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

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

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

A hairy situation

Hello world!

Quick Monday wrap up, slash, whinge session about the bigger things in life, my hair.

Basically, I am really hatin on it at the mo. It's not a new sensation as I tend to experience this hair angst at least twice a year.

Normally, it results in either talking myself out of doing anything crazy, and sticking to a trim and conditioning session...or losing my mind and chopping it off.

As I have amazingly fast growing hair, I have literally gone from elbow to chin length hair at least three times since 2008, and I think I'm going to do it again.

And before you ask, of course I have a celebrity hair cut in mind, which I will of course show to my hairdresser, who will no doubt tell me that it's impossible, and I will insist she does it anyway, then it will end up looking horrible and I'll end up in tears.

So basically it's on. Wish me luck!



Until next time...Rose. xx

Flowers on the wall

Hello world!

This week’s post is all about flowers, both literal and metaphorical.

I love flowers, I like them in the garden, freshly cut in a vase, I like them on fabric, and I like being one.




Cue screech to a halt noise. Say what?? She likes 'being' a flower, lady be cray cray.

What I mean in my own weird way is that I like being a wallflower.

Wikipedia defines wallflowers as people who are inherently shy but once you get to know them, they are like the definition of awesome...

And even though many people, including some of my closest friends are still shocked by my admission of wallflowerness, it's how I've always rolled.

Like I said, it's not like I'm a total anti-social pariah or something, it's just I'd much rather stand back against the wall and observe people than be the female incarnation of Redfoo, know what I mean?

Anyway, all this talk of walls has reminded me that I recently papered one. You know so that I could stand against it, being a wallflower and all.

 The Husband doing the leg work.

 The result.

Even though I have no segway, here's some snapshots of my Birthday.



I gots me a coffee machine from super store Aldi. Now I get cafe quality coffee right at home and get to be even more manic. Yaya!

The Husband took me to the Nishi building at New Acton. Check out the amazing wooden frame that envelops most of the multi story building. It's so post modern and awesome, I really love it.

 We also went to Lonsdale Street Traders, a unique warehouse space that houses a whole range of groovy pop up stores.

 Cute vintage clothing store Hipsley Lane  is one of the many groovy stores in the Traders. I would have bought a dress had I been able to try one on. It was 38 degrees (again) and none of the stores had air conditioning. Stinkin summer!

  
On that happy note, I'mma say Sayonara.

Until next time...Rose. xx

An Ocean of talent

Hello world!

A quick one today. I've been meaning to shout out to Frank Ocean for a while.

I have to admit, it took me a while to get into his music, having only heard snippets of his first album Nostalgia Ultra, but the Husband, who has been a true believer from the beginning insisted I listen to the track Pyramids from his latest record Channel Orange and as they say...the rest is history.

Seriously, what a revelation!



I truly believe Frank heralds a new era in R&B and Hip Hop, which had taken a turn for the worst over the last decade with records filled with sleazy, crass, lyrics played to the loop of inane auto tuned vocals.

But Frank is like, the antithesis of all that. 

While his first album Nostalgia Ultra is awesome, Channel Orange leaves it for dead. Engaging, witty and insightful lyrics, intertwined with smooth vocals and killer tunes, the album is simply sublime. 

My favourite song Super Rich Kids, which features a sample of Elton John's Benny and the Jets is genius, exploring the hollowness and superficiality of material life.

It's my favourite record of 2012, check it out, you won't be sorry!

DYI dreams

Hello world!

Inspired by my darling friend M (who is a prolific DIY'er) and MacGyver I have started my first ever DIY project.

I bought these chairs, featured here years ago and had always planned to revive them with a bit of colour.

It's still a work in progress as you can see by the uneven paint job, but after trying various colour combos (all white, all red, green and white etc) I've finally settled on white with dinky red arms.

We've also added more colour to our deck thanks to a vertical garden created by my very own husband. He's a bit clever I have to admit. All courtesy of a few planks of wood, a drill, some terracotta pots and wire!

My next DIY gig is wallpapering Little Rose's room. I love Cath Kidston patterns, but not the prices! so I'm thinking something like the stripes below.

Check out another of my creative friends recent dinner spread, complete with tissue paper pom poms and self dyed crochet tablecloth:

Even though I've been scared of DIY for years, it's amazing what you can do with a lick of paint and some imagination!

It may not be perfect (ever in my case) but at least it's a reflection of you!

Happy DYI'ing.

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

Self fulfilling crockery

Hello world!

I'm writing to you on this most lovely of evenings. As I sit on the deck, with the Husband cooking dinner on the bbq, and Little Rose scooting around on her bike, I can't help but feel pretty darn thankful.

Said deck, all tarted up.

With Christmas approaching and life in general winding down, I'm starting to go the way of Deepak Chopra, reflecting on the year that's been and making tentative plans for the one ahead.

Although many of my 2012 goals haven't really materialised (hello knitting scarf and starting post grad uni) I'm still determined to finish these projects.

You see that's the thing about self fulfilling prophesies. If I were my usual self, I'd probably be stewing in a pool of disappointment, bemoaning my inability to finish anything. But I’ve come to realise, it's this very act of self pity that stops me from progressing whatever it is I've started in the first place.

Come 2013 and 2014 and 2015 and 2016...( I'm guessing you know where I'm going with this) I'm determined to keep pursuing whatever goals I've set for myself, but instead of focusing on a finite and arbitrary time limit, I'm just going to go with the flow and enjoy the process of doing something as much as ending up at the finishing line.

So there it is friends, Rose aka Deepak Chopra’s lesson for 2012, self fulfilling prophesies are just that, something which you (the self) have control over. So let’s raise a cyber glass to that old proverb 'it's always better to have tried and bombed then to have succeeded and acted like an ass' or something.

Speaking of glasses, I recently procured the cutest tea/coffee cups. As an ardent lover of polka dots, these Maxwell and Williams cups have been on my wish list for quite a while. So what better excuse to buy them than ‘we’re having people over for an afternoon bbq and what’s an afternoon bbq without polka dotted cups?’.



 

Well that’s about it from me today, folks. Until next time...Rose. xx



    
 

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!