So, on Friday evening I arrived in London for my 10 day suprise-the-family-pop-up visit. Only my Mum knew...my family were totally shocked it was hilarious. It's been really good to see everyone, sleep in my own bed and just generally relax at home. I went out with my three closest friends on Saturday evening for a wild night on the tiles. Amazing.

Unfortunatly, I have been a victim of JETLAG. Pure hell. I go to bed at around 2am, and find myself wide awake at 8am and then falling asleep throughout the day...

Today I visited my Nana at her house in Hayling Island. We read Vogue, listened to acoustic Lady Gaga, brainstormed tattoo ideas and watched Coco before Chanel (which is a really sad, but amazing movie). My Nana is also the best cook in the entire world; so naturally the dinner she made me was absolutely incredible. I know everyone says that; but my Nana's cooking IS the best.

In other news, I've been reading Lindsay Lohan tested positive for cocaine....pretty shocking considering her team appeared to be doing such a great PR job with her 'comeback'. I usually have sympathy for LiLo, but this just makes her seem like an idiot.

Tomorrow I'm meeting my friend Lee in London for coffee, then going with my friends Emily & Sam to Shoreditch House for a champagne charity event, and then off to wherever the night takes us...

This weekend I'm going to Centre Parcs Resort with my entire family, I'm booked in to do Falconary - I can't wait. A long weekend of relaxing is just what I need before I fly back to Sydney on Monday evening! Wish I could stay here for longer, there's no place like home!

"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."

addicted to YOU

Last night I went to a party at Robby Ingham in Paddington with my friend Rupert Noffs. I've never actually been to the store itself, but the party was fab. Pretty clothes, botox, cute mini-takeout boxes with dumplings, champagne and more botox pretty much sums up the evening (+ some wondering eyes and a dramatic ending thrown into the mix). I also had the pleasure of meeting one of my favourite Australian TV-personalities, Charlotte Dawson. For me, Charlotte is like the Australian version of Janice Dickinson who I ADORE. They are both hilarious...if it wasn't for them on show's like America's Next Top Model or Australia's Next Top Model I don't think I'd bother watching. They say it how it is. I admire that. (+ they both look fucking divine)

This week I feel like a weight has been lifted too. After talking to one of my friends in the U.K. about something that has been bothering me, his advice and wise words just seem to totally have straightened out my mind set. It's like straightening a big, hideously tangled afro. Sometimes all you need is someone else's perspective and input on an issue to totally turn you around and put you back on the right path.

Today I spent time with my friend Marc. We went to Gazebo's Wine Garden in Potts Point and had coffee and wine and chatted & laughed like school girls about the most random things for hours. Exactly what I needed...

Things I am loving this week:

Moroccan Oil. (www.moroccanoil.com)

Everyone has been raving about this..including Nicole Richie! I figured it was just another PR-driven fad, but thought I'd give it a go and got my hands on some courtesy of my friend Marc (marcthinksthis.blogspot.com). You simply put a tiny blob in after showering when your hair is damp, and work it through with your fingers. The results are amazing. My hair feels not only SO soft, and not fluffy and dry like it usually does right after I shower, but also looks so shiny and healthy. Amazing! I defiantly get what the hype is all about now.

VMAs.

There are so many great things about this years MTV Video Music Awards. For me this is always the best MTV Awards show, as its usually where drama happens, ie. Britney Spears - Gimme More circa 2007; my favourite live performance by Britney. Don't ask me why...

LiLo's sketch with Chelsea Handler who presented this year was hilarious... The set looked surprisingly similar to the set from the MTV Awards I went to here in Sydney last year...everyone was raving about it which I thought was quite funny. And of course Lady Gaga stole the show with her ensemble of crazy costumes....the meat dress...no words. I love the way everyone is talking about her, despite the fact she didn't even perform! Can't wait for her new album "Born This Way".

Twitter.

My obsession with twitter isn't anything new. But the obsession is getting worse. I found myself awake at 4am last night reading my tweets..oh dear. www.twitter.com/ollie_lloyd

Good Karma.

I've had a great opportunity present itself recently, and I was thrilled to find out someone had given me a glowing reference this week...it's all too often we hear bitchy things people are saying about us, and all too rare that we hear overly positive remarks. So refreshing.

Tattoos

I've always thought certain tattoos are great; and others are absolutely tragic. But I've found myself becoming more and more warm to the idea of getting one myself this week...I'm the type of person who gets over things within 5

minutes, so I need to choose what I want wisely. I've had a few ideas in my head for a while now...we'll see.

FrontRowSuit.com

My friend just launched this website. The updates and short, to the point, easy to read and fun. I'm into it. Check it out; http://www.frontrowsuit.com/

Surprises.

In the words of Victoria Beckham: "The airport is my runway".

Tonight I had a quiet evening. I cleaned my room (formerly a sea of clothing), and popped to Piano Room to see my friends Marc, Andy and Alex for a quick drink at a pop-up party that was happening there. I am now at home in bed, praying that tomorrow is hot so that I can TAN.

Quote of the day: "Everyone's a star and deserves the right to twinkle".

In other news my blackberry has developed a strange habit for flashing red when there is no text,tweet or email. Get your act together woman! How odd.

Until next time,

xoxo

Once upon a time in a far away blog...

Soooo...after creating this blog what seems like one hundred years ago, I've decided to try and commit to updating it once in a while from now on. I'm not aware anyone even knows this little spec in cyberspace exists (I often forget it does) but typing out all my random thoughts/ideas onto a blog may be just the creative outlet I have been looking for.

The past few weeks I've had this weird feeling of underlying uneasiness. I'm not sure why; it could be the gradual build up of uni assignments that I've been avoiding, or lurking feelings from my recently deceased relationship...nevertheless, a phone call with my Grandmother in England this evening whilst enroute to a friends house put a huge smile on my face.

My Grandma has been cleaning out the spare bedroom. I have a lot of memories from this room...it was where I would play with my sisters or cousins when I was younger, paint, draw, dress up, and sleep when I stayed over.

When my Grandma announced she was taking the books from the book shelves to a local kids charity, a feeling of pure shock and anxiety suddenly came over me, and I literally stopped walking! The idea of taking story books that had probably not been opened in years to kids who would really enjoy them is obviously great...but at the same time I have so many memories of them; copying their illustrations, covering a gravy boat in tin foil pretending it was Aladdin's lamp, feeling scared from reading the story or being happy and wishing I was Cinderella going to the ball with Prince Charming (I always wanted my own pair of glass slippers).

After a few seconds I managed to 'gather myself' and resumed walking. Yes, I do share many memories with those books; but at some point we have to let go of things

in our lives and just keep the memories and good times in our minds and learn to move on.

We all have to move on at some point..and at the end of the day, I'm sure (and sincerely HOPE) the books will go on to inspire and bring the same amount of happiness to other kids as they did to me.

This idea can be applied to so many areas of my life right now...unfortunately moving

on is often easier said than done.

On a brighter note, following my frantic, anxiety fuelled breakdown over the phone

about the books being sent away - whilst praying to god my Grandma had not donated my singularly favourite book from my childhood (The Fairytales of Brothers Grimm) - I was promptly reassured. The book is safely locked up in a chest in her bedroom (and no pumpkin carriage or flying carpet will be taking it anywhere near a charity store anytime soon!). And so the conversation continued, I breathed a sigh of relief, and lived happily ever after...

...for now!

xoxoxo