in bloom

Spring and florals. Not exactly rocket science, I realise. But on a walk today, cherry blossoms lined the walking trail, and my neighbour's garden was a virtual field of pretty pastels. It put a spring in my step (no pun intended) and inspired me to document some of the flowery goodness fashion has to offer.

It's getting heated

There's nothing that can make you feel dreary and lacklustre during a drizzly Melbourne winter quite like being bombarded with other people's travel photos from a European summer. Each day I'm faced with album after album named 'Europe 2009', 'Rome-ing', 'Euro Trip!' and 'IOS BABY!!' One sympathetic person even chose the title 'Our European Tan'. It's gotten to the point that logging into Facebook requires a mental debriefing, assuring myself that summer is coming, the fake tan bottle is still sitting in my cupboard, and porcelain skin is in fashion again anyway...isn't it? Because that's what my skin is - porcelain. Not pasty. Not wan. Not washed out... Just humour me on this.

The deep, coffee tan and warm, relaxed glow of my travelling peers has certainly sparked jealousy, and a sudden desire to drop everything, jump on a plane and jet set over to the Greek Islands. But as the weather warms up, and the we're teased by sporadic periods of sunshine, Melbourne's overall mood appears to be on the up. Who needs to lie on a beach in San Sebastian when we have our very own stretch of sand right here in Mordialloc? So you're sipping espresso in Paris. Big deal, I'm doing the same thing in Fitzroy. And that gelati from Florence - does it really compare to what Trampoline has on offer? Sure, Europe is amazing. Sure, I wouldn't say no to a quick sojourn around the Croatian coast. But there's no denying that Melbourne in spring is a great place to be. As the rain clouds disperse and the winds lose their icy chill, the streets fill with people, the Earl Grey's are replaced by James Boag's and a sense of anticipation permeates the air. Spring is here. Now all I'm hanging out for is that first Sunday session in the sun, and maybe even the beginning of 'My Melbourne Tan'.

TST - Speaking Zaans

Check out the recently released video clip for Melbourne indie band TST's track, Speaking Zaans.

Good stuff.

Getting High

despite the recent criticism, it seems high waists are here for a while longer....even for guys

Hey Shorty

Every day the Same

This morning I had one of those typical 'so many clothes but nothing to wear' moments. Running late for work, I stared into my overflowing cupboard (one of two), rifled through the racks, threw garments all over my bed, and amid a mess of scattered jeans, dresses and cardis declared that nothing was right. Oh, how simple were the days at school, when we got up late, threw down some breakfast and flung on the same uniform we wore the day before. And the day before. And the day before that. Conformity conshmormity.

For 365 days, life will once again be that simple for Sheena Matheiken. Starting from May 2009, she has pledged to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion. Well, there are actually seven identical dresses that will be on rotation - she may be environmentally conscious, but she's also conscious of the stench of year old musty clothing.

There is a point to this experiment. The Uniform Project will be used to raise funds for the Akanksha Foundation, a non-profit organisation helping to educate underprivileged children in India. Donations received throughout the project period will be used to fund uniforms and other educational expenses for children living in Indian slums.

She says of her venture:

I was raised and schooled in India where uniforms were a mandate in most public schools. Despite the imposed conformity, kids always found a way to bend the rules and flaunt a little personality. Boys rolled up their sleeves, wore over-sized swatches, and hiked up their pants to show off their high-tops. Girls obsessed over bangles, bindis and bad hairdos. Peaking through the sea of uniforms were the idiosyncrasies of teen style and individual flare. I now want to put the same rules to test again, only this time I'm trading in the catholic school fervor for an eBay addiction and relocating the school walls to this wonderful place called the internet.

Personally, I think she's onto something. I mean, for 365 days she willl be free of the stress that is Morning Outfit Construction. Sure, she has to work out a different way to wear the dress each day, but really, what's a bit of accessorising? She gets to enjoy the fun part - taking the ingredients and cooking them up into something delicious. And two months in, she's proving herself to be quite creative. See below.

Florence + the Machine

I'm currently enjoying the sounds of indie act Florence and the Machine. A collaboration between English artist Florence Welch and several musicians providing backing for her vocals (the Machine), their tunes are catchy, quirky and a whole lot of radness.

The recently released Lungs is an amazing debut album from the 22-year old. With an often bluesy, souly sound, it has the ability to be easy listening, inspiring, energising and an emotional outlet all at once.

2009 has been a big year for Flo, what with performing at Glastonbury, Oxegen, supporting the White Lies, Friendly Fires and Glasvegas on the Shockwaves NME Awards tour and winning the Critic's Choice Award at the Brit Awards. But there's still much to come, with Reading and Leeds music festivals and their very own UK tour in the pipeline for the remainder of the year.

She certainly knows how to make an entrance.

Florence + the Machine - Lungs. Go. Buy. Now.

I can see right through you

...In the eye of the beholder

Lately I've had a longing. A yearning for a little something in my life - to cuddle, play with and care for. When I see someone walking by with their own little guy, I can't help but run over for a play.
No, my biological clock is not in a state of overdrive - there's plenty of ticking left on that timekeeper. Rather, my cluckiness is concerned with a companion of the four-legged variety.

Having been without a pet for the last year and a half, I've found myself drawn to all the little pups that seem to be running round recently. This infatuation has led to many conversations with friends about our favourite breeds. And repeatedly, my dogs of choice have been met with disagreement, shock, and occasionally disgust. In my eyes, a dog needs to have character. Sure, golden retrievers or labs are beautiful dogs - our family pet for 16 years was a lab cross - but to me there's nothing cuter than an ugly little pooch. Boston terriers, pugs, bulldogs, chihuahuas, staffies... the weirder looking and more squished their faces are, the better. How could you say no to their big, googly, slightly cross-eyed puppy dog eyes?

Salto Wear

Promo time.

On the weekend myself and two friends jetsetted off to Adelaide for a quick visit. Very brief... less than 24 hours in total, from departure to arrival lounges. We swept in, rocked Adelaide to the core, then before they knew what hit them we were back on a plane home, on very little sleep. The reason for our trip? Two of our good friends who once lived with us in Melbourne have left us to go back home to Radelaide. Well, that happened a while back. But now one of them is leaving to go even further afield - NYC, the Big Apple. Plus, it was her birthday. Plus, she was holding a fashion show for her new label, Salto.
Hence, the promo.

Salto is an urban, fresh, male and female clothing line. It combines a range of tees, singlets, cardigans and dresses for both sexes. The current range is cute, fun, very wearable and the girls' pieces have a hint of sixties flavour. Pieces are currently stocked in a number of boutiques in Adelaide, and start at about $60. Despite having only just begun retail sale, the line is receiving rave reviews, and the stores are reporting that pieces are flying out the door.

Salto has it's own Facebook account, so please feel free to add the label as a friend to keep updated on all the latest news.

Below are some pics of the most recent line, as long with some snaps from the parade. Enjoy!