18 June, 2013
USA Adventure: Bumper Pic Post - The Vegas Edition
I've been meaning to put this post together for a while but as you can imagine it's been a huge job to download all the photos off the camera (there were over 2,000!) I hope looking at these pics make you smile as much as they make me smile. Probably not, but I hope you enjoy them anyway.
11 June, 2013
Tattoo Tuesday: Tiger Tribute
It’s that time again! Finally a new Tattoo Tuesday to share with you! I know it hasn’t actually been THAT long but it feels like it…I just love getting tattooed! Haha This is another piece by the amazing Tilly Lace at Trailer Trash Tattoo! An old school piece I’ve had picked out for a little while, it’s a bit of a nod to Sailor Jerry’s pioneering style and with the anniversary of his death tomorrow, I think it’s a fitting tribute.
This piece is on my left elbow and has filled in a large area on my arm. There’s not much space left to go until this sleeve is finished with just a couple of little fillers and some background to go. I love the colours and expression on this tiger, it looks beautiful and savage at the same time. Also, I love that getting it on my elbow means that when my arm is bent it looks like it’s roaring. Kinda cool huh? Also, who knew getting a photo of your own elbow was so hard??
I must admit this hurt a lot more than I thought it would and more than I remember my other elbow hurting but maybe I’d just forgotten? Still, I love it and am so glad I got it. It’s turned out so well and Tilly’s work continues to amaze me.
RIP Norman ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins (14/07/1911 – 12/06/1973)
04 June, 2013
Action Is My Middle Name
The past few days I've been reflecting on what I've achieved in my life in the last couple of months and it's really nothing short of amazing. I've done things that I never thought I'd do and I still can't quite believe I've done. I've made some memories to last a lifetime, taken some risks and seen the world. I feel really grateful to have had some fantastic opportunities and I'm so proud of myself for taking them with both hands. I thought this song was particularly fitting for today's post.
I suppose the things that stick out to me the most are the USA trip, specifically shooting guns! To think that I shot a Glock 9mm, an AR-15 Rifle, a shotgun and an AK-47 is almost unbelievable to me, but I have the pictures and the memories to prove it. I won't lie, I was a bit scared but I was also brave enough to go ahead with it and I had a lot of fun. And you know what? I'm sensing a pattern here...
Because, last week I went away to the Whitsundays with work. And while I was there I did a few things that again, I never thought I would be brave enough or have the opportunity to do. The first was holding a shark. Those who know me or have been reading this blog for a while will know that sharks are one of my biggest fears. A little irrational maybe but still, I've been freaked out in swimming pools before that's how paranoid I am! haha And sure, this bamboo shark is a pretty little guy but he still had teeth that could cause some damage and well, I AM HOLDING A SHARK!! Haha
I also hand fed predatory fish and giant sting rays. Well, if you consider dangling half a fish into the water and then squealing and letting go as the fish/ray goes for it as 'hand feeding'. Again, I was a fair bit out of my comfort zone but I did it and enjoyed it, even if I looked like the girliest girl ever and had the marine biologist in stitches. BUT I DID IT! And, just when I thought the trip couldn't get any better, we went on a daytrip out to the Great Barrier Reef and I WENT SCUBA DIVING for the very first time in my entire life!!!
This was a completely amazing experience and I actually felt a little teary afterwards as I couldn't quite believe that a) I had been brave enough to do it and that b) I had been lucky enough to do it. I mean, it's something that people come from all over the world to do!! Considering what a sook I am when it comes to anything to do with the ocean, I was so proud of myself for being brave enough to get out of my comfort zone and give it a go. It's not exactly an opportunity that comes along very often, so I'm so glad I didn't refuse!
I am so proud of myself and I'm beginning to learn to embrace stepping out of my comfort zone, being brave and giving something a go even if it does seem a bit scary. So far, the results have all been immensely positive so who knows what else I've been missing out on all this time?
Do you try to step out of your comfort zone? Have you ever done something scary or exciting?
29 May, 2013
I Can Finally Reveal The Big Secret!
 |
| Mimsy, Tracey (the beauty & brains behind S&S, the lovely Hayley & myself |
Remember a little while ago I was galavanting around inside the Trailer Trash Tattoo studio with Mimsy looking all dressed up? Remember how I said something secrect squirrel was going on? Well now I can finally reveal the big secret and I am SO excited!! Rockabilly clothing and accessories company and proud supporters of this blog, Stars and Swallows have just launched their newly designed website and I'm a featured model!!
We got to work with the dynamic duo, Misha's Makeup and Matt Black Photography, which is a rare privilege. It was such a fun day and I loved getting dressed up in all the wonderful clothes and outfits! I wish they were all in my wardrobe! Luckily they can be and ever since the shoot I've been slowly collecting more and more of the clothes I modelled but now you can buy them off the new and improved website! Which may I say I think looks fantastic, and not just because I'm on it :P
It's so pretty but simple, making it really easy to navigate and the new images certainly bring the site itself and the clothes to life. I'm also really proud of Stars and Swallows for choosing such a different range of models, size and shape wise. I think that is really important and will certainly help shoppers to know what will look good on them and how certain items look on curves, larger sizes and smaller frames.
These images are just a bit of a tease on what you can find on the website and there's plenty on offer for both guys and gals so go and check it out. No doubt you'll see plenty of familiar faces and not just mine *hint hint* While you're there, why not grab whatever takes your fancy!? Stars and Swallows proudly stock smaller and plus sizes, have some of the most affordable prices around and offer super fast shipping so you might even be able to get something new for the weekend...if you can make your mind up in time!
So, what do you think of my website debut? I've never been a real clothing model on a real website before!! I'm a bit chuffed!
21 May, 2013
Sunday Spa Day
Thanks to the wonderful team at Blog Power Events, I was invited on Sunday to the newly renovated Beautiful You Hair and Beauty Day Spa at Margate to join a group of bloggers for a day of pampering the experience all the wonderful things that the ladies at Beautiful You have to offer. We know my obsession with massages and all things pampering so I was definitely in!
Once that was over it was out into the lounge and salon area to mingle with the other ladies and enjoy some champagne. We each had our own personalised treatment timetables detailing what the day had in store for us and it was quite exciting to see what wonderful, indulgent things were coming up next on the list. For me it was the Blue Lagoon Hydrotherapy Spa and as I entered the room I felt instantly relaxed with the dim lighting, lots of candles set up everywhere and some kind of magnificent aromatherapy scent filling the air. It was a bit of a contrast to the actual spa which as I approached it, it looked super high tech with blue lights emanating from beneath the water. Using three different pressure settings on the jets, this amazing contraption actually gently exfoliates your skin as you lay in the steamy water, which also relaxes your muscles. As a shorty, I had to hold on a bit when the pressure from the jets increased as I was getting floated around a bit. Haha
I think I'd definitely love to go back and have another of the Image facial peels and maybe test drive a few of the other services on the menu - and trust me there's A LOT!
16 May, 2013
Wet Set - GO!
As someone with deadly straight hair without even trying, it should come as no surprise that for a long time I've been on a quest to make it curly. Despite what someone think, I'm actually not that good at doing my hair and am especially bad a curling. Well, until now...
I've always struggled to try and curl my hair, trying everything from hot rollers to velcros and curling irons. My main problem has been a combination of lack of knowledge/skills and laziness. Surely it couldn't be too hard to learn how to get that gorgeous, sassy, bouncy, curled and wavy look. And yet, I couldn't be bothered mostly because I felt everytime I tried I always failed - so what was the point? I am also lucky enough to have some rather skilled friends who are wonderful enough to do my hair for me.
 |
| Don't laugh. Stop it. |
But I'd been so bored with my hair lately that I wanted to do something different. I definitely wanted to go shorter and I wanted something that could be a bit edgy when left straight but could transform into a more classic look with some teasing and curling. I settled on a style and walked out of the salon looking like a million bucks. Question was, could I maintain the curls when I wanted to?
Cue my fairy hair mother Elisse and her brilliant advice. Wet sets with foam rollers. Easy to do, no need to follow any real pattern, easy to sleep in and leave in overnight to wake up with fab hair. It seemed simple enough and she assured me I could do it. So I hunted down some foam rollers (which were harder to find than I thought they'd be) and gave it a shot.
 |
| Leaving the salon - what I tell you? Million bucks! |
My first attempt didn't quite work out. I got home too late the night before and was too tired to set my hair so I did it first thing the next morning. I left it in for a while and blow dryed it a little but the curls weren't completely dry by the time I had to take them out so they didn't hold properly. Still, there was enough of a wave in there that it didn't look completely terrible and with a bit of teasing it looked decent and I was able to leave the house in it.
My second attempt was far more successful, although at first I didn't think it was. I set my hair as per usual and when I took the rollers out the next morning I was so impressed by how tight the curls were and what great hold they had. I started to divide the middle section and brush them down a little bit...and then I started to panic. They looked ridiculous! They were sitting way too high and the ends had gone a bit crazy and I looked like some kind of wannabe vintage albino golliwog.
 |
| Not bad, eh? |
I kept brushing, my panic rising. Oh my God, I thought. This is SO not going to work. I can't leave the house like this!! I'm going to have to wash my hair to get rid of it. I looked at the clock, 15 minutes before I had to leave for work. WHY? Whyyyyy did I do this?? Amidst my panic and hyperventilation, Elisse's words came back to me. No matter what, just keep brushing - the curl will hold. And you know what? IT WORKED!! Phew!
So, the basic steps and tips for creating a wet set from a total newbie?
- Make sure your hair is damp but not TOO wet.
- Use a good quality mousse designed to offer decent hold.
- Make sure your sections aren't too thick (they won't dry)
- Try to keep your ends neat for a better, smoother result.
- Wrap your hair up in a scarf overnight to prevent strays
- Finish off in the morning with a quick bloy dry to make they're all dry
- JUST. KEEP. BRUSHING.
 |
| This is the basic setting pattern I use but it doesn't need to be exact or particularly neat (as long as your curls are) |
This is a much easier way to curl your hair than pin curls (good lord!) and far less painful that burning yourself on hot rollers and curling irons! So, have YOU got any tips for ME? If you have any questions leave them in the comments too and I'll do my best to help.
14 May, 2013
USA Adventure: Part 8 - Viva Las Vegas!
Ok, I know it's taken me too long to get to this part of the adventure and at risk of disappointing you, I still haven't gotten all the images downloaded off the camera yet so I don't have ALL the images available, but I will share what I already have. You can look forward to a bumper photo post once I've finally been able to sort through the thousands (literally) of photos. But, into the action of VLV!!
On the Thursday after we'd been shooting we headed back to The Orleans to scrub ourselves up for the offical start of Viva Las Vegas 16! We had a bit of a look in the vendor rooms when they opened but my goodness it was CHAOS up there! There were SO many people packing the stalls it was almost impossible to look at anything, unless you were prepared to push and elbow your way through. Which I was not. So we grabbed some dinner and headed to what was to be our main HQ throughout the festival, Brendan's Irish Pub. Just one of the many venues of the festival, Brendan's seemed to match our music tastes rather well and staying put was certainly much easier than trying to run around to all the different band rooms. We started off with Roy Rapid & The Rhythm Rock Trio, friends of Turtle and Mitchy's from their travels. Next up was Dead Zed's Chopper who added a bit of psychobilly to the mix. We also caught the Hard Fall Hearts before we headed upstairs to the Ballroom for a couple of dances to Ruby Ann. About 2am we called it a night, saving our energy for the next two days which were set to be the biggest.
Friday we had planned to take part in the bowling tournament for a bit of fun but everyone was still recovering from the night before and motivation was low, so we couldn't seem to rustle up a team. Instead, we decided to enjoy the sunshine and headed out to the Pool Party for some hair of the dog. We listened to The Aquasonics and paddled our feet in the water before it was time for me to head inside to get my hair done. By the time I was ready we decided to grab dinner before once again settling in for a night of music. This was when we met the lovely Kristy and Justin as we lined up for dinner. We ended up getting a table together and spent the rest of the night enjoying each others company and drinking...lots. Ha. From dinner we headed back to Brendan's just in time to see The Twistin' Tornados. Next up was Lil' Mo & The Dynaflos, a great doo wop quartet. Considering we don't get much doo wop over here in Oz, this was really fun! As it turns out, Dave who does tenor vocals was also a friend of Kristy and Justin. We spent the rest of the night at Brendan's for the All Night Jumpin' Showcase which was a smorgasbord of musicians jamming in various line ups for 4 hours. It was incredible! Such a fantastic night, we dragged ourselves to bed at about 4:30.
Saturday was the Car Show and despite our late night of drinking, we tried to get ourselves up at a reasonable hour. I was feeling rather under the whether (both hungover and getting a cold) and couldn't be bothered to do much other than put on a dress, touch up my make up, wrap my hair up in a scarf and hide behind sunglasses. We wandered around the car show in the blistering heat and as much as I tried to enjoy myself I felt terrible! I couldn't even shop!! I stuck it out for a bit, long enough to snap a few pics, check out a few rides and make it into the Aussie group photo but I was fading fast and retreated back to the room for a bit of a lie down. I made sure I made it back down to the car show to see Dick Dale and seeing him perform Miserlou was just what I needed to pep myself up. It was also time for me to go and get my hair done again, which also helped to make me feel much better. Covered in sequins and with some fab hair, I made my last jaunt down to the car show area to see Little Richard on the outdoor stage. Even at 80 and in a wheelchair he's still got it! TO see him perform hits like Good Golly Miss Molly live was pretty incredible. Certainly not something I thought I'd ever see in my life.
We then headed inside to catch the last half of Deke's Guitar Geek Show where we were lucky enough to see the performance of the festival, not to mention discover the musician of the festival! Husband of recently discovered blues, rock and roots singer Nikki Hill, Matt Hill is an old black blues man trapped in the body of an unassuming white guy. Matt was AMAZING and his cover of an old Howlin' Wolf song, Howlin' For My Baby was nothing short of transcendent. I've never seen anything like it before and his vocal ability was unbelievable! I'm pretty sure all the men in the room wanted to throw their pants on stage as well! After a quick bite to eat and a moment to digest the amazingness we had just seen, we headed to our favourite haunt Brendan's just in time for Gambler's Mark. We stayed for the All Night Jumpin' Showcase and we're glad we did because not only were we treated to a repeat performance by Matt Hill, we also got to share a table with MARKY RAMONE and his wife!!!! That sure was a highlight, and we couldn't believe it when he got up on stage to perform Surfin' Bird, Rock'n'Roll High School and I Wanna Be Sedated. Too cool!!
Unfortunately the sickness had taken hold and we were really starting to go downhill so at about 2:30 we decided to call it a night. When I woke up on Sunday, I almost wished that I wasn't in the Swimsuit Competition as I felt so poorly I didn't even want to get out of bed. But I dragged myself out from under the covers and made myself look presentable. While I was waiting for our event a Swedish photographer who is putting a book together asked me if he could take some photos of me, so I'll have to keep an eye out for that in future in case I end up somewhere! One of 20 lucky ladies who were chosen to take part in the competition it was a really fun and positive experience. The MC from Bachelor Pad Magazine was a real character and kept the crowd entertained while we pranced around on stage. There were so many amazing costumes and the girl that won DEFINITELY deserved the title! But I didn't have much time to spend congratulating her as I had to race back up to the room for a quick wardrobe change before it was into a limo and off to the Wedding Chapel.
Don't worry, it wasn't ME that got hitched! Some friend's of ours who are a lovely couple and have been engaged for a little while now tied the knot in front of Elvis, some friends and close family. It was a slightly entertaining yet still beautiful ceremony and it was pretty cool to be a part of something like that to totally complete the Vegas experience. The bride looked stunning and it was such a sweet little occasion. We headed back to The Orleans and although there were still plenty of acts on the last night, we felt way too poorly. Considering we knew we still had about 3 weeks of holiday stretching out before us, we didn't want to push ourselves too hard and risk getting REALLY sick and not being able to enjoy our holiday so we had some dinner and then headed to the room to pack up ready to leave the next day and a well-deserved early night!
So that was a quick recap of the VLV weekender! If you missed all the other bits of my USA holiday, you can go back and read all about my adventures in Vegas including my Vegas tattoo as well as all the fun of Arizona, San Diego, Tijuana, Long Beach and Palm Springs. I guess that's all that’s left to cover now...stay tuned for a massive photo post to come!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
