may favourites
rhubarb jam, perfect denim and other winter essentials
May was soft and quiet, a needed respite and a disquieting lull. I always find a lack of momentum comes with duality: comfort in the calm, and fear in the stagnancy. It tasted like rhubarb jam and felt like a chill in the air. I was listening to the new Kacey Musgraves album and contemplating my future in big and small ways. Transition months are important in my opinion, and these are the things that helped me move from autumn into winter.
to coat or not to coat: Sydney winters present a specific sartorial problem: it’s never quite cold enough to justify a serious coat, and never quite warm enough to pretend you don’t need one. A trench is the obvious solution, and I’ve been looking for the right one for a while. I went into Lee Matthews to try this one on and left with it under my arm. I always have the loveliest experiences in their stores, and this was no exception.
two is better than one I have a sucker for good knitwear. I am planning to do a video on my favourite brands soon and putting my case forward for why it should be your investment piece this winter. I love this twin set that I got last month, I wear the pieces separately and together, and they are just so good.
required reading: I have been baking my whole life but there is always so much to learn and I’ve been loving Nicola Lamb’s Sift for the past year. I’ve yet to make something from it I don’t love. It’s precise without being intimidating, everything measured in grams, timing for each step etc. If you are a new baker or a more experienced one, I recommend it. Favourite recipes include: the lemon basque cheesecake (life changing) and the pistachio & lemon amarettis (I have made these at least 15 times).
beginner’s luck: I made scones for the first time for Mother’s Day and I’ve been thinking about them ever since. I’ve always been scared of scones, they are so frequently dry, so often a disappointment, but the earl grey scones from Sift were none of those things. Soft, flavourful, and served with a raspberry rhubarb jam, crème fraîche and syrupy stewed plums. The combination was genuinely out of this world. First attempt, perfect result.
gathering: A small lilac bowl from Soft Edge Studio currently sits on my bedside table gathering the small evidence of my daily life: a perfume sample, a few rings I’m not currently wearing, a hair clip. There is something I love about a beautiful object that also does something. I spotted an upcoming sale, if you’re interested.
little black bag: I wanted a black bag that added to an outfit rather than disappearing into it. Something interesting enough to feel intentional, versatile enough to take anywhere. This Brie Leon is exactly that, it has a quality of considered design that makes everything you wear it with look more deliberate. Day or night, it works. Also, currently on sale here.
long story short: I have long legs and a long frame and finding jeans that actually fit, that extend rather than cut off the length, is genuinely not easy. I tried these Beare Park jeans on and they were so good. A perfect light wash blue, they sit exactly where they should and go all the way to the floor, which sounds like a low bar and is somehow very hard to clear. Long story short: I bought them.
help from the headland: I walked from Manly to Freshwater (and back) for the first time this month, climbing over the headland both ways. I did get an awful leg cramp attempting to run up a flight of stairs, which felt like an unfair consequence for my hopeful ambition. Stretching my body is always a mixed experience, I’m simultaneously grateful for what I can manage and frustrated that I can’t manage more, but this walk was genuinely fulfilling. The views along the way were beautiful, the atmosphere was exactly what I needed, and I came home feeling proud of myself.
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