Well I spent about an hour and a half packing for Melbourne last night. Trying all my outfits to make sure I was happy with them. Nothing worse than having no alternatives and hating what you have to wear! Especially when you’re there to represent yourself and your blog in an environment of your peers. So it was part catwalk fashion show and part organised chaos. I was trying to pack smart, making the most of the room I had but also packing things flat enough to hopefully not crush them. I think if anyone opened up my suitcase, they’d think I was OCD. I’m only a little bit.

I was planning on packing as light as possible given that it will be cold and I would have to pack bulky items like big warm jackets. I also plant to do A LOT of shopping while I’m down there so I’ll need room to bring everything back. I’m also very much hoping to get lucky and score some giveaways from the Hello Blogger Events Pre Drinks or at Blogopolis. If I’m REALLY lucky, I might just win something at both! Fingers crossed. Where was I? Oh yes, packing light. I tried. I really did. I don’t think I did too badly…although I did end up with 1 pair of flats, 1 pair of heels and 2 pairs of boots. Sounds like a lot…might be too much. But I just hate the idea of being stuck with no choice.


I hope I’ve packed warm enough – I’m not equipped to deal with the cold! I have 2 big jackets, 2 scarves, a pair of gloves, 3 pairs of stockings and warm things like jeans and cardigans. I think the key will be layering. I’m pretty happy with my outfits and I think they’ll look rather cute! So now, I feel ready to play Melbourne! More like play up ;) tee hee But I’m definitely of the ‘play hard or go home’ school so I feel this weekend will be rather action packed with LOTS of fun bit little sleep. Meh, sleep is overrated. What do they say, sleep when I’m dead.

I’m going to TRY and blog as I go. Whether this will actually happen will remain to be seen. I’m only down there for the weekend so I plan to cram in as much awesome stuff as I can. I haven’t scheduled any posts because I think, as a reader, it would be frustrating to read other crap knowing I’m down there having crazy fun. So it may end up a bit quiet around here for the next few days but one thing is for certain – there are going to be some AWESOME posts when I get back! If you want to keep up to date with all the shenanigans while I’m down there I will definitely be active on Twitter so follow me to see what’s happening. The hashtag for the actual conference is #nnb2011 but I’ll be tweeting all things Melbourne.

Woooo I’m excited! Look out Melbourne, I’m coming to play!

Things a have been a little crazy this week. Lots getting done in preparation for heading to Melbourne on Friday morning and a slight deviation in content on Monday because of some of the events that transpired over the weekend.

But aside from some of the sadder events that occurred over the weekend, there was also a really great event that occurred. Another blog meet with Hello Blogger Events! A lovely, relaxed little catch up and ice breaker with some delicious food at Wagamama Chermside in the lead up to Blogopolis.

There were quite a few familiar faces and a couple of new ones, which was great to meet new people. It was a really laid back meet with people coming and going all the time, which was both good and bad. Good that it kept things fresh, but bad in that I had skipped breakfast and was STARVING and therefore was a little more interested in getting food than socialising. Whoopsie!


The biggest news of the meet was that I FINALLY got to meet Suger! She was supposed to be at the very first blog meet I went to but a last minute change of plans meant she missed out. Total bummer. We first started talking after I responded to her request for guest posters and pretty much straight away it was like we already knew each other. You know when you talk to someone and you just know you’re gonna be friends? Yeah, that’s us. I mean come on, first time she met me and straight away she touched my hair. Now normally that would freak me out. But no, I felt like a kitty cat.


I can tell her and I are going to get up to mischief this Friday night at the Hello Events Pre-Blogopolis Drinks.
Which brings me to the end (ish) of this post. I have been running around like crazy this week in between actually working (sort of) trying to get myself sorted for Melbourne this weekend. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned HOW EXCITED I AM!? Ok, maybe I have…a few thousand times.

So this week has been about organising but mostly glamourising. My poor neglected (read trashy) hair is now back to it’s soft, bright, shiny self. My brows, which were so bad I previously had been styling them each day so as not to look like I had hairy caterpillars invading my face, are now beautifully shaped and looking pretty sexy if I do say so myself. I also got eyelash extensions, they came as part of a package and I thought it would be an interesting and new experience. Pretty quick considering, totally painless and no less irritating than having your lashes tinted but fantastic results! I always wear a fair bit of mascara because I’m a sucker for dramatic lashes but with these babies I don’t need it! That’s an extra 10 minutes in bed. YES!

So tonight I’m home packing and trying not to be too excited to sleep and also not forget anything. Luckily I have a big suitcase so I’ll be leaving plenty of room for all my shopping and maybe some prizes if I get lucky!

I hate to think I’m jumping on the bandwagon of the rest of the world wide web users out there but I felt like I needed to say something about Amy Winehouse.

I’m not sure why.

Don’t get me wrong, I love her music. She was amazingly talented. But there have been plenty of ‘celebrity’ deaths that have been equally tragic. Sudden. Shocking. And I’ve not felt as…weird as I do about Amy.

And I really don’t know why.

I empathise with her family for their pain and loss. I think it’s a shame the music industry has lost a genuine talent who made it on her own and not through the ‘instant fame generators’ that have been popping up on TV.

I am surprised by some people’s lack of compassion. Their judgement. I am equally surprised by the amount of people who have somehow tried to make it all about them. Who never knew her. Who weren’t even particularly fond of her music.

But I legitimately feel sad for Amy.

Sad that her life ended this way. This soon. Too soon. Sad that by all accounts she had been clean for a while and yet everyone was so quick to blame drugs for her death. No official results have been released and there have been no reports of suspicion of drugs and according to all reports no drug paraphernalia was found at the scene.

Sad that she was quite obviously a tormented soul. Sad that the only way she knew how to deal with this sadness was through a self-destructive path of addiction. Sad that her addiction is what she is remembered by, cause of death aside.  Sad that she couldn’t live a happier life, a life that everyone deserves.

Sad that Amy Winehouse became a disease rather than a talent, or better yet a human being.

Drugs scare me.

I’ve smoked pot and that is all. I would never ever even try anything else. I am too scared of what it might do to me. I tend to have an addictive personality. I am too scared of what it might lead to. I’ve had issues with alcohol before and that is enough.

Drugs are bad.

I don’t understand what it is that brings people to even take that first hit. Why aren’t you scared? Why don’t you value yourself enough as you are? I am not judging, I simply want to understand.

I know some girls. SMART girls. FUN girls. BEAUTIFUL girls. RESPONSIBLE girls.

Girls who take drugs.

And I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. Disappointed in them, but disappointed that they feel they need a substance in their body, changing who they are and how they behave.

And yes, alcohol does the same thing. And yes, alcohol can be just as dangerous. But that is a different argument.

Right now, I just feel weird. And sad. For Amy. And I don’t know why I feel like this, this time. I just do. It’s sad. She was young and talented and had such a promising future. The damage drugs do to a life is sad.
I’m sorry Amy.

I am what one might call ‘resourceful’ when it comes to fashion. I don’t like spending too much money on my clothes as I seem to lose interest in them rather quickly. I have a couple of ‘big ticket’ items that I love, but they are special. Like my Kitten D’Amour  (formerly Sex Kitten) $350 dress and an amazing waist cincher I bought from Puritan $450 that can be worn inside or out of your clothes.

But that’s about it. I get bored easily. So I buy cheaper clothes that won’t hurt when they end up shoved to the bottom of the drawer. I measure my shopping success by the bargains that I find. I like to take risks. Mix it up. Break the rules. I wore a silk pyjama shirt to work. I wore a satin pyjama top out to dinner. I once used a paper clip to fix a belt. I still use that paper clip to this day. True story.

Which leads me to only one logical conclusion. I am the MacGyver of fashion. The Chuck Norris of the clothing world. The John Rambo of the apparel scene. I don’t like to sew. I’m not good at it. I wish I could make my own clothes but I don’t have the skills or patience. So my long pants are a bit too long? WWMD? Use a million safety pins to create a cuff or better yet, let them drag occasionally walking on them as I kick ass. Because that is what MacGyver would do.



I can see this resourcefulness working its way into other aspects of my life. Most recently involving a pair of sunglasses and superglue. A notepad and packing tape. Ain’t nothin I can’t do with a rubber band. I can only assume this is the logical next step.


Ah, livin and lovin the simple life

Ok so Monday we talked about how to look like a vintage bombshell and today I’ll be spilling the secret on how to live like a vintage bombshell.

The Click Clack Lounge is located inside Atomic Martini Vintage and specialises in all kinds of retro and vintage home wares, furniture, knick knacks, artwork and general treasures. Originally starting out as a smaller stall at the Woolloongabba Antiques Centre, Miss Karie’s client base quickly grew and with such a high demand, she was left with no other option than to hit the big leagues and open up her own shop. Joy!


With everything from classic B-Grade ‘chick flicks’ to pin up books, kitsch prints, velvet paintings, atomic glass wear, fabulous lamps, beautiful dinner sets, canisters, original barkcloth, lounge suites and more, The Click Clack Lounge has everything you need to transform your humble abode into a dazzling retro room that will be a conversation piece in itself.


To be totally honest, I would almost go to the shop just to hang out with this lady! Her effervescent personality is absolutely contagious and as you leave the shop you’ll be on an endorphin high, even if you didn’t end up buying. She is so helpful and has such a keen eye for retro and vintage design that even from the barest descriptions she can recommend a style, piece or total room décor.


And the best thing about Miss Karie and her Click Clack Lounge is that she sources all of the pieces herself. Some have come from her private collection and others are sourced from other retro and vintage collectors and enthusiasts, many of which Miss Karie has known for a long time so not only are you assured of getting a quality piece that has come from a loving home, you’ll also be treated to all the charming stories that come with owning vintage with a colourful, interesting and often entertaining history.


Spend just a moment chatting with Miss Karie and one thing becomes very clear – vintage and retro is a deep personal passion for her. Looking like she’s just stepped out of the pages of a 50s magazine, Miss Karie practically glows with the pleasure that collecting, buying and selling vintage obviously gives her. Committed to sharing her passion with everyone and helping vintage virgins and veterans alike, she is more than willing to offer her own valuable styling experience and advice.


In the disposable society we have come to live in, recycling and continuing to love these beautiful vintage pieces that were made to last is a great way to do your bit for the environment and sure beats having a shorter shower in my book! If there is something in particular you are looking for, come in and have a chat with Miss Karie at The Click Clack Lounge. She most probably already has it waiting for you and if not, she is more than happy to take an expedition to all of her top secret vintage haunts to find it for you.


A big thank you to Miss Lisa and Miss Karie for allowing me into their vintage wonderlands. It was a Saturday well spent although with everything I spotted I’m quite sure that will turn into money well spent. These are two of the loveliest, friendliest, most helpful, fabulous ladies I have ever met and I only wish that every shopping experience could be like this!



Open Wed – Fri: 10am – 6pm Sat: 10am – 4pm
Other times by appointment

You can also find her at theclick-clacklounge@bigpond.com and on facebook

Over the weekend I went on a little treasure hunt to 2 of the best vintage shops in Brisbane.

Atomic Martini Vintage specialises in fine vintage and retro clothes and accessories, everything from day-to-day outfits to statement pieces and complete outfits. The baby of the fabulous Miss Lisa, Atomic Martini has an extensive collection of women’s and men’s clothing and accessories from the ‘30s all the way up to the ‘80s. The shop is literally brimming with quality vintage pieces.


And trust me, this lady knows her stuff! With a background in research and museum curation as well as experience as an archivist and stylist, Miss Lisa backs her fashion forte with a genuine knowledge of all things vintage. Spend a few minutes in the shop and you can tell by the way she talks, not only is she passionate about vintage but the things she can decipher from simple elements such as fabric and stitching guarantees you’re not only getting quality pieces, but you can also learn the providence of every piece.

 
Miss Lisa is incredibly friendly and delights in sharing her knowledge and love of vintage with each and every customer. Aiming to remove the daunting feeling often associated with buying and wearing vintage, Atomic Martini deviates from the rules perpetuated by vintage purists to help customers find a bit of themselves in something different.


By making you feel comfortable out of your comfort zone, Atomic Martini brings joy to experiencing vintage and teaching you that it’s ok to mix a 50s skirt with a 70s top and a pair of brand new shoes. Style is about who YOU are and Miss Lisa delights in helping to bring that out in you.

Her main piece of advice to anyone interested in vintage: Don’t put it away for ‘special’ – use it, love it and enjoy it the way it was meant to be.


They say they don’t make ‘em like they used to and it’s true – what is now considered vintage was made to last back in its heyday and with such beautiful pieces made with care and excellent craftsmanship it would be a shame to let them fade away in the back of a dusty old cupboard.


I dare you to come in and not find something that you just fall in love with!

So don’t be scared of vintage, come in to Atomic Martini and learn to love it. Miss Lisa will affectionately show you how to make it work for you…and then you can work it for your friends and make them totally jealous of what a fabulous fox you are!

Atomic Martini Vintage 07 3357 3622

491A Lutwyche Rd, Lutwyche QLD 4030

Open Wed – Fri: 10am – 6pm Sat: 10am – 4pm
Other times by appointment

You can also find her on facebook and the best part is, she has a website!

Ok so today it is exactly 2 weeks until I fly to Melbourne for Blogopolis! I am super excited! I have been stressing a bit the past few weeks trying to get everything organised both logistics-wise and business-wise. But I finally feel like I can take a breath and enjoy this crazy, fun, scary feeling because…

Flights – Booked. Accommodation – Booked. Airport Parking – Booked. Outfits – half decided. Pee my pants with excitement factor – high. Given I’ll be trying to squeeze blogger networking, Blogopolis and a bunch of Melbourne shopping and sightseeing into one weekend I imagine my time down there will be like something out of the Amazing Race. FUN!

Although, for some strange reason, and I don’t know why – I actually feel a bit nervous. I know, I’m weird. I can’t even explain why I do. It’s not like they’ll be testing us on what we’ve learnt at the end. It’s going to be a hoot! Maybe I am intimidated by the amount and calibre of bloggers attending? But I can’t wait to learn a bunch of stuff from them! I dunno…

So I know it's not the most attractive quality in a person but it's also a life lesson I've been slowly struggling to learn...and that's that when you have something to be proud of you should stand up and say it!

So here I am...standing up and saying that I'm proud of myself because since launching this blog about 2 months ago, I have scored myself 6 contributions! That's pretty exciting for me as it's something I've been wanting to do for a while and to have achieved so much in such a short time is exciting, encouraging and also very humbling.

So without further ado, I present to you my contributions:

Whilst the title of this blog post pretty much describes any given Friday night in my life, Friday night just gone in particular was a riot with The Mayhem County Boys and Corn Liquor at The Joynt.

Hands down one of my very favourite live music venues in Brisbane, The Joynt is a small indie bar in West End. Helping to keep the live music scene alive and kicking this quaint little venue is adorned with interesting artwork and fabulous Lynch prints (which we threaten to steal every time we’re there!) The friendly staff, cheap drinks and intimate atmosphere make for an awesome night out and when there’s a big turnout to support the rockabilly bands it can get pretty crowded but being packed in with a sweaty crowd is really what it’s all about and makes for some legendary rowdy sing-a-longs.

After some delicious Asian food for dinner we headed to The Joynt and grabbed a beer before descending into the melee that invariably occurs when going to a gig at The Joynt – it’s a popular place among us Rockabilly’s so there were plenty of people to catch up with.


Mitchy Mayhem kicked off the night with his Mayhem County Boys also featuring Paulie Burke on the night. This talented trio swapped instruments again and again, each taking their turn to show off their skills and as they end of their set with one of those rowdy sing-a-longs to Ghost Riders in the Sky, they certainly had the crowd more than warmed up!


After a quick break Corn Liquor took to the stage and treated us to their signature guitar pickin’, bass slappin’, slack jawed yokel brand of western rockabilly. Headed by Pete Martini, these boys had us hollerin’ for more of the classics they do so well. And with so many muso’s in the house, they couldn’t let the occasion pass without getting Pony from The Ten Fours up for a roaring cover of Johnny Cash’s Cocaine Blues and of course, Mitchy Mayhem back up for a grand finale.


And while all this was going on, the Corn Liquor fan club was down the front dancing their fine little tails off!


You may have noticed my recount of the night is not quite as detailed as normal. That’s because a few drinks led to a few more drinks which led to…

I’m somewhat known around the rockabilly scene for my towering beehives and you may have spotted them (or versions of) in some of my other posts. Whenever I wear my hair that way, everyone always asks me how I manage to get my hair to do that and I always tell them the same thing – it’s easier than it looks! With a bit of practice, it’s a quick and easy hairstyle that looks pretty impressive!

So I thought I’d show you how to do it, just in time for the weekend if you feel like giving it a try. There are 2 types of beehives, the more traditional style winds the hair up, around and to the top of your hair but this one is a bit quicker and easier to achieve – and I actually like the way it looks better too!

What you need

•   A teasing comb (available from a chemist, hair dresser, Price Attack, etc)
•   Plenty of bobby pins
•   LOTS of hairspray

As impressive as this hairstyle looks, it can be a bit of effort to get it out. Because of all the teasing involved, it’s not the best thing for your hair so I suggest using a treatment, leave-in conditioner or conditioning twice in the shower once you get it out.

Usually when I get home from a night out, I can’t be bothered having a shower and I just want to get to bed so most times I just comb the style out. This can at times be painful and if you choose to do it this way I suggest using the comb and supporting the root of your hair by holding it firmly as you comb – go gently.

But if you’re more motivated or are being good to your hair, an easier way to get it out is to simply wash it out. Shampoo and condition twice each and take your comb into the shower with you, gently combing as you condition. This will be better for your hair.

Don’t worry if you have slightly shorter hair, to pull this style off you really only need to have shoulder length hair.

This hairstyle is so much fun, whether you want to wear it out or just do it for a bit of girly fun.

If you give it a try, I’d love to see how you went!

P.S Please don't laugh at my voice - I think I sound terrible!

What a lovely day I had yesterday for my birthday! A big thank you to everyone for all the lovely messages you sent through I’m feeling very loved right now!

It started on Monday night…

Due to prior commitments and our schedules not working in with each other’s the boyfriend and I weren’t actually going to be able to see each this week. So he fussed over me and spoilt me all weekend and wouldn’t let me pay for a single thing! I also got a nice, relaxing birthday massage. But come Sunday night, I thought he would pull out a little something. I was waiting and waiting with anticipation…and I kept on waiting. We went to bed Sunday night and I thought ‘hmm ok, he must be going to get up early in the morning before I go to work’. Come Monday morning he was flat out in bed and I was a little disappointed. Then as I was having my breakfast he got up and I thought ‘ah hah here we go…’ but nothing. He gave me a hug and a kiss goodbye and sent me on my way. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit disappointed.

So Monday night when it was around the time we usually talk on the phone (I know, and you thought my life was exciting!) he called and we started chatting then out of the blue he said ‘do you want to let me in?’ I was like ‘HUH!?!?!’ so I raced downstairs and standing at my front door was my gorgeous man with a big bouquet of flowers. BEST. SURPRISE. EVER!!! He’s not really a ‘big surprise’ or ‘flowers’ man so I felt VERY special. Especially seeing as he drove all the way from his place (about 45 mins) just to come and see me for a couple of hours before he drove home again. What a lucky girl! We snuggled on my bed for a bit before he had to go home and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. He also slipped the cutest clipping of a pug dog into my card seeing as he couldn’t get me a real one. *sigh* he’s so dreamy! haha

So on Tuesday morning on my actual birthday I still had to get up for work but I had some lovely messages coming through like: Dad – Happy Birthday my baby girl, or is that Daddy’s Girl? (tattoo reference) hope you have a great day love Dad xxx and Mum – Happy Birthday Sheri, have a great day and don’t eat too much today, save yourself for dinner tonight love Mum & P.B (stands for Papa Bear, who is my stepdad) SO CUTE! I also got a nice but funny message from my stepmum reminding me it’s pretty much all downhill from here. At work I got to have my cake I’d been craving – Caramel Mudcake from the Cheesecake Shop (also known as heaven!)

 I was too busy cutting myself a slab of this to remember to get a pic before the vultures attacked!

After work I was straight around to my mum’s house for a bit more spoiling – she’s so cute! I walked into the house to this…


I got plenty of pressies…mostly money because that’s what I wanted, so I can buy a new camera and get some better photos for this blog!


I ended up with about $150 cash as well as some chocolates and this AWESOME purse from my friend Rhea. Seriously, leopard fur and red metal flake – what more could a girl want!?


After all the gift giving it was onto the meal – YUM! Seriously, I have been craving roast pork for months! So on special request, my mum made me a delicious meal of roast potato, carrots and pumpkin with a baked onion, plenty of soft juicy roast pork and yummy gravy. Of course being the birthday girl I got the biggest, best bit of crackling – OH YES!


For dessert my sister and brother-in-law bought my other favourite, deep dish apple pie with a crumble top and creamy vanilla ice cream…I think I should have been born in the south! Haha


All in all a great birthday and I still have a few people to see! I’ll be catching up with my Dad and stepmum this coming weekend and I’m going to try and get to the shops before they shut today to get my new camera…I want a new toy to play with!

What a weekend! As most of you probably already know (I’ve been talking it up all last week!) tomorrow is my birthday. I LOVE birthdays! Even when they’re not mine, I just think they are an awesome thing to celebrate. So I generally get rather excited when mine comes around. Seeing as this year I’m only turning 23 and not some extra special age I decided to take the easy way out and celebrate with a few drinks at a gig rather than organise something.

Friday night was Herman’s Hot Rod Hootenanny with the Dirty F Holes, The Flangipanis, Graveyard Rumble and The Vampers – psychobilly heaven! I busted out my acid wash skinny jeans, a new top I bought on ebay and my best beehive with some cute bat earrings and my skeleton hand hair clips to look my badass best and headed to the Prince of Wales Hotel for the shindig. Because I was celebrating my birthday the event organisers looked after me and I was a very lucky girl treated to some special VIP treatment including free entry, the special gold armband that only the cool people (muso’s etc) got and plenty of drinks bought for me. A very special thank you to my man who made sure I had a fantastic night and drove me to the gig (and maccas on the way home!)


Graveyard Rumble were featuring special guest Mitchy Mayhem on the double bass who was lovely enough to dedicate a song to me. Frontman Jerome also made the whole crowd (some 100 odd friends and strangers) sing happy birthday to me which was both embarrassing but totally lovely at the same time – what can I say, I have amazing friends! I also scored a free CD from The Vampers for my birthday – very cool! I had an AWESOME night, very fun and was so nice hanging out with my friends, dancing and getting bought drinks. Thanks so much to everyone who helped make my night so great! However, I was pretty well behaved because on Saturday…


I finally got my zombie girl tattoo done by Mimsy! I was booked in a couple of weeks ago but poor Mimsy was very sick and had to cancel but we finally got around to it this weekend which was great timing as it made a lovely birthday present to myself! I was up at 9 am only slightly hungover to get to Mimsy’s at 11 where I sat for most of the day getting this awesome artwork inked on me. Mimsy was surprised we got it all done in one sitting but I was determined to have it finished! I LOVE it! By the time I got home it was about 5 pm and I was pretty exhausted so we had a nice night in snuggled on the couch watching movies and eating the AMAZING Spanish chicken and chorizo paella the boyfriend made. It was great to relax and get a good night’s sleep because on Sunday…



We went to Lakeside Park for their All American Day to coincide with America’s Independence Day, where all manner of street cars, kustoms, hot rods, daily drivers and polished pretties converged for drags, club cruises and an all-in cruise around the racetrack. We went along in this old thing.


It was a great day with plenty of drool-worthy cars and American muscle to see but unfortunately later in the afternoon the weather started to turn, it got very cold and started to rain so we left to go home to the warm cosiness that is our couch. But not before I managed to shoot this!


Yeehar! LOVE that sound and the smell of burnin rubber!