Did you know the Blue Mountains is blue because of all the Eucalyptus trees? The atmosphere is so rich in eucalyptus that it turns the particles in the air blue!

Last week, in the spirit of our Everyday Blues collection, we visited the Blue Mountains!
The Blue Mountains is only a 2 hour train trip from Sydney and is popular for sightseeing. Around this time of year, it is cold! So, if you are thinking about a visit, make sure you rug up in a big warm jacket, and have plenty of layers underneath.
Sight-seeing, tea and coffee, shopping were high on our list of things to do. After a 2 hour commute, tea and coffee was our biggest priority!

Afternoon tea and shopping in Leura

We had a wonderful time there! We walked up and down the street and popped in and out of cute little antique shops. We also had the most scrumptious hot chocolate at a place called Josephine’s. After we had our fill of tea and coffee, it was time to go sight-seeing!

Three Sisters, Katoomba

You really can’t go to the Blue Mountains without visiting The Three Sisters! But be warned it can be incredibly windy this time of the year. Make sure you rug up! I wore my micro-fleece jacket and layered on a puffer vest to break the wind.  I was zipped all the way up to keep my neck protected from the cold winds.

Jurassic Rainforest, Katoomba

To visit this famous rainforest, we were posed with two options; a laborious and very steep walk south or a thrilling 52 degree incline train ride that would get us there in 10 minutes. We chose the latter! The train ride took us through a cliff-side tunnel and we got off at the ancient rainforest. The air was unbelievable fresh, the flora and fauna flourished. It was fantastically peaceful and when you listened carefully you could hear the birds whistling.

Charles Darwin walk, Wentworth Falls

The Charles Darwin walk is an easy stroll that’s roughly a 3.5km loop. The main attraction is its magical waterfalls. Knowing that I was about to get my heart rate up, I decided to peel back the layers and leave my micro-fleece jacket in the car and wear my vest in its place. A vest is great for going on light walks because it keeps your core warm and your arms free to move.

From left to right: Vest, Top, Parka, Jacket & Pant.

Meet Annika & Mel

Artisan

Everyday Blues

Zest Floral

Millers Denim

“Iconic” is how I describe Denim, not just in the fashion world but as a global, cultural statement. From cowboys to Punk Rockers, Denim has certainly evolved through the decades. Originating in the Middle Ages in Nîmes France, a cotton fabric worn purely for durability, originally named serge de Nîmes, later shortened to “Denim”. The history and transformation of Denim leads us on a very interesting and colourful journey through the years.

DENIM THROUGH THE DECADES: 

1920’s-1930’s: The working man’s material. Denim was worn by miners and cowboys as it was a strong durable fabric, perfect for harsh conditions.

1950’s: “The Rebel”, Denim Jeans and jackets were made famous by Marlon Brando and James Dean, making it very popular with teenagers of the time.

1960s-1970’s: It was all about embellishment, embroidery, rhinestones and patchwork, and of course high waisted flares were all the rage.

1980’s: Lets take a perfectly good pair of jeans and attack them. This decade was all about distressing denim to make it look as worn and aged as possible. Stonewash, acid wash and ripped jeans were all the go with many people getting out the scissors and creating their own looks.

1990’s: Bib n’brace overalls were on trend and loose fitting baggy jeans worn low on the hips, the start of the trend of men’s boxer shorts being exposed on their waist.

2000 till today: Now there is a style name and colour for every type of denim jean, The boyfriend, the bootleg, skinny leg, straight leg, relaxed fit, high rise, low rise, coloured  and  printed denim.

The Printed Jean 

Millers have taken their basic comfort jeans and transformed them into a feminine and fashionable statement piece. Our Paisley Comfort Jean conveys a casual, contemporary look.A dark blue based jean, featuring a gorgeous white floral paisley print. The two contrasting colours make the print stand out and pop, creating a fresh and vibrant look.

HOW TO WEAR THEM:

LOOK 1: “Layer with colour”

Shop left to right; Cardigan, Necklace, Shirt, Jean, Shirt, Necklace & Cardigan.

LOOK 2: “Blue Hues”

Shop left to right; Shoes, Jacket, Top, Jean, Top, Cardigan & Necklace.

Millers dark ink floral comfort  jeans  are designed  to create a smoldering blue hue of colour. With a dark indigo base the subtle floral print sets a misty mood. A versatile style that can be worn from dusk till dark. For a more relaxed look, team with our marina blue hanky hem top our black luxe quilted jacket and our Georgina bling boot

To glam it up, pair our dark ink floral comfort jeans with our classic textured top, Millers stunning marina blue crochet placement cardigan and our amazing blue rope statement necklace and don’t forget those Georgina bling boots which are perfect for both looks.

The fragrant world of Herbal Teas

I have always been a tea drinker, strictly black leaf tea with milk, but recently I have noticed a lot of my work colleagues drinking an array of fragrant herbal teas. The exotic aromas and unique spices had me intrigued so I decided to ask around in the office to discover what everyone was drinking and why? I walked around with a notepad and jotted down the responses to my questions:
“What herbal tea do you drink and why?”

Why not try something new?

The responses were varied, the reasons behind drinking a specific tea were a combination of simply enjoying the flavour and/or therapeutic reasons. After researching the benefits of Herbal tea I discovered these interesting facts;

Sleepless nights > Chamomile

Common cold > Elderflower

Stressed > Lemon Balm  

Slow metabolism > Green Tea

Nauseous > Ginger tea   

Bloated > Peppermint tea   

                                                                                           
Eden, who is a Herbal Tea enthusiast, suggested I visit a Tea shop so on her advice I did exactly that and I now I have a new favourite shop to visit.

My Tea shop  Experience

There is something different for everyone.

As soon as I took a step inside  my local Tea shop I was taken aback, it had such an amazing ambiance. There was so much to take in, the smells, the colours, the vast amount of tea varieties, tea sets and every little gadget you could think of related to tea. A lovely sales assistant, showed me around, I tried some freshly brewed chai tea and then went about exploring by myself. With every new tea tin I opened a new aroma came wafting out. I finally decided on a delicious vanilla mint tea and a Ginger Spice Black tea. I also purchased a tea strainer and 2 lovely oriental tea canisters to keep my tea leaves airtight.

So next time you visit local shopping centre or grocery store try something different and pick up a delicious herbal tea. There are so many varieties and flavours too choose from. Teas to lift you up, calm you down, teas for all occasions, so enjoy!!

Till next time, Julie