Following up from my previous post These are a few of my favourite things!!, here is my second post of current loves to share with you! A few things here were discovered on my recent US trip (including the red dahlias above from the Pike Place Market in Seattle) and some others are old loves that I’ve rediscovered. I hope you enjoy reading and let me know what your current loves are in the comments!

Book: My Brilliant Friend

My Brilliant Friend is a lovely novel about two girls, Elena and Lila, who grow up in a small Italian community. The story is narrated from the point of view of Elena and follows her life as her friendship with Lila continually grows distant and then is rekindled after different events. The story is captivating from the start although there are no momentous events from the point of view of an outsider, it is nevertheless compelling to read the story of Elena’s life as she is moulded by the events of her childhood.

Album: Christine and the Queens – 2014

I discovered the Christine and the Queens album a couple of months ago now and don’t know how many times I’ve listened to it (a lot). I have also subjected anyone travelling with me on a road trip to listen to the album in full. The album is such a fresh and slightly quirky sound yet very easy listening. If you haven’t heard Christine and the Queens, I would highly recommend looking up the song “Tilted” on Youtube. Make sure you watch the live performance – it’s phenomenal!

Clothing Brand: Kit & Ace

Machine washable cashmere – yes please! A friend took me into a Kit and Ace store about six months ago and definitely one of my favourites. Their designs are simple, basic designs and are really comfy to wear. I have a number of their t-shirts and a skirt and they all still feel beautifully soft on your skin after a dozen washes and the tops show no signs of fading or losing their shape!

Sunstick: All Good: Coconut Sunstick

I found this sunstick in Wholefoods (a big supermarket chain that stocks “whole” foods and clean beauty products as well as anything else you would normally find in a supermarket – but the healthy, environmentally friendly or ethical version – it’s great) in the states. It’s only SPF30 but works amazingly, even under the stronger Australian sun! I have used it walking outside in Sydney for a few hours and missed a spot, which was completely burned, while the rest of my skin was completely protected. The best part about these sticks for me is that they’re not oily or greasy feeling on your skin. The coconut smell is strong – but I quite like that (and there is an unscented option). I have this sunstick in my handbag at all times now – I love it!

Exercise Class: Body by Simone Tramp Class

I kept seeing posts about Body by Simone popping up on my Instagram and when I was in LA recently, I booked into a morning tramp class to try it out. It was fantastic! The class is made up of a number of tracks, the bulk of them are little routines on the trampoline but then at the end there are a couple that are just arms followed by one that resembles barre-like exercises with heel-raised plies and leg lifts followed by some core work. I had a pretty good fitness level going into the class but by halfway through, my face was glowing like a beetroot. The class was really challenging but in a good way and in a way that you could always keep going – the soft landing on the tramp helped that. All in all, I loved the class and wish they would open a studio in Melbourne!!!

 Blanket: Ohhio Knitted Blankets

While I don’t have one of these blankets (…yet), these chunky Merino wool blankets are at the top of my wish list! They look so warm and cosy and I think the fact that they are handmade with Merino wool means they’re soft, hypoallergenic and makes me want one even more to roll up into in winter! While they’re not cheap to buy made up, you can buy the yarn and make a blanket up yourself for a lot less. There are little demo videos on their Instagram and it looks like an awesome cold day activity – I know I’m going to be making one, the only question is, which colour…

Jewellery: Glover & Smith

When I first saw this acorn and oak leaf necklace from Glover & Smith I fell in love! The best part was that every piece of jewellery from Glover & Smith is handmade in England with lead free pewter making it eco-friendly, non-tarnishing, recyclable jewellery! I bought two necklaces (because I just couldn’t decide) about 2 years ago now and still love them! And true to their word – they haven’t tarnished at all!

Candle: Beeswax candles

Pure beeswax candles are my favourite type/scent of candle. There’s something so comforting about them, I love the soft and subtle honey aroma, it smells so homely! The best part about them is they’re all natural – no perfumes or colourings! They’re also good for the planet being “smoke free, non-toxic and non-allergenic” according to the WWF. The only thing to be careful of when you buy beeswax candles is that they are 100% beeswax – nothing else. A good way to tell is if when you smell them, they should smell quite strongly like honey – if they don’t smell at all, they’re probably not the real thing! xx