Patrick and Jane are hitting 30, madly in love, madly in lust and occasionally just plain mad. All of their furniture except the couch has been sold to the pawnbroker, they live on a diet of cheap wine, baked beans and whatever they can find in the dumpsters behind their local supermarket, and they take it in turns to hold down a part time job. Inspired by the poetry of Charles Bukowski and the modern Australian city, Bumming With Jane is a funny, loving and beguiling debut play from Tahli Corin. It's about love, poverty and the fleeting joy of choosing to live a free and ragged-arse life. The play runs from August 13 - September 7 at the Downstairs Theatre on Belvoir Street, Surry Hills. For bookings call (02) 9699 3444.

Kids in Sydney can win one of 3 double passes - email your name and address here and pop 'Bum with Jane' in the subject line.

On the eve of our 25th issue, we are celebrating Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival with a look our favourite fashions, shoots and photographers from the past 25 issues - a frankie fashion photography showcase! Fergus, Red Ghost and Des Miller will be along to play their pretty sounds, with nibbles and drinks...and the prettiest pages in print. We would love to invite everyone along for the 'do' next week (13th Aug), but it's only a wee place. Sydney people can subscribe to our newsletter and drop us a confirmation line here for a chance to win one of 25 tickets. Other states, your time will come soon - we promise!

In most exhibitions, the irresistible itch to touch and feel the art on display is battled with by our awareness of nearby security personnel and video cameras. Not so for designer Todd Robinson’s Material Thinking. At this exhibition he is asking for you to follow your impulse and touch what you see. “I have often found it comical at exhibitions when I have seen people touch works, thinking no-one is watching them,” says Robinson. Robinson draws on his background in fashion design, using samples from knitting and beading processes, tactile surfaces, luminous effects and drapery to lure you in and prompt you to reach out to the work in front of you. Material Thinking will be held at the DAB LAB Research Gallery from 28 August until 18 September. The Gallery is located on Level 4 courtyard, 702 Harris Street, Ultimo, Sydney.

Photographer Sarah Holmes brings life and beauty from her obscure thoughts of our everyday landscapes to Zimprints Gallery this Thursday 18th September. Titled Latent Scapes, this panorama of scenic views (visual and feeling related) will be running all the way through until Sunday 5th October. Zimprints Gallery can be found at 510 King Street, Newtown, Sydney. www.sarahholmesphotography.com

After touring with The Magnetic Heads (and appearing in our current issue in the Going it Alone feature) Des Miller is back home in Sydney to launch his latest single, “Strange Places”. After collaborating with his band to create this sweet yet strange, semi-rock like melody, he’s now ready to unleash it on the world. And while Des seems to “find his love in the strangest places”, you can find your love for him this Thursday 18th September in not exactly a strange place in the least. The Annandale Hotel is on the corner of Parramatta Road and Nelson Street, Annandale, and doors will be opening at 8pm. Tickets are 10 bucks on the door.

Hearing about courses like this makes me so envious of the Sydney-folk. Master shoe-maker Andrew McDonald is running five and 10-day shoe-making courses. The five-day course is designed as an introduction to the art of shoe-making where you will be able to make one pair of shoes from start to finish. The main difference with the 10-day course is that during the second week you dig deeper into the shoe-making skill set and apply your newfound talents into the making of a second pair of shoes. The courses are held in Paddington, Sydney and there are plenty of dates to choose from starting from December 1st this year and running through to June 2009. The bad news is the course fees are pretty $$$, but the good news is that there is only one student per class, so tuition is on a one-on-one basis. Brilliant. No time for distractions when there is shoe-making to be done. Oh, and no previous experience is necessary – that’s what we like to hear. Hooray for beginners. For more detailed info on dates, fees and course requirements click here. 

Endearing eyes luring you in, pout full and seductive, yet a somewhat innocent quality that seems to lie within. These are the girls of Abbey McCulloch that have captured the hearts of many, and especially us here at frankie. So we're blushing just a little bit in anticipation of Abbey's latest collection. It is at New Generation Art at Art Sydney 08 that these beauties will be exposed, stripped bare of all superficiality and trivial show. Waltz along to the Royal Hall of Industries, Moore Park between Friday 24th October and Sunday 26th October if your heart desires (or dares).