Today was my inaugural Tatts Cox Plate and while I do hope to return again next year, it won’t be unless I manage to snag a spot in a marquee or as a VIP in a function room. The morning dawned bright and sunny and I was thrilled to be able to wear outfit choice A, and not have to revert to wet weather option B, or wind option C. The tanning products came out, hair tongs and sprays, sunscreens, moisturisers and make up – a two hour effort to put together the perfect races look to match a perfect Spring day.

While my outfit was by no means extravagant or award winning, I was happy with my look; white dress with purple and white painted flowers, black plaited straps and empire waist tie by Diana Ferrari, never worn black satin shoes from a few seasons back by Tony Bianco, a suede ivory clutch that was a birthday gift last year (Forever New in case you were interested) and the finishing touch, a black fascinator purchased at Target at the last minute. A curled side ponytail, green contacts just for fun and basic makeup – I was ready to dazzle the crowds at Moonee Valley.

We arrived at the track without incident and parked easily. Picnic rug and gourmet snacks packed in handy eco bags, supplies (the important stuff like hairspray, static spray and spare shoes) and chairs at the ready, we teetered towards the track in our heels on grass, blissfully unaware of the pain we would be in just hours later. While I thought my heels were high, I was impressed with the girl from the car next to ours who towered in stilettos twice as high as mine but this was nothing compared for the scenes we would be confronted with upon entering the track.

We found our patch of grass (minus the chairs because apparently they are a no go), laid out our rug and broke out the cheese and crackers. There is nothing like a picnic if you do it right, and I am pleased that my racing companions scored a perfect 10 for picnic planning 101. We had crackers of several varieties, cheeses (five!), dried fruit, fresh fruit, sundried tomatoes, chips and dip, followed by meringue, strawberries and whipped cream in a can (not nearly as bad as it sounds, actually!). Our skin tingled from the sun and we sipped our (smuggled in) champagne with delight.

The temperature increased and so did the crowds. People were everywhere. Nothing brings out the masses like the lure of a day in sun and alcohol. Impossible to move and starting to dehydrate after two hours in full sun, I headed inside in search of cooler spaces. Ten minutes in a queue for the ladies together with too much sunshine and dehydration combined to ensure my hereditary curse of feeling faint at the most inopportune of times hit me and we headed for the St Johns first aid area where there was a good supply of cold water and help on hand should I have decided to create a scene. Fifteen minutes in the shade, a good dose of water and more sunscreen and we were back trackside for the next race.

It was at this point that the heat and hordes of punters started to get to all of us and after just 3 hours on the lawn, we packed up and headed for the Fashions on the Field area. A ticket mix up and some very rude Moonee Valley Staff later, we had had enough. I appreciate that the staff at events such as this are under a lot of pressure when there are so many people to control, but at no point is rudeness called for. If staff usher people though and then realise they have made a mistake – don’t yell at the patrons for your error. Ask us politely to leave and we will; there is no need for blatant discourteousness. More friends are won with honey, or so the saying goes.

So while I only saw the Fashions on the Field briefly, I’d like to base my assessment of today’s fashion on what I observed on the lawn. Flesh. More Flesh. Tanned Flesh. A Flash. Yet more Flesh. Yep, the younger ladies have forgotten that the races is at its very essence a classy and refined event and bought out the mini dresses (some featuring cut outs!) more suited to a night club than the track. While the colours were fabulous, skirts that allow the people on rugs to see your knickers (or lack of) as you walk past are unsuitable and any sort of top that exposes more breast than it covers does not have a place at the races. Girls drinking directly from cans showed just how young they really were, while the boys downing beers as the day heated up probably had no interest in the horses and instead rated the scantily clad fillies as odds on favourite to go home with them tonight.

In my opinion, it’s such a shame that the racing venues and boards allow the dress code to be so liberal these days, eradicating decades of historical fashion trends and sophistication. Kudos to those who actually make the effort – it’s these women who are carrying the torch of race meets in days gone by. We salute you.

Dragging our feet back to the car in the handy flats tucked away in the bottom of our purses, we escaped Moonee Valley and lived to tell the tale – but only just. My first big races meet only proved what I have been told over and over; that the races just aren’t worth the hassle if you aren’t getting the VIP service. Derby Day will be celebrated in the comfort of my local hotel while Cup Day is reserved for local country races where the family atmosphere outweighs the drunken and deranged. Oaks will be spent at work and by the time Stakes Day rolls around, I think I will just about be done with Spring Racing for the year.

Thanks to Melbourne’s GPO for giving me the only thing I won today, to Miss K for looking after me in my moment of weakness today and to Miss C and Miss L for being such wonderful companions – and you all looked FABULOUS! x

(Picture thanks to The Age and Getty Images)
 

It’s been a while since I posted about food. All the Spring Racing Fashion has got me in a tizz and I am ashamed (ok, not really cause they are also quite good) to admit I have been living off 2 minute microwave dinners and canapés for the last few weeks. But tonight I went out. Bar Lourinha on Melbourne’s Little Collins Street is quite popular in food circles and tonight I discovered why.

As all good Melbourne restaurants are, this one is a small single fronted shop located at the Paris end of the city, a short walk from Spring Street or Exhibition. At 6.30pm on a Wednesday evening the place was packed and my friends and I were asked to wait in the hallway approximately 20 minutes for a space at a table. Um, in a hallway? I thought this place was supposed to a bit cool and classy, but waiting in a hallway is a bit substandard isn’t it? Well, one would think so but it was actually quite charming and endearing. We sat on stools outside the kitchen and chatted in the half-light, ordered our cocktails and felt like we belonged to an exclusive club that only the very important were admitted too. 10 minutes in the hall and 10 minutes in the lounge (a few stools at the front of the restaurant with a table, rather than in the doorway to the staffroom) and then it was table time.

Communal tables, high with stools, encourage a friendly atmosphere and allow you to check out what others are eating before ordering yourself. The staff are very attentive, filling water glasses and asking if assistance is required, while remembering the 8 or so specials off the top of their head.

We started with Tinto Verano; pink wine with lemon juice and mint, mixed with lemonade, then moved onto food and enjoyed Yellow tail kingfish with lemon oil, Spiced chickpea and spinach, Tuna with a spicy garnish, Lamb sausages with a yoghurt dressing and a salad of fish, broad beans and artichoke. The sausages and chickpea were especially good – the aromas of the spices combined to create a most exotic eating experience.

The restaurant is not expensive by Melbourne’s standards – a cocktail and my share of 5 tapas plates was a little under $40 and daylight savings saved my cab fare home with a short walk on a cool evening.

Bar Lourinha is located at 37 Little Collins Street Melbourne and is open for lunch and dinner Monday to Friday, and Saturday evenings. Lunch bookings are accepted, however for dinner you will just have to show up and wait in the hallway like the rest of us. I assure you though, it’s not an unpleasant experience – just like visiting the Bar itself.

www.barlourinha.com.au (Thanks to Jojo Gamvros for image)

Last week I saw them putting up the Christmas Tree in City Square, Melbourne. A terrifying thought entered my head. Christmas is only 73 sleeps away. Yep, that’s right. Have I scared you too? The Spring Racing Carnival has barely begun and already, Christmas decorations are taking over the prime real estate in department stores – fascinators and frocks are taking a backseat to tinsel and trees. This started me thinking about gifts and being organised for the festive season. Dates are being held for various Christmas catch ups in my diary – and together with all the launches, events and Spring Racing fun, when will I find the time (or the funds) to start getting Christmas in order?

First things first. I wrote ‘the list’. Names of family, friends and others who make the grade for a gift, others with whom we have Kris Kringle arrangements and another still who I will share a drink and a meal with, but no gifts are exchanged. Then there are cards to write, gifts to wrap and all the glorious food to prepare. This year I was pleased that my ‘i’ll get that for such-and-such and put it away’ philosophy had born fruit when I was able to fill most of my list from the special cupboard reserved for such things.

I do find it amusing that I can easily find gifts for children and acquaintances, but it is those I am closest to that are the hardest to choose for.  Parents, brothers and best friends are the ones I know best but will inevitably be searching for gifts for in the last weeks before Christmas. I desperately hope that what I choose they will enjoy or that the store I buy from has a refund policy if they don’t.

So how is your Christmas buy up coming along 73 days out? What is on your Christmas wish list? How will you spend your time over the holiday period?  It’s time to start baking your puddings people!! Let the festivities begin!

I changed outfits 14 times in 5 days this week. On Monday I got caught in a downpour while Tuesdays’ day off sent me to three different events over a number of hours. Wednesday things just weren’t working for me outfit wise  and I ended up with clothes all over the floor before work, while events in the evening saw another quick switcheroo in the Ladies. Thursday presented itself as warm but turned cold quickly while after work parties deemed work attire far too boring. Casual Friday in the office always presents a problem but slipping on the trackies for a night in was by far the most comfy, and highly anticipated, change of the week. This morning I managed to hang everything back in the wardrobe, wash the worn and return a dozen pairs of shoes to their boxes – all just another week in the life of a busy fashionista.

Tuesday night’s event was held at the Bond Lounge, Bond St Melbourne. I envisaged 007 style decor and wasn’t disappointed. Leather everywhere, lounge chairs and footstools make you want to lie around sipping martinis but I settled for Cosmopolitans and Sex on the Beach. The event, put on by the fabulous Kimberley Smith of Escapade Events, was entitled ‘Massages and Cocktails’, and that is exactly what we got. The ladies from Endota Spa treated us to neck and shoulder treatments while we sipped gorgeous drinks and mingled with the guests, chatting about all manner of fashion, news and views. Kimberley is to be commended for getting Escapade off the ground, and all the girls who have attended her events are grateful for the time and effort she has put in to helping Melbourne ladies meet new friends and contacts. It is with sadness that Kimberley is retiring the current format that Escapade runs in due to financial constraints but we look forward to her monthly catch ups and the day when Escapade is back (with a vengeance!! Oh wait, that’s not Bond, that’s Die Hard….)

In keeping with the theme of meeting new people, Wednesday night I headed to Toorak for drinks, dinner and a flick with the lovely ladies I have met in the Twitterverse. There are seven on us who frequently attend the same fashion events and one of the brilliant ladies in our midst suggested a catch up that didn’t involve champagne, canapés and gift bags. I had a quite brilliant time and laughed away the evening. Our film suited us down to the ground; ‘Valentino – The Last Emperor’ and everyone enjoyed this spectacular tribute to a master of the fashion industry.

Finally it was Thursday and the event I had been quite looking forward to all week (or for at least 24 hours since I got home on Wednesday night, so many things to look forward to in my life!) had arrived. Miss Money Penny’s Spring Racing Designer Event was being held at the Hotel Nest in Albert Park, with Makeovers, Manicures and Martini’s for guests and Massages on the side. Attendees were invited to bring along their second hand designer wares suitable for Spring Racing and a boutique of sorts was set up, along with millinery and accessory agents and frock hire gurus, Indian Giver. After champagne and canapés, a hand massage and make up touch ups, Penny drew door prizes, thanked sponsors and then let us loose on the designer goods! So many gorgeous dresses, jackets, suits and shoes among others had been brought in by the 50 or so guests and were quickly snapped up and tried on by enthusiastic purchasers. Stylist Bronwyn was on hand to assist with putting outfits together while the opinions of girlfriends was never far from the change room door. One of the girls walked away with a darling blue strapless frock that was pre loved by a celebrity… but Penny wasn’t giving away any trade secrets.

The gift bags at Escapade and Miss Money Penny were weighed down with goodies and as luck would have it, I managed to win door prizes at both events. Thanks to Kimberley/Bloom for Tuesday night and Penny/Party Feet for Thursday night!
So come Friday night, as previously mentioned, I was more than happy to throw on the trackies and enjoy The Shawshank Redemption in front of the heater. I love this lifestyle more than you could possibly imagine, but sometimes a night in doing the daggiest things is just what this fashionista needs.

Anyone free on Sunday? Come to the Leona Edmiston Spring Racing Lunch!!

The Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre was descended upon last weekend as hundreds of people with gluten intolerance raced to enjoy all the delights on offer at the Irresistible Gluten Free Food Show. Sponsored by Coles, this is the second year I have attended the expo and again I was not disappointed. Although I think the entry price is extortion ($18 for an Adult), there is a lot on offer for those who have allergies or intolerance to gluten.

I discovered I was Coeliac about 6 years ago at the age of 19. You would think after 19 years of eating gluten that discovering I was gluten intolerant would be an inconvenience, but it was mostly just relief that feeling ill most of the time wasn’t actually normal. My mother and brother discovered that they also carried the Coeliac gene and so the whole family took on the strict gluten free diet that has dictated our eating habits ever since. Removing so many basic foods like bread and pasta is difficult at first, there is no denying that, however seeing the developments in food technology over the past 6 years has been quite fascinating. Every week new products appear on the shelves with ‘gluten free!’ screaming at us and restaurants now clearly state on menus which items are suitable and which aren’t. There are bread and pasta products to rival their wheaten cousins and even the Tim Tam imitations are coming up to meet the benchmark set by Arnott’s.

The Gluten Free Food Show offers those with intolerance the chance to try and buy new products, learn about developments in medical science related to intolerances and offer opinions to those creating the goods about the taste of their goods in comparison to what we remember ‘the real thing’ tasting like. There are even people starting gluten free websites that list restaurants in your area that are helpful and accommodating – it seems gluten free is a booming business idea too.

I started my trek around the expo armed with an empty stomach and a calico bag – preparing for free samples and an inundation of literature. Never have you tried so many baked goods, cakes, muffins, pizzas, breads, pastries, pies and biscuits. An initial lap presented so many yummy things to buy; I was lost as to what to get and what to pass on this time. I was also presented with the dilemma that buying cakes and muffins would ultimately mean I would eat the lot and my Spring Racing Carnival preparation diet would be out the window. In the end I settled on gnocchi from the Sunnybrook Health Store (www.sunnybrookonline.com.au), Thomas Chipman Organic Chips, Delites bread sticks and Passage to India Butter Chicken sauce. I’d come too far with the Spring Racing diet to buy cake now!

Time for a breather and I settled in for demonstrations on the cooking stage by author and dietician Sue Shepard and chef, Tobie Puttock. Sue created Scones, Cheese and Herb Polenta Fingers (pictured) and Thai Chicken and Noodle Salad, while Tobie whipped up Snapper, Ricotta Al Forneo and a Semi-Freddo. The titles might sound daunting but appeared so easy when in the hands of professionals!

With so many brochures to read and different foods to try, I headed home full and armed with lots of new recipes to try and enjoy.

Perhaps I’ll give this Sticky Pear and Maple Cake a go while I read Everyday Health Magazine…. but maybe after Melbourne Cup Day!

Sticky Pear & Maple Cake
(serves 6-8)
 
200g packet dried pears, chopped
¼ cup currants
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
80g butter
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
2 extra large eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cups gluten free self raising flour, sifted
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon mixed spice

Maple Cream
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup cream
20g butter
 

Step 1
Pre heat oven to 180C conventional/160 fan forced. Place pears, currants and 1 cup water in a small pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Add bicarbonate of soda, allow to fizz for a couple of minutes then stir in butter to melt. Add sugar, syrup and then eggs once mixture has cooled a little. Stir in flour and spices until smooth.    

Step 2
Spoon into baking paper lined 20cm square cake pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Stand 5 minutes in a pan then remove, slice and serve warm with maple cream.

Step 3
Maple Cream: Melt butter in a small pan, slowly add cream, then maple syrup, stirring continuously for several minutes until mixture starts to thicken. Serve over cake.

When the Prime Minister needs to see a movie, who does he ask for suggestions? The treasurer? The deputy PM?
No, he turns to Twitter, and in a show of public support and backlash, the PM got the answers he needed.
ABC news picked up the twitter trail and published a story about the answers the PM got – and I rated a mention in the replies!

Check out the story here http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/10/2710390.htm – if you have seen the film in question, let KRudd know what you thought!

Follow our PM on Twitter, @KevinRuddPM

I am lucky enough to have been asked to be a contributor for Sassi Sam, a blog thats so fun, so girlie, so you!
Check out my latest post here, these are the Sassiest heels I think you will ever find!
Visit the Sassi Sam website www.sassisam.com/