EAT: BLUEBERRY COCONUT CREAM PIE OATS

A healthy breakfast recipe that tastes just like a delicious creamy dessert? You bet. Brimming with fruit, filling oats and refreshing coconut, this overnight oatmeal recipe has become my go-to recipe not just for breakfast but for lunch and dinner as well. 

This recipe is perfect for on-the-go meals because the earlier it is made ahead of time, the better. I take it to work for those mornings when I have 5 am starts and it goes down beautifully with a hot cup of coffee.

BLUEBERRY COCONUT CREAM PIE OVERNIGHT OATS

(can be vegan, dairy-free)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 heaped teaspoon shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon coconut essence
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 milk of choice (I use So Good coconut milk)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• Optional: 1 tablespoon peanut butter and/or 1/2 cup Greek or coconut yoghurt to serve)

How-to:

1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl
2. Add wet ingredients and stir well
3. Add blueberries and fold in carefully
4. Leave for at least four hours or overnight
5. Top with peanut butter and/or yoghurt to serve

Peanut butter and yoghurt to serve are entirely optional, but I'm not huge on snacking so find the bit extra helps me get through til lunch. Plus, peanut butter goes with everything. Fact. Enjoy!

GIRL CRUSH: LORDE

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I have the biggest girl crush on Miss Ella Yelich-O'Connor. Since 'Royals' hit the Triple J airwaves a couple of years ago, I've been partial to her haunting voice and seriously smart lyrics. I have only seen her perform live once - at Splendour a couple of years ago - but her stage presence made it a performance that has stayed with me. Following her rise to global mainstream success has been lovely to watch and it is brilliant to have yet another intelligent, young, female voice making waves around the world.

Lorde's bewitching style - both onstage and offstage - is fresh and unique, and her glorious curls and penchant for dark, dark lipsticks are a beauty look I've been known to emulate - Chi Chi Viva La Diva in Lady Bump is a matte dark purple that's inexpensive and long-wearing.

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MUSIC: GIRL-POP PLAYLIST

As much as I love digging around for small bands and finding independent artists to fall in love with, I am a massive proponent of female pop music. My running playlist is awash with Swift, Minaj and Knowles, and I look to Robyn and Rihanna to get me through long car trips. Usually, I'd include a little bit about each song, but honestly I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. This is one of my favourite feel-good mixes; songs I've collected over the years that leave me feeling on top of the world:

• 'Bad Girls' - M.I.A.
• 'Super Bass' - Nicki Minaj
• 'Oblivion' - Grimes
• 'Stop' - Spice Girls
• 'We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together' - Taylor Swift
• 'You're Not The One' - Sky Ferreira
• 'Dancing On My Own' - Robyn
• 'Where Have You Been' - Rihanna
• 'Some Things Never Seem To Fucking Work' - Solange 

GIRLS CAN DO ANYTHING.

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TRAVEL: MARRAKECH

While most of our friends abroad headed straight home after our six months abroad, my mate Trish and I continued the fairytale, venturing down to North Africa and exploring the beautiful country of Morocco. We began in Marrakech, a tried and true starting point (at least according to Lonely Planet) and a wonderful city to soak up while beginning to come to terms with the fact that our time in Lancaster was over.

Our time was filled with balmy days getting lost in the maze of the Old Town, conversations over long dinners of tagine and cous cous, and hours on end by the pool in our weirdly-hotel-like hostel. On a whim, we signed up for a 36 hour whirlwind trip to the Sahara Desert, an experience that was easily one of the highlights of all my time abroad. On the way we visited some Game of Thrones filming locations, which was mighty exciting for my inner tourist and Khaleesi fangirl, among various Moroccan towns and villages. In the Sahara, we were treated to a delicious meal before a traditional Moroccan music performance, after which we slept in wildly over-insulated tents. It was like nothing I've ever experienced before and after six months worth of travel around Europe it was refreshing to be taken completely out of our comfort zone. 

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INSPIRE: FLORAL

  

The above images were found on Tumblr

There's something marvelous about the way flowers magically pop up come springtime in England. A luscious array of varieties and colours carpet the ground in a way that just never happens in Australia. Honestly, one of the most striking difference between living in England and living at home in the stark contrast in seasons, not so much the temperatures, but in the way the country looks. After the wet and windy winter with it's bare trees and barren landscapes, it's been wonderful to witness the transformation as the greenery and colour emerges. 

Since these blooms made their first appearance and piqued my interest, I've had a grand old time trawling through the internet for creative endeavors where art meets floristry. I love these gorgeous 'floral beards' by Sarah Winward, and  'Overgrowth', a stunning collaboration between Parker Fitzgerald and Riley Messina. The suspended floral installation works of Rebecca Louise Law are mind blowing. 

'floral beards'

'floral beards'

'overgrowth'

suspended floral installation

suspended floral installation

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WATCH: HER

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I realise I'm a bit late on the bandwagon here, but there's just about Her that demands to be shared. It's been a couple of months since I first watched the film but it's one that has stuck with me. I've spoken about my appreciation of all things media and interconnectedness and how technology is changing the way we live and interact, and I adore how these ideas - and a commentary on them - are integrated into picturesque, dreamy film. 

Joaquin Phoenix masterfully leads the film, while Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde and Scarlett Johansson drive the story forward within their respective roles. The storyline itself feels fresh and inspired, and it's impressive how the film, though set in the future, can strike such a chord with the emotions and events we encounter in our lives today.

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TRAVEL: AMALFI COAST

  

It seems a far cry from rainy old England, but it's comforting to know that these kind of beaches lie barely an hour's flight from where I'm living right now. With a few weeks study behind us and several more to come, a few friends and I booked ourselves a post-exam escape on the Amalfi Coast to get us through our revision, and, oh boy, was it worth it.

We stayed in Salerno for a few nights, making day trips to Maori and Positano for a couple of glorious beach days, and a trek to Pompeii to see the city, Mt Vesuvius and surrounds. Our final night was spent in Rome, dining on pasta, red wine and coconut gelato next to to the Trevi Fountain and wandering the streets of beautiful Roma in the wee hours of the morning.

I don't think words can describe how wonderful it was, but perhaps these photographs help. I'll be saying goodbye to the two of the three ladies I traveled with at the end of this week and the only thing that makes it okay is the incredible memories we've got to hold onto.

Hold your pals tight, friends.

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GIRL CRUSH: JENNY CAVILLERI

 

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Aside from 'love means never having to say you're sorry' being one of the least true affirmations on love from a film, I unapologetically adore Love Story. It's one of the easiest films to get swept up in and I'm not sure if there is anything better than wailing over Jenny and Ollie under the doona with a hot cocoa in the middle of winter. 

It goes virtually without saying that the character of Jenny Cavilleri is one of the best part of the movie. Brought to life by the beautiful Ali MacGraw, Jenny is one of my favourite heroines of all time. Intelligent, hilarious and sassy, Jenny carries herself through life with a sense of fearlessness I can only dream of.

"Listen, I need that goddamn book."

"Wouldja please watch your profanity, Preppie?"

"What makes you so sure I went to prep school?"

"You look stupid and rich."

"You're wrong, I'm actually smart and poor."

"Oh, no, Preppie.  I'm smart and poor."

"What the hell makes you so smart?"

"I wouldn't go for coffee with you."

"Listen, I wouldn't ask you."

"That, is what makes you stupid."

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MUSIC: JUNE PLAYLIST

It's funny being overseas and away from my usual means of stumbling upon new music - Triple J - for such an extended period of time, but I've managed to keep my iPod fairly fresh. Here's a taste of what's been on repeat lately!

• She Only Loves Me When I'm There - Ball Park Music: Releasing their third album, Puddinghead, in the same number of years, it appears that Ball Park Music cannot be stopped. I'm not complaining, and I love the lead single. 
• Do You Realise?? - The Flaming Lips: My time overseas is wrapping up and songs about saying goodbye and ~inspirational lyrics about making the most of every moment~ seem to have crept into my subconscious.
• No Rest For The Wicked - Lykke Li: I am in love with every song on I Never Learn. It's wonderful to see how much Lykke Li has grown and changed as a musician since Youth Novels was released way back in 2008. 
• Stop The World I Wanna Get Off With You - Arctic Monkeys: There's always going to be a token AM song. You know me by now.
• Dreaming - Smallpools: I only discovered Smallpools recently, but this song makes me so happy. 
• You Know What I Mean - Cults: I only just emerged from my cocoon of exam study a few weeks ago and whilst I was still wrapped up in revision Cults proved to be the perfect soundtrack. 
• Say You Won't Cry - Television Personalities: This is another goodbye song. It makes me feel so bittersweet about leaving Lancaster.
• I Need My Girl - The National: I did enjoy Trouble Will Find Me when it came out, but it's taken me well over a year to get fully immersed in it. I got there in the end though, and I've been listening to the album on repeat.

Enjoy!

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WATCH: RENOIR

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Last week I finished uni a few days before my friends, so I put to use a few movie pass I received a couple of months ago for the fancy Palace Cinemas. 

Renoir tells the story of the triangular relationship between Pierre-Auguste Renoir, his last model, Andree Heuschling, and his son, film maker Jean Renoir, over the final years of the artist's life. I have a definite affinity for French films, biopics and Impressionist art, so there was never really much chance of my finding fault in Renoir. As it so happened, the film was also visually stunning, engaging and funny. This is one I can see myself watching again.

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