Feeling Dandy

I've been feeling very dandy lately in my new Equipment shirt. Everytime I wear it, my spirits are lifted, and I walk with a spring in my step!

via

What makes you feel dandy?

Wild Things

Did you guys enjoy this movie as much as I did (and what a trailor!)? I've always felt that Maurice Sendak had an amazing way of exposing the darkness of childhood, always avoiding the saccharine nostalgia towards our early years that adults are usually prone to. He also shows us that there is beauty in our emotions and imaginations that can overcome the darkness. Spike Jonze did an amazing job translating this message to screen.

via New York Times

via kitsunenoir

via slices of life

I can't wait to share both with my children someday.

*howl*

Happy Hour

via Apartment Therapy

Look at this amazing glassware by Crucial Detail. I believe that presentation is paramount when serving a cocktail when entertaining, but this porthole brings creative display to a whole new level.
The product is still in development for the mass markets, but rest assured, this will be donning many Christmas lists this year (including mine!).

Lemon Custard

Although my savoury tooth is stronger than my sweet, I will freely admit that I am a bigger sucker than most for a lemon tart (most notably one from Fish Face-- enjoyed with a crisp glass of Riesling on a summer's night). 

This recipe from Food52 is a simple way to create an all-purpose lemon custard that makes my mouth simultaneously water and pucker.

Photos and recipe from Food52

Happy Weekend

Image Source

This weekend, I will be catching up with a friend who will be in town, and probably be catching a move (as she has great taste in movies).

Were distance no object, I would love to be going to breakfast here.
A walk here.
Lunch here.
Spend an afternoon here.
Dinner here.
And dancing here.
All with some people who are severely missed.

What would your dream weekend look like?
xx

I'm being followed by a moon shadow

via Lula Mag

Moon shadow, moon shadow

Summer Movie Night

Over at Oh Happy Day Jordan posted about an outdoor movie night that she hosted, and it made me crave summer (especially compared to this cold, rainy winter we're having in Sydney). She was so clever, turning plastic cups of soda and mini candy bars into a summer treat!

How beautiful are her photos?!

To read more about how she did it and to see more photos, head over to her blog post!

Coffee Cream Clouds

via Kiss Me Quick

Nowadays, I prefer my coffee black; however, if I find cream before me, I cave to temptation of marbled swirls and coffee cream clouds.

Blanket Forts

In one of my all-time favourite movies, The Dreamers, the climax includes a scene in a home-made blanket fort.

Via FairyFayesFinds

I have always found these sorts of forts romantic, innocent and beautiful, so it makes me so happy that I have been seeing grown-up blanket forts around the internet. Here are some of my favourites:

Source

Via underlockandkey

via Transito Inicial

Would you incorporate a blanket fort into your home?

Also, if you haven't seen The Dreamers, buy a bottle of wine and indulge in a viewing by candlelight-- you'll thank me!

Empire-Style Beaded Chandeliers

Generally, I cringe at opulent crystal chandeliers, as they most-often seemed to frequent the entry-ways of cookie-cutter mansions in the suburbs of Chicago, but I may have to revoke my chandelier ban for these lovely beaded chandeliers. They are simultaneously elegant, fun, and unpretentious.

I'm making a note of this for my one-day-in-the-future home- perhaps over the kitchen table.


All photos via Apartment Therapy

Happy Weekend

via minimalistco

I plan on spending this weekend in, enjoying some freshly made greyhounds (with salted rims, natch!), cuddled up to my man, and watching the final few episodes of Mad Men.

Although, I wouldn't mind making a stop in at the Chiswick to enjoy a mushroom risotto with broad beans and oregano.

Maybe we could follow it up with a visit to the well-kept secret Eau de Vie for one of Sydney's best martinis.

And, of course, the next morning would be incomplete without a Bloody Mary from Bills!

What are you up to this weekend?

Hip Hip!

Have you guys been over to Em's amazing blog Hip Hip Gin Gin? Not only does it have one of my most favourite blog names of all time, but her design and layout work is just amazing (also, she's totally gorgeous).

via HHGG

Enjoy your blog travels over there with Em!

One Thousand Paper Flowers

When I was in Japan I learned how to fold a paper crane over the booth of a 24-hour noodle joint. My teacher was dressed for a wedding in a beautiful and elaborate kimono. I, also for a wedding: in a dress made in Berlin of recycled kimono material. We must have seemed an odd juxtaposition: dressed to the nines in a fluorescent-lit diner, neither of us speaking more than a few words of the other's language, but from the inside, the moment felt perfect. I remember the delicate balance of precision and ease as we folded our squares or paper into diamonds and kites, bending here and there to create something that was far more exquisite than the sum of its parts.

Legend has it that if you fold one thousand paper cranes, you will be granted a wish, and artist Anouk Vogel has used this legend to develop this beautiful instillation composed of one thousand paper flowers. The wish she has made is for world peace.

"Peace demands perseverance and patience. Peace is fragile and requires constant nurturing. These aspects are actualized in her abstract garden, 'Folding for Peace.'"

This quietly stunning exhibition reflects the such energy and precision, as well as passion and dedication. It reminds me that it is not easy to make a positive impact on the world- but with hard work, it is possible.

Images and Quote via Apartment Therapy 

What Dogs Want

I am so grateful for The Hairpin and for amazing illustrators who shine a new light on life through their drawings (see Alot). I laughed out loud at Lisa Hanawalt's What Dogs Want, and I thought I would share some of her hilarious and astute sketches with you-- illustrating the finer points of a dog's desires:

See also: Lisa's review of War Horse

Under my Umbrella

Source Unkown

It was so rainy all weekend in Sydney, and it is still rainy today. I am so happy to have my Hunter Gumboots and a home full of love. I hope that you are all staying nice and dry wherever you are!

xx

Happy Weekend

This weekend my amazing sister-in-law will be in town. We will be taking lots of photos, having picnics, seeing Blanche DuBois (check them out here) and frolicking around Sydney!

I would like to be taking her here
While wearing this
And eating these
Doing lots of yoga here
Having dinner here
And listening to this
while dancing here

What are you going to be up to?
Whatever it is, I hope you have a lovely weekend!

Running Away with the Wolves

via

As a child, rather than becoming a princess or famous, I fantasized about being raised by and living with wolves. I dreamt about it, played it, and read about it. It was my greatest ambition.

So much about my childhood fantasy is echoed in the way I have chosen to live my life.

via

What did you dream of becoming when you grew up?

Glory

via Hip Hip Gin Gin

Hamlet the Pig

This video has already made the internet rounds, but I thought I would share it with you, as it absolutely made my night.

Treat yourself to Hamlet the Pig going down the stairs:

The Plums

193/365 this is just to say (via cakeybabes)

Rifle Paper Co.

I am head over heels for Anna from Rifle Paper Co's designs. They are so fresh and fun!

And wouldn't you just love to have personalized stationary or calling cards painted by Anna herself? 

So very chic!

Sunnies

What are your favourite pair of sunglasses? Are they from your favourite designer, or some frames that you were crafty enough to find in a vintage shop? The pair that I've been wearing for the past three years were bought for me by my then boyfriend (now husband) before I had even tried them on! Lately, I've been lusting after this pair from Ksubi:

Aren't they fabulous?!
Anyhow, what do you look for in your sunnies? Any dealbreakers? (i.e. I can't wear glasses that are straight across the top without looking angry!)

A Very Colourful Diamond Jubilee

To celebrate her Diamond Jubilee, Pantone and Leo Burnett have collaborated to create a palette representing the Queen's wardrobe choices through the years.

Fighting a Cold

I've been feeling under the weather for the past few days, and today I was downright sick. I thought I might share some of my favourite things that make me feel better when I'm crook.

Do you know and love Tiger Balm as much as I do? This stinky ointment is magical when you've got a cold. The package recommends rubbing the balm on your chest to help with nasal congestion (a la Vicks), but I find that a back massage with the stuff can truly lift your spirits, and make you forget for a moment that you're sick (but to achieve this, you need a friend who doesn't mind getting their hands stinky too!).

Pitango's chicken noodle soup is an absolute lifesaver. It is hearty and soothing and tastes like something that your grandmother would make for you if you were sick.

Three ginger tea from Pukka is actually not one of my go-to everyday teas, but when I've got a cold, it absolutely hits the mark. This tea is "rich, spicy and stimulating" and the turmeric and licorice in it do wonders for a stuffy nose, and combat the chills I tend to get when I get sick.

Although I'm always pointed in the direction of the orange when I've got a cold, it's actually the lemon that I crave to pick me up and make my throat feel soothed. I've been known as someone who can eat a lemon slice raw (which used to set my aunt's teeth on edge), but the way that I prefer lemons when I'm sick is squeezed and in hot water with honey, or in my tea (they go magnificently with Pukka's three ginger).

While it's meant to be more of a preventative tool, Airborne is something I am always drawn to when I'm sick. Unfortunately, many of it's Australian equivalents are not the same (this is one of the best I've found), and I have to rely on care packages from mom for my supply. The tingly bubbles and orange flavour cut through my throat pain and feel so soothing and relieving, I refuse to believe that Airborne wasn't designed for cold and flu relief as well as prevention.

What about you? What do you turn to when you're feeling under the weather?