WHAT ARE WE LIVING AND LOVING FOR AT THE MOMENT? THE JONES & CO GIRLS SHARE THEIR INSIDE TIPS ON WHAT’S HOT AND NOT!
JJ’s List
What is our founder Jennifer Jones obsessing over this month?
What I'm coveting:
A green kitchen. We are moving house at the end of the year and I’ve become a little fascinated (er, obsessed) with the idea of having a green kitchen. I was originally inspired by Juliette Arent’s green kitchen in her Bondi apartment and I now have a full Pinterest board on them. I’ve asked for advice from Mr Colour, a Northern Beaches specialist who did amazing work on the renovation of Briar Stanley’s house. The before and afters of her painted bathroom are amazing!
What I'm eating:
Does anyone feel like it’s been the longest year of cooking? I felt so inspired in March but sadly that has faded over the months. Thankfully the Dinner Ladies make and deliver the best food to your doorstep. It’s a great leaping off point for a meal as you can concentrate on making a great side and leave them to the main dish. Some great combinations lately have been their spinach and feta pie with this Ottolenghi-inspired fig salad or their corn and haloumi fritters with an avocado salsa, tomato chutney and green balsamic salad. They’ve been a bit of a life-saver lately. Hopefully the green kitchen brings back my enthusiasm!
What I'm reading:
I’m getting into the right mindset for moving house and this includes decluttering and sorting through our possessions. I think everyone knows of Marie Kondo by now but another book I have been loving is Slow by Brooke McAlary where she takes us on her family’s journey to a simpler life. One quote I love is: “I don’t want slow living to become synonymous with decluttering, but I do want it to become synonymous with intention. And if you can work through the process of decluttering with intention, then you can feel confident that a slower, simpler home waits on the other side.” I thoroughly recommend it even if you’re not moving! It’s a great guide to how to simply your life and your home.
What I'm buying:
Summer is in the air and it seems as if we just skipped over Spring this year. I’ve been loving getting back to my long beach days. Being sun smart, I’ve invested in a few things for this summer. I’ve found the easiest pop up shelter is Cool Cabanas as it gives you heaps of space — which is also good for social distancing this year. We also pack our snacks and drinks in a great retro cooler from Business and Pleasure and I love their sunny designs. Finally for getting maximum coverage, my daughter Teddie and I will be wearing surf suits. I love this Seafolly surfsuit and she’s got one from Rock your Baby.
What I'm watching:
We’ve been loving Netflix’s Tiny Creatures. Created and directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Jonathan Jones they are adventures of little animals and shot almost like a mini-movie with plot lines. The most incredible thing of all is that all episodes which take place in different parts of the USA were shot in Jonathan’s backyard studio in England during the pandemic lockdown! It’s an incredible demonstration of technology these days but they are also immensely engaging for the whole family. Especially on our Friday TV and Pizza Nights!
Jen’s List
What is floating the boat of our creative director Jennifer Sampson this month?
What I'm loving:
We started a Friday night happy hour and snack in our house this month. It’s super fun to finish the week off in style and set the tone for the weekend ahead. We’ve done oysters from our local fishmonger with spicy Bloody Marys, LP’s Quality meats pig’s head sausages sliced up with negronis and last week it was Chin Chin’s Kingfish sashimi green chili nam jim with a glass of chilled Pinot Grigio. Yum.
What I'm coveting:
We borrowed several chairs from our friends at Few and Far for our recent Jones & Co catalogue shoot and I can’t stop thinking about this one in particular! Tara and Danny have the best eye in the business for marrying modern pieces with antiques and vintage. Check out their sprawling homeware emporiums in the Southern Highlands and South Coast next time you are that way or shop online.
What I'm eating:
We had a beautiful birthday celebration dinner at Café Paci in Newtown this month. Wonderful potato and molasses bread with butter to start then reworked classics like beef tartare with smoked tomato and parmesan followed by steak frites with sauce Diane in a relaxed bistro style setting with unpretentious and attentive service. We had a Masterchef judge seated next to us and he seemed as impressed as we were!
What I'm reading:
I’m in the middle of The Girls by Emma Cline which I’m enjoying as it’s definitely a departure from what I’ve read of late. It’s a coming of age fiction based around the Manson murders. I have a stack next to my bed at the moment and it’s one of the best feelings in the world knowing you have book after book to devour.
What I'm buying:
I’m living in this linen robe from Eadie Lifestyle. I have the black one and it’s the perfect thing for unpredictable spring weather when a traditional jacket is too warm.
What I'm watching:
I just finished I May Destroy You which was raw and honest deep dive into consent and sexual assault. Written by and starring Michaela Coel as Arabella who is a refreshingly flawed and engaging female lead set in London (and Italy). I would recommend taking your time with this one and restricting viewing with gaps between episodes. The arc of the story line needs some breath between installments as Arabella traverses between the stages of grief as she reconstructs her life and moves forward in her life and relationships.
What I'm listening to:
More what I’m listening with. Airpods. I caved and I must admit they are pretty amazing in that seamlessly intuitive Apple designed way. Charging them is a little annoying but worth it for the freedom! Woo!
