anyresemblance

Bye July

I have become enamoured of cross body bags. I bought a little canvas one from Witchery before a recent trip and marveled at how easy it was to extract passport and boarding passes with one hand. Sadly though, my new glasses come with a massive hard case, which I am trying to use religiously to stop scratching the lens, and the bag was just too small to fit those in as well. In Hawaii, the oldest was obsessed with Kate Spade and I did look at several of her bags but they were either too small or too square. I looked at everything in Macy's, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus without finding anything that spoke to me (other than the $900 red suede Alexander wang number). Then I saw this at the airport shop. I was only going to buy a magazine but I saw this in the new arrivals. I'm loving the yellow and grey, the simple catch and it being big enough for phone, wallet, glasses and passport. Plus it is the exact colours I bought the camper wedges in when I was in brazil. Serendipity.

Bye, July. It's been fun. Regular posting, I can do this.

What Charlie did on his holidays

Swam.

Had his ears chewed by a puppy.

Ran like the wind.

Hung out with the pack.

Easily pleased.

The case of the missing rabbit

That was a hugely enjoyable weekend with nothing on the agenda.  

On Friday after work, I took Charlie out to chase the ball in the icy cold.  Then I went to the bookshop and bought a stack of weekend reading, including some $10 editions of PG Wodehouse which were reduced.  We had lamb cutlets and salad for dinner. I spoke to Telstra and got my phone bill sorted and watched some aimless tv.

On Saturday, the oldest got up early to go to work and I walked the dog through super frosty streets.  We saw this new piece of stencilled street art.  I have no idea of the significance.  I went grocery shopping and then cooked up a storm of little cakes: brownies, carrot cakes, orange and almond cakes and mini cheesecakes.  I spent the afternoon on the sofa reading this , walked the dog (again) and then cooked rump steak, mashed potatoes and this great leek, pea and spinach thing that Jamie makes in his 15 minute book.  Two more episodes of Necessary Roughness (barely adequate tv) and an early night.

*Charlie caught in the act of trying to lick the cake bowl as I rounded the corner to the kitchen

Yesterday, the oldest did another early shift and the pup and I lounged in bed or on the sofa until 9 and then did another brisk walk through chilly streets.  I spent the rest of the day doing laundry and reading the Robert Galbraith book.  I thought it could have done with editing but promising characters and a reasonable plot.  I have a taste for the irascible hero (see Stuart Littlemore book, above) so it would be sad if her "outing" stopped her writing any more in the series.  Of all the books, it reminded me of the Joan Smith, Loretta Lawson series I used to read in the late 80s.  I need to reread those to work out what it was that spurred that comparison but it might have been to do with her reflections on the press and celebrity or maybe it was something to do with the discussion of London streets and neighbourhoods and the privileged who lived among them.  Anyway, it's a testament to Galbraith's story telling that it moves along at a cracking pace and I read all 450 pages in a day.

The kids are partly impressed and partly scandalised that their father got inked at the age of 63.  I think it is a good thing to have your parents surprise you.  It wasn't a rabbit, if that's what you're wondering.

Apple brandy

I went to a tasting last night of calvados, Armagnac and cognac. It was icy cold sitting outside the shop with concrete floors and metal shutter walls. Good thing there were outdoor heaters, thick coats and warming brandy. I'm not a fan of any of those liquors but it is always interesting to listen to someone talk knowledgeably about their subject. Sadly, I am now so deaf, the speaker was such a quiet speaker and I was so cold, I did not take much in. I did not miss the bit about how the Lillet aperitif we also tasted is a key ingredient in the Bond Vesper cocktail.  Good company and an opportunity to wear my new Chanel La Favourite lipstick and leave my hermit cave.

It's Friday, rejoice!

In praise of holidays

We're home and a swell holiday it was.  Firstly, when you have been innured to the vagaries of flying with 24 hours to Brazil, 10 hours to Hawaii seems a breeze.  Especially when you have stocked your ipad with season 1 of Scandal (loving it) and Sherlock (also loving it).  And let's face it, it takes 10 hours to get just about anywhere from Australia so it's no big deal.

Secondly, everyone was so laid back and calm and the weather was balmy but not sweltering and everything was so green.  My genes don't respond to a sunburnt country in the same way so I loved the frangipani and bouganvillea everywhere.

Thirdly, the deal I was on was a timeshare pitch which took 2 hours of my time and was massively emotional hard sell, but when you are surrounded by that stuff professionally, you know the pitch and the cold truth that you have no budget makes you a prospect to be quickly written off.  And to their very great credit, there was zero badgering.  We had a great one bedroom suite, free wifi, free laundry and a balcony with a view of the water.

Fourthly, there was an excellent coffee shop downstairs where I could order a flat white and it come out with exactly the right amount of coffee and an excellent range of ice creams.

Fifthly, I am in love with colour.  I have t-shirts in pink and heavily discounted gold Kate Spade sandals.  I don't know who I am but I may need to move to the Gold Coast.  (I avoided the cropped white pants, a look my daughters advise me places me heavily in the middle aged category).

Sixthly, make up is fun when it does not cost $50 for a lipstick.  Sephora is a aladdin's cave of delight for people who only have the supermarket or David Jones for choice (I know Mecca is pretty good but twice the price of Sephora, people).  Even the drug stores have better selections ($5 for a revlon nail polish which costs $15 here).  Plus all the brands we don't get like Urban Decay and Smashbox.  Smashbox primer is revelatory and I am a pusher for the stuff now.  Look out family, you'll see it as part of Christmas presents.

Seventhly, swimming through water is meditative and calming.

Eighthly, waking up and hearing your daughter snoring like a small kitten reminds you that though she is twenty, you still want to make sure she is breathing regularly.

Ninethly, discovering Gap boyfriend jeans shorts.  

Finally, being outdoors in a place of great beauty is very soothing.

On the down side of the ledger, the restaurants were mediocre but I think that is a function of lack of research rather than a reflection of what is on offer.  Also, Bumble and Bumble sea salt spray - what was I thinking? It does what it says so if you want your hair to feel like straw, go ahead and buy it (or if you want to come by my house, you can collect the stuff I bought)

Surfing the menu

I have proven the hypothesis that there is such a thing as too much shopping. I don't care that Revlon nail polish is only half the price of what it is at home, I need not look at any more cosmetics. I have been looking for something good and pineapple-ish but am not having much success. I may return pineapple-less.

This has been a great break. Holidays have plenty to recommend them when there is no domestic tension, everyone is in broad agreement on what they want to do, accommodations are comfy and the weather is balmy. I am very thankful for my traveling companions.

Ugg

We hiked (walked) up Diamond Head Crater this morning. Really, even with moderately unfit people in the party (and cash rewards for completion) it was eminently doable. We were rewarded with a panoramic view if both sides if Oahu. Pity my panoramic photo skills are so rubbish. I wore my Merrill pace gloves, kids wore generic trainers, most people in closed shoes but I was intrigued with the Japanese girl wearing her ugg boots. Not what I would choose for the occasion but what so I know?

Flag fall

It is hard to find time to blog when you're busy eating ice cream, swimming in the pacific and choosing new lipstick. I have zero to report except episodes of Sherlock are being watched, girl on pacific north trail books are being read (thanks, friend) and surprisingly good coffee is being drunk. We did visit the USS Arizona with its careful, offensive to no nationality video but the actual memorial was very moving, the rusting hulk and many bodies still interred. I find the older I get, the more close the reality of conflict gets. I keep relating it to my parents "so in Dec 1941, my dad was stationed at Scapa Flow, my uncle was already dead shot down over Germany, my mother was living in London in the Blitz". Yet, when I was a child the war seemed so far away. As always, I wish I'd asked more questions but for now I am
Just going to read another chapter. Laters.

Pineapple wars

We're here in the glory of Waikiki and loving it. The flight was gloriously not awful. I watched season 1 of Scandal. Addictive stuff. There was some hanging around to get the room but we amused ourselves on sepphora. I slept 12 hours last night, I've been swimming, I drank beer and wandered round in shorts. Bliss.

the glorious 13th

Wedged as it is, between the stupid, sectarian 12th of July and the fetes of Bastille Day, I take this opportunity to celebrate the glorious 13th as a) a Saturday and b) the day I go on holiday.  I was up at 6 and have already written a list of 20 things I need to remember to do before we leave at lunchtime.  I have no apposite photo, so I leave with you with a gratuitous puppy shot.  I will be in Hawaii before I leave here so have no idea what this does to my posting stats but will endeavour to keep the momentum going.  Happy 13th!