So excited!

This post is going to be a super short one because I don't have much time.  But I thought I'd let you know what was up with me at the moment.  So I'm turning 21 this Saturday and even though birthdays aren't really my favourite thing I have been getting into the spirit a bit more this year.  Last night my darling husband surprised me with a birthday dinner with some friends and tonight I am going to Melbourne for the weekend.  I don't want to go into too much detail because on Monday (or Tuesday knowing me!) I want to do a big "birthday" post or maybe a few separate ones.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!  When I next write I will be ever so more mature!  Cough ;)

It's nearly...

As Always,

Date Night

There is something about a date night once you have been married for a little while.  They don't occur that often but when they do, they are very special indeed.

Tonight my husband is taking me out for dinner after work.  A brief pause in our hectic life.  I can't wait!  He thought of going out and he is picking the restaurant which is so lovely.

Life without You is like a broken pencil... Pointless <3

It's so nice to go out like we used to before we were married.  To leave behind housework, bills and budgets and to just focus on each other.  Date nights are the one night it is ok to splurge on each other.

So take my advice and go out with your husband, wife or longtime partner!  You won't regret it :)  It doesn't even need to spend a lot.  A date night can be as simple as a boardgame or going to the movies or even just having a coffee and a chat.  In fact to me the simple dates are the best types.  Just make sure you don't talk about the boring life things! ;)

What does your perfect date involve?  I'd love to hear your stories!

 

My Makeup Brush Collection

 For the longest time I didn't think makeup brushes were worth it.  I used my hands for foundations and sponges for powder.  I didn't use blush or bronzer and if I used eyeshadow it would be one colour with a finger.  But slowly I realised the difference brushes could make and slowly my collection is growing.  There are so many brushes still on my wish list but at the moment these brushes are getting my face done.

 

I made my brush holder from a Mini Jar Candle (Creamy Caramel - mmm smells so good) from Dusk which I had finished.  I washed the empty jar and filled with rice to allow the brushes to stand up.  I have left the sticker on for the moment but will probably remove it eventually.  I love this way to store my brushes and I got the idea for the rice off someone off YouTube.  I can't for the life of me remember who but it's a good and cheap option instead of the beads.

At the moment it is looking a bit full so I am burning an Ikea candle like crazy so I have another holder.  The Ikea candle's are only $2.49 so it's a cheaper option.

 1.  ecoTOOLS  Brush - bought this is America & cannot remember which one it is!

2.  Manicare Foundation Brush

3.  Manicare Eyeshadow Blending Brush

4.  Manicare Eyeshadow Blending Brush

5.  Artiste Angled Blush Brush
6.  Real Techniques Stippling Brush

7.  Revlon Concealer Brush

8.  Tweezers (not really a brush but an essential!)

What's your favourite makeup brush at the moment?  I'm looking for a reasonably priced fluffy eye shadow brush so let me know if you have a good one!

A day at the Adelaide Central Markets

So I just realised I had never done my post on the day out with my sisters last weekend - WHOOPS sorry! :)  So here it is...

As you may have guessed from the title of this post I decided to take them to the Adelaide Central Markets as there were extreme bush fires in Adelaide Hills and I didn't want to risk going too far out.  My sisters love Asian culture and I knew there were many Asian shops and eateries there so thought it would be the perfect outing.

While we were walking into the markets we came across the most beautiful shop called Yummy Ribbon which was full of homemade hair ribbons and other lovely bits and bobs.

I could have looked around this shop for the longest time so just had to take some photos of it for you.  If you live in Adelaide or come and visit then definitely pop in!  I even read on their Facebook Pink (that's right - the singer!!) even bought some ribbons for her little girl.

 We browsed a few shops and then had lunch as we got into the markets quite late.  My husband and I had Greek food which we love (my husband is half Greek) and my sisters had Korean.

My Meal:  Lamb Yiros with Aioli Sauce & a Greek Salad

My Husband's Meal:  Chicken Schnitzel with Gravy, Chips & a Greek Salad

After lunch we browsed the stalls inside the markets, which I absolutely love to do!  I love seeing all the fresh produce and hearing the bustle of the crowd.

There is nothing quite like going to the markets, I love it! You can buy everything and anything and most of it is much better quality than in normal supermarkets.  I really reccomend heading down to your local markets as they make for a great day out!

Hope you guys had a fantastic weekend and a great long weekend if you're in Australia!

Let me know what you favourite thing to do in your city is!  I'd love to know!

Birthday Surprise: South Pacific - The Musical

Last night my husband called me and said he would be late picking me up from work, nothing unusual, so I waited.  About 10 minutes after I finished work he pulled up and told me that we were going to South Pacific The Musical!  Two of my brother in laws had gone in together and bought me a ticket for my birthday which was so lovely of them!  So we went for a quick tea and made our way to the Adelaide Festival Theater to have a fantastic night.

I would suggest going if you can though the musical does leave Adelaide on Sunday the 26th of January, 2014.  I managed to take a few pictures once we were there but couldn't use a flash so they aren't the best quality.  Also, though I wanted to take photos during the performance to show you the fabulous scenery, I didn't want to annoy the other people there with the light of my camera so I didn't.

Here are some pictures from their website so you get an idea:

The backdrops were amazing and made you feel like you had been transported to the South Pacific.  The costumes were great and so were the actors wearing them.  The music was fantastic with a live orchestra under the stage and the singer's voices were wonderful!  The musical itself was hilarious from start to finish and a must see!  It went for 3 hours with a 20 minute interval though it didn't feel anywhere near that long.  We sat in the Dress Circle which is the second floor and had a great view!

After the musical we went out with my husband's parents (they had also gotten tickets for the same night) and went to an awesome Italian Restaurant in North Adelaide called Nona (Nick's Of North Adelaide - what an awesome name!).  We got pizza and coffee and they were both absolutely delicious!  We arrived there around 10:45pm and they welcomed us with open arms happy for us to stay until 11:45pm and chatting the whole time.  I will definitely be going back there!

Watching South Pacific has made me really want to watch another musical.  They aren't cheap but are a wonderful experience.  I strongly suggest you go and see one as there is nothing better than live singing, dancing and acting!  Have you seen South Pacific & if so what did you think? Have you watched any other musicals?  I'd love to know what the good ones are!

Mid Month Favourites

So I have never done a favourites post before, but I was home alone last night taking photos of products and thought that I would start.  These products aren't my "January Favourites" or "December Favourites" they are simply the my favourite products for the moment.

Tommy Girl Perfume

My husband has always loved this scent so when it was on sale on Click Frenzy I picked up two bottles.  I am coming to the end of this bottle and have worn it every day since I bought it. It is a very fruity scent and I really enjoy it.

Lucas Papaw Ointment

This is the most amazing stuff ever.  It can be used so many ways from Chafing to Lip balm.  I apply it at the beginning of my makeup so by the time I'm ready for lipstick my lips are beautifully soft.

I'm still working on my photography skills so the colours aren't perfect - sorry!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick 801 Pink Cloud

This Lipstick is lovely.  It is a lovely sheer, frosty pink colour and it extremely moisturising.  A lovely pop of colour for an everyday look.

L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Lipstick 378 Velvet Rose

 I love the packaging of this lipstick as much as I love the colour.  It is a gorgeous dusky rose/pink colour which when swatched comes out more barbie pink than it looks in the tube.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

 I love this brush.  I have always wanted a stippling brush to buff in my liquid foundation and this brush works a dream.  It cuts down time in my daily routine and leaves a perfect finish.

V05 Heat Protect Styling Spray

This is heat protect spray is the best I have tried so far. It leaves my hair lovely and glossy and I don't have dry ends really at all anymore.  I also sometimes spray it through the roots of my hair when it's a really hot day and it helps with frizz which is wonderful.

Revlon Photo Ready 3D Volume Mascara

 I love this mascara for my bottom lashes on a normal day or if I can't really be bothered I wear it on the top as well.  It is a tubular mascara which means instead of coating the lashes it makes a tube around the lashes which means it is extremely easy to remove.  This is probably the main reason I like it but I like the definition is gives as well.

Chi Chi Cosmetics Bases Eyeshadow Palette

This has all the colours I would need in an everyday palette and I love it.  I've spoken about Chi Chi eye shadows before - I am a BIG fan :)

So those are my current favourites which I am absolutely loving at the moment.  Let me know what products you have been loving at the moment as I am always up for trying new things!  Have you tried any of these products?  You should!  Because they are amazing!

I can't do it

I can't do a blog post at the moment. I have tried to do a little "filler" tag post yesterday and today but still haven't completed it.  I told myself I was never going to be one of those people that simply wrote posts to have them up.  I want to mean what I write and I want writing to make me happy.  I'm sorry I haven't gotten a post up about my weekend with my sisters but I hope to have it up possibly tomorrow.  I just haven't had the time to sit down and get the pictures off my camera as I've been go go go!

So this is just a quick post to say yes I am still alive I am just not in the mood to write a post that I don't feel passionate about.  That is not why I started Thinking About April for.  I started this blog to get my thoughts out there and to review products and to send smiles out into a world that seems to be going downhill.

I hope to get more of a schedule of when I release posts and I really want to get a weekly post that I do on the same day every week about the same thing.  The thing is my life is that it is never the same week to week.  I would love it to be, but it is what it is.

So to sum up this (probably) boring post:

I will attempt to post more but ONLY if I have the inspiration as I don't want to be fake.  I have lots of exciting ideas and will try to bring them to you better and quicker and more on time :)  I'm loving this blog and I hope you are too.

Here's a random quote to tie you over until next time:

 

Let me know how your week is going and what you do to keep yourself more organised! :)

 

Until next time,

What to do in Adelaide

My two sisters are arriving tonight to spend the weekend with my husband and I.  I'm really looking forward to it as they have only been to our house once before.  And it's gotten me thinking about what we should do and where I should take them.  It's funny how hard it can be to think of things to do in your own town.  So I have googled and found a few options of what we can do tomorrow and I thought I'd let you know some of them.

1.  Hahndorf  'Australia's oldest surviving German settlement'.

When my Mum came to Adelaide not long ago I took her to Hahndorf and really enjoyed it.  You can walk through all the little quaint shops and peruse the various German souvenirs.  My Mum had recently been to Germany and she said a lot of what you can buy in Hahndorf is similar to what you buy in Germany.  It makes for a fun day wandering the main street and stopping for lunch in Otto's Bakery is a must - they have the best Vanilla Slices ever!  If German food is what you're after then a stop at the German Arms Hotel is a good one.

2.  Adelaide Central Markets

I love the Central Markets.  They are full of a buzz that you can only get at Markets.  I love the sound of instruments playing and the bustling of happy customers.  You can get fresh meat, bread, fruit, veggies, lollies, etc.... the possibilities are endless!  Not only that you can buy handmade items and clothes.  And once you are wiped from walking amongst the various stalls you can sit down and have one of many different countries' foods.  (Note:  The Central Markets are closed Sunday and Mondays).

3.  The Adelaide Hills

Now I know that Hahndorf is part of the Hills but I thought I'd put this as a seperate thing because there is so much else to do up there:

• Melba's Chocolate Factory  - their chocolate is amazing and there is always taste testing.
• Beerenburg Strawberry Farm - you can either buy their famous sauces and toppings or go strawberry picking.
• The Farm Barn -  cuddle and learn all about the lovely animals that live on this farm.
• Waterfall Gully - This area is absolutely beautiful and if you go in Spring and Summer you will see beautiful fields of lillies.
• Mt Lofty Summit & Botanic Gardens - There is a restaurant and viewing area at the top of Mt Lofty and also beautiful botanic gardens surrounding it.

 There are  so many things to see in Adelaide and I have only put 3 points.  There is also the shopping at Harbour Town or Rundle Mall, a cruise along the Torrens River on the Popeye, the Zoo and the Adelaide Botanic Gardens only to name a few.

Have you ever been to Adelaide?  What was your favourite thing to do?  I only have Saturday to do something with my sisters as we're busy Sunday but I will let you know what I end up deciding to do.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

What's On My Face: Hot Day

It is so stinking hot today in Adelaide!  Supposedly Adelaide is hotter than any other City in the World today!  That is crazy!  The temperature is 46 degrees or 155 degrees fahrenheit
 which is high! :)  I'm sure if it's gotten to that yet but every day this week has been over 40 and that is too hot for me!

Because this sort of weather messes with your head I haven't been thinking properly and haven't been able to complete the post I planned.  So I thought I would do a "What's On My Face" post for a hot day.  I'll be honest and say I haven't worn makeup for the first 3 days of this week but I was missing wearing it so I put on minimal makeup today.  Because I wasn't planning on doing this post I don't have my own pictures for all items, so have used their website image, but I will write that below where relevant.

First I used Chi Chi's Super BB Cream  instead of foundation:

 

 

And blended it in with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush:

Website Image

I moisturised my lips with Lucas Papaw Ointment which is awesome!  Enough said :)

I then used Chi Chi's BASES Palette for my eyes:

I got this image from http://maquillage-paradis.blogspot.com.au because the website's images didn't show the colours as well.

1.  All over lid & brow bone
2.  Lid
3.  Crease
4.  Inner corner & a touch below my brows

I blended them with my Manicare Eyeshadow Brush.

Then I applied Chi Chi 3D Magic Lash mascara to my top lashes:

And Revlon Photoready 3D Volume mascara to my bottom lashes:

Website Image

I then applied Revlon Super Lustreous Lipstick in Pink Cloud 801 which is a gorgeous frosty pink colour:

Website Image

And then I was done.  I know it's not a lot of makeup but it has stayed on all day where normal foundations wouldn't have.  I decided to forgo a blush as my cheeks get red enough by themselves :P

I hope this post has been interesting for you; let me know if you'd like to see another one like it.  I'd love to do a Workday Edition :)  Also if you'd like individual posts on anything I've mentioned then let me know!  I really want to do a post on the Chi Chi Palettes because I absolutely love them!

Hope it isn't too hot where you are at the moment (or cold if you're on the other side of the world!)

Take care and talk soon,

PS:  I watched a youtube clip that says it's best to make your photos as big as possible... not sure about it yet though.  What do you think?  I think it will look better once I learn to take better pictures ;)  Btw I have changed the horizontal pictures back to large because they were too wide - what do you think?

Moving away from Home

When I was 18 years old I moved away from home so that I could finally live in the same state as my boyfriend (now husband).  I had met him when I was 15 going on 16 and almost immediately we knew that we wanted to spend forever together.  So after 2 and a half years of having a long distance relationship I moved to a different state roughly 750kms from home.

From this:

To this:

It wasn't easy to move to a completely different place away from most of my family and friends but I made it and 2 and a half years later I am completely settled in.  I thought I'd write this post to give you a few tips on moving out of home at a young age because this sort of thing would have been really helpful when I did it.  This post is mainly aimed at people that are in a similar situation as I was in:  moving away to be nearer to a loved one.  However I will try to make it general for all :)

1.  Make sure you are ready to move out.
In my mind I was ready the minute I left high school but my parents had the sense to tell me to do a six month TAFE course that would give me the skills that would allow me to find a job easily.  This six months gave me experience outside my high school's walls, showing me a bit more about the world than what I had known before.

2.  Make sure you have a strong support network both at home and where you are going.
 My family saw that moving was something I had to do and supported me every step of the way.  Even though I was 8 hours drive away they visited me as much as they could and also were only ever a phone call away when I was homesick.
I was extremely lucky that one of my best friends lived in Adelaide only about 5 minutes drive from where I was staying.  Her family were my family for the 9 months before I was married.  They opened their home for me most nights and I wouldn't have gotten through those 9 months without them.  They were amazing!

3.  Make sure you have a source of income.
I begun applying before I moved out of home and continued like mad once I was over here.  I was told to apply for every single job that matched what I was looking for and that's exactly what I did.  I was lucky that I got a job within the first few weeks of being there.  If you are struggling with getting a job I found that the best way was asking people I knew if they knew anyone looking for a new employee.  This is actually how I got my current job.

4.  If you are not happy you can go home.
Never let yourself think that because you have moved out of home that you can't go back.  If you are really not happy you can leave if you want to.  It might be good to make a trial period that you can test the water and see if it's all ok.  If it's not then you CAN leave.

5.  Research where you are going.
 This point is a bit of a random one but still important as it's good to know what you are getting yourself into.  Research job availability, weather, house prices, etc.  If you are moving to be with a loved one then it's good to know whether you'll both get jobs and a house you can afford.  Also for some people weather can be a huge issue.  This point sort of joins with the one before because if you know more about the place you are going then you can prepare yourself for it and not be disappointed.

And that's all the points I've got for now :)  I hope these have helped you in some way and if you have any other questions I'd love to answer them so please leave them in the comments below!  Moving out of home is a big thing but it's do-able :)  Talk Soon!