Be the bELLA of the Ball.

It is the start of the school ball season. Yes, I am far too old to be worrying about attending school balls myself but I am kept in the loop as I have a younger brother and sister.

Over the weekend my brother was off to yet another school ball (I think he has been to around 9 in total) and my mum was about to order yet another wrist corsage, when she had a brainwave, 'why don't you make it?' Seeing as I am still in 'Cairo' and am not at work and worked at a florist for most of last year, I jumped at the prospect of a little creative project. Little is a bit of an understatement for how the project ended up.

Mum has been saying for a while....probably since about ball number 3, that it seems all florists are making the same boring white rose or orchid corsages. Why doesn't anyone think of something different? Clashing colours, beads, feathers? Well, well, well, you haven't seen anything yet!

Having been through the whole school ball thing myself, I found myself wondering, would we say to our ball date, 'hey, I have spent weeks, maybe even months trying on countless dresses in the search for the perfect one, matching shoes, bags, hair and make-up, but can you please bring me some accessories to the befores?' Hell no! But why is a corsage any different? I knew my brothers date was wearing a black dress so I went to town on my corsage creation. Her name was Emily so I also attached a sterling silver 'E' charm so she has something she can keep long after the flowers have died. Brilliant, I know!!

I couldn't stop after one corsage and ideas just kept popping into my head. Therefore I also made the following masterpieces (if I do say so myself).

Shoot me an e-mail if you are interested in having a fashionable corsage for your next ball, or pass on my details to your ball date. You can even send me a pic of your gorgeous dress to ensure it matches (or clashes) perfectly! ellagarland@hotmail.com.

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Cairo the Sequel.

After thirty six hours of flying, seven hours waiting, two airports, six movies, three plane meals, two time zones, four magazines and..........ONE OUTFIT, I am back from....Dubai.

We were on our way to Dubai after our stop over in Singapore when the Australian travel warning for Egypt was upgraded to 'Do not travel'. On arrival in Dubai we were given a message from my uncle to get our bags,  buy ourselves a big bottle of duty free perfume and get on a flight straight home.

I will never know if my fool proof packing method was in fact fool proof (well, at least until my next spontaneous holiday). However, I do know I did not pack my hand luggage well!

My travel outfit was well thought out;  dressy enough for an upgrade to business class, matching with my luggage, appropriate for Egypt and comfortable..... until the new shoes gave me blisters after walking the kilometres between gates at Singapore airport, the jacket was not warm enough for the plane but too tight to wear over something warmer and the wool cardigan got itchy half an hour into the first flight.

I will never again travel with only red liquorice, pizza shapes and magazines in my carry on luggage!