Kim and Laurens' Engagement Party

This is just a little tribute to the sweetest, best looking couple I know...

I first met Lauren (or Lozi, as we all call her) when we were in grade 8, maybe in the first few days of starting. This was the year 2000. I instantly liked her, and we bonded straight away discussing in detail exactly what we would be wearing to our very first 'social' (ie: all boys private school and all girls private school get to go to a dance one Friday night a month). We were both tingling with excitement (our first social ever!) and there was always that possibility of getting our first kiss at one of these events. For the record, I was never lucky enough to experience my first kiss at a social. Haha, poor me!
Our friendship grew and grew, and 12 years on, we are closer than ever. She has been a very special friend to me, always by my side through the difficult times and the good times.

I'm not sure when exactly I first met Kim, I had met him a few times during high school, and then as we got older and started clubbing (this blog is taking me back!) I would run into him out in the local pubs. Lozi and him had been friends for a long time, so when they finally announced they were an item, none of us were surprised. It was natural and made complete sense! Over the last two years or so, I made sure to get to know Kim. I had a feeling these two lovebirds would one day walk down the aisle, so I wanted to get to know him and become his friend. Lozi honey - he is a perfect catch (which if anyone knows that, it's you!) I've discovered he is funny, kind, generous and an EXCELLENT handyman. Without the help of Kim, my poor mums garage would still be a hoarders paradise.

As I mentioned earlier, Lozi has always been a part of my life - the ups and the downs of it all - so for obvious reasons, there was NO way I would miss her and Kims engagement party. And there was a high possibility I couldn't make it - I currently live 1700 kms away from her and I had no idea if work would let me have the time off. The roster angels must have been listening, and when I saw I had 4 days off in a row on the weekend of her party, I was straight on the Qantas website booking my flight.
But being the sneaky girl that I am, I decided to keep it a secret - so me and our other girlfriends kept our lips sealed and surprised her on the night.

Here are some shots from the party, taken by 'Vanessa Grace Photography'.

And yes, it was a lovely, special (and emotional) night, worth every hour flying and travelling and every penny spent.

Surprising my bestie

I made the poor girl cry 

Catching up with Kayla, Rhy and Lozi

The gorgeous couple - bless

Kayla, Lozi and Claire

The Bridesmaids - Lozi B, me, Claire and Kayla

Kayla, Claire, Lozi, Lozi B, Rhy and Ash

Me getting all emotional - embarro! I was just so happy that I cried...what will I be like at the wedding! Oh dear..

I love this shot!

Everyone say 'Cheese'!

Congratulations, Lozi and Kim.

Lots of love, Annie xoxox

Sweet Scents

We all love to spray our favourite perfumes over our décolletage and wrists...but why leave at this?
Make your home smell delicious too!

I don't like artificial scents - you know the scented air fresheners that spray every 10 minutes...or overpowering incense...but I will tell you what I do love.. Glasshouse Candles. They are absolutely divine! Not only are they so beautifully scented, they are a pretty decoration to add to your home, be it on the table, bookcase or kitchen bench. You have got to try them - and they are an Australian company which is always nice to support.

These are some of the many scents you can choose from: Coconut Lime, Vanilla Caramel, Wild Honeysuckle, Ilima Milk and Honey, Kaffir Lime and Cocoa Butter...and so many more!

And as a bonus, once you have burned the candle right to the end, pour some boiling water in it, scoop out the remaining wax, clean it in soapy water, and voila! You can pop your cotton balls and buds in them and display in the bathroom, use it for your makeup brushes, or possibly even grow herbs!

These aren't Glasshouse jars - but I reckon you could definitely use them!

Check out the website here. My favourite is Vanilla Caramel! Yum!

Annie xoxo

Changing lives, changing faces - through makeup

We are all guilty of it.
Sighing over, obsessing over and admiring the latest pictures of our favourite celebrities flawless, beautiful make-up they are wearing at the many glamorous events they attend. I do it all the time - but one thing I keep in the back of my mind is that behind every beautiful make-up job, is a fantastic, talented make-up artist.
I have two MUA's (make-up artists) that I admire deeply, two people that I truly believe started doing makeup to show that everyone and anyone can enhance their outside reflections to help their inner beauty shine through with confidence.
My idol - Kandee Johnson - the prettiest, sweetest person who I would love to meet one day.

I started watching her YouTube tutorials about 18 months ago and was so impressed with the tips and tricks she shared to the world. From my understanding, she is an MUA for a number of the stars and has worked on film sets etc and has quite a reputation in Hollywood for her abilities. Not only is she wonderful with her tutorials, she appears to be a very passionate and caring person and very open and honest. You can't help but like her. I hope one day she brings out a book of all the amazing looks she has created with her skills as an MUA - until then, it is all available on her blog and her YouTube channel. If you are a fan of makeup and the crazy and wonderful things one can do, you must check her out. Here are a few of my favourite creations - they are amazing! What talent!

How amazing is this! MJ!

Betty Boop

Princess Jasmine

Snow White

Kevyn Aucoin
Kevyn was a very in demand MUA throughout the 80's, 90's and early 00's, until he passed away in 2002. From just reading his books, you can see that he was a man who saw beauty in many different forms and encouraged all men and women to embrace their individuality. He wrote a few books, with tutorials and showcases of his work. He did some amazing transformations.

Kevyn Aucoin

I really recommend these books

What I love about his books is that he encourages women NOT to follow trends - just to wear what you love and what suits you. He also says that you don't need to rush out and get every apparent 'must have' product, just a few of the basics and you can work wonders. This is one of my favourite passages from his book 'Face Forward'..

"The next time you come 'face to face' with yourself in the mirror, try to step back mentally and see the person, and her needs, reflected as a whole- not as separate parts...If you concentrate to hard, or are consumed with microscopic details, instead of the essence of the look, you end up losing the big picture - you."

I got the impression he just wanted women to see themselves as unique, and that being unique is beautiful. Not only that, he can show you that makeup can be art. Here are some of his transformations - absolute works of art..amazing!

Calista Flockhart as Audrey Hepburn and Gwenyth Paltrow as James Dean - WOW

Lisa Maree Presley as Marilyn Monroe

"I'm not saying that putting on makeup will change the world or even your life, but it can be a first step in learning things about yourself you may never have discovered otherwise." - Kevyn Aucoin.

See, wearing makeup isn't about being vain - it's about having fun and feeling confident. I can honestly say that Kandee Johnson helped me to see that just a bit of makeup in the right places can really help your personality shine through from that extra bit of confidence you gain from feeling pretty and nice.

Annie xoxox

Photos sourced from Google

Pinterest!

Follow me on Pinterest!


http://pinterest.com/amfxo


I am loving this site - why didn't I do this earlier?
Here are a few of my fave pics I've 'pinned' today!

I have always wanted a bike EXACTLY like this! (Franco - please take note!)

If you like what you see, then come along and follow me! (I'm such a poet haha)


Annie xoxox


Photos sourced from http://thejewinjcrew.tumblr.com/

Absolutely Aztec

az·tec/ˈaztek/

Noun:	A member of the American Indian people dominant in Mexico before the Spanish conquest of the 16th century.
Adjective:	Of, relating to, or denoting this people or their language

Hoo-rah! A style that both Franco and I can agree on. Whether it's the clothes you wear, or the decor of your home - aztec is a fun, bright and welcoming style. I love the jagged stripes, the bolds and brights and the warmth the colours bring into a home. You could use this theme for a wedding or for a party. The options are endless. I've had a lot of fun scouring some wonderful sites for some beautiful ways to go aztec.

I love the bright patterns on the crisp white 

This would look fantastic on one wall- make a statement!

pastel aztec

What a fun dinner party!

I am loving turquoise right now - possibly this could be DIY?

I've sourced a few items of clothing too...

www.esther.com.au

www.esther.com.au

And here is what I found on amazon.com for the home...

I guess the sky is the limit with this style - you could go for a bright metallic, or a rustic red, or pretty pastels...

Click here for a beautiful tumblr site you could spend hours on....

What do you guys think? Love or hate Aztec?

Love Aztec Annie xoxoxo

Photos sourced from:

http://thejewinjcrew.tumblr.com/
www.esther.com.au
www.amazon.com

Blingle all the way

One trend I am absolutely loving is bangles, bracelets - and lots of them! Bright, chunky, metallic - mix them all together and this is what we get....

Coach bangles on Queen St..stunning..I sneakily took this photo

Yes, this is me... I wish

asos.com.au - $13.60

asos.com.au $15.30

asos.com.au $112.20

Check out the Marc Jacobs website...unfortunately they do not ship internationally..but so many beautiful, bright funky pieces to look at!

Photos sourced from here (http://estherboutique.wordpress.com/)

Annie xoxox