Laid up o the couch at home with a fever, suspected tonsillitis, feeling like absolute rubbish. Even though I am rugged up like a human burrito I feel intensely cold, like my bones are going to start snapping. So I’m spending tonight hoping I am OK for work tomorrow and that I can get in to see my GP this week; and reliving my favourite moments from the long weekend. Like getting caught in this mini blizzard, and how beautiful the country up around Charlottes Pass looked. (at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory)

I can’t even be mad at the fact that it is raining heavily here and I probably won’t leave the house as a result; because it looks like a bloody Studio Ghibli movie is happening right outside my room! Last day in Kyoto today. Hoping to get some laundry done and make a last trip into town for vintage shopping and a beer at my favourite spot here in Kyoto... we’ll see how things go with this rain though. Off to Hakone tomorrow for two nights; then back to Tokyo for my last week here in Japan. For 2017 anyway 😏 (at Kyoto, Japan)

We're seven days into Beard Season and I already look... Like I food on day 1. I guess at the end of the day it is not the size of the beard but rather how you use it to spread Beard Season's message, right? I have already had one person book two people in for skin checks, here's hoping I can win a few more of you over for getting yourselves checked out. (at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory)

I can't decide if this is a: 1) first-world problem 2) Caucasian problem 3) both of the above But I cannot find a sheet mask to properly cover my fat man-face for the life of me. Seriously, these should come in sizes. Like, "Korean beauty guru" right through to "uncomfortably chunky gay guy". A follow-up problem: these gel eye patches smell good enough to eat, and I am legitimately tempted... (at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory)

CALL OUT: I want to start working more on video content for my Instagram and YouTube, but rather than just throwing videos at you guys I am keen to hear what you're actually interested in seeing from me. Let me know in the comments below what sort of videos you like watching, what you want to see from me (or what you don't), or any thoughts you have. I'm really proud of the Ink & Leathers family we're building here and so thankful to you guys for following along with me, so let me know what you want to see in the future! Thanks 💙 (at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory)

Thank you to everyone who entered into the @cellarmasters giveaway I have been running. I loved all of your brilliant questions, and for five lucky winners I will expect you to actually ask them on the night. So, who won? Congratulations to the following five ladies! @mags133 @georgia161 @jesika_hayley @wendyjohnson45 @stylecuratorau You have each won a double pass to the Meet the Makers event at @qtcanberra this Friday evening. I will be in touch with full details shortly. (at QT Canberra)

W-I-L-D Sunday evening at home... Enzyme sheet mask and jelly eye patches while I whiten my teeth and edit Blog Photos. I mean, talk about living LARGE! I trust you have all had lovely weekends and are nice and rested for the week ahead! (at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory)

A little bit of Monday-morning Beethoven to wind down the Easter long-weekend. Finally learned how to use this gorgeous old radio/record player and now I can join the hordes of wankers hunting through vintage and thrift stores for classic vinyl to grow my library! This was a recent find at Y's Buys in Belconnen. Beethoven Symphony No9 'Choral'. It contains one of my favourite pieces of music of all time, Ode to Joy. The sound and smell of this record player though... drifting away on a wave of memories right now. (at Dunlop Lake)

Regurgitated Easter greeting 148. I'm a bit of a jaded, cynical old thing (shocking, I know), and people's insistence on getting to celebrate Easter but not actually observing any shred of the religious festivals from which the holiday is derived actually offends me. Don't tell me happy Easter if you don't even know the history and/or symbology of the bloody holiday! Just say happy Cadbury day and be bloody done with it! I'm Agnostic myself (I don't believe, but I don't NOT believe, because I'm nothing if not shrewd when it comes to covering all bases for any afterlife that may or may-not be); but in a day and age where society at-large looks down on people of faith as being backwards or stupid, it really grinds my gears that the same people are very quick to turn around and piss-off for the holiday and stuff their faces with chocolate. So, happy Cadbury Day ya filthy animals! Travel safe and eat something that isn't chocolate or a filthy hot-cross bun! (at Dunlop Lake)

Typical! The day that I leave my umbrella at home is the day that it buckets down while I'm walking around like a chump! I'm saturated and miserable, but at least I got my final dentist appointment sorted for the next six months, and I can start a little TLC on my chompers tonight! 4 weeks of TLC that is... (at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory)

Friday night wind-down with a long hot soak in these glorious @kneipp_japan bath salts. Whenever I head to Japan I always come back with a heap of these little single-use sachets in my suitcase. They're quite cheap, and I've never been able to find Kneipp products in Australia. The concentration of essential oils in these salts is phenomenal. I live for the eucalyptus and the lavender scented versions, but they're all outstanding. Of course, now I'm running low and have to wait until November to restock 😒 (at Belconnen, Australian Capital Territory, Australia)

Beyond in love with my beautiful new business cards designed by my exceptionally talented friend Georgie from @charlesandwalter A long time ago my university lecturer told everyone in my creative writing course that we should get business cards printed that identified us as writers, as a visual trick to get us thinking of ourselves that way. Well, it's over 10 years late, but I finally have a card that reflects how I see myself as a blogger and as a writer. I couldn't be happier with the finished product. Matte gold and dark indigo ink... ink & Leathers all over. (at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory)

Sushi date for one. It's actually deeply embarrassing how much effort it takes me to work up the courage to eat alone in public. It's not even (entirely) about being single, because when I was in a relationship I still found the act of eating alone deeply unnerving. Or even when I was living with friends or my family. There's just something about it that sets me on edge. I'm not sure why, but I found it completely different in Japan. When I was traveling in Japan by myself I had zero qualms with eating alone. I actually really loved the experience of eating by myself in Japan. So today I thought I would recreate the experience as best I could with conveyor belt sushi. That's progress, right? (at Sushi Bay)

Making the most of the cooler weather with this bright pink @lush_ausnz bath tonight thanks to my dear friend @georgieharris89 I used two bath bombs because I have zero chill. Pretty sure my skin is being dyed a rosey hue, but after the week I have had I'll take all the colour I can get right now! Looking forward to weekend celebrations and winding down at work next week, before finally getting to kiss 2016 goodbye! Happy Friday everyone 💖 (at Dunlop)

Korean beauty products are THE hot ticket item right now. Everyone is saying so. This patch actually smells like an ashtray. Not Kidding or being funny, it smells like I have rubbed my nose in a grimy pub ashtray right now! I think that it works to get rid of blackheads by giving them lung cancer... The things we do for vanity as gay men past our prime. (at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory)

Good morning everyone! Pardon my less than dapper appearance, I am in the middle of a house cleaning bonanza! I will, however, be doing other things this weekend, and I'm going to try to take you guys with me through Instagram Stories (is that even what it's called?). So come along for the ride, and I will try not to disappoint you with the banality! (at Dunlop in Belconnen)

Can we just take a moment to celebrate the gilded bloody masterpiece that was my hair on Saturday night?!?! I have been going to @rhubarbandmehairboutique in Lyneham for eight, maybe nine years now, and in that time @eliseknight and I have done so many different things to my hair. Gold leaf might just be her best work yet. Everyone loved the hair on Saturday night. Several of the Fashfest hairdressers stopped to say so as they took their final bow. I mean, how do we even surpass this in 2017 with stapling live snakes to my head (which she refuses to do anyway because she's a Vegan and cares about animals)?!?! If you're in Canberra and looking for the most talented and inspired salon, head to Rhubarb & Me! (at Rhubarb & Me)

In preparation for the opening night of Fashfest tomorrow, I stopped by the @barbersofqt today for an appointment with Kristian for the new 'Bond' shave package. Starting with a steaming scented towel to prepare for the closest straight-edged razor shave you’ll probably ever experience; this package is most decadent 45 minutes on the QT Barber's menu. @qtcanberra and @luckyscanberra are hosting the official after party for Fashfest this year, so while you're celebrating after the show make sure you check out the brilliant barber's space too. I will have a full review of the experience up on the blog in the coming week. (at QT Canberra)

Sunday night was like... Eucalyptus bath salts from Kneipp to try and blast this cold from my system, extra eucalyptus oil because I have no regard for my own safety, and a delicious Sapporo brewski because if you can't love yourself then how in the hell are you going to live somebody else?!?! Of course, after this I rugged myself up and flopped onto the couch for twenty minutes before crawling into bed and dying. Determined to end this cold ASAP and get back to posting about the good stuff! So much exciting Fashfest content coming your way! (at Dunlop in Belconnen)

Beautiful and elegantly simple artwork by the lake, dancing in the late winter breeze. These have always reminded me of bulrushes. Caught a glimpse of the artwork as I powered past on my Pokéwalk this afternoon. Really pleased with myself for getting off my butt and going for a 5km walk instead of just moping around home like a bad smell. I love Canberra in the winter. (at Belconnen Arts Centre)