In Spaces Between

Unspeakable joy, profound happiness, deep self love, freedom. Do you know they’re all only a thought away?

Thoughts are extremely powerful, and when you alter your thinking, you, in turn, alter the vibration you’re in. You start attracting to you energy that’s in total and perfect harmony with you and your desires – and suddenly, the impossible becomes possible. Magic happens.

Taking things one step further, when you think about the things you’re grateful for and speak your thanks out into the world, what you’re really doing is sending out the feeling “I have received.” 

Hold that thought close today as you go about your business. What have you received? What do you desire?

Ignite your truth + count your blessings.

Thoughtful Insights

 

I wanted to share with you a lovely comment an In Spaces Between newbie Elizabeth left on my Declaring War on the Busy Epidemic post, because I don’t know about you, but I could certainly use the reminder.

I can honestly, hand-on-heart, say that I’ve never been busier than I am right now. And I’m not saying that to brag or be a jerk – it’s just how it is. Some days I feel like it’s not physically possible to churn through the sheer number of things on my to-do list and I have a moment (or ten) where I wonder if I’ve taken on too much and if something important is going to fall through the cracks because I’m trying to be all things to all people.

And then something comes along – usually in the form of a great quote, or some wise words like Elizabeth’s enlightened comment – and I realise that it’s all a choice. Here’s what she said:

“This is such an important lesson. I used to work in a very busy industry where the crazy hours of overtime are like a badge to be worn and proud of. I have absolutely been in that trap of declaring myself busy, therefore off the hook and unaccountable if I have to cancel last minute, or not follow through with loved ones. I decided to say NO to this life. I made the decision to leave this world behind, taking a massive pay cut and lifestyle change. I am much happier, feeling satisfied with all the myriad of things I accomplish, and the depth of my personal relationships, rather then having work be my life, and feeling like I was constantly letting people down. I still feel guilty saying no to people, but I schedule time for me. Even if it’s just to stare out the window for half an hour. I love it where you say “Saying no doesn’t have to be negative – it says that you value the work/ person too much to put in a less than stellar effort.” When you think of it like that, as an issue of respect for the person you are saying no too, it makes it a lot easier to be true to your feelings.”

Shopping

 

So… I kinda went on an accidental shopping spree on Sunday. Oh. Dear.

It was rainy  and horrible outside so I thought I’d take myself to IKEA – because I’m obviously 3/4 insane and enjoy the mosh pit that is the IKEA check-out queue on a weekend – but when I got to the turn off on the highway, something in me whispered “Keep going lady, take this all the way!” and so I ended up in Brisbane, where my bank card seriously took on a life of it’s own. I clearly cannot be trusted to shop alone – especially when Ramai’s standard line is “Just get whatever you want, have fun.”

Not helpful (but on the other hand – sort of awesome) (this is why we’re getting married… jokes) (haha… no, really).

What I bought: 3 pairs of Nine West heels + a pair of Wittner pointy-toed heels + a pair of black Novo points + a pair of navy and gold T-bar heels + Sass and Bide pants + Bec & Bridge silk singlet + Wish black sheer top + Sportsgirl polka dot blouse + Saba top for work + sheer white sleeveless top from Dissh.

Six pairs of shoes was probably overkill.

I should also confess that a few days prior I also re-stocked two of my favourite beauty buys – Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Excess mascara and M.A.C Mineralize Skin Finish powder – and picked up a new treasure that I’m love love loving, M.A.C Studio Sculpt foundation. It offers pretty much the same coverage as my old friend Studio Fix but is beautiful and dewy and gives seriously good glow.

Which is a long way of saying, these products come with a giant YES from me. Get thee to your nearest beauty counter. Pronto.

And let me just conclude my lengthy diatribe by saying, I’m officially implementing a personal shopping ban. Starting now.

Goals!

 

I’m feeling wild! amped! zealous! juiced up! about my new goals. Ready to lift the lid off 2012, or what?

The emails and tweets I’ve received from you guys have been pumping me up like Arnie circa Mr Universe and I really, truly feel like this will be the year that we do things differently. It feels like we’ve dug our heels in and we’re ready to get dirty. The missive I’m getting loud and clear from you guys is that we’re staunchly determined. We’re gonna go get ‘em. The fires have ben lit and we’re gonna burn, baby, burn.

Mini-progress update from moi:

Running: I had some dry needling and a killer pressure point massage on the back of my knee done yesterday at the physio and this morning I hit the running track to start chipping away at my ’500kms in 20 weeks goal.’ I ran 5kms on Sunday and 10kms today, so just a short 485kms to go! Child’s play.

Munching: To keep the choc monster at bay, I’ve been eating seaweed rice crackers and blueberries in the afternoons, and last night I whipped up a new batch of “power balls” (apricots, dates, almonds, coconut oil and coconut, blended in the food processor and rolled into balls) so I’m on the front foot when I’m feeling sweet toothy. It’s all about the prep. Always.

Rain

 

Feeling grateful for the rain earlier this week because I always feel so much more productive at work when it’s drizzly and overcast outside.

There’s something so cosy about being tucked inside the office as the rain slithers it’s way down the windows, don’t you think? It reminds me of school actually – remember that feeling when it would storm and everyone would gather under the shelter at lunchtime, or the classroom windows would fog up? I always loved that. Can’t work out if it’s just a novelty because I live in a (mostly) sunny place though… or if it’s simply that there’s beauty in everything. I’m hanging my hat on the latter.

Meeting My Bloggy Friends In “Real Life”

 

Tomorrow night, I get to meet a bunch of the gorgeous souls I speak to online every day at the very first Gold Coast/ Brisbane Bloggers Meet Up that the Sweet Lime & Spiced Tea girls and I have organised!

CANNOT. WAIT. A room pulsing with wicked feminine energy + cocktails = a recipe for an electric night, in my books.

* PS: how funny is this old pic of the ‘Supers.’ Nothing like coordinated vinyl dresses teamed with granny heels and socks! 

MJ Documentary

 

 

We watched Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon earlier this week and despite the fact that host David Gest is the epitome of O.T.T, I loved it. Cried, in fact.

I definitely recommend you check it out if you’re interested in hearing a more rounded story about the (extraordinary) life of the King of Pop. While we’re here talking gratitude, this doco will make you eternally grateful you’re able to lead a normal life and not get mobbed every time you walk out the front door. My idea of a living hell!

Rustic Radness

 

My brother is the cutest. He made me this frame as a (belated) Christmas gift, using skirting boards and twine. Pretty sure we can find a use for this at our wedding (escort card display, perhaps?)

This Guy

 

Can’t even begin to explain how thankful I am for this beautiful man. Every day is a dream.

Marvellous morsels: 

+ Receiving an email from a vivacious soul-shaker from across the seas who told me my blog was like “a lovely, tall glass of cold water” and that I was a “gift” (hello, THRILLED!) + sunshine after the rain + friendship + glorious momentum and a whole lot of YESES + feeling content + soul growth + you guys!

+ Are you ready to leave your big, succulent love lists in the comments below? Let the good stuff flow freely from a place of sincere gratitude and let’s make today all about celebrating!

Images: Rodney Smith via Snippet & Ink | Rodney Smith | Willow & Frank  | Lavender and Lilies | Pinterest | Inspiration for Superheroes | Design Love Fest

Welcome to the first ‘Making Me Happy’ post for 2012!

What a start to the year it’s been. I’m feeling delightfully clear-headed and mega motivated to make 2012 my most phenomenal year yet, and with a bunch of trips (interstate + overseas), my hen’s party, our wedding, plenty of In Spaces Between goodness and my 30th all on the cards, I’m pretty certain that life is going to rise up and meet me on that bold intention. I can’t wait!

How about you? Are you feelin’ the 2012 love? How have the first couple of weeks been for you?

I know this post is a day late so I’m ready to load the love up high today – I’ve really missed this post over the past few weeks! – so read on below for some of the things that have put a gigantic smile on my face of late.

Finding a Wedding Venue!

I know I’ve mentioned this on Facebook and Twitter but in case you missed it, we have a new wedding venue (one that definitely isn’t going to sell on us) and it’s absolutely divine!

Let me just talk you through the morning we knew we’d found The One because it’s a memory I’m more than happy to remember. My mother, Ramai and I jumped in the car and headed south to Byron and on the way down it was bucketing down. Positively teaming. Rain everywhere, couldn’t see out the front windscreen and all that.

And then when we started to near Byron, the sun burst out (and I’d like to say from behind the clouds, but there were no individual clouds, the whole sky was a great big wooly blanket of greyness) and if there were a choir of young children nearby they would have been cheerfully singing “ahhhhhhhhh” and if it were possible, unicorns would have galloped across rainbows, sprinkling fair dust across the sky.

You could say we were off to a good start.

As I said here, we’d seen this venue before, but after visiting a plethora of others we’d forgotten how magical it really was. We traipsed through the grounds with the owner and Mum was looking at me like “OHMYGODTHISPLACEISAMAZINGCANWEMOVEINLIKENOW?” and I kept giving Ramai sneaky looks with a huge dopey grin on my face and eyes that were screaming “LET’S JUST EFFIN’ BOOK THIS PLACE ALREADY!” There were a lot of caps locks that day.

Needless to say, if we needed a reminder that the Universe always has our backs, that was it.

We excitedly booked the venue straight away – just before Xmas – and from then on in it’s been full steam ahead for the R & R wedding express. The only change is that our old photographer was unable to shoot our wedding on the new date, which again, has turned out to be totally for the best as we’re kinda dying over the mad talent of our new photographer. She’s pretty much amazing and I’ll be able to reveal all very soon!

Christmas With My Family!

 

I adore my family and I love that on Christmas there are no shops open, nothing to do but eat and drink and nowhere to be but together. Bliss.

(the mug shots above are of my younger brothers… and our little “sister” Mischa, the world’s funniest dog-who-truly-believes-she’s-human).

Lover.ly

 

What’s that I hear you say? Well, according to their site: “Lover.ly is a new visual search engine and scrapbook for all your wedding inspiration. Lover.ly has an archive of over 100,000 images organised by our blogging editors and community of users – our database is updating and evolving daily.”

Basically, it’s a similar concept to Pinterest, but solely for weddings, which if you’re a bride-to-be like me, is an absolute godsend.

Priori Eye Cream + Ella Bache Great Face Tan Without Sun

Over the Xmas break I had a tremendous facial and massage and I got talking to the therapist about eye creams, admitting I haven’t had a specialised eye cream for ages, despite being conscious of the fabulous expression lines that have formed around my eyes.

I walked out with the Priori Smoothing Eye Serum, which I’m really impressed with so far. Not cheap at $100 but definitely seems to have helped. Eye crinkles begone!

I also have a confession to make: for far too long I have been using my Ella Bache Body Tan on my face (and yes, I know that’s not ideal and yes, it is too oily for my face and makes my skin feel ugh). I finally bought the dedicated face tan and what a difference it makes! The colour is beautiful – a gorgeous caramel shade – and it spreads really evenly, which the body tan doesn’t do when applied to ones face. It also contains shea butter, honey-moist and Vitamin E so it leaves my skin super hydrated.

Lesson learned, buy ze face tan from now on.

Beautiful Beach Energy

 

 

Sometimes I have to pinch myself that I get to soak in the energy of this stunning spot before work in the morning. Seriously so thankful.

Weekend Food Prep

 

Every Sunday, I’ve been throwing a few things together so that we have some “base meals” to add to during the week, either for lunch at work or dinner if we’re busy, which is most of the time.

In the kitchen, I’ve been:

+ Roasting up a bunch of Kent pumpkin with curry powder sprinkled on it.
+ Chopping up some silverbeet and dressing it with a mix of balsamic vinegar/ sushi seasoning/ some chilli and ginger paste.
+ Cooking up a big bowl of vermicelli noodles, adding some mint and coriander and tossing through a similar dressing as above (minus the balsamic – I add a few drops of sesame oil instead).

That, coupled with the fact we’ve decided to order our groceries through Woolworths online and get them home delivered, has already save us heaps of time during the week and ensured we continue to eat well when we’re flat out.

Do you do a cook-up on the weekends to make life easier during the week? If so, what do you prepare? I’d love some inspiration!

Organising My Makeup and Jewellery

 

I know I’ve posted on these before but seeing other people go out and organise their loot has brought the biggest smile to my face over the past week. I love finding DIY’s or hacks that cost next-to-nothing but make things prettier/ easier/ better.

Momentum

 

I feel like things have been flowing really magnificently for me at the moment, both for our wedding planning and this blog, and I’m so grateful that they are. Plenty of opportunities are arising daily and things are falling into place without too much effort at all.

Reminds me of one of my words for the year: EASE. 

Jacket

 

I’ve been on the hunt for an awesome leather jacket for at least two years. Two trips to New York, one to L.A and San Fran, countless visits to Melbourne and nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

So of course I found a beautiful leather jacket on the summer holidays at Kookai of all places. Of. Course. I. Did.

Thankfully, I had a $250 gift card from work (Xmas bonus) so I smoked that on the jacket, which was 50% off the original $500.

What do you think? I love the colour - grey is one of my favourite shades to wear because I think it’s super flattering and it’s a bit different to the standard black – and the leather is lovely and soft. Can’t wait for the temperature to drop so I can break it out at night!

This Gem

 

Yes, yes we are.

Pretty Prints

 

Look Mum, I made a heart with my Printstagram prints!

Magnificent Morsels:

+ Receiving our wedding invites in the mail this morning, I can’t wait to show you them, they’re absolutely beautiful! + Awesome emails from someone I admire + the two gems that told me I smelt nice (well my perfume did!) within 5 minutes of each other (note: if you like someone’s perfume, tell them – totally put a skip in my step) + infectious, out-of-control energy + planning big projects + talking about Italy with my physio and picturing myself there – Ahhh…MALFI!  + getting the opportunity to connect with amazing people everyday through this blog + reaching 700 Likes on Facebook + writing my man’s vision statement for 2012 in the back of his wagon, with the rain pouring down, at Wategos beach in Byron on the Xmas break. BEST! + thinking of my friend’s weddings and how beautiful they will be + Alkalising Greens in freshly squeezed juices (holy energy boost, Batman) + gyoza + power weeks where my to-do list gets obliterated! + anticipation for the GC/ Brisbane Bloggers Meet Up next week where I get to meet some of the beautiful girls I chat to daily online. FUN! x

“I am free to create success in my life – it’s my choice” ~ Deepak Chopra

+ Why don’t you set the tone for an incredible day by chatting about the things making YOU happy in the comments below? It’s been a few weeks so I’m hanging to hear what’s been going on in your world – share away!

Images: My Pink Cloud  | Piccsy  | Julian Bialowas | Evelyn Nt

Oh what a… year! (sing it with me, now) (lighters and swaying optional)

Over the past six months, creating my Making Me Happy posts and publishing them here each Wednesday has very quickly become one of my favourite things to do.

There’s something so enlightening about acknowledging the things you’re thankful for in your life. It’s grounding and empowering, and I’m not surprised at all that the more I’ve given thanks for the good things in my life, the more I’ve attracted to be thankful for. It’s a beautiful cycle.

Let’s slip the gears into neutral, be still amidst all end-of-year excitement (and craziness) and think about what we’re grateful for as the year comes to an end. Sound good to you? Hooray!

Cute Prints

 

I ordered these mini Instagram prints from Prinstagram about three weeks ago and I’m so happy with how they’ve come out.

The finish is matte and I plan on sticking them on the wall in a love-heart shape, similar to the pictures below. I forgot how good it feels to hold actual photos in my hands!

Gifts in the Mail

 

Checking the letterbox last week was an absolute joy because it was filled with goodies and thoughtful Christmas cards, instead of bills and boring bank statements!

My beautiful friend Kim from Dream.Delight.Inspire. wrote me a sweet letter and sent me some kikki-k paper goods, which I was enormously grateful for; Serena from Pretty Fluffy sent me a super cute card from her and her dog Soda; and Sodashi and Trilogy both sent me some lovely products to beautify myself before Xmas festivities rolled around.

Because I know you all like to experiment with new beauty bounty, see my short ‘n’ sweet reviews below:

Sodashi: I was sent a sample of the Rejuvenating Skin Boost and it’s been a fab little addition to my Sodashi-heavy skincare routine. Skin Boost is a toning gel that you apply before you moisturise, that helps firm the skin and minimise fine line. If it keeps doing it’s job, I’ll be adding this one to my wishlist for next year. Trying to go as natural as possible and Sodashi know how to do it right.

Trilogy: I forgot to start applying the Instant Bronzing Gel a few days before my work Xmas party on Friday (I think you need a few days to build the tan), so I layered some on over the top of my Ella Bache tan that morning and loved the effect! The tan has shimmery sparkles through it so it looks extra spesh for a big night out. I’m going to use it daily over the holidays to see how the tan builds. Oh, and it would be remiss of me not to mention that it’s 100% natural as well. Getcha getcha glow on!

Books On Order

Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life’s Hard Questions (I’m a big fan of the Tiny Buddha site and this interview with the author, Lori Deschene, on Jonathan Fields’ blog had me clicking through the PayPal in a flash) and Edie: An American Biography because Edie Sedgwick’s tumultuous life fascinates me.

Feeling Uncomfortable

 

Discomfort is making me happy? Excuse me? Yes, you read right and before you go thinking I’m a complete nutbag sadist, consider this line for a moment:

Soul growth occurs outside the city of your comfort.

Brilliant, no? I read it in this article on Soul-Filled Life and it really spoke to me.“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone,” after all.

Like the Soul-Filled Life post, a bunch of blog articles have been “finding me” over the past few days and it’s no coincidence they’ve spun into my sphere just as I’ve been contemplating the direction I want to take my life next year. The closing week of the year always brings with it a spot of self-evaluation and through my own reflections, I’ve been thinking about courage and what it really means to get uncomfortable in the pursuit of a life that makes us feel fulfilled.

This may sound a little la la right now (you know I’ll keep you posted as these thoughts take shape), but just know that I’m (trying my very hardest) to take the roadblocks that have popped up at the moment as signs that greater experiences await us on the other side. It’s easy to be happy when life is flowing smoothly, but it’s when the ride gets a little bumpy that we really have to call on those inner reserves of light and love to guide us through.

Secret Projects

 

There’s a rather delightful collaborative project simmering away behind the scenes, and I can already tell it’s going to be a winner. My lips are sealed for now (unfair, I know) but keep an eye out next year for all the juicy deets!

You!

I want to thank you all - from the bottom of my heart - for your support over the six months In Spaces Between has been “alive.” I say alive because to me, this blog – this community of bright sparks – feels dynamic, progressive, full o’ spirit… and very much alive.

Without doubt, In Spaces Between is a sum of its parts, and those parts include (but aren’t limited to) the people that take the time to stop in for a read every day; the ones that tweet/ comment on Facebook/ send excited emails that make me feel like it’s all worthwhile; the people who share something I’ve written; and the people who drop a line or two in the comments to make this blog more of a conversation between friends than a monologue.

You might recognise yourself as one of those people or you might be all – it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re here and, without even knowing it, you’re helping me grow and challenge myself as I see where this journey takes me.

I’m so grateful for your presence. Big love x

+ So that’s me all wrapped up, and since it’s the last Making Me Happy post for 2011 – and we’re feeling all Christmassy and share-y – let’s end the year on a MEGA high note!

+ Share your big love lists below: the stuff that’s brought joy to your life this week, and the stuff that’s made THIS YEAR a meaningful one. Load up, lovers!

Images:  Wit & Delight | Tornadoes + Tigers / Bree Walk | Julian Bialowas | Vol25 on Etsy | Neet Magazine | This is Glamorous

The light is getting brighter.
The path is getting clearer.
And you are getting closer.
That’s all I’m saying,

 ~ The Universe

I’m making up for missing this post last week with a double whammy, full-to-the-brim edition today, so grab a cuppa and make yourself comfortable! It’s been a joy-filled week, and I have a lot to be grateful for so let’s wind up the love-o-meter, shall we?

Sydney

 

In true R & R fashion, my man Ramai and I decided last week that we needed to scrap our plan to “stay-at-home-and-do-wedding-stuff” over the Xmas break, and instead, book ourselves a little getaway somewhere. Anywhere. Over there. Down there.

Which is why, about 15 minutes later, I’d booked flights to Sydney and that was that (we’ve booked almost every holiday we’ve ever taken like this – three cheers for impulsiveness).

We have loose plans which involve checking out the Northern Beaches and Garie Beach, heading out to the bush and celebrating New Years with another friend who is flying down from Queensland – but ultimately, we’re just going to take each day as it comes.

I’m not super familiar with Sydney so I’m looking forward to exploring it a little more, and I’m also looking forward to switching off/ stepping away from the computer, taking some photos (it’s been too long), recharging, dreamsetting for 2012 and relaxing into a slower rhythm. Bliss.

2012 Horoscopes

 

It’s no secret I love Susan Miller’s AstrologyZone and I always look forward to her astro forecasts in the January edition of Russh magazine each year.

All signs point toward an amazing 2012 for Saggo’s and I’m definitely feeling like it’s going to be my most fulfilling yet. Along the same lines, Ramai’s report (he’s a Virgo) is sounding epic and I was thrilled to read that “the luckiest weekend of the year, 12 – 13 May, will bring exciting results.” We get married on 12 May so yep, you could say that’s an exciting result!

The Wedding Venue Hunt

 

Speaking of weddings…

We’re getting closer to finding The Winning Venue. Actually, we saw two potentials in the Byron Bay Hinterland region on Monday and we should know very soon whether the one we’re leaning towards is going to work out for us, which is very exciting!

Just on the wedding venue front, I have to say that everything I know about positivity and keeping faith has been called into question over the past few weeks and I’m not going to lie, there were about four days there where I felt really defeated and down on the whole situation. I was “surface happy” but inside I was despairing over why, five months out, this was happening to us and found it really hard to see the lesson/ reason behind our dream venue selling because I was too wrapped up in the emotional aspects. Suck factor = massive.

And this is why I’m thankful:

On one particularly crappy day, I had a really sore lower back (stress, no doubt) so I ran myself a bath, called my Mum with tears in my eyes and asked her to tell me something awesome “to make me feel better.” My Mum is a counsellor and the most intuitive, profoundly aware and wise woman I know, and her simple advice was the reminder to trust I really needed.

Wanna know what she said? Stop. Breathe. Recognise you’re overwhelmed. Give yourself some time off (thinking about it). Trust. Adapt and try not to get hung up on the date – if you don’t get married on 12 May, the world won’t stop spinning, nor will your relationship end. Aha moment. Thank you Mum. x

Fish Tacos

 

Excuse the photo and the seemingly excessive layering of toppings (it’s an optical illusion, I swear). We made fish tacos – using snapper, my favourite fish – on Sunday night for dinner and they were deeeeeelightful.

If you’re thinking of whipping some up yourself, here’s a good recipe if you like a little direction.

Byron + A Bright New Scarf!

 

We took the day off on Monday to go and check out some wedding venues in Byron, as mentioned above, and it was SUCH a great day.

You know those days where you wake up happy and you know things are going to get phenomenally better? It was one of those and I was doling out mad gratitude at every opportunity. I’m pretty sure the fact it was Monday and I wasn’t going to work might have had something massive to do with it. Pretty kinda definitely sure.

The day involved: laughing our heads off, meeting lovely people and a dog called Boo who looked like this and was basically the most adorable thing we’d ever seen, tasty tucker at the Byron Beach Cafe, a Sarah Wilson spotting (she was riding up the hill near one of the wedding venues), a shopping score (the neon scarf in the pic above was purchased from Karma Kameleon in town) and a playlist that had everything from Rihanna to Faith No More and The Black Keys to Nero. Our air band – me on guitar, Ramai on drums – also rocked out an epic gig, possibly the best of our career.

A Good Pair of Flats

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I find flats/ sandals quite hard to buy. Good ones, that is – ones that don’t make your feet look a kilometre wide and that sit correctly around your ankle. Do you get that too?

If you answered yes, you might just like these tribal sandals I picked up from Sportsgirl over the weekend (apologies, can’t find them on their site but they are new season). All boxes are ticked – comfortable, well-priced and pretty to boot. Or sandal, if you will.

Friendship Bracelets

 

This may sound a little strange but some of my most vivid memories growing up involve rainbow colours (stay with me).

When I was about five years of age, it was all about my Crayola crayon box that was stuffed with 64 crayons of varying shades. Then it was my Derwent pencils – same deal – and as a pre-teen, one of my most cherished possessions was a gorgeous floral box containing reams of cotton thread I’d beg my Mum to buy me each week, which eventually lead to a collection of just about every colour under the sun. When I got my first “real job” I also guarded the Pantone book like it was my own, even though I’m clearly not a graphic designer.

You could say I’ve always had a bit of a “thing” with colour. I definitely missed my calling as a sales rep for Dulux.

Anyway, as a young entrepreneur, at the tender age of 10, I used to do hair wraps (remember them?!) for the girls in the neighbourhood, which then transitioned to a successful side business crafting colourful friendship bracelets. After posting this the other day, all the memories of those tireless hours in my bedroom came flooding back, so I’ve decided my goal this week is to Google the instructions see if I can remember  how to make these bands and whip one up for fun. Stay tuned for the results.

Xmas Anticipation

 

I still can’t believe it’s only one and a half weeks until Christmas, but I’m certainly not complaining!

I’m feeling grateful for the sense of calm that’s washed over me this week (despite a rather hectic schedule) and I’m really looking forward to the three Xmas parties I have this week and the chance to wind up projects at work and slide into holiday mode.

I love the lightness that surrounds big holidays – the mood lifts, people embrace their full diaries with gusto and connection becomes more important as we step away from the things that have tied us up for the year and “come together.”

Whether it’s a pre-Xmas cocktail with a friend on a school night or a long lunch with the team at work, there’s this sense of ease in the air that I really relish. Shoulders retract from that space they’ve held around our ears, stress fades as we replenish our reserves and of course, we let ourselves off the hook and indulge a little more. Special times.

2012 Dreams

 

2012 is going to be yuuuuuuge, my friend, yuuuuuuge I tell ya!

Things I’ve been dreaming of so far:

My hen’s party in March, the three Melbourne trips I have booked before mid-April, our wedding in May, a mid-year international adventure (that’s very quickly gathering momentum in the’ freedom-seeking’ region of my mind), an e-book idea, my 30th birthday and lots of blog-related conceptions to squeeze in around all that.

What about you? What’s on the cards? Tell, tell!

Shine Magnifying Spray

 

Shine and Blonde in the same sentence? You better believe it, this hair mist rocks!

The Op Shop Score

 

I’ll probably use this for serving caviar and white truffles off on Saturday nights, as I swan around the house in my Prada and Loubi’s. The fact it cost me $10 from the local Salvo’s is completely and utterly irrelevant.

Vogue Coffee Table Book

 

My colleagues kindly bought me a voucher for the Retrospect Gallery for my birthday so I picked up Vogue: The Covers, and I love it! Such a great coffee table book, with covers dating back to 1892 and serving as a snapshot of the mood, style and icons of each era since. It also comes with a bunch of great cardboard prints for framing. Lovely gift idea!

The Lovely Mention

 

Feeling very blessed to have been mentioned on Jess Ainscough’s incredible site The Wellness Warrior in her ’8 Things I’m Loving at the Moment’ post. So exciting!

If you haven’t yet had a chance to check out The Wellness Warrior – which details Jess’ personal healing journey from a very rare form of cancer – I can’t recommend it highly enough. Not only is the site beautifully designed (massive win in my eyes), but the way Jess shares her wealth of holistic health knowledge with such sincerity and a genuine desire to help others will kinda blow you away. The girl is amazing.

+ If you made it this far, bravo for sticking around! What’s making you happy this week? Share your love list below!

Image: 52 Weeks of Australia | The Essence of the Good Life | The Wedding Chicks | Wit and Delight