I'm a big fan of Shannon Lush , the Queen of Clean. I interviewed her for NZ Herald’s Viva magazine and was immediately impressed with her ability to talk and tidy at the same time. Throughout the entire phone conversation, she was vacuuming, dusting, and possibly sorting the kitchen cupboard.  She was preparing for a lengthy photo shoot with another magazine, but she was in no hurry to end our call. People like Shannon are a breeze to interview; for all her celebrity status she’s surprisingly candid. I thought with a name like Shannon she might be a little dull, and I'd have to do a little polishing to get that gem quote. But Shannon has a formidable brain and her memory is lightning fast. Like my Dad, she’s an art restorer and she knows her stuff. We chatted about the nightmare of handling very expensive gold leaf. I confess that I'd once used it for finger painting and my Dad was furious. She roared her hearty laugh and said at least I had style. Shannon even gave me some one-on-one household cleaning counselling. She may know how to spring clean a house in 15 minutes – but she had me sorted in the first minute.