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

I managed to get three days worth of gem setting done in one day. The quality is appalling but they are done. Then I came home, made some business-type phone calls and went to the gym. I LOVE the back track in Body Pump classes. I spend all week lifting kids with disabilities and sitting awkwardly at the jewellers bench so I adore a good back stretch. I’m spending the evening watching Garden State with Roomy Smaggle who is giving her 28 year old teddy bear a makeover with mending and stuffing. We suspect he may have originally been stuffed with asbestos… 

* Dress from David Jones. I wore it to my aunties wedding around 8 years ago. 

* Cardigan from Valley Girl 

* Boots from Joanne Mercer 

* Earrings from Girl Props

* Wheelie Bin necklace by Roomy Smaggle

How has your day been poppet? What are you doing?

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

I sneakily smaggled this gorgeous gal today in Christchurch with her uber cool boyfriend. We hastily snapped the photo while waiting for our Korean takeaway. I feel terrible for not telling her but she was too damn cool not to share. Her hair is yellow and pink. And she has candy bracelets all the way up both arms. She’s like me on acid.

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Print from Etsy

Hello angels! I’m at a gorgeous cafe called Patagonia that’s right on the water enjoying a cappuccino and a hand made coconut chocolate! Delish! It’s hellishly early in the morning but we are just killing time until we go rafting, jet boating and have a ride in a helicopter this afternoon! Did everyone else feel the vibrations of Mama Smaggle’s heart attack just then???

For the past few days I’ve been wearing raincoats soaked in mud so sadly there are no outfit shots. BUT I’ve seen some pretty fab stylin over here and I’ve been taking notes…

* A gorgeous girl who couldn’t have been older than 15 wearing skinny grey jeans and a fitted suit vest over a massive white dinner shirt. Converse sneakers and a sullen, side swept fringe completed the look. 

* A super buff German gal in my glacier hike tour group who was wearing black and white thermal underwear underneath khaki shorts with hiking boots. It looked WAY cooler than I could ever describe. 

* A backpacker wearing doc martins, fitted denim shorts, her boyfriend’s band t-shirt, crap loads of eyeliner and a scarf tied around her wrist. 

* This beautiful red headed girl with masses of curls had her hair piled messily on top of her head. She wore a green floral dress that showed off her shoulders (there are few things more beautiful than a red head in green) and she was wearing white wedge sandals that had leather straps that criss crossed around her ankle. 

* A dude wearing a sarong. 

* An older lady wearing head to toe red in all different shades. Jewellery, sunglasses, handbag and dog collar included. 

* This wonderful hippy lass wearing cotton knit EVERYTHING – skirt, top, hair wrap. She looked like a walking hemp hammock. 

* The most stylish girl in Auckland on New Year was wearing an LBD and chunky cream and black heels. Her hair was dead straight with a blunt fringe and she wore a thick silver cuff high up on her slender arm. I kind of wanted to run her over in Van Damme to be honest. 

How are you guys? I miss you all so much! Can’t wait to get back into the swing of real blogging soon – I have heaps of posts and DIYs coming up!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Still in New Zealand! It’s still awesome! Today Mr Smaggle and I found a wearable art and classic cars museum. How weird is that? They should have called it the Lady and Mr Smaggle Museum of Ridiculous Appropriateness. Last night we stayed at this awesome caravan park full of carnis in crazy custom built buses with turrets and curtains. It was hell cool. 

Here is what I wore today

* Singlet top Mr Smaggle’s

* Skirt from Melbourne

* Wedge Crocs bought today in Nelson. My rubber thongs gave me a bitchin’ blister in between my toes so I chucked a tanty and threw them out and bought these instead. I’ve always felt really sloppy in rubber thongs so these were a perfect substitute

* Bangles from Equip 

* Red leather bangles from Bowling Arm

* Earrings from Diva in Wellington

Love Lady Smaggle

P.S Mama Smaggle – We are both alive and well and I’ll get credit on my phone soon and call you I promise! 

Here’s what I wore today

* Skirt from Tree of Life

* Shoes from Gertrude Street in Melbourne

* Top from Country Road

* Leather jacket from Target

* Sunglasses from DFO in Canberra

* Bangles from Equip

* Earrings from Diva in Wellington

Mr Smaggle and I have been thrashing ourselves for a full week with heaps of activities so today we decided to take it easy. We had a late breakfast by a beautiful river and then went for a run through the rainforest. Then we went to a Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition in Wellington and we are just about to head back to the rainforest to camp again for the night. Tomorrow we are off to catch the ferry to the South Island! Yay! 

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Today was totally mental. I worked all day and then went straight to rehearsal and it was crazy. I walked off stage after my first scene and stepped right on the smoke machine remote control which started the machine spewing smoke right in the middle of a really inappropriate scene. Instead of being pro-active and trying to turn it off I just stood there pointing at it and saying ‘Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit….’. Seriously. Someone get me out of the bloody theatre. 

* Pants from DFO in Melbourne

* Black lace, high necked top thrifted

* Top from Cowboys and Angels

* Shoes from Big W

Must sleep… my head is spinning. 

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

I regret to inform you that my love for you is waning. Rest assured that this has nothing to do with your artistic integrity. I think you are extraordinary. It’s far more personal than that. My heart is heavy with your betrayal and the reasons why are threefold -

* You came all the way to Australia and didn’t bother to tell me. This prevented any opportunity for me to be snapped casually lolling on doorsteps in Paddington wearing short-shorts and smoking rollies. Okay, so I don’t live in Sydney, I don’t smoke rollies and I don’t wear shorts but I WOULD HAVE DONE IT FOR YOU!

* You are not visiting Canberra. I understand why, but that doesn’t stop the pain.

* After seeing you on Fashion Hayley I’ve discovered that you are not only talented but also gorgeous. Why are you not my husband? Poor form.

Despite the fact that my heart is breaking I have compiled a post of your greatest Australian hits.

So well done Facehunter. You’ve managed to capture a delicious assortment of street urchins that represent the spirit of my beloved country. How divinely gorgeous and multi-cultural we are.

Despite your behaviour of late I’ve decided to forgive you, dear Facehunter. After all Trinny and Susannah did it too…

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx 

Today was quite delicious. Mr Smaggle and I went to a bead store and I stocked up on supplies. Then we went to the markets and had basil chicken for lunch. Afterwards we went to the Glassworks and watched our friend Matt give a presentation on glass blowing which was insanely interesting and Mr Smaggle took some gorgeous photos of the old building. I’m just about to eat some toast and spend the evening making bead woven rings for my NMIT portfolio…

* Patterned fishnets from Target

* Shoes from Gertrude St Melbourne

* Skirt thrifted

* Belt thrifted

* Scarf from Portmans

* Bangles from Diva and thrifted

How was your weekend?

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Today was so productive but so busy. I had a cardio box class this morning and I was so awesome that the trainer thought I had boxing experience! Hell yeah – Watch out Rocky I’m coming to kick your arse! Then I had a crazy busy day at work and now I’m off to have coffee with a friend. Then Mr Smaggle and I are having a cheeky date – we sneak sushi into the movies. We’re such crazy kids…

* Red dress from Tree of Life

* Brown wrap top thrifted from Salvation Army

* Bangles from everywhere

* Crochet collar from Mr Smaggle

* Shoes from a family friend. Hand made Italian leather thank you very much… I love them.

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx