I've Moved!

I've decided to join the league of Typepad bloggers! You can now find me over at Mirkwood Cottage. See you there!

Heading In The Right Direction...

It makes such a difference when things go right. After weeks of feeling unenthused about our wedding in July (to the point of our seriously considering an Elvis wedding in Vegas), things seem to be heading in the right direction.

After umm-ing and aah-ing about my family's Parish Church, which is lovely but not 'us', for weeks - I finally had a brain wave. The first Church built in Brisbane (satisfies our love of all things old), which was also its first Cathedral, is both stunning and intimate. It's been done up over the last few years in fitting with it's original (and now improved) self, and it's a small place of tranquility amid a bustling city. We're so happy with our choice... and that we could book it for the date and time we wanted makes life all the better!

We've also settled on a fabulous idea for our reception. After (again) weeks of fretting over numbers and costs, we masterminded a brilliant plan! We can invite "everyone" to our wedding and a champagne and cake 'toast' afterwards; and then have a fantastic (but reasonablyish priced) reception with just immediate family and close friends that night! I have an extremely large extended family, with whom I'm not entirely close, so the thought of paying $100 per head on people who I see once every five bazillion years just added to the stress. This way, we get to celebrate once with all our friends and extended family... and then have a fab party later that night with our most loved ones :)

But more on that later...

Now, bring me that horizon...

They say there ain't nothing like a Dame. I say, there ain't nothing like a car.

For those of you who drive, you'll understand the frustration of being without wheels. As much as I appreciate the kindness of friends and family, in their giving me lifts and loaning their vehicles, there's a certain sense of entrapment, when you can't simply grab your keys and drive off into the sunset.

Going to the shops is a veritable exercise in discipline and organisation. Getting to work, amid thousands of commuters on buses and trains, requires full-time stress-management. And don't even get me started on being stuck at home of a weekend, when all you want is to find somewhere airconditioned, in which to lay low for a while.

Fortunately, my adventures in Terrible Transportation are to come to an end! The beautiful Toyota Corolla you see here is, in fact, mine! It's to be detailed and tinted and all that jazz... but come Wednesday (two sleeps! two sleeps!), I'll be picking her up after work! :D

I always love that part, in Pirates of the Caribbean, when Jack Sparrow (drunk) and Elizabeth (pretending to be) start to talk about the concept of a ship. One of the most poignant moments in the film, he says "That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that's what a ship needs. But what a ship is... what the Black Pearl really is... is freedom."

I completely understand what he means.

Now, bring me that horizon...

Five Things You Didn't Know About Me...

Ooh, well! Better late than never! I've been tagged by the Fabulous Fi (a.k.a. Shoegal) to tell you five things you didn't know about me. Given that I've been rather neglectful of this poor blog of late, there are probably a LOT of things you don't know! (new job, blogging, new car (!!!), wedding stuff, God only knows where I fit my sleeping!)

;)

And so...


1. I am a *complete* Diet Coke addict. I can't get enough of the stuff. I drink at least 2 litres per day (usually more), and without it, I'm a quivering mess on the floor! I justify my addiction by the fact that I rarely drink, don't smoke, eat gluten free aaaand... I can't live without it! It's my life-blood! :) (and Vanilla is my fave)


2. I'm a coeliac. That means no wheat.. even trace amounts (which are sometimes hard to avoid) give me terrible pains in my tum. Fortunately, it gets easier to deal with, over time. And finding gluten-free goodies in mainstream Brisbane restaraunts is great! (and this morning, I went to a new-ish gluten free restaraunt, and it was fab!)


3. One of my all-time favourite films, to this day, is The Chipmunk Adventure. Remember it? The one where the Chipmunks and Chipettes race around the world in hot-air balloons, accidentally smuggling diamonds as they go? You don't? Well, watch it! One of the few childhood films that remains just as good, to this day, I even have the Chipmunks theme as my current ring-tone! :D


4. I'm a Psychologist. Yep! I'm one of those*. At the moment, I work with people who've suffered an injury, and who are struggling with pain / stress management. But I also counsel people for things like Depression, Anxiety and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. I really love the work, but must admit that I miss blogging full-time big-time! (*but, sadly, I don't get a couch in my office!)


5. I am completely nuts about Harry Potter. Some of you may know this, generally (from my Potter-inspired post on Catwalk Queen), but I doubt you'll know the extent of it! I love the books. I love the films. I love Jo Rowling. I even love Mugglenet, for its unadulterated love of all things Potter! Apart from the Wizard Robes (which I'll need to make), I have a Hogwarts uniform (circa. Film 3), including the pointed Hogwarts hat (circa Film 1 & 2) and banners for my room. I'm a Gryffindor, of course, and in the end, I *am* Hermione :) Only... more fashion-obsessed ;)

When they announced that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was due out on July 21st, this week, I squealed aloud at work (my NEW work!), did a bit of a dance, and contemplated cancelling my wedding (which is the following weekend) so that it wouldn't interfere with my re-read! (and if it didn't come out on a Saturday, I'd be taking the day off from work!)

(and, did I mention... that outfit she's wearing above? I have it. I wore it, as a 'subtle' nod, to the premiere of Azkaban ;)

Totally Random.

Can I just say.. it's SO good to be home. I had a fabulous evening, and I laughed, and it was just brilliant.

*happy sigh*

More fashion adventures to come!

And So It Begins...

Well, I'm safely in Australia, although our travel was not without some unexpected adventure. On the Dubai-Singapore leg of our flight, we had not one but TWO people die; but a third who almost bit the dust when he was given food that had sesame seeds / oil in it. Fortunately, the stewards had a few epi-pens handy, and he was alright, but I was bloody glad to be off that plane!!! I also had a bit of a Deep-Vein Thrombosis scare, and while one of my legs is still a bit funny, the ultrasound didn't pick up any clots! Phew! So now I'm sweating it out in the awful humidity, wishing for a bit of that Scottish rain! ;) Ah, the grass. It's always greener, I tells ya!

I've been pretty busy over the past week, since arriving here - my bridesmaids already have be running about organising this wedding, and while it's fun at times, I'm starting to see the benefits in eloping! I'm considering wearing my grandmother's wedding dress (which my mother also wore), as it's in gorgeous vintage Italian brocade from the early 1950s... but I just have to fit in it! We'll see!

I thought I'd take this opportunity to talk about The Hunt for the Perfect Bridesmaid Dress, because it's a fashion adventure in and of itself. I'm very fortunate that my BMs are all pretty easy-going - so the hunt is more fun than daggers - but with three girls of all different shapes and sizes, finding a style that suits everyone has been quite the challenge. Although we found some lovely ready-made options that should suit all three, I've also been checking out dress patterns, and considering having gowns made. My favourite (of four) patterns is this absolutely stunning strapless A-line gown. In fact, if someone out there could find me the fabric in the picture, it's perfect in and of itself, so bring it on!! Definitely a 'different' choice, but I love the elegant shape - and especially the gorgeous little wrap!

Another style that caught my eye was this gorgeous 'Vintage Vogue' pattern, for a gown designed by Oscar de la Renta. Obviously renowned for his designs (and highly coveted), I love the simplicity of this style, although with all the boning and ruching, I suspect it's actually quite an advanced project! The shorter styling reminds me of something Carrie wore in SatC, although I think I'd prefer the longer version as we're having a Winter wedding. Nonetheless, it's gorgeous, and I'm so pleased I was able to get the pattern, as it's been discontinued completely, and one store had one pattern left in the sizing I needed! Huzzah!

The third style to capture my attentions was this slightly more 'classic bridesmaid' gown, which I like because you can create a number of styles from the one pattern. Should we go with this style, I'm rather enamoured by the maroon design - the fishtail skirt and strapless line is quite gorgeous, and would really suit the colours that I am leaning towards - royal purple, lavender or olive green. I also like that it's a skirt / bodice style, which makes it much easier to fit to 'real' bodies, because seriously - I know around two or three girls who can just walk into a ready-made dress and have it fit properly! Tsk, oh ready-made makers of clothing!!

The final gown is one that I am completely in love with, but definitely won't be the dress I choose for my BMs. In fact, if my grandmother's wedding dress doesn't suit me, I am going to have this one made in creamy white! It's difficult to see the detailing in this picture, but rosettes run from the centre of the bodice right around to the back, with ruching creating a gorgeous train, perfectly suited to a wedding gown. You can make a detachable shrug, which gives you a beautiful decolletage, and I even love the styling of the model's hair. Perfect vintage beauty. Completely up my street!

In any case, I'll keep you all posted about my adventures over the coming months (and beyond!). And I'd also like to take this opportunity to wish you a terribly belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all you fabulous people out there! (esp. Glitterati, and apologies for this being so late!! What with all the international moving, I didn't think you'd mind xx ;)

Heels with a bit o' Rrrrrawr!

Irregular Choice is one of those brands that you will either love or hate. Although some of their recent offerings have left me fearing for my life, I've crossed into the omgfangirlsquealylove for their shoes, because not only are they 'a bit different', but their designs are kitsch and cute in a way that makes you smile.

Take these fabulous heels, for example (thanks to TrainieBagLady on the forums!). They're knitted, and we know how nuts I am about knitted things. They have leopard print soles, and I'm nuts about 'hidden' (or not-so-hidden) detailing in my clothes and accessories. And they're TIGERS. TIGERS! Now, I don't know about you, but there's something in these shoes that make me grin like mad. They're definitely not for the faint-hearted, and some people may mock you for wearing them.. but they're just so darn cool, that I wouldn't care!

As the lovely Emma put it - imagine you're having a bad day.. but then you look down at your feet and see the tigers looking back at you.. perfect for making you smile! You can't do much better than that when it comes to shoes! I Heart You, Irregular Choice!