The Casual Staples

Well peoples, we have made it through January. And it wasn't too bad. I am proud to announce that I have been successful in my quest to be more discerning with my purchases. If I am truly honest, it's been a very hard habit to break but my bank account is already weeping in gratitude.

Part of the whole process has been a major cull of my largely unnecessary wardrobe (turns out those bulky wool coats I shipped over from the UK may be slight overkill in a mild Sydney winter). Progress has definitely been made. How do I know this? Well for the first time, in probably forever, I am able to whizz the hangers across the rails at great speed. I can also see the back of my wardrobe!

Now for the fun part. I get to restock the gaping holes with far fewer (carefully chosen) items to form my wardrobe staples. And Espirit has got just the items I want to start with. A simple white tee, tailored skinnies, fitted cardies and undies that do what they are supposed to without causing you discomfort. It’s simple really. And it doesn’t have to cost the earth either.

| Fitted Blazer | Classic Tee | Comfy Undies | Cami | Skinnies | Striped Cotton Shirt | Cardi | Sunnies | Shoulder Bag |

 

Softly, Softly

If I were to sum my own personal style up in two words, it would be natural neutrals. Photographer Paul Massey’s Primrose Hill home is the epitome of what I would consider a truly stunning home. Soft natural colours, subway tiles, linens, splashes of life and greenery and an array of enviable art. It’s the kind of home I want to cut out of magazines and pin up on the fridge or over my office desk. It manages to be both warm and welcoming without being cluttered or fussy. And lest you think it’s full of unaffordable furniture, that bed pictured below is actually from Ikea (I know this because we had one just like it and I am still in mourning over the fact that it was 5 cm too short for our Aussie mattress and we had to ditch it) – if that doesn’t make you love it more, then I don’t know what will!

Source | Est Magazine

These Days

Via Wishful Thinking

After three days of temperatures topping 35 degrees, we are back in Sydney which in contrast, is currently covered in a fine, misty rain with temperatures barely touching 20. It’s a shock to the system. Summer has been truly magical and the sudden cold snap has made me all the more reluctant to let go of these hot, lazy days. I have just devoured the latest issue of my favourite mag (Country Style) and read a little excerpt by Hilary Burden that I have cut out and stuck on my fridge. An Ode to an Australian Summer if you will…

Just be lizard-lazy in January. The month lets you: go with it. With Christmas frenzy put away, these are the days to slop into holidays, live more at the beach, plan only picnics, sprawl in the shade of a tree on cool grass, whip clouds into shapes with just your imagination. Slow down.

            Tune in to what David Malouf calls “the insect-simmer of grass”.

January is when a sense of Australia comes into its own. We play. Relax. Read books. Go to festivals. Find our nature by lingering. Being ourselves. It’s a month we dream of all year. We close our eyes and see striped-towels on white sand; cool beads of sea clinging to warmed-up skin; ice cream rivers dripping down chins; toes unfurling into thongs… It’s okay to be messy, eat with your fingers.

Bodies arc into the crests of waves, get cupped into hammocks. Here in Tasmania, twilight lasts so long it almost butts up to next morning’s dawn. Resting makes sense of the day when it lasts this long.

Now’s not the time to think too hard or else the innocence of a new year will be lost. This month is a route to reliving childhoods when life seemed simpler, less full of rules or plans. When the hay’s away, take off. Get to the shack, go camping, make the most of the only month of the year that’s school-free; the month when life can teach us. Be a lizard. Joyous January.

Words by Hilary Burden, author of A Story of Seven Summers. Published in Country Style, January 2015

Want. Want. Need.

Just a little moodboard to illustrate my most coveted goodies at the moment. This no-shopping malarkey is starting to take it's toll on me - but I am sticking to my guns and am strictly window shopping. For now. My resolve is crumbling. 

Have a good weekend everyone! It's Australia Day long weekend this side of the world and we have a little roadtrip planned to rural New South Wales. I'll be back on Tuesday, with photos. 

want. by meghan174 featuring a hand clock

West Elm orb lighting
westelm.com

West Elm outdoors light
westelm.com

CB2 copper flatware set
cb2.com

Iittala white mug
bedbathandbeyond.com

Hand clock
$305 - skandium.com

West Elm photo wall art
westelm.com

Bronze wall sculpture
abchome.com

Theory handmade box
theory.com

Brooklyn Candle Studio jasmine candle
swell.com

Shinola Light Beige Soft Linen Notebook
$27 - liberty.co.uk

Horse bracelet
$105 - beginningboutique.com.au

NARS Cosmetics sheer matte foundation
$41 - beyondtherack.com

Jo Malone body moisturizer
neimanmarcus.com

Merola Tile Metro Subway Glossy White 11-3/4 in. x 11-3/4 in. x 5 mm...
homedepot.com

The Simple Life

Don’t get me wrong, I love small luxuries like extra cupboard space and having my own sink in the bathroom but sometimes I wonder if I would be equally content with a cozy little cabin – either right on the foot of the shoreline or slap bang in the middle of the woods. I’d have very little choice, I’d have to downsize and reduce my never-ending clutter. Become a minimalist. Maybe one that can live off the earth? Ok, maybe not that extreme, but the thought is very tempting, especially with property prices soaring the city and my commute becoming more sardine-like by the day. I’m using this old railway workingman’s cabin in Otago, NZ as my inspiration for a simpler, more beautiful life.

Source | NZ House & Garden

Lavender Ridge, Hunter Valley

The traveller in me is truly and completely fulfilled. Not only does Australia have an endless list of jaw-dropping undiscovered (by me) destinations, it also seems to be awash with beautiful holiday accommodation. You can find just about anything to tickle your fancy – whether it’s a small cabin tucked away in the woods or a rustic little beach bungalow. On our weekend trip away to the Hunter Valley, it seemed only fitting to stay on an actual working vineyard. Lavender Ridge was so amazing that I figured it warranted a blog post all on its own.

P.S – bottom image is not Lavender Ridge, but a neighbouring farm. How cute are those Alpacas??

All images via Wishful Thinking