Burlesque Night

On a hot Saturday night in February I had the pleasure of attending Peggy's hens party with my good friend Sandra. The theme of the night was burlesque and believe me all the girls fronted well frocked. We all boarded a private boat and cruised down the Swan River down towards Dalkeith where we all participated in party games and dancing. Once back on land we all headed into Northbridge to the Universal Bar http://universalbar.com.au/home/ for cocktails and more dancing with a live band. Our costumes garnered more than a brief look.

Sandra and Barb down at the Dock

Princess Mel Mel

Mid February found me travelling to Bunbury for Mel's (sister-in-law to be) hens party. The day before mum came to Perth so I could take her shopping as she was starting to panic because a) she wasn't happy with her outfit for the wedding and wanted a new dress and b) we had to hunt down bling ribbon to go on the wedding cake that mum was making. Needless to say after many hours driving all over Perth we were still out of luck. The next plan was to leave for Bunbury early the next morning and stop at Rockingham shops for a last chance buy. We didn't find anything for the wedding but mum did find some new clothes anyway and a new bling top to wear to the hens party that night. After stopping at San Churro http://www.sanchurro.com/ for morning tea, Spanish hot chocolate and churros, which are mexican long doughnuts, we were yet again back on the road to Bunbury. 

 The hens consisted of Mel's favourite things. Everyone was asked to wear black and bling and the bridesmaids added a touch of Mel's favourite pink. We started the afternoon with champagne out on a private charter boat in Koombana Bay where we headed out for a cruise along the back beach. We headed back in to the bay and anchored for the party games. Whilst there we were blessed with a pod of dolphins frolicking around the boat.

Mel and her bridesmaids arriving

After the boat docked we all headed off to Barbados http://www.barbados.com.au/main_resto.php where we had dinner and followed up with dancing. My sisters Ginny, Michelle and I kicked on to a couple of nightclubs, but ending up at the Burly dancing up a storm to the live band, and making sure we had a great night out.

All the McLaren girls: Ginny, Mum, Me, Mel and Michelle

Audrey's Jugs

Watermelon and vodka cocktail

One fine Friday afternoon both Jessie and I had hair appointments. Not wanting to head straight home and do nothing for the night we organised drinks at The Royal http://www.theroyaleastperth.com/ Audrey joined us so our drink session turned into ordering jugs of cocktails and we know how much Auds misses her jugs. I must remember never to leave my phone laying around when Auds is drinking. My FB will never be the same.

Peninsular Tea Gardens

With our love of baking and good English china Liz and I from work decided that we wanted to try all the places that do high tea in Perth. So on the 16th January along with Judi and Marie from work we ventured to The Peninsular Tea Gardens in Maylands. http://www.peninsulateagardens.com/.
 

Me, Judi and Marie, poor Liz was taking the picture

It was a hot summer day and the location on the river delightful. It was such a shame that the service didn't live up to its reputation. Our tiered food arrived and we patiently waited for our tea and coffee. In the end we had to ask again for our drinks. Note to staff, when serving pre-made food allow to come to room temperature instead of serving straight from the fridge http://www.peninsulateagardens.com/thenewmenu.pdf  Oh well plenty more places still to try.

Old Country Roses china (green series)

A New Year

This years New Years Eve was a rather quiet one. We went around to our friends Gus and Kellie's house for a BBQ along with Craig and Jess. We had a bit of a laugh as Kellie had two single girlfriends over and one other single guy, let's just say the testosterone was flying. After playing Jenga with two stacks of blocks we called it a night.

Sunset at Coogee Beach

Over the rest of the New Year weekend we had another BBQ at home New Year night followed up with an afternoon swimming at Coogee Beach with fish and chips for dinner.

Bundy's First Christmas

Christmas was a split experience this year. Heath's parents weren't well so he stayed in Perth and cooked for them while I went to Busselton to Uncle Ian's house with my family. Mum and I prepared most of the food on Christmas Eve so we could enjoy the day relaxing with the rest of the family. It was a very hot Christmas so it was nice to be near the beach. We rigged up a sprinkler mister around the gazebo which helped cool us all down but I think it was the bucket loads of frozen cocktails that did the trick.

Bundy's favourite soccer ball

Bundy's presents

A few for everyone else

I hadn't realised that I had never cooked a roast ham for my family before so our menu consisted of baked ham and turkey breast.

Cranberry and Port glazed ham

Back on line

Hi everyone, I am still alive here. Two months have passed and so much has happened. I will fill you in shortly. My laptop has finally been fixed and I will now be able to update everything. Yay!!

Love Barbie xx

Bundy

I went and looked at a Puggle (Pug crossed with Beagle) and a Pugalier (Pug crossed with King Charles Cavalier). Well I finally found my baby. We originally decided to wait to get our puppy until after we were to have our baby. Well another 10 years has passed and I have been wanting to get my pugalier for the last couple of years now. The couple of breeders I had contacted have since sterilised their dogs and I haven't been able to find another breeder in WA. I was told to go to ACA pups in Innaloo as they get their pugaliers from a Melbourne breeder. I took Heath for a look on Saturday morning and I just knew he was going to be mine.

Introducing Bundy..... Born on Thursday 22nd July 2010. He is a ruby red pugalier.

We have named him Bundy, after the Bundy Red that was drunk at Talk Like a Pirate Day beach picnic that we went to on Sunday with the Covettes, and because our boy is red (ruby) coloured. We thought it was appropriate plus we will always remember when he came into our lives. He will be nine weeks old on Thursday.He is quite taken with Heath as well which is really good. Maybe it is because he is a boy as my Sara never did, she was definately mummy's girl.

Fraud!!

I am so angry that I need to vent. Some bastard has stolen my credit card details and has been booking things to my card.................I am furious!!!!!!! The bank just called and has put a stop on my cards and set up a fraud account. Great way to top off three lonely days home sick. Why, why, why. I think I will go cry now :(

Scooby's bites the bullet

After a long and busy day writing up the Homocysteine report for tomorrow's QC subcommittee meeting; Heath and I ducked into the city amongst the pouring rain to meet up with our Covette friends at the bar 1907 for a Mad Hatters tea party. We had hot alcoholic sake served in tea cups, which was sweet, hot and very yummy.

The best part of the night was that we were able to celebrate the very new engagement of our friend's Toby and Amira. Whoot whoot....what a beautiful big bling!! Amira you lucky girl :) Hunger struck so we all took off for a celebratory dinner at Fast Eddy's and as always ordered too much chips for the table....yes Daan this is becoming a trend, to think we should have learnt by now.

100 things about me!

1. I am married to a gorgeous man, Heath, and we have been together 19.5 years. 
2. At the time it was his butt in uniform that caught my eye, that is once he got rid of his mullet and mow. 
3. We met when we were both Scout leaders.
4. This is my birthday.
5. I love summer and hot sunny days.
6. This is my birth month, a true Gemini through and through.
7. Nothing beats a picnic, BBQ or drinks with friends. 
8. I love mini getaways.
9. Love to travel and am always planning the next big trip. 
10. Have cruised the throughout the South Pacific.
11. Went to Disneyland in LA then cruised down to Mexico.
12. Years ago I learnt Italian and sat my advanced exam. 
13. I need to study up again as I want to go to Italy next year and do a cooking course, cooking of course being one of my passions. 
14. I love finding new recipes and trying them out. 
15. I love being wined me and dined.
16. I don’t drink tea but have started to drink peppermint tea.I love coffee and used to drink a dozen cups a day before the heart palpitations grabbed me. 
17. Now I opt of a single cup of caffeine and spend the rest of the day inhaling the aroma as much as possible. 
18. Skinny decaf latte with a half shot of coconut and half shot of macadamia is coffee of choice.
19. I could sit in a cafe for hours chatting with friends.
20. I hate talking on the telephone.
21. I love spending time being pampered at the Day Spa and would be there daily if I won lotto. My favourite at the moment is Blush in Freo. 
22. I love all girly things.
23. I couldn’t live without lip-gloss.
24. This is my favourite number.
25. My favourite colour would of course be pink, hot passionate pink!
26. I love bubble baths
27. I love our spa pool and miss Sunday morning coffee in it with my hubby.
28. I love candles, especially from dusk. I find they don’t trigger my allergies.
29. I am allergic to mould and am having weekly injections.
30. I am hypersensitive to chemicals, perfume, cigarette smoke and bleach.
31. My allergies have gotten worse over the last few years.
32. I made it through this winter without bronchitis.
33. Reading is high on my list as escapism, especially out in the sun in my hammock.
34. I love anything to do with water; fishing, boating, swimming, and snorkelling.  
35. I currently want to learn to dive.
36. I am working on getting my motorbike licence. I had a moped at uni years ago and now they are cool again, or it is because they now are financial.
37. I love to shop and since I have a limited budget I happily spend time window shopping until I find exactly what I am looking for.
38. Is shopping exercise? I know I need to get moving more, so says my personal trainer Craig.
39. I also have a husband who is a personal trainer; Popeye’s Health and Fitness.
40. I am passionate about arts, theatre, musicals, music and dancing.
41. Lights, camera, action seems to capture my mind; hence my love of Vegas.
42. I have a piano at my parent’s house and one day will restore it and have lessons.  I did try to teach myself at one stage by writing on the keys.
43. I like to sing in the car.
44. I like to sing with sing-star at home, usually either when no-one is around or when I am too drunk to care.
45. Love, love, love live concerts and live bands.
46. I took up salsa a few years ago but I haven’t danced much this year due to injury.
47. I want to get back into dancing including ballroom dancing.
48. I enjoy Zumba and can’t wait for my friend Wenny to come back and join me again.
49. I admit that I used to boot-scoot.
50. I bought a pair of boots whilst in America to wear boot-scooting.
51. I still love going out dancing at night clubs...till all hours.
52. I have spent many hours working on my genealogy.
53. I have managed to track down unknown relatives from all over the world. Especially since I am a bitser; a mixture of Scottish, Irish, English, Indian, German, Polish, and Ukraine... I am Australian through and through.
54. My favourite flower is roses, probably pink, hence my rose garden.
55. I grow fruit trees; I just wish my avocado tree would fruit.
56. I have perfected pickling my olives from my Kalamata trees.
57. I would love to plant a vegetable garden.
58. I love dogs and am looking for a pugalier. If you know a breeder let me know.
59. My last dog was a Rottweiler, called Sara.
60. Wanted Bailey as my next dog’s name but a friend has that name already.
61. I have 3 Christmas teddy bears that Heath bought me, named Oscar, Christopher and Bailey.
62. My bought myself my first Barbie doll at 29. It was Bridal Barbie and Ken as our wedding car dolls.
63. I have a rat phobia. I had a dead one the size of a cat thrown at me before the lights came back on at the cinema at the end of Beetle Juice in 1989. Blood splattered all over me. The bastards!
64. I nearly chopped my finger off chopping wood with the axe.
65. My earring back grew into the back of my ear and I had to go to hospital to cut it out.
66. I started going grey at 17. I am a hairdresser’s dream customer/cash cow.
67. I was blonde when I was young, darkened to brunette as a teenager, and now am blonde again.
68. My eyes go from blue to green and all shades in between.
69. I like scrapbooking but having done much lately.
70. Every year plan to make my own Christmas cards.
71. I generally write a Christmas letter every year.
72. I love the holidays, especially Christmas.
73. I love decorating the house for Christmas.
74. I love baking Christmas goodies and planning a Christmas menu.
75. I love seafood. Prawns are probably my favourite.
76. Mojito is probably my favourite cocktail atm.
77. Love white wine and port. Red wine seems to trigger my allergies but I manage as long as I have my antihistamines with me.
78. I love going wine tasting at wineries.
79. I enjoy photography.
80. I learnt to develop my own prints at uni.
81. My middle name is Marie.
82. Love to play canasta, although Heath won’t play with me anymore.
83. Only learnt to play poker last year.
84. I am a roller coaster junkie...whoohoo! Bring on the stratosphere :)
85. I am a combination of a night owl and morning person, once I have had a hot shower.
86. Can’t live without a hot morning shower to warm up these old bones and trigger the brain.
87. At 24 had spinal surgery after a ruptured disc caused scar tissue to block off the nerves down my leg and was in a wheelchair for 3 months.
88. I have trouble sleeping and have to manage on 4 or 5 hours most nights.
89. Can be found on my computer or reading a book around 4am in the morning, not by choice!
90. Sleep patterns are probably shot due to previous shift work.
91. I can’t stand people who can’t make decisions.
92. I like being organised.
93. No I am not anal retentive!
94. I like to try new things.
95. I am easily guilt tripped and have a killer conscience.
96. I am content with myself although I still fight off insecurity.
97. I try to live without masks and be who I am.
98. I try to be honest with everyone including myself and that means taking each day as it comes.
99. I always planned our life with children.
100. I am working on a new life plan. Suggestions are always welcome.