Hit pause

Hello world!

Unfortunately I'm going to have to make this quick and confess that I'm taking a little break from Planet Blog. There's really no dramatic reason for the break, but I guess the ole proverbial (creative) jug seems to be running out of juice, more often than not. I'm hoping that by hitting the pause button, the brain battery will fully recharge and hopefully provide the stimulus for some fully sick posts in the future.

For now it's au revoir, or as used to say as a kid ' o river' but I hope to catch ya'll real soon.

Until next time...Rose. xx 

Daggy awesome dads

Hello world!

Today's post is about my dad, and what a lovely man he is.

Even though he has this insane habit of arriving a half hour early to EVERY event known to mankind, and a general propensity to lecture on boring stuff like superannuation and tax, overall he’s pretty alright.

Plus, I think his general interest in current affairs and history has probably played a big role in cultivating my inquisitiveness (translate - nosey parkerness) and love of ole timey stuff, so I really am thankful to have him in my life.

Speaking of old timey stuff, my dad has also recently joined me on my quest for collecting old skool knick knacks.

Given this, I was really touched when at a recent family dinner; he presented me with a vintage German beer stein from the Tuggeranong Homestead Markets. Inne nice?!

I think the stein/mug pre dates the fall of the Berlin Wall and is quite the collectors item, so thanks dad!
That's all for me today folks, hope ya'll are keepin it real, and say hi to your dad for me, cuz dad’s rule!

Until next time...Rose. xx

Sydney Weekender

Hello world!

Hope you're still with me cuz I know it's been a little while between drinks. So, you know I had an awesome but incredibly busy time in Sydney over Easter. Somehow in the space of three days we managed to:

• pick up the ultimate nanna blanket on the way to Sydney, via a market at Exeter

• schlep to our fave daggy Asian joint, Harry's Singapore Chilli Crab (yes, that's the ACTUAL name) and consume a 2.2 kilo mud crab between the three of us (oh man, the sweetness of the crab, with the fiery chilli sauce was so good)

• race through the Museum of Contemporary Art, where I unfortunately missed the Anish Kapoor exhibition, but managed to eat the most delicious eggs cocotte at the MCA cafe

• meander around the The Rocks market, where I picked up a beautiful Silk Diva Tunic  from Anna Pryor

• scoff one of my fave dishes of all time, the roti canai, at the once hatted, yet still awesome Mamak 

• Nip into the Sydney Antiques Centre, where as someone who collects tea pots and vintage tins,  picked up the Holy Grail = a tin tea pot (what are the chances?!)

• Dash through IKEA, because I physically do not know how to visit a city without nipping into a furniture store (oh I also went to Matt Blatt on Oxford Street). AND to top it off...
• attend a Big Fat wedding of 500 (yep that's 50 with an extra 0)

Phew! Summing it all up, I'm not sure how we managed to do it without going insane, well we kinda did, but that's what happens when you travel with an 8 year old and my Mother.

Oh did I not mention that my Mother, who also travelled from Canberra, insisted we visit a random distant relative with her, in some unknown part of Sydney, because you know, we had so much spare time.

When picturing said Mother, think, Imelda Marcos/Margaret Thatcher/Martha Stewart/Oprah Winfrey rolled into one. So basically a scary perfectionist dictator with a penchant for shoes and a heart of gold, who always gets what she wants. Bless.

I'm hoping this weekend will be way less cray cray, but ya never know with me!

Until next time...Rose. xx

Much ado about nothing # 6

Hello world!

For those of you not living in Aus, sorry to break it to you but we've got yet another long weekend coming up. For those of us in Aus, huzzah!!!!!!!!!!!

So what have I got planned? Plenty.

The fam and I are heading to the big smoke aka Sydney for a long overdue weekend getaway. We're staying at Circular Quay, which means access to the most beautiful harbour in the world, more food than you can poke a fork at, and a trip to the promised land, IKEA. Woot!

I also plan on using my time in Sydney hunting for a collared shirt, because I’m seriously obsessed with them. I know its totes weird, but you know that feeling when you realise something's missing from your wardrobe, and if you find it, your 'style avatar' will be complete? For me it's the collared shirt. 

And just in case I haven't talked enough about collared shirts, check out this sweet one at ModCloth

Also I have to report on what a fabbo weekend I had catching up with Miss E and the LSR ladies.

Hanging out with Miss E always gives me the warm and fuzzies. She is seriously one of the most 'alive' people I have ever met.

I realise, unless you're friends with Casper, most people's friends are um alive, but what I mean is Miss E doesn't just live life, she eats is up.

This is a girl, though currently on Mat Leave,  who still manages to build her own outdoor setting (yep you heard me), run a household, raise a baby, and volunteer as a marketing manager for a not-for-profit org supporting mothers with post and anti natal depression.

Seriously, what a dynamo!

Also, hanging out with the LSR ladies recently, catching the French Film Meet me in Real Life and checking out new Italian restaurant Bicicletta was another reminder of how amazeballs they all are.

The succulent lamb at Bicicletta

Though these women are all unique, what binds them together and makes me gravitate towards them, is their shared capacity for compassion, empathy, excessive laughter and incredible intelligence. 

On that note, here's to the long weekend, excessive laughter, collared shirts and your circle of friends. After all, love, friends, family and um collared shirts, really do make the world (and weekends) go round. So does gravity, I think.

Oh here's a picture of a cat on a hot tin...car (aka my cat Gibi) 

Until next time...Rose. xx

Puffing with pride

Hello world!

Thanks to the super kool Rachi over at le-bonvivant, I've been nominated for a Liebster Award.

To say I'm a bit puffed and chuffed would be an understatement.

What's a Liebster Award you say? Well a 'Liebster award is a blogger to blogger award, almost like a chain letter between bloggers' but waaay less annoying (quote from Rachi's blog...well you know how it is, if it ain't broke...).  

Anyway, I think it's an ace gesture and one that works on the principle of paying it forward.

 

So here's the low down, the nominee has to answer 11 questions from their nominator, plus declare 11 random facts about themselves and then nominate bloggers with less than 200 followers to win the award. Plus you gotta thank your nominator by linking back to their page (well that's just good manners!) and let your nominees know on their page.

So first here's my nominees and questions:

M at AfterLComes Mmmmm
Maadz & Mari at My Pretty Sydney
Teak at Cider Teak

1.      Favourite movie of all time
2.      Favourite song to sing at Karaoke
3.      Favourite subject in school
4.      Three ultimate dinner party guests ( dead or alive)
5.      Career aspirations as a child…when I grow up I want to be…?!
6.      Favourite item of clothing
7.      A travel destination on your wish list
8.      Sweet or savoury, and why?
9.      First childhood memory
10.  Where do you think you’ll be 5 years from now?
11.  Random deal breakers for relationships (friends or partners)

Rachi’s Questions to me!

1. Who inspires you the most? 

The Husband. Even though we disagree on stuff and always have spirited debates, he's my sounding board for most things.

2. Describe yourself in three words?

Baaah hard one without sounding like a total douche, but I’ll have a crack. I’d say I’m a…

Funny
Fickle
Dreamer

3. What's the first thing you do every morning as soon as you wake up?

Sad…check Facebook and then pee.

4. What's the biggest fashion faux pass you've ever made?

So many to choose from… where to begin?!

I was a blind trend follower until my early 20’s, so I’ve done everything from Spice Girl inspired platform shoes to J Lo inspired white pants. No one should ever wear white pants.

5. What's one skill you wish you had?

I love art, so the ability to draw and paint.

6. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be?

Manhattan, without a doubt.

7. What was your first ever job?

A customer service ‘consultant’ at Hungry Jacks.

8. What's your favourite book of all time?

Pride and Prejudice.

9. What's your number one guilty pleasure?

A bowl of potato mash with lots and lots of butter.

10. Which fairytale is your favourite and why?

I’m not sure I really have a favourite fairytale. I guess I grew up watching Disney interpretations, so does Aladdin count?!

11. What's your favourite song at the moment?

Retrograde, James Blake. I'm obsessed.


11 Random Facts about Me 


1.       I went to 7 different schools in three different countries by the time I was 12. My dad was an academic, so we travelled a lot.

2.       I read Pride and Prejudice for the first time when I was 13. I’ve read it every year since. I’m now 29.

3.       I am obsessed with Jane Austen.

4.       I love violent, melancholic movies. My favourite movie of all time is The Godfather.

5.       My sister and I have the exact same initials, middle name included.

6.       My sister and I sound so similar that for many years my husband couldn’t tell us apart on the phone.

7.       I wore braces till I was 21. I had no issues with vanity, but they were a total pain when it came to eating steak.

8.       I love steak.

9.       I’m kind of a neat freak, but only with certain things. Hence my hatred of unmade beds, but total disregard for the linen cupboard.

10.   I haven’t eaten cereal since I was 15. I’m now 29. Something about crusty things floating in milk freaks me out.

11.   I’d much rather nap than go out clubbing.

Well friends I hope the facts above have enlightened you all as to my person, and please do check out my nominees, cuz they're all awesome reads. Thanks again to Miss Rachi for the shout out!

Until next time...Rose.
xx

Much ado about nothing #5

Hello world!

Sorry for the delay between posts. No excuses, just been too lazy, least I'm honest eh?

Anyway, since I'm being lazy (and honest) though there's not much of a write up today, hopefully the photo recap of my weekly purchases and a plug for my new fave clothing website entertains you, even a little!

So I've been cyberstalking Pernia Qureshi's awesome online store Pernia's Pop Up Shop this week. Pernia is an Indian stylist/designer who's part of the big push of designers mixing the best of the East and the West. Her shop has some really quirky pieces which I love. Check it out!



Also, I went a bit nuts shopping for Petite Rose recently. But I had to ya'll, the kid seems to grow at the same rate as Rihanna's nude Instagram collection, which is, you know, a lot.

Plus, I 'm gonna fess, I'm one of THOSE mothers. You know, the one's that like dressing their children as much as themselves. I mean really, why else would you have kids, if not to assert full control over their wee little lives. I kid...kinda.

Anyway here's some of the haul:

Super cute, patterned duffel bag from Seed. Buy here.

 I so want this in adult size, how cute is the Peter Pan collar? Thanks Pumpkin Patch. 

Cable knit from Witchery Kids

Well it's a Hoo Roo for now troops. Until next time...Rose. xx

Friday Face Art

Hello world!

Another quick one today.

Just lately I've noticed something very unusual about me. It appears the more craptacular my week, the brighter my lips.



That's me with the unfocused eyes and fuchsia lips.

Weird I know, but it's true. All this week, I was dreading going to the doctors, because the doc wanted to discuss the results of my recent blood tests. Turns out everything is fine, but um when a doc says he needs to see me after a test, my mind generally goes straight to the hospice.

Anyway, to cheer myself up, I've been wearing the brightest lipsticks known to man kind. I know it's totes weird, but I feel like, even if the world's falling apart, if I can manage to pull out the red lippie, I'll be ok.


Which brings me to the topic of lipsticks.

Now I know lipstick scares a lot of women, but if worn correctly, I think it brings so much femininity and glamour to a look.

I mean really, all women are beautiful, so why not enhance it with some trout pout.

My favourite lipstick of all time is courtesy of Aussie brand Chi Chi. Stocked in MYER, Chi Chi is one of few brands that still do a fantastic matte lip. I know we've been on a decade long love affair with pinky/peach lip gloss, but it's time to move on people, we're not in high school anymore! (and if you are, then um, carry on)

CHI CHI VIVA LA DIVA LIPSTICK
Brick Red / Matte

Femme Fatale

Buy it here:

Even if your lips aren't cut out for the hard stuff, try a creamy lip in a soft hue, like this Loreal Colour Riche below.

Loreal Colour Riche Toffee & Chocolate, buy it here:

Anyway, that's all I've got for today folks! Happy lip smacking.

Until next time...Rose. xx