POWDER

Powder pink. Spring is coming. There's still snow and minus temperatures, but it's coming. Fashion is ready for us. The stores are starting to fill up with fresh stock. Today I bought Chanel's May nail polish as a bit of therapy for a tough start to the week and it's working a charm. Later on this week I plan to go to Lännamöbler to check out String pocket furniture in powder. There's an interior overhaul in the works. After a year in our apartment I think it's time to invest in side tables, a knit for the sofa, bed linen, somewhere to store magazines, something for the wall and something to keep me on time and in style.

Emily Senko by Alice Rosati for All Magazine

PRINT

Edward Ruscha's art is arresting and interesting. It has an air of humour about it too. What I wouldn't do for a print of the COLD BEER BEAUTIFUL GIRLS poster in my apartment. Sophia Coppola has one after she took it home from the Somewhere set. With Sophia's taste it's probably impossible to find by now. I also feel the need for a print of a pineapple for my wall. Strange but I think it might work.  

'I'm not just looking for pretty flowers to paint. There is a certain flower of decadence that inspires me. And when I drive into some sort of industrial wasteland in America, with the themeparks and warehouses, there's something saying something to me. It's a mixture of those things that gives me some sense of reality and moves me along as an artist.' - Edward Ruscha

SECOND SKIN

It's that time again. Time to buy jeans. Oh yes and that means going through countless ill-fitting pairs in order to find that one true match. The golden pair that fit long in the leg, wide in the seat and narrow at the waist. With an ideal stretch and the perfect treatment. I love jeans. They have this uncanny ability to be whatever you want them to be.

However they should meet certain requirements. It's their job to make you look better, number one. Number two, they should always have separate length and width sizes so you've got a fighting chance to get it just right. There should be a variety of denim looks you can achieve within the brand you choose. Your choice should not be restricted to Bootcut or Britney, that's number three. Number four, you shouldn't have to wash them often and when you do, they shouldn't loose their colour or shape in an unflattering way. The fifth, the last and if not the most important requirement is that you should be able to eat in your jeans, whilst seated. Always. You'll know when you've met your match because you'll think you left the house without your pants.

Mirage Magazine is having a moment

LOVE ME DO

He loves me, he loves me not. She loves me, she loves me not. Love me do. You know I love you. 

Mirage Magazine

SWEET

Living the sweet life is an appealing idea but also a boring one. Lately work has been all-consuming. So much so that I haven't had the chance to feel inspired where as usually a stolen moment will do.

It's been close to a month since we've been back in Stockholm. The tan lines have faded and the post-holiday glow is now gone. I was sad to see it go but it's nice to be back in the swing of things. A life of leisure is what so many aspire to but I think it's a waste. Contributing something by developing your talent or learning new skills is far more interesting. Although some days I would prefer to paint my nails, I like getting up and having somewhere to be. Here's to those moments where we can slow down and do not much at all.

WHOLESOME

The girls of So Much To Tell You have ended their blog. It was a sad day. They were my inspiration for The Collective. Though it wasn't totally unexpected as there have been less posts lately but for good reason as they now have their own individual sites. An acceptable consolidation. I've already gone and had a flip through the archives and they're pretty great.

Nathalie always has such interesting content to share. She has declared this year as the year of being more sustainable with a list of high expectations but said she'd never give up her trashy treats. I'll admit I'm the same. There's too much pressure in doing everything right. In being wholesome and well-rounded. I think good deeds, like everything else, should be done in moderation. Even if that means your health in exchange for ice cream. Because ice cream can keep you sane.

BYE BYE BABY

I'm always drawn to white. The combination of a white dress in the summer is unbeatable. It feels comfortable to be dressed in white though I'm not altogether sure why. It's fresh and says I'm pure of heart. It's what you put on when you don't know what to wear.

I think white can be sexier than black but it's reputation for innocence has people confused. It's a shade with more depth and potential than it's given credit for. It's got substance. The strength lies in it's weakness; the presumption that the wearer is youthful and perhaps unaware of the world around them. Those who wear white hold power but only if they understand how to use it.

Kate Moss by Mario Sorrenti, Vogue Italia

A CERTAIN KIND OF SADNESS

Break-up songs are the best. But they're also the worst especially if you're going through one. It seems that there's no escaping their reach. Radio stations pump them out with no remorse because most songs are break up songs. They're all heart and cryptic lyrics but somehow you just get it. Like horoscopes you find what's relevant. And the world makes sense again. Someone has felt what you're feeling. You're not alone out there all washed up in emotions. Let's face it, we're addicted to love. Love and a certain kind of sadness. This is my current favourite. And it will always be the song from the summer of 11' in Australia. Break-up or no break-up. 

GLOW

Holidays leave you with this glow. It's a certain kind of glow. I've recently been told I have this glow.  Not the kind you get from the sun but something more. It's a refreshed glow. The kind you get from excess sleep, good food, good company and hours of doing nothing in particular.

The greyness in your complexion lifts along with the circles under your eyes and the luxury of time slows you down. It renews your outlook. All of a sudden not much seems important enough to upset your day. Though strangely enough you don't notice a change until you're back at work. Heels drag as you resist the adjustment with the same conviction that had you convinced taking a break wasn't necessary. But as it turns out, it was.

Now it takes you twice as long to do anything but you're contented and unfazed by the faces on the street. Admittedly a holiday in a place where there's sun does speed up the process. I put my glow down to freckles and blonde hair dye. Now just to keep it up... Fake tan is hardly up to the job but it might just have to do. I don't think I'll bother. There's no substitute.

BLONDE CRUSADER

No wallflower is she. A crusader at heart. Blonde waves dominate her stare. Don't look away, don't loose sight of the green in her eye or you'll miss it. It's fleeting but you'll find it lingers long after it's gone. Wearing lace and heavy knits she armours herself from the day and from the roll of the weeks and months. A distraction at best. The raspiness of her voice comes unexpected with words carefully chosen her actions are swiftly taken. Don't cross her in plight for there's a chance the green won't linger but sear right through instead.


Jess Gold by Bec Parsons.
Styled by Romy Frydman with Hair & Make up by Victoria Baron

HOT IN THE SUMMER

Not so long ago the heat of an Australian summer was just a distant and rose-tinted memory. I welcomed the thought of being hit by a wall of humidity, the sun beating down on the pavement its golden light making an impression on my skin. I didn't even mind the possibility of my clothes being soaked through with sweat. But the reality of this experience is something else. With a constant need to run into sprinklers and to hide out in air conditioning, just a walk to the shops becomes a challenge. I think my most used words over the last month have been 'It's hot.' The storms have been illusive and there's a haze that's beginning to set in over the horizon. The grass is drying out. The nights are still and the crickets have us surrounded in our homes. Productivity is at a low point with all the lounging, talking and eating that's been going on. But then that is the holiday season.

I've also rediscovered that looking your best isn't really an option. The only way you can use this weather to your advantage is if your at the beach where a good bikini, shorts and sunnies will do. Less is definitely more in this lazy summer heat.

WATERMELON

There are many moments in my life when I say something profound like 'I carried a watermelon.' These are the moments where baby really should have stayed in her corner. Countless moments of clarity are spelt out into defining revelations. Revelations that others usually find unnecessary. Funny but unnecessary. Though this awkwardness is not restricted to words because being a cluts effects all areas.  In fact if it weren't for those who knew me I suspect things would regularly go quite wrong. Here's looking forward to a more together 2012.