the sunday session 26 and 27 - love makes the world go round

i have this love hate relationship with online dating...you all know that right!

I hate it because i honestly didn't feel that i would find myself in a place whereby i had tap into this wild way of meeting potential dates and eventually maybe find myself in a new loving relationship. i hate it because some of the men out there don't know how to be kind or nice, or even gentlemanly. i hate it because i wonder if love is just becoming a string of transactional encounters with no substance at all. 

i love it because it provides an endless string of laughs that just keep me entertained no end but you do have to have a bit of a tough shell, so as not to take anything too personally. 

there are some lovely genuine men out there, who i have some great conversations with and who i have met and i can assure them, that i would never kiss and tell out of pure respect for our privacy.

i am all about witty banter and not being too serious. i don't want to go for long walks on the beach, or drives in the country, i want to make friends (of both sexes), go for some drinks, have fun conversation, be a bit silly have a dance and be in the moment and i think my online profile below kind of sums me up.  here's what it says. 

I'm looking to make genuine connections and get out and meet some new people and have a drink, chat, dance and laugh till we burst.

I'm vegetarian. genuine. iq + eq. smiling. coffee. salsa daggy & disco dancer. pool. fun. funny. fashion. happy. laughter. creative. free spirit. healthy. youthful. in the now. kind and super nice.

i dont do hook ups so don't even ask.

170cm non smoker

so that's it...... simple and to the point......unlike me!

what i want to share today is a string of messages i got from a guy a while back.  there is nothing here to give away his details, but this and a few messages from others was part of the reason i wrote about being the wife who left.  and wow, and that was probably the most freeing moment in my journey.

so, here's what happened.  I received an absolutley lovely message from the guy early one morning.  i replied with an equally lovely message and back and forth we went a few times. i eventually decided to give him my number and told him i wasn't really into sitting at home all day waiting for online messages in my inbox and he understood that. so the day went on.  i eventually texted him in the evening - a lovely simple message and left it at that. 

i awoke to a barrage of messages all of which floored me but also made me gut laugh till i cried and i decided that this deserves to be framed and put up on my wall and of course shared with my friends and also with any dates, as we discuss our online dating fails.   enjoy. 

Message 1

Hey... You... See your still up... ? I'm not on here alot like you... ?... But I Must say.... Your very interesting... In a good way... So let's get past all this... ? And how about you just call me !!@@ or are you To scared or to up tight to call me... I'm just waiting for you to surprise me.. ?

Message 2

Waiting on you Sexy lady ????

Message 3

P.s. it was nice to see that we both engaged in the norm as far as getting to understand each other... But I know you will puss me in ways that I've never been before... And I love it ??? I just want to jump into you... Your so yummy... And I just want to take a big bite out of you ?.... In all the right places... !

Message 4

Now you're going to say what an ass hole... And you would be write ?... But I've had afew drinks... So I hope you will forgive for the spelling and the .... Real thing that I would like to express to you ?.... Witch is.... I want to make love to you in so many ways.... And I think you really have a amazing body Jan....

Message 5

What a cave man ??? ... Geeze ?

Message 6

If you never want to text me back ,??? I will so understand.... After reading what I've tried to express ?... It didn't come out the right way ?

message 7

Over 5. O emoji, emoji, emoji

I read all of these and couldn't help but to piss myself laughing. i responded to this guy and told him i was floored speechless and i hope that when he woke up he had a hangover so bad that it killed all of these cave man style brain cells and then went about my business.

he texted me later (cause he had my number didn't he) and couldn't apologise enough.  he was embarrassed and said he would never like to think his daughter or anyone else would think he was like this..... i said apology accepted and we swapped a few more messages and i then cut him off when it because more obvious then the messages above that he was as needy as fuck..

speaking of needy, lets move on to some fashion.

i've had a busy couple of weeks, so am combining my last 2 weeks of looks.

hot look of the week was my leopard and stripy combo with the brown boots.

the faux pearl necklaces are eons old and to add some more spunk to the look, i clipped on a couple of flower hair accessories. bingo - spunky as fuck.

and last week my fave look was my jeans and chinese top combo.  i picked up this beautiful top in chinatown new york back in the year 2000.  i remember the day.  i paid 42 dollars for it (it seemed like a fortune for a cheapskate like me) but have never regretted it for a second.  

anyway that is it for the week - i got to get on with my day......  

i've nearly been in melbourne a year - can you believe that and i have to say, things are really starting to take off in so many way.....i love it and cant wait to share more as i seek out adventures and opportunities to fulfill my sweet life.  after all, i am the only one who can make things happen.

the sunday session 25 - being bad-ass

one of my friends in brisbane who i used to work with put me on to this site - mind body green - and of course i am into all things mind body and green, so i signed up to have their commentary come through my email feed and i've been enjoying this for the past couple of years.

i have taken a lot away from this site. but i'm a gleaner - i like to skim through articles and take pieces that i can instantly apply to my life in order to enhance it.

one of the recent articles i read was about being a warrior - being a bad-ass - about being fierce about change and not living on autopilot, and to me that means not living routine - ritual is great - it can be special, but routine is same thing, day in day out. we deserve more than that in our life. are you breaking routine? are you out of your comfort zone? are you being lit up....are you questioning the "what if" moments and reaching for the things you see just out of reach and really want to grasp?  i see those things. i feel those things and wonder over and over again how i can hold them in my hand. i have so many things that i want to do to fulfill my passion.  do you feel the same way?

i've had moments in the past where i have sided with others to make them happy, to try and bring to life the moments that i thought were the right ones, but deep down i knew that there was a path that i knew was right for me..

but when do you break away and search out your own destiny. and i guess the bigger question is how do you do it?

i did this last year when i stepped into the unknown and threw caution to the wind and followed a dream.  a dream to live in a city that i felt would be an amazing experience. i got my warrior on and got my bad-ass on. i went fuck it, let's see what's on the other side.  it will either work out or it wont...phew, so glad it did?

Now from this article i gleaned a couple of things.....as i do..about how to be bad-ass
1. With any kind of change you need to expect that it will be uncomfortable.  We need to break away from the comfort.  take a new path. turn right instead of left, look up instead of down.  be mindful that there will be moments that you just want to slip back into that comfy packet of tim tams like existence, but don't.
2. go on an adventure, seek out opportunities and don't be afraid of failure. Cause there is no such thing, because life is about learning.
3. accept that your life will change as you step out of the comfort zone and those around you may think you are crazy. Live to keep you happy, not others.  i know for me, some relationships have sadly changed, but that has been a consequence of forging ahead with my life. and would i change things? No.
4. stay off autopilot. get uncomfortable. autopilot is not for bad-ass warriors. try this next time you get in the shower.  Step in with the other foot, wash your body differently.  see how routine things are.
5. feel no fear and be trusting that what you really want deep down may be closer than you think, if you have the courage to step out of the comfort zone.

i feel like i made magic happen, when i closed so many doors behind me.

well now that we are all on the road to being bad-ass, how about some fashion! and speaking of bad-ass, i just snuck in a pic of my ass in the hello kitty PJ's..... cause i could.

so my hot fave this week was the thrifted brown dress, i picked up for 12 dollars in the city. it's an 80's original and homemade to boot. It's such a classic style and instantly transported me back to those hilarious years.

i teamed this outfit with just the most simple of accessories, including my cream hat and brown boots. i really kind of summed up the winter vibe.

So i know i'm past the week where this should have been posted (see, being bad-ass), but stuff can just take you off routine.

So, here's a bad-ass story......Last night i was walking over to the IGA and when i came out a girl stopped me and asked if i was Jan.  Yes i said.  She introduced herself as Emma and said that she was a follower of mine on instagram.  She had seen me a couple of times walk by and decided last night to stop and say hello. She said she wasn't sure if she should, but decided to anyway.  Wow, i was so pleased she did. i gave her a big hug. That one moment was a human exchange that sometimes we just choose not to do. She lives just around the corner and i suggested we go and have a coffee or a wine.

So way to go Emma.  I think that just shows that if we tackle a fear, it's no longer something that should continue to hold us back, cause who know where it will lead us.

the sunday session 24 - jani jam drop

winter is well and truly here and i am loving the clothing challenge but i'm still pretty sure i am going to need some more layering staples to keep me going so my trips to the op shop will only increase till i've got all my bases covered.  the 5 minute walk to work is great, but once i get there it's so hot inside, that i just feel like stripping off till i reach a more reasonable temperature.  of course that would get me fired, so for preservation of my pay packet, i shan't do that!

i feel like i have so much to share today but before i get to my favourite outfit, i want to share how easy it was to make the fringed look in my middle bottom photo.  i bought the fringing from darn cheap fabrics at port melbourne (they have a great online store). I got enough fringing to go around my hips and secured it with 2 safety pins to hold it on.  easy and effective and can be worn over a variety of options.  as my love of salsa dancing heats up, having outfits that are floaty and twirly is also going to be on my radar and this one was fun, fun fun.

my favourite outfit of the week was this gorgeous two piece floral one that i made. i got this fabric a long time back and it survived the hail storm in brissy, thank goodness. i still still still can't believe i am finding glass and debris in some of my sewing stuff.  this fabric has has been very patient just waiting to be bought to life.  it's a stretch sateen from spotlight and i never realised how truly gorgeous the fabric was till it was made into an outfit.

i had quite a lot of it, so decided to make an a-line skit and an open sided tunic.  i figured that this style of top would be far more user friendly in both winter and summer. it's open from under the sleeve to the waist. I sewed a small seam at the waist and left it open again till the bottom.

there is even enough fabric to make an additional piece, so im thinking either a pair of gouchos (so 70's) or another pair of culottes with an elastic hem.  who knows!

I styled this look with a blue top from target, my black jo mercer boots and a vintage woven belt found at an opshop in Prahran.

As i was getting ready, i decided that this look had so much good stuff happening that to make it even better, i would style my hair with the beaded bobby pins i made which made me look as though i was wearing a floral headband.  these were made for a show in Fiji and they are super simple to make but so cute.  you only need some fine wire - from a craft shop, and various seed beads. grab a pair of craft pliers and start twisting. 

so i hope that has inspired you to get crafty.  if not, then i hope this can inspire you to get cooking.

jam drops - or as i love to call then.....JAN Drops!

these are super simple and super yum and here's the recipe.

Jam Drops

2 cups self raising flour
1 cup coconut
1 cup sugar
200g butter - melted
1/2 cup milk
Jam - your choice of flavour or use a combo of flavours.
oven to be moderate - 180 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well

Mix in melted butter and milk.  

You want it to be a little crumbly, but not too dry. Use a little extra milk if the batter is too dry. Somethings were never meant to be dry - okay maybe a martini...

Roll small balls from the mixture.  i used tablespoon size, but even a little smaller would be good. Oh god, imagine if you made a giant ball and made a massive Jam Drop....i might try that next time. the communal jam drop.

use the end of your wooden spoon to put a hole in the top of the ball.  this will squash them a bit.

put some jam in the hole.  when it comes to jam, i like to over jam, instead of under jam.
these do spread, so don't squash them together on the tray.

bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. and then cool on a rack and store.

enjoy the delicious that is the jan-drop.  these are a slightly chewy one, but they were a massive hit in the office with a number of people asking for the recipe.

share the love and the jan-drop i say.

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 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.