I'm back ... + some scenes from the weekend

Hello lovelies, I'm so happy to be back!! My travels flew past so quickly but I'm more than excited to get back to life, and of course this little blog!

I hope you enjoyed the company of the amazing guest bloggers who posted while I was away. A heart-filled thank you goes out to Natalia, Erika, Claudia, Lana, Alexa, Ada, Rachel, Dawn, Caterina, Gaby, Sam, Mollie, Serena, Natalie, Annie + Ashely; who, I think you would agree, put together a fabulous selection of posts!

To say my trip was incredible would be an understatement - I had an extraordinarily colourful experience, met some very special people and of course shopped up a storm! I have loads of photos to share, but I will spread them out over several posts so you don't get bored of them too quickly!

Before I do, I wanted to share a few pics from my brother's wedding on the weekend that was held down in the Adelaide Hills in an incredibly stunning 'garden' setting.

{My sister, Jess and I before the wedding}

The whole extended family flew down and we stayed at a charming B&B that was part of a winery. We had perfect spring weather, with warm sunny days and a cool breeze at night which was heavenly.

{wearing Fleur Wood maxi dress, Apex jewelled flats {old}, vintage clutch, Michael Kors watch, YSL ring}

The wedding was held at my sister-in-law's family estate,  a winery nestled in the Adelaide Hills, with absolutely breathtaking views.

One of my favourite touches of the day was this outdoor wash-basin for guests to use.

And my gorgeous nieces made two adorable flower girls on the day.

I hope you had a great weekend!

Rachel xo

{All photography by me except the first two taken by my dad!}

Au revoir!

By the time you are reading this I will be boarding my plane and about to embark on an incredible adventure! I still can't quite believe that I will be gone for 5 weeks, but I hope to pop in now and again and will of course be tweeting + instagramming along the way.

Until then, I leave you in the trusted hands of my favourite bloggers who {from Monday} will be keeping you company while I am away; I know you will love the posts that each of these amazing ladies put together.

Au revoir!

Rachel xo

Images: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Insta-lately + the Typo giveaway winner

Hi lovelies! It's one more sleep until I leave so I'm just popping in between packing to give you a 

bit of a peek of lately through the Instagram lens...

{left to right} 

A few new pretties: 1. Peter Alexander slippers and bag + 2. Kikki-k travel travel wallet; to-do notepad + pretty pens

3. My brother's lovely wedding invitation; which means I'll be going to Adelaide in November just after I get back!

4. I got these Hopscotch & Grace business cards printed to take with me on my trip!

5. My sister's been getting me into these power smoothies + I'm loving them in the mornings now the weather is getting warmer.

6. I've been using KORA products lately + they are amazing! They are all definitely coming with me in my suitcase.

7. I bought these Country Road beauty cases to take with me; the neon + polka dots make me very happy :)

8. My current magazine stack pretty much sums things up where my head is at lately.

.....And now to announce the winner of the awesome Typo giveaway! The winner is... 

Cynthia Gonazalez!

Congratulations Cynthia, you have won the Vintage Pretty pack! Thank you so much to every one who entered, it was fun reading all of your answers :)

Rachel xo

Life through the Instagram lens

Hi lovelies! Sorry for the lack of posting lately, things have been slightly hectic on the work front which has left me with not much time for anything else this week. I hope you're week hasn't been as crazy as mine!


I thought I'd share a few pics of life lately though my instagram lens...

+ On my reading list: Vogue + Zoe Foster's The Younger Man (a very fun read!)

+ A few recent make up favourites: Clinique gradient blush in Black Honey; Nars Silk Road + Taiga eyeshadows; Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner in Ivy Shimmer ink.

+ It's getting colder here; on the weekend I wore boots for the first time this year!

+ I picked these beautiful Calla Lillies from the garden - aren't they incredible?

+ Homemade baba ganoush, celery, carrots + olives made a healthy appetizer for my Dad's birthday.

+ Such a fun idea for my brother's wedding save-the-date - it's a magnet on the other side!

Happy Thursday friends!

Rachel xo

In my beauty bag

Hello lovelies, its good to be back! Last week was crazy with my day-job, but I'm hoping this week will be a little less so!

A couple of weeks back, I asked if you would be interested in finding out what was in my beauty bag, and the resounding response was "yes" so today I thought I'd give you a little peek.

All of these products I use on daily basis, with a few of them being products I have used for years (I tend to get fixated on certain products + brands). More recently I have tried to incorporate organic products, or products that have mostly natural ingredients in them, into my routine. I don't subscribe to having to spend a lot on good skincare, I rather think its more about what kind of ingredients the products contain; + pretty packaging also helps!

Anyway here goes…

{1} Grown's Rose Absolute Toner :: I'm loving Grown's products right now and their refreshing toner is exactly that - it smells lovely + is very gentle on the skin.

{2} Kiehl's Creme de Corps :: I've used this on and off for years and despite me trying loads of different moisturisers, I keep coming back to this one for the simple reason that it makes my skin feel so silky smooth + supple.

{3} Ole Heinrikson walnut complexion scrub :: I have oily/combination skin which is prone to break-outs so I love having a good scrub that makes my skin feel really clean afterwards; highly recommend!

{4} Antipodes Vanilla Pod day cream :: this is a New Zealand brand that I have recently discovered, with all of their products being organic. The day cream is incredibly hydrating and the vanilla smells so good!

{5} Dermalogica Multi Vitamin Power Firm :: this eye cream is a little gem - so rich and hydrating, it glides on the eye area so smoothly.

{6} Grown's Geranium Leaf cleanser :: another Grown product that is a recent new favourite, having switched over from using Dermalogica's Special Cleansing gel. I was apprehensive at first, after having used a few organic cleansers none of which I was happy with, but this one is a great cleanser that not only gets all traces of make up off, it's all natural too.

{7} Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant :: this is one of the products I have been using for years; it has made its way to many top beauty product lists and I have to agree, it is fabulous! I use it everyday after cleansing and it makes my skin feel so squeaky clean + refreshed.

{8} Trilogy CoQ10 booster serum :: I actually bought this when the product I normally buy (Rosehip Oil) was unavailable. This also contains Rosehip oil, along with other good stuff, but at double the price, I don't think its worth it + will be buying the Rosehip Oil next time.

So now tell me, what are your best beauty recommendations + products you can't live without?

Rachel xo 

Life lately through the instagr.am lens...

Hi lovelies, I hope you all had a brilliant weekend! I thought I'd share a bit of life lately according to {instagr.am} to give you a peek of what I've been up to...

{one} I spent most of yesterday working, but I'm loving my workspace and fresh roses sitting on my desk always make me smile.


{two} My go-to salad right now is a mix of baby spinach, blanched asparagus, cherry tomatoes + grilled haloumi + topped with balsamic dressing - so yummy!

{three} I bought a Tocca candle for the first time a couple of weeks ago and oh my goodness, it smells amazing. My favourite candles are the ones where the scent lingers in the air long after it has been put out and the Tocca Brigitte does exactly that!


{four} My sister, who is very much into raw + organic food lately, baked these yummy carrot cupcakes for us on Saturday night - these are not only raw + organic, but also sugar free + yes, they tasted delicious!

{five} I'm loving my new striped JCrew blazer + have been wearing it a lot recently, its' so comfy + I always love wearing stripes.


{six} A few glossies on my reading pile at the moment: Madison, O Magazine + Real Living.




I hope you're week is off to a wonderful start!


Rachel xo

Style at Home :: Blogger's Budget Decorating ideas

Hello lovelies! Some exciting news today; I'm thrilled to be featured in Style at Home's Blogger's budget decorating ideas article!

Head on over to read my budget decorating tip + check out all the other fabulous bloggers who took part!


In the meantime, here is a little hint...

Thank you Style at Home for asking me to take part!

Rachel xo

5 things making me happy right now...

Ah Tuesday, we meet again. Not quite hump day and a yet still long way off from the weekend; so today I need a few little reminders of things that make me happy...

{one} Beyonce's new video clip for Countdown - she is positively glowing!

{two} An early birthday present from my lovely sister and these beautiful poppies!

{three} Going for a run with this little guy

{four} Striped goodies from Country Road

{five} This pretty JCrew necklace that arrived today - love!

I'm also having fun with instagr.am :)

What's making you happy today?

Rachel xo

Celebrating two years today

2 years on and I still consider myself to be the luckiest girl in the world.


To my wonderful husband, happy anniversary.


Now we're off to celebrate; see you tomorrow lovelies!


Rachel xo

The end of an era: RIP Steve Jobs

Today the world lost one of the great visionaries of our time, Steve Jobs.


A truly inspirational man, who despite all of the challenges he faced, stayed true to himself and produced incredible things.


Steve Jobs, you will be remembered by our generation and many more to come. RIP.


“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

-Steve Jobs, Stanford commencement speech, June 2005.




Image credits: 1 | 2

...And she wore Galliano

Hello lovelies! I must apologise for my lack of posts lately and not being able to visit your blogs, but my new job is proving to be a wonderful challenge, meaning that I haven't been able to master the art of juggling both successfully...yet! It will be this way for the next little while as I adjust, but I will still be popping in from time to time - it just won't be on any regular blogging schedule.


So by now you would have seen Kate Moss's amazing Galliano gown she wore to her recent nuptials to Jamie Hince... 

I loved her choice of dress; I thought it was perfectly suited to her style and struck a great balance between a traditional wedding gown and that super-model / fashionista / I'm marrying a rockstar- type-gown. 


What did you think about Kate's dress?


Images via Popsugar

Hello & Highlights from Melbourne

Hello friends! Apologies for my long absence, but after our whirlwind trip to Melbourne I officially started a new job which has meant lots of hours and sadly no time for blogging.
But I do have a few pics of our Melbourne trip to share with you...

{lots of fresh fruit & vegetables at the Prahan markets}

{homemade Jam store at Prahan markets}

{delicious cupcakes at Prahan markets}

{an incredible selection of gourmet dips at Prahan markets}

Because we went over Easter, a lot was closed but there were still  plenty of stores open to enjoy. Sadly Fenton & Fenton was closed, but we did get to enjoy their lovely window displays!

{fenton & fenton, high street melbourne}

{fenton & fenton window display}

{fenton & fenton window display}

The highlights? We had an incredible degustation dinner out with our good friends at Ezard; exploring the Prahan markets and falling in love with Chapel Street Bazaar. All in all a fantastic holiday! 

While I was gone I noticed I had a few new followers join, so welcome!


Do you have anything special planned for Mother's Day tomorrow? We are having both mine and M's family over to our house so I will be busy baking in preparation to spoil our mum's. I hope you are having a lovely weekend!







{all photography by me}

Thoughts & Prayers

I'd like to take a minute to reflect on the terrible tragedy and horror that is unfolding in Japan right now. One can only imagine what these people are experiencing. My thoughts and prayers are with all of the families who are going through this awful time. 


Please join me in saying a prayer for our friends in Japan.













Image via Patterson Maker

Hello again

Hello lovelies! I wanted to say thank you for all of the sweet comments you left for me, it means so much that you are so supportive, and just knowing that I have a lovely community of friends who would be willing to wait until I came back is incredible. 

It's been a stressful week, but I really did miss blogging, so I've decided to do whatever it takes so I can keep writing this blog. 
Something I have been reminded of late is that anything is possible even if it doesn't seem so straight away. I think this Audrey quote sums it up perfectly. 











Image via Pinterest

Hello 2011

Happy New Year lovelies! I do have to admit that I am having a pretty hard time getting back into my daily blogging routine after all of this time off; anyone else feeling that way?

I did have a lovely and relaxing holiday though filled with all of my favourite things;

* Baking – I baked this, this & this – yum!

* Reading – I read this from cover to cover (loved it and highly recommend); now reading this.

* Watching movies – we saw a stack of movies including The Tourist (not so great), Black Swan (amazing, definitely see it!).

*  Getting organised – I splashed out on 2 lovely diaries from Kikki-K – one for everyday to carry in my bag and the other to keep on my desk for keeping track of goals and blogging schedules (yes, I am going to be super organised this year!).

* Taking Charlie on long walks.

* Catching up on some much needed quality time with family & friends.

The break also gave me the opportunity to take some time to reflect on what I want to achieve in 2011. I don't have a long list of goals, but there are a few important things I want to achieve like;

Taking a creative writing course. I want to practice writing more and get my creative juices flowing; taking a course should kick start things along nicely.

Run the City to Surf. I have always wanted to run this but have never committed to actually doing it, but this year I'm definitely going in it!

Less procrastinating and more action! This is a big one for me as I tend to procrastinate a lot and as a result end up wasting time, which is terrible.

Stop sweating the small stuff. I am very guilty of this and tend to spend a lot of time worrying about stuff that is really pointless, resulting in wasted time, energy and unnecessary stress. Yes, definitely needs to go this year!

Did you create any goals for 2011? Would love you to share them!






Images: Donna Hay via Dustjacket Attic

What Dreams Are Made of {Jessica Watson}

It's a big day in Sydney today, Jessica Watson, the 16 year old determined young lady who sailed solo around the world, is arriving back home. I am awe-inspired by Jess' journey and along with the rest of Australia can't wait to welcome her back home on solid ground.

Jess has kept a blog of her adventures out at sea and has captivated the hearts of people around the world. Her journey has proved a reminder to me that you can achieve any dream, you just have to have the drive and determination to succceed. 

Thought for the day: always dream big and never give up hope.

Happy Mothers Day

Wishing my mum and all of the other wonderful Mother's out there a happy Mother's day! 

Oh and a big hello to new Little Bits of Lovely followers. 

Welcome :)

Image credit: Colin Cooke

Mother's Day {Lovely Inspiration}

Mother's Day is all about spoiling your Mum rotten, and with Mother's Day coming up this Sunday, I thought I would share a few lovely things.

The delightful Nole, over at Beautiful Paper has given a fabulous round-up of the best Mother's Day cards, do check out her full post here. My top picks of the prettiest...

I love a bit of Jo Malone luxury and was excited to find out that she has recently partnered with Farrow & Ball to create 5 limited edition coloured Home Candles, that would be perfect for Mum!


The collection includes delicious-smelling scents such as Lime Basil & Mandarin in Breakfast Room Green, Pomegranate Noir, in Eating Room Red and Wild Fig & Cassis in Pelt.

What better than a beautiful bunch of flowers to give your dear Mum on Mothers Day?

Whether you're heading off to the flower markets early, or carefully choosing a special bouquet, flowers are perfect gift to spoil Mum with!

I adored Julie & Julia the movie, and my Mum has recently seen it too and can't stop raving about it. So for Mother's Day I'm going to spoil her with Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

My Mum is such an amazing cook and has almost every recipe book, but I know she doesn't have this one!