Last night, while watching a funny TV comedy show - Good News Week - Newton Faulkner completely stole my heart. His short rendition of Superstition, his soulful voice, and the way he taps, scratches, and picks his guitar. What a talented dude!

Please check out some of his music here and also in the official website [click here] - hope you enjoy it!

I made this video playlist at myflashfetish.com

On the movie front, just saw the trailer to Funny People and really want to see this movie. Well - OK, Eric Bana using his natural Australian accent is a big factor for me, but Judd Apatow is amazing. Just hope that the movie doesn't have a sad ending...


(trailer starts from 0:36)

During the time of credit crunch, a shopaholic would need to downsize any retail therapy. Especially when travel plans are getting closer and closer.

Let's enjoy some groovy music with this post, introducing the fabulous Mojada. A band who cleverly combined electro, rock and a bit of funk in their sweet music. Bio from Our Manly site [click here].

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

I adore Petite Cherie eau de parfum from Annick Goutal - cut grasses, peach, vanilla & musk rose - fruity but not too sweet, it can be used for daily wear. But this bottle of goodness doesn't come cheap ;(



So when it ran out, Body Shop came to the rescue with the return of Moroccan Rose range. Unlike other rose-based bodycare, this one has a modern twist to it. Imagine a spiced rose with hint of citrus. And they come with cheaper price tag for something that lasts for a whole day. Well, they're used in layers... And that's how the perfume department getting successfully downsized in budget :D



The next one was a bit tricky. I was in a desperate need for a quick and cheap getaway from all the work stress. And that's where Manly Beach came into play.

So on a gorgeous Saturday, my friend and I took a 30-minute ferry trip from Circular Quay to Manly. We couldn't believe it was still winter - our warmest winter in 14 years or so?


(obligatory touristy pictures of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House - they're just too gorgeous!)


(Kool Cow :D and floating mini lighthouse?)

Near the weekend Market, there is a funky wall mural with witty headlines on it - something like "Manly to go Gay - 1954", "Plaster Gnome Kidnapped - 1984", etc.


(the funky wall and the gorgeous Manly beach)

For a Saturday, the beach wasn't that crowded - well compared to Bondi beach. The sand has fine grains and it felt so warm. Perfect for a free pedicure - kidding! We took few moments to chat while watching a group of surfing school students, and some other cute surfers too.


(the cool pipes and chilli-lychee-lime-tequila cocktail @ Henry Afrikas)

Although Sydney CBD is only half an hour away, Manly provides a quick and cheap getaway. It reminded me so much of Wollongong - a more populated version. Love it and will definitely be back soon :D *shots guilty look at new bikini*

A couple of weeks ago, my best friend dragged me early in the morning to go to Balmain in Sydney. She endlessly raved about a certain patisserie since the mastermind, Adriano Zumbo was featured in Master Chef - a TV show which I completely missed :(



At just 27 years old, Adriano has mastered exquisite taste and technique in creating wonderful sweet indulgences. Currently he has a totally-worth-the-queue patisserie in Balmain, a production kitchen, and Cafe Chocolat not far away from the patisserie.



Went to the patisserie twice, and will definitely come back for more. Though beware - addiction lies ahead, and once you have experienced one of these masterpieces, other cakes might not be able compare :D Below are some of the delicious indulgence from Mr Zumbo's winter 2009 collection - 40 Days and 40 Nights in Paris.

Pine Nut Millefeuille (the square one at the top)
Delicious flaky layers of pine nut gianduja mousse, caramelised puff pastry and rich 70% chocolate creameaux.



The generous serving will surely fill up the tummy. The caramelised puff pastry was a bit bitter, but it did complement the sweetness of the creameauz and mousse.

Shisha
Smoked rice orange brulee, violet curd, pate sable with mandarin & ruby grapefruit segments.



Beautifully decorated, I almost didn't have the heart to eat it. That was until the beautiful scent of violet curd tickled my nostril. The violet curd was the highlight of this piece in my opinion. It's just too *sighs* heavenly.

Macaroons
Pear and Macadamia (green) - totally a favourite - unique unique taste and it's not too sweet
Mandarin and Tonka Bean (orange)
Rice Pudding (white)



Youranuse
Mandarin mousse, tonka bean brulee, pain d'epice, sour cream jelly, almond ginger crunch disc.



Mmm... this UFO-looking dessert was really an outer-space experience. The sweetness of mandarin mousse, earthy taste of tonka bean brulee and hint of spice from the ginger crunch are just brilliant. Inventive combinations that I've never tasted before.

Escape from a Columbian Rainforest
An ingenious concoction of flourless chocolate sponge, chocolate sabayon mousse, fizzy gasser disks, cherry & cola jelly, with a liquid center of cherry cola slurp.



This last one is a definite masterpiece in my heart. Just look at the detail at the dark chocolate top - resembling the top of Coca-Cola can. Genius genius creation - no other words - just try this and be blown away! :D

Mr Adriano Zumbo - BRAVO!!
Pâtisserie
296 Darling St, Balmain, NSW, Australia
Ph 02 9810 7318
Open 8 to 6 Monday to Saturday and 8 to 4 on Sundays.

Café Chocolat
Shop 5, 308 Darling St, Balmain, NSW, Australia
Ph 02 9555 1199
Open from 8 to 4 Monday to Friday, 8 to 5 on Saturdays and 9 to 5 Sundays

http://adrianozumbo.com/patisserie.html
(credit of the pic of le chef, and descriptions of his creations)

Some of you might know how much I ramble about the value of broad, straight shoulders in a man. It may sound unusual, but sometimes an exceptional pair of shoulders would catch my eyes first before I notice anything else.

Could you notice the difference of shoulders in the picture below? (click on pictures for closer inspection)
Don't get me wrong - I like Sergio Ramos despite all his fashion trend inventions / haircuts / nosejobs. He's a wonderfully gifted, and charitable baller, who thinks he could dance... hehe.



However, I could hardly notice Sergio in the above picture because Javi's perfect pair of shoulders is distracting me. Oh - and that smile too! *sighs*
Ok, ok - I'm totally biased. But let me take you through an introduction on how I identify an exceptionally good pair of shoulders. Let's call this subject - "Shoulders 101".


(Glen Johnson vs Lionel Messi)

Width of shoulders is important in this lesson. Let's take a look at Glen's shoulders - it looks like he has a built-in shoulder pads inside his shirt. But it's all au naturel, ladies.

Now let's inspect Messi's shoulders. Although he is currently distracting me with that demure pose and lack of trousers, don't let him fool you. Yes, his shoulders are appropriately matched with his body. But this is not enough for him to qualify for the A+ shoulders stamp. The width needs to be somewhat longer.

Now now - you might protest that height may play a factor in shoulders quality.
So let's take a look at the Metzelder brothers.


(Malte vs Christoph Metzelder)

Both of these fine young men come from the same incredible gene pool. Both are over 1.90m tall, but can you note the difference in the shoulders?
Malte is blessed with straight, broad shoulders while Christoph is blessed with excellent fashion sense but somewhat sloped shoulders.


(Javi Garcia vs Ruben de la Red)

This is also the same case for best buddies - Javi and Ruben - both are 1.86m tall. However their shoulders are completely different. *sighs* ¡Animo Ruben!

Unfortunately, current personal research shows that ballers blessed with such exceptional shoulders are somewhat shy in terms of showing off what they've got. Just look at Javi and Fitz Hall. Amazing shoulders but they are always covered.


(epic shoulders - Javi Garcia and Fitz Hall)

However, lack of exceptional shoulders doesn't mean an automatic disqualification from hottie status. These two guys below are still *sighs* ... hot beyond measures despite of their sloped shoulders. Exposing those abs sure adds to the points. Here boys - take some brownies :D


(Sergio Ramos and Aitor Ocio)

OK - my head is spinning from staring at all these great shoulders (and abs). Hope you enjoy the lesson, and hope more shoulders posts are coming soon. MWAAH!! xoxo

While researching for cushions colour combinations, I bumped into some amazing practical arts in interior design magazines.

First up is Ingo Maurer's light installation which was featured in 2009 Milan Design Week. "Lacrime del Pescatore" (tears of a fisherman) is made out of 3 different sized nylon nets, approximately 350 teardrop shaped Swarovski crystals, illuminated with a separately fixed dimmable lights.



Ingo Maurer was inspired by a fisherman in Venice who were working in the early morning 30 years ago. I wish I could see this wonderful creation - imagine it moving slowly, dispersing subtle lights - just like how drops of sea water illuminated by early morning sun. *sighs*



Pablo Reinoso's Spaghetti Bâle (Spaghetti Bench) is also incredible. It's hard to believe that he carved all those woods. That bench looks like it is actually alive and still growing. Randomly made me think that it could be part of a modern set of Lord of the Rings. Well - of course Treebeard won't be too happy with this though... xD



(source, source, source, source)