total divas

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a couple of months ago, i threw caution to the wind and bought woozie'n'me a couple of *cheap seats* to tarnished frocks and divas - which is a retro fashion show in honour of celebrating life (beautiful story here).

finally the date rolled around today!!!!!
of course, the poppies turned it into a bubbles and cupcakes event, complete with rooftop photoshoot:

all frocked up in retro

the divas with monsieur le paparazzi

cupcakes on the rooftop, shout it out..

baby, we're ready to go-o-o-o...

and in we danced, finding our seats in the third row from the back...
and then - something incredible happened - i overheard a lady asking peeps in the row behind us if they would like *paparazzi seats* - so we leapt up and sprinted to the front of the auditorium, and found ourselves sitting *on* the stage...

being wowed by
(my faithful pxts)

the amazing ms jackie clarke
showcasing her talents and humour -

she didn't miss a beat.

retro frock makeovers
(all the models are over forty!)

one of woozie's fave outfits -
it's all ruffled jeans and zips

my fave - a daffodilly dress

it was a totally amazing afternoon - three hours of divaness - dancing and singing and hippie hippie joy joy... fuelled by bubbles and the paparazzi prenzel pressies we all got up and boogied at the front of the stage during the finale!
you go, girls.

BIRTHDAY BOYsenberry Cloud Cake

since he was a wee 'un, Sam has asked for Boysenberry Cheesecake every year for his birthday. (i've always thought that "cheesecake" is such a weird name for it, cos there's no cheese in it. i am gonna rename it... uh... Boysenberry Cloud Cake. oh, there's no clouds in it either?)
this is the *Katie Recipe*. i couldn't find my original recipe today so i made this one up from (my very-non-elephanty) memory. i couldn't find the cornflour either, so i used custard powder instead, and would-you-believe-it? it turned out much better!!!!! the instructions might look like a bit of *faffing about* but the making of this Boysenberry Cloud Cake truly takes ten minutes (plus or minus the surreptitious licking of the bowls) which is the same time it takes to make an oven cake and i *promise*, it is divinely delish and ALMOST-vegan bwahahahahahaha.

blitz 250g malt (or whatever plain or choc-coated) biscuits in the whizz
add 100g melted butter and blitz again.
press into springform pan (and up the sides a bit) and refrigerate.

beat two 250g tubs of cream cheese with
juice of one lemon and
1/2 c sugar and
splash vanilla essence
until smooth. pour onto biscuit base, gently spreading to edges and whang it back in the fridge.

drain a 425g tin of boysenberries and pour the juice into a saucepan.
whisk in 2 heaped tsp custard powder and 2 heaped tsp sugar.
gently bring to the boil, stirring all the time until thick.
remove from heat and gently stir in berries.
when cool, pour over top of cheesecake and hide in fridge behind anything healthy for two hours...
best enjoyed with a coupla mates (make sure you all smear icecream on your faces for the paparazzi), followed by a Birthday Stay-Up-All-Nighter Sleepover!!

Where are we gonna eat today, Napoleon?

Wherever we feel like. Gosh!!
Whenever D17 hangs out at Chris' place, there's the inevitable late afternoon phone call home asking THAT teenage-boy-question, "Mum, what's for dinner?"
Napoleon, give me some of your tots.
and then the lads decide where they'll eat...
tonight:
I caught you a delicious bass.
NOT!!
homemade pizzas here wins out over macaroni cheese there.


but even though i am the sneak paparazzi (Yeah right. Who's the only one here who knows the illegal ninja moves from the government?), they both insisted on the eyes-closed-photo...
to which the correct reply is Peace out, dude...
or maybe *singing*: I love technology, but not as much as you, you see... But I STILL love technology... Always and forever. Our love is like a flock of doves, flying up to heaven above... always and forever, always and forever...

R.I.P.

REORGANISATION. IN. PROGRESS.
J12 has sorted his new room out already:
he has his star quilt and piano in there, and the wonderful freedom to say:
"Get out of my bedroom, and stay out..." polite variations on "Please Vacate My Space" lol.
M6 is sleeping "up with the stars", which means that he is a big boy now and doesn't need a human presence to sit with him while he falls asleep: i have been a Very Patient Mummy for six years and i am (very quietly) ecstatic.
R14 has made her bed all in blue, and has commandeered her Big Brother's Blanket so that he's still with her, even though he's not (the Anti Paparazzi Brigade won't let me take a photo of her room just yet, it's still knee-deep in stuff).

and i am looking forward to seeing the carpet again... maybe tomorrow... maybe next week... sucking a million little piles up the vacuum cleaner, which needs a Big Fix (probably cos i suck too much stuff up it), so that we don't have to re-live this or this or this again.

The YAHOO Weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

roight then - this YAHOO triathlon -
angie, katie, heather

400m swim - was absolutely feral - panic stations all around.
people were grabbing my legs and kicking me in the head and my kids were running along the beach yelling, "Go, Mum!" and i got the hysterical giggles and took on some water.
i confess i put my feet down - got a glass cut for my trouble. but my arms were still swimming so i think that cancels out the legs.
say after me: SHOOTING THROUGH THE WATER LIKE A SILVER ARROW.
8.5km ride - loved wendy's bike - rode like the wind, bullseye! (oh lookit that, a movie line)
i passed three cyclists... and eleventy billion serious cyclists passed me lol.

twice around the block, massive head wind.

3km run - ouch! i pinged my calf 1/4 of the way into it.
i ran and ran and ran and ran. i passed two runners. around the drinks station and back into the tail wind - stalked by the paparazzi again - aka The Fab Famdamily.
*superkatie* crossed the finish line at 47:55
AH SO, the sub-48... YEAH!!!!! freaking exhausted but ROCKING. THE. BAY.

fabulously extra good YAHOO news -
(pre race rub down by the cuzzies aka Sam and Jon)

Bulldog knocked FIFTEEN SECONDS OFF his previous 1500 metre race time.
so he came fourth in New Zealand, just like his last race at FIFTEEN years old.
talk about ROCKING THE BAY!!!!!
(better photos to come)

oh and i sent the sunshine vibes into the universe to win prizes at the post-race-finale

but must've got my frequencies crossed. lol.
next time then...

Say, "PAPARAZZI !!"

D17 has a new catch-cry whenever I produce the camera and start clicking off photos...