roses in my hair (and trips down memory lane)

Isn't it funny when you look back at things you've done years ago? I mean in a nice way (mostly!) (hahaha!) and it's something I really value about having a blog. I don't do it very often but I wanted to do a hair style that I remembered I had tried to do way back in one of my first ever blog posts. About 5 years ago! Oh woah woah wow!

And I remember that when I did that blog post, I was trying to actually do something with my hair that I'd wanted to do for years and years before that. I'd decided it was time to at least get started, to get to grips with it!

The style I wanted was candy floss – cotton candy, fairy floss – hair studded with flowers. And I realised, now, with my pastel coloured hair – especially as right now it is pastel pink, the candy floss pink hair I'd wanted all those years ago – that I should put what I've learned over the years (and now take for granted!) to use, and do this style!

Here is the first post from what feels like a thousand lifetimes ago. And I'd even kept the original flowers, so I could use them again! And no, that's not my natural hair colour, hehe.

It was a last minute thing, a spur of the moment dicison to do it there and then as I was on my way out so I didn't have much time to do it, but it made me realise how I've learned to do my hair, and make it do what I want it to do – and how much I wanted to be able to do this and couldn't way back then! It was a really fun trip down memory lane. Memory lane way..! Ha! I loved it! What do you think?

just beneath the surface: the hidden secrets in melbourne for those who are curious

sponsored by nuffnang

On Saturday I headed into the city to take a look at some street art. Melbourne prides itself on its colourful artworks, especially in the city’s laneways. I love it – it’s beautiful and colourful and adds an extra layer of life to the buildings. I love it on the old, nobly crumbling buildings and even more on the new, shiny and often ugly ones!

And I was chuffed as I got to see some being created live. The Age (one of our city’s two major newspapers) (known for being the cultured one) (yeah, harsh but it’s true) launched a campaign back at the start of this year, called Forever Curious. It is about the interesting stories that lie just beneath the surface, and how they can be discovered if you are curious enough to look a little closer. The Age hides clues within its pages and online, and readers are rewarded if they find them and dig a little deeper. For example, there was a special sentence, a bit like a password, in the food section, and readers were encouraged to visit a certain cafe and repeat it to someone who would be seated outside. Those who did were rewarded with a free lunch. I love things like this – it’s like a treasure hunt! Melbourne also prides itself on its underground, hidden gems, so I think this campaign matches that perfectly.

The Age worked with two highly regarded street artists, Rone and Phibs, to collaborate on a mural in one of our well-known street art laneways, Hosier Lane. The Age had featured their work in a “Just Graffiti” ad for the Forever Curious campaign earlier, and they were keen to continue that connection with the artists. Their work is really familiar to us here, and is an iconic part of our city. I love the idea of something that I always think of as being so competitive actually working together.

In the lead up to the day, The Age had asked its readers what their favourite graffiti spots in the city were, and their answers were incorporated into the artwork along with their twitter or Instagram handles. They also ran an article about Rone on the day, letting people know it was on so they could check it out.

I got there in the mid afternoon to have a look at its progress – I think it’s fascinating seeing these things happen. It was a lovely warm winter’s afternoon, but very cold in the lane – no sunshine gets down in there!

It was great to see the two styles combined to make this striking piece.

I was also interviewed for a video being made of the event – I didn’t make the final cut (wait, is that right? I mean be in it!) but it was definitely an experience – a fun, if strange and slightly scary one! – to have a quick chat with a fancy camera and one of those big furry microphone things inches from my face OH and in public!!! You can see the video here if you like. You can also read The Age’s article about the day here.

And now I am really pleased to tell you about a prize I have to give to one of you! In fact I have to do it quickly as I want to keep it but I can’t, so boo for me and yay for you. 

I have 1 x FRAMED PRINT of one of Rone’s Melbourne pieces (taken by an Age photographer) – worth $180.

For your chance to win, please tell me: what is your favourite piece of street art in your city and why do you like it? And when do you get to see it?

Personally I’ve always liked seeing it from trains, when you get to see things from such a different view. I love seeing all that colour in really awkward, hard-to-get-to spots, and then getting to see it change over the weeks and months as it is added to, painted over etc.

Tell me in the comments here, and, as always, please leave an email address so I can contact you. Full terms and conditions are here.

Good luck!

woods, moutains, sunsets and vintage capes

After a very early start and a drive through the dawn down near the mountains, I'd been really keen to get to the mountains proper. Just for a day trip! And last Monday, a public holiday here, we did it. It was a beautifully crisp, sunny day – perfect! We drove up and up through through the forests. People were making the most of the still, cool weather and burning off, so the air smelled of wood fires. Is there a better smell in winter? I really don't think so! It was so relaxing after some busy weeks. Sometimes I dream about packing up my city life and going to live in the country. The trees are really tall. Sometimes it's quite lush, and sometimes it's stark – Victorian bush is so varied. And so different to what I grew up with in England, where it was all rolling green hills and hedges and creamy dots of sheep. The light shining through the woods is otherworldly. We found our spot and admired the scenery. This sap really is bright red! I wore a vintage brown dress and my vintage olive green cape. I love my cape soooo much; I'd been looking for one for well over a year and I'm so chuffed to finally have one at long last! It is lined in shot coppery fabric that shimmers in the light. And it's so, so warm! And this stuff is nature's barbed wire. Very clever of nature but it's not good to let it brish past your knees when they are only protected with tights. Sharp! Some posing for the future. And some twirling because, well, my cape twirls and I like it. Looking impish with a tree. Check. And really enjoying the space, the countryside, and the fresh air. So much so I did it twice. All those years of ballet were worth it, then! Little tiny mushrooms complementing things rather perfectly. Nice work, tiny mushrooms! I'd love to go mushroom picking one year, and learn which ones are edible. And then as the sun juuuuust started to go down it was time to go home, through a glowing, drawn out sunset. Blissful days off. More please!

when the sun goes down it really is winter

After all the sunny, warm – or, at least, mild, but they look warm – photos of my Melbourne winter, I thought it only fair to share some pics of the reality of when the sun goes down. It's been getting very cold. I promise! Last Sunday, after my lunch with Trish and Teresa, I was soon heading back out for an early dinner at my mother-in-law's. It was still light but the sun had dropped below the buildings, and the temperature dropped, too. So much so that I not only put on my winter coat, I put on my woolly gloves! Brrrrr! Sparkly hands, sparkly shoes. I'm very sparkly at the moment! Winter sparkly, I like it. Like icy crystals. I've always loveed the story of the snow queen. And I feel kind of snow queeny with my white hair. I like it! And I LOVE winter! Happy Sunday!

three vintage ladies, three vintage dresses, two blue cardigans and one great coat

Last Sunday I met up with awesome vintage ladies Trish and Teresa for a bit of lunch. It was lovely! Three of us together talking about everything vintage and then some. How cute are their matching blue cardigans! And although it was a warm weekend, we could feel winter approaching at speed, even as we left the cafe in the early afternoon. Teresa had her gorgeous orange-red coat with her, which was lucky! It was such a great way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday. Looking forward to the next one!