Ruby Magazine Spring by Adcell Group

ruby editor

contents

Because I’m Happy Rattle your bracelets, click your heels and set your ring tone to Happy because girls, spring is back!

Ruby Psychology

Ruby Food

Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Business

Ruby Arts

Ruby Health

Ruby Money

Ruby Adventure

Ruby Spotlight

Ruby Q&A

Ruby Fashion It’s been frantic, bonkers and bordering on bat-s&*t crazy in the Ruby office of late as we’ve been swamped with so many fun and fabulous stories that we can barely fit them all in. From hilarious thoughts on Rushing Women’s Syndrome to tackling some shameful secrets, we’ve had plenty to smile about. And we have not one but two giveaways in this spring (win tickets to Grease at the Regent Theatre on page 16 and double passes to Toast to the Coast on page 39), so don’t forget to enter. And with the sun streaming through the windows we’ve also made time for the occasional happy dance – and hope you have too. Finally, FINALLY, it feels warm again. Is it just me or did the deep chill of winter seep into your bones in a way we haven’t felt in a long time? It’s one thing for miserable weather to make you feel a bit blue, but it is bang out of order when it turns you blue as well. Speaking of blue, we have the very real privilege of sharing one woman’s brave and beautiful insights into her personal experience of depression. It is a wonderfully moving and emotive piece of writing and confirms everything I love about this magazine. These are the conversations that we, as women, use as a catalyst for change. We need to talk about the uncomfortable things, the emotional things and the terrifying things, because that’s how we build acceptance, empower others to speak up and share their stories and it’s how we drive positive change. This is one woman’s story, but one that will resonate with anyone touched by depression. We are so glad to bring you this spring edition of Ruby, and we love it even more when you share your thoughts with us. Catch us on Facebook or head to the contact page on the Ruby website and join the conversation.

Ruby Book Club

RUBY is an Adcell Group publication. We try to get out as many free copies as we can, but we know that they disappear faster than fairy bread at a 4th birthday party. So if you can’t get your hands on a copy, why not subscribe for a guaranteed copy of your very own.

Visit rubymagazine.com.au Today! PUBLISHER Maureen Tayler ISSN: 1838-1456 MANAGER Caroline Tayler EDITOR Davina Montgomery davina@adcellgroup.com.au ADVERTISE IN RUBY MAGAZINE Abbey Sherwell M 0418 991 203 abbey@adcellgroup.com.au --Tanya Carroll M 0418 302 869 tanya@adcellgroup.com.au Adcell Group Geelong - Head Office

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words davina montgomery 02 Ruby Spring

rubymagazine.com.au

Judy Baulch

ruby team

Living the daily juggle, Judy is an experienced journalist and editor. When she’s not running around after her two young kids, or busy with any number of work projects, she brings us her warmth, her humour and her insight into the ups and downs of life as a working mum.

RUBY INSIDER

Charmaine Morse As a highly regarded local psychologist, when it comes to relationships, Charmaine has heard it all. While we are very grateful for her professional experience, what we love about her is her life experience and insight into just how funny basic human nature can be.

Olivia Mackinnon Olivia Mackinnon has been working as a beauty journalist since 2007. She has worked across all facets of beauty media and won numerous journalistic awards in that time. She is currently the Hair, Body and Perfume Editor of beautyheaven. com.au, Australia’s number one social beauty network.

Abbey Sherwell Firstly – yay for spring! And secondly – yay I’ve survived my first 2 months at Ruby! It’s been great spending time getting to know current clients and the ins and outs of the Ruby world. The feedback I have received about the magazine is fantastic – it is clearly loved by many but often it seems you can’t find us in as many places as you would like :( You will be happy to know that I am making this a priority over the coming weeks and you are going to start seeing a lot more Ruby’s out and about on your travels. Tell me more… Ruby is more active on Social Media now so you can air your voice to us on Facebook or follow us on Pinterest. There are a lot of ways we can get more content to you but we can’t always be everywhere at once – as much as we would like to (I still try and twinkle my nose Bewitched style… one day) So, YOU! Yes YOU! can help by sending us photos and details of great local products – store items, clothes, cafes, art, events – just let us know what it is, where you found it and a photo and we can chase the rest.

Elisha Lindsay With a passion for capturing special moments, Elisha Lindsay is a Geelong-based photographer who is fine-tuned to seeing life through the lens. When she’s not peeking out from behind a camera, she juggles the many and varied demands of a family ranging from teen to toddler.

Anna-Marie Hughes

If you know of or are planning an event and you think we should be across it, you know the drill. How good would it be to see something you have sent in make it to the pages of the next edition?

A wise, warm and wonderful woman of a certain age, AnnaMarie has been writing for more years than she cares to remember. Like many of you, she knows that when the kids move out, a woman’s work is still not done... especially if the hubby is still at home!

As I leave your clever little minds spinning with ideas on what you can send us, I will keep working away to ensure our summer edition is even bigger and brighter than this hot little Ruby you hold in your little spring fingers. Enjoy! abbey@adcellgroup.com.au

Alexandra McManus Ally is on the home stretch of her journalism degree at RMIT. She does yoga, goes running, adores reading and writing and is attempting to broaden her baking skills in the kitchen as a domesticated goddess. When she’s not in Melbourne there’s every chance she’s down on the surf coast with her boyfriend.

Bianca White With photography so delicious it makes you hungry, Bianca is a talented young photographer from the Geelong region. Her textural, evocative work is in demand across regional Victoria, and her beautiful food photography is on show in each edition of Ruby.

photos elisha lindsay, elphotography.com.au 03 Ruby Spring

ruby psychology

04 Ruby Spring

ruby psychology

All this rushing around Hearing and reading about a syndrome called Rushing Woman’s Syndrome got me thinking about the elevated pace at which we as women live our lives. At least if you are sitting reading this Ruby mag you are taking some time out, but what about the rest of your time? There are so many pressures and expectations. Everyone wants a piece of you, right? I bet you look around and compare yourself and see all your friends doing more, especially your Facebook friends. You could be forgiven for thinking that they have industrial size batteries whilst you appear to be cursed with an itsy-bitsy AAA battery. You feel worlds apart from that hyperactive robotic pink bunny flashing up intermittently on television. Yes indeed, you’d be feeling robotic but without any of the accompanying buzz. I was left wondering if this RWS is an evidenced based and valid syndrome or all a bit of hype? So first off, what constitutes a syndrome? Loosely defined, it is a

it on babe, I’ll show you what I can do” to “OMG I can’t keep doing this.” And you can’t! ‘But everyone else can,’ I hear you say. Let me take you back to that earlier point about comparing yourself with others. We will always compare ourselves with our contemporaries, those whom we think are: doing it so much better than me; look better than me; have perfect offspring compared to mine; have a balanced work/ home life; have an amazing partner; have a ... ... ... please feel free to insert your own particular idiosyncrasy here. I’m sure you have a few to choose from! Envy is that emotion we keep hidden behind the happy smile. Oh dear, envy, just another one to add to your already abundant collection of symptoms, and well on the way to pulling off your own syndrome by the looks of it.

“ Put it this way, if you have a bunch of your friends hanging out together, well that’s a party, but when a whole bunch of enemies are hanging out together, you’ve got yourself a syndrome.” group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterise a particular abnormality. Ah, so it’s an abnormality? Put it this way, if you have a bunch of your friends hanging out together, well that’s a party, but when a whole bunch of enemies are hanging out together, you’ve got yourself a syndrome. So if you are rushing around like the proverbial mad woman there will be consequences. It seems to me that these consequences become cumulative, particularly if you struggle to alight from the dreaded treadmill of what has become your life. You can be so wired that you can’t seem to find the off switch. Your stress hormones and adrenaline are pumping out of control. Everything feels like a threat - sad but true. Life seems to have flipped from being a challenge “bring

But let’s pause for moment and ponder the realistic compared with the unrealistic. Do you really believe that: she looks like that when she staggers out of bed at 5am; that her kids don’t try to strangle each other on a regular basis; that her partner never leaves the toilet seat up and doesn’t have a poor aim; that she ambles off to work without frantically searching for the car keys. The ones shoved in the crisper along with last night’s vegie shopping (still in her Prada handbag, I might add)? I don’t think so. But you’d never guess it by reading her latest Facebook post. But then you’re not supposed to. So, back to that urgency you experience with every waking moment and your monotonous mantra - so much to do, and so little time. And here you are, feeling fatigued, depleted, overwhelmed, running

on empty, moods swinging wildly, and at the same time feeling totally wired, and it feels like the norm. Oh dear, call it what you may, but your stress-response system is on hyper drive and gaining momentum on a daily basis - hello anxiety! I’m wondering if this rushing around pursuit could be a follow on from our last big syndrome - The Super Woman Syndrome - too many syndromes for my liking. Anyway, that was the one where women needed to achieve perfection in all aspects of their lives, and excel in everything from their careers to motherhood without the slightest sign of compromise. Well, no pressure there NOT! I look forward in anticipation to the next syndrome we will collectively be subjected to. I might even have a go at developing one myself. How about - Doing the Best I Can Under Extremely Adverse Conditions Syndrome? Yes, sounds a bit clumsy, but I can work on that. Adding the word syndrome certainly appears to magically psychologise it. The working definition for DBICUEACS would have to include: yes, I am a totally, totally envious person, so what? (And you’d do well never to refer to it again); yes, I am absolutely exhausted after being available for everybody 24/7 - including the cat who regards me as his personal assistant; yes, you might say I’m a little wired - duh; yes, I have unpredictable and violent mood swings, so tread very, very carefully if you want me to continue with outside employment, want the shopping done, expect the house not to look like the proverbial pigsty, want a half decent meal on the table, and expect an empathetic ear for your day from hell. Now just leave me alone so I can lock myself in the bathroom and soak in a luxuriously warm, fragrant bath, and only disturb me if there is a gas leak or the house is on fire. Oh, and by the way don’t be so liberal in calling my negligible collection of symptoms an abnormality.

words charmaine morse, psychologist, charmainemorse.com.au words author’s name 05 Ruby Spring

ruby tuesday

Dirty Little Secrets 06 Ruby Spring

ruby tuesday We’ve all got them, and our fearless* columnist Tuesday Jones has decided to share a few of her own. She insists this is because she believes women empower each other by sharing their stories, including their secret shames. We think it’s because she left writing this column until that very last minute and couldn’t come up with anything else and like most writers is a walking bag of neuroses with exhibitionist tendencies …

lright girls, before we go any further, I realise that the title to this one might have given you just the teensiest bit of the wrong idea, and by wrong idea I mean get your minds out of the gutter, and by gutter I mean anything involving waterproof lingerie and the imaginative use of equestrian equipment. Honestly, the whole 50 Shades thing has so many awkward conversations to answer for. I’m talking about the Mount Vesuvius laundry pile, the sink full of dishes just waiting for their turn in the dishwasher When it comes to all those dirty little secrets, you can go down the Shannon Lush route and clean up your act – which, according to the Queen of Clean, you should be able to do in any one room in no longer than fifteen minutes – or you

bread and on the turn grapes for the third day in a row. The house is a bombsite, but you have hours to do something about that, and you’ve been fantasizing about a quiet hour with a cuppa and a good read in a space where no one is watching sport, practicing cricket/footy/basketball inside or asking you where they left their wallet/water bottle/brain. You could even run a bath … then the phone rings. “Hello dear, [insert name of that traitorous bastard who likes to call himself your husband here] told me you had the day off today and I thought I’d pop over. I’ll see you in an hour, okay?” Now, at this point, there are some people who have the enviable skill of being to whirlwind through the mess like Mary Poppins on Phenergan and produce a bright and orderly home within an hour. If

“Those pans from last night’s dinner that you’ve been meaning to wash all day – into the oven they go - unless you have one of those shiny ovens with clear glass doors, in which case I don’t have anything for you.” can do what the rest of us do, stuff them down where no one can see and start judging you for it.

this is you, good luck to you, all the best, now turn the page. If not, you need to get a bit creative.

Yes, I know this is an unhealthy approach to so very many things, not least being whatever it is that is festering at the bottom of the laundry pile, but when the top of the list stuff seems to take up every waking moment, then some things will inevitably have to be pushed aside and you can only hope that you don’t put your hand in something sticky while you’re doing it.

Unwashed laundry reached unscalable heights in the laundry? No problem, stuff what you can in the washing machine (this used to work a lot better before I traded by gigantic old top loader for the super efficient yet sadly glass door featuring front-loader) and the rest in the broom cupboard. She’ll never know it’s there.

So, here’s the scenario: you’ve finally got a quiet day at home after a long week of rushing around at work, frantically trying to get what you need to get done so you can make it to the almost daily after school activities, while trying to squeeze in a smash and grab supermarket trip because you can’t send the kids to school with Saladas because you’ve run out of

Those pans from last night’s dinner that you’ve been meaning to wash all day – into the oven they go - unless you have one of those shiny ovens with clear glass doors, in which case I don’t have anything for you, you just need to make better choices. Got a draining board or over sink chopping block? The rest of the dishes that won’t fit in the dishwasher will fit under there nicely.

Walk in wardrobes look like a haven of order and fashion inspiration when you first get them, but for most of us it doesn’t take long for them to become the door that remains shut … mostly because when you open the door everything you’ve shoved in there will probably come tumbling out and engulf you in a fabric avalanche of jumpers that don’t mind being crumpled, jackets that you were too pis... I mean tired to hang up after that big night out, all the rejected outfits from that same night out, and all those leggings and layering tops that you can never find when you want them - not to mention the handbags, gardening clothes, the back up gym clothes and shoes, shoes, shoes. All those reusable shopping bags that you buy with the best intentions of saving the planet, then leave at home are just waiting to be reused as a temporary file for all those papers that you absolutely will get to next week. They are also very handy when you are scrabbling over the floor picking up those tiny little toys that have been torturing the soles of your feet. With all the obvious clutter out of the way, you are clear to do a quick dust of the most visibly fluffy surfaces, wipe down the bench and table and run (and I do mean run, because by this time you’ve used 40 minutes of your 60-minute warning, and you haven’t showered yet) the vacuum over the floor. Don’t forget to slap some bikkies on a plate and boil the kettle while you are showering, so when the M-I-L arrives it looks like you’ve been waiting for her for ages. So, there you have it ladies, my anyonecan-do-it guide to emergency home tidying. It’s no substitute for a top to bottom scrub (and perhaps disinfecting of anything around those odd smells) but it will keep at least this secret shame hidden under a pile of old towels in a cupboard where it belongs. I’ve got a few other dirty little secrets as well, of a non-domestic nature, but I’m not giving them all away just yet. * Well, fearless except for horror movies, other people’s underwear and dead bugs...

words tuesday jones 07 Ruby Spring

e r ’ e W in k c Ba ess! n i s u B If you’ve encountered those pesky technical difficulties with the Ruby website, you’re not alone! It’s been bugging us too. Just like your disposable income at a half price shoe sale, those troubles are now all gone. So come on back and say hi! You can read Ruby online, send us a message, follow the facebook feed and pretend it’s all important research for work.

Visit rubymagazine.com.au Today!

ruby fashion

MOSCOT eyewear arrives in Geelong MOSCOT, if you didn’t already know, is a New York City institution renowned worldwide for its iconic eyewear. It’s unmistakably refined aesthetic with nearly 100 years of eyewear expertise and unparalleled craftsmanship creates timeless eyewear. While now recognized as a global fashion brand, MOSCOT remains at heart a neighbourhood optical shop. The MOSCOT optical roots were first planted in America by great grandfather and family patriarch Hyman Moscot, who arrived from Eastern Europe in 1899. Hyman began selling ready-made eyeglasses from a pushcart on Manhattan’s famed Lower East Side. By 1915, having amassed a following of loyal customers, Hyman opened the family’s first retail shop, MOSCOT’s, and the rest, as they say, is history! In 1925, Hyman’s son, Sol, at the tender age of only 15, joined the family business and helped take over the reigns. By 1936, MOSCOT was settled on the corner of Delancey Street, where it would remain for the next eight decades. Sol’s son Joel began presiding over the “House of MOSCOT” in 1951. Charming, dedicated, and devoted to his customers, Joel quickly made his mark — overseeing the shop and conveying the family’s values to his sons, who would soon become the fourth generation of Moscots to take the helm. In 1986, Joel’s son, Dr. Harvey Moscot, entered the family business. Joel’s youngest son, Kenny Moscot, followed suit, joining the business in 1992 and shortly thereafter the family opened its second shop. In 2012, MOSCOT opened its Court Street shop in the landmark neighborhood of Cobble Hill in Brooklyn, New York – bringing the family story full circle as the third generation Moscots were born and raised just down the way. In 2013, after 77 years, the MOSCOT shop crossed Delancey Street, from 118 Orchard to 108 Orchard when its iconic building was sold – an extraordinarily propitious outcome for an institution determined to keep a foothold in its beloved Lower East Side for the next generation of MOSCOT. The MOSCOT brand is now carried exclusively right here in Geelong at our very own much loved neighbourhood optical shop, Eyewear on Pako. Not quite 100 years old like MOSCOT, although they’ve been around for as long as I can remember. You’re always welcomed with a smile and a friendly chat. If you manage to walk out with some new glasses that’s just an added bonus!

Find us on facebook words tanya carroll

@eyewearonpako 09 Ruby Spring

ruby arts

Provocateur

a person who provokes trouble, causes dissension, or the like; agitator.

Jean Paul Gaultier’s sublime world of fashion. William Baker, Kylie Minogue Virgins (or Madonnas) collection Immaculata Jean Paul Gaultier Haute couture, spring-summer 2007. >>>>>

started with Madonna’s cone bra... of course, that wasn’t where it really began, but for most of us, seeing Madge pump and grind across video and stage was our first introduction to the irrepressible, irreverent talent of Jean Paul Gaultier. It was the enfant terrible of French fashion meets the enfant terrible of pop, and it was a defining moment in both of their careers. Gaultier’s spectacular exhibition, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, comes from the Barbican in London to the National Gallery of Victoria this October, with the

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NGV the only Australian venue for the show. There is an urban playfulness to Gaultier’s work and this sense of accessible theatre is on show in some extraordinary ways in the exhibition, with rumour suggesting the man himself will return to Australia for only his

second time to put the finishing touches on the Melbourne show. The exhibition includes 140 outfits, but never one to be boring, Gaultier has installed animated mannequins that talk to you as make your way around. Among them are the voices

ruby arts of Gaultier himself, as well as many of the people he has worked closely with, including Kylie Minogue. The outfits tell the story of the designer’s career, from his first haute couture gown created in 1971 and that of his first couture customer, Nicole Kidman right through to his latest couture and ready to wear collections, and sit alongside photographs, sketches, stage costumes, excerpts from runway shows, film, television, concerts and dance performances. Ever the provocateur, the satirist, Jean Paul Gaultier’s haute couture gowns and

travel to Australia and I am thrilled to be returning to a country that I have visited only once, many years ago. Preparing this exhibition I have realised how strong my ties to Australia are – Nicole Kidman was my first couture client; I have dressed Cate Blanchett on numerous occasions; Kylie is a dear friend and I have had the pleasure of working closely with her on her tours. I have also been working for many years with models Gemma Ward, Catherine McNeil, Jarrod Scott, and the list goes on. The people are what make this country great and you Australians certainly excel!’

outfits step from the sublime to the surreal and more than anything else, this exhibition highlights to glorious beauty of Gaultier’s designs. Jean Paul Gaultier on his exhibition coming to Australia: ‘I am honoured and flattered that my exhibition will

4. The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk is on at the National Gallery of Victoria from 17 OCT - 08 FEB 2015.

1. Jean Paul Gaultier, Les Vierges [Virgins] collection, Haute couture, spring-summer 2007. 2. Paolo Roversi, Tanel Bedrossiantz, in a dress from the Jean Paul Gaultier Barbès collection, autumn-winter 1984-85. 3. Jean Paul Gaultier, French Cancan collection, autumn-winter 1991-92. 4. Alix Malka, Andrej Pejic, Confession of a Child of the Century collection, Jean Paul Gaultier Haute couture, autumn-winter 2012-13.

for tickets visit ngv.vic.gov.au or call 8620 2222 11 Ruby Spring

ruby beauty

Mix it up:

the best beauty combinations Why stick to using just one beauty product when blending it with another can bring about so many benefits? If you’re like me, you have to add a few different much-loved ingredients to your food in order to make it your own. You like to experience the ultimate result where possible – and that may mean mixing two or three good things together to make something great. The same goes with beauty. The simple addition of something new to the mix can mean that you end up with a result that’s better than you could have ever dreamed – and one that’s a little on the unique side, too. Check out three of the best beauty combinations you’ve ever come across…

Mix this: Chi Chi Mineral Face Bronzer ($22.95, 1800 243 678) with BIOELIXIA BodyShaper Firming Toning Body Lotion ($29.95, 1300 354 942) What to do: Using a spoon or a steady hand, sprinkle a teaspoon of loose bronzer into a bowl and follow it with double the amount of body lotion. Mix well. The result: If you’re in need of a beautiful (and fast) bronze glow, you can’t go past this trick. The body lotion uses the firming properties of caffeine and salicylic acid to visibly tone and firm the appearance of your skin, while the shimmery bronzer acts as an instant slimmer that also provides your body with a perfect sunkissed glow.

Mix this: Moroccanoil Treatment ($55, 1300 437 436) with Fudge Urban 24hr Coconut Rush Power Gel ($4.95, 1300 764 437) What to do: Mix a pump of the Moroccanoil Treatment with a 20 cent-sized amount of the Coconut Rush Power Gel and apply it to your hair from just below the roots to the ends. Use a blow dryer to set the look. This technique can be used on wet or dry hair. The result: Soft, textured hair that’s a completely unique cross between boho beach waves and beautiful, unstructured curls.

Mix this: Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation ($14.95, 1800 812 663) with Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights Face Illuminator ($29.95, 1800 025 488) What to do: Mix two parts foundation with one part illuminator and apply to your face with a foundation brush, starting in the middle and working outwards. The result: It may seem strange to mix a matte and radiant product, but the results are astonishing. The illuminator adds a subtle glow to the matte finish foundation, while the foundation helps to dilute the sheen of the illuminator, which is perfect for those who tend to get a bit shiny.

wordsauthor’s olivia mackinnon words name Want more inside tips and tricks? Check out the blog at www.beautyheaven.com.au 12 Ruby Spring

ruby money

address the problem. Your company will benefit from creating a culture in which there is an ongoing informal review process, with managers and subordinates communicating effectively about expectations, difficulties and outcomes. Be Specific

A GUIDE TO PERFORMANCE REVIEWS When carried out effectively, formalised performance reviews can be beneficial for both you and your employees.

t is an opportunity for you to demonstrate how much you appreciate your employees’ contributions and undertake collaborative reflection on potential business improvements. However, there are a lot of potential pitfalls that can undermine the effectiveness of performance reviews, sometimes even resulting in negative outcomes. If the review is unfocused it will fail to bring about any tangible results, which can lead to anxiety, confusion and occasionally even job dissatisfaction. Additionally, unproductive performance reviews can be a waste of

valuable resources. Here are some guidelines to help ensure that your performance reviews are as rewarding as possible: A Review Is Part Of An Ongoing Process Performance reviews cannot provide the same benefits as having continuous channels of communication between management levels. It is problematic when performance reviews become the designated time in which issues are addressed. If an employee has been underperforming then you should not wait until their scheduled review to

Every aspect of the performance review should be specific to the individual employee and their responsibilities. Your comments and questions should be targeted, drawing on and requesting examples to back up any claims. The performance indicators you use do not need to be uniform, and should be individualised to staff members. Turn Your Findings Into Actions The information you collect throughout performance reviews can guide you in many business decisions. For example, you may see the need to make changes to remuneration packages, redefine job descriptions, or pursue further staff training. Most importantly, the review process is a chance for you and your employees to take some time out from the day-to-day operations of your business and reflect on the bigger picture. The ultimate end goal should be to reach a consensus on future aspirations and cement milestones that are both challenging and achievable.

DISCLAIMER: This article is for guidance only, and professional advice should be obtained before acting on any information contained herein. Neither the writer, publishers nor the distributors can accept any responsibility for loss occasioned to any person as a result of action taken or refrained from in consequence of the contents of this article. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.

words reneé jovic, jovic accounting

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13 Ruby Spring

ruby health

I Don’t Do Facials I always wondered why other women seemed so excited about going for a facial. From special occasion birthdays, to pre-wedding treats, to well-meaning gifts, for a while there it seemed I couldn’t get away from facials. ‘Oh, poor you,’ I hear, the sarcasm palpable. But the fact is I would take a cuppa and half an hour with the feet up over a facial any day. I have problem skin – the kind where the indignities of pimples didn’t disappear even when the wrinkles started. Facials have never helped, but they have caused more than a few breakouts, and invariably came with some overenthusiastic young thing espousing some miracle cure. As soon as the incense and the soothing music start I’m ready to run.

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But over the past couple of years I’ve come to learn that not all skin treatments are equal, and spent a bit of time learning about what it is my skin really needs – not only to minimise breakouts and wrinkles, but for it to be healthy as I continue to age. I want to be one of those soft-skinned old ladies with crinkles around their eyes, and that means no sunbaking (no problem there, I’m so pale I’m almost blue), and a very simple skin regime with products that really work. So when the gorgeous girls from Australian Skin Face Body asked me to come in and try a Rationale EpiNova Photosonic Facial I put aside my distaste for facials and made an appointment. I am so glad I did. This wasn’t just another facial, but a medical-grade skin

treatment that felt amazing and left me with glowing, dewy skin that draw comments like ‘your skin looks amazing, what have you had done?’ – something I have never had happen before. I had a pared down express version, without the steaming and massage, and am now saving the full 90-minute treatment for a day off. First came the deep cleanse, then a Vitamin B treatment that is literally massaged off in small, soothing circles (divine!), then a medical-grade Lactic Acid enzyme reactivator, which I love the tingling sensation of – when I can feel it I know it’s doing its job – and finally a hydration mask and a quick, warming session of LED light therapy that not only comes with a power nap but also gets rid of the nasty acne-causing

ruby health bacteria and kicks the skin’s natural healing process into high gear. A slick of Rationale’s famed antioxidant serum and we were done. When I scurried into the bathroom to put on my public face I was astonished to realise that apart from a dab of concealer for those pesky under-eye circles and a bit of lipgloss, I didn’t need anything else. My skin looked AMAZING, was so soft and smooth that I didn’t

“Skin

believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself, on my own face. So I set about learning a bit more about Rationale. The founder of Rationale, Melbourne-lad Richard Parker, knows exactly what it’s like to be burdened with problem skin and try every product on the market only to be disappointed time and time again. He was singing my tune. When he couldn’t find anything that worked for him, he spent weeks

And that, ladies, is the great truth that had eluded me

for decades – that there really are skin treatments that can not only maintained your skin, but genuinely improve it. Not in a latest-beauty-fad way, but in a very real, at a cellular level way. That there are products that made your skin so healthy and so beautiful that make up actually detracted from it.”

want any make up on it. And that, ladies, is the great truth that had eluded me for decades – that there really are skin treatments that can not only maintain your skin, but genuinely improve it. Not in a latest-beauty-fad way, but in a very real, at a cellular level way. That there are products that made your skin so healthy and so beautiful that make up actually detracted from it. I am a hype-sceptic, and wouldn’t have

researching what was happening with his skin and how topical treatments worked in the medical library at Melbourne University. After realising that the overwhelming majority of skin care brands did not use active ingredients in their products, i.e. did little or nothing at all, he set out to become a qualified chemist so that he could formulate products he knew would actually improve and protect the skin.

Richard’s work started attracting attention, and a collaboration with a leading Melbourne dermatologist led to the development of the Rationale Skin Care range. It was dermatologists who first approached Richard to stock Rationale products, followed quickly by plastic surgeons, and soon the popularity of the research-driven and evidence-based formulations coming out of the Rationale R&D labs led to Rationale becoming the top selling cosmeceutical range in Australia. Beauty editors picked up the buzz and soon they were raving about them around the world, including in Vogue, Marie Claire and Harpers Bazaar. But again – it wasn’t the hype I was interested in, it was the results, and they were there. After my facial, I didn’t have any peeling or redness at all, because this is not how Rationale works. Each product and treatment is synchronized with the skin’s natural biomolecules and processes. So no post-treatment trauma or breakouts. What I did have was dewy, glowing, and even skin. My pores were tighter, my skin was clear and oh so fresh looking, and I had all sorts of people asking what I had done to get that glowing skin. I’m reliably informed these facials deliver the best results over a course of four to six treatments, with the timing between advised by the skin therapist, who will also tailor the treatments to your skin. Get in now for racing season ladies!

words davina montgomery

• Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery • Hand Surgery • Laser Hair Removal • Dermal Fillers & Injectables • InFInI Skin Tightening & non-Surgical Face Lift Options • Skin Cancer & Mole Checks (no Referral necessary)

Australian Skin Face Body Plastic Surgery, Skin & Laser Clinic ‘The Skin Spot’ 50 Western Beach Road, Geelong Telephone 5221 2238 www.asfb.com.au AusSkinFaceBody

We also offer treatments for: facial pigmentation, fine lines & wrinkles, acne, rosacea, scarring and specialised skin conditions. 15 Ruby Spring

ruby competition

Grease D

anny, Sandy, Rizzo, Kenickie and the gang from Rydell High are back in the multi-million dollar stage spectacular that has been rocking its way around the country. Grease is making its way to the Regent Theatre in Melbourne this December. Starring Rob Mills as Danny and rising star Gretel Scarlett as Sandy, along with Todd McKenney, Paul Young, Bert Newton and Val Lehman, this is one show that is guaranteed to put a smile on your dial. And five lucky Ruby readers can win a double pass to join the party – to enter, log on to the Ruby Facebook page (MagazineRuby) and tell us which character in Grease you were in high school. Talk about taking you back! And here the co-creator of Grease, Jim Jacobs, tells us

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how it all began. This is the story behind the show. It was in Chicago, Illinois, circa March / April 1970. At a cast party for some long-forgotten show – just for a laugh – I pulled out some of my old 45 records from the 1950s. These songs sounded extremely dated compared to the very hip, psychedelic funk of 1970 but it was a change of pace amongst the repetitious favourite dance tunes of the day. It was after singing along to several of these old, scratchy 45s by the likes of Little Richard, Dion and the Belmonts, and The Flamingos, that I first suggested to Warren Casey what a funny idea I thought it would be to see a Broadway musical that utilised this type of score i.e. the basic a capella/falsetto/doo-wops / hic-cupping/ R&B music of the late 50s instead of the traditional, “legit” show

tune type melodies of the Great White Way. Warren raised the rather obvious question: “Yeah, but what would the show be about?” A few beers later - with daylight rapidly approaching - I hit upon the idea that it should be about the kids I went to high school with, mainly the “greasers” and their girlfriends, back in the golden days of rock ’n’ roll. Harking back to a lifestyle that seemed centred on hairstyles (oily, gooey, coiffs), the food (cheap, fatty, hamburgers and soggy fries) and cool custom cars (more gunk and sludge) or any and all things “greasy” - I suggested we call it. Originally Warren laughed and dismissed the whole idea as a wild pipe dream, when the fickle finger of fate suddenly entered the picture. A week later, Warren was fired from his day job as branch

ruby competition

five lucky Ruby readers can win a double pass to join the party – to enter, log on to the Ruby Facebook page (MagazineRuby) and

tell

Grease

manager of several retail shops. Now, with time on his hands, he sat down at a typewriter and began to write a rough sketch (the girls’ pyjama party scene) for what would ultimately become the longest running show in Broadway history. Collaborating on the book, music and lyrics, we set about creating a story which poked good natured fun at all those Hollywood JD/Rock ‘n’ Roll movies of the 1950s. Warren (an ex-high school teacher in the 1950s) wrote songs that parodied the primitive sounds of the early rockers whilst I (an ex-greaser student in the 1950s) composed tunes that I felt paid imitative homage to the originals. Little Known Fact: is probably the only hit Broadway musical ever composed entirely on guitar. On 5 February 1971 in Chicago, opened in a damp, drafty, former trolley barn

you

which

were

called the Kingston Mines Theatre. A nonprofessional cast of 18 actors (in a $171 budget production!) played the first of its scheduled “four performances only” to a full house of 120 seats. Almost immediately the show was extended... then again, and again, and again. The rest, as they say, is history. A year later, on 14 February 1972, GREASE opened in New York. Within six months a national tour crossed the US and Canada. A company opened in Australia. The first London production opened at the New London Theatre with a young, unknown Richard Gere as Danny Zuko (the role eventually assumed by current co-producer Paul Nicholas). Soon the foreign productions, touring companies and stock and amateur groups seemed to span the globe. The huge success of the motion picture

character high

school.

in 1978 resulted in a whole new legion of GREASE fanatics - young kids. (The movie version of holds the record for “more concessions sold” than any other film in motion picture history). But enough about statistics and records. What GREASE is really all about – more than anything else – is having fun. So, just sit back, kick off your blue suede shoes, and relax. Have a ball! GREASE is, after all, a celebration. A party of the best kind. It was fun then, but it’s just as much fun now! Dig? See ya’ later, alligator! Grease is playing at the Regent Theatre Melbourne from December 11. For show information visit greaseistheword.com. au. Tickets are available through Ticket Master, visit ticketmaster.com.au or call 1300 111 011

photos by jeff busby 17 Ruby Spring

ruby money

Shoes versus savings We speak to financial planner Samantha Butcher from Crowe Horwath about the importance of being money savvy ... you know, so you can have the shoes and the savings! With more and more women holding the purse strings, and the battle for the equal pay yet to be won, when it comes to making sense of the dollars, we need to know our stuff. “We’re often the ones that work parttime, because we’re the ones having the babies. We’re also often, although not always, the ones whose careers are interrupted during child-rearing years. I’m one of those myself,” Sam said. “That means that not only is my wage less, but my superannuation is less and will be less upon retirement. To me, that’s one of the biggest issues.” There are some financial strategies that are available to combat income disparity, particularly for women in a relationship, such as super-splitting, but the absolutely critical first step must be for every woman, regardless of their relationship status or income, to understand the household financial situation. For our older generation this is a common issue – and one that brings enormous additional stress if the relationship ends or a partner passes away.

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“You would be surprised how much I see that,” Sam says. “To the extreme that some women don’t even know what bank accounts they have. To be fair, that is much less of an issue with younger women in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. I think there is much more of an interest now in our finances.” But for the increasing number of women who choose to be single, Sam says the world is their oyster. “I have friends who that applies to. They can choose to buy a house and cement themselves in that spot, and perhaps on the side have another wealth creation mechanism such as a share portfolio or some other form of investment. Or, they can remain footloose and fancy free. My friends are entering their 40s, have never owned a house because they’ve never had the need to. They are enjoying their life, they’ve travelled and have their own investments on the side, like share portfolios or investment properties. That enables them to have the freedom to do what they like with their life.” Another social factor that is changing how women manage their money is the rise of the single baby boomer woman. The kids are grown and flown, the

husband followed not long after and they are grabbing their independence firmly with both hands and, in more than a few cases, with a big smile on their face. “For these women, their superannuation is the primary focus, because that is their nest egg – they are retiring on their own, so they need to be financially independent. We look at how their superannuation is invested and at their insurance needs, particularly if they are still working or if they still have debt such as a mortgage,” Sam says. Australia has an enormous superannuation pool, and it’s growing, fast. A 2013 Deloitte report into Australia’s superannuation pool estimated the current pool as of 2013 at $1.4 trillion - roughly the equivalent of Australia’s total annual GDP - and is set to grow to $4 trillion in the next 10 years and to $7.6 trillion by 2033. “Even if we’re not taking an active interest into how our super is invested, we are still getting the annual statements every year, so we all should know roughly how much they have. There is a lot of apathy around superannuation, largely I think because we can’t touch it until we’re 65, or 67 soon – so it’s a case of set and

ruby money forget. Yet, for most of us, it’s going to be the primary thing that we live off in retirement, so it’s probably one of the things that we should be looking after the most,” Sam says. If you are an average wage-earning 45 year-old woman, what should you be looking at now to secure your retirement income? “The obvious answer is to increase their super balance. How do we do that? If cashflow allows it, salary sacrifice is something that needs to be considered. Not only does that increase the amount of savings you have in retirement, it also

The global financial crisis was a big wake up call for many of us, when superannuation funds dropped in many cases by around 40 per cent. The risks of our investment strategies were, all of a sudden, a talking point. But almost all investments have an element of risk. Australians have become avid property investors, and many have seen strong returns. But for others, there have been big losses, with speculative investments in development projects cutting a swathe through their retirement savings. “Any good financial planner will stress

“There are some financial strategies that are available to combat income disparity, particularly for women in a relationship, such as super-splitting, but the absolutely critical first step must be for every woman, regardless of their relationship status or income, to understand the household financial situation.”

gives you some tax relief along the way. Other options, if circumstances allow it, are to take advantage of the government co-contribution. So put some money in yourself and the government will give you up to $500. “It’s also important to make sure your superannuation is invested according to your needs and objectives, and your risk profile. All of that ties into how the share market works and the volatilityreturn relationship. That’s our job to help with stuff like that, but the main point is to take an interest in it – make sure it’s invested in the way that you want it to be. With industry funds and basic employer funds, people just get plonked into the default fund and that’s where they stay. That might suit some people, but it’s certainly not for everyone.”

this word: diversification. Diversify, diversify, diversify; do not put all your eggs in one basket. That means across what we call the asset classes, so property, international shares, Australian shares, cash,” Sam says, while cringing as we shared horror stories of hundreds of thousands of dollars wiped away in ill-advised investments. Another question that often comes up when people are looking at the best use of their spare cash is mortgage versus superannuation – where should we store our bikkies? “That’s a fair question, and one that a lot of people ask in their 30s or 40s when they come into some money, whether that’s an inheritance or a pay rise. There is no clear-cut answer. Everyone’s

circumstances are different and it depends on the type of mortgage, what’s left on that mortgage, what is the value of the home worth – compared to super. Money that goes into super is locked away until retirement, so we need to look at how long you have until retirement and are you going to need access to that money between now and then. The other important factor that we always consider is that if you’re going to have any debt, we ideally want it to be debt that we can claim a tax deduction on the interest. But really, it all comes down to all those individual circumstances,” Sam says. And it’s an important point to make. You can read magazine and online articles, you can watch current affairs shows on television, but at the end of the day, those are generic answers that are not set for you. And the big one: shoes versus savings? C’mon Sam, what’s it to be? “In an ideal world, couldn’t we have it all? I’m a financial planner, so I’m going to go with savings. To be honest, I’ve found that savings are important to women. I’m actually proud to say that the women who walk through the door here have enough common sense to know when they can’t afford the shoes.” Finally, the most important thing any and every woman can do to improve their financial future? “To seek advice from a professional – especially when our initial consultation is free, and I’m pretty sure that’s standard. They are going to lose an hour of their time, at no cost; I think it’s invaluable. Don’t listen to your neighbour, don’t listen to your boss or your friend, seek personal advice relevant only to you and your current financial position.” The Information in this article does not constitute advice and should not be relied or acted upon as it does not take into account your particular individual financial circumstances. Information is provided under AFSL 238 244.

www.crowehorwath.com.au 19 Ruby Spring

ruby spotlight “ The black cloud smothers who I am – a person who can cope, who doesn’t dissolve into tears at the thought of having to complete some simple task, a person who easily accepts that others love me, that I am, in fact, loveable.”

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ruby spotlight

BENEATH THE BLACK CLOUD It isn’t easy to talk about your own experiences of depression, but that is exactly what one very brave, very honest woman has done here, in hopes that others know they are not alone. When a celebrity takes their own life, as Robin Williams did in August, one of the many questions asked by the millions who didn’t know him is why? Why would a man with so much fame, so much wealth, so many accolades, kill himself? He seemed so happy; he had so much to live for. As his daughter Zelda wrote so heartbreakingly in her Tumblr statement afterwards, “…I’ll never, ever understand how he could be loved so deeply and not find it in his heart to stay…” We’ll never know why Robin Williams made the decision he did, and I think, frankly, unless we knew him personally, rather than knew of him, it’s none of our business. However, precisely because of his celebrity and society’s fixation on the lives of celebrities, we are once more talking publicly about mental illness and suicide. If we can turn that into a measured, factual and compassionate discussion that actually helps people, then maybe we can find some good in this latest tragedy, while bearing in mind that it’s a tragedy that plays out in the lives of ordinary, non-celebrity-type people across our country every. single. day. and the majority don’t attract pages and pages of tributes and psychoanalysis. Australians are more likely to die by suicide than skin cancer. Every day, at least six Australians die from, and a further thirty attempt, suicide (www.blackdoginstitute. org.au). Many of those suicides are caused by depression – the “black dog”, the “malignant sadness” – an insidious disease that suffocates life and joy and replaces it with a smothering black cloud. It’s difficult to write about depression without using such emotive metaphors because it affects the brain, the very seat of who we are, but such descriptors hide the physical seriousness and the toll it takes. Depression is a real illness: it’s not just feeling sad, it’s not just a bad day, it’s not something you can shake if you just pull your socks up and get on with it, or go for a walk or something. It has physical symptoms as well, like aches and pains,

fatigue, insomnia, hypersomnia, a level of confusion and difficulty in thinking clearly or concentrating. It can make you, simply, weary of living, no matter how much you have to live for. One in seven Australians will experience depression in their lifetime. It has the third highest burden of all diseases in Australia (referring to the total impact of a disease measured by financial cost, mortality, morbidity and other indicators, often expressed as number of years of life lost due to ill-health, disability or early death) and is the number one cause of non-fatal disability (www. blackdoginstitute.org.au).

episode, the one I just came out of, is the first time since I developed depression almost thirty years ago that I have given myself permission to think, “I’m not well. I need to treat myself as not well instead of pushing myself to just get on with it.” In tears to my GP, demanding to know WHY this keeps coming back to torment me, he gently explained it was chemicals in my brain. “Some people,” he said, “have diabetes as their chronic illness. Some people have asthma. You have depression.”

It’s interesting reading those figures as a person who has just recovered from yet another major episode of depression, this one lasting six months, particularly a line (not from the Black Dog Institute) that read “most people with depression go on to lead happy, productive lives with the right treatment for them.” I actually, when I’m well, don’t feel that I’m leading a non-productive, unhappy life. But that’s the problem with depression – when I’m not well, my brain can tell me all kinds of nasty things about me and I’ll believe it. As writer and comedian Ben Pobjie wrote in his insightful Sydney Morning Herald piece about the dangers of psychoanalysing Robin Williams and the daily struggles faced by all those who live with depression: “To romanticise mental illness is to deny its bleak, drab horror … I do know that the brain is a frustrating web of treacherous chemicals that can easily turn its own instinct for self-preservation inside out. I do know that it can be nearly impossible to fight off your own emotions when the weapon you’re using against this enemy is also the enemy itself. I do know that it’s possible to know you’re loved and be certain that you’re not at the same time.” (‘Forget the phoney psychoanalysis and instead celebrate Robin Williams’ rare talent’, 12/8/14)

I don’t really. It’s just that it would be easier to explain to people. “No,” I could say, “I’m not drinking tonight – no I’m not pregnant, it’s just my sugars are out of whack.” And no one would think anything of it. Far harder to say, “No, I’m not drinking tonight, my depression is playing up and alcohol makes it worse.” Because it’s not something I go around telling everyone (hence why this piece is anonymous). I’ve been discriminated against by previous employers and I have a “suicide loading” on my life insurance (THAT was an odd feeling, let me tell you). I’ve experienced that look that comes over people’s faces when you mention depression and I’ve faced the “Don’t worry, everyone gets sad sometimes,” platitudes. The black cloud smothers who I am – a person who can cope, who doesn’t dissolve into tears at the thought of having to complete some simple task, a person who easily accepts that others love me, that I am, in fact, loveable. The difference between who I am when I am well and when I’m unwell is stark – well, it is to me. I don’t win against that black cloud – I keep it at bay and it lifts when it chooses.

I don’t think we take depression seriously enough as a society, although we’re getting there, and I don’t think I take it seriously enough as a sufferer. This

“Well,” I said, “I wish I had diabetes instead.”

My silver lining is that I’ve been able to help people who have tentatively shared with me their struggles and seen the relief on their faces when they realise I do really understand that just thinking about everything that needs to be done to face the world today (getting dressed, for example) can seem so hard that you have 21 Ruby Spring

ruby spotlight to go back to bed. If one day I became so weary of fighting this cloud that has hung over more than half my life with monotonous regularity and I could no longer “find it in my heart to stay,” then people could say the same of me as of Robin Williams – “she had so much to live for” – a beautiful family and husband, loving and supportive friends, a comfortable middle class existence. What I want people to remember is that it’s not just celebrities who have everything to live for but can’t see it through the fog of depression. It could be your neighbour. It could be the friend you have coffee with every week. It could be your siblings or parents. There are always millions of reasons to be kind to each other, but as someone said to me the other day about her reflections on Robin Williams, “It makes you realise that you never, ever know what people are going through, so you should just be kind to everyone.” I spent so many years chasing answers, looking for the traumatic incident that must have caused these yearly, months’ long episodes of “malignant sadness”. There isn’t one. There is nothing wrong with my life to make me feel like this, I have “everything to live for.” I just couldn’t accept, until recently, that it’s the chemical imbalance in my brain that makes me unwell (I would like to know what’s causing the chemical imbalance, but I don’t quite know where to start). Depression is my illness – this is what I have. There is no cure. There are treatments that help, there are things I can do to stay healthy: drink less alcohol, exercise regularly, take my medication, talk to people I trust when I’m not doing so well. I’m lucky. I have the support of friends and family who love me, who recognise the early symptoms when I don’t and are brave enough to tell me they’ve noticed. I have the financial wherewithal to seek private professional help and pay for my medication – I often wonder what I would do if I didn’t, if I didn’t have the time and space to deal with this. (A woman I spoke to the other day is aware she’s very depressed, aware her current medication isn’t working and that she needs to visit her GP and discuss it but she can’t – her husband is sick, her children have been sick and there is no time in her day for her to do what she needs to do to get well herself. And so she gets worse.) This article has been difficult to write, because I am writing of my own experience, and that’s painful, and also because I am aware that my experience, while being incredibly common, is uniquely my own. But every so often, I come across something that has been written by someone with a far better gift for words than I, who takes what I feel and turns it into a paragraph that just sums it up. That helps. I hope even one paragraph of my words might do that for someone else. And, as Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman has written in a message at www.beyondblue. org.au: “If you’ve been meaning to ask how someone is, or talk about what you’re going through, don’t wait – start the conversation now.” If you or someone you know needs help, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue Support Service on 1300 22 4636. There is also an anonymous online chat service available between 8pm and 4am AEST at Lifeline. org.au, or visit beyondblue.org.au For crisis assistance, call 000.

22 Ruby Spring

Studio - 162 Bellerine St, Geelong elisha@elphotography.com.au 0439 353 958

elphotography.com.au

ruby beauty Those three years have not been idle, and Envy has transitioned into Re. It is no coincidence that the Re symbol is that of a Damselfly. Yes, to us here in Australia it’s thought of as a dragonfly, but to the rest of the world it is known by the more elegant name of Damselfly; a name befitting its beauty and grace. Symbolically it is one of transformation, change, power and poise. Previously, an experienced nurse, Leslie’s comfortable in saying that there isn’t really anything she hasn’t seen. This has an assuring way of putting her clients at ease, and it’s the very thing that Leslie instills in her team at Re.

Beauty: so much more than skin deep The proverb suggesting that beauty was only skin deep is attributed to Sir Thomas Overbury, and dates back to 1613. Poor Sir Thomas could not have been more wrong, and perhaps his early demise by ‘other than natural means’ is testament to his failure to comprehend the true nature of beauty.

ortunately, today we’ve moved closer to understanding the true measure of real beauty.

In 1997, a beauty salon known as Envy opened in Pakington Arcade; tucked away in a tranquil setting, just removed from the hustle and bustle of busy Pakington Street. Since then, Envy

has provided outstanding service and products to its clients. Nearly three years ago, Leslie Nugent, a beauty therapist with over ten years’ experience, decided to leave her thriving private practice, Tranquil Waters in Newtown, and move down the hill to realize her bigger vision and acquired Envy.

When asked, “What made you transition from nursing to beauty,” Leslie replies that it came out of a single experience. She doesn’t even remember what salon it was, but having had a beauty treatment, she emerged believing that she could make someone feel better, more special than that. She studied at The Gordon, and become a qualified Beauty Therapist, and from that day to this, she is making people feel better, happier, when they leave the salon than when they arrived. At Re, it’s an entire concept. The focus is providing quality products and services in welcoming surroundings. As the transition continues, Re Skin and Body will be joined by Re Wellbeing. The emphasis is on wanting clients to feel special, nurtured - a desire to see you transition into who you really are. In the beautiful surroundings, you are guaranteed to feel special.

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Proudly manufactured in Geelong.

Cutting-edge technology with simple elegant design The unobtrusive design conceals tungsten halogen heating lamps with improved heating efficiency, and directional LED downlights that brighten the spaces you choose to light. An in-line extraction system that vents directly outside the home means no unwanted draughts, just dry, even heat. It also makes a Tastic® Neo the perfect choice for single and multi-storey homes. You’ll enjoy unprecedented quality with a five year in-home warranty and a two-year replacement warranty on heat lamps and the in-line fan.

Over 30 years ago IXL invented the iconic Tastic which are still proudly made in Australia to this day There are Tastics available for every bathroom type. The Classic range is suitable to retro fit into existing bathrooms while the Eco and Easy Duct ranges are designed for the energy conscious and 5+ star rated homes. They’re fitted with back draught flaps which prevent hot air escaping or cold air entering the bathroom, energy efficient CFL centre lights and the Easy Duct versions duct the steam and stale air to outside the home via an inline fan.

YEAR

IN HOME

WARRANTY

In-home Warranty

Original

Sensation

Silhouette

Triumph

ruby living

I X L: I n n o v ati n g i n G e e l o n g si n c e 1 8 5 8

ampford IXL is a part of the IXL Group, a family owned company that has been part of Geelong’s history for over 155 years. Operating from their headquarters in Geelong, the IXL Group remains a significant provider of local jobs. Sampford IXL was borne out of the merger between two longstanding, premium and family owned Australian companies – Sampford & Staff and IXL Appliances (a division of the IXL Group). The company still benefits from fifth generation involvement of Matt Backwell and Robert Backwell - who are board members. By continuing their proud tradition of local manufacture Sampford IXL continues to offer hands-on trades and apprenticeship training opportunities for youth from the Geelong area. And with their products recognised as being at the forefront of the industry, they look forward to maintaining this role long into the future. “Many Australian homes today have an IXL ‘Tastic’ in their bathroom whether it be – a stylish ‘Neo’, or traditional ‘Classic’, ‘Eco’ or ‘Easy Duct’ - it’s a brand that has arguably become an iconic element in modern bathroom design,” says Libby Strong – brand manager for IXL and Cannon. “Similarly a Cannon Gas Log Heater is widely regarded as the preferred heating option for those seeking the convenience of a gas heater with the aesthetics of a real log flame.”

Development (R&D) team who are also based in Geelong.

FUR T H ER I NFORM A T I ON

“Our R&D is all about ensuring that we develop product that the market wants as well as products that are in advance of the identifiable need. We continually look to improve existing products while also seeking to innovate and surprise.”

• The IXL Group was founded in 1858 then known as Backwell IXL.

When looking for a heat, light and ventilation solution or a heater - rather than basing purchase decisions solely on up-front purchase price - consumers should weigh up the total cost of a product and the value offered. For example, IXL ‘Tastic’ carries a fiveyear in-house warranty, which means, that should the product fail, a consumer can telephone Sampford IXL and request under warranty that it be repaired. Whereas for product that’s not made in Australia, a two-year guarantee might require a consumer to firstly pay for a tradesperson to remove the product, to then return the product to the supplier and cover postage costs overseas. On return there’s also the need to pay for an electrician to re-install the product. A big part of the company’s longevity has been a focus on – innovative and aesthetic products that are made from quality materials and components with service back-up. “Sampford IXL’s superior product design, manufacture and durability encourages people to make the decision to buy a quality product. Knowing that it will perform and is a brand that’s been around for a long time is important.”

IXL and Cannon products are developed by Sampford IXL’s Research and

w w w . i x la p p lia n c e s . c o m . a u

Sampford IXL Fast Facts

• The merger between Sampford & Staff and IXL Appliances (a division of the IXL Group) came into effect in February 2007 – with the company known thereafter as Sampford IXL. • The company is an importer, distributor and manufacturer of some of the world’s premium kitchen, bathroom, ventilation and heating brands. • Australian made IXL and Cannon brands sit alongside German - Neff and Gaggenau. Products have a focus on both technical and functional excellence, while also raising the bar in design aesthetics. • The IXL Group has 3 divisions at Geelong HQ which collectively devise, manufacture, import and market premium electrical appliances and components for domestic, commercial and industrial use. • The Foundry division – provides ferrous castings for aluminium, engineering and mining industries. • The Appliance division is made up of many market-leading product ranges – IXL Tastic, Cannon Gas Log Heaters and IXL heating. • The Manufacturing division provides metal stampings for the automotive, power and appliance industries. • IXL products include: IXL Tastic (heat, vent, light) – Neo, Classic, Eco, Easy Duct, Smart Switch IXL Space Heaters IXL Ventilation

1300 727 421 25 Ruby Spring

ruby health

the creep I

t’s known as ‘kilo creep’ and, while we may only notice it when our clothes no longer fit and we have to buy new ones in a size larger, the damage done is not just to our clothes budget and selfesteem. At least 2.8 million adults die each year around the world as a result of being overweight /obese. Even if it doesn’t kill us, it adds to our risk of developing chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, and of developing certain types of cancers. There has also been an increase in women suffering gestational diabetes during pregnancy. The Geelong region is a faring badly in the overweight/obesity statistics. The combined proportion of obese/ overweight women in Greater Geelong is 48.4 per cent, almost seven per cent higher than the Victorian average of 41.8

To help address the issue, Geelong and the Bellarine have been chosen as pilot areas for a new program developed by Dr Cate Lombard, lead researcher of a group of specialists in women’s health at Monash University and delivered by Barwon Health in partnership with Bellarine Community Health and Healthy Together Geelong. The Healthy Lifestyle Program for Women aims to help women between 18 and 50 to prevent weight gain and supports them in leading healthy lifestyles.

loss program; it doesn’t involve medical treatments and doesn’t prescribe specific diets and exercise.”

“Women are an important group to target in preventing weight gain because their lifestyle is significantly impacted by work demands and caring for family. Their level of physical activity drops off and their diet changes. They also tend to be in control of what food is in the house so they can influence what their partner and children eat and how active they are.”

During the three weeks, participants are provided with information based on current best practice, including the Australian Dietary Guidelines and Australian Physical Activity Guidelines, about Australian women and physical activity, healthy eating, chronic health conditions and overweight/obesity levels. They also learn about habits, establishing goals and how to work through any obstacles to achieving them and are encouraged to be up to date with their screening and health checks.

“The aim is to support women to take

“A t l e a s t 2 . 8 m i l l i o n a d u l t s d i e e a c h year around the world as a result of be ing ove r we ight /obe se . Eve n if it d o e s n’ t k i l l u s , i t a d d s t o o u r r i s k o f d e v e l o p i n g c h r o n i c d i s e a s e s .” per cent. The age at which kilo creep begins is also dropping, with research indicating Australian women in their 20s and 30s are at particular risk and are gaining weight faster than any other age group. However, statistics also show that preventing weight gain or losing just five per cent of our weight will have a major positive impact on our health.

small achievable steps towards their own lifestyle goals,” explains the program’s project coordinator for the region, Lynne Quick. “There’s a strong focus on being gentle, encouraging, respectful and nonjudgmental; on “function not form” – this means focusing on what our bodies can do and how healthy we feel, not what we look like. It’s not a weight words judy baulch

26 Ruby Spring

What it does do is provide a supportive environment for women to come together weekly for three weeks to learn how to best live a healthy lifestyle in their life, with 12 months of follow up support in the form of personal contact and motivational emails and text messages based on keeping focused and motivated with goals and tips for healthy eating and physical activity.

“What we’re finding is that everyone can identify with the program,” says Lynne, the day after the first group of 12 women met at Newcomb Library in August. By the end of the year, Barwon Health will have delivered another seven programs across Geelong. For more information visit www. facebook.com/healthywomengeelong or contact Lynne Quick, Barwon Health, Health Promotion Unit on 03 4215 3475 or RSVPhealthpromotion@barwonhealth. org.au For information about the program on the Bellarine Peninsula contact Lauren Purser, Bellarine Community Health via 03 5259 2537or healthycommunities@ bch.org.au

ruby health

Tips for healthy living: • Small steps, smart change: slowing weight gain requires tiny changes to your eating and activity everyday • Put together at least two and a half hours of moderate intensity physical activity each week and include muscle strengthening on two days a week • Minimise sitting

salt, added sugars and alcohol (100ml of wine takes 15 minutes of brisk walking to burn off!) • Eat at least two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables each day • Eat breakfast everyday • Watch portion sizes of food and drinks • Focus on and celebrate what your body can do, not what it looks like

• Limit intake of foods containing saturated fat, added

27 Ruby Spring

ruby real estate

Preparing your home for lease As an agent, part of our service to you is to advise on preparing your investment for lease. The better your property looks and feels, the better quality of tenant you will attract – and don’t we all want someone who will love our property as their home? Looking for tips to make your home as inviting and attractive as it can possibly be? Well, here are some of our and our tenants’ favourites: •

Make sure the home is clean. It is recommended that you go into the home after each tenancy and give it another clean, just to give it that extra sparkle.

•

Have a look at the walls. When was the last time they were painted, do they look a little tired? Consider painting.

•

If you are moving out of your family home or the tenancy, declutter. This is an ideal time to discard unwanted furniture and goods.

•

Arrange furniture to show the property in its best possible light. Not everyone is able to imagine a furnished house.

•

Have some artwork on the wall, but consider removing personal photos and items of value.

•

Ensure the home is inviting. If it is hot - turn on the cooler, if cold warm the property up.

•

Maintain the gardens: prune roses and trees to look their best.

Many of the above tips are inexpensive, but there will come a time when a landlord will have to invest in maintenance to ensure the property remains in a condition suitable for leasing. Listen to your leasing agent – they want you to get the best value out of your property, and a wellmaintained home not only makes for happy tenants, but also protects the value of your investment. words gina tobolov, westendrealestate.com.au 28 Ruby Spring

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ruby food

There is nothing better on these cool, crisp Spring days than sitting with a delicious feast, something delightful in a glass and heart warming company. Bring some life to your dining table at home with these fabulous recipes from Darius.

photos biancawhitephotography.com.au

Cunningham Pier (03) 5222 6377 | baveras.com.au reservations@baveras.com.au Baveras

@BaverasBrasserie

Check the website for trading hours

33 Ruby Spring

ruby food

Coconut & Ginger soup with Mussels, Clams & Prawns 750ml Coconut Milk 2 stalks of lemongrass, white part only thinly sliced 5cm piece of ginger, finely sliced 4 shallots crushed 400g mussels, cleaned 4 large king prawns (Body peeled) 400g baby clams 2 Tablespoons fish sauce 1 Tablespoon palm sugar, grated 200g cherry tomatoes halved 150g Shitake mushrooms sliced 3 Tablespoons lime juice 6 kaffir lime leaves thinly sliced 2 long red chillies deseeded and finely sliced Handful coriander leaves Method In a large pot, add your coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger and shallots. Place pot over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Add your mussels, clams and prawns along with the fish sauce and palm sugar, bring back to the boil and then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Stir the pot every couple of minutes to make sure that all the mussels and clams get cooked evenly. Once cooked add your mushrooms and tomatoes and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes then add lime juice, lime leaves and chillies. Adjust your seasoning and serve. Finish the dish with the coriander leaves scattered over the top.

34 Ruby Spring

ruby food

Asian Style Sticky Short Ribs with Green Papaya Salad BEEF RIBS 2 kg Beef Short rib 6cm piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves, sliced 2 red chillies, chopped (take the seeds out for milder heat) 250mls (1 cup) soy sauce 6 Tablespoons brown sugar 3 Star anise 250mls (1 cup) apple juice 125mls (1/2 cup) water Â˝ cup roasted and salted cashews (crushed) Green Papaya Salad 1 large red chilli, deseeded, finely sliced 100g Bean sprouts 100g Green Papaya (use a peeler to peel ribbons then thinly slice) Â˝ cup Mint 3 Spring onions (cut in half lengthways and thinly sliced)

Nuoc mam cham (chilli, garlic, ginger & lime dressing) 60ml fish sauce 60ml rice wine vinegar 2 Tablespoons white sugar 125ml water 2 garlic cloves finely chopped 2 Teaspoons finely chopped ginger 1 birds eye chilli deseeded, finely chopped 3 Tablespoons lime juice 1 Teaspoon finely chopped pickled chilli In a small pot place the fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar and water. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and allow to cool. Add your garlic, ginger, chilli and lime juice and mix well. Allow to sit for 20 minutes so the flavour can infuse. Preheat your oven to 160 c. Heat a large pan over a medium heat and brown the beef short ribs in a small amount of oil to get a bit of colour and then transfer to a baking tray. You will want to do this in

batches so that the pan remains hot. In a bowl, mix together your ginger, garlic, red chillies, soy sauce, brown sugar, star anise, apple juice and water and mix well to combine. Add the sauce to the baking tray coating the ribs and making sure the ribs are evenly spaced. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake uncovered for 3 hours, turning once half way through. Once cooked, take the ribs out of the sauce and place to the side. Strain the sauce into a medium size pot and reduce the sauce on a medium heat for about 20 minutes until sticky. Allow the sauce to cool slightly and then pour over the cooked short ribs ensuring that they are evenly coated. Sprinkle with cashews and serve with the green papaya salad dressed with Nuoc mam cham.

words darius sarkis, baveras 35 Ruby Spring

ruby wine

The sparkling season Every year, the arrival of racing and event season means sparkling wines are centre stage. But apart from the bubbles, do you really know what goes into that delicious glass of joyous fizz?

Steven Paul from Oakdene says that when we’re talking sparklings, it’s not all about bubbles. In Australia, we produce and drink sparkling pinot, sparkling chardonnary or sparkling pinot chardonnay. Ever wondered about the pinot element in those light-filled golden wines? If you’re a novice quaffer – and there are plenty of us – here’s why. All grape juice is clear. The colour comes from the press and how much of the skin is allowed to pigment the juice. In fact, well over half of the Champagne grapes grown in Champagne are black grapes. Sparkling wine can be made in several ways and it is the method that changes the finished product. For all sparklings, the base wine is made of just ripe grapes with low levels of sugar and high acidity. The quickest and therefore cheapest method is carbonating. This is the SodaStream of the wine world – literally injecting CO2 into the base wine. This simple and aggressive method of producing fizz results in large bubbles that dissipate quickly. Our better quality sparklings take you into the more traditional production methods.

The Charmat Method, also known as the Italian Method (Metodo Italiano) is a traditional method producing lightly sparkling wines. The Charmat Method involves a second fermentation of the base wine in a pressurized tank, which is where the bubbles are made. The wine is then clarified, additional sugar may be added if a sweeter wine is desired, then aged. Wines produced by this method have not spent much time on yeast, and will generally be fresh, fruit driven styles with reasonable persistent bubbles. The Champagnes produced in France are made under the Classic Method or Methode Champenoise. These wines are characterised by yeast-derived characters and very fine, persistent bubbles. The most complex method of producing sparkling wine, the Classic Method sees the base wine decanted into bottles for the second fermentation and aged ‘on lees’, meaning on yeast. The curiously termed ‘riddling’ is the next step, whereby the bottles are rotated on an angle toward the neck of the bottle. The bubbles are made by the yeast feeding on the sugars, producing carbon dioxide. OakdeneVineyards

36 Ruby Spring

@Oakdenewines

During disgorgement, the yeast that has gathered in the neck of the bottle is removed, usually by freezing it into a block using liquid nitrogen, and removed. The wine may or may not then be dosed with extra sugar for sweetness, bottled, corked and aged. When ready, sparklings made by the classic method will have those incredibly fine bubbles that sing on your tongue and last throughout the glass (or the bottle!). What is the difference between vintage and non-vintage? Vintage means the wine has been produced using grapes from the a single year, while non-vintage, often shown as NV on the bottle, will be produced using wine from different years. These complex and savoury sparklings shine with food. And there you have it, our insider’s guide to sparkling wine, so when the conversation at this season’s events turn to wine, you can shine. Steve’s suggestion: When buying a quality local sparkling, drink it now while it’s fresh and lively. All the ageing and hard work is done in the production for you to enjoy the wine when you buy it.

ruby wine

<< N V OAKDENE SPARKLING BRUT

Straw with a pink blush and persistent bead. Lifted floral and lemon citrus scents with yeasty characters and bruised apple notes. A delicate fruit driven style with a lively mousse. Lemon citrus flavours and subtle yeast characters with firm acid giving the wine overall balance, length and freshness. Enjoy well chilled as an aperitif with or without food

<< 2009 OAKDENE MATILDA SPARKLING BLANC DE NOIRS

Pale straw with salmon blush. Lifted notes of stone fruit, and red fruit aromas, followed by brioche and toast characters. Fine persistent mousse, with obvious bready autolysis, obvious red fruit pinot noir influence, balanced by firm acidity and a long, dry finish. A dry aperitif style, to be enjoyed with food over the next few years.

<< 2011 OAKDENE YVETTE SPARKLING

Pale straw with a hint of bronze Lifted notes of citrus, spice, and green apple aromas, followed by brioche and toast characters. Fine persistent mousse, with obvious bready autolysis, balanced by firm acidity and a long, delicate finish. A dry aperitif style, to be enjoyed now or over the next few years.

oakdene.com.au

cellar door - restaurant - accommodation Oakdene Cellar Door: Open 7 days, 10am to 4pm | Oakdene Restaurant: Open Lunch Wed - Sun, Dinner Wed - Sat 255 Grubb Road, Wallington, Victoria 3222 | P 5256 3886 | E info@oakdene.com.au | www.oakdene.com.au

37 Ruby Spring

ruby ruby connect header

Op shop dreaming Tucked away in the industrial streets of Grovedale is the latest jewel in Geelong’s op shop treasure trove. 3216Connect at Number 2 Dendle Street occupies the front half of a coolroom business and blends right in with the warehouses and workshops surrounding it. But inside the unassuming front door is an op shop with a difference, filled with beautiful quirky things, basic essentials and the odd vintage treasure. The culmination of a long cherished ambition by manager, Michele Warren, to open an op shop and use it to help others, 3216Connect is operated by the newly formed charity of the same name, established by the Christian Reformed Church of South Barwon to help those in need in the 3216 postcode. “I’ve loved op shops since I was a teenager, most of my clothes have come from op shops, most of my household goods have come from op shops and my four children have been dressed by op shops,” says Michele. “So when I was approached to run an op shop, I knew the time had come.” Michele had worked as a kindergarten assistant for years and loved it, but says she knew it wasn’t really what she was meant to do. A trip to the Philippines in 2012 to visit a children’s home she had long supported led her to follow her heart. “I just had a nagging feeling I was meant to do something and after seeing how little they have and how even two dollars makes a difference in their life… the idea of opening an op shop to help people in need kept coming back to me, so when Clinton asked me, I just said yes.”

Op shops must be attached to a charity to operate, so while Clinton and the charity board worked out all the particulars, Michele was free to bring her artistic flair to setting up a shop space where everything looks like it should cost a lot more than it does. In fact, nothing in this op shop, unless it’s one of those special vintage pieces that people generously donate, is much over $10, from the items in the toy room lined with shelves of carefully arranged books and bright pictures, to the jewellery, household goods and racks of clothes, shoes and bags. “Our purpose is to have very low prices,” Michele says. “Our baby’s clothes are 50 cents to at the most $5, and we don’t really have any clothing over $10 unless it’s a very special vintage item, like a dress we have at the moment and a lovely old antique coat. We’re here to help people in any way we can and, of any money we make, eighty per cent goes back into the 3216 postcode and twenty per cent is used to support the Rehoboth Children’s Home in the Philippines.” The op shop itself, apart from advertising and signage, cost about $300 to set up, thanks to the renovation efforts of the building owner and Michele’s father and husband, various donors and helpers, the offer of 19 mannequins and the extraordinary generosity of the Corio Christian Centre, a church who had closed their own op shop and donated everything they had, including shop fittings, coat hangers and the cash register. words judy baulch

38 Ruby Spring

While the needs of a third world children’s home are obvious, the hidden struggles of those living in a fairly affluent area like the 3216 postcode are less well known. Mortgage stress and unemployment are taking their toll on residents here, and there is also a growing population of refugees. In the short time the shop has been open Michele has already met many people in need of help, or just a listening ear. “Once we’ve established ourselves we hope to be able to help people with food and petrol vouchers, and vouchers for this shop, so people can have shoes for their children, or a business shirt for a job interview.” In the meantime, despite the donations that come in every day, Michele is finding it hard to keep up with demand for toys and babies clothes, in particular. There is also a need for good quality men’s clothing and shoes. “Every day we’re open, people are walking in with donations and we’re really appreciating the good quality of everything that people are bringing us. I could spend all day, every day, here, I just love it.” 3216Connect at 2 Dendle Street Grovedale (off Marshalltown Road) is open Wednesday – Friday from 10 am – 4 pm. Donations are most welcome during opening hours.

ruby competition

Want to get on board with your bestie? Ruby has double passes to give away to Geelong’s major annual wine, food and music festival. All you have to do to enter is jump on Ruby’s Facebook page, like us if you haven’t already, and let us know what you are looking forward to at Toast to the Coast. If you don’t do social media, feel free to send your entry to us via the contact page at www.rubymagazine.com.au - Cheers!

Cheers to the happiest day of the year (and it’s not Christmas!) There’s a lot to love about the return of spring, and one is the promise of Toast to the Coast over Melbourne Cup Weekend on November 1 and 2 (shh: editor’s favourite local event). A day spent touring around, sampling the region’s fabulous wines, enjoying a long and lazy lunch, and finishing with some live music with friends new and old, only to do it all again the next day is a spectacular way to enjoy so much of what makes this such a great part of the world to live in. With more than 30 wineries on board this year, the 2014 Toast to the Coast Festival is already shaping up to be a huge event – and once people attend for the first time, they are hooked. Toast to the Coast is a true community celebration of all that is wonderful about

the Geelong Wine region’s premium wines, confirmed by critics and wine show judges here and abroad as some of the best in the country, fabulous local produce and talented entertainers. Across The Bellarine, Moorabool Valley and Surf Coast, wineries will be pulling out all stops to showcase the Geelong winery ‘experience’ in a weekend of sensational wine, food, music and fun. Toast to the Coast is one of the biggest events of the year for the Geelong region attracting thousands of wine lovers, locals and tourists alike. Wineries, local tourism authorities, producers, providores, accommodation providers and entertainers work together to showcase the multifaceted bounty of our great region. Early Bird Tickets On Sale Now!

To celebrate the 13th annual Toast to the Coast, a limited number of discounted Early Bird tickets have been released by event organisers. Normally $40, an Early Bird $35 weekend pass includes a $10 commemorative Geelong Wine glass – your entry to all host vineyards and passport to free wine tastings throughout the weekend. Patrons are advised to act quickly – numbers are limited and the Early Bird $35 offer ends September 30. Early Bird tickets can be purchased via GPAC www.gpac.org.au. Event information, touring maps and shuttle bus details online at www.toasttothecoast. com.au.

39 Ruby Spring

ruby musings

Stealing cumquats from Jesus I’m going to hell. It will be all my own fault, completely of my own making … my jam making, but the results will be heavenly. Jam, as in the making of, brings out the best in me and the worst in me. There’s something about hunting for jars, finding cheap – or even better, free – fruit, and then setting about the toil and trouble of peeling and pitting kilos upon kilos of the stuff to bubble away in my cauldron that makes life so worth living. Or not. Before anything gets spread on toast, the making of my jam involves loitering with bad intent in strange streets, near overhanging branches of a certain cumquat tree, you know, that one beside the churchyard in … ah, better not say; if I tell you I’ll have to kill you. And before everyone’s eyebrows disappear right up into everyone’s hairlines, remember that for centuries, there were brambles and hedgerows and village greens and verges and forests where food grows and they were there for the picking. Foraging is quite different from stealing (that’s right, Your Honour!) and there’s something primal but quite lovely about going for a walk and snacking on Mother Nature’s bounty along the way. Of course, there are always idiots who don’t get the idea … A few years ago, my sister ‘escorted’ us to The Darebin Parklands, not to pick fruit, but to show us the hordes of people who’d converge upon the wizened century-old fruit trees as if it were a Boxing Day Sale, and rip not-quite-ripe bounty and strip whole

branches off the exquisite mulberry trees. In Ferny Creek in the Dandenong Ranges, the chestnut trees on the side of the main road have been there for everybody for decades, and apart from the occasional branch-breaking, greedy, selfish type of forager, the rest of us would gather enough freshly fallen chestnuts to roast on our open fires in autumn; we’d also help ourselves to bucket-loads of blackberries from the paddock fences in summer. Here in Geelong, if there are any abandoned orchards or food forests, then they are very well kept secret. In East Geelong, a resident won a battle to retain her nature strip as a veggie plot. My husband and I used to walk past it and marvel at her green thumbs and the quality of what she was growing. Of course, there was no ‘foraging’ there. There are so many productive, edible front gardens around the place, too. I smile every time we go to the restaurant near us whose herb patch in the front window box is thriving. The parsley, rosemary and thyme foliage is beautiful and it’s so much more relevant to them than boring old flowers. Makes me want to eat there! But my thumbs are black and so I do jam instead. Plum jam is the basic 101 trainer-wheeled starter pack of jam making. If you can’t make plum jam, words anna-marie hughes

40 Ruby Spring

give up now and save yourself a world of pain. My early efforts resulted in a lot of runny, plummy goo which was hopeless as jam, but I discovered that when poured on top of a meatloaf and sprinkled with lots of pepper and baked for a while, metamorphosed that cheap meal into something hand-smackingly delicious. By then I was set on making jam (see what I did there!). Apricot jam got a run for a few years. Nice but predictable. Strawberry jam was never popular here for some reason, and didn’t set anyway. Then someone gave me a jar of her homemade cumquat marmalade and I was done for. She told me she made a few jars each year and she never bought jam again. Me too! Cumquat jam is the divine! I regularly do a shout out to friends for supplies of these old garden favourites, and usually I am rewarded with a plastic bag from people with scratches on their hands, twigs in their hair and a knowing look, happy to exchange a bit of fruit picking for a jar of the finished product. Am I going to go to hell? I don’t think so. I might swear like a trooper when the drizzle of liquid on a cold saucer fails to gel, or give the evil eye to my beloved because he’s used the last bit out of the last jar on that last croissant, but the cooperation of nature and friends, and the tang of accomplishment is certainly a blessing … and you can’t bottle that.

ruby hot spot

Spring Fashion Pick Ruby

Darriwill Farm Highton Here at Ruby HQ we wanted to find out a bit more about some of our favourite Hot Spots around town and why people love them so much. So we asked a few questions of both the owner and also one of their treasured customers to get a better insight into what keeps people coming back time and time again. David Carlyle - Darriwill Farm What do customers love about Darriwill? Great food, relaxed atmosphere, great new taste sensations put onto the menu on a regular basis. If you could only have one thing from the menu, what would it be and why? The Big Breakfast, everything to satisfy even the biggest appetite. What is your favourite thing about coming to work here everyday? The one thing about food, is that most people only go out to have a good time. So most days I have a good time. What is that one object of beauty or fun in here that always makes you smile? Having a chat with my customers. If this cafe’ was a song / book / TV show what would it be and why? Friends, because it has that type of feel. Treasured Customer What do you love about Darriwill? Very friendly, helpful staff. Great coffee and food. If you could only have one thing from the menu, what would it be and why? Chicken, always fresh and healthy. Who do you bring with you when you come here? My hubby What is the one object of beauty or fun in here that always makes you smile? Friendly reception by the staff.

Fascinator: Morgan & taylor $59.95 Dress: elliat grand entrance pepluM dreSS $159.95 Bag: adorne $44.95 earrings: adorne $29.95 Bracelet: adorne $29.95 shoes: Siren deep blue Suede Strap heel $129.95

If this cafe’ was a song / book / TV show what would it be and why? A hi gloss cook book with all the info you need to make a great meal. Cafe open 7 days a week 7.30 am - 5.00pm Menu changes daily - All day breakfast Nestled amongst the trees of Highton Village Licensed Café (03) 5241 9311 Gourmet Food, Gifts & Wine Merchants (03) 5241 2933 Shop 10-11, 65-71 Barrabool Rd, Highton 3216

Shop 1, 118 pakington St, geelong WeSt P (03) 5222 2048

www.darriwillfarm.com.au 41 Ruby Spring

‘NOW’S THE TIME TO GET YOUR HOME READY FOR SUMMER’ Get in early and be ready to enjoy life outdoors this summer - beat the heat and stay cool. At Brax we have an extensive range of awnings to suit every style of home, from modern contemporary to traditional, available in both manual and automatic control options, along with the range of Instant Shade Umbrellas. Call and enquire about our free shop@home service, where one of our experienced team can advise on the best options to suit your needs and budget. 42 Ruby Spring

WINDOW TREATMENTS

More than just blinds...

Visit Our Showroom 332 Pakington Street, Newtown, Vic 3220

03 5221 5533 www.braxwt.com.au CRIME PREVENTION PARTNERS

IT’S ALL ABOUT LIFESTYLE

words by Cal Stewart

t’s amazing the difference a few days of sunshine can make to our moods and how much more active we become. Recent sunny days caused a flurry of activity in our showroom as people were out and about looking at awnings and starting to think about the outside of their homes.

Having previously had a career in the garden & landscape industry, creating outdoor spaces and rooms is something I am passionate about. Having a useable outside area is important to me - whether it be for entertaining or relaxing - kicking back reading a good book or sipping a glass of wine. Being able to adjust the amount of sun or shade simply adds to that enjoyment. At certain times of the day we need sun protection, so we don’t get burnt. Sometimes we just need less glare so that we can see what it is we are reading, and at other times we just need a bit of shade so that it’s more pleasant sitting around enjoying that glass of bubbles. It is all about lifestyle. Creating an outdoor living area using retractable awnings, means you can control the amount of sun and shade at particular times of the day. If you select automated awnings, it really is as simple as pushing a button. If you don’t think an awning will work for you then maybe you could consider an umbrella. I’m not talking the cheap department store umbrellas here - look for something that is a little more durable and stylish too. Check out the Instant Shade range at www.instantshade.com.au Please remember that both umbrellas and awnings are vulnerable to the wind so make sure they’re fixed securely. You don’t want the umbrella taking off Mary Poppins style when you’re enjoying your Christmas lunch, then coming down and knocking out your poor Aunty Mavis or your awning ripping off to join the Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Boxing Day. With this in mind, I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a solid fixing base for umbrellas and for awnings to be securely attached to your home, preferably by a professional. We often get asked about using awnings for wind protection - you know, the ones that go straight down in plastic and look like a window - but they’re not a window. If you want a window put in some glass. Putting a solid piece of fabric to stop the wind is like asking for a fight. Who’s going to win? In my experience the wind does, because some days it just gets stronger and stronger. If you would like to block out the wind, there are a couple of alternatives that will provide a level of protection. Mesh awnings will cut down most of the wind - but still allow an amount of air through, lessening the resistance on the fabric. Please note though, we don’t recommend the use of any awnings in strong winds. Aluminium louvres do a great job of stopping the wind and are much more durable than any fabric. But if it is really that windy then maybe it’s time to go inside, just don’t forget to put your awnings away before you go!

43 Ruby Spring

ruby business

Photos by Elisha Lindsay EL Photography. Bathroom accessories by @Luxe by design.

The lady loves to renovate Sally Smith has one of the best jobs I have ever heard of. She spends her days spending other people’s money: choosing ovens and baths, curtains and carpets, paint colours and benchtops, and directing renovations. She is antithesis of what you see on The Block and loving every minute of it. Sally is the founder of Budget Makeovers Geelong. This is a woman that really loves renovating, has impeccable taste and can transform a disastrous house into a desirable home in a few short weeks. But running a business and renovating other people’s homes wasn’t part of her life’s plan. In fact, it all came about by accident. A girlfriend of Sally’s had moved to China for what was originally only going to be five years. When the couple decided to stay, they wanted to sell their home in Geelong but it needed some work before going to market. Sally’s husband Colin, a Real Estate Agent, had been renting out the property for them, but didn’t have time or the expertise to manage a makeover. He asked Sally if she could do it. She went and had a look, came up with a few ideas and the next day her friends sent her $50,000 to do what she liked to the house. “Back then I wasn’t used to handling $50,000 of someone else’s money,” Sally

44 Ruby Spring

laughed. The property had been valued at $800,000 before the renovation and sold for over $1 million. Not bad! “Then someone down the road heard, and someone else heard from them. The business was really my sister Kathy’s idea, she said to me, ‘You can do this,’ and off I went.” That was four years and 67 houses ago. “I’ve just been really, really fortunate.” For Sally, it was a case of building a business out of something she does well. But it was also a case of good timing. A primary school teacher for all of her working life, Sally had to stop teaching when the impacts of fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition, took over. “I didn’t think I could ever work again, but this works really well because I’m good from 7am until 12.30. I’m in the car early, sourcing products and out on all of my jobs sites and in the afternoon I can do a lot of project management on the phone and source products online from home.

It’s a precision and logistical operation, but I love all that, I really like timetabling.” Good taste and a talent for creating beautiful homes are something that runs in Sally’s family. “My grandmother had such a stylish house in Queens Road, Newtown, and my grandfather Len Bell, was a master builder. Sally said her grandmother’s taste was superb and told the story of Vogue Living having knocked on her door and asked if they could please take some photos. She said, ‘This isn’t a house, this is my home.’ “Another friend of hers went through her home, took internal and external photos, and went and replicated the house and all of its furnishings.” From tiny units to high-end multi-million dollar Newtown homes, coastal holiday homes and investment properties, Sally has transformed them all. “I’m also seeing a lot of older people who

ruby business want to stay in their homes longer, so I put in new bathrooms and laundries that are totally accessible. I also encourage them to upgrade from archways, lacy curtains and apricot walls, so that when and if they sell, it’s ready to go. I’ve had some elderly clients ask me to go totally modern because they don’t want their children to have to do anything to the place. “I would say 95 per cent of my clients give me carte blanche to do whatever I like, because they’ve seen my work and really trust what I do. “I’ve had so many friends tell me that they want my job, because it sounds fun shopping for carpets, curtains, tiles, floorboards, fixtures and fittings

builders cleans, windows inside and out, everything. Again, it’s that female-tofemale networking thing. “I am so fortunate to have found this wonderful opportunity later in life and had the chance to work with such gorgeous clients, life is good. I’ll be asked to do a bathroom, which will then lead to further work, maybe updating their kitchen, lighting, heating or garden. Thanks to their generous referrals and testimonies, the business continues to grow and I am never short of work. I love putting it all together and helping them to create something they love. I am meticulous and a stickler for attention to detail, everything has to be perfect,” Sally said.

Sally’s top tips: •

Declutter – move unnecessary items offsite, donate or sell them.

•

Upgrade kitchens and bathrooms, even if this means only changing your taps.

•

Large floor tiles always make a room look bigger.

•

Wall hung bathroom cabinets also create a sense of space.

•

Fresh paint can do wonders.

•

Keep tones neutral then accessorize with colour.

•

If possible, open up kitchens into living or dining areas.

•

Capitalize on natural light wherever possible and update light fittings.

•

Get professional advice if planning a new garden.

•

Consider decking or paving to enhance outdoor entertaining.

•

If you’re not sure, find someone who is. It will save you time, money and so much unnecessary stress and anxiety.

for bathrooms and kitchens etc., but it is hard work and although I thoroughly enjoy it, it can be stressful at times. “We’ve got over sixty trades covered and my reputation depends on choosing high quality reliable contractors to work with,” Sally said. Unlike other worksites – and we’ve all seen them, even if you haven’t lived in them – Sally has a strict policy of maintaining a clean and tidy site, saying, “These are people’s homes. I don’t want them coming home after work and finding mess everywhere. I couldn’t stand that if it was my home.” Sally’s business has supported other local businesses as well, including two women who cleaned her own home. They were so great she got them to clean homes she was working on as well. “They were two girls in their forties who started from nothing and now have a team of full-time employees working five days a week. They do everything:

A lot of people undertaking renovations are empty nesters, ‘people my age,’ Sally says, with the kids off their hands they’ve cleaned out the house, have a few dollars and now it’s finally their turn to have a beautiful home that suits them.

out all of the old dark timber frames and skirts in our home while juggling two kids under two - when she had finished laughing Sally said that is what her business is based on. “Who wants to sit around, waiting for a tradie, who may not be reliable, or have the expertise or experience required for the job.” You could be putting yourself in the hands of the gods. “A lot of my clients are both working and I have some interstate clients I haven’t even met. I’ve had clients in Queensland and Sydney with investment houses in Geelong that require work done to them and upgrades for selling. I had one Newtown client who wanted a particular quality large oven that they had been quoted at $14,000 that I ended up getting for $10,000 because I get discounts for most things based on regular orders and volume. I’m constantly out in the market looking for new products and new ideas and I get to pass on those discounts to clients.” Sally has also received referrals from Real Estate Agents, who wish to achieve the best sale price for their clients’ properties. This is another aspect of Sally’s business model that particularly appealed to me – having not so long ago been through the building process. Rather than charge a set fee, Sally works from the client’s budget and provides an upfront total estimate. She itemizes labour across all of her trades as well as supplies and products. She charges 10 per cent of the total spend for her advice, time and project management fee. What is clever about it is that while clients are paying for her expertise, in many cases, it is costing them less than if they were to do it themselves, because she is sourcing at trade prices.

While I can appreciate why others would love Sally’s job, it definitely isn’t for me. In this story, I would sit firmly on the, ‘I want to do something, I just don’t know what’ side.

It is no secret that Australia has a passion for home renovation. It began with shows like Selling Houses Australia and Grand Designs, and then came the phenomenon of The Block – “Don’t start me on The Block,” she said. “We don’t drill through walls and hit water mains, we do things properly!” – and all of a sudden everyone wanted to renovate, update and get to work on their home. But having good taste is not universal, neither is knowing what to do and what not to do when it comes to adding value to your home, and therein lies the essence of Sally’s work.

After sharing a few of my personal horror stories when it comes to renovating – like the time we spent 18 months painting

And does it hurt that her team is largely made up of fit young tradies? What do you think?

“People have saved all their lives, so I appreciate the fact that handing over $10,000 or $100,000 is a huge deal. However, some things they think will cost a fortune actually don’t, like taking out galley kitchens and non-structural walls to open things up, or plastering over internal brick walls. There are such affordable ways to make a big difference.”

words davina montgomery 45 Ruby Spring

Breathing easier in the home Asthma and allergy are common problems, and there are some common triggers in the home. This article is about how to minimise or prevent some of the troublesome symptoms of allergy in the home. Some families have an inherited tendency to allergy or “atopy”. These families will have eczema, hay fever or asthma and in these families there is an increased risk of children developing asthma. The Australian Asthma Handbook 2014 recommends the following: • Avoid smoking in pregnancy • Breast feed for at least 3 months • Ensure babies and children are not exposed to cigarette smoke • Avoid damp, mouldy home environments • Avoid exposure to fumes from cleaning products • Avoid unnecessary or frequent use of paracetamol, use only for managing pain

or fever However if you or your child does have an allergy, reducing exposure to the allergic triggers may reduce symptoms. The most common triggers of hay fever and asthma are dust mite, pollens, cats, dogs and moulds. Whilst testing can help to identify the triggers, often people know what triggers their allergies. Dust allergy commonly causes nighttime and early morning symptoms. Pollens tend to be worse in late winter, spring and through to Christmas. Animal allergies can usually be identified, for example if allergic to cats, if they dig their claws into your skin slightly it will come up in an itchy wheal. Dust mite likes to live in natural fibres such as wool and feathers. It is the dust mite excreta which triggers the allergy rather than the dust mite itself. The allergen is destroyed by cold, heat or sunlight. The bed is a major site for dust exposure where we spend up to 10 hours www.kardiniahealth.com.au

46 Ruby Spring

per day, or longer for babies. To reduce dust exposure in bed: • Ensure that mattress is not old, and solid latex mattresses are better for dust avoidance • Avoid sheep skin or wool fleece underlay • Avoid feather pillows or doonas, use synthetic “low allergen” doonas and pillows • Use cotton blankets in preference to wool • All bedding should be easily washable and washing every 6-8 weeks destroys dust mites • Hanging bedding in the sun also reduces dust mites • Covers can be bought to cover pillows, doonas and mattresses, but these can be expensive • Avoid jumping on old mattresses, as this will release dust into the air!

ruby health • Avoid carpets in bedrooms • Damp dust flat surfaces and mop floors • Sunshine coming into the room and good ventilation will keep the air fresh and clean • Clothing that has been stored in cupboards for a few months should be washed before wearing, e.g. woolen jumpers at the start of winter. In the house: • Leather upholstery is easier to clean and does not harbor dust mites • Vacuum or air rugs and carpets regularly • Soft toys can be put in the freezer or in a hot car in summer. Or washed to reduce dust mite allergen • Avoid older, dark houses, with old carpets or old furniture • Try to live in a house with windows facing north to capture the sunshine in winter Avoiding pollens If a seasonal allergy is experienced, it can be helpful to try to identify the plant which may be causing it and if possible avoid that plant.

“if you or your child does have an allergy,

Same Day Appointments

reducing exposure to the allergic triggers may

New Patients Welcome

reduce symptoms. The most common triggers of hay fever and asthma are dust mite, pollens, cats, dogs and moulds.”

On Site Pharmacy & Pathology Bulk Billing Available

Testing can help with this. Keeping windows closed in spring and using air conditioning with pollen filters may reduce symptoms during this time. Avoiding animals!

• Do not sleep with your pet or allow it in the bedroom • Restrict the areas in the house where the pet is allowed • Keep the pet outside It can be difficult to identify mould as an allergen without testing. To reduce mould exposure: • Do not leave fruit in fruit bowls for long periods, better to keep it in the fridge

•

Avoiding mould

BLE

• Launder the pets bedding regularly

GENERAL PRACTITIONERS PHYSIOTHERAPISTS CLINICAL PILATES PODIATRY EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY REMEDIAL MASSAGE DIETITIAN DIABETES EDUCATOR PSYCHOLOGY ENDOCRINOLOGIST AUDIOLOGY

LA AI

If you dearly love your pet AND are allergic to it, it is difficult. Here are some hints to make it easier.

• SERVICE

• Try to avoid damp in bathrooms by installing exhaust fans and having open windows • Avoid damp houses Whilst these measures may be able to reduce symptoms of hay fever and asthma, if distressing symptoms persist see your GP for further advice or for allergy testing to help identify the triggers. words by dr lou sanderson 47 Ruby Spring

ruby adventure

There’s nothing like a challenge

ell, that moment for me was after completing the Melbourne Oxfam 100km Trailwalker in 2013 when my sister Mel said, ‘Hey, next year we should do Sydney!’ Of course, when riding the wave of adrenalin, overwhelming fatigue and celebratory bubbles that comes after finishing after 25 hours of walking this sounds totally awesome, a great idea ... And so it was that we found ourselves signing up to once again walk 100km through national parks and coastline to raise money for global charitable organisation Oxfam. The Oxfam 100km Trailwalker is one of the world’s leading team endurance challenges and began in 1981 as a military training exercise for the elite Queen’s Gurkha Signals Regiment in Hong Kong. In 2014, there will be events in 10 countries. It has been running in Australia since 1999 and takes place in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth. Globally, the Oxfam Trailwalker events have raised more than $140 million - with

$56.5 million raised in Australia. All participants in an Oxfam trailwalker event must start as a team of four, so it was that my partner Shane - after telling us in 2013 how much harder it had been for him as a support crew - was firmly told to put his feet where his mouth is and join us for the stroll in the bush. Our fourth was Di, a teaching colleague of my sister Mel and an experienced walker, having walked Kokoda and the Inca trail. Brother-in-law Gareth and Di’s husband Dave signed on as support crew for the event and with that we were off on our ‘little’ adventure in Sydney! The Sydney event starts at the beautiful Parsley Bay at Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River and 556 teams set off in four waves, commencing at 7am. Our team – ubiquitously named Shano’s Sheilas (we had to give the token male something to keep him happy!) – headed off in light rain at 9am, only to be confronted by our first major climb of the course just around the first bend. words shelley best

48 Ruby Spring

The trailwalker course is set up in a series of sections categorised for difficulty from 1 to 4, with 4 being the most difficult. Start to checkpoint 1 was a 15.6km section rated as category 3 – we were straight into it. Sydney’s record rainfall during the previous week (a month’s worth of rain in 2 days) meant that the track was wet, muddy and the climb up and down boulders and rocks slippery and, at times, treacherous. Checkpoint 1-2 was the toughest section of the trail, rated at category 4 and 11.9km, of steep descents and climbs before reaching Berowra Waters. The challenge then continues on as the trail rapidly climbs again, up and away from Berowra Creek to the stunning lookout Naa Badu. Thankfully we were all still in a state to be able to appreciate this upper most point of the trail…but not for long! Checkpoint 2 was a welcome sight, as this was the first point that support crews were allowed to meet their teams with coffee, hot soup or pasta and,

more importantly, motivation, humour and clean socks! By this point we had covered 27.5 very slow kms, arriving just before 5pm after 8 hours of walking. Checkpoint 2-3 was another tough section taking us from Berowra to Bobbin Head and by the time we reached checkpoint 4 we were all starting to hurt. Extreme fatigue was starting to set in and this is the point when the whole event becomes more mentally than physically challenging. I was physically ill by the time we met our support crew at 5am, and Shane was suffering extreme pain from a pre-existing back condition. He made the very difficult decision at this point not to go on, fearing permanent damage, and I had a nap to try to ease the stomach. After 33 hours and 13 minutes, we crossed the finish line at 6:13pm on Saturday night in drizzling rain. It’s difficult to describe the exhilaration, relief and emotion of crossing that finish line.

That was my fourth and last Trailwalker event as a participant… I can honestly say that this year’s event was the most physically and mentally tough thing I have ever done, and I live with four teenagers. Our team – Shano’s Sheila’s raised more than $4000 for Oxfam and the whole event raised in excess of $2.2 million. Some stats: • 556 teams (2224 people) started the event. • 479 teams finished (1496 walkers) • 203 teams finished with all four walkers • The average team time was 32 hours 50 minutes • The winning team covered the 100km in a record 11 hours 22 minutes

You k now those mome nt s , the ones where something sounds like such a great idea, a fun adventure and you readily agree to it, excited by the prospect of stepping outside your comfort zone? You know, the one where you go, ‘Oh that’s forever away, sure, why not?’ And then you file it in the ‘I’ ll think about that later and then forget about it’ part of your brain.

• The last team crossed the finish line with 2 team members remaining just before 9am Sunday morning.

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ruby spotlight

The 365 Day Project is about bringing awareness to a topic every day of the year; inspiring women to learn to love themselves and making it okay to say, out loud, ‘I’m not okay’. It is about reducing the stigma of body image especially postpartum and - mental illness and bringing a community together for a common cause. Every woman at some stage has sat on

The Body Beautiful For 23 year-old local mum, Maddison Gore, the feelings she had when looking at her body inspired a project that is not only empowering women to celebrate their post-baby bodies, but is also bringing a much-needed focus on perinatal mental health. Here, Maddie tells Ruby readers why she started her project and why she wants all women to love what they see in the mirror. her floor upset by not having anything to wear or not wanted their partner to look at them because they don’t feel sexy or beautiful, have felt they are not worthy of something, or been stuck in a place they can’t get out of, feeling alone and unsupported. I want this project to ensure that women know they are not alone. That at least 365 other women have felt the same as they have and experienced the same thoughts about their body, and about feelings or thoughts they may have that don’t fit with what they think they should feeling.

50 Ruby Spring

I came up with the idea for the project while thinking of my own body issues, related to having a child and being pregnant again, wondering how would someone ever love me when I looked the way I looked. I was disgusted in myself and hated the way I looked. I then went on to think why on earth am I having these thoughts? I’ve grown a person inside my body and am doing it again now. The stretch marks I have and breasts that don’t quite sit as perky as I like are because I have fed a person and given them life. That’s where the idea for the flipbook came from. I thought, what better way to bring these issues into the open than to create a book with 365 photos of women in their underwear, with or without their children, showing off who they are and their physical form postbaby. We have now photographed over 500 women from all over Geelong, done their hair and make up and asked them to bare their body to hopefully empower them to change their thinking. Women of different sizes and shapes have come on board for this project. Young Mums, new mums, older mums, grandmothers, sisters, friends, together doing something out of their comfort zone and being a part of something that will hopefully bring about lasting change in their perception of body image. I have met almost every single woman who has come through this project, spoken with them, learned from them, listened to some of their stories. I have been inspired beyond words by the strength women have. It has been interesting to discuss their perceptions

ruby spotlight

of their bodies, though I often hear things that make me question: ‘what is perfect? What is your idea of normal and why do you feel that you are not both of these things compared to other women?’ I have learnt that media plays a role in shaping our perception of body image, but it is our selves that are often our worst critics. We judge no one more harshly than we judge ourselves and put so much pressure on ourselves around what we want to look like or feel we should look like that we miss out on enjoying who we are now, physically and otherwise. I am trying to change this idea and want women to learn to accept who they are now after having a baby and the body that is theirs. I think we are the best role models for our children and the best way we can instill positive ideas of body image and self worth is by demonstrating it and allowing our children to see us accepting ourselves, in the hope that they will do the same.

“ I ha v e l e a r n t that m e d ia p lay s a r o l e i n sha p i n g o u r p e r c e p ti o n o f b o d y i m a g e , b u t it is o u r s e lv e s that a r e o f t e n o u r w o r st c r iti c s . W e j u d g e n o one

and

put

ha r shl y so

much

tha n

judge

p r e ss u r e

o u r s e lv e s o u r s e lv e s ”

The flipbook will represent every day of the year; there will be a photo for each day and some words that each woman has written along with her photo. We will be launching the flipbook on November 28, just in time for Christmas and New Year. All profits raised will be going to a perinatal mental health service. To order a book or find out more, visit: www.facebook.com/ ThreesixtyfiveDayProject

words maddison gore 51 Ruby Spring

ruby community

A NEW B EG I NN I NG

inerva is based in the Geelong area and provides information and support to women and their dependent children, who have experienced domestic/family violence. The service also provides access to high security refuge accommodation to women assessed as being at high risk of further harm. Minerva has been delivering domestic violence support services for over 25 years. It was originally known as Morgana Women’s Group and changed its name to Zena Women’s Services when it amalgamated with the Barwon Domestic Violence Outreach Service. Following significant changes to the organisation’s mission, vision and strategic direction the name was changed in July 2014 to Minerva Community Services to reflect the broader program and client group and to acknowledge that family violence is a whole of community issue. Minerva operates within a feminist framework that focuses on social justice, gender equality, and human rights, and sees domestic and family violence as predominantly gendered violence. We are committed to ensuring the safety and physical, emotional and psychological

well-being of women and children. We proactively advocate for greater choice, access, equity and safety for all women and children who seek assistance from our service. Ultimately, our hope for the women we work with is that they are able to make their own choices about their safety and well-being which enable them and their children to thrive. Minerva supports women and children through our various programs which include: · Domestic Violence Outreach Program which provides information, support and referral for women and children who have experienced or are experiencing domestic violence; · Crisis Accommodation Program through Minerva’s Women’s Refuge, Morgana and crisis properties; · Adolescent Family Violence Program; In partnership with Time for Youth this program actively engages and supports adolescents aged 12-18 years and their families. · Court Support worker who works with the police and courts to assist women to

“ We w a n t e d t o m o v e a w a y f r o m ‘ Wo m e n’ s S e r v i c e s’ t o a name which acknowledges that family violence is not a w o m e n’ s i s s u e b u t a n i s s u e f o r t h e w h o l e o f t h e c o m m u n i t y . Violence against women will not be stopped unless co m m u n i t i e s w o r k t o g e t h e r a n d t a k e a s t a n d .”

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minerva

community services

gain the protection they require through the justice system; · Aboriginal Support run by an Aboriginal Outreach Support Worker who specifically assists Aboriginal women experiencing domestic/family violence with information and support to become safe. Minerva also runs a CALD project working with the Karen and Karenni communities in Geelong which aims to support and develop the communities to acknowledge and address family violence. It is envisioned that once evaluated this project can be replicated to other CALD communities in the region. The service has been funded under the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program of the Department of Human Services (DHS) since 1991. Give Where You Live provide funding and support for our CALD Project. Funds also provided by Geelong Community Foundation and Victorian Women’s Trust.

ruby Q&A

RINI AND HER DANCING DOLLS

For local mumtrepreneur, Rini Lombard, a way to make her daughter smile became a business idea that would change how she saw herself and her future. Arriving at Tullamarine after a recent whirlwind overseas business trip, she was asked as she went through Customs, ‘Have you anything to declare?

Rini’s dolls include child size models, made as dancing partners for little people who love ballet. The Ballerina & Me™ doll has straps on their feet and hands so, once attached, they follow the movements of a dancing child.

coming in even though I’d been putting in hours and hours of work. A few early successes for me were having my first prototype made, the first arrival of the dolls in my garage and having the doll in some retail shop fronts around Australia.

Where did you get the inspiration for the Ballerina & Me™ dolls?

Who were your biggest supporters?

My initial inspiration came from my daughter Louise’s love of ballet and her wish to have a dance partner.

My family, friends, associates and my loyal customers have been encouraging and supportive. Their belief in me has helped my own self-belief and driven me to keep the business momentum going.

‘Only my dolls,’ Rini replied with a grin.

What did it take to get the business off the ground? For me, knowing my purpose and having a strong will to make it happen were key to getting Ballerina & Me™ established. Having a great concept, being passionate, focused, persistent, hard working and curious all played a crucial part in getting me started. I educated myself, doing a Cert IV in small business management and sought out people who knew what I needed to know and were willing to help me. When I didn’t have a computer, I used the one at my local library. I researched and read a lot. I started out small, using some of my savings to fund the start-up costs and built from there. Finding a mentor and working with people who believe in me have helped me navigate the ups and downs. I learnt early that it was OK to take a break, to have a cry and get back up the next day and move forward again, even if only in baby steps. What were your early successes and setbacks? The early setbacks included discovering that there was a similar doll to mine in a big retail shop at a much cheaper price, or whenever others were questioning whether Ballerina & Me™ was a hobby or a business, and not seeing the money

How is the business going now? I am proud to say that the business is going well. It’s moving forward, accomplishing the smaller goals I set and on toward the bigger vision I have. I created and sold the original Ballerina & Me™ doll and have since introduced new styles and sizes. I now market Ballerina & Me™ products online, at markets and through a network of Australia-wide retail stockists. What are some of the things you hear about why little girls love their Ballerina & Me doll? At markets, I hear little girls exclaim in delight: “She’s so cute!” or “I want to hug her!” I get lots of emails and Facebook comments from parents and grandparents who take the time to tell me that their Ballerina & Me™ gift has become more than simply a doll; she’s a friend and part of the family. They tell me how their little girls carry the dolls with them everywhere and that they find them clicked into seatbelts in the car or sitting at the dining room table ready for a meal. What has the growth of the business meant for you personally and how you see yourself and your life? When I started Ballerina & Me™ I was a recently divorced parent. I’d

been in a situation of being lost and I needed to find my identity again. The business has helped me do that. It’s validated my self worth and proven to me (and my children) that hard work and strength of character can build something special. Having a purpose has been an emotional reward in itself. I am a stronger, more grounded person and I’ve learnt a raft of new professional skills along the way. I’ve also learnt a lot about myself, what I’m capable of and what’s really important to me. The business has given me a sense of freedom and more control over the choices I make and the direction my life takes. If you could offer one piece of advice for any woman who has an idea but isn’t sure how or if they should pursue it, what would it be? Let yourself get excited about it! Write your idea down; choose a name for the product or the business so it comes alive in your heart. Then register it to protect yourself. Start now! No matter how small it is. If you can’t do it yourself, seek help and advice, and delegate. Small Business Victoria offers a great range of resources and services to help you get started. Listen to your gut feeling, if you are scared, be afraid and do it anyway! Be kind to yourself, take a break when you need to recharge. We are extraordinary women but we are human after all. Rini xo xo xo Where to find Ballerina & Me® dolls in Geelong: • Our website www. ballerinaandmedoll.com.au • Tates Toyworld Geelong, 135 Shannon Avenue, Geelong West The price * for our Ballerina & Me® doll are range from $ 22.95 to $49.95 including delivery. * Price quoted are the online price only

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ruby Q&A

The leading ladies of the seat of Geelong Victoria goes to the polls on November 29 and in the central city seat of Geelong it will be two dedicated ladies challenging for the Liberal and Labor parties.

Paula Kontlej, Liberal Candidate for Geelong Tell us about you, about who you are and what best defines you? My maiden name was Colenso, and I’m a 5th generation Geelong resident from a working class background. Mum was a teacher, Dad was a butcher and I attended Geelong High School. I am a community person, involved in local netball, running, theatre and various charities. I am a mother of 3 great kids, have been involved for many years in the fitness industry and on local radio. I barrack for the Cats, and I love our city. I am honest, hard-working, loyal and passionate about Geelong. With me, what you see is what you get. My life has been an open book on air and I think the community know me and know I would represent them with integrity. What was the moment that made you think that you could make a difference as a member of state parliament? Being on air over the last 26 years, I was acutely aware of political issues and saw a pattern evolving whereby following Labor Governments, our State would sink into economic decline such as we saw with the Cain/ Kirner Government in the late 80’s/ early 90’s. Then we had the collapse of Pyramid, declining population, job losses and a complete lack of confidence and a palpable feeling of despair in our community. Following the Bracks/Brumby years I again saw our State in economic decline with outrageous costs associated with failed schemes such as the Desalination plant which is costing $1.8million per day over the next 27 years, for the interest payments alone! Or the similarly mothballed NorthSouth pipeline which cost $750million and has an annual maintenance bill of

$500k per year! I think of how many schools or hospitals we could build with that wasted money, and how the community’s most vulnerable could have been helped! Talking about these issues on air over many years, made me feel frustrated as I didn’t want to just sit on the sidelines and complain, I wanted to be part of the solution! That is why I decided to run. I knew I had the confidence to be a voice for my community, and I wanted to speak up and be heard! What is the one local issue that you respond emotionally to and why? I respond emotionally to many local issues as I am very sensitive to circumstances people find themselves in, and I always want to help those in need. As an ambassador for Headspace Barwon, I have a genuine empathy and concern for those struggling with mental health issues. My own family experience has taught me first-hand about the challenges faced by sufferers and their families and friends and has ensured I am very passionate about supporting those who are going through difficult times. I also feel for the people who have lost their jobs during Geelong’s transition from a manufacturing town to a smart 21st century city and I believe that this Government is best placed to create real jobs by keeping the economy strong, thereby creating the capacity to invest in infrastructure projects, in health and education, agriculture and tourism to ensure there is hope for these workers and their families moving forward. Who is your hero personally? Tell us what it is about them that inspires you. I must mention 2 people. Firstly, Geelong singer Tim McCallum. Tim became a quadriplegic in the 90’s after a terrible body surfing accident words author’s name

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in Western Australia where he had just been accepted into WAPA (Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts) Despite his injuries, Tim has fulfilled his dreams of being an entertainer, and has defied medical science to be able to use his diaphragm to hit the highest notes and become a world class tenor. His positive attitude and hard work ethic, is an inspiration to all who meet him. Secondly, my husband Srechko (Stretch) Kontelj who is the son of migrants, and didn’t speak a word of English when he started school, yet has gone on to achieve 9 university degrees! From very humble beginnings, he has built a successful career as a Corporate Lawyer, Notary Public, Accountant and is a local councillor for the COGG. His hard work and determination inspires me every day. List 3 key initiatives for Geelong that your party will deliver if elected. 1. Health care. A hospital for the Northern suburbs, a community hospital in Waurn Ponds and more than $200million on upgrades to Geelong hospital. 2. School funding. $20million to redevelop Geelong High School, $2.2million for Roslyn Primary school, a school in North Geelong for children with special needs, new schools in Bannockburn and Torquay and funding for upgrades to many other schools in our region. 3. East/West Link Stage 2 will mean a second river crossing into Melbourne! Geelong commuters will not be reliant upon the Westgate Bridge to get into Melbourne. This infrastructure project will cut travel times, reduce traffic congestion and save Geelong businesses time and money.

ruby Q&A We invited both candidates to share a little of themselves and where their passions – political and otherwise – lie. Whatever the outcome of the election, the fact that we have two women representing the major parties in such a high profile seat can only be a win for the ongoing push for gender equality and equitable representation in government.

Christine Couzens, Labor Candidate For Geelong Tell us about you, about who you are and what best defines you? I am Geelong born and bred, live in Geelong West with my partner Paul and we have four adult children. I proudly grew up in Corio and although as kids we didn’t have much materially, we were blessed with loving and supportive parents. I entered the workforce at fifteen in a local cake factory. I came to appreciate the importance of an education and completed a Batchelor of Arts in Social Science in the mid1990s. Having had instilled into me at an early age the values of social justice and supporting others in need, I quickly established a career in my chosen field of Community Development and started working in the areas of housing, disadvantaged and homeless youth and consumer law. This work spanned more than two decades until I was employed by the current State Member for Geelong, Ian Trezise in 1999. I also volunteer my time with the Geelong Emergency Response Team and the Geelong Trades Hall Executive and Women Unionists Network. I believe we are all defined by our past and our actions, and I know that I am a person who has committed my life to making our world and our community a fairer place for all. That is, a community where everyone, no matter their circumstances in life, are given a real opportunity to succeed and where needed, a helping hand. What was the moment that made you think that you could make a difference as a Member of Parliament? I don’t think there was one defining moment. Throughout my life I have

seen the importance of Government providing quality services to our community, especially in health, education, housing, transport, community safety and of course, jobs. As someone who has always actively done things about issues of concern to me and not just sat back, I feel becoming a Member of Parliament would allow me to contribute positively to our community and just as importantly assist those people who may find themselves in the need of support. What is the one local issue that you respond emotionally to and why? If I am forced to choose one local issue, I would say the future of our youth, especially those, for whatever reason, find themselves living in very vulnerable circumstances and or unemployed. As someone who has worked with disadvantaged and homeless youth I know that without access to quality services and support many local young people are experiencing violence, sexual assault, drug abuse and a real sense of hopelessness for any type of future. Currently in Geelong one in five young people are unemployed. In a relatively prosperous community, I strongly and passionately believe we can and should be doing far more for our young people. Who is your hero personally? Tell us what it is about them that inspires you? My mum is my hero. To me she is of course special, but I know there are many, many just like her who dedicate their lives and personal wellbeing for the health and happiness of their children. Again like lots of mums, especially those growing up in the depression years, my mum struggled through great hardship, as she did in the

1960s with a young family. She had to work to make ends meet, but at the same time provided a safe and secure environment for six kids. But my mum (and dad) always ensured my siblings and I felt loved, secure and were part of a nurturing family unit. For that I will always be grateful and I can genuinely say she is my inspiration in life and has been a great role model. List 3 key initiatives for Geelong that your party will deliver if elected. At the time of writing the Labor Party had not announced all its initiatives in the lead up to the election. However, I believe the most important are as follows. 1 Jobs Plan for Geelong, given the tragic and ongoing loss of manufacturing jobs in Geelong and 20 percent youth unemployment in the area. Labor’s Geelong Jobs Plan includes practical initiatives such as $5million to establish a Procurement Office in Geelong to maximise our chances to win the Land 400 contract to build military vehicles. This would in turn provide real alternate jobs for people in the manufacturing industry. 2 Education is a Labor priority and we have committed to the rebuild of a number of local schools including Geelong High, Whittington PS, Drysdale and at Bannockburn a new P to 12 school. And we have committed to effectively funding the Gordon TAFE following it being decimated by the Napthine Government. We will restore the Vocational Education and Training System and ensure that unemployed workers have access to retraining/ reskilling programs. 3 Health is also an important issue for me and I know the Labor Party will be making some very significant announcements about Geelong Hospital and community health in the lead up to the election.

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ruby loves

Rustic Vintage

7. 6.

We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get enough of scruffy edges.

10.

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ruby loves 11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

18.

Ruby loves all things vintage

17.

19.

1. Marie Antoinette Dressing Table, Strut Living, $475.00 2. Vintage Ceramic Cupboard Knob, Pushka Knobs, $ 7.02 3. Gisela Graham Set of Three Vintage Fabric Robins, The Contemporary Home, $17.75 4. Personalised Map Clock, The Contemporary Home, $81.77 5. Vintage Cross Back Antique Creme Steel Chair, Bay Gallery Furniture, $119.00 6. Gisela Graham Vintage Style Exit Sign, The Contemporary Home, $21.30 7. All You Need is Love Cushion Dark Natural, indie art & design, $95.00 8. New Country Roses White Vintage 3-Tier Cake Stand, Zanui, $99.95 9. Vintage Preserving Jars, Our Kitchen Garden, $9.00 10. Vintage Payphone iPhone Case, Etsy AU, $19.48 11. Oakley Design London Classic Vintage Monaco, Oakley Design London, $1615.25 12. Cards Hessian Burlap Bunting Vintage Affair, Ginger Ray, $12.41 13. Train Conductor Lamp with Vintage Turban Shade, Walter G, $460.00 14. Vintage Singer Sewing Machine Sculpture, Lifestyle Home and Living, $39.99 15. Workshop Table, Boyd Blue, $635.00 16. Vintage Chic Storage Box, Platinum Boutique Pty Ltd, $96.10 17. Farmers Market Watering Can Teal, Lifestyle Home and Living, $54.50 18. Garden Blackboard, Our Kitchen Garden, $69.00 19. Vintage Metallkiste Box, Wohnflair.com, $42.32

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ruby arts with boosting the economy. In particular, increasing employment and tourism in the area. John is the Director and Producer of the film and is from Screen Actors Australia. With over 40 years experience in the industry, he’s taking a commercial approach to the film. This angle is to target the ‘tween’ audience, which are children aged 8-12. “Think Saddle Club meets High School Musical,” John tells me. The style of this ‘tween’ audience and the dancing take on the movie is inspired from ‘Cantopop’, which is a contraction of Hong Kong/Cantonese pop music. It’s culturally accepted, fun, childfriendly and increasingly popular worldwide. “It’s innocent and nice, but still very technically difficult to do, and the kids we’ve found have been incredibly technically proficient.” The Chickabees plans to revamp the film and television industry in Geelong, by bringing a little bit of Hollywood down to Corio Bay. “We’re blending the experience of the old with the energy of the young, and it’s quite an interesting production team,” John says. I see this myself while visiting a casting day in Melbourne. There’s an inundation of talent, with a vast variety of ages and even some famous faces walking through the doors, including renowned Australian actor Paul Mecurio. Paul, who debuted in 1992’s Strictly Ballroom, has also been cast as a lead adult in the film. He is choreographing the film’s dance scenes and has been heavily involved in the casting process. Gavan, John’s partner, is the Executive Producer of the film and former Federal Member for Corio. He comes from the education sector specializing in economics, and sees what this filming investment will bring back to the community. “We’re creating a production house in Geelong…the film and the whole concept is a vehicle for driving employment, as well as promoting the region,” Gavan tells me. Their growth focus is based as much on young people as it is on middle-aged and elderly people. “If we’re going to survive over time, we must be commercially sound. We must make product that reaches into the global context. We are now dealing with a project that deals with young people and the technologies they use, and also with their native interests in this point of time. These are music, dance and friends,”

A bright future for local ‘tween’ film

John

These thoughts went through the minds of Geelong business partners John McGlynn and Gavan O’Connor, as they came up with the idea to make popular novel The Chickabees a familyfriendly movie. The pre-production phase is in motion for the Australian movie, written by renowned Geelong author Margaret Clark. Even better, the filming will be based where its origins lie – in Geelong.

audience,

Geelong

bigger

“It’s

aiming it

space

probably

the

towards

will on

help the

single

this give

global most

powerful thing you can do, to change the [perception] of a place,” John tells me. Gavan says. “These are the universal themes that give this project global reach.” A spin-off television series is also on the cards, as both Gavan and John see a promising future for the homegrown feature film in employment, entertainment and tourism. The production phase of The Chickabees begins in September and the film is expected to reach cinemas by Easter 2015.

This entrepreneurial endeavor for John and Gavan is to do more than just produce. They want this project to give the local community a great name for itself as a filming destination, along words alexandra mcmanus 58 Ruby Spring

that

‘tweenager’ map.

Family movie night is set to take on a whole new dimension as local production steps up on The Chickabees movie. And while we have come to expect some serious talent in ‘tween’ musical films, what exceeds expectations is the benefits the filming will bring back to the community.

feels

ruby book club

SPRING READING

Big Little Lies

Plenty More

Hooked

Unspeakable Things: Sex, Lies and Revolution

Liane Moriarty

Yotam Ottolenghi

Samantha X

Laurie Penny

When it comes to cliques, power plays and the politics of schoolyard warfare, the kids of Pirriwee Public have nothing on the mums. There are the over-protective super mums, the struggling single mums, the stay at home mums versus the working mums and the cloying do-gooder mums. Each has their own story, their own secrets; some are hiding domestic violence, others intense bullying and past traumas, while others are seething with the tensions of separation, ex-husbands, second wives and old betrayals. All those dangerous little lies that live behind closed doors… that is, until the night of the annual school Trivia Night ends in a shocking riot. A parent is dead. Liane Moriarty interweaves her characteristic off the wall humour with heartbreaking insights into everyday tragedies in this addictive thriller.

Vegetables have moved from the side dish to the main plate, grains celebrated with colour and flair. It’s a revolution that is bold, inspiring and ever-expanding.

From writing for leading magazines and appearing on TV to divorced with two kids and on the wrong side of 35, something had to change for Samantha X. She dusted off her stilettos and walked through the doors of Sydney’s most infamous brothel, where she soon became one of their most in-demand girls. Not only was she making great cash, she was also privy to the real life stories of her clients irresistible to the journalist in her. How could she not keep a record of their salacious stories? Hooked is a fly-onthe-wall sexy, juicy, pageturner of what really goes on behind the walls of a brothel; from police raids to tearful married men confessing their secrets; lesbian threesomes and having to service the odd married couple trying to reignite their relationship. But while whoring can be lucrative and fun, it also comes with a hefty price, as Samantha soon finds out.

‘This is not a fairytale. This is a story about how sex and money and power police our dreams.’ Cleareyed, witty and irreverent, Laurie Penny is as ruthless in her dissection of modern feminism and class politics as she is in discussing her own experiences in journalism, activism and underground culture. This is a book about poverty and prejudice, online dating and eating disorders, riots in the streets and lies on the television. The backlash is on against sexual freedom for men and women and social justice and feminism needs to get braver. Laurie Penny is young, smart and really, really pissed off the social mores that so abjectly fail to provide justice, equality and freedom for all. Her razor sharp critique is just so likeable and the world would be a better place if her passion for openly talking about uncomfortable truths were more widespread.

Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty changed the way people cook and eat. Its focus on vegetable dishes, with the emphasis on flavour, original spicing and freshness of ingredients, caused a revolution not just in this country, but the world over. Plenty More picks up where Plenty left off, with 120 more dazzling vegetable-based dishes, this time organised by cooking method: grilled, baked, simmered, cracked, braised or raw. With recipes including Alphonso mango and curried chickpea salad; Membrillo and stilton quiche; buttermilk-crusted okra; lentils, radicchio and walnuts with Manuka honey; seaweed, ginger and carrot salad; and even desserts.

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