The Aftermath of Christmas

So here I am laying on the couch at my parents house two days after Christmas sipping Coke Zero from the can trying to recover from a massive few days.

I can't believe Christmas has been! It all seems to have passed in a blur but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Each year in our family we have a bet on who will get the worst Christmas present for the year. Everyone who participates puts $25 into the kitty and once voting has occurred the person who got the worst present gets the kitty money to go and buy themselves a decent present!

I have won the past couple of years with one "worst" Christmas present being a bottle of Tweed perfume and another being a box of out of date biscuits (and I mean out of date to the tune of 2 years). This year however I fear I may not be in the running even though I did get a voucher for the local Chemist who sells crap all! My Brother got a cracker this year, an aunt gave him a big beer money box and a pair of those hideous satin boxer shorts with static flying from every thread. Voting closes on New Years Eve so I will let you know who wins this year.

Christmas day was fun although incredibly hectic. My God Children had a fabulous day and it was great seeing them all so happy and excited. I do believe that children can be over indulged though and this year was definitely off the radar present wise for them.

Something I find hilarious though is my 5 year old God Son! He wasn't overly fussed with all his toys but he went off over all his clothes! He just loved them and I fear I have created a designer loving mini me. My Mum was giving me daggers when my God Son opened his presents and said "look I got Nike's" and oh look Santa bough Dulcie ate Cabana (aka Dolce and Gabbana)!

I got some beautiful gifts this year thanks to my beautiful family and friends who I love and adore more than anything else on this earth. Lots of treats that I will surely enjoy using and wearing. A few Blue Boxes from Tiffany & Co and lots of perfumes and beauty bits and pieces that I love etc.

Hope everyone had a brilliant Christmas and has a Safe and Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Christmas is such a magical time of year. I love every aspect of Christmas from decorating the tree to wrapping gifts and singing carols (albeit rather badly).

In my family Christmas really doesn't begin until 12.00am on December 25th because it is my Birthday on Christmas Eve and my Parents have always made Christmas Eve all about me and my Birthday and heaven help anyone that tries to give me a combined Christmas/Birthday present or card (you wouldn't believe how many relatives try and get away with this lol).

So we are just preparing to have Pink Cupcakes with my God Children to celebrate me becoming another year older. It's so lovely to have all of my family around me. The best presents I received today was a hug and a kiss from all of my family and my Godson giving me a present that he made all by himself. You simply can't put a price on those things.

Tonight we will watch Carols on tv as we bring out the family Christmas ornaments and hang them on our tree. We have very special Christmas ornaments hand painted with all our family members names on each one. When someone passes away another family member will hang the ornament in their honor. I love this tradition and even if someone has died it doesn't make me sad at Christmas, it makes me feel really lucky and blessed that we had them in our lives at all. I am certainly a big believer in the phrase "It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all".

Tonight we will hang our stockings in the lounge room of Mum and Dad's house and spread reindeer food up the driveway so that Santa will find his way to our door (we don't have a chimney). We will drink Eggnog and all give thanks for the many blessings we have in our lives. Mum will be roasting meat and wrapping last minute gifts. Dad will be annoying Mum. My Brother will be tipsy, J will be asleep on the couch and I will be entertaining my God Children until they go to bed around 9.30. At midnight I will slip out to Mass as I do every year.

It may surprise some people to learn that I am quite religious. It certainly isn't something I discuss with anyone. Members of my own immediate family don't even share my views. My religious and spiritual beliefs are something very personal to me. My faith is strong and it has seen me through some very difficult times in my life.

I just want to wish everyone a very Merry, Safe, Joyous Christmas. Sending you all lots of love, hugs and kisses at this very special time of year.

Be grateful for what you have, don't worry what you haven't got because in the end all that really matters is there here and now. As long as we have each other we are the richest people on earth.

Merry Christmas 2009

Christmas Shopping Mission Complete!!

The past few weeks have been insanely busy for me. We had my Dad's 60th Birthday celebrations, a quick trip to Melbourne for some frantic Christmas shopping and the last few days have been filled with more last minute shopping! Ordinarily I love to shop but to be honest I am so over it and really don't want to see another shop, well not for a little while at least.

I am excited to say that I have finished my Christmas shopping! This is a record for me who is usually arguing with a five year old over the last Christmas Stocking on the shelves at store closing time on Christmas Eve!

I have asked Santa very nicely for some serious spoiling this Christmas, gee I hope he listened! I had my photo taken on Santa's knee with my God Son the other day, I have since heard Santa is in traction at the local hospital with his knee broken in ten places!!!

Party Makeup

Party Look I Wore On The Weekend

I primed my skin with Napolean Perdis Autopilot Pre Foundation Primer and applied Urban Decay Primer Potion on my lids.

Foundation and Concealer - I used green concealer from my Coastal Scents Camo Quad to disguise a little redness around my nose. Next I applied Stila's Natural Finish Foundation followed up with Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat (under my eyes) and Laura Mercier Concealer. Finally I set the foundation with a light dusting of Smashbox Halo Powder.

Brows - Smashbox Brow Tech in Taupe

Eyes - As a base I used M.A.C Paint Pot in Blackground. I then mixed together two M.A.C Mineralize Shadows in Midnight Madness (from Magic, Mirth and Mischief) and Cinderfella (from Style Black). I added a spray of M.A.C's Fix+ to give the shadows a wet shiny look. The colour turned out to be a dark charcoal metallic grey. I then applied M.A.C False Lashes (lash 3). I lined the bottom lash line with M.A.C's Feline Eye Liner and the top lash line with M.A.C's Blacktrack Fluidline. I then smudged M.A.C Glitter in Reflects Antique Gold along the top lashline and set with Pop Sparkle Sauce. To finish the eyes I added several coats of Benefit Bad Gal mascara in black.

Cheeks - I used Nars Bronzer in Laguna on all areas where the sun would naturally hit. followed by Stila Convertible Colour in Petunia on the apples of my cheeks. To finish my cheeks I applied Nars Blush in Mata Hari.

Lips - Lips were lined with Duwop's Invisible Lip Liner. Next I applied Lime Crime's Great Pink Planet Lipstick followed by a coat of M.A.C Dazzleglass Creme in My Favourite Pink.

Happy 60th Birthday Dad - Part 2

We had a lovely time celebrating my Dad's 60th Birthday on the weekend. We celebrated all weekend with family and close friends dining at some of Tasmania's best restaurants and visiting some popular tourist destinations with our international visitors. Everyone had a fabulous time and I am sure my Dad will never forget his 60th Birthday.

Girly Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Christmas

Christmas stockings are huge in our family. We all hang a stocking with our name on it (including the animals) in my Parents lounge room and everyone buys little things to go in them for each other.

The rules at our parents place for Christmas Stockings are that nobody is supposed to know who put what in them (of course we all knows it was Santa)! Nothing that goes in the stockings is allowed to be valued at over $20. Nothing is allowed to be wrapped, it simply needs to be stuffed inside the stocking.

My stocking is pink (of course) with sequins and crystals all over it, I got an extra large one since I have been extra good this year I am hoping Santa will fill it up.

Some stocking stuffer ideas and also things I will be putting in my female family and friends stockings this year include:

100g Snow Fairy Shower Gel from Lush $9.95
Want To Believe Bath Melt from Lush $6.50
Star Melt Bath Melt from Lush $6.50
100g Father Frost Soap from Lush $8.50
100g Angels Delight Soap or Snowcake Soap from Lush $6.50 each

Mini Body Butters from The Body Shop $10.95
Mini Shower Gels and Body Lotions from The Body Shop around $5 each

CD's from Target or Big W around $18
Lindt Chocolate Bells around $6 from almost any store

OPI, Creative Nail Design or China Glaze Nail Polishes between $10 - $20 each!

Perfect Potion Lip Balm around $12

Lip Gloss

L'Occitane Mini Shea Hand Cream $14.95

Glitzy-Glam Initial Key Chains $10 each

Autobiography or Biography Books many under $20 at places like K-Mart

Pens and Stationary

Scented Candles

Homemade Biscuits, Slices or Gingerbread men

Small Piccolo of Champagne

Candy Canes

Flavoured Tea

Mini Calender

Movie Tickets

Itunes Voucher

Mini Haul

Yesterday I had a couple of hours to fill in before meeting my family for Dinner in the city so I slipped by the shops (which is never a good sign for my bank balance). There is still quite a few presents I need to buy for Christmas but luckily my Mum and I are heading to Melbourne on Wednesday so I live in hope I will be able to buy the rest of my gifts for other people whilst I am there.

So yesterday I ended up picking up a few things from The Body Shop, Lush and Myer.

Lush:

Want To Believe Bath Melts x 10 (these are not all for me, I think they are hilarious because they look like a lump of coal, so I got them for some girlfriends as stocking stuffers for Christmas).
Chox Away Soap
You Shall Go To The Ball Gift Packs x 3 (because I love the Fairy Tail sugar scrub in them so much and you can't but it individually until the new year).

Myer:

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDT Perfume. I have this in the EDP but wanted something a bit lighter for summer so I picked this one up. I also got the body lotion to match.

The Body Shop:

Cherry Blossom EDT perfume - So pretty!