For me, Australia Day has pretty much always been about a day off work. I went to a BBQ once and listened to the Triple J Hottest 100 but until this year I never thought of myself as particularly patriotic. I recently told a friend how I thought Supre and Big W’s range of Australian flag emblazoned tee shirts, singlets and various other paraphernalia (which was no doubt made in China) was a complete waste of money and wondered which Australian in their right mind would waste money on such crap? But this year at the Australian Open I have been set on the path to redemption.

I go to the Open most years and thoroughly enjoy the experience of watching some of the world’s best athletes in action. I can still remember one of my first tennis experiences, watching Pat Rafter with my mum and dad many years ago. Pat was the unfortunate lesser player on this occasion and I remember feeling sad that he was the last Australian in the Open that year. Since that time, I can’t ever remember watching any sporting event and feeling that I desperately wanted Australia to win – until Thursday night.

The Open Thursday night was balmy but overcast and as I sat on what of the outside courts watching one of the men’s matches (Spain vs Uraguay I think), my thoughts were placed more on the weather than the state of the match. I love watching the people who come to the Open, love seeing them support their favourite player or country; love the antics of the players. I especially love the supporters who come decked in their countries colours, who sign anthems and start chants – individuals and groups who are truly passionate about the sport and their heritage.

After the match finished and my friend and I headed to Garden Square to watch the Rod Laver match on the big screen, we were approached by a woman who offered us tickets to watch inside the stadium. She was going home and didn’t want them to go to waste. We were of course thrilled to have tickets in the main arena and more thrilled when we realised Australian Casey Delequa would be playing. I felt a slight stirring of emotion.

Entering the stadium and listening to the 15,000 strong crowd support one player exclusively was beyond amazing. I almost felt sorry for her opponent but as we watched the match and Casey continued to wow, the Aussie in me started to shine and I almost wished I was wearing one of those cheap tee shirts just so people would know I which team I was on. Casey took the match 7-6 7-6 and the roar of the supporters when she played the last ball was deafening. My Aussie-ness was back.

They are calling Saturday Australia Day come early at the Open this year – three Aussies on centre court making for an awesome line up. Its beautiful weather outside, about 22 degrees and sunny, but instead I am sitting inside glued to my television watching Sam, Casey and later tonight, Lleyton, fight it out to stay in the game. The supporters are in their green and gold, and their voices sing out proudly, ‘We are Australian’, and ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi!’

I wonder what last minute plans I can make for Tuesday, if there is a tennis match I can go to or a barbeque I can crash. I hope I can get some of those Australian flag temporary tattoos, an Australian flag bikini or a baseball cap with a kangaroo on it. Happy Australia Day everyone! I hope you are feeling as patriotic as I am this weekend and happy to share your feelings with the world.

Guy Grossi for Australia Day 

Are you headed to an Australia Day barbeque and need something fabulous to take along? Renowned chef Guy Grossi of Grossi Florentino, has developed four recipes to coincide with the Goulburn Valley tomato season, all perfect for your Australia Day activities. This Tomato and Mozzarella Salad is one of Guy’s most popular and he encourages you to find tomatoes that have been grown in the soil and sun ripened, like Goulburn Valley tomatoes, to ensure the fruit is at its most flavoursome.         

3 Tomatoes (Goulburn Valley is best!)
200g Buffalo milk mozzarella
Fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper
High quality white wine vinegar
1 Spanish onion
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Finely slice the buffalo milk mozzarella and the tomatoes.
Finely dice the red onion and separate each basil leaf from the stalk.
To assemble the salad alternate a slice of tomato, mozzarella and basil layering each slice on top of the next allowing the previous slice to be visible to create a red white and green layering effect.
Sprinkle the finely diced onion down the centre of the salad and dress with white vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to serve.

When I was 15, it was all the rage to spend Sunday afternoon at your best friends house, painting each others nails and putting $3.99 colour rinses though our hair. It was at one of these Sunday afternoon sessions that I discovered Bonne Bell Ten-0-Six facial masks, and I have never looked back.

10 years later and now 25 years old, it is my Sunday night ritual to use one of these cleansing masks as skin preparation for the week ahead. A change in branding and packaging hasn’t changed the magic of these masks, available in Pores Be Pure (PBP) and Deep Down Detox (DDD).

PBP is my favourite for week to week, while DDD will do the trick before a special occasion. The pink packaging for PBP is as yummy as the strawberry and yarrow in the mask; though I wouldn’t recommend eating it, while DDD comes in a ginger sachet and reflects the orange and bergamot with ultra cleansing properties within.

The masks are easy to apply, simply wash your face, pop your hair back out of the way and apply an even layer, avoiding the delicate eye area of course! The consistency of the masks makes smoothing on with your fingertips effortless and then it’s time to pop on some relaxing music and find a spot to rest for 15 minutes while the magic of the mud works its wonders on your skin.

I am a big fan of the tingling sensation when you first put the mud mask on – you can feel the mask clearing the impurities and refining your pores. As you lie back and experience the mask at work, try using the time to meditate, pushing your worries and concerns out of your head. Your mind and skin will both be refreshed and vibrant!

As easy as it is to put on, Ten-0-Six masks rinse off in warm water. Splash with cold water to finish and pat dry. Your skin glows with health and feels supple and smooth. Pop on your favourite moisturiser to finish off this at home treatment and enjoy the feeling of clear, fresh skin!

Why not invite your girlfriends around on a Sunday afternoon for champagne, canapés and cleansing? Ten-0-Six masks are available for $1.99 at Priceline stores – a small price to pay for a weekly treat that will make you look and feel great.

Five days, 14 hours, 12 minutes and (for arguments sake) 32 seconds later, my water dramas are (touch wood) over. Several tradies have come and gone, litres of water are down the drain and my patience has been tested. The carpet isn’t dry yet and the smell is far from gone but my shaky start to 2010 is ready to be put behind me.

The plumbers finally discovered the source of my leak yesterday and repairs took place today. I have a new tap outside, a crimp on my pipe and a $45 laundry bill but it seems the hard part is finally over.

Tonight I get to sleep in my own bed, tomorrow I will shower in my own bathroom, use my own mirror and have my entire wardrobe to choose from. I’ll get to have breakfast at home, take the tram to work and just feel content, maybe even happy.

For now, I have written enough about domestic disturbances and feel the need to return to my more passionate pursuits. The countdown to LMFF is on and with the first of many store openings, closings, celebrations and various other fashionable outings starting this Friday at the GPO, there are certainly more fun and frivolous things to focus on.

~Visit Limedrop at Level 1 of Melbourne’s GPO from 6pm to 8pm this Friday 22 January to celebrate the pop-up store moving on to bigger and better things. Grab a bargain and wish the designers well over a glass of champagne. www.melbournesgpo.com and www.limedrop.com.au

~Sign Up for Escapade Events February movie night at the Moonlight Cinema in the Botanical Gardens. ‘It’s Complicated’ starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin is a romantic comedy with a twist and tickets are only $15.50. www.escapadeevents.com.au

~The Queen Victoria Market is running its annual Summer Night Market every Wednesday 5.30pm til 10pm until February 24. Grab a fashion bargain, some dinner and enjoy a balmy night out. www.qvm.com.au

~The Australian Open is on everyday until the end of January. With an after 5pm ground pass priced at only $29 this week and $20 next week, you have no excuse to sit at home watching alone on TV. Grab a friend and head over to Melbourne Park to sit on the lawn and cheer on the Aussies or watch some of our international visitors have a hit on the outside courts. www.australianopen.com.au

With so much to keep us busy this summer in Melbourne, there simply won’t be time for any more water dramas (or electric or gas please!) – put on your dancing shoes, kick up your heels and get out on the town – it won’t be long before the short days of winter are upon up again.

Welcome to the next instalment of the great flood of January 2010. If you are new to the Emporium, I promise we don’t usually dwell on domestic dramas. If you are a returning guest, I hope this flood worthy fashion fest amuses and entertains you.

When we left off around 1am, the water was continuing to seep through the floor, while I continued to wring out towels and rotate them every 30 – 40 minutes. I watched a few episodes of MadMen, perfectly timed for towel rotation and pondered my list of things to do, though with hands raw from towel wringing I didn’t much feel like anything except sitting on couch putting moisturiser on.

Around 3.30am I made the final rotation – the unused beach towel (and last resort shower towel) got a guernsey and my dressing gown also put in an appearance. I figured with two fresh ‘absorbables’ on the floor, I could get in at least 1 and maybe 2 hours sleep – I wasn’t letting that go by.

Back in my own bed with my own pillows, I fell asleep instantly and when the alarm went off two hours later I cringed with the knowledge that just outside my door there was a very good chance there was water waiting for me everywhere. The dressing gown and beach towel did a stand up job but I threw down some more tea towels for good measure and boiled the kettle. Coffee was required. It was going to be a long day.

The first rule of flood fashion is to not wear anything you actually like or might want to be able to wear out at some point. Clothes made of plastic are the best. Cottons and jersey fabrics lend themselves to comfort when one has to sit on the couch for hours and hours on end but are super absorbant when you are working with water. Something with a three quarter leg and sleeve is most appropriate – its hard to clean up walking around on a damp hem and you might also find yourself with a cuff intertwined in a wet towel.

I wouldn’t recommend jewellery or heels unless you are truly trying to impress the plumber, in which case good luck – unwashed hair and no make- up on 2 hours sleep is really alluring. Bare feet on wet tiles might not be the safest but at least you can dry them and not take the flood to parts of the house unaffected by water.

My plumber arrived just after 7.30am this morning and 3 hours later was still stumped as to where all the water was coming from. He tells me that in six years of plumbing he has never encountered such a dilemma. I feel slightly proud that my problem is a challenge but at the same time wonder why I have to be so damn special. The leak guy is booked to come back at 12, but all accounts thus far point towards pulling out the laundry. The great flood of January 2010 could turn into the had-to-have renovation of January 2010.

At this stage I’d settle for a shower, a good cup of coffee and even being able to go to work. Daytime TV is on during the day when no one is at home for a reason and its only saving grace is that the Australian Open is being held at the moment (though I still would have preferred the Golden Globes yesterday!).

After the plumber and leak guy solve this mystery, my bad luck when it comes to water has to have expired. I hate to think what else could go wrong! I’ll move my shoes to higher ground though, just in case. 

Fingers crossed this isn’t next…

My favourite TV show is Friends. Has been for a lot of years. I believe most things in life can be related back to a Friends episode and tonight’s choice ep is The One Where they’re up all night. Monica and Chandler can’t sleep, Ross and Joey get stuck on the roof, Phoebe and a smoke alarm have it out while Rachel and her boyfriend Tag settle a disagreement by heading to their office in the middle of the night.

Tonight is the one where I am up all night. It 6 minutes til midnight, and I am still awake, still on the computer, still replying to emails from work. Not because I want to, or because Jelana Dokic is playing such a riveting match at the Australian Open, but because my apartment flooded again tonight and for some reason, even with the water turned off, the water won’t stop coming though the floor.

If you read my blog post the other day, you will be aware of my predicament at the moment which involved first no hot water, then a deluge the next day. On Wednesday last week I headed home to Mum and Dads until the leak guy could come on Monday and fix the problem that apparently the plumber alone could not.

5 days of fun with the folks later and I was looking forward to a good day at work, a phone call from the plumber saying everything was ok, a great dinner with friends and then home to my little apartment, ready to right my furniture and enjoy the tennis.

That was 4 hours ago, but I think things started to go downhill when it was raining this morning. With winteresque conditions today and 45 degrees last Monday, Melbourne surely is a city of all seasons. In my haste to pack I hadn’t thought to bring my winter woollies and jacket so the day was spent with the air of a chill, though I did manage to grab a coat from the eBay pile at Mum and Dads.

The plumber called early afternoon – he and the leak guy were at my place and they couldn’t find any problems. ‘Are you sure?’ I asked, ‘cause otherwise, where did all the water come from?’ My concerns were met with disdain. ‘We looked’ he said. And they went home.

I had hoped they were right. I had hoped I would come home and everything would be well with the world and I could watch the tennis in peace. But instead I came home to another deluge of water and this time, turning off the taps to the mains hasn’t helped. At 8pm, I called the emergency plumber. He seemed to think after the failings of the leak guy that the neighbours were to blame. At 9pm I cried out of frustration and my failings at DIY. At 10pm I sighed and checked the water taps again. By 11pm I had only one fresh towel left and was preparing to use the tea towels and sheets.

It is now 12.30pm. The night’s tennis is done and replays have started. I am contemplating all the things one could do over the course of a 6 hour vigil to watch over the state of one’s carpet. So here it is, my handy how to stay up guide for the next time your apartment floods ? 

– Paint your nails, fingers and toes. You have plenty of time for them to dry.
– Bake a cake. It will definitely mask the smell of the water leak.
– Hope that some kind of international sporting event is on.
– Watch back episodes of Friends, or any other TV show you choose to frequent.
– Buy towels on eBay for future use next time your apartment floods.
– Iron.
– Actually read the coffee table books on your coffee table.
– Alphabetise. Everything.
– Sync your iTunes and actually make playlists instead of using shuffle all the time.
– Chat with people on Facebook on the other side of the world (or the other side of town if they are awake)
– Write the next great novella.
– Teach yourself French using an iPhone application.
– Choose your outfits for the next decade.

So now it’s nearly 1am. I still have copious amounts of water everywhere. I’ve just realised that my dressing gown is made of towelling and will succumb to the wet and my last towel that I was saving for my shower will be next. As for me, there is nothing to do but wait.

With the Australian Open madness already decending on our sleepy little town, yesterday’s Kooyong Classic was a welcome introduction the the tennis season in Melbourne. Temperatures were predicted to be thirty degrees and just stepping outside in the morning I could tell we were in for a hot and windy day.

Last year was my first visit to Kooyong and though I have never ventured to European shores, I imagine Kooyong tries to take a page out of Wimbeldon’s book. Garden chairs and umbrellas, champagne and Pimms, stawberries and cream – all the makings of a gorgeous summers day in the English countryside.

Play was set to kick off at 1 so my companions and I headed off around 11 to the suburbs where the grass is greener, the beer more expensive and the liklihood of seeing fashionable folk much higher.

I went with denim shorts, a loose singlet top and a sunhat, though it appeared Maxi dresses were the order of the day once we arrived. Havianas were the shoe du jour, while hats of all shapes and sizes graced the heads of the tennis going sunsmart folk. Fashion faux par of the day goes to the girl in the white sundress in the queue for the ladies loo – one should always check in the mirror before leaving home – an unlined white dress plus a dark coloured g-string will always give the boys plenty to ‘talk’ about.

There was a game or two of tennis played, I believe the Aussie won the exhibition match while the underdog got up in the main event, but the tennis is much more fun when you go with your mates, sit in the sun sipping champagne and having a laugh.

Most of the food and drink is overpriced and our seats were in the back row of the grandstand but for one day we felt a bit like part of the sophisticated royalty of the inner city suburbs in Melbourne.

The Aus Open will kick off tomorrow with a bang, and you can be assured that this tennis event has none of the class or cool of Kooyong. I encourage anyone who hasn’t visited to head down for an evening on a ground pass – the event is plenty of fun and if the weather is in your favour hours can be spent on the grass watching the big screen, beer in hand.

Pick your favourite – be it the Aussie or the guy who looks best in his tennis whites – and support the tennis. In Melbourne, January is all about those yellow balls, late nights and who will be the first to chuck thier racquet. Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi OI! 

Some of you may know, and some of you may not, but there is a blog I am quite fond of written by a fabulous girl I have the pleasure of being friends with. Dream, Delight, Inspire has the most amazing images, ideas and a unique quirkiness that I just can’t get enough of.

Once a week, the divine Miss K compiles a list for ‘Things I love Thursdays’  an inspirational concept and a chance to take some time out and remember the simple pleasures that make us smile on a day to day basis. It might be as simple as ice cream on a hot day to being given the opportunity to shine at work but Miss K’s weekly list reminds us that the best things in life are often free (or so small they pass us by).

I know I am a massive complainer at the best of times, so perhaps if we all took a leaf out of Miss K’s book and tried to be grateful for the small things, the world would be a happier place.

So in honour of January being the start of the new decade (and in honour of my finding things to be positive about in light of the state of my home water situation) here is a list of the simple pleasures I find in my day to day life.

– Mum making a roast because I came to stay for a few nights.
– Going for a walk with my two younger brothers.
– Having Dad wake me up two minutes before the alarm goes off.
– Finishing a day at work where I felt like I made a contribution.
– Having time to read on the train or tram.
– Twitter.
– People thinking I’ve had my hair done when I only changed shampoo.
– High heels.
– Walking in the rain.
– My apartment in the city.
– Double stamps on my coffee card.
– My childhood bedroom.

Thank you Miss K for your gorgeous images, words and sentiments!
Visit Dream Delight Inspire http://escapadeevents.wordpress.com/

Monday was the hottest day this year. Ironically, this is the day my hot water decided to break down. After a lovely few days at our island getaway, I returned Sunday night only to discover that come Monday morning my water was stone cold. Boiling the kettle for a bath took me back to the great Gas crises of a decade or so back when we had no hot water for days. Mum would boil the kettle and Dad created a makeshift shower contraption from a few tubes and a bucket. He is clever like that. I created a shallow bath and thanked god for hairspray and bobby pins. I am not clever like that.

When the electrician rocked around Tuesday morning and fixed my hot water service, I had already endured a cold shower (I HAD to wash my hair!). I know it was 43 degrees, and no less than 30 degrees overnight but a cold shower is much more pleasant when you have the hot to take off the chill. I endured the chill. It was fricken freezing!!

Come Wednesday morning, I couldn’t wait to enjoy my first hot shower since Sunday – the thought of washing my hair properly and being able to stand under the water instead of putting one limb in at a time hokey pokey style. The alarm went off and I threw off the blanket and struggled out of bed.

Some of you probably are not aware of this, but I wear contact lenses. When I get up in the morning, I can’t see a lot. It is only from doing the same thing everyday that I know the way to the bathroom and the shower before I put in my lenses immediately after. This morning I took about 5 steps from my bed before I was stopped in my tracks.

Water. Everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Sometime between me going to bed last night at 11pm and getting up at 6am my laundry space has flooded and now water covers most of the laundry and dining room. Its on the tile, the carpet, seeping through the bottom of my washing basket and soaking through the bottom of a cardboard box filled with books.

I don’t know much about plumbing, or electricity for that matter, but it seems to me that this water is coming up through the floor. I don’t know how, or why, but it does. When you walk on the tile, water squeezes between the squares. I moved my dining table to discover damp spots where the legs had sat. I’ve used a dozen towels (and they are all sopping wet, now in the laundry sink) and still there is water everywhere.

Considering I don’t have a dryer – or a clothesline – I’m now thinking about how I am going to wash all these towels, how I am going to dry the floor now that the heatwave is over and all the work I am going to have to catch up on since I keep having to wait at home for tradespeople.

If nothing else though, I do have to laugh at the irony of having no hot water on the hottest day of the year, followed by truckloads of the stuff as soon as it gets cool again. Dorothea McKeller was right – Australia is the home of drought and flooding rains.

Today is truly the nail in the coffin. On what is stereotypically the first day back at work for a large part of the workforce, the mercury will soar past 40 degrees for the first time this summer.

Those of us ensconced in office buildings around the CBD will revel in the bliss of industrial air conditioning, while stay at home mums will battle to keep their school holiday bound kids cool and entertained. Shopping centres, movie theatres and public swimming pools will be high on priority lists today, a means to stay cool without breaking the bank on air conditioning at home.

I am one of the lucky ones, closed up in the office all day where it is a pleasant 24 degrees. A cartoon in yesterdays paper had me laughing though – while many succumb to the heat outside, many of the CBD office dwellers will have cardigans or wraps on sitting at their desks, shivering though the great freeze of the 40 plus degree days, when office managers get slightly excited and turn the temperature down past pleasant to bordering on acclimatising for the winter Olympics.

Importantly on days like this you should remember to keep up your fluids and avoid time in the sun while dressing comfortably. I love a good heel as much as the next Imelda but today is not the best for anything that is going to slow you down on the outside. Skin tight pencil skirts and silk tops are a no-no, there is nothing worse that visible sweat marks (or perhaps the dreaded VPL!).

Take some advice from our fashionable friends at Style Melbourne and maximise the maxi on these hot days. Or simply sit at home in your underwear with a movie set in Canada or Alaska (try The Family Stone for some snow, The Proposal for sunshine with an arctic twist or Cool Runnings in preparation for the winter Olympics!). Throw a wet towel in the freezer for a while, then hang it over your fan for a refreshing blast or pop your pillowcase in for 15 mins before bed for a bedtime treat.

Remember when you wake up tomorrow after an average nights sleep to put on a smile and go about your day – everyone slept badly so there is no point being grumpy. Switch your latte for the iced variety and be thankful that its at least 10 degrees cooler. Chances are there will be more hot days to come so we better start to get used to it. Just 4 more months til winter.

11 December 2009 – 31 October 2010

This free exhibition put on by the State Library of Victoria celebrates Melbourne’s passion for shopping, from the Paris end of Collins Street to the local corner store. It explores Melbourne’s social history through changes in our shopping habits from early settlement and the Marvellous Melbourne of the 1880s to today.

’til you drop links shopping with cultural and social developments such as increasing leisure time, immigration and the suburban sprawl. It takes a nostalgic look at famous shops like EW Cole’s Book Arcade, the much-loved Georges of Collins Street and the iconic Myer department store, as well as visiting the local supermarket, suburban mega-centre and modern convenience store. Melbourne’s multicultural heritage is reflected in images of the European deli, Vietnamese butcher and Chinese importers.

The exhibition celebrates how and why Melburnians love to shop, with a special focus on fashion, food and the home. It reveals the indulgent side of shopping – the exclusive stores, luxury goods and seductive advertisements that feed our addiction to pleasure and style. It also acknowledges the downsides of shopping: crime, consumerism and pollution.

’til you drop will appeal to a wide audience, from history and nostalgia buffs to those who live to shop. Items on display range from a 19th-century cash register to ephemera such as wartime ration cards and Buckley & Nunn shopping receipts. It also features many classic photographs that evoke Melbourne’s changing style over the last century.

Other highlights include:

~a short film that explores contemporary Melbourne’s hottest shopping spots – from young designers and hidden arcades to favourite stores and markets
~images of ultra-modern 1970s suburban home decor
~iconic Wolfgang Sievers photographs of Collins Street in the 1960s
~superbly illustrated fashion catalogues from Foy & Gibson
~original design sketches of 1920s flapper fashions for Manton’s department store
~early colour postcards of famous shopping strips such as Bourke, Collins, Smith and Chapel streets
~persuasive advertisements for everything from luxury cosmetics to Ovaltine

The exhibition is complemented by a program of events that includes free tours and talks and the Craft Hatch market.

Visit http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/programs/exhibitions/kmg/2009/til-you-drop/index.html