What’s this? A teeny-tiny update, instead of an actual, proper, serious (oh, who am I kidding?! They’re never serious!) blog post? Yes! And before you cry ”CORRINE you useless blogger, what are you doing?” (pft, as if you’d ever say that. You’re far too lovely!), HEAR ME OUT! You see, while I’d plaaanned to natter away about psychics today (ooh!), truth be told, I can really only think about one thing…

Mushrooms.

NO!

Travelling!

A snapshot of my little sister and I, who I cannot WAIT to see in a few weeks’ time! (And what can I say about her that I haven’t banged on about before?! The girl is my best friend. My evil twin. My LIFE!)

That’s right. TRAVELLING!Last night I booked my flights to visit some fairly far-out destinations, so can you blame this doofus for being unable to concentrate?! I’m scared. I’m excited! A c-r-a-z-y adventure is about to begin, and I’m finding it difficult to think about anything else!

So. Where am I headed to?

 NEW ZEALAND: August 23-August 31

LONDON: September 2-7

IRELAND: September 7-29

 SCOTLAND: September 29-October 29

NEPAL: October 30-November 18

INDIA: November 18-December 1

And then? Who knows! (Can you hear that?! That’s the sound of my teeth chattering and my legs wobbling, because I’m so nervous!) I have a British passport and a thirst for fun and the unknown (and no planned return date to Sydney!), so I have NO idea where I’ll end up. (Iceland? Mexico?!)

Now, I want to smuggle you along in my suitcase (ugh, could you imagine? We’d have such a blast!), but since you can apparently get into trouble for doing so (I know. Kill-joys, huh?), I’m going to be documenting (here!), Facebook-ing and Instagram-ing the bejesus out of everything, instead. HOORAY!

♥

Golly. I can’t believe this is happening! (Oh, and P.S.! If you happen to be in any of these countries during the above dates and would like to meet-up with a silly blogger, E-MAIL ME!  There’s plenty of things that I’m not - organised, skilled at housework, a chimpanzee - but I do promise that I’m nice, and I’d love to hang out with you!)

xoxo

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Well hel-lo! 

While this week’s been filled with all SORTS of tedious tasks (completing three years’ worth of tax returns… ugh! Cleaning the apartment… double ugh! Managing to accidentally fall up a set of stairs… ugh, ugh, UGH!), today was perfectly magical, because I spent the afternoon in Sydney’s Palm Beach, glorious Palm Beach! (Have you been there before? If you’re ever in town, it comes totally recommended!)

And what an afternoon it was. Can you see that sunshine?! You’d never guess that it was Winter here in Australia from peeking at these photographs, would you? I mean, I was shuffling about the sand sleeveless!

The remarkable Palm Beach. (Psst, Home & Away fans! Did you know that this is actually where the series is filmed? It is!)

Interesting… uh… artwork?! (Although I think mine - as pictured below - is a teensy bit nicer!)

It was already the most gorgeous day, but then what should we spy, just to make the time a little more special? DOLPHINS!

(Or are they sharks? No. They’re definitely dolphins!)

What I’m Wearing:

x ‘CORRINE’ nameplate necklace
x Sportsgirl scarf and earrings
x Boots from Shoe Connection, New Zealand
x Red, pink and black ruffle dress (I picked this up for $6 on Monday, and happier I could not be! After all, who doesn’t love a bargain?! Oh wait, I KNOW…)

No offense tiny Palm Beach cafe` (your staff were charming!), but YOU do not quite clearly love a bargain. Can you believe that these sandwiches cost $19.40 each? The madness! (But, as my beautiful company said, ”hey… when in Rome, do as the Romans do. And when in Palm Beach… eat stale, over-priced snacks!”)

(Always in my possession: CAFFEINE!)

♥

How was YOUR day? (And how insanely stunning is that water?!) However you spent it, I hope it was a magnificent one!

xoxo

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At what point is something deliciously spontaneous or just downright… daft?!

As a dork who’s aware of ”stranger danger” yet preaches (and firmly believes!) ”life is short. Break some RULES! Be d-a-r-i-n-g!”, it can be wildly difficult to distinguish between the two.

Last Tuesday, a friendly-seeming gentleman asked me if I’d like to grab a beverage with him some time. Was he charming? Yes! Were his manners impeccable? You BET! But as the words ”so, I’m actually new to this area of Sydney. Whereabouts do you usually hang out? Would you like to go out for a drink?” tumbled from his mouth, my mind started hissing ”you don’t know him! This is only the second time that you’ve ever spoken to him! What is this madness?! Abort the conversation. Abort, abort, ABORT!”

”Um,”’ I lamely mumbled, frantically searching my brain for a non-offensive excuse, ”I actually work weekends. Yeeeah. Oh, I’ve got to go now. BYE!”

What I’m Wearing:

x Wanted’s ‘Prague’ combat boots
x ’CORRINE’ silver handmade nameplate necklace
x Nasty Gal’s ‘Clever Minx’ coat (purchased on sale for $34. Ooh la la!)
x Backless black dress (guess what?! This actually used to belong to blogging/styling virtuoso, Hayley Hughes. I received it from her at a clothing swap party last year!)

”He was kind of CUTE!” The woman next to me exclaimed, nodded approvingly. I smiled, giggled and anxiously slinked away, frantically babbling to my best friend the next day (Caroline, I love you!):

”But he was NICE! I’m always saying that you should try new things, right? And be bold? WHAT IF HE WAS TRYING TO DO THAT?! What if he thought ”okay, I’m going to take a risk and ask this girl out”, and I just ruined that? Oh my goodness, I feel like a jerk. WHAT IF HE NEVER ASKS ANYONE OUT EVER AGAIN?! Maybe I should have gone. Why didn’t I go?! Jeez. How can you identify the axe-wielding maniacs from the people who are genuinely trying to do something positive these days? @#&^!” (Phew. I’m sure there’s a queue of people just piling up to be buddies with me now… NOT!)

♥

As the stupendous Seal warbles in Crazy,”we’re never gonna survive… unless we get a little… CRAZY! No, we’re never gonna survive… unless we are a little… cccrazy!”, but what’s the difference between ‘good’ crazy and, as my beloved Christopher says, ”not just your average ”on the path to Crazy Town” kind of crazy, but ”I’m not just on the path to Crazy Town, I’m driving the freaking BUS!” ” crazy? Would YOU have sipped vodkas with him?

xoxo

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So there I was, just completing an obviously important task skulking around the apartment, bopping along to The Bee Gees, when I peered out my window and spotted something UNBELIEVABLE.

Was it weeds? Yes! (But come ooon. That’s hardly surprising, now, is it?! There is a garden out there, after all!)

Was it PIZZA?! No. (But cripes, that really would be shocking, wouldn’t it?! And delicious. Shocking and delicious!)

It was $20! $20!

It’d literally blown into my backyard, and I couldn’t BELIEVE it. I mean… what?! Since when do $20 notes just fall from the sky and land on the ground like that?! I’m still struggling to comprehend it, but one thing that I do know is… 

Magic does happen. Honestly. Sometimes, we’ve just got to have a peek around for it! 

‘♥

xoxo

P.S. This is absolutely my ”huh? THERE’S $20 OUTSIDE?!” face:

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If you’re clicking here for the first time, WELCOME! Every Friday (well, today it’s Monday. Oops!) we celebrate the fact that - ding, ding! - it’s Friday, and our favourite things (making new friends? Mops?! Okay, it’s probably not the latter…) from the week that was. Here’s what I’m currently loving!

x Splendid Spring - Sure, it’s cheesier than a Margherita pizza and probably one of the most overused expressions e-v-e-r, but guess what?! In Australia, spring has sprung, and who wouldn’t be ecstatic at the thought of enjoying all-day barbecues, splish-splashing around at the beach and frolicking about in ridiculous dresses in the months ahead? (Vampires?! Possibly. But not this sunshine lover!)

Can you feel it in the air?! Spring’s h-h-here! 

Shells, marbles and vases galore. Welcome to my home!

x Frantically Furnishing The Apartment - With the realisation that a work experience student/intern is set to arrive at Casa De Frock & Roll in the next couple of days (OH! MY! GOODNESS!), I’ve been manically attempting to clean it up. My apartment building is EXTREMELY old, and currently in the process of being renovated (read: it looks delapidated right now), so I’ve been snapping up Eiffel Tower prints and purchasing candles left, right and centre in a last-minute attempt to make it visitor-friendly. (The photograph above is of the living/dining area. What do you think? Cripes inviting people over to your home can be nervewracking!)

x Appreciating Life - My great uncle passed away and I visited a retirement village this week. Both were mindblowingly depressing occurrences, but if there’s anything positive that can be derived from either of them, it’s to treasure life and live it full throttle while you can. We spend nonsensical amounts of time over-analyzing the craziest of things (what, you think I don’t do it too? Oh, but I do!), when really, we should just be leaping out there and taking chances!

x Other Little Things - Atmosphere’s Puppets (hip-hop so good, it should be a crime); so-awful-they’re-hilarious jokes (my favourite kind! An older gentleman, after I became tangled in his dog’s lead the other day: ”Oh, come on now, Pugsley. I’ve told you to pick up pretty girls for me before, but not like this!” Ugh! Ugh, ugh, UGH!); seeeriously contemplating spending New Year’s Eve in Krakow, only to discover that it takes 38 HOURS to fly there (honestly now, 38 hours?! That’s nuts!); this pretty dress (and it’s only 27 clams!); conversations about everything and nothing (again, my favourite kind!); homemade muesli; donning belts in every colour of the rainbow; and traipsing across the sand!

Suggestion For The Week Ahead

x Contemplate the above. When was the last time you did something for the first time?

♥

xoxo

P.S. UNCOOL CONFESSION ALERT! Can I let you in on a little secret? The reason that this is being delivered on a Monday - and not its usual day of Friday -is because I’ve been overcome with a sincere bout of… BLOGGER STAGE FRIGHT! (See?! I told you it was uncool!) Although I wholeheartedly advocate sharing your work (and I do!), a downside can be that occasionally, you maaay just start picturing the people you know reading your thoughts… and be tempted to freak out. Let’s not! 

”Spill a little bit of blood on the streets for love.”

Is one of my all-time favourite quotes (thanks, Atmosphere!), and it’s a fairly excellent line to remember while writing/painting/singing/talking/engaging in ANYTHING, isn’t it? Spill a little bit of blood/wear your heart on your sleeve in the pursuit of adventure and experiencing life. What’s a good story without a terrifying chapter or two?!

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”So, um, what happened with the ‘live blogging’?” A gentleman asked me earlier in the week with a smirk, having read this piece:

”On a scale of 1-10, how much of a pretentious clown would I look like if I was to LIVE BLOG from a fashion show?! (Yes, live blog! As in sitting there with my laptop, typing away, while the models strut back and forth!) I estimate about a 10, but I guess I’ll know for certain soon, because that’s exactly what I’ve been invited to do this afternoon! (Cross your fingers that I don’t make too much of a ninny of myself!)”

And that’s when the groaning started. GROAN! Yes, I was supposed to attend Revlon’s ‘Top Speed’ fashion show last Saturday (and live blog from the event!), but, you know, sometimes things happen. Last Saturday, that thing was a bus, which was conveniently inconveniently late (if I didn’t live an $87 fare away from the city, I would’ve just jumped in a taxi), before being stuck in traffic for almost thirty minutes. Lame!

When I finally arrived at the show’s destination, hoping that I wouldn’t have missed a thing (even though I was running supremely behind, I was still only fifteen minutes late to the event itself) the security guard outside said ”oh yeah, sure. The show’s almost over, but go right in.”  My jaw dropped. ”The show’s almost OVER?!” I squeaked. ”Yeah!” He replied. ”There’s probably only two minutes left of it, but go through to the back of the hall.” I plunged through the doors and quickly scrambled towards the entrance, but alas, the show had started. Here’s what I managed to see!

Terrific turquoise and luscious lavender. The theme of the show was colour blocking, and this was one marvellous maxi-dess!

An awful quality photograph (one of these days I’ll upgrade to a proper camera!), but GORGEOUS clothes.

Blurry bloggers! There was a front row section reserved especially for them (uh, us). Pretty nifty and forward thinking on the company’s behalf, huh? It’s interesting to see how different types of ”media” are being embraced these days. (Can you spot Joelyne from The Sydney Girl and Anita from Love Vulcanella? I can! Nice girls.)

The final roll-out of garments. Look at those rainbow hues! Sublime, sublime, sublime.

Transport woes aside, HEY! Sydney-siders! Did you know that there’ll be Revlon ‘Top Speed’ Glam Vans buzzing about town this week, dishing out free, full-sized nail polishes and giving manicures? Get on down!

The Revlon Glam Vans will be located at:  

• Customs House Forecourt, Alfred Street - Friday 16 September, 4:00- 8:00pm  
• Bondi Pavilion Forecourt - Sunday 18 September, 12:00- 4:00pm  
• Cockle Bay Wharf - Friday 23 September, 5:00- 9:00pm  
• Cockle Bay Wharf - Friday 30 September, 5:00- 9:00pm

♥

xoxo

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If you’re clicking here for the first time, WELCOME! Every Friday we celebrate the fact that - ding, ding! - it’s Friday, and our favourite things (a fresh bouquet of flowers? Mouse traps?! Okay, it’s probably not the latter…) from the week that was. Here’s what I’m currently loving!

x My 24th Birthday - I TURNED 24 YESTERDAY! Pretty scary, huh?! For a girl who still feels 18 99.9% of the time, a teensy bit! (Well, until I spluttered that out loud and a guy in his sixties snorted at me ”oh, yeah. It must be sooo difficult to be in your twenties” *insert sarcastic eye roll here*, that is. Then I just kind of felt like a jerk!)

Thai food was gobbled, an excellent day was had and I’m beginning to think that there really is some truth to the whole ”the older you get, the better you feel” theory. (Even though I still feel 18, I know that I definitely wouldn’t want to be 18 again, you know? You know!)

(Do I look any older?!)

x The Possibility Of Having An Intern - Did somebody say ”www.nervewracking.com”?! I have been, although to be honest, my immediate thoughts were actually ”but who would want to bang keys and bop along to The Village People all day with me?!” Kirstie, a lovely-sounding lass who’s currently studying journalism at a university in Sydney, has asked if she can come and do work experience with me in the next couple of weeks, and although I’m sort of panicking over the logistics of it, I’m thinking that it could be one INTERESTING opportunity! (What do you think? Should we do it? Considering that I was pestering Sam Winter to do the same thing a couple of years ago and she was totally wonderful about it, I’m leaning towards ”yes!”)

x Self-Expression & Honesty - Goodness, where should I start? I’m not sure, but can I just say that I’m always extremely, extremely impressed when somebody puts themselves out there and reveals how they feel? Seriously, it’s one of my favourite things in the WORLD! (As strange as it may sound, nothing impresses me more.)

x Other Little Things - Insanely sweet blogging feedback (I met a woman today who very kindly told me that she and her daughter - shock! - loved Frock & Roll. I was so surprised and caught off guard that all I could do was thank her and run away. I’m sorry, Tamie!); receiving an e-mail from the delightful Vanessa of Nessbow (have you seen her blog? It’s a treat!) which completely made my day; A Perfect Circle’s 3 Libras; Shakira’s Ojos Asi (namely because it’s superb music to practice belly dancing to, but also for the cuter-than-cute lyrics: ”tearing down windows and doors, but I could not find eyes like yours”? Be-au-tiful! In non-musical news… WHY am I becoming such a sucker for romance in my old age? Jeez!); successful cooking experiments (I somehow managed to bake a carrot and feta lasagne on Sunday night without setting fire to the apartment. WOO!); Mona Vale Library’s free wifi iniative (terrific!); really, really adorable boys who buy you birthday chocolates (thank-you!); and small, slow-spreading smiles… because sometimes, they’re the ones which reveal precisely how delighted you actually are!

Suggestions For The Week Ahead

x Oh, gossip, gossip, gossip. Aren’t we all occasionally the subject of it? (For the record, we are!) Just remember next time someone says something slightly shitty, though, that regardless of how irritating the situation is, you’ve endured FAR more than a few pesky words. This is nothing! Shrug, throw your hands up and opt to laugh over the silliness of it all. The quicker you realise how ridiculous it all is, the better you’ll feel!

x Use the ”good stuff”. Don’t wait for a special occasion to use your most beautiful things! Wear your most resplendent frock (or suit) to breakfast. Drag out the fancy-schmancy birthday present alcohol and swill it on an ordinary evening. Life ITSELF is a pretty darn good occasion, so celebrate it as often as you can!

♥

Happy, happy Friday! How was your week? I hope it’s been an exceptional one!

xoxo

P.S. Did you know that Frock & Roll’s on Facebook? It is! Why not drop on by and say hello? I’d love to see you there!

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The fabulous Misfits Vintage recently posted a fab-u-lous piece entitled ‘Life’s Too Short To…’, a super inspiring concoction of activities she believes should be avoided in the pursuit of savouring life. (A handful of them? Stuffing mushrooms. Not wearing a chiffon frock for no reason at all. Staying in a job filled with ”a culture of bullying, abuse, bitchiness, harassment, two-facedness and general arseholery.” BRILLIANT!)

It compellled me to buy a turkey. Wait! No it didn’t. It compelled me to create my own wee ‘life’s too short to…” list, and here it is! Life’s too short to…

Doubt Ourselves

Ugh, but we do, don’t we? We worry that we’re not as intelligent/hilarious/beautiful/popular/accomplished as other people. We fret that there’s something wrong with us if we feel envious/angry/anxious/depressed. (Excuse me, but where did this ridiculous thought process originate?!)

Allow me to share a line from one of my favourite books: ”we’re all cut from the same cloth. We all experience these feelings and struggle to maintain civiity in a sometimes savage world.” Remember that, and relish how normal and perfectly together you already ARE!

Dream About Exploring The World

It should be seen!

It’s big, it’s beautiful, and it’s absolutely worth living off cans of baked beans and packets of two-minute noodles for six months to do so. (Which is precisely why my kitchen cupboards are currently filled with them!)

Waste Your Time On People Who Aren’t Worth The Energy

Psst! Can I let you in on a little not-so-secret (and actually, one of the best lessons that I’ve ever learned)? People are EXCELLENT at flinging words about (”I love you!”; ”I’d love to!”), but you’ll only ever really be able to gage how someone feels through their actions. That old adage ”actions speak louder than words”? It’s 110% true. 

An example? Don’t waste your time tearing your hair out in a frustrated attempt to understand whether a lady/gentlemen/octopus (it’s possible, right?!) is genuinely interested in you. If they are, they’ll demonstrate it in their behaviour (attempting to make plans with you); not their words (”yeah… we should catch up… sometime!”)!

Avoid Throwing Caution To The Wind

Cripes, sometimes I feel like we’re all so… SCARED! It’s as though we’ve been raised to fear making ”mistakes”, so we’ve become so cautious in everything that we do to avoid ”stuffing up”. What nonsense!

Life is a gift that we only have for so long before it’s permanently snatched away. Make ”mistakes” (I say ”mistakes” because honestly, what the heck are mistakes, anyway?! They’re lessons!). Twirl somebody around in the street. Whisper something to someone that you’re terrified to say. (If it’s not well received, you can always utter ”sorry” afterwards!) Launch a business. (And if all turns to doom and gloom - which I’m sure it won’t! - start from scratch somewhere else.) Take risks, be bold and have FUN! Life’s an adventure too precious not to be filled with extraordinary tales!

♥

What’s on your ”life’s too short to…” list?

xoxo

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(All images thanks to We Heart It.)

Hands up if you’ve ever gawked at the marvellously alluring art of belly dancing and thought ”ooh, how exotic! How… captivating! Must try!”?

Gosh, what a coincidence. ME TOO, which is precisely why I skipped along to a ‘Beginner’s Guide To Belly Dancing’ class last Friday night!

Wearing a Tool band t-shirt (which was pretty apt, because that’s exactly what I felt like!) and a maxi skirt (the website advises that participants wear a long skirt or comfortable pants for the lesson), I headed off to Sydney’s Dance Central to discover how difficult it could be, and boy, did I ever. Belly dancing is tricky! Much, much more complicated than it looks! Luckily, it’s also much more entertaining than it seems, and it’s a surprisingly good work-out.

Pardon my crappy phone photography (my actual camera had inconveniently ran out of batteries), and the absence of a full class. I would’ve LOVED to have taken a snapshot of everyone in motion, but, you know. Respecting people’s privacy and all!

So, what’s involved? Shimmying (swinging your hips from side to side rapidly without actually physically swinging your hips. See? Hard, huh?!), elegantly striding forwards on one foot and then stepping back while throwing your arms out, thrusting your pelvis out and then backwards, and many, many arm movements. Challenging and interesting!

The empty studio. The instructor looked at me as though I had several heads when I asked if I could take a photo of it (fair enough!) and told me that I’d have to ask the academy’s management, but when I explained what I was trying to do, they kindly obliged!

♥

At $17, it was a relatively inexpensive experience, and it was definitely an enjoyable one! Have YOU ever tried belly dancing? Would you ever try belly dancing? I’d recommend attending a class and wearing something sliiightly sexy (for the first fifteen minutes I couldn’t stop giggling at myself in the mirror. I think donning something a little more… I don’t know… seductive?!… would’ve helped me to take everything more seriously!), and opting for a class on an afternoon or Friday evening if you’re feeling nervous. I picked a 5.30PM session and there were only five other girls in the class!

xoxo

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Oh, I jest! (Honestly, really and truly now, you didn’t ACTUALLY expect to spot me leaping about the place in tin foil, did you?! Ha! You joker, you!)

No, no, nooo, today I thought I’d catapult myself into unchartered clothing territory (as is the purpose of our style challenges!) and hurl on a hue that I never, ever wear…

RED!

And are you red-dy (oh, I slay myself with my lameness!) for a strange sartorial confession? I’ve always resisted shades of crimson. It’s just so… bold! There’s something so attention-wielding about donning such a bright colour that has me constantly scrambling for more neutral tones. (Sure, I’m by no means a shy girl, but I’m very, very definitely not a ”look at me, look at me!” kind of gal, either!) 

(Am I the only fool who loves out-of-focus photographs?! Probably. But I DO!)

I’m still not convinced that I suit being a lady in red (ugh, does anyone else loathe that song?!), but I DID receive one of the cutest of compliments while wearing it:

”Your dress really suits you,” an Indian boy told me. ”Like a rose which just on gloom…”

(I think he meant ”in bloom”, but hey, who could have the heart to correct him after a poetic attempt like that?!)

♥

What’s YOUR least favourite colour to drape yourself in? Would you ever slink into it in the pursuit of moseying outside your comfort zone? (And have you ever known someone to wear head-to-toe tin foil?! Because if so, I’ve got to hear about this!)

xoxo

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