Okay, I know people say this frequently but, why do we drink?! Ow my head hurts from last nights festivities!!!! lol
Alright, I admitt... It's kind of a good hurt since I had such an awesome time with some great friends!
This was me before I hit the town with my girl friends for a six course dinner and some yummy wine (maybe a tad too much wine! haha)
It has been another busy week with work and exercise and socialising with friends but it has ended nicely and I am feeling super happy which is great! I haven't got a great deal of news to share and am a little boring with my blog updates this week but I'll try and kick back into full gear next week!
Oh, also I have been admiring my "green thumb" work watching my hydrangeas plants starting to flower - they are in full bloom at the moment and are just gorgeous! These are my favourite flowers and I can help but smile when I see them.
I'm a bit all over the shop this week. One minute I'm happy the next I'm feeling off. I guess these are the joys of everyday life aren't they?!
Something that lifted my mood earlier in the week was these pictures that my friend posted of Facebook for me to see. When I was in the Greek Islands back in August this year we, (Me and my friends Jess and Nikki) went swimming in the most beautifully clear water I have ever seen (mind you it was freeeeezing this day, I was such a sook and the girls had to beg me to get in the water! lol)
Jess ran to the shop across the road and bought an underwater camera and this week we all finally got to see what the pictures turned out like! (If you haven't used a disposable underwater camera before - you can't actually see what the pictures turn out like until the film is developed - like back in the old days when we would take pictures on film!!)
They turned out great!!!
The only problem is they are making me day dream of being back on my gorgeous holiday and back at the beach! Time just flies past way too quick these days, so I try to cherish every moment I get and take as many pictures as I can so the memories always last!
Reflecting on this past week, I think I've learnt a few things....
1. People can and will always surprise you. Whether its a good surprise or a bad one, people are constantly surprising me. I'm learning that some people aren't really as they seem, and some people are really making me smile.
2. Exercise is my friend!! After a long couple of weeks getting used to being back at work and getting my "groove" back with exercise (lol) I've noticed such a change in how I feel in the morning and my motivation levels have sky rocketed! Yay!
3. Fake tan is my new best friend! Thank you to my good friend Jess.C who has motivated me to attempt fake tanning at home. For as long as I can remember I have envied girls with a beautiful sunny glow when Summer rolled around and this week I decided to bite the bullet and try a bit on my ever-so pasty and white legs. Well Jess you were right! I am now addicted to this tan. I love it, my legs look so golden and sunkissed and all this without an inch of sunburn! Hooray!!! lol
I'm using this awesome product by the Aussie label SugarBaby. I swear by this stuff!
4. Meeting new and different people is great!! After my life changing trip to Europe I came home feeling like I could tackle anything. Now I am throwing myself into new and different things in attempt to meet different people. I've met some awesome people and now spending some time with these "new friends" is making me really happy! Its not so scary putting yourself out there and getting into different friend "circles", I've learnt it can turn out to be a really good thing.
5. Gardening is not just for Nannas! I am loving getting into our garden and veggie patch. I am currently throwing myself into "reviving" my poor neglected basil plant that I thought had died already. Come back to me little Basil!!!!
6. Also along the lines of exercise, I am STOKED that online shopping is becoming more and more popular with general stores. I shopped up a storm at Running Bare online. Check it out if you (like me) need a makeover when it comes to your work out clothes. (I can finally retire my "Year 6" memorial t-shirt from making appearances in our local gym. lol) Plus, its also another awesome Aussie brand! Yep, I'm flying the flag for shopping in our country! hehe
7. Lastly, I am discovering a new love obsession with Sundays (not just Saturdays!) Today was a beautiful day and I've had a big smile on my face almost all day! I love the weekend.
How has your week been?? Fill me in, comment below!!
I am loving OPI nail polish at the moment, I am addicted!
This week I got a mani done here and decided to go a bright "summery" colour and picked this cute coral pink. Its by OPI and is called "My address is Hollywood". I just love it!
Bring on the heat and the sun! I <3 Summer already!
When I was overseas I wrote a list (a long one!) of everything I needed (and wanted) to do when I got home and back into reality.
Very close to the top of this list was to get myself back in shape! I loved every minute of indulging overseas but I have to admit, the amazing food and drink did get the better of me and I wasn't loving the "pudgy-ness" I was starting to notice growing all over my body!!
This week I am dedicated to a "fresh start" and whipping myself into shape!
Last week I tackled the enormous task of making myself go back to a local Body Pump class that I used to attend earlier in the year. (If you haven't heard of Pump - check it out here!) Despite hardly being able to walk for about 3 days after the class, it actually felt really good!
So this week I am even more keen! A good friend of mine has also been lacking motivation so we've been pushing each other to walk in the mornings and do other exercise stuff at night. I am loving it so far! Its amazing how good you feel once you get started!
I figure with Summer fast approaching what better time to start then now right?!
Why is it always when things seem to be traveling along smoothly and pretty well that there always seems to be one big fat bump in the road that throws you back a huge step wondering what the hell happened?!
Is it a law or something that as soon as you are happy and OK things go yucky again?
I'm having one of those days.
I'm not going to let it get to me though, I'm trying so hard to be positive about everything important in my life at the moment and so far (up until now I guess) it has been working for me.
Life is all about learning to deal with the curve balls. (This is what I think anyhow!)
I'm going to end today on a high note with positive thoughts of tomorrow and the weekend to come (Yayyy the weekend!!!)
I have had a killer week of exercise, my body is in so much pain from my first "pump" session back after my big holiday and I am stiff as a board trying to hobble around the work office! lol Its quite sad how sore I am really! I'm determined to whip myself back into shape for summer!!
I don't often hear quotes but lately people around Blogland seem to be dropping them like hotcakes and I like it!!
This one I read recently and I love it.
Good things don't always just land in our laps, and sometimes, when you're sad or down we can't expect to feel good or happy until we work at it ourselves. We need to create happiness in our lives by putting the good vibes out there! (I've learnt a little about that this year especially!!)
What do you think?? Have you heard any good quotes lately?
When I was lapping up all of the ah-mazing shopping in London last month I noticed that the colour "mustard" was proving to be really popular in most shops.
Unfortunately for me, I can't wear clothing in "mustard" or yellow for that matter due to the fact that I have such pale skin. When I do attempt to wear it I look really washed out and often a tad sick!
If you are anything like me in this way, fear not! We can still don this trendy colour, just in the way of accessories!! Yay!
Thanks to the help of Polyvore, I've done some imaginary shopping and put together some mustard-y pieces that I love! You might love them too!!
My favourite pieces from above have to be the large bag in the main picture - looks awesome against the checked print shirt ($98 by yesstyle.com), the heels ($92 by Jessica Simpson) and the cute thin belt which would look awesome around the middle of a pretty lbd ($37 by Zara.com)!
Gotta love imaginary shopping online. I just wish I could buy all of these things!!
I have been hearing this song around the traps for a while now and thanks to this lovely blogger and her post way back here I have managed to find out who sung it and what it's called! Yay, don't you love that feeling?!
It's called "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye. If you haven't heard it already, click on the clip above - I love it!
Over the past few days I have been thinking about all of the crap we put into our mouths and on our bodies in the way of preservatives, chemicals and what not in all of the products we eat or use daily, it really gets me thinking. I have developed an interest in what it means to be "organic" and I'm interested in learning more about the benefits of using organic products.
I mean, it makes sense doesn't it?
When I was staying with friends in Holland last month I was blown away and so inspired by their way of living on their gorgeous little farm! They have a veggie patch to DIE for, they make all of their own food from their fresh produce and its just delicious, and they know exactly what has gone into their meals and I love that!!
I noticed as I rode my push bike through the farm land and into Aalten (a small town in the countryside) that the Dutch people really are the fresh food and produce people! I went to a small market and the produce was amazing! The flowers were so gorgeous, I was in love.
It has totally inspired me to get our garden and veggie patching going properly again and to focus more on homegrown, fresh produce where I know exactly what has gone into my food.
Do you grow your own veggies, or make your own "organic" products to use at home?? What do you think about organic stuff??
Whilst I was overseas I had the biggest craving to start reading again. Some days I had some spare time to chill-ax and picking up a book and reading it (and finishing it!!) was such an awesome feeling! I rarely ever just sit down at home and enjoy a good story.
I read 3 books while I was away and boy, I was so lucky to have picked such awesome ones!!
One of my favourites turned out to be the very popular "The Help"
I can not say a bad word about this book. The moment I picked it up I was hooked! Its so well written about such an amazing and touching topic, I just flew through the pages and enjoyed everyone of them.
For those of you that mightn't have heard about The Help here's a little synopsis to wet your book worm taste buds!!
"Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, Skeeter (Stone) is a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends' lives -- and a Mississippi town -- upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families. Aibileen (Davis), Skeeter's best friend's housekeeper, is the first to open up -- to the dismay of her friends in the tight-knit black community. Despite Skeeter's life-long friendships hanging in the balance, she and Aibileen continue their collaboration and soon more women come forward to tell their stories -- and as it turns out, they have a lot to say. Along the way, unlikely friendships are forged and a new sisterhood emerges, but not before everyone in town has a thing or two to say themselves when they become unwittingly -- and unwillingly -- caught up in the changing times."
