royal flush

The Queen smoulders in this midnight blue number and I'm loving it all. From the slick hair and glowing, yet subdued make-up, this is a red carpet-worthy look.

oh honey, no

How can a gal so gorgeous, and with such a rocking bod, cause me to recoil from the screen in anguish? Now, while I'm feeling that silhouette {and the 24 pairs of spanx it took to achieve it - or consuming maple syrup for a fornight - whatev} and I think the neckline is an interesting play on strapless, I'm not fond of that antique gold pattern on black. Too bold. 

This is one pretty woman, and I think if she were to step away from her mother's designs and into more couture, she could stun every time.

loathing to loving

Now she's no longer the poor man's Dita, and that she's left Manson behind, I am loving on Rachel's fashion choices. It's verging on a bland out in this pic, but on the red carpet - va voom. Plus she's strawberry blonde which pushes all the yes buttons as far as I'm concerned.

j'adore

Dior Haute Couture. Oh my...

frock treatment

I'm just watching the Red Carpet and am loving on a few looks - but none more than that of a gorgeous couple still kicking on years later. Phoebe Cates looks utterly stunning in this deco-inspired frock, and I'm loving her arm candy {A Fish Called Wanda - Kline is gold, gleaming comedic gold...}

However, Lisa Rinna's lips, serious evidence that plastic surgery causes blindness - I actually recoiled from the screen when all her lips came into view. 

I'm loving on Miley Cyrus's frock - it screams precious princess - and adore the vivid shock of Angelina's earrings against her silhouette hugging black frock.

Need more, must dash back... 

whoopsies

I just realised that this is my 500th post - woo hoo. And then got to wondering when my blog anniversary is, and, whoops, I missed it. It was on February 8. I can't believe it's been a year - it's been like watching your child grow ever-so-quickly. I love how blogging gives me an excuse to comb the internet for inspiration. To seek out other blogs to gasp, giggle or guffaw over. Blogging's also made me more houseproud - when you write about your good habits you tend to want to stick to them. Also, reading decorating blogs impels me to pump up the pretty in my home. If it's not pretty or useful, it's out.

I still get a thrill reading your comments, and I've learned so much from you (especially you Sara!) While I still adore the whole ritual of buying and flicking through a magazine, blogs have offered a whole new insight into life and living - and one I'm pretty chuffed to be a part of. So yay, 500 - here's to going into quadruple figures before the year is out. xx

in the pink

There's nothing better than starting the day with an image to inspire - so check out this pile of peonies. Oh my. It's from a peony farm in the UK - I think I'd die from bliss overload walking through a place filled with such perfection.

I just glanced at my front garden and my roses are doing magnificently after their summer prune. They're covered in abundant red new growth, with some flowers here and there. Hopefully, in a week or two, we'll be rewarded with blossom upon blossom, and then it's time to get the winter flowers in. I'm thinking plenty of pale pansies. Their pretty faces never fail to cheer me up.

sweet mouthfuls

I've turned into a dessert lover. Previously there were only a few sweets on a menu that could get me to turn my head, but now, I'm branching out. Last night we went to our fave restaurant {Bistro Tartine} with some fave friends and had a superb meal - as always. We went without an entree to save space for the delicious meals and their sublime dessert. And oh. Mygod.

I had a roulade with mascapone and bitter orange that felt like a million angels dancing on your tastebuds - exquisite. Those who chose the chocolate fondant were also in raptures, and I convinced my friend to have the snow eggs with caramelised pistachios - and she was more than thrilled with every mouthful of her choice.

When you find a restaurant that manages to get everything right, it's worth going back. From the quality wine list, old favourites done in different ways (this time I had duck confit with garlic and walnut potatoes and a beetroot jus - heaven!) and a killer dessert list, served up by attentive, lovely staff - why not reward them?

put it away

Nothing brings out the tetchy old nana in me more quickly than Pammy these days. I've seen a couple of still shots of her flinging herself down the Runway for Richie Rich and, well, I wish I hadn't.

Her hair looks fab. And bravo for being able to kick your leg up so high, but, um, maybe it's time to move on?

stress and stupidity

Isn't it typical that when you're busy and stressed, you try to do too much and stuff something up? Welcome to my world yesterday. As you know, I've got a lot on - two articles for a new magazine due today, amongst all my usual work. Then I agreed to a few more jobs yesterday, all with tight deadlines. 

Well, I thought I was all on top of it. I've got all my work in my little cupcake iconed folders, I've set up all different folders for my emails - one for each specific category - which I move all emails to at the end of the day, after deleting any non-essentials. So there I was Smugarama, Queen of Smugville when I discover one of my email folders is just missing. MISSING. 

Of course I uncovered this as I was talking to my six-year-old niece on the phone and trying to remain calm in the face of terror is not my forté. 

We searched everywhere, went on Mac forums, delved deep into my library. No luck. Thankfully I haven't been so prudent with my sent box - with over 2500 emails, and because I always reply to emails I had copies of everything I needed.

Then, later on, just before bed, I see a teeny little arrow next to one of my folders. Teeny I tell you. Now, I'd opened this folder, and all the rest, but my missing folder wasn't inside - even though it was. Yep, upon clicking the arrow I found my missing folder, and its hundred-odd emails somewhere inside this folder.

Phew. I really do need to become more technologically competent - or less flustered when I'm in a tizz.

poodle-licious

When I was a wee lass I had the most gorgeous navy frock, with a red and white poodle on a leash. I loved it. My mum would always do my hair in long sausage curls and tie red ribbons here and there. I love these Annie Poodle designs (www.anniepoodleskirts.com) - and she's got poodle outfits for toddlers and girls as well. I reckon my fashion conscious Miss would find this tres fabulous.

it's all happening

Oh goodness. Life's a bit hectic at the moment. I've been blessed with bucketloads of work, so am trying to keep calm and carry on. Just as I decided to take on coaching of my daughter's netball team, and volunteered to help year 6 leaders at my daughter's school write some driving and parking safely at school news letters (seriously, parents who park - on the crossing - so they can let their little darling out and watch them walk through the gate make my blood boil. Park the beemer up the street buddy and get out and WALK your child through the gate. It's not hard) I've been in demand workwise. Which is good, I shan't complain. Nor shall I say no. I'll be like this lady, juggling hearts with ribbons - that's a pretty way to think about it...

magnifique monochrome

sticky situation

Cooking shows are my drug.  I devour them like I used to consume cookbooks. But these days, I'm just seeking inspiration - or good tips. These days I always place a folded tea towel under my bowl when I'm mixing to keep it in place (thanks Bill). I roll my lemons and limes under my hand on the bench to get them all juicy (Bill again?). I also place a layer of baking paper over the top layer of any dish I'm slow cooking before I put the lid on to keep it nice and moist (that English woman, with the long hair, and no bra... what's her name?). Also, because I was vegetarian for 20 years, there's a few basics I've missed, which is why I was delighted to hear the other night that meat only sticks to a cooking surface if it's not ready (pretty sure Gordon told me that). If you leave it, untouched, till it's caramel brown, it won't stick. So true! Even in just my stainless steel frypan, with no non-stick surface, meat, if left to brown, will then come away with ease (leaving just an incy bit on the bottom to deglaze).

karma comedian

I really believe that if you're kind to others it shows. Generally speaking you can have a pretty good life, only nice wrinkles show up on your face (smiley ones, not angry ones) and you can go through life pretty content.

I also believe that karma will eventually strike those who do wrong by others. Whether it's a major act, or a minor blip, surely you're better off doing something that makes others happy rather than sad. I was reading one of my favourite blogs this morning (the house that a-m built) and was saddened to see that she was closing her blog and only making it available to private readers. Reading between her lines I believe that another blogger has felt usurped and has shaken a-m to the point of closing off her blog. This is just awful. I love that blog. Reading it daily while going through my endless backyard renovations gave me hope. She shared her tales, along with the odd pretty pic, and for that deserves kudos - not a kick. She will prevail though, and karma will kick the butt of that other blogger too...

It's the same thing with the whole school uniform saga at my daughter's school. They rushed into it, went with a manufacturer from China (rather than the wonderful Australian-made company I was championing) and guess what happened? Yep, when the samples came through the sizing was all skewiff (either teensy or huge, nothing was just right) and did the orders come through two days before school started as promised? Um, no. It's nearly the end of February and they're still not here. Apparently half the orders are meant to arrive at the end of the month but the rest? Who knows? 

Now in the meantime the kids had to have uniforms, so all the parents of kinders or those who needed to replace uniforms had to buy the Aussie made ones and guess what? They're discovering they're cheaper, with superior material, and look a helluva lot better than the sweatshop creations. Ah karma, I love you so...

Oh, over in that corner? That's me, doing the 'I told you so' dance.

beribboned bliss

My handiwork sewing ribbons on my daughter's ballet slippers resembles naught these nifty pretties from Jean Paul Gaultier. But oh my. The vertiginous heels are ever-so evocative of a ballerina en-pointe. Such an exquisite homage.

reasons to be cheerful: part 1

I needed to get away from my desk for a bit, so I went to the Salvos to drop off a couple of bags of stuff gleaned from our daughter cleaning her room on the weekend. Then I shopped.

As you know, we bought a new BBQ. It's all shiny and new and ready to go, but I'm not really au fait with the art of barbequing. So hello happiness when I found The Barbeque Cookbook on a shelf with a $1.50 price tag: bargain-a-licious! Skipping on over to the glassware shelves I find a set of six cocktail glasses, lead crystal ones mind, in their original pink and white box - for $4! Next I discover that all the clothing is now colour-coordinated, so I check out pink, black and then, hello green. The prettiest green wrap dress with white polka dots is just hanging there in my size, begging to be taken home.

I obliged.

sew sew

I had to sew ribbon onto my daughter's leather ballet slippers yesterday - how's that for a challenge. So I lugged the sewing machine out of the linen closet (not a pretty pink one like this - a dull beige number - sigh) and set to work. I did it and my work looked pretty neat and serviceable. Inspired I delved into the bottom of my wardrobe and fished out my 'mending' bag. In it was a formerly favourite dress in need of a little TLC. Well, a few runs of the zig zag, one of straight stitch and it's good as new. It's now washed and hanging on the indoor line, waiting for a real summer's day to come out again and play.

Don't you love it when you pull something out from the closet that you haven't worn in ages? It's almost like having something new again.

job well done

When I say I'll have something done by a certain date, I do it. All of it. Everything that's expected of me will be completed to the best of my ability. I don't question it - I just do it. Therefore I expect the same of others. Hmmmmm. There are guys in my backyard installing the glass in my pool fence. Finally. Three weeks after installing the posts, they've got the glass {after promising the glass in five to seven working days...}. Now, guess whether they've got all the glass, or whether a certain aspect, say, a gate, is not the correct size. Oh, you guessed that they've cut the gate too big? Hmmmm. Now, they reckon they'll be back tomorrow with a correctly cut gate. Do you think they'll be back tomorrow, in five to seven working days, or longer? Looks like I'll have to live with the yellow temporary fencing for a little longer.

rainy days and mondays

It's been raining for nearly a week now and I've been biting my tongue about it for a few days {you know, aside from saying "I can't complain about the rain" which really means, "Man, I'd love to complain about the rain"}. This morning there was an incy blue patch of sky which excited me enough to rip the sheets from my bed, but it's gone now, replaced with deep charcoal clouds pregnant with more rain. 

Now, I'm not complaining, but I'd really, really, really like to wash my sheets. My lovely new white egyptian cotton sheets, which, of course, can't go in the dryer. I think I'll have to tempt fate and wash them - I can always fling a line up down the hall - or across the living room. Sigh. Visions of summer sheets flapping in the breeze, casting delicate shadows across my increasingly verdant lawn {is there such a shade as Shocking Green? Cos I think my grass has invented it} are dissipating fast.