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1. my new favourite necklace purchased from here

2. 3. 4. & 5. a christmas bundle for a lovely little girl

6. new pillowcases from here

7. favourite classics

8. vintage threads

9. a handmade crochet necklace inspired by Pip's new book

10. secret santa present for the loveliest christmas party there ever was.

my posts have been sparse lately, but my family has been very busy moving house (which took a VERY long time...), i've been finishing uni and then got sick, and life has just been crazy in general...again. now that it is holidays, however, i endeavour to make a serious effort in blogging, including giving Under The Olive Tree a bit of a facelift! i have been working on its new look which will be revealed at a later date. tomorrow i head to summer camp for a week. more soon when i return!

xx

colours from abroad.

Yesterday at midnight I arrived home from an amazing trip shared with amazing friends in an amazing country. i feel so blessed to have been able to head to nepal to get involved in a small village community by renovating their school and helping out with teaching the kids for a week. it was an incredible experience, and i wanted to share just a few of the vibrant colours i captured whilst overseas. i hope everyone gets the opportunity to do a mission trip. it definitely puts life back into perspective - you focus on the lives of other people, focus on loving other people, and find yourself realising that there are more important things than the very small problems that you're facing. the world is big and there are huge issues that need to be tackled. it can be overwhelming, and because of this we often find ourselves doing nothing. i know i've been guilty of this many times. but this quote was in the back of my mind the whole time we were doing our 'little' bit over in nepal:

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

HELEN KELLER

The greatest universal need is the desire to be loved. You don't have to travel half way around the world to find people desperate for it, they live in the same street as us. Don't refuse to do the small thing you can do.

snapshots from melbourne.

i went to the delightful (but freezing) Melbourne from wednesday to friday last week. it's the first time i've been down there since i was a wee toddler, so it was definitely an exciting experience. while down there i went to the design show with my mum and aunty, but had plenty of time to soak up the beautiful, traditional architecture (i am in love with the terrace houses), quirky shops and delicious food and coffee as well. what a lovely thing to do before going back to uni...tomorrow! wish me luck, this semester is supposedly a killer! hope everyone has had a wonderful & restful weekend.

you already have everything you need.

I love a day at home. It reminds me of how many things I have to entertain me sitting in my room or the kitchen pantry. Lately I've been baking apple custard teacakes and chocolate pudding, cooking yummy pasta, re-vamping things in my room (like the blackboard - the quote is adapted from a public artwork I saw in west end during my lunchbreak...), making love garlands, an artwork for my sister's room and some mini bunting for my sewing box, and refreshing my nanna knowledge in the field of crochet.

the simple life is splendid. i have everything i need.

the weekend that was.

saturday included the dedication of a little girl very close to my heart and some quality family time. sunday morning was spent visiting a french bakery, the organic markets and then the finders keepers markets with mum, where i made a couple of neat purchases. in the afternoon i attended the most beautiful wedding of two wonderful friends of mine. what a fabulous weekend! 

ps: i can't wait to get crafting with the vintage pillowcases from the Frankie stall...

thank goodness for holidays.

designing is hard. it pushes your mind way outside what it's used to and it will chew into your sleeping hours. it's emotionally draining, too, when you wonder if your idea is even good enough to make the cut. but i made it to the end of the semester. architecture is challenging, and many people don't make it.

i want to be one of the ones that does. 

but thank goodness for holidays! and for mothers who will feed you as you're drawing and bring you cups of tea and heatpacks at 1 in the morning when your throat is sore and neck is frozen stiff. 

i'm so excited to get my camera out again and to capture the joys of this break.

it's great to be back in the land of the living :)

nearly there.

image via here's looking at me kid

This morning I presented a graphic design pitch worth 80% of my subject grade...and it felt awesome! Because now I've completed one subject, and have 3 to go, then it's end of semester. I've actually written a list of things I wish to do in the holidays. Most things have been added at 1 or 2 o'clock in the mornings to keep me sane as I'm up to my ears in work... Good news is that its all beginning to wrap up, and things are looking peachy. 

looking forward to...

images via thecoolhunter.net

the freedom and peace that comes with the weekend.

happy friday everyone xx