Jadex Adventures: Christmas Gifts

Woah, guys, I've missed you! It's been so long since I've had a minute to myself, and actually had a chance to write anything down. But, fear not, I'm hear to fill you all in!

This weekend, Alex and I went adventuring, looking for Christmas presents. Now, I'm sure you all know by now, we love making hand made gifts, and this year will be no different. We wanted something that would either be tasty or useful, be quick and easy to make, and be able to be wrapped nicely (presentation counts here people!).

Sadly, I can't share the actual presents with you till after Christmas, cause, well, spoilers, duh. But I can share our shopping adventures! 

Our first stop was Food Factory Sales in Bayswater. They actually have another store in Shepparton, but that's waaaaaay to far away for my liking. The Bayswater store is pretty new, so isn't listed on their website yet.

So, in we went, full of excitement... I was mainly there to have a look at the jars, as I like to make and can my own pasta sauce and salsa. I also want to start making my own jams and chutneys, so this seemed the perfect place to look for canning goodies. They did not disappoint!

Clearly I was excited to buy ALL THE JARS. Not even kidding, I came home with probably 40 jars in different sizes. Not sure what I'm going to do with them all yet, but I will work it out!

Alex was excited by the flavour, 'Sasquatch Coconut Ice', what the hell does a sasquatch taste like, and why are you mixing it with coconut?!?!

We had a lot of run walking around looking at all of the different things. They have a lot of canned goods, pasta, jars of sauces, spices, cleaning products, and obviously jars. We went home with a small collection of things, which I was impressed with. I spent $99 in total! Granted it wasn't stuff I would normally buy, but because it was in bulk, I can store it at home, and not have to worry for a while about having to go out and buy it.

Next on our agenda was Bushy Park. We were looking for good priced fresh fruit and veg, and we were not disappointed! 

Alex was very excited by the nuts... and spaghetti quash, what ever that is!

After Bushy's, we popped part Alex's mums house so I could steal some eggs, then it was off to my house to start experimenting!

Now, as I mentioned above, I can't show you any photos, or tell you anything about our present idea, but keep your eyes peeled after Christmas for more information.

For now my sweets, have a great day!

Love

J xx

Blood, Guts, Gore & LARP

If you're squeamish or afraid of zombies, look away now! Seriously, go and Google some pictures of cute unicorns or kitties or something.

Okay, you've had your chance. This post is going to be pretty picture heavy. 
*Note: Click on the images to make them bigger*

Brace yourself!

I was recently involved in a photoshoot, to remake instructions for Deadtime Stories: A Zombie LARP. I had so much fun, and learnt so much, I just had to share it with everyone!

What is LARP you ask? Why it's Live Action Role Play of course! Essentially, you get to dress up in character (or as a class) and complete a mission, depending on which game you're playing. You can play with 5-50 people, anywhere, and (almost) anytime. 

Now, Deadtime Stories is a zombie LARP, so you have survivors (still humans) and zombies (dead!). The zombies have different stages (wandering, dead, or active) and I had the honour of being a zombie. Kon, who organised the day, was kind enough to supply us with costumes as well.

Unfortunately a couple of the MUA (Make Up Artists) pulled out, but thankfully we had the wonderful Zoe on hand and ready to make us all over! Because we were short on time and helping hands, I ended up being 'The Blood Girl'. Not even kidding, they nicknamed me because I kept doing everyones blood. By doing, I mean artfully covering them in fake blood. Because, ya know, I'm an artist.

Now, the other players in Deadtime Stories are survivors. There are a few classes of survivors including: Soldiers, Medics, Clerics and general population. Obviously soldiers are the best at weapons, Medics heal people, Clerics use the power of their faith against zombies and the public have survived on sheer dumb luck. Survivors primarily use Nerf guns, but can also make their own weapons (foam ones of course).

It was so much fun playing dress ups and getting all bloody (without the pain!). All in all it was a great day. I learnt so much about using latex and special FX makeup, as well as how to clean up fake blood!

I'm thinking actually playing the game, now that I have a basic knowledge of the rules, could be a lot of fun...

Love

J xx

Healthy Home Made - Roasted Capsicum Dip

This is such an easy recipe and takes little to no time to make. You can buy most of the ingredients preprepared which cuts down on the time.

If you want to start from scratch, then keep reading, if not, skip to the bottom. But be warned, you're going to miss out on the good bits...

You'll need:

3 fresh medium sized red capsicums
2 cloves of fresh garlic (not peeled)
oil spray
salt & pepper
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1-1 1/2 cups pine nuts
1 red chilli

Start off by preheating the oven to 180°c for 10 mins. Then grab your capsicums, core & deseed them, then cut into halves or thirds. Lightly oil the pieces, put them and the garlic on an oven tray, and bake for 30 minutes.

While they're baking, we need to lightly dry toast the pine nuts. In a non-stick pan, with no oil, throw in the pine nuts, and toast over a medium flame. You'll see them change to a light golden colour. Make sure not to burn them though. Set aside to cool.

Grate the parmesan, and put in a bowl, ready to go.

When the capsicums and garlic are done, squeeze the garlic out and carefully chop them and set aside to cool. Make sure everything is cool to touch before putting them in the food processor. 

Then, put everything in the bowl of the food processor, and blitz until you reach the consistency you like. 

Now, you may find that you use all the pine nuts, or not a lot, work the recipe to your tastes.

 

You can serve it straight away, or chill it till firm.

Let me know how yours turns out!

Love,

J xx

Healthy Home Made - Roasted Beetroot Dip

Recently I wrote a post for my HHM - Raw Beetroot Dip, and now I'm sharing my roasted beetroot dip recipe. All you need is a little time and patience... oh and a food processor. I originally sourced the recipe from here, but adapted it slightly for my tastes.

850g Fresh beetroot, peeled and cut into chunks
spray oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cup of Greek yoghurt
2 cloves of garlic
Splash of lemon juice

1) Lightly oil the beetroot, and bake at 180°c for 30 minutes, allow to cool. The beets should be soft, but firm. When you feel it, you'll know what I mean.
2) Blitz the now cooled beetroot, as well as the garlic and seasoning, until you reach the desired consistency. I like mine a little chunky.
3) Transfer the mix to a bowl, and fold in the yoghurt.

That's it. Roasting the beetroot brings out a slightly sweeter, deeper rich flavour, which I've found many people prefer. 

I made this yesterday to take to a Melbourne Cup BBQ, and it was a hit! I also took some home made falafel and roasted capsicum dip (which I'll post about soon). 

Beetroot is such a versatile vegie, and I still have a couple left, so look out for more beetroot recipes!

Love

J xx

Healthy Home Made - Raw Beetroot Dip

Beets, beets, the magical food, the more you eat, the quicker your liver can process toxins, the quicker your liver processes toxins, the better you feel, so eat your beets with every meal!

But seriously, the beetroot is an amazing vegetable, and is both delicious and good for you. 

Did you know that the beta cyanin, the pigment that gives beetroot its amazing colour, is actually an antioxidant? It helps speed up detox of your liver, so if you've gone out for a night on the town and are feeling a little worse for wear, try a glass or two of beetroot juice, it might just help beat that hang over.

Beetroot also contains betaine, a substance which relaxes the mind, and is used in other forms, to treat depression. It also contains trytophan, which is found in chocolate and contributes to a sense of well being.  

I myself love beetroot in burgers, the true Aussie way! But you can have it in various forms, such as dip, chips, grated in salad or even in soup. It's great raw or cooked. 

I recently bought a couple of bunches from Bushy Park and would normally turn them into chips, but I thought, with the weather warming up, why not try our hand at a beetroot dip. 

Clearly it's a messy venture, so make sure you have lots of room, and cleaning products on hand. Food handling gloves are also your best friend, have a few pairs on hand (pun intended) and swap them out if you get any holes, otherwise you risk having pinky purple skin for a few days.

You'll need:

850gm of fresh beetroots, peeled - cut into medium sized chunks. The smaller the bits, the quicker and easier they blitz. You can also cut the beets into small cubes for a chunky version.

2 cloves of garlic

about a cup of natural Greek yoghurt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ground coriander

salt and pepper to taste

Feel free to add any other spices or herbs depending on your tastes. Everyone is different, and you may not like Cumin, but love turmeric etc etc. 

Chuck the beets and garlic in the food processor (or not), and blitz until smooth.

Now throw in the spices and seasoning's and blitz until combined.

Transfer to a bowl and fold in the yoghurt, spoonful at a time, until it suits your tastes. You might find you want more yoghurt, and that's cool, just add more!

Now, some people among us may not like the fact this is raw, and may comment that they don't like the 'raw' taste. That's perfectly fine, we always have a way of working around these things

If you don't want Raw dip, then:

Cut the beets into chunks, and lightly coat in oil and spices. Roast at 180°c for about an hour. Take them out of the oven and allow to cool, then blitz and add yoghurt.

I did not prepare my space very well... whoops!

This recipe makes quite a lot of dip, so unless you eat beetroot dip twice a day, every day, you can either halve the recipe, or make the normal amount, and give it away as presents. 

Unfortunately, I've found it doesn't really freeze very well, but will store in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Just charming isn't he.

Anyhoo, let me know if you have any other delicious uses for beetroots! I have a chutney recipe I've been dying to try, so when I do, you lovely readers will be the first to hear about it!

Love,

J xx

Healthy Home Made - Basil Pesto

I never really liked pesto, it always tasted far too basil-y for my liking. That is until I tried it with chicken, in a foccacia. My taste buds were hooked! It was so creamy and delicious, I had to try and make my own!

It couldn't be hard right? Just chuck a few things in the food processor and away we go!

Actually, it really was just that simple. I doubled the batch because I didn't think it would make much, and I wanted to share it with my mum.

*Side note, my mum has just figured out how to use the internet on her new smart phone, and happened across my little bloggy-wog. I'm so excited! Hi mum!

I had bought a couple of bunches of fresh basil from Bushy Park as well as a small bag of pine nuts, so all I needed was some parmesan and I was good to go! 

Now, I had garlic and olive oil at home, so if you don't have these, make sure you grab them as well.

1 1/2 cups fresh basil  - I tore up the leaves and guestimated
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan
enough oil to emulsify

So, all you really need to do is throw everything in the food processor, and blitz till smooth-ish.

It's hella tasty, and half the jar has already gone. Thankfully I have more of everything, so I'll be making another batch next weekend.

Now, you know I wouldn't leave you without a little food porn...


This is pesto chicken, baby roma tomatoes, baby spinach on light rye bread.


Enjoy!

Love,

J xx

Breakfast Of Champions

Weekend breakfast, one of my favourite meals. I mean, you actually have time to cook, you don't have to rush to eat, so you can sit down and enjoy your meal.

One of the recipes on my 28DBT was Scrambled eggs in pita. It looked okay, but I decided to beef it up a little, and add a couple of extra vegies, Still very healthy, but slightly more calories than I was allocated on the 28DBT, oh well.

So, here is my masterpiece!



Looks delicious, right? Well, it actually is. Here is a rough guide on what I put in my version. It always ends up being a little different, just because I don't measure everything.

Serves 1

Scrambled egg mix - 2 eggs & Splash of low fat milk
Hand full of baby spinach
5 cherry tomatoes, quartered
Avocado (to spread)
Low fat feta cheese (block the size of a match box)
Small handful of red onion, finely diced
10 or so small mushrooms, sliced or quartered
1 pita pocket, cut in half (you eat both halves)

Keep in mind, you can add anything else you like, or take anything out. A small amount of grated tasty cheese is also really nice, but feel free to add some meat based protein like chicken, turkey, or even bacon if you're feeling a little naughty. Make it a little Mediterranean by adding some capsicum and olives perhaps?

So, start off by lightly frying your onion. I use a little bit of oil spray, but it's up to you. Then you need to scramble your eggs mix, and depending on how you like them, when they're half way done, throw everything else in and cook until the spinach has wilted.

If you're not keen on cooking everything, feel free to make your scrambled eggs, and put them in the pita pocket, with everything staying fresh. Entirely up to you.

Shove everything (gently) into the pita pocket, and enjoy! I recommend eating this over a plate, as it can get a little messy.

If you have any other great breakfast ideas, comment below and let me know!

Day 14 - Food Coaching

Had my very first Food Coaching session last night. Wasn't too sure what to expect when I booked it, but I'm glad I went.

Maxine weighed me again, down 2 kilo's! I'd been having trouble staying motivated, because i had been left to my own devices at the gym, but I'm so glad I am actually getting healthier.

Maxine and I had a chat about the types of foods I like, and what I should be avoiding. We spoke about my goals, and why I come to the gym. She commended me on giving the 28DayBrekaThru a try, because it's only 1200 cal a day, and that is a big change for me. I explained how I make myself a nice smoothie in the morning, instead of having 2 or 3 cups of coffee.

We didn't really have enough time to talk about much else, but afterwards she let me join in on the Summer Beach Bods group, as they had a smoothie class. Yup, that's right, smoothie class.

One of the other staff members Kerry also showed us ways we can still use coffee, without actually drinking it (is she crazy?!?!). She made us some great little coffee body scrubs, and sent us home with out own little recipe booklet.

 

I'm so glad I can talk to the wonderful ladies at the gym, even if they don't have an answer straight away, they'll always work hard to find out for me!

Talk soon, 

J xx

Day 7 - A Little Bit Of Glee

Guys, I had my first compliment today!

Well, Justin said I looked brighter and happier on Friday, but he's biased.

Anyway, I digress. Remember that horrid 'before' picture? Well, I'm wearing the same clothes today, and was complimented on 'already losing weight' and 'looking well'. Gee, thanks guys! 

I'm not going by weight (not unless I have to), but instead my my measurements and how I feel. I haven't checked my measurements, but it's only been a week. I am feeling fantastic!

I have so much energy, and I feel like I have a more positive outlook on life.

I promise I'll post a photo of how I'm going, come the month mark, but in the mean time, stay tuned for little updates every now and then, as well as my normal blog posts.

Love 

J xx

Oh Sugar, Sugar (Free)

Don't run away, I promise I'll try not to get all preachy! Hear me out though, we all know that sugar isn't really the best thing for us, so when we have the chance to remove it from our diet, why not try?

That was my thinking anyway, which is why I now have no sugar in my coffee. You heard me, no sugar. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the easiest thing to do, cause I love my sugar. But I've been slowly cutting down anyway. I mean I used to have 3 sugars with chocolate powder in my coffee, then it was just the 3 sugars, then it was 2, then 1, then artificial sweetener, until finally I just stopped adding anything sugary to it. Mind you, I still have a heck of a lot of milk, but that's more about temperature than anything.

It wasn't a conscious thing, I didn't set out to try and remove sugar from my mornings all together, it kind of just happened. But I'm getting used to coffee with no sweetness, and now I can finally taste the actual coffee. Delicious.

So, I guess that is one more thing off my 'healthy lifestyle' check list. Not that I have an actual list. Although, that would be a good idea...

Until next time!

Love

J xx

Day 4 - Smoothilicious

Is that even a word? No, I didn't think so. Oh well.

Getting back to my point! I've started having a mango smoothie in the morning (when I remember) instead of my regular coffee. I want to try and cut down my caffeine intake as much as I can, while still having a nice healthy filling breakfast. My basic smoothie was a few frozen mango chunks, some yoghurt and milk and throwing it all in the blender and hoping for the best.

Today, however, I went a little mental... I made a detour on my way home from work and headed into Bushy Park to grab some fresh fruit and vegies. I arrived home with a tonne of bananas, 2 mangoes, 2 leeks, chia seeds, 2 bunches of fresh beetroot, 2 massive bulbs of garlic and a whole bag of spinach, all for around $50!

Anyway, I portioned up all of my delicious fruit (not all the bananas though), laid it neatly on backing trays covered in baking paper and popped them in the freezer. I also cut up a few kiwi fruits I had left over, cause I didn't want them to go to waste. 



Once all of that was cleaned up, I headed off to Knox, in search of more information about protein powder. I'd heard about it, and a few friends have it either before or after their work outs, but I just wasn't sure if it was for me. I ended up speaking to a lovely young lady at the Go Vita store, who was full of knowledge and really helped me make a decision. I walked out with my very first lot of protein! 

Thought while I was at Knox, I might as well grab a couple of other things, like some coconut water, pineapples, and milk, then I was on my way home to make my first protein smoothie.

Look guys, I'm not going to lie, I made up the recipe for my smoothie tonight, out of thin air, and I cannot remember the quantities for anything. That being said it was delicious and contained:

Banana
Mango
Pineapple
Yoghurt
Milk 
Ice

I just blitzed it until smooth! How easy is that!?!?!?


I'll be trying a few new recipes/flavour ideas for smoothies soon, and I'll let you all know how I go!

For now, it's bed time, I have a doctors appointment in the morning, then it's grocery shopping with my honey.

Love,

J xx

Day 1 - Positive Change

In light of my decision to make my lifestyle that of a healthy one, I thought I would put all of my base line measurements here, where I can't lie. 

So, here they are:

Leg: 70cm
Calf: 51cm
Bust: 123cm
Hip: 132cm
Waist: 110cm
Upper Arm: 43.5cm

I'll try and track my measurements once a week.

On another note, I woke up super early to go to the gym this morning. I was dreading waking up so early, but in the end it was so worth it. I was there just before six and did a short workout before having a quick shower and getting ready for work. 

On the plus side, I also arrived early at work and was able to get a lot of work done!

Tonight, went to my very first Body Attack class as well. It was great! So full on, but the teacher/instructor was really supportive and enthusiastic, and I managed to make it through the whole class. I nearly gave up, but stuck it out, and I'm really proud of myself.

Back to it tomorrow morning, let's hope I can keep this up!

Love,

J xx

I Can Smell A Change In The Air

Ah, the sun is out, the birds are chirping, Summer is on it's way! Which means it's time for me to hide indoors somewhere with air-conditioning. My body and heat, just aren't friends. I have nosebleeds every day, I chafe, I sweat, I hate it. Seriously. I hate Summer. I am not afraid to say it;

I HATE SUMMER!

Bring on Winter or Autumn or Spring. Any of them, as long as they aren't Summer.

Anyway, Summer has nothing to do with this post, just thought I would tell everyone of my dislike for Summer.

So, as many of you know, I have an amazing best friend Alex, who features here and on my YouTube channel. Well, Alex has become a bit of a gym junkie the past couple of months, and mentioned her want for a 'gym buddy' when we were cooking the other night. 

Hmmm, me, go to the gym? Well, stranger things have happened!

We had a bit of a chat, about the benefits of going to the gym, and how fun it would be, and how motivating we would be for each other. We were looking at all of the classes available,  and though it took me a minute, I've decided to take that positive step forward in my life, and get healthy!  

Here is my before shot (shudder)

I'm meeting with one of the trainers from the gym tonight, to discuss membership options, and what might be suitable for me. Then hopefully, I can sign up for 12 months, and kick my lazy butt into gear! I've never really been excited about being active, but right now, I am anxious to leave work and head straight to the gym. I mean, I even packed my brand new gym gear (thank you Kmart!) and my runners. 

I just feel like it's the right time to make a change. I'm feeling better about myself more now than ever before, I'm in a really good place in my relationship, I love my job, the only thing I'm not 100% in love with is my body. 

The state of my body is entirely my fault. I can't blame my mother for feeding me crap, or my friends for being bad influences, I make my own choices, I decide what to eat and when to exercise. Still, it's kinda difficult going from a sedentary lifestyle, to one of constant movement. But, it's much easier taking little steps.

I've already started to change some of my bad habits. This morning, I had stevia in my coffee, instead of sugar. It tasted exactly the same, but without the empty calories. Which is handy. 

I also went for a walk during my lunch break, then did sit ups and my planks. My abs hurt, but it is so worth it. I already feel more energetic and full of life!

So, stay tuned for me making a fool out of myself as the gym, and remember, if I can do it, you can do it!

Love,

J xx

Crafternoon - Frosted Windows

At my house, we have quite a few windows. Which of course means spending quite a bit of money on window dressings. Or does it?

I recently came across an interesting idea, for creating a cheap alternative to curtains or blinds, but still allowing you the beautiful sunlight. Contact Paper,

Yes, the very contact you would cover books with, also works really well as a window treatment. I originally saw it here, and couldn't wait to go home and try it out for myself!

So, $3 and a combined total of 12 hours later, I am so happy with the results! It took a bit of dedication but once I worked out optimum placement for the pieces, everything else worked out like  a charm. I even remembered to take a few photos for you!

Start off with a stencil...


Then start tracing... Remember to draw on the paper side of the contact, not the shiny side.


Then start cutting. Trust me, you're going to want someone to help with this, two hands (with scissors) are better than one.



Chose your window, and make sure you clean it really well. The cleaner the window, the better the contact will stick.



Start sticking!


It's time consuming, but so worth it in the end. I love the overall look! I left a gap at the top and the bottom of the window, as I liked the look of it. It took about 80 separate shapes to do the one window, so make sure you cut out plenty of shapes. 

Now, on to the next project...

Love,

J xx

Lovely Liptember

What is Liptember you ask?

"Liptember is a campaign raising funds and awareness for women’s mental health during the month of September.
All funds raised during the month of September are donated to the CENTRE FOR WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH and LIFELINE.
Liptember sell official Liptember lipsticks throughout participating retailers with proceeds donated to the campaign.
Women register online and seek sponsorship from family, friends and co-workers for committing to wear the Liptember Lipstick throughout the month of September." - https://www.liptember.com.au/

So, here I am, asking for your sponsorship. The link to my page is at the bottom of this post, and every donation is important, no matter how small. I'll be wearing fabulous shades of lipstick throughout the whole month of September, and telling anyone who has ears, why it's important they donate. You can follow my lovely lips on my instagram (http://instagram.com/spades200789). 

Mental health is important to every body, no matter of gender, or race.

Did you know that Women are more likely than men to experience anxiety disorders (18% compared with 11%) and affective disorders (7.1% compared with 5.3%)? Or that One in five recent mothers will experience a mild, moderate or severe form of post-natal depression?1

Want to learn more about mental health? Head on over to http://www.mindframe-media.info/for-media/reporting-mental-illness/facts-and-stats 

Please help me reach my goal, and raise awareness and funds for Womens Mental Health, love you long time!

https://www.liptember.com.au/jayde-taulien

Love,

J xx

 1) http://www.mindframe-media.info/for-media/reporting-mental-illness/facts-and-stats#Gender

Cupcakes & Corsetry

Wow have I missed you guys!

I've been up to my eyeballs in projects, from DIY'ing my house, to adventuring the local markets. 
Anyway, you're probably wondering why I've titled this post Cupcakes & Corsetry? Well, let me tell you...

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away...

Nah, just kidding! I've been invited to participate in a photo shoot, and the theme is Cupcakes, and Corsetry. Kinda self explainatory really, but I'm super excited!

I've been buying new things for my makeup kit, like a new large travel case: 

I'm also looking to buy a couple of DIY pallets, so I can depot some of my eyeshadows, and make up my own specialised pallets, but I'll get to that soon enough.

I'm so excited for this photoshoot! Dan and I have been hanging out on Wednesday nights, trialling a few makeup looks. The theme for the shoot is pretty awesome, and as long as it includes corsets, or cupcakes, we have free reign! I might even end up modelling... goodie.

Now, onto the adventures at the local market! Alex, Nick, Justin and I went to the Dandy market on Sunday a couple of weeks ago, we were originally just going to have a look around. But we ended up leaving with a boot full of goodies! Justin and I ended up buying quite a few books, to add to our ever growing collection (so many books, we now have 5 bookcases full, and need to buy another one...), I bought a couple Stuart Macbride novels, and Justin bought a few fantasy novels (can't remember which ones).

Then we thought we might as well have a look at the fresh fruit and vegies while we're here. Boy was that fun! I bought a fortnight's worth of vegies for under $40! The produce is all great quality, and really fresh. 

Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to write a few more posts soon, to bring all my beautiful readers up to speed with my wonderful life recently.

Much love,

J xx

Belgrave Lantern Parade 2014

Turns out there are fun things you can do in the hills around here, one of them is the annual Lantern Parade!

I went this year (even attempted to make my own lantern...) with my brother, sister in law and their kids. Thankfully it wasn't overly cold in the hills when we went, and we all had a pretty good night. 
Just thought I would share some snaps I took on the night. Apologies if they're blurry, it can be hard to take photos when you're looking after a 6 yeah old.

Enjoy...

It was a fairly long night, but I think that's mainly because we had to wait so long to get dinner (note to self, just make dinner when you get home, it's easier than waiting 10,000hrs for pizza). I'm thinking I might go next year, so I guess I best start thinking of a new lantern idea!

Love,

J xx

I HAVE A LISP?!?!

You know how when you talk, you hear your internal voice? It's always like 'my voice is so manly' or 'I sound so nasally'. Well, that's what I thought anyway. Until I actually head my recorded voice last week. 
Alex and I were filming a couple of things for my YouTube channel, and listening to the playback I realised I have a lisp. 

WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME?!!? Apparently everyone has realised I have a lisp, but never thought to mention it to me. I had no idea! 

I mean, I know why I have a lisp, but I've never noticed that I actually have one. I'm not sure how I feel about having it, I'm sure I'll be fine, but for the moment, I'm sort of on the fence. There goes my chance for a career in radio!

Is there something that you've never noticed? Like a gap in your teeth, or slightly crooked eyebrows (the horror!)? Let me know in the comments below!

I think I will embrace my lisp, and start deliberately saying words with the letter S... Silly sally saw snakes swim slowly.

Talk sssssoon!

Jayde xx

'New' Fashion - Pastel Goth

Did you know there was a fashion style called Pastel Goth? No? Neither did I.
I heard the term while watching one of my favourite YouTubers Grav3yardgirl talking about Forever 21. Overwhelmed with curiosity, I headed over to Google and went about searching! According to Wiki:

"Seapunk, Pastel Grunge, and Pastel Goth are all sub genres or variations of the Pastel Grunge movement. Pastel Grunge is Soft Grunge with an emphasis on pastel colors. Someone who dresses in the Pastel Grunge style will dress more akin to the look of Baby Spice and the late 1990s. Pastel Goth is a version of Soft Grunge with more of a bent towards the gothic aspects of the fashion. Pastel Goths often wear spiked garters, and hair clips featuring skeleton hands or eyeballs on them. Seapunk, is the Soft Grunge variant that has received the largest amount of press. Seapunk is a Soft Grunge/Pastel Grunge subset that focuses on the usage of aquatic related colors and imagery. It is also common in Seapunk to use poor quality pixel based graphic or bitmap images that appear to be taken from a late 1990s GeoCities page."

Confused? So was I! Never fear, Google Images to the rescue!









A bit odd, but kinda cute, don't you think? Soft sweet pastel colours, with the hard edge of goth spikes and black. Tell me your thoughts in the comments below!

I love so many of the elements from this style. I love pastel colours, as well as black and spikes. I've never thought to wear them together though... I think I may have to give this a try! During my recent crafternoon, I DIY'd a couple of items with spikes, so I think the spike and flower headband is worth a try. 

I already have some faded pink in my hair, and I was actually thinking about redoing it, so this is the perfect chance to add some pastel fabulousness to it! Speaking of hair...

 

Oh God, if only I could get away with this! Pretty sure I'd never be allowed to have my hair down at work, ever again. Or I could just buy wigs... But really, does anyone actually want to wear wigs?

Anyway, just a quick one today.

Talk soon, 

Love, J xx