Sydney, it was very nice to meet you.

Jenni and I woke up today in Melbourne.  We LoVeD our week in Sydney and wish Lisa could have stayed longer!  I found Sydney to have a charming sense about it and nights at the harbour were so peaceful.
Our last night we decided to bring out the kids in us again and took a ferri to Luna Park.  We rode rides that made me laugh so hard I had tears coming out!  We even bought one of those photos that is taken of you while on the ride......it is PriCeLeSs!  Thank you for coming to visit Lisa bisa!

Up close and personal

I officially feel like I live in Australia now that I have pet a Koala and a Kangaroo

A day at the Featherdale Wildlife Park

Blue Penguin

A picture is worth a thousand words

Lisa, Jenni, and me on a ferry on our way to Darling Harbour

Aboriginals playing music at the Harbour

Lisa and me at Manly Beach

I'll take one of those please :)

Sydney Bridge

Sydney Opera House

Ferris Wheel at Luna Park

Sydney Harbour

Pirate Ship! 

Maintenance area under the bridge

Sydney Bridge from the top of the tower

Sydney Harbour at sundown

Luna Park

I didn't come to Australia because Oprah did. I came first :)

I am spending a week in Sydney, Australia.  Lisa flew from the U.S. to come spend the week with me and Jenni is coming from Bangkok.  Jenni gets here tomorrow and I look forward to our time in Sydney.  Lisa and I walked across the Sydney Bridge today and went up the tower to view the Harbour from above!  This city is absolutely breath-taking. 

Lisa and I sat down by the water near the Opera House to watch the sun go down and see the Bridge and Opera House from day to night.  There was live music playing, a breathy girl vocalist, singing at a pub there in the Harbour that we listened to while watching boats come in and out.  The way we would see flocks of birds fly over our heads was the way that bats flew above us over the Harbour. Very interesting because they were big and there were heaps!

It is surprisingly a very clean and peaceful area to be in at night and, truly, I feel speechless by the experience.  I now understand Oprah's enthuastic twist on her announcement "We're going to Austraaaaaaaaliaaaaa" before her trip to Sydney.  Australians constantly ask me if I came here because Oprah did.  I hate to let them down, but I'm afraid she followed me this time ;)  It is a beautiful city and today is only the beginning. 

I also want to thank Lisa, my Mom, Teresa, Joy, and all other little helpers on getting my things from home to Lisa to bring to me!  Thank you and it felt like Christmas when Lisa got here with some of my clothes I missed too much to leave behind, my Mac and Nars makeup, my surprise from Lisa....Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies, sweet cards for every holiday we've missed from Lisa and a birthday card from Layni,  and my love.....Coco Chanel.

Birthday wishes to my MuM!

Happy Birthday to my Mother, my friend.  You are the most beautiful, selfless, smart, caring and loving woman I know and I am proud to call you MY MOM!

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother" -Abraham Lincoln

Age doesn't matter unless you're cheese.

January 28th, 1986.  My Birthday.  This year I made it to a quarter of a century.  Jenni surprised me with the yummy cake shown above and a bag full of gummi bears!  I shared with her a little, but not the green and yellow bears, as those are my favorite.  Jenni, Harriet, and I ate birthday lunch and did a bit of shopping.  The rest of the evening went as follows:   

   

Dinner at Bouzy Rouge with Friends

(Champagne, wine, cosmopolitans, and fish with eyeballs)

Drinks and Dancing at Hotel Provential

Then off to another club.....and then to the casino.....and then.....

Well, I'd have to say my Australian birthday was a success to say the least!  Cheers to my wonderful and thoughtful friend Jenni and my Australian friends for all the beautiful gifts, fun memories, and many laughs!

Jessie, Me, and Jenni at Bouzy Rouge

   My birthday dinner.  The "Fish Special" served with
    roasted potatoes, capsicum, and eyeballs.

 Handmade by my loving and creative Momma!

Happy New Year

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..........Happy New Year!

Our New Years 2011 was simple and definitely the best fire works show I've ever seen.  We spent the evening with our good friend Sasha in Downtown Melbourne.  The city does fireworks along the Yarra River off of the tops of all the main buildings.  There were some crazies out that night so we were happy to tram back close to home and enjoy some Champagne at The Collection, an upscale bar a few doors down from our house.

This New Year will begin with me turning a quarter of a century old! It is my year of traveling, listening to stories, and embracing life at it's fullest.   I wish you all the best this year!

Fireworks show at Federation Square

Sasha, Jenni, and I

Painting the roses red

Red roses on the left is where grapes for red wines are harvested.  White roses on the right are for white wine grapes.

I've got some catching up to do on my blogging so I'll start with the Yarra Valley Wineries.  We met Pete and Glay Glay (obviously a nickname given by his buddies) through some men I met at work.  They offered to drive us through Yarra Valley to knock "wineries" off of Jenni and I's Aussie bucket list.  It by far was one of my favorite days!  We started at a pub for lunch and shared an antipasta platter.

 We went to several wineries including Sticks, Balgownie Estate, and, my favorite......Chandon!  It was the last one we went to and I was introduced to Sparkling Shiraz!  We enjoyed it while laying in the grass watching Glay Glay do handstands and 2 German guys take their shirts off and race.  It's funny what you think is entertaining after a few "tastes" of wine.  

You must be 18 to drink.  You must act 8 while drinking.

Candid shot, but beautiful background

Ladies and Gentlemen...............Chandon Sparkling Shiraz!