Miss Peregrin's Secrets

Monday Moodboard

2012-01-30T18:07:00.005+10:00

Hello lovelies,

Just in case your Monday has been as dreary as mine, here's a dash of colour to perk it up.

Did I mention I dyed my hair red this weekend (and the bathroom sink, the butt of my favourite PJ pants, and my lounge chair)?

Until next time, xo.

Best of the Interwebz

2012-01-28T13:02:00.000+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

Yet another weekend of 2012 has snuck up on me already! I was lucky enough to end up with a four day weekend due to Australia Day & my RDO coinciding remarkably well. As the rest of my family went away for the weekend, The Boyfriend & I have been home alone for the first time in months. Mostly, this has meant we have eaten crappy food, played our music loud & sat on our computers sending each other links to amusing things. We also went fishing this morning, and I caught a fish! If you're lucky I'll show you a picture of it tomorrow. But for now, you're stuck with some cool shiz I found on the internets this week.

This Birthday Party Crown Tutorial is for the kid (or rAdult) in all of us.

Loved these Tips for Sewing Leather - complete with a beginner project for you to try! Also check out Tips for Sewing Stretch Fabric, & Tips for Sewing Sweater Knit.

It might nearly be February, but I'm still all over Setting Goals: Doing What You Love in 2012.

I absolutely adored this article on dealing with an introvert if you're an extrovert, and vice versa.

These gorgeous photographs make me want to jump on a plane to Switzerland.

Elissa's honest musings about nudity, shame & celebrity really resonated with me. How do you feel about your naked body?

Totally bookmarking this tutorial for sewing your own mittens, and this Floral Boots DIY for the Winter months.

This post got me thinking about my shopping habits & how I want to change them in 2011.

I'm going to have a go of making some resin charms after seeing this tutorial.

I'm also going to have to have a crack at making this glitter ring.

This DIY Scarf Print Blouse tutorial is so freakin' cool. Talk about an awesome use for unused scarves.

How Not To Care What Other People Think Of You. Just, wow. I'm proud to count Tavi as one of my role models - she may be younger than me, but she's got such a handle on life!

I cried a little when I read My Rapist Friended Me on Facebook (and All I Got Was This Lousy Article), and then again reading Why I Talk About Rape.

Absolutely adoring these photos of an actual clothes horse. As in, a horse made from clothes.

The Marilyn Meme is a great article about those skinny-bashing pictures of Marilyn Monroe that are doing the rounds on Facebook.

I loooooove this idea of using soft chalk to colour your hair crazily in a non-permanent way. I don't know how it would work on dark hair though?

This Lace Heart Cardigan DIY is absolutely to die for. So adorable.

If anyone wants to send me a Valentines Day card, any of these owl-themed beauties will suffice.

These images of famous photographers posing with their most iconic photographs sent chills down my spine.

I've kind of avoided the whole "Shit Girls Say" meme, but these two cracked me up!

Enjoy!

Until next time, xo.

A Musical Interlude: With Lisa Mitchell

2012-01-27T14:42:00.000+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

Today's musical interlude is brought to you by someone I didn't like at first. Lisa Mitchell first rose to fame as a contestant on the fourth season of Australian Idol. I thought the judges must have been touched in the head for letting her through to the top six - I thought she was so boring! But I stumbled across these songs on Youtube the other day, and I have to admit that I quite like them.

What do you reckon, ay? Have I become touched in the head since 2006, or is this gorgeous girl actually really good? Could my initial dislike have been because I was a teenager who refused to listen to anything other than hard rock & heavy metal? Have there been times when you have disliked a musician to begin with, only to stumble upon them years later & realise they weren't so bad?

Until next time, xo.

Holiday Happy Snaps

2012-01-26T20:06:00.006+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

I am still exhausted from my whirlwind trip to Sydney last weekend to see Love Never Dies, the sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera (have I ever mentioned what a freak I am for The Phantom of the Opera?). Despite having an apparently quite dismal opening season in London & earning the pseudonym "Paint Never Dries", I absolutely loved it. I may or may not have cried.

Anyway, this means you get subjected to more phone pictures of my holidays! I went to Sydney with my dearest Mum, a few of her friends & one of their daughters, and let me tell you, those ladies know how to cram a lot into a weekend!

We arrived on Friday afternoon, and spotted this amazing typo on the shuttle bus to our hotel from the airport.

This is the beautiful lobby of our hotel building. We stayed at the Season's Harbour Plaza on Sussex Street, which was pretty damn good & nicely within walking distance of everywhere we needed to go.

We went out to dinner in Darling Harbour, had a few wines, then headed over to King's Cross and looked through a few adult shops. In one of them we encountered a very enthusiastic & professional salesperson who offered to show us demonstrations of all the products. We also had men trying to escort us into their strip clubs in King's Cross by telling us that their club was the only one where you saw more than boobs.

On Saturday morning we were up & going by 8am. Lucky I love these ladies, because I am totally not a morning person. We made up for it by getting a great breakfast (& coffee!) in Darling Harbour, and then heading over to the Chinese Gardens. Unfortunately for us, it poured down rain at the Chinese Gardens, but we did get to see some traditional Dragon dancing.

I wore a maxi dress, knotted into a shorter dress over my faithful red jeans & a jacket. I loved the weather in Sydney! If I wore a jacket anytime in Summer in Queensland, I would die of heatstroke.

Afterwards, we headed to Paddy's markets for some shopping. I bought a fairly psychedelic top/dress, and an owl necklace which I inexplicably forgot to photograph.

Of course, we had to go over to the Powerhouse Museum for the Harry Potter Exhibition. The Powerhouse is amazing! I can't wait to go back & have another look through it. The Harry Potter Exhibition was also amazing (although smaller than I imagined). My favourite part was looking at all the costumes - particularly Hermione Granger & Luna Lovegood's gorgeous dresses.

As it turned out, once we got to the Powerhouse all the early sessions for the Harry Potter exhibitions were full, so we ended up wandering back to our hotel to wait for our session. We went back through Chinatown, which was awesome. I liked it better than King's Cross because the shady looking characters were only trying to sell me chinese food, instead of prostitutes.

After our wander through Chinatown, a few plates of nachos, and a costume change, we headed back to the Harry Potter exhibition, and straight onto the Capitol Theatre for the show afterwards.

We had a few drinks afterwards, got told to move along by a security guard, and had big greasy slices of pizza for dinner in the middle of the night. We fell into bed around 1am, and then Mum & I were up again at 8 to race to the airport. All in all, it was a fabulous weekend & I can't wait to get back to Sydney.

Until next time, xo.

Thought For The Day

2012-01-25T11:31:00.000+10:00

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Until next time, xo.

Monday Moodboard

2012-01-23T15:11:00.000+10:00

Hello lovelies,

Time for another dose of monday magic.

Hope your weekends were fab, and your monday, not too bad.

Until next time, xo.

Best of the Interwebz

2012-01-21T07:55:00.000+10:00

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Hello lovelies,

It's a short one today, because right now I'm in Sydney with my dearest Mummy, and some other lovely ladies. Hope you're having a great weekend. and enjoy!

Loved this easy DIY "cheat" tutorial for a printed cut-out dress.

I was also quited enamoured with this tutorial for a simple cotton drawstring top.

Syl & Sam's nail tutorials always get me inspired - this one is for cute polka dot nails!

If you're a beginner sewist, or need a good sewing reference, these articles about Basic Sewing Machine Stitches, Basic Hems and Basic Seams will probably come in handy.

I cannot wait until my hair is long enough to put into this French Braided Crown.

I absolutely adore these heart-shaped potatoes. I've got to make these sometime.

"Your Camera Takes Really Nice Pictures," is a great article about why there is more to photography than a good camera.

DO's and DONT's at the flea market is a great guide for inexperienced (and experienced) thrifters.

I quite enjoyed this photography comparison of Film vs. DSLR vs. iPhone. My favourite is film, by far.

Until next time, xo.

A Musical Interlude: With The Offspring

2012-01-20T19:15:00.000+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

This musical interlude is brought to you by a band that have been with me a long time. I've been listening to The Offspring since primary school, and Americana was the first "rock" album that I ever owned. It got played on repeat, at full volume many, many times in true teen angst style the year that my parents made me move to Hervey Bay. I'm fairly certain that everyone has heard Why Don't You Get A Job?, & Pretty Fly For A White Guy by this stage, but here are a few of my favourite Offspring gems.

Ugh, it's incredibly difficult to choose only a few songs. I also highly recommend Self-Esteem, Stuff is Messed Up, The Kids Aren't Alright, and, well, everything else that these guys have ever done. Do you have any bands, or musicians that have stayed favourites for a long time?

Until next time, xo.

Thought For The Day

2012-01-18T12:00:00.000+10:00

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Until next time, xo.

A Dose Of Style: Marina Diamandis

2012-01-17T16:30:00.002+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

You may have noticed that for the last few weeks I've been obsessing over the style of musicians. I don't know what it is about front women, but they all seem to be rocking something that I dig. This week is no exception. Meet Marina Diamandis - better known by her stage name, Marina & the Diamonds. The lovely Marina is a Welsh singer-songwriter, who is now based in London. In 2008 she opened shows for Gotye, and has a synaesthetic condition which makes her see musical notes & days of the week in different colours. She is also totally fabulous.

I do love a good bodysuit/lack of pants combination. The cape is a particularly nice touch.

Marina looks like some kind of musical superhero here. The tambourine is possibly magical.

I have seen this animal cape in a few fashion mags, and long ago added it to the list of "clothes I would mug someone for".

Neon colours, animal print, and fringe all together? I just fell in love, again.

More singing pictures! I am all over the animal ears, and the huge glasses. And, of course, a leather jacket is always a plus.

More bodysuits! More animal print! More fringe! Plus, a delightful fuck off bow, and some faded denim. Marina, you are my new Queen. Here's some of her music clips, in case you're interested:

Until next time, xo.

Monday Moodboard

2012-01-16T19:11:00.000+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

Now that all the holiday madness has died down, it's time to get back into my Monday moodboards again. The last few weeks, all I think about is photography (well, moreso than I already always think about photography).

Click the images for links. You might notice that a few are linked to where I repinned them onto my pinterest boards. I wasn't able to find original sources for these, possibly because I'm not that experienced with pinterest yet. Apologies, and if you know the original sources or how to find them, then let me know.

On that note, as I was lucky enough to get a pinterest invitation from Miss Sometimes, let me know if you would like one. I'd love to pass on the favour.

Until next time, xo.

Holiday Happy Snaps

2012-01-15T20:23:00.003+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

I had meant to have some outfit photos for today, but as the weather in Clermont has been ghastly all weekend my plan sort-of fell through. Luckily, I realised that I had been too slack to post any photos from my holiday, and thus the day was saved. Over Christmas The Boyfriend & I had two weeks off work, which we used to drive from Clermont, to Hervey Bay, to Brisbane, to Wollongong, and back again.

Clockwise from top left: sunset on the night we left Clermont, The Boyfriend when we reached Hervey Bay, Me trying to be artsy in a moving car on the way to Brisbane, & me in Brisbane.
Clockwise from top left: Unfortunately named products in Wollongong, the beautiful Jeep we acquired in Brisbane, The Boyfriends Nanas' huge collection of photographs, & my reading material for the drive.

Clockwise from top left: All of my reading material for the whole two weeks, scenery on the way to Wollongong, a new addition to my owl necklace collection that I like to call Pedro & a cute little owl bag I bought.

Clockwise from top left: Guerilla knitting on a lighthouse in Kiama (it says something like "Isn't it funny that public servants decide what is art and what is vandalism, haha"), the view from one of the headlands at Kiama, The Boyfriend's lovely face at Kiama, & my lovely shoes at Kiama.

Clockwise from top left: The view from Saddleback Mountain, me trying to be artsy from the car again, my face bloacking the view from Saddleback Mountain, & some more view from Saddleback Mountain.

Clockwise from top left: rushed outfit photo in the mirror in Brisbane, me rejoicing when the road signs finally start saying we're close to Brisbane, Shannons family dogs kissing, & our shopping for photography supplies (including an $800 macro lens that I managed to destroy less than two days later).

Clockwise from top left: Another rushed mirror outfit photo, a magpie that came to join us for lunch at the Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens, some flowers from the Gardens that matched my outfit, & the view out over the pond at the Gardens.

There are mysteriously no pictures from the trip home from Brisbane to Clermont. When I say "mysteriously", I mean there are no photos of that leg because I was sick as a dog the whole way home. I don't travel particularly well. I was pleased to see that my phone camera was less dodgy than I thought though - all these are snaps from my phone! What did you guys do with your time off(if you were lucky enough to get it)?

Until next time, xo.

Best of the Interwebz

2012-01-14T12:59:00.000+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

I've had a great morning catching up on everyones blogs! I only intended to be reading blogs for half an hour or so, but three hours later I finally stopped clicking links & went to the gym. I love that about the blogosphere! There is so much interesting content out there that we only ever get to read a small sample of it. Here's a little bit of awesomeness that I've come across this week:

5 Ways I Display Photos In My Home has some really cute ideas that I love (See also How I Made My Instagram Wall and DIY Instagram Calendar).

Love this DIY Poster Art Tutorial - I knew there was a reason I kept all those old posters.

True Story: I'm 16 And I Have A Career is a great post, about one of my favourite bloggers.

This thrifted dress to camera cozy tutorial is really nifty!

I really, really want to make myself one of these flower crowns. Pretty sure I need one. I also need to make this shark purse.

This tutorial for a DIY removable shoe fringe is pretty crazily cute. I'm not the only one obsessed with fringe, right?

Man, this blew me away - meet Cooper, the photographer cat. Once a week he wears a camera on his collar, which snaps a photo every two minutes. WHAT AN AWESOME IDEA.

Loving this DIY Knotted Rope Bracelet - it took me a while to figure out how it worked though!

How To Style Long Hair Short is a rad tutorial for making your long hair look like a bob for the day.

Today, You Are Free. If you read one thing this week, make it this beautiful piece.

When we have our own place again, I'm making a bunch of these Owl Lamps for the house.

I am also incredibly fond of these gorgeous bird sculptures - made from plastic straws & bags.

These ideas for storing your jewellery are all really cute & interesting.

I absolutely loved Weesha's post about Being The Fat Daughter. She is an incredibly brave & wonderful woman.

Max made yet another cool DIY tutorial - this one for Superhero Comic Art.

Totally style-crushing on Girl Next Door Fashion this week. Charlotte has incredibly cute style.

Twelve Things You Were Not Taught In School About Creative Thinking was a very interesting read.

This DIY Coloured Blocked Shoe tutorial is genius. Pure genius (and also really cute)!

Red Dress Blue Dress is an incredibly interesting article about the archetypes & cultural cues we are embodying when we wear certain colours.

This lovely tutorial for a velvet bow-covered sweater makes me wish it was Winter again already.

Rookie Mag shows us how to make cute scalloped skirts from pillowcases. Rad! Plus, check out the rest of the site. It's aimed at teen girls, but I still love it.

Phew, see what I mean about the overwhelming amount of interesting content? This isn't even half of what I have read & loved this week. But what about you? What have you loved on the internet this week?

Until next time, xo.

On Health & Self-Love

2012-01-13T11:55:00.002+10:00

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In the past few months quite a few people I know have had health scares, or health problems emerge. I can remember, not too long ago, listening to the "adults" talking about lumps & bumps & abnormal pap smears & health concerns, and thinking, "that will never happen to me". Youth is funny that way - you don't realize that before long, you are the adults, worrying about the health scares. These things have got me thinking about the relationship between health, body image and self-love. I know there was a very publicized (and, it seemed, blown out of proportion) story in the media last year of a body acceptance advocate who went on to feel that acceptance of her body had caused her to ignore signs that she was unhealthy. I found this a little confusing.

I don't think we can really say that we love ourselves if we stick our heads in the sand, and ignore the cues that our bodies give us in order to let us know we're unwell. As I grow older I start to think that really loving ourselves, and our bodies extends to taking proper care of them. I believe that we can show that love for ourselves, not necessarily by losing weight, but by giving our bodies what they need to be healthy and feel good. By feeding ourselves food that gives us energy instead of taking it away. By keeping our bodies active and alert. By taking our bodies to the doctor for regular check-ups, or when they are doing something that worries us. I think that if we really love our bodies we will get pap smears, mammograms, prostate checks, skin cancer checks, and all of those things that we find slightly unpleasant, but are actually really beneficial.

Most of all, I think that if we really love our bodies, we will listen to them when they tell us enough is enough. I am so proud of one of my friends, who has had to make major changes to his life & diet because of a health scare, because he is learning to listen to his body's needs. I plan to use the first few weeks of 2012 to get back in tune with the needs of mine. I want my body to last, so I can go on loving it & learning about it for a long time yet. In 2012 I will: get my hearing checked, my eyesight checked, a pap smear, talk to the doctor about the wierd pain in my wrist, talk to the doctor about the wierd pain in my hip, get my moles checked for skin cancer, gently get back into a good exercise routine, and start listening to my body about the food it wants to eat again. Why? Because my body is damn well worth it.

Until next time, xo.

Thought For The Day

2012-01-12T11:39:00.000+10:00

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Until next time, xo.

A Dose of Style - Kimbra

2012-01-11T16:45:00.002+10:00

Hello lovelies,

I couldn't confess my love for Somebody That I Used To Know in a post devoted to the music of Gotye without an accompanying post devoted to Kimbra. Kimbra is a totally babin' New Zealand born singer-songwriter who is currently based in Melbourne. She also has a strange habit of looking kick-ass everywhere that she goes.

Gotta love chanelling a bit of Bo Peep while you're rocking it out hardcore.

There is nothing to dislike about this dress. Weird purple petal shaped things, and almost leopard print? Yup, cool with it.

Floral headresses are my undoing right now. I would quite possibly mug someone for one. Although, maybe I should skip the assault charge and just DIY one. That seems like far less effort.

So. Feckin. Adorable. LACE. Stay still while I eat your fringe.

This dress is simply incredible. Love the pattern almost as much as how she really gets into her singing. I love singing faces.

Cute, cute, cute. Kimbra you're under arrest for stealing all the cute from the whole rest of the world. What that? You're going to sing, and I'm going to forget all about you stealing the cute because you're so damn amazing? I don't think so.

Ok Kimbra, you win this round. Seriously, go listen to her sing. It's magical.

Until next time, xo.

A Musical Interlude: With Gotye

2012-01-10T18:07:00.001+10:00

Hey lovelies,

Today is the day that I introduce you to yet another musician that I really should have discovered before now - Gotye. Apparently, he is a Belgian-Australian multi-instrumental musician & singer-songwriter, who managed to release three independent albums, a remix album, win five ARIA awards, and play in another band, all without me ever hearing of him until he was mentioned by the blog of the gorgeous Carly Findlay. Ever since the first time Carly mentioned Gotye, I've been hooked by his haunting melodies and unique vocals. Have a listen:

I know I'm terribly cliche, but my favourite so far is Somebody That I Used To Know. Possibly because I also love Kimbra on her own, but also because I find that song so relatable. I think everyone has a somebody that they used to know. I also have a soft spot for Hearts A Mess.

Do you adore Gotye? Despise? Do you think I have comitted a terrible faux pas for not knowing about him all these years? Let me know!

Until next time, xo.

Best of the Interwebz (New Year Edition)

2012-01-07T18:59:00.000+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

I'm not usually a "New Years person". In the past I have tended to scoff at people making New Year's resolutions, and roll my eyes at reflecting on the year gone by. But for some reason, I'm really into it this year. I am going crazy on preparing for the New Year, and thinking of how to make this year rock even more than a bag-for-$5 op-shop sale. So, this week I am devoting my Best of the Interwebz to all those crazy New Year's preparations. Enjoy:

I loved Tara's 2011 in Outfits, and her 2012 Style Direction Piece - 50's Housewives in a Tim Burton Film.

Bella Q perfected the New Years Eve outfit - it's all about sparkle & shine.

Sarah Misfit's round-up of 2011 outfits was well worth waiting a year for! As was this one.

Max California's 2011 Tutorial Round-Up makes me want to get crafting. Like now. Or possibly sooner.

Desiree serves up my favourite kind of leftovers - a Turkey Curry Buffet of last years frocks.

Gala Darling has been writing some great pieces on preparing for the New Year, like How To Write A Personal Mission Statement, 10 Fantastic Ways To Get Ready For 2012, and More Ways To Prepare Yourself for 2012.

Elycia compiled a great 2011 review - make sure to check out Part One, and Part Two!

Here's some more great 2011 reviews, from Luinae, Smaggle, Gala Darling, Zoetica Ebb and Nubby Twiglet.

5 Tips For Making and Keeping Your New Year's Resolution is pretty good reading, if you're a resolution-maker.

Kate, of Scathingly Brilliant also put together a great round-up of 2011 outfits.

Meg's round-up of her Outfit Of The Day posts really shows off her stylin' DIY skills.

Elissa made some really good simple style resolutions for 2012.

I hope you all had a great 2011, and have an even better 2012. Mwah!

Until next time, xo.

Thought For The Day

2012-01-05T18:40:00.000+10:00

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Until next time, xo.

2011 In Review: The Good, The Bad & The Slightly Fashionable

2012-01-04T08:29:00.001+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

First of all, I'd like to say how glad I am that I have all of you awesome people along for the blogging ride with me. Your thoughts, comments, emails, and of course, your blogs make me smile every day. Back when I started this little blog, I didn't really think that anyone would actually want to read it, so it's pretty rad that you do. I may not some famous blogger getting invites to cool parties & free things (although I don't say no to presents) but I do get to have all of you as companions, and that's pretty damn cool. This is for all ya'll who've stuck with me through the whole miserable length of 2011 - a year in review of this humble blog.

In January I wrote about the Queensland flooding (and how my workplace went under water), went gaga for the style of Olivia Wilde, really wanted to steal this amazing coat and gave my two cents on fashion at the Golden Globes.

In February, I took style cues from The Hairy Bird, and wrote about Beating Body Image Issues. I made a tutorial for a bow-front t-shirt reconstruction, and went to see Wicked. I went to a costume party dressed as Mrs PacMan. I also got given my first film camera.

In March, I dug on the style of Emma Stone, and Glee character Mercedes Jones. I passed on some sage advice about adulthood, and briefly dwelled on what it means to be a feminist. I bought some amazing vintage cameras at a garage sale, and shot my first roll of black and white film.

During April I was stylistically inspired by Jet Girl, and fell head over heels for rompers. I waxed lyrical about weight & fitness, and I wrote a letter to my body. I loved the art of Juliette Crane, and I used lots more black & white film.

When May rolled around I was loving the style of Gossip Girl character Vanessa Abrams, and SG1 character Hathor (is it a telling thing that so many of my style icons are fictional?). I fell in love with The First Wives Club all over again, along with the adorable art of Gemma Correll. I also asked whether "fatness" really matters.

June was a sparse blogging month, since I was so ill. But, I still managed to write a letter to a girl I encountered in the fitting rooms at work, and about the magazines I love to read. I told an incredibly informative story about pants (there's a moral at the end!), and had a beautiful bracelet made for me by The Boyfriend. I also finally admitted my girl-crush on Emma Watson.

In July, I couldn't believe the year was half-over. It wasn't a good month for me - I wrote about my depression & our financial troubles, and then again about how we were enjoying getting back to basics. I also fell in love with Ramona Flowers, and wrote an angry letter to people who say "they're called skinny jeans for a reason".

August was a very transitional month for us. I tried to put into words the way that depression makes me feel, and we also found out that The Boyfriend had gotten a new job in Clermont. I adored the style of Luna Lovegood, tackled wearing shorts for the first time in a long time, crushed on Frances Bean Cobain and wore stars with stripes.

I spent September away from The Boyfriend, which was quite hard. I tried to focus my attention elsewhere, and drew style inspiration from the fabulous frocks on Gossip Girl, & from The Other Boleyn Girl. I also set myself my first style challenge (days 2, 3 & 4), even if it was meant to go for a week and I forgot to photograph after four days, and expanded my philosophy on shorts.

I was a slack blogger in October, thanks to a surprise trip to Clermont. Luckily, I still managed to write about how I felt after the colour challenge, snap a few crazy outfit shots & finally participate in Frock on a Friday.

I took a short break in November, and maintained blogger silence - despite finally moving to Clermont & turning 23.

In December, my blogging inspiration miraculously returned! I found style inspiration in Glee, the pages of Russh magazine, and from Florence Welch. I wrote about being bullied, and about adjusting to life changes. I wished everyone a Merry Christmas, in my own non-religious way.

Yet another big thanks to all of you out there who appreciate my little corner of the interwebz. I hope to be with you for many more years yet, my lovely blogging (and non-blogging) comrades.

Until next time, xo.

The Year of Change

2012-01-03T18:08:00.001+10:00

It's a New Year. Finally. We always seem to say it, but 2011 was one of the simultaneously best & worst years of my life. I've been feeling for a long time that things in my life weren't right. It didn't begin in 2011, but the feeling did come to fruition then. The realization that the life I was aiming for wasn't necessarily the one that I wanted. The realization that a lot of those things people tell you when you are young - that things will just work out, that you can have whatever you want, that life gets easier, that you should want to get married, buy a house, have three kids, a car, and a dog - aren't necessarily true. The realization that shitty things don't just change on their own, you have to make them change. The realization that nothing stays the same, and that is a good thing.

In 2011 The Boyfriend & I were in the worst financial situation we have ever been in, and the best. We have both been in the worst emotional states we ever have been, and the best. We started the year in jobs that we hated, and have ended in jobs that we really like. I took lots of photographs, and thought about taking many more. We started the year with a house full of things that we didn't use, and didn't need, and we ended the year with less than half the amount of things. I was sick for the whole of Winter. We started a vegetable garden, and ate vegetables that we grew with our own hands. We planned a move to New South Wales, which fell through, and then moved half-way across our state, from the city to a country town. We experienced the longest amount of time apart in our whole relationship. I got much closer to The Boyfriend, and to one of the greatest friends I have ever had. We went from living on our own to living with my parents. On the day before Christmas, we bought ourselves a car.

I am comitted to making 2012 a year of change. I want this to be a year of letting no more crap into my life. Between us, The Boyfriend and I finally have the financial means to make huge changes in our lives. By the end of the year, I want us to have paid off our debts, and our car. I want to save money, and I want to buy less. I want to focus on my personal growth, my independence and work on coming out of my shell more. I want to read more, photograph more, and write more. I want to listen to more music, take in more art, meet more people & seek out more inspiration. I want to do more. I want to experience more. I want to document more. I want us to create a beautiful life for ourselves. I want us to look back next year and think, "wow, did we really do all that in a year?".

My only hard & fast New Years Resolution? To make 2012 the most amazing year that it can be.

Until next time, xo.

Thought For The Day: Lessons From Harry Potter

2011-12-30T09:41:00.001+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

One of my favourite lady-friends found this on Tumblr, although I'm not sure who wrote it orignally (If you know, link me up). I think it sums up things perfectly for us Potter fans. We grew up with Harry Potter, and things don't quite feel the same with no more of his adventures to look forward to. Without further ado:

What Harry Potter has taught me-
1997 - 2011

Harry Potter taught me that some things are worth dying for.
Ron Weasley taught me that believing in yourself is a hundred times more powerful than luck.
Hermione Granger taught me that an education is a girl’s best asset, even if it doesn’t make you many friends.

Severus Snape taught me to never, ever, ever judge someone.
Rubeus Hagrid taught me that anything can be cute with the right perspective.
Ginny Weasley taught me that bold is beautiful.

Lily Potter taught me that a mother’s love is the strongest force on earth.
Remus Lupin taught me that fear is the only thing I should be afraid of.
Dolores Umbridge taught me that education with a political agenda is a terrible, terrible thing.

Sirius Black taught me that the ones we love never truly leave us.
Albus Dumbledore taught me that good people are not always good.
Draco Malfoy taught me that bad people are not always bad.

Neville Longbottom taught me that courage is standing up for what’s right, even when you’re scared out of your mind.
Luna Lovegood taught me that weird is wonderful.
Dobby taught me that freedom is a gift.

Lucius Malfoy taught me that no amount of money, pomp, or circumstance will buy you true friends.
Fred & George Weasley taught me that sometimes all you need is a good laugh.
The Dursleys taught me that a world without imagination is a dull and dreary place.

Arthur Weasley taught me that a good sense of curiosity and a bit of obsession can be healthy.
Fleur Delacour taught me that true love is not based on appearance.
Molly Weasley taught me that a happy family is not measured in gold.

Bellatrix Lestrange taught me that hatred and prejudice rot your mind and can turn even the most beautiful person into a monster.
Kreacher taught me that if you want to get to know a man, look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.
Cho Chang taught me that rebound relationships almost never work.

Nymphadora Tonks taught me to love myself, no matter what I look like.
Percy Weasley taught me that, in the end, no career is worth sacrificing your family.
Sybill Trelawney taught me that you cannot change the past, only the future.

Lavender Brown taught me that physical relationships only last for so long.
Peter Pettigrew taught me that rats do not make good friends.
Nicholas Flamel taught me that to the well-prepared mind, death is but the next great adventure.

Minerva McGonagall taught me that a good cause is worth fighting for at any age.
Hedwig taught me that the love we have for our pets is very real.
Lord Voldemort taught me that a life without love is barely living.

J. K. Rowling taught me that the stories we love will always be with us.
Until the very end.

Until next time, xo.

A Dose of Style: Florence Welch

2011-12-29T16:25:00.000+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

In my adventures through the magical land of the Internet lately, I've come across one amazing redhead that I never knew existed (until I heard her mentioned on an episode of Gossip Girl): Florence Welch. She is the lead singer of indie-pop band Florence + the Machine, and hails from London, England. She also has incredible style.

I've got to love pictures of Florence rocking out on stage. Especially when wearing what appears to be a sequined catsuit.

I'm pretty sure that is a skirt of feathers. Also, I need the spiked shoulder pads.

Intricate headpieces are really striking my fancy lately, particularly when paired with dreamy hair.

Coat. Fantastic.

I don't think there are words to describe how much I love this gold hat & green romper combo.

You'd be relaxing with a beverage too if your dress looked that cute. Oh, did I mention Florence also has an amazing voice? Listen for yourself:

I am in love. If you're listening out there Florence Welch, please marry me.

Until next time, xo.

A Musical Interlude: With Glee

2011-12-28T16:10:00.000+10:00

Hello lovelies!

So, who's getting sick of me rambling about Glee? Just kidding, I know you're already totally sick of it. But before you start throwing fruit at me, listen to these songs. They're from when members of the Glee club try writing original songs, with some hilarious results.

My personal favourite is Big Ass Heart. Possibly because Puck is super-fine.

Until next time, xo.

Merry Christmas?

2011-12-27T18:08:00.000+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas day, whether you actually celebrate Christmas or not. I don't celebrate as such. I always feel a little awkward at this time of year actually. I'm too old to believe in Santa Claus, and as much as it makes kids happy, I feel bad lying to them about it. I'm not religious in any sense of the word, and neither are any of my family members. Christmas has always been a special time of year in my family, despite the irreligiousity of my family. We never went to church, but we did get together as a family, eat a load of nice food, and spend the day together. It doesn't happen as much as it used to, now that my family lives so far away from each other, but it's good when it does happen.

When I was younger, we always used to watch cheesy movies like The Santa Clause, starring Tim Allen, and Home Alone, starring Maculay Culkin. I still love those movies, even though they're not really the same once you grow up. Sometimes, I feel a bit nostalgic for Christmas as a child. I don't know that any adult experience really measures up to being a little kid on Christmas morning. But then, things are always better when we remember them fondly than they actually were. Working in retail never did much for my Christmas spirit as an adult either. Everyone is so pushy, angry and rude at Christmas time. So concerned with getting the right gift, that they don't realize all that shopping time would be better spent with the people they're buying the gifts for.

I don't believe in Santa, or Jesus, or the enforced giving of gifts. But I am nostalgic for that time with all my family around, and the feeling that magic can happen, even if it is only one day a year. These days, this is my favourite Christmas song:

I hope you all enjoyed your celebrations, and enjoy the rest of your holidays.

Until next time, xo.

Monday Moodboard

2011-12-26T18:00:00.001+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

Welcome to another dose of Monday inspiration - hopefully you're all on holidays too, and aren't suffering Monday blues. Click the images for where I found them.

Obviously, stripes are blowing my mind this week. What's on your mind?

Until next time, xo.

Best of the Interwebz

2011-12-24T18:39:00.000+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

It's going to be a short link round-up today, because I've actually already left Clermont for two weeks of holiday time! The Boyfriend & I are going to visit his Nana in Wollongong & his family (plus, My Favourite Canadian) in Brisbane. Don't you fret - I've got some posts already queued up for while I'm gone, but I may not be able to reply to comments or emails until I get back. Anywho, onwards with the linkage!

Laughing With Broken Eyes is a new favourite blog of mine. Amber Rose has really cute style, and I love her poetry.

I'd really like to make a stock of these chocolate spoons to keep in my fridge at all times.

Adding this DIY Dip Dye Mini Skirt to my "To-DIY" list for when I get back from holidays.

Cutest ever way to plan things! I think I'm going to have to steal this idea.

I loved this article about how giving Indian girls in poor states bicycles has improved their educational outcomes.

I loved this DIY project, based on the style of Olivia Palermo. Very cute.

I stumbled across the blog MaryLou.Cinnamon this week, and I really dig her style.

Totally falling in love with this tour through Elsie Larson's (of A Beautiful Mess) closet.

Today I have discovered that not only can I get an owl-themed 2012 calendar, I have numerous options. Eff yeah. (If you're going to wrap one up for me, you can top the package with this, haha).

It may not snow in Clermont, but I still love this tutorial for snowflake nails.

I was blown away by this amazing all-blue outfit over on The Dainty Squid.

Phew. Do you guys get holidays at this time of year? Got any good plans?

Until next time, xo.

Style Inspiration: Russh Magazine

2011-12-23T16:08:00.000+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

I went to the Clermont newsagency this week looking for a copy of Frankie. Alas, no Frankie magazine could be found. I hate to leave a newsagency empty-handed (especially when I'm looking forward to a magazine fix), so I ended up picking up a copy of Russh. I had never read this particular magazine before, so I wasn't too sure what to expect. Luckily I picked a winner - the mag was full of thoughtful articles, and drool-worthy fashion. Plus, I found out Russh is an Australian magazine. This gorgeous fashion shoot made me really lust for matching paisley clothing.

What do you think?

Until next time, xo.

Thought For The Day

2011-12-22T23:50:00.000+10:00

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I came across this in my blog reader a while ago, and I couldn't help but think that it would be awesome if the person you put this much effort into loving was you. You're totally worth the effort.

Until next time, xo.

A Musical Interlude: With Lykke Li

2011-12-21T18:03:00.001+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

Continuing from my musings on wanting to broaden my horizons, I plan to share the music I discover in my (mostly internet-related) travels. Lykke Li is a Swedish singer-song-writer that I have only recently had the pleasure to listen to. Funnily enough, I decided to look her up after I heard Tina Cohen-Chang cover I Follow Rivers on an episode of Glee. I fell in love with the dreamy, ethereal style of her songs, and of course, her gorgeous voice. Her voice is soft, but strong, and she has a talent for drawing you into the emotion of her music. These are only a few of the songs I've found by Lykke Li that I adore - in particular, I really like the cover of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.

Happy listening!

Until next time, xo.

Adjusting To Change & What It Teaches

2011-12-20T17:29:00.000+10:00

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I've never been a big fan of change. I was terrified of the idea of going to high school. My parents decided we were moving to Hervey Bay, and I had to be dragged along kicking & screaming. When high school finished, I cried for a week. I cried for much, much longer when my dog died. Moving to Brisbane to go to University was one of the hardest things I've done. Moving in with The Boyfriend was a huge adjustment (lucky I love him so much), Even when I was miserable there, the idea of dropping out of my University degree filled me with dread - it meant change. But at the same time, there are lots of ways I have wanted my life to change. I've wanted to be better at socialising, to have more friends, to be more involved in my community, to make a career change, to spend more time being creative and mostly, just to live a more magical life.

Moving to Clermont was a terrifying decision for me. The life that The Boyfriend & I had in Brisbane wasn't working, and we were feeling terrible there. But making the decision to change everything took me a long time. Together, we managed to get it into my head that moving so far away was a good change, and that our lives would be much better because of it. It was a chance to start over, to shed all the baggage that had been weighing us down, and to make those changes that I've been wanting for a long time. I was sure that as soon as I got to Clermont that, magically, things would be fabulous straight away. Somehow, everything would be just the way I wanted it immediately. When it didn't work out that way, it made me sad for a while. Part of the reason this blog was idle for so long was that I didn't have any inspiration to post, and spent most of my time bemoaning how inspirational Brisbane was.

Then I realised something. Yes, Brisbane was an incredibly inspirational place to live. But did I ever really take advantage of that? Not really, no. I spent most of my time talking about how inspirational it would be to be somewhere else. It occurred to me that I've spent a lot of time hoping that the changes I want in my life will happen on their own. But changes don't happen on their own. If you expect them to, then you just end up doing the same thing over, and over again, and wondering why nothing is changing. There have been so many times when I've read about a musician, or a book, or an event, or a place, and thought "I'll look into that eventually" - but I never really do. And then I wonder why I haven't heard any new music, or read any amazing books, or been to any cool parties, or taken any trips in so long.

I don't need to move back to Brisbane, or anywhere else to make those things happen. I just need to take advantage of the things that I have at my disposal. I may not be able to study a Photography degree here, but I can take amazing pictures that I couldn't in Brisbane. I may not be able to go to a new show every weekend, but I can find those musicians & artists that I'm interested in online. I can join clubs, and go to community events, and take people up on invitations. I can plan trips to all the amazing places that aren't far from Clermont. I can order new books online, or even read them online. I can find inspiration on blogs, and Tumblr, and youtube. My life is only going to be as good as the effort I put into making it good. I want to make this move an incredible decision, and I'm going to try my best.

Change, I have realised, doesn't happen on it's own. Change takes courage, conviction and determination. You have to be willing to work at change. You have to be willing to make the change happen. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, "You must be the change you want to see in the world."

Until next time, xo.

Monday Moodboard

2011-12-19T18:54:00.001+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

I've been thinking lately about the type of things I want on my blog, and I realised that I really miss putting together my Monday Moodboards. Obviously, this means I'm bringing them back. Actually, I don't know why I ever stopped. Anyway, here was my orginal rationale for doing them:

According to Wikipedia, "a mood board is a type of poster design that may consist of images, text, and samples of objects in a composition of the choice of the mood board creator. Designers and others use mood boards to develop their design concepts and to communicate to other members of the design team". This is my weekly moodboard, or a collection of images to inspire me - and hopefully you.

Just click on the images to be transported to where I found them.

'Effin' love yellow right now.

Until next time, xo.

Best of the Interwebz

2011-12-17T12:48:00.000+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

Well, another weekend rolls around. I have no particular plans, other than lolling around in a romper, reading some magazines & fashion photography books, and most probably playing some Skyrim on the 360. I'm a nord with a bitchin' warhammer, for all of you out there who play. Oh, and getting my blog fix of course! Here's some cool things I came across this week:

This messy bun tutorial makes me really, really miss my super long hair. (While you're there, check out this tutorial for DIY suede elbow patches).

The before & after pictures of this tribal print mini-dress reconstruction are amazing. Also loving this DIY collar made from the same orignal dress.

First Dance is an incredibly well-written essay about one girl's experiences with wanting to be pretty, realising that movies aren't all they're cracked up to be, and her first dance.

I am really digging the classic styling of Girl With Curves this week. So elegant!
Here's a cute tutorial for making a studded clay pendant. You could do so much with this.

This series of photographs of a closet visit with Cathy Cooper are pretty fabulous.

She Who Tries, Wins is a really great post about how the things you want don't just happen on their own.

I am in love with these incredible animals sculptures, made from water-soaked wood chips. Of course, the owl is my favourite.

I want to grow up to be Debra & Maryann - these are some damn fabulous dames!

Oh gosh. Feminist Ryan Gosling is possibly the best tumblr I have ever seen. I know I say that a lot, but come on, what's not to love.

Have a great weekend darlings!

Until next time, xo.

On Being Bullied

2011-12-15T19:56:00.003+10:00

Hey there lovelies,

Rainbow coats & other frivolities aside, watching the second season of Glee repeatedly has actually made me rather contemplative. There was one theme in particular that really stirred up a lot of old memories for me - bullying. Karofsky's constant bullying of Kurt, Sue & Will's bullying of Coach Beiste, even Rachel's attitude towards Sunshine really struck a chord with me. I was bullied through most of my school life, and it's been one of the hardest things to put behind me. I have this terrible fear of walking into a bar, or an exercise class, or a job interview and having everyone there say, "Stacey, you are ridiculous. Why do you even bother getting out of bed when you're that ridiculous?", and bursting into hysterical laughter. I'm fairly certain that it stems from the years of constantly being told that I was ridiculous. But the thing that annoyed me most then, and that aggravates me even more now, is how no-one really seems to care.

Admittedly, I've never encountered workplace bullying, but in the school system the people that stood in the way the most were always the people with the most power to help. I've got a treasure trove of anecdotes of teachers claiming that being bullied is character-building. Or ignoring occurences of bullying that they have witnessed because, "it is the responsibility of the student to stand up & report the incidents". Or claiming that it is impossible for bullying to occur, because the school has an official bullying policy. Or quietly suggesting that the bullying victim change schools, because the environment isn't working for them. The only people that ever listened in anti-bullying lectures were never the ones doing the bullying. I've spoken out about my experiences with being bullied in my University classes on bullying, and had people tell me that it was probably my fault. That I had probably done something to warrant the bullying behaviour from my classmates. In my opinion, it is this attitude that allows bullying to continue occuring on such a large scale.

Bullying is one of many issues in society that seems to have 'blame the victim', as its' main school of thought. I'm not in high school anymore. I'm no longer the victim, but it is difficult to stop viewing the world as one. I see the stories on the news about high school kids who have been driven to suicide by bullying, and I know that they could have been me. I know how it feels when the system that should be protecting you fails you, simply because it is easier to make the victims go away than it is to make bullying go away. I wish that there was a Dalton Academy, & a Blaine for every Kurt Hummel to go to for protection, but unfortunately real life doesn't work that way. That is the reason why we, as a society, need to care. We need to call out bullies - whether that means disciplining a bullying child, or not watching a show hosted by Kyle Sandilands. It may not be happening to you, but it is happening to someone. It might be your sister, brother, cousin, best friend, your Mum, or your Dad.

By staying quiet, or looking the other way, or trying to rationalise the bullying, we are letting it happen. We should not be allowing people, or even children to harass each other because of their differences.

Until next time, xo.

Style Inspiration - Glee

2011-12-14T21:19:00.004+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

I've been suffering in a little bit of a style rut since I've gotten to Clermont. It's a very typical laid-back country town, and I've been pretty much exhausted ever since I got here, what with moving & then immediately starting a new line of work & getting sick. Luckily though, I ordered the second season of Glee on DVD, and it arrived about two weeks ago. I may or may not have been watching obsessively ever since. Not only do I love a soppy musical/drama/comedy as much as (if not much more so than) anyone else, I'm also finding it rather stylistically inspiring. After all, I haven't seen another show lately that does bright colours & frantic energy quite like Glee.

My favourite item of clothing from the entire season is that rainbow-striped coat. If I ran into Rachel Berry in New York, wearing that coat, I'd 100% turn into a mugger. You laugh because you think I'm joking, but I'm actually dead serious. Alright, I'm going to run away before I become too damn creepy.

Until next time, xo.

P.S. Totally not joking.

Best of the Interwebz

2011-12-10T14:33:00.000+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

It feels like so long since I've done one of these posts! I've missed finding all these cool things from the far reaches of the internet. What can I say? I'm a child of the Internet generation. I feel lost without my net connection! Here's some cool things floating around out there this week:

If completely glittery shoes is a bit too out there for you, then try these - DIY Glitter Cap Toe Flats.

Loving this DIY neon rhinestone necklace. Hurray brightness! While I'm on that note, check out the DIY trends of 2011.

While we're thinking DIY, here's a cute tute for a painted geometric clutch, and another one for an easy elastic headband.

The xoJane Real Girl Belly Project is freakin' awesome - a gallery of 75 strong, beautiful non-photoshopped bellies. Plus, here's a great post inspired by the belly project.

Combining owls AND sugar cookies? Pure 'effin' genius. Check these adorable babies out.

Thrifting 101 - Respecting the Process is a great read for anyone new to thrifting (or op-shopping, as it were) who might be getting a little frustrated.

Feeling Inadequate? A Guide To Discovering Your True Magnificence is a really good read if you're feeling a little down, as is The Solution You Are Looking For.

I really want to try out this recipe for Quick & Healthy Chicken Miso Soup with Rice. Looks delicious!
The Boyfriend doesn't know it yet, but this may just be our wedding. It may take some complicated blackmail on my part.

Loved this post about self-expression, fashion & aging. But then, this whole blog is pretty amazing.

How To Lead a Creative Life is both informative and amusing.

I can totally get behind the Comic Sans Project - changing the font on recognisable slogans & things to comic sans.

There are some amazing photos in 100 Incredible Views Out of Airplane Windows.

Alrighty, I've got to dash! I have a work Christmas party-thingy to get to in half an hour. I'm not yet dressed, and I have no idea where I'm going. I totally win at the game of life.

Until next time, xo.

DIY Madness

2011-12-07T16:54:00.005+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

It's so nice to hear from all of you again! I won't keep you in suspense, since all of you were so eager to see what I whipped up in my sewing frenzy this past weekend.

This fabric (which reminded The Boyfriend of TIE Fighters) :

Became this:

A cute mini-skirt, which I used this tutorial of Max California's to make. I only used one fold-over band at the top, instead of adding another one at the bottom. I'm undecided though, I may add a bottom band later if I feel like it needs one. I also used plain old fabric instead of a t-shirt.

This fabric (which is my personal favourite of the bunch):

Became this:

A high-waisted ruffly skirt, which I also used a Max California tutorial for. Instead of using my underbust measurements I used waist measurements, and I left off the extra ruffles. As you may have noticed in the above picture, I also made a bow to sit above the zipper closure on the back of this skirt.

This adorable monotone fabric:

Became this:

I made this skirt exactly the same way as the purple one, but didn't make a bow for this one.

Hurray, skirts galore! I've been itching to wear short skirts the last few weeks, and I realised that I don't really have any. I was going to wait until we next went into Emerald & buy some from Jay Jays, but I figured it was pretty silly to wait when I have the fabric, the sewing machine & the know-how to make them myself, haha. All this material was op-shopped, for about $3 a piece (and I still have enough left of each to make something else). So, even accounting for zippers & thread, each skirt probably still cost me less than $5. Sweet!

Ahh, but the really knowledgeable among you (or you know, all you guys who follow me on Twitter) might be saying right now "but Stacey, you told us you'd made four things." And you're absolutely right, I did make four things. One of those things just happens to tie really nicely into another post I'm planning, so I'll leave you with this picture until then:

What have you been sewing lately? Any good tutorials you've stumbled across?

Until next time, xo.

Happy (Belated) Birthday To Me

2011-12-05T13:44:00.006+10:00

Big thanks to two of my beautiful besties for this card.

Hello there lovelies,

Five days ago, I turned twenty-three. Surprisingly, I don't feel old. I did when I turned 20, I did again when I turned 21, and I felt ancient when I turned 22. I felt like I should have everything all figured out by then - relationships, education, career, the house, the 2.5 kids, the white picket fence, and the dog. I felt like I was a disappointment for not having it all already. Now, I realise I'm still really freakin' young. I don't need to have it all figured out, and I don't even know if I want "it all" anyway. What is "it all", come to that? I think it's beautiful that after twenty-three years of living, I'm still learning about myself and what it is that I want from life. So, happy birthday to me (and to you too).

Here's a few little things that people were kind enough to give me:

Mum found this cool lanyard for me in Townsville.

My Mum starts me on the way to my owl-themed kitchen - these are measuring spoons.

These adorable guys also came from my adorable Mum. She's an owl-nabler (Geddit? Oh, I crack myself up).

Technically, not a birthday present, but I'll call it one.

I was so happy when this beautiful guy came in the mail from some lady friends! I think my friends & family realised how much I was suffering being away from my owl collection, haha.

Until next time, xo.

P.S. Here's a sneak preview of the things I made on the weekend in a fit of sewing madness.

Welcome To Clermont, Part 2

2011-12-03T13:38:00.000+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

I know that I've been gone for quite a while, but this move has turned out to be more difficult than I imagined. I suppose that's how it goes though, isn't it? When you imagine something everything goes perfectly, and things are all peaches & cream. The actual moving took about ten times longer than we expected, and everything that could go wrong did. I've started a new job, which I love, with quite a few people that I really don't get along with. I'm also having a bit of trouble adapting to the small town dynamic. It blows my mind that I run into people that I work with everywhere that I go, and everyone knows everyone else. All things considered though, I am doing much better mentally than I was in Brisbane and The Boyfriend & I are in a much better financial situation than we have been in for a long time. As for everything else, well, we'll have to see how things go.

Here's a few random snapshots from around town:

The Post Office is adorable.

Clock tower in the middle of the main street.

This mural is on the wall of a petrol station in town.

I haven't been to the Paris yet, but apparently they have good pizza.

I sat in this park to talk to My Favourite Canadian on the phone.

The newsagent & a few of the other little shops on the main street.

I hope you've all been well (and fabulous!) in my absence. I have a huge backlog of blogs to work through in my blog reader. Oh, you might have noticed that the look of my blog has changed a little bit - along with the name. I didn't feel like The Secret Life of a Retail Assistant was really suited anymore, since I no longer work in retail and never intend to do so again. I'll also be doing a little tidying up of the post tags & pages & things in the next few weeks. Or months. We'll see how I go.

Until next time, xo.

2011-11-13T19:48:00.004+10:00

Hello there guys,

I know I've been gone a while. The Boyfriend & I made the move to Clermont safely, and we're settling in ok. I'll be back soon, but you might notice some changes happening around here. Don't worry, everything is under control. Well, mostly.

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today - Frock On A Friday

2011-10-14T09:53:00.004+10:00

Happy Friday lovelies!

The Boyfriend's Sister was kind enough to take me out to do grocery shopping (and some not-grocery shopping) yesterday, since my car is still in being serviced. I wasn't planning on actually buying anything, but then TBS took me to Crossroads. They're having 50% off all dresses right now, and of course I fell in love with this frock.

Outfit Rundown:

Jacket: Trade Secret, $10
Dress: Crossroads, $19.95
Booties: Trade Secret, $29.95
Necklace: Trade Secret, $8.95

I was very proud of myself for selecting something bright, printed & unlike any other dresses that I own. Now I just need a collection of coloured tights to go with it. I'm thoroughly enjoying the warm "dress" weather so far - we'll see how long that lasts!

No idea what I'm doing with my feet in this picture. It looks quite painful actually. Oh well, look at the dress! I know my Friday frock is running a little late, but I spent yesterday with some of my favourite ladies at the Queensland Art Gallery & then having a boozy night with a very complicated-to-pour bottle of scotch. I hope you guys had a great Friday!

Until next time, xo.

Thoughts On A Colorful Week

2011-10-12T22:26:00.005+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

I really had fun with my challenge to wear a minimal amount of black for a week. The recording of the challenge got a little messy thanks to my unexpected Clermont trip, but it really impacted my thinking. Since I started the challenge I've been immediately drawn to bright colours everywhere I go. I've been painting my nails in the brightest colours I can find, and planning colourful outfits in my head. I feel like a switch has flicked in my head. A rainbow-coloured switch.

For a long time now, I've been afraid of wearing colour. We've had a complicated relationship. Bright colours demand attention. When you wear them, people will stare at you (and, quite possibly audibly giggle about your yellow tights in the line behind you at the bank). Avoiding the attention of other people has been my mantra for a long time. I look different to most, and I've been painfully aware of that for a long time. All I wanted was for people, particularly my peers, to ignore me and leave me alone. In early high school I imitated the "cool" kids to try and avoid negative attention. In my late high school years I flirted with Goth and Punk styles to try & convince people that I didn't care about their negative attention. At University, when I went through my worst period of depression head-to-toe black helped me feel like I was blending into the background. Especially when my anxiety convinced me that every single person on campus was laughing at me. I didn't feel like I was good enough to demand attention from anyone.

Now, I realize that no matter what I do I'm always going to have haters. You're always going to have them too. There is always going to be someone who thinks that your outfit is ridiculous, that you're ugly, that you couldn't tell a funny joke if you tried, or that you have the charisma of a toilet brush. There is always going to be someone who thinks that you are undeserving of their time and attention. The thing is though, that just because they believe those things, it doesn't mean that you have to believe them as well. I figure that you have two choices in this situation - either you agree with the haters, & continue feeling unworthy, or you disagree & stop. I've made my choice. I will wear my bright colours, and probably shock some sensibilities by drawing their attention to my difference. But I will be doing what I love, and continuing on the journey of loving & getting to know myself.

And, if people want to giggle about my yellow tights along the way, well, that's all on them.

Until next time, xo.

Best Of The Interwebz

2011-10-10T08:30:00.000+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

I am back from my week in Clermont looking after my brother, and I'm going into packing overdrive now. Everything is packed except the kitchen, the camera collection & my clothes. I do still have a heap of things to sell on eBay, and a garage sale to organise though. It's going to be a busy three weeks! Lucky I have plenty of blogs to read to keep me sane - here's some cool stuff from this week:

This How To Cut Your Own Hair tutorial might just give me the courage to try cutting my own hair.

I loved this series of photographs melding old hollywood stars with new ones.

The Dainty Squid's story of adopting her cat, Doctor Octopus is really cute.

An Open Letter to the Clothing Industry About Diversity is freakin' amazing. In the same vein, I also loved All Up In Your Facebook with My Body-Positive Rant.

Some of these images from the NYC SlutWalk are really powerful. I also found Occupy SlutWalk: A Personal Account of Two Protests really interesting.

45 Ways To Save Money is full of great tips for those of us who are strapped for cash.

If I threw this Owls & Racoons Fall Party, would you guys come?

So much love for this Flickr set: Men-ups! Think a bunch of good-looking dudes photographed in traditionally female pin-up poses.

Also digging this set of photographs recreating cartoon animals with cardboard boxes.

I really want to try out this recipe for homemade nutella. Yum.

Rabbit White interviewed her parents about their romance, and the result was awesome.

I also quited enjoyed this interview with Mila Kunis. I love it when my favourite actresses can speak coherently about things.

I loved this video, found on Nelly's blog.

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend guys!

Until next time, xo.

Welcome To Clermont...

2011-10-06T15:23:00.006+10:00

Hello lovelies,

Jeez, I don't post in ages and then when I do the posts just don't stop coming. I went for a walk around Hoods Lagoon yesterday afternoon. While I was there I figured I'd snap a few photos to show you all where I'm going to be living. Well, I won't actually be living in the lagoon. I'll be less than five minutes drive away though.

The park around the lagoon is full of little displays & monuments.

I spotted a freakin' turtle.

There are so many varieties of birds just around this lagoon. I need a longer lens though, because the wildlife up here spooks a lot easier than the wildlife in Brisbane.

Rickety boardwalk section of the walking track.

More boardwalk.

How cool is this? You know that in Brisbane it would just get vandalised.

According to The Boyfriend, this guy is a Darter (Anhinga melanogaster). He didn't like me watching him dry his wings.

The ducklings let me get surprisingly close.

They wouldn't stand for me stalking them all around the lagoon.

This wall installation is gorgeous. I remember doing one at my primary school.

Who knew I'd been here before?!

I loved J.F's tile.

The poor buggers though that I had some bread for them.

I think this might just become my favourite spot in the town. The walking track is long - it takes about 15-20 minutes powerwalking to do a full circuit of the lagoon. There are picnic tables, and outdoor exercise equipment. Plus, it is the most peaceful place I have been to in a long time.

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today - The Slack Blogger Edition

2011-10-06T13:48:00.006+10:00

Hello there guys,

Well, I've been really slack with getting photos of my last few days of the Color Challenge for you. In fact, so slack that I didn't actually take any photos. I got dressed in all my outfits from the last few days again, so that I could take photos. So, in case you're thinking, "Wow, your hair looks exactly the same both days", that's because it is.

Outfit Rundown:

Owl Print Button-Up: Op-shopped, $2
Singlet: Stolen from The Boyfriend
Shorts: Trade Secret, $29.95
Belt: Trade Secret, $12.95
Tights: Random stall, $5
Boots: Op-shopped, $10

This was probably my favourite outfit of the whole week. And, I'm still being surprised by how versatile a pair of yellow tights can be. When I get back to Brisbane, I think I'm going to have to go to that random tights stall and stock up on a few different colours. Tights help me feel like I'm not naked, but they aren't too hot for the weather up here (yet). Oh, last time I wore this owl-print button-up Sarah Misfit asked for a close-up of the print - here you are darling:

I'm fairly certain it was meant to be part of a PJ set, because it was in the sleepwear section of the op-shop, the label sounds sleepwear-ish, and the price tag was missing. If I'm right, and there was pants that go with this, then the person who scored them better hope I don't run into them in a dark alley. I would probably get violent for owl-print pants.

Moving right along, here is another one of my outfits from this week. I wore this to loll around watching movies & do a few household chores. One reason I will be sad to leave Brisbane: it seems like no-one else is into the romper/playsuit thing in Brisvegas, so I seem to find them for a pittance. I snapped this up when I happened to walk into my local Target on a clearance day. It was $29.95, and I scored it for $2.86. There were heaps of them sitting there, so I can only hope they all found good homes. Perhaps people were put off by the fact that your only exit is undoing the multitude of buttons at the bust of this thing? Definitely not something to wear if you suspect you might get lucky.

Outfit Rundown:

Bird-print Romper/Playsuit: Target, $2.86
Belt: Trade Secret, $12.95
Fringed Sandals: Op-shopped, $5

The other reason I didn't wear this outfit out of the house. As you may have noticed in the butt photo, the fabric of this playsuit is veeeery light. Read, see-through. Me being the total organisation buff that I am, forgot to bring any nude pairs of undies with me. I would have murdered for a pair of green tight to hide my pantyline a little bit (wow, this post is getting rather violent, isn't it?). I figured that in a small town, where I know no-one it is probably better not to get around with my underwear showing. For all you print-crazy characters out there:

Thank you all for your kind words about my Little Bro! He's doing ok. The Doc says his finger is healing really well, with no sign of infection. Plus, he has mastered doing up/undoing his own pants buttons, which we are both quite grateful for. We head back to the Docs for another check-up tomorrow, so fingers crossed everything is still going well. I hope you're all having a wonderful week!

Until next time, xo.

Best of the Interwebz

2011-10-02T07:29:00.000+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

It's been a hectic few days since I last posted. It all started with my little brother having an accident at work, and lopping off a chunk of his finger. And now, I'm back in Clermont for a week and a bit. Basically, little bro needs someone to help him button his clothes, and lace his work boots (plus, ferry him to his doctors appointments, and make sure he takes his pain meds), and Mum & Dad were just about to leave for Bathurst. One emergency plane trip later, and here I am. I'll have to resume the color challenge tomorrow, because I've been too buggered to take pictures the last few days. I did still find cool Internetty stuff though!

20 Amazing Reimagined Book Covers is, well, amazing. My favorite is 1984, how about you?

Apparently good things come in 20s' this week - 20 Cool Home Library Design Ideas is really cool.

I loved this post about Wearing Second Hand To A Wedding. This lady is gorgeous!

I'm definitely going to be trying out Syl & Sam's tutorial for Top Knot Hair. It looks like it would work, even with my short hair.

Are you in need of some placeholder text for anything? Then you should check out Samuel L. Ipsum. Most badass placeholder text out there.

Wear Color is the coolest Tumblr I've found in a long time.

Shine On, You Crazy Diamond (or How To Ignore Negative Critisism) is a great article for all of us with upcoming new adventures.

The Tattooed Beauty Myth is a really interesting read about how tattooed women are perceived, and traditional femininity.

I really loved Media Beauty Circus: How To Change The Way You Think About What You Think. It's a really thoughtful post about deciding not to believe the negative things we are told about ourselves.

I want to get my animals a pet mansion.

This tutorial for strawberry nails (literally) is so freakin' adorable. I think I'm obsessed with nail polish now that I'm finished in retail.

Australia in general isn't big on Halloween, but I loved this collection of Halloween plates. Maybe I should just have Owloween instead? I could serve owl coconut cookies!

This post about Not Defending Our Life Choices is gold.

Have you seen Sarah's fantastic yellow crochet dress? As in, a fantastic yellow dress she crocheted herself?

This video is really close to my heart. A little girl sees her face for the first time after having her cleft lip repaired.

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today - The Color Challenge Day 4

2011-09-29T15:38:00.003+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

When I decided to try this color challenge, I went for a week-long commitment because I thought I'd struggle to find colorful outfits for a whole week. Now that I'm on day four, I think I was wrong. I have so many colorful outfit ideas!

Outfit Rundown:

Dress: Trade Secret, $10
Belt: Trade Secret, $12.95
Tights: Some random stall, $5
Boots: Op-shopped, $10

This little dress is turning out to be one of my favourite purchases. I've worn it so many times now, and it has survived incredible amounts of wardrobe culling. Oh, did I introduce you to the scare-owl? He's sitting on the top of the green house there, keeping the crows away from my strawberries. He also terrifies cats. I had him inside for a few days before setting him up, and the kitties wouldn't come anywhere near him.

The scare-owl & I currently have chronic bitchface in common. Anyway, these yellow tights are proving to be far more useful that I thought they would when I bought them. Surprise guys - I like yellow! I felt so sunny all day, and the tights got heaps of compliments from people. I had incredible fun meeting my friend's little man yesterday as well. He's adorable, and she's such an amazing Mum. I whipped out my trusty camera and snapped some pictures of them as well. I can't wait to get them developed! How's your day lovelies?

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today - The Color Challenge Day 3

2011-09-28T08:55:00.003+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

I'm going to have to make it a quick one today, because all that finger-crossing must have worked - I'm well enough to go out! I decided to get a little dolled up in honor of the occasion. If I look a little awkward in these photos, there is a completely silly explanation. For ages now, we haven't had a neighbour behind us. Someone just moved in, and whenever I go out with my camera & tripod they try to figure out what I'm doing, and I get a little stage fright.

Outfit Rundown:

Dress: Trade Secret, $29.95
Belt: Trade Secret, $12.95
Necklace: Trade Secret, $8.95
Sandals: Op-shopped, $5

Sneaky pose. Eeep, better get going. I'm so excited, and I don't want to be late!

Close up, for all you print fiends. Yes, that is pink in there.

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today - The Color Challenge Day 2

2011-09-27T15:35:00.008+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

Welcome to Day 2 of my Color Challenge, featuring the Australian Summer (which is already in full swing), and my birdsnest hair (which is always in full swing). I was up for a hard day of packing, and my house feels like it is made entirely out of aluminum in the Summer. Seriously, there is no insulation whatsoever & the result is you feeling kind of like that unlucky ant that the little kid fixes under the magnifying glass. So, in other words, today called for the Australian Summer Uniform - a singlet, and short shorts.

Outfit Rundown:

Singlet: Bonds, $7.95
Shorts: Trade Secret, $29.95
Necklaces: One made by me, one from Trade Secret, $8.95
Docs: Shoe City, $200

I had to have these baby-blue shorts on last years birthday-fuelled shopping spree. I then proceeded to wear them approximately twice, and I'm fairly certain I only left the house on one of those occasions. I plan to make much better use of them this Summer. If the current weather is anything to go by, then I'll be forced to. Clermont is already getting temperatures that rival the Brisbane Summer maximum. How's it heating up for the rest of you in the Southern Hemisphere? Or cooling down, if you're in the North?

Until next time, xo.

P.S. Cross your fingers for me! I've been a bit sick the last few days - no voice, but lots of phlegm, ugh - and I'm meant to meet my friends baby son tomorrow. Hopefully I'm well enough by tomorrow morning, eek!

Thought For The Day

2011-09-27T09:19:00.000+10:00

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today - The Color Challenge

2011-09-26T17:09:00.004+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

Long time, so see! How's the wife & kids? I finished up at my retail job this week, and The Boyfriend flew down for a visit this weekend just gone, so I've had pretty much zero focus for blogging. Or anything else. But now that I'd don't have much at all to occupy myself (except packing), I've decided to set myself a style challenge for the week.

I, Stacey Cash, hereby challenge myself to wearing colors other than black, for an entire week. Black has always been my fall-back color. In my late teens, I went through a prolonged Goth phase where I refused to wear colors other than black. Even once I didn't mind so much, I'd completely convinced myself that I didn't like colors other than black, and that color didn't suit me. The thing is though, I love colors! Lots of them, often bright and all at the same time. I sorted through my wardrobe last night, and discovered I actually own more colorful clothes than I thought. So this week, I am aiming to wear outfits with an absolute minimal amount of black.

Outfit Rundown:

Beanie: Trade Secret, $12.95
T-shirt: Trade Secret, $5, embellished by me
Jeans: Jay Jays, $16
Belt: Gift from Mummy Dearest
Docs: Shoe City, $200
Necklace: Trade Secret, $8.95

I also thought it was time I showed off my domestic sluttery. Under my coffee table (which is really small entertainment unit) lives paperwork, my CDs, and a vintage slide projector. On the coffee table is (currently) living my laptop, point & shoot camera, TV remotes, and a half-eaten cheese & bacon roll, which was fully eaten moments after this photo. The couch blankets are covering a mountain of clothes that I have to sort through. The rest of the room is strewn with paperwork, cardboard boxes, bass guitars, shoes, and random household thingies. My natural habitat. What's yours like?

Until next time, xo.

Style Inspiration: The Other Boleyn Girl

2011-09-20T18:04:00.000+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

While The Boyfriend is away, I have been taking the time to watch (and re-watch) some of the "girly" movies & TV series' that he doesn't really like. Or, watch them on the big TV that is. Usually I just pop them on in my laptop, put on my headphones and make The Boyfriend think I'm a weirdo who randomly laughs at invisible people.

One of my girly watchings this week was The Other Boleyn Girl. According to my good friend Wikipedia, it is "a romanticized account of the lives of 16th-century aristocrats Mary Boleyn, one-time mistress of King Henry VIII, and her sister, Queen Anne, who became the monarch's ill-fated second wife, though much history is distorted." Despite the historical inaccuracy, I really loved the movie. Natalie Portman & Scarlett Johansson were both fantastic, but as usual, I mainly fell in love with the gowns. Take a look:

The costumes for the two leading actresses were absolutely superb. I loved the way that the colours of the gowns tied into the portrayal of the characters. Anne Boleyn, who is imagined as a cold, manipulative person is almost always wearing cool colours. Mary Boleyn, played as a kind-hearted, if somewhat naive, girl is always clothed in warm colours. Either it really tied everything in nicely, or I am over-exaggerating the significance of the costumes colours. Hey, either way, I still loved it. I am also left with a sudden pressing desire to wear fantastic head gear.

Until next time, xo.

P.S. For all you saucy minxes, here's a shot of Eric Bana as King Henry VIII. You're welcome.

What I Wore Today - Who Likes Short Shorts? Vol. 2

2011-09-18T16:28:00.005+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

You know the weather is warming up when the camera sees enough of my skin to overexpose me. Just call me Casper, I'll take that one. I would say I'm not this white in real life, but I would be lying. Once I move up to Clermont The Boyfriend reckons he's going to install sunscreen dispensers next to our doors so that I don't permanently become a lobster. I think this might actually be a wise decision.

Outfit Rundown:

Owl Print Button-Up: Op-shopped, $2
Singlet: Stolen from The Boyfriend
Shorts: Trade Secret, $29.95
Boots: Op-shopped, $10
Owl Necklace: Trade Secret, $6.95

I almost didn't leave the house like this today. I love shorts, but I'm still trying to get over that "certain people don't wear certain things" block in my head. When I do leave the house in shorts I get overly anxious that everyone will laugh at me, and then the fashion police will jump out of the bushes and give me an exorbitant fine. But yesterday it was so freakin' hot that I decided to take the chance. And guess what guys? There was no laughing, and certainly no visit from the fashion police. There was only me feeling awesome, and cool (in the temperature sense of the word) in my shorts. I think I might have disintegrated my "shorts block".

And really, why should I feel anxious about wearing shorts? They're my legs, not anyone else's'. What I do with them, and cover them with is really my business. My legs are pretty rad, when you think about it. They get me through whole days working on my feet, they get me through craploads of lunges in my daily workout, through walks, runs & hikes, and long days of shopping. My legs are pretty damn good to me, so it makes sense that I should love them. And if anyone else doesn't? Well, they don't have to. It doesn't really matter to me, because I do.

How were your weekends lovelies?

Until next time, xo.

Best of the Interwebz

2011-09-17T15:17:00.000+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

Just a short one today - I've spent the day doing household chores & not feeling well, and now I'm running a little late getting ready to go over to My Favorite Canadians' house. Eeep.

8 Uses For Elastic Bands is a neat post telling you how to put those random piles of elastic bands to good use.

How To Make A Braided Leather and Feather Bracelet is a really cute tutorial.

I am in love with this embroidered owl handbag. Love I tell you! Also, motherfecking owl cookies. Yeah.

Everyone should head on over to Misfits Vintage, and check out Sarah's garage sale. Sarah is selling some fabulous stuff, and it's all for a good cause.

How To Make Homemade Leave In Conditioner is another tutorial I really want to try.

I want to adopt this 'ginger" baby seal. Possibly the cutest eyes I have ever seen.

Ten Rules For Fat Girls is an awesome post, and probably entirely different to what you think when you hear the word "rules" and "fat girls" in the same sentence.

Who doesn't love Darth Vader? Right?

Catch you all later, & hope you're having a good weekend!

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today

2011-09-16T15:50:00.003+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

I came home early from work today because my stomach was churning like a tropical cyclone. Not such a good start to the weekend. On the upside, I came home to this gorgeous jumpsuit. Sarah of Misfits Vintage must be a postage ninja, because I only paid her on Wednesday & here I am, posing like a fool in a fabulous jumpsuit already. I love it so much! It makes me feel like a genie.

Outfit Rundown:

Jumpsuit: Purchased from Sarah's Garage Sale, $25
Belt: Trade Secret, $2
Sandals: Op-shopped, $5
Owl Necklace: Trade Secret, $5.95
Rings: Trade Secret, $3.95 each

Yes, it's definitely Stacey-safe. Ability to flail arms wildly? Check. Ability to jump around like an insane ostrich? Check check. Ability to inspire dance moves that have never before been seen by man? 123858652786 times check! While I'm rambling, I'm going to tell you to keep an eye on the Misfits Vintage Garage Sale 2011, because Sarah is selling some really incredible stuff.

When I look down right now, this is what I see. I love these fringed sandals. I've been wanting a pair for a while, so I was very happy when I stumbled across this pair at an op-shop. I had to get one of the lovely op-shop ladies to dig them out of a locked cabinet for me - they're by Steve Madden. Ugh, time for me to sign off, as my stomach just redoubled it's churning. Lounging on my couch rewatching Glee, and gorging on chocolate probably isn't the best cure, but that's what I intend to do.

Until next time, xo.

A To Z

2011-09-15T22:03:00.008+10:00

Me & my wonderful Dad.

Hello there lovelies,

Oops! I only just realized that I never ended up showing you photos of my university graduation. I even wore a really cute dress, and high heels and everything. The Boyfriend took lots of wonderful photos, but unfortunately I can't show you any right now. That's the downside of film photography - or at least the downside of the negatives/slides being in Clermont, and me being in Brisbane. I can give you that one photo (courtesy of Mum's iPhone), and this cute A to Z thing I snagged from Lady Smaggle.

A. Age: 22, turning 23 in November.
B. Bed size: Queen, but I really wish we had a King. It wouldn't really help with sleeping space, since The Boyfriend & I are cuddlers, but I still want one.
C. Chore that you hate: Washing dishes! I'll do anything else - cleaning toilets, changing cat litter, taking out the rubbish - just don't make me do the dishes!
D. Dogs: As long as I can remember I've had a dog. My first dog was named Tessy Bessy. She was a miniature fox terrier that I used to push around in a pram, and dress in baby clothes.

Tessy Bessy in her pram & clothes.

E. Essential start to your day: Cereal, and a whole lot of fruit. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, oh my.
F. Favorite color: I'm still getting used to liking colors other than black, white and grey. I am loving jewel tones, burnt oranges, and fire engine reds at the moment though.
G. Gold or Silver: I used to really hate gold, and love silver, but now I like both fairly equally.
H. Height: I'm around 5'5 or 5'6. I can't remember exactly what, and it has been forever since I measure my height.
I. Instruments you play: I used to play the violin, and fairly well at that. I'd love to get back into it, and I'd love to learn how to play guitar. I'm also quite handy with the drums on Guitar Hero.
J. Job title: Ladieswear Department Head (and in a week, unemployed).
K. Kids: I'd love them, but not right now. I'm still far too selfish to be completely responsible for another human being.
L. Live: Brisbane, and soon Clermont.
M. Mother’s name: Christine, but everyone calls her Tina.

Me & my babe of a Mum.

N. Nicknames: Pippin. Go watch the movie The Fellowship Of The Ring. Fast forward to the scenes that take place in the mines of Moria. Watch the character Pippin touch a skeleton, send it falling noisily into a large pit, and bring all the orcs of Moria bearing down onto the Fellowship. Cue my friends saying, "Stacey, that's something that you would do". Come over to my place, and watch me run into the same door frame a few times, and you'll understand what they mean.
O. Overnight hospital stays: Many. I've had 12 surgeries now. Not all of them required overnight stays, but some required more than one night. The last one was in 2006.
P. Pet peeves: Rude, mean, petty people.
Q. Quote from a movie: The Gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again - Brad Pitt, in Troy.
R. Right or left handed: Left, but I'm also a weirdo. I write left-handing, throw right-hand, bat left-handed. I can't use a regular potato peeler, but I can use regular scissors.
S. Siblings: One little baby brother. Who is, of course, 18 and stands head and shoulders over me.

Me & my little bro.

U. Underwear: Sexy (sorry Mum). I love gorgeous lingerie, and wearing it makes me feel more confident.
V. Vegetable you hate: I really don't like peas. Or pickles.
W. What makes you run late: Not being able to pick an outfit. Or sometimes I make myself really anxious, and I just can't leave the house.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Lots. I've had plenty of x-rays for dental purposes, and one when we thought I had broken my ankle. I'm sure there are others that I can't remember as well.
Y. Yummy food that you make: My fried rice is absolutely boss.
Z. Zoo animal: I love monkeys & apes, they're the most intriguing animals. I'd love to go to a zoo where I could actually see lions & tigers & things though.

Until next time, xo.

Style Inspiration: Gossip Girl

2011-09-12T22:18:00.010+10:00

Hello there world,

I have finally emerged from my cocoon (otherwise known as Season 4 of Gossip Girl), if only to make the following observation - the plot lines of this show may get worse & worse, but I'll continue to love it as long as the dresses keep getting more and more fabulous.

Apparently I am very easy to please. All it takes is a dress like that amazing black & white number, and I forget about the ridiculous amount of scandals, love children, cat fights and friends back-stabbing each other that come with each episode of Gossip Girl. Oh, and this guy helps of course.

Until next time, xo.

Best of the Interwebz

2011-09-11T13:54:00.000+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

Apologies for yet another extended absence. It's been a little tough adapting to being back at work, and being at home by myself. Plus, I treated myself to Season 4 of Gossip Girl on DVD this week, and may have been sent into a drooling coma over all the amazing dresses. For all of you who asked, I am staying in Brisbane for eight weeks to finish up my last few weeks of work, and to pack up our household. From when The Boyfriend interviewed for his job to when he started we only had two weeks notice - and one of those weeks we were already spending in Wollongong. Nothing in the house is packed, and there are a lot of things that we want to sell or give away before we leave. I have a lot of work ahead of me. Especially since I have to drag myself away from the blogs to do it! Here's some cool stuff from this week:

How To Broadcast Body Confidence. Love it.

This little recipe for a Pumpkin Spice Latte sounds really yummy.

Just when you thought Syl & Sams' nail tutorials couldn't get any better, here comes Rainbow Galaxy Nails. Annnnnd, a neat tutorial from Syl & Sam for doing ombre denim.

How To Make A Friendship Bracelet For Free - super cute, and really nifty.

More tutorials! How to turn a t-shirt into Lace and Bow Back Minidress, from the awesome Max California.

And while I'm on the subject of tutorials - here's another one for making infinity sandals, and one for a really cute skirt.

Oh, and here's how to make a turban out of a pair of leggings.

This collection combining typography with owls is really adorable. Plus, if you've ever wondered how to make an owl out of recycled materials, you have your answer.

I am head over heels for this night sky photography. So incredibly beautiful.

Wow. An Avril Lavigne song that I don't hate. That hasn't happened in a long time.

Hope you're all having great weekends!

Until next time, xo.

Back To Reality

2011-09-05T23:05:00.004+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

Just in case you were wondering, I made it safely back to Brisbane. Our cats & dog seem to be suffering from separation anxiety - they haven't left my side since I walked back through the door. I feel a little bit like Dorothy, when she wakes up at the end of The Wizard of Oz. It seems like Clermont was a wonderful dream, and now I'm back to boring old reality. At least I know I only have eight weeks of it left. The hardest part is going to be spending eight weeks away from this guy.

How freakishly similar are we posing in these two photos? I never even noticed. Anyway, this is going to be the longest that The Boyfriend and I have been apart since we started dating four and a half years ago. I have to admit that I may have shed a few tears when I got on the plane tonight. I feel bad for being such a sook, since I know that friends of ours have spent years apart while they have been dating, but at the moment eight weeks seems a bit like forever.

I promise I'll be less of a sook tomorrow. Maybe.

Until next time, xo.

P.S. I was feeling awfully down when I got home, until I found a mysterious package on my front step. It was from Sarah of Misfits Vintage! I'd completely forgotten that I won her last giveaway until I opened the package. Cutest tapestry bag you have ever seen, amongst other awesome things. Instant mood-improver!

Best of the Interwebz

2011-09-03T19:47:00.000+10:00

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Hello lovelies,

It is Sunday morning, and the doomsday hour is almost upon me. Which, in far less dramatic terms means I am flying back to Brisbane tomorrow night to start my eight weeks of preparing all our junk to be moved up here, and start my eight weeks away from The Boyfriend. Luckily My Favourite Canadian is going to keep me company as often as she can. And, of course, the second season of Glee is out on DVD in early October, so I can at least use that to lull myself into a show-choir-related-stupor. I may turn into a hermit, but at least I will have your blogs to keep me company. Here's some awesome stuff I read this week:

This tutorial for water marbled nail polish kicks an insane amount of ass.

Can, Not Can't. A reminder that the things we can't do shouldn't hold us back from doing what we can.

I'm Happy & My Friends Can't Stand It! is another great advice piece.

I am incredibly in love with this colourful outfit.

Mariachi Owls. Because who wouldn't want these guys wandering around in their town? And if they aren't your bag, how about a paper art Owl Totem Pole?

Women Fighters in Reasonable Armour. Anyone who has ever watched an action flick/superhero movie/fantasy epic with me will understand why I like this.

I really enjoyed this piece on Rock Groupies and Feminism. I can't say that I'd ever thought of groupies in the context of feminism at all, so this really got me thinking.

A little reminder that Everyone Is Doing The Best They Can.

So, You Accidentally Shaved Your Head? 10 Tips for Coping had me giggling the whole way through, and is actually very sound advice.

If you've ever wondered how to make Anne of Green Gables' Raspberry Cordial, wonder no more! And get on over to yes and yes to suggest more book recipes to make.

Totally Money is a great site, full of great bloggers writing about all matters money-related. I popped on over to take a look after A Thrifty Mrs blogged about scoring a gig there.

Plus, we all know this place wouldn't be complete without something funny involving cats.

I hope you're having a great weekend!

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today - Stars & Stripes

2011-09-02T20:42:00.004+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

It's been another relaxing day here in Clermont. It's hard to believe that I fly back to Brisbane on Monday night. I am fairly certain that I won't be able to sleep for the next week or so down there, because I've gotten so used to the nightly silence, and darkness up here! I'm pretty sure that I had never actually heard silence before this trip. You think things are quiet in Brisbane, but you can still hear trucks, horns, sirens & random factory noises in the background. Brisbane darkness doesn't have anything on Clermont darkness, that's for sure! Who knew there were so many street lights (and who knew I was such a city girl)?

Outfit Rundown:

Dress: Op shopped in Wollongong, $5
Striped Cardi: Trade Secret, $19.95
Tights: Ambra, $6.95
Boots: Trade Secret, $29.95
Owl Necklace: Gift from The Lady With The Chutzpah

'Scuze the incredibly random pose. I wanted to show the awesome of these stockings - I've been chasing a pair ever since I saw them appearing on blogs. Got to say that I wouldn't recommend this particular brand though. This is the first time I've worn them, and I've already put three holes in them, and they are pilling. Plus, I erred on the side of caution and got the Extra Tall size which is supposed to suit ladies quite a bit heavier and taller than me. However, they are already losing opacity on my legs, and are only just long enough for me. This dress was a great score though. I had to ask one of the lovely op shop ladies to grab it off one of their mannequins for me, and it had been marked down to $5 from $10 because it had been there for so long!

Oh, is anyone else having trouble with Blogger & commenting lately? I can't leave comments on a few of your blogs - it seems to be the ones without a pop-up box for comments. I type my comment, and then it takes me to a messgae that says I'm not authorised to view that page. Weird. Lovely Nelly, yours is one of them, I'm sorry! I'll tell you here though, that there is an op-shop in Clermont. Only one, and it is only open on Tuesdays & Thursdays, from 10-2:30. I haven't been yet, but I'm itching to go because there is a sign in the window saying that all items of clothing are $1!

Happy weekend everyone!

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today - Is That Floral I Spy?

2011-09-01T20:35:00.010+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

It is starting to be a tiring week up here in Clermont. I love the town, love the scenery (I saw wild baby Emus' today!), but there is just so much to be organised. The toughest challenge is proving to be finding our own accomodation. We started looking for rentals today, and had to add ourselves to a three-month waiting list. Plus, most rentals up here don't allow any pets, which is a problem. It looks like we might be rooming with my parents for quite a while yet. Not that I mind, although having your own place is always nice. Besides, there isn't room for all my dresses in the wardrobes in this house, haha.

Outfit Rundown:

Dress: Op-shopped in Wollongong, $6
Owl Necklace & Ring: Present from my Nana

Other Rings: Trade Secret, $3.95

While I was op-shopping down in Wollongong, I specifically had dresses for Summer in mind. Every Summer I seem to develop an inexplicable obsession with flowy floral maxi dresses, so when this one popped up I thought it was high time I acquired one. Although The Boyfriend was a little surprised to see me wearing anything with so much pink in it, the world failed to crash down around my ears in confusion about my newfound girliness. I take this as a sign that the universe approves of me in floral, even if my dressiness did seem to slightly baffle the people of Clermont.

In this dress I really felt as though I should have been lounging beside a large pool, idly gossiping whilst sipping martinis handed to me by a European pool boy. That's got to be a good thing, right? What I actually did was the dishes, budgeting, a little grocery shopping, and a bit of cooking. That doesn't bother me though. I am greatly anticipating moving up here and enjoying the quiet life permanently. Alrighty, well I am mighty tired, and The Boyfriend has already been asleep for near on five hours. I leave you today with something that people would have killed for a few years ago - a photo of me in a pink, floral dress, smiling.

You're totally welcome.

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today - Frocks Ahoy!

2011-08-30T20:42:00.009+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

Once again, I am not dead. I made it to Clermont safe & sound, and I'm now enjoying copious amounts of relaxation and my Mum's cooking. Did I tell you when I said we were moving to Clermont that I had never been here before? Well, now that I have, I'm incredibly glad that we made such a spontaneous decision. I love the town, and the surrounding area is absolutely gorgeous. I'm actually quite upset that I have to go back to Brisbane to organise the house. I am considering getting someone down there to tape a "free stuff inside" sign to the front of our rental house, and just staying here.

Outfit Rundown:

Cardi: Jay Jays, a million years ago
Dress: Op-shopped in Wollongong, $6
Tights: Some random stall, $5
Boots: Op-shopped in Brisbane, $10

I think that the fabulous Sarah, Helga & Vix would be proud of me today! I've been feeling rather left out with all their Frock Up on Friday fun going on, as my workplace has an incredibly boring uniform (white button-up shirt, black dress pants, black closed in shoes, ugh). So, logically, I thought this week I have a whole week off work (and internet access), and a whole shitload of new op-shopped dress from Wollongong, so why not wear frocks for a whole week? This is dangerous territory for me lovelies.

Little bit of backstory - yellow and brown are two colours that I often avoid wearing. Yellow, because I have been told that I look terminally ill when I wear it, and brown because everyone has always said you shouldn't wear brown with black, and I always wear black. I acquired some yellow stockings back when I dressed up as Mrs Pacman, and couldn't go past these brown boots at my favourite op-shop a few weeks ago. As soon as I saw this dress in an op-shop down in Wollongong, I knew it was destined to bring these random items together. Looking at these photos, I am a little disappointed that today was a little cool - this dress looks heaps better without a cardi covering up half the bodice. Oh well, these are the mistakes that us frockingly-challenged people make.

This is how excited I am to show you the rest of the dresses I picked up at the op-shops last week. You've got to admit, I'm looking pretty ecstatic. Probably because I saw real wild-life today - as in actual animals in the wild. This is a novelty for us city folk I tells' ya! Also, yellow tights just make you feel good. Yes, you can quote me on that.

Until next time, xo.

Best of the Interwebz

2011-08-27T11:11:00.000+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

That's right, I'm not dead! I did, in fact, make it back safely from Wollongong. I've just been too rooted from traveling to actually do any blogging. I had a great time down south though, mostly just spending time with The Boyfriends' Nana. She was stoked that I loved looking through all her old photos, and I was amazed that although she can no longer see the photos, she knew exactly who was in them from memory. Since I made it back I have mostly been procrastinating, and reading through all of the blog posts waiting for me in Google Reader. Here's some stuff I thought was awesome this week:

The Cat Scan - a tumblr full of funny pictures of cats encountering scanners.

I am head over heels for Syl & Sam's galactic print cut-off shorts . Amazing!

Speaking of head over heels, I'm also crazy for Psycho Sue's USO girl-print dress. This lady has some serious sewing skills.

I can't wait to be out of retail so I can try out this nail tutorial - pink with black & white skulls.

How To Battle The Blues is great advice on how to deal with that "is this it?" feeling.

Hilarious, weird, totally unnecessary fashion products. Just in case any of you ever need Luxury Condoms.

DIY Hogwarts Acceptance Letter - for those of you who firmly believe that the owl just got lost on its' way to you.

Wedding Inspiration from Super Mario Brothers is so incredibly adorable. This Owl Themed Vintage Wedding is pretty adorable also.

Going against type is a great post about trying to find an aesthetic that suits you.

I think my favourite post of the week would have to be True Life: How to Treat People in the Service Industry.

I need this dress. It is made from over 1500 discarded pages of Golden childrens' books. Rad.

I hope you're all well & having wonderful weekends. I'm about to start another 12-hour car trip, this time to visit my parents and get The Boyfriend started in his new job in Clermont. Oops, better get back to packing.

Until next time, xo.

BRB

2011-08-20T11:29:00.002+10:00

Hey lovelies,

Good news! I have the next two weeks off of work! Bad news! I'm going to be away for a few days - The Boyfriend and I are heading down to visit his Nana in Woolongong. We fly down this afternoon, and I'll be without the Internet until sometime Wednesday. I may be scarce once I get back as well, since then we're straight into packing for The Boyfriend, and heading up to Clermont to get him settled in.

I hope you all have fun while I'm away!

Until next time, xo.

I Think I'm In Love

2011-08-18T21:12:00.003+10:00

Hello lovelies,

I think I'm in love. Again. I'm not sure whether I'm in love with Frances Bean Cobain, who is in these images, or with the photographer who took them. Either way, I'm head over heels.

Images.

For someone who once said that they didn't understand the point of black & white photography, I sure have a soft spot for it now. I love the way that black & white can be used to completely change the tone, or context of photographs. I love the slightly eerie feeling it brings to this set of images. I guess it's time to admit that I'm a black & white photography convert.

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today - Stripes Ahoy

2011-08-17T22:02:00.003+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

I got a sneaky day off today, as everyone in Brisbane had a public holiday for the Ekka. According to my good friend Wikipedia, the Ekka is the annual agricultural show of Queensland, Australia. I wouldn't really know, because despite having the public holiday every year, I have never been. I love animals, crazy rides & showbags as much as anyone else, but every year I've either not had the money to go, or not wanted to risk walking into the disease-infested showgrounds. It is a truth universally acknowledged that when you go to the Ekka, you end up sick. This year I didn't want to risk reigniting the virus that knocked me out for most of Winter. At least I did get to leave the house though - we went shopping for new work clothes for The Boyfriend!

Outfit Rundown:

Dress: Target, $7.88
Tights: Kmart, $10
Sneakers: Target, $11.88

I can finally discuss our big news, as everything has gone according to plan (at least for the moment). The Boyfriend landed a really good job with the council, in the little Central Queensland town of Clermont. The town is 945km away from Brisbane, and at the last census, had a population of 1,854. The Boyfriend starts work in two weeks. I'm staying in Brisbane, with his Dad & Sister until our lease finishes in early November. That's right ladies and gentlemen, I better strap on my cowboy boots because I'm about to become a country girl. We'll also be living a lot closer to my parents, and I'm going to study by correspondence starting next year.

Enough with the heavy news, I hear you say. Onwards to the failed jump shots! As you lovely people know, I never fail to deliver when it comes to embarrassing myself. Biggest. Klutz. Ever.

Here's one of me almost falling over in an attempt to land a jump. I only just noticed that I must have been concentrating real hard, because my tongue is sticking out. Also, did I mention that this dress that I scored for eight bucks was originally $55? Oh, and remind me to show you the things I've thrifted lately sometime. Bargain shopping rocks.

Until next time, xo.

Fictional Style Icon - Luna Lovegood

2011-08-16T22:14:00.005+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

With the last Harry Potter movie coming out, and one of the biggest book/movie franchises in the world finally coming to an end, I thought it was time I paid homage to one of my all-time favourite fictional characters. Hermione Granger is incredibly brilliant, Ginny Weasley is witty & courageous, but my favourite female Harry Potter character has got to be Luna Lovegood. She is pure insanity (in the best possible way), wrapped up in a heart of gold.

"You know, she's grown on me, Luna. I know she's insane, but it's in a good way." —Ron Weasley on Luna

Luna had waist-length, straggly, dirty blonde hair, protuberant grey eyes, which often seemed to be dreamily distracted, and faint eyebrows. She had an aura of "distinct dottiness" about her and was known to put her wand behind her left ear for safekeeping.

Luna had a unique fashion sense that other people usually found bizarre. She often wore odd pieces of jewellery such as a butterbeer cork necklace and dirigible plum (radish) earrings, and a pair of Spectrespecs. Luna often didn't wear shoes because students in her house would take her shoes and hide them.

"The Aurors are part of the Rotfang Conspiracy, I thought everyone knew that. They're working from within to bring down the Ministry of Magic using a combination of Dark magic and gum disease." —Luna after Harry Potter discussed his wish to become an Auror.

Luna was an extremely quirky girl with a serene disposition and many eccentric beliefs and qualities. She was a complete nonconformist; she lacked self-consciousness and wasn't afraid to show who she truly was. Her demeanour and voice were often distant and dreamy, and she would drift away from a conversation she did not find interesting. She had an uncanny way of making others uncomfortable by being bluntly honest.

HP Quotations & Luna Info from Harry Potter Wiki.

In my opinion Evanna Lynch did an amazing job of bringing Luna Lovegood to life. I loved seeing her brought to the big screen, and Luna is one of the many reasons that I'm a little sad that the Harry Potter phenomenon is over.

Who are your favourite fictional characters?

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today - Who Likes Short Shorts?

2011-08-14T16:00:00.004+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

Apart from being more than a little disturbed by how much I resemble the 15-year-olds that I work with in this first picture, I'm actually having a really good day. Weekends are my most positive times at the moment, and even if I don't do much, I enjoy feeling positive as much as I can. In between spending most of my time watching House, and getting reacquainted with my treadmill, The Boyfriend and I have come to quite a few decisions about our future over the last few days. I'm going to be a little cryptic, and not say much about that yet, but I won't keep you in the dark forever.

Outfit Rundown:

Jumper: Trade Secret, $12.95
Shorts: Trade Secret, $29.95
Tights: Kmart, $10
Sneakers: Target, $11.88

Obligatory ridiculous pose in which I show off my rad new sneakers. The Boyfriends' Mum & I went shopping the other day, and happened across some really good sales at Target. I restrained myself, and only bought these sneakers, and a striped knit dress, which set me back $7.88. I've got to give a shout out, and say that this shorts ensemble was heavily inspired by Bella Q, of the Citizen Rosebud. She has been rocking short shorts like an absolute BOSS lately, if you haven't noticed.

I'm trying to repair my relationship with shorts, with Summer on the way and all. A few people once told me, back in my high school days that "fat girls didn't wear shorts," referencing me as said fat girl. I don't know why, but that comment sort of stuck with me, and I've been very self-conscious about wearing shorts ever since. But, after seeing all the awesome bloggers of different shapes & sizes out there rocking shorts, those people don't seem like such a big deal. If anyone out there doesn't want me in shorts that's their beef, not mine. I like shorts, so I do wear shorts, end of story.

Gotta love some outtake photos! Beginning with the "oh, is that something on my shoe?" shot.

Next is the "I really fail at taking jumping photos," shot. You're welcome. Also, jumping photos are hard ya'll!

Until next time, xo.

Best of the Interwebz

2011-08-13T21:28:00.000+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

I haven't had the chance to get online much this week, as The Boyfriends' family is visiting, and we've been spending most nights with them. It's not so bad though, because spending all that time away from the Internet set me up for a good lazy day reading blogs and watching old episodes of House. Speaking of which, it's got to be time for new DVD box-sets of all my TV shows right? At least in the meantime I have you to entertain me.

Ethnic Diversity in Russia 100 Years Ago, In Colour, is a beautiful collection of portraits restored from negatives.

49 Ways to Live a Kick-Ass Life is pretty great. And pretty kick-ass.

Grow Your Own Crystal Tree is dang cool. I think it would be really cute to try some different shapes.

This series of switcheroo clothing photos is really cute. Check how cute some of the guys look in their girlfriends' clothes!

I also loved The Dainty Squid's set of Fall/Winter film photos. They are ridiculously cute.

The Art of Doing with Sarah Von is a great motivational read, and exactly what I needed right now.

MarySew's post on her hometown of Berlin is beautiful as well. Nostalgia anyone?

A Pair and a Spare presents her 5 key steps for getting started on DIY fashion projects.

Another really awesome, simple DIY tutorial from Max California - check out her Bleached Out Slogan Tee. Not enough? How about this cute ruffled mini-skirt tutorial!

Free Crappy Portraits is the most adorable artwork blog that I have ever come across.

If I could buy myself a version of this bedroom, but with less pink, then my life would be complete.

Not my usual musical taste, but I love this film clip. Who doesn't love dancing guys in monkey suits, right?

Enjoy lovelies!

Until next time, xo.

Thought(s) For The Day

2011-08-11T22:10:00.003+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

It has been another busy week, with work & trying to fit my fitness routine back in around work, & The Boyfriend's family is visiting, and trying to rest to avoid getting sick again because everyone around me at work is getting sick again. I'm too exhausted to form proper sentences, so instead I'll leave you with a few quotes that I may just super-glue onto my mirror.

Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before. ~Jacob A. Riis

If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again. ~Flavia Weedn, Flavia and the Dream Maker

Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain. ~Author Unknown

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today - Polka Dot Edition

2011-08-08T20:57:00.005+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

The camera shop that develops our colour film only develops once a week now - apparently there is less demand, so they don't actually keep a technician on-site anymore, there's just one that develops for lots of shops a few days a week. The next development run isn't until Thursday. But, although I may not be able to show you my vintage car porn from Greazefest yet I can show you the pictures I snapped of my outfit on the trusty point-and-shoot.

Outfit Rundown:

Dress: Trade Secret, $19.95
Tights: Kmart, $10
Boots: Gift from a friend.

This dress has pretty incredible twirl factor. In fact, remind me to take one of those twirling pictures for you. I wanted to wear something cute, since people get pretty dressed up for good ol' Greazefest. I gotta' say, I felt pretty smart for choosing to wear boots though. The showgrounds that host Greazefest are covered in little potholes from horse hooves. I was terrified that one of the girls tottering around in stilettos was going to fall into one and break an ankle! I had my whole foot sink into one more than once. Lucky these boots are tough!

Bonus shot: this is what happens when you put your camera on timer, and an epic bird battle breaks out above your head. Shortly after this, I may have leapt a few feet into the air, and out of the path of a nose-diving bird. My backyard is super-fun.

Until next time, xo.

Best of the Interwebz

2011-08-07T20:34:00.000+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

It has been a good weekend, despite ending the week in a bad funk & dredging up a lot of old bad memories. I spent most of my time on Saturday ambling about the house, doing a bit of baking, and looking at beautiful photographs on tumblr. Then today The Boyfriend and I went to photograph vintage cars & trawl the markets at Greazefest. No luck with the markets (it seems to be mostly second-hand gear from chainstores being resold at ridiculous prices), but the cars were beautiful. Hopefully, my three rolls of film will be developed by Thursday so I'll have some photos to show you. For now, you'll just have to be content with a collection of random links to things that have amused me this week.

Accidental Chinese Hipsters - because we all love incredibly random tumblr blogs.

Life Is Hard is a rather hilarious collection of first world problems.

A must-read for everyone this week: How to Make Blackberry Vodka. Obviously, essential reading.

Hand-stitched, beaded, owl coin purses? You know I'm so totally there. Not enough crazy owl love? Then check out this collection of owl teapots while you're at it.

Memories Of Grunge is a beautiful, nostalgic post.

Thera Joyce of Crafty Pirate has concocted some dangerously adorable new aprons.

What isn't great about installing a slide in the train station for passengers that are running late for their trains? THE WAY OF THE FUTURE I TELLS YA.

Getting Cozy In The Body That You're In is a great post about making what you have work for you, instead of working against it.

How To Deal With Disappointment...With Yourself is another really great post, offering some good advice on how to cope with letting yourself down.

Love this tutorial for turning an old necktie into a camera strap. A great use for the $1 ties you find at most op-shops.

In case you didn't know, it's Star Wars Month with Max California! Check out the fun, like this tutorial for making a necklace out of lego lightsabers.

Speaking of awesome Star Wars things, I love this (horrendously good at getting stuck in your head) song about Boba Fett. And his 'vette. And his backpack, with jets.

Enjoy lovelies,

Until next time, xo.

In My Skin

2011-08-04T20:47:00.003+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

I've talked before about what a battle it has been to start feeling at home in my own skin. For most of my life I've felt out of step. Not quite right. However, body image has only ever been part of the struggle. The bigger enemy has always been depression. It is hard to feel at home within yourself when it feels like there is something hiding inside you, and it doesn't want you to be happy - in fact, it kind of wants to hurt you. This thing twists, and changes shape, and you can never quite get a handle on it. It preys on your worst fears, and convinces you that they are true. That you are ugly, worthless, unlovable. It makes you feel defective. Broken. Alien, in your own body. This thing makes it almost impossible for you to do the simple, everyday things that other people take for granted. It makes forming relationships hard, and keeping them harder - it makes you unreliable, because you don't know when you will be you, or when you will be it.

The thing that lives inside me is coming out fairly often at the moment, but I'm slowly getting it under control again. I hate that I'm quite obnoxious to be around at the moment. I change my mind far too frequently, often dissolve into hysterical crying fits, and can't see the bright side of any situation. I don't feel much like myself at all, but more like an Xbox-generation version of Gollum. It's hard to blog when I feel this way, because I have always intended for this blog to make people feel better, not worse. The worst thing about depression is how alienated it makes me feel. It is hard for a lot of people to understand the very real physical effect of this psychological weight bearing down on your shoulders. It is even harder to try and explain it with any degree of accuracy.

But, I kind of think that if all of us came out and talked about depression - our depression, friends, family, acquaintances depressions, fleeting depressions, chronic depression - that it might make all of us affected feel a little less alien. A little more at home within ourselves. So, even though I'm doing it very ineptly, here I am. Talking about my depression. So that anyone else out there reading this, and going through the same things that I am will know they're not alone. They're not broken, or defective, or aliens, or monsters. They are not their depression. Just like me, they just need a some help, and some time to feel at home in their own skin.

Until next time, xo.

Dancing in the Street (Or Clothing Racks)

2011-08-02T20:19:00.003+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

I have spoken about my incredible love (interchangeable with the phrase "unhealthy obsession") for Glee. So then, imagine how throughly excited I was to find out that my cheesy sing-a-long favourite on the work play list of music was actually from Glee! I know, I know, I'm way behind the eight ball on this one.

If you're lucky enough to wander into my place of work in a quiet period when this song plays, you may see something like this (only with more singing, more clumsy movement and the fake-microphone-hand):

This is totally normal, right? Everyone does this at work, right? Nope, only me? Oh well then. I guess you need to be incredibly awesome to embarrass yourself at work by getting caught bopping along to Glee tunes. Incredibly awesome.

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today

2011-07-31T15:54:00.006+10:00

Hello there lovelies,

I thought it was about time for another outfit post, if only to assure you that I have been wearing clothes while I've been gone. My lack of outfit posts has not been an attempt to cover up a secret move to a nudist colony, but rather an attempt to cover up the fact that I have been living in track pants and this Hogwarts t-shirt for most of the last two weeks. This was possibly some kind of strange grieving process for the end of the Harry Potter movies, but mostly was just laziness. Speaking of Harry Potter though, I sobbed like a baby the whole way through Deathly Hallows P2 (especially in any scene that involved Snape), and if The Boyfriend ever breaks up with me I totally plan on marrying Neville Longbottom.

Outfit Rundown:
OH DANG, EVERYTHING I AM WEARING CAME FROM WORK, EXCEPT THE RAD OWL NECKLACE WHICH CAME FROM THE QUEEN OF RAD, SARAH MISFIT.

My best snooty pose right there ya'll. That bit of greenery, and random assortment of pots that you see behind me is part of our little vegetable garden. We're about to get tomatoes, broccoli, beans & cherry tomatoes, and we already have heaps of herbs, lettuce & spinach ready to harvest. The cooking from scratch has been going really well too. In the last couple of weeks we've made roasts, stir-fry, potato bake, fried rice, meat marinades, and learned how to cook a whole heap of different veggies & herbs. Speaking of which, would anyone out there be interested in what I've been cooking? Just shout out, and I'll throw some cooking posts into the mix here!

Yeah, this is normal. I always randomly break it down in front of my veggie garden. My moves are just as good as the guy in this video - watch it, I swear you won't be able to tell us apart.

Oh come on, you see it right? How similar are we?

Until next time, xo.

Best of the Interwebz

2011-07-27T19:26:00.008+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

I must apologise for my recent absence - especially to those of you who were worried about my disappearance! I assure you, I am still alive. I haven't been murdered by any of the many deadly creatures in Australia, I was just taking an unintended break from the internet. After ,my sort-of breakdown a few weeks ago, I've been trying to reduce the demands on my time to give myself more time to relax & unwind. Avoiding the internet served that purpose really well, and I'm still trying to avoid my laptop unless I actually have something specific that I want to do on it. I'm slowing working it back into my day in small doses though, so I'll be around. In the meantime, here's all the stuff I've been loving this week:

One of my lovely lady friends introduced me to this hilarious comic, featuring a family with an owl Dad.

60 Awesome Portraits of Gay Couples Just Married in New York State made me get a little teary. Ok, maybe a lot teary.

This post about sustainable style, and the guilt of consumerism resonated really well with me. I feel very similar in a lot of ways at the moment.

The most beautiful words that I have heard in regards to the recent tragedy in Norway.

I am seriously considering coating my entire house in this wallpaper. Landlord be damned!

Self-Love Fluctuations - a great post about why you shouldn't be worried if you don't feel 100% happy with yourself 100% of the time.

I just re-read all of the posts in this fantastic Thrifting 101 series. Now I'm itching for another op-shopping trip.

BurdaStyle put together a great post about improving the fit of your handmade clothes.

I just had to include these incredible sculptures made from recycled owl feathers.

Who thinks their day could be made better by a gallery of photos of animals hugging each other? Anyone? Just me?

I loved this post on the life, and death of Amy Winehouse and the media circus surrounding her.

You have got to check out Sarah's take on this cool tutorial for glitter shoes. Fabulous!

Possibly the best video ever. It features lots of bad Harry Potter puns, and alcohol.

Enjoy lovelies!

Until next time, xo.

Best of the Interwebz

2011-07-19T13:54:00.000+10:00

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Hello there lovelies,

I know I have been incredibly absent the last week (and a half), and truthfully I'll probably be pretty absent until the end of this week as well. I managed to talk upper management into giving me some "emergency" leave from work, so I've got this whole week off. Apart from doing a bit of housework for our rent inspection, and testing out exercise games on our new Nintendo Wii, I have been doing sweet-absolutely-nothing. I think the rest is doing me good. I finally seem to be shaking that virus I've had for the last few months. While I'm scarce, you can always read these awesome posts:

Brilliantly smart-ass responses to completely well-meaning signs. Pure, hilarious gold.

Don't Keep Up With The Blogging Joneses, Just Keep Up With Yourself is a great article about feeling pressure to "keep up" with the rest of the blogosphere.

I quite enjoyed these random statistics about the traits of dog owners vs. cat owners.

Gotta love a good vintage tea towel decorated with owls. No seriously, it's like a rule - you have to love them.

Absolutely adoring this blog post about depression, crazy hair colours, and creating happiness.

I love you with all my boobs. Read this, I promise it will make you giggle.

Perfecting a Talent - a great article about bringing the best out of your natural talents. Creating a Superior YOU is another lovely post from the same blogger.

Why fat is not a feeling is a post that I can really identify with, exploring why we may "feel" fat in particular circumstances.

A hilarious song that may not make much sense if you're not Australian, or at the least aren't familiar with the song Waltzing Matilda.

These guys are good at writing funny songs about Australia. Here's why you should all come and visit me.

Enjoy!

Until next time, xo.

Best of the Interwebz

2011-07-09T20:43:00.000+10:00

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Hello there lovelies!

First up, I would like to say a huge thank-you to all of the amazing bloggers out there who have given me their support & love this week. You guys are absolutely incredible! I can't believe how kind and generous you all are. If I haven't replied to your messages yet, be sure I'm getting there - I'm just still incredibly tired from my sickness, and haven't been getting as much done as I'd hoped this week. Also, a big hello to all of my new followers! I apologise for the fact that you've stumbled across my little world in such a depressing week, but I'm very glad you're here. Here's some cool stuff I've been reading & watching & enjoying this week:

Owls With Stupid Expressions On Their Faces. Adorable, hilarious owls. (Thanks Sarah!)

While we're on the subject, these toilet paper owls are pretty hilarious & adorable as well.

I think I'm going to plaster these Free Printable Love Notes to Myself (& You) all over my house right now.

Syl & Sam's tutorial for a sweetheart yoke dress is pretty freakin' sweet.

Fat People Nightmares is an amazing post regarding #fatpeoplenightmares trending on Twitter earlier this week.

I really enjoyed the thoughts of one fabulous lady on happiness & style.

As a die-hard Harry Potter fan, I had to love this picture dump from the World Premier of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Everyone is all grown up! Also, who agrees that Neville Longbottom has gotten super-fine? Anyone?

Persist is an open letter from a Pixar animator to all aspiring artists. It's pretty amazing.

It's not going to turn out the way you thought almost made me cry. Such a beautiful post.

I know I've already posted a tutorial of Syl & Sam's, but you have to see this one for painting galaxy designs on a purse! The result is amazing.

Being sick this week has enabled me to spend an insane amount of time watching Spice Girls video clips. Obviously, a productive use of my time.

I may have also been getting a little teary-eyed over trailers for the final Harry Potter movie.

I hope you're all well, and thank-you again for all your support!

Until next time, xo.