“All you could hear were gasps when Colin appeared in his full-frontal pose” The Uk Sun about Colin Farrell. His “biscotti’ has been cut from his latest film, “because test audiences found it too hard to concentrate after seeing it flashed up on screen. The Irish actor’s nude scenes in’ A Home At The End Of The World reportedly made women “over-excited” and men “uncomfortable” and so now been it been taken out altogether. “It was distracting.” even the director agreed. (Gasp!)’ Glamour (the uncut DVD will sell up a storm).
“I’m not sure I needed to know so much about the accusations that Colin Farrell employed stuntc*ck on his recent full-frontal naked nude film work.Check out Defamer for an interesting first-hand report — well, not that first-hand — from a self-described expert in on-screen c*ckology.” Gawker
“ I saw those pictures of Brad Pitt, that’s all air-brushed in, you know. He’s a nice guy but he’s a wimp,” Val Kilmer (Colin is airbrushed)
“Paris Hilton makes daring artistic decision, proving all naysayers wrong” Gawker on Paris Hilton being cast in the her first movie, the next National lampoon film.
“The biggest cause of divorce is marriage” Gene Simmons
“I moved into the bong, and just got stoned every minute”. Gastric bypass pioneer Carnie Wilson on her battle with depression.
“I tried to see all the friends at the Cathedral as I walked up the aisle, but I wasn’t wearing my glasses then so it was hard. Nancy Reagan at Ronnie’s funeral (too vain or stoned?)
“What? You’re from The Observer? Don’t be c**ts. Be nice” (Gasp!) Lovely words from Kevin Kline at the premier of De Lovely.
“I’m sorry,” Phoebe Cates his wife shortly after (you will be).
“Lesbian Hen Enjoying Hen House.” Headline from the onion
“I always pray before people come over for parties. What will they want from me? What will I get from them? I believe things happen for a reason. There are no coincidences.” Denise Rich being so religious she think prays about what she can get from people (Her last serious boyfriend is serving a seven-year sentence for insurance fraud. There’s a reason)
“I just wish I could have more of a life and be less of a circus freak” Gwyneth
(Colin Farrell agrees)
“I’ve always thought I had a kinship with Mr. Ed,” Kate Beckinsale on her perfect teeth (Colin Farrrel says so too)

It’s cheap but chic time! So many sales, so little time. So many credit cards, so little credit. Damn. But if you can squeeze just a few more dollars on the Amex then I absolutely insist you make yourself get up early on Saturday and get to the One day only Orson & Blake warehouse sale of fashion, furniture and homewares at the Surry Hills store from 9.30. And if it’s anything like the previous sales at O & B you’d better come dressed in full battle dress: it can get ugly in at the frontline of style…

Orson & Blake 483 Riley Street, Surry Hills

All we want in winter is to cuddle up to something on a cold winters night. And if you’re anything like me your George Clooney doll is probably looking worse for wear which is why it’s time to invest in the item du our: a fabulous sheep skin or fur throw. Empire in Double Bay have some gorgeous black dyed sheepskins for $149 and also 4 pelts together for $600, and don’t forget the sheep skin shop in The Rocks for all sorts of colours and prices. Orson & Blake have a fabulous brown fur throw with wool lining for about $1300 too but if you want faux fur then head over to Household Linens for a grey throw at around $990, plus Holy sheet have chocolate brown throws for a mere $49 or Lindcraft sell it by the metre….

Being an extraordinarily hard worker it’s been a tough couple of weeks. With sales everywhere I just haven’t stopped. And we all know what happens when you whip out that credit card from the Birken every ten minutes you get arrested?), it can do dreadful things to your hands and nails. Let’s face it these vital organs need to be in tip top working order to get through a week of signing your Amex continuously. But don’t worry those tired dry hands can be fixed in minute the fabulous Jurlique lavender hand cream. It’s very rich, but non-greasy, and really does do the trick of protecting those hands and keeping them looking and feeling so soft and gorgeous. Now to work on the RSI.

$23 Jurlique Lavender Hand Cream 9368 7373.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is the new face of Miu Miu shot by Terry Richardson
Kate Winslet is to star in Woody Allen’s first British film with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers
Karl Lagerfeld has designed a line for H&M collection in store in November.
Yauatcha is an $8 million Christian Liaigre-designed teahouse just opened in New York and it serves 150 varieties of tea with French pastries on the street level, with dim sum downstairs. The food is by Cheong Wah Soono from the ubergroovy Hakkasan, the U.K.’s only Chinese restaurant to win a Michelin star. Banquettes are embroidered with cherry blossoms and staff wear traditional Chinese teahouse-style uniforms designed by Tim Yip, who won an Oscar for his “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” costumes. wwd.
Ashley Judd is the face of a new skin care/color cosmetics by Estee Lauder.
Ian Schrager and Aby Rosen have bought the Gramercy Park Hotel, and plan to build 30 luxury apartments that will come with eighteen-foot-high ceilings, outdoor space, and a private park and will be designed by John Pawson.
A new series produced by reality TV pioneer Mark Burnett will have musicians vying for the chance to become the next lead singer of INXS
Paramount Pictures is worried that Meryl Streep’s edgy, chilling performance as a U.S. Senator in The Manchurian Candidate, is too close to the Hillary Rodham Clinton, “Meryl is brilliantly scary and evil,” Aflyonthewall.com
Check out Hix Island House a new groovy loft style hotel in Puerto Rico wwwhixisland.com
Azzedine Alaia is apparently opening a hotel in Paris with Carla Sozzani who already runs the groovy 3 rooms hotel in Milan.
The Costes Brothers of café Costes in Paris have a new bistro called Bertie.
The Verona Opera festival is on from June 19 to August 31 in the Roman Arena where some seats are so high up they come with seat belts.
A group show of emerging young American artists is on at the Bibliotheque Thiers in Paris til July 11. Showing the diverse mediums of painting, sculpture, photography and video. wwd

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com
The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman . It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on “donating a mammogram” for free (pink window in the middle). This doesn’t cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising. Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! Pass it along to people you know.

http://www.poe-news.com/features.php?feat=31845
This is a very funny website full of kooky news which people can post with headlines such as ‘Oh my god Clinton sucks! no one buying book’. But this link is a very funny look at the secret fighting technique of Donald Rumsfeld and photos of all his expert hand Movements ; The Viper fang ,the twin cobra and the sleeping dragon. Anything that makes Donald look bad has got to be good!

Princess Diana: In Pursuit of Love is the latest book by Andrew Morton. He reveals that the princess played Di-tective in when she uncovered evidence of Charles’ adultery while rifling through his briefcase.” “that ridiculous creature” is how Camilla Parker Bowles describes Princess Di” Glamour
IMRAN and Jemima Khan announced they had divorced after nine years .
Mary-Kate Olsen has entered a specialist (anorexia) clinic for an unspecified illness. (Fifty Percent Of Olsen Twins Reportedly In Rehab says Gawker).
Miramax has a stinker on its hands with the forthcoming Richard Gere and J Lo- Shall We Dance, “It’s a real dud,” said a Miramole today. “The dance sequences are great, but otherwise it’s just deadly dull. Gere and Lopez have absolutely zero chemistry together on screen”. Aflyonthewall.com
Liv Tyler is reportedly expecting her first child
Claudia Schiffer is expecting her second baby.
Poor Robbie Williams seems to be losing his battle against depression and is now so scared of being alone at night that a minder has to sleep at the bottom of his bed.( gay)
Demi Moore has told her agents at CAA that she thinks she’s pregnant. Ashton Kutcher is said to be the father. (not gay)
Michael Jackson has new explosive charges against him — charges that he provided alcohol to a minor (in soda cans) and conspired to silence and make them virtual prisoners at Neverland and in a hotel room for a week ( gasp!) ( Robbie take note)
Nicky Hilton has been banned from top LA restaurant Il Sole forever, because of her drunken behaviour on a night out with actress Bijou Phillips.( pissed forever)
Ben Affleck won more than $300,000 in a celebrity poker tournament (a loser)
Winona Ryder has had the seriousness of her shoplifting crime downgraded and will now be able to complete the rest of her probation sentence unsupervised. (shopping bipolar disoder?)
Halle Berry (catwoman) has been visiting a holistic hypnotherapy centre in Hollywood to help sooth her troubles “It’s all about focusing and giving out the right signals,” purrr

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
Have you been listening? I told you about David Sedaris’ previous book “me talk pretty one day” and you would have laughed and laughed. Now comes this next book of funny essays on his life and what it’s like growing up gay in middle America. Everyone says is the best work and funniest writing yet ( I should know) “Sedaris–openly gay, nervy as a tightrope walker, sharply hilarious, teasingly misanthropic yet genuinely compassionate–has a unique ability to supply exactly the right details to bring every funny, awkward, ludicrous, painful, horrible real-life moment into harrowingly crisp focus his ability to make the reader gasp, laugh out loud, or grow teary is undiminished. Amazon.

The Christmas List:
Richard Neutra’s Miller House by Stephen Leet
This is a big coffee table book on famous modernist architect Richard Neutra and the house he designed for the socialite, Grace Lewis Miller in Palm Springs. “Miller wanted an open, light-filled house that could also act as a studio for her fashionably avant-garde exercise course in posture and grace, “The Mensendieck System.” Neutra and Miller had great mutual respect, and this produced a work of forward-thinking and artful architecture. This book traces the conception and realization of the house, examines their complex relationship with excerpts from the detailed correspondence between Neutra and Miller, and is full of fascinating photos, sketches and drawing”….And we all want a house like this…

Economy:
Esprit: check out the black pieces from last week and also the dark denim turn up jeans $79, the 50’s black dress with lace trim $99, yellow is there but keep away unless you are kate Moss. There is a EDC denim jacket with epaulettes and a rap star grey maille hood and trim attached $119,and a denim mini with zips $79, cream ribbed chunky knit $79, and checkout the classic white T shirts with a good double stitching on neckline $24.
Witchery: On sale and there are lots of very casual weekend pieces: a great buy is the black mesh singlet now $29, and the Gucci style round heels $89, and the pink or black suede flats now $119, and the grey cotton zip track top are $39. Not on sale are the shrunken choc or black faded cord jackets $129 .General pants are on sale nothing jumping out except jeans and Though there are some camel or choc cords now $45. Dotti: have some crop turn up jeans ( which will be cropping up everywhere)$65. Mollini: have lots of cheap cool shoes. Check out the new peach, lemon, or cream flats $128,the cool white or black patent sandles with a ring detail $128. Seduce: have a nice cotton light blue or cream trench $269 and ribbed V neck knit with a gold trim $119 and some round low neck soft blue or pink knit $89. Mimco have a very groovy Mui Mui esque metallic bag with serious beading all over it $299.F leur Wood: has some lovely lingerie pieces n their winter collection a cami,$164 and gorgeous black slip dress $250 and some cool Yanuk jeans plus some Fluer wood chocolate…/yum!

Business:
CK Jeans: Are still on sale, the best buy is the fabulous cord velvet jacket but there are some new pieces like some crop jeans in cool Japanese light denim with white stitching $149 and matching shirt jacket $199 and there are some cute T shirts with a sheer net trim (but with calvin written along the hem) $69. Swell Store in Oxford St have 50% off addidas shoes and 30% off camper shoes and don’t forget they have the cool Manhatten Portage messenger bags and Von Dutch track tops in really cool bright colours $299.
Country Road: are having a relaunch sale with 40% off everything including homewares and 40 % off things already reduced (very cheap) and lots of classic pieces such as choc suede loafers now $80, black rib cardigans now $70, black or grey pencil skirts now $70,and don’t forget the rib wool polo necks which are great and don’t seem to pill now $80,the chic cable knit sweaters for $60 and a camel suede collarless jacket is now $300. Get in there too for the wine glasses, cute bowls ,towels, and a groovy white jugs without a handle. Marc baby doll: Lots of casual things on sale here so head in for 50% diesel jeans and T shirts and classic cotton shirts. DL jeans; have some pieces in like a black cardigan jacket $169, Nudie jeans: have some cool straight leg jeans that you want $299 and some cool aviator style sunnies by J. Lindenberg $250. Bettina Liano is on sale but I am scared it’s so boudoir and 80’s, I can’t find anything I want boo hoo! Diesel: Have a sale, of course, check out some T shirts with flower embroidery $84 and the jeans for around $200. Zimmerman: have 50% off swimwear and 30 % off with some groovex things like a simple black top with silver sequins now $390, black and white tweed pants and jacket $339 and trench $440, gorgeous floral dress ruffle $400 and the same fabric top $217 and some gorgeous ruffle chiffon tops in red and black $240
New Shop Alert: Herringbone has opened opposite Orson & Blake in Woollahara.

First:
Belinda Accessories in William st are changing over to summer and were closed when I went past but it looked great peering in the window! The Corner Shop have lots of cool new pieces in from Jessica Ogden, Holly, Diane Von Furstenberg skirts, tops and dresses and all sorts of vintage pieces. Robbie Ingham: There is still a sale on with rack of clothes but check out the new season Chloe: black or white bags with silver metal buckles $1600, the floral chiffon top $1400, the white dress with bead trim $1400, lots of black pieces which are good investments and the Chloe bags are really the bags of the season ,covered in plastic 60’s beading $1600: don’t forget the Victor & Rolf I reported last visit and there is some fab classic black Helen Cherry pieces for 50% off. Prada: Yah we love a sale here. There is 30% off main line and 20% off sport. You want the a Prada bag and there are too many to mention : Get a camel bags with studs around $1000,or the square leather black bags with sivler buckles.There are some camel suede bags i new in with rivets and studs $1600 and some T-shirts from next winter Robot collection: it has a robot patchwork doll on it $440 or buy the little trinkets like the leather heart or teddy bear or skull and cross bones $250. And I love the nylon red Robot embroidered bag $640. And what about the shoes?! On sale: the patent bright coloured sandles the hit of the season are now $360 ( cheap) the heel mules now $392, the black classic heels are now $360 or sling backs now $440, the stud camel mules are now $450. And then have a look at the clothes on sale,the tie dye ark blue dress now $2800.Parlous X: Have a 30% off sale.There is a cacheral floral print drape top now $360, some cool Future Classics grey pieces and also 25% off Akira and Karen Walker .The Cacherel bags are not on sale but are quite fab $600 and there is a cute in a pretty Liberty print for $200. Peopke: Have got lots of new season Dries van Noten; Check out the rose linen jacket $1300, and lots of baggy khaki pieces which are not realy the pretty lady look of summer but there are some cool singlets, white or black $195 and a singlet dress $390 and a cool lime green dress with ties $1300, a painted floral skirt $370 and also there is a rack of Tina Kalivas. But the shoes by Dries are great. You want the silver flats $695 ,the yellow lurex mules $690, the patent purple kitten heels $695 and the Veronique Branquino red ankle strp heels are fab $980 and her collection is coming in next week.

Spaghetti with ginger and tomato and ricotta (if you like)

Sick off the usual little black dress of cooking: tomato basil pasta? Try this little sparkly number (adulterated) from River Café Green and it will take you from day into evening and you won’t look back (not advisable anyway when you are eating a lot of pasta) .

For 6 you need:
150 g ginger ( a chunk) grated
1 X 800g tin of peeled tomatoes ( tinned now you’re talking) drained. ( so you won’t be)
400g spaghetti
150ml olive oil designer and common garden variety
4 garlics
1 heaped teasp of dried red chilli
juice of 2 lemons
Go on add some preserved lemon to add a bit of depth
300 ricotta if you feel like it
2 big handfuls of marjoram

·Heat the olive oil in a pan ( good idea)
·Add the garlic till it’s soft
·Add the ginger, chilli (maybe preserved lemon) and stir
·Then add the drained and very stressed and tired tomatoes (bless They’ve been working hard all winter)
·You too. Have a drink for god’s sake you deserve it
·Add some gourmet salt and pepper
·Cook over a nice medium heat for about ½ hour.
·The recipe says pass the mixture in a mouli.
·I say no way too hard basket. Mouli Shmouli
·Whip up the spaghetti, cook and drain it
·Then throw it back in the pan with some snazzy Olive oil and lemon juice and
·Toss in half the ricotta, the ginger tomato sauce and the marjoram
·Drizzle with olive oil if you want it to be moisturized
·Serve with the left over ricotta maybe some parmesan
·Now isn’t that the chicest little alterative to the little black dress of cooking?

Dirty Pretty Things directed by Stephen Frears with Audrey Tatou.

The romantic comedy movie club doesn’t normally do thrillers but after seeing Raising Helen even watching Raising he Dead was looking appealing! But oh I was scared about seeing this Stephen Frears movie but I knew I had to go through the pain barrier: the rave reviews on www.rottentomatoes.com give it a 93% approval rating. So we were sitting braced for “ R rated, sexual content, disturbing images and language” when it all became clear: this is a love story masquerading as a gory thriller. A perfect date movie! As one review said it’s half love story half horror story, based in a hotel in London where some people check in but some never check out. Scary hairy maclairy. The chief protagonist Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is an illegal immigrant from Laos living in London working in a hotel on the night shift. One night he investigates a toilet flooding in one of the rooms and when blood starts swirling out of it you know its going to get gruesome and the mystery and story unfolds.Evil, mean and wicked types keep turning up but this guy is integrity Inc, and as he gets tempted all through the movie you are almost shouting “hold on! don’t relent you shall you to the ball” Very gripping it moves along so you always wondering what about to happen next. Which I wont tell you but there is a stunning twist at the end and we were screaming with delight instead of screaming with terror (like in Raising Helen)

Travel & Leisure June: Has a fantastic story on fashion hotels by Micheal Gross and great shots by Martyn Thompson, a shopping trip in Bali, and a fantastic article on the maisons D’Hote in Provence; A must buy
UK Vogue July: has Keira Knightly on the cover but she is a bore! Read about groovy gardening by Sally Brampton and the outdoor revolution and the exhibition Art of the Garden at the Tate Britain, the fashion is un inspiring in this issue and then there is a piece by Jeanettet Winterson on believing in astrology….Nuf said
Vanity Fair July: Has the big spunk David Beckham on the cover’ Me David: You America” best sums it up.Read about St Tropez ( fantastic) and more anti Bush from Graydon Carter .Always a great read