Disco Dots by Jen Hewett

Love love love this Disco Dot Mini Tote by self-taught San Fran design extraordinaire, Jen Hewett. The combination of leather straps and hand-printed linen is pure perfection.

Check out more of Jen's Winter 2013 collection here.

xx Kit

P.S. I stumbled across Jen's work on Lisa Congdon's blog, which is currently getting some much-deserved recognition for taking up the fight against a company that appears to have quite the track record of profiting off the creativity and hard work of others. Read more about it here and here.

Inspire Me Top 3

It's always lovely to have something to look forward to, especially when the week feels like it's puttering along. 

Here's what's keeping me going this week (aside from the usual copious amounts of coffee, of course!)

#1 New Wes Anderson Anything

A new Wes Anderson movie AND book on the way? Heck yes!

#2 Road Tripping

A quick jaunt to Byron on the weekend. Can't wait! (Recommend me some great road trip tunes in the comments!)

#3 Semi-Permanent Inspiration

One Semi-Permanent Brisbane ticket for me! Come at me, inspiration!


What's motivating you this week?


xx Kit

Road Trip Escapes

As someone who is still without a drivers licence (don't judge me!) the very concept of road trips doesn't enter my thoughts often. Once someone even vaguely hints at the possibility of a road trip in the near future, however, there's little else I can think about.

A little trip to Byron is on the cards with my long-suffering best friend, and I'm a tiny bit on the excited side. I'm a very well-practiced passenger and practically a pro at sitting!

I haven't been to Bryon in years though, so any hints, tips and recommendations would be very gratefully received! (As always, coffee is my #1 priority, closely followed by delicious treats!)

Yay!

xx Kit

[Image via Ascot Friday]

Snowed Under

[via Chacha]

You know it's probably going to be a challenging week when you're already feeling snowed under on Monday.

Hopefully nothing that deep breaths, giant coffees and cute animals can't fix!

Happy Monday!

xx Kit

Tea and Photography

One of these days I hope to sort through the tens of thousands of photos I've taken, uploaded, then promptly abandoned across a range of computers and external hard drives.

In the meantime, here's a little snap I took back in 2011 at the Gunners' Barracks Tea Room in Sydney. 

Even on a toasty Spring day like today (36°C in Brisbane, even hotter in Sydney!) there's just something about the sight of a cup of tea that relaxes me (although an iced tea would be the more logical option, of course!)

Hope you're having a beautiful week!

xx Kit

Springtime in the Sunshine State

Unreliable HQ relocated to Brisbane a little while ago (sans former-Mr. U >: ) and although I'll readily admit that sub-tropical summers are still incredibly scary to me (think of an entire city that feels like a sauna), I absolutely love springtime here.

The weather is blissfully warm, the skies are azure blue, and the humidity hasn't quite set in yet - not in earnest, anyway!

I especially love the jacaranda trees, with their explosion of purple blooms that slowly give way to glossy green leaves. They usually start blooming in September, which coincides with the exam periods for the major universities and has consequently given rise to the term 'Purple Panic' - also making me immensely glad my university days are well and truly over!

 On a quick stroll through the inner-city suburb of Paddington yesterday, I wandered past this beautiful church that reminds me of the grand turreted houses peppered along the main street of Annandale, and I walked past an arbour of star jasmine - the scent transported me right into the back lanes of my old 'hood, Surry Hills, where entire terrace houses are enshrined in star jasmine and the perfume is nothing short of intoxicating.

Needless to say, I'm a little homesick for Sydney, but I'm definitely learning to love Brisbane. If only the beaches were closer!

What do you love about where you live?

xx Kit

Happy Friday

Oh yeah! The long weekend is here at last. I can't wait to get out and enjoy some of this incredible weather, so long as it sticks around! 

It's been a really big few days for me which translates into some big but super exciting deadlines next week - so I may have a work-filled long weekend ahead, but at least I can sit outside with my laptop and a nice cold drink! I'm actually looking forward to it!

What do you have planned for the long weekend? (Or the plain ol' standard weekend if you've already had your Labour Day public holiday!)


xx Kit


[Image by Striped Cat Studio]

Pastel Perfection

These stunning photos by Luis Monteira for Tatler may be three years old, they may have already done the rounds, and I'm fairly sure I've featured at least one of the images already. But today I just don't care, because they're so beautiful, they're inspiring, and as I've recently redoubled my efforts to hone my photography skills, they're particularly motivating too!

Everything about this shoot is utter perfection. The fashion, the styling, the locations, the effortless model with her effortless hair and makeup, the pretty pastel balloons, the soft blue skies.

What's inspiring you this week?

xx Kit

High Speed Explosions

 

I'm completely enamoured by the high speed colour explosions of scientist and self-taught photographer, Jon Smith. The result of what I can only imagine is some very messy trial and error, Jon experiments with a camera, a pellet gun, and light bulbs full of materials ranging from layered paint and sand to sequins and feathers.

Be sure to check out the rest of his gorgeous gallery here.

[Via Good Things*/Crafthunter]

When Tim Met Tilda

Completely and utterly obsessed with everything about this photo.

A photo shoot for the May 2013 issue W Magazine by Tim Walker, featuring Tilda Swinton in a surrealist sculpture garden. Perfection.

The sculpture garden is REAL and it's called Las Pozas, located outside of Xilitla, Mexico - a place that I know exactly nothing about and plan to remedy immediately (starting here!)

In the wise words of Liz Lemon:

I want to go to there.

Colours and Confetti

[via]

Colourful confetti seems to be a theme this week, so I'm going with it. I've had a really interesting few days with some exciting opportunities presenting themselves, despite my overwhelming Awkward Turtle-itis kicking into gear, so fingers crossed for more colour, more unexpected beauty, and more good things.

Speaking of colour, I've given THAT [unreliable] GIRL a pastelicious mini-makeover to keep me inspired whilst I tinker away on an entirely new layout. I'd love to hear what you think!


xx Kit

Wednesday Wisdom - Unexpected Beauty

Be present 

in order to discover beauty 

in unexpected places.

- Ross Langdon

 

This week, the global architecture family is mourning the loss of Australian architect Ross Langdon, and his wife Elif Yavuz. Both had their lives cut tragically short in the ongoing Nairobi mall siege. Ross and Elif were expecting their first child in two weeks time.

I never had the honour of meeting Ross, but as is the way with most design industries, the Australian architecture scene is a small, close-knit affair, and many of my former colleagues have lost a dear personal friend.

The architecture family has lost a bright young star. Sustainable, grass-roots architecture has lost a quiet, unassuming hero. The world has lost two people who dedicated their lives to doing good and helping others.

My thoughts and prayers go to the family and many friends of both Ross and Elif. 

They touched many lives, and they have left a legacy of positivity and unexpected beauty that will not be forgotten.

xx Kit

Hello

[via]

It's been a while.

I'm torn as to whether I should first offer my sincere apologies to the many people I let down with yet another sudden, unplanned and extended absence, or thank the many people who reached out to see how I was travelling.

I'd quite like to do both simultaneously, in a rain of love-heart confetti and to the (inexplicable) tune of Walking on Sunshine, all whilst yelling THANK SORRY YOU SO MUCH!

As you may know, my health (or lack thereof) has made the last few years pretty tough for me, and as a result, both my personal and professional relationships have suffered. The experience has ranged from humbling to outright demoralising. Soul-crushing sounds a bit dramatic, but it's not too far from the truth.

To add insult to my Sudden-Disappearance injury, particularly for those I have previously partnered with/collaborated with/been supported/sponsored by, my domain was kindly reclaimed by a company that shall not be named, even after I provided all my payment details to them within their allocated timeframe. Their price miraculously jumped 300% which I was unable to produce instantly, as demanded, and my old domain is now in the hands of someone who believes it is currently worth US$5000.

It's very flattering that something I created is now "worth" so much, but with a few years of medical bills hanging ominously over my head, I'd be be lucky to spare $50, let alone $5k.

So back to my humble .blogspot beginnings, I'm here to offer both my heartfelt apologies to the many people I abandoned, and my heartfelt gratitude to those who have checked in with me or offered their kind words of support. There's a great deal of overlap, and for that I'm exponentially grateful.

I hope to start writing and sharing inspiration with you all again soon.

 Thank you + Sorry x 80 zillion.

xx Kit

Thoughts and Prayers

Kit has had a health scare and has been out of action, please send your thoughts and/or prayers her way!


Thank you!




Kit's Friend


Jess

Inspired By...

Mark Rothko. There's a special kind of beauty we can salvage from our mistakes. Even when we accidentally open up our first Lomo roll and expose a frame or four.

Once again, many thanks to Liss of Daydream Lily for the very kind loan of her Lomo LC-A. Many, many more photos to come! The last few months have been crazy busy (and SO amazing!) so please be prepared for the barrage of photos that are on their way!

How is 2012 treating you so far?

xx Kit

Happy Holidays!

I have no idea where this photo was taken, or even which year, although it's not too difficult to figure out that it was probably around the holiday season (unless someone got really, really lazy - it was a tall tree!)

I have many more photos to share with you, including some I took at the StyleMilk event last Tuesday night (here's one of myself and Liss of Daydream Lily, yay!) but unfortunately the silly season is absolutely insane in my corner and I'm stretched to my limits. Working towards a tight deadline at this time of year is always fun enough, but when you're getting on a plane in just over 24 hours, there's a new kind of pressure at play! 

This year I'm incredibly lucky to be spending Christmas and New Years' with my family...in Singapore! It's been so long since I've travelled abroad that I had to restart the passport process from scratch!

While I'm over there I plan to photograph my adventures (with my prehistoric iPhone) and create my own little Instagram Guide to Singapore, so please feel free to follow me on the Instagram app (@msunreliable), or on Instagrid or Followgram in your browser! I'll also be shooting with my shiny new DSLR and the Lomo LC-A that Liss has kindly leant me for my travels, so prepare for an influx of photographs in the new year!

Wishing you all a fantastic holiday season, stay safe and well, and I hope to see you back here in 2012!

xx Kit

Wednesday Wisdom - Friendship

Walking with a friend

in the dark

is better than walking alone

in the light.

- Helen Keller

[Photography by astronautsoup]

Wednesday Wisdom - Without the Rain

And when it rains on your parade,

look up rather than down.

Without the rain,

there would be no rainbow.

- Gilbert K. Chesterton

 

Dear Rain,

You are very nice, and I do also like rainbows, but I would like it very much if you went away this weekend. Otherwise, my garden party is going to be a very soggy affair, and this is not desirable.

Love,

Kit

P.S. If anyone has a marquee they'd like to loan me for the weekend, I shall pay you in macarons and cupcakes!


[Photography by sayra]

First Shots - Old and New

Nothing mind-blowing or particularly inspiring about today's post, but I'm still excited about my new camera so I'm going to inflict some snapshots upon you! Essentially, it's a mini-tour of my bedroom as the rest of my place is still hidden under tea cups and paper lanterns!

[ Old by New ]

This is my tiny old dinosaur of a digital camera. The size of a credit card (with the quality to match) he has nevertheless been a trusty friend on the many roads I've travelled over the last decade. He's a little worse for wear and not the prettiest Pentax in town, but I'm sentimental. This was the first photo I took on the new camera.

 

[ Storage ]

Wanting to get rid of clutter is all well and good until you realise you have next to no storage. So, I improvised.

[ The Vintage Treasures of Bonnie Doon ]

I'm looking forward to finally using my vintage babies for more than just display purposes! I'm currently cutting and pinning bunting for the high tea party (this weekend - eek! Please don't rain!) and the Six-20 Folding Brownie will hopefully be getting some love not too long afterwards!

[ Crochet Corner ]

This time of year is Brisbane is way too hot and humid for leather chairs, as I have discovered. So whilst my beloved 1940's leather office chair sits in the corner collecting even more tea party goods, I've prettied up an otherwise hideous late-90's fabric chair for my own geeky blogging purposes. Doilies everywhere!

[ A Little Light Reading]

My bedside table, complete with Diptyque candle (mandarin and grapefruit, yum!) my grandmother's pillbox (used for small earrings) and a stack of books...all sitting on yet another doily.

I've been one of those annoying people who reads everything on my phone, but since my eBook app of choice has mysteriously ceased to work after allegedly being acquired by Amazon, I've decided that it's time to return to books. Actual books. The ones with real paper!

I headed to my local second-hand book store, loaded myself up with Hemingway and Fitzgerald, and had a fantastic chat to the store owner about everything from the classics to science fiction and back again. I suspect he'll be seeing a lot of me in the near future!

What are you reading at the moment? Do you have a stack of books set aside for the holiday break like I do? I'm currently making my way through all the classics I was never made to read in high school - tell me about your favourite classics (and your least favourite too!)

xx Kit

Blue Skies and Rain

It seems only fitting that I share one of my old photographs before I share any new ones. This was taken at my first apartment in Sydney; a happy home for over two years, yet a photograph that nonetheless captures a lot of the melancholy that occured there and since.

I miss that wall. I miss those shadows and the peeling paint and the irregular nooks and notches. I miss that blue sky.

I really miss that blue sky.