My Guide to the Southern Highlands of NSW, Australia
Small town charm, antiques, scrumptious pastries – the perfect region for a day-trip out of Sydney. My guide to Mittagong, Bowral and Berrima.
Category: Life
January Favourites
A few things that made January a little lovelier.
Beauty Talk #4: Blushing Cheeks & Skincare Faves
My good friend Amanda once described herself as a maximalist that dreams of minimalism. I immediately identified with this statement and adopted it as my own; a most apt way to describe my attitude to almost everything. I yearn for a simpler, refined lifestyle filled…
Feeling Alive at 25! Part 2
Read Part 1 here ✨ I have an enthusiastic but unskilled green thumb. I’ve invested in seeds, pots, and various plants but none seem to thrive under my care. My office plant, Steve, currently has mildew from over watering loving. I am half Singaporean and a…
Feeling Alive at 25! Part 1
Hello! It’s me and I’m a quarter of a century! I got this idea from my friend Rachel, to share some facts about myself at this point in time. Please excuse the indulgent nature of this post, but hopefully you find out something interesting in…
☆ May-June Favourites ☆
EAT In true Japanese fashion, Chaco Bar is hole-in-the-wall tiny but massive on tasty dishes and yakitori (skewered meat & veg cooked over charcoal). Since stumbling upon it, it’s quickly made my list of favourites. The grilled rice balls with chashew are a comforting order…
An Evening with Archie Rose
In addition to expertly blended small-batch gins, Sydney-based Archie Rose Distillery offers gin blending workshops and sneak peak tours into their behind-the-scenes processes. Named after a slang word for illegally distilled alcohol (Archie) and its suburban location (Rosbery), Archie Rose is full of passion and…
☆ April Favourites ☆
These are a few of my (April) favourite things ♬ READ Lincoln In The Bardo by George Saunders – As a non-fiction fan, this book (a fictitious imagining of Abraham Lincoln’s time in the graveyard with his deceased 10 year old son Willie) would not have…
Three Bars in Singapore
A few weeks ago, I travelled to Singapore – home to late night roti prata, my beloved extended family, and some of the neatest bars around. Whilst in town, I visited a few new haunts and was impressed by their attention to detail – ice cubes embossed with…
Dinner at Arras
Back in 2014, Sofie and I went for dinner at Arras. After our meal of steak tartare, snapper with confit mushrooms and duck liver, the most diverse and well-curated cheese selection I’ve ever had the pleasure of choosing from, and a buffet of petit fours, I was…
The Reading List 2.0
Current Reading Habits I’ll admit it: until recently, I hadn’t finished a book in months. Chapters here and there; a smattering of online articles; a handful of academic journal articles that I never finished; and way too many mediocre BuzzFeed articles. Never has there been so…
This Podcast Life
In the manner that most people keep up with television shows, I keep up with podcasts. How I Got Into Podcasts At the end of 2013, deeply starved for entertainment, I clicked on the ‘Podcast’ app that comes pre-installed on all iPhones with the expectation that…
Beauty Talk #3: A Little Bit of Morocco
I found it! My holy grail lipstick. Part 1: For years, I thought that lipstick was “bold red or go home” and that it was something for special occasions only. That was, until I was given a Lancôme 312 Beige Byzantin Mat for my birthday. A shade that I…
An Afternoon with Amelie (11 months)
My goddaughter, Amelie, is now just over one year old, and can walk and dance (her favourite song is Say Geronimo)! I shot her at 11 months back in November, when she was just starting to stand up by herself! A big thank you to Mother Father PR…
Early Morning at the Sydney Flower Markets
A few months ago, I set my alarm to a crazy 3:45am. Waking up, getting dressed and getting into the car whilst the world was still a slumber felt surreal. But it was all worth it! The Sydney Flower Markets (Flemington) are visited each morning by…
Review: Brunch at Orto Trading Co.
Orto translates to ‘vegetable garden’ in Italian. But in my books, it translates to om nom nom nom nom. Ambience: Orto is bright and spacious, cool and friendly. An exposed brick feature wall, fresh flowers on each table, and large glass walls/doors mingle the outdoor and indoor…
Craving Gelato, Improvising Deliciousness
A few months ago, I let my love of gelato come between myself and my better judgement. A certain car company Uber held a promotion for their app by giving away free gelato Messina. Like I am sure most people do, I approach promotions with a healthy sense of skepticism, and had…
Beauty Talk #2: Covering up & Chanel Vitalumière Aqua
As described in my previous post about Skincare Routine, having sensitive and unpredictable skin has previously prevented me from daring to go near much makeup. However, as my skin has been improving, I’ve been eager to try out some new techniques and where better to…
Beauty Talk #1: Skin Care Routine & Paula’s Choice
I have been a late bloomer in the field of beauty. Only in the past year or so have I begun using gel eyeliner, learnt the marvels of face powder, and become addicted to YouTube beauty tutorials/hauls/reviews. This is predominantly due to the fact that up…
Tummy Time with Amelie (feat. Kip & Co)
Born on Christmas day, my goddaughter, Amelie, is now just over seven months old! She has grown so quickly, already lifting her head up with ease at the Tummy Time stage. I shot Amelie just a few days after she was born (see here) and it is…
In Colour: Mark’s tattoos
Last July, my friend Mark had colour added to some of his tattoos, and let me tag along to see the process. What was your first tattoo? Is there a story behind it? Well, my first tattoo was a gold fish. It was designed by my older…
Bright Lights & the Big City
Vivid Sydney – festival of lights, music and ideas – has certainly taken it up a notch over the past few years (click here to see my photos from 2010)! Whilst there were quite a number of special events that had been put on as part of…
SUMMER EDITION Pt 2: Roma! From Trevi to Trastevere
The city apparently founded by two twins raised by a she-wolf, Rome/Roma is full of history of grand proportions. Whilst there I wrote of the city: Roma is filled with cultural artefacts – architectural wonders that command your attention and awe. They are almost other-worldly.…
A Very Lush Easter Hunt
Easter is just around the corner! A time for celebrating life whether religious, cultural, familial, or social. Treating oneself is an important part of Easter celebrations, especially poignant in the Christian tradition as the Lenten period of fasting and abstinence ends. And whilst this indulgence…
Matcha Made in Heaven: A Thrift & Thread Collaboration
WORDS Lucinda Burtt | PHOTOGRAPHY Vanessa Low A sponge sandwiched with strawberries and cream is one of afternoon’s delights. If you can’t beat a classic, add a twist. Matcha is poison green but fine in flavour and the powder pairs perfectly with vanilla. – PREPARE – You’ll need a…