Blonde, mid-length and choppy.

Images from Pinterest.

Getting my hair done this afternoon. This doesn't happen often, maybe once every 6 months. I'm thinking mid-length, lighter and choppy - perfect for achieving beachy waves all summer long!

Diner en Blanc - Sydney, 2014.

Wearing ASOS dress

Photos by myself and Matt Wilms.

Diner en Blanc was one of the most amazing nights of my year. I remember reading about the original Diner en Blanc a few years ago before my boyfriend, his sister and I set out to have our very own "White Days" (see post one here and post two here). To be offered the opportunity to go to the real 'white day' was like a dream come true. From the last minute running around to make sure you have everything you need to the suspense of getting on the bus and seeing what surprise location it takes you to was like a roller coaster. Only to arrive and forget about all of the preparation that had gone in to the day and live completely in the moment surrounded by 3000 like minded people all dressed head-to-toe in white. The whole experience felt so surreal yet so natural at the same time - like it was all meant to be. We decided to keep things simple and easy food wise opting for cheese, fruit and dip platter with some delicious homemade blueberry and white chocolate pastries. This was all washed down with beautiful white wine and a gorgeous sunset.

The DJ set the tone for the evening but when he played one of my favourite songs, Paris by Friendly Fires, I felt like I was living in some dream like heaven. The sparkler moment was a real highlight. Looking around in the dark of the night to see everyone holding fiery gold sparks was breathtaking. 

The only way I can sum up this night is with the word "magic". It was every sense of the word and more. A truly unforgettable experience that I'll remember forever... Or until we do it all again next year!

CJ Hendry Exhibition, Surry Hills.

Last weekend we visited the CJ Hendry exhibition in Surry Hills, Sydney. It was held in a private home on a very busy Sydney street. On a first approach it looked like your average warehouse home but once you stepped in the door and on to the black and white marble tiled foyer it was a whole different ball game.

CJ Hendry is a Brisbane based artist who works mainly with pen and ink to create large scale hyper-realism  images of iconic objects. From afar her work look to be nothing more than big black-and-white photographs but on a closer inspection you can see the labour of hard work that goes into each piece with every stroke of her black pen. I've read that some of her works can up to 200 hours to finish and go through more than 40 UniPin pens! 

Her first solo exhibition was housed in a converted warehouse home with features such as an indoor pool, nightclub area, smoking area, dj booths upstairs and downstairs (!), a specially made white bedroom pod, flooring made from leather belts, glass ceilings, multiple courtyards and an immaculate metallic kitchen. Though the home is incredibly extravagant it was even more pleasing to see that the small details, joins, finishes of all of the different areas have been well considered. The building was huge and there was so much space, yet it never felt like there was too much space. Everything just fitted in, where it was meant to be, perfectly. 

The house, the art, the floral arrangements to accompany both, was nothing less than amazing. It might have been someone's home, it might have been an art exhibition, but more than that it was an experience. So much so that we left and then came back two hours later to make the most of it.

Sculpture by the Sea.

Wearing Cotton On singlet (similar), ASOS jeans, ASOS bag, Converse shoes, Le Specs sunglasses

It's Saturday night in Sydney and after a hot, sunny day it's now storming and raining. I'm going through my backlog of photos on my camera and have found these ones from our trip out to Bondi Beach in early November for Sculpture by the Sea. To beat the crowds we got up super early on a Sunday morning and ventured down to the beginning of the walk. Sometimes getting up super early is hard but the rewards can be great. For our efforts we were greeted with beautiful, soft, early morning light, a few wanderers and time to take all of the surrounding sculptures in. Although Sydney beaches are typically very crowded and the water is a little cool they are incredibly beautiful when they are uninhabited early in the morning.

Bikram Diaries.

Image from Pinterest

Summer is just around the corner here in Australia and it's time to get serious about getting into shape for bikini season! I usually train twice a week at a class at my favourite gym, Spudds. It's an intense 45 minute workout that combines cardio, weights and boxing. This coupled with my weekly netball game keeps me pretty active.

A couple of weeks ago my work friend received an email about a 31 day Bikram Yoga Challenge at the yoga school across the road from our office. She was keen to do it and asked if I wanted to join. I said yes and the next week we signed up, paid our money and committed ourselves to 31 days of one and a half hour yoga practice in a 40 degree room. Just typing this out make me wonder what the heck I was thinking when I said 'yes' to this madness. But not one to shy away from a challenge (yet), I am determined to stick this out.

Walking into the carpeted hot room for the first time in a long time I was hit by the wall of heat and instantly felt like a wilting flower. Half way through the first class sweat was dripping from my body and coming out through my hair. I paced myself through all of the poses and recognised the ones I needed to improve. By the end of the first class I felt proud of myself yet totally overwhelmed by the prospect of going to another 30 classes!

For the last month bikram yoga has been my second priority to work. Setting a 5am alarm to get up and go to class each day (I chose to do it first thing in the morning to avoid not wanting to do it after a long day at work), packing my clothes, showering, getting dressed, washing my clothes and doing it all again was a constant and sometimes exhausting cycle in itself.

Having now finished the challenge, successfully (!!!), I can look back on those days when it was all too much and know that when you put your mind to something and you perservere, through the good and the bad, you can do absolutely anything. For me personally the mental benefits of completing this challenge have been far more rewarding than the physical. Yoga teachers say some pretty wise things and one saying that I now think in my head almost every day since is "mind over the matter". Something might be really frustrating you, whether at home or at work, and you can't help but stew on this one thing - this is when you need to put your mind, and all of the amazing energy and power it has, to forget about the pesky problem and move on to the next thing.

Life is full of highs and lows. Whether you look at the highs and lows of each day or week or month, they happen to everyone. Knowing how to focus on putting the lows into perspective, to focus my mind on pushing through them with positivity and sometimes taking a step back from things that are out of my control has made me feel like a much balanced person... now I understand what people mean when they want to be "balanced".

I'm not sure if I will ever do another 31 day bikram yoga challenge but I can safely say that I will continue with at least regular classes and look for new types of yoga to practice and would definitely encourage anyone and everyone to at least do a few classes to reap some of the lifelong mental benefits!

Wendy's Secret Garden - Lavender Bay.

Today was magnificent. Sydney was all blue skies, warm sunshine and good vibes. As soon as I woke up and felt the spring warmth, saw the sunshine, I knew it was a day too good to be spent anywhere other than outside. After a quick Google Maps search to find somewhere we hadn't been before we stumbled upon a spot near the water on the north side of the bridge called "Wendy's Secret Garden". Naturally we had to go and see what was there. Wendy's Secret Garden semi-belongs to Wendy Whitely, wife of the late renowned Australian artist Brett Whitely, and also to Rail Corp who own the train tracks it backs on to. Therefore it is part public and part private land. Before Wendy the garden was a run down, derelict and overgrown with weeds and rubbish. Wendy and Brett had moved into the home that overlooked the garden, and the rest of Lavender Bay, Luna Park and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, after returning to Sydney from a decade long stint overseas. They both lived there with their daughter until they would divorce and Brett would move out in to his studio in Surry Hills. After Brett's untimely death of a drug overdose in 1992 Wendy channelled her grief and began rejuvenating the defunct garden her home overlooked.

Today, the garden is filled with a variety of flowers, trees, natives and shrubs, all different shapes, colours and sizes; an eclectic mix - much like her and Brett's relationship. There are sculptures scattered throughout and many a spot to sit and relax amongst the serenity of the trees. The view from the dominating fig tree that looks out onto the harbour is breathtaking. I always stand in awe of the bridge and it never fails to remind me that I actually live in Sydney, something that I have wanted to do for a very long time.

A little adventure goes a long way sometimes. Unearthing this peaceful, and surprisingly unpopulated, piece of Sydney was like finding a treasure. I can't wait to go back - next time it will be with a fully stocked picnic basket, blanket, a good book and some even better company.

Blue jeans.

Images via Pinterest

There is no doubt that a pair of blue jeans are a girls best friend. They are effortless, versatile and never outdated and always make for a trusted ally when you are not sure what to wear. I am loving the true blue shade of jean paired with a simple shirt, some cool shoes and tote for easy spring days. 

Monthly Beauty Buys: September

As a sneaky way of getting myself back into a blogging routine I have decided to start a monthly beauty buys series where I share a few of my favourite products both new and regularly used. By nature I am pretty low maintenance so when it comes to beauty it's safe to say that my regular regime is pretty basic. Therefore I see this series as not only a way to document my favourite products but to also experiment with trying out new products. This is my first instalment of what I hope to be many more to come!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water After reading multiple articles about micellar water in the space of a couple of days curiosity got the better of me and I knew I needed to try it out. Unlike other facial cleansers micellar water contains little micelles - oil molecules - which act as magnets to impurities on the skin, e.g. make-up, oil and sebum (which causes pimples), and dissolve them without any extra work. I suffer from regular breakouts and since starting to use this micellar water my skin has shown improvement in not only a reduction of breakouts but it also feels more hydrated and less congested. It's so simple to use as all you need to do is put the water on to a cotton pad, wipe all over your face and you're done!

Benefit Gimme Brow gel Arriving early to the airports has its perks. I picked up this little gem while wandering the make-up counters at Sydney Airport before departing to Melbourne recently. Having well manicured and maintained brows is important for me as I feel they set the frame and structure your face. Plus they help you get away with wearing a lot less make-up! I was looking for a product that would make my brows look fuller without too much fuss and voila, that's exactly what this little bad boy does thanks to the mini fibers that gel to the hair and skin on application. I also find it to never smudge and last me the whole working day.

Rimmel 60 Seconds nail polish in Rapid Ruby For someone with as little patience as me this nail polish is a godsend! The thick brush allows for quick and easy application and it sets within 60 seconds which means a greater decrease in smudges for those who can't bare to watch paint dry. 

Chloe Signature EDP Fresh, floral and feminine, the perfect scent to get into the spring spirit!