What I will be doing this weekend

* drinking champagne and cosmos at the oh so chick Hotel Richmond in Adelaide on Friday night

* doing yoga and weights at my fab new gym (yes I'm loving it, very scary)

* working out my final touches to my outfit for Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. Currently I'll be wearing a stunning pale green and pink floral halterneck with pale green satin underlay. It is quite a 50s style. Very sexy.

* Catching up on rented DVDs, Cinema Paradiso and Un long dimanche de fiançailles (A Very Long Engagement)

* going for a run

*Enjoying the perfect spring weather

*Maybe drinking more champagne at the Oyster Bar by the beach with my good friend Miss M. I can't think of much better than a lazy afternoon in the sun eating oysters and drinking bubbly.....

Foodbloggers are blooming................

This should interest all of those food bloggers out there.............

And so there should be food blogs! I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't drool over the fab food blogs on a daily basis!


Here is an excerpt, courtesy of theage.com.au

"Parisian Clotilde Dusoulier began writing Chocolate and Zucchini (www.chocolateandzucchini.com) two years ago. She won four categories in the 2004 Food Blog Awards, including Best Writing, Best Recipes and Best Overall Food Blog and was nominated for best European blog in the 2005 Bloggies.

Her musings on food and its delights have gained her a devoted following and Clotilde is currently discussing a book proposal with a New York publishing house. She has also been invited to write for various international publications.

Food Porn Watch (http://foodpornwatch.arrr.net) provides details of food blogs that have been recently updated. A slightly degenerate title, but a fantastic way to sample the huge range in the food blogging world. And these days the global economy means that the product a blogger in Canada or Munich describes is often available locally or by mail order."


Toblerone Cheesecake (how freaking yummy does this look??) courtesy of thecakemen.com.au

discovery

Don't you love discovering a new website?? Last night when I was trying not to watch the Hoff on TV, I started searching for new music. i discovered this fab website to download music! It has everything! Well mainly dance. Currently I'm listening to Armand Van Helden, particularly Nympho which is my new fave track....

This website has taken me straight back to my London 'underground' club days - f**k I miss them but don't think I could repeat them.......

One weekend in Paris.........

My bestest friend, Catherine is currently living in London with her hubby. They are having a fabulous time, Dublin one weekend, Edinburgh the next and last weekend for Catherine's 29th birthday it was Paris.

C&A were engaged in Paris in 2001. Married in 2003 at the gorgeous D'Arenberg Vineyard in McLaren Vale.

When I arrived at work this morning Catherine had emailed me about their weekend In Paris. I'm going to share a couple of paragraphs from the email. I soooo wished I was back there....... I have to say, to set the scene, it was blue skies and 23C

"That night we had a seven course degustation dinner (plus hors doevres to start with and petite fours to end). It was pretty pricey but really good value and the food was beautiful. We had foie gras, snails, wild pigeon, swordfish, cheese anthree different desserts on a platter including profiteroles and a baked fig with cheese ice-cream. The restaurant was really gorgeous, it was on George 5th Avenue, just off the Champs Elysee. It was decorated with patterned art deco wall paper, chandeliers, little butterflies attached everywhere and pink and blue crockery."

"Saturday we walked for hours starting in St Germain, then past Notre Dame, and through Ille de St Louis and past the Louvre. We sat in the Tuilleries gardens in the sun for a while then continued up the Champs Elysee where we climbed to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. The view from up there is spectacular! We then caught a train to Montemartre and had an icecream and watched dusk settle in on the City from the steps in front of Sacre Coer. Saturday night we had dinner in a cool little restaurant in the Latin Quarter and then a cocktail at a student bar which was great. Sunday we had coffee by the Place de Bastille and stumbled across a bustling Frech market so had a wander through there which was great, got to see what life is like for the Parisians."

How divine??!! That is so it, my b/f and I are definitely going to work in Europe (again) in 2007, after we buy a house! I thought my weekends were fabulous here....... not as fabulous as that!

Art is my passion

Art, fashion, the theatre, photography, cooking and running are my passions. I'm such a visual person. I would rather look over read.

Here are some pics from a small selection of my fave artists:


coutesy of ibiblio.org Monet. Houses of Parliament. London


pic from dali-gallery.com Say no more?? I can never ever get enough of his paintings


from artchive.com Andy Warhol. i swear I was meant to have been in my 20s in NYC when Andy Warhol and Studio 54 were hip. Amazing stuff


pic from vangoghgallery.com This would be one of my favorite paintings. So equisite. How much do I want to go back to Paris??

celebs

current celebs. I seem to be one of these people who loves to gawk, look, laugh and admire celebs. Here's a few for a Saturday




From clasos.com - Wow! Nicole looks amazing! I love her new style, although she is a little too thin. She has really classed up and got herself a good stylist (well the same stylist as Lindsay, Mishca.......)


from celebweb.org So much better dark, still annoying as hell but love her dark. Blonde was horrible!


From socialitelife.com Why????? I used to like Victoria in the Spice Girls, now she looks like a botox drag queen??? Sure she gets to shag the ever so sexy David Beckham BUT who hasn't??


from cache.gettyimages.com God another drag queen! Blonde looks so hideous on Nicky


from cdn-channelsnetscape.com MUCH better dark, really stunning!

The weekend has LANDED

Plans for the weekend
NOW- had to leave work early as I was having an apartment inspection - I can't wait until we have our own place - none of this bullshit!

Having an early night tonight - have a bit of a cold so need to rest up!

Saturday
Maybegoing to the new gym... start doing some weights again

Saturday afternoon - a clothes party.... might cancel though - see how I'm feeling!

Saturday evening - cocktails at the ever-so-swish Salt by the ocean

Sunday - coffee with one of my best friend's Kate, probably at Henley Beach followed by lunch with mum and the movies, she has free tickets for In Her Shoes

I just love weekends! They are precious times.

Hump Day

It has been a pretty good week so far. I finished my last Assignment before I went on holidays So this week I have been...................

1) watching my Sex and the City Box Set for the 2nd time........... was given it for Christmas... best present EVER except when my gorgeous 2 year old niece, Gracie, asked if she could watch it!

2) Wishing that Sarah Jessica Parker was my stylist or Patricia Field that styled Carrie on Sex and the City

3) drooling over my DREAM wedding dress by J'Aton (love their website), it is Art Deco, cream italian silk with stunning pleats. Why don't we have such fabulous couture shops in Adelaide?? I guess Melbourne is only an hour's flight away.........

4) Reading my numerous collection of cook books. Gordon Ramsay is still my favorite. I love his rich, decedent flavours

5) drooling over my dream engagement ring by Gerard McCabe

6) Looking forward to starting at a brand spanking new gym this weekend............. want to look sexy for summer!

7) Working out how we can possibly buy our dream home, a 1925s renovated bungalow, wooden floorboards, high ceilings, renovated extention, stunning kitchen and adorable backyard complete with herb and vegetable garden, fresh flowers and a funky fish pond.......... it's for sale now but we won't be buying til March


Can you PLEASE be my stylist?!?!

Sandra Oh appreciation

Can this Canadian actress do no wrong?? I love her! From Sideways to Under the Tuscan Sun to Grey's Anatomy. And she's pretty cool. Love her style. You go girl!

blogs I'm loving

I have discovered the wonderful world of blogging and am blown away by the creativity and humour of some blogs! Below are a few from blogs of people I don't know but just love. Hell they don't know me either.


Teapots anyone??

this blog really makes me laugh! Especially this post

am loving the shoes on this blog from Paris fashion week

this picture called foodoo stolen from my fave blog - A cat in the kitchen

Tranformers..... robots in disguise...............blast from the 80s

Remember these??? This was/is Optimus Prime. The leader of the pack. I remember being 8 or 9 and I was obsessed with the Tranformers. The little stickers on them that would change to the nasty 'decepticons'. Fabulous 80s marketing. My best friend Bri and I saved for months to pay the $20 for Optimus Prime. Sods law I trashed Optimus Prime and now the origionals are selling for $200 on ebay...... truly!!!

I've been tagged.............

by Julia to list 5 things about me!


1) I am a coffee snob. Really really snobby. I really don't know where it came from either! When I lived in England 99 - 02 I drunk tea and rarely drunk coffee. i refused to go to Starbucks! Since I have came back to Adelaide I have become very snobby! I have 2 stovetop espresso makers, 3 plungers and a machine.... I only buy my coffee from the Adelaide Central Markets

2) I'm obsessed with babies. I'm so clucky. B/f and I are really considering having one now. Something has certaining 'kicked in' since I've turned 3-0

3) I love to laugh and have fun. I'm not a *deep* person at all. I prefer laughter and light.

4) I am in love with cashmere. Several months ago I bought a gorgeous David Lawrence cashmere sweater reduced from $200 to $100! Call me *prim and proper* if you like, but am currently drooling over these Ralph Lauren cashmeres, especially this little twin set

5) I feel so content at the moment. Very very relaxed!

update

I have not written for what feels like an eternity! I was lucky enough to have last week off and get away to this fabulous place, Kangaroo Island

What was so wonderful was getting away, staying in a gorgeous 1880s stone cottage, no TV, no computer, no mobile.... just the view of the ocean outside the bedroom window and pure bliss. It was such a great getaway. Nice to forget about all my worries and truly relax. We were lucky enough to have a penguin nesting 2 eggs in the wood pile out the back and a duck, goose and geesling arriving for dinner every evening!!!

I went away with my b/f and his parents. We all got along so well! And the weekend before b/f's brother, wife and 2 little girls were in Adelaide also. I really really feel like b/f and I are serious now! (even though we have been together 3 years and have lived together for half of that) Only problem is his parents don't really drink so I was sooo well behaved! Yesterday afternoon, after they'd left - I spent to arvo making mango daiquari's... mmmmm!!!

Back to work today which was ok but am sooooo tired!

Picture below off the coast of Kangaroo Island

so so soooooo nervous AND gourmet delights....

I'm sitting here shitting my pants! My b/f and I have been together 3 years next week. I'm about to meet some of his family, including his parents for the FIRST time!

B/f is currently at the airport picking up his brother, sister-in-law and 2 neices, Kate (7) and Grace (3). His parents are already in Adelaide at the moment.

So, I'm very nervous! Usually I'd down a bottle of champagne and chain smoke to calm my nerves but figured that ain't a good impression........

So I've bought the nieces two Super Chocolate Frogs from Haigh's (These things are amazing, 400 grams of pure milk chocolate......) and I've stocked the fridge with Jarlsberg, King Island Brie, Maggie Beer Phesant Farm Pate, Coopers Pale Ale beer, Woodstock Rose and Orlando Trilogy Champagne.......... gourmet delights will impress anyone I say!

travel

I love this pic! A friend of mine has just returned from 4 months travelling through Europe and Egypt. This is taken in the Sahara. Oh golly, how I want to go travelling again!!! Maybe once we've bought our house we might go...... I so want to go to NYC but the thought of South America or Morocco really appeals also... too many places to see in the world. The travel bug never, ever leaves. It's an addiction, needs constant feeding!

Friends

I thought I'd share a pic of myself with one of my best friends, Kate. Taken at a recent 30th. Kate is an amazing friend - I love her to bits!

I really can't wait to let my hair down once all this study is over for the year. I need to get my assignment done by Friday! Think I'm going to make myself a strong espresso and get stuck into it tonight............. I just want to glam up and boogie down......... soon!

these boobs were made for gawking..........

Right that is it! I have just joined a new gym. As soon as this last assignment has finished I'm BACK! And I'm back running 30km per week too very soon.

This winter, even though I was running, my boobs seem to have grown! I think too many winter roasts and sticky date pudding went to my boobs! So I've decided I need to tone my upper body. My legs are fine, fabulous. I'm not shy to say I do love my legs BUT I've become a little soft from the middle up...... by no means am I big or anything - I just need to tone up!

and after wearing my sensational emerald green dress yesterday which really did enchance the cleavage and having my boobs gawked at and comments galore I've decided to do something! I hate getting attention. I'm not comfortable with it! I really don't know how chicks like Jordan (the infamous page 3 girl) or Pammy Anderson can handle that sort of attention. So I think a bit of toning at the gym will also tone the boobs down.....

hand bag fetish........

How on earth am I meant to study when I can drool over these wonders? I would loooooove a balenciaga or a chloe paddington bag......... Why oh why do I subscribe to bluefly???

While I was looking at pics of balenciaga bags, I happened to stumble over this gorgeous blog This blog is like chocolate heaven for me.............

I do have a handbag fetish. I buy a new handbag every month although now I think I'll stop for awhile and save my money for a dream bag. Who knows when this will be and if I could ever justify spending so much money on some leather..... although it is an investment I guess.

right back to drooling over these bags!


balenciaga. I so love this bag. It is stunning


chloe. This bag is equisite. I want one. Badly!

Beautiful Days

It would have to be one of the most glorious spring days today (about 25 degrees celcius). The sun is shining bright, the birds are singing and there is a touch of wonder in the air. Unfortuately I've spent most of the day studying! Not good for a Saturday!

Although I have managed a run this morning and breakfast with a friend. I then went up to my parents in the Adelaide Hills and took mum to an open inspection of a gorgeous 1880s stone cottage for sale. It was beautiful. Wooden floorboards, a stunning wooden kitchen and a seperate artist's studio amongst the sweet garden, all in the hills. Unfortunately it's on a busy main road which puts my partner and I off. I am so excited about buying a house within the next 6 months! Of course I want something old with a lot of charm and elegance, high ceilings, wooden floorboards, chandeliers....... rustic elegance. Yay!

Then I took my mother to this gorgeous little place called Joan's Pantry in the hills for tea and cake. Delicious and nice to spend time with my mum.

Now I'm back at my desk trying to complete my assignment...........

Tomorrow I've been asked to come joing friends at the Glenelg wine and jazz festival. I'll see how my study goes! Also need to stock up on some MAC products too and buy some summer short shorts and Monday - well, maybe just relax, enjoy a day off and spoil myself........


Picture above taken of Glenelg Jetty in December 2003. It is a stunning seaside spot.