49 posts by Michelle

Denim Done Differently

Recycled clothing is having a bit of a renaissance at them moment, and rightly so. There is a surplus of clothing in recycle centres all over Australia. Of course - we all love acquiring new looks to capture our moods and signal our personal style. It can be easy to forget that second-hand clothing stores hold innumerable hidden treasures for a fraction of the retail price... and with a negligible environmental footprint! THRIFT SHOP Despite this (and despite having had Macklemore's ... Continue Reading

Finch & Lane Grand Opening

Finch & Lane are a new interior furnishings boutique in Malvern. They have just opened their doors. Their specialties include bespoke furniture, lighting, textiles, and décor which they present alongside rare and stunning framed movie posters. The look is one of style and luxury but also simplicity and light. I was very excited to be invited to their launch! After enjoying many yummy canapés and some delicious Champagne with my good friend Souri from Fresh Photography, we settled ... Continue Reading

Hutch & Co Cafe, Lilydale

Three words: ALL DAY BREAKFAST. But not just any breakfast, a blissful sensory delight of a breakfast. We were so grateful to be introduced to Hutch & Co as it is an absolute gem of a cafe. When you visit, I would definitely recommend bringing along lots of friends. You will then have 'picking rights' to sample their menu choices! And you will want to sample everything! It's a beautiful, bright friendly place with lots of natural light, tantalising flavours and friendly staff. The Hutch ... Continue Reading

MoVida Bar de Tapas

MoVida is a particularly famous and well established Tapas style restaurant in the heart of Melbourne. They have truly mastered the art of tiny, favour packed dishes (only one or two bites) but also have wonderful bigger dishes which can be shared more easily. The flavours are out of this world but the prices are frighteningly reasonable, with tapas bites ranging from $3.50 to $6.50. It sits in Melbourne's most photographed laneways, Hosier Lane, which is widely renowned for its stunning ... Continue Reading

Ginger Pride Rally

Buderim Ginger Beer and the Bully Zero Charity joined forces to create a very 'colourful' event - but there was only one colour! The inaugural Ginger Pride Rally graced Melbourne's Federation Square yesterday and it was quite a sight to behold. Needless to say, it was designed to reduce bullying and to promote ginger beer sales... both perfectly worthy causes if you ask us! A Fun Filled Morning Australia's first Ginger Pride Rally was a really fun event to attend as it was well ... Continue Reading

Siglo Rooftop Bar

Siglo is the rooftop terrace bar immediately above the legendary Supper Club on Spring Street. It can be a little bit hard to find if you're not yet initiated... just brave your way through the unmarked door to the left of The European. It is well worth the climb! High over Spring Street, the Siglo rooftop terrace offers a view right across this beautiful old part of Melbourne. You can see the stunning turrets of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in the middle distance and admire the impressive ... Continue Reading

Westfield Fashion Weekend VIP Preview Night

It was a night of window shopping without the windows! All the best bits of AW 2016 (the Autumn/Winter fashion collections of 2016) were brought into a single place within the Fashion Hub event at the Fashion Weekend VIP Preview Night. The champagne and cupcakes put everyone in a celebratory mood while they browsed the latest trends with tips from those in the know in including stylist Tara Blanusa. To top it off there were gorgeous artisan paper flowers handmade on request by Louise Seymour ... Continue Reading

Sony α7S II Unboxing

We are more than a little bit excited about our newest additions to our tribe of gadgets. Having added wedding videography to our repertoire at Pause The Moment (see our first video here) it seemed like the right time to invest in some additional specialised equipment. Enter the Sony α7S II. Like we ever need any excuse! Prepare for the ubiquitous unboxing sequence... Sony α7S II Unboxing We don't do these things by halves... so we bought two. How else could we use a Sony α7S II to ... Continue Reading

Naked for Satan – Tapas Bar

Hearing the words "Naked for Satan is AMAZING" for the first time will certainly catch your attention. Rather than being a cult, this is an incredible "Bar de Pintxos y Vodka" venue. Tucked inside a historic Fitzroy building, this was a secret vodka distillery during the time of the great depression. This was all thanks to Leon Satanovich, a Russian immigrant. The locals - in standard Aussie fashion - affectionally shortened 'Satanovich' to the nickname ‘Satan’. As the grandson of a vodka ... Continue Reading

Jansz Tasmania

What an absolute treat for the senses! Sensational sparkling, the finest of nibbles, and to top it all off - a fabulous flower arranging masterclass! Jansz Tasmania and The Flower Drum treated us to a really wonderful afternoon and evening. JANSZ TASMANIA SPARKLING COURTYARD We felt extremely fortunate to be invited to the Jansz Tasmania Sparking Courtyard during the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. Far away from our warm, sunny afternoon in Carlton at the Royal Exhibit... Continue Reading

Cutler & Co.

The building of Cutler & Co., Fitzroy, is full of character (as well as amazing food!) as it used to be a metal works factory. Now, the high ceilings and raw brickwork are combined with modern furnishings to create an appealing space of greens, browns and whites. Whether you are ordering any of their amazing a la carte dishes or lashing out with the degustation, they will tantalise your tastebuds and give you a dining experience you won't soon forget. The Cutler & Co. Degustation ... Continue Reading

Rutherford Jewellery

A little bit of luxury goes a long way! In a week full of hectic activity, it was magical to try on some incredible jewellery with good company, fine bubbles and delicious canapés. Rutherford Jewellery, a third-generation family business, has an absolutely stunning array of pieces. Their collection features diamonds, pearls, emeralds, sapphires and much more. They have now had their new store in Melbourne's iconic Block Arcade for just over a year - a perfect excuse to stop and celebrate their ... Continue Reading

Rubiki Autumn Menu

Rubiki Ringwood Menu - Fresh, Free Range, Fast, Fabulous! Menu launches are always great excuses for celebration and we were thrilled to be invited to sample the new Rubiki Ringwood menu for Autumn, 2016. We were already familiar with their all day breakfast menu (which is always immensely satisfying). This gem of an establishment makes a point of using local producers wherever possible. They only use free range eggs, smallgoods and chicken. The fresh flavours are combined and balanced with ... Continue Reading

Golden Plains 2016

It takes all sorts, as grandma used to say! The world is full of amazing people and wonderful experiences... nowhere is this truer than the annual Golden Plains Music Festival, held in Meredith every March. It's two days and two nights of camping, dancing and laughing on a beautiful farmyard estate in Central Victoria. Sparkle On! This year we were treated to a glittery makeover by our wonderful camp mates. We all partied the two nights away listening to the likes of Violent Femmes (who ... Continue Reading

Chocolate Buddha Restaurant

You would be excused for thinking that Chocolate Buddha was a dessert bar, but no no, it is an amazing Japanese restaurant. Incredibly - given the location - the prices are exceptionally reasonable, and the food is reliably delicious no matter how busy they are. On this occasion, we went there quite late at night on the day of Chinese New Year. Not CNY *eve*, CNY *day*... the day when everyone is at home on the couch tired from the previous night's festivities! So we pretty much had the place ... Continue Reading

Kiehl’s Chadstone Grand Opening

Ever seen an unexpected skeleton peering at you from inside a storefront? You might be passing a new Kiehl's boutique! Kiehl's began as a homeopathic pharmacy back in 1851 in the East Village of New York City. As a modern day skin care specialty store it still has the 'apothecary vibe' throughout its international stores. This has certainly been carried over to its new Chadstone boutique which just had its grand opening. As with all Kiehl's stores, a rather friendly looking, bespectacled ... Continue Reading

Yarra Valley Pork and Cider Festival

The brilliant minds of the Yarra Valley keep producing gem after gem. This time, some genius realised that the ancient combination of pig and apple had some further room to expand in a summery event with a festival atmosphere... how right they were! The Yarra Valley Pork and Cider Festival was born... Yarra Valley Pork and Cider Festival - The Food The fare was delicious! DELICIOUS! There was a lovely party vibe and everyone was in a cheerful mood. We had just got back from India so it ... Continue Reading

Japanese restaurant – Ichi Ichi Ku Izakaya

Ichi Ichi Ku Izakaya is a delicious Japanese restaurant. It is a little sister to the much bigger and more established Ichi Ni on St.Kilda’s Upper Esplanade. Here, they serve tapas style dishes. Their sushi and sashimi are TO DIE FOR. Also, they cater for vegetarians and vegans when necessary and their prices are absolutely fantastic. We started out with crispy prawns with wasabi mayo and couldn't believe how fresh and tasty everything was. Japanese food is renowned for its simplicity ... Continue Reading

State Forest Camping Adventure

Running away from the city can be a fantastic experience. Most years we stay in Melbourne for Cup Weekend, but this year we decided to cart some family and friends to a scenic spot near Yarram, Gippsland. The fun starts right from the get-go with a well planned trip and the puppy loved the excitement of going on a road trip! As we arrived at the camp it was a bit exciting to see a blur of wallabies zooming across the path... looking very familiar in relation to the old rego sticker on my ... Continue Reading

iPhone 6s Success

You might have realised by now that I'm always a sucker for new gadgetry, but I wouldn't have been so speedy to get this new 'shiny' if someone in my life hadn't been begging me for a hand-me-down of my iPhone 6... I swear! :-) In any case, I gave in and agreed to become the (proud) owner of the new must-have, the iPhone 6s, within a week of its release. So we toddled off to the Apple store once again, and handed over more moolah. The (excited) new oner of my old 6 declared the whole retail ... Continue Reading