VIC v NSW - on the word front

Since moving to NSW, and specifically since meeting Mr Mel (who is a born and bred Sydneysider), I keep running into a a growing list of words/names that seem to cause some controversy in our house.

Now I'm not sure if some of these words are peculiar to my hometown of Warrnambool or to Mr Mel's home suburb in the Hills district of Sydney, some probably are, but for now, and probably evermore, they will be ammunition in our ongoing VIC v NSW battle :)

VIC - Nibble Pies

NSW - Party Pies

VIC - Fruit Boxes

NSW - Poppers

VIC - Potato Cake

NSW - Scallop

VIC - Pot - beer

NSW - Schooner

VIC - Kabana

NSW - Cabanossi

VIC - Safeway

NSW - Woolworths

VIC - Patio (sounds like pat-e-o)

NSW - Patio (sounds like paich-e-o)

Vic - Pool (sounds like pool)

NSW - Pool (sounds look peuwl)

That's all I can think of for now, I was sure I had heaps when I started this entry, but they've slipped my mind!  No doubt I'll be back to add more!

Till next time,

Mr Mel Proposed!!

What a memorable Valentine's Day, Mr Mel had booked dinner at one of our favourite restaurants Sanctuary, and on the drive there he asked if I wanted to stop quick at one of our favourite spots in the Valley, the Pokolbin Community Hall (where we had decided we would have our wedding, down the track, I know we did things out of order a bit didn't we!!)

I had been trying to remember the name of a caterer listed on the wall at the Hall to get a quote, so thought that's a great idea.

When we arrived there was a pilates group in the hall, so we wrote down the name of the caterer, and Mr Mel stood back and looking at the view, commented how perfect a spot it will be.  Then he gave me a Valentines Day card.

In the card he said some lovely stuff I won't list here (heehee), but ended the card with a PTO, on the back he'd written "I can't wait to have Valentines dinner tonight with my fiance', and I read it, looked at him and said no way!  He replied with 'Chickadee will you marry me'.  Of course I said yes  :)

Such a perfect spot to have done it, I'm so proud of him, for keeping it a secret and picking the spot of our future marriage to propose, makes me tear up thinking of it :)

So we headed off to Sanctuary newly engaged, and was greeted by a glass of champagne, and a delicious dinner, a night to remember forever!

So there you go, we're engaged!!  We're going ring shopping on Saturday!

For those interested, a link to our secret squirrel site is here  :)

Till next time,

First time in 15 years!

I first posted this on the Simple Savings forum, but thought I should put it on my blog to so here goes!

Yes as sad as it might seem, Saturday night is the first time I have worn a dress in over 15 years!

It was an engagement party, with a 'casino' dress code, so I thought right dress it is.

2 weeks ago I went dress shopping, tried on 4, all hideous (I am in the plus size range!).

Went home very depressed, and resigned to wearing my 'usual uniform', of black pants, fancy black top.

Then on Sat am, 5 hours before the party, Mr Mel and I arrived in Sydney went to Castle Hill to get him a new shirt for the party. Found his shirt in the first 10 mins at Myer, very happy.

Wandered around, with Mr Mel trying to encourage me to look for another dress. I resisted, then we're outside of David Jones and I say 'stuff it I'm going in, I'll probably be back in 5 mins'.

So off I go, and wandering around the plus size section with a load of women at least 10-15 years older than me (so depressing if I'm being honest). And I spy a dress that isn't horrible and flowery.

I try it on and hello it actually doesn't look woeful, except for being sleeveless which i just don't do. So I wander out, with dress over my arm, and there's a nice bolero jacket type thing on a different dress. I try it on and it fits and actually looks ok.

Only issue is I wasn't in shopping clothes, so I only had flat shoes, ordinary bra, and no spanx type thingos on, so I'm not 100% confident.

I call Mr Mel and get him to come see. He looks at it on the hanger and says 'if you like it chickadee get it', I blah on about but I don't do dresses, I'm too yukk for it. What if I get it home and hate it.

He says if you get it home, with all your gear and hate it, we'll bring it back tomorrow before we head home and get a credit/exchange, no big deal. You've got your backup plan with pants & top.

So I buy the dress (sleeveless, v neck, black, lace from bottom of vneck, then a black ribbon under bust, and lace over flesh coloured under material, to just below knees. And a bolero type thing, black with short sleeves and flounces. $150 for the lot, not too bad.

So I get home, get all sucked in by the spanks, and proper bra, heels on, and it doesn't look too bad. I show Mr Mel & Sister In Law and they love it, but can tell I'm not comfortable/confident, so say try the pants/top on. I do and they say I look alot more confident, but both look nice.

So I thought bugger it, I'm wearing the dress.

We head out, and I'm very self conscious for the first 1/2 hour at the party, thinking everyones looking at my not so slim calves and thinking what's she doing in a dress.

Then 3 girls I've never met complimented me on my dress, all within 20 mins, the last 2 were in the ladies when I visited. And shazaam I feel ok.

I come back from the ladies and Mr Mel says 'what happened you look so much happier', and I told him what the girls had said.

He replied 'see chickadee, I told you that you looked gorgeous but you'll never believe anyone because you think they don't want to upset you, but a stranger saying it you have to believe it, you look gorgeous princess'.

While I think gorgeous is a huge stretch, I have to say I really really enjoyed my first dress in 15+ years. :)

So if any bigger than 'normal' girls are out there, don't lose hope, just keep looking for a dress that suits, it can happen!

The dress I wore

Till next time,


PS - thanks to all the lovely ladies on SS for their wonderful comments, it gave me the confidence to post about it here :)

Boys v Girls oh the differences!

Mr Mel & I are definite soulmates, and know each other inside out, but it still amazes me the fundamental differences between males & females, as an eg:

Saturday morning I'm booked in for a haircut and eyelash tint at 8am, as I'm walking out the door Mr Mel asks if 8.30am is ok to meet me up the street for breakfast, I laugh and say 'yeah right' thinking he's joking, only to look at him and see a face of 'why not' looking back at me.

I gave him a hug and a kiss and say 'you boys are so cute', I'll call you when I'm almost done.

So I head off for my haircut (a local salon that's as good as any I've been to in Sydney or Melbourne), after an hour and a half of coffees, head massaging, hair washing, conditioning, treating, eyelash tinting, cut, blowdry, I'm feeling totally rejuvenated.

As I'm walking to my car, I'm fumbling in my bag for my mobile to let Mr Mel know I'll scoot home and pick him up (we live 2 mins from centre of town), and I hear a familiar whistle, there's Mr Mel walking behind me.

He said he'd left home at 9.30, thinking an hour and a half was more than enough, then had walked by the salon 3 times, once he saw my hairdresser and me laughing, then the next passby I was sipping a coffee, and the next walkby reading a magazine.

He thinks a hair cut should involve:

8am - arrive
8.01am - sit in chair
8.10am - stand up from chair, quick thanks mate to barber
8.11 am - pay and leave

I detailed my appointment for him:

8am - arrive, chat with receptionist for a few mins
8.03am - sit at chair, consult with hairdresser, order coffee
8.10am - head massage, hair wash, conditioner, treatment
8.30am - back in chair with halo thing on giving the treatment a zap, read a mag, enjoy latte
9am - eyelash tint with hair still wrapped, lovely relaxing music
9.20am - chat with beautician about other spa treatments available, have a look downstairs at new setup
9.30am - back in chair, blow dry, hair cut, tonged waves for something different, chat with hairdresser, plus a few of the other girls
10.15am - pay and leave feeling sooooo relaxed

Mr Mel was dumbfounded, and walked with me for breakfast shaking his head and saying 'chicks'................

I'm sure I'm not the only chick whose had a similar situ.......:)

Till next time,

A Minor Victory, on the Pug Front

Every day this week I have got an email at work from Mr Mel (works from home) along the lines of "the pug's in the bad books again, he's #*#* on the concrete".

To explain, the pug doesn't like getting his feet wet, so when it rains, which it's done all week, he won't cross the wet grass to get to the palm tree to use the amenities so to speak, he just relieves himself on the concrete in front of the garage, under carport roof.

By the time I've got home I'm faced with one annoyed Mr Mel, and a pug very happy to see me, who doesn't get why Mr Mel won't come play like usual.

I asked Mr Mel if he'd done the 'angry voice' with the pug to let him know it's not a game, and that he should be doing his business up the back where he knows he should. Mr Mel has been reassuring me he has been, but with the pug being my dog originally, and Mr Mel not being a dog person till he met the pug, I had my doubts.

So last night I got home to same situation, I stormed out the back, grabbed the pug by scruff of neck, walked him up to the evidence, pointed at it and said 'naughty naughty dog' in a really growly voice, the pug absolutely hates that voice and whenever you say naughty like that to him his ears drop, and he looks sheepish, he knows he's in trouble.

So I gave him a few naughty dogs (after he tried jumping on me wanting to play after not seeing me all day), and closed the curtains so he couldn't see us.

Later in the night, we've opened the curtains again, and there goes Mr Pug, off his bed, crossing the wet grass, up to the palm tree, and does his business.

So I have a bit smile, turn to Mr Mel saying 'woohoo', his response? 'Bleeping little bleeper wouldn't listen to me would he', then he started smiling, so I think under the male ego hit, he's enjoying our minor victory.  :-)

Butter wouldn't melt!

Till next time,