Why I Love: receiving mail from Tatty Devine

I've been home for 4 days now and yesterday I received in the mail something that I ordered before I left for the UK. I love getting mail especially when it's super cute and something I've been dreaming about for a long time.

I've been a big fan of Tatty Devine for a long time. I've lusted after their jewellery but never purchased anything before (IDK why - craziness). Inspired by my upcoming trip to the UK and to try and get myself into the "London Spirit" I decided to order my very own Tatty Devine Nameplate Necklace. I knew that I wouldn't get it before I left for the UK but I also knew that it'd arrive about the time that I would get home - a perfect gift to chase away the end of holidays blues.

It was a big decision on what exactly I wanted my nameplate necklace to say and it was my current obsession with the TV series Glee that pushed my decision over the line.

I'm super happy with how it turned out - the quality is amazing. It is so well made and beautiful. It's everything I was hoping for and more.

I also managed to wander into their boutique in Covent Gardens while I was in London and picked up the cat bangle and my sister Crystal picked up the moustache ring. Their boutique was bright pink and it felt like an adventure in itself to get there. Once we were there we realised that it was actually just around the corner from Leicester Square (der) but we did manage to pick up delicious fresh brownies on our adventure so that made up for it.

 

 

What do you think? I'm pretty sure I have some strange obsession with plastic jewellery right now. There's nothing wrong with that right?

 

Glitter Sparks & Happyness

x x x

Brooke

Travel Stories: UK Part 1 - Glastonbury

So it's been quite a few weeks (about 3) since my last update - I did warn you that I may not be able to post while I was on holidays. The sparse internet access that I did get via free wi-fi on my iPhone was not very reliant to sit down and post. I was going to set up a few posts to be published while I was away but as with a lot of things that I planned to do before I went away I just ran out of time.

How was my trip? Far too good for words and far too much happened for me to try and fit into one blog (it'd be too long a post and I'm sure you'd be bored by the end). I'm going to post this out in stages. The first part is the main reason for this trip - GLASTONBURY 2010.

You've probably seen so many other people posting how this was one of the best Glastonbury's in the history of Glastonbury and I am inclined to add my gloating/bragging/absolute loving of this festival into the mix.

Having been to one other Glasto before this one we felt smug and capable with what to expect and how to prepare for this festival - only problem was we were thrown a curve ball in the fact that the sun decided to shine and burn the entire time we were there. We hadn't packed for sunshine - at all.

Much of our time in the first two days before the music started was spent exploring. When the music started then it was about figuring out the best time table to allow the most memorable moments. We weren't too strict on our time table as we were last time - we had more time to find bands and artists who we have never seen before mixed in with the usual favourites who are always a "never to be missed".

Bands I saw:

Friday - Rolf Harris, Phoenix, La Roux, Florence & The Machine, Dizzee Rascal, Gorillaz

Saturday - Two Door Cinema Club, Sophie Hunger, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Field Music, Imogen Heap, Kate Nash, The National, Marina & The Diamonds, Foals, Scissor Sisters, Muse

Sunday - Paloma Faith, Norah Jones, The Temper Trap, Grizzly Bear, We Are Scientists, Broken Social Scene, Julian Casablancas, Stevie Wonder

Moments to remember: There are always those moments when you're at a festival that you just know is something special - something that while it's happening you know other people won't be able to feel or experience what it was like to be living in that moment. A festival this size will provide you with a few of these like when The Edge joined Muse onstage and they played "Where The Streets Have No Name", or when Stevie Wonder pulled Michael Eavis onstage and sang Happy Birthday to Glastonbury with a choir of over 100,000 people, or after exclaiming that the crowds are always so far away at festivals Julian Casablancas climbed a scaffolding and then launched himself into the crowd, or when Kylie Minogue wandered onstage with the Scissor Sisters, or feeling the love and excitement through Florence Welsh's experience onstage.

Then there are those festival moments that only people who have camped for 5 days will understand like after spending 3 days without fresh running water finally discovering a free tap near the loos, or the moment at the end of the night where you can lay down on your airbed and take off your stinking hot wellies, or after 4 days of camping trying to find something that is "clean" to wear, or when you're so hot you're ok with spending £2 (about AUD$4) for an icy pole, or when you use nail clippers to cut off your wellies to normal sized shoes because it's all you've got to wear. While all of this sounds horrible as I'm writing them - it really was all part of the experience and as you're living it, it's normal.

I really had the best time ever at this festival. It was the polar opposite of the last time (we've survived one of the wettest and muddiest Glasto's and now we're survived one of the hottest) but absolutely brilliant in it's own way. It was painful, tiring, amazing, mind blowing, epic and one never to be forgotten.

I always go to these festivals with the intention of writing up a big review but when it comes to the crunch I'm always lost for words. It's far better and more amazing than you can ever imagine and I always feel like my words don't ever capture that. I feel like in this case a picture is worth a million words.

 

 

I thought this second journey would feel like enough Glastonbury but it appears to have done the opposite - I want to go again already.

 

Glitter Sparks & Happyness

x x x

Brooke

I should be...

Tonight I should be:

• 
  
   Packing
• 
  
   Preparing
• 
  
   Showering
• 
  
   Getting myself ready

As I am headed off to London. I'll be in transit for about 24 hours and then I'll be spending a week in London before making the journey to Glastonbury and then finishing off with 2 extra nights in London before the Dubai stopover on the way home.

I apologise in advance if the posts slow down or stop for the next 3 weeks - I don't know how much internet access I'll have and quite frankly I'll be looking forward to the break. Not so much from this but just from everything.

I'll leave you all with yet another shot of my changed hair. I took this shot with my iPhone and I'm covering my face because of my lack of make up at some unholy time of the night.

Until next we meet my friends

Glitter Sparks & Happyness

x x x

Brooke

Music Mondays: British India

So I'm using one bullet to hit two points today with Music Mondays - both an update on band photography and introducing a band I've been going to see live well before they released any of their albums or EP  - British India.

*As always - click on the above image to be taken to the gallery for more shots*

On Saturday night I had the pleasure of photographing British India at The Corner Hotel for Rave Review. British India are a 4 piece hailing from the suburbs of Melbourne. I first stumbled upon this band when they played support act at a show in April 2005 and it was instant intrigue. Their music had an energy and fervour that I hadn't yet experienced in a local band and their shows soon became a regular feast on the local live music menu.

We were lucky enough to catch them near the beginning of their journey (and get a little thank you on their first EP) and have since seen their shows transform from 20 people in a small room to selling out venues around Melbourne with crowds of people singing along.

I've seen them too many times to keep track of anymore and the thing that keeps me coming back for more is that every show is fun. It's a simple reason but a true one. I always have a blast when I see them - even though I can no longer dance around and jump around with space at their shows anymore, it's nice to sing along and have other people singing along too.

It's still amazing to me to see the different reactions that some of the newer fans have to these guys - on Saturday night while the support band was on I heard some girls squeal when they saw some of the members of the band show up on the side of the stage. These girls were decked out in British India t-shirts and were bubbling with anticipation (I'd guess it was their first time seeing them live). It makes me smile to see that these guys are getting the recognition they so greatly deserve.

They've just released a new album (the reason for the tour) and are still travelling around Australia. Tour dates can be found on their myspace page.

They're the one of few local bands who I can always rely on to put me in a good mood. I can always guarantee that I will have a fun time at their shows and I will always be at the front singing along. It was a different experience to photograph them this time around - but it was nice to be able to capture a little piece of their show to share with everyone.

Find them on:

Myspace

Facebook

Twitter (but I don't think they really use this)

If there's one thing I'd like to see in their current setlist is just a little taste of their first EP - those songs brought so much dancing and so much joy into my life and it'd be nice to see how the new legion of British India fans react to a real "old" song played live. Just a little bit of "Counter Culture" next time boys and I'll be going home very happy.

Glitter Sparks & Happyness

x x x

Brooke

Travel Stories: Heart attack

*From doug88888 photostream - click image for more*

Today I received an email from the hotel that I have booked for my sister and myself for our trip to London. Actually it was sitting in my inbox at work after I came back from a day off.

Basically it stated that they had a problem with my credit card and if I didn't reply to their email within 24 hours then they'd cancel my reservation. I replied 32 hours later because that's when I got the email.

I am now waiting (impatiently) for a response and will be heading back to work to call them when it hits 9am local time in London (which is 8pm here).

I'm sitting here staring at my gmail inbox hoping for an email to confirm that my reservation that I placed in November is still ok and that we have a place to stay for the first 6 nights in London. I don't know why anyone would book their holidays direct themselves.

Being a travel agent I'm faced with disaster stories and problems and "oh I can get it cheaper online" everyday it baffles me when people are unwilling to pay someone else to stress for them. I know I would - but I can't. I booked this apartment direct with this hotel as I couldn't book it through my suppliers at work. It's the only thing for this holiday that I have booked direct and it's the only thing that I have had a problem with.

I don't want to worry about my reservation 8 days before I'm due to fly out. I don't want to get an email saying they'll cancel my reservation. I don't want this stress.

I want to be excited that in 8 days I'm returning to this magical city that I love and I can shop and run around being a tourist in the sunshine.

I sometimes wonder if these hotels understand just how much stress and heart-ache they can cause from one simple email.

Fingers crossed lovelies - I'm sure it'll be fine (I know when I say 24 hours, I sometimes mean 48). In the mean time I've just downloaded the season finale of Glee and will watch it once my sister gets home.

Glitter Sparks & Happyness

x x x

Brooke

**** EDIT - Update on the accommodation: It's all fixed. I called them and it turned out that they tried to "pre-authorise" my credit card for 1 night but because I didn't have enough cash on it, it declined. I transferred money into my credit card and it's all now fixed. HOORAY I have somewhere to stay for the first 6 nights. Morale of the story - always book with preferred suppliers (or hotels) or make sure your credit card has cash on it before you're about to travel ****