Hello Kell: Mandurah's Food, Fashion, Travel, & Lifestyle Blog | a quirky Aussie-American couple's guide to life, love, culture, and style in Western AustraliaHello Kell: Mandurah's Food, Fashion, Travel, & Lifestyle Blog | a quirky Aussie-American couple's guide to life, love, culture, and style in Western Australia

MEMORIES | Confessions of a 32 Year Old

July 26, 2020

I had a strange feeling this Birthday. I realize these last 2 years have zipped by. Between the family cafe opening, our creative business taking off, adjusting to life in Australia, and just exploring this crazy world – somehow here I am celebrating my 32nd birthday. A realisation was staring straight back at me, flickering in the candles on my cake, dancing just out of reach… Speechless – I could think of nothing I wanted badly enough to think to wish for. Was it that simple? 3 years ago, I wasn’t sure that ‘content’ was a word I’d ever use to describe my life in Australia. Eyes closed. A mouth full of homemade buttercream & strawberries. ‘content’ was exactly what I was feeling. Somehow, on this little lonely planet, far from America – I had stumbled upon everything a girl could search for. And yet, just under the surface, tinges of guilt and regret over our move, were biting away […]

DIY Art – What to do w/ LOTS of Sample Pots

February 23, 2018

What don’t you expect when you buy your first home together? For my husband and I, we did not expect that we would battle as we have to find a design style we can both appreciate. I’m not sure its totally definable, but it is somewhere between mid-century modern and scandi. Our house has so many stories, many of which I plan to continue to share here on my blog, but one of my favourites is how long it took us to decide on the color for our living room! This wall color gave way to us creating this massive, beautiful piece of art for less than $50! If you’ve always wanted a large piece of art hanging in your home, but couldn’t afford to fork over a few thousand dollars, read on! I’m sure that we are not alone in that most couples will fight about what color to paint their wall, and to ease tension, purchase sample pots […]

MEMORIES | USA for the Holidays <3

January 31, 2018

After a month back home, I have needed a few weeks to get readjusted into life back in Australia – Happy Belated New Year! I had the best time with family, was spoiled with love and attention, and was reminded of how good it feels to be with people who know you inside & out. Since immigrating to Australia, and even now that my spousal 820 visa has been approved, I have missed home. At first, it was the things you laugh at (because you don’t want to burden budding new friendships), like Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, fashion, peanut butter M&M’s, Amazon Prime, Penn Station East Coast Subs, Hulu – the list goes on and on! More recently I would say, I have deeply, passionately missed everything, and everyone about “home”. In many ways, I think this blog post will be a love letter of sorts to my family, who I now rarely see. For them to know how hard […]

HOME | Pumpkin, Salted Caramel & Tim Tam Cake – Recipe

November 28, 2017

For my 2nd Aussie-American Thanksgiving, I was much more prepared! I concocted a dessert of classic American & Aussie flavours; Pumpkin, Salted Caramel, and White Chocolate Tim Tams – for this holiday treat. This vanilla spice cake got a homemade pumpkin puree filling between its layers, frosted with fresh whip cream, drizzled with caramel (not homemade – gasp!), and topped with white chocolate Tim Tams. Needless to say, there was only 1 tiny slice leftover, which my waistline is incredibly “thankful” for. This homemade cake does take a little bit of time, but it simple and fun to make! BONUS, it will make your friends think you are a master baker! For Christmas try dates instead of pumpkin. RECIPE: Caramel Spice Cake FROM: inspired by a Chocolate version by Harriet Olafsdottir MAKES: about 24 medium slices QUICK TIME-SAVING BAKING TIPS: 1. If you are going to make the Pumpkin Puree filling, you can dice the pumpkin and get it steaming while […]

TRAVEL | Personal Effects Arrived – Immigrating to Australia

October 5, 2017

My husband and I have been all around the world backpacking, but before we did that, before we moved to Perth/Western Australia – we lived in Columbus, OH. Columbus, for all intensive purposes, is like a smaller Seattle. Yeah, we get the same amount of rainfall too. But the weather isn’t the reason I draw the comparison. Columbus is a busy town, tons of historic houses, a rich downtown, delicious restaurant concepts (thanks to the outlying farming communities) and a thriving small business atmosphere. Amazing coffee shops are abundant, and the overall attitude/culture of the city is super accepting of new ideas and people. Columbus is also home to the Buckeyes of Ohio State University – one of the largest US State-funded public schools (over 65,000 students!). Columbus is also home to many of my best friends, and is where I got my Bachelors in Photography from the small private art institution (Columbus College of Art & Design). So no, […]

LOCAL | Chocolatey Goodness on Foodi’s Chocolate Tour – PERTH

September 18, 2017

My Aussie family knows me well, because for Christmas, I got a free pass to Foodi’s Chocoalte Tour in Perth! Not only did I get one, but the entire family – chocolate & awesome company! Interested in booking a tour, head to their website here. It’s not one of my official “local Feature” posts or anything, but just the highlights of the tour & the awesomeness in store for you if you go! I’ve also linked the individual chocolatier’s in the description too, in case you want to hit one of these up over next weekend! Besides all the delicious chocolate, your Foodi Tour Guide will show you around the city’s little known landmarks, and tell you about the history & art of downtown Perth! Frist Stop: Sue Lewis Chocolatier Second Stop: Guylian Chocolate Cafe Third Stop: Koko Black Fourth Stop: Margaret River Chocolate Factory Final Stop: Uncle Joes

LOCAL | GEM GEM DESIGNZ – Golden Bay’s Hidden Talent!

September 8, 2017

Do you know Golden Bay’s best-kept secret?This week we got to hang out with talented artist Gemma Bunce, of Gem Gem Designz. She’s a wicked painter, so why not think about one of her affordable paintings for your home? To WIN one of Gemma’s Ocean Paintings, enter by liking & sharing our FB page (winner will be drawn Sept 15)! Kell’s Quick Review… Local Talent for the win! Before my Husband and I bought our house in Golden Bay, we took our first trip together to Bali. I was amazed by the quality of the paintings, the price, and the chance to help support the Balinese. We ended up not buying any, we had nowhere to hang them at the time, but it got me thinking when we returned home. There is a plethora of very talented local artists in our local community, who are starting out, and depend on our support. Since many of them have home studios and don’t exhibit in […]

LOCAL | SARBA’S ITALIAN – Mandurah’s New Favourite Italian Restaurant!

August 24, 2017

Lakelands has a new Modern Italian Restaurant, have you been yet? This week we got to meet the Owner & Head Chef, Puneet Mahal. He shared his story & his passion for Italian cooking with me. He is looking forward to meeting the Hello Kell readers. Mention this blog post & get a FREE glass of wine with your meal (limit 1 per check), until Sept 1st, 2017! Kell’s Quick Review… Five Stars – for dinner & night out! When my Husband said he was taking me somewhere local for my birthday, I didn’t know just how special my experience would be. Sarba’s atmosphere is so posh but relaxed. The staff were very friendly, and always smiling – something I have come to not take for granted in Australia vs. the US! The lighting & decor is so romantic that I hadn’t even realized that they had a kids area! It was also very well hidden, as they sat us on the […]

HOME – Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin – Recipe

August 22, 2017

These Muffins are absolutely the best I’ve ever had!!! They are super duper easy to make but so moist and springy! FYI though, the chocolate chips make them disappear quicker! Ditch a 1/4 cup of the sugar & the chocolate chips, if you want a healthier version. They have a lot of memories for me (which you can read the backstory below the recipe if you’d like), but then again, doesn’t all food? RECIPE: Best Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin Recipe FROM: Joanie Smith, but adapted for chocolate lovers by me. MAKES: about 16 muffins Mix These: 1 1/4 cup All Purpose or Plain Flour 1 cup Sugar 1/2 t. Salt 1 t. Baking Soda Creme These: 1/2 cup unsalted butter 3 overly ripe bananas, mashed (where there is more brown than yellow) 2 eggs Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Lower the temperature 25 F/10 C if you have a fan forced oven. 2. Mix the dry ingredients […]

HOME | Amateur sushi still tastes good – Recipe

February 3, 2017

Since Japan, Isaac and I have been adventurous enough to make sushi 4 times. Thankfully, things are starting to get quicker, the kitchen is less messy, and the rolls are slightly more pretty. Making sushi is a LOT of work, and we are only hobbyists. We really just have fun experimenting with flavors and enjoy sharing our Japan memories with friends (old & new). This past Saturday, we had one such occasion to share our bite-sized creations with the owners of “The Fisho” (our favorite location is in Singleton, Western Australia)!!! We first used their fish for our sushi, on a recommendation from a friend, when we arrived to Australia in September. We were hooked (oh the play on words)!! Knowing that not many people give making sushi a shot, and after getting to the “we should be friends” stage, we finally got the chance to make them some of our rolls. If you are one of the people who […]