Esme and the Laneway

new home new website new address!

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Sun, 29 Jun 2014 22:26:00 +0000

After months of sitting on and incubating this egg, I am so happy to be able to say at long last: I've moved and have a new website. Please update your links and all that to:

www.esmeandthelaneway.com

Now I just have to get used to using a completely different thing to the one I've been one for 6 years. I'm really looking forward to learning it all and seeing everything in a new home! See you there!

our last day in London: Hampstead Heath, hard working swans, and laundrettes, and questions about small things

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 03:53:00 +0000

Well, here is my last day in London. I can't even remember when I did my last London post, but the weeks have just been flying by like crazy here and also just looking at the London photos made me feel a bit sad. I never would have thought that post holiday blues could hang around for so long, but there it is.

So, our last day in London. We had just 6 days in all, including the day we landed that disappeared in a blue of lifts from old friends (thanks again, Paul!) and blissful post-plane hot showers and then just a little lap, more resting my eyelids really... from about 5pm to 3 in the morning! Oops.

After the previous day, when John and I made such a personal pilgrimage to South West London, we did something less familiar to us and headed north, to beautiful Hampstead Heath. It's a part of London we barely went to, if ever, when we lived there together, and I have fuzzy memories of going there years before which ended in an afternoon of pool. Which was nice. We wanted to go again to see how the houses with price tags we can't being to fathom and to check out the heath.

But first, up early – still not completely de-jetlagged at this point but in the excellent, getting-up-at-dawn-is-easy way, we went into central London so I could buy an Urban Decay palette from Debenhams on Oxford Street. It looked so hazy and calm and beautiful. And special thanks to the lovely lady from the Philosophy counter, who looked after me while the Urban Decay girl was awol. You we ace and I LOVE the palette.

Then it was back on the Northern Line to Hampstead. I love that station, with its tiles spelling out the station's name. By now, my camera was feeling very heavy, and getting it in and out of my back pack was all a bit too much. Of course I took a pic for an instagram but it never made the cut, so it's here instead. I never, ever thought I would be pleased about tiles. Amazing how things change, hey? It was busier than I expected outside the station. But so different to other, more familiar bits of London. We walked along the windy, wavey streets to the heath. And looked at the tall houses through the trees wrapped up in thick ivy jumpers. It was one of those perfectly crisp, foggy mornings that you know will get dazzingly blue and sunny later. The way the streets aren't gridded here is so charming. As were the food shops. After a week of sandwiches (the best were from Pret, btw – Marks and Spencer's were all a let down) we were just starting to think about some special dinners. Although I'm reasonably sure that this butchers will never be my local. Le sigh. More rows of tall houses on the way to the huge green. And I think I could subtitle my trip "cats of London"! How cute is this little guy? Speaking of cute little things, what on earth are these miniature bins for? I know, I've gone from photographing radiators to bins. The downward slope is steep. But I saw some before, in different suburbs (boroughs!) and want to know! They seem very practical. Let me take a moment to make my approving face. And then... ta-da! The heath! isn't it gorgeous! Watching these two swans was the best. They were working together as a team, building a nest. The one on the right was snapping off reeds with its beak and putting them behind him or her in a pile, and the swan on the left would pick them up, one at a time, and carefully place them in the nest. They worked hard at this for quite a while. Little black duck there stood next to them for a bit but didn't get involved. Swannies didn't seem to mind. We got some lunch (more sandwiches!) from down the road and then came back to our sunny spot. The ducks were frisky about something, feeling the springy-ness perhaps? And this is one of my favourite pictures of John. We paid a visit to Keats House, which unfortunately wasn't open to the public until later that day, so we had a look at its very pretty gardens. It's funny, there is something so English about this photo. I could never mistake that for Australia, even if the set up was the same. Something to do with light and colours. It looks like home. (Erm, except for the super posh house bit!) Later that afternoon, as we were still North, we decided to have a look at Camden. I used to go to Camden market all the time in my mid teens, and had been told it is very different now. And... well, it is, but it's even more touristy-grotty than it was then. The lock did look good though, and we got to see a boat pass through.

And then... time had run out! We went back to our hotel, did some laundry at the laundrette around the corner (and I baffled a man watching me take photos of our clothes being spun about, who felt that "... that's going to be an interesting photo!" Cheeky so and so. Well yes, it is, at least to me! Or, rather, it's the full stop on our London trip. It was over in what felt like three blinks. We had to get our clothes dry, back in the suitcases, and get on the train for Paris. London was over.

two new vintage hats

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 08:11:00 +0000

I cannot believe it is Wednesday evening already and I am getting dinner ready (tortillas) but I did have a good find today and am a bit excited about it. On the way home from buying coffee beans, I had a quick look in an op shop – I'm hoping for long cardigans, and possibly a jumpsuit, but then that's another story – and just before I left, I spotted these hats on a rack at the very back, each for the price of a cup of coffee. Above is the first one, and me enjoying the rare rays of sunlight we had late this afternoon picking up on the dust on my mirror. (It makes it look worse than it is!) It has been really cold, rainy, and windy these past few days, and for my expedition stepping over blown down trees and fences, I wore my vintage hat, which is fluffy like a teddy bear and almost as soft to pat as Babycat. (And a big coat too, obviously!) It also might have had something to do with the fact I really need to colour my hair (the bits that are red underneath the brown need re-matching to my regrowth as it fades) and I can't be bothered – oh, the joy of the difference being so minimal, it's just not urgent – and the secondary problem that I washed, but didn't set, my hair last night. So, I like to think that wearing my fluffy Russian Polar Bear Princess hat helped with the op shop good luck fairies. Or then again, maybe not. Whatever, I am rather pleased. The first, my favourite, is a two tone golden cinnamon and brown one with a bow at the back, and has a great label inside. The second one is like a smaller, more golden version of my fluffy one, and has the previous owner's name label sewn inside. Can't wait to wear them!

bikes, hearts, jumpers, shorts, and sandals

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 05:27:00 +0000

Now it's not stupidly hot I'm determined to ride my bike more (a lot more) often, so I'm slowly but deliberately adding more shorts and pants (trouser-pants!) to my rail of things to wear everyday.

While it's not impossible, obviously, to ride a bike in a skirt or a dress (or heels, while we're here), I do find it much easier in pants or shorts. For one thing, Melbourne is very windy pretty much all of the time, and even a calm day can turn into a blowy one complete with a skirt vacuum-sealed to your face with little to no warning. Not great at the best of times, definitely not great when riding. Also, my bike's skirt guard is not fool proof – or should that be fabric proof? – and having had my dress get caught in the coggy area thing once, I never want to do it again.

And anyway, I actually just like wearing shorts and pants. The shorts are a recent op shop buy, when I was also buying a pair of pants (appropriately enough, considering my last few sentences!), and thought I needed to get my basket's value to over $10 so I could pay by card. Not completely sure about them, I still popped them in, thinking $5 to charity and the option to try them at home was a gamble worth taking. It turned out they were half price and there was no lower limit to card paying anyway, but I'm pleased I stuck with them. I love the soft grey-green colour, the fact they fit on the waist and have their own belt, and that they are loose, longer and cuffed – and the fit is exactly what I was hoping for, too. While they were going to be summer shorts, I decided to take them out for a winter sesh, with tights and cloggy sandals, and my new jumper and scarf, both courtesy of Princess Highway, who sent me their very sweet winter look book and a voucher so I could chose a couple of things. As I am that bit older than their target audience, I stuck to simple things, and went for this olive green jumper, as I had a bit of a basic knit shortage. I also got this slightly different one in the rust and the navy, and now have a very happy jumper collection. Very pleased! They'll all definitely be making a lot of appearances here over the next few months, as they go with everything and complete my little (ahem) capsule wardrobe rail very nicely. The gap is filled!

I also took a chance with these olive green gloves with the heart cut outs, thinking they would be a little big as their sizing options are S/M and M/L, and they are, but it's all good because it means they're spot on for bike riding: I can have my hands curled over the grips and brakes without having to worry about stretching or ripping them. It's also one more piece of encouragement to actually go and ride!

The colours here are kind of new to me, as I tend to have more of them at one time, but it was really nice to keep it all kind of simple and just add a pop of colour with the scarf at my neck. This one is an op shop find, and I love peach against dark olive and green.

And then there's the tights and sandals, my Swedish Hasbeen cloggy wonders. I said I'd wear them in winter after trotting about in them all summer and true to my word, here they are. After I broke them in (I just wore socks with them the first few times) they are now really comfortable – surprisingly so, as I expected the leather would rub a hot bare foot eventually, or the plain wood sole would be too hard for walking long distances in, but apparently not! They're even better with tights, so expect to see a lot of them on here. Paring down is definitely happening!

The belt, too, is op-shopped, and I like this combo from a where-I-got-things point; one nice splurgey piece (the shoes), opshopped olde thingse (the shorts, scarf, and belt) and then some new things to top it all off (the jumper and the gloves), as it's nice to wear something not previously worn by someone else, too, at least sometimes. Spoilt as I now am by vintage cashmere, these newie jumpers are really good, not itchy, don't feel like they're going to be droopy and shapeless by the third wash, and the colours are very much up my alley. Now I just need to get on my bike more than once a week..!

*disclaimer: the jumper and the gloves were gifted to esme and the laneway. Mx*

poppies, ribby tights and platform sandals, borrowed cardigans (and dumplings)

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 02:12:00 +0000

Somewhere between the massive wardrobe culls I've been doing this year, the realisation, when travelling, that there is only so many clothes I am especially attached to, and a very conscious decision to get as far away from last winter's style rut as possible, I've decided on two things. One: to finally wear those things that survived my brutal sheddings – if they are still here, it's because they are still loved and should not be so cold from no use, and two: to put the things I want to wear on the one rail and make a sort of capsule wardrobe, so everything is visible and nothing is forgotten.

And so far it is going pretty well. Not to mention how much fun it has been.

It has forced me to be a bit more creative, too, and to put new combinations together, and actually add all the things (scarves and so on) that I dreamed about doing all summer and can now finally do. It has also been a bit of a trip down memory lane in some cases, with certain things reminding me of how I might have worn them back when I got them, which can change over the years – sometimes that's good, of course (slouchy knitted beanies, anyone?) and sometimes they still feel right.

Case in point: this floral, sheer black floral dress. I bought it from an independent op shop on my local high street, the kind staffed by dear old ladies who want to halve the price tag for you, with loads of goodies hidden among the usual dross. (It moved a few doors down after a year or two of me living here, and I think now it might have actually gone altogether). I even remember seeing it, leaving it behind, and then turning around on the street about 100m down the road to go back and get it.

I love everything about it: that 1970s-does-1930s style, with the sheer, calf-length skirt, the poppy print, and the knotted sleeve detail, which of course is completely hidden here. (That means I'll have even more reason to wear it again soon and show them off!) But for some reason, partially due to habits and restrictive ideas (mine) about vintage, I hadn't worn it for ages. Tights, preferably thick and ribby ones, under peep-toe platform sandals has always been a favourite of mine, especially with a floral dress. The shoes are still new, in my mind, bought last spring and worn all through the summer and diligently put away (as in, on one side of my shoe shelf) not to be touched until next spring, but I like them too much to not wear them now. And now, after years of effort, all my cardis are cropped vintage ones, and this called for a longer line. This green one, pilfered from John's wardrobe, did the job. I even remembered to wear a bracelet. This one is (again) from a few years ago, and matches the dress perfectly. It also made my hand feel cold where the metal touched it, which could be why I "forget" to wear these things in the first place. These were all snapped in a hurry before going to the Urban Kitchen event at Melbourne's Emporium, with John and two friends (who were also on the list). I think a dark antique gold necklace would have been good with this as the neckline is very plain – plus necklaces won't make my hands cold! Wearing dark colours turned out to be a very good thing when eating dumplings, wielded on unsteady chopsticks and first dunked in little bowls of soy sauce, after a few glasses of champagne..! *Splash*

Of course, it all went under my dark green vintage coat with the little cape over the shoulders and the black trim, which was happily worn for the first time this winter as it is now fuh-reezing cold at night. And, full confession: I forgot to wear the planned-on hat. It was a wonderful night, even sans hat, the kind where you see lots of friends in the crowd, and even bump into familiar faces on the tram home – the kind of night that reminds me how fun Melbourne really can be. A bit of reminding is good for more than just old dresses!

autumn leafies (vintage button dress, a scarf and Babycat)

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 05:15:00 +0000

Scarves – as in silk ones, or silk like – are something I have a lot of and always mean to wear more often, and winter has got to be the best time to do this.

I got this amazing vintage leaf print one some months ago and Autumn would of course have been ideal for it, but here we are in winter and it is going on anyway! This vintage dress is one I've had for a while and really should wear a bit more often. This kind of thing, with the buttons and the pocket structure, is a favourite of mine, as is the colour. The scarf might or might not be helping hide a collar that got crumpled on one side while hanging in a too-full rack, and absolutely is hiding some inexpert darning I did on a couple of small holes, which of course had to be slap bang in the middle of the front. Still, such is life. The scarf has light brown leafies that match the dress and the vintage cashmere cardigan perfectly, and, having that oranges and browns (sounding all very seventies) theme, rusty orange tights were the choice to go with. Well, I feel like I missed a bit of Autumn so I am making up for some lost time now. And as I was in such Autumnal colours I decided to complete the golden rainbow and add my mustard yellow flats, a gift from Ballettonet (who are now actually having a sale, these ones included). I was so thrilled when these arrived, as I have wanted a pair of mustard shoes for ages, and after my three weeks of Dunlops in Europe, I am well and truly converted to flat shoes. The comfort!

After I ordered them I did worry a bit about the mustard being too yellow, and the points too pointy, but I needn't have: when they arrived two days later they were perfect on both fronts. They are handmade in Italy and butter soft, and were super comfortable immediately, which means I have been thrashing them a bit since I got them – very naughty, as I haven't taken them to get a protective layer put on their leather soles yet. So, until I do, they are now strictly indoor shoes, and here I am just waggling them about in the safety of home, which evidently delighted Babycat. Also would like to note my joy at toning so nicely with my living room, although please ignore the miniature spaghetti junction that lives near the bookshelf, servicing the fridge, the internet, a lamp, chargers etc... (What would Pinterest have to say about that?!) One magical day in the future, cables will be an annoying and unsightly memory, and maybe before then I will find a way to hide at least some of them. Hope springs eternal!

floral skirts and wolf pups

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Sun, 15 Jun 2014 23:21:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I was sent this amazing skirt from Estelle, a charming and very talented Melbourne designer of Micky In The Van, who I have come to know via bloggy-land over the past year and who also has one of the most incredible senses of style around town, which you can see on her instagram. I love what she does!

I don't go shopping, as in bricks-and-mortar-in-the-real-world kind, very often at all so it is nice to meet someone who runs a local, independent shop and has their own label, too. I always love to find out who's behind these creative things. (She also ran the fashion event that I missed last week that I really wanted to see, at her shop in Ivanhoe).

I thought it would be fun to take some photos of the skirt in front of a wall of greenery, so off I went to the woods (ok, the local creek, which, to be fair, is surrounded by some rather lush trees and grass) and, you know, just pose with this wolf pup here..!

As much as I would like to have a bebe direwolf to do hangs with of an afternoon, this was just an amazing bit of timing. Someone walking some dogs, including this one, walked by me and my tripod, and we got talking. I asked if wolfy dog Dee here would like to be in the picture and her walker agreed. Could Dee fit into it all any better?! She seemed to enjoy being in front of the camera, even sitting down and doing some howls. Every now and then a bit of luck happens. It's a great thing. Estelle also sent me the matching jacket which I can't wait to wear, too. I love the floral print and the muted colours, perfect for Autumn (I just scraped in timing wise for that!) and winter, and our cold Melbourne spring. They are both such bold shapes, too. Looking forward to showing you the jacket! Wolf pup optional :)

seven days, stripy housecoats, sick cats and apple crumbles

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 02:22:00 +0000

Seeing as it's been a week since my last post, I think it's more than time I did a bit of a catch up of what I've been up to in the last seven days. (This will also distract me from the complete panic that a whole week has flown by in what feels like one single blink!!!)

Last Friday there was a Very Important (and very early) meeting in the city. Now that it's winter it's dark when we get up, and really cold, but I'm always surprised by how much I like being up and about before the sun really gets going, even though the first 10 minutes out of bed are definitely not fun. Seeing the hot air balloons floating over the rooftops from the tram as the dawn lifts is a special Melbourne-y thing for me, and I always feel energised rather than tired – although I still need to convince my late-night-loving self of that. I walked past these cabbages outside Melbourne Town Hall, still sparkly with dew, and thought they were so lovely, and an interesting change from the usual flowers, too.

In the evening, Babycat suddenly got very ill and we had to rush her to the vets. As well as being very worrying, it scuppered our plans to visit a good friend of ours who had just got out of hospital, and the weekend was not off to the best start at all. Very grateful for late hours vets.

On Saturday, John and I went to eat burgers with another friend for their birthday. It was rainy and grey and I found it really hard to just get going, and in the end decided to wear my colourful 1940s stripy housecoat, with my new grey Melissa heels and a 1940s grey cardigan and my almost always present mustard scarf – the stripes in the housecoat are magenta, white, mustard, grey, olive... I love the combination. It is also super soft and warm, as you'd expect, but having worn it out once I think I need to shorten it a little (don't worry, no chopping!) because it is not quite long enough to be a maxi on me, and will look better kind of mid calf. Hate sewing, love the result, so really should knuckle down to that soon! Sunday was much sunnier and Babycat was much better after treatment, new food and a very long sleep (even by cat standards). Huge sighs of relief from John and I, interrupted briefly to give her cuddles and take a photo in which she looks so very grumpy – but it's a big improvement on the previous 24 hours! Good to see her disdainful self back again. I decided it was warm enough, just, to forgo tights and get some of that winter sun on my legs. I wore my new pointy mustard flats from Ballettonet (that look bright yellow in the pic but they're not!), and they have such a graphic, 1960s vibe I went with it and wore them with a simple white vintage dress I got from an opshop a year or so ago, and a black and white stripy cropped tee. I left my mustard scarf at home for once, but did wear my vintage cardigan in more or less the same hue – seems to be a theme for me atm. I think I'm making up for feeling like I missed Autumn and its great colours. Later that evening we went to our friend's house for the dinner that was meant to happen on the Friday. John made pasta, I made apple crumble and we all ate on the couch, drinking wine and patting the cats. It was a beautifully clear night, and we walked home with coat collars turned up and hands in pockets – and me very relieved I'd changed into something much warmer for it, too. With tights! Monday was a public holiday and we did very little, other than coming down with a cold (me), which explained why I'd been feeling so quiet all weekend. I also had to miss out on a fashion event at a brilliant local independent shop that I really wanted to go to. Tuesday I was very sick and in bed all day, and missed seeing The King and I at the Princess Theatre in the city – am gutted, as I really want to see the show and see that amazing theatre, too, as I've never been there before. (Two nights from two stuffed, *pouty face*)

Yesterday I was a lot better, and ran some errands – again with the mustard! 1960s mustard cardi, this time, and mustard tights – and again wearing my grey Melissa heels, although I swapped them for comfy flats for the first trek to the post office, and the walk up the hill later in the afternoon. I watched a great late 1940s British film on Monday, which inspired my hair (as did the fact it was very big and wild and I couldn't find the hat I'd planned on wearing). I sent out the first of the parcels (these are the local ones, and there's more international ones to go out next) for my wardrobe shop, which has been great so far – thank you for all the interest! Of course now I am regretting doing it how I have, as keeping on top of who wants to by what has meant a lot of lists, but I am so chuffed that things are going to good homes. Will definitely have more listed soon. Last night we had a Very Important Meeting at our place, and then a glass of wine at a local(ish) bar... and now I am drinking lots of coffee and wondering how it got to be Thursday already!

Not the best week, but not a terrible one, even if it was one of those where you feel like you got maybe half of everything that needed doing actually done. There were some lovely surprises in there though. This coming week is looking to be a bit better – and I'll start taking my camera out with me again, too!

shop my wardrobe – listings (June)

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 04:24:00 +0000

Here are the full listings for everything from the last post, except for the Bernie Dexter Paris dress as that has sold already. If you are interested in anything here, please email me (at my yahoo address) and we can sort out Paypal details etc from there! Oh: BL stand s for bodice length. Xxx

Black and white check cotton 1950s dress w. broderie anglaise frill detail

B 34 W 28.5 L 39 BL 15.5 $100

Amazing vintage dress I bought for myself and would keep but is not my size (I didn't try it on in the shop) and I think it will be amazing on someone else. Metal zipper, zips down the side. Lining at the back of the skirt section is torn but you can't see (or feel, for that matter) this when worn. There is a tiny hole in the black ribbon in the frill which doesn't stand out at all, as pictured above. Otherwise excellent condition!

RED AND SKY BLUE LANZ ORIGINAL SUNDRESS 1970s

B 30 (plus a little more room) W 24 L 41.5 BL 15.5 $55

Bright red and sky blue floral sundress, with pin tuck details on the boned bodice. I bought this years ago from a vintage shop in North Fitzroy and love it, but have outgrown it. The bust/bodice is quite small but I know will be perfect for someone! Zips down the back and the straps have two button settings to make them the perfect length for you.

CORAL GINGHAM ASOS SUNDRESS

B 34 W 26 L 34 BL 15.5 size 8 $ 35

Soft cotton sundress from Asos a couple of years ago. Love the two sizes of coral gingham and the neckline details. Aus/UK size 8. Zips up the side, and in great condition!

GREEN AND WHITE FLORAL 1950s SHELF BUST DRESS

B 36+room; busty W 26 L 39 BL 15.5 $65

Absolutely amazing 1950s cotton sundress that I am sad to let go of but it just is not my size. It is for a taller (longer torso’d) lady than me, and is quite busty too – basically this was an Etsy purchase where the measurements provided disappointed. Still, the floral print and soft cotton are gorgeous and I spent several months (I bought it in winter) trying to convince myself that it could work on me, if I always stood at an angle... that kind of thing. Of course, it won't work on me. There were also a couple of flaws with this piece: a small rip near the bust (now fixed) and some pink marks in the skirt which I got out with some soakings, but I think in some lights can still be seen, and I’ve included a photo of the most obvious one – but as you can see, it’s really hard to spot at all (hooray for Napisan!). I also noticed a little tear in the fabric near the hem and haven’t sewn it up. Price reflects these issues. Zips down the side. Really soft and pretty summer dress.

BLACK AND WHITE GINGHAM SKIRT WITH TIE UP HIGH WAIST BAND

W 26.5 L 30 (underskirt), 26.5 (gingham top skirt)* both from top of waistband WB4 $55

Awesome summer skirt. I have another black and white one that fits me better so I don’t want to be doubling up!

BLUE AND WHITE PRINT DRESS

B 34 W 28 L 35 BL16 size 10 $65

Crisp white cotton sundress from Asos with blue floral print. Fully lined in white. Cutout at back, but you can still wear a bra with it. Perfect condition!

RED AND WHITE STRIPE 1950s DRESS WITH BUTTONS

B 34 W 26 L 37 BL 15 $100

Great vintage cotton sundress with red and white stripes and button detail on bodice. Metal zipper down the back. Cute short sleeves and square neckline. Love how the stripes go in different directions down the centre – a bit of a thing for me, it seems! I think there is slight yellowing under the arms, but I couldn’t photograph it or see it in that daylight, so they must be very faint, but I want to mention everything, obviously :) Great condition and great dress! All buttons are present and correct, the dress just folded a bit when I took photos and hid one of them!

BROWN GINGHAM LANZ ORIGINAL 1960s DRESS

B 35.5 W 24 L 38 BL 15.5 $65

Great very early 1960s (dated 1961 on the label) Lanz Original brown and white sundress. Very clean and simple, with a pleated skirt and small bows at the back, one on the waist and one at the neck. Does up the back with self covered buttons and hook and eyes. Attached waistband also does up with hook and eyes and is not floppy when worn! Was shortened a bit, falls to knee though! Great simple summer dress in a light cotton blend.

shop my wardrobe

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 04:11:00 +0000

And just like that it's winter. I, for one, am quite happy about it, too, although I am still very much in Autumn-mode when it comes to choosing what I want to wear, at least most of the time. Well, it is such a good season!

I really wanted to put this up today, a small preview of something I'll be working on over the next few weeks. I have been doing some serious wardrobe emptying and have some great things I would like to see go to good homes. They'll be popped on here soon. And, there's more to come, too!

new perfect and pale liquid foundation

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Thu, 29 May 2014 05:18:00 +0000

Brought to you by Nuffnang and Australia Post

This week’s beauty post is supported by Australia Post, although not in the way you might expect ie. nothing to do with sending things through the post, although I do buy some things online. But, it is relevant, I promise. Big and well known Australia Post is offering 20% off car insurance, if you sign up online before 30th June. This means you can save money on something boring-but-important and spend that saving on something to treat yourself with. You can find it here.

(Personally, I wish I had heard of this before April, as that is when we pay our yearly car insurance (ouch) and of course our honeymoon was spendy fun (double ouch) and, frankly, I would love to change from who we are with for insurance – and 20% off would have been absolutely welcomed.)

I have bought what is, at least for me, quite a lot of new makeup since April, and would love to have more cash to splash on it all. I had been planning on checking out a Laura Mercier foundation, but decided it would be better, at the moment, to go with a more wallet-friendly one instead. I was, also, going to post about a different product today, but I am so happy with my most recent makeup purchase that I want to share it right away, because it’s a new foundation – Match Perfection by Rimmel, in shade 010 Light Porcelain – and good foundations are hard to find!

The last one I was using (Covergirl) was good, but mine went off – it would separate in the bottle and I’d mix it back together and it would separate again almost straight away. (It was getting a bit old, and it had been put through a brutal summer, so I can’t really blame it for needing to be retired.) As much as I like trying new products, I do like to finish one thing before replacing it, but this time it was reasonable, obviously.

I bought it last Friday at Priceline and have been trying it out since, and so far I love it. The texture is amazing, it goes on smoothly and gives great coverage, and is a BRILLIANT colour. It’s less yellow than I usually use, but it doesn’t have that unflattering (on me) pink base either. It’s so pale, I am surprised – and chuffed – that a cheaper brand has it. It lasts all day and evening, doesn’t get dry or lumpy, hasn’t caused any skin complaints, and basically is just ticking all my foundation boxes. The only thing I’ve yet to try is wearing it over my sunscreen, because although it has an SPF18 I like to wear my SPF30 too. But so far, super chuffed. As in love this stuff! Highly recommend, especially if like me you find it hard to find paler foundations.

my autumn and catching up

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Wed, 28 May 2014 02:13:00 +0000

I cannot believe it is almost the end of Autumn. I am sorry, I have not been a very good blogger lately. I keep going about things and then realise just how long it's getting between posts. So I thought a round up post would be a good idea.

It hasn't helped that what was just post travel blues is hanging around for far too long. It really should have passed by now, but instead I am kind of trudging through everything. I've had that horrible feeling where you feel like you're trying to push the proverbial uphill, wading in syrup, whilst dragging a loaded wagon behind you. And it's really not very fun at all. It makes everything feel like it takes ages and I often feel that any to-do list actually grows throughout the day. Completely ridiculous, really, as things aren't bad at all, but I know it will pass. I do wish it would bloody hurry up though.

images from my instagram

I have been seeing my friends as much as possible, which has been really nice. I've also been thinking a lot more than usual about clothes and outfits and all that, which would be great to actually get round to posting about – and I will, one day! Lots of days, and soon. I felt really frumpy last winter a lot of the time and didn't put much thought into what I was wearing, just layering up my summer stuff, and I want to change that this time around. Efforts are being made already, I promise!

There is even a short shopping list, although not written down, of the things I'd like to add. It's short but I am being extra picky as I want these things to be really good, and to last beyond one season. It includes a shortish trench coat, maybe with cropped sleeves too, in the classic beige-camel colour, some flat shoes and ballet pumps, a very dull lilac pair of tights (ok, I got specific for that one!) and a long drapey cardigan – oh and a pair of black pants. I have my eye on some, but I am trying to be very good and save my moniez in this post-wedding, post-holiday time.

There are also some things already in my wardrobe that need to feel the daylight a hell of a lot more. I've had this blue vintage blouse with the lace star shaped neckline for ages, but it is kind of hard to pair with the skirts I have, so it doesn't get out enough. Poor thing. I bought a red pencil skirt in Paris (dahhling) which has actually been really useful and has got lots of wears already, including with said blouse. Must actually try and get proper photographic evidence next.

Other than that, I'm trying to grow my hair and I think I should wear it up non-stop, to get that surprise of new length after a couple of months! Well, that seems to work when I'm happy with the length anyway :) I'm also growing my nails. Or I'm trying to. They got really long and strong and white-tipped when I was OS, but literally have not grown since I got back. Two have now broken (boooo!) but I am still really loving having talons clicky-clacking on the keyboard and on my phone, and have been painting the tips in my revelling. They've been longer in the past, so I don't know why they've given up now. Maybe they're on strike until I cheer up a bit!

That's it on the personal visuals front. In other news, I'm really super-nesty and just want to redecorate (or, more honestly, move somewhere really fantastico and then decorate), but as I can't atm, I am instead satisfying that urge by cleaning – definitely a second best, although I am finding clearing out cupboards hugely cathartic. Wardrobes, sock draws, kitchen cupboards: all are getting the deep cleansing treatment from me and I feel SO much lighter after I do it. I almost took a photo of my now sparkling and orderly under-the-kitchen-sink cupboard, but thought that would be taking it a step too far. As much as I like looking at before and after photos on that sort of thing elsewhere, I think we can skip that here, at least for now! (Unless you want to see..?!)

Well, that's about it! Hopefully I can get some Autumn stuff in before it's all over. It has been really strangely mild lately and not very Autumny feeling at all, but I can feel it changing already. I love the low sun and long shadows, and have one thing in particular I want to photograph for you. I hope it works out how I see it in my mind's eye!

navy and silver sequin skirts and navy and black

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Wed, 21 May 2014 05:30:00 +0000

I've enjoyed wearing my green sequin pencil skirt so much that I knew it was a good thing to be trying new things in the wardrobe department and was definitely something to keep up with, and so I was chuffed when Forever New gifted me this navy and gunmetal/silver/grey sequined and beaded skirt. I am magpie-ing over anything sparkly at the moment.

I took some pics of it during the day time although it was so dark and rainy and stormy it was really dark anyway – so much for awesome natural light! Here it's matched with my fitted navy blazer from h&m (so surprisingly good) and a basic navy long sleeve top that I bought, also from Forever New – yikes, almost head to toe – just before we went on holiday (it has turned out to be a most practical buy) plus black tights – there is black in the skirt, which helps with the matching there, plus I like navy and black together anyway. The skirt sits below the waist, which does take some getting used to for me, but I hoiked it up a bit so it sat on my waist – I could have gone down a size for this if I wanted to always wear it like that. (Speaking of the size, it's true to size to a little on the generous side, I think.) Also, black heels – although I'm a flat shoe convert at the moment, at least during the day time. Someone needs to hide my Dunlops from me, seriously.

I can definitely see myself wearing this skirt in the day time, too, this winter, with a thick snuggly jumper, maybe a blouse underneath it (for the collar), opaque tights and ballet flats. Maybe a nice chunky grey jumper.

GOSH I am (even more) awkward taking photos of myself after such a long break, hence coy face. I'm again wearing the Lime Crime Velvetine in Wicked, which I love these days with dark colours, and especially with navy blue – and even more so with my brown hair! I am SO looking forward to winter, the clothes, the makeup and food (and the red wine) are the best!

tuesday beauty: Lime Crime Velvetine in Wicked

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Tue, 20 May 2014 05:15:00 +0000

Hello and happy Tuesday! Sorry this post is a bit late and I've been a bit slack with my posting. I was a bit rundown and had a rash on my arms and face and that is not conducive to much at all, really!

Still, much better now. I bought Lime Crime's Wicked Velvetine just before I went away, and it shipped when I was back so I probably could have waited till I returned, but I wanted to make sure I got it before it sold out. Lime Crime's Velvetines in Red Velvet and Pink Velvet are basically my favourite lip sticks of All. Time. and I've been looking for a very dark red for ages – literally years – so when I saw they had this darker red coming out, I was very excited. (It's ok, Babycat wasn't as excited and she didn't sniff or lick or bite the wand! She just gave it a stern look.)

And I am happy to say it is AWESOME! There was a tiny worry at the back of my mind that it might be too purple/blue, which wasn't what I was looking for, and then when it arrived and I opened it I thought it might be too dark pink-y-ish, but I needn't have worried about either. It is a perfect, for me, very dark wine-y red with pink undertones, although I do find it a bit lighter than in the website pics. But. Love it.

One thing I've noticed is that the texture of it is a little different to my Red and Pink Velvelts; it's a tiny bit thinner, and feels a bit stickier. It also doesn't last in the same way as those first two do. But please, do note that I am being *extremely* picky about this. It is still SO good, and I will definitely be buying it again when this one runs out – although they seem to last for ages. I bought two Red Velvets way back when, and am still on the first tube even after using it as my go-to everyday lip stick as much as I have. So. Praises for this sung loudly!
And because there has been so much Serious Face in this post we need some silly smiley pics. And Babycat was more than happy to help Mummy take some!

wedding photos and the cover of White magazine!

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Fri, 16 May 2014 05:39:00 +0000

Well I am VERY excited that this is here at last! I am absolutely thrilled to be able to share with you the first of our wedding photos with you. And the big news: we are also on the front cover of White Magazine, with a feature inside, too!

I had no idea we had made the cover until the last minute – in fact, when I shared an instagram last week I'd literally got home from a meeting to find a bunch of notifications on my phone that White mag had published an instagram of it – and it is wonderful news: our photographer, the lovely and very talented Luke Going, does incredible work and I am so, so chuffed he made it to the cover with these. We were asked to hold of releasing any of his photos until things were locked in, and so we've been waiting patiently, fingers crossed and not wanting to do anything that could affect any of it, and it has all paid off. I cannot even tell you how pleased we are for Luke; he is not only an amazing photographer, he is an absolutely lovely guy and we can't sing his praises him enough! SO super chuffed he could be a part of our big day. Thanks again, Luke!

It's funny, but everything Wedding had been put to one side while we planned for our honeymoon (our big Europe trip) and it was just easier to not think about it too much at all, to help with that much-needed patience. It was also really lovely to let everything settle, and go into our married life, and to now come back and look at the photos feels extra special. That little bit of time that has passed adds a kind of glow to the whole thing, and it's really, really nice.

Now I look forward to sharing more photos with you (and more of John, ha!) and all the stories and background info and the stressy bits and the magical bits but this afternoon I got home from the supermarket to find the magazine in my mail box and I just had to tell you about it!

London day 4: South West adventures, Richmond Park, flooding pubs and a dash to the East

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Thu, 15 May 2014 01:47:00 +0000

It is four weeks to the day since we got back to Australia and, well, let's just say I cannot believe how fast that has gone. At. All.

This is, in a lot of ways, the most special of the posts for me about London. John and I got to revisit the place where we met, the flat we first lived in, and then the second area of London we lived in too. Plus we got to see squirrels boinging about, which is always good!

On our fourth day in London, we jumped on the green line to Putney East. I love how the last few stops towards that station are overground, and you can see all the rooftops and chimneys from the raised train tracks. It's such a familiar sight to me, and it couldn't look more London-y if it tried. It was a dark morning and the windows added to the general murk and the photos I tried to take on my phone were far from stellar, so you'll just have to take my word for it and imagine fields of stubby chimneys clumped together, a few grand and pointy Victorian brick school buildings and the lush green of the small bricked in back gardens. And then you go over the bridge to the south side of the Thames, and the grey opens up. Magical.

John and I met in a flatshare in Putney's Upper Richmond Road, a good 20 minute hustle from Putney East station. Before we went there, though, we turned right onto Putney High St, and walked down the long hill to the river – stopping at Boots to get Soap and Glory stuff from my last post, and then gawping at the Topshop; there's a Topshop on little old Putney High St?! – but not stopping at any of the charity shops (op shops) I used to frequent as a teenager. We wanted to see Lower Richmond Road, walk past the fancy shop fronts on the corner as it curves to follow the Thames, walk past the old impressive pubs and down to Putney Common.

The Spencer Pub, on the corner of the Common, is kind of special to me. When I was 13, my friend Carolyn lived next door in the dairy – her dad was the milkman – and her older brother Andrew worked in this pub. The dairy was closed or changed or something when we were in our mid teens and they moved to Sutton, but we had a couple of happy years here, riding her two brothers' bikes over Putney Bridge (stern faces), trying to learn to cartwheel again on the grass (having long left that baby-ish habit in our single-digit-aged pasts, of course) and going to to funfair that took over the Common on the other side of the road each year. Here you can get a glimpse of the rows of brick cottages that line the Lower Richmond Road. I was starting to really feel the weight of my camera by now, and it was uncomfortable to have it around my neck ready to shoot, so I don't have any pics of the amazing mansions at the east end. Putney isn't cool, it never was cool, but it was, and is, just really nice. I was fond of it since I was 11 when I spent a couple of months at a school there. And that end of the Common is especially nice, surrounded by imposing houses and then something beyond that too – it's one of those places that just *feel* special, to me. I'm not sure but I think this is the old hospital... looking a lot older now. This is part of the Common, complete with plastic bag in the middle. And this is All Saints' Church, on the corner, just up the road from the bus stop where you catch the 22 through Fulham and to the city. (It was still sometimes a Routemaster when I left, but I don't know how many of those get used now, which seems a shame really.) I don't go to church often at all, but I remember a late night Christmas service here. And the gardens behind it are lush. Here's me, clutching my bag to my face. COnstantly swiggning from plastic water bottles is not conducive to wearing lipstick so I went makeup free. And here are some of the houses I wanted to live in when I grew up. (Fat chance.) These houses are on the corner and will always make me smile, because I *almost* lived in one. I think it was the one on the right. The outside of these four houses were not as much to my taste as the others in the area, but inside the one I looked at was AMAZING. It was literally the most beautiful, outlandish and decadent interior I've ever, ever seen, all bold floral wallpaper in rich colours, incredible furniture, and endless nooks and crannies that felt like little time capsules. I would have loved to have lived there, but I was looking for a traditional flatshare, and the lady that owned it had very strict rules (curfews, no friends over etc) and, as a 19 year old, it wasn't going to work for me. Still. I wonder if it's still the same in there? I really, really hope so. Beautiful ginger cat watching us go by. From there we walked up over the bridge, past the swimming pool, and turned right onto Upper Richmond Road, to have a look at our old flat! It was still there, the grass out the front looking a bit tidier than it used to, but otherwise much the same. It's funny, I almost don't feel any connection to it. I took a photo of it, too, and when I was going through my camera I almost deleted it, wondering what on earth this ugly picture was of... it literally took several minutes for me to work out what it actually was!

But now, pilgrimage over, we could start the day proper: we were going to Richmond Park! Actually we were going to Richmond Park but more importantly, at least for John (and I wasn't exactly complaining) we were going to Richmond Park and then to a pub on the Thames where it flooded when the tide comes in and you get marooned with the beer. (Le horror!) We went to one just before we left, and have fond, adventurous memories of us and two friends clambering out the pub and along garden walls, clinging to the railings and trying to swing legs up over fences as we tried to make our way to dry land. It's all very nice.

We got the 337 bus to Richmond, which is slower than catching the train, but our Oyster cards were only for zones 1 & 2 but apparently work on buses in all zones (and we had no trouble so I assume this is right!). Also, you can see so much more from the bus. It's hardly a traditional Great London Tourist View, but I loved it. Of course we sat upstairs, and had our memories jolted ("oh, yes, I remember Mortlake!") as we bounced along the roads through leafy South West suburbia. And then we were off the bus, and off to the River! Richmond, if you haven't been, is completely, ridiculously beautiful. I had an inkling of how to get to the Park, but wasn't 100% sure. Once we got down to the river front, we were frowning at our phones and looking left and right when a lovely young man popped out of one of the boat sheds and helped us! I still can't quite get over how helpful and friendly people were in London. Where were the surly faces? Why are you all in such good moods???!!! (It's very good, do carry on.) Anyway, dear Lovely Boat Man, thank you for your directions, and we wanted to come back for a row on a little rowing boat but we ran out of time. We'll be back next time, I promise!!! Directions sorted – or at least given, understood, and then followed with hopes for the best, we set off along the water, past the absurdly gorgeous houses, to find the Hill and then the Park. I don't know if this is the Hill, but it's a hill, and up we went. Although we were no where near as fast going up the hill as the lady who was sprinting up and down it. Again, v friendly, told us she was training for a big charity run. We puffed our good lucks and trudged on, along a beautiful windy road with a terrifyingly skinny footpath (pavement) and finally darting across the roundabout to the Park gates. We made it! Riding bikes through the park would be amazing, but we were too far from the Putney gate, where you can hire them. Of course if we'd known that earlier it might have been good..! But still, we were more than happy to walk there. We were hoping to see a deer or two! But first, a moment to enjoy the vintage pink tiling in the toilets. Yes, I did, I took photos in there, but no one else was in there, and the tiles are so cool! Richmond Park is huge, wild, and beautiful. This was actually the second tree I'd hugged in London, but this is the first photographic evidence. We sat on a bench next to a lake to eat our picnic. The trees were the classic shape I miss, and there were more of those excellent ducks. They swam about, doing lots of bottoms-upping, and one got out to show us some enormous great feet. We walked for several hours, but no deer :( even though I did a leopard-y wave. Shame about the deer, but look: SQUIRREL! Caught mid bounce, all four legs of the ground. Gah they're so cute. We then went back to the hill that overlooks the Thames, where there is a map that has a photograph of the view, and names all the buildings you could see on it. It insisted that the chimneys we could see from there were Hampton Court. This seemed unlikely, but we looked, and looked again, and walked around a bit, and looked from different angles, and sure enough, that is what the map said they were. Hampton Court. It didn't look too far, and it would have been so great to see it, so off we went, marching back down the hill and along the Thames, away from Richmond (and the pub.) It was much, much further than we first thought, but crunching on the tiny wet stones as swans sailed past was not at all bad on a mild afternoon. We thought we might have missed a sign, but eventually, finally, we got there. And of course it bloody wasn't Hampton Court. It was Ham House! Which is what I said it was. The map lied. Lied! But Ham House is itself very special and it was lovely to see it, even though we decided, or rather our rumbling tummies did, that we didn't have time to go in. We were also completely exhausted by this point, and the thought of having to walk all the way back to Richmond for a very late lunch was NOT appealing. Even though Ham is small, we were positive there would be a bus back to Richmond. And of course there was! We waited 6 minutes. I have turned into a transport wait time watcher, then. But 6 little minutes! This is a miracle!!! Whizzing through pretty Ham back to Richmond was a nice little trip in itself, although the sitting down was even nicer! We were soon back in Richmond town centre, and after a quick stroll down a narrow lane we were where John had been wanting to be for months: The White Cross pub. We collapsed onto soft couches by the window and had a look at the menu, although I already knew I wanted pie. Tired as I was, I actually went back out on a solitary hunt, leaving John with a pint as I went to the House of Fraser on the corner – I hoped they might have Urban Decay there so I could finally get my Naked palette. I was just starting to get panicky about this; we didn't have much longer in London and I still hadn't found it. And I had to wait a bit longer, as HoF didn't stock it here either, but I did get a primer from Benefit, which was a bit of a flustered purchase but still was something I wanted to get in the UK as it's cheaper. I might have popped in to the H&M too, to look for a skirt I'd seen in another branch but they didn't have my size... and I possibly tried a top on in River Island, but it didn't fit well... and THEN it was back to the pub for my pie.

A sign at the front said that high tide was at 9pm, so we weren't going to see the water rise and get flooded in. Boo. But we were more than happy to eat our food (John had a ludicrously huge plate of ribs and ate them ALL) and drink our drinks and chat with the locals. A couple of women came in, laughing, and I thought I heard them say something about getting wet feet... I looked out the window behind me and sure enough, the tide had come in. You'd think you'd hear something, little splashes or what have you, but we heard nothing! People quickly left to move their cars, pointed at another car that was seemingly going to get a bit of a wash but was moved in the very last seconds, just keeping its axles dry, and John and I had to go! We made it out, just – literally by seconds. It comes up very fast – be warned! We were so CHUFFED to have been there for it! But we still weren't quite finished for the day. Legs aching, we got back on the bus to Putney – top deck at the front, best seat of the bus – and got back on the green line to Whitechapel. I really wanted to see the Beyond Retro there, and see what shopping for vintage in London was like. I had thought I'd do more, but in the end I wasn't really in the mood for it – other things felt more important, and anyway, I kind of switched off and lost my eye for it – I noticed this when taking pictures, too, and it sounds bad, but really it wasn't. It just felt like a rest. We also lived in Whitechapel for about 6 months before moving to Melbourne, and have mixed feelings about it. I'll always remember the first time I walked from Whitechapel Station, crossing the road and behind the Royal London hospital to the house I was checking out. It was completely Dickensian, rows of tall red brick houses and beautiful decay. If I hadn't taken that route, and walked down the main road, it would have looked very different. It was not nice then and it's actually even worse now. I thought that 10 years of gentrification would have changed it, but, that evening, walking up Brick Lane, it was worse than it used to be. My camera stayed in my backpack.

I had checked a map but not well enough, and as we were almost jogging along to make it before it closed, we ended up going straight over Cheshire St instead of turning right and, well, we got to see that much more of East London before we realised our mistake and turned back. And then it's quite a long walk, long enough to wonder if we'd missed it or were still on the wrong road (being completely knackered from our South West adventures obviously didn't help) but then John saw the sign. We made it! It was nothing like I imagined, but I was chuffed to be there at last. There was a lovely girl working there who turned out to be from Melbourne – small world! – and I met Tiny the cat, looked at the racks but left empty handed. I was too tired to trust myself with decisions, and didn't want to get home to find I'd bought a frightening pair of trousers or something. And I really didn't want a cotton dress, although there were a couple that were good: I have a few already and want to fill some gaps in my wardrobe. There was a little old pub just across the road, and John, not fancying joining me for some hearty perusing, went there first. I followed, and we had a whiskey – Dutch Courage for the frankly alarming walk back to (unrecognisable since our time) Whitechapel Station, this time taking the back streets which was, again, much nicer. We crowded back onto a pink line train, changed once, and finally got back to our hotel, happy, exhausted but thrilled we'd got to go down all those memory lanes.

tuesday beauty: Soap and Glory bits and bobs

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Tue, 13 May 2014 03:27:00 +0000

This year I have heard loads of recommendations for the brand Soap and Glory. They're not available here but I really wanted to try them, so when I was in London I tracked some down.

I actually just wanted a face cream, as I'd run out just before we left and only had my sunscreen for moisturising, which I thought would not be tooooo bad, at least for a bit, as it does both, but the flight left my skin in a bit of a state and after a few days in London it was practically falling off my face. (Nice.) So, I found out where Soap and Glory was sold, and on our fourth day I had my chance: we walked past the Boots on Putney High Street (and more, much more, on Putney soon!), backtracked, and walked in.

Face cream was obviously my number one priority but I needed an eye cream too, so picked up their Puffy Eye Attack, although with more than a little skepticism for any potential de-puffing ability; I just wanted soothed skin. I'd been reading about serums, the kind you use before your moisturiser, and as I was days from my 33rd birthday I stuck that in the basket too. Finally, as my acne had also flared up, apparently to celebrate the last birthday of my early thirties, I bought the spot gel. I never, ever use things like this, but being at the point of it not really being able to get too much worth, I took a gamble and decided I'd give it a whirl.

Both the moisturiser and the serum were good, and my poor dry skin improved straight away – although I think I could have smuggled some butter out of the breakfast basket and slapped that on, and would have seen improvements. But these feel good (and are definitely nicer than butter!) but they do have a strong, sweet smell, a bit like a chocolate cream centre. I prefer the creamier, heavier feel of the moisturiser over the serum, but they both do a good job. The eye cream did de-puff my super puffy peepers, and it does still seem to work, plus isn't irritating and seems to be lasting ages – I really like it and would buy it again if I could.

But my favourite, by far, is the spot gel. At first I was not a fan, as it just turned the red spots redder (oh hooray) so I stopped using it after a couple of days – and everything healed. FABU. (I've also just checked the back on the tube and it has "anti-pickel gel" written on it, which delights me!). It contains AHAs – so it recommends being extra careful in the sun – but I love its skin-clearing qualities. I use this on large-ish areas of my sensitive skin, wherever there's congestion, once a day for a few days (without any issues) then exfoliate with a face cloth, and am left with super soft clear skin. I like this stuff so much I bought two more tubes before we left so I'd have plenty to tide me over here in Aus, while I look for a replacement I can buy here.

These are the products: Wish Upon A Jar (face moisturiser), Make Yourself Youthful Serum (erm, the serum), Puffy Eye Attack (eye cream), and Dr Spot (anti-pickel gel ie. spot gel), and I bough them all from Boots while I was in London.

If anyone has any great AHA recs that can be bought in Melbourne, do let me know!

my weekend in Melbourne: Wicked the musical opening night

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Mon, 12 May 2014 01:48:00 +0000

On Saturday night I got to do something I keep meaning to do more of, but never quite manage – I went to a musical. A big huge production live musical in a theatre: Wicked! I was chuffed to be invited to the opening night, which was on Saturday. I brought John as my plus one, and after a rainy day, the skies cleared and we drove into Melbourne city, parked in our trusty Very Good Parking Spot For Weekends, and did a brisk trot back down the few blocks to the Regent Theatre on Collins St, which had been turned green to celebrate. It looked really good!

The traffic was heavier than usual so we had mere minutes to zoom through the packed foyer and settle in to our seats. I can't even remember the last production I've seen like this – I think it was before I even met John! – so I was pretty excited, even though I'll put my hand up and admit I knew very little about the story of Wicked, and what to expect.

And... it was amazing! From the moment it began it was high energy amazingness. And really good fun. What made it even more enjoyable was that so many of the full-house audience clearly loved the show, and whooped when performers came on, cheered, clapped, laughed – I heard someone singing along a row or two from me at one point! – and were generally so enthusiastic about the whole thing. It was really lovely to see, and to be a part of, as was the standing ovation at the end. There were also a lot of sparkly green outfits in the house! I was in sparkly green, too. After some umming and ahhing – was sparkly green a yay or a nay? – I was very glad I decide it was, indeed, a yay. I wore my Topshop dark green sequin pencil skirt and a black spotted sheer mesh top (sheer along the arms and shoulders, but solid in the body) I bought from H&M in Paris (ooh get me). I did take some photos of me actually wearing them but I had to change my lens for it, and not only were they at-night-with-the-flash pics, they were blurry, too. Boo. (Babycat wanted to help me take these photographs. Or maybe she wants to wear some sequins, too?) I am so chuffed I got to see that, and do recommend it. Thank you, Wicked, for an excellent, and different, evening!

Wicked the musical, at Melbourne's Regent Theatre: tickets here. I recommend it!

London, day 3: Columbia Road flower market and a few first-in-ten-years moments

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Wed, 07 May 2014 00:39:00 +0000

First things first – we didn't go to the Portobello Road market on the Sunday, it was Saturday! Amazing how quickly you can fall in to the (quite heavenly) sensation of not knowing, or caring, what day of the week it is when you're on holiday. Loved it!

So, that was Saturday, and on the Sunday we went to the Columbia Road flower market – another Very Good London Thing To Do I'd heard of but had never actually done before. John and I lived in Whitechapel before we moved to Melbourne, so we were close enough to go, but it always eluded us (something to do with Sunday morning sleep-ins, probably!) and we were extra keen to visit this time.

We got the red line from Holborn (which I am pur-ritty sure I now say incorrectly; I want to say Hol-born, but it's HOL-bun, isn't it? Anyway, to hide this I exaggerate and say Hol-BORRRNN because then I'm obviously just joking, right? Erm. At least when Paul's car's GPS pronounced it "Tay-vee-staarrk" for Tavistock I knew why that was funny) to Liverpool St, either the pink or yellow line (doesn't matter which one) to Whitechapel (more on Whitechapel later!) and then what used to be the orange line and is now an overground line to Hoxton, although now I'm double checking all that on maps online, there's all different advice about which tube stop is closest. We'd found we could get some free wifi if we stood outside the Barclays round the corner, and could get decent takeaway coffee too, and when we looked with cold gloveless fingers that morning for how to get there, Hoxton Station came up. And I'm glad it did; for one thing, it finally clicked for me that the East London Line, the old orange one, had totally changed since I left. I thought it looked a bit strange on the map... and why was it a different colour... the changes you don't expect take the longest to sink in, I suppose. The wait for the last tube/train (they're new and fancy) was the longest for our entire London visit – we were timing them with joyous disbelief – at 10 minutes. 10 whole minutes! Are the ever any actual waits on the tube?! Because it was a miracle service for us! (A 10 minute wait for a train/tram in Melbourne means you are doing incredibly well, especially if it's not so packed you can actually squeeze onto it.)

I really should have just taken photos of the amazing tube, shouldn't I? Oh, actually, I've just remembered I did, but only on the following days... you're spared for now, ha!

On the way out of Hoxton Station we saw the Geffrye Museum, which I'd seen online but never in the flesh. It looked absolutely amazing, and if we weren't on such a mission – and so early, it wasn't open yet – we would have loved to have popped in. But we had flower markets to find! So, what are these picture of a cat all about? After walk down a few streets to one end of the market – there are signs pointing you in the right direction, and anyway there were plenty of people carrying arm loads of flowers and they were a good clue for where to go! – we wiggled through the jam of all the cafes on the tight, cobbled streets and emerged here, at one end of Columbia Road itself. And I saw this cat on a car roof. Doesn't it look so much like Babycat? I hadn't heard from our house sitter yet, and I was getting maudlin about it all. What if Babycat was dead and this was a ghost cat to tell me??? No I'm only (half) joking, I was quite sure that everything was fine and it was just a cute cat. Sure-ish. (Also, note the excellent tall hair on the far right.) This is looking away from the market, with amazing old buildings and trees all a-bloom. And this is walking in to the market. It was impossible to walk next to John, and almost impossible to have my camera out, but plenty of other people did too, and I think we found comfort in each of us knowing we weren't the only person slowing things down further by taking photos. About halfway through we realised why it might be extra busy (unless it's always like that?): it was Mother's Day. (Don't worry, fellow Aussies, Australia's is later, it's coming up this weekend.) One thing I really wish I could have captured somehow was the smell. It was amazing. I thought the floral smells would be overwhelmed by the usual city smells of people and traffic and general dusty nothing-ness but the floral smells won! Oh I almost forgot to ask: What are these things? They look like little mouse fireplaces. What are they actually for? They was one next to each front door. So much beautiful detail. We decided to keep going in the same direction as we could then find Shoreditch High Street station and head back into the city centre. And we were just walking along when we saw this, on the left. Just an amazing block of apartments, you know, just sitting there being amazing. I can only guess they are outrageously expensive but they look very, very nice! And then it was a bit of guess work, and some turning left for a bit of a walk to Shoreditch High Street station – it's a bit hidden, but we got to look at more amazing buildings, and take in the last ten years of the gentrification that was already well underway when we left. The scale of the old buildings was amazing (that word again, BECAUSE IT'S APT) and I love that they are still there, some preserved or polished up for fashionable offices and flats, some still crumbly and no less beautiful for it – in fact I'm a fan of fading Victorian glory. And... that was our day out! Writing this now, I wish wish WISH we'd gone to the Geffrye Museum, although I have a hunch it wasn't going to open on that day? Surely there was some sensible reason for us not going. ARGH well I'm only 9789786456146478946121 million miles away now. The rest of the day might be a bit shameful to some but not to me. We LOVED it – we stocked up on snacks, went back to the hotel and watched excellent British TV in bed. My snacks were much craved-for English-only ones: a pot noodle and prawn cocktail crisps, neither of which are available in Aus. (And no, prawn crackers are not the same thing!) It was BLISS! We were, by this point, feeling a bit worn out from all the walking we'd been doing. John is practically an athlete (of the cycling kind) and I was running 5km four times a week until February, so we weren't complete couch potatoes (or TV-in-bed-all-afternoon-and-evening-watchers!) but we weren't used to walking for 5 or 6 hours a day, and were a bit tired and sore. My Dunlops were the best 10 bucks I spent for the entire trip, but they were hurting the top of my feet, and I had muscles from the hip down I'd never known about before that were now getting my attention. It was an absolutely delicious rest and a perfect end to a cold Sunday. Plus, I got to watch Eastenders!!!

tuesday beauty: Model Co Tan Mousse and mitt

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Mon, 05 May 2014 22:30:00 +0000

Well, I thought it would be a good idea to get some idea of bloggy normality back, and a return to Tuesday Beauty is a good place to start. Earlier this year, I posted that one of my New Year Resolutions was to try a fake tan, and lo, my wish was heard and answered. Who knew that was how it worked. Have I ever told you how much I want a pony?

My wish's Fairy Godmother came in the shape of Model Co, who kindly sent me a collection of tanning goodies. It was, and still is, my first attempts at tanning at home – at tanning full stop, actually – and my favourite of the crop is the Model Co Tanning Mousse and Mitt, which I've been using on my legs now that I had the safety of winter, ie tights, to hide them in case it all went a bit wrong. I needn't have worried. It is streak free, a good colour – my legs are not orange – and the mitt is awesome, kind of buffing and blending it all on, plus keeping my hands clean. I also really like that I can see the colour as I apply it, and top up any pale patches instantly, rather than waiting for the colour to develop – or not, on those missed bits. In fact, I am genuinely surprised at how much I like this stuff. And it smells mildly of coconut, with no chemical smell, which is good, although the first time I used it I kept wondering why I had a craving for cakes. Anyway: do recommend. Strongly, in fact.
The first of the Model Co tanning booty that I tried was actually the Gradual Tan Everyday Moisturiser. As you can imagine, this one appealed to me the most, especially for first timery, because "gradual" and "everyday" sound a lot less scary than, say, deep fast tan, which is what is promised on the mousse tin. I looked up online how to do fake tanning, I asked my sometimes bottle-enhanced glowy friends for tips, and so I knew all about the importance of exfoliating and moisturising – and thought I was all good to go, as I had no signs of any dryness etc. So, when I tried the Gradual Tan, I was surprised it went as dark and as streaky as it did on my legs – but it went on perfectly on my neck and shoulders, where I was just wiping off whatever was left on my hands before washing them. Here, it was a gradual, not-streaky glow. This taught me two things: I was applying too much to my legs, and these legs of mine weren't quite as primped and prepped as I'd thought. It lasted a while though, so I might have to give this a go again now that I seem to have more of a handle on what I'm doing. That said, I really like the Mousse, so perhaps I'll just stick with that. Maybe it's the mitt that makes it easier to apply? Anyway, my next test is my hands and fingers – I want to try having tanned hands to see how pale nail varnishes look on them. Now, that is going to be tricky!

Something I only learned a few years ago is that sun tans are not a non-vintage-y thing at all, although it seems that way these days. In a 1935 beauty book I have, it describes sun tans as "... very attractive – at the right time and in the right place, and that is usually when cruising or at the seaside.". We all know Coco popularised the tan. Of course we now know, too, much more about the dangers of the sun and sun tans. The book also describes how a powder with a "delicate sunburn shade" can be used by blondes and brunettes alike to impart a "... delightful sun-tan look..." – bronzer! I don't know when or why having a tan, real or otherwise, fell so far from grace in the modern vintage world. I personally think it links to a more serious problem that I've seen cropping up here and there: the idea that you HAVE to be very pale skinned to really have that vintage look; that the bemoaning of not being able to find a foundation fair enough is some kind of badge of honour, and has become a humble brag. This massively troubles me. It's rubbish! It's just yet more tying to force something to fit into a made up mold. All skin tones are beautiful and let's enjoy them, whatever we have, and paint them, or not paint them, whatever takes our fancy, as we see fit! x

disclosure: the Model Co products were gifted to Esme and the Laneway. Views are my own.

London, day two: West and East, canals, river boats, city foxes and spring

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Mon, 05 May 2014 02:21:00 +0000

Our second full day in London was a Sunday, and we woke up very early again – but no complaints, it meant we could get out there sooner! We were out nice and early and were treated to the most gloriously sunny morning, with blue skies and crisp air, and a romantic mist that slowly rose to reveal a beautiful city on its day off. (So that romantic mist turned out to be dust from the Sahara and was in fact some terrible air quality, but it looked great.)

First we went for a walk through Russell Square, which was right next to out hotel. It looked magical in the morning light. It's so amazing seeing these beautiful squares right in the middle of a big city. Other people were already up and about, too, having a coffee or going for a run. Good place for it, too. Turn 90 degrees and snap – another amazing view. And then we went in search for some wifi. It was so frustrating that the hotel's just didn't work. We were relying on it to plan everything, but it was easy enough to find. Although all walks were slowed down by photo taking. The buildings here are non stop beautiful. We found our wifi at a chain cafe, and paid for it with more enormous yuck coffees – but the wifi was fast, so, you know, swings and roundabouts. We decided that our first call would be at Portobello Market. It's only open on Sunday (I think?) and it was on the list of places to go as we hadn't been together before, and I hadn't been for years, even before I left London. So, we were off on another quick walk past more incredible buildings to Holborn Station, and a zoom westwards on the red line to Notting Hill Gate. We still couldn't get over how fast and pleasant the tube was. Finding the market is easy – you just follow the crowd and before you know it, there you are. I hadn't been since I was in my teens, when I didn't like it very much. I remember going to Notting Hill a few times when I was 7 or 8, with a friend and her family. Back then it was Not That Posh, unlike now. I remember the big tall houses with the columns and the stairs to the front doors, but their white paints was dirty and crumbling, and me and my friend were far more interested in the curbs, which were sometimes two or three steps up from the road, instead of the usual single one. They are still there, of course! Something that really struck me, as we walked past the brightly painted cottages in that soft English sunshine, was how nice Spring actually is. I hear all about it here, of course, as we are having our Autumn, but when our turn for Spring comes it's never that good. Well, it's never really anything at all. For almost as long as I can remember – there was one exception when I first moved here, maybe my second Spring time here – it just stays as cold as winter, we grumble about it, and then bam! it's hot. We don't have the amazing blooming of plants and trees and flowers, as we saw in London. (Our Autumn feels more like Spring, as everything that died in summer starts to come back). I was so chuffed to see it, as I'd all but forgotten that it ever existed! And isn't it lovely! The market was quite busy and we were happy to just wander north. We liked Admiral Vernon, who supervised our journey from a comfy spot with an excellent view. Some houses are pastel, and some are brighter. And the big impressive pubs on the corners are always familiar. Next up, as we were having a West London day, was Little Venice. I'd never even heard of it, never mind been, until a few years ago. The amazing thing abut London is you can go to more than one place in the same day, or even the same morning/afternoon, using public transport. (You can't really do that in Melbourne.) We walked up through Portobello Market, and found Westbourne Park (or was it Ladbroke Grove? I already can't remember!) tube. From there it was just minutes to Paddington, and then one stop back west on the brown line (yes I know their names, but I like – no, LOVE – the efficient colour coding, so indulge me!) to Warwick Avenue. We guessed our way to the canal and got it right first go – and one short walk later we were looking at something very beautiful, right in the middle of the city I'd grown up in. We wondered up the shaded side, past the houseboats, almost disturbing the gents having some sneaky beers behind a bush, and then picked a bridge to cross over. And the views were pretty spesh. We were happily lost at this point, so just enjoyed the walk back through the streets, with the flats on one side and the grand houses on the other. This street was especially post card London, with the street lamps, railings, and red phone box and pillar box. And we'd managed to walk back to where we needed to be, too – the tube! We went back to the hotel for a quick nap, and then Paul picked us up (thank you!) and whisked us off to East London, where he lives. We met his lovely partner L and his adorable daughter J, and walked past more houseboats, this time along Hackney Marshes – again, somewhere I'd never been. I think I remember the name but I had no idea anything like this was here. It's surprisingly busy, with lots of other walkers, runners, and the people who live on the house boats that line both sides of the skinny river. Sun sets are soft and slow in London, and we had plenty of twilight to stroll along the river banks, while J explored and played with plants she picked and we took it all in, this huge expanse of grass and wetlands, cut across once by a dark steel bridge for the trains flashing their way through north up to Walthamstow. It managed to feel lonely and alive at the same time. We crossed over later on, walking past the lush green hills that are covered in snow in the winter and tobogganed down by locals. Oh, for snow, a hill and a tray! I haven't even seen snow for over 10 years. Our first stop was the Anchor and Hope, an old pub surrounded by newer flats, still holding on to its turf (good), and I put my camera away for the night. Then it was another walk past terraced Victorian houses to the Crooked Billet in Clapton, another old pub filled with a new crowd. And then we were off again, past more rows of classic East End houses, and a city fox – who casually trotted past us, clearly having more important business elsewhere – stopping in at Testi, a Turkish restaurant in Stoke Newington, for amazingly good food – hooray for local knowledge. I admit, at this point my jetlag was kicking in, and I was at that horrible tired stage where it takes ages – and a lot of concentration – to build up to talking, and then it takes almost as long to stop, but we had an amazing time, and were so, SO chuffed to catch up with long lost friends, and meet new ones, and all in awesome local-approved places. BIG THANK YOUS!!!

London, day one: Regent's Park, the V&A, St Pauls, nice surprises and heavy eyelids

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 06:19:00 +0000

When you see the sheer size of this post, and the number of photos, I think you will understand why I have been a bit anxious about doing it! Especially the first post, as the first of anything is not easy. Getting started, at least for me, is always the hardest bit. I'm also really concerned I'm going to leave something out but then that doesn't matter too much – I can always add more in later in case I do.

And basically, those 6 days in London were the happiest I've had for the longest time. It felt absolutely amazing! And, just look at how beautiful it is!

I do want to talk about the flight, as I actually love reading about other people's travel tales – as in, the being in transit bit, as well as what happens when they get there – and almost did it as a separate post. However, I hardly took any photos and anyway, we were in with the chickens on the plane, although it was MUCH better than I had remembered. We flew with Etihad, as they came up in the flight search somewhere after the super-cheap, lengthy stop over option but still within in the affordable (as Australian-London tickets go, that is) area. And they were lovely. Comfy, lovely staff, loads of films and tv to watch, and the food was actually good. Not just better than usual terrible airplane fare, but good. It wasn't as good on the last leg home from Abu Dhabi, but still would fly again with them and do recommend. This is what we saw when we got to Abu Dhabi airport and were only 14 or so hours from London. It looked so beautiful in the rosy, dusty dawn. John and I were still feeling pretty good but were keen to stretch our legs and get the blood flowing a bit. I travelled in a fitted vintage dress – big mistake, don't do that, I won't again – but still managed to lay on the dirty airport floor and put my feet above my head and maintain some shred of dignity. A man a few seats down did a yoga headstand and that was far more impressive. I had a bit of a cold when we boarded, which turned into Niagara on the first flight, with my nose streaming, so landing was really quite painful: now I know why we are warned against travelling with colds. But what are you going to do? You are hardly going to cancel your trip! I was that unlovely sick person you don't want to sit next to on a flight (or anywhere), endlessly stuffing tissues up my nose, and it was an extremely painful 45 minutes landing, as it felt as though a football was trying to fight its way out of my right ear. I was very glad when after a few yelps and several uncontrollable hand-to-ear arm flaps it was all over. It prepared me for the second landing in London, and I took some painkillers beforehand but it was even worse – both ears! – but I didn't care a bit. We could see out of the window, and I watched the Thames start to make sense, looking like the intro to Eastenders, and then I saw Hampton Court! Or was it Ham House! A red double decker bus! And we were down. I was completely deaf in my right ear, mostly deaf in my left, and literally skipped through the airport to meet my very kind and wonderful friend Paul, who had generously offered to pick us up. I am surprised he didn't run away when he saw me approaching, waving a huge box of tissues and with my compression stockings falling down around my knees. All glamour, here.

The drive up to central London was amazing; we were blessed with a sunny day an everything was sparkly and beautiful and better than I remembered; even the traffic was lighter! My ears were gurgling and I still had involuntary ear clasps when the pains hit and I kept asking (bellowing?) "What?", because I couldn't hear much, but nothing, nothing could dampen my mood. I was overjoyed to be home. Home at long, long last!

Our hotel was in Bloomsbury, which was looking all rather lovely in the soft sun. John and I thought we'd have a quick shower and a rest and then hit the streets, but then I thought I'd just rest in the bed just for half an hour... we woke up around midnight. Oops.

So, let's look at day one proper. We woke up again at around 3am, wide eyed in the dark, and eventually got ourselves ready for the hotel breakfast that opened at 7am. Oh, now I know just how good hotel breakfasts are. I don't mean just for the food itself – that can be rubbish – but just knowing you don't have to go outside and find something first thing is just really nice. We stayed at the Royal National London and I'll do a post on it, but basically brekkie was a canteen style, line up with a tray, toast and cereal sort of thing, and within 20 minutes we were full, with happily popped and hearing ears, looking at the first buds of blossom on the cold trees outside, and bouncing in our seats ready to go and see London!

(beautiful lush garden is not for the likes of me and you!)

For those of you not familiar with London, Bloomsbury is very central, and right near Regent's Park. Lots of tall gorgeous old houses, lush squares and gardens, and some big wide roads that were quiet enough to tempt us to hire bikes – although the main roads are mad, busy chaos, although with plenty of cyclists, which is encouraging. We had a huge, impossible list of things we wanted to see and do, but we started with a walk around our new home, and headed of to the famous park. And WOW it was more beautiful than I ever, ever knew. I was already so excited to feel the London air, and it was cold enough to need gloves, and perfectly murky and grey, and I loved it. And then the park: We first walked through the outer bit (erm, obviously) and then got to the fancy gate. The plants are so, so different to Australian ones (again, obviously!) and I missed them so much. The grass is a different shade of green, in fact all the greens are different. Imagine sitting here on a warmer day? With a book and a tasty sandwich... We walked onto the bridge over the lake and saw this excellent duck, who posed for a photo. And then flew off. We could hear rushing water, and then we saw this. So I pointed at it. I am more than happy to be a tourist! We were desperate for coffee and wifi (the hotel had neither) so we went in to the cafe there. They served us coffee in a mug the size of a bathroom basin and it was horrible, but the wifi was good, and look: radiators! I LOVE radiators! (And you would too if you moved to a country that decided heating was no longer required since about 1970.) (Radiators, proper radiators, in Melbourne are a rare, rare thing, and any kind of heating is not the norm. It's really, really strange.) It was on, it was warm, it was glorious, and I sat next to it beaming even more than before, because it was cold outside but warm inside and this is a miracle! Warmed, wified- and sort of caffeined-up, we headed back into the cold to walk through the park to the nearest tube station, to go to the V&A. Are these herons? They are very tall and lovely and none of the birds were fussed that people walked so close to them Even the ducklings were ok with it. We bought Oyster cards for zones 1 and 2 (and eventually got the right ones; we first got ones for buses and trams by mistake and I couldn't work out why the machine wouldn't let me through the barrier, but the staff cheerfully pointed out our error and fixed it for us, no faff and all smiles. This was a huge, lovely surprise for us Melbournites.) And then we were off on our first tube in over 10 years! Not gonna lie, it was really exciting. It was fast! Clean! The maps are amazing! People were friendly! This is not the London I remember at all. It was a revelation. Seriously. We wanted to go to the V&A no matter what was on, but we (ok, moslty me) were delighted to find this fashion history exhibition was on. This is completely ridiculous: I follow the V&A and Amber on twitter, and knew it was on, but only in the way I've got used to knowing these things: they're on but completely irrelevant to me because I may as well be on another planet and will never, ever be able to see any of them. I honestly don't know how I hadn't managed to put this together in my head, as I knew the dates I'd be there, but there it is. That's what ten years away does to you, apparently. It was just. so. good. Here are some dodgy pics of things behind the glass. The display itself was really well done, and there was enough room to have a good look at everything. Oh I love the V&A. My favourite kind of tailoring. Of course. Dior. I have a thing for these, I just think they're really cool. After losing each other for a bit, I got a DM from John saying he'd found a lake and I'd really like it. I wasn't quite so sure, because I was hungry and just wanted to find some lunch but he insisted, and he was right. There is a big courtyard and huge lake, right in the middle of the V&A. And on the other side is the most beautiful cafe. We lined up with trays – fancy trays with prints – loaded up with wraps and salads, and sat down in the most incredible room to eat. If you can, go here for lunch. The food is really good, really cheap, and the building is knock out. Cannot believe it is so accessible. We then went on to the Natural History Museum – packed, we lasted 10 minutes, as we knew we couldn't waste any time – and then headed back to the hotel for a break. I was so, so chuffed to get a message from Jenny, inviting us to an event at the British Museum (again, I'd seen it was on, but hadn't computed that I would be there for it). I was so chuffed, as it feels a bit scary (silly, really, but still, it does) to ask people to make time for you when you visit the city they live in, and I was too shy to contact any of the Vintage Mafia etc, and it was so nice to get that welcome. We already had plans with Paul for the night and couldn't make it, and if I'm really honest my hair was looking horrible and I didn't have a vintage outfit that would have been good enough, and would have felt a bit awkward on the looks front if I had gone. We were meant to go for dinner at The Lamb, a pub near our hotel – John was busting for a pub meal – but when we got there the pub was packed, and we weren't due to meet Paul there until later anyway, so we decided on a sandwich at Pret A Manger instead. It was only about 7pm, and we were jet lagged and very, very tired – but it was far too early to quit and go back to the hotel again. So, we jumped on the tube to St Pauls – I cannot tell you how AMAZING it is to use the tube again, especially after trying to get around on Melbourne's sorry excuse for public transport – and walked around the icon and over the bridge, taking in the lights and their reflections on the Thames. It was magical, dream like. And bloody freezing. We trotted on to the Tate for hot drinks, and although the cafe had shut (despite us being there in opening hours, lies!) another bar section was open, so we sat and drank a good latte (John) and a hot chocolate (me) next to the big windows, looking out over the river, which helped us keep our heavy eyelids open.

We walked back over the bridge to the tube, with this in front of us. It looks fake. Ridiculous and completely mind blowingly amazingly good. London, I missed you, and it was good to be back.

newly browned hair and being a house mouse

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 01:03:00 +0000

Well it has taken me much longer to post again than I thought it would. The inevitable Post Holiday Blues have been more like deep navy and although I new I couldn't get away without a good dose of them, they've been hangning around that much longer than I expected. As has the jet lag. Simply feeling half a day or so behind, like we did when we got to London, is one thing, but this has been something else entirely. There's not been much sleeping for more than 4 hours straight, and instead it's lots of 1 or 2 hour naps when I try to go to bed at a normal time, followed by bright eyed alertness until around 7 or 8 am, and no amount of staying up hours later/going to bed earlier/forcing normal hours/ignoring normal hours etc seems to even touch it. I can't wait to sleep more than 5 hours in the 24, all in a row, and ideally when it's nighttime!

I also haven't wanted to burst what I have been referring to (to John, and the cat) as my travel bubble; I just don't want holiday times to be over. Which I am sure is contributing to my endless jet lag. It's time, definitely time, to pop it! Deep breath.

But before I dive in and edit all my travel photos, I want to update things a bit with what I've been up to since I got back. (And because I'm nervous about getting on to the travel stuff because I'm convinced I'll leave something out. Ridiculous, really.) You might have seen on my instagram or facebook that I have gone back to my natural hair colour. Well, almost – it's actually a shade or so darker than my natural one, or at least I think so – it's been a long, long time! I'd been toying with the idea for a few months about growing everything out, and even getting a couple of subtle blonde-ish highlights eventually, so that my hair was more or less natural dark blonde. Seeing it grow out after the bleaching has been nice in some ways – the shine! the softness! – and I'm just over always having to be doing the regrowth. It's funny, after all these years of preferring very artificial hair colours, to find myself liking au naturale, but we all change and progress... I'd let my hair fade before and during the holiday and it was looking pretty unlovely by the time I got back, so I was very relieved to get it sorted. I must say I am LOVING it like this. I'm hoping that the maintenance will be pretty low as I grow back some long dark blonde/mousey brown locks.

I've not really done much else at all, other than continuing to tackle the laundry, tidy up the house, and watch lots of TV. Discovering a bunch of episodes of the Mighty Boosh on iView was pretty good. The laundry basket isn't empty yet, but it does fit under the bed again, and we've had a break from the rain so the bulk of it's done, and all the unpacking and putting away of suitcases and all that is done too. One thing we found, and I'm sure lots of people have the same when they go on a long-ish holiday after ages of not going away for more than a few days at the most for ages, is how much stuff we have at home that we don't want or need. It's just clutter! That's what the not exactly exciting photo on the right is all about. (Plus I didn't want a giant my-face pic, especially not one from the bad side of the iPhone camera that makes my eyeliner look all wobbly. I promise it wasn't! It's been quite a nice break from taking photos of myself!) We've started to tackle this clutter, and are determined to get it massively down by the end of May (deadlines are helpful, even when just made up). Yesterday we did this bookshelf, the unit the TV lives on, the CD collection, the storage space under the house, and the bit of cupboard where we keep our bed linen because it had a lamp I love but got broken years ago and I'd evidently hoped would heal itself if I left it untouched in a bag for long enough. Obviously the book shelf isn't pretty-fied yet, but about two thirds of what was on it is gone, and it feels so good! It's not the funnest Sunday activity but it is so hugely satisfying. There's more to go, but making a start has made it all seem far more manageable.

One thing I am chuffed about is finding out I am one of the Kidspot Voices of 2014 Top 40 Beauty and Lifestyle bloggers. I made it to the Top 5 last year, which was nice. Blogging can be such an insular thing to do and it's definitely nice to have this kind of acknowledgement from your peers. They've accidentally kept my picture from last year, too, so I should send them a new one – the red haired one I sent obviously got waylaid somewhere along the way but that's probably for the best seeing as that's no longer relevant either! I've been busting to replace my profile pics anyway so I should get onto that. One with brown hair, but maybe not wearing a comfy old tee shirt, as I am in the one above.

back home

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 22:08:00 +0000

Well, hello! What a long time it's been. Longer than I planned. We had very little internet access and it was also really nice to relax properly. Really relax. It was The. Most. Amazing time away. Perspective changing, life changing, oh, everything changing, really. I'm now so jet lagged I've been falling asleep at around 7am, waking up at 11am (or 4pm on that one day when we slept through two alarms and a few phone calls!) and this morning I just got up at half past six having not slept at all during the night, so I can barely string a thought together, never mind a sentence. And I thought the jet lag was tough in London..!

There is of course so, so much to share now. I've downloaded my photos and had a look through them, and already it's starting to feel a bit distant. I am looking forward to piecing everything together. I'm also looking forward to doing, oh, well, so many things, including doing some more testing out of the makeup I bought (so far, so good), wearing a jacket I got from h&m (I never would have guessed I'd find one I like there!) and having the hugest clear out of clothes and just stuff in general, doing some cooking, wondering if I should cut a fringe or not – oh, and getting through the mountain of laundry that we've been attacking for days but just can't seem to shrink. I think the rest of this week will be pretty tired and wobbly but mostly really, really nice. It feels so good to be back blogging.

packing for three weeks in Europe (London, Paris, Rome, Venice, and Berlin in the spring time) plus a video!

noreply@blogger.com (esme and the laneway) — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 21:30:00 +0000

Well, it’s Tuesday morning and I still haven’t packed, so seeing as we fly tomorrow night I’d better get it finished!

I made a good start last week, and basically got everything I wanted to put into the suitcases sorted. I haven’t been on such a long holiday for over ten years – in fact, the closest, since my very early teens, was two weeks in Thailand and Singapore when I was 20, so I am more than a little out of practice. Even then I just took a regular sized back pack!

I’m not kidding when I say I travel light. I hate waiting for luggage at the airport and, more importantly, I don’t want to be lugging hefty bags around.

The last time I even packed a suitcase, as opposed to smaller hand luggage, was when I moved to Australia over ten years ago. (And yes, that freaks me out; time really does fly!). The suitcase I used for that was a cheapo, slightly larger than average one from Whitechapel markets, which was around the corner from where I was living. It weighed a tonne but it did the job, even though I almost got stung with excess baggage fees.

So, I was delighted – and surprised – when I was gifted these two Samsonite cases. Suit case technology wasn’t even something I’d thought about much (and why would I?) (although when I hear Samsonite I think of Mad Men and the discussion to drop them out of the window! I won’t try that, promise) but they are awesome. Almost ridiculously light – as in, less than Babycat kind of light – and they are BIG.

Also, something else I hadn’t thought about, even after I got them, was the wheel situation; it was my friend who pointed out (quite excitedly, over a glass of wine) that they have four wheels that spin about so they roll really smoothly and don’t topple over. It’s true, I tried it when I got home. VERY chuffed with that. I’m also pleased that they are a nice dark blue (I didn’t want anything too loud) and did remember to tie some ribbon on them to make them recognisable on the carousel.

So, here is what I am actually packing, or at least a good start of it. It’s going to be quite cold when we are there, so I need warm things, but I want lots of room to go shopping (makeup, and vintage clothing, whoop!) when I’m there. I have thought about mailing things back, too, to help with the room in the cases. John has used the smaller case and I get to use the bigger one.

I bought a leopard print back pack (from Sportsgirl, it was on sale, and I can't find a link for it now – I got this one from a bricks and mortar shop, anyway) to use as a handbag, and for my carry on for the plane. It’s massive, has lots (too many?!) pockets inside, and much more practical and comfortable than my usual handbags.

Here is the rack where I started to hang things I wanted to bring along.

Babycat wanted to help, too, by climbing in a cupboard.

The definites so far: a mustard wool vintage fitted dress (rolls up, no creasing, warm and comfy), two vintage cotton dresses with elbow length sleeves, because it is Spring time and I want to enjoy that (with tights and cardigans, of course! And quite probably a coat and scarf too, but still) and a vintage sundress to encourage the sun to shine.

I’m really quite nervous about my luggage going missing, so I haven’t wanted to pack too much vintage. Also, I don’t want things to get too crushed, and as we are going to lots of places, rather than just one where I could iron and hang everything for the three weeks, I need to be practical as we will be repacking every few days. I will take quite a lot of my new clothing, as it rolls up smaller and needs less ironing. Plus I won't be completely devastated if I do lose it. (Touch wood that doesn't happen!)

These dresses are in my maybe pile. They might be too hard to layer, and not warm enough, and I’m not 100% sure yet. I’ll see how much room I have.

Tops: 1 blouse and two basic long sleeve tops. Good for layering. I’ve got another two, one black and one navy, to add.

Skirts: one cotton vintage floral one (again, because Spring! And Rome! And Roman Holiday! There might just be a vespa ride!) one black and sheer paneled one (it’s a maybe!), one black full one, one black pencil skirt. Hmm, lots of black, but it goes with everything. Also adding a black and white pencil skirt that makes me look like a monochromatic bee, but I love it.

Daytime shoes: Dunlop Volleys, from Target! (It's probably obvious I did my shopping for this, last minute, in the one shopping centre. Also, it was only when I looked up a link for these that I saw they were "youth", so yay for the benefits of having small feet!) Everyday. Comfort first! We will be walking everywhere.

Nighttime shoes: my leopard heels with the ankle strap (via asos, long gone now), and my black peeptoe platforms (from yoox, and they're still there, but argh, they weren't this much on sale when I got them!).

Jumpers and cardigans: yellow and/or pink vintage cropped cardis (yellow might be too Autumnal, and get worn heaps when I get back instead), wool stripy vest and vintage aqua cashmere cardi. Also my new black merino knit from Uniqlo, and maybe another black jumper I bought from Topshop last year. And, maybe another vintage cashmere cardi, because I need to be prepared for the cold!

Evening: yay, excited about this! I bought a new lace dress from Asos, (this one), fitted, reaching to below the knee and with sheer lace sleeves. Will wear it with my new sparkly necklace from Lovisa I bought the other day, maybe my hand chain (also bought form Lovisa, but I can't find links for either, sorry) and my sparkly clutch I bought from Forever New. I never, ever get to use a clutch normally, as I take my camera with me and have to keep it in my big handbag, so I’m CHUFFED about this. I also have a shocking pink 1980s halter neck dress with a peplum that will be fun to wear, but it is quite bright and I've not worn it yet – I will be brave!

Scarf: leopard print, bought from Forever New. Big, soft, and will go with everything (although I’m double leopard-ing with my back pack, look out! What if I wear my leopard shoes as well..!) Good for the plane, too.

Then of course there’s makeup, toiletries, pajamas, hair things… um. Um! Glad I’ve got the bigger case.

I also made a video about it all. It’s really lo tech, and you can hear the focus the whole time (sorry!) but I’ve been meaning to do more videos forever and thought it was high time I actually got started. Very different to my last video upload but I hope you like it. I’m going to make a lot more videos, and will film things from Europe, too, which I’m really looking forward to. Also, I need a better video camera for these – my Nikon D7000 makes pretty images but it’s not good for chatting away live. Any recommendations would be welcome!

I’d better finish this packing, then! See you soon!

Disclosure: as stated, the suitcases were a gift to Esme and the Laneway from Samsonite x