Have a lovely weekend everybody!

Image by mrlerone

1. Listen to sad & downbeat music. Music has a profound affect on mood. So if you’re looking for a sure-fire way to feel grumpy put on some sorrowful or angry tunes.

2. Drink a glass of wine. Or a bottle of vodka. Most drugs & alcohol are mood amplifiers & will enhance whatever your feeling at the time. Drinking heavily or taking drugs when you’re feeling down will only make things worse. Bonus points for drinking alone.

3. Pick a fight with someone you care about. Be a completely selfish diva & yell & call them names. Not only will you feel really guilty, but you will also have no one to talk to either.

4. Drink soft drink or eat lots of sugar. Sugar provides a temporary high. But after your body has processed all that glucose you’ll be left will sugar withdrawal & feeling lethargic & depressed.

5. Think nasty thoughts about everyone. The people on the bus, the chick at the checkout & that guy who’s walking in front of you taking up all the room on the footpath. Selfish bastard. Spread your negative vibes!

6. Watch the news. The nightly news is full of conflict, violence & horror & it’s all real. If you want to feel bad in no time then immerse yourself in stories about people at their worst.

7. Stay at home. Don’t go out & don’t talk to anyone. Even the most hardcore introverts will eventually become lonely if left by themselves for too long. Follow their example. Black out your windows.

8. Frown lots. Also, don’t forget to be rude & inconsiderate. Like attracts like, so you’re bound to bump into other grumpy people this way.

9. Read depressing stories & poetry. Shakespeare’s tragedies are a good place to start (Othello, Hamlet etc) East of Eden & The Bell Jar are two other contenders.

10. Likewise, watch gloomy films. A Scanner Darkly, The Grave of the Fireflies or just about any film about the Second World War are three that come to mind. Watch them alone.

11. Eat unhealthy food. You’ll feel really sluggish & guilty for treating your body like crap.

12. Remember every horrible thing ever said to you. All the insults & hurtful things that people have said to you over the years. Believe each one. Give those other people power over you.

13. Bottle it up. Refuse to cry & instead bury all your emotions. Then you will be resentful & even passive aggressive to those around you.

14. Wear lots of black. Don it with a sombre significance as if you are in mourning.

15. Quit smoking & drinking caffeine cold turkey & without any help or support. Watch as you grow more anxious & moody. If you do thins right you’ll go back to smoking or drinking coffee pretty quickly & then hate yourself for it.

Image by danske

Alternatively, you could realise that happiness is decision that you have to make on your own. Life is a matter of perspective & you can make the choice to be happy. Read 15 ways to lift your mood & feel awesome! & congratulate yourself on a job well done. Because you’re awesome & you know it!

<3

We found this at the corner on Water & Brunswick streets on Saturday. It was just too cute not to share. I wondered if this was in actual fact a coded message between smugglers or drug dealers or runaways. However the optimist in me says that Zoe & Andrew are real people. Besides, if there are any secret messages here, I can’t find them!

It’s definitely much more creative than resorting to the missed connections section of Craigslist. Here’s hoping Zoe & Andrew get in touch!

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

• I heart books. I positively devour them, drinking in the wonderful words between their pages. These days I go through two to three books in a week. Usually novels, but I’m branching out into non-fiction too! My local library lets you place all your holds online & then they send you an email when they’re ripe & ready to be picked up. I take my book bag with me when I walk there & come back laden with new ideas & inspiration.

• I finally made it to my post-box today! It was full of letters (though some of them weren’t for me) & the feeling I had as I carried them homeward was glorious!

• I love it when the bus is not too full & not too empty & I can get a seat. I like to look out the window daydreaming & watching the world go by. I like to take a sneak peak into other peoples’ cars as we drive past & sometimes I eavesdrop on fellow passengers talking. (admit it, you do it too!)

• Noodles! I have been a noodle fiend lately. There are so many ways to eat these things! In a clear soup; mixed up with bok choy & sesame seeds; sprinkled with soy sauce & wasabi; stir-fried with carrots, ginger & greens; with crispy tofu; served cold with spinach & chilli flakes - endless! Then there are the noodles themselves! Somen, udon, singapore, soba, hoikken, vermicelli….

• I love watching sunsets over the city. They’re really calming & remind me to slow down, stop stressing about the little things & not to waste time worrying. They’re also really pretty!

• The weather has been lovely. We are finally getting the cooler autumn days that I’ve been longing for. A cyclone off the coast meant that we had lots of rain too. It makes everything cool & green & I just want to curl up in bed with a good book & some hot chocolate.

<3

What do you adore? What are you grateful for? What makes your life sparkle?

Photo by Oknovokght.

First of all I would like to say that I don’t advocate the use of denial in people’s lives (at least not on a large scale!). If we lived our lives by saying “no” all the time we would be denying ourselves some incredible opportunities. Being open to these opportunities makes life wonderful. However, after seeing the film Yes Man I’ve had this thought playing on my mind & it wasn’t until the other day at the supermarket that I realised what it was.

My name is Bella & I am a pushover.

I was shopping for groceries & after wondering through the isles & picking up the things that took my fancy, I made my way the checkout. This particular supermarket was small, so there was only one register available & all the other customers were quietly lined up waiting to be served. I joined the end of the queue averted my eyes for a moment to check my basket had everything I needed & then looked up again. Lo & behold someone had pushed in front of me. I felt startled & somewhat affronted but said nothing. As the line moved on I started to feel more & more angry. Who the hell did this guy think he was? But instead of saying anything I stood there looking sour, feeling awful & took my frustrations out on the poor guy at the checkout by not responding to his hello. I stomped out of the store & then all of a sudden realised why I was so angry. I was angry at myself.

I had failed to stand up for myself & it made me feel hurt & angry. I recalled all the moments where I had given in to the wishes of other people against those of my own & realised that I was angry because in those situations I had never really taken into consideration what I wanted. I was being a pushover & saying “yes” to often to other people & “no” too often to myself.

Photo by Three-Legged-Cat.

When we’re children our parents are the voice of all authority in our lives. Mum & Dad tell us what to do & when we comply they lavish affection upon us. It’s this conditional affection that leads us to believe that if we ever want anyone to really care for us or to be valuable, we have to please them first, foremost & always. This means that rather than acting out of affection & fondness for a friend/job/lover a pushover acts out of fear. A fear of loss of approval. For this reason a pushover says “yes” even when they’re inclined to say “no”.

A pushover doesn’t fully know their value because they are constantly looking to other people for approval. When I was in high school I found that I was somewhat obsessed with making other people happy. This meant expressing views that weren’t akin to my own & going along with whatever anyone said or did. I had this constant need for approval, even from people I hardly knew. I only felt my worth when people gave me feedback. I began to feel like my life lacked control, direction & purpose. This is disastrously inappropriate.

So I decided to take charge. I said “yes” only when I wanted to & said “no” more often.

Find out what you want first

It is important to make sure that your new found use of the word “no” doesn’t become used with the same blindness that was once applied to “yes”. What I mean to say, is that before you say “yes” or “no” take a bit time to decide for yourself. What do you want?

• Take a moment to sit & think about the things you want in life.

• Make a list of your desires & dislikes. Dream up plans, goals & aspirations & then go for it!

• Read Tina Su’s article How to Design Your Ideal Life & put some of her suggestions into practice.

• Be brave!

Tit for Tat

It’s nice to be nice. Positivity & gratitude are wonderful things. But when you find yourself constantly at the mercy of another’s whims, when you’re plied for favours & when you’re never asked for your point of view/feelings/thoughts/plans then it’s time to think about saying “no!” Just because you’re a nice person does not mean that you need to be a pushover! When you feel like saying yes to things you’re not so keen on, try these tips;

• Make your participation conditional. I’ll help you with your mid-term report if you make lunch that day.

• Clarify your needs. I’d love to, but I need to go home & spend time with my family.

• Take a rain check. I’m busy right now, but I’m free later this afternoon/tomorrow/next week. How about then?

Stand up & be counted

When someone makes disparaging remarks or behaves in an overbearing way (or is being a bully!) don’t bow your head & avert your eyes. Don’t bottle it up or just take it. This kind of behaviour is dangerous for you & the people around you. Don’t repress your reactions! Stand up for yourself! Let them know in a calm & polite manner that they’ve crossed the line.

• Take a deep breath. Don’t get emotional or let your feelings get out of control. Standing up for yourself doesn’t mean making a scene.

• Be polite & speak clearly. Leave them in no doubt of the fact that you’re saying “NO!” I think you’re wrong or I don’t think this is right.

Remember who you are

The good opinion of loved ones & close friends is important. But self respect & self worth are also important. Remember those plans, goals & aspirations? Keep track of those achievements & congratulate yourself every so often. Remind yourself how wonderful you are & don’t forget to be awesome!

Image by Superrine

—

“You cannot achieve the impossible

without first attempting the absurd.”

Image by Maddest Hatter

The Cat’s Eye is a relatively simple make up style that consists of a line drawn along the eyelid ending with a small flick at the outer corner. It’s elegance lies in this simplicity. The Cat’s Eye is synonymous with all that is sophisticated, retro, glamorous & adorable. The Cat’s Eye is achieved with these five easy steps; Prime, Shadow, Line, Extend & Flick!

Employed by the likes of Christian Dior, Pola Negri, Marilyn Munroe, Betty Page, Amy Winehouse, Jean Paul Gaultier, Dita von Teese, Extravagent Goths & Fetish Models the Cat’s Eye proves that it’s also very versatile. A simple & demure black line & some mascara during the day can become smoky, alluring & sultry by night. Add a smooth line underneath the eye for a daring & dramatic look or extend the line into a bat-wing ala Winehouse. Add extra flicks to the outer corner for a bit of fifties revival or try experimenting with different colours (fuchsia, teal, violet, neon!)

So rather than writing a boring tutorial that could quite possibly be retitled “How To Draw A Line On Your Eyelid” I decided to give you all something a little more exciting.

—

The Cat’s Meow

-

For perfect Cat’s Eyes every time

you must first learn how to prime

(Too Faced Shadow Insurance works best I think)

Now being careful of course, not to blink

first Shadow, then Blend

any colour you please my friend!

-

After Shadow & Primer

bring out your liner

(M.A.C Penultimate Liner is a good sell)

Knowing small even strokes do work well

line your lid from end to end

as close to the lashes as your fingers will lend

-

At the corner give a quick flick

& wave around the mascara stick

Knowing that you cannot err

get ready to primp preen & purr

Because if you followed these instructions, written

you will now look like an adorable kitten!

—

& there you have it! It’s not so daunting that the most humble of makeup students would be afraid, & it’s exciting enough to be employed by kittens everywhere. Have fun!

This is my submission to Doe Deere’s Must-Be…Hearts! competition. Mr K & I went down to the river & took some photos one balmy summer evening. I imagine this is what Doe saw on her recent trip to Las Vegas; a city full of beautiful lights & big hearts! Enjoy!

I played with a couple of ideas for this (light painting, macros, body paint etc) but was completely swayed when Mr K mentioned heart-shaped bokeh. We had heaps of fun cutting the lens fittings out & figuring out how to keep things in the foreground in focus whilest still keeping the beautiful blur of hearts in the background. Little to no photoshop used.

Here are my favourites from the contest so far;

• Edensgray’s Sunset Shadow

• Suzye’s Paper Heart

• Cassandra’s Tattoo!

• Kim Fight’s Baby Belly Love

• Libby’s light painting

• & Jenny’s Lollipop

Such creativity!

After agreeing to swap valentines cards with the wonderful Mermaid from P!NK I realised how close valentines day really is! This means lots of love hearts & the colour pink - which isn’t exactly everyone’s idea of a turn on. Valentines day means different things to different people. Find a way to celebrate (or not celebrate) in your own style. Here are some of my favourite valentines day gift ideas form Etsy. Some are cute & some are dirty. Some are sweet & some are smutty. Spread the love your way! Enjoy!

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1. Penguins! I like the simple & graphic black white & red on this card. It gets the message across without flowery words.

2. Heart shaped pasties. These are pretty awesome. Especially when paired with the ruby red eye patch! Rrrawr!

3. Kissing coupons. No more waiting in line to buy tickets!

4. Love potion pendant. Slung on a sterling silver chain, this is perfect for your chemistry class crush.

5. Framed Felt. Speedwagon! & Narwhals in love! Awesome!

6. Valentines day card. The message inside this card gets straight to the point!

7. Heart plushie. Anatomy & felt, a match made in heaven? Give them your heart. Really!

8. Zombie love letter T-shirt. Awe!

9. Embroidered handkerchief. Handkerchiefs are awesome & so are hedghogs!

10. Buttons. These buttons were made for each other. So were you & I.

11. Framed Print. A lovely gift for your Nintendo lovin’ luvah.

12. Felt candy hearts! Give them to your friends! Give them to strangers on the bus! Give them to that cutie who works at the post office!

13. Badge. “I’d rather be smooching my nerdy boyfriend.” Yes. Yes I would!

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