The Kardashians are Taking Over my Blog

Regular readers will remember that some time ago I wrote a short piece about the Kardashian sisters as they were releasing a new 'tell all' book. You can read the post here.  I wrote about whether in fact they really had anything left to 'tell' and also the immense popularity of these three ladies.

It seems I really had no idea how popular they really are. I am shocked to find nearly one year later this post is still coming up each week as the most popular post on my blog and this week the top five Google searches that brought people to my page is the kardashian sisters, kardashians, the kardashians, the kardasians (for those who can't spell) and kardashian book.

I can't decide if it is a good thing or a bad thing (I am also not immune to the irony that this post is probably just going to increase my 'Kardashian' rankings), but whichever way the dice rolls I am still puzzled. Is there anyone out there that can illuminate me what is so darn amazing about the Kardashians that they are able to take over my blog with one post?

Would You Trust a Stranger?

I had an interesting situation a short while ago that got me thinking - when did I stop trusting strangers? I just received a phone call from a really worthwhile local charity looking for support for a worthy cause.

I agreed to support the cause and things started getting complicated. To take my pledge, obviously the charity needed me to provide my credit card details, but exactly how do I know that the lovely lady on the other end was in fact legitimately from said charity and not in fact hired by fraudsters to collect credit card details? After an intricate dance in which permit numbers, ABNs and phone numbers were shared - I was still stuck. The phone number for the charity collection didn't match the businesses normal phone number I could see online, so even if I called her back I still had no way of knowing if this was legitimate.

I've had this same dance before with banks. Someone on the other end of the line claims to be from my bank and immediately pounces in with half a dozen personal identifying questions before they can share whatever it is they need to say. This is wonderful, except the same questions could be used by scammers to illegally access my accounts. When I ask them to verify they know something about me, they can't due to the bank's privacy laws. Checkmate.

Once when I insisted on calling the bank bank so I could verify who I was talking to first, I was put through to about five different people none of who had any idea why I was calling. Complete customer service inefficiency (probably) or proof my skepticism was warranted?

Now I want to open this up to the floor. How would you have dealt with this situation? Would you leave a worthy charity wanting to protect your finances or do you give people the benefit of the doubt? I'd love to know if anyone has any great tricks for checking if the caller is legitimate.

Thumbs Up for Modo Mio

I have to say I am a little impressed by all the new food offerings at Burswood these days. I had previously found their food offerings quite disappointing and it has always boggled my mind so many restaurants could be so non-vegetarian friendly. Although I have yet to give Rockpool the old once over (although I hear amazing things), it's almost like  new restaurant has been opening there every few months.

I had the pleasure of checking out Modo Mio the other day, the new Italian restaurant that replaced Victoria's Station. The restaurant itself is beautiful, very elegant and stunningly appointed - definitely not your usual local Italian-style restaurant. It's five-star dining but the food is very accessible ranging from old favourites like spaghetti bolognese to a classic margherita pizza.  Not to say everything is boring or staid, they also offer a range of unique tastes like orecchiette con broccolini e ricotta through to pan-fried barramundi in fennel sambuca sauce with olives, orange and capers salad.

They also have a small but very impressive dessert menu. I can personally recommend the chocolate pudding and my husband was quiet impressed with their tiramisu.

The best thing about this restaurant is whether you choose a traditional classic or something a bit more exotic, everything is fresh, high-quality and deliciously well made. We were even watching the staff shaving a lot of the meats in the restaurant ready to add to the dishes.

I was impressed with their lunch special where you could have a pasta or pizza and either a starter or dessert for just $36. Or if you want to go the whole hog, you could have starter, pasta or pizza and dessert for $42. I would definitely recommend giving this place a try. Now I am just looking forward to Nobu opening next month - let's hope this Japanese restaurant keeps the vegetarian-friendly theme running.

7 Reasons it Will be a Good Week

I recently discovered the blog of the lovely Laura Greaves and today's update is inspired by her regular '7 reasons it is going to be a good week' post. I thought starting the week by writing down all the reasons it is going to be a good week is a great way for me to get in the right frame of mind right from the get go. So here goes nothing!

1. It's not last week. Since last week wasn't a great week, there's nowhere to go but up.

2. Harry Potter. How could this week possibly be a bad week when tonight I am going to be one of the first people in Perth to see how 'it all ends'? I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to tonight's preview screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, even though it will be a touch bittersweet as I know it's the last time I'll be seeing a new HP movie.

3. Learning something new.  I am really looking forward to heading to Media 140 on Thursday/Friday. I am really passionate about social networking and this is a service I offer to my clients at Hancock Creative. I think these two days of lectures and seminars are going to be a great opportunity for me to learn some new skills, discuss something I am passionate about with a lot of knowledgeable people and generally act like a sponge soaking it all up.

4. Do something that scares me. If everything goes to plan, on Wednesday photos of me will appear in the Style section of The West Australian. Not because I am some style of style maven, but because I had a personal stylist for a few hours and wrote about my experiences. I am not particularly photogenic and I am far more comfortable being the one behind the camera or organising the photo shoot, so I am nervous about the final outcome - but it's good to do things that scare us. It helps us grow. If the photos are bad though, I may spend the day in bed with the doona over my head. I'm just saying.

5. I am going to write. It's been a long held dream of mine to write a novel and I have started working on it in fits and starts. Oddly on Friday night I was gripped with sudden inspiration and wrote 1000 words before I headed to bed at midnight, so I am planning to keep that rolling this week. If I can get another 3000 words by the end of the week, it will definitely be a good week for me.

6. Good Food & Wine Show. If Harry Potter is the perfect way to start the week then the Good, Food & Wine Show is a great way to end it. I honestly think this is one of the best shows in Perth as there is so much you can do, taste, touch and try. I discovered a lot of great products last year (and wines, of course) that I have bought again and again throughout the year. I plan to try a lot of new wines and restock my red wine reserves for the rest of winter!

7. Because I am going to make it a good week. As they say, fake it until you make it - so this week I am going to put on my biggest smile and positive attitude and make sure I get the most out of each day.

Phew! That was harder than expected. Now it's your turn. What are you going to do to make sure you have a good week?

It's the Little Things

Right now you're probably looking at this picture of a packet of batteries and wondering if I have completely gone off my trolley. I haven't. (or at least, I hope not)

Today's post isn't about fashion, books, movies, writing or even my job. It's about taking the time to appreciate the little things in life. Today has been a pretty hard day where I feel like I've bit given a few hard knocks with a big stick, but I took a few moments this afternoon to take some deep breaths and remember all the things I am thankful for, and I thought I'd share them with you.

I am thankful for:

• Good health. At the moment my friends and family are largely healthy and after seeing so many people suffer horrible health scares - this is a precious gift. 
• A great job. I am lucky enough to be able to support myself by running a business doing work I enjoy. It's not all roses, but there are certainly more blossoms than thorns. 
• Friends. When I felt a little over it all today, I emailed a close friend who is also a small business owner and told her how I was feeling. She responded with a supporting email confiding she often has days where she feels the same way. As they say - a problem shared is a problem halved.
• These batteries. A few nights ago I griped to my husband that my wireless mouse kept dying on me due to crap quality batteries. The very next day he handed me this packet. I hadn't asked him to, but he'd remembered and made a special trip to the shop to find the highest powered batteries he could find, just to make my life a little bit easier. If that's not something to be thankful for - what is?

Now it's your turn. What are you grateful for this week? 

I Have a Secret

I have a job that could be described as cool.  I interviewed Joel Madden from Good Charlotte just before his wedding to Nicole Richie, I spoke to Matt Damon about hanging out with 'Angie and Brad', I've directed fashion shoots, I get to see all the movies before they hit the cinemas and I get sent free products from brands like Mac and Napoleon Perdis.

But the terrible truth is I am actually a nerd. I was in my element on the weekend at Perth's Supanova pop culture expo, which I dragged my long-suffering husband along to. I was so excited to see Amy Acker (Angel), Julie White (Transformers), Sean Maher (Firefly), Corin Nemec (SG-1 & Parker Lewis Can't Lose) and David Nykl (Atlantis). I didn't do anything as horrible as queue up for autographs or photos with the stars, but I was sufficiently creepy to go and stare at them while other people forked out their cash.

This year though, I have to admit I was really all about the villains and I was really there to see Tom Felton (Harry Potter's Draco Malfoy) and James Marsters (Spike from Buffy). I went to Q&A seminars with both these stars and laughed as James challenged the audience to embarrass him - and boy did they try - and sympathised with Tom as he blushed while turning down a marriage proposal from a want-to-be teen bride.

Before you ask - no I didn't get dressed up, but I thought you might enjoy a few snaps of people who did.

Did you head down to Supanova and if so what did you think? Or if you've got a secret passion, here's your chance to share - that's what the anonymous posting option is for!

Feeling Blue?

Here's something I bet you didn't know. This Saturday has been declared Global Smurfs Day! On June 25, people around the world will be turning themselves blue to celebrate the birthday of Smurfs creator Peyo.

Don't you just love the word Smurfs? The more I write it the weirder it looks. Smurfs. Smurfy, Smurf, Smurf.

In case you've ever had the urge to get your Smurf on, here's your chance. There is going to be an attempt to break the Guinness World Records title for the largest gathering of people dressed as Smurfs within a 24-hour period in multiple venues. Yes, I am completely serious! To beat the world record they need more than 2,510 Smurfs.

Unfournately Perth isn't one of the cities where Guinness World Records judges will be appearing but there are plenty of cities getting into the blue groove as far afield as Mexico, Brussels, Dublin, Moscow, Johannesburg, New York and London.

In Spain, one of the famous White Towns of Andalusia will be painting the entire town blue. “Life-size” (that is, 7½-inch tall) Smurf figurines will inhabit Paris’s Trocadero Terrace in front of the Eiffel Tower, the main square in Reykjavik, Iceland, Bogotá, Colombia’s El Dorado International Airport, and high-traffic areas in Geneva and Zurich, Switzerland. Can you imagine being on your honeymoon in romantic Paris only to see a plethora of little blue men everywhere?

Aussie Smurf afficianados are being asked to visit www.GlobalSmurfsDay.com to share their support, however I would also encourage all Smurf-lovers to head to their local shopping centre dressed head to toe as their favourite Smurf. Or you could hit your favourite nightspot in your best Smurfette costume (why is there only one lady Smurf anyway, doesn't that cause a whole host of Smurf-sized problems?) Any takers? No?

The Smurfs are also coming to the big screen. The new 3D movie The Smurfs will hit Aussie cinemas on September 1 (TAS), September 8 (QLD) and September 15 (NSW, VIC, WA, SA). 

It's Not You, It's Me

Break ups are always hard, no matter how amicable there are always hurt feelings on both sides. On Saturday I made the difficult decision to end one of my longest-term relationships. I felt ashamed and disloyal but I set my shoulders and did what had to be done.

After many, many years of having a mobile with 3 (in fact, I was one of the first Perth customers to take up the service), I have traded them in for... well... an older model and now have that shiny spanking new white iPhone I had been dreaming about through Telstra.

I have to admit, I wasn't Telstra's winning customer service that made me change - in fact my calls to their service centre to see what kind of deals they would do to move two phones over from a competitor were lacklustre to say the least. After being incorrectly transferred to the billing department I finally had a lovely lady with a barely understandable accent tell me 'there's nothing they can offer at this time'.

We also had to wait nearly an hour to even get a customer service assistant in the store to see us and then a further hour before the deal was done. However, now my husband and I actually have signal and can make and receive calls, check emails and surf the web pretty much everywhere in the metro area. Pretty amazing right? (please sense the sarcasm)

I actually think the service in the telecommunications industry in Australia is pretty darn lacking, but I guess that's a conversation for another day.

What I want to know today is, who have you had to break up with? Like me do you feel disloyal when you change brands or shop at a competitors store or do you waltz between suppliers without a care in the world?

A New Addiction

I love a good fad as much as the next person and thanks to my brother-in-law on the weekend I discovered Words with Friends. Although essentially this game is just a high-tech new way of playing Scrabble it is surprisingly addictive.

I installed the app on my iPhone (although I think there are other ways you can play) initially using the free version although the ads that pop up between each move soon get annoying. I've already gone and bought the paid ad-free version (just $3.99 from iTunes).

Basically you can sign in with your Facebook or Twitter accounts or use your email address and either challenge friends, Twitter followers or complete strangers to a game.

These long-distance Scrabble games can be played over an hour or over a week and you can set the game to notify you when anyone you are playing makes a move so you can take your turn. You can also use the chat function to send messages to the person you are playing - essentially like free SMS if you are playing with friends.

It might not sound like much but my husband and I lost most of our Sunday afternoon trying to come up with ways to use a Z or a Q on a triple letter score square. So far I've resisted breaking out my king-sized professional dictionary I use for my journalism work but it's only a matter of time.

Are you also hooked on Words with Friends or is there something else you've found yourself addicted to this week?

Ideas Down the Drain

Why is it that we always seem to get bouts of inspiration when we're in the shower? Some of my best story ideas have come mid-scrub and I often remember things that I need to do, important dates and so forth.

It must be something to do with the fact it is the one time of the day when our mind is free to wander wherever it may and our subconscious finally gets the opportunity to wave its hand in the air and catch our attention.

The only problem for me is that I've found my mind wanders so far that by the time I am out, dressed and in front of a notepad and pen again I've invented so many things and solved so many global crises that I've totally forgotten that first brilliant idea for a novel that was surely going to be the next Harry Potter if only I could remember what it was about.

Therefore, I was rather excited to find that someone has actually created a solution. AquaNotes are waterproof notebooks that can be mounted on the wall of the shower. You can write down all your brilliant ideas as they come through your mind and then rip off the sheet and take it out of the shower with you. Why didn't I think of that? Now where's my shower cap?

Guitars get Girly

Floral is quite big at the moment and you can dress up anything from your clothes to your bed, so why not your guitar? I had to share this super girly-girl guitar case by Lalé from Lark. This range is made in France and includes covers for everything from cushions and quilts to guitar cases all made from super girly vintage materials.

You can find the range at www.larkmade.com.au.

Luxe to Less: Laptop Cases

A great way to add a bit of style to your business day is with an edgy laptop case that says something about your personality. Here are a few great cases do you get your imagination going. The images above are from Net-a-Porter and are as follows from right to left: Alexander McQueen skull print (£213), Vivienne Westwood derby tartan (£123), Burberry embossed patent leather (£226) and Marc by Marc Jacobs jumble-embossed neoprene (£38).

The laptop cases pictured below are - believe it or not - from Jay Jays and are quirky affordable options although more suitable for less corporate professions.

A Wonderful Day

How often have you had a really fantastic day? A day that genuinely makes you feel happy, content, challenged and inspired? I was lucky enough to have had one of those yesterday.

It started out with an early morning gym workout with the sensational Sean from Atlas Performance before gussying myself up to head over to UWA for the Perth Writers Festival. Although I had a frustrating 20 minutes trying to locate the box office to pick up my tickets for the publishing workshop, I then had the chance to chill out in the UWA club and chat with some other fascinating people attending the event including the lovely Sarah from the fantastic blog Ah, the Possibilities!

I found the publishing seminar I attended, aptly named The A-Z of Getting Published, a real eye-opener about the book publishing industry. Having worked in magazines and newspapers (and a few years as a record label manager) I have plenty of experience with magazine, newspaper and music publishing and although I have edited and published a few books for employers and clients - this is an industry segment I knew much less about.

The event was MC'd by Angela Meyer, a literary blogger for Crikey, and included a range of high profile speakers including publishers Meredith Curnow from Random House, Mandy Brett from Text Publishing and Clive Newman from Fremantle Press. We also got to hear from writer and manuscript assessor John Harman and and one of Australia's highest profile literary agents Lyn Tranter as well as writers, other publishers and lovely Scribe publicist Emma Morris.

There were so many amazing knowledge bombs they dropped on us throughout the course of the day, that I think this will call for another post in the next few days (so keep your eye out for that). Some statistics definitely reinforced the difficulty of becoming a published novelist, but the day also showcased the passion and enthusiasm people in the publishing industry have for what they do. If you get a chance to check out any of the other events over the long weekend for the Perth Writers Festival, I definitely recommend it.

If this workshop didn't make the day fantastic enough, I was then lucky enough to head straight from the event to pick up my husband and head down to Sandalford Winery to see Michael Buble live in concert. The tickets were a gift from my wonderful husband as nearly one year ago Michael's The Best is Yet to Come was our first dance together as husband and wife. Although this song didn't get a look in, the night was sensational.

We couldn't have asked for a better night, beautifully warm, a great vibe, some incredible support acts, good food and of course cheese and wine. Delicious!

Michael was highly entertaining all but breaking into a stand up comedy routine after his first song. He chatted to the crowd at length, shared some personal stories, introduced us to every member of his band in detail and even threw in some really out of the box numbers - even Michael Jackson got a look in.

I have to admit I fell asleep in the car before we even made it out of the car park, but what a day!

Even rats can be adorable

This is like the shortest video ever coming in at a whopping three seconds but it is so very adorable, I just had to share. This rats surprised face is definitely going down in the cute hall of fame. Who knew that rats could ever be cute?

The official word on trading hours

Confused about the new trading hours? So was I, so here's the official word from the powers that be...

Perth shoppers and retailers will be able to enjoy extended trading hours to 9pm on weeknights under new laws that come into effect from today.

Premier Colin Barnett and Commerce Minister Bill Marmion today marked the start of Western Australia’s new retail trading hours regime, which will give general retail shops, including major grocery stores, the option to open to 9pm weeknights.

The Premier said the changes reflected the State Government’s determination to provide incremental reform to Perth’s shopping hours.

“Creating a retail trading environment that allows choice, flexibility and improved competition has always been the focus of this Government,” he said.

“The extension of weeknight trading will apply across the whole metropolitan area.

“Business will now have greater freedom to respond to particular needs of their customers and won’t be locked into outdated shopping hours. It is entirely their option to open during the extended hours.”

Commerce Minister Bill Marmion said new special trading precincts of Armadale and Midland would begin today, allowing Sunday trading from November 7.

“The extension of weeknight trading to 9pm and the creation of special trading precincts in Armadale and Midland, in addition to the special precincts in Perth, Fremantle and Joondalup, represents a significant achievement,” Mr Marmion said.

“At the forefront of the Government’s mind has been the need to keep pace with the changes in urban lifestyles and working hours in the metropolitan area.

“I encourage retailers and the community to embrace this great opportunity.” 

Retail tenants with any questions about their leasing arrangements and the new trading hours can contacta specialist business adviser at the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) for free, confidential advice and guidance on 131 BIZ (131249). More information is available at http://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au

Proof love conquers all

This video is adorable! I apologise as it gets a bit what I'd call overly American in spots, but do persevere. This is a love story the like of which you've seen - it's between an elephant and a dog. Love really does conquer all.

iPhone Proposal in Movie Theater

I just saw this video on Mia Freedman's blog Mama Mia (check it out, it's a great blog) and I had to share it with all my WA Style readers as well. It is incredible and made me cry like a little girl. It's basically a proposal in the form of an iPhone ad as part of movie trailers.

Proposing via a movie trailer actually isn't as unusual as it sounds. A friend went to a screening of Twilight New Moon when it first opened her in Perth and one of the trailers was a proposal!

The 'me' challenge

There are sometimes I think I am a little big strange. I have no problems standing up in front of hundreds of people and talking about magazines, media, online marketing and a host of other topics but as soon as I need to talk about me, I get a bit weak at the knees.

Sometimes I like to think it is because in today’s society it can be dangerous to share too much personal information with the masses, particularly online, but other times I realise I am just not good at being the centre of attention on a personal rather than professional level. 

So when Jennifer Birkhead from www.jenniferbirkheaddesign.blogspot.com challenged me to take part in a blog game of ‘10 things you didn’t know about me’, I considered running for the hills. However, I decided as a writer I am sure I could dig up some facts from my past that would be suitably entertained, so threw caution to the wind. 

I hope you find these facts interesting and enlightening and nobody will use this information to steal my identity and convince my nearest and dearest I am actually a Moroccan hooker. 

1. Although I have lived in WA now most of my life, I was born in Tasmania. Don’t hold it against me. 
2. My husband I were together for more than 14 years before we finally married earlier this year. 
3.  I have funky elbows. If I straighten my arms too far they start to bend back the wrong way. It’s a great party trick and way to freak out my personal trainer while doing push ups. 
4. I have been a vegetarian since I was 13. I blame school holidays on my aunt and uncles farm, I could never get my head around patting a cow called Daisy and then going home and tucking into a nice steak. 
5. I am terrified of heights. I can be paralysed by fear even by the thought of using a step ladder. Funnily enough I have no problems flying. 
6. I would like to claim I speak Japanese but after completing a Certificate 3 in Japanese, I still can only read, write and speak the language very badly. I can understand others only it if they speak very slowly and at a level suitable for a three year old. If you need to ask someone where are they going – I am the right woman for the job – just don’t expect me to understand the answer. 
7. I am not a morning person. Just ask my husband. 
8. I don’t like Dom Perignon and I feel guilty about it. When you are in the envious position of being offered expensive champagne at functions, I feel like I should drink it and enjoy it! I keep thinking it might just be me and one day I will finally get it. 
9. You couldn’t pay me enough to go back and relive my high school years. Sorry people, they are not the best years of your life – now is always the best time! 
10. I have a blue belt in freestyle martial arts. I once made onlookers laugh when in a state-level competition when I stopped mid-fight to apologise to my opponent for punching her in the nose (no face contact allowed, so it wasn’t intentional – she stepped forward as I threw the punch). 

So what about you? Do you find talking about yourself as scary as I do?

I hope some of my regular WA Style readers will share some fun facts about themselves or share links to other similar lists. Click on comment below!

Am I a suburbist?

I have realised something important about myself today – I am a suburbist. Now I am not proud of this fact as I pride myself on not being ‘ist’ about anything, but when I had to sign up for a PO Box for my new business (more about that soon) I found myself turning my nose up at certain locations.

It seemed preferable to me to drive long distances to collect my mail rather than associating my name with a suburb I didn’t feel worked with my brand. Nuts? Probably.

As it so happens fate slapped me with the ‘serves you right’ stick anyway and after all my deep thought about the best location to showcase on my business cards – only one location even remotely plausible had any boxes the right size available.

Hello Wangara.

So what about you? Have you ever found yourself being suburbist? For those of you who live in WA and know what I am talking about, do you have any words of reassurance for me that Wangara is actually a very hip place all set to become the next fashion capital of Perth? Please, anyone?

Something to make you laugh

Need a bit of a mid-week giggle? Here it is. This is my husband's first contribution to the site. His boss bought this for the office so he recorded it on his phone and it has been a source of constant amusement ever since.

As someone who admits to being a massive fan of this song in its heyday - this just makes me laugh every time, particularly the head movements!