I've got nothing

Due to lack of inspiration and the fact I may have had a little too much wine at lunch, I'm going to simply wish you all a great weekend and leave you with these pretty pictures to make you smile (compliments of Angela's MySpace page) : )



Notes on Glossy Paper

The best day this month

You know that feeling you get when you purchase something new you really, really love? Once every two months I get that warm fuzzy feeling when I purchase the new issue of Frankie magazine from the local newsagent. And for $7.99 it's a completley guilt-free spend!

This issue comes wrapped up with some absolutely adorable greeting cards - made especially for Frankie readers with lovely illustrations from their fave artists - and the cutest envelopes to match. They're almost too cute to use! (I tried to scan them in to show you but the pic doesn't do them justice)

LOVE the cover this month (sorry the scan is a bit chopped off). I always take a moment to appreciate before opening the mag and slowly flick through each page oohing and aahing over the layouts and clever ideas before returning and reading every word from cover to cover. No other magazine gives me this much satisfaction, or so many stories I am genuinely interested in reading.

You can easily spend a lunch hour just reading through the letters to Frankie, and eight pages of "Frank Bits" up the front - always full of cool new products and interesting chats with bands. I've only just done my pre-read flick but features I will be coming back to as I eat my lunch are:

*The Graduates - interviews with successful graduates of NIDA.

*A feature on Rose Byrne - funnily enough she wasn't accepted into NIDA but has become one of the most well-known Australian actresses. I loved her in Marie Antoinette.

* My most embarrassing moment - regular Frankie contributors reveal their most blush-worthy stories with style and wit.

* Poddy McPodcast - mainly becasue I think this is an excellent heading! It also tells you where you can get some really great, and free, podcasts.

* We met online - I love Frankie's real-life features and this month's is another interesting bunch of tales of couples who found love, by chance, in cyberspace.

* A profile of label Shakuhachi - I LOVE this label!

* The war on text - a funny rant from Mia Timpano about ridiculous and unnecessary texts like "I'm waving at you right now".

* Big Lungs - introducing Kate Miller-Heidke. Heard a snippet of her tunes on Video Hits on Saturday and this girl is definitely very quirky and cool. And trained in opera too!

* Bring it back - Frankie writer Benjamin Law reminisces about the good ol' days when we didn't have to organise our own birthday parties.

At first glance, I'm not too keen on the fashion shoots this month, but there's enough reading material to keep me going for days.

Notes on Glossy Paper

I hate winter!

I think this offically has to be the coldest and windiest day this year (the bureau may disagree with me but I'm sticking to my guns)! I think I used all my energy up this morning just trying to find something warm enough to wear - there's only so many things you can layer until you start looking like a marshmallow. And my new, deliciously warm, feather and down doona was calling me back to bed.

How do I loathe thee winter? Let me count the ways:

1. Cold weather = expensive fashion. I've raised this point before, but I'll say it again! Even if you buy lots of "bargain" pieces, the toal outfit cost is far, far higher. Plus, I am the kind of girl who holds off on buying winter clothes in the hope that summer will be here soon so I won't really need them. Well at least that's what I keep telling myself.

2. It's so demotivating! Trying to drag my lazy butt of out bed when the temperature is in the single digits and it's still dark outside despite my phone saying it is, in fact, 7:30am and time for me to get ready for work, is hard enough. There's no way I can force myself to wake up an hour earlier to go for a jog! That's just crazy.

3. Becoming a ghost. My biggest peeve about winter is the lack of sunshine and warmth I need to get my injection of vitamin D and that healthy glow that summer so kindly brings to the party. My skin is getting dryer and pastier by the minute. Note to self: must make effort to moisturise whole body more than once in a blue moon.

4. My taste buds want me to get fat. Why else would they turn me off refreshing salds and steer me down the path of hearty stews, gooey toasties and lots of chocolate. Comfort food my left foot! It's not comforting when I look in the mirror and see jelly even Beyonce would be proud of.

72 days til spring... and counting.

Notes on Glossy Paper

No babies for me just yet, thank you!

Before Katherine Heigl was Izzie on Grey's Anatomy, she was in a little film called My Father the Hero, followed by a string of awful B-grade flicks. But her perfromance in Knocked Up (from the makers of 40 Year Old Virgin) is sure to see her launched into high rotation.

You've probably heard the synopsis already - ambitious and beautiful young woman, Alison, has a one night stand with stoner slacker, Ben in an alcohol-fueled daze. Two months later she is horrified to discover she's been knocked up! The way the writers map out their relationship from hereon-in is what makes this comedy so successful.

Seth Rogen just has to do that rumbling giggle of his (if you saw him on Rove you'll know what I'm talking about) to have me laughing out loud, so suffice to say I was in stitches throughout this film at his character - a pot smoking, slacker with some "interesting" housemates to say the least, and their semi-pornographic business plan that they may make quite a bit of money from, if they ever finish it!

Once the decision has been made to keep the baby, Alison and Ben make an attempt at a relationship, but they couldn't be more opposite. Alison has to look past the dilapidated house he shares with four friends (a haven for copious amounts of weed-consumption), the fact that he doesn't have a job (or indeed want one), and his crass remarks, while she struggles to continue her new on-air position at E! without them noticing her growing belly.

In the meantime, her older sister, Debbie (Leslie Mann aka "Hooters. Hooters. Hooters" from Big Daddy) is stuck in a mid-life crisis with a husband she can't communicate with, and the two boys become new best friends in a rebellion from the chicks! (Wait for the hilarious scene involving Vegas, Cirque de Soleil and magic mushrooms.)

Oh, and if you're a bit queasy when it comes to full-frontal nudity in films, then a warning: this film goes waaay further than you would expect in the delivery room (need I say more?)!

I won't tell you if Ben and Alison sort their issues out or not, because I highly recommend you go and see this movie, especially if you love a good laugh... and if you're not too keen on having kids anytime soon : )

Notes on Glossy Paper

You know you've made it when...

You appear in Sydney's social pages. Ha ha not really but it is a first for me so I had to share : )

Notes on Glossy Paper

Being an adult really sucks sometimes

As I was downloading songs yesterday (erm, nothing illegal I swear), and was trying to think of all those "I love this song" moments I've had over the past year so I could promptly download the track to my collection, I found myself searching for fun songs like "Shoop" (Salt 'n' Pepa), "Jump Around" (House of Pain) and "Don't Let Go" (En Vogue). These old school tracks hold so many memories of... um, school! In fact one clear memory I have is dancing around my friend's living room at her mum's fancy dress 40th birthday party, singing along to Salt and Pepa's greatest hits (the theme was "anything starting with the letter F" and my friends and I were dressed as flowers). And can I just say that no one does a better rendition of "Whatta Man" than my friend, Jodie.

(As an aside, Salt 'n' Pepa are set to make a sort-of comeback. Perez Hilton reported last week that the girls will be appearing in a TV show documenting their attempt to reunite on and off stage. Sounds interesting.)

I love listening to the same songs I loved as a teenager - it takes me back to a time before full-time work, when coming home meant eating a meal cooked by your mum and holing yourself up in your bedroom with the phone to talk to all your girlfriends (who you only just saw at school, like, three hours before), and when the weekends were just one big party. There was no to-do list like: do the grocery shopping, clean the bathroom, vacuum the floors and do the washing. Yuck!

Growing up, I spent so much time dreaming of the day I would be independent and have a successful career (which, of course, would allow me to spend most of my spare time shopping and planning holidays to tropical island destinations). The dreams didn't include paying off a mortgage, keeping a budget or considering whether I should invest more money into superannuation. Of course, you have the flexibilty and freedom to have plenty of fun as an adult, but you don't always keep your carefree nature from your teenage years.

So my resolution for this week is to have more fun, and to not worry about everything so much. I'm going to forget about planning my life a year in advance, and worrying if my apartment looks messy. Starting with the manicure I treated myself to on Saturday, I've made the decision to have more fun with life!

I'm also going to a screening of Knocked Up tonight with my boy so I will have some goss to tell you tomorrow : )

Notes on Glossy Paper

Carbon-neutral fashion

Lisa Gorman's range of organic cotton basics have got fashionistas in a flurry. The environmentally-conscious designer has sought to achieve the softest, organic pieces to compliment every woman's wardrobe. These are not trend pieces, but carefully selected, 100% organic, basics.

Opening her store in the fashionable Sydney surburb of Paddington last night, Gorman served guests with a completely organic experience - from the cocktails to the goodie bags. “I wanted the range to be fashion first,” Gorman told news.com.au. “I want people to come up to the rack and like the look, like the feel, then realize it’s organic.”

And in a bold move, Gorman is aiming to make her entire company carbon neutral by the end of 2008. Setting a good example for the entire fashion industry, Gorman is proof that if a small lable can do it, it's not hard for everyone to make more environmentally-awarre business decisions. “In our new stores we’re looking at using recycled material for fit outs, low-fume paints, new lightglobes to reduce power used and recycled fabrics in the change rooms," she says.

Bravo to Miss Gorman I say! : )

Notes on Glossy Paper

PS. Currently stores are only in Melbourne and Oxford St, Paddington... but her website signals online shopping will be coming soon : )

Now we know what she's doing

I love stumbling upon new fun sites in cyberland... if you click through enough links, you'll often land on a pot of virtual goodness! Just now I was clikcing through ex-beauty editor Katrina Lawrence's website when I found another of Mia Freedman's little side projects. Seems Miss Freedman is also a fellow blogette with her new site mamamia.com.au and, even though it seems most of the entries are reproductions of her Sun Herald column, it makes for a good read if you don't buy the Sunday paper (also if you don't live in Sydney, and therefore probably don't really know what I'm talking about)!

Mia has vowed to devote more time to this new blog and has conveniently divided her entries into categories of interest like "body image", "fashion and shopping" (where you'll read reproductions of her column from Shop Til You Drop) and so on. You can also read all about her career, visit her myspace page and generally get clued up on all things Mia.

Another good one to add to your favourites : )

Notes on Glossy Paper

Sliding Doors Syndrome

Ever have one of those moments in your life where you think, what if [insert event here] hadn't happened? What would I be doing instead? What would have happened if I took option A instead of option B? Even though I'm a huge believer of things happening for a reason, I still can't help but wonder where I would have ended up if I had chosen another way, sometimes.

Each decision we make in our lives cements our path for the next little while, until we reach the next potentially life-changing decision to be made. Career, relationship, friendship and living arangments are all huge decision-making areas and when faced with this, often anxiety takes over. Am I making the right choice? Is this really what I want? Where will this lead me?

I love change and have a tendency to not be able to sit still for too long... I'm always on the lookout for the next challenge or the next idea to focus my energy on. In a story in Madison this month, "Is it time for a change?", writer Allison Tait speaks to several women who have made major changes to their careers and lives. All women interviewed agreed the initial decision had them wrought with worry, but after taking the leap and going with their gut, they've never looked back.

I think we can take comfort in the decisions we make along the path - if things don't work out as you expected, you can always change again. You will always learn from your mistakes, and they may lead you to somewhere new, to something you would never thought to try before. So I try to eliminate the "what if" thoughts in my head, and focus on the amazing things in my life right now. The rest will just work itself out.

Notes on Glossy Paper

Makes me want to travel more!

After a good two years of not reading any books (besides Nicole Richie's Truth About Diamonds, and that soooo does not count), I realised I was way overdue for a trip to a bookstore and some inspirational reading that runs longer than a four page magazine feature. I was looking for something I could relate to, something non-fiction (I've read far too many chick lit novels in the past) and hopefully something to do with travel or the media (two of my largest interests).

Then I stumbled upon it in the new release section... Tuning Out: My Quarter-Life Crisis. The author's name sounded familiar and after a quick read of the blurb I realised it was penned by Nova 969 newsreader and Merrick and Rosso co-host Katrina "Blowsy" Blowers. At the age of 29, at the height of her journalism career, and after four years of putting it off, she embarked on a six-month overseas trip with her husband, Tom. Some people told her she was making the biggest mistake of her career, that she would never get a job as good as what she had upon return... two comments that plagued her for much of the trip, much to her husband's disappointment.

Like many of us, Katrina struggled to work out where her career fit in the scheme of her life. She had spent so long climbing the career ladder, and now enjoyed the success she had dreamed of, but wondered if it was enough. This book follows her emotional growth as much as it documents her travels, through France, Spain, Morrocco, Italy, London, North and South America - much of which is a gourmet foodie's dream as she describes local authentic dishes and traditional treats that will have your mouth watering as you read.

It has definitely made me want to save up hard for the next five years so I can embark on a trip of my own!

Notes on Glossy Paper

Cute website

If you haven't discovered the cutesy homemade goodness that is Etsy you must log on now. Yes, right now! Browse through the many categories of crafty items like jewellery, homewares, clothing and art, or if you're so inclined you might like to set up your own Etsy store and sell your wares.

Notes on Glossy Paper

I've lost that shopping feeling

I used to know what it felt like to have a shopping "high". You know, that giddy feeling you get when you find the most amazing bag/ pair of shoes/ amazing dress. But alas, these days I have a self-imposed ban against such spending and am no longer with a credit card to let me spend, spend,spend... oh how I miss you sometimes. In fact, I actively avoid avoid going to the shops at all, three weeks out of every month, so when it comes around to pay day, and for a brief moment I have a plus balance in my account, I may go a little nuts and splurge on a pair of flats from Payless or put something on layby at Sportsgirl.

The fact is that now when I go shopping I feel a little lost... since I no longer do the rounds of the stores on a weekly basis, I am not sure what store has what, what's on sale where and who has that must-have item of the season (luckily I read stacks of magazines and blogs so I am not a complete fashion misfit). And when the time comes when I have a little cash to spare I almost don't know what to try on, what I really like, or whether I am preprared to part with my hard-earned cash. Frugal I am not but with a debt to pay off and savings to concentrate on, I am blindingly aware of what's inside my budget and what isn't... and sadly gorgeous $120 pairs of shoes are not.

The one plus of my dilemma is I have become quite the connoisseur of discount fashion. I think it's still important to invest in staple items like jeans, boots and coats but you can mix and match a whole lot of tops, dresses and the like from stores like Supre, SES, Valley Girl and no one need know where they came from.

In the meantime, I can continue to dream of one day being one of those stylish women with well put-together outfits, beautiful shoes, some key designer pieces and the most coordinated wardrobe you've ever seen (currently I fight for hanging space with my boyfriend and my shoes are thrown in a pile at the bottom of the cupboard).

Notes on Glossy Paper

Am in love with...

This amazing yellow Valentino dress in Vogue magazine!

Good with money... me?

Who's more money savvy - men or women? Lisa Bjorksten's blog entry on news.com.au today claims there will be more female millionaires than male millionaires by the year 2020. What the? Yep, and apparently new research has shown that less than a quarter of female millionaires attribute their weath to a perk of marriage. Nice work ladies!

While we still lag behind men in the wages stakes and, spoken or not, there is still a stigma attached to high-power business women - can anyone say bitchy? And there is of course, our (generally speaking) flippant attitude towards spending and wracking up debt on credit cards for the latest must have outfit. Silly women like us could never do something sensible like invest, could we?

But it's inspiring to hear of women making a name for themselves and reaping the financial success. In a recent issue of Virgin Blue's Voyeur magazine I read an article on self-made millionaire Lorna Jane. For a woman who started out making work-out gear in the back room of a gym where she taught classes, she has certainly raised the bar. Her business now includes 30 concept stores and three Bodywize Health & Wellbeing Clubs in Australia, as well as stores in Singapore, Taiwan and New Zealand and one opening soon in Hawaii. The empire also includes the Your H2O water company. And if you've ever bought some of her trendy, and ultra comfortable sportswear you can see why her business works.

Other female financial success stories that come to mind include founder of Boost Juice bars, Janine Allis and creator of Bloom cosmetics, Natalie Bloom, who started the business at only 22!

Following on from my post on Friday about Generation X, the proof is in the number of young business women in Australia right now. Founder of Sweaty Betty PR, Roxy Jacenko, threw in her job as a PR representative to go out on her own at the age of 23. Within three years of operation, Sweaty Betty is now known as one of the hottest fashion PR firms in Sydney - with over 60 clients.

There is money out there to be made, and girls are just as likely to make a million (if not more) as guys are. If you work hard and really believe you can do it, there's no reason you can't be the money savvy one of your group... or relationship!

Notes on Glossy Paper

Goodbye Mia

Queen of ACP and golden child of Channel Nine, Mia Freedman, has today announced her resignation from the two companies, the same day that her "baby" - daytime chat show, The Catch Up - was axed. Cooincide? Me thinks not.

Mia reigned over Comospolitan, Dolly and Cleo in her 16 years at ACP and leaves us wondering what she will do next? Is she taking time off to spend it with her kids? Writing another book (she's already written one called The New Black and is a regular columnist for the Sun Herald newspaper)? Or will she jump ship and continue her TV career at Seven? Doubtful.

I have never worked for Miss Freedman but am an admirer of what she achieved in her young years. She was editor of Cosmopolitan before her 25th birthday and made a positive impact to the magazine world by intorduing the "Body Love" campaign and using real girl models in every issue.

Starting her career as beauty editor of Cleo magazine (after a lucky break while on work experience), Mia worked her way up through the ranks and ended up editing Cosmopolitan for seven years. No doubt, we all would have read her work in the pages of Cleo and Cosmo over the years, and even though most people hated her TV show, I am sure the world has not heard the end of Mia Freedman.

Notes on Glossy Paper

Too Posh

Only Victoria Beckham could find (and wear) sneakers with a wedge heel!

Well, if she's going to embarrass herself by throwing the first pitch at a basball game, she's got to look good, right? At least she's wearing pants this time...

Notes on Glossy Paper

Pretty pictures to inspire you

Because the long weekend is over and now you have to get back into work mode...

Beautiful collage from a friend's myspace page.

Cool wallpaper to download from Frankie magazine's website.

Cover of Lula magazine.

Pretty banner from craft blog OneGirl by graphic designer Leslie Keating.

Wishing I was on holidays right now...

Hope you have an inspired day! : )

Notes on Glossy Paper

Hi I'm a Gen Y and I want it all

After watching a piece on Generation Y last night on Today Tonight (ick can't believe I was watching - I must have been home too early), and after the various articles on the subject that have been circulating of late, I feel it's time for a rebuttal from one Gen Y to another (or perhaps you are a Gen X, and in which case, you know what we're about too).

Gone are the days of working loyally for one employer for 30-40 years. Gen Y's can't imagine working in the same company for more than a couple of years. Always on the lookout for the next opportunity or the next promotion, our generation is knowledge hungry and ready for success. We want to achieve everything on our long list of goals. And I mean everything.

As a teenager I never imagined just choosing one career and sticking with it until retirement - can anyone say boring? The thought of doing the day-in day-out routine of a 9-5 job for that many years makes even the most dedicated worker, want an escape route. When it came to choosing my uni preferences I couldn't decide between Marine Biology, Dance, Education, Journalism, Photography, Graphic Design, Fashion Design and Acting... and even part way through my career, I still plan to tick many of these professions off my list. Well, most of them anyway.

It's not to say that Gen Y's are not loyal or hardworking. If anything I think the majority of us are more enthusiastic and want more challenges than anyone before us. We're not afraid of hard work... we just want to be noticed and rewarded for it. We believe we can reach the top of the career ladder and we're not going to let anyone tell us we can't.

Just like one of the girl's who was interviewed in the TT story said, we expect employers to keep us motivated, interested and challenged... and really, should we expect any less? If we're expected to slog it out for them and do well in our professions, surely we should be rewarded for the results we bring them?

I agree that sometimes our generation can be too quick to expect a promotion, or that we tend to want to take on jobs that require many more years of real-life experience that what we've got. It can be hard to sit still and wait to be ready for a dream position. But in the long run, I believe the more experience you have, in more areas, the richer your life will be.

So be patient Gen Y, but don't forget to dream big, because you can do anything you set your mind to : )

Notes on Glossy Paper

Weird trend?

Chloe Sevigny may have re-started the HUGE Ray Ban trend, but no one dared to go near her worn-over-the-hair quirky style... til now! Kate Moss and Nicole Richie have both been spotted wearing their Wayfarers over the hair, and let's be honest, if anyone can take a trend mainstream it's these two.


Perhaps it's because the "attack of the Ray Bans" (as I like to call it) is already becomming a bit old... every celeb in Hollywood from Mischa to Mary-Kate and Kirsten Dunst has at least one pair. They are a refreshing change from all the bug-eyed specs that have been in for the past few years but now the style leaders need to mix it up a bit, and what better way than injecting a bit of hair into the look. I'm sure they spent hours in front of the mirror with butterflies of anxiety about taking the their new look outside. Or perhaps they would have just spent hours in front of the mirror checking themselves out and blowing air kisses to their relection for being so god damn fabulous.

Either way, like an "it" bag, you want to go for authentic if you're seeking out a pair of Ray Bans for yourself (unless you're buying a pair of retro fluro 80s ones for some reason, and then why would you spend more than $2 on a pair from the markets). They retail for around $150 at Sunglass Hut but ebay sales have been going off the hook. They don't suit everyone's face shape, and I still think the larger version looks better than the new smaller style, but overall I'm loving them. And hey, I'm in the market for some new sunnies...

What do you think of the Wayfarers? Are they too Tom Cruise in Risky Business for you, or the must-have item for 2007?

Notes on Glossy Paper

Choose your own adventure

One of my favourite things

The new issue of Nylon magazine is available to view online! The June/July issue is now up and as always, delivers a healthy chunk of information and inspiration. You can even click on the coverlines to be taken to the correct page to read the story of your interest, click on certain ads to be taken to the advertiser's website or click on page numbers in the contents page to flip ahead - ingenious.

The Nylon crew have gone MySpace crazy for this specially-themed issue, with links to a million trillion cool myspace sites - from musicians to designers and clubs - especially in their profiles of the coolest cities around the world. You could be online for literally days with this little gem of an idea, and no doubt, all MySpacers involved will be very stoked with the publicity.

Notes on Glossy Paper

PS. I still have a review of Attitude magazine on the way... I just haven't got my hands on a copy yet!

She's a Barbie girl

Victoria Beckham must like pushing the boundaries. Just when you think she can't getting any thinner, she goes ahead and drops five pounds. And when you think she can't get any more tragic, she comes out with this little number.

There's two things wrong with this picture:

1. What the hell is up with the arms above the head pose? She obviously spent a great deal of time practicing that little pose in front of the mirror, just for this special occassion. Saucy vixen she is most certainly not.

2. We know you've popped out three kids and still manage to stick to a size zero, but what possesses you to wear a dress that would be better suited to a streetwalker, than a... well what is she exactly?

Mrs Becks was presenting an award at the MTV movie awards, but I wonder what would they introduce her as. Singer? Well, not anymore! Actress? Well she is starring in a reality show about the Beckhams move to LA (riveting viewing by the sounds of it). Or a volvo-driving soccer mum (substituting the volvo for a chauffeur driven Bentley or some other ridiculously luxurious car of course)?

Oh and by the way Posh, the whole fluro bra peeking out of your dress thing does not equate to Carrie Bradshaw-esque fashionista cool, it just looks tacky.

Notes on Glossy Paper

News flash!

Free fashion magazine Attitude hits the streets today. Pick it up at a trendy store near you (in captial cities only). I'll be reviewing the best bits on Monday right here.

Notes on Glossy Paper

Best of the chain stores

Love these two looks from the Style Me section of Sportsgirl's website - the red coat says "I'm ready to work, but I like to rock it at the same time" and the grey ensemble says "I'm too cute for words and don't care if my fingers freeze off coz my head's nice and toasty"!





This checked swing coat from Bardot would look adorable over a white long sleeve tee.





This classic trench is on sale at Just Jeans - also available to buy online. The trench is now $90 although, I bought the hottest navy trench from SES for $25 just the other day. Bargain of the year!


If you're shopping or not, have a great weekend! : )

Notes on Glossy Paper