HOT: Michelle Lane of Mishy Lane

Posted on March 14, 2010 by Jetsetting Joyce

Just in time for L’Oreal Fashion Week (14-21 March), today’s HOT Chat is with fashion and product photographer and graphic designer Mishy Lane.

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I came across Mishy’s work through the daily newsletter The Colour, and liked her use of colour and textures – plus we have a little in common because she has also moved from Brisbane to Melbourne and is currently living in the northside. Thanks Mishy!

Mishy, tell me a bit more about your background in graphic design and photography and your work as Mishy Lane?

My background is mainly in graphic design and marketing. I have a multimedia degree and studied graphic design at Shillington College in Brisbane, which was the most fun you could possibly have studying!

Since then I have been working for architectural companies and doing freelance in my own time. I always loved photography, but never quite took it seriously. I just used to make my friends pose for me, and I’d throw them up on my blog for fun. Last year I took some styled interiors / homewares shots for Nesting Bird Interiors with my friend and stylist , and they were featured on the huge American design blog Decor8 . That’s when I realised my photography was getting much better.

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What’s a typical work day for you?

To be honest I am very much struggling to deal with full time work and freelance design / photography. I really admire those people that take the leap and pursue their passion as a full time business. I dream of the day when I can afford that, but until then I spend 8.5 hours working in the city, buzzing on caffeine, and then come home to work some more. Weekends I try and catch up with friends and fit in some photo shoots. Seriously there aren’t quite enough hours in the day!

What are some of the most interesting or challenging projects that you’ve worked on?

They have all been challenging because I learn something from every project. Nothing stands out in my mind, other than working with a very young, hungover model which really tested my patience!

What are your next plans for Mishy Lane?

At the moment I am trying to manage my time so I can keep building Mishy Lane as a business. I’d love to collaborate with creative people; models, stylists, designers and magazines. I am also assisting with a new Melbourne based label archie which is launching online soon.

What advice would you give to someone starting their own business?

Don’t be shy. Spread the word about your business and products. My mother always said that if you don’t tell people how great you are, then no one else will. I use free mediums like blogs, and social networking sites to meet and talk to like-minded people.

Where do you turn for design advice and inspiration?

The pros! If I see a photoshoot in a magazine that I love, or a designer featured somewhere online, I’ll contact them to tell them I loved it. I also quiz them about their design process / equipment etc. They are usually happy to respond and give you some tips. I especially love Paul Barbara and in particular his Love Lost project which inspires me madly.

You’re pretty new to Melbourne – what have you discovered around Melbourne that’s HOT?

Yes, I’ve only been here a month but so far everything is HOT! I’m slowly working my way through the Melbourne Design Guide, and heading to places that friends recommend to me.

I live in Northcote so I have been really enjoying the Wesley Anne ( +) for an Sunday afternoon beverage, and Curry Masala ( +) also on High St for a great cheap dinner. The ( +) is a new little spot that does an awesome coffee.

(All photographs thanks to Mishy Lane)

HOT: NGV Artbus to the Yarra Valley (Part 3) – Healesville Hotel and Heide Museum of Modern Art

Posted on March 10, 2010 by Jetsetting Joyce

Click here for the first stop of the NGV Artbus Tour of the Yarra Valley at Yering Station and the second stop at TarraWarra Estate.

After two wine tastings and a gallery viewing, we were all about ready for lunch.

NGV Artbus to Yarra Valley Healesville Hotel 256 Maroondah Hwy Healesville Melbourne Hot or Not review

To my delight, the lunch venue was the lovely Healesville Hotel. Not only is this the grand dame of pub dining rooms in the area, but Healesville was one of the towns affected by the tragic Black Saturday bushfires in 2009. With our lunch I felt like I was doing a little bit to support and rebuild the local community.

NGV Artbus to Yarra Valley Healesville Hotel 256 Maroondah Hwy Healesville Melbourne Hot or Not review

Our meal was medium-cooked steaks with creamy mashed potatoes, a slice of lemon tart with cream and of course another glass of wine. The food was pretty good but not really to my taste if I’d been given a choice. I’m not generally a steak person and RM in particular likes his steak rare so found the meat a bit chewy.

NGV Artbus to Yarra Valley Healesville Hotel 256 Maroondah Hwy Healesville Melbourne Hot or Not review

The lemon tart was beautifully silken but marred slightly by a too-thick crust. However, it’s a bit harsh to judge a venue on mass-produced fare it needs to cook for 30 people at the same time, so don’t let my so-so assessment put you off eating there.

NGV Artbus to Yarra Valley Healesville Hotel 256 Maroondah Hwy Healesville Melbourne Hot or Not review

After a post-lunch stroll on the main street of Healesville, which revealed pretty food and homewares stores, we hopped back on the bus for a snooze on the drive back to Heide Museum of Modern Art.

NGV Artbus to Yarra Valley Heide Museum of Modern Art Melbourne Hot or Not review

Although not strictly in the Yarra Valley, it made sense to visit the gallery as it’s enroute back to Melbourne. The museum is also currently showing ‘Cubism & Australian Art’ until 8 April, the first exhibition of its kind in Australia.

We visited the main gallery in Heide III before moving to Heide II. In Heide III, these works stood out for me:

Indigenous artist Gordon Bennett’s self portrait. Against a background of digitised Aboriginal dot paintings, Bennett has taken the African masks that Picasso effectively misappropriated in his first painting Les demoiselles d’Avignon and used them to cover his own face. This symbol makes a political statement about Western culture misappropriating and hiding Aboriginal culture over the centuries and provides an opportunity for him reclaim that culture in his own work.
Banner by Rosalie Gascoigne. The artist had taken road signs and floral blue linoleum to evoke the atmosphere of the Australian landscape, with the red slashes of paint on the signs giving an almost violent, ‘Wild West’ aspect to the work.
‘Untitled’ by Jacky Redgate. A cubist still life with flat plans converted back into three dimensions to give a solid form to the empty space between three household items – a glass, a wine bottle and a bowl and saucer – to create a unified whole.
‘The Football Match’ by Roy de Maistre. While the work itself, of footballers playing a game, didn’t really strike me, I was impressed that Patrick White dedicated his first book Happy Valley to de Maistre and his Figure in a Garden (The Aunt) was used as the cover of White’s The Aunt’s Story.

On my way out I strolled around the fabulous gift shop (looove gallery shops) and bought a jar of honey harvested on site by Heide’s bee keeper Vincent Testa ($7.50) – all proceeds go back to the gallery. And then it was time to take our happy and tired selves home.

I thought that the NGV Artbus was a really enjoyable day out for only $75 ($80 for non members). We were ferried all around the Yarra Valley and spent a beautiful sunny day being culturally educated, wine educated and well fed. I really hope that the NGV continues to run the tours on the weekends to other locations so that us nine-to-fivers have the opportunity to travel with them again.

Healesville Hotel, +
Heide Museum of Modern Art, +

HOT: Marvellous March in Melbourne

Posted on March 7, 2010 by Jetsetting Joyce

I’m all for comfort food, opaque tights and scarves (I think it’s a reaction to growing up in sunny Queensland) – yay for Marvellous March!

Marvellous March is also the name of a handy little booklet produced by That’s Melbourne with details of the big events around Melbourne that will make you love autumn. This is a post to bookmark! Thanks to City of Melbourne, here are some highlights and photos:

Moomba Festival 2010
Melbourne’s largest outdoor community festival makes a vibrant return to the heart of the city. From the spectacle of the Moomba Parade to the hilarious Westpac Birdman Rally, from the wonder of the Children’s Garden to awesome live music, Moomba will surprise and delight Melburnians of all ages. March 5 – 8. Alexandra Gardens & Birrarung Marr.

The 2010 Indian Film Festival – Bollywood And Beyond
All the colour, drama, music and romance of Bollywood comes to Melbourne for eight days. ‘The Queen of Bollywood’ – multi award-winning actress Rani Mukherjee – will open festivities at Cinema Nova with the launch of her new film, the comedy musical “Dil Bole Hadippa.” The festival will feature eight premiere screenings and an array of Meet the Maker events where Hindi filmmakers including Rajkumar Hirani (director of the highest grossing Hindi film of all time- 3 Idiots) and Imtiaz Ali (director of box office hits Jab We Met & Love Aaj Kal) will discuss their careers within the world’s biggest film industry. 10-17 March 2010.

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
One of my favourite Melbourne festivals. The delicious 2010 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival will see the city hosting a long lunch, a food-lover’s fiesta and drool-worthy master classes. Take yourself on a visual treasure hunt with the Feasting Vignettes, presented by the City of Melbourne, grab a sustainable nibble at the Metlink Edible Garden showcasing regional produce and relax with free Barilla Foodie Films. 12 – 23 March 2010.

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L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival
The LMFF is a stylish showcase for established and up and coming fashion designers. Check out Sidewalk, a series of free runway presentations bringing Australia’s leading fashion brands on a spectacular inflatable fashion catwalk at Federation Square. 14 – 21 March 2010.

20^th Melbourne Queer Film Festival
See the latest, greatest and most creative in queer feature films, documentaries and shorts at the 20^th Melbourne Queer Film Festival. A $2,000 cash prize is also up for grabs for the winner of the City of Melbourne Award for Best Australian short film. 17 – 28 March 2010.

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Thai Culture & Food Festival
Discover the wonderful secrets of Thai cooking, enjoy a gentle Thai massage and some traditional music and entertainment, and when you get hungry sample Thai food on the River Terrace at Federation Square – think green curry, fish cakes, pad thai, chicken basil and more. 21 March 2010.

Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show
The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show is the biggest annual flower and garden show in the southern hemisphere and one of the largest in the world. An impressive 500+ exhibitors will showcase the latest products and services at the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens. 24 – 28 March 2010.

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Melbourne International Comedy Festival
It’s the biggest festival Melbourne has to offer and last year just over half a million people laughed at the antics of some of the finest comedy performers in the world. Check out my reviews from last year’s festival. This year I’m seeing Cardinal Burns and Tim Key. 24 March – 18 April 2010.

2010 FORMULA 1^TM Australian Grand Prix
It’s the country’s premier motor sport event that brings together the world’s finest and flashiest cars, glamour, celebrities (including Miss Polonia, for some bizarre reason) and the rush of adrenalin as the world’s most skilful drivers tackle the Albert Park racetrack. 25 – 28 March 2010.

Lonsdale Street Glendi Festival Festival
Melbourne’s large Greek community takes over the Lonsdale Street precinct to celebrate their history and culture. Sample souvlaki, sweet and sticky loukoumades (Greek donuts) and then burn off those calories in the Zorba ‘til You Drop dancing competition. 27 – 28 March 2010.

Also on in March – run, watch, sail, eat and listen:

Super Sunset Series – Docklands Dash!
Whether you run or walk register for the Super Sunset Series inaugural Docklands Dash. The fun run will wind its way through the Docklands precinct at twilight on Wednesday 10 March.

Thread Den: The Designers Sessions
Learn how to style and sew in the relaxed sewing lounge and then create your own catwalk collection! You can read my review of the sewing classes at Thread Den here. 12 – 16 March 2010.

Alliance Francaise French Film Festival
The best of contemporary French film comes to Melbourne, from action, romance, comedy and animation to thrillers, children’s films and documentaries. It’s the largest foreign film festival in Australia and this year is expected to showcase a record number of films. 4 – 21 March 2010.

Herald Sun/CityLink Run for the Kids
Last year 30,000 men, women and children pounded the streets of Melbourne to raise money for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal. Do your bit for the RCH in 2010 by walking or running across and through Melbourne landmarks such as the Bolte Bridge and Domain Tunnel. 14 March 2010.

Victoria Harbour School Sailing Series
Some of Melbourne’s most promising young sailors will hone their nautical skills as part of this popular sailing series. The eager school teams will crew two-person Pacer dingies during the high-energy, fast-paced racing event – all intent on winning the series and winning the chance to represent Victoria at the Australian Championships later in the year. To enjoy the nautical action head to Victoria Harbour 18 – 21 March 2010.

Melbourne Chamber Orchestra presents Profusion
Directed by William Hennessy and with guest soloist and soprano Sara Macliver, the MCO presents Profusion at the Melbourne Recital Centre at Southbank. The evening will feature classics by Dmitri Shostakovich, Jean Sibelius, Calvin Bowman and Gustav Mahler. 21 March 2010.

World Street Food Festival
To celebrate Melbourne’s love and appreciation of food from across the globe, Queen Victoria Market will host the colourful World Street Food Festival. Expect an array of cuisines from Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and Australia. Watch as the food is cooked in front of you, savour the smells, and treat your tastebuds to something new. 21 March 2010.

Melbourne International Dragon Boat Festival
The annual Melbourne International Dragon Boat Festival is a thrilling, colourful family-friendly event that celebrates everything that is great about this ancient sport. Watch the determined teams of more than 22 people battle it out for line honours on the Yarra River. 21 March 2010.

Opera in the Market
Fresh fruit and forklifts make way for elegant chandeliers and opera at Queen Victoria Market. Opera in the Market event gets underway again this year with appearances by talented artists such as young Soprano Tiffany Speight, and internationally acclaimed Tenor, Rosario La Spina. More than 150 voices and the 65-piece Melbourne Youth Orchestra also feature. 22 and 24 March 2010.

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Turkish Pazar Festival
Celebrate everything Turkish at this all day festival that showcases the best in Turkish dance, music, food and drink. Enjoy a traditional Turkish pancake or bread rings covered with crunchy sesame seeds, treat yourself to pretty handmade Turkish jewellery and ceramics and enjoy the distinctive sights and sounds of the many Turkish musicians and artists who support this annual event. 28 March 2010.

For a full list of Marvellous March events, click here.

HOT Chat: Akisa from BeautySwatch

Posted on February 28, 2010 by Jetsetting Joyce

akisa You may remember that at the Nuffnang Christmas party I met Akisa, the brains behind a cool beauty website called BeautySwatch. I liked her idea so much (a huge colour library containing swatches for thousands of lipsticks) I thought you might be interested to hear more about Akisa and her work with BeautySwatch.

Hi Akisa, can you tell me a little bit about your background?

I’m a corporate rat by day and BeautySwatch editor by night – I have no affiliations with the beauty industry but do have a love for beauty products and the way they make you feel when you transform yourself.

How did you come up with the idea for BeautySwatch?

Ever since I started following beauty blogs, I found myself being more daring in purchasing beauty products online that one would typically prefer to buy in-store. To decide on lip colours, I would google for other bloggers’ “swatches” of the product to get an indication of whether it might suit me. Sometimes the search results would produce useful photos. Other times I would get utterly useless search results with unrelated shades or brands.

One night after fruitless hours of searching for a lip colour swatch, I decided I was going to build the world’s largest online colour library of lip colours. I have certain criteria to ensure the photos on BeautySwatch are of high quality and useful to readers.

How do you find the women to contribute to BeautySwatch?

I knew I couldn’t do it alone and called upon the help of fellow beauty bloggers. Some of the team members were bloggers I already followed. Others have contacted me from around the world to either contribute or join the team!

Since BeautySwatch is a blog resource, I rely on my team’s goodwill for contributing their images with no commercial benefits. I try to direct traffic to their blogs as much as possible, as their swatches often come with reviews that I don’t bring across to BeautySwatch. I also share our successes in the media and feature lip interviews with each team member to help build their profile.

What are your next plans for BeautySwatch?

One step at a time!! My goal for 2010 is to build further traffic, expand the colour library and hopefully migrate to WordPress. Also seeking more sponsored products to help us maintain the project without hurting our wallets.

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Do you have any tips for a lipstick-buying novice?

Start with a safe shade that brings out a natural but better you. (Eg. pink-beige or rose)
Try the shade on your lips, not the back of your hand. (Don’t forget to sanitise it too!)
If the lipstick jungle is all too much for you, browse BeautySwatch to help inspire what shade you’d like to try next. Products are categorised by shade and brand.

What do you predict will be the next HOT trend in lipsticks?

Move over gloss, hello matte lipsticks. On the catwalk, there will be more adventurous techniques for applying lipstick (2009 was the year of duo-toned lips by Ungaro and Shu Uemura). On the street, we will see new earthy shades launched as Autumn approaches.

Personally I hope black lipstick is a fad that stays within the walls of 2009.

Where do you turn for make-up advice and inspiration (other than BeautySwatch, of course)?

PRIMPED.com.au – it’s an e-magazine that has lots of eye candy photos of beauty trends and lots of advice (how-to’s, videos and trend updates.

What are your tips for what’s HOT in Melbourne?

Madame Sousou for lunch with mum ( +)
Brunetti for afternoon tea with the girls ( +)
Fog Bar & Restaurant with friends ( +)
Radii at the Park Hyatt for a date…or if your partner needs to make up to you for something ( +)

For more HOT Chats with interesting Melburnians, click here.

HOT: Grace Darling Hotel, 114 Smith St, Collingwood‎

Posted on February 15, 2010 by Jetsetting Joyce

There was a time when the grungy Grace Darling was the kind of pub which you’d cross the road to avoid. Now the pretty brick and stone building has been given a good clean-up and on a sunny day you’ll find the pub full of youngsters spilling out on the pavement tables and filling up the glamorous inside bar.

Grace Darling Hotel, 114 Smith St, Collingwood‎

So the crowd inside the pub’s atrium dining room was a bit unexpected – it seems to attract an older, quarter-acre block, class of diner. Maybe the youngsters go to the Grace Darling to drink, not to eat, which would be a shame as I think the food is good and the prices are reasonable.

Grace Darling Hotel, 114 Smith St, Collingwood‎

The kitchen is doing some interesting things with a traditional pub menu. One of their staples is their fancy-pants version of the chicken parmigiana ($18), a terracotta ramekin containing a slow cooked chicken breast layered with prosciutto and parmesan crumbs. Not being much of a parma fan, I much preferred this gourmet version, although it was more of a winter meal and felt quite heavy in my stomach afterwards.

Grace Darling Hotel, 114 Smith St, Collingwood‎

Our other main was the daily special of pork chop with pecans, maple syrup, apple, pear and witloaf salad ($24.50). A gigantic pork chop was served on top of a mound of salad made of what seemed to be a dozen pieces of fruit. The salad was an inspired combination which delivered a contrasting crunch and sweetness to the juicy and tender meat. We really enjoyed this dish and it was definitely more suitable for a summer’s evening meal.

We originally had good intentions for dessert but the huge proportions of the meal left us much too full to contemplate the self-saucing chocolate pudding or hummingbird cake ($9 each). Never mind, we’ll be back to the Grace Darling.

You can also check out the review by The Age here. Like gastropubs? Try The Court House and The Palace by Luke Mangan.

Grace Darling Hotel, +‎