Friday Finds.

Here's everything I've found and loved this past week:

\\  I need me this hangover hoodie. Ermahgerrd.  //

\\  How cute is this cow nail art?!  //

\\  Coloured birthday matches for no reason other than they're pretty.  //

\\  The cutie behind Oak & Oats posted this marbled vase DIY that I fell in love with instantly.  //

\\  I pinned these rainbow cookies because they looked pretty, but a pon reading the recipe, they actually sounds delicious!  //

\\ The girls from A Beautiful Mess posted this quotation mark bookend DIY tutorial this week; such a cute decor idea!  //

Happy Friday, kids!

January 2015 BellaBox Unboxing.

That moment when you open your BellaBox, and it's not in a box..

This month's theme was 'Kick Start' for the new year.
I'd like a apologise in advance for the shitty quality photos.
 

Laqa & Co. Lip Tube Pencil in 'Beezlebub'

Beezlebub is a lovely, light rose colour and as it's an easy to use  twist-up pencil, I was happy to see it in my box this month. It's been advertised as a lipstick, but  feels more like a balm because it's so light and glossy. I applied this last night, and I love the smell! It's made with a peppermint-shea butter formulation, so it has a light, minty scent which I thought was great for Summer. I felt a sight tingle once it was on; not in any way uncomfortable, just unexpected. I put that down to the peppermint, but my lips were a little dry so that could be why.

RRP: $24.95

Aveda Botanical Kinetics Purifying Gel Cleanser

Last month I had an issue with the size of the Aveda products I was given, and this month, another teeny tiny sample.. That you can get FREE in store.. but, to be fair, this time 'round I've been given a facial cleanser and could probably live with the size, opposed to receiving tiny hair product samples to use on my medium-long hair. The cleanser is gentle and plant-derived which is what I look for in my skincare products so I'll be giving this one a go. I'm still hoping to find my go-to cleanser.

RRP: $54.95 (150mL)

BellaBox's own Makeup Pouch (shown above)

This definitely isn't big enough to hold the everyday touch up products I carry with me everywhere, but it's cute. I'm not sure how much I could fit in, but it'd definitely come in handy in a situation you'll be carrying a clutch. A few eyeliners, mascaras and lippies would easily fit.

RRP: $7.95

 

Skinnymint Teatox (6 days worth)

I'm excited to try this out! I've heard so many different opinions on teatoxes in general, some good, some bad so I've deducted that I'll jus have to try it out myself. I was given the six day teatox, which consists of nine tea bags (Yes, bags. Phew!): "Morning Boost" bags, containing Green Tea, Yerba Mate, Nettle Leaves, Dandelion and Guarana and "Night Clense" bags, containing Ginger Root, Orange Leaves, Lemongrass, Senna Leaves and Licorice Root. The tea claims to help cleanse and energise, containing powerful antioxidants, nurtients and metabolism boosters. As someone who hatesssss the taste of green tea, chances are I'm not going to enjoy drinking it, but if it'll give me results, I can suck it up.

RRP: $54.90 (28 days)

 

Wen Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner

THIS is what I call a good sized sample for a hair product!
I'm on the fence about no shampoo conditioners, but my poor hair is on the verge of death so I'm keen to try this one out as it claims to do everything I look for in a conditioner: cleanses, adds sheen, moisture, strength and manageability, and is made from natural ingredients.

RRP: $34.99 (350mL)

Dermal Heel Balm (bonus)

This was a bonus product so I'm not too fussed either way.
I'll probably end up using it at some point, just because it's there.

RRP: 10.49

Despite the not so great reviews of this month's box, I'm actually happy with what I received.

Friday Finds.

Happy Friday, kids!

Here's all I've found and loved this past week:

\\  Guys, cotton candy fudge. I can't even  //

\\  Jen from Pretty Eats posted this salted caramel pavlova recipe on Made by Girl the other day and I drooled all over my desk for a whole hour  //
\\  I've been getting myself in the mood for Autumn this week, and this apple candle DIY is a perfect (and easy!) little decor idea  //
\\  Or how about these boho style, Autumn inspired bobby pins?  //

\\  This feather necklace is too cute! So dainty  //

\\  The girls at A Beautiful Mess are at in again with another great DIY. Emoji nails, anyone? //

Autumn Lust List.

Saying goodbye to Summer used to be the most heartbreaking thing I had to do year after year and Autumn, to me, was considered as the end of an era. It felt that part of me died each year when the leaves fall from the trees, and the branches are bare against the wind but I've discovered somewhat of a new found love for the season. After all, it is the best of both worlds: the sun shines a little gentler and the light is a little softer, and the weather is still lovely for doing outdoorsy things, but the evenings are chilly enough to start making soups and stews, to light a cosy log fire and snuggle up in a cosy blanket.

 

Seeming as the new season is only a week away (say what?!), I took to a little online lusting to get myself in the mood. Here's what I found need:

 

One: Black over the knee boots from Free People.  //  Two: Red plaid shirt from Factorie.

Three: MAC lipstick 'Prince Nior' //  Four: Gold 'Home on the Range' antler necklace.

Five: Black neoprene Hunter boots!  //  Six: Tan cross body satchel from Boohoo.

Dem Back to Work Blues.

I'm back to the real world and boy it feels great! I leapt out of bed and arrived at the office feeling refreshing and fully ready to….ah who am I kidding. 

When the alarm went off at some un-Godly hour this morning, I tried to fool myself I still had one more day. Who even are these people who leap out of bed in the morning, anyways? Surely they don’t actually exist, and if they do, they should stop because it can’t be good for your health and it’s making the rest of us look bad.

I really can’t complain, though, at least I got a break! Sure three and a half weeks off work sounds great (and it was) but it makes it very difficult to get back into the daily grind. After weeks of relaxing, eating dinner at 8pm and trotting (or stumbling) off to bed around midnight, imagine the horror of suddenly having an alarm that squawks at you at 6am.

Yup. I'm wallowing in some pretty major 'back to work blues' right now.

It's actually embarrassing. I love my job, and I did basically everything I wanted to do with my time off, so it's not like I wasted my break. I actually feel like I accomplished quite a bit. It's so nice to take time off work and park that ol' brain for a while, but the downside of having an extended break, is that no matter how much I love my job, I've lost all sense of momentum and starting up again feels like such a heavy load to lift. That load of shit that awaits my return was tucked away for a while, but as I've approached re-entry, it's been nagging at me, from the backlog of emails to nonstop phone calls. Now that I'm here, I'm completely overwhelmed.

Friday Finds.

Here are the things that I found and loved this week:

\\ I couldn't not share this Freedom tattoo pin. I love the idea behind it //

\\ This love photo block DIY is so clever, and great with Valentine's Day just around the corner //

\\ Nutella meringues do I need say more? //

\\ I tried this PB & J protein smoothie recipe the other day, it's delicious! //

\\ I wish I weren't as unco as I am, otherwise I'd be wearing this mosaic nail all year 'round //

\\ I love a good highlight and contour, but I never thought to use the technique on my collarbone! //

One.

One year ago today, I said yes to my now best friend and love of my life.

I can't believe it's already been a year since we've officially been together. It’s crazy how much of an adventure it’s been and I feel like our life has been such an incredible whirlwind so far. The more marriages and relationships I see, I realised a faithful, kind, gentle, and selfless man is a rarity in this day and age. I know it's only been a short amount of time, but it honestly feels like I've known him a lifetime and every moment has been pretty damn great. When I look at him, I can't imagine going through life with anyone else. I don't tell him that enough.

After about a month of getting to know each other, I unexpectedly fell head over heels and life had a whole new meaning when Jesse came into it; he has opened my mind to the world...before I met him I was so sheltered and scared to go outside of my comfort zone but then, for the first time in my life, I could relax and be myself and he loved me just the same. I opened up. I told him my secrets, my passions, my dreams for the future. He became my hero, the person I could trust, the one I could confide in, the one who loved me. We've made the best memories. We laugh the hardest when we're together. We have the most fun. He was one of the most refreshing and wonderful things that could ever have happened to me. 

Jesse is the reason why I've become a braver person. But most of all, he is one of the major reasons why I'm happy and will always be a huge inspiration to me. He would always put me first and himself last. After being with him for a year, I realize that is who he is. He constantly strives to please me and make me happy. He continues to amaze me. He is always patient with me, and talks through our problems or differences of opinions.

 Like any relationship, ours has it's ups and it's downs, but it has been the most wonderful year of my life, with the most precious person on this earth to me. Our love for each other has only grown over the past year… we have experienced hard times, and many happy times, but what matters is, we are going through it together.

I want to end this by saying thank you, Jesse. Thank you for always strengthening me. Thank you for being my rock throughout everything, putting up with my shit, and letting me annoy you daily; That's love, yo. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I’m so blessed that I get to call you mine. Happy anniversary, Sparkie.

Friday Finds

Here's what I've found this week:

\\ I pinned and forgot about these donut ice cream sandwiches ages ago because they looked cute, but reading the recipe, they sound delicious, to! //

\\ Cheap, chic and easy wall decor? Check this stacked branch art DIY //

\\ Pizza friendship necklaces. Do I need say more? //

\\ These pillowcases have been popping up over all my feeds lately. Next pay, they're mine  //

\\ I'm loving the fishtail braid for Summer. This messy side fishtail hairstyle = love  //

\\ I love Kallie's coconut coffee body scrub bar DIY //

Happy Friday!

December Lookback & January Goals.

Aside from setting myself a bunch of Christmas break plans that I guess you could technically call goals, one week in to January, and I haven't set myself a specific set for the month yet. Although I set myself two main goals to focus on this year, I believe that setting yourself a few smaller monthly goals leads to you getting more shit done, and having a fulfilled year.

Firstly, though let's see how I went with my December goals:

Make life plans for 2015

This was the big one for me. I really wanted to figure out exactly where I wanted my life to be heading, and I think I've got it all planned out, and set in to motion now.

 

Make fun plans for New Year's Eve that include both my boyfriend and my best friend

*Dun dun* Although i really, really tried to make plans, it just didn't come together. I did spent NYE with both my best friend and my boyfriend, we didn't have a plan of any sort and just winged it.

 

 

Get all my Christmas shopping done BEFORE December 10

Okay, I got it done ON December 10, but that still counts as a success in my book.

 

 

Leave the frustrations from work at work

This header should probably be whatever hideous colour red and green make. Brown, maybe? I wasn't as relaxed as I would have liked to have been, but I definitely made the effort to not be as moody towards Jesse and I think I accomplished this somewhat.

 

 

Curb the unnecessary spending

This one I'm so very proud of. I did it, people! I stopped buying junk food for lunch all the time, I didn't open an online shopping window, I didn't even buy anything at the Boxing Day sales! With my happy little Christmas bonuses, my bank account's looking that much happier already.

I think 4 out of 5 successfully completed goals is the best I've ever done in any month. Let's see how I go with my January ones.

Cleaning:

Alright, I know I've been going on for months now about my bedroom storage re-vamp project, and in truth, I haven't even looked at Ikea's site, but I'm determined to get a shoe/make-up storage area like the ones I've been obsessing over preferably during my break, but at least sometime this month.

Get active:

I had a gym membership because I thought paying money every month for it would motivate me to go. Turns out, that was a no. I've recently cancelled the waste of money that was my membership which was fine, but since Ive had to quit playing netball, I just don't feel good anymore because I'm not taking care of myself with exercise and clean eating. I sit at a desk all day, then I go home and lay in bed and you know what? I've gone up almost two pant sizes. Furrrrrrkkkkkk! Although I just cannot bring myself to go to the gym, I definitely do have time to work out at home, just like I used to. I'd also like to start looking in to yoga classes.

Donate old clothes:

In addition to my storage re-vamp project, I need to go through all my clothes and donate anything I don't wear or that no longer fits me. I literally have no room left for anything else.

Apply for a passport:

Despite my debilitating fear of planes, I'd love to go travelling. I think I use the fact that I don't have a passport as an excuse, as such, not to have to hop on a plane. No more excuses, ya wuss.

My Month on Instagram - December.

If you've been following Christie's Take on Life, you'll know by now that I'm a major lover of Instagram! It's the perfect outlet for posting inspiration and little snippets of life, and seeing what my favourite bloggers and friends are up to.

There are so many times my Instagram posts never make it to my blog, and that's a damn shame because I consider myself to be quite the photographer..

.. Not really, but it's a shame nonetheless.

Instalife the past month looked something like this:

 Hungover trips to our favourite coffee place in Fremantle for a Hazelnut Latte.

I got the office in to the Christmas spirit with our cute mini tree and lights.

 I can't even describe the love I have for Gloria Jean's caramelattes.

A ginormous pile of pumpkin & qunioa salad from Cafe Elixir for lunch with Jesse. 

Christie actually styled her hair for a change; a half-up crown braid for the last day of work.

 Homemade eggnog in my Santa pants was how I spent the night before Christmas.

Bowling dates with Jesse and some trendy shoes.

A Summer Bucket List of Sorts.

Although we're currently in to our last month of Summer (waah!), I like compiling a list of a few goals and adventures to try (albeit a late one). It keeps my weekends busy and reminds me to take advantage of how fast times flies by, because there’s no doubt that Summer is one of the most exciting seasons of the year. It is the perfect window of time to explore, try new things, and have adventures.

These are my favourite Summer activities, and I'll be cramming as many of them in to January as I possibly can:

Hit up a theme park.

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Theme parks, in my opinion, are the ultimate Summer adventure you can have. Either with friends, or a date, it's truly one the best ways to be a kid again.

Get in to a book (or four).

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Summer is the best time of the year to dive into great books. I love sipping an iced tea during a warm day and losing myself in a great read.

Master a Summer recipe.

image & recipe
Ideally, something you can make on a BBQ. This might sound silly, but this Summer I am determined master the perfect grilled pineapple. See, grilling has always gone horribly wrong for me, but this year I'm going to master you, grill!

Go to an outdoor movie.

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It's such a relaxing way to spend a warm night outdoors with a bag of popcorn, a good movie and group of friends or that someone special.

Pick your own.

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I love picking fresh fruit from mum’s garden. Not only is there something so rewarding about eating your own picked produce, homegrown fruits and vegetables taste so much better than anything you can buy at the supermarket. If you don't have a garden of your own, go on a fruit and vegetable picking date with your loved one, there's plenty of orchids around!

Host an outdoor dinner party.

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Maybe I'm getting old, but I think that eating al fresco a great way to enjoy the Summer. Light recipes, friends, and pretty twinkle lights make for an a-okay evening in my book.

Host a beach party.

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I've always wanted to go to a Summertime beach bonfire party.
Mix good friends, a BBQ and refreshing drinks, and you've got yourself a good Summer night.

Try a new restaurant/cafe/bar once a week.

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I love discovering hidden new places to eat - It's actually become one of Jesse and I's favourite little hobbies lately.

Explore the thrift shop.

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I'm gonna pop some tags, only got $20 in my pocket.
The hippy in me loves the thrift store, some of my most prized decor items actually come from flea markets and antique stores. It’s a fun way to spend an afternoon and add unique items to your home without splurging.

December 2014 BellaBox Review.

Of course this box comes on December 31. With all the new year celebrations and events, I haven't had the time to sit down and review what I got last month.

The theme was eat, play, love - appropriate for Christmas and the new year.

Here's what I got:

DKNY Be Delicious Perfume

 This. Smells. Amazing! It's a gorgeous blend of apples, flowers and woods - perfect for Summer.

RRP: $105.00

Aveda Leave-In Damage Remedy Treatment 

& Pre-Style Smoothing Cream

I'd have been excited to try these if it weren't for the sample sizes I received. I doubt the amount of product in a 10mL tube will be enough to have an effect on my medium length hair. I guess I could use the pre-style treatment on the tips of my hair..

RRP: $49.00 & $39.95

Colour Theory Nail Polish - 'Minted'

 MINT! I was so stoked to see this little cutie chilling at the bottom of the box.

I LOVE mint!

The formula is super fast drying and I've had it on my nails for almost a week and only now do I notice a chip. One. Solo. Chip. Good stuff on this one, BellaBox.

RRP: $4.00

Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash

 A good sized sample. I was really pleased to see this in the box because I used to love Neutrogena during the Summertime, my skin tends to get a bit oily. I'm pretty keen to see how this one goes.

RRP: $13.99

Elizabeth Mott It’s So Big Volumizing Mascara

I've heard so much about Elizabeth Mott.

I wore this on NYE and it definitely did what it claims; volumize, lengthen and curl without smudging. It's also super easy to remove - win, win.

RRP: $25.00

JBronze Tanning Cream - 'Dark'

This was a bonus item, so I'm not overly fussed either way. I do need a little help when it comes to the tan department, but I'm not sure if this sample will cover both legs.

RRP: $29.95

All in all, December's BellaBox was pretty decent, small sized products aside.

Everything I received will probably get used in some way or another and all are great for the hot Janaury ahead.