“I came back from being a fashionista and now I’m a literati in this microcosm of a world, and I’m very excited to find my new niche along with being on ‘America’s Next Top Model.’ Just to write, continue to be in fashion, advise girls and boys, straight and gay, on what it’s like to exist in a society where there’s perfection affliction. Perfliction. Another word that I coined and I know you suffer from it. I do. I mean, I am starting to exhale” Janice Dickinson at her book launch of “Everything about me is fake” ( obviously including her brain) but wait there’s more…
“There’s more Botox in my face than in small countries in Micro Indonesia”(why would they small countries have botox?)
“Don’t you feel you have to try it for research purposes? That’s why I have done it.” Linda Wells Allure editor on Botox. NYT.(for science not Vanity.What integrity).
“It is hard to pinpoint exactly when it became safe to be a stupid slut on television “Allesandra Stanley in NYT on “Good Girls Don’t .” a new sitcom entirely centered on the sordid, sad sex lives of two young girls from Minnesota who share an apartment in Los Angeles. The premiere episode is titled, “My Roommate Is a Big, Fat Slut.”NYT ( nuf said).
“Instead of calling it beefcake, I call it hottie biscotti,” Cosmo editor in chief on male centerfolds ( nice with a hot black expresso)
“His chest rug is probably the best special effect in the picture,” Glamour on Orlando Bloom forced to wear a chest wig for his new film, Kingdom of Heaven ( Biscotti Heaven).
“Britney loves making history.She doesn’t know too much about the political situation in China but she knows it would be really neat to perform there” an insider on Britney (don’t worry neither does Dubya).
“Tons of mums come up to me and say thank you for not dressing like Britney Spears,” Avril Lavigne on making history.
“The US market was not something I’ve set out to do”, David Beckham in Vanity Fair (try China Like Britney)
“We’ve got big plans for America, both of us,” Posh Becks on who runs the show
“I never cheated on my wife with a model.” Ethan Hawke (not it was an actress)

If your little footsies are getting cold on these winter mornings please do not buy Ugg boots. Please. I don’t care if Pamela Anderson wears them and every other chic actress in Hollywood, they are just too common. No, what you need to do is to attend to the floor boards and run into the delightful interior design store Spotlight! and invest in a couple of Flokati rugs. I know this is not a big inside scoop on a new interior design trend but hello? that’s why you can find them in Spotlight and why you can find them in Spotlight for $199.

Flokati rugs (160 x 230) at Spotlight stores $199

Decorating a kitchen is like updating your wardrobe: you need a few fabulous accessories to lighten up all the black and white and steel. Just a few touches of colour to say “I’m eclectic, I have a unique style and I’m over stark minimalism.” A few accessories to say “yes, I am very groovy and I have just thrown this look together in a spontaneously very thought out way”. So stop thinking too hard and drive straight to T2 and buy up their fabulous, groovy, colourful eclectic tea canisters in all sorts of Japanese prints. They come in all different sizes and are great not just for tea but also for all your herbs as well.
Tea Cannisters from T2 Chatswood or Redfern about $20 to $35

When you are too tired (or pissed!) and you can’t find the energy to take off your makeup before you go to bed (I know. Heresy) here is a fab idea: Olay Daily facials wipes are just the thing to help you through the shocking revelation of seeing your face naked without any cosmetics (another good reason to be pissed: blurs the view). They come in the little resealable packet and the “wet cleansing cloths thoroughly cleanses dirt and makeup and even removes water proof mascara” (not a good look I like to wear it 24/7). They are full of Olay moisture (whatever that is) and vitamin E and they seem to do the trick of whipping off that makeup in a thrice. Another handy stylist hint: wipes are perfect for getting makeup and anything yukky off your clothes…. good to keep in the Birken for emergencies.

Olay Daily Facials Cloths $12.95.

Coney Island in Brooklyn is getting some airbrushing. Twenty-five artists are redesigning arcade signs, murals and the facades of some rides in the neighborhood.The Jones Arcade, dime toss and fortune-teller’s booth are among the 35 sites being spiffed up with pop art and other designs.wwd
A new W hotel has now opened in Mexico City www.whotels.com.
Browns Hotel in London is having a refurbishment by Style meister Olga Polizzi who also did the cool Hotel Tresanton in Cornwall.
Aussie restauranteur Will Ricker has opened another groovy place: ‘8 over 8’ in Kings Rd London.
Chloë Sevigny is about to shoot “Mrs. Harris,” a film about the former headmistress of a girls’ school, Jean Harris, who killed Scarsdale diet creator Dr. Herman Tarnower
Microsoft’s Paul Allen and his company, Vulcan Inc is financing the first privately owned spaceship. Called SpaceShipOne, the commercial craft is set to fly into space on June 21st.To reach space, a carrier aircraft, the White Knight, lifts SpaceShipOne from the runway. An hour later, after climbing to 50,000 feet altitude the White Knight releases the spaceship into a glide.
A New book prize,The Man Booker International Prize will be open to authors of all nationalities whose work has been either written or translated widely into English. The £60,000 prize will be awarded for a body of work every two years, with the first winner to be announced in 2005. smh
Katharine Hepburn’s wedding dress and other items from her estate will be auctioned at Sotheby’s.
The ashes of Helmut Newton, who died at 83 in an L.A. car crash in January, were buried in Berlin.
Former president Bill Clinton long-awaited 957-page memoir, My Life goes on sale June 22. Clinton’s publisher, Knopf, has said little about the book or its promotional campaign beyond the first TV interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes on June 20, a party for 1,000 at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on June 21, and appearances on Oprah on June 22 and NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America on June 23.(nothing much). At Amazon.com advance orders are already are 6 times those for Hillary’s memoir. NYT
Princess Diana’s mother, Frances Shand Kydd, died on Thursday in a Scottish hospital She was devastated by the death of her stepson Adam Shand Kydd, who died of a suspected drug overdose.
Madonna is endorsing a line of Kabbalah fragrant candles based on the 72 different names of God that Kabbalah recognizes include Sexual Energy, Spiritual Cleansing, Evil Eye, and Power of Prosperity. (the dark ages)
The Doris Duke collection will be auctioned at Christie’s checkout all the magnifique jewels at http://christies.com/special_sites/duke_jun04/home.html
The Duke of Devonshire died last week.

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/goodliving/
If you want to watch a cooking lesson from Longrain chef Martin Boetz, click on this link from smh.com and scroll down to the multi media section and watch him whip up a salmon stir fry. Fabulous. Or scroll down and check out Manu Fidel, head chef at Bilson’s who prepares pan-fried scallops with foie gras…

http://www.m-dash.com.au
And while we’re in the cooking mood or should I say non cooking mood, check out this website for people who are too busy or too lazy to cook. M-Dash is not a rap star but “a response to the fact that many people today lead time deprived lives.( deprived) so M-Dash does all the hard work for you - we select, we prepare & we deliver to your door. Some of these meals will require some cooking, whilst others will be fully cooked, only needing to be reheated. All meals are prepared by Paul Merrony and have a guaranteed shelf life of at least 1 week” Lazy! I shouldn’t be encouraging these things…

The first-ever Barbie fragrance launches in August. Mattel says ”Ken is not out of the picture. They are still friends and we are going to keep Ken around.” (on Queer eye next?)
Princess Stephanie has been frolicking at her villa on Mauritius with her husband’s brother-in-law and looks preggers.
Julia Roberts is expecting twins.
Nicole Richie says she’s hooked on heroin and cocaine on Oprah.( A Simple life)
Scarlett Johansson “stunned onlookers when she locked lips with Tara Subkoff, at New York’s ultra-hip Hiro venue. Tara took Scarlett to a dark corner of the bar, where she proceeded to administer a very long and lingering kiss” (Administer?) Glamour.
Sex and the City star Jason Lewis has filed a lawsuit against Absolut Vodka claiming they have exploited his image in their advertising campaigns. Jason, Samantha’s spunky boyfriend lies naked with an erect bottle between his legs (exploited!).
Glamour says Kelly Osbourne has got a Christina Aguilera voodoo doll that she sticks pins in whenever she’s feeling bad.
Lizzie Jagger and Sean Lennon are back in together.
Dennis Quaid has announced he’s engaged to his girlfriend.
Marc Anthony has got a divorce so he can now run off with J.Lo.
David Schwimmer is single after splitting from model-turned-singer Gina Lee.
Bruce Willis has split from girlfriend Brooke Burns.
Patrizia Reggiani, jailed in 1998 for ordering the murder of her estranged husband, Maurizio Gucci, is to be retried. Nicknamed The Black Widow she was sentenced to 26 years after hiring a hitman to kill her husband.
Kirk Douglas and his wife Anne have renewed their wedding vows after 50 years together.
Miss Australia has been crowned Miss Universe 2004.
Brian Bonsall, from “Family Ties,” was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving (suspicious)
Elle Macpherson has admitted she was battling with post-natal depression when she checked herself into the Meadows Institute last year (don’t hate me because I’m beautiful)
An investigation into child abuse claims from the 80’s against Micheal Jackson have been dropped.
Brad Pitt and George Clooney are shooting Ocean’s Twelve in Rome (Hotti Biscotti Heaven)

Nemesis : The True Story of Aristotle Onassis, Jackie O, and the Love Triangle That Brought Down the Kennedys by Peter Evans
There are so many books out on the Kennedys and Jackie O lately but this looks juicy reading! Released on June 1st and by Peter Evans also wrote the biography of Aristotle Onassis, Ari it “has the shocking revelation that Aristotle Onassis was at the heart of the plot to kill Bobby Kennedy”. Well I never. “Evans has uncovered the shocking culmination of the Kennedy-Onassis-Kennedy love triangle: Aristotle Onassis was at the heart of the plot to kill Bobby Kennedy. From Bobby Kennedy’s discovery of the Greek shipping magnate’s shady dealings, to Onassis’s attempt to control much of Saudi Arabia’s oil; Onassis’s untimely love affair with Jackie’s married sister Lee Radziwill; and his bold invitation to First Lady Jackie to join him on his yacht — without the president, it’s all here… Harper Collins.com

The Christmas List:
Apartment Living by Jenna Reed Burns
This is a very cool book full of every groovy modern apartment building in Sydney. So many beautiful places so little time. From the Horizon to Altair this glossy big coffee table book “documents the rise of the apartment block since they first began.From the earliest luxury flats, to the mid-century classics, converted warehouses and the new breed of cutting-edge, architect-designed buildings that have made apartment living fashionable again, this book opens the doors to them all.” Buy it and drool.
$75 from Orson & Blake and major book sellers too

Economy:
It’s all looking a bit end of season now even though it’s just got cold!But don’t despair you shall find something to wear I just know it!
FCUK: have done a black cotton peasant skirt with Indian embroidery/ velvet trim at the waist if you like that sort of thing $180 and a matching black silk halter top with the same trim $120.and check out their cool dark denim jeans $140. I like going to the men’s collection because they always have some rude T-shirts that make the most of ‘FCUK ‘ like the ‘FCUK Bunny” track top.Rude. $49.Country Road: have a very unstructured big slouch black leather bag $149, a long sleeve top sheer khaki top with a cream under singlet $110( also in black) and a twisty knotted black jersey top $99, a cream ribbed chunky sweater nice and short $199. I’m sure they are about to go on sale any minute. Witchery: is very ‘weekends away’ casual at the moment. You might like the off the shoulder ribbed sweater in grey or soft blue $69,and don’t forget the cream or black panelled leather jacket with rib knit sleeves $399.and the Starsky & Hutch big long cream cardigan $169, Enzo Angiolini: Always have some great cheap but chic bags like the black or red Prada copy with 2 big silver buckle in leather with white stitching $279 and a great big bucket bag with white stitching $219 ( good for work).Check out the cool 40’s style shoes with open toe $139 in pink, black or cream with a cool bow at the front and another version in a kind of Japanese satin embroidered fabric with a pom pom on the front $159,and I love the huge drawstring bag in black, orange and red $189. Cue:have some cool zip through crew neck knit tops in black with a green zip (and other colours) $89. Ojay: have a new cotton trenchcoat in red and black $299, Kookai: have a long white T shirt /mini with a black imprint of twiggy on the front $69 and check out the black leather slouch bag with sequins trees (crickey) on the front $215. Allannah Hill: has some fake fur chubby jackets $469 in black or pink and some cute fur stoles. David Lawrence: has a groovy mini ish cargo skirt ( lots of pockets ) in wool $149, and check out the fur lined black hood parka $299 and the black, brown and pink fine rib crew neck sweaters $89. Bed Bath and table have some groovy choc fake fur hot water bottle covers now $9.70! No Uggs just a hotti ( biscotti)
Business:
Aero: Have a cool leather and stainless steel wrist band $80 (and if you are a yummy mummy they have some groovy dummy holders for the groovy baby $10,) and a groovy little stainless steel contact lens cleaning case-with bottles-perfect for the visually impaired traveller $20.
DFS Galleria The Rocks:Remember you can buy here at retail not just duty freeeeee.You will find some Burberry check bags but in different colours like blue and red in a canvas tote and ones with Burberry written all over it ( a bit much thanks) $445. Check out the Coach store for the divine cream cotton canvas totes with a cream leather base and red lining $770 and a cool denim canvas tote with brown stripe handles and pink trim $330 but the stripe suede clutch in bright colours is fab $520 and how about the tool winter Burberry scarves in blue check ,red check pink and other colours $107?.There are also some wool check Burberry scarves with a bobble knit ( yes a bobble knit) which are a bit different $159. I love the Christian Dior silk scarves here - they are all gorgeous (and an item du jour months ago and still are a must have). You want the pink or blue pearl print small one for $150 or the bigger one for $400 ish but you will go ballistic when you see the divine Etro silk chiffon paisley scarves $143 in all sorts of colours. Faaabulous! Check out the Givenchy leather bags with 2 pockets at the front in black with white stitching $595. Also here are Ralph Lauren kids clothes for girls 5 to 6 years like polo tops $60, and jeans and cute chinos. The Gwen Stefani L.A.M.B bags for Le Sportsac is here too. Big nylon totes in black with white gothic writing and huge big brass buckles are $215.The Sheep Skin shop in The Rocks has some cool things, apparently Carine Roitfeld, the French Vogue uber editor bought a jacket here. Check out the sheep skins for the floor ( instead of a Flokati)? in all colours from $90 for small and $295 for larger ones. Max & Co: have a new cool panelled denim skirt $220, a fab grey chunky knit crop sweater with cool buttons along the neck $250, and a chic weekends away black nylon quilted parka jacket with elasticised waist (very flattering) $550, and some new red drawstring track pants $220. Marcs: have done a Prada? style long deep V neck sweater in different colours $180 and some cool sweaters in pink, lilac and blue. Saba: Did I mention their fab grey cotton racer back top with silver diamante front and shoulders $220?.Sass and Bide in David Jones.Check out their T Shirt with ‘Love Hope Madness’ $89.Ralph Lauren have a very classic cashmere black round neck cardigan $449.

First Class
Christian Dior: The best thing here are the shoes.You will love the black sandles with a D buckle and in flatin black or cream $620. Also here are some of the D’Trick collection but it is very over the top .The clothes are too tacky with logo mania now soo over (all they have is pink logo collection)
Prada: ( The Rocks) They have the new summer range with all the detachable trinkets on the bags like a skull and cross bones or hearts.You want the pink and orange nylon eyelet bag $990 or in lilac. You must buy the stud choc leather wristband $285 and the linen blue and brown leather trim bag $1000. Fusion: is having a 50% off sale on their Mui Mui shoes, plus some Dolce Gabbana and Alessandro del’aqua. Ooh la la.That means the Miu Miu shoes are now very cheap at $300. Get in there for the black patent kitten heels, the brown kitten sling backs, the flat pointy ballet shoes and the fab square leather handbags black or brown $500. You want the Allessandro del’aqua black suede sling backs now $400.And the Akira is now 20% off too. Plus a Dolce Gabbana jersey knit cream bomber is now $1695. Also in is the S/S 04 Dolce & Gabbana: You want the bikinis, so groovy! There is a Lichtenstein style cartoon print one $645 and a divine paisley print one for $645. And you want the rose print jacket with frayed edging $$$! There are few other pieces but they are very conservative : there is a fab black trousers suit and chic simple white sweater $695, black polo shirt $995 but the rose pink straight print skirt is cool $1295, a beautiful backless black dress $2595, a gorgeous black skirt suit with serious seams $3995 and a black velvet blazer $2295 (bargain) are great.Plus bring in George Clooney: he needs to try on the Galliano men’s collection
Gucci: (The Rocks) The last Tom Ford for Gucci collection is now in (very early?) the winter 04 collection of bags. The retail prices have come down by 20% world wide. There is a fab logo bag with red leather trim $805, a divine red leather bag $1000, a fab logo tote with buckles on the pockets $805 and the shoes in the logo GG with red trim $500 and long silk fringed scarves in orange and blue are $400( O.k logomania is not over at Gucci !)

Ossobuco Bianco

From The River Café Cook Book this Ossobuco Bianco is just what you need to whip up when you have to cook for a cast of thousands on a cold Saturday night! It is bianco which means it’s made with white wine and no tomatoes and it needs to cook for hours and hours (like 2/12 or 3) so start cooking early so you spend hours cooking up your look while it cooking up on the stove

For 6
You need:
8 or more veal or beef ossobuco bones: remember the meat shrinks so get more if you are feeding 10 hungry men ( as you do)
7g plain flour
120g butter
2 tabs od olive oil
2 red onions finely chopped
4 celery sticks finely chopped
4 garlic cloves
9 salted anchovies ( the chilli anchovies are good )
½ to 1 bottle of wine ( some for you)

Gremolata
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
2 garlics finely chopped
3 tabs of flat leaf parsley finely chopped

·preheat oven to 150
·Dust each piece of osso buco meat with flour and salt and pepper ( it’s a bit like applying blush)
·In a big pot/saucepan/casserole dish (what ever you have) melt half the butter and the oil
·Then brown and seal the ossobuco on each side so they‘ve got a nice St Tropez tan
·Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.They say remove the fat. I say forget about the diet and leave it there.
·Melt the remaining butter and gently fry (be kind to them: they’ve already been chopped) the Celery and onion until they are soft and squidgy but no not brown.
·Smells great non?
·Add garlic and anchovies and mash them together for a minute or 2 with a fork or a masher. Gently so it all dissolves together
·Pour in the wine ( hic) and bring to the boil and reduce a bit.
·Carefully (bless them) put the ossobuco back in the big pot, layer it if you have to
·If they are not covered what the hell; just add more wine ( my philosophy in life)
·Now you can cook this in the oven or whack it on the stove to bubble bubble toil and trouble away for 21/2 hours or so ( gently simmering please)
·Pop the lid for an hour or so
·Now you can spend hours and hours getting ready for dinner
·It’s ready when it’s falling apart. But you don’t have to because you can’t really over cook it and isn’t that nice to know?
·Serve with last weeks root vegetables, the sprinkling of gremolata on top (to add a zing a ling) and your crunchy soda bread in front of an open fire.
Lovely….

The Day After Tomorrow
Outrageous. Audacious. Over the top. And ridulous preposterous nonsense. Oh, I want to see it all over again! Talk about a movie! Talk about a disaster movie. If you have been living in oblivion let me fill you in on the plot. A huge cataclysmic storm caused by global warming hits the northern hemiphere and within days brings on the next ice age. The New York Times says The Day after Tomorrow is “more or less the same melodramatic calamity freak-out movie of the early 1970’s like The Towering Inferno and the Posieden adventure” And don’t we love a calamity freakout? Dennis Quaid plays the scientist who tries to warn the mean and evil US vice President (looking very similar to Dick Cheney) and the powers that be of the dangers of global warming. But they are all too evil and money hungry to care. Then the calamity freakout erupts and crazy things happen: Tornadoes rip through L.A and a wall of water crashes up Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, followed by a great big Russian containership, and then the whole thing freezes over. Wow. It’s worth going to see it for all those special effects. This movie has been criticized for being scientifically inaccurate (incredible) but if you want to get the word out about global warming to all the dumb masses it has to be done with a big dumb movie. Dennis Quaid,who has fantastic intellectual scientific things to yell like “I think we’ve hit a critical desalinization point.” goes off to find his spunky son ( Jake Gyllenhaal) trapped luckily in the New York library so he can burn books ( outrageous) while his doctor wife stays to look after children with cancer. Of course (Check out her forehead: it’s frozen over too). But wait there’s more. The wolves escape from Zoo, everyone crosses the Rio Grande to get into Mexico (very funny) and people freeze to death but as one reviewer pointed out, there isn’t actually a calamity freak out at all. Bugger. No one is hysterical and no one needs a good old fashioned slap across their face like in the good old days. Everyone is too calm. What kind of disaster movie is this? Obviously way too cool .

Town & Country Travel Spring: this is a new magazine from Town and Country along the lines of Travel & Leisure and it’s great. Fab photography and great stories. Read about beautiful Corsica, The Disney Hall in LA, cruising in Alaska, get the low down on Barcelona and there is even a story on our very own Kylie Kwong (shot by Con Poulos).
US Elle June: Has Scarlett Johansson on the cover and funnily enough this is the sex and body issue. mmm. Read the runway report on next winter, about Tom Ford ,about internet dating and drool over lots of bikinis.
US Teen Vogue May: O.k so it’s for teenagers but it’s still Vogue! Check out has Mandy Moore on the cover, read about Lenny Kravitz’s daughter (now 15) and see lots of sweet teenage fashion.Bless
Harper’s Bazaar Aust June: has the lifted the story on Drew Barrymore from US Harpers and has her on the cover. There is a great run down on the winter shows and a great story on a groovy shop in Florence and not much else.