Found

It's Friday and I've found a bunch of stuff! Look!

1. The secret to long life? According to this 100yo it's cigarettes and whiskey 
2. Harvard students aren't good at everything. Like keeping bathrooms tidy. They're cr*p at that!
3. That sickening display of that silly Kim Kardashian girl doing what she does best
4. This made me dream
5. Fendi s/s 2014. Wipe your drool!

Enjoy the times ahead with good people only, doing wonderful stuff and with only the biggest grins available! I'll be:

1. Meeting with my two loveliest ladies to be covered in their babies! They're first time mums and I'm thrilled to bits for them and their hubbies - their rugrats are extra cute which always makes things easier
2. Other stuff is happening. Stuff that's good for me - with darn good folk to boot.

Found

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Yoohoo! It's Friday! See below for some nifty time-nibblers.

1. Speaking of nibbles, get your peepers over Jamie Oliver's Chorizo and tomato salad. Yum
2. THE BEST BUB CHAIR YOU WILL SEE...not to mention the branding
3. Spoiler alert! Get straight to the point of a movie with these 5-second-graphics
4. Contemporary art seems totally devoid of smiles. Why you no say cheese?
5. Double helix ring by Vale

 Hope those few finds get you onto the best possible start for a weekend of good stuff. I'll be:

1. Teaching a bunch of amazing girls how to samba, stretch and weave their way through some Afro-contemporary. Itching to get into my dance shoes.
2. Staying off sugar. That's right. I've kicked ol' sugar in the butt. More on that on Wednesday Wellness, soon.
3. Did someone say grapes? Heading up to Adelaide's Robert Johnson winery for a girls Sunday "long lunch" and wine sipping. More on that in Sweet Nothings soon.

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Some days I'm willing to let you judge me exactly by my irresponsibly obvious attitude - see above. Here's some other stuff to avoid everything on Friday...until 5pm, of course.

1) Airy. Earthy. Understated. NAMOI, thank you for taking my wardrobe in your talented hands, rejuvenating it with my own mini collection of NaMoi originals. *My credit card has officially got itself into trouble. It whipped itself into the hands of this wonder woman - crazy, I know - and purchased a bag full of well-styled goodies. Tsk tsk. Mind of it's own - but good taste. 
2) More understated fashion-goodness from Kieley Kimmel
3) Art by Andy Denzler. Smudged abstract. Pretty damn good.
4) A ballsy kitchen rug. You'll see what I mean.

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 It's Friday. There are finds to be shared! Enjoy.

1. These two will put you under their spell - a stunning display of raw balletic artistry and power.
2. Did you know you can activate your own nuts and seeds (skip spending half a fortune in the health food store).
3. Your design bones are set to shake with this work from Commodity + Ferroconcrete.
4. Lexus has transformed driving to art. Literally. Your car can paint your portrait and colours it depending on your lead-foot or Sunday-snooze-pace.
   
   
   Plus...drum roll...
5. Adelaide (my hometown, often overshadowed by its bossy neighbours Sydney and Melbourne) has been listed top 9 cities to visit in the world. Did you hear? New York Travel has even boosted our egos! As an Adelaidian, I am so bloody excited to have this little city peek above the haze of stale, production-line cafes, old architecture and foot-stomping-protests against change! We've actually done it and seen the light! A few ease-ups on business and architecture regulations have seen the city blossom overnight with developments, tucked away bars, restaurants and specialty-coffee-making-hide-outs (just waiting for their chance to pounce). High five Adelaide.

Damn good Market Lane filtered coffee from Exchange - specialty coffee guys here in...yep, little old Adelaide.

So the weekend is inching its way closer. Hope it's filled with the brightest stuff you could possibly want. I'm ready to dive head first into date-night-dinners at new CBD eats with my partner in crime (15 years on and my guy still gives me giggly-girl butterflies); I'll be taking plenty of time to chat over Market Lane coffees (remembering how I'd knock back cups of the stuff in my Melbourne-based days); and do good stuff with good people that send good vibes through my soul. Simple.

Things that make you go...

Just a bunch of frou-frou stuff that made Friday swing by a little smoother. Enjoy! I'm off to the weekend. Make yours a goody. Maria x

all images via

Found (and I'll be back soon!)

Before I set off into the European sunsets for a couple of weeks, I've got a few things to share.

1. BBC shows off the latest must-have gadget instead of an iPad...a pack of A4 paper.Oops!
2. Hands down, this is the most fun you will have in your office today - playing dot-to-dot!
3. More (polka) dots and beautifully styled ladies at Milan Fashion Week.
4. This Apple Tart looks mighty fine. Apparently the maker of this tart is the Apple-Tart-Queen according my go-to blogger for all things cake at Cupcakery blog.

I've lost the links to both images! Will try to update as soon as I find them.

Well kiddos, I'm feeling like I've been swinging around with party balloons all week. I'm ready to scoot off to the sunsets of Cyprus with my...fiance! This is something sugary-sweet I'm still getting my tongue around (the word fiance, not Cyprus sunsets)! Plus, if you hadn't heard, I said YES to my incredible man as our love-lock was sealed with a stunningly-perfect digit accessory.

I'll see you on the other side of 12 days! Be good and keep the light, bright n' happy stuff in your days.

Maria x

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It's about time for some link love, wouldn't you say? 

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1. Good gold! Vale Jewelry stacking rings.
2. Russell Brand opens his gob on the truth about Hugo Boss and gets booted from the GQ awards.
3. I've been all Man Repeller and stuff, this week. You'll be hooked, if not already.
4. A lady, a siren and tomboy walk into a bar...then they get a drink and discuss NYFW day 5 & 6.

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Hey, so the weekends here! Make good plans, stick to them and get some smiles into your hours.
Not that you asked, but I've set myself up for a pretty sweet weekend:
1. Much missed hugs from my guy - he's been away this week and it's driven me to giddiness for when I fix my eyes on him next!
2. The obvious stuff like ballet training...counting down to the final exam of the year. It's kind of a biggie.
3. Coffee and organic goodies with one of the sweetest girls I have by my side. 

Thanks for the blog love.
Maria x

Found

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Look what I found! A bunch of cool links! And (at risk of being painful and spotlight-selfish), I also found my denim cut-offs shoved at the back of my wardrobe. They're coming out pre-season ready for my fun under the Euro sun...just saying, it's happening soon.

1. Founder of The Sartorialist is now a seven-figure money-making man...by snapping cool people in cool clothes. To put it simply.
2. "Look ma, no hands"
3.  If Disney Princesses had phones

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You guys be good to yourselves and go have a handful of fun this weekend!

I'll be doing all sorts of good stuff like eating good, whole food with good, sweet people; teaching ballet babies how to point their toes; coaching peeps (not babies) to strengthen and lengthen their body's into the splits. Fun.

Maria x

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Well, Friday popped up quicker than I could start thinking about my soon coming European tan lines! Here's some link love.

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1. Nifty photography of divers pre and post splash.

2. Someone said "time waster?" Check out this 3D latte art from Japan!

3. People with rubber bands all over their faces, known as rubber band portraits. They're actually a thing.

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I'm off to the weekend, kiddies. Whatever you're up to, make it wonderful, bright and bold!

Maria x

Found

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Kick your heels up! It's Friday. Here are the best time-wasters I could get my hands on..get clicking through S.O.W's new link-love-series, Found.

Link #4. Handmade beauties.

1. If corporate logos were honest they'd look more like this.

2. Now here's a good one to kill a few Friday minutes. Crazy, moving optical illusions.

3. Hear, Hear! H&M is finally online. Check it out via wit&delight!
4. Do you like these handmade prints from Oh My Deer etsy store?

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Aside from links, I also found some sense in amongst this week's twists - a simple but big-punching realisation.

Nothing is as important as your sanity.
No, not even the never-ending pile of work sitting at your desk that's due...yesterday!

Nothing quite knocks the "SLOW DOWN and stop to smell the roses" concept into me like realising I'm off to spend hours this weekend teaching ballet to little ones (pure gold); Cutest thing ever...and they call it work. Pfft! Topping that off with some hours by my guy's side, things suddenly look pretty darn rosy.

Whether you're up to all sorts or just kicking back to nothing much at all, make sure to enjoy this weekend! 

Thanks for your comments and blog love through the week. Maria xo

Friday's Finds

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 What a bumper week! Bring on the links!

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1. On the wants list...Nike's new Knitted Shoes; 'coz I've started running again.
This time I'm actually running. Properly. Distance kinda stuff, you know? Not just 5 minutes.
More to come on this but before I move on I've got to say,
I'm feeling the addiction sink into my bones!

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 2. Some beautiful accessories. Treat yourself for doing a good job of getting through the week.

3. Twitter hotel. For the social media junkie. 

Pack your weekend with a bunch of good people and have yourself a seriously good time. 

I'm off to a 10 year school reunion (not sure how I feel about this), coffee & cake catch ups with lovely ladies and I'm kicking off the process of getting my Ballet Associate quals - that means,
 I'll be a teacher - inspiring the artistry and discipline in the rugrats from my corner of this world.
Super chuffed to say the least!
Maria x

Friday's Finds

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It's time for some Friday links, kids!  

1. The perfect poach.

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2. Four handcrafted pieces from Another Feather. Simplicity at its best.

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3. 99 Problems., inspired by Jay Z's track...99 Problems.

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Well I'm off to a weekend of (yep you guessed it) ballet, piano and other things to
squeeze in the in-between-times.

Here's to a weekend packed with nice stuff and brilliant, bold people!
Enjoy. Maria xo

Friday's Finds / story time

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Clouds are hiding the sun and rain drops are falling in my scrunched up hair - that's how I'm greeting this weekend and things couldn't be better. Coming to the end of a bumper week has me with a summer-type spring in my step, and for good reason; two days lie ahead to indulging in my favourites (more about that in a sec). Before we kick off into weekend games (and a story about my weekend plans below), here are the few finds I saved for today.



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1. Hecker Guthrie is back on my blog but this time spilling secrets on all things leather. 

Told you these guys are gold.

 

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2. A bloody good (dance) tumblr.

 

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3. One of my girlfriends and I have gone all neutrally-toned in the makeup department. You too? Here are some tricks to nail the look.

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As I was about to say, I've become good at the 'busy' thing and have expertly packed a weekend of  just about every little thing I love. I know you're on the edge of your seats hanging to hear just what I've got up my sleeve (you are, right?). My heart is skipping beats I'm so darn excited. So bloody excited I'm going to list them for you (this list is as organised as I've been in a long time):

1. Fine-tuning my piano skills (did someone say diploma?) has got me like a fat kid with cake. Why, you ask? I have this stupid thing I like to drown in called self-doubt. Years ago I had the whole thing down pat it held me back from everything my bones yearned for. My point is, I've finally shaken that rotten old blanket of doubt from my shoulders. Finally. Turns out I was actually half OK at my piano thing and my teacher has planted my into finishing my Dip. Performance.

2. You may recall me mentioning something about a 'new canvas' and how I'm ready to get painting again. Well, that canvas is still very, very new with not a drop of inspiration staining it. This weekend is changing all that...stay tuned.



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3. Most of you know me pretty well by now. If I'm not baking, I'm painting; if I'm not painting, I'm drinking coffee; if I'm not drinking coffee, I'm sipping wine with the boy; if I'm not indulging in that, I'm at ballet training. And this weekend is a big ballet weekend. I have a few hours booked with my original ballet teacher to put my skills before her critical eye in the stunning (massive) ballroom of her home. I'm a sucker for punishment (and big, open dance spaces) and she's the master of the art.  She's known me since I was a 3yo bambino; she knows my excuses, she knows my cop-outs and knows just the right pitch of 'scream' to get my butt moving! I. Cannot. Wait.

If you're still reading, you're absolutely all-kinds-of-wonderful. Thank you. Take a deep breath, there's no more story telling from me. Just a quick happy-weekend wish! Are you up to anything fun? xo

Friday's Finds

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Hey there lovelies. It's that time of week again where I share my sneaky few links!
 

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1. Recipe: a cheeky 5 minute carrot cake to slam those sweet cravings!

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2. Jewels: I was introduced to these by Krystal, the ever-so-wonderful writer of Village blog (she's the one that gave me an extra nudge-along through my Whole30 food challenge! Thanks, Lady).

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3. Here's the sneakiest of DIY's if there was one. If, like me, you're a lover of the drapey kind, click and learn how to make your own stylish wrap-drapey-wonderful-thing.

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Cute quote huh?

Why the quote? My guy and I are having much less time face-to-face this past little while and a lot more time where my strength is being boosted by him whispering those exact sweet-as-pie words. I sighed coming across this today - a little sign from the heavens, perhaps.

Hoping everyone had a great week and that you're all heading to something wonderful this weekend. My week (in case you're about to ask) served up a few twists and turns. I'm more than ready to head into a weekend filled with overdue coffee catch ups with my one-of-a-kind-girls, time with the boy (believe it!), pointing (ok, bruising) my toes through some ballet work and getting my piano skills back up to scratch. When I look at the simple things I can (personally) look forward to, my step gets a little more spring behind it. Stop and smell the roses, people. Maria x

Friday's Finds

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Made it! Another week down, another two days to kick back. Here are the few finds that I've saved for some Friday minutes.

aesop

1. Post poo drops. You read right. Aesop (the skin care range of brilliance) collaborated with A.P.C. to serve up their answer to combating the malodorous!

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2. Top DIY beauty tricks and 8 DIY Facials to choose from and transform you skin into glowing yumminiess.

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3. This tumblr is where my ooh-ing and aaah-ing has been happening through the week. If you were to smack a label on my style, food, scent and abode, this'd be it (minus the cigarettes)!

Have a great couple of days doing whatever it is that tickles your fancy, lovely lot. x