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Friday, May 29, 2015

Friday Finds.

Here's what I've found and loved this week:


\\  This is probably the most relevant card I've ever seen. Ever.  //
\\  I love beachy decor. These decorative seashell bottles are such a cheap and easy beach-themed DIY - perfect for the bathroom.  //
\\  I've found my next nail art inspiration.  //
\\  How yummy do fried caprese bombs sound?!  //
\\  Guys! These self-watering plant animals! So cute!  //
\\  I don't mean to alarm you, but toasted marshmallow macarons. Ermahgerrd.  //

Happy Friday, kids.

Monday, May 25, 2015

All I Want For Christmas.




\\  One: Benefit The POREfessional primer  //  \\  Two: Betts Cali wedge sandals in 'nude' //
\\  Three: Chanel Rouge Coco lipstick in 'Mademoiselle'  //  \\  Four: T2 scribble tea for one set  //
\\  Five: Dirty Shirty 'I Hate Everyone' cap  //  \\  Six: Tiffany & Co Heart Tag Toggle Bracelet  //
\\  Seven: Kate Hill Louise tote bag in 'stone'  //  \\  Eight: Lush ocean salt facial scrub  //
 
What's on your Christmas wishlist?
 

Winter Inspiration Boards.

Whelp. After months of dreading the inevitable, it finally happened: Winter is almost here.
In an attempt to psych myself up from my cold weather induced depression even a little bit, I looked to good old Pinterest for some Wintery inspiration, and you know what? I've decided it's not so bad. I mean, warm soups and jacket potatoes, scented candles and fireplaces, big scarves and Ugg boots; Summer is still, by far, my favourite time of year, but I'm beginning to see some of Winter's beauty - Even though we never get pretty snow.

On a related note: Someone take me to see snow.
Food


One   Two   Three   Four   Five   Six


Fashion
One   Two   Three   Four   Five   Six


Beauty
One   Two   Three   Four   Five   Six

Friday, May 22, 2015

Friday Finds.

Here's what I've found and loved this week:


\\  These shoes though. 10/10. Would snuggle.  //
\\  I can't even with this cookies n milk friendship necklace set. Squeee. :3  //
\\  How healthy does this matcha smoothie sound? I think a trip to T2 is in order!  //
\\  I need this hoodie in my life.  //
\\  The colder the mornings get, the more I want to try this creamy coconut butter coffee.  //
\\  Here's a tulle skirt DIY. Because who doesn't love cheap pretty things?  //

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Betrayal.

Ohai, big ol' white space that should contain words, but doesn't. The truth is, I've written this post about four times this week, and deleted it just as many. At the start of today, I was convinced that I wasn't going to blog about this at all because it falls in to that category of topic that I just don't know how to cope with but hey: Christie was cheated on.

Though it could have been worse. His betrayal was strictly online, and although he could have physically slept with another opposed to doing it online, in my mind, Christie was cheated on.
I won't share the gory details, because I'm so very disinterested in re-living those few disgusting weeks for the ten-zillionth time this hour. So, I've been a little MIA on the ol' blogaroo of late, and I'd like to apologise. But that's the thing about betrayal. It consumes you.

I got my heart broken over the weekend by the one person I trusted and it was quite possibly the most I've hurt in a really, really long time. I think that betrayal is up there as one of the most painful human experiences. It's a given that this person cares about us, respects us, and wouldn’t dream of hurting us, especially intentionally. When a person you’ve trusted suddenly undermines you, your world is turned upside down. When the only person you've trusted suddenly undermines you, well you can go ahead and multiply those feelings by ten billion and you're about half way to the hurt that's going on inside me right now.

In true Christie fashion, I got mad. Super fucking mad. Because how could he do this?!
See, I'm backwards. When I grieve, rather than feeling sad, I get angry first. Because pain is pain. Suffering sucks. And people who inflicted it deserved to die in the most excruciating way possible and I haven't been even remotely successful in holding myself together. Vodka has become my very bestest friend; Because alcohol is more fun than feelings. Food has become my enemy; Because my stomach won't stop heaving. I've been musically abusing myself; Because I get a strange enjoyment out of listening to songs that will send burning pain into my soul.


I'll do almost anything to avoid sitting with grief because it's so consuming, so exhausting, so bottomless. I mean, why grieve when I can watch 40 episodes of 90210 in one sitting? Why grieve when there's at least two bottles of Vodka left on my nightstand? Why grieve when there's endless cat videos to watch? Why grieve when you can self-destruct the hurt away?
Because grief isn't fucking going anywhere. That's why. Dulling the pain only pushes grief into the shadows. It waits beneath the anger and anxiety and once the cocktail of alcohol and pills have worn off, it's all that you have left.

 Sure I am functional. If by functional you mean my hangover doesn't prevent me from getting out of bed and chucking on some eyeliner, all to auto-pilot through my day before I get to come home and do it all again. Yup. Fun-ctional. Perhaps "fun" is too much to expect of anyone going through the pain of infidelity. Definitely.

---

It has been four days since I wrote the paragraphs above this one. Four whole days this post has sat untouched. Four days down the track, the rage and disgust have subsided - ever so slightly, and have made way for the oh-so fun pain stage. I'd, in all honesty, rather stay unbelievably angry than to feel the way I feel right now. At least the anger makes me feel in control of my emotions, this debilitating sadness is crippling. After all, it's hard to feel perfect when he's looking at you with mascara all down your face, shaking uncontrollably in a pair of old trackies and a hoodie, convinced that he cheated because there was something wrong with YOU. Because surely she is hotter, smarter, funnier, sexier, more spontaneous than the pathetic, sobbing ball you crumpled in to.

When I woke up from my attempted night's sleep this morning, I noticed something stirring inside me that wasn't there before. It wasn't until about lunchtime that I realised that letting go of some anger and allowing myself to be sad had made way for compassion. Compassion for myself. If I'd messed up in the past, I beat myself up. If one thing went awry, I'd blame myself. I knew no other way but to hide behind my tough girl act. Instead, I began to praise myself. I gave myself kudos for getting up and going to work each day. I patted myself on the back for not murdering anyone. I congratulated myself for having kept myself alive. And I feel better.
Because this was not my fault.

I find myself falling it to the classic "once a cheater..." frame of mind because my friends, the single, cynical people they are believe that with every fibre of their being and it's been pounded in to me from day one. I never liked to believe it. I've always liked to think that people can change if they want to yet every time I think I can forgive, that phrase comes rushing in to my mind. And I don't even mean it. It's like a defence mechanism of the brain, because it doesn't want to go through it all over again. People have moved on from these situations together and have eventually come out happy on the other end. I hate this. I hate what it's done to us. But it also has the potential to pull us closer. If he truly proves himself, if enough effort is put forth, if he works his ass off to gain my trust and forgiveness, we can move forward. I will never trust the same, but we can move forward.

I've struggled with all of this decision making, because I kept worrying about what everyone would think. What would they have to say about my forgiving him after his actions? It disappoints me to admit because I know it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. All that matters is true happiness and if he can demonstrate the patience and expend the energy to fight for an 'us', to make me feel like the only one again, to prove he truly loves me the way he claims, then you're sure as hell I'll take true happiness with the one I've always thought of as 'soulmate'.

It's going to be a long-ass road ahead but I'm choosing to take the leap of faith and give him the chance to fix this. Here's to hoping.

Friday, May 15, 2015

Friday Finds.

Here are some finds (and loves) from this past week:
\\  Here's 22 carat gold plated brass pineapple ring. Because why not?  //
\\ Guys. Sprinkle nails. Literal Sprinkles.. on nails.. How fun.  //
\\  Something tells me that my best friend would be all for these DIY confetti streamers to help celebrate her upcoming birthday.  //
\\  This green tea & white chocolate tiramisu sounds delish!  //
\\  This cereal fudge makes my inner child feel all kinds of excited.  //
\\  Can we just bypass Winter? No? Whelp, looks like I'll just have to make 50 of these DIY coffee candles. Because roasted coffee is probably the most cosy and comforting scent known to man.  //

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

My Month on Instagram - April.

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:

This is honestly the first photo of myself I've taken in at least a solid 8 months. I don't always take a selfie. But when I do, I post it on every single social media outlet I have.
No one is safe. NO ONE.


Jesse and I were in the city around lunch time the other week, and popped in to the Coffee Club for a bite. Because our favourite hobby is stuffing food in our faces. I stepped out of my regular avocado smash and got their peach and coconut maple glazed French toast (try saying that three times fast). Nom.


 
I know it looks bad, but I promise I wasn't lying when I said I don't do selfies.
I scored a free Subway cookie at work. That in itself warrants a 'it's 8am and my eyeliner looks like shit, but it's okay, because cookie' photo.


As I'm sure most of you know by now, I've been feeling pretty down lately..
Knowing my penchant for cute cafés, Jesse treated me to a nice dinner at Dome in an attempt to cheer me up; The kid knows me, what can I say? Dome does the best hot chocolate, by the way.


Speaking of Jesse, he celebrated his twenty-first birthday on April 27th, catching himself up to my cradle snatching age (for six months anyways).


 
Hands up who's sick of reading about my tattoo? No one? Good 'cause here's a photo of a bearded man shoving a needle in to my skin repeatedly.


aaannnnddd this is the result and the very first photo ever taken of my ink:
Hope on my left wrist, inspired by the Japanese 'Sadako & the Thousand Paper Cranes', an ode to the cancer that runs in my family.


I love finding new bloggers on Instagram; leave your account links in the comments!

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Bulk Veet Review + Giveaway.

If there's one beauty chose I hate, it's hair removal - I'm so damn lazy!
I'm constantly looking for products to make this process faster and easier.

Before I start I'd just like to say that I normally shave my legs. Though this is a short term solution, it's quick, and it's painless. Aside from the fact that I rarely have the patience to spend more than 2 minutes removing unwanted hair, I have had some pretty nasty waxing experiences in the past, caused by my sensitive skin's reaction to the harsh treatment.


Nonetheless, I was excited to be approached by Veet*, asking if I'd like to try out a few of their hair removal products aimed at people with sensitive skin; Any potential long-term solution to my dilemma is okay by me. Waxing is by far a better option, compared to shaving- the hair takes much longer to grow back, and it's so much softer once it does. Waxing also exfoliates your skin and wont give you ingrown hairs.

I received my box of goodies the following week:



Each product came in it's own box, complete with a set of instructions and a few packs of finishing wipes. The instructions were all clear and super easy to follow, complete with little diagrams.
I'm not crazy about the oily feeling the wipes have to them, but they do such a great job of removing any wax residue that may be stuck to your skin, and the oil washes off easily enough with warm water.


Regular Cold Wax Strips (Sensitive)
I got sent the pack of 20 strips that are the perfect size for use on the legs. They are very easy to use and there is no mess to clear up afterwards (apart from the used strips). A box is pretty good value for money - it took me 4 (each pulls apart to make two, so technically, 8) strips to fully wax both of my legs and each strip can be used multiple times. I didn't experience any irritation or skin redness as I have with wax strips in the past, and my legs were left feeling moisturised due to the aloe vera. It definitely look longer than running a razor over my legs, but it's much more long-term, saving me time and hassle later down the track.


Facial Cold Wax Strips (Sensitive)



Facial hair is not one of my concerns, but for the sake of reviewing it, I decided to give it a go on my eyebrows and I must say I am quite impressed! I'm used to plucking my eyebrows so waxing was not a shock to this area. The wax does a good job of removing fine hair, I'm quite impressed at how easy the whole process is. This is the first time I have waxed my brows myself so I was a bit nervous about ripping a chunk out of the middle, for that reason, I didn't get too close to the brow line and just used the strips (cut in half) lower down. It was quick and easy, and I only needed the two halved strips to do both brows. I do prefer the precision of plucking with tweezers, but I found using the strips lower down, and finishing off with tweezers around the brow line was so much more efficient, and I avoided missing those one or two hairs I always seem to miss with tweezers.


Sensitive Hair Removal Cream
This is easy enough to use, simply apply the cream onto the skin, wait 5-10 minutes and remove cream (and hair) using the spatula. It's definitely a more time consuming and messy process, but it worked well for me. The included spatula is great! It's ends are coated in rubber, which prevents scrapes and  scratches and worked as good as a sharp razor would, leaving my legs hair-free, smooth and shiny. I was a bit bothered that the root was still in my skin as this obviously means the hair grows back quicker than it would had you waxed, but it still took longer to grow back than it does when I shave - A happy medium. I know hair removal creams tend to have a strong smell and this is the case with Veet too, but it didn't bother me as such. It was quite fascinating to watch the hair fizzle up a little, which did concern me - what was it doing to my skin? Those thoughts were quickly extinguished as I removed the cream and neither saw nor felt any irritation or redness. I have found that most creams irritate me so much that I break out in an itchy, stinging rash. This was gentle enough for my skin which is great.


EasyWax Electrical Roll On Kit
This comes with a handy wax cartridge that clicks into a self heating applicator, which warms the wax to the right temperature. The instructions state that the unit takes approximately 20 minutes to heat up, however I found that it was more effective if I allowed about 40 minutes - after which it was the perfect temperature, still not too hot, and allowed the wax to go on much thinner. Once it is detached from the cable, you have 15 minutes of heated wax to use. I do wish there were more strips included, as I basically used them all up in one session (using each multiple times) but they can easily be purchased separately. The applicator itself applied the wax cleanly and evenly and the roller didn't stick, pull or drag once and I love that the wax itself is pink, meaning you can clearly exactly where you've applied it. The kit box comes with one cartridge for use on legs and body, which lasts for several waxing sessions and there are two types of refills available: One for the legs and another for the bikini and underarms. Like all other of the products I tried, I did not suffer any redness at all (it wasn’t even a little pink). I did, however, need to go over certain areas more than once and the overall time spent was far greater than shaving, but the result was well worth the extra effort.
          

The people at Veet have been incredibly generous and have offered to supply me with some Veet goodies to give away to one lucky winner.

This is an international giveaway, and will be open for three weeks, beginning on May 10 at 12am (GMT+8), running through to May 31, closing at 12am (GMT+8).
All entries will be verified; any fraudulent or bot entries will be discounted.
Any unfollowers as at the announcement of a winner will be disqualified.
Good luck!

*I was sent these products for free in exchange for a review/mention on the blog. All opinions are 100% my own.

Friday, May 8, 2015

Friday Finds.

\\  I'm absolutely loving this braided bun and the tutorial is so easy to follow.  //
\\  It wouldn't be a Friday Finds post without the mention of macarons. How amazing are these decorative, yet edible flamingo macarons?  //
\\  I love this doughnut with sprinkles balloon DIY - fitting for National Doughnut Day.  //
\\  This is probably the most on point shirt I've seen in a while.  //
\\  I can't wait to try this Mexican grilled corn avocado toast! Delish!  //
\\  Oh, nothing exciting, just a freaking emoji clutch DIY.  //

Happy Friday, kids!

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

April Lookback and May Goals.

I don't mean to alarm you, BUT I ACTUALLY FULFILLED all of April's goals!
For the first time ever, I, Christie Brown, have successfully achieved over 50% of what I had set out to achieve. This is basically the best day of my life, guys and I recently discovered a mango + pineapple + tequila concoction sooo, the standard was set pretty deliciously high.

APRIL'S GOALS:

Help Jesse plan his 21st
I don't really think I deserve to check this off as a success, because he didn't end up having a 21st celebration at all (other than quality time with the best girlfriend ever). I did pester him almost daily and he ended up making a few small plans.. which fell through.. Nonetheless, I did help him to make said plans, which is what I set out to do. This was a success by technicality.

Try 1 new recipe from Pinterest

I didn't end up posting my version of any of the recipes on the blog, purely because I was too lazy to take photos after a crappy day at work, but I adapted this spinach & ricotta lasagne roll-up recipe and made it for Jesse's dinner - and he loved it. I also tried out this avocado egg salad wrap and have had it for lunch probably four times this month.

Tattoo
ISTILLCAN'TBELIEVEIDIDTHISOMG.
I really only set out to have a chat with an artist..maybe get a quote when I planned this goal out but I ended up booking an appointment and getting it done a few weeks later (see it here). I've been wanting this tattoo for I don't know how long and I'm so glad I've finally got it!

Organize my iTunes
This one's an ongoing struggle. I've been slowly working my way through my tens of thousands of songs, placing them in albums, complete with cover art. I said I'd be happy if I got through organising half of my library's albums; Whelp, I'm (just) over half way now and patting myself on the back vigorously.
 
Lose 5% of my body weight

I was so very hesitant to step on the scales last night, because I honestly didn't think I'd be successful at this one.. BUT it turns out, I lost the 3.5kg required to make up 5% of my body mass and then a bit more. I'm attributing this fluke weight loss to losing my car while it gets repaired, meaning I'm walking more and I'm unable to buy junk food dinners whenever I want.


image

Buy a ball dress
I'm so excited to be going to a ball!
A) I love any opportunity to dress like a princess
B) Jesse looks daymn fiiiine when he fancies up
and C) My high school formal was so very shit (hello, ex boyfriend who ruined the night).
It's about a month away, which means I better get a-searching.

Plan our holiday
Jesse and I have been talking about getting away for a while now, and it's settled: were going down South after June. Seeming as it's about two months away, I should probably book at least the hotel. Maybe. If we want shelter.

Book that dentist appointment
I may as well colour this title in red right now because if there's one thing I'll never ever do by my own free will, it's go to the dentist. BUT I haven't been since I was about 10 AND I'm pretty sure my wisdom teeth are coming through AND I'm pretty sure I also have my very first cavity. But really, do I need teeth? Reeeeeally?

Buy an electric blanket
I try not to complain too much about any season that isn't Summer, but it's not even Winter yet and I literally cannot sleep at night it's that damn cold. My little microwaveable wheat bag used to do the trick, but it's just not cutting it any more.

Clean the fish tank
I reckon it's been a good 6 months since the last time I manually cleaned my 85 litre tank, and there's only so long the filter can do a good enough job. Maybe I'll reward myself with a new fishy friend if I actually get around to it.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

AND THE WINNER IS...


Congratulations! You have won our giveaway, picking yourself up 1x Urban Decay 'Shadow Box' palette, just for being a wonderful follower. KA-CHING!

Thank you all for participating, and better luck next time - I have yet another giveaway coming up soon. Watch this space. ;)

Monday, May 4, 2015

April Beauty Favourites.


One: Wild Argan Radiant Oil For Body & Hair
I use this on my hair more than I do on my skin, simply because that's the area that needs the most attention and this works so well on my dry, brittle ends. 
The scent is very mild, and not as thick as other hair oils I've tried which is great because it doesn't weigh it all down. It keeps the frizziness at bay, and my hair looks MUCH healthier whenever I use it. As it's dry oil, it doesn't leave any sticky residue which is great for when I do use it on my body. It's super moisturising and leaves skin soft, and radiant - even on those drier spots like knees and elbows. I'm not a huge fan of the spray application, but it's honestly worth the hassle for the shine and nourishment it gives my hair. Just don't use this in the bathroom if you have tiles; long story short: tiles + oil = ending up on your ass.

Two: DKNY Be Delicious Perfume
I got a sample of this in my December Bella Box and used it up in about a week. I've recently repurchased the full sized bottle because it. Smells. Amazing! It's a gorgeous, light blend of apples, flowers and woods - a great Spring/Summer daytime scent with great staying power. I've honestly had more comments when wearing this than I have any other of my (zillion) perfumes.

Three: Bepanthen Antiseptic Cream
Yep. Baby bum cream. Its a bit of a weird one, but my trusty tube of Bepanthen has been my savour recently! First, I had a horrendously itchy spider bite which then morphed in to death hideous hives. Yay. THEN I got my tattoo and it's been so very soothing during the healing process, keeping my skin nourished and those nasty infections away.

Four: Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Eye Shadow
I was turned on to this by a fellow blogger. I thought the idea of coconut water eye shadow was bizarre and no way did it have a decent setting or staying power, but her review was so positive I gave it a whirl anyways. I picked up the shades 'Playa Del Pink' which I use on the inner corners of my eye and 'Rio de Rose Gold' from Mecca and I L.O.V.E. love them! They're both super pigmented and the colour payoff is amazing. It goes on watery, and I have to blend quickly as it dries pretty fast, but it has a lovely finish and the coconut water is so hydrating on the lids. The pigments-in-water formulation means it all settles to the bottom; and you have to shake to re-suspend, but I’ll that's no problem, in return for the amazing colour, shine, and longevity.

Five: Lush Popcorn Lip Scrub
I bought this because my usual (delicious) bubblegum lip scrub was sold out, but I'm actually kind of glad it was - because this smells and tastes amazing! It does such a good job of removing all dead skin, and leaving my lips feeling smooth and moisturised. It doesn't last me too long, because I literally just eat of right off my lips within 5 minutes of application so my $10 doesn't get me far, but I'd pay that over and over again for this tub of deliciousness.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Mother's Day Gift Guide.


One: Earrings
Spoiling mum with jewellery is always a good idea, especially if she rarely buys anything for herself. These elegant Aquamarine and Diamond studs are simply gorgeous.

Two: Cook Book
I love Pinterest. Love. But I feel somewhat nostalgic towards the good old cook book. Perhaps it's because some of my earliest childhood memories are of sitting with mum on a cold Winters day and flicking through her passed-down for generations cookbooks; getting to choose what new recipe we'd try for dinner.

Three: Candle
I don't know a single mum who doesn't love candles. These candles were new in store the very day I went in last week, and they all smell so good! The pomegranate & raspberry one, though. My God!

Four: eReader
My mum loves to read (and has passed that trait down to me), and there's nothing better than our little family get-togethers where we'd all exchange read books, but once she's finished her current read, it's often months before she gets down to the bookshop to pick up something new. Getting mum in to the modern, technological world is a scary thought, but at least this way she's never without a read.

Five: Bracelet
More jewellery, however this is a more sentimental piece. Although she probably couldn't wear it regularly, working with children and all, she can look down on this 'Love You Mum' bracelet nestled in her jewellery box and be reminded just what she means to me.

Lush does so many different gift packs, but this 'mum' gift is my favourite of the lot; It contains so many fruity goodies. Putting up with us kids, she deserves a good pampering.

This is more of a humorous gift tailored to my mum and her combined habit of making a mess in the kitchen, and (embarrassing) love for Devo.

Okay, so this may be on the list because I want one, but my mum would appreciate it just as much. It comes as just a décor piece, or as a buzzer.



What have you brought or are thinking of purchasing for your mum?

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