OOTD | Comfort in Check

Lace Top - thrifted via Uniting Church Thrift Shop / highwaisted check shorts - thrifted via Salvation Army / tote - handmade via Uniting Church Thrift Shop / loafers - second hand via Shag Vintage / bent spoon pendant - Noosa Antique Upcycle Artisan / sunglasses - Sportsgirl

If you're not in Brisbane, or Australia for that matter, let me inform you that it has been sweltering hot these last few weeks. Jess and I are rather big fans of iced black coffee, not only to keep cool but it's a bonus, and I wore this on our last coffee date. I found these shorts a week ago and am so obsessed with them. They are ridiculously comfortable, light weight and the perfect size. For $2, I would buy a pair for every day of the week if they  existed. I am contemplating investing in the creation of one or more duplicates; but we shall see. 

The rest of my oufit is just me attempting to stay as cool as possible. I love how this lace top lets the air through but isn't see-through and doesn't show too much skin. I found both the top and the tote bag in the same thrift shop many years ago and it remains my favourite store to this day; the location a secret to most of my op shopping friends. 

I hope you're all keeping cool and staying out of the sun. 

Happy Sunday! 

Erin xx

Recipe | Fried Polenta Garden Salad

Ingredients

1 cup cornmeal/polenta

160ml milk

2 cups water

salt

olive oil

mixed salad leaves 

cherry tomatoes, halved

cucumber

kalamata olives

Dressing

1tbsp aioli 

1tbsp natural unsweetened yoghurt

1tsp seeded mustard

juice of 1 lemon

Heat the milk and water over a medium heat in large sauce pan with a generous pinch of salt. Pour the polenta in a constant stream whilst stirring with a whisk. Continue to whisk the polenta for about 10-15 minutes until cooked and is a thick porridge like consistency. 

In a prepared tray, I used a cake tin for lack of anything else, pour in polenta and chill, covered, until set. 

Once set, remove polenta from pan (it should just ease out) and cut into bite-sized cubes. 

Heat olive oil, about a tablespoon, over a medium to high heat in a frypan. Place polenta cubes in the frypan leaving enough space between for your to turn them over. Turn and cook all sides of the cube until crispy like a chip. Once cooked, place km some paper towel to drain some of the oil off them. 

I didn't cook all of mine at once because they're very filling so I left them in the fridge and cooked them later. 

In a jar, shake all of the dressing ingredients together. Pour over tossed salad leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, olives and fried polenta bites. Season with some salt, pepper and more olive oil. 

This is just a super simple use of delicious fried polenta but there are many more. I'm working a nice recipe for cheese based sauce but I'll let you know if I ever get there. 

Enjoy! 

Erin xx

Monthly Round-Up | October

Eat and Drink

Lost Boys, Fortitude Valley 

Thanks to Jess' skills for finding jaw-droppingly cute cafes we popped into the brand new Lost Boys in the Fortitude Valley a week ago. Not only is the interior ridiculously dreamy and based on the whimsical world of Peter Pan, and other dreamy Disney classics, but the food and drink is all organic, carbon neutral and vegetarian. If you're like me and enjoy a beaut antipasto platter, I can highly recommend that to share between two. 

With the cutest, smiliest service Lost Boys is the perfect place to escape from the hot busy streets of the Valley.

Iced Tea

For the last few months I have been thirsty for the perfect iced tea. I've tried endless quantities from different brands, local and homemade, international and 'the best' all without satisfaction. Until one day I stumbled across the wonderful concoction in Pennisi Cuisine in Woolloongabba. It has the perfect balance between tea, lemon flavour with only a subtle sweetness; the sweetness being the problem with most other options.

Do you know of any other amazing iced teas I should try out? 

Listen
Megan Washington - There There

Megan Washington was one of the first musicians that I found in my musical epiphany back in high school. I fell in love with her beautiful jazz tone, simplistic yet enthralling instrumentation and soul-seeking lyrics. There, There, her most recent release, may be my favourite work of her's yet. Somehow the lyrical progression of this album represents my year almost perfectly and I can't stop listening to it or get the songs out of my head (not that I'd want to). 

One of my methods for determining my obsession or love for an artist is their ability to actually change my mood. Every time Washo gets in my ears or performs in front of me I can't help but be moved and fall in love with her even more than before. 

Like all albums I put in my favourites, I highly recommend a listen to There, There. 

Read

Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham 

Like all good pop culture loving feminists in their early 20s, I recently picked up Lena Dunham's debut book Not That Kind Of Girl... and I love it, every word. The retelling of seemingly ordinary everyday life occurrences through Lena's word is entertaining and insightful. Her age being closer to mine than many feminist creative content producers, she grew up exposed to many similar things and I find that to be very relatable. 

There is little more to say about her story that won't give away her stories (not that some aren't told in her TV show Girls) so just buy the book!

Beauty
Double Sided Facial Wipes by CROP

This is just a quick beauty favourite for the month. I picked these up in Coles and am so far quite impressed. Unlike the normal make-up removing wipes I occasionally use out of desperation these don't leave any of that oily residue. I always cleanse after I use a facial wipe but with these I feel that if I didn't have the opportunity to, hell would not break loose on my face. They also have a fresh, natural scent to them which I much prefer to the chemical scent I find in most face wipes. One side of these is textured and the other is smooth, I've not really noticed a huge difference in the effectiveness of the micro-beaded side but I will wait and see. 

What did you enjoy this month?

Erin xx

OOTD | Spring Wallpapers

Dress - vintage via Can You Keep a Secret? / belt and bag - thrifted / The Jackson Sunglasses by *MKL Accessories - Karmaloop / Mary Jane shoe by Dr Martens - Downes Shoes, Fortitude Valley / Cutlery earrings - Covert Designs by Claire Woodfield

Another sunny day off out and about with Jess, and this time Honor (!), and another outfit that is anything but a work uniform. Jess was the one that found this dress hanging in a $20 rack at our favourite vintage haunt, Can You Keep a Secret?, and told me to hurry myself along to try it on. Obviously, I loved it and today was definitely not its first outing. What is there not to love? The fabric, the pockets, the way the stripes change direction, and the super-simple cut. This dress could not be more 'me'. 

This is also the first outfit in which I've worn my Dr Marten Mary Jane sandals. They have taken me a while longer than predicted to wear in but I love them so much; and I'd want to as I wear them to work every day. These super comfortable shoes fit my orthotics (what of it?) but also maintain ultimate cuteness at the same time. 

Accessories wise, I kept it fairly simple. The belt to maintain the bloused top of the dress, my black messenger bag to carry essential bits, the Covert earrings because I am obsessed and my *MKL sunglasses as a 'change' from my regular Sportsgirl staples. 

Also, how great is big hair? I was feeling particularly Carrie Bradshaw (early seasons) this morning when I did my hair. I am really loving how much extra volume I can gain now my hair is growing out. 

Hope you're having super awesome weeks!

Erin xx

Recipe | Grown Up Cordial

I am obsessed with drinks at the moment. Making them, buying them and finding my favourite to quench whatever thirst I have. I found this Lingonberry Drink Concentrate at my local importer of European goods (Pennisi in Balaclava St, Woolloongabba for you locals). It is great as a cordial but I couldn't help but imagine how spectacular it would be in summery cocktails. 

Ingredients

90ml Chambord

90ml Pimm's

100ml lingonberry (or other berry) concentrate

500ml lemonade 

blueberries 

strawberries, cut and frozen into ice cubes

mint

Fill a jug/pitcher with ice. Add the Pimm's, Chambord, and berry concentrate and stir to combine. 

Prepare your glasses with a handful of blueberries and some strawberry ice cubes.

Add lemonade to the jug and pour. Garish with a few sprigs of mint and serve!

And there we have one very simple, deliciously refreshing summer drink. Perfect for weekend lunches and barbecues. 

Hope you had a superb weekend!

Erin xx

OOTD | Mid-Week Midi

Grey V-Neck - BONDS / Midi Skirt - vintage via Can You Keep A Secret / cutlery earrings - Covert / tote bag - thrifted / sunglasses - Sportsgirl / sandals - Birkenstock

Hello lovelies, sorry for my brief absence. I was not in the greatest of health over the weekend. This outfit here is probably going to be worn to death over the coming months in one variation or anoter. The relaxed flow of the midi skirt has me obsessed with this style. I can't wait to find more like this one which I picked up in a recent sale at Can You Keep A Secret? 

What I'd really like to highlight are my sodding cutlery earrings. I am not a girl who changes earrings on the regular by these have me won over completely. Aside from my usual studs are rarely find a pair that goes with any outfit or that is worth the effort to change them out. Last week, at a QUT CI event, I picked these beauties by local designer Claire Woodfield from Covert. Her designs are definitely worth checking out as she limits production to a maximum of 50 for that extra special exclusive feel. 

Last of all, can I just put in an extra special mention to whomever made Birkenstocks fashionable this time around. Nothing should come before comfort when you're walking around all day everyday forever. Love your feet! 

Happy Wednesday, lovers!

Erin xx

OOTD | Lingering in Laneways

Jess and I had a wander around town last week after a delicious breakfast at Shouk Cafe in Paddington. It's been getting much warmer here in the last few weeks so I've been whipping out the pastels AND the florals; double whammy. I know wore this skirt in a post last year but it truly is one of my favourite garments. 

I picked up the pastel cropped singlet at Top Shop last year mega cheap and am basically wearing it thin. It is so cool and comfortable, its almost guaranteed I make some similar purchases this summer. 

It's pretty exciting imagining all the summer goodies I'm going to discover in the coming months. 

Hope you're all surviving these warmer days. 

Erin xx