Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Thank you so much for popping by and visiting my blog throughout the year. I love my readers so dearly and enjoyed getting to know you a little more through your comments and emails in 2010. I hope you all have a magical Christmas and a dream-filled 2011.

I'll be taking a little blogging break and will return on January 3rd.

Take care of yourselves and your loved ones until then,

And the winner of the Lenovo laptop is...

The very lucky winner of the Lenovo lap top is the owner of comment number 28, which happens to be...


This lucky lady!

Thank you everyone that entered. I'll get in touch with Allison from Life in a Pink Fibro to get her prize to her.

Congrats! xx

Point & Shoot: Poser much?

Isn't she a poser? I was off trying to buy bread amongst the flocks of last minute shoppers {and when I say flocks, it's really no exaggeration!} and she was yelling for me, "MumMum, take a photo! MumMum, take a photo!".

So of course I obliged, and a photo was taken. She also made Gaga {my mum} pose afterwards, which of course she did... but I'll save my mum the embarrassment of sharing those pics with you.

Lacey had a run in with the table last week. She doesn't walk, she runs... and at speed. So when her forehead and the table meet... it's not pretty.

How was your weekend? Are you all done with your Christmas shopping? Feeling excited yet?

PS. Share your Point & Shoot picture/s below! xx

And the winner of the Lundby dollhouse is...

Please excuse my extreme tardiness in announcing the winner of the beautiful Lundby Stockholm house. The answers were all so good, I've let Random.org do all the hard work and pick a winner for me.

The lucky winner of the house is comment number 39, which is this lucky lady...

Congratulations Erin! Email me at fatmumslim@bigpond.com and I'll get the lovely people at Lundby to send the dollhouse out to you. xx

What to get the person who has everything.

There's always someone in your family or friend circle who really doesn't need anything this Christmas. They've got the latest gadgets, are fussy when it comes to clothes & beauty products, and just really don't need... anything.

For me that person is Hubby. Each year I'll suggest present ideas to him, and he'll say "Nah, I don't really need it". And then in a month's time he's at the shops buying the very same thing for himself.

For these such people I say make them this chocolate peanut butter fudge sauce. They don't need it {of course} but, oh boy, will they love it!

It's very naughty, completely indulgent and a whole lot of delicious. It's by the queen of the kitchen herself, Nigella Lawson. Hopefully the sauce makes it into the bottles before it gets to your tummy. Enjoy.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Sauce

Ingredients
175ml pure cream
100g milk chocolate, chopped
100g smooth peanut butter
3 tbs golden syrup

Method
♥ Put the cream, chopped chocolate, peanut butter and golden syrup into a saucepan & place on medium heat to melt. Stir occasionally.
♥ After 2 minutes the sauce should be ready. If you're giving it for a gift wait for it to cool, then bottle and refrigerate. If you're making for yourself serve with caramel, chocolate and vanilla ice cream and top with chopped peanuts.

Check out these printable labels from Martha that would look pretty neat on top of the bottle.

Do you have one person that you find it really hard to buy for? What's your solution?

The day I didn't meet Oprah.

I like to think I'm a little bit psychic. For as long as I can remember I've had this sixth sense. I know when something will or won't happen. I can see it and feel it. Will we be having sushi for dinner? Hmmm.... I can't really see it. Will I win lotto? I can feel it {all $13.55 of it}. Usually I'm right.

When I heard that Oprah was coming to town, I knew that I would meet her. I could actually see it and feel it. I told my Ma and my Lil Sis that I was going to meet her, and they knew that I was too. I made a wish. I put it on my inspiration board, and then I signed up for tickets to her Sydney show {using an email address of each person in my family}. I even roped Big Sis in and told her to register for tickets, with me as her guest {of course}.

And then I waited. I stalked my inbox. I stalked my mum's inbox. I stalked Lil Sis' inbox. A day or so passed and then Oprah hit all three inboxes at once. Rejection.

I'm not gonna lie. I cried. I thought I was really going to meet her. I'd sensed it.

Big Sis messaged me, "I'll get you those tickets. Somehow."

Lil Sis {unbeknown to me} wrote to Oprah telling her how much I needed to meet her.

Ma comforted me, in disbelief herself.

I spent the past weekend amid Christmas parties, shopping & everything else hoping for an Oprah miracle. Hoping that she'd turn up at my door to say hello, or I'd see her driving along and she'd roll down her window to give me a thumbs up and wish me well.

I even stalked the Bondi Rescue crew on Twitter to find out when she'd be down at Bondi Beach so that I could meet Oprah herself. Heck, I even asked Hubby if he could somehow get me into the airport so I could see her as she got off the plane. No go.

As we did what we did over the weekend, Oprah was never far from my thoughts {especially with every second word on radio, TV and out of people's mouths being... Oprah}. Every now and then {Hubby would say more than that} I would mention something about her.

"She's fitting a lot into her time, isn't she?"
"I wonder if the guests will get free stuff?"
"I bet she goes to Icebergs for lunch."

As I picked up the Sunday newspapers I noticed she was wearing a beautiful kaftan, and I pointed it out to Hubby. "Doesn't she look beautiful? Isn't that a beautiful top?"

Hubby looked at me and patiently replied, "Yep, she does. It's probably a Camilla top."

"You know," he continued, "There's not one person in the world I'd be like this about. Not one."

"Like what?" I asked, "I'm just talking about her."

I thought about it and I didn't need him to reply. If I could I would have camped out where ever she was. Kids and Christmas parties held me back. I was gutted I didn't get tickets. I've watched her shows since I was a kid. I buy every O magazine. I have her DVD set.

I drove home on Sunday night a little bit heart broken. Oprah was mere metres from my house for lunch and holidaying in my home city. I didn't meet her. I didn't even see her.

And that will forever be the day I didn't meet Oprah.

Is there anyone in the world that you feel this way about? Is there anyone that you'd love to meet?

WIN a Marc Jacobs purse {seriously!}.

Can you hear me squealing all the way from where you are? Can you? I'm beyond excited. Like can't-wipe-this-smile-off-my-dial-excited! Lustable {the blog powered by Paypal} recently got in touch and asked whether I'd like to be involved in their fun Christmas giveaway. I said yes {who wouldn't?}. Saying yes meant that I go to go shopping and pick a gift of my choice for my readers. I could pick any shop in the world as long as they shipped to Australia and as long as they had Paypal at their checkout. Turns out lots of shops have Paypal... and lots of shops ship to Australia. Yipppeeee.

And so what did I pick? Well, how could I go past my main man... Mr Marc Jacobs. I ♥ Marc Jacobs, and am thrilled to say that this wallet from BlueFly.com could be yours!
I usually make entering comps pretty darn easy for everyone to enter, but this one requires a little more effort. I'm sure you won't mind... it's for Marc! To enter you have to do the following:

1. Follow Lustable on Twitter.
2. Use this hash tag in your entry: #Lust4Xmas
3. Answer the following question on Twitter {don't forget to use the hashtag and be a follower of Lustable too!}: What are you wishing for this Christmas?

Good luck. I'm extremely jealous! xx

Terms of entry for Lustable.com.au's 12 Days of Christmas:
1. This promotion is sponsored by PayPal.
2. Entrants must enter via Twitter by:
a. Following @Lustable_
b. Including #Lust4Xmas in their entry
c. Answering the question "What are you wishing for this Christmas?"
3. All entry points in section 2 must be fulfilled in order for an entry to be deemed valid.
4. The prize is Marc Jacobs wallet valued at $250, inclusive of shipping.
5. The prize winner will be chosen by Chantelle {FatMumSlim} on Wednesday 15th December at 7am
6. Winners will be notified via direct message on Twitter within 24 hours of prize draw by @Lustable_.
7. This is a game of skill. Chance plays no part in determining the winner of this competition.
8. Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash or credit.
9. Prizes will be shipped within 28 days of a winner being chosen.
10. If a prize is unavailable, Lustable.com.au reserves the right to substitute a similar item of equal or lesser value in its place.

WIN a Lenovo IdeaPad!

I use my old PC for editing my photos and using Photoshop. My house must look like a geek took over some days, I swear. The PC open, the Mac open, the Bamboo pad out... and the printer out too. A geek girl's gotta do, what a girl's gotta do.

Over the years Lacey has not been too kind to my PC. It's missing the shift, control, capslock and a few letter keys. It's had it's day, to say the least. I've loved it, but it's time to head to the graveyard of laptops.

And welcome the new Lenovo IdeaPad. Sleek, sexy and stylish. We've only been acquainted a short while, but so far it's love. It's perfect for the geek on the go, and perfect for blogging too. It's got super sonic speakers that almost blew me away when I tested them. Hello! It's perfect for creating blog, reading blogs, listening to music {even if you want the music to be heard in the room next door!}, watching movies and I guess playing games too {if that's your thang!}.


I'm very excited to tell you that I have one Lenovo IdeaPad Z560 to give away to one lucky FMS reader! Lenovo say that: Users are able to enjoy watching movies on the IdeaPad Z560 with its 15 inch high-definition (HD), 16:9 format widescreen, and Dolby® Advanced Audio for a spectacular audio experience. The Z560 also features OneKey™ Theater II, which includes a range of audio-visual settings to enable the optimal viewing of videos and multimedia content. The IdeaPad Z560 is available with the all new 2010 Intel® Core™ processor family and NVIDIA® GeForce® graphics. All for the tidy sum of $1199

You can read more about the Z560's features here.

To enter to win the IdeaPad simply leave a comment below answering this question: I definitely have some inner geek, what's something that people might not know about you?

{boring bits}
Competition closes Sunday 19th December 2010 at 11:59pm.
Competition open to Australian residents only.
Only one entry per person.
Winner will be announced next Monday. Please either check back to see if you've won, or leave an email for me to contact you. We'd love to get this out to you before Christmas.

How to impress this silly season.

I've got the key to impressing friends, family, acquaintances and anyone else this silly season, and it takes just four ingredients. It's the chocolate ripple cake. Find the recipe here.

We had our family Christmas party yesterday. I thought I'd whip one of these up, and instead of the usual log I'd make it into a wreath. How clever of me. It's the first time I'd made it, and it was super delicious. {So delicious that before I could take a photo my aunt took a cheeky slice!}.

I'm exhausted from our weekend. All the Christmas shopping is done. All the family parties have been celebrated. I love this time of year, but I need a big nap to get over it... already.

How was your weekend? Is all your Christmas shopping done?

PS. Share your Point & Shoot pic below. x

Wishing & hoping.

These beautiful pieces are going straight onto my wish list. Aren't they beautiful? They're from Etsy seller Joanna Rutter.


Have a lovely weekend. What do you have planned?

BLOGversation: First ever post.

Hello!

Today I wanted to get in the minds of my fellow bloggers and ask: What was your first ever blog post about?

Feel free to share a link to it below. xx

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Natalie: five things I love.

Italy. My secret happy place; my forever fantasy. As long as Italy stays where she is, I'm comforted knowing I have somewhere to run.

Vintage clothes, of which I worry sometimes are more geek than chic. This green baby I bought on Hollywood Boulevard in L.A.
This photo of my beautiful mum, Eva. Apart from the fact it has my dear mum in it, I love the contrast between the delicate black crochet and the explosive white headpiece. Who's the stylist?

My garden. I live in Hong Kong {and love it} and gardens simply don't exist this close to downtown. Oh, 'cept ours, shhhh, don't tell anyone.

My boyfriend, Brent, who makes me lolly-eyed. I've worked out that dating my best friend, who also happens to be rather hot, is a truly excellent combination.

Win 1 of 10 Beloved Homes! books.

It's quite funny... as I started to write this post Kirstie's Homemade Home popped up on the television and she told me, "We're living in a flat pack world".

I looked around my home and we have our fair share of flat-pack furniture {by the way, I'm a champion flat-pack putter-togetherer}, but we've also mixed together our own personality-filled pieces {look at me calling them 'pieces' like we're all fancy or something!}.

Ikea {flat-pack mecca} allows even the most budget-savvy shopper to have style in their homes, without breaking the bank. Gotta love that.

Beloved Homes is {as they describe themselves} a drop-in book of nine much-loved homes, from those who love life at home. It's a book put together by Ikea Family of homes they visited in Sweden, showcasing the way Swedes furnish their Ikea inspired homes.

The book {which is a first in a series} is available from January for $29.95 {or $19.95 if you're an Ikea Family member}. Ikea Family has lots of other perks and benefits, you can check it out here.

I'm lucky enough to be giving away 10 copies of this beautiful book to 10 lucky FatMumSlim readers before it's even launched. All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me: What do you love about your home?

{boring stuff}
Competition open to Australian residents only.
Competition closes Wednesday 15th December at 11:59pm.
One entry per person only.

Daily joy: magazine love.

I was pleasantly surprised to get a little mention in Disney's Family Fun magazine (out today). What's bringing you joy today?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Ahoy There.

I've never had a work Christmas party before. I've been working for 14 years and not once been to a Christmas party. Is that weird? So this year, for the first time ever, I'll be celebrating the end of the year with... work mates! The theme is nautical... which is fun but I can't for the life find me anything cool, and not over the top. I'm thinking a anchor necklace might get me by.

Will you be attending a work Christmas party this year? Do you enjoy them, or do you attend them reluctantly?

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Red-head.

When I was seven it came time for the rite of passage that many Australia girls would go through, the buying of the Cabbage Patch Kid. It was the 'in' thing. Everyone had one, and at the ripe old age of seven it was finally my time.

We strolled through Venture and my little eyes caught a glimpse of the big green tinged boxes of dolls. I was in Cabbage Patch Kids heaven. Big Sis and I looked those dolls over. We moved boxes to find our perfect match.

She chose a dark skinned boy, and I chose a red headed girl. A boy? A red head? We weren't the classic toy buying kids. Big Sis did question my choice {whilst I didn't dare question hers, she was cool... and I adored anything she did}, "A red-head? Do you really want a red-head?"

I remember Ma and Big Sis telling me that I'd probably regret my choice, and that I should perhaps get the blonde doll, with hair like mine. Although usually placid, and non-defiant, I stood my ground. I wanted the red-head. And I took her home.

I can remember that day really clearly. I smirk when I think of it, and how I came about to marry my perfect match... my red-headed prince charming. And we have our own little doll, a strawberry-haired Lacey Mae.

I've loved reading about all the toys that everyone loved as kids {for the Doll House comp, which ends tonight}. I don't have any of my toys as they were ruined in storage, but I seem to have had most of the toys that you all did too {Rainbow Bright, Care Bears...}.

My Cabbage Patch Kids was named Adriana Laura & Big Sis has Leigh Broderick. Did you have a Cabbage Patch Kid? What was it's name?

Beauty Therapy.

Last week as I was getting my eyebrows tended to I ran into my beautician {my eyebrow expert & beautician share the same salon}. My beautician, Natasha, is one of the nicest people ever. I adore her.

Through her I've learnt that your skin tells a story. If you've been neglecting your body, drinking too much {alcohol}, not drinking enough {water}, stressing, hormonal or eating too many sweets... it shows in your skin.

For the past 6 months my skin has been mediocre. It has it's moments where it's a little bit less-mediocre but it's showing signs of stress.

As soon as I saw Natasha, I could tell that she was giving my skin the once over. After the hellos were done, she said, "Your skin is stressed".

I nodded. I knew it was. Despite many efforts {creams, lotions, rose-hip oil, water, sunshine} I couldn't get it to improve.

"Are you OK?" she asked, in the sweet, concerned way she always does.

"I'm fine," I replied without putting much thought into it.

She looked at me with concern, and raised her eyebrows as if to say, "really?".

I could feel the tears start to well, and my bottom lip start to quiver. Inside I was thinking, "Are you going to cry? Why are you even sad? You're not sad. Don't cry? What on earth is going on here?"

"Do you miss Shane?"

"I do. I really do," I said as I wiped away the tears, "I just miss talking with him, laughing with him, I miss his company. I miss him".

Natasha is one of those souls that just makes you feel comfortable, that genuinely cares, that can tell by one look at you {or your skin} that something is up, and she seemed to know {even when I didn't} that something was bothering me.

Gives a whole new meaning to beauty therapy, doesn't it?

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Summer Loving.

I'm always glad when summer is over {just like I'm ecstatic when winter is over}, but when this warm whether begins I start to daydream about all the delicious things I love about this season. Here's my to-do list for summer:

♥ super cold slurpees
♥ swimming in the ocean
♥ dresses, dresses + more dresses
♥ ice creams {mint choc-chip!}
♥ camping out in front of the fan
♥ getting teeny new freckles
♥ sun flare in photos!
♥ sand castle making in the morning
♥ fruit! {watermelon, cherries, nectarines!}
♥ getting a good haircut {this Friday!}
♥ BBQs + salads
♥ easy footwear {thongs + sandals}
♥ bright mani + pedis
♥ late afternoon swims when the tourists have gone home

What do you love about summer? What's on your fun to-do list for the next few months?

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