(Faux) Fur

... was on everything at New York Fashion week. That means we can expect it to start popping up in Australia circa 2015. To get a jump on the trend before autumn hits, eyeball the below from NYFW.

I'm a monochrome fanatic and I can tell I'm going to enjoy this Autumn. Layers, metallic and natural fabrics, dark, broody, gloomy pieces. New York meets Winterfell. I love it.

Bellissima Beresford

Sydney hotspot The Beresford launches the first of their new March Into Merivale Food and Wine Festival initiatives tonight with an event called 'Mammas Table' an Italian themed long table meal for you to bring your own friends or make some new ones! The gist is this:

1. Make a booking at $30 a head
2. Sit down at an Italian style long table for 26pax with people you know (and some you don't!)
3. Feast on dishes of pasta, salad, meats, cheeses, wagyu and gnocchi
4. Drink from the selection of whites and reds at the table (until they run out)
5. Go buy more wine to shout the best friends you never knew you had two hours ago

We think this is a brilliant initiative and a fabulous way to spend your previously unscheduled Wednesday. Contact The Beresford for bookings - every Wednesday until the 27th March.

Obligatory Pre-Valentines Day Post

Pre and Post in the same sentence?! Yessssss

Take heart city singles - society is changing. Gone are the days when marriage and kids were considered the epitome of relationship success. As much as we would like to think we can meet someone whose life metamorphoses parallels ours it's just not reasonable. I am not the person I was five years ago, and five years from now I will not be me today.

People want more, from everything. Like a pillow at bedtime, we've squashed our lives into the shape we desire. We can choose where to live, eat, play, we choose what we wear, who we surround ourselves with. Give us a pillow that refuses to squash itself into the shape we want? Why bother. We'll just get one that does. And why would we, (as pillows - stay with me now) choose to conform to another heads desires? No way. We get what we want when we want - the proof is all around us in our carefully constructed little lives.

The moral of this story is we're all just walking around like tired zombies without pillows.

*Pause to breathe through the metaphors...*

Look beyond the rigid pillow fortress you have constructed for yourself. Recognise that if you want a partner you may have to compromise on some of the things that don't really matter. For men, that is often physical appearance. For women, it's quite often shoes? A lot of women will not date a man wearing bad shoes. Anyway, I'll leave it up to you, but here is my list of what you need. The rest doesn't really matter.

1. Someone who loves you
2. Someone who appreciates the importance of your family and friends
3. Someone you can trust
4. Someone who is kind to you
5. Someone who makes you feel good about yourself
6. Someone who is 'on your side'
7. Someone who makes an effort for you
8. Someone you can talk to
9. Someone who makes you laugh
10. Someone who can take care of themselves, so you can take care of each other.

THE REST IS JUST BULLSH1T.

Happy V-Day for tomorrow - go kiss a stranger X

MANIAMANIA

Australian art director and stylist duo Melanie Kamsler and Tamila Purvis are enjoying international commendation for their stunning jewellery line - check out the new collection at Maniamania

I for one, want. Especially the Filmore West Neckpiece and Crowley Cocktail Ring

Go Brooklyn

Brooklyn Boy Bagels made a huge splash at their launch on Sunday at Sydney's Darlie Laundromatic, selling out of those delicious boiled bad boys in just two hours

The Bagel has remained largely unrepresented in Australia and the reason is clear - a shitty bagel is pretty shit. You can't really get away with skimping where bagels are concerned. Enter New York raised Sydney food writer Michael Shafran (TheMeltingPot). Exhausted from years of tough, dry, sub-par bagels he took destiny into his own hands, studying master bagel-ry in the US before returning to Oz with a his own recipes for boiled bliss.

Perhaps one day we will see the salt beef of London's Brick Lane sandwiched between  those holey rolls. *hint*.

Embrace the bagel. Head to the Darlie.

Hellllllloooooooooooooo

New friends

Beautiful day in Sydney

<3

Waking up to surprise pancakes

Kings Cross

Graffiti Wangers

The Friday

Oh Lord Jesus it's a fahr FRIDAY. 

There are big things happening at the Sydney Daily HQ this weekend, mainly a painting party (a.k.a giant piss-up with rollers) so we can get our new studio space ready for action. Then hopefully we'll be able to show a bunch of stuff not just tell you about it (brilliant as I've no doubt your imagination is).

Sydney is primed for a great weekend and it's all about Rock & Roll. Venues on our hitlist this weekend:

Frankie's Pizza, the newest in a line of CBD basement bars that have been enjoying a lot of attention lately.

Why go:

• Open late
• Serve Pizza
• Have pinball machines 
• Chet Fakers Beard was there last week

Bulletin Place, another CBD gem in the Quay getting rave reviews all round. From what we hear this place is all about the drinks - they have a menu that changes daily and quantities are limited.

Why go:

• Intimate
• Creative drinks menu
• Hype

Vasco, new rock & roll bar in Surry Hills. My source tells me (don't sue) they hit a cymbal every time someone walks in the door. I'm going - you can't stop me

Why go:

• Fender bar stools
• Smoking area
• Hot dogs
• Cymbolic fanfare

If you've not punched anyone in the face by that stage check out the Cake Wines pop up bar at 77 George St (til midnight).

Reasons to move to Kings Cross #1

All the wet bread you can eat

The Emerald City

The announcement everyone has been waiting for... The Pantone colour of 2013 is Emerald (17-5641)

While not the easiest colour to wear it still beats the hell out on Mint.

Mint: please take the topknot when you go

Facebook Page!

We have one!

http://www.facebook.com/thesydneydaily

Venue Alert: The Soda Factory

Making up for my proverbial dropping of the Alt-J ball I'm hitting you with this one ahead of time (cheer cheer). The Soda Factory is opening in Surry Hills on the 23rd of February - a cocktail bar serving up old school drinks and gourmet hotdogs (in line with the current Americana trend).

The drinks menu contains a Vodka Raspberry Float (yum) and a Kosher hot dog called 'The Barbara Streisand' which in itself is fabulous enough to warrant a visit. DJ Spinna (NYC) will be heading up the launch party and Grandmaster Flash making an appearance on Friday 22nd March. One to watch! Venue review forthcoming.

Things You Need to Know About: Alt-J

If your first knowledge of tomorrow's Alt-J performance at the Metro was the full page ad in your lightly pissed-on copy of Drum Magazine this morning you're about as on the pulse as me. And seeing as tickets were sold out BEFORE the 9:00am release time (sign up with Frontier Touring to pre-order in future) this will not be a review of the gig, rather a list of things you should know and casually drop about the band whenever possible.

1. Alt-J are hot right now. 
2. They are from the UK
3. When you hit Alt-J on a Mac you get a triangle symbol - that's how the band got their name
4. Their debut album is called 'An Awesome Wave' - it's their only album at this point (May 2012)
5. The guitarist is called Gwil
6. 3/4 of the 4 piece band were fine arts students at Leeds University
7. Joe Newman's (guitar/vox) voice is captivating, the songs are clever in both lyrics and composition.

An Awesome Wave will dump you into deep waters of emotion - well worth a listen. 'Matilda' is a stand out track. If you missed them at Laneway and don't have a ticket for tomorrow's Metro show you're out of luck for the time being - more time to study lyrics for their next visit.

Buying Ugly Things Because They're Trendy

This Kenzo jumper is no shite the ugliest thing I've ever seen in the most unflattering colour. Why do I still feel like I need to own it... I don't know what's going on with the above but my opinion is get a new stylist

Have you bought something grotesque because it was cool?

How to Fake Tan

I'm writing this because people are still getting it wrong.

• Purchase some disposable gloves - I usually buy a box of 100 at *your local supermarket*. 
• Tan AT NIGHT - before bed. Your tan will be even and darker than if you tan before getting dressed/working all day etc.
• Select your fake tan carefully. St Tropez is always your best bet but it is expensive. IMO the next best tan you can get is Le Tan Deep Bronze Gradual Tan.

Now here's the gimmick:

The secret to fake tan is to rub it in as though you're trying to get it to absorb int the body (which you are). You will know when this has happened as your hands will change from running over your skin easily and quickly (as though running on liquid) to slower, tackier movement (as the tan absorbs). You need to  do this until every part of your skin has the same feel to it. You will have a perfect tan.

Tanning is best done in sections - don't start on another section until you've achieved the above with your current. I tan like this:

1. Legs from toes to mid thigh (and when i say toes I mean whole food, properly, down the sides and back... streaky feet are a dead giveaway)
2. Top thigh and butt
3. Under boobs to top of thigh and mid back
4. Top of back (practise yoga - it helps!)
5. Chest and neck
6. Arms, shoulders and underarms (to wrists)

Then you go clean your teeth/eat midnight snack/whatever else you do involving your hands and face before bed. BE CAREFUL when brushing your teeth not to let water drip down your arms!

• Before bed, use your gloves to apply tan to your face, then use the backs of your hands to apply tan on each other (including the space between the fingers and thumb)\
• Sleep
• Wake up tropical

Jewel