Friday Flowers

What a GORGEOUS day it is in Melbourne today! Given the amount of Uni work I have been doing over the past two weeks, I haven't had much time to peruse the Internet for Friday Finds, so I present you with Friday Flowers from our backyard instead! Enjoy!

Respect yourself.

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Why I don't care what people think of me anymore, and why you shouldn't either.

Today is an important day in Greek history. It is 'Oxi Day'. This day is mostly remembered for general Ioannis Metaxas' strong reply of 'Oxi' (no) to Mussolini's request to allow Italian troops to come into Greece at the beginning of WWII. Metaxas stood his ground and his resistance is today celebrated. It was in my reflection of today's historical significance that I realised how important it is to stand your ground and stand up for what you truly believe in. It's important to say 'oxi' (no) when you need to. It is important to care. I am proud of my Greek heritage, and I'm proud to stand my ground when it comes to things I truly care about. When we look through the history books and see the people who made a real difference in the world, they were not the ones who stayed silent in the face of criticism or disapproval. They are the ones who fought for their civil liberties. I think of people like Malala Yousafzai who bravely defended women's right to an education,  Nelson Mandela who fought against institutionalised racism, poverty and inequality, the Australian suffragettes who campaigned for the right to vote in elections, and most recently, those who are campaigning for Marriage Equality, the rights of Asylum Seekers, and the rights of Young People. It's not about being 'right', it's not about inflated self-importance, it's about putting your ego and self-interest aside and seeing how denying the rights of others impacts not only on them, but on humanity as a whole.

Here's the thing, a lot of people don't agree with my opinions, they judge me for judging other people who deny human rights, they don't like it when I call out bullshit when I see it, they don't like it when I speak my mind. For a little while this actually bothered me, and I started to question whether there was something wrong with me and whether my opinions were valid. So called 'friends' deleted me. I even stopped posting on my own Facebook. I allowed others to gain control over me. But guess what? I will no longer allow these people to gain control over me or dictate the way I live my life. I will no longer silence myself for the gratification of these people. Their approval is no longer needed. So, if you're one of these people who doesn't like my opinions, then please exercise your right to delete me, because you will no longer silence my voice when it comes to human rights. You will no longer control me. My purpose in life is to empower others to do the same. I wouldn't be true to myself and my beliefs if I didn't practice what I preach. It's time for me to stop caring what other people think of me, and start standing up for what I truly believe in: equality, human rights and social justice. Those are the things I live to defend.

Leave the city of your comfort

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Friday Finds #5

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Hello lovelies. It's the end of the week! Time to stop and smell the roses. Grab a cup of tea, and make yourself comfy because it's time for Friday Finds!

My thesis is due in 6 days, which is why it's been a little quiet on the blog, but I still managed to find some goodies to share with you this week.

Music

Oh my god! I am so obsessed with this song by Fergie, Q-Tip & GoonRock. Cannot get it out of my head. It's on The Great Gatsby soundtrack.

Fashion

Lady Petrova has gone ONLINE! People were so excited about this that the site crashed on the first day it launched! So many lovely dresses, flower crowns, jewellery and make ups! I love the Wila range that they now stock. It's like wearing a carnival, just gorgeous.

Blogger

I discovered Pixie and Pixier recently while perusing the entries for The Blogcademy Scholarship. Gabriella studies psychology (like me) and makes pretty jewellery (like me), which she sells on Etsy. She likes cats and bright colours and I think her blog is pretty awesome. Check her out.

Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza earrings

Donate

On a more sombre note, I was so saddened to hear of all the bush fires in NSW, particularly since some of the places that have been affected are places I have visited and adored. There's nothing worse than seeing nature, homes and people affected by fires. It's just awful. If you'd like to make a donation to the NSW Rural Fire Service, here is the link to do so. I hope those affected by the fires are keeping safe and taking care of each other.

Have a lovely weekend xx

Friday Finds #4

Good morning lovelies and welcome to another Friday Finds!

This week I haven't really had much time to peruse the internet for treasures, but I did find a few little gems to share with you!

Blogger

I didn't end up winning a scholarship place for The Blogcademy, but I was so happy for Seren from Living Opals who scored herself a place. We chatted a bit on Facebook before the winner was announced and she is such a lovely person and fantastic illustrator! Check her out!

Picnic time!

With the weather warming up here in Melbourne (with the exception of yesterday) it's time to start planning your picnics! I am so looking forward to having a nice relaxing picnic in the sun after I've submitted my thesis in two weeks.

Pip Lincolne from Meet Me At Mikes wrote an article for Kidspot Australia on how to pack a pretty and delicious picnic lunch. There are recipes too!

Image source: Kidspot Australia

That's it for this week, a short and sweet one. 

Hope you have a lovely weekend xx

We are travellers on a cosmic journey...

I love this quote by Paulo Coelho. I read his book, Brida a few months ago and I absolutely loved it. I'll have to finish reading The Alchemist after I finish writing my thesis. 

What books have you read recently? Tell me!

xx

Just add glitter!

I've had a fairly awful week by most people's standards, so I thought I'd just take a moment to reflect on all the things to be thankful for, to help give me some perspective.

1. I have an amazing family who loves and cares about me. Case in point, my sister bought me a present the other day just to say thank you for all the times I have driven her around recently. Bless!

2. I am only a few weeks away from wrapping up my masters degree and reaching the top of a HUGE mountain that I have been climbing since 2005. I am so close to achieving my ultimate career goal! How exciting!

3. I took some time out to get creative for my scholarship application for The Blogcademy. Doing all that painting and creating again reminded me of why I loved it all in the first place. It's so much fun, and I'm looking forward to doing more of that once all the uni madness subsides.

4. Zumba! Oh em gee, it is the BEST self-care strategy one could ever possibly employ. It is so much fun! It would be safe to say that Zumba has preserved my sanity over the past few weeks and I'm so grateful to be able to go to the classes and shake it!!

5. This blog. It's been really cool re-launching this blog and brain storming ideas for future content. There are so many possibilities brewing and I am excited for how much potential there is for this blog to be really AWESOME.

Finally, if I have learned anything in life so far it would be not to be afraid to dream BIG. Walt Disney once said, 'if you can dream it, you can do it', and I strongly believe this is true! If you truly want something in your life, there is nothing stopping you from achieving it. There will be obstacles in your path, but don't let them stop you. Take a deep breath and confront whatever it is that is standing between you and your dream (it is usually fear). All you need are the three Ps: Patience! Persistence! Perseverance! 

...and if all else fails, just add a little glitter to your life!

What are you grateful for this week? Tell me! xxx

Blogcademy Melbourne Scholarship Application

I've been reading Gala Darling's blog since the very beginning when it was still called iCing and she referred to her readers as her nonpareils (cute)! At the time when I discovered her blog, she was still living in Melbourne and she was still writing on Live Journal, as was I. It was a time of great adolescent angst for me, but in many ways she was one of the reasons for why I pushed past all that self-loathing and started to embrace Radical Self Love instead. Being three years older than me, I always kind of looked to her blog for guidance, and all these years later I can still identify with a lot of what Gala writes about. This is probably because we're both in the business of helping people find and embrace their strengths and make the most of their lives. Gala writes in such an accessible and engaging style that I just can't help going back for more. She really is one of my biggest inspirations, and that's why I got SO excited when I found out that she and her two blogging friends, Shauna of Nubby Twiglet and Kat of Rock n Roll Bride, were going on a world tour to pass on their knowledge and skills to other people looking to make the most out of their blog. Gala, Shauna and Kat are just such RAD ladies and the personification of AWESOME!

I am a student in my final year of a Master of Psychology and currently taking time away from my thesis (which is due in 17 days) to work on my Blogcademy scholarship application instead! I was unable to afford a ticket to the now sold out workshop in Melbourne, which is why I am applying for a scholarship place instead.

So without further ado, here is my entry....

Dear Gala, Shauna and Kat,

I would love an opportunity to attend your Blogcademy workshop in Melbourne because I am re-launching my blog and online business (selling my handmade jewellery and accessories). I love to write about things I am passionate about and share my art and creations with others. I am absolutely clueless about the techniques and skills needed to build a successful blog and business and I think I would benefit greatly from learning the tricks of the trade from three hard working ladies who are currently living the blogging dream. The three of you have such a strong vision for what can make an ordinary blog go from fine to FABULOUS, and that's exactly the type of guidance I need need to make my blogging dream a reality.

Since I will be using my blog to launch my accessory business 'Kyriake's Kaboodle', I thought, what better way is there to start than by making you all a Headmistress bracelet? It is made with lettering and rose-quartz beads to chanel all that radical Blogcademy love!

I also wrote you a love letter to explain my reasoning behind the choice...

I had so much fun painting, making and creating this for you, and if anything it just reminded me of how passionate I am about it all. I really would be so grateful for an opportunity to attend, and if I do attend I'd be happy to bring along some button bracelets to pop into your goody bags for the other Blogcadettes too!

My fingers and toes are crossed!

Lots of love and glitter,

Kerry

xxx

How to rock leopard print like Elizabeth Taylor.

The leopard print trend seems to have continued through to Spring/Summer 13 here in Australia, and I know that a lot of people struggle with how to wear it without looking too tacky. When I worked in fashion retail, we used to get asked this question all the time. I think if I were to look up to any fashion idol throughout history, Elizabeth Taylor would be one of them, and she sure knew how to rock her leopard print swimwear...

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I think subtlety and elegance is key with this trend. You don't wanna over-do the spots and end up looking like a leopard, literally. Stick with one item of leopard print, and then tone down the rest of your outfit, like Rach Parcell of Pink Peonies has done below with the leopard print belt.

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If you want to stand out and take an punk stance on the trend, get yourself some rocking leopard print Dr. Martens, and team them up with some ripped jeans and a plain black t-shirt. 

Image source.

Leopard print nail art is also trending at the moment. I learned the basics from an I-Scream Nails workshop at Sportsgirl last weekend, and this was my recent take on it...

Get on board the leopard print trend and tell me how you like to wear it on Facebook! xx

::Giveaway::

Exciting news! I am having a ::giveaway:: on Facebook! The 100th liker of my page will receive a FREE button bracelet made by me, similar to one of these....

There will be more giveaways to come in the near future, so stay tuned by liking my page on Facebook!

Friday Finds #3

It's Friday, which means it's time for another round of Friday Finds!

Climate Council

The Climate Council is a non-profit independent organisation which aims to provide clear, independent advice to the Australian community. Some of you may have heard that with the recent change in Government in Australia we have been left without a science Minister for the first time in 80 years, and we also no longer have a Government funded Climate Commission. Information is the currency of democracy, and we are now being denied this information in more ways than one. However, the good news is that all the former climate commissioners are supporting the Climate Council with or without government funding, and donations from the public have been flooding in which means they have covered their running costs for the next year.

"Information is the currency of democracy, and Australians deserve to have independent information on the state of our climate. Similarly, emergency services, health professionals, local government and journalists need accurate information about a changing climate" Climate Council, 2013.

I couldn't agree more. If you would like to support this organisation, you can donate here.

Market

The Finders Keepers Market kicks off today in Melbourne, and if you're not busily writing a thesis today or working tomorrow (like I am) then you should totally go! It's being held at the Royal Exhibition Building today 6pm-10pm and tomorrow 10am-5pm. So many amazing designers will be flaunting their creations and wears.

Fashion

Speaking of amazing designers, Fleur Wood has launched her Spring/Summer 2013 range and it is absolutely to die for! The Spring/Summer range is soft, feminine, dreamy and whimsical. The fabrics include soft printed silks, vintage-inspired laces, pretty tulles and comfy cottons. If I had the money to spare I'd buy the whole range. It's gorgeous.

Have a lovely weekend! xx

2014 diaries: A review.

It's hard to believe that it's already October! It's come up to that point in the year when I have to start making one of the toughest decisions I ever have to make: picking a diary/planner for the year to follow. It's so exciting to envision all the possibilities for 2014. There's so much potential for amazing things to come.

This year I was undertaking clinical placements and needed a "professional" looking diary, so I went for a plain black A4 kikki-K diary, like this one. However, it proved to be the wrong choice for me. It was big and clunky and difficult to carry around. I ended up leaving it at home most of the time and entering important dates into my iPhone calendar, transferring them into my diary later. Talk about annoying! So this year, I'm taking the decision a little bit more seriously.

I've short listed my favourite 2014 diaries and my reasoning behind picking each one.

1. kikki-K 2014 A6 Weekly Leather Diary in Mint

Pros: First of all, it's MINT, literally. I love mint. It's one of my favourite colours. I love kikki-K diaries because they are all about simple and modern design. Aside from the colour, the diary itself is lightweight and small enough to carry in my handbag, and there's enough space to record the stuff I need to remember. 

Cons: It's possibly too small and too cute for a "professional" to be whipping out of her bag to pencil in "important" appointments. 

2. Frankie daily journal 2014

Pros: It was designed by the people behind my favourite magazine, Frankie. The hand-drawn illustrations inside by illustrator Sara Hingle are hands down the prettiest out of all the diaries I've seen so far. The cloth cover looks like it would feel amazingly soft to the touch. 

Cons: I previously used the Frankie diary two years in a row and found that although it was the right size to carry in a handbag, it was rather heavy, and it ended up being left at home a lot of the time.

3. Moleskine daily planner

Pros: Violet is one of my favourite colours. The diary itself shows each day on its own page, which means there's plenty of room to record appointments and anything else that needs to be recorded (doodles, drawings, thoughts, etc). Moleskines have been used by artists and thinkers over the past two centuries: among them Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway.

Cons: Though Moleskines are legendary, they can also be a tad too simplistic and boring for someone who likes to stand out from the crowd.

4. Philosophy A5 Busy Woman Diary

Pros: I saw these cute diaries in Officeworks last week. They're super small and lightweight, and the tooled cover designs are really pretty. I'd probably go for the purple one if I had to choose between the two colours.

Cons: I actually found it difficult to think of any cons for this style, which is a good sign!

5. Pastel geometric triangles 2014 diary

Pros: Possibly the cutest cover design I've ever seen. This diary is handmade and on trend with a geometric design. What I absolutely love about it is that it is re-usable. You can replace it with a new notebook or journal once this one ends! How great is that?! It is also customisable. You can choose between day to a page or week in view.

Cons: The pastel colour triangles are probably not very professional or grown up, but who cares anyway?

The verdict: The jury is still out on which diary I will pick for 2014. Help me decide, and tell me about your diary shortlist for 2014.

Happy choosing!

Friday Finds #2

It's Friday! Yay!

Creative

This week I have been absolutely obsessed with Nail Art...

This obsession commenced after buying a Konad's Nail Art stamping kit. So much fun! 

Website

This week, my favourite blogger, Gala Darling wrote an article on how to get rid of the blues. It's a good one to bookmark for those bad days.

Charity

The UNHCR help millions of vulnerable people around the world. 

"UNHCR's primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. To this end, we strive to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another country, and to return home voluntarily. By helping refugees go back home or to settle in another country, UNHCR also seeks lasting solutions to their plight."

I cannot think of a more worthy cause to donate to, in the current global climate.

Have a lovely weekend! xx

Paintings and puddings

I took a break from my thesis today to do some fun things for myself. I went to my Zumba class this morning and then I did a bit of painting....

This is a watercolour and fine liner picture of purple flowers...

Inspired by the flowers in my mum's garden....

...and some baking! I made some 45 second chocolate puddings with salted caramel (in the microwave!)

I found the recipe via the Frankie magazine blog. The full recipe can be found on the Drizzle and Dip blog.

Part 1: Before microwave

Part 2: After 45 secs in the microwave. Yum! Serve with cream or ice cream.

Hope you're having a lovely weekend! xx

Friday Finds #1

I'm starting a new series on my blog called 'Friday Finds'. This is where I will talk about cool things that I've found including new music, charities, cafes, restaurants, films, websites or blogs, handmade and/or eco friendly products, fashion etc. Basically, anything I think is cool.

So, here are today's Friday Finds!

Music



For Kodaline, music isn’t just music. “It’s therapy,” says singer Steve Garrigan. Kodaline are a Dublin-based Irish alternative rock quartet. Anyway, I saw them perform on last week's X-Factor and thought they were a really cool band. Have a listen.

Website

http://www.daniellelaporte.com

Danielle LaPorte is a an incredible woman. She has conversations about consciousness, philosophises about the creative force of 'desire', and is curious about how to create lives that are worth living. I quite like reading about the things she talks about, you might too.

Charity 

United Against Malaria

All donations to UAM go to the United Nations Foundation’s fund for AIDS, TB, and Malaria to support malaria prevention projects in Africa through the Global Fund. This includes providing invaluable tools to prevent infection, access to medications, and supporting further research on vaccines.

That's all for today! Have a lovely weekend.

Just try.

Life can be really hard sometimes. Really hard. Sometimes you might feel like giving up. But don't give up. Just try to keep going. Things will get better eventually.

Make magic!

Magic is all around us. From the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep, magic is happening. Take some time to embrace the magic that is around you, in whatever way you find meaningful and purposeful for you xo

Mountain Meditation

Picture in your mind’s eye, as best you can, the most beautiful mountain you know or have seen, or can imagine, just holding the image and feeling of this mountain in your mind’s eye, letting it gradually come into greater focus… 

Observing its overall shape, lofty peak high in the sky, the large base rooted in the rock of the earth’s crust, it’s steep or gently sloping sides… 

Noticing how massive it is, how solid, how unmoving, how beautiful, both from afar and up close… 

Perhaps your mountain has snow at the top and trees on the lower slopes. Perhaps it has one prominent peak, perhaps a series of peaks, or a high plateau… 

Observing it, noting its qualities and when you feel ready to, seeing if you can bring the mountain into your own body so that your body sitting here and the mountain in your mind’s eye become one so that as you sit here, you share in the massiveness and the stillness and majesty of the mountain, you become the mountain.

Rooted in the sitting posture, your head becomes the lofty peak, supported by the rest of the body and affording a panoramic vista. Your shoulders and arms the sides of the mountain. Your buttocks and legs the solid base, rooted to your cushion or your chair, experiencing in your body a sense of uplift from deep within your pelvis and spine. 

With each breath, as you continue sitting, becoming a little more a breathing mountain, unwavering in your stillness, completely what you are, beyond words and thought, a centered, unmoving, rooted presence… 

As you sit here, becoming aware of the fact that as the sun travels across the sky, the light and shadows and colors are changing virtually moment by moment in the mountain’s granite stillness. 

Night follows day and day follows night. The canopy of stars, the moon, then the sun. Through it all, the mountain just sits, experiencing change in each moment, constantly changing, yet always just being itself. It remains still as the seasons flow into one another and as the weather changes moment by moment and day by day, calmness abiding all change… 

In summer, there is no snow on the mountain except perhaps for the very peaks or in crags shielded from direct sunlight. 

In the fall, the mountain may wear a coat of brilliant fire colors. 

In winter, a blanket of snow and ice.

In any season, it may find itself at times enshrouded in clouds or fog or pelted by freezing rain. 

People may come to see the mountain and comment on how beautiful it is or how it’s not a good day to see the mountain, that it’s too cloudy or rainy or foggy or dark. None of this matters to the mountain, which remains at all times its essential self. Clouds may come and clouds may go, tourists may like it or not. The mountain’s magnificence and beauty are not changed one bit by whether people see it or not, seen or unseen, in sun or clouds, broiling or frigid, day or night. 

It just sits, being itself. 

At times visited by violent storms, buffeted by snow and rain and winds of unspeakable magnitude. 

Through it all, the mountain sits. 

Spring comes, the birds sing in the trees once again. Leaves return, flowers boom in the high meadows and on the slopes. Streams overflow with the waters of melting snow. Through it all, the mountain continues to sit, unmoved by the weather, what happens on the surface, by the world of appearances… 

In the same way, as we sit in meditation, we can learn to experience the mountain, we can embody the same unwavering stillness and rootedness in the face of everything that changes in our own lives, over seconds, over hours, over years. 

In our lives and in our meditation practice, we experience constantly the changing nature of mind and body and of the outer world, we have our own periods of light and darkness, our moments of color and our moments of drabness. 

Certainly, we experience storms of varying intensity and violence in the outer world and in our own minds and bodies, buffeted by high winds, by cold and rain, we endure periods of darkness and pain, as well as the moments of joy and uplift, even our appearance changes constantly, experiencing a weather of it’s own… 

By becoming the mountain in our meditation practice, we can link up with its strength and stability and adopt them for our own. We can use its energies to support our energy to encounter each moment with mindfulness and equanimity and clarity. 

It may help us to see that our thoughts and feelings, our preoccupations, our emotional storms and cries, even the things that happen to us are very much like the weather on the mountain, we tend to take it all personally, but its strongest characteristic is impersonal. 

The weather of our own lives is not be ignored or denied, it is to be encountered, honored, felt, known for what it is, and held in awareness… 

And in holding it in this way, we come to know a deeper silence and stillness and wisdom. 

The Hole

On the first day a man walks down a street...
Suddenly the world goes dark. He thinks he is lost.
Then he realises he is in a deep hole. He tries to find his way out, and it takes a very long time. Once he is out the day is gone so he walks back home.

On the second day the man walks down the same street.
The world goes dark again. He is in the hole again.
He takes a while to recognise where he is.
Eventually he finds his way out and so again he walks back home.

On the third day the man again walks down the street.
He knows the hole is there and pretends not to see the hole and closes his eyes. Once again he falls into the hole, and climbs out and walks back home, the day lost once again.

On the fourth day the man walks cautiously down the street.
He sees the hole and this time walks around it. He is pleased.
But the world goes dark again. He has fallen into another hole.
He climbs out of the second hole, walks home and alas falls into the first hole. He gets out of the first hole and walks back home to think.

On the fifth day the man walks confidently down the street.
He sees the first hole and recognises it.
He walks around it but forgets the second hole, which he walks directly into.
He gets out immediately and walks straight back home - to weep and hope.

On the sixth day the man walks nervously down the street...
The hole is there and he thinks "I won't fall into the hole again" and walks around the hole. He sees the second hole, avoids the second hole but as he passes, he loses his balance and falls in. Climbing out he walks back home taking the time to carefully avoid all the holes.

On the seventh day the same man goes for a walk....

... and chooses to walk down a different street.