Family Christmas!

Christmas is my favourite time of the year. The decorations, food, shopping, presents, food, family, carols and food. I mean what is there possibly to complain about. The past couple of years I have worked in retail and I know what you are thinking, here comes her rant about annoying customers doing their christmas shopping but to be completely honest I think it just makes me love Christmas even more. Talking to people and hearing about their christmas traditions and seeing the gifts they buy just makes me get into the Christmas spirit. Christmas Day is always the best day of the year for me. There is nothing more perfect then spending the day eating, drinking, relaxing and celebrating with your Family and sometimes even friends. So this year I thought I would share our celebrations with you.

It always starts in the morning with Mum in the kitchen cooking up a breakfast feast while my brother and I put on some classic Christmas Carols and dance around the house singing loudly. Sometimes we will try out a new Christmas album but we usually stick to the old faithful Hi-5 Christmas one. (Say what you will it is positively brilliant) The tree is dressed and the house is beautifully decorated - and by decorated I mean tinsel everywhere you could possibly put it (my dad taught me well). My grandparents arrive and this year a good friend of mine is joining as well.

Time for Presents! I take on the role of Santa and I start handing out the presents. Mum will always be the last one opening presents because she gets too distracted watching to see what everyone else got. Thats one of my favourite things about her. My brother will always receive something lego related, for Mum there is always a cookbook and me, well it's usually fashion related. Then its time to get the roast in the oven and start prepping for the rest of the food. Christmas for me would not possibly be the same without my mums cooking. I know you are going to think I am bias but ask anyone who has eaten some of her magnificent food. It truly is delicious. Even though its Summer for Christmas we always cook a big roast including pork, turkey and all the vegetables. (Ham too!!) After dinner we are all in a food coma and all thats left is to roll to the couches and relax. There is no better way to end the day then in front of the TV with my whole family watching Love Actually.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Heartless Beach

My family and I have been going on a beach holiday every year for about fifteen years and I thought to myself its finally time I came clean about my true feelings about the beach. (and basically just do a lot of whinging and moaning) But the truth is... I really don't like the beach. I mean don't get me wrong I love the water and the sun but you know what also has those? A lovely pool! Here are a few of my issues with the beach:

First of all: Sand - It just gets everywhere. No matter how much I try while laying out my towel I always end up with huge piles of sand all over it. I sit down in the middle of my towel next thing I know I have sand all over my arms. When did that happen. I didn't even touch the sand. Oh my gosh now there is sand on my face. WHY WONT YOU LEAVE ME ALONE SAND! Don't even get me started on ridiculous people who don't know towel shaking etiquette.

Secondly: The Ocean - Unknown things rubbing up against me under the waters surface. Seaweed, branches, shells, leaves, jellyfish, fish, rocks, SHARKS!! And then the irrational fear of after getting out into the deeper water and then not being able to put my feet down because I don't know what is on the sea floor below me. I was floating the other day in the salty water enjoying the tiniest bit of serenity when I put my feet down to walk back to the shore and all of a sudden my foot hits a sharp rock on the ocean floor. SUPRISE! (because we all know how much salt water burns in a fresh graze)

Thirdly: People - What goes through peoples minds when they choose what swimmers to wear to the beach, I think people definitely forget about their body types and just wear whatever they want. I don't want to be a bitch but lets be real, some people just should not wear bikinis! Especially when there are so many other things they could be wearing that suited them better. In Australia it is certainly not hard to find a good selection of swimwear. There are also plenty of styles to try this summer including but not limited to one pieces, swim dresses and high waisted bikinis. Separates are an easy way to purchase that way if you find the perfect pair of black bottoms your set for the whole summer to mix match any top you find. Showing more skin by wearing a skimpy bikini doesn't make you the sexiest person on the beach.

One thing that I do love about the beach is the amount of pretty things you can buy. For Example, you need outfits to wear over your swimmers when you head to the beach or are hanging poolside. My favourite this summer is a super cute Zebra print jumpsuit I got from H&M. Perfect to throw on over your swimmers and super comfortable. Beach towels are also very pretty at the moment with lots of new and different styles around. I got a round Aztec print towel for my birthday while my mum opted for an orange Turkish towel this summer. I mean nothing can really be that horrible if you are wearing a cute outfit.

Im going to leave you with one piece of advice that my dad always shared with me. When swimming in the ocean always make sure there are a few people further out then you. That way when the shark eats all of them he wont be hungry by the time he gets to you!!

Birthday Balmain

One of the hardest fashion decisions you will ever have to face is picking the perfect birthday party outfit, especially for someone like me who tends to overdress for most occasions anyway. It definitely had to be something show stopping whilst also being unique and never seen before. I tried on a whole heap of dresses and skirts in the process. Dont get me wrong they were all beautiful and elegant outfits but nothing like what I had in mind. When I expressed this dissapointment to my family my mum offered up the brilliant advice of maybe changing it up by wearing pants instead. Pants?  PANTS! Thats it! So brilliant. Not often when you think cocktail attire do you think a classy pant look. And I knew from that moment that I going to be a classic black wide leg pant.

After doing some research I found that the Balmain Collection for H&M was coming to Australia on November 5th. The collection was incredible! Such beautiful detail and amazing quality for such affordable prices. I knew this is what I wanted to wear. I lined up at six am on Thursday with my bestfriend/housemate, who was definitely not as excited as I was, to see if we could get the top I had been dreaming of. Usually i'm quite morally against lining up for anything but after seeing the collection online and loving this designer for a while now I thought that if im going to line up for anything this would be it. I grabbed some dresses to try on after realising the top I wanted had already sold out and we went into the changing rooms. It quickly started to become apparent that these dresses were not going to fit over my booty and so my friend went off to see if any of the girls in the change rooms had the top. Due to her snooping and absolute pure luck she found the last one in a size 14 being tried on by a size 8. She finally gave up and handed it over and all my Balmain dreams had come true. This also became my first ever designer piece.

When searching for the perfect outfit it is often hard to keep a clear picture of what you want. Don't settle for something laclustre and dont forget to check out online stores as well as local retailers and boutiques. Often you will find something different or even another idea to add to the list. Don't be afraid to try something different. Im not usually a pants person but this outfit suited the occasion so perfectly. Its okay to step out of your comfort zone and match two different pieces together. Don't feel like you have to spend hundreds of dollars. You can always rewear something that you already own mixed with a new item.

'like riding a bike'

The expression 'like riding a bike' is often used to describe muscle memory in the fact that once you learn it the first time it is quite easy to pick up again. Well i think we need a new phrase. I learnt how to ride a bike when i was younger just like most other people but I was definitely more of a roller blade/razor scooter kind of girl. I mean they are so much cooler then riding a mainstream bike. Obviously. So apart from riding when i was much younger in primary school I don't think I had actually ridden a bike in about 10 years.

When I was in Germany earlier this year we had a casual bike tour planned around Munich. Even though I knew I hadn't been on bike in about 10 years I thought this should be fine. Everyone always says 'like riding a bike' so I learnt once it should be pretty easy this time round, i mean i already know the basics. Now let me tell you, there is a lot more weight and height to add into this scenario then there would have been back then. Well safe to say, I got lost, on the easy bike tour, in the first 10 minutes. Purely because I was too busy forgetting how to brake and steer at the same time. I just ended up putting my feet out to slow down and ending up falling over. Don't worry the guide circled back for me and I completed the ride in one piece. But it did get me thinking, it really isn't that easy to pick up something you haven't done in 10 years. My muscles don't have that good of a memory. 

I rode a bike again today for the first time since the whole Germany Debacle and still haven't gotten the hang of this steering and braking business especially on roads or bike lanes. I am a danger to all pedestrians and cars. The day I am able to film a video or even take a photo will be an exciting day, thats for sure. But for now I will keep trying to master this whole bike riding business or maybe even just stick to the skills that I know I am fully qualified to pull off, posing awkwardly and making it look like I know what i am doing.

Hiding the Window to my Soul

 

Sunglasses are easily my favourite accessory at the moment, especially coming into Summer! A great way to add to an outfit or even change the theme of the outfit completely. Adding a really chic black pair of glasses and a bold lip can solve almost all of your outfit problems in one go. They can also hide a multitude of sins, especially if you have had a rather late night. The bigger the frame the better. Why not get a little crazy and experiment with colours and shapes. This seasons sunglasses trends are very retro. Think mirror lenses, floral embellishments and round frames and you have the right idea. Here are some of my favourite picks from ASOS.

Quay Australia Invader Cat Eye Mirror
$61.73

Cheap Monday Fuller Round
$41.16

Jeepers Peepers Metal Cat Eye
$37.04

GRANNY KNICKERS

Around two years ago I bought my very first pair of highwaisted undies (the largest Granny Knickers you could possible imagine) as a dance costume requirement. In my mind I was thinking ‘oh my god, how embarrassing!! These are huge! I hope no one ever sees these’. Little did I know that what I thought would be a one night stand turned into a long and beautiful relationship. Annoying waist band lines – GONE. Stomach Bulges – Gone. Comfort like id never experienced before.

I was recently on a trip around Europe with a large group of people I had never met before. Of course being the nervous and awkward person I am I felt embarrassed changing in front of them as they might comment on how utterly humungous my underwear was. It wasn’t until one day when one of the girls came in super confident showing off her super large underwear that I thought ‘IM NOT THE ONLY ONE’.

Why should we be uncomfortable in fancy g-strings or tiny panties all day just because someone once told us thats what we were supposed to wear to feel sexy? Id rather be comfortable and not have to worry about the giant wedgie I would be guaranteed to experience if I had chosen a smaller under garment. Feeling sexy should be all about comfort and confidence. And if you are confident enough you can pull of any look or amount of sexiness.

Lots of designers, including Burberry Prorsum and Proenza Schouler have been embracing the highwaisted underwear trend even making it a focus point in some of their pieces. This look has also been seen on the red carpet in lots of different ways which proves more and more women are finally giving up on the tiny underwear and adopting a new way of life. A comfortable way of life! Take it from me. I should know! 

My First Ever Post!

Welcome to my brand spanking new blog 'Full of Grace'! Im very new to the whole blogging thing but i decided hey, why not give it a go. Maybe someone will enjoy reading the many ramblings of my extremely bizarre brain. Ill be posting about a whole bunch of different things so stay posted but i guarantee it will definitely be an interesting journey.

Gracie xx