A life without books is like a body without a soul.   Last night I laid in bed reading an eBook on my iPhone. Flipping through some-odd 10k pages on the bright blue screen it hit me. I had immediate access to any book, albeit a classic or a brand new release, at that instant. But at what cost do we experience this luxury? While, I had immediate access the same minute the book had been released, ultimately it was a cheap date, and I was left feeling unfulfilled. I think people are missing that depth, that special relationship with a book where you get to court it, admire it, then ultimately hold it and read it Ampersand is one of the places that encourage these types of deeper relationships. It houses thousands of books, many of them rarities while offering an oasis to enjoy them both privately and socially. And you can even fill your belly while doing so. During my visit, I found a cozy nook surrounded by books on the second floor where I curled up with a book while sipping on a spicy chai latte. It’s rare to find a place where you can just hang out and not feel rushed. If you’re as obsessed with breakfast, as I am, you’ll be happy to know they serve brekky all day. The pumpkin pizza also looked quite tempting. My server was especially bubbly and helpful, and my order didn’t take long, however, I recommend coming here and enjoying the full experience (books, atmosphere and all), rather than coming just for a quick meal. If you are one who prefers a social experience they have a communal table downstairs where you can chat, philosophize or debate while sipping on an Earnest Hemmingway Mojito. They also have $10 cocktails & live music from Thrusday to Saturday as well as speed dating, if that’s your thing. You could easily spend a whole day/evening here, as I did, starting with a coffee or tea and lunch, ending with a cocktail over some jazz guitars and dinner. Do give it a go if you’re after some cultural soul quenching.   WHAT Ampersand Café & Bookstore (New Location) WHERE 413 Crown Street Surry Hills, NSW 2010 HOURS 8am-5:30 Monday-Wednesday, 8am-10pm Thursday-Saturday, 9am-5pm Sunday LIVE MUSIC $10 cocktails & live music 4pm-6pm Thursday-Saturday   by Brittany Burk Image via Gastronomous

As a regular contributing artist for group shows around Sydney, Kitti will be holding her first solo exhibition in July. “Before Battle” (link http://www.kittigould.com/before-battle-kitti-gould-solo-exhibition/) is a series of watercolour illustrations of beautiful girls ready to tackle the world head-on. Based on empowerment and triumph, the tribal themed works have an underlying Americana influence, inspired by her upcoming trip to the States. Natural textures including feathers, leather, horns and bone, are an representation of using animalistic instincts to overcome obstacles, and as a life-long vegetarian is the only way that Kitti gets to wear fur. Born in Paris but very much a Sydney gal, Kitti experiments with every imaginable medium including illustration, photography and mixed media, and has an obsession with food (she even writes a food blog, www.thescreamingartichoke.com). With a background in advertising as an Art Director, her personal works are refreshingly down-to-earth. Watch this space for details of her next exhibition in 2013. When: 6-9pm, Thursday 5th July Where: Fernside Coffee Shoppe, 401B Cleveland St, Redfern RSVP to info@kittigould.com

If you have been searching high and low for that perfect cup of coffee, look no further. Tucked away in Kings Lane Darlinghurst hides the coffee mecca of Sydney; Salvador Coffee Espresso Bar. This light- filled, loft-style café is the brainchild of Brazilian-born Marcio, whose love and passion for coffee is contagious. The coffee here is consistently good - smooth, strong and sweet - never thin or watery, never with a bitter aftertaste. The first sip of this rich, velvety goodness is like discovering coffee all over again. Almost like a great drop of red, this coffee is capable of hitting complex notes and leaves you with a feeling of calm alertness (oxymoron anyone)?! Serious coffee gurus can purchase bags of freshly roasted coffee beans and anyone can take a quick look upstairs at the coffee roaster on the mezzanine level. If it is remotely on your way to work, try stopping by of a morning. Just a short deviation from Oxford Street and just up the hill from William Street, a close enough distance for a hit and run, onwards to the CBD! If you can, stay a while. The high timber benches offer a comfortable perch and if you’re peckish, simple, tasty fare can be whipped up by the boys in the kitchenette. On Saturday mornings, you can also find Marcio and his team up at Sydney’s Sustainable Markets at Taylor Square from 8am - 1pm. Rain, hail or shine these friendly baristas are churning out magical coffee, so what are you waiting for? WHAT: Salvador Coffee Espresso Bar - http://salvadorcoffee.com.au/ WHERE: 32 Kings Lane, Darlinghurst WHEN: 8am – 3pm, Monday – Saturday

  Hold up your fairtrade coffee beans all you Sydney siders ready for social change: the Australian Human Rights Arts and Film Festival is coming!   Though it's mainly based in Melbourne, there are exciting film screenings and art exhibitions travelling to Sydney. Patrons such as Margaret Pomeranz, Isabel Lucas and Warwick Thornton are on board; it really looks like it's going to be an awesome festival.   Now in it's fifth year, HRAFF opens a shared space for artists, human rights organisations and the Australian public can band together with the love and passion they have to further social and cultural change.   Stay tuned for more updates, Daily Sydney will be covering this amazing initiative for y'all. Jump on the bandwagon and stay tuned for giveaways coming soon.   Human Rights Arts and Film Festival When: 29 May - 1 June Where: All around Sydney city- check updates for more details closer to the date More info: http://hraff.org.au/festival-info/about/   Emily Eskell emilyeskell@gmail.com          

We welcome the Organic Bread Bar to Paddington with open arms. Not only because we love their organic coffee and delicious bread made fresh in the on-site bakery, but because of the chilled out charm of the owners and the set up that sees the early morning coffee crowd sipping lattes in the live bakery, while the bakers get to it. Organic Bread Bar prides itself on using traditional ingredients that are  baked in 50 year old German machines imported from the owners home town in Stuttgart, Germany. They also have some amazing treats such as scons, pain au chocolat and rustic bacon & egg roles. WHAT: Organic Bread Bar WHERE: 356 South Dowling St, Paddington WHEN: 7am - 4pm, Monday - Sunday

Holly had a blog about flowers. Not content limiting her horticultural addiction to the www's, she has opened a pop-up florist in Manly's Sugarmill Fine Surf Emporium. Coffee, fashion, local art and flowers. Your girlfriend is going to love it. Also, Holly looks toats babe. WHAT: Flower Drum Pop-Up Florist WHEN: Saturdays, weekly WHERE: Sugarmill Fine Surf Emporium, 2/1329 Pittwater Rd, Narrabeen HOW MUCH: Arrangements start at $10

So you've gone to all that trouble securing a lunch date at The Armchair Collective, The Boat House at Palm Beach's non-identical twin located a few beaches south in Mona Vale, only to discover that no, your date won't sit and chat. While you wait for your beef burger with house-made pickles, Swiss cheese and mustard aioli, or your char grilled Balmain bug salad with coriander and lime dressing, they're off fawning over homewares. Mint-green covered armchairs and burnt-orange striped lamp shades to be exact. There are blown-glass vases, beachy cushions and tea sets by the dozen. Vintage bar stools sit by serving platters and beside baskets of blankets and woven rugs, it'll be a wonder if they make it back to your table in time for lunch at all. However we have a hunch that they will, because if they get too swept up in the whirlwind of glossy-magazine standard domesticity, they might miss out on a hearty Ploughman's Lunch of shaved leg ham, stuffed zucchini flowers, heirloom tomatoes, aged cheddar and shaved fennel salad. Or the milkshakes that come thick and syrupy in giant glass milk bottles. You'll both stay seated for a bucket of thick, fluffy, hand-cut chips with harissa mayonnaise, and a glass of wine, because you're out of the city and no one cares a damn. Breakfast shows its face in the form of thick-cut miche toast spread with labne, leg ham, a poached egg and cherry tomatoes that burst at the slightest nudge of a fork. A bowl of fruit salad with figs and berries comes with a side of drippy honeycomb and the coffee is spot on. This is Mona Vale, and there is white sand and a cool sea waiting only a quick dash away. Armchairs and burgers? We could get used to this. The Armchair Collective 9a Darley St East, Mona Vale www.thearmchair.com.au (02) 9999 2871 Open: Mon-Fri 10am - 6pm Sat-Sun 10.30am - 4,30pm Sophie McComas www.twitter.com/sophmccomas

  I must say, this festival was hands down incredible.   From the music, to the festival grounds, to the dread locked hippies and NYE costume parade- Peats Ridge Sustainable Music Festival really was one of the best imaginable ways to end a phenomenal year.   Matt Grant has been organising this festival since 2004 and it still remains the only festival in the world that's run on 100% renewable energy (click here to read our interview with him). It's about time more festivals followed in their footsteps. And more people like us support them: do it, you won't regret it. Promise.   Festival highlights:   *Sleep Makes Waves: This is a really unique band with an awesome mostly non- vocal sound. They absolutely ripped the head off the tent they were playing in and it went from 20% to 80% capacity in about 5 minutes. Impressive. Stay tuned for an upcoming interview with the boys from the band!   *Ball Park Music: This is a six piece indie rock band from Brisbane. Discovering this band over this 3 day bliss out absolutely floored me. These guys make your skin tingle when they play. I also think there's something in their music that heightens the serotonin in your body. Seriously. I went mental when they played.   *NYE Costume Parade: Everyone looked bloody amazing and really got into the spirit of things. There's something about dressing up that makes everyone a thousand times more amped for a pending party. If you plan to go next year, make sure you've packed something suitably outrageous to get you in the mood.   *Gotye: His set was from 11.30pm until midnight, on either side of the new year countdown. On top of the fact that it was always going to ground breakingly awesome (purely because of the time slot) this man can really play. And sing. And rev a crowd up. 'Somebody that I used to Know' played right as the clock struck midnight. The crowd was paralytic. I am in awe of this musician, he gives a good name to what an artist should be. I also very much enjoy that he chose to play at Peats Ridge, particularly to encourage and support all the wonderful things these guys are doing.   I don't know what it was about this festival, maybe its the energy efficient air, or maybe it's the relaxed limbo these events put you into, but this one in particular was overflowing love and kisses. Even the food vendors with 10 minute coffee line waits were all smiles... Now that's telling you something..   Be there next year. Or miss out on the single best way to spend New Years in Australia. [gallery]     Emily Eskell emilyeskell@gmail.com

  I'll bet my little sister that you've never eaten anything that tastes so intensely of hazelnut than the hazelnut torte at Woolloomooloo's new bakery, Flour and Stone. The cake, sold in small whole versions or by the slice, is dense and rich but not too sweet, it's like a Nutella cake on steroids, smothered in chocolate icing and topped with roasted whole hazelnuts, and it's your afternoon tea wet dream. There are fresh flowers up on the bench where you can sit and dunk your soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie in a cup of tea from local producers, Rabbit Hole or a cup of coffee from super-roasters Alchemy. Their gingerbread cookies, which come iced in swoon-worthy shapes like clouds, hot-air balloons, snow-capped mountains, ice cream cones and unicorns are worth staying for too, as is the fine apple tart - caramelised apples sliced paper thin and fanned out on a buttery crust. Sandwiches are available, but sell out quick so don't wait around until 2pm to grab your lunch. Bring us back a slice of that torte, too. Cheers! WHAT Flour and Stone Bakery WHERE 53 Riley St, Woolloomooloo, (02) 8068 8818 www.flourandstone.com.au   Sophie McComas www.twitter.com/sophmccomas    

The first time I saw Amazing Face by Zoe Foster I was in a Bondi bookshop-café. I basically army crawled through the macchiato-sipping, skins-wearing yummy mummies to grab this book before they realised my ploy. I then scrambled to check out every page on pimples and blackheads (business first, people) before my boyfriend finished his coffee. Final verdict (on the book and my stealth mission): Amazing.* If you’re a chick with a penchant for primping (and you have a massive girl-crush on Cosmo dating expert Zoe Foster) you can pick up a copy of the book and meet the author at the Pitt Street Mall Sportsgirl, tomorrow night. Zoe will be sharing her tips on the best beauty trends this summer. During the Q&A, you could even ‘get your colours done’ a la Bridget Jones’ Mum, and ask Zoe to pick out a shade of lippy for you. If everyone asks for that, we’ll soon have a rainbow of pretty-coloured pouts across Sydney. It’ll be a beautiful summer, indeed. Zoe Foster Beauty Workshop WHERE Sportsgirl, Pitt St Mall, Sydney WHEN Thursday, 10th of November, 5pm - 6.30pm. HOW MUCH FREE! * Disclaimer: I will willingly follow the advice of anyone who refers to her readers as ‘Gorgeous Rascals’.Leesa Hamiltontwitter.com/LeesaHamilton

This is a flea market for all of those hoarders out there who've been stashing away a box of treasureful fabrics, buttons and anything a little on the crafty side - it's time to have a Spring clean and share the love.Sewers, vintage collectors, costume makers, project hounds and general creative types will be amassing at Studio 203/267-271 Cleveland Street, Redfern (***Changed from Redfern Town Hall***) on Saturday 12th November to buy and sell fabrics and sewing accessories of all sorts. Fabric-a-brac had huge success in New Zealand and Brisbane and so now, finally, it's Sydney's turn!If you'd like to display the hidden gems of your sewing cupboard you can hire a whole table or share with a pal/friendly crafty stranger for the day and the trestles are being booked up so get in quick. There'll also be music, tea, coffee and a whole lot of tasty treats to keep you going as you peruse the aisles of modern and vintage wares.All proceeds will be going towards the Sacred Heart Hospice and fabric donations are being collected for a stall that will be dedicated to raising funds for the hospice on the day. So really, what better way to give back to the community and spend a lovely lazy Saturday than trawling for the perfect bargain.What: Fabric-a-brac SydneyWhen: Saturday 12th NovemberWhere: Studio 203/267-271 Cleveland Street, RedfernHow Much: Free! But to all those wanting a trestle - $30 for the whole thing and $15 to shareLink: http://fabricabracworld.wordpress.com/ or check out their Facebook: http://on.fb.me/oT9JNULiz de Fegely: liz_defegely@hotmail.com

The 2012 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide winners were announced last night; here are some highlights.Sepia wins Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year Peter Gilmore of Quay wins Citibank Chef of the Year Bilson’s, est., Marque, Quay and Sepia score 3 chef’s hats Porteno wins Plumm Wine Glasses Best New Restaurant Over 950 restaurants, small bars, cafes, pubs and other venues reviewed and rated around Sydney and NSW (100 of those being new additions this year, including an expanded bar section to accommodate Sydney's fast-growing small bar scene), the guide is a celebration of this region's dynamic food culture. A focus on sustainability, local ingredients and produce has been cited as a shift in the dining scene, and it's one we hope to see remain.Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, on sale TODAY for $29.95 at newsagents and book stores or online HERE. You can also grab the AGFG app at the iTunes store for free.Sophie McComassoph_mccomas@hotmail.com