It totally reminds me of the computerised knitting machine room in Nottingham Trent University back in the day when my eyes were first opened to the world of knitting.

Photo by Brooke Holm for The Design Files.

The brand is called Uimi, and luckily for us the Design Files went to meet and interview husband and wife team Feeona and Troy to check out their knitting and take some gorgeous photos too so head on over and find out how they did it. I love the bit about the technical engineer popping to the factory every week so they can try out new designs.

They use a gorgeous bright colour palette and make cushions, throws, blankets, scarves, hats, and clothing for women and children. There are lots of positive comments by people reading the blog who love the knits. Within the comments a few people mentioned Uimi’s use of Italian merino wool and what a shame it wasn’t Australian.

Well, Uimi replied saying they import Italian merino wool which is Australian, as spinners in Australia are non existent and if they could buy locally they would do it in a heartbeat. This is really great to hear as it means I haven’t been going loopy in my quest, and that I too might have to ship yarn to Australia if I want to knit products which is not what I wanted to do at all. Australian fibre gets shipped to Asia or Europe to be made into fibre and then has to come back again to be made into products, it’s crazy!

Anyway, I have put the last few bits of my knits back on Etsy, this is it, the last few pieces now so bag a hot water bottle & woollen cosy for those cold nights like we’re having over here at the moment.

Food revolution day today, hosted by my bestest delish chef, Jamie Oliver, weird us Aussies are celebrating FRD before the Oliver is even out of bed, how cool is that.

Take a look at this vid of Jamie talking about food revolution day, and on Utube you can see more videos, just click on the Utube icon in the bottom right hand corner.

Today I’ll be cooking some salmon fishcakes from Jamie Olivers Ministry of food with the tomato and basil sauce, and some scones for afternoon tea, yum. I always cook from scratch and it’s not hard, it’s been a long time learning and has taken me years to build a base knowledge. It has been such an achievement though when people say they love what I have cooked and that I’m a good cook, it’s something you don’t learn at school unfortunately and unless you’re taught by you’re family, how do you learn?

Well I couldn’t have become a ‘good cook’ without the use of recipe books which I now have quite a collection. The newest addition as I’ve mentioned is Gwyneth Paltrows book, “It’s all good”, so here’s some info about it and some of the things I have tried cooking so far.

I have been eating healthier and healthier for months now, I have always thought I ate really well but I am definitely eating better now. Less salt, less chocolate, cake I struggle with, portion size is smaller, coconut oil instead of other oils, green smoothies, juicing and no meat. Its been great and I am feeling much better, and have reduced my body fat and weight, thanks I think mostly to the no meat part. However there is always room for improvement health wise and I have wondered about gluten free cooking, vegan cooking and superfoods, so when I saw this book, I bought it.

Gwneth fell ill a few years ago and ended up having a lot of tests and was told to eliminate a lot of food like gluten, dairy, alcohol and meat which she did but found tough to do all the time. So she worked with a cook friend called Julia Turshen to create a cook book with tasty recipes which could be part of an elimination diet, or gluten free or vegan, which is cool because you can pick and choose what you want from it.

Gwyneth has had a bit of a back lash in the press about the book, due to the price of the ingredients. This is a shame because some of the pantry ingredients are expensive or hard to find but they are things which will last for ages and the are used with cheaper bulk ingredients like fruit and veg. Also, cheap food isn’t exactly a healthy option is it? Big burgers, chips, large portions of rubbish aren’t doing anyone any good so why expect healthy to be cheap?

Just because Gwyneth says to use gluten free flour, doesn’t mean you have to. I have been tested I’m not gluten intolerant so I’ll use my existing flour which I already have.

Over the last two days I have been cooking some of the recipes, 1 because they look great, 2 because I really felt like them as I am a bit under the weather, so healthy is good right! Also I used sweet potatoes in 2 of them, just because they appealed, oh and they are good at lowering cholesterol too.

So a few days ago I went shopping and stocked up on sweet potatoes and looked for chipotle sauce, which I couldn’t find and gradually I began to feel more ill (it’s just a cold!) as time went on. An afternoon sleep later and some tablets and I was throwing the spuds in a pot with onion garlic, stock and I substituted chipotle sauce with jalepeno peppers I had in the fridge, some tabasco and a pinch of cayenne pepper, some smoked paprika would have been good here as she mentioned a smoky taste but I was feeling awful by now so that was it.

After 30 mins of cooking and 3-4 mins on the magimix I had a velvety warming spicy soup and boy did it feel good on my sore throat. I will try it with the correct sauce next time and there will be a next time as it was really great.

Next on the list was a red smoothie, which appealed to me because of the use of goji berries which I bought last week, I just felt like it. She said to soak them overnight in the fridge, which I did and they came out this morning nice and plump.

I added them to my cheap and cheerful blender (you don’t need an expensive blender for some things), added the water too as I guessed it would have tons of flavour, unsweetened almond milk (yum!) frozen raspberries, Manuka honey and coconut oil (not sure why?) Again this was seriously improvised, I didn’t have goats milk as well as almond milk, I end up throwing tons of stuff away if I get too many things. Anyway it was delicious and I learnt something new, I had never used goji berries before.

I tested avo, with real mayo, not vegenaise (I couldn’t find any and I’m not vegan so, who cares) on toast, with black pepper and a squeeze of lemon, yep, everyone knows this is a winner here in Australia, can’t go wrong!

And now I have just made sweet potato spice muffins which called for gluten free flour which I found to be more expensive and again I’m not gluten intolerant so I’m using plain flour which I already have.

I roasted the potato, let it cool  removed the skin and mashed it. Then you have to addd 1/2 cup Virgin olive oil, 1/2unsweetened almond milk, 3/4 cup maple syrup! Well, not convinced. I get oil, like when you use it in carrot cake but extra virgin, kinda expensive, so I mixed it with vege and felt yak because is not so healthy, it felt weird adding so much fat to such good potato. Thats a lot of maple syrup there, my just under half full bottle, has now gone, yep this is not so cheap. Anyway, I pushed on and realised what you’re missing out, which is butter, eggs and sugar, so it kinda made sense.

Anyway, I’ve just taken them out the oven, they look good, but……I had a sneaky taste and they taste oily (maybe because I used vege oil?) and taste like a health food shop smells! So I think I’ll be going back to Jamie oliver butternut squash muffins and adding sweet potato instead next time.

So it’s hit and miss, like most cook books to be honest, well except Jamie at home which I have cooked almost everything in and it’s all been terrific.

One thing I do like about Gwyneths book it how it’s styled, the pictures of her and her kids and friend the cook. Some of the shots look like they have come out of a toast catalogue and some remind me of being home in Wales cooking on the beach with friends.

I will cook some more from it and mix it up with what I like and my style, somewhere between Gwyneth and Jamie Oliver, but not Nigella butter and cream Lawson (I do love her cooking though for naughty days).

So happy cooking today, over the weekend and keep healthy everyone xxx

OK, so there is a ton of inspiration on the internet, I have tons of cookbooks but there I was in the supermarket and I wanted to  try something new. So I just grabbed some essentials and a copy of a delicious ABC magazine as I headed to the counter.

When I arrived home, I put the shopping away, put the kettle on, made a cup of tea and sat down with the magazine. It was the April edition, I’d never bought one before, but there were tons of beautiful recipes in there with an Autumnal theme and a special from my favourite, Jamie Oliver. So I went shopping the next morning and bought some ingredients for a few of the recipes.

First on the list was Prawn noodle soup.

click image for close up of full recipe

I have now cooked this about 4 times, and each time I made little changes depending on what I had in the pantry and have found that its pretty adaptable which is great.

Method for 1 person

Put 1-2 cups of stock (chicken or veg), 1 tbsp chilli sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce in a pan with 1 grated garlic clove, and 1-2cm grated piece of ginger, bring to the boil and add soba noodles (enough for one, I use a bundle). After 5 minutes, add a handful of bok choy, then a handful of prawns. Serve once the prawns are cooked with a sprinkling of fresh chopped red chilli, chopped spring onions, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime juice.

I’ve made the same with jasmine rice, tofu instead of prawns, different vegetables. Each variation was really easy to make, tasted fresh, healthy and gave you that comfort food factor without the stodge. This photo below is one I made with rice and dried chilli instead of fresh, still just as nice, but not so colourful.

Next was spaghetti arrabiata with lemon & thyme pangratto, or to me and you, spaghetti with tomatoes and a crunchy lemon and thyme topping.

click on image for close up of full recipe

Now this is a comfort food and is super easy with some big flavours for what looks like a simple dish.

Method for 1 person

Firstly you make the pangratto (crunchy topping) by browning a handful of pine nuts in a small pan with some oil, then remove the nuts, put to one side and do the same with the breadcrumbs. Then mix the crumbs and nuts with zest of 1/2 a lemon, a good sprinkle of dried or fresh thyme, salt and pepper, and put to one side.

Then you boil some water and get the spaghetti (enough for one, as on packet) cooking with a little salt. Next you fry 1 garlic clove and 1/2 a chopped red chilli, then add 2 chopped anchovies, then a hand full of tomatoes, a splash of water and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft. Then drain the pasta, reserving a little of the water, add the tomato mixture and stir through. Serve in a big bowl and sprinkle over the crunchy topping, some parmesan and chopped parsley.

This is a very slap dash version below, I think I ran out of Parsley and parmesan so I used cheddar, and the tomatoes are hidden in there somewhere but it still tasted great.

What I love about these recipes as well as being quick, and tasty is the quantities don’t need to be exact. If I’m cooking for just me, I’ll use one garlic clove, half a chilli, one portion of rice / noodles, a handful of veg etc and if my Steve is home, I’ll double up. If you would like to see the exact recipe for each of these, click on the photos from the magazine for a close up.

I also made one of the deserts, ‘Orange scented plum tarte tatin’ (bottom left) which was unbelievable, I used mandarin zest instead of orange and the flavours were amazing. My Steve thought he was in heaven.

I do love cooking, but cooking for one is sometimes not so fun, and other times when I get most creative, try something new, make mistakes using leftovers or try a new recipe out. I will be being this magazine again, it’s definitely value for money, check out these deserts.

And I have a new cookbook too.

It’s Gwyneth Paltrow’s book called “It’s all good” and it it does all look very good. I was clearing out my fridge and pantry to restocking with her essential ingredients, but I’ve decided to use what I have. So after searching for Vegenaise with no luck, I will use normal mayonnaise, I’m not vegan and I will use normal flour instead of gluten free because I’m not gluten intolerant. However I have bought maple syrup, which is also very good for you apparently, so I’ll post some cooking from there soon.

Whilst googling non mulesed yarn I came across the reminders of how awful it is and if you don’t know what mulesing is, you can watch this informative but horrible, tear inducing video from Peta which not only covers mulesing but also the live export of Australian sheep.

OK so if you watched it, awful education over. What is a reminder for myself and everyone else is not only should you buy wool jumpers instead of nasty acrylic ones (unless you want to boycott wool altogether like Peta are suggesting which is a shame to the nice farmers out there who really look after their sheep) you should also ask the retailer if they use wool from sheep which have not been mulesed.

Now back in the UK a lot of the big names like M&S and Next have already boycotted Australian wool so I knew who was and wasn’t ok, and also having designed merino base layers I always knew we were getting a superior product with not only the all clear on the mulesing but also on the welfare of the sheep themselves too.

However In Australia, I didn’t have a clue. There I was last week admiring the knits on show for Australian wool week and I even purchased one on line without a thought and then today watching this video I felt like I’d been smacked in the stomach. I felt awful that I had forgotten my morals and I didn’t know whether my new wooly delight had come from sheep who had been mistreated.

As the delivery man delivered the wooly delight and it really was on inspection and fitting quite a fabulous delight I had that awful feeling it was going back. So I emailed the company straight away to which they replied saying to look on their website which says….

Wool Sourcing

We have taken a proactive approach towards sourcing a sustainable supply of non-mulesed wool by ongoing consultation with relevant industry groups and the purchase non- or ceased-mulesed wool for a growing percentage of our merchandise. We are committed to generating positive change in this area by encouraging the adoption of commercial alternatives to current industry practices.

To me though, it doesn’t say “We never use wool from Mulesed sheep” which is a shame, and it’s what the local press said in this article headline I found online. I am still waiting to hear back from Country Road to hear if my jumper is actually made from wool from mulesed sheep or not. I hope not as they seem to be the only brand here who are actually taking on the problem.

It turns out that actually, even though the Australian farmers missed their promise to end mulesing in 2010 and the government donated 26 million dollars to the research of alternative methods , AND the research was put to the top of the agenda, only 10% of wool produced here is non mulesed, and apparently some farmers who were starting to make the change are reverting back to mulesing, because they see no benefit to it. Well isn’t the benefit that you’re doing the RIGHT thing and not hurting the sheep anymore. There are definitely two strong sides to this argument, the farmers are trying to save the sheep from fly strike, Peta are trying to increase public awareness, other farmers don’t mules and now the Australian wool industry is suffering because of the campaign. Yes Peta has hurt the industry, that was the intention. Unfortunately Australia didn’t meet the 2010 deadline so it’s not an easy thing to publicise and bring wool buying back to Australia when this is the case. Ref: The Australian Jan 21st 2013

So enough now.

No buying Australian woollen products unless its sourced from a caring source.

I will not be buying Australian Uggs this winter.

I will spread the word about mulesing over here and promote non mulesed wool, buy wool from a great source and tell the story.

I have joined Peta and the Animals of Australia, I have written numerous letters using these websites. Take a moment to have a look at these websites to learn about some of the issues which are facing animals at the moment.

Now onto wooly things inside my studio.

Heres the latest on the knit designs I’m working on, I have punched a version of one of the designs I showed in an earlier post which ‘works’. I’ve made a few swatches where I’ve placed an additional colour in different  places. I’ll get these in the washing machine to felt up whilst I do some tension swatches and maybe some other colour ways. I really like this colour combo though, it makes me think of indigo and Shibori dying with a hint of gold.

I’m planning on making a round neck jacket, extremely simple, almost like a boxy cardigan but I’m planning on finding some trimmings to sew along the hem, cuffs, front placket and around the neck line to make it more ornate and ethnic I suppose. A bit like this from Tigerlily.

I’ll keep you posted.

I love wool and it’s properties and how versatile it is. When I lived in the UK I would wear it most of the year in the form of a merino wool base layer, cardigan, socks or a fleece and it was one of those essential parts of living in a cold and windy coast line. What I love about wool is how it can be worn for activities like snowboarding, skiing, trekking, walking through rain forests, climbing, surfing and yet can also be worn for cuddling up on the sofa at home and also suiting, such total extremes. And thats the thing about wool, its all about the extremities.

It keeps you regulated you see, well your temperature, like the merino sheep themselves in New Zealand who deal with very hot summers and very cold winters up in the mountains, their fleece are their essential piece of kit to see them through, and ours too from our mitts to our toes.

When I moved down under I was unsure of how living in a tropical climate would exist with my wooly garments. Unfortunately as I acclimatise they have been packed away for cooler days. But now the fresher mornings and evenings are upon us, they are coming back out.

What I have learnt about living here is that in the Autumn and Winter, one of the locals favourite things to do is to snuggle up with some sheepskin boots and a blanket, a cardigan on the sofa in the evening with a nice cosy hotpot meal. And when they go to work in the morning they love wearing boots, tights, ponchos, jumpers and even a scarf or a hat, when really its still above 10 degrees. I think it’s a bit like back home when spring comes, it’s such a novel idea to remove all those layers we go a bit OTT when the sun comes out because we’re so desperate for a change.

Love this from Country Road

The other thing I have learnt is that in this climate, stuff gets mouldy with the moisture and the warmth. Clothing, sleeping bags, shoes, bags, furniture, anything which has some moisture in it, except that is for Wool.

I did a little experiment and hung a wooly heart I made outside on the veranda when we arrived and there is not a single thing growing on it. Like bacteria can’t cling to wool and make our wooly base layers smell, it looks like mould can’t get a hold of those fibres either. And I’m not going loopy, it’s used as insulation and one of the many plus points is that wool is naturally resistant to mould.

So it might have taken me a year to learn even more about wool and the new seasons, but I think I know wools place here in this new home of ours. So designs will be made, swatches will be knitted, wool WILL be found and things will be made again. Things are harder to find here, like I still haven’t found a yarn supplier so if anyone knows anyone, Australian or from New Zealand who sells coned yarn in lots of colours and small minimums, let me know. Other things like knitting machine maintenance people might be thin on the ground too, so more research to do.

I have been looking at the wooly designs here and found some lovely things. The best knitwear on the high street is definitely from Country Road and Gorman, both of which are involved in Wool week over here.

Here is a video from Country Road in a collaboration with Woolmark, its quite lovely and you can almost feel the softness of the wool the model is snuggling into.

So I have been thinking about what kind of knits I would like myself this Autumn and have been working on an Ikat crop jacket design, or a kimono, depends on the handle of the fabric.

This is the pattern I have been working on, I have 3 versions and I like the top left the most, less busy, so I’ll get punching out the design and make some samples.

This is a little project for me, I’ll share the finished results on this lovely blog of mine.

Next stop, the big plan.

After a year of settling in, learning stuff, dreaming of working in the city and then completely changing my mind, I’ve been soaking up the vibe and the tastes I am now very excited to be turning my attention fully onto designing gorgeous things for the local market. There will be wooly knits and prints, colours and designs inspired by this beautiful place called the Sunshine Coast and I will sell online and at local markets.

So time to get busy.

The sky was a deep blue off shore with black clouds forming over land, the sea millions of from dark blue up to the horizon, through deep greens, emerald and a thousand shades of aqua up to the shore. In the shallows the sun shone through the water creating patterns onto the sands I stood on my board I spotted large shoals of big fish underneath changing direction as quick as a flash.

I’ve decided putting a Go Pro under my board could make some pretty amazing viewing, although I might not want to see whats actually down there keeping themselves busy and away from the falling British lady trying to surf.

The other night I was updating blog links (take a look there are lots of new ones there) on my blog and was looking for one I thought I’d seen by Crystal Thornburg-Homcy, one of Patagonias’ ambassadors, an amazing surfer,kayak and SUPer. I didn’t find the blog, but instead I came across this video which is stunningly beautiful.

Now my underwater experiences are not like this, except for not knowing which way is up.

Recently they announced a competition for bloggers to write a peice about ‘culture shock’. I thought about it but I didn’t write one and yesterday 32 of the pieces were posted on the website and I have spent all morning reading them. It has left me thinking phew, I am not alone and that things could be a lot harder than they are. I’m grateful for my experience and inspired by reading others. I wish I had written a piece, so for the next competition I will be contributing which I will also post on here.

For now and as an inspired post, here are my thoughts on ‘Culture shock’.

Packing in progress, Perth to Brisbane, 3 months post UK to Perth

Ok so it’s not a big deal, a Brit moving from the UK to Australia. Millions have done it, it’s a commonwealth country, we speak the same language, a huge part of the Australian population is in fact originally British and we share the same Queen for goodness sake, so whats the big deal?

Well its the little things. the little things which add up to big things.

The fact that summer and winter mean something totally different from what you have known your whole life.

That Christmas is now something different. It’s not all about getting cosy, wrapping up warm in new scarves, jumpers and flannel pyjamas, a hot roast dinner, hot spiced mulled wine,  sitting around the fire with family drinking whiskey or ginger wine and the a potential white snowy Christmas. All of which are instilled in us from childhood. One year of being in Australia and it’s flipped on it’s head, bikinis, Santa hats and champagne on a scorching hot beach with the smell of sausages wafting through the air and no friends and family.

All the people you know, the jobs they do, the people they know, where they live, what they like to do, is all so distant and now you know no-one. All of that knowledge of where you fit in that jigsaw puzzle is now not required. A whole new knowledge base has to be created, people you meet, whether you have anything in common, what are their morals even, where they live, work, and where do you fit in? All these tiny pieces of the puzzle build in to a big thing, where do I fit in?

Shopping, supplies, where to get stuff from? We do need to find suppliers of food water fuel, internet and knowing where and how good something is or isn’t takes some learning. Toiletries all of my life have been bought in Boots the chemist pretty much, now no boots the chemist, just dull chemists with small beauty sections and separate stores in cities for very expensive beauty products. I used to be an experienced hunter gather of the British High street, I knew where to get good quality clothes, shoes, accessories, makeup, home wares without being ripped off or buying rubbish. I was like a hound and could sniff out the new, the unique the special just by giving all the other stuff a wide berth. In  Australia there is one high street store which I know, and that’s Starbucks.

Food shopping, I could not understand why it was so difficult to start with. All the usual things on my shopping list quite often could not be found and there were tons of things I had never tried before. And then there was the pricing, pretty much double. The checkout people packing bags for you in tons of plastic bags, hello environment? The constant, “how are you going?” “what are you doing today” what me, a Brit, tell you a stranger what I am doing today?

It’s not ‘culture shock’ it’s just different and it just takes time to learn it all.

And then there’s comes the next bit. My life is different, I have adjusted and I can now function, what now?

Well it seems that people fit in boxes here. Most things revolve around families, so you’re either a Mum who hangs out with children and other Mums. A Dad off working with the other men. Or you’re a child at school, young adult in college or work, or you’re a pensioner, I know this is very general but it is my experience so far.

One day whilst drinking coffee in the Plaza I sat and watched all the women go by. They mostly looked smart, were fit, attractive and my age, 30-35-ish, ALL with children, or babies. Other women were pensioners or teenagers. I am odd here and I was not odd at home, well a bit strange but not odd.

And this is the weirdest part of being an expat for me. For the last 10 years I have been a young-ish person, with a full time job, working with like minded people, in similar lives, and had like minded friends. Here the like minded bit is missing. Ok so I was super lucky to have a job working as a fashion designer in the midst of West Wales, well away from the city and the fashion industry, and to have friends who loved the outdoors, outdoor sports, the environment, health, nature, art and a huge appreciation of laughs, and great food.

All of these things are amazingly special and like the hunter gather skills I developed on the British High street it will take time to learn where to find these things here. I am also happy to take my time, because special things come with time and patience. Everything else, my day to day life is sunny, happy, safe, and I have more luxuries than many people would even dream of.

So although it’s different, it’s not necessarily the culture which is the shock, it’s more the loss and starting a whole new life which is the shock, but to have the chance to live it and experience it first hand and to understand a different life is pretty special in itself.

This is a post which really stunned me along with some links to some of her blog posts, a Welsh lady called Suzanne now living in South Africa.

Post a quick surf, we had packed some fishing gear in the trailer, so we walked from the ocean side, through the mangroves to the river side where it was calm and children were playing with families grouped together enjoying the time out.

It was beautiful as we sat and waited for a bite and watched the sun slowly disappear. We had a pelican who just hung around, waiting for a potentially easy fish supper, but unfortunately the only thing biting at our fresh prawn was the little fish, next time they’ll be the bait and hopefully we’ll catch our supper. I had my camera with me luckily, just my Lumix, but I managed to get some lovely shots of the Pelican and the sunset.

Sunday we visited the local kayak club and went for a paddle on the river, something we haven’t done for 10 years or so since we have been living in West Wales, UK. The club is just down the hill from us, the people were warm, friendly and welcoming. We borrowed club boats, they were rather wobbly, well we were, apparently 10 years is a long time and you do loose the knack slightly. We’re now looking for some second hand kayaks so we can go whenever, it was great.

Later that afternoon we suddenly realised we were super hungry so we went for an early supper at Moolooloba THE local fishing port and seller of locally caught fish. We had the fish markets special, beer battered reef fish and chips** with tartare sauce as the sun was slowly sinking behind us.

All in all it was a water based weekend just chilling and enjoying stuff which totally made up for my Steve working the previous weekend.

**not as great as UK cod or Hadddock, fish and chips, just doesn’t compare.

It’s sports kit.

Sport is a bit generic and conjures up images of netball and football and the old days when women wore what the men did and generally left fashion in the changing room.

Over the last 5+ years with the likes of Stella McCartney creating great designs for Adidas, Sweatty Betty (London), Nike, Lorna Jane (Australia) and Lululemon (US) who have all been producing some striking, feminine designs for strong women, womens’ ‘kit’ is no longer a second player to the mens. It stands in it’s own right, on it’s own two feet, looking strong, determined, fit and beautiful.

So as I spend time and effort finding new kit and road testing them, here are my top 13 bits of my own kit which I have bought or been given and are essentials as far as doing most (from rowing, kayaking, running, cycling, surfing, SUP, Pilates, yoga) of these activities in comfort.

(This is not a sponsored post, I haven’t been paid to talk about these items)

1. My 3/4 leggings, I have several pairs, my old favourites were Nike dri fit in grey and coral but after years of wear they broke around the waistband so I found a replacement which are by Salomon and are made of a really light weight poly/lycra with mesh inserts which makes you feel like you’re not wearing anything and are perfect for hot sticky run or yoga session in a sub tropical climate like Queensland. And the waistband is not too tight, bonus.

2. My NEW Patagonia racer back vest with chest support. This is my new favourite vest for yoga because when its hot I only have to wear one item, no separate sports bra / crop top and a vest. Plus it has a great print inspired Morocco which is contrasted with bright pink liner and trims, I do like a pink highlight. Plus, big plus it’s made from Organic cotton which means no nasty pesticides.

3. My shock absorber running bra, I would not wear any other kind, it’s the only one which feels like it works. I don’t have huge boobs but big enough to want to strap them down when I pick up my pace. And I will never forget seeing their video online, a perfect selling tool and one to share, have fun here. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be on their current website, but they do have some amazing facts. Did you know a woman’s breast can move up to 14cm when bouncing during exercise? And the breast has no muscles, just skin and ligaments and once those ligaments stretch they never return to their original length, hence saggy boobs and why I will only wear these bras.

4. My Lorna Jane vests, light and airy, great style, I wear them for running and or yoga and chilling around the house on a hot day with shorts too. Trouble is this is the kind of thing I wear often so really I could do with a collection of them.

5. My Patagonia board shorts which are the only pair of this style and length i’ve had which don’t chaff. the fabric has a matt look, almost cotton look and is fading a tiny bit with the sun I think, which I like shows how much I’ve been out side using them. They are made from nylon but when I finish with them or they give up on me, I can send them back to be made into new stuff as part of their common threads programme, cool!

6. Bikini from ASOS of all places. It was cheap, cheerful, covers my bum and my bits and pieces and I can wear under boardies and a rashie without too much fiddling or adjusting, but seriously I am on the hunt for a good bikini which doesn’t cost the earth or lets bits and pieces fall out.

7. Rash vest, I have 2, but my favourite one is from O’Neil, it has a cute style, colour and print. This is a vital bit of kit and one I am desperate for more. They are becoming a bit of a new fashion statement as of late with designers like Cynthia Rowley and Diane Von Furstenburg collaborating with Roxy, I have been researching and have found some great ones, along with bikinis, so I have been collecting them on Pinterest. Some of them do cost the earth though and would I pay that for them to get covered in wax, no, especially when I’m likely to fall off my board in some un-glamourous manner anyway.

8. My Hammamas towel, lightweight, absorbent, wrap, sarong, beach throw, table cloth, you name it it does it stylishly so and taking up little room and weight in your bag. I need more, but I’ll wait till next summer.

9. My beach bag, sent from my friend Anja from the UK, by Orla Kiely stocked in Tescos, it’s used for the beach, shopping and yoga, thanks Anja.

10. Suntan lotion, a must, it’s been over a year in Australia for us now and we have not been burnt once! Well done us, we are golden and always apply lotion every day. I use Cetaphil moisturiser with lotion 30+ for my face, every day, and some zinc on top for when we’re on the water, or some BB cream with 15SPF during the day. On my body I use this heavenly coconut lotion, I decided if I was going to have to put it on every day it had to smell nice so this does the trick, although if I was going to be out in the sun a long time I would have to get some 50+.

11. My Sugoi bike kit, gloves,and jersey, both are like a dream to wear

12. My specialized bike shoes, with funky pink cowgirl show stitch detail, give a girl a bit of pink on her kit, works to add life to a functional bit of kit which makes you walk around like you’ve walnuts under your feet.

13. My Source water bottle, which is the only one we have ever tried which actually keeps cold water cold for a substantial amount of time, which is delicious after a work out.

So thats my top 13 essential items which I’m using at the moment. As I’m always on the lookout for new kit I have started collecting images on Pinterest, you can checkout my sports & outdoors board over here.

http://www.theseea.com/

I have really fallen for some of the lush rash vests / guards you can get now and with Autumn chill setting in now, one of these and a shorty wetsuit may also be on the list of essentials.

I was slightly apprehensive because I knew it was a big job and I didn’t know if I was going to like the result, a bit like getting a nose job I expect, and I am quite fussy.

I ignored my feelings and turned up bright and breezy, and there she was standing proud sporting some new paint work.

They had to cut into the board around the crease, into the foam, filled with new foam, epoxy etc, I don’t know the ins and outs, but what I did know was it was going to leave a huge chunk across the front of my board of several inches, with no veneer finish, no print design on the rails and no flowers or birds from the original design. I didn’t know what to expect, all I knew was I didn’t want a huge great big white space there showing everyone I’d creased my board without realising it.

She’s a beaut!

The guy who fixed my board did mention matching the pink and he would try his best to ‘make it look pretty’ for me, but I wasn’t sure what his definition of that would be. Not only did he match the pink REALLY well but, he also added some black outlines and some sweet curves to the stripe, giving it a cutesy retro look. It looks great and I can’t wait to go out again and catch some waves.

perfect pink

So, all is well and I have my board back and I can use it, I was so lucky it didn’t snap through, I will be so much more careful from now on, and stay WELL away from the shallows.

gross foam

Unfortunately it won’t be this weekend, by the looks of it. Storms are forecast and the sea is already a disgusting brown colour, with foam too. Kids are still playing this stuff, it can’t be good, it causes rashes and skin irritations, and the dunes are getting a real hammering too, I hope they can restore them.

Here’s a video I took (more practise) of the not so sparkly clean and tranquil beach this morning, it’s short and there’s not a lot to see, except for a little monster or two, but you get the idea, this weather is more like West Wales, Uk but warm.

One of the foamed monsters

P.S I apologise if you are a real surfer reading this and you’re cringing at my lack of terminology, I will learn over time I’m sure.

For now I’m stoked.