27 Feb 2015

Monthly Favourites Playlist: February 2015

February has flown straight past (seriously where did it go?), and now it's basically over, which means it's time for a playlist. This month's is quite long, owing mostly to the fact I listened to the Triple J Hottest 100 on Australia Day and was inevitably introduced to a whole bunch of new stuff that I love. Have a listen. I hope you enjoy these songs, too!

1. Somebody's Talking - The Preatures // 2. Lighthouse - G.R.L. // 3. What Kind Of Man - Florence + The Machine // 4. L.A.F - Broods // 5. Sledgehammer - Fifth Harmony // 6. Fade Out Lines - The Avener // 7. Beating Heart - Ellie Goulding // 8. Gooey - Glass Animals // 9. Greek Tragedy - The Wombats // 10. Mother & Father - Broods // 11. Elastic Heart - Sia // 12. Shots - Imagine Dragons // 13. XO - BeyoncĂ© // 14. 1998 - Chet Faker



xx

18 Feb 2015

Loving: Frankie Magazine


What is a blog of mine without a post about Frankie? 

Frankie is an Australian bi-monthly magazine that is really just absolutely wonderful. So wonderful that I've been reading it for four years now and have all 24 issues that I've bought in that time stacked up on my bookshelf, and I don't intend on getting rid of them any time soon. 


Every single issue is packed full of and covered with beautiful things that I am a complete sucker for. I sometimes just get excited about the covers. (Scroll down, you'll see what I mean.) Visually, its pages are littered with the works of amazing illustrators, photographers and designers. It even comes with a pull-out poster by a different artist every issue that doubles as a two-month calendar!


But what really hits the nail on the head is that it's not just aesthetically pleasing. It contains pieces written by fantastic people like Benjamin Law and Marieke Hardy (If you're not familiar with them now, you're not likely to forget them after reading a copy of Frankie. They will make you laugh, trust me.), facts and awesome historical figures, interviews with independent business people and artists and the like, recipes and DIY projects, inspiring stories about amazing people and even reviews on peanut butter.


The gorgeous issue 64 is on shelves now until April 13th.

Even if you don't plan on reading it cover to cover, just picking one up to rest on your coffee table and have a flick through is a great idea. It's got something in it for almost everyone. It goes for $10.50  an issue here in Australia (a bit pricey for some but hey it's only once every two months), and can be found in some select stores around the world for a price. A list of international stockists can be found on their website.

Check it out if you can! I hope you like what you find!

xx

12 Feb 2015

Back to Uni: Tips from a Second Year


There's a week and a half left until I go back to uni here in Australia, and everyone is starting to prep themselves for another semester. Whether you're starting your first year, your third, or are in the middle of classes somewhere else in the world, here are some pointers that I learnt in my first year that I wish I'd known sooner. Hopefully they'll help you out, too!

Early is Better
I don't mean getting to campus hours before class, just that sensibly planning how long things are going to take is the best thing you can do. Public transport can be annoyingly inconvenient, and you can end up with a choice of either getting to campus over half an hour early or having less that five minutes to leg it to your room. Even just leaving five minutes earlier for the bus can be the difference between running up the street and ending up sweaty and uncomfortable and taking a relaxing stroll. If you drive to uni, leave some extra time in case the traffic is bad. While you're waiting for class you can grab a coffee, pop into the shops, find your way to your room or quickly revise before a tute. Choosing to be just a little early can be one way to reduce stress really easily.

Digital is Convenient
Sometimes you'll be lucky enough to find your textbooks in ebook format (which is cheaper anyway so yay!), which means that you can keep them all in one place and you don't have to carry them around when you need them. I also think taking notes on your laptop is much more convenient, unless you're the type of person that is really into handwriting their notes. I use Microsoft OneNote (which you can find for free), and it keeps my notes organised and easy to find. A word of advice: don't just type up everything the lecturer says or copy from the textbook, quickly summarise in your head beforehand. It'll help you get a better grasp on the content.

Always Have a Pen
Even if you're taking all your notes digitally, a pen is always necessary for signing attendance and any work you need to do by hand. Also keep an extra in case you run out of ink or if your neighbour needs a loan. It can be a nice and easy conversation starter if you want it to be!

Don't Procrastinate (Seriously. Don't.)
I know you've probably heard this from everyone, but it's still a really important piece of advice. Of course, expecting you to have your assessments done weeks before they're due is ridiculous (seriously who actually does that?). Get yourself into the habit of starting small as soon as you possibly can. Even just doing some research and taking small notes for half an hour is a good way to start. It's much easier to keep the ball rolling if you've given it a little push at the beginning. And trust me, you don't want to be watching the clock and wondering if you can finish the last 500 words and the reference list in under an hour. I've been there. It's awful. Save yourself the unnecessary pain.

Do Your Readings
You'll always end up with a lot of people that just can't be bothered. Doing your assigned readings can seem really boring and a little pointless, but depending on how your unit is structured, it can provide you with some really useful background info or consolidate what you're covering in lectures. Either way, it can only benefit you. (And trust me, tutors like it when you do the readings.)

Start Studying Early
After your first week, get into the habit of making notes and revising what you've learnt for each unit. It may seem tedious and unnecessary to start so early, but it will significantly decrease the amount of exam study you have to do at the end of semester. All you have to do is keep looking over the notes you made previously! You'll be patting yourself on the back for not leaving a massive workload and having to hunch over books for hours and hours.

Give Yourself a Break
Look for the gaps in your timetable. Sometimes just having an hour between classes is all you need. If you have the option of taking days off, do it! If not, you don't have to attend every lecture if they're not compulsory. If I have early morning lectures or if a 1-hour lecture is all I have on a particular day, I don't physically go and I listen to them online later instead. If you have the option to do this and it sounds nice to you, I seriously recommend you do it. It might take a little more self-motivation to listen to a lecture when you're at home lounging around, but it ends up being less work.

Wear Comfortable Shoes
If your main means of getting to uni is walking, like me, then please, for the love of God, wear comfy shoes. Flats, boots, sneakers, sandals, whatever. Just don't wear anything that rubs uncomfortably because it's only bad news. Blisters are no help to anyone. Avoid them at all costs. Even if that means wearing the less-attractive shoe.

Always Carry an Umbrella
You never quite know when it's going to rain. It can be sunny when you leave in the morning and be pouring down in the afternoon. Campuses are big places and they don't always have a massive amount of undercover area, so you'll be thanking yourself for having a little umbrella tucked in your bag when you have to walk across the open carpark or down the uncovered main walk. If you're someone who doesn't mind getting rained on, then I envy you. I wish I had your level of chill.

Don't Be Too Hard On Yourself
So, you didn't get a distinction on your essay? It's okay! Remind yourself that anything over a pass is enough, and make sure you believe it. BUT don't stop reaching for those high marks! Just don't get stressed if you don't quite make them. Odds are, you have a chance to even it out and learn to work harder for the next assessment or the final exam. It'll all be okay in the end if you keep trying.

Hopefully you took something from this that you didn't already know! If you're about to start uni for the first time, then good luck! I'm sure you'll love it in some way.

xx

6 Feb 2015

Favourites Friday #2

Some more things I've been loving an insane amount in recent weeks:


1 - The 100 // 2 - Sakura bath bomb from Lush // 3 - criss cross rings (x) // 4 - Broods' album Evergreen // 5 - Yankee Candle in Vanilla Lime // 6 - ASOS flats

xx

3 Feb 2015

Free Printable Valentine's Wrap & Tags


It's February! That means that a lot of lucky people are going to elect to start getting all lovey-dovey around the 14th. I'm not one of those people, you may not be either, but it doesn't exclusively have to be a day where you treat a romantic partner. You can bake something to share with friends, deliver cards to brighten people's days, or just give some hugs to give this whole Valentine's thing a platonic twist (because why the hell not. Share all kinds of love.)

While I'm 99% sure that I won't be giving out anything for the 'holiday' this year, I just like being crafty, so I made some wrapping paper and tags for everyone's use! You of course don't just have to use them on Valentine's Day, lots of people like hearts all year round! 

You will need:
  • Printer
  • Plain paper
  • Card (optional) for tags
  • Glue stick
  • Scissors
  • Hole punch
How to:
  1. Download the things you want to print from the links below. Each design comes in both pink and red!
  2. For wrapping paper, simply print out the design on plain paper, cutting off any border. Print out as many sheets as you need!
  3. For tags, you can print them on card, or, if you don't have any, simply print with plain paper and fold the printout in half (so the tags are both on the same side) and glue both halves together, making the paper thicker.
  4. After waiting for the glue to dry for a bit, cut around the tag, taking off the lines as you go. (If you've used card, just go right ahead!)
  5. Use your hole punch to put a simple hole wherever you think is best.
  6. If you used paper, you may want to place the tags flat under something heavy, like a large book, to make sure they don't curl.
I hope you like these and I hope you get to use them! These are all my own hand-painted designs, so please don't share or claim them as your own! Thanks!

SMALL HEART PATTERN: red paper / pink paper / tags
JE T'AIME PATTERN: red paper / pink paper / tags
HEART CHAIN PATTERN: red paper / pink paper / tags

xx