Bye bye 2009

So long 2009 and what a year its been! I've achieved alot this year, had good times and bad and set to motion some long term plans to change mine and the hubby's future for the better.

This year had some bad points: I got news that grandad died and my step mum was diagnosed with breast cancer on the same day! It was sad not to be able to go to my grandads funeral seeing as I was on the other side of the world and funds weren't great but I said goodbye in my own way and really if I'm honest I don't deal with funerals at all well so maybe it was better this way.

As for my step mum well shes just completed her last chemo and is doing alot better. She has maintained a positive outlook throughout the whole ordeal and I'm incredibly proud and inspired by her.

This year had many good points though:

The hubby and I moved into our own place which rent wise is a steal and is right by the beach which is perfect for me. We love it so much that we're even thinking of buying the place a few years down the line.

I got a new job - after not working for almost 2 years the prospect of going back to work was daunting. I knew I didn't want to go back to office work as it no longer held a challenge for me but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do so it was great when my friends who all work at the same gym/creche told me they had a job that needed filling. Going back to work was no pressure as it was working with friends and I love the job so much I'm hoping to retrain in childcare once were permanent residents (course fees for international students are ridiculously high!)

I reached my goal weight of 63kg which means I've lost 20kgs in the last year and a bit which is no mean feat. After being diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in 2008 I found it hard to lose the 20kgs or so I had put on. This year after routine blood tests my blood sugar and cholesterol came back at the high end of the normal range which shocked me into being more serious about my diet and exercise and its certainly paid off!

I started this blog - which to be honest I didn't think anyone would read but I already have 9 followers, my first award and a fair few visitors. My blog will continue to grow in 2010. I already have some exciting subjects for 2010 lined up so stay tuned!

Last year the new years resolutions I made were:

To find a job

To lose the weight

To exercise regularly and eat more healthily

To join a gym

To join a pagan group

To start a tai chi class

To volunteer

To learn to drive

So I had mixed success with these resolutions. To be honest i think i put alot of pressure on myself to completed all these resolutions. Some such a joining a gym a really didn't want to do but felt I should to lose the weight I needed to and become more healthy. In the past I went to the gym 3-4 times a week but I found it so boring so this year I've come to the conclusion that there are other forms of exercise that are fun and don't feel like a chore.

Some resolutions such as learning to drive are just not feasible at the moment due to things outside my control. I can't learn to drive until I'm a permanent resident but I'm not counting this one as a failure. In the meantime I've been getting all the information together that I'll need to get my license and practising for my theory test so I'm fully prepared.

As for tai chi classes and volunteering its been a matter of time. I just don't have enough at the moment but its something that I definitely will do in the next year or so.

With regards to joining a pagan group, I have no excuses for this one. I found a group in my local area that sounds great but never took the leap. I've always been quite a cautious person that never liked trying new things so I will definitely make it a resolution for 2010 to be less cautious.

Happy New Year dear readers ... x

Christmas Goodies

Hello dear readers...
I've had an eventful and busy Christmas as my younger sister is over from England so we've been busy sightseeing and took a trip up to Forster where we planned to swim with dolphins. Unfortunately the hubby and I were horribly seasick despite the fact that we took our seasickness medication!

Nevertheless we had a wonderful time. It was an incredible experience to see dolphins in the wild. I would have got pics and videos as my lovely hubby got me a new camera as an early Christmas present but I was feeling too under the weather. However now I do have my new camera I will be posting more pictures and maybe even a few videos in the new year.

We spent Christmas day swimming at the beach near our house regardless of the fact that Sydney's weather was dull and rainy. My sister was hoping to get some pictures of us in the glorious sunshine to make the folks back at home horribly jealous but sadly that wasn't the case! We plan to wait for a sunny day, don our bikinis and Santa hats and have a Christmas reenactment.

Other than my fab little camera from the hubby one of my other great presents was a book from my older sister entitled 'How to Look and Dress" by Carson (not Kressley!). The book was first published in 1949 and is a girls textbook with such pearls of wisdom as to how to clean your teeth properly (Yes we are doing it right for all you wondering!) Such sections did give me a giggle however the other half of the book is dedicated to how to make your own clothes which is something I have been wanting to try for a while. The book explains it quite simply as it was a textbook which should help me enormously because I am rather clueless when it comes to sewing.

This book has got me thinking about trying to find local dressmaking courses. Its something I mentioned in a previous post some months ago so I will definitely ad this to my New Years Resolutions list along with a few other things I mentioned in my blog that went somewhat by the wayside.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas dear readers ... x

My Bargain Boudoir Buy

Dearest readers I'm so excited to tell you about my latest eBay purchase - a fabulous 1940s or 50s dressing table for the bargain price of $20. For the last few months I've struggled putting in my curlers and setting my hair at my bathroom sink mirror now I have a gorgeous dedicated space in my boudoir to primp and preen.

To add to my delight my wonderful step-dad has offered to help me restore the dressing table to its former glory when he and my mum come over to visit in March. He is also sourcing handles from the period so I can replace the current modern ones.
I will be sure to bring you pictures in March once it is fully restored but for now here is my polyvore set of items I might be purchasing to spruce up my dressing table so maybe it wont work out as such a bargain after all!

My Boudior by emmerv on Polyvore.com

I also adore this Charmingly Shabby Chic Vintage Lipstick Caddy for sale on Etsy for $19.50 usd from 'where did you get that' What do you think dear readers? ... x

Summer Swimwear

I've been doing more shopping around for inspiration for my beachwear this summer. This is my Polyvore set of all the items I adore.

Fun in the Sun by emmerv featuring Dollydagger suits

The History of Womens Swimwear

With summer in full swing I have been looking for some stylish swimwear. I love all the vintage inspired swimwear that is around these days but shopping for new bathers got me thinking about the origins of the bikinis we wear today.

In 1907 a professional swimmer named Annette Kellerman dared to wear a fitted one piece swimsuit on a beach in Boston instead of the cumbersome dress and pantaloon combination that was popular for women at the time. She was arrested for indecency.
What Miss Kellerman had designed was the precursor for all modern women's swimwear.

In 1913, inspired by the introduction of females into Olympic swimming, the designer Carl Jantzen made the first functional two-piece swimwear, a close-fitting one-piece with shorts on the bottom and short sleeves on top.

By the 1930s, necklines plunged at the back, sleeves disappeared and sides were cut away.With new materials like lastex and nylon, by 1934 the swimsuit started hugging the body and had shoulder straps to lower for tanning.

In 1946 Jacque Heim created a new kind of beach costume. It comprised two pieces, the bottom large enough to cover its wearer's navel. He called it the "atom" and advertised it as the world's "smallest bathing suit" In 1946 Réard introduced the bikini. His swimsuit was basically a bra top and two inverted triangles of cloth connected by string and it was significantly smaller. Made out of a scant 30 inches of fabric, he promoted his creation as "smaller than the world's smallest bathing suit." He called his creation the bikini, named after Bikini Atoll. The idea struck him when he saw women rolling up their beachwear to get a better tan

What will you be wearing this summer dear readers? ... x

Emma aime ... Mad Men

I've been a little under the weather recently dear readers. So I have been tucked up on the sofa with series 1 and 2 of Mad Men and a huge mug of tea to cheer me up. I missed Mad Men when it was on TV but with all the hype about it in the blogging community I had to check it out for myself. Having got through most of the first series now I have to say I am a fan. It took me a while to get into the programme itself but being a bit of a fansionista, I instantly fell in love with gorgeous outfits especially Joan's sexy outfits and Betty's Grace Kelly-esque style.

I would blog more about the clothes but there's a whole plethora of sites that have pipped my to the post (by a few years!) I especially like Super Kawaii Mama's Mad Men Style Salon, a section of the site dedicated to achieving the Mad Men look.

Whilst researching for this blog I stumbled across a fab site where you can "Mad Men Youself" so here's me having a cocktail with the dashing Don Draper. Series 1 and 2 of Mad Men are available on DVD now!

I'm off for a Vodka Gimlet dear readers ... x