Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Sydney, a Sky Writer, a Bit of Sparkle and a Giveaway


I was recently invited to a lovely event.  This is clearly how the other half live, but it was heavenly to be treated for a day and break out of the usual routine.

I am about the most punctual person in the world.  I don't know why, but I fret if I am going to be five minutes late.  The unfortunate down side to that, is I am often 15 minutes early, which is ridiculous, but there you have it.


This day happened to be the actual birthday of the Littlest Beach House Brat, so she accompanied me and had her own babysitter, complete with fun activities, whilst mummy did lunch. She had a lovely birthday and what follows, is one of the reasons why.  As we were early, we stepped out onto the balcony to take in the view.  And I have to say Sydney, you are tops on a beautiful day.


The Sydney Opera House

The Conservatorium of Music and the Harbour

The Botanical Gardens and the State Library
And then it happened


When ever we see an aeroplane with a jet stream, the kids think it's Santa Claus, checking up to see who is behaving.  And although this wasn't Santa Claus, boy was it the gift that kept on giving.  I thought it was going to say happy birthday, but it just got better and better.


I mean what are the chances of this happening on your daughter's 5th birthday?  


And of course she thought it was just for her.  My little girl was very hard to get, so it did seem fitting for this milestone of a birthday.  My mum suggested later, that it was my dad calling from heaven.


Whatever it was, it made our day.

Miracle over and it was down to business.  The serious business of learning about the first refrigerator in Australia to dispense sparkling water.  This Samsung French Door Refrigerator, to be released on September 1, is high end stuff people and would come in very handy for parties.


 The soda stream canister resides in the door there on the left, allowing sparkling water to be dispensed right next to the still water. 


And what is sparkling water without a cocktail I ask you?  This is where things got interesting.  Our spunky resident cocktail maker for the day, instructed us in the art of making beautiful fruit cocktails.  Vodka was on the menu, but as I had to get back for school pickup and after some wine with lunch, I stuck to the mocktail variety.


He was most endearing and helpful, but you know you are getting old, when the cocktail waiter is young enough to be your son.


It was really fun and times have certainly changed since I mixed cocktails behind the bar in Perisher for the 1990 ski season.


and although the equipment is still the same,


the garnishes and ingredients have changed somewhat. 


I sat next to a very engaging PR girl at lunch.  She enthralled me with all her career plans and how far she had come to date.  She was interesting and very sweet.   I couldn't help comparing myself to her when I was 23.  I had an economics degree, but was still mixing those cocktails and worried that by 30, I would still be picking up glasses off tables at closing time.  Thankfully that never happened.

But I digress.



To celebrate the launch of the new Samsung French Door Fridge,  complete with still and sparkling water dispenser,  I have a cocktail set to give away to a reader.



This is going to be a quicky giveaway for my Australian resident newsletter readers.  I am hoping to get this one in the post for Fathers' Day.

All you need to do is subscribe or have already done so, to the Desire Empire Newsletter HERE.  New and existing newsletter subscribers must leave a comment on this blog to that effect.

Sharing this post to each of your social media platforms or giving it a Google + will constitute another entry.  Leave me a separate comment for each share or sign up.  

And good luck.


Giveaway Terms and Conditionns
This is a game of skill.  The skill is signing up to the newsletter and leaving a comment to that effect on this blog. 
You MUST enter the giveaway on this BLOG by leaving a comment here. You do not need to have a Blogger account.  Just sign in as anonymous and leave your email address.
This competition is open to Australian Residents only.  
The prize is a cocktail maker set, in the black box, as shown in the last shot in this post
This competition is open from now until 27 August 2013 12pm Australian EST.
The winner will be announced on this blog, Face Book and Twitter and I will contact you, as long as you have left a valid means.  The winner will have 2 days to respond, otherwise the prize will be redrawn.

This giveaway is now closed.  Congratulations to the winner, Alex from Eating Adelaide.  Please contact me with your postal address.

Disclosure:  I was a guest of Samsung for lunch and was given the cocktail maker set to giveaway.

The sky writing was a gift I cannot explain, but one for which I will be eternally grateful.

If you would like Desire Empire posts to come straight to your inbox every ten days or so, you can sign up here for my Newsletter.

44 comments :

  1. Well that would've made any little girl's day. How wonderful Carolyn. Clearly you are the girl about town. You get all the good gigs! LOL And a fridge that serves sparkling water? How wonderful.

    Anne xx

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  2. What a fantastic event and day, absolutely amazing about that message in the sky.
    The table looks gorgoues too.

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  3. Happy 5 - how extraordinary!!!
    I think it may just have been her Granddad!!!!!!
    XOXO

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  4. Looks like a gorgeous venue and the table ware is divine and how lovely what your mum said - bless. Lovely to see images from the event! I wonder if you are coming to Problogger in a few weeks, lovely to put a face to the name! Emily

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    1. No Emily I won't be there as its my birthday and I'd like to be with my family that weekend. It should be brilliant.
      Carolyn

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  5. looks like you had a great day. love the shot with the opera house.
    how fantastic for your daughter!
    x

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  6. Fantastic photos. Am already a subscriber :)

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  7. I wonder if you could put something else I that dispenser, like sparkling wine perhaps?! Looks like an excellent day, and how cool with the sky writing!

    #teamIBOT was here!

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  8. Hi Carolyn,I have just spent the last 30 or so mins crying ,Why ? because I just have read your baby story.OH Carloyn I wish I could hug you ,I don't get reglious or if I do I tend to keep it to myself but God must have given you this beautiful baby for a special reason that only he knows why.I don't know you in person but what I have come to know about you by your posts and emails to me is that you are a wonderfully strong caring woman (crap now I sound stupid and mushy)and now I know another side and I understand more of what has made you "YOU" .I have problems as you know and you have always given me kind words while yourself has had this happen to yourself.I will never forget this Carolyn never.-love dee x

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    1. Thanks Dea. It was hell at the time but seems a distant nightmare now. We have to play the hand we are dealt as best we can.
      Carolyn

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    2. Play it you well and truly did that and more love dee x

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  9. I shudder to think of the cost of running one of those babies !!!! Thank goodness i really cant stand sparkling water !!

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  10. Happy 5- amazing coincidence! Have been a lurker for ages but just subscribed :) Fridge looks wonderful- I need a new fridge!

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  11. looks like a fabulous day and what a special memory for your little girl!

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  12. I subscribe to your Newsletter
    (rm.newell@bigpond.com.au)

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  13. Wow What an Amazing Surprise for Your Girl and What a Lovely Event.

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  14. I have TWEETED this GIVEAWAY. 21/8, 8.57 am - https://twitter.com/rl_mt/status/369955986028494848

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  15. I have SHARED your giveaway on FACEBOOK, 21/8, 8.57 am - https://www.facebook.com/rachel.krissnewell

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  16. I follow you on Google Friends Connect - rm.newell
    (rm.newell@bigpond.com.au)

    Sydney is indeed a picturesque city - dear those planes (ie: their pilots) are clever being able to write in the sky.

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  17. What a wonderful, magical, coincidence in the sky!

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  18. It looks like it was a lot of fun, hot bar man and all! I loved the sky writing that really is beautiful and it was most definately for your little one :) I read about your IVF story you have been through a lot, just remember when she gets to her teenage angst years that you wanted her here more than anything!

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  19. I have to say, we just bought a French door fridge and I love it. I can fit those big platters in there x

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  20. I am already signed up for emails :)

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  21. I tweeted https://twitter.com/makeupurmind11/status/370011551245152256

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  22. That must of been last Thursday I think. I saw that sky writer and thought what a lucky person. I am trilled to know that your daughter thought is was especially for her...and it was of course!

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    Replies
    1. Yes it was Thursday. My son saw it at school too, as the Southerly pushed it up the coast.

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  23. Carolyn I have just re-read your baby story and want to let you know how much I admire your attitude. Even though your heart was breaking you chose to be happy for your friends who were blessed with healthy pregnancies; that shows such strength of character. I love that you refer to your "5 other little babies" because that's what they are, as any mother who has experienced a miscarriage will say. I have often thought to myself as I read your blog that your little girl is just adorable; she is almost too cute for words. Of course the rest of the family is lovely too! Julie

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  24. The sky writing would have been just so amazing.

    Subscriber

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  25. I am signed up to the newsletter. And while I'm not a sparkling water person, I wonder if the fridge could be tweaked to dispense tonic water?!

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  26. Just love the photos here Carolyn... am not a cocktail person these days... you need to tell us more about that ski season... come on, out with it, digress away.

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  27. That certainly was a miracle - I've never heard of anyone having such a specific and appropriate sky-writing message ever! And what a perfect day to be out and about in Sydney - where has that weather gone! I love the table setting - all those blue glasses are gorgeous. And I'd love that fridge - we go through so much sparkling water here and I'm so tired of lugging it all home and then scrunching up the empties to put into the recycling. I'm sure having a dispenser would be cost effective and better for the environment too. Now where do I get one??? xx

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  28. I don't know if I could have passed on those cocktails! What a beautiful table setting and what a beautiful message to appear in the sky! :)

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  29. What a lovely day for you all. We would love to serve up some cocktails or even mocktails around this place! I follow you via email.

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  30. I have tweeted - https://twitter.com/VirginiaKMason/status/371473252092104704

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  31. Shared on facebook too - https://www.facebook.com/vkmason/posts/10151865234016882

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  32. I have google+ this too! Thanks for the chance.

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  33. I think I will be in the market for a new fridge soon, sadly our current one seems to be overworked with trying to keep the 6 of us fed, so I will definitely have to check out the Samsung French Door Fridge with the sparkling water dispenser. Now if you were able to convince Samsung to throw in the cocktail maker as well, I would definitely purchase it.

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  34. Oh my word, that is a gift from heaven. How totally fabulous. Love the new fridge too and the party looked like such fun. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

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  35. What are the odds of that sky writing incident. So amazing!

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