29/07/2013

Easy 1 Hour Skirt | Tutorial




I purchased the material for this skirt a couple of weeks ago and finally got around to making it this weekend. I really loved the fact I didn't have to hem the material!

It was really easy to make (even if your a beginner!) and probably took me 30 minutes - 1 hour to complete.

This skirt tutorial is very versitile, you could use it to make a pencil skirt, maxi skirt, short skirt..and the list goes on!


You will need...

- Knit material (how much you need depends on what kind of skirt your making!
- Matching thread
- Scissors
- Pins
- Elastic (decide where you want your skirt to sit i.e. hips, waist etc. and wrap the elastic around you to decide how much you will need. Always leave a bit more just incase)
- Sewing machine / overlocker (which ever you prefer)


Step 1 | Fold your material so that the right sides are together.



Step 2 | Place a favourite skirt on top of the folded material and cut around it, making sure to leave about 1/4 inch for your seam allowance. I did not cut along the bottom as I wanted to decide on the length later on.



Step 3 | Sew up the sides of the skirt. I tried the skirt on at this point to make sure it was fitting how I wanted it to. 



Step 4 | Once again, wrap the elastic around you and decide how much you will need. Then sew it together in a circle, overlapping the ends. Cut off any excess elastic






Step 5 |Time to attach the elastic to the skirt. This is the trickiest part of the skirt and also the hardest to explain, so I hope the pictures are helpful! You want to have the skirt the right way out, and attach the elastic to the outside of the skirt. The easiest way to do this is to line up the seam of the elastic circle with one side seam of the skirt, and place 4 pins around the elastic. You can then place more pins in between these ones. Do not be afraid to use a lot of pins in this step!






Step 6 | Sew the elastic and the skirt together. You will need to stretch the elastic as you are sewing to ensure there are no bumps in the material. Remember to sew slowly.

Step 9 | Fold the elastic inside the skirt and press it in place with your iron.



Step 10 | Try on the skirt again and decide how long you want it. Depending on your material, you will then need to hem it (I was lucky enough not to have to do it!)



And you are done :)

- J x

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28/07/2013

Haul | Queensland 2013


I cannot believe its been a week since we came back from Queensland! This week has been crazy busy. Anyway, I thought it was about time I uploaded a small haul post on what I bought whilst we were away. I actually purchased a lot of these items whilst we visited Byron Bay (about 45 minutes from Coolangatta) so technically I guess it is more of a NSW haul!




Roxy // $30ish (on sale) // Quicksilver, Byron Bay





Factorie // $4.95 (on sale) // Factorie, Byron Bay





Sportsgirl // $40.00 (purchased by the bf!) // Sportsgirl, 
Byron Bay





Ripcurl // $70ish // Byron Surf, Byron Bay





Mooloola // $39.95 // City Beach, Pacific Fair, Gold Coast





No brand // $10.00 // Local newsagent, Coolangatta



All of the pieces are very versatile and I know I will get a lot of wear out of them! 

- J x











22/07/2013

Photo Diary | Queensland 2013

 
We are back from our relaxing warm holiday in Coolangatta, QLD, only to be greeted by a freezing 11 degrees - thanks SA! 
 
We finally got to try out the Canon properly! Here are a few photo's from the trip...
 

 









 


 
 dbar // view // beach // dark clouds // pool view // bubbles // Snapper Rocks
selfies // koala at Currumbin // colourful wildlife // joey // Byron Bay // surfers // light house // last day
 
I will have a small haul post up by the end of the week!
 
- J x 

Work Hairstyles | Vol 2



I have been wearing these hairstyles a lot lately. I love them because they are so easy and they take no time in the mornings to do. They are also great because they keep the hair out of my face and I don't have to worry about them for the whole day.
 
For these hairstyles you will need...
 
 
 
- Hair Elastic
- Bobby Pins
- Hairspray (optional)
 
NB: These hairstyles all incorporate braids. If you are unsure how to braid, this video from Kayley at Letsmakeitup1 will show you a few basic braids and how to achieve them.
 
Hairstyle 1 | Braided Fringe
 
Step 1. Part your hair to the far right / left (depending on which side you have your fringe on)
 
 
Step 2. You can either dutch braid or french braid your fringe until the side of your forehead. From here, continue plaiting your fringe until just above your ear.
 
Step 3. Lift your hair above your ear and pin the braid above the ear, using 2 bobby pins crossed over each other to keep the braid in place.
 
 
 
Step 3. Let your hair back down again so that it covers the braid and the bobby pins and you are done!
 
 
 
 Hairstyle 2 | Braided Fringe & Pony Tail
 
Follow the steps for hairstyle 1, but put your hair up into a pony tail. If you have any funny bumps behind the braid, just bobby pin them down.
 
 
 
Hairstyle 3 | French Braid into a Bun
 
 
 
 
 Step 1. Start your braid from the opposite side to your fringe and french braid the hair diagonally to the other side, stopping when you reach the side of your head. You want to braid pretty tight and then loosen off after to give it more texture.
 
Step 2. Put the rest of your hair into a side messy bun and pin if needed to keep it in place  
 
 
 
 
Hope you enjoy these hairstyles! I'm sure there will be another instalment soon. Click here for Vol 1.
 
- J x
 
 
 



 



 

12/07/2013

Bad Habits | How I Stopped Biting My Nails

I have been a nail biter since I was a little girl and it's a habit I just haven't been able to kick. It really is a disguising habit - you don't know what is under those nails or around your hands! It also makes wearing nail polish (especially putting pretty designs on them) not so easy. 

Over the years I have tried many different things to stop me from biting my nails. From the disguising tasting solution you put on your nails (I obviously didn't find the taste that bad because I kept biting them) to wearing fake nails (which actually make your nails worse and frail!) nothing seemed to work for an extended period of time. I would get stressed or busy at work and start biting them all over again! 

I have finally found a solution that seems to be working for me (so far!). First up, I found this Maximum Growth Daily Nail Growth Solution from Sally Hansen at my local supermarket.



 I was wary at first, as the disguisting nail biting treatment I mentioned earlier was actually a Sally Hensen product and it definitely did not deter me from biting my nails! I decided to give it a try and I'm glad I did. I use it as a base coat under my nail polish and have definitely been noticing how much stronger my nails are because of it. Biting my nails and using fake nails made my nails weak and if I tried to grow them, they would break easily. 

I also invested in one of these (for a whole $4!)


Every time I go to bite my nails, I get my nail file out and use it. It has definitely helped me get out of the mindset of biting my nails. I would recommend investing in a good quality nail file, and maybe even a pretty one to make you want to use it! 

My nail file has also helped me keep my nails at the perfect shape / length. 


I know this is not the best quality photo,  but you can see that I like to keep my nails just above the tips of my fingers. The longer they get, the more prone they are the to breaking, so for me, this length is perfect. I also like the look of square / flat top nails as I think they look more modern. 

Lastly, nail polish! 



Something about wearing colour on my nails stops them from looking like something I would like to chew on. You should always give your nails a break from nail polish, but I always like to wear it to work because that is where I am the most stressed and where I am more likely to bite my nails!

Ultimately you will have to find the solution that works for you. It won't be easy to stop, and don't expect it to happen overnight. It has taken me years to finally find out what's worked for me so stick in there! 

- J x

06/07/2013

Easy Smokey Eye | Tutorial


I have finally worked out the easiest way for me to achieve the perfect smokey eye. This tutorial will be helpful to those of us who are not trained make up artists!

This concept with work with any colours you choose. I have done this look with black, brown and purple (separate looks, not all of those colours together!) and each time it has turned out just how I pictured it!

For this look you will need:

- 2 or 3 colours of your choice
- Angled brush, small fluffy brush and large fluffy brush
- Your favourite mascara.

NB: When it comes to choosing your colours, there are a few tips I have learnt along the way. If you are choosing 3 like I did in this tutorial, you will need a light colour (e.g. a cream) a dark colour (e.g. brown) and then a colour in between the 2 (e.g. light brown or gold) also known as a mid-tone colour. If you are only using 2 shadows, I would stick to a dark colour and a mid-tone colour to make the look not as harsh.

On to the tutorial!

(I have chosen to use 3 colours in this tutorial. If you have only chosen 2, use your darkest colour as your mid-tone colour; just don't build up the colour as much)
 
Step 1 | Base

Using the lightest colour you have, sweep this all the way over your lid. If you are using a colour such as cream, you can also take the colour right up into your brow bone for a nice highlight.


 
 
Step 2 | Mid tone

Using your next darkest colour and a small fluffy brush, sweep the eyeshadow into your crease using right-to-left windscreen wiper motions. Also, place this colour on the outside of your lid and gently bring it in towards the centre of the lid (not all the way)


 
I sometimes stop at this step and wear this look to work during the week (with mascara of course) It gives my eyes definition without looking like I have too much make-up on!
 
 
Step 3 | Darkest Colour
 
Using your darkest colour and your small fluffy brush, place the eyeshadow on the outer portion of the lid.
 
Then using your big fluffy brush, gently blend along the crease line to bring the look together.
 

 
Step 4 | Line the top lash line
 
Taking a black eyeshadow and your angled brush, line the top lash line from the outer corner of the lid to 3/4 of the way across the lid. This will make your lashes appear fuller. You can line the waterline as well if you like, however on me this makes my eyes look too dark!
 

 
 
Step 6 | Mascara
 
Apply mascara to your top and bottom lashes and this look is now complete! For smokey eyes, I love Maybellines "the Colossal Volum' Express" in Cat Eye.
 
 
 
I hope this tutorial has been helpful! It has taken me a few years to really perfect my version of a smokey eye, so don't get too frustrated if it doesn't work the first time! Also, try out different tutorials to see which one will work best for your eye shape :)
 
- J x