Dandelion Amazing Blog

Sincerely Isabella

2012-06-21T03:34:00.001-07:00

Introducing Sincerely Isabella! If you liked Dandelion you will like Sincerely Isabella, it's my brand new blog. I think of Sincerely Isabella as a new, mature, updated version of Dandelion!

I'd love for more followers so if you could check it out I would be ever so thankful.

Have a look...
http://sincerelyisabella.blogspot.com.au/

Lots of love,
Isabella

My New Blog

2012-05-20T14:23:00.001-07:00

So as I said in my last post I am moving on to a new blog! I would like to invite you all to follow my new blog.
http://dearworldbyisabella.wordpress.com/
It's just started but I have some great ideas about how it will work.
This will be the last time I'll see you on this blog - so goodbye and THANK YOU!
Lots of love,
Isabella

So Long

2012-05-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

For whatever reason Dandelion Amazing Blog has stopped working for me. I don't know whether it's the name, or the platform, or the design or the low readership but I have lost any passion I ever had for this blog. I have decided to start fresh. To start a new blog. I've definitely loved my time blogging on this blog but I'm kinda of sick of it. So Long! Lots of love, Isabella

The Talentless State of the Pop Music Industry

2012-05-05T15:21:00.001-07:00

OK, time to throw a bit of controversy into my blog.

Recently, just like the rest of the Australia. I have been watching The Voice (AUS). I have been overwhelmed by the sheer talent of the artists on it. It seems the whole world has completely forgotten what real talent is. Look at the Itunes chart. Hear the songs played on pop radio. You hear songs that are made by a computer and are madly auto-tuned. These songs are designed to be played in a club. I don't actually know anyone who lives in a club or spends their whole life there. So, why the hell do we listen to such crap so MUCH? I would really like to know. 'Artists' like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj (and the list goes on) make thousands (no millions) of dollars out of what? Making sexy music videos. Making 'music' that is easy to dance to? Producing catchy songs. I honestly don't know.

It's only when you see real talent that realise what a horrible state the industry is actually in. But I (and many other music gurus - I am not implying I am in any way a music guru) predict a change in this techno inspired face of pop.

We all know Adele. She has broken all kinds of records. Her album has SOLD LIKE CRAZY and is still in the top 20. It's because she opened up the world's eyes to real, raw, honest talent. Which so many singers have. So, I have crossed fingers that this is the direction pop music is heading in. A chord driven ballad state.

I googled 'the horrible state of the pop industry' and came across a Yahoo Answers page full of strong opinions. Some people said music had become like fast food, some people said it was thanks to the youth of the planet (cough, cough....me) but what really stood out of the whole discussion is that no one really liked the whole computer made pop thing.

Of course, this is a very negative side to the argument. Also on the charts is Flo and the Machine, Ed Sheeren and some other really quite talented artists. But songs on the radio (and very often the charts) are predominantly techno, club-driven ones which I personally don't find very pleasent to listen to.

How do you feel about the current pop music industry? Answer in the comments.

Have a think about it,
Isabella

The Grass is Always Greener on The Other Side

2012-04-27T17:27:00.001-07:00

The grass is always greener on the other side. For the human race it seems that it always is. We seem to be under the odd illusion that the best things are the ones that we do not have. The ones on the other side. Why the hell is this? Why do we long for other things? Why do they seem so much better then what we have?

I have a theory. An odd one too. I believe that the world around us moves so fast that we get extremely bored easily. We get use to what we have. We start to notice the flaws of what we have and suddenly what someone else has seems so much better.

Curvy people long to be petite. Petite people long to have curves. I’m going to be honest, it utterly sucks.

The thing is the nature of humans is to always want more. We consume lots, we are on the top of the food chain and we have a lot of power. There is always more in our lives. It’s easy for us to be able to get better things. We are so use to the idea of new things that we get bored of the old ones.

So in short I think the fact that the grass always seems greener on the other side is related to consumerism and the fast moving pace of the world.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

Isabella

A Photo Full Mixed Bag

2012-04-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

Source

Hello everybody - it's foggy in Sydney and I'm happily listening to Florence and the Machine as I write this. A nice end to an extremely RAINY week. So, many of you would remember the mixed bag post I did last month. A mixed bag is a collection of my favourite things on the web for the last month. This month's is photo full as I have recently discovered tumblr which I have become HIGHLY addicted to. This month has been a good one in terms of things on the Internet - then again it seems it's always a good month on the Internet.

My Utter Favourite Photos I've Found this Month

Source

She's saying 'it isn't fair'
I'm not sure where this one is from

Source

My Absolute Favourite Links of the Month

The 45 Most Powerful Images of 2011

Marriage From A Kid's Perspective
Insane Sidewalk Chalk Art
Facebook + Pride and Prejudice
Hermes Meets Vans
21 Great Pintrest Boards for Art and Design Lovers

Song of the Month

I adore this new Flo and the Machine song. It's haunting in that genuine Florence and the Machine style.

Video of the Month
So, as you all know I adore gala darling however I've always thought of her radical self love idea as a bit sappy, I agree you should love yourself but no one wants to be IN LOVE with themselves. HOWEVER, this speech kind of pulled me over. It's quite powerful - I think.

If you have any favourite things on the web this month feel free to share in the comments.
Happy weekend!
Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Isabella

The Thing about Negativity

2012-04-18T16:56:00.002-07:00

I recently discovered the site: Get Off My Internets It’s quite funny and is extremely popular but it’s basically about tearing other people down. It’s addictive which has made me come to the conclusion that negativity is addictive. Negativity seems to have everything on its side. It’s easy to give, it makes you feel powerful and it temporarily defeats jealousy. I have many times contemplated doing a ‘Things I Hate’ post when I’m low on ideas. It can feel AMAZING to have a little rant but the thing about posting it on the Internet is that the person you’re writing about can easily find it.

The whole Internet is encouraging us to be negative – from the dislike button on Youtube to blogs like Get Off My Internets.

Watching the news is negative –they never seem to report any GOOD news. Rain is negative- it stops us from going outside. Sometimes I feel like the whole world is turning negative on me.

BUT WHAT ABOUT WHEN I’M BEING NEGATIVE – you may ask. There’s NOTHING wrong with being negative sometimes. But when you are being negative about someone who’s just doing what they like to do when they can see/hear what you are saying/writing that’s when it crosses the line. And when your just ALWAYS negative that can make you feel awfully sad about the world - don't you think?

So When you’re thinking about writing nasty comments and such, try for a bit of empathy.

Oh, wait hold on. What about opinions? We should be able to express our opinions on the Internet. Of coarse we should! There’s a thin line between expressing an opinion and being overly negative. As to where that line lies – I’ll let that be up to you.

Xoxoxox

Isabella

PS. This is just MY OPINION about negativity - Remember I'm overly optimistic. I'd love to hear your opinion about negativity in the comments.

Navigating Fashion Websites - Part 2:Etsy

2012-04-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

Source

So we've all been to a market. A market is a place where creative types buy and sell items. These item are very often vintage. Etsy is like this but is online. I call it the indie version of Ebay.

However, Etsy is MASSIVE. There are so many shops and to be honest some of them are pretty mediocre. There are a few ways to find the best things. 

The first is to take the taste test. This is a test where you choose your favourites out of a group of items. It finds out your taste and then selects items that fit it.

The second is to look at the discover category. It again shows some of the best of Etsy. 

You can also take a look at Etsy Milk - a blog that looks for the best in Etsy. 

A list of my favourites to get you started 

Kimmy Kuo
Katie Jean
It's Ok My Dear
Amourx
B. Poetic
Bad James Vintage
Zero Gravity
Ruggles Made
Black Sheep

Happy weekend.
Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Isabella

Navigating Fashion Websites - Part 1: Polyvore

2012-04-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

Polyvore. I adore it. For those who don't know what it is, it's an outfit creating service. Oh, but it's so much more. It's a shopping service, a fashion help community and an inspiration board.

Source

This is how polyvore works. You go on and use pieces from various shops to create outfits. You can then use those outfits in lots of different ways. To answer questions, enter competitions, etcetera etcetera. Yes, it’s extremely simple.

I find it helpful as I can find items similar to the ones in my wardrobe and use them to create outfits with other items. This helps me to find out what garments could help my wardrobe.

This is wardrobe revolution people!

Polyvore is also a great way to release your inner fashion guru. When people ask questions you can give them outfit ideas and visa-versa.

You can even buy your outfits for yourself!

The best thing about Polyvore is that is pretty damn fun. It lets you release your inner child. It takes me back to the days when I stuck magazines together to make ‘outfits.’

If you want to find me on Polyvore my name is ilovelife765

Hey, it’s true!

Paint a smile on your face and keep it there

Xoxoxoxoxox

Isabella

Blogging - A Realisation

2012-04-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

I'm back. Did you miss me?

Since taken a break from blogging I've realised a lot about what blogging is about. I've had a lot more time to think about my blog and the blogs of others.

Source

I've thought about why we blog. More specifically, why I blog. I think we all dream of being a role model, of being an immaculate being. A blog is a place where we share the good in our life, we never reveal our flaws. We try to come across as perfect.

People love Gala Darling because she seems absolutely perfect. She loves herself, she's thin, she's pretty and she has an award winning blog.

When we blog we almost create a character for ourselves. A perfect character who overuses some words and has some sort of trademark. It's only human to want to be perfect and want to be looked up to.

In a way, blogs are wildly honest but wildly dishonest at the same time. People share their best outfits but not their worst ones. They share their best dishes but not their worst. Due to this, people and their blogs can come across as immensely vain and quite materialistic. I feel my blog is starting to slip into that category.

So, of today my blog's image has slightly changed. As well as being a place where I share materialistic things and ideas I also want it to be a place where I can share intellect with my readers. I want it to cover more areas of life.

Hope you have enjoyed your week
Xoxoxoxo
Isabella

Hacked?

2012-03-27T12:35:00.002-07:00

Hi everyone. I think my blog has been hacked. Many of my old posts are being reposted. I'm not quite sure why. Please hang in there while I work it out.

I'm Taking a Break - I'll Be Back Soon

2012-03-24T20:08:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to tell you all that I'll be taking a break from blogging for a couple of weeks. I have absolutely no time to blog at the moment. I will return with a bang on the 7th of April. Until then I hope you all have a fabulous month. See you soon.
Xoxoxo
Isabella
Photo from http://womenonthefence.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/BloggingBreak.jpg

Inspired by.....The Help

2012-03-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

I know, I know! I haven’t blogged for ages. I feel ever so guilty, honest! It just kept slipping off the end of my to do list. But forget that and let’s get onto The Help.

The Help is one of my favorite films. The acting is really great, the plot is compelling and interesting and it informs people of the whole total gist of the time.

I was shocked at my own naivety. I had thought of the fifties as a time of swing dresses, brownies and happy housemothers. I had, in fact, completely looked past the sexism and racism of the time.

The plot of the help is really quite good. It moves at a nice pace without dragging. It starts when Skeeter, a smart, journalist that has little interest in marriage, decides to write a book from the point of view of the help. The women that raise white children.

This is quite a difficult task of Skeeter’s ‘friend’ Hilly is very against the whole book. Hilly is the equivalent of the villain of the film. She’s an evil racist woman.

My only criticism for the film is that it ends on a limb. I wish they would just make it a tad longer. Then again, when it comes to films, I like them to really finish it. I like to know exactly what happens. I don’t like any loose bits. That’s just me.

Overall, the film will make you laugh and cry and smile. I give it 9/10.

The only good thing about Hilly is what she wears. Oh, I utterly adore her dresses. Of course, you are not meant one on their fashion and I totally acknowledge her horrible character but how could I not do a feature on her fashion?

So, Hilly seems to have an oath to printed swing dresses. She wears florals and apricot print (yes, she wears a dress with apricots on it). She wears her red hair in a big bun. She looks sophisticated. She looks fab.

So, I like the fashion in The Help very much. So I made a little polyvore collage for it. I tried to find dresses that put a bit of a modern spin on the 50’s.

http://ilovelife765.polyvore.com/

Another thing I noticed about The Help is the food they eat. It seems like traditional American diner food. Fried chicken seems to be a feature as does…. chocolate pie and pie that isn’t so chocolatey.

Minny’s Chocolate Pie (no, not THAT one)

http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/minnys-chocolate-pie-recipe-fw0811

Minny’s Fried Chicken

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mamas-fried-chicken-10000000331662/

Have a lovely day, it’s a rainy Saturday in Sydney. Depressing much.

Xoxoxox

Isabella

Photo from http://bigthoughtsfromasmallmind.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/help-cleans-up-some-messy-assumptions.html

A mixed bag - Lana Del Rey, Polka Dot Earrings and Picnics!

2012-03-07T11:37:00.000-08:00

New section alert! Say hello to a mixed bag. A mixed bag is a collection of mini articles, recipes, links, photos and videos. It’s a mega post and will happen monthly!

Short n Sweet Album Review – Born to die

I did a feature on Lana Del Rey a couple of weeks ago. I told you I was very excited for her new album and believe me I was.

When it came out I was a little disappointed.

It’s very repetitive. There aren’t really any amazing songs apart from the ones that came out before the album. I mean the songs are pleasant to listen to but they aren’t as good as expected. I give it 3/5.

Amourx

These earrings are as cute as a button!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Amourx?section_id=8093900

Let’s Picnic from Eat Drink Chic

I love these let’s picnic invites by Amy Moss. They are pretty and free to print!

http://www.eatdrinkchic.com/post.cfm/free-let-s-picnic-invitations

A collection of beautiful photographs by MOI

I love this collection of retro style photography

http://www.anocial.com/2010/09/24/retro-photography-25-beautiful-examples/

Challenges!

It’s good to give us a little challenge. They can help us put a new perspective on the world and make a positive change for our world and life. Try and do one this week and see how you feel. Rejuvinated? Happy? Crazy?

- - Plant a veggie garden

- -Go for a week without internet

- -Wear a colour you wouldn’t usually wear (yellow anyone?)

- -Eat a tofu burger

- -Run 5km

- -Do not drive your car for a month

I only just discovered this. It’s really interesting. It makes me feel like a bit of a bimbo because she is so insightful but that is far from the point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gWxTUBasrU

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening

Coco Chanel

This pintrest page is mouthwatering.

http://pinterest.com/ohjoy/tasty-treats/

Don't worry everyone I'm not one of those crazy, anorexic weight loss fanatics. However, I found this article really interesting and I think it would be a really good way to live.

http://www.thelondoner.me/2012/01/anti-diet.html

Movie of the month - The Help (more to come later in the week)

Have a lovely day!

Xoxoxoxoxox

Isabella

Icing, Sprinkles and Vanilla: The World of Cupcakes

2012-03-05T11:21:00.000-08:00

Cupcakes from Friday!

Oh, how I love cupcakes. They are handy. They can be eaten in two bites. They taste amazing and most importantly they are a delight to make. I think cupcakes are the food I cook the most often. I love to decorate them and I enjoy both eating and making them.

Cupcakes are loved all around the world. Cupcakeries are everywhere and in LA and NYC they are (wait for it) even setting up cupcake ATMs. (Oh my goodness)

My absolute favourite cupcake recipe is one from David Herbert’s Complete Perfect Recipes. It’s very simple and the end result is delicious. We often flavour them with lemon or coconut as well

Cupcakes can be used to send a lovely message and can help you be creative and have fun.

5 Things You Should Do This Year Involving Cupcakes

1. Give a batch to a friend

2. Decorate them with some children (when I say this I mean decorate the cupcakes and let children help you do this, I don’t mean kill children and put them on the cupcakes)

3. Have a cupcake decorating party (Sometimes being childish is magnificent!)

4. Invent your own cupcake flavour

5. Decorate cupcakes with friends

Ways to decorate your cupcakes

- Write things on the top in writing icing

- Place a single sugar flower on the top

- Put edible glitter on top

- Sprinkles!

- Silver balls

Happy baking

Xoxoxoxoxo

Isabella

When You Feel Like You Are One Of THOSE People. Alternate Title: A Beginner's Guide to Fashion

2012-03-01T23:58:00.001-08:00

Sometimes you feel like your fashion is failing. You have no idea what you’re doing and EVERYONE seems to look so much better than you. You feel ugly. You feel horrid. You feel as if you may as well write ‘I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT MY FASHION!’ on your forehead.

It doesn't get much more unfashionable than that

Well, start by realizing what you are doing wrong. Here’s a list of my 7 Worst Fashion Pairing Mistakes taken from my Inspired by... Sydney CBD.

1. Sneakers and Jeans
My least favourite fashion pairing mistake. EVER. Ok, converse don't count but your running shoes. Egggghhhhhhh. It looks so awkward and well, just plain awful. You may as well write 'I DON"T CARE ABOUT FASHION' on your forehead.

2. Ugg Boots and Skirts (or even worse Dresses)
I don't really like Ugg Boots at all but they can look ok with jeans. With a skirt they are just hideous.

3. Socks (especially white ones) with sandals or thongs
If there is something that screams OLD it's this. Even if you were wearing the prettiest top and the best jeans the outfit would still be unbearable to look at if you wore sandals and socks.

4. Leather Boots and shorts
Boots are for winter, shorts are for summer. Pairing them doesn't make sense. Don't do it!

5. Spots and thick stripes
Print vomit. Colour vomit. It makes me want to vomit. Way too much (thin subtle stripes can look ok).

6. Hoodies and Dresses
A combination of formal and casual can look really good and REALLY BAD. This is an instance were it looks REALLY BAD.

7. Heels and trackies

That just completely stupid, why did I even list that

If you feel you are doing any of these things stop!

The next thing to do is to buy some new clothes. Try the following stores

If you are 14-29

http://www.threadsence.com

http://www.frenchconnection.com.au

If you are 30-49

http://www.dvf.com/

If you are 40-50

http://www.jacandjack.com/

If you are 50+

http://www.blueillusion.com/

All AGES

https://www.leonaedmiston.com/online_store

Remember this simple piece of information. Cream. Goes. With. Pretty. Much. Everything.

Look around at other outfits you like. Try and recreate the. There’s nothing wrong with stealing good ideas once in a while.

Have a lovely weekend!

Stay happyily fabulous

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Isabella

Photo from http://www.maskworld.com/pix/costumes/large/91099-urlauber-fat-suit-tourist-fat-suit.jpg

The Stupidness of Averages, Stereotypes and General Normalness

2012-02-25T13:32:00.001-08:00

We all get just a bit scared of standing out. No one wants to be viewed as weird. Stereotypes barricade us. It’s as if they keep us in little boxes. Peer pressure pushes us over the edge. We’re all scared of being a current instead of just going with the rest of the river. I was inspired to write this because of an article I read in the latest Frankie. It was about creatives with disabilities. I was drawn to a story about a blind furniture designer. I loved the fact he was unique. People expect designers to we women with red hair, cat eyeglasses and architectural jewelry. But this guy pushed boundaries. He wasn’t an average. It made me realize how stupid stereotypes are. How they barricade us and stop us from doing things we love.

This is a message to everyone. It doesn’t matter how normal you are. There are two words that have been said so much they are a bit of a cliché but they’re true so I’ll share them with you. Normal’s boring. As is fitting in with the crowd. If we didn’t have creatives, unique people and weirdoes our world would be so boring we’d all fall asleep. So, do your bit for our world and don’t be afraid to stand out. Jump up and down, wear a banana suit and dance like no one’s watching.

Have a good week

Xoxoxo

Isabella

Photo from http://cdnimg.visualizeus.com/thumbs/44/36/blue,eyes,bunny,bunny,ears,bunny,rabbit,bunny,whisker,carrot,color,colour,eyes,girl,green,hipster,indie,long,hair,make,up-4436c9fc1721c03d3c6ecab2f90e6610_m.jpg/

A Sophisticate's Guide To Shopping

2012-02-20T23:45:00.000-08:00

Shopping. It's fab. But it has it bad side. It makes you blow money you don't have. It's time consuming. It's addictive!
This article helps you bask in the sun of shopping and veer away from those bad things about it.

To prepare.....
Before you go shopping do these things. Don't worry they won't take more than 2 minutes, it won't take up any of you're shopping time!

Firstly. SET A BUDGET. Only bring the amount of money you plan to spend. This way you aren't tempted to blow your budget.
Also set a time limit. You don't want to miss anything.

Ask yourself these questions

Do I need any garments? For example: you are low on skirts, it's cold and you need a coat, you need a new bag as yours is getting old.
What are the trends and do I care about them enough to buy around them?
What shops should I go to?

You can even check online at your favourite stores before you leave so you have an idea of what you might buy.

Where to shop
Go somewhere where you have a bit of variety. Your local mall, department store or high street are usually the best spots.

It's important to keep a balance. Have a browse at all types of stores. High-end, vintage, op shop! Keep it mixed!

How to ENJOY shopping
The best way to enjoy shopping is to go with your favourite people. Walk along chatting and then get second opinions about all your favourite garnments. Sit down and get a drink. Talk. Eat. Shop. Laugh. Enjoy.

Happy shopping!
Xoxoxo
Isabella

Photo from http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8qY_8uKRbQg/Tmt32QRHE5I/AAAAAAAABWw/hhtvFasiapc/s1600/day+12+-+shopping.jpg

The Picks of the Month - Music, Fashion and Food

2012-02-17T02:35:00.001-08:00

So view this as a plug in to the amazing things I’ve seen this and last month. We can all admit these few months have definitely have their ups and downs like most months. But let’s be optimistic and focus on the good stuff.

Music

Lana Del Rey

Not amazing live but fabulous songs and big lips. Ring any bells? It must because Lana Del Rey is the new big thing. Sure, she’s liked and disliked all over the world but the amount of hate she gets doesn’t stop her from producing amazing music. I give her massive thumbs up.

Lonely Boy by The Black Keys

The new song by The Black Keys has gone absolutely viral. It is loved all over the world. The tune is catchy AND they are talented. This can be very rare in the current pop music scene. I utterly adore it. There’s only one problem…I can never get it out of my head.

Boys Like You by 360 feat. Gossling

I love the chores and the voice of Gossling plays my heart strings but 360 annoys me (all rappers do) and the theme of the song is really horrible and not the most pleasant to listen to when you take the lyrics seriously (shown in music video, which is not displayed here as I feel it isn’t all that appropriate for this blog).

Tongue Tied by Grouplove

I’ve run out of words for love. I think I’ve already said love and adore so many times in this article. I’ll just say I’m nuts about this song. The backing line with the instruments in the background is so fabulous and bold. This means the song is wonderful to listen to and never drags.

Fashion

Collard Shirts

Those collard seem to ensure sophistication and funkiness. They absolutely ooze coolness whether they are covered in a bold print or in a simple colour. I heart these shirts!

Photo From
http://rockinthatbling.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/vanessa-collar.jpg

Polka Dots

Oh my gosh. Who knew these tiny little spots could make me feel so happy. They absolutely scream cuteness. I love them on 50’s styles dresses, on skirts, on headbands on EVERYTHING.

Photo from http://www.isdress.net/img/black-embroidered-polka-dot.jpg

High Waisted Skirts

Oh, how I love wearing a skirt tucked in. It seems elegant and cool all at the same time. Wearing one with a cute blouse and a pair on sunnies is one of my new favourite outfit combos

Photo from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJ9ggK9U_5BY254wL1jdzInpibpfggaKEa8udPQgFayHArL6bRZg4nzjCn5-6YpeNnYG-sOKT3dCzt5qmrXwnTeNTf3x1Cr7wFTsjcNQhLmMVCYTEopW_MmBc1DliscLvPhbzfmd_IbQ3/s400/2b86082e-9d20-47a1-948f-2cbedeee309e.jpg

Vintage

Ahh, the love of the old and lost. Rekindling new trends in one of my new favourite things to do and vintage can really help with that.

Photo from http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nlnE3r1mn-A/Tb7hbEwGqRI/AAAAAAAAAEY/LZQt-K4wcAc/s1600/pretty-pink-vintage-collage.png

Food

Tofu

I love tofu in all forms. It is high in protein and iron and low in calories. It’s also highly delicious. A perfect healthy snack. What’s not to love?

Photo from http://www.thefatlossauthority.com/fat_loss_tips/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Tofu-Image.jpg

Thai Food

Mmmmm. I love the bold and delicious flavour of Thai Food. Pad Thai anyone?

Photo from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrAYkbRtk-EIvfXOzit2vhHV0WoHl3l4P2NiVPnMGiLgX5jNu4darunsL90qpmpaA0YQrtYh5T4W0MyAVFkpfMPqXrlJiH0-BJsYxc2HXxoJV4DGb8y17ExacLj49PMlpGKk-UBqwalyI/s400/padthai.jpg

Scones

Is there anything better than a warm scone with jam and cream, a cup of tea and a really good read. No there is not?

Photo from http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/02/12/scones_narrowweb__300x449,0.jpg

Have a nice weekend

Xoxoxoxo

Isabella

Chocolate, Pink Baths and That Little Thing Called Love - A Guide To Having The Perfect Valentine's Day

2012-02-12T22:48:00.000-08:00

I have never celebrated Valentine's day in my life so for me tomorrow will be a first. It seems no one does in Australia. Valentines day is corny and retailers see it as a way to sell more stuff so people often forget about it's true meaning which is love. Now I'll stop there or I'll go into motivational speaker mode. What I don't get is why people only view it as a day to celebrate our love for another person. Why can't we celebrate our love for the world or for ourselves! This guide tell you how to celebrate love in it's many forms. So curl up and read all about celebrating love for...well.....everything.

5 Fabulous Ways To Celebrate Your Love With Someone

1. Go to a drive in movie

2. Bring out the corny heart chocolate and have a picnic!

3. Go out for a fancy lunch or dinner.

4. Each of you pick a movie and watch both of them back to back!

5.  Make love heart cookies

5 Fabulous Ways To Celebrate Your Love For The Amazing World Around You
Who doesn't love our amazing world. Sure, it has it's flaws but it's beautiful and full of culture and diversity.

1. Go away for a day to a new place

2. Take photos of everything you see that is beautiful or interesting.

3. Spend the day gardening

4. Go for a picnic

5. Go for a walk around your city

6 (I had to throw in an extra one) Fabulous Ways To Celebrate Your Love For Yourself
Self love isn't about being full of yourself, cocky or selfish. It's about having confidence and a high sense of self worth.  Gala darling is the ultimate self lover and has amazing tips about how to be confident and how to love yourself so for more ideas have a look at her.

1. Treat yourself to a mini shopping trip. Come on, you deserve it!

2. Have some exercise.

3. Write down the 100 things you love about yourself

4. Paint your nails a new colour

5. Cook yourself a special meal.

6. Hang out with friends

The Ultimate Valentine's Day Thing
OK, so a couple of weeks ago I discovered a Lush bath bomb in my room. 'Oh, how lovely' I thought and I put it in the bath and hopped in. As the bath bomb spread the bath turned pink (yes, pink) and little confetti hearts went everywhere. I felt intensely happy and put on some calming music thinking about well....everything as one often does in the bath. It was INSANELY relaxing and I plan of doing it every Valentines day for the next couple of years. It's amazing how the little things can make you happy.

This is the bath bomb. I'm pretty sure you can buy on line.

Have a fabulous Valentine's Day
Stay wonderful
Xoxo
Isabella

Needles, Cookies and Computers- Finding Ways To Release Your Creativity

2012-02-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things.

Steve Jobs

So, we’ve established that creativity is a pretty damn awesome thing. It fuels jobs, hearts and brains. For those with a day job that they may not particularly like or a thirst for a creative outlet I’ve put together a little list of creative outlets and the pros and cons of each one.

Blogging

Blogging is a wonderful thing. It is something that leaves you with a lot of possibilities. You can blog about whatever you like. If you don’t enjoy it than stop because really, what’s the point of doing it if you don’t? The main pros for me are the happiness it gives me. That is the reason I persist despite the fact I have quite few readers.

Another thing that will be a pro for me, hopefully in the future is money. You can actually make really good amounts of money from a blog but at the same time I would be happy to just keep writing and have no ads.

The things that sort of suck about having a blog is the hate. You can get really awful comments that make you feel like you blog is horrible. Of course, I hate the awful comments but for me the main con of blogging is the fact that sometimes I feel (and I’m sure it’s the same with lots of other bloggers) like I’m just sending articles out into the big wide internet and they’re getting lost and no one can find them or read them. I think ‘who is actually reading this?’ I absolutely love it though and I don’t think I’ll be stopping any time soon.

Small Business

Having a small business is a really fun thing to do. It means making really direct money really quite quickly. The expenses are really quite high though. You can sell homemade toys, cushions and all sorts of other little things. You can sell your little things at a market or on Etsy.

Other things you ay want to do are

- - Sewing classes

- - Baking with friends every month

- - Knitting

Happy releasing creativity.

Have a lovely weekend

Xoxo

Isabella

Why Fast Food is a Horrible Thing and the MUCH better Alternative

2012-02-05T23:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I think we can all admit that most of the time fast food is pretty damn horrible. Not to mention the fact that it seems to destroy you from the inside.

Equally, I see the appeal. It's fast and cheap.I have realized quite a lot of people that go to Macdonald's and other fast food chains are really quite lazy. Why do you think a lot of them are so obese?

No one deserves fast food. No one deserves heart disease, no one deserves diabetes and no one deserves obesity.

If I haven't convinced you then look at this article, go read The Omnivore's Dilemma or watch this.

The alternative is simple. Fresh, easy food you cook at home. Check out my blog roll where you can find food blogs packed with fantastic recipes. A few cheap and VERY easy (I'm talking 5-10 minutes) recipes if you're in a lazy mood and that happens to all of us.

- Udon Noodles with Soy Sauce, Spring Onions and a little Sweet Chili Sauce. This is one I sort of invented but I love.
-Pasta with Pesto (You can actually make the pesto on the weekend or buy a little pot)
- Lettuce Leaves with Satay (which is easier to make than you think, just mix peanut butter, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime, sesame oil, coriander and a little chili) and Egg White Noodles
-Guacamole with Cheesy Tortillas

As I always say with both food and fashion. Experiment! If you're too busy in the week to cook than cook meals on weekends and then pop them in the freezer.

Fast food is bad for both you and the earth around you. So do us all a favour and don't eat it! Of coarse if you love fast food no one's going to stop you from eating it occasionally but too much of it is bad for everyone.

Stay fabulously healthy
Xoxoxoxo
Isabella

Lana Del Rey: Fabulous or Fake?

2012-02-05T02:19:00.000-08:00

Lana Del Rey aka Lizzy Grant seems to be the new ‘thing.’ Her deep and somewhat mournful voice is beautiful, in my opinion. I have been a supporter of her songs since I found out about them. I’m ecstatic for when her album comes out.

Source

Her career has, in some parts, been influenced and supported by her very wealthy father. Maybe that’s why so many people seem to hate her.

I believe the thing people have to except is that she is really talented and it doesn’t really matter how she got to the top because she’s there now and I don’t think she’ll be climbing down any time soon. It’s hard to make it in the music biz and she just had a bit of a boost to help her (her father’s money). If anyone is most likely to sell millions of albums this year it’s her.

Another thing people seem to dis her about is her massive lips. This is just plain vein. Music isn’t about beauty it’s about, well…music. And if people do care about beauty so much they shouldn’t be complaining, as Lana Del Rey is a beautiful girl.

I can’t say much about her fashion sense, as the world hasn’t seen much of it yet. From what I can tell it seems feminine, elegant and in some cases regal.

So in conclusion I would say Lana Del Rey is amazing. I respect the fact that she isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but if she isn’t yours than can you please not write nasty things about her all over the Internet. Hate is a horrible thing and I think Lana Del Rey has more than her fair share of it. Put yourself in her shoes. Who would want people calling them ‘duck lips’ and ‘fake’ and ‘untalented?’ Hmmm, Let me think…exactly…no one.

What you think of Lana Del Rey?

Stay exceptionally fantastic

Xoxoxoxo

Isabella

10 Things You Should Do This Fabulous February

2012-02-02T22:14:00.001-08:00

Hello! So yesterday is the first day of February and I'm feeling on top of the world! February is a month where everyone is still easing into the new year. Christmas feels like ages ago and people have already forgotten about their new years resolutions! You, yes you, should have a fabulous Febuary. To help you do this I've written a long checklist so we can all feel on top of the world!

1. Send a letter
That's right, be old fashioned. It's lovely to recieve a letter in the mail. Send a letter to a couple of people you know and see if they send one back.

Photo from
http://coconutandcream.blogspot.com.au/2010_07_01_archive.html

2. Take Care of Your Skin
Who wants to have peeling, oily, dirty or generallty icky skin? Exactly...... no one. Here are my tips for perfectish skin.

Step One: Cleanse and tone your skin in the morning, also, put on a tinted sunscreen. Sunburn sucks and no one can notice a tinted sunscreen. Then in the evening give your face another wash. Simple as pie.

Photo from http://drsecretstore.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/1374.jpg

3. Have Flowers In Your House
It is a fact* that flowers make people happy. Having them in your house adds ambiance to a room. They are beautiful and uplifting. Unless they are dead.
*not an actual fact

Photo from http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tTmQkCG7xqg/
TLcZoicnuZI/AAAAAAAAAH0
/e1_VTYoGz7s/s1600/flowers1+copy.jpg

4. Try A New Tea
Tea is a wonderful thing. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN LIMITING YOURSELF TO ENGLISH BREAKFAST. There's so many teas out there we should all experiment.

Photo from http://www.countryliving.com/cm/countryliving/images
/tea-party-teacups-rep0507-de.jpg

5. Buy a polka dot garnment
I utterly adore polka dots. And it seems they are making a bit of a come back. They seem to be popping up everywhere. So go out and buy a polka dot garnment. A skirt? A dress? A top? Polka dots= guarenteed cuteness!

Photo from http://www.thisnext.com/tag/
polka-dot-party-dress/

6. Have a candlelit dinner
Sometimes its great to make things a bit special. A candlelit dinner is a fab way to do this. Invite some friends or family over a cook a spectacular dinner.

Photo from http://www.artisansofleisuretraveler.com/photos
/Bali_private_beach_dinner_t.jpg

7. Give yourself a new hobby
Start a blog or a shop on Etsy. You could make a bit of extra cash and have a ton of fun.

Photo from http://heartifb.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09
/green-blog-image.jpg

8. Read a couple of new blogs
Go for a bit of surf on the internet (or refer to my Blogroll) and find a few little gems to add to your google reader.

http://higher-and-higher.com/wp-content/uploads
/2010/10/fashion-blogs.jpg

9. Give a batch of cookies to a friend
If have a friend who has stayed with you through thick and thin and is always there to lend a helping hand or a sholder to cry on. It's good to give back. Give her a batch of her favourite cookies. Complete with a little tag saying how great she/he is.

Photo from http://www.trotski-ash.com/2010/01
/recipes/chocolate-chip-cookies/

10. Do this
I love gala darling. I especially love her idea of radical self love. This is a fabulous idea to get yourself feeling self confident this Febuary.

Photo from galadarling.com

Happy New Month!!!
Stay happy
Xoxoxoxo
Isabella

Quikifing Your Look - Part 3: Fabulously Quirky Fashionistas To Take Inspiration From

2012-01-27T01:17:00.000-08:00

Style Icons

People interpret fashion in so many ways; it’s fascinating to see unique senses of style. These are some of my utter favorites.

Gala Darling

Gala Darling is my fashion idol. I love her quirkiness and how she has so much fun with her fashion. She has a really interesting story. She was born Amy Paape but changed her name to stand out. She really does stand out. She has bright blue eyes and pink hair! Most importantly, her fashion is one-of-a-kind. It’s girly and pink and sparkly and one-hundred-percent fabulous! You don’t completely get it until you see a picture. So, check out her extremely popular blog to see one.

Photo from Gala Darling.com (Link below)

http://galadarling.com/

Emily Schuman

Emily’s style is modern, fresh and really quite delightful. She is always on trend. She combines her love of fashion and food in her blog Cupcakes and Cashmere, which you should totally check out. Photo from Cupcakes and Cashmere (Link below)

http://cupcakesandcashmere.com/

Ebony Bizys

The writer of successful blog, Hello Sandwich, really knows her fashion. She leads a lifestyle I am totally jealous of. She lives in an amazingly decorated Tokyo apartment and spends her life riding around on a bike, taking pictures, making little things and blogging. She wears vintage style clothes that are feminine and beyond adorable.

Photo from Hello Sandwich (Link below)

http://hellosandwich.blogspot.com/

I Hope You enjoyed

Xoxoxoxoxo

Isabella