An explanation.

Well hello,

So, it seems my blog has gone in to a little bit of a winter hibernation (a little early, but it's cold enough). I am just writing to explain to you the reason for my going AWOLL for the past, well, month(ish).

So, most of you who read this or know me will know that I had been suffering from chronic fatigue for some time. It was during this sickness that I started up this blog as a way of taking up my time and still helpings people and sharing my thoughts and creativity. I've been lucky enough to have a lot of support (and a bunch of views!) in this time, and I am so thankful to all of you who have become avid readers here!

Well, I have some pretty spiffy news. A couple of weeks ago, there was a guest preacher at our church. While he was there, there was a bunch of healing going on. My sister texted me and gave me the kick up the bum that I needed to get to church that night (I hadn't been since I got sick), and I am so glad I went!

Tony Aloe prayed for me, and the Holy Spirit came upon me and, in the most incredible experience of my life, He healed me of my chronic fatigue!

Yep, you heard me!! Healed! God is AMAZING! He really can do anything

You can check out this link here, if you want to see mine and Rachel's (an awesome girl who was ALSO healed of chronic fatigue!!!) testimonies!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJa3uziYmms&feature=youtu.be

That was on the 5th of this month. So between then and now....I've been living life! I've been going out late, going to church, shopping and partaking in various shenanigans. It is due to said shenanigans that I have not been blogging. I simply have not had time! I've been having too much fun!

Now that I'm healed, my relationship with God has been growing and I try to put my trust in Him with everything (I'm still learning!) and I'm looking at my career paths and getting a job, getting fit and healthy, socialising and so on. I'm living a normal life! I haven't had this much energy in years.

So about this blog of mine. Until I settle in to some type of routine, I'm not sure you'll see many updates. I'm just letting myself go for a while, I think I deserve it! As to when I will get in to a routine, that depends on my job situation and how I get involved in church and how busy I get. It depends where God takes me, and I'm SO excited to see where He does!

Praise God, He is just so wonderful.

I don't want to give up my blog, but I don't know when I'll be regularly on it again, because I'm just having so much fun!


So I want to thank you (yes, you!) for reading this and supporting me throughout the past little while.

I'll be back.




Ciao for now!



Annabelle



<3



xxx

April Favorites 2013!!

So, here's my favourite stuff from the month of April! All the things I've loved and have gotten me through the past month. Enjoy m'lovelies!

~ To Read ~

·      

            Peppermint Magazine

Ah, Peppermint. Fresh, beautiful, sustainable, clean and just plain gorgeous. This magazine is so inspiring!! The moment I open it I just love it....it’s all about fashion and living in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way....and they talk about lots different projects, situations and artsy things going on in the world at the  moment. It’s a really wholesome read and it’s the first magazine I’ve ever had that I had an urge to read the issue more than once! The best thing? My darling boyfriend bought me a subscription for  Easter. The worst thing? It only comes out four times a year! Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring. It’s so worth it though! Go on. Read it. You know you want to.

·         The Crafty Minx at Home

I was on holiday recently, and we decided to totter on up to Taree from where we were staying in Tuncurry (New South Wales), to have a bit of a shop. And boy, am I glad we did!!! Amongst all my other plunder, I found this little gem at a bookstore we decided to pop in to on our way back out of town. I already had a Kelly Doust book (bought for me by my lovely boyfriend), so I already knew just how great she was, but that didn’t prepare me for the pure loveliness of this book. It’s all about upcycling things you find at op shops, flea markets (which I am yet to go to), antique stores and auctions in to wonderful things for you to use at home. The book is separated in to sections, each dedicated to a room in the house, and full of little tutorials on making useful or just plain pretty things for that room out of second (or tenth) hand stuff. My personal favourite was her DIY on the string quilting, which I am going to have to have a go at very soon! Kelly has also written about the interesting history of certain pieces of furniture as well as teaches you all about the things you should collect from op shops to add to your craft supplies, which I have started to do, because you will always find a use for something pretty!!

~ To drink ~

 Chai tea...

Um, YUM! This stuff is the bomb, seriously. It’s like an explosion of awesomeness in your mouth. There’s all different types you can get, I personally enjoy the cinnamon infused the most. It's especially good when you add a dollop of whipped coconut cream, like I have here...kind of like a cheats chai latte. I just love to settle in to my couch on a tired day with an Alice in Wonderland mug full of chai and a date and almond roll ready to be scoffed down while watching a good movie. Or Dr Phil. Personally I never get tired of his coolness.  

Pom passion peach white tea

This stuff. This is some amazing stuff, man. It tastes like lollies, and it’s completely natural. I mean, what more could you want in a drink?? To make it even better, it’s my favourite colour too! It reminds me of gummy bears in taste, and is best when chilled. I discovered it upon leaving for our adventure to New South Wales when we visited Coles for food supplies. I’ve only had it that once, and it has stayed burned in to my memory by it’s pure deliciousness. It was in the fruit and veg section in the fridge, for those of you who want to try it!

~ To nom ~
(apologies for the lack of imagery here :( )

  Date and almond/coconut rolls

These are yet another tastes-like-junk-food-but-isn’t phenomenon. They are presented kind of like chocolate truffle (YUM) type deserts, but are made entirely out of dates (so, fruit) and either desiccated coconut or almonds. It’s like healthiness rolled up in to delicious, “but-it-can’t-be-healthy” looking foodstuffs.

 Pesto

Recently I went on a little culinary adventure in which I decided to attempt having raw lunches everyday. Unfortunately, a certain time-of-the-month came and foiled that plan with it’s craving-inducing torture. However, upon my little escapade I discovered a wonderful thing: pesto. It began with my wanting to produce a dip-like substance as a sort of surprise and treat for my dear Jeremiah when he came over to see me for the first time after my holiday, and it somehow morphed into my making an entire meal and setting up the front table all pretty for a sort of at home date. And so my personal take on pesto and gnocchi was born. I couldn’t follow the recipe because I didn’t have all the ingredients, so I threw almonds, parsley, garlic, chives, basil, mint basil, spring onions and who knows what else into the mini food processor, blitzed it up and stirred it through some steaming hot gluten free gnocchi and served it to the boyf. It was a hit.

~ To Pamper ~

 Pyjamas (Disney ones)

Nothing cheers up those of us stuck at home with chronic fatigue more than a good pair of jammies. I love nothing more than to snuggle up on the couch with my crochet and the aforementioned cup of chai, in my organically made Bambi pyjamas (yep, environmental goodness, jammies and Disney all in one....couldn’t get much more better than that!). Pyjamas are a great way to get into relaxation mode....I know when I was at school I would leave getting in to my PJ’s until after I had finished my homework for the night, so it was kind of like my little cue for my brain that it was safe to chill and forget about homework. Nowadays, I just hop in to them whenever I so fancy....because I’m really bad at relaxing and need to bash my brain into realising that my room is clean enough and I don’t need to rearrange my desk again.

  

Moroccan argan oil conditioner

So, shampoo sucks. I don’t like it. This month, I said goodbye to shampoo and hello to washing my hair with only conditioner (sans lather) and my hair has been thanking me everyday. It’s so much softer and doesn’t get so greasy so quickly, and it just looks better. Now I know it’s against my rules, but I haven’t been using natural conditioner this month, mainly because I ran out and mum just bought me what found first. And so, she came home with this little baby. It smells amazing, and leaves my hair rejoicing in nice smelling, soft and luscious happiness. Because of my personal values, I will be moving on to greener pastures (literally, greener) and using natural stuff once this runs out, but it has been a lovely little affair that I will never forget. Thank ye, Moroccan Argan Oil loveliness.

~ To Gawk at ~

 Pinterest

When Pinterest first surfaced....I had no clue what on earth was going on. Up until recently I never really used it. I can’t really remember a defining moment between I-have-no-idea-what-this-is-it-looks-weird and OH-MY-GOODNES-THIS-IS-THE-BEST-THING-EVER-I’M-NEVER-GETTING-OFF, but somehow I made the transition and never looked back. My boards multiplied. My pins just kept pinning. I fell in love with the prettiness. So now I check it every morning and numerous times during the day, and just keep gathering tonnes of inspiring ideas. Seriously if you haven’t been on there you need to check it out, you can find anything you want on there! It’s a genius idea and I commend its creators. Now please excuse me while I go check my Pinterest.

(image source)

Scientific illustrations/Butterflies & Flowers

I’ve always had a sort of fixation with vintage bookplates and such depicting butterflies, flowers, insects, and all things natural. I actually have a book dedicated entirely to the drawings one man did in the 1700’s of all the shells known of at the time. Personally, my favourite drawings to look at are those of butterflies, birds and flowers – I just love the detail that has gone in to them and am constantly eyeing them off on Etsy, waiting for the dollars to come in to maybe possibly buy myself a bookplate or poster or two, but I never do. I’m working on beginning my very own one-page documentation of all my favourite butterflies in the form of a vintage bookplate like document, all hand illustrated by me....I really can’t wait to start that! I’m hoping to take some botanical illustration courses at some stage too. I just love flowers (take a look at my pinterest and it doesn’t take long to work that one out)

~ To Create ~

DIY gifts

I love craft. I love giving presents. So, it only makes sense that I love making presents for people. It’s so rewarding, watching something grow and develop in your hands and become this useful beautiful thing, and then giving it to someone for them to love and use. Plus, I have a lot of time on my hands while I’m at home working on getting better, so it goes hand in hand! I’m working on a prezzie at the moment for one of my closest friends’ 18^th birthday, and it’s really nice, but I can’t tell you what it is, lest she read this post (yes, Zoe, I’m talking about you! ;) ). I have loads of books full of cool projects, and en entire Pinterest board dedicated to it. I just take all the ideas I like and make them or mesh them in to my own take on it, and whiz it up for someone for their birthday, or just because. I think there’s so much more meaning behind, say, a crochet blanket that you’ve made  for that specific person, than a blanket you’ve picked up from the store. Go on, try it, it’s worth it!

Coloured pencils and markers

I used to work a lot in graphite, but since I’ve been sick,  colour has really become important to me – it makes me happy. So I’ve come in to mixing different  media, and I’ve recently re-discovered the magic of combining my prismacolour markers with coloured pencil – it gives a really vibrant finish. I can’t really explain what it is about these two media together that creates so much magic, they just really play with the light together. It’s like the markers are the opaque underpainting, and the pencils are this transparent detail layer on top. I better stop myself before I go off on an artistic tangent.

 Op shop craft supplies

I love craft supplies. But seriously, craft shops...why so expensive for? I mean, all the little things are fine....like wire and cotton and stuff.....but thirteen bucks for one metre of fabric?? I may as well go to ValleyGirl and buy a ten dollar maxi skirt and cut it up! GOSH! I can’t afford that!

This is where op shops once again come and save the day. In her book, Kelly Doust talks about how she collects all these different things from op shops and flea markets and the like that she uses in her projects – buttons, fabrics, trimmings, broken jewelry, old cross stitches, table cloths (for fabric), lace...pretty much anything you can cut up and use. I personally love collecting this stuff, having a stash of all these things that you find beautiful and using them in projects is so rewarding. Plus it’s classed as recycling, which I’m all for. It allows you to get so much bang for your buck! $13 will allow you to get metres and metres of all different types of fabric instead of just one metre of one fabric (yes Spotlight, I’m lookin’ at you!), and balls of wool average about 20 cents. It’s great. And all those doilies and table cloths....they provide so much beauty to put in a quilt, or a skirt, or anything you like! Oh op shops, I love you.

~ To watch ~ 

(image source)

    

       Hugo

I don’t know why, but when this movie first came out I completely snobbed it. I was all “nup, not gonna see that, don’t want to, no reason, I just don’t.” Well, if I could go back in time, I would slap that Annabelle in the face and personally escort her to the cinema. Because, this movie is a masterpiece. It’s mildly alternative, but its storyline is simply gorgeous and the way it is executed it perfect.  Visually it’s a bit steampunk mixed with pure arty brilliance, and every shot is so emotional and conveys real personal connection.  The acting is great, and there’s a lot of familiar faces – everyone from Sauron to Watson is in there. Sacha Baron Cohen plays his character to perfection, I just love his awkward little crush on the florist lady. And the main characters, Hugo and his little book reading, linguistic girl-friend (no, not girlfriend, girl friend) are great! They portray their characters perfectly, with all their little quirks and mysteries. Phew, that was a flashback to my film analysing English classes.

~ To listen: ~

   Angus and Julia Stone

Musical wonder. These two are simply great. I can’t stop listening to them, not to mention singing them! My favourite songs from them would probably be “A Book Like This”, and “Private Lawns”, which is their take on the song “Windy City” from one of my favourite classic musicals, Calamity Jane. The baseline in that song is great. So, I think you should listen to them. Come on, I even provided the videos for your convenience.

 Waterfront Christian Church podcasts

Since I got sick, I haven’t been able to get to church in almost a year. So it’s great that my own church actually provides their sermons on iTunes for free,  so that I can sit in my studio and listen to Pastor John or Angela or any of our other preachers talk about the Word that God has given them to share with us that day. There’s been at least a couple of those sermon’s that have really stuck with me, and I admit I probably don’t listen to enough of them...but they’ve really been a blessing since I got sick! So if you find you can’t get to church, check out Waterfront Christian Church on iTunes, or even download Joyce Meyer or Chuck Mistler, anything that takes your fancy. It’s great!

Well, that’s my faves for the month of April! I hope I introduced you to something new, or helped you rediscover an old love.

A new post will be up shortly(ish)!

God bless!

Annabelle

<3

xxx

I'm back! + Inspiring Artist: Katherine Tromans

Before I start, I just want to acknowledge that today is a very important day in Australian history, today, on ANZAC day, we remember those men and women who have risked and lay down their lives for their country and for all of us in wars throughout our history.

Lest we forget.



SO, I have returned from my little break! I'm rested and ready to get blogging! Over the next little while I am going to do a bit of makeovering in my bedroom....and when I am finished I will FINALLY do that next post on living on a budget, Decor! I'm so sorry for the wait on that one! Unacceptable. Really, I know.

Anywho, now that I am back, I've been back on my Pinterest (yes, I can't help myself) and via that lovely little nook of the internet I discovered myself a very talented artist: Katherine Tromans. (See her website and all her creative creations on her website)


Now, I just love watercolour, whether I'm using it or looking at a watercolour painting, and I love pastel colours, and I also adore nature so naturally, when I see these combined, I get a little high.

Katherine is an illustrator and graphic designer from Birmingham in the UK. This particular collection of hers, deemed "Paradise", is a series in which she explored the theme of paradise, taking people's descriptions of their own personal paradise and interpreting them in to these beautiful, otherworldly little pieces of prettiness:

(Images sourced here)

ALL images exhibited here are created by artist Katherine Tromans, and all copyright belongs to her.

That's all for today!

Have a lovely day, God bless!

Annabelle

<3

xxx

Time for a break!

(Image source: Photo by Sparklezdtr on Deviantart)

Oh hello!


Just to let you all know that there will not be any new posts for two weeks from today.
I am tired, and I need a break to look after myself!


I just want to thank everyone who has supported me by visiting this blog. Since January 27 we have had 2633 views, and the rates just keep speeding up! You guys have been just fantastic, and I really appreciate all you have done to help me! I can only hope that I have repaid you in enjoyable blog posts!

Please feel free to provide feedback and any requests you have for the blog by emailing me at annabelle_1995@hotmail.com.au, or posting them to our Facebook wall (right after you "like" us ;) )


Thanks again everybody, and I'll see you in two weeks!!




Love!




Annabelle




<3



xxx

Flower girl.

I went to my gorgeous cousin's wedding yesterday, and this is what  put together for the day. 100% thrifted. Shyeah.

~ Dress, Friends of Couture (thrifted), $7

~ Belt, thrifted, $2

~ Bag, thrifted, $8

~ Shoes, $2, thrifted

~ Lipstick Revlon "Rum raisin"

And here's some shots i took at the ceremony!

                               

Congratulations guys!!

Annabelle

<3

xxx

Inspiring Artist: Alphonse Mucha.

At the start of the year, I was wondering around town with my mother, looking for a calendar. I came across a really stunning one, full of art by an artist I'd never heard of before. Whoever put the calendar together added sparkles for accents (which, with my obsession with sparkles, I just couldn't pass it up).

A couple of days ago I was on Pinterest and saw an image someone had pinned that looked like it was from my calendar, and lo, my love for Alphonse Mucha was born.

Mucha lived and made art from the mid 1800's to early 1900's, and I'm so glad he did, because his work is just beautiful! Check it out:

(image source)






(Image source)







(Image source)







(Image source)






(Image source)



(All works shown here by artist Alphonse Mucha)

That's all for now folks!

Annabelle

<3

xxx

DIY: Simple Bookbinding - Make Your Own Notebook! ( + my travel diary!)

So, I needed a travel diary. I adventure to Typo. I find a gorgeous little travel journal, I pick it up and skim through the pages. I smile. I turn it over and look at the price tag. I am appalled! I put it back out, and leave the store immediately.

There is nothing I like on Ebay.


There is nothing I fancy on Etsy.


Even Amazon fails me.


This left me with no other choice.....


I must make one myself.


And this is how I did it!

 

 

You're gonna need:

 

 

 

 

~ Something to use as a cover. I made this myself with a piece of cardboard I found and covered with vintage wallpaper that I already had. You can use a manila folder, old book covers, or you can do what I did and find a piece of cardboard and either leave it plain or cover it with fabric, paper, wallpaper or whatever you take a liking to.

~ Thread and a needle with an eye big enough to fit the thread through. (TIP: lick the end of the thread and squeeze it flat to fit it through the eye of the needle.

~ Something to use as an awl (which is a bookbinding tool). So basically, something strong and pointy to poke small holes with. Kay?

~ Paper

~ Scissors

~ A pencil.

 

Alrighty, so you got your stuff? Let's go!

 

 

 

Step 1

 





 

Decide on how many pages you want, and then half that number and fetch that many pieces of paper. I wanted 24 pages, so I got 12 pieces of paper. Put all these pieces together and fold evenly. You want the fold to be sure of itself, so grab a bone folder or a knife or ruler, and use the back of it to get that fold nice and...uh...folded. Not just curved.



Step 2

Put your paper flat on your open cover, and position it so the fold in your paper aligns with the fold in the cover. Grab your pencil and mark where the holes are going to go on the paper. I did mine about an inch apart all the way down. Hey look! I got a text message!




Step 3

Now it's time to poke some holes! Get your sharp pokey thing and make a hole in each dot.

 

 

 

Step 4

 

 

 

Place your pages on your cover like you did before. Making sure your pencil is sharp, put the point in each of the holes in the paper to mark where the holes will be on the cardboard. Clever, huh! You also want holes right at the edge of the paper on the cover as well, so mark there too, like I am in this picture. Then poke your holes like you did last time!

Step 5

Cut a length of thread, tie a knot at the end, and thread it through your needle (remember my tip from earlier in this post!)





Step 6

 

 

 

Now for the fun part, let's sew! Okay so, to start, poke your needle through the first hole at the top of the paper in the cover, and pull the thread through until your knot catches. Now, come back up through the next hole, and pull tight. Then go down through the next hole, and pull tight, and up through the next and so on until you reach the end like this:

 

Now, we do the same thing again but coming back up the other way. So, down through the next hole, pull tight, up through the next, pull tight.

Step 7

 

 

When you reach the end, make sure that everything is pulled tight and your pages are secure. Now we want to tie off our thread. To do this we take our needle down through the first hole where the knot is, and bring it back up through the next hole. Pull your thread through, tie it off with the tail of the knot at the hole with a good, strong triple knot. You can even dab a bit of glue on it to be extra sure. Then snip off the excess string and.....

 Voila!

You have a book!




Now, if you want a button and string clasp like I have on mine (see in picture at top of post), it's really easy! Thread your needle and tie a good strong knot like last time, and from the inside of your book, thread the string through the centre hole that you made and pull it through until the knot catches. Okay so that part's done. Now pick a button, and sew it on to the cover like in the image on the top of this post. and there you have it! A button and string clasp.


Now go use it!



I hope you found this tutorial helpful.



And before you wander off....

Check out our facebook page...and like it!!
And have a squizz at our Pinterest...and maybe even follow us!
We sell pretty things on our Etsy...
And our Twitter is lots of fun!





God Bless!




Annabelle





<3




xxx



New life.

Happy Easter!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Jumper, $5 thrifted!
Belt, $2 thrifted
Dress was bought at DFO, in Mossiman, I believe.
I have had the tights since a certain nursery rhyme murder mystery birthday in year 6.
The shoes were thrifted for $5

 

 

 

 

 Cross necklace, birthday present
The hair ribbon came on a bouquet of flowers from my boyfriend!

 

 

Today is a day of new life. Enjoy celebrating this with your families!

 

 

 

 

 

Love!!

 

 

 

 

 

Annabelle

 

 

 

 

 

 

<3

 

 

 

 

 

 

xxx

EASTER SPECIAL! DIY Chocolate + Recipe!!

Homemade dark chocolate, mm mmmmm!

I made these chocolates for my family this easter, and they were delish!

So if this picture doesn't make you want to stuff your face, I don't know what will! Wanna make some? Yeah? Alrighty, this is what you need:

~ 6tbsp Cocoa powder (or ground cocao beans, but they're 'spensive!)
~ 5tbsp Coconut oil. I got mine from safeway for 6 bucks (coles sells for $10) and so far I have gotten three batches out of it.
~ 1 1/2tbsp Honey or syrup (or a little more for sweeter chocolate, but that makes it fudgier! You could use sugar and dissolve it in over the heat!)
~1/4tsp vanilla extract
~ Some kind of chocolate mould. Now, I recommend silicone moulds so they're easier to get out. You could use an ice cube tray, but it takes a lot of banging to get the choccies out! You could also line a tray with baking paper and pour the chocolate out on it, then when it's set take it out and break it up, or wrap it up as a big slab!

Let's go!

1. Melt your coconut oil over a medium heat until all melted.
2. Take the oil off the heat and add all your ingredients and mix well!
3. Pour it in to your tray, or spoon it in to your moulds, and pop it in the fridge to set! Yippee!



And then when it's all done, wrap it nice and give it to your friends and family! This is how I did mine:

Enjoy!


A couple of thousand years ago, one man paid the ultimate sacrifice. He died, humiliated, for us, out of love. Now we are all forgiven because of that one man. How blessed are we! Happy Easter!!




Annabelle




<3




xxx

Wonderland.

 

 

 

There's nothing like a trip to the op shop with a couple of good friends.

 

 

 

 

 

If I were to go to Wonderland, this is what I would wear.

The shirt is thrifted, and was about $5

The dress once belonged to my oldest sister

The belt was thrifted for $2



 

 

 

Yes I do have other bags and shoes.....I just reeeeally like these ones!!

The shoes were thrifted for six bucks

The socks were a Christmas present

The bag was thrifted for three dollars.

 

 

Another cheap outfit! It just goes to show what you can do if you really have fun at an op shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before you go...

 

 

We have a Facebook page you might fancy liking.

And a Twitter that might float your boat.

Not to mention a pretty little Etsy store!

Oh yes, and a Pinterest!

 

And if you fancy a chat, an email: annabelle_1995@hotmail.com.au

 

 

 

Have a wonderful week!!

 

 

 

 

Annabelle

 

 

 

<3

 

 

 

 

xxx

 

 

 

 



 

 

 



One Little Piggy Went to Market....

So I went out with my mummy one day, and this is what I wore.

A shirt, black, from K-mart.

A belt, two dollars, from Vinnies,

Shorts, suede, Princess Polly.

And a bag, black, thrifted.

 

 

I wore socks, knitted, by my grandmother.

And shoes, six dollars, from the Salvation Army. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best jacket in the world, from the best boyfriend in the world.

A hat, expensive ( D: ), from Myers.

And, well, that's it!

 

 

 

Apologies for my being a day late posting!!

Like us on Facebook to stay updated!

 

 How about following us on Twitter?

 

 And Pinterest!

 

I sell pretty things on Etsy :)

 

Email me! annabelle_1995@hotmail.com.au

 

 

 

Happy days!

 

 

 

 

 

Annabelle

 

 

 

 

 

 

<3

 

 

 

 

 

xxx