Week in review according to Instagram

It's been a busy week and I shared it all on Instagram.

* On Monday we went to 400 Gradi on Lygon Street, Brunswick which was amazing! 

The Margarita pizza won best pizza in a competition in ITALY! Yum Yum!

* The previously mentioned pizza.

* I restyled a corner of my living room and piled up some fashion and decor books with some ceramic vases, I think it looks great! Darren Palmer even commented on my post! 

* #throwbackthursday was a pic of my Mum and I when I was a little girl! Love this retro photo! Go the 80's!

* Friday morning was spent waiting for ages for a blood test. Ugh.

* Friday afternoon was spent playing with my beautiful Sasha to cheer me up. It worked.

* I love the weekend!

* Sunday flowers and Love

*Sunday afternoon gardening. These $10 large white and gold pots were from Kmart and look awesome with my succulents. 

And that was my week! 

Kitchen Love

I have a confession. I am slightly obsessed with Pinterest. And by 'slightly' I mean totally. 

Pinterest makes me feel like I have my life in order, at least my online life. Having everything organised into neat little categories is somehow extremely satisfying. 

While going through some of my pins I got some inspiration to share some of the amazing things I've come across, specifically some gorgeous kitchen designs that make me want to buy a whole new house just do re-do my kitchen to look like these! Whilst I have always preferred and loved a fresh, bright, all white kitchen that you can add colour to using your accessories, these pics are slowly convincing me otherwise. 

Look at this first kitchen! Navy blue cabinetry? YES PLEASE! How stunning does it look with the gold fittings and fixtures? Also loving that sink! And the marble counters! It's perfection. I love that even though the cabinets are so dark, it still looks like a bright and light space. 

Here's another one with the navy blue/gold combination. So dreamy! 

The wood counter tops soften the whole look and give it a more casual vibe. 

Ohhhh! Look at this prettiness! Love the subway tiles and the open shelving. The cute little glass doors right up the top are so good to display cute little items. The silver handles stand out to give it an almost country chic vibe.

Glass cabinets are my favourites. I love combining storage and display in one. Why not show off all your lovely things? Another marble counter top. It looks so stunning in contrast with the dark cabinets. The windows just finish the space off and tie it all together in such a beautiful way.

Ok. This one is my favourite full of all my absolute favourite things.

 Everything I love all wrapped up in a perfect pretty package.

• Charcoal cabinets
• Gold hardware (and stunning hardware at that)
• Glass doors
• Marble counter tops
• AMAZING tile splash back
• PEONIES! 

*sigh* If only whatever I pinned magically appeared in my life. 

I hope these gave you some inspiration for your next kitchen design. I'm off to convince my husband to buy a new house so I can do it all over again. 

Follow me on Pinterest to see more things to inspire you

FOLLOW MY PINTEREST

*any pictures I've included are taken from my Pinterest account and are not my own or taken by me.

Depression is not a dirty word

It has been a long time. A long, long time since my last post. This post may explain it all. I posted the piece below on my facebook page a couple of weeks ago and was overwhelmed by love and support. 

I have debated long and hard about whether I share this, which I wrote last week one morning at 3am. Part of my journey is to be open, honest and to talk about how I feel. So here it is.. an explanation. If it helps just one person, it's worth it. 

To all the people I've met over the past 3 years, you never really met me. You met a version of me that I'm not even familiar with. You met a version of me that I don't like.

I used to be happy, easy going, fun, social and confidant. I am no longer any of those things. I used to feel comfortable speaking in public. My wedding speech in front of 298 people was a breeze for me. A year later, my 30th birthday speech in front of 40 people was terrifying. I have never felt more uncomfortable or more completely self conscious as I did in that moment.

It didn't happen all at once. It was a slow eroding of my self worth and a picking at my mental and emotional state that eventually caused me to break down. And break down I did. I felt like a stranger to myself. I couldn't understand why everything became so difficult and so overwhelming. I would cry all the time without knowing why the tears had started or how to make them stop. My home became my safe haven and beyond the front door was a place I didn't want to be a part of. I thought everyone judged me or talked about me and I was anxious and embarrassed to socialise. I would cancel plans, not respond to messages or calls and want nothing to do with anyone or anything. I would crawl into a ball either in bed or on the couch for hours and hours on end. No ambition. No motivation. No drive. No life.
Months past and I finally got fed up enough to recognise that I needed help and I needed it fast. Then I was diagnosed. Major depressive disorder. Those three words were meant to explain the torment and the pain I had been enduring for so long. Three words are not enough.

Not being able to completely understand what was happening to me was the hardest part. I blamed myself to begin with- I just wasn't strong enough, I'd let things get to me, I'm too emotional and too sensitive- but that was not the truth. The truth is that depression is an illness, a sickness. You can not control any part of it. It takes moments in your life, sadness and insecurities and turns them into toxic energy which seeps through every part of you slowly and silently until you are paralysed and unable to do even the simplest of tasks. It takes over your body, mind and soul and leaves you depleted and deflated and lost. Yes, lost. You have no idea where the YOU you once knew has gone and if you'll ever find them again. You take it one minute, one hour, one day at a time.

I'm confidant I'm on the road to finding me again. I don't know how long the road will be but I know I'm on the right track.
I talk about my journey through this all the time as I feel it is important to get it out of my mind and out in the open. Answering "I'm good" when I was asked how I was, felt like I was lying which ate me up inside. So I tell the truth now. I tell people I've had a rough ride but I'm on the way to getting better. It's been the hardest 10 months of my life.
I'm lucky that I have such a wonderful support system around me to listen, to help, to encourage me.

There are people who I know get uncomfortable when I talk about it all and that's just because the stigma still surrounds depression and mental illness and some people just don't know what to say.
To them I say this: I know you don't understand it all but listening to me talk about it, even if you have no response, helps me more than you know. One day I'll have other more interesting things to talk about I promise. As Ricky Gervais so wonderfully said, "Telling people with depression to "just snap out of it" is about as useful as telling people with cancer to "just stop having cancer"."

To those who are struggling I say this: Get help. From your family, your friends, a doctor, a coach, a teacher, a priest or whoever else you think will want the best for you and who will try to encourage you on your way to recovery. It is the worst thing to keep it inside you and to not say "I think I need help".

To all the people I've met over the past 3 years, one day you'll meet me. The real me. And that version of me is pretty awesome. I promise.

Like

I'M A MARRIED WOMAN!

Last year on 10.11.12 I married the love of my life, my best friend and the most patient, caring man I know. It was such an overwhelmingly huge day but I couldn't wipe the smile off my face!!
99.9% of things went the way I wanted them to and I was so excited to see everything come together on the day.
The dress was the first one I ever tried on ( I only tried on another 2 to humour my Mum who said I had to but agreed straight away this was "THE ONE"!)

Here are some pics...

FATHER OF THE BRIDE & BRIDE

GORGEOUS FLOWERGIRL

BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS BY 'WILLOW&MOSS'

SURPRISE DIAMOND EARRINGS, GIFT FROM MY GROOM!

A LITTLE EXCITED?!

FIRST LOOK- WARMS MY HEART!

WEARING THE STEFANA, GREETING GUESTS AT THE CHURCH

SIGNED, SEALED, OFFICIAL!

LOVE xx

KISSES OUTSIDE THE CHURCH

AT THE FITZROY GARDENS

BRIDAL PARTY, MINUS THE LITTLE ONES

BRIDAL PARTY AGAIN

MY GORGEOUS SISTER, MAID OF HONOUR IN A MLEKE CUSTOM MADE DRESS

LOVE THIS PIC!

WATCHING... BACK OF MAID OF HONOURS DRESS

WE'RE MARRIED!

GORGEOUS PENINSULA @ THE DOCKLANDS

VIEW FROM THE BRIDAL TABLE

THE SET UP @ PENINSULA

CUTTING THE CAKE!

BRIDAL PIC AT DOCKLANDS, BY THE WATER

MATES :)

Seriously such a wonderful day!


Check out the video here: http://vimeo.com/54967234


Photos: THE WHITE TREE
Flowers: WILLOW & MOSS
Dress: PRONOVIAS (I added the sleeves)
Bridesmaid: MLEKE
Suits: GERMANICOS
Cake: CAKEFACE

My very very cute kitchen tea!

This is late. Very late. I know. Married life has taken over! But I'm back and we have so much to catch up on!

I will do separate blog posts for most big events I missed but I will have to do combined ones for some others.

This blog post in particular is about my Kitchen Tea. My GORGEOUS Kitchen Tea!

My little sister (and maid of honour) organised and ran it for me wayyy back in October of last year. I honestly knew absolutely nothing about any of it and was completely overwhelmed when I saw the finished product! She spent weeks ordering things online, sticking bits and pieces together and printing and designing things for the day. I could not have been happier with it all. It was exactly as I'd always hoped it would be.

The big afternoon tea table completed! Look how gorgeous!

THE FINISHED TABLE! HOW CUTE!

I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SET UP

DELICIOUS CHAMPAGNE CAKE WITH BUNTING TOPPER!

LOVE. THAT'S WHY WE WERE THERE...

VINTAGE STYLE BLACKBOARD

CREATE YOUR OWN BUBBLY COCKTAILS

ALL GUESTS LEFT A NOTE AND TOOK A POLAROID PHOTO WITH ME AND PINNED IT TO THE STRING

MINT & BERRY LEMONADE. SO CUTE!

LOVING THE FLOWERS

GORGEOUS!

THE NOTE STATION

HOMEMADE FLAVOURED LEMONADE

I had such a great day and it made me so excited for the wedding!

A letter to Jill..

Dear Jill,

With a heavy heart this morning I write you this letter.
I didn't know you. We had never met, never spoken and I only heard of you last Saturday when I came across the facebook page that told of your disappearance. But, somehow over the last week, I have felt like you were my friend.

I thought of you constantly. I updated news posts and facebook pages hourly to see the latest on the case and I was worried sick for you. I must admit, after day 2 I knew it wasn't looking good but I held hope in my heart that this time it would be different. That Police would burst through someone's front door and there you'd be. Terrified but ok. That you'd run to your husband and embrace him and we'd all shout "Hooray! She's ok!". You'd go back to your normal life and we'd all breathe a sigh of relief. But it was not to be. This morning as soon as I woke up, still lying in bed, I grabbed my phone to check the update and there was the news I had been praying against. The news confirming all of our fears. Your body was found. I feel like I am grieving and I am a total stranger. My heart hurts, my thoughts are with your family and I can only begin to understand what they are going through today. No one would wish that sort of pain on anybody.

As a Coburg girl I, like you, have spent many hours of my life walking the streets of Coburg and Brunswick. Yes, I was cautious and always weary and had experienced my share of creepy behaviour. But you never ever think it would turn into something like this. You always think the weirdo will just walk away and that's the end. Because of you, I will never walk anywhere on my own again. If that's the only semi positive thing that comes out of all of this, please know that what happened to you will help save other women. We will all think twice now about what we do.

I am so saddened that your life was cut so short for no reason. That you will never fulfil dreams you had, never grow old and grey with your husband, never experience more of life. That in an instant some sick person (I can't call him a human being) thought he had the right to do what he did to you. May he suffer for the rest of his days with his guilt weighing him down. And know we all wish that for him. If not worse.

Jill, know that you had millions of people praying for you, thinking about you and sending our love to your family this last week. I hope your husband, parents, brother and the rest know how many strangers have cared for Jill over the last 6 days and understand how many people have been affected by this senseless and disgusting act of cruelty.

Jill may your beautiful soul rest in peace and may your loved ones be comforted and be strong to get through this tragedy.

Love Angie.L
xxx

Click on this link to read Jill's story

Current obsessions...

I must admit, I have an obsessive personality. I find something I like and either wear it every day, pine for it ever day, watch it every day or use it every day! These are some of the things I have currently constantly in my thoughts..... MY NEW FAVOURITE POLISH: CHANEL 'JUNE'

Perfect every day colour (matches my ring beautifully too! hehehe)

MY NEW WOOD BLOCK CALENDAR: TYPO Loving this, except I must admit sometimes the blocks stay on the same date for a couple of days in a row.. I'm forgetful!!!

PRETZELS & POPCORN: Yummy snacks Seriously. I realised after I looked into the bottom of the empty pretzel bag that I need help. I was CRAVING these all day. Then devoured them. Embarrassing.

LULU: MY CAT My parents laugh at me because they think I'm more excited to see her at the end of the day than to see them. I am. Why is that funny?

THIS TEA POT/CUP: HILARIOUS EVERY TIME I LOOK AT IT.

THIS PHONE: I WANT IT I have no idea where to get this but I want it. Now.

There will be more obsessions next week I'm sure. I'll keep you posted. Love, Angie. L