February Edit
A month of the WEIRDEST weather I’ve ever experienced (Australia what’s up), bad decisions, not enough sleep, but more than enough corn chips. Way too many corn chips. Join me for a messy playlist, plenty to watch and not enough to wear, and Adele’s magical first album.
Oh and I’m really sick as I type this, so I’m sorry if it doesn’t make much sense!
Shane Koyczan spoken poems. The only spoken poetry I’ve ever actually listened to, but I think it’s pretty damn good. I’m finding myself coming back to his videos again and again, and I especially love this one, this one, and this one.
Messy Head Podcasts. Lit a candle and snuggled up in bed to listen to Cybelle’s thoughts about ego. I’ve already listened to it twice and need to listen to it again – focusing on her voice has been a real study in discipline and concentration for me. It’s like meditation in the form of wisdom.
TED Talks. I’m trying to replace some of my mindless YouTube sessions with TED marathons instead. There’s a plethora of amazing people, projects and ideas out there, and so much to feed my mind with. TIP: Downloading the app has really helped me to regularly watch these.
Alexander Tull – you have my heart. This video took my breath away, in the most candid, brutal way possible. There are no words for what I’m feeling right now.
Girl on the Train. After nearly a month of agonising debate over whether to watch the movie or read the book first, I chose to watch the movie, and settled in one night for a taut and thrilling rollercoaster ride. Emily Blunt and Haley Bennett in particular were superb, and some of the imagery was simply stunning.
Pride and Prejudice (2005). My go-to comfort movie. I watched this three times in a row last Saturday, breaking off bits of banana bread and drifting in and out of sleep. Words can’t describe how in love I am with this film.
The Social Network. Guys, I’m here just listing off all the movies I can remember watching this month. They were great. They were all great. This is an old favourite, but still loving it. Plus, you need to get your monthly does of Jesse Eisenberger somehow, right?
SUV. Found the first season in a vintage store a few weeks back, and have been binge-watching my way through it. I’ve been watching this show for years now, but I’ve never seen these early episodes and I’m loving them.
Tea Time with Jasmine. Jasmine just started up a new series on her blog, where she interviews a series of bloggers over a metaphorical cup of tea. And I was her first interview! You can check it out over here.
Milk and Honey. Despite not being ‘traditional’ poetry, I fell in love with Rupi Kaur’s words. Guiding readers through trauma, pain and heartache, while expressing the sweetness of life, it’s well worth the read, especially for women.
Dressing from Every Decade. I can’t remember how I came across this article – some late night wandering through google and other blogs, probably – but I’m glad I did. Short and sweet summarys of how women’s clothing, fashion and style has changed, and how it’s linked to worldwide events and feminism. Plus, where to get the look of every decade of the past century.
Art books. Through frequent thrifting, I’m amassing a collection of art and photography books. Everything from Monet to 20th Century Photography – I can’t resist.
Anything by Osho. Literally every word this human being has written is pure wisdom/enlightenment/joy. I reccomend getting your hands on every book he’s ever written, you will NOT regret it.
Overalls. The perfect I-don’t-give-a-shit look. Toss a t-shirt underneath and you’re comfortable, presentable and on-time. I chopped a pair of long overalls at mid-thigh, then rolled them up.
Embroidery. Unique, DIY, and personal – break out the needle and thread and stitch some messy words and designs into your clothes. Looks amazing on t-shirts and denim (jeans, jackets, overalls, cut-off shorts …). I’m in the process of stitching some words into the back pocket of my fav jeans – 10/10 reccomend.
Red nail polish. Fell in love with red nail polish recently – a quick coat and my hands look so elegant against anything and everything (denim, legs, car handles, sand, bags, train poles, etc.).
Wideband Headbands. A go-to staple at the moment. School, bed, the beach, going out – I finally found my dream headband at a festival for a few dollars, and despite having already dropped it in the ocean and lost it a few times, I’m in love with it.
Thrifted. I went to this amazing vintage sale a few suburbs up the other day. It was absolutely crazy – I mean, we were scrambling under the doors as they opened, within ten minutes the warehouse was so packed you couldn’t see the walls, and the changeroom was nonexistant – literally a mirror-less corner, where you stripped off in front of strangers and had your friends take photos of you so you could check how everything fitted. To cut a long story short, I’ve been really into second hand clothing this month. I’d love to share a post about all this with you guys – what do you think?
Gnocchi. Chewy, potatoey, pasta-ey goodness. Pair with tomato sauce, pesto sauce, creamy sauce, anything you can find. Also, they’re cooked in about two minutes, and it’s easy to tell because they float to the top of the pot of water, so it’s impossible to go wrong with these.
Almond chocolate. Heaven, and something I’m eating way too much of every night. I’m actually associating my math revision with this stuff.
Banana bread. I feel this goes without saying. Of course I’m eating banana bread. When am I not eating banana bread? What sort of existance does not involve banana bread?
Croissants. Buttery, flakey, and make me feel like I’m in France. Tear off chunks for a sweet snack, or load with cheese and pop under the grill.
Thai food. Will this be a permanent fixture in my monthly edits? Yes. Yes, I think it will. A new thai restaurant just opened across the street from my house, and I’ve never felt so in sync with the universe. My go to order is jasmine rice, chicken satay-sticks with extra peanut sauce, spring rolls, and a sampling of whatever soup/curry my family is getting.
Corn chips. Way too much. Way, way too much. I’m in desperate need of new snacks.
@therestlesstimes – a new online mag devoted to young adults and the world. Positions on the staff are still open! Contact Darcy (editor-in-chief) at therestlesstimesnewspaper.gmail.com or me (assistant editor) at abby@writeme.com.
@alexandertull – maker of the video i mentioned before, and a photographer I’m currenly obsessed with. also, see his website here.
@brookeelizabeth.photography – another photographer. They’re all I’m really following at the moment, I swear.
Here with me – Dido
Go your own way – Fleetwood Mac
Flame trees – Cold Chisel
Daydreamer – Adele
Hello – Erykah Badu
Thread – Retro Culture
What you’ve got – Woodlock
Fuck you loneliness – Joel Cossette
Buzzcut Season – Lorde
All Time Low – Jon Bellion
Naive – The Kooks
The Woods – Daughter
Seventeen – Kevin Abstract
Wish you were here – Pink Floyd
My Throne – Woodlock
Still Sane – Lorde
In the Woods Somewhere – Hozier
Listen on Spotify here (includes a few bonus tracks).
ALSO: 19 – Adele. This first album is magic. I remember buying it for my mum on her birthday years ago, before I’d even heard of Adele. Strange times. Regardless, 19 still holds all of my favourites. Puts me in a daydreamy-haze sort of mind.
AND: Pure Heroine – Lorde. It’s rumoured she’s releasing another album in the next week, which is absolutely crazy, because the world has been waiting for about three years. I’m too excited for words, and this album has been on repeat ever since I heard. She is absolutely everything.
This photo shoot. A collaboration between Brooke Elizabeth and @girlsinreallife, it’s entitled Inner Goddess and is the first of a planned series of full moon shoots. Expect plenty of glitter, boobs and empowerment. If that sentence hasn’t piqued your interest – then seriously, what’s wrong with you?
1 Second Every Day. The app mentione at the start. It encourages you to film one second of footage every day, and insert it into your timeline. You can choose from anything you filmed that day or anything from your camera roll, and you can pick photos if you forgot to record something (but they give you helpful reminders!) I’m someone who always struggles with the idea of not recording my life enough, and this has solved all my problems! Best $7.99 ever spent.
Eau Roma Water. A blend of lavaendar and rose water from Lush, designed to hydrate and refresh your skin. I keep a small bottle by my bed for mornings, and one in my bag. Smells amazing (but what else would you expect from Lush?), and drys quickly on my skin.
Goodreads. This website has been a lifesaver. I used to cart home tens of books from the library every week, but I’ve fallen out of the habit. Now, I have a to-be-read list a mile long, motivation to actually reserve new books, and I can look back at the books I’ve read this year with a bit of pride.
Lavendar oil. I found a bottle in the back of a drawer in the kitchen, and I’ve been carrying it around with me ever since. Smelling it when I need to is really calming.
Meditation Podcasts. Meditation is something I’ve always wanted to do more and never had the will-power to actually do, but this website is a lifesaver. You’ve got podcasts for any intensity and time slot that you could possibly want, making it so much easier to really throw yourself into it.