Looking back on 2013.

With the year coming quickly to a close this evening I have spent much of today thinking in reflection; evaluating progress and ticking off goals I set out to achieve at the beginning of the year. This time last year I was on the adventure of a lifetime travelling through Japan, experiencing a different culture and a different way of living. I had my eyes open to the world, seeing and breathing all of its hope and endless possibilities. I remember sitting in a coffee shop alone on New Years Day writing out what I wanted to do this year. Among my list was continuing to blog regularly and not let it be one of those things that gets forgotten about, to intern at magazines and get my experience up with the hope of one day joining the industry, to continue my budget plan and grow my savings, and the big one: to move to Sydney and advance in my career. I can safely say that I have achieved everything I wrote down that cold morning in the Japanese coffee shop but that isn't to say that any of it was easy. I have challenged myself to grow more this year than I have ever done in my life. I have pushed myself and my boundaries to achieve my goals. I set out to do things that I knew were ambitious for me but gave them a go anyway. Moving has been the most challenging, confronting experience I have ever faced but hey, I did it and it all worked out fine. Job hunting was painful with a lack of responses but I have been fortunate enough to land nicely in a place where I have found it to be more exciting and rewarding than the world of magazines that I originally had my heart set on. This year has been full of hard work, self-doubt, perseverance and surprises. It has been a good year, the most rewarding one yet. I plan on keeping my 2014 goals simple: to work hard at my new job and make new friends in Sydney.

Summer goals.

 

 Image from A well traveled woman

Summer holidays are so close I can smell the salty sea water on my skin.

I haven't had a proper 'don't work do nothing' type of holiday since my high-school days. I have either been working ridiculous hours at my old two casual jobs or like last year doing a little bit of traveling (which I consider a semi holiday because you don't have to work but it's by no means a 'do nothing' experience).

So as the last working week of the year quickly ticks away I think it's a good time to think about what I want to achieve on this rare occasion of a fully fledged 'do nothing' holiday.

• Go the whole 4 weeks without wearing my watch
• Wear no makeup except for going out to dinner and drinks with friends
• Let my hair dry naturally after a swim in the ocean and enjoy its authentic beachiness
• Keep technology to a minimum - I am leaving my laptop at home and only bring back my phone and camera
• Have a day/multiple days in Byron sunning myself at the beach, exploring and most importantly eating at my favourite Mexican restaurant Miss Margarita
• Practice my new skill, crocheting, every day
• Exercise daily* - whether it be a walk along the sand, doing some laps or going for a run. *except for Christmas Day of course
• Keep everything simple

And that's all. Simple, simple, simple. Embrace relaxation, embrace the calmness and just enjoy.

Summertime happiness.

Finally Sydney has started warming up to the heat that I live for in summer. The kind of heat where you can leave your hair wet and it keeps you cool after a cold shower. The kind of heat that kisses your skin with a slight shimmer. The kind of heat where it is acceptable to sleep in only your best underpants.

I can feel it now, that summer is well and truly here. It’s my favourite time of the year. The time when I feel most like myself. Warm, spirited and longing for adventure.

This summer I will spend days lazing about by the ocean with the sand between my toes and a book in my hands taking intermittent dips into the salty blue water. I will come back to the beach for late afternoon swims under the pastel skys. I will eat my weight in mangoes, peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes and watermelons. I will catch up with friends over smoothies, juices and iced coffees. I will take a two-day road trip with the most adventurous person I know. I will lounge around with my family under a fan with lemonade ice-blocks when the sun becomes all a bit too much.

What I am looking forward to most is a simple, relaxed, well spent summer with the people that I love...

Fear and self-consciousness in a Sydney cafe.

Breakfast for one at Kepos Street Kitchen

When I looked back at my family waving to me as I walked out onto the tarmac to board a one-way flight to my new Sydney life I had no idea what lay ahead. I never contemplated eating out alone would be one of those difficult challenges moving to a new city and not knowing anyone would bring.

It’s not even about spending time alone or enjoying a meal with your own company. It’s about what eating alone in a café represents for me now; that I am well and truly on my own. Not a friend within distance to be found and spontaneously called upon to try out a well-reviewed café.

Nope, just me, a brief interaction with the busy waitress and a crumpled paper, the only thing that makes the experience feel a little less awkward. A newspaper is like a pillow when I find myself alone; I bury myself in its uplifting and imaginative horoscopes and latest celebrity scandals.

There are people everywhere and being alone makes me feel self-conscious. I feel like their eyes are all burning holes into my vulnerable loneliness and judging me from afar about my lack of company. Looking to the paper for comfort I am sure the photographs are mocking me too.

It’s a ridiculous psychological infliction I have been throwing upon myself every time I enter a café or store sans friends. It’s even more ridiculous considering I would go out and about all of the time, and quite enjoy it before I moved. Being out and about on your own for an extended period of time brings insecurity and when you feel insecure the whole world knows it too. 

So what to do? Never leave the contentment of the home in dread of the awkward experience to come or get out there and give it a go? So far I have found giving it a go, and then doing it again to be helpful – just like learning how to drive, you need to keep practising. Mustering up some courage and then rewarding yourself with a nice meal, a good read and then be on your way for the day. Being alone doesn’t have to be entirely dreadful as I am starting to realise. It can be quite liberating and empowering to be at one with your own company. This experience has so far brought me a lot closer to myself. Being your own best friend is the most rewarding and long-lasting relationship we will all have so it’s important to be okay with just being on your own, even if it is just eating breakfast in a busy Sydney café.

Sydney.

So I did it. I finally moved to Sydney! It was all a lot faster than I had originally planned but I couldn't be happier to be here, in a great new job and living in a terrace house (that was the dream package: Sydney + a terrace house!). I have spent most of this weekend just aimlessly walking around, exploring my new neighbourhood. The streets are lined with big leafy trees that gently filter the sun through and light up the old buildings and terraces. There are plenty of spring flowers out in bloom including amazing purple agapanthus which remind me of my great grandma.

Although it's only been a couple of days I am really missing my family and friends. It's so strange not to have my family and friends close by; not being able to go and get a coffee with someone or just pop around to Mum's house for lunch. I have found some solace in making lists of all of the places I want to go, all the cafes to eat at, the bars to drink at and the galleries to see. There is so much to do and see here and I'm so excited to share it all!

Pretty in pink.

Dress: Country Road

Shoes: ASOS (similar)
Bag: Sportsgirl (old)

Earrings: ASOS (similar)

My sister is finally graduating from high school tonight and I couldn't be happier for her! I brought this pink dress from Country Road for the special occasion and can't wait to wear it on high rotation after its maiden outing tonight. Hopefully I can fit in an outfit post before I move to Sydney and lose my reluctant photographer sister!

Halloween.

I have always been a bit festive. I love holidays like Christmas and Easter, or any occasion with a theme. Whenever Halloween would roll around when we were young my sisters and I would watch back-to-back special Halloween episodes of all of the shows on Disney Channel. We would live out our Halloween fantasies through the TV shows because it is not widely celebrated here in Australia. One of the benefits of living out of home is being able to do what ever you want - in last night's case it was celebrating Halloween! I made a black and orange tassel garland, covered the chairs in fake cobwebs, made these cute jack-o-lanterns from plastic cups and Donna Hay's jack-o-lantern pizzas! After dinner we took our food comas to the couch, ate some candy and watched our favourite Halloween movie The Haunted Mansion. It was the perfect spooky night in.

Leaping into life.

Image from Pinterest

This whole year I have been to-ing and fro-ing with myself to make a life change. I wrote a little bit about it here after watching a video on YouTube. I have gone back and forth about whether I will like said change, whether I will miss my family, whether I am ready, whether I am worthy, what if I fail? When I get lost in a day dream thinking of myself working in my dream job, living in my dream home, I get so excited; like I have to pursue my dream or perish. Momentarily after, whilst still on a high,  anxiety and fear start to sweep in and pull the daydream from right underneath me. The fear of failure and self-doubt seep into my conscious and I revert quickly away from my fantasy and leave it untouched until I forget the feeling. Through encouragement of my family, friends and future 30-year-old self who doesn't want to look back on life and wonder 'what if?' I have decided to take the leap to chase my dream: to move to Sydney and work for a fashion or lifestyle/travel/food/interior publication, otherwise known as one of the hardest industries to crack. It's my dream and it has been since I was 12 years old and read an interview with the then Dolly magazine Editor Bronwyn Mccahon and thought 'that's exactly what I want to do'. I still do want to do that to this day and I need to honour this inkling I have had for such a long time now. 

To chase my dream I am moving 1000km away from my family, friends and boyfriend without a job to a new city that I have spent less than 7 days in at a time. I am lucky to have a lovely friend who has found me a room in her home and begged me to take this giant leap of faith. If you ask me today if I am excited for change I would say "Absolutely!". If you had of asked me two days ago then tears would have started streaming down my face from stress, anxiety and fear from the self-sabotaging doubt. I have been bit of a yo-yo of late because this whole experience is uncomfortable and I don't know what will happen. The planned and organised side of me is freaking out and the free spirit buried deep down in me is thrilled to be on the verge of something new and exciting. In five weeks time my life will be nothing like it has been for the last 22 years. It will be completely different. Instead of being overcome with worry and self-doubt it's time to be brave and throw myself at life, embrace what it has to offer and see where it takes me... I can't wait to share this new journey with you.

Ice Cream Sunday.

Jumpsuit: River Island

Ring: Numero 3

Shoes: Sportsgirl (old)

Sometimes there is nothing better than getting a little dressed up and heading out for something fun, like ice cream. This particular ice-creamery isn't like any other ice-creamry though. This is special gelato, hand crafted perfection from a little Italian man who has a degree in making this specific dessert hanging on the side wall of his store. Everything is made from the finest ingredients sans crappy additives, preservatives and the like. In case you're wondering this place I speak of is called My Gelato.

Nursing the overhead of a late night the night before, all it took was one mouthful of the creamy chocolate brownie gelato to bring me back to life. By the time I made my way down to the hazelnut praline, Nutella and white chocolate concoction I was floating on a sugar-charged bed of clouds in my favourite weekend jumpsuit.

DIY: Jar succulents.

I make no secret of my love for Pinterest. It's inspiration, ideas and everything in between keep me coming back almost everyday. Recently my friend Megan re-pinned and told me about the cute mason jar succulent DIY she had made. It wasn't until today when I was out shopping for another project that I found this jar in a two-dollar shop and remembered the aforementioned DIY. I headed to Bunnings to pick up a succulent (as well as that cool pink cactus) and some pebbles before making my way home to put it all together. First put a hand-full of pebbles into the bottom of your jar, add some wet soil on top of the pebbles and then your succulent in its soil on top. If you keep the soil wet then it will stop it from falling down into the pebbles. Give your succulent a spritz of water every now and then using a spray bottle. And that's all! Cheap, easy and effective way of adding some greenery to your bedroom, living room or kitchen!

In The Kitchen: Apple, Mint & Rhubarb Pie

Lately when doing my Saturday Farmer's Market shop I have been picking up these gorgeous bunches of rhubarb and fresh mint. Not putting two and two together I would use them separately; the rhubarb on my granola and the mint in salad and smoothies. I got to thinking of what I could make if I used them together and just like that the Apple, Mint & Rhubarb Pie was born! I tried to keep everything as simple and as easy as possible - using pre-made shortcrust pastry is definitely the biggest time saver here. All you really need to do is chop everything up, combine, cover and bake. It really is as easy as pie! 

It tastes just as good, if not better than I had imagined in my head. Serve warm (or cold if you like) with some thick custard and a green tea for the perfect spring after-dinner treat!

> Click here to download the full recipe

Orange sky.

Top: Zara (similar)

Shorts: Zara (similar)

Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs (similar)

Watch: Michael Kors

Necklace: Bea's Jewels

I can never pass up a trip to Zara when in Sydney. Heaven help me when I eventually move there! This shirt and pair of orange shorts were from my most recent trip and I have been relying on them both together as an outfit and as separates ever since I got home. Both pieces have been playing key roles in bridging the gap between spring and summer - shorts are perfect for weekend picnicking and the shirt works wonders during the working week.

On another note, how hard is it to focus on driving when there are all of these amazing flowers in bloom everywhere?!

Spring Trends: Street Style

I have always found well dressed girls out and about on the street to be more inspiring than any store display or magazine layout. Street style is dressing and fashion in it's most authentic state. Not only does the roster of Fashion Week shows bring us the latest collections by the top designers and influencers in the world, it also brings us the most amazing shots of people in the industry wearing their  best. These have been my favourite looks, or 'trends', so far. Everything is colourful, fun and most importantly, practical. Looking through these photos make me want to take everything out of my closet and play dress-ups! 

Which look is your favourite?!

In the Kitchen: Smoothie time!

Smoothies are one of the best ways to start the day, especially if they are done right! The aim is to get as much nutritional value into the one tumbler. Days when I have smoothies with my breakfast I have more energy, better concentration and no topsy-turvy cravings. If you have yourself a blender, water and ice then you have all of the foundations for becoming an ace smoothie creator. The best part is that there is no set recipe; you can experiment with all of your favourite fruits and vegetables until you come up with your own favourite signature smoothie! The two I have included above are my go-to's. Just add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water (depending on how much ingredients you include) and a handful of ice cubes, then blitz until creamy. Sometimes I use coconut water instead of tap water too.

What are some of your favourite smoothie creations?

Overalls.

Overalls: ASOS

T-Shirt: ASOS

Shoes: Sportsgirl (old)

Whenever Saturday rolls around there is a good chance you will find me wearing overalls. They are ridiculously comfy, practical and appropriate for nearly every weekend activity I can think of! Not to mention they have the power of bringing out the inner-child-of-the-90s that's buried deep down in your soul. Love them or hate them, they are everything you could want and more in a casual weekend outfit made for catching up with a friend for coffee, walking the farmer's markets or doing the household chores. And for that, I rate them!