Feel Good Friday

This week has felt like a whirlwind. Can someone tell me what has happened? I need to screw my head back on correctly. At least the sunshine has crept back into our days and spring is finally here! I cannot wait to get outside this weekend. With the weather being so wonderful I am tempted to dust down my bicycle and go for a ride.

I thought I'd try something a little different for my usual Feel Good Friday update today and mention my favourite artist, Shag. I've mentioned him previously on my blog but he's worth his weight in gold to be mentioned again. I would love to have more of his collection up on my walls at home.

Shag has released a new print called The Silver Years. It is a strong nod to the sixties featuring Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgewick and other hip peeps from that swinging time. The print is still available for purchase via Outre Gallery. I'm hosting a party this weekend and his Cocktail Compendium would also just look groovy behind my Tiki Bar. They are all just too cool. I wish I had some spare cash lying around as I would snap this up.




I have always wondered what Shag's studio looks like since he seems to be obsessed with all things retro and tiki like myself. Turns out it is pretty cool. I'd love his Tiki Mug collection alone!

Anyway don't mind me sharing my dream art collection this afternoon. Do you have an artist that you obsess about?

Hanging out in Los Angeles

This past week I've started to go through my photos from my American adventure. I would like to share a few pictures which were taken a few weeks ago whilst in sunny LA. My good friend Natasha lives there and she took the afternoon off to show me a teeny slice of her City. I was quite delirious having come straight from a long 13 hour flight (with no sleep) to out sightseeing. I was incredibly grateful for my friend turned Tour Guide to take the lead whilst I could lay back and enjoy the ride hanging out in Los Angeles.





We were blessed with a warm day and blue skies so drove through Griffith Park up to the Observatory to check out the best views of LA. Fun fact: If the Observatory looks familiar it is because it features in quite a few Blockbuster Hollywood movies like Rebel without a Cause, Terminator and Transformers.




The Observatory was a great spot to view the Hollywood Sign as well as the sprawling city. I had a sense of just how big Los Angeles truly is and how it would be mad to live here without a car (no wonder the traffic is crazy). Later that day we braved the crush of people down on Hollywood Boulevard but to be honest I much preferred the sunshine and solitude of Griffith Park. Maybe it had something to do with the fact I was lucky enough to spot my first ever Hummingbird and American squirrel!

Have you ever been to LA?

Feel Good Friday

A slow yawn of reality is hitting me. I realised today there is no more Roller Derby for a little while*. The Roller Derby Grand Final is behind me (Salty's won) and we are now officially in the off-season. It has been an abrupt segway from intense training, team strategy sessions and tingling nerves of excitement to nothing. Initially I noticed the small things. A huge decline in the volume of washing. Do I really own this much training gear? What is this thing you call Free-to-air Television? A sneaky drop of alcohol on a training night. Just plain unheard of! 

I'm slowly finding my rhythm again returning to my normal Derby-free life. Reconnecting with my music. Befriending my running shoes. Showering love and attention on my friends outside of Roller Derby. Going out seeing shows and art exhibitions on school nights just because I can. Building fun dreams for the future.

Change is always a little unsettling being caught somewhere between the excitement of the future and melancholy of losing the past. So this is just a reminder to myself to be present in the now as truly this is all we ever have.

winter melts from treeofenlight on 8tracks Radio.

*Technically the League season is over however there are still some Bouting opportunities on the distant horizon. Just not soon enough!

The photograph taken by Molly Strohl. You can find more of her work on Flickr. 

How To Host A Onesie Party

I love to host fancy dress parties but winter doesn't make it easy especially when the weather is against you. Previously I have had my guests rug up like Russian's or float about like Spacemen just to make sure they had enough clothes on. I like my guests having fun not huddled around gas heaters shivering.

This year I have come across a new and brilliant idea for a fancy dress night that is easy, fun and warm. Winter Onesie Land! I'm taking a relaxed approach and here are my special ingredients for a rad night:

The Onesie.
Choose your onesie wisely and make sure its warm. Silly is optional as there are so many styles available! I have a friend who hates dressing up and upon finding out the theme for my party this year went out and immediately bought one. What I have learnt from this is that everyone secretly loves a onesie and all they need is the excuse to buy one. This Tiger onesie from ASOS is extra rad.



Warmth.
Gas heaters are fabulous (and safe) but why not find something more outrageous. I've heard of fire pits that have been made out of washing machine drums.  For my party I'll be pulling out the braziers in the shed but I dream of one day having a fire pit in my back yard. The Fire Pit below is incredibly whimsical and would look wonderful during the day. I really just want it as it reminds me of Bambi.

Drinks.
Now if the weather is too wet to be outside toasting marshmallows around a warm fire then a warm drink for your guests is the next best thing. I like the idea of spiked hot chocolates or even a mulled wine but honestly I can't go past a Hot Toddy. I found a wonderful alternative for a Sweet Tea Hot Toddy on A Beautiful Mess.

I'm so excited I have already started to layer the fairy lights around. I'll have to hold off sprinkling the glitter and laying out the dance rug as I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a clear calm sky.

Yes it is all a bit silly and it is true I am officially hooked on onesies but they are brilliant for any winter party. Twenty-Onesie anyone?

Do you own a Onesie and are you brave enough to wear it out in public?

Feel Good Friday

How is everyone this fine Friday? With my holidays firmly behind me I'm trying to stay focussed looking ahead. So that I don't crash and burn upon immediate re-entry into the country I arrange a return-to-normal-life soft landing by making sure I've got something fun in my future and this weekend I've got that covered.

My league, Adelaide Roller Derby are hosting our Grand Final Double Header Extravaganza on Sunday. Lots of serious preparation has gone into the event. I've been focussed on increasing my fitness, cleaning my skates and learning the retro dance moves for the skate out. Tickets can still be purchased online if you want to come along.

Music has inspired me the last few weeks and I have had certain songs stuck on repeat. I just can't shake them from my mind. I've embedded a few of those songs into my latest music mix for your listening pleasure. (If you are curious I took the QR photo art photo whilst I was in New York recently.)



Happy Friday everyone!

How I survived Rollercon

I'm back from my American holiday and slowly processing all of my experiences. Over the coming weeks I will share more of my photos and fun memories from the States. One of the highlights from my time away was Rollercon.

For aspiring Roller Derby skaters Rollercon is Derby Mecca. Rollercon truly does cater to all parts of the Roller Derby experience with a plethora of opportunities to skate, shop and socialise. At times I found the event overwhelming as there is just so much to do and 5,000 skaters all confidently swaggering their formidable stuff was daunting. Here is how I survived my Rollercon experience.

Look after yourself. 
Sleep. Hydration. Down time. Eat right. It's easy to get caught up in challenge bout after bout after bout. It's easy to go sit by the pool and then accidentally party to the wee hours in the morning. You honestly wont make it through the week if you don't respect your body and give it some rest and recuperation. I found myself craving a giant steak by the end. I took naps whenever I needed them and walked around with a massive water bottle at all times. If all else fails relax and recuperate with a day by the pool with your sole mission to just people watch.

Fear of missing out. 
With stuff happening 24/7 you really have to get over your fear of missing out. You can't do everything and be everywhere. It just is not possible to do everything no matter how hard you may try. If you do you will definitely burn-out and not enjoy yourself. It's your Rollercon experience and no-one else's so just do what you can and don't beat yourself up if you don't fit everything in (there's always next year).

Be spontaneous.
You will be incredibly disappointed if you plan your time at Rollercon out to the minute. You will end up sitting in lots of queues for classes - boring! Be flexible. Don't let golden opportunities slip past you because you had your heart set on a particular Smarty Pants class at a specific time. They usually repeat the good classes over and over again. Go on a group street skate. Attend at least one of the scheduled parties. Derby girls from all over the world are a happy fun-loving bunch and they come with their own fun time guarantee. Don't miss out on meeting these wonderful people and taking a treasured memory home with you. If in doubt, just say yes as often as possible. You never know what crazy adventure will be around the casino corner.

Be brave. 
Do attend classes (as they are great) but honestly the best way to learn is to play against better skaters. It will tie your stomach up in giant knots worrying about it but its the best experience you can get. I got the opportunity to play against Rocky Mountain League as part of Team Australia. My heart jumped up into my throat and only dislodged once I skated my first jam. It was a tough bout but I learnt so much about game play and how I play with different skaters. (Oh yeah and we won!) Cant wait to take back some of my learning's to my home league.

Rollercon was a blast and I hope to be able to go back again in future. Some of my personal highlights included getting to meet and skate with many Australian skaters who my league normally play against like Mad Mel Arena and Cookie Cutter. Skating against a league who I secretly have a crush on. Hanging sporadically with my Derby wives, Val Capone and Amanda Jamitinya. Meeting so many lovely Americans who are super passionate and crazy about Roller Derby. Being distracted by the pretty Las Vegas lights. Being thrown in the pool during the Black and Blue Ball. Making my drinks more fancy by drinking out of a pineapple.

Rollercon made me realise that even though Australian Roller Derby is on the other side of the world we are actually pretty rad athletes too. I also learned that the Roller Derby community around the world is an eclectic and beautiful bunch. If you bring an open mind and a warm smile with you cannot be more better prepared for Rollercon. Happy skating!

If you are keen to check out Rollercon in 2014 I recommend buying tickets here. In the meantime look up some of the fun vicariously through instagram snaps here.