cats

by

What I Wore 11/7/2017

I’ve been craving texture and pattern lately.  I like mixing and matching items that kinda-clash and kinda-match in ways that feel pleasing to me.  I enjoy deep, rich colours and fabrics that feel soft to the fingers.  I love throwing all of these elements together into one outfit that is comfortable and sassy.

 

I am wearing:

  • Art deco earrings from Lovisa
  • Black tee shirt from Uniqlo
  • Chevron cropped jumper from Mink Pink (thrifted)
  • Satin lounge pants from Target
  • Sparkle socks from Target
  • Loafers from Target
  • Fox pin (birthday present from David)
  • Assorted bangles (all thrifted)

Rocking loafers and shiny socks just like MJ.  If only I also had his moves.

 

This outfit was worn for an evening of dinner and computer games with my family.  We played several rounds of Murder Trivia Party which has quickly become one of our favourite games to play when my brother comes to visit.  It appeals to both my love of trivia and our dark sense of humour.

This pin was a birthday gift from my love, David.  His nickname for me is “little fox” and for my special day he bought me a whole host of fox-themed gifts.  This pin is just so adorable and the colours are perfect with this jumper.

 

After dinner I enjoyed a brief snuggle with my dad’s cat, Branson.  Branson is an absolute sweetheart, but he’s got to be the most awkward cat I’ve ever met.  He’s got incredibly long limbs and is super gangly.  When he runs down the hallway there are just legs and paws going all over the place, as he slips and slides.  There isn’t an ounce of grace in him, and yet he’s just the sweetest little friend.  He also has such perfectly white paws that look as though they’ve been dipped into fresh cream, which only adds to his appeal.

 

This comfy clash of separates was the perfect thing to wear for a family evening of fun.

by

Things I love Thursday 29/6/2017

 

I’ve had a bit of a down week.  Work has been insane and I’ve had trouble dealing with the stress and mayhem.  But I’ve gotten myself through by just trying to focus on the task at hand and not looking at the piles of files that are growing all around me.  I’ve also found it helpful to think about the little things that have made me happy this week.  Let me share some with you….

  • Discovering filters on my phone.  I’ve been playing around with my new phone and the camera has lots of fun filters to play with.  I particularly enjoy the ones that morph your face or let you play dress-ups.
  • My boyfriend.  It is so fantastic to find someone who just gets me.  He and I have such similar values and views of the world that we are not only on the same page, but on the same line.  He has been incredibly supportive this week, and I’m very lucky to have him in my life.
  • Sweet potato and pear soup.  You wouldn’t think that those two flavours would go together, but they do.
  • Glow.  I’m only two episodes in, but I’m loving the 80’s costuming and girl-power attitude.  I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.
  • Diamond Dogs by David Bowie and Gravity Won’t Get You High by The Grates. Both have been playing on repeat in my flat.

Cuddle buds! #catstagram #cuddles #besties

A post shared by Vanessa Bowen (@nessbow64) on

  • Epic cuddles with Branson, my Dad’s cat.
  • The Big Fat Quiz of the Year.
  • Sunday morning texts from my bf’s mother to check in with me.
  • Knitting loads of hats for friends.
  • Seeing my parents joyfully planning holidays in their new caravan.  They both work so hard and it’s amazing to see them finally getting to go on a real adventure together.
  • Huge coats
  • Making myself into a burrito with my doona.
  • London Breakfast tea from T2
  • The tippy-tap sound my fingers make on the keyboard when I type quickly.
  • Chocolate soy ice cream with a dollop of peanut butter on top.

What do you love this week?

by

Things I Love Thursday 22/6/2017

This past month has flown by.  Since the beginning of June, I took a little holiday from work, caught up with loads of friends and celebrated my 31st birthday.  There have been so many things that I’ve felt proud of and grateful for.

This week I love:

  • My friends.  I got so many messages of love and celebration on my birthday and each one brought an ear-to-ear smile to my face.
  • Michael Jackson.  David and I watched This Is It together and it was amazing.  I am a huge Michael Jackson fan and it breaks my heart that he didn’t get to perform his final masterpiece at least once.  I found the rehearsal footage breathtaking, and it’s hard to imagine what the final show would have been like.
  • Putting my cupcake hat on Rupert, David’s cat.  He purred like a maniac and wore the hat for a full half hour before he fell asleep and it toppled off his head.
  • Poking around vintage markets on chilly afternoons.
  • Bean burritos
  • Vegan vanilla cupcakes that look like they were pooped out by a unicorn.

Helloooo! Awesome birthday pin from my brother. #mrsdoubtfire #pins #birthday #geekery

A post shared by Vanessa Bowen (@nessbow64) on

  • My new Mrs Doubtfire pin from my brother.  I am slowly building quite a collection of cute enamel pins, and this is the newest addition to my hoard.
  • Watching the Top 1000 Songs of the 80’s countdown on Foxtel and taking bets on what would be number 1. ( I lost.  I voted Thriller, which was edged out by Living on a Prayer)
  • Kate Lister’s website Whores of Yore.  Kate is a sexual historian who explores the history of sexual practices, language and culture.  Her website is fascinating and funny as well as highly educational.
  • My new heated throw blanket.
  • Watching my cats wriggle on the floor after their dinner each night.
  • The smells of winter mornings: wood smoke, frost and wet grass
  • Booja Booja chocolate salted caramel truffles.  And also the name Booja Booja, which is really fun to say.
  • Skins.  Various friends over the years have urged me to watch this show and I’ve never listened.  Now that I’ve started, I can see why they thought I would love it.
  • The Time Traveller’s Wife.  I’m not usually into romance stories, but this one is so clever and thought-provoking.  Dr Who fans who enjoy the romance between The Doctor and River Song should give this book a whirl.
  • Gloves

What do you love this fine Thursday?

by

Things I love Thursday 6/4/2017

It’s the first Thursday of April and it’s time for a Things I love Thursday post.  Pour yourself a cup of tea and relax while I share all the things that I’ve loved lately.

 

I love:

  • Celebrating my one-year anniversary with my beloved, David.  He is such an amazing person and he makes me feel so blessed. We have had an awesome year together and I can’t wait to see what adventures the future has in store for us.

  • Having Mr Ringo peer over my shoulder while I read.  He’s such a curious little dude.
  • The late emergence of Autumn weather.  The final week of March was almost unbearably humid and hot.  I honestly wondered if the weather was ever going to cool off.  But like clockwork, April brought a crisp morning wind and a chill to the air.  I’ve happily been rocking knits and socks, and I’ve had the perfect excuse to break out the slippers I was gifted months ago.

 

  • This Deadpool stuffie that David bought me for our anniversary. For our first date, we saw Deadpool and played the arcade machines at the cinema.  So now, Deadpool is kinda “our” movie.
  • Lush’s Ruby Red Slippers bubble bath bar.

  • Argyle vests
  • Putting the sleeves on a jumper I’m knitting for myself.  I”ve already finished one simple jumper for myself, thus completing my new years resolution of knitting an actual garment.  This time I’m working on something with more shaping and raglan sleeves.

 

  • This awesome Monsters Inc tee shirt I picked up for $7 at Uniqlo.  I have a few Uniqlo shirts now and they are such good quality.
  • The Good Dinosaur.  I finally got around to watching it and it made me cry so hard. And also laugh so hard.  And then cry again.  And laugh some more.  It was a yo-yo of emotions.

 

  • finding the final Sandman book to complete my extensive collection in the op shop for just one dollar.  It was a proud moment.
  • Project Runway.  I’ve become a tiny bit obsessed.

  • This room service pizza I got for dinner on our anniversary.  It was not vegan (it had goat’s cheese) but it was vegetarian. It had zucchini, pumpkin, pine nuts and leek. It was so amazingly good that I didn’t even care that I had a food baby for our anniversary-celebration-sexy-times.
  • Actual vegan recipes I’ve made these past few weeks, including an off-the-charts mushroom stroganoff and a mock-chicken and vegetable soup. I’m getting extremely good at this vegan cooking thing.

 

  • Finding a mega-cute heart hoop for my helix piercing.  I’m always on the lookout for unusual body jewellery and I really haven’t changed the stud in my helix since I got it pierced nearly eighteen months ago.  This heart was just the ticket, and it’s so comfortable.
  • Wood fire smoke
  • Being able to snuggle under layers of quilts without exploding from heat.

What do you love this week?

by

Things I Love Thursday 7/1/2016

Woah, it certainly feels a bit strange to type “2016”.  I’m excited for the very first Things I Love Thursday for this brand, spanking new year.  So let’s all jump right in, shall we?

 

This week I love:

  • Visiting with Nook, my Nana’s friend.  Nook and Nana were friends from the time they were teenagers until my Nana passed two years ago.  I had morning tea with Nook and her husband on Monday and it was so much fun.  She has such a positive outlook on life and has a great way of making everyone feel cherished and special.  And she’s an awesome cook.  I must have eaten about a thousand of her mini Christmas puddings.

Intermission. #cats #musical #olddeuteronomy

A photo posted by Vanessa Bowen (@nessbow64) on Jan 2, 2016 at 7:19pm PS

  • Seeing CATS for the third time.  CATS is my all-time favourite musical and my parents bought me tickets to see the Melbourne show for my birthday.  After a six-month wait, I finally got to take my seat at the Regent Theater and soak in the amazing performances.  I’m thinking about writing a full review of the show if you are interested in reading about it in more detail.
  • Shopping for new sexy time toys.
  • Star Wars!  I saw The Force Awakens on New Years Day and I thought it was brilliant.  I had low expectations for this instalment of the Star Wars saga, and I was surprised at how great the film was.  I won’t go into detail, but I thought it was a thoroughly entertaining film and was so much better than the prequels.

I’ve gone a wee bit mod tonight. #vintage #60s #flowers #outfit

A photo posted by Vanessa Bowen (@nessbow64) on Jan 1, 2016 at 11:02pm PST

  • Wearing a fun, silky shift dress and feeling like Queen of the Mods.
  • Brushing the cats.  Although both of my cats have short hair, they seem to shed like crazy.  I am forever vacuuming up cat hair and it seems as though my clothes and bed are perpetually peppered with strands of fuzz.  So I’m trying to get into the habit of brushing the cats regularly to get rid of some of the loose hair before it gets onto the carpet.  Jelly is totally into this, but Ringo has taken a bit of convincing.  On Tuesday I managed to get him to sit still for fifteen whole minutes and I brushed off enough hair to build a brand new cat.
  • Making headway with some of my new year’s resolutions.  I’m trying out a productivity app called Habitica that is pretty cute and it’s really helped me to move towards some of my goals for the year.
  • Jane The Virgin.  I started watching this on Netflix and it’s actually pretty fantastic.  It’s kind of like Arrested Development meets a Spanish Telenovella.
  • Getting my first professional pedicure in two years.  My tootsies were in serious need of some TLC.  Now they are soft and lovely.
  • Salted caramel everything.

What are you loving this week?  Has the first week of 2016 been kind to you?

 

by

Things I Love Thursday: 19/11/2015

This past week has been a very busy one.  I’ve been quite the social butterfly, flitting from one meeting to the next.  While I enjoy heading out into the world and meeting people, it’s important for me to have time to myself as well to keep grounded.  My weekly Things I Love Thursday post is one of my favourite grounding practices.

 

This week I love:

Sleepy Jelly. #cats #kitty #sleepy #adorable

A post shared by Vanessa Bowen (@nessbow64) on

  • Miss Jellylorum.  My sweet little lady turned eight last Friday.  I know it sounds corny, but Jelly really is my best friend.  She is such a constant companion and she’s been with me through good times and bad.  I think it’s also fair to say that this tortoiseshell diva has saved my life on a couple of occasions.  When I’ve been at my very lowest, and wondering if it might not be better if I weren’t here at all, the though of leaving Jelly alone is too much for me to bear.  When you are depressed, it’s easy to think that the people in your life might not miss you if you weren’t here, but it’s hard to feel that way about animals.  I love her, and I know that she loves me.  She’s precious.
  • Planning dates to the zoo in the near future.
  • Breathing a sigh of relief that all my friends are safe and sound in the wake of the trauma in Paris

  • Getting ready to go out. Mt hair needed feathers. #hair #vintage #birdsofafeather

    A post shared by Vanessa Bowen (@nessbow64) on

  • Wearing feathers in my hair.
  • Lunches down the lake.
  • Getting excited about Christmas.  I adore the festive season, but I make myself wait until December 1st before I will allow myself to get out any decorations or seasonal treats.  And it’s nearly here!  I can’t wait.

  • How do you like them apples? #thrifting #scarves #kawaiiasfuck

    A post shared by Vanessa Bowen (@nessbow64) on

  • The apple-printed scarf I found at the op-shop for a mere fifty cents.
  • Cool nights and thunderstorms.
  • Old school Disney films.
  • Knitting. The click-clack of the needles is so soothing to me.

What do you love this week?

by

Things I Love Thursday 22/10/2015

Weeee!  It’s Thursday again.  The weekend is almost here and I’m pumped to get into another Things I Love list.  Let’s goooo!

 

This week I love:

  • Please Like Me.  This show has been a breath of fresh air to me.  There are so many bland and boring TV shows on at the moment and this one just blows them all out of the water.  It’s written by Josh Thomas, who is a sensational Aussie comedian and it touches on some really important things like family feuds, relationships, homosexuality, mental illness and suicide.  But it manages to talk about those things in a really honest manner while still being funny and chatty.  It’s such a great show and I highly recommend that you check it out.

She is the prettiest kitty ever. #hashbrownnofilter

A post shared by Vanessa Bowen (@nessbow64) on

 

  • This kitty.  She is an absolute sweetheart.

 

  • Reading in the sunshine on a Sunday afternoon.
  • My new yoga class.  A gym has opened up just around the corner from my house and they have cheap yoga classes.  Even though I practice at home daily, I thought it would be good to expand my horizons and try something new.  Boy, am I glad that I did.  I have learned so much and have really overcome some fears I had about certain poses.  It’s been amazing.

 

  • TARDIS blue sequins.
  • Gin and tonic
  • Finding vintage Shiapirelli stockings in the thrift store for a dollar.  They are divine.
  • Getting psyched for Halloween.
  • Gremlins.  I watched it for the very first time last weekend and I thought it was great.  I want my own Mogwai.
  • Throwing shit out.  I have so much old furniture and broken down crud in my flat and it’s been driving me insane. So last week I ordered a skip bin from our local rubbish removal service. I filled it up in no time and it’s so wonderful to have all that clutter out of my house.
  • Getting all excited for a date this weekend.

How about you sweetheart?  What do you love this week?  Don’t be shy, go ahead and share!