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Wednesday 31 October 2012

Edward Duke Rancic: new baby photo - two months old

Oh, who doesn't like an adorbs baby pic? Especially when that bub is the offspring of Giuliana and Bill Rancic...

This is Edward Duke Rancic, now two months old. Cute, huh?


E! News was given this cu-ute photo by the proud baby-mamma to show him off to the world.

Oh, and the striped Ralph Lauren 'onesie' is a gift from that other E! success story: the Kardashians.

For more on the Rancic's journey, click here: http://josiesjuice.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/edward-duke-rancic-photos-and-giuliana.html

And for more on this latest pic, go here: http://au.eonline.com/news/358599/aww-bill-and-giuliana-rancic-s-son-duke-is-2-months-old-see-the-adorable-photo

Halloween: scary or just good fun? How my reluctance morphed into enthusiasm

Halloween.

Does the word send a shiver up your spine, or excite you ("woo, another reason to dress up!")?

Last week - for me - it was the former.

My daughter said something about Halloween when I picked her up from daycare during our usual daycare-round-up conversation, and immediately my head went to: "Oh no, they've told them about Halloween!" I can't 'hide' this 'festival' from them any longer!"

My head also went to: me reluctantly buying outfits and scary skulls, and sugary lollies and other things in the category I call waste-of-money. I'm no Grinch but it was something I didn't really want my kids to take part in. I am not sure why, but I am sure that reluctance to be 'Americanised' (too late for that) floated around in my head. (And really, most of the time, I do enjoy 'Americanisation').

I hadn't given it much thought since last week. My daughter wanted me to buy a witch hat and a bag of skull-logo lollies on a random trip to Big W on Saturday, and I did. I had no interest in trick or treating and certainly wasn't going to introduce the idea... well at least not until she begged me to when she found out all her friends were doing it...



But today... today, yes... it was a different story.

I was happy to dress up my daughter in a Halloween outfit someone gifted her last year, as all the kids were invited to put on their Halloween best at daycare (I will admit I called the daycare this AM to check: "Are they dressing up in Halloween gear today?"). My daughter loves any excuse for a dress-up (so do I!) and it was a thrill to see her so excited about her outfit and how to coordinate it (again, it in her DNA).

I was not prepared at all for my son, and so popped over to Big W where all the Halloween motif tees were sold out, so I had to make do with a rather funky pair of khaki shorts with tiny skulls all over. A flouro tee with something scary I now can't remember on the front also made the cut. He hates things on his head but he bravely put on those ridiculously fun headband things with horns or some-such scary madness. I am sure he took them off two minutes later, cute little poppet.

The Reject Shop also got a visit... again, they were mostly sold out of spooky merchandise but I did find a silver tinsel skull garland, a fabulous little 'Beware' sign which plays that spooky organ music (Bach's 'Toccata'), and witches hats with flowy black hair. Perfect. Fun enough to be a part of Halloween - not scary enough to freak them the hell out.

And so: will I embrace the Halloween tradition with each passing year? Highly likely. I am already starting to feel twinges of being "peer-pressured mum" - that is, wanting to conform to what everyone else's kids are doing so my kids don't feel left out (trust me, you'll do the same for your kiddies).

But I actually find that I DO enjoy the notion of camaraderie and fun and dress-ups for the kids... and what's so scary about that?


Monday 29 October 2012

Vogue Italia: November 2012 - Kate Upton

Vogue Italia November 2012 cover preview, featuring uber-model Kate Upton:



That is all.

*Don't know much about Kate? Here is your crash course: http://josiesjuice.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/kate-upton-gq-usa-september-2012.html

"This year I got diagnosed with adult ADHD" - Jocelyn Brewer's story

Do you often juggle a gazillion balls but seem to catch none?

Do you start and stop a million things... and never have a sense of accomplishment at the end of your day - every single day?

Have you often said flippantly: "Gosh, I MUST have ADHD! I can't concentrate on any one thing at any one time, and never finish a single thing."?

Sometimes - well, often - I feel this way, and I know that as a working mum I am not alone.

But do I actually have an ADHD diagnosis? Well, I am not diagnosed, but on reading this story (first published on the site Daily Life - see link below - and reproduced with full permission from the author Jocelyn Brewer) I know there is more to that feeling I have daily.

Here is Jocelyn's story:

I have always been acutely aware of time – my first experience of it dragging was from the ticking clock on 60 Minutes. For a kid, 60 Minutes is the world's most boring show. I was annoyed to learn there are sixty minutes in an hour and that yes, the adults' show would be going for another 59 circuits of the second hand and no, I could not change the channel. Why couldn't they just say all their boring things faster?

At swimming training I would nag my friend to tell me the time at regular intervals, and calculate the minutes until the two-hour session of following the black line would end. This friend had a waterproof watch and six cabbage patch dolls at home. It was the 1980s and both those things were valued commodities. I hoped that swimming faster would help the time pass more quickly. It didn't, but I became a regional breastroke champion.

I started to noticed that my problem paying attention was more than slight interference, while watching The Daily Show. The 23-minute episodes are highly engaging, but sitting – simply sitting and watching it with my boyfriend, without interruption was like ignoring a swarm of ants in my pants. In conversations or meetings, I would constantly pre-empt people – anticipating their train of thought and talking over them (with varying degrees of success). I found myself interrupting, jumping in, and being boisterous in cutting to the proverbial chase. There was no chase, except me chasing time.

My attention span had whittled down to about the length of time it took to read Danny Katz' Modern Guru column in the Good Weekend. I wanted to read the way I had as a 13 year old, but found myself skimming over words and pages, needing to 'use the force' to actually attend to things in any depth. It was irritating me, I was frustrated with myself – there were piles of books stacking up that I could never get beyond the first few pages of. I made a new rule – no more buying books until I read at least one.

I started questioning, then googling what this thing was. I knew what kids with ADHD looked like. As a school counsellor I watched their parents march them off to the paediatrician and back again, usually on medication. I even knew all about the impacts of technology overuse and a new phenomenon starting to get the fear mongerers talking called Internet Addiction. I wasn't like those fidgety fiddly naughty kids who get bored with everything… or a teenager engrossed in a massive online realm more dynamic than reality. Oh wait.

At school I wasn't dumb, but I didn't work that hard. I was a bit forthright and challenging. Especially in Religious Education in year 9, where I was a 'smart mouth', called out and interrupted lessons on with questions regarding King Missile's song Jesus was Way Cool. At uni, I joined Theatre Sports (a great way to throw ideas around and embody thoughts) and spent stacks of time with the Hare Krishnas (where I first tried chanting meditation and yoga). I had no idea what I wanted to do 'with my life'. I wasn't good at anything. I worked in call centres, delighted by the thrill of never knowing who would be on the phone when I answered it. There was always someone new to talk with, solve their problem, answer their question and then farewell. I especially loved angry callers and people seeking conflict - the buzz of the fleeting exchange.

I have always been supremely organised – this has masked my attentional hiccups nicely as it's the complete opposite of the stereotype of someone with ADD. Everything has a place, or a folder, or a box to live in. I love sorting things. So much so, when I was eight, I wanted to be a butcher – because they got to keep all the meat in nice neat sections all sorted in 'likes'. Sounding like more OCD than ADD you're thinking? Being tidy kept things in order, in some kind of balance. A balance that didn't exist inside my head, where distracting thoughts would ambush me like random arrows fired across my consciousness. And where everything was interesting, exciting – yes, even shiny.

I used to think I was anxious. But I realised that the content of the thoughts were notworrisome – there were just lots of thoughts. All of the time. From the moment my synapses starting firing to when I finally fell asleep. If my thoughts were milk, they could make butter. Technology and the Internet fuelled my thoughts and questions, and pandered to them – providing quick answers and immediate feedback. The thoughts could be immediately gratified via Social Media, especially Twitter, which became a way to externalise the thoughts and give them a space to exist that was beyond my internal psychic world where ideas would arise and then trail off like wisps of smoke.

To wrangle these thoughts, I write lists and make notes. In meetings or seminars I have to have paper and pen to disguise my listlessness, capture the thoughts and ideas and line them up in categories – lest they continue to intrude, and tempt me totally off task. The three days I spent doing the Landmark Forum, where note taking is banned, is the closest I'll ever come to doing Vipassana (the 10 day silent retreat that I used to pretend I wanted to do).

It's seem de rigueur to joke about being 'totally addicted' to technology/devices that you enjoy using or 'soooo ADD' when you just mean busy and excitable. I made these comments and mostly people joked along – until one person didn't. He was a colleague and child psychiatrist who gently suggested I was doing a pretty good job at disguising the issues with my coping techniques, but the cracks were starting to show. He was right. The strategies themselves were becoming the distraction. I warily took every online test I could find, read lots of information about adults with ADD and eventually got a referral to a psychiatrist with a specialisation in adults with ADD. I walked out of my first appointment with a script for Dexamphetamine.

Lana Del Rey got in my ears with her lyrics 'now my life is sweet like cinnamon, like a fucking dream on Ritalin' and several times I stood in the staffroom kitchen with a student's bottle of medication staring at me on the shelf, wondering if that was the answer.

I confided 'my diagnosis' in a few close friends, people who had seen me go through a handful of challenging life events. I stopped that after their ad hoc analysis of me as highly anxious and needing anti-depressants (coming from someone with bi-polar disorder) or as having OCD because I'm ordered (coming from someone who is not only incredibly intelligent, but phenomenally messy and a hoarder) were laden with judgement that I'd have expected from scientologists.

Suddenly I felt more stigma about being 'labelled' ADD than if I had been medicated for depression. Maybe I was just lazy and lacking self discipline, maybe I should just work harder (if that was even possible), ignore sensory inputs, be 'in the moment' more, throw out my wifi modem, throw out my iPhone, exercise more, eat less sugar, meditate, do yoga, grow up. I'd tried all these things already. Was I throwing my angels out with my demons by choosing to take dexies?

No, it seems not. After my initial resistance, I accepted that on most days, taking medication is very effective for supporting me get to through my work, and my life. I can work with more direction and purpose, my task completion has skyrocketed, the work I do is generally more well-rounded, considered and better quality. Immediately I felt like I listened more authentically to people, I relate better and more deeply. I am not a zombie, nor a speedhead. I haven't dropped five kilograms or lost my appetite. I still write lists and use software to block social media, but I can take a hot bath for longer than seven minutes. I can lie still in sivasana at the end of yoga and not be planning what to cook for dinner or how to solve the problems of teenagers in the south western suburbs.

People who know me laugh when I say that I don't feel like I have achieved much. It's true, that's what I feel. Yes, I have done some stuff – teach full-time while studying and running one of the biggest debating programs in Australia, produce eight theatre shows in the last five years, write a thesis on the emerging phenomenon of Internet Addiction and start a research group on adolescent digital wellbeing, complete psychology registration, go overseas seven times, and then start whole new career. But I don't have a huge sense of accomplishment. It's just stuff that I've done, and only a fraction of the stuff I want to do and the things I think up. No biggie. I don't really look back and go 'wow – I did that stuff'. I look forward and get excited by what's next. I get very excited. But now, it's a different kind of excitement - the kind I feel like I can sustain. Now I am the turtle, not the hare.

You can follow Jocelyn on Twitter: @jocelynbrewer
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The link to the originally published piece is here.

What is your experience of adult ADHD? Are you diagnosed? Share your story - or comment - here.

Friday 26 October 2012

'Are You Buff Enough' - film and TV trivia app

Are you one of 'those' people who really, truly know their movie (or TV) trivia and... may or may not really, truly drive people batty when you recite, say, who won the Oscar for Best Actress in 1990 just off the top of your head? (Jessica Tandy, for 'Driving Miss Daisy', who became the oldest winner of a competitive Oscar, at nearly age 81, surpassing the achievement of George Burns).

Well this site and app is for you... and also for your friends so they can beat you at your own game - if you let 'em.

It's called 'Are You Buff Enough' and lots of fun... and: you can win stuff!

The basics:
  • It's a brand new Australian film and TV trivia app created by Screen Australia 
  • It's available on iPhone and Android/Google Play and you can play it online at www.buffenough.com.au
  • It's free! 
  • It features over 4000 questions – with over 100 new questions added every week
  • You can play against your friends and climb up the leader board, with random prizes given away to great players and the best players
I just played in the TV-questions category and... boy, it's addictive! And I got loads right and am totally up myself right now.

Here are some sample questions to whet your appetite:
  1. Who won the 2012 Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor, for his performance in Packed to the Rafters? ANSWER: Hugh Sheridan
  2. Which sparkling actress had her start in Australian Idol? ANSWER: Jessica Mauboy
  3. What crime film stars Heath Ledger and Rose Byrne? ANSWER: Two Hands
  4. True or false? Nicole Kidman was born in Sydney? ANSWER: False
  5. Who became the youngest person to win a Gold Logie Award in 1988, at the age of 19? ANSWER : Kylie Minogue
  6. Who began her acting career on All Saints before going on to star in Alice In Wonderland? ANSWER: Mia Wasikowska
  7. Who starred as Jerry in Jerry Springer The Musical at the Sydney Opera House in 2009? ANSWER: David Wenham
  8. Which major Australian director had a recurring role on A Country Practice in the early 1980s as an actor? ANSWER: Baz Luhrmann
  9. Which actress had her start in The Bugs Bunny Show? ANSWER: Sophie Lee
  10. What was the name of Delta Goodrem's character on Neighbours? ANSWER: Nina Tucker
  11. Which former star of Prisoner appeared in Seachange from 1998 to 2000? ANSWER: Sigrid Thorton
  12. Which 2012 tele movie stars Deborah Mailman and Jami Bani? ANSWER: MABO
  13. Who played David Wenham's on-screen wife Michelle in The Boys? ANSWER: Toni Colette
  14. In which TV drama series did Toni Pearen appear on between 1989 and 1992? ANSWER: E-Street
  15. True or false? Deborra-lee-Furness had her start in the TV series Prisoner? ANSWER: True
To join the 'Buff Enough' community, go here:

Go on, dip your toe in the small screen/big screen trivia fun... it's a cool app to download/site to upload during your night impromptu drinks/trivia sesh. Do it!

Thursday 25 October 2012

'American Horror Story' season one - now on DVD. Competition: three DVDs to win!

Brace yourself for an addictive ride that's won legions of fans already - 'American Horror Story' is TV’s most original and frightening new drama, a deeply stylish psycho-sexual haunt designed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Receiving rave reviews from critics and sweeping this year’s awards season, with 17 Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe and Emmy Award win for Jessica Lange’s incredible performance (girl is looking better than ever!), this is one cult TV series you might be afraid to miss.
Here's the trailer:



One of the show’s stars is Dr Ben Harmon, played by Dylan McDermott. Husband to Vivien and father to Violet, Ben struggles to keep his family and marriage together after the big move. As a psychiatrist with an office at home, he regularly treats troubled and disturbed patients from his study... these are not your usual house guests.

Can't quite place Dylan? Here, let me help you! Here's some fast facts about him: 

- Dylan had to change his first name when he registered with the Screen Actors Guild because there was already a Mark McDermott; he chose Dylan as a tribute to his stepmother, Eve Ensler (who wrote 'The Vagina Monologues'), because she had miscarried a baby she had planned to name Dylan

- Dylan was engaged to Julia Roberts after filming 1989's 'Steel Magnolias'

- Dylan made People Magazine's list of '50 Most Beautiful People' in 1998

Here's Dylan in character in the 'American Horror Story' series (you're welcome):



The brains behind this gruesome series is Ryan Murphy, who is the man behind 'Glee', 'Nip/Tuck', 'Eat Pray Love', and now the new TV show 'The New Normal.' Man is unstoppable.

To celebrate the release of 'American Horror Story' season one, out just now on DVD and Blu-ray, here is a sneak peek clip from season one:



And you have the chance to win one of three copies of 'American Horror Story' season one on DVD by answering the question below and following these instructions:

- Like the 'Josie's Juice' Facebook page - just tick the top right hand corner
- Share this comp link on your Facebook wall
- Answer this question, either below or on email: why do you enjoy the perverse pleasure of being 'scared to death'?
- Send an email with your details to: josiegags@optusnet.com.au so your details are on hand if you are a winner

(*Competition open to Australian residents only; comp closes mid-Nov))

Can't wait a second longer? Order your copy now - and guarantee a frightful Halloween; you can click right here: http://bit.ly/V3zCzR. And you can join the Twitter conversation about the DVD release with this hashtag: #AHSDVD

And so, a review: what to say about this incredibly twisted series? It's deeply engrossing, you get 'sucked into' the series despite your inner voice protestations that it's scaring the bejesus out of you, and the acting is impeccable. Case in point: Jessica Lange. This 'elder stateswoman' of acting won that award for a reason - she is flawless, eerie, enthralling to watch. And Frances Conroy won me over eons ago as Ruth Fisher in 'Six Feet Under'. So, to see her in this is a delight... she is as engaging as ever, as the housemaid Moira O'Hara [also played by Alexandra Breckenridge - who is crazy-sexy]. The volatile relationship between Ben and Vivian, and daughter Violet for that matter is also engaging. I can't stop watching every ep.

Even if the gore of Vampire Diaries and True Blood does not appeal [and it does not appeal to me - at all. I am a wuss], this is vastly different. Kinda Nip/Tuck meets Six Feet Under. Highly recommended.

The 'Scouse Brow' - eyebrows sported by some women from Liverpool

I had no idea that the 'Scouse Brow' was a 'thing'...

Check out this [poor quality... sorry] clip from the show 'Desperate Scousewives':



The end result looks like... this:



And this even better clip from 'Snog Marry Avoid' tells all about the Scouse Brow, a brow originating from Liverpool [where men and women are called 'Scousers'] some women like to sport:



Thoughts? A beauty trend you'd try?

Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel: wedding photo!

This just in: the first photo of newlyweds Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel on their wedding day!

And it may just take the prize for cutest wedding pic... ever!



When the couple of five years exchanged vows in a romantic Italian ceremony on October 19, "it was a really special evening," Timberlake, tells US People magazine in this week's cover story.

"It was a total fantasy experience," adds Biel. 

It has been revealed that the singer-actor played the guitar and serenaded his bride-to-be as she walked down the aisle in a custom, petal pink Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown [how gorgeous is it?]

"It was an original piece I wrote specifically for the evening and for her," says Timberlake, who wore a Tom Ford tux he helped design. 


For more, click here: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20641685,00.html

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Sally Obermeder: 'Today Tonight' report - she wins her battle with cancer

THE best news of the week... no, make that: the year.

Sally Obermeder revealed this week that she has won her battle with cancer. She is featured in this week's New Idea, telling all about her joy. For more, go here: http://www.josiesjuice.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/sally-obermeder-i-beat-cancer.html

And tonight, Dr John D'Arcy's interview with Sally screened on 'Today Tonight' and the joy is palpable and fantastic. Watch:



In the clip, Sally says: "'Cancer free... all clear', that is what I heard, and that is the best news ever. I think in the beginning it was pretty dire and there was little hope."

"It's been nothing short of a miracle, I really feel like I've been so blessed and so lucky to have been given a second chance.
"It's amazing what the human body can do. It's amazing what the human spirit can do. It's amazing what can happen when people love you and support you and you can find the fight from within, how you can claw your way back.
"I've changed so much. I don't think I really knew what a life changing experience it would be. I thought 'well I'm sick, I'll do whatever I need to get better, and then I'll go back to being the same person'. I find that I'm just very in the moment. Like whatever it is I'm doing, it's the only thing I'm thinking about, and there's nowhere else I'd rather be.
"I feel almost lucky to have had this because I feel like I get the bigger picture now, and it's all about the people I love and my family and my friends, and the things that matter to me - that's what matters."
Do you have a breast cancer survival story to share? Would love to hear it!
Sally is writing about her experience in a book which is looking to be released on Mother's Day, May 2013 by Allen and Unwin.

Birth photos: Erin Byrne from Life Stories Photography tells why she loves taking them

I could look at freshly-popped-baby photos all day.

You know the ones: baby comes out with squinty eyes, perhaps covered in birth blood and a thin coating of white vernix... and it's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen.

So imagine if you were fortunate enough to be present at many special birthing moments.

That's what Erin Byrne gets to do as photographer for her company Life Stories Photography.

Here she explains why she loves shooting babies - as well as their mothers and families - the moment they enter the world:

"Birth is one of my favourite things in the world to photograph.

There is so much raw emotion involved when a couple first meets the baby they have just brought into the world. It's an amazing privilege to be able to capture that moment.


The thing I most regret about the birth of my own son is that I didn't have it photographed. I have six blurry very posed photographs. Sure, I look happy, but they tell nothing of the tidal wave of love I first felt when I saw my baby for the first time, the proud look of my husband and the blissful smiles of relief that he was here and healthy. 

I think when people picture birth photography they picture it very literally. I am often asked where I stand when they baby finally comes out. My response, usually by mum's head unless asked otherwise. 

When I photograph a birth I like to be a fly on the wall - it's the couple's moment, not mine. I am there to capture it, record their memories, let them relive that happiness in the years to come."

Here are some more of Erin's birth pics, again featuring the same beautiful baby Dylan Violet as above, and mum Kristyn, dad Adam and little brother Izakk. So precious.


Erin wasn't at my twins' birth but I do have some pretty awesome shots of when they'd just entered the world taken by the husband. I do wish I'd had pro shots done. But Erin did come to my home to take some too-gorgeous pics when they were only 4-5 months old (that's for another post!)

Want to contact Erin? Here are the details:


And to see more of Erin's work, click here:

Are you ready to have kids: the parenting test viral blog by Mamami by Chet

This its-funny-because-it's-true blog on prepping yourself for parenthood is doing the rounds, right around the globe.

Originally posted on the UK website Mamami by Chet [it's a baby bag company and you can 'like' them on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/mamamibychet and see what they're all about and the wares they sell right here http://www.mamami.co.uk/].

It rings scary-true.

What would YOU add to this list?


Test 1: Preparation
Women: To prepare for pregnancy
1. Put on a dressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front.
2. Leave it there.
3. After 9 months remove 5% of the beans.
Men: To prepare for children
1. Go to a local chemist, tip the contents of your wallet onto the counter and tell the pharmacist to help himself
2. Go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home. Pick up the newspaper and read it for the last time.
Test 2: Knowledge
Find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels and how they have allowed their children to run wild.
Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behaviour.
Enjoy it. It will be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers.
Test 3: Nights
To discover how the nights will feel:
1. Walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 4 - 6kg, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly.
2.  At 10pm, put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 11pm and walk the bag around the living room until 1am.
4. Set the alarm for 3am.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2am and make a cup of tea.
6. Go to bed at 2.45am.
7. Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs in the dark until 4am.
9. Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up when it goes off.
10. Make breakfast.
Keep this up for 5 years. LOOK CHEERFUL.
Test 4: Dressing Small Children
1. Buy a live octopus and a string bag.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that no arms hangout.
Time Allowed: 5 minutes.
Test 5: Cars
1. Forget the BMW. Buy a practical 5-door wagon.
2. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.
3. Get a coin. Insert it into the CD player.
4. Take a box of chocolate biscuits; mash them into the back seat.
5. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.
Test 6: Going for a walk
a. Wait.
b. Go out the front door.
c. Come back in again.
d. Go out.
e. Come back in again.
f. Go out again.
g. Walk down the front path.
h. Walk back up it.
i. Walk down it again.
j. Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes.
k. Stop, inspect minutely and ask at least 6 questions about every piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way.
l. Retrace your steps.
m. Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbours come out and stare at you.
n. Give up and go back into the house.
You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.
Test 7: Conversations with children
Repeat everything you say at least 5 times.
Test 8: Grocery Shopping
1. Go to the local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a pre-school child - a fully grown goat is excellent. If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat.
2. Buy your weekly groceries without letting the goat(s) out of your sight.
3. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.
Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.
Test 9: Feeding a 1 year-old
1. Hollow out a melon
2. Make a small hole in the side
3. Suspend the melon from the ceiling and swing it side to side
4. Now get a bowl of soggy cornflakes and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon while pretending to be an aeroplane.
5. Continue until half the cornflakes are gone.
6. Tip the rest into your lap, making sure that a lot of it falls on the floor.
Test 10:TV
1. Learn the names of every character from the Wiggles, Barney, Teletubbies and Disney.
2. Watch nothing else on television for at least 5 years.
Test 11:  Mess
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains
2. Hide a fish behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flowerbeds and then rub them on clean walls. Cover the stains with crayon. How does that look?
4. Empty every drawer/cupboard/storage box in your house onto the floor and proceed with step 5.
5. Drag randomly items from one room to another room and leave them there.
Test 12: Long Trips with Toddlers
1. Make a recording of someone shouting 'Mummy' repeatedly. Important Notes: No more than a 4 second delay between each Mummy. Include occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet.
2. Play this tape in your car, everywhere you go for the next 4 years.
You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.
Test 13: Conversations
1. Start talking to an adult of your choice.
2. Have someone else continually tug on your shirt hem or shirt sleeve while playing the Mummy tape listed above.
You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.
Test 14: Getting ready for work
1. Pick a day on which you have an important meeting.
2. Put on your finest work attire.
3. Take a cup of cream and put 1 cup of lemon juice in it
4. Stir
5. Dump half of it on your nice silk shirt
6. Saturate a towel with the other half of the mixture
7. Attempt to clean your shirt with the same saturated towel
8. Do not change (you have no time).
9. Go directly to work

Monday 22 October 2012

Sally Obermeder: "I beat cancer"

In news just in, TV's Sally Obermeder has triumphed over her cancer battle.

In an interview with Australia's New Idea magazine - out today, and on-sale for the week - the 'Today Tonight' reporter, who sports a sensational crop of hair, and holds her gorgeous daughter - tells the magazine: "It’s actually with great pride that I can now say I’m a cancer survivor," says Sally, who was given the fantastic all-clear just before her daughter Annabelle's first birthday on October 15.




For more, click here.


And for a backgrounder on Sally cancer diagnosis, her cancer battle, and how her pals rallied around here, click on the links.

New Idea is on-sale now.

[Photo courtesy New Idea magazine].

Jodi Gordon and Braith Anasta: wedding photos - Woman's Day. Plus, interview with Jacob Luppino and Anthony Pittorino: J'Aton

This is the cover of this week's edition of Woman's Day magazine, featuring photos from the wedding of actress Jodi Gordon and rugby league star Braith Anasta:



Josie's Juice is lucky to have access to the designers of Jodi's wedding dress - Jacob Luppino and Anthony Pittorino from J'Aton - to explain all the details behind the gorgeous wedding gown:


How long did it take to make Jodi's dress? We started 6 months before the wedding but all in all it took 300 hours to create from start to finish as it was all beaded and created on the premises here in Australia with a team of 5 people working on the gown.

When did Jodi first contact you and what was it she was specifically looking for Our first consultation was at our good friend Kelly Smythe’s place in Sydney as Kelly is Jodi’s stylist and we have worked very closely with Kelly on numerous clients. From Kelly’s house we then continued at Icebergs as it was an all day/night consultation it was very fun, relaxed and personable as we are all close friends. It’s an incredibly rewarding part of the job when you get to work with mates and we are a great team.

Did she/you have any inspiration? The location was not decided on from the very beginning and this is very important to us when designing a gown as Formality, climate, energy and mood play a very important role when designing a gown.  So initially it was just all about what Jodi’s loves, wants and desires were for her gown/wedding and what she felt suited her body best. The first consultation is pretty much about getting to know the client so with Jodi because we knew her well and her style the first consultation was also a mixture of getting to have a catch up and a drink as we all lead such incredibly busy lives and never get to really see one another. So it was the gang reuniting and getting to enjoy one another’s company but we did a lot of wedding talk in between as we were all so excited that Jodi was getting married, it was so very important to us and such an honour.

What materials were used and how much material (ie, metres, bolts)
Fine silk muslin and organdie with Italian tulle, several French laces and vintage lace.
Swarovski beads as well as vintage beads found on our European travels that were very old and rare finds.

What were the intricate details that made Jodi’s dress so unique and special?
The fact that we meshed together so many different laces and made it look as though it were one. That is something we really specialize in detail and incredibly subtle detail. We will go out of our way to hand sew the tinniest thread or lace detail if we connect and believe in a certain aspect of the designs necessity. It is painstaking and can take forever and is incredibly fine and delicate work but it’s what we are passionate about and it’s justified to us anyway and our clients as they respect and honour the workmanship.

What also made it so special is that we honoured in the dress all the aspects of design that Jodi loved from us and we positioned all the detail and shapes to enhance her body and show off all the bits she loves and soften and mask the bits she doesn’t love as much. We all have parts we love and hate about ourselves and that is what we love about Jodi, she is so real and honest.

We love also the fact that we all were obsessed with the dress being mat and not a sparkly number. It was not Jodi doing red carpet so we didn’t want loud colours and drama it had to be soft romantic and significant and that is what we love about the dress that it had no bling factor to it. The matt made it so sensual and enchanting, she is the Jewell for us her eyes sparkle more than any crystal or diamond as far as we are concerned. So for us it was about showing off her natural beauty and not detracting from that.

The dress for us had to have a sense of simplicity without just being plain and boring as Jodi did all along want a dream dress and not just something she could buy off the rack.

You normally just focus on the bride. This was a big wedding party. What and how did you come up with the bridesmaids’ dresses? It was important to Jodi that her bridesmaids feel a million dollars she wanted them to feel and look spectacular. That is who she is as a person always wanting everyone else in the room to share her joy. We created classic J’Aton French lace sheer all the components Jodi loves in our work and that she would wear.

To see all the pics from the big day, pick up a copy of this week's Woman's Day magazine.

Brad Pitt Chanel No. 5 Parodies

The Brad Pitt Chanel No. 5 parodies are now multiplying... almost as quickly as Angelina Jolie leg memes.

This just in: the 'Saturday Night Live' parody [from 'E! News']




This one is from the cray team at Funny or Die:





This one is from Meetinghouse Productions:



This is an Aussie version, from Perth radio 92.9 - Paul from the Lisa, Paul, and Baz show:




The Aussie 'Today' show got in on the act:



One by US TV's Steve Darling:



This one from mrbrown.com:



And... another from mrbrown.com:



Some dude with a drawn-on 'stache:



This one from clicknetwork.tv:



And, er... this one:



The FULL version of the Saturday Night Live clip is here... But sadly, this cannot be viewed outside of the US:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20641149,00.html

Sunday 21 October 2012

Sterling and Hyde: online shopping - and bag designing - heaven

There are online shopping experiences [of which, I will admit: I have had few]... and then there is  Sterling & Hyde.

It's a bag company... but no ordinary one.



Sterling and Hyde is the realisation of a life-long dream for the woman behind it, Amy Richards.  

Funnily, Amy started as a lawyer, who spent her work life locked away in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. In 2010 she finally decided to swap the city for the sea, and a career 'arguing' for a living, to a career creating and sharing her exquisitely designed genuine Italian leather handbags. That's a pretty good swap.


Amy soon established accessories brand Sterling and Hyde, with its first boutique established in the township of Sorrento, Victoria.

To complement her divine leather handbags, Amy has sourced an amazing array of designer jewellery by labels such as House of Harlow 1960, Liberte and more. Sterling and Hyde also offers MOR beauty products, OPI nail polish and a range of other accessories for women of all generations.

The handbags are Sterling and Hyde's centrepiece, though. 



That is why Amy is so excited to offer shoppers the ability to now purchase these online.  All the bags are functional with a hint of individual flair. They are designed to be functional yet fun.  Each and every handbag is designed with the modern woman in mind. Each style is named after an influential woman in Amy's life, paying homage to grandmothers, sisters, cousins, dear friends and customers all of which have differing requirements for their essential carry all.

Sterling and Hyde is constantly challenging the way women shop and 2011 introduced at the Sorrento boutique the ability for women to design their own custom leather handbags. With a vast array of designs available, now more than ever Sterling and Hyde is truly catering to what women want.  


This custom design service is also now available online at sterlingandhydecustom.com - and I can attest that the whole process is simple and fast... and the quality is exceptional!

In addition to being able to customise your own handbags, the boutique now offers an on the spot jewellery customisation service, too.

For more, you must click here: http://sterlingandhydecustom.com/#

And check out more bag styles below:







[Sterling and Hyde gifted Josie's Juice Blog a bag, in prep for this story].