Washington-Post-blog-baaarooke

I can barely begin to imagine that 2013 is almost over. This year has been so good to me. I've been on so many adventures and I feel so grateful for all of the experiences I've had this year. I have had massive, mind blowing highs and I've spent more time smiling and succeeding that I thought was possible.

I think it's easy to get caught up in the end of year madness but it's great to sit down and think about the things that you are grateful for from this year. Send out a THANK YOU to the universe and make the decision that next year is going to amazing.

2013 was especially good to me so I've decided to put together my final gratitude list for 2013 with the things I've been grateful for throughout the year.

1. The live music I've seen and the amazing artists I've witnessed



It's easy to be grateful when my list of artists I've seen looks like this

Maximo Park / The Hives / The Killers / Childish Gambino / Big Day Out Festival (multiple bands) / Bloc Party / British India / The Kooks / Kristin Chenoweth / Idina Menzel / Jay Z / Justin Timberlake / Beyoncé / Bastille / William Beckett / Foals / The Basics / Franz Ferdinand / Muse / Alicia Keys

2. Travelling the world



This year I've been lucky enough to travel to

London / Dubai / Cancun / New York / Toronto / Anaheim (Disneyland) / Los Angeles / Bali / Gold Coast

A lot of my travel adventures have been through work and I've visited some absolutely stunning places with the best people. I loved every trip I've been on and I know they wouldn't have been as great had it not been the people I travelled with.

3. My family



But seriously, if your nieces and nephews were this cute you'd be grateful too.

4. My Black Milk collection



I've spent this year in lycra as my Black Milk collection has grown to ridiculous proportions. I love that I can wear something crazy and ridiculous and feel so comfortable and happy. I am grateful for the confidence their clothing gives me.

5. A little bit of everything else.



It has been so hard trying to reduce the things I'm grateful for into 5 points. I have had so many great experiences this year. There have been ups and downs but this post is about finding the things that have made me smile this year. I have shared this year with so many great friends and family and I am happy to look back at 2013 and think this was a lucky, fun filled, adventurous year for me.

Have you taken a look at your 2013 yet? Share your links below if you've posted about it - I'd love to see what's been making you smile this year

Bring on 2014 and another outstanding year.

 - Brooke

It's a happy day when it's spent with these kids

 - Brooke

I'm not alone when I say this trailer makes me want to climb a mountain?? It gives me such a crazy case of wanderlust and makes me 100% certain that my decision to go to Thailand next year is the right decision.

This movie just came out in Australia and while I went and saw The Hobbit I cannot wait until I find the time to sit in a darkened cinema watching this movie. I don't even care if it's not great (but looking at this trailer, I can't see how it would be anything less than fabulous), I just want to see the worlds in which Walter Mitty explores (real or imagined).




I've been to Thailand before - I went on a work trip for a week. It was so delightful but I feel like there is more to explore, like I barely scratched the surface. It's different travelling somewhere when you are actually a tourist rather than a spoilt travel agent (we get spoilt on these trips) with a strict itinerary.

So far on my wish lists for this trip is a trip to the tiger temples in Chiang Mai, a visit to an elephant sanctuary, snorkelling at Phi Phi Island and canoeing through caves at Phang Nga. I'll keep you updated on the plans when they begin to form properly.

May feels like a really long time away.

 - Brooke

Another week before Christmas all done and dusted. Can you guys believe CHRISTMAS IS TOMORROW!?!?! I can't wait to wake up, make milkshakes, pick up my Grandma and open presents with my family! Before all of that happens, here's what I'm grateful for from last week.



1. Christmas lunches that include a lot of beer - On Wednesday the team leaders of the Flight Centre stores in my region/area were treated to a Christmas lunch at the Hofbrauhaus in Melbourne. Delicious food, amazing company, 2 litres of beer and a great time at a rooftop bar after lunch is a fantastic way to spend a Wednesday.



2. Time off - I've actually had the week off from work (well from Wednesday - Sunday) and it was so nice to relax and rest. I didn't have anywhere to go, anywhere to be and I loved it. I watched season 2 of Sherlock, read books and listened to Beyoncé (a lot).



3. Quality time with the nieces and nephews - Seth has been away in Adelaide for a couple of weeks so Friday night dinner was extra fun. I love spending time with these kids, they are so ridiculous and cute.

4. AMAZING MOVIES - This week I saw American Hustle (WOW) and Frozen. It's so fun to go to the cinemas and watch a movie on the big screen. I love it. I especially love it when I go to the movies with friends or family (especially if it's a kids movie and I'm seeing it with nieces and nephews).

5. Christmas crafting and preparation - This year is the first year that some of my crafting ideas have come together. I've made more things this year than any other year and even though I didn't make my usual Christmas cookies I feel like it's been a great lead up to the big day. I've watched a bunch of the Christmas movies off my list, I've made mini Christmas trees and glitter dinosaurs and I've built my first gingerbread house. It's been busy but I've had so much fun.

I'm really excited for this week - there are lots of things happening but ultimately I'm just excited to spend some time with my family and eating and drinking far too much. Tonight I'm watching Bad Santa (totally inappropriate but it's a Christmas tradition) with my hair in curlers.

Merry Christmas lovelies <3 p="">
 - Brooke

So you've left your Christmas shopping to the last minute. That's ok, it doesn't have to be a hellish experience. I went Christmas shopping last weekend and I managed to get it done with a big smile on my face.

I did a few things before I went to the shops so that I would enjoy my shopping experience. It was 3 simple things. Want to know them?

1. Make a list - and check it twice. The best thing I did this year was write down everyone I needed to buy a gift for and had a few ideas written down for each of them. I wrote down possible shops that I could buy their gifts from to minimise the number of shops I'd need to visit. I WAS ORGANISED (which is not a normal thing for me)

2. Set some ground rules with yourself and your shopping buddy - My ground rules were simple. No Grinchy behaviour and SMILE. No complaining about other shoppers. Don't get stressed.

3. Make the decision to get it done - The only reason I had to go to one more store on the Sunday was because we found the perfect gift for one of my nieces and had to go to a different store in a different town to get it. Don't allow yourself to give up, power through and get it finished.

It's easy to forget why you're buying gifts at this time of the year. It's nice to sit back and remember that you're looking for a gift for someone you love and care about. Try and imagine their face when they open that perfect gift that you have found for them.



Since I've done my shopping I have been able to just enjoy the lead up to Christmas. Today I made my first gingerbread house from a kit my Mum got me. I've wanted to make one for years and I'm so happy with how it turned out. It may not be perfect but I think that's a part of it's charm.




Do you have any tips for surviving the crowds? Share them below. Only 4 sleeps until the big day and those crowds are going to be massive. Just remember to breathe and smile if you are heading to the shops this week.

 - Brooke

I sneak peaked a look at a project I was working on for a friend's Christmas present. Since I am seeing her tonight I can FINALLY post about it!

These are so easy to make (notice a theme in my DIY) and have such a WOW factor about them





What you'll need

 - a collection of plastic dinosaurs (I got these from KMart)
 - different coloured glitter (fine glitter works better and has a bigger impact)
 - craft glue
 - screw in eye hooks
 - spray on sealant
 - paint brush (use an old one because you're painting with glue)
 - string for hanging

Step 1: Screw the eye hooks into the back of the dinosaurs. I chose a space on their back where they will hang nicely.



Step 2: Lay down some paper on your surface. You will get glitter everywhere so it's good to protect your table from it. Use your paintbrush to paint 1 dinosaur with craft glue then sprinkle the dinosaur with one colour of glitter. Make sure you cover the whole surface in glitter - allow to dry.



Step 3: After you have allowed the dinosaurs to dry look over them then add more glitter to parts that you have missed

Step 4: Use the spray on sealant as directed to ensure the glitter sticks FOREVER.

Step 5: String them up and hang them wherever your heart desires



SIMPLE!!!! I love a simple yet high impact decoration. The best thing about these is that they don't have to be just for Christmas - Dinosaurs are cool year round. I'm so excited to gift them to my friend. She loves dinosaurs so I think this will be a different take on "normal" Christmas decorations.



I'd love to see if you try any of the DIY's I share, just link in the comments

 - Brooke

I can hardly believe that it's Tuesday already. It's 8 days until Christmas and I think this past week has been one of the best for December so far. Why? Well let me tell you



1. Christmas Parties - I went to my work Christmas party on Saturday night. It was held at a venue called Madeline's at Jells Park. We had 19 stores turn up and it was a really fun night. The theme was "a touch of Christmas" and it was nice to see people embrace the theme and dress up a little. I wore my Black Milk Christmas Tree skater dress and my Crown & Glory holly hair clip. I talked to lots of people, drank lots of cider and laughed a lot.

I also had dinner with my team last night and we exchanged KK gifts. I feel so happy with my new team and love that we are all so different but it works. They are just really good people :)



2. Beyonce's new album and videos - I can't even begin to explain how happy this surprise album has made me. Every song is awesome, every video is stunning. I've been listening to it so much since I bought it. My favourite video is "Flawless" but I LOVE LOVE LOVE the roller-disco video for "Blow" and the beauty pageant inspired video for "Pretty Hurts" (plus pretty much every other video in the collection).



3. Gorgeous artwork arriving - This week I had an original sketch from Dallas Clayton arrive. He did the most amazing thing this year where you paypaled him the cost for the art and he would pick out a sketch to send you as a SURPRISE. Mine was this cute dinosaur and I think it's perfect. Plus I had a print and wood block mounted print from Cuddly Rigor Mortis arrive. I don't actually have space for all this amazing art but I couldn't resist any of these images and will find places for them both.

4. Christmas shopping = done - I told you I was going Christmas Shopping on Saturday and I managed to get it done and dusted in 1.5 visits (I had to go to a different town on Sunday to pick up 1 gift). It wasn't a hellish experience and I actually had fun.

5. Brand new shoes - I've been waiting for them to arrive and this week they turned up. Holographic, gold, tassels - am I describing your perfect shoe? They are so beautiful and out of this world.

How has your week been? I have the rest of the week off from work so I've not got much planned. I have some crafting, a Christmas lunch and movie date organised but I'm mostly excited about relaxing before Christmas.

 - Brooke

Secret projects starting this week, I have a few days off this week so I'll have some time to create a few fun posts. I'll share more by the end of the week.

I've finished my Christmas shopping today - what about you?

 - Brooke

When I got home tonight I had a text message from my friend Sally to let me know that Beyoncé has just released a new album - OUT OF NOWHERE. No warning, no press, no WARNING, just music.

It's called BEYONCÉ has 14 new songs and 17 videos, She's calling it a "visual" album and features appearances from Jay Z, Justin Timberlake, Frank Ocean, Drake, Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, Michelle Williams, Kelly Rowland and Blue Ivy (her daughter).

PHEW! What a week. So many things, so many events. You can really feel the craziness of Christmas taking hold. I have lots of fun things happening in December so it's nice to reflect on the things that made me smile through the week. So, what were those things this week?



1. MUSE - On Friday night I ventured into Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne to see Muse. I've seen them a couple of times before and was a little hesitant on buying tickets this time. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE them and I LOVE watching them live. I haven't really listened to their new stuff or listened to their music at all lately. I needn't have worried or hesitated about buying tickets - THEY WERE AMAZING. They have one of the best live shows I've seen and one of the best stage set ups around. They played a really great mix of old and new stuff and when the opening riffs started for "Plug In Baby" I lost my s**t just a little.

2. Alicia Keys - On Sunday night I went back to Rod Laver Arena for a different type of concert. Alicia Keys was all kinds of brilliant in a totally different way. She is powerful, talented, beautiful, inspiring and did I mention talented?!?! She totally blew me away - I may have almost cried when she started to play "Diary" and couldn't sit in my seat while she played "No One". She finished with Jay Z on a screen (always nice to see his face) and her album version of "Empire State of Mind, Pt 2".



3. We decorated out Christmas tree - I've mentioned before that we have a family tradition of not getting our Christmas tree until after my Dad's birthday. This year we broke that tradition. We had the nieces and nephews over on the weekend and Dad got the tree especially so that they could help us decorate it. IT WAS THE BEST FUN!! We put on Christmas Carols and they spent the whole time getting excited about every decoration we removed from the boxes.

If you are ever feeling "Grinchy" about Christmas just talk to a kid about it. Their enthusiasm, energy and excitement is infectious (just make sure you know the kid - it might be weird if you just walk up to a child in the supermarket and started talking to them about Christmas)

I also visited my Grandma and put up her Christmas Tree for her and helped her organise her Christmas presents. It was so nice to visit her and spend some time decorating and making her house fill up with green and red.



4. Creating decorations - I've posted already about the mini Christmas Trees I made with popsicle sticks. When the kids were around I had them decorate some of the extra trees that I made up for them. They had a blast decorating them. They used textas (markers) and glitter glue to decorate their trees. They are now hanging proudly on our big Christmas tree.

5. Getting a start on my Christmas movies - So far I have watched 4 movies from my list. I've not done as well as I was hoping but I've been enjoying re-watching these movies. I did get distracted by a last minute Lord of the Rings marathon (I decided I wanted to watch them all before seeing the new Hobbit movie on the 26th of December). I can't wait to sit down and watch more Christmas movies.

How are you getting into the Christmas Spirit this week?

I am going Christmas shopping this weekend (brave I know, but I have some tips that I'll share on how to survive the big stores at Christmas) and have lots of Christmas movies to watch. I'm also listening to Christmas songs to/from work and at work.

Have a fabulous week
 - Brooke

Today was a big day. We broke a tradition in our family and put up our Christmas tree before Dad's birthday.

How was your Sunday?

 - Brooke

How cute are these?!?! I can't believe how simple yet beautiful these mini Christmas Trees are. I can't believe I MADE THESE!

I saw a few pictures of similar designed popsicle stick Christmas Trees via Pinterest so I decided I would give it a try myself.



You will need:

 - Popsicle sticks (I bought a bag of 150 for $2.50 at a discount store)
 - green paint & a paint brush
 - red satin ribbon
 - hot glue gun
 - scissors
 - GLITTER & anything else you want to decorate the trees with

Step 1 - cut the edges of the popsicle sticks so that you have flat ends. You want two the same size (just trim the edges) and then 6 other sticks cut gradually smaller and smaller.

Step 2 - paint the sticks. I painted both sides - you just need to leave time for it to dry. If you are using glitter on your trees then you will need to sprinkle the glitter on the wet paint and press down lightly to get it to stick.

Step 3 - glue the ribbon into a loop and attach it to the top of your longest stick (this stick will be your tree backing

Step 4 - glue the smallest piece over the ribbon then continue down the tree backing until you get to the biggest piece. Allow the glue to dry.

YOU'RE DONE! I told you it was easy

Once the glue has dried you can decorate your trees as much or as little as you like. I really like the look of the glitter only on the trees. I also used some leftover studs to create the bottom tree. I used the hot glue gun to attach the studs to the popsicle stick.



The best thing about these Christmas Trees is that you can customise them to match whatever you want. If you want to paint them purple, DO IT, if you want to cover them in pom poms, DO IT, if you want each level to be a different colour, GO FOR IT!



I thought this might have been a great thing to do with my nieces but after using the hot glue gun I think it would be best to make up some trees and let them decorate to their hearts desire. It would be fun to see what they come up with. Considering I'm currently covered in glitter I will need to do this outside with them :)



I really love the idea of home made Christmas decorations. I'm going to try and do a couple more DIY Christmas decorations before the big day arrives. I'm not normally a super crafty person so I started with the easiest one to ease my way into it.

Have you got anything you are going to try this year for Christmas? Have you made any decorations in your house? 

 - Brooke

WOW, it's really December - DECEMBER YOU GUYS!!!! I'm excited for so many things this month. I have lots of Christmas parties, lots of bands and lots of big things happening, but I want to remember and be happy for the little things too.

Here's what rocked my world this week

2. Dinner dates with amazing friends - On Saturday night I caught up with a friend I have known for a VERY LONG TIME (read: about 15 years ++) and it was so nice to be able to sit around eating delicious Indian food (naan bread = yum) talking about life. It's such a nice feeling to have people who know you so well and that you can still connect with after 15 + years of friendship.



3. I CAN'T STOP BUYING CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS - So far this year I have purchased a bunch of new decorations (a snow globe penguin, silver bell stars, a quilted "Merry Christmas" hanging sign, a collection of cute wooden hanging ornaments and a wooden Christmas tree). I'm so happy that the stores have out really cute affordable decorations this year.



4. Getting tickets to bands I love who are touring next year - This week alone I have bought tickets to see The Lumineers, Arcade Fire, Bastille and Arctic Monkeys. I was really lucky to get a text message from my friend Jeanine asking me if I wanted her to buy me a pre-pre-sale ticket to Arctic Monkeys - I said HECK YES! She works for a touring company and had staff access to tickets - how amazing is that?!?!

5. Relaxing and taking time for me - I slept in, I read books, I relaxed and caught up on some TV shows, I just took some time out and breathed. It's so nice to be able to just stop for a bit and have a "nothing" day where all you do is bum around at home in your pj's.

This week is chock-a-block. I've got 2 x gigs plus my Dad's birthday and a Christmas tree to decorate. I'm also going to introduce my nieces and nephew to a Christmas movie they haven't seen before.

What are your plans for this week? What are you looking forward to?

 - Brooke

I dont' work on Sunday. This means I have the ability to do different things and my Sleepy Sunday posts will be a photo I take with my camera during the day. It's my attempt to make me have my camera with me more often and play around with it more.

How was your Sunday? Do you have anything you do to keep you doing creative things?

 - Brooke

Listening to music and seeing artists perform live is a part of my life. I love discovering new songs or artists and I am the kind of person who can listen to one song or album or repeat and not get bored.

I thought something fun that I can do is share a song or artist who have somehow captured my attention in the hope that it's something new and amazing that someone else can also love.

This week I bought the new single from Lily Allen, "Hard Out Here" after seeing the video on youtube. This is her first official single release since 2009.

The song itself is a catchy, punchy tune that tackles the way women are portrayed as sex symbols and the tough road we still face - especially of women in show business. It's been a song that has not been without controversy, obviously a subject like this is going to generate opinions from both sides of the fence.

I like this song because it's un-flinchingly honest, it's edgy and it's a fantastic pop song.



She uses the word "bitch" so many times I'm sure Jesse Pinkman would be proud.

I've been listening to Lily Allen for years. I'm so glad she's back and hasn't lost that sneer and attitude that has always made her stand out from the crowd.

 - Brooke

This week was filled with all kinds of normality. I worked 6 out of 7 days however I still had plenty of things to be grateful for.

I keep having to pinch myself to believe that the two days I spent with blogging royalty actually happened. The two days were totally surreal and inspiring and I've walked away with so many new ideas and a newfound focus and determination to make something of this little space on the internet. I digress - let me start at the beginning

What is the Blogcademy? 

The Blogcademy is a two-day workshop run by Gala Darling (www.galadarling.com), Kat Williams (www.rocknrollbride.com) and Shauna Haider (www.nubbytwiglet.com) that is designed to help aspiring bloggers gain the insight and direction needed to take their blogs to the next level. It's the ultimate insiders guide to blogging from three very successful, talented and amazing women.

Why did I go? 

I love blogging (something I can proudly say, and something I would have felt weird saying a few years ago). I began blogging on my myspace page (back when it was still a thing) and moved to this URL in 2008. I love that it gives me the freedom to write about things I am passionate about and love - I've just never really been super dedicated to this space. I've posted sporadically and have been one of those bloggers who is always apologising for my absence. I want to change this and I needed the direction and the "how to" which I believed I could gain by attending this course.

What did I learn? 

These headmistresses know their shit. I learnt so much in two days that my head is still spinning. I'm a processor so I'm going to have to give the information some time to sink in BUT there were a few key things that stood out from the rest.

  1.  You must have a plan and goals for your blog - here I am, a 30 year old professional woman who creates business plans for work every year and I didn't think that this was something that would be important for my blog. I work in a very goal oriented business with budgets and plans for everything I do, so I'm surprised I have never looked at my blog in the same way.

  2.  Consistency is key - for EVERYTHING you do. This is something that sounds so simple but is probably the hardest thing to maintain. I have been guilty many times of neglecting this space and I had a great conversation with Gala about this. I just need to see this space as something I should be proud of and give it the attention and love it deserves and that means applying the work ethic I have in my job to this blog. It's going to be hard work but I'm ready to get it done.

Was it worth it?