and ahhhhhh

I may well kiss the school gates this morning. Passionately. Yep, it's my gal's first day back at school {technically it's meant to be her second - but, um, we were still in Melbourne yesterday thanks to a typo in her school newsletter...}. She's beyond excited about going - and being a buddy to her little kinder friend. I still can't believe that my lil baby is going into year 6 - the last year of primary!!!

The lunchbox is packed, water's chilled and in her new stainless steel bottle, fruit break's ready {miraculously we had just enough green grapes in the fridge for her}. Phew.

Life's back to normal - gotta love that.

i'm back

Oh, I do love Melbourne. Despite a very short visit, steaming heat and so much to do, we had the most lovely time. I'll tell you all about it - soon...

In the meantime enjoy these. They're Gucci - and very pretty indeed.

flowers for friday

Apparently there's a rather glorious florist in London that goes by the name of Scarlet and Violet. This here's an image from said store and it does look 70 shades of fabulous don't you think?

PS: Jugs, buckets and old milk urns are about a gazillion times prettier than vases non?

leaving on a jet{star} plane

We're off to Melbourne tonight for a quick long-weekend catching up with the family. My brother has an art exhibition in progress that we're dying to check out - and we've got a lunchtime catch-up on Saturday with all my step-sisters and their families. Yay!

The gal's keen to go to the zoo, so we thought her grandparents would love to do that - after dropping hubby and I off in the city to stroll around the laneways {damn, I do love me some Melbourne laneways...}. Hopefully the weather will behave itself and not give me the stinking hot Melbourne summers I remember from my teenage years while on School Holidays down south...

I think we're all set. I made some pizza scrolls last night that are sitting in the freezer waiting for the gal's school lunch on Tuesday. Aaah, the return of school - gotta love it!

My in-laws are also coming down to stay here this weekend to look after the cat and the garden. They love a chance to get down by the beach - and my mother-in-law adores our cat {who loves her right back!}. So all's good. Enjoy your weekend x

aussie-as

I like to spend Australia Day celebrating what it is that I love about this country. Sure, it's not perfect, but it's on its way. I love how we band together in a tragedy, I love our dramatic coastlines and glorious stretches of surf. I'm more than a bit fond of streets lined with frangipani signally the height of summer. There's a lot to love about this country - including the fact that Pink Lamingtons can be considered a perfectly patriotic food.

Bless.

just bloody beautiful

Some things in this world are just delicious aren't they? Like this classic 1968 Vespa that I'm pretty sure has my name on it...

I need a little head-turning beauty in my daily life - don't you? It's why I chose the Macbook Air over less expensive laptops. Why my phone's an iPhone... {sensing a theme here? Mac designer's just get beauty}. It's why I love a great pair of shoes - and why I'm currently not enarmoured of anything in my wardrobe {oh, I am busting to shop - busting I say!}

It's why we're keen to finish off the backyard {think we're almost there - just have to paint the floorboards on the back veranda {white or matte charcoal...} and do the side yard - including the restoration of the 1920s iron setting {with loveheart backs - LOVEHEARTS}.

Ahhh, there's nothing like a bit of restoration and beautification to make a heart sing.

stitched up

I know, I'm all about Miu Miu at the moment aren't I? But honestly, would you expect anything different? Check out the stitching on these, and that strap detail that hugs over the platform. Love it. Love it to death.

Hey, guess what I did yesterday? Window shopping and I liked it! I know! It was purely accidental. We needed to buy a new mattress for our gal's bed. We'd bought in haste last time and it was just awful - too hard, too cold, too uncomfortable. To make up for it I'd bought a snuggly wool underlay and nice sheets, but after spending a night in there recently after a game of musical beds, I realised we had to buck up and buy her a new one.

As the sales are on we made Sunday the day and found, to our amazement, a whole new Homemaker's Centre has opened in a nearby suburb. Genius. We bought the mattress {and, um, one for our bed too... hubby's never been keen on ours, and I can't say that I was ever in love with it} and then spent some time in Freedom, Recollections {where I found a vanity that I must have when we renovate our bathroom} and a couple of other stores.

Bliss.

None of the shops were crowded, there was none of that "Mall Weirdness" you find at a shopping centre {you know, people walk too slowly/quickly, stop unexpectedly, and are just weird...}. Oh I liked it A LOT.

i'm pretty sure i need glasses

These glasses.

cheaty healthy

I've been making a cheat's version of bircher muesli the last few days, and boy, am I loving it sick. I love bircher, but I ALWAYS forget to soak the oats overnight. But the other day, I was craving the stuff so deeply I thought I'd try anyway. So I put a little oats in the bottom of my bowl {probably 1/3rd of a cup} and covered it with milk. Then I sliced up a peach, threw in a handful of blackberries and blueberries, dollopped on some plain yoghurt and topped with some pistachios. And it was delish!

It didn't have grated apple because I was too lazy to pull out an apple and grate it - but it was still ridiculously healthy, uber-delish and kept me satisfied for hours. So much so that I think I'd best go make myself a bowl now!

Do you get bored of breakfast? I do. I need variety - a lot of variety. I switch between cereals, toasts, muffins, crumpets, bagels, eggs... I have a very short food attention span {something you'd probably know if you read my weekly menu plans...}

The only things I don't get bored of are drinks: coffee, champagne and good old water are three of my favourite things {of course I do tend to consume more water than I do of those others by the way}.

Are you easily bored or a delightful creature of habit?

my eye view

These are my two intended views for the day: either in the pool, or on the daybed looking out at the pool.

I know.

ice cool

Martha and her team can do no wrong. Example: after all the years of people saying "Carnations are making a comeback", they've finally made Carnations cool. I found this image over at BellaMumma and haven't stopped drooling.

Damned genius.

how can it be friday?

People, how quickly is this week screaming by? I just cannot believe it's friday, and that I didn't post yesterday! How rude! We did have some lovely friends over for dinner last night - that's my excuse. Lots of fun, particularly as we watched the kids boogying away to Wii Dance - bless their little socks. I've said it before, but we are just ridiculously lucky to not only have such lovely friends, but they have some damned divine kids between them.

Do you like these flowers? I'm a big fan of the blowsy bloom. I don't like those tight, restrained buds - give me lush, gorgeous full-blown petals any day. Now, I'm back to work. Enjoy your friday my lovelies.

what's cooking wednesday

Of COURSE Dita Von Teese has the most deliriously pretty kitchen in the world {as featured in the February issue of InStyle}. I covet it on so many levels...

But, while I don't have this kitchen, I do still have to cook. So here's what we're eating this week:

Tonight: We had some leftover chicken and chorizo risotto so I formed it into balls, coated it in egg and panko breadcrumbs and the gal and I had it with sweet potato chips {mmmmm - hubby out on the town with friends tonight, so just a girly dinner}

Thursday: We've got friends coming tonight - so Nat - don't read this so you get a surprise! I'm making a rather spesh chicken dish and a couple of salads - just food that can be served with champagne...

Friday: I didn't get around to cooking salmon last week, as usual, and am craving the stuff. So it's salmon on the bbq with a lime glaze.

Saturday: BBQ again, but steaks this time. With roasted vegie salad.

Sunday: Markets - so I shall buy me some fat pig {pork belly}. Yes please. With rice and wilted greens I think.

Monday: We're off to my in-laws for dinner. Yay!

Tuesday: I'm at a meeting in Sydney all day so something easy I'd expect - takeaway on the way home perhaps.

And that's it. Now, how to convince my husband to go for a pale pink and clotted cream kitchen...

a right royal viewing experience

Oh bless! That's what I thought walking out of The King's Speech. Such a lovely film, with, as you'd expect, virtuoso performances. Colin Firth was, of course, perfection in the role. He played his part with restraint and delicacy - brilliant. Helena Bonham Carter was, again, as always, a delight. I'd always loved the Queen Mum and Helena's version did the lovely lady justice. Again, so restrained in her performance and yet so powerful. Geoffrey Rush is some kind of genius, one of the few who could have played this role.

If you have the chance, pop along and see it - while you may shed a tear or two along the way, I'm pretty sure you'll walk out wearing a smile.

oh photo bombing - you make me smile

I am very, very, very easily amused. And, I enjoy a giggle. Hence photo-bombing - source of much amusement.

I have a photo we took at some lovely castle in England, that even to this day will set me off in fits of hysterics as just at the right moment a duck stuck its head in shot. H.Y.S.T.E.R.I.C.S.

This photo of Jerry O'Connell and the People's Choice Awards had me snickering for days - so much to love. And this photo of Michael Douglas made me adore him even more than I did after his Will & Grace hilarity. This shot was skyped to me today as I was listening in on a very serious phone conference - thank god its opening coincided with a round of rapturous applause that disguised my snorting. {Ah, snorting, who doesn't love a good snort?}

busy, busy, buzz, buzz, buzz

Sorry guys, I've been neglecting you. Have a huge, important job on at the moment so it's taking up all my time. That said, I am off to check out The King's Speech tonight {oh Colin - love you!}. I'm also still somewhat flabbergasted that Ricky Gervais got away with so much last night - bless his socks. He made a normally boring awards show interesting - even the presenters bristled up and were more interesting that usual {except Robert Downey Jr who's always interesting - love him too}.

The Golden Globes are no longer poor relation to the Oscars - people will be talking about this ceremony for years to come. Bravo Mr Gervais.

Now, this bed - couldn't you just flop down on it for an afternoon nap? Oh, yes please...

red hot on the red carpet

Here are some of the looks I'm loving on the Golden Globes red carpet - and may I say that I'm very impressed that the red carpet has coincided with my lunchbreak. Very disappointed that the main shot up there wasn't actually Lea Michelle as I first thought {I've spared you the actual image of her - it's well, not great...}.

PS: You know how I love Helena and how she always brings it - seriously, too many flesh-toned, safe frocks on the red carpet for my liking. But you know what I'm loving most about her? The mis-matched shoes - LOVE. Head over to Go Fug Yourself for a typically hilarious recap of the red carpet - and check out the show Ricky Gervais is hosting so it's got to be brilliant.

shoe woo hoo

Excuse me, but have you seen a more outrageously pretty pair of shoes? I know - nor have I. This shade of green totally tickles my fancy, and you know I do love me a polka dot. I am now, officially in luuuuuuuurve.

splashing out

It certainly is swimming weather here today. Hot, steamy and with a lovely blue sky. Now, sadly I did not loll around my pool in this pretty Miu Miu bikini - but oh, a gal can only dream.

Couldn't you just...

Never one for camping, I could just picture myself Glamping in this pretty silver Airstream. After reading about a couple who have an Airstream in their backyard in Byron as guest accommodation {!!!!!!} I'm more than a bit besotted. So's my hubby.

Next holiday perhaps?

So, today? What's happening? I'm doing a bit of work, and am catching up with some school friends at a hotel on the harbour later today. Not too shabby...