Hey hi, 'tis July! What even is this sorcery. The passage of time (obviously) but seriously, how the flip does it end up being July so quickly!? Marvels aside, today I have five things to wax lyrical on; from poetry to essays, films to listens and even a lil' beauty spot. Have a nosy...

NZIFF is here: Aka the one where I miss being a student, if only so I could study and sneak off to films in between lectures and tutorials. I digress, NZIFF is back for 2019 and it is quite the lineup. I am only gonna be making it to this but I wish I was able to see more. I recommend you check out Maddy's post of films to watch this festival season. 

This essay x Florence Welch: "I tend to look back on that time with a mix of nostalgia and terror. There's a part of me that's in awe of that girl, her total disregard for self-preservation, how she could run at the world headfirst, eyes closed, with no care for the consequences." Florence Welch wrote an essay for British Vogue and first and foremost, can she write more essays please!? This is brilliant. She perfectly encapsulates the feelings and worries of adult life but at the same time the brilliance of I guess finding calm in the chaos. Read it.

The one with Fleabag: Aka Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Yes, I am still talking about Fleabag+PWB. Sorry, not sorry. Anyway, she is back on Elizabeth Day's How To Fail podcast and it is brilliant. I laughed out loud at my desk in the office #noshame. Loved it. Going to listen to it again. 

The Green Room: One of my pals Steph has set up this awesome, holistic skincare experience in the Hawkes Bay and it looks like a treat. Steph has over 14 years experience and is super clued up on all things skincare. Seriously, she is my personal Google sometimes (sorry, Steph). Anyway, she offers two facial experiences; intuitive skin sculpting and intuitive skin clearing. She uses Tribeca Skin Tonics in her studio which I've heard are amazing. So if you're in the Hawkes Bay, go check it out. I'm quietly envious of y'all getting to experience Steph's magic! 

Luminescent x Nina Powles:  I read this a couple of months ago and loved it. It was in the middle of a work day and I needed a moment of quiet+solitude and escapism and these chapbooks delivered. I particularly loved Sunflowers, about Katherine Mansfield and Her+The Flames about Phyllis Porter, a ballet dancer struck by tragedy. The whole collection is beautiful. You can have a read of two of the Katherine Mansfield poems here. 

-I hope y'all are having good July's so far! I will be back soon(ish)-I hope, with a book review.

'Tis the season for gifting! Whether that be treating yourself, or the rad people in your life. Today we have a little mini gift guide of bits 'n bobs I personally think would be rather neat to receive this Christmas. In fact, I've actually purchased some of the items on this list and through my bookish gift guides, see the first here. There's beauty, reading material (of course), some homeware bits, stationery (again, of course) and some miscellaneous bits. Enjoy! 

*Fruition Print x Pigment Studio: As an aside, Albertine is one of my talented pals and I've actually purchased the A5 print of this for myself this Christmas. I love it!

*3D Glitter & Glow Liquid Shadow Set x Stila

*Useless Magic  x Florence Welch (Gucci Edition): Isn't this stunning!? The original is exquisite also but this Gucci edition is next-level. How special would this be to unwrap? Ahem.

*Oh Comely Magazine, Issue 46: One of my absolute favourite magazines. I've recently bought a subscription because waiting for it in the shops here in NZ was becoming too much of a task. In all seriousness, get yourself/your mates the latest issue with their Christmas presents. Support print everybody.

*Human x Dodie (signed EP)

*Burnt Sage Candle x Crushes: My pal Emma gave me this candle for my birthday and it is the best. I love its scent and its ability to fill my space with the most divine fragrance. I highly recommend giving the other Crushes candles a sniff as well. They're exquisite.

*Runaway Girl Round Towel x Karen Walker: Round towels=the ultimate backyard staple for reading sessions under a tree in the sunshine. Or a picnic. Or just to y'know, sunbathe responsibly. 

*Caramel Melange Cracker x Zoeva

*2019 Diary x frankie magazine: I've purchased this as a gift and it is beautiful. If I hadn't gone and been super organised and bought my Kikki K diary as per usual, this diary would be mine. I LOVE the floral illustrations x Edith Rewa throughout.

*Enlightened Ornament x Mecca Cosmetica

*End Of The Rainbow Toiletry Bag x Gorman: For some reason I'm kinda obsessed with rainbow-print accessories at the moment and whilst I don't exactly need a new makeup bag, I am being drawn to this. Also, makeup bags are useful af. If you want to go the extra mile-fill it with some of your favourite products for the recipient to enjoy.

*Trio of Navy Pens x Kikki K: If you saw my Advent Calendar post, one of these pens ended up included as a gift. Trios like this and the Stila set are great for dividing up amongst people. 

*Life Honestly: Strong Opinions from Smart Women x The Pool

*Treats x House of Chocolate

*Terrazzo Drop Earrings x Emily Green

-What are you gifting this Christmas?

Somehow it is October. The evenings are longer-yay for more sunlight and blooms and shadowy light. As I write this I am in an off-the-shoulder, bardot style dress and have my hair pulled back in a bun, feeling chic-er than usual for a Thursday. Oh and I have Cher's ABBA album playing so things are wild. Ahem. Ok before this post veers off in another direction entirely, today we have five things for October. Some beauty, a bit of a love letter to one of my favourite literary heroines and more...

Feelin' Fresh: Oh I am so punny, you really have no idea. When I was in Melbourne last month I paid a fleeting visit to Sephora. Fleeting because that store was more crowded than the aisles of a New Zealand supermarket when liquid gold* is the commodity of choice. I mainly went in search of Fresh because their lip scrub is a gift from the actual gods. I also grabbed their lip balm too because my lips have been insanely dry and neglected so this duo was much needed. If you want to jump on the Fresh train, you can online here. 

Matilda at 30: My favourite childhood literary heroine turns thirty this year. I may not remember much of reading this book as a young'in but I do know it was the first book I read on my own and it remains my favourite Roald Dahl novel-aside from some extracts from Boy: Tales of Childhood. To celebrate her 30th: Penguin got original illustrator Quentin Blake to imagine what she'd be up to now. My favourite theory is this one but they're all plausible. I really enjoyed Mara Wilson's article about her Matilda experience as well as reading what Daisy had to say.

Flowers for 2019: I feel like it's kinda old school now to have a physical calendar hanging on the wall. They're arguably an aesthetic thing but I couldn't not include this gem from Hydrangea Ranger. It features an array of pressed flowers collaged and then printed on 100% recycled card stock. A calendar that's good to look at and good for the environment. Yes please. I need this in my life.

Tit-Tees: October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. We all know someone whose life has been changed by cancer, whether that's through a direct diagnosis or the friends and family of those whose lives are impacted. It sucks and it's a shitty part of life but what's not lame are these awesome tees. They're part of the GirlvsCANCER initiative and feature designs by Poppy Chancellor of Poppy's Papercuts. 25% of the sales from each tee sold are split between three charities (all featured). I am adding this one to my wishlist for Summer.

And finally...this interview with Florence Welch and Yrsa Daley-Ward. Go read it. Go soak up the Gucci finery in the photographs and enjoy.

*Shout out to the Whittakers+Lewis Road Creamery chocolate milk extravaganza that took NZ by storm a few years ago. 

Words are such a powerful thing. I know we say actions speak louder than words but how true is that really? I think words are equally, if not more powerful. Lately I have taken to underlining passages I love in my books-and adding further inscriptions along the way. I also write down page numbers to go back to and find myself writing out extracts of words, conversations or ideas that resonate in my diary more often than not. You get it-words hold lasting impacts and meaning. Today I thought I'd share some of my favourite words that I've been all "yass underline" or "girl, yass-write it down" over...

/ Why blue? People ask me this question often. I never know how to respond. We don't get to choose what or whom we love, I want to say. We just don't get to choose. / -Maggie Nelson, Bluets

/ Drink too much coffee and think of you often in a city where reality has long been forgotten. Are you afraid because I'm terrified? You remind me that it's such a wonderful thing to love. / -Florence Welch, Patricia

/ With your black pool eyes and your bitten lips the world is at your fingertips. / -Florence Welch, South London Forever

/ ...we go out anonymous into the insect air and all we are is the dust of colour, brief engineering of wings towards a glint of light on a blade of grass or a leaf in a summer dark. / -Ali Smith, How To Be Both

/ At some point, you have to set down the past. At some point, you have to accept that everyone was doing their best. At some point, you have to gather yourself up, and go onward into your life. / -Olivia Laing, The Trip to Echo Spring

/ Because it's true; more than the highlights, the bright events, it was in the small and the daily where she'd found life. / -Lauren Groff, Fates and Furies

/ I love people, I love them, I think as a stamp collector loves his collection. Every story, every conversation is raw material for me. / -Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath

/ Hope was what separated me from the flat expanse of the rest of my life. It was like a line, a gateway that stopped me from being swallowed. / -Melissa Broder, The Pisces

*What words have inspired you lately?

It's a bloomin' good time to be a Florence Welch fangirl right now. In the space of a few weeks she released album four, High As Hope and the above book. When I heard about Florence's book, I swiftly emailed the lovely people at Time Out and preordered my copy that way. It arrived last Friday and was softly whispering to me beneath stacks of paper on my desk. Like some magical, Harry Potter-esque book. Or really just anything that demands to be read. 

Useless Magic, Florence's volume of poetry and lyrics is an exquisite, clothbound treasure. Inside you will find the lyrics to all the songs on Florence's albums. Side note: I've discovered now that I've been singing some of her songs incorrectly for years. My fangirl life is a lie, and vice versa. She also shares some of her poetry throughout and as she notes, the lines between poetry and song are so interconnected and deeply rooted for her at this point. I guess in many ways poetry is essentially songwriting without melody or instrumentation. Her songs really read like poetry too when they're presented like this as well. 

She also includes plenty of visual inspiration throughout; whether it be photographs she's taken herself, notes written on Chateau Marmont stationery, her favourite songs amongst other things. She notes that Walking On Broken Glass x Annie Lennox is one of her favourites. I'm listening to it as I write this actually. Whilst everything feels carefully selected this book also feels incredibly intimate and personal. We're being given an exclusive pass into the pensieve that is Florence's brilliant mind.

I really wanted to draw out reading Useless Magic for as long as possible but the truth is, it demanded to be read in rather indulgent bursts. I think I finished it over three separate sessions and will definitely be re-immersing myself in its pages many a time now. If you're a Florence Welch fangirl or boy, like exquisite words and books that are simply stunning to look at, this is for you. Useless Magic is my new kindred spirit in paper form. Get yourself a copy now and thank me later.

-Have you read Useless Magic? What did you think of it?

It's an exciting time for Florence & The Machine fans. Their highly anticipated fourth album, High As Hope is being released eleven days from now. She's starting up a tour and releasing a book next month. In order to get into the mood, I thought I'd compile a list of ways to celebrate the new album in the days and weeks leading up to it. The best kind of celestial fangirling...

Revisit the Old: Start at the very beginning with Lungs, spend the evening dancing around a dimly lit room to Ceremonials and go on a road trip with How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful blasting through the speakers. 

Don some Florence-worthy jewels: One of the easiest ways to channel a bit of Florence Welch magic. These shell earrings give me Ceremonials vibes and also remind me of that time Florence sang in a half-shell on the Chanel runway. I also reckon she'd love a bit of Zoe and Morgan. Their starry earrings and moon pendants especially. 

Read some Between Two Books titles: For those not in the know, Florence has her own book club. Established by dedicated fans, Florence oversees the club and recommends her own books, alongside other women of note. My picks are; Fates & Furies, The Goldfinch, Too Much & Not The Mood and The Great Gatsby. Check out their Instagram for the other titles.

Listen to this cover: Tiny Dancer is already a brilliant song but this reinterpretation takes it to another level. No, I wasn't tearing up when I first heard it, that was just a bit of dust in my eye. *ahem*

Pre-Order Useless Magic: Florence's upcoming book of poetry, lyrics and art is being released at the beginning of July. July 5th I believe. Might I suggest you pre-order it? I think in the US if you do you can get some free postcards with your book. I've ordered my copy through Time Out here in Auckland. Cannot. Wait. 

Read Patti Smith's writing: There's a song on High As Hope entitled Patricia named for Smith. Another great musician and artist. To tide you over, why not give the slim volume of musings on childhood, Woolgathering a perusal? Just Kids her book about her time in New York and Robert Mapplethorpe was a past Between Two Books pick as well. 

Treat Yo'Self: These shirts though. I know Liv has one of these and it looks freakin' rad. I really need the 'Florence' one in my life. Even though it's not tshirt weather. That's what jackets and cardis are for, right? There's also her Liberty collaboration which I've just found.

Read some interviews: This one is a good 'un. The Sunday Times have a great one as well. There's also some gems on YouTube as well. Get hunting.

-How are you celebrating High As Hope?

Only If For A Night is the first track of Florence + the Machine's second album, Ceremonials. It was written after a dream Florence had in which she was visited by her Grandmother. She was told to 'concentrate' which, coming from a ghost was 'strange & so surreal.' 

This is one of my favourite songs off her recent album. There's something very mystifying & enchanting about it. It also features one of my favourite lyrics; The grass was so green against my new clothes. And I did cartwheels in your honour, dancing on tiptoes. My own secret ceremonials.

-Gif via Tumblr.

Over the (long) weekend I've been exploring on the Internet. It makes a nice change after all those dreaded University readings! Above are two videos for you to enjoy. The first is a remake of the Call Me Maybe video, originally featuring Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez & the like. This version however, is much much cooler than that. It features Isaac Likes, Katherine Is Awesome, Rag Pony & more. Plus you'll spy some perfect product placement in there, Thugged Out Since Cub Scouts anyone? Awesome video.

The second is a mini documentary of Florence Welch on her travels throughout New York city. Like: That she can roam New York City unnoticed. Dislike: That people don't seem to know who she is! Anyway, if you like Florence + The Machine, New York, or Florence in New York then you should watch this.

I've also been revisiting Fashion Gone Rogue and admiring recent editorials. These are two of my favourite images that I came across:

Keira Knightley photographed for Interview Magazine. Love black & white images as well as the edginess of this shoot. Miranda Kerr photographed by Terry Richardson for Harper's Bazaar. This shoot actually took place in New York yet this image screams Britain to me. Props to the stylist for featuring Louis Vuitton SS12! Those clothes are amazing, so expect to see them lots.