1. Back from Canberra, though my plate seems to have gotten bigger and I have a lot to catch up on. That’s not to say I didn’t have a good time, because I most certianly did. In fact, I had a ten second conversation with a very important VIP – Mr K-Rudd himself, and then I took a pic with him and two Canberra-met mates. Can you see how excited I am? I mean, please, could I get any nerdier?

2. Don’t know what you guys are doing at the moment, but I am too busy scanning my near-empty wallet for spare notes (yeah, right) so that I can invest in the latest issues of two very cool magazines that just hit the stand at the newsagent. Although I am not a regular purchaser of Instyle, I must say that I found Kerrie Alcorn’s influence bringing me back to it in recent times, and the current issue, with all its thickness and its pretty cover, just makes me covet it more. Of course, the latest, new-look issue of CLEO has got its cool factor in overdrive, and I can’t help but be mesmerised by the nylon/frankie/yen influences throughout the magazine. Loving the spread on food consumed over a few days - a picture (or few) surely tells a thousand words. That said, I might have to forfit and go for the Vogue, with its pretty pink and spring-influenced cover, mainly because it houses my favourite ever features – Comment and Upfront. What will you guys choose? Or, can you help me justify the purchase of more than one?

3. Am MADLY in love with this red jacket at Topshop. I’m really thinking Australia needs to get a Bring Topshop Down Under petition going, to add to its Bring Zara one. It might be a bit much, but I reckon its got Style, Smarts and Savoir-Faire written all over it.

4. Speaking of Style, Smarts and Savoir-Faire, one of the women I think really epitomised it beyond measure was none other than Audrey Hepburn. If you’re a fan like me, I’d contemplate investing in the newly-released Audrey Hepburn Muse Collection of boxed-set DVDs. Slightly steep at around $80, but this is where scanning your junkmail for  DVD sales at Target and the like will definitely come in handy.

5. Sydney siders are revelling in Mother Nature’s recent dose of sun and warmth, which means they’re heading for the outdoors. If you’re not a sporty type, but still like to pass time while you’re soaking up your much needed vitamin D (while still slip, slop, slapping of course), make time pass a lot more nicely with a book that’ll get you caught up in its web of drama and mystery. I’ll be checking out Audrey Niffenegger’s (of  the best-selling The Time Traveller’s Wife) latest book, Her Fearful Symmetry (Jonathan Cape/Random House, $32.95) – a tale of two American teenagers who inherit an aunt’s flat that overlooks a cemetry, and with an interesting array of characters weaving in and out of it in an air of tragedy and magic.  Ofcourse, you don’t need to be lounging about in Sydney to enjoy, curling up in front of a fire on the otherside of the world works wonders for the reading mind, too!

6. Musication is coming up soon, guys, so I hope you’re all rallying to get behind Sydney’s great, untapped musical talent – including Ranger Spacey, The Affairs, Sierra Montana and WIM. Buy your tickets here, and come say hi on the night.

7. I’m going to exercise my right as the editor here to nag a little bit: I have six weddings in November. If anyone has any savoir-faire tips for surving that load of celebrations, please write in.

8. Going to fulfill my wordsmith lane duty and share some wordsmith wealth that will surely help you on your writing journey. If you have not registered for Australian Writing Opportunities Updates, I thoroughly recommend you do. You’ll be notified of opps and prizes, some of which are monetary, so if you win, you’re one step closer to surviving off your labour of love. Get in on the updates here.

9. Motivation Marketplace this week will see me finish off with some very nice words from Mother Teresa (RIP), which were printed on a tee I purchased in Canberra and which I am now proudly wearing. “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin”. I think you can apply this to whatever work you do in life, whether its humanitarian or not. So go forth, work hard and be fruitful in all that you do. Don’t regret wasting time, when you could be sowing the seeds of your future.

Have a fantastic week

Tags: Audrey Hepburn, Audrey Niffenegger, Australian Writing Opportunities, Canberra, Kevin Rudd, Mother Teresa