Truly simple

Sometimes the best outfits are the simple, comfortable and warm ones.  I have long been a knit girl.  There's just nothing easier than cocooning myself on a toasty jumper that insulates the morning chill.  One that goes with everything and that doesn't require much thought and effort.  Except maybe a bright lip.

This weekend could not have come soon enough.  End of financial year has been as mental as usual.  My blackberry has been switched off and I am spending the weekend walking endlessly along the beach, drinking bottomless pots of tea and reading magazines.

Knit-Country Road (bargain sale buy)

Working from home...

...results in getting the triple amount of work done compared to what I achieve in the office. And I don't even have to do my hair....

On a Zara (Basic Sandal) High

I really don't need any more shoes, right?  I came back home a few weekends ago and my husband was in the garage building me a shelf (I knew there was a good reason why I married him).   It houses about 50 very well edited pairs.  But right now it's the middle of winter and I'm battling my hatred of cold mornings, rotating between just 3 pairs. Yeah, I hate winter.

I love these Zara beauties even more than I thought I would.  They're just the right height, simple enough to wear a lot and they're very, very comfortable.

I wouldn't resist a photoshoot, even if indoors with my track pants rolled up... (at least they were Stella McCartney, okay)

Zara Basic Sandals

Yarra Valley

I am (mostly) a city girl and love the metropolitan life.  But equally so I have an intense need for the countryside.  As much as I love my bucket of hair products and high heels I equally adore fresh air, muddy walks, trees and open space.  As a child I spent my summers with my grandparents in their village, chasing chickens and getting lost in the fields with our dog, Meri. 


Lucky then that within an hour drive out of Melbourne, there is plenty of open space and fresh air.

Hat-Sportsgirl Florentina, Fur Wrap-Scanlan & Theodore, Vest-MK2K, Leggings-Supre, Boots-Zomp

Eyes of Horus mascara and pencils

I have been a loyal Diorshow girl my entire adult life.  While I would occasionally get angry at myself for paying $50 for mascara and try something new, I always went back.  About 12 months ago Diorshow started to flake on my lashes, so I added a coat Maybelline The Falsies over two coats of Diorshow for the best results.  So what was a $50 mascara ended up being a $70 mascara.  Ouch.

A few months ago, I came across Eyes of Horus, an all natural Aussie owned range of products, suitable for even the most sensitive of eyes.  The products are all made in the style of old Egyptian eye make up using plant based oils and waxes.   

Let me be honest.  What Diorshow?  I have never come across an eyeliner that didn't smudge until I came across Eyes of Horus.  And although the mascara doesn't leave my lashes soft like Diorshow did, it does everything else better.  It doesn't flake.  It doesn't smudge. It won't clump.  It's bullet proof.  For a mid price range product which is also all natural I am now a loyal user and advocate.  And check out their microfiber cloth if you've not used one before.  Your skin will thank you for it.

Please note that this is an honest review.  I have not been paid in money or product for this post. 

“Are these things really better than the things I already have? Or am I just trained to be dissatisfied with what I have now?” ― Chuck Palahniuk

I have been in a complete tail spin this weekend looking at fixtures for our bathroom renovation.  I want something sleek that will maximise the tiny space (the bathroom is literally 2.3m x 1.8m).  I also want cosy.  I think I've settled on an amazing Villeroy & Boch basin and a set of really cool towel racks, but everything else is a mystery.   Why do I need to have 200 tiles to choose from?  

So of course instead of browsing for shower heads, I'm now looking at summer dresses.  At least I know what I want when it comes to dresses and summer.  Even if the city was covered in a thick haze of fog this morning and the temperature didn't reach double digits.  Logic never prevails in my parts.

Dolce Vita Valentina Dress

"Minimalism is not a lack of something. It’s simply the perfect amount of something." - Nicholas Burroughs

 

Image via tumblr http://sheworeitwell.tumblr.com

What is it about life?  It’s a ride.  A big, long, scary, unpredictable ride.  It challenges me every day.  Every hour.  I’m not any closer to figuring life out.  Just as I get cosy and think I’ve caught a break, a new test is just around the corner. 

Over the past 12 months I’ve been working on this thing, this thing I really believe in.  It’s called minimalism.  The notion that having more doesn’t mean you have more.  Or even have enough.  That having more in fact burdens us further.  Burdens the soul, burdens the financial position we’re in, burdens the hangers in our wardrobes holding up all the stuff, burdens the shelves in our homes, burdens the dividers in the tax folder and burdens our planet.  So why is it that we all have the same number of hours in our day and the same number of days in our year, yet some of us accomplish a lot more than others?

I think it’s all to do with simplifying and with planning.  Allocating time to the things we truly believe in and the things that make us happy and then fitting in the rest.  If I have pilates on a Wednesday night, hell how about I don’t commit to something else.   I’m doing my best to say no to the things that are not important to me.

I’m also decluttering my home.  I do this constantly.  Sometimes with no great success.  It’s been a LONG and really hard process.  I harbour old magazines, clothes that I don’t wear but that hold some sort of sentimental value.  Kitchen gadgets that are broken were also festering in the back of the pantry.  I made a conscious decision not to buy a big home as I wanted to live simply, so why am I holding onto all this stuff?  I’ve documented the eBay sales well on here.  I’ve also let go of a heap of magazines (with 10 more heaps to go).  I figure if I write it all down and tell the world, I will hold myself accountable?   

Next up is the make up draw.  Teaming with samples and near new products that I add to, but never seem to subtract from.  The mid year sales are creeping up on us (how is it June already?????) and the sale emails are coming in thick and fast.  Do I need anything?  Of course not.  Why not put what I would spend on a new top that I don’t really need towards a helicopter ride on my trip next month.  I’m sure I’ll remember the experiences on a holiday long after I forget a top I didn’t buy.  There are some wonderful exhibits coming to town, lots of theatre and ballets and operas I want to see.  Experiences that will enrich my mind but not fill up my home.   That’s what it all should be about.

Buy this, not that: Isabel Marant Zappy Belt

I've wanted just about everything that Isabel Marant has done, including the Zappy belt.  Then I thought about how I would wear it and a uniform of jeans, an oversized white shirt and sky high heels came to mind.  ASOS came to the rescue with something just about the same for a fraction of the price.

Isabel Marant Zappy Belt - ~AUD500

ASOS Multi Link Belt - AUD38

Asos Bauble Interlink Earrings,   Witchery Tash Woven Bag - $80,  Louboutin Pumps

Black & Gold

I can't wait for this week to be over.  It feels like everyone wants everything done yesterday and the pressure is immense.  I've found myself tucked into the corner working breathlessly-an open plan office isn't always the best idea.  Sometimes space and quiet to hear yourself think is a godsend when you feel like the world load is caving in.

Silk blouse-Scanlan&Theodore, Skirt-Cue Gold Jacquard Tween Skirt, Clutch-Witchery hard leopard print clutch, Earrings-Forever New, Ring&Bangle-Melinda Maria

Postcards from Mornington

I'm sure I'm not the only one overwhelmed and stressed with daily life.  Yet I still throw myself into a million side projects, too.  Since scaling back and virtually taking a year off from most of my myriad of commitments, it's been a real revelation having spare time to wile away.  Reading, watching shows piling up on my IQ, napping, taking long walks, doing pilates or simply doing nothing.  Everything is either an essential, or unnecessary.  I'm simplifying my life and my to do lists.  I don't have to have it all and I don't have to have it all now.

Part of not having much planned was impromptu afternoon drive to Mornington for some wine and cheese.  Just over an hour away from home and so slow paced and relaxing.  It was a freezing day, but the sun broke through and made the sunny deck an ideal place to ponder.

View from Arthur's Seat.

View from the deck and a bottle of wine at Morning Sun Winery.

Tasting plate of Main Ridge Dairy cheeses - $10.  I went home for a jar of marinated chevre and some caprinella.

Gisele Bundchen for Vogue Paris June/July 2012

via fashion gone rogue

Can I please have a European summer and her body to enjoy it with?

Recipe: Magnolia Bakery Red Velvet Cupcakes

It's surreal to think that March marked 3 years since I was in New York.  It almost seems like a life time ago and so much has happened in my life since then.  So much has changed too, including me, my life and my circumstances.  I always use trips as check points, what has happened between one trip and the next?  The last trip and now?  Have I grown, have I stuck to my gym schedule, are the same people still in my life?

I'm really itching to go back.  New York is definitely one of my favourite places in the world.  The city is so diverse and each block has a completely different vibe and is like a new world.  New York is a million things and places in one. 

I sadly wasn't really blogging much back then, but I do have a few posts that you can check out here,   here, here, here, and here

Don't think many people visit New York without a stop at Magnolia Bakery, made famous by an episode or two of SATC, where the girls drown their sorrows in cake (haven't we all been guilty of that???).  The cupcakes really are as excellent as you'd hope.

We are hosting Australia's Biggest Morning Tea in the office next week (I hope you are too!) to raise funds for Cancer Council, so I wanted to do a trial batch of cupcakes and decided on the Red Velvet, using the Magnolia Bakery recipe.  I snuck out of work early and had a great night watching the voice and playing around with red food dye and measurements.  I am really happy with how they turned out and would recommend the recipe to anyone as it's fairly straight forward.  I did tweak the recipe slightly, so I am posting my own version which in my opinion makes the cake a bit more fluffy and moist.  The original recipe is freely available on the internet.

Red Velvet Cupcakes (recipe makes 24)

3 ¼ cups plain flour (sifted)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (I used Lupak butter which has a bit of vegetable oil added to it)
2 ½ cups sugar
3 large eggs
6 tbsp red food coloring (about 2 bottles of dye available at Australian supermarkets)
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 teaspoon vinegar
3 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven (fan forced) to around 170C and line cupcake tray with papers.

1. Cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy
2. Add eggs, one at a time and beat until creamy
3. Combine food colouring, cocoa and vanilla extract on a bowl and then add to batter
4. Add salt and buttermilk and combine on the lowest setting
5. Add the sifted flour, again mixing on the lowest setting
6. Combine vinegar and baking soda separately and add to batter and combine the mixture well on a low setting, without overbeating
7. Spoon into cupcake papers (fill to around half to 3/4 full) and bake for 20-23 minutes
8. Cool cupcakes in the baking tray for around half an hour

The cream cheese frosting is honestly the ultimate.  You will never frost your cupcakes with anything else once you've tried this!

500g cream cheese
3/4 cup of butter, softened
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted (you will find that this is much less sugar than the original recipe, but it's honestly not necessary to use any more sugar)

1. Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth
2. Add sugar and vanilla extract and beat on high until light, fluffy and consistent
3. Fill a piping bag and generously spread over the cupcakes.

Floating

My energy levels have slowly been returning, so I am getting out and about a little bit more, which will hopefully result in more blog posts.  It's been a slow process but it's truly wonderful to feel alive again.

I've really been loving the peplum trend that's been everywhere since the Oscars.  B was in Sydney so I had to do with the self timer (as my camera remote isn't working).  Since the outfit was so monochrome, I decided to dress it up a bit with Louboutins and the Zara sequin clutch (which I'm still not sick of).

The top is from Glassons.  I am seriously loving everything they're doing at the moment (move over ASOS) and the shipping is quick & free.  Items are far better quality than everything else in the price range, too.

You may remember that I blogged whilst contemplating the Louboutins and let me tell you, they have quickly become my favourite shoes.  They are incredibly comfortable (just make sure you go up half or a full size) and so easy to wear.  Now I know what the fuss is about.  I am already plotting my next pair.

Top-Glassons or similar, Leggings-sass&bide 'rats', Belt-Scanlan & Theodore, Necklace-Peeptoe

Shoes-Christian Louboutin 'Decollete' Pump, Clutch-Zara or similar

sass & bide: MAKE A WISH necklace

The lovely girls from sass & bide have created a limited edition necklace to raise funds for MAKE A WISH foundation.


All profits raised from the sale of the necklaces will be donated to Make-A-Wish^® to help bring hope, strength and joy to the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions.  


The iconic sass & bide star design is a symbol of creative duo Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton’s friendship, inspired by a tattoo which both designers share. 

The necklace is now available for purchase and retails for $25 (including free postage)

A gorgeous (and on trend fluro) way to make a difference.

" Clothes can suggest, persuade, connote, insinuate, or indeed lie, and apply subtle pressure while their wearer is speaking frankly and straightforwardly of other matters." ~Anne Hollander

 

(Gwyneth in Burberry)

Something I've been thinking about for months and something that now holds so much relevance in my life is proper dressing.  I've been thinking and reflecting a lot over the past 6 months, but having huge writers block all year has been really frustrating.  Words and thoughts fill my mind, but when I sit down to write nothing forms on the page.

I've been keeping up with the details of the Facebook float and found it fascinating, but not unsurprising, that investors are uncomfortable with Zuckerberg's casual approach to dressing.  Casual dress, casual attitude I've heard people say.

Last year I was the workhorse, and now I am the face.  I am delivering big decisions, often flying off the seat of my pants and having big discussions and the only thing I have to hide behind are the clothes I am wearing.  I have become increasingly conscious of how I present myself.  Walking into a room is a first impression, upon which you build with what you say and how you say it.  Illusion and perception is everything in business.   

I have a roster of edited looks that I rely on over and over that seem to work well.  I want to look like someone that's taken seriously.  The basics wear well and are looked after and I regularly update the tops and accessories (Zara & Glassons are doing good things right now).

I've learnt a couple of things along the way:

• keep a killer pair of heels under your desk.  They will make you stand tall when you need it the most
• paint your lips. draw attention to what you're saying
• don't be afraid of colour, a bright yellow blouse under a blazer can do wonders
• be a good listener and never stop educating yourself
• think before you speak
• never say more than is necessary
• stay on top of current affairs, scan the headlines when you log on - it will provide you some great conversation starters

FOMO

I must be the only person in the universe (ok an exaggeration) who doesn't own these Zara sandals.

Must remedy immediately. Even though it's too cold to wear them until December, at the earliest...

On my plate

Part of getting back on track is eating breakfast. In my previous life almost every meal involved sugar and unfortunately breakfast was skipped. I was much too tired to wake up any sooner than 5 minutes before I had to leave the house so I was a walking, disheveled, hungry mess most days.

I am not eating dairy in the morning, which causes a huge problem. No yoghurt or cheese is hard. Muesli and cereal with a milk replacement is also out as its loaded with sugar. Not much choice, is there?

On my plate today is an egg white omlette/scrambled mess. Toast with avocado and a giant pot of T2 French Earl Grey.

Power puff

This is the first winter I haven't actually dreaded. I have a lovely trip planned for the middle of it and I've slowly built up a great winter wardrobe, covering the key pieces and adding lots and lots of scarves for a change.

I'm usually in denial about how cold it gets and am reluctant to spend money on key winter pieces. Somehow it makes more sense to blow a fortune on an amazing dress than a stellar winter coat. Yeah, no logic I know.

I've finally splurged on a stunning wool and cashmere wrap coat and have succumbed to the Scanlan & Theodore fur wrap after considering it each winter of the past 4 years.

And today I found a winter skirt that I've wanted for years, and that never seemed to exist in store, only in my mind. I'm loving the slight puff, the gold colour and the stiff raffia. I'm thrilled that Cue is back to its old self. And it looks even better on.

Tea Time

 

Setting up... 

 

 

I had some wonderful girls over on Sunday afternoon for afternoon tea.  I'd been meaning to do something like this for a while and had planned well in advance.  Sadly, the numbers kept dropping off as the day got closer so there was a lot of food to be consumed and a lot of bubbly to be drunk between a handful of girls.  Not that we complained!  It was such a fun and relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon, just sit and chat and not do much.  A nice change to the usual running around that we all do on a daily basis.  I was a bit worried about some of the things I baked, especially the scones as it was the first time that I tried that particular recipe.  But I think it all turned out okay!

On the menu were chicken sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, macarons, strawberries, cupcakes and a lemon tea cake.  I might sit tonight and post some of the recipes.  

Definitely an afternoon I'd love to have again.

Denim Dilemma

The last pair of jeans that I bought were my beloved J Brand ink blue skinny denims in March 2009 in New York!  The only pair of jeans I have.  My jeans have to have at least a 32"+ inseam, which eliminates most pairs and I'm also in between sizes making it very difficult.

ShopBop currently has a tempting 20% off discount code (INTHEFAMILY20) so I'm on the verge of adding a new pair, but help me decide on a pair, please!  And you're not allowed to say all three..

DL1961 Kate Slim Straight Leg Jeans

J Brand Waxed Jeans

Current/Elliott Black Skinny Jeans