My Month on Instagram - February.

If you've been following Christie's Take on Life for any amount of time, you'd surely 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 that 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!

I apologise that this post came so late in the month (where did March go?!). Nonetheless, Instalife over the past month looked something like this:

Jesse and I got around to checking Perth's new Quay out..



..Can you tell what my favourite colour combination is yet?



Can we all just take a second to lol heartily at my #CheatDay? Y'all know everyday is cheat day in the world of Christie.



I love halloumi almost as much as I love all day breakfast.



A dragonfly will land on me during lunch almost every single day. I love Summer.

 I absolutely love this mug (from Typo). You can read all about my workshop "adventure" here.



I have found my new favourite drink - Life's a Beach from Ben & Jerry's. Get around it.

Oh look, another #CheatDay. Whoops. But, I mean.. San Churros.. Can you even blame me?

I wish every days weather was as beautiful as this days was.

Night mini-golf guys. It's the bomb. Also, I'm 99% sure I'm part moth, and can't help but be attracted to bright LED's.


I love finding new bloggers to follow on Instagram; leave your account deets in the comments!

Friday Finds.

Here are a few of my internet finds (and loves) from over the past week:

\\  Egg vases for small blooms - a DIY even I can handle.  //

\\  Guys! Let's make avocado toast, but, like, on hasbrown "bread!  //

\\  While we're on the topic, how about an avocado vanilla smoothie? You only live once.  //
\\  These nails are making me crave Springtime. Sigh.  //

\\  My God! Smashed pavlova with mulberries and roasted raspberry jam!  //

\\  I looove this half-up boho braided bun. Probably too much.  //

Happy Friday!

(and happy Easter!)

Friday Finds.

Here are a few of my internet finds (and loves) from over the past week:

\\  On the happiness scale, these rainbow ombre nails are making me feel a 10.  //

\\  I need this shirt, because nothing will every surpass my hatred for burpees.  //
\\  What's better than pistachio ice cream? Pistachio ice cream with Nutella fudge swirls.  //
\\  We all know I'm a vegetarian, but how fun are these eggs and bacon cookies?  //
\\ Anyone for edible Jolly Rancher shot glasses? I sure am keen.  //
\\  This avo toast is on steroids and I'm in love.  //

Happy Friday!

Friday Finds.

Here are a few of my internet finds (and loves) from over the past week:

\\  Yasss to this Easter inspired nail art.  //
\\  If I were even 0.01% creative, I would DIY foil phrase all my sweatshirts.  //
\\  Surprisingly light overnight 'cake-batter' protein oats are what my dreams are made of.  //
\\  I don't mean to alarm you, but DIY emoji bean bag!  //
\\  GUYS! Berry-Prosecco ice cream floats! I'm dead.  //
\\  I'm all about the bouffants nowadays. This tutorial makes the style so easy to achieve.  //



Happy Friday!

So.. Yesterday was the Best Day of my Life.

No, I didn't get engaged, or have a baby. Although, with the way I've been carrying on over the past 12 hours, I wouldn't blame you for making such assumptions.
Nope, yesterday was the day we FINALLY got a puppy!

If there is anyone out there who has been here since the very beginning, you'll know how exciting this is for me, and if you're new around these parts (hi)... let's just say a puppy is the one this I've been wanting needing all my life. I'm about 1,000% sure everybody - Jesse, mum, my friends, my co-workers, my readers, EVERYBODY is sick of my endless puppy lusting.

So last night was obviously the best night of my life.

I mean, LOOK AT HIM! He's an adorable 7-8 week old Red/Blue Heeler cross, who is so full of love. He's still in the uncoordinated yet incredibly playful stage, resulting in the cutest tumbles and falls. I can't deal.

His first night with us went so well. He was so excited he tired himself out by about 8pm, and went straight to his bed without any prompting, only to stay there and not make a sound until 7:30 this morning. He's going to be such a good boy.

I'm keeping it short and sweet this morning, because his cuteness speaks for itself ^ but before I go, I need your help. We've been arguing over what to name him since his arrival, and as it stands, this little cutie is nameless. That simply won't do. So I ask you: what should we name him?!

I'm more than ready for the work day over with so I can get back to puppy playtime!
I've also obviously been SnapChat spamming puppy pictures and videos (not sorry) add christieee_x for ALL the snaps.

February Beauty Favourites.

One: Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm
I've been using this bad boy as a primer for a good month now, and it's the best priming product I've tried hands down. It's extra gentle and non-irritating and alleviates dryness and removes redness, all while being 100% alcohol free (unlike most after shave balms). The glycerine in the balm acts as a glue for foundation, creating a wonderful base for your make-up to stick to without being gluggy or pore clogging. Foundation just glides on so smoothly and evenly over this, adhering to the base and blending absolutely beautifully, leaving me with a flawless, non-cakey finish. You can see my full review here.

Two: MOR Marshmallow Body Lotion
This. Smells. So. Wonderful! I'm not normally one for expensive(ish) body lotions; the cheap stuff works just fine for me, but this quickly became one of my favourites after receiving it as a Christmas present last year. Basically, you know it's a damn good product when I, Christie the stinge ,would happily spend $35 of her own money on a bottle of moisturiser. And that I would, my friends. That I would. The cream itself is luxurious yet lightweight and soothes and moisturises instantly. One bottle will last a very long time. I've been using it daily since December 26 and I doubt I've used even a quarter of the stuff. Did I mention the scent?

Three: Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation
I finally took the plunge and picked up a bottle of the matte and poreless offering from Maybelline. *is late to the party* I hadn't found even one foundation that compares to my beloved Rimmel Match Perfection up until I give this a whirl and you know what? I think this one has beaten it. The fact that it doesn't come with a pump (why, Maybelline whyyy?!) put me off to begin with, but finally giving it a try has showed me that it's a small price to pay for the result. It applies easily, doesn't settle in to any lines and looks good without the need for touch-ups all day. Plus there's that whole matte thing. You know I love a good matte thing. I wouldn't recommend if you have dry skin, however.

Four: Swisse Manuka Honey Detoxifying Facial Mask
I'm pretty lazy when it comes to face masks. The simple cleanse, tone and moisturise routine worked well enough for me, but the prospect of an antibacterial detoxifying mask intrigued me. I'll start by saying that this would be extremely beneficial to oily skinned gals (and guys, no hate). I don't have particularly oil-prone skin, and yet, this mask still managed to draw little puddles of oil from my face. Yes! You can literally see the gunk coming out of your skin as the mask dries. Gross, but cool. It also doesn't dry out my skin once I wash it off; I honestly don't ever feel like I needed to re-hydrate after use, despite all the oils lost throughout the process. Nope, I'm just left with smoother, softer, healthier skin. There are no losers here. None.

Five: Essie 'Bikini so Teeny' Nail Polish
Essie would have to be my favourite nail polish brand, and I think Bikini so Teeny would have to be my favourite Essie shade. Although we're coming in to Autumn here in Australia, I've re-discovered my love for this happy Springtime shade after months and months of nail neglect.


What products are you loving lately?

Friday Finds.

Here are a few of my internet finds (and loves) from over the past week:

\\  I can't get enough of this romantic fishtail hair tutorial.  //
\\  I think Jesse can attest to the fact that this is me in shirt form.  //
\\  My nonna would definitely approve of these sun-dried tomato and basil pinwheels.  //
\\  How elegant are these rose gold and white nails?!  //

\\  DIY rose petal soap - how lovely.  //
\\  This oatmeal latte will be inside me in 3..2..1  //

Happy Friday!

(and long weekend for fellow West Aussies!)

February Look Back and March Goals.

A look back at February's goals:

Refocus on my studies

"I had a huge leap in progress with my assessments over January, but since coming back to work, they've been untouched. I aim to complete and submit at least one task, and have begun another before the workshop I will be attending later on this month."

--

Tick: I don't mean to brag, but I absolutely nailed this one, guys. I submitted three assessments before the workshop and despite getting in to my own head, still managed to submit another seven or so during the workshop.

Improve my diet

"Getting back to the gym was hard. The most hard. I've finally gotten back in to my workout routine, but my eating habits haven't switched from holiday mode yet. This month I'm focusing on getting back to eating the way I did before Christmas came along. It may not exactly be #cleaneating but it's what worked for me."

--

Tick: I think I've FINALLY gotten out of the Christmas/December/time off eat anything and everything habit. I feel about a zillion times better already AND have lost a few kilos.

Get a sound system installed in my car

"(You may judge accordingly)

I miss the doof doof days of my very first car, and I've been meaning to get my sub re-installed in my new ride for the longest time (read: since the day I bought it home)."

--

Cross: IN MY DEFENCE, I had to get my car serviced.. Yup. Excuses.

Book my tattoo

"Lately, I've been scouring tattoos on Pinterest daily and I've made myself the most keen for tattoo number two. It really is true what they say: once you get one, you can't stop.. I have my design ready and I hope to speak to the artists at Emerald Ink and book myself in for yet another torturous needle prodding session."

--

Tick: Fucking yes. I have my consultation in a few days and tattoo number two will be booked in fro late March/early April.

Goals for March:

Loose 2kg

Now that I think (fingers crossed) I've got my eating/working out back on track, there's no reason why I can't loose 2kg in a month. I'm so close to my goal weight it's ridiculous. Just a few more kilos.

Finish the "budget" lot of assessments

If you read my post about the event's workshop I attended, you'll know I've been struggling with this particular lot of assessments. I've not submitted any assessments since the workshop and I've most definitely been putting this one off. Hi, my name's Christie and I'm a procrastinator. This month, I will submit the two budget assessments and be done with the horror that is basic maths that haunts my soul.

Take the time to think about mum's birthday present

I have a terrible habit of leaving present buying to the last minute, and coming out with something... rushed. Let's say rushed. This year, I shall find something meaningful to get mum for her birthday on April 1, and I shall find it in plenty of time.

Create a media kit

All the recent talk of media kits in the blogger community of late has finally persuaded me to create one for Christie's Take on Life. That's right, my name's Christie, and I have been blogging for three years without a media kit. It's down to pure luck that I haven't been asked for one but I'd damn sure like to have one for when the occasion arises.

Clean the bottom of my wardrobe

The floor of my wardrobe has become a dumping ground for my work flats, bags, clothes that have fallen off their hangers and other miscellaneous bits over the months and it's getting to the point of piling up to my hanging clothes. I am in need of a Spring (Autumn) clean. Bonus points if I can manage cull and donate few items.