the life and times...

I love this time of year. Here's a few pictures which show why.

not a bag lady

I’m not a bag person, I’m not a shoe person either really. I have a few favourites and use them forever. The only other bags I ever use are enviro bags for the shopping.

I only like messenger style bags. This is because I am very capable of losing them and so the messenger became my saviour as I didn’t have to hold onto it anymore, it held on to me. This bag was bought at Witchery many years ago but never really used until the last few years.

The strap wasn’t long enough so I attached my grandma 80's gold and black leather chain belt to lengthen it. I’ve used it pretty much every day since! It fits perfectly across the body and can hold everything you’ll ever need, even the chunkiest heels at the end of the night. It’s also black so it goes with practically everything.

My next bag was bought in Bali at the Magali Pascal boutique. It’s smaller and can be used as a clutch. It’s my dressy bag.

It also combines two loves – studs and fringing.

My next bag is for when a black bag just won’t work. It’s also great for travelling. I picked it up from a store on Brunswick St for $30 and it’s the best vintage find I’ve ever, er, found. We call it my Pony.

Lastly, this is what usually goes in my bag, give or take a few bobby pins and receipts. Oh and my camera but that couldn’t be in the picture now could it.

Stella Perfume, Emily & Leo purse, Keys, Lists, Blistex, iphone, sunnies and loose change because I get lazy and just chuck money into my bag and not the purse and then get angry when a $20 note flies out because I’m also so lazy that often I don’t zip up the bag either.

answering the hard questions

Today I found myself asking myself the hard questions... and then answering them.

Do I go with with Target runners or the vintage leather Jazz shoes? Luckily the puddles outside helped me decide. Obviously I went with the rubber soled, canvas shoes but funny thing is my feet got absolutely drenched. Squelch, squelch, squelch around the supermarket.

This is what I had for dinner. It's just a simple, yet aesthetically pleasing, bolognaise. The pasta came all the way from Florence in my suitcase.

And my flowering Jasmine. I'm not sure if it is Star or Night Scented or if they are just the same things. It smells pretty.

summer nights

The beauty of living in St Kilda, Summer and Daylight Savings is picking up a couple of drinks and heading down to the beach to watch the dogs frolic and sun set. It's the perfect date.

Last Summer we drank nothing but cider, I think I'm a bit over it this time round. I've decided Rose will be Summer drink of choice. It's perfect morning through to night.

I wore my new Alice McCall blouse with Ksubi cut offs, Target tennis shoes, Karen Walker sunnies and the usual jewellery.

Below is what I wore to Cicciolina's the other night. We remarked that part of the blouse was almost the same colour as our entree, the tuna carpaccio. I love the tuna, it would be the perfect main. My actual main of duck ragout was really disappointing. Actually, the whole specials board was really heavy for this time of year.

(Alice McCall blouse, Otto skirt from Fat, Tristan Blair shoes)

o christmas tree

I come from a family which is half Jewish and half Anglican which makes us 100% non religious. We do like holidays though and any excuse to drink champagne before 11am and give presents is fine by us. Christmas lunch with turkey and all the trimmings (so long as it’s my mother making it all) is my favourite meal of the year. One year we were made to have a Seafood Christmas, it was a disaster, and it will NEVER happen again.

(Christmas 2008)

Each year my sister and I would have a massive fight over who got to decorate the tree. I hate tinsel with a passion, she likes it. I always won Battle No Tinsel. This year I got to decorate my own home for the first time. I bought my Christmas tree from this lovely man at the Flower Store on (almost) the corner of St Kilda Rd and Carlisle Street. I made Chris come with me and I sang “O, CHRIStmas tree, O CHRIStmas tree” the whole way there and back. I’m told the blue tinged trees are really special.

I also had to start my decoration collection from scratch. This bird is my favourite but these ornaments don’t compare to the ones at home on the Gold Coast, I miss the glittler strawberries and wooden Santa’s with one arm – the ornaments of my childhood.

This bell is also very pretty I think. It reminds me of the bangles you buy in Vietnam.

Ta da! The finished product. Well, not quite... it's missing a star on top.

Everything else has been Christmasfied too. Even Evil Jezebel is in the Christmas Spirit.

I even bought myself a Reindeer. I think he's dashing.

And some Camilla and Marc silver padded leggings. They’re ridiculous and really only work when I’m wrapping presents and have the air-con on.

I love wrapping presents but I despise writing on cards so these gift tags from Hunting for George are perfecto.

bloody mary ka

Don’t for a second think that when I was in Thailand I didn’t hunt for great Bloody Marys. I was actually really impressed and I think it was all to do with the tomato juice. It was really light, almost watery which made it so much more refreshing than those that are made with thick, stodgy juice. It also means that I can drink more than 2 in one sitting. The fact that I’m also paying approximately $3 is also very appealing.

This was an exceptionally good one at a place in Koh Phangan. I really hate how my hair dries naturally and having a fringe in a hot/humid environment is the absolute pits.

You can also spice things up yourself.

do you like kabana?

I’m meeting up with some of my favourite girls tonight for wine and decided I would bring the snacks. In no way does this very Australian dish have anything to do with that rubbishy cricket nonsense being on TV.

This is me in my new Shakuhachi top and you can just see my pretty pink apron. I always wear it in the kitchen. It was gifted to me after a two week stint of looking after a very angry and demanding rabbit named Igby Binks. And yes, that is Kabana.

Behold our nibblies, you just know that we’ll be tucking into this with some Jatz. I’m a bit confused about the difference between pickles, gherkins, cornichons etc. and I hope they all taste the same because I chose to use gherkins. When I first moved to Melbourne my friend Frances and I liked to order this plate from Sister Bellas on a Friday night.

It is nice to be back in Melbourne (although I would much rather to be lazing on Had Yao with a good book and some SPF 2+). This is one of my favourite buildings and it’s also in that certain area of Chapel St I talked about here.

It’s also nice to be back with the kittens. I've shown them some pictures of Thai kittens and told them that if their behaviour doesn't improve they'll be shipped off.

And back to my 1^st world problems like how to get my filthy paws on this perfect Alice McCall blouse.

bang bang bangkok

Bangkok would have to be my second favourite big city in the world, Rome being the first. The two are quite different aren’t they! Bangkok is a debaucherous city with mischief lurking on every corner. I love the pace and the whole late to bed, late to rise aspect of living (for some).

The street food is my favourite.

I’m not much of a beer drinker in Australia but do enjoy Leo in Thailand. It’s just like water and definitely my preference of Singha. Although if there is a Beer Lao on the menu I'm ordering it. The makeshift bars along Ram Buttri Rd are my favourite places to drink. I prefer to skip the whole roof top bar thing. I think there’s a time for places like that and at 27 now is not the time. Peter Pan Syndrome maybe? Check out my new ring as well.

I also added a couple of salt and pepper elephants to my menagerie at home.

Food, drink and lots of shopping. It doesn’t get much better except that it can also be very pretty.

presents my precious

I love giving and getting presents. I love the feeling of picking the absolute perfect present for someone. The celebration of my birth is almost upon us and because I’m off to Thailand I’ve received a few of them early.

Karen Walker Agent sunnies from Chris. This is a happy dance, I've wanted them for so long.

My friend Lulu gave me this book How To Be An Explorer Of The World. It is brilliant and I love the main idea of this book – Everything is interesting.

I’m going to try and do a new experiment every day. And if anyone asks me what the hell I’m doing I’m going to answer “I’m conducting an experiment.”

I’ve also been a bit of a giver lately too. I bought these chocolates for Chris for Halloween.

Each chocolate was wrapped separately and the extreme cuteness of each was intolerable.