EDITOR
Life interrupted... Davina Montgomery, Ruby Editor
All women need a bit of pampering - a little time just for them, to step away from their everyday cares and responsibilities for a bit of quality me time. So I hear anyway, but scheduling time out is not always so easy.
A
fter a recent health scare (a false alarm, thankfully) I’ve had a lot of people telling me that I need more ‘me time’. “Pamper yourself,” they say. “Let everyone else take care of things and relax,” and “Just stop! Do nothing for a while!” This is all well-intentioned and quite sensible advice. The problem is that they may as well be saying, “Make yourself a set of wings from fan-folded paper and fly yourself to the Moon, it’s quiet there” – it’s just not practical! Unless you live alone – and probably not even then – most working women live a life interrupted. You know what it’s like. You’ve made a cup of tea and just settled down to read that book or magazine you’ve been saving for a quiet hour, when your [partner, kids, parents – even pets seem to manage this one] come in loudly demanding that you talk to them/feed them/see what they’ve just done (never a good thing!) and look wounded when you roll your eyes and sigh. It’s as if there is some sort of covert warning system that sends out an alert – ‘Quick, she’s sitting down. She’s starting to relax. INTERRUPT!’ After all, what if busy women everywhere got used to sitting around doing not very much and liked it so much they wanted to do it every day? Disaster! The fact is, very few women are good at taking ‘me time’. In the 1990s, it was known as ‘burnt chop syndrome’ – mothers putting everyone else’s needs before their own. Now, with more and more women juggling work,
home and family commitments, I wonder if we are about to be faced with a stress epidemic. Perhaps we all need to learn to stop and do nothing – or, if like me, the thought of just doing is panic-inducing – at least learn to do something nice for ourselves everyone once in a while. Put the to-do list to one side (it will still be there tomorrow – or so I tell myself) and book in that mani-pedi, get a massage, go out for lunch, join a gym, have that treatment,
“It’s as if there is some sort of covert warning system that sends out an alert – ‘Quick, she’s sitting down. She’s starting to relax. INTERRUPT!” take up a class, or just make a cuppa and read a book outside. But for me, the best way to recharge is to get together with old friends – the type of friends you don’t have to look good/sound good/be good around, the friends you talk and laugh for hours with. So, in this issue of Ruby, we talk about pampering – how to do it, where to find it, and why it’s important; and we talk about friendship, and what it means to us.
RUBY, an Adcell Print Group publication, is mailed to more than 5000 businesses in regional Victoria. If you would like to be added to the Ruby mailing list please contact us.
2 | Ruby
We also spoke to the fabulous Miriam Margolyes, who will be in Geelong and Ballarat with her one-woman show, Dickens Women, in early March. Perhaps most recognised now as Professor Sprout from the Harry Potter movies, Miriam has a biography that is eye-watering in its breadth and depth. In her now famous interview with Andrew Denton, she revealed that the Queen scares the shit out of her - hardly surprising after being told to ‘Be quiet’ by Her Maj. Miriam is funny, warm and very down to earth. And she likes Australia so much she has a house here. And what was that I was saying earlier about a life interrupted? In the process of writing this piece I’ve been interrupted by both of my kids, my husband, my father, my mother, my brother, too many phone calls and my cat – all wanting me to do something. But as I’m determined to practice doing nothing, I sat down with a cuppa and a good book this morning and got half way through my tea and three pages into the book all on my own … until I was interrupted. Oh well, it’s a start! Wishing you all a crisp, clear, colourful Autumn.
Davina Montgomery.
PUBLISHER - Maureen Tayler ISSN: 1838-1456 MANAGER - Caroline Tayler EDITOR - Davina Montgomery davina@adcellgroup.com.au Adcell Print Group. T (03) 5221 4408 F (03) 5221 3322 203 Malop Street, PO Box 491, Geelong, VIC 3220
FOR ADVERTISING. Vinnie Kerr M 0409 427 473 vinnie@adcellgroup.com.au Trina Currie M 0402 268 624 trina@adcellgroup.com.au
CONTENTS
Ruby Tuesday 4
Bell Terrace
12
Fitness 26
Psychology
6
Money
13
Fashion
27
Ruby Blokes
7
Relay For Life 16
Ruby Loves
31
Ruby Musings 8
UN Women
18
Whats Hot!
32
Interiors
Food
23
Ruby Pamper 35
11
20. The Fabulous Miriam Margolyes
“Come for the food, stay for the experience”
2 Course Express Lunch showcasing local regional produce with glass of estate wine Wednesday to Friday, from 2nd to 21st March. “ O akdene, proud to be involved with the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival”
www.oakdene.com.au
255 Grubb Rd Wallington | Ph: 5255 1255
Ruby | 3
RUBY TUESDAY
When will the other shoe drop? Tuesday Jones
If women are going to work, raise families and keep homes, there is going to be some fallout. We can’t be expected to do it all, and for me, when it comes to domestic duties, the fallout is likely to come hard and fast from the top of the linen press...
I
n our house, we have learned to dread the sound of the phone ringing on a Sunday afternoon. All too often it is someone wanting to pop over for a visit. We will say ‘Absolutely, it will be great to see you guys,’ even as the panic sets in. For us, Sunday is a day of rest, which is a nice way of saying we do as little as possible right up to 5 o’clock, when we scurry out to fill the fridge for the week ahead and frenziedly try to tidy up, get dinner, organise those last-minute jobs for work/school/ kinder (seriously, there is kinder homework these days!) and basically pretend we haven’t been lazing around for most of the day. So, when someone calls at 1pm and says they will be over in half an hour, it’s as if we’re on a very large fast-moving ship and someone yells “Iceberg! Dead ahead!” We panic. Stacks of washing zoom into bedrooms, shoes, toys, empty cups, all get put away. Hats are found, as are sunglasses and pens, computer cords are tidied, books put away and the gross domestic product of a small country is swept up from underneath the couch as we fly around hiding the evidence of our usual weekend slovenliness. Most people grow out of the pathological untidiness of teenagerhood, sadly, my beloved and I never did. I like to think this is because we were barely more than teenagers when we started living together and never had to impress a new housemate or partner. I don’t really believe that, but it sounds better (even to me) than the untidy truth - that given a choice between staying on the couch to read a book or getting up to tidy up the house, the book will win almost every time. It’s not as if we were raised by wolves and have no understanding of how to put things away. Both of our mothers kept a tidy house (although my mother-in-law did share the invaluable tip of hiding unwashed pots in the oven and overflowing laundry into the washing machine). We get it, we just don’t do it on a regular enough basis, with the result
4 | Ruby
that, every now and then, one of us gets fed up with tripping over toys and not being able to find the remote or the other shoe, and does an angry clean - the type of cleaning burst that is accompanied by a stream of dark mutterings, strategically timed loud sighs and a few slammed doors. It also means that missing shoes will probably be found weeks later caught up amongst some hastily folded blankets at the top of the linen press. For a few weeks, we manage to maintain the neatness, until a deadline looms at work or we have events away from home for a few weeks in a row. One day the house is tidy and neat, the next it looks like the kind of scene a CSI team would exchange looks that so expressively spell out ‘Something bad has happened here’. During the baby years, when I was home
“More and more domestically challenged women are airing their dirty laundry and fessing up to messing up.” every day and not working, good friends (the kind you don’t feel the need to do the panic clean for) would walk through the front door and do a double take as they encountered clear floors and empty bench tops. Most of these friends manage to keep very tidy homes, and I spent years wondering how they managed it. After those brief months spent focused on domestic duties, I finally figured out that we all have our dirty little secrets – and they were very different from what I thought. They were cupboards that hovered at the edge of critical mass and garages that were best left closed. These friends would wonder at my tidy, neat cupboards. Of course they were neat, they were hardly ever used, and I wasn’t going to go and mess them up by cramming all that stuff on the floor into them!
I started to read articles, then books, by Shannon Lush (the ultimate domestic goddess. If you haven’t heard of her, Google her, cleaning is her super power). I too began to worship at the alter of bicarb and vinegar scrubs. I would run to the bookshelf in search of the best way to remove crusted Weet Bix that had set like cement into the carpet. I had cleaning routines. But a return to work meant a return to mess, only this time with kids’ toys thrown in the mix (and thrown into just about every other place imaginable, including the toilet - don’t ask!). I would be tiptoeing out of one of the sleeping darling’s room when I would step on what, in daylight, is an innocuous and much-loved plastic figure, that has transformed in the darkness to a pointed parent trap. With my instep throbbing, I would yelp and hop around, waking up the kids in the process. Hubby would leap out of bed to save the day only to see me holding my foot and bouncing down the hallway. I could see him wondering if I had wondered over the edge of sanity, and then he would spot the offending Mickey Mouse, once again looking innocent under the glare of the hall light, and wince in sympathy. When I was little, I took it for granted that everyone lived in a clean and tidy house with the exception of one Aunty and Uncle, whose house went beyond domestically challenged to just yuck, and a few very elderly relatives whose houses had that unfortunate blend of over-cooked cabbage and mothball odours that ferment in the permanent half-light of homes where windows are rarely opened, creating a bouquet that is instantly recognised by the young as the smell of old age. Every time we were expecting visitors, my mother would have us all clean, tidy, scrub and polish every surface in our house. My job was the polishing – tables, a sideboard covered with delicate hand-painted plates and tiny collectables, and the huge mirror at the end of the hall. Then everybody would arrive and a two-year-old would spend a
RUBY TUESDAY
happy hour in front of said mirror, feeding their mirror twin a vegemite sandwich. Then I started to wonder – was this a question of nature or nurture. Was I suffering from pointless polishing-induced domesticaphobia, or simply missing the clean gene? I found myself linking the domestic standards of mothers with their daughters - my friends whose mothers were habitual and borderline obsessive cleaners were now failing the domestic goddess test.Another friend whose childhood farmhouse home was know to house sick cows in the lounge room had
developed OCD cleaning habits - vacuuming at 11pm on a Saturday night and other silliness.
we putting behind us the expectation of shining surfaces and dust-free shelves? Are we lowering our domestic expectations?
Whether there is a connection or not I don’t know, and the poor mothers of the world don’t need to blamed for any more sins of their children, but I do know that I’m not alone. More and more domestically challenged women are airing their dirty laundry and fessing up to messing up. But are we, as a society, getting more sensitive to the challenges facing busy women everywhere and giving at least 24 hours notice before dropping in? Are
No woman, nor man either (although none of us were expecting that, let’s be honest), can be all things to all people - to juggle career, family and home, requires letting some things go. When will the metaphorical shoe drop? Probably not until we are looking for the extension lead one day and it falls off the top shelf and hits us on the head!
Ruby | 5
PSYCHOLOGY
Beware of the Frenemie Charmaine Morse, Psychologist
Pretty much from kindergarten, we find ourselves with friends, enemies, and friends who aren’t really friends. These days, there is a word for that sort of person, and it’s not what you think... Well look at you, you’ve been dealing with this since kindergarten in one form or another and had no idea it had a label! Let me tell you, I couldn’t tag it either until recently. We have all experienced the fallout from a frenemie. It goes something like this - and please feel free to mentally add your own horrific and painful experiences - “You’re going to eat all of that?” “Oh, I’ve got those exact jeans, they look so different on you.” “It’s great that you don’t worry about your age.” “Oh, you look nice, I am so used to seeing you in black.” “Yeah, he’s quite nice, but you like that type.”
W
e live in a world where new additions to our language are so common place it can be a struggle to keep up with the latest phrase or expression. You may find yourself nodding appreciatively during a conversation as your friend tells you about the baggravation she experienced on her return from a fantastic holiday. Your brain immediately jumps into non-compus-mentis mode, saying baggra…what? Oh yes, it happens to us all. Just for the record, baggravation is the frustration you feel standing at the airport carousel when your luggage fails to materialise. However, before you know it, you too have little choice but to be conversing in words like sexting, fashionista, noughties, and maybe even throwing in the occasional frenemie. You don’t know what a frenemie is? Then I’m about to save you from unthinkable future social embarrassment and brain-freeze. The term friend has also undergone radical changes of late. We only have to consider what social networking sites such as Facebook have done to change our perception of what a friend is. Some people have 300+ Facebook friends. Evidently this is a particularly
6 | Ruby
desirable standing in the online high-status friendship stakes. For many of us it used to be so simple – a friend was a friend and an enemy was just that. Well, I’m here to tell you that it has all changed, because now we have frenemies. A frenemie is a portmanteau of the words friend and enemy – but I think you worked that out already. A frenemie can be a friend who can also act like an enemy. She’s not exactly your friend, but not exactly your enemy either. A frenemie seems to be a friend, but she has frequent lapses in behaviour that are designed to undermine you. If you are dealing with a frenemie you may have that niggling feeling of confusion you get with someone you think you can trust, but wonder if you really can. It is someone who makes you feel worse while pretending to make you feel better. You question yourself, wondering if it is all in your head – am I over thinking this, maybe she didn’t mean it the way I took it? Welcome to the world of cognitive dissonance: a feeling of uncomfortable tension which comes from holding two conflicting thoughts at the same time. Ah, yes she did mean it and there you have it – your friend is actually a frenemie.
There are usually a few tell-tale signs to indicate you are dealing with a frenemie. How about master manipulator? She doesn’t really want what’s best for you, but it will be a good outcome for her so she’ll tell you that this is what you need. Another is that she is in constant competition with you, but you were oblivious to that fact. All remains well within the frenem-ship if she somehow remains superior, so long as you don’t excel. There may also be little indiscretions or fibs, but you don’t bring these up because it would sound too petty - she’s seeing that guy you fancied at a bar a few weeks back, but didn’t happen to mention it. So, what do you do when you realise your toxic friend is way past her use by date? End it? Ideally, it would be downgrading the frenem-ship to more casual contact, but alas, we know life rarely presents the ideal outcome. The truth is that a number of variables come into play, and ending a relationship with a close friend is just as difficult and individual as ending a relationship with a significant other. No, it won’t be easy, but you have a choice to make and along with that come consequences. There may be no going back. Perhaps we all have a tad of the frenemie in us, so next time you say, “I’m so happy for you” ask yourself, “Am I really?” – the answer just might surprise you!
RUBY BLOKES
From Beer to Maternity The anticipated arrival of a first baby can be a scary time. Your previously happy partner is swinging between delirious over-excitement and extreme anxiety, and so are you. What you need, is someone to talk to...
A
new concept in prenatal classes has men in the Geelong region heading to the pub in the name of childbirth.
Dads are usually overlooked when it comes to childbirth preparation. Yet when it comes to the big day, they need to know how to support their partner through what can be the most physically challenging and emotionally charged event in their lives. Beer + Bubs, a one-night session held in local pubs, was developed by Sydney-based childbirth educator and birth attendant, Lucy Perry and is making its debut in Geelong as part of Blokes Day Out (23 March - 1 April). “I could see that dads really wanted to be involved in the births of their babies, they just didn’t know how,” said Lucy. “But they like the idea of heading to the pub with a bunch of other men who are in the same boat as them.” Beer + Bubs has been running in Sydney for six years, going national in 2009 with dads in all major Australian cities and some regional areas sinking a few beers in the name of fatherhood. “Most men are surprised to learn that childbirth is not a spectator sport and that they can have a profound impact on their partner’s birth experience, helping to make it faster and easier for them,” says Beer + Bubs Geelong facilitator, Rachael Mcleod.
The two-and-a-half-hour session covers what to say and what not to say during childbirth; tips on how to be an advocate for the birthing mother, practical tips on pain management, as well as specific recommendations on how to support a woman through each stage of labour, including a caesarean. “The friendly, casual atmosphere of the pub is a great venue for childbirth education,” said Rachael, a childbirth educator. “Childbirth is unfamiliar territory for most blokes, so it’s more comfortable for them to be in their natural environment to learn about something so foreign!”
Beautiful inside.... Beautiful outside... ZaCK - red also available in Black.
rEVUE - Purple also available in Black.
Blokes Day Out facilitator, Peter Kelly, said Beer + Bubs is a welcome addition to the event line-up. “The philosophy behind Blokes Day Out is celebrating what it is to be male. Fatherhood is such a defining moment in a man’s life and it’s great to see this new initiative coming to Geelong,” Peter said. Beer + Bubs will be held at the Grovedale Hotel on 27 March and 8 May. Check the website for details and bookings www.beerandbubs.com.au or phone 0415 288 438.
Beautiful looking styles with Blissful Comfort - It’s a Boot Experience with ZIEra aUTUMN raNGE IN STOrE NOW
177 Moorabool St, Geelong VIC 3220 Phone: 5229 5866
Ruby | 7
RUBY MUSINGS
The Autumn of Life Davina Montgomery
Over the years, our friendships change. They change when we leave school, they change when we start new relationships, they change when those relationships break down, and they change as we age.
I
was speaking to someone recently about the changing nature of friendships over the course of a lifetime. She agreed that over her life, her friendships had changed and that the friendships she had now were very different to those when she was younger. She described herself as being in ‘The Autumn of my life” and I couldn’t get the term out of my head, or the lovely connotations it inspired. Autumn – full of colour, crispness and clarity. But is this really what defines the friendships we keep after the kids have grown up and, for some, when we start to contemplate what life might be like after retirement? I began to ponder whether we ever stop questioning what it means to be a good friend, and what makes a good friend at a particular stage of life. At kinder it meant someone who wanted to play in the sandpit when you wanted to and who preferably didn’t eat bugs (there is always that one kid that does). At primary school, it’s someone who likes
8 | Ruby
what you like and, preferably, doesn’t steal your lunch. In high school it’s someone who reminds you of what you like to think is one of the better parts of you, and who preferably doesn’t kiss your boyfriend or girlfriend. In your 20s, it’s someone who is fun to be around; to have a laugh and a few drinks with, and who preferably doesn’t kiss your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner (except perhaps for those wobbly moments around 3am in the middle of a big night out). In your 30s it’s someone who ‘gets’ you, who understands the various pressures of your life and who, preferably, doesn’t sleep with your husband/ wife/boyfriend/girlfriend. In your 40s it’s someone who gets themselves; and who inspires you with their seemingly solid sense of self. In your 50s it’s someone who understands that everything they truly believed about friendships in your 30s and 40s was total rubbish, and is prepared to have a good laugh about it – preferably not while sleeping with your current or ex-partner. In your 60s, a true friend is someone who remembers all the stupid things you’ve done in the past, but still loves you anyway – who
wants your company, but doesn’t need it (and who preferably neither wants nor needs the intimate company of your partner or ex-partner!) In your 70s, a good friend is someone who understands that while partners, children, grandchildren and relatives are all, most of the time, wonderful things, it’s also nice when they are not in your house. This friend is someone you can happily talk to for hours – often about the partner, kids, grandkids or relatives. In your 80s, a friend is someone who understands the everyday challenges of ageing and who, preferably, knows when to offer comfort and sympathy and when to just laugh about it all. In your 90s and beyond, a friend is someone who is preferably still alive and in possession of most of their faculties. They can be any age, but a good sense of humour is a prerequisite. Because on the occasion that you need someone to help hoist you off the loo, you want to be able to have a good laugh about it later!
RUBY MUSINGS
Key Strokes Anna-Marie Shew
When you have been married for most of your life, you learn to cope with all kinds of unacceptable behaviour, often relating to toilet seats, dirty washing and television remotes, but some things are just going too far...
A
nother sunny day in Geelong. A meeting with a potential client at Café Go goes particularly well and ‘She’ trots home feeling rather chuffed with how well it went. Trots home rather quickly, because there are only so many skinny lattés a body can sip before there are consequences. By the time she reaches home, she’s at a good canter. Keys are at the ready to drag open the front door and sprint in … except … oh my God, she groans. The house key got taken off the car keys because the Christmas Dayhailstone-dimpled car was assessed yesterday (and was surprisingly not written off): she’s locked out. Or is she? Hmmm. A quick look-see reveals the lanyard of house keys hanging … taunting … from inside the back doorknob. Beside her is husband’s fishing rod; it might finally come in useful for something, she thinks with a roll of her eyes. And the cat door. What would MacGyver do? Fishing rod in hand, she lies down on the path beside the cat door. Three cats and one dog all think she’s playing a game. She’s on the wrong side of 53 years and shops at Taking Shape and Autograph, ergo not exactly built for this! But a gal’s gotta do what a gal’s gotta do; she feeds in the 1.2m fishing rod, then her whole arm, through the cat door. Indoor cat immediately attacks her arm. With her face resting against the weatherboards, she blindly wrangles with cat and rod. An unlovely dirty
washing basket gets in the way and yesterday’s undies get snagged. Lanyard of keys swings out of reach. Outdoor cat strops himself against her head while the other settles on her right hip, watching. Dog opportunistically licks her face. ‘Oh, come on, guys,’ she splutters, gagging on the horror of the dog spit in mouth. In a town with a sporting heritage as rich as Geelong’s, cats, dog, fishing rods and the Universe are just not playing the game. Finally, the cramp in her shoulder and the knowledge that the neighbour peering through
“Beside her is husband’s fishing rod; it might finally come in useful for something... What would MacGyver do?” the venetians is about to call the police or ambulance convinces her to stop and just do what she should have done in the first place; calls her husband. She had been ready to forgive him for taking the house key off the key ring and not putting it back. However, no marriage – not even a 33-year, very devoted one – should have to survive the dear husband saying to the wife, ‘But why don’t you just get the spare key from under the tin of contact adhesive on the windowsill in the shed?’
WEDDINGS • COMMERCIAL • PORTRAITS 0439 353 958 elisha@elphotography.com.au
www.elphotography.com.au Ruby | 9
Accessories
for todAys living
Trading Hours Mon-Fri 9.00am-5.30pm Sat: 9.00am-4.00pm Corner High Street and Mount Pleasant Road, Belmont Phone: 5241 2664
www.livingetc.com.au
INTERIORS
A wild and wonderful design world Susanne Anthony, livingetc
Python skin bed heads, green alligator chairs, 8000 pairs of shoes… On a recent visit to Oz, international design guru, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, shared insights into the lives and design styles of the rich and shameless.
I
n early February I was fortunate to attend workshops in Sydney with some very distinguished Australian interior designers, namely Greg Natale, Marco Meneguzzi, Thomas Hamel and my hero and international designer, LA-based Martyn Lawrence Bullard. Martyn was brought to Australia specifically by one of my fabric suppliers, Tigger Hall, to promote his amazing fabric range. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the name Martyn Lawrence Bullard, he is of “Million Dollar Decorators” fame – a reality television show involving several designers working for the rich and famous. He has been named international interior designer of the year 2010 and 2011, his clients include Elton John and David Banish, Cher, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, and Tamara Mellon (of Jimmy Choo fame) to name a few. Martyn had many funny stories to tell … using a friend’s private jet to smuggle python skin into the US to cover his dear friend Elton’s bed; purchasing George Clooney’s office chair from the set of Oceans Eleven then covering it in
lime green alligator skin, the fact that Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne have no carpet in their home, due to their numerous dogs, and that Tamara Mellon has 8000 pair of shoes! Meeting with him was totally inspiring, but while at different levels, we basically all share the same joys and dilemmas with design.
“… using a friend’s private jet to smuggle python skin into the US to cover his dear friend Elton’s bed...” Everyone in the room agreed our own homes are the most challenging to decorate - we see so much, and the trick is to edit, edit, and edit again. I couldn’t agree more with Martyn when he says he is constantly redecorating at home and trying different styles. It is the joke at home: that my husband goes out to buy lunch and returns home to a totally different space!
This, of course is important. It guarantees we don’t get stuck in the one style. All the designers agreed we are leaving the minimal, hard-edged design of the nineties and noughties and returning to a softer more inviting look. We want to supply a comfortable, practical interior, where everything can be loved and used. Take a look at Martyn’s book “Live, Love and Decorate,” he loves to use colour - possibly more colour than you may like, but if you just take one idea and adapt it for yourself, the impact can be amazing. If you are interested in interior design, take a look at Series One of “Million Dollar Decorators” – where the rich and famous think nothing of paying for a scatter cushion what I would spend to decorate an entire townhouse. I’m looking forward to Series Two (which is being filmed as we speak), a peak into some of the most lavishly decorated homes in the world. I left Sydney with my signed copy of his book, looking forward to the possibility of his return to Australia in September with Kathryn Ireland to promote the second series.
Ruby | 11
BELL TERRACE
Living History Judy Baulch
The road to opening a grand old home as a guest house has many bumps along the way - you need to be prepared to ride the bends and there will be more than a few dead ends. But the view from the end is spectacular.
‘The Coach House,’ Bell Terrace. One of the apartments has a permanent tenant. The other two comprise Bell Terrace Apartments, as Helen is now not only the owner of a historic home but also an accommodation provider. That meant a crash course in learning how to run serviced apartments.
E
ver wandered around a grand old home bristling with history and wished it could be yours? There is a way to get the mansion you always wanted. The catch is you have to make it pay its way. And you’ll need a lot – A LOT – of enthusiasm to make it work. But, if that’s what it takes to make your dream come true… Take it from Helen Trand. She always wanted to buy an historic home and now she’s living the dream in a landmark Grand Victorian terrace built by pastoralist and Geelong businessman, William Bell, around 1864. With the impressive original staircase, soaring ceilings and ornate fireplaces of the era mixing well with Helen’s eclectic antique style, the house, now divided into four selfcontained apartments, is sunny and welcoming and much larger than it seems from the outside. “Nothing matches, because we didn’t have any money to buy the furniture,” Helen says, cheerfully relating the hurdles she and husband Nicky had to leap to make her dream a reality. “People were saying we were flying by the seat of our pants when we bought this, and I was like, ‘We had no pants on,
12 | Ruby
darling!’ We had gone unconditional and paid our ten per cent deposit, but we still had to sell and settle two houses in four months.” William Bell built Helen’s home, the largest of the four two-storey row of houses known as Bell’s Terrace, for his family to live in, with the other three built for investment purposes. However, by the early 1900’s, the Bell family’s former home was already being used as a guest house, with a Miss Meigs advertising rooms for rent in “Dysart”. By the time Helen and Nicky made it their own, the house had been through several incarnations, including a boarding house, and was known as Oberon Apartments. Historic homes don’t come cheap though and Helen knew that if she wanted one, it was going to have to generate an immediate income. “It was all about crunching the numbers to make sure we could move in and actually afford to live. Most other historic homes need hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on them and we couldn’t afford to do that once we had bought the house. But this was already divided into apartments, so we could live in the bottom one and rent the others out almost straight away.”
“We moved in last November and three weeks later we were expecting our first guest. I got on the Internet – I don’t know what people did before the Internet – and I rang the Council to see what I had to do. I also spoke to Rhonda at Aaron Lee Apartments and she gave me so much help, as did Ben at the Haymarket Boutique Hotel. I didn’t know if I was going to get my head bitten off, or if people wouldn’t help me because I was the competition, but it just shows how fabulous Geelong is in that way.” So far things are working out well, with the apartments booked out throughout January, despite the odd hiccup. “To our first guests, I said, ‘Congratulations, you’re our first guests and if I’ve forgotten anything, please let me know’. But I forgot the sugar and I forgot the butter. And another lady said, ‘Oh, we really need a hairdryer,’ which I hadn’t thought of. ” Helen is finding that her typical guests are just as interested in history and old homes as she, so she’s keen to learn more. So far she’s discovered hints of her home’s Victorian grandeur in the original Axminster carpet on the landing, the wires for the bell service that used to summon servants from their quarters and Victorian wallpaper in the upstairs hallway. “I love just touching the walls and knowing that so many people have lived here. The back step when you go through the servants’ quarters is worn away because it’s been walked on so many times…” Helen and Bell Terrace Apartments will soon feature on the ABC series, ‘Who’s been sleeping in my house?’
MONEY
How is your Financial Wellbeing? Nicole Pertzel, Wellbeing Financial Solutions
Many women will spend some of their lives without a partner – either because of choice, divorce or widowhood. It’s important then that all women have control of their own financial future. Nicole Pertzel is an Authorised Representative of Australian Unity Personal Financial Services Limited (AUPFS) ABN 26 098 725 145, AFSL 234459. This information has been prepared by AUPFS. DISCLAIMER: This information has been prepared without taking into account the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. Because of this you should, before acting on it, consider its appropriateness, having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.
As a starting point, you might like to try the following Financial Health Check. • Do you have an ‘emergency cash reserve’?
Yes / No
• Do you have investments in your name (other than superannuation)?
Yes / No
• I f your home is jointly owned by you and your partner, is this fact recognised on the deeds? Yes / No • If you are in the workforce, do you have adequate income protection insurance?
Yes / No
• Does your partner have adequate insurance in place?
Yes / No
• Do you and your partner have up-to-date wills that reflect your current wishes?
Yes / No
•H ave you made arrangements for someone to care for your dependent children if you and your partner were to die?
Yes / No
• I f you or your partner are involved in a business with other stakeholders, do you have a legally binding agreement that assures you will fairly compensated by those stakeholders if you or your partner dies or is disabled?
Yes / No
• Are you on track to accumulate adequate savings for your retirement?
Yes / No
“If you answered No to any of these questions, your financial planner can help.”
‘Partnering with you to achieve financial wellbeing’ Wellbeing Financial Solutions. 255 Moorabool Street Geelong, Phone: (03) 5222 7466 Email: info@wellbeingfs.com.au
Nicole Pertzel*CFP , DipFP ®
Financial Advisor SMSF Specialist Adviser™ *Nicole Pertzel is an authorised representative of Australian Unity Personal Financial Services Limited (ABN 26 098 725 145) AFS Licence No. 234459, 114 Albert Road, South Melbourne VIC 3205.
Ruby | 13
MONEY
Tie me trampoline down, Sport! Melissa Vella, Allsure Insurance
Nothing takes the shine off neighbourly relations like your old umbrella or trampoline becoming airborne during a storm and crashing into your neighbours’ shiny new car ...
T
here is more to your House and Contents policy, than covering just your stuff. We recently had a client’s trampoline that was caught in a windstorm; it hit the side of their house and flew up onto the roof. It then travelled the length of the roof like a metal and nylon tumbleweed - taking out the TV aerial, dinting their roof - flew across the street and into the neighbour’s front fence, finally coming to rest on the neighbour’s car! They had the right insurance that fixed their broken window, repaired the blinds, replaced their couch, cleaned the carpet [all damaged by glass and rain], repaired the roof, reinstalled the aerial, fixed the roof and replaced their rampaging trampoline as well. The story doesn’t end there, as there was still the bill for the neighbours fence and car to be paid. This part of the claim would be usually paid under the Liability Section of your policy. Outdoor furniture. Imagine the damage it could cause … particularly if it lands on the neighbour’s pool solar blanket! Worse still, imagine what umbrellas could do! Contemplate what could happen if your pet cocky’s cage was blown over, besides distressing the poor cocky, how much destruction it could cause to cars, furniture or buildings. Basketball hoops! I have known of a portable one that was blown over causing over $5000 in damage to a car.
parked car causing $3000 in damage, this was paid under the Liability section of their Contents cover. (Sounds like Warney vs. the Cyclist from a little while back!) It’s not only your contents that you are responsible for. We’ve had trees on client’s properties that have fallen onto neighbouring houses, causing extensive damage. I was reminded of all this when last week the wind blew so violently, it sent my neighbour’s trampoline hurtling across their backyard, it flipped over the fence and came to rest just metres from the other neighbour’s new car… Guess who would be paying the repair bill for the damage to the new car? Here are our tips for the Stormy Season: Store furniture, umbrellas and smaller - objects indoors where possible. - Make sure you keep large trees in good health and trimmed. Do property maintenance before the wild weather arrives. - Tie down any larger objects securely (like trampolines). - Have the right insurance cover in place. Remember, having the right insurance is no accident. DISCLAIMER: This article is for guidance only, and professional advice should be obtained before acting on any information contained herein. Neither the writer, publishers nor the distributors can accept any responsibility for loss occasioned to any person as a result of action taken or refrained from in consequence of the contents of this article.
A client riding their bicycle, collided with a
Is Insurance a chore? Then Insure @ Allsure
Cover to fit all shapes and sizes
Call us now to take the hassle out of Insurance
Your Local Insurance Specialists
14 | Ruby
Shop 1/125 Melbourne Rd Rippleside PO Box 1086 Geelong VIC 3220
Brother & Sister Team
www.allsure.com.au
Auth Rep # 320289
Aaron & Melissa
P: 5278 6808
MONEY
The Year of the Dragon Renée Jovic, Jovic Bantacs Accountants Pty Ltd
In business, you have to make your own luck, and what could be more lucky than tapping into the positivity of the luckiest year of Chinese zodiac? What will 1 billion people feeling lucky mean for you in 2012?
I
t is the Year of the Dragon, the luckiest year in the Chinese zodiac. It should be a great year for small business owners, according to what is predicted to affect you and your business in the coming year. If you’re not a believer in astrology, it may be a good time to set some goals. There is nothing to lose by learning something from this tradition that more than a billion people share around the globe. It is an opportunity to embrace some of the astrological traits associated with the coming year, as you plan to grow your business in 2012. Chinese astrology is based on a twelve-year cycle. Each year is named by one of the animals that is said to have responded when Buddha called. Each animal is associated with certain traits, usually fairly obvious ones: the ox for hard work, the tiger for aggressiveness. In a large part of the world, personal and business decisions are determined, or at least influenced, by which year it is in the Chinese zodiac. The Year of the Dragon is an incredibly promising year and the most fortunate of all - according to Chinese tradition. Dragon years are associated with good luck, money, accomplishment, celebrations, longevity and success. The Dragon is considered the most powerful symbol. It is the only symbol in Chinese astrology that is not a real animal and also has mystical qualities. In China, many people want children who
Specialised Services
Renée Jovic
• Property Investment • Accounting • Taxation • Business Solutions
embody Dragon traits. Births in China typically increase by about 5 per cent in Dragon years. Similarly, it is considered to be a good year to start a new business. So what are the astrological implications for your business this year? Wealth. It should be a good year for making money and, with luck, an increasingly strong overall economy. If a quarter of the global population thinks it is going to be a good year, there is a good chance it will be. Don’t miss out. Aggressively pursue financial goals
“The Year of the Dragon is an incredibly promising year and the most fortunate of all” this year, but remember the Dragon is a risk taker and can be a little reckless. Consider getting a second opinion before making any big decisions.
with creative ideas. Have a brainstorming session with your team. Virtue. As business picks up this year, don’t forget your social responsibility to others employees, society and the environment. Harmony. Seek better ways to communicate with your employees and customers. Strive to create an amiable workplace. Big changes. Dragon years can be challenging, so be prepared for the unexpected. This year can be a time to shake yourself up. It could be a terrific year to try new things, take big chances and make a significant change. Belief is a powerful economic force. If a quarter of the world’s population believe this year is going to be a good year - and act and spend accordingly - then there is a good chance that we are in for the most promising financial ride that we have seen for many years. DISCLAIMER: This article is for guidance only, and professional advice should be obtained before acting on any information contained herein. Neither the writer, publishers nor the distributors can accept any responsibility for loss occasioned to any person as a result of action taken or refrained from in consequence of the contents of this article.
Ambition. With a slow global economy it has been difficult for many to pursue their dreams. With so many feeding on the upbeat mood, now may be a good time to go for it. Innovation. It will be a good year for trying new approaches, introducing new products or services, and reinvigorating your company
Level 1, 80 Pakington Street, Geelong West E: admin@jovicaccounting.com.au P: 03 5222 6962
“Providing Solutions to Businesses, Individuals and Property Investors. With a Personal Approach”
Web: www.jovicaccounting.com.au and www.bantacs.com.au
Ruby | 15
RELAY FOR LIFE
Relaying Hope Judy Baulch
Every year, people around the country gather together to walk the 24-hour Relay for Life. The event not only raises money for and awareness of cancer, but provides hope to sufferers, their families and to those who have lost a loved one.
I
f you happen to be glancing at a clock when you’re told that someone in Victoria is diagnosed with cancer every 20 minutes, it hits home. You potter around, making a cup of tea, chatting to a friend and glance at the clock at again 20 minutes later and realise – someone else has just received the worst news of their life and begun their battle to survive. Meanwhile, one of the 29 Victorians to die every day from cancer has lost the fight. If you’re also talking to someone during those twenty minutes who has lost several family members to cancer, including their father, then the bare statistics become very real. “Over 1,180 residents of Geelong are diagnosed with cancer each year, most commonly prostate, bowel, breast and lung cancer and melanoma,” says Barb Ward, Ceremonies Co-ordinator for Geelong’s Relay For Life. She first became involved in the world’s largest fundraising event for cancer in 2006, walking in a team with her father, Ross.
16 | Ruby
“He loved it,” she says simply. “My involvement now is my legacy to him.” Barb still walks each year for Ross’ Soldiers in memory of her dad, who died in 2007, as well as fulfilling her role as Ceremonies Coordinator. At this time of the year, it’s almost a part-time job coordinating the survivors and carers morning tea, sourcing donations for the food provided, and arranging speakers and the Candlelight Ceremony celebrant. Then there is the fundraising that Barb does with her own team, which includes sausage sizzles, movie nights and Christmas gift wrapping at Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre. There have been times during her six years as coordinator that she hasn’t been able to walk her laps until one am and then she’s up again at six and back to her duties. Described by the former President of Cancer Council Australia, Professor Ian Frazer, as “a community of thousands who come together each year to honour the lives of people touched by cancer in Australia and around the world”, Relay For Life is an overnight
fundraising event, meant to symbolise a cancer patient’s journey through cancer. The light and darkness of day and night parallel the physical effects, emotions, and metal state of a cancer patient while undergoing treatment. Relay For Life was originally the brainchild of US colorectal surgeon, Dr Gordy Klatt, who in 1985 decided to raise funds for cancer research by running and walking for 24 hours around a local stadium. Friends and family paid $25 each to run with him for 30 minutes at a time, raising $27,000. In 1986, Dr Klatt and a small committee launched The City of Destiny Classic 24 Hour Run Against Cancer. Nineteen teams took part and raised $33,000. In the years that followed, the relay team event became Relay For Life and spread to countries around the world, as people joined together to “celebrate, remember and fight back”. “We all come to Relay for the same basic reasons,” Graham Rawlins said during the closing ceremony of 2011’s Geelong Relay for Life. (He’ll back for his fourth year running
RELAY FOR LIFE as MC this year). “We may have fought cancer ourselves, or watched someone we love battle the disease, and we all want to make a difference in the fight against cancer… We find a place of common understanding when we come here as survivors and join others who have faced the same disease. We celebrate the lives of people we’ve lost. We remember the journey we walked with our loved ones and we Relay to keep their memory alive.” Geelong’s Relay For Life began in 2000, led by Dale Jennings OAM, former general manager of the Geelong Advertiser. It is now the largest Relay event in Victoria and long ago outgrew its first home at Landy Field
Now held at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds Campus, the event has raised $3.2 million to date and last year attracted over 1700 participants. There are also Relay For Life events on the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula. Despite the size of the Geelong event and its fundraising success, Barb says surprisingly few people know that it is pulled together each year by a committee of just eight people, with the positions of secretary, treasurer and publicity and sponsorship unfilled. “We also need a Children’s Activities Coordinator, a Team Recruitment and
Liaison Coordinator, and the Fight Back Coordinator’s position has just become vacant after our current coordinator moved to Bendigo,” Barb says. “Fortunately, we have lots of volunteers who help us to set up on the day.” The event begins with the opening ceremony and the reading of the oath, reminding participants they are taking part to celebrate the lives of cancer survivors, support those fighting cancer, and honour those lost: “Our commitment will be symbolised in every step we take, each and every one moving us nearer to our goal - the goal of a cancer-free world for future generations.”
The first lap honours cancer survivors and carers – those who are now cancer free or currently undergoing treatment, and those who are walking with the person they cared for or in honour of the person they lost. There is an atmosphere of hope, of challenge, of sadness and remembrance. There are amazingly strong people sharing their strength, their memories and support. All these things come together in the Candlelight Ceremony. “The purpose of the candlelight ceremony is to celebrate the lives of the people who have come through their treatment, remember the loved ones lost, and to fight back in the
hope of finding a cure for cancer,” Barb explains. Participating in Relay For Life means being a vital part of efforts to eliminate cancer. Cancer Council Victoria is the largest provider of non-government research funds in the state, spending over $20 million on cancer research each year. Cancer Council also funds a helpline for cancer sufferers (phone 13 11 20) and provides prevention and education programs to help people reduce their cancer risk. While there is still no cure, some of the battles are won. Survival rates have increased 30% in the last 20 years, with 61% of
Victorians now surviving their cancer diagnoses, and it is now known how to prevent one third of all cancers. However, until cancer is completely eradicated, the Relay will go on celebrating, remembering and fighting back. Geelong Relay For Life, 17 - 18 March 2012, Deakin University Waurn Ponds. Visit www.relayforlife.org.au or call 1300 65 65 85 for more information. If you are interested in joining the Geelong Relay For Life Organising Committee, contact chair manager Anne Miller on 0439 007 960.
OUTDOOR FURNITURE | HOMEWARES
Individual touches that make a difference. 20 Pakington Street Unit 2 Geelong West Ph: 5222 8035 | Mob: 0439 562 203 Mon - Fri: 10am - 5pm Sat: 10am - 4pm
Ruby | 17
“ A staggering 70 per cent of the world’s poor are women...” 18 | Ruby
Solomon Islands - Rob Maccoll
Because being a woman isn’t always easy This March we celebrate International Women’s Day
Julie McKay, Executive Director UN Women Australia
I
nternational Women’s Day is celebrated across the globe on March 8 each year.
It’s a day to mark the extraordinary achievements of millions of ordinary women who have paved the way for future generations. However, it is also a time to reflect on the many women right across the world that struggle just to survive each day. A staggering 70 per cent of the world’s poor are women. Women do more than two thirds of the world’s work, yet women earn less than 10 per cent of the world’s wages. UN Women Australia’s theme for International Women’s Day 2012 is women’s economic empowerment recognising that women play a vital role in securing the economic future of their families, communities and countries. Increasing women’s access to quality education, meaningful employment, land and other resources contributes positively to gender inclusion, sustainable development and growth. However, significant barriers to achieving women’s economic security and equality continue to exist. These include: workforce participation and representation, pay equity, financial independence, access to land and an unequal share of responsibilities for caring for children. This year, we are focussing our
fundraising efforts on supporting the Partners in Markets project to make marketplaces safe for women in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Trading in fresh food markets is the only opportunity for many women in the Pacific to work, with women representing 85 per cent of vendors – some 75 per cent coming from rural areas. Working conditions in these marketplaces are unsafe, they lack adequate hygiene facilities such as toilets, and have little to no essential infrastructure such as lighting and sewerage. This makes women vulnerable to illness, violence and harassment.
Get your friends, colleagues or family members together and join us to mark this important date. With your support of UN Women Australia this International Women’s Day we can make a real difference to women’s lives across the Pacific. UN Women Australia’s Melbourne Committee is hosting an International Women’s Day Breakfast on Monday March 5th at 7am at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. UN Women Australia’s Geelong Chapter is hosting an International Women’s Day event on Thursday March 8th at 6pm at the Fred Flanagan Room Geelong Football Club.
These women often spend an entire week away from their families and return home without enough money to feed their families or to send their children to school.
For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.unwomen.org.au. Join the Geelong Chapter of UN Women in celebrating International Women’s Day this 8th of March.
This is why International Women’s Day is so important. It is an opportunity to celebrate the many inspirational women who have achieved great things for women’s equality, however, it is also a time to consider the challenges that continue to be faced by women across the world each day.
The Geelong Chapter committee are working to raise funds to help support UN Women programs and are also supporting Kardinia Women’s Services crisis accommodation in Geelong.
UN Women Australia is running events right across Australia during the month of March to celebrate International Women’s Day 2012.
The event includes champagne on arrival, food throughout the evening, a cover band and guest speakers. Book at www.trybooking.com/BCKH or phone Renee Fiolet on 0424 034 091 or email geelong@unwomen.org.au.
Ruby | 19
The Miriam Margolyes
E
ven with a troublesome phone line connecting us from Geelong to her Adelaide hotel room, Miriam Margolyes is lovely – like a great big hug, a rich and surprising glass of red wine, and a clever, quite dirty joke all in one. I suspect that in person she is all this and more, which we shall see when the wonderful British character actress brings her one-woman show, Dickens’ Women, to Geelong and Ballarat in early March. It was with some trepidation that I picked up the phone to dial the number for our scheduled interview. I had come down with a cold with a few days earlier, which had left me with a voice not unlike what Kermit the Frog might sounds like with a pack-a-
20 | Ruby
day smoking habit. This is not what you want when you are speaking to a woman famed for her voice (amongst other assets). As it turned out, my croaking voice was not a problem – however, a malfunctioning speakerphone was. I do not have a particularly loud voice, and with a cold, even less so; yet, to my horror, I found that I was shouting (or so it must have sounded) at Miriam Margolyes! I was mortified. After a very kind suggestion that I try whispering, I settled for jamming my voice recorder in the earpiece of the phone and finally got on with what for me, is the highlight of this edition of Ruby. This March not only sees Margolyes bring her stage show to our theatres, it also brings her to our television screens in the
new ABC series, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, adapted from Melbourne writer Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher books. “I know, it’s like a double whammy – you can’t escape from me,” Margolyes laughed. Although, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to escape from Ms Margolyes, except perhaps The Queen – Her Maj apparently once told the actress to ‘Be quiet’ at a Buckingham Palace reception, after which Margolyes admitted, ‘The Queen scares the shit out of me’. Quite understandable, really… For those of you unfamiliar with the books, Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher mysteries have become iconic works of Australian fiction; they are sharp, glamorous and laced with sensuality and humour.
THE “I think you’ll be very pleased with the adaptation, and particularly because of Essie Davis (Cloudstreet, The Slap – Davis plays Miss Fisher in the series), because she is so remarkable. She is just perfect. It was huge fun filming it. First of all, I was in Melbourne, which is a city I love, and we filmed in a place called Rippon Lea, which everybody else probably knows very well, but it was new to me. It is just the most beautiful house, perfect for the period, and I got to wear some quite gorgeous clothes, some of which were made for me. I had a very brilliant hairdresser, who did my hair every day and it just looked amazing. So I felt very gorgeous - I don’t usually – and I think it’s an extremely entertaining and provocative series. I think people are going to enjoy it.” I asked Miriam if she had met the writer, and she said she had been lucky enough to be invited to Kerry Greenwood’s extraordinary house. “It reminded me of Margaret Ollie’s house, because it’s so full of wonderful things that
MIRIAM MARGOLYES
Miriam is no mere visitor to Australia either, she likes the place so much she decided to buy a house here, became a resident and will, she told me quite proudly, will be applying for citizenship next year. “My house is shared with my partner and her sister and it’s in Robertson, which is where Babe was made. That’s how I found the land. I was taken by George Miller to meet the dog that I voiced for Babe (Miriam voiced the character of Fly the Dog, Babe’s mother) and when he took me around I just thought, ‘Oh my god, this is fabulous’ and it is. I like it because it is a place with seasons. It can be very, very cold; very, very hot; and it can be very foggy and very clear and I like all those distinctions. In some places, the seasons are just getting all muddled up and there’s no difference between winter and summer, but in Robertson there is a profound difference.” And while she has only previously had one brief visit to Geelong for the launch of the 2012 GPAC Theatre Season, I told her that she will enjoy Geelong, because we not only have
attitude. She swears, tells very dirty, very funny stories and admits to picking her nose and farting. “Oh, what a compliment! I hope I do have an Australian attitude. I think it’s a good attitude. I think Australians are very fair, very sensible, kind of laid back and humorous and ironic, and are all the things that I like. I like to think of myself as having an Australian attitude; I think that’s good. “I’m very proud of my Australian connections - it matters to me. It all started with Manning Clark (the great Australian historian) when I was at school, it would have been 1952 or 53 - something like that – when he came over with his family to Oxford, where I went to school. His daughter went to my school and we became really good friends, and we still are. I had a taste of this exotic family from Australia,” Miriam says Australia as if it’s dipped in chocolate. “I’d never met anyone from Australia before and I only vaguely knew
Well, I’m sure I’ll like Geelong... I thought Geelong was absolutely beautiful actually, because how ignorant am I, I didn’t realise there was a coastline there. there’s nowhere to sit down. You have to go sort of sideways down the corridor. But she is a compelling and fascinating woman, and you know, it was just a great honour to meet her really. I feel very thrilled about the whole thing. I believe the public will like it and I think that the ABC will commission another series, and I’m hoping they do, because I want to be in it.” Margolyes has an enduring relationship with Australian audiences and played to sold out theatres with her first Australian tour of Dickens’ Women, now many of those who saw the show the first time around will be back again to see the show during its encore tour. “Yes, that was something that has surprised me and made me very happy,” Margolyes said. “When people say, ‘I’ve seen it before, but I’m coming again’, I just think that’s a real little gift for me when people say that, it’s just lovely. I do it because I love it, that’s why I do it, but it’s so terrific when you find out other people have enjoyed it too. It just makes you happy.”
profoundly distinct seasons, but we often have quite a few distinct seasons in one day, and was rewarded with a rich, throaty laugh.
where it was from the map, you know. I didn’t really have a sense of how different it is. It’s been a very strong love affair with Australia.”
“Well, I’m sure I’ll like Geelong,” she replied. “I thought Geelong was absolutely beautiful actually, because how ignorant am I, I didn’t realise there was a coastline there.”
One with equal passion on both sides I suspect.
Not surprising, really, when you consider that all you are likely to hear of Geelong in the national news is job losses from the manufacturing sector or something about the football club. “Well I’m not interested in the football really because I don’t like Australian football, I only like soccer. That’s a grown up game, but this other thing with all these little boys running around with tight shorts, I think it’s dreadful!” she laughed. For a woman who has risen to the heights of the great British acting fraternity, Margolyes has a very decidedly Australian
“I must say, people are incredibly nice to me here. I’m sitting having a meal yesterday and these ladies come up and say, ‘Oh, I’ve gotta kiss you, I love you’. [This quote delivered in a very convincing Australian accent – she even nailed the South Australian twang!] And it’s just done with such warmth and sweetness, it’s just lovely.” Miriam’s tour of Dickens’ Women forms part of the celebrations for the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens in a sort of tour de force of Britishness. The show was developed by Margolyes and Sonia Fraser for the 1989 Edinborough Festival, and has toured worldwide, from London to Jerusalem, Santa Cruz to New York,
Ruby | 21
THE Australia and New Zealand and most of India. The show was nominated for the prestigious Olivier Award. “I always say to people, ‘You ought to come, because you’ll like it much more than you think you will. When people ask me what the show is about and I say ‘Dickens’ they say ‘urgh’ with a sort groan, because they’re stupid, they don’t know how wonderful he is, how funny he is, how relevant he is and all of those sorts of things that I feel. That’s why I do the show, because I think it’s important and terrific
MIRIAM MARGOLYES
Margolyes has brought to life many wonderful characters over the years – once seen, who could forget the Spanish Infanta in Blackadder, or the nurse in Baz Luhrman’s Romeo and Juliet, or the voice of singing teacher Mrs Astrakhan in Happy Feet. She starred in Ladies in Lavender, won a BAFTA for her role in The Age of Innocence, has a list of film, television and theatre credits that would make any young acting hopeful’s eyes water and has voiced some of the best selling audio books in the world. But perhaps she is most recognisable these days for her portrayal of Professor Pomona Sprout in the Harry Potter movies. “I’ve been very lucky in the range that I’ve been offered and the kind of stuff that I’ve done, because I’ve been able to do theatre like Wicked, and I’ve done Beckett and Orpheus Descending and The Killing of Sister George – I’ve done a variety of theatre roles, and then I’ve done a lot of different film roles and television. Ladies in Lavender and Being Julia,
makes a big difference and I don’t think I could do it if I was literally on my own. “I think that all women should make sure that they do have somebody to take care of them – a friend, or a lover, or a neighbour. You know, I think people have just got to look out for each other.” Every woman should have three boys following around after them, just for the fun really, and to carry their bags and reach things from the top shelf and take out the rubbish – all those important things! In a now famous Enough Rope interview with Andrew Denton, Margolyes described her young, schoolgirl self as: “… a fat, plain, silly, unfulfilled, nervous person”. Margolyes is also Jewish and openly gay - hardly a recipe for schoolyard popularity. Unlikely to win her schoolmates over with looks alone – although she has quipped that big tits and big eyes will get you a long way – Miriam said she was popular as a sort of class clown at school. “But I don’t think I had confidence in myself. That came much, much later.
When people ask me what the show is about and I say ‘Dickens’ they say ‘urgh’ with a sort groan, because they’re stupid, they don’t know how wonderful he is...
and something we can all share and enjoy.” Dickens created over 2000 characters in his books, more than almost any other writer – he wrote about the sad, the mad, the cruel, the kind, the honourable and the horrible – creating extraordinary characters drawn directly from life in Victorian England. “They are all individual and imbued with their own speech patterns and peculiarities,” Miriam said. “He was a great observer of the human race and he was a journalist. So his training was a journalist’s training, but his eye was the eye of a child. He never lost that clear gaze - that unflinching, absorbing-all gaze that he had as a child when he walked through London.” Besides the 23 characters in the stage show,
22 | Ruby
and Romeo and Juliet of course, and I’ve been very lucky. Then I played Professor Sprout in Harry Potter, and that brought me to the attention of the children of the world. It’s just luck, I think, I’ve just been terribly lucky. As I draw the close of my career, and I’m going to be 71 in May, and I’ll be in Wellington –I am looking forward to that – but you think, ‘Well, I’m not going to be able to do this show much more because it’s tough’. There’s 23 characters and I’m on stage all the time and talking. However, I do have my wonderful pianist, John Martin, and he came with me last time and he’s prepared to come with me again. I think that’s brave! “Life is made a lot easier for me on this tour because I’ve got three lovely boys to travel with. I’ve got John, and I’ve got Ned, who is the stage manager, and I’ve got Graham, who is the company manager, and they really do look after me. They carry my cases and they check that I’ve got water and they’re just sweet to me. That
And I didn’t know I was gay then, so that really wasn’t an issue. But on that, hasn’t Magda [Szubanski, Margolyes’ co-star in Babe who came out on The Project the day before I spoke to Miriam] done a wonderful job. I thought she was fabulous. I really like that woman so much. She’s a good lady. “So, yes, in my life I have gone on a journey and I wouldn’t say I’m satisfied, because that sounds awful, but I think I’m very grateful for the journey that I’ve been allowed to take in my life. I’m a happy person. I’m lucky. I’m grateful. I’ve got friends, I’ve got a lover, I’ve got enough money, I’m doing a job that I love and I’m, you know, in reasonably good health and I think ‘Well, you’ve been bloody lucky mate’.” [Dickens’ Women is playing three shows at GPAC on March 9 & 10, and Her Majesty’s Theatre in Ballarat on March 13. Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries is currently airing on ABC1, Fridays at 8.30pm.]
One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.
Oakdene Vineyards Restaurant - Cellar Door Accommodation - Events - Functions BELLARINE PENINSULA, GEELONG 255 Grubb Road ,Wallington Phone 03 5255 1255 | Fax 03 5256 3881 Email: info@oakdene.com.au
Tomato Crayfish (Serves 4)
4 x vine ripe Lonsdale tomatoes 200g cooked local crayfish
Method
2 x shallots finely chopped
Drop the tomatoes into boiling water for 10 seconds then immerse immediately in iced water to stop the cooking process.
Juice of 1 lime 1/2 red capsicum skinned and diced small 1/2 peach finely diced 1/2 granny smith apple finely diced and skinned
Slice the top off the tomato, scoop out the flesh and discard.
1/4 continental cucumber
Mix all ingredients together with 50g of the crayfish meat, diced finely.
1/2 teaspoon truffle paste
Divide the remaining crayfish between 4
8 fresh peach slices
Fill the tomato with the ingredients and
2 teaspoons finely chopped chives
place the ‘lid’ back on top. Garnish the plate with the squid ink and place the peach slices in the center of the plate with the remaining crayfish slices. Spoon some seafood mayonnaise in the center of the plate and place the tomato on top. Tomatoes can be filled a few hours before serving to save time.
Squid ink for garnish
Autumn is now upon us and we can start to look forward to lots of root veggies and hearty soups with lots of robust flavours. 24 | Ruby
Fig & Mustard Jam 20 Figs, dried 100ml Red Wine Jus 2 Heaped Tsp Burnt Fig Paste 3 Heaped Tsp Whole Grain Mustard
Method Heat figs in red wine and simmer for 10 minutes, let steep for 30 minutes. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until just combined. Put in jar when cooled and store in fridge. This is great served with goats cheese on bruschetta.
Get Fresh in the Kitchen Autumn is now upon us and we can start to look forward to lots of root veggies and hearty soups with lots of robust flavours. It is a great time to preserve all the fruits that are in abundance for those delicious homemade fruit puddings and pies.
Fruits
Snow Peas (Summer Autumn)
Grapes Nectarines (Summer Autumn)
Spring Onions (Summer Autumn)
Peaches (Summer Autumn)
Sweet corn (Summer Autumn)
Plums (Summer Autumn)
Tomatoes (Summer Autumn)
Apples (Autumn)
Turnips (Summer Autumn)
Produce that is in season locally is loads cheaper, tastes better and has more nutrients. Fruits and vegetables start to lose nutrients immediately after they are harvested, so the best produce is that which is the freshest. Produce that has been transported over long distances overseas or cross-country can not compete with locally grown produce for freshness, taste and nutritional value, not to mention cost.
Figs (Autumn)
Zucchini (Summer Autumn)
Pears (Autumn)
Beans (Summer Autumn)
Nashi Pears (Autumn)
Cucumbers (Summer Autumn)
Persimmons (Autumn)
Eggplant (Summer Autumn)
Quinces (Autumn)
Lettuces (Summer Autumn)
Kiwifruit (Autumn Winter)
Carrots (Summer Autumn Winter)
The following fruits and vegetables will be in abundance over the next few months, try to check out your local farmers markets, these can be a fun day out for the whole family - or better still, where you can, pick it straight from the tree or veggie patch.
Lemons (Autumn Winter Spring)
Vegetables Asparagus (Spring Summer Autumn) Beetroot (Spring Summer Autumn) Cabbage (Spring Summer Autumn) Pumpkins (Summer Autumn)
Potatoes (Autumn Winter) Mushrooms (Year round) Beanshoots (Year round) Broccoli (Year round) Cauliflower (Year round) Happy Cooking,
Ruby | 25
FITNESS
A friend in... Golf Martin Stolz, Caddie’s Golf & Sport for Women
Exercise and plenty of fresh air are good too, but it is the social nature of the sport that has women playing golf.
W
hy do women play golf? Well, the answer might be as simple as exercise and fresh air. Maybe it’s the thrill of hitting a few big drives? Or even the competitive exhilaration of winning a sporting contest against an opponent? Yes, all these are great reasons to enjoy the game. But the number one reason women play golf is friendly socialisation. Unlike their male counterparts, who often play golf for quite masculine competitive reasons, including the long drive contest, women rate friendship as their primary reason for taking up the game. A relationship with golf offers all players an opportunity to mingle in a way many women like. The very nature of golf lends itself to good sporting relationships by being played almost always in a small group. With a game often lasting nearly four hours, you get a great chance to create friendships even after just one round. It’s a bit like sitting next to a stranger at a dinner party for the evening and discovering you have a shared love or passion. It’s a good start to a new friendship. If you’re part of a golf club, the structure of many club events and competitions actively (and deliberately) ask players to extend beyond their usual playing partners. Although this might sound slightly daunting, these extended friendships create a wonderful sense of community and belonging. Volunteerism within golf clubs amongst female golfers is dramatically higher than the men, especially in larger and established clubs. In a typical club of approximately 100 female members, it would be quite normal to find that nearly everyone would know your name. Being part of this community is very reassuring and comforting, maybe even offering a sense of security. But however you see it, golf clubs are well suited to women and their collective innate ability of finding wellbeing with their community. At a more intimate level, golf provides a wonderful excuse to share some time with a loved one. For instance, going for a walk with hubby might be pleasant, but do it while playing a game of golf and you have all the added pleasure of sharing each other’s thrills. This works the other way too - with supportive reassurance for each other when someone’s game is not going as planned! Through all this, golf still allows you to be an individual as you to still need to play your own ball, with all the associated pressures and pleasures of doing so. Sometimes these unique relationships extend where opportunities are hard to find. How about a young lady playing golf with her grandmother? Golf is the common denominator and, because you play as an individual, the game itself bridges the generation gap. Imagine doing something with your grandparents on a completely equal footing - sure makes a refreshing change from visiting for the obligatory afternoon tea. You might like to play with your mum or your dad and share – yes, truly share - wonderful times together. Golf is universally loved by millions of people, with some of these tacit emotive opportunities being a primary reason behind their love of the game. But what if you just don’t like golf? Well, you might try and encourage some of the relationship opportunities within your family to flourish. Maybe your husband would love having his children play with him. Most men do and especially so in later years. Maybe he should play more with his own dad. The opportunities are many, with almost certain positive outcomes. But if all else fails, get the family out there playing golf because, at the very least, you end up with a peaceful home and time on your own for a few hours!
26 | Ruby
WAURN PONDS SHOPPING CENTRE
FREE EASTER FAMILY FUN WEEK 1 SCHOOL HOLIDAYS Mon 2 – Thur 5 & Sat 7 April, 11am to 2pm daily PLAY IN THE TOY STORY ACTIVITY ZONE, located outside Target. Kids can test their skills in the lasso challenge and hand-eye coordination in a game of nerf target practice, for a chance to WIN fab colour-in certificates.
HOP ALONG AND FIND THE EASTER BUNNY as he roams throughout the Centre handing out sweet treats plus novelty bunny ears.
WEEK 2 SCHOOL HOLIDAYS Mon 9 – Fri 13 April, 11am to 2pm daily
©Disney/Pixar
EASTER TRADING HOURS APRIL 2012 Mon 2 - Wed 4 Thu 5 Fri 6, GOOD FRIDAY
9am to 5:30pm 9am to 7pm CLOSED
MEET ALVIN FROM ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS™ 3,
Sun 8, EASTER SUNDAY
located outside Target
Mon 9, EASTER MONDAY 10am to 5pm
PLAY in the Alvin and the Chipmunks™ 3
Tue 10
Activity Centre and decorate your own travel cup to take home.
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked © 2012 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and Monarchy Enterprises S.a.r.l. Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Chipettes and Characters TM & © 2012 Bagdasarian Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Visit www.waurnpondssc.com.au/news/whats-on/ for the full schedule of daily activity.
03 5244 2580 • 173 - 199 Pioneer Road, Waurn Ponds 3216
Sat 7, EASTER SATURDAY
9am to 5pm 10am to 5pm 9am to 5:30pm
Target Waurn Ponds is now open 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday Please note that some store hours may vary due to optional trade public holidays so please check with the store you wish to visit to confirm their opening & closing times.
at Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre
Femme Connection, Waurn Ponds
Flower Hand Bag (Black)
$34.99
Black Belt
$12.99
Dress (Camel) $34.99 SPENDLESS SHOES, Waurn Ponds
Vultan Sueded Heels (Black)
$49.95
Accessorising is the key to cold weather style and comfort, and scarves are both beautiful and practical when the cold weather hits.
28 | Ruby
GORGEOUS FASHIONISTA, Waurn Ponds Via Nova ‘Tanessa’ Boots (Tan)
Fil de Joie Knee High Socks (Asst) Tusk T-Shirt Dress (Mushroom) Gorgeous Fashionista Heart Print Scarf
$189 From, $19 $69 $32
Ladies, be kind to yourselves and be warm when it’s cold. Heat things up with deep, rich, gorgeous colours.
NOVO, Waurn Ponds
‘Iris’ Platform Heel (Teal Multi) Tote (Teal) SPENDLESS SHOES, Waurn Ponds Vybe ‘Fence’ Slouch Ankle Boot
FEMME CONNECTION, Waurn Ponds Luxx ‘Orange Combo’ Stripe Dress with Belt
$89.95 $59.95 $39.95 $34.99
Ruby | 29
at Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre
GORGEOUS FASHIONISTA, Waurn Ponds Miezko ‘Snake Patent’ Shoe (Bordo) $175 Harper ‘Cairo Times’ Dress (Print) $65 Kookla Jacket (Grey) $159 TONIK, Waurn Ponds Electric ‘Knoxville’ Sunglasses (Red) $149.95 Rip Curl ‘Goddess’ Watch (Silver) $229.99
LiFESTYLE BAGS & LUGGAGE, Waurn Ponds Franco Bonini Leather Overnight $199.95 Travel Bag (Black) Eminent ‘Mirror’ Lightweight $199.95 Roller Case (24”)
30 | Ruby
TONIK, Waurn Ponds Billabong ‘Lavish’ Shoulder Bag (Black)
$69.99
NOVO, Waurn Ponds ‘ H iggins’ Stiletto Ankle Boot (Black)
$79.95
We love to share websites that make us smile, and the gorgeous collection of fun things on Australian site, candystripecloud.com.au is just such a one.
Candy Stripe Cloud is an online store filled with fun stationery, cards, jewellery and many other things! Kewpie Dolls, Chalkboard Garden Stakes, Planters, Puchi Deers, Elephant Money Boxes, Cat Key Hooks.
Ruby | 31
Grace your feet with one of the amazing colours of the season - wine. Capturing the hot trend of the wooden stacked heel, this by Appointment ‘Metro’ pump will have you looking so glam. Also featuring a gorgeous wooden heel, the Zola ‘Hark’ lace up court is perfect for both work and play. In beautiful navy suede and tan leather, this shoe works perfectly with browns, creams, blues and denim. Footique 361A Pakington Street, Newtown Ph: 5222 8373 www.footique.com.au
The Lotus Living Concept is true to the nature of a lotus flower: to rise up in life and express our true beauty and potential. 100% natural ingredients. Grown and made locally. Lotus Living 207 Yarra Street, Geelong Ph: 5229 9665 www.lotusliving.net.au
To women with sophisticated tastes where beauty and the art of living are essential in their everyday life. To women who are open to sharing intimate moments of their experiences with emotion and intensity. Available at Milana’s. Milana’s 125A Pakington Street, Geelong West Ph: 5229 1228
32 | Ruby
- Jane Iredale Liquid Minerals Foundation $86 - J ane Iredale Lip Fixation Gloss Duo
Latest designer looks and styles available at the Eye Gallery.
$56 each
Eye Gallery 87 Barrabool Rd, Highton Ph: 5243 5600 www.eyegallery.net.au
Secretskin Shop 3/344 Pakington St, Newtown Ph: 5221 7404 www.secretskin.com.au
Beautiful, Unique, Recycled timber dining table, dressed with a wire fruit basket. Livingetc Cnr High St & Mt Pleasant Rd, Belmont Ph: 5241 2664 www.livingetc.com.au
Great Boots should be more than a one season wonder and the new Ziera’s are just that. Classic styling; enduring comfort with quality to go the distance. Discover the inner beauty of Ziera’s Boots with wonderful leathers, supersoft linings and bounce back cushioning. Invest in yourself and love your new Ziera Boots this Winter.
Trinket Storage Box (Asst) Owl Money Box This An That Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre Ph: 5244 1847
$29.99 $17.99
Kumfs Comfort Shoes 177 Moorabool Street, Geelong Ph: 5229 5866
Ruby | 33
Cleo - Chloe Sizes 10DD - 16GG $79.95 Bra Knickers $34.95 Masquerade - Rhea Sizes 10DD - 16GG Bra $99.95 Knickers $39.95 Secret Kiss Lingerie Shop 48 Market Square S.C Ph: 5221 3007 Shop 78A Werribee Plaza Ph: 8742 7775
LUXAFLEX® SILHOUETTE® Shadings - Matisse fabric Featuring saturated bold hues that will colour your room with a warm ambiance, the colour coordinated front sheer of the matisse collection fabric is available in translucent and room darkening opacities. Brax Window Treatments 332 Pakington St, Newtown Ph: 5221 5533 www.braxwt.com.au
Wall Art with stainless steel and timber finish. One of a huge variety available. L’Occitane Products; Smooth your body, revive your senses.
Crabtree & Evelyn; Everyday luxuries and beautiful gifts.
Recycled Wooden Cabinets available in a variety of other finishes and styles.
Huge range available instore at Community Care Chemists www.communitycarechemist.com.au
Lifestyle4U Unit 2/20 Pakington Street, Geelong West Ph: 5222 8035
34 | Ruby
Time Out! Judy Baulch
A woman’s work is never done, and if we wait until it’s all done before we play, we’ll never get to play at all. And, as they say, all work and no play makes Jane a dull girl. And we can’t have that...
M
onday night, 5.30pm. We’ve all just walked in the door – my significant other and I from work, the kids from day care and after school care. I dislike Monday nights. I don’t care to cook dinner at the best of times, but Monday is my Day At Work (albeit from the home office) and I like it even less. Husband is tired. I am tired. Kids are tired and hungry (never a good combination). There is always far too much day left after my Monday supply of energy is exhausted. Here is what is still to do: Feed children. Feed selves. Clean up. Bath children, read to children, put children to bed, saying numerous times, “Clean your teeth, put on your pyjamas, pick a story”. Feed two dogs, one cat and two guinea pigs. Wash lunchboxes and check there are enough clean uniform items for tomorrow, while being reminded that the basket of washing that should have been hung out this morning is still in the basket, still wet and slowly becoming smelly. At this time of night, there is nothing on my mind more than time out. Not for the kids, for me. At least it’s peaceful on the naughty step. In fact, I am the parent who has been known to send myself to my room. I got the idea from someone who told me they knew a mother who used this technique. She had a hint of disapproval in her voice, as if she was sharing a Bad Parent story, but I must have misheard her because I thought it was a Great Idea. It ended badly though, as the
children howled and scratched at my bedroom door and then stuck their little fingers underneath like something from a B-grade horror movie. When my youngest was the Baby From Hell and none of us except his sister slept for eight months, I discovered that if I went right to the very back of the yard and sat on the steps of the cubby I couldn’t hear him. I also couldn’t hear him with my head under the shower, so our water bill went up quite a lot. Alas, now that they are older and tall enough
“At this time of night, there is nothing on my mind more than time out. Not for the kids, for me...” to reach door handles, they can find me wherever I am. I have found, however, that Hiding In Plain Sight is a fine principle and works well if you can manage not to laugh and give yourself away. The number of times I have left the bedroom door open while quietly lying on my bed listening to them saying, “Do you know where Mum is? No, she’s not in her bedroom, I looked,” is quite amazing/amusing. But this is a temporary, and ultimately
unsatisfying way of getting time to myself. It’s more like an opportunity to take a deep breath before plunging back into the fray. And I’m not going to claim that mothers need more time out than other women. We all need a break. The question is, how good are we at actually taking time for ourselves and how best do we shove aside the clutter of daily life in order to get some breathing space that doesn’t involve locking ourselves in our bedrooms? As they say, “a woman’s work is never done” and if we wait until it’s all done before we play, we’ll never get to play at all. And, as “they” also say, all work and no play makes Jane a dull girl. And we can’t have that. While I was having a lovely extended summer holiday this year I had time to ponder. What, I asked myself, could I do to incorporate the things that relax me on holidays into my daily life? On holidays, I go for walks and literally stop to smell the flowers. I read a book a day without feeling guilty. I go to art galleries and museums. I chat for hours to friends without worrying about collecting anybody from anywhere and feeding them. These things refresh and renew me, so why is there so little space for them in my not-on-holidays life? What sort of parent/wife/friend/bad-tempered sort of person do I become without them? So I decided to conduct a quick text message survey of a representative sample of close girlfriends. I wanted to know what stops busy women taking time out? What do we like to
Uh-Oh... has Summer left you with some skin problems? Do you suffer from any of the following? • Brown spots and pigmentation • Broken capillaries and redness • Large pores and rough texture • Wrinkles and fine lines • Acne scarring Ladies and gentlemen... Secretskin have the solution to these skin issues! Call now to arrange your FREE consultation and mention this ad when booking.
Shop 3/344 Pakington Street, Newtown (enter via Sharp Street) Phone: 5221 7404 | www.secretskin.com.au
36 | Ruby
Mary Resic
Dermal Clinician & Bachelor of Health Sciences
do when we do take a break? And why? You can guess the number one reason for not taking time to ourselves – good old guilt. One friend, who revealed a hitherto unknown love of seeing movies on her own, described it as her “biggest guilty pleasure”. When I asked her why guilty (because seeing movies by myself is one of my top pleasures, too) she replied, “I think because I should be working.” Others feel guilty taking time for themselves because it takes them away from their children. So they find things to do when the kids are asleep or otherwise occupied. “I see live music. It makes me happy and a happy mum makes for a happy kid! And it’s something I do when they’re asleep. It’s guilt free because I’m not taking time away from them.” Interestingly, that reply was very shortly followed up with a text that said simply, “And it’s a link to what I was before I had children.” Because that’s another thing time out can do for you – help you rediscover who you are really are and what you really like to do when there is nothing else clamouring for your attention. “Time for myself gives me a break from the endless lists I make in my head,” confirmed another friend. Exercising tops the list of time out activities,
probably because it ticks a lot of boxes. It deals with the guilt factor, because surely you can always justify it as keeping fit enough to keep up with the kids, and it can benefit every member of the household (“It’s hard to make myself go to the gym, but I’m noticeably calmer and happier afterwards.”).z It can be done outside of work hours and when the kids are asleep (“Walking every morning clears my head and gives me time to myself and my own thoughts before I have to start
“Exercising tops the list of time out activities, probably because it ticks a lot of boxes.” the day and deal with what everyone else thinks.”). Someone else exercises for pure pleasure, cycling every weekend “as far and as fast” as she can. Personally, I find that it allows me to continue one of my all-time favourite time out activities: I bake, therefore I exercise. (Please note, baking is not the same as cooking dinner.) Shopping was mentioned nearly as many times as exercising and one friend added
cleaning the house, because all these things (exercising, shopping and cleaning) make her feel good in different ways. Someone else said she didn’t really need a break from her kids but, after further discussion, clarified that spending time with her husband and children is just what she needs to take time out from work. And let’s not forget spending time with our friends, “for a giggle that may or may not be related to parenting.” “Dinner or drinks with some very good girly friends is always lovely,” said a friend who is renowned for organising such events. What we can we learn from all this? Feeling guilty will spoil your fun, so if you can’t talk yourself out of feeling that way when you take time for yourself, do it when the kids are asleep. Do something you enjoy that reconnects you to who you are when you’re not being Mother/Employee/Partner/ Housekeeper extraordinaire. Share time out with a good friend (and this friend can be your partner). Exercise because it makes you feel good. The last word should go to a mother of five, including newborn twins. “As you know, time out for me is extremely hard to come by, so at the moment my escape is as simple as having a hot shower. It’s great because I get to do it every day (sometimes twice)!”
Ruby | 37
A heavenly Revive & Relax package…
Conveniently located just off Pako in Newtown, Secretskin is THE destination for your paramedical and beauty skincare requirements. We are excited to be offering one Ruby reader the opportunity to be pampered with a luxurious Revive and Relax package valued at $248. The lucky winner will receive an in depth skin analysis on arrival. A back scrub will follow, to gently remove dead skin cells and unclog pores, along with a back, neck and scalp massage for the ultimate in relaxation, using the delicious Pure Fiji products. An Oxygenation Facial will complete the experience, which is favoured by celebrities, dermatologists and plastic surgeons around the world as an instant anti-aging lift. This non-invasive Intraceuticals treatment gently hydrates the deeper layers of your skin, resulting in a radiant, more youthful looking complexion. That’s one hour and 45 minutes of pure bliss! Secretskin’s Mary Resic is an experienced Dermal Clinician with a Bachelor of Health Sciences, performing the following treatments:
• Laser/IPL
• Waxing
• Medical Grade Skin Peels • Massages • Microdermabrasion
• Body Scrubs
• Oxygen Therapy
• Manicures
• Facials
• Pedicures
• Skin Needling
• Special Occasion Make up
S tockists of CosMedix, Aspect Dr, Skin Medica, Intraceuticals, Pure Fiji and Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup. For more information on any of these treatments, simply visit www.secretskin.com.au or phone 5221 7404. For your chance to win the Revive and Relax package, visit www.adcellgroup.com.au and click on the ‘Ruby Competition’ banner on the homepage.
38 | Ruby
The Ultimate Wedding Video Experience
Blasting through the scepticism Davina Montgomery
Instant results, it’s something that is spruiked all too often,and a line we women are now rightly sceptical of. But every now and then, a treatment or program comes along that offers real benefits, but not without some effort.
A
few weeks ago, I told a friend that I was going to get fat blasted off my thighs all for the cause of providing honest beauty editorial. I had heard about Fernwood Waurn Ponds Cell-IQ treatment, but like many of you, I have heard of enough ‘miracle’ treatments to have built up a very healthy scepticism for anyone offering immediate results – with most of these supposedly new technologies or tablets or treatments being little more than nicely labelled snake oil at best, and dangerous and potentially permanently damaging at worst. ‘Ooh, is it the one where they freeze the fat?’ my friend asked eagerly. At this point, my stress level went up a few notches. ‘Freeze it? What? People get their body fat frozen? Why? Hang on - when you freeze a steak, does the fat in it somehow disappear? What is going on?’ These are not comforting thoughts when you are on your way to have what had seemed a harmless and potentially even beneficial treatment only moments before. “Um, I’ll let you know,” I muttered as I scurried away, followed by the call of, “Good luck!” I spent the drive to Fernwood in Waurn Ponds reminding myself of all that I had read about the treatment – I knew this was not the IPL (intense pulsed light) treatment that had resulted in a furious tirade against poorlytrained, unlicensed beauticians leaving clients covered in zebra striping. But I hadn’t heard about any fat freezing treatment. Had I missed something? I walked in the doors of the women’s only gym quite prepared to walk straight back out again if I wasn’t happy with the explanation of what was about to be done to me, only to be pleasantly surprised that not only was I not asked to strip off, lie down and not ask any questions (I am a bit of a beauty treatment novice, and have a hyperactive imagination when nervous!) I was slowly and thoroughly talked through the development of the technology, how it worked and what it
40 | Ruby
involved. Which I will have to paraphrase: Cell-IQ was developed to treat remaining fat stippling left over after liposuction. Even after what is, frankly, a very aggressive surgical procedure that, if you’ve ever seen it done, is worthy of a few scenes in a horror film, patients were left with patches of fat. It was discovered that low-level doses of light laser therapy could be targeted to specific areas, disrupting the fat cell membranes. The fat contained in these cells is released into the body where it can be burned off as energy through moderate to intense exercise within 30 minutes of the treatment. Unlike what happens after surgical treatments like lipo, where the fat cells are sucked (more like gouged, really, it’s nasty) from the body, the now flaccid fat cells remain, so your ingenious metabolic system doesn’t trigger an alert that you’ve lost a whole lot of stored energy which must be replaced immediately, in the form of more full fat cells! Still with me? Imagine your fat cells are like teeny tiny kiddie floaties. You release the plug, the floatie becomes a flattie, and it’s the same with fat cells. They can be emptied and refilled. The lovely Zofia, answered all of my questions, and then it was time to get started. In a moment of rare clarity I had remembered to put on some nice knickers that morning and was quite happy to strip down to my bra and knickers and point out the wobbly bits that I would like to be a bit less wobbly. We did a measure for the all-important before and after results and, moment later, I was lying down in a beautifully scented, warm and calm room with four quite small laser pads strapped to the upper thigh of my right leg and having a bit of a quiet chat with Zofia while the machine buzzed away. (The noise, Zofia pointed out, was made by fans in the laser pads to prevent them overheating – not by my fat cells being blasted in some kind of metabolic version of Pac Man – (I did tell you about the overactive imagination, didn’t I?) I couldn’t feel anything except for a gentle warmth on my leg, which was actually quite
eye testing • designer eyewear • sunglasses • contact lenses
Fat Cells. pleasant. Ten minutes later the pads went on to my left leg, Zofia gave me some time to relax and I had a little doze. What I liked about this treatment (just wait, I’ll tell you the results in a minute!) was that it is a total package. You have your laser treatment done on a specified targeted area (legs, stomach, arms, back, chin – anywhere that wobbles, basically) then work out furiously, all the while imagining those globules of fat floating around in your system being burned by your now burning muscles. Very satisfying! You also get a personal trainer for the four weeks of the treatment, and a food coach to encourage a normal healthy diet (I’m talking five meals every day, with a balance of proteins, fats, carbs – no silly fad diets here), along with a massage at Eulung Day Spa, a gift voucher for Lorna Jane so you can flash your noticeably less wobbly bits while working out, and a mini makeover to celebrate four weeks of hard work and some very tangible results. So, speaking of results … Drum roll please … Immediately after the pads came off I measured 4 centimetres off the circumference of one thigh – totalled across three measurements points per leg – and 2.5 centimetres off the other. Maybe it doesn’t work as well when you sleep through it? Either way, I was impressed. This was a real result that I could physically see after 20 minutes. I huffed and puffed on the stair master and treadmill for 30 minutes (mentally blasting fat as I went – pow, pow!), then staggered into the change rooms very red faced and a little bit dizzy. But lo, what splendour awaited me. Have you seen the change rooms at Fernwood? Very clean and pleasantly BO-free is just the beginning – and that in itself was joy enough for someone who has only ever experienced the testosterone-fuelled, cold and glaring environment of unisex gyms. A counter with a full-length mirror runs along one wall, complete with multiple hairdryers, deodorant, sunscreen, moisturiser, feminine hygiene products and a hair straightener. Everything a girl needs after sweating it up in the gym before heading straight to work. It was lovely.
Optical StyliSt/DiSpenSer - Mandy Lovett We are taking this opportunity to inform our community about what we do at Eyegallery. Our boutique, or as some call it “salon” is a relaxed, stylish environment which makes our clients’ feel welcome and focuses on good “ old fashioned” personal service or pampering. We love to make people feel special but more than that, to be able to see clearly and look good at the same time. We, at eyegallery are committed to giving quality service in helping all our clients achieve the best possible vision through regular, comprehensive eyetesting in a comfortable, inviting environment and to enhance our clients’ own individual style with unique eyewear products including designer glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses. This is our promise to you, our clients and our community.
I saw my friend the next day, and gave her the skinny on my experience with Cell-IQ. That this wasn’t one of those things where you get wobbled about in a machine that looks like a remnant form of torture left over the Cold War and told that if you stick to a strict diet and exercise regime you will see results in 8 to 12 weeks (then what is the machine for – of course you will see results if you work out and diet!) Not only could I measure the results straight away, I could see it – and see it in the area that I would chose to lose centimetres, rather than where I usually immediately lose centimetres from when I hit the gym (boobs, of course, where I really don’t want to lose it!). “So, you’d recommend it then?” Yes, I would, but not as an instant weight loss without any further effort, because it doesn’t work that way (neither does anything else, but we women do tend to get sucked in by the promise of miracles!). The machine targets the areas to release fat from, then it’s up to you to work it off and keep it off. But the lovely folks at Fernwood Waurn Ponds can help with that too.
AZZARO GIVENCHY MICHAEL KORS TED BAKER GLOBAL FENDI NINA RICCI JUST CAVALLI VERA WANG CK TOM FORD
MOSHINO HUGO BOSS SERENGETI MANDARINA DUCK MARC JACOBS ESCADA TRUSSARDI JHANE BARNES JAG MEMOFLEX
KENZO LACOSTE OXYDO GUCCI SONIA RYKIEL MENIZZI DAVID LAWRENCE PAUL TAYLOR
Highton: 87 Barrabool Rd, (Next to 63 Degrees) Ph 5243 5600 info@ eyegallery.net.au www.eyegallery.net.au
Ruby | 41
TM
New laser technology.
Lose up to 2 dress sizes in those trouble spot areas in just 4 weeks. EXCLUSIVE OFFER to all Ruby readers only at Fernwood Waurn Ponds
celliq.com.au Call to book your FREE 30 minute consultation. Fernwood Waurn Ponds 3/2-26 Rossack Dr Waurn Ponds Call 5243 2577
no pain
no needles
no surgery
TM no down time
no more trouble spots
The Results Speak For Themselves
I will be 59 this year and over the past 30 years or so had become disillusioned about ever being able to shed the heaviness that plagues my upper legs, thighs and hips courtesy of my genetic heritage. I had begun a dedicated effort to get fit on retiring in 2008, but my legs and thighs always appeared out of balance to the remainder of my body, in my mind. My last session was 20th December 2011 and I was truly amazed at the measurement loss from my upper legs. In fact I noticed that my jeans instead of being tight around my upper legs had become loose, as well as loose around my thighs, hips, and waist. I feel very comfortable in recommending to others now – in light of my own very positive experience with it. TM
Meryl Fernwood Waurn Ponds Member
celliq.com.au Call to book your FREE 30 minute consultation. Fernwood Waurn Ponds 3/2-26 Rossack Dr Waurn Ponds Call 5243 2577
The Inbetweeners Bridget Connor, Footique
Footique is Geelong’s premier shoe boutique offering fashionable, stylish shoes for every occasion. Believing every woman deserves to have fabulous shoes, Footique embodies a passion for shoes.
D
on’t you just love this time of year? Our hot summer days have melted away, replaced with milder days and cooler nights. Soon enough the trees will change to hues of orange and red and we’ll hear the familiar sound of brittle leaves underfoot. A change of season is also afoot in the shoe world, as gorgeous summer sandals and strappy heels are slowly being replaced with boots and closed toe shoes in preparation for winter. But this transition between seasons can sometime
leave us fashion lovers dazed and confused as we try to navigate the topsy turvy weather typical of this time of year. With bursts of heat to remind us of summers past, and cooler days that warn us of the weather to come, we don’t know whether to grace our footsies with our trusty summer sandals or our fabulous winter boots. Somehow both options just don’t cut the mustard. Enter our new best friends - amazing transseasonal shoes – shoes that will confidently
walk us through autumn no matter the weather, whilst working seamlessly with our ‘in between’ wardrobe. The key to trans-seasonal shoes is their versatility, the very thing we need when we’re not sure what mother nature is going to serve up to us. A classic ballet flat or loafer (one of THE big trends for flats this year) look fabulous with a short summer dress, mid length pants or cute shorts, but can just as easily be teamed with pants and a cardi. The other great advantage of this style is the comfort that it
wardrobe a short boot can be. They work perfectly with shorts, dresses and denim when it’s gorgeous and sunshiney – great for a casual weekend look. On cooler days, they look oh so cool paired up with great jeans and light knits. The tip for THE short boot of 2012? Think riding boots that give a nod to our inner cowgirl, with elastic sides, softly pointed toes and varying heel heights. Versions of this style will be huge both in autumn and winter in traditional neutral tones and the season’s boldest colours.
offers whilst still looking chic and fashionable enough to easily take us from the office into the weekend. When it comes to ballet flats or loafers, look for the bold gem colours in blues, purples, reds and greens or embrace your wild side with animal prints in leopard or snake. Either way, you’ll be bang on trend.
Want to know the best part about these transseasonal shoes? They will easily take us into winter, meaning our love affair with them can continue for a good chunk of the year. They truly are the shoes that keep on giving, and for us shoe lovers, we can’t ask for much more than that.
Equally versatile is the ankle boot. Since the very start of the year, these shoes have been hugely popular in store with our customers who understand what a fabulous addition to the
Bridget loves great shoes so much that she started the fabulous shoe boutique, Footique, on Pakington Street in Geelong.
Geelong’s most stylish shoe boutique, offering beautiful, unique shoes from Australia and overseas.
Siren ‘Soul’ Boot in Black Nubuck
44 | Ruby
Soles ‘Boot This’ Boot in Vintage Taupe
Let a little luxury in! Community Care Chemist
There are many clever ways to inject a little opulence into our busy lives. So put away the domestic guilt and indulge yourself with a little luxury this Autumn - you deserve it!
T
he word ‘pamper’ conjures up images of decadent spa baths, facials and extravagant massages. This is a world reserved for the privileged few, blessed with an almost criminal amount of free time to self-indulge. After all, the infamous Marie Antoinette spent the bulk of her life pampering herself, only to be cruelly beheaded. It is any wonder that women are wary about treating themselves to luxurious pampering experiences? The truth is there are clever ways to inject a little opulence into our lives. A L’Occitane hand cream serves as a quick dose of splendour between meetings, thanks to its carefully curated ingredients and fragrance. The brand’s Shea Butter range, for example, boasts intense moisturizing agents that utilize natural elements such as sweet almond and honey, healing dry or dehydrated skin, while protecting it from the elements of a harsh environment. Running a warm bath is another easy way to incorporate a blissful moment into our busy day. Why not take bath time to the next level by soaking in a delightful, ‘fizzy ocean’? American
beauty and lifestyle brand Crabtree & Evelyn’s La Source Bath Tablet introduces the sea to the home by turning bathwater tranquil blue. It contains skin-conditioning minerals and sea algae extracts, is free of parabens and evokes the calm sea air - minus the seasickness.
Lancôme, Estée Lauder, Clinique and Clarins offer a wonderful palette of colours, adhering to various skin tones. A luscious red hue is always a classic option, perfectly accessorizing any outfit from monochrome work ensembles to plain coloured t-shirts and jeans.
Last, but certainly not least, a generous coat of beautiful lipstick is always a welcome way to perk-up. Luxury brands such Shiseido,
There are countless, ingenious ways to pamper ourselves, no matter how busy we are.
Ruby | 45
Autumn reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I
know this isn’t a new release – it’s a major international bestseller with a film adaptation that is attracting some serious awards. But this issue of Ruby is all about pampering, and immersing myself in a great read is my very favourite way of pampering myself. I was a latecomer to this book, having picked it up only a few weeks ago when I found myself with a quiet hour. I’d heard about the book and the film, and quite liked the idea of what the book was about. But I couldn’t stop after just one hour, I read relentlessly until I reached the last page. It was that good. The Help is the story of what happens when a young white writer and an old black female maid in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s decide to write the truth about the experiences of black domestic servants, from the perspective of the help. While the northern United States was
exploding with racial tensions, and news coverage around the world was broadcasting the freedom rides, race riots and the words of Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy, in the south, segregation was, if not accepted, certainly not talked about openly – until the maids write a book about their white employers. The simplicity of the narrative and the strong, honest voices of its characters pulled me into this story, into what life was like for black domestics working in the American southern states in the 1960s. I was drawn, inexorably, into the senselessness and stupidity of racism and the great capacity for kindness and for cruelty in ordinary, everyday people. The Help reinforces for me everything that I love about reading books and I think the world is a better place for having books like this being read in it.
The Boy Who Fell to Earth
Business Networking & SEX
Quiet the Mind
by Kathy Lette
by Misner / Walker / De Raffele Jr.
by Matthew Johnstone
ulie has sworn off dating – who wouldn’t after your husband walks out when your son is diagnosed as autistic? Her son, Merlin, is bright and beautiful and the centre of her world. But life as a single mother with a wonderful and wonderfully challenging child begins to take its toll, and when cynicism starts to take hold, Julie decides it’s time to dive back into the world of men. But, of course, that brings with it a whole new set of challenges – like what do you do when, you’ve just found the perfect man for you, and your ex-husband walks back in asking for a second chance?
46 | Ruby
I
t’s a title that grabs your attention – and has certainly grabbed the attention of everyone spotting the book on the Ruby editorial desk. But behind the humour, there is a serious business subject being tackled within its pages – how to build networking contacts with the other sex (and by sex, I mean gender!) You’ve got to love a business book that points out: “Gentlemen, glancing quickly at a name badge is very different from ogling the breasts.” Don’t worry, gentlemen, you get your own back in here as well. Every business should have this book.
I
t’s all very well to tell us we need to slow down, but with our busy minds processing up to 70,000 thoughts in a 24-hour period, learning to stop the endless flow of thoughts long enough to enjoy the benefits of meditation can be, well, just another thing to worry about. This beautifully illustrated, picture book guide to meditation may be just what you need to learn to be kind to yourself and unwind your mind.
What have you been eating lately? Andrew Danebergs, Jetts Fitness Club Manager
Making small, healthier choices each day can make a great big difference to you health and your waistline. Keeping a food diary is a simple way of monitoring what you have been eating lately.
M
ost people don’t pay much attention to how much food they actually eat from day to day, or to exactly what they are eating and when. You don’t need to measure portions or count calories or anything like that - simply grab a notebook or diary and over the course of a week, note down the time of day and what you ate. Making a note of where you were at the time can also be valuable, as this helps you to identify reasons for eating the types of foods that you do. This is also a great way to keep track of how much water you’re drinking each day. After a week or so, look over your diary and see if you can identify any areas for improvement. Improvements to look for include:
- A re you eating the recommended 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegies a day? Are you even close? - How many coffees are you having each day. How many sugars are you adding to your coffees and are you having full cream milk? Could you make any changes? - Are you drinking a lot of sugary drinks? - A re you drinking enough water during the day? It’s amazing what small changes can do for your health, wellbeing and weight if you sustain them. So, give it a go - write down what you eat for a week and aim to make 1 or 2 small positive changes - and keep up the change for at least 3 weeks. By that time hopefully you’ll have formed a new habit and you’ll be ready to make even more little adjustments!
- W hat types of things do you snack on? Could you choose healthier snack options between meals?
THE GYM THAT WORKS
OUT BETTER
No contracts. Low fees. Open 24/7. Jetts Torquay Geelong West T. 5261 5380 T. 5222 8945
1300 JETTS 247 | jetts.com.au
Ruby | 47
What lies beneath? Milana’s
Every woman needs the right support, and I’m not talking a good friend, a bottle of wine, come chocolate and a chick flick here. I’m talking about our bras - because the right bra really can make all the difference.
I
f you want to look your best, a well-fitting bra is essential. Whether you want to lift and separate, create cleavage, reduce cleavage, define your waist, or simply have everyday comfortable support, there is a bra for you. And when it comes to what lies beneath your clothes, specialty lingerie stores have seen it all.
When it comes to special occasions, you have the outfit, the bag, the shoes, the hair appointment booked, and are beautifully groomed – then you pull out the old stand-by bra … WRONG! Ladies, the right support garments can make all the difference. You wouldn’t see a Hollywood star walking the red
Anita McCullough from Milana’s Lingerie shares her best bra advice: You should have comfortable, beautifully fitted bras for everyday wear. A comfortable, wellfitted bra means one that does not have any gouging underwires, that doesn’t pull around your shoulders or back, and one that you are not falling out of or failing to fill. It should be so comfortable you won’t want to take it off. DO NOT take off your bra as soon as you get home from work, and then spend the rest of the evening running around after the kids or doing housework. Your bra should only come off when you are resting for extended periods, otherwise you are risking damage to your breast tissue – and that means sagging.
carpet with their old saggy, baggy underneath a glittering gown. Not a chance. They are sucked in and held so firm that the only things that jiggle are exactly what they want to jiggle. And the great news is, these super-performing bras and support garments and are available to everyone. Remember, the right undergarments
LINGERIE & SWIMWEAR BOUTIQUE
OPEN 6 DAYS 125A PAK I N GTO N STREE T, GEELO N G P 5229 1228 E milan aslin g e rie@h ot m ail.c o m
48 | Ruby
complete the outfit - just remember to take your dress when you go to find your underwear! Get it right while you’re still young. Breasts are made of delicate tissue, wearing the poorly fitted, unsupportive bras when you are young damages that tissue, and that results in sagging as you age. Girls have bigger breasts these days. The average cup size used to be a C, now it is a D or Double D, with D, DD and E the most popular sizes. Not all bra sizes are equal. Even when you have been professionally measured as a certain bra size, manufacturers do not have a standard fit. That means you need to try a range of sizes in a new bra to find the best fitting size for you. There’s nothing wrong with flashing a bit of a beautiful bra. Many bras, particularly French bras, are made to be seen. A gorgeous bra underneath a floating sheer or lace top is sexy and chic – and this is not just for the B-cups of the world. Ladies with beautiful big breasts should be celebrating them, because most women who don’t have them wish they did! As Simone Perele says, “Don’t change your body, change your lingerie!”
Present this coupon
5/
and get an extra
Pharmacies that
pamper...
off
*
MEMBERS’ PRICES or regular prices if a non-member) * Applicable to Clarins, Clinique, Estée Lauder, Lancôme, Shiseido, Revlon, MooGoo, Crabtree & Evelyn, L’Occitane and Burt’s Bees. Valid until 31 May 2012.
Present this coupon
5/
and get an extra
Available at selected stores. Member discounts apply. See in-store for details.
APOLLO BAY BELMONT GEELONG NTH GEELONG
121 Great Ocean Rd 157 High St 18 Malop St 75 Separation St
www.communitycarechemist.com.au
5237 5241 5246 5278
6312 1755 5850 4300
off
*
MEMBERS’ PRICES or regular prices if a non-member) * Applicable to Clarins, Clinique, Estée Lauder, Lancôme, Shiseido, Revlon, MooGoo, Crabtree & Evelyn, L’Occitane and Burt’s Bees. Valid until 31 May 2012.
Because beauty is more than skin deep Dr Richard Rahdon, Body Recon
Specialist cosmetic clinics are changing the face of surgical, non surgical cosmetic and beauty treatments.
W
hen looking to cosmetic procedures, patients want the knowledge and confidence to choose the procedures that best suit them. Plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr Richard Rahdon, has established a new specialist cosmetic clinic to offer patients surgical and non surgical cosmetic and beauty treatments in a safe, professional environment, using the most advanced treatments and equipment. While Dr Rahdon performs all types of plastic surgery, with a special interest in cosmetic breast surgery, face, neck and rhinoplasty (nose) surgery and caters for both male and female patients, he said the clinic offers cutting edge treatments in our state of the art facility. “We offer medical grade laser and light therapies using our Fotona Nd YAG and Erbium YAG laser. The latest scanner technology delivers fast, accurate treatments that reduce human error and increase safety and comfort. A zimmer cooler also contributes to making laser treatments significantly more comfortable. Body Recon is proud to have the very first laser of this
type in Australia. We are truly at the cutting edge of this technology. We have carefully selected the Fotona SP Dynamis laser for Body Recon as it is one of the highest performance and best made lasers in the world.”
can effectively treat facial lines. Treatments with dermal filler (hyaluronic acid) are also great to enhance your looks and to help fight the signs of aging.
The Erbium YAG laser brings you a whole world of facial rejuvenation, with fractional laser treatments as well as ablative treatments. These resurfacing treatments can be effective
Part of a new wave of medical clinics, run by specialist medical practitioners and offering a comprehensive suite of cosmetic procedures and beauty treatments, the new clinic also offers beauty services, including waxing, facials, peels, microdermabrasion, massage and spray tanning using St Tropez – the ultimate in professional air brush tanning.
“...enhance your looks and help fight the signs of ageing.”
“We also offer is a detailed skin analysis service with highly trained staff to assess your skin characteristics and design a specific treatment plan best suited to individual needs,” Dr Rahdon said.
for acne scarring, enlarged pores, fine lines and deeper wrinkles. It also offers effective treatment of stretch marks. The Nd YAG system offers permanent hair reduction, vein removal and treatment of acne/ acne scarring and vascular malformations. Our ever popular anti wrinkle treatments
The clinic even has a comprehensive range of skin products and skilled makeup artists using the world’s most advanced makeup from Jane Iredale. Body Recon is the plastic surgery practice of Dr Richard Rahdon. Richard is a fully qualified Australian trained plastic and reconstructive surgeon with overseas experience in Oxford and London.
Enter into a sanctuary of calm and beauty. The Lotus Living concept is true to the nature of a lotus flower: to rise up in life and express our true beauty and potential. Our concept is health, wellbeing and empowerment through the use of Chinese Medicine and Remedial Massage. We bring together a balance of mind, body and soul.
Treatments
207 Yarra Street, Geelong phone: 03 5229 9665 405 Brickmakers Road, Bambra mobile: 0400 855 266 email: info@lotusliving.net.au www.lotusliving.net.au
50 | Ruby
Remedial Massage >> Deep Tissue Massage >> Relaxation Massage >> Acupuncture >> Chinese Herbal Medicine >> Aromatherapy >> Crystal Treatments >> Voice Dialogue >> Facials >> Body Scrubs >> Olive Oil & Olive Oil based skin care grown and made at our property in Bambra. 100% natural ingredients. Health Funds and Rebate Available. See your health provider.
NOW OPEN
96 GHERINGHAP ST Medical Grade Laser and Light Therapies > Skin Rejuvenation Facial Treatments > Chemical Peels > Skin Assessments > Beauty Therapy > Anti Wrinkle Treatments
BODY RECON Level 5, 80 Myers Street T 5221 3739 BODY RECON COSMETIC CLINIC 96 Gheringhap Street T 5221 1747
body
RECON. COSMETIC CLINIC
WAURN PONDS ShOPPiNg CeNtRe
YOU’LL FeeL Right At hOMe
eveRYDAY FAMiLY eSSeNtiALS jUSt MiNUteS FROM YOUR DOORSteP, With: 80 of your favourite stores all on one level Over 1,100 FREE all day & 3 hour car parking spaces Easy access from Princes Hwy & minutes off the Geelong Ring Road 8-screen Reading Cinema complex Coles & Woolworths supermarkets Fashion, fresh food & cafes Parents Room – young families will enjoy this dedicated space, with private feeding booths, enclosed play area, change tables & wash basin Visit WWW.WAURNPONDSSC.COM.AU tO bECOmE a mEmbER and RECEiVE ExClusiVE stORE OFFERs, COmPEtitiOns and adVanCE nOtiCE OF EVEnts & sCHOOl HOliday aCtiVity.
RIN
D G ROA
MELB
Open 7 days • 03 5244 2580 173 - 199 Pioneer Road, Waurn Ponds 3216