February Edit
Rolling donuts in Mia’s kitchen and her rapping on the trampoline (or, trying). Squeezing fresh orange juice and frying tomatos and mushrooms the next morning, still half-asleep. Emails brimming with love from Kyla and Matenia, Shilo on the floor of the gym, back-alleys in Chelsea soaked with golden light. Watching the sunset from Em’s roof and waking up at 5am in her bed to walk to the train station before school.
Janae texting my entire family to wake me up. Waterfront Festival, and meeting Alisha and Tori for the first time in Maccas, and Will grabbing me from behind, and Josh outside the public toilets, and running into Giada and Rani and Enya and Mia repeatedly, and grabbing Tori’s hand and sprinting into the ocean with jeans on that afternoon.
Watching the fireworks from Oliver’s hill, and throwing our tops off as we jump from the pier, and everyone on the train the next morning. Getting kicked out of the mosh pit at St Kilda and kissing strangers and my top snapping and glitter everywhere. Sitting in Maccas for hours because there’s no wifi at home, crying with laughter in Janae’s single bed with Tori, walking an hour to get to the beach and facetiming Kyla.
Yoga class and pesto breakfasts before school with Shilo. Fletcher’s backyard piled with blankets and pillows, hopping fences and walking through golden fields of hay layered with beanbags and a bowl of chicken to watch the sunset. Mario Kart and Jenga at 3am, Fletcher climbing back through the window and yelling at us to wake up because the stars are beautiful.
School started this month. Weekdays feel numb and long but the weekends have been so beautiful I want to cry. January was such an emotional mess and only in the last few days of feb do I finally, finally feel like I’m kind of whole again. Cheers to the full moon.
Here’s some favourites. xo
Riverdale – I am over-the-top, unhealthily, absolutely obsessed. I’m slightly embarrassed by how quickly I got through both seasons, how desperately I await every episode. Also a little sorry for doing the same thing to my little sister.
Little Miss Sunshine – Adored this movie. Putting aside my own dreams to road trip across the country in a bright yellow van, this one wins in it’s honest and often raw depiction of humour, body-image and family.
The End of the Fucking World – This is one of my favourite shows in the absolute world. I will never ever recover. Or love characters like I love them.
Glee – THIS IS MY COMFORT TV-SHOW AND IF YOU DARE INSULT IT, WE ARE NO LONGER FRIENDS.
H&M Close the Loop – I really, really love this.
Filmmaking is a Sport – Casey Neistat is always an absolute favourite of mine, and this is automatic classic of his.
Just Kids – I apologise for including this in it’s sixth-or-so monthly edit. But damn, this book is literally never not on me. I’ll be heading out to a concert and still slip it in my bag. You never know, right?
The Sun and Her Flowers – Been flicking through Rupi Kaur’s latest poetry collection, and it’s just as beautiful as Milk and Honey, though I gave away my copy to a friend who needed it more.
Confabulations, John Berger – I came across this tiny book in a bookstore in Richmond. I’d just come out of a local gig, and was looking for somewhere that was still open where I could wait out the time until my friends came out of the meet-and-greet. The book is hard to follow and the sentences are too winding, but it felt important and it made me feel introspective and nostalgic and creative in this really weird mix, and I kinda really liked it.
Susan Sontag on Storytelling – This is one of my favourite articles on writing, ever.
Denim Jacket – Currently still in possession of my ex’s over-sized, expensive, warm and ridiculously comfortable denim jacket. Officially mine, I think?
Long silk dress – Was idly thrift-shopping a few weeks back and came across a long, plain, pale brown dress. I threw it over my arm with a pile of other pieces, and discovered in the tiny change rooms that it fit perfectly. It’s the most beautiful thing I own, and you’ll probably find me lounging around the house in it, because I have no where fancy to be but it’s too beautiful to leave hanging up.
Leopard print vintage jacket – Admittedly, this isn’t mine, but I met Willow a few weeks back, and her style is killer and this jacket is so so warm and it’s a ten times confidence booster.
Scarfs – Throw a little thin one over a sweatshirt and flare pants, or a big chunky one over a teddy-bear coat and black corduroys. I don’t wear a lot of jewellery, and this is my favourite accessory.
Striped pants – My current favourite pair of pants are high-waisted, with thin blue and white vertical stripes, flare bottoms and side splits. Folding over the waistband and tucking in a loose white shirt is a look.
Berkinstocks – I don’t mention shoes a lot, because to be perfectly honest, I much prefer to ditch them entirely (seriously – find me in the city with my shoes in my bag, dancing to some street busker). But some situations (most, actually) kind of do call for a pair of shoes, and berkinstocks are my current go to (despite the jesus’s sandals jokes).
Passion fruit – Been slipping four or five in a bag with a small knife, and eating another ten when I get home. Um, slightly obsessed.
Figs – A friend brought over a bowl full of them the other day – green-tinged-pink, soft and splitting at the edges. I had to google how to eat a fig – but after that slight hiccup, I fell in love.
Croissants – So I hit the supermarket for a quick lunch the other day, and my first instinct was to reach for croissants and raspberries. Buttery and flakey and – hey, cheap – they’re the perfect snack. I mean, really, really not healthy, but perfect otherwise.
Sardines on toast – with generous squeezings of lemon juice and salt !! On thick whole grain bread !! The best.
Sea salt ice-cream – There’s a tiny Japanese ice-cream place in an alley in Melbourne, and they rotate their flavours every month. But their blue sea-salt ice-cream (with popping candy) is to die for.
Mango smoothies – Blend one mango, a squeeze of lemon juice and handful of ice. The easiest & freshest & most amazing mango smoothie you’ll ever drink/slurp/eat.
Thai Food – Takeout for every occasion.
Cub Sport – I saw them live having only listened on the train ride up, and the next day played their album non-stop. I’m so so in love, and they’re absolutely incredible live.
70s/80s – Been a bit obsessed with every album my mum and dad played when I was five. Here’s a little sample:
God Only Knows – The Beach Boys
So Long Marianne – Leonard Cohen
Fields of Gold – Eva Cassidy
Mrs Robinson – Simon & Garfunkel
Wild World – Yusuf / Cat Stevens
Fire and Rain – James Taylor
The Boxer – Simon & Garfunkel
Landslide – Fleetwood Mac
California Dreamin’ – The Mamas & The Papas
Summer Breeze – Seals and Crofts
Wade in the Water – Eva Cassidy
Cecilia – Simon & Garfunkel
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
A Horse With No Name – America
Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Father and Son – Yusuf / Cat Stevens
Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
The Sound of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel
Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
Social detox – I had a moment, about a week back – mid-way through getting over a relationship – and unfollowed nearly 300 people on Instagram. It feels good. Trust me.
Melb buskers (and dancing in the street) – Wandering through the city in search of dinner, I came across a beautiful busker with a few of my friends. We hung around for a few songs, left to get ice-cream, and came back to listen to the end of his set. I grabbed Meg’s hands for the last song and we danced in the middle of the street, laughing and spinning each other around. Listen to more music. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Apologise as many times as possible when you accidentally run into the old couple. & message the busker later that night on instagram. WoW life is wholesome.
Room change – I’ve changed my room three times this month. A new layout is fresh and reinvigorating and I highly recommend.
Loud singing – I strongly believe in the powers of singing loudly to lift your mood. Seriously, try setting aside ten or fifteen minutes a day to jam out and dance to your favourite song (current tune that never fails to put a smile on my face is Feel it Still by Portugal. The Man).
Triple J’s Like a Version – Ever since Cub Sport’s Ultralight Beam cover I’ve been obsessed, trawling through YouTube for more. Highly recommend.
Google Doc Journalling – I’ve finally accepted I’m not a paper-and-pen person, not when it comes to journalling. I opened up a new google drive folder and dump all my feelings & thoughts there, and cannot recommend enough. If a real journal isn’t working for you, give this a go. Everyone’s creative process works differently – a laptop is just as valid !!