Cyclone (Hurricane for my overseas follower!) Anthony Extravaganza

So here's the scoop. As of right now...we have about five-ish hours until Cyclone Anthony crosses the Queensland coast about 50km from here, sooooo...in an effort to really take this seriously....I will show you all the equipment a (dubiously talented) fashionista needs to be up with the 'season' in Bowen tonight. 

1.Things to keep you warm and dry

this is my number one sexy option!

2. Things to eat - well preserved, gourmet, healthy things to eat for sure.....

well, you do have to be a shut in, but you don't have to lose your sense of adventure!

                                                         Mmm, CANDWICH!

3. Some appropriate footwear, with pizzazz (imagine spirit fingers here people!)

4.
Don't forget your light source, conveniently matched to whichever colour raincoat/trenchcoat/plastic bag you happen to be wearing.....

5. Last, but most definitely not least, when you've battened down the hatches and are gearing up for panic mode.....my personal favourite....sedatives!

Alright, my power just TOTALLY flickered babs, so I'm like soooo outtie before my dishes don't get done before it's dark...and windy, and scary! Night night faithful few....

                                                                                                      Anji-Panji

My New Dress.....and the perfect (-ly justifiable) way to shop

Hi there! Well, yesterday I achieved a first. It's a bit of a pathetic first, but a first nonetheless (and one that I am inordinately proud of....) I won a last second Ebay faceoff!! Oh yeah, and it was a seeeriously cool dress, see below:

no, i don't know how to rotate it IN the blog post, and yes, I AM too lazy to fix it on the computer so YOU will just have to turn your head sideways and admire this fantastically awesome dress

I discussed my victory in two ways. One, on my own but directed at the faceless 'she' who LOST (suck it biarch) and two, with Miss Bean....who pointed out to me (which I had already thought of) that now I will need new shoes.....and possibly a new handbag too!  The funny thing about this is that I bought the DRESS to suit this cropped jacket below...which I fell in love with...got, and then realised I don't have anything that suits it (oh dear....)

and it looks even better on....perfect size and cut for short people like moi

Now, all I need to do is complete the ensemble (hmm....my sunnies don't really suit this retro, kitschy kinda look either...I'm sure I need some extravagantly sized cats eye sunnies.....) and think of somewhere worthy of wearing such a co-ool outfit in this wee little hamlet we live in. My son has just started school and I've been dared (after sarcastically suggesting it myself) to wear it for the school drop off, but I really do think that most of the Mum's think I'm a little strange already....so perhaps not...after all...his future social standing does require a Mum that other Mum's will allow near their children for playdate and sleepover purposes!! So, maybe I will save this particular gem up for the winter races...it's a winter kinda outfit anyway (well, here it is....). Will keep you posted on what awesome accessories I find (but feel free to suggest away if you've seen something particularly well-matched yourselves).

Update on nail bath: I'm not going to do all the ratings because it was a resounding FAILURE. Having said that....I did miss a couple (not too many....less than half anyways) of nights of the two week trial and the integrity of the experiment was also compromised by the fact that my nails did suffer more than a standard amount of abuse, so can hardly be relied upon to demonstrate what the nail bath may achieve on normal hands. Let us close the book on the nail bath for now.

I have discovered an awesome body exfoliation technique...I made it up on my own...just a homemade variation on a store bought product I bought ages ago. Plain cooking salt (which is the same as table salt but in a bigger quantity and not in a dispenser bottle) mixed with olive oil and applied in the shower before rinsing thoroughly. Very effective...particularly on knees and elbows etc. The cool thing about this one, is that the olive oil moisturises at the same time...so you don't have an added step when you get out of the shower....I love anything that saves time, cos' I'm almost always running late for something....not school though....that is non-negotiable. Alright, I'm going to bed at a REASONABLE hour for once....night people.

Awesome Fingernail Perve....Cos' Mine are Bleugh at the Moment (yes, bleugh is a legitimate adjective...I think)

Okay...firstly...I have something I need to get out of my head before I implode.

I find it incredibly odd that in one day I can a have a 'mini-epiphany' such as "I am defined by what I endure, and inflict" (which is TOTALLY original thought, YAY me!) and also thing "I wonder how many cupcakes should have this pink sprinkle, how many coloured sugar and how many coconut?" Does this seem just a little off kilter to you guys? If you factor in the other five hundred bazillion stupid little flights of fancy 'Maybe the butterfly is here to draw your attention to something....' or 'How can you define yourself by what you endure...oh, a small bathroom...how truly fucking terrible for you.....here, I'll swap you my starving children.....'  or 'Yay, school uniform finally turned up.... but I'm scared about you going to school for the first time ever next week' you can see why I'm usually a little frazzled by the end of the day. Sooooo, before I finish cleaning up the cupcake fiasco....here are some cooooool nails...for AFTER you use the nail-strengthening bath listed in a previous post...or better yet, after you just go get acrylics).  I'm assuming this level of shallowness may beat down the philosophical monkeys...and I do mean monkeys, long enough for me to chill the flip out and get tired.

i love the two layered black....super edgy...if you get close enough to see

if this doesn't bring back your youth i don't know what will!

red riding whore....i love it!



dull metallics....so understated, so 'i don't give a shit'



PAISLEY!!!! What more can I say?

if you like golden wallpaper friezes, which apparently i do today

my 100% favourites, so random....so wily



Oh, sooooo very wrong...even the best intentioned trades can be ill-applied! It's like a train wreck I can't look away from!

Alright, I think I am now vacuous enough to do the dishes without weeping for lost opportunity....bye now!

Anji

Random Tuesday Thoughts from Australia!

Thanks to Un-Mom for coming up with this cool forum for random bits of mental raving. Okay, so before we get too pedantic, I am actually aware that it's not technically Tuesday here anymore...but it took me all that time just to figure out how the hell to do my own RTT post, so be patient with the small child masquerading as a computer literate adult!  Just wanted to join in cos' all of you guys seem to be having loads of fun with this...and you're all so goddamned tricky too! So, MY random Tuesday thoughts are:

*Have you ever wondered why when you have a truly horrendous nights sleep, it's like the world suddenly knows how fucked you are and goes...here...have a 5.30am wakeup from a toddler demanding toast, or here...have this stupid clothesline that spins a full 180 degree turn EVERY SINGLE TIME you bend over to get a new item to hang out...or HERE, have this cupboard corner....it looks like it's been a while since the poor cupboard got kicked with a decent FUCKING PINKY TOE!

Now, just as a defensive little addendum there....I'm actually usually fairly chirpy and calm  nice easygoing well, positive at least.....so you should keep checking up on me, cos' I plan on outlaying all of my awesome (thus far unappreciated) razor-sharp (sort of) wit a couple of times a week as well as the primary purpose of the blog as listed in my first post (which is still visible in the archive cos' I am so damned green!) and no doubt other rants of a generally shallow and vapid nature!

Cheers,

Anji

I'm Hungry....as per usual ; )

So tonight will probably be the last post for 'Food Week' and while there is much more that we haven't even looked at related to food...this is my last little slice of that particular pie for now.....I mean,  we all know we will revisit food many, many times in the future...so there's no need to be depressed! I'll be showing you some of my favourite delicious delicacies for platters and (what's that bloody word for nibblies that sounds better than 'nibblies') hor d'oeuvres! Hmm, I don't even know if that's quite the right word so let's go with -

 'Fantastic Pre-Dinner Foods that are Especially Good when you're a little tipsy!'

Mmmm....gooey centred goodness

I love having fruits on a platter...it gives me another tasty (less guilt inducing) option!



I love these snappy, wafer thin crackers...the perfect base for EVERYTHING



Must be eaten on a cracker with soft cheese...there is no other way...it would be sacrilege

On crackers alone or with sundried tomatoes....expensive stuff but TOTALLY worth it

'Lavash crackers' - mine don't look this impressive....but they taste good

Moroccan Hommus....awesome that it counts towards your vege intake too!



A picture paints a thousand words...and they go like this - yum,yum,yum,yum, yum, yum, yum



Cut thinly...this bad boy (girl) has bite....beautiful

These go down well on any platter...serve with cheese to suit such as a brie or similar (well that's what I say suits....I'm sure many of you will disagree with my pedestrian palate!)

The lavash crackers and Moroccan hommus go together. I've made these a number of times and I TOTALLY cheat for the crackers. I take flatbread, rip it into bits...put on a baking tray, spray lightly with olive oil and sprinkle stuff on top. Harissa, Moroccan Spices or a combo of that style of spices, even just cumin seeds on their own are fine. Bake until crispy...about five minutes in a high oven should do. Done. 

Okay...for once, just for you...short and sweet....but don't think that's the end of your suffering....I will be back with a new theme next week...oh...and just so you know...I will be working on a new (and much more dirty risque) blog in the coming weeks....a select few of you will be linked to the raunch launch cos' it's gonna have to be anonymous with what I have to say...teehee. Oh, and those who do receive an invite....relax, it's not gonna be total porno....although....nah. Love love love from

Mademoiselle Ego

Anji-Pants

The (harshly abbreviated version of) 'I WANT' List

Hello there! Just what you've all been waiting for. As it turns out this is just the 'Domestic Goddess' installment of the 'I WANT' lists (oh yes, there will be more!) So here goes.....


You can't go wrong with these little babies...they tick ALL the boxes.
Role play type stimulation for the kids - CHECK!
Environmentally guilt-free - CHECK!
Healthy eating promotion - CHECK!
I am sooo super-Mum right now...if I buy them ; )

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64661742/handmade-eco-friendly-felt-play-food-toy

Soooo cute, it'd be worth promising to wear it with nothing on underneath at least once, just so you can justify buying it...not that I'd mind so much ; )   The boys might prefer the cherry printed ones though...a little more Lolita??

http://www.cooking-made-easy.com/kitchen_aprons.html



I get most of MY new recipes online as I don't have enough room (or cash) to accumulate a whole shelf of cookbooks I may only use one recipe out of now and again. I am, however, going to actually buy this one for our kids (just the big one for now) and see if it's as gross and fun as I'm expecting it to be. A leftover childhood penchant for anything Roald Dahl is a contributing factor too!

http://cook-books.com.au/ccp0-catshow/children-cookbooks-recipe-books.html



LE CREUSET AWESOME COOKWARE SET IN TURQUOISE

I want this sooooo bad and at only $420.00AUD or thereabouts...and in bloody TURQUOISE, why shouldn't I have it?  It also comes in red and a darker blue (cobalt...according to them but I beg to differ)  It is food week after all...'Oh darling, how will I ever continue to improve my cooking skills with this crappy cookware??' (hand to eyebrow in dramatic heroine pose)

http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/20452-le-creuset-cookware-set.aspx



These are super cool if only for the kitsch-iness of them. There are heaps of other cute shapes available too.

http://www.thelunchpunch.com/lphtml/about%20us.htm

Oh, and a kitchen like this...but with a little more bench...and a little less FACE!
http://www.auscraft.net.au/

Tried the fingernail bath tonight. Seems nice enough for now although it is surprisingly difficult to keep one hand in a bowl for a whole fifteen minutes. I was multitasking...browsing whilst I soak one hand. It gives the experiment a better chance of being a success too if I only soak one hand...better comparison...i.e eggy, oily hand fingernails vs non-eggy, non-oily hand fingernails at the end week two. Also, turns out that if you whisk the egg white for your face mask really well and then apply with a cotton ball, you only apply the froth, which dries much faster than if you apply a thicker layer with your fingers. Yay for anything that happens faster than you expect right? Okay, gone for now...but not forever (no matter how much you might wish it....hehe)

Anji

FOOD WEEK!!

Alright ladies, I am caffeine'd up and ready to rant!

I have decided this week, in all my wisdom (and obsession) to blog all about that loved/hated constant in our lives...food. So, food-based home beauty remedies, awesome recipes and a few other little random 'tidbits' thrown in just for fun. Todays post will kick off with an answer to a request from one of my faithful followers (she has to be, she's my best friend!)...Miss Bean. She is privileged to be able to submit requests over the phone to moi!

What to do with weak nails?
My own nails have always been fairly strong, but these days they are taking a hiding from being inside wet rubber gloves far too often (the alternative is bare hands whilst cleaning other people's bathrooms...no thanks!) Therefore I will be trialling a nail-strengthening recipe found here:

http://www.ehow.com/way_5485445_home-remedies-stronger-nails.html#ixzz1AQGX49Cg

I will conduct a two week trial and rate and review at the end. The website claims I should see results in two weeks, so there you go (obviously I will be suing for false representation if it doesn't work...haha) This is it:

Lemon Juice Mixture for Strengthening Nails

Mix equal parts of egg white (one egg's worth should do it), olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl. Soak your nails in this mixture for about 15minutes everyday. The vitamins and nutrients from the egg white and lemon juic will help strengthen your nails and the olive oil will moisturise them. The acid in the lemon juice will initially strip away the shine from your nails, but that will come back in no time and your nails will be much stronger.

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Now, if you're anything like me...you HATE waste (it seems we are finally growing up and getting over the need for the excesses of the 80's and 90's), so if you're looking for a way to use up that perfectly good egg yolk, try out this awesome recipe.....

Enriching ConditionerThis protein-rich conditioner nourishes hair and regenerates growth, while being mild and quick enough for everyday use (if you can be assed...note from blog author)

Beat 2 egg YOLKS until frothy, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and continue beating until well combined. Mix through 1 cup of distilled or filtered water and you're ready for washing. Apply conditioner in place of usual product, after shampooing. Rinse THOROUGHLY...it is foodstuffs after all!

I've actually used this recipe already and can vouch 100% for the effectiveness. It seems to leave my hair much nicer than store bought conditioner...even the salon products! It's a thinner consistency than usual and doesn't cling to your hair as much which makes it seem like it won't have an effect, but after rinsing, my hair felt AWESOME. All the softening and moisture of a normal conditioner without that gluggy, slimy feeling!

Effectiveness:          ***** (I genuinely LOVE the way this makes my hair feel and look)
User friendliness:    ***    (it is a little messy, but you're in the shower anyways right?)
Affordability:             ****  (more expensive per single use than supermarket product, but so         worth it)
Time                         ***** (less than two minutes to prepare...perfect!)

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If you find that the TWO egg whites you're left with from the conditioner recipe will make too much of the nail bath, well, that's just a great reason to treat yourself to the....

Natural Pore-Tightening Mask

Whisk or beat one egg white until it's frothy only (we're not chasing meringue-ready peaked eggs here ladies!) and smooth evenly over your face. Allow to dry and rinse well with warm water. It's best to apply over a sink and remove in the shower as it can be a little messy!

Effectiveness:            *** (my skin FELT great but the visible effects were sadly only short term!)
User friendliness:      **** (easy, so flippin' easy) (oh god, unintentional puns are the WORST!)
Affordability:              ***** (it's leftover egg-white, it's RIGHTEOUSLY affordable!)
Time involved:           *** (prep time was minimal, however it does take a good while to dry)

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Almost done filling your ears with nonsense, I just have a couple of parting shots of healthy nail advice.

1. Calcium supplements don't do diddly-squat...your nails are NOT the same as bones. Overall diet however, does have an effect on your nails.
2. It's been suggested (although not conclusively proven) that Vitamin H (or 'biotin') can help improve nail strength. It's found in whole grains, vegetables, soybeans and other legumes, nuts, seeds and brewer's yeast.  (http://www.grannymed.com/remedies/conditions/beautiful-nails/vitamin-h-for-strong-nails)
3. Although it is technically common sense, sometimes we need to be reminded to PROTECT our nails. Whenever doing anything dirty, tough or with a high chemical level...as much as possible...wear gloves! (Preferably with little white cotton ones underneath heavier protective gloves)

Alright girls, nighty night. Keep watching....tomorrow or the next day I will be posting an ' I WANT' food blog....

Cheers

Anji

The Blog to Begin All Blogs

So, to noone in particular..here goes.

The entire point of this blog is for me to be for lack of a better word, a guinea pig for all home remedies (and you know by that I don't mean ALL home remedies...if it sounds too disgusting...YOU test it and post to me!)

Suggested topics for testing out hints, advice and recipes or methods are: home made beauty products across the board, natural cleaning products, recipes for meals, kids entertainment plans or ideas (I have a one year old and a five year old so I've got a fairly wide demographic!), romantic suggestions (oh yes, nothing is off limits - providing it's not too graphic and nasty....ladies, you know what I mean...let's speak in veiled terms right?), fashion looks/ideas, tricks to get the washing extra soft, tips for helping child development, how to grow the best vegetables (or STRAWBERRIES...don't forget HOW TO GROW HALF DECENT STRAWBERRIES!! GRR)...in short anything you can think of that you've always wondered how well it works!

I am in the process of developing a set of parameters for the basic testing procedures and ratings...so any advice for headings would be great! User friendliness, expense etc will be included of course including success/failure and (possible) side effects...hehe.

I will also, on request, compile a fantastic list for 1 person a week. As a compulsive lister and browser...if you contact me and say hey, please find me a super cool look for the party next week or...hey, where do I find all the best kids art supplies on line or what kinds of gifts could i get in this style for this price, what decor would suit this room and this furniture WHATEVER; I will list like a maniac and take the legwork out of it for you. I will be asking for the best constructive criticism from whomever I choose (out of my millions of adoring fans!) and will strive to make the best, most comprehensive lists EVER.

There will be many additions and changes over the coming months while I learn about blogging in general and start uploading style photos and compilations etc, keep checking in because you never know what you might find here....I'm nothing if not intense and compulsive! Dragonflies on drugs couldn't keep up with me! I'll leave you with my favourite style of the moment (cos' it's almost achievable even for a fashion tragic like me!!), the Balmain look.



my current favourite look 'balmain' apparently...not that I'd really know anything at all about it except what I've seen



such a fantastic jacket! and this shirt, I actually have one very similar...the balmain look must be last year for this style to have filtered down to my level of shopping!

the slightly more feminine side of it all....I just love this rebel militia look! so very me! haha

Cheers everyone

Anji