Write

A series including a journal, notebook and card covers that I designed recently for a stationery competition. I must have been in a weird mood when making these, I  think I definitely didn't make them commercial-looking enough. I still it like it though.

Europe calling

The lead-up to this trip has felt like so long. I've been on holidays (well, no uni anyway) for three months and I am so ready to go. First up is Berlin/ Potsdam, one of my favourite places in the world. While I'm there I'll be visiting Hamburg for a couple of days and hopefully Warsaw for a weekend. Then Austria for a semester - a little town in the alps, and lots of weekend trips to Zurich, Lake Constance, Interlaken, Salzburg, Munich, Milan... For Summer we're planning a cycling tour from Berlin to Copenhagen, then heading east to Istanbul, Greek islands, Albania and Romania.
What I really want from all this name-dropping are suggestions. What should I see, where should I eat, shop, jog? What are the must-sees off the beaten track and the must-avoids? (still trying to figure out which Greek islands to visit, deciding between Albania or Romania, deciding if Innsbruck is worth a visit....).
I'm excited for 2013.

Textile

Last week I photographed Rouse Phillips Textiles for Broadsheet - apart from Anastasia and Tim being absolutely lovely, I was so impressed by their designs - their prints are exactly what I would love to have in my dream home one day (at the moment that's a high ceiling apartment somewhere in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, but it changes weekly). Organic with a slight African and 90's feel, I loved all of it. Tim also studied Visual Communications as I do now and it was good to chat and be reassured that I don't need to know in what exact field I'd like to go in yet. Have a look at the Broadsheet article here.

Change

or Growing Up
I feel like everything is changing. Now, in the past month. Not when I turned 18, or when I went overseas for a year by myself, or when I started university. Maybe because I turned 21 and with it came the realisation that I'm really not a teenager any more. Friends are in long term relationships or are getting engaged. That's totally cool, but I feel like I'm light years away from even thinking about settling down. Dealing with the frustrating reality that I can't control everything, even if it means watching people I deeply care about make the wrong decisions. Trivial things like thinking I should change my social media name for something slightly more mature than a joke that started on schoolies. Wanting to introduce myself with my full name rather than my nickname. Is that growing up?

Loco

  
On Saturday evening I took some photos of the El Loco pop-up restaurant/ bar at the Opera House for Broadsheet Sydney. I'm a long-time reader of Broadsheet and find its content of a really high standard.
I was a tad disappointed at first when I compared my originals with the sucked-out colour and vibrance of some of the images on the website. I study design and thought I knew about these things, but long story short, I was working in the wrong colour space while editing, hence the photos look completely different on the website than on my screen.  Anyway, it's still a thrill to see my photos online. Have a look at the full article here, it's definitely worth a visit on a summer evening.

North

The Bank Cafe

67 Molesworth St, Lismore

Anywhere that is set in a historic 1930's building, has a shelf stacked full of Monocle magazines with menu that can rival any inner-city cafe's, is good with me.

The Top Shop
65 Carlyle Street, Byron Bay
The best haloumi burger I think I'll ever taste, perfect New Year's Day food. Thanks Rachel for the inspiration to come here.

Today, 10 years ago, my family and I moved to Australia. At the time, it was a difficult move - away from our family, friends, culture and (seeming) security of jobs and a home. Looking over these photos of my recent holiday in Australia though, I truly am thankful for this beautiful country and all the opportunities I've been given here.

I really loved Lismore and its surrounds in northern New South Whales. Everything was so beautiful and lush - a stark change coming from a week in dry, hot Melbourne. I've always considered myself a city girl but I can definitely imagine living a year or so somewhere around Lismore or Byron Bay, perhaps something to think about once I finish my degree...

Melbs

Queen Victoria Market
513 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne



Vegie Bar
380 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy



The Black Cat
252 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy (does the cafe/ bar combination very well)

Back in Sydney, although I'd very much like to still be away. Pictures from the second part of my holiday in northern New South Wales coming soon.