Fringe or foe?

This always happens. Winter strolls around, and I crave a fringe. It's like a fringe is the one thing that sums up winter for me. A cute little fringe to frame your face and poke out from underneath your beanie.

My hair is the longest it has been since about grade 5. And it's still only just past my shoulders! Yet as it grows, it feels more and more underwhelming. I went from short fun hair, to longer dull dead straight hair. Where are the 'long, luscious locks' that I was promised when saying no to the chop?!

So - I'm thinking of dropping by my hairdresser on the weekend and getting a cute little winter fringe installed. Thoughts?

The blunt fringe: friend or foe??

My first love, la ville d'amour...

When I was in grade 5, my brother began high school. I thought the coolest thing about him being at high school was that he got to learn French. Two years later, I remember my very first french class. I was beside myself with excitement. I'd waited a while for that class.

13 years later, I'm beside myself with excitement once again. I'm realising my dream, and heading to France.

I cannot express how much joy this brings me. I know, people say the French are rude, arrogant, Paris is expensive, it's this, it's that. But in my mind, it's the epitome of beauty. And it's language speaks of love.

After studying french at school, then at uni, then doing a refresher class at a french school in Melbourne a few years back, you'd think I'd have the lingo down pat. Problem is, I have the memory of a sieve. My challenge for the next two months is to study up!

While I've always been obsessed about going to France, I had never really thought my first trip there would be with the one I love. So I'd have to say going to the city of love, with my love, is pretty darn cool. I can not think of a more perfect first time french experience than lying in a country field with LB, bottle of red, baguette and cheese, sharing secrets, building dreams...

Like that young school girl, I will be jumping up and down and dancing around in little circles the second we cross the border....

images via we♥it

I followed it, all night long

Do you think this awesome fellow Melbourne based blogger would be a little freaked out to hear that I spent my Saturday night at home on the couch reading her entire back catalogue? Perhaps she'd be flattered? Or perhaps she'd just think I was sad and in need of a social life?!

She should be flattered though, her blog is tops! I love her sense of style, kind of vintage/retro 50s, with a good splash of crisp white paint and a touch of that kind of Scandinavian wooden detailing look. As you can see, I'm no pro when it comes to interior design lingo - but I sure do like the blog 'It followed me home'! (as seen at Table Tonic)

And LB if you're reading - time for another trip to Camberwell Markets!!

A few of the particulars which caught my eye:

images via here

cherry-chocolate, my blossoms

A lazy afternoon at home has seen me whipping up the chocolate cake in this month's WW magazine...mmm...as it cooks away in the oven I've been browsing the wonderful, delightful clothes that I'm not allowed to buy this winter as I save my pennies for Europe.

Cherry blossoms, delicate and romantic...they add a very charming feel to any winter's garden.

Images via here and here

worrying about worrying...when enough is enough

I worry.

A lot. I first became aware of this tendency when I was a teenager, waiting for my Mum to collect me from the front of the school one afternoon. All of the other kids had been collected, and still…I waited. In the time it took between the last kid jumping in her Mum’s car and my Mum pulling up to the curb (all of three minutes, at a guess), I thought through every possible traumatic reason as to why my Mum was late. This generally ranged from ‘she’s crashed the car and died’ to ‘my little brother has fallen out of a tree and died’. Whatever the reason I conjured, it included death and tragedy. I had a happy childhood - there was no tragedy, just fear of it.

I’m glad that I’m conscious of this worry. I know that it’s unhealthy, but have not yet mastered a helpful mechanism to put it to bed. These days my worries don’t generally involved death on daily basis – even this worry wart has managed to mellow a tad since those impressionable teenage years. Now, I worry about a host of other things: happiness (and the potential loss of); love (and the potential loss of); health (again…another loss…); and family (yep…you get my drift)…oh and there’s work and professional ability – but hey, right about now I wouldn’t mind if that was lost! (anyone got a new job for me?)

I sometimes fear that my constant worrying thoughts will bring about this worry into actual reality. For example my worrying about the state of my relationship will cause my relationship to fall apart because of all the extra stress I'm putting on it. It’s a nasty vicious circle.

At one of my close friend’s weddings this year, whilst I was busy playing bridesmaid, my partner went for drinks with my folks until the reception started. While there, my folks spoke to LB about what they would do if one of them became ill and they had to sell off the family’s farm – talking about how no matter what they’d make things work. Dad mentioned to LB that this wasn’t the kind of conversation they’d have with me – as they know me, ‘Beth would just worry’.

It got me thinking. When I think about my friends, and the fantastic qualities they have and the reasons I feel grateful to call them ‘friend’, I never think of personality traits like ‘she worries too much, she’s too anxious, she’s too negative’. I really hope my worrying is not a stand out feature of mine. I’m sure (well, I know) LB becomes increasingly frustrated with this habit of mine. I hope this isn't the image I present to the world. That would be a worry :P

Perhaps it’s time to speak to a pro – work out some mechanisms to banish the worry – and live happily ever after. Imagine if this worry is causing me a stomach ulcer? (there I go again…)

This month’s edition of Notebook has an article on ‘breaking the worry cycle’. A starting point, at least.

images via we ♥ it

breaking the mould with the breakfast nook

Breakfast is not only the most important meal of the day, but indeed my favourite!

Be it warm oats with honey during winter, bircher muslie in the summer or lazy scrambled eggs on the weekends...a decent brekkie is always on my menu.

Some scrumptious little breakfast nooks to feast your eyes on...I can so see myself here - snuggled up in my pj's, reading the weekend's news...

look at that tea set!!! And those chairs..oh me, oh my! via here

Loving SFGirl's new little nook - chalkboard walls, and a cute little herb garden to the side!

Gorgeous white windows via here

Have a happy weekend!

Flamingo fever!

Pink flamingos. I've always thought they were creatures of art. Those long legs and bright feathers...if I were a bird I'd be a flamingo...standing our like sore thumb and proud of it!

Loving the new Lonny mag - I spy a flamingo!

And why stop there? Every time I walk into my bathroom, I pretend I'm walking into this magical space....check that tub....oh how I long for a house with a bath....and how outrageously perfect is that wallpaper?!

Have a relaxing bubble bath of a weekend y'all!

Images here and here.

wearing the pants...

I'm not a pants kinda gal. They just do not suit me. I have a smaller butt/thigh area in comparison to my gut - which makes for an upside down triangle shape of a girl. Coupled with my very feminine tastes, trousers just look wrong on me. Jeans I can do - but even then I feel very self conscious of my disproportionate body. You'll find me in dresses and skirts most days...it's how I roll.


With Europe only a few months away, I'm trying to figure out what on earth I'm going to wear that's easy to pack and comfortable - without looking like a total tourist. Looking forward to checking out Trenery this weekend - Country Road's more conservative range (is Country Road non conservative? What would Gasp be then? Dirrrrrty...). These are one pair of trousers I think could work...and the jeans are cute and simple too!




Suggestions on how to 'wear the pants' so to speak?

Images by Trenery

when emotions = wasted energy intake

So a rough few weeks personally and a rough few weeks weight-wise.

It would appear that I'm a text book emotional eater. When things get tough, I turn to food for comfort. Sad? let's eat ice cream. Happy? heck, let's eat ice cream! Either way, the more my emotions run wild the more kilojoules I consume, and usually - the less exercise I do to counteract it all. I've been on a path of indulgence that needs to stop.

Thursday may be Fat2Fit day - but it's also WI day for my WW challenge (big love to the girls in my challenge - keeping me honest, always). Which is good, because boy do I need a fresh week.

I'm ready to get this circus back on track.

Images via here.

M.I.A.....now found!

Why hello there,

Sometimes life runs a little out of control. Getting caught up in the fuss of it all, and neglecting some areas in order to cope with the demanding others. That's where I've been. I won't lie, it got dark, and certainly cold...but now - I feel I'm coming through the other side. It ain't no warmer (we'll blame that on Melbourne's wintry chill), but it sure is looking brighter.

So I'm back. First stop - trimming challenge!

When I saw this box of goodies being dished out to some very crafty ladies, it made my heart do a little flip. All that lace and ribbons...mmm!! Give me more!! So - this weekend, I'm off to the craft store to recreate Alisa's very talented project: the statement necklace. Stay tuned folks!