New York | Hold the Glamour

December 27, 2012

Happy Holidays to you and yours

I hope your Christmas was fun and festive and your holiday season has been enjoyable and sane to some extent. Steve and I decided to have our Christmas at home in New York this year. Unfortunately, it didn’t snow.

On Christmas Eve, the four of us went along to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree (everyone else in New York had the same idea). We got a good look at the city all lit up and full of bright lights and colour that went as far as the eye could see. It was truly magical and in the spirit of the holidays. We were surprised however, at the size of the tree. Although it was BIG, Steve and I thought it would be bigger!

NYC – Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

NYC – Angels at Rockefeller Center

We then walked (or should I say shuffled) along Fifth Ave towards uptown and saw the window displays of the department stores – Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Ave, Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys. The kids went nuts and it was difficult to say which one was better. What imagination these people have to create such art with an individual and unique vision and interpretation of Christmas. WOW!

The crowds were scary and police were everywhere. They were on foot, horseback and in patrol cars. After our afternoon and early evening in the city, we couldn’t wait to get home to the peace, calm, warmth and quiet of our home. We had to prepare for Santa’s arrival and for the big day itself.

Christmas morning was as exciting as it gets for the kids. Santa was generous and so was mummy and daddy. We had a lazy morning opening gifts then a delicious brunch. In the afternoon we had friends come over who were visiting from Australia. We had a lovely time eating and drinking and we were all so pleased we could spend such a special day together. Before we knew it, it was time to crawl into bed and put this day behind us for another year.

Our day was relaxed and special to us however, we missed our family back in Australia with whom we usually spend the holidays with. Christmas is about family and there’s nothing like celebrating Christmas with each other.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

What did you get up to this year?

What traditions does your family participate in?

What makes Christmas special and magical for you?

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November 27, 2012

Turkeylicious!

Well, our Thanksgiving dinner was a success I am thrilled to report. The six hours I spent labouring over dishes and prep the day before was certainly worth it. Standing on your feet in virtually one place is no joke. I was exhausted that day, having flown in at midnight the night before – it was all systems go!

As I have learn’t, there are traditional meals that go with the traditional turkey and this was my maiden journey into the most celebrated American holiday. Everyone I know that is from America, takes this traditional holiday very seriously. They will fly, drive or train it ‘home’ for four days – where ever that may be. Or they will celebrate it with those closest to them. This is what I have observed over the years of living in the U.S. of A. Fortunately for us, we had some of our dearest friends spend the afternoon and evening with us.

Brooklyn – Our Thanksgiving table

I had some wonderful guidance from my American friends (you know who you are so thank you) and they guided me into uncharted waters of green beans, corn pudding, home-made stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potato and of course the bird which my darling husband Steve took care of. Martha Stewart’s recipes featured heavily on this festive day and I must say, her recipes are easy, spot on and delicious.

I can’t believe the amount of butter these Thanksgiving dishes require. I wouldn’t go through that amount in a month or two! No wonder everyone complains afterwards of overeating and over-stuffing themselves. Why would you one day or two knowingly in a year? Why wouldn’t you I hear other’s say? I personally don’t get it. It was just another yummy meal in my life. It is as always, each to their own.

Steve also bought me and took care of my lobster that you see sitting on the table (not traditional Thanksgiving fare). I don’t eat meat. I’m a pescatarian which means, I only eat seafood. I have done this since my late teenage years and it is how I like to eat and live my life.

Anyway, Steve brined our organic turkey 24 hours prior ( I knew nothing of this) and prepped it before popping it into the oven (which took four hours to cook by the way). The verdict came in from our American friends and they loved it. I was so pleased and delighted that all our effort and trouble was worth it. It was a steep learning curve for me and I like to be challenged in positive ways.

What are your thoughts about eating a turkey?

Do you prefer it over another bird or meat? If so, why?

As always, I welcome your thoughts and experiences.

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November 22, 2012

Radio City Rockettes and Magnolia Bakery

Since my last post I’ve been a very busy bee. I’ve traveled and worked in Milwaukee and Minneapolis for most of the week or so in-between. Time escapes me and before I know it, I’m in the here and now and it’s the eve before Thanksgiving. It’s probably the biggest public holiday in the U.S. of A and I am yet to get my head around hosting this traditional event. So here goes…

I did mange to squeeze some family time over the weekend however – I took Mila to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular (The Rockettes in all their glory and precise splendor). It was amazing. We both loved it and it was our first time to the show for both of us. Mila and I both highly recommend it. We had orchestra seats and we saw it all before our eyes. It was fabulous.

NYC – Radio City Christmas Spectacular

The show was truly a spectacular and it was so precise and the dancers were in exact time. Mila, I and the hundreds who saw the show that session simply loved it. We were blown away.

Afterwards, we enjoyed the delicious Magnolia Bakery only blocks from where we were. Mila selected her six favourite cupcakes for her, Levi and our guests due later that day. What can I say other than yum and gone! A must on the New York City circuit. Remember the scenes in Sex and the City? If not, go back and revisit.

NYC – Rockettes Toy Soldier routine

The Toy Soldier routine was simply amazing. It took minutes for all of the dancers to fall down gracefully and rhythmically. It was one of the best choreographed routines I’ve seen ever seen and coming from an ex-dancer that’s something! I was left speechless.

Before I know it, six loads of laundry later, whilst frantically packing for my work trip, I hop on a plane from JFK for an almost three-hour flight to work. Once I arrive, I’m then privileged to a wonderful catch-up with Barbara Bricker for a few days. Whilst we were working together, one of the many things we spoke about and discussed at length was Thanksgiving dinner. Barb helped me come up with my menu and traditional dinner fare for the holiday. I was most thankful and grateful. It is my first time hosting the entire event so it was important to get it right. A work in progress I must say as I emailed my darling husband Steve the shopping list.

Minneapolis – Barbara and I

Minneapolis -Beri Smithers and the gang

After we finish our shoot, four of the six models were heading home to New York. We rushed to our cars and headed to the airport. As soon as I got in my car with Beri, I took off my make-up and called home. The picture below is me negotiating with my four and two-year olds to eat their wonderful dinner that our nanny Isabel had made for them. It’s a hard sell.

Beri, who was riding with me in the car starts laughing and takes the picture below. Her words to me were, ” From supermodel to super negotiator”. She is not wrong. Beri Smithers’ too is a supermodel and she was one of the first straight-sized models I ever met when I moved to New York. She is a rock star and I love her so.

Minneapolis – In the car on the way to the airport

I arrive home by midnight and am so tired my eyes are bloodshot. I cannot wait to get to sleep however, it takes me a very long time. I have Thanksgiving dinner to prepare and host and for that, I am geed up! My next installment will be me hosting me first ever Thanksgiving dinner… Success or failure to come!

Stay tuned.

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November 13, 2012

Winter madness & holiday glamour

As my new monthly magazine subscriptions of VOGUE, GLAMOUR, Cosmopolitan, REDBOOK and Harper’s BAZAAR start filling up in my mailbox with December issues of holiday fun, glamour and fashion, I begin to notice lots of colour, glitz and glamour everywhere. Red lips and nail polish of every hue and intensity seem to go hand-in-hand with the festivities of the holidays. Big, chunky pieces of jewelry make a bold statement and the ever fabulous clutch is so hot right now.

It is hard to imagine that summer has come and gone, fall/autumn is here and we’ve already had snow in New York (thanks to the Nor’Easter last Wednesday). We’re a little concerned I must say with the winter that lays ahead – is it a sign that it’s going to be brutal? I certainly hope not.

New York - First snow of the season Nov 2012

New York – The first snow of the season Nov 2012

New York - First snow melting for the season

New York – The first snow melts Nov 2012

It’s hard enough getting a family of four out the door at any given time let alone as the temperatures continue to drop. Putting on the layers in a warm and toasty apartment whilst working up a sweat is not fun (for anyone). Our kids are becoming more independent however, it can very frustrating and stressful for all of us to be ready at the same time. Let’s not forget they are four and two years old.

What about the retail stores and restaurants (basically anything inside) and how hot they get? When its freezing outside you weigh up whether its worth bundling up because as soon as you get indoors, its time to peel all the layers off. Then you ask yourself, where do all these layers go? Over your chair? Over your arm? Hardly. It is a challenge no matter how many years one has spent in New York or a similar cold climate. Add a couple of kids in the mix and there you have it! Winter madness.

Teasing us with warmer weather and less layers, these same glossy magazines are predicting the emerging trends for spring 2013. I am so excited by the prints, colour options and sexy sheerness of what lays ahead. I am looking forward to it.

In the meantime, bring on the holidays! I love this time of year and let’s not forget the magic and splendor of Christmas in New York City. There really is nothing like it. The department store Christmas windows, lights, decorations, Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree, music, ice-skating and the chance of snow on Christmas Day make it festive, fun, beautiful and impressive, let alone memorable and celebrated. This year, my family and I have decided to play in the Big Apple for the holidays. Now that Mila and Levi are a little older and aware, we plan to live it up New York style.

What holiday fun and glamour are you looking forward to?

What do the holidays mean to you?

What will you be wearing to the party?

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November 6, 2012

Life after Hurricane Sandy

Red Hook, Brooklyn – A business/warehouse has lost it all

It really is difficult to fathom such a catastrophe as Hurricane Sandy, even if you did experience it or something like it. My family and I are safe, dry and warm. We suffered very little if any damage to our home. We are so thankful and feel blessed to have escaped the wrath of the storm. Wild winds partially tore down a side of our courtyard fence however, it is nothing compared to what hundreds of thousands of residents in the area endured and experienced. My heart goes out to all of them. For them, I am truly sorry.

A full-on recovery drive is on and the clean-up has begun! New Yorker’s are pulling it together and donating their time, food, supplies etc. to assist those that need it most. Everyone I know in our neighbourhood is helping in some way. There are so many areas affected by Sandy with the closest to our home being Red Hook – all of it is on the waterfront and in Zone A (mandatory evacuation zone). We are giving them all we can.

Brooklyn – a local playground is locked up as trees are uprooted and unstable

So many of the local playgrounds are still closed because trees were uprooted and have become unstable. There is debris everywhere and it’s simply going to take a long time to get to all of it. The city departments are inundated with calls and requests – where does one start?

There was very little escape from the reality and destruction of this storm. Even the terrorist attacks of September 11 didn’t manage to successfully mobilise the city like Hurricane Sandy has. Mother Nature is reminding us who is in charge.

Last week was a weird and surreal time with all four of us home 24/7. Kids at home from school, no trains running or airports open therefore work had to be rescheduled. So many businesses below 39th Street didn’t get their power back on until the weekend. The city was at a standstill. Everything seemed frozen and on hold. You couldn’t really leave your local area.

Brooklyn – Trees fell down like toy soldiers

Brooklyn – The day after Sandy hits our neighborhood

Brooklyn – This car is holding up the tree

Brooklyn – The clean-up begins

I love to see people pulling together, helping each other out so selflessly and unconditionally. I am so proud of the city that I live in. It is resilient and strong. It bounces back and some. It carries on and moves forward. It becomes a unified force. That’s why New York has a pulse of its own that you see and feel every time you are in the city’s presence.

Have you ever experienced such a storm or force of nature? I would love to hear about it.

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October 29, 2012

Hoping for the best and preparing for the worst – awaiting Hurricane Sandy

New York – a view of our courtyard as Hurricane Sandy approaches

It started raining at 6.45am this morning and hasn’t stopped since. As I write this post from my home office this evening, my family like many, many others in the New York area await the wrath of Hurricane Sandy which is heading our way in a matter of hours.

The last two days have seen grey skies with rain and winds preparing the Northeast area for the unknown at this stage.

Our family and friends have been calling, emailing and texting us however, we don’t have much news to report at the moment. We are as prepared as one can be in the hands of Mother Nature.

With schools closed, work cancelled and all mass transit suspended since 7pm Sunday evening, there isn’t much to do other than relax, spend time at home with the family and simply wait it out. There are no appointments or errands to run and our busy schedules have all-of-a-sudden, ceased.

You can’t go anywhere for that matter. Thousands of flights have been cancelled and it will take many days to resume the normal schedule. It feels like a four day long weekend, although we know it’s not.

We have storm surge threats and power outages likely in the area once the center of Sandy nears close enough. Here’s hoping Sandy, like Hurricane Irene some 15 months earlier, surprises us by not creating as much havoc, damage and tragedy as first predicted. We want to be pleasantly surprised Sandy!

However, there is an urgency in the air. Yesterday, people were buying food, water and supplies to hopefully last them a few days. Today, most stores are closed and stock is sold out.

My husband and I, and some of our friends that live in our neighbourhood are not too rattled or worried to be honest (at the moment anyway). We don’t live on the waterfront and we live in apartments not houses. We remain sensible by staying indoors and have prepared ourselves as much as we can by buying enough food, candles and batteries etc. to see us through (we hope).

We hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Stay tuned for more Sandy updates…

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October 18, 2012

Cutting 10 inches off and a sunrise in Dallas

When I left home yesterday afternoon for the airport, it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and it was so mild for this time of year in New York, all I wanted to do was stay and enjoy the afternoon with my family. This is one of the sacrifices one must make when work beckons, even on weekends. We shoot or travel, seven days a week. Fashion shoots are not simply Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm.

I was on my way to Texas and fortunately on this Sunday afternoon, my flight which was over three hours was on time (most of the other flights were strangely delayed). I felt blessed. One can never tell what the skies of aviation will dictate. There is no rhyme or reason.

Texas – The sun rising over Dallas

I woke up this morning and looked out of my hotel window and saw the sun rising over Dallas. I saw hues of blue, pink, orange and gold coming over the sky that filled in the space between the skyscrapers. I’m fortunate I get to see the sun rise and set in different cities, states and countries around the world. I simply love it!

Texas – Hair & make-up ready with backlight and sequence top shining

Whilst I was at work today, a good friend of mine called me from New York. She told me she was cutting off 10 inches of her virgin hair and donating it to cancer patients. Isn’t she amazing? Her hair is without dyes &/or chemicals and she has fabulous, thick, black, long, shiny hair that is now going to someone who really needs it and deserves it.

New York – 10 inches of hair going to cancer patients

I know someone else (a hair & make-up artist) who donates his long, beautiful, virgin hair every few years (that’s how long it takes him to grow it out). He waits until his hair gets to about six or eight inches long then he too donates it to cancer patients. What wonderful people! Giving unconditionally to those who need it most. I commend both Aileen and Stefano – you set an example.

So, I thought it was a great day at work. We were taking beautiful shots, I was wearing fun clothes and knowing such inspirational people who cut their hair off for charity. It was a good day indeed.

Have you ever donated anything of yours to a great cause or charity? If so, what?

Is there a charity the world should know more about?

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September 25, 2012

Robin Williams & Woody Allen in one New York day

Today I was rushing out my apartment door, heading for the subway to take me into Manhattan for an audition/casting when I suddenly looked up and saw Robin Williams in front of me. He was filming a movie and they were doing take after take for the three minutes I stood there taking a couple of pictures for you. How wonderfully random – New York style.

Brooklyn – Robin Williams shooting a scene

Brooklyn – Robin Williams taking a break

I was on my way to an audition/casting for a Woody Allen film. The part I was going for was titled “French Woman” – yes, I know I’m not French however, there were two lines in French that I knew and could say well without feeling like a goose. We shall see!

NYC – Fulton Street subway stop (where I got off)

I walked into ZuZu Productions downtown, located in the Financial District and it’s a seriously big production house. The staff was buzzing everywhere and a charming guy called Ivan came up to me and settled me in to the waiting room. There were two other lovely straight-sized models/actors who were tall, beautiful and had accents (none of them were French by the way). Perhaps, the role would welcome any foreign accent – mine included? Here’s hoping.

I walked in to the recording room with Todd who was clearly loving his casting job today. He too was charming and happy. How nice to see people enjoying themselves and what they do for work. Todd asked me about myself and we had a one reading run-through without being recorded. He was satisfied with what we did and proceeded to record me on video for the second reading. It went smoothly so I was pleased.

Even though I’m not an actress nor have I ever claimed to be one, my many years in front of the camera as a model, shooting numerous TV commercials and studying drama in both high school and university have enabled me to be comfortable and natural at castings and auditions. Thank goodness I didn’t have to learn ten pages of script off by heart – that would have been a different story!

NYC – ZuZu Productions in the Financial District

When I walked out of the room, there were two more tall, beautiful, straight-sized ladies waiting for their turn in front of Todd and the video recorder. I smiled to myself and tried to guess their accents. I’m certain that these lovely women originated from Russia or the Eastern Block. What happened to the French chick? How cool would it be to have a role, no matter how small in a Woody Allen film?! Bring it on.

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Link | September 14, 2012

Qantas interview

When I was in Australia this June, I was interviewed by Julie McCrossin from Up & Away with Qantas.

My interview is airing for the month of September so feel free to have a listen to some of my global travels and experiences.

Happy listening!

Qantas – inflight interview September 2012 (scroll down to Up & Away with Julie McCrossin)

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Tomorrow I return to New York where my family is eagerly awaiting my arrival. I cannot wait to see them and as always, am bursting to see their smiling faces – hugging and kissing them all over for hours. I have to make up for the time away from them.

September is my favourite month in New York. The coziness of fall is around the corner. It’s a romantic time that leads into winter and the holidays we celebrate at the end of every year.

School has started for the kids and the lazy, hot, humid days of summer are behind us. It’s back to life as we know it!

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September 5, 2012

Fashion darlink!

Over the weekend I flew from New York to Sydney. It was a good flight, as long as a 27-hour, door-to-door travel experience goes. It’s a long way people however, worth it at both ends of the journey. I truly believe the more you do it, the more familiar the process becomes therefore, the easier or more bearable the trip becomes. I’ve been making this journey four times a year for almost 11 years. It adds up quickly.

This week, New York Fashion Week commences and simultaneously, Melbourne Spring Fashion week has been making a colourful splash. It is a fashion explosion of fabric, hair, make-up, accessories, music, flashes, people, celebrity and poses.

Already, there are trends for both the northern and southern hemispheres emerging. Colour that is bright, bold and even neon in palette is everywhere. Denim is back and beautiful. Some of my favourite colours include cobalt, teal and coral. Not to forget florals, lace, metallics, prints and the forever favourite of black are hot, hot, hot no matter where your plane is landing.

Speaking of cobalt, I was walking along 23rd Street last week in New York when I looked up and saw at least six people in front of me wearing hues of cobalt. I stared in wonder, laughed and struggled to get my phone out of my bag to take a photo. I was crossing 6th Avenue so it wasn’t particularly safe and sensible of me. As I reached the other side of 6th Ave, half of my cobalt people walked down the subway steps whilst the others continued along 23rd. My photo-op was over. It was a great, random vision of colour.

A that moment, I was reminded what a fashion trend was. When people embrace something that is being sold to them and run with it on mass – no matter what it is. It is a trend. It is fashion.

So get ready as the world of fashion darlink prepares to unleash its power of persuasion and wonder. Stirring up a need inside us to buy, buy, buy. A must have if you will!

What are some of your favourite pieces or trends that are coming off the runways?

What do you simply oppose?

Do you have any predictions to share?

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Tag: New York

Link | September 14, 2012