Decking your halls...

Well yes its that time again at Casa de finnoccio...er..I mean Casa de la Riversdale - Christmas...every year we go to town getting ready for Christmas...usually decorations are brought out in December however Andy was bored and set up in November [yes we are heathens in this household bishop].Really its the same look as last year[click on Christmas link below for other years past]...however Red is colour du jour...and I especially like the Red Star - homage to Lenin & the Soviets... which [of course] are a whole world away from the yuletide seasonings. Well Moscow is near the North Pole and Lenin always looked like a thin Santa [Well she was wearing red at least].

And the theme is carried to all objet d'art around the abode - as well as Du rogue. Full Stop.

It's also a good excuse to get out the Murano glassware too - So I'm happy there.

And just to be mental I have bought red napkins & already have place settings to match [of course I have]. Now just another 3 Christmas drinks/do's/parties prior to the big day to get thru/to and myself and the liver will need drying out...2009 is then looking like a dry zone [ again who Am I kidding].

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Well its that time of year...and given our love for the Christmas (and especially the tree) it's all the go in the household...This year's theme is silver, pink & purple (yes I know... very masculine and butch for two men)...a slight variation on last years theme.The coffee table...
The front door wreath - this is a new addition to the Christmas Cast...and I think a permanent one.Detail (of course).
And now that the day is hastily approaching - we have been preparing the food - I have made a Christmas Cake...Andy is about to make the Chritsmas icecream (yes it's real-I'm not making it up) and has already made the ham....and a v.smart one at that...
And now to cook the turkey and wear our eating dresses and impersonate Sumo's for a few days...The truck from Dan Murphy's has already delivered the booze so if a war breaks out in the next few days we should be good until the New Year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Have a great Christmas!
X b

Xmas Party Fever - All nighter...

Well it's early Sunday morning and I have just awoken...and I'm reflecting on the last long 48 hours...
So it started Friday night at the Big Xmas Party for the whole company...(Andy didn't come this year as he came and left last year after an hour!) - At a pub/bar/club in Bourke St...The venue was alright yet it seemed a little small for the amount of people...I went over to Dermo's house first so we could arrive at the party at the same time so we wouldn't look like Norman No-mates...
The theme was Hollywood - and many dressed up - Liz Taylor, 40's screen sirens, miltary men (bless the gay boys), Lots of 007's (none of whom were as hot as Sean or Mr Craig) Bravehearts, Pimps, Pirates, Cowboys ( the gay's love a cowboy) and more starlets than the night sky (excuse the pun MGM)...

Needless to say as it was an open bar everyone became alcoholics for the night...I (somehow) switched to water around eleven so when I started to sober up for the rest of the party - it's always weird seeing everyone drunk and you're not - they seem quite revolting...

So then we headed out to 'Marrakesh' a little basement bar off Bank Place...and met up with some others...that was fun as we just lazed around on the sofa's and makeshift Turkish/Moroccan enspired surrounds and talked a lot of shit...and had a little dance...However we got kicked out around 3ish so we hunted down another venue...
Now let me tell you this...in Melbourne (CBD) there are a more bars/pubs/cocktail lounges and clubs than people can actually fill...unfortunately most close around 2-3 in the morning so hunting an all night place (in the CBD that is) is hard...as we staggered from bar to bar we were told to 'move on/members only/VIP night/etc' as it were...and they could afford to this time of year...so one of the group says 'lets go back to mine' so after waiting 30 minutes for 3 cabs we head off to richmond for recovery around 4ish...

Only problem is that his housemate was home - they have a fight about the noise etc and in 10 minutes we are all out on the street! Thankfully another offers their house in Albert Park - so another cab ride over to the Albert Park and another recovery starts...
Well the tunes are good and all is well until 6.30 when our host passed out so we organise ANOTHER cab ride (don't you wish cab rides earnt you frequent flyers) and B&D offer their home in Newport as 'Venue du Jour' to continue the fun...this goes to about 11 when the remainder of the party fall asleep ( bad form Brett!)

I wake up realise from the drool down my chin its about 5pm in the afternoon and I'm on someone elses couch...I wait for the hosts to wake and Dermo - the only other hanger-on to the party like myself( as the rest sensibly left in the early morning to go home) so we can share a cab to our side of the city...

I managed to get in at 7pm ( about the same time i left Friday night!) and find a note from Andy - he's done the washing/shopping (Bless) and has gone out to Doug's birthday drinks (oops forgot about that) so I have a shower, eat a thai curry and watch part of the 'COUNTDOWN' concert ( havent laughed like that for ages) and crash... Needless to say a bit sore and flat today..going back to bed for a bit... Good night though.

O'Christmas Tree... blah etc Part 2

You'll be pleased to know that the tree is finished!

Oh Lordy it's finished...a traditional tree with non-traditional colours (and we reused some other decorations from previous years - we're trying to build up a collection of dec's for years to come...)

As we have so many baubles and beads left over we decided to decorate the coffee table...overhead shot

...side shot...
...and the kitchen bench - I thought this one looks quite fabulous... Our cat (Rabbit) inspecting the new addition to the living roomWe love it all - now to buy presents!!!

O'Christmas Tree...blah blah blah-dee Part 1

Every year Andrew & I make and create a new Christmas Tree...Two years ago it was blue & white and very stark...Below is last years creation...the theme was Gold, Silver & a bit of Shirley Bassey really ( or is that more Burley Chassie?) - we built the frame and everything!

This years is proving to be a bit trying...

We decided it was time to BUY a Christmas Tree so we could re-use it every year (Last years cost us over $300!) - we went to 5 different stores in 3 locations ( 2 of them twice due to stock difficulties) and FINALLY bought a tree...for $250.00 - a great savings on last year so far...And Chadstone Shopping Centre on a Saturday is about as much fun as having an enema with draino...

And what is with Christmas trees - it is impossible to find a plain good lush tree for want of looking...you can however buy:-

- Black tree
- White Tree
- Purple tree
- Pink Tree
- Fibre-bloody-Optic Tree(Didn't one electrocute someone in the states in the 70's?

And the piece de resistance...the upside down tree(I'm not making this up) - this is just plain stupid...

(The true meaning of Christmas - put your tree on it's head)

And then spent most of Saturday afternoon trying to thread all these baubles on string ( the idea was a big DNA molecule or at least similar to the Christmas trees in David Jones)- it took over an hour then it looked like shit so we had to take it apart...then we needed to buy more baubles and a new color (purple) and more shit for the bloody tree...and it's still not finished!!!

ARRRGH!

To be continued)