Love list

To my beloved (albeit abandoned) readers. Things have been quiet around here as I've been pouring my energy and limited attention span into a super exciting project which I can't wait to tell you about! I'll spill the beans in late February. I've also adopted a beautiful six year old Birman cat named Pearl Céleste Blanc, who I feel the need to cuddle 24/7.

Anyway, I hope 2012 has been unfolding beautifully for y'all. I personally could not ask for a better start to the year. I'm brimming with happiness, inspiration and excitement. Thus, I dedicate this post to some of the things that have been rocking my jocks of late (gross analogy, sorry folk).

Mango, a.k.a summer in fruit form. Perfect in smoothies, cocktails, salads and, most of all, cut in half, sliced into cubes and munched on (just make sure you've got a serviette).

Buns. Now that my locks are finally getting longer, buns are my go to 'do during hot, hot temperatures, bad hair days and rushed mornings. My colleague recently enlightened me upon a crucial bun rule: tease your ponytail before wrapping it into a bun to make it look pretty, whimsical and "not like someone did a number two on your head". Delightful.

Pretty Little Liars. This show is ridiculously addictive and I'm completely hooked.

Cobalt blue. I can't get enough of it lately, especially teamed with bright red. What's your favourite colour to wear at the moment?

Herbal tea. In a quest to employ healthy ways to relax, I've been swigging down bottomless cups of tea like there's no tomorrow. I used to favour milky English Breakfast and vanilla infused Chai, but now I can't get enough of green and peppermint. Any other herbal recs, tea enthusiasts?

Ecoya! I'm currently addicted to the Sorrento Lotus Flower candle - so divine. If I could eat it, I would.

Sous style, a new lifestyle blog compiled by ex-Melbournian and current ELLE Photo Director Pippa Lord. Attn: foodie-fashionistas, homemakers and cool, young Martha Stewarts - check it out stat.

Kikki K! Swedish stationary at it's best. My recent additions include a 2012 diary, heart magnets to jazz up my whiteboard and "Dinner Party Conversation Starters" for kicks (quite amusing).

Sunshine. Vitamin D. Gimme. While it's nice to snuggle up to the sound of rain every now and then, I am definitely a warm weather addict. I could never live in London! Until I moved to Brisbane, I spent my whole life living by the sea, from Port Macquarie as a kiddie, to the Sunshine Coast as a teen, through to Bondi in my late teens. There is NO WAY I could not survive in this beachless vicinity without my swimming pool (below).

Mac "Vegas Volt" lipstick. I can't believe I ever left the house without this gem. It is the most perfect, flattering shade of coral and, without a doubt, my favourite lipstick off all time. Get upon it peeps.

And that's a wrap. I look forward to catching up on your beautiful blogs over the weekend! I'm been enduring some serious withdrawal symptoms.

Over and out. ♥

HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR

Many people think it’s an over hyped festivity, but I’m a big fan of celebrating New Years Eve. Call me geeky, but I find it worthwhile to reflect and reminisce upon the year gone by, to evaluate current circumstances and to set goals accordingly for the year ahead.

Unlike previous NYE celebrations, this year my boyfriend and I decided to skip the token wild night out for a candlelit picnic together. To our shock and horror, we accidentally fell asleep at 6pm and snoozed through the transition of 2011 to 2012.

We woke up at 4am, scratching our heads in disbelief at our failed efforts to celebrate. The plan was to share a dreamy night together, yes, but not one that involved snoring. My twenty year old self would be disgusted.

However, our intentions (and food/drinks) were there, so on the first night of 2012 we switched on the fairy lights, lit candles and incense, blasted some tunes, prepped various snacks, poured the wine and invited a couple of pals over to celebrate then instead.

Sometime over the weekend I dug out my abandoned 2011 “goal list” and was surprised to see I’d achieved the majority of them without consciously realising or being too hard on myself. 2011 highlights included:

• Celebrating my one year anniversary with my boyfriend/best friend.
• Resigning from an average job and replacing it with two great ones.
• Completing my fourth year of university and gaining so many new skills as a result.
• Visiting Sydney twice to intern at Madison and Cleo.
• Scoring a place in the top three of the national Cosmo U Ambassador competition.
• Partaking in a career mentorship with the QLD News Editor/Producer for ABC Online.
• Expanding my portfolio of published work.
• Playing TV journalist for QUT News, which was a huge learning curb, professionally and personally.
• Falling in love with radio journalism while completing a praxis with Radio 4EB.
• Quitting the cancer sticks! I’d been intending to kick the habit for a long time, so the day after my 22nd birthday I went cold turkey and haven’t looked back since.
• Going to Byron Bay for the first time, where I was a bridesmaid for the first time. Both = amazing.
• Attending lots of wonderful parties, from black tie events, to fancy dress soirées, through to good old fashioned house parties.
• Meeting lots of fantastic folk, including new friends, colleagues and fellow bloggers.
• Exceeding my 2011 $avings goal.
• Generally enjoying life as much as possible while balancing it with work and study.

I dub 2011 the year of growing up, in which my penchant for fast-paced, frivolous fun (read: partying) was often outweighed by an appreciation of the finer things in life. I’ve definitely learnt to value simple pleasures, as well as allowed myself to enjoy living in the present rather than rushing to live out my idealised future.

My mantra for 2012 is “happiness is a journey, not a destination,” and I can’t wait to see what the year brings. This year my “goal list" not only includes the goals I'd like to achieve, but also general activities and interests I’d like to try and pursue. So many exciting happenings are in the works and I look forward to sharing them with you!

What did 2011 teach you? Have you conjured up a list of goals for 2012?

P.S. You can read about one of my previous New Years Eve shockers in a piece I had published in new online magazine Run, Rabbit (page 30).