Ralph Lauren 25% off Christmas Shopping Weekend!

Well with Christmas rapidly approaching, the shops and malls are becoming crowded with people doing the dreaded Christmas shopping. By now I think we have established that I am a shop-a-holic who probably follows the same bible as Becky Bloomwood. But I absolutely LOATHE doing shopping at Christmas time (but I do it anyway because the sales! the sales!). I mean, I think most of you have gone about the new years eve shopping at Macy's, Bloomingdales, Harvey Nichols, Galeries Layfayette or David Jones like I have. I don't think this is a sentiment expressed only by me. If you go shopping, you don't want to wait forever for a salesperson to fetch that pair of shoes. Nor do you want to get uncharismatically aggressive when that other woman tries to snatch the last item of your size that you have decided you must have. And yesterday, while going about my shopping business in Bourke St Mall, a large lady stormed by me and rammed into me, stepping on my favourite Chanel flats without so much as an excuse me or a sorry. So much for the spirit of Christmas. But anyway, that is not the point of this post so I'll be kind and rewind.

Ralph Lauren are having a sale in their stand-alone stores in Melbourne with 25% off storewide. Unfortunately, gift cards are excluded from the offer.

When: Friday 3rd December-Sunday 5th December
Where: Chadstone, Melbourne and Doncaster Stores

Ralph Lauren is always a treat so don't pass up this rare opportunity while Christmas shopping.

xxx

Queen of Diamonds

Cafe Spotlight: Boheme, Richmond

Boheme Cafe and Bar

368 Bridge Rd
Richmond 3121 VIC

This place is quite a trendy cafe/bar. A couple of weeks ago when I was tired and hungry while on Bridge Rd, I stopped at this cafe on my way home because I saw this sign:

Having already spent an incredible and I think unprecedented amount of money this month, not to mention that day, (perhaps I exaggerate but still) I was going to avoid eating out. But the temptation of cheap (and hopefully good) pizza proved to be a bit hard to resist. So I made myself comfortable and enjoyed flicking through Vogue while I waited for my Mediterranean pizza to arrive. Take a look at my yummy yummy pizza:

 It might not look much but the smell was incredibly good and it tasted better. And it is quite a nice portion, but a average person could finish it off. I usually don't eat that much but in that particular occasion, I hadn't eaten all day and it was about 3.30pm, so I was starving!

There was quite a large range of pizzas to chosen from and when it arrived I was very pleased with it. It has to be on my list of top 5 pizzas that I have eaten in Melbourne. Perhaps third place, with Ca de Vin coming first with no thought. But this pizza had a beautiful crust and was wonderfully Italian, not, I assure you, those foamy crusts and ridiculously greasy pizzas typical of take out places. This was a pizza worthy of a price such as $17.50, but as you can see, all you need to do is go there on a weekday during your day off or on the holidays and dine in anytime between 11.30am and 4.00pm. And you get great pizza for great value after spending too much money on clothes (guilty), shoes (double guilty) and all the other wonders on Richmond's Bridge Rd.

Fantastic pizza. Wonderful price. Reasonable conditions with no newspaper vouchers. What are you waiting for?!

xxx

Queen of Diamonds

Fashion Critique: Possibly the most horrible Versace dress I've ever seen.....

Oh dear. I'm afraid the honourable name of Versace can not account for this...um...mess. Sorry, dress. It looks like a paper mache from which the scraps and shreds of coloured paper have been recycled from the shredding bin and then tackily stuck together. Or maybe it all just exploded and paper-vomited all over it. The shoes make me wonder if aliens have taken over the planet, or perhaps whether versace designed them as part of their new halloween haute couture collection. Whatever it was, it's a bloody disgrace.
Release the fashion police. What the hell were Versace thinking when they made this dress, yet alone released it on the 2011 S/S Runway?!

Recipe: Traditional Australian Anzac Biscuits

Today here in Aussie is Remembrance Day for all the Australian soldiers who fought and died in the World Wars. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month it's a moment of silence for everyone. A famous traditional Australian recipe is Anzac biscuits, which many Aussie kids learn as their first recipes because they are so easy, quick and simple. They are also quite yummy, and are great as before-bed-with-milk bikkies or school lunches. I especially like them as kid entertainers, because, as well as the wasy-factor, they are also quite quick so they don't get bored with waiting. If you're stuck with babysitting kids one night, try this and then use the biscuits as bedtime bribes! This is my grandmother's recipe.

My cookies...yum :)

Anzac Biscuits

125g (4oz) butter or margarine (I prefer unsalter cooking butter)
1 tablespoon of golden syrup
2 tablespoons of boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar

Set oven temperature to slow, 150C (300F) ad grease several baking trays (with butter).
Melt butter and golden syrup over gentle heat (in saucepan), add boiling water mixed with bicarbonate of soda.
Pour into mixed dy ingredients and blend well.
Drop teaspoonfuls of mixture onto greased trays and press each one lightly once with the curve of the spoon to flatten them a little bit (not too much!)
Bake in a slow oven for 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool on trays for a few minutes to allow them to harden, remove to wire racks, and store in airtight containers when cool.
Makes about 25-30 buiscuits.

Also to update you, I now have an email suscribe widget so that you can recieve my blog post straight to your inbox! Please sign up!
I have also bought the new December issue of Australia Vogue and am going to renew my subscription this month. I absolutely love this issue with stunningly cool Georgia May Jagger on the front! I am obsessed!

Happy cooking and suscribing,

Queen of Diamonds

xxx

Fleur Wood Massive Melbourne Warehouse Sale!

Yes, another one. But definately worth it right? I am quite a fan of Fleur Wood's pretty, youthful and feminine designs and will definately not be missing their first ever warehouse sale. And you shouldn't either, because everything is up to 75% off and prices start at $29 and there is nothing over $150! For information, see below.

When: Friday 12th November-Saturday 13th November

Where: 66 Toorak Rd, South Yarra, VIC, 3141

Times:
Friday: 8am-8pm
Saturday: 8am-3pm

Payment: Cash, All major credit cards, Eftpos

Visit the Fleur Wood Website:
Fleur Wood Online

See you all there!

Queen of Diamonds

xxx

My November Wishlist

It's been a while since you've heard from me hasn't it? It's been a crazy busy time this last month. But it will finally be over by next Monday and so you will probably be hearing way too much from me after that. I will also be doing quite a bit of travelling in late December and early January, and I am very excited about blogging it every step of the way, with photos! I will be going to Dubai and then Greece (I'm pretty sure! Will confirm soon...). Anyway, in the meantime, it is time for me to write up a new monthly regular: My wishlist.

1. Mulberry Oversized Alexa in Beige. 850 GB pounds. An absolue must have. I'm thinking of eventually buying one of each colour because in my opinion you can't have too many. But the bare essentials are black and beige. You really can't go wrong. They are so practical and stylish. I remember listing the black one earlier in the Plnned London Wardrobe post.

2. A new pair of classic Black Chanel Sunglasses. Because I lost my old ones unfortunately. And I will dfinately need them for the summer, and in Dubai and Greece. I am trying to choose between about three different styles, but I am trying to show restraint by only buying one. I'll post up which one I end up buying...

3. Alice McCall "Every Night I Wander Around" Dress in Pollen Yellow $349. I went to Green with Envy Boutique again and tried on this dress. It is absolutely divine. So silky and sexy and summery. A must pack for Greece, don't you agree?

4. Zimmermann Lyre Lyre Chain Maxi-Dress. I really like this one, and it has the most wonderful pattern. It's silk, long and gorgeous. But I can't find a photo of the right style and pattern so if I buy it you'll be the first to knoe...I'll phtograph it personally!

5. Aqua di Gio purfume. When I bought my Armani Silk lipstick (see a previous post called Lipsticks!) I got given a free sample of this wonderfully fresh and feminine new Giogio Armani purfume. I have to have it. And it's perfect for summer!

6. Zoe Wittner Summer Kendra Heels in Blue. I definately want the blue ones but I am debating whether to also buy the tan ones. They are on special after all, for $99.95. I love Zoe Wittner shoes as they are affordable, stylish, always fashionable and have a great range as well as fantastic sales. And if, like me you go there regularly, youtr VIP menber card can award you with huge discounts! They also have free shipping during November.

Check out the Zoe Wittner website:

Zoe Wittner

7. Alice by Temperley Mini Alva Silk Dress 204.26 GB Pounds. This is a beautiful military-styles dress, so it's perfectly on trend but the colour is perfect and the style is very flattering....Availiable on net-a-porter.com

8. And finally, an new pair of everyday-wear-them-till-the-soles-have-holes-in-them flats, because my current ones do have holes. And chanel flats are not for wearing out in less than a year. But I just like simply elegant ones, and these days it's all about poling high a bouquet of flowers and jewels on the top of them. I really need help finding a new pair, so hit me with suggestions. In the meantime, I'll keep looking.

So tell us your wishlist and we can all compare notes! And I will soon be posting up a month's worth of delicious recipes from my recent culinary adventures, including my classic crepe recipe and macaroons with raspberrya nd white chocolate ganache. Mmmmmmmm....so keep posted!

xxx

Queen of Diamonds