On the eve of the 2010 ski season, officially opening this Queens Birthday Long Weekend (and already with 10cm natural snow base – woooeeeee!!) I thought it timely to refresh your memories of one of my dearly belolved holiday spots, and a favourite tourist attraction of Victorians.

This article first appeared in Onya Magazine, August 2009

If you were to look up Australian holiday in the dictionary, I am pretty sure the definition would read something like:

Australian holiday: typically; Sun, Sand and Surf.

As an Aussie girl, I love that kind of holiday as much as the next bronzed body, but for a few months every year, Victorians are privy to a very different kind of getaway – one that consists of Snow, Skis and Schnapps.

Mt Hotham is Victoria’s premier ski resort, with 320 hectares of terrain covering all levels of ability at an elevation of 1861m. With 13 lifts covering the mountain, 20 restaurants and bars, and nearly 30 places to stay, Hotham offers so much for everyone; you’ll want to come back year after year.

I have been visiting Hotham for as long as I can remember. As a kid, my cousins and I would toboggan down the slope closest to our lodge, while as an adult I have skittered down this same slope in the wee hours of the morning after a night at the pub. Hotham is as much about the snow play as it is the nightlife. This year I spent a week at Hotham, accompanied by my Dad, brother, a friend, an Aunt and Uncle, as well as various friends of friends. Whether you are in a group or on your own, the snow is a brilliant place to visit and enjoy the ‘other’ type of holiday Aussie’s love.

It will take you a good 5 to 6 hours to drive to Hotham from Melbourne, or jump on Qantaslink and be there before the sun is up. Driving through Hotham Village will set the mood for your stay, cars and people line the street and buses carrying day-trippers host curious faces at the windows. For those who have never visited the mountain before, the all white landscape is incredible, and if you are lucky enough to arrive while it’s snowing, you will be sold on the magic of it forever.
The weather will play a major role in your snow adventure. Perfect days with blue skies, fluffy clouds and a minor increase in the mercury will see you out on the slopes by 9am, barely pausing to refuel around noon and sending you out again until the last lift rides at 5pm. On the flipside, a grey day with rain and fog will keep you inside with the hopes of a dumping of the white stuff overnight, but all is not lost if the weather hasn’t come to the party. Hotham has as much to do inside as they do out – I am sure there are even guests at Hotham who have never strapped on a pair of skis or a board. The many restaurants and bars are the perfect place to ride out a storm, or perhaps a trip to one of the two day spas to rest up weary muscles before another day on your feet.

Our first day on the slopes presented clear and bright. We joined the other snow bunnies and boarder boys on the Summit, to warm up our out of practise bodies and within hours you would never have known this is a sport I only participate in a few days of the year. The Sun Run, Village and Heavenly Valley followed – and the feeling of exhilaration and speed as I come down the mountain is something I love so much. As an intermediate skier, approximately 60% of Hotham’s playground is available to me, 20% of which is basic beginner stuff. Lessons are available for those out of practise or new to the game, and will quickly get you on your feet and headed vertical down a slope.

Zirkys is somewhat of an institution at Mt Hotham, and we stopped here on the first day for a quick lunch and to compare notes. Inspired by ski lodges in Austria and Germany, Zirkys is fitted out with wooden features and ornate soft lighting that takes you back to the ‘70s. The wood décor and open fire can make you feel warm on the coldest of days, while steam rising from the simple meals reaches right to the tips of your fingers and toes. A hot chocolate or a beer go down equally as well after a day on the slopes, and on the more pleasant of days this can be enjoyed in the sun on the deck, while more determined skiers whiz past. Zirkys isn’t cheap – a bowl of chips and a hot chocolate in the bistro will set you back close to $15, but even if you just call in for a look, Zirkys demands your attention when visiting Hotham.

A long day on your feet deserves a good nights’ sleep and B’rush Ski Lodge is located a just a few minutes walk from the main road. B’rush can house families, friends and singles – the accommodation reminds me a bit of being on school camp, but with all luxuries a snow holiday deserves. There are 8 rooms, able to sleep 40, each divided into doubles and bunks. You may have a room on your own but you may also be sharing with someone you have never met – great when you are travelling alone or just wish to meet new people with a shared interest. The large commercial kitchen gives all guests the space they need to prepare gourmet meals, and the communal dining room is another opportunity to meet with your hosts, lodge managers Rosemary and Norm, and share a drink while mingling with other guests. After dining, the entertainment opportunities are endless – relax in the outdoor spa, or sweat it out in the sauna. Take in a movie in the home cinema room, or enjoy the open fire and views over the mountains.

Days of average weather followed, but literature, cinema and cards games prevailed. Walks to the local store for the newspaper or the shuttle bus to Hotham Central for a spot of shopping kept us entertained and endless bottles of wine ensured laughs were had and new friends were made. Our final night took us to the Last Run Bar at Lawlers Apartments for dinner, a restaurant that again uses a lot of wood in the décor, and brings together a high end menu in a family style restaurant. You won’t find pub favourites on this menu – kangaroo, duck and salmon are the order of the day. I enjoyed the salmon, with a seeded crust and served with a buckwheat noodle salad, and I can say it was divine. My companions ordered king prawns, lamb shanks and linguini among others, and nay a complaint was heard. The Last Run Bar has the quirky addition of being able to colour in the placemats on tables, with assorted pencils scattered on the tables. It has been three years since I dined at The Last Run Bar, and I am sorry to report that the same picture has been on the tables since 1994. Their menu might have been updated, but perhaps its time to modernise the illustrations?

Our last night deserved a last hurrah, so those of us this side of 30 headed to The General for further drinks, music and frivolity. Previous years at The General have rendered me stumbling home in the ice at 2am, but this years’ session on a Thursday evening proved to be different. Showing me that Hotham really is a place for one and all, The General pumped heavy metal music and was frequented by many guests the other side of 30. Past years have seen me at this establishment on a Saturday, when a typical night out involved the Top 40 hits and inappropriately dressed girls who clearly forgot that snow + night time = really cold. We stayed and had a drink to round out our week before returning to the lodge for the final time, reminiscing about a week when riding a chairlift in the wind feels like it will never end, but unfortunately in the blink of an eye, it doe
s. It’s time to return to Melbourne.

We pack up and check out and are again on the road, headed home in anticipation for summer. Another year with nothing more than bruises and hangovers proving yet again that snow holidays at Mt Hotham really are the best fun you can have with a lot of clothes on. Whether you come for a day, a weekend, or a week, Mt Hotham will surprise and delight you, give you something new to try everyday, and make memories and friends for a lifetime. If you have always been a sun, sand and surf kind of Aussie, grab some skis or a board and head to Hotham for a change. The snowfield is your playground.

To find out more about Mt Hotham visit http://www.mthotham.com.au

Images by moi: (1) Blizzard like conditions; (2) a snowman my family built; (3) Hotham Village from the Summit (that’s my dad in the yellow and cream jacket front and centre!)

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It was the Style Emporiums birthday yesterday. And I forgot. I was in bed at 10.30pm last night when I remembered, by which time it was too late and I was too tired to salvage this most important event. Usually I am pretty good at remembering things like birthdays, but this week I was struck down in my prime with a bout of gastro that has seen me bed and/or couch bound for three days.

I’ve watched the entire series one of The Hills and Sex and the City, seen waaaaay too many infomercials and watched Ellen and Oprah for the first time in years. I’ve worn pyjamas for too many consecutive days and have come to the conclusion that Peter Alexander must have started his empire after a bout of gastro – no one likes an old tee shirt and trackies and when a fashionista is sick, surely a bit of sparkle is enough to make you feel better?

After 48 hours of not eating, (please let that 2kgs stay away!) I managed honey on toast and remembered this simple pleasure like a child (having been a muesli and yoghurt convert for some time now). Do you know just how many food ads are on TV these days? I never noticed before, but sheesh! No wonder we are an obese nation! Hamburgers followed by chocolate and ice cream with fries and the occasional healthy snack bar thrown in? No thanks. Not even when I am well.

But I digress. Yes, I have been sick and I apologise for missing my blog’s birthday. While my little blog may only be one, first birthdays are more about making it through the first year, rather than the significance of the date itself. When I started this blog, with the aim of posting 2-3 times a week, a friend said he doubted I would last two weeks. Fifty two weeks later and the Style Emporium has exceeded what I might even have hoped it might have been. I just wanted an outlet for my ideas, thoughts and a chance to talk about my one true love, fashion.

Instead I have had my eyes opened to a community of bloggers, twitterati, new friends and likeminded persons, attended events and told you about sales and functions you might like to attend. Although the direction may have changed from day one – when I intended to share recipes and clothes – I like to think that the reason you keep coming back to read it because you like it here, so I will keep trying to write posts that are interesting, funny and informative.

Thanks for visiting the Style Emporium and happy belated first birthday. I promise not to forget next year!

Sarah xx

Image One: Peter Alexander Winter Collection at www.peteralexander.com.au
Image Two: Party Dress – Motel De Florista Dress $63.99 by Motel at ModCloth

Last night I was reading Marie Claire (July issue, on sale now) in bed with a face mask on, eating chocolate and ogling over the fashion (that I won’t fit into ever if I keep eating chocolate in bed) and I came across an article about high school labels. There was the ‘fat girl’, the ‘slut’ and the ‘wild child’, and corresponding stories of where are they now? That girl who was bullied for her weight issues is now a successful, and gorgeous, marketing executive. The wild child who was smoking at 11 and on drugs at 15 is married with three children, living as a Mormon. The girl labelled a slut spent years being stereotyped that way and has only just discovered that her label no longer defines her.

When I think back to my high school days, my label was ‘square’. I was the ‘nerd’, the ‘geek’. Whatever you choose to call it, in essence, I was one of the smart kids. In the weeks before I started high school, my mother told me, ‘high school is the business end of your education Sarah, you have to make it count’, or something to that effect – I remember sitting in classes that first week, a scared eleven year old in a new school with hundreds of people bigger than me and the teacher asking a question that I had no idea about. (I think it was about trees but heaven help me I can’t even really remember. And seriously, trees? Like THAT really even matters that much!) I immediately thought I was destined to fail. I was never going to make it. Safeway was totally an okay place to work forever.

I don’t really remember what I wanted to do for the rest of my life at age 11. In year 10, aged 15, I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. At 16 I wanted to be a meteorologist. I was 17 when I decided marketing and business management was my calling and 19 when I decided my industry was fashion. It took me til I was 25 to get the writers bug. And I don’t think a question about trees fifteen years ago has had any impact on any of those decisions.

But I did decide, after the question about trees, I was going to have to pay attention, knuckle down and work for it if I wanted to succeed. I handed in things early, I answered questions in class, and I asked questions about topics we had yet to learn. I studied in the evenings, the weekends and on holidays. I became the label. Square. Nerd. Geek. I was good at school. And, most of the time, I actually enjoyed it.

One particular afternoon, after attending the advanced English class, one of the girls I was friends with asked me if I wouldn’t sit with them in class anymore. ‘You’re just a bit too much… different, from us’ she said. What she meant was; they didn’t want the smart girl bringing down their ‘cool’ reputation, interrupting their smoking out by the sheds or making them look stupid in front of the teachers. I was shattered. ‘Sticks and stones may break your bones, but names will never hurt me’, is the biggest lie in the book. Bones will heal but memories last forever.

I spent the best part of my early high school years under the impression I was the nerd – I went to the library at lunchtimes, didn’t go out evenings or weekends. I lived my label. I made close friends in the later years of high school, whom I am still friends with today, and relaxed my lifestyle, got a part time job and met new people. I achieved better than I could have hoped on my final exams and went to University, where I met more amazing people, went out more and even failed my first subject ever (Tourism, who would have thought!). University was the most amazing four years I could have ever imagined – and contrary to what Mum had told me at 11, high school might mean business, but it is University that will make or break you. I finished my higher studies with a degree, an advanced diploma and more friends than I could ever have imagined I would ever have at 11.

I worked in a number of different places, where my brains meant something and people liked who I was anyway. I was successful in my work; I bought my first house at 22 – a massive achievement in itself – and I had a wonderful circle of friends. Yet still my label haunted me. I never felt what I had was enough. Even finding out that perhaps the people who had, in essence, bullied me at high school were not as successful as I was didn’t make it enough.

Then twelve months ago I started this blog. I started writing for Onya Magazine, and Sassi Sam and Fashion Journal. I was published in Grazia. I attended fashion and networking events and met  more of fantastic people and moved to the city. Perhaps it wasn’t that I didn’t feel it was enough – more that I felt I didn’t deserve to have such a wonderful life. Underneath it all, I was still that little girl in that first week of school that didn’t know about the trees and just wanted to do her best and finish high school.

A high school label is just that – a label – and its up to us individually to break it. I have spent far too much of my life thinking that I didn’t deserve to have as many friends as I did, I am still surprised when those people choose to spend their time with me and at the end of the day, those people like me because of who I am, not because of how smart (or otherwise) I might be. The Marie Claire article put this into perspective for me. I am 26 years old – I shouldn’t be letting the stupidity of twelve year olds define who I am today. I am smart, and I am proud of that. I am also friendly, funny, caring, kind and sometimes, (maybe) cool. It’s time to be a grown up and embrace that.

Were you labelled at high school? Do you think you have broken out of this label?

Image Note: Napoleon Dynamite, the quintessential nerd. Not a picture of me.

There was very little sex and they weren’t in the city, yet SATC2 has still given us a lot to write home about. Whether you love or hate the series and the first movie, everyone is curious about the sequel and whether it was going to be good, bad or ugly. The first reviews fell somewhere between bad and ugly – I went to the movie with low expectations and emerged two hours later with a different perspective on the fab lives of the fab four.

My SATC2 day started at dawn, when I woke up and planned a lavish SATC inspired outfit for work. Pink tutu, nameplate necklace, cinched in waist, outrageous heels and a Carrie-esque up do. I was ready to wow, shouting ‘Happy Sex and the City day!’ to co-workers and explaining aforementioned outrageous heels (and how I walk in them) to confused colleagues.

The debate as to whether to wear this outfit or another I proposed to actually view the film was decided as soon as I stepped outside after work – bit chilly for a tutu – so the evening outfit was inspired by SATC2: Maxi dress in purple, blue, orange, black and gold; vintage gold housecoat; heels; gold, aqua and peach jewellery and purple clutch. Rich and opulent colours motivated by the exotic destinations of SATC2.

First though, to wine and dine with close girlfriends at Alfresco, Elsternwick. (3-6 Elsternwick Place, Elsternwick). Our waiter was a fabulous Frenchman (working in an Italian restaurant) and was helpful, charming and quite funny. The food (I had a crispy skin salmon with steamed vegetables and lemon butter) was good. The wine was great. And then it all went downhill. The restaurant started to get busy, we waited over 30 minutes for dessert – as which point we cancelled it – and then the gentlemen taking our payment tried to argue with me about whether we had 2 salmon dishes or not.

Fact was, we had only had one as we were told that was all they had left. Miss K had enjoyed her replacement spaghetti dish but at this point the girls had left to get in line at the cinema and I didn’t know what kind of spaghetti it was. The gentlemen was rude and rather obnoxious (seconded by the woman standing behind me who was also unhappy with her service, but on a positive note, liked my coat) and quickly evaporated any desire I had to return to Alfresco. Food – 8/10. Service – 3/10 (and only because we liked the French guy).

But to the cinema where we procured snacks and waited anxiously to be treated to a festival of fashion and hopefully a storyline worth $17. One preview (Eat, Pray, Love – good target audience tie in!) and we were away. That music, that voiceover, those clothes.

Two hours later and I’d laughed, sort of cried, cringed, shied my eyes and gaped at the big screen. Our favourite characters are there, but they are older, perhaps wiser and more educated in the ways of the world but nonetheless, they are the same fab four. In a surprise for me, I particularly enjoyed the role Miranda’s character played in the sequel, who in the past has not been one of my favourites.

I’m not going to give away storylines, plots or sexy secrets but I will say this – Sex and the City has never been shy about what clothes to put on its leading ladies, Patricia Field is an amazing stylist, but WTF were they thinking with the bee keeper-esque headwear (and I’m not talking about any kind of netting here) on Carrie when the girls board the plane?? Please do leave a comment if you would like to discuss this!!

So, the verdict? A friend of mine (male) recently asked what all the fuss was about over SATC. ‘What is it about Sex & the City?’ he said ‘Why do you all (girls) go spastic over it?’ While I don’t think I am ‘spastic’ over it, my answer was as follows:

‘Because ultimately it’s a fantasy – we all wish we could meet the ‘perfect’ guy and live in a beautiful New York apartment with a job that lets you spend most of your time lunching with your girlfriends while still paying enough to buy Manolo’s, but in the end it’s because we can relate to it – every girl has dated that creepy/weird/strange/freaky guy. The fashion is just a bonus.’

See it and remember why you loved it to begin with, but take it with a grain of salt. We should always remember to be careful what we wish for.

READ More: Style File – SATC2

I write about shoes on this blog a lot. I REALLY like shoes. Most of my shoes at home are lovingly looked after in boxes, or lined up in racks (which amuses my cleaner), or stashed in a laundry basket (this is where the ‘run out the door’ shoes are kept) and some are even on display – sparkly ones that will never fit but I think are pretty.

Usually when I enter a shoe store, the focus is entirely on the footwear, but the current campaign for Zensu shoes drew my attention more to the photographs in the current advertising campaign for aforementioned shoes than the shoes themselves (never fear, as beautiful as they, are my attention was quickly refocused on the good stuff!).

Here are my favourite shots from the Winter 10 campaign. They are full of vitality, colour and are so vibrant! Not to mention that adorable little girl (or cute boy!) Which is your favourite? Visit http://www.zensu.com.au

Sounds criptic, doesn’t it?

Welcome to a short and sweet post about two new venues I visited on the weekend that I hope you might visit as well – cause I liked them, so why wouldn’t you?

First was 1806 (or Eighteen-O-Six, whatever takes your fancy), a fab nightspot on Exhibition Street specialising in cocktails from way back. Visiting with the lovely Miss K of Escapade Events fame and a few new friends, we drank our way from the early eighteen hundreds through to today, pausing along the way for a bit of cocktail history.

Named 1806 in honour of the year that the word ‘cocktail’ was first defined in print, the bar/lounge is a step back in time to when cocktails were the height of sophistication – actually, who am I kidding – they still are! With vintage cocktail making equipment and the longest cocktail list on the planet* (*disclaimer: this might not be entirely accurate but their menu is like a novel!), 1806 is a very groovy place to chill out on a Friday night.

I drank a Passionfruit Sour (42 Below Passionfruit vodka with lashings of lemon and a splash of sugar. Crisp, clean, summer fun), a Pina Colada (Fresh pineapple, with coconut and cream, shaken and served over crushed ice) and finished off with an 1806 signature cocktail, Clover Club (Crisp, dry, and refreshing. Gin with lemon and raspberry.) Each was more impressive than the one before and if I hadn’t of wanted to risk my enjoyment of the next mornings victuals, I might have stayed on to try more.

1806, 169 Exhibition St, Melbourne, 3000
phone 03 9663 7722
http://www.1806.com.au

With thanks – images by 1806

The APTE café – or A Place to Eat as it is know to the locals – is located on Heidelberg Road in Alphington and has recently been voted Victoria’s best café by Delicious magazine. Miss J (my fashion week roomie) and I headed out to the burbs on a cool but clear Saturday morning to try out this best café and see just what all the fuss was about.

Sitting outside in the garden area, surrounded by wet plants but seated under umbrellas with plenty of outdoor heaters, was surprisingly pleasant. It was cool, but not uncomfortable and the sun peeped through the gaps in the brollies, creating a half light that was quite nice.

The menu was extensive, the coffee was good and the aromas wafting from the kitchen enough to make even the most hungover of us hungry (not me though, cause I stopped at 3 cocktails, remember?). We ordered eggs – the apte scrambled for me (scrambled eggs with fresh herbs and feta on toasted organic sourdough) and they had gluten free bread too which earns extra points in my book!

The buzz of early morning (okay, 10am) punters reading the paper and chatting over coffee was audible but not imposing and the relaxed nature of the café, located away from other shops or cafes, made APTE a haven among the homes.

APTE café, 538 Heidleberg Road, Alphington
phone 03 9482 2991
http://www.aptecafe.com.au

With thanks – images by Five Senses Coffee www.fivesensescoffee.com.au, served at APTE

Isn’t it great when celebs offer up their preloved shoes for auction to raise money for charity? Now is your chance to feel like a celeb and donate your preloved shoes to the Shine Your Shoes For Kids initiative, made possible through the partnership of Bonbons shoes and OzChild.

This new charity event is based in Melbourne and all you have to do is donate your preloved shoes to the cause. The team behind Shine Your Shoes For Kids will then turn your old heels into shiny vintage finds, which will them be sold at a pop up store in the Melbourne CBD in June – all to raise money for OzChild!

If your shoes are too big or too small, if your style or the fashions have changed or if you just have a pair at the back of the cupboard you don’t wear anymore – donate them to this fabulous initiative and then head along to the pop up shop to buy something fantastic and ‘new’!!

Visit www.bonbons.com.au for a list of locations where you can make your donations and keep your eyes and ears peeled for the location of the pop up store, due to appear between 18 and 24 June. The store itself will be a reason to visit – a chic vintage theme with chandeliers, ornate mirrors and candelabras – and of course, SHOES!

Shop til you drop and Dolly magazines are on board, and a number of Melbourne celebs – all donating shoes to be auctioned for the cause.

For the love of fashion, go vintage for charity and you might pick up a perfect pair of pastel pumps. Sign up to the Bonbons VIP club on facebook or on the website to keep in touch and receive updates.

Just nearly fell off my chair – Alice Euphemia is having another sale and it STARTS NEXT WEEK!

For three days only! (Thursday 3rd – 9am – 6pm, Friday 4th – 10am – 7pm, Saturday 5th – 10am – 6pm) you can get up to 80% OFF!

SAMPLES, SECONDS, ONE OFFS AND RANDOM ODDITIES FROM ALL YOUR FAVOURITE AUSSIE MADE LABELS, INCLUDING…

TV – E L L E R Y – DRESS UP – ARNSDORF – DHINI – SARA PHILLIPS – TESLA – MARNIE SKILLINGS – THERESE RAWSTHORNE – TINA KALIVAS – ONE TRICK PONY- P.S. by POOJA SHARMA and MORE!

PLUS random ephemera and strange and mysterious pieces from our display archives, including a giant wood cut pic of Kylie Minogue, mannequins, wooden hangers and things we are still yet to uncover!

Here are a few pics to get you in the mood…
SEE YOU THERE!!

Image One: Ellery
Image Two: Dhini

I think maybe in a past life I was a bird. The kind of bird that likes shiny things and talks a lot. Is that a Magpie? (Please don’t associate me with THAT football club though. Ick.) My most recent shiny things discovery is Precious Love, a Melbourne based website selling jewellery, bags, hair accessories and all manner of girly goodies (and some for the boys too!) Stocking limited edition fashion pieces at affordable prices, Precious Love is a one stop shop for bits and bobs from around the globe to bedazzle and beautify.

Precious Love founder, Nawwar Hassan, has had a busy and chequered past. Starting at 16 with a cookie business, she moved into selling Kaftans before obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce and a Masters in Property and Construction. Following this, Nawwar worked for an international property company before being made redundant and chasing her dream of setting up her own accessories company. With such a wealth of knowledge and experience behind her, its no wonder Nawwar’s endeavours are so successful.

Currently, Precious Love sells online and at local markets (including the Carribean Market at Scoresby, one of my childhood haunts!) with a vision to expand in the future and be stocked in many locations. Precious Love has also recently introduced a party plan program, and this is where my love of talking comes in handy. What girl doesn’t love an excuse to sit around in front of a warm heater drinking champagne while the shopping comes to you?

What about a lunchbreak party at work? Gather the girls and your ham and cheese sandwich, book the boardroom and you have a really good reason to stay in the office at lunch (and avoid the Melbourne winter chill!) Of course there are the usual benefits of being a hostess but if you are looking for cash incentives (and have the gift of the gab and a love for all things fashion) then Precious Love is always on the lookout for consultants.

Nawwar’s formula for Precious Love’s success is simple – a wide range of gorgeous accessories for a reasonable price, proving that most beautiful things do not have to come with a gigantic price tag. Here are a few of my favourite pieces from the current collections. Which ones are your Precious Loves?

Image One: Blair Waldorf-esque grey turban headband with diamontes (also available in black) $25 
Image Two: Shimmer and sparkle with this grey mist flower power necklace (also available in gold) $79