Detox...

I have decided to try detoxing for 2 weeks, inspired by Thea at Do I Really Wanna Blog? Two kilos in two weeks with no exercise? Yes please! I will of course keep up with my gymming (though I haven't been going every day like I was) so hopefully that means even better results.

I actually wanted to start this yesterday - after breakfast of course because I was staying at the Treasury and eating at Lab Restaurant. I got through the day OK, but a milkshake followed by pizza sort of stuffed my plan.

Today was a new day and I was determined to stick to the plan. What is the plan, you ask? Nothing too hardcore - just no wheat, refined sugars or alcohol for two weeks.

I got off to a great start:

I had a few rice crackers as a snack, but they're allowed, see, so it was OK.

Lunch was also a success:

Yum! I'm not even being sarcastic, I actually love veggies.

At about 3pm though I cracked and ate a monte carlo. Who on earth puts them in the biscuit jar when Jodi's on detox? It's my fault - I unpacked the groceries to lend a hand to the woman who usually does it, and put all of my favourite snacks at the front of the cupboard (obviously this was before I decided to cut down on sugar).

So. I obviously need some sort of justification. I've decided that I'll blame Thea. Or at least refer to her success. You see, Thea ate chocolate throughout and was still successful. I'm going to allow myself today's biscuit. And if I eat one tomorrow as well? I'll allow myself that, too.

I won't take photos of my food every day. I forgot to take a photo of my dinner (a sausage and a rissole - I ate half of each). I will, however, try to document my experience and I'll blog about it in the end. Thanks again to Thea for her inspiration. This can only be a good thing for me.

I'm absolutely exhausted this week. I'll probably blog (read: whinge) about this at a later date. So, to cheer myself up, let me add a photo of some of my calculators:

I'm picky about my calculators. I didn't choose all of these - I only buy calculators with a 00 button. I'm currently using the white one on my desk at home and the blue one with stickers on it at work.

Shopping...

I've been doing a bit of shopping recently - all bargains, of course!

First, I went to the Sportsgirl at Toowong and got this lovely scarf for $7.95 (imagine it in black!)

I bought this month's Marie Claire so that I could get the $30 Witchery card - no conditions, just activate the card and then you have $30 to put towards anything in Witchery (no minimum spend). I went along thinking I might find a dress, but as usual I didn't find anything. I ended up buying this lovely Witchery cuff - only $9.95 out of pocket!!!

I am a member of two sale websites - actually I'm a member of a few more I think, but there are only two that I purchase from regularly. In the last week, I bought this wallet from Brands Exclusive for $14.50:

I then bought this super cute pea coat from Ozsale for $23 or so:

Let me know if you'd like an invitation to join these sites!

I'm off to Harbourtown at the Gold Coast today after going to the Bridal Expo at the Convention Centre. It should be a really fun day - hopefully I have some purchases to blog about when I get home tonight!

Pretty peepers...

I don't wear makeup every day. I'd love to, but sadly most days I just couldn't be stuffed.

What I do wear every day, however, is mascara. That, a swipe of lip gloss, and I'm good to go.

I got an email today from Missy Confidential this afternoon advertising the new Dior mascara - Extase. Being a Dior lover from way back, I was automatically curious. Then I saw the visual - sure, she's got falsies (or just Photoshop), and sure, there's no way in hell I'd be able to get my eyelashes looking like that with this new mascara alone, but hot damn I want to git it a red hot go!!!

I think that it's really deceiving using photos like these. It works on me though, and this isn't a post about airbrushing, so I'll move on.

As I drove home I was thinking about this mascara (it will be in my mind for a while) and the best mascaras I've had over the years. I should add that I do have long lashes that have natural curl, which is handy - so I don't really need a mascara for a particular reason. If anything, I like a mascara with a brush that separates lashes nicely.

I don't really have a particular favourite, however these are the ones that I have adored:

DiorShow

I still have this mascara on the go - mostly for evenings - and I find that there is a LOT that comes out on the brush. It's quite wet, if that makes any sense, so I have to go easy. I get super huge, thick lashes though.

Lancome Virtuose

This is my everyday mascara - my friend bought it for me for my last birthday and I adore it. Great separation that curls and lengthens.

Maybelline Full N' Soft

I saw what this mascara did to a girl's straight, short lashes once and decided to try it for myself. For a cheap mascara this was really, really nice - it's been a few years since I've had it, but the quality I remember most was its ability to keep lashes soft - I can't stand it when lashes go crispy when the mascara dries.

Maybelline Great Lash

A classic - super cheap, brilliant as a backup. This was the first mascara I ever owned (I wasn't supposed to have it as I was still in school, but a friend was using it and so I had to have it too).

Do you have a favourite mascara? One you swear by? Or are you like me and think that you can spend mere pennies on a mascara and still get the same great effects?

Style icon...

I mentioned in a previous post that I adored the style of Keri Russell, especially in a particular In Style shoot that she did early last year.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since (I get obsessive that way) and so I've found a few of the photos that have stuck in my mind ever since:

I'm a big fan of man style dressing, however I don't think I can pull off looks such as this. I can dream, though. It more suits very petite girls, or at least thinner girls than me. Her accessories in this photo are exactly what I see myself wearing.

Oh my god, her hair! My hair is actually too thick to do this with (I asked my hairdresser). I think I could probably do this colour though. Hmm. The scarf, the shirt, the bag - gorgeous.

I love her ring in this, though the photo comes out so small it's hard to see. And can I just say again, oh my god her hair!

If you have ever been captured by a photo shoot like I was with this one, please post it on your blog or send me links in the comments!

An interview...

I have shamelessly stolen this idea from Thea at Do I Really Wanna Blog? I did, of course, ask for permission first.

Thea interviewed her gorgeous little 5 year old son. I unfortunately don't have a child to interview yet, and so I have gone with the closest thing that I have to a child - my fiance, EA. I decided to keep all of Thea's questions bar one:

J: What do you want to do when you grow up?

E: Fly planes

J: How old are you?

E: 28

J: How old am I?

E: 26

J: What did you have for dinner?

E: A double quarter pounder meal. (For the record, I didn't have anything)

J: What do you like most about school?

E: Not having to go anymore.

J: What do you like to do outside?

E: Drive

J: What do you like to do inside?

E: Sleep

J: Showing your age, there.

J: What is your favourite toy?

E: My Xbox

J: What is your favourite game?

E: There are just so many. Grand Theft Auto.

J: Do you have a favourite TV show?

E: Top Gear

J: Do you have a favourite movie?

E: Not really.

J: You're being difficult. What sort of movies do you like?

E: War movies.

J: Do you have a favourite book?

E: I've always liked The Rainmaker by John Grisham. I can read it over and over again.

J: What's your favourite colour?

E: Can I say something weird like indigo?

J: No.

E: Blue.

J: What's your favourite number?

E: 21

J: What's your favourite food?

E: Nachos with chilli beef.

J: You got that from me.

E: No, that's not right. Probably wagyu rib fillet.

J: What is something that is really good for you?

E: Holidays.

J: Do you have a favourite friend?

E: No, I hate them all equally.

J: Glare

E: Of course - you. (Got there in the end)

J: What time do you usually go to bed?

E: Midnight (At the freaking earliest)

J: What time do you wake up?

E: 7.30am (half his luck)

J: What are you looking forward to?

E: The weekend.

J: Anything else you'd like to add?

E: Get back to work.

Resolutions update...

It's that time again - I can only really name one of my resolutions, so that means I'm definitely ready for a reminder.

1. Eat better and exercise

Oh dear. I have had a rotten two weeks. I didn't go to the gym for 13 days, and it's really lucky I didn't put a stack of weight back on.

The miracle is that I've continued to lose weight and size. My tsubis now fit beautifully, even if they're the pair that is two sizes bigger than my goal pair. I'll take it as a win. I have still only lost about 4kg in all, however the size difference is really quite noticeable. A girl at my Christmas party came up to me at one point and commented that I had lost a fuckload of weight. I don't talk to her that often, so it was really nice that somebody who didn't know about my weight loss goal had noticed.

On Saturday, after my huge night out, I weighed another 1kg less, however I've now ascertained that I was just severely, severely dehydrated. Oh well, that was my weight and so I wrote it in my diary. Like I said before, I'll take it as a win. We'll just forget that I then feasted on sausage rolls, Maccas, Indian, croissants, pies and KFC for the rest of the weekend. I'm now back to where I was on Friday after a trip to the gym last night (ran 2.25km, was surprised that I still had some fitness) so I'm not too upset.

I have now also realised that I do not need to lose another 15kg. I only need to lose another 10kg. Here is a photo of me when I was probably 15kg lighter (taken 3.5 years ago):

I sort of agree with EA and my sister that I was a bit gaunt then. If through healthy eating and exercise I naturally get to that again, then that's fine, but I'm not going to be silly until I get there. This is probably where I want to be (taken 3 years ago):

Just not quite as bony.

Anyway, all in all I'm happy.

3. Cook more

This has gone big fat nowhere.

4. Keep a tidy house

Ditto with this one (however my desk is still neat - or at least it will be after a quick tidy after I post this blog).

5. Spend more time on me

I've been doing OK with this one. To be honest I'm including my study and exercise as spending time on me, because it really is trying to better myself rather than just lazing about watching telly.

I have, however, been really good with my skin routine over the last week or so. I am on the mailing list for Olay - I have mentioned in a previous post that Olay skincare does just as much, if not more, for my skin than the high end brands. Anyway, an email was offering a free set of the new Olay Pro-X range that is now in stores and retailing for about $80.

I was one of the first to register, and so I was sent the entire pack, full size, for nothing. I've been using it for a few days, day and night, and it's really good so far. My skin has picked up (which it needed to do because I'd been slack for about a week). I'll be interested to see how it improves over the 28 days.

So I'm still going better than expected with resolutions, which is to say that they haven't been totally forgotten. There is still hope that by the end of the year I'll be able to cross them all off and say that I have changed my life with regards to each of them - so far so good.

Merry Christmas...

It's been a while - I've been so busy with work and study that I've just been far too tired to do anything else. Hopefully I'll get back into a good routine with my blogging now, as it's very therapeutic.

We had our (belated) work Christmas party on Friday night. We went to the Limes Hotel, to the rooftop bar. The drinks were expensive (lucky work was paying), but the venue was quite nice.

Because I need to get over my self-consciousness regarding photos, I'll put a couple up. Beware: I can't remember large chunks of the night - these are very drunk photos. My hair was straight earlier in the day! The middle photo is EA. He's super drunk and extra happy.

OK that's enough now. One day I'll be photogenic.

I met some lovely girls (partners of the IT guys - the IT guys in my company are super lucky), and I'll be catching up with one of them next week. New people are fun.

On another note, I think these photos give a good idea of my hair colour. It has been agreed by most who I've spoken to that I should go darker. So darker I will go. I don't know when, I don't know how (salon or home job) but I will. Soon.

Crazytown...

On Thursdays I have a carpark under the building at work, and so I drive in. Usually I drop in to Officeworks on these days if I need to pick something up. Yesterday, however, I had no need for Officeworks at all and yet my brain automatically navigated there. I parked and then looked around, wondering what the hell I was doing in an Officeworks carpark when I had set off for the office.

I figured that just because nothing I needed came to mind, didn't mean there actually was nothing I needed. So I went inside to do the aisles, just in case. Turns out there were things that I needed - and I'm not just saying that! I don't have a stapler or hole punch at home anymore, and of course everyone needs these things. I especially need the hole punch for my study materials, otherwise how on earth will they fit into my binders? See? Need!

Other items that I needed some staples, erasable dividers, stickers for our sponsor child and an erasable pen (just use the silver ball at the top of it - friction erases everything! Genius! I also picked up a new USB stick thingy yesterday. It's light blue and metallic and super pretty. It makes me want to save things willy nilly.

I feel as though I need to speak specifically about this stapler. This stapler is unlike anything I have ever experienced. I am extremely picky about my staplers. They need to make 3 sounds as the staple is being stapled - ch-ch-chnk. See? Like that. I've spent a great deal of money on staplers over the years on the quest for the perfect 3-sound mechanism. This is not only very pretty (the white and the clear plastic matches my other desk objects), but it also creates the perfect flat staple in the page. A steal for around $25.

OK, enough on that.

Yesterday afternoon I had to go and have a scan done, followed by a trip to Chermside to visit the Apple store. Traffic was so bad I didn't think I was going to make it. There was some very foul language used in some of the tweets that I drafted. It all ended up OK though, and I was given a new iPhone because my old one was misbehaving. Nothing serious, but nothing that could be fixed easily. I was very pleased with the service, there were no questions asked, they just swapped it. I had of course been to see them before and they had given me some troubleshooting steps, which hadn't worked like they/I had hoped.

I have the monthly accounts meetings at work today. EA is picking me up at 5pm and we're going to the Gold Coast to help his dad and stepmum move house. On Sunday morning we leave super early to drive to Gympie for a baptism. It will be a long, tiring weekend but if it ends in cuddling a cute baby then I'm OK with that.

On that note, I'd better go and pack before getting ready for work. Then have to jump on EA so he wakes up and can drive me to the station.

Have a great weekend, everyone. I'm looking forward to participating in Fat Mum Slim's Point and Shoot!

My shopping personality...

I love shopping. Unfortunately with a wedding and honeymoon to pay for, a house deposit to think about and life to fund, I don't get to shop near as much as I used to.

Until January I had a subscription to Shop Til You Drop magazine. It was a Christmas present from my father and sister (the gift that keeps on giving - perfect). When it came to Christmas 2009, however, I had to be strong and request that the subscription not be renewed. I was simply finding too much in there that I wanted to buy, and with too small a shopping budget to indulge myself, it was just too depressing.

You see, I have a funny way of shopping. I am not a browser. I hate to browse. I'm one of those shoppers who goes for a reason. I make a beeline for the stores that I want, zoom around until I find what I want and then I'm outta there. If I was a millionaire it might be a different story, but I doubt it. I just like to be efficient.

I get most of my inspiration from magazines. I will read a magazine and dog-ear the pages that contain an item that I would like. I then transfer these items to a list in my little notebook. After a week or so, I reassess - if I'd still like the item, I'll either purchase it, or stick it on my covet list (see the label in this blog for my recent list of wants).

The only magazine that I purchase now is In Style. I think it's my all-time favourite magazine. I love the celebrity shoots. It's crazy how much inspiration I get from them. A Keri Russell shoot from about 6 months ago is still stuck in my mind. The reason I have kept this subscription, though, is that most of the items in it are way out of my price range. Therefore - no temptation! It's genius. I can look at the pretty pictures without deluding myself into thinking that anything is attainable.

Of course, some items are, and these are the ones that make it onto my list.

It was only Monday that I finished the last two issues:

I made my list in my cute little notebook:

Not bad to only find four items in two magazines! One is of course the Emporio Armani watch that I have mentioned in a previous post. I saw an advertisement for a Leila by Yellowglen sparkling sauv blanc - my favourite, will take it to EA's dad and stepmum's house on the weekend for after they move.

I'm going to try the Benetint lip balm (such a cute jar!).

Last but not least, I saw a full page advertisement for Mesop. I checked out the website, and the clothes are reasonably priced plus super lovely. My favourites:

I adore this scarf. I must have it.

Black dress, black tights, batwing cardi. Can it be more me?

I think I might make a habit of posting my magazine inspirations. This was fun.

My hair...

I'm so bored with my hair.

I have very curly hair, and the colour is quite bland.

Note in this picture my hair is still a bit wet, so it's actually a bit lighter than this. My fiancé is super cute.

Years ago, I desperately wanted chocolate brown hair. Just a nice, warm colour, a few shades darker than my natural colour. I had always had a reddish tinge to my hair, and wanted predominantly brown. So I went to Priceline or some such store and bought a couple of boxes of dye in Chocolate Brown. I need a couple of boxes because my hair is so thick. One just won't cut it.

This is how it turned out:

I LOVED it. Even my father preferred this darker colour on me. Hardly chocolate brown, but I was excited all the same. I continued with this colour (still Chocolate Brown, it just turned out black each time) for a couple of years (warning: drunk photo):

At first I continued with the colour because I liked it. After a while, though, I continued because I had to. The black just wouldn't come out. Obviously I couldn't lighten it without bleaching, so I ended up having to grow it out, which took the best part of two years. It's only just now gone from the ends of my hair (and that was after an aggressive cut a few months ago).

I had always planned on keeping my hair natural for my wedding. However, I'm starting to think that darkening it, just a little, might be a nice thing. I just need to be careful that I don't end up in the situation where I have to grow it all out again before the wedding. I'd end up having to get colour correction done, and according to my wonderful, wonderful hairdresser Effie at Vogue Nationale, this might do some damage.

I think I'm going to go ahead and put a wash-out one through and see if I still like it as much as I used to. Eight washes and it's gone - then I reassess.

I also need to keep my hair very long so that I have more options when it comes to wedding time. I have a high forehead and wish there was something that I could do with the fringe region, but with my curls it would just be a gigantic pain in the rear. Your suggestions are most welcome, though!

Note: The young man in the viking helmet is one of my besties, Scott.

Morrison...

I have been a little obsessed with Morrison for a few years now, ever since seeing a pair of brown wide leg pants in a Shop Til You Drop magazine. I'm in love with their winter collection:

Ethan dress, Hugo vest

Athena dress, Atsuro leather jacket

Talise tee, Joshua pinafore

Theodore cardigan, Tyler top, Gabriele pant

This is what I'd love to get around wearing in summer:

Lennox tee, Austen short

Grumpy Monday...

I am in a super grump this evening. I'm still not sleeping enough (my own fault), and therefore I get like this pretty much every evening. I go to the gym late and then I feel all happy and awesome and energised, right when I should be sleeping.

In order to cheer myself up, here is a list of things that have made me happy over the last few days:

1. My new iPhone cover - I got the blue one on the far right, and intend on also getting the pink one. For some reason I'm loving colours at the moment (I'm usually distinctly monochrome). I got it from Wow for $14.95. Not too bad.

2. This lovely Emporio Armani stainless steel watch, as shown in the latest In Style. I love a good man-style watch, have you noticed? The Fossil one I wanted is no longer in stock, which is a bummer. Especially given that the only other two I seem to like are close to $600...

The Burberry watch from an earlier covet list:

3. The Blog of the Week that I received from Jade at She Is Jade. I adore Jade's blog. When I wake up in the morning the first blog I check is hers in my Google Reader, just in case she has posted overnight. You absolutely must check out her blog and follow her. I believe she was also my very first follower, and therefore I am super especially fond of her.

Jade, your post really made my day - it's lovely to know that somebody enjoys reading my blog :-) x

4. A trip to the Sunshine Coast with little sis, J. It wasn't the most successful of outings - neither of us were looking for anything in particular, it was really just an excuse to hang out for the day. It was humid and hot and we were in jeans (we're idiots like that) but it was a nice day anyway...

5. Mojitos - I'd never had one before, and my father made some on Saturday afternoon. So refreshing! The second one that he made me had a little more sugar, and this made me super happy.

6. The gym - last night I ran for 15 minutes straight, which is kind of a big deal for me. I ran 25 minutes in all, so 3.75km. My goal is to be able to run 5km in under 30 minutes. I'd ideally like to do that before my birthday in June. I think that's attainable given my current progress. Now that my fitness is improving I just have to work on the ol' weight loss. They both go hand in hand I guess.

I do feel better - fancy that.