Sunday Session - Female Icons

This has been an impossibly busy week, but I'm taking 5 minutes out to post my Sunday Session music picks for this week. Thea is away, so I can't link up to her meme, but, I thought I'd play anyway.

Besides, this song has been playing constantly in my head since I heard it in the car yesterday.

I really do not like the video (she is one wacky girl!), so I've included her performance from the Grammy awards this year, (it is still pretty weird) but the song is so catchy.



My selection for a song from the past had to be the Madonna song that Lady Gaga channelled (that is, ripped off) for her Born This Way melody. I played this song a kazillion times when it was released. I was about 19 years old, so 20 years ago (hmmm).



I still don't feel comfortable about all the crotch-grabbing, but I am amazed at the way both of these ladies dance and sing at the same time.
And you can't knock a good tune!

Sunday Session - Pretty Voices, Pretty Melodies

I'm joining in with Thea's Sunday Session to play two great songs, an oldie and a newbie.

I've had the newbie song in my head all week, and it inspired me to go back and listen to this pretty song by the Cranberries:


Gotta love strings!

The one that's been in my head all week is this beautiful song:



How much do I love the scene where she is lying on top of all the love letters? Gosh! That hair colour! That voice! Those harmonies! That jangly guitar! So singalongable!

Matinee Idols - All the Beautiful Girls

Last week I shared pics of some of the most yummy men on the silver screen, and this week I am going to rave about my favourite actresses. Yes, they are all beautiful, but I also think these ladies are the cream of the acting crop.

My favourite: Keira Knightley (she hasn't made a dud film yet, and ALWAYS shines)

Kate Winslet: I knew she was going to be a star when I saw her in Heavenly Creatures

Rachel MacAdams: I knew she would go far when I saw her in Mean Girls

Sandra Bullock: Especially loved her in 28 Days and Practical Magic

Dakota Fanning - Always adorable and always brilliant

Angelina: Gutsy

Julia Roberts - Has made some really memorable films. Gotta love that hair and smile!

Juliette Binoche: Haven't seen many of her films, but she plays the best female role of all time, that of the chocolate maker in Chocolat.

Drew Barrymore: So cute and funny!

Claire Danes: Strong and diverse

I adore these actors! Who are your favourites?

My Place and Yours - W

Over at hello owl, Danielle asked us to find something in our homes starting with W. Being a rather bookish person, this pop-up book of the Wizard of Oz was the first thing to come into my head. It is beautifully illustrated and cleverly made, with intricate pop-ups, and also has recorded sounds on each page.
I adore it!

The cover:

The Tornado

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

The Tinman

The Emerald City

The Flying Monkeys

The Witch

The Wizard

The Return of Dorothy

By the way, is anyone going to the production of Wicked this year?

It's Monday! What am I reading?

Today, I'm joining up with Book Journey's weekly meme about the book/s I'm reading.

This week I've been getting right into this one:

It's a great story of two families, and I'm turning the pages as quickly as I can, but there are 593 of them!

Another book I picked up off my to-be-read pile is this one:

I thought it would be a wordy, technical read, but it is actually a book about meditation, or 'being in the now' in order to get away from the stresses of life. Tolle presents his theory and instructs the reader on how to just 'be'. I'm only about two chapters in, and already I'm finding it a help.

Sooooo, what are you reading at the moment?

Sunday Session

It's music day, where I link up with Thea and share a newbie and an oldie.

Watching American Idol yesterday, I heard this song, and was spellbound by Skylar Grey's voice, the pretty piano, and Diddy's honest lyrics.



The setting of the Diddy vid, reminded me of this clip by Madonna. While not one of her bigger hits, the video and melody are haunting, and her voice is flawless.



Come and join us in this musical fest!

Matinee Idols - Gorgeous Boys

If you're a regular reader of my blog you might know that I LOVE movies, and that I have another blog called a choc top and me, where I review movies I've seen.

In this Matinee Idol series, I'm going to take a closer look at some of the actors I admire, and love to watch. This week I'm taking a look at the beautiful men on the silver screen. The ones that make us swoon.

My favourite: Ashton Kutcher; adorable

Brad Pitt: An obvious choice

Ewan MacGregor: I fell for him in Moulin Rouge

Hugh Dancy: cute in Confessions of a Shopaholic

James Franco - Stunning

James Marsden: Model good looks

Doesn't everyone love him?

Paul Walker: Gosh! Divine

Robert Pattinson: Captivating on screen

Tom Welling: Those eyes!

Zac Efron: I know he's young, but he lit up the screen in 17 Again.

Whew! Okay, I need to just go calm down now. xx

My Place and Yours

Over at hello owl, Danielle has asked us to decide what ONE THING we would take from our home in an emergency. It's kind of impossible to name just one, because the last time we prepared to evacuate I packed the car full of stuff! I think there's a lot of things you can grab in a small amount of time, and I would mostly grab what I would pack in a suitcase if I was going for a holiday; clothes, shoes, toiletries, handbag, etc.

But something I wouldn't usually take on holiday is my external hard drive with all the photos we've taken over the years. Much easier to carry than photo albums or a computer, and something that can not be replaced.

Here he is:

I call him Max. I would definitely take him with me in an emergency!
(And now that I think of it, I'm going to keep him in my handbag at all times!)

I'm also going to work on making a civil defence pack, like the one Megan organised over at mousehouse.

What would be the ONE THING you would take in an emergency?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

“It’s Monday! What are you reading?” is a weekly event hosted by Sheila at Book Journey to share with others what you’ve read the past week and planning to read next.

I've been reading Anne of Green Gables.

It is a sweet story of a highly imaginative and talkative girl called Anne, an orphan who comes to live with Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert at Green Gables. Anne comes up with all sorts of philosophies about people and nature, and raves about how lucky she is to finally have a real home, and real friends. She is a charmer!

After reading a few short books I'm about to launch into three long ones.

The Alchemist's Secret, by Scott Mariani, is the story of Ben Hope, former elite member of the SAS, and Dr Roberta Ryder, an Amerian scientist, as they trail over Europe trying to locate an ancient manuscript to save a dying child. The document is said to contain the elixir of life, but others know of this document and want to uncover the secret of immortality for more evil ends. My mum loaned this to me, saying she really enjoyed it.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, is another lightning paced thriller involving symbologist, Robert Langdon, and an object encoded with five symbols found at the epicentre of the rotunda in the Capitol Building.I've LOVED all of Dan Brown's books, so I'm really looking forward to this. Mum bought it at a second hand book shop for $3!

My mum borrowed this one, At Home With the Templetons, from a friend, so I need to read this one first. I have enjoyed other Monica McInerney books,and this one is about two Australian families, the Templetons and their neighbours, the Donovans, who are drawn together, but then torn apart by tragedy.

I am always so excited about the books I am about to read, and always have heaps waiting for me, mostly courtesy of my mum, who reads about 5 books a week. I have, in my 'to-be-read' boxes, about 300 books!! Pop by my book blog Wise Owl Books to read my book reviews.

What are you reading?

Matinee Idols

I just wanted to talk about two actors that have amazed me this week.
Firstly, Adrien Brody.

Sure, I enjoyed his work in King Kong and Predators, but in The Pianist, he is incredible. I am fascinated by actors, because I wonder how they know their facial expressions will be right for a scene. Brody has the perfect expressions in every scene, and portrays oppression, poverty, hunger and desperation to perfection.

I remember him winning his Oscar for this role, and I revisited his acceptance speech and then put it here, because the last part brought me to tears.

Secondly, I have to highlight Angelina Jolie.

Yes, she is a strange one, and we know she's beautiful and too thin and has Brad Pitt, and a collection of children. But I cannot deny that her skills in action movies are untouchable! I remember seeing her in Tomb Raider, and thinking this is the type of role usually played by a man, but she is so cool, and calm, that the movie becomes more effective because of her. I am in awe of her physical skills, and I do think she is one of the most beautiful, bewitching women in Hollywood.

I have just reviewed two of these idols' films at my other blog A Choc Top and Me, so pop on over if you want to find out what these films are like.

Sunday Session

I'm playing along with Thea's Sunday Session, where we feature an old song and a new one.

Yesterday, I heard this song, True Faith, in Kmart of all places,and it took me back to my twenties. The video is pretty bizarre, so just turn it up loud and do something else for a few minutes!



I love R&B music (my favourite is Jordin Sparks), and this one is a gorgeous song by Charice, called Pyramid.

In the City

 I was called for jury duty a couple of weeks ago, and had to go into the city for two days. I hadn't been there for eons, so I really enjoyed looking around at the shops and the old buildings that I have always loved.

This is the entrance to London Court, an alleyway of shops with a Tudor style architecture. Above the clock are some horses that go around every half hour. People always stop to watch them. I LOVE it!

Here is the entrance to Peter Alexander's pyjama shop. The pink doors are just gorgeous!

I sat here both days to have my lunch. I love this old building, the GPO.

And here is a happy statue in the Hay Street Mall that was just calling out to be photographed. Isn't it genius?

What are your favourite spots in the Perth city centre?