Gloria Marigo

I'm not really a fan of butterflies but these beautiful photographs by Gloria Marigo could possibly change my mind...

2010: Things I Did This Year

Inspired by a Frankie feature and some advice from Siimon Renyolds years go to "review your year" I looked back and surprised even myself (how could I forget #17?!).

So what did I do in 2010?

1. Fell more madly in love with my boyfriend

2. Danced and sang my heart out to George Michael- someone who I’d never thought I’d see

3. Realised what I didn’t want in a job

4. Visited Berry, Brisbane and Tamworth for the first time and loved it

5. Finally bought a digital SLR camera and took a photography course (and found out I wasn’t very good!)

6. Got really excited over the birth of not one but FOUR beautiful babies (Lily, Rose, Archie & Madeline), and found out my sister is pregnant.

7. Watched the first of, and one of my best friends get married. And cried.

8. Put way more effort into my side project Sparkapolooza and had a sigh of relief when Laura started helping out! (and got some coverage- people care!)

9. Moved into a beautiful, adult house in Newtown

10. Cooked and baked more than I ever have in my life- and impressed a few people along the way

11. Went camping/to a multi-day festival for the first time ever (even though it was kinda cheating and we hired a converted Tarago for the occasion)

12. Combined my super and signed up for health insurance. Yeah!

13. Discovered the joys of Marrickville Bowling Club. Things will never be the same again.

14. Hung out with Laura lots and egged each other on to be more creative

15. Kept my blog going- not very consistently, but it’s still alive!

16. Went to see the Olafur Eliasson @ the MCA with Ray and Justin, and had one of the most memorable days ever

17. Got naked with thousands of other people to be part of the Spencer Tunick installation at the Opera House and made it in the Daily Tele!

18. Held back tears when my boyfriend surprised me with this amazing Wheels & Dolls Baby leopard print coat.

19. Actually saved some money. Wow.

20. Saw some amazing live theatre- August: Osage County at Sydney Theatre Company was amazing & Van Park at Sydney Fringe Festival made me so happy I could burst. Both very highly recommended.

So that's me for 2010. Onwards and upwards with 2011 already shaping up to be full of surprises. What did you get up to in 2010? I'd love to know your list!

2010 image via Ernesto Lago

Christmas Protest

ZOMG cuteness by One Point Oh. Christmas is coming!

via chalaska

Running for Cover

A rain inspired post.

How long my umbrella lasts until I lose or it fails in the face of the wind is proportionate to how much I pay for it. And not in the way you would think. The more I pay for an brollie, the shorter its lifespan. A couple of years back I decided to forgo the dodgy ten buck umbrella and invest in something more durable. Sixty-five dollars later ... it's lifespan? Two uses. On some random street, a piece of plastic, probably worth two cents, broke, making the entire thing useless. Meanwhile, a two euro umbrella I bought at (a Two Euro Store ... is there such a thing?) has survived since August. Bastards.

Umbrellas are temperamental things. A sight you'd be familiar with walking to work any rainy morning is the battered corpses of metal and polyester, formerly known as umbrellas. Discarded by its owners, it lies there looking sad and motionless. There's something quite beautiful about umbrella roadkill. Maybe it's the sight of justice.

XXXO Remix by Oli Chang

I kinda sorta liked this MIA track when I heard it, but then that turned to a certain type of puppy dog love once I heard that remix.

Or perhaps that's for Oli Chang.

I'm already envisioning the contemporary dance routine to this track...

The Front Page

In an age when the obituary of the newspaper has been written many times over - often 140 characters at a time - I still find time to read a physical copy of a newspaper each day.

Part of what I love about the newspaper, in it's traditional form, is the front page.

Online, I'm able to filter so much information that I'll often only click on the stories I'm into. Sure, there's a link to something about the war, but do I really want to read another story on Afghanistan? Especially when there's an feature article on some new social trend that will have died the moment the story went to print.

But when an editor puts a story like Afghanistan on page one, above the fold, he or she is telling you it's important. There's a hundred articles in our paper, but this is the one you ought to read.

It also reminds me of some of the movies I used to watch growing up. Whenever there was big event, you'd have the scene where a truck drives by and throws a stack of newspaper onto the ground, whatever headline centre of shot. What are they going to do now? Show an iPad instead?

The front page still has a huge symbolic value, and done well, makes a statement or sums up the mood of its readers.

And it is for these reason (and with a firm understanding of irony) that one of my new favourite sites is the Front Page blog. Each day the website shows the front page of all the major U.S newspapers. From the Boston Globe to the L.A Times and USA Today, it's got it there.

So if the death of the newspaper is indeed imminent, I'll be front row, in black, mourning at it's funeral.

Say Hello to Johnny Luu

Hello all!

I've been spending way too much time at work these days and in doing so have neglected this blog a tad. Not to worry, cause with a little arm twisting my best friend Mr Johnny Luu has volunteered to take over for a few posts.

You may recognise Johnny from various Hollywood movies such as Titanic and Gladiator my Facebook photo albums, high school, or from SBS Insight/ News where he is currently journalist extraordinare. As well as this he's also written for publications such as The Sydney Morning Herald, Rolling Stone and Good Weekend. All in all, he's pretty cool.

I'm not sure what to expect from these posts so I'll be looking forward to this too!

Chromeo: J'ai Claque La Porte

If I wasn't in love with Chromeo already, I'm pretty sure this would seal the deal. Words can't describe how much I'm swooning right now!

They're coming out at the end of the year, but playing with N.E.R.D. so it's about $100- eek!

Note: also check out the Night by Night clip if you're ready to turn into a 15 year old girl!

Pale Preoccupation

Aren't these watercolours by PalePreoccupation beautiful? I love the first one- I even went to go buy it but then realised she was only selling prints.
It fits perfectly into the current Sparkapolooza 'Circus' theme too. Have you started yours yet? The deadline is this Tuesday and we want your submissions!

Weaselfactory Rings

Oh how supercute- are these rings by Weaselfactory gorgeous? I'm going to a wedding this weekend, so here's hoping for sunny days!

Hello Kitty as Daft Punk

Well, that was a title I'd never thought I'd be writing.

Most people should know by now I have a love of Hello Kitty (yes, a little ironic considering I'm completely scared and freaked out by cats), and of course there's no other than Daft Punk. So Hello Kitty and Daft Punk combined means nothing else but a oh-my-gosh-hands-on-cheeks-GASP!

But wait there's more- see Hello Kitty as everyone, from a smurf to Buzz Lightyear to even the puffy guy from Ghostbusters!

Via the awesomeness of Seth (though how he came about it I'm not quite sure).

Cee-lo Green: (F--k You)

Family Portraits

Skinny Leg Jeans for Toddlers

If there was an award for the image(s) that have wooed me most this week it's these. I'm sorry, but this calls for a OMFG! How cute are they? I don't care if it's a little bit wrong to put your toddler in skinny jeans- when they look this adorable it's nothing but right.

I'll take 10 for my non-existent army of hipster toddlers thanks.

Via All The Glory

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische

If I were a font I'd want to be quirky and cool

http://dailydropcap.com/

Hamish Smyth

Hamish Smyth

Ellen Allien: Sun The Rain

All I can say is- hurry up summer!

Moonlighting Magazine by Asylum

If I ever move to Singapore I'm pretty sure I'd want to work for The Asylum.

This is a great mini-mag inspired by everyday people who have their "real jobs" that they love, not just their everyday ones.

What would you're real job be?

Oscar & Millas Birthday Party

The lovely Miss Milla (The first of 5 of the days outfits!)

Kids birthdays are all about cake. And sugar, lots of sugar.

Miss Isabelle

Present city.

Oscar's best photo pose

Toys & more toys

I'm going to alot more kids birthday parties these days (well 2, but keep in mind the base was 0!), thanks to Johnny's ever going number of nieces and nephews- there's even one due today! That means the total figure will be EIGHT under the age of 5- I'd be lying if I said I didn't love it.

P.s. I cut out and iced those amazing cakes....but after I saw the amount of sugar and butter that when into it- I couldn't bear to eat any of it!

Adventures In The Land of Brisvegas

Ron Mueck exhibition

Oh gosh this grass outside the Brisbane art gallery was so cute it felt like elves were going pop up any second

The view from our bed in the apartment. Less creepy than you may think.

I'd like to say going to the Ron Mueck exhibition was the highlight of the day, but really, playing Super Mario Kart in a bar was about 100 time more awesome

Crashing out in the gallery

My boyfriend Johnny and I recently went up to Brisbane which was exciting because I had zero expectations and I got to feel a little less guilty about not seeing as much as I should of my own country (I'm still yet to go to 4 of the 8 capitals!).

Things I loved about Brisbane:

• Great weather- while everyone was freezing in Sydney I was wearing a summer dress
• Staying in a serviced apartment. When did we suddenly turn into adults? I don't know but I like it.
• Getting completely spoilt- I was shell shocked when he gave me a super lush Wheels & Dolls Baby coat for my birthday!
• The Ron Mueck exhibition- amazing to see in real life as they do in pictures. Loved the reactions of the crowds to the sculptures too.
• Mana Bar - video games at a bar, I couldn't think of anything better (maybe winning at Super Mario Kart)
• The Bowery - Bar of the Year in 2008. Amazing cocktails- make sure you get the expresso martini ("to wake you up and fcuk you up"). It's an old school prohibition type venue to a tee, even with the very well dressed bartenders.
• Ortiga - again, another birthday surprise. The food is the die for, I couldn't recommend it more. Make sure you get the garlic prawns.
• Flamingo Cafe- the cutest, quirkest cafe with the most adorable (and one very loud) staff. The best baklava muffins I've had in my life ever. Sure they've been the only baklava muffins I've ever had, but you need hot scoot your way there to find out.

So, Brisbane has been ticked off my list. Only 4 more capitals to go. There's pandas in Adelaide. Should that be the next stop?