The magical Gulf of Thailand

Oh the joy of just lying on a beach in a tropical paradise!

Swinging by the seaside at sunset

Boyfriend shorts, with a silk barely there top over bathers is my uniform du jour when the weather permits it.

Merino joggers and Ajrakh

I don't do winter without merino wool, like hands down it's my favourite cold weather staple, I mean I love duck/ goose down for the warmth but merino wool I love for everything AND I like pyjama-esque pants. So these Icebreaker merino joggers had to show up here at some point. As much as I like the look of fleece (only sometimes), I really don't like wearing it often.

I have some fleece trackies but they are strictly my "all my wool is in the wash" time wear. These joggers though, I wear them to sleep, to travel, to work, basically everywhere, my only problem with them is that they are not available in any other colours. Another thing that I cannot get enough of is Ajrakh, scarves, kurtas, dresses, pyjamas, what have you. This scarf was bought in Kutch and this hand embroidered bag is years old, basically comfort clothing at it's best. What are your cold weather must haves?

Swathed in Magic and Ferns

Flowy anaarkali dresses in cotton block-prints and bandhani are my go-tos all year round, in all sorts of locations, these photos were taken bushwalking in the forests leading to waterfalls. Travelling to the mountains west of Sydney to explore the canyons, cliffs and waterfalls is a frequent excursion for the boy and I. The plethora of ferns, the swirling mists deep in the jungle, the almost other worldly sounds and smells, all make this place more magical every time we visit. Breathtaking views from the top, almost inaccessible valleys at the bottom, steep gorges and breathtaking rain-forests everything is both magical and majestic at the same time.

I feel like this dress just blends into the fernery, I can hide my warm woolies into its folds and if you know me, you know I have many many dresses exactly like this one. I love desi hand-crafted clothes but I also like my outfits not to limit my movements and like exploring even more, so I like my clothes pretty but functional in ways that makes sense to me.

Shawl Shenanigans

Every winter I get completely enamoured with a shawl or few and have one of them (or many) wrapped around myself for the entire season all day every day. More often than not they are bright colours with embroidery, mirrors, tassels definitely pure wool and hand loomed to perfection. This year the two obsession includes this one from Bhuj and another Patola shawl :)

This one is Bandhani with mirror work, hand loomed as well as hand dyed worn with a brocade mini in a rain-forest. I don't think there is a more perfect way to wear things other than exploring deep in the foliage surrounded by mossy, slippery rocks, waterfalls and ferns. Hope you're having a wonderful weekend.

Easy breezy denim with Ikat

This is a prime example of a comfortable flu recovery outfit. Autumn is here and with it my jeans have come out to play, one of my tried and tested formulas over the colder months is; pants with bright oversize sweaters or shirts or jackets, silver jewellery from one of my travels and bright bags. This handloom-ed Ikat shirt is one of my most favourite possessions, as is the hand-woven bag from one of the Pacific Islands, this Lamani coin necklace and this vintage army jacket. Some people would say there is too much going on in terms of colours and patterns but I am a believer of more or more when it comes to hand-made goodies.

I like documenting everyday outfits in everyday locations and I am lucky enough to live in a city where clean beaches and rain-forest-y goodness are common location options. I genuinely think bright shawls, colourful bags, bush and beach walks keep me going through winter, without them I'd be lost. There is nothing that warms the soul like a walk on a secluded beach, the crisp salty air, the rock pools, the towering cliffs and spectacular views. We like to use the shorter days to ensure we spend every bit of the daylight hours outdoors on the non-rainy weekends. Hope you've all had a wonderful weekend with heaps of outdoor adventures to feed your imagination for the coming week.

Jungle Vibes

I almost blend into the foliage in this top, it was made with fabric from a blouse piece. I love the bandhani saree it came with, the parrot green colour looks stunning worn with anything but I'll probably say that about any bandhani piece, I love bandhej in every colour. I have bandhani sarees in many shades of green, love wearing the all kinds of sarees as well as blouses/ cholis together as well as separates as you've seen here, here, here, here and here.

I believe that sarees as well as their blouses make great statement as well as staple pieces, it just depends on the styling. Trust me if anyone tells you otherwise they have no idea what they're talking about. This bright orange carpet bag is what dreams are made of and I've had it for ages, but love it more everytime I bring it out to play. As usual I am wearing nothing special but tried and tested pieces that will stay with me for many many years to come, I have no desire to shop for a new wardrobe every time the season changes, I will just continue to buy hand-crafted goodness when and where I can find it.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week, I've spent the day stomping about in fern covered jungles, so I am happy. Have a great Saturday!

Kalamkari Cape

One of my favourite fabrics in the whole wide world is; Kalamkari, which is a kind of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile, produced in India. It is my absolute favourite and I have everything from kurtas to shirts to capes to gaghraas and even wall-hangings in this fabric. In most cases vegetable dyes are used to etch these amazing designs on fabrics and you've seen me wear a duster in this fabric here. This fabric gets softer and more wonderful after umpteen washes making the designs stand out more.

In the above photos I am wearing a cape tailor-made to satisfy my twirling needs, I feel like a pixie running about in my cape on the rocks by the water.

Travel diaries: Post cards from Gujarat-Part I