Coming To A Stage Near You...

Working in the Entertainment/Catering industry, I am fortunate enough to see all the big-name music artists from Australia and abroad take the stage in front of sold-out audiences.

I've seen the best and the worst performances going around. I've met the divas and the down-to-earth celebrities. I've seen lip syncing at it's best, all the cliches associated with 'sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll' and even a few backstage tantrums to boot. Seeing glimpses of concerts every week, my standards of a truly amazing live show are impecably high and as a result, I've found the list of artists I'd love to see perform reduced to a humble few.

Among the elite (in my mind at least) are soul/RnB singers Sade and John Legend. So, imagine my disbelief when I discoverd that they were not only touring...but touring together! Then, imagine my disappointment when I realised they were only doing 2 shows, both of which were interstate and sold out! What's a girl to do?

Learn from my experience and sign yourself up to your local ticketing website or favourite artists official site for regular tour updates and even pre-sale tickets. Trust me, you'll kick yourself if you don't and later find you've missed out!

Guilty Pleasures...

I believe that everyone should be allowed at least one guilty pleasure when it comes to reality TV. A free pass where no matter how bad or pathetic the show may be, you can watch it free of criticism and without anyone placing judgement on the level of your IQ.

For me, I’m all things Kardashian! I know that those ladies don’t wake-up looking as fabulous as they are, but rather spend hours in a chair getting pampered and preened before they step out in front of the cameras. Still, despite the scripted scenes and charmed life created through perfect editing...I’m hooked!

For me it’s equally as much about the fashion as it is the envious lifestyles they lead. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be famous for simply being famous? If people were paying me thousands of dollars to show up to a movie premier in a designer anything, I’d be in!

With all that being said, I’m waiting in anticipation for my dear friend to start downloading the new episodes of Khloe and Lamar, because let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to watch people that own a shoe collection like this...

Some Days...

Some days have the ability to take your breath away. Like when you receive an unexpected delivery of flowers to your office. Discovering that the dress you bought online fits like a glove, or the moment when you exchange a smile with a stranger and immediately feel all warm and gooey inside.

Other days you’re just a winner! There’s an empty parking spot right near the supermarket door. Your run into work during peak hour is flawless and hassle free. Your local barrister sees you coming from a distance and before you’ve even paid, has your coffee waiting on the counter.

There are days when you feel like the world is against you. That no matter what you do or how much you try, you just can’t seem to catch a break. You arrive at the office only to notice a huge run in your stockings and the friends you’ve planned to have dinner with that night suddenly cancel on you.
Then there are days like today. Just as things seem to be travelling along nicely, you get blind sighted by someone you truly care about and suddenly feel like you’re gasping for air. That one little piece of information had the ability to change your mood, make you lose concentration, suddenly not feel hungry and put this awful feeling in the pit of your stomach that no matter how hard you try, you just can’t shake.

So, what’s on my ‘bounce-back’ menu?

Entree: Out the office door at 5pm and into the city for some retail therapy.
Main: A delicious dinner with some of my closest girlfriends for a catch up on life, love and everything in between, and finally
Dessert: A scented candle, a glossy magazine and the piece-of-mind that tomorrow morning I can sleep-in.

I'll let you know if it's a menu worth repeating...

A Pretty Piece Of Reading...

They say it's bad to judge a book by it's cover, but in this case I encourage you to do so!

I recently came across a collection of classic novels which Penguin has breathed new life into with a stunning set of freshly and contemporary covers. Acclaimed designer Coralie Bickford-Smith has created a range of book jackets which are sure to make even those with limited reading enthusiasm heading down to their nearest Borders.

"The challenge is to entice a new audience to the literature and also to not alienate die-hard fans," says Bickford-Smith.

The London-based designer chose Victorian-style cloth bindings that feature stamped patterns pointed to each book's content. "I want these books to be cherished like the literature inside." she says.

Whether you're looking for a gift for the person who has everything or simply a beautiful addition to your bookshelf, these collections are hard to beat and I for one have added them to my 'must have' list.

Fashion Forward...

"fashion is what you're offered four times a year.

style is what you pick out of that fashion"

I saw this quote the other day, and as I read it I found myself in one of those moments where you say an 'a-ha' to yourself. To me, that quote perfectly describes and distinguishes the people who have the ability to throw together ordinary pieces of clothing and make them look fabulous, from those who no matter how hard they try consistently get the 'committment to achieve' award. That's the one you get at school which in a nice way says "we know you try 10 times harder and do more homework than the smart kids, but I still can't give you an A" award. Trust me, for two years I stubbornly persisted with Legal Studies at school, even deciding to do it in my senior year because I was sure that taking down an entire folder of notes would help me recite half the Australian Constitution. It didn't, but my reward at the end of the year was not academic recognition, but rather the consolation of a 'Committment to Achieve' award.
My sister is one of those girls who can walk into a shop and pick up items you personally can't help but screw your nose up at while thinking to yourself "what on earth is she going to do with that?" Yet, somehow she manages to pick ordinary looking pieces, mix them with something she found at an op-shop, accessorise a little and wa-la an amazing outfit is born. Her style is very different to mine, and I probably wouldn't wear half the things she does, but almost every morning before I leave for work I look at her outfit choice with a nod of approval.

Anyway, my point is that not everyone has style and more often than not, it can't be taught. Why do you think so many celebrities have stylists or why women the world over can't seem to get enough of glossy magazines? We all have fashion muses who's style we try to emulate in our own 'non-designer' brand way, but sometimes I wonder how much of what celebrities wear did they actually pick out themselves? Even celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Rachael Zoe, who began their careers as a stylists to the stars (before they became one), now have people sifting through racks of designer clothes and shortlisting the items most suited to them.

One thing I've learnt from my sister though, is that the most important accessory to any outfit is the confidence in which you wear it. And on that note, the only person who's opinion really matters- is your own!

Becoming Somebody...

I was working with a friend of mine a few weeks ago when we began talking about the future and how life never turns out the way you had planned. My friend was facing a slight dilemma about his ‘next move’, when all of a sudden the spotlight shone on me when he came out with "...you know what Nat, I always thought you'd be somebody by now!"

In an awkward silence, I stood there for a second, wondering which way I should take his comment? After processing what had just been said, I slowly found myself somewhat agreeing with him. I was the girl who thrived at school and surpassed many people’s expectations. For me, it was easy because I had goals and I knew what direction I was heading in. Then I graduated and went off to uni- naturally the next step in my eyes, and although I didn't particularly enjoy it, I ticked that box too. From there I decided to go on a once in a lifetime trip where I travelled Europe and the United States for 9 months, before living in London for a further 9. Then, after 18 months away I returned home only to wish I was doing it all over again. That is where I am today. I've been back for 6 months now and I'm well on my way to lining up all my ducks so I can do it again soon.

When I went through and formed this timeline in my mind, I realised that I literally had no time to 'become somebody' in the 23 years of my life so far. Yet still, as much as this reality made sense, I still somehow found myself being a little underwhelmed with what I had done to date. Crazy, I know! In many ways, I’m my own worst enemy. I have impossibly high standards of myself and strive everyday to add to the ‘bigger picture’ of my life’s journey.

Perhaps it’s arrogant to say, but when I was younger, particularly on the day of my year 12 graduation, I honestly thought I was different, that one day I’d 'be somebody'? By 'somebody' I didn’t mean famous, but rather that I would achieve things or have a career that stood out. That in itself is a fallacy.
I also remember at graduation promising myself that I’d never work in a job I didn’t love. I admired my parents who both loved their careers and took that component of happiness and translated it into creating a great home and family. I could never understand those people who complained everyday about their job but had no intention of changing it. If life in London taught me one thing, it’s that people can withstand almost any situation if it provides security. Security financially, in a relationship, in a social environment, in just about anything. I never thought I’d face the day when I’d wake-up and drag my butt to a job I ended up hating, but in the midst of a recession and with bills to pay, my choices were limited and I served myself a big bowl of “suck it up soup”.

Looking back on that experience now, and I can honestly say it was a pivotal experience in helping me ‘become somebody’. I may not find my place in the world or my passion in life for another 5, 10 or 20 years, but that in itself is part of the journey. If my quest is to live an extraordinary life, then it will be extraordinary according to no one else but me!

Growing Up Gender Neutral...

I recently read an article in an issue of Grazia magazine about a single mother who has decided to raise her child "gender neutral". My immediate thoughts were that perhaps the child was born a hermaphrodite (with both male and female genitalia), therefore the mother was allowing her child to decide for themselves what gender they felt most comfortable being. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Malin Bjorn's child was clearly born either male or female, and only a few close family and friends have been privy to that information.

Despite trying to remain open-minded and unbiased while reading the article, I couldn't help but sympathise with the child. Many critics have labelled Malin's decision to raise Charlie gender neutral as a form of child abuse, while others flat-out say her baby is being used as a human guinea pig. I'll admit there were points in the article where I could half-heartedly agree with her decision, but I couldn't help shake the feeling that a child raised with no clear identity is likely to struggle when trying to find their place in the world.

 Malin argues that during her own childhood she was interested in typically male activities, and wanted to pursue a career as a tradeswoman, despite societal pressures steering her in the opposite direction. Although I understand her desire to have Charlie grow-up with the mentality that there's no such thing as male and female roles, this seemed to me like an awfully extreme way of reinforcing the message.

What I believe is the more poignant question in this debate however, is how this social experiment will affect Charlie when it's time for school and with that, the social pressures of fitting in? Where does a child 'fit' when they don't even have a clear understanding of themselves? While Malin concedes there will come a time when Charlie's true gender begins to show, her hope is that the seed will have been planted and her child is empowered with the freedom to be whoever they want to be.

For better or worse, an individuals gender is one of the most dominant aspects in forming their identity. Sexual preference is a personal choice but gender is clearly defined. Being a girl doesn't mean you have to wear pink and play with dolls, nor does the colour blue and toy cars have to be associated with a boy! These are unfortunately stereotypes which have been developed over decades, but I do believe that those lines are constantly becoming more blurred, as the dominant roles of males and females continue to be redefined.