Happy New Year!

Call me superstitious, but there is something I don't like about sharing New Years Resolutions- it is though if I were to, then they wouldn't come true. 

What I will tell you is what they will not be:-

1. Resolutions should not be viewed as hopeful outcomes, they must be goals. 

The difference being is that you will strive to achieve goals rather than wish good luck upon yourself. Otherwise, what is the point?  It'd all just be wishful thinking ...

2. Weight goals has been surpassed by fitness and health priorities. I have started to realise the importance of holistic health, how important balance is in my life and that everyday struggles are still part of my life too.

Thematic Goals

(without being too specific for my superstitious ways..)

* Include a furry friend into my life

* Save, not spend.

* Blog and stay blogging

* Act, don't react to situations 

* Make general and everyday good habits

2012 Mottos:

- I will choose to be someone who takes control of the decisions in their life, rather than dealing with the aftermath of problems or being tossed around like a leaf in the wind. 

- I will be an executive decision maker in my life. Not choosing to act on a issue, is still a choice. You can't blame other people for an outcome you could've foreseen or have chosen to ignore.

- Be the thirty year-old I dream of being. 

This is not a hard one, have a vision and stick with it.

Mantras

Nikau Gabrielle

"No self-degradation". Stop yourself in your own tracks with this one. Take a moment to realise why you feel remorse or embarrassment to a certain situation and then put in a plan of action so you don't have to feel that way again.

No regrets? My late teens and early twenties saw ambitious and unrealistic goals. I don't like this mantra, it is though you don't regret your mistakes and you have disregard for any consequences altogether.

No mistakes? My late twenties saw me fuss and bother over the pedantic non-essential details, and if someone pointed out a mistake, it would be hard to take criticism. Instead it drove me away from other people's opinion. This too is not a good way to live.

No self-doubt? My thirties have been off to a bumpy start, but I think every knock of confidence is note-worthy and that some element of self-doubt is natural. What I would like to do this decade is to learn from my mistakes. Once you make a mistake, ensure it won't happen again. 

Avoidable mistakes are my downfall and I feel, to put it dramatically, are the bain of my existence.

So although I won't ask you to share your goals, I will still wish you luck... or rather, wish you the best of intentions to help you achieve your 2012 goals. With any good luck or achievement at my end, I will happily report back in a year (as a self-proclaimed regular blogger in 2012), the progress of my own goals.

Happy New Year!

Budgie xo

A very talented young New Zealand art student... check out her work.
http://nikaugabrielle.tumblr.com/

http://images.pictureshunt.com/pics/n/new_years_fireworks-3659.jpg

Festive Kumara Salad

Mum has given me her blessing (even if she wasn't too impressed with the minor adjustments I made this year) and I am passing this family treasure onto you. This dish is an all time hit every year, great with roasts on the big day and even more delicious with cold ham and bbq dinners for the days after- that's if it isn't gobbled up!

Kumara Salad.

Festive Nail polish:  O.P.I's Gold Shatter thanks to a Christmas fairy (:   
Note: my nails are short ready for a three day festival camping trip next week for New Years Eve!
For those readers in the Northern Hemisphere, Kumara is a New Zealand vegetable much like the sweet potato. If you can't get hold of kumara, then go for fresh sweet potatoes, not the canned variety.

I swapped out sultanas for Craisins (dried cranberries) this year for a festive twist, but I will leave the craisins out until right before I serve it. The reddish colours may bleed and I don't want pink salad!

Ingredients. Serves 4-6

5 large Red and/or Golden Kumaras (Sweet Potatoes)             1 peeled, diced orange

1 Red and Green capsicums (Bell Peppers)                            2 tablespoons curry powder

1 cup Sultanas/Craisins                                                        1 teaspoon Prenzel Smoked Manuka Salt

1 cup low fat mayonnaise                                                      Cracked Pepper to taste

4 slices of cooked, diced bacon- optional

Boil a lot more kumara than you think. This year I used golden kumara with the orange skin, mixed with normal red kumara. The golden kumara is a lot softer and you won't need as much cooking or mayonnaise because of its moisture. Also, I love this Jamie Oliver Roast Pot for boiling large batches of veges.

Cool.

Chop and dice capsicums (bell peppers) into small pieces.

Mix 2 tablespoons of curry into the jar of low-fat mayo to kick start and develop the spices. Add salt and pepper, cooled and diced bacon (if you wish) and then craisins/sultanas. Mix to combine. Add in peeled, diced orange and more mayonnaise depending on desired consistency.

This recipe can be made a day or two in advance and actually tastes better if you do, because of the developing curry flavour. The craisins can be added last minute.

Delish!

Merry Christmas!


Budgie xo




Prenzel link for Ma Prenzel's Manuka Salt. 
Facebook the talented Prenzel agent, Kelly Devoy.

Big Hair and Dry Shampoo

Come summer time, I love me some big hair. This goes hand in hand with teasing the crap out of my roots and big soft curls. 
As promised and predicted, now that I'm a few tones lighter my Big Shampoo has made a come back to the front edge of my reach-for shower line up . It definitely is a cuter look for blondes with beachy curls and a spritz of glossy spray to make your locks sparkle. 
But I also love big hair on brunettes.

muliloaboutthings.blogspot.com

90's Nostalgia

Didn't we all want to live in a loft apartment, have off the shoulder rope jumpers and not to mention... rope curls with some mahogany shade of Napro Live colour?  Anne Hathaway's look in 'Love and Other Drugs' would've been my dream come true as an adolescent growing up in the early 1990's.  If only she had Mariah Carey's 'Vision of Love' blasting on her walkman ...
I wouldn't say no to Jake Gyllanhaal either.

 1960's vibe
Adele's classic curls. Beautiful.  I love her makeup here also.

billboard.com

Products
Dry shampoo I recommend for blondes. This stuff seriously keeps your hair volumized and fresh for an extra day before you wash it. De Lorenzo's Et Absorb with rosehip and rice extract. Purchase at most hair supply mall shops.  Smell:  bearable, like hair spray.

Dry shampoo I recommend for brunettes. Fudge's Dry Shampoo. 

Smell : Unfortunately like Thai stir fry due to the coconut fragrance disguising the various alcohols, which is a pity as Fudge products are known for their incredible edible smells. Warning: douse hair in perfume to smother stench. Otherwise, a usable product.

Lush Big Shampoo. (Sorry, couldn't resist). This is a big old pile of rock salt you wash out.  
A seaweed infusion to soften and fresh lime juice for shine. Great for volume and massaged into my roots. 

An honourable mention...
I love this wooden handled teasing comb to throw in my handbag. Purchase at any pharmacy.

My next possible hair beauty purchase... a 1 - 1 1/2 inch barrel curling tong. 
Any thoughts, recommendations or suggestions?


Budgie xo

Christmas Lush Haul

Perusing the stands at Lush lately, I've been left feeling a little .. well .. underwhelmed with this year's holiday selections. But however, the old faithfuls have stepped up yet again. I thought I'd share some of my all time holiday favourites, a review as promised and some of my purchases with you.

Christmas Lil' Pud.  A holiday favourite.  Perfect to cozy up at twilight, post-dinner and afternoon nap into a bath then followed by mulled wine and a Christmas movie to finish off Christmas Day. Love!

A festive bath. Yes! You can have a bath in summer. Read here for tips.

Rain.  Oh lord, has it rained.  It has been a dreary start to summer. The upside? being toasty warm, curled up reading a good book while the rain pelts down outside. 
Bathos Bubble Bar ,a new favourite. I don't know how I've missed this one all my life.

Bathos Bubble Bar: bottom left. Photographed on tree with fairy decoration. 

Violets, Aphrodiastic Jasmine and Ylang Oils. Technically not a Christmas edition, but nether-the-less perfect to calm yourself after the hectic last-minute late shopping ordeals.

This year has been year of the Violet for me. 2012 was defined by violets... maybe also with a hint of lavender, a dash of ylang ylang and a smothering of vanilla.  It is funny how your tastes change from season to season, year to year. But every fragrance I delved my nose into this year, would have been one of those scents.

Christmas Eve Bubble Bar.  Jasmine, Ylang ylang, gardenia and Irish Moss.

To calm those Christmas tummy tingles, as the excitement builds to the big day, you need to calm yourself and get your beauty sleep..

Twilight: a decision.

What is there not to love?  A liquid version of my top fav Lush product,  Twilight Bath Ballistic. 

Lavender heaven.  It even has Tonka. What is this Tonka you say?  Tonka Absolute is derived from the seeds of the Tonka Tree which is found in Costa Rica, Brazil and Peru.

What is there to hate?  It was limited edition :(  Should've packed my stash with this gold.

Fingernails: Butter London's holiday edition 'Fairy Lights'. A beautiful, metallic candyfloss pink.

Starbucks Tree Ornaments. Ceramic. Purchased at Starbucks.

How could I resist?  I love how they even have the drink specification tick boxes on them too.

Have you been entised into Lush yet?

Budgie xo

Banksy: A Graffiti Artist

Banksy is a somewhat anonymous English graffiti artist, thought to be in his early 40’s and known to be a butcher’s son. He characteristically and lawlessly spray paints on publically seen areas within international cities. His selected brick canvases can also be private property causing him to have a renowned anarchist reputation. Banksy’s pieces range from controversial acts against pop culture to political and religious commentaries. 

I love his graphic stencil images with bright contrasts, or print-like aesthetics against linear patterns.

Famously Christina Aguilera bought an original of Queen Victoria as a lesbian and two prints for £25,000. A set of Kate Moss paintings sold in Sotheby's London for £50,400. Art auctioneers have been known to attempt to sell his street art on location and leave the problem of its removal in the hands of the winning bidder.

Pivotally Controversial: A Brief History.

At London Zoo, he climbed into the penguin enclosure and painted "We're bored of fish".

At Bristol Zoo, he left the message 'I want out. This place is too cold. Keeper smells.  Boring, boring, boring'  in the elephant enclosure.

Comically in March 2005, he placed subverted artworks in the Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum and the American Museum of Natural History in New York. 

Likewise, in May 2005 Banksy's primitive cave painting depicting a human figure hunting wildlife whilst pushing a shopping trolley was hung in Gallery 49 of the British Museum, London. Upon discovery, they added it to their permanent collection.


Always shockingly controversial, his renegade behaviour cements him as a true graffiti artist. His elusiveness is unpredictable and anonymity intriguing.

Which brings me to my own encounter of Banksy..

Over the weekend 3–5 May 2008 in London, Banksy hosted a secretive exhibition in a blocked-off former Eurostar road tunnel underneath Waterloo station. He invited other regional stencil graffiti artists to join in and paint their own artwork, as long as it did not cover anyone else's... and I was lucky enough to visit.

These are some of my favourite pieces. Banksy, or Banksy-inspired, they are all tattoo-inspirational and incredibly aesthetically beautiful.

All photos are my own. Taken in situ at Waterloo, London.

I'm glad there was a Kiwi artist present too.

Budgie xo

Paint Pots

Paint Pots are by M.A.C. and are definitely in my all time favourite make up products. 

They are a pre-base to eyeshadow and make your makeup last the distance. Paint pots are coloured, but mostly are nude or neutral colours. Even the nude bases, can be built on to make dark, smokey eyes.

The paint pots stop the makeup creasing over the duration of the day, stop oiliness and generally make a better job of blending colours into the lid and into each other.

L- R    Let's Skate,  Painterly, Indianwood, Groundwork

Let's Skate is from M.A.C.'s 2011/12 Holiday Collection, a lovely whitish pink, with gold sparkle rather than glitter. Great for the holiday/Christmas time.

Painterly is a staple. Definitely one to start you off in the right direction for paintpot newbies. I wear this one most days under my eyeshadow in summer to stop my colours smudging/running together. It is matte in application so perfectable blendable with all neutral colours.

Indianwood is more of an occasional wear. I love to team this with a teal eyeliner and Woodwinked eyeshadow. It has a beautiful, metallic, bronze shimmer to it.
Groundwork is another staple. More suited on my skintone in winter when is shows up a muddy matte brown.




Benefit's Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow

Benefit is only able to be purchased in Australia, which I racked up my credit card considerably when I was there last April.


Creaseless creams work the same as Paint Pots. These two have more simmer though. Birthday Suit is similiar to M.A.C's Bare Study and R.S.V.P. similar to Rubenesque but not so peachy.

They have beautiful lids too. 


Skinny Jeans is suppose to be a great grey/neutral base but I have yet to find one and have heard it was discontinued early in the South Pacific.


Happy Painting!


Budgie xo

Christmystified

Christmystified!

Decorating the tree with an eclectic collection of ornaments. Light some candles and  cue music!

I live in a warm climate so this year I have gone with a jandal theme complete with Havaiana gummy lights. The rest of the tree is also adorned with family tokens and treasures including an Italian Pinocchio-inspired dog (a gift from mum's travels this year), two family heirlooms from a Canadian Christmas in Whistler in 1990 and various sentimental trinkets and gifts. 

Our stockings are my sister's and my original childhood stockings.

Christmas in the 80's. Those coloured sunnies sure were a winner each year. And our homemade, Sunday-best sewn dresses. Bless my mum! 


Chanelling Sir Elton John with my round yellow sunnies and white blonde locks. 
A windmill could go so far!

Remote controlled Barbie Scooter, Strawberry Shortcake Dolls 
and My Little Pony. Spoilt!

Starbucks.

Nothing says Christmas more than a drizzly rainy day and a festive coffee. I love their holiday editions. Gingerbread Latte, Toffee Nut and last season's Egg Nog.  Scrummy.

I love the candy cane detail on this mug.

Living in the United Kingdom, it made so much sense to be in a snowy climate around Christmas. Dark by 3pm. Shopping in the evening. Lights sparkling in the streets, crowded taverns for drinks after work, ice-skating and hot apple cider in Hyde Park.  Heaven.

For everyone else reading this blog, if you don't live in the Southern Hemisphere, our hot holiday climate won't make sense. But there are bonuses. A classic Kiwi Christmas for instance.. Barbecues. Family holidays at beach houses, camping and long balmy evenings to play with your Christmas toys long after bedtime. Your parents would forget about you roller-skating in the streets, riding your new bikes with sunburnt noses and prickles in toes long into the night. They would be lost out onto the back patio, cracking open another beer or puncturing another cask wine with their other neighbourhood friends.

Then a long, hot summer to follow and five weeks off school.

So Merry Christmas everyone, wherever you may be in the world!

Budgie xo