Weekend Fun// Sticky Fingers at The Northern

Ever since my sister turned 18 in August, I've been excited over the prospect of going to a gig at our local venue, The Northern with her. Yeah, we went clubbing on her 18th, have been to all ages events before, and have had drinks together elsewhere since then, but nothing compared to my excitement of finally going to a licensed, over 18 gig with my little sister at my favourite venue, and the chance to do this finally came on the weekend!

I had umm'ed and ahh'ed about buying tickets to Sticky Fingers for weeks before Shoni brought it up. The show sold out. Then the second show sold out. There, that was it, I thought. No tickets, no go! Until Shoni saw that one of her friends was selling two tickets to the Saturday night gig, that is!

When Saturday night rolled around, we were pretty damn excited. We ate dinner nice and early, and got ready together with Sticky Fingers blasting in the background while we sang along. I drove to the gig, again with Sticky Fingers blasting in the background and we got some drinks at the bar upon arrival, waiting for the doors to The Backroom to open. Being a sold out show and Rugby Union grand final night, the crowd at The Northern was huge. We met some real characters before the doors opened, and were totally surprised that we managed to make it to the front of the stage when they finally started admitting people to The Backroom, even with another stop at the bar along the way. Shoni was elated. The Northern is a pretty small venue that hosts some pretty big names sometimes and for some reason or another, it's the only venue left in our area that doesn't put up a dicky barricade a metre or so back from the stage.

The first supporting act was a two piece band who's name I forget, but who really made a great impression! They knew how to get a crowd going and the sound of the electric guitar and drums was sweet! We were right in front of the drummer and Shoni managed to catch his drumstick at the end of their set. The second supporting act was a one man band who cracked Shoni and I up with his hilarious tippy-toe dancing, but he was pretty good too.

By the time Sticky Fingers hit the stage, we were well and truly ready to get dancing! Their set was so full of energy, and we danced like crazy ladies, singing along to the words we knew and making things up for those we didn't! They played all our favourite songs, and Dylan even stage dived at one point, which was awesome! At the end of the night, Shoni and I trudged back to the car tired, but still buzzing from the music. Paddy's guitar pick in my hand (I complimented his awesome mullet and I like to think we struck up a friendship of sorts after spending an hour dancing at his feet!), and the first band's drum stick in Shoni's. 

If you've never heard of Sticky Fingers before, you should definitely check them out! They describe their sound as "a melting pot of reggae, psych, pop and bourbon. Hypnotising you into a swaying trance, then punching you in the face for dancing like a hippy." I'll leave a couple of youtube clips below for you to enjoy! 

A Very Groovy Saturday

It seems the sun is taunting us here at the moment. A few days of sweet sunshine and now we are back to grey skies and cardigans. Jake and I made the most of the rainy Saturday we were given, with a late breakfast at Groovers Cafe and Restaurant followed by a few hits at the driving range and a snuggly afternoon with some movies on the couch.

Groovers Cafe and Restaurant is relatively new to town, but their good food, quirky decor and reasonable prices mean that Jake and I, being a mere 200 metres away, are frequent customers. So far we have only been at either breakfast or lunch time, but I hear they do a killer tapas style dinner accompanied by good tunes and cheap beer, too. I'm sure I'll test it out sooner or later! 

I got a little overexcited and forgot to take a picture of our breakfast this morning before we ate it, but you'll just have to trust me that it was good! Jake and I both ordered the Aussie breakfast - two eggs, turkish bread, bacon, mushrooms, potato (yes, potato!), pineapple, a sausage and cooked tomato and yes, it was as filling as it sounds! Jake joked on the way out that mine should have been half price, based on how little of it I could eat, and even he had a little bit left on his plate. Their coffee wasn't bad, either. I drank my first quickly before the food came to warm my belly, and savoured the second as we finished our meal. If you're ever in Lennox Head, I'd definitely recommend you check it out! 

Next up was the driving range - one of Jake's favourite rainy day activities. Nothing releases the anger of an incredibly active person having their weekend sporting plans ruined by the rain quite like whacking 100 golf balls as hard as you can from the safety of a tin shed. Apparently. Plus, the puddles make it easier to see where your ball went!

Finally, we retreated home for one of my favourite rainy day activities - snuggles and movies! Jake convinced me to watch Wolf Creek 2 (oh, the nightmares!) and then left me home alone to go to the gym while I watched Alladin to calm myself. When he got home, we finished off the day with a steak dinner and The Wolf of Wall Street. Nothing like a bit of Leo to ensure you have sweet dreams!

What's your perfect rainy day sound like? I have to admit, I think this one would be pretty tough to beat!

*Note: This is not a sponsored post, I just really love Groovers. If you go for lunch, I totally recommend the BLT*

Review // Golden Indulgence by Kettle Town Teas*

Recently, I was contacted by an Aussie tea company called Kettle Town who were wondering if I'd be interested in trying their unique blends of teas. Of course, as any tea lover would do, I jumped at the chance and within 2 days of saying "yes" a little package arrived at my doorstep. Talk about quick delivery!

The flavour they sent me is called Golden Indulgence, and is a rich, aromatic blend of Organic Ceylon black tea, Organic cacao nibs and chocolate pieces all infused with chocolate and almond flavours. The fist thing I noticed when I opened the packet was the rich, melt-in-your-mouth chocolatey scent of the tea. I'd been looking for a nice chocolate infused tea for quite some time, and was so excited to try it!

Well, this little blend did not disappoint! I could barely wait the 2-3 minutes it is recommended to brew before pouring it into my cup! The scent was so mouthwatering, I knew I was going to love it before it even reached my mouth. I enjoy this tea with sugar and lots of milk, to really bring out the creamy, chocolate and almond flavours. 

Kettle Town Teas pride themselves on their unique and creative blends, with their aim being "to fully maximise the dynamic aspects of tea by using it in different ways such as pairings or creating fancy tea cocktails or hot rums. We think tea is fun and cool so we wanna share that with everyone else".

My experience with Kettle Town has been an absolute pleasure. As we come into the cooler, winter months here in Australia, I know I'm going to really enjoy curling up with a cup of Golden Indulgence and a good book or some crochet. I can't wait to try a few more of their exciting blends in the future!


Disclaimer: Product was exchanged for this review with Kettle Town Teas. All opinions are 100% my own and not influenced by this payment. 

Review: Arbonne SeaSource Detox Spa Mud Face and Body Mask

I've never really been a fan of masks. Until recently, I had only ever tried the sticky, peely type that always seem to leave a yucky film on your face and one Avon mud mask which I felt did absolutely nothing for my skin. Then Arbonne came into my life, and as with every product I've tried from them, I was blown away! The SeaSource Detox Spa Mud Face and Body Mask feels great on my face. It's kind of tingly and you can feel it working it's magic as it warms up your skin. Washing it off is a breeze and once it is all off, my face feels amazingly tight and fresh! This is a great mask to use regularly, or when you have a breakout as I really feel like it does what it claims. It detoxes your skin, drawing out toxins and leaves your skin feeling tight and fresh. 

Need further proof of this mask's amazingness? I've come home three times now to see my big, burly bloke indulging in a mud mask. He absolutely loves it! If my tradie boyfriend thinks it's worth using, it must be, right?

Disclaimer: I am an Arbonne Independent Consultant, however this does not influence my opinion of the products. I bought Arbonne prior to becoming a consultant and did so because I believe in the products 100%. I could never sell something that I didn't absolutely LOVE and Arbonne's premium, vegan and cruelty free products have won me over completely. If you are interested in trying Arbonne, please email me at little-foal@hotmail.com or use my Arbonne ID: 613297231 at the checkout.

Book Review: Me of the Never, Never by Fiona O'Loughlin

I recently remembered that I am in possession of not one, but three library cards and finally decided to give up my expensive book buying spree I've been on and give them a bit of exercise. I went to the library a couple of weeks ago with a handful of highly recommended books on the "to borrow" list - none of which were present at either of my local branches! Still in need of something to read I decided to have a browse and just bring home whatever jumped out at me until the books I really wanted came back in. Well, I certainly surprised my fantasy-loving self bringing home three biographies, but I think I made a good decision as the two I've read so far have been thoroughly enjoyable!

Fiona O'Loughlin is one of my favourite Aussie comedians, so I was thoroughly intrigued to see what secrets and stories her memoir might hold. I absolutely devoured this book, racing through the first half in just one afternoon and finishing the rest over the following two days.

The memoir is made up of hilarious anecdotes and touching moments and follows her life from early childhood through to where she is now. There are highs and lows, there is plenty of chaos and the memoir resonates with me perfectly. We often put comedians and other celebrities up on a pedestal, imagining them to have perfectly organised and luxurious home lives, but this memoir proves otherwise. Fiona's family is as lovingly dysfunctional as any of ours and I love her for it. If you're after some light reading that will make you laugh and make you cry (sometimes simultaneously), then this is the book for you. Plus, with comedy festival season at our doorsteps, now is the perfect time to gain a further insight to one of Australia's most loved comedians.

Madame Flavour Tea Review

My tea obsession is getting a little ridiculous. As it stands, I currently have 9 varieties of tea bags and one packet of loose leaf tea in rotation for my daily cuppas and the flavour combinations I am trying are getting more and more far out with every purchase. I'm currently browsing Bluebird Tea Co.  for some new loose leaf flavour combinations, as I do much prefer a pot of loose leaf when I have the leisure to the quick, on the go teabag-shoved-into-a-mug-dealio. Unfortunately, the quick, on the go teabag-shoved-into-a-mug-dealio is a much more frequent occurrence in my life than kicking back with a pot of tea, so no matter how much I might love Bluebird's brews when I get my hands on them, tea bags are still going to be a staple in my cupboard, and I will continue, no doubt to search for the perfect ones. 

Usually, as far as teabags go, I'm a Twinings girl through and through, but after stumbling upon the beautiful packaging of Madame Flavour's brews I just had to give her a whirl. I was drawn to the Raspberry and Hibiscus Tisane while Madame Flavour's brews were on special in my local supermarket due to the colourful, floral look of the tea as depicted on the front of the box (and admittedly, the fact the box is pink). I had been after a floral, fruity-toned, sweet tea to enjoy, as we don't often buy milk in our house (Jake prefers soy to full cream and I'm not a big milk drinker) and wondered, could this be the perfect brew?

Well, I was not disappointed! Following the directions on the box, I planned on brewing the tisane for a full three minutes, as recommended, but ended up taking the teabag out after just one after seeing the rich, pinkish colour of the brew and inhaling a sweet and heavy aroma. The tea tasted beautifully rich and sweet. The floral tones of the hibiscus shone nicely through the heavier, raspberry flavour and I have found each cup I have had a delectably moreish experience. I normally enjoy two sugars in my tea, but this tisane calls for only one half in my cup. I think the sweetness of this tisane might not be for everyone, but I quite enjoy it when I'm in the mood and am looking forward to trying some more of Madame Flavour's brews.

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Source

A while back I was doing a mass book order from The Book Depository and asked for suggestions from a few fellow book-lovers on Twitter as to what might my geeky brain might find worth reading. Kirsty and Megan both suggested Cinder, which they described as "Cinderella, except it's set in the future and she is a cyborg". Well, being the massive sic-fi geek that I am, and being an avid lover of all things princess, I just had to check this book out for myself, and it turns out it's bloody brilliant!

One of the most important things to me when I am reading a book is that the setting and characters are easy to picture. When I'm reading I expect he words on the pages to become a moving image in my head, and this book paints the scene and the characters brilliantly on my brain's canvas without over-describing anything. The storyline is great, albeit a little predictable due to the whole based on a fairytale thing, and the characters are so endearing that a few times throughout the book they actually made me weep!

Cinder is a character whom I strongly admire and relate to, and Prince Kai will charm you off your feet! The whole book is written in such a simple, emotive way that it really allows the reader to connect, and I knocked it over in about a day and a half, I was so immersed in the storyline.

Now, this book is actually the first in a series of which only the first two books are out, so if you ant to read it, be sure that you can take the heartbreak that comes with finishing a book on a cliff-hanging note and having to wait months on end to see what happens next. It's a tough life when you are so connected to the characters that they could be your best friend! 

Heart bookmark tutorial & The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The other day I had writing all up my arm, scrawled on my leg and on about five different scraps of paper. "I need a diary" I thought, and so off I popped to the Newsagency to buy one. The only one they had left. An ugly blue office-like one. So I covered it in pretty fabric and called it a day until I can find somewhere which hasn't sold out of Frankie Magazine diaries!

Then I made this cute heart bookmark to match:

How To:

You Will Need:

A small piece of felt

A piece of pretty fabric

Heat N Bond and an iron

A needle and thread or sewing machine

First, cut out a felt heart, a square of pretty fabric slightly larger than the felt heart and a strip of felt slightly smaller than the width of your heart.

Stitch the strip of felt to the back of the heart like so...

Then iron the fabric to the heat n bond, trace and cut out a heart.

Iron that to your felt heart, covering the stitching, trim off any felt peeking around the edges and you're done!

How cute does it look peeking over the edge of my book?

I made this cute pom pom one today too - tutorial found here. Theres is much fluffier and rounder than mine, but I like my little scruffball :) Matches the cover of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower much better than my cutesy heart bookmark, don't you think? I'm aaalllll about aestetics lately :)

By the way, the verdict is still out on whether or not I love The Perks of Being a Wallflower in book form as much as I loved the movie. The movie is simply uh-mazing! If you haven't seen it, see it! It is so beautiful and sad and weird and funny and ohmygosh - I cried and smiled at the same time! The book is written in letter form, which I think is why I am halfway through and not completely "into it" yet, if you know what I mean. It also doesn't have the flashbacks of the movie, which is weird, cos they would make much more sense written than they did on the screen. Also, I love Emma Watson! I envy her, I want to be her best friend and I want to be her all at the same time! She is so classy, so beautiful, so chic! If I ever met her I think I'd either cry or scare her off by hugging her so tight she couldn't breathe and then getting dragged away by her bodyguards or something. I just love her and what a huge part of my life she is (what with the Harry Potter series and all) without her even knowing! She has been my role model since I was about 12, and what a great role model for a teenager has she been!

Before I get too carried away, here is the trailer for The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I beg you to watch it, it will just leave you breathless!