One does not simply...

On Friday, B went to see the Lord of the Rings with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra - I expect she'll tell you about in a later blog post. And I expect she was also expecting to be able to tell this anecdote, but I'm going to steal it.

When she was watching the film, and Boromir delivered the line, "One does not simply walk into Mordor," the whole theatre apparently got the giggles, and wouldn't stop laughing for the next ten minutes. B says the orchestra didn't seem to get it, and she thought possibly half the theatre was just laughing at the other half, for laughing at something so random in the first place. But anyway, obviously a bunch of people at the orchestra on Friday night have spent enough time on the internet to have absorbed the Sean Bean meme!

So, in honour of Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring:

There are bazillions of others, each more nerdy than the last! Feel free to send me your favourites!

Postcard from old friends

My new bracelet

This is the story of how I accidentally won a bracelet.

I’m on twitter. I would go so far as to say I have a mild twitter addiction. Twitter participants have three levels: sign up and post one a month; mild addiction; on it all the time. I’m on the slight addiction level and likely to stay that way unless I get a job in digital marketing.

Anyway, I’m on twitter and for some reason Lisa Brown – a Gold Coast based fashion designer and leading Queensland designer - and I became reciprocal followers; though a Brisbane fashion tweet I expect, or a reference to a mutual account keeper. I don’t know. Two weeks later and I find out that by following the account and sharing it with friends, I inadvertently entered a competition and won!

My prize? This beautiful bangle! I love it. I’m super excited to by wearing a bangle by a local designer and more over, a designer I may not have heard about if not for Twitter.

Now I want to get myself into gear and make it to a Brisbane Fashion Festival show featuring her work – if I can still get tickets!

Happy Saturday!

Got game?

Obviously, B was inspired by her post on BBC TV butlers earlier, because when I got to my desk this morning, an email was waiting for me. It contained a question - do you have your game face on? - and this picture.

B, in answer to your question - yes, that's exactly the face I make every morning! (Nothing like a morning cuppa to get the game face going...)

Five for Friday no. 30

One timely entry for the week: 88 years of Olympic Games logo design.

25 of Australia's best fashion blogs.

Adorable rock, paper, scissors necklace.

Dammit, this tumblr makes me laugh in a desk-shaking way.

Pixar's story rules, told in Lego.

Brisbane bars: The Retro Bar, Kenmore

Brisbane’s bar scene had undergone a metamorphosis over the last few years. Thanks to changes in  the liquor licencing laws and perhaps a slight a shift in the city’s personality, great small bars full of character are springing up left right and centre. Canvas, Scratch, SuperWhatnot and Archive spring to mind. If you haven’t been to any of those bars – go no, you’re missing out!

Now the next stage is to get the bars into the suburbs. I’ve heard of both The Junk Bar in Ashgrove and Stockholm Syndrome in Albion that I’m keen to go to. Any takers? But last night, a close friend and I headed out to Kenmore to try The Retro Bar.

Comfy seating and a bit of retro style in the heart of Kenmore.

Photo courtesy of The Retro Bar website.

The Retro Bar is a fully themed bar, with huge leather booths, beautiful retro loungers, eclectic 70s-ish décor and a playlist that included The Rolling Stones, The Who and ABBA.

Chatting to the owner, he told me that The Retro Bar has been open for a year, but I had no idea it existed until Monday. If I still lived in the area I would have been ridiculously excited to have a proper bar to go to rather than the Kenmore Tavern (don’t get me wrong, decent place, chips ok, but cocktail bar it is not).

The Retro Bar has a very extensive cocktail list and I came so close to ordering a martini or a mint slice. However, I was driving so I stuck to wine – a good drop of cabernet sauvignon for $10 a glass. There is only a bar menu on offer but the stuffed squid ($12) and quesadillas ($15) we shared were both very tasty and fresh.

Last night was quiet, just us and three other patrons. However, judging from the website, when they host special events the bar is packed! Movies nights twice a week, themed parties on special occasions. The Retro Bar is The place to be seen in Kenmore.

We can only hope that bars like The Retro Bar continue to pop up in Brisbane’s suburbs, so it will be longer be necessary to head to the CBD or the Valley for a night out. It bodes well for Brisbane as a new-world city to have a vibrant and sophisticated nightlife, even in the middle of suburban soccer fields and supermarkets. If I only have to drive 3 minutes down the road for a well-made fluffy duck, I am a happy and contented woman.