annabel youens

GTA 4 looks amazing, it’s fun to drive fast and has one sweet mobile phone.

Once you’ve got “friends” on the Xbox Live Community they can actually text you inside GTA 4 to your character’s mobile phone - yeah, that’s pretty cool.

Rockstar games proves they know how to improve game interactions in simple, easy ways that users already know how to perform.

Nice one.

I had the pleasure of meeting Kate yesterday to take my new “headshot” for our business plan.

I am not at all corporate - pant suits freak me out - so it was important to find a photographer who could capture my personality.

Enter lovely Kate of Kate MacPherson photography. Incredibly professional, relaxed and warm Kate was a pleasure to work with and she got some great shots. She even checked out my blog to get a sense of my style. Hi Kate!

She reminded me a lot of my equally fabulous photography friend Rebecca Blissett who works in Vancouver.

I recommend them both for lovely photos.

Ta da!

I’ve just found out that my shampoo and conditioner have been tested on animals. So I’m boycoutting Kerastase products.

This should be an interesting conversation, next week, when I tell my hairdresser she can’t touch me with Kerastase. (I think her salon is sponsored by this L’oreal company.)

Find out if you’re buying from companies who test on animals.

Warning - this video contains explicit animal harm by humans.

A far overdue post about my new favourite Wellington magazine that is making lots of friends!

Fantastic Thomas and Talented Hannah launched their first issue of World Sweet World last month at Craft 2.0. And I had the pleasure of writing “The Dirt on Recycling”.

It’s a great first issue and today I’m diving into my article for the next. Go WSW!

Ps. Get your own copy!

Page 1 | Pages 2&3 | Page 4

I love my job and my team.

Thank you Thomas for the creative execution and Super Godzilla for the soundtrack.

Our trip down the Wanganui River was a little like this:

Add challenging rapids and beautiful campsites - a perfect escape from our computers!

See our flickr photos.

Thanks Sarah C!

Feijoa’s are yummy. Sweet pulpy goodness on the inside with sour skin wrapped around the outside.

I’m from the school of eating it like an apple - a la skin. However, it’s pretty sour. Hannah gave it a whirl and admitted it wasn’t quite for her. She’s from the cut it in half and spoon it out school.

However you like it feijoa’s are damn fine! And lucky for me Hannah and Thomas’ feijoa tree is ripe and dropping.

Using Aunt Bea’s famous Banana Muffin Recipe I made a few tweaks. Be warned they are very moreish!

Aunt Bea’s Banana Muffins (a la feijoa)

• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 4 tsp of ground ginger (I like them gingery)
• dash of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon
• 1 cup of mashed feijoa

Be a Mix Master

• Cut fejoia’s length-wise and scoop out insides
• Soften butter and combine with the sugar and the egg
• Add in the milk, baking power, baking soda and slowly combine the flour
• Add the rest of the spices and pour in the mashed feijoa’s
• Bake in 180 oven for about 15 - 20 minutes.
• Enjoy!

I cannot remember the last time I had such a bad meal. It was truly horrible and completely overpriced. Talk about tasteless.

The tugboat restaurant is a disastrous tourist trap in a city filled with fabulous restaurants. Here are some of my favourites:

• Planet Spice in Newtown - the best Indian food in Wellington
• Floraditia’s on Cuba - great breakfasts
• Wholly Bagel - great for a quick bite
• Sweet Mother’s Kitchen - not exactly Cajan but where else can you get your choice of hot sauce!

Ugh - the meal really was horrid! Complete with the Maitre-de dressed up as the Captain…no, I’m not kidding.

Tugboat photo courtesy of Flickr member Malach.

My friend Anna is raising two gorgeous girls (with her fabulous husband) and learning photography.

I’m so proud of her - taking time out to learn, practice and grow.

Look at this incredibly professional shot of Hayley featured on a cloth diaper site.

You go girl!