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

At the talkies

Hello world!

Well I’mma get straight to the point.

As a fully-fledged movie nerd, this is MY time of the year. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but me loooove da movies.

And because of this, I also like seeing the ones I admire recognised at glitzy award ceremonies, which sometimes are hosted  by brilliant, satirical, intelligent hosts (Amy Poehler and Tine Fey, I'm looking at you) while others are ushered by a sexist, humourless, tasteless excuse of a comedian (Seth Macfarlane, I’m givin you the stink eye).

Which brings me to my take of the recently completed 2013 Academy Awards.

I gotta say, I was super bummed to see Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) lose out to Jennifer Lawrence for Best Actress for Silver Linings Playbook.

Don’t get me wrong, I recommend you watch both movies, as I thought J Law was really fantastic in SLP.

The movie, which centres around the love story of two people struggling with mental illness, is beautifully told. It’s funny, quirky, and kinda in your face, and even though it has its fair share of flaws, it features fantastic performances from the entire cast (who knew Bradley Cooper could act eh?) and is filled with heart. I happily give it 4/5.

So having praised it to the hilt, why am I bummed that J Law won over J Chas?

Um cuz J Chas is like the next Meryl Streep. I’m putting it out there guys, she is like seriously amazeballs.

Based on the real life 10 year hunt for Osama Bin Laden, Zero Dark Thirty centres on the female CIA agent (Chastain) who essentially, through meticulous research, tenacity, and let’s be honest, some pretty brutal interrogation methods, manages to find and initiate the capture of the most dangerous person on earth.

The movie, brilliantly directed by Kathryn Bigelow (seriously, how she missed the Oscar nom is beyond me) is nuanced, suspenseful and just plain smart.

It’s so rare for Hollywood to release movies where messages aren’t spoon fed to an audience. Like Bigelows The Hurt Locker, there’s no long winded sequences which explain the plot, nor are there conversations on the audacity of war.

Instead, you as the audience are left to decide the meaning of the film, which is like super unconventional, esp for Hollywood.

I could seriously go on and on and on about this film, but basically I give it 5/5. Seriously, go watch it NOW!

I also watched the two of the other Best Picture nominees, the visually awe inspiring Life of Pi, and the disappointing Django Unchained.

Tarantino’s movies are always a visual spectacle, with their overt violence and exaggerated plot lines. But what makes them usually so fantastic is that along with the visual feast, he creates characters, who despite enacting heinous violence, have a story and a soul.

Unfortunately, that’s just not the case in Django, despite the emotive backdrop of American slavery and Django’s quest for justice.

Plus, even though Christoph Waltz was amazing, and truly deserving of the Best Supporting Actor, for me, Jamie Fox’s uneven performance, and Tarantino’s original, but indulgent screenplay left me feeling totally ‘meh’. For those reasons, I’m stretching to give it 3/5. 

Pi was just beautiful, and confirms why Ang Lee remains one of my all-time favourite directors. I fell in love with him after watching Sense and Sensibility and Crouching Tiger, so a well-deserved Oscar for this mercurial, genius of a man.

My next movie on the list is the other Oscar nom, Beasts of the Southern Wild. As most of you prolly know by now, the star of the movie, 9 year old Quvenzhane Wallis became the youngest nominee for Best Actress this year, and having already cried while watching the trailer of the movie, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Doesn't this image make your heart sing?!

Plus Miss JJ, Teak and Miss A and I are also catching the 2013 Alliance Française French Film Festival later next month. As lovers of France, films and food, we’re super excited to combine all next month. Will of course post on our adventures as it happens. See more info on the Festival here.

Poor Lilz is still without the interweb at her new home, so not sure when we’re going to hear from her. As for me, I’ll catch ya ASAP.

Until next time…Rose. xx

Much ado about nothing #3

Hello world!

Welcome to 2013! I hope you all rang in the New Year with fun, frivolity and panache!

My NYE celebrations included a quick trip to the city to watch the 'family' fireworks (at 9:00 pm) and then safely tucking myself in bed, to watch Kylie Minogue ring in the New Year by setting off the giant fireworks in Sydney, on the telly, and then promptly falling asleep. So, seriously rock n roll stuff.

Anyhoo, now that we're well and truly in 2013, I plan to set the agenda early and repeat weekends like the one I just had.

Yesterday I caught up with my fave Laughing Ladies: Teak, JJ, and Miss A for a spot of lunch at Mocan (pronounced Mochchan) and Green Grout, aka the new Canberra hip(ster) spot (see more info on M&GG here) and then proceeded to cry me a river, watching the much anticipated screen adaptation of the musical, Les Miserables.

Firstly the food. I've been hearing about Mocan and Greet Grout for a while now, with many a Canberran hailing this joint as a truly unique establishment. The visuals of the restaurant are very beautiful, with hanging potted plants, recycled timber walls, exposed light bulbs and vases filled with fresh flowers.

The food and coffee were also outstanding, with lovely combinations of light summer flavours, like the smoked trout, asparagus and fluffed egg dish which I devoured.

My only gripe is the lack of weather control. With Canberra experiencing 38+ degree summers, the fact that the joint had no cooling arrangements, for me, really detracted from the experience. I will be back no doubt, but most likely on a much cooler day!

As for Le Mis. Well what can I say, just go watch it for Anne Hathaway alone. She is magnificent as the tragic and fragile, Fantine. The story, set against the backdrop of the continuing French Revolution speaks of many universal themes, like, redemption, love, courage and mistaken values.

The direction by Tom Hooper clearly brought out the best in many of his principle cast, including the wonderful Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean. However, I agree with many film critics, in that while it is an epic story, it needn’t be as laborious and heavy handed in its messaging as it was in the film. I do however, disagree with other critics who said the songs should have been pre-recorded. I think the live singing brought an emotional depth to the scenes which pre-recordings may have missed. See the opening scene of Hugh Jackman for proof.

Overall though, I loved it for staying true to the operatic form of the musical, with almost all dialogue delivered in song. It was visually beautiful, as was Hooper's Oscar winning movie The Kings Speech. I was contemplating 3 and 1/2 out of five, but I'm going to bump it up to 4/5 for Anne Hathaway, who continues to haunt me with her Fantine. Go dream the dream!

Until next time...Rose. xx

Much ado about nothing #2

Hello world!

Phew, what a week, Lily’s graduation, the Husband’s birthday and the week before Christmas!

And to top it off, you would think the end of the year would entail a quieter period at work, mmm not so much, think 12 hour days. Boo!

Having said that, the universe obviously felt sorry for me, because despite being exhausted and over whelmed, my weekend was full of spontaneous outings and a pre planned/much needed catch up with my gorgeous friends, Teak, JJ and Miss A.

One the things I love most about hanging out with these ladies, besides the non stop larfs, is gabbing about our mutual love of travel, food and art. Perusing the divine works of Toulouse Lautrec at the NGA (see Teak's eloquent write up here) then spending a lazy, rainy Saturday afternoon lunching at Canberra’s Me and Mrs Jones was food for the eyes, tummy and soul.

I loved Lautrec's pieces focusing on the 'working girls' of Paris. The images portray such tenderness and empathy towards the subjects. Just beautiful.     

I later came home to an immaculate house, which for those who know me, gladdened my heart to the nth degree (thanks Husband) and then out again for a long overdue date night.

A quick dinner at Mexican diner, Guzman y Gomez, with the barramundi quesadilla hitting just the right spots we settled down for a dose of 007.

Cinema Update

I have to qualify my review by declaring I’m not usually a huge James Bond fan. While I’m well aware of Bond’s iconic status and freely admit its strong appeal to movie goers, I guess I’ve always felt slightly uncomfortable with the whole ‘objectifying women/using them as props/Bond girl’ thing.

Watching Skyfall, however, made me slightly rethink this position. Not that I disagree any less with using women as props, but I realise Bond movies are as much about “plots” involving espionage, as they are about the objectification of characters. Not only are the women objectified, but so is Bond (cue 124 shots of a shirtless Daniel Craig) and even the violence get’s a high dose of glamour. Almost every element of the movies is stylized to fit within the Bond theme, so with that being said, I happily admit that I really liked Skyfall.

Daniel Craig’s appointment as the 7^th actor to play Bond was a masterstroke by producers. While wholly unfit to play the tall, dark, handsome Bond archetype, Craig brings a brutish, almost maudlin element to the character, which makes the movies far more interesting in my view.

While the plot of Skyfall is pretty stock standard, revenge, espionage, damsel in distress etc, the acting and direction is not. I was definitely surprised to learn, as the opening credits rolled to the beautiful sounds of Adele, that Sam Mendes was at the helm of Skyfall.

Mendes’s ‘American Beauty’ is a movie I very much liked, and with all his films, I feel he always brings a sense of reality and humanity to his characters. None of us are perfect, and that’s certainly the case with this version of Bond.

In Skyfall we get a glimpse into Bond’s childhood and perhaps an explanation of why he is so...well, detached. Skyfall also sees the transition of many of Bond’s characters, including Judi Dench as ‘M’ and the inclusion of a rather charming and youthful supplier of Bond’s famous gadgets ‘Q’.  Javier Bardem just proves yet again why he is so freakin versatile and fantastic, and while the beautiful French actress Berenice Marlohe plays the standard prop, she is dazzling to look at on screen.

Also loved seeing Naomie Harris kick some butt as Miss Moneypenny and all the supporting actors including Ralph Fiennes and Albert Finney were fantastic. All in all, highly recommended, 4 stars.

Until next time...Rose. xx

Good movies rise again

Hello world!

Rose here. Apologies for the snooze fest on the blogger front of late.

Unfortunately, Lily is in the throes of 'final semester at uni, must get out to the real world as fast as my kitten heels can take me and earn big bucks' mode, while I'm currently in 'OMG winter is ending and all I have is a wardrobe full of oversized jumpers and leggings (my winter uniform) what will I wear in spring?? dooom, doooom'.

Cartoon cat

Real cat*

Anyway to combat such *tragical circumstances, Lily and I have both been to the movies to watch the following. Here’s my take:

Batman- The Dark Knight Rises

Well what can I say, who would have thought a movie about a comic superhero with villains called 'The Penguin', 'The Joker' and wait for it... ‘The Riddler’ (ooooh scaaary) could take such a dark, maudlin and gothic turn in Christopher Nolan's reboot of Batman.

Batman-The Dark Knight Rises takes off after seven years of 'The Bat' in hiding. While Gotham still mourns the death of anti-corruption 'hero' Harvey Dent, with crime in the city at an all time low, there's an almost subdued feeling in the air. And when I say subdued, I actually mean deeply ominous.

Because you see, lurking underneath in the sewers of Gotham is perhaps the most brutish villain of them all. Bane played with appropriate levels of ‘bat crap crazy’ by Tom Hardy is out to destroy the city and its corrupt system of law (which to be fair is kinda seedy) and replace it people power and justice for all...or fascism.

Anyway as we’ve seen many a time in folklore and reality, while ‘people power’ is always a fantabulous idea in theory, without a system of law and order it ends up being as corrupt and chaotic as any other system of governance.

Insert photos of Christian Bale whenever possible

So to cut a long story short (as the movie is a little long) the ultimate battle begins. Will The Dark Knight Rise again and overcome the tragedy of losing his parents and his childhood love Rachel and save Gotham? Or will Bane finally destroy Gotham and turn it into the "utopia" it’s never likely to be?

Well you’ll just have to see it to find out wont you?!

As for my verdict, I freakin loved it. I think Mr Nolan is a genius for illustrating the complex layers that underpin the superhero genre. Take note creators of such classics as The Green Lantern and um Elektra. While not to the same level as The Dark Knight, with Health Ledger’s unbelievably melancholic and intense performance, this is still top class film making. I give it a hearty 4/5.

Oh and I almost forgot to mention, Anne Hathaway is da bomb as ‘badass with a past’ Catwoman, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard and Morgan Freeman are solid and Christian Bale?  Well I'm just waiting for him to realise that being a brooding, handsome and insanely talented/rich  actor is nothing compared to being married to moi....dare to dream.

Anyway with that little gem I now bid you all farewell.

Until next time...Rose xx

*Anne of Green Gables
*Newest addition to the Rose family, "Gibi" the boy ginger cat.

Nature versus Nurture

Hello world!

Any credible geneticist will tell you, all of us in some way, are a by product of characteristics and values determined from the minute we’re conceived. I’m not sure whether this is a heartening thing, but tis a fact of life.

Based on this, I decided to post this week about my own characteristics (both genetic and acquired) because, quite frankly, I’d dearly like to change some of them.

While this may appear slightly maudlin, it’s really not. I mean it’s not like I despise myself or anything, but there are parts of my personality that could really do with a bit of ‘zhuzhing’. As some of you may be aware, I have a teeeeensey weeensey shopping addiction. And, while I think I’ve curbed it for the most part, sometimes it can be a bit of a disease. Like if I don’t take regular doses of my ‘medicine’ (check my account balance), I think I could easily end up in ‘hospital’ (declare bankruptcy).       

Anyway all this talk about personality (by ‘talk’ I mean a one-sided conversation in my brain) got me thinking about whether my particular brand of idiosyncrasy is a result of ‘nature’ (Deoxyribonucleac Acid[1]) or ‘nurture’.

Well I know for a fact that ‘nature’ has generously gifted me with my mother’s rather perculiar temperment. This includes, the abilty to cry at the drop of a hat while remaining strangely silent in times of crisis, a certain flair for melodrama, and an unfortunate propensity for overreactions. WHAT??? Angelina over Jennifer??? Are you frickkin kidding me??? Honestly you think you know someone...  

So while the above characteristics make total sense to me, others leave me baffled. Why is it that I can remember every principal character from Dawson’s Creek, but can’t for the life of me do my 11 times tables? I mean for heaven’s sake I’m related to a man who has three post-graduate degrees in Economics (my father).  

Other fun characteristics, like my penchant for violent, melancholic movies (Scarface, The Godfather) can easily be attributed to a great film teacher I had in college. Even my recent foray into vintage clothes and furniture is an extension of my love of vintage literature, a love nurtured by my wonderful Year 9 English teacher.

I guess what I’m saying is that there are clearly parts of my personality that I cannot change. Cue overreaction to this realisation. Other stuff, like the shopaholism, recent bouts of insomnia and a new found addiction to ‘Grain Waves’ (a dangerous brand of flavoured chips) I’m pretty sure I can work on.

Well that’s all from me this week folks. I hope I’ve inspired you all to try a bit of psychoanalysis at home. Because after all, we should all become just that little more self involved, dont you think?

Until next time...Rose.

A recent trip to my local Gallery inpired this...see 'nurture'.

Cinema, Couture and Culinary Update

Crazy, Stupid, Love: This is the second movie I’ve watched, starring Emma Stone in a matter of weeks, and I gotta say the girl knows how to pick em.

A few weeks ago I was lamenting over the fact that Hollywood keeps producing romantic comedies that are neither romantic nor funny.

With this movie however, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Just the stellar cast alone, including Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Julianne Moore and Marisa Tomei, make this movie worthwhile. But it goes further.

I found the script so charming, and at times so poignant (no, really), I started relating the narrative to passages in my own life. My first hopeless romance, meeting my soul-mate in high school, a perceived lack of vulnerability...I could go on. Anyway I really enjoyed it- 4 out of 5.

Lavender Macaron from the National Portrait Gallery-Cafe. A little piece of heaven.

Op shop +Sportscraft blazer= awesome

[1] Or DNA. I actually know the scientific name. Google did not help me.

---

Guess who’s coming for dinner?

Hello world!

Although life’s been a little ho hum of late, mainly due to suffering from some pretty mind blowing migraines, a fresh stack utility bills and the arrival of an old friend- the chin pimple, I promise I won’t let it dampen my spirits.  

How can I? When I'm surrounded by this:

 

 

As some of you may remember, in my very first post I gave a rather unflattering view of my backyard. Given I didn’t actually post any photos, here’s the actual ‘view’:

 

Like I said earlier, dirt track masquerading as a backyard.

So why am I talking about my backyard exactly? Well what could be more interesting. No really there is a point to this. You see, since my home is the size of a shoe box , the multipurpose room that quadruples as my dining room (the others being lounge/study/ playroom) barely allows for any form of entertaining.  

Sure I’ve had friends around, and they’ve all been very gracious re the lack of facilities, but there's only so many times you can serve dinner on people’s laps. Nothing says elegance like balancing cutlery on your knees...

Anyway the Husband and I decided the cheapest way to remedy this odious form of entertaining is to extend the multipurpose room to include a conservatory/dining room. This dining space will hopefully cater to more than three people and possibly even allow us to serve food on flat surfaces. Here's hoping.

Anyway all this talk of dining rooms got me thinking about ultimate dinner party guests. It's not that I don’t consider my friends and family as fabulous company, but really if you could have anyone, and I mean ANYONE (dead or alive) who would they be?

Since I’ve had plenty of time to think about this, having been off sick from work this week, I think I’ve whittled the list down to my top five:

1.  Jane Austen - it is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman in possession of a dining room must be in want of guests!

2.  Michelangelo- having studied some of his work, while “helping” the Husband write  his architecture history essays, all I can say is “WOWZA”. Fancy a glimpse into the mind of a genius.  

3.  Mahatma Gandhi- my idea of courage and kindness personified.

4.  Elie Weisel- Holocaust survivor and author of one of the most powerful books I have ever read 'Night’.

5.  Oprah Winfrey- yeah yeah she’s an attention seeking bleep bleep. Each to their own eh? For me, she’s a phenomenal woman who’s overcome obstacles which I can’t even begin to fathom.  Plus I find her incredibly charismatic and I reckon she’d be a great raconteur.  

So over to you, ultimate dinner party guests? Until next time...Rose.

Bird Bargains (cheep cheep)

Bunting for Little Rose's room. Cotton on Kids.

Before, old jam jar. Now, lovely vase.

El Cheapo notebooks from Typo, 2 for $10! 

Guilty Pleasures

Ok I know I've been complaining about a lack of funds and I have no need for a firescreen, a wheel, or a vintage suitcase but that's why it's called guilty pleasures...

 

Cute sticker on the fire screen.

Cinema Update

Horrible Bosses: While I love Jason Bateman (from one of my all time fave TV shows, Arrested Development) who stars in the movie, I went in with really low expectations. I mean the drivel that’s been coming out of Hollywood by way of comedies literally makes me want to stick pins in my eyes. Ok not literally, but really the movies are soooo bad.

As such, I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by this one. There were some genuinely funny moments. The humour I found similar to The Hangover but way less sinister, despite the premise -three blokes trying to kill their horrible bosses! Great movie to see with the other half. 3/5!

    

  

What's new pussycat?

Hello world!

Now that spring's nearly here I finally feel like I have a spring in my step. 

 

The blossoms are out!

Even though Australia is often marketed as the land of the sun, surf and buxom babes, Canberra is renowned for its cold, crisp climate. By Australian standards, the unusually chilly winters around here allows for the wearing of snuggly winter coats, lounging around elegant fireplaces (or in my case, in front of my ever so stylish gas heater) and sipping warm liquidy drinks in an ever expanding cafe market.

Speaking of cafes, I just checked out a newbie in Garema Place. It’s called... you guessed it, ‘Garema Cafe’. While I haven’t tried the food, it’s a nice enough place to sit around, drink coffee and write mee blog!

I'm really hoping these smaller establishments continue to pop up in our city, ala Melbourne.

Anyway, back to Canberra's wonderous winter, usually when it comes- a- knockin, I find myself doing a little jig, splashing out on a new coat and revelling in all its icy glory.....but this year? mmm not so much. Instead, I’ve faced every blessed day with a fear akin to those suffering from ‘winteraphobia’ (that may not be the technical term but it’s a real condition, look it up). Basically, I just wanted it all to just go away. Far, far away.

I’m not entirely sure what caused this sudden change of mood, but I’m really hoping it’s a temporary blip which I grow out of by um...next year.

Anyway, to fight off my general state of ‘miserableness’ I started planning some pretty major changes in my life. I can't say too much at this stage in case the proverbial hits the fan, but I'm really hoping a change in career, possibly through a stint at uni (mature age student, yeah baby) and an upcoming holiday to Europe and America will change my fortunes. More on the holiday later!

So other than wallowing in my wintery blues what else have I been up to?? Why shop, watch movies and eat, of course!

As you may have now gathered, I’m a bit of a sucker for new stuff, not 'new' new stuff, but you know what I mean. HOWEVER, since I entered the self awareness phase that is my late 20’s, I've had to take a good hard look at my shopping habits, and let me tell you, it ain’t pretty. There was a time, particularly after I finished uni and got my first real job, that come pay day (which for the public service is Thursday), I would literally leave the office as soon as etiquette allowed, run to the nearest department store and buy the first thing that caught my eye. It didn’t really matter what it was, I just wanted that rush of buying something pristinely packaged and knowing that it was mine to keep FOREVER. It was a shopatragedy really.     

So while I don't think I'll ever curb my habit entirely, I'm now buying things that are much more meaningful to me, and if it happens to be vintage/hand me down/fair trade stuff  that actually helps a cause or two, then hot diggity, that’s even better..

So on that note, here's what I’ve spent my hard earned cash on these last few weeks:

Yet another tea pot!

Post war (1940-50s) Arnotts biscuit tin.Husband loves this.

Cinema and Culinary Update

Jane Eyre: OMG, watched this with Miss E and just wanted to dive into the screen and fall into the arms of Mr Rochester (Michael Fassbender). It was languid, subtle, and oh so beautiful. The mise en scene (a term I learnt in film class!) literally made me weep with desire. It was so so beautiful. Plus, I think I have a crush on our very own Canberra girl, Mia Wasikowska, who plays Jane. Loved it, loved it, loved it 4/5!

The "delicious" fried ice cream

 I still love ya!

Ok so I tried fried ice cream once when I was very little, I can’t  really remember the taste, so when the fam and I headed out to our favourite family restaurant, the institution that is Sammy’s Kitchen, I thought I’d give it another crack. How bad could it be right? Yeah pretty bad. I had one mouthful and almost choked on the curiously crusty yet doughy coating covering the ice cream. Yep definitely one that should have been left in the memory bank. Till next time...Rose.xx