As a result, the images and styles that caught my eye were very pretty ready to wear garments.

Anja Gockel had some very simple and stunning pieces – stuff I would LOVE to add to my wardrobe. Her unusual colours combinations in satin/silk stood out to me the most. In particular the moss green dress, the coffee and pink combo, and the navy, cream and painterly colours.

I fell in love with Guido Maria Kretschmer’s collection. Specifically the designer’s attention to detail, subdued palette, and simple geometric shapes. Overall it was full of very classic and sophisticated designs, and like I said, clothes that I would love to wear.

I know there is a lot of commentary about the state of the fashion industry within a global economic crisis. And I am aware that a lot of people are concerned that fashion collections are becoming too conservative or unadventurous, but hey. I’m a consumer and I want to consume, crisis or not! So perhaps a wave of ready-to-wear collections is a good thing for the global economy. Bring it on!

So we finally bought a Nintendo Wii. The very first computer game console in our house.

To emphasise the enormity of this momentous occasion, I made the whole family sit down one evening and let each one be inducted in the hall of Miis.

We all created our own avatars, and it was actually a lot of fun.

True to his character, my 6yo Callum, had to view every single possible variation of eye brow before he chose one, not to mention every hair style, hair colour, hair parting, etc etc etc. He took AGES to make his avatar! Until we were throwing pillows at him to hurry up. It was like a scene from a 1990s television sitcom.

My 4yo Sean, spent his time creating a strange 6 feet tall man, with long black crazy hair, a curly beard and moustache, dark sunglasses and a mole, wearing a black t-shirt. We all went, WHAT THE??

At first I told him, “If that’s who you want to be, then it’s fine.”

But as I tried to play tennis with his character, it kinda creeped me out that I was calling this guy on the screen SEAN! And it just got too weird to think that maybe he wasn’t just playing around to make us laugh, maybe he sees himself like this? A basketball playing rockstar bikie?

So a few days later, I showed him a picture of himself and asked him to change it to something that looks a little more like himself, please – BECAUSE MUMMY THINKS YOUR GUY IS CREEPY!!

We also have characters for my parents and our babysitter. So much fun.

Last week, I got myself some new shoes from Betts. I’ve been eyeing them for months, so when I found out I was attending a function, I knew I had to get them. I admit, the height of them are a bit crazy, but damn, it makes an outfit look awesome!

So one morning, as I was putting together my outfit for the function, it occurred to me that I had not worn the shoes out before.

Usually, if I wear brand new shoes to an event, especially a long event, I always come home with huge blisters and really sore feet. So I thought it’s be a good idea to “wear them in” before the big night.

I took off my woolly slippers and socks, slipped on my new shoes, and clomped through the house all morning.

Unfortunately I got a knock on the door, and as you can probably see, these shoes would take a few minutes to get in and out of… so I rushed to the door hoping that the person would not notice the terrible fashion faux par.

Tracksuit pants and peep toes!

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Fashion and Shopping Directory.

On the weekend, before we headed out to celebrate my birthday, I managed to snap a photo of myself, with my favourite people in the whole world.

Continuing my hunt for nursing tops (which are just the best thing in the world!), a few readers emailed me and pointed me to an online shop called Maternalove.

They specialise in stylish and fashionable nursing wear at an affordable price. They have an excellent selection of styles, the clothes fit and fall really well, and they feel great.

Above I’m wearing a Sleeveless Twist Top. Although it’s a fairly casual top, I thought I would dress is up a bit.

Here I’m wearing a Cowl Neck Top, which is unfortunately currently out of stock. The Drape Banded Top and the Flutter Nursing Top are really nice too. And the Double Layer Tank is definitely a winner in warmer weather.

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Fashion and Shopping Directory.

Wow that one crept up on me. I remember it was January not so long ago. Now we’re halfway through the year.

6 months have gone. And there are 6 months left. What happened? What did I achieve? What were the highlights? And now, what am I going to do with the rest of the year?

Out of habit, I like to claim July for myself. All of it.

I like to indulge myself a little. I like to buy myself something new. I like to organise a party for myself, or two. I like to think of something I’ve always wanted to do, and heck, just do it.

I also like to sit back and remember the good things in my life. I like to celebrate the stuff that really matter.

On Wednesday, I went out to dinner with my husband. He organised a little surprise date for us. We sat in a restaurant and talked non stop! I’m astounded that I’ve known this guy for 10 years and we still have so much to say to each other. And that I’m still madly in love with him.

Thursday, I joined a gym for the first time in my life. It is a wellness gym, as opposed to anything hardcore or upmarket. My god, my life has been changed. My body feels soooooooooooo good.

Friday, I invited a few girlfriends and their kids over for a playdate lunch. It’s always so cool to hang around with good friends, talking, laughing and simply being yourself. Knowing that they love you for being you.

Saturday, this evening, I will go out with my family and some close family friends for dinner, all 14 of us. My favourite cuisine, Japanese food.

Today I celebrate happiness. My life. My husband. My children. My family. My friends. My work.

The other weekend my husband and I attended the annual Boobalicious Ball – a huge charity fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Foundation of WA.

Now with a name like Boob-a-licious, I must admit, it sounded a bit sleazy and indecent. But it was actually a really fun night out! There were dance performances, catwalk shows, singing, a live band, lots of charity auctions. Everything was enjoyably tasteful and entertaining.

The dress code for the night was “Black Tie and Dazzling Gowns”.

My main problem, was that the all “dazzling gowns” in my wardrobe didn’t fit me because I’m still carrying a bit of extra weight from being pregnant 3 months ago, and my proportions have changed slightly.

I was flapping around for few weeks saying, “Ak! What am I going to wear????”

My husband sighed and said, “Why don’t you just go out and buy something new…..” and I was out the door with my credit card faster than you could say END OF FINANCIAL YEAR SALE.

I made two shopping trips, but grrr, I couldn’t find anything.

And I wasn’t about to spend $250 on a dress that fit me NOW, when I’m planning to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight LATER.

So I put together a two-piece outfit and made something that looked like a simple, black cocktail dress.

I love prancing around in ruffles. It was a great night!

I wore a high-waisted satin ruffle skirt, from Forever New. A black cami from Myer. Metallic bead necklace from Myer. Beige fishnets from Myer. Shoes from Betts.

This is Charmaine Lim, a four year old in Singapore, who has just had her birthday. She is dying of a rare cancer. She has already had chemotherapy and a major abdominal surgery last week. This has bought her some time, but the cancer has already spread beyond her abdomen, and as you read this, she is having even more chemotherapy.

Five years ago, I went through the nightmare of my husband having cancer. Every moment of every day was filled with doubt and fear. Every day the weight - of everything - got heavier and heavier. The only thing we didn’t have to worry about were the medical bills, because in Australia, everything is paid for by a government insurance scheme – Medicare. We didn’t have to wonder whether or not we could fight for his life.

I remember before my husband had one of his operations, he said to me: “This could be worse.”

I cried and asked “How?”

“It could be our son who has cancer,” he replied. And I knew he was right.

It is a cliché, but it is true. Nothing is worse than the thought of your child dying young, not even the thought of your partner dying. Almost any parent would choose to give up their own life before their child’s. It’s what parents do.

But Charmaine’s family have a much greater challenge than my husband and I have ever had. They are working against time just to get the money to fight for Charmaine’s life.

Charmaine’s chance at survival will be improved to 50/50 with a treatment only available in a US hospital. However the treatment for this rare cancer will cost over $US300,000. That’s Half a Million Singaporean dollars.

I rang the National University Hospital in Singapore personally on Friday, to check out this story, and it is all true. The hospital administrative staff confirmed all of these details.

This is a crushing weight for Charmaine’s family. Her mother Cynthia is a single parent, with two young children, and who has already given up work to care for Charmaine. There is no medical insurance to cover this.

But Charmaine has a huge advantage. She has a family who just won’t give up on her. They have asked friends to help, who asked other friends. All kinds of people are now giving their time, and making direct donations, to help raise the money to give Charmaine a fighting chance. And I am now one of them.

What Charmaine’s family is doing is natural, right and proper. They are not begging for money. They are fighting for their child’s very life.  Lots of people have already given of their time and money, which is their expression of love and hope. But there is still some way to go to raise all of this Half a Million dollars.

Helping Charmaine is so very important because it proves that we believe every child’s life is precious. Win or lose, her situation shows us about the power of love, and of community. It will be tragic if Charmaine dies, but it will be much, much more tragic if she dies without having had this 50/50 chance.

So I urge you to please help, especially if you are Singaporean. Because if you are Singaporean, Charmaine is your child too. And if you have some way of communicating to others, then spread the word.

You can donate here (you need to scroll down the page).

And you can read all about Charmaine’s fight here.

I found a new online boutique called Gosh Celebrity Fashion, and I contacted them to see if I could review some of their goods.

The shop is packed with a nice variety of dresses, tops and jackets, inspired by celebrity fashion and current looks.

I’m wearing a Strapless Back Zip Dress in a stretchy satin material, which features a sliver zip down the back of the whole dress. It’s very nice indeed. Too bad I had to return it!

I also liked these recent additions: From left, Crystal Jacquard Dress, Flatter me Bandage Dress, and an Angelina Jolie BAFTA Dress.

And these tops were also very yummy! Masquerade Blouse (left) and Rose Silk Top (right).

Overall, GOSH specialises in fast moving celebrity fashion. I was pretty happy with the clothes, and the low to medium price range. And it’s great value for money, if you’re looking for something affordable and a little different.

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Fashion and Shopping Directory.

But what happens when there are THREE kids?

I would sometimes see a mother with three or four children – walking to school, in the shops, getting in and out of the car… and I think “My goodness, how does she do it???”

Those mothers were truly super-mums in my eyes.

So the other day I had a kind of epiphany.

I was dropping my two big boys off at their school. It was pouring with rain, it was windy, and the air was really cold. I parked the car. I got out of the car and stood in the rain. The car park was full of cars, kids, parents, puddles – it was utter madness.

There I was, holding a baby in one arm, two school bags in the other arm. I had my head crooked to one side so I could hold my own open umbrella under my chin, while trying to keep the baby dry. The boys were also standing in the pouring rain, in a huge puddle, with water soaking into their socks, enjoying the novelty of rain and trying to open their umbrellas.

I was shouting “PAY ATTENTION, WE’RE ON A ROAD! DON’T SPLASH THE PUDDLES! DON’T OPEN THE UMBRELLA TOO CLOSE TO THE CAR! DON’T POKE YOUR BROTHER IN THE EYE! STOP SWINGING YOUR UMBRELLA AROUND! DON’T STAND TOO FAR OUT ON THE ROAD!” as I used my knee to herd the boys away from the zooming cars.

I was so stressed. I stood there… and I could feel my blood boil with frustration. I was going to explode. THIS IS SO HARD!! THIS IS CRAZY!! I’M GOING CRAZY!!

I had a moment of insanity.

Then a thought flashed through my head – Oh. I see. This is how THOSE MOTHERS DO IT. WITH PLAIN HARD WORK.

I quickly realised that it probably didn’t have to be so hard. I needed to calm my nerves. I just had to do things slowly. Maybe adopt a slightly more positive attitude. And stick with what was important at that very moment. Which was, crossing the road.

Rain? Puddles? It’s just water right?

So, oh well, the baby got a bit wet. My hair got soaked. The school bags were drenched. The boys looked like they just had a shower. And I’m sure we’re all going to get a cold by the end of the week. Ah well.

As we approached the classroom, one of my boys looked up at me with big happy eyes and said, “Whoa, I feel like I’ve been in a washing machine!” And I actually laughed.

Later on that afternoon, I thought about this whole “super-mummy with three kids” thing.

We’re not THAT SUPER. We’ve just gotten used to the hard work, the juggling, the busy-ness and being organised.

It’s not glamorous, but it’s life.

And learning how to love it, is perhaps the most super thing about it.

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Click here to see the whole story of Making Baby 3.