isabella + frida = perfection

So, I had my second mental-health cleanse, trip-away. I went to Sydney for two days and stayed overnight in the VERY fabulous QT Hotel. All alone. How much did I love that hotel? Well, this morning my husband actually asked "Do you want to marry that hotel?" and my answer was a resounding, well, YES!

My friend M and I went to check out, and be enthralled by, the Isabella Blow exhibit at the Powerhouse Museum. Oh my. I walked in knowing little about Blow, but walked out wanting to learn so much more. Her dedication to fashion was one-of-a-kind - and her love for hats just blows my mind. We were treated to snippets of her wardrobe, from Philip Treacey headpieces, down to Manolo Blahnik shoes (with a lot of McQueen in between!)!

 It's impossible to pinpoint the one outfit I fell in love with - but this glorious red number below is pretty much top of the list. Can you EVEN?

Then I checked into my hotel and LOOK at the bedside lamp. IT'S A HAT!

The QT reno is Deco-delicious. Check out the moody hallway!

Here's the view of the QVB through the sheer black curtains in my room!

 The parlour downstairs is the perfect spot for a breakfast if you want to feel like you've been transported to Berlin (which I very often do)
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Oh, and how's this? The makings for an espresso martini on a glass tray. Merely call room service for some ice, mix, shake and sip.

On Monday we headed to the Art Gallery of NSW to see the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibit. Appropriately there were MASSES of these shocking pink blooms dotted around the place. I can just see Frida casually grabbing a few and weaving them sensuously through her hair...

Serendipitously we were early which meant that we could immerse ourselves in Cate Blanchett's Manifesto. This extraordinary woman crafts 13 different characters in short films that are a surround-sound-and-sight extravaganza.

Never before have I been so utterly blown away by art.

How popular was Frida (and Diego)? Um, this popular. Yep, it was chockers. And slow-going. But so worth it.

Frida was an amazing woman, and the odd love story between the two made for compulsive viewing.

I left both exhibits wanting to make fashion more a centrepiece of my life, and to make the political even more personal.

We're only here for a short time. It should be for a good time, and to do good.

Don't you think?

garden glories

These roses are the gift that keeps on giving. While our hybrid teas are mere sticks with a couple of leaves, Duchess de Brabant is still delighting with musk-scented pale pink nodding flowers (with a David Austin red peeking its head over the back!).

I finally found a gardener recently, who's pruned the four metre high, 10 metre long lily pilly hedge by the pool and weeded and mulched the front garden. It's a delight. I think I've gained more benefit from getting a gardener than a housecleaner (particularly as the cat sheds hair faster than anyone can vacuum!).

I'm driving down to Sydney today to catch up with some friends, check out the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibition and stay in the fancy/schmancy QT Hotel (now this is LUXURY - a hotel room, BY MYSELF for a night).

My emotional cleanse between jobs is going swimmingly well I must say. If ever you get a chance to just do something for yourself, no matter how small, may I highly recommend it.

Even if it's just taking time to smell the roses.

escape to melbourne

I had a sneaky couple of days in Melbourne this week. I've actually (for the first time EVER) managed to get myself two weeks off before starting a new job (with a lovely, lovely team, doing very fab things - still at the Uni) so I took advantage of my friend saying "Wanna come down to Melbourne with me?"

The answer had to be yes.

And, as it was winter, I got to wear my cape (hurrah!).

I took this extraordinary book with me to keep me company. Anna Spargo Ryan's words are just so achingly beautiful that I'm taking it slowly. To savour them

Speaking of savouring...

I caught an earlier flight than my friend, so I made straight for Degraves laneway and went to Degraves Espresso for this utterly delicious slow-cooked ragu.

Deadset, it was one of the most exquisite sauces I've ever tasted. Rich, decadent and divine.

I got tremendously lost on a tram, then on foot, and finally found my way to the hotel. One gin and tonic the size of my head later we checked in, then caught up with an old uni friend and her partner in their new pad. He cooked dinner, we drank wine and chatted.

It was perfection.

The next day I caught the train to have coffee with my baby bro, mum and step dad. Then mum and I caught the train in to the city where I gazed in wonder at the extraordinary ceiling and chimney structure inside Melbourne Central.

Isn't it something!

I had to buy big at Sephora to make it up to my gal for leaving her alone for a couple of days (well, not alone, my husband was here!). So what better way to make it up to a sixteen-year-old than with French make-up? (I may have purchased a few pretties for myself...)

We checked out 200 years of Fashion at the National Gallery of Victoria and marvelled at the handiwork and incredibly teeny-tiny sizes of women 100+ years ago.  As mum spent most of her younger years making her own clothes it was great to check out the handiwork together and reminisce of covered buttons and seamwork.

I spied with my little eye this incredible work of art by Adnate. This guy painted my favourite artwork in Newcastle - an extraordinary piece of a young Aboriginal boy who looks up over Newcastle Harbour from Wickham. What he conveys with the eyes, and all through the work of spray paint is just amazing. Such a talent.

We didn't feel like lunch so mum suggested coffee and cake. I knew where to go. Now, here's my theory - if you're going to have cake, make it worthwhile. So we headed for French patisserie Laurent. It was lovely. While we sat at a marble counter sipping coffee and eating sweets a man walked down the laneway in front of us with a massive ram on a lead. Yep, a boy sheep (he was VERY obviously a boy!). Not exactly what you expect to see in Melbourne let me tell you.

 How much do I love Melbourne laneways, let me count the ways.

Mum left to go back on the train so I checked out the Scorsese exhibit at the ACMI. It was. Well. Powerful. And violent. And dark. And confrontational.

But extraordinary.

This was cool - an insight into Scorsese's childhood dining room. With an interview with his parents playing on a tv. Amazing.

Then back to the hotel before going to an impromptu catch up with another friend from Uni. We went to a very fab bar in St Kilda before trying to perfect the perfect selfie in his apartment. Too much fun.

But how good is this pic? Just shows the whole joy of the couple of days.

I love a random adventure.

Oh, and before flying out this morning I got to catch up with my step-sister for a lovely breakfast in a laneway before bussing it out to the airport and home again.

My soul's refreshed.

Nothing like a good soul cleanse is there?

it's science bitches

I get to do the most fun things.

For example, over the past few months I've been working a group of young scientists on this! Bringing science to the pub in Newcastle. Well, The Edwards to be exact.

Pint of Science is an international event that came to Australia and now we've brought it to Newcastle. And, in very chuff-worthy-news - we were the first team to sell out (every single night!)

Yep, three nights of science with a sold out crowd.

Here is the very fabulous Chloe modelling the super-awesome shirt that we all received thanks to national sponsor Young Henrys (a damned fine beer).

photo: Chris Brown

Emma is one of my favourite scientists, and here's why - she made a roomful of 50 people stick a tasting stick on their tongue and poke it out. See, these sticks let you know if you're a 'taster' or a 'non-taster'. For some, the strips just tasted like paper - for others - they were a little tasty - for others, it was like they'd sucked on a whole bag of lemons.

Apparently I'm a non-taster. Non-tasters tend to eat more and be less fussy than tasters. That explains A LOT.

photo: David Beckett

Over three nights we gathered together the most incredible array of MCs, speakers and audience. Here's our night two: Down To Earth crowd. We learned about the ocean, clouds and coasts on this night - it was bloody brilliant!

There are so many things I'm proud of. 

One: we brought science to a whole new crowd and they loved it! We had people begging us to put on more events (and we will - next year!) and people turning up on the door hoping to be let in to a sold-out event.

Two: three nights went off without a hitch - diverse speakers, entertaining MCs and an enthralled audience in a very cool venue.

Three: gender equity baby. A team of five women brought together 3 women MCs (one man) and four women speakers (three men). This was coincidental - we just chose the best people for the job - and we happen to have awesome women in Newcastle. The only night we were conscious of balance was the final night when we had two male speakers so we had two women MCs balancing it out.

photo: Jazz and Jeyn

This is what a group of very happy women look like after pulling off something that we'd only dreamed of. The very fabulous Chloe had the idea to bring this to Newy, and thanks to her organisational skills (and the brilliant National Organiser Mayan) we did it.

Bring on next year.

And thanks Emma for the blog title inspiration.