Frida Kahlo Exhibition

When I heard about the Frida Kahlo exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW I was beyond excited. I ventured up to Sydney with my friend Ella for her birthday (she coincidentally shares the same birthday as Kahlo, might I add) to view the exhibition and wander around the rest of the gallery. 

Although the exhibition was both Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera's works, I think we were all there for Kahlo... And the people in charge at the Art Gallery seem to think so too considering the gigantic Kahlo panels hanging outside the building.

very very low quality, mi dispiace

On the walls was a timeline of Kahlo's life and I slowly read my way through the entire wall, taking in piece by piece. I had some knowledge of Kahlo and her life before viewing the exhibition, but reading it in detail shaped a new appreciation for her and her artworks. She continues to be an inspiration for many people today, including myself, not just for her artistic skill but also for her positive attitude and perseverance during difficult times.

The exhibition features not only a collection of Kahlo's works, but photographs, letters, quotes and film. 

Page from Frida's scrapbook

The exhibition runs until 23rd October 2016, information and tickets can be found here.

La vita é bella

This charm I got for Christmas is the famous Italian saying; life is beautiful.
Sometimes despite how wrong everything may seem and how nothing is going your way, life is truly beautiful. As cheesy as it sounds, it does take experiencing the worst thunderstorms for one to fully appreciate the rainbow afterwards.

For a while I have felt like I am walking in and out of a thunderstorm with only a slight glimpse of a rainbow, but I believe that my rainbow will appear in full.
No matter how troubled or complicated our lives may seem, I believe that some things do happen for a reason. Overcoming the most challenging obstacles life has thrown at you will make you stronger and more resilient, and it will be worth it in the end.
Surrounding yourself with positive people is so important and I am grateful for my friends and family every day.

I'm going to find a chain to link it on so I can wear it as a necklace; as a constant reminder for the need of positivity in my life.

I am so lucky to live Australia as it is such a gorgeous country. The opportunities available to me are endless, and one day I would like to help those struggling in other countries have the same opportunities for education, health and wellbeing as I have.
Last night my mother made pavlova, and I had to share it with you all because she did such a fantastic job (as always) and it tasted as good as it looked.

Happy Australia Day! 

xxx

Sydney Snapshots

On Friday 22nd January, my friends and I caught the train up to Sydney and explored the Queen Victoria Building & Pitt Street Mall.

Here are some snapshots of my day
xxx

{Lunch at Chat Thai}

{Dress at H&M}

{Ladurée macaroons}

{The Ladurée macaroons I purchased}

{Lush bath bombs}

{Lush face masks}

What have you been up to lately? Talk to me in the comments below! 

xxx

Summer Loving

Nothing says summer like swimming and eating fresh fruit by the pool.The Minkpink mirage halterneck one-piece is perfect for summer days like today; I love the bohemian pattern and I think it's very fun and stylish for summer. The swimsuit is incredibly comfortable and I think it has become my favourite! Even better, I was lucky enough to grab it from David Jones for the bargain price of $62, reduced from $90. 

What's your favourite swimsuit & what do you like to do during summer? Share with me in the comments below!

xxx

5 things to do on a rainy day

I personally love rainy days, they're perfect for staying at home and relaxing unless I have school or work, so in that case I dislike rainy days because it means I have to go outside in the wet, and who likes that? For the past few days the weather hasn't been too bright, and the rest of the week doesn't look any better- even though it is supposed to be an Australian summer right now.

So with the dismal weather, I thought I'd share 10 things I enjoy doing on a rainy day.

1. Read a book

I love curling up in bed, being cosy and warm and reading a good book. I'm currently reading The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood which is a dystopian novel published in 1985 about the oppression of women in the fictional Republic of Gilead, narrated by a woman named Offred. As the Republic have a declining number of births, the Handmaid's are hired to give birth to children for wealthy families. The Handmaid's Tale is a feminist novel that shows the reader the life Offred lives in the Republic. 

2. Make a cup of tea or hot chocolate

Nothing says warm and toasty like a hot beverage! A cup of your favourite tea or hot chocolate will easily warm your chills on a cold, rainy day. I love English Breakfast with lemon and honey and peppermint tea for something a bit lighter on the stomach.You can never go wrong with hot chocolate, especially when marshmallows and whipped cream are involved!

3. Have a movie marathon

Get your favourite DVDs out (or Netflix), pop some popcorn and get comfy on the lounge as you re-watch your favourite films. If your friends can brave the rain and get outside of their own house, then having a sleepover or movie day would be a fun way to rid your boredom.

4. Take a bath

I find baths so relaxing and I really enjoy just taking time for myself. I use Lush products in my bath and I would highly recommend them to everyone, so to jazz up your bubble bath try one of their amazing bath bombs! 

5. Sleep

Seems like an obvious one, but why not spend the day in bed sleeping. Who knows- maybe you'll wake up the next day to gorgeous, sunny weather!

What do you like to do on rainy days? Let me know in the comments below!

Image credit: Tumblr

Seasons Greetings

As Christmas is over and we are about to begin celebrating the new year, I thought I'd share my Christmas and holiday festivities.

On Monday 21st, my mum, younger brother, friend and I made shortbread.

It's a Christmas tradition for us to make shortbread, and it is so fun to make. Even if you don't enjoy eating it you could always give it as a gift to someone. We made two batches- one for us and one for my uncle. My uncle's shortbread are in the last image, sprinkled with icing sugar and placed in a large cookie bowl, wrapped with various ribbons and a gift tag.

Decorating the tree with my mum proved to be a challenge this year with our lights blowing up, so we had to improvise with coloured lights instead of our regular gold ones. These lights lasted up until Boxing Day, when one of the dogs decided to chew on the cord- resulting in another lot of dead lights. Christmas tree light shopping will be number 1 on our to-do-list next Christmas! 

Decorations on our tree

I decorated my room with tinsel, lights and ornaments to add some festivity to the room I spend most of my time in!

Festive shelf with tinsel

My bedside table with a Christmas card and a glass Christmas tree

This was our table setting for Christmas Day in our dining room, including a new red tablecloth, crackers, Dusk snowflake tea light holders, jars for after-dinner mints, and reindeer tea lights. 

Below is our set up for the snacks in the living room

I hope had yourselves a merry little Christmas 

xxx

Lush 1.0

A few days ago I ventured to the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney, and stumbled upon one of my new favourite stores- Lush.

Up until a few months ago, the last time I had a bath was probably ten years ago because I've always been more of a shower person. However, after one of the most long and stressful days I have had this year, I decided I needed some 'me time'- and that included having a bath. 

It was so calming and peaceful and I find it a really good way to relax. Because I've been taking more baths, I have been in need of bath bombs; then Lush came into my life.

The first time I heard of Lush was back in 2013 when I was in Hawaii. I browsed in Lush at the Ala Moana Centre, however I wasn't too keen on buying bath bombs back then! I had read reviews online on other blogs and watched various Lush Haul videos (like Zoella's) and became intrigued. I was so excited to visit Lush in Sydney as I was now incredibly interested in their products and knew that I would actually use them; compared to if I had bought them a few years ago.

I only bought two items as the store was very crowded and there wasn't much room to move around and look at everything, so I will most likely go back sometime in the new year to stock up on some more goodies! 

The first item I found was the Big Blue Bath Bomb, which I used in my bath tonight.

It was absolutely lovely and smells incredible, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is after a nice and calming bath. The tag says:

'A good bath if you need to think. Helps to clear the head. With refreshing lemon, lavender and seaweed'; which I think is very fitting. 

It left me smelling not only amazing, but I felt incredibly refreshed and calm too. It was so lovely to end such a great day by having a nice bath, lighting a candle and re-reading Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. 

I will definitely be purchasing more than one of these goodies next time!

The other product I bought was the Magic Wand, which you swirl around in the bath for a gorgeous pink colour. The wand is reusable for up to ten baths which is quite good value for money if you're after a cheaper option. In saying that, everything at Lush seems to be reasonably priced for handcrafted organic bath bombs and cosmetics. 

I haven't used the magic wand yet but it is gorgeous, and I can't wait to see how it turns out. 

I think next time I go to Lush I will look at their face masks and other bath products, but for now I'm happy with these purchases! 

xxx

5 tips for hosting a tea party

Recently I hosted a tea party for my birthday and it was an incredibly fun afternoon, so here are my tips for having a tea party of your own!

1. Create the perfect atmosphere

This includes table decorations, candles, nice cutlery and of course- beautiful tea cups. 

It is important to make your guests feel as comfortable as they can, and for them to walk into a room with a gorgeously decorated table will instantly create the perfect vibe for them.

It's also nice to decorate the table with flowers to add a fresh scent to the room, and I did so with fresh lavender from my Aunt's garden. 

{My table setting}

2. Serve a variety of food

It is important to serve not only cakes, but small savoury foods as well. I would recommend making sausage rolls; or just even buying them and other frozen foods from the grocery store because who doesn't love a good sausage roll, party pie, pastizzi or mini quiche?  

However, guests will be very appreciative if your sweet dishes are homemade. I served caramel slice, lemon cake, honey & cornflake crisps and cupcakes. 

It's good to have a variety of both sweet and savory so your guests can eat what they like.

3. Tea x 10

Be prepared to boil many, many, many jugs of water for the teapot- because that tea will go down the hatch faster than you can recite the alphabet. Try to notice when the tea is running low, and make sure to offer if they would like a different type of tea. 

I just served English Breakfast tea and placed milk, sugar, honey and lemon on the table for people to use if they wished. After about six teapots of English Breakfast, we moved onto what was about four teapots of Peppermint tea. 

If your guests like a range of teas, perhaps use mini teapots for the different types so your guests can drink what they like.

{Serve the tea in nice china teacups like this, including the saucer}

4. Set a theme

Fancy tea party? Semi-formal? Alice in Wonderland themed? 

Sometimes it's a quirky and fun idea to set a theme for your tea party. Let your guests know a month prior so that they have time to not only save the date, but organize their outfit! 

5. Enjoy the company of friends

My tea party was a success because it was an intimate afternoon tea with seven of my closest friends. Even though not all of my friends knew each other extremely well, friendships were made and everyone had a wonderful time. It's good to ease the tension so make sure for an intimate gathering like this, majority of people get along! The most important thing is to enjoy the company of those who you spend your time with, and I think tea parties are a fantastic way to do that. 

{Polaroids of my friends and I}