red

src: the sartorialist

 

"nobody looks good with brown lipstick on" - frank zappa

 

follow my blog with bloglovin'

three things

src: 01 / 02 / 03

three things i need right now. the perfect cookbook - one that i keep revisiting in my local bookshop but haven't committed to buying yet, a red ceramic cup that's all mine, and a lambs wool blanket to cuddle up to with all of the above.

follow my blog with bloglovin'

alaska

src: needsupply

 

this is the holiday i'm craving. nothing but trees & greenery as far as the eye can see ,and a backpack stuffed with a map and snacks. photographer emily Sullivan has been lucky enough to make this a reality each summer - you can see the full album & read the feature here.

 

p.s. who else wants to go to alaska now?

 

follow my blog with bloglovin'

languish

 src: 01 / 02

"are they sighs of sorrow, my sweet flowers, that with your fragrant breath you waft me up? you never more will see day's sunny hours, but languish life away in that fair cup." - c.b. langston

 

follow my blog with bloglovin'

alice ferrow

src: alice ferrow

 

aren't these illustrations the best? i particularly love the little collections of brightly coloured cacti and bugs.

 

follow my blog with bloglovin'



lookbook // 04

src: lagarconne

 

perfection in a pinafore and white shirt.

 

follow my blog with bloglovin'

mood // 02

src: 01 / 02

you and i may be different, but i bet we agree on this same point - january is a drab month in the nothern hemisphere. in australia, it means sun and sticky mango juice and cooling off in the swimming pool at dusk. in london, it means drawn-out pay checks, rain and fed-up commuters. i've been doing my best to keep my head above the grey cloud that has settled on the city with plenty of vitamin d capsules, visits to my favourite restaurants, and planning summer holidays. february can't come soon enough.

follow my blog with bloglovin'

food is art and magic

src: happyolks

"...food is capable of feeding far more than a rumbling stomach. food is life; our well-being depends on it. food is art and magic; it evokes emotion and colors memory, and in skilled hands, meals become greater than the sum of their ingredients. food is self-evident; plucked right from the ground or vine or sea, its power to delight is immediate. food is discovery; finding an untried spice or cuisine is for me like uncovering a new element. food is evolution; how we interpret it remains ever fluid. food is humanitarian; sharing it bridges cultures, making friends of strangers pleasantly surprised to learn how much common ground they ultimately share." - anthony beal

sometimes you discover a blog that you want to keep all to yourself. happyolks would be one of those blogs, were it not for their motto of sharing and inspiring others. happyolks features stories about the author's journey and the food that accompanies them, from cocktails to salads, wontons to oatmeal - all featured with beautiful photography and prose. you feel like you're right there, kneading the dough and chopping the vegetables.

follow my blog with bloglovin'

lookbook // 03

src: goldenponies

 

a perfect pair of red ballet flats from etsy. the best part - if you don't like red, you can customise the colour.


follow my blog with bloglovin'

london guide

src: cereal magazine

i recently came across london-based publication cereal magazine, who conveniently publish a series of online travel guides. i'm always on the lookout for new places & spaces to visit in my new city, so luckily for me (and you) the london version is free to view to give you a taste of what the guides offer. it features my firm favourites workshop coffee and the serpentine gallery, as well as plenty of new finds. cereal currently has 10 city guides available through an annual subscription.

inspired by the cereal guide, i've taken advantage of pinterests' new mapping feature and started a pinboard dedicated to my favourite london haunts.



follow my blog with bloglovin'

lookbook // 02

src: totokaelo

what i wish i was wearing right now. blue jeans, black boots, and a coat big enough to hide a multitude of sins.

follow my blog with bloglovin'

what mindfulness means to me

src: photo by me

 

"frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the english language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and enjoying. the consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things"

- elise boulding

 

in the past few weeks, i've seen a lot of discussions cropping up on the web about mindfulness. it may seem cliché that these discussions are happening in the new year when people idealistically renew their sense of self, but the concept of mindfulness is an important one to consider, especially in our hyperconsumerist society.

 

the practise of mindfulness is rooted in buddhism and meditation, and more recently has been used to treat a variety of psychological conditions. being mindful means to live in the present moment, to have peace in oneself, and to acknowledge and accept each thought, feeling and sensation.

 

being mindful has implications for everything we consume in our daily lives, but i'm particularly interested in it's application to shopping. it's evident that compulsive spending is driven in part by deeper psychological issues, and the need to fill an emotional void with indulgent spending. as such, engaging in mindfulness involves exploring those issues that fuel compulsive spending, giving light to why mindless consumption is so repetitious and persistent in people's lives. it's only after addressing these behaviours that the pattern can be broken, and compulsive spending problems can be curtailed.

 

i'm guilty of mindless consumption - of buying things i didn't need because i was bored, unhappy or trying to distract myself from the task at hand. this year, i want to practise present-centred awareness and learn to appreciate what i have, comforted in the knowledge that i own more than enough to be truly happy. i want to commit to reducing my possessions, not increasing them. if i truly have a need, i will seek objects that serve a purpose, and favour function over form. it's not necessarily about spending less, but about seeking quality and longevity in the limited pieces i own.

 

the end goal is to stop spending my time consuming for the sake of consuming, and to focus my attention on experiencing things that bring me peace and happiness. 

follow my blog with bloglovin'

rachel levit

src: rachel levit / coolhunting

i'm a bit fan of portraiture, and an even bigger fan of polka dots, so rachel levit's series 'dots' really struck a cord. having dug a little deeper, i've fallen more in love with rachel's style and her ability to capture human emotion in her 2D subjects. if i was an artist, this is the type of work i would like to produce.

follow my blog with bloglovin'

mood // 01

src: 01 / 02 / 03 / 04

this weekend I've barely left my bedroom - a combination of trying to rid myself of the flu and avoiding the cold snap that has finally reached london. despite this i'm hoping the snow will arrive soon, for no other reason than this is the last time i'll experience it before i have to return to australia. while i wait, i'm catching up on some of my favourite tv shows from the comfort of my duvet, learning how to bake bread, and admiring the new spring arrivals. 

follow my blog with bloglovin'

lookbook // 01

src: vanessa jackman

a perfect palette for winter, to stand out amongst the sea of black & grey. 

follow my blog with bloglovin'