my life in iphone photos: round 22

 

More iphone photos, I know! Lame. I got my new camera this week, so now all I need is a memory card and I'll be back to posting regularly with REAL photos. And next week I have a few fun posts lined up, so stay tuned...

a guest post on yoga for stress

1/2/3

Hi all! Just wanted to let you know that I'm over on Liv's awesome blog, Liv + Dave, talking about yoga for stress. Check it out here!

my creative space: a lazy beach bag

Writing this post prompted me to go searching through my archives for a beach bag that I made a long time ago - a less lazy beach bag than this - but apparently, I never blogged it. I'll have to rectify that. I did, however, realize that I used to make so many things! A scroll through my first couple of months of blogging turns up project after project. Man, I used to be so productive!

In any case, last week I did manage to rustle up this bag using fabric from my latest trip to Ikea. I simply made a roomy bag, with rounded corners, French seams and a long strap so it can be worn across the shoulder. It perfectly fits a towel, swimsuit, magazine, sunscreen, water and snacks. The essentials. I may even keep it packed and ready to go in the trunk of my car, for those last minute dashes to the beach. Summer is coming...

Linking up with My Creative Space today. Find other people's crafty projects here.

how my 4 simple goals are going

Last month, I wrote out my 4 simple goals here on the blog. Most of them are still in progress, but I thought it was about time for  an update anyway...

1. Knit a blanket. Right after I wrote the original post I went to my favourite Sydney craft shop, Calico & Ivy, and picked up a whole lot of wool. I started knitting right away, but I reckon it'll take me at least another month to finish. We'll see!

2. De-clutter and make my home pretty. Yet more proof that writing out your goals really works; the week I wrote this I went crazy de-cluttering and buying bits and pieces to spruce things up. There's still lots more I want to do, but we're getting there.

3. Buy a new camera and learn to use it. I am so, so excited about this one! This week, after much scrimping, saving, and debating, I ordered myself a new Canon. I should get it sometime next week, and then it'll be operation learn how to use it. I have a feeling my notes from The Nursery may come in handy...

4. Establish a home yoga practice. More of a fail here, not gonna lie. No matter how hard I try, if I'm home I pretty much only do yin yoga (restorative yoga). I definitely need someone else in the room to push me, but that's ok. Yin and yang I guess.

Have any of you guys gotten on Elsie's 4 simple goals bandwagon? How are you going?

at the pool

It's amazing how the weather can change in a week in this city. Last Friday I was complaining about the cold; this Saturday I whinged about the heat (it reached 33 degrees in Sydney!) until husband took me for a swim. It definitely felt like the first summer weekend. We spent our time puttering around the house replacing heavy duvets with lightweight blankets, eating ice cream and enjoying lazy afternoon siestas.

On Saturday, when the heat got to be too much we headed for an outdoor "pool" and rejoiced in the cool breeze and cooler water. It was exactly what I needed.

Tonight we'll watch Homeland, my new favourite show, and I'll eat a hot fudge peanut butter brownie sundae. Homemade, of course.

some thoughts on teaching yoga

"I had an acupuncture appointment with an elderly, Japanese man, named Kenji Murata. He started out when he was twelve years old, cleaning the floor of his uncle's acupuncture clinic. It was there that he developed an interest in acupuncture. He noticed that people always left his uncle's office happy, and though, "Wouldn't it be great to have a job where you could be of service like that?" 

I went home and started thinking that, in my job as a yoga teacher, I'd also met many kind people. I felt blessed. I started picturing my students one by one."
                           - Ruth Lauer Manenti, from the book 'An Offering of Leaves'

Yesterday I taught a prenatal yoga class. Three out of the four women there were between 39 and 41 weeks pregnant, full term. I've gotten to know them well over the last few months, and as they approach their "due dates" I think of them often. I know that any day now, I'll receive texts or see on Facebook that their babies have been born and I will smile big.

On Tuesday I met with four of the lovely women who used to come to my prenatal classes, when they were still waiting to meet their little ones. We sat in a friend's front yard sipping tea and playing with their baby boys (all boys!), in awe that all of these bubs were in their bellies, not too long ago. The mums tell me that they're pretty sure the boys remember my voice. Anika called me 'the baby whisperer.'

Last week one of my students told me that of all the teachers at a particular studio, I have the best playlists. To me, music obsessed as I am, it was the greatest compliment.

I haven't been a yoga teacher for long, but I have already met so many kind people and like Ruth Lauer Manenti, I feel blessed. I don't always succeed, but I hope that more often than not, when people leave my classes they feel happy and that makes me happy. You don't make a lot of money teaching yoga, but somehow, your needs always seem to be met. Teaching yoga will never make me rich, but I'm ok with that.

well maybe the table didn't want to go to ikea

Have you seen the episode of 30 Rock where Liz and her boyfriend go to Ikea on Valentine's Day? It gets me every time. All the couples there are bickering and breaking up. My favourite is the couple using the furniture as a metaphor for their relationship: "Well I think the table needs to stop listening to its mother." Ha.

There's just something about the Swedish megastore that leads to mega meltdowns. Nevertheless, husband declared last week be-nice-to-chica-week, so I dragged brought him to Ikea with me. And we spent the whole time referring to each other as 'the table' and 'the chair.' But we also had lunch first (definitely helps meltdown avoidance) and got in and out nice and quick, with a whole bunch of new fabric for me :) 

Do you and your spouse fight at Ikea?

p.s. all photos edited with VSCO on my iPhone

summer dreaming

It's cold, wet and grey here today and some parts of the state have woken up to snow. Highly unusual for this time of year, to say the least. So while I spend the day inside drinking tea and reading my book, I'm dreaming of the perfect summer outfit. Here's mine:

1. Gorman Sunglasses. Love this shape and the great colours.
2. Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin. I just finished reading The Happiness Project and I figure this follow up book would be a terrific summer read.
3. Etsy camisole. Antique underwear makes for the perfect summer top.
4. Madewell shorts. Can't beat a pair of worn in denim shorts.
5. Gorman backpack. The one thing on this list that I'm coveting above all else - a fashionable mochila. There's a Colombian tribe called the Wayuu who are famous for making these beautiful bags. This one is right up my alley.
6. Tan Saltwaters. My favourite summer shoes.

a new look

 

In line with my efforts to spring clean my surroundings, I decided to give this little blog of mine a new look. It had been the same for about a year, and I was really craving a cleaner, more streamlined two column blog. Though I have to admit that when I first saw the new layout my first reaction was: "Aah! What have I done?" Which is why, if you've visited this space over the last few days, you've probably noticed that it's undergone quite a few little tweaks, but I think this is it - the final design.

That said, I'm keen for any feedback... Do you like it? Is it easy to navigate? Any other ideas? I'm all ears!

p.s. Wow, you guys have some scary recurring dreams! But I sure did love reading your comments on my last post. Thanks for sharing!

do you have a recurring dream?

This beautiful painting is by New York illustrator Lisel Jane Ashlock. You can buy a print here.

I'm about to sound like a crazy hippy here, but for as long as I can remember, I've had a recurring dream about whales.

No two dreams are identical, and they don't happen very often but a few themes are recurring... My whale dreams seem to only happen at times of transition (moving, break ups, new jobs etc.).  The dreams usually begin with me swimming in the sea when I notice a whale (or a dolphin) nearby. At first I'm afraid - they're so massive and overwhelming - and then one of the whales will swim up to help me and talk to me. I think we're speaking English - the whales and I - but it's a bit hard to tell in dream land. Sometimes we play (I vividly remember a dream where a whale and I were throwing a ball back and forth); sometimes we swim together; sometimes we just have a chat. In other dreams I'll be standing on the shore, or on a boat and just the sight of a whale will bring me huge comfort. And the amazing thing is that upon waking, I do always feel soothed and comforted by these dreams. Just writing this is making me hope for one soon!

I'd love to know... do you have any recurring dreams?

restless at the beach

Last night I was feeling restless, and as far as I'm concerned there's only one cure for restlessness... the beach! So even though it was cold, and windy, and late we went to the beach where we enjoyed fried food and a sunset.

We also witnessed the most hilarious scene: a little girl, maybe 3 or 4 years old, was running along the beach while her mom followed her taking photos every step of the way. At one point, the little girl turns around and yells: "NO MUMMY! NO MORE PHOTOS!" Ha. I'm pretty sure this is exactly how my husband feels about me having a camera glued to my face.

under construction

Just a quick note to let you all know that I'm working on a blog makeover. It's a work in progress right now but it will be sorted soon. In the meantime, sorry about the mess!

bloom where you're planted

I've lived within the same area of Sydney for over 4 years now. And because I'm a daydreamer, I often find myself longing to be somewhere else. We drive south and I fantasize about living in a little cottage near the beach in a small town. I go to Bali and I dream about spending 6 months in the hills of Ubud, spending my days doing yoga and relaxing. My husband and I drive to the northern beaches and we talk about how maybe, just maybe, we should pack up and move there, closer to a daily swim.

But the fact is that for now, we're not moving. We have a lovely, spacious apartment in a great part of town. We're close to our friends, we've been here long enough that we know the local shopkeepers and restaurant owners, we're near our work, and we even have a spare bedroom. I have nothing to complain about.

So I'm reminding myself daily to 'bloom where I'm planted.' Words that stuck with me from the book Down to Earth. Rhonda Hetzl writes: "I cannot stress enough that simple living is not about a particular geographical location [...] A simple life can flourish anywhere." (p. 15).

Amen.

the dinner challenge, update & a baked risotto recipe

Last week, my husband and I spent 7 days trying to make a different recipe each night. It ended up taking us 9 days (including a night out and a night we ate leftovers) but I'm still considering it a success. It was great to stretch our creative muscles in the kitchen and not eat the same things over and over again. We ate:

• black sesame otsu from super natural every day
• pizza pockets
• vegetarian vindaloo curry
• baked prawn risotto with thai flavours (so, so good! recipe below)
• pasta with tomato cream sauce from the pioneer woman
• wild rice casserole also from super natural every day
• weeknight curry also from super natural every day

Baked prawn risotto with Thai flavours

• 300 ml stock (I used vegetable) - I used half stock, half white wine
• 1 stem lemon grass, bruised
• 4 fresh kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
• 2 tablespoons oil (I used grape seed)
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1.5-2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 1.5 cups arborio rice
• 300 ml coconut cream
• 600 g raw prawns (peeled and deveined with tails intact) - I didn't include this because I'm a vegetarian, but my husband threw them into his portion

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius (450 degrees F). Pour the stock into a saucepan, add the lemon grass and half of the kaffir lime leaves. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish with a lid. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes, or until soft but not coloured. Stir in the curry paste and cook for a further minute, or until fragrant. Stir in the rice until well coated. Strain the stock into the rice then add the coconut cream. Cover and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, stir in the risotto well, then bake for a further 10-15 minutes. Add the prawns and mix them well into the rice. If the mixture looks dry add some more stock. Bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until prawns are cooked through and rice is tender. Serve the risotto in bowls garnished with lime leaves.

the dinner challenge

my life in iphone photos: round 21

a lovely bunch of coconuts / at the markets with nicole

sewing / australian flora 

my favourite shop, calico & ivy / my bicycle

from our day in berry

a new etsy find / magazine clippings my mom sent me 

the beach / making granola 

palm beach / strawberry cake 

a raw vegan feast in the sun yesterday / manly beach