pretty priorities

As you know, I've been cutting back on spending to save for our OS trip next year. I'm finding there's quite a few areas I'm happy to cut back on {homebrand flour - that'd be you} but others, I still need to splurge on. Washing powder's one. Now I already save as I only use half the recommended amount and I still get the washing clean {with sports clothes I throw in half a cup of homebrand white vinegar to get the sweaty smell out}. But I need my washing to smell pretty when I take it from the machine and after I remove it from the line. So I was very excited to spy a Surf powder with jasmine when I was out shopping. Hurrah - jasmine!

Of course it doesn't smell exactly like all the blooms on my side fence, but boy it smells pretty. This morning I woke to sheets that smelled like flowers and sunshine {hey Kakka} and wow, did they perfume some sweet dreams. It's worth spending a little extra for that.

party time, excellent

I do love a party. I love to attend one, and oh boy, do I love to plan one. I'm planning one now in fact. Every year the Year Five mothers at our school organise a get-together and a farewell to the Year Six mums. Now, apparently, at the last mums get-together a friend and I put up our hands to organise this years {I still have no memory of this, I was probably in the middle of hugging someone and telling them I love them - I get enthusiastic after a few champagnes...}

So, anyway, this year we're not doing the stodgy sit-down dinner at the local pub. Zero atmosphere and worse, zero opportunity for chatting and having fun. This year we're going to a snazzy new bar upstairs in a snazzy newly renovated pub. It'll be dimly lit, there'll be great wine, bubbles and fabulous finger food. There will be music and, as my knee will be recovered by then, there WILL be dancing.

We're now working out what we can do to set the mood - music-wise and decoration-wise. When it comes to organising a great night out the scene has to be set immediately. You need to feel like you're entering an event: that something special is about to happen. You need a drink in your hand within moments of entering the room and the music needs to hint at what's to come. Everything needs to inspire and excite.

Oh yeah, I can feel a party coming on...

penny-pinchin' for paris

Well, last week's pantry cooking went really well. I managed to get a number of meals cooked from my pantry: salmon, potato and corn patties {with six leftover in the freezer for another meal}, chicken schnitzel and last night's chicken and chorizo risotto {and my gal's risotto cakes for lunch - leftover risotto mixed with egg and smooshed in a patty pan and studded with cooked chorizo and baked for 15 minutes till crispy}.

So this week it's petrol-saving. Every petrol station has a cheap night - a time when the price per litre can sink by as much as 10 cents. That's the night to fill up. Once a week, or fortnight if you're like me and don't use the car very often, fill up your car on the cheap night - even if it's still got half a tank of fuel {that way it'll run more efficiently too - it takes more power to suck up fuel in the bottom of the tank}. Don't forget your fuel vouchers and if you've got a Coles Express like me, stock up on your milk and bread while you're there {they're heaps cheaper than a the supermarket - two x two litre milk = $5, and then if you spend a little money in store you get even more off your petrol}.

Keep an eye on your local petrol station for the prices - check whether they go up at the weekend, and down on a Tuesday or Wednesday. It will save you plenty.

aiming high

I thought these Versace numbers I found at net-a-porter.com perfectly illustrated my blog post today. See, they're ridiculously high, almost ludicrously so, and yet, they're so perfectly formed walking in them would actually be achievable {it'd just take a little practice...}

It's a fine line between fabulous and ridiculous. And that line's just as keen as the line between perfect and excellent.

I nearly had a mini-meltdown last week. Lots of work, including work for a new editor. Now, I always aim to impress but when I'm handing in my first piece, I want that article to shine. The thing is, I'm not expecting it to be perfect, so that's where I have to reign myself in - I just want it to be fabulous.

I still do a lot of talking to myself when it comes to trying to change annoying habits. I have to tell myself, "No, stop, you've researched enough, just start writing" and "no more edits - if you tweak this any more it'll start looking like Joan Rivers' face". Because there's always something else you can do, something to add, something to take away. But you have to know when to stop and think, "yep, this works". You've got to find that line when it's fabulous, before it crosses over into ridiculous.

to market, to market

How's tricks? I'm uber-excited as we're off to the Farmer's Markets for the first time since the great knee injury of 2010... {which, by the way, is on the mend. I merely stretched my ACL and then tore the living daylights out of the cartilage, so it's on the healing process}. We're going to buy coffee beans, roasting meat, vegies, some fruits and delicious turkish gozleme for lunch. Mmmmmmm. Gozleme....

woo hoo weekend!

Hey, Saturday, how's tricks? You are lookin' gooooooooood. After a week of working frantically I'm going to reward myself for my labours with a few hours of doing absolutely NOTHING today. Hubby's off at golf till after lunch and my gal's off to a picnic in the park at 11am. So for a couple of hours in the middle of the day I'm going to go up to the pavillion, loll on the daybed and read. And maybe look at the sky... That's it. I'm not going to:

• Wash clothes

• Mop the kitchen floor

• Water the gardens

• Weed

• Tidy the bedroom

• Wash the car...

Nope, all those tasks can wait for a few hours. Today, just for a wee bit, it's going to be all. about. me!

PS: I'm playing along with the fabulous Miss Maxabella today. Today I'm grateful that I had all that work that made me so frantic over the last few weeks. I'm grateful there's more coming, and I'm grateful for my gorgeous gal who's excitedly frocking up for a picnic. Bless.

friday flowers

I was just sitting on my front step, enjoying the sunshine for a few minutes, when I was overcome by a distinctive perfume. I looked up and rejoiced at the abundance of Wisteria blooms that have fringed my front veranda. Aren't they spectacular? They're still not at their peak - maybe in a few days - but boy, are they glorious.

oh bless

Those Olivers are damned good at having babies aren't they? I didn't even realise that Jools was pregnant until Jamie tweeted "It's a boy" last night. Here they are with the new addition. Now, let me say, I LOVE the names the Olivers give their babies, Poppy Honey Rainbow, Daisy Boo Pamela and Petal Blossom Rainbow are now joined by Buddy Bear Maurice.

PS: Have you ever seen little girls look so much like their mother? Bless.

PPS: Once again, I love how Jools comes out of hospital rocking her post-pregnancy tum. None of this tummy tuck after the birth for her. Congrats guys on your delicious family.

shoe fetish

Dita Von Teese just posted this shot on Twitter. Guess whether I'm deeply, madly and truly envious of her wardrobe...

lip service

Nothing says spring or summer more than a hot lip colour. I'm swooning over the orange lip at Marc Jacobs, or this more achievable look at Nanette Lepore. If you're not brave enough for the shocking pink or brilliant orange lipstick, a slick of gloss in a vibrant hue can bring a hint of sunshine to your day. Remember to balance it out with some serious black action on those lashes too.

travelling in my imagination

To take my mind off the overwhelming amount of work I have to do today I allowed my mind to venture into thoughts of what I want to do in Paris. Well, I want to visit the Laduree Bar on the Champs Elysee that's for sure. See that bar stool there? I do believe I need to perch on that - macaron in one hand, champagne in the other.

This time, our third time in Paris, I'm ignoring the guide books. I don't care if it's cheaper to stand at the bar and sip an espresso, I'm going to ensconce myself in a chair right out the front and sip a cafe au lait and people-watch. I'm going to a fabulous bar and sipping champagne and I'm going to dive into the sales and come home with one garment with an Agnes B label in it.

But for today, I'm going to work. Every word I write gets me that much closer to Paris...

best read

I will always choose a book by its cover, and am normally rewarded when doing so {most recent read: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand = pretty damned fabulous inside and out}. So, imagine the gasps, the whooping, the open-mouthed awe when I spied these Penguin hard cover classics with my little eye. Designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith these books would look fabulous anywhere - and you're doubly rewarded knowing there's a good read betwixt those pretty covers. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm pretty sure Amazon is calling my name, considering that the Aussie dollar's nearly equal with the US again...

bbbbbbbbbb busy

Just a quickie this morning as I'm uber-busy and a wee bit concerned I may drown in deadlines... And, as these things go, I also have a sick child home from school. Luckily I'd already packed her lunch so I might just have to pop her lunchbox by the sofa {yes, I had written coach - damn - where's my brain? I shall be needing it today...}

Enjoy your wednesday x

deep desires

I need Michelle Williams' eyebrows and lip-colour from this W cover.

PS: there would also be no saying no to a spot of nuzzling from Ryan Gosling either... just sayin'

cheap tricks

Okay, with planning and booking being in place for our OS trip in only 10 months it's time for a serious lock down on finances. I'm looking to find 10 cheap tricks in 10 weeks to help me save so we can splurge in France. Every dollar spent here is 72 euro cents I won't have to spend. So I'm going to get cheap and I'd like to share my tricks with you.

Now, it's not going to be easy as I'm already pretty frugal. But I'm going to do my best to find some funky ways to save.

Here's this week's trick: pantry cooking.

I'm going to raid my pantry, fridge and freezer and see how many meals I can create without the need for shopping. Tonight's sorted - I've got a tin of red salmon, panko bread crumbs, eggs, potatoes, eshallots, corn, pinenuts and herbs in the window boxes to make salmon patties. I also have sweet potato and pumpkin to roast and serve alongside. And ha, there's some cabbage too...

Tomorrow night we've got dinner guests so I'll buy some beef to roast up a casserole, and I have potatoes to make dauphinous - but I'll see if I can whip up dessert from my pantry {chocolate puddings perhaps?}. Thursday night? Well, I stocked up big on chorizo on coles at the deli - it was half price so I bought four chorizo for just over $5 - I KNOW! I'll make up a batch of potato and chorizo tarts to freeze for my gal's school lunches and will make pasta and chorizo bake with the others {there's always pasta and the makings of a red sauce in the pantry}. Friday night I'll defrost the chicken breasts I froze the other day and make chicken schnitzel with half and a chicken curry for saturday night with the rest. Sunday night will be roast night with yummy stuff from the farmer's markets - that won't change - but monday I'll make spaghetti carbonara with garlic, spaghetti, bacon, parmesan and eggs. How's that? Almost a week's worth of meals and I'll only need to spend around $25 on the ingredients for two of the meals.

Cheap trick indeed.

happy 50th sam i am

Okay, now this is getting ridiculous. It's the 50th anniversary of Green Eggs and Ham! I know!!!

I love this book, it really helped me expand my gal's culinary repertoire. Whenever I was offering her up a new food I'd say, "At least I'm not Sam I Am trying to make you eat green eggs and ham!"

Kids and food are tricky. Oh, so tricky. But it's hardly surprising when you check out how many fusspot adults there are. My gal jokes that I'm just like Maeve O'Maera on Food Safari - I like everything. And it's true, the only food I cannot abide, and it's an obscure one, is Oat Cakes - you know those english biscuits? Erk.

I'm still fighting the battle with my gal to eat green vegies. Every night I'll serve up a small portion of something and insist she gives it a shot {mind you, I'm probably also encouraging her dad to do the same...}. And I'm not offering up limp over-boiled beans. Oh no, the other night it was cabbage with sauteed eshallots and bacon simmered in beef stock {I'd run out of chicken and the beef worked just as well}. Otherwise it'll be broccoli sauteed with garlic, olive oil, lemon and anchovies {smooshed into oblivion - you can taste 'em, but not see 'em}. Or buttered green beans with slivered almonds. Perhaps I should try a few nights of overboiled peas and then she'll be begging for my gourmet greens...

What's your one food loathing?

breaking that fast

If you'd asked me a few days ago if I liked muesli, I'd have answered with a resounding, "Hell yeah". However, should you have pressed me to tell which brand of muesli I liked I would have mumbled a sheepish, "Um, I'm still looking..."

Good muesli is an exacting science. It needs to have just the right amount of plump, chewy dried fruits and crunchy nuts, a hit of flavour and yummy oats. Of course toasted oats are always best - but then again that usually fills them full of fat - so you might as well be having a good ol' british fry up for breakfast.

But now, oh now I've discovered the Holy Grail of Muesli. Apparently it's just had a packaging change and leapt out at me with its box so stylish it deserves a wee glass display shelf all on its own in my kitchen. I braved the Velvety Vanilla flavour, even though I worried it'd have an antisceptic 'vanilla essence' taste. But oh my NO!

This muesli is only half toasted - so you get the delicious crunch, but with way less fat. Crunchy macadamias are studded throughout while plump dried cranberries, coconut and dates provide the perfect accompaniment to a vanilla taste so pure and delicious you'd swear you were supping on a vanilla-bean pannacotta.

This, my friends, is Muesli Nirvana. AND it's Aussie-made. If you're seeking the ideal breakfast allow me to implore you to give this a shot {oh, and it's also available in honey flavoured if vanilla ain't your thang...}

oh happy day

Hey, guess what? It's Roald Dahl day today. To celebrate his birthday let's pause for a moment to reflect on a man with a joyous imagination and the ability to capture it in words and share it with the world. For Matilda, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach and so many more, Mr Dahl, thank you x

sneaky peek

Psssst. You know how I said I wanted to rent a villa in the south of france with blue shutters, lavender, a sweeping drive and a pool. See this? That's our villa - deposit paid and booking taken. Seven nights with two other families {four without the dads while they head off for the Alps in a motor home to follow the Tour}.

Don't worry - I'm pinching myself too!

monday monday

Normally I love living in Australia, except when I hear about fabulous collaborations between designer's and affordable stores. Check out these seriously fierce Mary Janes by Christian Siriano for Payless. Payless! Have you ever seen anything like this at your local Payless? Oh, not I!

Le sigh...