Things That Make You Go Oooooo (January 2012)

January is always a bittersweet month for me I always seem to be really busy and stressed organizing various projects and setting myself ridiculous deadlines which is draining but in the long run totally worth it! How has 2012 been for you guys so far? If you've been having trouble sticking to your goals just as I have there should be a few helpful links here to get you motivated...

♥ Encouraging Words for 2012 - Print them out stick them on your wall, on your mirrors and in your journals to keep you on track and motivated for the year ahead.

♥ How to Write a Personal Mission Statement

♥Tackle Your Fear of Failure to Live Your Dream - Our own fears is the biggest factor in holding us back from achieving our dreams, sometimes we just need to "get over it" to move forward.

♥ 48 Things to Be Grateful for When You Need to Shift Your Focus - When you're stuck in a rut it's easy to forget all the nice things going on in your life, even when things are going wrong I always try to find at least one positive aspect to keep me focused.

♥ What Dogs Teach Us About Peace, Joy and Living in the Now

♥ Managing Change in Chaotic Times - I've seen people get so stressed by the world around them sometimes you just need to take a step back and focus on your own life and what you want to achieve without feeling the stress of the world around us.

♥ Poisonous Pals: How To Identify Them & How To Get Rid Of Them - As bad as it sounds sometimes you just have to bid farewell to those people in your life that are dragging you down and fill your life with people who inspire and create positivity.

♥ Your Feelings Are Not Up For Debate

♥ How to Make New Friends on the Internet -I've met some pretty awesome people thanks to the internet and make some great friends, I was once quite shy but now I quite enjoy socializing online.

♥ On Men Who Don't Like Women in Make-Up - The whole make-up debate kinda annoys me a bit if I wanna wear make-up I'll wear it if I don't it's not about catching a mate or what others think if it makes you happy and feel good then paint away!

♥ What I See in the Mirror

♥ Why Do Twentysomethings Always Feel So Old - This is so true, I'm constantly feeling the pressure of deadlines on my life even though I know it's foolish and I have many years ahead of me to worry about those things, I'm not old my life is just beginning

♥ Setting Goals: Doing What You Love in 2012 - Setting goals for yourself has to be the best form of motivation once you give yourself something to work towards it work doesn't seem like such a chore.

♥ Be a Crazy Awesome Bitch Like Angelina Jolie

♥ 20 New Year's Resolutions for 20-Somethings - Definitely a few things I need to take note of on this list...

♥ Rick Owen's 10 Rules of Style - I love these rules so simple yet so chic, I think learning to restrain oneself is key.

♥ Designer Uniforms

♥ Advice For Someone Trying to Refine Their Style - I love one of my favourite bloggers Sea Of Ghost's response to this question and it's some great advice to.

♥ Feeling Better About Your Body - Whether you're trying to lose weight or not it's about feeling happy in your own skin, don't punish yourself if you want a treat as long as you're looking after that body of yours that's all that matters!

♥ How to Be Awesome on the Internet

♥ Let's Talk Inspiration - Definitely one to bookmark if you're feeling in an inspirational rut!

Love & Sparkly Hugs

Cate

xoxo

Pinkie Pie's Make Your Own Pendant Party!

My Little Pony is one of my little pleasures I often watch an episode or two while I'm putting on my make-up or doing my hair to get me in the mood for the rest of the day. I surprised my friend Cally with a special Rarity necklace for her birthday last year and for Christmas she gave me my very own Pinkie Pie so I just had to make myself a necklace to.

You will need:

♥ Beads

♥ Elastic cord

♥ A screw eye

♥ Mini pony figurine

Step 1

Twist a screw eye into where you would like your pony charm to hang, make sure the screw is screwed in tightly so your pony won't fall off when you're wearing it.

Step 2

Experiment and play around with different bead combinations until you find one you're happy with, thread the beads onto the elastic until you reach your desired length then tie the ends of the elastic securely (I at least triple knot mine!) and snip off the excess elastic.

Step 3

Wear your adorable pony necklace with pride!

Cupcakes & Balloons

Cate

xoxo

The Artist

Today I watched The Artist, it was a truly beautiful piece of cinema, wonderful acting, touching storyline and very true to it's cinematic roots... and the little dog was cute to!

Moustaches & Tap Shoes

Cate

xoxo

A Lomo View On...

Lomography is one of my favourite hobbies and it's bizarre that I hardly ever discuss it on my blog. I'm now entering my forth year as a "lomosapien" with a brand new camera to play with so I thought for 2012 I would start a series of blog posts showcasing some of my favourite shots taken by my little army of cameras over the years.

This was my very first shot with my very first (and favourite) camera the Fisheye 2. This was taken at Seaworld in San Diego in 2009 and even after the hundreds of photos I've taken with it this still is one of my favourite photos I've ever taken with it. After I got my first roll of film developed by this camera and seeing the amazing images it produced I was pretty much hooked on lomography and wanted to try out more cameras!

I then purchased a Baby Holga and a Superheadz Ikimono Harinezumi which were tiny pocket sized cameras but unfortunately I don't have many shots from either of these cameras as the 110 film they both took was retired shortly after I bought them and became increasingly hard to find so I ended up selling them for my next camera...

When I purchased my Baby Holga I also got a Disderi Robot 3 Lense camera which was originally intended as a gift to my nephew, however when he decided he didn't want it I though I would experiment with it myself and despite the fact that I don't use it as much as my other cameras I still have it and always take it on holidays with me, this year I have vowed to use this camera more because it gives such interesting pictures.

The Holga CMY was the last camera I purchased as I had always wanted a "real" Holga so when it arrived I was extremely excited to try it out however as much as I loved this camera I was never really happy with the shots I took with it and it became increasingly expensive to develop the 120 film from it so I finally decided to bid farewell to my dear Holga and save up for another camera...

This is the newest addition to my Lomo family, a Diana Mini en Rose, which was a lovely Christmas gift from my dad. I've already taken a handful of shots with it and will be taking it on a few outings to play with so am very excited to see what the shots will turn out like. Lomography has so many amazing and cute cameras now it's hard to choose which one to get but for the time being I'm having fun with Diana Mini and will be sure to share some of my favourite shots with you once I get them developed.

Lomo Love & 35mm Hugs

Cate

xoxo

Related Links

♥ My Lomography Collection on Flickr

The Frequent Flyer: Walking on Ice (and Fire)

When in Iceland one of the things you MUST do is go glacier trekking, there's nothing quite as surreal as walking over a huge block of ice over a volcano which could erupt at any moment. My inner adventurer was out in full force that day and pretty much as soon as we stepped on to the glacier, crampons on and ice axe in hand, there were rumblings down below.

Some of you may remember the volcano Eyjafjallajökull that erupted in 2010 which grounded flights across Europe due to the volcanic ash being thrust into the air, well that volcano was just a 10 minute drive away and the ash from that eruption is still covering this glacier and it's surrounding villages which makes for some interesting formations or "Ice Monsters" as the Icelanders call them.

I've never really thought of myself as the "outdoors type" and usually when it's this cold you're more likely to find me indoors sitting next to fire with a big cup of tea and a ginger biscuit in my hands rather than outdoors hiking but when you're surroundings are this beautiful braving the cold for a few hours is totally worth it, in fact I pretty much forgot about the cold 10 minutes in and was just in awe of the absolute beauty and sheer white emptiness of the place.

After immersing myself in the world of Westeros for the past few months this was exactly what I imagined it would look like beyond The Wall, little did I know that just one week later Game of Thrones would actually start filming at the very place I was standing!

I enjoyed every single minute of my trek, it was such an amazing experience to be standing on a glacier seeing the beauty around me and exploring all the intricate ice caves and seeing this strange and unusual ice formations. It was surprisingly very relaxing to even though there were little rumblings underneath but they actually made me feel even more excited rather than scared.

Must admit I do quite fancy myself as a bit of an explorer (ice axes are definitely my new fave accessory) and it's an experience I would happily do all over again or even push the boat out and try my hand at a bit of ice climbing as those ice caves are really something beautiful.

Iceland has definitely stolen my heart and is one of the most beautiful countries I've ever had the pleasure of visiting and for anyone thinking of going there I would say just do it, a picture can only capture so much but the experience of being there and witnessing all its beauty cannot be replicated and is simply out of this world!

Love & Icicles

Cate

xoxo

Related Links

♥ Photos on Flickr

Inspirational Quotes #22

"I don’t like standard beauty - there is no beauty without strangeness" — Karl Lagerfeld

Beauty Blitz: 5 January Faves

by Dai.an

My "Beauty Ban" has now ended and during that time I discovered a few products that I really liked and will be adding to my re-purchase list. I will definitely be putting more consideration into the products I use, not be so wasteful and put a lot more thought into the brands I want to invest in and make sure they are morally sound before I make a purchase. Here are just five of the products I've been going crazy over lately and be sure to give me your recommendations for products you've been loving to.

Burt's Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm

I had almost forgotten how much I love Burt's Bees lip balms until I found this at the bottom of  my make-up box and started using it again. My lips always seem to be dry and most lip balms and lipsticks seem to just dry them out even more but this is one of the few that actually keeps them hydrated.

Inecto Pure Coconut Hair Serum

I'm not quite sure where this came from or how long I've had it but it certainly is ones of those hidden gems, it just smells oh so good and it leaves your hair really silky and smooth without making it greasy. I use a tiny bit of this on the ends of my hair everyday and after I've just blow dried or straightened it and my hair definitely looks my healthy and less fried than it used to be.

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser

I've tried out a few different cleansers and this one is by far my favourite, it goes on to the skin so smooth and easily and does an awesome job at removing your makeup, it even managed to get rid of my thick waterproof mascara which it deserves extra bonus points for. Admittedly it is kinda pricey for the amount you get but I think it's worth it and once my current cleanser is all used up I will definitely be purchasing it.

Illamasqua Satin Primer

Illamasqua is quickly becoming one of my favourite make-up brands, I finally visited one of their stores last month and was treated to a mini makeover and this was one of the products I ended up buying. I love, LOVE this primer it gives my skin such a fresh dewy look and unlike some of the other primers I've used doesn't dry out my skin or cause breakouts. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to use some of the other things I've bought but if they're anything like this I'm sure to love them to!

Jelly Belly Toasted Marshmallow Candle

This might not count as a "beauty" product but I think it definitely deserves a mention in my January faves. It had been a while since I treated myself to a scented candle but one sniff of this and I was sold! It smells so sweet, toasty and delicious and it's not so overpowering that it gives you a headache, in fact I find the smell really relaxing and have been lighting it for a couple of hours before bed to chill me out and help me sleep. Jelly Belly also have other sweetie candles available so I may just have to try another out next time!

Love & Glitter

Cate

xoxo

The Frequent Flyer: Bobbing Along at The Blue Lagoon

 

The Blue Lagoon, like most places in Iceland, is such mystical, beautiful place and the number one stop off for most people visiting Iceland. Surrounded by snow filled fields and mountains the steam from this naturally heated geothermal lagoon seems to appear as if by magic from out of nowhere!

Once you take off your robes and make a quick dash across the icy boards and set foot into those lovely blue waters you never want to get out! It was below freezing outside but those waters were so warm and comforting making your frozen toes and that dash across the boards in nothing but your swimwear all worth it.

It's hard to believe that the water is really that blue but it really, truly is despite the fact that it's black at the bottom! There were also boxes filled with silica mud surrounding the lagoon which you could use free of charge to cover yourself in and gain the benefits of all those natural minerals and I have to say my skin really did feel better and much cleaner after swimming around covered in mud for a couple hours.

Of course after a couple of hours bobbing about in those blue waters you being to get a strange form of head freeze and icicles even begin to form in your hair so it's time to get out get showered and get changed, I wished I could have stayed in those waters for a bit longer but I really was turning into a wrinkly prune from being in there for so long.

A nice hot chocolate was a welcome treat and a good way to defrost afterwards and before I left I raided the gift store for some mud and scrubs to bring home with me. It was such a great way to relax for a couple hours and being in those nice blue warm waters, surrounded by snowy mountains, seeing the sun rising was such a surreal but wonderful experience it was definitely one of those moments that really make you see just how amazing our natural world is.

Love & Bubbles

Cate

xoxo

Related Links
♥ The Blue Lagoon

♥ Photos on Flickr

2012: Time to Start Fresh and Be a Better Me!

by Toshi

 For the past few weeks I've been thinking to myself what I would like to achieve in 2012 and the usual things like stop eating junk food, drop 10lbs, save money and be organised have cropped up on the list but these all seem a little shallow to me. My overall goal for 2012 is just to be a better person, a person that I would be proud to know and can admire, so here are a few things I'm going to try to do to hopefully help me achieve that goal.

by Elise

Take better care of myself

Instead of the usual exercise everyday, eat vegetables, make sure I take my make-up off before I go to bed or get at least 8 hours rest a night resolutions which seem to go out the window 3 days in I thought this one would cover all the above and be a more realistic achievement. It's all about looking after yourself, not getting too stressed out, and allowing yourself to indulge every now and again be that with a delicious cupcake, half an hour of meditation or a long country walk and hopefully by being in better health and having a more positive outlook this vibe will infect those around me in positive ways.

by Cat MacBride

Create a better business

I've had my little Etsy shop for nearly three years, it started as just a little side hobby for me it has slowly began to grow so I would love to turn it into a more viable source of income (or possibly career) for me especially during these hard economic times. My crafts are something I'm very proud of and now I'm getting help crafting from my wonderful nanna (my first employee!) I think I might be able to turn it into something bigger and better.

by Savannah Mae

Never stop exploring and doing new things

I had a little knock back in 2011 and it kinda put me off exploring for a little while up until my dad suggested a little getaway to Iceland a country I've been dreaming about visiting for most my life and it ended up being  everything and more than I ever imagined it to be. I've had bad moments travelling and some new experiences were downright stupid and terrifying but overall the good far outweighs the bad and I know that even through those bad times that I can survive and should never be discouraged. Travel really does broaden the mind and open new doors so I should never be closed off to these experiences!

by Joe Miller

Be more charitable.

I think I'm already a reasonably charitable person but I always think that there is more that we can do to help our world, I do tend to get more charitable around the holiday season but I think that effort should extend to all year round and I should help out more where possible be it buying more charitable items, donating or volunteering, I'd also like to use my Etsy shop to once again help raise money and awareness for charities as I once did in the past it's something I really enjoyed and definitely give me a reason to be more pro-active when it comes to my crafts.

by Ruth

Be more considerate of my purchases.

This is probably the goal I'm most likely to break, admittedly I don't splurge that often but when I do my poor bank account doesn't know what's hit it! After being on a beauty ban I'm definitely more concious of the amount of beauty products I own and when it comes to clothing I now keep lists of the items that I need and stalk sale sections to see if I can get some great bargains. But this isn't all about saving money this is also about buying from more independent designers, sourcing more eco friendly natural items and supporting smaller businesses, when I spend my money I want it to go to the right places and if that means giving up those larger cheaper chain stores then so be it!

Do you have your goals all set out for 2012?

Love & Sparkly Hugs

Cate

xoxo