Under the big shed they’ve created a space for small shops and pop up sites called SO:ME Space. It’s filled with clothing, accessories, artwork and bikes – a fun place to browse before or after your market grocery shopping.

Some of the designers include previous blog favourites Wet & Wendy and Skinny Nelson at Jane, plus cool bikes and accessories from Bakerlite and a very eye-catching shop display at Stone Glint and Bone.

SO:ME Space, South Melbourne Market, 322-326 Coventry St, South Melbourne

Wed 9am-4pm
Thurs 5pm-9pm
Fri 9am-5pm
Sat 9am-4pm
Sun 9am-4pm

What’s better than a pop up shop? A pop up house!

Melbourne design blogger extraordinaire Lucy Feagins has brought her blog The Design Files out of the interwebs and into real life. With the help of The Project Agency’s Esther Navarro-Orejon, Lucy has turned a swoon-worthy Fitzroy warehouse conversion into an even more swoonworthy display home – where everything is for sale!

That means inside The Design Files Open House all of the furniture, artworks, homewares, textiles, plants and food (and in theory even the Mini) can be popped into your shopping basket. Here’s your chance to bestow the gift of good design to your friends, family or let’s be honest, yourself.

Here are some of my favourite picks:

Baggu backpacks and totes in an array of colours.

A coat rack from Tractor Home that reads in rainbow colours ‘It’s beautiful here’. Very Miranda July I thought.

Maiike softies and Made by Mosey fabric mobiles. Awww.

I am obsessed with lamps. And my current obsessions is with these Workroom lamps. See them here…

..and here….

….and here!

A festive table full of kitchenware and sweet treats from Phillippa’s.

And when you’re done shopping and browsing, hang out on the rooftop under the  Basil Bangs umbrellas and enjoy some coffee and sweet treats from Coffee Supreme/The Abbotsford Club.

The Design Files Open House, 40 Little Napier St, Fitzroy

Thu Dec 1 – Sun Dec 4, 10am-5pm
Online from Mon Dec 5 – Sun Dec 18

I am a big fan of Melbourne-based bike rental company The Humble Vintage and the limited edition hand-drawn maps coming out of it called Melbourne for Visitors and Casual Cyclists.

Now author and entrepreneur Matt Hurst has written The Casual Cyclist’s Guide Melbourne, a book bringing a fresh perspective to cycle routes in Melbourne interspersed with articles on cycling tips, tricks and thoughts as varied as Taking the Scenic Route and Five Surprising Situations When it’s Better to Take the Bike.

The guide brings together contributions from a range of Melbourne architects, historians, chefs, designers and local identities, including chef Guy Grossi and milliner Richard Nylon.

With hand drawn maps by Matt, design by Studio Pip & Co and illustrations from graphic design duo Tin & Ed, it’s a uniquely Melbourne collaboration. The book is a delightful read and it’s an essential item for the ambling Melbourne cyclist.

Giveaway! Thanks to Hardie Grant, I have one copy of The Casual Cyclist’s Guide Melbourne to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment below by Friday 9 December and the winner will be drawn randomly. The competition is restricted to Australian residents. Good luck!

Tally-ho ladies and gents!

Thanks to some Sunday sun, a group of about 50 well-dressed cyclists gathered for the annual Melbourne Tweed Ride.
Tweed wearers and vintage-stylers rode out from Federation Square along the tweedy brown Yarra River to Como House, which was hosting the Paris to Provence Festival. We got many amazed glances, friendly waves and jolly car horn toots along the way.

Some pictures to inspire your next tweedy/vintage outing!

To see more images, check out CycleStyle’s Flickr stream and click here,  here, here, here and here.

Stuck for a unique, Melbourne-themed Christmas gift or holiday souvenir?

Then make sure you get to Melbournalia, a series of pop up stores open now in the lead-up to Christmas. Over the next few weeks four Melbourne CBD venues and one repurposed newspaper stand will host displays of Melbourne design goodness, with HQ being at Melbournalia Home in an out-of-the-way laneway (naturally) off Franklin St.

Melbournalia Home is a stylish converted warehouse filled with stationery, jewellery, homewares, fashion, coffee, art and design from some of Melbourne’s best-loved boutique design brands.

My covet list includes:

Gorgeous Neighbourhood throw and picnic rugs from Otto & Spike and make-your-own mobile from Ink & Spindle.

Tram roll cushions from Poulier & Poulier.

 Mattt cases for notebooks and laptops.

In 2011 our kitchen calendar is by The Design Files. In 2012 our calendar will be the designed by the giggle-worthy Able and Game.

Tonight Melbournalia Captains opens at Captains of Industry (Level 1, 2 Somerset Place, CBD) with a launch event 6-8pm and everyone’s welcome! Enjoy some wine and browse the Captain’s selection of Melbournalia gifts for the modern gent.

How are you enjoying the beautiful weather this week? I’m going to ride my bike and enjoy some lunch.

The Wheeler, a quarterly magazine about cycling culture in Melbourne, recently compiled a comprehensive list of bike-friendly cafes in Melbourne. Being a cycling and cafe fan (though not of the road racing lycra-clad variety), I thought I’d reproduce the list here with a bit of value-add – links to previous reviews. Happy cycling!

CITY

Berth Restaurant Bar Café, 45 New Quay Prm, Docklands, 03 9670 0199

Brunetti City Square Café, 214 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, 03 9663 8085

Coffea, 519 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, 03 9326 7388

Jasper Café, 489 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, 03 8327 2777

Limonetto, 35 New Quay Prm, Docklands, 03 9642 5001

Little Mule Co., 19 Somerset Pl, Melbourne, 03 9670 4904

Liquid, 50 New Quay Prm, Docklands, 03 9642 4242

Medici Café Bar, 36 New Quay Prm, Docklands, 03 9600 4160

Soul Kitchen, Arts Centre, St Kilda Rd

Team Degani Cycling Café, 833 Collins St, Docklands, 03 9620 7007

The Belgian Beer Café, 557 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne, 03 9529 2899

Time Out Café, Federation Square, Melbourne, 03 9671 3855

EAST

Café Bliss, 1393 Toorak Rd, Camberwell, 03 9889 9600

Cog Bike Café, 4 Clancy Rd, Mount Evelyn, 03 9736 4999

Mountain Goat Beer, Cnr North & Clarke Streets, Richmond, 03 9428 1180

Olmecs Café, Bar & Bakery, 410 Bridge Road, Richmond, 03 9482 5995

Provenance Food & Wine Co, 288 Smith Street, Collingwood, 03 8415 0700

Richmond Rush Café, 4 Stewart St, Richmond, 03 9421 0070

Rocket Fast & Fresh Café, 125 Burgundy St, Heidelberg, 03 9459 8570

St Andrews General Store, Main Rd, St Andrews, 03 9710 1200

Studley Park Boathouse, Boathouse Rd, Kew, 03 9853 1828

Studley Park Boulevard Café, 121 Studley Park Road, Kew, 03 9852 8144

The Maling Room, 206 Canterbury Rd, Canterbury, 03 9836 9889

NORTH

Arcadia, 193 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, 03 9416 1055

Bean Counter Café, 15 Railway Place, Fairfield, 03 9482 1170

Bike n Bean Café, 797 Plenty Road, South Morang, 03 9347 8501

Brunetti Café, 204 Faraday St, Carlton, 03 9347 2801

Ceres Café, Cnr Roberts and Stewart streets, Brunswick East, 03 9389 0100

Convent Bakery, 1 Saint Heliers St, Abbotsford, 1300 447 697

Don Vincenzo, 301 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 03 9419 6204

Gertrude Street Enoteca, 229 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, 03 9415 8262

Human Powered Café, 562 High St, Thornbury, 03 9480 0848

Loafer Bread, 146 Scotchmer St, North Fitzroy, 03 9489 0766

Little Creatures Dining Hall, 222 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, 03 9417 5500

Penny Farthing Espresso, 206 High St, Northcote, 03 9482 2246

Red Box Café, 317 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, 03 9387 8699

Seven Seeds, 106 Berkeley St, Carlton, 03 9347 8664

Threshermans, 221 Faraday St, Carlton, 03 9349 2319

Tweek Café, 266 Bridge Rd, Richmond, 03 9428 7193

SOUTH

Brown Cow Café, 382 Hampton St, Hampton, 03 9521 0547

Café de Cuba, 69 Glenhuntly Road, Elwood, 03 9531 0033

Café Nacional, 36 Mills St, Albert Park, 03 9645 0977

Café Odo, Shop 1/1 Bluff Rd, Black Rock, 03 9589 1991

Café Panette, 144 Cecil Street, South Melbourne, 03 9690 2803

Café Racer, 15 Marine Pde, St Kilda, 03 9534 9988

Café Velocino, 304 Beach Rd, Black Rock, 03 8516 2233

Café Zappa, 206 Bank Street, South Melbourne, 03 9699 9333

Cerberus Beach House, Boat Shed 212, Half Moon Bay, Black Rock, 03 9533 4028

Caféteria, 36 Bluff Rd, Black Rock, 03 9589 2200

Dalmatino Café, 280 Bay St, Port Melbourne, 03 9645 6584

Degani@Port Melbourne, Cnr Salmon & Phillip St, Port Melbourne, 03 9681 9996

Dr Jekyll, 107–13 Grey Street, St Kilda, 03 9525 5999

Hahndorf’s Chocolates, 81 Bluff Rd, Black Rock, 03 9533 1575

Harper’s Kitchen, 78 Inkerman St, St Kilda, 03 9537 0450

Hot Honey, 40 Armstrong St, Middle Park, 03 9696 1900

Il Fornaio Bakery Café, 2 Acland St, St Kilda, 03 9534 2922

isit Café, 11 Izett Street, Prahran, 03 9533 2904

Kanteen, 154 Alexander Ave, South Yarra, 03 9827 0488

Mt Eliza Deli, 104 Mt Eliza Way, Mt Eliza, 03 9787 2521

North Point, 2B North Rd, Brighton, 03 9596 9196

Parkdale Beach Café, 6a Beach Rd, Parkdale, 03 9580 3377

Pod Espresso, 305 Bay St, Nth Brighton, 0433 578 149

Salford Lads Club, 1 Fennell St (Cnr Bridge St), Port Melbourne, 03 9900 1234

Seed Café, 9 Centreway, Mordiallic, 03 9587 5766

Soulmama, 10 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda, 03 9525 3338

Stokehouse, 30 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda, 03 9525 5445

The Baths Café & Bar, 251 The Esplanade, Brighton, 03 9539 7000

The Little Ox, 452 New St, Brighton, 03 9607 8558

The Pantry, 1 Church St, Brighton, 03 9591 0393

Tour de Café, 1 Pier Rd, Mordialloc, 03 9587 4144

Urban Hotel, 37 Fitzroy St, St Kilda, 03 8530 8888

Vuelta Café, 92 Inkerman St, St Kilda, 03 9525 5431

Wall Two 80, Rear 280 Carlisle St, Balaclava, 03 9593 8280

Wild Organic Café, 122 Ormond Rd, Elwood, 03 9537 7333

WEST

Café Cirino, 33 Nelson Place, Williamstown, 03 9387 5452

Degani@Point Cook, Shop K-2, 5 Main St, Point Cook, 03 9395 5991

Ferguson Street Provisions, 62 Ferguson St, Williamstown, 03 9399 9955

Gravy Train, 83 Gamon St, Yarraville, 03 9687 9866

Le Chien, 5 Gamon St, Seddon, 03 9362 7333

Melissa’s Cakes, 34 Pier St, Altona, 03 9390 8898

Nosh@Newport, 24 Hall St, Newport, 03 9391 6404

Image thanks to Cheryl Lin at Business Chic.

The newest addition to the Fitzroy/Collingwood bike shop enclave is Tokyo Bike, a small independent bike brand hailing all the way from Yanaka, Japan via Sydney.

I’ve previously written about Tokyo Bike’s Sydney store on The Design Files and now husband-and-wife team Fuyuki and Yuki Sagahara have headed south to bring their colourful steeds to a lovely light-filled shop off Smith Street.

The fitout is simple but thoughtfully furnished with small tokens of Japan, from the sprig of cherry blossom at the entrance to the series of overhanging Japanese fisherman’s lamps.

Tokyo Bikes are made with the urban cyclist in mind. The wheels are designed smaller for more stop-start riding through city streets and are perfect for moving through Tokyo’s and Melbourne’s back alleys. The pared back frames are super-light and the colours are eye-catching. In fact, a Tokyo Bike is one of “50 things to improve Your life” according to the July 2011 edition of Monocle!

Four styles are available – the classic CS, Bisou step-through for the ladies (and enlightened gents), SS single speed and Sport for the speed demons. You are encouraged to test ride any of the bikes in streets around the store, hence the deliberate choice to have a shop off a main street.

The shop also has a neat curated collection of accessories, from Knog lights and locks, Gropes leather grips from the UK and Tokyo Bells.

Tokyo Bike Shop Melbourne, 5 Peel Street, Collingwood +61 3 9417 2845

Monday 11:30am-5:30pm
Tuesday closed
Wednesday 11:30am-5:30pm
Thursday11:30am-5:30pm
Friday 11:30am-5:30pm
Saturday 11:30am-5:30pm
Sunday 12pm-4pm

Greg, tell me a bit about your background and your involvement with Westgage Community Initatives Group Inc and LoveLuvo?

I have a background in the disability sector and have been working in this area for over 15 years.  During most of that time I managed disability employment services.  I have been with WCIG for over 5 years now and have been in various roles within the organization.  It is just recently that I have moved across to our social enterprises to work as their marketer.

My role is to build our social enterprises by marketing to private enterprise and not for profits.  With my role, “the sky is the limit” as there are many opportunities.

LoveLuvo is a social enterprise business. What is it that makes it unique?

Passion and enthusiasm.  As I said I moved from another part of WCIG and as soon as I arrived here it was noticeable. The culture is one of getting the job done but with a smile and a bit of fun along the way.  It is great to see the staff who have not been able to compete out in open employment come to a place of support and blossom.

I think there is one thing that stands out as testament to what we do.  We started in 2006 with 5 employees with a disability and today 4 of those remain with us.  That says that they have found their niche.  We have had other staff join us and move on but usually into open employment.

What kind of products will people find at LoveLuvo? Where do you source your products from?

We stock organic and environmentally friendly cleaning products for the bathroom and kitchen.  We also source organic and enviro- friendly beauty products for women and men.  All of our products are from Australia with nearly 90% of them coming from Victoria.  We like to keep a low carbon footprint as much as we can.

We are lucky to have some great suppliers who work closely with us to develop new products all the time.

Westgage Community Initatives Group Inc also has other social enterprise businesses including Cleanable and Onsite Catering – can you tell us a bit about them?

Cleanable is our commercial and domestic cleaning arm.  We have contracts with large organizations such as Western Region Health centre, Melbourne Health and Yarra Community Housing.  This has grown from a few contracts in 2006 to the size that it is now.  This has occurred because of the management’s determination to grow the business and allow opportunities for people with a mental illness to participate in the workforce.

Onsite Catering has only just opened this year and provides private and corporate catering services while providing training and employment opportunities for people with a disability.

What are some of the challenges you face opening a social enterprise business?

Changing people’s perceptions is the largest challenge that we face.  The image of social enterprises that most people have is of people working on very low rates of pay and doing monotonous work in a warehouse environment.  This needed to be changed and I believe it is.  There are very few types of social enterprises like that anymore and they are on their way out.

Building the brand was another challenge.  Many people in the inner west now know what we stand for and who we are but that was one of the struggles faced early on in the building of our social enterprises.  This was done by building strong relationships with both small and large organizations.  They were soon aware of the work that we did and word soon spread.

Finally, what are your tips for HOT places and things in Melbourne?

Go West!  There are some real secrets in the western suburbs.  Try the places below:

• LoveLuvo – of course! (174 Victoria St, Seddon)
  
• Los Latinos (128 Mitchell St, Maidstone +61 3 9318 5289) – the best south American food you will find
• Sourdough Kitchen (172 Victoria St, Seddon +61 3 9687 5662) – unbelievable organic bread
• Luca Haus (86a Charles Street, Seddon +61 3 9687 0039) – try the French vanilla slice

No, we’re not talking about those nasty fruit rubbers! Roll-Up is a new bicycle valet parking service which is launching at State of Design.

Instead of locking your bike up to the nearest lamp post, cyclists can get their bike valet parked for free by the fun-fair themed Roll-Up crew. It’s a great initiative as the provision of safe, secure and convenient bike parking will hopefully encourage people to take active and sustainable transport to festivals and events.

Melbourne is an official bike city, after all :–)

Specifically, Treadlie magazine contacted bicycle builders, from professionals to amateurs, and put together an exhibition of eighteen bicycles – from cargo bikes to elegant step-throughs, cruisers to single gears. Each bike comes with a story….

Here are some of my favourites:

Bumble Bee – Mick Peel, Busyman Bicycles – Concept and Leatherwork Design, Dan Hale, Shifter Bikes – Assembly and Wheel Build.

Can you believe that this bike was salvaged from a rusty old frame lying in the gutter? Mick’s eyes were drawn to the fancy key-lined lug work and pinstriping. He then set about repolishing and chrome-plating the handlebars and stem, adding new parts and finishing off the details with a beautiful customised leather seat with a bumblebee motif.

Big Mama. Whoa get a load on that bike! David Bowan from Bobo Bicycles was commissioned to build a load-carrying courier bike and while his frame building jigs were set up for that project he took the opportunity to build a load-carrying bike for child transportation and urban family use.

This bike can carry up to 3 kids with easily removable seats to give flexibility in either child or load carrying. Who needs a Toorak Tractor-style SUV for the school run?

Aemilia. Such a pretty name for a pretty bike. By Nigel Venning, Mrs Fairweather – Bike Spotter and Millwright and Connie Kosti – Storyteller and Opinionist. Aemilia was first spotted by Nigel in someone’s shed. He dressed her up with some new colours, some beautiful hand-drawn, laser-cut, wooden-veneer spats, matching timber handles and leather trim.

Dandenong Tea Cart. A gloriously decorated Christiana bike from PS Bikes. A Christianna No Box bike was purchased by RMIT’s Department for Art in Public Spaces. They then commissioned artist Aslam Akram to collaborate on the design and decoration of a traditional Afghan tea bike.

The Tea Cart is to serve as a micro-business for an existing trader making tea in the Afghan Bazaar Cultural Precinct in the Dandenongs. It also aims to promote Afghan culture through social practice and aesthetic impact.

Design Made Trade is on 21-22 July for trade and 23-24 July for public entry, 10-5pm all days.

One of the nice things that has happened since I started writing this blog more than 2 years ago is that I’ve developed a relationship with some of my regular readers/contributors/other bloggers/Twitter followers. Some of them I’ve never met in person but I know if I did that they would be kindred spirits, the kind of people from the race that knows Joseph (in the words of Anne of Green Gables).

One of these people is Carla Sammut, who writes a blog called Easy as (vegan) pie as well as taking the time to contribute comments on my posts and chatting to me via Twitter.  So when Carla contacted me about her new business venture and wanting to provide a giveaway on the blog, of course I said yes. Plus everyone likes a giveaway, right? :–)

So, today’s giveaway is a travel pack of face and body products from Arbonne valued at $64. Arbonne is a botanical skincare and cosmetics brand from Switzerland which is vegan and not tested on animals and RE9 Advanced range is their anti-aging line. The travel pack comes with loads of a products – a Smoothing Facial Cleanser, Regenerating Toner, Intensive Renewal Serum, Corrective Eye Cream, Restorative Day Creme SPF 15, Night Repair Creme, Firming Body Creme and Age-defying Neck Cream, Instant Lift Gel, Nourishing Body Wash, all in a handy travel case.

To win, all you have to do is leave a comment below by 5pm Thursday 12 May. The winner will be drawn randomly and announced on Friday 13 May. Good luck!

Happy Monday! What did you get up to on the weekend?

My weekend was full of weddings. On Sunday it was my one year wedding anniversary and RM and I had our first baby-free evening out, although we still had dinner at the parent-friendly hour of 6:30pm. Thank you Kat’s Cakes for our unexpectedly large one year anniversary cake too!

And in a nice turn of events, on Saturday we attended the wedding of a friend which was held in the same location as our own wedding a year before, the Portico Balcony of Melbourne Town Hall. Melbourne turned out a gorgeous sunny day, the bride and groom looked very happy and the father of the bride teared up. Oh I do love a good wedding :–)

So today’s giveaway is well-timed, as I reflect on my wedding and weddings in general. Portobello Bride is a website and blog that features wedding suppliers who are cool, unique and interesting rather than the frou frou and once a year they hold a boutique wedding market. While I have a fear of bridal expos generally, I know what it’s like to work full time, have a busy social life and still try and fit in wedding planning. The Portobello Bride Boutique Wedding Market contains a curated selection of 30 or so stallholders in one place who will hopefully provide you with some creative inspiration beyond the norm.

For brides (and grooms) to be out there, I have 5 free tickets for the market on Saturday 26 March 10am-5pm which is being held at St Kilda Town Hall (cnr Carlisle St and St Kilda Rd). All you have to do is leave a comment below and the first 5 responses will win. If you miss out you can still purchase tickets for Saturday or Sunday here or at the door. Good luck!

So, this week’s giveaway is a double pass to the fabulous Underground Cinema (see my review of their previous event). Their first screenings of 2011 are being held on Friday 18 March and Saturday 19 March at a secret location with a futuristic/time traveller theme.  So maybe you’re going to watch 2001: Space Odyssey? The Time Traveller’s Wife? Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy? The mystery is part of the excitement.

To win, all you have to do is leave a comment and the winner will be drawn at random on Tuesday 15 March so you have the whole week to plan your outfit :–) Good luck!

Also, thank you to everyone for your entries for the Lendan giveaway!

I’ve dipped into the Kitchenaid of Fortune and the winners of a $65 prize pack are:

- Emma

- Nessbow

Please send your postal address to joyce@melhotornot.com to collect your prize and have a great weekend!

Thanks again to Lendan Australia for sponsoring the giveaway.

You may have heard of Lendan, a professional hair, skin and beauty brand from Spain with their Australian operations based in Melbourne. Lendan products are dermalogically tested, non-comedongenic, SLS Free, have no animal bi-products, are not tested on animals, and use recyclable packaging.

They are commemorating their 50th Anniversary in 2011 and to celebrate the good folks at Lendan Australia are offering a prize pack valued at $65 to two lucky readers residing in Australia. The prize includes:

-          Rich Nutrition Shampoo 250ml (RRP $24.95) – Shampoo with Brazil Nut Oil to hydrate and nourish dry and damaged hair.

-          Rich Nutrition Mask 150ml (RRP $24.95) – Containing Brazil Nut Oil, an extremely moisturising and deep nutritive mask that instantly repairs dry and stressed out hair.

-          Beauty Flash (RRP $14.95) – serum that eliminates signs of fatigue, smoothes away wrinkles and provides both extraordinary firmness and a healthy-looking glow.

To enter just post a comment below before 5pm Thursday 10 March. The winner will be randomly drawn from the Kitchenaid of Fortune and announced on Friday 11 March.

Good luck!

Enter my newest discovery Harvest Box, a nifty service that delivers nuts and dried fruit packages to your office. Having these healthy snacks on hand means there’s less of a temptation to dip in to the biscuit tin and snack vending machine. You can choose your own mixes – I personally like By the Beach mix containing mango, macadamias, coconut and Brazil nuts. Today’s HOT Chat is with Will Cook, one of the founders of Harvest Box. Thanks Will!

Will, tell me a bit more about your background and how you came to start your business Harvest Box?

I have worked in large corporations and have also run my own catering business, therefore I have experienced both sides of trying to eat better at work. I remember working for large organisations where you would often be stuck in meetings or working back late and all you had at work was biscuits, unhealthy vending machines or fruit that nobody else was prepared to eat!

After many discussions over many evenings myself and two other mates decided to stop complaining and actually do something about turning workplace snacking on its head. We decided to think about it from the busy workers point of view and provide a product that is healthy, delicious, convenient and never boring. We even decided to allow our customers to rate all our mixes to their own taste so we only send you mixes you like. We want you to look at Harvest Box as a delicious self preservation box that sits on your desk.

Also, we worked with Australia Post to design a box that could securely send 4 punnets of healthy snacks (from a range of 50 mixes) to any address in Australia. We have been around for two months and have already sent thousands of boxes around the country. We won’t be happy until every desk has a Harvest Box!

What are the benefits of snacking on dried fruit and nuts?

Snacking on healthy and natural foods between meals can help to regulate blood sugar levels for sustained energy throughout the day.

There has been a complete shift in attitude to nuts and dried fruit recently. It is now widely recognised that nuts are natures own little vitamin pill, they don’t contain trans fats, are cholesterol free and are a great source of fibre and protein. The high protein content of nuts quickly satisfies your hunger and over time the nuts slowly release energy into your blood stream to give you lasting vitality.

Dried fruits are a good source of fibre and roughage and retain most of the health benefits of fresh fruit. We make sure we use as much fruit that is naturally dried and not soaked in sugar that you commonly find in the market place.

Our 4 punnets contained in each box are potion controlled so that you only have a suitable amount. You definitely can have too much of a good thing!

Our mixes are designed be delicious and to make you eat better. We want Australian workers to have more healthy eating options at work so they can keep their energy up during the day. We feel by having a box arrive on your desk each week with a range of natural foods will allow you to always have that snack on hand.

Where do you source your ingredients from?

Wherever possible we have hunted down the best tasting local produce we can find. We think Australian produce is the best! Our dried apple is from Tasmania, our dried mango and pineapple comes from Queensland and our almonds are from Mildura to name just a few. Seasonal constraints may dictate that from time to time we need to use imported produce, but this will be the exception. Wherever possible our dried fruits, nuts and seeds are free from preservatives, sulphites additives and added sugar.

What has been the most challenging thing you’ve faced in starting up your own business? What advice would you give to a small business owner?

Finding enough hours in the day and prioritising your work load. There are so many jobs to do and so much you want to achieve you need to make sure you are being effective with your time. We have found so many people want to talk about our product. If you are passionate about your offering your customers will be to. Because Harvest Box is committed to providing our customers choice we are constantly looking for new ingredients. This is fun but does take time.

All three of us have young families and I have an 11 week old baby so we have to make sure we split our time as fairly as possible between work and family. Being able to send our Harvest Boxes home each day makes life a little easier!!

What are your next plans for Harvest Box?

Looking to the future is the best part of running your own business. We are focused on ensuring our product range for our current customers is the best it possibly can be in terms of taste, freshness and health. Communicating all the options available with Harvest Box is critical but we don’t want to send too much info across. Things like pausing your deliveries, rating new products and forwarding on our free boxes all need to be communicated in an efficient way.

We want to keep increasing the amount of mixes we offer but we are also looking at supplying cafes and supermarkets with our individual punnets. Not to mention large companies wanting bulk orders.

We are in an exciting development stage we just have to make sure we grow in a sustainable manner. We love people coming to us with ideas so if any of your readers like what we do and have any suggestions feel free to drop us a line through our online feedback form on our website.

Finally, where are your HOT places to visit or things to do in Melbourne?

Three Bags Full (56 Nicholson St, Abbotsford +61 3 9421 2732) A funky cafe in the middle of industrial Abbotsford. On the weekend you will be waiting for a table so you know it is good!

Picnic in the Botanical Gardens – in the middle of the city it is nice to surround yourself with nature.

Farmers Markets – I try and go to one every month. The produce and knowledge they have is fantastic. We have actually found some great suppliers by popping down to a local farmers market. They appear across many suburbs throughout the year.

If you’re interested in giving Harvest Box a go, Will has kindly provided blog readers with a promotional code.  Just enter 169BTG9RF to get the first box free and second box half price – there’s no expiry date.

On discovering my Aesop cleanser was running out, I jumped onto The Beauty Club for an emergency purchase and discovered that the business is actually based in Melbourne. I was interested to hear about how The Beauty Club got to where it is, so today’s HOT Chat is with Joana Calado, the Managing Director of The Beauty Club and mum to three kids. Thanks Joana!

Joana, tell me a bit more about your background and how you came to start The Beauty Club?

After spending six years at university earning my degree in Criminology I then worked at the Children’s Hospital for a little while before falling pregnant. I was working with children who were severely abused and it was a great job up until I had my first child, then I saw it from a completely different angle. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to work with the same objectivity.

I was really happy as a stay-at-home mum, such a rewarding task in itself, but opportunity came knocking in 2006.

Discovering a network of 16,000 leading-brand cosmetics, skincare and fragrances at unbelievable prices was too good to pass up. With limited time and funds the web seemed like the most logical and affordable place to start the business and The Beauty Club was born.

What is unique about The Beauty Club compared to other cosmetic, skincare and fragrance online retailers?

Our aim with The Beauty Club was to make online shopping more personal, supported and involved. When you join a club you join a community and our community is all about health and beauty advice and support. Of course one of the main drivers of the club membership sign up is access to a huge number of brand name products, such as Clinique, Dior, Lanvin and Laura Mercier, often at cost price – this makes us very unique.

How have you selected which products to stock in The Beauty Club?

The first selection criteria is that they are a leading beauty brand, the second is that prices should be excellent and third is that they are products that are wanted by our members.

Where do you turn for makeup and skincare advice and inspiration?

My mother introduced me to Paula Begoun’s Don’t Go To The Cosmetic Counter Without Me several years ago and it has been a beauty staple ever since. Whenever I am in doubt about a product, I will turn to her book.

I also love to read reviews by real people, so I tend to read blogs. Wanting to know about a product before purchasing it has also led me to add a product review function on The Beauty Club, so that our members can learn off each others purchases, and give advice about whether the product really works, or not!

What has been the most challenging thing you’ve faced in starting up your own business? What advice would you give to a small business owner?

Combining family and work – finding a happy and healthy medium.

Web technology and jargon it can be confusing and frustrating.

Advice: Be prepared for long hours as your business only relies on you at the beginning, be committed and passionate, find good companies/people  (eg. Web designers, accountants etc.)

What are your next plans for The Beauty Club?

Growing membership levels is really important for us, the more members we have the better prices and product range we can offer.

One of the most exciting strategies we have underway at The Beauty Club is supporting some amazing women’s initiatives. We will be donating product or providing financial support to these intiatives over the long term (some of them include The Tiara Project, Bizness Babes and Look Good Feel Better) and building strong relationships with them.

Finally, where are your HOT places to visit or things to do in Melbourne?

MoVida, Bar Lourinha, Collins Street (I could walk up and down visiting the boutiques all day! If only I had the time)  and the Melbourne Museum (keeps both parents and kids educationed and entertained!).

As you’ve no doubt noticed from the blog, I like parties and I like bikes. So there was no way that I was going to miss the opening party of Melbourne Bikefest, Melbourne’s celebration all things bike-related for the next 4 days based at 1000 £ Bend (note that my business CycleStyle is also a sponsor of Bikefest, but even if this wasn’t the case this is so my thing).

Bike valet parking – a great idea thanks to Crumpler for when you have that many bikes all congregating in one place. Look how many more bikes you can fit in the same space in a carpark.

Crazy bike riding antics in the carpark!

Hear a story and/or share your story about your experience with bikes at Bike Story. Stories collected at Bikefest will be posted at the conclusion of the festival.

Some of CycleStyle‘s products on display (and for sale) in the Bike Shop – colourful bells and skirt garters.

More Cyclestyle goodness – French bike satchel, reflective legwarmers, floral helmet and all sized bags for fitting on your bike.

Two of my VIP guests for the evening, Cheryl from Business Chic and Kealey from Thelma Magazine.

Cute Bikefest badges – I like the presentation too, using an old wheel.

There is so much more stuff happening in the next 4 days that I can’t list or describe them all here – so I suggest you go check out the program for yourself. And if you don’t ride a bike, no big deal – there’s something for everyone at the Bikefest. To read an interview with Pip Carroll, the director of Melbourne Bikefest, click here.

Thanks for my frankie subscription this month, I popped down to kit cosmetics for a 45 minute complementary makeover (normally $45).

kit is from the same stable of cosmetics companies as Mecca Cosmetica and while it has a similar strategy of sourcing niche international skincare and cosmetics brands, it’s aimed towards a younger market and lower price point. You can tell from its irreverant and brightly coloured branding, the latest music from the ipod and the edgy looking staff members.

The founder of both companies, Jo Horgan, hails from the UK, and many of the brands are familiar to me from my time there, including Greek company Korres, natural skincare company Origins (who used to have standalone concessions in Australia but is now exclusively stocked at kit), high street favourite Soap & Glory and the multi-purpose Steamcream which comes in covetable limited edition tins (great stocking fillers, I think).

The day I was booked in for my makeover was also a day where the fire alarms went off, so everyone had to evacuate. Luckily I hadn’t started my makeover before the alarm and didn’t have to troop out with half-done makeup, but as a result of everyone rushing back into the store afterwards, I had to wait quite a while before someone was free from the till and able to do my makeup.

That unavoidable quibble aside, the experience was quite good. Not every staff member is a makeup artist at kit – Wade was actually a skincare consultant but told me that every staff member picks up makeup skills. He asked me what I wanted from the look (heightened natural for photography), considered suitable options and went to work for 45 minutes, starting with a range of photo studio cosmetics from Smashbox (foundation, colour primer, concealer plus shadows and blush). I was a bit scared by the amount of eye makeup I had on but Wade assured me that it’d look good in pictures. You can judge for yourself here :–).

The makeup was finished off with a really lovely sheer lipstick called Saint Rouge from Poppy King’s new range Lipstick Queen. If I hadn’t received the makeover for free the rather pricey $33.95 lipstick would have been my redeemable purchase against the $45 makeover fee.

Given my makeovers at both Mecca Cosmetica and kit recently, I think I’d pick Mecca Cosmetica. The atmosphere in the latter was more sedate as it was in a standalone store and the ambience was more towards ‘luxury’ than ‘fun and frivolous’.  Also at Mecca I didn’t feel like the person’s attention was being drawn away to the till or other sales enquiries, although that may have been the difference between a Saturday afternoon and weekday lunch hour appointment. All in all I think both places give a good quality makeover if you’re going to buy some product anyway.

It all bodes well for the upcoming Melbourne Bikefest, a 5 day festival being held at 1000 £ Bend which will celebrate all things cycling related in our city. Today’s HOT Chat is with Pip Carroll, the director of Melbourne Bikefest. Thanks Pip!

Pip, tell me a bit more about your background and what inspired you to start Melbourne Bikefest?

My background is pretty varied, I’ve been running a business called Ambiguous Horse since 2006 that specialises in management, marketing and producing for the arts and cultural industries. So I’m always working on something different. Ambiguous Horse, supported by a volunteer committee produced the Melbourne Bicycle Film Festival from 2007 to 2009.

Earlier this year we decided to branch out from the BFF and create a new event designed especially for Melbourne – and Melbourne Bikefest was born!

We wanted to celebrate and support an emerging bike culture in Melbourne, one that is less focused on sport and recreation and more interested in bikes as a means of daily transport, integrated into other parts of life. The more people that choose a bike over a car, the better the road conditions will be for everyone, including motorists. For people to choose to ride however they need to identify as bike riders, and through Bikefest we hope to create something more people can see themselves being a part of.

What is Melbourne Bikefest all about? What can visitors expect to see or experience?

Melbourne Bikefest is about celebrating bikes in everyday life. This doesn’t mean that you need to ride one everyday to enjoy it though! In fact there are only one or two events in the entire program that actually requite you to be on a bike. Most of the program is devoted to other cultural activities – art, design, music, fashion, shopping, forums, workshops, and advocacy projects. Bikefest really is more of a cultural festival about bikes than a ‘cycling’ event.

The majority of our activities are held right in the middle of the city at 1000 £ Bend. We will offer Bicycle Valet Parking for anyone that rides, but it’s a very easy place to get to via public transport. Over 5 days the space will host events and activities from morning to night, all against a backdrop of art and interactive installations. Plus a bar!

At the end of the day it’s really just about having a good time and giving people a glimpse of life on two wheels.

What is your one must-do recommendation for Melbourne Bikefest?

I’m always reluctant to choose just one thing! We’ve programmed Melbourne Bikefest so that you have the opportunity to experience several different activities all in the one visit. However I would say that the Bikefest Great Debate will be a night to remember, we’ve got together some amazing local comedians to put a light hearted spin on the argument that ‘Bikes are the best form of transport’. It features Charlie Pickering, Hannah Gadsby, Bart Freebairn, Lawrence Leung, Harley Breen, Andrew McClelland and is moderated by Josh Earl.

My other recommendation, for those that like to dress up (and who doesn’t?) would be the Melbourne Tweed Ride. Leaving from the State Library steps, it’s a slow cruise in salute to times gone by. Hopefully it will help redress some of the crimes against Lycra we see all too frequently on the streets of Melbourne.

Why do you like cycling, and particularly in Melbourne?

Wow I like riding a bike for so many reasons, where do I start? First up would have to be sense of freedom I get riding. If I have a frustrating day, chained to the desk, feeling like I’m not getting anywhere, stuck in the treadmill of life, riding home just unravels all of that immobility and delivers a palpable sense of achievement.

I’m also one of those people that has subconscious punctuality sabotage syndrome – I think I can get anywhere in 20 minutes. Thankfully on a bike in Melbourne it’s mostly true.

And do I need to mention the great things it does for your butt?

Finally, what are your HOT tips for Melbourne where you like take your bike?

I like going to the Penny Farthing Espresso (206 High St, Northcote +61 3 9482 2246). It’s just up the road from my house and has a welcoming and relaxed vibe. The coffee is good, the food uncomplicated and satisfying and they always seem to be exceptionally well staffed with polite and good-looking Gen Y employees. What more could you ask for?

Down the road is The Movie Reel (69 High Street, Westgarth +61 3 9486 8866). It’s a great old school DVD hire place that’s good for a bit of eavesdropping on a Friday night. They have an amazing range. I reviewed some bike movies last year and they had every title I asked for. Plus they don’t mind if you tell them the fine belongs to your ‘housemate’.

I’m partial to popping down to the Ceres Organic Market & Shop (Cnr Roberts and Stewart Streets, Brunswick East +61 3 9389 0100) on a Saturday morning. It’s a lovely ride down along the Merri Creek and it’s great to see the chickens that have laid the eggs you’re about to eat. There’s also something very satisfying about whipping your credit card out in the open air.

Also nearby is Fowlers Flowers (488 Queens Parade, Clifton Hill +61 3 9489 9114). It’s next door to another favourite café, Mixed Business (486 Queens Parade, Clifton Hill +61 3 9486 1606). Their arrangements are simple and beautiful and inspire me to clean the house so the flowers have a more fitting backdrop.

Melbourne Bikefestt is being held from Wednesday 24 November to Sunday 28 November. CycleStyle is one of the sponsors – if you see me at any of the events or speaking on a forum, please come say hi! For more program information, click here.

Melbourne’s love affair with coffee and bikes continues with the new kid on the (laneway) block, The Little Mule Company & Cafe.

The Little Mule Company make colourful custom-made fixies in their small workshop and the bikes also provide eye-catching wall hangings for the airy warehouse aesthetic of their small adjoining cafe.

For bike and non-bike lovers, it’s a relaxing place to hang out, away from the bustle of Little Bourke Street and Melbourne Central, with a soundtrack of friendly barista banter and the occasional hiss of the coffee machine. There’s a high wooden communal table where people seem to like to hold casual office meetings, a couple of smaller tables and a cushy couch abutting one exposed brick wall. Water glasses and sugar receptacles are recycled jam jars. Really, it’s got ‘Melbourne laneway hideout’ stamped all over it.

I was lured to The Little Mule Company not just for the bikes, but because they were touting themselves on Facebook as having ‘the best milkshakes in town’. In their old-fashioned milkshakes ($5) they use syrup from Crows Nest Soft Drinks, a Queensland company that’s been making its drinks and syrups since 1903. Sadly, when I was there the one flavour I wanted to try, chocolate malt, wasn’t available – so I took a raincheck for next time.

I settled myself at the communal table and perused their simple lunch menu of toasted melts and sandwiches, baguettes and daily salad/soup (depending on the season), finally deciding on a baguette with smoked salmon, rocket, dill butter and avocado ($8). The menu also has a couple of breakfast options and all-day nibbly things like nuts and olives.

My sandwich came quickly and while simple, it was satisfying and fresh. Chock full of smoked salmon and with lots of crunchy greens stuffed inside. Nicely done.

The cafe also pride themselves in their coffee – sorry I can’t say anything about the coffee as I’m not a coffee-drinker, so if anyone has had the coffee would love to hear your views.

Finally, for the bike enthusiasts and cinephiles out there, The Little Mule Company are hosting Laneway Cinema as their offficial opening event (even though they’re already open). In conjunction with Melbourne Bikefest, they’ll be presenting the Australian premiere of ‘To Live & Ride In LA’  on Thursday November 25th, kicking off from 7:30pm with some pre-show entertainment followed by the movie at dusk. More information here.

• The Little Mule Company & Cafe, 19 Somerset Place, Melbourne +61 3 9670 4904

Owen, tell me a bit more about your background and how you came to start Hipside Guides?

I’m a relative newcomer to Melbourne, originally coming from London. I married an Australian and we moved here four years ago. One of the first things I looked for when we arrived (after an umbrella and sunglasses) was a guidemap, but none of the ones available met my requirements. So I decided to create my own.

It’s been a really fun way to get to know my new home city and I’m hoping it will also help other visitors and settlers, as well as any locals who want to explore beyond their usual neighbourhoods. It’s easy to take a place for granted when you’ve lived in it all your life, so a fresh perspective can never hurt.

In my previous life, I was a programmer and artist working on computer games, but strangely, map-making does seem to run in the family. One of my father’s first jobs was analysing aerial photographs for the air force and my brother is also a cartographer, mapping everything from wildlife to landmines.

What makes Hipside Guides different from other tourist maps or guides available about Melbourne?

There are mainly excellent books on Melbourne, but these days, who really has the time to read them? A good guidemap can give you an overview of a city in a fraction of the time and you also get a better impression of how everything fits together.

The Hipside Guides Melbourne Guidemap has a slightly hand-drawn look, making it visually very different from other maps that are available, but I’d say the main distinction is in its scope and level of detail. Most tourist maps cover just the CBD or a specific suburb, and don’t actually tell you much more than the location of the major museums and landmarks. At best, a few provide superficial ‘top ten’ type lists of the most popular bars, shops and restaurants. And of course, the free maps are either sponsored by the featured businesses or by local government, which has to affect impartiality to some degree.

The Hipside Guides Melbourne Guidemap covers the CBD, as well as a large part of the surrounding area. It features over 350 businesses and institutions, selected purely on merit. Alongside the usual, well-known destinations, I’ve made a point of including as many of the smaller, quirkier places as possible.

This isn’t a guidemap just about shopping and dining. Melbourne has a really fascinating history, which is clearly visible in its architecture and public artworks, so I’ve picked out the better examples and peppered the map with interesting facts, anecdotes and background stories.

With all its laneway hidey-holes, Melbourne is a city which really rewards those with the curiosity to explore, and that’s something I’ve tried to reflect in the guidemap. The intention was to create a deliberately sprawling and information-overloaded map, designed to be pored over and explored just like the city itself.

There are a lot of places on the map! How did you go about selecting which places to include in your guide?

I began with lots and lots and lots of walking. Then I walked some more. In Melbourne, you have to explore even the grottiest of laneways, because they often contain the best surprises. I try to never pass an open doorway or a shop without exploring inside and I’m sure I’ve sampled far more drinks and meals than is probably healthy. Yes, it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!

I’ve looked for places that are exceptional or at least unusual. It’s easy to forgive a few rough edges if a place has a unique charm or is offering something out of the ordinary.

Of course, all guides are ultimately subjective, but I’ve done my best to keep its appeal as broad as possible. It isn’t a guide just for tourists or hipsters or any other single group, but for anyone who wants to get an understanding of the city as a whole. I personally may have no interest in poetry bookshops (Collected Works) or spice merchants (Gewürzhaus), but they’re all part of what makes up Melbourne and I find it wonderful that such places exist.

What has been the most challenging thing you’ve faced in starting up your own business? What advice would you give to a small business owner?

I think any independent publisher will tell you that one of the biggest challenges is getting exposure, so opportunities like this interview are really important.

Getting distribution into shops is also difficult, but at least people are getting more used to buying over the internet these days (you can get your copy from www.hipsideguides.com for $12.95 including free delivery).

As for advice to other business owners, I don’t think I’m qualified to give any just yet. Ask me again when I’ve sold my first million!

What are your next plans for Hipside Guides?

As soon as time allows, I want to expand the Hipside Guides website with more interactive features, more updates and maybe even a blog. And, in the long run, I’d like to apply Hipside Guides to other cities.

Finally, where are your HOT places to visit or things to do in Melbourne – maybe an entry that couldn’t fit into Hipside Guides?

The Butterfly Club is one of my favourite spots (204 Bank Street, South Melbourne +61 3 9690 2000). It’s a great little cabaret venue, but it’s also worth visiting just for a drink. From the outside it’s just another respectable-looking old house, but when you venture inside you find every available surface jam-packed with super-kitsch memorabilia. It’s one of the few places in Melbourne that can make even Madame Brussels look a bit on the timid side.

As far as shops go, Lost and Found is hard to beat (12 Smith St, Collingwood +61 3 9419 4477). It’s a real treasure trove of retro clothes, furniture, art and bric-a-brac. It’s a huge place – more of an indoor market than an individual store really – and it’s easy to lose a few hours searching through the all the racks and piles. You do tend to feel your age, though, when you discover your old toys in a vintage store.

One place that I couldn’t quite squeeze on to the map was New York Tomato (24/2-6 New St, Richmond +61 3 9429 0505). It’s a fantastic café, but it tends to be forgotten because it’s a little out of the way and simply because it’s no longer the new kid on the block.

If you really want to impress an overseas visitor, though, just take them to see the flying fox colony at the Bellbird Picnic Area in Yarra Bend Park. Australians barely notice their own wildlife, but to many foreigners a bat is a rare, mouse-sized creature that flits past in the dark and is gone, so the sight of 10,000 monster bats hanging out in broad daylight is quite mind-blowing.

Last weekend my bike obsession reached its peak at St Kilda Cycles.

While most of the hardcore cycling fraternity in Melbourne were battling their way through Around the Bay in a Day, I took the opportunity to visit St Kilda Cycles large showroom. As well as the expected racers, mountain bikes and sleek and shiny bike gear,  St Kilda Cycles specialise in more unique bikes like folding bikes and utility bikes. As far as I know they are the only stockist of Dutch-made Taga bikes in Melbourne.

I won’t go on and on about Taga (you can read all about it here) so let’s just say that it’s a bike that converts into a pram and I have been coveting it ever since I found out about it a few months ago. I’m so enamoured of it that I confess I’ve watched the promotional video quite a few times – it makes me happy and excited :–)

Anyway, I pounced on the lime-green Taga as soon as I saw it and took it around for a spin in the spacious adjoining carpark. While the friendly young staff member who was with me didn’t know too much about how it worked (that’s ok, they don’t stock many of them and I expect it’s a very niche market), he spent a lot of time with me as we figured out all the mechanisms and quick-release adjustments together.

So after about 3o minutes of riding, pulling apart, putting back together, more riding and discussion, I found myself the proud owner of a shiny new bike! It retails for around $2400 and I got the floor stock for $1900 (eek! but we’re justifying the expense by not buying a car in the near future and it fits 2 kids).

Here it is neatly bundled up into the back of a small Honda Jazz Flexicar (More transportation love – honestly, the more I use their cars the more I love them.)

I was really happy with the service that I received from St Kilda Cycles and if they were near me I wouldn’t hesitate to use them for bike maintenance and other cycling needs, especially as they are open 7 days a week, unlike many local bike shops. My parents are toying with buying a folding bike and St Kilda Cycles stock Dahons and Bromptons (currently on sale) with interstate delivery for only $40 – I’ll be encouraging them to check them out.

Finally, I noticed that they also do bike hire, particularly handy I think if you have a lot of gear to carry around and can hire a cargo bike for $60 a day instead of investing in your own.

• St Kilda Cycles, 150 Barkly St, St Kilda +61 3 9534 3074

I’m pretty low-key with my makeup – every day I brush on some mineral foundation, swish some neutral eyeshadow and blush and if I’m not eating straight away, a slick of lipstick. Takes about 2 minutes from whoa to go.

My super-speedy routine is ok for most days. Actually, even for black-tie events and weddings  I can get dressed and made-up in about 15 minutes (I have bobbed hair for which there’s a hairstyle option of one).

However, I recently had to front up to do a photoshoot for my business. I hate having my photo taken at the best of times, but in a situation where I would be front and centre of every image, some of which might end up in print media? I decided that it was worth the money to let a professional take charge.

After a bit of research amongst my girlfriends, I decided to get my makeup done at Mecca Cosmetica. The trained makeup artists at the stores offer two services – a 45 minute makeup application for $90 or a 90 minute makeup lesson for $150. Both of the charges are redeemable with a purchase so I think it’s excellent value for money if you’re intending to buy some product anyway.

I booked an appointment on a Saturday afternoon and turned up about 30 minutes early, but Siobhan sat me down in a chair anyway and we started discussing the kind of effect that I wanted to achieve – a neutral look that would work with a variety of different coloured outfits, was conservative enough for work makeup and would photograph well without pastiness or shine in mid-afternoon sun. She talked me through every process, from building the layers of eyeshadow to achieve contour and definition to how best to deal with my tumultuous pregnancy skin.

At the risk of a bit of ego-bruising, here are the untouched before and after photos (eek!).

If you are planning on getting make-up done for photographs, I highly recommend you take a camera along! Siobhan found it helpful to see how the makeup was sitting via the camera lens and was able to adjust colours and shades accordingly eg the foundation was a little bit darker than my natural shade so I wouldn’t look washed out the afternoon light. I was most impressed by her care and attention to detail and she actually ended up spending 1.5 hours with me.

To cover the cost of my makeover I decided to buy the NARS Sheer Glow foundation (my new favourite product!). It was more than I’d normally pay for a foundation ($99) but combined with Siobhan’s expertise and effort it actually felt like a bit of a bargain.

PS If you’d like to see the makeover in action, here are the results of the photoshoot taken by Cheryl of Business Chic.

• Mecca Cosmetica, 150 Little Collins Street, Melbourne +61 3 9671 4880

I don’t think that I’m going to have to opportunity to head to Japan any time soon and sadly Melbourne doesn’t offer the same kind of shopping experiences. The closest we get is Tokuya, our version of a Japanese 100 Yen shop hidden in the basement on Bourke Street.

To the dulcet tones of J-pop you can browse through aisles of stationery, storage solutions, giftwrap, suction hooks, makeup, hair accessories, kitchenware and the largest selection of plastic microwave containers outside of IKEA. Better still, everything is priced at $3.50, although some more luxe items (like the bike rear view mirror) are $4.50.

Things that caught my eye:

Colourful paper! Glitter pens! Pastel sticky tape! This is the kind of stuff that I used to play with as a kid. They also have postcards and letter-writing sets emblazoned with Japlish phrases like ‘We are happy times!’. And yes, origami is fun!

Pregnancy sign so that people will offer their seat to me on the tram.

Gingham gift wrapping paper. Adorable. They also have a good run of nice looking gift bag sets, perfect for gifting those odd-shaped items.

The cutest cupcake wrappers I’ve ever seen.

A range of nursing products. I thought they were funny but also quite sweet. The young cartoon woman looks so happy caring for her elderly relative.

A fabulous range of bike products, from reflective bits, lace handlebar covers (can’t work out whether they’re for warmth, aesthetics or to protect against rain), spoke reflectors, net basket covers and my favourite, the umbrella holder which screws onto your front fork.

I think Tokuya is worth an hour of dedicated browsing – everything is seriously kawaii!!!!

For more Tokuya stationery love, check out love you big.

Today’s HOT Chat is with Emmy Heikamp, one half of the husband-and-wife team behind Dutch Cargo Bike, a Melbourne-based company which has just started importing Bakfiets (as they’re called in Dutch) from the Netherlands. Thanks Emmy!

Emmy, tell me a bit more about your background and the story behind your business Dutch Cargo Bike?

I’m Dutch, so is my husband and our one-year old twins. We cycle everywhere and we already had a bike trailer but did not feel entirely comfortable with the kids behind us. We liked to have them close by and up front so the most logical thing for us to do was to get a ‘Bakfiets’.

The Bakfiets (or Dutch Cargo Bike) is very common back home in The Netherlands. Practically every mother with small kids has one. We looked and researched but we couldn’t find the original “Bakfiets” brand here in Australia, so that is how we started importing them. We are now the exclusive distributor of the Bakfiets brand in Australia and New Zealand.

What inspired you to move into the world of selling bicycles?

My husband and myself, like many of our friends, believe in living outside, not using the car unless absolutely needed and enjoying a healthy lifestyle. We want our kids to start life the same way and that means using bicycles as the main mode of transport! Whenever .. wherever!

For our kids in time cycling is going to be normal, being outdoors is going to be normal, and that is exactly what we want to achieve with the Dutch Cargo Bike concept.

What is special about the Dutch Cargo Bike that you sell?

The Dutch build, superior quality, the solid marine multiply wooden box, the light and easy handling and the proven design. That is a nutshell is what makes our bikes special.

The Dutch Cargo Bike “Bakfiets” has been the leading brand in Holland for the last 10 years. They have improved and upgraded the bike till perfection! So customers in Australia can rely on the thousands of happy customers in the Netherlands that have preceded them. Our range consists of a 2-wheel, 3-wheel cargo trike and tandem bicycles. The 2-wheel version is really the flagship of Dutch Cargo Bike.

The frame is handmade and powder coated in the Netherlands, all components are high quality Shimano such as the internal gears, roller brakes front and rear, hub generator for powering the light etc. Because of the fantastic design and quality this is one of the smoothest rides you will find. It’s amazingly easy and light!

The marine multiply wooden box and Dutch style frame gives it an authentic look. But even more important it is safe, your kids, pets or other ‘cargo’ will have a great time in the box, and you as a parent know nothing can happen as the wooden box will protect them!

And it just looks amazing, when you ride the bike everyone has a second look and you get a lot of big smiles, so you always arrive happy!

What are your future plans for Dutch Cargo Bike?

Importing the Dutch Cargo Bikes, Family Tandems and work cycles. We will market them in Australia and New Zealand through a combination of a network of dealerships and direct online sales. As the market grows we expect to sell more via dealerships and less direct. Quite straightforward really.

This is our business plan. But our plans for the future are bigger :–) Get all people and especially kids on the bike! Out of the car, achieve a healthy lifestyle and use the bike not only for sport and recreation but also for daily life.

I didn’t know how special the Dutch cycling culture was until we moved overseas. It would be great if we could participate in that culture change that Australia hopefully will go through even if it is going to take a few more years.

In the near future we are planning to organize a Cargo Bike event with all the cargo bike brands in Melbourne. There are a few these days. We don’t see them as competition but as co-workers in the “get on your cargo bike” mission!

Why do you like cycling?

Cycling is part of our culture, we don’t know otherwise than to cycle. Growing up in the Netherlands you cycle almost before you can walk. I love being outside, feeling the wind, sun and even rain against my face. Feeling your legs work when you go uphill and feel like flying going downhill.

Besides it is easy, just take your bike, no worries about parking, traffic jam etc etc. We cycle for sport but also to get a carton of milk. Drop your kids and crèche, go to work, and get groceries on the way back home, a quick and easy way of transport!

You can get perfect coffee on every corner of the street, so just take the cargo bike, kids in it, do some shopping and rest for a latte, read the newspaper and off you go, can you imagine a more perfect Saturday morning?!

Finally, what are your HOT tips for Melbourne where you like take your bike?

Melbourne’s weather is perfect for cycling, besides roads like Beach Road have a perfect cycling path, you can cycle for ages with the beautiful view over the bay! Then stop at the Sandbar Beach Cafe (175B Beaconsfield Pde, Middle Park +61 3 9696 6334) it’s lovely to have a coffee and feel the sand between your toes!

Then cycle towards the other side on Beach Road, stop in Black Rock. There is a small playground so the kids can have a play just by the bay. Cycle on to Ricketts Point, great in summer, shallow water, and even small toddlers can have a great afternoon playing in the water!

We also like to take the train or cycle to Prahran Market with our cargo bike, do our shopping and have lunch at the market at Essential Ingredient. On Sundays sometimes we cycle to The Pantry in Brighton (bike parking just around the corner), have breakfast with the whole family and a stroll along Church Street afterwards.

Our other favourite haunts are the nursery on Bay Road Sandringham which has a gorgeous small café and the playgrounds at Thomas Street Park in Hampton and Dendy Park (Breen Drive, Brighton East).

Before entering this show I had the opportunity to try out the Napolean Perdis Beauty Lounge. Amazingly there was hardly any line for the expert makeup and hair touch-up, and it was nice sitting on the comfy couches watching the action while I waited. The makeup artist applied some blended neutral eyeshadow, rather severe looking bronze blush and crimson laquered lips. I was too embarrassed to take have my photo taken while in the chair but I was quite chuffed to receive a few compliments on my makeup afterwards – red lipstick is definitely my look.

Anyway, back to the clothes. For me the standabout show was Trimapee . I’ve never seen their clothes before and while I can’t say I would necessarily wear everything, I found myself excited by what was on offer. It was intelligent, conceptual and highly textural – it made me want to grab it, turn it over, look a little longer and see the interesting details starting to emerge. In second-place was above. I liked the burnt orange, cream and steel grey palette, I liked the cutouts in the back of garments and I liked the twisted draping.

And I was right about quiffs, yo. It was on the catwalk, it was in the crowd, male and female Elvis fringes abounding. Oh that and men with shoes and no socks is my prediction for the big trend for summer :–). Works well in St Germain Paris, not so sure about the Australian heat. Remember the talcum powder boys and no cankles please.

Once again, some of my favourite shots and a slide show at the end. Enjoy!

PS If you want a more detailed description of the looks on offer, check out the writeup from my date for the night, Poppy from Poppy Gets a Life.

Magnolia Square is a pop up market that comes to Melbourne a few times a year (and goes to other Australian cities) and it’s full of stylish goods aimed mostly for women. It’s mostly babies/kids stuff, with really ups the cute quotient, but there’s also handmade crafts, jewellery, clothing and gourmet food.

On my most recent visit to Magnolia Square I encountered some of the same stalls as my first visit, but happily also stumbled across some other new goods. Here’s what caught my eye and what went into my shopping basket this time:

Clucky handmade babies’ toys, blankets and clothing. I fell in love with the crochet rattle (more chewable than plastic presumably!) and the baby duck. Luisa, who handmakes all of the products, also told me that she’s about to start ‘Clucky Cravings’, a line of food to meet the cravings for mums-to-be.

Rabbit & Duck. Shannon handmakes all of her cushion covers, notebook covers, wallets and cases from pre-washed fabric. Being a cycling fan, I was immediately drawn to her bike-bedecked A5 notebook ($45) and told her that she should considering making tote bags for cyclists :–)

I spotted the last red polkadot raincoat made by Suzy Allen ($65) and kept circling around it for a bit before deciding to buy it. Suzy is from Brisbane and stocks a couple of stores on the East Coast with her girl’s trenchcoats, dresses, skirts and t-shirts.

Make Me Iconic. Natasha Skunca uses young local students from Sydney and Melbourne to design iconic city images and prints them on posters, cushion covers, tea towels and mugs  – from the Nylex sign to vintage Melbourne tram rolls. For a gift I bought a Skipping Girl mug ($20) and matching tea towel ($25). In about 2 months’ time she’ll be launching the wooden W-class tram complete with colourful passengers and a tram conductor!

Chook Leaf leather children’s footwear and accessories from Mornington. My camera ran out of battery at this point, so here are some images of their adorable shoes.

via Chook Leaf

I have a bit of a fixation on French kids’ clothes (well, French clothes generally), and whenever I got to the Paris sales I’d buy beautiful items for my god-daughter. Now that Paris is far, far away, I can shop at Castlebox, a new Melbourne-based range of vintage French-inspired fashion for kids aged 3-10 years.

via Castlebox

Finally, from Black Eyed Green, the Eco Cradle made of corrugated cardboard and flat-packed for easy travel. I also liked the other items from the range such as the flat-packed bench and table and Feedaway high chair.

via Black Eyed Green

If you missed out these markets, mark the following dates in your diary for the next Melbourne markets – 21, 22 and 23 October at Malvern Town Hall and 2, 3, 4 December at St Kilda Town Hall.

• Magnolia Square, Malvern Town Hall, cnr Glenferrie Rd and High Street, Malvern

Despite the best efforts of organisations like Bicycle Victoria and various councils and state governments, not every workplace has facilities for cyclists who want to commute to work. I know, I’ve worked in places that ranged from providing individual lockers and numerous showers, to being told to just park my bike outside on the street and with one unisex shower that I wouldn’t touch with a barge pole.

If you work in the Melbourne CBD and your workplace doesn’t have adequate bike parking facilities, BikePark might be the place you’re looking for. BikePark is a secure bike storage space located in vault 15 of the Banana Alley vaults, accessed from the Yarra side of Flinders Street station near Queensbridge, and I visited there recently when I went to chat to them about CycleStyle and to give them some business cards for their reception area.

The facility holds 150 bikes and is accessed by secure swipe card, with CCTV monitoring in all public areas. A casual user has access 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM for $6 a day (not including locker or towel hire). Registered members for 1, 3, 6 or 12 month periods have 24/7 access for approximately $7 a day, and you will get allocated your own parking space, a locker where you can keep your clothes and toiletries and free towel use. All change rooms have hairdryers, irons and ironing boards so you can go to work wrinkle-free!

In addition, BikePark provides complimentary hot drinks, pay as you go next-day valet laundry service and convenient access to bike mechanics who will pick up your bike, service it and return it to BikePark. To expand their offering beyond a mere parking facility, for serious cyclists they have also just started morning spin classes with professional cycling coaches and upcoming events include basic DIY maintenance, talks for women cyclists and a bike safety course.

To find out more, check out BikePark’s website and Flickr stream and keep up to date with Facebook and Twitter.

(This post was originally published CycleStyle’s blog. All images from BikePark)

I sat down with a cup of tea and flicked through the booklet, which you can pick up at many inner city shops, cafes and bars, as well as the Melbourne Visitors Centre, NGV and ACMI. It covers new places and old classics split up into five geographical sections, some of which have been reviewed on the blog before and some of which I’ve earmarked for a visit. Here are my highlights:

Central

The Wheeler Centre. The new heart for Melbourne’s literary culture, the Wheeler Centre holds frequent author’s talks, some of them free. I’m going to hear Ayaan Hirsi Ali speak on Thursday 29 July.

Melbourne International Film Festival. I look forward to MIFF every year – for three weeks I get to hibernate in the city’s cinemas and feast on great films. Last year I managed to get to fifteen of them!

Previously blogged Izakaya Den, Tessuti Fabrics and Movida Aqui get a mention and I’m aiming to hit pizza specialists Barbagallo, new bar 24 Moons and hot new Mexican eatery Mamasita (again, with better lighting).

Northside

The North Melbourne Market has become a regular event held every two months. So many new options for me here – cheese galore at La Latteria, take home cassoulet at La Parisienne Pates, authentic Indian food at the Classic Curry Co, browsing vintage furniture and bric-a-brac at The Junk Company and having a pub lunch at Hotel Lincoln.

Cultural

I’m not going to see Mary Poppins the Musical because I saw it recently in London, and it was one of the most magical, fun and joyous theatrical events I’ve ever been to. When Mary Poppins flew into the air the whole crowd spontaneously broke out into cheers! Highly recommended.

And I’m definitely going to try Tsindos, a 30-year old stalwart of Little Greece in Lonsdale Street and I’m told home to great mezethes.

Westside

I was excited to hear about Urban Reforestation, a community garden, eco shop and educational centre in the middle of concrete-and-glass Docklands. Their aim is to inspire urban farming for sustainability and food security (they’re currently investigating the possibility of rooftop farms!) through consultation with corporates and for helping individuals with gardening lessons and cooking classes.

I think I’ll combine a visit to Urban Reforestation with a stroll around the Docklands Sunday Market and maybe a late lunch as part of Slow Sundays, where you get a $15 tasting plate with beer or wine between 2-6pm every Sunday from 20 June – 29 August.

Southside

I’ve just renewed by NGV membership so I will be heading to NGV’s Winter Masterpieces 2010 European Masters: Stadel Museum 19-20th Century between 19 June – 10 October.

ACMI is hosting a huge Tim Burton exhibition direct from New York’s MOMA from 24 June – 10 October which I’m quite excited about.

State of Design, Victoria’s design festival, is happening between 14-25 July and once again I’ll be immersing myself in all things design for two weeks. As part of the festival Melbourne Open House is on 24-25 July where lots of heritage buildings will be open to the public – a great way to learn some of the stories and history behind the city.

Last but not least, Melbourne Design Market is happening at Federation Square carpark again on Sunday 11 July. This year will be extra special for me because the lovely Kath and Ben from Jellybean Bikes and my new cycling clothing and accessories business CycleStyle will be setting up a cycle-licious stall at the market! Come and say hi.

For details and more winter ideas, check out That’s Melbourne.

What I was expecting was an outsized version of Aldi, full of cheap generic goods imported from random Eastern European countries, rather than name-brand products. I was expecting it to be large, but not the size of a football field. I was expecting an eclectic assortment of items, but not jerry cans of Chupa Chups or a giant 9kg Toblerone.

What can I say? It was fun having my expectations put aside by the Costco experience.

My friend Kimberley is possibly the only person I know who lives alone in an apartment in the inner city yet has a membership to Costco. Most of the clientele I can safely say live in suburbia with a couple of kids and a station wagon/people-mover/ute in tow. So I think it’s slightly bizarre that Kimberley’s become a Costco evangelist. I was convinced to go with her the day after I moved into my new house and was faced with no muesli, toilet paper, laundry powder or butter. I didn’t take much convincing to be honest, because I’ve been a bargain-hunter and bulk-buyer from way back.

You know that everything is going to be big, big, BIG as soon as you grab one of the double-width supermarket trolleys. Being my first trip to Costco, Kimberley patiently wheeled me through almost every aisle in the aircraft hanger as I squealed at the baby grand piano, an outdoor patio and giant apple pies. It was quite mad to be honest – I kept on having to say to myself ‘put that DOWN, Joyce, you do not need a tissue cashmere scarf or that copy of David Thompson’s Thai Food’. It was like an amusement park for bargain shoppers.

After 2 hours, my very successful haul included an Epsom printer, a set of Pyrex dishes and more mundane things like a mop and a large supply of toothpaste, toothbrushes and AAA batteries.  Everything = bargain and a month later I’m still working my way through most of the items. Book me in for another Costco trip in 6 months, Kimberley!

• Costco Wholesale, 381 Footscray Rd, Docklands +61 3 8602 0300