Smaggle

He’s a hairy beast isn’t he? And this is a picture of him on a good day. Anyway, he’s shaven it all off so he can participate in Movember.

Movember is all about raising awareness for men’s health including prostate cancer and depression. Basically, dudes shave their faces and grow moustaches for the month of November. It’s hilarious and supports a good cause. Win.

Bascially he’s teamed up with his mates and they are in a race to see who can raise the most money. It would be awesome if he won because a) I’m on board now and I hate losing and b) it would be amazing if someone donated who wasn’t his sister or mother.

Click here if you can spare a few dollars. If every Smaggle reader donated $1, he’d raise… a lot. Even if you can’t spare any money do visit his page so you can see the message I left for him with my donation. I’m so getting a Chinese burn next time I see him.

Also my apologies for getting all cause-ey on you today. I’ll write about make-up and boys tomorrow, I promise.

I don’t get too preachy about many things here at Smaggle except maybe gay marriage and the importance of daily sunscreen application. There’s one thing that I’m extremely passionate about though. Blood and organ donation.

Reasons Why It’s Awesome to Donate Blood

* You have shit loads of it that you’re barely using and it replenishes itself within 24 hours of a donation. We all know sharing is caring.

* You get to find out your blood type. Which could be extremely rare, like unicorn’s blood. For instance if your blood type is O-, anyone on this earth can receive your blood and be saved by it. Conversely if you’re AB+, you’re a total blood slut and can take from anywhere.

* You get delicious treats like strawberry milk and lollies.

* You get to literally save lives. It’s a common misconception that the majority of blood donations are used for trauma related blood loss. Most of it’s used on cancer patients and for other blood diseases which means that the Red Cross Blood Service ALWAYS needs donations. Always.

* You get to wear a bad-arse bandage and everyone knows how awesome you are. You can also skip the gym for the day. Sweet.

A Few Notes About Organ Donation

* Unless you have registered with the Australian Organ Donation Register and have an organ donor sticker on your ID or license there’s no guarantee that your organs will get donated. Without it, your next of kin (mother, partner) has final say. I’ve discussed this with everyone in my family and they know my wishes but I don’t trust that they wouldn’t freak out at the last minute. Take matters into your own hands and register. You can do this from the age of 16.

* There’s a window of about 45 minutes in which major organs like the heart and lungs, can be extracted and re-used. If they are not removed in this time it’s unlikely that they’ll be eligible for a transplant. Don’t make your donor wishes a secret. The sooner medical professionals can confirm that you are donor, the better.

* Don’t be precious about your eyes. Honestly, I used to be. I was an ‘everything but the eyes’ donor. However, a very close friend of mine was born with really dodgy eye-sight and was on a waiting list for the better half of his twenties waiting for a cornea donor. It took so long because there’s this stigma about eyes being the windows to the soul  and as a result, there are very few eye donors registered. It broke my heart to think of a living person, not being able to see and me selfishly taking my eyes to the grave. I thought it was really stupid. So I registered myself for eye donation… and skin as well. I want every single part of my body used, because I won’t need it. And neither will you.

Why not make a few phones calls on your lunch break today? Book yourself an appointment for a blood donation? Put yourself on the organ donation register?

If you’re able, please do it. Someone you love will need it one day. Oh and if you’re interested in the story behind why I donate, my friend Sarah at Fizz Me Up has interviewed me about blood donation today.

Do you donate blood? Are you on the donor registry?

Dress (as top) from Zara * Skirt thrifted from Fash’n'Treasure Markets in Canberra * Shoes from Whittner * Obi Belt from Elizabeth Kelly on Etsy * Earrings from Diva * Antique ring * Head piece from a store on Brunswick Street

We’ve been offline for a few days, in a dead reception zone at the coast. Two of our dearest friends (featured here – Dave and Ted) got married after having been in a relationship for ten years.

It was magical. Garden ceremony with beach views, Pims and cucumber sandwiches barefoot on the lawn, picnic rugs and party food, bonfire, red wine, champagne, mid-night curry and alfresco dancing under the stars.

What’s the best wedding you’ve ever been to?

Today we have the inspirational Kimberley from Dream. Delight. Inspire. with tips on how to stay focused when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Oh how I wish I were a super productive little dynamo Virgo like our dear Lady Smaggle here, but unfortunately I am a disorganised million-miles-an-hour Sagittarian mess. I usually have about a bajillion great ideas, a gaggle of to do lists, a stack-load of bookmarked websites and a bursting Google Reader account.

I constantly feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information coming from different directions and all the things I am meant to do with it. When I’m feeling like I can’t cope with the incoming whirlwind of debris, I crawl into my cocoon (read: bed) and watch insightful social documentaries (read: Gossip Girl) until I can function again.

Recently I discovered that I can’t read anymore. I skim. My brain gets bored reading full sentences! I was horrified, to say the least as I was the type of child who would lock herself in her bedroom all weekend with a book and only emerge for meals. I loved reading and now I feel this sense of shame, when I am skimming through an article.

So how can we regain some focus in a world that is barreling along like a train and throwing things at us left, right and centre? We slow down.

Just stop.

Switch all your devices off (no hyperventilating over this!) and go to a quiet spot. Close your eyes and focus on the sounds and how your body feels. There is no need to “meditate” as such (I’m hopeless at that anyway), but just breathe and focus on yourself and your surroundings. Forget everything you have to do that day, let go of any guilt/pain/aggravation from earlier and just sit there for 5 – 10 minutes. Do it, it feels awesome.

Get it all out.

Now that we have a clear mind, write down everything that you need to do, read, see, etc and make one huge list. Call it something motivating like Jenny’s List of Amazing or Dana’s Mountain of Do (I’m sure you’ll come up with much cooler ones, but you catch my drift, right?).
I know, I know, but this will take me forever you whine. Yeah it’ll take a while, but how good will you feel when all your tasks/commitments/desires are down in one place instead of on Post It notes, the backs of receipts, in odd note lists on your phone and voice recordings. One place = Level 1 Peace and Harmony my friends.

Categorise.

Now put everything into categories to give it some order. Colour code it if you like or draw pretty big clouds around everything, but get these into an order that is easier to manage and less overwhelming.

Prioritise.

Yeah Kim, no brainer, you say. Everyone can prioritise but it’s what you do with that list of priorities that really matters. Which category do you really want to focus on and get some action on? What is the most logical first step to get that happening?
If you’re anything like me, you’ll tackle the easy things first and leave those that you dread, but that is probably not the most productive way of approaching it. Do what makes sense first, then the other tasks will follow suit.

Train yourself to focus.

Whenever you set out to do a task, set a timer for 20 minutes or so and solely concentrate on that one thing until you hear the beep. No distractions or interruptions or stalking ex boyfriends’ current girlfriends on Facebook (c’mon it’s unhealthy anyway).
When you’re reading something or listening to a podcast, give it your full attention. Skimming? Mind wandering off? Start again. Soon this will become so frustrating that you’ll automatically read every single word just to avoid going over the same sections over and over again.

Do you find it hard staying focused when you’re feeling overwhelmed? What are your tips to stay sane?

Hello my lovelies. This is a follow-up video to… follow-up… on my previous hair videos. I had a light bulb moment where I realised I completely forgot to show you my secret technique for keeping my curls under control and frizz free.

Products used include Moroccan Oil, Moroccan Oil Curl Control Mousse (sent to me from Elise at Stuff That I Bought for editorial consideration), John Frieda Volume Spray and Shwarzkopf Leave In Moisturiser.

If you’re a frizzy haired gal please do follow me on Twitter and Facebook. I like to talk about my hair a lot.

If you don’t have frizzy hair then go and buy Zoe Foster’s Amazing Face that I mentioned in the video and read that instead. Changed. My. Life. Seriously. I finally found another human being who says ‘eye poo’ and ‘grundies’. Get on it.

P.S The feature image is a still from when I was shooting the video and I thought I’d include it because it’s freaking hilarious. I’m all ‘Hair care. It’s no laughing matter‘.

Because she’s extraordinary. I’m talking about Catherine Baba. I’ve known of her existence for a few years now, a petite package lavishly embellished with sequins and embroidery and always crowned with a turban. She’s been mysteriously popping up on street style sites such as The Sartorialist and Street Peeper for years, but with very little online presence (she only recently joined Twitter because Dita Von Teese made her), she’s a difficult ghost to track down. I was writing in a cafe yesterday when I stumbled upon an interview with her in Dumbo Feather magazine. I just wanted to share her with you.

She’s Australian born and raised and left her home town of Sydney when she was just 17 years old. She went straight to Paris. Catherine studied fashion in the same year as John Galliano, even living with him during their studies. She’s a designer, stylist, artist and eccentric.

She makes me want to drink champagne in the afternoon and spend my rent money on impracticle shoes.

Buy yourself diamonds? A teeny pair of studs? A decadent tennis bracelet? A rough cut stone set in platinum? Propose to yourself?

Keep delicious hand cream in your bathroom? Moisturise every time you wash your hands?

Make yourself an extraodinary sandwich? With turkey? Cheese? Avocado? Pickles? Anything your heart desires?

Keep a fish tank? Like when you were a little kid?

Complete the Sunday paper crossword? 

Wear a giant sun hat with a sweeping brim? Every single time you go out doors?

Share a shower with your lover? Have a chat while you wash your hair?

Apply your lipstick with an old fashioned lip brush? For fun?

Buy the most beautiful cupcake in the world? Peel back the wrapper and take a giant bite in the street?

Write your friend a postcard? Pop it under the wind screen wiper of their car so they’ll be delighted after work?

Eat your breakfast in bed? Make yourself a delightful plate of jam on toast and snuggle under the blankets to enjoy?