Bar of the Week: Lala Land

My ideal bar:

*Long Happy Hour - check
*Comfy couches - check
*Music not too loud - check
*Decent smoking area - check

Where?

Lala Land, in Hardware Lane. And I've found my haunt for the winter. You can't beat the Monday - Friday 4pm - 8pm Happy Hour. And a covered smoking area? WTF??
Awesome. (Pic courtesy of Nightlive.com.au)

This website deserves a special posting. I am in love.

Visit The Happiest Hour for the lowdown on Melbourne's best drinks specials in the city and everywhere else. Truly a godsend for a bar-loving lady like myself. Now I may actually be able to pay my rent.

Cold Snaps

Judging by the chilling wind whistling down Russell Street this morning, winter is upon us. Season of doonas, dvds and bar heaters, many of us choose to stay at home.
Even so, there's plenty of things going on around town. Get out of your trackie dacks and Ughs this weekend and head on down to one of these exciting events for a rosy winter glow.

The Next Wave Festival is here. From the 13th of May until the 30th, the festival always presents a clutch of gems that showcases Melbourne's best edgy art. This year the festival features roof-top art, fascinating short film and left-field comedy, the greater part of which is entirely free. Get amongst it.

Buddha Day is celebrated in the city with a festival on the 15th - 16th May. Celebrating the birthday of one of the world's most influential spiritual leaders, the event features an art installation in St. Paul's Court, Federation Square, a concert, workshops, meditation classes, Tai Chi , and vegetarian cooking demos, amongst many other goings on.

Fancy warming up with a little dancing? Learn to salsa for free! Classes are 530pm Every Wed and Thu in Melbourne CBD, venue is Syn Bar, Level 1, 163 Russell St, Melbourne (enter via alley behind Hungry Jacks). Bookings are essential in order to balance male and female numbers. To book, SMS 0400 933 285, or visit www.thesalsafoundation.com.au.

This week is National Volunteer Week 2010. Consider learning a new skill, and giving back to the community. Sure to give you a warm toasty feeling inside!
Visit here for thousands of volunteer opportunities.

Autumn in Melbourne Brings Plenty of Fun

It's cold, you say. It's comfy inside with my heater and DVDs and soup.
Bah! How about one of these worthy pursuits to heat up your Autumn?

The Melbourne Jazz Festival has a bevy of wonderful events running, many of them for free. Witness their daily lunchtime, and post-5pm concerts.

Their opening concert in Fed Square on May 1 between 3pm - 5pm is also free, and features some of the finest acts of the festival.

There's also an all-day festival, The Overground: A Festival Within a Festival, this Sunday May 2.It's only $30, and is a groundbreaking multi-stage event, held in the stunning innards of Melbourne Town Hall. According to their website:

'Overground celebrates the rich diversity of underground musical culture in Melbourne in a day-long event set in the many lost spaces of Melbourne Town Hall. It will be an event where new sounds can be made and heard as the outer limits of jazz and improvisation are explored, incorporating avante-garde, grindcore, big band, expanded cinema, contemporary classical and performance installation.'

Sounds awesome. Will most definitely be there.

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Also coming up, the annual Zombie Shuffle. Operating under the tagline of 'promoting nothing other than the simple pleasures of being undead' this free event will run this Saturday from Carlton Gardens to Flinders St Station. Dress up in your best un-dead attire, smudge on a bit of fake blood and come join the zombie hordes from 12.30pm - 3.30pm this Saturday!

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Mary and Max: The Exhibition has just opened at ACMI in Fed Square. This is an interesting little showcase of the technical and creative processes behind the film. Get along if you are interested in animation, or even if you just need to kill and hour in the city. Good stuff.
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Half-Tix Bulletin: The Man in Black - The Johnny Cash Story - 7pm - Atheneum - $30
Dracula's Dinner and Show - Carlton - 6.30pm - $40
MTC - The Grenade - Playhouse - 630pm - $46

Coming soon: A guide to the best uni bar nights in Melbourne. Cheers!

How long since you've driven in?

This is the perfect weather for a picnic, a great movie and a a glass of bubbly.
Unfortunately, most outdoor cinemas don't start their seasons until at least next month. What to do?

Here's one idea: head to the Coburg Drive-In. Get a bunch of friends, a picnic and a few beers together and re-ignite some childhood memories.

Showing at the moment is 2012, A Christmas Carol, Twilight, This is It, and a Special Double Feature of Twilight and New Moon on Thursday the 19th.

Tickets are also onsale for the Moonlight Cinemas and Roofttop Cinemas, Swanston St, so get in while you still can!

Exploring Vintage Melbourne

My new article on Op Shopping in Melbourne has been published here.

I've spoken to the lovely Amelia de Bie from I Op Therefore I Am and Jessica Rae from Melbourne Op Shop Tours who were happy to reveal their tips and tricks for getting the most out of your shopping experience. In my personal opinion, this is the best time of year to head out there, because it's Spring Cleaning Season! I'm fresh back from Savers Brunswick, lightened considerably in the wallet area... el sigh.

If you're a student, remember Sundays at Savers entitle you to 20% off on presentation of your student card. If you make a donation you are entitled to further discounts, and the annual discount calendar is about to be released - only $5 and packed with wonderful bargains for your year-round shopping pleasure. An excellent stocking stuffer, and proceeds go straight to Diabetes Australia.

Festive Season Madness!

The Festive Season is fast approaching, and with it comes a whole raft of things to see and do for nil to nearly nix! With all that Christmas shopping ahead, you have a few excuses for being skint, after all.

Summer Fun in the City is about to start again - there will be dance lessons, free music, art classes, walks, acrobatics and lots more to do! There's also plenty of activities for kids, so bring along your minors as an excuse to indulge your inner child for a day.

Check out the discounted meal deals and some top restaurants on That's Melbourne's website. There's 2 for 1 lunches, drinks specials and more.

The Sidney Myer Music Bowl holds the well-attended Carols by Candlelight every year - but if you can't afford the $125/45 entry fee, you can attend the rehersal night on the 23rd of December, for a mere $5. Get there early though, as seats go fast!

As for the big day itself, I'm plan on getting a Christmas Orphan's Club together. Yes, all we whom have to work the day before or after, and whose family live too far away to make the hike, shall come together on an undoubtedly boiling hot day in the park for food, wine and god times. There shall indeed be champagne and mezzo aplenty. Tis the season. It's a great way to ensure nobody is left out of the festive madness.

All the $ you save can go towards Boxing Day sales craziness! You know what it's like... every year, never again, then it all happens again.

Guide on gift buying on the cheap is soon to follow.