March 2017Life Love and Hiccups: March 2017
Life Love and HiccupsLife Love and HiccupsLife Love and HiccupsLife Love and Hiccups

Monday 27 March 2017

A Bit Of Insight Into Why I'll Never Be a Renowned Beauty Blogger

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I am never going to be a renowned beauty blogger - partly because I really suck when it comes to figuring out makeup and what to do and not do etc and, mostly because... well I really suck at figuring out makeup and what to do and not do etc.

My makeup case is an abysmal site to behold.

I have maybe two lipsticks, a blush that is fifty three years old, a concealer, a mascara (that probably should have been chucked yonks ago), an eyebrow pencil, some eye lift in a tube thingy, a pile of brushes I have no idea what to do with and a broken up palette of eyeshadows.

Yup abysmal.

I do however have fancy new foundation that has been blended to perfection by a lovely friend of mine to suit my exact skin colour and condition and I also have a new bag of brushes that actually says on them what they are for.

I haven't always been this bad with makeup.

Oh who am I kidding... I once swore that mousse foundation was the best invention since Donkey Kong (I know right... BIG call) and every time I go to the beauticians for a facial (generally once a year when the hubby gives me a voucher from the boys for Mother's Day) I get busted for using St Ives Apricot exfoliating scrub... on my face.

What???

In my defence, it makes my skin feels super tingly and nice after I use it and I guess I just figured that the red rawness is kind of a budget alternative to the expensive derma blasting thingy that the RHOS pay the equivalent of a 3 bedroom holiday house for.

I told you... a beauty blogger I am not.

So anyway, my gorgeous friend Sandra, who just so happens to be the make up artist on The Bachelor, also happens to be holding a pop up Custom Blend Foundation event at my studio soon and so when she popped in to see me recently, she mixed up some gorgeous goop for my face.

Sorry Sandra - 'gorgeous goop' is probably not the correct terminology right? ;)


What Sandra actually does is mixes foundation formula that is perfectly matched to your individual skin tone with all kinds of specific elements added to make your skin look freaking amazing. 

She can make your blend a full coverage kind of deal, or a lighter coverage like I prefer, it can have a matte finish or a dewy glow and she can add SPF,  extra hydration and retexturizers that fill and plump out lines.

That's my favourite bit of it - the filling out my lines part!

The Custom Blend Foundation has been tested by dermatologists, is vegan and won’t clog your pores. It's also paraben, fragrance and talc free.

Yay!

You don't even need to remember what colour your foundation is because Sandra keeps your unique recipe card on file so that when you come to reordering over the phone or email - it's super easy.





As I mentioned, Sandra is holding a Custom Blend Foundation Pop Up at Little Lane Workshops on April the 28th. The cost for an individual appointment is $95 and takes approximately 30 minutes and includes a bottle of custom blend foundation and a mini makeover.

You can book your appointment here and come and say hello to us at the Studio.

I'll be the one wearing the fabulously blended foundation and probably nothing else because you know... I'm possibly the crappiest beauty blogger in Australia.

*** This is not a sponsored post, just a plug for a friend who rocks!



Thursday 16 March 2017

A Thursday Throw Back of the Most Mortifying Kind

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Clearly this is not me - I think I'm about to embarrass myself enough without photos!

I was driving home from doing a whole bunch of errands this morning, when out of the blue at a round-a-bout in the pouring rain - I had a flash back to being 13 and in high school and probably one of the most socially awkward crime scenes I have experienced... at my own hands.

I have no idea what prompted this memory, it literally just flew at me out of no where and there I was grimacing and knuckle clenching the steering wheel as I drove home via memory lane.

I'm going to share this memory with you because... well let's face it, all good embarrassing memories deserve to be shared right? Besides, I figure we all have dorky skeletons in our closets and so you may as well cringe with me and fully understand the level of dorkiness you are dealing with here.

Righty oh, as I mentioned, I was 12 or 13 and in high school, it was year seven from memory although I'm not positive about that but I am just assuming that it HAD to be year seven because surely I would have had more social pride by the time I got to year eight.

I was best friends with this girl who was on the brink of popularity. By that I mean that she had been 'noticed' by the cool crowd but hadn't yet been invited to join them.

She had a really unusual name, exotic I guess you could call it and she was a fabulous dancer... I thought so anyway but given I have always been about as graceful as sack of potatoes falling off the back of wagon I'm probably not the best one to judge grace... but anyway.

My friend had this most amazing long mane of dark blond hair that she would flick around in one of those true to eighties style dance moves and she and I would get around by day in our 'uniform' of sparkly spandex dance tights, an over sized white men's business shirt and a tie.

WHAT???

We were SO on trend back then *ahem*. Think about that 'Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun' movie and what they wore and you are picturing us ladies... at least that's what we were aiming for anyway.

Our 'Uniform' back then


I'm kinda rabbiting now aren't I?

I hear you - "Get to the point of the story Sonia... the really embarrassing bit you promised us".

Alright, alright... I'm getting there, I'm just setting the scene for you.

One night we were in her bedroom and making up dances in front of her mirrored wardrobe as was our usual sleepover ritual, when my friend announced that she was going to enter the talent quest at school.

"Yes! that's such a cool idea" I declared assuming that I would of course be a part of this dance extravaganza.

She eyeballed me with a look that clearly said... "you and I both know that you can't dance for shit Sonia, please don't do this". Trust me, she was right and of course I agreed with her about my dancing ability, I mean I had to because let's face it - I sucked, but I so badly wanted to be a part of this and I was sure that with some coaching she could get me up to speed.

Kudos to her, my friend tried to get me there... but alas, just like you can't make an onion taste like a strawberry, you can't make a Klutz like me into a dancer.

Ahhhhh, if only someone took me by the shoulders and slapped some reality into me back then.

So we signed up for the talent quest at school.

Oh gawd, you can see where this is going right?

Maybe there is a really GOOD reason I blocked this from my memory for all these years.

As the day of the talent quest drew closer I struggled with learning the moves of the dance. Heck I just struggled with the dancing full stop. My friend was all liquidy and stealth and could do those slinky hip movements with ease... me on the other hand was about as liquidy and stealth as the tin man pre lube job.

The night before the show we came to the conclusion that our current format was just not going to cut it, we both couldn't do the dancing part of the ummm 'dance' and so upon my insistence I was designated another very important role in the performance.

Yeah... wait for it!

Morning broke on the day of the talent quest and I excitedly (and in hindsight completely moronically) packed my uniform of shiny spandex and my dad's best white business shirt into my school bag.

We stood outside the hall where the talent quest was taking place and man we were amped. Our fringes were teased to perfection and we were sure that this was our moment, and after this everyone was going to want to hang out with us.

Well I was sure... admittedly my friend repeatedly asked me if I really wanted to go through with this.

Pfft... der yeah!

Our music cued and we jogged into the room, my friend moving perfectly in time with the music and wowing everyone with her grace and style... and me...?

Uhhhhh well let's just say I wowed everyone but not for the same reason as my friend.

Whilst she danced I performed my part of the act (KILL ME NOW) which entailed me lumbering around in the background attempting cartwheels and headstands and waving my arms at my friend like some coked up Price is Right model presenting a free washing machine.

I should probably tell you at this point that my cartwheels skills were NO better than my dancing skills and as for my head stands?

Well the few times that I managed to get my feet in the air I drew gasps from the crowd... but I'm pretty sure they were gasping at the sight of my ass in my sparkly spandex being shoved in their faces and nothing else.

It was social suicide.

WHAT THE FUCK was I thinking?

I don't actually know how I slept that night... or ever again.

After our disastrous debut, my best friend and her cool moves and mane of hair was embraced by the cool crowd. I of course was delegated to social pariah courtesy of my humiliating performance and I was forced to abandon my sparkly spandex for good... at least until the next talent quest rolled around and fresh new blood arrived to humiliate themselves and I was forgotten about.

I have NO idea why this memory chose today to surface some twenty *cough cough* years later. i have NO idea why I chose to put myself through all that either but the good news is - I can now laugh at it... all be it with a red face and toes curling in humiliation at the replaying footage in my head.

Thankfully my kids have shown no interest in taking part in talent quests as I don't know if I could cope with them laughing at me if I was forced to retell this story to them out of 'duty of care'.

Have you ever done anything like this to humiliate yourself?
Got any cringe worthy memories that you might care to share with us for our entertainment?



Monday 13 March 2017

So THAT'S What's Wrong With Me...

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For ages now I have been feeling like an old flogged donkey trekking the path and getting nowhere.

I've been a cranky and impatient moll (crankier and more impatient than usual).

My brain has been foggy,  I've lacked my usual enthusiasm, my anxiety has been off the charts and I've been so irrationally emotional... like ridiculously teary.

Then there's the tiredness... oh my lord the overwhelming tiredness that no amount of sleep or caffeine or Married at First Site marathon was capable of curing.

I assumed it was because I've sorta been pushing it hard on the work front for quite some time now, generally working 7 days a week and then staying up till all hours after work trying to you know 'wind down' (catch up on recorded trash tv).

Admittedly though, in the back of my mind - I was starting to get a little anxious about how I was feeling, but I figured it would all sort itself out and I'd begin to feel more human and less donkey's ass again... eventually.

When I had to visit the Drs last week for a script, the hubby who has been badgering me for some time about getting checked out, insisted that I raise my 'tiredness' with the Dr.

So I did.

Indeed, true to my word I rattled off all the other symptoms I'd been experiencing on top of the tiredness and crankiness, things like... my hair falling out and blocking the drains (like LOTS of it), the headaches that was making me moody as fudge, people commenting on how pale I looked and yada yada.

I knew he was sitting there waiting for me to say 'and in conclusion' and then offer up some kind of Google self diagnosis like I usually would, but when he realised I couldn't even be assed with doing that, he promptly sent me off for some blood tests.

Turns out I am iron deficient, really iron deficient.

Like so super dooper low LOW iron levels that even the most starving of vampires wouldn't bother sniffing me as a pre dinner snack.

Well I'll be damned right?!

Some high doses of iron and possibly an infusion or two and I should be good as gold and feeling back to my old self again. Of course I will get the other check ups done to make sure the deficiency isn't being caused by something worrying other than the fact that I don't eat red meat.... but WHY did I wait so long?

Seriously, why did I let myself feel like crap for so many months when a quick visit to the Doctor could have put a stop to the crappiness?

Well I know why.

Because I am a wuss - that's why.

Yup, a dead set WUSS.

I'll happily drag my family and friends off to the Doctors for peace of mind, but I totally stick my head in the sand when it comes to myself, but I am the first to admit that my theory of "what I don't know, won't hurt me" really is a lame cop out.

How are you with going to the Doctors?
Are you on top off it or do you put it off hoping things will get better by themselves like I do?
Have you been low in Iron?



Tuesday 7 March 2017

The Magic Of The Parking Lot

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I'm in planning mode around here at the moment you guys. I've spent a good part of today with my notebook, my computer and a king size cup of coffee.

Ok maybe two or three kins sized cups of coffee because I stayed up late last night watching trash TV... but that's a whole 'nother post in itself.

There's always a zillion thoughts and ideas I have bubbling around in my head at any given time and with all that action going on up there - my head is at risk of exploding or something if I don't get those ideas out by writing them down.

So this week I am planning on knuckling down and focusing on that little gold book of mine in that photo up there. That book is very very special because that book could potentially be - my very own mine full of gold in the form of ideas I have had and I plan on serving up each one of those ideas and smashing them out of the Parking Lot.

Well that's the plan anyway.

I was chatting about this Parking Lot strategy I have with a friend of mine this morning.

He was telling me about how he frequently feels overwhelmed with all the ideas he has every day, and how he just doesn't know where to begin with them and which one to begin with.

I can totally relate with that kind of idea overwhelm... I mean, can't we all?

I shared my Parking Lot strategy with him, which is something that I adopted for myself many years ago when I used to make my living out of business development in the corporate world, and it's a strategy that I still use today as my make my way in my own businesses.

I thought I would share the Parking Lot with you guys too, as it's something you can use for pretty much any area of your life, blogging, family, hobbies, health and fitness whatever... and of course for business.

It's called the Parking Lot for good reason - it's somewhere that you corral and park all those million and one brilliant ideas you may have on any given day, until such a time that you are ready to give them a good look over and the energy you need to bring them to life.

Think about how many awesome and potentially even lucrative ideas you have when you wake up in the morning, or the ones that may come to you as you go about your day or as you drift off to sleep at night.

Now think about how many of those ideas are lost because much like a squirrel who gets distracted by nuts, your thoughts and ideas get distracted by kids and life and random thoughts and *POOOOFFF* just like that... those ideas are gone, maybe they've floated off to someone else who has more time for them and you will never have the chance to realise their potential.

What if you have somewhere safe to park all those ideas until you have the time and energy and you're in the right head space to think about them more and give them a plan on how you will bring them to life?

You could be sitting on a gold mine of ideas right there people and you need yourself one of these...


So the way the Parking Lot works is this...

1. You get yourself a drop dead gorgeous notebook or diary. One that makes you go all mushy when you look at it. You want this book to be like SUPER special because this book is going to be the home of your dreams and it's going to go EVERYWHERE WITH YOU... it will even rest beside your bed whilst you sleep.

2. Every time you have an idea, whether it be whilst you are in the shower, waking from a dream or cooking dinner, you need to write that idea into your Parking Lot as soon as possible. Include as much detail as you can at the time but don't be afraid to go back and add to an idea at any stage.

3. Now here's where the magic happens... set yourself a goal of actioning maybe just one or possibly two ideas a week if you have the time.

For each of those ideas - you are going to need to write out a bullet point step by step strategy or plan on what you need to do to bring those one or two ideas to life.

Break your plan down into bite size pieces of what needs to be done and give yourself set timelines for each step and a deadline for when you will have it finished... then get to work.

NOTE: If an idea doesn't go anywhere, that's ok... it may be a lemon and every Parking Lot has a few lemons in them right?

Right!

It may not be a lemon though... it may just not have been the right time to bring that particular idea out of the lot, so simply put it back and leave it parked there for another time.

4. Once you have actioned an idea - celebrate your win by treating yourself to something, even if it is just a coffee with yourself and your notebook in your fave cafe and use that time to dive into your Parking Lot and decide on the next brilliant idea you are going to put into play.

Keep on diving into your Parking Lot for ideas whenever you need some inspiration and add more ideas to it as regularly as you can.

With a little love, focus and energy, that gorgeous book of yours that you are carrying everywhere with you - could just be the key to all the success and the most amazing life you could ever have imagined.

So what do you think -  is this something that might work for you? 
Are you going to give it a go?