Weekends don't need to be fancy to be excellent

How does that saying go? A Sunday well-spent brings a week of content? Well, how about a long weekend spent doing not much around the house brings a week of overdue laundry?

I've been lucky enough to enjoy two long weekends in a row - well, last weekend was a regular two day weekend, but due to my dropping a shift a week at Lorna Jane, I now get both Saturdays and Sundays off, like regular working people! And this past weekend was a divine three-day weekend that I got to spend with BB, doing lovely Wintery things, thanks to the Sunshine Coast Show holiday.

To be honest, the long weekend started pretty poorly. I wasn't feeling at all well when I got home from work on Thursday evening, even though BB text me this photo:

How I wasn't excited about receiving this text from BB as I counted down the last hour of work

before heading home on Thursday evening, I'll never know!

After a delicious dinner of spaghetti bolognaise and an early night, Friday dawned grey and cool. We shmoozed around with Stevie in the house for the morning before heading out for a coffee and perhaps a stroll around the local Homemaker Centre, looking for bedroom furniture inspiration. As often happens, we got pretty sidetracked and ended up buying an entire room for furniture... for the family room!

I've taken some before shots, and will blog about this room's transformation as we go - it's going to be quite the change. (On a sidenote, if you're near the Sunshine Coast and interested in buying a chocolate leather three-seater recliner couch and two recliners in excellent condition, shoot me an email - we'll need them out of the family room soon!)

The buying process at Oz Design Furniture actually took two days, with the whole 'must head home and measure up' thing; but both BB and I love the direction we've chosen for that room. It's currently a room with a big TV on one wall and a couch facing it, but we really want to make it more social and welcoming, more of a place for conversations and interactions, so we're getting two couches to face each other instead. We have a cosy media room as well, so it's going to be nice to have the family room less about the TV.

Sunday was another very relaxed day, but slightly more social - we met up with Trainee Mama and family for Australia's Biggest Morning Tea before heading up the range to enjoy a hearty lunch together at the Mary Cairncross Reserve Cafe - thank goodness there was a were blankets at each table and a large fireplace burning when we arrived, the cafe literally sits in the clouds!

I chose the toasted lamb wrap with shredded braised lamb shanks, sweet potato and beetroot ($14.95);

while BB decided on the chicken fajita ($17.95) - it was the largest fajita I've ever seen, he could hardly get his big man-hands around it!

Now, this ain't a restaurant review blog, but it must be said that the meals were incredibly filling and good value for money, and pretty darn tasty. It's a great space for a family get-together, and the blankets to tuck over your legs were a nice touch.

Peta and I obviously couldn't leave without an outfit photo, although a flat grey background was about all we could muster - remember, we were in the clouds!

I wore Dotti long-sleeve tee, French Connection vest and jeans, and brightened it all up with my Tangerine Louenhide Baby Switch and coral Oroton brolly. 

I was pretty toasty in my furry vest; I've had it a few years now but only pull it out once or twice a Winter. Peta was rocking a fluffy vest as well, and the husbos thought it was funny to joke that they had tweeted each other prior to meeting up this morning to arrange to wear matching hoodies. In hindsight, open-ish ballet flats were a bad idea, my feet were frozen and I was jealous of Peta in her Hunter wellies. (Note to self, keep an eye out for coral Hunters ever going on sale!)

Good times with these two, although I confess I was really only hugging Ned because he's like a little soft squidgy radiator, emanating heat. 

I think I've got back into the swing of having two days off with my husband pretty well, we're hoping more short camping trips are on the cards  over the next few months as well as more more local Sunday drives and exploring.

How was your weekend? Was it long? And did you manage to avoid all household chores like me?

Life lately

It's been another month of change here at the Potaty household (and in a sidenote, can I just say how much I adore it when my friends call my husband Mr Potaty? Love. It.) and life is moving quickly.

I didn't think I'd be writing another job-change blog post so soon, but here we are. Another change in circumstance had me stepping away from my contract role within the health and wellness field, and thinking about spending time at home with BB and Stevie with relaxation and sleep-ins on the agenda. Seriously, finally taking that big step to get a rescue puppy = best decision ever!

I could've looked back through the past zillion pics I've taken of Stevie, but I just snapped this as she's laying here in the study between BB and I on our computers. The family that interwebs together, stays together. Or something like that.

Well, of course there's no such thing as downtime, and literally the minute my calendar opened up, so did another door!

I'm stoked (Peta will love the Coastie coming out in me there) to report that I'm back working casually within education admin at a local independent school's Sports Department. I've actually worked in a very similar position before in Hervey Bay - which was my very favourite job of all time - so I'm super-ready to get my teeth stuck in. I was given a great and easy entry to the team at the College, and everyone has been very friendly (whilst also offering semi-joking condolences, as my new boss is quite the character and his booming voice precedes him wherever he goes, as does his reputation for being the socialite of the department). He's already turned up at my desk with coffee and chocolate brownies from the school canteen, so we're gonna get along juuuuust fiiiiiine.

I'm managing to balance my casual Lorna Jane shifts (which are just too much fun, honestly... working with some of those girls on Noosa's Hastings Street is one of the best ways to spend a day) with my College work, but I'm aware that I won't be able to make that last forever.

For the moment though, life is grand, I have time up my sleeve to hang with the people that matter, and both BB and I are happy and comfortable and enjoying life. And that's all that matters, isn't it?

What's moving and shaking in your life lately? Big changes afoot, or are you enjoying a calm spell?

The eyes have it - Noosa Brow Co salon review

Two weeks ago*, I visited a new brow salon here on the Sunshine Coast, and experienced their Custom Noosa Brow Co Service.

Whilst I'm certainly no beauty blogger, I like to think I have my finger on the pulse of what's new in different salon treatments, so when I noticed a new salon opening along the gorgeous Noosa River, it was very easy for me to decide to give it a try, and booked in for their two most popular services - a custom brow service and lash extensions.

As I entered Noosa Brow Co's fresh white foyer accented with sunny yellow, I felt world's away from the one previous lash extension place I'd visited before, years ago. There was no ruby red or leopard print, and I didn't feel in danger of leaving looking like a china doll, with over-curled spiky eyelashes touching my eyelids! Noosa Brow Co epitomises the classic beachside style that Noosa women demand, and owner Hannah Dahl has done a magnificent job of creating a warm welcome. Soothing cafe music played through speakers and the floor to ceiling curtains kept prying eyes at the front of the salon from seeing me enjoying my service.

As I reclined on the comfy treatment chair, Hannah asked me about my current brow maintenance schedule (none!) and politely didn't judge my lack of brow care. She's a wealth of knowledge and educated me on some common brow problems as well as described exactly what she was going to do to give me better brows. There was talk of elongating lines and facial lifting, but to be honest, she had me at looking younger.

During some waxing (not painful at all) and tweezing (again, I hardly felt a thing), Hannah told me about her recent move from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast. She has worked at some of Brisbane's best salons and still has a full client roster in Brisbane, so has definitely earned her title as a brow aficionado. Hannah waxed both the top and bottom of my brows, then reshaped my brows to give a straighter line. Once the hair removal was out of the way, she custom mixed a brow tint and applied it to select areas of my brows to even out the colour.

Forget The Block, Hannah really is the master of the big reveal. Before showing me my brows, she started on my lash extensions. For the duration of the lash application (approximately an hour), I had my eyes closed. I'd previously experienced stinging when having lashes applied for my Hens party and wedding, and was pleasantly surprised this time around, because I didn't have any discomfort at all.

The 2D lashes that Hannah applied are the newest thing in the lash world, and are designed to be lighter and less artificial-looking than other extensions - perfect for the natural look I was after. The 2D (or Russian) lash is a technique where 2 super-fine extensions are applied to one single natural eyelash, creating soft volume. It can actually go up to four lashes per each natural lash (as opposed to a 1:1 ratio for regular extensions) without weighing them down, and as a result, lashes will look much fuller, not just longer and darker.

Once the lashes were all applied and the adhesive dried, Hannah gently opened my eyes and sat me up to look in a mirror. Holy fluttering eyelashes... I was impressed!

Before: patchy brows with no shape, and spiky little straight lashes

After: a smooth brow line with even colour throughout, and long, natural-looking lashes

Will I repurchase or come back for another session? Honestly, I went into this thinking that they'd be a bit of fun, and that I'd not want to have them reapplied. And yes, eyelash extensions could be quite challenging to maintain. But these were so great, and I hardly lost a single natural eyelash in the first two weeks, that I'd definitely consider reapplication. Hannah is a skilled brow artist, and the compliments I received about my peepers were so fabulous that I could become an addict!

Two weeks on: still long and luscious, with no visible gaps

  

My brows still look amazing, and require no maintenance brushing!

And not wearing eye makeup has cut down my getting-ready-for-work time immensely!

Hannah has generously shared two wonderful offers for my Sunshine Coast readers, and I can't speak highly enough of her salon and services, so I'm happy to share!

Simply mention you read this review (but without sounding like you're name-dropping) when you book, and you will get a complimentary lash tint with your first brow appointment, and/or your first set of 2D lashes for $140 (normally $180).

Thank you so much to Hannah of Noosa Brow Co for inviting me in to her lovely new salon, I know it'll be a hit with local Sunshine Coast ladies who have highbrow expectations.

Noosa Brow Co
Shop 8 Da'Vos
201 Gympie Terrace
Noosaville 4566 (entry via Thomas Street)
Phone 07 5474 1218

Check out their Facebook page here, and their oh-so-classy Instagram here!

*I did have all sorts of good intentions about blogging about this visit straight away, but decided to wait to two weeks to see if the lashes lasted the distance. The answer is yes.

Giveaway - Wolf and Mishka necklace!

This giveaway has now been drawn - congratulations to Vicki T!

There's nothing more that I love getting behind than cool people making cool things. That's why I'm STOKED (yep, can you tell I'm from a surf town, full of grommets and gnarly folk, such a Coastie) to be giving away a necklace today by the lovely and generous Natalia of Wolf and Mishka.

Wolf and Mishka is a Melbourne-based design label, featuring an eclectic mix of clothing, ceramics, jewellery, and homewares. I love that there are so many quirky styles to be found on the Wolf and Mishka website, from bears to bunnies (the rabbit photographer sweater has to be seen to be believed). The best part is that around 30 pieces of each item are made, making each piece a collector's item!

Caterpillar necklace in cornflower blue - one of my faves

I'll make it super-simple, so you have more time to head over to the W&M website and check out the cuteness she has on offer...

Arrow necklace - wait, another favourite!

Simply leave me a comment letting me know what is your favourite piece from the current Wolf and Mishka collection - it can be clothes, jewellery, homewares... oh the sweet pinch plates are divine!

You can get extra entries by doing all sorts of excellent things on the Rafflecopter widget below*, but I just really want to know what you guys love!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Here's yours truly, modelling these gorgeous pieces. Not entirely sure I want to share, actually.

The giveaway is open worldwide, good luck!

*If you're not a Rafflecopter lover, (and I know you're out there), just leave your comment below... I"ll add them in to my final entry count and nobody has to know your deep dark fear of the Copter.

Getting the ol' blood pumping

Well, here we go again. Another ranty post brought on by reading Woogsworld.

Now before you carry on, please know that Mrs Woog is a good and excellent person, and the ranting that will shortly ensue is not directed at her, but aimed at the disgusting twerps she wrote about the other day in her blog post called Keep walking, you fat mole. Ugh.

If you haven't yet done so, head over and read it here, or let me give you a simple run down:

• A woman puts on clothes.
• A woman walks along a footpath in an effort to get the ol' blood pumping.
• A carload of teenage boys yell abuse at her.

What the hey? This is not ok. But it is certainly not a one-off incident.

When I regularly exercised outdoors (this was a good long while ago, and I needed all kinds of promises from housemates that they would keep any tempting chocolate out of the fridge to not ruin my efforts), I would often get yelled at by men in whizzy little wanky cars. You know, Nissan Silvias and 1998 model Subaru WRXs... the kind of cars driven by grown men who never quite outgrew the pizza-delivery-boy stage.

I wasn't getting complimented or asked out, I was getting 'encouragement'. Because being told that your ass is huge is super-encouraging. I regularly would hear that tell-tale whooshzaaaa of a crappy little turbo blow-off thingy, cringe in anticipation, then hear 'Hey fat bitch!' or 'Long way to go before I'd f*** you!'

Let it be known that I was not exercising outdoors to reach a point where I would be attractive enough for these boy-racers to procreate with, I was exercising because my doctor thought it would be a good idea, and because I lived a 45 minute walk from my home in the inner city suburbs and it was faster to walk than catch public transport. I walked because I liked the time to think, to decompress after a day at work. What planet do those guys live on that makes them think for one second that my walking at a pace not unlike that of a sleepy turtle (although I think I rocked that lycra better than a turtle) was for their benefit?

I've also been egged as I walked along a main road. It was so horrible. The worst. And oh my word eggs are harder than you expect when they hit you hard on the boob.

I know that not everyone thinks this is a big problem, but I do. I spend a significant portion of my week up close and personal with women who have poor self-esteem and are wanting to change the outside of their body to feel better on the inside. A significant portion of my week squishing big boobs into sports bras, pulling up high-rise exercise tights to above belly-buttons to prevent them rolling down, and explaining in hushed tones that pawpaw ointment is BRILLIANT for preventing chafe on thighs that rub.

I've seen women cry when my colleagues and I passionately proclaim that they are allowed to exercise, and that nobody is at all interested in their camel toe (although, I can fit you in tights that won't give you a camel toe, I assure you). I have heard women tell me that they are at a great point in their life where that feel like they don't need permission to exercise and be comfortable in their bodies, and I love it.

Yes, I get all Spice Girls and make women come out of the change room in their huffypuffy* pants and strut around to Katy Perry's Roar. Sometimes they really need it, and I love that they can get it.

However, I hate knowing that there's a chance (a high chance) that walking their dog, strolling with their kids, riding a bike for the first time since they were 12 years old, they'll get yelled at. They don't need to be bigger for the abuse to be hurled either; I know women sizes 6 to 22 who have received charming** comments from guys driving past. (And occasionally girls. Carloads of teenage girls full of language you wouldn't expect from a sailor.)

So how do we stop it? I don't know. I know we need to talk about it though. Talk to our family and friends, both male and female and share that it happened. If you have to (and I am totally fine with this), call someone who thinks you're hot and tell them - get a nice little compliment out of them to balance the crap.

Have you been hollered at by some idiot while out exercising? What did you do? (And what would you have yelled back if you were witty enough?)

* Brilliant Woogs-word for workout tights.

** Not charming. Actually pretty shit.

*** In more pleasant news, I have a pretty fabulous giveaway next week, so pap back soon for a chance to win something special.