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Friday, July 29, 2016

Friday Finds.

Here are a few of my internet finds (and loves) from over the past week:


\\  I love a DIY that makes things look expensive. These marble shelves are a perfect example.  //
\\ This half-up fishtail reverse crown braid is giving me life right now.  //
\\  I could handle a bowl of butter-roasted cherry swirl overnight oats on a Sunday morning.  //
\\  I can make all the shaped birthday candles!  //
\\  Excuse me while I die over these freakin' cotton candy cupcakes!  //
\\  Yaas to the concept of this whole damn shirt.  //

Happy Friday!


Wednesday, July 27, 2016

I Don't Mean to Alarm You, But I've Been at the Gym for a Year Now.

I don't normally post a lot of personal things on here anymore, but I feel as though this is a special occasion. I mean, can you believe it?! Me! Christie "lazy" Brown, has consistently attended the gym for a year today and I am beyond proud of myself. I feel a huge difference in my overall health and well being on top of the physical changes in my body.

I still to this day have a more hate than love relationship with the gym. I want to look sexy, but I hate all the things associated with looking sexy - lifting things, running, eating healthy, straining my 160 year old knees.. I'm just not a fan. But I suck it up, and I get shit done because the results aren't going to come if you don't make them.

For this post to convey what I want it to, I suppose I need to provide a backstory of sorts. This isn't a part of my life that I'm particularly proud of and it's not one that I openly talk about. I've struggled with weight issues for most of my life. All throughout school I was the "skinny girl", and I loved it. I had an amazing metabolism, I played netball twice a week, martial arts, too. I loved when people complimented my legs, I loved when people complimented my stomach, I loved that my friends were all jealous, I loved the attention I got from boys (Ugh. Typing, deleting and then re-typing that last part over and over made me cringe in the worst way). I loved it so much that, without going in to too much detail, I ended up developing various eating and self image disorders. I suppose it had been something that was a long time coming, but it really came to a head at the age of 15 and I struggled all through my teens until I was 20.

With the help of Jesse, who came on to the scene when I hit 20, I sorted myself out. He made me feel beautiful and so I stopped the purging and the starving, I tried my hardest to see myself through his eyes and be happy with what I saw, and I built myself up to a healthy weight.. But then I went too far. Old mate Jesse over here has an amazing metabolism (the bastard). He eats and eats and eats and stays thin. Christie, on the other hand... Christie's metabolism had suffered throughout the abuse I put it through growing up. Christie couldn't eat like Jesse did. We ate crap, and we ate a lot. I gave up martial arts and regular netball due to the aforementioned 160 year old knees, and to be honest, I didn't give 2 fucks about working out at all because I never had to before. It was actually pretty fun - the best year of my life, I reckon. Food is fucking delicious, let me tell you. But then it hit me. I remember when I first realised how big I had become. I looking at photos from my 21st birthday the week after and it hit me. The girl in those photos.. She was as big as she had ever been. I couldn't believe how much my body had changed in the space of a year..

And then came along a whole new set of body image issues.

Going from 45kg with abs akin to those on fitness commercials, to a flabby 69kg who constantly craved (still craves) junk food reeked havoc on my confidence and my self worth. Joining the gym with a friend was the best thing that I could have done. It was hard in the beginning. I found myself having to drag myself to go. If it weren't for her, I doubt I would have bothered, but it eventually became part of my routine, to the point where I'd feel naked had I not worked out on a scheduled day. I started feeling better - physically and emotionally. I started losing weight and I started noticing how much stronger I was. I was happier, and when people started to notice my weight loss, that right there was the best feeling. That right there is what made it all worth it.

In the short year I've attended, I've had my ups and my downs. I tried the diets and counting calories and I actually lost a lot of weight very quickly in doing so, but I wasn't having fun. I couldn't go out with my friends or family for a meal, I couldn't binge on chocolate during "lady times", I couldn't have a snack with Jesse at 10pm. I just wasn't enjoying life. I've since learned that it's all about moderation. I didn't see the point in being so strict on myself that I was unhappy. Sure, the weight loss nowadays isn't as rapid as if I were to eat no more than 1,200 calories a day, but I'm happy. I still eat the foods I like (om nom fries), but in moderation. Life's all about balance, right?

I was actually 1.7kg away from my goal weight at one stage, due to the strict diet, no doubt.. but then Christmas came around. I gained over half of what I had lost back (ohai, Italian family) and then I plateaued. No matter how hard I pushed, I wasn't getting the results. I wasn't gaining weight, but I wasn't losing any either. I lost my drive and my motivation, but I still soldiered on. I'm still 6kg away from that goal weight today, but I'm determined.



At the end of the day, it's all about how you feel and guess what? I feel great.
I'm happier in my own skin and I'm definitely healthier. I'm stronger than I have ever been and I am so incredibly proud of my achievements, no matter how small. I will reach my goal weight eventually and until then, I'm going to enjoy the journey.

Monday, July 25, 2016

Eleven Times The Grinch Accurately Summed up My Life.

I never truly appreciated the Christmas classic 'The Grinch' until recently. And by recently, I mean last week when I found the DVD right at the back of my stash after a particularly painful root canal procedure and decided to watch it three times in a row.

I wish I was over exaggerating on that front. Really, I do.

Perhaps due to the painkillers ingested as a result of said particularly painful root canal procedure, I have come to the conclusion that he, being The Grinch, and I are kindred spirits and as July is the coldest month down in the Southern Hemisphere, I thought I'd share eleven times that The Grinch accurately summed up my feelings towards life, in honor of Christmas in July (even though there's no snow here. Ever. We try to fit in, guys. We really do. Can we still be friends?).




When my friends try to convince me to go out:


and I spend two hours like:


When Jesse walks in to find me doing something utterly ridiculous:


Going through the "interested" list of an event on Facebook that I'm considering attending:


Getting back in to bed after a day of not being in bed:


Upon my fifth trip to the fridge that morning:


Remembering the events of the Vodka-filled night before:


Going through my "packed" schedule:


Ensuring that everybody thinks I'm as heartless as I act:


Nailing my friend's eye makeup for a night out (hi, Marife):


Beginning to catch feelings and checking myself just in time:


Merry Christmas (sort of)!

Friday, July 22, 2016

Friday Finds.

Here are a few of my internet finds (and loves) from over the past week:


\\  I'm more than a little intrigued by these acai waffle sundaes.  //
\\  I don't mean to alarm you, but his is how you make birthday cake ice cream!!  //
\\  No bake frosted circus animal cookie cheesecake. I cannot contain myself.  //
\\  This pull-through braid hairstyle is pretty schweet. Pretty schweet, indeed.  //
\\  I will make garden herbed white pizza with all the garlic sauce.  //
\\  I AM GOING TO MAKE THIS FOR MY PUPPY TO WEAR ALL THE TIME OMG YES.  //


Happy Friday!

Monday, July 18, 2016

My Month on Instagram - June

If you've been following Christie's Take on Life for any amount of time, you'd surely know by now that I'm a major lover of Instagram! It's the perfect outlet for posting inspiration and little snippets of life, and seeing what my favourite bloggers and friends are up to.

There are so many times that my Instagram posts never make it to my blog, and that's a damn shame because I consider myself to be quite the photographer..

..Not really, but it's a shame nonetheless!

Quick side note: LOOK At ME BEING ALL FANCY AND EMBEDDING MY IMAGES LIKE A PROPER BLOGGER. Thanks, Ginger!

Anywhoo, Instalife over the past month looked something like this:

I'm pretty unco with my hair, but I've been following this tutorial as if it were scripture and loving the results (is it sad that I need a tutorial for a messy bun?).



Jesse and I discovered a cute local café. So cute, in fact, that I'm not even mad about the apparent hipster-ism of it. Not at all. Check out Coco Cubano if you can, guys.



See! It's worth it, I promise (Coco Cubano, that is).



I've been lusting after this ring for yonks, and finally treated myself to it's shiny magnificence. I also discovered that it was limited edition AND the last one in store. :o



I attended Bloggers United AU's first birthday celebration at LUSH and died over all the bath bombs as you do.



You can read up on my time at the event and the goodies I received here. 



A few of my lusts plus a few other goodies may or may not have been purchased at an expense that I am not proud to divulge. 




Yeah, hi. I spent entirely too much money in June. Worth it.


I love finding pretty new feeds to follow on Instagram; leave your account deets in the comments, or come find me: @christieee__x!

Friday, July 15, 2016

Friday Finds.

Here are a few of my internet finds (an loves) from over the past week:

\\  I would drink these frozen cherry cosmos even if they didn't taste good. Look at the colours!  //
\\  Gather 'round, all and enjoy some pop tart ice cream sandwiches with me.  //

\\  How delicious does DIY coconut and passion fruit tea body scrub sound?  //
\\  EXCUSE ME!? "Deviled egg" jelly shots!? What is this sorcery!?  //
\\  I could most definitely deal with wearing this pastel leopard print nail art. Most definitely.  //
\\  Um hi, I need someone to make me this DIY rainbow tie dye hammock now.  //

Happy Friday!


Sunday, July 10, 2016

June Look Back and July Goals.


A look back at June's goals:

"Spring" clean my whole wardrobe
"Winter clean just doesn't have the same ring to it. My closet is literally overflowing. Literally. As in, my doors and drawers have recently reached a capacity in which they no longer close (100% due to the aforementioned failure to curb my spending). Let's just say that I'm a hoarder when it comes to clothing, but I'm determined to get those doors closed this month. The good Sammies are going to love me."
Cross: I thought about cleaning my wardrobe almost every single day, but did I ever actually do it? No. No I did not.

"Spring" clean my make-up stash
"While I'm at it.. I'm usually annoyingly meticulous in the neatness of my make-up display, but due to my morning instagram habit causing me to run late every damn day (I will never regret my morning instagram fix), my once beautiful shelving has become a horrible mess that I am ashamed of. Time to trim the fat (possibly the worse saying ever) and re-organise my stash."
Tick: I had me a productive day off last week and got around to spending 5 hours cleaning up my make-up. Bonus points for still getting it done after having just had a root canal procedure.

Build vs. buy - Make a final decision
"Yup! Jesse and I are planning to take the next step and move out together. How exciting! If all goes to plan, we should be out and fending for ourselves either late this year or early 2017. I'm aware that this probably isn't the best "announcement". I really do love reading such posts, but this process really is stressful enough. Let's simplify things as much as we can, yeah? We've been weighing up the pros and cons of building vs. buying and by the end of this month, I'd really like to come to a decision about which one is the best route for us to take (We're leaning slightly more towards building at this stage. Advice is much appreciated. Plz halp)."
Tick: GUYS! WE'RE BUILDING A HOUSE AND I'M SO EXCITED. I'm also so over the approval process.. So over.

Complete every single workout
"I've gotten in to the habit of rushing my gym sessions and skipping parts of my routine over the past few months. I'm lazy, I'm tired, I'm hungry, I want to get home so I can have more Jesse time, excuse E, excuse F.. This month (and all other months), I'm not going to leave the gym until I have 100% finished my workout. No skipping bits or cutting pieces short."
Tick: I half-assed 0% of my workouts this month, and it's a pretty good feeling, let me tell you.

Goals for July:

Spend exactly zero unnecessary dollars
The reality of attempting to building a house has hit me. Thanks to a particularly
expensive (and painful) trip to the dentist, if I'm to have enough money to live comfortably, I really cannot afford to spend a single dollar on food, clothes, make-up.. anything that isn't considered necessary for a while. This is going to be fun.

Refocus on my studies
Once again, Christie's studies have fallen behind. Trying to study on top of juggling working full-time, builders, land, and finance applications/admin/please leave me alone for 10 minutes, attempting to have something of a social life and exercising regularly has proven almost impossible lately. This month my priorities are going to be shuffled so I can put a lot of energy in to catching up by at least 1 unit before the workshop I'll be attending at the end of July.

Look in to affiliate links
I'd like to put my blog's big girl pants on and get in to finding some make-up and beauty related affiliate partnerships. If anyone knows any good (and easy, because derrp) Australia-friendly affiliate sites, or had any tips, hit me up and I'll love you for ever.

Attempt to slow down and be present
By reading even one paragraph of this post, you'd see that my life is basically one big clusterfuck of stress right now. Life's travelling by pretty fast; I'm thinking of a flooptillion things at once and suddenly, It's the end of the day and I don't remember doing a single thing. It's like my body is on auto-pilot, going through the motions while my mind is racing. I guess I need to try and focus on one thing at a time, or more importantly, take some time to relax. Put away the stress for an hour and have a coffee with a friend, or take a bath. Anything to keep from tipping over the edge.

Friday, July 8, 2016

Friday Finds.

Here are a few of my internet finds (and loves) from over the past week:


\\  How delicious does a pineapple and coconut gelato float sound?  //
\\  FRIENDS! Let's make a flamingo pool float cake so I can feel a small ray on sunshine during this drab Winter I'm currently experiencing.  //
\\  I've seen embroidered sunhats all over Instagram lately. Now I can make my own!  //
\\  I'mma make myself a Namaste in Bed sleeping eye mask right this second!  //
\\  I'm practically wetting myself over pastel cotton candy cream soda.  //
\\  Do you think I would get fired if I came in to work with unicorn hair? Even so, I think it may be worth it.  //

Happy Friday!

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

June Beauty Favourites.


One: Max Factor Creme Puff Blush - Lovely Pink
I picked this up because the marbled prettiness instantly reminded me of my ever favourite Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush, and I'm all about the dupes. I must say, I'm pretty impressed. The shade Lovely Pink is quite similar to my usual Diffused Heat and feels pretty smooth and silky to apply. Whilst not as pigmented at Hourglass' offering, it's still super easy to blend and I didn't find it to be flat or chalky nor glittery and sparkly, which are always concerns of mine when opting for drugstore offerings. For a fraction of the price, I'm definitely using this for everyday and saving my high end baby for special occasions.

Two: LUSH Hot Oil Treatment - Damaged
I picked the damaged hair offering of this gem up at the Bloggers United AU event that I attended early last month. I only ended up needing half of the mixture on my long hair, so I've stored the rest in the fridge for future use - Ka-Ching! The whole thing is just a fun experience from start to end - slowly mixing in hot water and watching the bar melt to a luxurious thick paste, to slathering the cosy warm mixture on to you hair, to getting to catch up on the latest episode of PLL whilst it works it's magic. The least fun part of it all I would say, is the washing it out. Boy does it take a lot of effort to get off. I shampooed my hair as was suggested and I still doubt I got it all out meaning my hair did feel oily and heavy the next day, BUT THE DAY AFTER THAT! Oh boy! Once all product had been washed out completely, my hair felt amazing! Even better? My horribly dry, split ends are still to this day, 3 whole weeks later, visibly smoother. My hair feels healthy, seriously conditioned and softer than it has in a long time.

Three: Karal Purify Hydra Moisturising Conditioner
I'm loving this conditioner on my Winter damaged hair right now. My hairdresser aunty (who is always coming to my hair's rescue) recommended this to me when I complained that confusing the shit out of my hair by stepping out of the freezing outside world and in to an intensely heated office 50 times per day was really taking it's toll. This smooths and moisturises dry, frizzy and stressed hair without weighing it down or making it feel greasy, leaving my locks feeling soft, conditioned and manageable.

Four: Palmolive Body Polish -  Strawberry
I love how natural this particular line is! Each bottle contains real fruit seeds, which make great exfoliators. I'd say this sits somewhere between a sugar scrub and a shower gel - far more gentle than a sugar scrub, but far more effective at exfoliating than a regular gel. It lathers up so luxuriously and my skin is left feeling smooth and moisturised. The sweet berry scent is so delicious I could eat it, and the cheerful scent follows me around and uplifts me all day.

Five: The Body Shop Shade Adjusting Drops - Lightening

I have a plethora of foundations. A plethora of foundations that are a prefect match for my skin tone until it comes to Winter, that is. The lack of any form of sunshine means that my once beautifully matched foundation now looks too dark against my newly pale and pasty complexion. Rather than buying a whole new set of Winter appropriate shades, I decided to give this little beauty a try in an attempt to save some moooolah. By adding 1-2 drops of the white and pink pigmented formula to one pump of liquid foundation, the orange-y tinge is neutralised and the shade is lightened overall, making for wearable Winter foundation. Ka-ching!

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Friday Finds.

Here are a few of my internet finds (and loves) from over the past week:


\\  I'm all about marble nail art right now. Allllll. About.  //
\\  Look at this oh-so-unhealthy birthday cake milkshake bowl! I'm content with life.  //
\\  I'm an avid at breakfast hater, but I could get in to these honey yogurt fig pops.  //
\\  This peach ricotta pizza with spicy microgreens makes me feel all kinds of fancy.  //
\\  This braid though, guys. THIS BRAID!  //
\\  I would very much like this mat for every room in the house.  //


Happy Friday!

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