Hey friends,
Let me start by giving you a welcome warning that this post is big. After having a a quick flick through the old archives (and I mean that literally – I went through all of the old ones) I realised that in the 2+ years that I’ve been running this blog I’ve only hit publish on four favourites posts. Yes, that’s pathetic, I know. I suppose it’s due to a lack of buying/discovering new things all that often, plus I am super fussy when it comes to TV shows/clothes/trying new things on a menu that also serves my favourite meal.
I’ve tried to keep it as short and brief as possible, and as usual it’s a totally random range of things that I could come up with in the last 15 minutes that I have been loving in the last 6 months, so I’m expecting to forget a few. The music playlist is a particularly long one, but boy are there some gems in there! I’m considering making a playlist on Spotify for all the music I mention in these posts, so let me know if that’s something that you’re interested in seeing 🙂
Until then, let’s jump right into it.
Food:
Homemade Thai Green Chicken Curry – I found a bloody amazing recipe here and have been making it every couple of weeks for James & I. Such a tasty, flavoursome dish and one that will be perfect in the upcoming winter months.
Experimental Dinners – These have become quite a ‘thing’ for James & I on those nights when I/we are at the shops and have no frigging idea what to cook for dinner (let’s just say you’ll never catch us applying for Masterchef). The results of these mishmash meals have been quite interesting, but we made a really delicious one last week where we simply steamed then roasted some baby potatoes (seasoned with paprika, garlic powder & S+P), steamed then fried up some broccolini, green beans and mushrooms in some Nuttelex (vegetable butter) and garlic powder. Served with cucumber and cherry tomatoes. Super, super simple, but actually so delicious, reasonably healthy and vegetarian. I’ll definitely be making it again.
Jamie Oliver Chicken Fillets – So this section makes it look like I eat chicken every flipping day – which I don’t – but it is the main meat I eat so I’ve learnt to have fun with it. In short: these bad boys are amazing. So easy to cook, and filling enough to pair it with some veggies and you’re good to go. James and I usually go for the cajun spiced option and it never disappoints.
Schnitz – My tastebuds’ wishes were granted with the recent opening of this baby in Cairns. My little slice of Melbourne is exactly as I’d hoped, with the schnitzels being delicious, the chips to die for, and the restaurant fit out oh-so-cool. Find your nearest here.
Acai Bowls (still) – In case you missed the last 100 times that I mentioned how much I love acai bowls. I’ve definitely fallen off the bandwagon when it comes to making them at home (the heat doesn’t help either – my bananas brown faster than I can blink at the moment) but they are slowly becoming a regular on the breakfast menu at restaurants, making me one happy gal indeed. My favourite place in Cairns for acai is Little Loco Cafe Kitchen on the Esplanade. Super affordable and yummy.
Books:
I’m not going to go into too much detail about these books as I have an upcoming blog post planned involving some of them, but these are some of the titles I’ve been loving (and living by) these past few months.
The Happiness Project – Gretchen Rubin
Better Than Before – Gretchen Rubin
Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert
The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving A Fuck – Sarah Knight
Murder House – James Patterson
Words in Deep Blue – Cath Crowley
TV:
True Detective – Why the hell didn’t I watch this sooner? Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are a match made in heaven for this show, and they played their parts perfectly. I don’t want to give too much away, but if you’re a crime fan then this show will totally be up your alley. Just be prepared to binge, because you won’t be able to help it. (P.S. How frigging cool is the cover photo?
Sherlock – Another amazing show that I jumped on board super late with. I really don’t know how I lived happily without Sherlock and John in my life. I’ve never found a show that has fitted my humour so perfectly, all whilst being totally engrossing and thrilling. 10000000/10, watch it immediately.
Mr. Robot – If you’ve watched all three of these shows then you will see that there’s a slight (albeit unintentional) theme here, but I’m not gonna say how/what because, spoilers. How do I even describe Mr. Robot? Well it’s super cool and badass, and makes you appreciate geeks and the power hackers have in the world. It will also make you hate Evil Corp, question everything and generally just fall in love with Elliot even though he’s a little bizarre.
Movies:
Empire Records – How the hell did I live for 21 years without seeing this film? Why didn’t my parents show it to me? Why wasn’t it watched mandatorily at school? After seeing it for the first time it instantly became a cult classic for me, and I don’t often make these judgements, but I’ve seen it twice now, and it’s one of my favourite movies. Everything about it was just rad, the soundtrack is just so flipping cool. If you too were sadly deprived of seeing this, I suggest opening up a new tab and watching it immediately.
Four Weddings and a Funeral – A total 90’s classic that I remember watching as a very small child, and only recently rewatched properly from start to finish. And my god, did I fall in love. The cast were magnificent, and I couldn’t help but wish I had a group of friends so hilarious and eclectic as the ones Hugh’s snagged in that film.
Doctor Strange – One of my favourite Marvel movies to date, being everything I could’ve dreamed of and some. I never really knew the origin stories of Doctor Strange, having grown up on X-men and Spiderman this was a really cool take on the Marvelverse. Is number 2 out already? I’m in need.
Alien (1-4) – Sigourney Weaver is probably the most badass bitch I’ve ever seen, making me fall 100% in love with her and want to name my future child Ripley. Also, let’s just take a minute for the Ripley & Winona combo in Alien: Resurrection. I’m SO bloody excited for the new one to come out this year, but what a shame it doesn’t include any of the originals anymore.
Blogs:
I’ve been super into reading about entrepreneurship and small business start ups lately, and the blogs of these two companies have been absolute godsends. Both Tess (SBD) and Kaylene (SUC) are both girl bosses who went against the grain and started their own businesses solo and in their 20’s, and as a result have a world of practical knowledge and advice to offer. Plus, their instagrams are super cute, and when I’ve got the cash I’ll probably be hitting them up respectively for a new website design and some business coaching.
Music:
I’ve been loving a LOT of different stuff these last few months. I haven’t quite reached my goal of listening to a new album every week, but I think I’m doing okay. Here are a few from my playlist:
Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Video Killed the Radio Star – The Buggles
The Empire Records Soundtrack
Birthdays – The Smith Street Band
East London Summer – The Smith Street Band
Ducks Fly Together – The Smith Street Band
Trust – Flume ft. Isabella Manfredi
What Can I Do If the Fire Goes Out? – Gang Of Youths
Last Nite – The Strokes
Someday – The Strokes
Under the Cover of Darkness – The Strokes
Mr. Brightside – The Killers
Sam’s Town – The Killers
Not In Love – Crystal Castles
Please, Please Please Let Me Get What I Want – The Smiths
My Boo – Flume ft. Vince Staples, Kucka, Ngaiire & Vera Blue
Summer – Paris Jones ft. April Kelly & B.A Scott
World of Our Love – Client Liason
Misery Business – Paramore
Talk – George Maple ft. DJ Snake
Wellness:
Again, this topic is something that I plan to go deeper into in the coming weeks, but I thought I’d sneak it in because it’s been a strong focal point in my life for these past few months. If you read my previous post on meditation then you’ll know it’s a practice I started back in December and aim to make a part of my everyday life. Another act that ties in naturally with mediation is the practice of gratitude, or more simply, actively being grateful for the things in your life. I’m not saying I’ve reached enlightenment (yet) by doing this, but it’s such an easy and enjoyable way to feel better about what you have and truly learn to appreciate those around you. I don’t necessarily sit down and think about what I’m grateful for everyday, but I try to consciously think about it as often as I can, and I feel like a happier, more content person for it.
I’ve also started researching the practice of manifesting and visualisation, and am very excited to see where they take me. I’ve watched/read about some amazing stories that people have shared about manifestation, so I’m pretty intrigued to see where this can lead.
Other Bits & Bobs:
Habits Workshops @ Kikki K – This was actually the first workshop I’ve done outside of school, and on my own terms. After reading ‘Better Than Before’ I was super motivated to kick-start some new positive habits and learn how to avoid the bad ones. As soon as I heard that Kikki K do workshops based around the book I jumped straight in and signed up for the first one I could. Don’t get me wrong, I loved reading Gretchen’s book and gained so many useful tips from it, but there’s nothing quite like hearing the knowledge in person. You can sign yourself up for a Habits workshop here (P.S. there’s goodie bags and champagne. What more could you ask for?)
Habits Tracker A6 Book (Kikki K) – Unfortunately this little guy isn’t available online anymore, but all it is is a little notebook with a page full of 66 boxes you can tick off – each box is a day that you completed said habit. Studies have shown that it actually takes 66 days for humans to form and solidify new habits, and despite how simple and small this task is, it 100% works as a motivation tool. Knowing that you’ve got 7 ticks for the week is too satisfying to put into words.
Pinterest – Ever since starting uni again I have jumped on board the Pinterest train with no regrets. I especially love how our course actually encourages us to look on their and gain inspiration from the content others upload (it’s amazing what you can find with that search bar). I’m enjoying it so much that I’ve actually linked my account on the bottom of this blog, otherwise you can check out what I’m pinning here (hint: it usually involves 90’s movies and plants).
Arnhem Clothing – I recently mentioned Arnhem in my Festival Outfits post but I had to give them some more love. I currently own three pieces from this oh-so-cool Byron brand, and to this day I am still very impressed by the quality and detailing of these garments. If I had the cash, my wardrobe would probably be 90% Arnhem, as they stock everything from swimwear to adorable maxi dresses to dreamy basics to to die for lingerie. I highly recommend checking them out, but only if you’re prepared to be lusting over everything.
Framing Magazine Pages – This may sound a little random, but I recently went through my old stack of Collective Hub magazines and decided to rip out all of the pictures/articles/artist takeovers that I loved. I was left with quite a big stack of pages, and without any spare cork boards to fill, I decided to buy a cheap A4 box frame from a discount store and stick one of the pages in there. The result is a super cute framed print for my desk, and one that can be easy changed or added to a feature wall.
Yes, okay, I really better stop now. I guess that’s what happens when you have to lump so many cool things into one little post. Hope you liked it!
Till next time,
Viv x
The Everyday Gal's Blog 