Blame the economy, but May was a month of sensible - but not boring - spending, from repairs to clothing care and feijoa specials.
As always, this is a #gifted free zone – we paid for everything below, and think you might like them too.
Cardigan repair, $30 from Reparation Studio
Remember that beautiful and expensive cashmere cardigan I bought a couple of months ago? In a haste to clear some light piling on it as I was packing for a trip I recklessly reached for a pair of scissors and inevitably cut a hole in the thing (sob!). Luckily the lovely Jessica Jay of Reparation Studio was able to mend it seamlessly for me. Jess is the nicest person and does an incredible job of mending and altering clothes, highly recommend. - Tyson Beckett
Elle & Riley cashmere comb, $30
I’ve learnt my lesson, I promise! - TB
Duck Island x Everybody Eats feijoa jam doughnut ice cream
I’ve been on bed rest most of May which has been great for my bank account but also ugh, so boring. Ice cream is officially one of my number one food groups and I’ve been wanting to try this collaboration with the excellent Everybody Eats featuring everyone’s favourite foraged fruit since I first heard about it. So on Mother’s Day, I arose from my sick bed long enough to demand my family bring me a pint of it. It’s soooo good, the texture and flavour is incredible. It’s hidden in the back of my freezer where only I can access it. - Rebecca Wadey
Whole fried feijoa from Forest, $25
When feijoa season comes around, you gotta make the most of it. This was my first time dining at Forest – my friends and I were marking a special occasion so we ordered basically everything on the menu, but this was the highlight for me. Fried whole like a donut and rolled in sherbet made from its skins, with sticky ginger cake and earl grey custard. Definitely a contender for best thing I ate this year (for a second year in a row!). - Lara Daly
Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme Lip Shaper Plumping Lip Liner in Cinnamon Swell, $45
Don’t be scared by the name, this lipliner is it. The perfect nude/brown with just a hint of warmth, it’s long-wearing and has a plumping effect that makes your lips look slightly fuller, without being covered in sticky gloss. I carry lip products with me in hoarder-level numbers, but whenever I put this one on I always seem to get compliments and asked what it is. I’m on my second one. - LD
The Marina Abramović Method: Instruction Cards to Reboot Your Life, $40
I’m cheating here: my husband actually bought these from the Art Gallery of NSW gift shop. But this month I mostly spent my money on practical things (teeth cleaning, vet bills) and dinners and drinks while in Sydney. So I’m going to claim his purchase as my own.
I find Abramović a little pretentious, as is the premise behind these cards – a box of 30, each featuring an exercise that the artist uses to prepare herself for her performance artworks and which supposedly teach you her method for “reaching a higher consciousness and confronting life's challenges”. The first card I chose was “release static electricity through a strand of your hair”, another was “swim in a freezing body of water”. Did I complete them all? Absolutely not, but I did appreciate this instruction which is, really, a mantra for life in 2024: “When you meet a personal limit, honour it. Rest when you need rest. Your challenge is unique and so is your path through it.” - Zoe Walker Ahwa