Thursday, July 12, 2012

Rose Byrne...

The final season of Damages has begun - I'm a huge Damages fan. Rose Byrne is just so beautiful and I wait each week to see what outfits she'll be sporting. Given most of my wardrobe is workwear I am more often than not drawn to workwear inspiration on TV rather than casual ensembles.











Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Etsy...

I'm a huge fan of Etsy. I've bought decals for my MacBook Pro and iPad, and a skin for my Kindle, but mostly I shop on Etsy for jewellery. I've never come away without finding what I've been looking for.

Some of the pieces I've bought recently include:


























Do you have any favourite Etsy sellers?

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Hello Stranger...

After a year and a half of radio silence, I've decided that I miss keeping this blog and I'm bringing it back to life. To summarise my last year and a half:

  • I got married.
  • I went to Europe for our honeymoon and to this day get teary when I think about the wonderful time we had and how I miss it.
  • I changed jobs. Twice.
  • We bought a block of land.
  • We've taken a few mini-breaks.
  • I finished all of my CPA subjects.
  • I bought a new car (this is the most recent news).
I'll blog about all of these things at some point, but for the moment I just wanted to note down what I've bought today. Oh how I love the end of financial year sales, some fantastic bargains out there.

Decjuba:

How amazing is Decjuba? I want to own almost all of their pieces this season. There used to be a store in Brisbane but it's been gone for years now. Very sad. Online shopping will have to suffice for now.



Sandler:


Ojay:



Katies:


I know. Katies. Usually I wouldn't even think of looking in Katies (though I have bought a couple of nice scales in there recently) but I saw these and thought I'd give them a red hot go. Boy am I glad I did - they're extremely flattering. Probably due to the stretch fabric - oh boy do they stretch. Looking forward to wearing them with heels for work or dressed down on the weekends.

I'm amused to see that I've basically bought an entire outfit here. In a few weeks I'm heading up to Maleny for a friend's wedding - I have the Friday up there by myself before my husband travels up and I think I'll wear the dress, scarf, boots and black tights to look around the shops in Maleny and Montville for the day. Now I just have to find a leather jacket to finish the look. Can't wait.

On that note, I'm off to sort through my wardrobes.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Monday...

Finally it is my last week of work in this job. I cannot wait to start my new role next week.

I worked from home today. I firstly had to go to Coles to buy some Damprid because I woke up panicking that this wet weather will make my wedding dress go mouldy. I keep it in our bedroom cupboard and the air con is on most of the time in this room, however that's not enough in this crazy rain. Fingers crossed it stays safe for the next 5 months.

While I was at the shops I took the time for a quick pedicure. I'd never had one before and it was super nice. The lady who gave it to me couldn't speak English though and didn't seem to understand that it was my first time and I had no idea what to do. She kept looking at me like I was stupid. I know for next time though, and there will be a next time!

I have quite a busy week ahead socially. Dinner tomorrow night (Mexican, yum!) with EA's family, lunch with a friend on Wednesday followed perhaps by dinner with some other friends of ours. On Thursday I have another lunch date followed by farewell drinks. Drinks again on Friday night before I go to Noosa on Saturday for my friend E's 30th birthday girls' weekend. E is staying at the Sheraton because of the swim-up bar. I am staying at the Sebel next door. While I'm sure I'll spend a lot of time with E, I'm also hoping for a bit of time to myself. I asked EA if he wanted to join me but I think he's looking forward to a weekend of Playstation alone!

I just realised as well that I have dinner with an old school friend on Sunday night after I get back from Noosa. I'll be tired on my first day!

Anyway, that's my update. Oh, except that I got my hair cut last week. I was so sick of it being long. I had thought of doing it for a while, so it wasn't really an impulse decision, however it might make things challenging for the wedding. I'm sure it will grow a lot in 5 months though. I tried to take a good photo of it, but these are the best that I got (had a lot of fun with Photo Booth too!):



It's slightly longer at the front - only subtle though, you can notice it more when it's very straight.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Resolutions update...

Happy new year!

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas. Ours was quiet, just how we like it.

I can't believe that it's 5 January - isn't the year flying by?!?! I've been so caught up in life that I'd not really taken the time to reflect on the past year or consider the coming one. Now, it's time. I have such a huge year coming up this year (new job, more study, our wedding, our honeymoon and hopefully entering the property market) and so I think it's more important than ever to set goals and monitor my progress.

2010 Resolutions:

1. Eat well and exercise

I lost exactly 8kg last year. I'm happy with that, but have more work to do. This loss was mostly a result of exercise, and could have been much improved (and therefore I would now be at my goal weight) had I eaten well all year. I went through phases, but there were a lot of excuses.

I'll call this one a pass and be happy with it.

2. Cook more

I did cook more, but nowhere near as much as I should have. It's barely a pass.

3. Keep a tidy house

I turned a corner earlier in the year and was vigilant about keeping a clean and tidy house. I seem to have  chucked a u-turn at some point, however, and now my tidiness is patchy at best. Very sad. Unfortunately I'm going to fail myself on this one.

4. Spend more time on me

I was happy with this, but when I think about it I could have done a lot better. It's selfish and vain, but I don't think I took enough pride in the way I looked. I'll pass this one, but again, barely. I'm going to get a haircut and then probably an eyebrow wax tomorrow (there should be TWO!) and I'd love to have a pedicure in the not too distant future, just for funzies.


*  *  *

Before writing this I was feeling really positive about my resolution performance, however now I realise that there was a lot more that I could have done. I adore resolutions and in 2010 more than ever before I was conscious of them. So, I have made resolutions for 2011 that I'll hopefully stick with throughout the year:

2011 Resolutions

1. Eat well and exercise

I want to lose another 6.5kg. Or thereabouts. However beyond that I need to form habits that mean I am not put in this position again of being unhappy with the way that I look. With only 5 months until our wedding I need to be vigilant so that I look my very best on the big day and beyond. EA deserves a beautiful bride!

2. Listen to more music

I have always adored music, of any kind. Over the past year I have spent more time watching TV shows and movies than listening to music, however when I do put the tunes on I can relax for hours just enjoying the music and my thoughts. I think it's more relaxing than anything else that I could do, and so I resolve to spend more time enjoying music, be it on my iPod while I'm running, lying in bed with iTunes on shuffle, teaching myself some guitar, arranging some music on my keyboard or getting out the old flute for a bit of a play. I know that I'll feel so much happier if I do.

3. Get outside and do things

Since I've been getting fitter I've felt a real desire to enjoy the great outdoors. My skin hates the sun, however there are ways around that. I want to buy a pair of trail running shoes and explore some of the tracks around my house, which is near a couple of great national parks. I'm considering joining a netball club, but that's yet to be decided. Time might be against me on that one, or more accurately my lack of it. With CPA, a wedding to finalise and a new job to tackle I should probably limit my extra-curricular responsibilities.  Still, I'll get out, enjoy the sunshine (slathered in SPF of course) and live a bit.

4. Keep a tidy house

Another repeat from last year, however while my first resolution is just a continuation, this is a complete do-over. I need to get this right. We're going to start looking to buy a house by the end of this year and while I'm sure I'll take more pride in a house that I own, if I don't keep up with chores then there is no hope for me.

5. Stop procrastinating 

There has only been one six-month period in the last 10 or so years where I have not procrastinated while studying. I remember it vividly, because I was happy and stress-free. I constantly put off doing things (i.e. study) and then inevitably I reach a deadline, have a meltdown and then completely wipe myself out by digging myself from the hole I've got myself into. It's odd that I'm never like this at work.

During the semester, if I see friends, watch TV, have a nap, or anything at all really, I can never fully enjoy it because in the back of my mind is a little whiney voice telling me that I should be doing something else (i.e. study). If I simply stick to my study planner, then once I have my tasks done for the week then I am free to watch a TV show or go for drinks with friends, and I can enjoy them without guilt. With so much going on this year I need to be extra vigilant. If it means saying no, to my friends, family or to myself, then so be it.

*  *  *

I'm happy with these resolutions. They're all attainable, which is the most important to me, however they're also a challenge, requiring concentration and discipline. I'll update every month or so like last year!

I'd love for you to link me to your resolution post, or just let me know what your resolutions are!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Party time...

I haven't blogged in a little while, which is weird because I'm not doing anything at work and so have time that could be spent blogging to my heart's content.

It's my work Christmas party this afternoon/evening. I've been dreading it a little all week - there are only really 3 people who I look forward to partying with, and one of those has to leave early. I'm trying to get myself psyched now though. I'm sure once I hit the bubbles I'll be fine.

I'm in the middle of working out my notice period at the moment. I was going to have from 24 December to 10 January off, but given I resigned from my job last Tuesday I now have to work through. I do have a bit to do, but I'm trying to spread it out over the notice period so I don't get too bored. I'll be in for the three day week next week, probably just watching telly.

I can now tell you that I'm going to be the entire accounts department for an engineering/architectural/project management firm just out of the CBD in Brisbane. I can't wait. I work best in autonomous roles and it's going to be super busy and challenging, unlike where I am now. There are 45 people in the office, so it will be the largest company that I have worked for. I start on 17 January and cannot wait.

Fingers crossed I get some good photos tonight so I can post them tomorrow.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Look what I have...


Also, because I bought a gown from Lisa Ho, I got to choose one of their perfumes, usually $170. I chose this one:


It's not what I will wear at the wedding, but it's lovely for now.

The dress doesn't appear online or in the catalogue, though I wouldn't have posted them anyway because EA reads this (hi EA!) - also I want to keep up some mystery about the wedding. Suffice to say that it was the only dress that I have literally jumped up and down in with excitement. It's definitely the one. I have to get it taken in around my ribs and shortened, but I'm not going to do that until about May, as I don't know what my weight will do. All I know is that I can't put any weight around my butt/thighs - it's good just how it is, but I don't want to feel self-conscious in it. It's quite drapey, not at all princess-y.

The Lisa Ho head office was kind enough to send me photos of the dress on a mannequin, so I can show people who want to see it in the meantime.

So in the new year I can look for shoes and jewellery, and I can now decide how I should wear my hair/makeup. All that will wait for around March/April though.

I can recommend Jessica at Lisa Ho in Wintergarden - both times I went in (the first by myself, the second with my little sister) she was super helpful, honest and lovely.

So excited!

Stationery...

It's all happening with the wedding plans. With less than six months to go, we're really starting to get excited.

This week we received the proof in the mail for our Save the Date cards. I had planned for months to visit Urban Weddings as I loved their invitations - all a bit unique but nothing too over the top. We went to visit them and made a decision straight away.

We are getting the Cool as a Cucumber design, but in navy. We loved the original colours, but it just won't work with our theme. We are so pleased with how the proof turned out - absolutely perfect. I adore the twine, and the navy ink on the envelope, and the magnet on the back - it should stand out nicely on people's fridges.





Here is a photo of how the invitation will look, except in our colours:


I can strongly recommend Urban Weddings at this point - they've been fantastic, and they are really reasonably priced. Everything is printed for you, so no DIY involved except sealing the envelopes!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Concerts...

Over the last 10 days I have been to three concerts. I thought I'd put up a few of the photos I took on each particular evening.

Sunday 5 December - muse

Muse is my favourite band on the planet. They have been my favourite band on the planet since 1999, before they got cool. I will go and see them every time they come (though not to festivals, I just can't do festivals).

They played every song that I hoped they would, including a few from their first couple of albums (e.g. Feeling Good). I got video as well, but couldn't be stuffed figuring out how to get it on the blog. The show was visually spectacular, as you expect from muse.




 The podiums they were standing on raised and lowered.




Wednesday 8 December - U2

I didn't really want to go to this concert - it was a lot of money and I'm not a big U2 fan. I guess in hindsight I'm glad I went, but I wouldn't go to see them again. While the show was on such a large stage and was just HUGE, I still did prefer muse.

Jay-Z opened and was on stage for around 50 minutes, and then U2 played for over 2 hours. Just when I thought it was over they'd take the stage again and play more. I had waited all night for With or Without You but Bono couldn't sing all of it - I think his voice was going.





















Tuesday 14 December - Bon Jovi

This is my little sister's band of choice whereby I agreed to spend any amount to go and see them with her. She will do the same when Bruce Springsteen comes to Australia.

This concert was last night and so is most fresh in my mind. It was AMAZING. We had fantastic seats.

They played my favourite Bon Jovi song - In These Arms, but not J's - Bed of Roses. That's OK though because J is such a huge fan that she was happy regardless. I would pay to go and see them again tomorrow, if they were doing more than one show!

For your viewing pleasure, some photos taken by both myself and J.

 The security guard had very sensible shoes.













 I just love where the hand is placed here.




And the support band - I could not take my eyes away from this dude's leggings as pants. And not in a good way.




 

Free Blog Counter