31 days: nine

One of the Sydneysiders I am going to miss hugely is the beautiful Martha of Martha B fame. Somewhat of an urban legend, Martha is the secret to hundreds of women sporting perfectly groomed eyebrows along the east coast. Introduced by bestie, Kate, I have been trekking from the northern beaches to the east's Surry Hills for the past year and a half to see Martha - and it was always worth every commuting minute. Martha is not only ridiculously talented with a pair of tweezers or make up brush, she is also the biggest sweetheart you'll ever meet and my 30 minutes with her were always full of chatting goodness.

Testament to Marfie's skills and due to the excited whispers amongst ladies at the bar, she rarely has a slot in her diary. But if, on the rare occasion she does, I highly recommend you snaffle that appointment. You'll find her in vibrant hair salon, Fringe on Crown with the lovely Tommy & crew. Martha, I miss you and your lovely face (and tweezers).

31 days: eight

A few weeks before I was due to leave Sydney, I had arranged to meet Suzy Reading at North Curl Curl, in one of my favourite spots. Suzy and I had been introduced by a mutual friend, the lovely Dan, creative genius at Shoebox. Suzy is a Sydney-based qualified psychologist, yoga teacher and health & fitness coach and was in need of some fresh shots of her in action. I adore yoga and alternative therapy and don't need to be asked twice to get snaptastic, so our skills and talents were a perfect match. 

We spent a few blissful hours in the glorious October sunshine as the waves crashed and Suzy and I talked and giggled our way through our photo session. I was amazed at the skillful poses Suzy could hold, while I snapped and got the perfect angle on some pretty rugged terrain, all the while Suzy smiling, looking serene and peaceful. This is one balanced (in both senses!), calm and happy lady! 

I was just so thankful to be able to work with Suzy on that day, in one of the most beautiful places on earth. A new friendship was made. Thank you Suzy, for a lasting memory that will always remind me to be grateful, soak up the simple things and take the opportunity to meet new people - you never know who you will meet or how they will change your life.

xxx

Focus

Life has been quite unconventional of late. Resignations, saying goodbye, moving country, unemployment, adjusting to very different weather, meeting new people and settling in. A lot to take in and absorb - it's easy to feel overwhelmed. But in those heady moments, what always brings me focus and clarity is to see the amazing things around me. The burst of orange and flame red in the autumn trees. A stranger holding a door open for you. A puppy bouncing along, enjoying the best walk he's ever had. Freak hail storms. Big bold rainbows. These things are everywhere - to see and be uplifted by them is a choice.

I'm choosing to soak up the beautiful things, and in the meantime, trust that everything else will eventually fall into place.

31 days: seven

When it came to date night with two of my dearest friends, I knew I had to find somewhere really special. A few months before, I had been taken to a fantastic place tucked away on Sydney's Clarence Street for a working lunch by the lovely Brent & Laurie at Designer Rice. And what a find it was. I knew I had to bring Sam and Hank here for a bit of indulgence. 

So to Arras we went. We were welcomed by slick design, quiet ambience and a very hospitable maitre d' called Michael. And so we spent the next 4 hours eating the most incredible food and enjoying beautiful wine - and laughing raucously, as we often do. We tucked into amuse bouche that looked like works of art and a starter of savoury porridge, chestnuts and almond cheese - yes, almond cheese. Amazing. Chicken, bones and stones - braised poussin, celtuce, black garlic, pear, followed by very swanky rhubarb 'crumble' with pears, lemon, hazelnut, caramel. 

And if that wasn't enough, once desert was chosen and ordered, we were surprised with 'pre-desert'. After desert, complimentary petit fours were brought out on the most extravagant bright orange tasting platter you've ever seen. Willy Wonka would be so very jealous. Just before we thought we would burst, Michael unveiled a special sweet congratulatory treat, written in chocolate, to celebrate Sam & Hank's recent engagement. We were over the moon when we were invited to personally thank Adam, the lovely Head Chef, in the kitchen (especially Sam, being a passionate and talented chef). 

It was such a brilliant night, and oh my goodness, Arras is just amazing. If you haven't gone yet, go. Yes, a little indulgent, but the quality of food and unique experience far outweighs the price tag.

31 days: six

I remember my very first experience of Sydney CBD. I was deeply impressed and fell in love with the big wide streets (so much space), the cleanliness of the streets (everything seemed to sparkle), the new but somewhat stately architecture and the well heeled office workers. It was clear that I was 'fresh off the boat' from London and used to the rubbish lined streets and raw edginess of the city I lived in for 5 years. But nonetheless, 6 years on from stepping off the boat (read: plane), Sydney still has all those qualities for me and is still such a joy to wander around - particularly when you're not running from bus stop to sushi train to shoe shop to bus stop on a crammed lunch break, and have time to soak up all the shiny, grand city goodness.

I feel very lucky that on one of my last days in Sydney, I was able to see it with the wide eyed appreciation of someone sill in love with the place while preparing to shortly board that plane that brought me here 6 years earlier.

31 days: five

Manly has oodles of places to eat, drink and generally have a good time but one of my favourites is Il Gondoliere on Whistler Street. Authentic, tiny, always bustling, with red checked plastic table cloths, BYO and the best fettuccine amatriciana I've ever had, this little spot is a local gem. Pete and I had a fab night of catching up, movie watching and getting our italian on. Definitely the highlight of the day.

31 days: four

Catching up with old friends has got to be one of the top feel good things to do. Bavarian Bier Cafe in Manly. Two good friends. Huge tankards of beer and good food (goulash - amazing). Great conversations. Brilliant night full of giggles and distracting the lovely waitress Monica from her work (in a nice way, she laughed with...at...us).

31 Days: Three

I have something to confess. My thirty-one days are not in order. Life is pretty hectic right now and I'm doing my best to get snaptastic* and blog each day - but with wrapping up at work, catching up with friends, organising furniture sales and shipping, it's proving difficult to post in chronological order. So I'm going to skip forward a few days, which makes it look like I'm on a permanent weekend. Sadly, I'm not.

On Saturday I arrived at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour for my last photography assignment for the Reed Gift Fair. It's usually 9 busy hours of running around several exhibition halls packed with hundreds of wholesalers exhibiting gorgeous homewares, interiors, lighting and giftware, all merchandised beautifully, shooting to my heart's content. Needless to say, I adore my time here and it really is a joy, as tiring as it can be. I've been the official photographer for the event for the past few years and I've loved every minute. The team are all just fantastic - some of the loveliest people you'll ever meet and, man, are they good at what they do. Taking me with them to shoot events in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, I've always felt like a part of the team and I will miss these catch ups.

*this word belongs in the 'Kate & Em dictionary' that we have been cultivating for the past few years. It's descriptive, its totally made up and it works!