I miss my sausage

I miss you Stan xxx

Blonde Vs Brunette

Anna Paquin (True Blood/X Men) looks so much hotter as a brunette.

10 things I really like right now

1. Nike Blazers
I've never been a fan of the Blazer until I got a pair the other week. Now I can't get enough of them. Thankfully there doesn't seem to be many Blazers in Copenhagen, otherwise I'd probably be spending my last pennies on them. They're way more comfy than I had ever given then credit for - personally I think they're much comfier than Air Max or Dunks. Kind of wish I'd got a pair of Nike ID Blazers now...

2. Miss Van
Maybe it's because I'll be in Barcelona in a week or so and she lives there now - for what ever reason, I'm quite sweet on Miss Van right now. I'm hoping to stumble across some of her artwork while I'm in Barcelona.

3. Cropped Floral Cardigans
Loving cropped floral cardies right now. They're in the High St stores right now in London which kept turning me off - but today I saw a gorgeous Danish blonde rocking a floral cardie with Adidas hi-tops, grey jeans and an oversize black t-shirt. Hawt.

4. Vivienne Westwood
Read an article about Dame Vivienne Westwood the other day which rocked my socks. It said she's both the matriarch and the enfant terrible of the British fashion world. Quite a power position. She's still going strong at 68 and doesn't give a fuck if you think she's a blithering old granny or a fashionista - she just does what she's always done. Rock on.

5. Traveling First Class on Trains
Traveling first class on trains rules (in Europe). You get big comfy seats, free food, free booze and sometimes free internet and TV. I love it so much that I want to take the Indian Pacific from Sydney to Perth when I get home.

6. Damien Hirst
I've seen quite a few of Hirst's pieces since I've been away and I'm pretty inspired by what he does. Dark and funny. A lethal combo.

7. Unlike.net
Christine showed me this little gem. Unlike.net is a city guide unlike any other. Get to the real heart of your destination with local spots and things that are on that you might otherwise never know about.

8. Danish Meatballs
Om nom nom.

9. Balloon Rabbit
I love Jeff Koon. Ever since Puppy sat outside the MCA, I've been a huge fan. I saw a chair today in Danish design shop that reminded me of Koon's fabulous balloon rabbit. I forgot home much I love the balloon rabbit.

10. Lily's hair in this month's Elle (UK)
Love the blonde wig, but love the black bob with bangs more.

Copenhagen: Hotel Fox

I have finally made it to Hotel Fox. After years of lusting over each and every room, today I finally walked through the doors for the very first time. Tonight I'm staying in room 116 by Freaklub. I'm feel like I'm in a room made of fairy floss and ice cream!
Each night I'm staying in a different room - including rooms by Rinzen and Friendswithyou. I'm so amped - typical me. Being amped by sleeping in an amazing room. I don't know how I'm going to force myself outside - they have free internet in all the rooms and the rooms are so nice it seems a crime to go outside... but I would like to catch up with Princess Mary if I get the chance!

London to Copenhagen

Last night I spent train hoping through Europe. I was in 5 countries in one 24 hour period: UK, France, Belgium, Germany and Denmark.

Caught first class for most of it, which is super dope. They have free internet, free food and free booze for first class passengers. So sweet.

But then had the unfortunate experience of traveling second class for the sleeper cabin from Koeln to Copenhagen. The bunks are 6 to a cabin and feel like sleeping on ironing boards. I think I slept with one eye open all night cos there were 3 men sleeping in the cabin, and I didn't know if they were going to rob me or rape me. Especially the one without a ticket. And I don't think that was a particularly dodgy sleeper train - I think I'm going to be scared shitless on the sleeper from Paris to Barcelona... eek.

London: Wicked

Tonight I went to see the musical Wicked at the Apollo Victoria.

I've never been to a musical in London, despite the fact I've been here so many times and even living here for a bit. Generally I don't get into the touristy stuff, but I decided to treat myself to the quintessential London dinner-and-a-show experience. Plus I have to catch a train to Copenhagen via Paris first thing tomorrow, so going to a show meant I wouldn't be tempted to go out all night to the secret party in Shoreditch that Insa told me about... unlike me to pass on an underground dubsteppy thing, but I can't miss that train.

Wicked is the story of the Witches of Oz. As in the Wizard of Oz. And it definitely lives up to its name.

I remember the first time Mum sat me down in front of the Wizard of Oz when I was a little kid. I was mesmerised. And watching Oz became a ritual every other day. Of course, Oz is a story about how we don't know what we've got until we don't have it anymore. But that's Dorothy's story. Wicked is a little different.

It tells the story of what happened in Oz from the Witches perspective. Poor Dorothy was so wrapped up in her own problems she had no idea of the shit storm she landed in (pardon the pun). Wicked explains the background behind the other main characters - Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West - the one who melts); Glinda (the Good Witch of the North - the one who helps Dorothy); Nessarose (the Wicked Witch of the East - the one who gets squished by the house) and other characters like the Tinman, the Lion, the Scarecrow and the Wonderful Wizard himself.

I won't spoil it anymore, other than to say it's a great show and if you get the chance to see it, check it out. The stage and lighting design is incredible, and the story is quite touching (I was laughing and crying the whole way through - I'm such a sap!).

London: Fabric

Fabric is an interesting club. A burrowing, cavernous nest. Apparently it was originally used as cold store rooms. It'd be great if there was a war - everyone could hide underground in Fabric, and there'd be a slamming sound system to keep the punters entertained. Actually that's exactly what it's like - a bunker. There's lots of stairs and rooms and I imagine that people literally get lost in there. You could hide at the end of the night and no one would find you.
But it wasn't breathe taking like Berghain or Womb.

You never get an overall idea of how big Fabric really is - aside from the 3D maps of the venue hung around the place. I suppose that's why Womb was so stunning - that huge main room and the giant mirrorball are so overwhelming - much the same as walking into the main room of Berghain. I'm beginning to the think that my personal preference in club design generally requires a stunningly large main room/sound system, lots of concrete, steel and glass with beautifully designed lounge areas that either clinical and minimal or lavish and over the top using fabulous fabrics and furnishings. Glebe silos meets Ivy.

Fabric's interior is quite dated - I wonder how many years since renovation? Maybe it's all the brickwork? There were some nice black glass benches built into walls with giant vases of flowers on top that looked quite nice, and I suppose the unisex toilets must have been quite a discussion point in their day. But the metal tubing for bannisters etc was quite dated. The Banksy by the toilets seemed so out of place in it's ornate frame by the toilet door. I don't think I saw any other artwork in there, aside from the 3D artwork of the club. It's almost like it was renovated a few years back and since then it's had bits and pieces added here and there - but nothing really matches. It could use an interior overhaul.

I'd definitely rate Fabric well behind Berghain and Womb... but I'd slot it somewhere around Tresor or even Home in Sydney. I even think SE1 under London Bridge is a more breathe taking space. Maybe if it'd been a packed drum'n'bass or techno night, I'd have rated it higher. I was disappointed that despite being drum'n'bass Friday, they had an indie/electro night on. The crowd seemed up for it, but me being me, electro isn't my thing. I do think if it was dirty drum'n'bass that was being spun it'd have been sick. Although - had it been filled to capacity, it probably would have been a real shit to move around - 1,500 rats running around a nest would be quite a sight.

London: Liberty, Le Labo and INSAland

This morning I'm heading to the Liberty department store in Oxford Circus to visit the Prints Charming exhibition and buy some new perfume. I saw the amazing window displays for Prints Charming the first day I was here and was captivated by their amazing fabrics. I was also captivated by Liberty's amazing range of perfumes.
Prints Charming is an exhibition of the legendary Liberty Fabrics. I snuck a few photos - I wasn't sure if you were allowed to click. They had the limited edition Liberty Blazers on display - so jealous of anyone who got their dirty mitts on a pair of those. Apparently they sold out within an hour of going on sale earlier this year. I do have the Liberty Dunks though...I was also smitten with this chair. I'd almost empty my suitcase if I thought it'd fit inside.
It's not something I talk about a lot, but I'm a bit of a perfume buff. Ever since I was given to book 'Perfume' in about 1995, I've been very aware of scent. Back then, I wore Dolce and Gabbana Red, and slowly I became more and more interested in fragrances. Over the years I've gone through phases of fragrance - from Angel to YSL Nu to Alexander McQueen Kingdom. I love Comme des Garçons fragrances gone through many a bottle. I generally go for heavy, head scents and have recently been wearing a Donna Karan fragrance called Signature. Unfortunately I ran out while I was in Berlin and I've been feeling really naked without a signature scent. Liberty stock an amazing range of premium fragrances, starting somewhere around Prada, Comme des Garçons, Fracas etc and ending with bespoke fragrances like Le Labo (you wont find a bottle of Britney Spears Stinkerbelle at Liberty). So I decided to treat myself to a bottle of Le Labo Amberette. The concept with Le Labo is that the perfume is made while you wait to give you the freshest fragrance possible. Like most things, perfume has a life span, the length of which depends on the quality of the ingredients used. Le Labo is also nice because the bottle label is customised just for you. Being the massive amber head I am, Amberette was the obvious choice (it's the only amber fragrance Le Labo make). Although, it is made of amber seeds, so it's quite a bit softer than I would normally wear. It smells like pear and amber.

And now it's time to meet INSA. And I'm so fucking late. Getting to the South East was a lot harder and more time consuming that I expected. Once I got to London Bridge station, the station attendant to me I had to get a bus or an overland train (which was the instructions INSA gave me). But I was running so late I go a cab, which isn't much quicker anyway. I made it in the nick of time and met INSA at the station. We introduced ourselves and with formalities out of the way, he took me to his studio (which kind of reminded me of the Hibernian). He told me he generally doesn't have visitors to his studio, which makes me feel extremely privileged. He has a collection of sneakers hanging on the power lines outside his studio. Although there was a lot of paint around, his studio is incredibly tidy compared to others I've seen. Everything seems to have it's own place. And there are lots of little INSA artifacts - Munny's, Nike ID boxes, INSA Heels, leg canvases, latex, a red stained glass INSA heel, bejeweled spray cans and a tiny pink chair.

Without giving too much away, we got talking and as it turns out his work is a lot different to they way I interpreted it. I was expecting some pervy foot fetish type, who might ogle my pretty black toe nails. But I found INSA to be quite contradictory to his work. All tits and ass you might think - but really, his work focuses on the difference between fantasy and reality. He told me people to this day still think he must be female because he paints high heels. Someone like Fafi or Claw. Either that or a pervy dude who like feet and big boobs. He likes the contradiction.

I asked him to paint me an original piece. I'm not exactly sure what it will be (because I asked him to make that decision for me) but I've got an idea of the size and colours. I really wanted a red heel, and when he told me that his heel throw ups were originally red, I didn't mind asking for red so much.

It was a real thrill to get to meet INSA in the flesh and find out more about who he really is. Like his lady lighter collection. I like that he likes collecting - I was beginning to feel like my hoarding tendencies were borderline obsessive. And in reality collecting nudie lighters is way funnier than collecting sneakers. All in all it really drilled home that I've made the right decision to only buy/consume things that I have some meaningful attachment to. Getting to know him a little makes having one of his pieces all the more special. I can't wait to see my very own INSA! He also gave some stickers and stuff :)While I was at the studio, Mookie and Ki Ki were ringing me. Eventually, once I'd left, I got to speak to the drunken duo (Sherlock you Southern Cross pulling piker - where the heck were you?!) to wish Mooks a very happy birthday and merry Swarm day. Apparently Swarm is belting tonight and I really wish I could have been there. But I'm there in spirit.

What a rad day! Off to check out Fabric tonight.

London: Blazer, Supreme and the Cider Regime

I worked really hard last night to get this hang over, so I'm gonna enjoy it just right. This morning, I'm off to Dover Street Market. Haven't heard from INSA so kind of bummed. Probably requires some new kicks to make me feel better.
Dover Street Market is well cool. I'm in love with all the bell jars and curiosity cabinets. And what's in them. Skeletal remains of tiny birds, taxidermy and strange creatures made of bones and other found items. I'm frothing over the Comms de Garcon perfume. Downstairs in the basement that have a lot of wank - Kaws, Supreme, yadda. But they do have a pretty hot sneaker corner. And I spy the grey/gold Nike Blazer Supreme Mid TZs (yes Flynn, I know I said no more Supreme ever. I lied.But look how sexy they are). Yum yum yum. And they have my size. There is a god and he just made me like London a little more. But only a little.
Went to see 'Walking in My Mind' at Southbank. The exhibition explores the inner working of the artist's imagination through installations and sculpture.I can really relate at how difficult it is to explain how I think creatively. I wonder if this exhibition could give me some perspective on what I want to do when I get home. Burst into tears of joy whilst looking at the little cubby house with the artist's studio inside. Did it give me perspective? I'd say yes. I'm pretty inspired, and have a big idea for a new project. Almost can't wait to go home. Almost!
Met up with Q for a drink at Marketplace. He took me to the Green Man, a dedicated cider house. Heaven.
He suggested the house cider, and I quickly learnt why. Firstly, it tastes divine. A little like cloudy apple juice. Secondly, one pint and your pished as a pumpkin. And it never takes me much to get tipsy anyway. But this way, it was ridiculously yummy too. London weather turned - it's raining on my beautiful Blazers. Ate some weird potato with beans and tandoori chicken in Shepards Bush. Why am I in Shepards Bush again? Aussies and Kiwis and South Africans oh my! I can't remember much after that *insert drunken story here*. You can make up the rest.

Stayed out like the dirty stop out I am. Caught the Tube home with the morning commuters.

London suddenly doesn't seem so bad.

London: Maybe it's OK here...

London ain't my cup of tea really. The weather likes to fuck with me - is it cold, or is it warm?

Meeting up with my boy Flynn. Gonna grab my booty of Twilights. No more lusting after my most desired kick - I officially will have 2 pairs in my hot little hands.
Met Flynn at the Dominion, right under the watchful eye of the giant Freddy Mercury. Went up to Covent Garden to the Carhartt store. Grabbed a cheeky bevvy. And another. Then Nonnies. Then Niketown. London weather turns on a show and rains on me. It's because I wore thongs. Now we're going to OXO for a drink, so I have to get changed - if for no other reason than that if I don't my feet are gonna be so cold.

Got changed and got to Embankment. Watched the skaters and BMX kids at Southbank.
Flynn got me an Oyster card. We met up with some with some peeps at OXO and drank champers as the sun set over London. OXO is a little bit swank.
We talked about shit. Literally - poo. The peeps at the table didn't want a side of shit-talk with their dinner. They asked us to move. We left and drank cocktails at another bar. Then we went back to Soho and drank more cider. I'm such a lightweight. 3 ciders and I'm under the table. The boys took me to the yummiest Thai place. We ate soup and I got it all over me. The boys pointed me towards Russell Square and I wandered home.

Flynn makes London taste better. I'm jealous he's going back to Berlin, but he's gonna have the bestest fun. See you at home sweetheart...

*Photos to be added.