the good in the everyday.

In a world filled with so much hatred and darkness, it’s so important to focus on the good.

Do good. Be good. Spread the goodness.

Native flowers.

Cool places to spend hours playing pool and drinking beers.

A quirky, artistic city to call home.

Weekend wanderings.

Catching up over delicious beverages and inspiring crockery.

Spring.

Beauty found in unlikely places.

Book swaps with passionate friends (and time spent alone in public, reading).

My new favourite hobby!

A bag o’ bun.

I’m feeling thankful.

thankful.

Signs of spring: blossoms, later days, golden sunsets, the smell of freshly cut grass and the associated sneezes, lots of walks – with friends, dogs, and solo.

Nourishment. Taking the time to moisturise my body after a shower, or cook a wholesome meal. The ability to fill my fridge with fresh, delicious produce.

Feeling nostalgic for things as they happen: beer bottling, wine tasting, food market taste-testing, coffee-drinking, adventurous weekends.

Awesome work friends who drink coffee in the sunshine with me every morning and help me talk through big life decisions.

And so, so much time spent with animals lately.

 

I’m very, very happy.

just a minute in October (late, again).

is… is my face lopsided?!

Eating: definitely not meat. Kinda grosses me out looking back through my last post reading that I ate kangaroo strips… I don’t regret what I did, but I’m glad I’m back to the land of non-meat eaters. In fact, I’ve gone in the opposite direction and have stopped eating dairy and eggs as well. SO. Mangoes are coming in to season, as are berries… so that makes me happy! 

Cooking: I made the Sprouted Kitchen kale salad last night. Honestly I think that would be one of my most favourite meals ever!

Drinking: no alcohol. I’m one month through a 3-month booze ban and it’s making a world of difference! I feel brighter, more energetic, more “myself”, and generally just clearer. So instead, I’ve been drinking lots of soda water with lime. That sound boring, but it’s delicious.

Learning: a lot about psychology in my electives at uni. I’m really enjoying it! It’s blowing my mind, man. (But… what IS “mind”?!)

Reading: Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon. I’m enjoying it! It’s interesting and fun, but it’s often a little difficult to follow due to the grammar used to represent the Californian inflection. [Finally finished Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell! Really liked it in the end, though it took me a good three months to get through.]

Wanting: basically every single item from Midsummer Star. See my Pinterest board for my favourite beauties.

Looking: forward to Christmas! My parents will be away for Christmas so we’re spending the whole day with Rufus’ family – meaning that for the first time in 6 years, we’ll be at ONE PLACE ALL DAY! 

Listening: my online lectures. I’m studying over the summer this year so all my content is online. Also, Box of Light and Odesza are current favourites.

Wasting: compost 😦 GAH!

Wishing: for the violence to stop.

Liking: my new skincare range from Grace Cosmetics. Cruelty-free, Australian owned, and my skin loves the stuff! 

Feeling: hopeful, happy, fresh, relaxed, balanced, and in control. I’m feeling so very good.

Watching: Ink Master! Face Off! The Block! A lot of reality TV, apparently. Also Broad City (I love it the most).

Needing: money (for tattoos and to get my hair did), to go camping, to go surfing. A holiday. A dog.

Smelling: currently, rose water. (Just on that, Sukin is by far my favourite skincare brand – they’re a cruelty-free and carbon neutral, Australian owned company; and their products make my skin happy). I actually really need a summer fragrance! Any suggestions?

Wearing: long skirts and tank tops. It’s coming into summer!

Noticing: way too many flies. Australia in summer, everybody.

Grateful for: Jango! He is so cute! I bought him his favourite toy yesterday, and he spent the evening playing with it – aka destroying it – and it just made me so happy (see on Instagram).

Loving: life. 

friendships and self-worth.

The neurons aren’t firing well today after a big boozy weekend, so forgive me my ramblings. It was the kind of weekend that would usually have me wrapped up for days in a blanket of anxiety, guilt and embarrassment. I remember only scraps of time for a few certain hours between dinner and bedtime – “but what did I SAY?!” (ladylike, I know) – but hell if I’m not feeling inexplicably light, free, and secure. 

It hit me while I was sitting on my couch late at night with eight of the best people I know, watching something stupid on TV – trackpants on, makeup off. We’d spent the previous 5 and a half hours at a boutique spirits festival, and an hour or so at dinner with about a million plates of dumplings and too many bottles of red wine. It hit me that these people are my close friends. God that sounds ridiculous; I’ve been friends with some of these humans for close to ten years now… and it’s only just hit me that they are in my life to stay (this says everything about me, and nothing about them – I assure you). They have seen me at my worst, and still come visit me in my new hometown. They put up with my ridiculous drunken ramblings – screechings – every time we have one too many glasses of wine (or whiskeys, as the case was this weekend), and yet still want to do it all again the next time we’re together.

Adult friendships are so strange. There’s none of the security that seeing school friends every day offers. Less and less of the obligatory “stuff in common” conversations and more of the good, deep, to-the-bones chatter. Interspersed with plenty of shit talking and movie quotes. 

It says so much about my self-worth and self-confidence that I’ve not let myself feel like these people could actually want to spend time with me. And it’s honestly slightly shocking for me to realise this. It hurts my heart to realise this. 

But I have. And that speaks volumes about where I am right now. 

Look, anyway. It made me pretty damn happy, and wanted to share. Thanks, friends. You’re awesome. 


Unrelated gratitude:

1. Turkish tea dates.
2. Porter Robinson on a school night.
3. Selfies.
4. Coffee and pie before a film festival.
5. My favourite barista and her coffee buns. 

just a minute in july.

So far, this has been the most bizarre year of my life; although so many wonderful things have happened (our engagement, lots of friends and family visits, stability) this year has had more than its fair share of downs. But despite all of that, I’m in a very good place. Rufus and I are so happy, I’ve found a study strategy that keeps me feeling in control and on top of everything, my workload is consistent but not crazy, Jango curled up and fell asleep on me last night; which was adorable, and I have some amazing, wonderful, fun friends and an endlessly supportive, endlessly hilarious family. 

Life feels like it’s in balance and I’m so stoked. I’m excited and grateful and just plain happy.

Eating: a lot cleaner. On a related note: I’ve started eating meat again (in small doses) to see if it alleviates any of my skin issues. I don’t like it, but the scientist in me needs to know if my skin issues are related to something I’m missing from my diet (I’m (nearly) a nutritionist, so my diet is usually always in balance, except for the lack of meat). And of course, I’m only eating ethically farmed, local, happy animals. It won’t last forever, so we’ll see how it goes.

Cooking: some recipes from the Lorna Jane website. I made a stuffed sweet potato on Sunday night which was a bit bland, but absolutely delicious when some hummus was added. I also have plans to make a pumpkin salad this evening. Last night we had a chicken and soba noodle stir fry (not from Lorna Jane) – with soy sauce, sriracha, honey and sesame seeds. I love our wok.

Drinking: my favourite green and peppermint tea combo, as well as Cleanse tea. And lots of water!

Learning: The dog I walk on Mondays and Wednesdays is incredibly anxious. Some days he will literally lay down in the middle of the road and refuse to walk with me, and it’s so easy to get frustrated. He’s slowly teaching me patience. I’m learning that sometimes, you just need to stop, sit down in the middle of the road, cuddle a dog, and enjoy the warmth of the sun on your face and the peace of your surroundings. You can always (literally) pick yourself back up and try again next week, and the week after that, and the week after that. And those little cuddle sessions in the middle of the road week after week are building up a bond between us, that perhaps won’t make next week’s walk so laborious. 

Reading: After finishing Bringing Up Bebe (which I highly recommend), I read Gone Girl – LOVED IT! – and have now started Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell. I watched the first episode of the TV show with the same name, and now I can’t help but picture the characters in the book as the actors. It’s interesting so far – a period book about magicians – and I like to start a book in a different genre to the one I’ve just finished. I’ve met my ’12 books in 12 months’ goal for this year already! 

Wanting: tattoos, nature, travel, and time with my family. Our families. Our family.

Looking: inward but shining outward.

Listening: to records on our new turntable!

Wasting: same as last month – compostable trash. I need to get my butt into gear and start composting again. Save a tree, man.

Wishing: my Nanna a very happy 80th birthday. What a strong (and stubborn), intelligent, hilarious woman she is.

Liking: my increase in exercise! I’ve kept up with yoga three times a week for a couple of months and am now feeling ready to do more. I’ve started doing at least another one strength workout each week – a Kayla Itsines circuit, which is brutal (also, I don’t believe in “bikini bodies”; in fact, the term offends me. I just have to put that out there) – as well as a cardio session. I used to be an absolutely gym bunny but lost the will during the last couple of crazy years – it’s really nice to be excited about moving my body again (could I have more energy due to my meat consumption? Time will tell). 

Feeling: excited to keep planning our wedding. I don’t think we’ll be getting married next year as anticipated, but that’s okay – I’m enjoying all the pinning and planning and daydreaming while it lasts!

Watching: in my alone time, I’m re-watching The O.C. Happiness! With Rufus, we’ve finished catching up on SHIELD and The Flash, and have moved on to iZombie- which is cute and fun – as well as King of the Nerds. And we’re still going through the Key and Peele backlogs. Perhaps we watch too much TV. (Also, I’ve been loving these videos on Youtube.)

Needing: again, same as last month – to see the sea. Some time in nature in general.

Smelling: of roses. Literally! My friend recently bought me some of this rose perfume from Lush, and I love it! I’m so grateful for thoughtful friends.

Wearing: many, many layers. We woke up at 7am this morning and the temperature was -1C. We don’t have heating. It wasn’t fun.

Noticing: how quickly time is passing. It scares me! I found this page very interesting. 

Grateful for: the sunshine. We’ve had a few weeks of cloudy, gray days, and it’s such a relief to finally see the sun again. My car was sitting in the sun after work last night and it was actually so warm that I had to open my window! To the outside world! For fresh air!

Loving: life. Every bit of it.

just a minute in April/May.

Oh, man. How is it the end of May?! Life is very busy, often stressful, but things are good. I’ve had some sad diagnoses in my family, a blissful week away, and a really, really, really happy engagement. 

Yup! We got engaged! Overlooking the Indian Ocean in Bali – the day after our 5-year anniversary and the day of my 24th birthday – Rufus asked me to marry him. We both laughed and cried and laughed some more; then drank some beers and danced in our hotel room. It was the happiest moment of my life. I’m going to marry my best friend!

Eating: I just finished a mini Snickers bar, and now I feel sick. Live and learn, right? (Or live and never learn, in this case…)

Cooking: Well… look. Admittedly I haven’t been great at the whole cooking thing lately. I’ve been going with old stand-bys: sweet potato with kale and eggs, pasta with broccoli and chickpeas, stir fry with tofu and soba noodles.

Drinking: heaps of green tea and Berocca; I’m trying to get rid of a cold.

Learning: that I need to slow things down to enjoy life more.

Reading: Following my last catch up post (3 months ago!), I’m reading Stephen Fry’s The Fry Chronicles. Since February, I’ve also finished the Maze Runner trilogy, which I really, really enjoyed, and Damned by Chuck Palahniuk (super strange: classic Chuck).

Wanting: my eyelid eczema to go away.

Looking: forward to heading home to celebrate our engagement! The girls I work with have been 100% amazing about making me feel special and loved… but it is a little sad that we can’t celebrate with our family just yet.

Listening: Mostly I’ve been working to the sounds of my missed Uni lectures. 

Wasting: time trying to multitask.

Wishing: I was a better gardener… everything keeps dying! Partly because I’m lazy and inattentive, partly because I don’t plant things at the right time and/or bugs.

Liking: pear season. 🙂

Feeling: unbelievably happy.

Watching: Rufus and I just finished the latest season of Dr Who (sah gahd). Also watching The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which is fun, and catching up on Suits.

Needing: a long hot-yoga session. 

Smelling: Sukin’s Hydrating Mist Toner. My skin is super dehydrated this winter, which is fun.

Wearing: layers. Preppy layers. 

Noticing: the way my new ring sparkles in the sunlight. It acts like a disco ball, and that pleases me. 

Grateful for: the girls I work with. They’ve been absolutely amazing – decorated my office and planned a surprise morning tea and are genuinely excited for me. I’m so, so lucky!

Loving: my fiance. Naw, what a sap!

#flashbackfriday Pulau Langkawi

Look at me, being all trendy, using hashtags n’ junk. I thought I’d cash in on this trend and use Fridays to take a trip back in time and reflect on past travels.





Pulau Langkawi was an absolute dream ending to our Malaysia trip last December (previous posts 1, 2, 3). We spent most of our time swimming in the resort’s infinity pool (occasionally drinking face-meltingly-strong cocktails in the swim-up bar), reading in the sunshine, eating delicious foods, and marvelling at the wildlife. The one day we set off to explore the island, we decided to take a ride on the huge cable cart to admire the views from the top of a mountain. Not a great idea, really, considering Rufus is extremely afraid of heights. But man, what a rush! And what a view!

We were lucky enough to score a beach-front room at the resort, so the first thing we did after walking through the door was run straight to the back door to admire our view. Incredibly rude of us apparently, as we disturbed a huge dragon (lizard, like the one below) that was chilling out in the backyard. Sorry buddy! We also saw squirrels, Malaysia’s national bird, kittens, and a multitude of adorable monkeys!

camping.

I don’t know what it is, but lately, I’ve been craving time outdoors. So this Friday after work, Rufus and I bundled up our newly acquired camping gear and set off with my cousin, her boyfriend, and their friend; to the wilderness.






















We had a fire burning the whole time, drank beer, and told spooky stories as we huddled around the fire at night. We toasted marshmallows on sticks, collected firewood, ate egg (and bacon for some) sandwiches every morning, boiled water for coffee in the Billy, and caught yabbies. We went bushwalking and collected quartz, played Uno and ate crisps around our little plastic table, saw a pod of kangaroos, and woke with the sun every morning to the sound of kookaburras laughing. 

We were in the middle of nowhere – no showers, no toilet blocks, no phone reception – just us, and the great outdoors. It was exactly what I needed; and I cannot wait to go again.

phoning it in.

Some beautiful things, as captured with my phone.

Apologies for any doubles from Instagram.

slices of weekend.

quiet moments.

beauty in strange places.

growth.

A mini-harvest. Featuring one single pea pod, 3 leaves of rocket, and half an un-ripe kale leaf. Those peas and that rocket blew my mind.

A great one, this week! We experienced a real Spring weekend – I was loathe to be inside, and lots of light beer was consumed. Highlights include after-work drinks in my backyard with a favourite on Friday, a solo beach walk (and coffee consumed while sitting in the sand in my good jeans), lunch at our local, shopping for camping supplies, movie night and sweet potato burgers, a sundrenched walk to the local bric-a-brac (/vintage) market; a coffee table score, and time spent studying (less thankful for the study, more for the peace of mind and clarity it brings).

We also attempted to save a tiny possum that had been hit by a car (carrying him, wrapped in my cardigan, as we walked home, and then straight to the animal hospital), but unfortunately he couldn’t be saved. While it was heart-wrenching, and I may have shed a tear or twelve, it was humbling to be part of this animal’s journey, and reminded me of just how much happiness animals and nature (the whole cycle) bring me.

a solo beach morning.

beach boxes.

Cranberry-coconut-dark chocolate cookie – to get me to the Eftpos minimum. Also because it looked delicious.

perfect.

dat face.

perfection in a huge salad bowl.

How was your weekend, friends?