It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Gift wrap, decor and baking ideas for the holidays

I know,I know, it's the start of November... WTF am I doing talking about Christmas.  Today I saw our local markets Christmas catalog and I lost my sh*t.  It is by far the greatest time of your and I am most definitely very excited to start my annual crafting and DIYing frenzie with glitter, a glue gun and many a glacier cherry.  My go to guru for all things stylish for Christmas is always Donna Hay.  Here is some inspiration to get you excited:

You can find the links and recipes: here / here / here / here / here / here / here / here

Crown Oaks Day 2012 - the hats, dresses, celebrities and fashions on the field

Oaks day was yesterday, personally my favourite race day of the year.  Beautiful weather saw perfect racing conditions, not to mention fashion.  Here are my top picks from the day:

Find the links: here / here / here / here / here / here / here / here

The best of Balmain Autumn 2013 collection review

I almost died over Balmain's new Autumn 2013 collection. So many prints and graphic stripes. Once again beautiful jackets and a touch of vintage thrown into the mix for a little change. I need it all now. What's your favourite?

DIY camo coat trend fashion inspiration

Camo! Camouflage is so cool that you can't even get it in stores yet. Straight to your army disposals and get to DIY-ing!

Gold brocade trends to rock Spring/Summer 2013

Love today's look? The neck collar and gold accents - spring/summer 2013.

The mission to be healthy, clean eating and food prep for a clean diet

I am on a mission. Sounds daft but I want to loose 5kg. Doesn't everyone? So I made this crazy salad and juice combo and it was surprising delicious. And dairy and gluten free! Vegan friendly yay. I am cutting back to a vegan diet although it is tres difficult considering I love dumplings so much.

Vegan salad recipe

1 can chickpeas, drained

Cherry tomatoes

Few thin slices of Spanish onion

Green beans, halved

Parsley

Rocket

Dressing

1/2 tsp Seeded mustard

1/2 tsp Capers

4 Black olives, finely chopped

2 tsp kalamata balsamic

3 tsp olive oil

1 tsp water

Salt and pepper

Mix and shake dressing then pour over salad. I chilled overnight and it was perfect. Not soggy!

Juice

Celery

Parsley

Mint

Spinach

Pineapple

Pear

Apple

Lime

Ginger

Such a tasty meal and I was full till dinner!

DIY olive oil eye make-up remover, cheap and easy recipe to make at home

It's another DIY...l this time eye make up remover.

Olive oil is not only a staple most people have in the cupboard, but it's also great for your skin.

It's super easy.  Just grab some olive oil (normal olive oil not extra virgin) and an old cosmetics bottle (glass is better).

Fill the bottle half way with the oil and top it up with half water.  Each time you use it give it a good shake and apply it to a make up remover pad and gently melt your eye make up away!

As you can see I added more water than oil.... opps.  I used a Clinique DDM bottle and I just unscrew the top. Don't use a dispenser because it doesn't get enough oil to water ratio.

DIY - Green cosmetics DRY SHAMPOO, never buy expensive store cans again!

As part of my 'make it, thrift it, craft it' extravaganza I have also looked to my cosmetics cupboard to see where I can cut back.  I think that cosmetics have so many issues:

1.  Packaging is bad for the environment

2.  Shipping from where it is made overseas is bad for the environment

3.  Additives and chemicals is bad for my skin

So with that I looked at what I could possibly DIY in there.  Dry shampoo is something that every woman needs for those in between days (and when you have to go somewhere straight from the office) but it is so expensive, its in a can and it only lasts two, maybe 3 uses.  So I flipped the can over and saw that the active ingredient is rice flour!!!!  RICE FLOUR!  The stuff I have in my kitchen for $3 a pop!!  Never again will I buy dry shampoo..... So this is what I did:

1.  Go to kitchen

2.  Find rice flour lurking at the back of cupboard (have I ever even used this.... no)

3.  Find gorg crystal dish that will pretty up my bathroom, you can find one here

4.  Put rice flour in dish

5.  Find old powder brush (give it a wash and let it dry)

6.  Dip brush in flour and apply to roots, let sit then brush out.  Voila!

25 days til Christmas! Dresses to wear to all your festive season events!

I have just realized how soon Christmas actually is, and how soon until I go on an amazing holiday to Port Douglas (heaven).  I have also realized (last night when I was cleaning out my wardrobe to make room for new goodies) that I have nothing to wear to Christmas day and New Years Eve.

Wish list:

The perfect Christmas day dress:

Erdem Jane Hounds Tooth Tweed and Crepe Shift Dress 832 (pounds) available from Net-A-Porter.

The affordable Christmas day dress:

Amy Winehouse by Fred Perry Hounds Tooth Dress$253.50AU available from ASOS.

The perfect New Years Eve dress:

Yves Saint Laurent Metallic Jacquard Shift Dress 1,709 (pounds) available from Net-A-Porter.

The affordable New Years Eve Dress:

ASOS Shift Dress In Speckled Metallic $43.94AU available from ASOS.

Best get my order in now so they can deliver it in time (Australia is very far away from anything).

Dairy free brownie recipe that will blow your mind... I can't believe it's not cow

So I just found out recently that I can't eat dairy. Such a relief. I had been in pain for months and had no idea why. I looked at my diet and slowly started to cancel down my list of possible suspects. I narrowed it down to either fructose or dairy (Internet self diagnosis told me I had ovarian cancer = the Internet is not a doctor, do not try this at home) anyway I am so grateful that it is something I can manage and not something I need to take a drug for. However I am missing my chocolate. It is devastating in fact. No cake, cupcakes, biscuits, scones or pastry is very upsetting. Until I found this Jamie Oliver's "dairy" free brownies (which clearly have butter in the recipe but I just substituted for nuttelex. Let me say these are amazing! Who needs dairy anyway pffffffft....

Happy Tuesday lovers xxxxxx

DIY gorgeous tufted ottoman, a tutorial to make a beautiful piece for your home

On my mission to be green... and cheap.. I have made myself my very own ottoman!

I followed this tutorial on how to make an ottoman (I did not tuft as I thought the added texture would clash with this amazing fabric I found at Spotlight) but I made something that I am really happy with:

The tray I bought from Savers, the couch from ebay and the cushions I made!  All I need now is the studs around the bottom which are only $30 for a thousand from ebay!

Happy Tuesday lovers xxxxxx

Colour, sparkle and black and white palettes to DIY your home decor style

I am currently re-decorating my entire house.  And as I am a bit light on for the cash (due to just starting a career and obsessive compulsive fashion shopping disorder) I have three very simple rules: make it, refurb it or thrift it.  As I pour over decor blogs I am constantly inspired.  Here is what is getting me excited today:

I love these colours and textures for my bedroom:

ERIC HUGHES for ELLE DECOR / SPACE CURTAIN

And this:

INTERIORS MAGAZINE / LYNNE SCALO

For my living area:

ADORE HOME MAGAZINE / NICHOLE LOIACONO

HAPPY MONDAY LOVERS xx

I pledge to recycle, selling stuff on ebay is a great way to be green - UPCYCLE

So there has been so much buss around recycling and the environment la la la recently and I wondered what it is that I could do to hep make a difference..... my answer = sell my clothes on ebay and RECYCLE!

So here it is: http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/rosiejonas85/m.html?item=200679738684&sspagename=STRK%3AMESELX%3AIT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649&_trksid=p4340.l2562