Make It At Home

You may have noticed by now, that I try to make a lot of things myself, rather than buying them. these can include cleaning products.

I know it sounds like a strange idea, to make your own cleaning products. But when you think about it, before all of these big companies 'sold' the idea of '99.9% germ free', we cleaned with good old hot water and soap.

In our modern times, there are so many different options available. Just try walking down the cleaning/laundry isle at your local supermarket. We are spoilt rotten for choice! There are different scents, different types, different mediums, from lemon sprays, to infused cleaning wipes, to tablets and foams. I had never realised just how many different products i used in my house, and the horrible chemicals they contained, until I actually went looking.

I would like to sa I have been converted, and my way of thinking has changed, and I would also like to share these ideas with you.

So, stay tuned for new receipes for things for you to try at home. 

Talk soon,

Jayde xx

Preserving At Home

So, I've been thinking for a long time that I would like to make my own goods and preserve them. But I've never really been game enough to try, until today! I made salsa for Justin a couple of weeks ago, and he ate it like it was going out of fashion, and today I made a double batch, specifically so I could can some. 

(Apologies in advance, I forgot to take photos as I went along, there were a few issues with chillies and milk, but we'll talk about that later).

First, we start with some delicious food (in this case salsa). While it's cooking we boil our jars and lids (for 10 mins or more), then bake them at 110c for 15 mins. 

Once our jars have been sterilised, we can fill then with our goodies. Now be extra careful here, the jars have just come out of the oven, so they will be hot. You're best off using oven mitts, or a folded over tea-towel. Make sure you screw the lids on super tight.

Once everything is canned, we need to process the jars with a boiling water bath.

My 3 jars of salsa processing!

The water bath creates pressure within the jar, which when cooled, creates a vacuum, sealing our goodies in :) As long as the seal is clear, ie there's no chips in the jar, or food on the rim of the jar, then it should seal perfectly fine. Just make sure the jars don't sit on the bottom of the pot. It's recommended that you put a short cooling rack on the bottom of the pan to stop it touching the jars, but I didn't have one, so I used a tea towel. 

Guess we'll just see how it goes from here! I'll make sure I take photos next time so you guys actually know what I'm talking about. 

Which me luck!

Jayde xx

A New Harvest

Hi ya'll!

Over the weekend, Justin and I planted a few new things in our ever growing potted garden. 
When we started we had kale & silverbeet. Now we have our own little herb garden beginning! We have basil, oregano, parsley, coriander, mint & rosemary. We've also added a new fruit, some very delicious strawberries, and very mild Hungarian Black Chili!

This is our kale at the moment, still small, but they'll grow and be delicious!

L-R; Rosemary, strawberries, mint & chili's.

This is our silverbeet at the moment, they just got a haircut, as we're trying to get them to grow out instead of up. We have 4 stems in this pot.

L-R; Oregano, Parsley, Coriander, Basil. This little beauty will end up sitting on the windowsill in the kitchen. Plenty of sun, and in easy reach for premium picking!

Stay tuned to see how our little garden grows, and what delicious food we make with our crops. We'd still like to add a few more plants, but we're not sure what. It needs to be able to grow in pots and get a lot of sun. I'd like to grow some climbing beans, I just have to make sure my trellis is up to the challenge! Guess we'd best get the thinking caps on!

See you soon!

Jayde xx

They Call Us Curvalicious!

Calling all my beautiful curvy ladies!

Are you looking for new stylish outfits, that aren't the size and shape of a hessian sack? Well, look no further!

I've been scouring the interwebs for some fantastic new clothes for myself, and I've happened across these little beauties...

Chubby Cartwheels
http://www.chubbycartwheels.com/

A great store for buying leggings. They fit like a gem and are made of high quality material. They also have a few other items, like bodysuits, for those more adventurous ladies, jackets, skirts, and bandeau tops. Shipping to Victoria (Aus) is pretty reasonable, at around $12-15, depending on how many items. Everything is handmade so expect a delay of a few days. Shown below, from left to right: Two tone, lace, and classic.




Cult Of California
http://shop.cultofca.com/

Some seriously sexy, slimmin', stylin' clothes! I am currently in love with their "Out Of This World" collection, the patterns and material are to die for! They have a great range of skirts and tops that would be great for the office, as well as some ahhhhmazing dresses. As a bonus, they also stock some really comfy sport/yoga wear. Their skirts (selected styles) come with built in shorts, to stop the chafing, and the shorts are designed not to ride up, and are the perfect length so they aren't seen under the skirt! They ship to Aus ($25) and have a great Returns Policy. Shown below left to right is: Heritage Peplum Skirt (Black) with Mesh Sleeve Top, Galaxy Fit N Flare Dress, & Sanctuary Cold Shoulder Top with Basic Leggings.

  


Sick For Cute
http://www.sickforcute.com/shop/category/ladies_plus

Unfortunately SFC only stock plus size shirts, but by damn are they amazing shirts! The designs are printed on super soft ringspun cotton, and come in a great range of sizes. The designs are super cute, from moustaches, and cats, to donuts and deer! The shirts range from $8 - $18 and postage is  Below is the stunning Tess Munster modelling the I Love Moustache shirt, and the Keyboard Cats shirt.

 



Tattooed Zombie
http://www.tattooedzombie.com.au/

TZ  is online and also has a physical store:

Shop 4, 1 Dayboro Rd, Petrie

Approx. 30 mins drive from the Brisbane CBD or a 5 min walk from Petrie train station.

Ph: (07) 3142 0429

Store trading hours:

Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: 10-5pm
Wednesday: 10-5pm
Thursday: 10-5pm
Friday: 10-5pm
Saturday: 10-5pm
Sunday: 10-5pm

An Aussie store, located in Brisbane, stocks everything alternative, rockabilly & pinup you could ever ask for! From amazing clothes, to accessories and homewares. So if you're not looking for clothes, you still have an excuse to scroll through the pages and pages of goodies! If you're ever unsure if something will fit, TZ has been kind enough to give us a great sizing chart.
In regards to clothes, we curvy ladies have some fabulous options such as; Hell Bunny May Day Dress, and Hell Bunny Bobbi Lee Dress.

 




Jessica Louise
http://www.shopjessicalouise.com/plus-size/

Do you love polka dots, stripes, leopard print or the colour pink? Then this is the perfect store for you! JL has some simply adorable clothes, with both style and comfort in mind. JL offers mainly tops and dresses in plus size, and they're a fabulous rockabilly style. Below, from left to right are: Cupcake Keyhole Solid in Pink, Cupcake Scallop Dress & Lullabelle Top.


  


Domino Dollhouse
http://www.dominodollhouse.com


This entire online store is dedicated to stunning plus size clothes, without compromise. Could we really ask for anything else? They stock fun prints and designs and offer a huge selection! You can buy lingerie, dresses, tops, skirts, leggings, outerwear and they also stock some great accessories. Everything is made in America, so you know you're not going to get cheap quality clothing. Shown below is; Classic Garter Belt, Pin Up Perfection Pencil Skirt, Onyx Moto Jacket paired with Basic Leggings in Black & White Skulls.




Black Cat Bikinis
http://www.blackcatbikinis.com/

Here in Australia, Summer is only a couple of weeks away, and what do you do during summer? Why you go swimming of course! Don't shudder at the thought of trying to find a new swimsuit at the normal stores, head over to BCB and have one custom made! They're all handcrafted in a small studio in Florida, so make sure you allow about 3-5 weeks for delivery.Below, from left to right; Cherry Bombshell Ruffle Underwire Top & High Waist Bottom, Maryanne High Waist Adjustable Full Skirt Bottom & Maryanne Push Up Underwire Top.
 


TwentyFour20http://www.twentyfour20.com/

TF20 is a great little gem when you're looking for the perfectly fitted dress. Their collection hugs all the right places, and helps show off that beautiful body you already have. Some amazing staple dresses that are a must for your wardrobe this season. Trouble Maker Dress in Pink, & Take No Prisoners Dress

 

Swak Designs
http://www.swakdesigns.com/

Labelled as contemporary plus fashion, Swak doesn't fail to deliver! They have some amazing key pieces, that are both comfortable and stylish. My favourite aspect of their online store is the My Style/My Size section, where you can mimic one off their fashionistas. Another great idea from Swak is their Eternity Convertible Wrap Dress, it's available in short or long length, and can be wrapped and styled in dozens of different styles. Shown below is their Eternity Convertible Maxi Dress in Desert Sky, and the Emma Maxi Dress.

 


City Chic
http://www.citychic.com.au/

Previously known as Big City Chic, CC is a classy clothing brand for all of us beauty-full curvy ladies. CC has an advantage for Aussie's, as they also have a physical store that you can actually visit to try things on. I absolutely adore their collections, and only wish I had more money so I could buy EVERYTHING. They offer everything from undies, bras, tops, skirts and pants, to boots, belts and dresses. I cannot explain how much I simply love their store. Shown below, from left to right are; Drape Goddess Dress in Zinnia, Sexy Swing Skirt, and Chain Neck Peplum Top.




Okay, so I think that is everything...For the moment anyway! If you have any other brands that you think are worth a mention, comment below and let me know!

Until next time,

Jayde xx