but I don't wanna....do I?

If you're like me, then you have pile upon pile of your favorite fashion, decor and design magazines stashed all over your house.  I just can't seem to part with these little jewels of inspiration and am yet to come up with a better alternative to storing them. My fear (however irrational it may seem) is that if I put them too far away I'll never see them and they'll be lost forever like a long forgotten treasure map (yes these magazines contain the location of my much desired treasures).  This is where the fabulousness of online magazines come in. No you don't get to turn the actual pages and smell the new paper smell, but as reluctant as I am, I think that's all part of welcoming a new era of reading - hello Kindle and iPad. The dilema of where to store these dream diaries is completely taken away and you can't deny the obvious environmental pluses that come with reduced paper consumption. 
Here's a list of some of the greatest digital design magazines that I've found out there.. Give them a go, they might just change your mind.

Lonny Magazine

Although there's not many issues (three to be exact) this little jewel was created by those genius' who put together the cult design mag, Domino magazine. R.I.P...sigh

Fryd + Design

My girlfriend who lives in Norway put me onto this Scandinavian take on life and design in Northern Europe... It's adorably neat and simple.

Neet Magazine

As a self professed "style bible for the digital age", this quarterly UK based online publication has some of the greatest vintage finds and DIY projects around.

Nesting Newbies

 

For those of us who are already missing the visceral accompaniments that come with a good ol' traditional read, this virtual mag has added some sound effects to make you feel as though you're actually turning the page...it's sweet, but they're not fooling anyone! Although I may be muting the flip sound on this site, they have me hooked on their delightful collection of recipes and demonstrative 'how to' video clips. 

Sweet Paul

On the heels of his wildly successful blog of the same title, Sweet Paul, prop and food stylist Paul Lowe has fulfilled one of his biggest dreams with his 'bon appetite' meets martha stewart culinary and craft magazine.  The food design is truly some of the best I've ever seen and the photography captures the taste and quirky style of this digital gem beautifully. If this magazine can't inspire you in one way or another, then I don't know what will! It's safe to say I'm crazy about the guy's style and thank goodness I have his blog to follow in between editions.

So go ahead! Download them, print out the pages you've fallen in love with, and dive head first into the digital age of reading.. I for one am taking it one step at a time. But let me tell you, this isn't a bad place to start...not at all!

spring brings new things

Spring time has me in the mood to create new things...that includes the much wanted redesign of my love nest. Check out some of the inspirations that I've fallen in love with..


Look at the wood on this stair case.

love the quilted sleigh bed

the right shade of grey and blue together are always calming


shelves, shelves and more shelves

love the grey beams

and different nooks for reading or entertaining .

Memorial day or broke...

Well yesterday was an absolute blast... What more do you need than some California sunshine, some KILLER margaritas, a grill and some of your best buddies to celebrate life?  
Unfortunately the latter part of the day ended with one of our friends breaking his nose on a surf board and me getting sunburnt to an absolute crisp... that's what you get for preaching those Australian slip, slop, slap sunsmarts. Somehow through all of that, we managed to take a moment to remember what this day was all about and give thanks to all of the soldiers out there who are doing what they're doing for life as we know it!  

a beach day to remember

Tomorrow my friends and I (along with the rest of Los Angeles) are planning a day at the beach to celebrate Memorial Day.  Here's my must haves list for a fun hassle free day in the sun and surf.

Smokey Joe table top weber and grill $35. It's something that you can use all summer long! Don't forget to bring your coals, matches and bbq equipment.

pottery barn throw $49 to keep you warm when those evening breezes start to pick up.

never underestimate the importance of sun smarts! In Australia I grew up with the sun smart moto of "slip, slop, slap". Slip on a sun shirt, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a hat. Choose something light weight and higher SPF for your face and switch to a lower SPF for your body if you want to look like you've actually been to the beach.

personally I'll be getting my tan from Kate Somerville's Somerville360... the best.

I'm loving J Crew's sunhat for $165. However am sure I can find something equally as effective for a one eighth of the price here.

if you're like most people, you love the look of your hair after a day of playing in the sun and surf.  Bring along an extra spray bottle and fill it up with some salty sea water so you can spritz your hair all day long to keep the beach babe tousled hair happening. This tip came from hair stylist extraordinaire Christine Symonds at Byron and Tracy Salon; who's responsible for Lauren Conrad's sultry waves and the cover of this months People Style Watch.

which brings me to....magazines! Bring some easy reading material to keep you busy between games of charades, frisbee and for our friends sing alongs with my boyfriends trusty guitar skills.

Food is another story entirely! Stay tuned for a couple of great recipes that make for crowd pleasing munchies and hassle free transportation!

packing punches

More often than not people wait for reasons to celebrate (birthdays, engagements, holidays, weddings) and then sometimes the pressure that comes with celebrating such momentous occasions can actually make the day stressful, negating the 'celebration' part altogether.  Everyone's busy with life, kids, work and sometimes when you're out of practice the idea of hosting any type of event is enough to tip you over the edge, which is one of the reasons that I launched my business the chirpy bird and why I love what I do.  It's not about events, it's about lifestyle and I love showing people how easy it is to commemorate the simple moments and joys in life. Whether it's the season finale of Lost or tonights UFC fight with Jackson vs. Evans, finding things to celebrate is a great habit to get into.  I personally have never been big into watching two grown men beat the living daylights out of each other, however some of my best friends find it to be extremely exciting.  So tonight I'm choosing to celebrate the way that I know how, by giving everyone a good ol' punch. One black & blue and red punch to be exact! Oh yes, diving head first into the boxing theme...here we go!

Watermelon Punch 
Watermelon
Handful of fresh mint
Superfine sugar
Ginger Ale
Vodka
Lime

Cut up watermelon and blend until smooth. 

p.s. notice the OPI Tickle My France-y nail color I was raving about a couple of days ago! 

Finely slice two tablespoons of mint and add to blender. Also add one tablespoon of superfine sugar to watermelon mixture.

Fill desired pitcher with ice. By the way if you don't have enough pitchers for your party, have a look around and see if you have any cool vases that can double.

Stir in two cups of Watermelon mint puree.

Add 1 1/4 cups of Ginger Ale.

I'm Australian so I like to start with at least 1/2 a cup of Vodka and then go up from there if necessary. Now's a good time to taste test. Then add the juice of two limes.

Add slices of limes to your mixture and sprigs of fresh mint to garnish.  I also love to wrap my pitchers with basic kitchen twine to add a little rustic effect.


Black and Blue Punch


Using frozen blackberries and blueberries here saves lots of $ but if you've got some berries left over from the farmers market that are looking dull, use them up! Waste not want not!


Copy the Watermelon Punch recipe above but substitute the berries for the watermelon. If you've chosen to use frozen berries, it's best to wait until they've thawed out a little so they're nice and juicy.  


enjoy!

Ladies and Gentlemen...

okay...just ladies. 
May I present to you.... Madewell online shopping...

www.madewell.com


For those of you who feel like you've seen these casual chic lines somewhere before, well you weren't wrong.  Not only do their well worn and vintage inspired pieces appear on pretty much every celeb from here to London town, they're also a subsidiary to long time American favorite J Crew. This smaller off shoot company was launched in 2006 (I know I know it says "Madewell since 1937", however this was the year J Crew was founded) and has quickly grown to 17 stores nationwide and counting... I was becoming accustomed to schlepping myself (and my girlfriends) to Glendale's Americana in order to get the "I just rolled out of bed looking like this" chic, but now I won't even have to roll out of bed at all! What on earth will become of me?

Striped Flutter Tee $42 and brunch shorts $49. I can already think of 10 occasions to wear this little collaboration but will probably add my trusty fedora to make it my own. 

                   fallen needles skirt $78. Farmers market chic on a hot summers day.

stonefruit scarf $38. Zing up your wardrobe with these summer colors that can take you through to fall.

 the canyon messenger $128. Perfect for summer days at the farmers markets and outdoor summer acoustic nights

fallen needles shirt $88, midi shorts in dust storm $59, panama hat $52. 

Pair this with a black blazer to immediately take it up a notch for a casual date night or walk along Abbot Kinney.

lazy days floral jumper $88. Which Jessica Simpson, Audrina Patridge and Hillary Duff have all been seen wearing in the past week.  While I understand if that immediately turns you off, you can't deny it's still adorable!

Spend some time trolling through this site and I assure you, you'll be furious at me for handing you another vice on a silver platter...

Happy shopping!

Guess who?

My boyfriend found these amazing pics of (can you believe it) Barack Obama, taken in 1980 by Lisa Jack... enjoy!