Marino Boardwalk

This is an adventure for the lovers of all things exercise and ocean. At the end of Marino Esplanade, South Australia, begins a coastal boardwalk taking you over and through the cliffs that line the waters edge along Hallet Cove. At the base of the cliffs are thousands of pebbles and rocky reefs leading out to the ocean, on a calm day when the water is still it is mighty magical, you may even see the resident dolphins passing through. The walk itself (or run if your feeling super fit) goes for 8kms all up and involves quite a few wooden stairs leading you up and down the mountainous terrain. This makes for a great workout for the legs and butt, what more could you want! On a scale of difficulty, I would say it’s about a six, because although the stairs are hard work there are lots of flat surfaces to break them up. With a view as beautiful as that, it’s tough to feel much pain!

Location: Marino Esplanade, South Australia

Neutral Boho

I am in love with bohemian styling, and what first comes to mind is bright colours, patterns and stacks of jewels. But what I love even more then this look is a simple neutral boho. It’s possible, and it wears so nicely and will quite possibly never go out. You are always safe when you stay within the neutral earthy tones, the blacks, whites, creams, browns and beiges. And if your wondering how this makes a bohemian look, still add the jewels, go for layers and flowing pieces like maxi skirts or kimonos. You can still rock patterns and anything looks great paired with a set of nice boots or strapped sandals. My favourite go-to online store to find the best neutral boho pieces is Sabo Skirt. Prices for pieces range anywhere between $20 to $150, but if anything seems a little too pricey I can assure you are paying for really good quality. If you love the bright colours and patterns too much, I can also recommend Arnhem Clothing based in Byron Bay, Australia. Their pieces are just as amazing, a touch more expensive, but totally worth it. They have amazing swim wear too! Basically, if you love boho styling like myself, you probably rock it already in whichever way you feel your most comfortable, and that’s definitely the most important thing.

Take the Leap

Yes, take the leap… out of a plane. I’m not joking here, what better way to get your adrenaline fix and feed your need for adventure then to go skydiving! I have been twice now and am pleased to tell you it is quite possibly the most incredible feeling I have experienced in my 21 years. The first time I embarked on this crazy venture was in New Zealand at 11,000ft. It was magical. I was quite literally falling from the sky through mountains topped with snow towards the bluest lake I have witnessed with my own eyes. The second, slightly higher at 15,000ft in my hometown of Adelaide, right above the suburbs I spend my time around. It definitely wasn’t as scenic, but just as fascinating. It’s hard to possibly describe what you feel. At first there are definitely nerves as your squished in the tiniest plane, to be honest I was more worried going up in the plane then jumping out of it. You see the standby light flick on and they buckle you up. You don’t really have much time to think from then, next thing you know the door opens and you are on the edge of it. It’s an overwhelming feeling to free fall from that height. I found that by the time the parachute opened I had just been uncontrollably laughing the whole way down. It’s amazing. I have and will always do my best to encourage people to experience it. There is nothing else quite like it, an adventure you will remember for a lifetime.

P.S It’s quite impossible to pull a pretty face whilst falling from the sky…

The Home Scrapbook

I have a little project in the making, one which looks to continue into the foreseeable future. I am subscribed to what is definitely my all time favourite lifestyle magazine, Real Living. I hoard these mags like they are going to keep me alive if ever there will be a zombie apocalypse. One day I thought to myself as I moved the stack gently from one shelf to a larger one, ‘Am I wasting my money on these?’ I know, how could I? How could I honestly be questioning these beauties for the sake of money? I’ll admit, I read them once, twice, maybe ten times at max, but as soon as that month turns over and November’s issue arrives at my doorstep, the one before is sadly forgotten. I wanted to do something to make those magazines special. After all, there is always a couple ideas in every issue which I hope to incorporate into my own home, so I definitely don’t want to just bin them. I took myself to Office Works (oh my gosh don’t do it, save yourself, it’s stationary heaven) and bought a nice big folder and labelled sections of pages with sections of a house. Ever since that day I have been ripping out pages and great ideas from the Real Living magazines and slipping them under their appropriate headings. I’d like to praise myself and say it’s a great idea… Less pages wasted, ideas always remembered and a dream house already in the making.

Barry’s Burgers

If you know me at all personally, you will know that I love a good burger. I have come across some no doubt beauties in my time, always on the search for the next mouth watering masterpiece… And I may have just found it. Of course you can call me bias, as it’s my best friend and my current amazing boss who have just opened up ‘Barry’s Burgers’ on Semaphore Road, South Australia, but I can tell you now that bias does not play a single part. All their burgers are prepared and cooked fresh when you order, no frozen foods can be found there. They are very passionate about real honest fresh food and you can definitely taste the difference with just one bite. The menu offers a variety of different burgers, all with unique ingredients like onion jam and mango salsa. They also offer vegetarian and vegan options along with sides of salads for a lighter choice over chips. I must tell you now that the sweet potato chips are out of this world, and to make them even more amazing, Barry’s offer a seasonings bar in which you can help yourself to a variety of condiments to enjoy your chips exactly the way you like. The interior design of the joint is crazy good. Fresh foliage surrounds their outdoor sign creating a beautiful wall garden. The greenery is carried out inside the store and accompanied with exposed brick wall, polished concrete flooring and light wooden benches. It creates such a chilled out and laid back environment, definitely an ideal place to smash down a big Baz burger along with a cold beverage of choice. If this hasn’t made your mouth water like mine is while writing, then you clearly just don’t have the same love for burgers as I do… But pay a visit to ol’ mate Barry and you will definitely change your mind!

Location: 1/13 Semaphore Road, Semaphore, South Australia

Check them out: Instagram – @barrysburgers, Facebook – Barry’s Burgers

Pictured: The Baz Deluxe Burger + Sweet Potato Chips ft. Business Cards

Affordable Accessories

I am such a sucker for knick knacks. I love candles, I get twenty for Christmas and you won’t hear me complaining about it. I love pillows, prints, vases, anything that adds a splash of colour or a hint of liveliness to a place. Of course it’s never too OTT, I hate things to feel crammed and cluttered… but I do love things. I consider these ‘things’ to be pretty nice as well, and you may be thinking, ‘Well surely she has spent thousands on all these accessories?’ And my answer is no, I haven’t. There are so many places nowadays who have caught onto the home décor trend and are doing there absolute best to keep up with it, and I’m pleased to say they are nailing it, and for a very affordable price. My all time favourite at the moment would have to be Kmart. Entering their home wares section, I’m sure that’s what it’s going to feel like upon arrival in Heaven. Their pastel is on point, fake florals and cement candles galore, perfect prints and oh my the selection of copper ware is out of this world. I am a fully fledged Kmart enthusiast and not afraid to yell about it. So most of the accessories I have range from as little as two bucks to as high as maybe thirty, all thanks to the big red K. It’s a dangerous discovery if you’re an accessories gal like myself, but you’ll thank me for it I’m sure, your partner… not so much.

Pictured: Marmo Table Lamp, Hexagon Vase and Foil Typography Print from Kmart Australia.

Active Wear

I’m not going to lie to ya… I am a frequent abuser of active wear. There are a whole lot of people out there that treat active wear like it should be banned, unless you are literally being active, like it’s such a terrible thing to wear to the grocery store or out to brunch. I know we aren’t fooling anyone, just because I wear my Nike’s everywhere and live in sports bras doesn’t make me some kind of marathon runner or Olympic athlete. Those people clearly just don’t get it. I don’t think active wear abusers like myself wear it to ‘impress’ anyone or ‘fool’ anyone, I wear it simply because it’s some of my comfiest clothes, and I very much enjoy feeling comfortable. I consider myself to be a pretty active person, I try to get out and do something almost every day, whether it be walking, running, cycling or going to the gym. My active wear almost inspires me. I window shop for that shit and think to myself after blowing my pay, ‘Okay, I have to make that worth it.’ It’s a win-win situation, I get to stride around in my well deserved and comfy as active wear and know that I’m doing something good for myself at the same time. I would hate for anyone to refer to it as a type of ‘fashion’ because that’s definitely missing the point. The point is that people should be able to wear whatever type of clothing they like, in reason of course, without being judged. Don’t look at me in my active wear and assume I would have no idea what a treadmill is, because I do… and I work hard on that god damn thing.

Mount Lofty Summit Hike

If your looking to get adventurous in South Australia while getting in a very good work out, I would no doubt suggest the Mount Lofty hike through the Cleland Conservation Reserve. Starting at the base of the hike is Waterfall Gully, and on a sunny day this place is almost magical. Your surrounded by lush greens and the sound of the water pouring over the edge of the first waterfall you come to. As you begin your hike you may realise how hard this is going to be, and I assure you it is very tough. The hike up and back averages out to be about 8kms, which isn’t huge… the incline is. Up the top you reach the Restaurant and Café, but best of all is the look out, you can see over Adelaide city and out to the ocean. Once you’ve completely the (much quicker) trip down you can stop in for a coffee, shake or eat at the Utopia Café and rest those legs. This little big adventure makes for a day where your left feeling really great about yourself and what you have achieved.

Location: Waterfall Gully, Cleland Conservation Reserve, South Australia

Raw Conscious Eatery

I tried out Raw Conscious the other week, a petite cafe style eatery which has just opened on Chapel Street, Glenelg. If you enjoy eating fresh and raw then you will love it, just like I did! The menu is not huge but everything sounds delicious and best of all… very filling. I had the Yogi Bowl which tasted exactly like Chocolate Yogo (but good for you) and couldn’t even finish the whole thing, even though I really wanted to. Presentation of the food was beautiful! A variety of coffee, juices and smoothies on offer as well as raw cakes and treats. I loved the interior design of the shop which is very modern and fresh, creating a relaxed and calm environment. I will definitely be recommending this store to anyone who already loves raw health foods or to those wanting to try it out!

Location: 2/2 Chapel Street, Glenelg, South Australia

Pictured: Yogi bowl + Acai Bowl ft. 2 x Watermelon and Mint Juices.

Open Plan Living

I fall in love with any house that displays some kind of modern open plan living. I think it’s an important aspect to a house, why would you want to feel boxed in? You want large amounts of spacious environment, room to move and room to live. You can create an open plan feel by taking out walls if it’s an existing house that’s full of them. Most modern homes display openness by creating a kitchen which flows into the dining and living area, with no walls separating the spaces, but rather objects like island benches and couches. My all time favourite display of open living is with the addition of bi-fold or sliding doors. Even better then the connection between kitchen and living is the connection between living and the outside environment. Anything that connects these two is my idea of perfect open plan living and will make for a sound investment to a modern home.