things i'm grateful for

Taking time out to count your blessings is quite possibly one of the most productive ways to use your time. 

• Today, I'm grateful that my new life as a freelancer seems to be working out quite well. I'm getting things done, on time and without too much stress. 

• I'm also enjoying spending the last of the school holidays with my gal. Before I know it she'll be headed back for her fifth year of school. 

• I'm grateful for my garden that's still giving to me, despite my not offering much in return. 

• I'm grateful for my body that lets me do pretty much most things that I like to do - and only moans and complains if I try to make it do too much. 

• I'm also grateful for iPhoto - where I can go back and visit the pretty gardens in the Southern Highlands - without the three hour plus drive. We'll be spending this year saving to pay for the backyard - so it's only staycations for us. 

• However, that said, I'm dead grateful for my backyard renovation which is nearly complete and ready to share with you. It's going to look sooooo fabulous, that it'll be worth all the pain.

arctic blast

Another thing I just love about summer is being able to finish off a shower with a frosty cold blast of water. After rinsing off the conditioner there's nothing more refreshing than sealing the cuticles with a final cold rinse. Since doing this I've been able to give one step in my hair care routine the boot. I no longer need to apply shine drops to my hair after the curl cream, cos the cold water scares my hair into shining. And believe me, when you've got curly hair - it takes a lot to make it shine!

daily pretty

Smiling every day is made so much easier with a pretty picture to look at non?

keeping calm, carrying on

It's always far too easy to stress and fuss. Last year I resolved never to answer "How are you?" with "Busy" or "Stressed" because really, aren't we all? As soon as you put the pressure on yourself by admitting that you're stressed, it really only makes sense that you'll compound that stress and feel even worse.

I wrote an article recently on multi-tasking. See, women pride themselves on being able to do it, but really, it just means we're doing a lot of things - not terribly well. So now, I try to do one thing at a time - where it matters. If I'm unloading the dishwasher I can always have a kettle boiling. Then I might wipe down the benches while the tea's drawing - that's a sensible use of time. But reading while you're watching TV, or sorting washing while helping your child with their homework doesn't cut it - it just dilutes the effectiveness of what should be the priority.

There might not be enough time to get everything done in a day - but what about a week? Or a month? How many things on your to-do list are vitally, life-threateningly urgent? 30 - or 3? Refining that to-do list, prioritising and delegating jobs to others can make us so much more productive, happier and satisfied - and chances are, we'll get more done in the end.

baby steps

So far I'm doing pretty well with my "Things I'll do this year" list (psst, it's kinda like a list of new year's resolutions - just with a different name) and my favourite is walking everyday. Since I decided to walk every day for 15 minutes it's made a huge difference. After all, 15 minutes is nothing - anyone can spare 15 minutes. But the best thing is, that most of the time it's longer - once I even walked for 45 minutes because it was just so blissful.

Every night, after I've cleaned up from dinner, I'll lace up my pink trainers (yes, of course!) and head out into the lovely pre-dusk light. Thank goodness for daylight savings, as it doesn't get dark till after 8.30pm at the moment.

I'm also really embracing the whole "Clean Sink" phenomena (not strictly on my list - but should have been). Putting away and wiping down the sink within an hour of washing up (I still refuse to use a tea towel to dry!) has made an enormous difference to the state of my kitchen. Benches are clean and tidy - so is the island - and it's now a pleasure to be in.

How's your new year treating you?

oh happy day

Today is a blissfully balmy 24 degree day and I've just strung a washing line in my courtyard and hung a load of washing to dry in the sun. If only I had these pretty clothes pegs from www.cherrymenlove.com to peg them with my day would be complete. (ps: her site? So pretty. I need the peony print fabric - shame she's in the UK - the Aussie dollar never translates well to pounds...)

Once these clothes are dry it's time to wash my pretty new sheets and lovingly lay them on my bed. I swear sweeter dreams will ensue from 15oo thread count white cotton...

dreaming of daybeds

Last year we holidayed at Byron Bay and stayed at a fantastic house, with a pool, massive covered-deck and a daybed. There were other items of furniture in the house, but when I wasn't in the pool, I was on the daybed. I felt sorry for the next holiday renter as there would be a me-shaped indentation on the cushions that'd be pretty hard to make yourself comfy in.

Well, that daybed made me determined to have a similar item in the pavilion at the end of our pool. But it's hard to find something that's just right. Most daybeds have an asian/balinese theme, which are lovely, but not in the style of our home. We want something simple and white. Like this one we found the other day. It's from a store down by Avoca Beach in Sydney, which is a damned fine excuse for a daytrip and looks like it could fit into our home rather comfortably. Our carpenter's meant to be coming in just over a week's time to build the home for my daybed too, which has me beyond excited. 

Once the pavilion's built and the courtyard is grassed, there's only a few cosmetic things to add to make our backyard complete (trees and stuff). However, can you believe it - it's probably going to be completed in February. Yes, that would be the month we're going alcohol-free. Dammit - how am I to ring in my new backyard with a flute of soda water or a mocktail? This'll test my willpower...

bright spark

Generally I don't mind aging. Wrinkles don't phase me, the grey hairs can be covered... but it's blotches and splotches that drive me crazy. After a few days in the sun, despite the sunscreen, my face now tends to take on a blotchy brown effect - not pretty. Scrubbing won't take it away, but this cheap trick will.

Palmer's products mightn't be glamorous, but boy, do they work. This mask is my secret weapon against any marks - brown spots, pimples that won't fade, redness. All's gone and pristine after 15 minutes of application. What more could a girl possibly ask for?

think sink

I read a good tip about cleaning your kitchen today which was: "always make sure your sink is cleared and polished". Which is a damned fine idea. Because obviously, if your sink's clear - there's no dirty dishes to wash stacked to one side (or in my case, a teetering pile of washed dishes 'airing' to the other). A clean sink forces you to stack and unstack the dishwasher and then inspires you to wipe down the benches while you're there. What a clever idea!

Now mind you, if this were my sink pictured here, it'd always be gleaming and pristine. Oh for a butler's sink...

pink of perfection

Goodness gracious, have you ever seen such prettiness? Peonies are one of my favourite flowers, and I must say that I love how these little beauties are entwined with grapevines.

refried brains

With the temperature reaching over 42 degrees yesterday I realised just how poorly I cope with the heat. Driving for 20 minutes to reach a big tin shed in the middle of nowhere (which was, thankfully, air conditioned) and then back again nearly caused my circuits to overload. My poor little car's air conditioning struggled to cope with the heat, so I tried the old fashioned remedy of rolling down the windows - to be hit with hellfire's breath...

I came home, pouty and cranky, trying to sullenly deal with the heat, but realised that on days such as those, I should just acquiesce, turn the air con on, and loll on the couch with a water iceblock. Instead, I sat in my darkened study and tried to work. Ineffectually.

Today, however, it's a more balmy 24 degrees - much more my style. I've been out, bought a lovely melamine dinner set that's white with a pretty pale blue floral arrangement on it (from Aldi - shhhhh), taken my daughter from one sleepover venue to another, mopped the kitchen floor, sorted the washing into appropriate piles and emailed interview requests for the next story I'm working on. Much better.

I'm also happy that my new cupcake desktop icons have inspired me to new levels of organisation and effectiveness. I've got all my stories in progress organised in folders by magazine and have given them colour labels depending on their due date: red for the closest deadline, orange for the next, yellow and then purple for ones due in a few weeks. Combine this with Google Calendar reminders, my monthly deadlines pinned to my pinboard to my right, and my new calendar hanging on the wall, and I'm thinking of changing my name to Olivia Organisation. 

Ah, I feel better now.

minty fresh

In an effort to be uber-thrifty, I've just been wiping down my benches with a plain cloth dampened with warm water. Generally it's done the job, but something's missing - a pretty scent. 

Now, as you know, ants are driving me insane at the moment - in the kitchen and on my desk - so I googled a solution and came up with mint and cucumber* (mmm, sounds like the perfect ingredients for a cocktail... but I digress...).

I dashed to the crisper and came up with a cucumber*, but alas, I'd used up all the mint - and had none in the garden. Nor did my essential oil stash help, until, I remembered my gorgeous Cinderella Multi-Purpose Spray. It's pretty, it's effective - and it's scented with mint. Perfect. So now I have gleaming benchtops and desktop, lightly scented with mint, studded with cucumber* slices, and hopefully repellent to ants. Fingers crossed, if I'm diligent, this'll pay off.

* Note: I just went out the the kitchen to find about twenty ants feasting on a slice of cucumber. Obviously whoever came up with the whole "ants are repelled by cucumber" theory had different ants, or cucumber, to me - or maybe mine are just super-hungry...

green scene

I'm a bit cranky today. It's blisteringly hot (and I'm still sunburned so I can't swim), I had to spend the morning at a child's party and I'm still having issues with ants on my desk (I've just taken to squishing them now, so my fingers smell of eau de ant - not pretty). 

These shoes are my cranky antidote - do you think they work? Wouldn't they be pretty with a dusky pink floaty frock? They're Lanvin in case you're wondering. 

I nearly opted for another pair of Miu Miu, but then, after seeing the Katie Holmes ads I vetoed that option. I think Katie's aiming for a spot of Posh's Alien Chic (as in the Armani undies ads) but is instead channeling Alien Freak... (See, told you I was cranky)

highly dry

The past two months have been positively filled with fabulous social gatherings. I've had fun at every single one, but, I'm feeling pretty well champagned-out.

That's why a bunch of us have decided to make February a dry month. Yes, not one drop of alcohol will pass our lips for a month (admittedly, sneakily, the shortest month of the year - but let's not quibble).

Just as after gorging on rich food, salads and lighter meals feel like a treat, I'll be happy to have a soda water with a slice of lime in a tall glass after such a period of grape abuse. Obviously if any social events are to be undertaken in February they'll have to be done with our other teetotalling friends - I'm strong, but not strong enough to deal with peer pressure of any kind... Not that my friends would actually pressure me, no, I mean the simple pressure that's released when a champagne cork is eased from the neck of the bottle. That pressure.

Wish me luck, there'll be no more mocking of mocktails from my direction. And yes, the local bottle shops will hurt considering the drinking skills of the group of us that are abstaining. But don't worry, we're sure to help bolster the economy again in March. Probably March 1, 12.01am...

the sound of one hand clapping

Call me crazy, but I am loving on Drew's look for the Golden Globes. From the whacked-out, pouffy starlet's hair, to that sumptuous floaty frock, and the 50s maquillage to match - she's rocking it all. 

Some have said it's an homage to her new film, Gray Gardens and if so, bravo to her. This is gorgeous, eccentric and charming - kind of what I imagine Ms Barrymore's like in real life.

ant music

As a youth I adored Adam and the Ants. The yummy frontman was just one of a long stream of men in make-up that I adored (I'm not sure if it started with Bowie, or Frank N Furter in Rocky Horror - but it was persistent). While I still love Ant Music, I'm not fond of their namesake.

I came home from two days of boating and wakeboarding (yes - ouch!) to find massive trails of ants from one side of my desk to the other. Hundreds, nay thousands, of the little black blighters. Now, I will drink coffee at my desk, and tea, and have been known to sometimes snack on stuff al descko... however, I'd only cleaned it last week so I'm not sure what sumptuous feast they were headed for. The worst part was that they were through my keyboard - which is an impressive feat as I have a newish Mac, and my keyboard's almost flat - with nowhere for an ant to hide - or so I thought. Anyway, I swept most of them up, have sprinkled ant rid all over my desk, and have shaken and cleaned my keyboard so much it's positively glowing.

Next resolution - no food whatsoever, no matter what, at this desk. Those long black lines have put me off nibbling in front of the computer for good. Now the only Ant Music that's running through my head is the Pink Panther theme: "dead ant, dead ant..."

bite sized

I've tidied up the desktop on my computer today. I'm trying to make things a tad on the more organised side, and now, thanks to Gala Darling {www.galadarling.com}my desktop is not only super-organised - it's super-pretty too. Gala wrote about the most adorable desktop icons for Macs - and they're cupcakes! I know, dead-girly, but so am I. Looking over at the gorgeous little treats on my left - with all my documents that are "In Progress" designated by what looks suspiciously like a red velvet cupcake {with a cherry on top!} inspires me to work.

And I needed that today. After an evening of too much fun last night, with what are quite possibly the most hilarious people in Australia, I needed inspiration to propel me from the couch - or pool. Thankfully I was very restrained {for me} unlike some people... who stayed up till 4am... drinking red wine and port... you know who you are! So at least I'm just lethargic... not on the verge of death...

wonderful weekends

We've had a lazy morning today, but we're gearing up for a visit from friends, and dinner with more friends this evening. We're taking on the guest role tonight, so all I need to do is bring some wine and pudding. I was tossing up between trifle and the chocolate ice cream summer pudding - guess which won? Yes, couldn't help it, I had to go with ice cream studded with berries and shards of dark chocolate, encased in chocolate sponge. Yum.

The icecream's softening on the bench, so I'll put it together shortly. However, because there'll be  young 'uns sharing, I won't be swirling cassis through the mix - I'll sloosh in some Rose Syrup instead. Now that's even making me hungry... Off to make some roast beef and salad wraps for lunch. Enjoy your weekend. x

excess baggage

Oh boy, could I do with a good night's sleep. Insomnia's been my closest buddy for the last week again and while I've been doing a lot of lovely reading, I'd much prefer to be dozing. I'm not quite sure why my body seems to feel it's okay to be sleepy and dopey right up till bedtime until, shazam, I'm suddenly wide awake.

I've been doing all the right things, but obviously the one thing I can't do is get my darned brain to switch off. I think I'm going to try that old trick of keeping a notepad and pen by my bed so I can jot down any ideas or blog thoughts so they don't keep racing around my head, only to evaporate in the morning. 

Today's been spent tethered to the keyboard, so I'm looking forward to my evening walk. Since vowing to walk daily for 15 minutes I've found it ever-so-simple to get dressed and stride out the door. Most days I do only walk for 15 minutes, but one night it was so blissful I was out for nearly an hour. Obviously plenty of others agree as there were loads of people out walking, running, riding, scootering, swimming, surfing and kiteboarding at 7.15pm. 

I do have to admit that fulfilling a healthy new year's resolution is a helluva lot easier in Australia - where the warm weather beckons you to come outdoors. I'm also blessed to be living so close to such beautiful beaches - it's so soothing to walk by the shore. Walking really makes me feel thankful for what I have.

So even though today's grey, and a tad on the chilly side (well, it's under twenty degrees - chilly for an Aussie summer) I'm dead-keen to pop on my trainers and go for a walk. Perhaps it'll blow away my cobwebs and banish the bags from under my eyes.

happy feet

Whew, um, where did this week go? I can't believe it's Friday and I still hadn't graced you with a Shoe Of The Week. So here 'tis. It's a Miu Miu a name that makes me happy, and I must say, that this patent orange makes me smile. I'm also adoring on that wedge shape - and hello, peep toes? Gorgeosity. My Revlon Strawberry Electric toenails would love to pop out and say "Hey" in these.