All posts filed under: Blogging

2018 manifesto

Christmas has been super chill. The weather was stunning, I glazed a ham, The Koala and I went to my sister and fiancé’s house, we played with their pup, we walked to the beach, we had our first swim of the summer, we ate. We have plenty of leftover ham (just as I hoped) and this afternoon The Koala and I will have our first barbecue of the summer. We didn’t manage a single barbecue last summer so we’re already doing OK. Each year, I write a list of 5 things I intend to embrace and 5 things I hope to surrender for the year. Today I look back at my manifesto for 2017, my motives were: More: Patience, courage, collaboration, generosity, grit Less: Haste, doubt, worry, gluttony, mess I loved this list. I’m not quite ready to let them go. Patience, grit and courage are three things I find myself summoning regularly. Take a breath. Conjure patience. I dislike impatient people so I wanted to be more patient. I’m getting there. Doubt and worry are often …

2017 Manifesto

Published by Bunny Eats Design

2016 was a game changer. If we are forever rushing along the deluge of life, then 2016 was when I jumped from the safety of the raft to try synchronised swimming. It was scary but it looked cool. This year I grew up a lot and at the risk of sounding like another thirty-something year old woman who has found herself…I’m another thirty-something year old woman who has found herself. I know who I am and feel solid in my shoes. In this life that I have carved out for myself. And it’s been amazing. I am living the dream. Courage In March 2016, not so long after writing last year’s manifesto (or resolutions if you prefer) and after a lot of reflecting, I handed in my notice at my graphic design job of over 10 years to go full time freelance. Now I am a graphic designer, a blogger, a food stylist, a photographer and an illustrator…whenever and whatever the job requires. I’m a multi-faceted creature with many curiosities, talents and passions. As many of us …

Our Growing Edge – December 2016 – Festive Feeds

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I am incredulous. How is it December already? Yesterday marked the first day of summer here in the southern hemisphere, which seems upside down to those in the north. Here we like to celebrate the holiday season with beach visits, backyard barbecues and meals eaten al fresco. This is the season for festivities…which leads me to this month’s theme for Our Growing Edge: Festive Feeds. December’s edition of Our Growing Edge is hosted by Rebecca from The Economic Foodie. Rebecca is an economics grad from Sydney, Australia. The Economic Foodie has been going for a year and a half and includes healthy, wholesome dishes that are gentle on the pocket. Think salads with lots of colour and flavour and mostly (but not strictly) vegetarian recipes. Her mantra “Less waste, more creativity” is great for any time of year, but particularly for December which can be a little more wasteful and indulgent. If you are creating anything delicious for the holiday season, share it with Our Growing Edge. Some ideas you could try this month: Invent a recipe using up holiday leftovers Make an edible gift Host a …

Tofu Tuesday: Food Writers NZ Conference

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Last Friday I went along to the Food Writers New Zealand Conference at Villa Maria with fellow food bloggers Ari from Ari Eats and Rhi from In Rhi’s Pantry. The goodie bags were AMAZING. I have to admit, we’ve already eaten almost half the goods so Tofu the bunny models just a portion of the goodie bag goodies for you today. There were a couple of other food bloggers there, and of course, food writers, chefs, and others in the food production, education and community sectors. The keynote speaker was Jonathan Bloom, journalist, consultant, writer and blogger over at WastedFood.com talking about wasted food. As a food blogger – and I’m sure I am not alone in this – I’m often gifted food that I wouldn’t normally purchase and the majority of gifted food doesn’t end up on this blog. If I’m not going to eat it myself, I always do my best to find that food a new home. I know the diets and preferences of friends and family and I’ve yet to come …

Tofu Tuesday: Instagram edition

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Although Tofu doesn’t have his own Instagram, any Tofu-related post has always been popular there. I guess Tofu Tuesday just makes more sense on an image-heavy platform. A fluffy bunny just brightens up any foodie’s feed. I haven’t given Tofu a separate account so I can count his followers as my own. Ha! But if you do just want to see Tofu posts, I’ve given him his own hashtag #TofuTheBunny. It’s been exactly one year since I started using Instagram and I’ve recently reached a milestone of 3000 followers. Yikes! Thank you! Somehow I missed the 2000 milestone, I think it was sometime over the summer holidays but this time around, I’m ready to celebrate and reflect. I’ve written a list of 12 things I’ve learned about Instagram so far. One tip for each month I’ve been addicted to Instagram because let’s face it, this is addiction. What I’ve learned about Instagram so far: Experiment. Look at things differently. Shoot outside your comfort zone. See what happens. If it all turns to custard, you can delete your photos. Use …

2016 Manifesto

Published by Bunny Eats Design

I recently read that we should apologise less and give thanks more. For example, if you arrive late for a coffee date with a friend, thank your friend for their patience instead of saying sorry. It gives good energy to your friend and the interaction is one of gratitude instead of apology. I apologise a lot. I have a guilty conscience. This year, I am going to stop saying sorry. I am doing my best. I am enough. Instead of writing New Year’s resolutions, for the past few years, I’ve been compiling a lists of what I want to focus more and less of for the year. My 2015 manifesto can be found here and still holds pretty true in terms of what I want. I admit I hadn’t reviewed the list in the last ten or so months and it’s been a while since I looked at my 2014 manifesto, but I’ve only tweaked the lists a little for 2016. 2015 was a wonderful year… I told the universe I wanted to be a food photographer and food stylist …

Win a return ferry ride for two to Waiheke

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Two days before being announced the most Instagrammed location in New Zealand, a group of bloggers (including myself) had a fine day out on Waiheke Island. It coincidentally happened to be the day Fullers started their new half-hour ferry timetable. As well as more ferry departures, Fullers have a new menu for those who want to enjoy local delicacies on board. The new menu includes Passage Rock wines, Tuatara craft beer and cider, Waiheke fudge and Te Whau Lodge’s toasted muesli. Thanks to Fullers, I am giving away a return double pass ticket (worth $72) to Waiheke Island so you can design your perfect Waiheke Island adventure. To enter, simply complete the entry form at the bottom of this post including a skill question. (Answer can be found here). Only a 35 minute ferry ride away from downtown Auckland, Waiheke offers a warm microclimate, vineyards, fine food, white sand beaches, art galleries and outdoor activities for the adventurous. A popular destination for weddings and weekends, it’s really no surprise that locals and overseas visitors flock to Waiheke year round. Maddy …

Bunny Eats Design turns 5!

Published by Bunny Eats Design

5 years ago, I started this blog. It sounds like a long time. But then when I remember that I’ve living in the same house for 6 years, at the same job for 10 years, with The Koala for 13 years, living Auckland for 22 years…5 years doesn’t sound so long. The journey 5 years ago, I had just started to enjoy experimenting in the kitchen and was taking terrible photos of my food. If you dig around, you’ll find my first blog posts. I can laugh about it. My curiosity to try new things and persistence kept this blog going. Since last year, I upgraded my DSLR, I joined brunchclub, I met lots of lovely bloggers, I’ve eaten with lots of food bloggers, I made a media kit (to get more serious and focused), I created a photography portfolio, I started using Instagram, I attended food photography workshops, I took on photography jobs. I started getting invited to food events as media (OMG whut!?), I ate out, I ate out a lot, I’m still here. Courage to …

Damask

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#NZbloggers are hosting a weekly blog post challenge. This week’s theme is DAMASK and you can check out other posts on this theme here. This post is about the only item of damask I own. One time when The Koala and I stopped over in Thailand, long before I had this blog, I bought a huge damask tablecloth for no reason that I can tell. I think it was intended as a gift, but I ended up keeping it. Fast forward to a few years later, I realised the tablecloth was double sided and made my food photos look instantly luxurious. I tend to stick to boring old plain white fabric these days to allow my dishes to be the main focus, but there’s something bold and wonderful about the damask.

Tasty questions with Ultimate OmNoms

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Ultimate OmNoms is a prolific Auckland restaurant review blog with stunning photography. I’ve met both Cecilia and Rayshur and had the pleasure of eating with them at events such as the grand opening of Ma Cherie and Graze and Feast. Cecilia Wong is the main belly behind Ultimate OmNoms and below are her answers to the tasty questions I cooked up for your enjoyment. Describe your blog: Nommy || Sunny side up || Off the cuff. What is the most popular post on your blog? Baduzzi dessert post -> ultimateomnoms.com/baduzzi/ Name your favourite comfort food: Dumplings! There’s something soothing about the process of making them, seeing them all sitting quietly in their curved forms…then sending them away to be pan fried or steamed. Love adding chilli oil to serve. What did you have for breakfast? Avocado on toast. That’s been on repeat for almost the whole year now..A world without avocados is a bleak one.. What is the most delicious thing you’ve eaten this week? Crepes at Odettes Eatery – both their savory and sweet crepes are amazing! What is an underrated …

The pros and cons of living with a food blogger

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#NZbloggers are hosting a weekly blog post challenge. This week’s theme is Neutral and you can check out other posts on this theme here. It’s hard for me to be neutral about most things but I can at least try to be objective. I could be (a little) biased, but living with a food blogger has got to be a win. For shits and giggles, here’s a handy guide. To keep it fair, I made a list of 10 for each side. Make up your own mind. This post is for entertainment purposes only. Please enjoy with a pinch of sea salt. I take no responsibility for your life choices.

Our Growing Edge – May Intro post

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It’s May already? As I type this, I can hear the rain pounding on the roof. Outside is dark and gloomy like night. The rabbit is inside today, there is nothing for us outdoors. This week I’ve been making soups and curries but those of you in spring are enjoying salads and lighter dishes. I can see them in my blog feed and on Instagram. April’s round up of Our Growing Edge is now live over on Everyday Life Mom. We have some gorgeous entries including dishes I’ve never heard of before. Perfect for Our Growing Edge! Check it out here. For those who are just joining, Our Growing Edge is a monthly link up that aims to connect and inspire us to try new things and to compile a monthly snapshot of what food bloggers are getting up to. Time to tick off some foodie bucket list items. More info here. This month is hosted is hosted by Jordan and Cindy from My Daughter and I. To join, click on the submission button below:

Love My City – April Round Up

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I’m pleased to be the host of Link Up event Love My City, which aims to connect bloggers and share spots and events in our cities. Whether it’s a review of an event or neat little place that you just discovered, Love My City is a great way to share your post. The event is open to bloggers world-wide and you can find out more or submit a post over here. I’ve lived in three vastly different cities in my life. Hong Kong (pop. over 7,000,000), Rotorua (pop. over 50,000) and Auckland (pop. over 1,000,000). I could tell you a thing or two about each of them. Coincidentally there were three entries to Love My City this month. All the bloggers currently live in Auckland and these are our city secrets… First I will start with Jule’s from The Kiwi Diaries who started this link up. When she and Le Boyfriend visited London, UK recently, they dined at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant Union Jacks where they feasted on British classic of Fish and chips served with mushy …

Instagram update

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I have been using Instagram for 30 days now. I started using Instagram to force myself to take more photographs using my phone. I hated my camera phone a month ago, now I feel more confident. I thought I’d be an average 1 photo a week kind of girl, but one month later, it’s my count is closer to 30. Yikes! Here’s what I’ve learned so far: Instagram is insanely addictive. Photos taken using the Instragram app suck. I use my phone’s camera, then save and post to Instagram. Hashtags and proper tagging gets you more exposure. You’ll probably want to download some cute emoji keyboard. You’ll start looking at your world from a square composition. There are a surprising number of boobs on Instagram. People seem to like boobs. You can share to Zomato or Facebook and another few social networking sites instantly or at a more suitable time. You can add location, hashtag and tag people after you’ve posted. Light is your friend. Latergram. Feel free to check out what I’ve been up to outside of this blog over at …

Love My City – Link Up Intro

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As much as I yearn to travel, there’s something wonderful about going out in your own city. Finding new places to eat, enjoying various festivals and events in your local. Sometimes it’s hard to know what’s going on unless you’re committed to looking out for things to do. Jules over at The Kiwi Diaries founded Love My City last month. A monthly blogging event to connect bloggers and share spots and events worth talking about in our cities. I am delighted to host this month’s edition and for more information on how this started, check out the info page here. Rules Your post must contain the words Love My City and logo and the Host name and link to their blogs. Eg: This post is part of the monthly blogging event Love My City, where we share hidden gems and places worth talking about. This month event is hosted by [Host name] at [Blog name] Your entry must link to the hosts blog and to LMC original page. If you want to add an already published post, just make sure …

‘Gram Whores R Us

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Hi I’m Genie and I used to take horrible photos of food. Almost as bad as Martha Stewart. These days I’m comfortable behind my DSLR and I got there through practice. Most bloggers wouldn’t point you in the direction of their embarrassingly horrific early photos and blog posts, but I’m not most bloggers. I don’t care that I started off as a shitty photographer. Look at the photos here and here. Seriously, check them out, especially that first one. Ewww! Even though I love photography, I hate taking photos on my phone. Even though my camera is heavy, I carry it around if I think I’ll come across something I’d like to take a photo of. I was one of those people that owned a Nokia brick when my friends were getting their first iPhone. I finally got a decent smartphone last year – a Galaxy S4 mini to be precise. I was reluctant that I would want or enjoy using a smartphone, but now I’m a convert. I am obsessed addicted a frequent user of Pinterest and Facebook. …

Year of Firsts tag

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The Koala and I have just come home from a long weekend at a sweet house by the beach celebrating my sister and her boyfriend’s birthdays. It was wonderful to hang out with them and a group of their best friends. Being married and with a tight group of my own friends, I don’t meet new faces often. I’m an introvert but it’s great to get out of your comfort zone. New experiences encourage growth. Over the long weekend, Elise over at The Confetti Room proposed a Year of Firsts tag, where bloggers write a list of 20-30 firsts they want to experience this year and blog about them. I was lucky to sit next to Elise at the recent #brunchclub Auckland event and within 10 minutes of meeting, we discovered we went to the same primary school in Rotorua. It’s funny to wonder if our paths may crossed over 20 years ago. Serendipitous! I am all about bucket lists and new challenges. Especially food related ones. Two years ago, I started the link up party Our Growing Edge to challenge fellow bloggers to …

What’s In My Bag?

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A lady’s bag can be a scary place. Most guys I know wouldn’t dare look into a lady’s bag, preferring instead, to pass the bag to it’s owner for her to rummage through if he wants something from it. My bag is a private space. I only let my closest friends poke through my bag and only with prior permission. When I read about the “What’s In My Bag?” bloggers’ colab, my immediate thought was “Oh gawd, what IS in my bag?”. Funny enough, I have owned this bag for just over 24 hours. I haven’t had time to mess it up. What’s In My Bag? Bag Riot bag in red leather from Oh My Bag Entertainment iPad 2 with Yoobao red leather case Wallet Red leather wallet from Citta Design Drawings and Ideas Notebook from Zomato Camera Nikon DLSR Phone Galaxy S4 mini with white flip case Flash drive The Flash 8GB Sunnies Alex Perry Skin emergencies Lucas Paw Paw Ointment Colour Lip and Cheek Stain from The Body Shop It appears that I kinda like the colour red. OK, fine, I might have …