Winter Must-Dos!

Brrrrr! Now that Winter has well and truly arrived, I thought it would be nice to remind myself that while Winter may indeed be a very cold time of the year, it doesn't have to be miserable!

Here is a list of some nice things I will be doing this winter to keep warm, cosy, and happy!

1. Knitting!



A few months ago, I started knitting again, and I remembered how much I love it. Not only does it mean you get to create some gorgeous new knits to wear or to gift, it is also incredibly relaxing and therapeutic to do any kind of stitching. Then one day I visited Cottage Industry on Gertrude St and discovered the CUTEST knitting needles I've ever seen! The needles are handmade from Tasmanian Oak by some lovely artisans called Art Viva, and you can buy them from Cottage Industry on Gertrude St in Fitzroy, or online at the Art Viva online store. Oh, and if you want some cute knitting patterns you can get started at The Purl Bee or at Ravelry.

2. Hot drinks! Coffee, Chai, Hot Chocolate and Tea!



This one is pretty self-explanatory! What better way to warm up than by curling up on the couch to read a book or watch TV with a warm cuppa! My favourite home-brew coffee right now is Amanti Butterscotch Toffee. It is some seriously yummy coffee! The Tea Leaves Store in Sassafras also has some AMAZING tea selections, and they have an online store too if you don't live near the Dandenongs. My favourite Chai tea, however, is from RealChai. BEST CHAI IN THE WORLD! Not even kidding. If you haven't tried it, you MUST! Even better, you can get a Chocolate Chai blend, which is to die for! If hot chocolate is your hot drink of choice, then you can't go past Lindt Hot Chocolate, which comes in flake form in either dark or milk, and melts into a smooth, rich and creamy hot chocolate. Yum!

3. Rugging up on the couch and watching TV and DVDs!



What better way to unwind than to veg out and watch some good TV. My picks for this winter are Mad Men (Two words: Don Draper. Drool!) and Offspring series two, which airs on Monday on Ten at 8.30pm. SO EXCITED!


4. Going for bush walks!



It is no secret that I absolutely adore the Dandenong Ranges. I have stayed at Candlelight Cottages almost every winter for the past four years. It's just so nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and into the peaceful surrounds of a rain forest. This year I won't be staying at the cottages, but I still like to make the time to go up there whenever I can... Even when it's freezing cold, it can be nice to rug up and go for a long walk in the forest. There are so many gorgeous birds, amazingly tall trees, beautiful ferns, and there are some great tracks up there too. Then afterwards you can have some tea and scones at a lovely café in Olinda or Sassafras and visit all the quaint little shops. That's my idea of a nice wintery day out!

5. Baking cupcakes!



Who doesn't love a good cupcake? The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook is a great starting point, but if you just love to bake, then the Frankie Magazine Afternoon Tea recipe book is also really great. Put on your best apron and make some mess in the kitchen!

What are your Winter must-dos this Winter?

Daily Outfit 7/5/11

It's been a while since I did an outfit post, and I quite like what I wore today, so without further ado...

I am wearing:

-Black 3/4 sleeve scoop neck tee, brand unknown.
-Mustard paper-bag high waisted skirt, Forever New
-Polka Dot Tights, Myer (from a few winters ago)
-Boots, Rubi Shoes (Cautiously bought them the other day, after much deliberation. In the end, I caved in. I hope they don't fall apart like all my previous Rubi shoe purchases did!)

P.S. Some charms arrived in the mail last week, so I may be opening my online store again very soon! Stay tuned!

P.P.S. Look how many mandarins are on our tree! Impressive huh?

Yin and Yang

So, after some deliberation, I have decided to slowly re-open my Box of Glory etsy and madeit shops. It probably won't be for a while still, but I am working on it. I've been really sick for the last month, so it's given me an opportunity to reassess my priorities, and to focus on the things that make me happy. Making things makes me happy, so I think I should start making things again.

Having said that, I had a job interview yesterday for a full-time research assistant job, so if I get it, these ideas and plans may have to be put aside again. But if not, then my free-time in between shifts at my part-time job and in between shifts at my volunteer role, needs to be filled with something a tad more exciting and fulfilling than sitting on the couch watching daytime television and checking facebook every five minutes.



So, I was thinking about what sorts of things I might like to make and sell, and I decided I am going to focus primarily on making jewellery and accessories again, but I want Box of Glory to be more than just things, I want to create a more well-rounded image of what Box of Glory is all about. I think one of the things that frustrated me previously was that I didn't really have a specific vision for what my brand was about. I think it was a bit too 'all over the place'... and I guess that was maybe because I was still trying to define what exactly it was that I wanted to put out there. Cute or elegant? Playful or subdued? I think the dichotomy between my playful/cute pieces and my elegant/subdued pieces created a sense of confusion, chaos and disunity. So, I have decided that I am going to run two separate lines to fulfill both of these themes. My personality tends to be a bit like this too, so I think it makes sense to express this in my creative work as well. I am not really sure how I am going to successfully achieve this distinction within the same label. If any of you have any ideas or feedback regarding this, it would be greatly appreciated!



Love and Cupcakes x

My day!

Hello everyone,

Well, today was quite a productive day! It started off with a job application, for a Research Assistant position. Boring!

Then I cleaned my room! Voila!


...and I guess this gives me an opportunity to show off my room to you guys. That is my BRAND NEW bed spread, which I am in love with! It's from Bed, Bath and Table. I also have some cloud decals on my walls, from Kikki K. My polaroid heart above my bed was inspired by a blogger a while ago, but I think it has been stolen and used so many times that I don't really know who to credit for the original idea! If anyone knows let me know! The Eiffel Tower was a gift from my mum. And finally, the thing hanging on the right is the 2011 frankie mag calendar.



The paining on the right wall is my own. I painted that a few years ago. And hanging beside that is my Degree and Postgrad Diploma.


This is my desk and book shelf. It's all a bit cluttered, but I just have no space for all my stuff! I accumulate a lot of stuff! On the far right, the thing that's hanging on the wall is a fabric-covered canvas featuring all of my brooches. I have a lot of brooches!

Anyway, in the evening I baked cupcakes...



What did you get up to today?

P.S. If you didn't know, this weekend is the Finders Keepers Market in Melbourne. And on Sunday morning is the Mulgrave Makers Market, in my very own suburb! I'll be going to both markets!

Be-u-tea-ful day!

I'm back! I'm back! I'm back!

I decided to resurrect my blog, hooray!

So, you may be wondering, where I have been and what I have been doing. The answer is, I was super busy with stuff. 'What stuff?' you ask... well, University for one. I wrote a thesis last year! A whole thesis! Yep. University and work pretty much consumed all of my time, so this poor blog was neglected and forgotten. But it's all over... well, for now. At the moment I am working at my casual job, doing volunteer work, and on the hunt for full time paid work that is psychology-related. I am planning to go back to uni next year to do my Masters. It never ends! But anyway, I am back now... and I have plenty of free time to do whatever I want... including updating this blog! Yay!

Today I went up to the Dandenongs. It was super lovely! I had scones with jam and cream at a lovely little café and I browsed in the quaint little shops. I bought some pretty floral cupcake patty cups, some buttercup perfume and butterscotch and toffee coffee beans. It was a gorgeous day.



Tonight is the Super Moon, so there will be plenty of moon-gazing :)

Love! xx

Mozi

Oh, I love mozi products. I am in love with their candles at the moment, especially this one...



And I love their laptop sleeves too. I have this one!

Polaroid-A-Day: Day 7

Sorry for my absence... back to polaroiding! This is my boyfriend Frank and I.

Daily Outfit 01/02/10

Hello there lovelies!

I thought I'd change it up a bit, and give you an outfit post.

This is what I wore today:







Details:

Lilac top: Bardot
Floral Skirt: Paramount Vintage
Sequin Shoes: Jasmin (from a shoe shop in Brandsmart)
Rose resin ring: Diva (I know! I know! But it was so pretty!)

I had lots of fun hooping in the backyard :)

What did you wear today? x

Polaroid-a-day: Day 6 + Lily Allen!

This Polaroid was taken outside the Sydney Incu store. It was part of the Romance was Born Installation. More of this installation to come in later posts.

Last night Frank and I went to see Lily Allen at Festival Hall. She was amazing! It was our second time seeing her. The first time was a few years ago at The Metro. She sure has come a long way since then. Her stage presence has improved a lot too. She had a lot of energy on the stage. We managed to get to the front row, which was really awesome. I enjoyed the show very much!

Polaroid-a-day: Day 5 + Australia Day!

This is a shot of me in front of the Sydney Opera House. I thought it was a fitting choice, given that it's Australia Day and all!

(sorry about the ghosty-ness again... blame it on my shit scanner)

How are you spending your afternoon?

I'm spending it listening to the Triple J Hottest 100... so far, I'm mostly happy! Up to number 21 as I'm typing this - Temper Trap - Fader... love that song :)

Hope you're having a lovely Australia Day!