The Sydney Opera House is a venue reserved only for the most exclusive events and on Thursday 24th July the city of Sydney heard Dallas Green (of City and Colour) as he sang his way into our hearts. Walking into the Opera House Concert Hall I notice how the layers of the building as seen from the exterior are mirrored accordingly. The room is arranged around a stage that seems to squeeze out of a condensed space of mezzanine levels, with balconies that hold seats filled by shadowy figures. My first impression of this space is of a blanket fort made from layered quilts and sheets. This theme of intimacy is heavily drawn upon as Dallas Green invite us all for an evening simply with Dallas, his guitar, and a harmonica.

Inside The Concert Hall, Dallas shared vivid stories of love, loss and spirituality in the form of his signature soulful vocals. Strange to describe but at moments during the night I could almost feel the entire auditorium breathe as one in these unison sighs. I imagined I could feel all the patrons express an inaudible feeling, triggered by the flow of effervescent sounds within the music that we all shared. Highlights of the evening were "Coming Home" and "Body In A Box" but it's difficult to choose favourites as the set was beautifully arranged with a variety of songs taken from Dallas Green's discography. "What Makes a Man" saw Green conduct the audience in a special Opera Concert Hall choir, which was very fun to be apart of. Another memorable part of the evening was Dallas honesty in describing the background of "The Grand Optimist" a lovely song with a powerful family message.

The set was finished like the majority of City and Colour sets with "Coming Home". I think the connection to blanket forts was made because in a special way I participated in a sacred ritual of blanket fort story telling that evening. It was inside these private spaces where secrets were whispered into the ears of invited friends, and lasting memories were made after the fort was demolished.

{ image taken on iPhone 5 by Shenay Spinelli }

white teeth teen

Happy saturday to all you lovelies! I hope the weather is treating you to the same delights as it is here in Sydney. I would like to share a few images of my saturday uniform, I wore this out to get some San Churros signature Spanish hot chocolate's and churros with my sister and a few friends. However, this is sure setting a poor first impression for outfit posts when I decide to break a wardrobe commandment and pair navy and black. I'm sorry. Thank you to my sister for taking these shots of me; I am so awkward behind the camera.

Also please excuse the tiredness I was up late last night seeing Lorde perform at Horden Pavilion. Lorde was absolutely amazing! She has incredible stage presence and is entirely captivating with her dance moves. Establishing the vibe for the night Lorde opened with Glory and Gore a very powerful song to open with and my favourite. Lorde surprisingly remixed and sung alternate versions of songs and it felt so natural with the flow of the set. She was very interactive with the audience and just before Ribs she spoke of the influences behind the song. Specifically, she talked about her life as a young women dealing with fame and adult responsibilities. It was very sweet to hear that she thought Sydney-fans are the coolest and she wished she could be best friends with everyone of us. A World Alone as the finale was out of this world brilliant. It might have something to do with the confetti explosion or maybe the gold gown that she wore whilst she sung it. The night was magical and I am completely riding on the post-gig vibes well into the weekend.

Outfit details: jeans: ASOS, cardigan: vintage, top: Millers, brooch: Something For Doris, bag: Cambridge Satchel Company

I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor

It's hard for some to understand my love for British band Arctic Monkeys. I receive either eye rolls or gasps when I disclose how I queued up since 10:30 in the morning for their Tuesday May 6 Sydney show. Accompanied by my friend Yelena, we were as close to the stage you could possibly get and to be amongst that mosh pit was an incredible experience. There was a distinct kinetic energy in the sold out venue as they opened with Do I Wanna Know? (No. 4 in the Hottest 100) My highlights of the night were songs Knee Socks, One For The Road and R U Mine?

King of Swagger; Mr Alex Turner entertained us all night with his hip swings, cheerleader kicks, shimmying and shaking. I was so surprised to see myself starring up at Alex with adulation featured in a Faster Louder review of the night! I can't make this post without mentioning the hilarious quotes from Alex Turner. Here are a few of my favourites:

 "Oh no, I've rocked my comb out of my pocket" 

"Somethings going to happen Sydney, you've got that look in your eye" 

"Quite down there, Love"

"I only slept with her sister after all that"

"How do you feel about that new Monkeys album down in this part of the world?"

"Good grief" 

{my own images taken on iPhone 4s}