excuse me while i rob a bank...

After a six-year hiatus Tom Ford has returned to designing women's wear.

Oh, yeah!

make a new plan, stan

Are you a planner or do you prefer spontaneity? I used to adore being spontaneous, until I realised it also meant disorganised, messy, stressed and unreliable {for me}. So over the years I've established a series of plans to help me try to streamline my life.

My favourite is my weekly meal-planning. Honestly, spending five minutes a week planning what I'm going to cook {probably took me 30 minutes when I started, but it gets easier over time} saves me so much time, stress and energy - and helps us eat healthier.

My Christmas Card list will be a saviour this busy festive season. It's simply a word document with all the names and addresses of everyone I send cards to. Each year I update any details as they come to hand {new babies, change of address} and if I don't receive a card in return, and I'm merely sending them out of obligation - I drop them off the list.

I also make up a master list of gifts: who we're buying for, and options to buy, and where. You know I hate shopping, so this means I can dash in, go to two or three shops and knock over all the shopping in one session. Sweet.

What plans to have set in place to make life easier?

monday, no need for moaning

I don't know what it is about Mondays, but I do believe that reading this poster I found over at Gala Darling will chase your Monday blues away...

sparkly season

Are you starting to feel all festive? I know I am. Not so much as the people around the corner who put their Christmas Tree up two weeks ago {I know!} - but still, festive.

That's why I've chosen this pair of shoes as the Shoe of the Week. A pair of spangly, sparkly Jimmy Choo pretties would be just the thing to trip trap through Christmas parties galore don't you think? As I work from home, I shan't be having a Christmas Party this year. Perhaps I need to plan one for next year though... And wear these shoes...

stop it!

Fabulous with a capital F. A. B. U. L. O. U. S. {underlined, exclamation point, 64 point type}

well seasoned

My favourite flower is currently in season. It's brief, it's fleeting, it's beautiful.

Best find me a florist and a big bunch of peonies asap.

paris v new york, nouveau

The creative genius over at paris v new york has come up with the goods once again.

J'adore.

splish splash

♥ Today I'm grateful that I can walk out my back door into this. Oh yes.

♥ I'm also grateful that I'm well enough to be able to enjoy it.

♥ Playing along with Maxabella x

my hero

I ♥ Helena so.

less than a week...

Squeeeeeee! Look at the cute kids at the London Premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 1. Excuse me: Emma Watson: undoubtedly the most gorgeous thing to ever live? I was just over at Lainey Gossip reading all about Harry Potter and co. Lainey's possibly even a bigger Harry Potter fan than I am {she's been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!} and she says that the cast are just so deliciously unaffected by their fame, enthusiastic and just so sweet. Disney could take notes on how to raise child stars couldn't they? Obviously there's also a world of difference between LA and London...

Can. Not. WAIT till next week. Squeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

blue moods

Oh, this I need to see. I love Michelle Williams. LOVE. And Ryan Gosling? With what looks like scruffy hair and some kind of beardy growth, whew...

I may need to sit in a bucket of ice to avoid spontaneously combusting while I view it. Is that a service they offer at Gold Class cinema?

friday flowers from favourite places

I love this shot of my wee lassie in a garden down in the Southern Highlands. I'm pretty sure she was about six here - and very into striking a pose - bless her socks.

And look at those tulips... Sigh.

Busy day today. I'm catching up with a friend from real life who became a bloggy friend - Corinne from Daze of My Life {I know, it's normally the other way round isn't it!}. I'm finally over my illness so we're off to the beach for coffee, chatting and watching her gals play on the sand. Thankfully it's a beautiful day in Newcastle today - I hope the whales come out to play!

Then I'm taking my niece pressie shopping. She's 16 and I'm taking her to get something fabulous in the make-up department for her formal next week - one gorgeous lipstick, nail polish or eye shadow - and we'll probably play around with other stuff while we're there.

You?

tea and crumpets perhaps?

I'm well and truly sick of being sick, but according to those who've already fallen prey to this bug I can expect a few more days of it.

Sigh.

So far today I've eaten two slices of white toast with vegemite. Same as yesterday. So I've asked my hubby to buy some crumpets for dinner tonight. When I'm no longer feeling poorly I'm going to follow this recipe and make me some crumpets. These look so plump and delicious that my store-bought versions are going to look like measly little flat things in comparison. But still, a crumpet's a crumpet - can't complain about that!

things that make me go woo

The Rachel Zoe Project was back on air last night, and oh, I missed my couture porn. The fashion was seriously to die for - especially in this Demi Moore shoot for Harper's. {The Louboutins!} And the Taylor intrigue - oooooooooh. She was always such a brat that I'm pleased to see she's getting her comeuppance {I've managed to use that word twice today - gee it's a word I love...} - nastiness never prevails, not even on Survivor {hear that Naonka?}.

Okay, that's it for me. I'm still poorly so I'm off to drink more water. Sigh.

Oooh, one thing. After watching Rachel Zoe last night I can't work out for the life of me how she could actually be pregnant. She seems even thinner again, surely well under the weight at which you can maintain periods and ovulation - how would a pregnancy be possible? But, then again, I still don't think she's properly confirmed {although apparently Pink and Carey Hart are having a wee bubba - that will be one rockin' babe!}

what's cooking wednesday

After a day of only white toast and vegemite I'm finally ready to think about food. Here's what's going down in our kitchen this week:

Tonight: um, vegemite on toast...

Thursday: Chicken Curry and rice

Friday: Lamb steak, green beans and crispy potatoes as seen on Nigella's Kitchen {the crispy potatoes are gnocchi fried in olive oil!}

Saturday: I'm going to trial something from the free-range pork options at Coles

Sunday: Roast chicken and roasted vegies

Monday: Mexican - perhaps fajitas {inspired by Nigella much?}

Tuesday: Veal scallopine, wilted, garlic spinach, mash

That'll do...

feeling poorly

I'm unwell. I seem to have succumbed to some kind of a bug that's determined to refuse to allow me to eat or feel vaguely human.

So I shall be resting, and waiting on my Dr in a top hat to prescribe some kind of remedy...

happy birthday!

One of the things I love the most about where I live would be these beautiful ocean baths. There's the big baths {apparently the largest ocean baths in the Southern Hemisphere} and the baby baths {still pretty damned big} - and it's their birthday. Woo hoo.

75 years old and still looking gorgeous, must be that weekly cleaning that does it. I love how there's always someone swimming, from the tenacious oldies who do their laps throughout winter, to the families who flock to the site in summer. I'm rarely brave enough to swim in the large swell our local beach produces, so the ocean baths give me that delicious salty water kick - without the fear factor or the crowds between the flags.

Gotta love a city that offers up something so beautiful.

tee hee

hello photoshop fairies

Unless Jessica Alba is wearing one of Mr Pearl's fabulous corsets I find it very hard to believe that her waist is just marginally wider than her thigh.

Jeez louise.

shoe boop be do

Monday? Really? Already? Wow, that weekend went by mighty quickly. Let's ease into the week with a seriously fierce pair of Jimmy Choo's shall we?