Office Secret Santa

Today Santa came to the office and we all got a present!

Me with my present. My desk is a mess, that's how I roll.

I got a HUGE sifter. I am happy.

My new sifter

P.S. Ruth, we miss you!

Pinkolicious Morning Tea

If I posted about the week I just had, you wouldn't believe it.

Its one of those times when you think "wow, how much has changed in the last 24 hours" and it takes you a while to get your head around it all.

Change is constant.

Here is a little pic from our morning tea today. Miss P retired today. Imagine that?! Knowing you will never work a day in your life again! And Miss Bec goes on maternity leave (for the second time) so we hosted a morning tea with all things pink. I had no physical or emotional energy to bake, so I brought in the strawberry milks. They were a hit, everyone loves playing kids again.

Our Pinkolicious Morning Tea brightened a doom like work week.

Birthday Girl

We are well into the swing of planning the Retrolicious Office Morning Tea for Tom (our departing token man in the office) What I can tell you is there will be a refreshing punch, some cocktail onions, a pineapple upside cake and some cucumber sandwiches on the menu so far. I am still unsure of what I am going to make. I need to dig out Mrs Beeton's book again and see what I can find.

Anyway, due to all this strategic planning of the Retrolicious morning tea, our friend R's birthday slipped through the morning tea cracks!  So we used the best back up we could find at short notice (Shingle Inn) and held a little cake celebration for her special day.

My New Desk

I just need a few new Manila folders and I am set like jelly!

View from my seat. Still not sunny. Maybe for a fresh start on Monday? Here's hoping.

I am feeling as excited as a child on Christmas morning about the upcoming work morning tea which will also be a good chance to invite everyone to my new abode.  I was wanting to go for a vintage theme, then the lovely Dee suggested retrolicious, so it has stuck.

Our only guy in the team, Tom, is moving back to the mothership as he was only on secondment here for a few months. We are going to miss him heaps so to commemorate 'The Tom Years' I sent out this email.

To: Digella's Team
From: Digella

Subject: The Tom Years

To celebrate our time with Tom we are throwing him a morning tea he will not forget in a hurry.
Would you believe that Tom was born in the 80s!? BINGO! A retro themed morning tea.

So come up with your best retrolicious recipes (channel tinned fruit, anything with 'mock' in the title and loads of kabana) and be ready to action these in the last week of October. Date TBA.
Get excited!
D

P.S. I do have a recipe for Mock Oyster Finger Sandwiches made from lamb brains if you are having trouble coming up with ideas.

I cant wait. Still deciding what to do. It has to be outstanding! Send any ideas.

P.S. We do work here ok. But must run as I am off to Euro / Laneway for some drinks.

Muppet Shuffle

In the book 'Shoot the Puppy - A survival guide to the curious jargon of modern life' penned by Tony Thorne, there are many interesting terms and meanings. One of my favorites is the Muppet Shuffle - meaning, the redeployment of problem staff. As a further example - the under performing or troublesome employees, the 'muppets', were to be 'shuffled', that is, moved out into the other unsuspecting departments, or given new roles which would effectively neutralise them.

Well. I would fix this. I thought would perform my own 'muppet shuffle' Miss Piggy Style before I could be an unsuspecting victim!

haaaa yaaaaa!

I am kidding really, but I thought it was a good story to make up so that I could announce that I have a new office domain. Same company (7 years now) just a different seat. I will be now admiring this view, day in, day out.

Well hopefully better than this, without the current flood debris and more blue sky - which is a good analogy to for the actual work too.

I am really happy about this because it gives me a chance to have a HUGE throw out, declutter and reorganise. There is nothing like move to refresh.  Then I will get to treat myself to some new KiKi K or similar goodies.  Yay

Following is what I have to work with:

New seat. Sorry Tracey, I am in your chair now... and everything will be PINKED

I am loving this, but do you think it will match my (hopefully) coming Kate Spade Blackberry case?

I have asked for the pink one - so sweet!

The Faceless Colleagues

Today 2pm while sitting at my lovely Digella styled work station I overhear this:

J - "D, Boss is on the phone and wants to talk to you.
D - "What does he want?"
J - "Not sure, he said it was something about some kind of work."
D - "Right well, ummm tell him I will phone him back once I have finished showing the others what I bought at the shops today"
J - "Rightyo"  - Takes Boss off hold - "You there Boss?... Can she phone you back once she is finished discussing Spring fashions? ... Ok.... right .... Bye"

I LOVE MY OFFICE!

This is D

The two Js

The Boss

Ms R

EF

RK

Are we seeing a common thread here? We eat A LOT! And when are aren't eating we are sitting in restaurants or cafes talking.

I love you all (as most read this blog) and I couldn't do work without you and our laughs, debates and support!

P.S. We do work. But I must run as it is time for Champagne by the river. Wish it was better weather.

The Pavlova Bake Off Results

With more than 90 eggs, 10 hours work, many hours planning, 30 minutes chopping and the mistaken use of Soy Sauce in lieu of Malt vinegar, this was the result.

After what seemed like an hour of taste testing and adding up score cards, the Kiwi's won!

Thank goodness, because that was the team I was assisting as the token Aussie. The girls making the pavs did a fantastic job. I think they now both require therapy.

Strawberry, Home made custard and Cream

My Favorite - Passion fruit and Cream.

Simple. Elegant. Scrumptious.

The Judging was very strict.

Tasting. Touching. Smelling.

In First Place - Coffee & Walnut with Caramel Popcorn

Visionary!

The Masterchef Pavlova Bake Off

This is Donna Hay's Masterchef Pavlova

Australia Vs New Zealand

Man Vs Woman

Upstairs Vs Downstairs

Management Vs Subordinates

In between home baked morning teas, lunch out at funky CBD eateries, menu planning and discussing all things food and wine, we occasionally conduct an office bake off.

In the past we have a held an onsite Pancake Day Masterchef Challenge and Easter Cake Extravaganzas. But today is the big Pavlova Bake Off.

It started as a comment that pavlovas originated in New Zealand by two Kiwi ladies - debate ensued! So what better way to settle this argument than to have a couple of Barristers come in and 'judge' (get it... haha)

At 10am the verdict will be know. It will become public via this blog shortly after.

New York, Bondi, Rockhampton?

Yeah, you read it right. I am off to Rockhampton. And I am not impressed. (I hope none of my colleagues (or as FF would say 'coal miners') in Rockhampton read my blog)

But I do have my Spencer and Rutherford luggage which makes the trip slightly more tolerable as I do enjoy having the most posh travel goods in the airport. But watch them like a hawk for fear of theft!

So although absent from my blog, I grab 10 minutes here and there to keep up to date with what has been happening in blog world.

I am in awe of the 1st Birthday Party over at My Life My Loves. I am not going to post a photo - GO THERE and see for yourself! It will be worth a few extra clicks!

I need to find out how to make these rose cupcakes over at Lou Boos and Shoes.

And I like these little tea tables on sale from The Old Boat House because they remind me of my great Aunt.

So what will keep me going over the next few days is that my very special extended family are heading to ...

 Black Pearl Epicure Open Day This Saturday

We plan to taste lots of yummy things, pick out some cheese and small goods, stop by Cru Bar's Cellar to choose some crisp white and full red and head to somewhere by the river for an afternoon of eating and drinking.

The thing I love best about my cousins is our inclusively, our love of good food and wine and that we laugh a lot. Last time we were together for pig on the spit and oyster shucking dinner, we took some photos (as we always do) but this time using inspiration from collages we have on the wall we recreated some from history.

Here is the outcome. (a little naughty)

THEN

NOW

We have Ben - the youngest of the group and growing into adulthood, Josh - the most amazing home cook I have ever met and the only person I know who uses laboratory equipment in the kitchen to cook meat in salt baths and loves good wine as much as I do, Tammie - my well travelled sister who lived and worked in advertising agency in London for four years (soooo Bridget Jones diary) and Sarah - so sweet and charming and also the only Anthropologist I have ever met!

TOO FUN!

So enjoy your week and have a great weekend remembering my pain about Rockhampton the whole time please!