My Birthday and Christmas

This time of year has always been very exciting for me as I have my Birthday on the 23rd and then Christmas soon after. This year I decided to have a very low key birthday as I am still recovering from my Stem Cell Transplant (October, 2014).

I turned 23 on the 23rd. My sister Emma and two nieces came for the day and then my Grandma came late afternoon for dinner. Unfortunately I was not feeling well during the day so did have a midday nap.

This year I decided I wanted to make my own birthday cake as I had seen 'Kit Kat' cakes on Pinterest and wanted to recreate it. I planned on using white Kit Kats that I had seen in the shops over and over but decided to wait for them to go on sale. By the time I went to buy them they were no where to be found. I think they must have been discontinued. I went with the original milk chocolate Kit Kats to go around my caramel mud cake. However the cake didn't rise as expected so when I went to put the Kit Kats against it they were far too tall. I had to cut each Kit Kat in half. I used glitter sugar on white chocolate ganache for the icing. The cute little flag was from etsy. All in all this was a Pinterest fail!

As I opened my gifts that morning we all noticed there seemed to be a trend in the colour of each gift. Can you guess what my favourite colour might be? I thought I would show the picture of some of the presents I got as I loved all of them so they may be good gift ideas if you are looking for someone my age.

On Christmas Eve I stayed at home and relaxed after my birthday knowing there was a big day to come tomorrow. I ordered these Christmas Cupcakes from a local store and we ate them and watched the Christmas Carols.

From Kiss My Cupcake - Chocolate, Gingerbread and Salted Caramel

For Christmas this year we decided to decorate the mantelpiece instead of putting up the Christmas Tree as we knew we would have little Miss Lexi (2 years) here all the time and it is too tempting for her not to touch.  I think we made it look festive (excuse horrible green walls)!

We don't have a very large family so on Christmas day we had 6 adults and 2 children over. My friend had to cater for 39 of her family this year so our family would seem very small to some. We opened presents before lunch so the girls weren't too tired and could enjoy their presents (Alexis 2yo in particular as Hayley is still too young). Lexi is at the age now where she loves presents. I bought her an Octonauts toy which was a great success.

We then moved on to lunch where Mum cooked up a lovely meal consisting of roast lamb, roast chicken with cranberry stuffing, ham, potato bake, roast vegetables and bread. Once we stuffed ourselves full, mum brought out the plum pudding and pavlova which we still managed to fit in.

After lunch we played with Lexi's presents. She loved her Santa toy that blew out bubbles. She had a swim in the pool with her Octonauts toy. We then were supposed to do a farmyard puzzle but I ended up attempting the puzzle while she jumped on it trying to break it into pieces again. Eventually I found myself alone completing the puzzle!

Lexi trying to catch the bubbles in her mouth

My niece Hayley 'Yay it's Christmas!'

By this stage everyone was tired after a big lunch and morning and we said goodbye and relaxed for the rest of the evening. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and have a safe New Year.

DIY: Christmas Bon Bons

This year for our family Christmas Lunch I decided to make these festive 'Sunnyboy' shape favours for each place setting rather than the usual bon bon. These are a twist on the traditional Christmas cracker, unfortunately there isn't the fun 'pop' when you open it, but they can be filled with whatever goodness you desire! I decided to add 2 chocolates in each which will be demolished quickly I am sure. These could be used for any celebration, just switch up the paper!

What you need:
Patterned Paper
Gold Ribbon
Red Ribbon
Double-Sided Tape

1. Cut out a rectangle piece of paper. The size will depend on what you want to put in the bon bon. Mine measured 15 x 12cm and it was a tight squeeze to fit in two small freddo sized chocolates.
2. Roll your paper into a cylinder shape so the two short ends meet and stick together with double-sided tape.
3. Squash one end of the tube together and secure with tape.
4. Add in your treats.
5. Stick the remaining sides together in the opposite direction.
6. Stick gold ribbon on each end.
7. Hole punch one end and thread your red ribbon through.

These are very simple to make and you will get the hang of it very quickly when the paper is in front of you. I hope you like this little twist on the traditional bon bon and have a great Christmas!

Desk Revamp

I bought these prints of Etsy back in April. I had just been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and was told to ‘get used to the hospital walls’ for the next six months. So I decided well if a hospital room is my new bedroom I am giving it a makeover (which I did)! However by the time the prints had arrived and I had gotten my sister to get to Ikea to get me the frames, I no longer felt like I should be nailing holes into the hospital walls. So they stayed in my cupboard and here we are 9 months later and they have found a perfect new home above my desk.

I have a very small space in my room for my desk, right in between my door and my wardrobe. Therefore I can't display all my pretty stationery all over it (trust me, I'd love to) as there would be no room left to actually use the desk. Adding the prints and keeping it simple with a gold theme really has transformed this space of my room and it was so easy to do. Perhaps this will give you some inspiration to revamp an area in your home!

Notebooks: Kate Spade Pencil Holder: DIY Project Candle: Circa Home Mango Papaya Bunny: Bed Bath N' Table (Easter Release) Mug: Kikki K (old) Prints: Etsy

Desk and Chair both from Ikea. Laptop is Apple Macbook Pro 17 inch

Charlotte Tilbury: Filmstar Bronze & Glow

If I could only use one word to describe the Charlotte Tilbury Bronze & Glow it would be luxury. This product is so luxurious in both packaging and more importantly the product itself. It does also come with a luxury price tag of $65US so it may be one to quickly add to the Christmas list.

Packaging:
I cannot fault the packaging. It is sleek, looks luxurious, has a full sized mirror and wastes no space. Plus I can't walk past rose gold packaging!

Product:
Contour - The contour powder is perfect for light to medium skin tones. It is not matte when looking at it in the palette but once applied to the contours of your face it does not look shimmery at all. It blends easily, gives a very natural colour to the face and leaves you with a subtle glow.
Highlight - This looks very gold and shimmery to swatch but applied on the cheeks gives the most beautiful sheen. I applied this using my finger tips to my sister one day and was amazed at the glow it gave. It really gives a lit from within look to the face.

Overall, I think this is a must buy for fair to medium skin tones. It is the best contour I have used and the highlight is incredible. It is a two product in one so I can justify the price at just over $30 per product. I bought mine from Nordstrom, hopefully somewhere will stock it in Australia soon.

Christmas at Lush

Two of my absolute favourite things is Christmas time and enjoying a relaxing bath. So when this time of year comes around and the limited edition Lush products come out I tend to go a little crazy. Here are many of the Christmas offerings from Lush this year. If you havn't tried Lush bath products before I recommend adding them to your Christmas wishlist!

Bath Bombs: These are definitely my favourite products from Lush. Add one to your bath to see the water change into often multiple colours and the bath water transforms into a soft, creamy texture that really moisturises your skin. My favourite is the 'Shoot for the Stars' bath bomb which turns the water into a midnight sky purple colour and star confetti (dissolvable) also fills your bath. It is a truly relaxing bath experience.

Bubble Bars: For any bubble lovers out there you will love the bubble bars. Break some off and crumble it under running water to create a mountain of bubbles. Unlike the bath bombs, you can get 2 or so uses out of each bubble bar. These would be great for the kid's bath time to make it more fun.

Soap/Shower: All of the soaps are creamy and moisturising and get a good lather if you like to use your soap for shaving. The Rose Jam shower gel is another of my favourite Lush products, if you love the smell of roses you need this. If you have smelt Lush's Ro's Argan Body Conditioner from their permanent line it smells just the same but in a gel form. The shower jellies are a very interesting concept, they are exactly what it sounds like. The texture of jelly that you can use to wash your body, they can be slippery trying to wash with them!

If you are unsure about what to try and don't mind missing out on particular products then on Boxing Day each year they have 50% off all of their Christmas releases. I go in at opening time each year to pick up some bargains and it gets busy in there! It is a great opportunity to stock up on bath products or to try things you wouldn't usually pick up.

Bath Bombs: Golden Wonder, Lord of Misrule, Cinders, Shoot for the Stars, Luxury Lush Pud, Father Christmas. Soaps and Shower: Snowcake, Baked Alaska Snowball, Rose Jam Shower Gel, Yog Nog, Reindeer Rock, Snowman Shower Jelly, Snow Angel Bath Melt. Bubble Bars: Drummers Drumming, The Christmas Hedgehog, Magic Wand, Christmas Eve, The Christmas Penguin.

Luxury Lush Pud Bath Bomb in action!

Christmas Gift Guide: Under $20

Christmas is my favourite time of year and I find buying gifts for people just as enjoyable as receiving them. Whether you need a smaller gift to add on to something you have already bought or have twenty seven cousins* you need to buy for without going broke, hopefully this list will give you some inspiration. All of these ideas are under $20 but many are closer to $10 so you could also gift a few of these ideas together.

*If you have twenty seven cousins to buy for perhaps go the handmade route...!

DIY Heart Garland: Receiving a handmade gift shows thought, love and care went into the gift. To see how to make this garland click here.

DIY Mug Card: I think a very cute idea is to make a Christmas card in the shape of a mug and either add a gift card to their favourite coffee shop, or for a more affordable alternative, add a pouch of hot chocolate.

Lush Bath Bombs: Lush is one of my favourite stores to go to at Christmas time. Each year they release a Christmas collection with many cute festive bath items. Buy a few bath bombs and wrap them up in cellophane for a nice looking (and smelling) gift.

This Works Sleep Duo: This is a present that most people typically wouldn’t buy for themselves but is nice to receive. It comes with a travel size pillow spray and oil that promises to give you a good nights sleep. They are lovely luxury products and pairing this with the lush bath bombs would make a thoughtful relaxing gift. The packaging is lovely too which is a bonus! Find it here.

Candles: Can you tell I am into the relaxing gifts? A candle is another gift that many people don’t buy for themselves but will appreciate it if given. I like Glasshouse's range of candles that can be found here.

Mugs: There are so many gorgeous affordable mugs that make great presents for all sorts of people. Kikki K often have nice ones for around $10 like this one.

Chocolate: No one continues their diets at Christmas - that starts after New Years! I love Darrel Lea’s Choc Orange Balls and Cadbury’s Chocolate Almonds or Chocolate Sultanas.

Magazine: You are probably thinking, really....a magazine? But yes, there are some lovely magazines out there that are basically like nice coffee table books. My favourite is ‘Hooray’ Magazine which is filled with lovely photographs, stories and DIY ideas all based around celebrations.

Jewellery Tray: This would be useful for any woman to put her rings in beside her bed, and this one is super cute too with the theme of pineapples a big one this year. It can be found here.

Nail Polish: Most girls like a good nail polish, try find a Christmas gift set or buy some nice glitter polishes to go with the Christmas theme.

Stationery: I am a stationery addict so any notebook, journal, pen or stickers I receive I gladly accept. A diary or journal for the new year with matching pen is always a great gift.

DIY: Paper Heart 3D Garland

How effective are these 3D Heart Garlands!? They could be a great gift for a friend or a few hanging together would make a great backdrop for any celebration. I received a gift similar to this and thought it would be fun to recreate.

What you need:
Patterned Paper - Make sure these are double sided as both sides will be seen. I found mine at Spotlight.
Heart Punch - Mine has a scalloped edge but a plain heart is fine.
String
Hole Punch
Sewing Machine
Wooden Heart Box (optional)


1. Choose a selection of double sided papers. To make 24 hearts like mine, you will need to punch out 72 paper hearts. This seems like a lot but it actually wasn’t time consuming at all!
2. Place 3 hearts on top of each other in the order you like. Paper clip them together to make it easier to sew.
3. Using the sewing machine, sew through the centre of each heart. Leave approximately a 1cm gap after each heart. Remember to back stitch on the first and last heart.
4. Using a hole punch, punch a hole at the top of the first heart. Attach your string so you can hang the garland.
5. Gently crease the front and back heart along the stitching line to create the 3d effect and voila!
Optional Idea: If you are gifting it, put it in a little heart box with some instructions such as ‘separate and gently crease each section of paper along the stitching line to create a 3d effect’.

I hope you enjoy this DIY as much as I did. If you are a beginner sewer like myself and do some iffy sewing, you can fix up any mistakes with sticky tape to make it more secure. All of my mistakes on this one I like to call the 'handmade touch'!