WHAT ARE WE LIVING AND LOVING FOR AT THE MOMENT? THE JONES & CO GIRLS SHARE THEIR INSIDE TIPS ON WHAT’S HOT AND NOT!
What is our founder and director Jennifer Jones obsessing over this month?
What I'm loving:
In October we became parents again to…Arthur the Airedale. He’s now 7 months old and 27 kilos and still growing rapidly.
What can I say but I am pretty much besotted. Airedales are a very ‘specific’ breed and I don’t think I was quite prepared for such an undertaking. They are the most stubborn, mischievous and headstrong of animals! He so far has eaten our door frames, the arms and legs off most of the Barbie dolls and numerous steaks and wedges of truffle pecorino off the table.
I have become a dog trainer dork and only walk with a treat bag attached to my waist now!
If you are interested in turning your life upside down, then contact these breeders who were utterly amazing!
https://www.facebook.com/airedales/
What I'm eating:
After a year of pandemic panic eating, I kick started the year with a Keto Diet Challenge. Whilst Keto is pretty restrictive, I found it more manageable than all the other plans I’ve been on in the past (anyone remember the cabbage soup diet??)
I did the Keto Switch (https://ketogenicswitch.com) and it really worked! Energy levels soared, weight came off and I didn’t even give up my wine (I just counted it as a ‘fruit’ ha ha!)
I also found some great healthy options for things that I love.
Denada Ice Cream!
This is 99% sugar free and utterly delicious! I once bought every flavour when it went on sale…
Palena Fresh
Delivered to your door they’ve got all your favourites from cinnamon scrolls to pizza bases. All gluten free and keto friendly.
https://www.palenafresh.com.au
Well Naturally Chocolate
I must admit I have SUCH a sweet tooth so needed some of these in the fridge door to get me through the first few weeks. You can’t taste the difference but you’re not loading your body with tons of sugar just to have chocolate.
https://wellnaturally.com.au
What I'm reading:
I finally read ‘A Little Life’ by Hanya Yanagihara. I got it for my birthday 5 years ago and I honestly feel like I could only have handled it this year emotionally. The story follows four guys who meet at college and takes you on the most intimate journey through their lives. It is deep and dark and the topics it faces are some of the most intense and shocking I’ve really come across. It took me while to get into but then whoa it was a rollercoaster ride till the end. It’s one of those books that takes a while to get over and through your system and I had aftershocks for weeks after. If you read only one great book this year I can 100% recommend this.
What I'm buying:
It was my daughter’s 5th birthday this year and we hit the jackpot with some of her presents. The one that has had us all hooked is the game Rush Hour. It suits all levels and ages, and the super hard level even has my super smart husband stumped sometimes. Definitely one to bring out to dinner instead of the iPad!
This year was a bit of a big birthday… 45! Which makes Jones & Co 15 years old. As proud as I am of getting to this milestone, I don’t really want my face to show its age! My gorgeous friend who works for Sephora sent me the Nuface device. It’s a handheld device that sends microcurrents through your skin. As their website says:
Microcurrent is a safe and effective technology for clients who wish to attain and maintain a healthier, younger-looking appearance.
I’m only a few weeks into using it but I ‘think’ I can see the difference!
What I'm watching:
I got entirely sucked into “Call my Agent” and had a blissful few week of getting lost in Parisian agent life. This show is such a tonic! It’s funny but meaningful, clever and human. I also love the French language and was walking around for weeks after muttering ‘C’est formidable!’ under my breath.
I also really enjoyed the four-part series “Us” based on the book by David Nicholls. It’s about a couple that are going through a marriage crisis and then decide to still continue on their family holiday with their teenage son through Europe. I found it light and enjoyable, and it was lovely to see Europe again!
What was our creative director Jennifer Sampson loving this month?
What I'm eating:
We had a really fabulous meal recently at Porteno. What a lovely little neck of the woods that crew have carved out for themselves now. Among their other enterprises in and around Sydney (our local is Continental in Newtown), Holt St in Surry Hills is home to their second baby, Porteno which is sandwiched between Humble, a fantastic bakery and Wyno their great little bar. It was just so delightful to be seated by Sarah and see her husband Elvis on the pans and Ben swilling a wine while carving steak on the pass on a Saturday night. These guys have been at it a long time and the passion that they obviously pour into their food is as strong as it was when they started in 2006.
What I'm reading:
So much reading! I’ve really been devouring lots of books at the moment. I adored My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell, such an intense and intimate story that covers tender territory in such a finely crafted way that you feel you know Vanessa or ARE Vanessa while reading it so well written, real and visceral. High recommend. Two more reads are A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing by Jessie Tu – I loved this book, set in Sydney about a former child prodigy (of classical violin) wrestling with universal themes of sex, power and loneliness. Lastly, I just finished Honeybee by Craig Silvey, while I really enjoyed the premise of two disparate characters having a chance meeting on a bridge, I felt the subsequent resolution a little simplistic and trite – that said, there are lots of tender moments to enjoy and it’s an easy read.
What I'm buying:
Not much at the moment! We are moving house soon and I have entered the dark and mysterious waters of Facebook marketplace to clear house. I’m a card-carrying homewares poster girl, having far too much for our needs, it’s been cathartic shedding tables, chairs, plants, artwork, couches, lamps – you name it I’ve sold it. I’m entering a new phase of buying once and buying well, things I really love and cherish that are handmade, tell a story and mean something to my family. The girls in the Jones & Co office have heard all of my crazy FB marketplace stories – you definitely meet some characters; I could give an online seminar on the subject!
What I'm watching:
Your Honor has been my best watch so far this year, if you liked Breaking Bad, you will love this. Bryan Cranston does good-man-descending-into-darkness-for-his-family like no one else! Other noteworthy watches are Industry, a British drama following a group of young grads vying for a permanent role in a super scary investment bank. Also, Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry – what an incredibly gifted brother and sister (and total sibling goals), in fact her whole family is so grounded it’s engrossing watching her whole life blow up on camera. If you ever want to know where to watch our recommends jump online to www.justwatch.com.au and type in the name of the show or movie and it will tell you the appropriate streaming service. Saves ages going from app to app!
What I'm listening to:
The new Tash Sultana album Terrafirma, I’m a big fan and I love the idea of Tash holed up in Byron during lockdown creating this magical album. It soaring and graceful, complex and pure – they really created a masterpiece in ISO while I feel like all I did was home school and cook banana bread. Sigh.
I just finished Sentimental Garbage’s podcast five-part special on Sex and the City which was amazing. Hosted by two authors Dolly Alderton (we’ve mentioned her here before in the Jones List) and Caroline O’Donoghue who are also mates and have a soft spot for SATC. The podcast discusses major themes in the show, relationships and basically all things SATC. You need to be a fan, for sure, as this is a love letter to the show, it brings up problems with a 2021 lense when it’s appropriate but mostly it’s a really perceptive, insightful, touching and funny look into the writing and motivation of the show by two really smart women. I’m going to dive back into the five seasons from the start now in preparation for whatever mess they are going to make of the legacy with the new installment of the show!
