Happiness : {the frocks & other frivolities' guide}.

And sometimes, in the most impossibly transcendent means, there are blessed times when your dreams become glittering stars in the most perfectly aligned constellation, which has been the last few weeks for me in a nutshell ... and since it is Monday, and a fresh new week, felt the need to share a list that brings warmth to the heart and happiness to the soul:

long languorous weekends
ice cream, copious amounts of it
golden sundrenched skin
working towards childhood dreams
living the childhood dreams
relentless laughter
the dreamy summer sun on the cusp of setting
chlorine lingering in the hair after a morning swim
ocean breeze after a run
witnessing your baby brother grow
vertiginous billowing curtains
sour gummy candy
small, but significant, accomplishments at work
the timbre of rain against a window
coral lipstick

love.

Hope this inspires you to find your own happy list this week.

Much love, Mandy. xx

{Images by the impossibly lovely Love Yaz}

new york : {the frocks & other frivolities guide}.

New York - a city of glittering lights and lofty dreams - is not a destination, but an experience. All the most pellucid images and words in the world cannot prepare you for its vivacity, heady pace, and dynamic spirit that beguiles you far beyond your departure. 

Indeed, New York is a cornucopia of sartorial perfection, gustatory delights, and exquisite culture ... but if these weren't reason enough to visit this grand city, this is the place to escape to when one needs perfect clarity to be instilled upon their dreams. 

This is the frocks & other frivolities' guide to NYC, which is inevitably an escapade into the big apple's whimsical world of food, fashion (and other frivolities!) ... but I cannot reiterate enough, lovely readers, that ultimately the greatest adventure in NYC is creating your own...

{P.S. What to bring : a camera, an ample suitcase, and a heart open to new possibilities...}

FASHION // {where to shop}

New York City may as well be a synonym for fashion nirvana; the density of sartorial loveliness is immense enough to flutter even the most stoic of hearts. 

Soho : traipse around the vicinity of Broome/Spring/Wooster/Broadway St and one will stumble upon every bona fide designer desirable as well as quaint boutique gems 

Madison Avenue, Manhattan :  purveyor of luxury high-end designers (Celine, Chloe, Proenza Schouler, Valentino...) that necessitates the obligatory accompaniment of Laduree macarons {also be certain to pop into my favourite shoe store, Schutz}

A Second Chance designer resale boutique : two lovely locations in the Upper East Side and Soho, this is the secret to the luxe polished aesthetic of New York women

Nolita district : Mott St, Elizabeth St ... wonderful for impossibly chic little boutiques

FOOD // {where to eat}

Even the most gastronomically ambitious would find it impossible to find the time or stomach space to accommodate the food mecca that is NYC.

Cafe Gitane : 270 Lafayette St {for delightful orange blossom waffles whilst brushing against the fashion elite}

The Butcher's Daughter : 19 Kenmare St {light organic cuisine}

Gemma : 335 Bowery St, beneath the Bowery Hotel {here, you will understand that the paradox of understated opulence actually exists}

The Mercer Kitchen : 99 Prince St {for languid breakfasts of buttermilk pancakes laced in warmed blueberries and French toast drizzled in caramelised peaches}

Momofuku Milk Bar : several delightful locations {the cereal soft serve is an imperative as are the crack cookies to bring home}

Laduree : 864 Madison Ave {cannot possibly compare to the original in Paris, but revel in a few macarons in nearby Central Park and it is still a transcendent experience}

Balthazar : 80 Spring St {for utterly sumptuous traditional bistro fare in a lusciously dimlit setting, I have such fond memories of the evening I spent dining here}
Dean & DeLuca : multiple locations {for gorgeous gourmet picnics}

FUN // {where to go & other frivolities}

Make a friend and explore the myriad of possibilities in this enchanting city...

The Metropolitan Museum : 1000 5th Ave

The Frick Collection : 1E 70th St

MoMA : 11W 53rd St

Statue of Liberty : Liberty Island {an American icon that will always hold a special place in my heart}

Central Park : 14E 60th St {an utterly whimsical vision in the spring with the magnolias and cherry blossoms on the cusp of blooming} 

Broadway : 729 7th Ave

US Open Tennis Championships : Flushing Meadows {have always been an avid tennis player and would buy a ticket in a heart beat if I were there currently}

...And with that, most importantly, cherish the memories you make in this scintillating city and expect to return with bags laden with treasures and hearts full with stories {if, of course, it hasn't already irrevocably fallen in love and beckoned to stay forever}... <3  

{This post was dedicated to my utterly delightful friend, Shannon, who mentored me throughout my high school years with grace and ease - hope your NYC sojourn was magical!}

Much love, Mandy. xx

A few lovely things.

(Beautiful crimson petals overhanging white picket fences in Trouville)

(Mocha with marshmallows and an extra chocolate shot at my favourite cafe in Brisbane)

(Frolicking under jacaranda trees with floral shorts to match - full outfit post coming soon!)

In some ways, today was a typical Sunday with the perfunctory breakfast to start the morning - only that I spent it looking over the expansive coastal panorama of the Gold Coast 78 levels above the ground on the Q1 sky deck in the company of my gorgeous med school friends for our graduation breakfast (the beginning of a long series of graduation events that will be occurring throughout the week). 

To ease myself into what will be a hectic week ahead, I have made a small compilation of lovely things that I have an affinity for - as you may have already surmised, I do have quite a penchant for flowers (I snapped about 500 floral-themed images from my last Europe sojourn)! 

I hope you all had the most sparkling weekend and that you have an even more radiant week ahead!

Love, Mandy. xx

Island essentials.

Sandals - Skin Hello Midnight from Adrenalin Boutique // Invisible Zinc tinted daywear moisturiser // Saroff Designs sunglasses // Korres lip butter // Pree Brulee necklace // Reef suntan oil

Perfect beachside reading for indolent balmy afternoons in Phi Phi. Hammock also mandatory.

Pristine waters and vertiginous cliffs at Maya Bay.

                                                             Photos via Instagram.

... And so, my days in Phuket (and the even more idyllic Phi Phi islands) were spent in sun-drenched languor, with bright-hued bikinis under local crochet dresses, delightful villas with thatched roofs, and tropical fruit baskets, whilst sunset implicated the taxing decision of reading books that had been abandoned over time, imbibing coconut cocktails (the perfect remedy to the implacable humidity), or revelling the summer breezes during beachside oil massages, or all of the above ... but the greatest luxury of all was the sheer indolence, which I have decided is the common man's ultimate indulgence, even if only for one ephemeral week ...

                                                               Love, Mandy. xx

Monday inspiration : white on white.

(Images: tumblr, weheartit, Tuula, Song of Style, Studded Hearts) In my kitchen ...  I long for perfectly alabaster white chocolate cupcakes snow capped with gorgeously light buttercream frosting or equally delectable macarons bound together with white chocolate ganache. In my wardrobe ... I want to wear crisp white ensembles for that clean minimalist aesthetic with a whimsical ring of daisies woven into my hair. In my bedroom ... I yearn to wake up to billowing white curtains and the scent of jasmine that is as fresh as my white-washed walls.  

                                                        Have a sparkling week, everyone!

                                                                        Love, Mandy. xx 

Lauren Conrad x The Coveteur.

(Images via The Coveteur)

I never really latched onto her television series, but I do love the exquisitely effeminate aesthetic of Lauren Conrad's clothing line 'Paper Crown' with its abundance of layered chiffon, floaty silhouettes, and pastel palettes. As always, The Coveteur captures her lovely abode and beautiful paraphernalia to perfection and I'm now lusting for some pretty vintage books to display on my shelves! 

Love, Mandy. xx

Home, sweet home.

(Skirt - Sass & Bide; top - Sportsgirl; shoes - Senso Diffusion)

I'm finally home everyone! Albeit a considerably more rotund version of myself haha. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of madness with a dream holiday job consuming my time followed by a week of blissful escapism in Hong Kong (of which I will be blogging about ad nauseum over the next few weeks!). 

For now, it's lovely to be back at home, enjoying the serenity and indolence that accompanies it. I can't wait to share all my travel photos with you! 

Happy new year everyone - hope your 2012 is beautifully abundant with frocks and other frivolities. ;) 

Love, Mandy xx

Food hedonism.

(Images: hardtoexplain)

I find these images so incredibly invigorating. They instil me with the feeling of wanting to abscond from the city humdrum to a small seaside village with my own little beach shack, running errands barefoot and living the organic life .... 

Hope your weekend is filled with a little hedonism. :) 

Love, Mandy. xx

The Coveteur & Sylvia Mantella.

(Images: The Coveteur)

If you haven't heard of The Coveteur, it is a beautiful website that takes exquisite snapshots inside the glamorous abodes of style aficionados. These breathtaking images were taken inside philanthropist Sylvia Mantella's home - I love her penchant for bright colours and her interiors that are resplendent with fresh blooms. So pretty! 

You can explore more of her extravagant home here.

Love, Mandy. xx

Sunday.

(My favourite - Shanghai dumplings)

(Mummy <3)

(Jeffrey Campbell shoe box that's too pretty to dispose of even despite the lack of space in my apartment)

I woke up to the golden sun streaming into my bedroom this morning, the air redolent of spring. Such an apt setting to have outdoor yum cha with my beautiful family. Also - my new Jeffrey Campbells have arrived (I shall share soon!). My heart was stolen even before I opened the box.

Hope you all have a lovely week! 

Love, Mandy. xx

A few of my favourite things.

 (Envelope clutch - Asos, gold cuff - Chrissy L, watch - Michael Kors,  nail polishes: Mecca Cosmetica 'Rebecca', Kit 'Play up', Butter London 'MacBeth') 

Currently loving: bright bold accessories and nail polish as a way to incorporate the block colour trend in a less invasive (and more economic) manner, ample gold cuffs that melt into my skin tone, and my Michael Kors rose gold watch that never leaves my wrist (the large face is perfect for measuring pulse rates!).

Have a beautiful weekend everyone!

Love, Mandy. xx