My Summer Picks – That Shop in Doreen

I love small businesses, I really do. I have worked in retail for both small and multi-national fashion brands, and there’s something super-special about a little design and buying team, who choose styles based on what they know their customers will like, because they have a relationship with those customers.

One of the small businesses I’ve discovered this year is Victorian brand That Shop in Doreen – cute name, huh! The brainchild of Samantha Tupper, That Shop in Doreen began life as a bricks-and-mortar store in (you guessed it, Doreen) and now encompasses an online store with seasonal pieces as well as really fun and lovely social media accounts. Check out their Facebook here, and Instagram here.

Now, I’m sure you all know that Summer is my favourite season. I mean, I can never really be too hot, as long as I’m dressed appropriately in light and floaty pieces. Samantha stocks some gorgeous styles, so I thought I would share some of my favourite That Shop in Doreen picks with you!

My Summer Picks – That Shop in Doreen

I love the short sleeves on this and the sweet little twist tie at the front. And the stripes (who am I kidding, I love the stripes the most). It’s only $35 and also comes in grey and white, and black and white.

Remember how Justin Timberlake couldn’t stop this feeling anymore? That’s how I feel about all the off the shoulder tops around this Summer. I’m well aware that they require (gasp!) a strapless bra, but they really are worth it. This one also has an adorable fringe around the hem and sleeves!

If you’re looking for just a great basic top with a little bit of extra flair, this is the top for you. I love the jersey fabric, it drapes beautifully and doesn’t wrinkle. I’m a big fan of the grey marle but it also comes in white for those of you who can keep white tops clean!

Let’s be honest here, sometimes the whole cold shoulder style can look a little mumsy, especially with a gaudy print – but I’ve got my eye on this simple black dress because I do like the open shoulder with the ability to wear a normal bra, or throw it on over bathers for a quick dressy option.

I don’t know what I wore before I discovered stripe t-shirt dresses? Was I wandering around naked half the time? Who knows! Seriously, this is a fab little number that I have in the navy and white stripe, and wear on repeat every week. Actually, we might as well just call it my Tuesday dress.

I’m not usually one for pink… in fact I don’t have a single non-activewear pink item in my wardrobe, and my mates Trainee Mama and Blonde Ambition have challenged me to change that this Summer.  This floaty top is so versatile – it could easily be dressed down with shorts for day, or dressed up with a cute skirt or pair of jeans and heels at night.

Probably my favourite TDIS style at the moment, this Blossom Midi Dress is even prettier in person. I wore it for a long day of partying at the Caloundra Music Festival a couple of weeks ago, and received so many compliments. They say it’s a midi length, but I’m not the tallest giraffe in the zoo, so it looks like a maxi on me.

I continue to put this denim jacket in my cart and then leave it there because it’s going to be too hot for sleeves for the next six months, but stretch in a denim jacket is something that I’m always searching for, and I love the mid-blue wash of this one. If I lived in a cooler climate, this would be high on my wish-list.

Someone recently asked me about the right shoes to wear with Summer shorts and pants for a casual look. I’m a big fan of an espadrille because I think they can be worn with everything from jeans to dresses, and they’re way more casual than a regular flat.

Need more style inspiration? Head to That Shop in Doreen and I’m sure you’ll find a few pieces to add to cart too!

*That Shop in Doreen kindly sent me a couple of styles to try, thank you so much Samantha! I was thrilled with the service and my parcel arrived beautifully wrapped, so I’m more than happy to share the love here.

What’s on in Brisbane – Oktoberfest 2016 and WIN TICKETS TO OKTOBERFEST!

Oktoberfest Brisbane is Australia’s largest German Festival, and it is run by local German-Aussies with a passion for sharing their heritage to ensure an authentic experience. I’ve been to this before, and it’s always a massive blast, with plenty for everyone to do, and definitely no cheesy ‘beers and boobs’ atmosphere.

Held over two weekends in October (7-9 and 14-16), Oktoberfest Brisbane is expected to be even bigger this year, as the festival celebrates the 500-year anniversary of the famous ‘Bayerische Reinheitsgebot’, the famous ‘Bavarian Purity Law’.

For 500 years, this law has limited the ingredients allowed to brew German beer to water, malt, hops and yeast. Fast forward to 2016, and the anniversary of this law means that ye olde German brewers were onto something clever – we’re all chasing simple and pure food and drink!

Thousand of people hit Oktoberfest Brisbane every year to enjoy traditional German food, beers and wine, and experience authentic German culture. So grab your lederhosen and press your dirndl, and head to Brisbane Showgrounds for a festive day of German food and music. For more information, visit Oktoberfest Brisbane’s website or Facebook page.

Now, here’s the fun stuff – I’m giving away TWO double passes to Oktoberfest Brisbane (to be used over the weekend 14-16 October 2016), simply check out my Instagram or Facebook to find out how to enter!

*Double pass giveaway and all images courtesy Oktoberfest Brisbane, all opinions my own – I love this event!

Looking after blonde hair

I’m a bit of a creature of habit. For the last 16 years, I’ve been a blonde of sorts – not a real, light-up-the-room Scandi blonde, but I’ve been getting foils and highlights on the regular for almost all my adult life. Right up until October last year, when my regrowth looked so much like bad ombre balayage that I wanted to see what GOOD ombre balayage would look like on me. And I liked the results and I loved the lack of upkeep.

Freshly balayaged in October 2015 for Styling You’s #everydaystyle birthday party
I loved the hair salon which gave me that look, and I was really pleased with the condition of my hair afterwards – it’s like taking a big break from all-over blonde gave my hair a rest and recuperation holiday. 
My biggest issue with my balayage was that it ‘threw warm’. This is my totally untechnical term for the way my mouse-brown hair always has more brassy notes when it’s lightened than cooler, creamier notes. This has the undesired effect of making my hair look dirty (even though I wash it every. damn. day.) and kinda trashy.
The way I dealt with this for the last year was to blonde tone the heck outta it, and hope that I just never had that silver rinse look that Bea and the Golden Girls rocked so well. It wasn’t until July that I finally found a blonde toning range of products that actually worked for my super-porous locks, and now I’m in love with the Marc Daniels Blue Cypress Blonde collection.
After two weeks of regular use of the Marc Daniels Blue Cypress Blonde shampoo, conditioner and toner, my blonde hair was so much creamier. 
My thoughts on the Blue Cypress range? Well, firstly it really worked. I didn’t get that dreaded Violet Beauregarde shade at all, and the condition of my over-processed blonde ends definitely improved after regular use of the leave-in toner. All three of the products smell delicious (think a light Body Shop Dewberry scent, circa 1994 YUM!) and I really only needed to use them sparingly – no palm-sized dollops required just to lather up!
I also had the chance to hit up Marc Daniels Ambassador, Eugene Sokolovs from Gold Coast salon Ette Studio, to find out his top tips for keeping blonde fresh, especially as we head into Summer and all the coastal girls load on the fake tan and lighten our hair!
Eugene recommends using a quality toner on towel dried clean hair, such as Marc Daniels Blue Cypress Blonde leave-in toner to keep blonde in peak condition throughout the warmer months.
The best feature of this time-saving product is that it’s a leave-in treatment!
His biggest do’s and dont’s for blondes?
Regular visits to the hairdresser for colour refresh and cut, wash and condition hair regularly and use a treatment product such as Marc Daniels Blue Cypress Blonde at least once a week.
Blonde ombre and balayage hairstyles are still everywhere, what’s the latest spin on them for this Summer?
Balayage and ombré are still highly in fashion. For SS16, ‘Nude’ hair is popular, where there’s an even amount of warm and cool tones applied which cancel each other out to create a neutral colour.

The leave-in toner is now a hair essential for me – I won’t leave home without it!

The Marc Daniels Blue Cypress Blonde range is available at Woolworths and Chemist Warehouse, and priced super-reasonably at around $13-$14 for each product.


Please, if you have blonde hair care tips, let me know! What do you use to fight the brassiness?

*I was gifted the Marc Daniels Blue Cypress Blonde range, and under no obligation to write about it. I’ve tried it now for 8 weeks, and have been super-impressed. Thanks Marc Daniels!

5 of the Best Blowdries on the Sunshine Coast

Today is the first is a little series of posts I’m sharing about Spring hair and beauty. Let’s all agree that I’m no beauty blogger – I don’t know how to contour, Kylie Jenner’s lip kits are well beyond my lippie-application skills, and I may have the world’s most boring hair. But I’m interested in it all. I have friends with fabulously bouffy hair, and I really appreciate a good brow. So here’s hoping I learn a little sumthin’ sumthin’ when I write these posts!

My locks are limp. Always have been, and probably always will be. I send texts on the regular to my bouncy-haired best mates, saying ‘Nah, not coming tonight, I’ve hurt my neck blowdrying my hair upside down’, and ‘My hair doesn’t want to come out and play with your hair tonight, it’s feeling insecure’.

If you’re too lazy to lift a brush, or like me, just don’t have the skills to create Victoria’s Secret-worthy bounce in your limp locks, the solution is a salon blowdry. Once the sole domain of the rich and famous with private stylists on call 24/7, the professional blowdry is fast becoming the quickest way to freshen up limp locks – especially if you’ve got a BIG weekend coming up. Best part is, the professionals can really make a blow dry last, sometimes up to four or five days with the right products!

Whether you’re after a glam retro beehive, Gigi-style blowout (always my goal!) or a casually undone lob á la Jennifer Lawrence, check out my favourite lock-lifting blowdries on the Sunshine Coast, and swish your way through the day in style.

Heads in the Cloud, Buderim
This smart salon doesn’t just boast an adorable name; it’s practically a description of how high they can get your hair with the magic of their driers! With brushskills that are recognised around the world, head stylist Sam Rizzo can really make you feel like a Texan beauty queen, and he’s recently been crowned 2016 Creative Artistic Ambassador for Keune Haircosmetics. The locally owned salon is also often searching for hair models for training, competitions and photo shoots – who knows, you might end up on the cover of one of the world’s big hair glossies!

Evalyn Parsons, Moffat Beach
For the coastal Southerners who like to channel a big-haired Southern Belle, the team at Evalyn Parsons know how to transform – and you won’t be left waitin’ around either, darlin’! Their Glam & Go services will pack a punch, transforming you from drab to fab in under 20 mins for just $30, or if you need a little more work, upsize to the 30-40 min Style package for only $50.

House of George, Maroochydore
The goal: thicker, fuller hair with volume that lasts. The action: book a blowdry at House of George. New salon manager Samantha joins the George team with a wealth of knowledge from her UK-trained background, and official ghd educator. Anyone who can wield a straightening tongs with that much experience definitely knows how to add shine, body and ontrend style to every ‘do! PS it’s part of the cutest old Queenslander, and their barista serves fab coffee too, so every moment at House of George is totally Instagram-worthy!

Image credit: House of George
Never fear, hinterland readers – you have follicle friends in your part of the world too! Rhonda and the team at Uptown Hair will give you a big city blowdry, with classic regional Queensland service with a smile. Uptown has won Sunshine Coast Business Awards Excellence in Business awards for so long now, that they were inducted to the Hall of Fame – really speaks of a loyal customer base, doesn’t it! What really sets Uptown apart is their attention to detail: complimentary beverages served with tasty cookies, stylists who don’t treat you like the next part on the assembly line, and plenty of advice on styling your hair at home. Pricing is super reasonable too, so there’s no excuse not to pop in and freshen up before you hit the rapidly growing nightlife in the sugar town. 
Universal Hair, Maroochydore
Another Maroochydore salon makes the cut, with Universal Hair consistently nabbing places on ‘best salon’ lists. With experts in upstyles, braiding and curling, you’ll be ready for your big night out in now time. Or if it’s a seamlessly smooth blowdry you’re after, the soft results from their iron-free blast dries will have you craving such straight hair, you’ll be back to book in for their Perfection or Keratin Fusion permanent straightening treatments!
Got a great blowdry salon I missed? Let me know in the comments?
Are you a fan of the salon blow dry?

A favourite Spring outfit

After a Winter of cool weather (ok, 10 degrees is mighty cold for a Queenslander), aren’t we all daydreaming about those balmy days at the end of Spring? This feminine-yet-tomboyish outfit would be perfect to wear on bike rides, to brunches and on picnics…

Fate Lilibeth chambray dress from Birdsnest, Amity necklace from Indera Beads, Longoria Fedora from Blue Bungalow, Philly Putty crossbody Louenhide bag, Chill Leopard sandals from Freya and Sabine.

I wear similar spins on this outfit pretty regularly, adding or subtracting a stripe sweater tied around my waist, a kimono, or mixing up the sleeveless shirtdress to one with a print. Simples.

 Do you have a go-to outfit this season?

Don’t forget to sign up to get Katy Potaty via email to go into my September subscriber draw to win a luxe Glasshouse candle!

The winner of my August email subscriber giveaway was Louise Mc. I’ve emailed you, Louise – so holler me back with a postal address! Congratulations!

Instagram ate my photos

Instagram is my favourite social media channel, for two solid reasons.

It’s just too easy, I can just take a picture, add a mildly-amusing caption, and boom. Done. No sitting down at a computer, logging into Blogger, editing (apart from a quick caption scan for typos) or typing with both hands required. It’s just so user-friendly. 
And it’s engaging. It’s the fastest way for me to see what my besties are up to at any given moment, and I can comment on huge brands’ fashion photos and they can respond almost immediately. 
I love the beautiful little community I have on Instagram.
But right now, I’m trying not to pick up my phone and check into Instagram, because it ate over 200 of my recent posts. Posts about fun times with my friends, posts about coffee, and posts that featured gifted product or were sponsored. All goneski.

I know it’s not just me, that thousands of other people are dealing with this first world problem, but I’m praying that my Insty feed will be restored sooner rather than later.
I promise I’m trying to think positively about it (now, that is – yesterday I was ready to murder over it!), but in the meantime, there will be minimal Instagram cruising, and a lot of puppy-cuddling and coffee-sipping.
All without me taking photos of it!
Have you ever lost some of your social media and thought you’d just DIE?

Father’s Day Gift Guide 2016

Dads can be tricky creatures to buy for and my ex-hippie, all-softie stepdad is the perfect example!

If you follow me on social media, you might know him from such comments as ‘Things and possessions won’t make you happy’, and ‘Facebook is for people who have no friends’. Whatever.

However, I think one of my fave exchanges with him might have been when I was staying with my folks for a few weeks one September while waiting for our house settlement to come through…

Me (walks into kitchen, ready for a day of work at Lorna Jane): Happy Father’s Day *kiss*
Dad: Thank you! What is on your face?
Me: My face is on my face.
Dad: No, all the makeup…!
Me: Yup, that’s my face. When I go out, I put on makeup.
Dad: But… but you work at a sport store.
Me: Yup.
Dad: Oh. It looks like you’re going somewhere fancy. Too much, Katy. Too much.

What is it with Dads who think we’re all naturally beautiful and that any makeup is too much? It’s actually the sweetest thing ever when you think about it.

Anyway, with Father’s Day just around the corner next Sunday 4 September, I thought it was just the right time to put together a gift guide, chock-full of ideas for all the fathers in our lives.

For the dad who loves to kick back, this pair of eco-friendly pyjama pants from Good Spender are made from 100% certified woven organic cotton and screen printed by hand.
  
For the adventurous dad, or maybe the dad with a passion for photography, a trip up in the clouds with Floating Images would be a dream come true. They’re Brisbane’s closest hot air balloon company, which makes that 5am start a little easier to handle!

For any dad, this print would be a sweet reminder of their importance in your life. Find this and other sweet Father’s Day prints at Turquoise Designs.


For the hirsute dad, keep him tidy with a beard grooming kit from the folks at Milkman. They really know their stuff, and this gift pack has everything the beginner beardie or expert-level grooming guy needs for the best lumberjack look in town!
For the dad who scrubs up alright, or perhaps the java-junkie coffee-loving dad, check out Sal Remedia’s range of yummy body scrubs – my vote goes to the Daily Grind, a caffeinated treat for your old man’s skin!

A Son’s first hero, a Daughter’s first love. Nawww.
For the first-time dad celebrating a new bub at Father’s Day, this Daddy print from Coco & Ella Designs will make his mushy heart melt. Cue happy tears.

For the buff dad (not mine, but I’ll be honest, I prefer him more Santa and less Thor), this muscle tee from Through the Milky Way will give him a chance to show off those guns when he takes the kids out for an active day at the park. Plus, it can be personalised with the ‘established’ year, so you can pop in the year he became a dad. Adorable much?

For the dad who has four-legged kids… my husband would adore these socks from our puppy Stevie, and with so many fur-kids out there, we really can’t forget those kinds of special fathers! You can find these and other fun personalised socks from Alphs at Hard to Find, an online store packed with more nifty gifts than you can imagine!

Now to the really mushy stuff. My step-father has been a constant in my life since I was 15, and I can honestly say (and I tell him all the time) that if I could choose a father from any man on the planet, I would choose him.
His patience and love for our family, his supreme cooking skills, his willingness to drop everything and help my brother, husband and I at a moment’s notice, his hilarious chuckle which makes the rest of the family laugh uncontrollably, all these qualities are just the ones I can put into words.
Mainly, he’s just always been here for me. And isn’t that what a Dad is for?
Love you Dad. Love you every day of the year. 
Got Father’s Day sorted yet? 

What I Wore – Birdsnest for a Winter wedding

Toasty heaters, big steaming platters of roast meat and gravy, and snuggling into pashminas – who wouldn’t be excited for a Winter wedding?

When one of my favourite colleagues of ALL TIME popped an invite on my desk for her wedding, I did what most girls would do. Squeal a little bit, check the location out online, then start searching online for the perfect outfit.
Hidden in a working cattle property outside the Sunshine Coast town of Yandina is a contender for the most beautiful country wedding venue in the country. At Yandina Station, they’ve been playing host to beautiful events for years now, and BB and I even checked them out when we were searching for our perfect wedding venue. We ended up deciding to head north to Port Douglas to get hitched instead of staying local, but I can still say that it’s one of my favourite wedding venues.
Living just up the road from the venue, I knew that Yandina Station on a July evening would be more than a little chilly, so started my search for a dress with sleeves on Birdnest. There were SO many to choose from, but I played it safe and chose the Off the Shoulder Dress because, well… this is me we’re talking about, and I never pass up the chance to wear off the shoulder, duh!

For non-stylists like me, there are plenty (thousands) of styled outfits available to check out on the Birdsnest website, it’s so easy to envisage how your whole outfit will look when worn together – genius!

Laying out everything early in the morning makes for a much quicker prep time, especially for a weekday wedding!
Clockwise: Birdsnest Off the Shoulder Dress*, Samantha Wills turquoise ring and earrings (similar here), Raybans because I cry at weddings, YSL lippie, vintage hat borrowed from Trainee Mama, Marc Daniels Blue Cypress Blonde Leave-In Toner (this is my new fave hair product, gives such sparkly highlights and shine – currently available at Woolies), Trix block heels from Spendless, borrowed pashmina from Mum, Sussan sequin clutch (similar here).

The happy couple… wait, no! Another happy couple!

This dress was possibly the most comfortable style I’ve ever worn to an occasion… and you don’t need to just believe me! The Birdsnest webswite is super-easy to both navigate and to leave reviews, so when I saw it had a 100% Excellent rating, and comments like these, there’s no way I could not share the love of this fine frock!

Lyndall, size 14: The dress is slimline without being clingy. It gives a beautiful shape to my hourglass figure. Sleeve length is classy and the gorgeous neckline is really pretty. Really happy with this purchase. It will be a great dress for travelling too, as the material isn’t likely to crush.
Yes, I would recommend this item.

Michelle, size 16: Purchased size 16 and fits beautifully – very flattering dress. Was for a date so felt very sexy and confident. Thank you!!
Yes, I would recommend this item.

Rebecca, size 10: If you want to feel sexy and elegant at the same time, or need something for a special occasion then you definitely need this dress in your life. It is a perfect weight, has no horrible zippers that snag or buttons to wrestle with. It holds off the shoulder without slipping. It is a flattering length to the knee.It will travel well without too much fuss or ironing needed. Believe me this dress will turn heads. I just love it. Thanks Birdsnest girls!!!
Yes, I would recommend this item.
Hot potato croquettes on a brisk evening? Don’t go ANYWHERE with that tray, my young waiter friend.

We did have a few romantic moments together, imaging what it might have been like to get married at this gorgeous venue.

I love love LOVE me a good wedding, and this one was superb. The groom cried a little when saying his vows, and we all know how adorable that is. 

To Stacey and Jason, our biggest congratulations to a beautiful couple who make each other so happy. BB and I wish you a wonderful journey as you build your new life together. Hugs forevs.


Do you have a favourite season for attending weddings? I love them all!

*Birdsnest dress super-awesomely gifted. You should really know by now that I won’t wear anything I don’t love, so consider this piece fantastic, and I’ll be wearing it years from now!

6 life lessons from Empire Records (advice for teens who didn’t get to live through the 90’s)

I was involved in a long Empire Records ‘quote-off’ with Brooke of Blonde Ambition last night (you know, where you riff back and forward with quotes from – usually – a cult movie), and it got me thinking that 1995, when Empire Records was released, was a pretty intense year for me.

I was 14, and in my second year of high school at one of the more exclusive private schools on the Sunshine Coast. My father had just left my mum, brother and I, to live a jaunty life of new women and weekday yacht sailing. I wore a back brace all day every day (thanks scoliosis), had a very small group of friends, wasn’t invited to many parties, and whilst I had discovered boys… they had not yet discovered me.

I struggled to express myself verbally, so when Empire Records hit the screen, with all the angst that only the 90’s could offer, I felt like I’d found characters who were as messed up as I was. (Disclaimer: in hindsight, I had a pretty good life. Thanks Mum.)

Working in a high school now, watching teenage girls struggle with all the same kinds of dramas that my friends and I went through – but with the added stresses of technology and early sexualisation – I wonder how teens these days manage to express themselves without such killer lines as ‘We mustn’t dwell… no, not today. We CAN’T. Not on Rex Manning Day.’

Here are my top life lessons for teens, as taught by the indie kids of Empire Records.

AJ: I don’t feel that I need to explain my art to you, Warren.

Sometimes we just need to do something that other people don’t get. Whether it’s creative or enterprenerial, teens these days have so many avenues open to them, and I know that a lot of adults in their lives will question some crazy decisions. I can pretty much guarantee that this generation of youngsters will all own businesses and be creating cool stuff WAY before we ever got around to that!
Gina: Well, Sinead O’Rebellion. Shock me, shock me, shock me with that deviant behaviour.
We’ve all been there. But I REALLY want to impart one of my most important life lessons with young girls… do NOT cut your hair after a break-up or massive change in life circumstances. Just don’t. Take a month, then go crazy. There’s nothing worse than missing a boy and missing your locks and not looking like yourself, at the same time.
Joe: Gina, you’d better go home.
Gina: Am I fired?
Joe: Have I fired anyone today? No. Why would I start with you?
Kids, remember this – sometimes you’ll mess up. Sometimes you’ll mess up real bad, and it’ll hurt the people who care about you the most. The thing about being a teenager is that usually, those people who you hurt, won’t make snap decisions about the rest of your future. They’ll still love and accept you, and want to help you through this awful hormonal time.

Corey: So this how your life’s gonna be now, hey? You’re just gonna screw every ‘has-been’ until your tits fall down and they don’t want you anymore?

For me, the dynamic between good-girl Corey and fun-loving free spirit Gina is my favourite part of Empire Records. They secretly love each other in a weird ‘I wanna be you’ kind of way, and the movie ends with both girls understanding and appreciating some of those differences.

Also, safe-sex lessons. There are plenty of safe-sex cautionary tales in this sarcasm-fuelled relationship.

Lucas: Warren, look what you took. (flicks through the CD’s that Warren stole from the store) Rap, metal, rap, metal… and Whitney Houston.

The recalcitrant shoplifter Warren is a kooky kid with some eclectic taste in CDs, and I guess his message to the youth of the 90’s is that you should love what you love. If you like weird ukelele music from Eastern Europe, like it hard. Don’t let anyone tell you that you shouldn’t like it. Same goes for fashion and style, do your own thing, try something that your friends aren’t trying. We’re not all meant to be clones… even as teenagers searching for our clique.

A.J.: …you know, I got to tell her that I, uh, well, you know, that I uh…
Joe: love her.
A.J.: Yeah, now how do I do that?
Joe: You say I love you. What do you want, written instructions?
Here you go, the love story we all wanted to be a part of. The shy from-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks artist boy loves sweet super-smart rich girl Corey, but doesn’t know how to tell her.

His tough-love boss Joe is here to tell him that it doesn’t need to be hard. It really doesn’t. Sometimes we (and I clearly mean ME) overthink things to the point that they can’t be said, and unless we have written instructions, the words never come out.

Be your own tough-love boss, and make yourself say the things you feel. Even if they come out awkward (and they 99% will come out awkward, move on).

Which 90’s movie coaxed you through the awkwardness and pain of your teen years? Any of your fave Empire Records quotes that I missed?

A list of things I’ll eat at Regional Flavours, Brisbane

You may remember that I recently spent a weekend gorging myself on the best produce, meals and drinks that Brisbane and the Lockyer Valley have to offer, all in the name of research for the Regional Flavours event, held at Southbank Parklands in Brisbane.

I am pleased to say that the festival is this weekend, and I will be in Brisbane from this Friday evening until Sunday – ostensibly to attend an industry dinner with my husband and to celebrate my birthday week – but we all know it’s to eat my way through Regional Flavours, right?
Here’s a little list of deliciousness that I’m planning on eating and drinking at Regional Flavours 2016:
QLD pork belly and black garlic dumplings with XO sauce from Stokehouse at River Quay

Crumbed Mozzarella with local thyme-infused honey from Popolo at River Quay

Chocolate macarons from Aquitaine Brasserie at River Quay

Fresh pumpkin dishes fresh from the Lockyer Valley at The Picnic Patch

The very freshest fruit, vegetables and condiments from the Producer Showcase – berry me up!

And of course, a flight (or three) of excellent James Squire beers at The Hunting Club
If that little taster (see what I did there?!) has whet your whistle for a weekend of amazing food and drink – as well as celebrity chef features, edible garden treats food trucks galore and just a really supportive environment for people who like to eat their way through life – pop over to the Regional Flavours website (here) to check out the final program and plan your visit and if you see me hanging suspiciously around near the Food Trucks, come say hello. My mate Brooke of Blonde Ambition will also be cruising through Regional Flavours, so there’s a red hot chance you’ll find us both entertaining a crowd with some top-notch karaoke at The Hunting Club at some point!

Regional Flavours is on this Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 July 2016 from 10am to 5pm at Southbank Parklands, Brisbane. The Hunting Club will open 4pm to 7pm on Friday, 15 July and 10am to 7pm on 16 and 17 July. Parking in the area will be limited so your best bet is to catch a train, bus or CityCat.