Style.

Style is innate and, in my opinion, you either have it or you don't. It is not only about the ability to put an outfit together, it also includes the way you carry yourself and your public conduct. I strive to be stylish, but I don't believe that I am. I don't think I was born with that rare ability to put lots of textures and colours and various styles together all in the one outfit, creating the most sleek and sophisticated ensemble.

There is an incredible blog that I enjoy perusing regularly, which is called The Sartorialist. Essentially, fashion photographer Scott Schuman takes photos of stylishly and uniquely dressed regular individuals and models alike as they go about their daily lives. I look at the individuals in the photos with wistful longing. Of course it doesn't help that the photos all include designer labels that would take a small car to be able to afford.

Here are some of my favourite photos from The Sartorialist:






In my mind, the most stylish people in our lives in 2010 include Cate Blanchett, Anna Wintour, Michelle and Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy. Do you agree, or have I missed a quintessentially stylish individual that MUST be mentioned?

A more than welcome uh-huh moment!

Yesterday I experienced one of those uh-huh moments where it was affirmed that the career I thought I wanted is definitely the right one for me. I've recently been unsure of whether I do want to do journalism as a profession. "Wouldn't you know that by your third year?" I hear you ask. And possibly I should have known whether my university course was right for me, considering it is my final year. However, it's very hard to work that out when you aren't actually in the field using the skills you've learned in class.

That's why yesterday was such a breakthrough for me. As a JRN321 Broadcast assignment, we have to select a story relating to the local area and cover it as a TV news story. I am currently covering the closure of St. Vincent's Private Hospital in Bathurst, which was only announced on Wednesday; a shock to its staff as well as politicians, government agencies and the local community.

I arranged and conducted interviews yesterday with the State Member for Bathurst, Gerard Martin as well as a nurse who will lose her job as a consequence of the closure. I have also organised to talk to the representative for the Senior Citizens of Bathurst, who will comment on the conversion of the hospital into an aged care facility, and what this will mean for Bathurst. Though there are now whispers that the futures of other aged care facilities in the Bathurst area may be at risk- it will be interesting to see her reaction to this news. I got the most incredible buzz out of investigating this news as it was happening and I experienced this feeling also while on work experience with National Nine News.

More than anything, I have enjoyed finding out news before it has broken, interviewing important figures in the community and having the ability to ask the questions we need answered.

I have had my career aspirations confirmed. I definitely don't want anything more than to become a television reporter and, in my final year of my journalism degree, I couldn't have hoped for a better affirmation!

March sans alcohol.

I'm attempting something that I haven't done since last year, but that I think is much needed after the last few months of partying. I missed the 'Feb Fast' train and didn't go alcohol free last month, but I am going to skip drinking for this month. As i'll be going away on a 10 day holiday to Bali in April, I certainly couldn't pass up the opportunity to sip pina coladas on the beach then, so March it is.

Given my posts in the recent past have alluded to my rapidly approaching grandma-hood - in that I have more than predictable Sundays, I feel way too old to go to unibar, and I don't even like Valentine's Day - this next statement is likely to reinforce that I am getting old before my time, but I'll say it anyway.

I cannot handle alcohol like I used to, and i'm only 20.

If I drink (and, granted, I'll have at least four drinks over a night out), I feel sick the whole next day. Doing exercise seems impossible and with all the calories that have been consumed with all those drinks, it adds up fast. So I figure skipping alcohol in March won't just be good for my liver, but it can only be friendly to my body to give it a rest and an acohol detox for one month of the year, particularly given I am going to be in a bikini for 10 days and I want to be able to exercise as much as possible before I board that plane for Denpasar.



Wish me luck... no sav blanc this month!