Wake up, put your sneakers on, grab a takeaway coffee (organic of course, we are in Bondi Beach after all! ) and head for the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk, arguably Australia’s most spectacular coastal pathway. Revel in gorgeous bays, amazing vistas and never ending horizons; this is Sydney at it’s most spectacular. Walk back to Bondi Beach and take a dip at the unique Icebergs swimming pool – sure to be an Instagram worthy picture!
After a refreshing swim and a vitamin D top up, head upstairs to the beautiful Icebergs Dining Room and Bar for a spot of lunch. With a luxe regional Italian flavour, best of Australian produce and view to die for, this restaurant is a Sydney institution not to be missed. Order oysters and ink spaghetti with crab while you sip on a cocktail and watch whales, dolphins or surfers frolic on the beach below
Take a taxi into the city and head for the Art Gallery of New South Wales. With collections of Australian, European , Asian and contemporary art plus riveting exhibitions on loan from around the world, it is a blend of Australasia culture that needs to be experienced. After you’ve got your fill of artistic beauty, cross the road into the Botanical Gardens and take a stroll whilst taking in many unique species of Australian flora.
Once in the city, make a visit to Agent Provocateur’s spectacular Westfield Sydney store and try on an array of naughty but nice lingerie and accessories. Every woman needs beautiful underwear for that special occasion- I love Agent Provocateur’s blend of quality and whimsical sexiness. Can you tell I feel comfortable here? ; )
Sydney boasts an incredible harbour and what a better way to see it then from a completely refurbished 44 metre European style boat with 3 decks in the style of Hollywood’s Golden age and elegance of vintage cruising. Seadeck is the perfect way to take in the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge whilst floating through a sunset, listening to beats and noshing on a lobster roll. Purchase tickets at least 3 weeks ahead to avoid disappointment.
Kick on at Sydney’s original small bar and club- Goodbar. Newly redeveloped, it is all about fancy cocktails upstairs and club dancing downstairs. Escape Sydney’s draconian lock out laws in this musical heaven and listen to some of the best homegrown and international djs as you boogie on down till the wee hours of the morning.
Et voila! Sydney done right!
This Friday, the 20th March is a special occasion. Not only is it the Spring equinox in the Northern hemisphere and the Autumn equinox in the Southern hemisphere but there is also a total solar eclipse happening and a supermoon will be gloriously huge in the sky. These things, you see, I take very seriously.
When I was a child growing up in Croatia, my relatives from the countryside used to tell me magical folk stories in which the heavens and Earth were always connected; planets and stars weren't masses of matter but characters personified here on earth. Whenever something was going on in space, it had direct correlations to our mortal world and we had to prepare for our life changing in some way. In this sense, faeries were completely real beings that occupied a world overlapping ours, only a thin veil away. These faeries were not some cute little creatures like Peter Pan's Tinkerbell, but female beings ,long haired, beautiful, sometimes endowed with goat legs underneath long dresses. They harbored emotions and intentions, sometimes evil and capricious, sometimes pityingly sensitive to mankind's plights . Occasionally they fell in love with men, abducting them and the males would cross into their world never to be seen again. Congregating around water, rocks or anything misty; they danced next to flowing forest springs and roamed foggy sunset fields. I was terrified and mystified yet dreamt and wanted to be them; ethereal and eternal, perfect but ultimately flawed in their formless shape, never quite of the material world.
For my Thomas Sabo edit I wanted to emulate these otherworldly beings while showcasing some of the most gorgeous clothes available right now. Thomas Sabo is a company I have had my eye on for the last few seasons for their meticulous attention to detail, high quality and collections that vary from classically elegant to extravagant and punk rock. Their beautifully crafted , innovative silver jewellery garnered them fame in the 1990s, however the original collection has expanded into a myriad of styles ; from charms and pendants to crystal jewellery, there is something in the range for everyone. For my edit, I picked my favorite pieces ; silver seashells and white pearls, gorgeous gold plated medallions, cute flamingos and chakra inspired mandalas. I hope the faeries approve ...
This Alex Perry gown is modern romance personified while beautifully crafted silver jewellery and pearls add a little moonlight to the ancient rocks
Ellery does contemporary with a vintage twist - this gorgeous tweed fabric and flared details are completely on point. Match up tones with Lucy Folk's delicate bead clutch and Thomas Saboo's Maharani set with radiant milky quarts and milky aqua. Faerie of the seafoam would approve
The forest faerie should be so lucky to posses a special amulet such as this radiant sphere for her crown and a beautifully crafted Toni Maticevski knot top to dance around the weeping willows in
Don't let the adorable flamingo and intricate charms fool you, this faerie is being naughty in her Agent Provocateur corset.
Align your chakras by wearing beautiful pendants the other way around with a backless gown - all that skin needs ornate adornments to shine (Kaliver gown)
Toughen up pretty lace with some rock n' roll jewels - this Bianca Spender floor length dress is asking for moonlight nights and bad boys
photographed by Ana Suntay- Toledo
The other night I had a great work dinner with some of my fellow bloggers. We were rolling out funny stories of our various attempts at getting the best picture with less than happy results - like the time I self shot a story on a hill and had my brand new Nikon D7000 roll off the tripod , while I helplessly watched the lens roll down the incline cracking all the way. Or the poor boyfriends who are forever trying to get a good insta picture but since they have exactly zero professional skills, they keep getting it blurry every time, then exclaiming : it's not my fault, it's the model! Then there is the beautiful picture of a deserted beach with a tagline "exhaling in paradise", when in all reality, it's 7 am and in an hour the beach will be as full of people and boats as the Athen's crazy Piraeus port. But the worst must be trying to smile and look fresh when you have the worst flu/ period pain/ migraine headache. In a bikini.
Being a blogger is to nurture a fantasy world with a healthy dose of reality. Every blogger worth their salt will not try and sell something to their readers that they do not like because in all reality we are the curators of fashion/experience/food/travel. If you sell out , then your readers will not trust your taste.
Similarly, it is often easy to dress up fashion. Amazing vertiginous heels, sexy dresses, beautiful bags - they are so incredible, it isn't hard to look good in them. But what happens on those days that you are going to a backyard BBQ, a festival, beach party, concert? Those are the days that it can be hard to think about pieces to wear. I have compiled a few of these heroes that I love at the moment for all those life's "reality" moments . Shot on an actual beautiful deserted part of Byron Bay's Belongil beach sanctuary
I love a bit of nautical . It makes everyone look so 50s Med, classy and pulled together.This is the kind of outfit that could go from lunch at your potential inlaws to a friend's bbq (Sweater by Vanishing Elephant, shorts by Wrangler, flats by Sambag, sunglasses by Sheriff&Cherry, hat by Panama hats, necklace by Pink Lou Lou)
There is nothing more pretty on a summer's day than a white lace dress. This season do the high-low trend by wearing it with some wide two strap Birkenstock sandals for relaxed cool (dress by Lover, sandals by Birkenstock from Tuchuzy)
Sometimes it's all about denim cut-offs and a well cut t-shirt. It's the sort of throw on you wear when you pop down to the shops , go to a festival or a girlfriend's house. The best shorts for these occasions are not to short and a little bit baggy...comfort guaranteed. (top by Camilla&Marc, shorts by One Teaspoon, sunglasses by Sheriff & Cherry, vintage belt by Gucci )
A maxi dress is one of those pieces that keeps summertime breezy and relaxed. I love one that combines volume with interesting details and an exposed back - might as well show off that tan! ( dress by Free People, moccassin boots by Minnetonka, sunglasses by Sheriff & Cherry )
Snake print is huge this season and it works for easy dressing too - wearing it top to toe is total rock n' roll cool . ( Top and jeans by Maison Scotch, bikini top by Agent Provocateur, clutch by Asos, sunglasses by Sheriff & Cherry, crystal necklaces and bracelets from Crystal Castle )
photographed by Kasia Werstak on Byron Bay's gorgeous Belongil beach