Money v Style

I love shopping, but I love my money more. It's a love hate relationship.
I love how amazing something is, I just hate parting with my hard earned cash.

Thankfully, I have an amazing mum who understands a girls need to be stylish.

Every Thursday, mum and I have dinner, and every now and then we go out shopping afterwards. Very rarely does she buy me anything, mainly because I tell her not to waste her money, but on the odd occasion I agree, and I'm sent home with something fabulous.

Last night was a great night for my jewellery collection. I was sent home with a fabulous statement necklace, and a couple of ear cuffs.

Neither of us are big spenders, so we generally find things on special, or buy at discount stores.

My eagle necklace ($15) and cuff earrings($5) are from Diva at Knox.

Stay tuned for the next blog, where I'll showcase some of my other trinkets!

 "You stay classy San Deigo"

Jayde xx

WTM: Sky High

Welcome To Melbourne: 

Sky High, Mount Dandenong

26 Observatory Road, Mount Dandenong

Open 365 Days A Year

$5 per car load 

A great day out for the whole family. The kids can play in the maze, while mum and dad can sit down at the little cafe and have tea and scones.

After walking around the stunning gardens, you can have lunch or dinner at the Sky High Restaurant. 

Welcome To Melbourne: Walking Ghost Tour

I've lived in this fair city my entire life, but I've never really had the chance to explore its beauty. I've decided, this has to stop! So myself, and my trusty cameras are going out and about on the town, to bring you, my avid readers, some shots of Melbourne, and a little bit of history along the way...

Saturday 24th August - Walking Ghost Tour

The Haunted Bookshop

15 McKillop St, Melbourne

9670 2585

$20

2030 - 2300 (approx)

www.haunted.com.au

So we start our journey at The Haunted Bookshop, with our tour guide, (I didn't catch his name, so we'll call him Snape,) and walk around the seedy backstreets of Melbourne.

We started off with a group of about 30-35 people, from all walks of life. There were grandmothers, granddaughters, people from other states, goths, new romantics, skeptics and believers. Now I'm not saying I believe in ghosts, I'm just saying there is another explanation for things, be it natural or supernatural. Maybe I'm a skeptic, maybe I'm a believer, I like to say I'm a little mix of both.

It was a pleasant Saturday night, with no clouds in the sky, and a light spring breeze in the air. Now, I won't tell you everywhere we went, or everything that was covered, but I will give you little spoilers along the way. If this isn't your thing, then please, stop reading now, and go groom your unicorn.

Our first main stop, was the Mitre Tavern. Located on Bank Place, it is one of the oldest pubs around. Originally built in 1868, it has undergone many transformations over the years, most notably when it was remodeled in the Queen Anne style between 1900 and 1910. The Mitre Tavern, is said to be home to a trapped spirit, most likely female, who haunts the first floor balcony, pining after her lost love. She's said to wear a flowing white gown, and be seen as a beacon of light, or the outline of a shadow.

After the Mitre Tavern, we covered the history of Bank Place, which is in the heart of the financial sector, then we were off! You'll have to forgive me, as I do not know the names of the lanes and streets, but I will do my best.

We visited Pugg Mahones, a classic Irish pub, located on Elgin Street in Carlton. Pugg Mahones is said to be haunted by another female spirit, often seen in the front windows of the pub.

After Pugg's, we went on our way, and made it to the Flagstaff Gardens. The gardens were first established in 1835, originally designed to be used as a grave site. During it's time as a cemetery it was aptly named "Burial Hill". But don't panic, all of the remains were removed and relocated to Fawkner Cemetery. A few short years later, in about 1840, the expanse of lawns was then to be used as a signalling hill. As the hill was the (then) highest point in Melbourne, a 50 foot flag pole was erected. These flags were used to signal to North Melbourne, that the ships had arrived, and they could come and collect their mail. Approximately 20 years later, when technology had evolved, a telegraph system was used to advise the towns people of the ships arrival, meaning the flag pole was no longer needed. Only 2 years later, in 1862, the residents of West Melbourne petitioned for the Hill to be used as public gardens, which is still it's current use today.

We continued on through Flagstaff Gardens, and made our way to the Queen Victoria Market. Between 1837 and 1854, the land was actually used as a cemetery. If you go the the QVM, you will see a large brick wall, running between the new shed and old shed. You may also notice that the steel pylons in the new shed, are actually held into place by large concrete blocks, where as on the other side of the wall, they're not. 

The new shed, is built on the consecrated side of the cemetery, and the other side of the wall stands on unconsecrated land.  So, if you were black, Chinese, Jewish, a criminal, or killed yourself, you were considered 'dirty', and were buried on the unconsecrated side.
It is said that 3 figures roam the grounds at night. Who are these mysterious figures? Legend says they are 3 horsemen who were hanged to death for their crimes. The first, hung by an untrained hangman, was left to suffer as the rope was not positioned correctly. The second and third, were killed mercifully by a well trained hangman. 

We concluded our tour in the QVM and were left to roam the streets, like unsettled souls. But, don't dispair, if you don't know your way around the city, you can follow Snape back to the bookshop and make your way from there.

All in all, I quite enjoyed the tour. Even though we didn't get to actually go into any of the buildings we were told about, our guide Snape was so informative, and with his hilarious theatrics, he made the night.

Jayde xx

Old Dog, New Tricks

We all know the saying, but has anyone ever actually tried to teach and old dog new tricks?

I have. I'm currently trying to teach my mum how to use her new laptop. Not to say that my mum is an old dog, but you get the drift. 

My mum grew up in an era where men were accountants and women were hairdressers. All she wanted to be when she grew up was a hairdresser, so why ever learn computers? They didn't really hit it big until the 80's, and even then they were big, chunky, and slow (compared to modern technology). 

So my brother has just helped her buy a new Lenovo laptop, organise the wifi, and help her get started with accounts and passwords. Now it's my job to teach her the ins and outs of how to use it.

The only thing is, she doesn't want to learn. It's all so complicated and scary. I can understand why she's hesitant about it, I think she see's me using it and thinks she'll never understand it. I normally love teaching people things (can you guess what I wanted to be when I was a kid?), but mum is just so frustrating. I think she could really enjoy having a laptop, but it's getting over the hurdle of teaching her the basics. 
So far she knows how to turn it on (yay!) and how to check her email. She's still a little hesitant on how to check her online banking, but we're getting there.

I really wish she had been given the same opportunities that I had when I was a kid, but different generations, meant different standards.

Oh well, I'm sure we'll get there eventually.

Wish me luck!

Jayde xx

Book v Movie: Perks Of Being A Wallflower

You know how you can read a book, then watch the movie and think, 'are these even meant to be the same thing?'. Well I love reading a great book, then comparing it to the movie it's based on. Sometimes they get it spot on, and sometimes they just get it so horribly wrong.

Last night we finally sat down to watch Perks Of Being A Wallflower. I read the book a couple of months ago, and figured it was finally time to watch to movie and compare. Let's start with the book:

Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky, 1999
This is a wonderful coming of age story about a young man Charlie, who is just about to start his freshman year at highschool. It follows his journey through the ups and downs of teenage life, and his growth as a person. In the beginning of the book, the author writes as though he has very limited english skills, but as the story progresses, the writing style gets better, showing that through Charlie's journey, he is maturing as a person. His English teacher becomes his mentor, and is constantly giving him new books to read and write about, challenging him to explore the books meanings and underlying stories. Charlie finally makes friends, Sam and Patrick, and they continue to surprise him and take him on adventures to widen his horizon.
The way the author describes the characters, leaves a lot to the imagination of the reader, which I think is brilliant. I love being able to picture these people in my head, their hair colour, their accent, the way they dress and walk. It helps me to create my own little world, which let's me escape into the book. The ending of the book is a bit bullshit, and made me angry at the story, but I can understand why it was done so. It's not so much that I think the ending is stupid, it's more so that I couldn't believe it. I won't ruin it for anyone who hasn't read it yet, so don't worry, there will be no spoilers here. I very much enjoyed the book, and read it every lunch break until it was finished.


The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky, 2012
Based on the book by the same name, Stephen Chbosky puts on his directing hat and thank god he did. I think if this movie had been directed by anyone else, they would have ruined it. Chbosky stayed so true to the book, with only a few minor adaptations. The storyline is the same, the characters written in the script perfectly. I love this movie, just as much as I love the book. 

If you prefer to read, then read, if you prefer to watch, then watch. In this instance, it makes no difference. Both book and movie are done wonderfully`.

Jayde xx

Parmageddon

As a meat eater, I love all kinds of meat meals, steak and chips, bacon and eggs, chicken parmigiana.

To be honest, I don’t know anyone (except vegetarians) who doesn't like a good parma! How can you not like it, juicy freshly crumbed chicken, home made Napoli sauce, good quality thinly cut smoked ham, golden melted cheese… Oh god, I’m so hungry now!

Anyway, on Wednesday night, we (Katrina, Justin and I) went in search for a top quality chicken parma. We decided the hills was the best bet, to a fantastic restaurant called Kelly's. 

Kelly's is a pub that is all about the locals. Local produce, local beer, local music. You get the idea. Originally named after Kate Kelly. Kate was mother, outlaw, horsewoman and sister to Australia's most infamous bushranger Edward 'Ned' Kelly, born on 12th July, 1863 in Beveridge, Victoria, just north of Melbourne. Whilst the Kelly brothers were on the fun from Victoria's law enforcement they relied on Kate to run guns, ammo and basic supplies to them in one of their many bush hideaways, ensuring she too lived with the Kelly name's infamy. The original building - now the tavern - was a log cutters cabin built in 1891 for the local timber industry workers. Over the years it has been home to many including the gypsy fortune teller Miss Portelli with her tea room, and is now one of the oldest licensed venues in the state. Because of the buildings history, the original tavern is now heritage listed. 

Walking up to Kelly's, you get this feeling of 'home'. It's just such a relaxing and chill vibe. You always get great service, and amazing quality food. Which is why we love going there. 

So anyway, sorry for digressing, I was telling you about Parmageddon! 

You are given a choice of four different types of parma, all with amazing names like Zombie Apocalypse and Doomsday. Which are exactly the ones we ate. Doomsday is very much like a standard parma, but it is topped with 3 different types of golden melted cheese, and the Zombie has BBQ sauce, caramelised onions, chorizo and cheese. 

I didn't get any photos of these amazing creations, mainly because people would look at me strange if they saw me taking photos of my food. But trust me, if you love parmas, head up to Kellys for a great night out.

Jayde xx