Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Winter Jammies.


Aren't these new Peter Alexander threads the best wintery PJs? If you wore these while hanging in front of an open fire and drinking mulled wine I can pretty much guarantee you your happiness levels would at least double.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Herriott Grace.






Herriott Grace is one of my most favourite finds from my blogsearching adventures.

Lance and Nikole Herriott are a father-and-daughter team. Lance is a masterful craftsman and Nikole is a talented creative - a pastry chef/designer/ceramicist/stylist/photographer. I'm not even going to try and explain their amazing package-sharing story. You should read it, in Nikole's own words, here.

And, if you love the above insight into their world as much as I do, then you should click here to watch the full film (directed by wonderful photographer John Cullen).

Sunday, June 24, 2012

A Week of...Smallness.

This week has been all about special moments spent with an awesome bunch of people with BIG hearts and small egos. The best kind of person, right?

It was a week of quite full-on busy-ness (and business) including lots of catch ups on phones, in favourite watering holes, in homes (including a special roadtrip to check out Ro's new digs) and inside my packed-to-the-brim brain.

But, shared with the right people (those aforementioned BIGsmalls) even the busiest of weeks are never arduous. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Here is my week in photos...


First light at the Whole Larder Love school house.


Fashion adventuring in soon-to-be-re-launched, Clara Fox, Melbourne's vintage Narnia.


A full Fitzroy rainbow. Adventure shared with new beanie from Dagmar Rousset.


Laughter, love, sesame dip, a few sneaky tears and mulled wine at Catty Cat's 30th.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Cake.


Ooooo. I'm not really a sweet tooth but Caitlin's 'Brown Butter Strawberry Cake' looks pretty darn delicious, right?

Visit her Roost blog for the recipe and perhaps wish her 'Happy Anniversary' at the same time.

Winter Weeks.


This is my bedroom in Olinda, where I'm bunking in with MMs while waiting for my new digs, Ladyland, to become mine. 

As you've heard, it's been raining non-stop so we've been bunkering down, dancing madly to the new Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros album and cooking up winter-warming grub.

I love these winter weeks. I realised 2009 was my last Australian winter. No wonder the rain excites me so much.

Love. xo

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Sleep.


The wind cannot turn back now. It has whipped itself into a frenzy just one wall away from me, my loves. It's so catatonic that it has been transformed into waves. Without logic, I would assume I was sleeping on a cliff, with dark blue seas raging below as I enter the world of slumber.

Goodnight sweet reader.
xo

(pic taken at the wonderful Park Hyatt in Paris, September 2010)

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Two Windows.


I woke up here.


And I'm going to bed here.

Two hours from each other. 
Both blissful and special.
Equally as beautiful.
What a brilliant day.

Night, night. xoxo

Monday, June 18, 2012

Another dream house.




Oh no, another dream house. 'Summer House' in Austria is a super-special one. Designed by Judith Benzer Architektur. Oooooooooh so amazing, no?

(via Design Folio)

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Happiness.



In April 2010 I left my familiar Australian surrounds and moved to the US with three suitcases and a bag of emotions.

Apart from a job (that involved lots of international travel) and a flat I'd found on Craigslist I had absolutely no idea what the future held. All I was following was a gut instinct, a feeling that I had to explore not just more of the world, but more of myself.

During my first week in Los Angeles I visited one of my favourite shops, Anthropologie, where I bought a copy of Gretchen Rubin's book The Happiness Project. It was really just the title that appealed to me. The concept of making my search for happiness a project was super-appealing to a strategy-nut like me.

So, I wrote a list. The bones of my own Happiness Project. It included things that already made me happy and things that I thought would make me happier. Big things and small things. Everything from learning how to cook proper Indian food from scratch to expanding my personal vinyl collection.

The past few weeks have been super busy what with life n stuff and general moving stress as I packed up my beloved ladypad. During the move I found the notebook in which I'd written my original happiness list. I'm pleased to say the page now includes a lot of ticks. Of course there are things I still want to do but I can tell you that I'm not just dipping my toe in the water, I'm currently launching myself into deep pond after pond. Butt naked. (Metaphorically speaking, don't make this creepy). My Happiness Project is a GO.

And it's been on my mind quite a bit lately because over the past few crazy weeks I've seen and heard so many other people describing their own happiness projects or searches (including this wonderful interview with muso Clare Bowditch). So it seems 2012 is the year to chase it.

So, what are you waiting for?

It's not easy, fark no. In fact, while these past two years have been my happiest they've also included some huge challenges. To be truly happy you have to really pull yourself apart and (regularly) make decisions that will disappoint and challenge other people. And that, as you know, isn't easy.

But golly gosh it's fun. Who's up for some skinny dipping?

(pic via Wilderness and Wonders)

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Kickstart Dumbo Feather.



Dumbo Feather is my favourite magazine. Which says a lot given I read magazines for work. But it is so much more than a magazine; it is a community of people just like you, and me.

If you are living outside of Australia and haven't yet stumbled across this gem of a mag then let me help you. If you love Kinfolk, Anthology, Apartamento, The Plant Journal, Grey etc then you will understand, and also love, Dumbo Feather. It is nothing like any of them (huh? I hear you say...) but the same essence is there: real, rustic, authentic, full of great people sharing great ideas and making great things.

So, why all of these wonderful words? Well, DF is launching a Kickstarter campaign to get its digital edition off the ground. It needs your funds and the returns are grand. Check it out here.