Who says a girl can't have whatever she wants!

I am loving the new Prada Candy Advertisement MAJOR!!

Created by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola and starring the BEYOND stunning Lea Seydoux.

Episode 1:

Episode 2:

Guest Chef Recipe: Miguel Maestre!

I have been banned from calling him a "Celebrity Chef". He may have even performed an interpretive dance of himself "vomiting" while he requested me not to do this, however my lovely guest blogger for today's post is one of a kind.

When he is not filming mouth-watering recipes for Channel Ten's "The Living Room", Miguel can be found cooking up a storm and terrorising the TLR office with his flamboyant Spanish accent and boyish charms.

The reason for this guest blog is because Miguel recently read my delicious Easter Recipe (which can be found here) that may have started with "First buy yourself a cake mix from the supermarket" and stated that it was the WORST recipe he had ever seen (I still stand by my recipe!!)

So Miguel has so kindly offered to provide one of his own favorite recipes for us to try ahead of the Easter long-weekend!

I'm not going to lie, it's pretty awesome! Ole!

CHURROS WITH CHOCOLATE

Serves: 4 - 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

250ml milk
1 teaspoon caster sugar
100g unsalted butter chopped
2 vanilla beans, split, seeds scraped out
115g plain flour
3 egg yolks
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
Caster sugar, to dust

Chocolate Sauce

250ml condensed milk
200g dark eating chocolate
splash of milk
splash of rum

Instructions

To make chocolate sauce, stir condensed milk in a small saucepan, over medium heat until hot.

Add chocolate. Whisk until smooth, then whisk in milk and rum. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Bring milk, sugar, butter and vanilla beans and seeds to a boil in a medium saucepan.

Discard vanilla beans. Remove from heat.

Sift in flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined and dough comes away from side of pan. Remove from heat.

Stand, covered with plastic wrap, for 3 minutes.

Beat in egg yolks with wooden spoon, one at a time.

Spoon dough into a piping bag fitted with a 2cm star nozzle.

Heat oil to 180 degrees celsius (when a cube of bread turns golden brown, oil is hot enough)

Pipe 5cm lengths into oil, cutting off the dough with a sharp knife.

Deep fry churros until golden brown, then drain on absorbent paper.

Dust with caster sugar and serve with chocolate sauce.

Bachelor of the Week: Tim Cruickshank

Anyone that can claim they play for "Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League" sure does sound... well... intriguing!

For those of you who are as sport illiterate as me, it basically means that Tim plays Cricket for a really good Sydney team (and represents NSW).

When not playing on the field, Tim enjoys anything to do with water and the outdoors. 

Having grown up on the Northern Beaches suburb of Avalon, Tim loves surfing, paddle boarding, strumming his guitar and planning his next big trip overseas.

That's not all ladies! He also does charity work. Yes that's right, this weeks Bachelor ticks all the boxes! 

Tim is currently involved in a fabulous not-for-profit organisation called "Happy Days Cambodian Village School Inc" that aims to provide a quality education to Cambodian children for a better future. 

It is hard to believe that this fit, handsome, beach dwelling, cricket playing, charity worker is still single! Want to know more? Here is the low-down on all things Mr Cruickshank related.. 

Who is your current Idol and why? 
I don’t really have an Idol. I get all my inspiration from my friends and family. 

What are three qualities you like in a girl?
A relaxed personality, Good skin and a nice smile are three things that always grab my attention. A girl that can make you laugh and confidence is also very important. As you can tell I'm not very picky. 

If you could play any character in any movie, who would it be? 
Ryan Gosling- "Crazy, Stupid, Love". Either that or Bradley Cooper in "Limitless". I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on a few of those pills. 

Are you a boxers or brief boy? 
Boxers. Although I always train in briefs. You need to counteract the bounce factor. Bjorn Borg are hands down the best underwear 

What is currently on your nightstand? 
IPod, Head Phones, 2 books, Watch, Hat, Hermes, Foxtel remote, $15 in loose change, a picture frame of my Mum, Sister and Niece, two necklaces and three pairs of sunnies. Maybe time to clean it hey. 

What was the last song you downloaded? 
Stubborn Love- The Lumineers. It’s a belter. 

What has been your biggest career highlight so far? 
I’m not big on Personal achievements. I try and gauge my success through my happiness and the enjoyment I get out of what I do. So far I’ve been very lucky in this department. 

If you were an animal what would you be? 
Well im a Taurus and everyone says im extremely stubborn so I’d have to say a Bull. 

If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you say to them?
Definitely my Grandfather. He passed away when I was still a young kid so I only have vague memories of him. He was also a cricketer so I would give anything to be able to sit down with him and have a good chat. Alive- Natalie Portman. Im pretty sure I’d shit myself and say nothing. 

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you take with you? 
A guitar, fishing rod and a couple of my mates. I’d be happily stranded.

For more info on "Happy Days Cambodian Village School Inc" check out http://www.happydayscambodianvillageschoolinc.org.au/our-mission

A letter to myself..

I have been pondering of late all the crazy things I have worried about in the last 28 years that really weren't neccessary. So I have decided to send a letter back in time, ten years ago to be specific, to myself just in case 'Back to the Future' one day becomes a reality and I can totes be prepared!!

Dear Jana,

What's up lady pants??

I'm loving the super blonde hairstyle you've got going on at the moment. Maybe pull back a little bit on the bleach though. I know that picture you showed the hairdresser of Reece Witherspoon in 'Sweet Home Alabama' was the look you were going for, but "white blonde" is not for you. Think about putting a few highlights in.

So I'm guessing by now you've been through the melodrama that was heartbreak for the first time. Sheesh wasn't that a ball of fun! Hey, four years straight in one relationship is a big deal, and good on you for sticking with it for so long!

I know you were worried that your first boyfriend was "the one" and that you were going to end up married with kids, having only slept with one boy in your whole life! Don't worry chic, next year you are going to Uni, and living in a dorm, you will soon see what single life is all about.

I know you think that it's time to give that "Journalism" career a rest, but trust me, stick with it. You are going to waste a whole year at Uni studying teaching, only to go on your first practical experience at a primary school only to discover that teaching + kid's = disaster. Not for you. Back to Journalism you go.

The plus side is that you had a BLAST that first year at Uni and still wish sometimes that you could go back to those good ol' days.

About 6 months from now you are going to find the second boy to break your heart. Oh you thought the first time was bad?? Get ready lady! This one has a fiery temper but a heart of gold. This is when you discover your soft spot for "Bad Boys". Over the next four years you are going to break up, get back together again, break up, get back together again.

You are going to drive each other absolutely bonkers, laugh like maniacs, cheat on each other, move in together, make each other cry and make each other deliriously happy. You are in for a roller coaster, but at the end of the day you will sit back with good (but crazy) memories.

During this time you will have finished Uni, scored a dream job working for your favorite TV show and worked VERY long hours for very little pay. However in the end it will get you settled in a career that you love and you will have been lucky enough to travel to some pretty amazing places around this crazy world.

Once you have broken up with lover boy # 2 you are really going to discover yourself. Yes that's right, you are going to be all on your own! You know what... you really thrive, even if you spend a lot of the time wondering around feeling lost.

You are going to make a very quick decision to move yourself out of the Hawkesbury and over to a gorgeous beach side suburb called Bondi. Yes your room is going to be tiny, yes you are going to spend most of your wage on rent, and I'm not going to lie you are going to find yourself with a lovely big pile of debt from a credit card you really should never have applied for, but hey, you had the time of your life!

You will take that trip to New York all by yourself that really amps up your love for travel and get this... you will have a brief stint working for 'The Footy Show' even though you had never watched a game in your whole life! Don't laugh just yet, you will actually love it.

A word of advice though, STAY AWAY FROM FOOTBALLERS! You may fall quite hard for one in particular and yes he is absolutely lovely but in the near future it will end up with a big ol' story in the Sydney newspapers that will make you cringe! Actually while I'm at it STAY AWAY FROM FARMERS!! Especially ones who have appeared on a reality TV program.

That brings me to boyfriend # 3. This will prove to be a whirlwind romance that will take you by surprise. The "L" word will be said quite quickly and you will both confess to be each others "the one". You aren't. You will drive each other crazy and there will be some doozy arguments, a popped tyre, weekends stuck on a farm and an interesting weekend at The Snowy Mountains. I won't give too much away about this one because in hindsight there was never a dull moment and you had a lot of fun. However the heartbreak over this break up is going to sting and be VERY public so keep those tissues nearby.

You are going to meet some of the very best friends who will stay for life during this time. Keep an eye out for a crazy red-head who will keep you laughing from the get-go with her crazy antics and a brunette-turned-blonde who can dance like know ones business!

Your cousins who you grew up with will turn into the sisters you always wanted and you will be blessed with the most adorable neices and nephews to grace the earth.

Your brothers, you know those pests who you would fight with non-stop during those happy pubescent years, well they are going to turn out to be awesome! You're going to not only get along, but actually really enjoy each others company. Actually, family life in general is going to be pretty darn awesome from here on in. There is a lot of laughs ahead!

So here you are ten years later, single once again, living by the beach, pondering what is next on the agenda... a brief working holiday overseas perhaps, or a move across from lifestyle TV to reality TV, or even a go at turning this blog into a proper profession. Who knows??

You're in for an awesome ten years so make the most of it! Oh and take more photos. Oh and clean your room!! You will be amazed with what you will find under that wardrobe that is your floor!

Big love!

Jana xo

Travel!

The night that was...

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Bachelor of the Week: Cameron Laing

If Brad Pitt had a younger brother who could play the guitar, do funny impersonations and rock an awesome tan than this dude would be it!

You may have seen him performing on stage as the guitarist in band "Amy Meredith" and gracing the covers of last years Cleo Bachelor of the year awards. 

I was the lucky lady to chat to Cam about coconut supermarkets, Ninja Turtles and MORE..

Who is your current Idol and why?

I'm not sure if I actually have an 'idol' as such but I would have to say that I definitely look up to my Mum and Dad. They put up with so much and work their arses off every single day. 

I owe a lot to them, they are always there for me more than anyone in my life and to do that without any complaint and a big smile every single day is a hero in my books. I probably owe them a lot of money too, so i kind of have to say that!

What are three qualities you like in a girl?

I like a confident girl who doesn't take life too seriously. If you have a nice down to earth personality and a beautiful smile you will literally have me at 'hello.'

If you could play any character in any movie, who would it be?

I'm a massive Jim Carey fan so to play any of his characters in any of his movies would be an absolute blast. I love to make people laugh so I think if I could be Jim Carey, especially in Ace Ventura Pet Detective, I would be set. 

But I'm not him, so I guess I will just have to stick with bad impersonations in front of the mirror in my bedroom.

Are you a boxers or brief boy?

I don't think I've ever worn briefs. Like ever. So yep, I'm a boxers boy. Not silk boxers though, they make your pants slide down. I used to wear them when I was a kid but thats because they had ninja turtles on them and they were fucking cool.

What's currently on your nightstand?

A freaking mess. Ok, so there's deodorants, old photos, rings and necklaces, tweezers, Family Guy DVDs, keys, an old glass Coke bottle that I bought from 7/11 about 15 years ago that I haven't opened, guitar strings, guitar picks, sunglasses, various half empty Vodka and Tequila bottles, old unused cards from my wallet. I should probably tidy it. One day..

What was the last song you downloaded?

Well it wasn't actually a song but the new EP from Blink 182 "dogs eating Dogs" Its' great stuff.

What has been your biggest career highlight so far?

Playing guitar in Amy Meredith for the last 6 years had been a career highlight in itself. We have toured around Australia countless times with some of Australia's and America's biggest artists. 

We've travelled to New York, LA, Japan and even to places I thought i would never see like Afghanistan when we went to play for the troops. I've met thousands of people and had some of the best times of my life. Something i am truly grateful for.

If you were an animal what would you be?

I love to sleep, and my dog sleeps all day every day. Gets up to play and eat, then goes back to sleep again. Honestly, who wouldn't be a dog.

If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you say to them?

I would love to meet Jerry Seinfeld so I could personally thank him for creating the best show that has ever been on television. Ever.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 items would you take with you?

The girl of my dreams. Even though I'd be ruining her life. I just assume that with all that time together she would get to know me and eventually fall madly in love with me and then, wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world as long as I was there with her. 

Although she might find me to be a total dick and go and live on the other side of the island and the only time I would get to see her is at the coconut supermarket. Awkies. 

A frisbee, because frisbee's are awesome. Oh and Bear Grylls because he would ensure my survival by about a million percent. I would surely die without him after a few hours. 

I know people aren't items but Bear Grylls and a woman are much better than a lighter and some sunscreen in my opinion.

The Dilemma's of a Modern Day Single!

The girls at work are currently reading a book called "The Rules". I'm not going to lie and say I haven't perused through its pages myself but it is really becoming a phenomenon amongst the lady folk.

For those of you who have not heard of "The Rules" it is a women's self-help book designed to help you capture the heart of "Mr Right".

It is like taking a step back in time to your grandmothers era where a lady was to be courted by a gentlemen and was refined in the art of playing hard-to-get.

To give you an idea, here are a few of the more interesting "Rules"..

* Never text, email or facebook a man first.

* Be the first one to end a conversation

While I am a firm believer that men and women some times need to take it back to the cave man days, where a man chases you until you finally relent and allow him to club you over the head and drag you back to his man-cave (is it just me or is there something so romantical about the whole notion?!) I am sad to say that we are no longer in the "good ol' days".

What is wrong with a women deciding what she wants and going for it? We do it in the work-force so why.. I ponder dear readers.. do we have to sit back and hope that a guy notices us. It may be difficult for them to notice us when according to "The Rules" a women "must never make eye contact with a man."

Some of my most favorite conversations have started from a little eye contact. There's nothing quite as fun as the thrill of locking eyes with a sexy dude and getting your flirt on. I'm not saying stare at him until he looks over at the 'crazy lady' who forgot to blink, I'm saying what's so bad with a little eye catching fun?

We women don't have the time nor energy to be waiting for a man to swing on by and take their fancy with us. We work hard, many of us in a highly women dominated environment and so when it is time to find ourselves a man and shack up (or retreat to our cave, as it were) we don't want to be just waiting around for the next bloke to take his pick!

Heck no! It is time for we women to decide what we want and go for it. There is nothing wrong with picking a boy you like and approaching him (or in my case getting a friend to do it... come on I'm gutsy but not THAT gutsy!).

I for one, think there is nothing wrong with being the first to make a move, and if he is not interested, simply retreat and bitch about him with your friends over another drink. In the words of a wise friend "Rejection can sometimes be protection"!! You never know, he COULD have been a serial killer!

Here are some of the Rules I DO agree with:

* Never answer a call after midnight.

Oh ladies, this IS a booty call. If that's all you are after as well than I say go for it sista!

* If he does not call he is not interested.

Well DUH!

At the end of the day, dating is supposed to be fun. If we're too busy sticking to the rules where is the fun in that?? We all have a little 'game play' in us and we all have that gut instinct where if it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.

I say down with "The Rules" and heck yes to the fun, flirty good times!!

Goal's for the rest of March

1. Cut back on sugar.

This will be the toughest break-up I have ever had to go through, however those 3pm sugar cravings are getting out of control! From now on sugar will be saved for my cocktails and nothing else! (sob!)

Too-ta-loo Cadbury's my dear friend. Bon voyage Caramelo Koala! Oh Tim tam's we'll always have the memories! xoxo

2. Learn how to cook.

Having recently looked over my budget, it turns out I spend A LOT of money on eating out. It's time to dust off the ol' sauce pan, stove, and whatever other utensils you need to cook (?!) and start making cheerful and inventive dinners. Bring it Curtis, Jamie, Marco and Manu!

3. Embrace some form of excercise.

Exercise and I have never been friends. I have been known to suffer from a stitch simply from walking up a set of stairs. I would LOVE to enjoy exercise, honestly I would, however it's the whole 'breaking out in a sweat' that bothers me. So my aim for this month is to find something that is remotely joyful. Suggestions will be welcomed! Facebook check-in's at the gym will not!

Motivation

3. Go to bed early and rise and shine before day break!

Ok this one may be a little tricky. I have always embraced my inner night owl. I love staying awake until the early morning hours and could easily sleep in till midday, but no more! I WILL be one of those crazies who goes to bed at 9pm and  gets up at 5am, walks to my favorite cafe for coffee every morning and gets in a full workout before work (ok that may be  a little too far!). I am DONE with the days of running out of the house half dressed of a morning, doing my makeup at the traffic light breaks, growling at people before my first coffee and eating brekkie at work. Hellloooo bright and chirpy me!

4. I will stop telling people I am running 15 minutes late, when I am really running 30 - 60 minutes late.

I would like to say that I will endeavor to always be on time but this would be a lie. So instead I will simply stop saying I'm "Just around the corner" when I am really still sitting on the couch watching old re-runs of "Sex and the City". 

I think I just found my new exercise!

How did you get that job: Mikala Wilbow

Have you ever heard about someone with a truly amazing job and wondered how they got it??

Once a month I will be interviewing someone with the career of their dreams to find out exactly how they scored such a sweet job!

This month's lucky lady is Surf Lifestyle Photographer Mikala Wilbow.

  

When she is not snapping pics in the Maldives or following the National Surf Circuit she can be found riding a wave and having a laugh!

How did you get into your profession?

It all started out as a hobby in high school I was one of those girls running around with a camera in hand capturing everything and anything. From there it grew into a passion and then an obsession. 

Once I got to that point I decided to immerse myself into the photography industry by looking for a job. I landed a job at a wedding photography studio in north sydney and from there I learnt so much. I merged my love for the surf and photography and became a surf lifestyle photographer which I started pursuing 5 years ago and have not looked back.

What has been your career highlight so far?

My career highlight so far would be snapping a shot of Kelly slater free surfing out in the water at snapper rocks recently. A simple photo but just reminds me that nothing is impossible. Even capturing a photo of the worlds best surfer. An opportunity that doesn't come around too often.

Did you always want to be a photographer?

Since late high school I knew that I wanted to become a Photographer. I feel so lucky that I knew from such a young age as it has been a long but rewarding journey.

Where has been your favourite travel destination and why?

It would have to be the Maldives on the all girl's surf trip I photographed with 'The perfect wave'. I love to be able to document and capture the surfing lifestyle and in such a beautiful place. I am yet to explore a lot more surf destinations and I'm heading back to the Maldives this year for another exciting trip.

What was the best advice you have ever been given?

Wow, so many things ran through my head just then. Unfortunately I got a lot of negative feedback along the way from "choose another occupation" to "you'll never make it as a Photographer" "the industry is too hard to make money" etc. The only thing that kept me going was my determination to do what i wanted to do and maybe prove everyone wrong, i dunno, but the best advice i was given would have been from my Aunty who is a Graphic Designer. She told me in High School to photograph everything, textures, colours, patterns, light and that camera time was the most important thing. 

I thought that was pretty boring to be honest, but I did it and I can see the importance in it now and how much it taught me.

What is a saying that you live by?

Dance as though no one is watching you, Love as though you have never been hurt before, Sing as though no one can hear you, Live is though heaven is on earth.

It reminds me to make the most of every opportunity and not let the little things in life get in the way. Life is short and you just need to do what makes you happy and enjoy the journey!

Who is your role model?

My grandma is my role model. She lived an extraordinary life and she inspires me to do amazing things.

What do you do in your downtime to relax?

I surf or go for a run. I find that if I am out of the water for too long I start to get really unsettled and feel like a fish out of water.

Do you have a favorite photo? Which one?

It keeps changing as i shoot more and more, but there is this one photo I got in Bali back in 2008 on an 'All girls' surf trip. It was taken at sunrise in this gorgeous hidden forest of my surfer girl friend. It sums up my whole style as a Photographer and was the photo that started it all for me as it got me my first big job.

What are your future goals?

My future goal is to continue the direction I am travelling and establish myself as a Surf Lifestyle Photographer. I would love to own a Surf Art Photo Gallery Cafe in the near future.

If there was one place/person you could photograph who/where would it be?

I would love to photograph an "All Pro Girls Surf Trip" with todays best surfer girl's.

What is one piece of advice for someone looking to get into this industry?

Determination is the key!

Best/Worst part of your job?

Worst part of my job would be the harsh elements I'm always in the sun and I am so conscious of the damage the sun does to your body. I go through that much zinc and sunscreen its ridiculous. 

The best part of my job would be the people I meet and wonderful places I get to travel to and photograph.

To check out more of Mikala's amazing photography go to her website: http://mikalawilbow.com/

For your chance to win one of Mikala's STUNNING calendars simply share this story on Facebook and like the "High Heels and Hangovers" facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/highheelsandhangoversblog

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Nacho funny!

The cure to any dud day..

Friday Funny: The History of Rap

There are no words for this clip but "OMG"!!

Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon performing the history of rap is beyond anything you have ever seen!

Happy Friday everyone.. May you find your inner gangsta tonight and get your boogie on to at least ONE of these tunes...

Justin sure does have the MOVES!!

Best Easter recipe EVER!!!!

Yesterday I posted a picture on my facebook page of a Cadbury Creme Egg Pudding that I just happened to stumble across.

Since then my chocolate cravings have gone into overdrive. So in the spirit of sharing, here is the best (and easiest) Easter recipe, quite possibly ever... in all of the world... actually in all of the universe..

*Please note I am not a baker (not even close) hence why I have chosen to go with a box mix.

Cadbury Creme Egg Cupcakes

What you will need:

12 paper cupcake liners
1 x box chocolate cupcake mix (I like the 'Greens' brand best)
24 x mini Cadbury Creme eggs- make sure half the eggs are frozen, this stops them from melting throughout the cupcake batter.
1 x small tub of frosting (you can find this in the refrigerator aisle of your supermarket)


Instructions:

1. Spoon cake batter into pre-greased cupcake trays. Put one frozen mini Cadbury Creme Egg into the middle of each cupcake. Use the spatula to spread the batter over the egg.

2. Put the cupcakes into the oven and bake them for as long as the cake recipe instructs on the box.

3. After the correct amount of time baking, take cupcakes out of oven and let them cool completely.

4. While you are waiting for the cupcakes to cook, get the frosting out of the fridge in preparation.

5. Smother (and I mean smother!) the cupcakes in lots of frosting. They taste so much better that way!

6. Put an unwrapped Mini Cadbury Creme Egg on top of the frosting for decoration.

7. Devour the lot in one go! (Or share with friends!)

8. Enjoy everyone's praise for what a good baker you are! No need telling them you made it from a box mix!

Bachelor of the Week: Michael Jenkinson (Mouse)

This week's Bachelor is often seen patrolling the beach and savings lives on Channel Ten's "Bondi Rescue".

When not donning his lifesaving uniform he can be found working on his new sunscreen/zinc brand "Bondi Zinc", surfing waves, and cutting loose at the 'Logies' after party dance floor.

I find out all there is to know about Michael Jenkinson aka "Mouse"

1. Who is your current idol and why?

I wouldn't say I have an idol but at the moment I'm drawing inspiration from Joel Parkinson the 2012 ASP World Surfing Champion. He is a legend guy and an awesome but humble athlete.

2. What are three qualities you like in a girl?

That would have to be nice eyes, a good sense of humour and intelligence.

3. If you could play any character in any movie, who would it be?

I would like to say Patrick Swayze out of "Dirty Dancing" but to be more realistic I'd probably suit Peter Dinklage, the dwarf out of Game of Thrones.

4. Are you a boxers or a brief boy?

Neither. Maybe briefs if I'm going out for a night but mainly free balling. Yeeew!

5. What is currently on your nightstand?

Radio, light, sunnies, two watches, a picture of my mum with my dog when he was a puppy about twenty five years ago that is held by a picture frame that I made in Design and Technology at school about twelve years ago, worst frame ever!

6. What is the last song you downloaded?

"Miss you" from the Rolling Stones. It's an old thumper!

7. What has been your biggest career highlight so far?

I resuscitated a two-year old girl at Bronte Beach whilst working as a lifeguard. I brought her back to life in front of her family. That was pretty cool I guess.

8. If you were an animal what would you be?

Hmm... everyone calls me Mouse so I guess I would be a mouse. Or possibly a sperm whale.

9. If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you say to them?

I would love to meet Notorious Biggy Smalls best rapper ever. I'd ask him "who shot ya"??

10. If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 items would you take with you?

A compass, knife and Eva Mendes

http://www.bondizincsunscreen.com.au/

Where to drink on a cold rainy night

Last thursday night saw the bestie and I seek refuge from the rain at Black Penny's Launch Party.

This brand-new pocket bar, located on the corner of Bourke Street and Cleveland Street, Surry Hills is quite possibly the funkiest bar I've been too in a long time.

Brimming with hipsters, surfies and museos, it has a laid-back vibe and a feeling that everyone here is looking for a good time.

The food is random but seems to work. They had tasting plates passed around by gorgeous wait staff that were filled with square fish-fingers in tartare sauce which kinda reminded me of my childhood (and mum shouting "no one is to leave the table until you've eaten everything on your plate"), twice cooked meatballs, and some form of proscuitto-wrapped in something but I wasn't quick enough for that plate.

I did however get a brief glimpse at the bar menu and it featured heavily on the unusual (but I'm sure tasty) side. There were Kangaroo Skewers , Chicken Pate served with pear chutney, and Heritage Lamb cooked in rosemary and Guinness gravy and served with onion and feta ravioli (seriously, my mouth is watering!) along with many other options. Slightly more unique than your usual bar menu but for around $12 each who is complaining!

With the savings from dinner why not splurge a little on one of the "7 daily sins" cocktail list ($14 - $20). They are not your usual sugary sweet cocktails, which I must admit I'm a little upset by. Who doesn't enjoy a side of diabetes with their cocktail mmmm.... however if you have a slightly more mature palate than mine these cocktails are for you!

The other super cool, arty thing about this pocket bar is that they have converted the adjoining garage space into a cool little gallery called "Blacklisted"that will feature local and emerging artists work. Tres chic!

The bar itself is on the dark side (some might say this gives it a romantic vibe) and you wouldn't want to be there on a busy night as it can get quite cramped but they have a huge wine list, great food and a cosy wintery feel about it that will see me grace it's doorstep again.

I should advise, however, that should you wish to visit this bar, please kindly adhere to their strict dress code of 'hipster only' fashion. I unfortunately made the mistake of coming straight from work in a cute emerald green A-line dress and stuck out like a sore thumb. Epic fail.

Black Penny
Corner of Cleveland and Bourke Street
Surry Hills

Hours:
Wednesday to Saturday - noon to midnight
Sunday- noon to 11pm

blackpenny.com.au

Hop on board the social media train..

Toot Toot!!

What's this feminist business all about anyway??

Oooh controversial headline... watch out!

Now before all you ladies out there scroll down to the 'leave comment' section of this blog.. hear me out!

There has always been something about the word 'Feminist' that has sent a shiver down my spine. To me it always made me envision ladies burning their bras at loud demonstrations, refusing to shave their arms and legs and ranting about how unfair the payroll system is. Boo to men and their higher wage.

Now this last statement I agree with. I absolutely think it is preposterous that we women get paid less for doing the same job. It has never made sense and never will.

However, thanks to some crazy rants by the likes of Germaine Greer (who cares if Julia Gillard has a fat ass) and the way in which some people throw out so easily the line 'I'm a feminist' as if it's a controversial statement has always got me a little off kilter with the whole "word" as opposed to the meaning behind it.

The crazy thing is it took a 16 year old girl by the name of Tavi Gevinson to help me understand the true meaning behind feminism and why it should be used as a badge of pride rather than a disgruntled, angry statement.

I was casually scanning through ted.com which for those of you who don't know (me included, up until a week ago) is a website that uploads videos from people who have done extraordinarily well in their field of work who stand on a platform and offer advice from what they've learnt during their travels. It's fabulous and well worth a look!

Anyway, I was on 'said' website when I came across a great video of Tavi giving a talk about her blog which has taken off like crazy into the virtual world. The girl is only 16 and she has created a website called rookiemag.com that picks a theme each month (this month it is "Age of Innocence') and people contribute what the theme means to them through movies, fashion, diary posts etc, and the young women of America are going crazy about it.

So she opens up her speech with the sentence 'I am a feminist' and straight away I was like 'oh here we go, another young girl who thinks its cool to say I am a feminist' BUT dear readers... she then goes on to explain the idea of feminism and womanhood so well that it put my 28 year old self to shame.

Her key message was so simple and so well described. It went like this:

Feminism is not a rule book. It is a discussion, a conversation, a process. 

Well knock me down, and call me Charlie! If that didn't enlighten me to Feminism then I'm not sure who could do it better.

Feminism isn't always about picketed signs, angry demonstrations and foot stomping, it is about openly chatting about the issues at hand and finding ways to fix the discriminations we sadly often face. Also, it is about taking pride in the fact that we are women and exploring the characteristics that make us uniquely well.. us!

The key sub-topic that Tavi explored was the idea of a strong female character.

She brought up the idea that a strong female character was someone who had flaws, weaknesses, was often a bundle of contradictions and these are what makes the character so relatable.

There is no such thing as the perfect women but with shows like 30 Rock, Girls and movies like Bridesmaids where the main female character is quirky, flawed and often contradictory we see women who are real.

Women who are strong, yet have their moments of weakness, who can be outspoken, yet not always right, and who can get themselves into the most disastrous situations yet find a way to come out of it all ok. These women survive, and not only do they survive but they make it look pretty darn awesome!

I have discovered that just because I call myself a feminist, doesn't mean I can't still love men, buy beautiful clothes, spend too much on makeup while still have a strong opinion on our rights, our wants and believing that one day there will be a world where all women can power up the career ladder on the same salary as our cohabitants.

In fact, I currently work for a TV show that is filled with women, my boss is a woman, the lead presenter on our TV show is a woman and heck we even have a celebrity gardner who is indeed (you guessed it!) a woman!

While we still have a long way to go with the sad state of women trafficking world-wide, female genital mutilation in Africa, stoning's in Eastern countries, and plenty still to be done on equal pay rights accross the globe (plus plenty more issues). I'm happy to think we've come a long way from where 'feminism' first started and we've found new methods to get our ideas across while allowing ourselves to be us, not some ideal version of what we should be.

So if being a feminist is wrong, then I don't want to be right.

Two of my favourite feminists

Sisters from different misters!

I have a confession to make... I watched four episodes of 'The Hills Today'. Yes it's shameful but true!

I have been shacking up at the parentals for a weekend of R&R and I just happened to flick on the foxtel to a 'Hills' marathon and I just happened to sit through two hours straight of solid gold viewing.

What is perhaps more shameful is that it actually got me thinking... yes that's right THINKING.

Let me tell you what it got me thinking about dear readers... it got me thinking about friendships and how they can turn to poo when a new boy comes into the scenario.

Let me refer, if you will, to a current episode that I was watching where Heidi and her bestie Lauren get into a big fight because Lauren thinks Heidi's new boyfriend Spencer is a douche (he really was!) the end result was that they never got over the fight and that was the end of their friendship all because of a DUDE.

Sadly this also happens in real life, not just badly "scripted" reality TV shows.

Luckily for me, my bestie goes out with a top guy who I see more as a 'brother from a another mother' than just bestie's BF, but this hasn't always been the case, oh no.

There have been friends who have disappeared into there own loved up world, only to reappear when that relationship has run its course, and yes, I will admit I have been a sucker for dumping friends in favour of hanging out with my new man-of-the-moment.. but I've come to the realisation that it just ain't cool!

Nothing sucks more than coming out of a relationship and wondering where all your friends went. You know, the ones you blew off time and time again to hang out with the boyffff. It truly sucks to find out they have moved on.

If there's one little piece of advice I can share with you it would be this:

ALWAYS FIND TIME TO SPEND WITH THE GIRLS.

I can rant on about "sista's before mista's" and all that business, but the reality is that your bestie is one day going to get married and have children, and so are you. It's going to be hard to find the time to spend with each other, but make sure you do! Even a simple coffee catch up once a week can keep a friendship going.

It's good for you, it's good for your friends, and let's face it, it's probably good for the boyfriend as well. You don't want to be "that couple" that doesn't ever leave each others side. Boo to the boring couple! Down with clingy attached peeps!! I think you get the point.

Spending time with your closest friends gives you a chance to vent, laugh and catch up on each others lives. It's good for the soul and should things turn to muck your bestie will be there right beside you offering tissues and shots of tequila. Or should it turn to gold, you know she will be standing there beside you on your wedding day ready to catch the bouquet.

Huzzah to sisterhood!!