Opinions - Please?Please?Please!

Ok - so remember a while back when i said i would like to write a childrens book one day? Yea well, i need your help on something. See, inspired by my son dumping one of his toys in the bath a few nights ago i sat down and wrote myself a little story entitled " There's a Giraffe in my Bath ". I've read it to a few people and one in particular encouraged me to see if i could get it published. I laughed it off but she said to me " Amy, if i can change careers in my mid-30's, a widow and a mum of 3....YOU can be a writer ". Fair enough. Unfortunately, there is already a childrens picture book called " A Giraffe In The Bath " ( by the very talented Mem Fox, which as far as i can tell isnt like mine at all, just shares a first line ) but i thought i might just post my little effort here and see what you beautiful mummy type people thought of it. Here goes:

There’s a giraffe in my bath

He’s quite big and tall
With him already in
I’ll have no room at all!

I scrub his long neck
And clean under his chin
Then he moves over a little
So I can get in.

I slide in with a “splash! “,
Settle down in my bath
I’m a little bit squished
Up against this giraffe.


The water is warm
And there’s plenty of bubbles
But if mum catches us both
We’ll be in big troubles!


“ Could you pass me the soap? “
I ask with a smirk.
A bath with a giraffe
Is such difficult work!


I have a quick scrub and
Get as clean as I can
But a big, tall giraffe
Wasn’t part of the plan!


Its time to get out
Before the water goes cold
“ You have to go now “
The giraffe is told.


He stands up and climbs out
And he shakes himself dry
And off into the night
Goes that strange giraffe guy.


I smile and laugh
Cant help shaking my head;
I’m done in the bath,
But now who’s in my bed?

So there you go...thats it. If you could give a quick opinion on it, and maybe link it on your blog so i can get as mnay opinions as possible, i would be really really appreciative!

Bringing sexy back...

So i have been out to dinner four nights this week, which means i have had some good " over dinner " conversations. One of these, with my girlfriends, ended up being a discussion on what is, and isnt sexy. We have a male friend coming down to visit and he has asked us if we could take him to one of the local pub/clubs, so that he can check out all the chicks. The fact that this particular pub is the place where all the young and, quite often, skanky chicks go is not lost on him - in fact its his whole reason for wanting to be there. We, though, are lost on what he, or any other man, could possibly find sexy about " skanky " chicks - what is sexy ? Of course, i understand that sexy is subjective so it got me to thinking - what do i think is sexy? And, possibly, why ? So, here for your reading pleasure ( and, possible disgust ) is a short list of what I, Amy, think is sexy :

1. Jeans and white tank tops - i almost always feel sexiest when in a pair of denim jeans and a white tank top, natural make-up and barefoot. I think there is something to be said about the natural, minimal sexiness of women, of a woman at her most relaxed. Dont get me wrong, i love dressing up and do feel sexy in a flirty dress and full make-up, but its when i'm bumming around the house, jeans, singlet and my hair in a pony tail that i can look in the mirror and go " yea, i'm hot.... "

2.Dark hair - on both men and women. I'm not being biased because i, myself, am i brunette; i just think dark hair is sexier. Men with dark hair seem more masculine to me and women too, seem more powerful, more alluring. Almost every woman i would count amongst my style icons has dark hair ( Audrey Hepburn, Audrey Tatou, Juliette Binoches character in " Chocolat ", even Mandy Moore is currently brunette ) and most every male celebrity i adore ( Colin Farrell, Mark Ruffalo, Johnny Depp... my heart forever belongs to Johnny ) is tall, dark and handsome aswell. No offense to the blondes out there, but blonde is over-rated.

3. Guitars - guitar music is sexy. Guitarists are sexy. Even guitars themselves, with their curves and polished woods, are sexy. Latin music, so heavily relying on the guitar, is the sexiest stuff to roll your hips to ( hips are sexy aswell, now i think of it ). Granted, drummers are cute, but its the lead guitarist, or lead vocalist/guitarist that always catches my eye. Its something about the music, man.

4.Men with muscular arms - think Rafael Nadal, or Vin Diesel, or the hot guy at my local pub with the tattoo. There is something to be said for men with well cut arms. Not only does the actual tautness of the muscle appeal to me visually, i think there is some kind of link between the physical and the emotional. I want a man with strong arms to hold me with them, to be able to pick me up, to keep me safe. I'm a petite woman, but being able to pick me up ? Thats sexy!

5. High heels - i know, this one sounds like a total girl thing, but go with it. First of all, shoes are pretty, and high heels are the prettiest of them all. Secondly, high heels force you to use the muscles in your legs differently, so they make your legs look longer and make your bum sit higher. Lastly, and this is for my male readers mainly, think of a woman, semi-naked ( or naked if you want, its your fantasy ) in a pair of high, pointy, stiletto heels - she could do you some damage, and isnt danger sexy?

The second half i wont elaborate much on, if only to make a complete list of 10:

6. Confidence
7. Being a good conversationalist, especially if you can discuss almost any topic
8. Stubble - on men, not on women. Men with just that rough, stubbly, half beard thing going on? Totally hot!
9. Men who are comfortable with, and good around, children
10. Driving fast, something about the adrenalin rush, and danger again

And that be all. Fill me in on your agreeance, disagreeance, or what you'd add to the list....