Daily Outfit: Hotel Life

I can remember just how delighted I was to stay in a luxury hotel with my parents in Glasgow after much backpacking.

And one more for good luck:

Was kind of stunned that I could cobble together a "suit" from my backpack!

Vintage Loving

Some beautiful dresses have been popping up on my Pinterest lately, so I thought I'd share them with you!

Interestingly, a lot of these robes are Lanvin. Not a brand I feel a particular affinity with in 2013, however.

The beautiful collection reminds me of browsing through the fantastic fashion archives at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

Sequin Cat for Louis Vuitton?

While flicking through Interview magazine the other day (don't worry, I get all of my reading material from the library) I noticed an ad campaign that looked oddly familiar...

Louis Vuitton's recent line of bags, and its "Chic on the bridge" (chic sur le pont) advertisements are visually appealing with the latest crop of modelling stars, but I was more interested in the candy-coloured bags themselves.

I know I was a fan of the Parisian way of holding your bag whilst I lived there in 2009 (and still hold my bag this way, admittedly). But let's look a little bit more at the shape of the bag, even the texture, and zipper.

The bag itself? Found in an op shop before I moved abroad, and thrashed to death while in France. Marc, have you been trawling my archives???

Ribbed texture, complete zip, square buckles and bag supports on the bottom. Hmm.

Thank you French red bucket bag for so much loyal service!

New to the blog? Like what you see here? Click through on any of the images above to read about my crazy adventures living in Paris in 2009 (or the 2012/13 archives are also travel-tacular!)

Daily Outfit: Spare from Japan

It seems this snap from Osaka Castle managed to miss my Japanese Outfit round-up!

Variations on the same theme, I guess...

Daily Outfit: Backpacking in Europe

I thought I'd clear the backpacking backlog (I'll get there... maybe) and start sharing just a few of my adventures abroad. There were many.

I've tried to keep these in chronological order (it also gives you a bit of an idea about how crazily zig-zagged my travels were).

Picking wildflowers in Montpellier

Soaking up sun in Copenhagen

Flowers in Denmark

Mirrored art in Copenhagen

Touring Copenhagen with friends

Arriving in Budapest on "Hard Rubbish" weekend!

Jumping for joy while clubbing in Pest

A rainy day on the Buda side of the river, Hungary

Getting ready for some epic caving, Budapest

Mirrors in the fun house, Stockholm

Knee not looking too swollen!

One day tour of Dortmund, Germany

Pre nude sauna experience, Cologne, Germany

Bremen Botanical Garden, Germany

Giving Bach some respect, Leipzig, Germany

About to see the orchestra play Pictures at an Exhibition (one of my faves!)

Alarmed (in a stainless steel bathtub, DesignPanoptikum, Berlin)

Usual travel attire. Judging from the wet public transport surface, I'm going to bet this is Bordeaux

I can't really give any advice on packing a travel wardrobe (for all the climates!) as I wasn't only travelling for a few months, I had my whole life on my back. When leaving Bordeaux (and heading to Japan, hooray!) I sorted through all my possessions. What couldn't fit in my pack was either sent home, or, sent to a good home. I think things would have been different if I had a home base.

Yesterday

Yesterday I had a hankering to stay at home, reading zines in the garden.

Instead, I laced up my trainers and hiked up Mt Lofty.

And saw not two, but six kangaroos!

Lovely to be home.

I like.. Paris Edition!

Yes, oh yes (oui oh oui?), just 10 days ago I was in Paris, saying au revoir but not adieu to the City of Light.

A lovely way to bookend my year abroad (remember how I taught in Bordeaux?) and see some friends and sights.

I thought I'd collect some happy little snippets from around town.

I like/J'aime:

• The Metro station Bonne Nouvelle (lines 8, 9) and its jaunty Hollywood-style sign

It's Good News Week! Photo credit

• Donut peaches. In fact, France's produce in general is cheap and good. I heard from a friend that it is the only country in the EU that is self-sustaining agriculturally (whatever that means)


• Finding an extra 50€ in my wallet that I'd forgotten about - spent on important things at EuroDisney


• The copper depths of Metro station Arts et Métiers (lines 3, 11), inspired by Jules Verne's writings and designed like the interior of a submarine. Did you know I went to his house? We didn't have a coffee.

Photo Credit

• An ad campaign to boost bread consumption in the country of carbs: "Coucou, tu as pris le pain?"

Photo Credit

Photo Credit

• And finally, on the plane home I watched Funny Face for a lovely Hepburn hit but not knowing that it was set in my beloved Paris! A perfect farewell to France, and multiple laugh-out-loud moments 

Lovely! Thanks Paris!

More lovely things here.

Frocktober(fest?) 2013!

Another year, another month of just wearing dresses!

Sadly, I didn't do it last year while living in Bordeaux, but now that I'm back in Australia I'm keen to be dressing in dresses every day. Things might get a little interesting, seeing as I seriously slimmed down my wardrobe before heading abroad...

Will you join me?

2011's exploits can be found here.

She's BACK!

But not really with a vengeance. Just happiness!

Tried to find the most Australian photo I had. Note from hair length that this photo is... old. Anyway. Straya!

I've been trying to readjust to a totally different rhythm. Staying in the same city for more than four days. Sleeping in the same bed every night, and not changing time zones. Having a shower whenever I please. Using a diary to keep appointments.


It's weird yet pleasant. I'm seeing family and friends again (and lots!) I'm sharing time with my cat. I'm visiting my local libraries and stocking up on delicious reads. I'm cooking.

More like it! Cycling to my grandma's place on a sunny spring day.

However, I've been alternating between completely stressing myself out with trying to set up a life again, and chiding myself when I do take some time out to relax (gosh this weekend was pleasant).


Perhaps I should take some tips from when I last came home after living in France?
Any advice?