So this is what it feels like to win the lottery!

Last week I received the call of a lifetime.

No, I didn't win the lottery, but this has got to come close.

I've been invited to go on an overseas adventure. To explore a country I've always wanted to visit. Ten days in an amazing foreign land, and it's all part of my job!

I love Glam Adelaide.

To give you a hint, here is the spiel from the country's tourism site:

You will be enchanted by giant, orange full moons; crystal-clear mountain streams; smiling hosts for whom nothing is ever too much trouble; the roar of a lion at midnight outside your safari camp; entertaining evenings out at the theatre, cinema or nightclub; learning to say ‘hello’ in 11 different languages; walking barefoot on endless stretches of pristine beach sand and finding yourself in the midst of an expanse that stretches as far as your binoculars can see.

Intrigued? Interested? I certainly am! I'm off to South Africa (thanks to South African Tourism) in 17 sleeps. 


Here's a sneak peak at where I'll be staying for the first leg of the trip...

Seems perfect doesn't it? I'll be going from SA to SA. That place that pops up every time I try and register a twitter hashtag! Haha. I love it.


I'll post more details on here as soon as I can, plus I'll obviously be covering the whole exciting adventure via www.glamadelaide.com.au.

(Good thing I've started Hypoxi & the 28 Day Baby Weight Loss Diet! Seems I now have a reason to stick to it!)

A Jaunt To The Riverland

Beautiful Autumn colours

April seems to have been a month of wine regions for me! It started with Easter in Clare, then I travelled to the Riverland for two days last week.

It was a quick work trip to train some winemakers and growers in social media, which of course ended up with me sampling some fantastic alternative Riverland wine varieties.

If you haven't delved in to Vermentinos, Montepuliciano, Grillo and other lesser known varieties, check out the Riverland Alternative Wine Group Facebook page for more info.

There are some amazing wines being produced which aren't widely distributed yet which will make you the talk of your next dinner party!

My lunch with a view

Although the weather was less than perfect, the river still looked beautiful and all the vineyards with their Autumn colours set the scene.

I stayed at the golf club in Berri, which allowed me to wake up to a beautiful view of the golf course, but as I wasn't there on a weekend, we were somewhat limited in places to eat breakfast/lunch/dinner at.

If you're thinking of heading to the Riverland, I'd suggest finding a cosy B&B and taking your food with you. You can pick up wine from the the various wineries in the area, but it's best to be prepared with your own stash if you're not familiar with the area.

A cafe on the river

As there are plenty of primary producers in that area, you can easily pick up bags of butternut pumpkins and oranges for about $5 along the roadside so carry some cash on you if you're feeling like picking up some fresh produce! 

I didn't have enough time to really explore, but I certainly saw enough to go back again. Another beautiful South Australian region.

The view from the Berri Golf Club hotel room

The Baby Weight Battle Begins

The baby weight I must lose

With everything that's going on in my life with my businesses, the events I attend, and relationship and my beautiful baby daughter, it's easy to lose track of time.

I was horrified to realise that Ivy turns one next month.

Oh my god. 12 months old. And I still haven't lost the baby weight. What do they say? 9 months to put it on, 9 months to take it off. I have friends that dropped their weight in 2 months. What on earth have I been doing? I never thought in a million years that I'd still be carrying the weight at this point in time.

Don't get me wrong, I've lost over half of it and I fit in to some of my pre-baby clothes, but I haven't dropped all the weight, which means I still have A LOT of clothes that are hanging sadly neglected in my wardrobe.

This calls for desperate action.

I need to hit my goal weight (60kg) by Ivy's birthday. That means I have to lose 7kg by May 30th. It's that simple.

And I have a plan.

Step 1. Drink 2L of water a day. Everyone says it, I think about it, but I've never done it.
Step 2. Book in more Hypoxi sessions at the North Adelaide boutique. These have always worked wonders on me and because I've been slack, all my hard work in October has been squandered.
Step 3. Follow the '28 Day (Breastfeeding Friendly) Diet & Exercise Plan from www.losebabyweight.com.au

I've tried Hypoxi before and had great results so I know that will definitely get me back on track and when I discovered the diet & exercise plan - I know it was worth looking at!

The 28 day plan's tag line was "The weight loss plan for mums created by nutrition and exercise experts to help you lose your baby weight and feel at your best possible health." Sounds like it was meant for me.

The best thing about all of this is that if everything goes to plan, I'll be looking & feeling great just in time for Ivy's party. How exciting!

Now I just need to get past tonight's degustation at D'Artagnan in North Adelaide and it can all begin from tomorrow...

Interviewing Zac Efron

Scott Hicks, Zac Efron & Taylor Schilling

I shall never wash my hand again. Zac Efron touched me. He shook my hand when I interviewed him on the red carpet at The Lucky One premiere in Adelaide, and suddenly I understood why thousands of screaming fans showed up to see him.

Considering I only vaguely knew who he was a couple of weeks ago, it's been an interesting journey seeing how Adelaide has embraced this Hollywood heart throb (myself included), and what charisma and sparkly eyes will do for a film.

Of course, Zac is far too young for me, and isn't really my type, but it's funny how easily you get caught up in the excitement of it all.

Steve & I on the red carpet

To back track a little, I was able to do some red carpet interviews on Thursday night last week when Adelaide-based director Scott Hicks brought his new film to town.

The acclaimed director (of Shine fame) wanted Australia to host the film's premieres ahead of the US and Europe, which was a pretty big deal.

As Adelaide's cinemas aren't perhaps as grand as some of those interstate and overseas, I wasn't sure how the whole red carpet thing would look when rolled out at Event Cinemas in Marion, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The whole cinema level (up the escalators) was transformed.

Roadshow brought staging, red carpets (obviously) and barricades from their interstate premieres, which made the area completely unrecognisable.

The thousands of screaming female fans certainly set the scene as well.

I have honestly never heard anything like it and my throat was sore for hours afterward for trying to speak over the incredible high pitched waves of fervor.

The fans packed in for a chance to see Zac!

I was only able to have a really quick chat to each of the stars - Zac Efron, Scott Hicks and Taylor Schilling - but it was enough to see each of their star qualities, and how their passion for their jobs has taken them far. They were all incredibly professional and friendly and it was quite a buzz to have their attention even if only for a minute or two.

I am extremely proud of Scott Hicks and all he's achieved, but most of all I'm impressed that he hasn't forgotten his roots and how delighted he was to showcase his home town to the lead actors in his upcoming film.

Style Insight: Steve (pictured above with me) was wearing Armani & I was in a new season Liza Emanuele tunic.

Photography for Glam Adelaide by Alice Healy. Full gallery here.

Review: Sweet Briar B&B, Clare Valley

The dam & the windmill out the back

Over Easter we were lucky enough to get away for three nights in the beautiful Clare Valley. Being surrounded by vineyards, bushland and serenity was just what the doctor ordered.

As it was a last minute decision to go away, we found ourselves taking the only accommodation available - a new B&B called Sweet Briar, just 3kms up the road from the Clare County Club. The reason it had remained vacant was the unusual lack of photos on their website so nobody was willing to book sight unseen. Except for my mother of course.

Well, the dive into the unknown worked out splendidly. Sweet Briar was fabulous.

The front of Sweet Briar

Nestled amongst its own vineyards (which the owners make wine from of course), we were treated to a large three bedroom home, which had a wrap around veranda along the front and side (in typical old South Australian style), spacious rooms, a little extra room off of our bedroom complete with bunks (but we just popped Ivy's portacot in there) and a large extension off the back which housed a second bathroom/laundry, and open lounge/dining area with combustion fireplace. 

It would be fair guess to say the owners also use the house, as the little extras were all thought of. There were condiments in the kitchen, napkins, soy sauce, plenty of cooking pots & pans, plus other handy items.

The view from the lounge

There was a dam out the back, so if you have young kids make sure you keep an eye on them, but it provides a beautiful view and there are plenty of walking tracks around the place to keep you exploring.

The B&B is also located right on the Riesling Trail, so bring your bike along & make the most of what the Clare Valley is renowned for.

As much as I carry on though, I'll let a few photos I took explain the rest for you.

The bottom line is that if you're looking for a great place to getaway with up to 3 couples (and a couple of kids), this is a great place to do it with some good wine, a roaring fire and a beautiful view.

To book or for more info visit http://www.stayz.com.au/108516

The view to one side of the house

The King size suite

The lounge area (TV is off to the left, dining to the right & two more big lounges are behind me)

Didn't get time to enjoy the big bath but did enjoy the space in the bathroom!

Another view of the lounge

 The second bedroom (which has the additional room off to the left of the bed)

The kitchen (small but perfectly country with every convenience except dishwasher)

Beautiful sunsets enjoyed from the veranda

A quirky little place to enjoy a red wine & a view of the vineyards

Being A Part Of The Adelaide Cabaret Festival

This year's 'look' by artist David Bromley

The coolest thing in the world happened last year. Well, other than having a beautiful daughter of course. I was asked to be involved with my favourite festival, the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Officially my title is "Adelaide Cabaret Festival Committee Member" and I'm amongst esteemed company, with other people involved including the one & only Kate Cebarano (who is the Artistic Director this year), long time friend Paul Kitching, scandal King Matt Gilbertson, Cabaret Festival Frank Ford & more.

Aisde from getting to know exciting information ahead of the public, I'm also able to meet with this inspiring group of people on regular basis.

One such get together happened last week, which meant that we had this year's Festival program revealed to us ahead of the Saturday launch.

As I was away in Sydney for the weekend, this worked out perfectly for me as I didn't want to miss the big news!

I'm excited to say that this year's Festival has kept former Artistic Director David Campbell's dream alive, as Kate Ceberano has take the bull by the horns and delivered a cracker of a line up.

If you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, here's the link to all the info on Glam Adelaide.

Hope to see you there!

Sunsets, Champagne & Amazing Women

The lovely Deb Landau & I in front of our boat

This week has been a busy one for me! In addition to our beautiful Sydney boating adventure, I was also lucky enough to head out to sea with 13 amazing women including Marta & Christina from the Women's & Children's Hospital Foundation on The Boat That Frocked!

We had been brought together to help come up with fundraising ideas for the charity - while enjoying champagne, delicious delights from renowned Adelaide chef Chris Jarmer, an amazing sunset and a once-in-a-lifetime cruise on the Pickard family's cruiser (which left from the marina in Glenelg).

Each of the women were invited for being at the top of their own field and bring a diverse mix of skills and experience. Some great ideas were born out of the brainstorming - and most importantly, a new group of friends who will help the Foundation to realize them. 


I love being involved with these sorts of things - the people who are involved are so inspiring, and I am always left with some great experiences! 

Holdfast Marina at Glenelg

A perspective shot - it was a HUGE boat!

Setting off from the marina. (Lucette dress. Sollis necklace)

Our first glimpse of the sunset at the marina heads

The sunset went from great to simply AMAZING

Such a beautiful boat. What a great night. 

It was the perfect reason to wear my new Sollis necklace too!

Qantas, Lunch, Wine, Hilton, Ivy, Wine, Wine, Wine, Hilton, Win.

Wine Australia (@Wine_Australia) are presenting the A+ Australian Wine Celebration in April (#AussieWine). As a wine lover, media person, social media advocate & supporter of the industry, I've been invited to attend the launch of celebrations today at the A+ Australian Wine Fair at the Ivy Bar (@IvyBar) in Sydney.

Am I excited?

In a word, yes.

I arrived in Sydney early this morning and to begin the day's special activities, we enjoyed a special winemakers lunch and VIP preview of the Wine Fair, before checking in to the Hilton, whom will incidentally be having all Australian wines by the glass for the duration of the A+ Australian Wine Celebration.

Follow my adventures today on Twitter @KellyNoble

More info about the A+ Australian Wine Celebration

Australia’s greatest ever wine celebration kicks off nationwide in April 2012, with close to 100 events taking place across the nation, celebrating the diversity and excellence of our local offerings.

The A+ Australian Wine Celebration launches for the first time from 12 to 29 April 2012, and all Aussies are being invited to get involved in the country’s biggest collaboration of wine events.

Held in capital cities and across many of our most beautiful regional communities, the A+ Australian Wine Celebration is set to include an exciting collection of wine, food and music festivals, meet the winemaker opportunities, gourmet dining events and exclusive tasting opportunities.

To find out what A+ Australian Wine Celebration events are happening near you, click here

Sydney Harbour, Palm Beach Style

Over the weekend Steve, Ivy & I ducked over to Sydney for some brief but amazing experiences.

The amazing boat we spent Saturday on

The highlight of the trip ended up being a day on the water, but Friday night was all about spreading the Adelaide-love, with the launch of McLaren Vale Beer (Vale Ale) at The Oaks pub in Neutral Bay.

Beer for us, milk for Ivy

It was great to see a South Aussie brew on tap, so being loyal fans, we bought up & made sure the till numbers for MVBeer looked good at the end of the night. As much as Ivy wanted to join in, we made sure she stuck with her milk... (#goodparenting101)

We had no plans on Saturday and just thought we'd wing it - and what a good decision that was. Some great friends of ours invited us our on their beautiful luxury motor yacht for the day.

The weather was perfect, Sydney Harbour was stunning, and we couldn't have asked for a more relaxing way to take in the sights of the beautiful city skyline.

We started out at Rushcutters Bay (which I'd never been to before but am glad I have now!) and then sailed (not sure of the term when there are no sails) to Colins Bay for some lunch on the water.

For a bit of adventure, we then headed out past the heads into the open waters & then turned around for a whirl past the Opera House, under the Harbour Bridge, past Lunar Park and then back to Rushcutters.

The 40 foot motor yacht was a Palm Beach model, and featured lots of polished wood, cream leather and a beautiful interior. I think I was more impressed by the electric windows than anything (I'm not sure why) but it was a lovely smooth ride & a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Mark Richards (the guy who skippers Wild Oats - multi-race-winning yacht) actually makes the Palm Beach motor yachts - which explains why they're just amazing - both to operate (according to our friends) and to enjoy as a passenger.

I definitely think this is a lifestyle I could get used to.

For now however, I'll just have to relive the day via my photos!

Have baby. Will travel (dress by Liza Emanuele).

Rediscovering McLaren Vale

This weekend I was lucky enough to spend some time touring around the McLaren Vale checking out the wineries. It was Steve's birthday, so our primary destination was d'Arenberg for lunch. Everything else was just decided upon off the cuff.

It's a stunning time of year to be driving around McLaren Vale - it's not too hot, everything is still beautiful and green, and you don't have to deal with large tour groups. Perfect.

The view out the back of Paxtons

We started at Paxton's Wines, which is a beautiful little cellar door. Go out the back and check out the view over the hills while you enjoy a glass of their red.

While we waited to get served at Paxtons, we decided to take to Twitter to see where people suggested we go.
Enter Coriole. They tweeted to Steve that if we visited their cellar door they would sprinkle flower petals down the driveway to welcome us. We loved their banter & set out to visit their flower haven.

It's amazing how easily you can engage with businesses via Twitter, and we often use it to decide where to go for dinners, winery tours etc. We figure if they can find the time to chat to us, it sets them apart from their competitors so we're always happy to give them a go.

The beautiful gardens at Coriole

If you haven't been to Coriole before, plan to spend some time there. It's another stunning venue with amazing wines, beautiful cellar door and stunning grounds. If you can, visit the restaurant and try their cheese platter. It's to die for.

From Coriole we travelled to d'Arenberg, sampled some wine and then got stuck in to the most incredible lunch I've had in years.

I was lucky enough to choose the lobster medallions on crab ravioli. I was in heaven. Everyone else at our table chose well too and we all left suitably stuffed. 

I can't recommend that restaurant enough. It's a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. Absolutely amazing food, plus another great view to enjoy while you eat.

To wrap the day up, we hit up Alpha Box & Dice, which is renowned for being a quirky little cellar door with lots of personality.

We bought a few bottles of wine there while some of our group played pinball on the 'Buck Rogers' machine in the corner.

One of the lounging areas at Alpha Box & Dice

Alpha Box & Dice is great place to take visitors who are looking for an experience that's outside of the bigger commercial cellar doors.

While we didn't have time to check it out yesterday, another great little cellar door is at Samuel's Gorge - a little hidden gem tucked away in an old barn, which is also packed full of charm (& great wine).

With a stack of wine cases to prove the success of our trip, I'll certainly be making the effort to head to McLaren Vale more often over the coming months. I forget it's so close!

I love the photo caption on this picture

The outside of the cellar door at Alpha Box & Dice

Celebrating Spam. The Sunday Mail Twitter List.

I know as I write this article, that I’ll be attacked for it, but it just has to be done. Someone has to make the point about quality vs quantity.

If you’ve missed all the recent debate on Twitter, here’s the brief run down.

On Sunday March 18th, Adelaide’s Sunday Mail published a list of Adelaide’s top 100 Tweeters. When they say top 100, they don’t mean most followed, most interesting, most influential or anything else worth noting. They mean the 100 people in Adelaide who have tweeted the most.

This is the equivalent of giving a pat on the back to the person out there with the highest phone bill. Does it mean they’re successful? Popular? Interesting? Probably not. It just means they spend a significant amount of time on their chosen vice.

Now don’t get me wrong. Some of the people on that list are interesting, successful, popular AND avid tweeters. But a lot of them aren’t.

Most of these people put out so many tweets, the rest of us out there consider their feeds to be spam.

When I dared mention the ‘S’ word in relation to this list on Twitter, I was shot down by someone asking how it could be termed spam if they weren’t selling anything.

By definition Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems (including most broadcast media & digital delivery systems including Twitter) to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately.

I don’t know about you, but seeing thousands of Bieber tweets in my news feed certainly falls in to that category.

There are also a large number of tweeps from that Top 100 list who spend all day on Twitter just chatting with their friends about every aspect of their lives. While that certainly racks up their number of tweets, the rest of us don’t necessarily need to witness their private conversations being held in a public forum. And I don’t think these people need to be celebrated in a double page spread in the local rag.

Again, I just want to clarify, that people have the right to use their twitter accounts as they wish – tweeting as many times as they want, about whatever subject they want, for whatever purpose. I just don’t think that prolific users should have been put on a pedestal.

Lists are generally interesting, but I really have struggled with this one as it’s pushed these users into mainstream media, and those who aren’t on Twitter and don’t know any better, are led to believe that these are Twitter’s elite.

I would have loved to see a list published which highlighted people who used Twitter well – either personally or professionally – and were actually worth following. Quality, influence and other ‘measures of success’ on Twitter are hard to put a finger on, and people will argue about the methods you use to categorise tweeps, but you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out good from bad.

Which of course, leads me to write up my own list.

While I don’t have the resources or time to put together a top 100 list of Adelaide’s best tweeters – here are some people that are worth following and make it in to MY ‘most notable’ list. This is not meant to be Twitter's best users. This is a subjective list. These are the people I personally think are worth checking out.

Oh, and for the record – yes I’ve included Glam Adelaide & our team and I have no problem with that. This is our list after all.

[UPDATE: No, I do not mean that you have to be interesting, successful and popular to avoid being a spammer]

Adelaide’s 50 Or So Most Notable Tweeters


(If we've forgotten anyone we apologise but we wanted to get this up sooner rather than later. Feel free to comment & let us know who you think should be included on the list!)

Pro-Adelaide, News, Events, Info, Media

@GlamAdelaide
100% Positive, South Australian News - Events, Launches, Lifestyle, Sport, Arts, Fashion & More
8,636 Tweets
4,975 Following
5,874 Followers

@AdelaideTweet
Retweeting the best #Adelaide tweets by hand, day after day
52,695 Tweets
11,162 Following
10,195 Followers

@Matt_Gilbertson
Gossip Bitch for Sunday Mail and sometimes Hotpant wearing and accordion playing German AKA @accordionhans
12,419 Tweets
1,321 Following
2,854 Followers

@TimVerrall
Exec Producer .... Maz, Dan and Shane @nova919 Adelaide My tweets are my own thoughts
9,824 Tweets
1,972 Following
1,229 Followers

@KevCorduroy
Humble public servant dedicated to serving the people. Favorite foods lime and black pepper chips and iced coffee. ABC broadcaster. Journalist.
11,382 Tweets
221 Following
2,468 Followers

@1395FiveAA
FIVEaa - Adelaide 1395 - Interactive Radio
9,021 Tweets
1,838 Following
3,600 Followers

@Nova919
We’re a radio station and we like to live life Nova. The home of Maz, Dan and Shane for breakfast and Meshel, Tim and Marty for the drive home.
7,751 Tweets
2,050 Following
3,630 Followers

@SAFMAdelaide (Similar tweets to Triple M)

The latest blogs from our shows and news from our entertainment team.
5,235 Tweets
4,523 Following
4,984 Followers

@TripleMAdelaide (Similar tweets to SAFM)

Rock out all day and night! We have Adelaide's widest variety of ROCK Music at 104.7FM. #TripleM #RockMusic Don't miss @thehotbreakfast from 6am to 9am.
2,078 Tweets
3,320 Following
3,548 Followers




@AdelaideNow (while they don't engage, it's a good source of news headlines)


Adelaide's leading news source with the latest in news, sport and entertainment from Adelaide, South Australia and the world.
47,664 Tweets
135 Following

8,182 Followers


@Katie_Spain
Writer - The Adelaide* Magazine  & Deluxe Adelaide Mag, digital lass, and glitter pusher
2,804 Tweets
1,038 Following
1,588 Followers


Food & Wine

@PaulWoodSA
My kitchen ruled in 2010. Travel, Design, Food & Wine are my words du jour. I write. I cook. I tweet.
4,836 Tweets
1,055 Following
1,532 Followers

@Grace_Est
Bar with food
1,163 Tweets
1,387 Following
1,330 Followers



@Richard_Gunner
Growing and selling great meat also stocking a range of other products from passionate small producers.
6,870 Tweets
1,816 Following
2,891 Followers

@Vinteloper
Master & Commander at The Vinteloper Urban Winery Project. Normally I'm just a guy making artisan wine from South Australia - David Bowley.
5,016 Tweets
1,786 Following
2,604 Followers

General

@StephenYarwood
The Right Honorable The Lord Mayor of Adelaide - Urban Planner - Futurist - Art/Culture lover - Dad & Husband - Student of life
4,694 Tweets
909 Following
3,589 Followers

@KristySlater
A female who has a passion for all things sport. Aspiring Sports Journalist. A daughter, a sister, a friend, a cousin, a niece. Lover of fine wine and shopping.
27,549 Tweets
457 Following
1,311 Followers

@GenWhaites
Editor of @glamadelaide. Social media nerd. I think I'm hilarious. http://www.glamadelaide.com.au.
1,316 Tweets
477 Following
593 Followers

@KellyNoble
Managing Director of Glam Adelaide, promoting the best of South Australian News. Glam Digital, Social Media Agency & Glam Baby Website.
12,331 Tweets
7,704 Following
7,391 Followers

@GianniBorrelli
21. University student. Writer for @glamadelaide. Intern at @sunmail. Media know it all. Music lover. Slave to the rhythm
5,117 Tweets
639 Following
1,078 Followers

@CaitlinJJohns
Marketing student at Adelaide Uni, proud intern at @glamadelaide & avid lover of cupcakes
4,161 Tweets
133 Following
335 Followers

@The_CheshireKat
23, left-handed, gamer, theatre/film nerd, journalism Masters student, intern at @GlamAdelaide & social media addict. My views are my own.
8,915 Tweets
448 Following
553 Followers

@SteveDavis
Marketing Director, Baker Marketing, Adelaide. Helping small businesses create marketing strategy and implement it, quickly and affordably. Lover of espresso
4,860 Tweets
668 Following
972 Followers

@LuluRan
Passionately working for the South Australian Hotel Industry. My tweets are purely me, myself and I.
9,158 Tweets
1,492 Following
987 Followers

@MalChia
Digital marketer, social media nerd and family guy. Music, movies, sci-fi, NBA, EPL and gaming are my vices.
10,508 Tweets
998 Following
1,619 Followers

@OliYoung
Head of Dev @ WineCru #rails, #aleague, #nba, music, #auspol, tv, #apple, but mostly tomfoolery. Assume sarcasm. +husband +dad
55,582 Tweets
1,631 following
2,631 Followers

@Prakky
Adelaide social media consultant. Public speaker, blogger, trainer. @891Adelaide 4.30pm Fridays. Caretaker of @socadl. Winner year 8 map competition.
47,103 Tweets
4,768 Following
4,562 Followers

@UniofAdelaide
Official Twitter profile of the University of Adelaide. Tweets about what's happening and answering your questions about uni.
5,983 Tweets
654 Following
7,047 Followers

@TynteFlowers
Get Well, Happy Birthday, Miss you, New Baby, thank you... flowers are the best way to show you care!
2,581 Tweets
1,971 Following
1,646 Followers

@Jaimie_Sortino
I Make Pretty Gowns Xjme
9,518 Tweets
345 Following
522 Followers

@LeeHopkins
Business communication and social media consultant based in the glorious Adelaide Hills. IABC Member. Co-founder, Social Media Club Adelaide
16,207 Tweets
7,444 Following
6,940Followers

@TashStoodley
I burn my candle at both ends, It will not last the night. But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends, It gives a lovely light.
14,518 Tweets
862 Following
1,113 Followers

@LeishForeman
Community radio volunteer | Higher ed marketer | Loves: kitties, cake, travel, meeting new people, trying new things and SOCIAL MEDIA | I tweet MY mind.
7,619 Tweets
1,392 Following
601 Followers

@Moirsey
Friend, colleague, enthusiast and connoisseur of frivolity . In the business of PR, Marketing, Comms and passion for living life; it’s not a spectator sport.
3,697 Tweets
466 Following
439 Followers

@HayleyConolly
Communications Consultant at @fullercom. My life in 10 words: Family. Friends. Barbie. Ken. Lego. Robots. Ironing. Smelly Cheese. Wine.
4,838 Tweets
1,735 Following
1,490 Followers

@KatePotter
Adelaide PR consultant, traveller, wine lover, wannabe photographer. I work at @Hughes_PR, and you might occasionally find me pouring tastings @coriole.
3,451 Tweets
544 Following
945 Followers

@SaraheThomas
PR & social media strategist, founder & blogger at @thesocialprco & voracious cook...book collector sarah@thesocialpr.co
3,469 Tweets
2,364 Following
2,521 Followers

@Kamtiger
Op Shop Addict. I blog on @opshopdiva and share PR/social media musings on @leapwords.Dreams of Europe, novel writing and yam basket.
3,384 Tweets
623 Following
701 Followers

@MikaelLiddy
Social Media Comms for @BendigoBank. 1/2 Danish, 1/2 Aussie. Food & wine lover, avid cyclist to compensate. My opinions here, not those of my employer.
6,368 Tweets
667 Following
520 Followers

@JessieMorris
New mum. Social web and food nerd. Enthusiastic snacker. Digital communications consultant with @fullercom.
5,452 Tweets
1,405 Following
1,469 Followers

@_AdrianKH
| Views are my own | #ynwa | #gov2au | #gov2 | #socadl | #sminoz | #wine | #INTP | #socialmedia | #web2 | #socialgov | #socialbiz
21,667 Tweets
2,226 Following
2,032 Followers

@SophieLiddy
Lover of music, fashion, food and all things bubbly. Consumer of Gin. Social Media addict. Owner of Lulu.
3,787 Tweets
1,039 following
801 Followers

@SarahTomlinson
Right on the money and off by a mile, ahead of my time and way out of style.
8,615 Tweets
446 Following
569 Followers

Ex-pats

@Twillyon
Social Strategist at @PPRtweets, @Soc_Syd organiser and serial Foursquare user. These views are my own and not that of my clients or company.
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@LeahMcQueen
Photographer. Dreamer. World traveller. Lover of fashion and all the beautiful things in life... A girl inspired by love... I love what I do...
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@ExportMogul
Head of Business Development @Quirky
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@_TaniaDee
Publicist, blogger & freelance fashion writer. Lover of licorice & lipstick. Sometimes speaks with a British accent.
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@DiariesofBella
Fashion-lover, champagne-drinker, cupcake-eater; have appreciation for all things fashion, culture and art. xx
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Oh, and for the record – the Sunday Mail (@SunMail) hasn’t tweeted since February 18th.

My Adelaide Cup Day - Fashion , Fillies & Fun

Adelaide Cup Day. One of my favourites. And this year was no different.

Back before baby, I usually spent months carefully putting together the elements of my outfit - first the hat, then selecting a dress to match, and finally shoes, handbag and accessories.

These days there is a lot less time to dedicate to the cause, but knowing where to go for each element has put me in good stead for the future.

As I judged the Myer Fashions on the Field this year, I also wanted to showcase local designers wherever possible.

1. The hat/fascinator. Luckily for me, I know a very talented local milliner (Georgie Young) who creates a range of gorgeous, race-appropriate head pieces. Her label Georgie Lou is available at One Rundle, which is where I picked up one of her latest headband creations featuring black, leather flowers. Perfect for an Autumn racing carnival. 

2. The outfit. Although colour blocking was in this year, I chose traditional racewear. Black and white. Liza Emanuele always has fantastic classic pieces which are timeless, and I decided upon a white pleat skirt with black band along the bottom, and a striped halter neck top with ruffles down the front. I also added a black suede Morrison bolero to the outfit to bring the Autumn leathers together. Oh, and black patent stilettos.

3. Hair & make up. Thanks to my trusty GHDs, I have mastered the art of doing my own hair when the salons are shut on a Monday (why oh why do they shut on Adelaide Cup), but I did manage to get my make up professionally done. Aleisha Gannon is a brilliant make up artist and she got me 'race ready'. I'd readily recommend her any day. I chose red Mac lipstick to bring some colour to my black & white outfit.

Once all the preparations were done, it was off to the track to hang out with Rebecca Judd & Kris Smith in the Myer Marquee before judging the Fashions on the Field.

Although there were some bad outfits this year (we even saw butt cheek), the girls who made it through to the top ten were all amazing.

Casey Saint, the Face of the Adelaide Casino Adelaide Cup & I

I took a quick snap (above) of my 'thank you' gift from Myer - a fab gift pack with Marc Jacobs perfume & moisturiser.

After my duties were done for the day, it was off to the Adelaide Casino's Chandelier Lounge (Tapestry Pavillion) for some bubbles, some catching up with friends (including the gorgeous Face of the Adelaide Casino Adelaide Cup, Casey Saint - pictured right) & enjoying the trackside view of the races.  

I had yet another brilliant day at the track and would recommend it to anyone. If you are considering going next year, do try and get a marquee ticket - it's a far more comfortable way of experiencing the races!

See you trackside in a few months for the next installment - Irish Race Day.

Giggling Middle Aged Men

Today I had the unsavoury task of waking up at 4am, as I had to get to the airport bright & early for the redeye to Melbourne.

Although an interesting story might entail what I presented on at the CAMMS Performance Management Summit 2012 at the Hilton on the Park, it's the flight I'll tell you about.

I had the opportunity to make Single Serve Friends (thank Fight Club for that reference). You know, the people you sit next to during the flight, pretend you care about what they have to say, swap cards and then never speak to them again.

Unfortunately my 4am wake up call inhibited any useful conversation I might have attempted on the flight, so instead I chose to soak in all the interesting things going on around me.

More specifically, the couple sitting next to me. Well I thought they were a couple. He cracked ridiculous jokes for the entire flight, followed by nervous giggles (literally after everything he said) and she tried her best to turn that into conversation.

And just for the record, there is nothing great about middle aged men giggling.

I figured this might be their first dirty weekend away together, and the nervousness and awkward laughing was his way of coping.

Turns out I was wrong. They both work for the same company & were on their way to a conference for the day.

Awkward.

I wonder if there will be any office romance after this little jaunt? I hope so. It would have to lessen the tension and make things easier for the next in-flight seat neighbour to cope with.

Pretty Little Stealers

Yes, I took this photo myself.

I love a good photo as much as the next person, particularly when they are for my website or blog, but as I've learnt over the years, you can't just randomly google for a great image and stick it on your site. That's called stealing.

These days I take my own photos, or work with photographers and use theirs. For stories on Glam Adelaide, if those first two options don't work, we are generally supplied images by PR agencies or directly from the person/company (when we're writing about something they've done).

Enter the blog.

Every man and his dog has a blog these days (check this out for proof) and there are some incredible ones out there - but what frustrates me is when people make themselves look fabulous while ripping off someone else's hard work.

Are you allowed to use any photo you find on the web and publish it on your blog?

I was under the impression you couldn't do that, and we drill that message in to our interns at Glam.

But every day, I see example after example of people posting all sorts of great images on their own blog, without credit to the site where it was pinched from, or credit to the photographer.

Is this acceptable now? Have I missed the boat?

Photographers, what do you have to say about this? Am I being old school by only publishing images I know we're allowed to use? Is the internet a free-for-all now? Can we just take whatever we want?

Why do I feel like the only person who is playing by the rules? Are there others out there like me?

At least with the launch of Pinterest, photos are linked back to their website of origin - but again, what happens when the origin is someone's blog rather than the photographer or company that originally commissioned the shot.

Just some food for thought. 

Judging Myer Fashions On The Field

Casey Saint, Face of the Adelaide Casino Adelaide Cup

I'm not sure why I do this to myself. I've agreed to judge the Myer Fashions On The Field, South Australian Preliminary Finals and State Final of the Women’s Racewear competition. This is terrible news. It means I can't enter. It also means I'll be spending the day hanging out with super glamour Rebecca Judd, who is the Myer Ambassador. As someone who had a baby at the same time as me, there is the potential for us to sit there, swap baby photos and talk about nappies, but somehow I don't think that will be happening. Instead I'll be wondering how she managed to lose her baby weight so quickly.

Anyway, focus Kelly. Back to the point of today's blog. The Myer Fashions On The Field.

I'm actually quite excited about this, because in some small way, by judging again I'll be able to help give direction to the women of Adelaide as to what is and isn't acceptable at the races. One of my passions.

As someone who has previously won several Fashions on the Field, I feel somewhat qualified to be dishing out this advice, so here they are. My pearls of wisdom. Please note, these are specifically targeting those wanting to win fashions on the field - or just look fabulous on the day.

Race Day Fashion

1. Wear a hat or fascinator. This is the races. It is expected. It is tradition. It is a great way to accessorise your outfit. If you can afford it, go to a milliner and have something made to match your outfit. If hats scare you, there are lots of great little fascinators which work just as well, and make your outfit into a race day outfit. Without a head piece you may as well be going to a cocktail party. Come on, this is the RACES! Make the most of it.

2. Limit the amount of skin you are showing. This is not the beach. Nor is it a nightclub. Do not show too much cleavage or leg if you actually want to have a shot at winning the Fashions. This is a classy affair ladies. There are plenty of other places to wear your new sexy, figure hugging outfit, so leave it in the wardrobe and find an outfit that specifically works for Race Day fashion.

3. Wear appropriate shoes. The Fashions On The Field are held early in the day. Wear fabulous shoes that match your outfit. Then, if you can't bear to be in those shoes all day (on grass in particular) take a change of shoes for when you're not on the catwalk. DO NOT GO BAREFOOT. Ever. That rule goes for anyone at the races. If you can't wear them all day, either bring a change with you or don't wear them in the first place. There is nothing more unglamorous than girls without shoes on. We want you to look special on the catwalk, but we also value your integrity for the rest of the day.

4. Pay attention to the little details. As a judge we look at everything. It helps us choose between you and your competitor. Make sure your nails are neat and  clean and your nailpolish matches your outfit. Fingers and toes ladies. If your handbag doesn't go with your outfit, get one of your friends to hold it - don't bring it up on stage. Make sure your make up is touched up. Make sure you don't have red wine teeth. Make sure your hair has been looked at since the last time you went out in the wind. VPL - avoid it if possible. Shave your legs. Moisturise. Trim loose threads on your outfit. All these little things matter.

5. Wear something you're comfortable in. If you feel good and are confident in your outfit, you're more likely to look GREAT!

6. Last but not least, wear a versatile outfit. If you WIN the Adelaide Cup Myer Fashions On The Field this Autumn, you'll be sent over to Melbourne in SPRING to compete in the Melbourne Cup Fashions On The Field - in the SAME outfit! Unfortunately this is just part of how it all works, so try and wear something that looks good now, but will also work during Spring Racing Carnival too. You never know what the weather will do during either event anyway, so having something that works on a hot or cold day (ie think about jackets, umbrellas, shawls etc) can be useful regardless.

Good luck ladies!

Tonight's Ralph Lauren Event. Much Ado About Nothing?

I'm usually quite restrained about publishing my thoughts on things like this, but I couldn't resist this one.

Word on the street for the past couple of months has been that there is a Ralph Lauren store opening in Adelaide.

Of course, this led to a lot of excitement, as big brands committing to our State tends to do.

Rumours were running rife as to where the store would be located, and nobody could figure out what was actually happening.

Well, the air has been let our of balloon. There is no Ralph Lauren store opening.

Instead, it turns out that there is a Ralph Lauren Fall 2012 Menswear Launch being held tonight at the Art Gallery, showcasing new designs from the brand which have long been available at Myer and David Jones.

How bizarre. So much hype, so little follow through.

Ralph Lauren have never held a parade in Adelaide, so the reasons for this one happening are unclear, but it seems that their VIP customers have been left off the invite list.

I would have thought that in addition to fashion writers and journalists, the people that actually buy their clothing would have been a 'must have' at the parade. Apparently not. Which begs the question, who will actually be there?


As the event hasn't happened yet, I can't be too harsh. They could be announcing a new store in Adelaide to everyone at the parade. We can always hope.

3 Years Running with the Shorts Film Festival

For the third year running, I've been invited to be involved with the Shorts Film Festival.

What's that you might ask?

Well it's a fabulous event that I'd never heard of until I walked in to Garage bar many years ago, and saw rows of fold up chairs set out, facing the wall which had become a make-shift screening location for short films. A much more interesting way to enjoy a cocktail or two. I never would have set out to go and watch short films, as I don't see myself as an arts sort of person, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and the rest is history.

This year, I've just completed judging 16 short films (from non-SA film-makers) along with a panel of other SA judges, and our scores will now go in to the pool with other interstate judges to help decide which films will be screened at this year's Shorts Film Festival. Ultimately, those films will also be able to win a range of prizes and titles, on offer as part of the initiative.

The Festival is now far more sophisticated and far larger than when I first discovered it, but the same principles apply. I truely believe that there is something for everyone and it's exciting to glimpse into the creative minds of clever film makers out there.

I'll write more closer to the festival, but I just wanted to give you a heads up. This is a cool little event to watch out for. If you love having a glass of wine & some nibbles, while being entertained with your friends, the Shorts Film Festival promises a week of great nights out.

Shorts Film Festival 2012, 28 April-5 May @ Norwood Concert Hall.

Here's a photo from last year's Festival (when I was heavily pregnant with Ivy!)

Steve, David Lightfoot & I, Photo ©Alex Makeyev