C'est bon bon loves....

Elizabeth Noble.

I look scary today. I spent last night crying at 2am finishing the end of The Girl next door by Elizabeth Noble. Sobbing I was. It didn't wake my husband or the dog. I guess I should try harder.

Its a lovely book - I thoroughly enjoyed it. Set in an apartment building in Manhattan where the lives of the residents are intertwined.

Also if you haven't read Alphabet Weekends its one of my all time favourite novels. Love love love it.

Hope your having a good week so far. Mines about to get busy. Best get out of my pyjamas.

Is this the perfect outfit?

Depends where you were going. But yes. I think it is.

Valentino dress

Rupert Sanderson shoe ( I have no idea who that designer is but I would kill for these shoes.)

Valentino Clutch

If you listen carefully you can softly hear an American Express card crying......

Hey hey Friday

Image from here

Last night I had a dream that all my teeth fell out but my eye Dr was able to buy me new ones for $6,000. Seems pretty cheap for a new set of teeth. What's with that??

A kit kat just arrived in the mail. How lucky is that. Technically it was addressed to my husband but a lumpy package always needs to be inspected for dangerous items. Jackpot. I ate it to make sure it wasn't dangerous. It wasn't.

Looking forward to a quiet weekend. Might play some tennis. Might bake a carrot cake. Might see a movie. What might you be doing?

Have a good one.
PS. Those macaroons look so flat. Flat Stanley is a book my sister used to love. Weird huh?

Watch out Masterchef.

So macaroons are hard to make.

Would I make them again?

Probably not.

Anything that requires a piping bag is alot of work.

Did they taste bloody terrific? You betcha.

Mine look a bit flat though.

That's all x

Don't you just love a good card?

Ha ha. I'm going to wash that man right out of my hair. From here.

You know its cold when.....

Members of your family allow themselves too be photographed in polar fleece.

(I know she looks scruffy. Dog washing is on my to do list. Don't judge me please.)

Another thing that's nice...

Whoops I forgot to add this as my new fav party idea. It was easier to do another post. I'm lazy.

Nice idea from Sunday Suppers. A lovely site. A warning thought, guests at their Sunday Suppers make you want to go get your hair blow dried, take off your ugg boots and put make up on.

That's all. x

W is for Wedding's. W is for Wednesday's.

On the theme I'm loving at the moment..

Some ideas for table tops. For a wedding, party, thirtieth birthday soiree coming up. All from cox and cox. We love them.

Tabletop worth writing home about.

If I was..... having a dinner party this weekend. I would copy this. Sad but true. I would also accept comments on how creative I was.

I seem to be obsessed with table settings at the moment. I think I would make a great wedding stylist. Or professional table setter.

Anyway this is my idea of heaven. Saturday night intimate dinner party. I can see it now. Taste the food. Hear the music. See the dancing shoes. There's always dancing. x

Images from Eddie Ross

Chairs and Macaroons and its raining here.

Image from Absolutely beautiful things

Just about sums up this post so feel free to get back to whatever it was you were doing.

I like these bamboo (I'm guessing) chairs. I would like some for my sun room. I'll need a jaunty little table too.

Just a thought. I am allowing myself to look but tragically no purchases till we move. IE buy a shoe box and have too much furniture.

Attempting to make macaroons this afternoon. Stay tuned.

boys etc.

I come from a family of girls. All our family friends had girls. Hello Hearns if you are reading. I'm just a girls girl.

I thought that I wanted to have girls and girls only when hopefully I become a mama. A big family full of girls. We have continuous hot water so I figured things would work out well. I've had this conversation a few times with various friends and I can safely say I'm not alone with my thinking here. However silly it might sound.

Having said that. A few things happened in the last week which have turned the light bulb on all things blue. So to speak.

I met Noah. The cutest little cherub ever. I mean cute. Looked into my eyes and I wanted to take him home. Utterly gorgeous. "I thought, hang on a second. Whats up with that. " My heart was taken - in a second. I was so proud of my friend for being such a lovely mother - but that's another story.

Then I witnessed first hand the art of manly bonding - aka the Wallabies vs England rugby game. Eww gross. But it was an eye opening experience. Loads and loads of dad's with other dad's all there with their sons and loving it. Sure the kids were eating hot chips at 9pm on a Saturday night washed down with a kit kat and a coke (mums wouldn't let that roll) but I sat and looked around at the lovely display of fathers and sons and again something went ding ding ding.

Finally seeing the happiness of a two year old boy when his mother arrived after being apart for say ten long minutes in kid time was priceless. Priceless.

I don't know whats happened to me but I like it.

That's all x

PS this was the only pic I liked when I googled fathers and sons. I'm sure you won't hold it against me.

Share your Sambag story to win pretty.

Speaking of Sambag clutches.. Wouldn't you like to win either a pair of their fabulous ballet flats, a cute bomber jacket or glam clutch bag?

All you have to do is submit your favourite Sambag story. Entries close on the 2nd of July. Could be you. Winter would be a whole lot nicer.

Submit at: online@sambag.com.au

Amanda Clutchly

My big sis needs a clutch bag to go with a black dress for a wedding.

These are my some of the ones I found. This saves me emailing her as she is an enthusiastic reader. This is thrilling stuff.
She won't go for the pink one but I liked it. x

Top one Peep toe.

Next boden.

Metallic sambag.

Last one Nancy Gonzalez from net a porter. Good use for a crocodile I think.

W is for nice table setting.

Isn't this just heaven? Just got my mobile bill which wasn't whoops.

W is for... yeah yeah yeah

They say the devils in the details. Well I say that. Details can be devilish to pull off but the rewards usually speak for themselves. Take this wedding as seen on Style me Pretty. Divine.com. Anything navy is always glamorous in my opinion. The amount of work in the cake and cupcakes makes me sad for the person who had to make them.

Snaps to Jacki and Sammy for passing on the 3 love blogging post. Check it out.

My nose is blocked and my sneezing sounds like... well I don't know. Something gross. Thanks to the nice man who coughed on me on the plane coming home to Fiji. Thanks really. I still have my pyjamas on and I need to get my legs waxed. My nail polish is chipped and guess what our new neighbours are stopping by for a drink tonight. Happy Wednesday to you too.

That's all x

Images from Style me pretty.com

There's a bat in bunk 5 and other stories.

So I'm up to book 3 in the Nora Roberts Wedding Quartet. Just finished Bed of Roses. Let me just say. IT DIDN'T DISAPPOINT. In that rainy Sunday afternoon snuggle in with a hot chocolate and read a saucy novel kind of way.

This one is narrated by Emmaline who runs the flower shop section of the wedding planning company Vows in Connecticut. She falls for Jack, a handsome architect and long time friend who keeps his relationships breezy and light. Untill now.

Its pretty saucy. Don't lend it to your grandma but definitely read it.

A man of a certain age named Jaun, a flotation device and americans on honeymoon.

What do these three things have in common?

They all were characters in what I like to call "Adventures on a boat in Fiji" otherwise known as our last day in Fiji.

Denarau harbour marina 10 am last Friday. A couple of jerks waiting with a large hat and oversize straw bag for "Fiji's most luxurious harbour cruise." Maybe.

Have driven on a shuttle bus with a bunch of uncouth Australians, sun burnt poms and yanks on honeymoon for an hour. Not staying at our hotel. (I said a silent prayer to the hotel gods that Barry from Melbourne was torturing people at the Shang ri la.... ha ha)

Juan - a man in his late 60's with a bronzed and buffed, if slightly barrelled appearance, wearing a Euro tog style swimsuit with zippers and not much else. Seemed to be deaf in right ear. Partner spent alot of time talking loudly in his left ear. I now know a tad more information about them than I really need to.

Yanks on honeymoon - need I say more. Get a room. Or go back to it. Stop taking pictures from a moving bus.

Lovely Japanese couple. With so much gear I was secretly hoping to be trapped on a dessert island with them in order to have a turn of their Ipad.

A couple of smucks from Melbourne.

Some poms.

And us.

We arrive at the Island ready to go snorkeling and stuff. The Japanese man takes out a large blow up raft/ boat thing and starts to blow it up. Why didn't I think of that I though. They will be floating around the calm waters - lovely.

We head off on our guided snorkeling tour and the Japanese man ( if I only could remember his name) starts snorkeling and pulling the raft/ boat thingy along with him.

You see his wife couldn't swim and he didn't want her to miss out so he pulled her along with the rest of us. She had a mask and snorkel but she wasn't in the water. Genius.

It was one of the sweetest and funniest things I have ever seen. He must really love her I thought. Its also hard to giggle while snorkeling.

A fun day. I bet the man from Melbs is regretting being a show off in front of his lady friend. Is it ever a good idea to dive deep in a coral reef when you are a beginner? And clearly uncoordinated. Dettol, band aids anyone?

I saw this thing on a blog and thought I'd give it a go.

Image from here

Good things come in 3's.

Three names I go by:
Rach
Rachael
Rachie.

Three places I've lived:
London
Sydney
Burradoo

Three of my idols:
Oprah Winfrey
My mum
My sister

Three things I like to look at:
Peonies
Magazines
My dog Bella

Three places I've been:
Morocco
Paris (with my two favourite people)
Walton on Themes

Three things I love to eat:
Chocolate
TV snacks
Toast with Marmalade

Three things I want to do someday:
Be a mamma
Write a novel
Renovate a house

Three things I'm looking forward to this year:
Being healthy
Moving
Turning 30. x

Fiji time

Remember that time in Fiji when I beat my husband at tennis? Good story. Photo Evidence.


I know you are thinking "Why is she blogging from a relaxing holiday in Paradise?"

Because its my alone time and otherwise I will have to participate in an activity with kayaks. Enough said. And I'm getting free Internet in the club lounge. Gold. Still no lizards. Loving it!

I have developed a weird taste for fruit and nut chocolate whilst away. Who knew.