Weekly Wrap-Up

Image: http://www.scenicreflections.com/download/422022/glam_rainbow__Wallpaper/

What a super fab week! I don't know about you, but I feel like I accomplished a lot of things - a great feeling! I celebrated a lovely Easter weekend with my family, ate too much chocolate and am still nursing a chocolate induced hangover - but oh was it worth it! I've also decided to begin a weekly post known as 'The Weekly Wrap-Up' where I relate all the cool things I've seen and done, interesting articles I want to share with you all, and a list of all the things I am grateful for.

• Post-Easter guilt-trip. I managed to gorge on more than my fair share of Easter eggs this past weekend. Time to hit the treadmill!
•  Are you a Belieber? I am, especially of his new perfume for women 'Someday' by Justin Bieber. I literally couldn't stop sniffing my wrist after I tried it on at my local drugstore. (!)
• Elastic headbands! Yep, headbands are making a comeback. And the range is nothing short of stunning! http://jewellery.diva.net.au/accessories/Headband
• Lately I've been tottering around in the backyard exercising my green thumb. How cool is it then to find out that gardening can actually help depression? http://permaculture.com.au/online/articles/why-gardening-makes-you-happy-and-cures-depression
•  Ever wondered how to become a teenage millionaire? http://au.businessinsider.com/25-kid-millionaires-all-share-these-7-atrributes-2010-11?op=1#2-start-with-something-manageable-2
• http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/12-beautiful-photos-inspired These beautiful photographs are inspired by well-known movies.
•  Remembering the days gone by. Ever wonder what happened to the Nickelodeon stars of the 90s? http://thecollegeview.com/2013/03/20/where-are-they-now-90s-tv-stars-edition/
• European fashion giant H&M heading to Australia? Yes please! http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/fashion-giant-hm-set-to-open-local-stores/story-fn7j19iv-1226605843103
•  My girlfriends and I have been Sex and the City-ing it up lately with homemade Cosmopolitan cocktails! http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/23571/classic+cosmopolitan 
• I would love to own one of these homes! http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-most-expensive-homes-in-the-world.php
•  Whether you're a fan or not, you have to admit that the Playboy Bunnies are pretty cute. Vanity Fair featured a very interesting article back in 2011 on Hugh Hefner's famous empire. Can you believe they used to use anything from Kleenex to gym socks in order to achieve the famous Playboy Bunny, um, bosom? http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2011/05/playboy-clubs-201105
•  I've been going all ga-ga for nails lately. Check out these awesome designs; http://www.picturescollections.com/50-creative-nail-designs/  would you be game to try any of them?
• Have a look at these most notorious and famous insane asylums. Creepy! http://www.asylum.com/2010/02/02/famous-notorious-abandoned-haunted-insane-asylums/
• Caramelatte's from Gloria Jeans. Yummo!
• Coming across old songs on your iPod. Remember B*Witched, Goo Goo Dolls, and SClub7? Nostalgic!  
• This story of how this person overcame depression will leave you in stitches http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/adventures-in-depression.html
• I love this blog dedicated to those suffering from the pain of heartbreak.  http://fuckkyeahheartbreak.tumblr.com/
• 30 Things Every Woman Should Have And Should Know By The Time She's 30 http://www.glamour.com/magazine/2007/02/things-women-should-have-and-know-by-30

And a quote;

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. - Maya Angelou.

Have A Basket-Full Of Happiness This Easter!

I love Easter. It is probably my most favorite holiday. I am a chocoholic; so any excuse to stuff myself silly with choccies and hot cross buns is good enough in my books. I always remember back to the days as a kid during Easter. My brother and I would wake up super early and go hunting for Easter eggs in our pajamas, and it'd be the battle of the century to see who could collect the most eggs; I'm sure it was the same in your household too. After we'd collect our share, we'd pile all our findings on the living room floor and then proceed to sort out our eggs according to color. If my brother had any pink eggs he'd give them to me, and if I had any blue or red eggs, I'd give them to him. We' then eat our eggs from smallest to biggest and then have warm hot cross buns and chocolate milk for breakfast. This was generally followed by an Easter lunch at one of my relatives houses, where we'd be given even more chocolatey morsels to gorge down on. It is such a happy time. I love the innocence of the holiday, and the smiles and laughter shared with going on Easter egg hunts, or watching children do the same, are worth the extra puppy fat brought on by calorie overload. I also love the different traditions carried out depending on ones own family traditions/culture/heritage or ethnicity. I am of European background; my grandmother is German and over there they are very big on egg decorating. Her family used to paint hard-boiled eggs and give them to loved ones and neighbors as gifts. My grandfather is Russian, and his mother used to bake a huge cake and line it with painted eggs to act as a gorgeous decorative border. However you decide to celebrate Easter, I hope you have an enjoyable time! Here are a few ideas to make your long-weekend even more special;


 These glitter Easter eggs are so pretty! Make your own here at http://www.marthastewart.com/917089/glittered-eggs



 For those of you who still want to indulge but don't want the extra puppy fat, these delicious healthy hot cross buns are a great idea. Get the recipe here at http://www.movenourishbelieve.com/nourish/healthy-hot-cross-buns-recipe/




 I came across these super-cute leopard print bunny ear headbands from ASOS! And at only $12.76 plus free shipping Worldwide, you can afford to add some extra glam to your Easter long weekend! Get them here at http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-Leopard-Bunny-Ears-Hair-Band/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=2657717&MID=35718&affid=2134&WT.tsrc=Affiliate&siteID=Hy3bqNL2jtQ-XRIvtgEXvT3rLP9n2GqfBA


 How cool is this Easter egg inspired nail art? http://www.realstylenetwork.com/blogs/beauty/2013/03/easter-egg-nail-tutorial/



 I had a good giggle at these fun painted Easter eggs at TheDesignInspiration. http://thedesigninspiration.com/articles/40-creative-and-funny-egg-paintings/


 Have a look at this beatiful Easter-inspired fashion shoot http://greenweddingshoes.com/springtime-easter-inspiration/


 Why not sponsor a bunny or chicken for Easter? http://realmomsguide.sheknows.com/2011/04/21/sponsor-a-pet-for-easter/

 Hop into the Easter spirit with this Easter-inspired comedy from Universal Pictures. Check out the official trailer here www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEPXdCyEAtU



Have a Happy Easter!

Bliss Out, Babe!

One of my all time favorite things to do - ever! - is to indulge in a relaxing bubble bath. Every Sunday I have carried out the same tradition of pouring myself a flute of chilled white wine, opening up a block of chocolate, and gorging down both as I lay submerged in bubbly bliss. It is the best remedy for those 'blah' days, or nights you just want to mellow out and escape. Here are my top tips for an at-home spa night experience;
 

Light some candles or purchase some floating bath candles to create a super pretty bathing experience. Why don't you get crafty and make your own here? http://www.herewearetogether.com/2011/07/24/waldorf-crafts-floating-candles/


Get your hands on the best chocolate you can get, and pour yourself a glass of champagne while you're at it! (Make sure you place it within easy reach of your tub!) Be indulgent. I dare you.


Tip: The more bubbles the better.

Slap on a rich and purifying face mask; I like Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Ultra Cleansing Mud Mask. It is ultra clarifying, and leaves your skin feeling cleaner and looking brighter - it also has a nice zesty orange scent. You can find it at most pharmacies, or go online at http://www.formula1006.com/

Why not add a cooling eye mask while you're at it? I love Swissco Spa Bella Hot or Cold Soothing Gel Bead Eye Mask.

Relax! Make sure there are no distractions, and let yourself go into your own dream world.

After a good soak, slather on a rich body butter and paint your nails as you wait for the lotion to soak. ATM I'm absolutely digging this cheap and colorful range of nail polish from 'MUD'. My personal faves are 'Hello Yellow' and 'Bahama Bliss' (a bright tangerine orange- fab!) I picked these little babies up for just $2 at my local Woolworth's.

Slip into a big fluffy bath robe, whack on some comfy slippers, and relax some more.

* * * * *

Why not make this your Sunday night tradition, too?

Computer Crashes and Revelations

You have probably noticed via my absence of posts these past few weeks that I had gone AWOL. Well no fear Damsels, I am still here! Unfortunately however, the same can't be said about my old friend and partner-in-blogging crime; the Pentium 4 Processor. Yep, sadly ye-old-faithful died a most untimely death a couple of weeks ago and took with him all of my photos, over 5000 songs, and documents to the computer grave with him. So up until now I have been living a life of computer absentia. Not fun. You know it's funny, the old saying 'you don't know what you've got til its gone' definitely applied to this situation. And so did my awareness of how much I actually relied on computers and the Internet for my every day-to-day life.It's actually quite a shock and a teeny bit embarrassing. I always think back to my days as a little tacker and remember all the cool and fun things I did to fill in my time - none of which involved tapping away on a keyboard. And so, post-computer crash drama, I was thrown back into those days where I actually had to use my imagination in order to entertain myself. I took a quick assessment of my life and saw that at least 90% of my days are spent connected to some form of technological device. In further introspection, I also saw that the majority of these 'activities' I enjoyed in front of a screen was actually not conducive to a happy or constructive lifestyle. Sure, my episodes of Pretty Little Liars and disgusting addiction to 'Bubble Witch Saga' on Facebook makes me happy, delightfully so, yet they are serving no constructive purpose to my life, and are in essence, time-wasters. Damsels, it is good - no, awesome - to have some sort of outlet that allows you to take a break from the seriousness and frustrations of everyday life; it allows you to 'switch off' and to have fun. However, the death of my Pentium 4 (bless his soul) made me aware of all the awesomely insane and fun things I was missing out on here in the real world, cos I've been too busy mind-numbingly hankering away in the fake computer world! Just *think* for a second - can you even remember what it feels like to swing as high as you can on a swing set at your local park?! I couldn't either. But since being forced out of computer world into the real world, I rediscovered such a simple joy as that. Going for a walk along the river, greeting your neighbor with "hello!", baking a batch of cookies, visiting a loved one.. simple joys. From now on I make an oath Damsels, to enjoy the things that actually matter, the real simple joys. Try it for yourself. You wont regret it.

Might As Well Face It...You're Addicted To Love



A friend of mine and I were having a discussion over the weekend. Classic girl2girl scenario; we were sitting on my bed sharing a box of Cadbury Allsorts and bitching about the unfairness of life. A familiar and much-exhausted topic propped up in the midst of all the "FML's" and "WTF's" as we threw back our little treats like it would somehow momentarily salvage us from our chaotic lives.

Men.

A favourite subject of mine, and yet somehow I seem to fail at it atrociously.. recently now more than ever. I was illustrating to my friend that, since my terrible break-up with Nutjob, I haven't seemed to be able to find anyone. And the ones I have turn out to be horrible. Like, they give you so much promise yet fail to deliver. "Like this!" I exclaimed as I picked up a hard-centre chocolate -- you know, the ones you almost break your teeth on and which subsequently leaves you with toffee-like goo in between your teeth that even a screwdriver can't pick out?
Terrible, yes, but I digress.

The conversation ended unexpectedly. You see, here I was waiting for my friend to utter some BFF-type word-magic of advice, like -- "You're too good for him" or "You don't need a man" or (my personal fave) "Men are f*#@ed!" -- yet instead, she turns to me and thoughtfully yet says to me in a brutally honest BFF-type fashion, "..You know what your problem is? You are addicted to love. Not only that, but you are addicted to the idea of being in love."

Hang on, what?

"..You love the idea of love. You put up with these nutjobs and stalkers and bad men because you just love love!." -- "..You are a love addict!"

In fairness, my gorgeous and well-meaning friend was right. I love being in love. I love the feeling of it, the security of it, the romance of it. And, like an addict, I continuously sought after it. Even if that meant going to the extent of risking the loss of my self-respect or personal pride in order to find it.
But like any addiction there is a comedown.

Yes, it is true that like any girl I am prone to the fairy-tale ideal of love. I'm one of those believers that 'love makes the world go 'round', and whilst it is an optimistic and endearing way of going about things, it can be harmful when you begin to start sacrificing other things for the thing that you're constantly soughting after. It is true that I have been investing a lot of time in finding a 'Mr. Right' or a 'Mr. Not-Quite-Right-But-Will-Have-To-Do-In-Order-To-Fill-This-Empty-Void-Which-Nutjob-Has-Left-And-Which-Chocolates-Just-Can't-Seem-To-Fix'. But in doing this, I have only attracted bad men. I have unknowingly lowered my bar and have been settling on 'He will do's' instead of "He is wonderful's'.

So how does one cure this sort of addiction? Rehab? Interventions? Celibacy?

Sure, those could work. (?!)

I myself didn't really know the answer to this question. So I turned to my friend and asked her.

"Being in love is only good when it's real and from within," "..right now you are self-medicating with love. Instead, start self-medicating in other ways; do something you love or are pssionate about!"

Self-medicating with love. I like that. And it is a very accurate and creative analogy. (God, I love my best friend!) And although it's better than self-medicating through other means such as booze or drugs, it is still just as damaging.

I have since taken this advice on-board and am beginning the process of weaning-off my love addiction. I have removed every hard-centred chocolate from my chocolate tray..and you know, not having goo stuck between your teeth is a good feeling.