Young, broke & fabulous.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:59:00 +0800

So, you might have noticed, there are some changes going on around here on my little blog.

I’m one of those people that need to keep things fresh and new, I don’t like to keep the same look for too long - it doesn’t need to be drastic, just a change of some sort. I’m constantly changing the decor around my house, moving details from one room to another etc

It originated as a small change, then a complete overhaul started happening on the blog instead.

Bare with me, is basically what I’m aiming at here.

Rigo

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:00:05 +0800

I love this guy.

Anthropologie.

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 10:00:06 +0800

Why you gotta only be in the States? Hmmm? Do you know how many purchases I’d make at you every week? Do you?

No you don’t. Because you are only in the States.

But if you were? This is what I would buy this week. (And if I weren’t poor, after saving for our Wedding, paying bills, and purchasing adorable presents for my adorable nieces who are both turning TWO in a matter of weeks. Two? TWO!? Who said that could happen? At least there is still Clay, my teeny tiny boy who is no where near close to turning two. I digress.)

Nobody needs 3 different cookie jars. Except me. Seriously.

Sweeping Angles Apron - $38.00
Tea-And-Crumpets Apron - $32.00 (So how perfect would this one be for Jess?)
Tea-And-Crumpets Kid’s Apron - $24.00 (And this one for her little bird?!)

Valise Journal - $24.00 (The colour? Ugh.)
Sweet Briar Notebooks - $12.95 (Perfect for jotting down Wedding to-do’s, ideas or notes - I’d even be able to give one to Brigitte for the same thing!)
Just Picked Recipe Cards - $14.00

Luxe Shine Wallpaper - $198.00 (I don’t really need any of these. I just love me some good patterned wallpaper!)
Little Owl Wallpaper - $398.00
Kalahari Vignettes Wallpaper - $88.00

Pinwale Alphabet - $14.00 (Perfect for my Birdie nieces playroom!)
Perfectly Unshorn Bunny - $32.00 (A cute keepsake for the future baby Lavers) ((No, I’m not pregnant, just highly organised/prepared/weird))
The Fairytales Of The Brothers Grimm - $39.99 (So this one would just be for me. But totally worthwhile for ALL our nieces and nephews and future babies!)

And we’d both be a lot happier if I could buy them all.

(Rick wouldn’t be happy though. Nor would the bank. So I guess there is a ‘pro’ about a non-existent Perth store?)

(I am on an Anthropolgie high these days if you couldn’t tell!)

Can I just have your attention for a moment?

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0800

I mean really, is anyone not totally loving over this guy at the moment?

I think he’d really like Rick & I.

We’d sit around, in the sun, singing acoustic songs, playing guitar, telling inappropriate jokes that only people with decent sense of humors would understand (ie: us) drinking beers, enjoying good food… it would be heaven.

You hear that, Joseph? Can I call you that? What about JGL? What about JL? Those are my future initials you know, surely that’s a sign?

You would love us.

Pin Pin Pin Pin

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:55:12 +0800

Pinterest is always the perfect source for some inspiration. I have a photo job this weekend, and these little quotes have put me in the perfect frame of mind.

Thank you, Pinners.

Would you like a little more tea?

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:22:00 +0800

So, lately, I’ve been collecting tea cups. I’ve never been a coffee person. I’ve always liked tea, but it’s only recently that I’ve started drinking it daily. I feel so… much older now that I drink tea. Is that weird?

Anyway. My beautiful tea cup collection is growing, and I thought I’d share with you guys where I find some of my little unique cups.

If you haven’t noticed by now, I’m a huge fan of things being personalised some way. That’s why when I came across these initial cups on Anthropologie, I couldn’t resist. Actually - I did. I resisted for about 3 weeks. Then when I was watching OUAT, I noticed Snow White drinking from the exact cup I had been coveting. So of course I immediately went and bought two cups, one for me, and one for my boy.

And then there is my adorable Owl cup, from ModCloth. It was months of pining for this guy. Months. (ask Isobelle!) The shipping price to Australia is pretty heartbreaking so I couldn’t justify it. Until I was buying some headphones, and then a few weeks later a package arrived in the mail, and he was all mine!

At home, I have a few stripey cups, and some more owl cups coming from my Marcie* too, but the last share-worthy cups I want to show you (brag about) are from UO.

Amazing right? I have to be honest, besides my initial cup, the deer cup is my favourite. It is HUGE. And has a gorgeous delicate handle.

…I actually am old aren’t I? Anyway, you can get the moe cup here, the deer cup here, and the oh so cute heart & bike cup here.

YOU ARE WELCOME.

*Marcie = My Mum :)

Society6 Art Prints

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:00:06 +0800

I am all about our house at the moment. All I want to do is finish rooms, redecorate areas and fill frames with gorgeous pictures and prints. I just finished doing a massive spring clean of our wardrobes, and our bedroom is looking pretty put together of late, AND I’ve been given permission from the boy to paint a stripey wall in the lounge room… so that’s probably why all I can think/dream about is what to do next.

Anyway.

I am LOVING these prints from Society6/UO. For real. Don’t you want all of them in your home too? I’ve included my favourites, but you should go and check them out online to find your favourites too.

Happy Valentines Day

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:53:58 +0800

Happy Valentines Day to my caring, kind, funny & gorgeous fiance. You make me the happiest I’ve ever been, and more than I ever believed I could be.

We already gave each other our presents (PJs & books!), so tonight we are having a corny movie date. I cannot wait.

How are you celebrating Valentines?

January - Photo a Day

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:14:06 +0800

Did you guys do the January ‘Photo a Day’ on Instagram too? I’m even doing it again for February, because it didn’t drive me insane and I didn’t forget (too many times anyway) so why not right? I wonder if I’ll finish the month again!

Anyway, here are my photos for January :)

I hope everyone had a great weekend and is enjoying their Monday back at work! (And if anyone has the day off, you lucky bugger you!)

Rigby Albus Lavers

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0800

Did I ever tell you guys we gave Rigby a middle name? We never did when we first got him. But Brigitte convinced me, Alvy, her puppy, has like 4 names I think, and they always make me laugh so I decided Rigby needed one too.

We went with Albus, because Rick’s initials are RAL so now Riggers are too. And well, Albus, because Harry Potter is Rigbys favourite. I know as you read this some people will roll their eyes. But it’s true. Rigby, loves him some Harry Potter. He dead set will watch the entire movie. (He watches a lot of things actually, but HP and Top Gear are his faves.)

So, everyone. Here are some photos of my adorable Rigby Albus Lavers to end your weekend.

A Celebration

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:00:00 +0800

Tonight, Rick and I celebrate, along with all of our friends, the engagement of my best friend Brigitte and her amazing fiance, Wisang.

It’s pretty special getting to be apart of such a loving and exciting time in someones life. I know what it feels like to be inlove, to be engaged, to be planning our special day. But seeing how happy it makes someone else to be in the same position? Gets me all teary just thinkin’ about it. I guess I’m a sucker for love.

Congratulations again guys, I couldn’t imagine a nicer fellow to sweep my home gurl off her feet. You two are adorable and I can’t wait to go Wedding planning crazy with Brigitte. (What’s better than being engaged at the same time as your BFF? Nothing! Heck, if we fall pregnant around the same time in the future my head might pop off with eternal excitement!)

The Weekend

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:15:10 +0800

Do you know what’s really great about today? Here, I’ll break it down for you.

Tomorrow is my RDO, hellooo long weekend!
Tonight, in approximately 2.5 hours, my love will walk through our front door.
Today has been dubbed “Harry Potter Thursday”, since I started at 8.30am I have watched the first 3 movies. Oh yeah!
It’s been all sorts of Wedding planning up in hurr - seriously, have I mentioned how much I loveee planning my Wedding? Because I really do.
Rick and I have decided to open our Valentines Day presents early, because if we open them on Tuesday night, that’s only Wednesday night to enjoy them before Rick goes back to work (they may be bedtime related… and lets keep in PG13 alright people?) …so it only makes sense if we open them tonight. A whole weeks worth of present enjoyment!

So I’m a pretty happy girl today. Tomorrow we are going to check out another Wedding venue, and I have some butterflies about this one you guys, every part of me hopes this is it! Wish us luck. And I hope you enjoy your weekends too!

Rigby

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:00:00 +0800

Just a quick update on what Rigby has been up to these past few months. He sleeps a lot right? It’s been pretty hot lately and I think that tuckers my bulldog out.

Awake or asleep, he’s still the cutest in my opinion. I know I’ve made it quite clear that I’m a crazy dog lady before, but I really do think life would suck majorly if I didn’t have him to come home to everyday, esp when our favourite guy Rick is away.

Thanks for being super cute Rigo.

Embarrassing Obsessions

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:10:59 +0800

Are there any things in your life, that you absolutely love, that you kind of know you shouldn’t love that much? Like a TV show, a book, a movie? I’ve always been a huge Harry Potter nerd. Always. Rick loves HP too, plus one of my best friends Raquel. So we have our little HP fan club and it’s awesome. So, actually, I don’t feel embarrassed about that because I have people who are equally as in love as I am.

But then… there’s my new obsessions. The Hunger Games. And, Once Upon A Time. You guys… I just love them. The Hunger Games was a series that I saw in the bookstore all the time and ignored because I just “knew” it wasn’t my kind of book. Had an early Morning flight a few weeks ago, wasn’t feeling the book I bought a long with me, so decided to give it a go. Turns out it’s exactly my kind of book. I fell in love so quickly, it was one of those “don’t want to do anything but read, no time for eating or sleeping” kind of books. I read the trilogy non-stop and was so. sad. when I finished the third book. I made Rick read them, I made Raquel read them, and I’ve told all of my other book loving friends to read them as well. The movie is out soon, so I’ve been spending some of my time… fan girl-ing. Looking at stills from the movie, reading about the different actors cast for the characters. Fan girl-ing it UP. I am all about Peeta. The people who have read them so far like them, Rick likes 2 of the books more than 1, but isn’t that excited about the movie. Raquel is though, so again, I don’t have to be too embarrassed because I have her, but there’s only two of us? I need a group! (Or a third person, 2 isn’t okay but 3 people is).

Then… there’s Once Upon A Time. First and foremost - I would like to point out that I am embarrassed about how much I like this show. Even if 40 of my friends liked it too, I’d still be embarrassed. I am so lame about this show, it’s just so embarrassingggg. Anyway, I digress. My sister in law Jessica told me about this show, and I loved it from the very first second. Jessica has since decided she isn’t a fan, and her brother has the same opinion. We don’t watch it together anymore because I actually end up getting mad at him for ripping apart “my show”. A few episodes into the season, and I decided to make Brigitte watch it. It was one of those things, were you go on and on about how good something is, that when you finally get someone else to give it a go, suddenly you are nervous and worried and thinking “what if they don’t like it? They’ll think I’m an idiot!”. Luckily for me, Brig was a fan. Then Scott became a fan. Isobelle, my other sister in law, is also a fan. So I have a little group. AND I’M STILL EMBARRASSED. Because they aren’t the kind of fans I am. Did you know, yesterday, I spent a good 5 hours of my working day reading theories that other fans have come up with on who’s who, and what’s going to happen? Normally I natter away at Rick about these sorts of things, when I’m excited, or annoyed by something, I natter his flippin ears off. But he hates the show. So poor Scott had to endure it. He took it on well though, good lad. And I am unbelievably excited about the day when Alice in Wonderland is included on the show. And I was annoyed, that I didn’t pick up on things that other people have. So annoyed I started watching the series from the beginning again last night. And I’m still not over a certain death in the show. Still. See? Embarrassing.

Thank god for the younger generation who are ALL ABOUT fan-ing it up, so I can pretend, online, that I’m not 24, that my obsession is age appropriate, and that I don’t have to be embarrassed about being a teenage girl at heart still.

I guess I’m just a sucker for fairy-tales and make believe. The Hunger Games doesn’t really fall into either of those categories though, perhaps make believe? Anyway - I ask again, does anyone else have these sorts of obsessions? Come on, make a girl feel better and share! (Also, let’s not pretend we haven’t noticed how long this blog entry is compared to my other entries… man, I haven’t done myself any favours on the embarrassing scale have I?)

Art & the Heart Workshop

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:59:00 +0800

On the 15th of January, I boarded a flight to Melbourne. On the 16th of January, the Art & the Heart Workshop I was attending began.

The workshop was by Samm Blake and Dan O’Day. Two very talented photographers that I aspire to be like one day. Their work ethic especially. The workshop went for 3 days and I have no doubt in my mind it is one of the best decisions I could have made in regards to my photography career.

Over the three days, we were given goody bags, filled with lollies and helpful information on photography sites and contests, told how important it is to keep creative and motivated with your personal work. Personal work will help you find your way, your style, it will show in your professional work. Shooting from the heart will change the way your clients see your work. In other words, if you want to be successful, you need to love what you’re doing. And if it’s all about the business side of things, how can your picture show that you love what you’re doing? Your own photography? Discussed how important it is to market yourself. And how to market yourself. Given tips on pricing. Given tips on everything really. We got to see how Samm and Dan shoot, how they interact with their clients. We even got our own photos taken by them. They took us through post processing, programs they use, programs they don’t use, simple things like backing your work up on 3 external hard drives.

My favourite thing about the workshop? They were normal people. I spent a majority of last year looking at my favourite photographers work and kicking myself that I’m not there. That I’m not as good. That I’m still trying to work out what I’m doing half the time. Spending 3 days with two of the photographers I look up to, showed me that they were in the exact same boat as I am in now. That you don’t need every single lens available to be a good photographer. That you don’t need to know what all the tools are called in photoshop, you can call them “thingy that does this thingy to the photo” if you want. That just because I have to work full time for a few more years before being in the position where I’m able to shoot professionally as a photographer full time doesn’t mean I won’t make it. Or that because I am working full time still it doesn’t mean I’m not already a photographer. That they too thought being a Wedding photographer meant they were a sell out. That they went through horrible Weddings or photoshoots to begin with and only charged a tiny amount of what they are charging now. That they hated and still sometimes hate their work and feel like they aren’t any good.

It was refreshing, and uplifting, to see that I’m not the only one who has to work my butt off to get what I want. To see that working my butt off to get what I want is going to be worth it.

They were funny. And so nice. And I got to spend my time with them, and 19 other individuals in the same position as me, whether they have been doing photography for a year, 5 years or 10 years. We were all there for the same reason, and I know we all left with new friendships, feeling the same outcome: inspired. Motivated. Determined.

A few months before we left for the workshop, we were all given a project. We didn’t know at the time, but we were all given the same brief - ‘my first memory’. I based my project on my Dad. I couldn’t pin point my exact first memory. I thought of too many things. But I saw a pattern, all of my memories involved my loving Dad. So I based my project on exactly that. On little girls, that are so lucky to have doting loving fathers in their lives. It was so interesting to see where everyone else had been led with their ideas for their projects, where they grew up, or asking people to talk about their first memories while photographing them, or, funnily, boobs. For real, someone had submitted photos that reminded them of boobs. Great right?

Another great thing about the workshop was I didn’t pick up a camera, once. (Well I did, during a project we were given on day 1 - but that involved a disposable camera. I also took photos on my phone, but that doesn’t count.) I spent my time, sitting, listening, writing notes, and taking it all in. I didn’t feel pressured to take photos, and it was fantastic. I just wanted to absorb everything I could while I could. I did however instagram most of the week with those phone pictures, of course, so here they are. (There’s a few!)

I can’t wait to kick the crap out of my photography in 2012.

Thanks for getting me inspired and motivated Samm & Dan, you guys seriously rock.

Flash Back Friday

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:00:06 +0800

Stupid o’clock in the Morning, sometime during Winter last year, Brig & Scott came back to our house. The boys all playing PS3 together. This photo makes me smile :)

A random Friday night at my house, again, sometime last year, having group photos together, even Rigby. I love my friends.

A photo of my boy, sleeping next to me on the couch. Again this photo is from last year sometime, but I love it. Besides all the stripes, this is one of my favourite photos of Rick. I think he is so. gorgeous. when he sleeps. Look at those perfect eyelashes?

I love looking at old photos that bring on good memories.

Personal Projects

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:25:02 +0800

I’ve mentioned before (here) how I often take photos of my feet. After attending the Art & the Heart Workshop, which I’ll be blogging about soon, I’ve decided to turn this weird feet photographing thing, into a personal project. At the workshop, we were told how important it is to do personal projects as a photographer. Constantly keeping yourself motivated, inspired and in a good creative zone. They shared how important these projects are, big or small, taken on your DSLR, phone camera or disposable cameras even. How, a project can often come about, without even realising it. Which is what the feet photo thing is. I just liked doing it. I never realised these weird photos I take on my phone could be counted as a personal project.

So. Here we go. A personal photography project, on my feet, and where they take me.

Aunty of the Year

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0800

Regardless of these actions you see me partaking in in these photos, I am actually a kick ass Aunty. I let my nieces and nephews stay up late, watch awesome movies, and eat all the foods you aren’t supposed to eat, at Breakfast.

I also make awesome pigeon noises, and am always up for playtime. And I have no qualms about being the “cool” Aunty that sneaks drinks when their old enough. (In fact I think that is the time you will really see Rick shine as an Uncle…)

So the next time you see me drinking wine or taking photos while holding my 2 month old nephew, just remember, when he’s old enough, he is going to appreciate having an Aunty like me around. In fact, and this is in every way a bragging moment, I had that baby boy smiling and laughing and loving ALL over me yesterday. And I didn’ even do nuttin’.

P.S - how cute is Clay?

P.P.S - I told you he loved on me.

Hello,

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:04:52 +0800

Wrappin'

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:00:06 +0800

I’m a big fan of wrapping gifts. Like, big. I have more coloured and patterned ribbons than I care to remember, 20 hunge rolls of kraft paper, and then a “for special occasions only” selection of beautiful printed sheets of wrapping paper.

One of my favourite things about Pinterest, is the great ideas to keep wrapping gifts unique and beautiful.

Some of my favourites that have popped up lately:

I think this explains why I’m suddenly such a big Christmas nut as well - I maybe went a bit overboard with my wrapping theme last year?