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| Christian Louboutin |
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| Givenchy |
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| Dolce and Gabbana |
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| Jimmy Choo |
It’s been announced today that Kylie Minogue has won the Best Ever Celebrity Viral Ad award, after netting over 350 million hits on YouTube of the 2001 banned ad for Agent Provocateur.
If you’ve never seen the video consider yourself warned, this is practically porn. Funny ad though and damn girl she looks good.
Top 10 Best Ever Celebrity Viral Ads according to GoViral:
1. Agent Provocateur - Kylie Minogue
2. Nike Crossbar Challenge - Ronaldinho
3. Yes We Can - Obama Song
4. Nike Car Jump - Kobe Bryant
5. T-Mobile Life's for Sharing - Pink
6. "I'm f***ing Matt Damon" - Sarah Silverman and Matt Damon
7. EA Games - Tiger Woods
8. Chanel No.5 - Nicole Kidman
9. Samsung - Ozzy Osbourne
10. Apple Mac - Ellen Feiss
The esteemed JadedJ is an unapologetic flaming socialist-liberal who hails from the Cornhusker state. He’s an unashamed Anglophile who is mighty clever and even more sarcastic. Here’s a link to his blog Banquet of Consequences for those who aren’t already under the spell of his wit and charm.
In a momentary lapse of judgement, JJ has deemed me worthy of this highly celebrated Kreativ Blogger award. All I have to do in return is share with my readers 7 things that I love, not including people, and nominate 4 brand new worthy recipients (so as to keep the torture going ad nauseum). 
So deep breath and here goes:
1) I love Italian renaissance art especially Botticelli and Raphael.
2) I love travelling and seeing new places both inside NZ and outside. Can’t wait to get around the world some more once my son is independent.
3) I love sleeping in on a Sunday morning.
4) I love learning about new things and I challenge myself to undertake a course at least once every year. Sometimes it’s academic, other times not. This year I did both; a calligraphy course as well as suffering my way through an arduous statistics paper.
5) I love thunder storms.
6) I love public speaking and feel at my most confident at the front of a room with an audience. I’m a Leo, what can I 
say?
and finally…
7) I love shoes. When my weight gets me down I can always count on my shoes still fitting beautifully and looking hot. Nothing improves a woman’s calf like the 4 inch heel on a sexy red Manolo Blahnik.
OK and now to the important part. With whom shall I share the honour of the Kreativ Blogger award?
Lori from Family Trees May Contain Nuts is a dedicated blogger. She works hard to make her blog an interactive and interesting place to visit and we all know that’s not an easy thing to achieve.
Al from Al In The Country is a big city boy transplanted to rural Maine in the name of love. Al is working hard to fit in to small town life and the stories and the pics are a joy to partake of.
Sophisticated New Yorker Kathryn has a blog called From the Inside…Out. Kathryn has the most fabulous sense of humour. In her words “Cocktails are optional, but highly recommended. Not that you need one to find me utterly charming...but it couldn't hurt.”
and lastly…
Dade from Spain has an absolutely beautiful blog called It’s My Life. There’s a wonderful slideshow of Dade’s family to share and be sure to click on the link to Krysalis Photography to see some of Dade’s truly incredible pictures.
I’ll leave a comment on each of your sites to let you know the big news so collect a copy of the award for your sidebar and go for it. Have fun.
I had a rant while commenting on a post by the Plashing Vole the other day. I was (and still am) appalled at the increasing sexualisation of younger and younger children, especially but not limited to, girls.
Some of the clothing currently on the market that parents buy their children and/or allow them to wear is the key to this issue in my opinion. Have you seen the pants for preschool girls with “Does my butt look big in these?” or “I’m a tits man” t-shirts for boys? 
Anyway I am incensed (yet) again.
I came across the below today online as an example of a service provided where you can ‘improve’ on your child's look with just a smidgeon of Photoshop.
I am not going to credit any of these shots I am using today as I couldn’t stomach potentially helping either of these companies with their marketing.
Who would do this? The world has gone stark raving mad.
Those of you who read here regularly will know that I commute to work by air a day or two per week to our capital city, Wellington. I have a shockingly large carbon footprint I am sorry to say.
Anyway, a few weeks back a brand new safety video message was unveiled by Air New Zealand and it makes me smile.. They’re not actors either, they really are Air New Zealand cabin crew. Brave, especially the woman at the end. Check it out.
Just spotted this photo at the highly reputable www.mirror.co.uk
When did Ms Love get so malnourished? Me thinks she might be taking dieting to an unhealthy extreme.
Where are her friends? Why are they not making her pasta and refusing to leave until she finishes it?
1) What is your current obsession? Statistics. Not an easy choice of study when one is mathematically challenged but I had to take the plunge for my careers sake.
2) What are you wearing today? I am having a day off work and it’s freezing. I’ve just got out of bed so I am wearing baby blue pyjamas with tiny little cartoon elephants on them – I am a big fan of elephants.
3) What's for dinner? No idea yet. Nothing imaginative I can guarantee you that.
4) What would you eat for your last meal? It would involve pasta and red wine and fresh fish and bread. 
And pavlova and cream with strawberries to finish. It’s a last meal for goodness sake, who cares about calories?
5) What's the last thing you bought? A DVD copy of the movie Trainspotting. I loved that movie when I saw it years ago so I re-watched it last night. It’s shocking but entertaining.
6) What are you listening to right now? The local rock flavoured radio station. Pearl Jam classic Better Man is playing right now. Love this song!
7) What do you think of the person who tagged you? sas from sas’ magical mystery tour is a thoughtful and intelligent kiwi chick. She’s cool.
8) If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be? On a huge Montana ranch. Not that I have ever been to Montana but in the movies it looks like somewhere I’d want to live.
9) If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? London to catch up with a couple of good friends or maybe New York for a quick peek. Or perhaps Fiji for a swim in the sun in tropical clear waters mmmmmm.
10) Which language do you want to learn? Spanish
11) What's your favourite quote (for now)? Sorry I can’t limit it to one. A couple of nights ago I re-watched a few episodes on DVD of a kiwi TV series called Outrageous Fortune and I’m still chuckling;
Grandpa: "Life is shit."
Wolf: "What's pushed your button?"
Grandpa: "Being old and useless."
Wolf: "Yeah, well, you get that."
Grandpa: "That's pretty fucking profound son."
"Is texting someone eighteen times and getting nothing back - is that stalking?" – Munter
I'm going to be like a nun - except better dressed. And no church crap." – Pascalle
Van: "What does ironic mean?"
Munter: "It means how come the guy with the job has never got any money for any piss?"
12) What is your favourite colour? Plum right now I think with winter here. I seem to be wearing a lot of deep reds this season, though by no particular design. More to do perhaps with the beautiful maroon 3 inch courts I succumbed to a couple of weeks ago. Italian.
I was too ashamed to post about them at the time seeing as how I am meant to be on an economy drive *sigh*
13) What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe? My winter swing coat. It’s a double breasted, hip length, tiny grey and white checked pure wool number and I feel like Audrey Hepburn when I wear it.
14) What is your dream job? It makes me sad to think about it as I have no idea what my dream job would me. Perhaps a children's author or maybe a teacher? Maybe a travel writer or a professional foodie? All I know is that right now I have to be challenged. One day perhaps I could run my own small business combining my loves of people and food and books and coffee?
15) What's your favourite magazine? Don’t have one. The only time I pick up a magazine is in a doctor or dentist waiting room. Perhaps NZ House and Garden? It’s very stylish and glossy but it’s also about NZ$16 a copy. I’d never spend that much on a magazine.
16) If you had £100 now, what would you spend it on? That’s about NZ$256 right now. Heaps. Don’t even have to think about it. Boots.
17) What are you going to do after this? It’s scheduled maintenance day today. Hair cut, manicure and eyebrows. Am considering adding a facial to the usual mix as am holding a wee soiree tomorrow night.
18) What are your favourite films? See my profile, they’re all listed.
19) What's your favourite fruit? I pretty much only eat seasonal fruit so I need two favourites: oranges in winter, I love the smell. Peaches in summer.
20) What inspires you? A great book. A fantastic sunset. Italian renaissance art. Snorkelling in clear water. A million things inspire me. 
21) Your favourite books? See my profile, they’re all listed.
22) Do you collect anything? Architectural drawings of old houses. The pure lines are fabulous.
23) What are you currently reading? I just started re-reading Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. I adore this book.
24) Go to your book shelf and take down the first book with a red spine you see, turn to page 26 and type out the first line: “…the moon out of her sphere, if she would continue in it five weeks without changing.” from an 1889 Clarendon Press edition of The Tempest that I bought a couple of years ago at a fair.
25) By what criteria do you judge a person? Tough question. Language I suppose, openness, integrity and let’s not forget that grooming and hygiene are also important.
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1. Answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention.
2. Tag eight other people. Tagging, with love: Du Pree, Uamada, Xanadu, edder, Kate, Bob, Lermontov and Tim. Anyone though please feel free to participate (or not) just as you desire.
I think Rory was trying hard to get me out of my ‘funk’ of the last couple of days and suggested we jump in the car and go get his suit hire organised for the school ball on June 6. He rang his date as she wanted to come and bring her dress so they could co-ordinate their look. We picked her up on the way and I watched his eyes light up as she came down her front steps. He’s besotted.
It was a great idea to get out of the house for a couple of hours. It was wonderful seeing him looking so grown up (and suave even) in a beautiful black single breasted jacket with a charcoal shirt and silvery grey embroidered waistcoat and tie. I enjoy watching him and his girl interact; he’s gentlemanly and considerate - I’m really proud of the man he’s becoming.
I love you son.
Following Kate’s post of Friday, I have finally figured out how to get my picture out of the ‘Simpsonising’ machine and into a jpeg format. Actually I didn’t figure it out at all, I sought and received the necessary advice from Kate about how she’d managed it (FYI we used the snipping tool in Vista).
…and here it is for what it’s worth. 
I like that this exercise was ‘interpretative’ and as a result both Bonnie (aka Santa’s Little Helper) and I look somewhat trimmer than we actually do in real life. I am definitely not happy with the ugly shoe and clothing choices but I do think my new hair do looks pretty flash. 
I think I look like I could be Mrs Krabappel’s younger, less yellow and way hotter sister and that’s why I’m in front of Springfield Elementary School. When schools out for the day Edna and I are going to talk to the doctor about her jaundice and about her giving up the smokes before they kill her. I also think she needs a new outfit and some new shoes so she doesn’t have to wear her green slippers everywhere.
Thanks Kate, that was fun.
Here’s a few pics of some fabulous fashion for anyone who’s interested. None of these are, or ever will be, owned by me. I do not buy designer shoes, bags or clothes but that doesn’t stop me appreciating their beauty.
Intelliwench suggested in a comment earlier today, that I may have replaced my smoking habit with another habit and I suspect she may be right.
After some thought I am now officially putting the shopping and fashion lust focus to rest, if for no other reason that I am dirt poor and frankly my recent rampant materialism is becoming distasteful even to me.
It would be great if others out there in cyber land could help me make it through the bleak NZ winter by sharing their own shopping stories while I curb my spending over the next few months.
