burning the candle at both ends

Hey you guys, I miss you!

I haven’t been paying as much attention to bake & bloom as I would like lately… I really just haven’t had the time. Work has been a bit busy, my apartment was in dire need of a good wash, my laundry still remains un-laundered, my homework halfway done & oh…I went camping for the weekend with Mr Bake & Bloom & some mates.

Could someone please tell me why days are only 24 hours long..I need at least another 5 I’m sure.

Anyway enough winging, I wanna tell you about camping in Byron Bay. Well, it was bloody windy & our campsite manager was a douche but we still had a pretty rad time. (except for the scary, blowie around tent that frightened the life out of me) We ate out, frolicked on the beach, browsed the shops, listened to buskers & so on. We had a completely awesome breakfast on the last day at the Black Sapote cafe that triggered me to leave the biggest breakfast tip I have ever given to the nicest & most helpful waitress in the world.

Good times…and more to come.

I’m not sure if I have told you guys properly I have a massive holiday coming up from Dec 17Th (my birthday) – January 13Th. My trip will look something like this:

• Vancouver
• Whistler (for Christmas)
• Seattle
• Las Vegas (for NYE)
• L.A

I am super exited because this is my first big trip overseas (I went to Fiji for 2 weeks once) and my first white Christmas. I have been compulsively googling airplane beauty tricks & liquid allowances for carry on luggage for about a week now, I am pumped! Nearly a month of bliss & time off from work, school & my domestic little life.

I have a few things I really want to cook before I go though because let’s face it, my life is nothing without cooking. I have egg whites ageing in the fridge & I am determined to make some good macarons. I have tried a few times & never been able to even get them off the baking paper. I also want to do a variation on those coconut palm sugar cookies & make them into the best ever gingerbread cookies. I have a couple of Birthday cakes to make before I go too…Dad don’t go thinking just because I’m not home for the holidays that I’ve forgotten about you!

On the school front I have been learning to make wreaths & centerpieces lately. I love spinning them about on the lazy susans on our big work bench, it’s super fun. There are tons of agapanthas in bloom at the moment & I have been erm, pruning them from neighbouring gardens (in the commercial district, I haven’t been pruning little old ladies hard work!) They’re so so lovely!

Hmm I think that covers everything. I promise promise promise a proper update on Thursday.

<3 Shannon

Camping shenanigans with my bestie Maggie (& some cheeky monkey flipping us off in the background)