Bring back a bit of Berlin

Longing for a bit of Berlin this week.  Smith Street was as close as I came to feeling anywhere near it and I must say I was pretty delighted to be there.
This Ramen store was a highlight (Thanks Sally!!).  I'm hoping to get back for another bowl over the weekend.  I tried both the pork.....& the cashew (shared them with my friend... just in case you're thinking oink, oink).  They were seriously amazing!!
I also LOVE that Big Dreams have opened a new store in the old bead shop on Smith Street. Do you remember that Melbourne relic?
Pined over a couch in Modern Times and made a purchase at the Smith St Bazar.  A Christmas present that's so spot on (or so I'm hoping).
Loving this list of Melbourne vinyl stores to help arm me for some serious summer sounds these holidays.
Enjoyed Ron Gutman's TED talk on Smiling & Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk, talk on "the gentle power" of gratefulness.

I've established a weekly ritual where I listen to an interview, while cooking, over at On Being.  This weeks interview was with Matthew Samford, The Body's Grace.  It's a beautiful interview on the mind-body connection.  Matthew is an author and yoga teacher.....who has been a paraplegic since the age of 13.  Describing it as 'inspiring' seems a little lame. His experience is mind-blowingly profoud.  I'm hoping his book will be in my Santa stocking this Christmas. No subtlety there, hey LF?

The countdown begins tomorrow.  Hope you have your advent calendar at the ready. Let the fun begin xx

Thank you moochus

The time has come.  We're setting off in 3 more sleeps.  Whoo hoo.  It feels a little surreal.  Most things are organised, I hope! 

I just wanted to say a big thank you here to everyone who has encouraged, supported and inspired us to take this trip.  The L.F. & I have made it happen but not without an amazing amount of support around us.  So to the house-sitters, dog-sitters, mail sorters, lawn mowers, logistical coordinators & neighbours, a huge thank you!  ........ To the L.F.'s colleagues for stepping up and stepping in, I salute you.  A million thank you's to all the U1 team.  To the friends who have been so generous with imparting information and for offering up their homes to us, my deep gratitude to you...... huge squeezes will ensue once I get my hands on you!  I can't wait.

Lastly, to our mooch..... We'll miss you. xx

366 Project

Here's a little video I made which takes a glimpse at my recent 366 project, using Animoto.  Enjoy x

Bali Highlights

We are in between worlds here at the moment. Recently returned from Bali and frantically planning our next big adventure. Basking in the warmth and colour of our recent trip .... as Melbourne weather starts to close in and bite .... especially around 4pm each evening. So much to do and only a month to go, so apologies for my tardiness here of late.

Here's a quick list of some of our recent Bali highlights.
Waterbom, a must for all ages!
An evening spent at La Lucciola
Komune Beach Club. Z and I spent a morning here by the pool while the boys surfed. It's spectacular & on my list for a return visit.
The food at Mama San.
Cocktails and club sandwiches at Potato Head.
The slower pace and feel of Canggu...after the frantic feel of Seminyak.
The entire vibe at Bungalow Living, Canggu. Great raw food, juices and pastries too.
Our villa but even more than the villa.... our gorgeous staff. Denik & Erma we miss you. xx
A day trip Denik and her family took us on to Tanah Lot.
Great music and coffee at Revolver.
A drink and a cheeky dip in the pool at the W.
Pampering at Bodyworks.... I had a facial that made my eyes water! There was definitely a little pain with the pleasure.... be warned.
Lunch at Sea Circus...twice. It's worth a second trip.
I love everything about Motel Mexicola, the drinks, the courtyard, the staff uniforms, the vibrant decor and the fact that a quick drink here could turn into a long night of frivolity. FUN!!

Bali has never been on my radar before this trip. It didn't excite me in the slightest. We only really went on this trip to celebrate a 40th birthday with good friends but I can honestly say it's captured me and I can't wait to head back and explore some of the more remote parts of this crazy, vibrant and incredible 'sweat producing' country. Their smiles are wide, their hearts are big and they live so simply. If you can get out of the road of the crazed tourist shopping at a frenzied pace there's so much beauty to be discovered in the slowness and simplicity of life here.

Thank you Bali. x

Something I didn't manage to do this time but is on my list for the next trip the Bali Bintang Bike Tour.

Better late than never. x

Happy belated New Year people!

Here's to shining your bright lights in 2013 xx

 I've been taking time to work through this workbook and get a little organised for the year ahead.  It feels good to look back on last year and reflect on some of my achievements.  To asses where I want to focus my energy this year and make a few conscious decisions on how I use my time (mmmm, sorting out my social media 'plan' is definitely on the cards.... time zapper or what!  After some holiday downtime I realise just how productive I 'could' be).

I've been on a yoga intensive this week and a juice detox... Day 3 of both and I have to say I'm feeling a whole lot better today than yesterday.  This weekend I'm off on a meditation retreat with my
sister-in-law.  It will be crazy quiet and I can't wait.

Hope your New Year is shaping up the way you would like it to look. xx

Crazy good

We spent a gorgeous morning sheltering from the scorching sun under an elm tree at Ripponlea Estate yesterday.  The story time program they run is fun.  Fairy Adele definitely has a way with little people...... even little lads who are not very much into 'fairies!.... Blaahhh'.

I've been 'practicing' the law of least effort around here this Christmas.  It's amazing how engrained my frenetic propensity is at Christmas time.   Every now and then I feel things speed up, my adrenaline kicks in and I'm off on a tangent making lists and thinking of odd jobs I must do before Christmas...... when.... really?........  Breathing and holding firm to this would be a lot smarter.

I hope you're able to cruise through Christmas this year, doing less and accomplishing more.  It really is crazy good, rather than crazy nuts!

xoxox

PS. Instead of hitting the stores Jonah & the Girl have 25% of and free express delivery between 13-24th. Using promo code 'HAPPYCHRISTMAS' now there's least effort, maximum results right there.  Yippee.

Friendship Love x

Recently, I 'met' a blog friend for the very first time.  I was rather nervous, a little like it was a first date.  We've known one another here in blog land for over a year, reading one another's posts, commenting and next we moved onto the occasional email.  Finally, however we went live and Skyped.  What a hoot.
This little link is for her.  Maybe a cup of tea here in Jan 2014?

xxx

I hope your Christmas preparations are going well.  I'm feeling relatively organised this year.  Our screen printing in done (photos to come I don't want to spoil the surprise), lip balm made and all are wrapped under our tree or weaving their way to homes across the seas right now.

xxx

There have been some unexpected challenges this Christmas but I am managing to hold onto my mantra...... as best I can...... & make time for doing absolutely 'nothing'.  I hope you have too.

x

Byron for me.

We recently spent 9 incredible days up in Byron Bay. It's been years since I last visited and was so pleased to reacquaint myself with the treasures of this town. I thought I'd share a few links to some of my favorite things (not to brag but to simply share the love). Most of the links here revolve around eating, which we did a lot of in Byron. When we weren't eating we were hanging around on the beaches soaking up the relaxed atmosphere and basking is the beauty that is Byron. If you're heading to the Byron Bay region any time soon here's a little hit list to keep in your back pocket.

The winter of my retreat

Winter has seen me take a step back from this space.  I was feeling a little overwhelmed.  A little uncertain about the direction, my conviction and what it was I was wanting to achieve.... not just here but everywhere.  Things were spinning by so quickly I was barley catching my breath before posting and as a result I felt I was blogging up and down in a sea of uncertainty.  Part of me cringing at writing personal reflections and another part of me totally compelled.  I felt torn and totally exposed.... FOMO had it's grasp on me.

With a little time on my side... and a clear desk, I see that I want this space to be as much about the people who come here as it is about me.  I want to inspire others to see the joyful in the everyday.  To seek out the relationships around that support and nourish and to invest in the things that make you happy.  All things I'm learning to implement in my own life.  Sometimes it's one step forward, two steps back but the important thing is to keep saying yes to the things that really matter and watching the world evolve to support these choices.

Oh, what a feeling.

We completed our Hike! 91.5km's of incredible coastline along the Great Ocean Road Walk, from Apollo Bay all the way to the 12 Apostles. Let me say we didn't hike the distance in one go. It's no mean feat organising 5 mums and a socially intrepid midwife to be in the same spot for 9 days of rigorous hiking.... if it were 9 days of primping and pampering on a deserted island, cocktail in hand then, yes, I'm guessing we may have managed it a little sooner.....it did, however, take 3 stints and over a year and a half to complete.

There's so much about this (combined) trip that I loved. The solidarity of friendship, the laughter, the space to be totally oneself, the open air and the challenge. The challenge of walking long undulating distances in sometimes less than ideal weather, carrying our packs laden with tents, clothing, food and cooking equipment, spending long freezing nights out in the bush, braving tiger snakes and scorpians. We did all of this, in good humor and totally in the moment. We all wanted to be there, walking, sharing the experience together.
It was an amazing feeling.

I am so grateful to my friends for helping to make this happen, for loving the journey as much as I did and for creating such a success of it.

If you're contemplating something like this, I'd like to say, 'Just do it!'
You'll be greatly rewarded. xx

Just bust a move.... you want it..... you got it

Among the ever expanding list.... here's what made it to my Gratitude Project this week.

starting the day with a smile.

a soundly sleeping lad at the end of the day. So peaceful. My heart melts every single time.

a night out with the girls, in a beautiful building to support a great cause.

to be home after a long day. Late + tired = Bed is calling. Just waiting for the kettle to boil.

a slow morning. A walk to the cafe. A few friends. A stop at the sandpit, conservatory & pond. Then a slow amble home in time for kinder preparations. A perfect way to spend the morning. I cherish these mornings knowing they really wont last forever.

some time alone...one may even call it a date... with the LF and a little road trip to Red Hill.

a balmy 16 degree winters day by the bay with my boys.

What made your list this week?

Things I am thankful for....

kindness & being able to express it. Not only to others but also myself. I opened a book and read a page randomly today and it was about kindness towards oneself...it was the perfect page to be on. A little reminder, on days when I can be super critical of myself, helps.
It was a paragraph from Susannah Conway's book " This i know":.... 'So many of the difficult parts of our lives can be helped with a little kindness, and nowhere is that needed more than the way we view ourselves. If we cannot be kind to ourselves, how can we be kind to anyone else? It's easy to give love to my family and friends, but to then turn around and ridicule my own reflection so heartlessly surely takes the power out of the love I give.'

time to do some upholstery today while Z was off on a play date.

kid friendly entertainment, especially when it's fun for all. Fox & Sui played a crybaby session at RRR... 11.30am!

my Dad.

the beauty of age. These Morton Bay Fig trees are so beautiful. They remind me that just like our own natural beauty, if nurtured, we have the potential for exceptional beauty in old age.

the silly things in life. I was reading an article about feeding children preservative free, organic etc etc and at the bottom they recommended a lady who specialized in 'panty' makeovers... A simple typo... panty/ pantry.... I see how it happened and I am so thankful it did because it totally cracked up.... Childish humor is so underrated.
Anyone for a little panty makeover ....or some organic fruit??

completing jobs! I love the sense of achievement that comes when I complete a job. Especially one that's been on my mind....


I know I said no words for July...but all of these words go into my Gratitude project so it's just as easy to share them here too. I'd love to know what made you grateful last week. x

Time out

Reflection, hibernation, time out.....it's winter and I feel like it's the perfect time to take a step back,  collect my thoughts and reemerge energised for Spring.

You can follow the Gratitude project here and  Project Life here and I'll work on a few interviews over July so there will be plenty to occupy my time .... However, I'll take a whole month off from daily posts.  It will feel rather strange...... and decadent.

Thanks to all of you who contribute here and make it a lovely space to share my photos, occasional ramblings and the small things that make a difference to each day. This little blogging community has bought some amazing people my way.  I feel very grateful for this.  You'll definitely find me nosing around on your blogs during my sabbatical....I couldn't go completely cold turkey now........could I?

Each week I will pop by to post my photos, no words. 

Keep toasty and enjoy the silence.  
xx

Wallpaper picks... not so easy.

135/366: for individual expression. This really made me smile walking through a grey and solemn city street at 5pm yesterday. xox

Now... from fake flowers...... to wallpaper.
My brother is renovating his place and has asked for a list of wallpaper suppliers. There are so many incredible choices of hand printed wallpaper out there these days.
It sends my head into a spin. If I had to pick one which would it be?
Possibly Publisher Textiles Protea.....Ora Kiely's Flower Blossom (inspired by Fran) or Onsself's Anaglypta Math.... actually I give up. I can't choose. I've changed my mind already.

You? Which would you choose?

my little list of wallpaper link love:
Publisher textiles
Printink Studio
Sackcloth & Ashes
Signature Prints - Florence Broadhurst
Dearwood
Monomeith Designs
Porters Paint - handcrafted Wallpaper
Ora Kiely
Marimekko
Studio Nommo
Trove
French American
Miss Print
Hygge & West
lizzie allen
Grow House Grow
Kimberly Lewis Home
Etsy
Oneszelf
Farrow & Ball
Abigail Edwards
Gaston y Daniela

ps. Hope this list helps P & M...although I fear it may possibly confuse the matter slightly. Good luck.

Weekend in review

These shots are not all technically part of my gratitude project but they make for a lovely tale of a weekend gone by.
Z has Scarlet fever here so we are lying low and taking it slow. The little man has been a star patient. Humorous and cuddly, even through the worst of it.
Hope your weekend was relaxing. x

Grazie

129/366: for our local Cafe and all the friendly, familiar faces we meet there., a photo by Stupendous Joy on Flickr.

Not just the human ones .... Flo, Buster, Barry, Barley, Jet, Lola, Chaver .... what a treat to see all of those wagging tales too.

128/366: akun

128/366: (7th June) for parcels in the post with hand written notes, lollies and beautifully made products., a photo by Stupendous Joy on Flickr.

Z's Jonah & the Girl shoes, they're beautiful....and so is their service.
.......also so thankful for more home baked treats arriving on our doorstep this afternoon. xxxx

Ευχαριστώ

127/366: for a day in town with my little man sans pram..., a photo by Stupendous Joy on Flickr.

The week that was.....Tusen takk

An anniversary...5 years.
It's crazy how time flies on one hand...and well, by the same token, doesn't. I don't feel old enough to have been married for 5 years...some people however may well have been married 20 years at my age.
Time is funny like that. Completely different for everyone.... and every situation.
Flowers, food and inspiring oldies in red lipstick all made my gratitude project this week.
Even on the coldest, wettest, most miserable of days I love how this project seeks all that is beautiful.

What's warming your winter (or summer) days? I'd love to see.

xx