I would like to think I have a bit of a green thumb, but the best I can usually do is green nails. Usually. For the first time ever I have successfully managed to keep a plant alive - in fact I have 8 plants alive at the moment; no mean feat given my track record. I truly have the best of intentions, but plants and I don't often get along (please don't think I have the same killer instinct with animals - my budgie Harvey Birdman is almost a year old, touch wood). I am currently cultivating some sort of indoor tree, a peace lily (no lilies yet), frangipani tree (no flowers yet), tomatoes (no tomatoes yet), tulips (no tulips yet), snap dragons (yay! flowers) and basil with some very large leaves. But my pride and joy is my strawberry plant because it has Real Live Strawberries on it! Or rather, it has A Real Live Strawberry. I tell you what though - it smells amazing! I can't wait for it to get a just a wee bit bigger so I can pick it, whip some cream and enjoyyyyyy.
Price: $3 for seeds From: Coles
Price: $9 for the pot From: Flower Power
Growing and eating your own strawberries: Priceless (with thanks to Mastercard for letting me steal their punchline)
Picture credit: my own Canon Ixus 85IS; Polaroided by Poladroid
Current obsession: electric pink lips. BUT even with lip liner and a setting gloss, my lipstick wore right off on Saturday night. Granted I wasn't using the best brand, but it was the right shade of pink so I thought I might be able to make it work. Apparently not. Before I hit the cosmetics counters and start shelling out hundreds to find the right one, can anyone recommend from experience a solid, long-lasting electric pink lipstick? I'm talking magenta pink, not baby pink. Knock your socks off pink. Sell it to me and I'll start shopping and trialling.
When I think zinc, I think stripes of green and blue across my nose as a kid. Remember the school swimming carnivals when you used to have your house name written up and down your legs and arms in a passionate show of Kellerman/Melba/Franklin/Oodgeroo pride (our houses were named after historical Australian women) and there was always that silly girl who didn’t put sunscreen under her zinc and had to come to school the next day sporting a swimming carnival tan with white words scrawled up her red arms. Glad that was never me.
Point is, zinc has changed a lot since the 90s. Take Invisible Zinc for example. While the word zinc conjures images of pore clogging thickness, the Invisible Zinc Environmental Skin Protector is a really light and moisturising cream that sinks right into skin. PLUS this baby is a superfighter. It’s good for all skin types, reflects UV rays (A & B!) and assists in neutralising all the yucky environmental pollutants that do mean things like cause wrinkles and make skin sad. I was spurred on to write about this because I have been passionately using the Invisible Zinc ESP since it launched, and my Dad asked for a recommendation for something strong enough to wear to his outdoor weddings without the whole sweaty white face that seems to come with hardcore sunscreens (background: my Dad is a wedding celebrant and does a lot of outdoor weddings in summer – I highly recommend him, but I’m slightly biased). It might not stop him getting wrinkles at this stage (love you Dad) but it will definitely fight the harsh summer sun while keeping him looking fresh and celebrant-y.
Price: $35 From: David Jones Why you need it: To fight those harsh UV rays and the evil wrinkle causing pollutants. Bam! Ka-pow!
I dunno about you, but I burn out pretty quickly from party season. I feel like I’m starting to fade already and there are still 6 weeks to go til we hit 2010. Do you ever think ‘I can’t possibly go to one more function and make small talk with Barry from accounts whilst gagging on house white’? Me too. I would much rather be on my balcony drinking cider.
I will admit I am fairly new to the cider market, after conversion via a good friend and a shouted schooner down the local. Not sure why I had never considered it before; probably because I have never been a fan of apple juice and I just assumed it would be like apple juice on crack – all sugary and harsh. To-ta-lly wrong. I now have a 6-pack of Strongbow Clear in the fridge for days like today (i.e. hot, minimal clothes, too lazy to do anything). Before you ask, yes I did pick the Strongbow Clear because it is 50% less sugar and 35% less carbs. All the finger food at parties and Maccas hangover breakfasts are playing havoc on my waistline.
Here’s the Stuff That I Bought handy checklist for how to drink cider properly:
It has to be ICE COLD. Chill your glass in the fridge. Throw in some extra ice cubes. Do whatever you need to do to keep it sub-zero.
Drink outside. Coldness mentioned in previous point juxtaposes well with Australian summer temperatures.
Best consumed in groups. Not sure why that is, but the more people who are around, the better it tastes.
The group needs to be naked. Oh wait, that’s an orgy. Wrong list!
How not to drink cider:
Through your nose. It burns.
Price: $14.99 for a 6-pack, $50.99 for a case From: Your local bottle-o Why you need it: To break the heat and the monotony
PS - I would like to take a moment to apologise for the appalling header. I just really wanted to use the word cider in there!
Just a quicky today to say get these on your hoofs! Since summer has hit us with full force, it’s going to be a beachy kind of weekend and you need to be prepared. This involves sunscreen, hat, esky full of cold ones and a pair of New Zealand safety boots, as my Dad used to call them. Or thongs, if you’re not fluent in 80s ocker slang.
Havaiana’s sexy Brazilian cousin Dupe (doo-pay) has hit our shore and is ready to party. Just as comfy, if not comfier (is that a word?) than Havaianas, they are made from a super-soft, flexible high-tech rubber to protect and cushion your feet while you traipse a kilometre from your parking spot somewhere in the back of Bondi, negotiate the scores of British backpackers on the hot sand and then get you back to the convenience store for a Calippo and a bottle of water. That’s a lot of walking for a relaxing day at the beach! See the gel spot on the heel? That's HXP gel (translation - feels good, man).
Price: starts from $14.95 From: the usual thongs stockists (I got mine from General Pants) Why you need them: Do you wear anything but thongs in summer?
These same cool cats are also bringing us thongs with an edge. I first spotted Bruna thongs on the feet of the fashion director of one of the big mags and instantly fell in love with the chic studded design on a simple black thong. (FYI - Bruna is the niece of the chick who brought Havaianas to Australia - that's good thong breeding). You can pick from square studs, round studs or rows of crystals on black or white. Consider them your formal thongs, for big occasions. (Thanks to the glamorous Sassi Sam for letting me steal her image of the Bruna's!)
Price: $39.95 From: General Pants Why you need them: Like I said, do you wear anything but thongs in summer? You need a nice dressy pair for those big occasions (weddings, formals, Christmas parties)
SO many good sales on this weekend. I would say 'great for buying Christmas presents' but screw everyone else - these are just for you!! This is my pick of the litter:
NATIONAL
Myer family and friends shopping event - Thurs 19th - Sat 21st. You can download and print out the flyer from their facebook page.
Kikki.K. Secret Sale - 20% off for those on the members mailing list. If you're not on the list, just let me know and I'll forward you the flyer with the barcode. Thurs 19th - Sun 22nd.
SYDNEY-CENTRIC
Wayne Cooper warehouse sale - time to frock up! Thurs 19th - Sat 21st. 8DD Hiles St, Alexandria. Thurs 9am-7pm; Fri 9am-6pm; Sat 10am - 5pm
Brasilfit warehouse sale - let's get physical! Fri 20th - Sun 22nd. 866 Bourke St Waterloo (entrance on O'Dea St). 10am-4pm every day.
Elizabeth Arden sale - something for you and something for the Santa sack. Sat 21st - Sat 28th. Unit 31, 9 Salisbury Rd, Castle Hill. Sat 21st/Sun 22nd 9am-3pm; Mon-Fri 9am-4pm; Sat 28th 9am-2pm.
MARK IT IN THE DIARY
Rachel Gilbert sale - you're gonna be fighting me off here ladies! Wed 25th - Sat 28th. Suite 11, level 5 50 Holt St Surry Hills. Wed 10am-7pm; Thurs 10am-8pm; Fri 10am-7pm; Sat 10am-5:30pm
Herringbone sale - perfect if you're a corporate monkey (my corporate monkey sister highly recommends this sale.; she got some great stuff last time). Tues 24th - sun 29th. Herringbone Outlet, 118 Commonwealth St Surry Hills. Tues 7am-9pm; Wed 8am-7pm; Thurs 8am-7pm; Fri 9am-6pm; Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 10am-4pm.
I know I have said this before, but there is nothing greater than receiving a parcel in the post. When you order clothes online though, it is a whole different type of anticipation – excitement mixed in with fear of things not fitting. This feeling is amplified times 100 when you order from the States or the UK and you a) pay a fortune for shipping and b) can’t return it if it isn’t right. This was me last week. I had been lusting over a blazer from Urban Outfitters for weeks and for once in my life I was very restrained and didn’t just rush into the purchase. I must have been sick or something. Two weeks and many page impressions later, I put the credit card details in (and added a few extra things to the cart since I was already paying for shipping) and then...the wait.
Most importantly - thank goodness everything fit!!! I bought the most kick-ass camel Silence & Noise Open Front Blazer, which is going to be one of my summer go-to’s. It has a lovely almost-boyfriend shape to it, and is a versatile colour (even though I am still figuring out what it goes with). I also bought a Silence & Noise Little Brother Blazer in a bright cobalt blue. I have black and navy blazers already so thought I would go for a pop of colour in a fitted, cropped style. I must have been having a blue moment because I also bought a BDG hammered silk tee in electric blue (or thames blue, as they call it) which creases really really easily. Darn silk. And I bought something else neon blue, but I won’t tell you about it in case it ends up in my sister’s Christmas stocking.
One of the best things about ordering from Urban Outfitters, apart from the super-fast international shipping, is the fact they are so conscious about security. They verify the card on each and every order, either with your bank or with you personally (it involves scanning your drivers license and most recent bill). I give this two very enthusiastic thumbs up because it demonstrates that they care about their customers security, and that can only be a good thing.
Price: They always have stuff on sale – tops starting from US$10 going up to US$100+ for jackets (my camel blazer was US$78) – shipping is US$70 From: Urban Outfitters Why you need to check out their online store: For cool fashion that you can’t get here!
My Real Life Day Job is pretty sweet. I have a great team, a kickass boss and we have a lot of laughs in the office. What more could you ask for? We’re planning our end of year blow-out at the moment (lawn bowls! Woo!) and I’m trying to come up with some funny end of year awards (I plan on awarding myself something about messiest desk – it’s like the Bermuda Triangle). If you have any award suggestions, my email address is over there -> and the comment box is down below.
Anyway, as part of my Real Life Day Job, I was fortunate enough to be invited out to Eastern Creek on Saturday to do the Galmatic Defensive Driving Course. Galmatic is a really cool car care garage run by chicks for chicks. I’m totally clueless when it comes to cars, as are most girls, and Eleni (the head Galmatic hottie) has written a book with everything you need to know in a really easy to understand format. She also runs workshops to help you understand your car. Do you have any idea how important tyres are? The answer is Very. The final piece of the Galmatic puzzle is defensive driving courses. This involves heading out west and hitting the drag strip.
Think about it – when was the last time you got to practice emergency braking? Or any kind of braking, for that matter? You don’t. You just drive, hoping that you will never be in a situation where you need to need to slam on the brakes and swerve to avoid a car/truck/small child/cargo load of oranges. Statistically speaking though, you will have 7 car accidents in your lifetime, so you really want to be armed with the skills just in case. (I really had to resist the urge to make a 'stats a lot of accidents' wisecrack - I love a good stat joke)
In conjunction with Galmatic, the trainers for the course come from Driver Skills Australia, and they really know their juice. The day started in the classroom and we were learning the same material and seeing the same presentation as miners out in Western Australia, members of the army and the Australian government. That said, the trainer (hi Mark!) treated us with the same level of respect and dignity as he would treat anyone else, even when we asked silly questions (apparently it’s illegal to drive in thongs, but not illegal to drive barefoot). Once all the important theory was out of the way and I had sufficiently wet myself in fear, we hit the drag strip. I will admit to feeling a little Fast and the Furious and I know I wasn’t the only one (a certain beauty editor showed why she has a bit of a reputation as a rev-head).
We did all sorts of cool stuff like skidding through water and braking, and swerving through cones trying not to hit imaginary school kids. Speed is a variable you have to learn to control, and it's quite alarming to think an extra 10km/hour can add hundreds of metres to your stopping distance. Don't speed people!
Note: the video is me driving someone elses car. Watch for the last few seconds when Mark the trainer leaps out in front of the car. VERY disconcerting!
Is it worth it? Yes. Do I feel like a more confident driver now? Yes. Do I understand how to control my poor little car a bit better? Yes yes yes. Am I hoping I will ever need these skills? God no. But if the day comes when I need them, touch wood, I will be more prepared.
A huge, massive thanks to Eleni at Galmatic for having me!
Price: $225 From: Galmatic Why you need it: These are potentially life saving skills, people. It’s really worth it, even just for the reminder of how dangerous things like texting and calling are whilst driving. My phone is off when I drive from now on!
Do you remember two weeks ago when I was talking about how I was going to stick with my basics for the silly season and go nuts on the accessorising? Well I hit up Diva the other day. Impressed++. They have SO much good stuff at the moment.
I was specifically looking for wrist adornments, and Diva didn’t disappoint. I picked up the most awesome studded black bangle which I can mix and match with either coloured or silver pieces, or just wear as a single statement cuff. I think it will be my default from now on. I also picked up a couple of stacks of bangles in different colours and textures (one in blue and purple, and one in black and white, since I know that was your next question) so I can pile them up on my arm and make jangling noises whenever I type. I really think my popularity in the office is steadily decreasing because I always have a wrist full of noisy clankers and they make the most irritating noise when I’m bashing away at the computer. Personally, I love the noise, but I don’t think anyone else does! Have I become that girl in the office? I also spotted a studded black wrist wrap which I intend to go back and pick up this week. That shouldn’t make any noise, so my colleagues will probably appreciate it.
Price: Studded cuff $19.99, stacks from $16.99 From: Diva Why you need it: Cheap and cheerful jewellery – yes please! Add some variety to your day.
As an aside, did you know Diva have an online shop now? I swear, I can do pretty much all my Christmas shopping from my desk this year (only on my lunch break Boss, I promise!).
I test-drove a new fake tan out on the weekend. Not new as in new to market, but new to me. It had been sitting in the bathroom cupboard for a while and I decided it was time to step out of my fake tan comfort zone again and shake things up a bit. SO glad I did.
I normally use a bronzer gel on the legs and gradual tanning cream on the upper body because I am terrified of streaks and messes. It’s reasonably time consuming, but I get a result that I know I’ll be happy with. I think fake tan is one of those things you tool around with for a bit and once you find one that works for you, you buy in bulk and stick with it. Would you agree?
So I tried the Model Co Tan Self Tanning Glove. I have used Model Co Tan Airbrush In A Can before, so I figured I couldn’t go too wrong with the colour (nice and brown, no yuck orange), but I was a bit wary about the whole using it all over the body and not getting streaks business. You slip the glove on your hand and rub your legs, tum, chest, arms and back in a circular motion. It was surprisingly easy to do and I swear I did it in about a third of the time it normally takes with my two different creams! The absolute best thing about Model Co tan though is the fact that it smells like cocoa butter. It doesn’t have gross fake tan potato smell at all. Even Boyfriend approved and he is really really fussy about fake tan, to the point where he won’t come near me for about 12 hours afterwards. This time was fine though! Did I streak? No. Am I patchy? Just a little around the inner wrists and ankles, but that will hopefully fade with a shower. Plus now I know for next time. Would I recommend the tanning gloves? Absolutely.
Price: $38 From: David Jones Why you need it: Easy to apply and you smell like cocoa butter? Big tick!
My order from Urban Outfitters arrived on Friday (it was a big day for me). Everything fit and looks amazing, so I'll tell you more about it later this week.
I spent yesterday out at Eastern Creek, hooning up and down the drag strip for the Galmatic Defensive Driver Training Course. It was so much fun! I'll also cover this some time during the week, complete with pictures and potentially video as long as you promise not to laugh.
My nails are currently a delicious jade green colour a la Chanel, thanks to Orly Mint Mojito. The jade green nail trend train is starting to leave the station (nail trends are so fickle) but this is a great colour and I'm enjoying the change after weeks of greys and pinks.
I tried out a new fake tan today. Fingers crossed for no streaks! On the plus side, it smells like brown sugar and not yuck tan potato smell.
Borders now does online shopping and they have free delivery. This is freaking awesome and a half!
My sister and I have forked out inordinate amounts of money to see Britney Spears lip-sync tomorrow night. I can't decide if I'm excited or if it's only going to shatter all my childhood fan-girling.
My pizza is on the way so I should probably put my pizza eating pants on (they look suspiciously like pyjama pants). Yes, I ordered pizza on my own on a Sunday afternoon. That's how I roll.
Orly Mint Mojito - from the Tiki Time range Price: $18.95 From: Blooms Chemists Why you need it: To ride the Chanel jade green trend train
My final thought for the day - as I'm writing this, the golf is on television in the background and one of the commentators just said "All the players know him and know him as a player". Wise words. I think there's something in that for everyone.
This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised, without the permission of Elise Phillips, 2007
Usually. For the first time ever I have successfully managed to keep a plant alive - in fact I have 8 plants alive at the moment; no mean feat given my track record. I truly have the best of intentions, but plants and I don't often get along (please don't think I have the same killer instinct with animals - my budgie Harvey Birdman is almost a year old, touch wood). I am currently cultivating some sort of indoor tree, a peace lily (no lilies yet), frangipani tree (no flowers yet), tomatoes (no tomatoes yet), tulips (no tulips yet), snap dragons (yay! flowers) and basil with some very large leaves. But my pride and joy is my strawberry plant because it has Real Live Strawberries on it! Or rather, it has A Real Live Strawberry. I tell you what though - it smells amazing! I can't wait for it to get a just a wee bit bigger so I can pick it, whip some cream and enjoyyyyyy.
