Arnhem Girls In Isolation #InMyArnhem

This week we’ve been talking to some of our long-time Arnhem loves about their lives in isolation. Find out what life in lockdown looks like for them and how our Arnhem girls are staying healthy, finding inspiration, and get the low-down on good reads, watches & the realities of iso-style. Sit back & savour.

 

 

TELL US WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING TO STAY HEALTHY & SANE WHILE SELF-ISOLATING.
Each morning I take my little Poppie for a walk around our quiet neighbourhood and then I make my usual coffee (short black) and green or banana smoothie. We have been very fortunate lately of having some amazing sunshine, so I have been spending a lot of my time outside in our garden. I actually love gardening, so I am loving being at home more to help it flourish.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN READING, WATCHING & WEARING AT HOME?
I have most recently been reading American Psycho. An old paper back copy that was my Dads :) I really love documentaries and “based on true life” adaptations. If you haven't watched Unorthodox yet I think it is well worth it. Of course, I have been wearing my beautiful new Arnhem set when lounging and when I’m not in this I am usually in one of Dan’s big linen shirts or track pants and a crop. Comfort is key :)


WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR DAILY DOSE OF INSPIRATION RIGHT NOW?
I am actually just finding inspiration from corners of our home right now. I have been loving sharing more of my normal everyday life and feel more than ever that I am sharing more of me too.

CAIT of @eyeofhoruscosmetics & @caitprovan

TELL US WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING TO STAY HEALTHY & SANE WHILE SELF-ISOLATING.
I’m using this unique time to detox my body, mind and life. I’ve decided to go alcohol free during all of this, and only eat wholesome unprocessed foods to support my body. I’ve spent more time in reflection and going within to pause and let my inner guidance and intuition guide me through the uncertainty. And the fun part! I’ve been cleaning out my house and donating old clothes and items, and going through files on my phone and computer and organising them and clearing up space. It feels like a luxury to have this time to cleanse and align things.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN READING, WATCHING & WEARING AT HOME?

READING - I’ve been reading a magnificent book, A Course of Love, which essentially is about making the shift from fear based living to love. The goal is to unite mind and heart to always come from a place of ‘wholeheartedness’ as the book calls it. We as humans tend to live mostly from our minds, which is required to get the job done, but uniting mind with heart is where our true power lies.

WATCHING - I’ve been watching a few conspiracy theory doco’s as usual hehe. But not getting too caught up in them, more so staying up to date on what influential spiritual leaders worldwide are saying and hinting about this current pandemic. It’s really positive and I’m excited for our collective future.

WEARING - I’m all about comfort, so most days during this time you’ll find me in my pj’s or exercise wear. But for work meetings and catch ups with friends I’ve loved getting dressed up and putting on a beautiful flowy dress to create a nice sense of occasion.


WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR DAILY DOSE OF INSPIRATION RIGHT NOW?
My daily dose of inspiration is coming from so many beautiful people and brands. I am inspired by our whole global community and their reaction to this crisis. People are opening their hearts and arms helping others in need out, uniting together now more than ever, and brands are getting really creative in how they can further support their community to soften the blow. It’s a really magical time to be on Earth to see this transformation happen.

 

SALLY of @sallymustang

TELL US WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING TO STAY HEALTHY & SANE WHILE SELF-ISOLATING.
I’m lucky enough to live on 16 acres of rain forest so lots of walks, reading in the sun, swims in the river. I have also been doing yoga each afternoon. Writing letters to post in the mail to my loved ones and we just started planting our veggie garden for autumn.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN READING, WATCHING & WEARING AT HOME?
Reading fantasy novels which is a great escape from this world ha
Also been watching a lot of movies that make me feel like I have travelled somewhere-
Into the wild
Eat pray love
Frida
Harry Potter series.
I have been wearing basically nothing, being a new mum and breast-feeding lots, your beautiful underwear makes me feel sexy.

WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR DAILY DOSE OF INSPIRATION RIGHT NOW?
Nature

 

KENDALL of @kendallbaggerly

TELL US WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING TO STAY HEALTHY & SANE WHILE SELF-ISOLATING.
Getting up with the sun every day, making a coffee and moving my body by stretching or working out has been a saving grace to keep my sanity while self-isolating! It's also been fun having more time to try out new recipes and spend more time making healthy meals and treats.


WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN READING, WATCHING & WEARING AT HOME?

I'm currently re-reading the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – an oldie but a goodie! It's helping me stay motivated and keep myself accountable while everything slows down a bit. I've also been catching up on shows as of late; my top ones are Ozark, That 70's Show and Suits. I've been living in comfy clothes nonstop, but always make sure to get out of my pjs right away, so I don't slip back into bed! My go-tos have been flowy dresses as they're a great way to stay comfy but still look (and feel!) cute.

WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR DAILY DOSE OF INSPIRATION RIGHT NOW?
I've always found inspiration in nature. Even though my days look much different now, I still try to get outside, breathe in the fresh air and soak up a little bit of sunshine. It's amazing how much your mindset can change when you let a little nature in!

 

MIKKI of @mikkilauld & @mikkiauldhair

TELL US WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING TO STAY HEALTHY & SANE WHILE SELF-ISOLATING.
To be honest, I'm just going back to basics and am allowing myself to enjoy the slow down. I don't think I realised how much energy I was spilling out, day in and day out. Running your own business really is tough! I'm early to bed and early to rise. I move my body daily, I eat well and keep hydrated. I'm expressing myself through many different mediums and am exploring the expanses of my creativity. It's a lot of fun. For me, it's all been about going inward.


WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN READING, WATCHING & WEARING AT HOME?
I'm terrible when it comes to books. I wish I could absorb them all, all at once and it's because of this that I'll half read one, pick up another and then another and another. I'm cross pollinating, which makes it almost impossible to remember where I've read what. Right now I'm finishing off Year Of The Monkey by Patti Smith and Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre. Last night I watched Pierrot Le Fou, oh my, the colours! I'm wearing whatever is comfortable - usually a sweater and socks or one of my vintage nightgowns.

WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR DAILY DOSE OF INSPIRATION RIGHT NOW?
A few years ago I made a list of all of the things I wanted to create and I'm working my way through this. I'm not sure where I draw inspiration from. Ideas come to me from the most random places within my psyche. haha! I'm inspired by my old journal entries, the places I've been and artisans past and present that I admire.

 

CHELSEA of @feedingmindbodysoul

TELL US WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING TO STAY HEALTHY & SANE WHILE SELF-ISOLATING.
I've been trying to maintain a good routine as much as possible- getting up at the same time, including new daily rituals for myself (sitting outside with probiotic drink in the garden/ sunshine, every-day after my work is done rolling out my yoga mat and doing some yoga and stretching, prescribing myself regular breaks to step away from my computer and do something else- even just standing up and walking around!, eating well and regularly with lots of variety and focus on quality nutrition, drinking lots of water, making time for something social every day (usually a FaceTime with friends) and time for myself every-day after the work is done (an at home spa session, watch some TV or read a book, mood-boarding, cook something special and delicious, some journaling or a solo dance party in my room!). Finding time for balance (not all work and no play and vice versa) and regularly checking in with myself and responding to that. Trying to maintain as much of my old routine as possible! Doing the same things to get ready for the day in the morning, eating food I would normally eat and drinking my coffee as I normally would (albeit it at home and not at a café), engaging in similar activities as normal and unwinding for the day in the same way. Finding time to be creative and unleash my energy when I have it, and rest when I don't- these are stressful and exhausting times. Also disconnecting from social media and the news when I'm feeling overwhelmed :) we don't need to be connected all the time. I think it is very easy to find the news anxiety-provoking right now, so I like to step out into my backyard and get some fresh air and spend some time playing or cuddling with my dog when that happens to me. Finding positivity every day, reminding myself of the things I can control and using that as a focal point to set the tone for my day, rather than negativity and focusing on things I have no control over. Looking forward, I think I'm going to start learning some new recipes for the winter time and/ or doing some baking (I've been loving eating plenty of nutritious food and taking my time in the kitchen, but I think it's time to start branching out and using some of the many fabulous cookbooks I've got at my disposal at the moment) :)

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN READING, WATCHING & WEARING AT HOME?
I've been reading a mixture of fiction and non-fiction books/ literature. I have to read a lot for my university studies (I am studying interior architecture and French at university, and am being privately tutored and mentored in Archaeology and Ancient History) so I've been reading prescribed literature and visual content for my design units, reading a book for French called "L'Analphabete" by Agota Kristof, plus non-fiction books on Mesopotamia, Babylon and the Roman Empire for my tutoring. As far as fiction goes, I've just finished re-reading "The Book Thief" by Markus Zuzak, who is an Australian author (this book was one of my favourites during high school). I've also been reading "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo as I'm trying to re-juvenate my room a little bit currently! Watching: I've just gotten into "Peaky Blinders" and I'm re-watching newer seasons of "The Crown" and, for a bit of a laugh, "New Girl" and "The Office" interchangeably when I'm in the mood for something a little more comical. Finally, wearing: I've been making an effort to get out of my pyjamas straight away in the morning, as I normally would and still get dressed as usual. I have been wearing a lot of comfortable dresses (like the Lelani Slip dress), or t-shirts/ blouses a maxi skirt/ pair of comfy linen shorts (like the Maya blouse, Camilla skirt or lelani blouse). I also have been loving wearing a kimono (like the Lelani) tied up so it looks like a wrap dress, or even undone over a short dress or singlet and shorts combo! Focus on comfort for me- nothing too tight or restrictive, lots of beautiful colours and patterns to uplift myself and just wearing old favourites, it brings me a lot of joy to get dressed up and wear my favourite pieces! If/ when it's feeling a little cooler, I'll put a nice knit over the top :) I like to continue wearing a small amount of natural makeup, hair styling and/ or accessories most of the time to keep up with my usual day to day styling- just trying to maintain my normal routine in any way I can!


WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR DAILY DOSE OF INSPIRATION RIGHT NOW?
I'm finding inspiration from all kinds of places- quotes, books, journaling, photography, Pinterest boards, talking with friends and families... I've been writing a lot of goals and aspirations out in a daily and weekly format for myself and having something concrete to work towards has helped me stay engaged in what I'm doing! Setting time aside to explore different creative outlets I think is really important right now when we can feel a little limited and boxed in. And still keeping up with things that I usually do that are creative: I am a dance teacher and choreographer so right now I am unable to work with my students but I can continue to choreograph and practice so that (when this is all over) I can come back stronger than ever! I've been learning choreography via video from some of my favourite dance choreographers too, instead of going to classes, teaching myself new songs or monologues for when I can go to auditions again. Right now, I think it is the time to really ask yourself: "what are things I've always wanted to do but, in my usual day to day life, never find the opportunity to do so?" Because, at the end of the day, we should be seeking the ultimate inspiration from within: from our deepest desires, dreams and hopes. Sometimes, that is harder to determine than you might hope- that is where I find journaling to be really helpful, particularly ones that provide you with tasks or activities to fill out, that can help you set intentions and daydream a little :) I was supposed to go overseas for an exchange program with my degree this year and, to help me stay inspired and motivated, I'm continuing to research dreamy destinations so that, when it is time to travel again, I'll be ready and as excited as ever! Pinterest moodboards and sitting down with a notebook and a travel book/ guide is one of my favourite weekend activities!