Written by:

Emma Gardiner is the Founder and Creative Communications Director of

Blossom Media, a collaboration platform for Media/Entertainment/Arts freelancers.

SheGoes is a labour of love and a blatant excuse to gallivant under the guise of ‘research’.

www.shegoes.com.au

Emma on Twitter

Growing tired of catching up with the residents of ‘Summer Bay’ and ‘Ramsay Street’? Looking for something new, home-grown and worth your while?  Then look no further because your search ends; or perhaps begins here!

I’m talking about the new Aussie drama, SLiDE, which follows five 17-year-old Brisbane teenagers and the obstacles they face on their journey from high school into adulthood.

Filmed chiefly on location in Brisbane, and co-produced by Playmaker Media and Hoodlum, this unique Australia series stars a fresh batch of new and talented faces; Ben Schumann (as dorky and eager to lose his virginity, Ed), Gracie Gilbert (as Ed’s long time childhood BFF, Tammy), Adele Perovic (as anti authority rebel, Eva), Emily Iris Robins (as wealthy/neglected by her parents/new girl in town, Scarlett) and last but not least, one who is certain to become, if not already a pin up boy for tweens around Australia, Brenton Thwaites (as schoolboy hottie, Luke), whom you may have already seen in Home and Away as the new addition to the Bay’s troublemaker “River Boys.”

The ‘’SLiDE five’’ (sounds like a nineties superhero group doesn’t it?) form one unlikely friendship group in the pilot episode, where they end up being arrested, following the events leading up to and after an invite for Scarlett’s party at her father’s penthouse suite goes viral. The apartment is trashed; not to mention an entire sofa being set on fire and thrown out a window.

Initial screenings of the premiere episode found the series to be described as ‘’furiously funny and fearlessly frank’’ and was even compared with that of British series Skins. Each episode takes place over the course of 24 hours and is filled with group heists and unexpected first-time experiences.

SLiDe has a unique method to the way in which it involves its key demographic audience of teens and is devised as a ‘multiplatform experience’. As well as watching the show on FOX 8 each week, viewers are able to get an extra hit via FOX8.tv by watching mini webisodes of the series before and after the episodes go to air.

SLiDE also migrates over into social media networking sites, where the audience can interact with the characters through Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr blog and MySpace. And, as if that isn’t enough already, FOX8tv’s SLiDE website contains live action video scenes, behind the-scenes footage, games, graphic novels (which coincide with the events of the series), music, reviews, polls and quizzes.

As long as you know how to use a computer you’ll never have to worry about falling behind as the entire SLiDE world is laid out online for you. It’s almost like a soap opera where you can turn off for a week and still follow what’s happening when you return, although in SLiDE’s case, time actually passes in-between!

The premiere episode of SLiDE screened on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 but if you missed that one, you can start following future episodes by tuning in to FOX8, Tuesdays at 7:30PM.

Written by:

Karli Emma Smith is a Melbourne based makeup artist, currently studying Freelance Magazine Writing & Editing.  With a passion for all things fashion, beauty and entertainment related, and a particular interest in the lifestyles of the rich and famous, Karli is also interested in health and fitness and enjoys baking, cooking, and getting outdoors for big walks/jogs. I love spending time with my family and friends and can’t imagine a life without magazines and media!

As a European virgin, visiting Slovenia was a lot like falling in love for the first time. I walked around in a dopamine haze, high on Baroque architecture, wildflowers and half-pissed on exotic grape varietals. From the cobblestone streets, to the castles, to the market square populated with fairytale produce, I couldn’t get enough of this whimsical land of nonsensical curses (ie. ‘Go kick a chicken!’).

Here’s where I left a fairly decent chunk of my heart:

Lake Bled: If cone-hatted princesses existed, they would live at Lake Bled. This kind of natural perfection usually comes with motivational quotes. Spookily blue water meets landscaped gardens, Bled Castle, Church of Mary the Queen on Bled Island and traditional pletna boats rowed by barrel-chested men (women are not allowed to row them which was fine by me).

We had lunch at Hotel Vila Bled, the former summer residence of Yugoslavian dictator Tito, which overlooks the most perfect view I have ever seen in my life. The villa, on the other hand, is a disaster of communist interior design. Mushroom pink carpet, angry-looking chandeliers and hideous expanses of inexplicable red velvet. Tito may have been an awesome tyrant but he was no Martha Stewart.

The good news for cheapskates is that there is a camping ground called Camping Bled just around the corner from Tito’s villa that has campsites starting from 8,50 Euros per night, per adult.

Ljubljana: It’s easy to see why ‘Ljubljana’ means ‘beloved’. With just over 200,000 residents, Ljubljana is quiet, clean and in the process of being beautified by the current mayor. Presided over by a castle on a hill, this city, which dates back to the Roman era is an easy to navigate centre that is free of traffic and chain stores.

Many of the cities’ newer structures are the handiwork of architect  Joze Plecnik (1872-1957). Everywhere you turn, there is a library, a bridge, a statue or a wall constructed by this visionary man.

All this elegant modernity is underlaid with medieval stonework, Baroque buildings and soviet kickbacks in the form of hulking apartment blocks on the outskirts of town.

My personal favourite amidst the many glories of this city is the dragon bridge. Dubbed the ‘Mother-in-law’ bridge, there is a local myth that claims the dragons wag their tales when a virgin crosses the bridge. The punchline is that noone’s ever seen this happen.

Piran: Set so close to the Italian border that you can see Trieste, Piran is a 16th century Venetian shipping port with a dangerous past. Noted as a key drug importation port for the mafia, Piran is a strange combination of pastel holiday houses and shady characters lurking in winding alleyways. Nonetheless, I loved its crumbling, elegant buildings, yacht-filled harbour and slightly Eurotrash vibe.

Written by:

Emma Gardiner is the Founder and Creative Communications Director of Blossom Media, a collaboration platform for Media/Entertainment/Arts freelancers.

SheGoes is a labour of love and a blatant excuse to gallivant under the guise of ‘research’.

www.shegoes.com.au

What are you grateful for? Depending on what’s going on in your life, it can be a tough question to answer.

With practice, an attitude of gratitude can help you remain positive and unaffected by the world around you, despite what may be unfolding in front of you.

All too often, people are focused on what they don’t have, or they are waiting for. Sometimes, that is taken one step further, where you begin to think you could only possibly be happy once that ‘thing’ arrives.

Instead, why not focus on what you already have, and be grateful for that. This was reinforced for me recently when I drove past a church billboard which read: “It’s not about how much you have, but how much you enjoy what you have.”

Don’t forget, positivity tends to breed more positivity and being grateful opens you to receiving the new. One way to remain open and positive is to keep a gratitude journal. Challenge yourself to write down at least five things every day you are grateful for. Or, through meditation, you may like to simply open your heart by smiling and fill that space with an attitude of gratitude.

It is an attitude, a choice. You can choose to see the positive or negative in any situation and, dependent on where your focus is, you will feel very grateful for what is unfolding, or resentful, hurt, confused or worse. Learning to be grateful for the things which appear to be roadblocks or setbacks will help you come to peace with these events and possibly even welcome them into your life.

So, go on, ask yourself, what are you grateful for?

Written By:

Helen Thomas is a modern psychic medium, coach, teacher and writer based in Brisbane, Australia. Helen has given countless psychic medium readings for people throughout Australia, Asia, the United Kingdom, United States, Europe and South Africa. Helen also provides personalised intuitive life coaching sessions, facilitates meditation classes and workshops and blogs about living intuitively.

For more on Helen, or her readings, coaching, workshops and more, visit www.thelittlesage.com.

I was recently asked to list 5 things that made me happy.  At first I was like “oh well of course, my husband, cooking …” and so on but I spent a lot of time after that initial question really pondering the thought – what truly made me happy.

Gosh I could have really gone mad and go on to say …. Uh.. perhaps having buckets of money, shopping whenever I wanted, a weekly delivery of Manolo Blaniks, bi-annual overseas holidays, driving a new Mercedes-Benz or a new diamond ring.  Then I realized these were all material things that I THOUGHT might make me happy.  How would I know if a new Gucci bag would make truly me happy?  It will definitely make me feel good …. But happy, truly, madly, deliriously happy?

So I changed the question to what is truly important to me; what do I really value?  This yielded a different response, things I valued included, honesty, integrity, friendships, love and trust; these are all values that are very important to me.  So, when I see these values in action or come to life; that makes me happy!

OK so how do I get to see these values in action more often so I am happy all the time (well lets say 90% of the time, we have to allow for the odd bad hair day!).  A review of my values list revealed a key missing element - time.  Each of us has their own value system in relation to time, some people have plenty of it, but more often than not, the vast majority of us are scratching around the bottom of our handbag looking for more time as if it were a stray lipstick.

So the next thought in my “quest for happy”, is how do I find more time to experience my values in action, allowing me to be happy most of the time – it seemed that simple.

Pondering how I might retrieve some time from the black hole that it seems to drain into each day, I had to assess the way in which I was already spending the time I had – almost like a review of my budget of hours.  We all have the same allocation of hours in each day, so questioning or reviewing how I spent my hours allowance was required.  I have 24 hours each day, how and where am I going to spend them?  Will I get a good return on my investment?

So I carried out a time audit.  It didn’t take long to realize that my work guzzled about 10 hours each day, sleep relieved me of about 8 hours, leaving me with a balance of 6 hours each day, now thinking about the incidentals such as showers, bathroom, meals, commuting, general errands, washing, ironing, cleaning, grocery shopping, I was probably working on a deficit of about 2 hours a day – and I don’t have children!  I didn’t find too many opportunities to see my values in action between the white and the coloured wash cycle!

The result of my time audit revealed that I had to prioritise the allocation of my 24 hour-a -day time budget.  Enter “outsourcing”, I no longer commute to work (I work from home), I do my grocery shopping on line, I send my washing and ironing out to be done.  I was also able to manage my time better and plan how my time needed to be allocated each week.

So the final result of my initial question “What makes me happy?” really boils down to clearly defining my values, then ensuring I create enough time in my life to see them in action.

Written by:

Adele Blair is the creator of Green Apple Organising and Blair Lifestyle Management Pty Ltd.  A Brisbane-based Personal Concierge and Professional Organiser, Adele is a Certified Concierge Specialist (awarded by the International Concierge and Errands Association) and an Accredited Expert Professional Organiser (awarded by the Australasian Association of Professional Organisers), so she knows a thing or two about organising.

Everybody has heard of snow angels but snow aliens? They’re new.

A snow alien is what happens when you land on your back in hard, icy snow and your head leaves a giant hole but your arms and legs look spindly.

I discovered this new life form when I was on a Lord of the Rings Location Tour with Reid Heslop Helicopters. The tour starts at the Reid HQ and takes you over farmland, forestry pines, crystal clear trout fishing streams and swoops up to the snowcapped mountains of Mt Owen where you stop off for a coffee and a chocolate bar.

I was travelling with a posse of rad Australians who all got very excited about the amount of snow. The mountains looked like they were covered in wedding cake icing.

Have you been to the snow recently? Did you throw yourself into it, only to discover it’s as hard and cold as a brothel madame?

Written by:

Emma Gardiner is the Founder and Creative Communications Director of Blossom Media, a collaboration platform for Media/Entertainment/Arts freelancers.

SheGoes is a labour of love and a blatant excuse to gallivant under the guise of ‘research’.

www.shegoes.com.au

So you’re marrying the man of your dreams – now you need to organise the holiday of your dreams. You may have had a honeymoon destination in mind since you were sixteen, but if you need inspiration take a look at our top five honeymoon destinations.

Hawaii

The beautiful Pacific islands of Hawaii regularly top the list of honeymoon destinations. What isn’t romantic about sun-drenched white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, lush green forests and coconut bikinis? While Oahu is the most visited of the islands, Maui is a loved-up couple’s paradise with numerous honeymoon-orientated resorts offering spectacular views and activities. Perhaps leave your other half to go on a fishing trip while you enjoy some pampering at one of the resort spas? Many honeymoon holiday packages include spa packages.

There are regular direct flights into Honolulu from most major Australian cities. Maui, and other islands, are a short onward flight from there.

French Polynesia 

You may have fallen in love with French Polynesia in the rom-com ‘Couples Retreat’, and for once what you see on screen isn’t far from reality. Picture the bluest of blue water, French Polynesian hospitality and a relaxing ambience found nowhere else in the world. The island of Bora Bora is a honeymooners’ favourite and offers all the ingredients of a truly magical honeymoon. Many hotels offer exclusive honeymoon holiday packages to make your stay one to remember forever.

There are 39 paved airports in French Polynesia, with the largest being in Tahiti. You can catch connecting flights or boat transfers from Tahiti to other islands.

Paris 

Yes, Paris may be a little cliché when it comes to romantic honeymoon destinations, but romance is allowed to be cliché! You’ll fall in love all over again while strolling the cobbled streets of Paris and enjoying a meal at the top of the most romantic structure in the world – the Eiffel Tower. Paris is a great alternative to the typical exotic, beach style honeymoon destinations.

Cancun 

If you want an exotic holiday without complete isolation then Cancun could be your ideal destination. You don’t need to lock yourself away on your honeymoon – have fun experiencing some of the hippest nightlife in the world alongside trendy hotels and great shopping in this coastal Mexican holiday hot-spot. If you need to get away from it all for a bit, you can go exploring the pristine 22km-long coastline and ancient Mayan ruins.

There are regular flights into Cancun International Airport from most major worldwide cities. You may need to connect in the USA when flying from Australia.

The Whitsundays

We can’t end our top five without mentioning one of the best honeymoon destinations in the world right on our doorstep. With 74 islands surrounded by one of the world’s natural wonders – the Great Barrier Reef – the Whitsunday islands offer you an unforgettable honeymoon experience without the jetlag! Enjoy snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, fishing or simply relaxing on the beach while sipping on a cocktail.

Most travel companies offer good value Whitsunday honeymoon holiday packages from all major Australian cities.

There’s nothing better than a girl’s weekend every now and then. So leave the men at home, pack your heels and jet off to one of our top girls’ weekend destinations in Australia.

Best Destination for Shopping – Melbourne

If there’s something us girls do best, its shopping; and there’s no better place to go shopping than the Victorian capital. Whether you’re after a bargain, want to splurge on the latest fashions or simply want to browse – Melbourne is a shopping paradise for even the most seasoned shoppers.

Shopping in Melbourne is great fun thanks to the maze of hidden laneways that make up the CBD. Some of the best buys are found in the small boutiques that line these laneways. Many companies offer girls weekend shopping tours of Melbourne that will ensure you don’t miss out on any hidden gems.

Melbourne isn’t all about shopping though. Once you have worn out your shopping shoes (and credit card!) take a stroll down Lygon Street for a relaxing latte in one of the many street cafes. Simply watch people wander by or plan what you’re going to wear to one of the swanky Melbourne nightclubs.

Best Destination for Beach – Hamilton Island

If you simply need a relaxing break away from the hustle and bustle of city-life then take your favourite girls to the most relaxing place in Australia – Hamilton Island.

The invitation I received to Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story describes the plot as ‘the true twisted love story of the 1920s Chicago students who killed for the thrill’.  I clearly skimmed past that bit, zoned in on ‘award-winning musical’ and promptly sent through my RSVP. I’ve always been partial to a good sing-a-long and sequins.

Note to self: Read invitations properly*.

Thrill Me is a cautionary tale of obsession, co-dependency and addiction to another person. This is the story of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, a couple who brutally murdered fourteen year old Bobby Franks in the mid 1920s, and were sentenced to life in prison. What drove them to do this? Their desire to commit the ultimate crime undetected.

And I thought Les Misérables was bordering on dark…

Trapped in a master-slave relationship and completely absorbed in each other, Nathan and Richards’ intimate connection twists beyond the realm of normal and leads them to make a horrible life changing decision. Think of the worst crush you ever had and just keep multiplying. These two were literally nuts about each other.