Liza Mills Photography

Just coz

2012-03-14T21:57:00.000+11:00

I know this is extremely off from how I normally edit images but I thought I'd try something different. I'm finding it very hard to edit the photos I took on Monday and so this is just a trial. It probably shows my frustration more than anything...

Annabel sneak preview

2012-03-12T20:45:00.002+11:00

I will post more from this shoot on Wednesday xx

Chocolate cupcakes with pink icing

2012-03-04T15:28:00.001+11:00

Today I was meant to be studying all day for my two SACs this coming week so I decided to make cupcakes with my neighbours instead.

The recipe is as follows and I highly recommend that you make these!

Ingredients:
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 tablespoons of cocoa
170gms of butter
2 cups flour
pinch of salt
heaps of choc-chips!

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and then add eggs gradually, one at a time

Blend the cocoa, milk and vanilla

Then add to the butter mixture

Add the chocolate chips to the flour, baking powder and salt

Then fold in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients...

...until it looks like this:

Then evenly place into already greased muffin cases and bake in a moderately hot oven for 15 minutes

Whilst they are cooking cream some butter, icing sugar and the tiniest amount of coco together with pink food colouring for the icing

Once cool ice and top with sprinkles and...

You're ready to eat!

What No Water?

2012-03-01T21:48:00.000+11:00

Today around 6pm the water in our house went off. We didn't panic at all, just waited a bit for it to come back on. Eventually my mother rang the water company to see what the problem was and they told her that we would have to wait till 10pm to get water again. Thats when a little panic hit, a excitement and a whole lot of anger.
Me, having an OCD, was a little scared about not being able to wash my hands and I immediately went to the car to get the baby wipes.

We were told that we had to walk a few blocks to get some of the free water bottles they were handing out, so we decided to take the dogs for a walk, or rather, as they know it, a 'bitofa'. I took my camera to capture the excitement that started to build. We called Tanya and she came down to get water for her house and off we set.

When we got there they told us, to our dismay that they had given out all the water but to come back in a bit when they had a hydrant set up so we could collect water in buckets.

I spent the next hour or so working with mum to move water around the property from troughs to make sure the horses we fed and watered before we left.

Mum let me ride in the boot of the car with the doors up and it was the best thing ever, sitting there watching my dirt road and the paddocks fly by.

The water came on a lot sooner than expected which was good...it saved me having to have a stove boiled, bucket shower at least!

Phoebe jumping Wiggins because he suddenly stopped

Toby jumping the river created by the water leak

Phoebe and Tanya going for a run

A very fun afternoon. I felt like a child again filled with such unexplained excitement.

Zac

2012-02-18T17:32:00.000+11:00

Obviously because of my VCE art folio I can't post my best photos here for a few months but here is a photo from my shoot today, as a sneak preview for my end of year 12 posts later this year/early next year.

2012-02-13T11:17:00.002+11:00

This blog has been my life for the past few years and now, it might be the thing that ruins it.

Art camp - Wilsons prom

2012-02-07T20:20:00.000+11:00

sketching

dancing to Bob Marley

Sunset

The incredible cloud cover

Mittas in the shallows

All the huge rocks made me think of volcanos

I could write a few easy paragraphs on this camp but I'm lost for time right now so maybe I'll post again over the weekend?

In short, it was truly amazing. The things I saw in the two days were breathtaking and I'm sure everyone who went with me would agree.

On the first day Grace and I had a scary encounter where a brown snake ran over, head high and hissing her shoes as we paused to take a photo and we ended up running back towards our cabins, hearts pounding and swearing with every breath.

On the second day I spent the morning at the beach with Viv and Maddie (pictured above) and the afternoon on a two and a half hour walk to squeaky beach with three of the art teachers, Viv and myself.

I was sad to leave, our time there was too short.

Will post more soon xx

Sneak preview for coming Wilsons Prom post

2012-02-06T21:37:00.000+11:00

The most beautiful place on earth

2012-02-02T21:55:00.000+11:00

Today I went for a horse ride around my block with my mum and sister. When we set off I was leaning over my saddle with the pain from my back causing me to think only of going home, back to the couch I was lying on an hour before. But as we continued on 'happy hour' descended on the world and wrapped the paddocks we rode past in a blanket of warm sunlight. I began to sit up and the pain lessened as I looked over the golden, rolling hills and the lakes with lilies covering them and my heart filled with an overwhelming passion that almost made me feel like I was going to burst with the love for all that was around me. I had read a few days before of Nirrimi feeling the same way and I wondered what exactly it felt like. It wasn't until today, whilst I took in my surroundings that I realised what the passion and love she talked about was like.

When I got home I thought to myself that if I took photos of what I saw, the images wouldn't do my emotions justice, but I tried anyway. As the sun set I took these few photos. Hopefully you can see why I believe I live in the most beautiful place in the world. I am so, so lucky to be me.

revisiting some old favourites

2012-01-31T21:58:00.002+11:00

Tanya and my mother's wedding dress

2012-01-31T21:50:00.000+11:00

Today was Tanya's birthday and for fun we dressed her up in my mother's wedding dress. Even though it is very outdated we still felt special walking around the house taking pictures in it...

Pumpkin and sweet corn risotto

2012-01-26T14:58:00.001+11:00

Today I really felt like cooking and as always I felt like making a cake but instead, because my mother and sister are busy getting ready for The Summer Royal, (a big horse competition) I decided to make dinner for later tonight.

Instead of following a recipe I made my risotto up as I went.

The end product, creamy and garnished with fetta cheese. Yum!

Day at the beach

2012-01-23T19:42:00.000+11:00

Today my mum, sister, two neighbours, my three dogs and I went to the beach where I did my work experience last week to beat the heat and to make use of the last of the holidays.

Here are some happy snaps we took on my mum's point and shoot of our adventure...

It was perfect weather, at a perfect beach which had no waves, where the dogs were allowed to run and swim as they pleased and where we spent 90% of the day in the water, not something I can usually do - bliss!

Extras

2012-01-18T22:41:00.000+11:00

Rachael and Lisa part #1

2012-01-18T22:34:00.000+11:00

Models: Rachael Kilikidis and Lisa Bedelis

Hair/make-up stylist and director: Grace Gibbons

Air like water

2012-01-15T22:10:00.001+11:00

“Theres a movie,” He said, “called Taken…the main character - thats me if anything happens to you.”

I think the smoke looks like a jellyfish...

I have recently been burning a lot of incense, as influenced by my good friend, Liam. Today I closed up my room as I went to ride and left a burning cone inside (as pictured above). When I came back the air was thick and I chocked for a few moments as the smoke past. The scent is insanely calming and I love walking in and being completely taken by it while I adjust and get used to it. It also gives me wild dreams which are always fun to wake up to...

2012-01-14T13:54:00.000+11:00

http://lizamillsphotography.tumblr.com/

A friend told me I had to have tumblr because blogpost isn't enough. So now I have two blogs. Cool.

Hope you like it!

A gift

2012-01-13T21:55:00.002+11:00

I wasn't going to post this image till later but as a gift, here it is. I understand that my name looks very big and I'm sorry about that.

Enjoy xx

2012-01-12T18:03:00.002+11:00

And just like that, the sinking feeling I had felt for the past few months turned into a broken heart.

Kiss me like you want to be loved

2012-01-10T15:09:00.002+11:00

The last few photos are the start of my art folio for this year. Obviously the best ones aren't here and won't be until I get my results back at the end of the year, but I thought I'd better give you all sneak peaks every now and then for the massive posts to come at the end of December. xx

New Hair

2012-01-09T10:56:00.000+11:00

New hair - because so many of you asked xx

Vic and the love of her life - Basil

2012-01-04T14:18:00.001+11:00

Yesterday we got up at 5.20am to beat the heat and go to see Vic's horse Basil. I don't think I know anyone who loves their horse more than Vic does, it was very sweet to watch.

Poker night - just a bit of fun

2012-01-04T14:09:00.001+11:00

A selfie or ten...

Last night's poker night was extremely fun! We ate heaps, laughed heaps and took heaps of photos (clearly not of the professional type). It was an almost perfect night (we were just missing one person from our gang - Liam!)

New Years Eve

2012-01-01T11:22:00.000+11:00

Happy New Year!

Selfies

2011-12-30T15:34:00.006+11:00

I certainly had a lot of fun taking these today but it was a nightmare setting up my room, camera and tripod to the right settings so I could just sit there and pose - would be much easier if someone took them for me....maybe next time!

This one was taken on my webcam while tears slowly rolled down my face from my stinging make up remover eyes.

Swimming - another mystery photo

2011-12-28T13:04:00.002+11:00

Christmas #2

2011-12-26T23:17:00.003+11:00

Because for some reason some of my favourite photos didn't make it into the last post?

Christmas

2011-12-26T23:01:00.000+11:00

One of the best yet x

Webcam baby

2011-12-24T21:10:00.000+11:00

2011-12-24T18:44:00.001+11:00

My photograph of Annabel that made it into the 2012 Jan edition of Dolly

"You know what you're doing is illegal right?"

2011-12-23T19:03:00.001+11:00

Today I decided to try my hand at street photography. It was fun and also a little scary taking photos of people and watching their reactions after. I had a good day and of course, practice makes perfect!

horse in the house!

2011-12-20T17:49:00.000+11:00

Today Tanya and Phoebe shouted from down the hall for me to "come quick and bring my camera". They had brought Bandit into Phi's room with lollies as a lure! Not sure what our mother would think!

Whilst I was out at the doctors, Phoebe and India made a rainbow of Phoebe's horse riding ribbons down the hall it looked amazing but they packed it away only minutes after we saw it.

the photos that were left out

2011-12-17T16:26:00.002+11:00

The week that changed my life

2011-12-17T15:00:00.013+11:00

Until I work out how to fix my music player this will have to do. We listened to this song all week while we was away so it is essential that you listen to it while reading this post.

This past week five of my close friends, Seb, David, Vic, Liam and Tanya, my sister and I all went to Lorne for a small 'start of summer' holiday. For a lot of us, the time away was used to escape Melbourne and all that was hurting us back home. It was interesting to watch how people attempt to block out their real world only to have the flooding in on rare moments of weakness.

My aunt and cousin asleep when we arrived

All photos that are unbranded were taken by Seb

During our week away we stayed up late, never sleeping before 2am. We ate at the Chopstix Noodle Bar every day, getting to know the people who served us, and the music tracks they played very well.

We rode the bikes into town and one the first day I threw mine down a huge hill, being too lazy to wheel it down myself. As soon as I let go I realised the consequences of my lack of energy and I watched it flip down the hill, pulling its chain off and go crashing into someones house, just missing Liam and a glass window.

On the ride home Seb announced that we would race home. No one really took it seriously but I of course tried a little harder to stay ahead of the others. As I peddled harder and harder I could feel my lungs tighten so I slowed down and waited, giving up my place ahead of everyone else. As they passed me I realised that what I was experiencing was a lot more serious that anything I had been through in the passed few years and I quickly decided that I needed to find Liam (who had my puffer) as soon as possible. I pulled up onto the road and fell to the ground before realising that he had passed me and was on his way home. Vic found me yelling for the others and raced home to get Liam. They got to me by the time I had calmed down and on our way home we found Vic, collapsed at the side of the road in exhaustion from trying to get to me. I will be forever thankful for their help.

On Thursday I had a second asthma attack but this time it was worse. I was in the ocean with Tanya and Phoebe being pulled out by a rip when my lungs gave way to my pumping heart and almost closed completely. I began to swallow water as each wave rolled over my head and as I surfaced I searched desperately for Tanya and begged her with anxiety in my voice, to get my out or I wasn't going to make it. The worst part of it all was looking back and seeing Phoebe, struggling against the rip, being pulled out a metre with each wave. It was the scariest moment of my life when I realised I wouldn't going to be able to save her. Eventually we all got out fine but I refused to get back in the water again that week.

On Monday while the excitement built as we waited for Phoebe and Liam (and later I realised, Tanya) we went berry picking. It was the most peaceful place called "Gentle Annie". The name still makes me laugh.

Whilst we were in the supermarket I pretended I didn't have an arm and tied my sleeve up into a knot. People gave me shocked looks as I talked about my shark attack. Vic accidentally claimed she was "going to lose an arm" if she didn't put our shopping basket down. I walked off, clearly very upset. The looks we got were priceless.

We ran out of mugs

Burning off

On Thursday night after Seb and David left we decided to have a bath on the roof with the fire. It was 12 at night by the time we got up there. We sat there, Vic Liam and I and talked as the water overflowed onto the rooftop and as we watched the bright stars above us. It was the most surreal thing, sitting there between the ocean and the forest with two of my closest friends laughing beside me.

Playing happy families

They fell in love with him

Throughout the week I watched Vic and Liam quite closely. They have the most intimate and loving friendship and every time I looked over to them I felt a tightening in my chest, desperate to be apart of what they have.

A seal...or in the fisherman's words - "a fucking pain in the ass!"

Tanya was a surprise. Phoebe kept her a secret till the moment they got there when Tanya stood at the door while my jaw hung in shock and excitement.

An awesome week

Eagle in my paddock

2011-12-10T16:28:00.000+11:00

While I was eating lunch today I saw one of our neighbourhood's eagle's snacking on what I think is a dead possum it was the most amazing sight.

Freddie Cator's 18th

2011-12-10T16:18:00.000+11:00

These are a few of the photos I took last night. It was defiantly one of the most amazing parties of the year and I had a blast taking photos of all the beautiful girls, bright colours and of course, sexy guys!

I also must admit I loved the cocktails and dancing which I'm sure were what got me through such a full on night!

For the rest of the images please visit my facebook page. xx

Macleod gym display

2011-12-05T08:42:00.001+11:00

A few photos from my friends gym display at Macleod YMCA

Macaroons

2011-11-30T21:02:00.000+11:00

On Monday I was in the city with a friend and had a sudden craving for macaroons. We spent the whole afternoon trying to find some and eventually we did, they were delicious. Whilst we were in a shop just before we bought them I found a macaroon book and had to buy it. Here are the strawberry macaroons I made today - very yummy and a huge success!

Strawberries to make the taunt peut taunt

Making meringue

The end product! xx

Life is chill.

2011-11-30T10:10:00.000+11:00

Dropping the "photography" on my photo brands, just coz.
Feeling puzzled because I called with rage and hung up with sorrow.
Making macaroons today.

Life is chill.

Wedding brunch

2011-11-29T13:23:00.000+11:00

Some happy snaps from the Sunday brunch after the wedding xx

Wedding flowers

2011-11-29T13:13:00.001+11:00

A fairytale wedding, my biggest blogpost yet

2011-11-29T12:46:00.001+11:00

Over the past weekend I got to share in my cousin's fairytale wedding and I'm sure it will stay one of my fondest memories throughout my life.

My uncle and aunt's beautiful cottage and new kitchen extension. My dream home - cosy, white, weatherboard, cottage garden, in the country, near two picturesque rivers, cows in the paddocks = my paradise

The barn where the ceremony was moved to when it started raining

Inside the beautiful marquee, setting up

Brothers Mark and Nick (Groom) setting up the chairs for the ceremony on Friday afternoon

My cousin Fi, setting the tables

My sister, mum and I organising the place names for the tables - a nightmare!

My cousin Fiona, bridesmaid Charis and I

Our beautiful bouquets that smelt like heaven

The weather Saturday morning!

The bridle party's dresses and suit

Charis and Erica - two of the most beautiful people I know

Me getting my make up done

The dream-worthy car

Kevin - the bridesman and Charis

The most beautiful woman I know

This past week I certainly learnt a lot about marriage and love through my cousin, her husband and all their friends and family around us. I learnt that true love really does exist and just how powerful marriage is when I watched Fi and Nick together at the alter, my uncle with his wife when they cried together during the speeches, and also through my cousin's good friend Kevin when he showed us an equal marriage rights video on youtube which brought him to tears. It certainly changed my strong opinion against myself getting married and my desire to have an exclusive 2 person family. I finally saw what everyone else sees in it, realising that I was always blinded by the fact that my own parents are divorced and we can still make a family work. I never really saw the importance or appeal of marriage but now I do.

On Thursday the 24th after my father dropped me off in Armadale my cousin, Erica and I (as we were in the bridle party), all spent the hot spring day getting our nails done and then later that afternoon, a spray tan. (Which I must admit was a very strange experience!) We all got coffees after and drove around Melbourne collecting last minute details before heading up to Alexandra in the late afternoon where the wedding was to be held over weekend.

On Friday we spent the day setting up the marquee, the ceremony, the candles, the thank you gifts and every other last minute detail that needed finishing. For lunch we ate home made zucchini slice around the island bench in the new kitchen and the moment seemed like one out of a book, simply perfect with us all laughing and making small talk to calm our nerves. My cousin of course, was slightly more flustered than the rest of us, as no doubt, she wanted every tiny detail to be perfect. I think all the stress was defiantly worth it though, after watching such a huge event come together so well.

At 9.30am the next day I went over to the spa area where we were staying to spent the whole day with Erica, Charis, Fi and Kevin getting out hair and make up done while drinking champagne and in my case, eating hundreds of pringles! At around 3pm my stomach filled with butterflies as we began to slip into our dresses and get ready for the photos and then later, the car that would take us to the 160 eagerly waiting guests.

I was first down the isle with Kevin at my arm and as soon as I stepped onto the white carpet a sea of iphones suddenly came into view and I realised just how many people were taking my photograph...I felt like a princess.

When my cousin started to make her way down the isle, my teary uncle at her arm, the heavens opens and umbrellas flew up in the rows of guests, our hearts beginning to sink. When my cousin reached her fiancée she began to ask everyone if we should move into the barn. Eventually we did. The ceremony was a lot more cosy in there, with everyone crowding around us but I hardly noticed as my eyes, and I'm sure everyone else's too, were on Nick, the groom, because as the celebrant spoke he was blinking back tears that he simply couldn't hold back which made a lump rise in my throat and I'm sure it was the most beautiful moment I've ever witnessed, one of true love and one that I'm not sure I'll ever get to share so intimately again.

On the Saturday, whilst Erica was getting her hair done, Kevin, showed us this Get Up video for equal marriage rights. It gave us all goosebumps and made us all cry as tears rolled down his eyes, acknowledging the fact that he and his partner Pete and millions of others are discriminated against in a country that calls itself so well developed. It still disgusts me that we don't allow it and that religion, something that is so important to many people has such a big role against it.

Wedding weekend sneak preview!

2011-11-28T21:25:00.000+11:00

I spent the last weekend living my cousin's fairytale wedding, these are just four of the many images to come xx

Sleepy

2011-11-20T22:01:00.000+11:00

My dad after a day at pony club

lemons #2

2011-11-19T18:30:00.000+11:00

Lemons

2011-11-19T17:38:00.001+11:00

I love how you can see the dining room and my hand in the reflection

I liked the way Wiggins' feet pressed into Tanya's thighs...

I was inspired by an image I saw recently on a friends blog of a small blonde girl sucking on a lime with her face all puckered up and decided I'd try the same sort of thing.

I also ate the lemons and as I look at these photos I can still taste the sour tang at the sides of my jaws - yuk!

What now?

2011-11-17T21:58:00.000+11:00

I fully understand that I have over done the experimental 'on a whim' style of shoot and that you may be getting bored...FEAR NOT! For over the next few months my shoots are planned. with themes and messages all directed by my modelling director Grace Gibbons. Its time to take the next step.There is no way you will be disappointed,

Liza x

Chelsea

2011-11-17T21:45:00.001+11:00

My afternoon with Chelsea was surprising good. I was nervous before I arrived but when I got there we talked as if we had been long lost friends and I possibly did more talking that taking photos which is strange...

Youth die young?

2011-11-12T17:40:00.003+11:00

The lightning bolt symbol belongs to my best friend, Viv. I almost feel as though I've doomed her with these words and every now and then have to touch wood just in case.

Mushrooms on toast

2011-11-11T16:12:00.000+11:00

My cousin's hens party

2011-11-06T11:14:00.001+11:00

Kevin - the 'bridesman'

My beautiful cousin and one of her brides maids, Erica (who is equally as gorgeous!)

Although my exams are coming up this week I was lucky enough to spend Friday night and all day Saturday celebrating my cousins hens day.

We were treated like princess, getting our hair and nails done before having lunch with her close friends near the beach. The afternoon was filled with laughter, great food and things I will never forget - games and party items from another world - as my mother called it!

I have a feeling my cousin only makes friends with beautiful people because every girl there yesterday looked amazing.

Thank you Fi, Erica and Charis for a great day xx

Signed, confused

2011-10-29T11:53:00.001+11:00

2011-10-24T08:03:00.002+11:00

2011-10-23T12:22:00.000+11:00

After my mother's 50th party yesterday, the dining room table was left at the side of the fish pond. This morning we ate breakfast together in the sun with the most beautiful view before me. It was so calm and peaceful I want to leave the table there and share perfect mornings together forever.

Some of the 10 or so bunches of roses in our house at the moment.

Under the bathroom door.

My mother's 50th

2011-10-22T19:59:00.000+11:00

Sunday morning rain is falling

2011-10-16T11:37:00.000+11:00

On thursday afternoon Tanya and I set out on a walk around the block as a part of our "get thin" plan. We ended up walking along the bike tracks, through thick, long grass, down a secret path to a swimming hole/waterfall under a bridge. Tanya took Wiggins in for his first swim and it was by far one of the cutest things I've seen. We stayed there for a while before continuing on to find train tracks leading down and into the river. We saw a platypus and ended up lost in Templestowe and walking past a witches house. Eventually we found our way home and made it back just as it was getting dark - two hours later.

It was the best fun I'd had in ages.

Black, white and all shades of grey

2011-10-09T15:49:00.001+11:00

Lorne in a nutshell

2011-10-05T23:53:00.002+11:00

Big leaps across icy water

Best friends

Dress ups in $400 dresses

The locals

Making daisy chains

"kissy kissy!"

Hot bums and new leggings

On Sunday Phoebe, Annabel, Chloe, India, Rob and I left for 4 days at our beach house in Lorne. We spent our time at the beach soaking up the small amount of sun there was to offer, walking to see waterfalls, making daisy chains, finding our way through every shop in Lorne and the rest of our time with the locals. We also went on the trampolines at night which was heaps of fun.

It was full on the whole time and we never seemed to stop to take a breathe but I don't regret a second of it.

Lorne #1

2011-10-05T23:36:00.000+11:00

Lorne Landscapes

2011-10-05T23:26:00.001+11:00

Melbourne Show, day 2

2011-09-27T21:23:00.000+10:00

This morning we got up bright and early for my second day at The Show. The problem was I put everyone on a train to Werribee instead of the Showgrounds. Thanks to Seb, we got off before we got too lost and took a nice detour to Spotswood...

When we finally made it to the show we got our faces painted. Seb got a panda, Dylan got a puppy and I got flowers.

Long overdue, rust edits

2011-09-25T17:37:00.000+10:00

I took these photos when Chloe, Phoebe and I were in Benella. I found these sheets of rusty old metal and thought they were perfect for my art folio, these are the final results.

Day 1 of the Melbourne Show 2011

2011-09-24T18:21:00.001+10:00

This woman and her horse were beautiful, its sad they didn't win.

Monster trucks!

Phoebe's arm didn't leave Tanya's shoulder all day.

...Apart from here.

Life as a Carnie.

The ladies in pink.

Today was heaps of fun, we caught the train in and ate dippin' dots ice cream for breakfast, we watched the monster trucks and patted the livestock. I didn't win anything this year, but theres always next year. I love the show and always will.

Tanya's blood nose...

2011-09-21T12:41:00.000+10:00

Warm smiles melt winter snow

2011-09-10T14:06:00.000+10:00

These shots were taken for Ginger, Syenna and Phoebe. I got woken up at 5.30 and then again several times until 7, when we went back over to the paddock across the road to take the first shots on this post. The second lot were just for fun. Enjoy. x

2011-09-09T21:04:00.000+10:00

Todays weather was so icy that as we shot our noses turned red and my hands froze up, but we continued on in soft light left by the harsh day. You would never know from these photos just how cold it really was.

Model: Syenna Vasilopoulos

Model director/hair and make up: Grace Gibbons

Photographer's assistants: Phoebe Mills and Ginger Barro

Winter and Spring

2011-09-09T20:56:00.000+10:00

Early morning ballooning

2011-08-31T15:32:00.000+10:00

Lemon Cake

2011-08-29T19:48:00.000+10:00

A finely textured cake, intensely flavoured with aromatic lemon.

Preparation Time

20 minutes

Cooking Time

25 minutes

Ingredients (serves 12)

Melted butter or margarine, for greasing
6 large eggs
275g (1 1/4 cups) caster sugar
180g butter, melted, cooled
3 lemons, rind finely grated, juiced
190g (1 1/4 cups) self-raising flour
Fresh flowers of your choice, to decorate
lemon icing
3 tbs fresh lemon juice (reserved from cake)
20g butter, diced
360g (2 1/4 cups) pure icing sugar, sifted

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly brush a 24cm (3-litre/12-cup) fluted ring pan with the melted butter or margarine to grease.
Beat the eggs and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl with electric beaters for 5 minutes until very pale and thick and a ribbon forms when beaters are lifted. Combine the cooled butter with the lemon rind and 80mls (1/3 cup) of the lemon juice (reserve the remaining juice to make the icing). Sift half of the self- raising flour over the top of the egg mixture and fold in very gently with a large metal spoon until just combined. Add the butter and lemon mixture and fold in gently. Sift over the remaining self-raising flour and fold in very gently to combine.
Pour the mixture into the greased pan and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Stand cake in pan for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool. To make the lemon icing, combine the reserved lemon juice and butter in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Place the icing sugar in a bowl and stir in the lemon juice mixture with a wooden spoon until the icing is smooth.
Place the cake on the wire rack over a tray and pour the icing evenly over the cake in a steady stream, allowing the icing to run down the sides (the excess icing will drip onto the tray). Allow the icing to set. Lift the cake onto a serving plate and serve decorated with fresh flowers of your choice.

Chocolate Cake

2011-08-21T08:22:00.002+10:00

I decided to make this cake from my grandmother's CWA cookbook. This recipe makes a really dense chocolate cake to please any cake lover.

Note: (6 ozs = 180gm)

INGREDIENTS:

METHOD:

When beating butter, sugar and eggs use a food processor - it's less messy and a lot quicker.

Transfer to a large bowl and fold in sifted flour.

Make sure your tin is well greased and bake for about 35 minutes at 180.

END RESULT:

Enjoy!

2011-08-15T19:54:00.002+10:00

Peter Rabbit - needs a home

2011-08-13T17:27:00.000+10:00

Stolen

2011-08-11T22:02:00.000+10:00

iphoneography?

2011-08-10T19:39:00.000+10:00

Road trip

2011-08-06T19:20:00.002+10:00

Random edits

2011-08-06T19:12:00.001+10:00

People always seem to ask "what camera do you have?" as if to say the camera does all the work. Almost all of the photos I've just recently posted were taken on my mothers crappy point and shoot. I'm also planning my next post to be iphone pics so its defiantly not about my camera but for the people who get a kick out of the sudden realisation that they have a better camera than me, have fun with that.

Benella

2011-07-30T21:35:00.000+10:00

This whole fence was covered in these spider webs blowing in the wind. Later Phoebe walked straight through them.

Beauty doesn't last forever I suppose.

The smell of the shearing shed was so strong and overwhelming that me and Phoebe had to stop a moment to take in just how much we loved it.

Discovering me

2011-07-21T20:20:00.001+10:00

This is the first self portrait I've taken in a long time.

I took this photo in a moment of vulnerability because that's all I've felt for the past year.

I took this photo in the reflection of my bedroom window.

The nicest thing anyone has said to me in years

2011-07-18T12:45:00.002+10:00

Lize,

i wanted to tell ya that i just saw your blog again, and all the recent posts, and your photography has improved beyond belief. i really respect your work and admire your spirit and enthusiasm. you have many genuinely amazing and talented photographs, and dont let anyone tell you otherwise. dont be discouraged - because you're good at this, and its something that you should and i know you will pursue. i was so so so impressed. onya mayte

xxx

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!

2011-07-16T21:43:00.000+10:00

2011-07-16T01:07:00.000+10:00

Having the french girls here makes me wish I had more of a willpower to lose weight.

They all have such perfect bodies and it makes me cringe whenever I look in the mirror.

Sometimes I wish I could just stick my fingers down my throat or give the time to become anorexic.

Its not that there's something wrong with me its just I think theres so much power and strength in being able to maintain your weight and I wish I had it.