30 MINUTES

You may have noticed I've been a little quiet lately. Let's just say I've been busy. But it's a strange kind of busy. It's not just work, it's a pervading, choking air of busy-ness. As if I don't have time for anything. It's almost like I've forgotten how to make time for myself: to read, to write, to hum and to cook and sit down with a cup of tea.

So I set myself a challenge this week: I found 30 minutes that I would otherwise have spent on Pinterest, or Instagram or {insert time-eating but ultimately un-productive activity here} and I decided to see if I could create something. I had 30 minutes of sunlight left in the day, no lights, no mirror, no time for touch-ups or adjustments and no pre-determined location.

I wanted to push myself to create something.

As busy as I've been, and as much as I've created things for my magazines, for Instagram, for various other social media, I've found myself a little lost when it came to creating for my blogs. It's not that I'm not inspired. Quite the opposite actually. I'm brimming with inspiration. I'm full: stuffed to overflowing! Inspiration is all around me: websites, fashion blogs, Pinterest, magazines, Instagram, beauty blogs, TV, *draws in large, gasping breath* even the Facebook pages of many brands are simply loaded with inspiration.

So I pin, I share, I swoon and stare. Minutes stretch into hours. My face gets closer and closer to the screen. My eyes widen. Breathing becomes shallow and rapid. Pupils dilate. This is pure, uncut, premium quality inspiration. The good stuff.

Some of you may know that I grew up as a bit of a hippie. We lived on a 100 acre farm. No electricity. No running water. The first time I saw a television (we would later get our own very-closely-monitored-and-treated-with-the-same-disdain-as-one-might-afford-an-unwanted-loud-and-intrusive-guest... My mother used to cover it with a large tablecloth) was at my Grandmother's place at the age of about nine. I sat right up close. Fascinated. My father told me "don't sit so closely, you'll get square eyes." Oh boy. Was he ever right.

I don't know if my rampant obsession with all things beautiful, digital, brightly coloured and speedy began as a result of being cut off from it for so long: if it was some kind of rebellion... Or if it would have happened either way.

I tend to see it as some kind of inevitability. It seems to be a not-unusual story among my friends (the obsession, not the hippie upbringing). In fact, one of my beautiful friends wrote a particularly eloquent piece about the inspiration that surrounds us, real life, and the vast chasm in between.

In any case, as a result of aforementioned chasm, I have found myself somewhat paralysed when it comes to creating my own images and words. Hence, the challenge.

I am not any one of the forty-or-fifty-odd bloggers I follow regularly. Nor am I (as much as I would like to be) a clever, beautiful and yet wonderfully unique amalgam of them all. I am me. I am not perfect. I can't be perfect, no matter how hard I try. (And I have tried. I tried until my head was spinning and my vision swimming). My voracious hunger for inspiration has only led me to compare myself with others. And that way, my friends, lies madness.

So here I am. Perhaps this exercise has been more about letting go of expectations and comparisons, shaking off envy and longing, and beginning to be myself.

Because when Rumi said "When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy" I don't think he was talking about achieving perfection. Or about pouring your talents into a project that is 'à lá {insert favourite blogger/stylist/photographer/icon here]'. Or spending endless hours trying to get even the smallest things right (whatever that means): which is how I've been reading it until today. Suddenly, this quote means something completely different. Maybe I'm a little slow. But now I understand he is talking about finding yourself, and your own way of expressing it.

I think it's going to take a little practice. And I will certainly not be foresaking my Pinterest, magazines, Instagram, Facebook, bloglovin' or any other sources of inspiration. I will just be looking at them differently. Without envy, or longing, or comparison. With fresh eyes. With my eyes. And with a smile, because all these people are doing things from their souls. Creating. And inspiring me to.

Wearing: Sweater Myth Conception Leather Pants Faith In Love both via Westfield Sydney Pop Up Stores on Level 1 Necklaces Skull similar available here Horseshoe Lovisa sold out plenty of other gorgeous necklaces available here.

Love,
Rosie x

LOU LOU

Sometimes you come across a piece of clothing that feels a little bit magic. Simply the act of wearing it makes you feel a little brighter, walk a little taller, smile a little more easily and have a little more fun. I'm lucky enough to have a couple of these pieces in my wardrobe, and I feel even luckier to have found this gorgeous gem by vamastyle. The genius that created her named her Lou Lou. Which I think is a positively perfect name for this vibrant, short-sleeved hot-damn peach pretty!The exquisitely tailored stretch-cotton and silk statement shift is nipped in at exactly the right point, just below the ribs, right on the natural waistline (generally the slimmest part of a woman's body - and certainly the slimmest part of mine) creating a stunning shape. The waist kicks out elegantly into a perfect punctuation of pleats, which delicately drop into the soft A-line of the skirt, and it's finished with a luxe exposed gold zipper and bow tied at the back. I also adore the fact that it has a little sleeve, making it ideal for not only summer, but also spring, autumn and the deliciously extended Indian Summer that Sydney is relishing right now. The cool, crisp mornings have turned the leaves a riot of bright orange, yellow and deep merlot, so of course, whilst shooting, I couldn't help but dance around in them and toss them into the air to watch them float lazily down to meet their friends on the ground.What are your magic pieces of clothing? Please share! I'd love to hear their stories.Wearing Dress Lou Lou in Peach by Vamastyle Shoes ZU Shoes Clutch Colette by Colette Hayman Gold Rings Thrifted, Gifted, Lovisa and Pandora.
Love Rosie x

FREE

I'm one of those weird "morning people". I wasn't always this way. It started during a stint at a PR firm while we were working on a particularly challenging and time-consuming campaign. I just couldn't seem to find enough hours in the day. My only option was to get up earlier. At first it was torture: I put Edvard Munch-style scream emoticons and cartoon handguns next to my iPhone alarm time; I wailed painfully to anyone who would listen; and every morning I would stumble, bleary-eyed, into the kitchen and desperately wait for the kettle to boil so I could make my first cup of coffee for the day. (Which I would subsesquently skål before immediately preparing another.)

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore a sleep-in. But there's just something special about the very early morning. Especially if no-one else is around. It's like you've got the whole world to yourself.

I've had a bunch of early mornings recently, as two magazine deadlines collided. This week, I proofed the pages of one magazine while the sun rose. I double checked photoshoot credits as the stars winked out one by one, replaced by navy, then purple, then maroon, and so on. I stood in an empty carpark and spun in circles, just because I could. And I drove with the heater blasting, both windows down and the radio up, singing along loudly. So this past weekend (after a collective sigh of relief and a victory dance around the office with my colleagues) I slept.

When I awoke, it was to a parcel from Free People. The delicate, deliciously soft, pin-spot pink voile and slightly off-white lace combine to create the ideal summer sheath dress. The silhouette, slightly longer on each side and shorter in the front is incredibly flattering, and the extra fabric in the skirt, which falls in rolling waves creates a feeling of freedom and movement. The moment I put it on, I saw my legs elongate and slim, becoming lean and coltish. It's wonderful when a garment can give you that kind of confidence! I could easily throw this on and be ready for pretty much anything, while still being super comfy. This weekend, I paired it with some nude heels and a few little gold treasures from here and there.

I simply couldn't bear to wear it and not photograph it, so I found a nearby suburban alley, framed with fences and decorated with street art, and snapped a few shots. Something about this dress just makes me want to spin, and dance and twirl. I serendipidously happened upon this stunning golden sunset as well, I love the way the light bounces around the lens and sets my newly cropped hair alight.

How was your weekend? x

Wearing Dress Free People Necklace Glassons Rings Mix of Gifted, Pandora, Diva, Lovisa and various thrift shops Shoes Lipstik

MELBOURNE

Recently I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Melbourne shooting for an upcoming magazine. It gave me a wonderful chance to sharpen my still-life styling skills and an even better opportunity to explore the southern city a little more.

Our first day of shooting was at the lush Victorian mansion Butleigh Wootton. I couldn't get over the carefully overgrown gardens and luxuriously furnished rooms. That afternoon I had a chance to scoot into the city and meet the beautiful Jasmin from Friend in Fashion for a chat by the marina. She kindly snapped these shots of me (showing off my super stylish shoot gear... although I must admit I consented to a shoe change prior to our gathering) as the sun set over the city.

Melbourne's weather couldn't have been more perfect. Every day was the embodiment of an Indian Summer: warm sun, cool breezes and fresh, crisp air. At the end of day one, the crew were positively ravenous and insisted we required sustenance that only pasta could give. We made a trip to Pellegrini's in Bourke Street and left well and truly sated.

The rest of the week was a wonderfully sunny, brightly coloured blur of luscious cakes, lashings of fresh flowers, dainty vintage china, overflowing candy buffets and incredibly detailed notes. I explored as much of the city as time would allow, indulging in fine coffee, early morning breakfasts, pizza, lemon and chilli seasoned chips, gelato and drinking in as many pastel-hued sunsets as my eyes would take.


Wearing Top TEMT Jeans Riders By Lee via The Iconic Shoes ZU Shoes
Fashion Photos by Friend in Fashion
Post Production + Editing by Me 

Magazine Photograph (second from end) Jim Smith  + Cake by Sweet by Nature

AUTUMN

The mornings are starting to get a little icy. As I leave our apartment building early in the morning I can see my breath huffing out in front of me as little swirling clouds of fog. But oh! I just can't let go of my comfortable, bright, floaty print dresses yet.

This weekend, a solution found me. Wandering past Cotton On, my eyes alit on a soft, ivory, deliciously oversized cardigan.

So I'm giving my summer wardrobe an autumn makeover, which means I can lengthen the life of my maxi dresses and summery shifts with a few simple adjustments. Cardigan, ankle boots and a bit of boho attitude with this stunning one-off necklace from Gypsy River.

I won it during an instagram sample sale, and I feel like it was meant to be mine. It fits like it was made for me. Each intricate little Indian coin warms under the touch of my fingers, and it jangles cheerfully as a walk. It reminds me of that saying "I'll be there with bells on" which makes me smile.

I found this textured concrete overpass while taking a slight detour on my way home from work - something I've been doing more often lately - I feel like it slowly opens me up to tiny little extra pieces of the world around me, one back street at a time.

Although I'm sad to see summer go, I'm looking forward to curling up in our overstuffed armchair with a cup of chai and reading a great book (or twenty), steaming bowls of porridge with cinnamon for breakfast, bundling up in overcoats and scarves and maybe even a little dancing in the rain.

Wearing: Maxi Dress He Doesn't Know Why Cardigan Cotton On Necklace Gypsy River  Boots Windsor Smith

xx

A LONG WEEKEND

Sydney is unseasonably warm at the moment. Gloriously so in fact. My last couple of weekends have floated by in an exquisite dreamy haze of sleep-ins, late breakfasts, days spent reading, laying on the beach, soaking up the sun, swimming in deliciously warm water and finding a few treasures as we unpack the last few boxes and finally decide to settle into our apartment.

Just a few weekends ago I discovered a bag of cameras that my Grandfather left to me when he passed away. I think I had put it aside, meaning to go through it, but it felt too sad at the time. Now, as I delicately handle each lovingly cared for piece of equipment, I can feel his love of photography infused into the leather bags and cleaning kits. His keeness for capturing moments burnt into the lenses. I'm so excited to have some time over Easter to give each camera a thorough clean, and get them back into action.

A few of my favourite things currently, scraped into one shot full of sensory, intellectual, aesthetic and literary bliss: Grace Coddington's memoir, Chanel Coco Noir EDP, my Grandfather's Voigtlander II, YSL Touche Eclat, MAC Morange Lipstick, Lord & Berry Kajal Stick & Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse (multi-purpose oil).

I think it's an old Spanish proverb that says "how beautiful it is to do nothing all day, then rest afterwards" or something along those lines. And that, my friends, is my plan for the Easter long weekend in a nutshell. What are your plans?

Wearing: Vintage Slash Tee Thrifted, Knickers Bonds Hipsters.

WELCOME & SUNDAY

Welcome to my new little place in the world. This is (for me) where I can be free. I was starting to feel a little constrained by the guidelines I'd set for myself, and a little claustrophobic. When I started Lashes & Lattes, I started it specifically as a beauty blog. That was my goal. I've been writing it for a year and a half and as much as I enjoy writing about beauty products, there is so much more that I want to talk about and play with and discuss than that alone.

So... I've created a new space for myself. For those who are interested, yes, I will continue to write about beauty products. But this is something else.

Eve Avenue is a name that, to me, unites two different places. When I was little, I grew up on a 100 acre farm with no electricity and no running water. My younger sister, brother and I played outside all day long. My mother cultivated herbs and we had massive vegetable gardens. One of the closest gardens to our house was kept for flowers alone. For a period of time, in that garden grew cornflowers. They were very tall plants, with paper-like bright blue flowers. Towards twilight every day (it may have only been for a week or two, but it's etched into my memory as if we'd done it every single day for several years), my sister and I would scurry off to hide in the gap between the cornflower rows, and we'd watch the moon rise.

Recently I felt something akin to that freedom and security when I was exploring the city, and came across a strange little alley I'd never seen before. Walking down it, trying to figure out where I was, I looked up for reassurance, or to get my bearings, and I saw the moon. Full, and glowing, and wonderful. Eve being short for Evening, and Avenue being a little way between two tall things on either side: I've created a space where I feel free, but still safe. Wild, but comforted.

So welcome, I hope you will stay, and enjoy, and come back again soon.

This Sunday morning was luscious and sun-drenched, so I packed a little picnic of apples and cheese, I dressed up in my favourite maxi dress, I put a special piece of sparkly on my head and took off in the car towards the National Park. The little spot I found was just outside the gates, overflowing with weeds and wildflowers and yielded a warm patch of grass, with the sun directly overhead. I promptly took ownership of said spot, enjoyed my picnic and snapped a few shots. Wonderously, I was not once disturbed by passing tourists or random athleticists. Bliss.

Wearing: Dress Tigerlily, Headpiece Viktoria Novak, Rings Spell Designs Byron Bay, Flowers Snipped from outside the National Park. Promise.