We are family

Thought you might be interested in a family pic from my Granny and Grandpa's 60th wedding anniversary lunch. Or not. But I'm a sentimental old thing and I love these special times.

We had a beautiful meal at Jolley's Boathouse which was just the perfect venue - it is on the river which excited the kids to no end. Ruby and Zane loved feeding the pelicans and swans out on the banks of the Torrens. 

And we overlooked Great Grandpa's bridge - Granny's father was the engineer for this bridge in the photo above. It's the main bridge across the River Torrens that connects North Adelaide to the CBD. We're all a little bit proud of it so it was lovely for it to be a part of our day.

Grandpa dressed to impress and Granny looked lovely in her pearls. My dress was uber comfy and the lipstick lasted a treat.

Speaking of lipsticks, I've just discovered a fab new range of lippies but will go into that another time.

It was so lovely to have this family time. And boy oh boy, was the food delicious. A seriously good feed, one of the best I've had in ages - and that includes dining out in Melbourne. We ate and drank like kings - including a bottle of Rockford Basket Press which was a very nice touch (thanks Dad).

And then my weekend finished off with a cup of tea and Anzac biscuit at Granny and Grandpa's before flying back to Melbourne - begrudgingly, I might add. I didn't want to let go of my Mum when she hugged me at the airport. I thought it was supposed to get easier after two years!?

Thank goodness for FaceTime.

Happy birthday Mum!

Happiest of birthdays to this biddy today.

Wish we were celebrating in New York or somewhere special this year. But no, instead I'm sitting at my desk in cold Melbourne and you're cleaning up Dougall's vomit from the living room floor.

Oh the glamour!

Have a lovely day Mum. You're the best xx

Shine bright like a diamond

I'm flying home (again) tonight for a long weekend in the Rads.

It's my Grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. What a milestone! Diamonds apparently.

They are such a gorgeous couple, they call each other 'Darl' and are chalk and cheese. But their dynamic works.  

Here they are at Christmas two years ago with my brother, his wife and the ever divine Ruby.

And here they are at my second cousin's wedding (my first of seven bridesmaid duties!) a few years ago. 

Gosh, I was skinny*! And showing a lot more cleavage than probably appropriate for a church wedding!

I'm the only granddaughter and am very close with my Granny. We went to the same school, she bought me my first piano, we share a love of pearls and the Royal Family. She also introduced me to Tiffany & Co and inspired my love of tea sets. Granny is a great cook and always does the hosting, yet Grandpa does the nightly meals and takes such pleasure in trying new things. I often chat to him on the phone (when Granny forces the handset on to him), and we talk about what cookbooks he's reading and what new ingredients he's discovered. I think he experimented with quinoa before I did! He did the London thing when he was a young man and I was so proud to follow in his footsteps all those years later when I had my two years in London.

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of sleepovers at Granny and Grandpas. It feels like we spent every weekend at their place - my brother and I had a bed each in the spare room and we'd wake to smells of egg and bacon frying in the kitchen. So spoilt!

It's so hard being away from home - you really notice how much they're ageing when you don't see them for months at a time. But they're both still sharp as a tack and always on top of what I'm up to. They're always asking after my friends and Granny has a little notepad where she writes down what I'm up to at work so she can tell her friends at their regular embroidery catch ups.

They have three great grandchildren and have the energy to entertain them and keep them happy - they delight in showing them their chooks or the wooden toys we used to play with as children. It's truly special times.

The pic above is from their anniversary dinner at my parents' house. I couldn't make it, so we're having a lovely Sunday lunch at a restaurant this weekend. I am wearing a new silk dress and a new shade of lippy for the occasion. I can't wait.

I just hope I inherit Granny's youthful skin and joie de vivre as I grow old gracefully.

Cherish your grandparents and make time for them regularly. The simple act of a phone call or unexpected knock on the door can really make their day.

Pop the kettle on Granny, I'm nearly home!

*Skinny, relative to my normal weight that is, not the rest of the world!

First position

My housemate and I have just finished a two week introductory offer at our local yoga studio. It's a five minute walk from home and has been a great way to try new classes that have previously seemed too scary or too expensive.

It's $25 for two weeks of unlimited classes so I've jumped in head first - yoga, pilates, core & stretch, fit barre.

I've even said no to social events because I've been committed to my two week program!

I've rediscovered my love for yoga. I've briefly dabbled in it before but nothing ongoing. I'm completely inflexible and have to stifle a laugh when we do any sort of bends and I look in the mirror and see that I'm towering over everyone else in the class who are all parallel to the ground or touching their toes and whatnot. I barely move five degrees forward!

But it's time out for myself when I can be in the present. Apparently that's a good thing?!

The class that has really caught my interest is Fit Barre. I thought I'd hate it but it was so much fun. It was a blend of yoga, ballet and dance and the music was modern and upbeat and the instructor was lovely. I never did ballet as a kid so it was a bit of a novelty standing at the barre and practising my plies.

I've only done one class but will be back tonight for another sweat out. It's so nice to have something to look forward to at the start of the week!

Material things

It's become a bit of a tradition that I write a 'birthday wishlist' every year. I even had a friend ask at dinner the other night what was on this year's - she was disappointed I hadn't yet blogged it.

I do feel very smug and self indulged and greedy putting together such a list, but it is fun to imagine what you would do if you had all the money in the world. And we all love a bit of escapism. And {virtual} retail therapy.

So I present you with this year's collection.

What Kate wants for her insignificant 32nd birthday.

2XU leggings

I've never spent money on workout gear before - instead settling for Big W homebrand leggings and singlets. But I've been doing a lot more running and yoga and even fit barre and I think it's time I invested in some quality gear. Who knows who I could run into on the Tan?

Strictly Ballroom tickets

I love Baz and I love all things bold and bright. I think this would be fun. Time to embrace some 'culture'

Dirty Dancing tickets

Noone puts Baby in the corner. See above re 'culture'.
**Ha, are you laughing that I consider these two things culture? I know it's not ballet or opera or an art gallery, but pop culture is still culture, right?!

New earrings

I get so many comments on my bling so wouldn't say no to adding to my Lady Chatterley's Affair collection. Earrings can really make an outfit - especially when I'm decked out in Melbourne all black.

Champagne flutes

I really want some nice champagne flutes. Those delicate tulip type ones. I have IKEA stems and they do the job, but I'm sick of living like a uni student, I'm turning 32 and I want nice things. I'm just not so sure my housemates can be trusted

#thejoysofhouseshare

#imtoooldforthis

Perfume
I'm all out of perfume. All my bottles are empty. And I feel kind of lost, I'm out of whack. I'm typically a Stella McCartney loyal but she's discontinued my fragrance! Devastating. I am a longstanding Romance fan, but the bottle's run dry so I feel like I should mix it up. Opportunity to try something. I've fallen in love with a friend's Jo Malone perfume {can't remember which flavour though} - is it wrong to copy her? I don't see her that often. I've sent a text off . . . stay tuned!

**Update - Sophie just messaged me back, it's Jo Malone English pear and freesia. I will be heading in to DJs this week to try it on myself.

A mini break
I need a holiday. And not just a weekend back in Adelaide. I love those trips - don't get me wrong - but they're not relaxing and I find them hard. I need to do something new and fresh. Maybe a weekend in Sydney? Or a week in Hong Kong? Brisbane! Shopping, eating and smiling.

A partner in crime.

Mum and I joked at Christmas how it was so refreshing that after all these years, I could finally leave a boyfriend off my list for Father Christmas. It was such a small thing, but I felt so secure. Well friends, put him back on this year. How quickly things change.

***

I've got lunch with the girls on my actual birthday in two weeks time. Two weeks today. Oprah tells me I need to embrace getting older.

"You're not the same woman you were a decade ago; if you're lucky, you're not the same woman you were last year. The whole point of aging, as I see it, is change. If we let them, our experiences can keep teaching us about ourselves. I celebrate that. Honour it. Hold it in reverence. And I'm grateful for every age I'm blessed to become."

Maybe she's on to something.

Party for one

Gosh, the French are quite dramatic aren't they?

But I'm feeling a bit empty lately and this speaks to me.

FaceTime and photos can only do so much.

And yoga, meditation, running and chocolate fail to fill the hole, despite best intentions.

Tu me manques | You are missing from me

Looking forward to a weekend home next week.

It takes two to tango

In the words of my hero and Queen of colour, Kate Spade, "It takes two to tango."

And today I celebrate my two years in Melbourne.

Two crazy years scarred by two massive false starts.

I may not have found my dancing feet just yet - I've tripped up, fallen, sprained an ankle or two, been stepped on by dancing partners, been judged unfairly, ripped skirts and got stage fright - but this year, with two years under my belt, I'm ready to tango.

Yes, it takes two to tango and it's taken two years to get here. It's not where I thought I'd be, it's not where I wanted to be. But I've still got my dancing shoes on.

Maybe next year I'll be ready for a waltz.