It's crazy to think that another year has come and gone. I feel like I've done nothing this year but my blog begs to differ. This year has been fairly amazing for music and it was very difficult to pick only ten songs. However I managed it, so here they are!

10. The Naked And Famous - Hearts Like Ours

I always completely obsess over The Naked And Famous' singles, however I'm not too impressed with their whole album. This song gives me chills and I think it draws back into my love for songs that would be perfect for video montages. This song instantly makes me happy.

Noël en Vogue Runway

Last week I was kindly invited to the KEAT Management Modelling Agency and Academy graduation show located in the heart of the Melbourne CBD on Little Collins St. It was a celebratory evening for the gorgeous girls who had just graduated from the modelling academy and a great excuse to showcase some local and international designers. Some of the designers included Leiela Ladies Evening Wear, Pari'ci, Aron, Valentina and Ash Grey Millinery. Here are some of my favourite snaps from the night!

Christmas In Australia

Christmas: Australia vs England

Like most people, Christmas is a family affair for me. This involves driving to my Uncle's house for lunch and devouring plate-full after plate-full of nibbles. This year we had our classic cheese platter with the crazy fake seafood mix stuff I love so much, and a few other things. I only realised half way into eating it that I was meant to take a photo, so here it is half eaten haha.

My, How They've Grown

Last year I introduced you to two new little family members named Harvey and Norman. Here are some of the pictures of them when they were 9 weeks old. The two brothers haven't seen each other for an entire year until last Saturday when my family got together for our Christmas lunch.

2013 Highlight Reel

I did a lot this year. Here's some of my favourites...

Seeing Metallica, Paramore and Garbage at Soundwave!

Fame Agenda x Darbotz

Iconic Melbourne fashion label Fame Agenda have teamed up with Indonesian street artist Darbotz to create their new range. Taking graffiti off walls from Darbotz' previous trip to Melbourne, Fame Agenda then turned his art into the prints used for this collection. Awesome right? The collection was showcased on the steps of the State Library Of Victoria as part of Mapping Melbourne, whilst he gratified in the background. It made for one pretty memorable show. Here are some of my favourites.

Christmas In Melbourne

I would just like to point out that it was 36°C (96°F) on the day I took these pictures. A bit different to the classic white Christmas you see in the pictures of London or New York. But, well, Melbourne is a bit different. I love Christmas time for the obvious reason of pretty lights and lots of colours and Melbourne definitely doesn't disappoint in that department. There are amazing projections on the Town Hall when the sun goes down but I've yet to be in the city that late this year. I hope you enjoy these snaps of my city.

Strangers From Now On | Interview

Strangers From Now On are a 4 piece alt-rock band from my hometown of Melbourne. Bassist Dan Myles sat down for a chat about the band, the music and everything in between on the eve of their December 5th show in Melbourne at Boney.

Who are Strangers From Now On?

Ex-lovers who left things irresolvable, the person next to you on the tram, awkward one night stands, old friends that fall by the wayside, the jerk from the bar last weekend, the people you meet traveling and never see again. Either way… an odd name for a band

Mixtape // 10 Australian Songs For Summer

Guess what guys?! It's finally summer! To celebrate the oncoming warmth, I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite Summer songs by Aussies. There are some older songs and new hits, consisting of mostly pop, electronic and indie. Please take a listen and let me know what summer songs you're listening to!

1. Glorious - Natalie Imbruglia

Blogger Bingo

I've always said the best thing about blogging is meeting people you otherwise wouldn't have met. I think my adventures with Fran are a testament to that. So when there's a blogger event on, I love going to meet new people, and you've always got something to talk about! Nuffnang invited us to The Cullen Hotel in Prahran to get our grandma on and play some bingo! Unfortunately that's a word I didn't yell on the night because I wasn't lucky enough to win ☹ but we still got an awesome goodie bag complete with free cider.

Freya Bennett | The Marvellous Reject Girl | Interview

Melbourne musician Freya Bennett sat down to A some Q's about her music career. With the release of her first EP The Marvellous Reject Girl and a string of sold out shows at the Melbourne Fringe Festival under her belt, she's now gearing up to head over to the city of churches (Radelaide) to take on the largest annual arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere, the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Freya is also having one last gig in Melbourne before she travels west, click here for details.

Tell us a little about yourself…

I am a Melbourne singer songwriter who loves to paint! I just got a kitten who is currently trying to help me answer these questions

 E

.lbggggvt..

Thanks Phoenix.
I teach music in the evenings and I write music during the day. My dream is to be a professional singer-songwriter and film composer. 

Night Noodle Markets

I have a confession to make, I really love noodles. So much so that as a kid my nickname was noodles, and my uncle still calls me that to this day. Even on Christmas and Birthday cards. I mean who doesn't love noodles? So when I was invited to dine at the VIP tent for the Melbourne Good Month Night Noodle Market, I simply couldn't turn it down.

Melko's Second Birthday

Last night made in Brazil store Melko invited us along to come celebrate their second birthday. The first thing you noticed when entering the store was all the bright colours and amazing patterns of the clothing. I was drawn instantly to this magenta coloured skirt and was pleasantly surprised by how soft the material was. We were also joined by Alice Zaslavsky of MasterChef Australia who was whipping up some delicious Latin-American treats for us!

Gotye And His Collaborators

I've now listened to Somebody That I Used To Know 1,303 times since adding it to my iTunes over two years ago. Obsessed is an understatement. Melbourne Music Week is in full swing and as soon as I saw that there was an event on featuring Gotye, I knew I couldn't miss it. This panel was all about his amazing video clips and the talented people behind them.

Sofar Sounds

As one of the musicians pointed out, there's something very powerful about a room full of strangers coming together to really listen to music. And that's exactly what the guys at Sofar Sounds created. 

Alice Nivens

It's no secret that I'm a bit in love with Alice In Wonderland, and I've been itching to go to this tea party themed cafe in Melbourne for months! It's kind of impossible to turn down delicious cake when it's telling you to eat it. Alice Nivens is tucked away down an arcade almost opposite Flinders Street Station. It's a tiny little hole in the wall cafe with some of the most scrumptious cakes I've ever eaten!

Under The Sea

Yesterday I said goodbye to Fran who, as I type this, is at the Melbourne Airport about to board her plane to New Zealand, and then home to England. But before she left, I made sure she saw the Melbourne Aquarium. Also I love the aquarium! The Melbourne Aquarium has recently undergone a refurbishment with several new exhibits and upgrades to older ones. Except they got rid of one of my favourite exhibits, the jellyfish room!

Mojitos at Los Barbudos

I'll be the first to admit I don't know much about alcohol, so when I was offered the chance to expand my knowledge whilst meeting awesome new blogger friends, I just couldn't turn it down. Nuffnang invited us down to Los Barbudos, a Cuban bar in Fitzroy, to learn how to mix a traditional Mojito.

Kuwaii x A Quirk Of Fate

Hey guys! Look shoes! My friend and fellow Melbourne blogger Vulette from Young Red Violets kindly invited me to check out the launch of the Kuwaii footwear range at A Quirk Of Fate. The range consisted of beautiful earthy tones, pastels and metallic coloured leather with super comfy soles. It was hard walking away without buying a pair but they're a little out of my price range at the moment. However, I am in the market for some good quality sandals for summer that won't hurt my feet and give me blisters, so I may have to go back for a second look after I get paid.

Julia deVille Jewellery | e.g.etal Gallery

Melbourne is a great city to explore and tonight we found ourselves down a flight of stairs on Flinders Lane at e.g.etal Gallery for the Julia deVille Jewellery launch. Originally from New Zealand, Julia deVille now resides in Melbourne and is trained in gold and silversmithing. Her current collection is called Can The Voices Of The Living Be Heard By The Dead and features intricate detailing and stones fit for royalty. I particularly loved the tiny gold skull bracelet and, well, ALL of the rings!

Mrs. Peacock In The Conservatory

I literally did not know that the Fitzroy Gardens Conservatory existed until yesterday when I read Fashion Hayley's post, and when Fran messaged me and wanted to do something that didn't cost much money, I knew this would be perfect. The Fitzroy Gardens are located on the edge of the Melbourne CBD, so how I didn't know this was here is ridiculous to me. But never the less, we jumped on a tram and went to explore the gorgeous landscaping. I also used it as a great excuse to test out the macro setting on my new DSLR camera!

Mixtape // Spring Melodies

So I have nothing to blog about. I'm sick and have been working non-stop but I didn't want to leave my blog inactive for a week so I decided I'd share with you three of my current favourite songs. 

Let me know what songs you're loving right now! I love finding new music.

Tropical Pineapple and Coconut Muffins

Before we get started I just want to let you know that when it comes to me cooking, I'm lazy and I rarely follow the recipe. This is no exception. I was loosely following the Pineapple Muffin recipe on allrecipes.com HERE. I also have some additional changes written at the bottom of the blog post.

Listen Out

I feel a bit embarrassed putting up this post because the pictures are so damn awful.

On the weekend I worked at a brand new Australian music festival called Listen Out. You may recall me working at Parklife the past couple of years, which was one of my favourite Australian festivals, but due to poor ticket sales, it was cancelled. Listen Out is it's replacement. It was much smaller than Parklife, but it did feel a bit like a giant outdoor party rather than a music festival. However, in saying that, working there was a lot of fun.

Boathouse

I feel like we're on the set of Australia The Movie! Said Fran as we wandered down the hill towards the Studley Park Boathouse.

Just Desserts 2014 Diary

Yes 2014 is still three months away, but I like to be prepared. So I already bought my 2014 diary. And it's sparkly!

Glasshouse

When I found out my best friend was planning to go into uni on her birthday, I was like oh no you don't! This simply won't do! and dragged her (quite willingly) into the city to visit QV's Glasshouse. The Glasshouse is a pop-up indoor garden and cafe right in the heart of Melbourne serving tea (or lemonade) and cake for only $5! It also plays host to a variety of other events including being transformed into a butterfly enclosure, champagne nights and Petite Green Terrarium demonstrations. Without really planning it, we managed to see one of the Terrarium demonstrations which was super cute!

Foals + Alpine | The Palace

We've had these tickets to see Foals for about 5 months now, just sitting there, waiting for the actual concert. Last night was finally the time to bust those bad boys out from the drawer and actually use them. I was really excited when I found out Alpine were supporting Foals because they're an amazing up and coming Aussie band with some great summery tracks. I've been listening to their album A Is For Alpine for months now. They definitely didn't disappoint. I was super impressed with how well the 2 lead singers' voices worked together.

Huni's Haircut

Hello there. My name is Huni. I'm Marlee's little furry child. My mum has been very boring this week, although I do love it when she's home, it means I can spend all day asleep on her bed.

Blog Your Dreams Birthday Giveaway {closed}

It's official guys, today I'm another year older (wah). So I thought to celebrate my Birthday I'd do a giveaway of some things that I'm loving right now! Also, this giveaway is NOT sponsored and it's open INTERNATIONALLY!

Melbourne Botanic Gardens

So in attempt to fill time, Fran and I decided it would be a fun idea to go to the Botanic Gardens. They're literally 5 minutes out of the city and free to wander around, so it was the perfect time filler. I haven't been there since I was in primary school so Fran lead the way. It is such a peaceful place with pine forests, bamboo forests and rainforests all in the one place. It was like we were walking between continents.

Tracks

Greville Village Market

If there's one thing Melbourne loves it's markets, and a new one has just sprung up on the ever so trendy Greville Street in Prahran. Soaking in the warm Spring sun, we strolled down the little designer market admiring the wares. One of my favourite designers Limedrop was there and I tried on their new rainbow 'Funglasses' (see what they did there :)). They tinted the world a different colour depending on how the light was reflecting off them.

I'm Bad At Spring

Whenever I do an outfit post I feel like yelling "Look guys! I wear clothes!" Because let's face it, I'm not a great fashion blogger. Also it's meant to be Spring now and I hardly think black and brown are Spring colours. But this is what I decided to wear haha. My best friend and I spent the afternoon at hardware stores looking for materials for her uni course. I looked a little out of place but it was still a fun adventure.

Ground Zero | Melbourne Spring Fashion Week

Melbourne Spring Fashion Week is over for another year and I really didn't get to go to much. A bit because I was working, and a bit because I'm lazy. Also, I just got a new camera! A spanky DSLR! I wanted to test it out when I was in the city on the weekend so here's some photos of the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week festival hub.

Review Runway | MSFW 2013

When I found out that my shift at work had been changed from Friday to Saturday, I was so excited because I knew I could go to the Review runway show. Review always reminds me that Spring is here with it's gorgeous girly pieces and playful accessories. This year was no different. My favourite look would have to be the blue and white floral pant and peplum top combination pictured below. Although I could never pull it off. I had to bust out my old camera for this post because it takes better movement shots than my other one. I wish I had it with me for my previous post.

Made In Melbourne Runway

Recently, Fran (Then Lets Begin) and I went to the Made In Melbourne runway show. As much as I like the big, main runway shows, I thought it would be fun to go support some local talent. This was also the first time Fran had ever been to a runway show, so she was like a kid in a candy store. Unfortunately we both didn't get decent photos because our cameras can't take photos of movement, so we pulled together and put up the best photos we got.

Student and Emerging Designer Exhibition | MSFW 2013

One event that's always a must-see at the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week is the student and emerging designers exhibition. This is because they don't need to stay within the constrains of being 100% wearable, they can let their creative juices flow and, in turn, produce some fascinating and original pieces. This year's exhibition is called The Exhibition and is at the Melbourne Town Hall until 8th of September. Go check it out between shows or in your lunch break at work - it's free!

POP It Launch Party

Spring has finally arrived in the Southern half of the globe, which means only one thing in my city, it's Melbourne Spring Fashion Week time! I was invited by the lovely and enthusiastic Elsje of ElandTINO to come have a peak at some talented local Melbourne designers at the launch party for their MSFW POP It pop up shop! I love supporting local talent, so of course I went along!

Blogger Meet-Up at Double Happiness

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The best thing about blogging is meeting other bloggers and making new friends. So when there's a blogger meet-up, I make an effort to attend. Not only is it a fun night out, but it's good to get out of your comfort zone every now and then and socialise with new people. Tonight we were invited by Nuffnang to come hang at Double Happiness, a bar in Melbourne. Lured in by the prospects of free cocktails, I met some great new people, including Madeleine from Madeleine in Wonderland.

Les Nereides Paddington

I'm a planner. Right down to the last detail. Some days I plan my life to the minute. So when I was doing my thorough research of shopping in Sydney, I came across this store, which instantly went to the top of my 'must do' list. Les Nereides is a Parisian costume jewellery designer who's store has been open in Paddington, Sydney for almost a year now. But much like other international designers, they don't have a store in Melbourne. Just by looking at the online store, I knew I was going to buy something... but I may have completely blown my budget when I visited the store haha.

Tavi's World | Melbourne Writers Festival

I have a confession to make, I didn't actually know who Tavi Gevinson was before I bought the ticket to see her talk. I read her bio and was sucked in by the hype, and man am I glad I did. This little pocket rocket creates more inspiration in her left pinkie than some international pop 'stars' do in their entire careers. Now if you're like me and you're not sure who she is, Tavi started her fashion blog The Style Rookie when she was 11, and through the success of that, launched Rookie Mag, the ultimate online recourse for teenage girls. Oh, she's now 17 and about to start her last year at high school too.

VIDinc 2013 - Meeting Jenna Marbles

I went to Sydney with one aim, to meet Jenna Marbles. I didn't care how it happened (not so stalker way preferably), but I knew I wasn't going to spend all this money without meeting one of the coolest people on the planet! The whole reason I went up to Sydney was to volunteer at VIDinc, Australia's largest Youtube convention. With crazy internet famous people like Ryan Higa, Shaycarl and of course Queen Jenna attending, there was no way I was going to turn this down. The first day was pretty tame, there were a heap of workshops and industry events. I managed to get a photo with Peter Chao who looked so different with his sunglasses off. I also had a chat to Shaycarl and his lovely manager about our crazy rainbow money.

Sydney Photo Diary | Chinese Garden, Powerhouse Museum and China Town

When I found pictures of this little Oriental oasis on Tumblr, I knew I had to add it to my ever-growing extreme touristing to-do list. The Chinese Garden of Friendship was created in 1988 to celebrate the friendship and cooperation between the sister cities of Sydney and Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, China. As you can see, it's nestled right in the heart of the city with towering buildings all around it.

Sydney Photo Diary | Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House and Ferries

When you think of Australia, there's only one thing that really comes to mind, and that's a massive picture of the Sydney Harbour Bridge with the Sydney Opera House somewhere in the background. So I couldn't go to Sydney without visiting these iconic landmarks. As you can see the weather was perfection and I spent over an hour basking in all the sun's glory before I headed off to satisfy my hunger.

Sydney Photo Diary | Sydney Tower and Pitt Street

I have to say, this trip has made me a pro at extreme touristing. What is extreme touristing you ask? Well, it's the art of fitting as many touristy things into one day without compromising on the experience of being there. I started the day nice and early at Sydney Tower right as it opened to avoid millions of tourists. What I didn't realise was before you go up, you get treated to a rather hilarious 4D movie experience. This includes getting slightly showered with water, bubbles and smoke machine.

Sydney Photo Diary | Surry Hills, Paddington and Darling Harbour

I really like the idea of being above the clouds. There's something very peaceful about it, until, however, you get jolted back to reality when the turbulence hits. If you follow me on pretty much any of my social media platforms, you'll know I'm currently in Sydney. Now I haven't been to Sydney since I was about 3 so I'm doing everything touristy that I possibly can.

D.I.Y Polaroid Business Cards

So I was trawling the internet for new business card designs when I came across custom instant photos business cards on Moo. I then proceeded to look at the price, and well, let's just say they are a bit out of my price-range. So I decided I'd make my own and they are much cheaper.

Cold War Kids @ The Hi-Fi Bar

There is a serious bro-mance going on in this band. Every chance they go they'd be all over each other. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it just made the gig that much more entertaining. Cold War Kids are out in Australia for Splendour In The Grass and ever so kindly did some sideshows, which is what I went along to. I apologise for the crappy photos, The Hi-Fi is possibly the hardest venue to take photos in.

Open House Melbourne | Day 2

So today I was volunteering for Open House Melbourne at The Melbourne Athenaeum. The Athenaeum was first built in 1842 and now consists of a library, theatre and comedy club. Today only the library was open, but I managed to have a quick sneaky look in the theatre too. Here are a couple of my photos...

Open House Melbourne | Day 1

Today we were down in sunny St Kilda checking out some of the local establishments that are part of the Melbourne Open House event. Open House is a worldwide event where buildings that are not normally open to the public welcome everyone to come have a peak behind closed doors. I'd been called into work last minute, so we decided to explore a couple of local places before I had to go earn some monies.

Flinders Lane Shopping Night 2013

Flinders Lane and the surrounding area has got to be my favourite place to go shopping in Melbourne. It's packed with local designers and quirky pieces just waiting to be found. I blogged about the Flinders Lane Shopping Night last year so I don't think there's much more I can say about it (also I'm being a bit lazy), but we started in Lenko which is one of my favourite shops. They had 50% off sale items which was amazing, although I wish they had a discount on the jewellery. My friend also found a new boyfriend here. He looks somewhat familiar...

Nite Art 2013

Tonight Fran and I ventured into Melbourne for Nite Art, which is essentially White Night but on a much smaller, and more manageable scale. All throughout the CBD there were galleries and exhibitions open to the public to peruse. We started at the Nicholas Building on Swanston Street with a beautiful photography exhibition and some free Rekorderlig. We then got our bearings and started to explore the city some more.

Movie Time At String Of Events

Who doesn't love going to the movies? I know I sure love it. It's an excuse to have a night out that doesn't require talking to anyone or getting particularly dressed up. If you, like me, love going to the movies, then you're going to love this new online service called Movie Times.

Movie Times is a new website that is your one-stop-shop for all movie session times throughout Australia. You can easily select the cinemas that you frequently visit to compare screening times, including Village, Hoyts and Greater Union, or select the time you want to see a movie, and find out what's on.

Memories Of London

2013 is the first year of my life (since 1996) that I'm not studying. Instead I set a goal to get a job (✓) and save money so I can go back overseas. In particular, back to London. With Fran (Then Lets Begin) moving back to England at the end of the year, and one of my other best friends looking to move to London around the same time, it's making me really miss being there. So today I thought I'd share with you one of the best decisions I made whilst I was in London in 2011, and that was to go on a £15 Harry Potter walking tour.

Should We Trust SheInside?

As far as I can tell, SheInside is one company that you want to stay far away from. This is definitely not something I would normally blog about, but I thought I should share my experience with you.

I recently ordered a dress from this website advertised as chiffon, when I received the dress, it was made out of cheap synthetic material claiming to be 100% cotton. The only part of it that was chiffon was the cape attached to it. So according to the SheInside website...

Kitty Obsessed

My name is Marlee and I am a Cat Addict - or a Caddict as we like to be called. But not the real ones, they bite and scratch and poop in a box. I mean things with cats on them. So I've rounded up some of my favourite kitty purchases to share with you. All items are under $25, links below.