Winners are Dee and Megan!

I’ll email you details of how to claim your prize. Thanks to all those who entered!

Love Lady Smaggle

P.S The date today is 09/02/10… 90210! Hells yeah.

Photo

I’m a bad SATC fan. Until three days ago I hadn’t seen the movie since the DVD release. SJP forgive me for I have sinned. I have to say it was spectacular. With no offence to any of the brilliant actors in the movie it has to be said that… erm… they really belong on the smaller screen. I had a touch too much time on my hands on the weekend so I actually watched the directors commentary on the DVD. I’m a total SATC Geek. It was awesome. Here is what I learned.

1. The tie dye maxi dress that Carrie wears in the lounge room scene with Mr Big when they are discussing the wedding was accidently sent early to a photo shoot in Mexico before they finished filming the scene. So they sent an assistant to Mexico to wait at the photo shoot, literally snatched the dress off the model and flew it back to New York. Apparently she had time for one cocktail in Mexico before her flight back.

2. The little red haired boy that plays Brady is actually the baby Brady from the series all grown up! The director called him back in for the movie and nearly cried because he still looked like Steve and Miranda.

3. The director always had African American women approaching him, saying how much they loved the series but kept asking – Where are the sisters? So he made the decision to cast Jennifer Hudson as Louis so there would be an African American representative in the film that was lacking in the series.

4. The clock that was beside Carrie’s bed for the whole series was actually RENTED from a guy who owned a collectables store. When they called to rent it again for the movie the clock owner tried to cash in on the big bucks so the producers told him to shove it and they found the exact same one on Ebay for $40.

5. Steve was really loved by audiences and when plans for the movie were discussed the director had heaps of mail requesting that nothing bad happen to Steve. So he had Steve do something bad instead.

6. It was a conscious decision to have Carrie in dark clothes for the middle ‘mourning’ part of the movie to allow for the gorgeous unveiling of the blue dress at Charlotte’s baby shower where Carrie really recovers from being jilted. Also when SJP dyes her locks dark… it’s actually a wig!

7. Aside from the fact that it was bloody good fun the reason behind the ‘wedding dress montage’ was purely people pleasing. The director knew that everyone would have a perfect Carrie Bride in their head because they had invested so much in the series and in Carrie as a character and he felt that everyone needed to see their ‘own’ Carrie Bride represented. I think it was an excellent choice.

8. When the Vivienne Westwood dress arrives at Carrie’s house as a gift from the designer… the hand writing is actually that of the gorgeous Ms Westwood. Fabulous.

9. When Carrie and Miranda have the fight and then they talk about it out the front of Carrie’s house in the cab in the rain, the Indian cab driver nodding along silently is the same cab driver that was used in series two when they had the ‘Up the butt’ conversation in the cab. Awesome.

10. Charlotte goes jogging in Chanel earmuffs.

11. The hat that Carrie wears in Mexico is by Hermes and was, for some unknown reason really valuable, so it arrived on the set with a personal guard and was whisked away seconds after they wrapped the scene. Weird.

12. When Patricia Field wanted to symbolise the unity of the girls she dressed them all in similar colours at the same time. Like at the fashion show when they are all happy and they have their lives together. They are all dressed in greys, blacks and whites.

13. When they were shooting the ‘I curse the day you were born!’ scene with Charlotte’s water breaking out the front of the resturant there was a fire drill across the road at the catholic girls school and all these wool kilted teenagers came screaming out of the building saying ‘We love you Mr Big! We love you Mr Big!’. So Chris Noth turned around and said ‘Shouldn’t you be in school?’ and one of the girls replied ‘Abso-fuckin-lutely!’. Gold.

14. Patricia Field had a pink tie and a blue tie all ready for Harry to wear depending on whether the baby was a girl or boy. She only found out it was a girl a few minutes before the scene.

15. The song playing at the end of the film was sung was Jennifer Hudson.

I highly recommend watching the director’s commentary. It’s going to be my new eccentric habit!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Typical. The second I leave Canberra I get offered tickets to a burlesque show. As sad as I was to say no to such a fabulous evening the publicist contacted me and offered the tickets as a giveaway to my readers. So yay… I’m thrilled for you. Bastards. Here is all the info…

The Burlesque Hour… She’s Back!

Canberra, get out your fishnets and go glam!  Provocative, alluring, unmissable… The Burlesque Hour… She’s Back kicks off the Street Theatre’s 2010 season with a revved up mix of gobsmacking new acts, hot new stars, and spectacular requests.  Genre-busting, intriguing, provocative, totally unique - and beloved by audiences around the world, Finucane & Smith’s The Burlesque Hour has defined burlesque for the 21^stcentury.

FINUCANE & SMITH’S

THE BURLESQUE HOUR… SHE’S BACK!

VENUE The Street Theatre, Childers St Canberra City West

DATES OPENING NIGHT Thursday 11 February 8pm

SEASON Thursday 11 through Saturday 20 February

SHOWS Thurs 11 – Sat 13 & Tues 16 – Thurs 18 @ 8pm

Fri 19 & Sat 20 Feb @ 7pm & 9.30pm

VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL Sunday February 14 @ 6pm

TICKETS Standard: $37 Concession $33 Group +6 $30

Catwalk Tix: Only $10 more!

Valentine’s:  $43 Twilight Show w/ Cocktails all night!

BOOKINGS 6247 1223 or www.thestreet.org.au

The Street Theatre is delighted to offer 2 lucky Smaggle readers one double pass each to opening night, February 11, of The Burlesque Hour… She’s Back! To win, tell Smaggle a secret… what’s the most provocative thing you’ve done?

Anyone can comment but you must be in Canberra and available on Thursday 11th February to go into the draw. Please spread it around…. how often is there a Canberra exclusive competition? Entries close at 5pm on Monday 8th February. Oh and do let us know if you’re a Canberra dweller when you comment otherwise we won’t know!

So tell us… what IS the most provocative thing you’ve done???

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Etsy

Here are a few things I’ve noticed this week…

* Whenever someone in a movie calls someone on their mobile they always dial the number. When was the last time you dialed a number on your phone? Off the top of your head? It annoys me.

* It’s really easy to overdose on curry powder in any recipe. And I do it every time. I just get all Nigella and start tossing spices around and it just leads to disaster.

* No matter how much washing you do you will always have something in your washing basket.

* Those squishy bottles of herbs are awesome. I mix basil and garlic with a low fat dressing to put on my salads. Tres’ gourmet.

* Every time I’m expecting a parcel I will get the notice in the post just after I’ve come back from the post office. Every time.

* Engaging in conversation with a male in a public pool sauna is never a good idea.

What about you pie? Any discoveries you’d like to share?

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Etsy

Why don’t you…

* Take photos everyday? Of you and your housemate eating cereal in your pajamas? Of your boyfriend cooking you dinner? Of you and girlfriends drinking tea and watching Sex and The City? Have photographic evidence of your everyday pleasure?

* Burn fragrant oil in your house? Rose? Strawberry? Frangipani? Let your house smell like a florist?

* Start everyday with a list? Write things like ‘Drink two cups of chamomile tea’? And ‘Rub yummy lotion into your hands after lunch’? Or ‘Text one of your friends to say that you love them’?

* Buy yourself expensive mineral water like lemon Perrier and take it to parties instead of wine? Be sober in style?

* Plant your own herbs? Have a delicious collection of mis-matched jars with bunches of green leaves growing in them? Basil? Mint? Lemongrass?

* Wear a brooch?

* Get up early and do a yoga class? Pretend to be a zen and centered person until the behavior becomes a habit?

* Play music in the kitchen in the morning? Rock out while you make your toast? Sing a love ballad as you cut up your salad for lunch?

* Go to bed early? Turn off the television and your laptop and read a book? Flick through fashion magazines? Leaf through those beautiful photography books you have collecting dust on a shelf?

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Lady loves…

* Coming home to Melbourne to a vase of gorgeous lilies from Roomy Smaggle, a hand made ticket to her nieces and nephew’s theatre show for which I get a private viewing and a very inappropriate book from my friend Kai. I love welcome home gifts.

* Monday nights spent swimming and gossiping in the sauna followed by red wine and many episodes of 30 Rock.

* My new black sparkly nail polish which ironically looks quite matte. Lovin’ it.

* Australia Day Boulle Championships in the park with my mates followed by a visit to the arcade with too many games of Dance Dance Revolution Extreme and then wine and board games until the wee small hours.

* The weather! Below 20 degrees is just perfect for me!

* Making plans to do a boot camp with Roomy Smaggle. We are about to be so buff. Stay tuned.

* Making perfect decadent cupcakes from scratch. My auntie owns the Primrose Bakery in London and released a book which Mamma Smaggle bought for me for Christmas. Yesterday I made banana and chocolate mini cupcakes with chocolate buttercream icing and crumbled walnuts. They were pretty spectacular.

* Living in the same house as my tea collection. Rubarb and ginger, how I have missed you.

* Limes.

* Getting organised – paying bills, booking flights – I get off on completing tasks like that and filing them away. Oh yeah.

Lady Loathes…

* Driving to the wrong campus to enrol at school today. Dumb arse.

* The beginning of the year. I just want to be in the middle of it. I hate the slow dawdle start to the year.

* Doing naughty things after having had a few drinks and not quite remembering how it actually happened… It wasn’t terrible. I just got told a secret (a nice one!) and kind of ended up discussing it with the one person I wasn’t supposed to… I’m still confused as to how it all happened. I need a muzzle when I drink champagne thats all I can I say!

What about you poo pie? Anything to share?

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Etsy

A Cat of Impossible Colour (who reads my blog FYI. Solid.) left me a comment saying that she completely agrees with my Protestant work ethic ethos of ‘The harder I work, the luckier I get’. She says that she gets sick of people saying how ‘lucky’ she is to have published a book. Yep. Luck had everything to with it. Firstly she plied a leprechaun with Lucky Charms so he was all hyped up on sugar and joined her mission to gather unicorn pee, blow up ladders and feed poisoned mice to black cats.

The green eyed monster comes to visit us all once in a while. My current obsession is with Mia Wasikowska who was plucked straight from the Canberra theatre stages and delivered into the loving arms of Tim Burton. I want to bury myself in a big black pit of jealous screaming ‘SHE’S SO LUCK-EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!’… But calm down just a minute there Miss Smaggle. She’s not lucky, she’s ambitious. Aside from sacrificing life, time, sanity, food and her childhood years that should have been spent pashing Stussy-jeans wearing pre-pubescent boys at the bus interchange she obviously did something to get noticed. Tim Burton doesn’t generally wander around going ‘Hmmm… I wonder what the Canberra Philharmonic Society have on at the moment.’ She worked. And it worked.

When was the last time you ran into a friend who was half the size she was then when you last saw her? Did you gush and say she looked great? But secretly wanted to liquify donuts and feed them to her intravenously as she slept? Why? We all know weight loss is hard and there’s no easy way to do it. So why after spending months on the couch drinking wine and eating refined cellulite do we sneer ‘lucky bitch’ at our newly size ten friends who have been counting calories like Oprah counts money and – Shock! Horror! Actually have a banging bod to show for their hard work? Why?

What about that friend from high school that has been interning pro-bono at a fashion magazine while struggling to make ends meet at her part- time job only to be rewarded with an assistant editors position? It was all peachy keen and BFF when she was ‘chasing her foolish dream’ but now that it’s been realised suddenly we put our jealous hats on. Why?

Or that friend who just bought her first house? The one that you stopped inviting out because she could ‘never afford it’? Why are you jealous with your 15o plus pairs of shoes and Chloe handbag?

It’s not that you’re bitter that they’ve achieved amazing things. It’s because you’re annoyed at yourself that you haven’t. Ouch. That hurt a little didn’t it?

No one will know you are writer unless you write something and show them. You will never buy a house unless you stop getting mani-pedis every week. You will never lose weight while you have a Mars Bar in your hand. And you will never be handed a gallery exibition unless you draw something and wave it around in front people.

It’s time to be honest with yourself. What do you want? Write it down. Figure out how to get it. You don’t reach your goals by accident.

In fact… tell me! What do you want? And what are you going to do today to achieve it?

I’ll start… I want to start my jewellery line. And today I’m going to go to the library, sketch, do research and find my design voice. Then I’m going to draw up a business plan.

And you…?

See you back here in three months to report. Let’s make everyone jealous of us!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

What was your first vinyl/cassette/cd purchase as a child? And what was the first/best/worst concert you’ve ever been to?

First ever tape purchase was the cass-single of Frente’s Accidently Kelly Street and my first CD purchase wasn’t so much a purchase but a thieving from Daddy Smaggle. Cher’s Greatest Hits. Yes, I’m serious. In his defence though it was 1990 and there was very little choice in the way of CDs back then.

Worst concert hands down was John Butler Trio. That guy is SUCH a wanker. He started the set late, wouldn’t let anyone take in bottled water (special request because someone clocked him with one last time he was at the venue and to be honest, I don’t blame them) and he played until around 1am doing this weird jam session with just his drummer. No one was into it and it was a really self indulgent performance.

Best concert ever – Michael Jackson. I was twelve and my parents took me see it. Changed my life.

Second Best concert was Matchbox 20. I was so in love Rob Thomas and I was sitting on my mates shoulders and I screamed out ‘I LOVE YOU ROB!!!!!!!!!’ and he kissed his two fingers, pointed them at me and then covered his heart with his hand. I shit you not.

My question is: is there a link to your jewellery? Can we buy it?
Also, another question: when you pack to go away for a weekend/week/month, what is your fail-safe list of fashion must-haves in your suitcase?

Unfortunately there is no link at the moment and no way for purchase either. BUT I’m working on it. When I’m brave I’ll do it. I just want to get it perfect. How unusual for Miss Uber Virgo.

When I pack for a weekend away I always take comfy walking shoes (that are still pretty), scarves because they can make any outfit look fresh, several skirts and tops that go together so I can mix and match, I always take my toiletries in mini bottles to save space, Panadol, my ipod, a good book and extra space to pack my shopping in!!!

Ok here’s my question…what are you deathly afraid of? (oh, and will you ever visit alaska? it’s cold here, you would like it)

I’m deathly afraid of failure. Perhaps that’s why I need to do so many different things all at once so I’m always succeeding at something. Or not failing at something. I don’t do rejection well. I’m not a blamer, I take full responsibility for my failures. That’s the problem. I’m also not the biggest fan of T.V screens in the dark. I can’t sleep in a room with one without covering it. The Poltergeist and The Ring totally screwed me over.

I would love to visit Alaska! Mr Smaggle and I discussing moving overseas somewhere really cold next year. We’d definitely rock Alaska.

Thanks guys for participating in question time. I love you all immensely and had so much fun answering all your questions.

My random winners (drawn out of a bowl by Mr Smaggle) are…

Tameeena, Nadist and Erica Lamb.

Please email me at

lady(@)smagglestyle.com with your full name and address so I can send you your Smaggle Pack!

Again thank you all so much for reading Smaggle – I’m sending everyone virtual kisses and little bum squeezes!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

* Dress from Barkins at DFO in Melbourne

* Tights from Barkins at DFO in Canberra

* Shoes from Funkis

* Brooch from a boutique in Thredbo

* Earrings by Bouvier from Bijoux

* Men’s watch from Fossil

I’m off to have lunch with a friend, spend the afternoon crafting, then to the gym to test out my new and hideous sports bra and then off to visit the Smaggles. Pleasant day…

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Alright I’ll tell you… It’s 2002. I’m in a theatre watching a play that my friend is in. All of sudden this tall, gorgeous blond thing walks on stage and my brain goes all ‘Well, hello delicious. Who the hell might you be?’. I’m a sucker for man who can act and he was doing the most perfect Scottish accent – swoon. We spoke briefly after the show and I congratulated him on his performance. My friend Gina who I was seeing in the show was watching this interlude. After he left she came up to me and said ‘Dude. Don’t even think about it. He’s fourteen’. Yeah. Awkward much. I was eighteen at the time so um… ew. In my defense he has been six foot freaking four since he was eleven with a baritone that rivals James Earl Jones. So bite me. Then we kept doing plays together and stayed in contact and then one day, four years later, when it was no longer illegal for me to touch him, we went to see a movie and well…. we will have been together for four years in March. He is spectacular. Totally worth the wait.

What places do you love in Melbourne, esp. for going out for a night on the town?

I love Shanghai Dumpling house and then just down the road is the Shanghai Club where we do karaoke. It’s awesome. Both are just on Little Bourke St at the start of China town. I also love the Toff for cool shows and Section 8 the bar next door to Shanghai Dumpling House. I also love the Westgarth Palace cinema, Mixed Business Cafe in Clifton Hill and Night Cat just off Brunswick Street… and those are pretty much the only places I ever go. Sad.

What recipe are you most proud of and can you give us the step by step instructions to make it?

Easily Smoosh’n'freezin.

It’s a no bake slice that you smoosh in the pan and freeeze. Hence Mr Squiggle naming it ‘Smoosh’n'freezin’.

Ingredients -

70 gms butter

1/2 cup condensed milk

250 gms Gluten free plain biscuits (or if your boyfriend is normal you can use Scotch Fingers or Milk Arrowroots)

1/2 cup of chopped apricots

1/2 chopped white chocolate (or more… I’m usually quite generous with the white choc in this recipe)

1/2 chopped sweet baking ginger

1/2 cup desicated coconut

1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1 Packet of Milk or Dark melts

You throw the butter and condensed milk in a small saucepan and over low heat. Stir until butter is melted and mixture is all nice and mixed up.

Break up the biscuits with your hands into a bowl. Make sure to leave some chunks for crunchy goodness.

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add butter and condensed milk and mix well.

Firmly press mixture into a lined slice pan. REALLY firmly press the mixture. Only if you want it to stay together. If you want it to be a crumbly mess then don’t.

Spread slice with melted chocolate and place in the fridge until firm. Once you have removed it from the fridge let it reach room temperature before you cut the slice otherwise the chocolate will crack.

This is a great recipe because it’s all in 1/2 cup amounts so you can exchange any ingredients  - I’ve used cranberries, pecans, dried bananas… this recipe is so popular as well. I’ve never left a party without an empty plate when I take this.

If you could wake up with any skill – not superpower, but actual skill, like knitting or something – what would it be? In other words, what would you love to be able to do really well without any practice whatsoever?

Singing. Hands down. I wouldn’t say I’m a terrible singer… I can definitely be given a microphone with out fear of puncturing eardrums but a naturally amazing singing voice would be absolutely number one.

Do you have someone whose blog you read or maybe a writer/author/artist, you love their style, you think they are witty and smart and you just think you could be friends with them, like drinking wine and talking?

Oh great question! Yes. Yes and Yes. Daddy Likey. What Claudia Wore. Seth Godin. I actually laugh out loud when I read these blogs – Except Seth’s. I just silently nod in awe. I could prettily easily eat dinner with anyone at Design Sponge too. Actually, screw it. Let’s just have a big old dinner party and invite them all shall I?

What’s in the Smaggle Pack?

A hand crafted Smaggle made ring and some of my favourite tea, chocolate and lip gloss.

What exactly are you hiding in that hair of yours?

Right now…? You don’t want to know. Previous items include bugs, pen lids (after having my hair in pony tail at school all day I came home and washed my hair and TWO pen lids fell out of it), hair bands that I thought I had lost and we also had a yellow budgie called Buddy who loved to hide in it but sometimes he got a bit tangled and couldn’t get out and Mamma Smaggle had to rescue him.

What does Smaggle mean? why did you choose it as your nom de plume? do your family/friends know what it means?

Smaggle – violent affection. I chose it because it sort of defines me I guess. I’m really feisty and forceful but it’s only because I’m just so freaking excited about everything all the time. Plus it’s just a great word. And Mr Smaggle fought tooth and nail for the domain so we felt it was meant to be. Family and friends know the meaning and lots of them now refer to me as Lady Smaggle.

How would you classify your style? I tend to go off-duty-dominatrix/sexretary at work & blogger-casual in evenings/weekends, et vous?

I’m like an art gallery owner in the office. A gypsy in the jewellers workshops. I’m a kindergarten teacher meets house painter when I’m teaching – the kids are gorgeous but very dirty. I’m a fashion week wanna be when I’m out for dinner and on weekends. I experiment the most in my free time. I don’t really have an identity… it’s a bit bizarre actually.

Would you blog if you had no audience? What would your superhero/alterego look like/dress like? If you could rock one look you currently can’t for whatever reason (i cant rock dresses, because i haven’t the presence of mind to sit like a lady, for instance..) what would it be?

I blogged for three months before I made the site live. It was like a dress rehearsal to see if I could commit. So yes, I have blogged when I didn’t have an audience and I would blog without one again. Although it’s so much for fun with you guys around! I would do sleek sophisticated like Audrey Hepburn or Cate Blanchett. I can’t pull off this look because of my hair and general urchin like appearance, most of the time I look like a crawled out from under a rock. If I could I would wear long silk dresses with no accessories and fitted pants and blazers. I look weird when I try to dress too ‘neat’.

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx