Monday's = Opportunity

Monday's = opportunities!!!  I know lots of people get a little depressed when Monday rolls around, usually this is because it signals the end of their 'weekend',time spent with friends and family and just generally time to unwind from a hectic work week. People are always wishing for the weekend and as a result end up wishing their lives away - life is far to precious and short for that!

Just pause and consider for a moment that if you start thinking about Monday as bringing an opportunity, all of a sudden, the week starts to look better and you can actually start looking forward to the 'new' week!  The week (and future) is essentially unwritten and the opportunity is that you can decide to make it a great by changing your attitude and the way you approach it!

Mental attitude can either make everyday a positive experience or a negative experience.  Whilst you might have plans and work commitments each day, anything can happen!  You  might have opportunities to meet new people, it might be that you have the opportunity to help someone else and make their day a little brighter, or it could be that you have an opportunity to help your colleagues  or even just do your job well!!

I saw a quote the other day which really sums up what seems to becoming the 'norm' for everyone at the moment:

'Talking about our problems is our greatest addiction, Break the habit, talk about your joys'!

By talking about our problems all the time, all we are doing is going over and over and over our problems not only externally but also in our heads.  This robs us of finding or looking for anything positive, generally makes us slightly depressed and lowers our resilience and ability to cope when things don't turn out how we expect.  We end up walking around viewing everything through a negative lense and essentially waiting for something to go wrong.

'Over-thinking ruins you.  Ruins the situation, twists things around, makes you worry and just makes everything much worse than it actually is'  Sometimes the worst place you can be is in your head!

So with all of that being said, we need to start changing our 'self' internal talk and external talk to change the way we think and act!  Don't be that person that everyone starts avoiding because every interaction with them leaves you feeling depressed. Don't be the person that only listens to others in order to respond in a negative way - in the end the only person you end up hurting is yourself!

We don't need to walk around sprouting hearts and flowers to all and sundry in order to live life positively, and yes negatives will still be there, but, just because we don't constantly talk about negatives it doesn't mean we are being unrealistic or have our heads in the clouds, it just means that we are choosing to live our lives focussing on the positives and choosing 'happy'.

So, instead of dreading your life and experiences, start embracing it! Work on positive self talk, talk about what could go right and what is great about life!  You only get one shot at life, make it the best one you can!!!

Have a positive week everyone!

Styling - Active Wear Can Be Stylish!

More and more people are loving the freedom and comfort of wearing their active wear to run errands and achieve all they have to get done on a daily basis.  Thank goodness active wear suppliers are coming to the party and designing stylish outfits that can be converted to appropriate wear for running errands and daily wear.  So today I am going to talk about how I put together stylish and appropriate active wear outfits that can take me from getting my daily exercise done to paying those pesky bills, shopping and coffee dates!

Some of my 'don'ts when buying or wearing active wear to start with!

Firstly, black tights/thin leggings are not active wear.  These are designed to wear under skirts,dresses, long tops etc!  I often see this mistake and believe me it is not attractive!  Do yourself a favour and go out and invest in a good pair of active wear leggings, please make sure they fit you and aren't too tight.  When they are too tight they become see through and actually give you a muffin top regardless of whether you are carrying extra weight around the middle or not.  Places like Big W, K Mart and Target all carry active wear leggings of reasonable quality at minimal cost. If you can it is great to be able to invest in a full length pair and a 3/4 length pair as this gives you more options and covers when the weather is slightly warmer as well.

If you are looking for good quality and can afford them I have found the Running Bare brand as well as the Lorna Jane range ( +Lorna Jane ) to be a great fit, good quality, wash well and most importantly the waist bands are of high quality and produce minimal 'rolling'.  My tip here is to get on to the Lorna Jane website or facebook page ( www.lornajane.com.au)  as they always have a 'sale' page where you can get good discounted prices additionally they are very active with 'specials' where they often promote items at heavily discounted costs.  Sign up for their email and you will be alerted to these 'specials' as they come out.

Tip number 1: If you are starting to pull together your mix and match active wear wardrobe invest in plain black sports leggins or with minimal colour trim.  Whilst there are some wonderful prints and coloured tights this restricts what you are able to mix and match with to give you different put together looks.  Black or dark colours also have the added benefit of giving you a slimmer look which I am definitely all about while I try and remove the extra 10 kgs i'm currently carrying!

Tip number 2:  Invest in a good sports bra or sporting bralette.  Again for the budget conscious there are good options and various designs, styles and colours available from Big W, K Mart and Target however if you can afford it Adidas, Nike, Lorna Jane all do great options with their range offering from minimal to maximum support.  These themselves can be great statement pieces when worn under your workout singlet or tee, with these companies upping the ante and offering a variety of colours, interesting back strap details, front strap details etc.  Again I favour the Lorna Jane Brand and purchase from their 'sale'page online, I have found them to be a great fit, comfortable and wash well.

Tip number 3: Training singlets/sports tops.  I have purchased quite a few through Big W in a variety of colours, what I like is that they are a longer length and the fit is good (not too tight).  When exercising the last thing I want to be concerned about is continually pulling my top down as it creeps up my belly or being really self conscious of the fit being too tight where I am carrying my extra kilo's.  I do have some training singlets from other brands like Nike, Adidas and Lorna Jane which are all really good and wash up wonderfully however for quality and fit I find the Big W options are just as good and much cheaper unless you find them on sale.

Tip number 4:  If purchasing training shoes look around, you can almost always find them available on sale.  Obviously depending on what level you are training at or what type of training you are doing you need to find a good supportive shoe first and foremost, that will work for you whether you are a runner, cross trainer or participating in pilates or yoga. However if you are then faced with colour choices try and pick something that will blend well with what you are wearing or your mix and match choices.  I do have a number of pairs of trainers however by far my favourite and most versatile ones are my Nike Black with white Swoosh in terms of achieving a put together look from head to toe.

Tip number 5: Make sure you have some good quality sports socks, crop socks that basically just cover your feed but have good thick absorbent undersoles are my go to for training and looks.  I am currently favouring the 'Bonds' sports socks as they have a range of colours, fit well, are comfortable and most importantly wash really well.

Tip number 6:  Do yourself a favour and invest in a loose fitting long sleeve t-shirt that has good length.  These are great whilst you are warming up and cooling down or where the weather is a bit warm for a jumper or jacket.  They are also great for layering and adding to your style.

Tip number 7: If you can, finding yourself good longer length sports jumpers in a variety of materials gives you great options depending on the weather, if not I recommend investing in a 'quick dry' material jumper which whilst quite thin can be layered for extra warmth, has the added benefit of quickly drying when you sweat and can look quite stylish when they fit well.  Again there are good options from very affordable from Big W (Michelle Bridges Line) to Adidas, Nike and Lorna Jane.  Again I recommend going for plain block colours keeping in mind what other colours you have in singlets, t-shirts and either going for the same or a contrast colour.  I have a number of these which are all solid block colours (Black, Bright Blue, Coral, Purple) which can change my look daily.

Tip number 8: Zip through sporting jackets are a great option instead of or in addition to your jumpers and long sleeve t-shirts.  I really favour layering for warmth, again there are multiple options available with a multitude of colours and patterns.  Once again I have gone with plain colours but have found zipped jackets with slightly interesting details.  I currently have 2 Lorna Jane zip jackets which I got half price from their sale page - one purple with really interesting shoulder detail and a bright coral one with a hood.  Another recent purchase I made and probably my favourite of everything is a Nike White hoodie jacket with black trim down the arms and a black swoosh.  What I love about this jacket is its a relaxed fit with a longer back hem which goes down over my bottom, this is great when I am out and about running errands and gives me great confidence.

Tip number 9:  Do yourself a favour and invest in a sleeveless zip through jacket for those cold mornings (and afternoons).  Again there are multiple options available (and prices) but look around and find something that is functional but also has some interesting detail.  Again I have a number of these and I have made sure I purchased block colours instead of patterns for versatility.  My favourite again is by Lorna Jane (and yes it is starting to sound like I am sponsored by her but I can assure you I am not).  The reason it is my favourite is that it is black, shorter length which is great for layering, has a hood (fur trimmed) a great waist band detail and best of all it fits great and is super warm.

My favourite look and I believe most flattering and stylish at the moment is black and white as per the below picture.  I am able to layer everything and as the weather warms up still look stylish and put together when I start delayering.  The beauty of this look is that it is really easy to change it up with pops of colour by having a different jumper, singlet or jacket.  Have fun with active wear, but the absolute best favour you can do yourself is to ensure your active wear fits you correctly and isn't too tight.  Always keep a clear lip gloss in your pocket and a comb and hair tie to tidy up once you have completed your workout.  (I always make sure I have a small deodorant on hand to freshen up after a workout if I haven't got time to shower before running my errands).  Embracing active wear can be fun and it also removes the excuses of not being able to fit in a short workout - most people can fit in 10 to 15 minutes some time in their busy day!  Remember the more you exercise the more your endorphins are raised which helps you to feel good and helps you to conquer the world!

Black and white layered look

Back view of longer length jacket

With my dog Blaze at Victor Harbor

Enjoying Victor Harbor on a chilly day!

Inner beauty -why we need to focus on this rather than external beauty!

In a world obsessed with external beauty, material possessions, living a fast paced life and wanting everything now, in my opinion, the majority of people have forgotten what truly makes a person beautiful and as a consequence have neglected working on it!

I'm of course talking about 'inner beauty'.  Just take a moment and think about if you spent as much time working on your inner beauty as you do on your external beauty what your world would look like.  Inner beauty comes from kindness, positive thoughts and actions, non-judgement, self love and appreciation.

I have witnessed examples of good people forgetting to take care of their inner beauty over the past weeks and months when demonstrating their passion for either world events, tragedies and even through current political instability.  Everyone needs to take note of the above wonderful quote and truly try to live it! - 'It's ok to have your own beliefs but don't force your beliefs on others'.  We are all individuals made up of DNA, cultural experiences, life experiences and events, these all contribute to our own belief system. What we believe of a situation is made up of our previous experiences as outcomes from similar situations, other individuals may have  a different believe because they have had a different outcome previously from a similar situation.  As a result both individuals may believe they are 100% correct on what an outcome will be which can lead to out of standard character behaviours and mistreating each other if they let it.

I absolutely love that people have passion for current events however it saddens me when I see on
social media sites etc some of these passionate people putting requirements or judgements on their friendships with others if they disagree with their individual point of view, even to the point of deleting their friendship.  I have also witnessed what I can only describe as bullying of some people who have dared to voice their own opinions and thoughts, sadly those doing the bullying I think truly believe they have a right to as they believe in their opinion they are right and the other person is uneducated.  People, bullying is bullying, just because you believe something is true does not give you the right to put a person down, make fun of them, threaten them or belittle them. I also think that sometimes we, particularly as Australians, use 'it's the Aussie way, deal with it' as an excuse to justify hurtful or bullying comments.  If a comment either degrades, hurts or belittles another human being then I for one do not accept it as being acceptable as 'the Aussie way'.

Here is what I hope:
I hope people start working on their 'inner beauty' and spending just as much time if not more as they do on their 'outer beauty'
I hope people start realising that what they believe may not be what another individual believe's but that is 'OK' after all we are all individuals with our own experiences, hopes and dreams.
I hope that everyone starts seeing that often there is more than 1 way of doing things or 1 way of thinking about things.
I hope people start being kinder to one another and stop putting conditions on friendships.
I hope people start loving themselves and finding peace within themselves.
I hope people start thinking before they either speak or write comments and ask themselves the following questions:

And I really hope that everyone's inner beauty starts to shine through for the world to see because really that is what is truly beautiful!

Have a wonderful day and don't forget to spend some time working on your inner beauty! ❤️❤️❤️

Mary-Lou

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass - it's about learning to dance in the rain!

In a world full of 'storms' which can come in all shapes and forms, it is increasingly important to work on staying resilient and looking for positives.  I recently saw a great post on Facebook which on the surface was designed to be funny, however the more I looked at it sadly I could see this could easily be reality for some people. The quote is as follows:

'I thought I was in a bad mood, but it's been a few years so I guess that's who I am now'

You only have to look back over the past week or two and the world has witnessed mass shootings, assassinations, tragedys from the power of nature as well as political unrest. All of this is enough to put anyone in a bad mood and slightly depressed, let alone what every individual deals with and faces on a daily basis of just living. Our life has become extremely fast paced and seemingly more demanding.  So how do we reclaim our resilience, find enjoyment daily and treat life as the precious gift that it is?

I have come up with a few tips and things to think about in order to 'learn to dance in the rain'. I have some favourite quotes that I remind myself of every day and try to follow and actively live them in my quest of 'finding the beauty in every day'.

• Don't get upset with people or situations, both are powerless without your reaction
• When you can't control what's happening, challenge yourself in how you respond to what is happening, that is where your power lies.
• It wasn't a waste of time if you learned something
• When someone does something wrong, don't forget the things they did right
• Don't trust everything you see, even salt looks like sugar
• Don't judge, you don't know what storms someone has just passed through
• People who feel the need to control others, don't have control of themselves
• You are responsible for your happiness, if you expect others to make you happy you will always be disappointed
• A good laugh and a long sleep are two of the best cures for anything
• Don't judge others, you're not perfect
• The best apology is changed behaviour
• Believe what you like, just don't force your beliefs on others
• Never feel bad for putting yourself first and doing what is right for you

Sometimes I need to go off on my own, I'm not sad, I'm not angry, I am recharging my batteries. I love recharging listening to music, as the quote goes 'music is life that's why our hearts have beats'! I do actively try and stay away from negative people, it is quite well known that you can't argue with a negative person as they only hear what suits them and listen only to respond. Negative people also always have a problem for every solution, dealing with this is exhausting and robs you of your resilience very quickly.

Living a positive life doesn't just happen, you have to work at it but as the saying goes and I wholeheartedly agree, beautiful things happen when you distance yourself from negativity, I also like to think, when living a positive life, we are role modelling for our youth an alternative way of  living that they want to embrace.

Start trying to live a positive life today, keep working at it and eventually you might start finding the beauty in every day! And who knows you might just start learning how to dance in the rain 😃💃😘

Mary-Lou x

Thursday Thoughts!

'You'll never be who you want to be if you keep blaming everyone for who you are now!'

I find this to be so true! This statement goes hand in hand with living in the space of negativity, when we start living positively, looking for good rather than focussing on negatives, you are able to start taking responsibility for yourself and your own happiness.

Life is a series of choices, we choose to participate or not participate in situations every day. There a definitely times when situations occur outside of our control in which we find ourselves as a unwilling participant however we can still choose whether we continue to participate by way of actions or thoughts of the situation. There is a great saying;

"I forgive people"

It does not mean I accept their behaviours or trust them again,

It means I forgive them for me, so I can let go

And move on with my life

"For me"

Bad things and situations happen to people every day, yet if you look at those who triumph and live a life we admire, these people, in most people's opinion, have the right to be bitter about their situation due to what has happened.  When I have listened to some of their stories and how they have triumphed living life positively, every single one of them started their journey of healing by taking control and responsibility for their own actions and reactions followed closely by them forgiving either the situation or person involved. Not one of these people that I have had the pleasure of hearing their story, blames anyone and in fact they all have found something to be thankful for out of their own experience or resulting situation. These people are my heroes and make me want to better myself.

'Healing is no accident, you have to do it on purpose'.  To all those people going through shit but trying their hardest to be positive, I am proud of you!

As my previous post about starting your week positively said - choose to be positive today, take control and be who you want to be!

Starting your week with positive vibes!

If nothing is going right - go left!

I love this saying! If you start your week off and nothing seems to be going right, stop, take a breath and turn your frustrated feelings around. Instead of focusing on what has gone wrong, look for the small things that have gone right, or focus on what the experience has taught you.  Living a positive life means you have to actively work at it, it takes practise and constant reminders to yourself, but I can guarantee it is worth it!  Your life starts to feel less stressed, more people want to engage with you because in my experience the majority of people enjoy being around positive people almost hoping that some of their positivity will rub off.

Think about your own experiences, if you come across a negative person how do you feel after interacting with them?  Most people would answer that they feel slightly depressed, drained and less optimistic in whatever they are doing.  The way to counteract this is to continue looking for the positives in each day, don't let negativity rob you of finding ways to enjoy every day!

Living your life positively doesn't mean you have to go around sprouting rainbows and unicorns! Positive people also experience negative thoughts, actions and experiences however they make the choice not to pass it on or share it around.  We live in a world where it seems society has gotten into the habit of looking for and focussing on negatives, I get sad to see increasingly larger numbers of our children and youth also focusing on negatives, we need to try and counteract this, giving kids the ability to look at life positively helps them to remain resilient in this very complex world that we live in.

Make to choice today to start living you life in a more positive way!

Tuesday inspiration

'Don't let small minds convince you your dreams are too big!'

Have courage and follow your dreams!  Often those that try to convince you otherwise are really saying I don't have the courage to follow my own dreams!  Life is a journey, live it the way you want, those that truly love you will lift you up not tear you down in your pursuit of your dreams!

Follow your dreams today!

Styling Styling Styling! - More looks from my wardrobe!

Following up from previous 'styling' blog I thought I would pull a few pieces from my wardrobe and share how I wear them to achieve different looks depending on my mood. Hope you enjoy what I show you and that it inspires you to have a look at your wardrobe and how you can combine pieces for different looks.  Remember fashion is fun!!! When you put together a look, as I said in my last blog, own it and wear it with confidence and a big smile, it will certainly add to your outfit!

In this blog my staple piece is a black t-shirt dress, longer length with an interesting hemline detail. This dress is designed to show your shape but not as a super tight fit. (Designed to embrace your curvy figure by outlining your shape) It is a 'summer' season piece but I'm going to show you how I use it for all seasons.

First look is for summer and what it was marketed for.  Simply the dress, a nice long necklace to add some interesting detail, using a long necklace helps to keep the elongated shape, a pair of flip flops and a floppy straw hat will see you right for the summer picnic at the beach or in a nice park.  Change the flip flops for a nice pair of sandals add a belt designed to sit on your hips and you are ready for lunch at a cafe or vineyard.  Throw on a pair of high heels, take off the hat, fluff out your hair add some more makeup and you are ready for any night time party.

2nd look is for Autumn (Fall).  Black dress, add a light weight scarf  and jacket, depending on the weather you can wear either a sandal or a short boot. If you like wearing hats you can go with either the straw hat or change it up with a felt hat (I wear boots with the outfit if wearing the felt hat).  You can change the scarf and jacket to a light weight jumper instead which you can tie around your waist if it is a bit warmer throughout the day or even a nice shirt tied at the waist  can give another look.  Once again you can put on a high heel, add a nice cropped jacket and long line necklace and you are ready for an evening on the town.

3rd look is for Winter. Black dress, add a chunky scarf, heavy cropped jacket ( I put my cropped tan leather jacket) a pair of cropped boots, depending on how cold it is a pair of woollen tights and a felt hat and you are ready for most functions or even just a bit of  shopping.  You can change this depending on the venue you are heading to by changing the jacket to a long line cardigan with either a scarf or necklace and a higher boot or shoe.  Adding a loose belt designed to sit on your hips adds another dimension. Evening you can go with the necklace jacket/coat or cardigan (until you warm up in the venue) high heels, loose the hat, add some make up and you are ready to party!

4th look is for Spring. Black dress, go with the Autumn look, but I would tend to wear a nice shirt cinched at the waist and definitely the straw hat and sandals.  The great thing about this dress being black is that you can accessorise in any colour, by changing colours of shirts, coats, shoes bags etc you can change you look many times and go with whatever mood you are in on any given day!

Styling - Age is just a number,fashion is always so much fun!

I often hear my friends saying I wish I knew what to wear and how to wear it! Whilst there are definitely some fashions that are solely marketed for the young I certainly don't agree that certain overall looks should only be worn by youth.  Age is just a number, just because we are ageing doesn't mean we have to all of a sudden not follow fashion trends.  I will say, as a woman who is classed as 'mature' in age terms,over time with changes to our bodies (all as nature intended, particularly after the miracle of having a couple of children), we do sometimes need to adjust to gain a certain look by avoiding some of the super tight and cropped items available.  I will however point out, I have some friends who put a huge amount of time and effort into excercise and diet in order to shape thier bodies with results that rival girls 20 to 30 years younger than themselves.  To these friends I absolutely applaud you, this is what you love to do and with all of that hard work you have earnt the right and can absolutely wear anything you please!  Another often heard comment is by people lamenting that they don't have the budget to 'be fashionable'.  Just because you don't have a big budget doesn't mean you can't look well put together and on fashion point!  I often get friends and acquaintances saying to me 'you always look so nice' or 'you have a great wardrobe' or 'I wish I could put together outfits like you do'.  Anyone can do what I do, regardless of your budget, so I thought I would share some of my favourite tricks, hacks and pointers for getting the look you want!

First and foremost the digital age certainly makes staying on point fashion wise very easy. When you see some of those pesky fashion adverts pop up on your screen go in and have a look every now and then.  Check out some of the celebrity fashion sites and articles particularly like the recently held music festival 'Coachella'.  All of these will ensure you keep up to date with the latest trends, taking particular note of  colours, patterns and accessories.

I have some of my family currently travelling around Europe and the word from my sisters after visiting one of the fashion capitals in the world is denim on denim!  Apparently all of the fashionable Parisians are currently rocking this look, time to go through my wardrobe and find my denim items!

When looking at fashion sites etc what I generally take  note of is the overall look they are going for, what sort of colours are currently being favoured and the length of current fashions from tops to skirt lengths to jeans and trouser lengths.  For instance, if layering (which appears to be still on point) are they going with all one length, a variety of lengths and how does it frame the body? I am really loving the boho look at the moment, I love accessories and particularly love the hats currently finishing off the put together look.  One of my things I am passionate about is ensuring you accessorise fully, if you are going to add a hat, handbag boots etc make sure they match your overall look.

One of my other tips is to invest in one or two good pieces each season that you can use in a variety of ways to make different looks.  I have recently purchased a cropped tan leather jacket.  Whilst you could spend huge amounts on a good leather jacket, I found the jacket I love at 'Just Jeans' and they happened to have it on special for $140.00.  This Autumn/Winter I will wear this in a variety of ways and often, I love that tan is a fashionable colour at the moment as it works well with my skin tone.  I also have a number of accessories in tan colours, as well as complimentary colours including a variety of materials like leather, rose gold,etc as well as a favourite pair of boots from last season which will work well with my newly purchased jacket. - Don't be afraid to mix up textures in your outfits, they can make your outfit interesting!

I love that white jeans are fashionable not only for summer but all seasons at the moment, this gives me lots more options when putting together outfits.   Many people are surprised to find out that the majority of my wardrobe comes from Big W, Target, Cotton On, Rockmans etc.  I love the Lee Cooper options at Big W as these items are always current in fashion terms but really affordable.

Another thing I do is to look for interesting details on items, for example asymmetric hemlines, cut
outs in the back of tops, cut out shoulder details, zips, interesting draping detail and drop back
hemlines for tops/jumpers etc. I do have a couple of favourite shops, Yoshiki and The Birch House where I purchase a number of my items. The owner Tanya has amazing taste and always stocks a wonderful variety of accessories at really affordable prices. A common problem I find when helping others with styling is that when looking in the mirror all they see is their perceived flaws and zero in on what they believe is their body flaw.  Guess what, no one is perfect, no one zeros in on these areas when looking at you, instead everyone looks at the overall look and as women we need to learn to do this as well when looking at ourselves.  There are definitely hints, tips and tricks to minimise what we all class as problem areas, but again this should not stop you from enjoying some of the current fashion trends!  Over the next few blogs I'm going to share a few styling examples from my wardrobe so you can see that by looking at your wardrobe in a different way can help you achieve different looks.  Remember your biggest and best fashion accessory is confidence and a smile, when you put together a look, own it! Always have fun and look at the overall look not what we are all conditioned to do - focussing on our perceived flaws.

1st look - dress with tan accessories

1st look is using a dress purchased at Big W - Lee Cooper Brand, that has the current Boho feel.  The length hits mid thigh, it has a fitted top, 3 quarter small bell sleeves, interesting back detail and best of all it falls from under the bust with a gentle 'A' line shape which is flattering to most body shapes.  I wear this dress in a variety of ways.  Firstly you can wear it as intended, adding a current on trend floppy hat - straw for summer then switching up to felt for winter adds a bit of fun. I like to accessorise with tan and leather accessories - I absolutely love my leather 'lace up' sandals and usually will wear them with this outfit, add a leather handbag, throw a long necklace on with it  (credit to Yoshiki for this one and also for my shoes) voila my first outfit.  I always make sure I wear
a good supportive bra with this outfit as it accentuates my décolletage and I want to ensure I achieve a great shape.  Added note: I do love the current bras with interesting front straps which are designed to be seen, I looked around and couldn't find the shape I wanted or for the price I was prepared to pay - solution, make my own, very easy to do and the bonus is you can buy a fairly cheap bra (with a multitude of colours) and not only have one but as many as you like.  More on this in a future blog!

2nd look -  dress turned into a top with white jeans and tan accessories

2nd look - still using my Lee Cooper dress.  As I said earlier, I love that white jeans are suitable for
all seasons. My favourite style of jeans for my body type is the 'boyfriend' 3 quarter look with ripped and distressed look whether in blue denim or as I also have in white.  These style jeans should be worn a little bit loose, I purchased my white jeans from 'Rockmans' on sale,  the fit is great, they have a slight stretch in them and the waist is suitable for my slightly increased waist girth!  I turn my dress into a top by adding a small knot to the hemline of the dress which actually creates the illusion of a longer leg length., adding my tan boots, felt hat and long necklace gives me another look that is great for those beautiful sunny autumn days!  Throwing my cropped tan leather jacket on when it gets slightly chilly alters the look to include the current on trend layered look.


Whilst in my second look I have gone for the white jeans I can change this up with my blue denim jeans or a pair of my black slim fit jeans - when wearing the black jeans I change my boots to my
short black ones, hat to black with tan detail, but retain the tan leather bag and add a rose gold long
necklace or leather necklace. (3rd look) You could also add a nice contrast scarf to change it up further.

3rd look - Dress turned into top and switched to black jeans and accessories

All in all when I wear these outfits I feel fashionable, youthful and fresh.  I have had numerous people tell me how nice I look which all adds to my confidence which in turn adds to my outfit!  I hope you have enjoyed my first blog about how I style my clothes, if you have please sign up for email updates as I will be writing more blogs with further examples from my wardrobe on how you can style yourself by looking at clothing in different ways!

Living in the moment - The spontaneous activity or outing!

"Some of the best and most memorable moments in life are those that aren't planned"

Having spent the previous couple of days at home, preparing and holding our garage sale, we as a family decided it was time to get out of the house for a few hours on Sunday afternoon.  Deciding we wanted to do something where we could take our dog Blaze, suggestions of locations we could visit were thrown in the ring.

Hahndorf was the winner! So within the space of an hour from deciding to do something we were on our way.

For anyone that has never visited the beautiful town of Hahndorf it is well worth the trip.  I will however say that if you have the opportunity to visit during the week rather than on a Saturday or Sunday, you will find the town easier to navigate and less 'busy'.  Weekend day trips to Hahndorf are extremely popular for not only Adelaide residents and intrastate visitors but also for overseas and interstate visitors to our great state of South Australia.

A little bit about the town's history: (credit to www.hahndorfsa.org.au- for this information)

The historic town of Hahndorf lies within a gentle and undulating expanse of the Adelaide hills.

Hahndorf was zoned as a state heritage area in 1988 by the Government of South Australia and acknowledged as Australia's oldest surviving German settlement.  The German history can be traced back to 1838 when George Fife Angas, a Director of a South Australian Company, made a trip to London to promote colonization.  During his trip he met Pastor Kavel, who was trying to help German Lutherans, being persecuted by the King of Prussia, to immigrate to safer places.  Angus was moved by the plight of the Lutherans and persuaded Kavel that South Australia was a suitable place for emigration and also provided generous financial assistance of $8000 pounds.

On the 28th December 1838 the 344 ton ship "Zebra" carrying 187 German Lutheran immigrants (38 families) arrived in Port Adelaide. The ships captain, Dirk Hahn, having formed a bond with the passengers on his ship, helped them to negotiate a parcel of land (100 acres) in the Adelaide Hills to achieve their goal of settling and farming together.  The new settlement was named Hahndorf ( Hahn's Village) in honour of Captain Hahn who had assisted the refugees to achieve their goals.  Further information about how the town was settled, planned and thier journey to today can be found at the above link, a interesting read and well worth a look.

As they state on thier website : ' While many visitors come to Hahndorf to get a glimpse of the past, Hahndorf is increasingly acknowledged for the modern and the chic and generally a trendy place to wine and dine or to hang out with friends.  Hahndorf has become a unique town where you can walk the past and taste the future.' - I totally agree and it appears so do many others by the huge numbers of people taking advantage of some beautiful Autumn weather that we are currently experiencing!

Hahndorf has a lovely village feel to it, with one long Main Street that is filled to overflowing with great places to eat, souvenir shops, gift shops, leather goods, craft shops and galleries. Hahndorf has two pubs that serve traditional German fare as well as a large number of eateries offering from Indian, Thai, Ethiopian to what I would class as standard menus, (however some with a twist).
My favourite place to eat in Hahndorf is 'The Haus' whether for a beautiful breakfast, yummy lunch, afternoon snack or full on evening meal.  The menu is wonderful with great variety on offer, a kids option, wonderful staff and beautiful food.

I particularly love browsing through the multitude of shops that sell beautiful fashions, one of note is a boutique specialising particularly in wool (knitted jumpers, coats etc in merino and angora). Another favourite activity of mine is browsing the beautiful hand made candle shops, my favourite  store being 3 Wishes Candles.  A word of warning for those with sensitive noses, the fragrances can be slightly overwhelming when entering these stores but the products on offer are of a extremely high quality, made on site and you very rarely see anyone leave the store without some kind of purchase.

If driving yourself to Hahndorf, please note that parking can be hard to find at extremely busy times! However keep looking, and I'm sure you will find a parking spot somewhere along the Main Street or one of the side streets.  Come prepared with some comfy shoes, a leisurely stroll from one end to the other of the Historic Main Street will take around 15 to 20 minutes, that is of course if you aren't tempted to stop in any of the wonderful stores, cafes, bakeries, pubs etc along the way!  There are a couple of lovely parks where you can sit on a  beautiful day for a bit of time out from the hustle and bustle of the visitors all meandering through the towns Main Street.

We arrived at Hahndorf early afternoon and were fortunate enough to find a car park relatively easily at the Mount Barker end of the Main Street (very lucky as this does not always happen).  So, car parked, husband, daughter, son and myself plus our 1 year old puppy Blaze (miniature schnoodle)
secured on his leash we set off, with no firm plan of what we would do in mind.

After walking probably around half the length of the Main Street we spotted a really inviting looking park across the road where we thought it would be nice to have a time out from the crowds, particularly for our puppy.  Navigating crossing the road can be difficult with a constant stream of cars however we were able to do this successfully (thank goodness) however I resolved that next time we were to cross we would do so at the pedestrian crossing lights a bit further up the road.

After a walk through the park, chats to some of the visitors, particularly those with dogs as well, we decided to find somewhere that we could find a light snack, and a long black coffee for me!  Just about every eating place in Hahndorf offers outside seating which was great for us having brought our dog along, however it was extremely busy.  We decided to take a long shot and try our favourite eatery 'The Haus' and were lucky enough that a visiting family were just finishing up when we arrived so we were able to get the table they had been enjoying outside. (I really think we had luck on our side on Sunday!).

We decided to share one of the 'rustic' pizzas on offer and some of the famous 'Haus' beer batter chips with Aioli for our snack, a long black coffee for both my husband and I, a 'fresh' apple juice for my son and my daughter chose a 'strawberry' cider ( yes she is over 18).  I had a taste of the cider and was pleasantly surprised, I had expected it to be extremely sweet and sickly, this was not the case.  I have to say to me it tasted more like a strawberry flavoured beer, however very enjoyable.

After a leisurely feed my children voted for icecream to finish off from one of the many gourmet icecream stores on offer. With full stomachs we opted for a leisurely stroll further up Main Street where we came across a 'Copenhagen' Store. Dilemmas ensued in trying to choose which delicious flavour to order! After much umming and ahhing we all made our choices then decided to utilise the pedestrian lights which were located right next to where we were and then meander back to where we had parked the car.
Turning across the traffic on Main St in order to head home was  bit challenging however the kindness of other motorists assisted with helping get us on our way.  Whilst our spontaneous activity may have only lasted about 3 and a half hours, we all enjoyed it thoroughly and returned home feeling happy and refreshed.  If you havent enjoyed visiting Hahndorf or it has been a while since your last visit, I thoroughly recommend you make the effort and either acquaint or reacquaint yourself with this truly special location!

Remember spontaneous activites can be a lot of fun, embrace them and go for it!

Anzac Day - significance of wearing a poppy in rememberance

I saw this post on facebook the other day and really wanted to share, this post explains how and why we wear a poppy in rememberance for Anzac Day. Whoever originally shared this, thank you so much for ensuring we understand the significance of wearing the poppy.
Post as below:

'A lovely military man selling poppies stopped me today and asked if he could reposition mine - while doing so he told me that women should wear their poppy on their right side; the red represents the blood of all those who gave their lives, the black represents the mourning of those who didn't have their loved ones return home, and the green leaf represents the grass and crops growing and future prosperity after the war destroyed so much. The leaf should be positioned at 11 o'clock to represent the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the time that World War One formally ended. He was worried that younger generations wouldn't understand this and his generation wouldn't be around for much longer to teach them. We must remember those from our current wars too!  #lestweforget'

Photo credit for the above image goes to Jacqualyn Kempe (sister) who is currently travelling around Europe with two of my other sisters and shared her photo and the following post:

'As ANZAC day is approaching, we are very fortunate to enjoy the freedom of travel and to be able to walk in France where the poppies grow wild. We have really been moved by this experience and remember the ANZACS Thank you to all our soldiers for your sacrifices'

'Lest we forget'

This morning I attended our local ANZAC day service. Our service was held on the banks of the Murray River, underneath the gumtrees - a very Australian location and quite moving.  I was extremely heartened to see hundreds of people honouring our ANZACs and in particular large numbers of young people in attendance.  During the service a poem was read which I hadn't heard before.  I was really moved by the poem and wanted to share it here with you all:

                                                        "New Generation Veterans"
                                             

We honour our old veterans, we honour them with pride,
And read of all the horrors they have carried deep inside,
We know they served in Asia or New Guinea’s highland rains,
Vietnam or in Africa where many men were slain.

We know that fateful landing on Gallipoli’s dark shore,
Wherever Aussies fought, we know there are so many more,
But now a new young generation needs our help as well,
They too have been to war and suffer with their private hell.

Though losses are not classed as great, their fears are just the same,
Those electronic hidden bombs, still injure, kill or maim,
They fight against an enemy they find so hard to see,
Who mingle in the market place, then cause much tragedy.

Insurgents in Afghanistan hide in the rough terrain,
Or roaming in Iraq, where, wearing robes they look the same,
The suicide stealth bombers, don’t care who they hurt or kill,
Then, with their own beliefs, they try to break our forces will.

Our fighting Aussie spirit shows on any foreign land,
They’re in the skies, they’re on the sea, or on the desert sand,
Now many are returning with the horrors they still see,
And living with their nightmares, suffering bureaucracy.

I know on ANZAC Day, we all remember with a tear,
But ALL vets, young or old, they need our help throughout the year,
Support and listen to their stories, when they do get told,
Let’s honour our NEW veterans, just like we do our old.

David J Delaney

10 February 2010 ©

We will remember them - Lest we forget

Uncluttering my life - The Great Aussie Garage Sale experience!

For years we have been  saying we must have a garage sale and get rid of some of our old things.  The exciting thing is we finally took the step and had our first garage sale today!

When we started pulling out things to put in the sale I sadly realised that we probably could have starred on one of those reality shows about hoarders! Our 4 bay garage was 3 quarters full of items, whilst much loved at various times, all of this stuff was cluttering up the way we live.  The worst part of all, my husbands vision of his man cave had been taken over in the last 25 years by stuff that was no longer serving us.  Time to put this right!!

We went about pulling out items, pricing them and placing them in our very large pergola area which has a carport attached to it, making sure we had a good variety of items that might suit all of our potential customers tastes.  We quickly realised that whilst we had a enormous amount of items for sale, we have only just dented the surface and we would need to hold a few more garage sales over the coming weeks in order to move our pre-loved treasures and find them new homes.

8am and the automatic roller door was raised nervously wondering if we would attract any buyers.  We were relieved to find around 6 keen potential customers to wander through and look at our items for sale.  With great relief we sold our first items by 8:05 which started our morning off really well.  We had a constant stream of buyers and sold around two thirds of the items we had placed for sale - an awesome result!

My favourite sale (actually it was a give away) by far was near the end of the garage sale when we had a young family call in with a gorgeous little boy.  He immediately was drawn to what was once my sons absolute favourite ride on plastic car which had a little trailer attached.  The car was absolutely rough and beat up because it had been used almost daily for a number of years, most people would have thrown it out but we didn't have the heart.  To see this little boy fall in love with it like my son did made me so happy, and of course I said to his mother that we had to send it home with him (no cost) so he could continue to love it like my son did.

Knowing that items that we had previously loved have now gone to others peoples homes so they could enjoy them,  actually makes me feel really good - an added and unexpected bonus of uncluttering our lives!

Needless to say we are now already planning our next couple of sales and I definitely look forward to my husband being able to reclaim his man cave soon!  To all of those people out there contemplating taking the step, I say go ahead and do it sooner rather than later.  I certainly now wish we had taken the step years ago.  We thoroughly enjoyed the experience, met some really lovely people and made a little bit of money as a bonus.  Go for it, get moving and start uncluttering your life!

Find the courage to reinvent your look!

Before shot!

They say that a change is as good as a holiday and I have to agree!!!  So today I went to my gorgeous niece Linda Clifford's salon (Salon 125) where she helped me to reinvent my look!  I often hear people saying I wish I had the courage to do that - well guess what?  You actually do!  For the majority of people hair continues to grow, colours fade and you can usually change your look every few months!  I thoroughly recommend anyone contemplating a change, particularly with colour, that you seek a professional hairdresser.  They are skilled at the science behind colouring hair, how to build and layer colours so that you get the result you want taking into account your own current hair colour!
I am so lucky to have a talented niece who is a awesome hairdresser! I usually say to her 'do what you want' however this time it was a bit of a collaboration.  I really wanted to go shorter but a cut that would allow me to change it up at different times.  We also both agreed that a colour with rose gold undertones would suit my skin type.  The end result - I love it!  It's probably a little darker than either of us thought however we are both really happy with the colour and undertones.  In the following weeks the colour will lighten off as it's a semi-permanent colour and it will move more to a rose gold ombré effect due to my natural strawberry blonde colouring!
So I recommend with a change of seasons, find your courage and try reinventing your look, you never know you might just find a new look that you fall in love with!

My new look!

Back view!

A few of my favourite things!

Picture with the beautiful women in my life receiving a blessing from the priests at the "Tirta Empul Temple Bali.
Photo of me doing the purification bathing ritual. Anyone going to Bali I thoroughly recommend doing this experience, so moving, peaceful and reinvigorating!

Daily inspiration

I have so many favourite inspiration quotes!
Today's quote is :

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!"

Fun fact : This quote was first penned by Christian anarchist writer Elbert Hubbard in a 1915 obituary post.

Stepping outside my comfort zone!

As the youngest of 7 children, 6 of which are girls, I have decided to step outside of my comfort zone and share my thoughts, ideas, experiences hoping that people find it interesting, sometimes useful and always entertaining!
As you can imagine, life in a big family is always interesting.  Many friends are fascinated that our family is so very close, our children have formed very close bonds and that we are in each other's lives in a very active way. We laugh, we cry, we argue but we have always got each other's backs! I love my great big crazy family and wouldn't have it any other way.
A bit about me 😃 I guess I'm seen as the fashion conscious one, who loves styling others and spaces! I'm the one who loves to travel, immerse myself in other people's cultures, I believe we can all learn from each other, and am always up for having a good time! I am compassionate, always available for advice or a healing hug.  Hope you enjoy my blog!