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Straya Day Mate

January 27, 2014, 6:45 pm
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Australia Day means different things for different people. Lately it seems to have a lot of political and ‘politically correct’ overtones. It’s a complex issue, but I’m not really going to get into it. For me Australia Day is not about celebrating the day the British arrived in Australia, it’s for celebrating all the great things about our country and the people that live in it. Our glorious weather, our safety and freedoms, our quality of life, standard of living, clean drinking water, readily available nutritious food, Aussie delicacies like Lamingtons, Minties and Pavlova (don’t start that debate) and of course the wonderful people that we breed here. That would be my friends. So we spent the day surrounded by those we love, having a few beers, enjoying the sunshine, being idiots and having a laugh at ourselves. Very Aussie if you ask me. Oh and did I mention there was a slip n slide?
 

I went for the Aussie ‘beach babe’ look which was actually quite terrifying. Not me at all, but a great laugh. The Man went as Captain Australia, others were Aunty Jack, Dawn Fraser and Schapelle Corby – all men and all very tongue in cheek! The rest were of course, all just versions of ‘true blue’ Aussies. We shared beers and laughs with our mates, not to mention a ripper barbie. Couldn’t get much more ‘straya than that. Except it could, we all joined in a rousing rendition of the national anthem before the slip n slide costume competition got underway. It was a riot watching everyone go down, some interesting techniques, including mine which seemed to involved going arse over,
bashing my head on the ground and then rolling sideways all the way down the hill. I am so graceful.
 
 
Aunty Jack came third and one a warm West Coast Cooler which he then proceeded to scull. Second place went to Dan for an epic nudie run that took him all the way to the next door neighbour’s front door, he won a warm VB which is chugged half of and then poured the rest over his head. First place went to a very deserving Schapelle Corby who had a rather bumpy boogie board ride down. He was honoured with a warm tallie of Fosters which he almost finished, chugging it all in one go. It was the best Australia Day ever and so much fun, although we were all very sore the next day. Who knew the muscles you punished when tearing down a slip n slide!?
 

It was the perfect way to be thankful for the wonderful lifestyle we have in this country. We’re not called the ‘Lucky Country’ for nothing, and it got me thinking about how lucky we really are. The opportunities we have. The connections I’ve made because of all of that. In fact, the party was held by one of the loveliest couples I’ve ever met. It’s brilliant really, originally the lovely lady was a follower of this blog who always brought a smile to my face with her kind words and pictures of her pug. I finally got to meet her and we totally hit it off. Since then we’ve become great friends and get to hang out at parties. When I woke up on Monday, in the comfy bed her and her hubby had so kindly provided for us, I had a moment where I was kind of amazed that only 6 months ago, I’d only ever spoken to her on social media and now I was waking up in a bed at her house, so very well looked after. It’s pretty cool huh?
 
 
THAT is what Australia Day is about to me. To me we are a land of kindness and opportunity. It’s yours if you want to take it.
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Rat Rods & Rockabilly

February 5, 2014, 5:46 pm
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Last weekend the first annual Rat Rods and Rockabilly event was held at the Hamilton Hotel. Initially we weren’t going to go (we’re saving for the US so we’re trying to cut back on our social spending) but I was trying to organise a bit of a surprise photoshoot for The Man and the photographer was going to be at the event, so we decided to kill two birds with one stone. So to speak. As you may or may not know, The Man is selling his ’59 Ford Tank Fairlane 500 and I wanted to surprise him with the opportunity to get some nice shots of it and with it before it goes. 
 
Photo by Pix by Pete

We arrived around lunch time and things were already in full swing. Brightly coloured market stalls covered the car park and there were some kick ass rat rods and rides parked throughout. I tell you, those marshalls are operating on tetris level expert. It was a brutally hot and sunny day, but we managed to avoid getting sunburnt by hanging out in the shade of a lot of the stalls. The bands sweated it out on stage as we made the rounds catching up with new friends and familiar faces. We’d just booked our flights to America that morning so there was lots of talk of Tiki Oasis with tiki master Marcus Thorn of Tiki Beat and Tiki Dylan’s Idol Hands. Excitement!

When the heat got too much, we headed inside to the air conditioned comfort of the pub for a few beers and a bite to eat. It was a really relaxed, enjoyable day. I had a wonderful time and for once it felt like we could just float around and take it all in without having to run around doing things or seeing everyone. The show was small enough to be leisurely, although I can’t help but hope it’s a little bigger next year. I especially hope there’ll be more room for more cars. The festivities ran into the night but we weren’t staying. We wrapped up the afternoon with our photoshoot with Phill’s Kustom Photography.
 
Phill’s been involved in the automotive industry for a long time. In the last few years he’s expanded into photography and now does great work photographing events throughout the kustom culture community, pin up and the pride and joy of many hot rodders. You can see his work in Pin Up Skool Magazine and in the upcoming calendar he’s about to release. Or, scroll down and check out his shots of us.
 
 
 
 
Lots of fun and at least these pics will be something for The Man to look back on and reminisce all the work he put into the tank and all the years he loved it, once it’s been sold. On top of selling his tank, he’s also selling off a lot of his private collection of vintage and collectibles. He’s simplifying his existence and is looking for a new project car-wise to work on. Out with the old and in with the new. I better be on my best behaviour! HA.

If you’re interested in snapping up some bargains on an amazing collection of vintage, retro, kitsch and tiki type stuff the sale is on THIS SUNDAY 9 Feb. There’ll be kitchen tables and chairs, bars, click clack lounge, lounge chairs, suitcase BBQ, tin signs, display cabinets, complete dinner sets, pictures and so much more. Priced to clear so get on that! If you’re interested in coming to the sale, contact me for the address. Here’s a sneak peek of just some of the stuff available!
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Off The Hook

February 17, 2014, 2:47 pm
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Things have been pretty quiet around here lately, if you haven't noticed. Maybe you have, or maybe with nothing to stimulate you or remind you I've simply slipped by unnoticed. Either way that's ok. I'm letting us both off the hook. It's such a combination of life factors for me at the moment that I refuse to beat myself up about it or feel too guilty, unlike in the past. I'd hate to be posting drivel for the sake of filling the page so for now I've adopted the idea that silence is golden. That's not to say that I don't intend on posting. I want to post at least every week but I'd love to do even more. But things just haven't turned out that way.
 
It's funny really, it feels like everything's been happening and nothing at the same time. I'm in that weird space where life feels quite busy but I have nothing particularly exciting to report. As you know I'm headed back to the USA in August so I've been trying to cut back on my goings out to save money. It's lucky I've got some great friends with great pads where we can have lots of fun without needing to go out or spend lots of money. Aside from trying to save, the general business of things which aren't worth blogging has left me feeling a little uninspired to be honest. But working away I have been, behind the scenes, and I've achieved some great things in the past few weeks.


I'm very pleased to announce that I now have a regular column in the Big Beat of the 50s Magazine, who you may remember I've worked with once before. I will now be their Queensland correspondent on all things rockabilly, taking over from the Queen of Rockabilly herself, Lori Lee Cash. Those are some pretty big cowboy boots to fill but I'm certainly looking forward to giving it my best shot! I submitted my first column last week and I can't wait for the magazine to come out. It's a members only publication though, so if you want to be able to be able to have a flick though you can become a member here. I'll try to share my column with you when I can though.
 
My other big achievement is paying off my car loan - almost two months ahead of schedule! It may not seem like much, but I'm actually very proud of myself. I knew it would feel good once it was over and done with, but it actually feels a whole lot better than I was expecting. It feels great to know that I took on a commitment 5 years ago and was able to see it through and have something to show for it. Not to mention, it frees up a whole bunch of extra funds now which will go straight towards my holiday. Exciting stuff folks!
 
I just couldn't let another week go by without checking in with you guys and while I don't expect to make a habit out of this whole 'radio silence' thing, sometimes I think it's good to give yourself a little break, especially if you're feeling tired and a little overwhelmed. Often you only need a little respite to start feeling truly invigorated again. I have a feeling that will be the case for me. I'm already feeling better after a great weekend feeling loved up with The Man on Valentines Day and spending some really fun, relaxing times with friends. It's always the little things for me. I just needed some quiet time to let things flourish in my mind instead of my head being over-crowded with so many thoughts that it just sounded like white noise searching for a radio station.
 
Also, thanks to a lovely gift from The Man and as a little treat on my behalf for fishing paying off my car loan early I'm treating myself to a new tattoo. A pretty decent sized one, one I've been planning for ages and one I can't wait to get! So stay tuned for a new Tattoo Tuesday soon, exciting stuff folks!
 
Hope you've all been well. While we're on the subject, is there anything you'd like to get off your chest? Anything that's been overwhelming you lately? Or have you had a win we should all be celebrating with you? Do tell.
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In Review: Wolf Creek 2

February 24, 2014, 5:15 pm
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Saturday we headed into Southbank to catch the second instalment of the outback slasher, Wolf Creek 2. Having loved the first one, I couldn’t wait to check out the sequel and was quietly hoping that they wouldn’t ruin it with a second film that was lacking. The first movie was impressive, particularly given it was shot in chronological order in just 25 days! Rated R, the first movie was certainly much more graphic than this second instalment which was only rated MA, however what it lacked in gore it certainly made up for in bizarreness.

It’s been almost 10 years since we left Mick Taylor, homicidal bushman, in his hunting grounds of the Australian outback. Presumably continuing to add to his body count, this movie picks up with a couple of German backpackers who are exploring the vastly beautiful Australian outback carefree. That is, until one night after visiting the Wolfe Creek Crater, Mick stumbles onto their illegal campsite in a National Park. Explaining the pitfalls of illegal camping, he offers them a lift back into town and it’s here where things start to go wrong.
 
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Mick Taylor (once again played brilliantly chillingly by John Jarratt) begins yet another murderous rampage through the isolated outback. Whilst her boyfriend Rutger isn’t so lucky, Katarina manages to escape and runs into British tourist Paul Hammersmith (Ryan Corr) bloody, hands bound and screaming for help. Bundling her up into his car, Paul and Katarina are then stalked by Mick in a high speed chase across the barren land. Paul becomes the focus of this life and death cat and mouse game as he tries to survive the night in the isolated killing fields Mick Taylor seems to know so well.

There are definite parallels between the Ivan Milat backpacker murders and the Peter Falconio murder which make this saga all the more chilling, particularly as it claims to be based on a true story. While the body count is lower and seemingly less gruesome in this second instalment it’s certainly no less brutal and is far more psychological than your typical slasher movie. John Jarratt once again puts in a brilliant performance as one of the creepiest killers to ever terrorise our screens and no doubt you’ll be hearing that trademark laugh in your nightmares.
 
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I thought Ryan Corr was actually quite good as Paul Hammersmith also, putting in a gritty and believable performance not to mention a pretty good British accent as well. My favourite scene in the entire movie is a completely bizarre encounter between Paul and Mick in an underground torture chamber. Having finally captured Paul and brought him to his lair, Mick is ready to inflict some serious pain on the ‘vermin’ foreign tourist when his knowledge of Australian culture and history becomes the only thing between him and Mick grinding off his fingers one by one. Perhaps the most bizarre part of this entire scene which I absolutely loved is a rousing rendition of Rolf Harris’ Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport sung by the two as they slug down rum and get to know each other a little better.

Like most films of this genre there are plenty of laughs to be had along the way, despite the brutal on screen antics of old Uncle Mick. There are also some great tracks used in the soundtrack that put such a bizarre spin on the action happening on the screen. I love all that weird kind of stuff, so this was right up my alley, although The Man was a little disappointed in the lack of gore. I on the other hand thought it was great to see a movie that didn’t just rely on the shock of body parts and gallons of fake blood to give you the heebies.
 
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Another aspect of the movie that I loved was the fact that you can’t help but kind of like Mick Taylor, despite his homicidal tendencies. When he’s not hacking people up, he’s actually a pretty funny guy who delivers some great one liners. The other thing I loved was the fact that so much of the cinematography of this film could be used as a tourism ad for Australia. Edit out all the parts where tourists are being hunted, tortured and brutally murdered and you’ve got yourself some spectacular shots of Australian landscapes. Add to that the footage of backpackers having a fantastic time in some unbelievable locations and you feel yourself wondering why you don’t just quit your job, pull on a swag and get out there and explore this amazing country of ours. Don’t worry, it’s not long until Mick shows up to remind you why you don’t.

Thoroughly enjoyable – I give this 7 severed fingers out of 10.
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Tattoo...Thursday?

March 12, 2014, 4:06 pm
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I know I’m slightly out of synch with my regular ‘Tattoo Tuesday’ post but I only got this baby finished on Monday and wanted to wait until the swelling had gone down to post it. So that you can see it in all its glory. And damn what glory it is! I am in LOVE with this tattoo! I can’t wait for it to be completely healed so that you can see all the shading and detail in it. Mark has done an amazing job!
 
It’s on the outside of my left calf and it pretty much takes up the entire area, from ankle to knee, just to give you a bit of an idea on its size. It only took two 2 hour sittings with Mark (Suicide) at Voodoo Tattoo in Loganholme to complete. Not bad huh? He’s been doing this for a long time so he’s nice and quick but the quality of his work is unbelievable. He does the BEST shading! I mean, look at the shading on the devil’s face!! I think it might be my favourite part about this whole tattoo. Nailed it!
 
I’ve been planning this tattoo for a little while now and it’s inspired by two of my most favourite kustom kulture artists of all time – Coop and Vince Ray. The devil is of course inspired by the iconic Coop devil but the style and the girl is very much Vine Ray’s. The inspiration for the girl was actually taken from last year’s Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender poster, also designed by Vince Ray. And the devil with his finger under the gal’s chin? Well that’s a personal little detail.
 
 
The scene itself is taken from the cover of a rockabilly compilations CD I have and I just love the effect of the streetlight illuminating the brick wall. I wanted it to feel a bit sleazy, like some kind of clandestine meeting in a back alley. I love hair and really, what outfit would be complete without some leopard print? I am so pleased with this one, it was actually a great area to get tattooed. It didn’t hurt a bit and it’s healed really well, really quickly. I’ll be sure to post a photo once it’s healed completely so you can see all the colour, shading and details pop!

Ah this tattoo caper, the more I get the more I want. Lucky I’ve still got plenty of bare skin left!
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Mr Guitar Geek

March 17, 2014, 8:26 pm
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Sunday just gone we headed to Morningside RSL for a fantastic afternoon of rockabilly markets and rockin tunes by the likes of local Brisbane band Twang and The Hi-Boys headlined by Mr Entertainment himself, Deke Dickerson all the way from the USA. Despite receiving some rather crappy news that morning, I was determined to have a great day. I had a pretty new dress to wear and with such fantastic bands and great friends, it really wasn't hard to be well and truly cheered up!
 
Can we just take a minute to appreciate this dress? I'm in LOVE! I so very rarely am able to wear anything strapless. With such a big bust, I usually find it impossible to find anything that fits correctly and doesn't threaten a wardrobe malfunction but this dress is simply divine! It fits like a glove and it even stood up to the test of a couple of fast and furious dances! A++!
 
First up were Twang who I just LOVE! Their style is the perfect mix of rockabilly and country and their beat is so great to dance to. Fast enough to keep things fun without overdoing it. Also, Mariee is their female frontwoman, something that instantly appeals to me. Not only can she play the guitar but boy can she sing! She has a great voice that showcases a restrained power, kicking butt without overdoing it. There aren't that many female-fronted rockabilly bands, particularly in Brisbane, so think Twang are just the bees knees.
 

Next up were The Hi-Boys who play fast and hard despite their classic look. These guys give it all they've got and play so fast that it's almost impossible to dance to them. It's kind of a shame because they deserve some dancefloor appreciation by in saying that, they've got a real jump beat vibe that really brings the energy up in the room. For me they kind of represent a sort of Go Cat Go meets Rusty Pinto sound which I love! Their rockin tunes were the perfect opportunity to catch a breather from the dancefloor without losing my enthusiasm or momentum.

 
Of course everyone was waiting for Deke. Having seen his Guitar Geek festival at Viva Las Vegas last year as well as at previous years' GreazeFests so we knew we were in for a treat. They don't call him Mr Entertainment for nothing and his stage presence plus the obvious rapport he has with our mate John Flynn made for a rather cheeky yet entertaining afternoon. This man is a guitar god but it seems his talents know no bounds as he swapped instruments with the guys doing a bit of both drums and the double bass.


Some of my personal highlights of the set were There Stands The Glass, Chicken Walk, I Might Not Come Home At All and one of my most favourite songs Flattop Pickle Head by CK Louis which saw Deke on drums. And then of course there was the dance off. Not your typical dance off though. John Flynn impressed everyone with his robot and moonwalking skills while the poor VIC drummer was facing a tough QLD crowd. Then some lady volunteers were requested. Despite The Man urging me to get up, I think I'm glad I didn't. You see, it looked a little something like this. HAHA.


All in all it was a brilliant day and I certainly danced my blues away!
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Breather

March 24, 2014, 4:27 pm
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Phew! Well it's been hectic times around here the last few weeks. My personal life got quite busy and to be honest I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed and emotional. Thankfully I had no plans for the weekend just gone other to relax and take a breather. Unfortunately last Sunday I received a text message from my housemate telling me she was pregnant and that her parents were coming over from China and that I had 2 weeks to find somewhere else to live. Cue a general sense of panic. My first thought was to put the feelers out with all my friends on Facebook. There were lots of kind offers from friends near and far and it was very heartening to see such love and support for me. It sure helped to cheer me up. Unbelievably though, I was scouring Gumtree for share houses when I came across one that almost seemed too good to be true!
Is it not amazing!?
Not only was it big and beautiful, it was also in a lovely area (not too far from where I used to live in Holland Park) and still nice and close to work, not to mention it was cheaper! I called the number and wouldn't you know it, they could have me round to check the place out on Monday night. I went round and it was just as lovely in person as it looks in the pictures, plus the housemates seemed friendly and fun. They're into travel and when one of them started talking to me about Man V Food I knew this was the household for me. I drove home and texted them right away saying that I'd love to take the room if they'd have me. Always seeming to be one to land on my feet, they texted me back saying they'd love to have me too! Just over 24 hours after being told I had to move and I found a brilliant place! I couldn't believe my luck.
 
The new place has a kitty! Meet Andre AKA Fatty
However, that only gave me 4 days to pack everything up ready for the move this weekend just gone. Luckily a lot of my stuff was still packed from the last time I moved and I really only needed to pack up my room which didn't take long. And so it was that on Saturday my wonderful sister and brother-in-law brought round their ute and, along with my wonderful Man, helped me pack it all up and take it over to the new place. Of course it was just my luck that the only 5 minute window of rain we had in the whole entire beautiful sunny Saturday was while we were loaded up and driving to the new place with my mattress strapped to the top. It got pretty soaked. We had to leave it out on the deck for a day to dry and air out. Thankfully we could stay at The Man's place on Saturday night so we didn't have to sleep on the floor.
 
First shower beer in the new place!
We got everything moved in on Saturday, which left Sunday for unpacking, but not before a super fun night at the Soused Seas, the amazing private tiki bar of our new friends Rod and Maxine. Our friends Dani of Black Lagoon Designs tiki mugs and Evan of Johnny Voodoo's Barbershop introduced us to Rod and Maxine, who are also going to Tiki Oasis this year! I drove so that The Man could enjoy some well-earned drinks but we definitely need another trip back when I'm not driving - the cocktails they were making were fantastic! It was a great way to blow off some steam after a big day moving and was lots and lots of fun.
 
I am the only one not soused here ;)
Sunday it was time to put my bed up in my room, unpack all the boxes and really settle in. I was just putting the final fur coat into my wardrobe and as I pulled my arm out of the closet, I cut it on a wire shelf that had a sharp bit sticking out. It sliced me pretty good, not deep enough for stitches but too deep for just a band aid. There was blood running down my arm and I was most concerned about it having split my tattoo. I pressed some paper towel to the cut to try to stop the bleeding while we headed to the nearest pharmacy for some assistance. Thankfully the cut was nice and clean but it didn't seem to want to stop bleeding. Some antibacterial and a few steri-strips and I was put back together. It's starting to heal nicely now and I just hope it won't affect my tattoo too much once it's fully healed. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
 
Not my TCB!!! :'(
For what was supposed to be our 'designated weekend off' it certainly turned out to be much more eventful than we were hoping. Still, the new place is fantastic and I'm settling in nicely. Now I'm really looking forward to the Easter holidays for a chance to really catch my breath and relax, because it looks like from now until then we'll be pretty busy! Sigh.  
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100 Happy Days

March 31, 2014, 10:25 pm
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If you follow me on Instagram (you should!) then you've probably seen me posting to the hashtag #100happydays over the last week or so. In case you haven't done your own detective work (which is totally something I would do) I thought I would share it with you because I think it is a really awesome concept. It's basically just a little challenge for you to share something daily that makes you happy. It doesn't have to be anything earth shattering or grand, it could be something as simple as sliding into fresh sheets or putting your socks on straight out of the dryer.
 
I know myself, it can be very easy to miss the little things that make you happy, especially if you're feeling down or just busy and overwhelmed (like I have lately) and I think it's certainly worth reminding yourself. 71% of people who tried to complete the challenge thought they didn't have enough time to do it. That's 71% of people who think they are too busy to be happy. That's sad. I'm very much about noticing and appreciating the little things and being grateful for all that you do have, so this challenge had me written all over it.
 
Even better, you can officially register as part of the challenge, choose which platform you want to submit your pictures on (Facebook, Twitter or Instagram). You can even create your own hashtag for sharing your pictures if you'd prefer them to remain a little more private. It's completely up to you. The you submit a picture each day of what makes you happy, with your hashtags, and at the end you even get a little book of your happy moments to look back and remember. How lovely!
 
The thing is, this challenge is about you, FOR you and no one else. It's not about being happier than someone else or being in competition or showing off or anything like that. For all intents and purposes, your images could be 'boring' to anyone else. The point is that you take time in your day to stop and consciously think about the little things that have made you happy. It's designed to improve your mood, increase your optimism, amplify your gratitude and just generally make you feel good.
 
I have to say, so far I'm loving it! I feel more relaxed, more present, less overwhelmed, my thinking feels clearer and I am actually more motivated. It's easy to feel like things are getting on top of you and I had been letting that negativity creep into things, including sadly the quality of this blog. But I am totally reinvigorated and feel so much more in control, not to mention I've got some great content that I'm really excited about sharing coming up. Stay tuned for one heck of a shot of colour and positivity!
 
Won't you join me? Lets get happy together!
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What Happens in Vegas

April 3, 2014, 4:02 pm
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The Viva Las Vegas festival is right around the corner. Some of my friends are already over there, others are leaving this weekend. This time last year, on this very day, I was in Vegas. As you know (because I can’t stop talking about it) I’m heading back there in August. Last time I gambled exactly $1 of someone else’s money haha Even though I’m not much of a gambler, it is Vegas after all and I wouldn’t mind giving it a shot this time. Who knows, maybe I’ll even win! Probably not, but I might as well try anyway. I’m making a plan of all the things I want to see and do that I missed last time around. Keep in mind it’ll be pretty hot in August, so I dare say I’ll be spending most of my time inside air conditioning drinking, shopping, eating, gambling and maybe even winning.
 

Casinos

Given that I know almost nothing about how to play table games, I need to brush up on my skills. Roulette seems like fun and blackjack sounds pretty exciting, so between those invites to annoying games on Facebook and asking around the few friends I know that do gamble, they recommended Top Online Euro Palace Casinos as a good place to start. There’s lots of different games to play and some generous bonuses which should hopefully make my small stash last a little bit longer before it’s lost to the house.
 
We’re staying at The Flamingo so no doubt I’ll try my luck there. Given that I’m not the most passionate gambler though, I doubt I’ll waste too much time traipsing around the Strip to find casinos. Although I have heard The Mirage has better odds for roulette and the Alamo is good for blackjack. I guess we’ll see. 
 
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Hotels

Although Vegas might be all about gambling for a lot of people, it certainly isn’t for me. There are so many awesome hotels to check out with heaps of crazy attractions like the wildlife habitat at the Flamingo, the water fountains of the Bellagio, the Fall of Atlantis and Forum shops at Caesars Palace, Shark Reef Aquarium and House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, the volcano eruption of the Mirage, the Paris Eiffel Tower and the gondola rides of The Venetian. Eek I can’t wait!
 
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Thrills

There’s also plenty of stuff to do for thrill-seekers. The rollercoaster at New York New York is a must for some people, but Insanity at the Stratosphere might be the most self-explanatory ride in Sin City. Dangling 900ft above Vegas may seem like fun now, but how about when the chair starts spinning and tilting and hitting 3G’s? Hmm? I still can’t decide if I’m going to be brave enough to go on this, although I really want to!
 
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Music

It’s also a great town for live music, which is right up my alley as you know! One of the most atmospheric venues is the Double Down Saloon on Paradise Road. We wanted to get here last time but we just didn’t get a chance, so it’s high on our list this time. Their motto is “Shut Up And Drink”, which sounds perfect to me! There’s always great music there – even if it’s just the amazing jukebox.
 
So tell me, is there anything else that should be on my list? I can’t wait – wish me luck!
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Tiki Time at Jungle

April 7, 2014, 4:09 pm
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Saturday we headed out to the Eat Street Markets to sample a range of delights before making our way into West End for the first ever Tiki Time at Jungle. A Robot Productions event (run by Lori Lee Cash, the beauty and brains behind the Brisbane rockabilly scene including the GreazeFest Kustom Kulture Festival), it was the first of its kind for LL and Jungle was certainly the perfect venue for it. By the time the night was in full swing, the place was full of hibiscus bedecked kanes and wahines. DJ Leapin' Lawrie was spinning vinyl 45s all night playing plenty of classic rockabilly, although a little more surf or exotica would have really set the mood.
 
 
Now I have a confession to make. I may have been having a bad hair day (read skin, hair, dress) and I may have had a little meltdown at home. First of all, I've been trialling a new skin care product I was sent and I must say I'm quite disappointed with it. I don't normally get many pimples and I've actually discovered a great skin care system that really works for me (Shiseido White Lucent for those playing at home). Unfortunately this new product caused me to have the mother of all break outs, which wasn't making me feel the greatest.
 
 
Then when I put the dress I had been planning to wear on, it was too baggy and had no shape to it. I thought it looked most unflattering. I searched my closet for an appropriate belt to pull in the waist but couldn't find anything. Time was running out and I was dithering about, whinging about what I would do. The Man suggested that if we hurried up we could leave early and stop at a shop on the way to buy an appropriate belt. I figured this was my best option so I slapped on my make up (trying my best to cover my pizza face).
 
 
I didn't even have time to do anything with my hair. Just shoved in a couple of hair flowers and in half an hour we were out the door. I may or may not have said something along the lines of 'fine I'm ugly today everyone will just have to deal with it'. Such a diva haha Anyway, we rushed into the shop and I found a belt that would do the job. I figured once I was away from the mirror I wouldn't really know if I looked bad or not anyway.
 
Once we got to Eat Street I put it all behind me and had a great time with some friends as we shared plates of all kinds of goodies. If you have an afternoon or evening to kill and like to try lots of little bits of yummies, I highly recommend it. We filled our tummies and then it was on to Jungle for Tiki Time! I was being a very good girl and being designated driver so I only let myself have one cocktail but I made sure it was worth my while - a zombie! Mmm mmm my favourite!
 
It was great to catch up with everyone in such an intimate and funky setting, with plenty of opportunity to have a chat. I love my live music, but it's certainly easier to catch up with people when you don't have to shout over the band. The atmosphere was great - friendly, laid back and lots of fun. It was really relaxing and enjoyable and I was having such a great time that I didn't even care that I was sober. Everyone was dressed in their tropical finery and looked fantastic! Then it came time to announce best dressed.
 
 
And wouldn't you know it, IT WAS ME! I actually couldn't believe it! Baggy dress pizza face won best dressed? Get out! Haha It's quite rare that I am lost for words, but I really was. Considering how many beautifully dressed ladies there were, I must admit I felt a little undeserving but it was very nice all the same. Lori Lee assured me it was a fair vote between her and the bar staff so I guess I just had to be gracious and accept it, even if I personally would have chosen someone else.
 
Isn't it funny though. The one time I feel crap about how I look and get ready in a rush. It felt like the universe was telling me to get over myself. Ok universe, I hear you loud and clear. Perhaps I shall ponder it some more as I am enjoying my prize. Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention, my prize was a $150 bar tab at Jungle!
 
I'm sure I can give that a nudge next time I stop by, don't you?
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April Round Up AKA Where The Heck I've Been

May 5, 2014, 4:18 pm
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It’s been a bit quiet on the blog the last few weeks, but don’t let that fool you into thinking life has been quiet for me because it’s been the exact opposite! In between working and my busy personal life, my regular posts got away from me a little bit. Sorry about that! Hopefully you missed me a little, though not too much. A lot has happened since I last checked in with y’all.

Easter Weekend was a series of awesome times with friends, kicking off with a raucous get together and delicious cook up at my new place on Good Friday. I was lucky enough to snag the place to myself so I filled it with some of my closest friends and we feasted on Mexican prawn skewers, my famous chicken wings, delicious pulled pork soft tacos and lots of cake and chocolate. We all lapsed into a food coma but it was brilliant. Plenty of great tunes and great company, I had a fantastic time.
 
 
Saturday we were destined for Krash & Vicki’s Tiki Bar but called into Old Skool Tattoo’s Pin Ups & Pinball day to say hi to our friend Evan, better known as Johnny Voodoo, who was cutting hair on the day with his pop up barber shop. Somehow I managed to get roped into the pinball competition and wouldn’t you know it, I came second! Not bad for a girl who’s only played pinball a few times in her life. Lucky The Man taught me a thing or two on the machine at Southside Tea Room, it must have come in handy. How amazing is this trophy!?
 

Sunday we dragged ourselves to Greig & Bianca’s for a wonderful lunch feast, nursing hangovers from a rather big but very fun night Saturday night at the Tiki Bar. There was a beautiful boxer called Matilda and three, yes THREE, sweet pugs called Lily, George and Aisha not to mention a Frenchie called Biggie Smalls – how cute is that!? I was in doggie and food heaven haha We spent the night and enjoyed a delicious breakfast the next morning, admiring the views.
 

ANZAC weekend was just as full on with another night at the Soused Seas and this time it was my turn to drink, rather than being designated driver. I was super excited as the last time we went they were making brilliant drinks that I could only have a sip of a drool over. It was great catching up with friends and meeting new ones while planning shenanigans for the US and Tiki Oasis. It was a really fun night and although some were a little more soused than others, I woke up fresh as a daisy the next day.
 

Which was lucky as we had a day planned to go see the Vintage Speedway at Caboolture with a bunch of mates. To be quite honest, the racing wasn’t quite what I had imagined or was hoping for but I had a really fun day just the same. It was really hot to begin with but we had a shady gazebo, some comfy chairs and some smuggled booze and it was really nice just hanging out with everyone and catching up somewhere it was actually quiet enough to just chat. Besides, we make our own fun wherever we go.
 

After a spectacular sunset and some trackside shenanigans, we headed back to Brenton and Katrina’s for some drinks by the firepit. We also stayed the night that night and enjoyed a big breakfast cook up on the BBQ, swapping drunken stories of the night before, before heading inside to watch the V8s and chomping down on MORE Easter chocolate.
 

I must admit there’s been lots of over-indulgence the past few weeks and I’m keen to get back on track so that I’m in good shape for being poolside in the US. Speaking of which, we finalised all our plans on the weekend and have now officially booked and paid for every single thing we need for our trip!! So from here on out it’s just spending money. SO exciting!! There’s only about 13 weeks to go and I know it’s going to zoom by. I hope so anyway, I can’t wait!!

Thanks for sticking out this post and my slackness lately. I promise it will be back to regular programming next week.
 
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Brisbane Alternative Expo - Alt Style Showcase

May 12, 2014, 4:28 pm
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In case you missed the exciting news I announced on Facebook over the weekend, I thought I'd word you all up on here so you can mark your diaries. The Brisbane Alternative Expo will be held at the RNA Showgrounds on Sunday June 22 and I will be MCing the Alternative Style Showcase!! I'm very excited to be a part of what promises to be a fantastic day. Read on to see how you could also be a part of the show!
 
Presented by Brisbane Pop Culture, the Brisbane Alternative Bazaar will be held from 9am to 4pm on Sunday 22 June at the RNA Showgrounds. Children are FREE while adults pay just $5 entry with the money raised going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A large scale market and expo event, the Bazaar brings together 50 of Brisbane's best alternative vendors catering to all things unique, quirky and just plain cool! Retailers will be selling a variety of Pop Culture collectables, comic books, prop weapons, clothing, shoes, jewellery, leather craft, art and graffiti, unique hand made items and much more!
 
There is also a Cosplay Competition, the Delorean Time Machine from Back to the Future and much more to be announced. This is a great opportunity to get your hands on some of  Brisbane's coolest and most unique merchandise while supporting local Australian businesses, not to mention a great day out! Some of the vendors I am looking forward to checking out are Beserk, Voodoo Lulu, Narni Rose Couture, Sugar Bomb, Ella Mobbs, Wild Thing Creations and of course, Geek Girl Collective, who have kindly asked me to MC the Alternative Style Showcase.
 
I've not actually done anything like this before, but I'm really looking forward to it! If you would like to be part of the showcase, we're actually looking for plus sized models 16-22/24. If this sounds like something you'd like to be involved in, please get in touch with me so I can pass your details along. Either way, I hope to see you there on the day!
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ALL PINK EVERYTHING: Xanthia Pink Interview

May 26, 2014, 6:52 pm
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I first discovered Xanthia Pink on Instagram after the amazing NicCoCoCreations reposted an image of her in one of her lovely hair flower creations. I was immediately drawn to her bright hair and even brighter smile. I clicked across to her profile and decided I needed to follow this beauty and self-professed make up artist, model, light worker and life enthusiast - and I'm glad I did! Ever since, Xanthia has been a constant inspiration to me. Not only does she have kind shining eyes and the kind of thousand watt smile that could power a large city, but she of course has a great bod and a fantastic style! But most of all, she is such a loving, caring, happy and positive person! Everyday I enjoy the shot of sunshine that she injects into my day with her affirming posts, not to mention she's always busy doing lots of fun things. I love her so much and I just knew I wanted to share her with you. I hope you continue to follow her for your daily dose of happy!
 
 
You wear so many different hats, but primarily you are a make up artist – have you had any formal training?

Yes I do, and I thoroughly enjoy wearing all of my hats! Figuratively speaking. But yes primarily I am a makeup artist. I am self-taught, no schooling although I have attended various workshops and always enjoy learning new techniques and products! I have always had a passion for makeup and practiced over the years. When I started modelling, I would do my own makeup for shoots and every once in a while I'd have the opportunity to work with makeup artists and really loved watching and learning techniques from them too! I would practice on my own and on girlfriends and then into shoots doing both hair and makeup for myself and other models I'd be shooting with. After I took a bit of a break in modelling I decided to propel myself forward as a true makeup artist and hone in my skills and intention on that. It has been a very beautiful and rewarding start to my career being able to meet all kinds of people and accentuate their natural beauty and create with them! It's always a new experience and I'm very grateful and excited to continue forward with it! 

You’re also a published model, what are some of the favourite projects and brands you’ve worked for?

It's been a real honour and treat to be published and to now say that I've had 3 covers! My first cover and biggest deal, honestly was the cover of OC Weekly shot by Riley Kern.  I'm from Orange County and it was a huge deal for it to be so widely distributed down there. I was so giggly and excited to find stacks of them with my parents! I'm still so grateful for that opportunity and also for the most recent cover of Cupcake Quarterly magazine that I'm on! I was and AM so excited because it's one of my favourite images ever photographed by one of my best friends and very talented photographer Tommy O! It was also a wonderful experience shooting it at Bahooka - one of the oldest tiki restaurants- in its final days! That was a big deal! And some of my makeup artist work is in that same issue.  Some of my other favourite modelling projects are for Sweethearts Salute a non-profit organisation that all the proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project which is really awesome! Working with non-profits makes my heart happy!

I also absolutely love working with Danger Ninja Photography, Radiant Inc and Bad Bones Photography as they are stellar artists and just awesome loving and creative people! I feel so lucky to have connected with them as artists and as friends! Bad Bones is also leader of a Pinup Community called the Luscious Ladies, that I just recently became a part of! I'm excited to say that I am the Vice President of the LA chapter and we will be starting a whole bunch of fun creative action in the pinup scene!!!

Brands I absolutely love love love are Ribbons & Rockabilly who creates unique playing card flowers that are so awesome! She is a killer independent business woman and I love rocking her stuff!!!! I feel the same about my girl NiccoCoCreations as well and I'm ALWAYS wearing her gorgeous flowers! I'm honoured that I have had the pleasure to work with a lot of designers both clothing and jewellery from Del Vintage, KWCreations, Steady Clothing, Red Dolly Swim, Exquisite Restraint Corsets, Wonderland Corsetry and many others! I'm so grateful and I'm always looking to work with more designers! 

 
You always seem to be busy with something fun and interesting! Aside from being a make up artist and model, how else to you spend your time?

I really have learned how to maximize my life with AWESOME! I insist on having fun and enjoying all the beauty in life and believe we play a huge part in creating the life we have.  When I'm not doing makeup and or modelling, I am spending time with my  family  who I'm very close with (they're my best friends, soul mates and heroes) and we go to Disneyland a lot! It's my second home, really and I absolutely love it there! I also have a regular yoga practice that keeps me very centred and connected as well as writing and meditation! I love spending time with my friends and my CHUG Diego (Pug Chihuahua mix) who is my magical rescue pup! They recharge me with love!

What are some of your career highlights so far?

I would say that the publications have been wonderful (that I mentioned above ) but more importantly It's the JOURNEY that has really been very special! I look at all of these things as experiences and adventures and I'm so grateful that the opportunities came into my life and brought wonderful people with them! Being able to express myself and share my life of love and adventures has truly manifested more goodness and I believe that sharing it and helping other people find their light has been a HUGE GIFT! Doing makeup and helping people feel beautiful is such an incredible feeling! To help someone really FEEL it, and know how beautiful they are! THAT is a highlight! When you look good, you FEEL good and you present yourself to the world differently, and it responds! Everything is energy and it's a delight to be able to help someone have that experience!
 
Another highlight that I must include is the opportunity to do a breast cast for Keep A Breast Foundation! I believe it really came about because I AM very involved in art and communication and living a positive life! I got to cast my breasts with founder Shaney Joe for a project with KAB, Rockstar Energy on the  Inked UP World Tour! An incredible artist , Moni Marino, painted my cast and it was absolutely breathtaking! I was so honoured! At the end of the tour and when all the casts were painted (12 ladies were casted) there was a gallery opening and celebration! All of the casts were on sale and all proceeds went to KEEP A BREAST to help inform young people and the public to check themselves and prevent breast cancer! My Mom came to the opening and we got to meet a bunch of wonderful artists and supporters of all these wonderful causes, including meeting the artist who painted my cast, Moni! It was such an electric night and I was so happy to be there! I fell completely in love with my cast and my mom and I both decided that we needed to buy it! So I now have this gorgeous piece of art sculpted from my breasts to remind me of this stellar experience and wonderful cause! I hope to do more work with Keep A Breast in the very near future! I love them!

Editors Note: Xanthia has also recently worked with Danny Trejo for the Nerdist Channel. As a massive Danny fan , this made me very happy and I just couldn't help but mention it.

 
How long have you had your signature ‘pink’ look and how did you end up creating it?

I've had pink hair for almost 10 years now! It's kind of crazy to think about it almost being a decade of PINK! I toyed with some red at one point, threw in some purple a year or so ago, and currently have orange  in there too (which I LOVE)! But I've maintained the pink hair through it all! Pink isn't just a colour, it's an energy! I've always loved pink and when I finally committed to it, I fell in love with it! It's like colour therapy! It makes me happy and other people happy too! It's ultimate woman and I'm VERY girly and bubbly so it's very suiting! It's just ME! <3 I can see myself when I’m a super old lady and STILL having pink hair! I'm in it for life!

I discovered you on Instagram and was immediately drawn to your colourful and positive personality. Can you explain a little more about your positivity posts?

Thank you! I believe that positivity is a way of life, habits that we build and live by! Everything is energy and everything is habit! I love Instagram for many reasons, and it gave me an opportunity to share my life through photos and reach people I would have never met before! Over a year ago I had a calling to do what I call a "LOVE MOVEMENT", and the idea was to commit to posting a positive affirmation every day for 30 days to help and inspire other people to follow along and build positive habits for themselves! It all starts with how we feel about ourselves and loving ourselves! That's how we create our lives, through how we perceive ourselves and the world we are in. So I thought if I can do this, maybe it will help other people. So I started doing it and immediately people started keeping up and then some would share theirs too! I got incredible feedback and stories from others saying that this love movement "Operation Love Affirmation" was really helping  so I kept up. Shortly after the completion of the first love movement, I had gotten more supporters and they asked for more. I followed it with a Love movement called "LOVE FOUND HERE" and this one was focused to get other people more active on their own and sharing where in their lives they found love! In a person, an action, a song, an object, something in themselves, wherever it was I wanted them to share it and help me make a ripple effect. It was incredible what people were sharing and very loving and powerful. It really helped reinforce the positive habits that I have already in my life!

Gratitude changes everything and that's been proven to be one of the most MAGICAL things in my life! Sure I get upset and angry and have battled depression in my life, the darkness doesn't go away forever, but when we build positive habits and thoughts and find the things that we love and things we can do for ourselves, we can turn it around! We can save ourselves from the upsets and stop ourselves from wasting time on energy on the things that don't matter and focus on why we are really here!

 
You describe yourself as a ‘Light Worker’ and practice Reiki using crystals. Can you tell us a little more about this?

I've considered myself a Light Worker for the past 3 years and by that I mean focusing on living a life of love and light and really manifesting positivity and helping others find that too. Everything is energy and it's important to be aware and how to direct your own energy. Positive living habits and sharing my life of love is something I also consider light work because it’s sharing energy, a feeling, an experience. It's sharing beauty in hopes that you FEEL it too! I've been told that others do and I also send loving energy to my makeup clients in a supportive way. It's beautiful how it's all connected and expanded for me!  Reiki Energy Healing is one of my more recent endeavours.  It's a Japanese technique for relaxation and it is channelling Life Force energy through the hands. It's a very wonderful technique! I have been working with and collecting gemstones and crystals for the past 3 years and love them. They all have unique properties of healing and energy so I include them in my Reiki and card readings too. I've started working on family and close friends but do intend to expand my practice to others. I'm very Spiritual and have a personal connection and understanding that is very special to me! I'm very open and have found what works for me and have found beautiful keys to my path this way!

As a make up artist, what are some of your top tips?

I would say that it's very important to have good products that work with your skin type and that you take good care of your skin and cleansing process as well. I can tell you some of my favourite products which are my beauty MUST haves which might help! For my facial cleanser I use Philosphy and have for a very long time as well as ALMAY makeup remover wipes for waterproof eye makeup. My favourite cover up, and makeup for the face is Makeup Forever in their Pro Finish Powder foundation. Favourite eye liner is Stila stay all day liquid Black liner ( WATERPROOF ALWAYS) Mac Cosmetics Paint Primer for the lids before your shadow ALWAYS! It makes your shadow stay on like a dream!  I have tons of favourite brands for shadows, blushes and lip colour like Too Faced, Tarina Tarantino Makeup Forever, SugarPill, and many more but those are some of the favs! Oh and LASHES, I'm obsessed with lashes! Make sure you cut yours to shape your eye too! That's a great trick to keep in mind! Sometimes I cut mine in half so I can shape them to my eye and also use all of the lash so they look fuller! Just a lil trick! 


What are your plans and goals for the future?

My plans and goals for the future are to expand even more with my career as a makeup artist, light worker and Reiki practice! Ultimately I want to work for myself, helping people sharing my life of love and helping others get in touch with why they are here and how to love themselves and their lives.  I also of course love modelling so I definitely plan to continue that! I would absolutely LOVE to have my own studio and space for beauty clients to come as well as have a set up for photoshoots and a space for healing and Reiki! I feel that is not too far out in the future and will make it happen!  I have some projects in the works including writing a self-improvement book too which is really special to share my story and life and I know there is so much more to explore and discover and many adventures to be had!

I'm really all about arts, communication, healing and having an absolute blast in life and LOVING yourself completely! There is always a new adventure ahead of me and I can't wait to see what is next! I trust that the Universe will support me!

Thank you so much Sheri for this wonderful interview!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

A big thank you to Xanthia for taking the time out of her busy schedule to share some of her love, light and life with us. If you don't already follow this doll on Facebook and/or Instagram I highly recommend that you do! Everything about her is neon, including her shining heart and I guarantee that everyday her posts so full of happiness and positivity will be just the shot of sunshine you need in your day.
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Welcome Megan Rizzo Photography!

June 2, 2014, 4:21 pm
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This week I am incredibly excited to announce that I have joined forces with the incredible Megan Rizzo Photography for some fantastic upcoming features in the lead up to Tiki Oasis! In the coming months, you can look forward to saying aloha to some tropi-cool features on everything tiki including swimsuits, hair flowers, Hawaiian-inspired dresses and of course, the all important tiki mug! I am so happy to have Megan on board as not only is she an award-winning photographer, she is a wonderful lady who I feel is a kindred spirit, particularly after our business meeting turned more into a (long) leisurely friendly girly catch up. We are totally on the same page, and she has a wonderful heart. Plus we're practically neighbours! So get ready for some real eye candy in the upcoming features! But first, meet Megan...
 
Megan Rizzo’s love of all things photography began in the school dark room in Tamworth, where black and white prints taken with the school SLR were lovingly processed and hung to drip dry. Twenty years on Megan is a Tarragindi local and an accomplished portrait photographer, shooting for businesses, love-struck couples, beautiful babies, perfect pin-ups, burlesque babes and more!
 
Megan’s life experience as a mother and wife has sculpted her unique photographic style. Unpretentious, candid and palpable, whether in black and white or bold colour, her photographs tell a story to whomever they meet.

 
Megan was the original founder of the Woollongabba Antique Centre back in 2009. With her background in Banking and International business Megan used her knowledge and creative flair to establish what is now an iconic part of the Brisbane vintage, retro and rockbilly scene. With two young children at home, Megan chose to re-establish the balance in her family life and take a step back for a few years from the monster that had become the WAC.

Once the youngest of Megan’s children started school, it was an opportunity to go back to her first love of photography. She jumped in with renewed enthusiasm and excitement after leaving it aside for so many years. Juggling motherhood, family, studies and her business in photography keeps her on her toes, but as they say, when you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.

Using photography as the healer, Megan has found redemption in her heart’s true passion and now enjoys using her creative medium as means to tell the story of others and to help them see their own true beauty and worth.
 

Megan has seen great success in the last 12 months through her photography winning the MSIT Cert IV Student of the Year as well as being awarded Best Photoimage, silver and gold image awards as well. During the last year Megan has entered her images into the prestigious AIPP (Australian Institute of Photography) state and national awards winning silver in both.
 
Megan has a fabulous studio and gallery setup purpose-built at her home in Tarragindi. As she has been collecting vintage ball gowns, sequinned frocks and amazing props for years, she has a treasure trove of items that allow her to create a wonderland for her clients to lose themselves in.
 
I am so happy to have Megan Rizzo Photography on board and I'm so excited to bring these features to you, with images that truly showcase the quality of the products. This is something I have been wanting to do for a really long time, but I just hadn't found the right photographer, the right person who felt like a good fit for this blog. But now I have and I'm so happy the universe has brought us together!
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Cooly Rocks On: Beatnik Blowout

June 10, 2014, 7:15 pm
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The Queen’s Birthday long weekend used to mean one thing – Wintersun. A great event not to be missed held along the foreshore of Coolangatta. A chance to soak up the sun’s rays and warm ourselves from the crisp winter seaside breezes shopping (drinking) and dancing up a storm. Unfortnately Wintersun is no more, but the Coolangatta community wanted to keep the vibe of the event happening and therefore created the Cooly Rocks On festival. Sadly, these days the event leaves about as much to be desired as its name.



The old grey mare she ain’t what she used to be. Although, this year I saw a glimmer of hope with the Beatnik Blowout. Originally we hadn’t planned on going down to Cooly at all, but once the fliers for the Beatnik Blowout started circulating, we figured we’d better go down for just one day to take a look. After all, we had A LOT of friends who were contributing some great art pieces. No to mention, legendary low brow artist The Pizz was over from the USA as a special guest. After being lucky enough to have breakfast with The Pizz upon his arrival in Brisbane on the Wednesday morning, the luck continued with a positively outstanding day weather-wise on Saturday.



We joined up with some friends who had an apartment down there for the weekend and spent the day checking out the Beatnik Blowout, enjoying beers on the balcony of the apartment, having fish and chips by the water, sneaking back up to the apartment for more beers, strolling along in the sunshine marvelling at all the great cars aaaand…back up to the apartment for more beers. It certainly was a fantastic way to break up the day and we had a great time.



If it wasn’t for me needing to save my pennies for my upcoming US trip, I could have spent a fortune at the Beatnik Blowout! Some of my favourite pieces were a black velvet print by Matt Black featuring Suicide’s ‘Zombie’, a sheet of metal expertly airbrushed with a kick ass Frankenstein, an awesome Picasso-inspired beatnik painting by Woz and a rare vinyl illustrated by The Pizz – just to name a few. Still, I did shout myself a couple of little trinkets including this cool zombie finger key chain and this beatnik bongos key chain mad by Kamakazi and custom pinstriped by Scotty Makin.

Black Lagoon Designs - seriously, how amazing is this!?
It was a really fun day and we returned home thinking the weekend couldn’t get any better. Except, IT DID! Not only did we end up booking 5 days in Japan in December for what could possibly be the last ever Mooneyes, but on Monday The Pizz cooked us all his famous fish tacos!! Too cool for school, aside from being a phenomenal artist this guy is also a fantastic cook! Watching him work, he sure knows his way around the kitchen and we now know some great places around the US where we can get the best fish tacos. I can’t wait to try a baja fish taco!



It was an awesome weekend and one that’s sure to stick with us for a long time. Don’t be sad if you didn’t make it to the Beatnik Blowout – there are some Beatnik events happening this Friday 13 at both Vision Skin Tattoo at Lawnton and True Love Tattoo at Sherwood. Woz is doing $30 Friday 13 flash with some stalls and even a pin up photo booth with the lovely Phill Kustom and Mez is doing $13 tattoos + $7 tip with a bunch of Friday 13 flash as well as cuts by Johnny Voodoos Barbershop and rum by Sailor Jerry!

So get along and support your local Beatniks!

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The Road to Tiki Oasis: Aloha Beachwear

June 23, 2014, 3:49 pm
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I can safely say I never ever thought I would EVER wear a bikini. There are so many reasons and yes, my self-confidence was one of them. I don’t have a ‘bikini body’ and so it just wasn’t something that I ever considered for myself despite seeing girls larger than me wearing them and looking great. I guess it’s just one of those things, even those of us who consider ourselves to be generally confident people still have a ‘thing’ that they won’t do. Still, one day I was scrolling through the internet and came across Aloha Beachwear. That day changed my life.
 
I was looking for a nice new swimsuit to take with me to Tiki Oasis, something tropical that would fit the tiki vibe. At first I struggled to find a print that I liked, but when I came across Aloha Beachwear I knew I would be getting one of their suits. I looked at the one piece and then had the crazy idea that maybe, just maybe I could wear the bikini? Before I had time to change my mind, I emailed Sacha and she helped me with sizing. The next thing I knew I had this gorgeous flowered high waist vintage style bikini on its way to me.
 
When my package arrived, I was extremely happy to see that the print was true to the colour and images on the website, something I have had issues with in the past from other sellers. I was also very happy to notice the metal back closure on the bikini top, as a large chested lady having something reliable keeping it all together back there is extremely important – no wardrobe malfunctions for me thanks! Made of long lasting premium quality polyamid-elasthan fabric, the bikini has a comfortable stretch that moulds to your body, smoothing and supporting as it goes.
 
 
$75.00 + FREE SHIPPING!

The high waisted bottoms feature ruching across the front panel which flatters the tummy without adding any extra bulk because let’s face it, no one wants added bulk on their tummy – particularly in a swimsuit! The seams are also nice and soft and don’t cause any irritation in delicate places plus they don’t leave unsightly marks on your skin. When I first put the top on, I was a little worried by the fact that the cups didn’t feature any underwire and I wondered if they would be too small. However, with a little adjustment and the correct tension on the halter tie top, my ladies were sitting pretty. There is a small section of wiring at the sides of either cup that offers a bit of support and prevents any side spillage which again, for someone like me, is a godsend.
 
 
It’s the little details like the soft seams, light ruching and side wire that have so impressed me about this suit. Sacha is a German lady living in Thailand and has be creating these and many more gorgeous swimsuits from her small sewing room for the last 3 years. Not that you’d guess that though, as it’s clear that her designs are well thought out with all types of body shapes in mind. The material is soft and slinky and the waist band sits firmly without cutting in yet there is no rolling down during sitting or movement and trust me, I well and truly tested that out with all the poses I was pulling during this shoot with Megan Rizzo Photography!
 
 
I never thought I’d ever wear a bikini let alone post pictures of myself in one all over the internet, but thanks to the great structural integrity and flattering cut of this gorgeous swimsuit by Aloha Beachwear, my life and my attitude have been completely changed. A big thank you must also go to Megan Rizzo Photography for helping me to feel so comfortable and confident in what was a completely new and slightly scary life experience. There was no over the top glam, no over-retouching, just me. Megan was so encouraging and supportive and has captured the best version of the real me and I'm so grateful to her!
 
Aloha Beachwear - made in paradise for the vintage-loving lady.
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The Road to Tiki Oasis: Stars & Swallows

June 30, 2014, 3:50 pm
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When I put the call out for my Road to Tiki Oasis features, one of the first to jump at the opportunity was long time blog supporters Stars and Swallows. Giving me free reign to jump on their website and choose something I thought would be suitable, it didn’t take me long to decide on the Hell Bunny Maui 50s dress. One of the newest arrivals at Stars and Swallows, this colourful cocktail of tropical flora is the perfect outfit for a day of tiki fun in the sun.
 
 
Having worn many a Hell Bunny dress in my time, I was confident that this dress would measure up to all the quality and comfort I’ve enjoyed in the past and I wasn’t wrong. I’m an absolute sucker for a halter neck as the bust line it gives is so super flattering, particularly on larger busts. Although sometimes the pitfall of larger busts in halters is the pressure the halter can put on your neck however the ties on theHell Bunny Maui 50s dress are thicker and sturdier than on some of the other Hell Bunny halter dresses and therefore are much more comfortable to wear, particularly for long periods of time. Made from stretch cotton and featuring a centre back zip, the shirring in the side back panels of the bodice ensure a comfortable fit that’s perfect for your size and shape, moulding and stretching with your body.
 
 
The design of the dress means that it falls in a nice, full A-line and sits perfectly without a petticoat so if you intend on wearing this beauty in the tropical climates it calls for, you don’t have to worry about sweating under the extra layers of a petticoat. Of course if you’re willing to brave the heat or aren’t lucky enough to be wearing it poolside under the Californian sun, there’s plenty of room for a petticoat to amp things up a notch and make full use of that full skirt. Besides, once you start twirling away (and trust me you won’t be able to stop) you create your own kind of air conditioning.
 
 
$69.00 ON SALE - Stars & Swallows

One of the things that struck me the minute I laid eyes on the Maui 50s dress is the beautiful colours popping against the black backdrop. Reminiscent of those famous Polynesian velvet paintings, the colourful flowers and fern print of this dress is practically luminescent. You’ll certainly stand out in this stunner and best of all, with so many colours to work with accessorising is not only fun and versatile, but also cheap if you need it to be as the chances of you already owning some complementary coloured accessories are pretty high.
 
 
Still if you feel like splurging and getting a whole range of colourful accessories to match and clash, Stars and Swallows offer everything from tropical tiki bamboo bags to hair accessories, jewellery, petticoats, belts and more. A great way to introduce even more pops of colour, belts help to nip in your waist and create that sexy hourglass shape, or stick to classic black like I did to make it versatile for a night sipping mai tais at the local tiki bar. Don’t forget, it’s all in the details and this adorable tiki mug brooch by Ella Mobbs is the perfect way to say ‘rack em up bar keep’.
 

I just can’t say enough about the Hell Bunny Maui 50s dress and the whole range available at Stars and Swallows. The colours of this dress are even more brilliant in real life and there is just so much opportunity to change this look up every day of the week. I also have to thank Megan Rizzo Photography for capturing this dress and all the little details so beautifully. She has helped to show that the print is far more three dimensional than it looks online as well as the fun and movement that this beauty creates. Mahalo Megan!
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The Road to Tiki Oasis: Kat's Cadillac Hair Flowers

July 7, 2014, 6:59 pm
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As this is now the third instalment of my Road to Tiki Oasis features, no doubt you've been wondering where on earth I got the stunning hair flowers I've been wearing in the last two features. Dastardly ole me didn't include any information on them in either of the last two posts! Well forgive me, but as I'm sure you'll understand, these beauties are just too divine to be tacked on to another post. They deserve a feature all of their own!

Hand made by Kat's Cadillac Vintage, these stunning artificial hair flowers come in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes and can even be custom ordered to suit anything you can dream up. Featuring everything from tropical fruits to a variety of flower species, these beautifully handcrafted flower hair accessories vary from a tropical tiki vibe to pops of sunny spring colour and are the ideal finishing touch to any outfit.
 
Whether you want to add a touch of vintage glamour to your overall look or want to shake things up Carmen Miranda style, there is just so much variety in size and colour to choose from. If you've got a particular outfit in mind, Kat's Cadillac hair flowers can colour match and design a hair piece to contrast or complement your ensemble.

Made from durable synthetic flowers that won't crumple or fray, these stunning hair flowers absolutely are the Cadillac of the hair flower world (although sold at closer to 1950s prices than most products of a similar quality on the market). Artfully arranged, the hair flowers come backed by a soft felt and large silver alligator clip that fastens securely to your hair and won't slip or slide out of place but also won't damage or pull on your hair.
 
These versatile clips not only draw an immediate focus for your hair but can also be worn as an eye catching floral statement on clothing and even footwear if you're game. Handmade by my beautiful friend Katrina, these gorgeous hair flowers are designed with an eye for vintage in mind. Having been a dedicated vintage collector for her entire life (she has a whole room in her house filled with amazing vintage treasures and that's not even her personal collection!), Katrina has a deep knowledge of all things vintage. Keep an eye out on the Kat's Cadillac Vintage page for amazing vintage clothing to pair with your hair flowers and strut your stuff as the complete package.

As for me, no doubt I'll be talk of Tiki Oasis sporting these spectacular original handcrafted creations and I can't wait to tell everyone that they're Aussie made! Another spectacular handcrafted original that is Aussie made is Megan Rizzo Photography and once again she has managed to capture all the little details that make these hair flowers and therefore these images special. It was so fun getting flowery and fruity with her and she went above and beyond to make these images really pop, including pulling some impressive poses herself to get her lense right into the action.
 
I'll leave you now so you can order up a hair flower storm in peace.
 
You're welcome!
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Road to Tiki Oasis: The Thing From The Black Lagoon

July 17, 2014, 4:09 pm
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What's the Road to Tiki Oasis without some tiki mugs!? The beauty and brains behind Black Lagoon Designs is my friend Danielle, a tiki-o-phile who completely designs, hand sculpts, fires, glazes then markets and sells the amazing ceramic tiki mugs produced under her label. What began as a hobby, Dani has since turned her passion into a business and it’s been amazing watching her grow and expand her designs and client base.


Made from ceramic, the mugs are 100% handmade, durable and hold PLENTY of your favourite drink. Trust me (ouch my head!) Unsurprisingly, Dani's designs are in high demand so her Etsy store is currently sold out but I've heard word from the lady herself that she'll have some pretty new babies restocked soon so be sure to keep your eye out. Until then, join me in drooling over her Facebook page.


The stuff her crazy brain dreams up is pretty awesome and she also happens to make a mean cocktail to go in her tiki mugs. Putting a slightly more feminine spin on the usual tiki mug offerings, the mugs produced by Black Lagoon Designs range in size from these petite pastel shot glasses to the more traditionally-sized tiki mugs capable of holding a bucketful of the best mai tai.
 
From puffer fish to boneheads, pirates to octopus, pinstripers to head hunters and everything in between there’s a mug to suit your drink of choice. Better yet, Black Lagoon Designs do custom creations so if you’ve got some bizarre idea floating round in your head Dani loves nothing more than to make it a reality. Her mugs generally retail at around $35 but if you want something custom just shoot her a message and she can give you a figure.
 

Now while I was travelling around the US last year, I collected my fair share of tiki mugs and drooled over plenty more but the designs and stunning glazes that Dani dreams up certainly give them a run for their money. Her designs are beautiful, colourful and inventive and she continues to offer a fresh take on the tiki concept, particularly with newer designs like pink flamingo mugs and these toucan accoutrements. Damn my girl is talented!
 
And speaking of talented friends, could we ever get sick of the eye candy created by Megan Rizzo Photography!? No. The answer is most definitely no! Shot on location at the Soused Seas, it was great fun losing ourselves in this oasis of cool. Thank you to Rod and Maxine for allowing us to come in and make ourselves at home! A big thank you also goes to Megan for once again not only bringing out the best in me but for capturing the details and gorgeous glazes of these mugs in such fine quality. Cheers!
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Road to Tiki Oasis: Take a Walk on the Wild Side

July 21, 2014, 4:21 pm
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The final instalment of the Road to Tiki Oasis features (or is it? Oooh mystery!) we’re taking a walk on the wild side with Wayne Hoareau of Wild tHing creations. A carver and ceramics artist from the Gold Coast, Wayne creates unique tiki mugs, carvings and wall art, all done with his bent take on the traditional tiki style. A lover of all things exotic and macabre, Wayne’s freeki art and creepi tiki style is distinctive and truly his own.
 

When he wasn’t accepted into art college, Wayne began working in music retail in 1988 and didn’t stop for almost 20 years. However when he was made redundant from a long term position in 2009, he reassessed his life and decided to try the arts degree angle again. While waiting for a response from the college, Wayne decided to give a carving a go and hasn’t looked back since. He’s now proud to be what the kids from the western suburbs of Brisbane in the 80s always wanted to be. 

Wild tHing creations was born in August of 2010 with Wayne working out of his house however by April 2011 the operation was booming and he needed to move to a studio and workshop to allow more space for his creations. Unlike most artists, Wayne rarely sketches out his ideas first, rather using the medium he works with to allow the design to emerge. Using the naturally occurring character that each piece of wood possesses, Wayne draws a rough outline and just begins carving. The same can be said of his mugs, which he makes on nothing more than a rough idea and a brief outline, preferring to let his mind control his hands as he sculpts.
 

Moving into mugs has been particularly productive for Wayne with at least three quarters of his time spent making both commission pieces and his own original designs. Taking up a lot of his time, he experiments with clay slip and earthenware. However wax is also involved and is much easier to carve. Of course, there’s nothing he loves more than getting back into a slab of wood and carving when time permits.
 

This fine selection of Wild tHing creations’ work includes smaller mugs featuring traditional tiki designs to colourful medium and large sized mugs featuring slightly more cartoon and abstract designs in vibrant colours and Wayne’s trademark freeki tiki style with a large skull-bearing mug created especially for Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant. Each design is unique and is sculpted by hand using a number of carving and sculpting techniques. Each mug is hand glazed both inside and outside and feature a mixture of gloss and matte finishes.
 

Wild tHing creations can be found at Butter Beats in Southport on the Gold Coast, Feaks Like Us in Nambour, Ruff’n’Ready in Canberra and Two Bit Villains in Adelaide as well as a number of local and independent markets including the upcoming GreazeFest Kustom Kulture Festival in Brisbane. Speaking of GreazeFest, Megan Rizzo Photography will be there too so if you want to be captured in your Sunday best be sure to drop by her photobooth for a tutti frutti polaroid! Megan has been an absolute dream to work with and I am forever indebted to her for capturing such fantastic images to use throughout these features. Another big thank you goes to Rod and Maxine for allowing us to shoot on location in their amazing tiki bar, the Soused Seas.
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