A Good Start to a New Year

I certainly hope you all had a more exciting New Year's celebration that we did. We just aren't really into the whole 'Happy New Year' thing. We snuggled up with each other and a glass of wine to watch a movie or two and then headed off to bed around 10.30pm. That suited us both just fine. And what is even better, is to find out we weren't alone! I have had a few clients admitting to similar NYE's.

So what is happening on the SOS front?? I have a bookload of orders to begin and quite a few orders that were postponed in 2008 for various reasons. So after having a good amount of time to chill and relax, I am back into it all officially tonight. I started cleaning off my work table so that I can see just a teeny bit of wood (lol) and made a list of orders that need working on first.

I still need to do a stocktake of my men's posing trunks and to make sure I have a good starting quantity of swarovski crystals as well as finish going through all my fabrics (and trust me -there is heaps and heaps of it) to decide what I want to keep and what I would like to sell off on ebay.

Yes, I have had an ebay store for years now - but as SOS got bigger the time I had to stock my ebay store diminished. There are still a few things on there - mainly dance and lace trims - but I have sold posing shoes and posing trunks on there in the past. With the increase in Ebay's charges and rules & regulations it is very nearly time to opt out and when that happens I will be announcing my newest online store..........

Oh, I am not going to tell you about it yet. There are one or two people out in Blogland that know already but for now I will keep it a secret. Just keep an eye on my blogs and facebook groups and you will find out oh so soon enough.

So, enough procrastinating for tonight. I have a bikini to finish and a few others I would like to commence. I feel the creative juices starting to bubble again and I cannot wait to start producing some beautiful suits for you all to wear!

Mwah!

The OMG Factor

Sitting quietly watching a dvd this afternoon, Allison starts babbling incoherently and pointing to our family room window. This is what was happily strolling past.....

I felt so honoured to think that this stunning creature - all 100+ cm of it - had graced us with it's presence. Why, only last week we came across a Koala in one of our gum trees nursing its baby. Now that was precious!! Our property really is a piece of paradise.

On another note, I can relax and sigh now that Christmas Lunch is over. As it turned out - it was a great success and there was no need for the stress and worry afterall. I had spent over 2 days cooking and preparing the food - and that is no mean feat when you are trying to create vegan food that will satisfy diehard meat eaters. All in all, the salads were scrummy (especially my roasted sweetpotato, pine nut and spinach salad) but the biggest success story was the icrecream "xmas pudding" I had made. Chocolate icecream with cherries and pistachios around a centre of vanilla icecream blended with a puree of wild berries...Mmmmmmm .... and it was all made with Sogood soy icecream - and no one was the wiser!

I have started dabbling with RAW foods. It is a bit like taking veganism to the extreme. My body reacts not so favourably with carbs and being vegan I have no options but to eat carbs. A raw diet consists of mostly vegetables and fruit with a little nuts and grains - but nothing is cooked. The flavours of the foods are amazing and I have found some amazing recipes - I just have to get Allison to 'warm' to the thought of eating cold food - lol

I have been updating the Style on Stage website and filling in some of the 'blanks' that I hadn't gotten a chance to finish until now. Please be patient though - there is still so much more to do before I am finished. Actually, I don't think a website is every finished, there is always something to update or amend.

Allison is working all this week so we wont be doing anything huge for the coming new year's celebrations. Like most years we will either go out for dinner or have a special night in. I also doubt we will see the new year in - I cant remember the last time we did - it just isnt something super important. Goodness, I spent enough drunken New Years Eve's in my younger days to keep my interest in another at a bare minimum.

I hope you all had a great Christmas day yesterday and have something special planned for Wednesday evening, whether it is a private get together or a party. 2009 is looking like it will be a huge year for bodybuilding competitions and I am certainly looking forward to playing my part in it.

Take care until my next (infrequent) blog!

Oh My, Dont I Feel Old!

This is my daughter Layla, she graduated High School on Friday! It just doesn't seem possible that 15 years has passed since we moved from Townsville to Brisbane. And to make matters worse she is celebrating 'Schoolies' this week (on the Sunshine Coast thank goodness - at least she has a brain - lol).

Her Gradutation was great. Not only did she receive the Cultural Award (for her drama/theatre work) but she also sang not one but 3 solos. Allison had to keep nudging me in the ribs telling me not to cry. I am the world's biggest cry baby and did well not to walk out of there with major panda bear eyes!

So what is my little MC (monster child of course) doing now? She is auditioning for one of the Drama/Theatre/Acting degrees at QUT. I am picking her up from Roma St Station this morning and then driving her into the QUT Kelvin Grove Campus. Having never been there myself I am a bit nervous about getting her there in time - but we have over an hour to find the place and I am just about to download their campus map off the internet - so here's wishing her luck!!

I'm OK!!

For those in the Brissy area know only too well the storm we had yesterday.

What started as a gorgeous HOT sunny Sunday morning soon turned crazy. The storm hit us around 3pm which is about the same time my internet crashed. By 4pm we had no power. That in itself isnt a bad thing. I can cope with no power for a reasonable length of time, but when your partner is at work and you are alone in a dark house with nothing to do but read a book by torchlight and eat cold food for dinner, it isnt the most enjoyable evening.

Dont get me wrong, we needed the rain and I love hearing it on the roof and looking out the window across the valley behind us, knowing the land is getting some much needed water. But to have to waste an entire evening curled up on the couch, reading... well, what can I say!!

I am all for enforced R&R but when it is your ONLY option, well, it sucks big time. Luckily the power was back on by the time I got up this morning at 6am. I have managed to answer all the emails that came through from yesterday and also finish baking the 'lemon delicious' slice I got half way through yesterday afternoon. Mmmmm the house smells so yummy now!! Is 8.30am too early to taste test it?? NEVER!!

So what is on the SOS front (SOS = style on stage)

Orders and inquiries are coming in steadily every week for bikinis and comp prep. It is awesome to see so many girls getting in early. I think this year scared a few; the first time in the 7 years I have been doing this that I have had to turn girls away. And to answer your question, no, it is never too early to start your prep!!

I have done a huge update of the website and added a heap of new info. You can check what was updated HERE .

I have found a few new fabric suppliers and am (eagerly) awaiting the samples to arrive. There is nothing more I love than getting new stuff for the business. Fabrics, crystals, shoes, it's like having a great excuse to go shopping!

DIVA Consignments is coming along nicely - the website will be up and running asap and new stock is coming in steadily. So for those that don't know about it you can check the DIVA Blog and see what it is all about. More stock is needed though girls - so go check what you dont need anymore and consider selling it at DIVA Consignments!!

On another note, I get heaps of people wanting to know why I have gone vegan and of course - that age old question "so what do you eat?" ..... I am setting up a blog (yes, another one) but this one is more just for Allison and I to post things about how and why we decided to go vegan as well as some great links to restaurants and resources as well as some great recipes. I am hoping it will shed some light on a few things - like vegans arent all hippy extremist treehuggers that are out to ruin everyone's lives - lol -but regular everyday people that are interested in environmental and ethical issues. Once it is up and running (it is there, just havent posted anything yet) I will post the link and I hope you will drop by every so often to check things out. Trust me, it can be quite eye opening at times - and I promise not to post anything too 'graphic' .

Ok, time to say goodbye for now- lots to catch up on today.... and I had better have some brekky, the smell of that slice is killing me!

Oh How Sweet..

... it is to be sitting here watching Idol with my notebook on my lap, our bird on my shoulder and one of our furry critters at my feet AND NO BIKINIS TO DO RIGHT NOW!!

Yes, I have admitted I watch Australian Idol - but I have a legitimate excuse - honest!! Chrislyn is one of my daughters best friends. I have watched her grow over the years from a very insecure young girl to the amazing performer we are seeing now. It is truely amazing to see her up there!

So what have I been up to today you may ask?? Well, since I have no urgent orders I have managed to have a teeny sleep in, eat pancakes (vegan of course) with icecream and maple syrup for breakfast, work on a few website projects and walk our 3 furry critters. Feeding time at our 'zoo' is always interesting with the 2 goats fighting for attention & food, and the three dogs doing laps in the kitchen while waiting for their dinner to be served.

I had the pleasure of speaking to Lia this evening also. My heart goes out to her at this most difficult time, and I, like most of you reading this will be there for her in the coming weeks!! I went through a similar situation with my own mother 6 years ago, so I understand what it's like.

On a different note..... I now have half a dozen or so orders for 2009 - and that doesnt include the ones from girls that have pulled out of this years shows. I gotta love it when they get in early for costumes. So, if you know you are competing don't be afraid to contact me whenever you are ready to order your new bikini. I will inevitably start getting busy again fairly early in the new year so it really is never too early!!

Diva Consignments has a blog now too - so add it to your favs so you find out when the website is up and running and when new items are available. Girls, for those of you looking at selling off some of those unwanted bikinis or posing shoes, get in contact with me so I can include them on the new website.

I had better head off now - Idol is over and I need to vote for Chrislyn!!

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

OMG - it's nearly over!!

What a year!!!!

I have one single solitary suit needed for a lady heading over to the USA this week to finish and then I can honestly let out that huge sigh of relief!!

Not to say my work for the year is over - far from it. I have already started working with some new clients preparing for 2009 shows and have fittings for bikinis wanted for shows in March to arrange and make and decorate. On top of that I have to finish the new look Style on Stage website - which is very very time consuming - as well as a few new ventures that are currently uncompleted. The first I have just announced on a new Facebook Group and already have a good number of 'groupies' - lol

Say hello to "DIVA Consignments" an online store for you to buy and sell unwanted or pre loved competition apparell - including bikinis, one piece suits, shoes, fitness outfits and dresses (suitable for sportsmodels). The website is under construction but that doesn't mean you can't contact me to lodge your interest if you have something you would like to sell. I will be getting a new blog for this as well and Allison and I will be working on all the 'legalities' over the next week, including pricing, contracts etc. The site will be open to any suits that are in good condition and are clean - I am able to repair or replace any lost crystals to help bring the sale price up if neccessary (a small cost will apply of course) and am able to supply a cleaning service if you are apprehensive about doing it yourself.

So what is next you may ask...... I have another surprise that will be revealed in the near future but this one will take me a little longer to develop completely. So be patient and hopefully some of you will take advantage of my new venture!!

I am hoping to work out dates for Get Ready 2009 and will be updating the current site with new venues and weekends. If you would like Get Ready to visit your location just let me know so I can see if it is a viable option. Minimum numbers will apply for each workshop to make the trip/s a success so start seeing who else would be interested!!

On the home front, Allison has just done the BEST DEAL at our local 'good guys' store - she can do all my shopping from now on!! She has just purchase the air condition for my studio (and it is a big airconditioner), our new dishwasher, a pedastal fan and a breadmaker - with extended warranty - all for under $2000 - WHAT A BARGAIN!! The breadmaker is coming home with her this afternoon while the other items are being delivered next week. Just have to get someone to instal the dishwasher and airconditioner now !!

Hopefully my next post will include pics from the ANB show last weekend - and what a show that was!! 204 competitors run over 2 days. How proud am I of the following Style on Stage clients - Michelle Goodall won her second women's physique overall title and over 52kg women's physique while Vicky Thomas won masters figure 35+ , Donna Baillie won masters figure 45+, Angela Tsourgos won figure tall class and Fern Purturiero won the under 52kg women's physique class - heaps of other SOS clients placed top three, but regardless of placings just getting to compete at this level is awesome and I am proud of every single one of them!!

I had better race off - still got 3 loads of washing to finish as well as this one piece suit to complete. Have a wonderful weekend everyone and I look forward to the opportunity to post more regularly now (at least for a while).

Another year older!

Firstly, thank you to everyone that took the time to wish me a happy birthday. It meant heaps to receive messages from you all - but what was more amazing was the number of people that contacted me and wished me a happy birthday through facebook... blew me away!
No doubt you are wondering what sort of a day I had - well, it started off ok - Allison had to leave home early for work so she wished me a happy birthday in the morning and I got ready for the first clients of the day. I ended up working from 9.30am through till Evette finished at 6pm, then it was a mad rush to get the dogs and goats fed before Allison came home with dinner. We have this amazing restaurant not too far (nothing is close when you live in Jimboomba - lol) called the Magic Wok. It is a vegan chinese restaurant and if you didnt know the meat wasnt meat ... well, I am sure you get the idea. We had satay "chicken", bbq buns and curry puffs for entree then lemon "chicken", mongolian "beef" and crispy salt and pepper tofu for mains - very scrummy!!

I did get to open my pressies before we ate though.... and how spoilt am I.

My first present was from my furry kiddies (many thanks to Allison for going to the effort). I have been wanting a copy of each of the posters in a series that supports and advertises Greyhound Adoption. She spent ages ringing around finding out exactly who distributes the posters as we have seen them at the RSPCA superstore, our vets as well as a few other various places. As it turned out one of the representatives lives just over the highway from us!! So I have 2 posters to go in my studio waiting room - not at all figure orientated but they will hopefully make someone consider a greyhound for a pet!

My second and third pressies where cool - a letter saying my car is booked in at WOW on Tuesday morning to have new stereo speakers installed, the third pressie takes us up to Southbank on Tuesday (after the car has been dropped off) to see the Picasso Collection!! I cant wait now for Tueday to come around. I have been wanting to go to view these masters for ages now!

Allison purchased my next present on a whim - mainly because it was pink than any other reason.... for what other colour is there to have for a coffee machine?? Anyway we have decided to return my Delonghi 'Nespresso' machine on Tuesday for something a little more mainstream and practical. My biggest concern with appliances like this that use 'pods'or other gimmicks is that it becomes obsolete when the little pods are no longer produced - and if i am going to get a coffee machine I want to use the coffee of my choice - and not be limited to set flavours or types!

So - it comes to my main present (and most of you may already be saying "gee, isnt that enough!) - specially boxed and handed to me very carefully........ inside layers of newspaper, bubblewrap and wadding are two of the most exquisite OOAK faeries you have ever seen. Now, those of you that know me well know I have a passion (some would say more of an obsession) with fairies and such and will understand how precious these two additions to my family are (and I know Lia will be absolutely green!!) but they are truly two of the most beautiful things, absolutely unique and made with so much love and tenderness. The photo doesnt do them justice but you might get an idea.

So to finish the night we ate our lovely dinner, sat together and watched a little TV before one tired, old 43 year old had to go to bed! With 10 hours of One on One posing booked in for the following day I couldn't stay up any longer.

I had a wonderful day and feel very loved with all my online friends thinking of me - so thank you for making my special day so special!