2011 - the good the bad & the 'to do' in 2012

i came into twentyeleven off the back of twentyten (as did we all, duh)

but twentyten was an amazing year for me personally & so i had high hopes for twentyeleven

Whilst it wasn't the worst year, it certainly wasn't the best

i tried my hardest in alot of areas & am proud of myself for that, i'm ending this year on a good note, i know i'm a much better person that i was when it started.

Once again, i have high hopes for twentytwelve

(I'm beginning to think that even-numbered years hold the best for me)

Anyway, in the coming 12 months we shall see

For now though, its all about twentyeleven & the year that was

the good...

- saving enough for a deposit on the house of our dreams

- reaching the '1 year' mark with M

- going to Hawai'i in March

- quitting the job i knew wasn't right for me

- getting the job that was right from me

- buying lots and lots of homewares, at incredibly low prices, in anticipation for our new house (this was before we had found it) people said we were silly to start so early, those people were very wrong :D

- finally curing my acne (it plagued me for 5+ years)

- growing closer with old friends

- making a whole lot of new friends

- loosing weight & getting healthy, there really is no better feeling

the bad...

- having a car accident

- loosing touch with a few people

- not being organised or time efficient

- focusing too much energy on things that dont matter

- not appreciating myself

the to-do's for 2012...

- celebrate EVERYTHING !! We never know how long we have left

- look after myself, maintain my weight, eat healthy & exercise regularly...easy right ?

- slow down ! drink more tea, stare at photos and art, take deep breathes & sit in the tree ( a standout feature of our new house)

- cook more, i love to cook & to feed

- spend more time with friends

- let things that dont matter, not matter...dont dwell on the small things

- travel more, somewhere relaxing & with a beach

- try my very best in the new job

- love more

- indulge in the things i love, not necessarily new louboutin's every pay but to buy good chocolate or a bunch of flowers. To take long baths every now & then, to burn candles each night rather than 'saving them' for when company is over.

Ah twentytwelve, i am welcoming you with open arms & a few cold drinks

Can't wait to see what you hold

Happy New Years xx

Surprise...

Yesterday was my last day at work, not just for the end of the year, but forever. We had a team lunch, it included a bar tab, lots of hugging & everyone saying goodbye

I packed up my desk in the afternoon, said goodbye again & left...that was the end of it, so i thought

...

M had mentioned a few weeks ago he was taking my out for dinner to celebrate my last day, nothing real suss there, just a nice thing to do right ?? little did i know that he & J, my closest friend at work, were plotting a surprise dinner party !!!

...

So after leaving work with all my boxes & feeling hungry & exhausted, M suggested we go look around Westfield before dinner, we had a few last minute gifts to get, so i went along with it, he told me we had a booking for 6:45

After we left Westfield, M got a text whilst driving which i offered to read for him, he said no ! usually he would ask me to read it so as not to text and drive, but not this time...i was a little suss on that !! But whatever, i was so hungry all i could think about was getting there and eating heheeh. When we got there & as i was putting my shoes on he messaged all my friends on the sly to say we were about to walk in

We walked in & BAM !!! Everyone shouted surprise

I've never been surprised before but my gosh ! i did not know how to react, i was shaking with excitement, hugging everyone & getting a bit teary ! I just sat down & smiled at everyone like a weirdo, it was such an awesome surprise !!

I am sad to leave this job & the people there, but its not the right industry for me. My friend L who used to work there was also at the Surprise dinner, i still keep in contact with her even after leaving so i have faith i will keep the friends i made.

Below are some of the lovely presents i was given, i also got a massive farewell card & gift voucher, but thought it would be lame to photograph that lol

Such pretty presentation

She's much cuter in reality

Eskimo & Snowflake, from the recent winter collection

Carousel from the Dumbo collection

i really love the intricacy of Disney Couture jewelry

My other piece is featured here

They also gave me a gorgeous potted African violet, but that was as a housewarming gift

I will miss them dearly

Defining torture !

Toture is...

Sitting at your desk, next to 3 big, delicious chunks of your favorite Lush soap & knowing that you have to work late & therefore wont get a chance to properly use them until the following night.

For a girl who loves to bathe, this is the definition of torture

Cue the tears

There is something in the air...

Tonight i had the strangest feeling,

I was driving home from M's house after we'd just had dinner with some of our closest friends & told them about our news of moving out...im usually a paranoid driver, especially at night, so its not uncommon for me to check & re-check my rear view mirrors, ya know for murders in the backseat & the like !!

Anyway, i began to notice that the way the light was reflecting off my car and mirrors was different, almost creating like an aura ? I was driving along, thinking about why it could be & maybe that there was a full moon. Then i just felt overwhelmed with a sense of safety & excitement, i was thinking about 2012 & all the good things it's going to hold, i thought about how lucky i am, with work & M, our friends & families. I don't believe in God, but i am very 'spiritual', i think there is more to us that just flesh & bone, tonight i definitely felt looked over.

I can not wait to see what next year brings, there are alot of resolutions i have for 2012 & alot of potential that next year holds

So Guess What...

We're (almost) Homeowners !!

Let me tell you how it all went down / is going down

Last Saturday M & I went to view a villa for sale in one of our very favorite suburbs in Sydney. I had already looked at the description / pictures on Domain.com.au but as soon as we pulled up & walked in the whole mental image i had, came to life

In short, i LOVED the place

I was walking around trying to find flaws and imperfections...things i didnt like ! Alas, there were not alot. The worst thing about the whole place, was the fact that the second bedroom was a nursery !! Clearly not a bad negative right ? I am not ready for children yet, not at all ! So it spooked me a tad, but that was the worst of it

There were hardwood floors, downlights, freshly renovated kitchen, internal laundry & a huge bathroom. My favorite feature of all though is the splendid tree in the backyard!! It is beautiful & leafy, its climable & i can see it all lit up with fairy lights on a summers night, ahhhh i love that tree

^^ something like that

We're currently waiting for contracts to be exchanged, once thats all over i will be officially excited for moving in to start

For right now though, i'm stressing that something wont go through or wont get cleared in time (read: stamp duty exemption ends on dember 31) But i would love to hear some advice & helpful tips about moving out for the very first time ?

Scary to think, isn't it ?

Skinny Brown Belt

Evening ladies,

I finally got my hands on a skinny brown belt

There are so many dresses i have bought with the intention of pinching in the waist by way of a thin brown belt

It's such a versatile accessory, i'm rather annoyed that i didn't buy one sooner

So, behold the belt...

In all it's loop through goodness

Inspiration from Nigella

I love Nigella

I LOVE Nigella

I REALLY LOVE Nigella

She is gorgeous and makes great food, looking so happy doing it !!

My parents bought me 'How to be a Domestic Goddess' last christmas

So this year I plan on making her 'Christmas Morning Muffin's' on, well, Christmas morning !

Hopefully it'll become one of my Christmas traditions...

decluttering like a mofo

It started in the bathroom

Then i was overcome with the need to de-clutter/clean/re-arrange & 'streamline' all thing !

So, below are some examples of my handiwork

TMI ? ^^

Presenting, the eyelash draw <3

Is it just me, or do MAC palettes get crazy stained with finger prints ?

What i keep it all in, so pretty

oh my ! the absolute serenity of a room without clutter

Floriade !

Heidi Ho Bloggers !!

So this long weekend we went to floriade, down in ye olde Canberra

The weather was super gross the day we got there, so we went to the casino (major letdown) had pizza's & watched 'Honey i Shrunk the Kids'

This morning i woke up to b-e-a-uuuutiful weather, clear sky's and even sunshine !

I went for a short stroll to pick up a latte & hot chocolate for M & I, then we were bound for Floriade

Behold...

This pond was SO serene

Laker colours

a field of piiiiink <3

M is a hardcore Laker fan

Having a whiff

Prancing in the flowers

Hope this makes you feel all spring-y

All photo credits must go to M, he has the most creative eye !

It's about time you met...

Me, M & My pony

There i am ! At the lovely, overcast Rosehill Racecourse

We went to the races this Saturday for Myer's 'Mad About the Hat' Day

Together we won about $90 on various punts, couple of high rollers over here lol

Anyway, to the left of me is my gorgeous boyfriend of 18 months, known on this blog as 'M'

He's a keeper, i don't want to get too sappy in front of you all, but i am very much in love with him & lucky to have him in my life

So, now you know what i look like, kinda.

I'm gonna chuck a Faux Fuchsia & keep myself semi- anonymous

p.s. i lied about the pony, wish he was mine though

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Recently i have been thinking of some things i'd like to change, before summer...

Lets get into my 'mid-to-end-of-the-year/preparing-for-summer resolutions'

1 - Brush my teeth BEFORE i get to work. I have no trouble staring aimlessly into the mirror & brushing my little heart out of a nightime, or on weekends...but in the morning i too frequently rely on my emergency brush set at work. Not good, not good at all ! I squirm the whole way to work, scolding myself for being such a 'dirty girl'

2 - Drink 2 litres of water throughout the day & a big glass before/after bed. I have always been bad at hydration, there is, of course, a story behind why i never drink enough water but thats for another time...for now though i need to up the water intake so i feel lovelier come summer, the health benefits are boundless !

3- Walk my puppies EVERY night & walk to work (sort of) each morning. My little pumpkin gets walked each night as it is, but usually by my mum...from now on i want to walk her each night along with my sisters dog for at least 30 minutes. Gym's do not agree with me, i am far to self conscious & easily distracted to reap any possible benefits from them so i dont go...i have been a member in the past and ew, not for me. As for walking to work of a morning, i get of at the stop before & walk for 10-15 mins, it not a big difference but it makes me feel more refreshed and ready to walk (also takes my mind of my failure to action point 1)

4- Keep a food journal for 1 week. Ok, so overall i eat pretty healthy but everyone slips and if you were to ask me if my body is 'bikini ready' i would hang my head in shame, sigh a big 'no' & proceed to eat a whole bag of fun size snickers. It's not a pretty picture. In my defense i am not overweight or in any risk of bad health from my weight (size 10 top/size 8 bottom) but i do feel like the habits i develop now will effect my health later, hence the want to find out all the empty calories i am consuming.

5- Be more polished. I long to be the girl with the seemingly effortless put-together style. I tried the style without effort, epic fail & have since learned that 'seemingly effortless style' is actually quite full of effort.

These are my to-do's before summer hits, cause once its here i turn into shamu

So it may be baby steps before i have sufficiently actioned the above steps, but regardless the progress made, i will be updating you all.

Basking in Positivity

Welcome to Tuesday...


A few people have said they enjoy reading my blog, because its a positive platform
I love being positive, thankfully it comes naturally to me & i enjoy spreading happiness

Today i am at 'work' i hate 'work'...but i love that i am able to work & earn money for myself, the sense of self fulfillment keeps me here. It's ok though, its really not that bad

Last night i was driving home from the train station, nothing out of the ordinary except that i felt like the luckiest person alive ! I have a good car, no debt, a safe & lovely place to live, wonderful parents, siblings & friends, a boyfriend who i adore and who adores me...i am healthy and happy, all in all i have so much to be thankful for. I do not believe in god so im not really sure who to thank lol

I do, however, believe in Oprah & i really like this quote of hers: "Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you dont have, you will never, ever have enough"

So have a good day everyone, treat yourself...even if its just to a chocolate biscuit xx

my *slightly* lucky day

Today i got 3 free Nivea samples at the train station
Then i found $2 on the ground
After that my boss left a Lindt ball on my keyboard

This afternoon i was browsing the Coles catalogue (my go-to supermarket) & found out M&M's are HALF PRICE this week !!! Excellent news considering they feature in the cookies i am making for our roadtrip this weekend & the recipe i am taking to a kitchen tea next weekend

Love it when things just 'work'. Hopefully if you read this post my luck will be contageous & rub off on you <3

the first sandals OF THE SEASON !

Ok so i know its not *technically* spring until Thursday BUT i couldn't help breaking out the sandals today, due to it being a fabulous 22c in Sydney today (silent victory)

These are a brand called 'qupid' & i bought them in Hawaii at Charlotte Russe !

I ADORE these shoes, i think cause they're so minimalist & also comfy & different

My toenails are painted in 'Ali's big break' part of the burlesque range by OPI

My 'Annie' sunglasses by Karen Walker also featured as part of todays salute to spring, although i did wear these on sunny days in winter they're quintessentially a spring/summer staple

These bad boys are sold out worldwide & like 15x over, due to the notoriety of the style caused by Miss Lauren Conrad (aka my fashion muse) wearing them in like every photo taken circa 2009

Framed Bags - an amazing design idea

Ok, so wow !
I saw this photo (below) on The Wifey Chronicles, her blog is ah-may-zing, & she seems to really have a knack for designing beautiful spaces !
Basically, you use a whole bunch of different sized designer bags & frame them as a photo feature ! I cant get over how good it looks & its a win-win, as a beautiful way to declutter all my saved bags !

Next year when i (finally) make the 'big move' with M, i am definitely going to attempt this...How do you think it would look if i used dust bags aswell ?

Blue Smudge

Every morning, usually on the train, i notice a blue smudge on my hand...

Its because i sharpen my eyeliner pencil (and i happen to be using blue at the moment) before i use it & rub it on my hand before putting it on my eye, its sharp ya know ?

I just wanted to share it with you cause its there every morning ! i always wash my hands during applying make-up & after but this smudge seems to be strong wearing

Now i'm off to wash my hands...again