Community spirit - 23rd September 2012

James enjoying a Bunnings sausage

Today I am eternally grateful to the good, community minded people who give up their Sunday to run sausage sizzles at Bunnings. After my night of vodka and Blackjack I wanted to be nowhere but the couch today. Somehow I ended up at Bunnings. Never have I been so happy to see a simple sausage and a bread roll. Again, it's the simple things in life that make you smile. Hangover food makes shopping for hardware bearable...just.

  

My hidden talent - 22nd September 2012

Blackjack...who knew?

I finally have a practical Plan B. Let me explain. Many years ago when I started my first job out of university, I had an epiphany. It went something like this: "This working thing is totally over rated. There has to be a better way." This comment was made as I crawled to the bathroom one morning almost in tears at the realisation my life would never again consist of sessions at the uni bar, shopping trips and episodes of Days of Our Lives.
Anyway, I digress. The point is I have spent the past 13 years looking for my 'Plan B' - or the strategy that will allow me to live a life of relative luxury without working in the traditional sense. Numerous ideas have been considered, but nothing has been a better bet than winning the Lotto or a BoysTown draw. I am the first to admit neither is a strong Plan B.
But just when I was losing hope (and staring down the barrel of retirement at 65), I think I've found the answer. Blackjack. Yes that's right, Blackjack. For reasons I won't explain we ended up at the casino tonight. Fast forward and there I was killing it at the Blackjack table. My definition of killing it is winning more chips than I started with and lending James my chips because he'd lost all his. While I understand marital bragging rights should't be considered when deciding on a Plan B, I'm thinking my hidden talent for gambling might just be the answer. It's perfect in so many ways. I can play Blackjack online in my pyjamas. I can watch Ellen and re-runs of Oprah while I 'work'. I can also choose my hours until I win enough to stop working all together. OMG this is a much better Plan B than winning Lotto. How did I not think of this before. Right now I am grateful for the hope my newly discovered talent has delivered. It may be misplaced hope, but it's still hope.    


Chocolate molten lava - 21st September 2012

Chocolate fondant cannot be beaten

Does anyone who lived in the UK remember those M&S ads with the chocolate fondant at Christmas time? You know, the one where the spoon glides through the perfectly formed warm chocolate cake to Does anyone who lived in the UK remember those M&S ads with the chocolate fondant at Christmas time? You know, the one where the spoon glides through the perfectly formed warm chocolate cake to release a wave of chocolate lava across the plate. A warm chocolate fondant is my favourite desert. As someone who doesn't really love food - I'd happily take a pill each day if it meant I didn't need to bother eating - I got a glimpse tonight of what foodies go through. My husband loves food. He gets excited by intricate ingredients twirled on a plate and mouthfuls of flavour. Me not so much. That is until a chocolate fondant shows itself on a desert menu. Tonight I found a perfect specimen at Toko in Surry Hills. While the rest of our table raved about the soft shell crab, I had a private moment of ecstasy in my mouth with a fondant. I felt like the woman from the M&S ad. Tonight I enjoyed two of life's pleasures, great food and brilliant company. Two things to be vey thankful for.

Inspiring women - 20th September 2012

Tonight I took the first step toward making my next big dream come true. I would love nothing more than to write a book. More to the point, I really want to turn the inspiration for this blog into a book. I've spent a lot of time talking about it, but I've decided it is time to stop talking and kick start some action.
I took a course tonight at the Sydney Writers Centre called 'Blog to Book'. It was fantastic! Absolutely bloody fantastic. I almost pulled the pin an hour before because it was on a few hours after my fight arrived home from NZ - I was nursing a mammoth hangover. But like most things in life that you can't be bothered doing, they turn out to be brilliant once you get off your arse and make an effort. I dragged myself there feeling like death warmed up. I  came home feeling totally inspired.
I loved everything about the course, from the brilliant blogs the other attendees are writing, to the honest suggestions and hilarious insights from Kerri Sackville, the guest presenter. Most of all I loved feeling inspired by a room full of strong creative women. I walked out tonight feeling confident I now have a strategy to help make my dream a reality. I wish I could bottle this feeling of empowered inspiration. Bugger the book, that would make me a billionaire.

Fireworks - 19th September 2012

Thanks for the applause

It's nice when the world notices your hard work. The city of Auckland turned on a spectacular fireworks show tonight to congratulate us on our great event today. As I walked into the bar the sky outside exploded with colour and theatrics. "Gee thanks" I thought. The fact a New Zealand Olympian was receiving her medal in a delayed ceremony across the wharf from our hotel was a small coincidence. I'm claiming it anyway. It made me feel special and sometimes it's ok just to take the praise and run with it.

Forever friends - 18th September 2012

Our annual hoorah

In the past year and a bit I have been lucky enough to travel to Auckland for work a couple of times. Along with the pleasure derived from any o/s travel, these trips have also allowed me to catch up with a dear friend I rarely get to see. Tonight was my long awaited dinner with Emma and Mike and I had a glorious evening. I truly believe that the friends you make while travelling can become some of your best friends for life. You mightn't speak for months, or only see each other once or twice a year, but there is something about the shared experiences you had in a foreign country that tie your hearts together forever.  Emma Raymond...until next year. xx

Girls on tour - 17th September 2012

Red lips for the girls on tour

Sometimes you just need a little colour to spice up your life. After a pre-flight visit to the MAC Duty Free counter, I am now the proud owner of my first red lipstick. I know, 35 is a little late to be discovering the wonders of luscious red lips. Truth be told, I just haven't been brave enough until now. Red lips always felt like too much of a statement for someone who prefers to be in the background. 

But times have changed. I am now out and proud in bold red. I admit I felt ridiculous for the first hour. I couldn't stop looking at myself in every window, worrying that people were laughing at me. But as a wise woman told me today (cheers Emma Charter), "It's all about confidence. You have to wear it with confidence". So here goes...cheers to the confident new me. So far I am loving the liberating feeling red lips deliver.

 

 

PS. Sometimes it really is the little things that make your day. I opened my suitcase in the hotel tonight to find James had left little 'I love you' Post-It notes in my suitcase. Brilliant!

Cape Verde makes the Bucket List - 16th September 2012

My island heaven

My best ideas materialise when I am drunk. It's got everything to do with the fact I'm more fun and relaxed when I'm drunk. It's the only time I find it easy to forgot the realities of everday life, like the need to pay our mortgage, and come up with grand plans that are exotic and completely impractical.
Tonight, after a few glasses of wine and a visually inspiring episode of White Collar, I decided we are running away to Cape Verde. Look at it. It is stunning.  I will write a book while James runs a  groovy bar. Today I am grateful for dreams. Without dreams we have nothing to aim for.

Pretty Woman - 15th September 2012

Rodeo Drive baby

Some days you go shopping and no matter how hard you try - for love or money - you cannnot find anything to buy. Other days everything you touch turns to gold and you accidentally buy half a new wardrobe. Today I experienced the latter. It seems shopping malls are like kitchens, I should not be left alone in them. Bad things happen. 
I went to Bondi Junction to look, simply look, for a dress to wear to a friend's upcoming wedding. Two short hours later I can home with one jacket, two shirts, a pair of jeans and a handbag. And all found with so little effort. It's like I walked past each shop and the pieces flew off the rank and landed on my arm. I felt like Juila Roberts in Pretty Woman (minus the hooker bit).
What is a girl suppose to do? It would have been an affront to the shopping gods if I was to reject their offers today. A big shout out to said gods. I really do love a surprise shopping spree.  

Discovering the lunch break - 14th September 2012

Shoes off in the sun

Today I did something I don't normally do - I took a lunch break. I went to the park, I took my shoes off and I sat in the sun for an hour. I relaxed, breathed and took the day in while I ate my sandwich. It was heavenly. I vow to do this more. 

A dinner date - 13th September 2012

Cheers Nath & Erin

I love a dinner date on a school night, especially when said date involves delicious food at Ms G's with my little brother and his awesome girlfriend. What a perfect night. I miss these guys so much. They are normally two flights and a full day of travel away. Nothing makes me happier than the opportunity to spend a few hours with them. Cue happy face :)  

A charmed life - 12th September 2012

A beautiful view

Today I was lucky enough to catch this beautiful view of the afternoon sun hitting the Harbour Bridge. It was a great reminder to appreciate the beauty we are surrounded by everyday. I often forget the view from my office window is one that people fly thousands of miles to see. I'm so lucky that all I have to do is swing my chair around. It really is a charmed life.

Roses roses everywhere - 11th September 2012

I've decided it's time to get some roses in my life. Decision made. This thought alone today is making me smile.

The other side of fear - 10th September 2012

"Everything you want is on the other side of fear." Oh yes it is. I have a theory that the biggest and scariest decisions in life deliver the best results. It's something about being brave enough to close your eyes, swallow your fears and step into the unknown. The good things that come out the other side are the reward. Right now I am staring fear in the face...and I'm ready to step through to the other side. 

Employing self control - 9th September 2012

Is it too self indulgent to open a bottle of champagne just because I feel like a glass by myself on a Sunday afternoon? Yes, the answer is yes! Today I am grateful for a little self control. While I'm a big fan of treating myself, I am so glad I resisted temptation today. Champagne is something to be enjoyed with special friends - not consumed alone while dancing to the music channel.
I am now feeling smug (for the self control) and excited about the upcoming occasion when we will be drinking this champagne. Double win.  

City Living - 8th Sep 2012

Beautiful Darlinghurst

I adore living in Darlinghurst. It's a combination of many things - the resturants, the vibe, the scenery, the people and the casual cool. I also love the way such a diverse range of people pass each other in the street just going about their lives. Today I took the time to stop and take in the view around me. I'm grateful for that moment, and the great place I live.

Altitude, I salute you - 7th September 2012

Stunning Sydney

Tough day at the office - no, not really! Today I was lucky enough to spend several hours staring out across one of the best views of Sydney Harbour. Altitude restaurant in the Shangri La hotel 'wowed' me today. Incredible sweeping views, beautiful food and excellent service. Some days I love the perks of my job. Today is one of those days.

The next vacation - 6th September 2012

Holiday hangovers are tough. The cocktails are long gone, and so are the days of soaking up the sun from a deck chair. As I spent today fighting the urge to get on the next plane to Tahiti, a friend sent me this quote. "Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don't need to escape from."

Is this the universe telling me I need to bite the bullet and become a writer? I feel like there have been so many signs lately I need to be brave and stop ignoring them. A life where I am lucky enough to spend my days writing is a life I would not want a vacation from! Today I am grateful for another sign.  

A different perspective - 5th September 2012

Taking in the view

Today I had the opportunity to see the world from a different viewpoint. On my flight to Melbourne the plane was forced to fly lower than usual due to high winds and turbulence at the normal height. The result –stunning views. Things that normally look like a spec on the ground were clearly visible from the window. I saw Canberra from the air and could pick out my old office in Parliament House and the location of a friend’s wedding on the lake a few years ago. I was also lucky enough to see the snowy mountains covered in beautiful snow flakes. Brilliant. Today I’m grateful for two things – the stunning view and no turbulence.

Dancing in the rain - 4th September 2012

I read a great quote today: "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning how to dance in the rain." So true. I'm a self confessed realist who would love to be an optimist. Maybe this is the way I can do it. I love dancing and I'm totally ready to give dancing in the rain a crack. Turning a negative into a positive – I'm grateful for perspective today.

A colorful life - 3rd September 2012

Colour your life

I adore this picture. I don't know why, but it instantly struck a chord with me when I saw it today. It's something about the symbolism of a ballerina in all her pale pink perfection being splashed with colour. I can’t wipe the smile off my face when I look at this picture. I believe life is better when lived in full colour. 

Spring cleaning my life - 2nd September 2012

Yes I have

Cleaning out your wardrobe is cathartic. Today I threw out everything I haven't worn for a while to make room for my new purchases from Singapore. It's the wardrobe equivalent of a fresh start. I love fresh starts. They make the world feel full of possibilities and excitement. I also love this quote I read today. It seems fitting for my fresh start: "I have decided to be happy because it is good for my health". It's as simple as that. 

My cocoon - 1st September 2012

Living happily in my cocoon

Today I am grateful for the chance to live my life exactly the way I want. At 6am this morning I stepped off the plane with minimal sleep under my belt. By 7am I was in bed, and I slept there peacefully until 5pm. After 10 hours of uninterrupted bliss, I felt like I was re-emerging into the world from a cocoon. I am so grateful for the right to set the course of my day. The world and its occupants needed nothing from me today and I am grateful for the change to shut it all out and hide in my cocoon. To some my choice today was lazy and wasteful.  To me, it was pure heaven. #smug 

Laugh out loud funny - 31st August 2012

I'm still laughing

Laughter is good for the soul – I've said it before and I will say it again.  I spent most of my flight home from Singapore watching movies and they were laugh out loud funny movies. Rebel Wilson is my new comedy crush. She is simply hilarious. 

My top pick was a ‘A Few Best Men’. Honestly, I haven’t laughed that hard for a long time. I was that person the other passengers were staring at. But cocooned in my own world – thanks to noise canceling headphones – I didn’t care. Here is to laughing for hours and not caring what the world thinks of you.

PrincessPatrice - 30th August 2012

Yummm, room service

I would have made a great princess. Actually, I’d just made a great rich person, period. I love a life of pamper and it seems staying in hotels really agrees with me. I'm not sure what I love the most – the bath robes, the 24/7 news channels or the fact someone cleans my room every day. No, it's probably the fact I can’t cook and all you need to do to get a good meal in a hotel is press a button on the in-room phone.

Tonight I was so exhausted I could barely life my head off the pillow (something to do with yesterday’s 'pressure release'). With one call my favourite meal was delivered, just like that. Tonight I am every so grateful for yeung chow fried rice and the brilliance of room service.   

Take the pressure down - 29th August 2012

Oh what a night

There is a lot to be said for letting off steam. Tonight was an unexpectedly brilliant night filled with great food, good company and hilarious conversations. To top it off the night ended with drinks overlooking this amazing view and some dancing. We all know how much I love a dance! 

Tonight I had one of those priceless moments where I looked around and felt two things. The first was pure happiness. The second was a feeling of 'wow' for the brilliant life I am so lucky to have. Letting off steam is a great way to bring your life into perspective. As I sipped and danced my worries away, only the good stuff remained. 

Taking a breath - 28th August 2012

So intricate 

The most inviting thing to see after a conference day is canapés and wine. It means the hard work is done. You can take your heels off and take a big, deep, breath. Today I am more grateful than you can know for the arrival of these intricately designed canapés and a cold glass of white. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

Loving a local market - 27th August 2012

Seriously...there must be a better name for a business

Tonight we put our traveler mindset on and opted for dinner in a local market. It was fantastic. We had amazing dumplings for the price of a beer in a standard restaurant. This trip has reminded me that even when you are travelling for work, you can throw yourself into the local culture. You are guaranteed to take more out of the experience when you do. Another highlight of this evening was the name of one of a stall in the local market - Pig's Organ Soup & Kway Chap. They lost me at pig's organ. I'm all for going local, but I had to draw the line here. Singapore, our love affair and laughs continue.

Ticking the bucket list - 26th August 2012

Infinity pool at Marina Bay Sands...tick it off the Bucket List 

Today I ticked something off my Bucket List. I swam in the infinity pool at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. This is possibly the coolest infinity pool in the world. It hangs 57 floors above the ground. It is designed so it looks like you could swim straight off the edge and tumble into the sky without anybody noticing. It's the most impressive infinity pool I've every seen. And that is a rather big call! The highlight of my day was sipping on a cocktail and taking in the view with James. Again, I love a mini-break. One tick down on the Bucket List, many more to go!

  

I'm alive again - 25th August 2012

Singapore, right now you are my sweet spot

I love a mini-break. Just me and my husband exploring a foreign city together again. I know it's only for a few days, but it is truly one of my favourite things in the world. 

This morning I felt like a proper traveler again. It's a feeling I miss dearly. Our plane landed at 5.30am and needless to say, our hotel wasn't ready when we arrived at 6.15am. They kindly gave us access to a shared common room and like hardened travelers, we slept in lounge chairs for a few hours while everyone bustled around us. Priceless.

The day was topped off with several hours of shopping (you can't beat a husband who is brave enough to say, "yes babe - your arse does look big in that"), some divine cupcakes from 'Sweetspot' and dinner with gorgeous friends. Singapore, thank you for a wonderful day. I feel alive again.  

PS. H&M I also miss you dearly. xx

A priceless moment - 24th August 2012

The ticket we almost didn't get

Flight $900. Incorrectly spelling your husband's surname on an international flight booking only to have the mistake realised at check in...priceless...and awkward.

Yes that's right. James and I got to the check-in desk tonight for our little weekend away in Singapore only to discover they couldn't find James' name on the flight list. It turns out I spelt his surname as RUKE instead of RULE when I booked the ticket. The lesson here, don't book flights at 12.30am. You are not super sharp at that hour!

Luckily they corrected his name on the system and let us fly. Weekend break is back on track and now my stupidity is just a funny story. I’m super thankful for giggles instead of tears tonight.

The power of words - 23rd August 2012

Today I was reminded of the power of words – they really can be a dangerous weapon. They have the power to wound and inspire in equal measure. I’m grateful I was strong enough to draw motivation from words that were intended to wound today. They lit a fire in my belly. We all need to remember: "People may forget what you say or do, but they won't forget how you make them feel." 

Luscious locks - 22nd August 2012

Curly pet

Today's post is all about laugh out loud giggles. This incredibly cut dog made a visit to the hairdressers while I was there tonight. He knows my colourist. This is a pic of his last visit to the salon. They gave him hair extensions. He is adorable. I am still laughing!

A To Do list - 21st August 2012

It's that simple

I love a list. Sometimes I write things on my list as I'm doing them, just so I can cross them off. I love the feeling of satisfaction it gives me. 

This little gem made me laugh today. It's so true. It's too easy to become preoccupied with ticking life's lists – sometimes we forget to just live. I am going to print this image off and stick it in my work diary. 

Believing in yourself - 20th August 2012

Sometimes believing in yourself can be the hardest thing to do. I’ve realised I spend too much time worrying about what other people think of me, and assuming the worst, instead of believing in myself and assuming the best.

Today a friend told me how much she values me and the small part I've played in her career. It had never occurred to me that she, or anyone, would feel that way. Right at the moment I was crippled by self-doubt, these few sentences have helped to change my view of myself. I am so grateful for good friends who are not afraid to tell you they love you. Everyone needs that.

 

Poppy gets a lesson - 19th August 2012

I could watch these two all day

I love it when kids say exactly what they are thinking. Their honesty is both hilarious and enlightening. Being the grown up you think you have all of the answers and you are guiding them through life. But in one simple moment they turn the tables. Today I watched Dad as he helped my niece put her big girls boots on. Dad thought he was doing wonders getting the first shoe on, but before he could reach for the second one, Payten stopped him in his tracks. "No Poppy," she sighed in disgust. "You need to zip it up like this. Look, I'll show you". Yes Mini P, you certainly will. Dad and I had a thoroughly good laugh.

The chilling frog - 18th August 2012

Love it

Sometimes you just need a good laugh. I saw this image today of the chilling frog and did just that. I love it. It's hilarious and makes me grin every time I look at it.

Clearing my head - 17th August 2012

An open road and an open mind

Today I embarked on a four-hour drive with nothing but my iPod and my own thoughts for company. I can report that my singing is now Grammy worthy and my chair dancing is a sight to admire. I also managed to clear my head and make a few big decisions. Wow – what a productive drive! Sometimes all you need is a bit of time with no distractions. I am grateful for that opportunity.