Sending out some pre-Christmas cheer as I wave buh-bye to Oz for a few weeks

I have to apologise for my lack of posts lately. But I have had a legitimate reason of why I haven’t been your blogging bestie for the past few weeks. I have been preparing myself to leave the country! Yep that trip I have been geeing up to you for the past ooh, 10 months now is finally just around the river bend. I leave on Monday morning to start one of the most amazing (and hectic) holidays of my life (so far).

The funny thing is I have always wondered why my mum (and anyone else for that matter) has gotten so stressed out before they leave to go overseas. The whole ‘I can’t wait to get on that plane’ thought is very true. Especially when you’re jetting off half way around the world by yourself. I have travelled by myself before on a plane and driven to many destinations on my lonesome but to have actually stepped foot in another country on my own, never happened. Ever.

You may be gasping at your screens right now and thinking, ‘How is it that at the ripe old age of 23 has she not done the whole ‘travelling thing’ on her own.’ To be completely honest with you, I have never felt the urge to do so. When all my friends were packing up their rooms and farewelling their parents for a year on the Canadian slopes or sipping a cappuccino and scoffing down a gelato in Rome I was getting up at the crack of dawn to travel to what made me very happy and content at that point in my life. My job. And as many of my regular readers would know that was of course my role at Girlfriend Magazine. It was by far the most fun and exciting job I have ever had and I feel so blessed that I had the chance to experience such a great job at such a young age. So many of the friendships I made at GF (I know) will be apart of my life forever. Phoebe, the then fashion assistant is travelling to New York with me and when we get back we’re moving out together! Talk about mean’t-to-be?! Not to mention all the people who I had the privilege of meeting along the way during my time at Girlfriend. You know who you are.

Anyway the point I’m trying to make is that when it comes to going overseas or even if you’re travelling locally any kind of break away from home is always good. It leaves room for the mind and spirit to awaken themselves. More so than if you’re just doing the same day-to-day-existing-as-a-person-in-your-little-sheltered-(and in my case Northern Beaches sheltered)-world. I know I’m going to get a shock when I step my Steve Madden sandals onto American soil - my friends have already warned me about getting pulled aside randomly when entering a U.S airport from another country and the security factor. But I am intrigued and very excited. It’s definately time for me to fly the nest and grow and flourish a little more.

On that note I want to wish all of you a safe and happy festive season. I really hope you all take the time you need to relax and catch up with the people that you love. I will try and check in with you over the break and upload some pictures for you to see what I’m up to. Thanks for reading this year. I have a lot planned for you in 2009. And you didn’t hear it from me but I am getting together some ideas for a bit of a re-vamp for Thoughts. I’ll be focusing more on relationships and sex and most importantly men and how they think compared to how we as women think. Ring any bells? I’m going to take Carrie Bradshaw’s lead and give you the info you need on boys/men and relationships – coz let’s face it, who doesn’t want to read about sex and hot men? Any topics you’d like to see me cover in particular, please email me at thoughts@live.com.au

Peace, love & jingle bells,

Girl Next Door xoxo

You know how I am friends with one of the coolest beauty ed's in Sydney?

Well, she has this site beautyeditor.com.au, you may heard of it? A very popular and highly commended site within the mag/beauty industry/beauty addicts around the world.

Guess what?! I just so happen to be her Reader of the Week, this week!

Excited much? Me too!

Check it out by clicking here.

Have a fab-tabulous weekend bloggettes!

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

Can someone please pass me a bucket?

While I barf!

It seems that Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag (Montag-Pratt now?) have tied the knot. Well actually they have ‘eloped’. In Mexico.

I have something that will make you barf/laugh even more, Pratt’s wedding vows, are you ready?

"Heidi, from the moment you came into my life, I knew my life would never be the same without you. You are the light in my life like the sun to the Earth! Your loving warmth makes me want to be a better person. Being with you, I feel complete. I'm honored to even be able to call you my wife. You are the most amazing, loving and caring woman on this planet. I will love you forever and always."

What. A. Tool.

I have only seen up to the end of Season 2 of The Hills and from what I’ve seen so far Spencer is the biggest tosser ever. After playing Heidi for any other chick that had a pair of legs (hookers not excluded), turning Heidi against her best friend Lauren ‘L.C’ Conrad and generally playing the part of a total dick, this is what Heidi had to say about their ‘union’ to Us Magazine, 'I'm ready to marry Spencer. He's my soul mate.'

See, told you, total barf material.



Can I have that bucket now?

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

*TGIF!

Bloggettes! It's my fave time of the week/year/season!

We're on the cusp of spring/summer and with Chrissy, NYE and festival season only posts away it's time to start discussing what we're all doing for the holiday season!

I want to know what you're doing, where you're going (who's going with you). What you'll be doing/seeing/watching/flinging/partying up a storm with?

We all know where I'm headed, right? Well, for those of you who don't, I'll give you a quick run through. Only two of the hottest cities in the world right now (after Sydney of course), Miami & New York City. Yep, in a mere 4 weeks and 2.5 days I will be one plane ride away from the holiday of a lifetime. I've only been planning this holiday since, ooh, March this year?

And, after many, many interruptions in my saving process (job swaps/car accidents/tax bills/living out of home/paying back money I owe people/nights out) I have finally started to really knuckle down and save my mula. Last night reaching the ultimate number of $2,000! That is the most money I have ever saved in my entire life (just quietly) and there will be more to come!

OK, first rant over.

Second rant is all about the full moon we had last night.

I am one that is very intrigued by the moon and the energy that it gives out. I've heard so many rumours/stories of strange things happening when there's a full moon and have always wanted to know if there is in fact any truth to these stories, so I decided to Google it, the full moon that is. This is what I found out:

'Full Moons are traditionally associated with temporal insomnia, insanity (hence the terms lunacy and lunatic) and various "magical phenomena" such as lycanthropy. Psychologists, however, have found that there is no strong evidence for effects on human behavior around the time of a full moon. They find that studies are generally not consistent, with some showing a positive effect and others showing a negative effect. In one instance, the December 23, 2000 issue of the British Medical Journal published two studies on dog bite admission to hospitals in England and Australia. The study of the Bradford Royal Infirmary found that dog bites were twice as common during a full moon, whereas the study conducted by the public hospitals in Australia found that they were less likely.
Many neopagans hold a monthly ritual called an Esbat at each full moon, while some people practicing traditional Chinese religions prepare their ritual offerings to their ancestors and deities on every full and new moon.'

Source: Wikipedia

Thanks Wikipedia.

I, on the other hand aren't one to believe in something just because it hasn't got scientific evidence to back it up. And really, dog bites? Are they kidding? Why don't they conduct a study on 20-something year old's and the effect that alcohol has on them, say on a night with a full moon and on a night without a full moon? Now that's a study I'd be willing to partake in!

It seems there's not much on the web that is legit (maybe they ran out of dogs to conduct tests on). So, I'm just going to come to my own conclusion on this one and say that I believe that the moon possesses very strong powers and gives out more energy than we could ever have possibly imagined. I mean, come on, how can something that huge, that gives out that much natural light not have an effect on the world around it (or the world that it spins around for that matter).

Intrigued much? Yep, me too.

I'll leave you with that to think through til Monday.

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

P.S Maybe the full moon has affected me more than I thought?

*Thank God It's Friday!

Can I get a round of applause for Aveda?

Beauty Tip # 87623

Yep, I’m talking bout that organic skin care, hair care, make up and lifestyle range, their tagline? ‘The Art and Science of Pure Flower and Plant Essences™’, doesn’t that in itself make you want to lather the stuff all over your body?

Don’t let the fancy-pants packaging trick you into thinking these guys are new to Beautyland, they’ve been around the traps longer than you and me: 1978 to be exact.

I have been using Aveda for about 6 months now. My mum put me onto the range of skin care and I have never looked back. The products have a way of making your skin look and feel amazing. Last week I purchased ‘Sun Source’ their moisturizing self tanner. I applied it on Friday night and then yesterday (Sunday) my friend commented how good my spray tan looked.......
Friend: ‘So, your spray tan looks hot.’
Me: ‘No spray tan, this is 100% DIY faux tanning at its best, I’m talking organic, all natural, no chemicals involved at all, so you can use it on your face and not break out!’
Friend: OMG, you have to tell me where I can get some, you look like you’ve just spent a week in Carbo’.
Me: ‘Run, don’t walk down to DJ’s or selected salons who stock Aveda products (http://www.aveda.com/) RRP: $39.95.
Friend: ‘Sigh, what would I do without your wealth of faux tan knowledge?’
Me: ‘Not too much’.

And that’s how it’s done.

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

The best $10 I've spent in a while

For those of you who don't know me and can't see the pic of me on the right hand side of this page, well, it's time I let you in on a little secret: I'm blonde.

The thing with being blonde is it's a major up-keep with the whole growing-back-of-the-hair situation. I go to the hairdressers every 6-7 weeks, spend 3 hours and about $150 to get me through to the next 6-7 weeks and then do it all over again! It's upsetting for me sometimes as that $150 is alot of money to me. And, to be going every second month (I believe) is just ludicrous. This passing Friday night I discovered a way to keep my hair lasting those extra couple of weeks in-between salon visits. And you know what? It ain't rocket science.

Step one: Mosey on down to your local Woolies/Chemist/Priceline/Coles and get yourself acquainted with the home-hair-colour aisle. Don't be scared - esp if you're blonde, coz let's face it, bleach is bleach and it's going to do the same thing that a salon colour will do to your hair any day. Plus you can have no-roots for less than $14.95!

Step two: Cast your eyes over to the Clairol range of hair colours. Ahuh that's right, now pick your preferred colour, Note: it doesn't matter if the shade you pick is a little off yours, it will still look hot.

Step three: Make sure you have a shampoo and conditioner that will hold your colour in place. i.e if you're blonde have a blonding shampoo and conditioner handy and same if you are a dark colour.

Step four: Follow the instructions and jump in the shower applying previous said shampoo and conditioner. Style your hair as usual and voila! Salon sexy colour that will have you strutting round like you just stepped out of Ken Paves’ hair salon! Minus the hefty receipt!

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

Carrie Bradshaw style - coming to a Myer store near you

Hands up who has seen the Sex & the City (SATC) movie yet? Hands up who has seen the SATC movie more than once? More than twice? Three times or more?
I am in the latter, and that was only at the cinemas!

I will admit, I have only just begun to get into the highly addictive series this year. When I first found out that the series would be debuting on the big screen I had to find out for myself exactly what all the hype was about. 6 seasons, 2 blocks of organic chocolate and countless nights of forcing myself away from the TV, I was sick with Sex-Fever. I couldn’t believe it had taken me this long to realise I had been missing out on one of life’s not-so-guilty pleasures!

The girls laughing up a storm in their big screen debut!

By the time the movie came out I was busting to know what happened to every character. Did Carrie and Big get married? Did Charlotte and Harry get the child they had been longing for? Did Miranda and Steve live happily ever after? Did Samantha finally find 'The One' in hunky Smith Jarrod?

After seeing the movie with a good friend, I was hooked! It was everything I’d hoped for and more. So incredibly satisfying. The fashion, the cast, the places, the set, the um, sex!

Speaking of which (fashion that is, not sex), Patricia Field the series/movie costume designer is bringing out her own range (based on the SATC movie) to Myer stores (!), Destination Style New York – so very appropriate! So, if it’s the hot little dress that Carrie wears in the opening scene of the movie, (you know the one with the huge, amazing flower on the neckline - my personal fave) or the ‘bright’ canary coloured suit that Samantha wears to the auction, that you fancy. You will be able to purchase one like it at a Myer store very soon (please take a breath, I was hyperventilating for 10 minutes when I found out too!).
Patricia Field - the world's hottest costume designer of the moment

Run, don’t walk to your nearest Myer store on October 18th, the date the collection arrives in store. You’re lucky, I was almost not going to give you the date (more for me! He he). The movie comes out on DVD on October 16th (Thursday this week!).

Peace out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

Mini is the new black in Beautyland

If your boyfriend is part of the new-age ‘metrosexual’ phenomenon, then you’re probably getting pretty over him disappearing with your hair straightener when you’re getting ready. Yes, you do like him to look as good as you (well, maybe not that good) but a girl’s gotta have her getting-ready-time, and we all know this can be anywhere between 1.5. to 3.5 hours. Even though most of us do roll out of bed looking pretty darn hot (that’s just in case you were wondering guys).

The point of the matter is once he’s finished styling himself up there’s almost no time at all for you to do your um ‘do. What you need is a portable, small-enough-for-your-handbag straightener. Before you reach for your mouse to click onto your next favourite blog site I’ll let you in on a little secret: they do exist.

If you haven’t been lucky enough to snag yourself one of the pink BaBylissPRO’s 15cm Mighty Mini Straightener’s then shame on you! BaBylissPRO have just released their second range of colours – raven black and high gloss red.
These easy to use high performing hotties will have your hair screaming sex-siren in less than the time it takes to reach your destination. Farrah Fawcett flicks, Kate Hudson straight or Sarah Jessica Parker ringlets are just a car ride away. And better still when you get there you can just slip it back into your handbag for touch ups during the night!

Or if you really wanted to be a good girlfriend to that metro-boyfriend of yours you could always pick him up one for Chrissy and for just $39.95 it’s clearly an investment worth investing into. Just make sure you claim your straightener back before you purchase one for him. To find a stockist near you give the friendly folk at Dateline City a call on 1800 251 215 or you can visit http://www.datelinecity.com/, shoot the guys an email and they’ll shoot you one back telling you exactly where you can find your very own Mighty Mini.

Happy Hair Days!

Girl Next Door xoxo

The saving of daylight – who knew anyone, could write a whole blog entry on the subject?!

I have a little piece of info that I have wanted to clarify for you (OK and for me) for some time now. It’s something that Sydney-siders go ga-ga over every year. Kind of like our intro to summer. Daylight Savings.

Dating back to the days of our great grandfathers and grandmothers in the U.S of A (of course), during World War 1, the idea of the longer lighting was to save money on fuel. ‘Really?’ I hear you all gasp in astonishment?! Yes! Hard to believe, I know.

So, why do we still have daylight savings then? I mean, yes, understandable that many years ago our grandfathers wanted to save money (I can only hear my grandfather, too clearly, yelling at me to turn the light off when I walk out of a room, not to mention my dad). But, what is the meaning behind the extending of the days during the warmer months? Is it a plea for employers to prolong the working days? So we sit at our computer screens for that extra hour and then don’t realise it’s 7 o’ clock til the cleaner comes in and starts vacuuming around our feet. Is it so we can go to the beach at the end of the working day? I doubt the government would have been that giving!

I have done my research on the subject and it seems that one of the main reasons that daylight savings has been up kept is actually quite simple: safety. Hmmm. Some people believe that if we have more daylight at the end of the day then we will have less accidents. I, for one will not support that ‘theory’. It was less than a week ago when I got an early mark from work and crashed up the bum of the vehicle in front of me. And trust me; it was pretty damn light outside. The accident was caused due to my delayed response to watch what was going on in front of me (duh). It had nothing to do with the sun setting. I have been in a handful of accidents in my life and 100% of them have been in the day. Maybe I’m just lucky?

Basically, I think it comes down to the fact that these days we are more eco-aware. We want to do more to help our slowly disintegrating home we call Earth. Therefore, having the sun’s light keeping our lives lit for longer each day (was that a tongue twister for anyone?) means saving a hell of a lot more electricity and energy, which, in turn makes our Carbon footprint less, um imprinted.

Personally, I LOVE daylight savings and I think a lot of people would agree with me. It marks the start of the warmer months and the Sayonara of the cooler ones.

Daylight savings starts this weekend! Come Sunday you can all breathe a sigh of relief as we lose an hour. Why, you ask? Well, I'll be getting on a flight from Melbourne to Sydney. It departs at 7am. Which actually means it departs at 6am. Which means I will be getting up at 5am. So think of me while you're all sleeping in.

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

Good vibes are all the rage right now

If you’re like me and you have not been living in a bubble for the past couple of weeks (those of you reading this that live in the Northern Beaches can no doubt relate) then you would have realised that summer is creeping up on us faster than you can say slip, slop, slap!

Summer means a lot of different things to all of us. One of the main realms of excitement for me lies in those long hot 30 degree (D) days spent at a good ol’ Aussie music festivals.

All you need is your sunnies, high waisted shorts, a cute top (if you’re a chick), I.D and some good dancing shoes – not to mention that drink bottle of whatever you may decide to put in it (only because to buy any drink at a music festival you have to be a millionaire. 1 x Bottle of Water = $6+!!! ). On second thoughts scrap that last sentence, security confiscates all drink bottles on entry anyways.

As some of you know I’ll be missing out on the first instalment of festivals for this year (My trip to NYC will be a festival of its own kind). To get the ball rolling there’s Parklife next weekend, then there’s Harbourlife in late Nov. Then Homebake on the 6th of December. This, my friends, is when the real fun begins. Aussie bands in their element and this year the annual festival brings back one of its finest home grown talent’s ever to touch our soil (cue drum roll): that band is of course Crowded House.

I saw Crowded House play at Homebake back in 2006 and wow, did they get the crowd going! Even though they were the last act, it was unbelievable the amount of people who waited all day to see this band get back together and make the ending to the day Something So Strong.

Next up is Field Day on New Year’s Day 2009. Not one for me, especially after what I heard about the 2007 day. It was 40D and people were overheating and passing out left, right and centre. Fuelled by alcohol and whatever else gets past security is not a good mix in any weather above 30D!

Then there’s Big Day Out (BDO) which I haven’t heard anything about yet – I have always loved this festival but for some reason this year there were just too many people and the whole day was spent standing in lines to get a drink or trying to find a line that wasn’t so long to get a drink. Not so cool.

Good Vibes is my absolute fave festival these days. Not too big and not too small, PLUS they always seem to get the best acts playing – even more so than BDO now.
2007 saw the ‘mystery act’ on the timetable appear as none other than Snoop-Doggy-Dog. You should have seen the crowd when he came onto the stage - the entire festival (a huge sea of people) just migrated straight towards him! It was so surreal to have such a huge celeb playing right in front of us. It helped that I had some Media Passes and was allowed into the Photographer’s Pit to get pics of him. Talk about up close and personal!

So far all I’ve heard for next year’s Good Vibes is that Sam Sparro is playing.
I’m at the point now where I don’t even care who’s playing it’s just such a good day when you’re there with all your mates, there’s such a good vibe (no pun intended - promise!!) you can’t not have a good day. BTW Tickets for this event go on sale 9am October 13th 2008. I’d get in there quick coz these ones don’t last long.

Then there’s V Fest in late March – the last of the festivals for the Australian summer. Boo! But, usually by the time this one finishes up we’re all ready to take a break from festivals for the next 6 months!

Phew! I’m exhausted just writing about them – but also so super excited!!!

There’s only one thing left to tell you now: Bring on Festival Season! YEeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwWW!!!!!!

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

Need some inspiration for the weekend?

In this hot, sultry, get-yourself-a-summer-fling kinda weather we’ve been having us Aussies start to get back a little something called ‘motivation’.

After the cold winter months of staying in, snuggling up to your boyfriend (or puppy) and making hot chocolate after hot chocolate (with one too many marshmallows) we decide that, yes, it’s safe to go outside again. Local pubs have made their killing in the winter months – for those of us who crave a night out on the town and can only be bothered to step outside our front door and straight into another one - one with warm air conditioning.

But it’s when the heaters are turned off, the coats are pushed right to the back of the wardrobe and the weather is ALWAYS above 25 degrees the real fun begins. Buh-bye winter – Hu-llo summer! Yep, summer in Australia is more than getting sun burnt; it’s a way of life.

The gym has been packed to the brim every day this week, after our first 28 degree day in about 6 months! Last Saturday Sydney-siders upped the ante on their exercise routine and felt the need to get into shape for those long hot days at the beach.

For some, well for some, it was time to set a World Record. That someone just so happened to be my Uncle. That’s right; Mark Battistella a Sydney born, Central Coast personal trainer led a spin class (FYI: I struggle through my 45 minute class!) of 11 bikes and 200 cyclists on the road to a 26 hour world record. The current world record is 24 hours! They did break for 5 minutes every hour and Battistella snacked on protein bars and a few servings of my *Nonna’s pasta to keep him performing at his best. Now, the big question that I know you’re all dying to know the answer to: Why would anyone want to do this? Jad Raguz, the owner of the Mt Druitt gym that the World Record took place says, “We did this because we wanted to try something so out there, and participate in something outstanding.” They definitely succeeded in that.

My Uncle going for gold!

But, if some of us moan about getting up two mornings a week to exercise, there has to be some kind of super human force behind these people – right Uncle Mark? “It’s all the crazy training, he says, “When the pain barrier comes, it’s the mental part of training that helps.” Too right.

What an inspiration – congrats to everyone who was involved and more importantly congrats to my Uncle Mark!

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

*Nonna is Nanna in Italian.

The best thing you can do today (apart from enjoy the sunshine)…

I’m not being a bossy boots but, I do highly recommend that you flick on over to beautyeditor.com.au after reading this post and check out the latest tips and tricks that are heating up the globe – beauty wise. If it’s advice you’re after you can contact Kat – the site’s creator/editor/beauty extraordinaire/very good friend of Girl Next Door’s and she’ll happily pass on any inside info you need and have you on the road to Happy Land sooner than you can apply liquid eyeliner (properly) onto just one of your eyes.

Freebies galore are just a mouse click away on beautyeditor, the latest comp you can enter gives us the chance to win over $250 worth of Palmer’s Body products. FYI, their Natural Bronze Lotion is A-MAZING! I applied it a few times over the weekend and currently look like I’ve just shimmied off a plane from Hawaii! So a very big thumbs up from moi! Not to mention it smells like a chocolate milkshake – minus the liquid texture and extra calories of course.

If you’re a fan of facebook (and let’s not fancypants around the issue - who isn’t?) then you can also ‘Become a Fan’ of beautyeditor’s site and keep up-to-date with everything that's going on inside the world of beauty. Simple, easy, beautiful (no pun intended). Here comes the link: http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/BeautyEditorcomau/43751747720#/pages/BeautyEditorcomau/43751747720?ref=ts

So if it’s a personal beauty editor you’re after then look no further then beautyeditor.com.au

Peace out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

What I've learn't over the past week

Let's face it, as women our lives are just one huge roller coaster ride of emotions. Waiting to strike us at any waking moment. I've had a few 'free' rides this week, out of nowhere emotions have been clawing at me like a cat to a rug and before you ask - no, it's not PMS. Here are a few tips I picked up from my friends that have helped me cope with the goings-on inside my body.

When you're feeling (and looking) like you've just stepped out of a fight scene from Batman then you know it's time for some pampering. Start by giving yourself a well deserved bubble bath. Light some candles and breathe in the serenity. After letting the bubbles and warm air soak into your pores for a few minutes use a soft loofah sponge with a salt scrub to wash away the day. Rub the sponge in a clockwise then anti clockwise direction. Your body will feel oh-so fresh and smooth. When you emerge from your hot bath take yourself to a basin. Use the tips of your fingers to apply a good mud mask all over your face - be careful not to rub in too much as masks work best when sitting on the surface of your skin. Leave for 10-15 minutes, relax - take a seat and read a book, rinse, then apply a nourishing moisturiser. Your skin will feel like a soft cloud - Mmmm!

Never under estimate the power of having friends around you. If you feel like absolute shite they'll always be there to put a smile on your face, no matter what they have to do to see that frown turned upside down.

Hire yourself a season of Sex and The City and laugh! As if we all don't want to be just like Carrie, the fabulous, successful writer who's only down side is her obsession with Mr Big (OK, it's not exactly a down-side. He is damn sexy!)

Fill your body with nutritious foods. Forget reaching for that chocolate bar or cigarette- it'll give you a high for about 1 minute after you place it in your mouth, then, voila! You're left with a bitter aftertaste of guilt and 'OMG, I need to get to the gym' moments.

Get thyself to a gym (or beach or whatever other type of exercise regime you can think of) . Exercising releases endorphins (those natural chemical's released into your brain when your heart rate is elevated) and endorphins make everything better (trust me!)!

As humans (well, OK as women) we have a tendency to over exaggerate things and basically make a 'drama' out of anything that we can possibly get our hands on. When things feel like they're getting a bit too much for you sit down, breath and make yourself a cup of yummy herbal tea - good ones for winding down include: Chamomile, Peppermint - anything that doesn't have caffeine in it. FYI: Green Tea has a teensy, weensy bit of caffeine in it so steer clear of this one if you want to calm yourself.

Hopefully that will give you some ammo to get through the tough times if you ever need a little extra TLC.


Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

I have a new job!

As many of you know, for the past 5 months, I have had a mini-break from the world of publishing. It was time for me to break away from the routine of getting up at 6am every morning. The 9am-5.30pm (plus 3 hours travel time each way) had to come to an abrupt end as I was completely and utterly worn out.



I live a 40 minute drive out of the city (that's without traffic) so I took it upon myself to seek out a job that was closer to home. One that was 'easier' to get to and from each day, one that was 'easier' to handle. I chose a job at my local mall in a shoe store, the girls I worked with were lovely but something just wasn't right. It took me 20 minutes to get home each night but I was striving for something bigger and better. I wanted my old life back. My life of getting up at 6am everyday to beat the traffic on said bus. The life of getting freebies day-in and day-out, anything from food, to drinks, to beauty and fashion products.



One day I decided (after having a pair of shoes thrown at me for not giving a customer a 'discount' coz the shoes had a mark on the bottom of them - mind you the shoes were already half price) that enough was enough. This was not leading my career anywhere and my bank account looked like it had an eating disorder. I was bored of standing around all day dreading an upset customer coming in and making my day un-liveable.

I cleaned out my locker, gave my badge back to my manager and the rest is history.



My new job is with a cute little publishing house in St Leonards, Sydney (Good Health Publications). Yes, I will be making myself very acquainted with Sydney's transit system once again, aka The Bus. But you know what? I don't mind. I'll just be happy to sit in an office with other jounalists and chat about journalisty things, like what we'll have for lunch, what we're making for dinner - oh and really important things like who's going to be on the next cover, and what cover lines are going to make the cover, etc, etc. I'll be working on a number of doctor's journals PLUS putting together pretty much the entire issue of Healthy & Heart Wise Magazine, not sure if you know it, but it's definitely worth a looksie. If you're interested in keeping yourself super healthy and keeping your heart super healthy, then sprint on down to your local newsagent's to score yourself a copy. At only $5.95 remind me why you're still sitting there?



Peace out to all my readers taking the next step to achieving the best for your body and well being (By heading to your newsagent's to get a copy of the mag. Now!) I mean, come on -who doesn't like Mike Munro, one of the biggest journalists Oz has to offer?



Girl Next Door xoxox

P.S Website for said magazine is heartwise.com.au

Ooh, yay a little Jessica lovin'!

Some exciting news has just fluttered on into the beauty world, wait for it, Jessica. Simpson. Is. Releasing. Her. Own. Fragrance. Yep, you heard correct!

This soon to be released scent entitled Fancy, has notes of apricot, pear, sandalwood and vanilla. Mmm if you like your fragrances sweet smelling and sophisticated then you'll love this. It's being launched officially in the U.S tomorrow but is already available to buy at one of the biggest department stores in the world; Macy's.

I'm sure it will be launched here in Oz, but there is no hint as to when or if it will be as of yet. I will keep you posted though lovelies.

Love, love, love this pic of her - so sassy, wouldn't you want to smell like her?

Just in case there are any more die hard fans out there Jess will release her debut country album, 'Do you Know?', on the 9th of September. Look out for that one y'all.

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

Do you have BPE (Bad Phone Ettiquette)?

I’ve just been trying to get in contact with one of my close friends, let’s call her Annie; I’ve repeatedly texted her over the past 48 hours. I’ve called her once, left no message but with the technology of today there is no need to, she can see I’ve called when my number flashes up or when she next ‘checks’ her phone. Do you think I’ve heard back from her? No. Zilch, nada, nothing. Not even a prank call (where she’ll call and hang up giving me the message that she has no credit and can I please call her back).

I’m the kind of person that you’ll always get a reply from, maybe not an instant reply but in most cases (even if I’m busy) I’ll text back or call the person who tried to contact me. I know I’m not the only person who does this; I mean we have phones for a reason, don’t we? So we can keep be contactable even in the furthest part of the world, at any time of the day. My bestie who is currently living OS texts me back straight away or calls me even though there’s a 9 hour time difference and two major seas between us!

I have another friend, Daisy, who was told by many of her friends that she was someone who never replied to text messages and never returned calls. Even if the person left a message asking her to call them back, she never would.
I understand if maybe once or twice this happens, it’s easy to forget to call someone back or glance at your mobile if it’s on silent but to just blatantly not call someone back and not return a text is just BPE.
If Nicole Richie has time to reply to a text, then surely we all do?

The thing with Annie is that she is one of my bestest friends, she’s there when I need a shoulder to cry on, she’s there with a bottle of champas when I’m thirsty and she’s there with an ear and a king size block of Cadbury advice when I’m stressed about anything. But, what about when I want to organise a night out and she’s not answering her phone? Whether it’s due to the fact that she has no credit or maybe she’s screening her calls - does that make her a bad friend or just someone who’s really unreliable with their phone?
Maybe it's me with the problem? Perhaps I'll just let my friends contact me from now on.......

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

P.S Thanks to Celebrity Baby Blog for the pic of Miss Richie.

Passion, Freedom & Peace - Something we should all be preaching

It’s that time of year again boys and girls; the birds start to chirp a little louder, the flowers start to spread their petals in all shapes, sizes and colours and The Domain gets it’s lawns ready for one of it’s favourite days of the year. Saturday, December 6th is Homebake 2008. The theme for this year is ‘Peace in the Park’.

The famous Aussie festival has teamed up with Amnesty International for their 60th Anniversary of Universal Human Rights, the press release from Homebake reads, “Albeit that we are stating the obvious, this year's spectacular Homebake will focus on an apolitical theme of peace & freedom from conflict without the need for protest – ie; a theme based on a universal attitude of change and with a social slant towards an overall era of wanting (& accepting) of peace & unity.” Basically passing on the message that as human beings we are all born equally. We all have the same rights and freedom advantages as the next person. Or at least we should. Sounds like a pretty fair statement to me and one that we should all support. I also like that Homebake as a brand is doing something good with its popularity. They’re binding us together as one and celebrating our sister and brotherhood to each and every person in this world.

The headlining acts this year are Crowded House, Sneaky Sound System, The Vines, Cut Copy and many more which will no doubt all have something to say about this issue. Homebake is always a great day out showcasing some of the greatest acts our country has to offer. So if you want to get in on the action then head straight to HOMEBAKE.com.au Tickets are $87.50 + booking fee from the site and if you head to Ticketek, FasterLouder & InTheMix you’ll find some there too. If you're not into the whole buying-tickets-online-thing you can also visit one of these supporting outlets to purchase yours; Redeye Records (King Street Sydney City), Mall Music (Warringah Mall), Redback Music Co (Wollongong), Landspeed (Canberra), Rockinghorse Records (Brisbane), BeatDisc (Parramatta). Tickets are available from 9am, Monday August 18th. Oh yeah, and you gotta be over 18 to attend.

Peace Out,



Girl Next Door xoxo

A few things to ponder over the weekend

Good morning Sunshine's and welcome to another edition of Girl Next Door.

As I sit here in the lounge room of my Northern Beaches apartment on my favourite day of the week, and the sun streams through the blinds, a wave of sadness strikes me, as this is one of the last blogs I will be writing to you from said lounge room. In approximately one week from today I will be moving my belongings back into my home in Avalon - further North than where I am now. I have been living out of home for about 2 years, with my gorgeous boyfriend whom I know you've heard so, so much about! But I don't always post pictures of him (he's a little shy like that). So, as a special treat to you all (and some much needed therapy for myself) I will leave you today with a few images of some fun times we've had together in here.

But before I do, I must comment on this week's biggest media buzz. That is, of course, the launch of Grazia magazine. The new glossy, weekly and in-no-way-trashy mag has hit our stands and landed with an almighty readership. Not that I've seen figures or anything, but, it's all that I've been hearing about! My friends (who don't work in publishing) are raving about the content and the styling and my friends who do work in publishing have a new BFF to get them through those first horrid hours of a Monday morning (not that in publishing you have any horrid hours to work coz it's so fun just being there, but, you get what I mean).

I've actually had a few months off from working in magazines and in my current work place, customers have been coming in each day this week, saying, "I've seen these platform heels in the new issue of, what's that mag? I just have to have them!" my response about 15 times this week was, "Grazia." "Grazia." "Grazia."

Well done Grazia and ACP another mag well done!

And now, I'll leave you with some snippets of life in my Narrabeen apartment from the last 2 years...........CUE FADING MUSIC

Having friends over.....

More friends....these are boyfriend related..ha ha just jokes!

Playing dress-ups.....

Awww, (sniff, sniff) I will miss this place. Til next time ya'll.

Peace out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

Losing and Finding 101

I’m about to tell you something and I know exactly what you’re going to think as soon as I tell you, ‘As if, whatever this chick is kidding herself!?!’, but just wait til you’ve read this entire post before making any conclusions/judgements of any kind – got it? Sheesh, sometimes you lot are a hard bunch to please – but that’s why I love you!

Anyways back to my story. Ever since I was a little bubby, fresh out of high school I seem to have had this weird ability(you know like a Heroes kind of one), you see my belongings are kind of like a boomerang – take this Saturday night about 5 years ago, it was a beautiful summer’s night and I had my pink, patent Sportsgirl clutch with me………..

……Inside my clutch that night were the few necessities that every girl should have on a night out – lipgloss (duh, have you read the title of this website), mirror, I.D, money, hip flask (only if I'm on a budget that is). When I go out at night I usually only have a clutch with me. It’s super annoying having to hang onto anything else. What’s that you said? A Cardigan? Meh – who needs them. But, on this particular Saturday night I just happened to get home to my friend's place – let’s call her Brooke, our heads hit the pillow and we were out for the count (you see we were so, so tired coz we’d been up talking and dancing all night at our local pub).

I awoke, abruptly, to the sound of Brooke’s house phone going off.

***

RINGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!! RINGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

UGH – Someone GET IT! I hear Brooke’s mum answer the phone and she rushes into the bedroom, ‘Girls, are you OK? Bella – where’s your mobile, your mother has been trying to call it all night?’ Oops. Forgot to tell mum I was staying at Brooke’s house. Mistake Number One. Mistake Number Two, um rewind, ouch my head is pounding – do we have to do this now, OK, a little slower this time, here goes, my. Mum. Has. Been. Trying. To. Call. Me. All. Night……Ummm s#$%! Where’s my mobile? My beautiful flip, pink, Motorola with a built-in camera that I had been saving for like 2 years to get is nowhere to be seen? Double s%#$!

OK, stay calm, by this time Brooke’s mum is shoving the house phone in my face and I can hear Mum on the other end, tsk, tsking away, “Where have you left your phone now, Bella? Hang on there’s a knock at the door, I’ll call you back!” Phew. That yelling wasn’t good for that headache of mine. I scratch around Brooke’s room for my clutch. Now, where did I fling that thing when I came in last night?
It’s not here, it’s not……anywhere.
I started to get that feeling in my throat – you know the one where you throw up in your mouth and have to swallow it again? It's getting you ready for 'that' moment. That moment when you’re about to completely freak out.

RINGGGGGGGG!!!! RINGGGGG!!!

I nearly jumped out of my skin (again), that damn house phone. I pick it up – ‘Hello?’
It’s Mum. ‘Bella, where’s your clutch bag?’, she screams, ‘My clutch, it’s ah, it’s right um. Hhmmmm. It’s not here.’ I finally spit out. ‘Well, lucky for you a nice man just dropped it off, with your phone, I.D and the rest of your crap.’ Oh. Mi. God.

So that’s how that story ended.

Then there was the time ooh, only two days ago where I came home from work and got to my front door ready to have a relaxing night in, I reached for my keys and my apartment keys had mysteriously gone missing from my keyring. The rest of the keys were attached (to my keyring) and I’d only just used them that morning so I searched in my car, on the ground, in my bag and in the car again and couldn’t for the life of me, locate them. I had to drive to my boyfriend to retrieve his keys and then all weekend sat in my apartment scared that someone was going to waltz on up to my apartment, let themselves in and go crazy on my belongings – you know, like, steal them. I got to work on Monday morning desperately searching high and low for my keys but they were still nowhere to be seen. Then as I’m walking to lunch my mobile starts to ring, ‘Hello?’, ‘Hi is this Bella?’ ‘Yes?’ Have you lost a set of keys Miss Bella?’ ‘Yesss?!’ I think you should come down and see us (Centre Management at my local mall); someone has handed in your keys with your Macro (wholefoods supermarket) membership tag attached to them. ‘Ah, great!’ I screamed, but couldn’t figure out how I had managed to attach my name and phone number to my set of keys, the lady must have caught on so continued to explain her findings, ‘It seems that the lady who found your keys contacted Macro and the nice people there gave her your number, then she passed your details onto us.’ Oh. Now it makes sense. Wow isn’t that just dandy.

So you see, every single one of my belongings is a boomerang in its own way.

I guess you could also call it some damn good luck with a dashing of some pretty nice people on my side.

Cheers to them.

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

Airy Fairy Thoughts

Just so you know blogettes, I have not gone anywhere but am just currently experiencing a delay in my writing thoughts/posts. No, it’s not writer’s block, it’s just that I have a few things I’ve needed to attend to in the last couple of months (like saving some mula on my Internet bill) and finding that perfect writing job, you know the one where I become a beauty editor and dictate what you next put into your beauty case?

In the mean time I will be posting you updates on my life and the things I am thinking about. Today I have been thinking alot about one of the women I look up to so much, Miss Zoe Foster. If you hadn’t heard this lovely young lady who is very quickly becoming one of the most famous beauty writers in the world, was beauty ed at Cosmo for a few years, then beauty director at Harper’s Bazaar and now Editor-In-Chief of Primped.com.au, oh and ah did I mention she has her own book? Air Kisses, is about a girl who wings her way into becoming a beauty editor and gets dumped by her boyfriend via text message, she decides to get her own back and you can only imagine what happens next…? Well, you could keep imagining or you could go nab yourself your own copy from any good bookstore and at $32.95 you’d be stupid to be sitting there staring at the computer screen – go buy yourself a copy you silly girl!

I’m on my way to Borders right now. Toodles!

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

P.S If you've just had lunch/dinner and you're craving something sweet, then head to Zoe's blog, for a dollop of fat free fruityness, it's the perfect way to relieve that choccie craving (minus the calories)!

Is Yoga really that good for you?

I’m one of those chicks you’d refer to as a Gym-Junkie, no, I’m no anorexic but I do care about my body, what I put in it and how I treat it is one of the most important parts of my life (isn’t it everyone’s?). I’ve been a member of Fitness First for nearly 4 years now and in that time my relationship with the gym has had many stages.

Starting out I just couldn’t get into it, I started going with my friend Bec at lunchtimes, then before work – meaning, getting out of bed at ridiculous hours of the morning and even tried the after work workout. It was just all bad timing, I had nothing to work towards, then I scored myself a full-time boyfriend and it was time to think about how I wanted him to see me and how I felt about my body. Slowly, I started to lose weight, tone up and regain my confidence. Now that I’ve been going for so long, I’ve stopped seeing results, it’s like my body is telling me it’s time to change my workout and move onto something that will start showing results again, you know, mix it up. My mum has always told me (and I hate to admit it, but, mum’s always seem to be right!) I need to get into Yoga, not only for the body benefits but the mind and spirit ones too.

I’ve always thought of Yoga as the easy way out of exercising, the cheater’s guide, if you like. I mean, how can you possibly burn calories when all you’re doing is stretching? Although on the other hand, Madonna, Geri Halliwell and many more trim celebs swear by the Ancient Indian art.

I had to try this ‘exercise’ out for myself, I took advantage of the mid-year sales and bought a Yoga DVD; 10 Minute Solution, Yoga. I have been partaking in the DVD every second morning before breakfast. The good thing about it is that you can make up your own workouts, there are 5 x 10 minute workouts to choose from, each session focusing on a different part of the body. Abs, legs and butt, relaxation, burn and basics, I did 30 minutes this morning – basics, legs and abs and let me tell you I worked up one hell of a sweat, I could smell my armpits from a mile away and when my boyfriend walked in to the lounge room he was wiping sweat from my forehead! I can barely hold my arms up as I type right now, they’re killing me.

I will continue to trial the DVD and let you know what the results are, if I start seeing any more. The teacher on the DVD says that if I practise the DVD regularly I will start to see and feel the difference. I have already noticed there’s a sense of calmness in my body and my day when I combine Yoga into my morning routine.
Maybe my Mum is onto something?

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

Choice lovers beware......

I was doing my fortnightly shop with my boyfriend this morning and we always make a list – you know so we don’t ‘blow our budget’, what we buy is pretty much the same week to week. The necessities for us go a little something like this: bread (gluten/wheat free and normal), milk, vegies, fruit, rice noodles, sultanas, nuts. From week to week we’ll sometimes buy something a little naughty as well, whether that be a tub of ice cream (Connoisseur or Sara Lee), pack of lollies (Natural Confectionery) or a block of chocolate (Swiss Dark) – we usually go for the same brands each time and don’t think outside that square unless absolutely necessary.
I know when my parents go shopping they reach for the brands they know as well, if dad wants a choccie biscuit he’ll reach for the traditional Tim Tam, if mum wants some coffee she’ll reach for the Nescafe traditional flavour. I mean why wouldn’t we, we love the brands and quality we’re getting and there is no need at all to think outside the square – especially if we don’t have a lot of funds to support our decisions.

Which brings me to my point – why do brands such as Tim Tam feel the need to keep introducing more and more flavours of the biscuit when everyone already loves the original flavour? I know for a fact that the new range of Tim Tams aren’t doing well, honeycomb clusters and mocha clusters are bombing at the checkout so have been moved to the ‘on special’ rack at the start of any old aisle. They’re left to expire on their shelves in the hope that someone walking through the cereal aisle will look past their ‘list’ and grab a pack just coz they’re ‘on special’. But the thing is, the reason they were moved to that aisle in the first place is coz they’re not even being picked up.

In a world where variety is the spice of life is there in fact too much choice?

Think about when you head down to your local Gelatissimo or Cold Rock Ice Creamery, there are about 30 different flavours to choose from (at least!) then you can choose what cone you want it or whether you want it served in a cup, what toppings you want on or inside the ice cream. Don’t know bout you but, take me back to the good ol’ Neapolitan ice cream days where the only flavours to choose from were chocolate, strawberry and vanilla.

Do you think dropping all the choices we have these days (the ones we don’t ‘need’ but ‘desire’) see a drop in the amount of cash we’re ringing up at the register?

Today we have never had so much choice and although a range of choices is always good I do believe 2008 marks the year that obesity has well and truly hit rock bottom – literally. In the year 2000, the Australian population alone had over *47% of women and 63% of men overweight - that was 8 years ago - imagine what that percentage is like now. Don’t even get me started on the United States. I really believe that if we did get rid of all the un-necessary choices in the market right now – i.e Pizza Hut and Domino’s ever expanding pizza flavours, random milk/juice/cordial flavours and yoghurt/desserts our world would be a happier and less greedy place. If the supermarkets went back-to-basics and used the ingredients that were all made and produced from the land, soil and animals the world would be a better (and less pudgy) place to live in.


Let me know your thoughts.

Peace Out Food Lovers,

Girl Next Door xoxo

*Info courtesy of Nutrition Australia (2000)

The discoveries of the world waiting to be made......by us!

“Riding on camels and donkeys at sunset, sailing down The River Nile on a felucca boat, smoking Shisha, dancing with a Nubian tribe and visiting mummy tombs…”

No I’m not on drugs, I just received the most magical postcard in the mail from my bestie who is currently riding a wave of unbelievable experiences. Packing up just 4 weeks ago and leaving her dream job in a bid to discover new cultures and explore this amazing and magical world we live in.

If you hadn’t guessed from the extract of the postcard I printed, my soul mate (in a bestie) is in historic Egypt – oh what I would give to travel to such an exciting place! As Ancient History was one of my favourite subjects back in school I know the history of the place is just unspeakable. In the 20cm postcard Phoebe sent me, I can almost smell the aroma of the musty, 38 degree, arid, desert. Apart from the fact that exposing yourself to a country like Egypt you jeopardise you health; the experiences had and seen are far worth the sacrifice of clean water and food.

Although I have been lucky enough to live a few overseas family holidays in my time I know I haven’t even begun to see the world. Vague memories of California, Detroit, Hawaii, Paris, Italy and Spain are stamped in my memory and photos take me back to those moments in my life that can only be described as incredible.
The only thing that stands between me and my next trip is 6 months, that’s right I’ve decided that life only comes around once (not to mention you 20’s) and it’s time for me to break free of my Northern Beaches bubble and do the one thing that I am best at; have fun!! I swear if there were jobs in having ‘fun’ I’d be the Director!

On the 23rd of December 2008 (at approx. 3.15pm) I fly out of Sydney and into New York City (JFK Airport where I meet my bestie Phoebe), for 13 whole days we’ll explore the shopping, sites and food that NYC has to offer – did I mention I’ll be in the city that never sleeps for Christmas AND New Years Eve? Oh, it must have slipped my mind! Then on the 4th of January 2009 (at approx. 9.15pm) I’ll wave goodbye to Miss Liberty, fly out of NYC and into London, Heathrow Airport (at approx. 1.25pm, 5th of January). The plan is to stay in London where my dear friend Phoebe will be living. For approx. 15 days – give 5 more perhaps, where we’ll never give up on the good times - Spice Girls style. It’s what we really, really want – zig-a-zig ah! Sounds like a whirlwind of fun – right? I know you're getting super jealous right now but you know what you can all do it too! Its just a matter of finding the right moment, friends and money to make your dream a reality! Whatever it is just do it coz you only live once!

Here’s to 6 months of saving and enjoying every minute of it!


Peace Out,


Girl Next Door xoxox

P.S Thought you knew everything there is to know about Thoughts? well think again coz good friend of Thoughts, Frangipani Princess grilled Girl Next Door only a couple of weeks ago to find out what really makes me tick - check out her entertaining blog at: frangipaniprincess.blogspot.com

Goss galore!

First of all my apologies go out to all my regulars who have been waiting patiently on the next instalment of Thoughts. Unfortunately my current job doesn’t allow me access to a computer for the entire day, which means my relationship with Word and Blogger has become quite inexistent (I know I wonder how I’m still living too).
I promise you that whenever I get a chance now I am on here coming up with potential story ideas and ways that I can keep your undivided attention – even those days where I don’t post!

There’s a couple of things I wanted to touch on today, firstly that scandal that’s hit the entire media circus of Sydney. What all began as a simple story in ‘The Sealed Section’ in CLEO mag – just a few loved up couples showing their affection towards eachother and being kind enough to share it with us. One parent complained to the school where Lynne Tziolas taught at (who probably hasn’t had sex. Ever. Not even to conceive her child) complained to Narraweena Public School’s principal and in one afternoon one of the most loved teachers in the school was given the boot. The story first featured in The Manly Daily (my local paper) over a week ago on the front page (Friday 9th of May 2008 to be precise) as you may have guessed not much happens round The Northern Beaches and I’m not kidding you – every issue of The Manly Daily since that first one has had some update of the incident. Whether it be about the many petitions that the parents and friends associations are starting to get Tziolas back on the books, yesterday it was all about how one child (in year one) started a petition to get her teacher back. Being an intern at CLEO nearly every week, I am outraged at the accusations towards such an influential and empowering mag.

Thanks to smh.com.au for the pic

Since when has a 9 year old even taken interest in a mag with as old as a readership as CLEO mag – in saying that I mean these kids are barely reading Girlfriend and Dolly – let alone CLEO. I have the issue sitting right next to me and the shoot has been done in very good taste – I’m not that into perving on naked couples but, hey, it has to be said – they look hot. Not that you can even see ‘anything’. Pfft with whoever is being so close-minded! Get over yourselves!

I’d love to know your thoughts on the scandal!?

Next thing – the count down to the Sex and the City Movie is on! Only 23 days to go!! Can you wait? Coz I know I can’t!! Did I mention I am visiting the before meantioned home town of NYC? No?! Oh well, let’s just say the city that never sleeps and myself will be getting very acquainted in approximately 7 months from now (and yes, that is Christmas and New Years!)!!!

The awesome foursome looking trendy as in down town NYC

The last of my yarn ends on one of the most anticipated series returns of the year (not) Big Brother 08 – yawn! Despite being very excited to see how Kyle and Jackie O tackle The House I was a little disappointed. I mean, what’s with the house mates this year??? Kyle and Jackie O I love you both long time and congrats on the new gig, but, I’m just a bit confused by the bunch of freaks that are in there this year? All Dixie does is eat and sleep, Saxon – well he was the first evicted and that says it all, then there’s Nobbi – who’s probably the most entertaining out of the lot, grandma needs to take a trip back to her home town and Blondie needs a slap across the face straight back into reality, right after slap Princess Sparkles back there too. Corey is probably the most interesting in there and even he annoys me how he doesn’t want to get under anyone’s skin – he really shows how young he is when he declines tasks from Big Brother. Not that I’m watching it or anything – this is just from speculation forums you know – hehe??

Love, love, love these entertaining/glam hosts but the housemates are another story......

Anyways Bloggettes please send me an email about anything – what you’re doing if you’re enjoying Thoughts, if you miss me writing often. Any of your thoughts would be lovely. Thoughts@live.com.au

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxoxox

"Why would you wanna watch over-weight people lose weight?"

"Umm, because it's inspirational for a start! Watching people overcome their fears and obstacles helps you get through your own. Why do you think the 'reality' of such a series does so well and is worth thousands of dollars? Like, duh!"


Just a little extract from a conversation my boyfriend and I were having with one of his friends a couple of weeks ago. Obvi, we were discussing the show where transformations are a reality and over-eating is merely a thought (and for those who took the plunge an extra 6 hours in the gym)from last week's 'Temptation'. I am of course referring to one of the biggest make over shows currently invading our prime time hot spot: The Biggest Loser.


Finishing up last week the monster of all shows took us through 3 months of 12 overwieght Aussie's and their journey's. The trainers (what I would do to train with them!) Michelle Bridges and Shannon Ponton delved into the contestants private lives and brought out the reasons behind what exactly made them 'fat' and brought their problems to the surface, somewhere where Australia could see them too. They overcame their obstacles with hard work and determination and showed the nation how strong they really are. Then, in all their glory, new outfits (and spray tans) came out onto the stage on Thursday night and flaunted their brand new bodies to Australia.


Although I love this show I do have to question it. These people are thrown into an extreme exercise and eating routine as soon as they enter the house - there was one week where the two teams got to choose their meals for the week. The choice was either cabbage or unmarked tins of food. Never in the outside world would they ever be faced with this dilemma. It's unrealistic. Surely a task where they were sent to the supermarket to pick out their own ingredients for meals for the week would have been more educational for them?


And what about the 'Temptations', where the contestants were faced with meals of up to 3000 calories? In an attempt to gain Immunity for the week (to stay in 'The Game') they would gorge themselves on the first thing they could get their hands on. This was happening right up until the second last week of the reality show. Then they'd be punished in the gym for up to an extra 6 hours that night. I feel like running til I can't run anymore when I eat a Maxibon sometimes but do I actually do it? 60% of the time, that answer is no. They shoudl be teaching the contestants it's not evil to eat something 'bad' from time to time, we need to otherwise our cravings will get the better of us and we'll end up eating that whole block of Cadbury Dairy Milk or that whole packet of Tim Tams.


The exercise routine they were involved in was up to 8 hours every single day of the week. That's alot of exercise for someone who's never set foot on a treadmill before, sometimes I find it hard to get up the energy/motivation to go for 20 minutes and I'm a gym-junkie!

An inspirational weightloss from Sean

In past Biggest Losers many of the contestants have put the weight straight back on as soon as they're back home. It just goes to show how easily and quickly they can slip off the band wagon, as quickly as they jumped onto it. Take a contestant from this year, for example, Sean who's starting weight was 174.6kg - one of the biggest on the show to begin with, his goal weight was 94kg. He's now at 94.8 and looks like a different person - I didn't recognise him when they brought him out on the finale night! He lost almost 100kg in 3 months. It's not healthy to lose weight so fast - if you spoke to a personal trainer they'd tell you 1-2kg every 2 weeks is what's healthy. Remember the fireman last year? He was super thin when he was on the finale but has now put a few kilos back on - enough for us to be able to notice. Even the gorgeous Fiona from 2006's series has put some of it back on. I have spoken with alot of my friends about this - even ones that are personal trainers and they don't really rate the show for this reason. It should be part of the program that when they get out of The House, they get involved with a personal trainer regularly and get as much nutritional help as possible. Cause the journey isn't over yet - it's not even close. They've been lucky enough to be monitored for the past 3 months, their next obstacle is to keep away from the kitchen in the coming months.

Don't get me wrong though, these people have come a long way. Losing weight when you're that overweight takes alot of courage and determintation. The amount of weight each and every one of the contestants lost is inspirational - my congratulations goes out to them and all of their families - best of luck in the future guys, now you can go on living a long, and healthy life.

The Yummy Mummy all of Oz are talking about

I can't sign off though, without giving a special mention to my fave contestant, Yummy Mummy Alison. Her starting weight was 121.7 kg and she now weighs 66.5kg - her goal weight 60kg. She was grams away from taking out The Biggest Loser crown this year and becoming the world's first female Biggest Loser. You were always a winner in my eyes Alison - Girl Power! And what an inspirational transformation!

On that note, I'm off to the gym.

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxoxo

P.S Thanks to biggestloser.com.au for the pics.

What is the meaning behind true success?

Fresh out of a screening of Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion (in my loungeroom) has got me thinking about something that has plagued my mind for the past 5 years – ever since I left high school. I was always the unlucky one at school, I got teased for my foreign last name, wasn’t exactly the dux of the school and had one too many a-hole guys make my life in high school something that I would rather not remember.

I finished my High School Certificate (HSC), got my UAI – which I was planning on taking to uni to do a communications degree with – although it had other plans for moi: a grand total of 33.4% left me in a bit of a rut. I called my friends at the place I had spent my last 3 school holidays: Girlfriend Magazine and within 48 hours I had my dream job at my fingertips. No longer was I the ‘nobody chick’ who had the non-reciprocal crushes on the cutest boys in primary school or the girl who lusted after being in the popular group. I was me and being myself is what got me the most amazing first job anyone could ever think of. I had it all: The Job which of course equalled Success. I can even recall the day I got my first set of business cards, complete with my mobile telephone number on them. I went out to my usual Thursday night hang (Northern Beaches A.A) and handed them out like it was going out of fashion. By the end of the night one of my friends came running up to me screaming, “Bella, I was just dancing on the d-floor and could feel something under my foot, I picked it up and there was your business card stuck to the bottom of my shoe.” I couldn’t have wished for more. I was in my element. Until I started to take my 'success’ for granted. Those Thursday night pub trips became a habit that were far too familiar. Getting home at the crack of dawn was a normal part of my life, which left Fridays not exactly at most productive. Little did I know that what I was doing was actually not that normal at all and putting my job in major jeopardy. After being close to losing one of most amazing experiences of my life, I was given an ultimatum. Pull up your socks, focus on the job you have or move over, after all a million girls would kill for your job. It was the slap in the face I needed and I got out of my toxic habits and back into a routine where I could perform at my absolute best.

I bet those of you who knew about my first job are very surprised: the glitz and glamour of having an amazing job is not as easy as it seems. Lesson One: Success is not about what you’re doing, it’s about how you’re doing it.

I could name you about 10 women who have shaped the meaning of success for me over the past 5 years. Out of those 10 I'll share 3 with you.
Number One: My Mum. There you go thinking ahead of yourself again – no my mum and I have not always had the most perfect relationship, infact there are times in my teenage/adolescent years where I think she could have killed me (figuratively speaking). I haven’t exactly been an angel all my life and have put my mum through some tough times, not to mention everything she has experienced herself. Without going into it into detail I can tell you that I have never seen such determination. My mum has single handedly started up her own business and still has time to be a mum to me, my brother and my sister. Did I mention that 6 months ago she had severe Chronic Fatigue and could not even get out of bed? Now that's what I call success. Or my best friend, we’ll call her Phoebe (he he), made me realise something quite spectacular just the other night; for the past 5 years I have been trying to work my way up the magazine ladder, my dream is to one day be a beauty writer/editor for a magazine in Sydney/New York/London. The past 18 months of my life have revolved around this dream. Phoebe explained to me her move in the next 2 years – having just given handed over the reigns of Junior Fashion Ed at Girlfriend Magazine this girl was at the peak of her career, although that was her dream, now her dream is to travel the world, explore new places and people and enjoy life. She doesn’t care what job she has as long as she’s earning enough money to have fun. Another amazing success story.

And, how about the many women who I have been given the privilege to work with over the past 5 years – how they’ve followed their dreams and how success has shown up on their doorstep. My ex-boss, Miss Sarah Oakes – now ex-Girlfriender who had a dream to make Girlfriend Magazine Number One (Dolly has always been Number One according to logistics) in the space of 3 years she took a magazine that many girls glanced at to making every teen who reads Dolly pick up Girlfriend instead and become as passionate as she is about it. Now only 450 copies are separating the two mags. Talk about close! Now current Editor of Cleo Magazine, future Editor-in-Chief of every woman’s magazine possible (OK maybe not gospel yet but anything is possible).

Do you smell success? Coz I certainly do. All the things these women have in common?
They have followed their dreams.

They have helped me understand my dreams and even if I don't have them right now that's OK. What would a dream be if it was all wrapped up and given to you straight away anyways? What's important is that I have dreams. Even if I turn up to my 10 year high school reunion working at McDonalds. As long as I stay true to my dreams, I am successful. Like so many of the women I look up to.
You know who you are.

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo

Festival fever is no more

Sydney put to bed one of their favourite seasons on Saturday - festival season. No longer will Oxford St (and the rest of the city) have swarms of people swimming out of the gates and into the pubs, the streets will be quiet and back to the normal drinking ways of the locals and the many backpackers. But don't think that for one minute that V Festival was anything like the rumours spread for last year's event. Oh no. There was so much organisation it was ridiculous. The crowds were so....normal and nice. The vibe was nice, inviting - one girl I spoke to who was visiting from California, USA said, "The vibe at this festival is so laid back and nice - is that possible at a festival? I don't know how i t can be but it totally is."

The acts (most of them) all lived up to their hype - Modest Mouse rocked out the beginning of the afternoon and got the crowd going, closely followed by Cut Copy........ad well, hhhmmm how do I put this nicely? They sucked. I was psyched to see them and I had been counting down the acts to them all day, only to be disappointed by them. Their sound was really soft - like not loud enough and they just couldn't get the crowd into it. Even when they played my fave song Time Stands Still, I was forcing myself to get into it - that's just not cool, I left after only 4 songs - yep that's 20 minutes into their 60 minute set.

Amy and myself getting into festival gear! (above)

The next act I saw was Duran Duran and I LOVED them! They really got the crowd going and I mean really! They did a close up shot on one of these chicks standing in the crowd - you know how they show you on the big screen, well she lifted her top up - saw it ALL! Then another chick was dancing sexily - just hilarious! The lead singer was a definite crowd pleaser chatting to the crowd and endorsing girls who want to lift their tops up; pfft don't try that one at home guys - actually don't try it anywhere!

Marco & Sal - enjoying The Presets! (above)

To finish out the night was The Presets, having seen these guys once before one lovely Sunday afternoon on a boat (long story) I knew they'd be great. What I didn't know was that they would be AWESOME! Check out my psychedelic pic below!

And judging from the looks on mine and my friends faces (above) we had a pretty amazing time. All I wanted was the season to go out with a bang and it surely did. Til next time festivals......

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxox

P.S What festivals did you go to this year? Leave me a a comment and let me know what you enjoyed or didn't enjoy, what you thought could have been a bit better - any comments would be lovely fellow festival lovers!

It's that time of month again.......

Not the time of month that us women (and most men) dread - this time of month is minus the mood swings and hot water bottles, do I have your attention?

It's (possibly) one of my last hoo-rahs for the year. One of the last times I can possibly cross my heart and go a little crazy - festival style!

That's right, this Saturday is V (V stands for Virgin Mobile) Fest, the festival to end all festivals (for me anyway). And for those who read Thoughts regularly would know how much I adore festivals.

V Fest starts at 1pm on Saturday at Centennial Park. The line up for this year's V Fest is one of the best. Now, don't get me wrong I have loved every single festival I've attended this year but to be honest, some of the line ups were a little bit disappointing. Big Day Out had it's usual stand outs - Grinspoon (TDF), Rage Against The Machine (Meh!), Silverchair (I think everyone officially hates Daniel Johns). Good Vibes; Potbelleez (WHHooooo), Kanye West (so not Strong) and DJ's galore! Now V Fest - Cut Copy, The Presets, Duran Duran, The Smashing Pumpkins, Queen of the Stone Age, Mika (pulled out a couple of months ago - v disappointing). Need I say more?!?



Maps and Times for Sydney V Festival this Saturday!

It's an all star line up and I'll be there with my camera ready to take in all the action and report straight back to you. If you are attending then leave me a comment and I'll try and find you and get a pic of you to post on here. That's right, I'll be doing vox-pops (interviews) with you guys so look out for me heading towards you with my digi camera, pen and paper. Start practising your pose in the mirror tonight!

See ya'll on Saturday!

Peace Out,

Girl Next Door xoxo