Merry Christmas, Happy Boxing Day and all the associated niceties that go with this time of year!

In case you hadn't guessed, I'll be taking a few days sabbatical to eat until I can't move and then slowly breathe through the pain. I'll be back with more new stuff in a few days...

xx Elise

Last minute festiveness

By now you should be almost ready for the big day. I'm just going over my to-do list for all the last minute preparations - buy vegies, wrap remaining pressies, dip strawberries in chocolate, do laundry, vacuum, clean bathroom, hair treatment, facial, manicure. Obviously I'm going to enjoy the facial and the manicure a lot more than the vacuuming or the bathroom cleaning. I just can't decide what colour I'm going to do my nails!

If you're looking for inspiration, like I am, and you have a spare five minutes, pop into David Jones and check out the OPI Holiday Wishes collection. Yes, there are a couple of dark colours in there which aren't necessarily appropriate for a sunny southern hemisphere Christmas by the pool, but there are a few really choice lacquers which would be sure to add some holiday cheer to your festivities. My favourites are Ginger Bells! - a yummy almost-kind-of neutral in a gingerbread shade, Comet Loves Cupid - a vivid true red and Dear Santa - a glittery bright red, perfect for Christmas and guaranteed to make you feel good. Well there you go, I think I just made my decision. I'm glad we talked this over, thanks for your advice.

Price: $19.95
From: David Jones
Why you need it: You're not dressed for Christmas without a perfect manicure.

Picture credit: OPI

I'm famous!

I can't believe I haven't told you guys this yet. Yes, it's true, I am in the latest issue of Cleo. See, that's me on the cover (ha! I kid! As IF I would wear my dress that long).

I'm on this months Beauty Panel (page 74/75), where I got given some cool beauty products to play with (All About Glo illuminator and Nak dry shampoo) and then I got to write reviews for them. It was so much fun, and I'm really thankful to Cleo for the opportunity to see my ugly mug in print.

On that, I recommend the All About Glo illuminator. It comes in a super-easy to use little pump bottle, goes on smooth, and gives a natural, healthy glow. I have used it almost every day since Rachael the beauty ed gave it to me and I'm almost out now. I will definitely be replacing it!

Price: $19.95
From: Priceline
Why you need it: To make your skin look all plump and glowy when you have the enthusiasm of a deflated balloon at the end of a Christmas party.

As an aside...

...make sure you pop over to Sassi Sam and check out the profile piece I did on the lovely Kate from Katiebo jewellery. Katiebo does really cool jewellery and it's always inspiring to meet a chickie that takes risks and sets up her own business!

Oh dear...

Can I tell you how much stuff I have to blog about?! I have been trying out new hair products left, right and centre (shout out to O&M - you guys kick ass), all sorts of cool new beauty products and obviously with Santa a couple of days away, he will bring a sackload of bloggable goodness too. But honestly, all I want to do is sit back right now with a cold drink and enjoy the warm summer breeze. That's not to say I don't love you guys, because golly I do, but this time of year is intense.

It is worth mentioning though that my tipple of choice this week is Smirnoff Grand Cosmopolitan. Smirnoff have done a range of 3 ready to drink cocktail mixers (grand cosmo, pomegranate martini, mojito) and the yumminess is already mixed in the bottle so all you have to do is serve over ice or, if you are clever like me, put it in the freezer to keep it extra cold. So delish.

The Grand Cosmopolitan is Smirnoff No 21™ vodka, Triple sec liqueur, Cranberry juice and a splash of citrus. It's the perfect blend of hard liquor and sweet juice, and I love that the only effort it requires is to unscrew the bottle top and add some ice to the glass. That's my kind of cocktail!

Price: $22.99 (700mL)
From: The local bottle-o
Why you need it: Kick back! Relax! Take a load off and enjoy a drink.

Picture credit: wishlist.com.au

It's Complicated? It's not very complicated.

I had the good fortune last night to get a sneak preview of the new Meryl Streep movie It’s Complicated. It’s a cheesy rom-com/family-com/chick flick, perfect for a day out with your Mum for some light entertainment. Winning Oscars? Not likely. Feel good? Yeah.

It’s the same writer/director (Nancy Meyers) as Something’s Gotta Give and Father of the Bride. Now I adore both of those movies, but you can definitely tell it’s the same head honcho. Very similar with cinematography, style of house the movie is set in, speed of the plot and even some plot twists. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; at least you know what you’re getting. Personally I like this style; when I go to the movies I am looking for forced relaxation with light-hearted entertainment. I don’t want to have to think, I just want to enjoy. And believe me, there was not much thinking going on here.

That said, it was a great cast. Meryl Streep plays Jane Adler, divorced for ten years with three grown-up kids and only just coming to terms with her split. Her ex, Jake (Alec Baldwin), is married to some young floozy with a five year old, but after a drunken night together the ex’s rekindle the flame and suddenly the ex-wife becomes the mistress. Cliché? (side note: maybe it’s the tan, but Alec seems about 10 years too young to be divorced from Meryl) Add to the mix the charming Adam (Steve Martin) who is also divorced and quite fancies Jane and you have a classic love-triangle movie with some nudity (I saw more of Alec Baldwin than I needed to - although apprently he used a butt-double) and the usual dramatic revelation somewhere towards the end.

John Krasinki (Jim from The Office) is the comic relief as Jane’s son-in-law, but to be honest I really think he was wasted in that role. He can be so funny in the right parts, but the role of Harley (seriously? Harley? The dude looks like a library nerd) was kind of lacking for him and it’s all very vanilla. The three Adler kids don’t really add much either, and are all kind of forgettable. In fact, I couldn’t even tell you their names right now if I tried.

Overall, I would recommend it purely for a nice day out with Mum. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before (including Meryl Streep in an apron, cooking up pastries and saying bonjour – déjà vu?) but it’s an interesting take on dealing with divorce in your 50’s, after 20 years of marriage and raising three adult children. I will admit I got teary once.

Price: $15
From: Your local cinema
When: Starts screening Jan 7th
Why you need to see it: It has been far too long since I saw Steve Martin on the big screen – see him in a proper grown up role (a much nicer grown up role than Shopgirl, thankfully)

Picture credit: imdb.com

Christmas checklist – Christmas crackers

Christmas lunch isn’t complete unless everyone is sitting around wearing stupid paper hats and grumbling about the fact they are wearing stupid paper hats (except Mum, because she loves it!). While we’re at it, why is it that the only photos I ever seem to have from Christmas day are my family with these hats on? Never any nice ones sans hat, but plenty of stupid poses. Let’s try and rectify that this year.

Last thing on the checklist is Christmas crackers. I’m sure we aren’t the only family where you sit down to lunch, crack the cracker, put the hat on and then read the lame jokes and roll your eyes at how lame they are because you’re cool like that, even though secretly you chuckle because you love a good pun. Yep, can I get an amen, sista!

The crackers I bought are Tom Smith Christmas Crackers and, according to their website, are the first line in luxury when it comes to snap, crackle and pop (my words, not theirs - but they are welcome to use that snappy line if they like). That said, I bought them at Target so I’m not sure just how luxurious you would classify that. The box seems to indicate they have some pretty rad novelties in them, so I cracked one to see just how accurate that was (I bought a box of 12 and I’m only having 7 for lunch, so I was allowed). Hat? Tick. Lame joke? Tick. Novelty – it was a mini periscope. I wouldn’t re-gift it, but definitely one of the better quality cracker novelties I have had in my time. I will admit I played with it for a good 3 minutes.

And the joke? Q. What should a prizefighter drink? A. Punch. Don’t tell me you didn’t just laugh.

My suggestion for Target: it appears Tom Smith do Disney crackers. I would be most appreciative if they could hook those up next year. Cheers.

Price: $29.95 (although I got them on sale for $19.95)
From: Target
Why you need them: Silly hats, ahoy!

Now that I have my wrapping paper, decorations, crackers and all my presents wrapped up under my bookshelf-pretending-to-be-a-tree, it's on to the food. I won't bore you with the details, but I bought my pork and my turkey from Thomas Dux Grocer on Crown St Surry Hills. I feel so grown up.

Picture credit: Tomsmithchristmascrackers.com; polaroided by poladroid.com

You never have to leave your desk again

Tired of keeping your drink in the office communal fridge? Yeah, me too. Keep it at your desk instead. Then you don’t have to go into the kitchen and make polite small talk with the other people who work on your level. Gosh, I hate that.

Seriously, this was my secret santa gift for my office AND for my extended family (luckily there is no crossover between the two – that could have been awkward!). It’s a mini fridge that fits one can in it and you plug it into your computer via usb cable. Genius! It has a silver disc at the bottom of it that keeps things cold, so it’s probably best suited to cans rather than plastic bottles for quicker cooling.

I got it from R4Card.com.au and they have all sorts of really cool little gadgets. Some of my favs are the usb mix tape (practical), R2D2 usb hub (practical) and usb arm wrestler (not at all practical in any way, shape or form). Sadly, the fridge is now sold out, but there are always birthdays next year, right? I’m early Feb if you’re interested.

Price: $22.45 (price limits on secret santa were $20, but what’s $2.45 between friends?)
From: R4Card.com.au
Why you need it: To keep your drinks cold. It’s like something Dwight would keep on his desk.

Picture credit: R4Card.com.au

What do margaritas and body wash have in common?

Since we are talking about New York (kind of), it’s a good time to share the phenomenal pomegranate margarita recipe from Rosa Mexicano. Apart from the fact that they make the guacamole fresh at your table, the pomegranate margarita is the highlight of dining at this fine mexican establishment(s - there are 3 in Manhattan). November and December are when the pomegranates are shipped in to Aussieland from California, so you can easily get them in the supermarket or fruit shop. It’s a fun twist on a traditional boozer - impress your friends.

This recipe is from Roberto Santibanez, Culinary Director of Rosa Mexicano, and comes via cdkitchen.com.

60mL white tequila
15mL Triple Sec
30L fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh pomegranate juice (Can substitute bottled pomegranate juice)
175mL ice (or more)
Garnish with lime wheel or wedge

I figure that since poms are so good for you, you are more than justified in having 3 or 4 of these babies. It's practically like eating fruit!

Did you know poms are also good for your skin? If it’s good enough for my insides, then it’s good enough for the outside too. I have recently been using the new Weleda Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash and Regenerating Body Oil, and not only do they smell good, but my skin feels great too. The Creamy Body Wash is a lush mix of pomegranate (obvs), sandalwood, vanilla, neroli and blood orange. This isn’t for the faint-hearted – a small amount on the loofah and it really hits you in the nostrils. It’s quite nice in the morning to be slapped across the face by such a vigorous, intense mix of scents. It wakes me up.

As I said, I have also been using the Regenerating Body Oil, which is a very dense, rich oil. Some body oils, like the Neutrogena oil, are quite light and fine for daily use, while this one is much thicker and more powerful. Containing organic oils like macadamia and jojoba, this gets in deep to regenerate cells and nourish with their crime fighting anti-oxidants. You only need the tiniest bit (too much = greasy bear) and it has to be massaged in – just slapping and dashing will create a not so pleasant oil slick. This is a real pleasure to use and my skin definitely enjoys the treat (I know it does because it told me).

Price: Body Wash - $19.50; Body Oil - $37
From: Health food stores and chemists – check the website for stockists
Why you need it: Because you’re worth it. Oh wait, I probably shouldn’t use that line. Am I breaching copyright? But seriously, spoil yourself.

Picture credit: weleda.com.au

I ♥ NY

Technically I didn’t buy this, but it was just too awesome not to share! We did our secret santa at work and instead of each person drawing a name, we put all the presents in the middle and then drew numbers for the order we picked our pressies in. If someone who went before you got something you wanted, you could trade – fun game! Funnily enough, I went last so I got pick of the litter and I fell instantly in love with one pressie in particular.

New York in a bag! It’s a sweet little drawstring bag with 14 wooden pieces in it (8 buildings and 6 cars) so you can create your own little Manhattan scene. There is a Chrysler building, Empire State building, Guggenheim and Statue of Liberty among the pieces, so you tick all the iconic boxes, plus some extra buildings to make up the skyline. The cars and limos are cute too (limos = so Manhattan), although not necessarily small people friendly, as you can imagine little fingers jamming them straight into little mouths and getting lodged in little throats.

Definitely an awesome present for a massive Upper East Sider like myself (ha! I kid. I’m totally a downtown chick). Cute, cheap and quirky – that’s what I look for in a secret santa gift! (As an aside, the gift I put in totally rocked the kasbah – I can’t wait to tell you about it next week. I have family secret santa on Sunday so will post Monday I PROMISE!)

Price: $14
From: Muji.com
Why you need it: Perfect for New Yorkers and New Yorker wannabes OR you could grab Paris, London or Tokyo in a bag.

Picture credit: muji.com

Bless you my child

I’m having a bit of a religious phase at the moment. Religious jewellery, that is. I have always had a soft spot for iconography. I love the symbolism and faith of religion, and how each person can find meaning in what would otherwise be wooden beads, crosses and stars. Some friends were having a bit of a debate about this the other day – do you find it disrespectful to wear a Star of David if you’re not Jewish? Or a crucifix if you’re not Christian? I would love to hear your thoughts. Personally, I think that as long as you are respectful and acknowledge that the piece you are wearing holds significance to someone else, then it’s ok.

Anyway, I have most of the majors covered at the moment. I picked up some really sweet bangles last week from Surf Dive N Ski – it was a set of 4 hard bangles with religious charms attached and two wooden bead stretch bracelets, also with religious charms. The brand is Icon 77 and I’ll be darned if I can’t find more than a stockist number for them. I’m also rocking a red string with a hamsa similar to the one I mentioned a month ago. Grazia might have declared Kabbalah strings ‘so last year’ but I like the symbolism of the amulet protecting you from the evil eye.

I have also found the holy grail (zing!) of religious pieces at MarLey Rose. They stock Cristiana jewellery (above right), which is boho chic and a celeb favourite. Think colourful, stackable beads with charming catholic motifs. I remember buying jewellery in Tijuana circa 1992 with charms very similar to these, so it reminds me of a special trip with my family, and makes the pieces feel very vintage. You can imagine some beautiful old lady sitting in the Mexican countryside beading the bracelet while gently thumbing this very crucifix. Or maybe that’s just me.

A couple of my other big tick, lustworthy pieces from Marley Rose are the Ettika rosary wrap bracelet - above left - (currently on sale! Run!) and the Good Charma tassle charm necklace, also on sale (right). Both are sophisticated statement pieces and both make great gifts. For me. Email me for my address.

Price: Icon 77 set - $22.95; Cristiana from $33; Ettika on sale for $56; Good Charma on sale $176
From: Surf Dive N Ski; MarLey Rose
Why you need them: Casual boho chic is a good look for summer. Add a maxi dress and some beach waves and you’re set!

Picture credit: Marleyrose.com.au

Light up your life. Or at least your eyes.

I’m going to make an admission. I never understood the fascination with YSL Touche Eclat (Radiant Touch). People would rave on about it with such passion and I would think ‘yeah, sure, it’s not really that great, is it?’ and carry on using my other myriad illuminators and concealers and whatever other shiny stuff I had in the bathroom to try and make the panda eyes less panda-y.

Apparently I was WRONG. YSL is the miracle illuminator that everyone claimed it was. It’s all in the application though – no point spending all that money if you’re putting it on wrong (this is where I say thank goodness for Zoe @ Primped for showing me the light – pun intended). You must first use concealer underneath. Touche Eclat isn’t about hiding the flaws (I *still* use Playboy slap for that), it’s about illuminating your face and using reflective light particles to make it look like you’re all shiny and fresh when you actually need a good nights sleep and a bowl of broccoli. Once I conceal, I do a nice upside down triangle of the juice, let it sit for a few seconds (long enough to spray dry shampoo) and then gently pat it in. Good to go.

I have tried so many different illuminators over the years, and while they are great for cheeks and brows and cupids bows, nothing quite brightens the eye area like this one does. Everything else seems a bit too pearly for the peepers, but this is the right blend of creamy neutral and illuminatey goodness. It’s so good that I’m just making up words now.

Price: $75
From: YSL counters – DJs, Myer and select pharmacies
Why you need it: To reflect all sins.

FYI: Chemistwarehouse.com have Touche Eclat on sale at the moment for $29.99 + shipping

Picture credit: ysl.com; moi