Footy game- We just love the footy!

So this post is probably more relevant to non-Aussies, because if you are Australian you undoubtedly no a whole lot more about footy than I do! We went to our first game today and it was so much fun! It was Geelong vs. Hawthorne, we kind of arbitrarily chose to cheer for Geelong because: a) we've been to Geelong and b) their colors are white and blue which were the same colors as both my high school and university. 

Ten of the sixteen AFL teams are located in and around Melbourne, so they really love their footy here. Each weekend, late March through August, you can see people moving around the city in their team colors, scarves and hats. Melbourne has two AFL stadiums, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (East Melbourne) and Etihad Stadium (Docklands). The game we went to was at the MCG, which is the largest stadium in Australia and home to the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Sorry, I forgot my camera, so these pics are just from my iphone.

The game itself was one of the more entertaining sports that I have seen. I loved that there were no time-outs, no real stopping the game (even for injuries). The concept is simple: Kick the ball through the goal. Between the two highest posts you score a goal (6 points), between one of the smaller posts you score a behind (1 point).

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e1/Goalposts.jpg

Then there are lots of other rules that you'll pickup as you continue to watch. In my case you'll wonder what's going on and ask a lot of questions. Here are a few of the rules hat will help you make bit more sense of this Australian game:

1) A player may run with the ball but it must be bounced or touched on the ground at least once every 15 metres.

2) The ball can be propelled in any direction by way of a foot, clenched fist or open-hand tap but it cannot be thrown under any circumstances.

3) Opposition players may bump or tackle the player to obtain the ball

4) If a player takes possession of the ball that has travelled more than 15 metres from another player's kick, by way of a catch, it is claimed as a mark and that player may then have a free kick (I noticed this was one of the best ways to score a goal).

So there's your quick run-down, it's a really fun sport to watch and if you want to assimilate into Aussie culture, you should probably go to a game and at least have an idea of what all the fuss is about :) 

QV Fashion Show

Here's why I love this city. You can be walking home after dropping your kids off at school and as you walk through the QV building you find out there is going to be a fashion show at 12:30 and 1:30 that day. Okay, that takes care of my schedule for the day. 

I had seen advertisements around the city saying that this week there would be various fashion events around the city, so I was thrilled when I happened upon this show. The set was really cool, like a life size doll house and before the show started they had model standing out front posed like dolls. 

Rather than showcasing the work of a specific designer this show was a collection of designers and shops within the QV building: Guess, Christensen Copenhagen, Kam Otto, Sevinha, Mooks, Pamper Heiress. I was in fashion heaven. It's not very often that a "normal" person like me gets front row seats to a fashion show, granted this was no Dior show, but it was really well done. The models were of course tiny and beautiful, the clothes were to die for and the set and music fit the scene perfectly. 

How cute is that headband?

Bottom line for the season:

Skinny pats are here to stay for a while- If you haven't yet, go out and get some great skinny Jeans and black leggings.

Pair those skinny pants with lots of voluminous layers up top.

The perfect finish for a perfect outfit is still the stiletto, but for all you city wanderers like me, a good ballet flat is still a great stylish option for your wandering.

Happy shopping!