0 Perth... a farewell tour

Did I mention I’m originally from Perth? Probably not given I started calling myself a Melburnian roughly 2.8 seconds after I moved here. So much more sophisticated, so much more fashionable, worldly and… just downright cooler than saying “I’m a Perthite”. 

So now you know, and now I can comfortably gush about all the things I love about Perth (each of which I visited on my trip back a couple of weekends ago).

no. 1 the beaches

Long stretches of clean white sand, endless blue sky, sunshine and the smell of coconut tanning lotion. Particularly good when I was back this time – an Iron Man event at Scarborough (umm, nice) and a perfect day at Cottesloe Beach.



Iron Man... Men, Scarborough Beach



Just another day at Cottesloe Beach, or Cott, if you're a local



no. 2 kings park

Perth’s magical botanical gardens. Think soft green lawns, shady eucalypts, dappled sunlight and incredible city views. Most fondly remembered for the large amount of time spent there on long evening walks where I got to know my now-husband.



Relaxing, Kings Park



no. 3 gelare icecream

It seems odd, and is not at all down my gourmet and boutique-y alley, but Gelare does the most incredible low fat chocolate yoghurt icecream. It’s called chocolate chip chocolate chunk and is beyond delicious on a steaming hot waffle with chocolate fudge.



Yum, Gelare

no. 4 subiaco 

There’s no better place to go for good shopping, great pubs or gourmet food. Grab a quick meal from Jimmy’s noodle bar (favourite haunt of the footballers, tucked away off Hay St), relaxed drinks at Subi Hotel and then party the night away at one of the many bars.      



The grand old Subi Hotel, Subiaco



no. 5 Ralph aka “Puppy”

An endless and endearing source of entertainment. He’s turning into an old man with grey in his eyebrows and he’s wearing his teeth down by tearing balls apart in record time. He unwraps his own Christmas presents and I’m sure he thinks he’s a human.



Love me... or maybe... just give me the ball



I stepped onto the plane back to Melbourne, a crying, snotty mess after saying goodbye to mum and my sister. I had a bit of a Dorothy (from The Wizard of Oz) moment, thinking “There’s no place like home …”

… thankfully it didn’t last long as I quickly realised I should be able to find some sparkling, ruby slippers in New York (and if not, I’ll happily settle for some Christian Louboutins with sparkly red soles!)

From Perth, with love xox

0 Visa Victory

We spent a scintillating morning at the US embassy on Tuesday. I’m pleased to say that after endless hours of paperwork (thank you immigration lawyers), we are US legal.

Legal and on our way

The 3 hours at the embassy were very… interesting. There’s an endless stream of stories walking in and out of that cramped little office to face the US officials, who hold the hopes and dreams of countless individuals in their hands.

There was the gorgeous nanny with the long legs and fabulous high heels. She was moving to New York with her Investment Banker boyfriend. He’ll be working hard for the money while she eats cupcakes from Magnolia and shops on Fifth Avenue. Sigh. 

And the convicted crim, pleading for a visa so he could travel to the US with his sister and terminally ill niece. Make a Wish Foundation was sponsoring a visit for his niece to Disneyland. He was summarily denied entry, but could be reassessed if he returned with a looooong list of documents to prove his story. Hmmm.

And then there was the rockband. Yes, that’s right – the rockband. Six young guys in tight jeans and ripped shirts stumbled in bleary eyed from last night’s gig ready to make it Big in the US of A. Cute.

And finally, us. The entrepreneur and the business woman. I wonder what they were all thinking when they heard the stamp thud down on our documents?

Just in case you’re thinking of moving to or visiting (us in) the US, the US Embassy website has all the visa information you need. Allow yourself plenty of time to apply, oodles of patience trawling through paperwork and start practicing your accent!  

From Melbourne, with love xox

0 On the move

Today was the first day it hit me. We were really going to do this. We were going to pack up our lives and move to the big apple. the city that never sleeps. the fashion capital of the world... new york, new york

As I looked around the piles of clothes I was sorting, a pang of sadness replaced the excitement that I’d been feeling since the move had been confirmed. Sadness at leaving the family I loved, the friends I enjoyed and a life that was well… pretty fantastic.

Leasing... leaving our home, Port Melbourne*

To catch you up - I have a good job, one of those ones that people equate with high levels of both stress and money. I wear power suits with kickass heels from Hugo Boss and Paul Smith. I carry handbags from Jimmy Choo and have my eye on a Chanel 2.55 as my next bonus present. I live bayside, in a pretty renovated Victorian cottage which was originally built in ~1890 and then practically rebuilt in a renovation in 2002.

On the weekends, I catch up with my friends, usually over food, wine and conversations punctuated with lots of laughter. I go indoor rock climbing one night a week to gossip with a good friend, the gym twice a week to burn off the chocolate I eat and on the weekends, I escape out of my inner city comfort zone and ride my horse. And I’m leaving it all… except my job and my husband that is. One is waiting for me over there and the other is coming with me to hold my hand.

So back to the move. We are expanding our horizons. Working out if we can make it in the big pond. Or the big city over the other side of the big pond anyway. Bottom line is, we’re messing up what we have to see if we can make it better in the future. What’s life about if it’s not an adventure to be lived to the fullest?!

Now that I’m excited again, I’m off to watch Gossip Girl… followed by The City… and then potentially Friends. I need to get in touch with my inner New Yorker. ..

From Melbourne, with love xox

* Photo by my fabulous mother in law