sail away

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
— Mark Twain

paris inspiration board

8. engage in a fulfilling weekly routine

Daily: Go swimming or jogging, cook, makeup & skincare regime, green tea, dance cardio, write, eat chocolate-covered strawberries, kiss Andy, early morning walk, blowdry hair, update my blog, take photographs.

Twice weekly: Yoga class, go to the beach, paint nails, go out and dress up, do food shopping, tidy my room, work, give myself a facial, pack lunches for uni, check favourite blogs.

Weekly: Read a novel, watch Mad Men & Glee, see a film, do volunteer work, download a new music album, empty my handbag, organise uni notes, bake cupcakes for my brothers.

men

"Men aren’t stupid, and you don’t need a complicated set of rules to find a good one who loves you. Here’s the only rule you need: if a man loves you, he will do anything he can to keep you around. Anything."
— Unknown

8 questions to figure out your life

1. What do I want my life to look like?

2. What do I want your life to look like on a daily basis?

3. What would I like to be able to say I truly know in my life about my life?

4. How would I like to be with other people in my life – friends, family, business associates, customers, employees, community?

5. How would I like people to think about me?

6. What do I want to be doing 2,10,20 years from now? At the end of my life?

7. What would I like to learn in my life?

8. How much money will I need, and when?

(via Tynan: Life Outside the Box, based upon The E-Myth Revisited)

favourite fashion blogs

1. Garance Dore.



Garance is an extremely talented photographer and illustrator, and she writes in such a hilarious, endearing way.

2. The Cherry Blossom Girl.

Put simply, I adore her style and covet her life.

3. Niotillfem.

Swedish blogger Sandra's beautiful photographs gives us a glimpse into her gorgeous, fun-filled life.

4. The Sartorialist.

I cannot go past the original streetstyle photographer (and Garance's boyfriend - she is the photographer in the second photo). He has such an eye for fresh, original, beautiful style.

5. The Selby.

A glimpse into creative people's beautiful, inspirational homes and lives.

6. Le Blog de Betty.

Betty is another Parisienne who has amazing, affordable style and doesn't take herself too seriously.

7. Harper & Harley.

I have just discovered this blog by a gorgeous Brisbane fashionista who is my style aesthetic twin.

8. The Blonde Salad.

This Italian blogger is so fun and vivacious, plus her boyfriend is incredibly gorgeous.

yummy

Determined to embrace summer despite today's stormy weather, I convinced my boyfriend Andy to teach me how to make chocolate strawberries (my favourite summer snack!)

Organic strawberries + dark chocolate chips + cream (equal millilitres of cream to grams of chocolate). Boil the cream in a saucepan, melt the chocolate and mix it with the cream, then dip the strawberries and refrigerate until the chocolate hardens. Simple and delicious!

the web of life

"Man did not weave the web of life - he is merely a strand in it.

Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself."
— Chief Seattle, 1854.

In 1854, "The Great White Chief" in Washington made an offer for a large area of Indian land and promised a "reservation" for the Indian people.
Chief Seattle's reply has been described as one of the most beautiful and profound statements on the environment ever made.

The President in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us.

If we do not own the freshness of the air and sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?

Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man.

The white man's dead forget the country of their birth when they go to walk among the stars. Our dead never forget this beautiful earth, for it is the mother of the red man. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, and man--all belong to the same family.

So, when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy land, he asks much of us. The Great Chief sends word he will reserve us a place so that we can live comfortably to ourselves. He will be our father and we will be his children. So we will consider your offer to buy our land. But it will not be easy. For this land is sacred to us.

This shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water but the blood of our ancestors. If we sell you land, you must remember that it is sacred, and you must teach your children that it is sacred and that each ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people.

The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father. The rivers are our brothers, they quench our thirst. The rivers carry our canoes, and feed our children. If we sell you our land, you must remember, and teach your children, that the rivers are our brothers, and yours, and you must henceforth give the rivers the kindness you would give any brother.

We know that the white man does not understand our ways. One portion of land is the same to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and takes from the land whatever he needs. The earth is not his brother, but his enemy, and when he has conquered it, he moves on. He leaves his father's graves behind, and he does not care. He kidnaps the earth from his children, and he does not care.

His father's grave, and his children's birthright, are forgotten. He treats his mother, the earth, and his brother, the sky, as things to be bought, plundered, sold like sheep or bright beads. His appetite will devour the earth and leave behind only a desert.

I do not know. Our ways are different from your ways. The sight of your cities pains the eyes of the red man. But perhaps it is because the red man is a savage and does not understand.

There is no quiet place in the white man's cities. No place to hear the unfurling of leaves in spring, or the rustle of an insect's wings. But perhaps it is because I am a savage and do not understand.

The clatter only seems to insult the ears. And what is there to life if a man cannot hear the lonely cry of the whippoorwill or the arguments of the frogs around a pond at night? I am a red man and do not understand. The Indian prefers the soft sound of the wind darting over the face of a pond, and the smell of the wind itself, cleaned by a midday rain, or scented with the pinion pine.

The air is precious to the red man, for all things share the same breath--the beast, the tree, the man, they all share the same breath. The white man does not seem to notice the air he breathes. Like a man dying for many days, he is numb to the stench. But if we sell you our land, you must remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh.

And if we sell you our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where even the white man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow's flowers.

So we will consider your offer to buy our land. If we decide to accept, I will make one condition: The white man must treat the beasts of this land as his brothers.

I am a savage and I do not understand any other way. I've seen a thousand rotting buffaloes on the prairie, left by the white man who shot them from a passing train.

I am a savage and I do not understand how the smoking iron horse can be more important than the buffalo that we kill only to stay alive.

What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected.

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of your grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

This we know: The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.

Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life: he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

Even the white man, whose God walks and talks with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all.

We shall see. One thing we know, which the white man may one day discover, our God is the same God. You may think now that you own Him as you wish to own our land; but you cannot. He is the God of man, and His compassion is equal for the red man and the white. This earth is precious to Him, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator. The whites too shall pass; perhaps sooner than all other tribes. Contaminate your bed, and you will one night suffocate in your own waste.

But in your perishing you will shine brightly, fired by the strength of God who brought you to this land and for some special purpose gave you dominion over this land and over the red man. That destiny is a mystery to us, for we do not understand when the buffalo are all slaughtered, the wild horses are tamed, the secret corners of the forest heavy with scent of many men, and the view of the ripe hills blotted by talking wires. Where is the thicket? Gone. Where is the eagle? Gone. The end of living and the beginning of survival.

look famous

11. improve my sleep pattern

Tips for better sleep:

* Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends. The body will get into its automatic rhythm.

* Start the day with a walk, some breathing and stretching - this will lower cortisol levels (stress hormones) from the outset and help to keep them low all day.

* Change your perception of things. Read A New Earth and The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle . Frame your world in optimism. Change your words, change your world. What you think about, you bring about, so if you’re sitting there thinking stressful, angry, frustrated thoughts, guess what you’re attracting more of... People who focus on the positive tend to sleep better and experience better health in general. Remember: thoughts are like the clouds; they float in and out - you don't have to attach to them!

* Follow a consistent exercise program. It will increase your energy levels during the day, improve your mood and help to regulate your sleeping patterns at night. Exercise in the morning or afternoon. Working out within 3 or 4 hours of sleep can make it harder to fall asleep.

* Bad digestion means bad sleep. Don’t overeat. (No more than two fistfuls of food each meal.) Eat more meals, but less in them. Chew food thoroughly. Keep stomach acidity levels in check.

* Good sleep hinges on good daily detoxification. Things that assist liver detox: vitamins from green leafy veges, wholegrains, nuts, brown rice and seeds. Things that do not: Booze, drugs, food chemicals, sugar, trans fats, smoking and of course, stress.

* Sleep promoting foods (which produce melatonin and seratonin, the hormones required for good sleep): turkey (high in Tryptophan, a pre-cursor to melatonin), bananas, B vitamins, foods with zinc and magnesium. Sleep saboteurs: Fruit, rice, trans fats, vegetable oils (they become toxic at certain levels, cook with grapeseed or rice bran oil instead of olive oil), caffeine, chemicals and additives.

* Schedule some down time every day. Stretch, take a hot bath, read, do yoga or tai chi. Stare into space!

* Stop eating all together at least 3 hours before sleep. This will prevent heartburn, indigestion and energy boosts from the food.

* No TV or laptops for two hours before bed. Too much bright light and movement.

* Caffeine is fine in small doses, but if you’re not sleeping, get smart: no caffeine (even green tea) after 5pm. Limit caffeine during the day: try for less than 1-2 cups of caffeinated beverages per day.

* If you are hungry, have a light snack but avoid protein-rich and caffeine containing foods and beverages. Try dairy products. Milk contains the sleep inducing amino acid, tryptophan. (Go organic, please! So that the milk is coming from a healthy cow ... Eat Healthy: Be Political!)

* Try such sleep aids as herbal supplements (St Mary’s thistle, witharia, passionflower, rhodiola, zyzifous, valerian root, melatonin), Rescue Remedy and herbal teas - organic, pure loose leaf ones, please.

* Play soft music, dim the lights and wear PJs every night. This kind of pre-bed ritual signals to the body you’re entering the sleep phase.

* Aromatherapy (spray, candles or oil burners) have an incredible effect on stress levels. Lavender and chamomile scents can be soothing and relaxing. Vanilla 'kills' appetite.

* Don't oversleep. Too much of a good thing can actually make you more tired. Plan for a healthy 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Set your mind as you climb into your comfy bed.

(via Zoe Foster on primped.com and Janice Taylor in the Huffington Post)

sorry

Today our Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull each made a heartfelt apology to those who were abused under state care as children.

Later I was listening to the radio and heard a caller recount an experience that occurred at the orphanage in which she spent her childhood. The children were all eating their dinner in silence when one of them spoke. The nun demanded that the person who spoke come forward. Nobody did. She then demanded that the other children dob them in. Nobody did. So she made them all stand in a line with their tongues poked out. She then walked along the line clouting their jaws shut one-by-one.

I had to turn the radio off at that point because I was so disturbed, although I'm sure that this story is tame within the scope of the horrific physical, emotional and sexual abuse that has taken place in orphanages and foster homes throughout our country's short history. My mother spent one week in a children's home as a five-year-old with her four brothers and sisters while my grandmother was in hospital giving birth to her sixth child. She is still traumatised by the experience. No matter how comfortable our own lives are, we need to remember that there are always voiceless, vulnerable members of our society who need care and protection. We cannot be apathetic; we cannot rely upon the authorities to do the right thing. We need to learn from the mistakes of the past - and, sadly, I don't think we have.

We only need to look so far as our treatment of the elderly, refugees and the mentally ill to recognise that.

invest in beauty

"The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life."
— Frank Lloyd Wright

9. detox and decorate my bedroom

Although I don't have faith in the spiritual aspect of Feng Shui, it seems to be common sense that my inordinate amount of clutter is weighing me down - so I have decided to detox my room and, for once, I am going to be callous!

Things to Keep:

1. All my books. 2. Photos. 3. My favourite clothes, accessories and beauty products. 4. Journals. 5. Magazine collection. 6. Spare buttons. 7. Pieces that match my decor.

Things to Throw or Give Away:

1. Clothes I haven't worn during the past year. 2. Old schoolbooks. 3. Bank statements. 4. Anything purchased from a surf store. 5. Cheap jewellery. 5. Shoes scuffed beyond repair. 6. Beauty products I don't need. 7. Ornaments and porcelain dolls from my childhood. 8. Old birthday cards.

Things to Buy:

1. Bedding to emulate the picture above. 2. A vintage jewellery box. 3. Fiona Kate storage boxes and labels. 4. Renee home fragrance and candles. 5. New pillows. 6. DCO ice slab photo frames.

every woman

A woman should have one old love she can imagine going back to and one who reminds her how far she has come.

A woman should have enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to.

A woman should have something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour.

A woman should have a youth she’s content to leave behind.

A woman should have a past juicy enough that she’s looking forward to retelling it in her old age.

A woman should have a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.

A woman should have one friend who always makes her laugh and one who lets her cry.

A woman should have a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family.

A woman should have eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored.

A woman should have a feeling of control over her destiny.

Every woman should know how to fall in love without losing herself.

Every woman should know how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.

Every woman should know when to try harder and when to walk away.

Every woman should know that she can’t change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents.

Every woman should know that her childhood may not have been perfect, but its over.

Every woman should know what she would and wouldn’t do for love or more.

Every woman should know how to live alone, even if she doesn’t like it.

Every woman should know whom she can trust, whom she can’t, and why she shouldn’t take it personally.

Every woman should know where to go, be it to her best friend’s kitchen table, or a charming inn in the woods when her soul needs soothing.

Every woman should know what she can and can’t accomplish in a day, a month, and a year.
— Maya Angelou

(photography via Elias Tahan)

15. take pride in myself

Perfect a signature hairstyle:

Products: Fekkai ageless shampoo, conditioner and salon glaze, Aveda style-prep smoother, glossing straightener and hair potion, Bumble & bumble surf spray and brilliantine.

Tools: Aveda paddle brush, Parlux, ghd.

Perfect a signature makeup look:

Day Products: Le blanc de Chanel sheer illuminating base, MAC face & body foundation, Ellis Faas and By Terry concealer, By Terry perfecting glow compact powder, Kevyn Aucoin celestial powder in candlelight, pure powder glow in shadore and creamy moist glow in pravella, Becca mineral bronzer in duende, Nars eyeshadow in edie, Stila smudge pot in black, Nars eyeliner pencil in iceberg, Chanel inimitable mascara in black and brown, Nars eyebrow shadow in bali, Chanel lipstick in imagination, Chanel lipgloss in glass quartz.

Tools: MAC stippling brush, Nars yachiyo, ita, eye shader, brow shader and liquid eyeliner brushes, By Terry foundation, blush, powder and lip brushes, Utowa eyelash curler.

Night

Products: Le blanc de Chanel sheer illuminating base, Ellis Faas foundation, Ellis Faas & By Terry concealer, By Terry perfecting glow compact powder, Kevyn Aucoin celestial powder in candlelight, Chanel blush in rose dust, Becca mineral bronzer in duende, Nars eyeshadow in mekong, edie, night breed and kalahari, Nars eyeshadow pencil in goddess and aigle noir, Stila smudge pot in black & kitten, Nars eyeliner pencil in iceberg, Utowa eyelash curler, Mecca Cosmetica false eyelashes, YSL mascara singulier in black, Chanel inimitable mascara in brown, Nars eyebrow shadow in bali, Chanel laque in ming.

Tools: MAC stippling brush, Nars yachiyo, ita, eye shader, smudge, large domed eye, eye contour, push eyeliner, concealer, brow shader and liquid eyeliner brushes, By Terry foundation, blush, powder and lip brushes, Utowa eyelash curler, Duo eyelash glue.

Perfect a signature style

Oliver Goldsmith 'Audrey' sunglasses, Chanel nail polishes in ballerina and organdy, pretty white dresses, soft pink leather jacket, Swarovski bracelet, black patent leather handbag, cashmere scarves, Malin & Goetz lotus root fragrance, leather sandals, fuchsia wool coat, LBDs, white-gold wishbone necklace, ballerina flats, whimsy print dresses, taupe leather tote, Mystic Tan, organic cotton, Zimmermann swimsuit, cashmere-lined pink soft leather gloves, sparkly clutches, enamel and pearl pink rose cocktail ring, Renee satin shimmer dry body oil, white blazer.

(pictures via thefashionspot)

1. read one book per week.

Some books I'd like to read:

× The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
× A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks
× Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
× Sylvia Plath’s Collected Poems
× The Lover by Marguerite Duras
× Ulysses by James Joyce
× Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco
× Gould's Book of Fish by Richard Flanagan
× Engleby by Sebastian Faulks
× The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
× One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
× History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters by Julian Barnes
× The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
× Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
× On the Road by Jack Kerouac
× The Girl at the Lion d'Or by Sebastian Faulks
× A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
× The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
× Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
× Cuckold by Kiran Nagarkar
× Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
× The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
× Beauty and Sadness by Yasunari Kawabata

2010

Things to do in 2010:

1. Read one book per week. 2. Remember everybody's birthdays. 3. Grow and cultivate a pink rosebush. 4. Start taking regular yoga classes. 5. Do volunteer work. 6. Perfect five beautiful dishes. 7. Swim. 8. Engage in a fun, enjoyable, pleasurable, fulfilling weekly routine. 9. Detox and decorate my bedroom. 10. Take photographs. 11. Improve my sleep pattern. 12. Give more compliments. 13. Write. 14. Live a simple, healthy, balanced lifestyle. 15. Take pride in myself. 16. Do random acts of kindness. 17. Work hard. 18. Improve my posture. 19. Make more time for family. 20. Smile at strangers.

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art — write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself."
— Neil Gaiman

mother teresa

it will be sunny one day

A beautiful letter from Stephen Fry to a lady by the name of Crystal Nunn, in response to a desperate letter she wrote to him during a bout of depression, early 2006. Says Crystal, "I had no idea who to turn to. But I really needed someone to turn to and to ease the pain. So I wrote to Stephen Fry because he is my hero, and he has been through this himself. And low and behold, he replied to my letter, and I will love him eternally for this (...) I though that I would upload this to give other people suffering from depression a chance to read the letter which helped me so much during the deepest days of my depression."

April 10, 2006

Dear Crystal,

I'm so sorry to hear that life is getting you down at the moment. Goodness knows, it can be so tough when nothing seems to fit and little seems to be fulfilling. I'm not sure there's any specific advice I can give that will help bring life back its savour. Although they mean well, it's sometimes quite galling to be reminded how much people love you when you don't love yourself that much.

I've found that it's of some help to think of one's moods and feelings about the world as being similar to weather.

Here are some obvious things about the weather:

It's real.

You can't change it by wishing it away.

If it's dark and rainy it really is dark and rainy and you can't alter it.

It might be dark and rainy for two weeks in a row.

BUT

It will be sunny one day.

It isn't under one's control as to when the sun comes out, but come out it will.

One day.

It really is the same with one's moods, I think. The wrong approach is to believe that they are illusions. They are real. Depression, anxiety, listlessness - these are as real as the weather - AND EQUALLY NOT UNDER ONE'S CONTROL. Not one's fault.

BUT

They will pass: they really will.

In the same way that one has to accept the weather, so one has to accept how one feels about life sometimes. "Today's a crap day," is a perfectly realistic approach. It's all about finding a kind of mental umbrella. "Hey-ho, it's raining inside: it isn't my fault and there's nothing I can do about it, but sit it out. But the sun may well come out tomorrow and when it does, I shall take full advantage."

I don't know if any of that is of any use: it may not seem it, and if so, I'm sorry. I just thought I'd drop you a line to wish you well in your search to find a little more pleasure and purpose in life.

Very best wishes

Stephen Fry

(via Letters of Note)

life

"You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing, and dance, and write poems, and suffer, and understand, for all that is life."
— Jiddu Krishnamur

maya angelou

This woman is amazing.

She grew up in poverty, was abused by her stepfather, became a mother at 17, worked as a madame to provide for her son, won a dance scholarship, danced on television variety shows, started her own dance troupe, toured as an opera singer, recorded an album, edited a newspaper, fought for the civil rights movement alongside both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, learned French, Spanish and Fante, composed songs for movies and Roberta Flack, wrote poetry, short stories, television scripts, screenplays and five autobiographies, produced plays, directed a movie, acted on a television show, movie and Broadway play, lectured at universities, studied for her doctorate, nominated for a National Book Award, Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award and an Emmy, mentored Oprah Winfrey, recited a poem at Bill Clinton's inauguration, hosted a radio show, campaigned for gay rights, Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama... etcetera.

"Love life, engage in it, give it all you’ve got, love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it."
— Maya Angelou

tuesdays with morrie

I read this book during my road trip and it was truly inspirational and life-changing. Even as he is dying, Morrie Schwartz's optimism, selflessness and wisdom shines through. His advice for a happy and fulfilled life is so simple yet coherent and applicable.


Have you found someone to share your heart with?
Are you giving to your community?
Are you at peace with yourself?
Are you trying to be as human as you can be?

Everyone knows they're going to die, but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently. There's a better approach. To know you're going to die, and to be prepared for it at any time. That's better. That way you can actually be more involved in your life while you're living it. Do what the Buddhists do. Everyday, have a little bird on your shoulder that asks, "Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be? Is today the day I die?" The truth is, once you learn to die, you learn how to live.

The culture doesn't encourage you to think about such things until you're about to die. We're all so wrapped up with egotistical things, career, family, having enough money, meeting the mortgage, getting a new car, fixing the radiator when it breaks - we're involved in trillions of little acts just to keep going. So we don't get into the habit of standing back and looking at our lives and saying, Is this all? Is this all I want? Is something missing?

The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. We're teaching the wrong things. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it. Create your own.

Here's what I mean about building your own little subculture. I don't mean you disregard every rule of your community. I don't go around naked, for example. I don't run through red lights. The little things, I can obey. But the big things - how we think, what we value - those you must choose yourself. You can't let anyone - or any society - determine those for you. The biggest defect we human beings have is our shortsightedness. We don't see what we could be. We should be looking at your potential, stretching ourselves into everything we can become. But if you're surrounded by people who say "I want mine now", you end up with a few people with everything and a military to keep the poor ones from rising up and stealing it. The problem is that we don't believe we are as much alike as we are. Whites and blacks, Catholics and Protestants, men and women. If we saw each other as more alike, we night be very eager to join in one big human family in this world, and to care about that family the way we care about our own. Invest in the human family. Invest in people. Build a little community of those you love and who love you.

As long as we can love each other, and remember the feeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on - in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here. Death ends a life, not a relationship.

10 steps to becoming a better writer

1. Write.
2. Write more.
3. Write even more.
4. Write even more than that.
5. Write when you don’t want to.
6. Write when you do.
7. Write when you have something to say.
8. Write when you don’t.
9. Write every day.
10. Keep writing.

by Brian Clark

road trip!

Today my boyfriend Andy and I arrived home after a 3-day road trip :)

Long walks on the beach during sunset, delicious tandori chicken kebabs (I'm so lucky to have a chef as a boyfriend), sunbaking in secluded white sandy bays, drinking beer and champagne, alternating iPods whilst driving in the car, swimming in the pool by moonlight, afternoon naps, beach hair, questioning the practicality of my new maxi dress, pestering Andy to wear sunscreen, trying to convert him to Mad Men, giggling at tourists feeding the seagulls, reading together (me - Tuesdays with Morrie, him - Dexter), icy cold calippos, watching a dolphin frolic in the water, losing my sunglasses, swimming all day in the pristine blue ocean.

each day

"Each day is a new canvas to paint upon. Make sure your picture is full of life and happiness, and at the end of the day you don’t look at it and wish you had painted something different."
— Unknown

makeup

Everybody who knows me knows how much I love makeup.

After two years working in the beauty industry and trying an infinite number of products I have some favourites that I will never be without: By Terry light expert foundation, Yves Saint Laurent shiny lip plumper in candy, Kevyn Aucoin celestial powder, Ellis Faas concealer, Chanel inimitable mascara, By Terry rose de rose sheer liquid blush in fresh rose, MAC face & body foundation, Utowa eyeliner pencil in nude white, Nars bronzer in laguna, le blanc de Chanel sheer illuminating base, Becca boudoir mineral powder, By Terry powder eyeshadow in pearly rye.

Abbie Cornish's perfect summer makeup at Cannes (via http://www.primped.com.au/)

the dalai lama’s instructions for life

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

Follow the three R’s
- Respect for self.
- Respect for others.
- Responsibility for all your actions.

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

Spend some time alone everyday.

Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

Be gentle with the earth.

Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

— The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet

clueless

I was watching Clueless the other day (for the millionth time) and fell madly in love Alicia's hair - it was so silky and effortless, perfectly straight but it had movement and malleability so she could toss and flip it every which way.

Something like this:

Karla Spetic SS09 runway show (via http://www.vogue.com.au/)

Gorgeous!

don't remember you looking any better

Simply perfection.

summer style

A tfs thread on french style has inspired me to buy only 4-5 new pieces each season that I really love .

This season those pieces will be:

1. A unique print swimsuit by Zimmermann. 2. A beautiful off-the-shoulder white silk dress by Karla Spetic. 3. A breezy printed maxi dress by Zimmermann. 4. A metallic bronze leather belt by Lisa Ho. 5. Snakeskin flat sandals by Lisa Ho.

wrong side of the bed

You know those days you wake up late? With birdnest hair, blotchy skin, a yucky taste in your mouth, feeling like you want to hide under the covers and spend the day eating chocolate and watching season 2 of Grey's Anatomy?

Here's what to do.

1. GET UP. 2. Play your "happy" playlist as loud as possible. 3. Dance. 4. Put the kettle on. 5. Fake a blowdry (add some magic dust). 6. Do a face mask. 7. Fix a healthy breakfast. 8. Write a to-do list in your best handwriting. 9. Spritz on some perfume. 10. Wear sexy lingerie. 11. Curl your lashes. 12. Smile at your reflection in the mirror. 13. Skip out the door.

countdown to Paris

46 sleeps!