In this vlog I talk about:

- Optimism versus pessimism

- Dream jobs

- Moving to the country

- Negative comments on my outfits

- International travel

- What kind of animal I’d like to be as opposed to the kind of animal that I’m actually like.

I hope you enjoy it.

Also, if you have any more questions that you’d like me to answer feel free to get in touch.  I might do another of these videos in the future if I get enough questions, so get asking!

This week, I love:

- Listening to music.  I love the way that music can effect my mood.  When I’m in a slump, most of the time a jive beat will get me up and moving.  I think it’s great that something so simple can have such a profound influence on my life.

-Snap dragons.  I took my mum out for Mother’s Day to the cafe at out local nursery.  There were so many beautiful floral displays, but these colourful snap dragons were my favourite.

While we were there, we also saw these silky chickens.  They look so funny, fluffing around the yard.

- Getting past the horrific “cravings and headaches galore” stage of cutting back on sugar.  I think the sailing should be quite smooth from hereon in.

- Thermal underwear.  ’Tis the season!

-Getting a Ninja Turtle toy in my Happy Meal.  I was majorly obsessed with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a kid, and Michaelangelo was always my favourite.  Now that I’m older, I appreciate Donatello a lot more.  He has a more subtle kind of humour, which I like.

- Piling on the rings

- Serving smiling old ladies at work.

- Having Jelly home safe and sound.  We had an incident on the weekend where she was outside with me and thought it would be a good idea to explore our neighbours’ yard.  She jumped the fence, and immediately angered the neighbour’s dog.  She shot over the fence with lightening speed, raced across the yard and tried to clamber over the fence on the opposite side.  Apparently our yard wasn’t far enough away from the dog.  She’s fine, and hopefully has learned her lesson about venturing outside her own backyard.

-This cutie that I bought last week from The Face Shop.  She’s actually a pretty pink cream blush.

Ta-da!  Adorable!  What a great find.

- Adding the blogs of all the ladies I met at the Truly Vintage event last week.  Some of them are corkers!  In particular, I’m smitten with Miss Fairchild’s Charm School.  So witty.

What do you love this Thursday?

Filed under: Things I Love Thursday Tagged: animals, beauty, cats, cute, family, friends, love, makeup, things I love thursday ]]> http://nessbow.com/2013/05/23/things-i-love-thursday-2352013/feed/ 2 nessbow DSCF8224 DSCF8220 DSCF8225 DSCF8229 DSCF8231 DSCF8230 http://nessbow.com/2013/05/22/daily-outfit-2252013/ http://nessbow.com/2013/05/22/daily-outfit-2252013/#comments Tue, 21 May 2013 23:00:48 +0000 nessbow http://nessbow.com/?p=3597 ]]> Howdy-do to you, fair reader!  I am in such a brilliant mood today. I’d like to say that it’s because of some profound and noble reason, but in truth it’s mostly because I’ve got a brand new hat.

Truth be told, this isn’t really a brand new hat.  Rather, it’s a new-to-me hat.  It’s actually vintage.  I bought it from Bess Georgette at the Truly Vintage market a couple of weeks back and I love it.  I’ve worn it so many times and it makes me smile every time I squish it onto my noggin.

While it’s fun to wear vintage with vintage, I also like mixing my vintage pieces with more modern clothes to give them a more updated look.  Sometimes when I dress in head-to-toe vintage it can feel a bit like I’m wearing a costume.  So I like to mix and match to create a look that reflects my style.

I am wearing:

- Black cossack hat from Bess Georgette Vintage

- Black bodysuit from Remember me

- White lace top from Ladakh

- Brown flares from Living Doll

- Brown Zu platform shoes (thrifted)

- Silver bead necklace (used to belong to my auntie)

- Giant gold-tone bangle (used to belong to my auntie)

- Assorted silver rings

I only just realised that most of my jewellery today came from my aunties’ jewellery box.  I own loads of things that were either handmade by my aunt or else used to be part of her jewellery collection.  She had a very hippie/ rock chick aesthetic in her youth, and when she saw how similar my style was to her she kindly donated a massive bag of jewellery to me.  She’s also kind enough to give me gorgeous hand-made jewellery from time to time.  She loves beading, and I’m very grateful to be the test-dummy for most of her designs.

Do you have a relative that hands down clothes to you?

Filed under: Daily outfit, Fashion Tagged: daily outfit, family, fashion, hats, jewellery, vintage ]]> http://nessbow.com/2013/05/22/daily-outfit-2252013/feed/ 4 nessbow DSCF8239 DSCF8233 DSCF8234 DSCF8232 DSCF8236 http://nessbow.com/2013/05/21/disney-villains-makeup-series-maleficent-from-sleeping-beauty/ http://nessbow.com/2013/05/21/disney-villains-makeup-series-maleficent-from-sleeping-beauty/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 23:00:52 +0000 nessbow http://nessbow.com/?p=3605 ]]> I am really excited about May’s instalment in my Disney Villains makeup series.  This is by far the most requested makeup tutorial I’ve ever recorded.  When I asked you all to tell me which Disney Villain you most wanted me to draw my inspiration from next, the response was overwhelming.  It seems that you all love to hate Maleficent.

I was so pleased that you were all keen to see a Maleficent tutorial.  I actually found this one of the easiest looks to design.  Maleficent’s actual makeup is rather wearable, so I might do a true-to-life Maleficent post in the future if you’d be interested.  Coming up with a design based on her look was so much fun.  She has a great combination of colours in her outfit: green, purple, pink and black and I was really looking forward to blending these colours into a makeup look.

It seems that Maleficent was the cause of many nightmares for my readers.  I lost count of the number of people who have told me that they think of her as “the scariest” Disney villain.

I stuck to Maleficent’s signature colours of light green and purple.  I really wanted to incorporate the shape of her horns into the look, so I used a winged shape to highlight the eyes.  I layered a few different shades of green and purple to get this look. I find that layering different shades in this way gives the look a bit more dimension and adds drama.

It seemed only natural to use a pink lipstick, because that’s the colour that Maleficent herself wears.

I adore this colour combination on the eyes.  In fact, I’ve worn a toned-down version of this look several times this week to go to work. This green eyeshadow has become one of my new favourites.

If you’d like to have a go at recreating this look yourself, here is the video showing you how I did it.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this tutorial.  If you’d like to see the videos that I’ve done in the past, you can find them here:

Jafar from Aladdin

Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians  

Also, If you’d like to request a tutorial, or suggest a villain to star in next month’s video, please let me know.

‘Vanessa’s 27th birthday wishlist’ by Nessbowify

A collection of all the gorgeous things I would like to receive for my 27th birthday.

Time warp (rocky horror) SmartTees4You $20	We’re Not Worthy Necklac… sourcherrycouk $7.95	Vintage 60s Bib OVERALLS Cor… BluegrassVoodo… $78	Orig 60s Psychedelic MOD cas… VicAndBertieVi… $20
60s Maxi Skirt … Spring Fl… sparvintheiele… $42	GRUMPY CAT plush toy FizziMizzi $44	Shaun of the Dead Zombie Mov… MCIndustries $14.99	Wonka Bar with Golden Ticket… kittylitter3 $15
Adventure Time inspired Fion… EpicInspiratio… $15.5	Rob Anybody – Discworld Nac … MadHattery $125	Black Cat Earrings with surg… Sisunyak $10.5	Amityville horror T-shirt Am… TSHIRTSILO $12.99
90s movie tshirt 3 pack Empi… rainbowalterna… $35	True Blood Inspired Original… guptillc $30	Night”Doc”s Print-… JRIllustration… $25	Princess bride tshirt “… purplecactusde… $25.5

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Can I be totally honest and tell you that I’m freaking out a bit about turning 27?  27 was always my scary age when I was a kid.  Like, turning 27 officially marks the point at which you become “old”. I know that in the grand scheme of things, 27 isn’t old at all.  93 is old.  104 is old.  27, not so much.  So I need to just quit it with the worrying, huh?

Are there any things on this list that you’d like for your birthday?

Recognise the look and feel of inspiration.  When you feel that tingle of a good idea, don’t let it slip away.

Always be prepared with a way to record your ideas for new projects.  Be sure to jot down more than just a couple of vague words that become a mystery when you look back on your notes.  Detail is key.

Realise that inspiration comes from unexpected places, as well as places where you’d typically search for it.  Explore the mundane as well as the unknown.

Don’t give up if your first attempt isn’t as good as you’d hoped.  Always push yourself by asking the question, “Is this the best I can do?”  Don’t push yourself so hard that you become paralysed with doubt.

Think outside the box.  If your work doesn’t look, sound, taste or feel the same as others in your field, that’s O.K.  In fact, that’s awesome.

Comparing yourself to others is the fastest way to fall into disappointment and despair.  No two people are the same, so you’re comparing apples to oranges.  Relax, and recognise your work for what it is and their work for what it is.  Just because one is good, doesn’t mean the other isn’t.  There isn’t a finite amount of talent in the world.

Make time for your work.  Creativity doesn’t always just ‘happen’.  Sometimes, you have to push yourself to make a start.

Whenever possible, take advantage of inspiration immediately.  Use your creative energy while it lasts. It’s an elusive bitch sometimes, so catch it while you can.

Learn to take criticism on the chin.  Try not to get defensive. Think about the feedback you’ve received and ask yourself whether it’s fair, whether you can take a lesson from it, or whether it’s too harsh.  Learn what advice is valuable and what is not.  This takes practice.  See criticism as a chance to improve your craft, rather than a personal attack.

Spend time with other creative people.  They don’t necessarily have to work in the same field as you.  If you’re a writer, you’ll still benefit from hanging out with painters, designers or musicians.  Creativity begets creativity.

Step away from your work regularly.  Do something completely different.  Go outside, go to the movies, visit an elderly relative.  You won’t find a spark of inspiration during your sixteenth straight hour of work.  It’s waiting for you just outside your front door.

You can’t please everyone.  So make sure that you please yourself because your opinion is the one that matters most.

Stay curious.  As time passes, you’ll start to regard yourself as an expert at your craft.  This is a mistake.  There’s so much still to be learned, so keep your passion for discovery and experimentation alive.  Never stop learning.

Filed under: Advice, Blogging, Life Tagged: advice, art, blogging, creativity, how to, inspiration ]]> http://nessbow.com/2013/05/17/how-to-be-creative/feed/ 4 nessbow DSCF7945 DSCF7678 DSCF7096 DSCF6396 http://nessbow.com/2013/05/16/things-i-love-thursday-1652013/ http://nessbow.com/2013/05/16/things-i-love-thursday-1652013/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 23:00:57 +0000 nessbow http://nessbow.com/?p=3525 ]]> Hooray for Thursday!  Half of the work week is already done, the weekend is nearly here and it’s time to rattle off a list of all the things I love this week.  Here we go!

This week, I love:

- Being honest with myself.  I’ve come to realise that there’s one day every month that I’m completely useless (yes, it’s a period thing).  For years I’ve fought my PMS, but I’ve decided to just go with the flow, so to speak.  By deciding to just have that one day to relax and chill out, I’ve given myself a bit of breathing space, rather than just setting myself up to be disappointed when I don’t get any work done.  It’s very refreshing.

- Awesome friends who you know you can be totally open and truthful with and they won’t get upset with you.

-Making my own muesli   I’m trying to cut down on the amount of sugar I’m eating at the moment. I’ve been struggling a bit to find suitable things to have for breakfast, as most of my usual breakky foods are full of sugar.  I found a recipe for sugar-free muesli and it’s great.  It’s great for killing off my afternoon sweet cravings too.

- Microwavable heat pillows.

- Running into friends at the supermarket.

- Bulldogs.

- Breathing in deep breaths of cold morning air.

- Opening all the blinds on our windows, and feeling the house come alive with warmth.

-This super-cute ring holder that arrived for me during the week. I had a bit of an ASOS shopping spree, and this was one of the things I bought.

I love his little face!  I already have two cat ring holders and this little guy looks gorgeous on my dresser next to them.

I also got a bunch of new rings from ASOS as well.  They were so cheap that I couldn’t resist them.

This bracelet was part of my haul too.  The little skulls remind me of Dhalsim.  ( I love Street Fighter, but my game play mainly consists of me mashing buttons and yelling wildly).

- Singing along to Under Pressure with Ross and debating which of us is more like Freddy Mercury and which is more like David Bowie.  F.Y.I: we decided that I’m Freddy.

- Bamboo thermals.  So warm, so soft.

- Watching Game of Thrones by candlelight.

- Planning my birthday party.

- Slowly building a playlist of all my favourite songs.

What do you love this Thursday?  I’d love to read your Things I love Thursday list, so leave one in the comments, or post a link to your own Things I love Thursday post.

Filed under: Things I Love Thursday Tagged: clothes, food, jewellery, love, munchies, shopping, things I love thursday ]]> http://nessbow.com/2013/05/16/things-i-love-thursday-1652013/feed/ 4 nessbow DSCF8185 DSCF8186 DSCF8187 DSCF8188 DSCF8190 http://nessbow.com/2013/05/15/a-photo-an-hour-may-2013/ http://nessbow.com/2013/05/15/a-photo-an-hour-may-2013/#comments Tue, 14 May 2013 23:00:27 +0000 nessbow http://nessbow.com/?p=3511 ]]> It’s been ages since my last Photo an Hour post, and I thought it was about time I did another. I really like doing these kinds of posts, but I don’t often have the chance to do them.  Most days I go to work, so there’s a few hours where I know I won’t be able to take any pictures.  But last Saturday I had the whole day to myself.  Ross was away visiting his uncle, and I had planned on a very productive day.

7 a.m

I wake up to some good morning cuddles from Ringo.  I get up and feed the cats, then make myself some eggs on toast.

8 a.m.

Time to get gorgeous!  I shower, dress and do my makeup.

9 a.m.

I walked to the library to pick up a movie I’d had on hold: The Iron Lady.  Before I watched this, my entire bank of knowledge about Margaret Thatcher had come from The Young Ones.  I popped this in the DVD player while I did the ironing.

10 a.m.

A stack of freshly-ironed handkerchiefs.  I finished the ironing and sat on the couch to watch the rest of my film.

11 a.m

Doing a little bit of journalling.  And by “a little bit” I mean 10 pages.  Apparently I had a lot of thoughts that morning.

12 p.m

Workout time!  I huff and puff my way through the New York Lean 25 workout, and I do a pretty good job.

1 p.m.

Cooking lunch.  I make stir-fried pumpkin, zucchini, spinach and tofu served on steamed rice.  I eat it in front of my computer screen while I catch up on my blogroll.

2 p.m.

Blogging, answering emails and planning out the next week’s blog posts.

3 p.m.

My glasses broke the day before, and I hadn’t been able to find my mini screwdriver to fix them.  While hunting for my blog notebook, I found it in my desk drawer, so I was able to mend my glasses.

4 p.m.

Afternoon tea is a freshly-baked veggie muffin and a white coffee with no sugar.  My resolution this month is to cut down on sugar.  I’ve found that making sure that I eat something delicious and sugar-free for afternoon tea really helps to kill my cravings.

5 p.m.

A backlit Jellylorum sitting on the windowsill  She loves to watch the sunset.

After this I didn’t take any photos, because the phone rang.  It was my friend Kath, and we chatted for a while and then I had to rush to get ready to meet my mum for church.  The rest of the evening included a chicken dinner, Ru Paul’s Drag race and Adventure Time pyjamas.

Do you like the photo an hour posts?  Would you like me to try to do them more often?

Filed under: Adventures Tagged: adventures, cats, fashion, films, life, photos ]]> http://nessbow.com/2013/05/15/a-photo-an-hour-may-2013/feed/ 4 nessbow DSCF8153 DSCF8163 DSCF8165 DSCF8167 DSCF8169 DSCF8170 DSCF8173 DSCF8175 DSCF8178 DSCF8179 DSCF8182 http://nessbow.com/2013/05/14/truly-vintage-market-at-hunter-and-co-vintage/ http://nessbow.com/2013/05/14/truly-vintage-market-at-hunter-and-co-vintage/#comments Mon, 13 May 2013 23:00:22 +0000 nessbow http://nessbow.com/?p=3554 ]]> On Saturday, I was lucky enough to attend the Truly Vintage vintage market day and Hunter & Co Vintage in Preston.  The event was organized by Trish of Trish Hunter Finds and Marianne of Esme and the Laneway.

I got up bright and early on Saturday, wrestled my hair into a set of victory rolls and jumped on the bus to Melbourne.  I was super excited about the prospect of snaffling some vintage bargains.  I was also hoping to meet some other awesome people who are as batty about vintage clothing as I am.

Upon arriving in the city, I leaped onto the 86 tram and began my journey to Preston.  It was very nostalgic for me, as the 86 was the tram I used to take to and from the city when I first moved to Melbourne.  It’s been a long time since I was a poor uni student clattering along the tracks to catch the train home!  After a rattly journey I made it to Hunter & Co Vintage, ready to shop, smile and snap pictures.

The shop is much bigger than I expected.  There are three rooms and and upstairs section to browse through.  I was overwhelmed by the beautiful items that were for sale.  There were so many things that I could have bought if I wasn’t travelling home on the train.  This typewriter, for example.  I’ve always wanted a red typewriter, and this one was gorgeous.

Plus, it was a Valentine, which was even sweeter.  If only I could have lugged her home on the train!

In addition to the vintage furniture, homewares and clothing that Hunter & Co ordinarily stocks, a number of fantastic vintage bloggers had brought along items to sell.  There were a stupendous number of dresses, bags and jewellery to choose from.  I adored this little dresser which was covered in purses and goodies.

I took advantage of the mirror on the dresser to snap a picture of my own outfit.  It was dark when I left home, so I couldn’t take a proper outfit photo, and this was the only opportunity I had for a snap all day.  I wore my new red coat with pinstripe pants and oxfords.  I added a red snood in my hair.  Underneath my coat I’m wearing my Empire Records tee shirt.  I had to bring my Hello Kitty bag (a gift from Violet) because it’s one of the only bags I own that’s big enough to fit my camera into.

A suitcase full of handbags!  I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.

This kewpie-doll inspired mannequin had the raddest taste in hats and beads.

Whaddaya know?  Apparently Mad Men references are just inevitable at vintage events.  I was stoked to snap a picture of this Stirling Cooper dress label.

Not only was the shop filled with gorgeous vintage finds, but it was teeming with fashionable ladies all eager to have a chat and peddle their wares.  I met a bunch of fantastic vintage bloggers and shop owners.  It was so nice to chat to other people who are interested in vintage fashion and decor.  We didn’t just talk about vintage though!  I nattered about everything from train travel to interschool sports, from hat-hair to gift giving.  It was a great chance to catch up and socialise with some fantastic lasses.

I fell in love with this tea set.  It would certainly have come home with me if I hadn’t been relying on public transport to get home.

One of the most exciting parts of the day was meeting Marianne of Esme and the Laneway.  I’ve been following Marianne’s blog for years, but I’ve never had a chance to meet her in person.  She was absolutely lovely, and I was utterly mesmerised by her cotton-candy hair.

Other lovely ladies I met and chatted to include:

Trish of Trish Hunter Finds.  She was a total doll and let me pat her adorable pup Betty.  Everyone knows the way to win me over is to let me play with your pets!

Jess of Miss Fairchild’s Charm School: One of the cleverest ladies I’ve had the pleasure of chatting to in a very long time. She was wearing the most gorgeous hat too!

Teresa of Bess Georgette: So friendly and charming.  She made me feel very welcome and sold me a fantastic vintage hat (there will be pictures soon, I promise!)

Jacinta of Razzle Dazzle Rose Vintage: A perfectly coiffed lady with a fabulous selection of vintage underthings to sell.

Eszter of Kitty’s Drawings: Esz had set up a stall with samples of her work, a book full of patterns and a measuring tape.  She was taking orders for custom made vintage clothes at very reasonable prices.  If you want a vintage garment that fits you perfectly, she’s the lady to talk to.

I wanted these cushions for my living room.  So fun and sunny!

Big Ears egg cups!

Does anyone else remember these?  They were a set of transformers toys that came in McDonald’s Happy Meals about a hundred years ago.  I believe that Ross still has his, but the ones I had as a little girl are lost in the sands of time.

All in all, it was a brilliant day.  I came home with two Terry Pratchett books and a fabulous new hat.  I met loads of fantastic ladies and now I’ve got a stack of new blogs to follow.  Big thanks to Trish and Marianne for organizing such a great day.  I had a blast.

On the weekend, I opened up our blinds in the lounge room, and it’s bought in a lot more natural light.  So today’s outfit pictures are brought to you from my living room.  Enjoy!

I love how slanty this photo is.  I originally thought that I’d take the photos in front of the book case, but I have to put the camera on a weird angle to be able to get my shoes into the shot.  This makes me feel a little seasick every time I look at this picture.

This spot is not as well lit, but I can get my whole body into frame.  I might have to try taking some pictures later in the day so that there’s more light in the room.  It’s a learning curve…

I am wearing:

- Black long-sleeved shirt from Cotton On

- Purple and green crocheted jumper (thrifted)

- Purple sarong (thrifted)

- Black motorcycle boots from Big W

- White beaded earrings (gift from my grandparents)

- Brown resin ring from The Violet Town Op Shop

- Silver ring (thrifted)

- Gold tone ring (found in the street)

- Amethyst ring (gift from Ross)

- Beetle ring (gift from my parents)

- Green bangle thrifted from The Violet Town Op Shop.

I don’t think I’ve blogged about this jumper before, even though I’ve had it for a while.  I saw it in Target at the end of last year, and while I liked it, I decided that I didn’t want to pay $30 for it.  A few weeks later, I came across the same jumper in my local Salvation Army store for $3.  I’m very happy with it.  I love the colours and the crochet weave.  The cropped sleeves made it ideal for wearing in the in-between weather before it started to get really chilly.  Now that winter is coming (just ask Ned Stark) I need to layer another top underneath. But I like the way it looks, so everyone wins.

The other thing I love about indoor outfit photos?  The fact that I can just crop out the piles of junk that are all over our living room and pretend that I’m a much better housekeeper than I am.

A little close-up to show off the colours in this jumper.

I have so much love for these boots.  So comfy and so warm.  If you don’t own a pair, I recommend you grab some.  They’re going to be a winter staple for me.

Loads of rings and chipped polish, as per usual.

Did you enjoy taking a peek at my living room?

Filed under: Daily outfit, Fashion Tagged: daily outfit, fashion, house, jewellery, purple, thrifted ]]> http://nessbow.com/2013/05/13/daily-outfit-1352013/feed/ 2 nessbow DSCF8193 DSCF8195 DSCF8196 DSCF8200 DSCF8197 DSCF8202 DSCF8203 DSCF8204