DECEMBER - tweet talk by ali.o'halloran

DECEMBER - Tweet TalkJEALOUSY IS A CURSE!

So crazy is this time of year that I completely forgot to download my December Tweet Talk......

My December tweet talk is brief and sweet this month. Why because it's silly season and I've simply run out of time.

They say jealousy is a curse........if so, then I am truly cursed. Not in a Harry Potter wizards and witches kind of way......nothing that simple! I'm cursed in the lifestyle envy way!

It's the 'Green Eyed Monster' that rears its head from time to time and sometimes I can't control it...........but hey, I'm human so arrest me!

You see, it happens to me every summer! I can't help it.It goes a little something like this.

I see someone with their face covered in sunscreen, barefoot, towel in hand, leisurely strolling down the street or a loaded camper trailer as it goes past. It's the annual pilgrimage of the summer crew that brings it on......the nostalgia of the pre-summer camping plan.

For me it was always on the beaches of the Murray River near Cobram. The catch up with cousins and friends..........the tent!! It's the campfire, water skiing and those lazy days by the river reading a book or simply relaxing. To me its the ultimate break!

So as I stand in the doorway of my store on a stunning summer's day. I try my hardest not to be jealous.I really do try!

Don't get me wrong.......I can almost convince myself that I have the perfect life...... My house is only a stone's throw from the beach which is something that I love about where I live and know most people would die for, but when a customer tries to lift my spirits in the nicest way with the remark, "Don't worry about missing out on summer, you've gotta make hay while the sun shines".

I can't help thinking to myself as that little green monster pops into my head..........."you can stick ya hay up your ass!"

There, I said it.................am I cursed?

TO ALL MY READERS - I SAY THIS WITH A BIG SMILE - "THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL FEEDBACK ON TWEET TALK THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.I WISH YOU ALL A VERY MAGICAL CHRISTMAS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, MAY THE TIME WITH YOUR FAMILIES BE HAPPY, SAFE AND FUN!

AND REMEMBER................SANTA IS WATCHING!

SEE YOU AT MOSS INDUSTRY OR THE POD CAFE OVER SUMMER

Ali.O

NOVEMBER - tweet talk by alex o'halloran

'TRAVELLING LIGHT!'- by ali o'halloran

November tweet talk will be brief and sweet......I don't have time......you see, I need to pack!!!!!!!
After a long,cold winter without a break and a working life that lately seems similar to the movie "Groundhog Day", saying I'm desperate for a change of scene and holiday would be an understatement!
I'm hanging out!!!! I have no idea where the past year went but it went and now I can hardly wait to go away. A week in Bali with warm weather and sunshine!!

And so......the packing task begins. As I make a promise to "pack light", certain rogue outfits seem to make their way in to the suitcase. You know...........the hideous ones that you've never worn before and in your sane mind, wouldn't dare be seen in. Suddenly that fuschia pink tube dress seems fabulous because you're travelling to a destination where you're convinced you won't see anyone you know and it's been reserved for that "trip"!!!!........but chances are you will!!!. Read my lips.......you will!!!
The perfect example of a delusional state of mind is my Mum.Known for her simple classic taste, she's suddenly got the glue gun out making some bizarre holiday outfit with a shell featured on the shoulder! What the??? See what I mean?! Sane, rational people seem to suffer from some sort of fashionista delusion once they pack their passport!! That includes me!

So getting back to the packing - I've never been great at it.....actually I suck! Maybe I should have been a guest on the 'Love Boat' with a million outfits for every occasion - but I never got the gig. However, since meeting my husband John who travels unrealistically light, I've improved, but I still have a long way to go. I'm the kind of girl who packs enough clothes on a 3 day trip that could quite comfortably clothe a whole African country. It's that dilemma of taking too much or just not enough and again......it's about the "just in case outfit".
It all boils down to my hoarder personality. Minimal anything, just isn't in my make-up!

When my girlfriend worked as a host on The Great Outdoors travel show it always amazed me how she managed to pack for so many different countries where temps varied from zero to the Sahara desert!! Unlike me.......I get there with some outrageous outfit that unless I was planning on role playing some character in "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" the sequin halter top just isn't appropriate.
In a nutshell, I'm a crap packer! No amount of planning and consideration make it easy.....give me a bushfire and I will take the family album.......give me a holiday and I'll take the entire wardrobe!!!

And so with admiration for the girls that wear "shorts" proud.....I bit the bullet and purchased my first pair of shorts for a very long time!! Actually 'L.B.S'(Little black shorts). The last memory I have of wearing anything that shouted "shorts" was in 1979 - Daydream Island in the Whitsundays.....a snap shot with family and friends, a fresh hibiscus in my hair and shorts so tiny only a 12 year old could wear.

As I finished packing my bag I included my NEW shorts........the task of packing seemed so much easier and lighter!!
My girlfriend always says that we should wear as many fabulous outfits each day as possible whilst we're young and gorgeous. Wear it with confidence and wear it proud because one day we'll be old and no one will notice.
So like a 'L.B.D' (Little black dress) EVERY girl needs her 'L.B.S - 'Little black shorts'............
Bon Voyage!

OCTOBER tweet talk by Alex O'Halloran

THE 'PAST' X-FACTOR

No matter how good or bad, happy or sad, how forgettable or how much it may make you cringe, we all have a past: buck teeth, braces, horrific permed hair, ugly deb photos and yes, you guessed it.......a dating past!!

That brief encounter..........a date, an ex, a crazy infatuation, a moment, a thing, whatever it ........was you shared with someone, no matter how much the memories fade, your past is out there somewhere!

Without warning, when you least expect it, your past pops up to say, "hello remember me?"

For some of us it's that awkward moment that we dread.

The reason I say this is because the other day my "past" did pop up..........it ran smack bang into me...........yes, my singledom past. You know..........that someone from another life time that you deliberately choose to forget, locked away in the vault!

We didn't date; there was definitely no relationship, just a drunken pash simply because I liked his hair!! Yes............tragic I know............but that was my past! With a polite hello, I continued on my way immediately erasing the memory.

Funnily enough over drinks with some girlfriends the other night I told them about the run in with "the past". I went on to ask them " have you ever given or received a "parting gift?" I've always wondered why people feel compelled to buy you something? you know...........a bizarre memento from a person that you had a thing or fling with?

Like a broken water main the conversation went into over drive as my friends fessed up to the weird but also sweet things that someone in their life had given them when 'parting'.

It was the encounter that meant nothing to you but the world to them or vise versa.

Yes........as cruel as it may sound someone's gotta end the "thing"...........sometimes it's you and sometimes it's not!

Here's a list of some of the weird and wondering 'parting gifts' that my girlfriends blurted out;

• Some people buy designer lingerie or Calvin Klein y-fronts after just one kiss!
• Some people go in search of a love song.
• Some people wait at your front door step every night for you just because they think they can
• Some people post signs on street poles with "I miss you" after just one date.
• Some people think 50 text messages a day to you is acceptable.
• Some people send endless bouquets of flowers and never ever get the message.
• Some people buy a novel when they don't even know your taste.
• Some people burn their entire cd collection for you.
• Some people send you a packet of lollies each birthday hoping you'll remember them.
• Some people go as far as getting your inititals dedicated to their number plate.
  And the list goes on.................

Why is it so I ask? Although that drunken pash so long ago with the man with the nice "hair" might be consigned to the vault, it is part and parcel of the game..........and while we play the game we often end up in some awkward situations which come to revisit us when we least expect it!Remember:" It's not always about the hair!! He's probably bald now!!"

October Tweet talk coming soon.....

Illustrations by a young Canadian girl

I had to share these illustrations done by an 18yr old Canadian girl.Scribbled down with simple biro pen on a letter to a friend.She also does amazing animation movies.

"Your PAST X-Factor" coming soon..................

SEPTEMBER tweet talk by Ali.O'Halloran

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT.......

If only a tracksuit had the same appeal.......

Thank god it's Spring! Warmer days...... bye, bye tracky dacks!

When is living in your track suit pants too,too much??

Yes it's been the coldest winter in years and yes they're extremely comfortable and warm, but so are my doona and passion killer polo fleece pjs...... but I don't hit the streets wearing them! My 9 year old neice wears tracksuit pants purely because the word "strapper" is plastered all over one leg.......but what credibility does a 9 yr old have?

Don't get me wrong......I'd be lying if I said I never wore my trackies in winter and I'd be lying if I said that they're not the first thing I reach for after a long day at work. Peeling off those rotten gut squeezing wool opaque tights and 25 layers of whatever ......

I'd be lying if I didn't wish that I could wear them at the drop of a hat and look like one of those dancers from that fabulous movie "Fame".....but sadly not!

And last but not least......I'd really be lying if I didn't admit to loving the perve of seeing the 'late' JFK Junior running through New York's Central Park. There's just something about a grey marle tracksuit with a "V" sweat mark down the front.**Only JFK Junior could get away with it!

The thing is........ where do you draw the line? MC Hammer thought he rocked in the silky trackies,Madonna needs to seriously move on from the Adidas silkies and as for the 'trackie dack mall rats' that plague shopping centres....well,say no more....

Call me a snob,superficial,vain whatever you want.....I just think that tracksuit pants worn "EVERYDAY" simply scream, "I've given up on life and my name is "Jim-Bob".Get the picture!

The other day I read something funny that stuck in my mind. Bizarrely,it went on to say how so many people seem to confuse the term 'tracksuit'. I'm understanding the 'track' part - it's the 'suit' bit that's weird and obviously confusing for some. It then went on to say, if tracksuit pants could talk they'd probably say,"I don't care anymore, I eat out of cans and I watch Jerry Springer. (by the way......I "love" the J.S show)

I agree with the writer....no matter how comfortable they claim to be, there's that inner fashion snob in me that would rather throw on a pair of stomach choking, thigh strangling, crutch burning jeans than trailer park dacks.

I too am not ready to throw in the towel just yet but lucky for my own credibility you can't see what I'm wearing as I type.

Inspriational images at Ali.O's tweet talk.......

A bit of colour to brighten up these cold winter days...........

I really love this blue! I lived in a home in Richmond in London years ago that had this exact palette, but back then it seemed too much.

What a fabulous room to get dressed in!!!!!!!!!

The tones of this room are very subtle.The art is perfect.

Helena in Green! Stunning!!!

Charms found at Moss Industry Barwon Heads

Another killer room for dressing.

I came across this photo of myself at my old home in St.Kilda.

I've always loved how the 'red' works so well in this shot.

And that top..........where did it go????

photo: House & Garden Magazine 2001

Yes.....a true fan of this model.

This photo is great because of the props.The lace window detail is my favourite.

Taking the colour jade green to the extreme. A truly fabulous room!!!

Oh..........to live in a bottle............

The Jeannie Bottle..........

If you were a kid in the 70's,did you ever want to live inside or at least see inside Jeannie's bottle??? I did!!

Apart from all her magic and not forgetting Major Nelson,I had a strange obsession for wanting to trade places with her.Not for the isolation or Major Nelson (I was too young), but simply to see the glittering opulence which she lived in and what took place deep down inside the interior of her tiny space.

I couldn't resist all that glitter,velvet,feathers and plushness.

Strange........but great at the time!

Just one blink!!!!!

That mysterious magic bottle!

Oh the velvet.........

I found a green glass bottle when I was about 10 or so and similar to hers.(so I thought)I carefully placed cotton wool down inside to create my own opulent Jeannie home.In my imagination it was exactly the same.

ali.o's tweet talk - AUGUST 2010 by alex O'Halloran

BFF - BEST FEMALE FRIEND.............

"BFF" - BEST FEMALE FRIEND

by alex o'halloran

Like a great handbag.........we all need a variety of female friends for different occasions.

To me our female friends are essential!!

Do you have on female friend or do you share your friendships around??

Having an assortment of female friends can get you through some of the toughest and the happiest times in your life. As we get older and life becomes more complicated the days of having one best friend are long gone. It was something we did as children..........joined at the hip, wearing identical outfits and so close you were happy to share the same boy crush. Can you see yourself sharing now?!

Imagine dumping all your crap on just one friend! The overload at times would clearly leave you friendless. Expecting one best female friend to take it all on board just isn't right!

Girlfriends to me keep us sane, understand our female complexities when the world doesn't, and sympathize with us when you know your being far too precious.

Here's some of the BFF's list that I thought I'd share:

BFF (Best female friend) - She's the whole package! She's your life long friend who knows you inside out. She's your confidante, like a steel trap, she'd never tell anyone your deepest secrets.Everything and I mean everything is in the VAULT!

BFPF (Best female party friend) - Gotta love her! A trooper! You shared your wildest party days with her.She held back your hair as you puked.She never reminded you how badly you behaved the night before.And after a night of face sucking some guy..........she assured you that the tragic "pash rash" all over your chin wasn't that bad.

BFSF (Best female shopping friend) - They're essential!! Every girl needs a shopping partner in crime.Always on call to do some serious damage to the bank balance.......this friend is just as crazy about clothes as you are. It's the thrill of the find.....the bargain, the unusual. Always happy to put in a good 8 hour workout of trawling every store in site.

BFCF (Best female coffee friend) - No matter how busy she is or what other important commitments she has on that day this friend will drop everything to catch up over a coffee.

BFDQF (Best female drama queen friend) - This friend loves the extreme exaggeration of your latest drama and hers.Soaking up every detail like a sponge, she's all ears, happy to listen and always smiles at you with a reassuring - Absolutely.......I'm hearing you......yep.......I'm on "ya" page!!!

NBFF ("NEW" best female friend) - You've only just met and you instantly "click".There's that inner voice in you saying, "where has this fabulous new friend been hiding these last few years?" Her sense of humour is so similar to you that she could have almost grown up sitting next to you in school!!

Whatever life throws at us and whatever mountain we have to climb, there's nothing like sharing the journey and who better to share it with than your licorice all sorts group of female friends!

INSPIRATIONAL PHOTOS at Ali.O's Tweet Talk

I wanted to share some of these fantastic images that I love and have collected .They're inspirational to my windows at Moss Industry and in and around our store.Sticking them all over my wall at home is a constant creative & visual reminder.

Enjoy!I have a love of feathers
and pretty threads

and pale aqua


This image is amongst one of my collages from home that I've created.I love the colours & the mood is just brilliant!

What room would be a room without cluttered art on your walls

Leene Aavik - A great Noosa Artist.

Her works are all over our walls at home.

You can never ever have enough chairs.

They don't need to be functional or serve a purpose.They're just enjoyable to look at!!

A great store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This print of words sits framed in our lounge at home.

It's how I feel about my husband John.

The ultimate bathroom!

Every home needs a dog!

My mirrored cabinet is covered in photos of my dog I no longer have.

My favourite palette of colours

White space is my idea of the perfect room.

I hope you've enjoyed these?

Let me know your thoughts at:

E:mossindustry@gmail.com

Ali.O

AUGUST Tweet Talk out soon..............................