Review: Beyond Q Bookshop & Cafe, Curtin

I bought a Livingsocial voucher for 2 coffees and 2 cakes at Beyond Q, a place that advertises itself with the phrase "bookshop | bar | barista". I was super excited to check it out because Beyond Q also hosts a lot of live music, and I always enjoy music gatherings.

A quick google revealed this news article featuring the bookshop, which is unsurprising given the crazy beaurocratic world that is Canberra: Breaking News - Military police raid Beyond Q bookstore in Canberra, seizing 'classified' manuals *rolls eyes*

Today, we had a lovely outing there. It is a cosy cave of wonderment, located "underground" and filled with all sorts of weird and wonderful books, both old and new. The cafe area is cute and funky, with super friendly and attentive staff who take an interest in their patrons. The coffee was good, the cake okay (it tasted a little bit dry, if it was fresher it would have been delicious) and the atmosphere lovely. We were treated to piano and guitar performances by other patrons (there is a free for all piano and some guitars).

The old and young alike find this place charming

 

In terms of the books, there are rows and rows of them. They aren't bargain priced compared to some places (for fiction novels, you pay between $5 - $15 per book) but they have an excellent range and if you're looking for something in particular you're bound to find it. They have lots of old, antique books as well as best sellers and all sorts of reference books.

A cosy nook for reading between the shelves

This little piggie went to market...

I think you go to Beyond Q more for the atmosphere than anything, it's a comfortable place to meet a friend and have a heart to heart or catch up over a yummy coffee. I'm happy to have discovered this bohemian slice of Canberra, and I'll be back!

Interesting Qantas Development

I just got this in an email from Qantas:

"We deeply regret the impact of our fleet being grounded, but we're pleased to say everything is now back to schedule, following the Fair Work Australia decision. You can now book Qantas flights with confidence and certainty.

The last few weeks have been tough for everyone involved. The grounding of our fleet was particularly stressful for our customers and staff, and although we arranged accommodation and are still in the process of reimbursing passengers, we want to do more.

That's why we're offering you the choice of a return domestic flight, or a return flight between Australia and New Zealand on us."

Hmmm... that sounds pretty good! I wonder if they'll let me use it on a Canberra-Perth flight, that would be too good to be true! It would even properly compensate me for the day I had to take off work... This deal is on top of refunds for flights, accommodation etc that will be made by the airline (I haven't submitted mine yet - I forgot to ask for receipts for most of the meals I had while stranded which is annoying, so I won't be able to claim for those. I hope I get the Virgin flight cost refunded, that will make me happy enough).

I'm thankful that I'm not a Qantas shareholder, that's all I can say!

Alan Joyce, Qantas CEO in happier days

Vintage Ball - Wearing THE Vintage Dress

A few weeks ago I blogged about op-shopping in Goulburn. The purchase I didn't post a photo of was this amazing vintage Gerry Shaw dress that I bought to wear to a vintage ball I had coming up. It is such a stunning dress, and suits my figure brilliantly. Bub thinks it makes me look like a mermaid, and I see where she's coming from:

I got so many comments on it! The ball was a very enjoyable night, with excellent food and entertainment. I was a little dissapointed in the lack of genuine vintage attire amongst the girls - many had just worn a modern ball dress, or a modern dress and long sleeved gloves to add a "vintage" touch. If there was a vintage dress competition, I would have been sure to have won! I'm entering it into Sophie's Flea Market Find of the Year, a competition where people post their favourite thrifty find. If you'd like to vote for me, email:

sophieisobeldesigns[at]hotmail.com with the blog name 'Lisa @ Simply Me'. You can only vote once so be sure to check out everyone's blogs before making your decision.

I did snap some pictures of girls in vintage attire, as follows:

 

Left: Vintage pantsuit and lace top, which belonged to her Mum. Right: Vintage tea dress purchased at Fash and Treasure (I blogged about it here)

 

Amazing vintage sequined dress, belonged to her Mum (I'm seeing a theme here which makes me very jealous!)

Not a vintage dress, but cute accessories and she has gone to some effort to look "vintage", so I thought it was worth posting.

Some other happy snaps from the night:

 Succulent lamb for entree - this was fabulous

 Chicken main course, tasted a lot better than it looks actually!

The big band which entertained us with swingin' 50's tunes all night long

Online Shopping & Mexican Fiesta

I blogged about 'the fashion fruit bowl' some time ago, and said I wanted to buy these fruit salad flats from Belle Bijoux. I couldn't justify the $20 shipping fee. A kind commenter (emmydoo) alerted me to the fact that they were having a free shipping sale, so I snapped up a pair for $30. I note that they still have free shipping so if anyone else wants a pair, jump to it - they still have all sizes in stock.

They are super duper cute. Definitely worth the $30 I paid, but the original price of $149 is a bit of a joke. They came in an Australia post satchel with no padding or protection, and some of the beads were already coming off (probably due to the poor packaging). I got the size 36, which is a little tight on me (I am a size 6.5-7 depending on the brand) but still wearable. Now to put them to use.... :-)

I also made some purchases on Asos, taking advantage of their various sales. Purchase #1, the Asos Maestro Leather Traditional Lace Up Shoe in stone, for a cool $26.30 incl postage:

Purchase #2, Asos cute collar jumper with gold buttons in black/cream, for $28.77:

Thankfully, life isn't all about shopping. I took these snaps using the vintage setting on my HTC smartphone at a recent 'Mexican Fiesta' dinner party, which was a lot of fun (and very yummy):

 Sangria, guacamole and some cute flowers...

Gluten free cheesecake for dessert ❤❤❤

I hope you're all having a lovely week!

Marnie Skillings - She Always Gets it Right

Every season there will be a few Australian designer collections that I adore. If I had to pick one designer who inspires me year after year, however, it would be Marnie Skillings. For example, I loved Thurley's SS 07/08 collection, and Fleur Wood was fantastic that season too, but I haven't been rapt with subsequent ones.

Marnie Skillings has gotten it 'right' in my books every time. There are always a few standout pieces from her collections that I adore. I'm a huge fan of the prints and textures she uses, and the way that her collections are unique and identifiable whilst still incorporating elements of the latest fashion trends. I love how she styles her models, and how her collections each have a different quirky personality. With other designers, I sometimes tend to focus on the model's face and features (rather than the clothes), whereas with Marnie Skillings I take in the whole package, which is what designers should be aiming for.

Some standout looks from her SS 2011/2012 collection:

  

And some favourites from her previous collections:

Love love love the ballerina prints from her 2008 collection:

Which Australian designer inspires you with every collection?

Melbourne Shopping Bargains

We started at DFO South Wharf, moved on to Spencer Street outlet shopping, shopped Melbourne CBD and Bridge Road... I was considerably restrained, my friend not so much. Here is my little haul:

Forever New skirt. Reduced to $19.95, then 40% off all sale stock = $12! [Hint: all Forever New stores currently have 40% off the already reduced price of sale stock - prepare to be trampled, but the bargains are huge! In store only - there is so much stuff in their sale section online that I would have bought if they had the stock at the stores I visited...]

 Forever New embroidered tote bag, reduced to $60 with a further 40% off = $36.

 Katherine skirt, $50 (from $120).

Imagination World bow flats $15, Sussan sunglasses $30 (I am not allowed to buy expensive sunglasses any more, until I stop breaking/loosing 3 pairs per year!)

More cute shoes from Imagination World, $15.

There's always a need for essentials: PJs from Cotton on Body $15 the set, Bendon bras $20 each.

Claude D'Alban silk/cotton mix cardigan, $10.

As you can see, I was quite restrained. If Review trousers fit me, I would not have been - they have the most gorgeous designs and a further 25% off already reduced items at the moment. 

To reward myself for not buying too much on my Melbourne getaway, I just placed an Asos order. {Yes, a reward for not buying too much is to buy more... it's not supposed to be logical}

Melbourne: Quirky Spots, Brunches & Flight Cancellations

You may remember this post, where I complained about Tiger Airways cancelling all Canberra routes and having to rebook my Melbourne girls weekend away flight tickets. Turns out I attract flight cancellations, because I re-booked with Qantas and of course was caught up in all the strike action, and the grounding of their entire fleet.

I don't know whether it's Qantas or the unions to blame, probably both... but I don't really like how Qantas dealt with the situation. On their website, via an sms from Qantas, via the media... I was told to phone customer service, that they would organise accommodation, meals, transfers and flights for passengers between flights. They didn't say that they'd reimburse us if we organised it ourselves, so I was hesitant to book another night at the city hotel I was at. This would have been fine if I could actually get through to customer service.

On Sunday morning, I spent 2 hours and 45 minutes on hold, before being disconnected. Luckily I have family in Melbourne, so I went out into the suburbs to stay with them. That night, I spent another 2 hours and 30 minutes on hold, before deciding I had wasted enough of my life listening to Qantas hold music. I logged onto the internet and booked an expensive flight home with Virgin (I was lucky to log on right after Virgin had released new seats), and am back in Canberra now, only 1.5 days late.

Source: ABC News

I can deal with the flight cancellations, the grounding etc... what really annoys me is that I wasted 5.25 hours on hold to Qantas because I was told to do so, and even then didn't get to talk to anyone or get any help. OK, *rant over*.

Despite the stress of trying to organise a new fight, and taking a bus out to the suburbs and back to the airport (which made me feel sick), I had a lovely weekend. Melbourne is such a vibrant, colourful city. It is SO alive, especially compared to Canberra.

My girlfriend and I spent the weekend eating and shopping mainly, with some cocktail drinking thrown in too. Here is a rundown of the weekend (excluding shopping purchases which warrants a separate post!):

(1) Friday AM - brunch at Sette Bello, Hardware Lane. Chilled atmosphere, great coffee [They use Genovese beans, which I love], simple but yummy food. I had the vegetarian breakfast pizza:

(2) Friday PM: Some Jennifer Hawkins spotting, and then dinner at an Italian restaurant on Lygon Street.

(3) Saturday morning - brunch at cafe (McIvers Coffee and Tea Merchants) outside Vic Markets. People watching and relaxation, followed by a stroll through the markets.

(4) PM - Lunch/arvo tea/coffee at Thousand Pound Bend, a quirky inner city spot with great decor if you like vintage:

(5) PMPM - Cheap and cheerful cocktails at the quirky and cosy Prudence Bar in North Melbourne:

(6) Sunday AM - brunch at the Auction Rooms, North Melbourne. Delicious food, great service, great prices... I found the coffee to be a bit weak.

Look at the perfectly poached egg, it makes my heart sing! Pity I had my mobile phone glued to my ear all through brunch on hold to Qantas...

(7) Shopping shopping shopping, to come in the next post. Isn't this inner city, inner mall free for all community herb garden a wonderful idea? (inside Melbourne Central):

I didn't get a chance to visit Brunswick St, or go op shopping... but there is always next time. Melbourne is my favourite city in Australia!