On my mind....

I'm awake. I can't sleep.

It's three days until by 23rd birthday, but all I can think about is what I need for my future.
A house to call my own home (expensive taste gives me anxiety when I think about the extra costs I'm going to incur with:

• Concrete flooring
• Timbre flooring
• Porcelain tiling
• Armadillo & Co. rugs
• Furniture 
• Kitchen appliances
• Manchester and Linens
• Custom made kitchen
• Shutters
• Entertaining area
• Fire place
• Upgraded cornicing and skirting boards
• High ceilings

The list goes just keeps growing !

Everyone around me is getting new houses and it's not that I'm jealous or envy their lifestyles, but it makes me wonder what have I wasted my past few years of life doing? Uni has been super important to me and working out what I actually want to do with my life. I actually have savings now and it feels so good seeing it grow. 

But why wasn't I doing this before?
Am I too immature about my future and in a dream world when I need to be realistic about my life?

I've always wanted the lovely husband, living in a beautiful home with two or three children to put in the Range Rover but is this all things I should be concerned with right now? Am I asking for too much? Baby clock is always ticking but it just seems like it is OK now to wait until you're 30 to finally be called a 'Mummy'. I'm just scared that it'll come to my early thirties to finally start trying for a baby and it won't happen. I think it's OK for me to worry about the concerns women can have with trying to conceive later than expected and it is something I truly need to think about. 

There's still my goal to have a boutique store in Bali but am I now reaching out of my limits and should I return back to Earth? Is it more realistic to think about having a store here in Sydney that is just inspired with Bali?


Maybe I need to step back and appreciate what I already have.
I've got two amazingly supportive parents who would do anything for me and who still love one another after 29 years of marriage. A funny and honest boyfriend who tells it to me straight and pushes me to succeed at everything. A job that has given me the opportunity to take my first step into the interior world, true friends who are there for a good laugh and advice over wine and cheese, and a perfect little puppy who never leaves my side.

God only gives us what he thinks we can handle at a time. 
Think more minimalist and be thankful for what I do have, understand what I want and set it as a goal. Not everything has to happen at once.

A GUIDE TO FASHION IN BALI

As promised quite some time ago, I am finally getting around to posting a heap of stores in Bali I always have to go to on my trips over.

Must of my wardrobe is purchased from Bali - for me personally, I find the stores sell such unique, different pieces that I see in Sydney. Everything is the same and it gets a little repetitive and boring. Maybe its because so many of the stores owner's are from all over the world that it gives more variety of what each country see has their statement or what is trendy or comfortable.

2NDSKIN offers a range of beautiful luxe leather products, using only the highest quality leather. With an extensive collection of ready-to-wear classic must-have pieces, plus a mix of edgy fashion-forward styles. I got the Lara Jacket (pictured above) custom made at the Seminyak store. The tailors were absolutely lovely and worked so fast. It took about 5 days to make the jacket, including 3 fittings to make sure it was snug as a bug fitting. 

147x Jalan Petitenget, Seminyak – Bali 80361

p. +62 (0) 85 100 120 899
m. +62 (0) 819 3310 7164
m. +62 (0) 813 5308 5461
e. enquiries@2ndskinonline.com

From free flowing oversized shirts, wraparounds, kaftans and dresses capturing the spirit of 'resort' to fitted silhouettes cut in contemporary shapes for those who roam through concrete jungles, this season, BIASA introduces a collection for women and men living life with 'extraordinary simplicity'. Created in fine cotton, linen and silks, hand-stitched embroidery, appliqué checks and stripes, hand-woven accessories and hand-rolled fringes are among a few artisanal details adding elegance and sophistication to the collection.

Jalan Raya Seminyak 36, Kuta Bali, 80361

T. +62 (0)361 730308 / 730945
biasaseminyak@biasagroup.com

UMA AND LEOPOLD have timeless and feminine designs, simple silhouettes pared with a modern craft twist. Pieces can take a month for creation, the use of diverse handwork techniques as kerawang, embroidery, hand beading, leather weaving, reflect the brand’s signature. Uma and Leopold as a label symbolizes “The Couple”, the “Ying and Yang”, Balance.

Jl. Petitenget 198 unit #3
Ph: +62361 4737649

MAGALI PASCAL embodies French elegance with high-end design but yet easy-to-wear pieces. Inspired by the Parisian "Bourgeois Bohème” effortless chic spirit, the Magali Pascal line is the perfect shortcut to glamour from day to night.

The collections combine luxurious silks, laces and organic fabrics with refined embellishments, reflecting an urban vintage mind with a French flair to create a feminine wardrobe.

Jl. Raya Petitenget no.900
Seminyak
(+62)361-8200663

sales@magalipascal.com

CANTIK meaning ‘beautiful’ in Bahasa Indonesian is for the daring and free spirited sun-seeker, lover of all things beautiful and exciting. Designed by Catherine Heenan on the shores of Sydney, and made on the beautiful island of Bali. Catnip Swimwear represents the strength and beauty of women all around the world.

With Love,

Bee x

A GUIDE TO HOMEWARES IN BALI

If you've been reading my posts for a little while now, you will know how much I love shopping in Bali and decorating the home.

I'm going to let you in on my favourite interior stores in Bali and what you can find in there that will make you wanting to scream "take my money" !

I've spoken about Kevala Ceramics, and I'll talk about them again! They design and sell hand made beautiful ceramic pieces from their production house in Bali. You can find their shops in Batu Belig, Sanur, Ubud and Nusa Dua.

Feather & Find has a lot to choose from, including home wares and fashion, they have a great selection of colourful cushion covers to brighten up your home. They specialise in neon painted buddha heads, modern art, painted bulls and colourful beanbags.

At Kody & Ko you are bound to find plenty of replica paintings for a bargain of the price - and if you're not an enthusiast, you or your friends won't be able to tell the difference!

White Peacock stocks a range of fashion and home wares. Big on trend pineapples, pillows, peacock chairs, boho and beach vibes.

After all this shopping you're bound to be getting peckish or at least, a little thirsty. When visiting Bathe, why not drop into Grass and Grain - they are literally next-door and have the same owner. Bathe delivers a lively collection of home wares and stylish accessories to complement their line of handmade paraffin and paraben-free soaps and daily bath/grooming products for men, women and children.


There is a strong French feel at Mercredi, where you can pick up some gorgeous cushions and throws. Their brightly coloured bedspreads are to die for!

With Love, 

Bee x

Find a way to be a better you

Good Evening,

Most people, when they think of the word detox, think of harsh diets consisting of disgusting liquid meal replacements and crazy mood swings. The truth is that you don’t have to embark on some extreme elimination diet or fasting cleanse to start to detox your body. You can actually add detoxing as a regular part of your daily life, and not just while you are on a yoga or health retreat!

I am starting my new lifestyle with these small, but very powerful changes that will create a great foundation on which I hope to build a healthy life.

Below are five simple steps I make sure I accomplish each and every day;

·     MEDITATE

Taking just five minutes to sit in silence before checking your phone or email in the morning will set the tone for your whole day. Focus on your breath, observing yourself inhaling and exhaling through your nose. I find it works really well with your eyes closed, focusing on your forehead, if that makes any sense.

·     ALKALISE

Before you have your first tea or coffee, drink this wonderfully alkalising tonic made from juice, using 1/2 squeezed lemon, a tablespoon of honey and sprinkle of cayenne pepper in warm water. This is a detox tool that will change your life! the lemon actually helps to promote healthy digestion and boosts immunity.

·     HYDRATE

Sounds obvious, but it’s easy to forget to drink water while we ingest lots of other types of liquids throughout the day, but the fact is nothing replaces the body’s need for pure water. Dehydration can lead us to think we are hungry or tired, but we’re really just thirsty from some H2O. When you’re feeling low energy, try drinking a large glass of room temperature water before reaching for your next cup of tea or coffee. I am finding this incredibly helpful as of late, especially when I'm up late with assignments thinking I'm hungry.

·     MOVE

Moving helps to flush toxins from the body. You don’t have to raise a sweat, even a stroll or a gentle yoga class has great restorative benefits and will leave you feeling inspired and your body glowing. Since starting back at the gym this year, I really make an effort to have PT classes with my trainer Alex at least 4 times a week. This includes legs, core and arms - always making sure I do compound movements to work my whole body. I am also doing yoga with my mum every Monday night, hopefully getting that up to 2 or 3 times a week and changing up my PT classes.

·     JUICE

Add one green juice or smoothie to your day—they’re packed with nutrients!  Research is showing that a lot of overeating comes from the body searching for nutrients while we down nutritionally empty over processed foods, so stop the cravings before they begin with a vitamin and mineral packed green juice.

I hope these easy guidelines help you on your journey; wherever it may take you !




With Love,
Bee x 

YOGA RETREAT 2016

Good Morning !

I can confirm September 2016 I'll be off to Ubud and Petitenget for a 10 day Yoga retreat. There will hopefully be a trip to Bali before this one but I'm so excited I have something set in stone for next year.

I've wanted to do a retreat for a few months now, it'll be in a group, focusing on the mind, how we treat our body - especially with food intake, and the soul. The yoga instructor is also a nutritionist so she will have some great tips with how to be kinder to your 'temple' as the saying goes.

After the 10 day retreat, mum and I will stay for another 10 days, focusing on the boutique - sourcing clothing labels, locations and possible villas to rent for a year so we can go up whenever we need to in getting the boutique ready. In the mean time, we want to also start the buying and purchasing works to sell at markets in Sydney, to see how well the exposure and need for the items we wish to sell are. (After all, so many tourists who stay in the possible locations we want to settle are from Australia)

Photos via Yoga108Bali

With Love,

Bee x

SYDNEY - DENPASAR

Selamat Siang !

I am so excited with some changes being made with Australia and Bali.

• We no longer have to pay for our visas upon arrival
• Air Asia is now flying from Sydney!!! YAY

There's so much going on in my life at the moment that I've been finding it difficult to keep my thoughts on the homeland. But with these awesome changes, its got me super duper ready to plan my next trip (fingers crossed) early next year.

I know a few posts ago I told you I would be announcing a name for the boutique store... I've managed to get the list down to two but I'm still a little bit shy about letting the secret out. Oops, sorry ! But in the mean time, check out my Pinterest and get a sneak peak on the interiors I want to go for in the boutique.

Kiki is one of my beautiful, loyal friends whom I met in Bali about 10 years ago. He is a stylist and hairdresser and I trust him completely with my hair. I'll hopefully be getting some tips from him about the boutique. I feel like I need to talk to a local about owning their own store and what really needs to go into preparing for a store in Bali. (I'm still in dream land). Kiki has had his salon for longer than I've known him and moved twice into a better location.

Argh I just can't wait to get back and see the new stores opening and its an absolute must to get the Mavericks bowl at Nalu Bowls in Seminyak. Uma and Leopold have a beautiful collection of jewellery and I must admit I did spend big on two pairs of gorgeous earrings but they're such a statement that its totally worth every cent.

I'm getting carried away now. I must finish my uni assessments before I start procrastinating even more. I promise my next post will be a list of some of my top boutique stores and what I recommend purchasing from them.

With Love,

Bee x

L O V E

 Di Lorenzo Tiles Indonesian Wooden Brown

 Di Lorenzo Tiles I Bianchi 

 Lusting over this back pack

Kikki.k Magazine holders and Diptique "Baies" Candle

Monochrome

 Linen bedding all day every day

 Uniqfind marble laptop skin and Chanel Hydrate facial cream

 Voss Water, Mecca & The Diary iPhone case

And lastly, my love for Indonesia and that gorgeous "merah - putih" flag flying high in the sea breeze.