Thursday, May 28, 2009

Down to Drinking


Australia has this current problem of 'binge drinking' so they say.. Well I can imagine if you are getting so hammered you vomit two days a week this could be a problem. But what about the rest of us? What is the new etiquette on drinking publicly, privately and alone?


Out and about

How much you are able to drink without looking like a total moron has a lot to do with your metabolism, height, weight and tolerance to alcohol. Limit yourself and check how you're acting in front of people. Are you sobbing to your best-friends boyfriend about being dumped? Or, are you dancing with your girlfriends and having a good time? When I go out for a bit of a drink and dance session I like to throw back a few Jager bombs I must admit. But you must allow yourself a good amount of time between each shot (no matter what it is) for the alcohol to take effect on your body. In between, sip things like Vodka and Cranberry or Orange, keep the vitamins up, and there's no harm in having a glass of water every now and then. I like to dash around to the nearest 7/11 or Quick-e-Mart and grab some poweraide to make sure I don't have a horrible hang-over and it also helps to walk off some of the alcohol. When I know the bar is going to shut soon I stop drinking and dance some of the alcohol off so that I don't end up being shoved out of the doors, missing heels and handbags and shouting profanities at bouncers. Smoking also has an affect on you when you drink (if you're a social smoker) and if you are partial to a puff during the night, try not to do so when feeling a bit wobbly or nauseous as it will just make you want to throw up. Don't make the aim of the night to be drunker than everyone else, make it your goal to have a load of fun and meet some awesome new people. Alcohol is best used as a social lubricant so they say. Not as a remedy to remove your logic and manners. Always remember to calculate money for the cab ride home and don't spend it on drinks whatever you do. If you and your girlfriends all live on opposite sides of the city, calculate the cost before going out and see if it'd be cheaper to get a hotel room for the night. That's more fun anyway!

Private Parties

These can be a bit tricky. Is it BYO or is there an open bar? If its BYO always bring enough to share around and be sure to bring a large amount of mixers if what you are bringing is straight. Always always offer the host something to drink! Limit yourself to what you know you can handle and for gods sake don't throw up on anything. If you do, offer to pay for all cleaning costs and leave immediately. If it does happen to be open bar, score! But that's even more reason to limit your drinking, the host has obviously put in a lot of money and effort to entertain their guests and you shouldn't go ruining it by drinking a whole bottle of Bacardi and making out with the bartender. Even if he is gorgeous. (Just slip him your number at the end of the night) Remember not to sit at the bar scarfing down drink after drink, take one and walk around! Mingle! It might be a work function and you could always use that SOBER chat with the CEO to get ahead. If it is a work thing, remember to drink but try to stay as sober as you can while still having fun. You don't really need the rumors floating around the office about being caught with your knickers down in the copy room with Terry from accounts.

Drinking with the girls at home

This one is a lot easier to do than the rest, but there is always one girl somewhere who has a bit too much red and blurts out that she has slept with her friend's hubby-to-be or father. Do not be this girl. You don't need more than one bottle. If that! Remember you are there to gossip, bitch about how all men are essentially bastards and console anyone who may have been dumped. Not to drown your sorrows and spill red wine on your carpet and assault your pets. Keep the mood happy with some fun music, always always have food to nibble on and if you are a guest to such an event, bring a nice bottle of wine. Not that $6 cleanskin rubbish either. Spend at least $20 or more.

Drinking at dinner parties when you're bringing a man

What I have learnt is that when you are invited to such parties to always bring more than one bottle of wine. Couples shouldn't be able to get of the hook and be cheap by showing up with a single bottle. Single bottles are for single people. How would you like it if a singleton showed up at your dinner party with one of those little bottles of wine you get at work functions and fashion events? Always bring two bottles of NICE wine. When the wine starts flowing, remember to keep the conversation flowing too. You and your 'man-friend' should definitely not hold hands and rub noses at the table. Not only is it rude, but it rubs it in the singletons faces. Keep conversation with other people at the table and be sociable and make eye contact with other people. When you do drink, do not guzzle your wine like a trucker, sip like a lady. Getting drunk during dinner is unacceptable. So is getting drunk, disappearing and being found 3 hours later having sex in the hostess' bed. If you must get handsy, save it for the end of the night when everyone is everyone else is a little drunk and getting ready to leave. For gods sake no eating each other in front of other guests. Offering to do the washing up is a good way to get away from the others for some alone time if you two desperately need it. But remember you *will* have to do some washing up in the end.

Drinking with your housemate

This is a fun activity you can do to bond with your house/flat/room mate. Pace yourself and try and keep to a happy conversation. You don't want to be holding each others hair out of the toilet at 10pm. If your housemate has recently had problems and needs to vent, remember to let them do so and watch how much they're drinking. Always be on their side. Otherwise they are likely to blame it all on themselves, drink way too much and ruin your lounge and carpet. This etiquette should also be used for pre-going-out drinks.

Drinking alone

This is a perfectly acceptable thing to do, as long as you don't scull a bottle of gin the second you walk in the front door. A glass of wine, bubbly or brandy is always a nice way to end a stressful work day. Don't sit there glaring at the TV and necking from the bottle though. Run a nice hot bath, put on some Enya or something, light some scented candles and read while you drink.

My Hangover remedies
My remedies include sleep, water, more sleep, tea, poweraide, berocca (you have one BEFORE you pass out), running and again, more sleep. Hangovers are never fun. I remember when I was a bit younger I had awful hangovers that had me on the floor screaming for the room to slow down. When you feel like that, eat something. Like dry biscuits and tea or toast with jam. Have a coffee. And drink lots and lots of water. Having a nice long shower or bath can also help you to feel better. If your budget allows, go and get some reflexology or a massage.


Remember girls, drinking is super fun, but please try to keep it fun for everyone. Don't drunk-n-dial ex boyfriends (why do you still have his number anyway?), don't have sex with strangers in public, don't vomit on people and don't start fights or go through peoples possessions. Be classy.

When you are single, you tend to go out a bit more, this really plays havoc with your body, try to have at least one weekend at home every two months, eat healthy and exercise as drinking can give you bad breath, spotty skin and ruin your metabolism.

Stay classy ladies! (And always bring back up stockings!)

xo-xo

Monday, May 25, 2009

Killer Heels




I love high heels and my belief is that women should wear as high a heel their legs can handle at all times.

Now this is probably not for everyone, with a lot of people having either bad backs or weight issues, they probably cant handle that high a heel. Note: it says as YOUR legs can handle. Don't try and wear 6" stilettos when your legs buckle at 3". I'm little and my calf muscles are actually shorter than they're meant to be, meaning I can handle killer heels with ease. Flats are actually the problem for me.. I always have and always will walk on my toes.

Heels are classy, sexy, give attitude and can make a boring outfit outrageous! They can splash a bit of color, dab some sexy patterns, throw in some buckles and make you look dangerous, create the look, be conversation starters and best of all, make you stand out. Heels are the best. I feel sorry for men not having the choice of being able to wear them! I love heels!

Here are some of my latest purchases and recommendations. Who ever said 21 heels is enough can shove it! I'm planning on 100 by the end of the year.

All the heels I have listed are all over $100 as I think that if you're going to spend money on something you are going to wear constantly you might as well make it comfortable and worth it. Don't go cheap on heels as they could leave you with blisters and bunions. And those are just gross. Its always worth spending a little extra to save your feet in the future!

You should also check out products designed to stop rubbing and help cushion the balls of your feet and heels.

Felicity by Witchery $189.00
Spicy by Zu $150.00

Belinda by Zoe Wittner $189.95

Veronique by Zoe Wittner $169.95 (I have these in all black)


Prada Flower Heels (Inspired by James Jean) US$590
Whipsnitch Patent Heels by Miu Miu $579.27




Prada Flower Heel Mary Jane ON SALE US$356.00


Something Blue Satin Pump by Manolo Blahnik US$945

This is the shoe that Big finally proposed to Carey with in the SATC movie. Fitting name, don't you think?

High heel care:

Look after your investments. Make sure you find yourself a reputable shoe repairer and stick with the one. Check the materials your heels are made of, they may have different care instructions. Some heels are easier to salvage than others. Always check with the clerk of the store about care for a particular pair if you're not sure.

For leather heels make sure you wear them in properly before wearing them out. Rub some vodka on the inside with a cotton bud, making sure they are quite soaked and walk around the house in them till they dry to let them mold to your foot shape. It'll make them a lot more comfy. Leather also gives a little, you never should be slipping around in heels. When you try them on, make sure they're firm on your foot. Not too tight, but nice and firm and your feet don't slip.

Try not to get scuff marks on them by avoiding walking near cracks in the road and grates. And if you do get a scuff or break a heel, get it to the repairer asap! Never let the problem get worse. Keep them dry and if they're made of suede or fur remember to waterproof them and keep them out of puddles. You can buy special products to keep them in mint condition.

History of Heels: (Taken from Wikipedia)

Raised heels are sometimes claimed to have been a response to the problem of the rider's foot slipping forward in stirrups while riding. The "rider's heel," approximately 1-1/2 inch (4 cm) high, appeared around 1500. The leading edge was canted forward to help grip the stirrup, and the trailing edge was canted forward to prevent the elongated heel from catching on underbrush or rock while backing up, such as in on-foot combat. These features are evident today in riding boots, notably cowboy boots.

The simple riding heel gave way to a more stylized heel over its first three decades. Beginning with the French, heel heights among men crept up, often becoming higher and thinner, until they were no longer useful while riding, but were relegated to "court-pony" wear. By the late 1600s, men's heels were commonly between three and four inches in height.

However, high heels may have been worn by women just as early or earlier, both as a fashion statement and to increase short stature. At least as early as 1533, the diminutive Italian wife of Henry II, King of France, Queen Catherine de' Medici, commissioned a cobbler to fashion her a pair of heels, both for fashion, and to suggest greater height. They were an adaptation of chopines and patternsplatform shoes or clogs and sabots), intended to protect the feet of the wearer from dirt and mud; but unlike chopines, the heel was higher than the toe and the "platform" was made to bend in the middle with the foot. That raised shoes had already been worn as a fashion statement in Italy, at least, is suggested by sumptuary laws in Venice that banned the wearing of chopine-style platform shoes as early as the 1430's. (elevated wooden soles with both heel and toe raised, not unlike modern

High-heeled shoes quickly caught on with the fashion-conscious men and women of the French court, and spread to pockets of nobility in other countries. The term "well-heeled" became synonymous with opulent wealth. Both men and women continued wearing heels as a matter of noble fashion throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. When the French Revolution drew near, in the late 1700s, the practice of wearing heels fell into decline in France due to its associations with wealth and aristocracy. Throughout most of the 1800s, flat shoes and sandals were usual for both sexes, but the heel resurfaced in fashion during the late 1800s, almost exclusively among women.

For more info, check the rest of this article here.

xo-xo

Saturday, May 23, 2009

I'm in the closet!



"Quick question. I’m pretty much into clothes, shopping, fashion, etc. and was curious if you ever use a site called www.closetviewer.com to basically inventory all of your clothes, make and save outfits, etc.?

Just found the site about a week ago, and it’s been a lifesaver, especially for a free site, and didn’t know if you were on it too." - Breana

Well, after reading this email I realised I had never heard of this site and I simply had to check it out for myself. She was totally right! This website is amazing! I have just started to add my clothing bit by bit.. Unfortunately my camera is out of commission right now so it will take a while to get my massive amounts of clothing and outfit ideas on there!

My user name is LorenaVonM if anyone is interested in checking out my digs!


xo-xo

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Knitta Please!


Recently a friend and I discovered the new knitting craze of Knitta Please! A new way of tagging and adding a dash of color to our surroundings, without actually destroying it! So we decided to get together and become the 'Pactin Twins'. I am unable to recall where the name came from exactly, as when we came up with the idea we were a little tipsy. Basically we knit large sheets and wrap them around things in public places! See the website for pics of other peoples tags!

Stay tuned for photos of our projects!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Losing


Losing people is hard. Losing people you care about more-so. No matter what you do, you feel like its the end of the world. And no matter how many old friends you see and how many new ones you make they are never the same.

I, am currently dealing with losing my 2 best friends to moving interstate. I am terrified I will never see them again or that we will somehow lose contact. I try and make it hurt less by going out constantly and trying to have fun. But when I lie in bed before I go to sleep, I think about them. I wonder what they're doing now I'm not there. Who they're hanging out with instead. How their days went and wish I could have gotten coffee with them and catch up.


After all is said and done, some things cant be helped. I know with my situation it cant at least. Things aren't going the way I always wanted them to. They've turned around and I feel like I'm walking backwards in a crowd of people moving forwards. Worst feeling ever. Some days all you can do is lie in bed and ignore your phone. Though I know I will be back in Melbourne soon, it doesn't feel like soon enough. And I worry that they will move on without me.

The other thing that hurts. Losing the one you love. He's back in Melbourne now. We never really defined what or who were were to each other. But it worked. A whole year of ups and downs and I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather have ridden that roller coaster with than him. He saved me so many times, and I like to think I was there when he needed it. He was everything I ever wanted in a man and I found him perfect in every way. I have never felt safer then when embraced in his arms. We could talk about everything and we knew what each other wanted. I know I cant drag relationships around the country with me so in my heart I know I have to let go. It whispers one more night of loving him, and I cant say 'no'. On night turns into five and five turns into forever. And even though you can meet someone else, you always come back and compare. And it always feels like you're downgrading. So you walk away and resent yourself for being so judgemental, for not trying harder to move on. But then you remember him. And cry.


When i look back on the year I spent in Melbourne and think of all that I did I get jealous of the past. Everything was perfect. Everything was coming up my way for once. I had the house, the dogs, the man, the friends, the job and the attitude. Now back here, sleeping on a spare bed in my parents dining room I feel like it was all a dream and wonder if it will ever come true and if I'll ever be that way again. I know in my heart its possible. But I always think about how far I've come and how much it took to become that person. It feels like an Everest has just been thrown in front of me and I have to start all over again.

I swear to myself I'll be back. I hope and wish and pray that day will come soon. Its so exhausting being someone I feel I grew out of years ago. I want to be that savvy woman again. That girl that got things done. Being in this city doesn't allow it though. The people, the places, everything here is like a time warp. Even my close friends here are trying to get me back to the way things were. And I love them and I have fun. But there is only so long you can chant "no regrets" before you actually regret something.

My heart goes out to all the people who have ever lost anyone. Even themselves.

And to my beloved friends, I love and miss you guys so much and I hope you know that.

I'm lost without you.

xo-xo


Monday, May 4, 2009

Change


As it gets colder, I am packing my things to fly south for the Winter. Change can be good, even if it is uncomfortable. They always say "Embrace change". First of all, whoever 'they' are, 'they' never had to move 700kms away from their hearts.. But! I stand by it being able to be good. Eventually..

Now, I have moved states before. I wont claim I'm an expert on this sort of thing. But I do know my way around this sticky situation. You need a couple of ingredients. The MOST important one is a good support network of friends who are willing to put themselves out there for you and help you out. Between hauling furniture and packing beloved items and hoping they survive the car journey, it can get pretty emotionally tiring, not to mention physically too. Especially within a small time frame! Not to mention when you have numerous other stressful situations going on in your life. Friends are great, family too. During this period of time, don't be scared to ask for help where you need it. Cause it will end up costing you.

The second most important thing is capital. Yes ladies, dollars and cents. Unless you are being thrust into this moving situation by work or otherwise, make sure you are significantly ready before you encroach on such an expedition. And I don't mean for moving costs and paying the repair man after your arm chair goes through the back window. If you are moving to a new city, where you don't know anyone, you will need money. You will need it to buy lunch with your new colleagues at work, or drinks at that club you heard so much about. You'll need it to get around and to make your house feel like a home. You will need it to get out and have a social life. Same goes if you're moving with friends too. You will need to buy good for a house warming party, or holding a block party to meet the neighbors. And while you wait for you Internet and foxtel etc to be set up, you'll need it for movies and net cafes. Save save save!

Thirdly, I would say make sure you have everything set up for one you arrive. Whether internationally or interstate, you need to know you have somewhere to live, a job and a sound knowledge of the public transport/car route you will need to get to said job. You don't want to be late on the first day because you didn't wake up to your alarm in the backpackers hostel and got lost on the way to work.. Not very professional. And if you have a house set up for you. Make sure it has running hot water, electricity and phone lines. There will be many a worried call from Mum and Dad to see how their little girl is doing. Also your new friends need somewhere to call that wont cost a million euro/dollars/yen etc etc.

Make sure you have your bed. A bed. Not someone else's bed. You need to have a bed of your own that YOU can sleep in ALONE. (Unless you are bringing a partner mind you) Just make sure you have a place to escape to and sleep. This procedure is exhausting and you will need lots of uninterrupted sleep. Next step is setting up the rest of your bedroom. But bed is definitely at the TOP of the list as far as getting your house set up is concerned.

Before starting a new job in a new city, allow yourself at least a week to become familiar with the surroundings of your new home. You'll be here a while. You might as well locate all the best places to get coffee and shop. Find out about weather patterns, the fashion, customs, road rules, anything that will help you settle into your new city better before the stress of working comes into the equation.

Finally, when all is said and done, remember to thank the people that helped you move. Your friends, family, new employer, everyone. Its a great opportunity to move to a new and exciting city! So make sure you let everyone know how much you appreciate their help and patience.

Good luck girls!

xo-xo