1 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,880 Hello again all, welcome to Home and Hosting with Louis Burke. 2 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,680 This is where we talk about all the little things that make a 3 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:13,880 house feel like home and the bigger picture on how we live, 4 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,800 host, and style our lives. Today I'm diving into the idea 5 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,560 of chasing holidays for happiness versus actually 6 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,440 building a lifestyle you don't need to escape from. 7 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,960 It all stemmed from a question I got this week on my Instagram 8 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:31,000 Q&A which then in true Virgo style had me overthinking and 9 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,640 connecting the dots. From my recent ventures around 10 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,200 my neighbourhood to the sudden return of services and in person 11 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:41,600 experiences like the new Mecca HQ and the Henny styling Until 12 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:43,720 the air. I also picked up some fresh new 13 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:46,680 pieces for my birthday, which of course then got me thinking 14 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:49,840 about Father's Day as it's always a Sunday right after my 15 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:53,760 birthday and how to glow up dads every day with thoughtful, 16 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,640 intentional pieces. Sound exciting? 17 00:00:56,840 --> 00:01:00,280 Well, without further ado, let's get into today's episode. 18 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:05,880 So this week I did an Instagram Q&A. 19 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:08,360 If you're not following me over on Instagram, be sure to follow 20 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,920 along because the Q&A is a great spot for you to ask advice about 21 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:14,720 what furniture to pick up, what paint colours we're using, or 22 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:17,480 more personal information about my life and my day to day. 23 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:20,760 And I was given a question that really stopped me in my tracks. 24 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:23,400 I didn't answer it over on Instagram because I feel like 25 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:25,880 the answer is quite lengthy. So I thought putting another 26 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:27,880 podcast was a great spot to do it. 27 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,560 So to the fellow person who asked this question, I hope 28 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:33,400 you're a listener of the podcast because here it is. 29 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:38,000 Your question really stumped me. It was, do you own anything that 30 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,480 isn't stylish? But you'd never give up because 31 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,320 of the joy or the usefulness it brings. 32 00:01:43,320 --> 00:01:46,440 Now, I feel like for most, you could easily look around your 33 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,480 house and find pieces that you can see in drawers or tucked 34 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:53,320 away in cupboards or, you know, even laying out and about. 35 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,240 And you would be like, yeah, that's the piece. 36 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,360 That's the thing that's ugly, that, like, you know, just 37 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:00,320 doesn't look good. But it's so good that I just 38 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:04,040 can't get rid of it right? I thought of, I thought that was 39 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:06,280 going to be the case for me. I thought I was going to find 40 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,320 something and I really stopped. I had to stop. 41 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:10,919 And I was literally sitting there for a good like 10 minutes 42 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,960 thinking what is that thing? Is it the bin? 43 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,440 Is it a cleaning product? Is it my washing powder? 44 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:20,560 Is it the towels I have? Is it the tools that I've got in 45 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:23,040 the garage? And to be honest with you, I 46 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,560 couldn't find something. Now I actually kind of felt 47 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,960 embarrassed at first because I felt awkward for being like, oh 48 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:34,360 wow, you've really gone to town with everything in your space to 49 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:38,000 make it be, you know, aesthetic, quote unquote aesthetic. 50 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:40,880 But then it really got me thinking and I was like, well, 51 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,520 no, it just means that I've just made a more considered choice 52 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:48,680 when it comes to finding things that not only look good but also 53 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:52,720 work practically, which really is an ethos centred around 54 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:57,040 design, like form and function. And it made me think back to my 55 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:00,320 early 20s where I kind of made that decision really early on, 56 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,240 that if I was going to buy something, be it cutlery, pots 57 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:08,440 and pans, glassware, mugs, so far, whatever it was, it had to 58 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,760 serve the purpose but also look good doing it. 59 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,200 So then life just feels more coordinated, like, you know, 60 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:18,760 it's not necessarily an essential, it's not something 61 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,920 that I would, you know, tell everyone that they should do or 62 00:03:21,920 --> 00:03:24,640 have to do. But it has certainly made my 63 00:03:24,640 --> 00:03:28,120 life easier, especially as a content creator, because I do 64 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,040 often see other creators who feel inspired by my content and 65 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:33,360 they're like, oh, I really want to film some home content, but 66 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,880 as soon as I like, like whip out my phone, there's just mess 67 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:38,880 everywhere. Well, I think the thing about it 68 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:43,120 is, is maybe it's the fact that that mess isn't necessarily the 69 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,960 most aesthetic looking practical stuff that makes sense. 70 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,480 Like if you had had like a really nice laundry basket, like 71 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:52,960 the hay laundry basket that I've got, I've got one in lemon and 72 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:54,480 sky blue. I absolutely love them. 73 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:55,720 Highly recommend you pick one up. 74 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,400 They're not that expensive, like they're expensive for a laundry 75 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,720 basket, but as far as things that hay go, they're pretty 76 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:03,360 affordable. So if you want a little piece of 77 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,680 hay, a little piece of Copenhagen in your home, 78 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:07,880 definitely go ahead and pick up that laundry basket. 79 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,400 But to bring it back, because I have things that not only do the 80 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:15,280 job but look good doing it, it is a lot easier for me to film. 81 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:17,000 So therefore my job is made easier. 82 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:21,040 But also my life is so much nicer because everything in 83 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,920 there is considered. And that's the thing, some 84 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:28,320 people might initially think it's super superficial to have 85 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,440 all nice looking things. And I understand that. 86 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:33,760 I think that's the reason why I was embarrassed at first. 87 00:04:33,840 --> 00:04:36,160 I felt guilty for not having those things. 88 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:40,440 I felt like super judgmental or like superficial is the word. 89 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:42,320 But in reality it wasn't. It was. 90 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:46,240 I'm going to go out of my way to take some extra time to search 91 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:49,400 the Internet or search the stores or find someone that 92 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:53,000 produces goods and products that not only do a job, but also look 93 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,240 good doing it, that are beautiful, that stick to that 94 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:58,040 design ethos of form and function. 95 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:01,080 Not solely one form where it's like, oh, it looks really good, 96 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,720 but it doesn't do the job well. And not solely, oh, it's so 97 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:05,520 practical. I can't get rid of it. 98 00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:07,840 You know, actually, come to think of it, you know what, 99 00:05:07,840 --> 00:05:10,000 there's probably one thing that I have here that's just come to 100 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:11,800 mind. It would be a dustpan and brush, 101 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:13,000 but that's hidden in the cupboard. 102 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,120 But like, really, is it something that I love and I 103 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,320 could just never get rid of? And I couldn't find a more 104 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,200 aesthetic dustpan? No, I could definitely find 1 105 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,120 and I probably should now that I think about it. 106 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:25,840 But ultimately it got me thinking about that, you know, 107 00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:30,880 idea of setting aside the time to slowly and progressively 108 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:34,920 change and transform your space to better reflect the way you 109 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:37,600 want to live. You would be so surprised about 110 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:42,080 how much of your environment is the thing that channels the 111 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:44,520 energy. And like, the way I try and 112 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,160 explain it is that like your home is the place that you come 113 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,400 to where like your boss or your friends or family or whoever, 114 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:51,800 they can't really tell you what to do. 115 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:54,280 You know, it's the one spot where you can make the space 116 00:05:54,280 --> 00:05:57,880 feel like you. So select items that make you 117 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:00,800 not only feel good, but also comfortable because the space 118 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:04,000 that you live in is ultimately a reflection of how you care for 119 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:06,240 yourself. And that only goes in like, is 120 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:07,880 it clean and you're tending to the space? 121 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,440 But it's also the way that it makes you feel just off the bat. 122 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,320 Because if there's a mess, if it's like an aesthetic mess full 123 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:15,760 of stuff, like the laundry basket, like I said, like for 124 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:18,320 example, yes, there's a pile of laundry, but it's in a beautiful 125 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:20,520 basket and all those clothes in that basket is something that 126 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,520 you really love. So like, it's, yes, a job, but 127 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,040 it's a job that you enjoy because it's full of things that 128 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:30,400 you love, that reiterates the feeling and the life that you 129 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:32,840 want to live. I know I'm a Virgo. 130 00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:35,640 I overanalyze everything. OK, guys, So I know some of you 131 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:38,240 will be like, OK, Louis, you're taking it one step too far. 132 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:41,280 But do you know what I mean? Like if we break it down into 133 00:06:41,280 --> 00:06:44,440 individual pieces, what are they standing for? 134 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:48,520 They're standing for this idea that you want to look a certain 135 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:52,520 way, to feel a certain way for. It's a bit like for those things 136 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,760 to represent what you like and what you believe in. 137 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:00,160 People can say, you know, it's super superficial. 138 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,120 But I would turn around and say that I don't think it is 139 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:04,160 superficial at all. I think it's actually more 140 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:07,760 considered than what it would be just to find there the first 141 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:09,560 option, you know, like when it comes to like, I don't know, 142 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:11,960 like a lunch container, Yeah, sure, you could go to Kmart and 143 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,040 you could pick up the plastic lunch container that's 144 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,120 ultimately going to get stained as soon as you have spaghetti 145 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:18,520 Bolognese in it because the red sauce in there, you know, it 146 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:20,560 doesn't come out even when you Chuck it in the dishwasher. 147 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:23,800 Or you could go to IKEA and you could pick up a glass container. 148 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,080 Sure, it might weigh a little bit more. 149 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,560 It might be a a little bit heavier for that carry to work, 150 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:32,000 but it doesn't get stained and it's timeless and you'll have it 151 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:34,040 for years like I have. I've had those containers for 152 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:35,880 like 10 years. Highly recommend you go pick 153 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:37,560 them up. But yeah, it's just like little 154 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:42,040 decisions that really improve your life and really stand for 155 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:45,200 what you believe in, what you really like. 156 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:49,120 It could be not only just like, you know, the aesthetic choice, 157 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:50,960 it could also be the environmental choice and the 158 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:52,720 fact that glass is better than plastic. 159 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:54,680 You know, people are concerned about micro plastics, people 160 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:56,480 concerned about the environment. You know, the glass is 161 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:59,200 recyclable. There's so many things that go 162 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,960 into each individual piece that you may or may not have thought 163 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:05,200 about. So yeah, I just thought that 164 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:07,640 question was super interesting, which then led me on to like, 165 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:09,880 you know, going through TikTok and there were a lot of young 166 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,560 people saying, you know, how do all these gay guys afford to go 167 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:14,560 on all these holidays? How come they get to go on all 168 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:16,640 these experiences? And the person was saying that, 169 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:19,720 you know, gay guys look younger than what they are, so they're 170 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,000 not the same age as you. Stop trying to, like, compare 171 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,200 yourself to someone that's 10 years older than you with more 172 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:26,320 experience and disposable income, etcetera. 173 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:29,320 And I thought it was really interesting because I came 174 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:31,880 across a content creators profile who is younger than me, 175 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:34,360 who's in his early 20s. He was talking about the 176 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:36,520 experiences with travel. And yes, I understand when 177 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:38,880 you're young, you really want to go out of your way to have those 178 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:42,120 experiences with travel. But also sometimes I do think a 179 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:45,400 lot of us are booking and planning these holidays because 180 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:47,440 we want to escape from our reality. 181 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:50,520 It's not only about taking a break, but it's also like you're 182 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:53,320 running away. And the question I put to you 183 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:55,120 is, what are you running away from? 184 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:59,440 The life that you are currently living, the situation and 185 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,360 circumstance that you find yourself in off the back of your 186 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:05,000 own decisions? I don't mean this in a way, like 187 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:07,080 obviously we can misconstrue this and say that it's you 188 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,000 people are in circumstances that are out of their control. 189 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:12,280 But then there are also circumstances that we are in 190 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:14,800 control of that we haven't yet addressed. 191 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:17,760 And I do think one of those things is the space that we live 192 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:20,520 in, the way we care for a space, the way that we maintain a 193 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:22,240 space, the way that we curate a space. 194 00:09:22,560 --> 00:09:25,120 And I can see that obviously my followers are super interested 195 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:26,760 in it and they don't know where to start. 196 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,440 And that's why you follow me. You follow me because you like 197 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:31,640 nice things. You see that I shop high and 198 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:33,200 low. You see that I give advice on 199 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,160 how to do things and like each step you progressively get 200 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:38,560 towards living that life that you want to live. 201 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:42,040 But you know, you and I both know people in our real life, 202 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,640 whether it be our work colleagues, family members, 203 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:47,720 friends we went to school with who do not understand that in 204 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,480 the slightest. They can say that it's 205 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:52,720 superficial. They can say why would you care 206 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:54,280 about it? And the reason why you care 207 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:56,640 about it is because it's your everyday. 208 00:09:56,640 --> 00:10:00,040 You literally live once. You want to set a goal and you 209 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,000 achieve it. I know that I have heaps of type 210 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:03,320 A's in the group, You know what I mean? 211 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:07,720 I am a type A triple Earth, Virgo Sun, Capricorn Moon, and 212 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:09,720 Taurus rising. So you can see that I love 213 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:12,800 details. The Capricorn in me is very like 214 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:14,560 when it comes to the moon in Capricorn. 215 00:10:14,560 --> 00:10:16,720 It's a whole thing. I don't even know where to even 216 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:18,160 begin with that. But let's just skip onto the 217 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:20,880 rising, which is the Taurus, which is I love comfort. 218 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,480 I moved out of home from a young age because I wanted to move to 219 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,240 a capital city because I felt that it was necessary for me to 220 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:29,240 do that in order to study, design and get the job and the 221 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:31,160 lifestyle that I wanted to achieve. 222 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:34,600 I couldn't get it in the Hunter Valley, so I moved and then I 223 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:36,880 ended up here and I absolutely love it. 224 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:40,640 And I know for a fact when I was a young adult navigating my 225 00:10:40,680 --> 00:10:44,040 early 20s, I needed to set up my rental to feel like a home. 226 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:45,720 I was away from my family and friends. 227 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,360 It was important for me to feel comfortable in the space that I 228 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:50,040 was in. And you know what it's like when 229 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:52,720 you're in your early 20s, you're applying for jobs, you're 230 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,560 meeting new people, you're going on dates, you know, you're going 231 00:10:55,560 --> 00:10:57,760 out clubbing. There's all these different 232 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:00,720 environments that are just getting thrown at you where you 233 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,240 have to sort of perform and try and figure it out. 234 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:05,960 And like, you know, home is the only place where you can get 235 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:09,880 home from all of that noise, shut the door and just sit on 236 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,200 the bed and be like, what was that? 237 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:14,480 You know, sometimes it's amazing, sometimes it's 238 00:11:14,560 --> 00:11:17,480 absolutely awful. And you know what's always there 239 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,960 if you put the effort in a really comfortable bed, you 240 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:24,640 know, a really comfortable bed, some lamps or some dim lighting, 241 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:28,880 a beautiful like cutlery set and like ceramics and bowls to make 242 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:31,800 a dinner in because you can't go out because you've got no money. 243 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:33,680 But you know what you did? You went out and bought some 244 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:37,640 beautiful like coloured ceramics that make food look extra good. 245 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:40,160 You know, like you've got some napkins and a tablecloth. 246 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:44,240 It sounds, I don't want it to sound like it doesn't make a 247 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:45,360 difference. Like, oh, that's just like 248 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:47,600 stuff, who cares? Like it really did make a 249 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:49,240 difference for me. And I think it can make a 250 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:51,840 difference for anyone at any age, age at any point in their 251 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:54,200 life where they want to feel more safe. 252 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:56,760 They want to feel more secure. And you don't have to move into 253 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:58,920 state or a different country in order to feel that. 254 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:01,560 The thing that you have to battle is the fact that some 255 00:12:01,560 --> 00:12:04,560 people around you are not going to want you to change. 256 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,320 They don't want you to change because they see themselves in 257 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:10,800 you and they don't want to see you, you know, trying to achieve 258 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:12,200 a different thing. Like, what does it say about 259 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,360 them if you're paying attention to these things, you know, like 260 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:16,800 it's just about getting rid of that. 261 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,040 It's like that would be my advice as the same as when you 262 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:21,600 start social media, lots of people ask me, like, how do you 263 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:24,680 get through that, that initial brunt of like people you know, 264 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:26,720 are watching your content and like, how do you not feel 265 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:29,280 embarrassed? Well, when I moved, because I 266 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:32,120 was away from all my people that I went to school with and like 267 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:35,200 family weren't near me, it was quite easy because I just didn't 268 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:38,160 see them because I didn't have them around to to have it sort 269 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:40,320 of be acknowledged. But then after a while people 270 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:42,000 get used to it. I think that's the thing. 271 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:46,160 You just have to start something like in order to sustain like a 272 00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:49,160 routine, you have to do it for about 21 days. 273 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:51,680 And I think that goes to family and friends as well. 274 00:12:51,680 --> 00:12:54,240 If you start something that's new, have those awkward 275 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,920 conversations, make them super quick, like a minute, like, oh, 276 00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:59,400 I saw you posting on Instagram. It's like, yeah, what do you 277 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:01,520 think? And like, oh, OK. 278 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:02,880 And then that conversations done. 279 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,720 If they bring it up again in two weeks, just be like, just blow 280 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:08,040 it off, brush it off and then keep going. 281 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,880 And then eventually they'll stop talking about it because they 282 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:12,520 just feel insecure because they're seeing something 283 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:14,000 different. They're scared of the change and 284 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:16,760 they'll eventually get used to it and it's normal and so on. 285 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:20,160 So you can apply this method to not only your home, but also the 286 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:23,040 way that you navigate social media or another career or 287 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:25,840 dating or whatever. So yeah, it was just very 288 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:28,360 interesting receiving that question and then how it LED my 289 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:32,160 thought process to go through to, you know, why I didn't have 290 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:34,760 anything that was super practical, that wasn't aesthetic 291 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:37,200 but I can't live without. And then obviously through 292 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,040 scrolling through TikTok and seeing younger people who was 293 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,640 speaking about travelling and me seeing their bedroom spaces and 294 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:45,040 just thinking, babe, if you just had a beautiful bedroom to come 295 00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:47,280 home to, maybe you wouldn't want to plan to go on those holidays 296 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:49,520 so often. Because really, let's be real, I 297 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:53,400 just think like, why are you spending so much money to spend 298 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:57,080 4 days in someone else's beautiful Airbnb or a hotel with 299 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:00,160 a really comfy bed whilst you sleep on a really uncomfortable 300 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:03,240 one for 360 other days of the year? 301 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:06,360 You know, like it's about focusing on the things that you 302 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:08,600 can change. Like people will always meet me 303 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:10,320 with, oh, but I don't own my home. 304 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:13,720 That doesn't matter. Furniture moves with you, bed 305 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:16,040 linen moves with you. You have to sleep. 306 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:18,360 You want to sit on a sofa. You don't want to sit on your 307 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:20,360 bed all the time, right? So we need another piece of 308 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:23,480 furniture and that's a sofa. And you also need a coffee table 309 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:25,160 because you need something to put your drinks on. 310 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:29,760 Like this is the thing. Home can be deemed super, you 311 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:33,080 know, unimportant, superficial, just get whatever. 312 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:35,480 But in reality it's serving a purpose. 313 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:39,080 It's having more of a purpose, if I'm honest, than clothes or a 314 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:41,280 holiday, you know, like a holiday is amazing. 315 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:43,800 I went to Bali for a week and I've never really gone on 316 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:47,280 holiday in my adult life really. Like I've done little 317 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:51,360 staycations, I've done bits and pieces with work, but like never 318 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:54,280 a really long winded holiday. And maybe I should and maybe 319 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:56,080 that's the reason why I have the opinion that I have. 320 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:58,160 But what I do enjoy is my everyday life. 321 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:01,120 I really love the home that I've built because that's what I set 322 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:03,320 out to do. I feel like the space that I 323 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:06,920 may, it's like these subconscious actions that you're 324 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,640 taking to make your life come to fruition. 325 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:11,880 The things that you want to happen in your life, be it the 326 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,920 job, the relationship, all those things are connected to the 327 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:20,120 space that you're in every day because they're actually like, 328 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:23,040 think of it like it's a decision that the previous you made for 329 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:26,080 future you, you know, like go with the thing that's more 330 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:28,440 important. And that's not to say waste all 331 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:31,560 your money on furniture because I think some people might think 332 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:34,960 that's what I mean. I have done this very slow over 333 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:39,040 1015 years, making this space come to life and reflect the 334 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:43,000 space that I want it to be. And also it has a few more sheet 335 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:46,040 sets and a few more dinner sets. Because of my job. 336 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:49,240 I do not expect people to have like, you know, 10 sheet sets 337 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:53,000 and five different dinner sets. Get like two or three sheet sets 338 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:56,040 that you really love and two dinner sets that you really 339 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:57,520 love. It's not about that being a 340 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:00,920 consumer final boss, it's just about having the pieces that you 341 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:04,840 really enjoy and you can do that and also have savings. 342 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:09,240 It seems like it seems unreachable, but it is 343 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:12,040 reachable. It is attainable if you just set 344 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:16,040 aside the time to dedicate a little bit more time, energy, 345 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:20,520 money and effort into those individual pieces over time, and 346 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:23,760 you'll end up with lots of beautiful things that reflect 347 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:27,880 you and will be a reiteration of where you want to be. 348 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:31,120 This is why I love the podcast because I feel like I can really 349 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:33,920 talk about why I'm passionate about what I do and making 350 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:37,240 spaces feel like home because like I've said in the previous 351 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:40,600 episode, you can spend a lot of time somewhere, but it that 352 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:42,840 doesn't make it a home. You know, if you go, you go to 353 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:44,680 the supermarket all the time, but does that feel like home? 354 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:49,240 No, like what, what is it about a space that makes it a home? 355 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:52,520 It's a way that you that you nurture and maintain that space 356 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:54,960 and the things that you've put in there that reflect like how 357 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,320 you feel and where you want to go. 358 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaking of different spaces that feel like home, I've often 359 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:03,680 said to go out into your neighbourhood to get inspired by 360 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:08,599 local businesses like boutiques, cafes, wine bars, to really 361 00:17:08,599 --> 00:17:12,960 inspire you and set the scene on what the things you do like and 362 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:17,200 don't like within interiors. 9 times out of 10, cafes, 363 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:20,800 boutiques and stores get to be more creative because they're 364 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:24,000 stuck with a concrete box. They're like how do we transform 365 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:25,359 this? How do we make it be an 366 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:27,960 experience? And that's what I want to talk 367 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:32,560 about because I feel like brick and mortar stores in general are 368 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:35,960 really returning to this service based experience and I 369 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:39,960 absolutely love it. Just last week I was invited to 370 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:43,200 the Mecca Berg St OK and it is enormous. 371 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:46,840 It's beautiful, it's stunning, there's so many levels, there's 372 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:49,200 so much stuff in there. Everyone is so friendly. 373 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:52,280 It's overwhelming. I highly recommend you go in and 374 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:53,720 enjoy it. The reason why it was 375 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:56,440 overwhelming for me was because we were brought in like with 376 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:59,000 media and influencers. There were 300 creators and 377 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:02,560 media types there on the day. So not only was the space A lot 378 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:05,400 to take in, but there was also a lot of people to say hi to. 379 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:07,640 I was there for probably 3 hours. 380 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:09,800 Can you believe it? I was so surprised that I was 381 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:11,720 there for that long. I thought, oh I'm going to be 382 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:13,960 there for one hour Max. No, it's because I, I had to say 383 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:16,760 hi to everyone and check out the amazing store and all the 384 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:19,120 services, but also make sure that I said hello because I 385 00:18:19,120 --> 00:18:21,520 didn't want to be rude and check out, you know, see the Mecca 386 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:22,800 team. I hadn't seen them in a while. 387 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:25,480 Like it was so much fun to get to see everyone. 388 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,360 It was honestly like a mini Christmas before Christmas and I 389 00:18:28,360 --> 00:18:30,560 loved it. What I loved most about it. 390 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:33,440 Why is this Mecca different to any other Mecca? 391 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:37,000 It's because it has so many services in there. 392 00:18:37,360 --> 00:18:40,920 Makeup services, hair services, nail services, you can go and 393 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:42,920 get a facial. You can go and get Botox, You 394 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:45,720 can go and have a scent exploration which I was lucky 395 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:48,960 enough to do the following day. I went in there and had a one on 396 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:51,440 one with Tom and he was excellent. 397 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:54,400 We sat down in the top floor over near the windows in the 398 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:56,840 fragrance section which is beautiful. 399 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:00,480 Lots of natural light, little banquettes, the candles, the 400 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:02,520 sand everywhere. It's absolutely beautiful. 401 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:04,880 You have to go there. I have a video on my TikTok 402 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:06,920 about the whole experience if you want the full rundown, but 403 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:10,240 I'll give you a little rap here. We sat down and then Tom gave me 404 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:14,480 5 notes, major notes found within most fragrances and we 405 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:16,720 went through them all. And then I selected 2. 406 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:21,440 I believe I selected leather and I also selected, I believe that 407 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:23,800 it was Cyprus. And then Tom got to work and 408 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:25,720 came and presented me 8 perfumes. 409 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:28,960 We went through them all, four, we're from the Cyprus and four 410 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:31,720 we're speaking to the leather. And then he asked, you know, is 411 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:34,840 there a particular, you know, perfume range that you want to 412 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:37,320 explore? And I love Mason Gravelli, I got 413 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:40,120 to meet him a few years ago at the Mecca in Armadale. 414 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:43,400 Love his perfume, love his story and his ethos. 415 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:46,320 His all about creating perfume that stems from classic sense, 416 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:50,240 but combining them with like really unusual like formulas to 417 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:52,080 make them really interesting. Like for instance, he'll do like 418 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:55,440 an Ood passion fruit where he mixes ood and passion fruit 419 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:59,000 together, which sounds crazy but smells incredible. 420 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:03,080 I love everything in his range and everyone is slowly becoming 421 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:05,560 aware of it and it's becoming like an in house hit in 422 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:07,760 Australia. So like if you're a Mecca OG, 423 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,360 you love fragrance, you have to go and explore Mason Gravelli's 424 00:20:11,360 --> 00:20:13,160 perfume because it is so stunning. 425 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:16,160 But what I really want to emphasise is the fact that this 426 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:18,200 service was amazing and it's free. 427 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:20,280 It goes for half an hour. Anyone can do it. 428 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:21,920 You don't have to be a content creator. 429 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:24,560 You can literally go into that store, book in a session, sit 430 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:26,480 down with Tom and he will give you a full rundown. 431 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:28,840 There's also Rose as well, she is amazing too. 432 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,520 You can find that perfect scent. Yes, you can go into a Mecca and 433 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:34,680 they all have fragrance specialists and you can stand 434 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:37,760 and walk around and they'll lead you through to find perfumes. 435 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:41,640 But this just feels different. You can sit down, have a water, 436 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,400 speak about the main fragrances that you love and what you don't 437 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:46,760 love, and then they can just get to work, bring the things to you 438 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:49,080 and call it a day. I walked out with Mason 439 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,560 Cravelli's OOD stallion. It is beautiful. 440 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:55,360 And I didn't even realise this, but when I got home, I shared it 441 00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:58,000 with my partner and my partner was like, this smells like the 442 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:02,520 perfume that you got me five years ago, which is the emerald 443 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:06,840 Zegna in the Indonesian OOD. And it does smell very similar. 444 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,440 But how hilarious was that? Like, you know, we came full 445 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:12,400 circle where I found a perfume that's actually discontinued and 446 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:14,120 I found like the old alternative to it. 447 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:16,360 So now my partner's been wearing it and I'm like, I'm sorry, but 448 00:21:16,360 --> 00:21:18,880 that is my perfume. That is the one that I picked. 449 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:21,280 And Kerry's like, well, no, it's actually the perfume that you 450 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:23,680 picked for me five years ago. So I get to wear it. 451 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:26,360 Anyway, that's a whole tale for another day. 452 00:21:26,360 --> 00:21:28,440 But what I will say is that experience was incredible. 453 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:31,040 And I highly recommend that you get over to Mecca and go 454 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:33,560 experience things. Go get your nails done, go get 455 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:36,280 your hair done, go and get a coffee, go get some Botox, go 456 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:39,920 get a facial and go and get a fragrance session. 457 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:45,320 That session inspired me to then go about finding ways which I 458 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:48,040 could experience it more. So I actually booked in a 459 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:51,520 session over at Henny. Henny is a women's wear brand. 460 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:55,000 It was started by Nadia Bartel and her sister and a friend, I 461 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:56,840 believe. And they create beautiful 462 00:21:56,840 --> 00:22:00,320 classic pieces that really have just like the brand has just 463 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:02,080 shot up. Like it's just one of the ones 464 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:03,480 to note. If you haven't heard of it, 465 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:05,880 definitely go and check it out, but I'm sure most of you have 466 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:07,880 heard of it. It's a very big brand in 467 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:11,920 Melbourne, Sydney, everywhere. Now it is obviously a women's 468 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,560 wear brand, but I was checking out the fits and every time I 469 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:16,240 see my girlfriends, I'm like, where'd you get those jeans 470 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:17,320 from? They're like, oh, they're henny. 471 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:18,680 And I'm like, look, they're jeans. 472 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:20,640 And then you look at the website and they have beautiful like 473 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:24,280 polo collar knits and jumpers and like coats. 474 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:26,680 And I'm like, this stuff is like a guy. 475 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:29,080 I can totally rock. So I was like, I'm going to poke 476 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,600 in a session over at their Rotillier and have the stylist 477 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:35,200 help me pick out pieces because I thought it was the best way to 478 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:38,240 go in and just explore the entire range without just like 479 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:40,520 shopping on my own. I could find things, I could get 480 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:42,680 the sizes. So you fill out a form, it's 481 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:45,520 entirely free and you can put in all the styles that you're 482 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:47,320 speaking to. You can put in your sizes and 483 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:49,600 you head in there and one of the stylists can help you. 484 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:53,000 I got Sandra and Sandra was incredible. 485 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:56,240 It was Sandra and Steph. They did such a beautiful job at 486 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:59,640 helping me find pieces that I'd picked out and also pieces that 487 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:01,880 they recommended. We went through all the jeans, 488 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,560 found the right size. We tried on all the knits, the 489 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:07,800 shirts, the Tees, the tanks. I even surprised Sandra a little 490 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:09,360 bit there because I said what about the tank? 491 00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:11,360 And she was like, I don't know if it's going to be too low cut. 492 00:23:11,360 --> 00:23:13,480 And I was like, yeah, I don't know either, but let's give it a 493 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:14,680 go. It was perfect. 494 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:16,800 I ended up getting it. I walked out of there with six 495 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:18,360 pieces. Like, so it's a little bit 496 00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:20,920 dangerous for anyone that's like I'm on a bit of like a, you 497 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,200 know, on a bit of a budget. I don't really want to go, you 498 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:24,840 know, spending lots of money on all the clothes. 499 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:26,400 But I'm telling you now, it was well worth it. 500 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:29,560 Like I literally have like my late winter, early spring 501 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:33,400 wardrobe sorted or from those pieces had I had not booked that 502 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:35,400 in. Like it is rare that I will go 503 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:37,560 into a clothing store and pick up six pieces. 504 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:39,720 Like, you know, I think the last time I did that was maybe 505 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:41,680 assembly label. The wardrobe is slowly just 506 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:44,200 becoming all assembly label and handing at this point. 507 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:47,680 But what really made the difference was the styling 508 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:49,600 session. If you feel nervous about it, 509 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:52,200 like I felt awkward at first. I was like, oh God, am I going 510 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:54,120 to be the only guy in this store? 511 00:23:54,120 --> 00:23:56,360 Like should I just book a one on one session with the stylist 512 00:23:56,360 --> 00:23:58,840 because it saves the effort of me having to walk amongst all 513 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:02,080 the girlies and being awkward and trying to find the right 514 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:03,760 size. There was an inkling of 515 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:06,480 insecurity in me being like, should I be in here? 516 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:08,800 Is this something for me? And when I got there, it was 517 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:10,480 great. The guy the like there was a guy 518 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,120 at the desk and when I went to the styling session with Sandra 519 00:24:13,120 --> 00:24:15,440 and Steph, another guy was in there having a styling session 520 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:17,440 as well. So Henny might be for the 521 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:19,720 girlies, but it is also for the guys my friend. 522 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:21,680 Like if you need to get a good pair of jeans, I highly 523 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:23,640 recommend you try out the Gisella jeans. 524 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:27,480 I got them in the white, but also the classic blue colour is 525 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:30,320 really nice as well And picked up a few beautiful knits and 526 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:33,400 I've shared it on TikTok and like check out the stuff that 527 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:35,040 I've got, the stuff that I've been wearing recently. 528 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:38,360 It's Henny and it's great. It's cashmere, it's stunning, 529 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:39,920 beautiful. I love it. 530 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:42,160 What I love even more is the experience. 531 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:45,240 The girls made it so like just nice. 532 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:47,640 It was so nice talking to them and talking to the guy at the 533 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:49,000 counter as well. He was saying about the things 534 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,400 that he really loved in the spring summer collections coming 535 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:53,880 out this week. Sandra gave me a call today to 536 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:56,640 see how everything was to see if I liked all the products, if I 537 00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:59,560 needed any assistance. Like these are all things that 538 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:02,400 brands don't have to do and haven't done, but you used to 539 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:04,760 do. And it makes such a difference. 540 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:07,640 It really does. And it makes it feel like the 541 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:10,800 energy, the time and the money that went into it was well worth 542 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:12,080 it. Like, I get it. 543 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:14,960 The cost of living makes us all want to cut corners. 544 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:18,480 But then when you cut all the corners, what are you left with? 545 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:19,960 You know, I think that's the thing. 546 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:22,240 Like, it's the same as when we talk about restaurants, a lot of 547 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:24,200 people have been talking about how the service isn't as good 548 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:25,720 anymore. And like, I used to work in 549 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:29,360 restaurants and I knew like, I can tell from when I go out in 550 00:25:29,360 --> 00:25:31,480 Melbourne versus when I was working in restaurants that the 551 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,000 service has gone down. And The thing is, is that what's 552 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,320 happened is that ultimately, like restaurants have tried to 553 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:39,960 cut corners as much as they can, and then the guests are trying 554 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:42,640 to cut corners as well and ultimately end up with a result 555 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:44,960 that no one is enjoying, no one's enjoying working there, no 556 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:46,800 one's enjoying to go there and experience it. 557 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:51,120 So like we have to sort of find like a balance of what we really 558 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:53,240 enjoy. And yes, some things might cost 559 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:56,040 more, but you know what? Totally worth it because the 560 00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:59,440 experience makes it worthwhile. The same thing goes on my 561 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:00,800 curtains. I just recently got some 562 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:03,240 curtains in my living room and a Roman shade in the kitchen from 563 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:05,080 Zen Design. Amazing. 564 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:06,600 The quality, absolutely beautiful. 565 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:08,000 But you know what made it even better? 566 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:11,000 The service level. Enza came over and she was like, 567 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:12,480 these are the curtains. Amazing. 568 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:14,960 I think we should go with this kind of drop, with this kind of 569 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:16,400 plate. I think the hem should be as 570 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:19,040 white as our skirting here. I think that with the Roman, we 571 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:21,800 should inbuilt it into this cut out in the window. 572 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:24,120 She knew everything and she gave me all the details. 573 00:26:24,120 --> 00:26:26,840 She had all the photos. I didn't have to figure it out. 574 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:29,080 Which you know what, as a designer like that was so 575 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:31,400 refreshing. Not like having to have like 576 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:33,640 someone else is coming in and taking the reins and knowing 577 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:36,720 what to do in an area. Like I know about curtains and I 578 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,600 know about window treatments, but she is an expert in it and 579 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:43,360 she knows what she's doing. And it was just so nice to have 580 00:26:43,360 --> 00:26:45,840 someone just be like, Yep, and you can bounce ideas. 581 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:48,480 As you can tell, hyper specific Virgo here. 582 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:51,280 So like when I had details about stuff, she was so ready to get 583 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:53,480 involved and talk about all those details. 584 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:58,080 And the curtains are incredible. You could go to spotlight and 585 00:26:58,080 --> 00:26:59,920 someone could come over and measure it out, but they don't 586 00:26:59,920 --> 00:27:01,520 know what you want. And quite frankly, they don't 587 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:03,680 care what you want. And the lead times will be 588 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:06,040 longer. And it's not support, like it's 589 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:09,240 not supporting local business. And they called me afterwards to 590 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:10,640 make sure everything was all good. 591 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:13,360 They've even cut down the roller blind that sits behind the Roman 592 00:27:13,360 --> 00:27:14,640 shade. And it's going to be out over to 593 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:16,320 me. They engage with me on social 594 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:18,480 media. It's about this community that's 595 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:20,320 there that otherwise wouldn't be there. 596 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:23,400 Like I feel like as millennials we have just gotten used to this 597 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:25,200 idea that everything's transactional. 598 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:27,520 You go into the shopping centre, nobody knows anyone, no one 599 00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:29,520 talks to anyone and you walk away and that was it. 600 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:33,520 And like what it does is it just makes it all not worthwhile. 601 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:36,680 Like I think it's great that you be able to walk into a store, 602 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,600 meet someone and like speak with them about whatever it is and 603 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:42,120 they get interested in your life because you will ultimately get 604 00:27:42,120 --> 00:27:44,920 a better service. So I am obsessed you guys. 605 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:47,840 Wherever there is an opportunity for you to get more of an 606 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:52,320 experience than the standard, absolutely go for it because I 607 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:54,440 think at the moment it's totally worthwhile. 608 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:56,800 And these are experienced that I've paid for. 609 00:27:56,800 --> 00:28:00,960 Yes, I've been invited to this fragrance session, but that was 610 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:03,120 free that you can go in there and you can have that done. 611 00:28:03,120 --> 00:28:04,840 The styling service at Henny, it's free. 612 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:06,280 You can go in and have that done. 613 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:08,520 And the same thing with Zen, they'll come out and they'll do 614 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:10,560 a concert on your curtains and they'll send you through a quote 615 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:12,040 and you can decide on what you want to do. 616 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:14,560 Obviously we don't want to waste people's time, but what I will 617 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:16,800 say is that there is something in the magic of getting an 618 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:18,320 experience in those brick and mortars. 619 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:22,280 Like, let's be real, you meet people that share a similar 620 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:26,600 vision and a similar interest to you, which feels nice. 621 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:29,200 It feels reaffirming. You don't feel so much like an 622 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:31,960 outsider being surrounded by people that couldn't care less 623 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:33,560 about the things that you're interested in. 624 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:36,080 It's so nice being able to sit down and chat with people who 625 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:38,200 are passionate about the same things that you're passionate 626 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:39,560 about. So I picked up a couple of 627 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:41,880 pieces and my birthday is coming up soon, so I know what I'm 628 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:43,360 going to be wearing, which is perfect. 629 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:46,120 Which then made me think my birthday is on August 27th and 630 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,320 the following Sunday is always Father's Day. 631 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:51,040 So I was trying to think about things that we could get our 632 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:54,160 dads to elevate their every day because nine times out of 10, 633 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:57,040 the dads in the world, be that our partners or fathers or 634 00:28:57,040 --> 00:29:00,280 grandfathers, they really don't really need anything or they say 635 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:02,560 they don't need anything. But what they actually need are 636 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:05,160 all these things that they're not thinking about that none of 637 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:08,120 us are really thinking about until the day off, be it a 638 00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:10,760 dinner that we have to go to, something's going on at school 639 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:12,840 and like, what are they wearing? Have they got any jeans or do 640 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:14,960 they have a jumper or you're going to the beach? 641 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:17,120 They have sunglasses. What are those sunglasses like? 642 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:18,920 When was the last time they bought sunglasses? 643 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:21,240 Let's be real. And the board shorts, like, you 644 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:23,040 know, there's just so many bits and pieces. 645 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:26,000 So I put together a TikTok with all the pieces that I would 646 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,760 recommend that will elevate dad's life or you know what, 647 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:31,040 your partner, it's definitely just going to elevate any man's 648 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:33,560 life that needs it. A couple of the pieces that I 649 00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:36,200 recommend on that TikTok is from assembly label. 650 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:38,680 I highly recommend that you go online or head install when you 651 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:41,560 can and check it all out. They just have amazing quality 652 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:45,240 pieces that are like wardrobe staples at great prices. 653 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:47,920 Like you will easily walk out of there with six pieces because 654 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:51,560 it's just like, oh, I love this. Oh, is this 100% cashmere? 655 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:53,280 That's the price. Oh, I'm going to get that. 656 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:55,520 Then you're like, oh, this T shirt, I need need a T-shirt. 657 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:57,180 How much is that? Oh, OK, yeah, I'll grab the 658 00:29:57,180 --> 00:29:58,520 T-shirt as well. Like it's just one of those 659 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:01,000 spots. It's just really, really good 660 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:05,480 for guys and girls and kids. I love the merino knits and also 661 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:07,760 the cashmere. The jeans are really good. 662 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:11,320 The sunglasses are really good. You could also pop down to Mecca 663 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:13,560 and grab him a signature fragrance because I think 664 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:15,160 there's a lot of memory in fragrance. 665 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:17,160 And I think everybody should have a signature fragrance that 666 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:20,080 you can have to experience particular events, not only for 667 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:22,400 you to remember, but also for people to remember because I 668 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:24,680 feel like we all associate A scent with someone. 669 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:28,240 I also highly recommend picking up one of those mecha Cosmetica 670 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:32,600 to save face, SPF 50 serums and also comes in like a pumper 671 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:34,440 bottle now. So it's so much easier to use. 672 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:36,720 It dries down matte, so it's not shiny. 673 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:38,800 It's not like makeup, but it's something that's really going to 674 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:42,320 make an improvement on his face because I swear after using SPF 675 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:46,240 50 like every day for a good month, I see a significant like 676 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:49,360 improvement in like redness reduction, pigmentation 677 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:51,680 reduction, general glow hydration. 678 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:55,000 Like it makes such a difference also while you're in there, so 679 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:56,960 you can maybe pick up something for his hair, be it if he 680 00:30:56,960 --> 00:31:00,360 experiences like frizz, you could get some serum to help 681 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:03,680 like add more texture. Or if it's a bit flat, you can 682 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:06,600 get like a sea salt spray or a texturizing spray to really add 683 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,800 a little bit more volume. He just like sprays it in while 684 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:11,040 his hair is wet. It can air dry or blow dry, 685 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:12,600 whatever. And it's just going to add a 686 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:14,880 little bit more oomph because let's be real, like that mop 687 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:17,200 just needs something a little bit more. 688 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:20,480 But if there's too much volume and too much freeze, go with the 689 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:23,320 serum to like, you know, add more texture and bring more 690 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:25,960 definition to the curls. But if it's like a flat mop, add 691 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:29,160 the sea salt spray and also a little bit of powder if we want 692 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:31,560 to go a little bit step further. And that's really going to give 693 00:31:31,560 --> 00:31:34,160 it the Vava Voom. It's not going to be like crazy, 694 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:35,840 but it is. It's going to add a little bit 695 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:39,520 more style and dimension to his hair. 696 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,240 Some other bits and pieces that I recommend was picking up one 697 00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:45,080 of the DS and Durga Auto fragrance cards that you can 698 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:47,560 stick in his wardrobe or in the car because it will really 699 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:50,560 improve that situation. The coats will smell amazing or 700 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:53,240 the car will smell amazing. And then just some other bits 701 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:57,440 like a card holder or like one of those Oroton air tag key 702 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,960 chains if he's losing things. And even some boots because I 703 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:05,240 think a boot is like not as scary as a loafer or a boat shoe 704 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:07,600 because sometimes guys don't suit loafers and boat shoes. 705 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:09,600 I totally get it. Like I'm kind of lucky in that 706 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:12,440 instance where I feel like my style suits that, but I feel 707 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:15,440 like a boot is a great all rounder and that it's a good 708 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,960 dress shoe. That's not like a Sunny car and 709 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:21,480 it's also not a brogue. Like if he's not like a 710 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:25,040 businessman wearing like lace up brogues where it wants to feel 711 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:27,640 like school energy. I feel like a really nice 712 00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:30,880 polished boot is really, really good. 713 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:34,480 It's great for like the school recital or a nice dinner, 714 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:36,800 grabbing the boot. And then the last few things in 715 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:38,800 here is stuff that I've already mentioned, which is if you're 716 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:40,760 heading to the beach because it's warming up, grabbing a 717 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:43,160 really good pair of board shorts and a towel. 718 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:45,040 Check out assembly label that have really good beach towels, 719 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:47,600 by the way, and also sunglasses. He needs a good pair of 720 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:49,800 sunglasses, guys. One to wear in the car, one to 721 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:51,160 wear at the pool, one to wear at the beach. 722 00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:54,000 These are all instances that you don't think about because they 723 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:56,000 don't happen often enough to think about. 724 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,880 And then when they do happen, it's too late where you can't 725 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:00,960 find the options. And then he just buys another 726 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:04,240 dicky pair of sunglasses or a dicky pair of swimmers and it's 727 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:05,720 just like oh don't even talk to me about it. 728 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:07,840 Generally we don't want to have one of those don't even talk to 729 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:10,880 me about it situations. We wanted to all be considered 730 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:13,600 nice because he deserves to have nice stuff too. 731 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:16,400 And even if he pretends that he doesn't like it, he does like 732 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:17,920 it. Even if he's a bit scared and 733 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:20,920 nervous at first. Give it 2 days and you should 734 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:23,680 see the confidence out of that man when he gets a nice jumper 735 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:26,040 or a nice pair of jeans or a nice pair of sunglasses. 736 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:29,600 Like they are unstoppable once they get accustomed to those 737 00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:31,920 things. It's not about changing your man 738 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:34,800 or giving him a transformation. It's just about, you know, 739 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:38,720 tending to his style because sometimes it's just forgotten a 740 00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:40,160 little bit and they need a bit of help. 741 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:42,440 I think I'm going to pick up my dad one of those cashmere 742 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:44,920 jumpers or the merino wool jumpers from assembly level 743 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:47,960 because my dad runs cold and I think he'll really like it 744 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:50,920 because it's super soft and to wash them is super easy. 745 00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:53,200 I actually, when it comes to caring for cashmere because I 746 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:55,760 had a question about that one. I have actually been putting my 747 00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:58,680 casualty in the washing machine. I have like a wool wash, which 748 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:01,080 is essentially like a gentle cold wash. 749 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:03,520 The thing you want to think about is the friction. 750 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:06,160 So you just want to make sure that the spin speed is not high 751 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:08,800 at all and you want to make sure that it's not hot because the 752 00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:11,120 hot causes it to shrink. OK. 753 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:12,760 So make sure that it's on a gentle wash. 754 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:16,320 You can also get garment bags or even those duffel bags that bed 755 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:17,960 linen come in. If you've got some of those, 756 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:21,400 stick the jumper in there and that will like clean it. 757 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:25,360 I like to use the Bondi wash, cashmere and sport wash. 758 00:34:25,360 --> 00:34:29,120 It smells really good, kind of gets rid of that wet wool smell 759 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:32,600 because it's not the best. Using that wash makes it smell a 760 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:35,639 lot better and you just let it air dry and you are good to go. 761 00:34:35,639 --> 00:34:38,719 Less friction the better. No peeling, no hot water because 762 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:41,280 it will shrink. And yeah, you can hand wash if 763 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:43,560 you want to, but I just have so many cashmere things now I just 764 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:44,760 can't be bothered to hand wash it. 765 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:47,120 Like Chuck it in the washing machine on a gentle cold wash. 766 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:50,159 We are good to go. Anyway, that's about a wrap for 767 00:34:50,159 --> 00:34:51,960 today's episode. I hope you've enjoyed this 768 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:54,960 little chatty session. It's been a fun one to create 769 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:56,679 with you. Lots of things to come. 770 00:34:56,679 --> 00:34:58,680 We have another episode of fellow friends and home and 771 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:01,240 hosting to get through. We also have Christmas content 772 00:35:01,240 --> 00:35:04,640 coming out very soon. Can you believe it will pretty 773 00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:06,160 much start to roll out in October? 774 00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:08,280 I would say brands are just getting earlier and earlier with 775 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:10,280 those things, but stay tuned because I think there'll be 776 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:13,440 plenty of tablescapes, lots of spring cleaning hacks, lots of 777 00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:17,200 things to see with bed linen. There's so much to see over on 778 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:20,160 my Instagram and my TikTok and also on the journal at 779 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:23,560 lilyburgdesign.com. Until next time, be sure to be 780 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:26,480 subscribed to this podcast. Please give me a rating and a 781 00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:28,280 review. It really helps with getting 782 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:31,600 this podcast out there online on the Internet to find more fellow 783 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:34,600 friends and home and hosting. And until next time, enjoy the 784 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:35,400 rest of your day.