99 pence chocolate

Do you have those people in your life that you have no idea when they entered and how they were so quickly intertwined into your world? This crazy concept of feeling like you've known someone for years, but in reality, it's been such a short time! 

I have so many people like this in my life and as the journey continues, i am constantly meeting amazing people who quickly become intertwined into my world. The support that comes from these people is so valuable and just plain random! I am talking to one of my loved best friends right this moment and i was thinking about how our friendship happened. As i couldn't remember how, i just thought to myself "Wow, life would never be the same! What an inspiration!". We can learn so much by the people that we put around us and in our lives.

With that said, i'm going to dedicate this next blog to my support! What am i going to write about this time? Yes, that's right.. Raw Food Detox.. It's time i face the music..

So i kick started this Raw Food Detox on Sunday by having an amazing 8 course raw food lunch/dinner and i was so full by the end of it that i could have challenged an elephant to a biggest loser contest and the elephant would have won by 100 pounds! I was seriously rolling out the door. 

The first day of the detox was torture! I went for a walk in Holland Park and the smells of food that were wafting past my nose were so delicious that i almost bit Justine's arm off! We made it through the night on empty stomachs and arms still in tact.

Day two was fine. Until i went to my model friend Hannah's place and she was eating food, real food, in front of me! My mouth was watering but i kept my water bottle close and sung to it so my mind wasn't on food but rather than my beloved water. We watched gossip girl afterwards, so i can't complain!

Day three came about and i was going strong! I felt like i could make it! Until we started running out of food and money.. That's when things started going pear shaped to say the least. We still made it through the day.. the night time we may have had some chocolate from easter that was left over.. i said MAY have had some chocolate. It doesn't mean that we actually did.....

Day four... Day four is today... Day four is non-existent.. Day four didn't happen.. Lunchtime involved salad.. but it was on bread. Then i went a little crazy. I went to visit my friend Vic and as a hello gift, i bought some chocolate (a block is 99 pence here!!) and some HobNobs too.. Ever since then my stomach has been growling at me saying.."What would you do something like that to me!! What have i ever done to you! Grawrrrr!". 

So with that said, if you are on a detox.. STAY WITH IT! Don't give into that 99 pence chocolate. It'll still be there in 7 days time, i assure you! 

Want to know the worst part? When you sign up for this free raw food detox, they send you daily emails encouraging you with your progress.. i've fallen off the bandwagon, but i keep getting the emails! There's no way i'm going to tell them what's happened.. at the end.. i'm going to smile and say "What? 99 pence chocolate? I didn't even know it existed!"

Warm wishes and stick to the detox!

Emma Martin

Skywriting in London

Emma: "Hey Jus, what do you call it when those planes write something in the sky?"

Justine: "Sky riding."

Emma: "Nope i just looked it up and that has something to do with skateboards. Are you sure it's sky riding?"

Justine: "What did you type in? No, i said skywriting!"

This is the conversation i had with my housemate about 5 minutes ago. The truth is, this conversation sounds very blonde and ditzy. I'm here to confirm this. As i read back over the conversation, i realise how it sounds. However, this is only a minuscule fact in a much bigger story.

The last few weeks in London, the weather has been amazing. Ok, yes we still sometimes have 4 seasons in a day, but as a whole, the moment Spring hit, people walk around in T-Shirts and massive smiles on their faces that just cannot be wiped off. London also introduced the Australian version of Daylight Savings the other week until October, however, when i asked a Londoner what they call this over here, the person replied with, "Ahh, ummm... We just turn our clocks forward an hour. So i guess we call it 'turn your clocks forward an hour'." This was a rewarding conversation. All of a sudden, since 'turning out clocks forward an hour', it doesn't get dark now until 8pm! This is a crazy concept for any Australian!

What am i getting at? Be patient loyal reader, for the point that i will make is such a rewarding thought that i can guarantee that you won't look at another Spring day the same again.. Especially if you live in London.

Now, the trees are blossoming in the parks and soon we will see what the leaves look like on the bare trees outside our house. For months we've been trying to guess as to what they'll look like. We've had guesses anywhere from marijuana leaves to gum tree leaves to christmas tree leaves to tea leaves. Obviously we hope it's one of these leaves and i think you know which one.. the tea leaves of course! What do you take us for..

So picture yourself in the afternoon, walking down an English street with white and pink blossoms on the trees. Some are staying put on the trees and others are floating through a soft and refreshing wind, circling around your feet and kisses your cheeks and the tip of your nose. You look around and everyone you see is smiling and has a bounce to their step. You close your eyes and breath in deeply, catching scents of perfume floating through the air. As you open your eyes, you look skyward and see a sky that is clear of clouds. The sun is setting slowly and the colour puts an even bigger smile on your face. Then something catches your eye. "What's this?" You ask out loud (everyone talks to themselves in London, it's just what you do). This 'thing' that has caught your eye is so majestic, so simple, so out of this world, so joyous. It's none other than skywriting. You see about 16 planes in the sky, making the most of the open sky with the soft wind and they are going crazy. There's lines going every which way!

Now, the thing that makes it so special is as the sun is setting, it hits these lines in the sky and illuminates them like it's a light in its own right. It's a simple concept but i can guarantee that every Londoner gazes up at the sky at one point or another and these little lines in the sky will give them so much joy. It's peaceful and it let's you know that someone is going out of their way to make you smile, even if it's for one afternoon. Everytime you look skyward and you see these lines, you can't help but think that you can do anything! That's a point right there that i never want to lose.

This made me think. Who are the people that say, "Oh boy! The sky is clear, the sun is shining! This is my time to go out there and make all of London look up at the sky and make them smile! Yee Haa!" (You never know, they could be from the country). We never know who the beloved skywriters are, but i'm sure they could feel the weights being lifted off of Londoners and floating up to meet these lines in the sky. 

So the next time you see some skywriting, think about who has gone out of their way to make you smile and maybe look towards the plane and give a little wave, i'm sure the beloved skywriters would appreciate it very much. Here's to the skywriters that give their time, passion and love to the world. Life definately wouldn't be the same without them.

Warm wishes,

Emma Martin

DETOX is the word of April

The countdown until detox has started! 

The other day i was sitting in our cosy living/entertainment/kitchen/laundry/media/dining/ lounge room and i thought to myself, "AHHHH! (I literally thought that in my head) Emma! What are you doing?! You've never had a detox! It's about time you restart your body clock!" Then my thoughts began to have a debate in Spanish! Ok, i don't know Spanish, but you know the moments when you have this great idea and then you start thinking about everything that goes with it and you start thinking.. I might pass.. Well the realisation of  not being able to eat chocolate, or anything with that delicious nature, finally hit me! 

So i started researching detox diets and Justine had mentioned one where you just drink water and salt water for a week. I must say, it didn't sound too appealing, however, i thought, if this is what a detox is, let's try it! 

As i was researching, i stumbled across a raw food detox. Now this immediately sounded amazing as it had food in the title! Since being over here in London, i've met people who live on raw food only and it's amazing the recipes that are created! I'm telling you, it would blow your mind. So this raw food detox.. Don't laugh at the name.. The Raw Divas.. Has a 5 day preparation stage and then a 7 day detox. This works out well because the last day of the 5 day preparation stage is Easter Sunday, which means.. CHOCOLATE! 

It's exciting because for Easter this year, we're having a bit of a London framily lunch. Framily is basically friends who are family. Just clearing that up so then you didn't think i was trying to be all cool and drop an R into the spelling of a well established english word. This framily lunch is going to be amazing! Its a raw food lunch, so everything is going to be made with raw food and raw chocolate! Who's jealous??

Now comes the challenge. I challenge you ALL to a detox. I know it's odd timing as Easter is pretty much now, but the day after Easter, we are all going on a detox. Not even an option. Let me know how it goes for you or if you've found an awesome detox diet with an awesome detox name. Because let's face it, every detox diet deserves a corny name....

Detox, detox, detox.. Say it 10 times fast..

Warm wishes,

Emma Martin 

Fairy Tales

Ever wanted to live in a fairy tale land? A land where dreams come true no matter what plans the evil character invented. A land where you look fabulous from the moment you wake up. A land where your true love rides up to you on a beautiful, white horse and declares his love for you. A land where you could fall from the top of the highest mountain and every piece of you would still be in tact. A land where animals gather around you and help you get dressed in the morning. A land where everyone can sing (i mean, what's with that!? What about the rest of us who just can't seem to grasp this talent!). A land where the main characters, no matter where they are or what they've lost, are able to enjoy the place that they're at.

It's been 2 months now since i decided that i wanted to be a model and what a roller coasted it has been! This whole 2 months has been a fast learning curve. I've learnt to re-adjust my thinking, how i act, what my dreams are and how i'm going to accomplish them. Let me just say straight up though, it's about now that the missing of the best friends and the family back in Australia really starts to set in and i am so lucky to have one of my best friends over here with me. Her name is Justine Clare and she's an amazing actress! She's one of those actresses who won't do one movie and that's her career. She is going to go down in the Hall of Fame. There is no way that i'm biased, this girl is going to re-set the thinking of our society and touch the hearts of all who will see her films. 

How does one even begin to explain these past two months? I simply cannot. Instead, i will say that when doors start to open, it's easier to walk through them with confidence rather than ramming yourself down a laundry shoot that is too small for you. 

Tomorrow i'm starting a 12 day detox. I must admit that i have never done one of these detox diets but i'm absolutely looking forward to it! It's a raw food detox so i will keep you updated on the progress of it all. 

I've heard stories that if you eat too much carrot, you turn orange and if you eat too much peas, you turn green! Maybe that was just from my childhood friends encouraging me to throw my vegetables to the dog under the table at dinner time.. Either way, i don't think i can turn any other colour than what i am right now... WHITE! As an Australian who loves the beach and who lived on a beautiful coastal town, i do not think i have ever been this white! I was talking to my dad on Skype this morning and he was saying things like, "Oh Em, you look like you have the London tan!" and my personal favourite, "You glow Em!". As i was wearing a white singlet, he couldn't resist in saying, "Oh you are wearing a long sleeved white shirt! For a moment there i thought it was a white singlet". Yes, the rumours are true, i have somehow misplaced my 'natural glow', however, i hear that white is the new tan so i can live with that.

April 20-24th 2009. What is on these dates you will ask. Alternative Fashion Week of course! This is where all of the up and coming fashion designers will present their designs to all who wants to see. Why am i so interested? I've been accepted to model in the shows and i am so excited for it! So if you're free on these days at 1.15pm, make your way down to the Spitalfields Traders Markets and enjoy the shows!

This is the start of my fairy tale.. How does yours start?

Warm wishes,

Emma Martin