Monthly Favourites – 3and3quarters

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!

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

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.

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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!

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!

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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!!

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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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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