Thursday, December 31, 2009

What Do You Do?

...On the last day of the year? Most people seem to have their own traditions and rituals on the specific things that they do on the last day of every year and the first day of a new year. Sometimes it is influenced by religious beliefs, family traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation or just superstitions. Well, my mum happens to have a ritual that she makes us do on the last day of every year and it usually carries on to the first day of the year as well. On the last day, we do a thorough clean up of the house. By thorough i don't just mean hoovering and mopping the floors....Nope. This usually extends into the fridge, freezer, storage room, book piles and the scariest part...your closet. Mum doesn't even want to hear that your closet is already fine as it is because that kind of excuse doesn't cut it at all in my family. We usually start with cleaning the cars and then move to cleaning the carpet. She usually makes us remove it. roll it outside and give it a proper dusting! When you see us cleaning on the 31st you'd think that the Queen of England was coming to stay with us for a couple of days. Mum's theory is that when you get rid of all the clutter and unused stuff you've piled throughout the year, you make room for fresh things and new blessings when the tide of the New Year comes so you have to be prepared for it. We usually do a huge clothes donation during the first few days of the new year as well because we've managed to declutter our wardrobe and then wash all the clothing we're giving away before taking it to the church to give to those that are in need.

But of course, i haven't done this in years as i havent been home in years. But, i plan on doing something similar tonight. After cleaning my apartment, i'm going to go through my wardrobe and weed out all those clothes that i haven't worn in years and believe me i do have quite a few of those. I also have some items that are more of emotional purchases....some things that i bought after leaving the doctor's office in 2006 very upset. They all have to go because they always bring back bad memories whenever i see them. I'll be washing them nicely and sending them off to the charity shop next week when the shops open again.
Does your family have a similar tradition and do you plan on doing anything?
Photo Credit

Health Kick...

Seeing a photo of Zachary Quinto automatically makes me want to do a downward dog. In all seriousness though, in this picture Zachary is on his way to a yoga class and this is a very good health kick for us all ey? After all, today is the last day of the year and there's no need to get pissed off about all the things we didn't do to be in better shape or in my case how much Pepsi i drank on christmas day. Instead let's put all our worries aside, be grateful that we're still alive and just do better in 2010.

So, what is your New Year's resolution? I'm not really big on those to be honest because i never actually keep them. Cameron Diaz once said that her resolution every year is to give up smoking but she never gets round to it. I have a friend James who has a similar resolution 'neither smoke less or more'. Dude is like a walking chimney and i always tell him not to bother buying perfumes because his scent is Eau de Malboro.

My resolution for 2010 is to Love, Live & Enjoy Life More. I'm sure you might be wondering why it's so simple. Well, i'm a perpetual complainer incase you haven't noticed. I complain about the heat during summer, how it's not cold enough during winter, how my hormonal imbalance is turning me into a crazy person...there always seems to be something for me to winge about, but all that wingeing never really changes anything. It only just makes me a more cranky person which is why i've chosen this resolution.
So what's yours for the New Year??? Feel free to share in the comments section. And don't forget that there'll be a new look come January 1 2010 towards the evening so do stay tuned...

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Simple...

When i first saw this picture of Nicole Richie, i was immediately drawn to two things: her scarf and the gold accents in her outfit. Her blazer's gold buttons matches the black shoulder bag that also has a gold zip running through it and the straps. This minor detail moves this ensemble from blahville to interesting. And then that scarf around her neck just adds some chic factor to the whole thing. It is a Tolani Reptile Snakeskin Scarf which you can buy here and it would set you back US$99
Image via Justjared.com

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Meaningful Beauty?

If you're anything like me, then you probably have a sleeping cycle opposite to that of most Australians. You're up all night whilst people are sleeping and you're asleep for most of the day. This also means that you've had the opportunity to see the numerous informercials that are shown on TV during this time and one of them is Meaningful Beauty by Cindy Crawford and you can find out about it and also get it here. I tend to be very sceptical of people who say something's worked for them during the advertisement of a product so i usually like to get reviews from other places. Click here to read the review for Meaningful Beauty.
Image via Approaching40.typepad.com

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Quick Note...

Hi Guys

First things first...A Belated Merry Christmas! Unfortunately i didn't get round to posting a message on the day. Hope you guys had a fun celebration. I spent mine with Cookie's extended family; i ate so much food and drank more Pepsi than i've consumed in the last 3 months.

I won't be posting much in the next few days as i'm working towards slightly re-decorating the site and i'm moving up the main posts to start in the New Year. I'm doing it slightly because i actually have no idea on how to re-write codes and i'm already bored of the regular ones on Blogger. But if i can't do anything about it then i'll do my best to improvise. Enjoy the remaining days of 2009 ^_^

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

So Not Fair

What does Zoe Saldana and Thandie Newton have in common when it relates to me? These are two people that i would abduct for life given the chance to; and if an option came for their genes to be scientifically woven into mine so that i can have gorgeous hair and flawless skin like them then i'd be very happy. For some mental reason only known to Zoe, she decided to chop off her locks but i must say that it looks really beautiful on her. I especially love the soft curls framing her face. It is always refreshing to see African actresses such as Thandie and Zoe who wear their hair [well, it looks like her hair to me] out on the red carpet as opposed to the constant wigs like Queen Latifah and Beyonce just to name a few. No, i'm not hating on either of the ladies. I just like to see how 'actual' hair like mine can be styled and the growth opportunities that await me in the future...Plus she looks breath taking with just a lick of makeup on.
Images via Justjared.com

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Observation

When i look at my wardrobe and the way i dress on a daily basis, i notice that there are striking similarities between my sense of style and Jennifer Aniston's. For one, we both love wedges, tend to stick to the tried and tested fashion choices that equal predictible and boring. But most importantly, we have an infinite love for black. We all know that 90% of the time she hits the red carpet, she's definitely going to be wearing black and there are only a handful of occasions where she's actually worn another colour. If i'm right, the only other colour she's worn often on the red carpet when not wearing her signature black is silver. Don't hate on me for saying this but the only person i can think of who's worn more black on the red carpet than her is Angelina Jolie. Where Jennifer's red carpet style would be referred to as 'boring and predictable', Angelina's would be called 'snoozeville' and i'm worried about heading towards the latter category! So, from next semester, i'm going to try and wear more of the coloured tees i own to uni instead of just hoarding them in my wardrobe.
Image via Justjared.com

Monday, December 21, 2009

If you can recall from my last post on Halle Berry, i mentioned that i have to cut my hair at some point before uni resumes next year because it is currently in a messy state and my dead ends just have to go. This brings me to the reason behind this post: her HAT!!! Now if you know me in person you'll probably be aware of the fact that i tend to be religious at taking care of my hair but very lazy when it comes to styling it so a nice hat like this is going to serve two main purposes for me: keep me looking stylish on bad hair days and protecting my head from magpies during the magpie season next year. Yes i am very aware that Spring is still very far away but i am terrified of those birds as they are absolutely evil!!! Actually, the words 'evil' and 'aggressive' should be used when describing most of the animals and organisms that can be found here in Australia.
Cookie, you now have a new job: find me a hat that looks exactly like this in black, grey, navy blue or purple. I think i've been fair by giving you four options ^_^
Images via Justjared.com

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Simplicity

I love the simplicity of the ensemble Jenna Dewan is wearing on her evening out with hubby Channing Tatum because i think it allows all the elements to speak for themselves from the purple bag she's carrying to her perfectly toned legs. Two things i'm definitely keen on adding to my wardrobe are the bag and the white dress she's got on. It's usually really difficult for me to find nude heels that actually work with my skintone so i wouldn't be busting my brains for that as i usually just settle for brown....that's my NUDE shade...^_^ I'm curious: is that a bag or a satchel?
Image via Justjared.com

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Male Style: Channing Tatum

When i see guys sporting cardigans, it tends to be a HIT or MISS scenario and usually it is the latter. I'm pretty sure i can count on one hand the amount of male celebrities i love in cardigans with one of them being David Beckham. Channing Tatum has officially added himself to that list. I love everything that's going on here from the cardigan to the fedora and those BOOTS...I love everything about the boots from the detail on the side to the fact that it does look polished as opposed to rugged and worn in. On another note, his cardigan does look very similar to one i have from Topshop; the only differences are that mine doesn't have black buttons and it is cropped.
Images via Justjared.com

Friday, December 18, 2009

Blazing The Trail

Madonna shows us that she's still in demand and proving to us that at 50+, age is really just a number. First she posed for Louis Vuitton in a series of ad campaigns and now she's adding Dolce & Gabbana to her list of ad campaigns for designers. Might i also add that i love how her hair has been styled for the shoot...
She was photographed by Steven Klein for the ad and i must say i love this domesticated version of Madonna. It's certainly more appealing to me than the ones she did for LV and definitely gets rid of all leotard images from my mind. Out of the three pictures, the first and third are definitely my favourites. What do you guys think of the pictures?
Images via Justjared.com

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Effortless Chic

You know, i find Thandie quite annoying. She always looks beautiful without a lick of makeup, looks like she hasn't aged aa day - in fact she manages to look better as she gets older, has a hot husband and two kids but still looks slender and wears her clothes so effortlessly it hurts my eyeballs!!! Here she is rocking a pair of loose pants and showing that you need not look slobby wearing this; Audrey Hepburn would definitely approve non? Here are some options you can use to re-create this look:
Vila Asymmetric Loose Tailored Trouser £35
Vera Moda Casual Tailored Chinos £40

Image via Justjared.com

Sunday, December 13, 2009

New Interest...

Previously, if you'd asked me what kind of wellies i wanted i would have said Burberry without batting an eyelash. That has all changed thanks to this picture of Hilary Duff carrying her Jimmy Choo for Hunter wellington boots...talk about greed! They look so gorgeous and sexy but cost a whopping $500 and are currently back ordered in Australia until April 2010 [or so i hear]. If anyone knows where i can get something very very similar for a more student friendly price please do not hesitate to inform me because i could easily starve for these....I know, i'm crazy but what the hell....
Image from Justjared.com

I Must Admit...

I'm slowly beginning to worry about the effect of boredom on the state of my sanity. It's 3.10am and whilst regular folks are fast asleep in their beds, i'm up looking at Cecily Mary Barker's Flower Fairies website. For those of you who might be interested, there is an Australian website but if you plan on purchasing anything from them you would have to buy from the UK site which happens to ship internationally. I've just been looking at the sale items starting from 99p and the product junkie in me is trying to get tempted to buy some cute things. I need a full blown slap to be given to me by my mustard-coloured wallet that would be getting upset pretty soon. For some reason, i'm currently drawn to all things cute!!!! Not fun at all because i'm tired of helping the Australian and British economy. After all, when the stimulus plan was doled out i didn't get anything...

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Jenny From The Block...

I just love these pictures of Jennifer Lopez because they remind me of her back in her Bennifer days when she used to do the whole matchy-matchy ghetto chic look.
Image from Justjared.com

Friday, December 11, 2009

ASOS Boucle Option...

...i bet you're liking me now huh? So after doing a little digging, i found this alternative Boucle Jacket from ASOS to the one i posted yesterday. It's much much cheaper than the Patrizia Pepe one as it is only £60. I agree it doesn't look as Chanely and it comes across more like Tweed and something you'd expect from Vivienne Westwood. But hey, dont complain cause it's still a cute jacket. Enjoy...
Image from ASOS.com

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Boucle Jacket...

...Uncle Karl is going to be very upset when he sees this jacket because it looks like something straight off the racks at Chanel. Allow me to introduce you to this Patrizia Pepe Boucle Jacket currently sold at ASOS currently going for £235. This is your chance to have something parisian looking and chic, i know i'm not going to be buying it cause i'm trying to save some money but maybe you might...
Image from ASOS.com

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Jacket On Sale...

...This beautiful Alice Palmer Sharp Shoulder Knitted Jacket is currently on sale at ASOS for £105 from £150. For those of you who have a wad of cash to spare and are in love with the current Balmania of shoulder-padded jackets, here's your chance to buy into the trend. The best thing i love about this jacket is the fact that it's knitted and fitted for a real chic look.
Image from ASOS.com

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Winter Boy-Style Coat...

I'm not usually a fan of white coats especially as a student because they tend to require a lot of maintenance which equals more expenditure. But this picture of the ASOS model wearing this white Pepe Jeans London Wool Blend Boy Coat has absolutely changed my mind as she looks so sexy and stylish in it. It's great for those girls that don't like anything too feminine and it can easily take you from day to night whilst wearing a pair of jeans, a sexy secretary skirt or an LBD. It would set you back a mere £120.
Image from ASOS.com

Monday, December 7, 2009

Coloured Jeans...

...ever considered wearing a pair of purple coloured jeans or even some randomly coloured pair of jeans but were too scared to risk it? Well, here's your chance to road-test some crazy coloured jeans for a cheap price. This ASOS Iggy Purple Skinny Jeans only retails for £28. If i had smaller thighs i'd definitely be giving this a try...
Image from ASOS.com

Sunday, December 6, 2009

LBD...

...with a twist. Check out this ASOS Zip Waist Bandeau Dress currently going for £35 at ASOS. It's a bit of a twist to your classic LBD just in time for the christmas party season. It also comes in a bright pink shade for those that love Paris Hilton's style.
Image from ASOS.com

Summer Pants...

The thing with summer here is that it's sooo hot most of the time you have to resort to wearing shorts and denim cut offs and mini dresses. For me, that's a bit like stress on a daily basis because i hate having to worry about shaving my legs. Wearing jeans every day in summer is like hell especially when there's a heat wave. So instead of torturing myself with constant shaving or sweltering in jeans...another option is to wear loose pants. That's where these Vila Loose Tailored Tie Waist Trouser come into play. They're chic enough to move smoothly from day to night and have enough room for air to freely go through and keep you cool and sane. They'll set you back a mere £35.
Image from ASOS.com

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Fresh Faced

I think it should be illegal for anybody 40+ old to look this good with just a lick of makeup. She's putting her young counterparts to shame when it comes to the 'less is more' theory. Her skin is literarily glowing in these pictures and the only things i can detect are: a bit of blush, mascara/fake eyelashes, eyeliner and illuminator. This gives me another reason to want to abduct the biatch...JieJie do you think i could pull off her haircut??
Images from Justjared.com

Friday, December 4, 2009

Bohemian Gloss

It's summer and you might be looking for hairstyles that can allow you to stretch your consistent use of hair straighteners especially if your hair is bleached as this can lead to some serious hair damage.
Well, Kate Hudson provides the answer to that with this chic hair do she's sporting at the premiere of her new movie 'Nine' which also stars Penelope Cruz and Nicole Kidman. My guess would be that David Babaii styled her hair for the premiere and also used David Babaii for Wild Aid hair products. If you're interested in purchasing them then head over to Adore Beauty.
Images from Justjared.com

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Confidence Masterclass

I washed my hair last night and whilst combing it afterwards, it was very obvious to me how much of my hair had broken off and i was almost about to slide into the negative cycle i always get into whenever i think of how PCOS is having its effect on my mood and my body. But there's always light at the end of the tunnel. I've decided not to include any pictures in this post but instead include something i wrote on MS Word last night to boost my confidence before going to bed:

Your beauty cannot be defined by the number on a scale or
measuring tape. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. There can NEVER be a more beautiful YOU. You
are unique, special, magnificient, gorgeous and you ARE a mass of energy
vibrating through time and space. Enjoy LIFE to the fullest.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Say It Ain't So

Ok, i think i'm beginning to develop a girl crush on Ashley Greene. I love what she's wearing here. It's subtle without being over-the-top and i'm seriously considering copping her style. After all, she's 22 years old which is pretty much close to moi so i think this would work just fine. Maybe throw in a bit of Taylor Swift and Vanessa Hudgens and we're on our way to stylishdom!!! Is that a word? I dunno, just made it up...In case you're interested she stays fit by doing Pilates 6 times a week.
Image from Justjared.com