Dress 18 : I wish I was a butterfly

Sometimes it takes meeting someone else to discover who you are. 

While in New York I met an Australian girl who had come to the US as her son was in need of medical treatment.  Long stays in the hospital meant that she needed one thing that makes us all feel better: music!  She had left most of her CD’s in Australia and asked me to download some Evanescence.  At this stage I had a few of their songs and really liked them but when Mel asked me to download the whole album I was blown away by what I heard.  It was almost as if Amy (the lead singer of the band) had been stalking my life and secretly using what she saw to write beautiful music. 

Listening more to their music I understood so many things I didn’t know for so long.  Mel and I bonded over our love of music and discovered we were very similar to each other from the way we grew up to different things we thought about life.  Mel being a Goth was well in touch with her dark side, where as I was continuingly trying to fight it away.   She taught me how you can know both.

 One summer her son asked me to join them visiting another Australian family they knew who lived in Long Island.  When I asked where they lived I nearly died when they said the name of the town I used to live in with my ex and his family.  But when a baby faced five year old asks you, no matter how scared you are of bumping into your ex you can’t say no!  After being welcomed to the house by Lynn and her husband the most serious business was put in front of me: did I like my margaritas with salt or with sugar?!  I liked this family immediately and felt sad I didn’t know they were there when I was living in the town.

Lynn was an amazing personality and the fact she liked to make margaritas was even better.  Many summer weekends I would make my way out to the island with Mel and her son and once he was tucked up sleeping in bed we would sit on the porch sipping margaritas with the fireflies buzzing around us in the evening night sky.  We were three Aussie girls who all randomly ended up in New York for many different reasons, varying in age and experience.  But in those moments it didn’t matter we were all there to ponder the most difficult questions in life together and Mel and I could escape from the reality of NY if only for two days.

I remember there were a family of racoons who lived under her porch and we would wait silently sometimes for them to run under our table to the other side and squeal in delight at seeing native American wildlife… the margaritas could have also helped in this excitement.  Once or twice we left Lynn’s husband at home to look after the children and headed for dinner or a drink in town, me hiding precariously behind poles and large pot plants so I wouldn’t see my ex – funnily enough not once when there did I ever see him (or maybe I was just that good at hiding!).

From discovering Evanescence I found other bands who also spoke to me, this band being one of them.  I remember also giving the CD to my cousin who loved this song Butterfly so much she would play it over and over again.  When she and her then boyfriend visited me in New York and I put this CD on he looked at me and said ‘So you’re the reason I have to listen to this song all the time’... I laughed so much!

Mel is sort of like my lost sister who made me resolve a wonder I had held inside for a long time.  She and I get each other so easily and she is almost like a sister to me.  I miss being away from her but the one thing that brought us together in the first place continues to help us stay together, every time I hear Evanescence or she does we text each other and for that moment it’s like we are both back there with each other.

Day 18: I wish I was a butterfly
Bought: 5 years ago
Price Range: $29.00
From: H & M New York
What I like about this dress: I LOVE the many different colours of butterflies and the way they stand out against the black
Tag Info: Made in China, Divide, 100% Viscose
Photo Credit: SCondon

Dress 17 : You're my butterfly, sugar, baby

This song always makes me want to dance!

 I also always think when I see the video it’s the prettiest music video ever made for a rap song!  All these years after its release and I still think it’s a fun song!  I don’t know if the band ever had another hit.  My earliest memories of this song are dancing to it at our local pub that we all used to go to when we turned 18.

The Hallam Hotel was a Melbourne institution.  Hallam is situated about 45 minutes out of the city of Melbourne and people used to travel from far and wide to have a beer and see the Headlining bands and singers that would come perform at the Hallam.  Today it still sees its fair share of Aussie icon acts but the place isn’t what it as in its hay day.  A few years after we started going there the Hallam was shut down and changed to be more of a restaurant / gaming venue.  A new nightclub opened in Narre Warren and the violence, drunkenness and things I think they were trying to stop at the Hallam followed.  I never felt unsafe or anything at the Hallam but it did have a reputation.

My girlfriends and I would go to the Hallam at that age for many reasons: it was free to get in before 10, the bands would throw out ping pong balls with drink specials, as it was close our parents would alternate driving us and we would all have left over money to get a hot dog and a taxi home at the end of the night.  The only problem was there was generally 5 or more girls who would go together so being small I always had to lay across the girls laps in the back seat to get there.  My view would be the stars moving through the window in the darkness and I was amazed one night when I actually go to sit upright and see where I was going!

So back to the important ping pong balls.  With collecting the ping pong balls from the band my friends and I always had a strategy.  My friend Megan was a netball player and very tall so she would catch the high ones, being small I would get any that went low or on the ground and our friend Kara took out the middle.  She was also our keeper of the ping pong balls, we always made sure she wore a cleavage top to hide them as she was blessed with a more voluptuous chest than Megan and I.  Together we all made a great team.  When the Hallam closed down and we had to go to the new Nightclub in Narre Warren the same band went but without the ping pong balls.  To show our displeasure one of the first weeks it was opened we took all the ping pong balls we had left over and threw them at the band .. I don’t know if they were more shocked that we threw them at them or that we had so many!

At the Hallam we danced, scored free lolly pops, met boys and bumped into old friends.   Your shoes would always stick to the floor and it was always a hard decision to stay for the band or head to the other room to see what music was playing in there.  Since moving home I have headed to the Hallam to see Wendy Matthews play (yes I will admit that) and also to try out the karaoke they host on a Thursday night.  It’s funny because the guy who runs the karaoke was the DJ when I was 18… weird to think that someone could work all those years at the Hallam Hotel.

The dress I’m wearing today actually comes from my one hour shopping spree in Mexico while docked from our Cruise ship.  On that trip it was very much like the Hallam but on water.  There was a great dance club where we danced, met boys and spent an amazing holiday with old friends.  The only thing you couldn’t get at the Hallam which I could on that trip was some amazingly cute dresses .. oh well Hallam we had to move on some time.  There was a movement a few years back lobbying to bring the Hallam back to its former glory.  For now though it seems that a nice chicken snitzel and a play of the pokies is as close as you will get to the Hallam we once knew.  But every time I see a ping pong ball I will remember the fun times I had with my girlfriends and that’s the best thing of all.

Today I thought I would attempt to take my dress photos myself .. well at least you can see the dress maybe I’ll take some better shots next time!  Oh and I promise Rachel I did iron this dress but it has been hot in Melbourne and sitting down I think it crinkled!

Day 17: You’re my Butterfly Sugar Baby
Bought: 2 years
Price Range: 10.00
From: Mexico
What I like about this dress: I LOVE the colour
Tag Info: No tag info!
Photo Credit: SCondon

Cancelled due to Exhaustion

Whenever an artist or celebrity has to cancel a performance it always makes me laugh that their publicist or press office will issue a statement that they are unable to commit to their obligations due to exhaustion.  I do believe that the gruelling pace and schedule these people have to keep up with can truly cause this, but it is such an over used excuse.

It would be funny if we could start using it in real life.  Do you want to come to the movies "Sorry I can't due to exhaustion" or Do you want to go to work today "No I can't do to exhaustion".  Anyway I thought it fitting that I try this on my blog.  I haven't had a blog post in a few days due to exhaustion. 

No the real reason is that I contracted a very bad viral infection (sounds lovely doesn't it) and was running a fever.  Anyone who has had a temperature in summer will be able to explain to you how bizarre this feeling is and how it makes you feel even worse!  The Doctor confined me to my house with panadol and water my only friends.  There are no antibiotics for this type of illness.

So there has been no trips to work - due to exhaustion - and therefore no dresses - as my pyjamas have been getting all the attention.  So I will have to move the rest of the butterfly dresses and continue them in the next week.

As I was missing out on Frock up Friday I was sad that there would be no group photo for the week .. but I received a little message on Friday on my Facebook page from one of the lovely girls at work with this photo!!  I was so touched that the girls at work didn't forget me and surprised me with a photo of them carrying on the Frock Up Friday without me!  Thank you girls you truly made my day!! I am so lucky to work with such thoughtful and beautiful ladies .. you guys totally Frock and I will be back next Friday to join in the frockness.

Dress 16: You have become a butterfly

When I was little you would either find me talking or singing .. and I guess not much has changed!  My first love was Whitney Houston when I was 5 years old.  I would get in trouble for singing along to ‘Greatest Love or all’ with my fisher price tape player in my room when I was meant to be asleep.  At the time Whitney had a shaved head and still a respectable reputation. 

As the years went by I found a new love: Mariah Carey.  Funnily enough after ready a biography on Mariah many years ago she was actually marketed as the one to match and out sell Whitney.  In Grade 6 I bought a tape of Mariah Carey’s ‘Music Box’ from Brashes with a voucher I had received for a Birthday and it cost me $19.95, CD prices haven’t changed much.  That tape was played backwards, forwards and repeated as I sang into my hair brush.  I loved the variety in her vocal range and the way her voice could tell a story just in its tone.

Growing up my tapes morphed into CD’s and I continued my admiration for Mariah, poor Whitney didn’t get another look in, until the Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack in 1995.  I took singing lessons and one of my proudest moments was when the singing teacher asked me to come and help in another students lesson who was trying to sing Always be my Baby – a challenge for any singer.   Still at school Mariah featured.  The song Butterfly I remember was played at a year 12 camp when the religious teacher said she would play us a reflection song in religious class.  I cringed at the time thinking oh no not another Jesus song, but it was quickly replaced by a smile – from me at least – when Butterfly by Mariah came out of the stereo. 

Moving to America in 2002 there was a big hope that we would be able to see big musical acts that never made it to Australia.  At Christmas time in the US all the State local radio Stations like Fox FM each host a ‘Jingle Ball’.  At this concert big name recording artists come together to sing a few songs each to span over a few hours for a Christmas celebration.  When Kirsty and I moved to California we tuned into their equivalent of Fox FM – KISS FM.  When we heard about Jingle Ball we immediately wanted to go, the line up (at the time) sounded amazing!!  It was: Destiny’s Child, Goo Goo Dolls, Kylie Minogue (go Aussie!), Avril Lavigne, Kelly Osborne (still no idea why she was there), Nick Carter (oh Backstreet Boys!) and the two main acts were Justin Timberlake and ………… Mariah Carey!  I was so excited .. Mariah Carey was in town and I could see her live in Anaheim.. there was only one slight problem; you couldn’t buy tickets you had to win them!!

The night after we heard about the concert we immediately went into action mode.  We called the radio station and asked to win tickets, they advised that they had already given tickets away for that night but they thought our Aussie accents were cute so they instructed us to call back at a certain time the next night and we would be the winners!!  I wish we had of recorded that conversation the next night, two Aussies girls on LA radio explaining to the DJ how to say G’Day ..while excitedly screaming down the phone we had won.

The Concert was a lot of fun, Kirsty and I danced along to Kylie and screamed for Justin.  When Mariah came out she was bigger than life bringing a massive entourage with her.  From memory I think she only sang 3 songs, it was very short!  But I had finally seen her live.  I can’t say it as a life changing moment but it was something I look back and still can’t believe that the little girl who used to sing along to Vision of Love was seeing her sing in real life.  Many years from that day I did get to see her again in her own concert only this time it was in Madison Square Garden in New York.  Nobody would come with me to the show but I went anyway by myself.  Sean Paul was the support act and it was quite strange because everyone around me was smoking weed and when Mariah did come out and sing ‘Hero’ it felt very weird to be sitting there by myself with pot smokers and one of my greatest singing idols there in front of me.

I have sang Mariah on occasions and Whitney especially at karaoke in New York.  I generally get requests for Dream lover or I Still Believe by Mariah .. I generally pull out Greatest Love when I want to win a free drink at the karaoke place that scores you on how well you sing!  Dream lover is especially fun to sing because it is now the polar opposite of songs I general sing – Steve once commented that I only sing sad or angry songs haha .. but I think he was happy when I would put in some Delta or Mariah to lighten it up.  Mariah may have now been replaced with Amy Lee but I feel lucky that I have been able to have such diverse powerful beautiful women singers to inspire me to sing.  I am nowhere near where they are vocally and never will be but I still have my hair brush and my mum can still tell me to be quiet when I sing too much.

Day 16 You have become a butterfly
Bought: 1 year ago
Price Range: 39.00
From: Boutique in the Royal Arcade in Melbourne CBD
What I like about this dress: I LOVE the butterflies and the ruffle on the neckline
Tag Info: Made in China, Sunny Girl, 100% Spun Rayon
Photo Credit: KMcKinnon

Dress 15 : You're my butterfly

This week I will be wearing butterfly dresses and coincidently many of my favourite songs are called Butterfly.  I’m hoping to blend dresses and music this week – two of my favourite things together wrapped into a story.

Delta Goodrem - Butterfly


When I moved the first time to California, Delta Goodrem had just been unleashed on the music industry in Australia and I remember walking down the Streets in Orange County when we felt home sick singing along to Born To Try.  When I returned to Australia Delta was everywhere!!  I had met her a few times while working on Neighbours and she was always a friendly, down to Earth girl playing the Bishop’s piano during set breaks.

I think at one point in time the stats said that 1 in every 3 households owned Delta’s first album Innocent Eyes and returning to Australia I became one of those.  I loved her vocal range and the way she actually would sing on pop songs.  She became a favourite in my stereo, microphone and mirror combinations!  When I came home to Australia I had started to date a boy from New York, let’s call him Boyfriend C.  There’s some people you meet in life and you have this indescribable connection like you’ve met before in another time and place and the universe is returning you back to the other.

When I met boyfriend C it was that feeling.  I didn’t matter he had a thinc NY accent and I couldn’t understand a word he said there was something there.  We dated long distance for 6 months and then I returned in NY summer to spend two weeks with him and meet his family.  Dating long distance you have to get creative in the ways you communicate.  I had started sending him CD’s of songs that reminded me of him and when he said his American buddies had caught him listening to ‘Never tear us Apart’ by Inxs I couldn’t stop laughing.
 
I had an amazing summer in NY learning about catching fire flies, drinking at his local bar and meeting his friends and we went on a road trip up to Niagara Falls.  After the two weeks was up being the romantic that I am I wrote the lyrics to this song and left it on his bed on the way to the airport - even though I had made him listen to Inxs I knew I may be stretching the relationship a little too far to make him listen to Delta.  About 3 months later the struggle with distance, miscommunication and leading different lives we broke up, my first real heartbreak. 

But as fate would have it I was offered a job in New York and a few months after we had broken up I moved back to NY.  I ended up moving in with Boyfriend C and his family on Long Island (not the smartest move to move in with your Ex and his entire family – readers never, never do this!!).  Our story did continue for a while after that but ultimately we were not even meant to even be friends and after a period of time for us which is a whole other story in itself I felt strong enough to flee to New York City.  I finally became the independent and brave girl that was hidden behind a small girl from Australia.  I contacted him a few years ago when I heard his Dad, who had always been so nice to me had passed away ,and he thanked me for my email.  We have also since become Facebook friends but it still makes me sad to think of that innocent 21 year old girl who thought he was the rest of her life to him now being pretty much a stranger to me.

Once I arrived in New York City I remember on nights when I was lonely I would put on Delta’s Innocent Eyes CD and fall asleep to it.  It was something comforting that listening to this it always brought me home in some way.  When I started at my Australian office I told people about Delta and they had never heard of her!  A few years later she did come to New York as they were trying to launch her in the States and my office and I went down to support her appearance on NBC’s Today show.  As did Molly Meldrum who was doing a special for the Sunrise show in Australia.

After her interview Molly brought her over to meet us and as she got closer to us she gave me a funny look.  As I was at the end of the row of people I was last to speak with her.  When she got to me she said “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to give you a funny look but I feel like I know you from somewhere” and that’s when I laughed and said “Yeah I used to work on Neighbours”.   She breathed a sigh of relief and laughed to herself and said “Oh good I thought I was going crazy I’d love to chat some more but I have to run and sing in the studio, it was so nice to see you again though”.

Delta songs became a favourite to sing at karaoke – there was never any competition to sing them and many times people would come up and ask who the artist I was singing was.  Steve even learnt back-up vocals to ‘A Little too late’.  Delta has had moderate success in the US and maybe this year will be the year she finally takes it over.  The US is always in the sites of ambitious Aussies and if I can take on the USA and make it .. I’m pretty sure Delta can too .. and I hope she does.

Yours in Dresses
Skye 

Day 15: You’re my Butterfly
Bought: 1 year ago
Price Range: $35.00
From: Valley Girl, Perth, Western Australia
What I like about it: I LOVE the fact I found a dress that makes me happy to wear white!  I love the butterflies!
Tag Info: Made in China, Valley Girl, 100% Polyester
Photo Credit: DWhite, SCondon

Vote Now!

Do you think there is a dress that should be voted off? .. If there is not a dress people feel should go I will donate $20 each time to charity .. then at the end donate the total at the one time.

This weeks stars are :

I have also decided to give the Sunday Ad'dress a rest .. it hasn't proved to be too popular lol.  Soooooooooo next week we are going into butterfly dresses .. and hopefully a way for me to combine three things I love MUSIC, DRESSES and STORY TELLING!  Heres to a new week of dresses.

Yours in dresses,

Skye

Dress 14 : I'll Drink to That!

There’s nothing like the feeling of satisfaction you get when you grab a bargain!  I always get a little excited when I see a sign saying 30% off.   A few months ago Kirsty had told me she was going to VIP night at Chadstone.  Chadstone is the largest shopping centre in Australia, growing bigger and bigger each year.  The stores range from Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, GAP right down to Target and Kmart.

I had never heard of ‘VIP’ night before, so she explained to me that it was a night every few months that Chadstone is open until late and all the stores are invited to offer customers discount prices and it’s a great chance for shoppers to grab a bargain.

When I heard VIP night was on in November I jumped at the chance to head along and find me a bargain.  Kirsty and I met and braved the crowd and kept our eyes peeled for the specials.   Even better than all the shops having discounts that they normally wouldn’t was that Yellowtail was promoting their latest Champagne and had sampling stations through the centre.  After lining up and getting a free glass of champagne I’ve never felt more like a VIP than sauntering into the stores with a glass of champagne in my hand.

Kirsty had enough of shopping for the night and left me to my own devices.  20 minutes from being left alone I had christened my new credit card by buying 4 new dresses – at two different stores BUT they were all 30% off.  This dress was one of these purchases and as you will see it is orange!!  A colour I never wear.  I’m not sure what draw me to this dress but every time I wear it I can be guaranteed to have an awesome night full of the biggest surprises.  Wearing this yesterday true to form I had a great day and night full of big surprises!  

Frock up Fridays are getting HUGE at work .. this week we even had to take two different photos so everyone who had donned a frock could be included .. thanks girls for continuing the dress movement can’t wait to see how big it gets next week .. there is even talk of one of the guys wearing a kilt!  People have even started to sneak in the weekly picture without wearing dresses … next week you better be wearing a dress!

Day 14: I’ll drink to that

Bought: 2 months ago
Price Range: 40.00
From: Boutique store in Chadstone
What I like about this dress : I LOVE  the cute ruffle sleeves and the variations in colour, also the colour itself is quite unusual .
Tag Info: Made in China, Sunny Girl, 100% Polyester
Photo Credit: KMcKinnon

Dress 13 : They met on a train

In early 2005 while living in New York I began chatting online with an Australian boy who was moving to Vancouver, Canada. This was back in the day when there was no such thing as online dating, chat room features like ICQ were almost not cool anymore and people would chat to strangers for fun. Now we don’t chat to random people online for fear they will turn out to be a paedophile or serial killer and most people have enough friends on Facebook to keep them entertained.

Over the course of the next year he moved to Canada, we became great friends chatting through his move to Canada and as the months went by getting to know each other while living on two different sides of the world. It was nice at night before I went to bed to chat with another Aussie riding the waves of living in a new culture who would understand the frustrations of trying to order a sandwich or learning a new train system. Someone who knew the strangest-loneliness that you feel when living away from everyone you know. You truly feel like the only person in theworld.

After living in Canada for a year his time was up and he decided to travel around the East Coast of America and the East of Canada before heading back to Canada to begin his move back to Australia. So we made the decision to finally meet!! He came to stay in New York for a few days and then we had decided to travel by train up to Montreal, Canada. When he arrived he definitely looked like his picture, but now this picture was moving! It was hard placing the voice, the laugh and matching it with the human being moving in front of me.

I think we thought there should be some sort of romantic connection there because of the romanticism surrounding our meeting but I think mistook friendship and familiarity with a spark. We certainly got along very well and had agreat time together. After a few days-touring New York we jumped on the train at Penn Station and began the 9 hour train ride to Montreal.

I liked parts of Montreal but it seemed like a very confused city torn between trying to decide whether it wanted to be Canada, France or America. You would get told off for speaking English, then get told off for speaking French. I did have a wonderful time eating poutine .. then I didn’t need to speak at all! I also enjoyed shopping in the underground city and when he said ‘Woo hoo I’m going bikiniville' I thought he was joking. I looked up and there it as ‘Bikiniville’. When he said next ‘Look they have your bathers’ I was even more confused. In Canada they have a brand called Skye. I never thought I would say Canada is where I bought my last pair of bathers from; they even had Skye written on the bum!

We drove down with another Aussie we’d met to Ottawa and the people down there were super friendly compared to those in Montreal. I tried beaver tail (don’t get any ideas) and saw the Canadian Parliament. On the last night we hit a few bars back in Montreal and when I awoke early the next day it was time for me to head to the train station.

I left my friend in Montreal as he was heading back via Vermont and headed solo to the train station. While waiting in line for the train this short girl mumbled something I couldn’t understand at me and then walked away leaving a suitcase in front of me! Oh no I thought this is what all those travel stories are about.. I’m going to get arrested by the Canadian Troopers for agreeing to take someone else’s bag!!

The girl appeared back in front of me and I asked her whose bag it was. She explained that some lady had left the bag and was trying to tell me to walk around it! It was then I stopped her and said ‘Where are you from?’ She said she was from Scotland and I exclaimed 'I’m from Australia we are the same'! The train was extremely crowded so I asked if I could sit next to her and she agreed. As soon as I sat she offered me a snack – I knew in this moment we would be friends! I don’t think I have laughed for 9 continuous hours In my life, but Trudy made me do just that. We swapped stories that day I still remember today. Once we arrived in New York I asked if she wanted to have dinner, but after being on a train together for almost 10 hours she politely declined.. I think I just wanted to keep laughing and didn't want that train trip to end!

We exchanged emails as she was interning at the UN in NY and about to head back to Scotland. In the years to follow she did move to New York and I had a wonderful time including her in my friendship circle in New York. She was the one to drag me to the gym, have DnM’s over sweet potato sushi and take me to documentaries about penguins in NY art house cinemas. Since she has left the USA and so have I we have travelled all over the world meeting in countries in between. She even took me to the Isle of Skye in Scotland. I think Trudy and I will still be country hopping to see each other when we are old and grey and to this day she still makes me laugh the way she did 6 years ago when we met on a train.

I bought the dress I am wearing today when Trudy was visiting New York a few years ago and we went for a stroll down Mulberry Street shopping with Rachel right near what we call Little Australia (there are two Australian restaurants on the same street). I have never worn this dress before today as it didn’t fit!! I am so happy what a series of chance events lead me to call Trudy my dear friend. No matter where we are in the world I know somewhere out there I have a friend who is just as willing as I am to pack a suitcase and meet me for the price of an airline ticket.

We all used to get stuck on my couch on a Saturday watching re-runs of Americas next top model the shots today are inspired by that … I am America’s next top model –can you see my smize?!

Day 13 :They met on a train

Bought: 4years ago
Price Range:39.95
From: a boutique on Mulberry Street in New York
What I like about it: I LOVE the colours and the pattern. It makes me feel very exotic like I’ve just come out of an Amazon jungle
Tag Info: Made in USA, Belinda, 92% Polyester 8% Spandex
Photo Credit: DWhite

Dress 12 : This is for Steve!

When you relocate to another country there is one thing you can’t take with you: All of your friends!!

As I mentioned before when I moved to New York I knew only a few people.  Making friends in a big city can be hard.  On a whim instead of staying in town for my first Thanksgiving I went to London.  Catching the Manhattan Express bus to the airport can always be an interesting experience.  The bus driver we had this night was Russian and swearing loudly at passing cars and weaving in and out of the city traffic.  All of the passengers on the bus gave each other cautious looks and held on tight to the seat in case he weaved into something.

Making it in one piece I hopped off the bus and headed to my terminal.  Once lined up to check in I recognised a girl from the bus and made a comment to her about the bus driver.  It turned out she was from the UK and was the same age as me.  We both had similar stories for moving to NYC and by the time I landed in London I had made my first NYC friend.  She was also just heading over for the Thanksgiving holiday and would be back in NY the same time as me.  We switched numbers and promised to meet for a drink one day.

Back in New York we kept that promise and after finding we both needed somewhere to stay we eventually decided to rent an apartment together on the Upper East Side.  Now when you move to a new neighbourhood one of the first things you need to find is where you can buy beer or where you can go to a bar to get beer.  It wasn’t hard to figure out which bar would be my local of choice.  Walking up York Avenue on our first day in the apartment there was a bar called Cabin Fever with a sandwich board out the front with a sign that read KARAOKE TONIGHT!

For those who know me know I sing in the shower, sing in my car, sing in my sleep .. I SING!!!  One old boss was always yelling at meat work “this isn’t American idol Skye”.   So that night we headed down to Cabin Fever.  I raced to the Karaoke DJ or KJ as I now know they are called and signed up to sing.  The first ever karaoke song I sang in America was I’m Outta Love by Anastasia.  Singing is such a release; it can release anger, happiness, hopefulness …  all in 3 minutes and 53 seconds.  I was in heaven up on that stage!!  After meeting the bar staff and a few more songs down I knew this would be my place.  After the show finished the KJ came over and gave me a card and told me he thought I was good and I should come back.  At this moment I thought ‘wow I’m going to be a star!!!’

Well .. in the months and weeks that I came to be a part of the karaoke crowd I saw many other people get those cards too!  Steve aka the KJ was building himself a little group of good karaoke singers!  Steve played about four nights a week at bars dotted around Manhattan and I generally could be found at them Tuesday and Thursdays and sometimes Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and wherever he played on Saturday nights.  Of course what I loved was getting the chance to sing and meet people but also I was making a new friend in Steve.    I think at first he really liked having me around because I would be able to sing all the songs he had and never heard before like Kylie Minogue, Natalie Imbruglia and Delta Goodrem!!  

As the years went by I learnt a lot about the world of karaoke and as the regulars continued to go to the same shows we formed a sort of karaoke family.  You knew what songs the other people were good at, could tell if someone was having a bad day by not hitting a note they always would and worry when someone didn’t show up for the night.  You also knew what songs not to sing as we all had our own artists and specialities.  We supported each other in trying new songs, singing in new locations like the Boardwalk on Coney Island and congratulated each other when we heard where another had sung, I once sang in front of a few hundred people in a karaoke competition at Grand Central Station.

Through karaoke I made connections with bands to sing with, met producers and also connections for work meeting people from all over NY and who were in all types of fields.  Steve and I became great friends and remain so to this day.  When I left I was so sad that I wouldn’t be able to sing with him anymore I even suggested Skype karaoke – which we did try!  Music is the international language and it has brought so many wonderful people like Steve into my life.

I know he is wonderful because even though he would say ‘Not Evanescence again’ or ‘I’ve only got time for one last song’ or ‘no I will not drive you to White Castle’ at the end of the day I know he would be there for me anytime I needed him.  He was my friend when I cried, would go along with silly things that made me laugh and surprise me with a song that I had been dying to sing when I least expected it after pretending for weeks he didn’t have it.

The dress I’m wearing today I wore the first time to karaoke after work one day where I had taken a sneaky lunch time trip to Dejanerio.  I miss singing and I miss the karaoke crowd but more than anything I miss knowing of a place any time during the week where I can go and sing a song and know one of my favourite people in the world is always going to be there!  Once a year visiting New York isn’t enough Steve – we have to get that karaoke Skype thing happening now (or you could just come to Australia!).  When I would sing a song I knew he liked I would say ‘This is for Steve’(even though he hated it when I talked in the microphone!) … but anyway ‘This is for Steve!!!’

Thank you also to Sugar Station in the city for allowing us to take these sweet pictures in the store today!

Day 12 : This is for Steve
Bought: 5 years ago
Price Range: 29.95
From: DeJaniero New York
What I like about it: I LOVE the colour and the sweetheart neckline and the three cute buttons!
Tag Info: Made in China, Aziz, 95% Rayon 5% Spandex
Photo Credit: KMcKinnon

Dress 11: Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces

So when you break up with someone there are many things you need to divide and separate. The awkward return of personal items, the blocking and or deletion of Facebook pages and most importantly the choosing of who gets to keep which friend.

It can be harder when the friends you have made are your ex’s.

When I began dating, let’s call him Boyfriend B, he was living about an hour away from the city and he didn’t have a car (he didn’t believe people need cars). Then one day he magically moved to the city. He told me he had moved in with a roommate, a girl he used to work with. I guess at first when you hear your man is living as roommates with another girl you sort of wonder .. that was until I met her. He had explained what a wonderful person she was and how I would really like her. Out of a lot of things he told me this one actually was true!

When Noni and I met it felt as though we had already met before. At their house warming later that night I felt like I was at two friend’s parties instead of just Boyfriend B’s. The following months as I dated Boyfriend B Noni and I became fast friends. It can be hard when you are dating someone with a roommate but their apartment overlooking the city became one of my favourite places to be.
We could easily all hang out there together, drinking whatever fabulous cocktail Boyfriend B had made, laughing, eating and watching movies. It even came to the point where she and I would watch DVD’s while he went to rowing practice or she and I would have dinner while he went to rowing practice or she and I would eat breakfast while he would go to rowing practice… can you tell he like to row? It actually felt at one point that she and I were dating more than him!!

About 4 months ago Noni had a very bad accident. While rock climbing with Boyfriend B and his friends she fell from the mountain and had a massive head trauma. It was hard to get that call to hear my friend was fighting for her life. I went the moment I could to see her and comfort her in the hospital. As the weeks after the accident went by she and I remained close and I took Boyfriend B without the car back and forward to see her as she recovered at her sister’s house. While back at his apartment it was nice to have Boyfriend B all to myself I really missed her presence at the apartment.

A month after the accident I took Boyfriend B and another friend of ours out to where Noni was staying to have our first dinner out together again. I was so excited I bought this dress! We went out to a local suburban Thai restaurant and had a lovely night just being together and sharing food like before the accident. Noni commented how much she loved my dress and Boyfriend B agreed that red really suited me.

Fast forward a few months month and as Noni and Boyfriend B had met most of my friends by this stage when Boyfriend B and I broke up everyone’s first reaction was “Can we keep Noni? Because we really like her”. Noni and I vowed to stay friends and Boyfriend B approved, not that we would have stopped if he hadn’t. It hasn’t been easy for us to be friends; we have our moments when it can be tough. Especially when I want to say something bad about Boyfriend B, something with him comes up on her Facebook page (especially pics of him and the girl he left me for) or she has to stop herself talking about her home life with him. There is no rule book on remaining friends with an ex’s friend. But friendship can conquer all!! I’m glad that the hurt I received and the times I’d rather forget still have a little tiny spark of something happy and that is something I will cherish always.

Thank you also to Dannii for making sure this dress was ready for it's appearance today!



Day 11: Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces
Bought: 3 months ago
Price Range: 29.95
From: Femme Fatale, Melbourne CBD
What I like about it: I LOVE the colour and the double straps. I love the fall of the dress and the neckline.
Tag Info: Made in China, Caroline Morgan, 100% Viscose
Photo Credit: KBrett

Dress 10: Yes it’s a dress!

When I moved back to Australia I wanted to try something different. I had worked in a high pressure confidential environment for 7 and half years – I needed a break!!

For a few weeks I was the receptionist at my cousin’s new hair dressing salon. It was so much fun! Her salon was right in a busy strip of shops, nestled between a café and a pizza shop. Sitting at the front desk watching the passers-by while being able to chat to my cousin was just what I needed. Seeing the transformations of hair that occurred under my cousins creative and talented hands was amazing. I loved the time we were able to spend together getting to know each other again but after a few weeks, although I was being paid in haircuts and getting super good at sweeping up hair I needed some money. It’s quite scary when your bank balance continues to go down without anything going in!

A friend of mine had some work going at her factory and I never knew how content I could be working in a giant warehouse. I was sorting clothes, using a jigsaw box cutter and stacking boxes. Being able to stand back at the end of the day after getitng my hands dirty and look at 100 boxes sitting neatly and organised all hand made by me on top of each other gave game me a physical sense of accomplishment. It was nice to be doing something with my hands and something I could wear jeans to everyday.

Again though the real world and money money money was calling. I joined a temp agency and within a few weeks was given a 3 month assignment. The job was working on a major government development in the transport industry … yes lets just leave it at that! The best part about it was it was located in the city. It was lovely alighting at Parliament train station, feeling the energy of business suited men and women rushing to work. Passing the smell of coffee shops and the dings of trams to get to my office every day gave me a rush - I was back in Melbourne!!

The work was tricky at first but as I got to know what I was doing I enjoyed it and started to make friends with my colleagues. When we started we were told there was another girl joining us but she would be starting a week later. I was extremely happy because of the new comers I was out numbered by two boys. When T started I knew instantly we would get along! I’m not using her full name because I know she hates the Internet and she can be scary when she wants to be! I like having her as my friend!

I knew that we would get along instantly because she was wearing a super cute outfit and high heels! As we got to know each other I discovered she also shared my shopping addiction. We would compare dresses online, show off outfits to each other each day and critique other girls we saw. One day she introduced me to a little store by our work .. this was almost like a replacement for DeJaniero in my heart! A place for discount clothes. My lunch time perusals started to continue as did my comparisons with T on what cute new stuff had arrived. Many a lunch time she and I would head there and come back to the office with bags of things to show to the boys. The dress today comes from this store and YES it's a dress! Whenever I wear this I always get asked that question. I can see why it is a bit deceiving though!

Since I have now started a new job in a different location in the city I have had to look for another replacement DeJanerio store (and shopping partner) which of course I have found and my lunch time shopping continues…….

Yours in dresses

Skye

Day 10: Yes it’s a dress

Bought: A year and a half ago

Price Range: 40.00

From: Melbourne CBD (can’t remember shop name)

What I like about it: I like the bright colours and different material at the bottom.Tag Info: Made in China, Lushous, 100% Polyester

Photo Credit : KBrett

Vote Now!

Which dress should be voted off Skye for last week?  Vote now!!!

Sunday Address : I can sing a rainbow

Dress 9 : Forget the Purple Dress!

Given the small apartments, lack of cupboards and daily shopping sprees, girls in New York tend to have yearly clean outs.  This would involve inviting all of your girlfriends over popping a bottle of champagne, cheese and dip on the table and a bed full of clothes you were willing to part with (to make space for more clothes!)

Today’s Dress came from one of Joy’s clean outs.

When you live away from your real family you tend to make your own out of the friends you have made while living overseas.  Like family they are always there when you need them most.  One day I needed them more than ever.  While on a first date on the 4th of July with an attractive British boy we were chatting over a pint at one of my favourite pubs in New York when I suddenly felt like I was on fire – and no I had not been hit by an out of control firework!  My whole body was burning up, I was lucky that a good old Irish bar tender I knew was on duty and I promptly asked him for a glass of water and that he kept one eye on pouring beer and one on me in case I literarily blew up.  Being an Aussie I thought I’ll be right and promptly stayed at my place in the bar.  After all isn’t it the worst excuse on a first date to suddenly say I have to go home I’m sick!!

After an hour I really felt like I was going to die, so I said the line to my date.  He felt my head and his face was overcome with shock.  He exclaimed he had never felt anyone that hot in his life – I took this both as a compliment .. and confirmation that I needed to get home and to some panadol fast!  My New York taxi ferried me into the night I grabbed some aspirin and fell into bed.  A night of switching between shivering and sweating ensured and when I woke up in the morning things hadn’t improved.  I took more aspirin and messaged Joy and Rachel to please come to my apartment as soon as possible I needed my family!!  They both arrived at 4pm with icy poles, lozenges, water and Chinese food. 

I crawled back in a hoody and coward under my doona while Rachel and Joy discussed what they could do with me.  I tried to keep up the whole I’ll be fine but my temperature was at 103 degrees and didn’t look like budging.  By this stage the girls were really worried so they did what any girl in a crisis does, Rachel phoned her Dad in Oregon.  Rachel’s Dad is famous to us girls as a man who can fix anything and on this day even though he was States away from us we looked to him for a solution. Rachel’s dad also fixes other things – premature babies and helps them to breathe so he was more than qualified to handle a little temperature like mine.  After Rachel explained my symptoms he ordered her to take me to the Emergency room.  Now if I thought Rachel was scary in putting me in line to clear out my clothes, she was even scarier when getting me out of my bed to go to the hospital.  She was able to combat every one of mine ‘But I’ll be fine it’s just a temperature’ and with Joy help me to a taxi.

In the Emergency Room 15 minutes later I was rushed into see the triage nurse who does the preliminary assessment.  After asking me a few questions the nurse looked up to ask “Do they belong to you?” I was like “huh?” and then I realised he was pointing to the window and there were Joy and Rachel concerned faces pushed up to the window!  I claimed them as mine and the nurse advised one would be allowed to come in with me and then they could switch over at any point. 
As my temperature had been so high for 24 hours I was taken straight into the wards and with Joy allowed to come in first Rachel waited for her turn.  I got a lecture from a very camp male nurse that honey when you have a temperature you should not take aspirin as it actually enlarges your brain and you should always take paracetamol!  They monitored me until the doctor could come and see me.  30 minutes later my temperature was still too high but the Doctor came to check me over.  Now as far as Doctors go this had to be the most good looking doctor I had ever seen and he was a cool doctor because he was wearing army pants! – I guess more room to hold stethoscopes and needles. 

He poked and prodded me and advised that my throat airway was actually nearly closed.  After a saliva swab he thought I had strep throat.  He monitored me for another ten minutes and then advised I would need a steroid shot to keep my airways open.  With Joys hand in mine I took the shot and continued to wait for my temperature to drop.  Joy switched with Rachel and after another 30 minutes or so my temperature finally decreased a little.  I was released with prescriptions and pretty pink ER admission papers.  I was on house quarantine for a week and lost a lot of weight – which is never a bad thing.
 
Rushing to get ready for work a few weeks later I decided to pull out this red dress and wear it for the first time since receiving it from Joy.  As I was getting ready to leave my buzzer went.  At 8:30 in the morning I wasn’t used to having visitors so I pressed the buzzer to say “who is it” thinking it must be someone locked out, this tended to happen a lot when people would lock themselves out of the apartment building they would just buzz everyone until someone opened the door.  The person answered back “It’s me” and I’m like “who?” and he replied again “it’s me”.  I didn’t have time to play the It’s me game so I buzzed them in. 

I have a thing called movie moments – moment that would only happen if it was a movie (Taylor Swift song if this was a movie included below to set the mood).  I had my first movie moment on that day because when I opened my front door standing in front of me was my ex-boyfriend we shall call him Boyfriend A (he will have a post of his own coming up I’m sure, so I won’t go into too much detail about him just now). 

While dating Boyfriend A he had a habit of going missing, not calling for days and being an illegal immigrant from Ireland was used to keeping hidden.  This was one of the main reasons I had broken up with Boyfriend A, the actual illegal thing didn’t bother me so much when he explained his reasons for trying to come to America.  I hadn’t seen him in about 5 months and he was one boyfriend I don’t think I ever fully let go of.  So when he showed up like that, that day I was shocked and literary had to sit down.  When he saw me in the red dress, noticeably skinnier, he said “Bub you look amazing, forget the purple dress this dress is much better”.  I had a purple dress I used to wear that he loved. We had a quick catch up of each other’s lives and then he gave me a lift to the subway.  I was so blown away that rushing to leave the apartment I put on two different shoes!!   

After that day I never saw or heard from him again.  Even three years later I still wonder what happened to him.  I have no idea why he dropped in that day or what he wanted,  I guess he will always be an unfinished part of my life.

Thank you Joy and Rachel for being my substitute family , giving me hot dresses like this and holding my hands when I needed it most on that occasion and the many times you held my hand over Boyfriend A. 

Frock Up Fridays continue to be so much fun at work, with heaps more of the girls at work joining in the dress movemoment .. even a boy snuck into this one even though his dress didn't fit he still got in the spirit of my project - thank you Kon you look adorable you totally frock!

Yours in dresses

Skye

Day 9

Dress: Forget the purple dress
Received: 4ish years ago
Price Range: Free
What I like about it: It reminds me of Joy and it doesn’t require ironing!!
Tag Info: Made in USA, Steps,91% Rayon 9% Spandex
Photo Credit: FGreenland & SDobson

Dress 8 : I can show you the world

I have to start off by admitting washing and ironing are not my strong points.  Mainly because I’ve never really had to do either of these domestic tasks.  Growing up my Nan lived with us so did those types of things.  When I moved to California with Kirsty she not only became my travel partner but substitute teacher in domestication.  Living in California there was no such thing as ironing, everything went in the dryer and most clothes we bought while there didn’t need an iron.  I did however master the washing machine!

Moving to New York there was a Laundromat with a lovely lady who I dropped my washing off to at 7am and picked it up the same day folded and ready for my wardrobe (or floor when it wouldn’t fit).  There have been a few comments that ironing was needed on some of my dresses so I did what any girl would do – I chose the ones that didn’t need ironing!!  Emma has an iron at our house but it is scary!  I swear it can fly and talk and do all sorts of things that irons should not do.  But I had put today’s dress off long enough and pulled up the courage to ask Emma for an ironing lesson.  Last night was that night.  The first things she said was ‘ok so its a little complicated’ .. 6 months I have tried to avoid that iron for that very reason.   But with Emma’s watchful Eye and Dannii (my second lovely roommate) cheering (more like laughing and taking photos which she has kindly shared) from the sidelines I did iron this dress.

Today's dress is just gorgeous and comes from an equally gorgeous girl Sarah.  Sarah joined my office when I had already been there about 2 years.  A good Adelaide girl she loved to have a drink and that's where we got to know each other with a glass in our hands and plenty to talk about.  Sarah had a laugh that you could never resist joining in on.  She was always there for a chat and would always amaze me with her ideas and creativity just burning awaiting to be unleashed and not wasted at the job we worked in.  When Sarah’s time came to end in New York and she moved back to Australia a little light went out in New York when she left.

When she left we were invited over for the usual I can’t fit this into my suitcase party with the things that were up for grabs displayed out around her apartment.  During my time in New York these types of get together’s whenever one of us would be a constant reminder at what a transient life we were all living, before I left I had the same type of gathering and it really made my heart stop to see my things all lined up ready and waiting to be left behind.  Thankfully Sarah left this dress because it has been a staple for my summers.

Something amazing would happen when I would wear this dress in summer in New York.  While the city held the heat in its concrete walls and floors and it was unbearable to sleep at night this dress was my saviour to help keep me cool in the day time.  Aside from being a great dress to keep cool when I would walk down the street heads would turn.  I’m not sure why but it was only this dress that would catch peoples attention, especially the male type with nonchalant nods and sly call outs.  Being that it is cold (yes cold in Summer, we nearly had to turn the heater on last night) I am wearing tights with it today, but normally it has a lot more movement.  I would walk past the same construction sites the next day and not even get a look.

I always thought that this dress didn't have a tag or any information on it.  Given the patterns and embellishments it always made me feel like it came from some far off exotic destination.  Images of wondering through the Sahara dessert my hair blowing in the wind, or shopping in the markets of the middle east and stumbling across a genie lamp hidden in a alley way always come to my mind when I wear this dress and think of its origins.  But tonight I decided to have a look one more time and there I found the tiniest tag I have ever seen .. it does come from an exotic location Indonesia!!!

Today however I was meeting my lovely friend from India and after seeing some of her Indian movies in recent months and Indian dresses it felt a bit Bollywood to me today.  So we thought we would have some fun I put on a bindi and tried my first ever Bollywood poses with her expert direction!

Thank you Sarah for this dress and for all the confidence boosters I got from wolf whistles and shout outs in NYC!  Also happy Birthday to my Nan who turns 79 today and can still rock a dress (maybe that's where I get it from!).

Day 8

Dress: I Can Show You The World
Received: 4ish years ago
Price Range: Free
What I like about it: I love the material and the pattern.  I love the lightness of the material and all the attention this dress draws to me.  It gives me a feeling of freedom and adventure being on the horizon
Tag Info: Hand made in Indonesia, 100%Rayon
Photo Credit: ND. White, NChakraborty (aka shake your booty!)

Dress 7 : Diplomacy with a Twist

There are some people in your life you feel as though they have always been there and I think this is why I feel as though I have always been friends with Zoe.  When Zoe started at our office in New York, Joy did one of the things I love about her, she was the first person to offer her friendship and a smile.  Friendship with Joy also meant that Zoe was dragged along to meet the rest of us!

We quickly became friends with Zoe being one of the most patient listeners I have ever met!  The times she heard my sagas of boyfriends and work issues and she never once hurried me a long or made me feel I was wasting her time.  She has sat there patiently listening to me sing song after song at karaoke.  There have been times when Zoe has left us to carry on a night away so she could take a nap and then catch up and listen again patiently with the gossip the next day refreshed while we all try and find the closest thing that’s fried!

I also found a dangerous shopping partner when we docked on a cruise ship get away in Mexico, I didn’t know I could meet someone who could shop as much as I did and encourage me to buy more than I actually should of (there will be dresses from that trip to come)!  She also didn't mind listening to a song she hates when I sang Black Velvet with the Cruise Ship band for their guest talent show and practised it in our teeney cabin for two hours straight!

She was the one to introduce me to the very first song with my name in it ‘Panama’ by The Cat Empire, that song always makes me smile (song is at the end of today's dress photos).  I loved sitting the night away, wine in hand, cheese in the other in Zoe's apartment and as night time fell from her window the lights of New York grew stronger.  Many hours were spent with our coven of girls looking at that view while Zoe and the girls helped me question my life and where I was going .... and why I shouldn’t be dating the latest guy I was! When I announced I was leaving she was one of my strongest supporters and made me believe I could be strong enough to leave New York.
This dress came to me when she was having an annual clean out and invited us all over to pick through her unwanted clothes.  I love the way this dress falls on me and it makes me feel confident and sure.  It is also the first dress I have worn in this challenge not made in China .. but made in Australia!!! 

Now Zoe is also back home the location may have changed but sitting on her couch, wine in one hand, cheese in the other while I make her listen patiently to my life sagas has not.  A friend is a friend no matter where their couch may be in the world.  Thank you Zoe for this gorgeous dress, everyone loved it at work I received so many compliments today that they think you may want it back!!!

Day 7
Dress: Diplomacy with a Twist
Received: 4 years ago
Price Range: Free
What I like about it: I love the pattern, it is interesting an different. I love the feel of the dress and the cut is really flattering.  It is great for work that you can make it look very formal but it isn't stuffy and boring office wear.  I did add the glasses though for that officey look.
Tag Info: Made in Australia, Portmans, Viscose, Rayon Elastane
Photo Credit: JMeagher

Dress 6 : Nordic Ikea Organisation (does that make sense to anyone else?)

When I moved back to Australia I found it extremely quiet!  I’m a person who likes to be busy and have a lot going on around them.  In the US I had a friend who used meetup.com to find friends and groups of people who were interested in the same types of things as she was.  This site had started in Australia but was relatively new so I thought I would see what was on there.

One of the groups to instantly draw me was an Aussie Re-Pats group.  It seemed like a great idea to meet others who may be going through the same experience of settling back into life in Australia again.  I was sure that my old friends here at home needed a break from my constant ‘wow Australia is so expensive’ and a ‘wow that would so not happen in New York’ – some of these do pop out now but more so just in my head and not in my outside voice!
I signed up and within a few weeks rsvp’d to an event with a few other girls who were meeting for drinks in the city.

This is where I met the former owner for this dress, Lauren!  Like me Lauren had been living overseas but in China and was also experiencing the friends who had heard your stories a million times and trying to find her feet back home.  It was nice to have someone else to share the feelings of being home again and to understand it was normal to feel a little lost in a culture you felt you should already know and knew how to stop and take a breath whole you take a moment to re-acquaint yourself with the Aussie way.. especially when you automatically went to do something in the other cultures way.  I always would try and leave a tip at the bar and still have issues knowing when a taxi is free in Australia (this is the most complicated thing Ive had to re-learn so far - aside from Trams they are still scary and hard to know when to get off at your stop!) 

We have had many laughs over cocktails and coffees and swapped travel survival stories and being home survival stories.  This dress she gave to me about a year ago after she bought it online and found it was a little short for her .. I am extremely short so it fit me perfectly!  When she showed me the dress I instantly fell in love with the Nordic almost Ikea organisation of the pattern (does that make sense to anyone else!?).  Thanks Lauren for not only giving me a great dress but a dress I love!

Also don't forget to vote on which dress you want to be given to Charity from last week!!

Yours in dresses

Skye

Day 6
Dress: Nordic Ikea Organisation
Received: 12 months ago
Price Range: Free
What I like about it: I love the pattern, it is interesting an different. I love the feel of the dress and the cut is really flattering.
Tag Info: Made in China, Sass, Polyester Elastane
Photo Credit: KMcKinnon