Thursday 27 February 2014

AUTUMN IS A SECOND SPRING WHEN EVERY LEAF IS A FLOWER

That quote by Albert Camus captures Autumn perfectly for me.

Autumn and Spring are my favourites. The in-between, the cusp seasons. They are full of colour and promise and I get excited thinking about them.

Autumn also brings chilly winds and golden sun and I for one can't wait to rug up in coats and beanies and scarves, dive in bed with a mountain of books and have a reason to drink copious amounts of coffee.









Monday 24 February 2014

WHEN I GROW UP...


I was never the type of little girl that knew what she wanted to be when she grew up.

I have always been super indecisive and my ideas have ranged from a vet to a journalist, to a florist, to a personal trainer, to an interior decorator, the list is long!

It has always bothered me that I have never known. I like to work towards something and as you get older, that usually means a career. For the last few years I have been struggling trying to pin point what it is I want to do.

I am a very creative person and want to be able to incorporate that into my work. I am also one of those people that really wants to love what they are doing. I want that “do what you love and you will never work a day in your life” saying to be true for me.

FINALLY! Finally I think I have figured it out. I start my floristry course tonight and I am more than excited. I finally feel at peace with what I am deciding to do. I am pretty sure I want to pair floristry with my love of decorating and get into event styling. Oddly enough, I figured that out through Instagram. I have some work experience lined up with the most amazing wedding stylist and I can’t wait.

I feel like everything is finally clicking into place. My ideas actually all make sense when I bring them together. 2014, I am liking you alot.

Sunday 23 February 2014

LUST LIST

LUSTS



Perth is mid heat wave so I am wishing for Winter and lusting after these beauties!

One Nordic round shades, $390 / NDI white home decor / Nike footwear, $140 / Muuto lacquer furniture, $500 / The Horse water resistant watch / Han Kjøbenhavn round keyhole sunglasses

Friday 21 February 2014

FINALLY

HAPPY WEEKEND LOVERS
XXX





Tuesday 18 February 2014

CUP’O JOE

“Coffee is far more than a beverage. It is an invitation to life, disguised as a cup of warm liquid. It’s a trumpet wake-up call or a gentle rousing hand on your shoulder…Coffee is an experience, an offer, a rite of passage, a good excuse to get together.”

I am in LOVE with this quote that I found whilst lurking through tumblr last week. I don’t have a source though so if anyone can help me out on that – please do!

It’s no secret that I love coffee. The smell, the taste, how happy it makes me, mmmm! Jeremy and I work it into every weekend and are trying to squeeze it into our weekdays too. I really do treat it as an experience; it’s a little break for me, a breath.
Perth has turned me into a bit of a coffee snob though. A SMALL coffee over here will cost minimum of at least $3.50. So if I am going to pay that much, I make sure that it’s a good one.
In saying that, Perth is absolutely pumping with amazing coffee and brunch spots so I thought I would share my favourites, should you ever find yourself on the West Coast!
UNCLE JOES
I spam these guys on Instagram quite regularly. Sorry! They are conveniently located across the road from work and serve my favourite coffee in the CBD. They use Micrology beans and the blend is super smooth with a little bitter bite at the end.
They also have a great menu and the cutest little cake collection on the front counter (earl grey cupcakes <3). They also have best raw balls ever! If that doesn’t pull you, the space is amazing too.




COOKIE DOUGH
This is my new little local. It started out in East Freo but they have recently opened up in Claremont. It is tiny and bright and fresh with lots of ply coloured timber and concrete – perfect. Their cookies are also ridiculously yummy. They are fat and soft and with a great list of flavours. They do light lunches and breakky (chia pudding YUMMM). They are the newbies on the block and set up RIGHT next to Typika who are artisan roasters and 5x as big. I was actually really worried that they were going to struggle but Cookie Dough are packed out every Saturday.




TYPIKA ARTISAN ROASTERS
As I said, my local before Cookie Dough showed up. It is still probably one of my favourite spots for breakfast. I think Perth should be really proud to have Typika. I absolutely froth over the interior. I have actually been trying to discover who did the fitout because it is crazy good. Their menu is also next level (French toast with salted caramel sauce with bacon and banana.. HI!) It changes seasonally so they really showcase the produce. These guys roast their own beans inhouse and it is a good cup of coff!





THE DAILY ESPRESSO
Cute little hole in the wall place in Swanny. Often grab a coffee here on a Saturday or Sunday morning and it is always packed to the max. With good reason of course. Again, super friendly staff and a good assortment of easy to grab pastries and muffins. Even when it is pumping, they get orders out quick and you never have to wait too long.
STUDIO BOMBA
I wish I worked here. Studio bomba is the cutest little co-op that houses the creatives of Studio Papa, has an amazing range of homewares, stationary, magazines, jewellery and also serves killer coffee and the sweetest treats.  It was here that I first tried Tales of a Kitchen raw macarons. The staff here are so lovely and so welcoming – I never really want to leave. The interior is bang on too -white with copper and cement. A lot of the materials they used are recycled which make it twice as nice. When I first found Studio Bomba, I didn’t really want to share it with anyone else as I wanted to keep it as a secret spot. It is up the other end of Oxford Street in Leederville, up past the TAFE. Definitely worth the extra 2 min drive!





MARY STREET BAKERY
Oh the reasons that I love thee:
    1. you have a fluorescent pink sign
    2.  you have the best baked goods section EVER
    3. you make cute dippy eggs
I love love love it here! Brought to us from the same crew that does el Publico and ACE pizza (these guys rule), Mary Street Bakery is nestled nicely on the corner of Beaufort street and Mary street. Their breakky menu is good, but if like me, you have a real sweet tooth, venture inside and have a look at all the baked stuff. My mouth literally waters. Their coffee is great, but I do find that I need to specify that it’s hot otherwise it can tend to come out warmish. They do outdoor seating too which means Lola can join in, bring the pooches!







































FELIX & CO
This one is a little gem! You’ll find it on Broadway in Nedlands, (Attn. UWA kids). It’s only little but I literally ate one of the best chocolate croissants of my life here! The coffee was great too and the staff are super friendly.
BREAD IN COMMON
Possibly my favourite café fit out in Perth. It’s on trend and it oozes cool. And everyone knows and thus the lines are huge. Boo.
No, it’s really not that bad. Unless you want a group bigger than two haha. Then you will find yourself waiting. I have only had a sit down breakfast here once but it was really good. I had quinoa bircher – YUM. This was when it had just opened so service was a little bit rocky and coffees came out after our food, even though we ordered them first… Once it came though, the coff was goooood! It is a little pricey but then they get away with it. The bread is the real star here, I have tried the wholemeal sourdough and the fruit loaf and both are mouth wateringly, eat most of it in the car on the way home good!










































ROASTING WAREHOUSE
Di Bella Roasting Warehouse is already located in Melbourne and Sydney and now they have been brought to Perth.  Still a bit of a newbie so you do need to wait for a table if coming after 9am. It moves fast though and the longest I’ve had to wait  is 10-15 mins. The site was an old service station that has been reinterpreted into an open plan fitout -another trendy spot for Freo. One of my favourite things about the Roasting Warehouse is the prices – they seem to have kept them close to that of Melb and Syd so noteably cheaper than what you will usually find in Perth yay! And for premium coffee too. Finally!




So there you go- there are more but these are ma faves! Sorry for the essay. Did I mention I like coffee?

(images all from my instagram @lana_lola)

Thursday 13 February 2014

SHORT TERM PAIN, LONG TIME GAIN

I feel like purchasing an expensive designer piece is kind of like working out.

Laugh all you may but this theory has merit!

The immediate reaction when buying something expensive is that it hurts. I wince a little, my bank account winces a lot. It’s the same thing with exercising. Running hurts, weights hurt, we are in a world of pain!

However, once that initial shock has worn off, the experience becomes a lot more pleasant. Your body starts to look banging because of your hard work. The pain becomes worth it. Similarly, my outfit benefits tenfold from the new matte black Rockie that I am now happily toting about. I forget that it cost me 3 weeks rent.

Think about it though. While cheaper bags might be sweeter in the short term, deciding not to buy them and saving for a big purchase will benefit you in the long run. You could take one huge splurge and buy something that is going to last and help define your wardrobe, or you could buy 4 or 5 bags that you use and abuse and chuck out.

JUST. SAYING.
xx



Sunday 9 February 2014

EASY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING

Sundays are decidedly my favourite. 

It's Jez's day off and they usually start with beach and a coffee.
Fresh flowers are more often than not involved too.

They are lazy and delicious and there is that bitterly sweet fact that the week starts all over again tomorrow.

Enjoy what's left of it lovers!!












Thursday 6 February 2014

CHECK YOUR EGO

Being healthy, exercising, cleansing, it’s all very “in” at the moment. Everyone is doing it. While all those gym selfies are probably not necessary, I do think that it’s great that so many people are making health and fitness a priority.

I am super passionate about nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally. If you follow me on Instagram then you probably have gathered from me spamming, that I am very into cleansing and juicing (and pretty straws!) at the moment.

You can all thank Inner Ego for fuelling that fire! I had been searching for a “Pressed Juices” alternative in Perth for quite a long time so was super excited to finally find one that I loved.

I had a chat with the lovely Lynda from Inner Ego to find out about cold pressed juices, how Inner Ego started and where it is headed!






















Where did “Inner Ego” come from?
We felt a bit sorry for Ego, generally it has a lot of negative connotations surrounding it. Ego simply means one’s self or identity. We think it has a nice connection with our brand as living a balanced healthy lifestyle reflects a lot in a person’s inner identity.

Why cold press juices?
Cold pressing retains more of the nutrients that are available in the fruit and vegetables we put into our juices. The juice is exposed to less heat, which means a slower oxidation rate. All this means you get nutrition laden juice that tastes better and lasts longer. Win, win!

What made you think "yep let's do this" let's make a company out of it?
There wasn't a "lightbulb" moment as such. We had arrived at the point in time when we felt like we had the right skills and experience to take an idea into a fully-fledged business. Having an idea is one thing but running a business is a whole other world in itself, you really need to have the motivation to be able to push yourself every day. As cliché as it sounds I think that dedication comes from doing something that you truly believe in and are passionate about as that really shows in your business and products! The idea to start cold pressing was born from our personal desire to do a juice cleanse and about a year ago and we couldn't find anyone offering the service locally. That evolved into researching and creating our own and home, and then we loved it so much we wanted to share it with the people of Perth.




How do you come up with the flavour combos?
The process we went through to create each juice was lengthy and resulted in a lot of trial and error in the kitchen! We wanted each flavour to be both a stand-alone juice that people would want to drink every day, whilst forming part of our Revive Cleanse. Each juice had to have interesting, layered flavours whilst being nutritionally relevant to the cleanse.

Why do a cleanse and what results will you see?
There are multiple reasons to do a juice cleanse. Juice cleansing is a great way to clear out the build-up of pollutants of a modern diet high in processed food, excess saturated fat and alcohol. It’s a way to regain your internal equilibrium, by consuming a lot of high quality fruit and vegetables in a concentrated way. A juice cleanse is also a way to regain a more mindful approach to what you are eating in your day to day life. It is a great time to pause and reflect on exactly what food you put into your body. We find that on a juice cleanse you become a lot more mindful about your eating habits.

Results wise, everybody is different and experiences range to from person to person. Results also vary on the length of the cleanse and how “toxic” you are before you start! I think the most notable difference is an improvement in your skin. All the extra fluid and nutrition you are getting from the nutrient dense juice is really reflected in your skin! Juice cleansing also improves digestion issues, so you will feel lighter and often a substantial decrease in bloating. Reduce cravings for all the nasties, like refined sugar, coffee and high fat processed foods is also a benefit. I think this comes from realising just how great you feel without all those foods in your life. At the completion of your of the cleanse you should be full of energy and truly refreshed!

What are the grand plans for inner ego? What would you like to see happen in the future?
The “dream” is a concept store, a place to be informed about the latest and greatest in health and wellbeing. We want to bring the people of Perth great products that are focused around high quality ingredients at their most raw state. In the short term we are focusing on a new raw organic product line, that we hope to have ready mid-year. We can’t say much more at this stage, but keep an eye on our social media channels for updates! 

For more info on Inner Ego visit them here! www.innerego.com.au






















(images all from @lana_lola instagram)

Sunday 2 February 2014

HAPPY MONDAY

 
My two favourite things – words to live by!
 
My Monday is off to a great start, brought in by fresh juice, coffee and exciting chats with the lovely Lynda from Inner Ego.
 
Surrounding yourself with things you love and inspiring people makes such a difference to your mood and the way that you approach situations.

I hope you all have a wonderful start to the week!

Love love love x
 
(image from @lana_lola, originally from @theflowerdrum)

HOUSE PORN

YUM-MY.
A nice healthy dose of house porn for you.

It's necessary - tomorrow is Monday
D: