What I Got For Christmas 2014 (and Graduation)

I decided to combine this a little, and do one longer post on Christmas gifts and Graduation gifts, rather than two separate ones. I didn't get as many "tangible" gifts this year for Christmas - J and I decided not to really do gifts, because we need to save money for our trip to New Zealand in March. Dad also gave me some money to put aside for said trip. I still got some great, and really thoughftul gifts though!

So first up - graduation presents!

My graduation was at 7pm on a Wednesday night. This was really annoying because it meant after the ceremony, we drove home and went to bed, and didn't really have time to celebrate or anything. We arranged a dinner for the following night with some close family friends of ours though, and my besties' family very generously gave me this really cute photo frame, and a book titled "Swing High". I've already popped in one of my favourite photos from my graduation, and the frame now takes pride of place on my desk. "Swing High" is a book about life lessons that can be learned from childhood - it's really cute, and there's words of wisdom in there I think I'll take on forever.

Mum very generously paid for my make-up to be done at the Make Up Store - their services are redeemable for product, so I picked up a new highlighter and lipstick (as well as the lashes used on the day), and a beautiful, simple Mimco bracelet.

Mum then surprised me by also giving me this beautiful handmade, leather journal. It also has my initials on it...I'm just so obsessed with it, it's so beautiful

Christmas KK gifts! My Work KK got me a lavender and vanilla scented candle, a pack of mini OPI polishes, and a box of Lindor - these are my favourite chocolates ever. 

I was super spoiled by my Vogue KK, who gifted me this beautiful red Chanel lipstick. It's been worn a few times since I opened it - it is luxurious, balmy beautiful!

Although we said no presents this year, J and I still got each other small, thoughtful gifts. J got me a really cute cow print lunch bag - for that job I'll hopefully get soon. It's insulated, and has a longer strap for travel so it will be perfect for bringing my lunch. 

My sister got me an Instax mini, with a pack of "moo cow" film - really cute story about the film; it's actually called 'Dalmation', but obviously looks more cow print, she printed off a label "Moo Cow" and covered up the part where it says Dalmation. So cute! 

My little brother got me a See by Chloe perfume gift set. I actually love this scent because it's not super feminine, and I think that's because it has base  notes of vanilla and sandalwood. It's still very floral, with notes of bergamont, apple blossom, jasmine and ylang-ylang.

J's friend also got us these cool illustrated coasters - I made an off-hand comment when we had him over for dinner that I wanted coasters because our coffee table is wrecked, so I was really pleasantly surprised to unwrap these! So thoughtful!

New lip scrub flavour to add to my collection, courtesy of my bestie. She also got me this gorgeous cow-print pillow, below.

Pride of place on the lounge!

What did you get for Christmas this year? I love reading these posts so link yours below if you have one!

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My Week in Pictures #49

 

The weather is getting cooler, and my leather jacket has officially come out of the wardrobe. I am just so, so obsessed with these Black Milk Game of Thrones tights. I might need to go back and get the green pair? Wahhh I think an addiction has begun. Started reading book 3.2 in the series and loving it so far. 

I briefly took a break last weekend (11th-13th April) from the cold weather and headed up to sunny Queensland - my mama got married! She looked absolutely stunning and the smiles on both their faces was beautiful! :) 

It was at a boat club, so the ceremony looked out over this stunning view. Mother Nature gave us a fantastic sunset. My sister and I were both bridesmaids, as were the groom's two daughters. I really wish I had more photos, but I left my camera at mum's place when we came back :( 

Instead of bouquets we had these really pretty wicker hearts with sea-shells! 

Back to reality, and I've spent most of the Easter long weekend chained to my desk, trying to catch up on the uni work I fell behind in during the mad rush of mid-semester assignments. 

Had a lot of back-and-forth emailing with the subject co-ordinator for Business Law. There was an online test on the 10th April, but I couldn't access it. I was then flying out on the 11th, so couldn't do it then either. I applied for academic consideration - obviously it was the university's fault that I couldn't access the portal to do the test in. Spent most of last week trying to get access, again, to no avail. So I am getting a question emailed to me today at 3pm and I have 45 minutes to answer it and email it back. Talk about stressful. Wish me luck! 

Feeling pretty pleased with myself that I got this 8 angle yoga pose on my first try! I think I'm relying too much on arm and core strength though, and not squeezing enough with my legs. Practice, practice, practice and I'll get there. 

On Friday J and I celebrated our five year anniversary! 

Unfortunately the restaurant we were planning on going to for dinner has closed down. So we headed off to a local park for a lunch-time picnic instead! 

We played some cards, drank some sparkling grape juice (like the responsible adults we are) and ate lots of food. It was a perfect low-key afternoon hanging out with each other. 

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6 Great Father's Day Gift Ideas!

Father's Day is coming up FAST...have you got your gift organised yet?
I've got some ideas below...you may either outright steal them (I won't tell, I promise!) or use them to get your own creative juices flowing!

father's day gift ideas by michaelaarghh 

one
How about an ipod, or other musical player? Dads usually have a bit of a reputation for not being too tech-savvy. Ipods are so easy to use, ANYONE can operate them...I'm not even joking when I say that if my dad can, anyone's dad can. (My dad based the decision on which laptop to buy based on which one had the biggest keys for him...bless!)

two
Comic strip books are also a great idea! Zits is a great one for any parent...if you're not acquainted with it, basically it's about living with a teenager...as narrated by a teenager. Another reason why comic strips are so great, is because they're quick, require not much reading and are funny! Or you could make your own, by cutting out your dad's favourites from the paper and sticking them into a book...get really personal and add your own annotations!

three
Tool kits are a pretty standard dad's day gift...this one is a bit different though...it's a mini, all-in-one. Although it's technically a bike tool, it has a number of allen keys, and both types of screw-drivers, making it perfect for basic fixing-up around the house

four
If your dad's a suit, how about some gorgeous new stationery for him? This A4 leather compendium from kikki.K is currently on sale... and will give dad the perfect place to jot down meeting notes, and keep all those loose papers.

five
How about a bottle of his favourite expensive alcohol? I think the trick with this one though, is that you need to then volunteer to come around and have a glass with him. Although gifts are great, and everyone loves getting them, I think the most important thing that all parents want is to spend more time with their kids. ESPECIALLY as their kids get older and move out and get their own lives...

six
This is the adult version of the DIY gift you would give as a child! I found this one on pinterest, and it's been doing the rounds lately. Basically, use a sharpie to draw, write, decorate a plain ceramic mug, bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 220C (pop the mug in while the oven is still cold) and voila! Cool, personal gift!
Check out this blog post for awesome tips and instructions!

What are you getting Dad for father's day??



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Review: Crabtree & Evelyn Avocado, Olive and Basil Hand Therapy

I received this travel-sized Hand Therapy for Christmas from J's sister and I love it. I'm already a fan of C&E hand lotions - so you can imagine I was pretty happy when I unwrapped this one! 

Avocado is well known for being good for your skin when you eat it, and apparently it's good for your skin when you apply it too! Olive oil is also a common ingredient in restorative skincare, so really it's no surprise that avocado + olive oil = ultra moisture. The Basil also gives the lotion a really nice scent, without being overpowering. That being said, I effing love Basil (true fact: even named my bird Basil when I was 11). 

As far as the packaging goes, I really love it when companies put hand creams in this little metal tubes. Their durability means I don't have to fear them exploding in my handbag. I also like that as you start using up the cream, you can roll the tube up and save space! This is a small, 25g travel sized one, and it's so cute next to my full sized (100g) LA Source C&E hand cream. 

This hand-cream is really thick - as you can see from it being squeezed out of the tube in the above photo. 

Despite its thickness, it is not at all oily, and rubs in really easily. Exactly what I love in a hand cream. 

What's your favourite hand cream? Do you even use hand cream or am I just an old person trapped in a 20 year old's body?

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January Lust Have It

This month Lust Have It came in this really beautiful pink storage box. This is obviously their new collectible packaging, and I think it's really nice. I don't think the glue that they used was very strong though, because mine has come apart slightly but overall it's quite nice. 

I was a lot happier with this month's box than I was with Bellabox...but that really wasn't that hard. This has a good mix of make-up, hair care, accessories etc. 

1. Face of Australia Bronzing Loose Powder

20g = $12.95

I received a full sized sample. This bronzing powder is really pigmented and quite shimmery. The info card says it adds "instand radiance and shine" and I can definitely see how that's the case. I haven't had a proper play with it yet, but I'm guessing a light application is really all that is needed. I think I will do a proper review on this one later!

2. Lust Have It Kabuki Brush

RRP = $19.95

I usually don't like receiving products made by the beauty box company - I think it's kind of a cop out. That being said, this brush is such excellent quality I don't mind it too much in this instance. The brushes are synthetic, and really soft. And I know how soft the brushes are isn't really an indicator of anything. The brush bristles aren't too densely packed - in fact, this brush will be perfect for the light dusting of the bronzing powder I also received!

3. Nude by Nature BB Cream

50mL = $19.95

I received a full sized product. In medium. WHICH IS SO EFFING FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I'M SO PALE. This really disappoints me. I have contacted LHI about it, but received no response yet. All good, it's still the long weekend so I'll give them a break for now. 

(ETA: I have received a reply from LHI and included the reply in the comments down below.)

4. GKMBJ Lactic Hydration Shampoo &

GKMBJ Fortifying Honey Creme

280mL = $19.95 each. 

I received  a 30g sample of each. As soon as I opened the plastic shrink wrap on the S&C I could smell the product. I'm really not sure how to describe the scent, but it's not unpleasant. I love the packaging - I think it's really modern, and a great way to provide a sample. However, the bottles only have in tiny writing on the back whether they are the shampoo or the conditioner so I can imagine that being a problem in the shower with sudsy eyes. I have really been getting into honey as a skincare ingredient lately, so I'm definitely interested to try this out on my hair. Neither the info card or the bottles have any outlandish claims: all is said is that the high quality ingredients are for optimal ingredients. Uhh okay. 

5. Amuse Nail Lacquer

18mL = $13.95

I received a full sized product. Not gonna lie - I was disappointed when I first saw this. Bright, neon yellow is SO NOT my thing. But then I started thinking about what I could do with it in terms of nail art and I realised it's not so bad to add a yellow to my collection. The diamantes on the bottle are kinda tacky, but my nail polish sits in a cupboard so that hardly bothers me. 

Overall

This box is amazing value, and I'm really happy with it. Although the products were in the same "lower-end" price range as this month's BB, I received full sizes of everything except the shampoo and conditioner, meaning I got a lot more for my money. It's a shame the BB cream isn't in my colour, because if it was, LHI would have received a 5/5 and I would be using every single product in this box. 

What did you receive in this month's LHI? What do you think about the new collectible packaging?

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My Week in Pictures #20

Had brunch with my bestie Megan, and we exchanged our Christmas presents. How great are my gifts? She wrapped them in this really beautiful Christmas-y organza material. I really appreciate when people go to a lot of effort in making their gifts beautiful. Every year she also makes beautiful gift tags:

Also caught up with Bradley for lunch before work at a French cafe in the Rocks. 

The macaroons at this place were pretty amazing - and Brad taught me how to properly pronounce it (mac-a-ron...as opposed to mac-a-roon, which is a different biscuit entirely!)

What's your favourite cafe food? 



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My Week in Pictures #18

The best thing about last week was that I got to fly up to Queensland and see my Mum!

 

We all went and watched the carols. On the left is my Mum and R, and my little bro on the right. What a cheeky smile!

I was also excited to catch up with Snookie girl! I've missed her crazyness. She is definitely enjoying lounging around in the grass. Her favourite thing to do these days is stalk leaves.

Big yawn! It's a hard life being a cat!

Before I left, I wrapped up some Christmas presents. How cute is the ribbon? I cut out some of the white "Happy Christmas" ribbon and have been using it in my hair, haha. 

Ever since Kirryn got me hooked on Starbucks' Peppermint Mocha Frappucinos, I've been trying to replicate the peppermint chocolate at home. J perfected the recipe for me - so stay tuned because it will be up later this week!

I flew back home yesterday morning. I love looking at the clouds when flying above them. Unfortunately the flight back was not that comfortable - the woman in front of me put her seat down (why do people do this on 1 hour flights?) My legs are long and had nowhere to go so they were digging into her seat. She was pretty loudly complaining to whoever she was sitting next to. Not my fault! Put your damn seat up! I swear they've made the seat room smaller as well. 

Got back in time for the last pole lesson of the year. I managed to accomplish this little bugger this week:

This one's called a Cupid and has eluded me for the last 3 months. But I finally got it! (It's an owwie move, which explains the facial expression - mixture of pain and pleasure)

What did you accomplished this week? Tell me some of your worst (or best!) flight stories!




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