m y . c u p . o f . t e a

After nearly a week of non-stop rain, I am officially over it. Everyone in my household is going stir crazy having been indoors for too long. We'll be climbing the walls by the end of the week.

I got an amazing retro Malvern Star bike for Christmas! It's such a gem and I'm so happy that I finally have a set of wheels, and a pretty set at that. I will definitely have to invest in a good bike lock. It's called 'La Belle' and I haven't been able to take it out for a proper spin due to the rain.

To top off my rain-induced melancholic/unbalanced state, I burnt the only remaining food left in my cupboard after work this evening. They were leftover dinner rolls from Christmas Eve that I found in the freezer . After scouring the cupboards for around 10 mins they were the only skerrick of sustenance I could find. So when I eventually found them I almost wanted to air high-five myself. Needless to say that when I pulled them out of the oven and they were highly carcinogenic, I was less than impressed.
I was sidetracked by Ali Mitton's site and the beautiful photographs she takes. I know I've harped on about photographers way too much so I'm not going to ramble on about how wonderful her pictures are. You can just see for yourself.

xx

s a r a h . t r y . a g a i n

I've always thought that new years resolutions were cheesy, useless and usually associated with cigarette smokers trying to quit or people wanting to shed those Christmas kilo's... or in some cases both. I've never really been the type to sit down and come up with a solid resolution and nor would I be the type to see it through. Every year, for the benefit of those declaring their resolutions at the stroke of midnight, I would invariably mumble something like 'drink more water', 'be more organised' or worse still  'use less smiley faces in text messages'. NYE fail. 

So it comes as quite a surprise that I should find myself seriously considering a resolution for 2011. I'd like to thank/blame Abby Powell (from Abby Try Again) and her obsession with photography and film cameras for inspiring my resolution. Abby is a self taught photographer and sells her prints for next to nothing. I've posted a few of my favourites but you definitely must check out her website. She may just have that perfect Christmas present or who knows...she may inspire you to get creative and DIY your own Christmas prints.

Next year I promise to actually use my collection of film cameras and photograph my life. And hey you know what? I might even print and hang them. Well, maybe that's a resolution for 2012.

xx



h o m e w a r d . b o u n d .

After a whirlwind weekend trip back home I am now safely back in cruisy little Byron Bay. The primary purpose of the trip was to attend my cousin's wedding which took place in Mosman, Sydney. It really was a lovely wedding not to mention that my cousin Becca looked incredibly beautiful. I'll definitely dedicate a post to the wedding at some stage this week. I took over 100 photos so culling them may be quite tricky.

So, in a nutshell these are the things I have learned over the past few days:

1. We often take our friends and family for granted. Having not seen mine in almost 5 months it was so amazing to have them around me again. I didn't get to see everyone though, so I apologise if you were one of those people! I just physically could not stretch myself any more than I already did.

2. Even though there have been many occasions where I have been homesick during the 5 months, I was somewhat relieved to head back home to Byron...even if it was to torrential rain.

3. Karma actually does exist.

4. Boy and Bear do the best cover of Fall At Your Feet by Crowded House.

5. Weddings cost a lot of money.

6. My mother wants me to elope. Refer to above.

7. Home really is, where your heart is.

Anyway just thought I would share a few pictures that made me go "ha ha", "awww" or "ooooooh" I particularly enjoyed the first photo. I hope you do too!


sarah
xx

w h y . d i d n t . i . t h i n k . o f . t h a t ?

wallpaper from pages of old books from Anthology

 antlers wall feature to hang jewelery from: Susannae Maaria Erkheikki

a giant calender drawn on chalkboard paint: Frederik Vercruysse

a solid branch as a curtain rod: Ditte Isager

giant lamp shade light fitting from James Plumb

 pot plants in tea cups: notes by cecilia

typography bikes from Swiss designer Juri Zaech.

I'm always on the lookout for unique design ideas and when I find them I'm always semi annoyed that I didn't think of it myself. It really is wishful thinking seeing as though I'm a renter and unlikely to be able to put any of these quirky ideas to good use...with the exception of  the tea cups and the bike. Speaking of which, I'm on the hunt for a retro bike and it seems that where I live, someone has to drop off the perch before it's sold.

On another note, I've noticed a spring in everyone's step (no pun intended) as the beginning of Summer approaches quickly. I know it's a total cliche but this year has flown by! The warmer weather and the prospect of holidays really does make everyone a little giddy doesn't it?

Anyway, I'll finish with a picture that I thought was too good not to post.

w h a t . s a r a h . f o u n d

  

Those who know me well can testify that I have a (mostly) healthy obsession with food and wine. And op-shopping...but that's another post. I am THE worst magazine reader. I flick from one page to the next, scanning over and absorbing all the beautiful photographs, while generally disregarding any text. As far as I'm concerned, the text takes up room that could have otherwise been devoted to more photographs*. So when I found magazines such as Donna Hay and Gourmet a few years back, I was so overwhelmed with joy that I just had to subscribe.

Cut to present day and imagine my surprise when I stumbled across What Katie Ate. I think I squealed when I realised what it was. Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Katie Quinn Davies is a professional food stylist and photographer for food publications around the world. It is safe to say, that this self confessed foodie has one of the best jobs in the world and I'm sure that she gets to sample all of the delicious treats she photographs. As if the photographs weren't enough, Katie has kindly provided recipes so we can all try our hand at food photography.

I mean, how hard can it be right?!

*Australian Frankie magazine is the only exception to this rule

d i t t e . i s a g e r

I waste a good number of hours a day pouring through blogs trying to find the diamonds in the rough.  It's not unusual for me to be awake in the wee hours of the morning browsing through the plethora of pages on my "favourite list". It has become so extensive that I have now had to designate blogs into separate folders titled fashion, design, inspiration, interior etc. I'm sure you can relate.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Blogs Roll feature that many peoples include on their blogs. I cannot resist the temptation when the possibility of finding the perfect vintage outfit, bedroom fit-out, craft project, recipe, photography site (the list is endless) may be just one click away. Before I know it it's after midnight.

Hate is derived from the lack of sleep I'm getting while love is the result of finding people like Danish photographer Ditte Isager. There is something so magical in each and every photograph. It makes me want to quit my job, buy a camera and travel the world telling stories through photographs for a living.