anniversary breakfast

On the 24th of last month Luke and I celebrated our three year anniversary, which is really quite a long time considering we're a high school couple. I only know one other couple who've been together since high school (year ten in Tasmania), although I can imagine there are quite a few.

The plan was to go to Rottnest Island, a small island off the coast of Western Australia, but the ferry we thought left at 10.30 actually left at 10, so we were a little late to say the least. We still managed to book tickets for the next day (a post to come for that!) but we didn't have plans for the rest of the day, so we wondered around for somewhere to eat. Most cafes were either chains or not open until noon, but we found one little place that was absolutely gorgeous, so we stopped in and had a look at the menu, which was delicious.

Look at that cutie pie! The whole set up of the place was really nice, with pastel coloured chairs and tables, and wooden crates for chairs and barrels for tables. It was really super quaint, but managed to avoid looking tacky.

Someone was a little shy ;)

Wasn't our table cute?! We decided to sit outside as weather in Perth is quite mild in winter and the sun was out. All of the tables were undercover, but it was just a bit more refreshing where we were. We also had a very interesting table number decoration.

Apparently Ken and Barbie were joining us for breakfast.

The menu was full of delicious options that made my mouth absolutely water. Luke had a hankering for pancakes, so he had that, whilst I was really hungry, so I went for the option aptly named 'The Beast'. It actually looked a bit funny this 6 foot guy ordering blueberry pancakes and a tiny girl ordering a beast of a meal! We also had the yummiest drinks. Luke had an iced coffee that was ever so slightly bitter at first, but once the vanilla ice cream melted a little it had the most gorgeous flavour. I went for a tropical smoothie with pineapple, mango, coconut water, and chia seeds. Oh god it was good. And of course, like any good hipster cafe, they were served in jars.

I didn't manage to get a proper shot of the drinks because they were too damn delicious to take photos before drinking. I also managed to steal a couple of bites of Luke's pancakes. We were going to go half and half but by the time I was halfway through my meal, I couldn't muster more than a couple of bites I was so full. The Beast had done its job of filling me up, and a bit more, too.

The Beast - bacon, tomato, spinach, avocado, on a toasted Turkish bread pita with pesto aioli and a side of hash browns

Blueberry pancakes with a blueberry compote served with cream

All in all, it was a gorgeous breakfast perfect for a casual meal. Maybe not an anniversary meal, but it was certainly great for a last minute find, and honestly, we didn't have much of a budget. We're both young adults, can you really expect us to afford a fancy restaurant?

I would definitely recommend the breakfast we had, it was so so yummy and I always love just having a nice chatty meal with Luke. Three years later, we can still talk and talk and talk. And if you're reading this, I love you Luke.

xx Silje

an update (perth, boyfriend, uni)

I'm not very good at this blogging thing, am I? Oh dear, it has been a long time! I think from now on I'm just not going to promise anything and instead write when I write. But hello all! How have we been? I've been doing so much stuff recently that for a while I didn't sit still. My last couple of weeks in Tasmania were full of catch ups and packing and boring organisation. However, I'm now in Perth!

Sunny glorious Perth! It is so wonderful here, and I'm so glad I made the decision to move to this city. It's so familiar and homely, but still large enough to be interesting. Not to mention, they have so many make up brands available to me that I couldn't get back home. I'm currently living with my grandmother and her absolutely gorgeous dog Penny. Truth be told, I'm in love with her already.

Sorry for the terrible quality, but isn't she gorgeous??

Luke and I are now in a long distance relationship, which honestly sucks. We have been together for over three years now, and in that entire time we've been living twenty minutes apart, which the longest time spent apart being two weeks. So it's certainly different! Luckily, we have FaceTime and unlimited texting, but it's just not the same as being physically with each other. The worst part is there isn't a date we can count down to as Luke doesn't know when he'll be able to move over.

As for university, I am officially enrolled after a thousand and one issues regarding what course, what units, and other things that should be simple but really weren't. I am doing a Bachelor of Speech Pathology, but to do the units I wanted in semester two I had to enrol in a BA in Psychology. All a bit too confusing, hey? Luckily it's all out of the way now. I'm so excited to start! The actual university is gorgeous. It's so big there's a lake in the middle of it. They also have a GP, counsellor, hairdresser, pizza place, tavern, optometrist, multi-faith church, fully equipped gym, and at least five different eateries/coffee shops. It's amazing. The best part is that it's so easy to get to. There's a bus stop outside my street, which takes me to the train station, and then there's a free shuttle from the train station to the university. It sounds complicated but it's very straightforward and only takes about 40 minutes overall. Very different to Tasmania!

The area the university is in is also super modern, with heaps of accommodation and a giant shopping centre. And at the end of August, H&M is opening its first store in WA! I am definitely going to the opening! It's most likely this is where Luke and I will move to when we get our first place together.

All in all I'm nicely settled in, I just need to find a job. I managed to get a couple of job interviews but they were unsuccessful (Thursday is late shopping night, and I have an evening lecure - boo), so I'm still searching. However, it's not like I'm not trying. Believe me, I've handed in close to fifty applications. Fingers crossed, it's all waiting now!

I've got a few posts coming up in the next few weeks, I think I'll generally be posting on Thursdays from now on. Thank you to everyone who follows me, and I hope you don't hate me too much for leaving for so long!

Love you all,

xx Silje

mental health check-in

I have to be honest with you all - I haven't been feeling so wonderful lately. And that really sucks because I've been having quite the good streak. Last year was a really rough year for me and my mental health (you can read all about it here), so lately it feels like all the progress I've made has been for nothing.

Sometimes it's hard to keep your head high and muster through the struggle. My sister and I had a nice talk about it today - she told me that sometimes she gets so exhausted trying to fight it off that sometimes it's easier to simply succumb to the anxiety, and that really resonated with me. Anxiety (and other mental illnesses I'm sure) are absolutely exhausting sometimes. Really, most of the time. I only really started getting back to my full "normal" self a couple of months ago.

However now it feels like it's going downhill.

I know that it's the anxiety talking here and that I should ignore it, but it gets a bit more complicated than that. I've had a bad week and it makes me so sad and so annoyed and frustrated. I don't know what's brought it on. There have been hiccups this year, but nothing that compared to last year, until this week. That awful feeling of 'oh my god I'm going to throw up", the weird tingling numbness up my arms, the cold feeling in my ears, the dizziness, ugh.

What I can say, though, is that I'm trying. And that is really, really important. The other night I felt super anxious, but still managed to get out and about to see my friends. Sometimes, that can prove very beneficial. For example, I confessed to my friend about how I was feeling when I gave her a lift to the dinner we were going to, and it turns out she was feeling the same way. This was nice (in a way) as it meant we could check up on each other through the night. Tonight was really hard as it involved my boyfriend, and even though to me he is a place (for want of a better word) where I feel safe, but unless the environment we're in is my place, then that doesn't matter - I still get anxious. So I wanted to stay, and I tried really hard, but in the end I just had to leave so I could feel safe again.

It's also important to know that you're not weak for succumbing to anxiety. If what you need is to stay home under your blankets listening to the rain with your cat, then so be it. Make sure you stay mentally healthy. It's vital to make sure you're going to be okay, even if it's just for the next few days.

So I've had my little mental health check-in, how about you? How have you guys been feeling? If you've been feeling a little under the weather in any way, is there something you can do to change that? Remember to always take care of yourself. ♡

xx Silje

{a little side note: here is a really good article on what I was suffering from last year. it's a little different to my own experience, but it's comforting to know that I'm not alone}

8 Positive Things!

It has been a while hasn't it?! A big apology to you all as my laptop decided to cark it so I've only had my phone for company the past couple of months. And I can't say that the iOS Blogger app is very helpful (sorry). However, I'm back now and hopefully this blog will be up and running better than ever! I have a whole heap of posts I want to share with you and I can't wait to get started! What better way to do that than listing some of the things I've been grateful for?

1) Date night with my boyfriend. It doesn't matter where we are, as long as we're together (and the food is good, haha).

2) Catching up with friends. I was with a couple of mine just the other day and we ended up just hanging out chatting in my car for about three hours! So lovely just to gossip and talk the night away.

3) I am now a proud owner of a MacBook Air! It is so, so beautiful and my absolute love.

4) Starting to see my savings grow. $$$$

5) Going to a sushi train the other night for the first time. It was so much fun and I'm planning to drag my boyfriend there for our next date.

6) Netflix! Need I say more? Thank you for finally coming to Australia!

7) Getting a bit of exercise into my routine. I managed to swim a whole kilometre the other night, which might not seem like a lot of some people, but I thought it was a fair achievement.

8) My time in Tasmania is coming to an end, and a new chapter of my life is soon to begin. I can't wait to start university in Perth.

And now for some negativity: Did anyone watch Grey's Anatomy the other night? Why? I'm not going to spoil it for everyone else, but I will warn you. I cried for thirty minutes straight after the episode finished. My dream consisted of nothing but me walking around crying, and when I woke up I felt empty inside. I think I'm going through the five stages of grief. I don't care if it's fictional!

Anyway, how have you guys been? What's been making you happy lately? I'd love to know!

xx Silje

essano rosehip night cream

To sum this product up in one word: daaaayum.

This night cream is awesome. I went into my local Priceline with a mission: night cream and eye cream, and came out with two little goodies, one of which was the Essano Rosehip Moisture Restorative Night Creme (bit of a mouthful, hey?). I had heard that rosehip oil was really good for your skin as it soothed and moisturised naturally, without irritating your skin. I kept an eye on the Essano line for a while but I kept trying to convince myself "you don't need another skin product", "you've got thousands of moisturisers at home" and so on and so forth. However, I am so glad I picked this up as it is such a wonderful product.

This night cream claims to deeply moisturise and nourish, as well as promote elasticity. I can assure you it certainly does what it says. When applying, it feels really nice and thick, but soaks into your skin nice and quickly. It's like your skin is having a good, well deserved drink. Almost instantly you can tell the texture of your skin has changed.

It's a really thick, buttery texture that rubs into your skin well and doesn't leave a sticky film like most heavy moisturisers do. When I got up the next day my face was as soft as a baby's bottom! It felt so silky and supple, and although I'm still young, I could feel there was more elasticity in my skin. The actual scent of the product is quite pleasant, too. It's hard to describe - a bit musky, a bit floral, but very gentle. It contains lots of goodies for your skin, such as rosehip oil, jojoba oil, and shea butter. Even better - they're all organic! I have a huge love for cosmetics that are kind to the environment, because they are therefore kind to my skin, which is a huge bonus (obviously). They are also cruelty free and vegan, yet another reason to go out and support Essano.

I would whole-heartedly recommend this product as it has become a staple in my night time skincare regime. There are so many eco-friendly benefits to it, and the results are so wonderful. My only warning to you is that if you have really sensitive skin this product does contain alcohol and fragrance, which I know can irritate some skin types. However, I have sensitive skin (not majorly, but my face and hands get easily irritated) and I had no reaction to this product.

I know I am singing praise here but I have not been endorsed by this product in any way, I just purchased it and thought I would share my opinions!

Life Lately Vol. 2

Here we are again, the end of another month! Can you believe that we're two months into 2015? I thought that the end of February called for a monthly recap, and what better way to do that than with a life lately post. I've had a month chock-a-block full of catch ups, outings, road trips, and other exciting things. I also had my first two weeks off from school and work that didn't include me being sick for the first time in a year and a half! That was definitely a well deserved break. Many sleep ins were enjoyed. Also binge-watching Grey's Anatomy.

Finally having a solid cleansing routine for my face // Afternoon tea with my darling of a grandmother, many laughs were enjoyed then // Turns out I have an addiction to magazines, as I found out when I fell sick with a nasty cold

Out for lunch with some family friends who I haven't seen in several years, it was so lovely to catch up // A trip to Mt Wellington with the boyfriend for a day of long walks // Taking my grandmother out to lunch at the historic town of Richmond, enjoying the cutest little cellar/restaurant

Going to see 'A Comedy of Errors' for the annual Shakespeare in the Gardens, and my friend brought along the most gorgeous picnic basket // Rewatching the Harry Potter movies with my boyfriend, from the very beginning // The aforementioned family friends had brought this adorable puppy along with me, who I made very good friends with

How has February treated you? I'd love to hear what you have to say in the comments! If you like these posts you might want to follow me on Instagram for more regular updates. Just sayin'. ;)

xx Silje

autumn inspo

Like many people, one of my favourite season for style is autumn. The colours are my favourite - plums, berries, golds, yellows, browns, greys, the list goes on! I also love the atmosphere, the darkening nights, evenings by the fireplace, hot drinks. I am also one snuggly person, and autumn is perfect snuggling weather. My boyfriend and I have a great idea for the blog for autumn as well, which I am super excited to start - more on that will be coming soon! Here is some of my latest pins that have been making me lust for autumn.

clockwise from top left:

1. mustard knit jumpers and frilly collars are a combination to die for

2. you'll be guaranteed my boyfriend and I will definitely be doing this this season (we're both a sucker for socks)

3. isn't that outfit gorgeous? stockings are the epitome of autumn fashion

4. gold eyes & plum lips will be my go to makeup look for the next few months

What are you looking forward to this autumn? Or, if you're from the north hemisphere, this spring? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear from you!

xx Silje

8 Positive Things!

One of my favourite quotes that has always stuck with me.

Wow, it feels like so long since I last did one of these! I have so many wonderful things to write about! Lately the weather has been getting cooler and cooler, and when this post goes live it will officially be autumn here in Australia. I'm super excited, for the style, the hot drinks, the cosy nights in, the plum lips, everything. But for now, here are my eight positive things.

1) Using my electric blanket at night. I hate being cold when trying to sleep, but in summer you really can't cosy up so it's so conflicting! However, this warmer weather means nice cosy nights in bed.

2) Finding a new favourite lipstick, Dark Side by MAC. Oh my god, so perfect for autumn!

3) Winning a competition from Kreo Home and Short Story Melbourne. Feeling very lucky, there'll definitely be a post on the goodies I received.

4) Going for lots of little dates with my boyfriend. After two and a half years, it's still nice to catch up over a cup of coffee.

5) Catching up with my school friends for a nice of gossip, laughter, and a bit of Shakespeare in the Gardens.

6) Boohoo order arriving (yes, I am very materialistic).

7) Reorganising my desk and the bathroom cupboards (the clutter, the clutter). It feels so nice to be in a much cleaner, calmer, space.

8) Having two weeks off work, which is the longest break I've had in a long time without working, studying, or being sick. Absolutely wonderful!

Tell me what's been making you happy lately! For those of you up in the north, are you looking forward to the warmer weather?

xx Silje