Being off social media for 4 weeks had more ups than downs. Ups : more time spent with loved ones, not constantly checking my phone for notifications or taking photo's to post on instagram or facebook (because not doing that is so mainstream.. lol), not knowing what everyone was up to whenever I would bump into someone due to no exposure to posts or check in's before hand which makes of a good conversation and catch up (how it should be) and the list goes on. Downs: not much to say on the downs of being off social media, it was more of a "breath of fresh air". There were the occasional instances where friends/family would ask me "oh did you see where abc went the other week or did you happen to stumble across xyz's post?" which  I would have no knowledge of obviously, however I'm glad that I did social media fasting.. 

But having said all that, I'm back!!! 100%! Unfortunately or fortunately for some social media is such a big part of our genertaion so we need to just ride with it and enjoy what it has to offer. I've got so much planned for the blog this year and hoping that I have more time on my hands to execute them! For starters, definitely need to sharpen my photography and baking skills and who knows you might start to see collaborations on here so make sure you are watching this space frequently for updates and new posts (which I promise to do more of this year too).

For those who have been following Apesylove, thank you for being a part of this journey! 

Photos: from my Instagram @apesylove 

Happy 2015.

I've decided to do a little cleansing exercise to start the year off, and no it's not your typical eating clean or getting fit cleansing exercise but one that involves giving up social media for a few weeks (Facebook and Instagram). I wanted to do something a little different hoping that being offline will provide me with a new perspective on the year ahead and come back with bigger and better things for Apesylove.

Fresh start. Focus on the good. Spread love not hate

 

Summer is here, well almost which means it's time to start looking for inspiration to furnish our alfresco area where we will be holding bbq's, chill out sessions, Christmas/new year festivities and simply to celebrate summer, just because :)

These are just a few that I came across and fell in love with the dark wicker setting, of course will spruce it up with some bright colours to give our outdoor living space a bit more character. This summer I am going for more of the aqua/blue feel as opposed to our current yellow which was soooo last summer, literally lol.

I'll keep you guys posted!

Photos: From Pinterest - outdoor home decor

I am still in holiday mode hence why I have yet to provide a full update on my whole U.S trip but I promise I will shortly. Let me start by sharing some instagram snapshots of my favourite city which I was able to capture on my iphone. The vibe of this place is just phenomenal and for those of you who have visited can attest, surely.

Believe me, 5 days was not enough for me to explore the big apple. I definitely will be back to make sure I get the whole concrete jungle experience. 

Nestled in the heart of Penrith out in the western suburbs, lies a café that most certainly fit in postcodes belonging to Surry Hills, Newtown or Sydney city.

Henri Marc makes of a quirky industrial type of ambience that serves great food. Their all day menu is ever changing but they do have regulars such like the French toast drenched in vanilla bean something and the breakfast treat with chorizo and egg spread. The roast pork had caught my eye instantly but I thought 10:00 am was a tad too early for that delight. I must visit this place again to try out others on the menu.

Although the café itself is a little tricky to find, it definitely won’t disappoint. Oh and the coffee, what can I say?  You cannot go wrong with Reuben Hills coffee. 

Photos | Henri Marc

Inspired by the too-easy blueberry muffin recipe from Donna hay (bless her), I have tweaked it with adding apples instead.

Once you perfect the muffin base listed in the recipe below, you can add any toppings as you wish. It really is that easy, easy enough for my almost 2 year old to lend me a helping hand!

Ingredients

Muffin base

o 2 ½ cups of self-raising flour (if you don’t have self-raising flour you can use flour and add a teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour)

o 1 teaspoon of baking powder

o 1 cup of caster sugar (if you don’t have this lying around, use white granulated sugar)

o ½ cup of vegetable oil

o 1 egg

o ½ cup of milk

o 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

o Granulated white sugar for sprinkling

Apple topping

o 1 ½ cup of diced apples

o 2 tablespoons of flour

o 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

o 1 tablespoon of caster or granulated sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

2. Place the flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl and make a well in the middle.

3. Place the oil, egg, milk and vanilla in a separate bowl and whisk to combine.

4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

5. For apple topping; place apples in a bowl, add the flour, cinnamon and sugar and mix (add extra sugar is desired)

6. Add the coated apples and mix to combine.

7. Spoon the mixture into a 12-hole muffin tin lined with paper patty cases.

8. Sprinkle the tops with sugar and bake for 30–35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

9. Remove from tin and cool on a wire rack.

10. Enjoy!

Photos | Taken from my iPhone 5

The most stunningly gorgeous “sunset by the beach” wedding ceremony which I had beautifully planned with my then fiancée disappointingly did not meet our imagination and expectation. The whole week of our wedding event rained like it was the last rain Boracay was every going to experience for eternity. Torrential weather put our guests in misery and with Boracay being an island meant all forms of transportation to the island were cancelled or delayed for hours and at most overnight. Mother Nature…. Whyyyy??

I’m not at all fussy with anything however my wedding day made the exception list. It was the one day out of all days that I wanted everything to be perfect. It truly was a heart wrenching moment for me, knowing that my dream of a sunset wedding went bust. Nevertheless, my now husband and I still made the day of it until we were the last ones standing. Reality hit, reminding us that the most significant part about weddings is bringing people together to celebrate the union of becoming husband and wife and we were blessed enough to have our family and friends travel to Boracay just to be a part of it all. For that, I will be forever grateful and can honestly say that I have the most amazing family and friends.

In retrospect, the photos turned out great.

Simple lessons learnt.

1. Nothing in this world is perfect, even wedding days!

2. You can’t have everything, especially having your own wedding instagram hash tag. Wishing instagram was the "in" thing back in 2011. Our hash tag would have been #romslovesapril. How awesome?!

3. Make sure you don't plan a wedding in Boracay, Philippines during December. Your best bet for an uninterrupted sunset beach wedding would be during dry season from March to May.

4. The more you expect, the more you will be disappointed. I know it’s easier said than done but I’m aiming to live by this rule.

Photography by Mayk Photography | Videography by the Fourth Project | Groom Country Road | Bride Carla Zampatti | Groomsmen Zara top and pants | Bridesmaid dresses from Light in the box| Make up by Margaret Albia | Hair by Maricel Dionisio | Fridays Resort - Boracay Island, Philippines