Some old shots.

Some pictures from a roll I've just had developed recently.  They're from my last trip to Melbourne, back in..?  Sometime last year, anyway.

YIS.

I'm pretty chuffed that one of my photos is being used as the cover art for my friends' band's single!

Check it, and them, out at YISBLOG.

Trippy.

The tofu asada burrito from Trippy Taco is phenomenal, as are their "Trippy Fries".  Go there!

RSH, 1959-2009.

Tonight I'm feeling very stunned and sad from hearing the news that Australian musician Rowland S. Howard passed away today after a long battle with liver cancer.

I'm really not qualified to speak of his career and achievements, because I only discovered his music this year, but his album Pop Crimes has been one of my most listened-to this year.  You can read my friend Trevor's recent interview with him here, and there are some fantastic photos to be seen on this blog.





Truly a Melbourne icon, he'll be very much missed.  xox

Goodbyes.

Over the past few days I've been gradually bidding my friends farewell, and last night I caught up with Jhana for beer and pizza.  A lovely night, but all the beer made it difficult to get up at 4.30am for work today!

Phở.

My dear friend Thao made me phở. The other day she presented me with a phở pack, with broth, raw sliced beef, rice noodles, bean shoots, herbs, chilli, spring onion, lime, soy sauce and instructions.



So today, I simmered the broth, dropped in the beef and noodles, then served it with all the garnishes.



Delicious, and just what I needed on this hot day!

With friends like Thao here in Melbourne, I'm seriously reconsidering my impending interstate move...

Rainy streets.

Friends.

My good friend is visiting Melbourne at the moment, and we caught up for breakfast and coffee yesterday morning.



I found the wall decorations at Brother Baba Budan fascinating, and I covet one of those black menu boards. Anyone know where I can get one?

City.

View of the city from the NGV Australia at Federation Square. I saw the Long Distance Vision photo exhibition yesterday. Really inspiring - the snapshot-style photos are exactly the sort of photographs I want to take. Get along to see it if you can - it's free and runs until 21 February.

Color TV's.

Found in Johnston St, Collingwood.

The promenade and the pier.

Last night I went out for dinner in St Kilda and for a night-time stroll along the beach.



We walked all the way out along the pier and to the breakwater to see if we could find some penguins.



Braving the wind and the rain, we had a fantastic night-time view of the city.

Playing Statues.

Siena, January 2009.

I really like photographing public art and monuments. The other day I spent some time wandering through the gardens south of the Yarra, and I found plenty of willing subjects..




Phoenix


Water Nymph



History


I wonder what Queen Victoria would make of 2009 Melbourne?


King George V

(was he the mad one?? Why was he mad? I bet it was arsenic poisoning.)

xox Liz.

Commit No Nuisance.

On Friday I met up with my dear old dad for a few hours before he headed out to the airport and on to Dallas (!!!).

We had proper Aussie fish and chips for lunch and then wandered around the city for a while.



Dad sticks up two fingers to the establishment in Chinatown.



I can't remember where this wombat is - Federation Square? - but he sure is cute.



Dad taking advantage of the free wifi in Federation Square to check his email - AGAIN. I swear, he's worse than a teenager with that thing. (...yes. I'm jealous.)



This man was curled up on a ledge under a tree, fast asleep. On a more solemn note, the state of Melbourne's trees is really sad. The massive Norfolk pine in my backyard is shedding needles at a huge rate and, as you can see, the trees in Federation Square are badly affected. Let's hope for some decent rain soon!

After Dad and I parted ways, I crossed the Yarra and headed south for the calm, quiet, green shade of the Royal Botanical Gardens. More next post!

Snapshots.

Not much has been happening lately. I've been out and about trying to soak up as much sunshine as I can before I depart for the wintery northern hemisphere (22 sleeps yo!), and I keep forgetting to take my camera with me.

Nevertheless, for my fan (hi Dad!), here are some random snaps from the past couple of weeks.



This is a hole in the fence in my backyard. You can kind of see the play equipment set up next door - I'm completely jealous of the small child who lives there! When I was younger we used to borrow toys from the Toy Library, and one of the coolest things was this huge toy that my parents made forts for us with in the loungeroom - it was fantastic! Did anyone else get to play with this when they were small? And does anyone know what it was called? My dad and I are going crazy trying to think of it!



This lovely couple is (are?) my friends Sam and Adele. Sam and I have known each other since before birth, when our mothers played hockey together while we were in utero.

We're at Silly Yaks in Westgarth, a cafe that is totally, completely, ONE HUNDRED PER CENT gluten free. Coeliac Adele goes a bit nuts whenever she enters this store - "Argh! I can eat EVERYTHING! Where do I start!? Ack! Head explode!"

Interested persons should note that Silly Yaks has recently changed hands, and the new owners are planning a whole swag of changes, including a market-style set-up out the back of the cafe, where you will be able to buy gluten-free ingredients, fresh produce, and all sorts of things.



The gardens at my university are pretty nice to hang out in on a sunny day.



Last Friday was Saudi Arabia's national day, and all the Saudi students at uni were celebrating in the uni centre. It was crazy - lots of singing and dancing and laughing - but I did feel a bit sad that the Saudi women were sitting down and watching quietly, not partaking in the festivities.





Here's my best friend being a tourist in the middle of the city on the weekend:



And here's the coolest mid-life-crisis car I've ever seen:


My papa, in North Carlton on Friday night.



And... last but not least - my new haircut!



It's not a WHOLE lot different to how it was, but it feels so nice to have short hair again. I made sure the hairdresser cut lots and lots of texture into it, and I really, really like how it looks. What do you think? I'm not 100% happy with the highlights, but I can live with them.


Don't you think my wonky mouth is a bit weird? I never notice it except in photos - I wonder if that's how it looks all the time?

Here's what I'm wearing today - my very favourite summer dress. Apologies for the bra strap hanging out the side, but I didn't have time to fix it before the timer on my camera went off!



Love!

xoxo

Night cats.

One of the things I love about my suburb is that at night, all the neighbourhood cats come out to play.



I encounted this one just before on my way home from the tram stop - it didn't want to sit still to pose for the camera!



Like my shiny golden shoes?

A day in town.

1. Gripe for the day #1: Australia Post.
Get this! It now costs 55 cents to send a letter through the post! I went in to the post office today to send off a bunch of CDs that I'd sold on eBay, and I'm now out 10 cents per CD because I didn't know that postage had gone up.

2. Gripe for the day #2: Muffins that stick to the paper.
Is it unladylike to scrape muffin off the paper with my teeth? I'm unsure. However, it was a pretty good muffin (poppyseed, cinnamon and apple) and I didn't want any of it to go to waste!

3. A day in town.
My mother and I met in the city yesterday for a day of shopping and gossip. I don't get to see her very often as my parents live 4 hours west of Melbourne, so it's lovely to get the chance to catch up with her!

Our shopping was mostly of the window variety, but we still indulged in an orgy of trying-on! Mum spent a good 45 minutes trying on gorgeous outfits from Veronika Maine, but we left without buying anything - I feel so sorry for the poor sales assistant!

I now have a brand new camera! It's my birthday present from my parents and grandfather. My birthday's not til the 24th, but I'm allowed to use it now. It's very exciting - I've not had a digital camera before! I'm going to go crazy documenting everything from now on. Look out!

We did both buy some new shoes - Mum bought a pair of Ecco gladiator-style sandals from David Jones, and she and I are now co-owners of a pair of vintage Dr Marten t-bar shoes, bought from Retro Star Vintage. We each paid half, and the deal is that I get to take them to Italy, and then she gets them when I get back. We're thinking we'll swap every four months or so. It's nice having a mother who shares my taste and my shoe size!



What do you think?

And here is my gorgeous mother, enjoying tea and cake in the GPO:



4. Shoe-and-baglust.

I found so many things I wished I had the funds to buy - where's my mysterious benefactor when I need him?? Number one on my list is this Mimco bag:


(image from Fashion Review Australia)

It's beautiful, and practical, and it's exactly what I need in a bag. It's not hideously expensive at $450, but I don't really have that sort of cash to throw around right now. I am thinking of going back and putting it on lay-by, though.

Number two is this pair of DKNY platforms:


(image from Zappos)

These are pretty stunning! I tried them on in DJs, and even though they were $400 off the original price, I don't need them and I certainly can't afford such a luxury. Still... I want to go back to the shop and try them on again!

What's your latest lust, chickies?