visualisation

I don't believe in The Secret. I know that I wrote in a previous post that I was "embracing" the law of attraction, but that is only because I believe in the concept, in an abstract sense. I believe that being purposeful, having clear goals and direction and working towards something helps us to achieve our dreams and aspirations. I don't think that there is any magic involved at all, but I do think that it is more likely that your life will evolve the way you want it to if you can picture the way you would like your future to turn out. This way, your path will be more direct.

So these are a few, somewhat materialistic, things that I am "visualising" right now...

A bicycle

Or, to be more specific, looking absolutely adorable on a bicycle, preferably somewhere in Europe. New York will also do quite nicely.

Cute vintage caravan

For travelling around Australia with my boyfriend Andy, à la a memoir I recently read called Love and Other U-Turns by Louisa Deasey. Some friends, including Andy, have expressed their doubts about the likelihood of this ever happening...

Prism glasses

A writing career


Sarah Wilson on the Mumbo Report, talking about her covetable "portfolio career".

Like I said, I don't believe that just visualising these things will "attract" them to me. I know that I actually have to take steps to grab them for myself. But I think that it helps, in a way - if only to justify all the time I spend dreaming.

Here is some food for thought: the darker side to positive thinking, by Barbara Ehrenreich. In animation. Warning: these videos are dangerously addictive (in a good way, unless you have work to do).

And a few intriguing quotes from another Barbara, Barbara Kingsolver...

"The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance, but live right in it, under its roof."

"Your dreams, what you hope for and all that, it's not separate from your life. It grows right up out of it. "

"It's the one thing we never quite get over: that we contain our own future."

i'm a planet

I have watched Juno a few times over the last couple of weeks and each time I see this scene, I find it so touching and oddly powerful. The acting and dialogue kind of sums up the innate, biological inequity between men and women. Even in this case, where the guy is incredibly sweet and the girl is tough as nails, she is forced to carry the burden of their tryst. Under her sweater. Whilst he goes along with his life, as if nothing ever happened. And even though she clearly wanted that for him, she is heartbroken at the same time. And this is all portrayed with such lightness and humour. Simply perfection!

the beauty of literature

“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”
— F. Scott Fitzgerald

(Not to take away from this magnificent quote, but I want to say that have an obsession with red hair at the moment. It's just so beautiful. I swear it has nothing to do with our new Prime Minister... but maybe a little to do with my infatuation with Horatio and Joan Holloway.)

block

One of my goals for my five-week uni break was to write. Which, as fate has it, I can't. I have writer's block. I have started about a million posts, but I can't bring myself to finish any of them. So I'm sorry for the lull. Hopefully, this too shall pass... and there will be a slew of new posts on the way. If not, maybe just some pretty quotes and pictures to fawn over. xx

P.S. In the meantime, you can check out a guest post of mine that has recently been posted on a lovely Australian blog that consistently inspires me, The Belle Lumiere. It's just a short one, to do with my essential beauty products for winter. Enjoy!

five weeks

So, I have recently finished final exams for the semester and I have a lovely, long five week break ahead of me.

What I really want to work on during my break is prioritising. I tend to want to do and be good at so many things that I paralyse myself. I want to wake up early and yet I also want to stay up late reading fashion blogs. I want to do well in my exams yet I also want to preoccupy myself with twitter and authors@Google. I want to lose weight yet I also want to sit in bed and watch Top Chef on my laptop. I want to save money yet I also want to buy clothes and makeup and books and magazines.

I recently read The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone, which is absolutely fantastic and has completely changed the way I think about food. She said something that really struck me in her introduction: that the only way she can maintain her diet is to make food her priority. And that really struck a chord with me. (By the way - I really, really love the idea of being vegan, but it's not so easy in practice. So I'm working on cutting down on meat and animal by-products, slowly but surely. I'm not going to pretend that I am entirely embracing veganism or macrobiotics, but I am determined to try).

So my priorities for this break are as follows:

1. Write.
2. Exercise.
3. Unclutter.
4. Read.

That is all. So far, it's not going so well. I am struggling to write coherently, and I have missed the gym for the last two days. My room is still full of empty boxes, ready to cart out my junk. I have read three books, if that's any consolation. So I suppose you could say that prioritising is something that I'm still working on; with the aspiration to have something to show for it before I start a new semester at uni, afresh.

the real world

"What we see before us is just one tiny part of the world. We get in the habit of thinking, this is the world, but that's not true at all. The real world is a much darker and deeper place than this, and much of it is occupied by jellyfish and things."

— Haruki Murakami

(Picture via Bruna Marchioro)

every morning I wind my own spring

I am not a Morning Person. I have deduced that there are two main reasons for this. One, I tend to stay up very late. I don’t have a good excuse for that. I’m not a shift worker or an insomniac. I just get preoccupied by a lot of fairly useless things, like watching Go Girls on Foxtel IQ or cutting out pretty pictures from magazines. So there’s that, coupled with the fact that don't like waking up. Not because I'm depressed or detest my job or anything like that. I just love sleeping. The warmth of my bed, the sweetness of my dreams and the cuddliness of my boyfriend all coalesce to dissuade me from getting out of bed at a reasonable hour.

I have done my research. There are all sorts of benefits to being a Morning Person. According to various sources, I’ll be more productive, energetic and bright-eyed, not to mention that I’ll lose weight and my skin will be more radiant. In summary, I’ll be happier, as well as a more successful, aesthetically pleasing person. There are also many proven methods available that I can use to transform myself into a Morning Person. Obviously, going to bed earlier and having a deep sleep are very important and tai chi, avoiding caffeine, lavender candles, Eckhart Tolle and bananas are supposed to help with those.

But I have a better idea, one that suits me a little better than St Mary’s Thistle and early morning walks. It came to me on the morning of my 21st birthday party. For the first time in weeks, maybe months, I woke up early, of my own accord. My eyes flew open and I got out of bed immediately, quickly dressed and started doing things. No multiple iPhone alarms, snuggling my boyfriend, turning on The Today Show. (Isn’t Lisa Wilkinson divine?) No, I just woke up and got out of bed. Why? Because I was excited. I was seeing the people I love. I was proud of the party I had organised for them. I had a lovely outfit to wear. I had things that I needed to get done. If only I could be so passionate about facing each and every day, I wouldn't have to worry about alarm clocks and Tryptophan-enriched foods. It would just come naturally. So there existed my new aspiration: to make my days so exciting and fulfilling that I woke up easily and bounced out of bed every morning.

I tried that for a few weeks. You know, writing lists and making plans to fill my days with fun and laughter, trying to build anticipation and excite a passion that would miraculously trigger my eyes to fly open at the break of dawn. But the truth is that, no matter how hard we try, our days will be varied. Some will be overwhelmingly awful or mind-numbingly boring, and others will be exhilarating or just plain lovely. The majority will be a combination of all of these. Coming to this realisation helped me to acknowledge that it’s not so much my life that has to change, as much as my mindset: above all, my subconscious needs to acknowledge that this wonderful world we live in has so much more to offer than the comfortable little cocoon that engulfs me every morning. I guess what it comes down to, ultimately, is the dichotomy between what we want to do versus what we think we should be doing. And the lesson is to reconcile those two little voices in our heads so that they are one and the same, whispering exactly the same thing, each and every morning: wake up and face the day.

"Just as you take care of the birds and the fields every morning, every morning I wind my own spring. I give it some thirty-six good twists by the time I've gotten up, brushed my teeth, shaved, eaten breakfast, changed my clothes, left the dorm, and arrived at the university. I tell myself, Ok, let's make this day another good one."

— Haruki Murakami (Norwegian Wood)

(Don't you love how he describes priming yourself for the day as to "wind my own spring"?)

lambada

I am a self-confessed snob when it comes to beauty products. I attribute it to my job in luxury cosmetics - if I didn't believe that expensive products give you better results, then would be incredibly hard to convince my customers to buy them (although I often find myself telling my cash-strapped customers to "just take the serum and scrub - buy a Cetaphil cleanser and Nivea sunscreen at Priceline then come back when you have some more money").

And so when I found myself falling in love with a lipgloss that I bought for only $12, I consider it my duty to pass this gem onto others. It is the Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipgloss in Lambada. It looks something like this when applied:

... but even more importantly, it tastes delicious.

lay me down, by your side

This is Glen Hansard, the male lead in the incredible film Once, a modern-day musical set in Dublin, about a busker and an immigrant who fall in love whilst writing songs and singing together.

I would be remiss if I didn't also alert you to this beautiful, Oscar-winning song from the film, Falling Slowly (the clips reveal some parts of the film, so you may just want to listen if you think that you'd like to see it).

Once made me feel strangely grateful for not being naturally talented at anything (I'm not trying to make you feel sorry for me, honestly, it's something I accepted a long time ago!) I think that extraordinary talent can be as much of a hindrance as a blessing. How could these characters devote themselves to anything but music? Yet, they had virtually nothing.

This is one of my favourite films ♥ Please watch it, on a rainy day. With chocolate.

winter basics

Winter is fast approaching Perth and I am determined to keep things simple. As I did over summer, I am trying to embrace the (perhaps stereotypical) French ethos of only purchasing a few key pieces each season. On a recent trip to Melbourne, I bought a gorgeous fitted jacket, ballet flats and metallic heels. In Autumn, I bought a few silk Morrison dresses that will easily translate into winter. That's all I really need, apart from a few extra accessories to jazz up my outfits.

So, to give you an idea (if you're interested), here are my winter basics.

An Ode to No One tailored black velvet jacket

I bought this at Fat, in Melbourne GPO. An Ode to No One is an Australian Sydney-based label, and I truly believe that Australia has the best modern, young, (mostly) affordable fashion in the world. Fat is the first store I walked into, and this is the first jacket I picked up and tried on. I fell in love with it immediately and avoided all jackets for the rest of the trip.

Morrison "Leticia" black draped silk dress

Morrison is a local Perth label. The fabrics are beautiful and the pieces drape perfectly. I have this dress in black and elephant (a grey colour), and they translate to all occasions and seasons. Plus they have pockets!

2 Baia Vista black leather ballet pumps

These are actually French Sole, but mine are almost identical, and so comfortable! I bought them from Zomp.

Chloe Heloise blue leather handbag

Mine is a lighter blue colour, but the same style (similar to the nail polish below). I snatched it up in the Paris sales over Christmas.

Romantic Scarlett Johanssen-esque hair and makeup

Love the soft waves, strong brows and flawless skin.

To achieve her gorgeous makeup look, I will probably use Giorgio Armani Designer Shaping Foundation, By Terry Touch Expert Concealer, Nars Cream Blush in Enchanted, Nars Eyeshadows in Ashes to Ashes (eyelid) and Bali (brows), Nars Lipstick in Cruising and Nars Lipgloss in Chihuahua or Belize. I have also become addicted to touching up with the luxuriously gold-flecked Tatcha hand-made blotting papers.

Things to Buy

Leopard print scarf

Yes, this is the notorious Stephen Sprouse for Louis Vuitton silk-cashmere scarf. I came across it in Paris and I am still kicking myself for not buying it there. The rationale was "surely, I can find something exactly the same for a fraction of the price". No, actually, I couldn't! Not even in Melbourne when I visited a few weeks ago, looking absolutely everywhere for a leopard scarf. I may have to save my pennies and buy this online.

Jennifer Behr rose headband

So pretty and romantic. I was inspired by my blog crush, Sara of Harper and Harley.

Chanel Nouvelle Vague nail polish

This may clash a little with my handbag but it is so gorgeous. See Temptalia for swatches.

That's all! I hope this has inspired your winter wardrobe in some small way. xx

(Pictures via An Ode to No One, Morrison, Primped, Beloved and This is Naive)

favourite tweeters

I love twitter. Not everybody does, mostly people who don't use it or understand it. They tend to be people like my parents, who can't comprehend social networking at all, or Facebook afficionados, who think twitter is "lame". I'm not sure how you can get much lamer than Facebook, but that is debatable.

I love twitter for several reasons:

1. It keeps me up-to-date. I check twitter and immediately I know what people are talking about - politics, music, fashion, feminism, celebrity scandals, tv shows, my friends' love lives. Granted, not all of these are relevant nor essential to my life. But I like being instantaneously in-the-know.

2. It's a form of sharing thoughts and ideas. I like it. It makes me think. Some of those thoughts are trivial, others are inspiring. It's fun, and makes me feel connected to the world-at-large. A world of my own creation. Which brings me to my next point...

3. It's not Facebook. I estranged myself from Facebook for a couple of years, and I recently returned - my only motivation being to avoid missing this year's multitude of 21st birthday parties (nobody calls or sends invitations in the mail anymore)! So unless I check Facebook, I miss important things. But I don't like it. It's shallow and narcissistic. It is bad enough running into people I went to school with at the local supermarket, let alone having to read about their lives and see their drunken pictures everyday on my "newsfeed". There is an innate pressure to accept friend requests from everybody you know, from classmates in pre-school to someone you met at the pub last weekend, because you don't want to be so rude as to outright reject somebody's "friendship". But twitter is different. It's not about amassing friends and "likes" under your status updates. Well, not for me, anyway. I follow some friends, some comedians, some journalists, some celebrities. If they are uninteresting, nasty or vain, I unfollow them. It's not brutal, like "blocking" on Facebook. It's passive. Similarly with following. I follow people, some people follow me. It's not mutual. There is no pressure to reciprocate, or to continue following each other forever. You can keep your twitter circle as small as you like, and nobody judges you or feels betrayed (unless, maybe, you unfollow your whiny best friend!)

Anyway, that is why I adore twitter. And here are a few of my favourite tweeters. I highly recommend that you follow them - if it suits you.

Alain de Botton @alaindebotton

Alain de Botton is a writer who imparts pearls of wisdom via twitter everyday.

The news so powerfully suggests 'what matters', it takes a while to realise 'but this drama is not my life' and switch off.

It would surely be almost impossible not to be very nice to everyone if one were mysteriously absolved of any interest in status or sex.

Chas Licciardello @ChasLicc

Chas (of The Chaser fame) is probably my single favourite tweeter because he has the best repertiore of links - always funny, informative and interesting.

How the world narrowly avoided environmental disaster 60 years ago through dumb luck http://bit.ly/9MyIsN

Funniest thing you'll read today -> Failed Attempts at Sexy Album Covers http://bit.ly/dCTtJb (via @scrivenersfancy)

Leigh Sales @leighsales

Leigh is the anchor for Lateline on ABC. She keeps me up-to-date with quality political analysis, plus she has a great sense of humour.

End your Friday night with a bit of Alec Baldwin/Jack Donaghy brilliance from 30 Rock http://bit.ly/dWp0

Jack the Insider's blog is my pick of the political analysis today - interesting take & well written http://bit.ly/d5tMVk

Josh Thomas @joshthomas87

Josh is my favourite comedian, next to Tim Minchin. I have been to quite a few comedy shows (Josh, Tim, Arj Barker, Carl Baron, Wil Anderson, etc) and his time:laugh ratio was the highest - and that was just his first show. Definitely one to watch!

After my spot tonight someone yelled 'fuck I hate faggots.' I'm pretty sure he is allowed to vote. #democracyhasitsflaws

a few people have commented on my large hips tonight. I have a pear shaped body. That is not really normal (or OK) for a man.

Tom and Lorenzo @tomandlorenzo

You will love "TLo" if you love Glee, Project Runway, Mad Men and scrutinising red carpet outfits. They are hilarious and, more importantly, thoughtful and intelligent.

Our #glee post is up! "Last week I joined a black church." http://tinyurl.com/27r8vfm

Launching "Mad Style," a look at the fashions of #madmen. First up: Bobbie Barrett. http://tinyurl.com/232vquz

Sarah Wilson @_sarahwilson_

Sarah is my favourite blogger. Everything she writes is fresh and insightful.

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” http://bit.ly/dkQAxf

my challenging cup of tea with Edward do Bono (!) http://bit.ly/bA9i5b

Frankie Magazine @frankieMagazine

The twitter account of my all-time favourite magazine. Their lovely tweets often involve cupcakes and tea.

So that's that. Enjoy!

palindrome

I love this :)

I hope it gives Generation X and the Baby Boomers (at least those who see it) some faith that Generation Y can be intelligent and contemplative. We're not so bad.

I think that the constant portrayal of Generation Y as shallow and selfish is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and it's nice to see somebody break the mould.

raw

I thought I'd share some gorgeously unadorned pictures of Paris that I found on tumblr. Paris' beauty is inherent - it doesn't need flattering lighting or focus to show it off.

haruki murakami

Okay so I have become obsessed with Japanese author Haruki Murakami. His way with words is just incomparable. He can articulate things that I can only feel, and so beautifully.

As a result, you will most likely find a lot more of his quotes on this blog. Starting with —

"Potentiality knocks on the door of my heart. [On Seeing The 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning ]"
— Haruki Murakami (The Elephant Vanishes: Stories)

dreaming

“Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning.”
— Gloria Steinem

my writing desk

I have a penchant for voyeurism. It's what draws me to reality tv and fashion blogs, particularly "what's in my handbag" posts (coincidently - Yasemin from Primped posted a delightful one recently), amongst other things. One of my most recent voyeuristic discoveries has been Tara Moss' The Book Post: A writers blog about writing, particularly her "I've Shown You Mine, Now Show Me Yours" segment, in which she posts photos of various writers' writing desks. It's fun. And inspiring. So much so that I decided, on a whim, to post some photos of mine.

This kind of ties in with my last post. As my desk is where I spend most of my time, it is a reflection of things that make me happy - especially since a lot of things that cause me stress also exist there (i.e. my uni work), so a lot of compensation is required!

You can see my beloved laptop glowing in the corner there. It's an ACER - incredibly reliable, sturdy, light as air, skinny, with an 8-hour battery life. Perfection.

I recently bought my little whiteboard from Kikki.K. On it is my copy of L'Oeuf (as a reminder that I really have to read it for class!), as well as a Things to Do list (the process of writing lists calms and centres me) and some pretty postcards that I bought from Centre Pompidou in Paris over Christmas. You can also see my manila folders, on the stand, which I use to organise my notes for uni. They are much cuter close-up (they have a gorgeous mushroom print on them!) My French dictionary and exercise book are sitting there because I have a test tomorrow which I am frantically preparing for. I study French as part of my Law/Arts degree - simply because I love it (and the French/France [Paris] in general), not due to any talent in languages whatsoever. I am not very good!

My notebook is a Moleskine (which I feel silly about after reading this post on Stuff White People Like!) I have one for each subject, which I use for my tutorial presentations and lecture notes. I love cute stationary, and I just bought the clear stapler, tape dispenser and hole punch from Kikki. K - I saw them on display and had to have them!

e My beautiful lavender hand cream to keep my hands soft and nourished, and my gorgeous Malin & Goetz fragrance in Synthesised Lotus Root - it smells like Sundays, freshly washed hair and crisp white sheets (if that makes sense).

Just a few books, DVDs and CDs I like to keep nearby - the books (A Memorable Feast by Ernest Hemmingway and Norwegian Wood by Haruki Marukami), I desperately want to read; and the DVDs (Mad Men Season 2, 2 Days in Paris, Love Actually, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones' Diary) I have seen many, many times but never tire of. The CDs (John Mayer, Missy Higgins, Damien Rice, Xavier Rudd) are some of my favourites. I like to play them on the desktop computer (to my right) because it has a much better sound system than my laptop, and I can listen to them at the same time as lectures without them drowning each other out (did I mention that I simply have to multitask to avoid going crazy?)

My messy drawer, equipped not only with stationary but also cosmetics, for those days I am rushing to prepare for my tutorials and I have to make myself up on-the-go.

My special Swedish chair that makes me sit up straight :)

So that is my little corner of the world. Or one of them. For my fellow voyeurs out there!

full of grace

The gorgeous Lou Doillon modelling Vanessa Bruno's lovely Spring/Summer 2010 Collection.

be laura

Inspired by Sarah Wilson's latest column, I thought it would be fun to consider what makes me "me". And to embrace that, acknowledging that other people like things and activites that I never will, no matter how hard I try. And, ultimately, stop persisting at trying to find things those things fun, and instead focus upon doing things that make me happy.

So this is what I came up with.

I don't like Red Bull, drum and bass music, turning right on busy roads, being in a rut, narrow-minded people, horror movies, action movies, chipped nail polish, tutorials, other people tagging photos of me on Facebook, reading law textbooks, the mirrors and lighting in (almost all) fitting rooms, tabloid magazines, cleaning my car, chlorine, dry skin, beer, wine, Diet Coke, taking the bus, impoliteness, unwashed hair, bogan culture, tap water, organised religion, dishonest politicians and "deep" Australian novels.

I like reading High Court cases, fresh starts, doing (nice) people's makeup, perfect hands and eyebrows, a little French café near uni, long car drives, songs I know the words to, rereading my favourite novels, freshly blowdried hair, Obama, being inside during thunderstorms, bubble baths, food-based reality shows, salmon, Richard Curtis films, Melbourne, Paris, Zibibbo champagne, love songs, talking to myself in the car, French people, sitting down and talking at parties, multi-tasking, atheist humour, finding kindred spirits, green grapes and cashmere.

So I guess the moral of the story is not necessarily to avoid the things that I don't like at all costs, but to accept that they are things that simply don't add any enjoyment to my life, and that I don't have to pretend or try to like them. Instead, I should turn to those things that I know I do like for my happiness, and only subject myself to the other things for good reason - to make other people happy, because I can't possibly avoid it, etc.

“You can choose what you do, but you can’t choose what you like to do”.

— Gretchen Rubin (The Happiness Project)

ready, steady, go!

This performance should put a smile on your face and a spring in your step :)

(via @davidhepworth)

life is good to live

I caught the end of this interview on Lateline with Leigh Sales and British philosopher A.C. Grayling a few weeks ago and I absolutely loved his insights into the pursuit of happiness.

LEIGH SALES: That sort of fits with what I wanted to ask you next which is about the idea of doing good. You in your book 'Thinking of Answers' have a chapter headed 'Happiness and the Good' and it's subtitled 'Does being happy make us good and does being good make us happy?' What is the answer to that?

ANTHONY GRAYLING: Well, the first thing that one has to remember is that the surest way of being unhappy is to pursue happiness itself. Happiness, when it comes - and what we need to do is analyse it and try to make better sense of what we're talking about there, and we're talking about something like a sense of doing things that are worthwhile, a sense of flourishing, a sense of being well-related to other people that we care about.

All that sort of thing, which is what constitutes happiness, is something that would come as a consequence of doing things that are worthwhile, of pursuing certain aims, moulded to our talents for achieving those aims, which are genuinely, intrinsically valuable.

Learning, trying to understand the world better, trying to do a bit of good for other people.

You know, they say if you want to be happy yourself, make other people happy. Well that means being externally directed, it means thinking about others, and it means getting up in the morning with a genuine desire to add something which you yourself recognise as valuable, always of course subject to the harm principle, as John Stuart Mill called it, which is you don't do harm to others or interrupt them in their endeavours to do this too.

And then as a kind of side issue, you get this feeling that life is good to live. And that's what happiness consists in.

(via Lateline - 01/03/2010: Religion in its death throes)

your name is the splinter inside me

kindred spirits

"Instead of things I'm good at, it might be faster to list the things I can't do. I can't cook or clean the house. My room's a mess, and I'm always losing things. I love music, but I can't sing a note. I'm clumsy and can barely sew a stitch. My sense of direction is the pits, and I can't tell left from right half the time. When I get angry, I tend to break things. Plates and pencils, alarm clocks. Later on I regret it, but at the time I can't help myself. I have no money in the bank. I'm bashful for no reason, and I have hardly any friends to speak of."
— Haruki Murakami

things (I think) you need to watch*

1. George Carlin Jammin' in New York. 2. The Office, Season 6, Episode 4/5. 3. My Flesh and Blood. 4. Mad Men, Season 1, Episodes 1-5 (then you are officially addicted!). 5. Scrubs, Season 5. 6. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. 7. Russell Peters Red, White and Brown. 8. Julie Delpy in 2 Days in Paris and Before Sunset. 9. Damages. 10. Eva Cassidy Live at Blue's Alley. 11. Project Runway, Season 1. 12. Once. 13. Obama's democratic nomination speech. 14. Little Miss Sunshine. 15. Go Girls.

* please keep in mind my love of the romantic, lame, politically incorrect, guilty pleasures, tear-inducing, French, God-denouncing, thought-provoking, etc.

kiss me

"But everybody has exactly the same smiling frightened face, with the look that says: ‘I’m important. If you only get to know me you will see how important I am. Look into my eyes. Kiss me, and you will see how important I am.’ I too want to be important. By being different. And these girls are all the same…"
— Sylvia Plath

i want

“Tell everyone what you want to do and someone will want to help you do it.”
— W. Clement Stone

I am embracing the law of attraction.

I want to:

— Be a writer.

— Commit to a lifelong, loving, romantic relationship.

— Build lifelong, loving, fun friendships.

— Live in Paris.

— Speak multiple languages.

— Make a difference to people's lives.

— Find inner peace and happiness.

— Educate myself and others.

— Work hard and be nice to people.

— Have a simple, balanced lifestyle.

— Travel constantly.

— Create a home.

— Embody effortless elegance.

— Experience everyday fully with joy, passion and gratitude.

My inspiration board

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

things I'm loving

1. Prism spectacles.

(via http://garancedore.fr/en)

2. Camille Belle's makeup.

(via http://primped.com/)

3. Damages.

4. Daily Routines: How writers, artists, and other interesting people organize their days.

5. Planning my 21st birthday party.

6. Sarah Wilson's blog.

7. Florence and the Machine.


8. Le Labo Labdanum fragrance.

This women's fragrance is an enigma… it simply doesn’t conform to any of the laws of perfumery. A strong concentration of oriental notes, with animal intonations of civet and castoreum, it remains a perfume that’s discreet on your skin even though everything’s combined to make it a power bomb. Listen to it whisper to your nose and to the senses of those allowed to get close to your skin… Once you start, you won’t be able to stop listening. Blended by hand, each Le Labo fragrance is truly unique.

(via http://www.meccacosmetica.com.au/)

9. Ralph Waldo Emmerson quotes.

Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.

Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.

Nothing external to you has any power over you.

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

We must be our own before we can be another's.

Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.

What you are comes to you.

Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.

For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.

10. These pictures:

Australia

Maybe this should be our new national anthem!

finale

Today is my last day in Nice - tomorrow I am coming home :)

Of course, I will do a long post detailing the entirety of my trip, but for now, I will show you my absolute favourite place in France. It is a picturesque, charming little seaside town on the French Riviera between Nice and Monaco, called Villefranche-sur-Mer. As I walked through the cobbled streets, I was picturing myself living in one of the little apartments, writing my novel at a desk overlooking over the harbour. It is simply gorgeous.

(photos via Riviera Experience)

energy

When we focus our energy towards constructing a passionate, meaningful life, we are tossing a pebble into the world, creating a beautiful ripple effect of inspiration. When one person follows a dream, tries something new or takes a daring leap, everybody nearby feels that energy, and before too long they are making their own daring leaps and inspiring yet another circle.

heaven on earth

Librarie Galignani, Paris

P.P.S. I forgot to mention that I am onto my fourth/fifth book. After Foreign Tongue - which I loved except for the slightly disappointing ending - I started on another French novel, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, which I received as a Christmas present from my lovely father-in-law (I say father-in-law, but what I really mean is my longterm boyfriend's father; father-in-law is easier). It is very funny and interesting - but as it happened, I was about one-quarter of my way through when I discovered what is probably now one of my favourite places in the world, Librarie Galignani (a librarie is a bookstore in French) on the rue de Rivoli, as I was walking home from the Louvre. And, of course, I couldn't help but to buy a few more books (although how I will fit them into my suitcase, I have no idea), including Elizabeth Gilbert's newly released Committed, which I just had to start straight away and, of course, I am now captivated. I started Eat, Pray, Love with an unfairly cynical attitude, but then I reached the Bali chapter (after skipping most of the India chapter, sorry Liz) and I fell in adoring love with her writing style, worldview and Liz herself. I don't agree with everything she says but I so relish reading her cogent arguments and ideas. She also makes a very compelling case for legalising gay marriage - as does this New York Senator, Diane J. Savino:

To quote a wise man (Josh Thomas, comedian): "If you don't like the idea of gay marriage then don't marry a gay. It really is that simple".

NB: I discovered the video via Jason Mraz's blog Freshness Factor Five Thousand which I read regularly for his insightful thoughts and inspiration :)

l'art

So I have been in Paris for four days and it is still irresistable.

On my second day I visited the Louvre, which is magnificent. I am not an artist and haven't been educated (or educated myself) in art history or appreciation, however I was awed and fascinated by the amazing artworks. Panini's Galerie de Vues de la Rome Moderne and Galerie de Vues de la Rome Antique, Caron's The Massacres of the Triumvirate and Reni's The Abduction of Hélène were some of my favourites. The palace itself is so lavish and grand, like nothing you would ever see in Australia! I loved the way the artworks gave insight into the way people lived their lives throughout history (although, of course, it was restricted predominantly to the elite, ruling classes and how they wanted the world to be portrayed). I also loved the way that some of the artists, commissioned by rich aristocrats, secretly added their own subtle messages to the paintings and sculptures.

The Massacres of the Triumvirate by Antoine Caron

The Abduction of Hélène by Guido Reni

Galerie de Vues de la Rome Moderne by Giovanni Paolo Panini

Yesterday I climbed the Eiffel Tower and visited Musee D'Orsay, which I loved even more than the Louvre. I found it easier to connect with the modern art (particularly since I knew of a lot more of the artists!), and I adored the museum itself, which has been converted from a gorgeous old train station. The Impressionist paintings were amazing especially, of course, Van Gogh and Monet. My favourite was Monet's Femmes au Jardin, which is just so pretty and elaborate. Of course, like all the paintings, you have to see them in person to truly appreciate their mastery!

Femmes au Jardin by Claude Monet

With all this talk of female body image lately, I have to say that visiting these art galleries has been eye-opening. It is only in recent times that the portrayal of women in the media has been restricted to those who are thin, with symmetrical features and strong bone structure. Countless artworks I have come across on this trip - the majority of which, of course, were created by men - have depicted women, who are not at all "beautiful" (at least by today's standards), in such a celebratory, yet frank and sincere, way. The curves and softness of a woman's body is emphasised, and they did not shy away from depicting exposed breasts, legs or stomachs. Breastfeeding was also painted beautifully and lovingly. Hair is natural (frizzy, mousey-coloured hair was common), skin is pale and faces are often not what we would consider "pretty". I suppose the message is twofold: premièrement, beauty is subjective and our perception of what is beautiful has shifted dramatically across time and cultures; ensuite, perfection has not always been - and should not be - revered and aspired to despite what contemporary media would have us believe. These tender, honest depictions of women looking beautiful because they are real is so enlightening and reassuring to me.

"It's on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly."

— Claude Monet

P.S. Two of my favourite bloggers, Tom and Lorenzo, have just posted Elle Canada magazine's stunning editorial featuring the beautiful Crystal Renn: http://is.gd/5ONzd. Please take a look :)

first impressions

Okay, you guessed it, j'adore Paris! We arrived yesterday afternoon via the Eurostar and it was love at first sight. I am staying in the 7e arrondissement, by the Tour Eiffel. The area is incredibly charming, with so many little food stores, a gourmet market down the street, and lots of restaurants and cafés. Last night we ate at a lovely brasserie (I had delicious Normandy style veal scallop) and then bought dessert at an adorable pâtisserie on the way home (a to-die-for chocolate crème éclair).

Today I walked the streets of Paris. It was absolutely freezing (the temperature was 2 to -6) but I was so excited that I didn't feel cold (although I will need go shopping for some more layers tomorrow!) I saw the Musée du Louvre, Pont Alexandre III, Palais Garnier, Arc de Triomphe, Avenue des Champs-Élysées and, of course, the Tour Eiffel. I will revisit each of them individually during the week to explore them further. I did delve into the breathtaking Notre Dame. There was a mass in progress and although I am not at all religious, I was riveted. The architecture is magificent, especially the exquisite stained glass windows, which invokes both tranquillity and awe.

I was warned that Paris is not as beautiful as it is in pictures; that it is dirty and the people are unfriendly. Well, I respectfully disagree - Paris is just as striking, picturesque and welcoming as I could have imagined. Each of the landmarks I have encountered are amazing, and the buildings in between, although not so grand, are, in the least, quaint and charming. I have not found Paris to be dirty at all - it is not spotless (and people do not seem to clean up after their dogs' public messes) but its cleanliness is comparable to most other cities I have been, including Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. Definitely nothing to complain about! I have not found the people unfriendly at all; the waiters are all extremely lovely (a lot more so than in Australia!) and the shopkeepers, although none I have encountered speak English, were very patient and gracious toward my family.

Quite simply, Paris is the perfection I expected it to be, and I am hopelessly* in love!

* Or helplessly? Hopelessly sounds too morbid, yet helplessly just doesn't sound right! Insert the correct word here, please. I should know this!

last days

Today took the Eurostar from London to Paris! Although I have so been looking forward to Paris, I truly loved London. I can definitely see myself returning and hopefully living there sometime in the future.

On my last days in London, I visited the beautiful Kensington Palace and quaint Notting Hill; ate the most beautiful grilled salmon at my favourite London café, Gran Caffe, in Knightsbridge; watched the truly awful 2012 in Leicester Square; froze outside the impressive Buckingham Palace; ate "the best fish and chips in London" - but my humble local spot in Perth is better!; rode on the London Eye; and, of course, watched fireworks at midnight on New Years Eve from the Westminster bank of the Thames River.

london still

Being in London reminded me of this lovely Australian song.

happy new year!

Last night I braved the freezing cold to watch the gorgeous fireworks display at the London Eye and, just as the clock chimed midnight, it began to snow! What a perfect start to 2010.

beauty in the world

“… But it’s hard to stay mad, when there’s so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I’m seeing it all at once, and it’s too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that’s about to burst… And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can’t feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life.”
— American Beauty