The week that was.

Welcome to the newest regular Mamamia post where I walk you through my week and share some of what goes on behind-the-scenes at MM HQ (we’ve done it before, here and here). Have a read and then tell me how your week has been.. what you’ve been learning, seeing, doing, eating…

The Smokey Eye For Dummies

I first read about this eyeshadow compact when Paula Joye wrote about it at Lifestyled.com. If Paula says ‘buy something’ I usually do. And that’s why I clicked straight through from her link to the Cargo website and snapped one up. It was designed by a former Channel 9 make-up artist but the kicker for me is that it actually tells you how to do a smokey eye – something that’s always eluded me, even though I was a beauty editor for years.

It comes with a handy little diagram but in case you lose that (I have), it has the directions embedded into the shadows themselves. How clever is that. And handy, now that I have to do my own make-up for TV.

The Tumblr

I never cease to marvel at the creativity and the sometimes batshit crazy ideas people have for Tumblrs. Hungover Owls is, well, pictures of owls that look hung-over with funny captions. Made me giggle.

The Flowers

I once read that workers who have something alive on their desk like a plant or flowers, reduce their rates of stress and depression by 50%. Nicky bought these for me. I wonder if she was trying to tell me something?

The Lana

Rick took this photo – and all the photos in this post. I love it. Lana has so many plates spinning in her role as Managing Editor and she does it with exceptional grace, diplomacy and the occasional head-in-hand moment.

The fridge

I’m sure all office kitchens begin their lives clean and uncluttered. Ours did. And then………

The show

Look. I am wearing my highest heels and I am STILL  a shrimp next to these three amazons.

From left, Rebecca Huntley who was my friend in primary school and who I lost contact with until recently. She’s the director of Ipsos Research and knows everything. Deb Thomas was my first boss when I did work experience at Cleo and she was the Deputy Editor. When I became beauty writer, she taught me everything, making me sit next to her and watch while she re-wrote my (awful) copy. Which was an extremely generous and time consuming thing for her to do. Love her. Now she’s Media Director for ACP Magazines. She makes me laugh constantly.

And Kristina Keneally, former NSW Premier, mother of 2 and current member for Heffron. I first met her when we were on a panel when she was premier. She’s a pretty amazing woman, regardless of what you think of NSW Labor (and, judging by the recent election results, nobody thought much of them at all).

Apart from being warm and sunny in person, she is extremely beautiful. In fact, Rick has suggested (with some gentle prompting from me) that he might turn for her. Watch this space.

In case you care, I’m wearing a top from Little Joe that my friend Kirsten gave me (another of her genius cast-offs that I wear more than the stuff I buy for myself), pants are new, from Ginger and Smart and the boots are from Sportsgirl.

The Radio Interview

A few months ago I wrote a column about Pirates vs Navy: which one are you? The idea came from one of Mamamia’s contributor editors, Kate Hunter. She spoke on Brisbane’s 97.3FM during the week, and was hilarious, take a listen:

Kate Hunter talking on Brisbane’s 97.3FM

What have you discovered this week?