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.

Jungle Book

Pretending to be Mowgli in a tropical rainforest, chasing creeks, skipping on mossy rocks leading to waterfalls and loving the smell of the forest. I never wanted to leave and can't wait to go back to the mountains and clamber over rocks till I am exhausted. Of course the cold meant, all the layering happened under the block-print dress, beanie came out to play and boots with thicks socks were needed.

Yes, I go camping in flowy dresses, sometimes trip a little bit but my love for block-print flowy goodness means I rarely want to wear much else. What do you wear to go camping?

Wilderness Sunsets

These pictures were taken when we went mini-camping in the mountains a few weeks ago, it was still pretty cold but we were pretty cosy sleeping in the van. One of my oft repeated wishes is to travel all of Australia and New Zealand in a campervan, I can't wait till we do it.

Anyway this was the last sunset in the cold mountains just before we headed back to the city and it was spectacular. Trust me the pictures don't do the skies any justice, we could have sat and stared for hours!I have never seen so many glorious shades of orange, pink, purples and the bare trees just made things even more weirdly beautiful. I was wearing a bunch of layers under my vintage lambswool sweater and was raring to run up and down the hills. It's times like this that make me thankful I moved to this beautiful continent. Having said that though I am still obsessed with my upcoming trip home and to the desert.

The colours of winter

People like minimalistic outfits, tend to go the tried and tested route in the winter, I am NOT one of those people. Bright bags bought during various travels and market expeditions, traditional scarves, colourful beanies and floor length woollens with comfy jeans help me get excited to leave the house and explore during winters. I refuse to become a grey, black or dark blue blob for the colder months and colour plus jewellery helps me brighten dull and chilly days.

There is something great about travelling in winter, the fresh cold air lends a touch of magic to the entire experience. Like I said I am not one for sticking to neutrals instead reaching for the brightest sacks, wraps, beanies and oversize blankets masquerading as cardigans to wrap myself in. Massive totes handmade in far off corners of the planet in eye searing brights, block print or bandhani dupattas in saturated hues, statement necklaces, heaps of silver jewellery and embellishments galore; all this is a bit more like me. I like clothes and accessories that are functional but have character, don't stop me from running down a mountain side but definitely don't blend in. And I like to wear things again and again and then some, this beanie has featured on my blog for years as have the boots and I am not ashamed to say I don't go out and buy the latest winter must haves every season. Although it doesn't look like it to people who know me and my house is being taken over by shoes and bags; I do want to buy less and less. How do you battle the winter blues?

Chasing waterfalls

Coastal and rainforest walks are by far my most favourite hiking activity. Every once in a while we get tired of the concrete jungle and escape to the Blue Mountains to breathe in some fresh air and enjoy the outdoors. From the roar of the water to the towering cliffs and dark foliage, there are many reasons why waterfalls capture my imagination. Winter is one of the best seasons to explore the area as most people tend to stay away giving us a chance to enjoy the cold weather surrounded by picturesque nature. We drive up the hills and set up our camp, descend through glades of tree ferns and soak up the spray as the cascades plummet down the slopes into the National Park. It feels magical and relaxing, rejuvenating and exhilarating all at the same time.

Roadtrip Day One: Mountain Sunsets

We're back from the outback and really inspired from all that we saw and experienced; being away from most things modern did us a lot of good.We started off from the city and crossed the Blue mountains region to the very centre of NSW and camped in the middle of no where with dusty red earth, barely any cellphone network and a whole lot of fun.

The trip was visually inspiring but also so much more in the sense that one gets so much time to think and reflect while driving past spectacular fall foliage and quaint small towns. Lately I have been feeling the urge to maybe reduce the burden of having so many belongings and go back to having a smaller collection of things that are fabulous to me. Lets see how far I am able to pare back.

I have always been drawn towards comfortable clothing in natural fabrics that let my skin breathe and accesories that mean something to me. The earings in these photos were something I admired long ago on a friend from Columbia who promptly took them off and gave them to me, this vintage beaded belt was something picked up on travels and my various sweaters have so far been worn in multiple continents. I hope to continue to love my things, resist picking up things from impersonal shops and build a collection of truly eclectic items that mean a lot to me.

Here are a few pictures from our first sunset from the trip. Hope everyone had a relaxing break.

Water falls and hikes

Spend a wonderful weekend at the mountains, chasing water falls and climbing rock faces and had the best time camping. Sometimes wonderful memories are made away from civilization and feeling free, uninhibited but awed by the sheer beauty that surrounds us.

Warning: Its a picture heavy post but what can I say, waterfalls are my favourites.

Ofcourse camping calls for tried and tested comfortable clothes like these ying yang shorts, soft tee shirt and a wool cardie with my trusted Palladiums.