Tag Archives: fashion

Our Next Miss Pin Up New Zealand

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Anna Miranda
Ladies and gents, I’m about to do something you will rarely ever see me do – ask for a sneaky favour.

A friend of mine – the one and only gorgeous Anna Miranda (hi Anna!) – is competing for the title of Miss Pin Up New Zealand 2013. She is one of several beautiful, talented and deserving entrants. And leading in the online voting by only 10 votes – it’s so close!

So: the favour. I’m being cheeky and asking you to head over to the competitions voting page and check out the contestants. If you like someone more than the others – vote! If your favourite happens to be my dear friend Anna, then definitely vote for her!

This woman is a shining light of positivity and talent. She never has a bad thing to say about anyone, and she doesn’t hesitate to drop everything she’s doing to help someone who needs a hand.

Plus, she’s a stunner with an amazing wardrobe, and hearing her sing live has been known to send chills down my spine.

If we can help her win this, it would mean more than you know.
Please, just take two minutes to check out her entry.

Just A Quick Check-In

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Sorry guys, no time to chat – I’m too busy jumping up and down with excitement about the new adult-sized giraffe onesie I just ordered. Sure, it’s going to take 3 weeks to get here, but it’ll be a whole new kind of excitement when it arrives!

I also ordered a Jillian Michaels 5 DVD box set, but that is less exciting.

Clearly, there is a very sexy theme carrying through both purchases…

Packing Woes

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Packing up my gear in New Orleans, I told myself I wasn’t allowed to buy anything else…
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Because I was only a week into my travels, and I already couldn’t close my suitcase.
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After sitting on the case, and mushing things into the corners, the suitcase closed! With strained zippers, I was on my way… Just.
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But Victoria’s having a not-so-secret sale! On pretty things!

Opps.

My One New Year Resolution

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Hope you’re all getting ready for your New Years Eve plans, whatever they may be. I’m having a quiet night n at my hostel, with the community cat purring on the couch and fireplace roaring beside me.

I’ve already got goals, and a continued focus on improving my fitness, for 2013 – but why not throw a resolution into the mix too.

This year’s resolution is going to be quite the challenge, and will push me well and truly out of my comfort zone. Especially at work.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present you: my 2013 resolution…
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And because I know I won’t be up at midnight – I’ve started early! Rockin’ the green sweater:

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HAPPY NEW YEAR Y’ALL!

First Time For Everything

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Sick days are horrible. Yes, okay, the whole being unwell is unfortunate. But it’s the boredom that really gets me. I’m stuck at home and can’t go out with the other kids a play!

So I rented the first season of Downtown Abbey (which is addictive, by the way). It’s kept me half-occupied. So I resorted to painting my nails. Tried something fancy (ha!) and now it looks like I’ve shoved my fingertips in a vat of molten marshmallow (yum!).

I’ll pull the remover out for a tidy-up shortly.

Presentation Basics

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Work today was a little different. A bunch of us spent the day away from our desks at a presentation skills course. Public speaking and all that jazz.

Standing in front of colleagues and presenting to them.
In the boardroom.
All eyes on you.
Everyone encouraged to critique and offer feedback.

Yuck.

Bad day to rush the clothing choices.
Terrible day to realise you’ve had your collared blouse inside out all morning.

…how does one leave the house with a collar inside out?
Of all the things it could happen with…

Embarrassing.
But easily sorted with a quick trip to the ladies for a quick readjustment.

And now I can present publicly with a little more confidence. Key part being ‘a little‘.

What’d you do today to help you reach your non-fitness related goals?

Weight Loss & the New Pencil Skirt

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I’ve been putting off buying new clothes for a while – a combination of not knowing if I’ll be losing much more weight, and wanting to be able to go new-wardrobe-crazy in the States next month.

But enough was enough. I really needed a new skirt that I could wear to a client meeting without hanging my head in shame. My previous favourite high-waisted skirt is a little, erm, loose.
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Turns out trying to find a nice, professional, fitted skirt when you’re between sizes and only have half an hour left on your lunch break isn’t easy. Put simply, it’s freakin’ hard.

Three shops and six skirts later, I found one. Still a little tight across the top of the thighs, it feels comfortable. And it fits well enough around the waist and hips. WIN!
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The shopping itch has been satisfied for now, and I can head into work tomorrow with a well-hugged (albeit professional) butt.

Credit card’s next stop: New York.

New Haircut Goodness

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Obligatory post-haircut self-take for the win!

As I mentioned the other day, I contacted a bunch of hairdressers asking if they had any experience with alopecia areata. My intention was to find someone who had some practical experience to help me find a style and cut that would make hiding my spots as easy (and stylishly) as possible.

Well, I found a hairdresser and she’s wonderful. And can work miracles.

So I’ve had my first haircut since my diagnosis in April. We were able to keep most of the length (yay), and she showed me how to blow dry my hair to best mask the shiny white bald patches I’m sporting (double yay).

I left the salon feeling like a million bucks (and with free samples!).
And when I got home, I was pleasantly surprised by the photos. Not just the haircut! I’ll have to pull out some ‘before’ shots from my weight loss and let you find the difference.

EDIT: You can find the first few ‘before photos’ here.

Mother Knows Best, Right?

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Throughout my life, my mother has shared horror stories about Murphy and his horrible laws.   Couple that with real horror stories about her work as a nurse, and you could possibly even think that my twisted view on some things is actually explainable.

Apparently, if you’re going to be in an accident, it’ll be on the day that you’re wearing your least attractive underwear.  Probably a pair of underpants that hitch up above your belly button.  And a bra so old it’s grey and the underwire’s no longer cupping your boob, but poking at a pimple under your arm.  [Murphy's Law]

And though having to be cut out of leather pants in an emergency room is not ideal.  It’s even worse when you’re not wearing any underwear (heaven forbid the medical staff should judge you). [True story]

Stories.  Stories.  So many stories.

I can only assume from these stories that she was suggesting that everyone should wear the nicest possible underwear at all times.  You know, in the interest of safety.

And you can’t put a price of safety.

So there’s no point in feeling guilty about spending lots of money on such pretty things.  Especially when they’re on sale.

It’s in the interest of self-preservation.  And protecting those around you.  No accidents around here.

Because mother knows best, right?