Christmas: the re-arrangements and some developments...

Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts, emails, text messages and phone calls about our present situation. I have appreciated every comment, every invitation to Christmas lunch, every word of comfort and support. Your kindness is so overwhelming and heartwarming.

Over the past 48 hours there have been a few developments.

Firstly, I have continued to improve. I have finished my antibiotics (yay!) and am eating normal food again (I made Hainanese chicken rice last night - was absolutely delicious). I even had a flat white this morning so I am totally fine and raring to go, courtesy of the caffeine.

I also had a rather interesting phone call from my doctor this morning - it turns out that the second round of test results revealed I had an acute case of salmonella poisoning, not viral gastro as they first thought. It's pretty rare to get salmonella nowadays - this was the first case she has seen in years apparently - but when you get it, it's pretty heinous. It accounts for the extreme pain I was in for a few days there and the fever over the weekend. Just for the record, I'm about 95% sure I know where I picked it up and it wasn't anywhere near my home...

The doctor has given me another script just in case there is a reoccurrence over the Christmas break but she said I should be fine, particularly if I am back eating normal food again and even drinking coffee.

On the home front - we've been overwhelmed by the invitations to share so many of my friends Christmases but have made the decision to stay at home this year. As such, we've been scrambling to try and create an acceptable celebration at home. Mr Kitty's family always celebrate Christmas Eve as the primary holiday and there are specific foods he likes to eat so we've had to try and procure them, or a workable substitute, at very short notice. We've managed to find a nice ham (nothing short of a miracle, actually) and a lovely looking fillet of beef for dinner tonight. We've scrapped the idea of a Christmas pudding and I'm making Not Quite Nigella's Surprise Gift Pavlovas instead.

It's certainly not the same as the celebration we planned, but Mr Kitty and I are happy that we are spending the time with the people who mean the most to us and who, no matter what, won't let us down: each other.

And as for my parents? well, your guess is as good as mine. Since that last incident I haven't heard a word from them. Not an email, no inquiry as to how I am getting on. Given I was so desperately sick you'd think they would at least try and make sure I haven't been readmitted to hospital at the very least... I even sent them an SMS asking them to join us at dinner for Mr Kitty's aunt next week while we are in Melbourne and they haven't even done me the courtesy of responding.

For people in their sixties they certainly are proving to be ridiculously immature and childish. The one thing that I have learned in this whole debacle is that you can only be responsible for your behaviour, not anyone else's. I'll admit that my response when they asked us not to come for Christmas was probably not as good as it could have been - that's natural when your parents reject you and place their own interests ahead of yours, showing no concern for your emotional or physical well being, particularly when you are highly emotional and have been so ill you have to go to hospital.

Their reaction to my illness is now absolutely ludicrous because salmonella is completely non-contagious, unless you happened to eat the same piece of undercooked chicken as I did. They couldn't have caught anything from me, so in the end, their selfishness and desire for self preservation has done nothing but estrange their family. I hope they are happy with their ridiculous hysterical behaviour (which we did point out on Wednesday as part of the process was hysterical and silly), because I have to say this morning we had a bit of a giggle about the whole thing and how dumb they look now. If you can't laugh and all that...

So, we've got the champagne chilling and the pavlovas are cooling in the oven and I am looking forward to a wonderful relaxing few days before we get on the road and spend next week with our friends in Melbourne, eating and drinking and making merry!

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas Day. I hope it is filled with merriment, fantastic presents and delicious food. Most of all, I hope you are spending the day with the people who value, love and cherish you.

Kitty xxx

I just want to thank everyone for their kind words and best wishes for my health and speedy recovery. It has meant the world to me. I have made steady improvements since yesterday and I'm even managing food - reasonable quantities! Massive step forward I say!

Unfortunately, my parents don't see it the same way. They have rescinded our invitation to come and stay with them over Christmas. We were due to drive down there yesterday but clearly I wasn't well enough and had put off the drive until tomorrow. I had a really good night last night - plenty of unbroken sleep so we thought we would be fine to drive tomorrow. Halfway through packing my suitcase this morning my mother called and said she thought it would be best if we made the choice not to come.

I don't want to get into "she said he said" because the whole thing is so hurtful and nasty but after countless phone calls and oceans of tears, the upshot is that we are not welcome at their house because I have been sick and they are worried about how that will impact their holiday and plans for January.

I honestly don't know what I can say to that. My heart is breaking. After all I have been through this year I thought that other than Mr Kitty, my parents were the people I could truly count on. As it turns out, they prefer their own company rather than spending Christmas with their eldest daughter and her husband. And to top it off, not only have they ruined our Christmas, they have also ruined the Christmas of Mr Kitty's Aunt because she was due to come along as well and now she clearly feels uncomfortable spending Christmas with people who don't want their daughter with them on Christmas Day so has to make other arrangements.

So it leaves Mr Kitty and I at a total loss for something to do on Christmas Day. We'll cobble something together I suspect but all I can imagine is how sad and alone we are going to feel without the celebration that we had planned with my family. They have disappointed me more that I could ever have imagined with their selfish choice.

And the other quandary we are faced with: how can you possibly forgive someone for doing this to you? For breaking your heart and ruining what you have been looking forward to for months?

Apparently parental love is not unconditional, but I know this for a fact: If I am ever lucky and privileged enough to have a daughter I would never treat her like this.

Devastated Kitty

Sick.

What a way to start the Christmas holiday.

I have the dreaded lurgy - viral gastro - that seems to be doing the rounds at the moment. I'm not going to bore you with details (because they are pretty gross) but suffice to say it's a lot worse than any gastro I have ever had. By a factor of about a billion. There has been a doctors visit, countless tests, antibiotics and even a trip to the hospital.

We were supposed to start our roadtrip to my parent's place this morning bright and early but instead Mr Kitty and I made our way to Royal North Shore's emergency room. I have never been in so much pain.

However, there does seem to be light at the end of the tunnel. I am feeling better and we hope to be on the road on Thursday.

In the meantime I am re-hydrating using gastrolyte and drinking the occasional sustagen to try and keep my energy. And lots and lots of water.

Fingers crossed that tomorrow morning I'll be as right as rain and ready to head down to the Christmas festivities!

Kitty

Someone is determined to make me spend my cash.

How on earth is anyone supposed to say no to these?

They are beautiful. Divine. Gorgeous. If it weren't for the fact that I appear to have an oversupply of leopeard print shoes (Mr Kitty's words, not mine) they would be in my shopping cart pronto. You might remember I desperately wanted some leopard Miu sandals not long ago, however I procrastinated until there were none left in my size.

For those not limited by the glut of animal print in their wardrobe, they can be found at Net-a-Porter for 379 pounds. Maybe I shouldn't procrastinate as much this time around...

In other Miu Miu news, I also discovered these this morning:



And these:



And these:


Le sigh. I think it's going to be an expensive few months...

Kitty

Gorgeous cardigan.

If I was in the market for a new cardigan and I loved Beige, this one from By Malene Birger would be at the top of my list.

Unfortunately beige makes me look like I am wearing a wholemeal peanut butter sandwich. Just Blah with my pale skin... So sad because it's a gorgeous cardigan and it's very well priced for designer clobber.

I think we should petition Faux Fuchsia to buy it! So her style with the beautiful bow and and lovely soft material.

Kitty

What to wear for Christmas?

We are heading to my parents place in just a few short days and naturally my mind has turned to what I might wear on Christmas Day. I have quite a few options but give I have to pack over the next few days I have to start narrowing it down quick smart...

We do a big dinner on Christmas Eve and I was thinking about wearing this combination:





Dress - Phase 8 from House of Fraser, Necklace - High Seas Choker from Mimco, Shoes (because sometimes comfort is the way to go) - Winona in silver from Country Road.

If I'm feeling super decadent I might wear my Very Penny Christian Louboutins in silver lame...
For Christmas Day we usually take things down a notch. It's a bit more casual and relaxed and I think we'll be going to my brother's place for a BBQ. Nice and informal.

I'm thinking about wearing:



Dress - Pipi Piping from Leona Edmiston, Shoes - Black Letitia Suede cutouts from Country Road. I also have these as an option if I decide to go all out:
Epihony from Nine West - currently on sale for $79!

Now - to turn my brain to what to wear on New Year's Eve...

Kitty

Love and other drugs...

My friend M and I went to a preview of this film last week. It was a screening put on by my optometrist and when I got the email inviting me I eagerly accepted the invitation. It was a film I wanted to see but it wasn't up Mr Kitty's alley so taking M was a the better option: we love our romantic comedies!

For those who haven't read aything about the plot, it revolves around the relationship between Maggie (Anne Hathaway) a free spirited artist with early onset Parkinsons Disease and Jamie (Jake Gyllenhaal), a brilliant but troubled boy who bounces through life with infallible and relentless charm. He throws himself into everything - relationships, jobs, sex - with utter abandon. Set in the late 1990's Jake is fired from his job selling stereo equipment for sleeping with his bosses girlfriend - just one of many relationships he seems to have going on at once. He decided to become a pharmaceuticals salesman on the urging of his doctor parents to avoid him drifting aimlessly through life and from job to job.

Jamie meets Maggie in a Doctor's surgery where she is collecting more drugs to treat her condition. Immediately she spots his game with women and refuses to fall for him - they use each other for meaningless sex until they discover that there could be more to it. For Maggie, it's something she can't possibly deal with, for Jamie, it's a rude awakening for a man who has used so many women in the past to feel something real and genuine.

I won't ruin the ending but suffice to say I really enjoyed the film. After the first 30 minutes or so I didn't think I would like it as it does take a while to get into the story and start to feel the connection between the characters but you eventually do.

The comedy is a welcome relief in a film that could be bogged down by the sadness of Parkinsons Disease in someone so young. The content is dealt with as compassionately as possible, trying to give the viewer real insight to what it might mean. And for pure entertainment value, Jamie's brother is the funniest character in the film and has all the best lines. Hilarious!

Love and other Drugs opens nationwide on Thursday December 16th.

Kitty

Looking forward to the sales...

I always love the Net-a-Porter end of year sales. I religiously trawl the site, earmarking the things I might like... Hoping and wishing they might be on sale after Christmas...

This year I have been searching a little and have come across the following:
Diane Von Furstenburg Iris cutout shoes. Aren't they divine! I do wonder if they'll be a tad uncomfortable but they are terrifically fab...

Monica Vinader amethyst earrings. Aren't they gorgeous? I love the slightly odd shape faceted organic stones. Just Beautiful. Unfortunately they have just had "new season" added to the description so I don't hold out much hope that these will be on sale post Christmas.
These beautiful Miu Miu pumps - fortunately not listed as new season! I think a girl can never have too many pairs of good black shoes.


This gorgeous Alexander McQueen scarf. A silk wool blend it would be perfect for next years autumn/winter wardrobe...

Do you have things you aren't prepared to pay full price for and are waiting to purchase in the post Christmas sales?

Kitty

Campaign Ruby

I’m a massive fan of Chick Lit. There – my secret (or not so secret) is out. While part of me really thinks I should be curling up in bed with War and Peace, Jane Austen or Dr Zhivago, after a long hard day at the office, there is nothing I like more than the prospect of curling up with something not too hard or challenging.

This book meets that brief perfectly. Written by Jessica Rudd (Kevin’s daughter) the somewhat unbelievable but witty storyline sees our heroine, Ruby “Roo” Stanhope, accidentally booking herself on a flight from London to Australia after consuming two bottles of very good Australian Pinot Noir on the worst day of her life. The muddles and situations she finds herself thereafter are implausible but humorous – being offered a job on a political campaign as a financial policy advisor 4 hours after arriving in a country she knows nothing about with no experience, no visa, no local contacts and often no clothes was a bit hard to fathom but Jessica’s turn of phrase and the speed of the campaign trail kept this story moving forward at a terrific pace.

For all its pitfalls, issues and remarkable coincidences, Campaign Ruby is an entertaining read. Full of colloquialisms it does portray Australians as, for the most part, ocker 2 dimensional characters and larrikins but if you put that and the implausible storyline aside, Ruby is a genuinely likeable character that has a passion for good shoes and clothes and a love of a good glass of wine – exactly my kind of girl. There are characters are very well written, especially Ruby’s niece Clem who has all the best lines in the book by my estimation, but there are others where you are left wondering about their appeal, particularly Ruby’s love interest Luke. It’s not that he’s not appealing, he’s just a little flat and, well, as I previously mentioned, 2 dimensional. I have to say it’s hard to see the attraction sometimes.

Putting all that aside, Campaign Ruby is as light, refreshing and effervescent as a nice cold glass of moscato on a hot summer’s day. It’s definitely a good summer read and something that fans of Sophie Kinsella and Helen Fielding wouldn’t be disappointed receiving and devouring with a box of Lindt balls and a nice glass of “Peanut Noise” on Christmas Day.

Bottoms up!

Campaign Ruby
by Jessica Rudd
Available at all good booksellers – Borders online price $29.95.

Miaow!!

Love this leopard belt - I think I need to buy it! Even though I am trying to avoid shopping before Christmas, it's very me... And I have been looking for a thicker leopard belt...

Listen to me trying to convince myself!

Peter Lang. $135. Mine.

Kitty

House Inspiration...

In the recent house redesign (version 1,234,567 of the house plans) I gained a room.

I say I, not we, because it's turned into my study come sitting room. I was supposed to have a nook off the kitchen with a desk for my computer and some shelves for books - not overly spacious or inspirational. When we decided we wanted to shuffle some rooms around after consultation with council I managed to gain an actual room rather than the nook which I am very pleased about.

Putting the cart before the horse as I always seem to do, I am now looking at ways I can decorate the room. I have grand visions of a couch, a desk, a lamp, shelves, a cupboard (built in of course)... most of which probably won't fit into the room as it's not gigantic, but I will do my best. Here are some sources of inspiration I have found over the last week or so:

Source: Coco Republic

I'm not wild about the wallpaper but I love the offset shelves and the fusion of classical style and contemporary furniture. I also really like the metallic nature of the wallpaper - it makes the room glow.

The next three rooms are from Osbourne and Little.

I love the whimsical feel of this room. As a feminine retreat it ticks all the boxes but I do wonder if it's just that little too girly. The butterflies on the wallpaper are heaven though. I'm not sure about the curtains - perhaps too much?


Speaking of girly, this room is boudoir style heaven. I think the contrast between this style and the contemporary look of the rest of the house might be a bit jarring...

I have always adored the combination of pink and green and the freshness of the sofa fabric combined with splashes of fuchsia make this look chic and contemporary.

This room is soft but still contemporary. I love the soft apricots and creams and beiges. It has a warmth and elegance all of it's own.

My style and inspiration seems to still be very eclectic right now. Over the next little while I'll narrow it down a bit and will show you the results soon!

Kitty

Eat Me!

How fabulous are these tags? For those among us who love too bake their Christmas presents, these are simply wonderful. I am always looking for handy ways to wrap and "gift-tag" my baked presents, and I admit to popping a few of these into my shopping cart a little while ago... The Alice-ness of them just got me.

Rowena at Crafty Pagan does such fabulous work - all her other tags are whimsical and funny like these ones!

Check out her etsy shop - if you love vintagey style stuff, you won't be disappointed!

Kitty

Sambag!

I am always on the hunt for the perfect pair of summer sandals. They are always too tall or too flat (yes really) or rub and give me blisters... I once had the perfect pair of leather slides - they weren't expensive (I seem to remember they were Sandler) and the soft leather had moulded perfectly to my feet. They mysteriously disappeared from my bag on a trip to Melbourne (I maintain they were stolen but who would want to take a pair of five year old sandals is a mystery to me).

Anyhoo...

This year I am on the search yet again. I have invested in a few pairs of Country Road flats that will see me through the Summer but I still need sandals.

A couple of weeks ago I spotted these:

They are from Sambag and are called Deborah and are made from the softest suede. No chance of rubbing there and the ankle strap is really comfy! I have worn them a few times now and they are great. OK, so I can't walk for miles in them and I still need a pair of flat sandals but they will do the trick until I find them.
Kitty

Whilst I've been away, I've still been busy...

Just because I'm at work, it doesn't mean I haven't been shopping...

It's all too easy to buy things online - and to pop out occasionally (say once in two weeks) for a stroll through the city.

Country Road has its Spend and Save at the moment and I picked up a few items on Tuesday:



Roslyn leather flip flops in red - perfect for wearing with all the black I have in my wardrobe...

Winona Ballet flats in silver - I have these in black already and they are uber comfy! I might need to buy a few more pairs...

Linen jersey maxi dress - I do have a large number of maxi dresses but I can always find room for just one more...

A navy longline lank for under a navy and white nautical dress I have.

All up, with the spend and save voucher, a smidge over $210. Bargain I say!

My other purchases came from a little further away...

I have noticed that you can often buy Mimco items at a discounted price from the UK site... Just a little secret from Miss Kitty...


During the week they had a 20% off sale which reduced this necklace to an astonishing 115 pounds! That works out to be $185! It's an awful lot less than the RRP in Australia which is $329. The shipping and VAT refund basically cancel each other out. Even at the usual price of 139 pounds, the necklace is still very reasonable. I'm thinking about wearing it on Christmas Eve.



The other thing I bought was a set of these cards from etsy (my favourite place to shop at the moment). I'm a great fan of Glee and couldn't resist. How cute! They also have Sue Sylvester and Brittany Pierce cards as well... The seller has some great items - check them out!

Kitty

One Month till Christmas...

Give or take a few days!

Apologies for my absence this week but the new job has gotten the better of me. We had a launch on Tuesday that went exceedingly well but as a consequence there have been a lot of longer days for Miss Kitty in the office.

I love being back in town. I love feeling useful again and the work is interesting. I adore the people and the money is very handy. Particularly when you shop like I do.

What I don't like about going back to work: early starts is probably the number one thing, although it seems like I am a little more of an early bird than many of my colleagues. I also don't like being away from Mr Kitty and the little kitties. I miss my gym classes and having heaps of free time.

But it's not forever (just a couple of months) and the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

With just three working weeks left before I am on holidays again, I have had to make lots of lists for things to do on weekends so I make sure I can get everything done before I leave. The main thing is the cooking - I like to bake Christmas biscuits for colleagues and friends and I do want to make sure I have time to finish before I head to my parents. I have sorted out the wrapping arrangements (boxes, bags, cellophane, ribbon, tags etc.) and will do the bulk of the baking next weekend. I have set aside Sunday to make cinnadoodles, yo yos and jam drops.

I have to say it's hard to go back to scheduling my time off on weekends. I very much got used to doing anything I wanted at any time. It's a hard thing to get accustomed to but it has made me appreciate the time I do have off. And it means I am certainly more thrifty with my time - decisions are made faster, less dithering, in all I am far more efficient than I was a few weeks ago.

I have finished all my Christmas shopping and now just have to think about wrapping it and mailing a few things!

I'll try and be a bit more regular with the posts this weeks!

Stay tuned!

Kitty xx

Warning: this post contains a convaluted rant...

Westfield opened their online store last week. To a complete lack of fanfare and pomp and after visiting it, I can understand why.

Why oh why would anyone buy anything from there? Things are expensive, shipping is prohibitively pricey and they don’t offer anything that I can’t get elsewhere.

Yes really.

What a disappointment.

Question for Westfield: Why on earth would I buy, say, a handbag from you? I can buy it for the same price from the original retailer. The shipping is the same. The time to ship is the same. You don’t offer any exclusive items or percentage off. In fact, I can probably buy a lot of the same items for a lot cheaper overseas.

I fail to see the compelling argument for shopping at Westfield online. If I want something from a Westfield, it’s only a 15 minute drive from my house. Why would I wait a week to get something I pay the same price in a store for? It’s cheaper for me to pay for the petrol to drive there than to have it shipped.

Westfield have failed to see the point in why Australians shop online. We do it for three very compelling reasons: convenience, price and availability.

We shop online because it’s convenient. Because we don’t want to walk down to the shops at lunchtime or trawl the aisles looking for that perfect Christmas present. Westfield’s online merchandising is shocking – almost as bad as Myer Online, and let’s not get started on their search engine. There is no style, no panache, no finesse… Shopping on the Westfield online site is worse than going to an actual Westfield.

They say that they have 150,000 items on their site but I’m not sure where they are hiding them. They have numerous categories they haven’t covered off. And, funnily, they have signed up some stores that don’t even sell in Westfields! Trixan Body, MyCatwalk.com and The White Linen Company are all online retailers only. None of them have a physical presence at a mall – anywhere, let alone in a Westfield Mall. And I find it especially funny that Trixan espouses their desire to “cut out the middle man” on their website (i.e. the retailer) and have people buy directly from the distributor, reducing cost to the end buyer… Isn’t this the opposite of what Westfield wants it’s customers to do?

They have taken the principle of “white space works on a website” and amplified it. How very 1990’s of them. Note to the web designers sitting over at Westfield: It works for Net-a-Porter because their site is classy. Yours is cobbled together and filled with things I don’t want to buy. Your recommendation engine is non-existent. You have limited brands and most of the stores you have online are people I wouldn’t buy from anyway. No Veronika Maine, no Cue, no Witchery, no Country Road, no Nine West, no Mecca Cosmetica, no Kookai, no Sambag… Need I continue? I could for hours.

Australians buy things online that we don’t get in shops here. We look for unique items that no-one else has. Why would I buy the same Peeptoe clutch that every other person has online from Westfield? What is your compelling reason to purchase from you?

We shop online because the prices overseas are competitive, rather than being ripped off by Australian retailers for the same items – particularly luxury goods. I happily buy goods worth thousands of dollars per year from NAP, the Outnet, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstroms et al, as do many of my friends. We do it because the prices are often half of what you would pay for the same item in Australia, if indeed you can actually find what you want. The customer experience is delightful. For ordinary stuff, we are happy to walk into a store and buy something, or we buy it on eBay or discount websites. Or we wait for sales because we know they are coming. They always do.

I spent a good 45 minutes on the website this morning and didn’t find one thing I wanted to buy that I couldn’t buy elsewhere online – usually with a nicer experience and a prettier website. The customer service is non-existent. It’s a half cocked effort far too late in the game. Australians have been shopping online for well over a decade now and they know what they want and they won’t be fooled.

If you want to succeed, you should invest some time in trying to find out what Australians do want from an online experience. Clearly it’s not something you have done at this point in time.

Good luck Westfield. If you honestly think Australians will fall for a sham like this, you need it.

Kitty

The wait is over!

Image: www.smh.com.au

Waity Katy is no more! What exciting news to wake up to on a Wednesday morning!

I loved the dress - Issa - it was beautiful and flatters her stunning figure. The colour is lovely on her. I bet copies will be in chain stores before you can say boo. They seem very much in love and she seems sweet and unaffected.

I have mixed feelings about the ring though. I understand the sentiment and I think that's kind of sweet, but when you overlay the train wreck that was Charles and Diana's marriage, the ring just has bad karma for me. I adore the sapphire surrounded by diamonds - in fact I am getting a diamond and sapphire ring for Christmas myself. I swear we ordered it last week - I am not a follower!

I can't wait to see the dress, the flowers, the jewels... I might have to host a royal wedding party to celebrate!

Congratulations!

Kitty

Miss Kitty goes back to town!

Miss Kitty is officially re-employed!

It wasn't a particularly conscious decision. By that I mean I didn't exactly look for a new job. I was approached to apply for a permanent full time position for an e-commerce start up last week, but I really thought that with the house project next year and a couple of other projects I have on the boil it wasn't something I felt I could fully commit to and it wouldn't be fair to the company. However, they were also looking for someone to take the reins while they found a permanent person and that certainly did appeal.

So I start back in town on Monday. It's kind of exciting - although I will miss the freedom of not doing anything much with my days, I am excited about the project and the money is welcome too (I can start paying for some of those interweb purchases I have made over the last few weeks)... And maybe the hard work will make me appreciate more the time off I will have next year!

I need to come up with a first day outfit and organise my lunch over the weekend. I am looking forward to the routine and mental stimulation that I have been lacking over the last few months. While I have really enjoyed it, I do need projects to keep me busy!

So that means my posting might be a little less frequent, or that I might have more to post about! I'm not sure which way it will go but you have my word I will try and keep up with the frequency of my posts!

Kitty xx

To buy or not to buy?

I need a new silver bag. My favourite of all time silver bowling bag from Furla which I purchased in Europe on our honeymoon is starting to look a little worse for wear...

I know silver bags don't have the longevity of black bags (I just tend to wear them harder) so I'm reluctant to spend vast amounts of money on them, but I have established that I really do like having a good silver bag in my wardrobe. I searched on my travels this year but nothing really caught my eye: either things were too casual or too shiny/sparkly or not well enough made or too expensive, or more gold than silver...

So in my internet ramblings last night I came across the Jackie Hobo from Oroton. I have a bit of a shaky relationship with Oroton - I adore their jewellery and have at least one piece that I would say is part of my top 10 jewellery finds of all time. But their bags... When you consider you can buy a Kate Spade, a Furla or a Coach bag overseas when you are travelling (which we tend to do a fair amount of) for a similar if not lower price I can't quite bring myself to pay the extraordinary amounts they ask for an Oroton bag. It's not a criticism, I just personally can't see the value proposition (and I am all about Value).

Back to the story at hand...

The Jackie Hobo. I like the style. I think I like the colour (will have to check in real life to make sure it's not too glittery) and the price, at $195, is pretty good, considering it was $495 at full price (ouch!)... I like the fact it's a shoulder bag - my other one is just a hand bag, being a bowling bag.

It might just be my next purchase... Even though I already bought a bag this week. What do you think?

Kitty

Look what I made Mumma!

Some of you out there know that this week we were expecting a small bundle of joy... Well - we, being the extended Kitty family, more specifically our one year old blue tortoiseshell Burmese Millie, pictured above at 61 days pregnant (2 days before delivery) in her favourite place, above Mr Kitty's computer.

Well, overnight, Millie went from being our baby to a Yummy Baby Mumma! I'm pleased to announce that at about 4am this morning she had her kittens! All six of them! For a first time mum that's a lot of kittens - the normal is 2-4 kittens but our little baby is a serious overachiever.


And no, before you ask, I didn't help her with the baby birthing. She went back to Melanie at Suchi Burmese on Thursday to have her (many many) babies. They were born in the equivalent of the Park Hyatt - five star luxury all the way. Nothing is too good for our little girl.

We popped over to see her this afternoon and she's doing brilliantly and was very happy to see us. Loads of pats and cuddles and snuggles for our little girl. She's a fabulous Mumma - lots of cuddles for her little babies. Hopefully over the next week or so they'll all grow fabulously and get really big and we'll be able to go over for a kitten cuddle ourselves!

Lots of love from the extended Kitty household today!

Kitty xx

Country Road... Take me home...

I've been using the same mug since my 21st birthday. That's a lot of years. It's a great mug - it's weighty, seemingly chip resistant and it holds the right amount of tea. It is, in fact, a Country Road Mug of old.

Fast forward, well, a decade and a bit and I really think I need to replace it. It's in perfect condition and I won't be throwing it out, but sometimes you need a breath of fresh air. So it was no surprise that I looked at Country Road for it's replacement. And that's where I found it.

I had a little bit of trouble deciding which colour and pattern to get from the vast array in store, but given my love for all things pale green, I decided on this one:

The Bistro Ribbon Mug in green ($7.95). And of course I bought the matching bowl ($7.95)! I love all things matching!

I trialled it yesterday morning and it's an absolute winner. Perfect size, weight and the handle is in a really comfortable spot to nestle your tea in your little mittens. The bowl is perfect for cereal or a good serve of porridge - as the bears would say: not too big, not too small, but just right! We liked them so much that we went back and bought a set today in red, blue and yellow to add to the collection.

Whilst the lovely sales assistant was wrapping them up for me, I had a mosey around the rest of the homewares section. There is some seriously good stuff in store at the moment - great vases, serving dishes, photo frames, cushions... So many perfect Christmas gifts! I basically had to be dragged out before I spent far too much...

But I think I'll be back. And soon!

Kitty

Elk!

What sound does an Elk make? I'm not really all that sure but when it's around me it's the sound of money flying out of my wallet.

Not sure what I am on about? Well I am talking about Elk Accessories, the designers and manufacturers of wonderful jewellery, trinkets and other such lovelies.

I first discovered Elk earlier this year when I was at the Ballarat Art Gallery with my mother. They had a wonderful display of their silver jewellery and I was smitten. I have since seen their finery in many a boutique around the place and I have a lot of things on my want list...

Pod Pendant - $120: I love the symmetry and they vaguely floral shape of this piece. Very pretty.

For someone who's not all that keen on bugs, I adore the Cicada short necklace - $50. With polished wooden beads and the silver bug it's super stylin for the summer.
I love these silver bubble hook earrings ($55) - they remind me of little clouds or bubbles on a summer day. Very effervescent!

This wooden bird brooch ($22) is the perfect contrast for a dark jacket or cardigan.
I think I really need to add this short cluster necklace ($35) to my jewellery collection. It comes in four colours but I think the red is fab with a little black dress or a maxi!

And although it's not very seasonal, I couldn't resist including this scarf. I love the geometric pattern, and it's always good to be ahead of the seasons! And at $99 it's a bit of a bargain...

Shipping is a flat rate $10 in Australia and $15 for NZ customers via courier.

So what accessories are you lusting after this summer?

Kitty

A bit of baggage...

I love me a good bag. That will probably come as no surprise to many readers of this blog but right now I am on the look out for a more practical bag. Something strong and sturdy but still stylish. Something I can throw my laptop, a book and a pair of shoes in when I want to go somewhere.

I don't want something plastic. I want something better than the average eco bag. I am thinking perhaps a study canvas option. I need something with a decent strap so I can carry it over my shoulder. I don't want a messenger bag.

Sounds easy, right? Not really. I am a super fusspot when it comes to bags. I can look for months for exactly the right thing. I'd like something handmade and I don't want to spend a lot of money on it (sub $50 if possible).

Of course, I have found a couple of examples on my favourite shopping site, Etsy. So far I have the following on my shortlist:

Stockholm Canvas bag from Ikabags - this nautical gem is just $39 and it's made from beautiful French canvas.

Abanoz bag in reg from Bayanhippo - $35. I like the colour and the roundness of the style. It's very cute.


Cloud bag from sineminugur - on sale for $29. The black and white is practical but is it as stylish as the other two?

So kittens, which one do you think I should get?

Kitty x

Christmas: an update

We made great progress on Christmas over the weekend. Given it's only 54 sleeps until the big day, I am confident we are on track.

We now have a holiday tree, courtesy of a quick trip to Freedom at Top Ryde. We were all set to buy an actual (faux) tree, until Mr Kitty pointed out that we now have a 6 foot tall mango vine lamp where our tree normally goes. And given we aren't going to be at home for Christmas this year, we thought it might be better to opt for something a little more subtle. We'll invest in a faux tree next year I think - it's eminently more practical (and stable) with the kitties...


Okay, so perhaps we missed the mark on the subtle point but it's still pretty cool (and very sparkly). It's our (and Freedom's) modern interpretation of the Christmas tree, and funnily enough, on our side table it actually works.


We also picked up some really cute decorations to add to our collection - these gorgeous silver birds from Country Road. They are very sweet. I had to stop myself at six... But they do have a fabulous range of decorative goodies in store so check it out!


And say what you will about Aldi (lord knows I normally do!) but they do have a remarkable selection of continental Christmas goodies as low prices. I know you normally pay at least double the price at local delis for the pfeffernusse... Mr Kitty has already started on the stollen as you can see and pronounces it acceptable. He had to have three slices to make that decision though...


I also treated myself to some limited edition T2 White Christmas tea which smells so good... It contains apple, hibiscus, meringue bits, raisins, orange peel, rosehip, orange pieces, rosebuds, cardamom and cloves. Delish!

I've yet to start on my Christmas wrapping and cards but no doubt they won't be far away. Well, once the cards arrive from overseas that is!

Are you planning for your Christmas yet?

Kitty x