A love for Byron Bay

What better reason to wake up the Damsel Loves blog, than an upcoming trip to Byron Bay! A trip that has been in the making for the past 6 months, the excitement levels are at all time high as we make our departure tomorrow at 08:30 hours. But first let's look at the history that brought us here, dating back to December 2008....

When a friend of ours moved to Darwin to work on a resort in early 2008, we decided to make a plan to visit her later in the year. December rolled around, and we were booked. Unfortunately our friend had already moved back home by that stage. However, we soldiered on, and did what any group of 3 aspiring fun-loving girls from the South would do - we went to Darwin, and partied hard, for 4 days!

By mid 2009 we got the holiday itch, and decided we needed to get away for another girls weekend, packed with sun, beach, and cocktails! This time round our group expanded to 9 aspiring fun-loving girls from the South, and the dates were booked for a 4 day weekend on the sunny Gold Coast in August.

Realising that we had started a tradition, when 2010 rolled around we scratched our heads and wondered  - where possibly could we go this year that would blow Darwin & Gold Coast out the water (so to speak)?! Somewhere that could live up to all our expectations? The decision was easy, and soon enough our group had expanded to 12 aspiring fun-loving girls from the South, and we were heading for BYRON BAY!

And here we are. The day before our adventure begins, and there is so much to look forward to over the next 4 days of sun, beach and cocktails! With an endless list of outdoor activities, live entertainment, markets, prestine beaches, and lookout points to leave you gasping, Byron Bay will be a trip to remember!

So, as we sit on the beach and sip our cocktails, envying the locals and dreaming of our own holiday house at Byron, we will be asking ourselves.........."Should I put more sunscreen on?"

Byron Bay here we come!

A love for the colour of this water!

A love for the Cape Lighthouse!

A love for street performers!

A love for this beach!

A love for our house and it's awesome location!

A love for the nearby rainforest!

A love for empty beaches!

A love for Falls Festival

Falls Festival = the ultimate New Years experience!

I just subscribed to enter the ticket ballot for Falls Festival 2010. Still undecided about what we'll be doing this NYE, but I thought we might as well keep our options open!

Since 2003, we've been to every Falls Festival at Lorne, usually with a big group, and had the most amazing time every year. But last year we broke the routine. We got married in early December and decided to spend our honeymoon in New Zealand over Christmas and New Years. We met up with our great great great friends, Ruth and Jared, for NYE at the Rythym and Vines Festival in Gisborne. A much similar set up to the Falls Festival, except with Kiwis instead of Aussies! At first I wasn't too fussed about missing Falls, every year it felt like it was getting more and more pop cultured, just a place for people to go so they could say "oh I went to Falls Festival!". The crowd felt more pretentious than ever too!

But alas, we don't know what we've got until it's gone right? Well having spent a year abroad, I can admit I need my Falls hit!

A love for gig shirts

So you're at a gig and you're so impressed with the set you just have to buy a shirt? Or maybe you walked past the merch stand and just love the design so much you have to get one? Whatever reason you have for walking out with that precious shirt under your arm, the fact is that gig shirt will take on a life of it's own from that moment on.

Last Saturday I found myself jogging down Semaphore (yes my friends! Not only was I volunteerily excercising but exercising on a weekend!) in my new British India gig shirt from a couple of weeks before. During my jog I ran into my next door neighbour, Fiona, and one of her friends, (Uncle Joey I think his name was?!). After introductions, the next thing Uncle Joey says to me is "Oh you like that band British India, yeah I've heard of them pretty pop rock hey?". Well I wasn't too keen on the word "pop" used in describing one of my fav aussie rock bands, but I let that one slide. But, from his first question, we went into a full detailed conversation about our favourite genres and muso's out at the moment, our recent gig appearances, and more!

After we parted, all I could think about was how my gig shirt had unleashed all this information about Fiona and Uncle Joey that I would never have known if I wasn't wearing that shirt, that day! I learnt that apparently Uncle Joey likes heavy metal rock, which I should have picked up on with his black shoulder length hair, week-old beard, chunky tattooed arms, and a black ripped shirt! Also that my neighbour Fiona has been working at the BDO for the past 8 years, and is one of those big Muse fans (but I won't hold it against her!). We're even going to swap CD's!

So much power in a peice of fabric, right?

I would love to hear anyone elses's gig shirt stories, or any other shirt story, that has unleashed a new adventure or new friendships, or anything really! (Use the comments section below)

Models: Kenny wearing her fav White Stripes gig shirt JB wearing her fav Falls sweater

Models: Woody wearing her fav Michael Franti gig shirt, Brods wearing her fav Audreys gig shirt

Models: Kenny again, Emma wearng her fav Gyroscope gig shirt

(Thank you to all my models!!)

A love for Roller Derby

Last Saturday night I geared up for my first Roller Derby event! I originally fell in love with the game after watching the movie "Whip It" with Drew Barrymore , Ellen Page, and my favourite: Juliette Lewis. Just the simple fact that you could have a game fit for anyone of any size of any personality, it was inspiring I guess. Plus the fashion costumes, friendships, and girl power combined, all makes for a great show!So you'd understand my excitement when I found out that little old Adelaide had its own comp. Adelaide Roller Derby is in it's second year, and from what I hear it's getting bigger and bigger each bout (bout = round).

In Saturday's match the Mile Die Club took on Wild Hearses, all with their theatrical stage names and costumes to match. The arena was packed, and of course we were running late so we could only find a few spots on the concrete floor, but it was worth it with our front row views! I must confess I had a smile from ear to ear for the first few Jams, just being there in that atmosphere it was so exciting. In the end it was Wild Hearses who took the win, but a special mention to Bone Shaker (38) from the MDC who was just pretty damn awesome!

Roller Derby also has an amazing history, spanning back to 1935 when a struggling film publicist called Leo A. "Bromo" Seltzer saw an opportunity to cash in on the roller skating fad in the US. Ever since, the country has been obsessed with the sport (which was formed as the National Roller Derby League in the 1940's). To me, Roller Derby has a somewhat 1970's feel about it, perhaps because of the Roller Disco fad in the late 1970's, but mostly its the fashion icons I think.

In 2001, a new generation of women-only Roller Derby was created, to showcase a raucous, rockabilly, circus-like roller derby spectacle. By the last count in mid 2009, there were 425 amateur leagues in the world.

Next Roller Derby event - Sunday 25 July, The Salty Dolls vs Road Train Rollers. Be there! xx

A love for Phenomenons

The street light phenomenon.

For the past few years I have been trying to tell me husband Simon that the experiences I have with street lights going out, is not just a conincidence. On random occasions, I will be driving or walking under a street light when it will suddenly "go out". Once I started to realise it was happening regularly to me, I started to freak out, and thought maybe I should see a psychic? But before I did, I wanted to do some research to see if this happened to anyone else.

What I found was extremely interesting. People dealing with this (condition) are known as “SLIders”. (SLI meaning Street Light Interference). Although there are many reports of SLI experiences, the circumstances of each case can vary widely. Some report switching off a single streetlight close by; others say they have influenced a row of streetlights; and a few possess the capacity to randomly affect only certain streetlights, making it difficult to discern a pattern in SLI.

A reasonable explanation for the SLI effect might have something to do with the electronic impulses of the brain. All of our thoughts and movements are the result of electrical impulses that the brain generates. We know that these measurable impulses have an effect within an individual's body, but is it possible that they could have an effect outside the body?

Interesting to think that we could emotionally charge our brains enough to physically affect electrical equipment. Maybe I just need to power down more, especially at night when my body and brain wants to rest! However it's good to know that I'm not the only one, and I look forward to telling Simon I'm not crazy!

A love for Wildfox

I recently discovered a label called Wildfox Couture, an American Vintage-inspired women’s knitwear brand. What I love most about the label is there line of t-shirts - because really, who doesn't love a great t-shirt! Vintage t-shirts are unbeatable, especially when you find that 80's rock band shirt in your local op shop, or that old "Mornington Peninsula" shirt you brought when you were 14 on family holidays! Wildfox Couture have created something amazing with their designs; vintage, bright, bold and original!

Childhood friends Emily Faulstich and Kimberley Gordon are the creative force behind Wildfox. Inspired by sleepovers, beautiful books, fairies, dreams, vintage t-shirts and their friendship, the young designers gave birth to a brand based on love and having fun! Things had gotten too serious in the world of fashion, and it was time for a change. They created their t-shirts for every person, soft, baggy, bright and fun.

However, having never been a "splurger" myself, the number of Wildfox Couture items currently hanging in my wardrobe is #1. New collections can vary in prices from $80 - $160 for most shirts and sweaters. My adorable bright yellow "Vampire Love" crewneck t-shirt was worth every penny (sale penny even!)