Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Eating Is A Happy Thing To Do

Surry Hills | Best of The Best


When it comes to finding somewhere to eat in Sydney there are a couple of factors to consider:
  1. Budget
  2. Quality
  3. USP
It's no secret that this amazing city is subsequently ridiculously expensive to live in. A small bottle of water will rob you $6+ in the CBD, and breakfast - my fave meal of the day - will require a second mortgage for anything involving avocado. Sigh. So when I find somewhere that delivers on all three of my requirements I want to jump for joy and tell everyone I know to try them out.

First up is HavenNow Haven was the first place I went to as soon as I landed in Sydney back in May 2015. It's a little coffee shop located on Chalmers Street (across the road from Central station) and offers a range of tailored coffee's, as well as seasonal dishes cooked by their chef on site. It's Japanese inspired with one of my fave dishes being the signature pork belly kimcheese burger, but the absolute best thing to eat on their menu is the smashed avocado, egg and bacon sandwich. This bad boy gets taken up a notch with the salsa verde and garlic aioli spread on the soy & linseed holding the whole thing together. In Winter this came with a coffee for $10 and i'm not going to lie, I ate this every day. Especially if I was hungover. Now it's about $15 for the coffee/sandwich combo, which is still worth every penny considering it fills you up for the morning/early afternoon and you get that caffeine hit, too. Haven's USP is definitely the shop design and the fact that their staff are the loveliest people on earth. When I went home to the UK for a little bit, I came back to Haven and they asked where I had been and if I was still having a latte with two sugars. It was just so sweet to know that they recognise their regulars.

Photo credit: Haven Facebook 

Next up is Chur Burger. If a burger could steal your heart, this would do it. Price, quality and USP all ticked off with one bite. The burger above is The Notorious P.I.G and is a naughty little limited edition that happens every few months. As far as i'm aware they've done it in pork and beef, with beef being my favourite. The special sauce they use tastes exactly like Big Mac sauce, so you're basically getting an upgrade of the Big Mac with everything being 100 times better tasting. On their regular menu you've got all the signatures you'd expect: pulled pork, chicken, beef, fish etc so choose your favourite and don't forget to add sweet potato fries or chilli fries - or do what we normally do and order both to share. We can never decided, don't judge.

Photo credit: Chur Burger Facebook page

Half way through and we're back to all-day breakfast food on Albion Street. Reuben Hills is a little hole in the wall inspired by Central and South America. Their food is just as great as the interior and the general vibe you get from the place. It's chilled out and really does have you feeling as though you're in a little eatery in Mexico; especially when you order their baked eggs with tomato, chorizo and fresh bread to soak it all up. Absolutely incredible at any time of the day, just the thought of it has my stomach grumbling at me to go.

Photo credit: Insta @reubenhills

Last up is Blacksmith, just a few doors up on Chalmers Street from our first stop Haven. This slightly dim and outback-looking cafe is great for breakfast and lunch - I did say I'm a breakfast kinda person - and does the best breakfast burger. Go around noon and make it brunch with some fries on the side and you're set with a good meal for the day. The food is great, but it's the interior that first caught my eye on my way past, and that is what I would say is this little cafe's USP. It's just quirky, cool and oh so instagram-able. If that were a word. 

Photo credit: My own photographs via Insta @marialitiziaxo
Photo credit: My own photographs via Insta @marialitiziaxo 
That's where I like to get a bite to eat at the weekends, but where's your favourite place to eat around Sydney?

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

All Black Everything

ALLSAINTS | New Year, New Arrivals
 
When it comes to shopping, if it ain't black, white or a shade in between, then I simply don't have time for it. There are the odd exceptions of course, but 99.9% of the time I'm strictly monochrome, which is why AllSaints is, and always will be, the way to my heart. Each season they bring me something else to add to my wish list, and this new January drop has me adding more than my salary can cope with.
 
Although I'm in Australia now and at the minute its our summer, I do still have a passion for knitwear, boots and coats - leather and otherwise - which is what I would say is probably the hardest part of living in such a hot country (aside from the obvious family factor). However it does still rain here and occasionally gets cooler in the evenings every blue moon. You can see I'm really trying to justify this can't you? So it's okay to put the shorts back in the wardrobe and get the thicker fabrics out now and then. Which is exactly the feeling I get when I look at the following:
 
First up, the Newton Cross Strap Boot. Absolutely to die for. When I first saw these delights on the brands instagram I immediately stopped scrolling and had to re-gram with a string of heart eye emojis. I'm just obsessed with them. There's nothing better than pairing beauts like these with either black jeans or leather skinnies and a really nice chunky knit. In January in the UK this would be my go-to outfit for the majority of the time. Oh how I miss the cold...
 
 
Next up is possibly the best weapon to battle the UK winter that I've seen in a long time. The Helm Wrap Cardigan is a lovely chunky wool/nylon/alpaca mix that eliminates the need to purchase that additional oversize scarf like we all do. I love that it stretches down to the knuckles a little for that extra warmth and comfort. I'd wear this with a black or charcoal grey roll neck long sleeve top for added layering, some black jeans and the Newton Cross Strap boots above. Perfect.


Lastly we need a bag to hold our shit together. This goatskin and vacchietta leather Darling Bowling Bag is the ideal one for me, personally. I have a general rule for my bags that if it can't hold my MacBook then it's a no go. I carry that thing around with me as though it were my child, so my bag has to be big enough to hold that and everything else deemed essential for my daily life. This style has me written all over it, so it was a no brainer when selecting it for this post. At 328GBP it's an investment piece, but it's one that's going to last. With my birthday coming up in a couple of months, this will definitely be getting shown to the boyf.
 
Everything you've seen in this post can be purchased via the brands website here.
 
Photo credit: ALLSAINTS.COM

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Ronda Rousey | 2016 SI Swimsuit Issue

Ronda Rousey | 2016 SI Swimsuit Issue

Just in case any of you lovely lot have been hiding under a rock for a little while now, Ronda Rousey is one of the most badass female MMA fighters to grace our television screens. In an unfortunate turn of events, she suffered a pretty bad KO in her last fight to Holly Holm in November last year, but being the absolute girl boss that she is, she has come back looking better than ever to feature in the 2016 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue - wearing nothing but body paint. The results had me questioning my sexuality (sorry Mikey) and wanting to steal her bum. As you do.



You see what I mean don't you? Yeah, thought so. To say that she had her jaw pretty much destroyed from a kick to the face about 2 months ago, I'm loving her smile and how strong she's looking. It really does show that this new surge of Strong Is Sexy that's evolving amongst women everywhere (and something that I have been a strong advocate of for a while now) is the way forward. Ronda just looks sensational and I think you'll agree. The images above are just teasers from SI, but it's hitting stands next month so luckily we don't have long to wait to see the rest!

Photo credit: SI.com

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

D A M S E L F L Y

Hustle And Heart Will Set You Apart

When the count down starts at 23:59:50 on NYE and everyone frantically runs around in an attempt to fill up their glasses and prepare to toast to the New Year, I am usually sat (or in this year's case, stood) contemplating what I want from the year to come. It's such a romantic notion that the New Year brings with it a whole list of new opportunities and adventures just waiting to be uncovered. I mean, who doesn't want a fresh start and to build themselves into the empire they've always imagined. For my New Year's resolution I wanted to be realistic. For too long now I've always focused on the need to lose 20lbs, gain three inches in height and make an effort to look fashionable every day - goals which are completely unrealistic (the height one especially) unless life doesn't screw you over at some point along the way. And let's be honest, life always finds a way to . So for 2016 I said to myself that I would be realistic, and after reading this article on Quartz, that is exactly what I am aiming to do. 

If you've found this little head space from social media, you might be aware that I was previously the owner of another fashion blog called VDM. I started that little venture in 2012 and gained success and coverage from the likes of Cosmopolitan Magazine among others. But then I started university, and when you're living in the biggest party city in the UK you're not really focusing on anything but the projects you've got due in to class and how many red cups you need to order for Friday's little big get-together. So with my resolution this year being to get my shit together after doing a little travelling up the East Coast (I'm currently living in Sydney, Australia) in the coming months, I wanted to start fresh and stop trying to make fetch happen with VDM. I'm in a different stage of my life and I need something that is going to reflect that. Hence, the birth of White Onyx.



























Now that the obligatory introductions are over with, now is the interesting part! With my resolution being what it is - and the fact I love anything with a motivational or witty quote - I wanted to buy something aside from my 2016 diary that would keep me in the right mindset. So on my Sunday off work whilst on a little day trip to Manly with my partner, we stopped off in this little hole in the wall shop that sold some high fashion garments, as well as homeware - my favourite. That was when I first  came across the majestical little brand Damselfly.

If you don't fall in love with how adorable looking the creator Christina is, or the fact that their tag line is "Shine bright. Be Fierce. Feel the magic.", then you'll definitely love their quote candles and the fact that they come naughty or nice. With options such as, "Such a fucking lady", "I'm actually a mermaid" and "Girl Boss", there's a candle for everyone - and each has a different scent. Obviously I went with the more motivational, nice quote, but I can 100% predict I will be purchasing one for each room in my house at this rate. My candle in the photo above smells of orchard apples, citrus, vanilla and bergamot and was my absolute favourite scent when I was trying them all. All I can say is that our bedroom smells amazing and even my boyfriend (a manly, 6ft4 rugby player) was all over this latest purchase. Men like candles more than they let on!

Prices for the candles range from $39.95 - $49.95 and you can buy them via the Damselfly website. The quality of the candle you are buying really does reflect the price; 80 hours of burn time, two wicks and the pot itself is glass with an engraved wooden lid - this was my favourite part, as its perfect for putting the flame out when you're done with it for the day.

Let me know what your favourites are, and don't forget to connect with us via Instagram here!