Melbourne Cup oddities

Carson Kressley & Candace Bushnell in the Emirates Marquee.

Now, being the sponsor of the event, you'd think they'd have a better system than those tacky wristbands??? Not that I want people getting all "don't you know who I AM?!?"....

The cutest little Cup goers

A poor showing by Miss Universe Australia. Bit boring!

Kate Mac from 2DayFM had her hair "done" by Joh Bailey, and this is what he did for her.

A "loose side bun"

Looks crap before she even gets into the wind!

These sisters from country NSW (I think) reportedly spent $17 on their outifts from Vinny's.

Go them!

I Don't know what the judging criteria is for the Fasions on the Field, but this is the winner.

Perhaps she's friends with Miss Australia. *yawn*

Are you my type?

I most definitely have a type. Thankfully M sits squarely in the middle of it, so I feel I can discuss it freely.

As a Married White Female, I don't find myself "checking out" guys very often anymore. Not that I ever really wandered around as a single gal gawking at mens butts and letting out a low whistle everytime I saw something I appreciated. I just find that when it comes to looking at men aesthetically now, I just, sort of....don't....

So its a pleasant surprise when someone does catch my eye, and I can look, appreciate, and move on. As a single gal, I remember categorising men into groups of whether I not I wanted to "go there", friends, and not interested-please move right along.

In a pub, it might mean going over and flirting, perhaps sharing a drink. I still find it remarkable the number of guys that will buy a girl a drink. I barely had to spend any of my own money when I was single! Meaning I could fritter it all away on other ridiculous purchases.

At a party it might have simply been finding someone I was vaguely interested in, that would chat and be entertaining for (part of) the evening.

Celebrities that fit my "type"
(I will disclaimer this that there are other celebrities I find attractive, but aren't in this category)

ERIC BANA

Favourite film to date, Troy.

CLIVE OWEN

No particular favourite film, and he doesn't immediately leap to mind when I think of attractive celebrity men. Fits the type though.

GERARD BUTLER

Favourite film would have to be a toss up between Phantom of The Opera (he played Phantom!) and P.S. I Love You- so sad. Such a tear jerker.

EWAN McGREGOR

Favourite film to date is Moulin Rouge, hands down. I *heart* that movie SO much.

Now I'm going to be the first to say M is not wealthy, English, Irish or Scottish. I use these celebs only in the capacity to demonstrate my "type"

~Using these pictures, how would YOU categorise my type?

Mmm, might go and peruse some other male celeb galleries....for research purposes only of course....

Who's ring is this?

Guess which WOMAN this engagement ring belongs to?

Yes, it really is a woman's hand, and I too was surprised. Her husbands ex-wife has just undertaken court proceedings to establish how much this couple were recently paid for their wedding photos on a remote island. One has to ask how can she possibly think she'll be awarded any money from AFTER their marriage?

To fin out who this is, just drag your mouse below and highlight the section

CHRIS EVERT,
Greg Norman's new wife.

Weird hey. Man Hands

Here are some other celebrity engagement rings, just highlight the text to find out the answer, but have a guess first :)

Looking vastly different in this photo, (healthy?!?) this queen of WAG's sports a beautiful marquise diamond, and her (so far) lasting marriage to THE biggest Soccer star puts the taboo of the cut down the toilet. (This particular cut of diamond reportedly has the highest divorce rate going around). Sadly its been recently reported she's been advised against trying for a little girl for a 4th child as her body would not sustain it.

VICTORIA BECKHAM

(David Beckham)

The craziest of Hollywood marriages, the penultimate in kooky behaviour, stacked shoes, and (suspected) fake pregnancies. This actress used to be her own person, now she's simply married to that weirdo. This couple close friends of above-

KATIE HOLMES/CRUISE

(Tom Cruise)

Come On!

This is the second giant rock her husband had to buy after a public break up of his first engagement to a fellow player. He's tennis royalty, and after recently critizing the press for not leaving them alone, then went and sold the exclusive story rights to the news they're expecting their second child. .....

REBECCA CARTWRIGHT

(Hubby Lleyton Hewitt)

One of the most high profile divorces all started with this ring. This Beatle got more than he bargained for when he handed this over.

She hasn't got a leg to stand on......

HEATHER MILLS

(Paul McCartney)

A 2-for-1, both with recent births, with first baby pics sold to People for Millions of dollars.

Our lady on the left can get a bit Dirrty when she's out on the town while our lady on the right is no longer welcome at the Hilton.

L - CHRISTINA AGUILERA

R- NICOLE RICHIE

She just recently had a baby girl, their first, and he's one of the richest men in the world after the death of his father. Their marriage was a spectacle that included the family yacht and the French Riviera

A former model, she's working this pose-

ERICA BAXTER

(James Packer)

I guess marrying one of Formula One's drivers has to have its perks, and this giant rock must be one of them. Pity they never actually got married, I wonder if she had to give it back, perhaps he gave it to one of the string of women he's been engaged to...

SIMONE ABDELNOUR

(David Coulthard)

A rock and roll legend on his third marriage now, he divorced Rachel Hunter to take up with this model, and sensationally while in the process of divorcing, this model was dumped in favour of Hunter for lingerie brand Ultimo.

PENNY LANCASTER-STWEART

(Rod Stewart)

I don't care how famous she is, she'll always be Gerard Depardieu's daughter in that movie where she wears a G-string (for me)

KATHERINE HEIGL

Well I don't know about you but I can't stop looking at her breasts! And neither could anyone else who watched the Superbowl Half Time show a few years ago....

JANET JACKSON

Personally, I've always thought she was THE most beautiful woman in the world, and obviously Estee Lauder and her fabulously wealthy Indian (?) hubby think so too.

ELIZABETH HURLEY

The royal we love to hate, I LOVE her ring and when I worked in the Jewelery shop I covted a ring just like this one madly. Will she be Queen one day? Who knows....

CAMILLA PARKER-BOWLES

(Prince Charles)

This female pop-group member had her marriage explode after her English football (soccer) star husband was found to be cheating on her. She must have been happy when she got this though, its huge!

CHERYL TWEEDY (COLE)

(Ashley Cole)

What are the 5 Things in your handbag that say YOU?

Its Friday afternoon and I've decided to start a new Blog Forward*.

So, after reading this article in the Courier Mail's blog dept, I decided to start a 'Blog Forward" of my own, for the Laydeez.

In this age of giant handbags, that are apparently wrecking our posture, women carry so much crap its astounding. BUT we carry it for a reason, and its always entertaining if nothing else to see women pull stockings, calculators, shoe polish and a spanner out of their bag as we search for our ringing mobile phone, which of course is buried at the bottom in the corner (naturally).

Five things in your handbag that speak about your life, (or are just quirky and interesting).

Mine are :

1. No less than 7 different Lipglosses, lipsticks and lip balms!
2. Nutrimetics Relaxing Lavender Pulse Point Stick
3. 2 x USB's
4. Panadol, Nurofen, Codral (old and new formula).
   
5. Misc jewlery - a pair of earrings, a bracelet and a dead necklace.

The whats and whys -

1. Who needs that many? How did I get them all? Plus I have a new one that hasn't quite made it into my bag...
2. Never go anywhere without it. Its my first port of call if I get a headache, you just rub the metal tip onto your temple and most of my headaches disperse.
3. Because I'm starting to accept that I'm a bit of a nerd actually! One has music which I listen to at work, the other has files/photos/anything else I might want to transfer at a moments notice...
4. I'm always finding random pain relief in my handbags. This is SO weird as I really try to avoid taking pills if I can (hence #2). Codral always seems to float around in my bag until the next bout of 'flu I get. Downside is I become a walking pharmacy and its always "does anyone have any (insert drug here)" and I feel compelled to say yes.
5. I HATE to be without a pair of earrings. On the rare occassion I forget to put some on, its handy to have a pair to shove in, even if they aren't as well thought out as some other choices. I would surmise that in a year of 365 days my ear lobes are nude approx 10 days.

I think womens handbags are a wealth of info, so I suspect the answers from others may be fun to read :)

So here's how it works - Of course there's rules, there's always rules.

~ Link to the person who tagged you.

~ Post the rules on your blog.

~ Write 5 Things in your handbag that say YOU .

~ Tag three people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.

~ Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

~ Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

(~ For the sake of brevity we'll allow multiples)

Obviously this can be extended to blokes if you know a man with a man-bag/backpack.

I'm tagging

Reanan @ Life As a..... 

K @ Life and Times of K 

Princess Emma @ PrincessEmma 

Mia Freedman @ Mamamia

Fiona @ http://littlelioness.net/ 

*A* @ Everything Under the Sun 

I know thats five, I'm just spreading the love! If I haven't tagged you and you want to play, feel free! Please link back so I can read yours though!

*I refuse to call it a meme, as the term "meme" was designed by Richard Dawkins (yes of God Delusion) to refer to a cultural reference that acts like a Gene, passed down through people ie like a folk song or hand clapping game. 

Hence, I do not think a list of things on someone's blog should be referred to as a "meme" as though that is the sole frame of reference.  /rant.

Yves Saint Laurent dies at 71

"You have to regard every fashion with humour, to be above it, believe in it enough to give the impression of living it but not too much, so that you keep your freedom."

"The silhouette counts more than anything. It should never be overloaded."

"To be beautiful, all a woman needs is a black pullover and a black skirt and to be arm in arm with a man she loves."

"Is elegance not totally forgetting what one is wearing?"

YSL

My Makeup Construction Space

Makeup, originally uploaded by dataceptionist.

I'm lucky enough, in my home, to have a whole second bathroom to myself for my makeup. Ok, we don't call it MY bathroom, or my Makeup bathroom or anything, but its the "guest" bathroom essentially, so gradually I've moved all my makeup in there.

Initially I had just spare hair stuff, and all my spare toiletries and supplies in the cupboards. Then when I did my cousins makeup last year I had to pack up all my makeup to take with me, and it just somehow seemed easier when I got around to unpacking it all, to unpack it in the spare bathroom.

The result, an awesome space for all my stuff to be spread out, without worrying there isn't enough room for M's shaving cream, or whatever.
(Ok, confession, M only really has one small shelf in our main bathroom for his few things also, I've got my everyday stuff taking up loads of space in there too.)

So this is my space. If you click on the photo above, you can find little notes on things in the photo, like the toothbrush cup, full of makeup brushes.

I use this space as my "getting ready" space in general. I suppose if I was a lady from eras gone by, I might have a boudoir for this sort of thing, with a dressing table and tasseled perfume spritzer. I do feel spoiled. It's my mother's fault though, when she redid the bathroom at home, she organised the cabinets so that there was a power outlet inside the cupboard so the hairdryer would always be plugged in (like the "appliance" cupboards in kitchens now with the toaster and kettle). She also had discreet lighting installed above the mirror expressly for makeup application. So, with lessons like these, whats a girl to do?

What would your ultimate makeup space be do you think?

Makeup 101

I think when it comes to makeup, a little knowledge goes a long way. Just a few tips can help your makeup look ten times better. I've listed a few things I've picked up along the way, even if you only used one of them that you don't already, you could save that friend saying something.

Basic rules I follow:

Brushes brushes brushes. Unless you are using it for a specific effect, get rid of the sponge applicator that might come with your eyeshadow compact. Get yourself some quality brushes. It might feel like a waste of $40 for a set, but its really an investment. Trust me.



Always apply creams/liqiuds before powders. This might seem kind of obvious after you hear it, but it also includes eye pencil, which you should do before you powder your face if you're going to set your foundation.
Creams are; liquid foundations, concealers, eye pencil, brow pencil, cream blushes and cream shadows.
Powders are; powder foundations, translucent powders, blushes, eye shadows and bronzers.


Mascara always goes on last. If you've forgotten something on your eyes, its too late after mascara, you'll end up putting shadow in your mascara which will dull it, you'll need to re-apply mascara and it will go all clumpy.

<---Did you know that Great Lash Mascara by Maybelline is apparently the best selling mascara in the world? I've owned about 5 of these and I think they're great. (go Big W/Kmart for cheap prices)

Tip: As you apply your mascara do a slight zig zag motion with the wand as you move it up your lashes, this coats the sides of your lashes and the tops, all in one go. Only do a small motion, enough to hit the "sides" is plenty.

The last thing I can say about basics, is don't be afraid to experiment before you go out for an occassion. Lots of people will say you shouldn't in case you stuff it up, but my philosphy is that if you don't go the whole hog before something you want to look good for, you'll never give it a proper chance at another time.

Who is ever going to think to themselves on a quiet night after work "I might practice making up my face tonight" You've got nowhere to go when you get it right and look gorgeous!
The trick is to just start early, keep your cleanser/makeup remover handy and don't be afraid to take it all off and start again if you stuff it up. I can't tell you how many times I've done my eye makeup and ended up being too heavy handed, so I just take it off and start again. The end result will look better than if you just try to salvage a mishap.

Makeup: How do you apply?

Have you noticed that women are particularly sensitive about makeup?

Most girls reach their twenties with some version of training, whether it be years of watching Mum in the bathroom before she goes out, or a girlfriend sitting them down when you're 15 and applying peacock blue to the eyelid, or applying that same eyeshadow yourself as a six-year-old in plastic high heels.
I also have no doubt whatsoever that some women reach their twenties without any knowledge whatsoever of how to apply makeup. These women I think end up being self-taught, and you may know some yourself.

I have twin cousins now in their thirties that have still never really been taught how to apply their makeup. They muddle through it of course, I've seen them both in makeup, and its probably a combination of a quick lesson from mum, watching friends over the years and trying it out in the mirror. They recalled being in their teens and their mum (not being a huge makeup person, but having two teenage girls who might be keen) she offered to send them for a makeup course. My mother never offered to send me for lessons in makeup, and I'd like to think I would have leapt at the opportunity (in the manner I would now) had it been offered.
My cousins turned down their mothers offer, and now in their early thirties, probably wish they hadn't. One of these cousins was invited to the Arias last year, and asked me to do her makeup! I was surprised, I haven't done anyone's makeup for quite a while, but its essentially the same as doing your own, just it takes longer. I'd never noticed that she doesn't really wear makeup, and it's because she doesn't trust herself to do it properly.

I think when it comes to makeup, a little knowledge goes a long way. In the next day or so, I'll list some of the tips I've picked up along the way.

What I've noticed though, as I started with, is how makeup is quite a touchy subject amongst women if you want to be critical. Some women, while they may admit to a close friend, that they don't know much about makeup, don't necessarily want the greater world to know that they're a bit clueless. They certainly don't want you pointing it out to them!

Way back when I did my makeup classes, I gradually learnt how to apply, and what to look for etc. It was at this time that it gradually dawned on me that my own mother wasn't applying her makeup "properly". I tried to speak to her about it, and this was my first time where I realised some people simply don't want to hear about the way YOU do it.
Her method works just fine for her, and while she took a few things on board, she's essentially got the same style as before, and who am I to interfere? It works for her.

I find the dilemma of whether to tell someone about their makeup malfunction, akin to the "dress in the skirt" or "toilet paper on strangers shoe" dilemma.
Both of these predicaments, if you saw, you would probably tell the person wouldn't you? But there's a line we cross when we do that. Stepping into this strangers life and telling them something is not quite right, to save them the embarrassment later.
I personally would be mortified if I went out, as a friend did recently, with a foundation line on her jawline. Blend blend blend I think when I do my own. If I hadn't blended properly, I would want someone to step in and tell me, discreetly of course.
Of course the older a person gets, the less they want to hear about what they're doing wrong. "you mean I've been doing it wrong all this time!"
I had my colours done several years ago and there was a woman in the group that loved pink. Now I quite like Pink also, but I wasn't quite so into it at that point. This woman only wore Pink, and mostly it was a baby pink sort of shade, very feminine and she liked it that way.
She was told she "couldn't" wear that shade anymore. It wasn't that she couldn't wear pink at all, but she discovered she'd been wearing the wrong shade all these years (she was in her forties). Pretty devastating for her really.
So back to makeup though, this friend of mine recently had quite the foundation line going, and I just couldn't bring myself to tell her. Of course, I've been told I'm not the most tactful person getting around also, and I didn't want to offend her, and she's a very good friend of mine. So it made me think who COULD I tell? If I can't mention it to my dear friend, what hope do we have?
Why are women so sensitive about the way they do their makeup?

Wedding Q & A -Pt2

Hey PrincesseEmma!

Ding ding! Round 2 lol. This got out of hand in the comment section of this post so I've done a post.

Did you enjoy planning the wedding?
Umm, loaded question with many answers. Yes & no. In retrospect I did, but I didn't have a whole lot of a job I was doing at the time so I was able to surf the net and look for stuff all day, and sit on the forums (as above) all day. This was possibly a negative though as it meant I became consumed with the wedding. I enjoyed part of its but it was quite stressful. Which brings us to...

What was the most stressful part?

On the leadup to the wedding?
Guestlist- we ended up culling a few people that were bordering on friend/acquaintance lines, I handled it really badly unfortunately, I should have been upfront about it. It gets a bit messy and a bit sticky when you first get engaged you end up with lots of excited well-meaning (female) acquantainces that you talk lots of "wedding" to. As a result, come invite time you've talked heaps about your wedding to them, and its almost like you owe them an invite, when under normal circumstances you might not even invite them to your birthday. So we had a few friends like that who we did invite and they've never forgiven us. One couple will barely speak to me and be civil, the other two couples are tight lipped but polite. With the appalling behaviour in the aftermath though, we made the right decision.
Cars- I really wanted them but they were just TOO xpensive and we couldn't justify the costs because we had 10 in our bridal party. This still causes me grief.
Shopping for the best price for something you've already decided on. This gets so tedious and irritating.
Gift Registry wasn't stressful but it was possibly one of the most boring parts.

After the Wedding- The Photography. I was SO unhappy with the photography, we completely misread our photographer and his style and we didn't feel he captured us at all. I really wanted breathtakingly beautiful photos, and thats not really what we got. I know they exist because I've seen them. *sigh*
This is a personal pain though, because no one else seems to see it.

Did you feel different once you were married?
Gushy part!
I love being married I think its fantastic, and I defintely think it feels different in a positive way. Personally I feel its different to dating or being engaged even. Well, for me the engagement was just a transitional period anyway, we were only engaged for 8 months between question and wedding day.
The thing I discovered was most different was after we got married there was a sense of relaxation. Its hard to describe but I realised I'd just naturally stopped thinking of things in our life with a shelf life or finite in any way. And it literally didn't happen until after we got married.
Its this feeling that makes me horrified at the idea of people getting divorced, that gut-wrenching realisation that the other person wasn't feeling that way, and the idea of your cocoon of bliss being ripped away from you by the person you love.
I just feel an innate permanency with marriage, the feeling that this person will be there forever now, and you can always rely on them.
I don't know if others feel this way, but theres a beautiful finality to marriage I feel.