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

Business as Usual.

I had a poker night a couple of weeks ago, and I channelled my inner tough nut!

Also, look forward to Wednesday, we have a new category coming up! (Providing I have the energy to complete the post!!)


('scuse the poor camera quality once again!)

My shirt was $1 from the thrift store, it has beautiful sheer detailing in all the swirly bits, simply gawjuss!
The pants were a gift from my motherdear
The bag was thrifted for 3 bucks
I was wearing the normal shoes, and Revlon Midnight Affair on my fingernails

The jacket was a DIY from years ago...I tied up with elastic bands and chucked it in a bucket of Demesdos (which is a bleaching cleaning fluid)...it STUNK for ages....but it looks cool!!




Have a good one!



Annabelle



<3



xxx

I'm BAAAAACK! + Little red shorts.

I have returned! And I have come baring a new weapon: a schedule.

I am, officially at least, going to be creating a new post each Friday, Monday and Wednesday. There may be a few surprises here and there, but this is just to get things in working order, and to give you pretties something to look forward to!

So, as a reward for your patience whilst I have been away resting myself, here is a pretty little number for you to enjoy:


Little Red Shorts:
(please excuse the quality of some of the pics, our SLR was flat at the time D: )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

So I went on a little outing with my parents in out new car last week.

 

And I was a happy little chap in this outfit.

 

 

The shoes, as you know, are thrifted, and were about six big'uns.

The socks were a Chrissy present a couple of years ago, I do believe they come from CottonOn Body

The bag is thrifted, $3

And the sunnies were a big, fat, painful $10 from Dotti.

My shorts are thrifted, I think they were about five dollars from le Salvation Army

The shirt was thrfted from Vinnies YEARS ago and I cannot recall the price (sorry dears)

The belt is from Vinnies as well and was $2

And the bracelet (which is actually a necklace, sneaky, I know.) was my dear mother's.
The scar belonged to my older sister, once upon a time,

And the jacket.  That precious thing. That B-E-A-YOOOOtiful (kudos to you Bruce Almighty fans) little number...is vintage AND was $2 from a garage sale.

uaibwuiddugusioahioad;gqwuodbsdvhyfhaoishq. Amazing, I know.

My lippy is Revlon "Blushing Nude" mixed with a little red

And my nails are Revlon "Midnight Affair", a lovely blue that mummy got my for Christmas

 

 

I do believe that is all.

 

 

 

Cheerio, chaps!

 

 

 

 

 

Annabelle

 

 

 

<3

 

 

 

 

xxx

 



Budget Living - DIY and Learning Crafts.

I've always been a crafty person. No, not in the scheming deceitful way, but in the creative make-something-out-of-whatever-I-can, collection-of-toilet-paper-rolls type of way.

Crafting can save you  A LOT mulah, and if you get it right (which isn't as hard as you might think!) you will be a smiling loon at the end of the day when your masterpiece is ready for use. Depending on what you make, DIY doesn't have to take very long either, so if you use the excuse that you "don't have time," you are dead wrong! Nice try, slick.

And, to make things even more awesome, DIY is incredibly environmentally friendly if you do it in the right way. You can re-use almost anything and make it beautiful and use it yourself, gift it or even sell it and make money!

Craft can save you money in so many places! These include:

• Storage, you can make beautiful storage containers out of old jars, decorated boxes or containers and even old wood and furniture, if you are so bold as to attempt some woodworking.
• Gifts! Gifts are one of the best things to make yourself. The list is endless: jewellery, cookies, beanies, cushions, cake stands, skirts, make-up holders, and so on. The fact that you have put the time aside to make something for your friend makes it all the more special.
• Pretty much anywhere, really. Almost everything you use daily you can make yourself: clothes (which I really hope you use regularly..), jewellery, bedding, laptop sleeves, notebooks, shampoo and conditioner, candles, curtains, scarves and so on, and on and on and on. In most cases when you make something yourself, especially things like shampoo, they are better for your health.

And if you want to get really thrifty, pretty much any supplies you need for craft can be found at any op shop! Save your more typical supplies like glue. Some of the things I regularly buy myself from the thrift store are wool (at about 50 cents a ball!), fabric, buttons, vintage wrapping papers (as craft paper),  jewellery to use for beads, jars, boxes, baskets, sewing patterns, ribbon, lace, the list goes on.

Your Kit:
If you want to get crafting, for simple projects such as clothes or perking up items, like this lamp that I did a few months back, you are going to need a simple kit. Most of these things you can pick up at either your local supermarket, op shop of craft store. So, you will need:

• Two pairs of scissors. Fabric scissors and normal scissors. You do NOT want to use fabric scissors on paper, as you will blunt them and scream angrily every time you try to cut fabric with them for the rest of eternity.
• Glue. Depending on what you want to do you will want different types, but for starters all you will need is PVA, and an all purpose glue (Uhu all purpose glue is great, and affordable), and a basic glue stick.
• A needle
• Pins
• Cotton
• Measuring tape and a ruler
• A pen
• A collection of fabrics, beads, rhinestones, trimmings, and whatever else takes your fancy!

If you're a busy person, I would recommend craft books, I have a few, mostly given to me by my boyfriend of his lovely mother (thanks guys!). If you don't want to spend your money on those, just spend five minutes here and there looking at tutorials on the internet and saving the ones that you like to a file in your favourites or on your computer for you to check out later when you need to make a gift or something. YouTube is AH-MAZING for tutorials.

There are so many things out there you can craft up. If you find a cupboard you like at a thrift store but the colour doesn't suit your décor, grab some sandpaper and paint and do it up! Make some pretty labels for jars and spray paint the lids to keep your flour, herbs, and sugar in. Cut up the clothes you don't like anymore for fabric, or make a dress in to a skirt.

Once you've got your basic crafty skills down-pat, start looking at more complex ones to learn and even specialise in! I've taught myself crochet, felting, drawing, painting, and sewing amongst other things, and I'm looking at learning cross stitch and embroidery when I'm well enough!

 Just a few of the things I have made for gifts and for myself include a crochet blanket, crochet collars, pendants, beanies, doilies, high-waisted shorts and skirts, flowers and heaps more.

All you need is a few tools and an open mind.

One thing I really recommend is when you really want something, anything, first ask yourself how much you want it and how much you actually need it.

Then sit down and think. Is it possible for me to make this thing, so I don't have to buy it? Do I have anything I can use instead?

If it's possible for you to make it, do it! Because you can make it your own, and it will save you money. If there is something you have that you can use instead, then: You. Don't. Need. It.

However if you desperately want it, and don't need it, but can make it yourself, knock yourself out! I didn't need these high-waisted shorts, but I sure wanted them! Nothing could keep me from making them, not even this chronic fatigue. And they cost me under three dollars! Under two, even.


So you see, craft is fun, and it is money saving. So why not?


Happy crafting!

Email me at annabelle_1995@hotmail.com.au if ye want any advice, if you have questions, or if you just want to chat!
Also, check out our Facebook page and like it, if you like! It will keep you updated and smiling.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TeaSymphony/413282935422189


Love love love love love!


Annabelle.

<3


xxx



A Budget Wardrobe.

 

Believe it or not, I once despised op shops. Yep. Let us pause for a moment and let this sink in.

Brace yourself, because here comes another shocker: I wanted to be "scene"....you know, rainbow hair, piercings, black, black and more black. (I have nothing against you who enjoy this style, I commend you!) It's just not me though, is it?

So you can imagine you would never, EVER  have caught me dead in op shop. So consequently, my bank account suffered. My savings for my car were virtually extinct. My parents wallets would run for cover when I walked in to the room. And to top it all off, I was dead tired from having to keep a job and, as I remember putting it once, my life "sucked."

So somewhere along the line I had an epiphany. HALLELUJAH!

I realized I needed to look at my money and plan for my future, and that I needed to grow up and look after myself. I think the fact that I found out I was allergic to gluten and dairy and taking them out of my diet completely changed the chemistry in my body and cleared my head may have had a part in all this.  A HUGE part. So I downsized the way I spent, and I re-ignited my love for vintage.

And sweetie, I never looked back!


 Give thrift stores a chance.

I used to think thrift stores were yucky and smelly. Granted, some of them are. But they are so much more!
You can get virtually anything for any style there. Really current style dresses, shirts, skirts and shoes, vintage clothes, cowboy boots, stiletto heels, chunky necklaces, dainty chains....the list goes on.
I find a lot of people think thrift stores only have grotty old clothes or "old lady" clothes for "indies and hipsters." These days, most thrift stores will trash anything torn up or sell them as rags, or even cut them up and sell the good parts as fabric. So chances are if you toddle in to a thrift store and explore the racks, you will find any number of modern, vintage or on trend clothing pieces in really good nick. If you take a look at my Styling section, you'll see! Most of my wardrobe is thrifted these days.
So you have to get past the idea that thrift stores are pointless! You can find anything you're looking for, if you just take the moment to look.
And a really cool thing about thrifting? By shopping at an op shop you are both recycling, so it's sustainable, and you are giving money to a good cause!
 
You also want to keep an open mind and think cleverly.

I found this in the "old lady" section.

 Can't find a pair of shorts you like? Rummage through the pants and jeans racks and you might find something you can cut and hem in to the perfect (stand out) shorts for you! The same goes for dresses, you can cut and hem to the desired length, or even get some nice complimentary fabric from the craft section and add some length if it's too short! You can cut sleeves, add sleeves, use belts, add sashes, turn dresses in to shirts or skirts, wear shirts as jackets, change buttons, add patches and accents....the options are endless if you just think. I promise, you will come up with some great, original clothing pieces. Pretty much anything you would want to add to a piece of clothing you will find in a thrift store.
Be adventurous! The white polka dot dress pictured here was found in the costume section!


If you're on a really tight budget or just want more for less,  pay attention to the sales.

             
                                                                                                                     
I personally get a massive kick out of a good bargain, I would probably include "professional bargain hunter" on my resume if I could. So I pay attention to the sales for the fun of it. Salvation army stores  have sales each week according to the colour of the tags. So when you walk in, look for a poster or massive cardboard cut out saying which coloured tag is 50% off that day! I'm so hopeless, I will ONLY buy what's on sale unless it's already seriously cheap. I have been known to walk in to an op shop and look at a five dollar top, fall in love with it, and leave because it is "too expensive." Vinnies stores and most other thrift stores will have a $1 rack absolutely bursting with cool stuff. The grey top above was found on a one dollar rack! Also, the more obscure thrift stores like church or house ones tend to be much cheaper, and you are more likely to find gems there, because they haven't been picked over and items aren't prices according to their worth! These shoes were two dollars, and the bad was three!

Finally, and I can't stress this enough, so I shall put it in bold for your eyes to soak up:

Know you aren't restricted to only thrift stores.

Other places I will happily bag a bargain include garage sales, markets, and sales at QUALITY stores. I will not pay $60 for a dress unless it is from a store like Myers, and it is reduced from a very high price. I got this one for sixty dollars down from almost three hundred, and the quality is amazing:

 

And THIS was $2 from a garage sale

                      



                                        

Remember, if you are thrifting, look for quality in  clothes if you don't want to have to keep replacing them. Even if they are only a dollar, you don't want to keep wasting your money by replacing bad quality items. Those dollar could go in to your savings and earn interest, or buy you another amazing piece of clothing!

 

                                        Some earrings from a garage sale and an op shop!

 

 

 

I hope that this helped you, feel free to email me if you have any enquiries at annabelle_1995@hotmail.com.au.

 

I guarantee you that this method of shopping will save you money, and you will end up with so many unique and one-of-a-kind-pieces.

 

Stay tuned for more budgeting fun!! (wow, now that sounds like an oxymoron!) Subscribe to receive an email each time I post something new! There is a link on the right panel of this page.

 

Happy shopping, my lovelies!!

 

 

Annabelle.

 

 

<3

 

xxx