Wordsmith Lane

Life Snapshots: Inside my Kookai Shopping Bag

So, there’s a sale at Kookai. Great excuse to stock up on good quality basics. Even if you’re scrimping and saving. Mind you, said sale means you’re likely to walk away with more than just the basics. At the end of my 20-minute stint in there, I walked away with a dress, a pair of shoes, a one-shoulder singlet, a one-shoulder three quarter sleeve top, a three quarter sleeve sweater-thing, and a beautiful, 100% merino wool long cardi in purple. Most of these were adorned with frills to make them that little more spectacular – so basically, they’d take a simple outfit, keep it comfortable, while also giving it a bit of pizzaz. And the shoes, well, they kind of speak for themselves and I simply can’t wait to wear them! I may have not needed about half of the stuff I bought, but considering it’s about $600 in good closet value purchased for under $200, I am NOT complaning.

All Sorts: The Style, Smarts & Savoir-faire files…

Good morning Wordsmith Laners, I hope you’re all having a terrific Tuesday, or at least, a Tuesday far better than any Monday and certainly far better than the mundane Monday I had yesterday.

You see, I woke up yesterday with a lot of optimism for what I would accomplish in the week ahead, like:

• polishing off the Madison article I have been working on for a couple of weeks now (my wordsmith abilities were tested with a very short deadline and a few re-edits);
• doing my regular job, which was going to be busy this week as I attended many meetings and the like
• cleaning my mess of a closet and my mess of a room (actually they’re not messy by normal standards as I am told, I am just a little too pedantic)
• Washing my hair (this, to me at least, is the biggest chore in the history of human events)
• Settling on my property AND celebrating it with dinner, dessert and cocktails with the boy
• Doing some thesis work, after having abandoned my project for almost a month
• Sorting out some more wedding stuff (there’s less than six months to go now!)
• Cleaning out my car (ah yes, this was dirty and messy)
• Reading a few mags, like the latest Shop (with Alexa on the cover, yay!); Madison & Women’s Health as well as Lipstick Jungle (needed a little bit of light reading)
• Doing some copywriting for a couple of clients
• Sharing with you some of my (very pretty) latest buys, all scored at 40% in some random sale
• And basically not stressing out about the week ahead (for a change).

Instead, I:

• had a car accident (thankfully not my fault), and spent the rest of the afternoon screaming about my back pain, going to the doctor’s surgery and the copshop to file all the relevant reports
• freaked out about why the settlement was not going through on my property – turns out the seller had some issues with his mortgager/bank and we had to change the cheque with the deposit, etc, so I hope it all sorts itself out today
• did not eat – yes, somewhere in the midst of that hectic conundrum of a day, I forgot to nourish myself until the very late evening. Thankfully, I am making up for it today with a lovely breakfast of bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon – happy days!
• ended up calling in sick with back pain, but freaked out about how my work was NOT going to get done and letting down the schools and scripture coordinators I was supposed to be meeting with; and
• stayed up all night stressing about all that I did not do.

However, I woke up this morning with a resolve to take it easier, so I will be:

• Working from home – that way, my job gets done, and I get to rest my back on a pile of pillows while doing everything in bed thanks to my laptop
• Eating, and eating good: Breakfast today is a fresh poppyseed bagel with lashings of cream cheese and smoked salmon, morning tea is apple tea with Jam Fairy cakes, lunch is a yummy stiryfry with noodles, with garlic and ginger to fight the winter baddies, and fresh basil for some extra zing. Snack time is popcorn (sweet and salty – one of my faves) and dinner will be whatever my Lebanese-cook mummy makes.
• Sorting out the insurance aspect of the accident immedaitely so as to put it from my mind – and relying on muscle relaxants and panadol to make the back pain go away at least temporarily
• Promoting my Bride to Be Column - I hope you guys are checking out and if you can tweet it for me, I’d really appreciate the extra promotion
• Commissioning James to ring the solicitors and make sure all goes through for settlement – because I REFUSE to think about it for another day
• Sorting out my phone bill/changing my rate plan to save money in light of the fact that there’s mortage/wedding/travel on the horizon
• Leaving the wedding plans for another week, as I am sure they’re not going to run away (much as I wish they would)
• Reminding myself to be happy as I have filed the copy for the Madison article, which I am super-excited about
• braiding my hair – two braids always make me happy, especially when pinned back in an elegantly classic up-style
• Reading – and blocking everything else from my mind; and
• playing with the new additions to my wardrobe, which I have included pictures of for your perusal. I’ll be wearing the ivory lace and crochet dress with black leggings, ivory ballet flats, a string of Chanel-esque black and white pearls, a black blazer, a topknot accessorised with a giant ivory bow hairtie, and my Chanel tote. The Jumpsuit is my fave summer buy, which I’ll wear with sky-high stilettos/platforms, bold earrings and bangles, a great cocktail ring and a big clutch when I go out, and some big studs and sandals for weekend daywear. The one shoulder bow-top will pe perfect with jeans or skirts for a night out at the bar/dinner – and my favourite of them all, my swan princess bretton jumper.
• Super-cute no? Especially with jeans or a navy skirt and ballet flats, and my watermelon coat. LOVE. See, when you score pretty wardrbe pieces for 40%, they make you forget everything.  Well, maybe not backpain ;p
  

  

  

  

  

All Sorts: A weekly round-up of style, smarts & savoir-faire

• Think you got the latest and greatest when you picked up the i-pad? Well, unless you’ve got some i-clothing hanging in your closet, you’re still not ahead of the fashion pack. Sydney-based fashion dynamo (and all-round cool chick) Davina Reichman of i-clothing has launched the i-tee and the i-tee to keep your nifty new tech piece right where you want it while keeping your hands free. Coco (of 2.55, hands-free fame) would be proud.
• John Grisham, best-selling author of many a legal thriller, (I simply loved A Time to Kill) has tried his hand at writing legal thrillers for young adults. Theodore Boone, Young Lawyer is a tale of Theo, who dreams of being a great lawyer. Soon enough he is dragged into the midst of a murder trial, watching as a cold-blooded murderer is about to go free. But, this is his chance to make it, and Theo won’t stop until justice is served (Hodder & Stoughton, $24.99).
• Girl with a Satchel Erica Bartle, has mentioned me in a piece announcing that 17 year old Iman Krayem of Picnic Point has won Girlfriend of the Year. I congratulate Girlfriend for choosing a hijabi girl as part of their contestants, and not making a big deal of it as per normal media outlets when they do something against the ordinary. Perhaps this can serve to remind us that Muslim women are not unlike us in many respects, and we shouldn’t over-do the coverage when one of them makes it into the spotlight as though it is paranormal. Congrats and all the best on your achievements Iman (fittingly, this means belief in Arabic) – I am sure you are encouraging other hijabi teens in Oz to fulfill their dreams.
• Speaking of mentions, I was also lucky to have been a guest commentator on the release of Sex and the City 2 on the Ted Bull afternoons show on Radio NewsTalk 6PR 882 in Perth. Me likes the media gigs, I tell you! In fact, I have updated my gallery page (and called it ‘Press’) and included anything that is quite nice for me to have here. Thoughts?
• As winter approaches and my skin gets drier thanks to the cooling weather, especially in light of the fact that I fail to moisturise after showering because I just get stuck into my clothes (it’s cold!), I’ll be looking for a body wash that cleans, moisturisers and hugs our beautiful earth. My best bet at the moment is my bottle of Trilogy Body Care botanical body wash ($27) which was a tried and tested winner of the UK’s prestigious Green Beauty Bible categories. Try it, it is infused with lavender, amla fruit extract and kawa kawa (which must be good!).
• In other beauty news, Nivea Fruity Shine is back, perfect for plain-jane lips like mine that only like a hint of colour that’s not overwhelming. Love its red and compact packaging too, which is perfect for the bottomless pits of my handbags. I wish I can carry clutches during the day like Miss Carrie.
• Burqa debate is alive and well all over the globe and I am rather bored of the issue. All the coverage has yet to cement a status in my head on the topic, at least where Australia is concerned. On the one hand, Senator Bernardi speaks for those Australians who deem it unfair to be banned from wearing things that conflict with their identity out and about, while burqa wearers don’t have to, which suggests that perhaps it is not the right fit with current Australian norms as yet? On the other, I feel for women who might be forced to wear it (and they are not all forced) might have to stay at home if it is banned, which would be awfully mean. Love what Mona Eltahaway said of it in the New York Times with such honesty.
• Speaking of things usually associated with the Middle-East and in light of all the SATC 2 excitement, I loved this piece on The Stranger. Literally made me laugh out loud, despite my like for the show/movie. Not usually a fan of political correctness when it gets too extreme (and it usually does) but this is one example where political correctness works.
• All I can think about right now is this gorgeous Samantha Wills ring. I wish I was not saving up for a wedding, otherwise, I would have had to have it immediately.
• I hope you are all following my column over at Bride to Be magazine. This week, it’s all about budgets and brides. Eeek!
• UK Journalist and Business Mentor Sarah-Jane Adams has released a series of e-books to help young creatives break into their chosen industry, whether it is fashion retail, modelling, or urban music. Buy them at www.sarahjaneadams.com/ebooks and see yours truly mentioned (and dishing out advice) in the e-book on fashion retailing.
• Lastly, I am genuinely sorry I have not been posting. I wish I can say that I have been super-productive and churning out chapters for my book and thesis, but I have not been able to write AT ALL which, as you can imagine, bums me out completely and leaves me with little work done, but not for lack of trying, which means wasted hours at the laptop, hurting my back ( I should master ergonomics). This has come at a bad time as I am on deadline for an article for Madison, the first I ever write for them, and I really wanna ace it. Please God! Oh how I need inspiration. Anyone have any to give me?
• Hope you have had a marvellous week to date, and all the best for Friday and the weekend. Much love to you all wordsmiths also struggling with the walk on wordsmith lane xx

All Sorts: The Birthday Edition of Style, Smarts & Savoir-faire

It’s my birthday today and I have nothing to say. So please excuse me while I go eat more cake. I know I am not reliable, but I will be back posting eventually. Probably after I finish reading my magazines, and definitely before I start fixating myself to the recipes in Alison Thompson’s Macaron. Happy Birthday to me!

Wordsmith All-Sorts: The Style, Smarts & Savoir-Faire Files

• Mother’s Day this weekend, and as you can see, this wordsmith has been busy gifting those special ones in her life (future mother-in-law included) with some prettily-packaged pressies (I almost want to keep them myself) to make that day of celebrating them just a little more special. I hope they enjoy their gifts of winter pjs (complete with matching slippers) even though they will be sharing this Sunday with yours truly.
• That’s right, I also have a special day coming up (my 24th birthday falls on May 10th), and given that it falls on Monday week (eek!) I will be making the most of it this weekend. I am still figuring out what I want to do. I want to try and keep it down to something very cheap considering my wedding-saving dramas, and what seems to be winning is dinner at my current obsession Thai in a Box in Burwood, where there are Money Bags to be eaten and stir-fries to be had, and dessert at gelatomassi in Newtown. I am a big fan of their Pannacotta…and green apple and apple pie and lemon sorbet and english trifle oh my!
• The cold front that is winter is coming, but I do not fear, at least where style is concerned. I’ve recently purchased a darling cape from Forever New (and at only $120 it was a style steal) and I am very in love with it considering Rachel Zoe was wearing a very similar one in a photo from last month’s instyle.
• Speaking of current style obsessions, my one comes courtesy of Sydney designer, Erin Louise. The Shire girl is quite popular for he embellished basics (singlets especially) and short dresses (they never do justice to my pasty-white legs and I am never too good with the fake tan) but I am particularly in love with this beanie that I recently purchased. Loving the lilac knit (hand-knitted by her mum and nan) and the embellished crystals and pearls. It is honeymoon love and I am looking forward to wearing it around NYC this December (God willing!)
• Speaking of New York, MAC are giving people the chance to win a trip to New York Fashion Week to see some of Australia’s best fashion talent showcase their collections, in another celebration of Rosemount Australian Fashion Week.  In addition, there will be daily product giveaways from M·A·C’s exclusive backstage-inspired SS 2010 Collection. Enter via www.maccosmetics.com.au\rafwsweeps.
• Don’t forget to drink the same amount of water as you do in summer now that the winter weather is creeping in. You might not feel the thirst, but your bosy still needs repleneshing with 1.5-2 litres a day at least. Give your bottle a work out, but don’t forget to clean it to rid it of lurking bacteria (like lipgloss for example) and try to replace it once or twice a fortnight.
• Head down and bum up for me this week, especially as I continue to work on my thesis, which I am hopefully strengthening thanks to my little ‘better thesis’ guide courtesy of Evans & Gruba. That’s not to say I won’t be flippimng through my latest edition of glossy-fave Madison (fashion + features=fun!), with a lovely SJP on the cover, to get me out of my smarts rut for a little enjoyment. But it won’t all be thesis-related work, especially as I’ll also be speaking at the Walkley Foundation’s Industry Day at Redfern Town Hall on Thursday May 6th at 10:45am, alongside journalists from Channel 9 and SBS. It’s a casual panel on breaking into the industry, so aspiring wordsmiths take note and be there if you can! (And come up for a chat afterwards please). Am trying to get used to my busy diary but it’s not really working out for me at all. I think it comes with the territory of trying too much.
• Trying is a good thing, though, when you’re helping someone in need. Which is why I urge those of you who can to frock up for Sex and the City and watch it for a good cause with Nivea & Sister2Sister. This June, Life Changing Experiences Foundation with the support of NIVEA are launching the inaugural ‘Sisters In The City’ fundraising initiative, with two private screenings of the highly anticipated ‘Sex And The City 2’ movie. Consumers have their chance to strut down the pink carpet before receiving a NIVEA gift bag and complimentary Cosmopolitan cocktail. Amazing raffle and silent auction prizes are on offer – and the SATC experience wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the free photo-booth with friends, all before the movie starts!
  100% of money generated from ticket sales will be donated to Life Changing Experiences Foundation’s SISTER2sister program, a 12 month mentoring program that matches successful women with at-risk teenage girls, helping them to overcome difficulties in their lives.

Wordsmith All-Sorts: The pursuit of style, smarts & savoir-faire

Today was a most marvellous day for the pursuit of style, smarts and savoir-faire. Allow me to demonstrate:

• Pursuit of style deemed successful with the purchase of this very sassy pair of stilettos at Peeptoe Shoes. The nude colour works wonders for practically almost every outfit, and I am very pleased that it’s a lovely match for my beautiful Mimco oversized clutch, purchased by my lovely fiance on our three year anniversary a year and a half ago. I am very sad to see the warm weather go, but I am excited that I will brave cold tootsies at least until late May if it means I get to take my Miss Lennox shoes for a spin around the town.
• Smarts is basically my issue of Frankie, and that’s because the team there sure achieved something spectacular with this magazine, which boys, girls and nanna’s all love to love. It’s point of difference is so hard to pin-point, but it sure makes my day to read something a little different than the typical women’s magazine (which I still read, of course). I’m especially excited by this issue’s gorgeous pink-y cover, the spread on creatives discussing the meaning of life, and my own piece of work, telling the story of a 21 year old disabled girl who is dedicated to her goals in a manner not befitting her age. I’m also smiling up at readers from the Frankie Friends page, which brings me to admit that I love making it to the contributor pages of the publications I write for.
• Nothing says savoir-faire like my girly guides, and this week, I am re-reading Gisele Scanlon’s The Goddess Experience, courtesy of its great titbits on travel (especially to New York) plus darling illustrations, great interviews, and bits and bobs on everything from luxury, style, beauty, food, the urban lifestyle and earth love. It is all the ♥ I need after a frustrating week of  study, mis-laid plans and general arrrrrghhh moments in life.
• That said, today is also perfect because I got to spend it in its entirety with James, which is often a rarity considering the strange hours he works (NSW Police) and the fact that we don’t live together. So today, he whisked me off to haberfield for a bowl of Farfalle pasta with Salmon in a creamy tomato sauce, and dessert at Papas. Afterwards, he let me indulge my love of Mary Poppins by taking me to visit her at Ashfield Park, and even took a photo of me with her (much to his dismay!). Then it was off for a spot of shopping for wedding things and the like. All in all, a day of contentment on both our parts, knowing that after so many years, we’re still kind of going through the honeymoon phase. I’ll be perfecting this ‘practically perfect in every way’ day with a cup of lemon & ginger tea and another pastry (almond and cherry tart) from papas. Happy days!

Weekly Style, Smarts & Savoir-Faire Hit List

Last week, I blogged about my disappointment that every news outlet I read was getting into the Underbelly/glamorisation of gang culture subject matter that makes up the bulk of my thesis research. Bummed out that the area I was carving up as my little niche was going global without my input, I took my sorrows to my supervisor, but amazing academic that she is (you rock Penny O’Donnell, and I am very lucky to have your help as I navigate through thesis drama land), she helped me realise it’s actually a great thing for me academically, because it will open up plenty of opportunities for discussion, and I won’t be as lonely as I currently am in my theoretical/research pursuits.

This week, I am a lot more optimistic about everything, and for the first time in a long time, there’s some thesis-related smarts in my (sometimes) weekly column of style, smarts and savoir-faire.

Style:

Glossy style mags, pretty-bow shoes & earrings that have their bling on

• Nothing says style like glossy magazines, and this week, I’ll be poring over Shop Til You Drop, which stars the ever-stylish Sienna Miller as covergirl. The issue also features a wedding special that will surely be a saving grace for this bride-to-be, as well as a $25 Seduce gift card (would love to use it for the jumper on page 120).
• Instyle magazine has also hit the shelves this week,  albeit a littlemore pricey at $9.95, courtesy of a freebie umbrella. Truth be told, I am more excited about the homes special included in the magazine as well as the very thorough ‘Shop Smarter’ feature.
• Can’t make it through Autumn without a pair of lovely Ballet flats, and, saddened as I was by the untimely death of an existing pair, I did find merit in these gorgeous bow-adorned ones from Witchery. If you hurry up and sign up to their loyalty program now, you get $30 off your next purchase, which means these babies go from their original price of $150, to their sale price of $130, and then down to $100 when you use your card. Budget bliss, with bow on the top!
• And just in case winter gets a little too dreary for my satisfaction, I can take refuge in the bling that is my new pair of earrings from forever new. I love their futuristic feel, and at $25, they didn’t set me back too much. They’ll go perfect with some sky-high boots and an LBD this winter. Or even jeans and a lovely lace-back blouse I just picked up from Bardot at a very pleasing price of $30. Oh, how I love sales.
• I also love free things, so heads up to my ma for donating yet another of her vintage leather clutches my way. A trusy beige colour will never go astray, and this clutch is a decent-enough size for night and day. Happy times.

Smarts:

Beatrice Colin and 20′s fever, Underbelly Mania and thesis motivation revival

• Regular Wordsmith Laners will surely leap for joy when they discover that the row of academic books that just made its way onto my end table signals a motivation revival in thesis land, meaning that this wordsmith is up and at it again and ready to tackle all her big jobs head-on. Who knew Underbelly, and all its publicity, would re-ignite my academic passions at a time when I needed them most?
• Speaking of passion and Underbelly, this steamy Australian Vogue fashion shoot features none other than the show’s leading lad, Firass Dirani. I think its encapsulates the glamorisation of crime/gang culture for my thesis (and hence why it fits into my smarts category)better than any episode I’ve seen, or maybe that’s just because Dirani (who also happens to be a CLEO bachelor this year) is not so difficult on the eye. He might not be the type of Lebanese bloke mum and dad would have liked me to bring home (then again, I did bring home an Aussie!) but he definitely is something…See what Girl with a Satchel Erica Bartle thought of the shoot here.
• Love the 20′s? Then you’ll love Beatrice Colin – author of The Luminous Life of Lily Aphrodite – and her ability to transport you to both the glitz and glam and difficult throngs of the post WWI era. Her latest book, The Songwriter, is set in NYC in 1916, and tells the story of three young lasses and their lives of love, change and politics. I loved her first novel and the way its ending unexpectedly pulled at my heartstrings, so I have high hopes for this latest work ($32.99, John Murray).
• This week, I’ll be hosting a workshop at Vibewire’s Sydney headquarters on sharing stories with the media and greater community – either through pitches, press releases, sound bites, or letters to MP’s etc. Hopefully I have had enough experiences walking down the path of a writer here at Wordsmith Lane and will conduct the workshop with minimal fuss. Either way, I’ll appreciate it if you could cross your fingers on my behalf, wouldn’t want to steer those young guns in the wrong direction!

Savoir-Faire

Tea-time, Cancer & Being Born-Again

• Australia’s biggest morning tea is coming up next month, so make sure you either host/attend a Morning Tea to help raise money for the fight against cancer. Someone close to me has just been diagnosed with breast cancer, so for me, it’s a little more personal. But even so, it’s a great cause so if you can do something about it, even by making a small donation, please do! I’ll be arming myself with the gorgeous tea cup from my soon-to-be Mother in Law Glenda, and helping with the fight as well.
• Nothing says a woman of style, smarts and savoir-faire more than a seat at a fashion show. And a friend of a friend is staging an amazing fashion show this Thursday, pairing established designers with up and coming ones in what is set to be a great night. If you can support in anyway, please do. Or to read about her amazing work and the whole event, check out their website here. The woman wore an original vintage Chanel dress to her birthday party, so I assure you she knows her stuff.
• I visited a particular retail store this week and was extremely disaapointed with the sales service there. But even when I came out of the change room, I couldn’t bear to throw the stuff on the counter and walk out. Instead, I walked around the store and hung up each time in its correct place. I was in a rush and expected the sales women (there were three) to come relieve me of what I perceive to be their duty, but they didn’t. What would you have done? Surely your responses will be a major lesson in savoir-faire for the likes of me…

Have a happy week, wordsmith laners xx

Wordsmith Weekly: This week’s style, smarts & savoir-faire hit-list

Happy shorter week Wordsmith Laners! I hope you had a very happy Easter, and are ready and willing to face another Wordsmith week. If not, make sure you stake out a respectful hitlist of style, smarts and savoir-faire to make it all a little more pleasant, because it usually works a treat for me and dare I say it, makes my working week a little more worthwhile.

Especially because, as you can so surely see, I have nabbed myself a pair of sparkly, ruby-slipper-esque pair of Dorothy shoes (that indeed is their style name) from my local Payless Shoes (@$59.99, FYI). I have no idea where I will wear them, let alone a clue as to whether or not they will last, but fiance could simply not ignore my squeels of delight and excitement as I saw them in all their Wizard of Oz-inspired glory.

On to more style news, I am immensely thankful to Australis for their new brush-on make up range. As you might all know, I loathe clutter in a manner so extreme, and anything that aids in my desire to own less (because, as we all know, less is more) will always earn my tick of approval. The range makes male-up application a breeze because you needn’t fiddle with tools (that are messy and worse, breeding grounds for bacteria) — simply apply using the brush imbedded in the stick/tube. Pictured here are  the foundation; the bronzer (a must for my pale skin) and illuminator (because late nights in front of a computer will dull it to the max); and my favourite products of all — the two-in-one lip and cheek tints (again, less products is less mess in my already cluttered life). I love the colours in the tints too – perfect for my vintage rose kinda look. Check them out at your nearest priceline store.

On the smarts front, I will be catching up to all things wordsmith-inspired today with my monthly newsletter courtesy of the NSW Writer’s Centre. Of course, I’m more than insistent on sharing the wordsmith wealth, and as such, I will try to ensure the timely posting of any relevant wordsmith information (competitions, courses, general tidbits) in the Writer’s Spotlight section for your perusal.

And, because I believe that smarts also extends to awareness and knowledge of our surroundings (not just matters that would label us intelligent or book smart etc), I will be thoroughly perusing my Lonely Planet guide to the Big Apple, New York City. Regular followers of this blog would be pleased to note that I have booked and paid a deposit on my Las Vegas/NYC honeymoon for December 2010 (God Willing).

Although I must say that I will always be keeping myself a little booksmart on matters of Tudor history, so unsurprisingly I am simply ecstatic at the prospect of reading a new release book that digs a little more into the mystery surrounding the death of Amy Robsart, the wife of Robert Dudley – who happened to be best friends (and supposedly lovers) with Elizabeth I. I have never bought into the innocence and hype of the supposed virgin queen, and I think it’s because I have read widely into her supposed affairs with otherwise engaged men (apparently she had a dalliance with her step-mother Katharine Parr’s husband Thomas Seymour at the ripe young age of twelve, but vehemntly denied it when questioned under oath – meaning that Seymou, who was also uncle to her half-brother Edward VI went to his death). Maybe it’s tall poppy syndrome, maybe it’s because her rages and jealousy at anyone who captured the limelight more than she did is behaviour quite childish in my eyes. But again, considering this happened over 500 years ago, we can never be certain. I am nevertheless excited at reading the research and arguments made by historian Chris Skidmore in his book Death and the Virgin ($59.99, Weidenfeld &Nicolson) and familiarising myself even more on a topic I find scandalous, insightful and satisfying. The Tudors were indeed the Forsters of their generation.

And because a girl can never exist on style and smarts alone, my measley dose of savoir-faire this week comes in the form of my newly acquired tea towels, courtesy of the Best & Less $1.99 front-of-store rack. I found them to be cute and the absolute must for my kitschy, 50′s housewife fantasies (much as I love my career and the feminist cause, I love to indulge in a little domesticity and find it quite cathartic in my busy, modern-woman existence). Not sure if the picture is clear enough, but one of them is of three little piggies, one is of lollies/cakes/ice-creams and the last is of kitchen bits (jars labelled tea, coffee etc). Super-cute and super-cheap. Definitely a stash for my growing glory box.

I can’t promise to be as productive as last week on Wordsmith Lane, but I will surely do my best. I do have some semi-exciting news up my sleeve which I shall turn into a post later this month, because it is a wordsmith lesson you are all bound to learn from. Apart from that I shall take it slowly. But as always, thanks for your words and emails of encouragement, they always make my day and ensure the tough times are never too lingering. Especially when the sunny Sydney weather gets a little too dreary (though I know you’re smiling at the prospect of winter Ms Sarah-Hannah Fisher) and I want nothing more than to bury myself in junk food, tracksuits and TV. However, I am hoping that my new summer-scented tube of Planet Earth Coconut & Lime bodywash (because you all know I love the Target-sold brand so much it made it into the ’I Love’ sidebar of this blog) and my lovely hot pink shade of ‘strike a posie’ Sportsgirl nailpolish – complete with new-look bottle [see main image] will scare the lazy, winter demons away until I am ready and willing to deal with them.

Until then, we are all in this together. Have a happy week, and stay tuned for all things style, smarts and savoir-faire; all things newsy in the life of yours truly; and as always, all things wordsmith. All my love xx

PS – Is the font on this blog theme too small for you guys to read my random rantings? I fear the sidebar doesn’t convey my all-round amazingness as well as it should ;p

Wordsmith Weekly: The Easter Edition

No, I did not buy the whole confectionary section of K-Mart. But yes, I came pretty close (and fyi, this is not even the whole stash). And it’s because, come this Sunday, this Wordsmith would have given up chocolate for 40 days of Lenten sacrifice, in recognition of Christ’s suffering/fast in the desert. So how am I planning to spend the sad and sorrowful Passion Week in between the two joyous Sundays of Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday?

As a Catholic, Passion Week is very important to me. It is the week that my Lord & Saviour was welcomed joyfully back into Jerusalem only to be betrayed by disciple/good mate Judas on Holy Thursday (after the Last Supper banquet), and tortured and crucified on what we term Good Friday. But it didn’t end badly for Jesus, who Christians believe rose from the dead three days later and opened up the gates of heaven for our salvation. We call Christ the new Adam, because he gave us another chance at Paradise and a good relationship with God, after Adam’s disobedience had humanity shunned from Eden (the garden of Paradise) for ever. So why did the Son of God (and God himself for that matter, but that’s another story) have to die such a horrible death for people he didn’t even know? Apart from fulfilling prophecies dating back thousands of years, it was because the one who had to repair our relationship with God had to be worthy enough in God’s eyes, and who more worthy than His own son?

The Christian faith is essentially all about sacrifice. Well, if you practise it right anyway. You’re supposed to forgive even when you don’t want to (because a world without grudges is a nicer place); turn the other cheek when you are judged/criticised (because judgement of one another doesn’t fulfill this happy, nicer world plan); and bend over backwards for your neighbour. It’s all faith, hope and charity really, and, at the risk of sounding nerdy or uncool, the most beautiful thing in my life.

Not that this is a religious lesson, so pardon me in that regard, because I am just as fascinated by the traditions and protocols of other belief systems as I am my own. Which means that this week, I will be spending a lot of time in quiet prayer and meditation, contemplating how I can be a better human being to better fulfill the plan that God has for his happy, shiny world. This of course will be aided with some readings from a book (see above) on Christ’s death – why he did it and what it meant – as well as a couple of church visits, a breaking of the Lenten fast with my family at midday on Good Friday (anyone want to come enjoy a vegetarian Lebanese feast at mine?), a rosary said (with Catholics all over the world) for peace in the world at 3pm on Good Friday, and finally, on Easter Sunday, a big lunch with my family and the joyful, slow and thankful devourment of all the goodies I abstained from this Lent. Including the giant bucketload of lollies and chocolate eggs (eggs are critical to Easter time because they represent a new life, and the new life we have thanks to Christ’s sacrifice).

I’ll also use the break to better peruse the 10th anniversary edition of Instyle magazine (check out the home of Wheels & Dollbaby designer Melanie Greensmith, it’s to die for), and, because Lenten sacrifice is just not enough, to see what lessons are to be learned on matrimony from bestselling author Polly Williams in her book How to Be Married (Headline, $29.99). Then again, compromise is sacrifice, is it not? And compromise does a good marriage make.

As for you guys, make sure you stay tuned to Wordsmith Lane as I will be a decent blogger this week – with a post coming on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Would also love to hear feedback on how you’ll be spending your breaks, so make sure you comment and let me know.

It’s a busy week ahead with all of the above, but should there be some spare time, I am really keen to see what all the fuss is about with regards to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love. Come to think of it, that book pretty much sums up my whole week. Food, faith and fulfillment. All the ingredients for a perfect week…and put it simply, a perfect life.

Happy Easter everyone xx

PS – Speaking of new life, I am attempting to breathe new life into this blog by merging it (slowly, and cautiously) with my professional portfolio. While a domain under my name remains the ideal, I feel my ethnic surname is often a struggle when people look me up or try to say my name (though this could just be identity paranoia). Besides, as you all know, I am rather fond of the title ‘Wordsmith Lane’ and can’t bear to part from it. Fiance tells me I can still use the domain of my professional name to direct to this website, so it could still work in my favour and I could have both sarahayoub.com and wordsmithlane.com come to this very blog. A pretty good compromise, no? I feel like I am jumping the gun, but when I do get my book published (positive thinking) I feel that my publisher would say it’s good to have a web presence under your name, so I think it’s essential to work with wordsmithlane which I love so much, and Sarah Ayoub, who I happen to be. But instead of having to update two websites, I’ll only have to work with one. Especially because I’m quite happy with the format of this site, and it’s just so easy to work with, so I might stick it out. I am in the early stages of testing, so as you can see I have added a new category (writing portfolio) where I will update my articles (although they are listed, by alphabetical order of publication) on the Writing tab. I have also added a tab on my speaking gigs (a modest but growing number of engagements to my name thus far), a tab on my research project (which I ought to be working on a little more) and a tab on my resume so far. I am also toying with the idea of keeping the gallery page as is. This has an even more modest number of attributes to it, but they’re still special and notable to myself. So anyway, let me know what you think. These things are small and shouldn’t stress me out in the bigger scheme of wedding/mortgage/thesis/book/full-time job, but, as I hope you have learnt, when you are an aspiring up-and-comer in the competitive writing world, your online presence is sometimes all you have, and you should really make it work in your favour. Anyway, give me some feedback to aid in my decision-making process, will you?

This week’s dose of style, smarts & savoir-faire

I am a very happy wordsmith girl today, and you can see why with a glimpse at my dresser. We all know that I (or, rather my finances) are doomed the minute I step into a T2 store, and this was evident today when I hit the shops in between work meetings and walked out with this gorgeous tea cup and saucer (which are huge and perfect for my Mad-Hatters Kitchen Tea/Bridal Shower this October) as well as a pack of their Creme Brulee tea (CREME BRULEE!). That said, I could be a little happier if I also walked out with the Choc-Chip Chai Tea as well, but I think we’ll take this addiction a little at a time, no?

And as you can see I’m also indulging my savoir-faire by being as clued up as possible on things I’m finding quite relevant in the pop culture world right now, namely all things Alice in Wonderland (today it’s Harper’s Bazaar that’s indulging this love with an interview with its lead Mia Wasikowska). On the smarts front, I am getting excited at the prospect of reading Natasha Waller’s Living Dolls (Virago, $35) which is out on March 25th and bound to cause a little bit of a stir on the sexualisation of young girls (its author also wrote The New Feminism).

And of course, I am still writing my novel with steely determination, and thus continuing to immerse myself in as much Young Adult fiction as possible for the purposes of keeping me in teenager-land until my first draft of work is up. Last week it was Candace Bushnell’s The Carrie Diaries, which is media embargoed until May and therefore keeping me tight-lipped; and this week it’s Melina Marchetta’s The Piper’s Son, which I’m already quite enjoying, but then you wouldn’t expect less from Marchetta.

Much to my excitement, I’m also working on a couple of stories and waiting to hear on a few more commissions, so things are good on Wordsmith Lane, even if it means my post have been very few and far between. But I have not forgotten you fellow wordsmiths, and I will not fail you once I have time on my side again for even just a minute. I promise I will make it worth your while once I have some concrete evidence about the world of book writing that I will be able to divulge. In the mean time, I hope you’re treating your lovely selves with as much style, smarts and savoir-faire that you can muster – trust me, it goes down a treat!