the sunday session 22 - rug up

it's week 22  and there was a lot going on, both on the fashion front and off.

i had some visitors visit, i had a random encounter with a women who was literally 2 degrees of separation and i enjoyed a few days of someone else being behind the camera for my ootd pics.  god i loved that - seriously, universe send me an instagram toyboy (of a decent age) who will be happy to snap away while i make love to the camera as i start my day and get to have fun with him when the day is over (just putting it out there #sorrymum)

so there were a lot of things happening this week and i'm gonna start at the beginning.

ok. monday, tuesday, wednesday... i looked great in some homemade and thrifted ensembles.
on thursday, i headed out for the day in a blanket that i decided to convert to a skirt.  how hot is this? yep hot! but not so much in the making!

friday i went all classic like.  saturday i had a day out with my visitors and then frocked up in a velour thrifted number for an art opening and on sunday, it was another day exploring over prahan way (or pra-RAHN) as say it - not pran as the locals do.  anyway there was so much to see and so much to eat!

so my fave look was probably the crochet skirt - cause it was fun fun fun and i made it myself.

what i thought was going to be a simple conversion ended up being a not so simple conversion from blanket to spunky skirt - but i got there in the end.  so here's what happened.

I picked up a couple of crocheted rugs at the op shop and decided that i would make them into fabulous skirts.

problem number 1 - they are very thick thus making overlocking a feat similar to climbing everest....achievable but challenging

problem number 2 - they are very thick thus making a finished polished look as unlikely as seeing posh spice wearing flats on a hike in the hollywood hills. you would like to think it's the reality but it just aint.  and yet, i perservered! until i hit problem number 3.  and still i carried on.

i wrapped the blanky around me till i decided how i wanted it.

then i pinned it to where it needed to be stitched.

and then i made the sewing machine do the unbelievable and stitch this motherfucker. this wool is so thick that it was a bit of a struggle.

and when that was done, it tried it on and jiggled it around about and contemplated how on earth i would put in an elastic band round the top. and here entered problem number 3.

in my mind putting elastic round the top worked a treat.....in reality it was a massive failure.

first up i cut a separate band of thinner fabric and sewed it inside out, and then i attached it to the wrong side and had to unpick it. by then i was a bit over the fabulous skirt made out of a thrifted blanket, so went fuck it. i decided to just sew the front seam in more at the top till it fitted me round the waist  (wool has a fair bit of stretch) and then i overlocked around the top VOILA. the opening down the front was intentional as i thought it gave a fun look.

here's the trauma of problem number 3.  anyway, it's under a shirt so it just doesn't matter.  some things aren't mean't to be pretty.

what matters though is about how hot this little number is and how perfect it was for a super cold melbourne day,  

i was literally wearing the blanket that everyone else wishes they were covered with in the freezing weather.

it was a busy week and when i had a random encounter with a stranger it proved to be one of those moments where you really need to acknowledge that the world really does move in mysterious ways. so come sunday night i took some time to remind myself of the importance of feeling grateful and thankful for the people who are in my life and the opportunities that i have and am making.

i also took some time to write down a few things i'd like to start achieving over the next few months. i'm not really a goal setter, but i think there is value in stopping and thinking about what it is that you'd like to achieve and work towards making it happen.

as for actually making any of these things happen i don't know how yet, but i know that if i don't at least think about it, then i'm not challenging myself as much as i'd like to.  i enjoy being out of the comfort zone that's for sure.

just as i was with that crazy crochet.

the sunday session 21 - just keep stirring

hello  - well it's been another great melbourne week and one where i got to experience a little more of the great melbourne offerings.  i took a trip to the brighton farmers market which happens each month. i really loved this as it gave me a little taste of one of the things i miss in brissy. the davies park outdoor market.

it was where i would get my ritual saturday breakfast - the spinach and cheese pie from the pie guy and have impromptu meetings with people as we crossed paths on our saturday morning forage.  in a couple of weeks my son is coming to visit and he is under strict instructions to fill his hand luggage with some pie treats for his mumma.

on saturday it was probably my first real taste of the chilly weather and of course i decided to hot it up with some gold liquid pants from target and go about trying to cause some panic at the disco.  my plan come summer is to upcycle these pants to shorty shorts.  well maybe not, but maybe..... like really, if kylie minogue can do it, then surely i can!

this wasn't my fave look of the week - and why i don't know - cause it pretty hot, but it was a toss up between the spots on spots craziness and the adidas chopped up T look.  Adidas won out. and why, cause i'm a bit of a tomboy at heart.  when i was little,  i was nicknamed fred.  I kinda like that name and although i am as girly as all fuck, i still have that little tomboy streak.  i like beer, cars, motorbike racing and obviously dressing in a muscle shirt...

this was an outfit that turned heads -  believe it or not - and oozed some sassiness and a confidence undercurrent.

the jeans come from target, the boots are mollini,  the hoops are from fiji. i had a black singlet under the T, cause i decided to give it the chop.  i cut off the sleeves, cut off the chocking neckline, gave it an underarm cut, down the side. so there was a fair bit of side boobage, but too bad. if it's good enough for those 20 something's, then it's good enough for me. i was owning it big time.

so let's get back to food shall we, following my excitement of the farmers market.  I am doing an old recipe share - cause not only is the weather turning chilly, but i am in need of some good quality homemade risotto.  my first risotto encounter was about 20 years ago in new york. it was a joy to watch being cooked and a joy to eat.  it's a really solid meal, but having quality over quantity is a risotto treat. enjoy the beauty of the risotto with a side of something else. let it be the subtle standout in the meal. here's one of my faves - stinging nettle risotto - enjoy.

it doesn't matter how many times i make it, i always want to have it with fresh pesto, a simple rocket salad and panko fried gluten....eeewww i hear you say - well eeeewww back to you.  feel free to come over and enjoy this delicious number anytime. 

I am sure that in melbourne that stinging nettles will be somewhere and I am going to be on the lookout.  But really a great risotto can have so many variations and for a vegetarian like me what comes to mind is roasted beetroot or sage risotto or what about zucchini and lemon, or Jerusalem artichoke  - so many great options.  but today, i'm sticking with the green goddess.

Remember stinging nettles sting, hence the name and you will require some special tools such as a pair of scissors and some thick gardening gloves to prepare the first part. come on, be a devil and live on the stinging nettle edge....

so you will need

stinging nettles. a big bag of them. (available from a market or in some gardens or derelict parks) and if you can't get them, then you are fucked really and there would be no point going on reading. but feel free to adapt and use some other exotic item such as what ive suggested above.  let's go.  get:
a knob of butter
a big splash of olive oil
an onion
a clove of garlic
arborio rice
white wine and lots of it
stock (massel vege is my stock of choice) this way there is no competition between the veg and non veg. a largish saucepan will work for this and you can always top up the stock as you go along if you start to run low. But, keep the stock hot.
salt & pepper
more wine

first up take all the leaves off the nettles using the gloves and scissors. i didn't use the stems at the bottom of the leaves, but did use the softer top bits.

once done, you need to blanch them. you can give them a rinse in a colander if you like but DON'T TAKE THE GLOVES OFF TILL DONE. either put them in a boiling pan of water for about 30 seconds, or submerge them in a dish of boiling water from the kettle. This was the easier way.

drain them and then you need to put them in a wizzer and make a kind of paste adding a bit of water if needed. it doesn't need to be a runny puree though.

heat the stock in a large saucepan till boiling then turn to simmer
while that's happening, dice the onion and peel the garlic
once the stock is boiled or nearly boiling you can kick off with the rest
using a deep style frypan or specialised risotto pan (like the fancy one below),

ladies, one with a wider bottom is bound to work, i relate to the wider bottom, so am okay with this.

add the butter and oil.

once it's melted, add the onion and fry, then add the clove of garlic.
when the onion is a bit soft and browned, add the rice. now there's no measure for this that i use, but you start with a cup or so.
once the rice looks all glistening and covered in oil (after a couple of minutes) add a big splosh of wine - at least a cup full and it will sizzle and fizz then start to evaporate.
give it a bit of a stir, then the fun starts. add a bit of salt and pepper and once the wine has evaporated, it's time to start adding the stock.

NB: this is when the extra wine comes in, cause risotto is just like the ocean - you never turn you back on it and you will probably need a full glass to drink while doing the stirring part

using a soup ladle, start to spoon a ladle full into the risotto

NB2: i know it's all looking complicated, but go with it

keep the risotto on the move as much as possible (ie - stir) the liquid will evaporate and once it has, it's time to add more stock. no brainer really, but keep on doing this

after about 10 minutes, add the nettle mix. (or your other vege of choice)

the vibrant green will mesmerise you.

so quite simply, keep on doing this adding, stirring, waiting and sipping your wine business till the rice is cooked.
it's probably going to take about 20 - 25 mins in total to be ready, but well worth the wait.
once the rice is cooked, but not gluggy - just a bit creamy - it's ready to go. It should not be runny at all
you can always add more butter in at the end if you want.
serve it up and add a bit pf Parmesan and enjoy with whatever salad you fancy.

i myself was a bit over being offered gluggy risotto when i went out anywhere, but it's been a while and i got a hankering for some good old fashioned italian comfort food.

good luck - and happy risottoing.

as like fashion, there is no right or wrongs with what you dish up - but if you are like me and have an adventurous side, then i say go for it, let your recipe for risotto be as exciting as your recipe for life. 

and you are more than welcome to come and join me at my dinner table to get into a risotto frenzy.

the sunday session 20 - up up and away

i honestly feel that there can be no more emotional baggage or shit that i have to deal with in regards to my old life. i'm late posting my sunday session because on sunday, some events occurred that i needed to address - and it was in relation to the ongoing emotional abuse that i was subjected to for many years. i find writing such a great way for me to have a very objective view of a situation. i can think, analyse, review and release.  it's very powerful.

i decided to publicly address the torment i endured which people never knew about. i kept it very private. i was the wife who left and if anything i say can help someone else to find their freedom and voice, then i hope my courage to speak up gives them theirs.  i'm sure i have tried to close this door before, but for fucks sake, it is C L O S E D.

now lets go on with fashion. Variety is the spice of life they say and this was last week's spice.

there was a fair bit of upcyling last week. sometimes it doesn't take much to give an outfit a new lease on life and i'm sorry i didn't take some before and afters. Restyling could be as simple as using some strategically placed safety pins to change hem lines for example.  i've done it before.

and here's what i did this week.

this top was a dress on the morning i decided to wear it.  i am crazy when it comes to just deciding to do this stuff. i really wanted to wear the dress ( i hadn't worn it all summer) so i decided to take it up to mid thigh, in between eating my vegemite muffin and making a coffee. it's now a dress and a top. i really love this piece and think it's likely to get another overhaul at some time.  i can see some elastic being added to a shorter version, or even some kind of frilled skirt added to it to make a restyled dress.  so many options.

geez i love this one. i really wanted to take part in the #cotd (colour of the day) challenge that i am involved with. i do love a style challenge, so would be happy for anyone to share any they are part of.

the colours for this one were easy cheese and yellow. i fucking nailed it....

and who wore it better, i say!

well in the morning of the easy cheese challenge, this skirt was ankle length with a wide elastic band at the top. bad 80's style.  so i unpicked it and added a new piece of elastic.  i then decided to cut it shorter.  what i didn't do, was measure or mark it correctly to make a good cutting line. never use any sharp implements before having coffee. it was  FAIL 101.  my cutting line moved, and the length of the skirt ended up about 4 inches shorter in one part.  FUCK.  not to be defeated, i decided to hem it anyway and wing it and i have to say i was pretty stoked with the short/long hemline. i teamed it with my thrifted shirt and vest, shoes from django and juliette and i was sharp and cheddary, just like aerosol cheese. out of that failure came something great.

now this one....saturday

the top was  made by me using fabric from spotlight.  The striped skirt was a dress under construction and had been sitting in the pile for a while.  i would look at it, sigh, then put it back down. and repeat, repeat repeat.  sadly the fabric that i was using on the top of the dress just wasn't right.  So i cut the fucker off. ran it in to fit my body, whacked in some elastic and voila...a fab fabbo fabulous skirt.

i started taking salsa lessons some months back. people have been asking me all the time if i have lost weight and i'm not really one to buy into size or body shape discussions, but i know there are a lot of people who would like to make change and don't know how. so yes, i now have to say that a lot of my clothing has actually got a bit baggy. yes my body has changed. as a plus size designer, i'm now changing the way i think about what and how to create.

i have found salsa dancing to be an amazing way to enhance many aspects of my life and here's why.
1. i like to dance
2. it's a great way to connect with people
3. i am using my brain in a different way as it's like learning a language
4. i am learning a new skill
5. it's fun....i like fun
6. it's in my budget
7. it's a great form of exercise. even the warm up drill we do each class is a workout in itself

i started a couch to 5k running program a few years back and i'm still not the greatest runner. the key is to take it slow, run slow, go slow but just go. i go to the gym monday and tuesday and run for no more than 20 minutes, i then do some yoga stretches, wednesday and thursday nights i do salsa and i'm doing a lot more walking and eating very different food then i used to - homemade budget food, but good food.

i'm not consciously doing anything to make this happen, it's just happening.

as for my wardrobe that means i am need to do some more upcycling, as i love my clothes and would rather freshen them up and recycle, and reuse then discard them.  won't this be fun.

I'd like to thank everyone who contacted me and privately shared some of their stories following my previous post.  such similar stories that it just reaffirms what i always knew to be true in my kind heart and my rational brain.

I just want to go up up and away and continue to thrive and bask in this feeling of peace that i am loving so much in my new melbourne life. i wish you the same peace and joy.

the wife who left

how was your weekend???? well mine was filled with a collision of fucked up moments that filled me with the desire to rethink some things in my life and find courage to release them in order to keep moving forward towards becoming a more free peaceful person.

i have even rethunk my online dating practices after having a string of suitors, whose only interest is when they can put their dick in me cause they see nothing more than a body.  i am so much more than that.

what triggered this post, was an experience that took me back to my old life.  i'm kinda glad it did, because i'm in a place where i feel no fear whatsoever for sharing. and if any men who read this think that i'm just a typical angry women, then you should probably rethink how you are interacting the women in your life, cause unless you have been on the receiving end of this stuff, then you should never judge.

i felt really out of sorts over the weekend. i've been on the other end of some pretty horrific sober and drunken outbursts....and these were by someone who claimed to love me, so the outcome of this weekend, was a catalyst for me to free myself further and step away from poor behaviour of others.

Don’t you just hate it when stuff from the past rears its ugly head…It’s taken enormous courage for me to make change and begin a new life away from the comfort zone of what i knew.  i moved to the other end of the country, with only a job - only knowing 3 people, having left many things behind.

I’ve taken some steps to distance myself from people who have been in my life this week, people I care about, people I welcomed into my home, people I would love to see and hug and enjoy being with and people who would never know the true effects of what I am feeling today, because I have been too respectful, embarrassed, humiliated and scared to share any of it, because i would always be seen as the bad guy, who pushed someone else to behave they way they did.

I chanced upon a photo of my ex-husband and his new lady in a passionate embrace. I wish them well, because honestly, I feel so much more at peace and maybe there have been lessons learnt. What I didn’t like was the outpouring of love for this beautiful new couple from people who would never know what my life was really like.

For many years I begged for change and yes, I left my husband and he reminded me of that constantly and that he couldn't guarantee he could change any of his behaviour (and yet never actually tried).  i even researched and thoughtfully opened a discussion some years back as to the effects of emotional abuse on others and he acknowledged it, but never took action. i told him many times that our relationship would never be able to endure this kind of behaviour towards me and others.

I am pretty sure that very few people know the torment I was living for most of this relationship. I didn’t leave, I was too fucking scared and fearful and I had nowhere to go, but instead, I held my head high, put on a happy face, i would embrace my friends with love while feeling sick to my stomach, continued to go to my job every day while weathering the storm that was ongoing emotional abuse, yelling, intimidation, smashing of possessions (nothing like driving a vehicle and having your windscreen punched out or having the police ask if you are ok and you say yes, because you are too scared to say no), threats of self-harm, ongoing public and private humiliation, obscene verbal abuse and aggression towards members of my family until I finally had the courage to say no more and even then i was made to feel bad, because i took a step towards my right to live a life of peace and calm.  there was never a physical incident towards me, thankfully.

Would you ever know what it’s like to have a sick feeling in your stomach day after day, because you just don’t know what you may say or do that will trigger rage? It’s not nice. It’s not healthy and I’m sharing because I want better and I want those around me to have and be better and the only way to grow is to confront the fears you have and release them to make new space. Taking accountability for your behaviour isn’t that hard – it just requires a choice. being sorry for those actions was never sincere and always came back to being me or someone else who was the problem and cause these reactions.

initially i excused all of this stuff, because my resilience was so high that i figured that maybe tomorrow the light bulb moment would occur and i'd see a difference. but i continued on, making excuses and living with my favourite phrase "is this how you are going to be all day" following times of unfathomable events. i was expected to act as if nothing had happened, when the reality was that so much had happened.

my choice was to say i can't do this anymore - i'm not going to be in the firing line because i am 10 minutes late, because i disagreed with you choosing to chase someone down on the road, because they cut you off, because you want to pick a fight, because you aren't getting what you want, because i choose not to sleep near you because you make me feel scared. because i dare have the audacity to stand up for myself.

This may not be the appropriate forum, but really, what is?

I am by no way a perfect human - i am really untidy - but I never ever raise my voice, use aggressive threats or would make another person feel intimidated or scared for their safety or fearful because they challenged a behaviour that isn’t appropriate.  i would never cower over anyone to make a point.

There is no place in the world for this type of behaviour and I hope the light begins to shine brighter on the subject so that people can understand the unseen effects that this silence brings to many.

I really am an incredibly resilient woman, who has endured so much more then what I have shared here and I am sharing, because I would never like to see anyone I know or don’t know find themselves in a position where they feel they have no hope, or are in the wrong.

Having this calm and peace back in my life has taken time as I have had to deal with enormous feelings of guilt, realisation that I’m not responsible for another person’s actions, the reality that i'm not responsible for breaking someone else and leaving them with no hope or future all while sitting on this pile of guilt that was thrown to me, yet evaporated so quickly due to a right swipe on tinder.

it’s been really hard to climb this mountain, But i've done it and i feel amazing and I feel free. Sure, there was lots of fun and adventures, and great times in that relationship, but having them overshadowed by fear doesn’t make them great memories. i don't actually care for any fallout from this, because really, i won't be accountable for someone else's inability to deal with their actions.....regardless or ever again!

i know that i am courageous and probably do and say many of the things that people wish they could do and say, but for so many people, I’ll always be the wife who left, and yep I did, but now, I’m the wife who is finally saying why.

the sunday session 19 - what a tart

how's things lovely fashionistas. hope you had a lovely week. i did - but then, i always try to find the shining light every day.

i loved my looks this week - a mix of thrifted, home sewn, upcycled, some classic, some modern and of course colour. i never like to find myself locked into one look, it messes with my sense of adventure.

i think my favourite look was this one - the one i likened to a big dollop of whipped cream with strawberry.  i find this one quite out of character for me, but it felt amazing.  it felt quite classic and old fashioned and i really just wanted to go somewhere with equally stylish ladies and enjoy a high tea.  who am i!

the skirt was made by me using fabric from darn cheap fabrics at port melbourne. they have a few stores around melbourne and their fabric has a mix of low and high end quality and pricing, including fabric from dolce gabbana and other designers.  there is a price tag attached to some, but they do have a good bargain area, which is where i found this fabric.  it's a textured piece and it cost $6 per metre. the blouse was thrifted in the brotherhood of st laurence op shop in the city.   i teamed this with my red mary janes from jo mercer and a thin red belt from a $2 shop at south melbourne opposite the markets.

what i loved about this fabric was its texture and rather than cutting the skirt with the stripes across - the way they were meant to go - i let them run down and used the edge of the fabric as the hem detail. if you were ever wanting to make a super simple skirt, this is the one.  just requires the side seams and elastic around the waist.  it's super simple, super spunky and it worked a treat  i didn't have a slip to go underneath it, so i just used a satin flowery skirt which gave the skirt and extra hint of mystery.

now speaking of strawberries and cream, i have another recipe share..... and it's for these super fun tasty yumbo jumbo mumbo strawberry tarts.

get some medium size strawberries
some puff pastry
a bit of castor sugar
a hot oven
some icing sugar for later
and some whipped cream if you feel so inclined.

**
wash the cooties off the strawberry's, get rid of the green stuff and make the bottom flat, then turn them upside down and with a sharp knife, score the top - start to cut the strawberry like you were going to slice it in half from top to bottom, but stop about half way cause you don’t want to cut it in half. then cut it the other way like you were going to slice it in half from top to bottom, but stop, cause you don’t want to cut it in half right!

line a baking tray with baking paper.

cut some pastry into rounds a bit bigger than the strawberries (i did have to use 2 layers, cause i wanted extra puff). use a scone cutter, or a glass and a knife, or make a little template from paper if need be.

sit a strawberry ever so delicately in the middle of one of the puff pastry rounds (flat side down) and give it a good sprinkle of castor sugar. repeat with all strawberries.

whack them in the hot oven, for about 15 mins

and if you are like me, then keep opening the door to see how they are doing, and make sure they haven’t slid off the pastry

after the 15 mins, if the pastry looks puffed and a bit coloured, then those little tasties are ready. if you find that your oven has a mind of its own, then by all means adjust the cooking time.

and voila

if you are an eager beaver like me, you will try to eat one straight away, which could end up with a mouth injury, so wait a while, then sprinkle them with icing sugar before serving.

if you want to add a little dollop of cream before serving, then go for it.

here's to strawberries and cream, for both clothing and for the mouth. till next time xxxxx @janijans

the sunday session 18 - what a scrubber

here we are into the fifth month of 2016.  can you believe it.  they say time flies when you are having fun right! and i am having fun.  it's really exciting to be on this journey of self discovery, growth and this thing called life and being mighty fashionable along the way.

so out of my looks this week, i think the poncho hat combo was the winner. i now officially own 4 ponchos, but they each have their own place in my wardrobe.  the one in my pic was a vintage find on saturday at the brotherhood of st laurence in melbourne city - i didn't even have to pay extra for the collar.   my hat was a vintage find in brisbane many many years ago, my jeans are boyfriend jeans from target and my boots are merrell suede boots i picked up in NYC, way back in 2005.  overall, the combo is sweet.

so i have a couple of things to cover off this week.

1. on monday when we had the public holiday, i was wandering in the city and as i walked home, i stopped by the yarra.  i cant even begin to explain what i was feeling, except that it was energy - i have travelled to so many wonderful places - italy, spain, rio, india, sri lanka, canberra..... but the energy that was flowing in this amazing city was incredible. what was that.  I want more of that. maybe this is why melbourne is the most livable city in the world?  janergy is getting a run for its money. sorry brissy, but you never showed this to me in all the years i lived there. it was intoxicating.

2. i want to share a recipe of the non food kind - a recipe suitable for a scrubber.

so my lovely sister in fiji suggested we try some homemade facial scrubs she found online and i was so on board.  i love a face scrub and one that is not a little sissy scrub, but one that actually feels like it is digging deeper than doctor pimple popper and this one hit the mark. not only was it environmentally friendly, but it  has 2 ingredients and leaves your skin feeling amazing. welcome to the homemade coffee scrub.

so if you are like me, then you love coffee - good coffee - and accordingly to legend it has many uses. some people drink it, some people like to use it as an internal cleanser (thank you my strange addiction coffee enema episode for showing me things that can never been unseen). i will not be going to bunnings anytime soon to buy some plastic tubing! some like to bathe in it (haven't tried that, but i hear it's good) and someone (aka me) likes to use it as a face scrub.

wowsers this was good and here's what i did.

i have an espresso machine, so i have grounds at the ready, but if you are keen to try this scrub, then ask your barista for the leftovers from your recent coffee hit. 

i mixed my coffee grounds with some olive oil.  i have no mathematics for this but about a couple of tablespoons of coffee mixed with some oil to make a soft pliable paste is what you do.  i then stored it in a jar and kept it in the fridge.  as it has no preservatives, it ain't gonna last as long as a McDonalds burger, but long enough to be used, or to grow mould when at which time, it can be disposed off.  trick is to not make too much, i guess. 

so yes, here's a bathroom selfie - there is no pretty candlelit picture of me holding a glass of bubbly while flashing my perfectly waxed legs and manicured toes, but rather me, with a face full of homemade coffee scrub, which i'd like to add felt at first strangely uncomfortable and tingly as let i work its magic, but then, as i washed the brown muck off my nearly 50 year old face was then overcome with an incredibly fresh, soft, highly energised face.  i liked it, but guess coffee is a great  perk-er-upper-er!

well, i have a pretty lackluster beauty routine. i'm vegetarian (that seems to work a treat for me), love a splattering coconut oil on my face and sure i love putting on the mascara and lippy, but i can't be arsed taking any of it off before go to bed. i always was a rule breaker though....but my beauty routine is super simple - i've never even plucked my eyebrows -- that's how lazy i am.

so i have another scrub to try at some point, but i cant imagine anything living up to the beautiful simplicity of this homemade wonder, which is now gradually being used as an all over scrub, but will never be used as the other kind of strange addiction involving a piece of plastic tubing from bunnings.

and in the words of my fave ever brissy coffee shop - please don't ask for decaf, as refusal may offend and i suggest sticking to full strength if you plan of giving this a go, cause decaf will never cut he mustard in life, on your face and probably not even in a coffee enema.