Don't Forget To Stop & Smell the Flowers

It’s amazing how quickly us human beings can get used to new things. A change in season, a change in routine, even a situation that we’ve been dreading. I often look back on something that was stressing me out months ago and realise that I’m dealing with it right now as if it’s completely normal.

Nowadays, time is passing ridiculously fast. I’m not the only one that feels that way, right? I’m not sure if it’s a symptom of growing older or if the earth is actually spinning faster without anyone noticing. Or maybe it's because our lives are getting busier, like we’re trying to see how much we can cram in before we crack. Being busy is not a necessarily bad thing, on the contrary, I think it’s nice to keep occupied, preferably with things we enjoy - although that’s often an ideal that doesn’t fit in with reality. It's when our obligations begin to far outweigh our desires that real problems can arise.

So, in this hectic world, sometimes we need to remember to just STOP and smell the flowers. I mean that not only figuratively, but literally as well. Flowers are awesome. They’re a sign of life, of spring and the warmer weather to come. But flowers or no flowers, I think it's important just to take a few minutes out for yourself every day to do something that makes you smile, or clears your head. Find joy in the little things, so the big things don’t become so overwhelming.

Well, that's enough mushy reflections for one post! For me, one of the things I've really come to enjoy is writing this blog and sharing photos with you, so without further ado, here are some that I'm quite proud of. 

Outfit:

Playsuit | MISHKAH

Shoes | Glassons

Necklace | Sportsgirl

Bracelet | Kookai

Rings | Glue Store 

Watch | The Horse

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A Museum & A Market

Another cloudy morning had us racking our brains for something (preferably cheap) that we could do indoors. This can often be a struggle in a city like Sydney, but there are options out there. Our pick this Sunday: The Museum of Contemporary art (affectionately known as the MCA).

The museum sits comfortably on the edge of the harbour overlooking the Opera House (and all the ferries in between). It offers several levels of galleries: a permanent collection and a few changing exhibits. Now let's be clear, I’m not what you would call an art lover. I can appreciate the talent of an artist and the aesthetic and/or creative qualities of a work. I love the quiet solemnity of art galleries. But I don’t know much about art and I’m just not as interested as I wish I was.

Kind of looks like an old bank with a spaceship growing out of the side... In a good way.

In saying that though, I reckon the MCA can be enjoyed by anyone, no matter what their art preference (apart from the resolute complainers or intense art purists). We were lucky to catch the Energies exhibit by Haines & Hinterding. The artists aimed to shed light (and sound and smell) on the subtle energies that undercurrent our daily life, such as television signals and electromagnetic waves. A little bit like children, we ran around trying out all the interactive features. Props to all the headphones, a 3D environment controlled by hand movements and the intriguing fragrances of the sun, created in an “aroma lab”.

When we left the MCA the sky had cleared, so we made an impromptu trip to the Rocks Market, which starts on George St (just behind the museum) every Sunday. The stalls line the cobblestone streets that wind through the Rocks, mainly selling designer and handmade jewellery, clothes, art, candles and souvenirs. 

Cleanse With Benefits is a gorgeous Australian brand, specialising in natural and ethically made soaps, candles and skincare. I bought their vanilla rose lip scrub, which smells absolutely divine. I also stopped at Cicada Chocolate for samples and a bar of handmade Madagascan chocolate. Another standout is the corn on a cob from the Australian Corn Company. With a simple combination of butter, salt, pepper and a bit of chilli, it was pretty much the best corn I’ve ever had.

This photo was taken right before that pigeon on the right swooped me.
I'm convinced the little bastard was trying to steal my camera.

Museum of Contemporary Art

140 George St, The Rocks NSW 2000

www.mca.com.au

The Rocks Market

George St, The Rocks NSW 2000

www.therocks.com/things-to-do/the-rocks-markets

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Bondi Junction Gems

On a cold, rainy Sunday, if I’m able to resist the lure of Netflix under the covers, I’ll venture out to a nearby Westfield. There, surrounded by shiny stores and bright lights, I can forget the weather and do something really important. 

Shop. 

I love to shop. Some could call it an addiction, but I like to call it a hobby (it’s lucky that I do love it, actually, otherwise I might not make a very productive fashion blogger.) Ironically, on this trip to Bondi Westfield I did absolutely zero shopping, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate the atmosphere. 

Bondi Junction is a massive, glowing example of an upmarket Westfield with a broad variety of fashion and beauty retailers, as well homewares, fresh food and cafes. For this post I’ll focus on three possibly lesser-known stores to visit, that I recently discovered and absolutely adore.

Kit & Ace



After only one visit, Kit & Ace has become one of my very favourite clothing stores. The brand was created to provide impeccably made basic pieces, without the hassle of super sensitive fabrics. Their brainchild, Technical Cashmere, is essentially beautifully soft cashmere clothes that are machine washable and don’t require dry-cleaning. Apart from the clothes, the store itself is gorgeously chic and the staff are all sweet and helpful (and very stylish). 

Right now, I’ve got my eye on a basic white tee and their Mulberry Pant. While Kit & Ace isn’t exactly what you'd call cheap, when you’re there you can immediately understand why. Go into the store and feel the fabric for yourself, I dare you!

Public Espresso



For lunch, we visited Public Espresso. With bare bricks and exposed light features, Public has an cool, industrial vibe, but the food is far from mass-produced. Everything is made fresh, using quality, market-sourced ingredients. There’s a great breakfast menu (a must these days), and an array of classic sandwiches and burgers for lunch. I didn’t get to try their coffee, but with single-origin by de Gabriel, I’m betting it’s good. 

My open vegetarian sandwich was super tasty, with beautifully creamy mushrooms, crunchy asparagus and kale with perfect amount of crisp. I only wished there was more of it! Anth’s chicken was succulent and his chips were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, just the way they should be – in my opinion at least. 

Coco Joy

Finally, it was time for something sweet. We did dessert a little differently this time, forgoing our usual cravings for chocolate or cronuts (or chocolate cronuts), for Coco Joy. At this wonderful little store, literally everything is made with fresh coconuts: coffee, ice-cream, sweets, protein balls, and of course, coconut water. Cocojoy utilises the fact that coconuts contain so much goodness, including nutrients, minerals, electrolytes, calcium and fibre, while being low in calories (and delicious in taste). 

The ice cream is perfect for those with dietary restrictions, as it is dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan-friendly, with no artificial flavours or colours. We got a scoop of the plain coconut ice cream, which was incredible, just like coconut flesh but sweeter, colder and creamier. All the flavours have an undertone of coconut taste, so if you’re an ice cream purist they may not be your cup of tea, but if you’re coconut-obsessed like me, you’ll love them. 

Kit & Ace

Kit & Ace, 500 Oxford St, 

Sydney NSW 2022

www.kitandace.com

@kitandace

Public Espresso

Level 3, 500 Oxford St, 

Bondi Junction NSW 2022

www.facebook.com/publicespresso

@publicespresso

Coco Joy

Level 5, Oxford St, 

Bondi Junction NSW 2022

www.cocojoy.com

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A Devon on Danks Experience

Every Sunday, on a nondescript corner of Danks Street, there’s a line out on the footpath. Groups and couples wait patiently for their name to be called, then smile eagerly when they are finally ushered inside to a coveted table. There, their Devon on Danks experience begins.

Last Sunday we were very happy to be one of those couples, and it wasn't our first time either. I'm a massive fan of the trendy, light-filled cafe and all its glorious creations. To me, Devon is a treat. It’s not your run-of-the mill café; it has a certain something extra, a type of panache that makes you feel special. It’s probably because you can tell that the food isn’t created merely to feed, but to excite.

The menu at Devon on Danks reflects its clientele: vibrant, stylish and serious about quality food. It’s reasonably short, with a few regular dishes and some that change with the seasons (and the trends). The “Naked Bruschetta” is definitely my favourite dish of theirs, and I know I’m not alone on this. But this time I ventured out into more uncharted menu territory and found a delightful treasure in the form of the “Golden Egg”. 

The dish was absolutely gorgeous in presentation and delicately balanced in favour. The egg was cooked to perfection, offering up some high quality yolk porn (as you can see above). Besides the egg itself, the standouts for me were the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth mushrooms.

For a sugar hit after lunch, there's Danks-in-Donuts (donut balls with themed fillings) or a selection of Cronnies. We ordered the Oreo Cronnie, which was, as you can expect, amazing. I have a theory that anything Oreo flavoured will automatically taste good and it has yet to be disproven.

One of the best desserts I've ever had

I’m not going to lie, one of the main reasons I visited Devon this time around was because of their truffle soft serve. I had seen photos of the ingenious creation floating around instagram (see @philosopphy and @nutellasum) and I knew that I needed it in my life. 

While high expectations can often be the enemy of enjoyment, the soft serve did not disappoint. With rich, almost manuka-like honey, sneaky salt flakes and pure, earthy truffle shavings, it was perfect. Luckily for me – but unluckily for the poor souls who haven’t tasted its magnificence – it was the last day of the soft serve. But my ears and eyes are peeled for rumours of a sequel next truffle season!

Devon on Danks

2 Danks St, Waterloo NSW 2017

02 9698 7795

www.devoncafe.com.au/#devonondanks

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