Hi friends,
This week we’re obsessing over Celine’s new runway show by Michael Rider. Oversize jackets, men’s leggings and a lot of gold chains… the styling is something we feel can be adapted from your existing wardrobe fairly easily or simply by adding a few bits and bobs. Its absolutely our joint Peak of the week!
Do you think ZB should style up some Celine inspired looks next? Let us know…
We are Plugging the just released book, Mental as Anyone, by Jonathan Moran. If you’re interested in having a read pick up a copy from an independent or Australian owned book store such as Booktopia or Dymocks. Here’s some pics from the Perth launch at the gorgeous book store, Open Book, in Mosman Park, hosted by our talented friend Jenna Clarke. It had Jenna clutching her pearls she joked!
As always, ZB is talking about her Passion for fashion. Zara spotted some cool pics of the actor Dan Levy, best known for his role in the cult TV show Schitt’s Creek… and decided to do a fashion experiment recreating some of his best looks using pieces from her own existing wardrobe. Aside from being a fun and creative thing to do, it really encouraged her to wear some forgotten pieces from her wardrobe in a new way.
Check out the results below;
Lastly, we’re Pondering the concept floated in the recent NY Times wellness newsletter, that micro-moments of positivity can really improve your well-being, by Barbara Fredrickson, director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We’ve pasted the article below from the newsletter… hope you love as much as we did!
Look for ‘reverse pet peeves.’
“A pet peeve is something small that disproportionately annoys you,” said Bree Groff, author of the upcoming book “Today Was Fun.” In contrast, she said, “a ‘reverse pet peeve’ is something small that brings you disproportionate joy.”
This can be as weird as you like, Groff added. “I’ve noticed that I like arranging all the things at my desk at right angles,” she said. “It makes me feel some sense of peace and control over my little world.”
Schedule a few ‘T.L.J.s.’
MaryCatherine McDonald, a trauma researcher and author of “The Joy Reset,” uses another term for those bright bits of happiness: tiny little joys, or T.L.J.s.
Dr. McDonald’s clients have told her that their T.L.J.s include the first sip of coffee in the morning or the satisfaction of peeling a banana into perfectly even strips.
Start by listing all of your T.L.J.s. Once you’ve done so, try to make one of them a habit at a certain time of day, Groff added.
A friend of mine told me recently that he was not going to use the self-checkout kiosks at the grocery store anymore. He realized that he liked talking to a checkout person, he said, and was trying to build back more human interaction into his life.
Do something ‘slo-mo’ on purpose.
Dr. Sue Varma, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the N.Y.U. Grossman School of Medicine and the author of “Practical Optimism,” said that she liked to put a daily activity “on 0.5 speed.”
Research suggests that short periods of mindfulness can improve your psychological health. So Dr. Varma will choose to do something single-mindedly at half speed, such as washing dishes or applying her favourite skin care (which she described as “two minutes that make me feel loved”).
Normally I’m a box-checker who rushes through everything, but I took Dr. Varma’s advice and made lemonade at half speed: I slowly sliced the lemons, giving them a sniff and stirring the sugar syrup. (Pretending you’re on a cooking show in your kitchen and narrating out loud as you chop is another T.L.J., Dr. McDonald said.)
Find ‘the sliver.’
Sometimes the activities that give us “big joy,” such as vacations, require too much planning, money, time and effort, Groff explained.
While you can’t go on a getaway every day, you can find a sliver of vacation life to relish right now, she said. Perhaps at home you could replicate the drinks you had on vacation (and order a pack of umbrella toothpicks).
Instead of getting a full body massage, which is expensive, Groff said, she ducks into a nail salon and asks for a 10-minute chair massage. And rather than a lavish dinner out, she will make an afternoon smoothie and put it in a stemmed glass, which “feels more fun.”
If you love to paint, but you don’t have the time to haul out the canvas and brushes, you could aim for one doodle a day instead, Groff said. If gardening brings you big joy, bring a small basil plant to work and offer co-workers a basil leaf or two for their lunch.
Some of my favorite T.L.J.s take under a minute. For instance, I have a bottle of rose water on my desk at work. Sometimes when energy lags in the afternoon, I’ll ask a co-worker: “Do you want to be sprayed?” I worry that I’m becoming the office eccentric, but most of my colleagues line up and shut their eyes.
What tiny rituals bring you disproportionate joy? We’d love to hear and share with everyone.
Love
C&Z xx
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