Elyn Saks: A tale of mental illness -- from the inside

Just.. Wow. I don't even know how to explain the way I felt when I watched this TED talk for the first time. When I can encapsulate it, you'll be the first to know. But watch and be... in awe. x

Thomas Insel: Toward a new understanding of mental illness

I think that this TED talk is one of the most brilliant ones I've seen in a while. It's a very insightful & fantastic video for understanding the neuroscience of classified mental disorders. Most importantly, it suggests a new shift in understanding mental disorders to seeing them as 'brain disorders'- focusing on the neurological deficits and encouraging an early invention approach to managing these deficits.

Laura Marling - Once - Later... with Jools Holland - BBC Two

Beautiful x

New Post on Blussh !

Greetings ! I have a new post on the Blussh website called "let's talk about..." which is reviewing a new range of products released by amele.

I think it's the first piece of writing where I have used adult language ... As in , I used the 'v' word .

I'm still giggling :)

Check it out ! X

Banned

The National Archives of Australia have now opened a cafe with a twist... it's an exhibition on the 'banned' books of Australia in the 20th Century!

From the Banned Blog:

"The National Archives in Canberra has updated its café with a new display on banned books. Read about the secret history of Australian censorship as you sip your coffee. You can also examine a censor’s report or flip through a copy of a book or magazine once prohibited in Australia."

Although it is in Canberra, it is definitely on my to-do list for the holidays. To satisfy my curiosity,  they actually have a blog which they are updating each month to highlight a certain book. It is really interesting to get an insight into what was happening in Australia through the banning of these texts. Even being able to have the opportunity to read the criteria for a suitable book in each time period sounds incredible!

There is a fantastic article on "The Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger on the blog at the moment. I was not aware of the degree of literary censorship in Australia- especially on such an influential novel. I wonder if there are any books still on the list? I can not wait to get down there and enjoy a coffee (or two!) and explore all these banned books :).

Blussh!

Hello, hello! Yes, I am crawling back into the world of blog land slowly... So much so, that I am really excited to announce that I am now an official contributor for Blussh!

The Blussh girls: Heidi, myself and Katie at a PR event for amele.

Here's a sneak peak of what I have been writing on the blog, from my post "Why, hello there!":

"Writing has always played a significant role in my life as a means of self expression, articulation and sometimes just to capture something on paper. I have always kept notebooks or journals and it is only recently after moving house I have realised how valuable they are to me. I can open a notebook from 2004 and read what I was thinking- the very thoughts and opinions that were buzzing in my head at that time. Although this is exciting, what is even more thrilling is that I can see how far that I have grown from that point. It is almost like I could make a graph charting the highs and lows and plot what has made me 'me'. "

I would love to hear what you think about Blussh- it's all about promoting healthy & whole body image for women of all ages. I am thrilled that I am on board with such an amazing team to write and share some of my experiences.

More from me soon! xxx

Winter days in summer

To be honest, I think that the weather is slightly confused... Apparently, we are in the middle of summer ... Yet it feels like a cool early winter afternoon . Not that I'm complaining, my favourite season is autumn and early spring. I love the colour changes and the snugly clothes. I'm currently wearing my brown boots with jeans and a light cardigan , and of course drinking a cup of tea. Maybe I am destined to live in a colder climate governed by woollen garments and snow days ... It's such an enticing idea. But I do love the variety and spontaneity of Australian weather. You could say it even has personality !

Quite unrelated to this post title, but please enjoy the following quote by Roald Dahl, in which I acquired off Pinterest .. See my profile on Pinterest to get its source :) x

Yellow cup of sunshine (coffee?)

Finally , after enduring the wrath of post Christmas sales and all the wonders of stressed customers , I have a day off ! And I am currently sitting on my balcony where I have just finished my breakfast and a lovely cup of coffee .

My house mate , Skye , inherited these little cup and saucer sets from a family friend (or family member, I can't seem to recall the exact detail..) and they are the most gorgeous yellow colour ! They almost match the colour of our couch - they are a little bit warmer version of a sunshine yellow . They are quite solid too - most tea sets I have handled are fine china and I'm always very self conscious that I will break them!

I've actually never been one to use a cup and saucer together on a regular basis . I do prefer the comfort and larger quantity of liquid that a mug can hold .. And it's ability to warm up the hands ! However , I did find it rather refreshing to hold the saucer / plate whilst drinking this cup of coffee , and it seemed just the right size to accompany my cereal . Between you and I , I think my pinky finger did slip up a few times whilst sipping the coffee , but I think it's a perfectly natural reaction given the cup-and-saucer circumstance.

For the rest of my rare day off , I may have to indulge myself in less amusing tasks (various house hold chores which I shall not think about at the moment )... But I can't help but wonder if I should embark on the quest to find a matching , or similar, tea pot ....? My learning curve for today appears to be that I find quite a lot of joy in simple, colorful moments. I shall make it my mission to try and record as many of these as possible .. Xx