Autumnal Inspirations - The Closet

Well, May is here, & finally the cool weather has begun to sink in. The past week has seen frost on the grass & a thick blanket of fog as the sun rises upon the mountain, the days are still warm & sunny yet as dusk falls, a chilly breeze has set in & we are tucked up in bed with the animals keeping our toes toasty.

It's about now that my bright & sunshiny attitude begins to fade...it has skipped town (or perhaps continents) following wherever the warm weather goes. I am a lover of the warm weather. Summer & I get on like a house on fire. Golden days spent at the beach & balmy evening dining al fresco on homemade pizza & sangria. Summer calls for cotton sundresses & comfy sandals, shorts & breezy blouses - it's easy. It's my idea of perfection.
These days you can find me standing in our closet starring blankly at rows & shelves of clothes declaring, "I have nothing to wear!", to which Sam replies, "Yes, you do!" as she picks out something for me - often it's my only transeasonal outfit - a forest green, 3/4 sleeve, jersey-knit dress with opaque tights & a scarf. This has been my 'go-to' Autumn outfit for the past 3 years*, & as much as I love this dress, it's looking a little...tired.

//This is probably the choice moment to mention that I am not at all 'fashionable' or 'on-trend' - my closet consists of thrifted, department store, artisan & the occasional 'label' buy, I dress 80% comfort/10% whatever is clean/10% style, & I still own the sweatpants I wore after my first surgery...4 years ago.//

In an attempt to love this naturally beautiful season, I have pulled together an inspiring collection of gorgeous threads to coax me into appreciating & embracing this in-between season. A combo of colour & neutrals, in natural fibres & luxe materials, I could fit any of these lovely pieces into my currently drab & overly summery repertoire.

1//2//3 //4//5//6//7//8//9

In my books, the perfect transeasonal wardrobe includes classic styles, plenty of options for mixing it up & use beyond this season. My current closet is a monochrome base with pops of colour & texture from unique, eclectic pieces - so I've chosen pieces that could fit in with what I already own yet bring their own individual flare, & brighten up my closet over the coming months.

Layering is key in Autumnal-weather dressing, making this Sportscraft Rosaline Cable Knit sweater the perfect colour-blocking partner for the beautiful artisan handiwork of the Alegre Skirt from Little Tienda -which would get its fair share of wear (unintended rhyming, I swear!) as its style & fabric will see me right through to Spring & Summer - pair it all with a blouse, leggings & The Horse Rosey Boot & I'm ready for a day at the markets or coffee with Sam.

For the sake of my sanity, I'm injecting a little extra colour with these ASOS Peg Leg Pants

combined with OCRF Tab Detail Shirt in luxurious silk from Witchery - not only will I look lovely, I'll feel it too as 100% of the proceeds go to Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (check out this generous cause here). To top it off, I cannot resist including my favourite bag - the beautiful Bohemian Living Deep Red Leather Satchel (I already own one in Absinthe, so a second would be a bit special!)

Lastly, I couldn't resist a little splurge on this Contrast Insert Dress by Cue. It appeals to my love of black clothing, plus every lady deserves a gorgeous little black dress. 
Team it with this delicate Scout & Catalogue Aztec Storm scarf & a hand-knitted Slouchy Beanie by MacBeanie & you've got the perfect urban-meets-uptown outfit to cover you from a warm day in the Autumn sun to late afternoon drinks with the girls.

Now, to save my pennies to afford these beautiful threads! *sigh*


What do you wear during the transeasonal months? Any recommendations are greatly appreciated! xx
* not constantly, though at times it feels like it!
 

Christmas Inspiration

Source: littlegreenshed.blogspot.co.uk via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: toast.co.uk via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: dustjacketattic.blogspot.ca via Sarah on Pinterest

Happy Christmas Month, everyone!

I love December, and all that comes with it - warm Summer days (and nights!), road trips, family time, salty hair and sandy feet, delicious food, and Christmas! It really is the most wonderful time of the year, isn't it?!

This year we are doing away with the traditional*, instead decorating the house in fruity hues, native flowers, and embracing delicious fresh fruit, seafood and seasonal salads for Christmas breakfast, lunch AND dinner.

Bless Pinterest **, in all its inspirational glory - for it is here that I have found all the Aussie/non-traditional/colourful Christmas inspiration I could ever need. I have discovered many delightful recipes, chrissy-craft projects and stunning displays to create and adorn our humble home.

 Are you as addicted to Pinterest as I am? Have you found any great Christmas inspiration?


* as much as possible - while we will still have a tree and shall munch merrily on peppermint candy canes, I am embracing our beautiful country and it's summery holiday weather; Aussie blooms, rainbow-hue decor, and icy pitchers full of minty mojitos and sparkling cranberry and lime juice.
** I may have been late to jump on the bandwagon, but I am thoroughly addicted!

The Exploration Project: Fortitude Valley

My mind is still trying to unpack and process the events of the past 3 weeks, leaving me somewhat speechless - So, I will let these images tell the story.

The Exploration Project

So Spring is finally here, and I feel like a new woman! I am revelling in the warm sunshine, fresh Spring fruit and veg,and am wholeheartedly ready for the annual 'spring clean'! So in celebration of all things fresh and new I have a project lined up for the coming Spring months (perhaps, I will continue through the Summer! We'll see!)

In attempt at fostering a more creative lifestyle, I am 'challenging' myself to capture moments within my every day that I find intriguing/beautiful/inspiring/creative; heck, there might even be some ugly stuff showing up here too! I am constantly noticing everyday objects, scenes and events that I find interesting, and later on wish I had captured that moment.
So, once a week, I will post a few images from the past 7 days, and I welcome feedback, comments, questions, suggestions, etc. I'm always looking for new ways to broaden and explore my creativity, and I would love to use this as a place of exploration; of my own creativity, and that of others. I'd love to 'hear' your ideas for projects and projects you're involved in, constructive criticism, or other blogs and sites which foster creative thinking in you!
I'm excited!

So here's my first instalment of The Exploration Project:

Sunday: Fresh squeezed organic 'Orange, Carrot, Apple and Ginger' juice and organic Cacao milkshake from our local organic market and cafe - Amazing!

Monday: Spring blooms peeking through our fence. So beautiful, however I'm not sure what they are.

Tuesday: The fridge is stocked full of beer, just begging to be enjoyed on a warm afternoon...hopefully soon, as I realised the James Squire is nearing it's use by!

Wednesday: New shoes.

Thursday: I finally put a new calendar up...Better late than never!

 Friday: Delicious dinner; Maple-glazed wings, with an orange and fennel salad & Turkish bread. We adapted this recipe from this lovely lady. *Check out that whopper fennel!!

Saturday: Caught these two soaking up the sun by the back door this morning.
x

Star Struck

Today involved gushing like a girl in love and employing every good brain cell to refrain from asking for autographs*.

Today, I met Carol Burns.

You may be asking "who?" or (hopefully) feeling envious of me!

If you're an Aussie and watched T.V in the 70's/80's (or like myself, watch it on cable now) you may know of the great Aussie soap opera Prisoner (also known as :Cell Block H in the UK and USA, and Caged Women in Canada), if not, Google it , watch it on You Tube, or better even GO OUT AND RENT IT NOW! It is iconic! Many of Australia's most well known female actors (and a few males) have walked the corridors of Wentworth Prison; Maggie Kirkpatrick (currently performing throughout Oz in Wicked), Judith McGrath (also well known as Von in All Saints), and Colette Man (currently on Neighbours as Sheila Canning) to name just a few.**

So, back to Carol Burns. She is a founding member of the Queensland Theatre Company, played the iconic 'lesbian enforcer' Frankie Doyle in Prisoner, which won her a Logie for Best Lead Actress in a Series, has performed both on stage and in front of the camera in numerous award winning productions, has received several acting nominations and awards, and is currently here, on the Mountain, directing The Female of the Species (written by Joanna Murray-Smith) at the Empire Theatre. Now, in her 60's, she is still performing, regularly with the Queensland Theatre Company, directing, presents acting workshops, throughout Australia, and internationally. 

She is truly inspiring, and one of the most generous performers I have had the pleasure of meeting. 

Today, my day was made!

* Autographs might have pushed us into 'scary groupie' status, but we couldn't pass up a photo op! ;) 
** The series employed over 200 (207, to be exact) actors over its 8 seasons! Oh, to be an aspiring actress back then!

1. via 
2. via   

I have another couple of 'star struck' posts in the works; including, sitting within spitting distance of Geoffrey Rush, and the incredibly queer performance artist 'Stelarc', so check back soon!

Inspired: to change

I love when I am inspired. Inspired to create/explore/tell/imagine/learn & much more! 
Today I was inspired, by this lovely lady, and her post on the 'morning routine'. 

Now that I'm back at uni (and can't sleep in until midday) I'm craving some sort of routine in my everyday life. My mornings are usually a mixture of lazily watching the news and checking emails, and then rushing to get dressed and packed before running out the door to get on with the day. No breakfast, no stretching, no meditation...and I hate it being this way. 

Time for a change!

I'd much rather enjoy the morning, and prepare myself for the day ahead. My hope is that by creating a routine I'll become more productive in my daily activities, and begin to create a healthier way of living for myself, and Sam...and our animals. 

At the moment my current day is*:

7.30     wake up, turn on tv, watch some morning news

8.30     feed the animals, followed by turning on laptop, checking emails/blogs/social networks

9.00     get dressed, let Tig out in the yard, run out the door to uni/work/errands

12.00   lunch (usually at a cafe or take out), followed by more uni/work/errands

16.00   come home, relax in front of tv whilst checking emails/blogs/social networks

18.00   feed the animals, followed by Sam and I tossing up whether to cook or get take out (unfortunately, it's usually take out...healthy take out...if that counts)**

19.00   study intermingled with checking social networks

21.00   shower, put on comfy clothes, snuggle up in bed with Sam and watch our favourite show/s (the IQ and record function on the Foxtel has been worth every penny!)

I usually fall asleep anywhere between 9pm and midnight.

*with the exception of days that I work early, which means I'm up at 6am and home at 4pm...so everything else gets crammed in later!
**house work is usually left until about now, depending on whether or not there's clean dishes for dinner, or how much of a mess the animals have made inside...sometime I refer to them as our children, considering I feel like I'm constantly picking up all their toys and cleaning up after them!

Can you see why this needs to change? I really have no stability in my current routine.
I'm hoping that if I begin my morning with a stable routine, then the rest of my day would be more productive. I'm thinking that the best way to make this change is to have a plan of when I want to wake and what I want to get done in the morning before I start my regular day. 
Writing it here and having people keep me accountable (and hopefully support me) is what will keep me on track. I'm not going to change my whole day, but if I can make these small changes, rather than just going through the motions, I'm sure my mind and body will thank me for it in the long run.

This is what I'm aiming for in the morning:

6.00     wake up, watch news (only the news update part and not the rest of the drivel that comes after it)

6.30     make fresh tea with our herbs 
7.00     head outside for some meditation/gardening/enjoying sunshine
8.30     feed the animals  
8.35     tidy up the house, let Tig out in the yard
9.00     get dressed, run out the door (let's be honest!) to uni/work/errands

Sam and I have also decided that we're going to walk Tig at dusk each day. It'll give us a chance to step away from the tv/laptop/phone for a half hour and spend time together, out in the fresh air, and Tig will get her exercise/be so exhausted afterwards that she'll sleep soundly during the night ;)

So, that's my goal for the next 21 days! (you know the saying; 'takes 21 days to create a habit'!)

I know I'll still check my phone for emails when I get up, and might struggle to stick to having a cup of tea for breakfast, but if I can begin to make a change to my lifestyle then I'll be happy. 

As my father once told me; 
Dad: "how do you eat an elephant?"
Me: "I don't know...how?"
Dad: "one bite at a time! *insert typical father-like belly-laugh here*
(sorry, I couldn't help it. I love dad jokes!)

~This is where I'm hoping to spend some of my mornings, soaking up the sunshine...as soon as it's warm again.

Winter Nights

Every year I say it; "I swear it's colder this winter than last!", and although it may not be true, I believe it with all my being. Ask my friends, and they will tell you without a doubt, I am not a fan of winter. 

I am grumpy and mopey, I spend the days frump-ily rugging up track pants and jumpers, my skin begins to resemble that of the one-ply toilet tissue you find in school restrooms - in both colour and texture - and I struggle to step out onto the freezing tiles that cover almost every floor of our little abode each morning to make coffee, before climbing back into the warm bed. I often feel that the only reason I put up with this time of year is because I get to share in sooo many birthdays with friends and family, Sam's and mine included. Winter is dreary to me, and I dread it's coming each year. 

 But recently I've felt different. 

There's something about the crisp, quiet evenings of late that has begun to twist my feelings of this season. I have found the strangest peace and reflection during the coolest of night hours, snuggled up in bed with the electric blanket on, surrounded by the dog and cats. Much of the time I am scouring the web for new inspiring blogs or browsing images from my favourite photogrpahers or just procrastinating from study. I will often make it to 2am before I succumb to drooping eyelids, but in those hours I can find the magic of this chilly season. The stillness of the world around me is comforting and relaxes my racing mind. Although I dread the coming dawn and its deceiving light hours, I now know I have something to look forward at the end of it all.

 ~ We often find these two hidden in the warm nooks of the closet, snuggled amongst the jumbles of clothes.