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.

#ttt. (six)

This post is part of a little weekly feature to highlight some awesome things that happen during the week. Three thankful things on Thursdays… because alliteration is my jam.

Favourites.

– Colder mornings and evenings; with enough sunshine during the day to go about in jeans and a t-shirt (check out my Pinterest board for more stylish autumn inspo). Autumn is my favourite! I’m looking forward to dirty chais at the farmers market (and with not a care about the blatant judgment from the barista), hot cross buns with butter, spaghetti squash with chickpeas and kale, and ankle booties 24/7!

– Cinnamon pancakes by Rufus on a lazy Sunday. 

– Radical Face.

– Renewed creativity and spark. My work and study are science-based, so it’s important for me to get out of my left-brain space and explore my right-brain. I’m looking at doing a photo project (besides the self portrait one I’m already doing, as the latter is on my phone and doesn’t count) in the next few days. Know of any fun ones that aren’t too difficult to adhere to?

– I finally did the thing and purchased a new battery and power adapter for my laptop! Old faithful has had a dodgy power supply for the last couple of years (thanks to a certain somebunny who nibbled through the cables), and I’ve only just got around to buying a new one. 

– Festival season in Adelaide. A few weekends ago, Rufus and I went back home for a family function, and managed to fit in some friend time while we were there. We spent the Saturday wine tasting in McLaren Vale, eating in the Garden of Unearthly Delights, and dancing at the TREv artist’s party (where we saw some pretty spectacular stuff…). We have some awesome friends and families.

– Olivia’s Good Morning Journal project. 

– Instead of pie on Pi day, I made blondies and cookies. I’m cool with it.

– My little garden. It’s small, it hasn’t produced much, and I often oscillate between drowning and parching the poor things… but it’s my space in which to nurture green things and I’m so grateful for that.

Rufus made me pancakes when I was feeling blue. I ate them in my purple hiking socks and Malaysian genie pants.

Hints of autumn.

Nugget.

Amazing – beers and meatballs (vegetarian, for me). And the most delicious garlic bread I ever did eat.

peace.

#ttt five.

– Dancing with complete abandon (flailing limbs) with favourite friends at a wedding in Adelaide. I had so much fucking fun this weekend! Congratulations to Leon and Kate (and apologies for all the hideous photos you’re going to discover on those disposable cameras).

– These blondies. A little too much sugar for my sugar-phobic tastebuds, but I’ll adjust the recipe and they will be perfect.

– Breakfast with my Mum, Dad and Aunty this weekend. So grateful for the opportunity to be together – talk crap, talk science, talk personal.

– Live music. We’ve seen 24 bands this year. 24! It’s only February! This equates to 2 festivals and 3 gigs; still impressive though!

– I’m feeling super grateful for my diary-keeping habits. I found the diary I kept in Malaysia (KL, Cameron Highlands, Penang, Langkawi) last night, and spent a good long while flipping through the pages; reminiscing with Rufus about things we’d forgotten. Such as the time that we were on a bus, and a huge, heavy suitcase fell on a European backpacker (she was okay – Rufus helped her climb out from under it), which had a tiny, ancient Chinese lady next to us in hysterical laughter for a good five minutes (which, in turn, had me in a gigglefit).

– Also feeling super grateful for lazy nights on the couch with Rufus – bingeing on TV shows and cuddling up against the unseasonably cold evenings.

(L to R) photo from DisneyWorld, tiny lucky pig, Buddah from Malaysia, copper candles from the market, Grimes album, crappy record player – already broken, love fern, alcohol bottles.

I could pretend that I’m embarrassed about my clothing choices, but I’m not. I didn’t get sunburned, and if the cost of that was looking like a dick in a stupid hat, I’m cool with it.

#ttt. four.

– FIVE! WHOLE! FEMALE BLOSSOMS! ON MY ZUCCHINI PLANT! … I’m excited.

– At Laneway festival this weekend, I wore denim shorts. Why is this significant? Because, since the age of maybe 10, I have hated my body. I don’t say that lightly, and admitting that is difficult for me… but I have loathed myself and my body for the majority of my life. Do I believe that women of all sizes are beautiful? Do I believe in self-love? Do I believe that women of all shapes and sizes should be able to wear tiny shorts when it’s hot outside? Do I realise that I’m not at an unhealthy weight? Yes. Yes yes yes. I still find it incredibly hard to apply these beliefs to myself. I am so proud of myself for wearing these, for continuing to work hard on my self-acceptance, and for putting evidence of myself in these tiny pants on the internet.

– 2016 Euro-plans with my best gal pal! Guys, we’ve been planning this trip since we were 15! To celebrate our 25ths, we’re going to hit up the biggest cities in Europe – drink wine and eat bread in Paris, eat pasta and drink more wine in Venice, eat special brownies in Amsterdam and drink beer in Munich. … Basically we’ll be huge when we get back to Australia. I AM SO EXCITED!

– A work colleague who loves coffee as much as I do. There’s no judgement here.

– And this little nerd:

#ttt. three.

– For the month of January, due to a mix-up with my contract, I have only been working 3 days a week. At first, this made me incredibly unhappy – less money, less time to get my work done, more time bored at home because of less money. In retrospect, I am so thankful for this enforced break. I had two days each week to myself – for nothing but my own interests. While I spent a lot of time on the couch, I also practiced taking photos, meditating, yoga, and eating alone in public. This break taught me about patience, and about relinquishing control in a situation I could not change. It’s also given me a swift kick in the butt in terms of my gratitude – if the worst part of my day is that I have a little enforced holiday for a month, life’s not too bad.

– My first successful crane pose in yoga!

– This cake.

– A lovely housewarming for dear friends who catered generously with mini burgers (lentil for me, thanks guys!) and red wine. We stood around in the sun-drenched garden and chatted – about gardens and travel, mostly – for a few lovely hours. I’m so grateful to have met such an accepting, inclusive group of peeps.

– The opportunity to take blood at work! When working in the research centre in Adelaide, I was trained in phlebotomy and actually really enjoyed the blood-taking process (what a creep). I’m stoked to get the chance to utilise my skill!

#ttt. two.

Just a few things I’ve been thankful for this week.

– Starting hot yoga again! I went twice last week and once so far this week (in addition to my regular exercise routine). My body feels more strong than it has in months.

– Committing to meditation. I use the Headspace app and it’s absolutely wonderful; I’m finding that daily meditation really helps to keep me calm. 

– Sunday funday with my friend Bardley: exxopolis meandering (see above), Swan-Thing purchasing, Pimms drinkin’ and Croquet Club sittin’ good times!

– My re-organised and clean office. It’s the little things.

– The return of the Saturday Tradition! After 5 whole weeks away, Rufus and I finally got to sit at our favourite table in the sunshine at our favourite cafe; eat our toasties and drink our perfect coffees, and natter away.  

#ttt (thankful things on thursday)

I thought I’d start a little weekly feature to highlight some awesome things that happen during the week. Three thankful things on Thursdays… because alliteration is my jam.

– Carving out time to sit our little garden nook; reading, eating breakfast, and recipe planning. Taking time in nature in the mornings to calm my headspace and get me grounded helps to set me up for a good day.

– Frequent cuddles with Jango. Sometimes when I’m laying on the carpet with him or even in bed, he’ll snuggle right up to me and press his little nose against mine. It’s just too much.

– Seasons, our new art print by James Jean. Oh, man, it is absolutely beyond stunning. (I’ll touch on this further in a future post about our art collection. Exciting!) We’re sourcing quotes to get it framed!

– Coffees from my new Aeropress! If you followed along last year, you might remember that an Aeropress was high on my wishlist for the better part of 2014! Luckily for me, my handsome man got me one for Christmas! I love it – the procedure of it all, along with the constant scent of fresh coffee in the air.


What are you thankful for this week?

happy new year, friends!

I’m five days late to the party, and with not a photo to share. I’ll update a little later in the week but for now please accept my apologies, my happiest wishes for your 2015, and a little holiday gratitude list:

For playful kittens, a trip to our favourite pub, and a night of wine tasting, shit-talking, hot-wing eating fun with some favourite friends. For a quiet catch up with a small group of old pals – memories shared and so much laughter. For the sunshine, the smell of the ocean, and a body fit enough to ride the waves (nothing makes me feel more like myself than the ocean). For deep pain and fear, shared amongst a family, that will bring us closer. For a whole entire day of lounging on the couch, watching movies and TV shows with two of the coolest cats I know (guys, I’m sorry I fell asleep during Boxtrolls). For chai tea dates and wine dates with people who bring me back to myself. For my job  – I never, ever forget how lucky I am to work where I do, with the people I do. 

2014 was a huge year for Rufus and I – we moved across the country, started new jobs, ate a LOT of food and drank a LOT of coffee, saw some wonderful live music (including personal favourites The Lumineers and The National), visited Fiji with my family for a beautiful wedding, visited Adelaide multiple times, visited the Gold Coast with one of my oldest friends and had stupid amounts of fun, hit some tumultuous terrain and fought our way through, and learned more about ourselves and our relationship than either of us expected to. I studied my little butt off, made some wonderful new friends, embarked on a volunteer program that makes me incredibly happy, and learned how to let myself slow down (people that know me will laugh at that last one… but really, I didn’t run any marathons this year or learn a new language! Baby steps!).

My intention for 2015 is not too far from my 2014 intention (mindfulness) – presence. I’d like to focus once again on my finances, travel some more, keep showing up, and be 100% in it.

So here’s to 2015, friends – to health and happiness and new adventures.

slices of weekends past.

colourful streets.

a rooftop garden.

brunch with the boy.

poached avocado.

surprise flowers at our Saturday morning post-run coffee-and-croissant stop.

Life is good.