Lifestyle – Page 4 – 3and3quarters

An Update from my Sewing Room… #2

I can tell you a secret?

(Well, it’s not really a secret. More of a thought, actually.)

I really loved having the opportunity to sit, write and share what had been happening in my Sewing Room last time and the response to that post was really encouraging and supportive! So because of that, I’ve decided to make this into a bit of a series to explore and to use as a ‘newsletter’ type thing, keeping you updated on things that I don’t share so much on YouTube, Instagram or any other of my social networky places. Sound good? Good!

And also, I like writing these types of posts as I love to be able to go back and read about what I was up to this time last year (yes, I am the type of blogger that actually likes to re-read what they wrote a year ago!), or to re-fresh my memory on the progress I made with quilts-in-the-making. I especially like looking back on posts about quilts that I give away, remembering what they looked like and re-living the thoughts (and struggles) I was facing when making them.

So, where to start off this time… Hmm…

Let’s start here!

The other day I did share this completed quilt top on Instagram of one of the commissioned baby quilts I’m making for a friend.

I’m completely over the moon with how well it’s all come together! I absolutely loved how the fabrics shone, glimmered and danced in the winter sunshine and soft breeze on the day I shot these photos! It was a beautiful moment where my crazy quilt-nerdisms went into hyper-drive and I squealed and giggled to myself over its cuteness!

All up, I made five Granny Squares Blocks and had a hard time deciding whether to leave in the top left yellow spot block or this green spot block (ie. the first block I made at beginning!)

I ended up using the yellow spot block as it seemed to balance out all of the mint-green fabrics I had used. It seemed to give the quilt an over-all subtlety and softness that I really like.

Moving on to baby quilt number two. This time around I’m making a small bunch of 5.5″ Pinwheels using the left over 3.5″ squares I over cut for the Granny Squares Blocks. (They really are super adorable!)

I’ll also be using up any left over 2″ sashing I used on the previous quilt to sash the Pinwheels together. I think I’ll then add the same kind of border I did to the other one as well, but instead use the soft yellow spot fabric in place of the green strip border.

Yesterday afternoon I spent some down time finishing the piecing of the Pinwheels and then begun sashing the blocks together. I’m now at the stage where I can quite easily finish the quilt top in one afternoon or evening sewing session. (That’ll either happen today or tomorrow!)

I’ve set myself a goal to have both baby quilt tops finished for the start of next week so I can concentrate on getting them quilted. I think I’ll stick to some pretty basic quilting lines – nothing as intense as my Geo Dreams Quilt or Amelia’s Baby Quilt – as I think it’ll really compliment the softness and simpleness that each of these quilts already radiate.

(Here’s a piece of behind the scenes trivia for you: While piecing the Pinwheel Blocks together, instead listening to music like I usually do, I played season four of Adventure Time in the background! It helped tremendously to make those tedious steps of squaring up HSTs and pressing tricky seams a lot more bearable and fun! Math!)

8087079d646ea5586809f50d6d662595 — Finn & Jake // IMAGE SOURCE

The next thing I wanted to share with you is a pattern that I’ve been swooning over for the past week! And it’s this one by Fat Quarter Shop…

The Panda-Monium Mini Quilt!

Panda-Monium Mini Quilt by Fat Quarter Shop // SOURCE — Panda-Monium Mini Quilt by Fat Quarter Shop // IMAGE SOURCE

I’m dying to get stuck into making this sweet little mini but I just can’t… I already have my fingers in so many pies, so to speak, that I really need to calm myself down, put my patience pants on and begin it when I don’t already have so many other quilts to get finished!! (And seeing so many great versions of it being made on Instagram doesn’t help to calm my fever!!)

Oh, and I forget to mention – it’s a free pattern!! (Say what!?) Yep. A FREE pattern! I love a good freebie! Annndd, there’s also a YouTube tutorial on the Fat Quarter Shop channel showing you how to make it! How good is that?! 😀

And lastly, may I just say, how awesome is the Mollie Makes magazine?!

If I could sum up everything that I want to be as quilter/sewer/crafter/whatever, this magazine is it! It’s 100% me but in pretty matte-pages form!

Although we’re a few issues behind here in Australia and you literally have to pay a small fortune for just one copy, it’s totes worth it, especially when you get cute freebies like pastel vintage buttons and DIY pincushion kits!!

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So that’s it this time ’round.

The weekend ahead, as usual, is full of sewing, creating, filming and editing!

I hope you’re weekend will be just as fun as mine!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

My May Favourites!

Now that the month of May has come to an end it’s time to share with you my favourite things from this month!

one // Geo Dreams Quilt

Throughout May, I spent most of my time working on this quilt, made especially for my Quilt-Along-With-Me series. It’s safe to say, I’m absolutely in love with this quilt! The prints, colours and textures work so harmoniously together that I could literally cry at how beautiful it is! The completion of this quilt also comes at a great time too, as a bitter cold winter season has finally blanketed Sydney, allowing me the perfect opportunity to cocoon myself in this quilt and not leave the house!
If you missed out on the series and are interested in learning how to make a simple quilt, you can click here to watch the series playlist and here to download and print out the pattern!

two // Studio Ghibli Movies

My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service & Arriety — My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service & Arriety

There have been three in particular that I’ve loved watching over the past few weeks and they are My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service and (especially) Arriety – a film based on the story of The Borrows. The animation and super-sweet storytelling in that one was simply awesome and I loved watching every minute of it! I really like the quirky nature of Studio Ghibli movies. They’re told in such a lovely way and can capture the essence of emotion – joy, laughter, danger and love – through the storylines, characters, animation and music! Perfection! 🙂

three // All Time Favourites by The Australian Women’s Weekly

I love buying and making things from baking books that are brought out by the AWW. This one in particular features some really great ‘all time favourite’ recipes that both me and my mum have been making over the past two decades (more for her!). Some of the recipes are simply mouth-watering: Six-Layer Chocolate Cake, Popcorn Butterscotch Squares and Lemon Butter Almond Slice!
I also really love how the book has been designed from the typography, photography, colours and the diverse range of baking choices!

four // Crossy Road App

Now this is one of those apps you download and then find it quite difficult to stop playing! Similar to the old retro game, Frogger, you have to ‘hop’ your character over busy roads, flashing train tracks and raging river logs avoiding death! Along the way you collect coins to ‘buy’ more characters to play with as well as trying to beat your last highest score of how many hops you made before dying! It’s a really fun little app to play to procrastinate with or to simply take your mind off the mundane! It’s free to download but beware; there are in-game purchase options that can become a little pesky and annoying!

five // The Body Shop Vanilla Eau De Toilette

I purchased this perfume in May and wore it almost everyday in May too! I just love how simply subtle it is; it’s not too over powering and the scent lasts all day on you! Vanilla has and will always be my number one scent to fall back on and I’m quite confident in saying that this one is now in my top five favourite perfumes!

six // The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector

Now that winter has so kindly graced us with its company, my hands have been bitterly suffering! Cold, dry, rough and sad! 😦 But I find that using this Hemp hand cream leaves my hands silky smooth, soft and refreshingly moisturised! It sinks into my skin so quickly and doesn’t leave a greasy or oily feeling afterwards. To be honest, the scent isn’t quiet my favourite but it is warming and homey like, which makes it a-oh-kay!

seven // The Art of Escape by Hein Cooper

It’s not often I have just one song that captures me in the way that this song does. It’s so melodic, calming and simply beautiful to listen to! The lyrics are touching and deep and slightly out there – which I like! When I listen to it, it puts in a really calming mind frame and makes me relax and smile.

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If you would like to watch me chat about these favourites, then click here to see it!

Happy Favouriting, Friends!

April Favourites!

In Australia, the onset of April brings cool chilly mornings, darken afternoons and a whole load of rainy days!

Winter is coming!

LOLs 😀

So with that, here are the things I loved during the month of April…

Maybelline Forever Strong Super Stay Gel Nail Color – 06 Deep Red

From the very first stroke in application, I knew that this had to be included on my favourites list!
It was the first time I had ever used a gel nail polish and I immediately noticed a huge difference between the consistency and smooth application compared to that of a ‘normal’ nail polish. I was super impressed with how quick it dried and the fact that I only had to apply one coat – score!

For a while now I’ve been looking for a beautiful intense red like this one that I would be happy to add to my collection as one of those ‘classic’ type colours… And after using this one a few times, I can definitely see myself reaching for it quite often in the future!

Sukin Facial Moisturiser

I’ve shared with you before a few other of my favourite products from the Sukin range and when the time came around to finding a new face cream, I knew I had to try this one out!

Things I love about Sukin and this facial moisturiser…

1. It’s Australian owned and made

2. It’s made using natural products: no nasty parabens, 100% vegan, 100% carbon neutral and are against animal testing.

3. It’s ‘skincare that doesn’t cost the earth’.

4. Natural ingredients like aloe vera and nettle hydrate and soothe my skin. While rose hip, wheat germ and avocado oils renew and promote healthy skin.

5. When I lather this cream all over my face after getting out of the shower, it feels cool, refreshing and luxuriously healing!

6. I love the way that it absorbs quickly into my skin without leaving a sticky or greasy feeling, allowing me to simply get on with my day!

Hexies

When I sew, there are times when I crave a good sewing session on my machine or I have a strange urge to just simply measure and cut up some fabric!

Then there are other times when I just want to relax, go slow and concentrate on some comforting repetitive sewing. And for me, that’s making hexies!

Throughout April, I felt my brain was so full of emotion and information that I found myself craving for those moments where I could whip my hexies out and get lost in the repetition of stitching…

I couldn’t quite tell you how many hexies I made during April or how many ‘flowers’ I formed them into, but this simple, traditional form of hand sewing saved my sanity and soothed my anxieties in so many ways. It brought to me a comforting happiness that no words could ever describe.

Twinings English Breakfast with Honey & Vanilla

Oh, tea! Where would we be without your warming amber liquid, filling us up with hope, comfort and the feeling of home! *sigh*

It’s with thanks to my parents that I’ve become a slave to the delicious taste and allure of tea! I’ve watched them drink it all my life, at every meal and every occasion we’ve celebrated!

However, I always like to take it a little bit further and explore those types of teas that have something a little different to them!

I’m a big lover of herbal teas. One of my favourites to drink is Twinings Green Tea with Lemon – usually a breakfast favourite! (With the other favourite being Black Tea with Madagascan Vanilla from T2! Delish!)

So when I saw this new flavour of tea from one of my favourite tea companies, (Twinings, that is!) I knew I had to try it!

The promises of Honey and Vanilla swirled among the rich taste of black tea…oh…my knees went all jelly-like in the aisle as I imagined the taste!

And believe me, it tastes beautiful! The aroma that radiates off it is so delectably sweet and hypnotic that I almost wish it was a perfume! ‘Cos I’d wear it! Everyday!

Game of Thrones – Season One

As usual with anything that’s huge in the Pop Culture world, I’m late to the party!

The phenomenon that is ‘Game of Thrones’, started years ago but it’s only now that I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon and see what the fuss was all about!

And the ‘fuss’ was right! (As usual!) The series is fantastic! The story line is dramatic! It weaves in and out, too and throw between all of the characters. Each episode builds upon the last and there’s no room for slacking – if you miss a slight detail or need to leave the room for a loo break, you instantly fall behind with what’s happening and it can be hard to catch up!

What I love about the series are the intricate bits of information that eventually explode into a major theme that will ultimately impact everyone in Westeros!

OMG, it’s just so good!!

Passenger – Whispers II

If I could name just one artist who soothes my soul, ignites my passion, takes away my anxieties and just makes me simply happy when I listen to their music…

I would have to say it’s this guy – Passenger – aka Mike Rosenberg.

Be it the lyrics, the catchy rhythm of his songs or the sheer heartfelt passion that he radiates when he sings… All of it captures me and takes me to a place where I’m safe, happy and on fire for life!

Whispers II is the follow up album from his last, called Whispers. And what makes me love this guy even more is that all of the profits he makes from Whispers II is going towards UNICEF to help fight against child malnutrition in Liberia. Geez, what a guy!

See, making music for him isn’t all about the profit, the glory or the fame or achieving no. 1 statuses on songs and albums sales. It’s about making music that feels, gives, loves, transforms and changes others for the better.

That kind of music and intent behind is always the best!

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So as always, these Favourite posts come with a YT video where I’ve chatted a little bit more about my favourites! If you would like to check that out, click here and you’ll be taken straight to it!

Happy Favouriting, friends!

PS. Let me know of anything you loved during April! Or perhaps you share a love for one of the things I mentioned above…?!

March Favourites!

A bit late, huh!? Well, there’s no time better than present, so here were the things I most loved during the month of March!

HOME by Peter Morrissey Vanilla Candle

I love a good homey vanilla scent candle! They fill the house with a lazy comforting aroma that makes you feel happy all day! I usually like to burn candles later on in the day and into night as it makes the house cozy and delightful!

This particular candle is the first I’ve bought with double wicks. At the time of purchasing I wasn’t sure how quick it would burn through. But now that I’ve had it a while, it seems to burn in the same similar time as a single wick.

I’m not too sure what I’ll do with the glass dish once the candle has died. I was thinking of cleaning it out and using as a place to store random knick-knacks. Do you have any other suggestions? Let me know in the comments!

Bourjois Limited Edition Vintage Blusher in 16 Rose Coup de Foudre (Love-Struck Rose)

I say, ‘what’s a favourites list without a few beauty products?!’ And this one doesn’t disappoint!

Now to be completely honest and melodramatic, this blush has changed my life! It is so beautiful, petite and lush that I’ve been swooning over it all month! It’s this gorgeous shade of pink/coral that has a delicate shimmer mixed throughout. It’s quite a heavy type covering blush, so only a little on the brush goes a long way!

I bought it online through ASOS who, I happily discovered, have a pretty good beauty/makeup range to explore with some very competitive prices that makes this little Aussie smile! (Cosmetics are super expensive in Australia, so any place where I can buy at a cheaper price is fantastic!!)

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in 006 Pink Blush

Along with my sweet little blush, I also purchased another Rimmel lipstick. My excuse for buying it was that I didn’t have this shade of pink lippy in my collection. (As one does!) I find that I really like soft pinks like this when I want a makeup day to be really light, casual and minimal.

Pieces Akamo Bar Stud Earrings

I’ve been looking for a pair of stud earrings like this for a good little while now, so when I was browsing on ASOS, I checked out their jewellery section and found these little beauties! They were super cheap and the exact colour I was wanting! Win! So naturally, I’ve been wearing them all month!

Fluffy Socks

Autumn has finally set in in Australia and the nights are getting particularly chilly! So to keep my little piggies (my toes, that is!) warm, I’ve been snuggling up in these cozy fluffy socks! I find because it’s not quite Ugg Boot weather yet, these socks seem to do the best job at keeping me warm. Their soft, feathery nature makes it feel like I’m walking on clouds! It devine!

A Circle of Geese foundation paper piecing pattern by Piece By Number

I’ve had a great month getting lost in some random and fun sewing projects, especially this block pattern by Piece By Number. It was a bit strange actually; I had this odd craving to get stuck into some foundation paper-piecing for some reason and remembered this great block I had made when I was doing the Craftsy Block of the Month with Amy Gibson a few years ago. So I printed out the pattern pieces, dug out a few of my favourite DS Quilts fabrics and simply got lost in the sewing process! It was wonderful!

Hot Cross Buns!

So March was Easter. And with Easter comes chocolate and Hot Cross Buns! And man, was I craving them! I’m pretty sure I bought over three packets of buns in as many weeks! And don’t worry, I did share them with my family but even that was pretty hard to do!!

The way that I love to eat them is heated to warm, with a good spread of butter and a hot cup of tea! Ooo, heaven!

BONUS FAVOURITE!

One other thing I absolutely loved throughout March was re-watching A Very Potter Musical, A Very Potter Sequel and A Very Potter Senior Year by StarKid on their YouTube channel. If you’re a fan of the Harry Potter books I would very much encourage you to watch them! They’re ‘totally awesome!’

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So one month over and another has replaced it! Let me know of any things you’ve loved over the past few weeks! I would love to know!

I also uploaded this video chatting all about these favourites! Check it out if you wish!

Happy Favouriting, Friends!

Other Favourites posts from this year…

+ January

+ February

That Time When I Went To Fiji!

If you’ve been scrolling through my Instagram feed, following my weekly uploads on YouTube or reading this here blog lately, then you might know that I’ve recently come back from a very long-awaited holiday/cruise to Fiji!

Over the past few weeks or so I’ve been promising to share with you some photos from my adventure and have spectacularly failed to follow through with that promise! So I’ve set today aside to organise, edit, collage, write and publish this post for you. (And yes, it really does take me a whole day to write, edit and perfect a blog post because I’m a hardcore perfectionist who pretty much needs everything to be perfect before hitting that Publish button!)

So I’m not going to bore the living-daylights out of you and document every single thing and every single port that we visited. Instead, I’m just showing you the highlights, the places that I loved the most and the cherished moments I spent with my parents sailing the South Pacific.

Lifou / Loyalty Islands

Lifou, a little island town within the Loyalty Islands was our first port of call. Both me and my parents have been here twice before but have never visited the little beach that is right near the island’s pier. For a few hours we drunk up the South Pacific sunshine, dug our toes into the cool white sand and observed the cultural uniqueness of it’s people. I didn’t swim at this beach but instead took the opportunity to film a few clips for my vlog.

Port Denarau / Fiji

Our first stop in Fiji was Port Denarau where our ship, the Sun Princess was anchored just out side of the bay. From the ship we were loaded onto a super-sleek catamaran and whisked off on a pre-organised tour to a private island called South Sea Island. As we approached the island we were welcomed with traditional song and numerous shouts of ‘Bula!’, which is Fijian for ‘Hello’!

There we did our best to avoid the horrid humidity by swimming in the crystal clear blue water, gently bobbing up and down while watching soft waves roll and crash onto the coral ridden sandy shore. We peacefully watched other people snorkelling, kayaking, swimming and doing their very best to conquer the challenge of the painful coral underfoot. (We didn’t think to bring along any reef shoes so we suffered painfully with them!)

The locals on the island then made us a big BBQ lunch and treated us to some awesome traditional songs and dances as we ate. (You can see more of this in the vlog at the end of this post!)

The time came for us to say our farewells and thankyous for their generous hospitality and entertainment. We all hopped back onto the catamaran where we were safely jetted back to our ship.

SavuSavu / Fiji

This was the only photo I took when we visited SavuSavu. The majority of the time I filmed for my vlog. But, apart from the thick humidity and looming storm clouds, I really liked this little town. The locals seemed friendly and welcoming and there were stalls upon stalls upon stalls of people selling souvenirs and locally handmade crafts. (I’m such a bad tourist, as I didn’t buy anything.)

Thankfully in the afternoon, we had a pre-organised tour to join where there was a very welcoming air-conditioned bus that took us on a short ‘sight-seeing’ tour of the town before taking us to visit a traditional Fijian village called Nukubalavu. As we pulled up outside we were greeted with a traditional welcoming song sung by the village elders, leaders and children. Our village guide showed us a few of their homes, chatted to us about their Catholic beliefs and then allowed us to tour their little Kindergarten that has been set up in their village for the children to learn how to read and write.

We then had the privilege to watch some of the villages do traditional dancing and singing, perform a sacred ‘Kava Ceremony’, weave baskets out of palm tree leaves and witness a man climb a very tall coconut tree!

Dravuni Island / Fiji

Dravuni Island was definitely the biggest highlight for me! It was the place that came the closest to what I had imagined a Fijian beach island to be like… Tall gentle swaying palm trees, cool crystal blue water, soft smooth sand and a laid back quiet atmosphere. Ahh, bliss!

We came ashore on a delightfully sunny Sunday afternoon (which possibly explains why the place seemed so quite and tranquil!) and had a look around the little Kindergarten and school that had been built for the local children before making our way back onto the beach opposite to where our ship was anchored. There we spent about an hour taking photos, relaxing under the palm trees and soaking up the experience of our last Fijian port.

Life Onboard

Here are just a few happy snaps I took while we were onboard. We don’t really go crazy when we cruise… We don’t drink or visit the casino nor do we stay up and attend all of the parties (bore, I know!). We’re the simpleton type who like to read (or embroider in my my case) all day, do the occasional deck swim and sunbake, eat and drink tea as many times as possible during the day, watch all the shows and entertainment in the evenings and generally enjoy our holiday away from reality!

Photos from left to right, top to bottom – 1&2: Posing for photos with Mum and then Dad, 3: Selfie on deck before sail away from Sydney, 4: Sun Princess Atrium, 5: Mum and I having a silly-smile selfie before dinner one night, 6: Mum and Dad ‘relaxing’ on deck while anchored in SavuSavu, 7: Mirror Selfie in our stateroom, 8: Towel Toad sporting Dad’s reading glasses, made by our cabin steward, 9: Father and Daughter selfie in Lifou.

Home / Sydney, Australia

Unfortunately, like all things, our holiday had to come to an end. I had mixed feelings about wanting to come home… I just felt like I wasn’t quite ready to let go of that brief period of time where you don’t have to worry or stress about the realities or responsibilities of life. Yet on the other hand, as we begun the slow heading into Sydney Heads I couldn’t wait to savour the moment of gently sailing past one of the most beautiful harbour cities in the world. Sydney, my home, quiet, still and delicate, only just beginning to wake to another busy day. Honestly, the whole thing makes me feel all a bit emotional… My city, quietly welcoming me home in the gentle cool hours of the morning, the breeze whispering, ‘welcome back’ and the familiar sounds of cars, trains, ferries and planes soothing my suburban soul. It’s a moment in time that I will never tire of.

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As I mentioned throughout, I filmed quite a lot of the things I experienced and only just recently uploaded the finished vlog to my YouTube channel. So here it is if you wish to see more of my adventure!

Also, here’s a list of the filming equipment I used to record my holiday if you’re interested…

– Canon EOS 600D DLSR
– Canon SX280 HS PowerShot
– iPhone 5
– Camalapse
– Hyperlapse app

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So that’s just the brief lowdown of my holiday/cruise to Fiji! I enjoyed every moment and will cherish this time I was able to spend with my parents for the rest of my life!

February Favourites!

{Oh my, my! I’ve been so slack with getting my posts written and published this week! Naughty! So because of that, three new posts (including this one) will be published over the next few days! Hope you don’t mind!!}

…And so, another month of our new year has been and gone. It’s a bit scary to think that we’re almost halfway through March! But before we get a little bit too panicky about how fast the year is moving, allow me to share with you the things that made February a happy one!

one // Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss in ‘005 Effortless Glam’

Since becoming a little bit more interested in beauty and makeup these past 12 months or so, I’ve struggled to find a lip colour that a) suited me b) didn’t make me look like a drag queen and c) came close to matching my natural lip colour to the point were it didn’t really look like I was wearing any lipstick at all.

I quite accidentally came across this lipstick while grocery shopping one day… I was walking past the cosmetics section and saw that my favourite brand had some great little sales. Whoo! So of course, I had to have a little bit of a look to see if there was anything I liked and quite innocently found this lippy! As soon as I got home and gave it try, I knew instantly that this was my new go-to lip colour for days when I chose to work a natural/everyday makeup look.

two // Rimmel Lasting Finish Colour Rush Balm in ‘220 Rumour Has It’

In stark contrast to the last lip colour, this one is as bold as I’m willing to confidently wear! It has a bright pink tone to it and makes my lips pop!

My bold-lippy look from when I was on holiday!

I think it takes real guts and confidence to wear a lip colour of this intensity, especially when you’re first starting out! I like how easy it is to apply as well as the soft matte finish it gives. It’s hydrating (hence why it’s called a ‘balm’) and doesn’t feel sticky on the lips. The colour makes me feel like a real grown-up (even though I am!) and really girly at the same time. And I’m okay with that.

three // Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in ‘200 Soft Beige’

Because I’m a make-up newbie, this is the first foundation I have ever bought! And because I really have nothing else to compare it with, naturally I really love this one!

Now, I don’t wear foundation (or make up) everyday. I keep foundation for those special kind of days… Appointments, meetings, special occasions etc. So when I do get a chance to wear it, I find that it just makes everything on my face look so much brighter, smoother and prettier. It’s easy to blend in, hides all of the red bits wonderfully and soothes those horrid colours that unfortunately form under my eyes when I go to bed too late!

four // OGX Kukui Oil – Anti-Frizz Hydrating Oil

A few weeks ago, I boarded a ship in Sydney that would take me to one of the most humid places I have ever been – Fiji!! Now luckily for me, I’d visited this part of the world before (Vanuatu and the Loyalty Islands) and knew how the humidity would affect my hair…

Monica and that moment in Friends... — Monica and that moment in Friends… {SOURCE}

So I bought this and used it everyday on my hair while away and fell in love with it! I spritzed it in while my hair was wet and/or dry and it just helped to control those pesky fly-away hairs that make me look like I don’t own a hair brush as well as giving a nice a little shine to my finished hair-do.

five // Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Perfume

When ever I go on a cruise, I always take full advantage of the duty-free shops onboard, where I indulge in my love for pretty perfume! And this time around was no exception!

The first perfume I came across was this one. It was actually the only one that stood out to me at the time – it smells so wonderfully pretty!

The over all scent of this perfume is soft and light, feminine and delightfully subtle. This too is highlighted in the design of the bottle – sleek, slim and very old-school. I feel like a million bucks when I spritz this all over, it fills me with confidence, allowing me to feel like I can do and achieve anything that is put before me!

And I think any perfume that can do that, is a keeper!

six // L’Occitane Jasmin & Bergamote Perfume

The second perfume that caught my eye…? Nose…? Imagination…? Well, the one that made me weak at the knees – was this one from L’Occitane.

It’s a total polar-opposite to that of the Chanel perfume. The scent is hard hitting, heavy but fresh and is perfect to wear as an all day perfume. The strong notes of Jasmin remind me of the spring when all of the bushes are flowering in our neighbourhood. It’s just delightful!

seven // Album of the Month: Hozier

I’m always on the hunt for new music and this month Hozier caught my attention!

iTunes sums up his sound as ‘haunting’ and ‘bluesy’ and as an album full of ‘spine-tingling soulful rock’n’roll’ combined with ‘elements of gospel, primitive rock, vintage R&B and ancient blues’. And I would have to agree 100%! It’s so easy to listen, groove and sway to all day long!

Stand out tracks for me include: From Eden, Someone New, Like Real People Do and Foreigner’s God.

eight // Film of the Month: Whiplash

I saw this movie while I was away on holiday and I was absolutely blown away by it! I had seen a few little promos for it here and there, but I didn’t really have any idea what the plot of the movie was.

And woah! Does this movie hit you in the face or what!? It’s fast, intense, challenging, dramatic and so wonderfully shot and edited. I loved the jazz music that was woven throughout the whole story and I found myself emotionally rooting for the main character and his struggles – I wanted him to succeed and prove everyone wrong about his talents! (See the movie and you’ll know what I mean!)

J.K Simmons very much deserved the Best Supporting Actor Oscar that he received for his role – he was cunning, challenging, manipulative and intense. He was utterly brilliant!

nine // Kikki.K Grey Felt Travel Wallet

I don’t know whether you know this already, but I recently went away on holiday to Fiji! (Don’t worry, I know that you do. It’s hard to express sarcasm in writing!) And for ages I was looking for a basic travel wallet were I could safely and easily store my passport, boarding ticket, money and I.D all together.

One lucky morning, a few days before our departure date, I walked into my local Kikki.K store and found this great felt covered travel wallet featuring all of the right pockets, zips and clasps I was looking for. And even better, it was on sale – half price baby! Whoo!

The only down side to it is that it is a little bulky i.e. a bit long, but I can live with that. Everything else about it I love: the tactile felt surface, how slim it feels when in hand, easy access to every pocket and the secure stud button.

It really makes me wanna travel again…sigh.

***

So February Favourites are done and dusted! If you’re interested in watching me talk about these favourites, click here for the video!

And, if you missed my January Favourites, click here to read all about them!

Did you have anything in particular you loved in February? Comment below, I would love to know!!

Happy Favouriting, Friends!

It’s Time For A Change!

I tell ya what, there’s no nicer feeling than having fresh new linen fitted and laid out perfectly on your bed! And that’s what I’ve done today!

To start off a new week, I re-vamped my bed with a beautiful 100% combed cotton quilt cover, flat sheet and two matching pillow cases that I recently received from an Australian bedding company with the fabulous name of Sleepy Bum.*

With each piece feeling so delicately soft, luxurious and fresh, it was such a struggle not to jump in and snuggle the rest of my Monday away! The feel of the 200 thread count surfaces truly do just make make you want to dive-in and melt away into a sleepy, peaceful state! (And believe me, I was this close to actually doing so!)

It’s really not that often I change things up in my room, but as soon as I saw this set* on their website, I knew things were about to change! I liked that it was a quilt set that was reversible so that if I was in a particular mood, I could easily just flip everything over and be left with a totally different result from the last! It’s a total win-win!! (Plus, I’m not one to shy away from a good bold gridded print and a sweet feminine pastel pink!)

I also absolutely love how it compliments everything in my room! From my Happy Quilt hanging on the wall, to the porcelain bunny sitting on my bed stand as well as to the pastel purple colour on my walls! Even my Christmas Build-A-Bear seems to blend in beautifully with the contemporary and modern feel of it all!

So hopefully I’ve inspired you to get into the mood to re-vamp your room with some pretty new linen! The anticipation of hopping into bed that night and snuggling contently into fresh warm and soft bedding will be truly worth it! I promise!

Happy Sleeping Friends!

*Sleepy Bum kindly asked me to do a product review post on one of their quilt sets.

*The quilt set in review is the Athens Grid Lines in Baby Pink Cover Set in a Queen size.

Even Finn's excited about the new quilt cover set!! — Even Finn’s excited about the new quilt cover set!

January Favourites!

Every month for the past year or so, I’ve been publishing a video on my YouTube channel chatting all about my favourite things from that month. These items range from beauty products and fashion items, to music, movie and tv shows, books, sewing and quilting accessories, technological gadgets, food and pretty much everything else in between!

For the last few months, I’ve been tossing up the idea of not just posting a video about my monthly favourites, but to write about them here on my blog as well. So, starting with the first month of a new year, I’ve decided that that’s what I’m going to do! I’ll also post a link to the video version of my favourites so that you can either choose to watch or read (or both or none at all!) what I’ve been loving that month!

So with a cup of tea steaming quietly on my right, let’s get into what I’ve been loving in the month of January!

Taylor Swift – 1989

Usually, my taste in music never really consists of the mainstream popular artists and/or songs. I’m more of a supporter of the local (and international) low-key, independent type artists. Although in saying that, I am a huge fan of Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith!

So when it came around to purchasing Taylor Swift’s super-hyped 1989 album, I was pleasantly surprised just how simply brilliant it is! It totally deserves all of the hype it’s receiving. (And never did I think I would be saying that about a Taylor Swift album!)

Not since I was a teenager have I bought an album and literally listened to it over and over and over again. And then do the exact same thing for the next four days straight! Each song has it’s own unique sound to it, catchy, emotional and dance-worthy!

I must also admit my growing admiration for her as a person and artist… The girl is talented in one of those hands-down your-argument-is-invalid type way. She also treats her fans in a way that I’ve never seen a music artist like her do before. She treats them like close friends; encourages them through tough times and celebrates their successes. And I like that.

Tumblr.

I’ve been signed up onto Tumblr for a almost a year now, occasionally logging in, scrolling through and re-blogging a few things here and there. But over the past few weeks, I’ve found myself on there a lot more often than usual and loving it!

Who knows why this is – even I don’t really know why… To be honest, I think it’s just another online platform allowing me to procrastinate from the more important things that I should be doing on a day-to-day basis (i.e. eating, going outside, socialising etc.).

However, no matter how fun and ‘hipster-ish’ Tumblr may be, Pinterest will always be my #1 website to procrastinate be inspired by!

Nintendo DS Lite & Yoshi Island DS

I like to think of myself as a bit of a gamer… I like to play most video games and enjoy playing either on my own, with my nephews or my brother (who is like a pro when it comes to gaming!).

So when I re-discovered my old Nintendo DS Lite this month, I chose to play a certain game that I received for my 21st birthday from a friend. At the time I got it, I didn’t really like it and found it hard to ‘get into’. But after giving it another go, I absolutely love it! And the game in question is Yoshi Island DS.

Yes, I know this game was and is marketed to an audience of kids 7 years and over but I really couldn’t care less! I love these types of games. (Spotlight on the big kid at heart!) There’s little to no violence, no guns, no awkward sexual references and no bad language. It my kinda game. Fun, clean and challenging! And in saying that, do not let the thought of this being a kids game fool you into it being easy to play. It’s not. It’s really, really hard! Either that or I am just really rubbish at playing it!

Revlon Eye Lash Curlers

As I’m slowly getting into the whole ‘makeup and beauty’ thing, I’m beginning to realise the better the tools you have, the better the result you’ll have. (The same principle can be applied to Patchwork and Quilting too!)

So when my very cheap pair of eyelash curlers were literally falling apart and hurting me, I made a trip into Priceline and bought a new pair. I wish I had done it sooner! The new pair I bought are a simple eyelash curler by Revlon and are so swish to use! They curl and separate my lashes beautiful and most important don’t pinch my eye lids! (Which is always a good thing!)

Boots Laboratories Optiva Aqua-Capture Serum

This stuff is ah-may-zing!! I’ve been using it since just before Christmas, with it claiming to give me smooth, radiant skin in just two weeks. And it has!

After using this product for almost six weeks now, I’ve noticed a huge difference in the way the skin on my face looks and feels. Little problem pumps around the top of my forehead and my nose have long gone and I often surprise myself at how soft and silky my cheeks feels when I rest my head in my hand.

Sadly, I’m quickly coming to the end of the tube! *sob* I’m at the stage where I find myself squeezing the living death out of it in desperation to get the very last drop of this magical serum!

Must. Buy. More.

FitBit Flex Wristband

Just like billions of other people in the world, I made a quiet little New Year Resolution to myself to try and attempt to get somewhat fit and healthy.

It’s nearing the end of the month and I confess, I could’ve done a lot more than I have. However, I feel that I have moved more and been a lot more conscious of what I’ve been eating than last year, before all this resolution nonsense began!

And I put that down to this: my FitBit Flex Wristband.

Thanks to this smart little piece of technology, I’ve been able to easily track the amount of steps and calories I’ve racked up each day and then instantly make me feel guilty for not meeting my required goals for the day! But not to worry, that just encourages you to go just that bit harder the next day! So it’s a win-win situation!

I also love how comfortable is to wear, how quick it is to charge, that it’s water-proof and the instant feedback of deets throughout the day. Perfect!

***

So there are my six little favourite things from the month of January!

Did you have anything you’ve absolutely loved from this month? Let me know in the comment section below and we can digress together!

Happy Favouriting Friends!!

I made a Quilt!!

As is expected at this time of the year, the last few weeks have been filled with festive get-togethers, exciting gift making and an endless array of baking, giving me very little time to tend to my lovely little blog.

But in the last few days before Christmas, I’ve hoarded away a little bit of time to spend writing to you! And boy, is there a lot to write!

So with Tony Bennett’s Christmas album crooning in the background, let’s get down to business!

First, allow me to introduce to you my beautiful niece Amelia who was born on the 5^th December.

She came into the world in a very hurried fashioned that earned her and her parents a National News worthy story! Let’s just say, they didn’t quite make it to the hospital in time! Here’s the story if you want to know more!

Next, let’s address the title of this post…

Yes indeed, I did make a quilt. And I did it in quite a sneaky type way too (you may have seen a few glimpses on Instagram!). Usually at Christmas, my close group of friends and I do a Kriss Kringle type of gift giving. So to sooth my need to make a quilt as a gift this Christmas season, I chose to make one for one of my closest girlfriends who I’ve known since high school.

Thankfully she loved it! And even luckier, the colours went perfectly with a lot of the décor she has in her new inner-city apartment! Whoo!

The pattern I used is called the Tribute Star Quilt that I found (as a FREE download!!) on the Denyse Schmidt website! It’s quite an easy pattern to follow, choc-full of HSTs and simple squares that would look great using any print or solid fabrics.

Sometime in the New Year, I’m planning on giving the Tribute Star block another go using a few different type prints (maybe) and turning the block onto it’s point and adding corner triangles to the edges. From what I can see in my mind’s eye, I think it’ll be a little good ‘un!

What’s also kept me busy over the past few weeks are the Christmas tutorials I’ve been filming, editing and publishing onto YouTube!

Videos I’ve made include:

Paper-Pieced Christmas Trees

Handmade Christmas Felt Ornaments

Handmade Christmas Paper Crafts

Reindeer Cupcakes

The BEST Gingerbread Men in the World

Rocky-Road Christmas Tree

I’ve been putting so much time and effort into these little videos to the point where I’m quite ready to take a much-needed break once Christmas and Boxing Day arrive!

However, once Christmas is over, I’ll be getting straight back into it!

Before the month’s out, I’ll be publishing another Stop-Motion Embroidery video featuring this beautiful design from Urban Threads.

And then in the New Year, I have a ton of new quilt block tutorials planned as well as some other fun crafty ideas for you to be inspired by!

If you want to be in the loop of what, where and when I upload these video tutorials, check out my YouTube channel and subscribe to be the first notified! I would love to have you join me!

So my friends, I wish you all a very happy festive season, celebrating and making beautiful memories with your nearest and dearest!

A Beautiful Baby Quilt…

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been busy cutting, piecing and quilting this beautiful little quilt for my future niece, due next month.

For this quilt, I wanted to merge traditional with modern by using this Bear Paw Block as the central design while featuring fresh colours and modern quilting lines.

I also have to admit that it was joyfully wonderful to finally work in the colour pink! After making quilts for four nephews, the change in colour palette was like a beautiful breeze of fresh air!

I gifted this quilt away yesterday at her baby shower and I can only hope that she will find comfort and warmth in it always!

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one // Geo Dreams Quilt

two // Studio Ghibli Movies

three // All Time Favourites by The Australian Women’s Weekly

four // Crossy Road App

five // The Body Shop Vanilla Eau De Toilette

six // The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector

seven // The Art of Escape by Hein Cooper

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Maybelline Forever Strong Super Stay Gel Nail Color – 06 Deep Red

Sukin Facial Moisturiser

Hexies

Twinings English Breakfast with Honey & Vanilla

Game of Thrones – Season One

Passenger – Whispers II

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HOME by Peter Morrissey Vanilla Candle

Bourjois Limited Edition Vintage Blusher in 16 Rose Coup de Foudre (Love-Struck Rose)

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in 006 Pink Blush

Pieces Akamo Bar Stud Earrings

Fluffy Socks

A Circle of Geese foundation paper piecing pattern by Piece By Number

Hot Cross Buns!

BONUS FAVOURITE!

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Lifou / Loyalty Islands

Port Denarau / Fiji

SavuSavu / Fiji

Dravuni Island / Fiji

Life Onboard

Home / Sydney, Australia

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