Seasons greetings

Wishing everyone a merry Christmas and a happy New Year! My time has been extremely occupied by work, life and play as of late, hence the blogging hiatus, but I'm pleased to have finally completed my present shopping in between working the crazy pre-Christmas retail rush and maintaining some fun on the side.

My family is celebrating Christmas at my place this year, an occasion which always involves an epic feast (and usually falling into food and champagne comas afterwards). Christmas Eve is my first work-free day in what feels like eons, and will be spent with my boyfriend and sister - preparing for said feast, wrapping gifts and indulging in (more!) celebratory drinks with some peeps tonight.

Our plans for New Years Eve are a bit uncertain at the moment, but I do know that 2010 has been the best year of my life without a doubt. I'm so grateful to be surrounded by such awesome, loving and incredibly diverse people. One thing I always do before the new year is pen a list of my goals - I'm so excited to see what 2011 holds. Happy holidays all! Eat, drink and be very merry.

Photo by Ellen von Unwerth

Red and yellow and pink and green

Purple and orange and blue... Can someone please convince me not to chop my growing-out fringe into Bettie Page bangs? One of my favourite beauty looks from Spring/Summer 2011 was Christian Dior's. The fusion of the swinging sixties and the audacious eighties resulted in an ultramodern melting pot. Black cat-liner, heavy brows and soft curls provided that crucial element of quintessential Dior glamour, while neon brights added the theatricality and technicolour so epitomised by designer John Galliano. The result: fun French fashion.

  Images courtesy of Style.com

Last week

Rainbow spotting, a special birthday with nibbles, too much wine, my sister's failed attempt at baking cupcakes and another visit from "Maurice" the neighbourhood possum, brunch/lunch polished off with lemon cake and mascarpone for all, collaborative drawings, Valley hangs at Ric's and a shared felafel kebab in the wee hours of the morning, two restaurant visits in Chinatown - unimpressive pre-gig Thai and a Sunday night Chinese feast, The Step Inn and it's seedy bathroom graffiti, movie dates (including horrifying thriller The Last Exorcism) and an epic banana smoothie.

Summer lovin', had me a blast

In Queensland, a true Australian summer is bestowed upon residents. The air gets thick and muggy, the sun sets later than usual and sweat (and quite frequently, sunburn) become a daily part of our lives. Thankfully, the South East Coast is adorned with beautiful beaches not too far within reach of Brisbane residents. I feel blessed that my apartment building comes complete with a swimming pool and a strong breeze - I would feel completely stifled without them. Festive cheer tends to beat the heat, however, and everyone comes out to play.

To me, summer is all about freshly mowed lawns, clear blue skies, chirping crickets, strawberries and champagne, palm trees, Aloe Vera on sun-fried skin, fresh fruit and salads, wide open windows and fans roaring, Christmas trees, citrus sorbet, rolled up sleeves, fresh fragrances, re-awakened freckles, sugary Slurpees, seagulls, sand between your toes, icy cocktails, mosquito repellent, cold showers, face engulfing sunglasses, bikinis and bare feet, hot chips and tomato sauce, hair twisted into top knots, chilled white wine, lots of h20 and feeling footloose and fancy free before the rush of the new year kicks in.

Fortunately, the Brisbane rain, rain, rain has gone away and it finally feels like summer. Last night we scoped Fair Game at Palace Barracks. It's quite enjoyable if you're a journalism aficionado like myself with a guilty pleasure for politics, or aspiring to join the CIA in the future, or in your fourties and seeking inspiration for attaining a bangin' bod like Naomi Watts'. Otherwise, I'd recommend seeing Harry Potter for the billionth time. My Friday was spent with my beautiful Mummy who is visiting from the Sunshine Coast. We trawled through some James Street shops and indulged in an epic brunch at Campos Coffee, a delicious cafe with incredible decor tucked away in an unsuspecting alleyway (take note Brisbane folk). Tonight the plan is to see some bands in the Valley with ma' man. Have a lovely weekend all!

Image courtesy of Vogue Australia (March 2010)

Wonderful Wednesday

Topshop feather trim floppy hat / Monki 'Lilly' knit / Jean Patou 'Joy' Eau De Parfum / MAC 'Cunning' lipstick/ Chanel 'Rouge Noir' nail polish / Pamela Love raven skull and single talon rings / Milli leopard sandals from General Pants / Lover lace-trimmed silk shorts / Topshop premium silver mini ornate metal satchel

The vibe I'm feeling this morning: feathers, deep mustard and plum, black silk and lace, leopard print, intricate silver and joy (figuratively). The temperature is at that awkward, in-between stage - it's cool enough for throwing on a comfy knit, yet warm enough for bare legs. After a slightly wild dinner party last night, I feel like taking refuge under a flowery tree and a floppy hat to completely zen out with a good book, a stack of magazines and a fully charged iPod. This afternoon I'm off to the Kelvin Grove Village Markets with my sister for fresh fruit and veggies, tasty treats and hopefully some pre-loved treasures.

Weekend snippets

Porch guitar session, cozy night in with boyfriend, roasted vegetable ravioli, crappy garlic bread, The Runaways and Grain Waves (we're a tad obsessed), pre-work breakfast of oats with apple, sunflower seeds and honey (tastes better than it looks) plus a an extra strength white coffee, the commencement of Christmas shopping, veranda hangs, drunk boys terrorising each other and a visit from "Maurice" the neighbourhood possum, brunch at Paddington's Java Lounge Cafe (bircher muesli - mine, eggs benedict - Christine's), op-shopping for hidden treasures, dreary Brisbane weather, tea and Prozac Nation, and an un-airconditioned work conference at the Novotel.

What's up Wikifashion

The wonderful thing about Wikifashion is that it brings together all elements of the fashion industry at an online destination that is accessible, interactive and collaborative. Functioning as an online style smörgåsbord whipped up for and by the fashion community, the site offers guests a delicious array of information about the latest and greatest fashion blogs, designers, labels, shows, products, magazines and much, much more. Basically, Wikifashion is Wikipedia’s cooler big sister. The lovely founder and project co-ordinator Madeline Veenstra has recently added my newborn blog to the site, which you can peep here.

December

PANADOL, teacups of water, Nag Champa, December's Russh, Christmas shopping lists, new plum lipstick, wholemeal spaghetti with tomato pesto, a random novel someone gave us at Ric's last night - what better way to kick off the silly season than with a hangover, right? Last night my boyfriend and I decided to brave Brisbane's torrential downpour and spend the first night of summer 'round the traps of the Valley. We hit up some grease at New York Slice, indulged in copious amounts of wine, discussed politics and war with someone from the Army and drunkenly danced to old school classics until 3:00am.