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Saturday 29 September 2012

Gelatissimo 'birthday cake creation' flavour and my tour of Gelatissimo HQ - delizioso!

What would you say if you were offered a tour of an Italian-style gelato-making factory?

Probably what I said: "Si, certo!" [Translation: "Yes, of course!"]

And so, off I trekked to Gelatissimo's HQ with a belly and a palate ready to trial their new ice cream flavour, one especially created to celebrate their 10th birthday.

Here's me taking a polite-for-the-camera lick... in reality, I was devouring this flavour like nobody's business. It was... just... too good!



This 'birthday cake creation' flavour will be available from September 6, which is ten years after they opened their very first store in Sydney. Let's talk about the flavours of this exceptional gelato: layers of chocolate sponge, soaked in coffee, mascarpone and zabaione gelato, melted Nutella and finished off with a macadamia and amaretto crumble. 

Yup. It's as amazing as you just imagined.

The 'birthday cake creation' flavour will be available in all Gelatissimo stores from September 6 until November 11, 2012.


More about the company: Gelatissimo opened their first store in 2002, with Gelatissimo now boasting over 40 locations internationally [there's even one in Florence - THE place for artisan gelato! That really impresses me].

Gelatissimo are pretty deft at creating flavours that capture their rich Italian heritage, as well as ones that embody the Australian spirit, paying homage to the country where it all began. Talk about tasty assimilation!

For the remainder of the anniversary year, they will be the releasing some of the best Italian-style summer sorbets, followed by flavours that represent key cities of Italy, finally wrapping up the year-long celebration with traditional sweets from the country known for having a passion for great food – some would say [okay, I would say] they make THE best of the best.

In charge of creating these new, indulgent desserts will be Gelatissimo’s newly appointed gelato making specialist, Anna Temellini. A native Italian, Anna, along with her partner and four-year-old daughter, have relocated to Australia so Anna can oversee product development. As you can imagine, the traditional gelato-making artiste is extremely excited to kick off her new position by creating an array of luscious desserts for Gelatissimo’s 10th birthday.




I met Anna during my trip to Gelatissimo HQ and she is exceptional at what she does. I loved having a bilingual chat with her... and heaping warranted praise on her yummy creation, in between wolfing down the delectable gelato.

Says Dominic Lopresti, joint CEO, Gelatissimo, “We are thrilled to have Anna on board. Her experience making fresh artisan gelato in Italy is yet another thing to celebrate this year, and we are excited to see what she contributes to make what I believe is already the best quality gelato in Australia even better!”

Adds Dominic: “One of our key strengths in the market is constantly creating new flavours
for our customers, so prepared to be amazed with what we have in store for our tenth birthday year!"

Gelatissimo Gelaterias are open seven days a week. Prices start from $4.90 for a 'piccolo' (one scoop).

For a full list of Gelatissimo flavours and product listings, including locations, visit their new website at www.gelatissimo.com.au

And you can 'like' Gelatissimo on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/gelatissimo

Oh, and you can follow them on Twitter here @gelatissimo_aus

Friday 28 September 2012

Jill Meagher: negative comments on social media may hurt legal proceedings. Plus, family's statement

Following the sad news this morning that Jill Meagher's body has been found, and a man arrested and charged [see: http://www.josiesjuice.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/jill-meaghers-body-found-man-arrested.html] Jill's husband Tom has spoken outside the Melbourne Magistrates Court, thanking the public for its support.



"Despite the fact that this is the worst thing that we will ever go through in our lives, I've been really humbled by the support of the Australian public, the tireless efforts of the police and all the friends and families who've put their lives on hold to help us out.

"And while I really appreciate all the support I just would like to mention that negative comments on social media may hurt legal proceedings, so please be mindful of that," Tom said.


There you have it: a statement against negative comments on social media, with very good reason. Let's hope people who enjoy a flippant, negative rant on social media sites can understand why and keep a lid on it.

Here's further explanation why social media can have a negative effect:

While police concede the social media campaign to find Ms Meagher helped in the investigation, they are now concerned about the potential of 'trial by social media'.

The Facebook page established soonafter Jill's disappearance has attracted more than 122,000 'likes', and while most messages offer genuine words of support and concern, other people elsewhere online have posted comments that are deemed to potentially prejudice court proceedings.

On the Facebook site, this message from Victoria Police:

"We thank you for your on-going support at this difficult time.

“Please remember that it is inappropriate to post speculation or comments about matters before the courts. We ask you to refrain from posting anything on social media which could jeopardise or endanger the presumption of innocence, as this has the very high potential to interfere with the administration of justice,” it said.

A Tweet echoed the same: "Please remember posting comments which endanger the presumption of innocence can also jeopardise a trial."

Also today, Ms Meagher's uncle, Michael McKeon, released a statement on behalf of Jill's family in Ireland [her parents and brother have been living in Perth for several years, while her and her husband's extended families are in Ireland].

"We are devastated. We are heartbroken. She was the first grand-child my mother had and her aunts, uncles and cousins are powerless to describe their loss.

"There are no words to describe how we feel at what has happened. We had hope yesterday when there was no evidence of foul play but when the man in the CCTV footage was arrested we feared the worst.

"We acknowledge the role that social media has played in the search for Jill. We believe that it has helped us in the search but it is not the outcome we had hoped and prayed for.

"We thank the people around the world who have supported us.

"Both the McKeon family and Meagher family will have to plan now to grieve for Jillian and this is going to be one of the hardest things given that only three years ago we came together for the marriage of this lovely couple."

Photo courtesy: Herald Sun.

Jill Meagher's body found, man arrested and charged. Let's stop this victim blaming mentality

With the deeply upsetting breaking news that Jill Meagher's body has been found, and the arrest of a 41 year old man in relation to her murder and abduction, there is a palpable sadness and fear surrounding the death of Jill.



Everywhere, women - and men - are asking: why did this happen? And are we safe anymore?

I've read several opinion pieces on this, with this one below - titled 'Can we please stop the victim blaming', by Clementine Ford - raising the most pertinent questions.

An excerpt:

The "Help Find Jill Meagher" community Facebook page included the following comment from a 'member':
"She was obviously at a bar/club, left there in the early hours of the morning, obviously partially pissed/drunk, and she 'lead someone on' [sic] and the consequences followed her. if she is going to flirt with someone, make sure that you go through with it because someone is obviously pissed off with her….in my opinion, it’s now old news, she met with foul play as a result of her actions inside the pub/bar OR as I mentioned before…ask the husband." 
If you think it’s disgusting to speculate on whether or not a still-missing woman might have been ‘asking for it’, you’d be right. (I’m sure I don’t even need to repeat that the idea of anyone, man or woman, ‘asking’ to have violence of any sort inflicted upon them is utter codswallop, no matter what they might have been wearing/doing/drinking at the time.)
What is this?
So, it's her fault? I don't say you should put yourself in harm's way - ever, men or women - but: have we started to lost our right to walk anywhere, alone, at any time?

C'mon, admit it. How many times have you said to a friend, "No, I can walk back to my car. It's just further up," feeling like you shouldn't 'bother' someone with the 'hassle'. Or, "That's okay, I'll just wait for a cab." Or,"It's just a short walk home. My home is just five minutes up the road."

It could've been you or I. Make no mistake. The saying, "There but by the grace of God, go I" comes to mind.

What is also gutting to me is that not only are we dealing with a society where rape and abduction is now sadly part of life... but murdering your victim? So brutal, unnecessary, an abrupt, horrible end to a life, a life that did nothing to deserve this end.

In offering advice on safety, Charlie Bezzina, former Victoria Police Homicide Detective, said on TV's 'Breakfast' this morning: "You've got to be mindful of not making yourself a target; whilst you've got the right to walk the streets as you please, be mindful of... alternatives... being walked home, or being walked to your car, or walk to a tram stop. I know we shouldn't live that but that's just a fact of life."

Kathryn Robinson from the show asks: what makes you a target? "Walking along the street, talking on the phone... you're distracted. You need to be aware. You should be walking the street like you're driving a motor car. With your vision going everywhere... your sixth sense will tell you if there's something amiss, and you'll react accordingly. Just be aware of your surroundings, and react with what your judgement is."

While Bezzina is not suggesting for a second that any woman - or man - is to blame, he is suggesting we are vigilant of what's going on around us.

That of course doesn't mean a single thing in the end, when someone is determined to strike and end someone's life. There is indeed no single answer.

What's your take on this whole very upsetting story?

RIP Jill Meagher. Tears.

Thursday 27 September 2012

'Being Liverpool' - documentary series: must-watch for Liverpool fans

"Liverpool is a religion. And Anfield is our place of worship."

And so begins part one of the extraordinarily candid documentary series called 'Being Liverpool', with never-before-seen footage that puts a lump in your throat if you're a die-hard Liverpool fan. And even if you're not.

Watch the trailer for episode one:



This six part series gives fans a true insight into the club, the history, the players... including access to the players' homes.

Watching it with my husband a few nights ago [he's an extreme aficionado and his shrine to Liverpool in his office is testament to that] we were agog that we were able to 'meet' Steven Gerrard's beautiful family, and see his home. Likewise, the viewer meets several other players in their homes, and even new manager Brendan Rodgers gives us the ol' home tour.

The best part [apart from hearing actor Clive Owen narrating the entire thing]? Australian viewers are seeing this doco unfold at the same time as UK viewers. It's brand new - with footage as recent as May 2012 - and charts not only the rich history of the football club, but the hopes they carry for all the 'scousers', as well as dedicated Liverpool fans worldwide. It really is unmissable. It had me glued.

Australian viewers can catch 'Being Liverpool' from episode one [repeat] on Saturday night at 8.30pm, on Fox Sports1, and then each Saturday thereafter.

'Moon River': Andy Williams dies. A tribute. Plus, Tina Fey as Audrey Hepburn in 'Entertainment Weekly' magazine

The man who sang the beautifully moving song 'Moon River' has died. Andy Williams was 84.

Composed by Johnny Mercer [lyrics] and Henry Mancini [music] it won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1961.

Here it is:



And here is the version sung by Audrey Hepburn, for the iconic movie 'Breakfast at Tiffanys':



And pop culture/'Sex & The City' aficionados know it featured in that ep where Big is leaving New York:



And how's this for timing: the current issue of Entertainment Weekly features Tina Fey as Audrey Hepburn. Sublime:

Balayage hair upkeep: how to refresh colour, as done by hair guru Alex PF Jackson

Changing hair colour can make you feel like a brand new person. Who doesn't enjoy a transformation at the hands of a pro...?

This year has been about loads of colour experimentation. I went from this...


To this:




You can read about how my hair guru Alex PF Jackson did my first hair colour here:


And how he updated it, below.

Refreshing a balayage hair colour can seem a little daunting [how on earth are the roots re-
done? And the ends?] but in the right hands, the results can be stunning.

In Alex's words, here is what he did:

What did you do to change my hair colour – what did the process involve, in 
layman’s terms?

Alex: On your hair I used La Biosthetique semi-permanent colour. I didn't change the root 
colour. The original colour after the toner was a level 9 (blonde) sandy warm blonde reflect.
This time I did a level 6 (dark blonde) with a copper /gold reflect  with an ash reflect.
                       
The end result is a cool dusty copper gold.

I followed this with a La Biosthetique Instant silk after colour treatment.

Why is new generation ombre colour ‘easy’ to change?

Alex: Last season’s balayage technique was all about having dark roots and mid-lengths to 
ends several shades lighter.

This season it’s all about having your mid lengths/ends colour only 2-3 shades lighter than 
the root colour and having the colour the same tone/reflect as the root area, for example if 
your roots are a copper brown, having the same copper brown on the mid/ends and only 
2-3 shades lighter to create the ombre effect )

So if you have balayage, it can be a one/two-step process to make last season’s colour into
this season sensation.

Loving my colour right now... and look forward to a colour refresh from Alex very shortly.

If you'd like Alex to work some serious hair magic on your hair - balayage, ombre, or 
otherwise - here's how you can contact him: alexpfjackson@gmail.com - and you can see 
his work - and 'like' him and what he does - by clicking here: 

Wednesday 26 September 2012

Lady Gaga: 'fat' pic comeback - her own photos

This photo of Lady Gaga was posted online several days ago, and some of the nasty, internet-y world went a bit nuts... and decidedly cruel about her sudden and obvious weight gain:



And just now, Lady Gaga has had this shot taken, below, and posted it on her site LittleMonsters.com.

She Tweeted to her fans to "join A BODY REVOLUTION," and captioned this photo of herself  with: "Bulimia and anorexia since I was 15."


She also posted another lingerie shot of herself, showing off her butt, with the caption: "To inspire Bravery. and BREED some m$therf*cking COMPASSION."


Wowsers, that's telling it like it is!

Do you agree with Lady Gaga's approach?

Tuesday 25 September 2012

'Asleep at the Chateau' - Eva Longoria, Usher, and more in coffee table book

The Chateau Marmont is legendary for its Hollywood guests... and the notorious events which take place there. In fact, Harry Cohn, founder of Columbia Pictures, once said: "If you must get in trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont."

Photographer Jork Weismann recognises this iconic hotel as a place where stars can be themselves and relax, in a book entitled "Asleep at the Chateau", where Jork shows a quieter, softer side of the infamous hotel, snapping celebs enjoying their downtime.

Indeed, looks like Eva Longoria languishes at the hotel sans clothes... check out her pic, and other photos from the coffee table book, available via Distributed Art Publishers from October 31.



Sofia Vergara wardrobe malfunction: photos and dancing at HBO party video

God bless Sofia Vergara.

She's the woman you want at your party, the one who dances up a storm, keeps guests fired up. She did all that... and more, at the HBO Emmys after party. See viral video below. 

But first, girl split her stunning Zuhair Murad dress minutes before going on stage. Sofia Tweeted: "Dress malfunction !!! Thank you emergency team!!!" - and posted these pics:

Check out the viral video doing the rounds of Sofia dancing to 'Conga' and 'I Like It' at the HBO aftter party, in the very same Zuhair Murad dress:



Look at her embracing new fiance Nick Loeb. No wonder he put a ring on it...


Wardrobe malfunctions on a night out... has this happened to you? Spill!

Monday 24 September 2012

Emmys 2012 Backstage Photos - part two

The Emmys 2012 backstage and in-your-seat pics is where the real action is! Look!


Who is YOUR fave?

Want more? Here we are: http://www.josiesjuice.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/emmys-2012-backstage-photos-part-one.html

[All photos courtesy emmys.com]

Emmys 2012 Backstage Photos - part one

Now here's something you don't often see: the Emmys backstage pics! Far more fun and relaxed than the red carpet pics. Check 'em out:


Fave pics so far? Stay tuned for part two...

[All photos courtesy emmys.com]

Friday 21 September 2012

Samsung Galaxy S III takes a swipe at iPhone

Oooh, cheeky Samsung Galaxy, taking a swipe at Apple iPhone! Watch this just-released viral video:


Are you an iPhone devotee or a Galaxy aficionado?

Aaand the memes start!







'Gangnam Style' mother and son dance duo: on Ellen

Have you seen this mother and son dance duo viral vid? It's TOO good. So good that Ellen had them on her show, performing the dance! Watch:

Amy Poehler talks raising boys with Ellen

It's no easy task raising two boys - just listen to Amy Poehler's take during her interview with Ellen:



Do you have boys? Does this ring true?

'The Conversation' - on Foxtel, on Style: hosted by Amanda de Cadanet

Have you heard about 'The Conversation'?

Remember when Miley Cyrus talked about how sex was "magical and cool"? Yep, it was on this show.

Here's the clip and backgrounder: http://josiesjuice.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/miley-cyrus-sex-is-magical-and-cool.html

And here is an entire ep, featuring... well, just watch: http://josiesjuice.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/conversation-jane-fonda-gwyneth-paltrow.html

It's hosted by British personality Amanda de Cadanet - and co-exec-produced by Demi Moore - and guess what? It's finally being broadcast in Australia! See details below.



Check out the show's clip, to give you a good idea of the format and flavour of the show:



This clip featuring Zoe Saldana created lots of buzz when it screened in the US:



More about the show: the Australian premiere date is Monday, October 22 2012 at 9.30pm, on the Style channel on Foxtel.

Amanda is also a renowned photographer, and for those who really know their pop culture, you'll know she was once married to John Taylor from Duran Duran, also the father of her first child; she is now married to The Stroke guitarist Nick Valensi, with whom she has twins.

Amanda was thrust into the spotlight at the age of 14 as the host of various UK television shows. After years being in front of the camera, she decided to try her hand at photography and hasn’t looked back since. After a 20 year career, she is still the youngest woman to shoot a Vogue magazine cover and her work has appeared in a range of magazines such as Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar and The New York Times Magazine. Impressive!

In 'The Conversation', Amanda interviews some of the world’s most influential women. The roll call is quite incredible and impressive: Jane Fonda, Lady Gaga, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kelly Preston, Eva Longoria, Alicia Keys, Sarah Silverman, Ivanka Trump, Olivia Wilde, and loads more, on all topics including sex positions [yep], love, fake breasts, losing a child, losing a parent, sexuality, body image, relationships, career and finances, human rights and politics. 

The show is a refreshing and intimate take on the interview format, with each hour-long episode presenting an honest and raw view of the shared issues affecting women today. 

The best part is watching de Cadenet’s natural ease, as well as the cosy interview setting – most interviews take place in either her, or the interviewee’s home. 

'The Conversation' also features "Women on the Street” segments in which a range of women will reveal their personal feelings about their lives and the world today.

Don't miss it. Ladies, it's worth getting Foxtel for, if you don't already have it. Really.

'The Conversation' premieres October 22 at 9.30pm AEDT only on Style. (Style is available on Foxtel on Channel 122)

Edward Duke Rancic photos, and Giuliana & Bill's surrogate Delphine is introduced

Here is the first full, gorgeous photo of Edward Duke Rancic, son of Bill Rancic and Giuliana Rancic, Tweeted by Giuliana yesterday:


She also told E! News:

"He's just the best baby in the world, but I'm sure all mothers say that. He's beyond adorable, though. I'm completely enamored."

"At like seven in the morning, we bring him into our bed, and we'll just be with him for three hours at a time," she said. "It's just great, because he kind of dozes off. We look at each other, and he's just precious. It's a nice bonding time. We put him under the covers with us and just kind of cuddle. It's amazing."
Aren't the first few weeks just incredibly precious?
Look, here is a another shot, taken by Giuliana:
The new parents' surrogate has been named as a woman called Delphine, and she is to appear on the couple's show 'Giuliana & Bill' [broadcast in Australia on the Style network, on Foxtel]. Here is a photo of her, as she appears on the show:
They have said about her:
“Once we met her it was an instinct we had. We could tell she was a great person.She is giving us the greatest gift we’re ever getting in our lives. She’s so selflessly helping make our dream a reality. We adore her.”
To read more about the couple's whole journey, go here: