Boxing day madness

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I've never seen the city so busy. I thought heading into the city, we'd avoid some of the crowds of Bondi Junction. Wrong! Absolute madness but the sales were good. pretty much 50% off everything at DJs. Can't do much better than that unless you roll the dice and head to the Birkenhead outlets. But I don't travel that far out the burbs almost ever. Pete got a load of workshirts and a black Armani trenchcoat - all 50% off. I just got a 25% off Country Road duffel bag - my new gym bag for 2013.

What perplexes me is the long lines at the high end designer shops like Ferragamo, Gucci, Miu Miu, Burberry etc. You'd have to be a serious buyer to want to like up like this.

Boxing day in Sydney

Books I read 2012

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Reading this year, I focused on Paris again (my meta-desire to live there), read a bit about Jackie Kennedy,tried  a bit of self-help and  read some awesome fiction.

Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas

My heart wanders – Pia Jane Bijerk

Paris was ours – Penelope Rowlands

Stuff Parisians like – Oliver Magny

The evolution of Bruno Littlemore – Benjamin Hale

Six weeks to OMG – Venice Fulton

Born to Run – Chrisopher mcDougall

The Women in Black – Madeleine St John

Within arms length – Dam Emett

Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn

Food rules: an eater’s manual – Michael Polland

When it happens to you – Molly Ringwald

Rule no 5: No sex on the bus – Brian Thacker

Where’d you go, Bernadette – Maria Semple

The boy who fell to earth – Kathy Lette

Tapping into ultimate success – Jack Canfield

Water from the sun – Brett Easton Ellis

The Dinner – Herman Koch

Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern

The Success Principles – Jack Canfield

Love, Loss and What I Wore – Ilene Beckerman

The midwife’s confessions – Diane Chamberlain

Seating Arrangements – Maggie Shipstead

Reading Jackie - William Kuhn

Mrs Kennedy and Me   - Clint Hill

I really thought I'd read more this year considering I was out of work in April and May from my car accident...but reading on painkillers and while you just need to recuperate doesn't work.

What happened in November

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The beginning of the month started with a fun weekend in Melbourne. Dinner at The Smith, a day in the Mornington Peninsula, a bit of shopping - no major purchases though. A really great city break with the husband.

At the wineries, at Cape Schanck, eats in Melbourne.

I got really organised. You know when you get to the point where you can't see straight because your stuff is a mess? I cleaned out and organised my clothes, jewelry, makeup and closet. I also put away all the winter clothes and boots and brought down my summer gear that I barely wore last year. I feel so much better!

My rings + earrings and bangles organised in a Marc Jacobs shoe box.

As a result I sold $450 worth of stuff on eBay which included two really beat up pairs of Jimmy Choos - if they were any other brand I would have binned them but instead someone paid me money for them. Love it!

Somebody bought these...ha!

But I spent my windfall right away. I was a wee bit obsessed with the leather jacket that DVF wore when I went to hear her speak. It was $800 marked down to $400 on her website. I'll have to wait six months to wear it but its got a bit of a story attached so that'll make me want to get it out when the weather turns cool.

This jacket makes me want cooler weather. Kinda.

The spring weather has been warm and lovely so there have been a few evenings on the outdoor sofa in the backyard and a first official beach day last weekend.

Bring on the summer dresses and the weekends.

Also:

• Finally made Elote on the BBQ this week. Tasted delish but I didn't use nearly enough cheese. For next time, challenge accepted!

• Booked a trip to Tassie. (I've never been) but its only for Feb. I like that its locked in the diary though.

Finally!

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There used to be an Indian restaurant right on Hall St for a while...Bombay to Bondi. Good food, easy and local. But then it went away about two years ago or so (Now its a bloody Nando's...ew) and sadly Bondi went curry-less.

Happy days are here again! Just noticed a new Indian place coming to town just in time for summer and BYO cheap night out-ness.

Must say Bondi has really stepped up its food game in the past 2-3 years and it just keeps getting better and better.

Forced savings

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I love points, rewards and loyalty cards of all types. But I was really surprised when a voucher from Priceline came in the mail.I only joined their Sister Club program about 6 months ago and didn't know that they sent you vouchers you had to use within 4 weeks.

My Priceline Payback.

I kind of resent having the spend the money. When I had Boots points in the UK, I'd save up the points and buy myself a bottle of perfume. But now I had to spend $10 bucks on something. I got a bottle of nail glue and some nail files for my desk drawer at work. Didn't feel special at all.

I met DvF!

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Last week I got an amazing call out of the blue. Would I like to go to a private invite-only meeting with Diane von Furstenberg at David Jones? There would only be about 30 people or so there. Interested? Oh hell yes I was!

I knew her story fairly well...how she started her business in the 70s with her jersey dresses and the famous wrap dress...how she almost went broke in the 90s...her big comeback in the past 10 years to be the most powerful woman in fashion. It's a fascinating and inspiring story that she engagingly told to us in the personal shopping room on the 2nd floor of DJs. I could listen to her stories all day.

What to wear was a big decision. I have 4 of her dresses but couldn't decide which one. It wasn't the most summery of days so I chose a silk jersey polka dot dress that I know I've seen her in before.

I couldn't leave without a photo with Diane. I had to say hi tell her I love her dresses.  She said she's writing a book about style and the latest chapter of her life. She has an autobiography from a few years ago that I had to order in paperback on Amazon - you can't get it for Kindle so I'm keen to read it for the finer details and stories from her life. What a treat to meet her and hear her speak. This is my new FB cover photo!

What happened in October?

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Life happened, that's what.

The beginning of the month started in California with my birthday and the closest of friends and family. It was glorious. It was two weeks in true Seinfeld style - a whole lot of nothing that was truly entertaining. Sitting by the pool, shopping, eating, visiting and great chats. The days were long but the trip sped by.

The highlights eating wise:

• I'm in love with Tommy Bahamas restaurant in El Paseo, Palm Desert. (The clothes are naff) The food is wonderful, the service friendly, the restaurant is light and airy. The cocktails, even mocktails, are delicious. I'm in love with the fish tacos with mango salsa. Even more delish is the ahi poke. I could eat poke every day and I pretty much did. I think I went three times in two weeks.

Lots of dinners out!

• LuLu's in Palm Springs had the best margaritas and mojitos. Fun place. Tasty food too. 
• Adobe in La Quinta was pretty much the best mexican food we had. Tableside guac! Their whitefish ceviche was amazing and I was introduced to a side of grilled corn called elote that I'm dying to do at home.

Elote!

• So much other fun food and good times...the taco stand near the Desert Hills outlets, In and Out burger, the Palm for breakfast, Yardhouse, huge grocery trips to Costco - so cheap!

In-n-Out!

 The highlights shopping wise - where do I begin?

• Beauty shopping is soooo good. On the first day,  Ulta, Sephora and Rite-Aid were already covered off. If you can't find what you want among these three, something's wrong. 

I'm home.

• Outlet shopping is fantastic. I got bargains like a Diane von Fursternberg $400 dress for $180. Kate Spade purses for less than $50. 

DvF dress I got.

• When in LA I had to go to Marc Jacobs. I wanted to get new mouse shoes to replace my old falling-apart mousies. Anything else would be a bonus. I cam away with some of the fun cheap jewelry, a new pair of studded pink metallic mousies and a fun stripey dress.

MJ stripey dress

My new mousies

Highlights in general:

• Sitting around the pool at night in 30 degree heat

• Side trip to LA for a Dodgers game

• Loads of laughs with awesome people