Aussie Curves - Texture

First week back at work - well for three days. Everyday I wore a new outfit and many people complimented me - I still don't know how to handle compliments. I actually ran a professional development session on Wednesday about personality types and I began with their different reactions to a compliment.

I use the D.O.P.E. which stands for dove - owl -peacock - eagle. Google it - it's fun!

I have strong traits of owl and dove. So the owl in me wants to avoid the compliment by giving facts, 'I got this dress on sale at Myer.' The dove in me starts to wonder if what I usually wear isn't nice enough to receive complaints, literally 'Don't I normally look nice?' So you start to doubt yourself.

An eagle would wonder or even simply ask 'What do you want?'. Whereas a peacock prompts the compliment, 'Do you like my new dress?'

I ended up taking photos of each outfit because I thought I looked good in each of them. I'll start with Friday though because that was this week's challenge - texture.

FRIDAY

Jeans - Autograph

Top - Target

Necklace - Lovisa

Shoes - Rubi

Obviously the necklace blew people away. This one was technically from my brother for Christmas although I chose it.

THURSDAY

Top - Big W

Skirt - Millers

Belt - I can't remember

Shoes - Rubi again

Necklace - Millers

 

WEDNESDAY

Dress - Myer - Leona Edmiston

Cami - Target

Shoes - Rubi once more

Necklace - Lovisa

The pretties

Sunsets keep coming. Love how beautiful they are. Need to appreciate the small things.

I ♥ BOOKS

Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett
Title: The Secret Garden
How: Kindle

To be honest, that isn't the cover of my book.  Mine was the free version from Amazon, the one that converted by volunteers. I love these free ones, I love those volunteers.

These sorts of books make me feel warm and cozy and wish for a more simpler life. The children are true, the food is good, you can almost smell the dirt.

There is a little bit of religious stuff which I've now found out is Christian Science thanks to Wikipedia. But it's not in your face - I remember what I was like when I was their age (not too long ago hehe) and we were making up 'religions' and running around in the bush telling magic stories. And besides which it's historical ideology. But I do feel that the author's own personal voice becomes stronger during this section rather then the rest of the novel, if that makes sense. Who am I to judge though - I haven't written a novel - yet.

But it's so lovely. I want to marry Dickon when he grows up, that or steal his animals.  I want to play with the ivory elephants and find my own secret garden. I so would have loved exploring that house.

What I love about me Wednesday

I thought I would start posting something I love about me on Wednesdays - not every week though - I don't think I could keep that much of a schedule up.

My first thing that I'm going to share is my hair. On the weekend I trimmed the ends and re-coloured it. I took photos of my dying progress - just because.

 

Lots of people complain about their hair but I think I am really lucky. The only issue that I have with it is that isn't naturally purple.  I would love purple hair but because I buy my dye locally the closest I can get is a maroon.  I have bought some purple hair extensions though - they arrived today in the post!!!

I always had long hair when I was younger, and then when I started teaching I cropped it all off - boy cut style. I would then grow it out to shoulder length and then cut it all off again - I had a bit of a cycle going. I loved the shorter hair because I could bleach it blonde, and then go pink and if I didn't like it I would wait a few more weeks and get it shorn off again! Two years ago I decided that I would just keep growing it. I wanted to learn how to braid my own hair.

I bought myself a pair of hairdresser scissors and haven't been to a hairdressers since. I now sometimes use the razor to trim my ends. I trim every 4-6 weeks - basically whenever I decide to do my roots - taking off about 2-4 cm depending on how they look.

I use Moroccan oil after I wash my hair, which I try to keep to every third day, and use coconut oil every now and then.

I rarely blow dry or use anything hot on it.

I know it might be funny to be proud of, but I really love my hair.

The Pretties

It's not so much of a chore when you are washing up pretty things.

Working on it

I remember one of my Home ec lecturers at uni telling us that we will need a room just so that we can store all of our Home ec resources. She was right.

Downstairs I have boxes and boxes of resources and units of work that I have at one stage taught. They are roughly in subjects - cooking - sewing - relationships - hospitality - and then there is my English, art and Japanese boxes too.

But during the last few years I really wanted to go through them and reads their worth. I know that some of them are priceless and I return to them every two years when I have to teach that unit again. But many of them can go.

So today I started. I went through five boxes and kept barley half of it. I still have quite a few to go.

But the bonus of it all is that I can relocate heaps of my novels down stairs, therefore make more room for my lovely overlocker!!!

I also made time to do my hair - I'll post about it all later. I worked on a unit of work and then went into school for a few hours.

So although it doesn't really look like I've done too much, I really have!

Aussie Curves - Secondhand

Unlike all the other Aussie Curvers I never find anything nice to wear in the op shops that I have access to.

I often find cute crockery and craft stuff. A week ago C found a stash of books he and a friend need for uni this semester all for under $10 total.

Apart from the dress I used in my pastel post and another top my mum passed on to me, which I'm not to sure looks good on me, I really have no secondhand clothes.

Instead I'm showing you my newest dress and two accessories that are secondhand.

Dress - Virtu
Belt - St Vinnies
Bracelet - C found in a random car park
Shoes - Rubi

I really like the shape of this dress, but I'm disappointed in the fabric quality.

The belt is great but I wanted to try wearing it lower, on my hips but it looks funny cutting me across there.

But anyhow, when I went down the main street yesterday a co-worker gave me a compliment so it mustn't have looked that bad!

 

 No secondhand clothes? Oh well... 

Look at that sneaky ribbon popping out from the shoulder. Where's the scissors?

Much better. I keep those ribbons and use them to stabalise shoulder seems when I sew my own t-shirts.

Ohh, the shinies

Sky

It was a beautiful sky this afternoon.

Jillian Michaels Week

My aim this year is do something physical everyday. It can be a big workout or even some dumbbell exercises.

Last year I planned out my week and uploaded it but this but this year I'm doing it in a diary.

This week my plan is for a Jillian Michaels challenge. I'm doing a week of her Cardio Kickbox DVD. I've done three days so far. Later in the week, I am going to give myself a rest day if I truly need it though.

I love these challenges, they make me feel strong and I like it when the routine starts to feel easy.

Squish

I spent today trying to work while my cat Squish spent today trying to cuddle up to me.

Aussie Curves - feathers

Whoohooo! I'm home and I get to post my feathers. I can't believe I didn't pack my challenge outfits.

Anyway, I got home yesterday and got covered in cats. My two are still hanging around with worried looks on their faces wondering if we are leaving again.

Today is a lazy day unpacking and catching up of tv episodes, hence no shoes and unbrushed hair.

Top - Autograph
Leggings - Expression - is that Big W?

 

DIY - jewellery hangers

I'm a magpie - I collect sparkly things and keep them in my nest. Check out my nest. Not a pretty sight and a bit of a struggle in the morning to grab a necklace to wear.

While I was away I tried to find a jewellrey tree. The current one was from Ikea and I really was looking for something just like it.

All the stands that I found were way too short for most of my necklaces - I was tempted to buy a hatstand!!!

But while I was in Officeworks (give me all the stationary) a saw these hooks that would hold up to 1.5kg.

You see I had tried hooks before but they fell down pretty quickly. I did reglue two of them up using apoxy.

We'll see how it goes this time.

 

Edit: 10 days later and three have already fallen off!

Foods

Breakfast - so naughty - Coffee Club

Dinner - you, me, souvlaki - Souvlaki Bar

Movies

In case you can't read the tickets we have now seen;

'Life of Pi' which is beautiful and makes you wonder, even during the next day. I knew I wouldn't like the dying animal scenes but the intro with all the animal shots was enchanting. (The iphone auto-corrected Pi to Pie - that would make it a totally different movie but one I would really like to see too).

'Paranormal' which is very funny and fun. We are 'Coraline' fans so this is right up our dark alley.

'Wreck it Ralph' is amusing but didn't contain much adult humour. C liked it because of all the retro game references.

'Hitchcock' is brilliant and I learnt so much.

Townsville?

Made it to Townsville. Met up with some friends from home, Bec and daughter, Aug, and CassCass and daughter, Chirstyn.

We had awesome burgers and ate gelato at Juliet's and walked down to the beach.

Today is all about cinema.

Forest to Ocean

I started on the Tablelands this morning, travelled on the Skyrail and ended on the esplanade of Cairns.

It's so sad to leave my Mum and Dad but it was so nice to stay with them and relax.

My brother, C and I just pigged out on pizza and watched Arrietty. It didn't end the way I wanted but they rarely do - curse you Studio Ghibli. But of course now I want to build borrower's home.

The pretties

St Vinnies - two belts
Millers - two scarves, necklace, three maxi skirts and a free bag!

Movies and mahjong

Earlier this week we went and watched 'The Hobbit'. It was a great movie If you like Tolkien. I've read it twice, once in primary school and again while I was at uni. Still not sure if I like the story but I love the ideas.

Today we spent doing some shopping chores, visited a couple of op shops and stocked up on craft stuff and clothes.

I'll share some of my op shop finds next week when I do an Aussie Curves post.

Tonight I'm crocheting and blogging while I watch the others play mahjong. It's my brother's automated table - it shuffles and sets up the round for you and pops up the tile from hidden doors - science and black magic I tell you.