Introducing the New Year with Funkita and Shartruese

Wearing: Funkita Garden Party The Detail Top & The Detail Bottom Swimwear thanks to Funkita; Shartruese White Bubble necklace thanks to Shartruese; May 28th 12.40PM watch thanks to Surfdome; Leopard Print Jelly Beans shoes thanks to Jelly Beans

Happy New Year my lovely readers. It's been a while since I've written up a post and I am sorry for my absence. I can't help it though every year I get a strong case of Christmas cheer that leads up to End of Year freak-outs and then the New Year joys and relief. My holidays were filled with catching up with friends, baking cookies, working night shifts and gym for swimwear season.
I wish I could say it was my happiest holiday, but I always carry a little unhappiness in me - that is, the sorrow of my recent breakup. Even the holiday distractions and holiday cheer fade at some point.
With breakups means you must  find yourself once again...so hours and hours watching Sex and The City re-runs, hard gym sessions at 2am (I got to a 24/7 gym), sparking up cigarettes and growing out my signature bangs I'm hoping I can find a happy and emotionally healthy Natalie.

I find now that I want more space then ever though - like my desire to log off Wattsapp more and more, as the idea of people stalking my time-stamp has become suffocating. If you're not familiar with Wattsapp, its a messaging service on smart phones similar to MSN and it reads everyone 'last seen' status and shows when the other person is online or typing a message. Some people point out to me I've been glued to my phone on social occasions and I sense they feel I'm being rude and not 'present'. I also have had people obsess about my timestamp and smother me with questions on why I have been online but not answering their messages.
In a time now where social media has taken over and hyper-connectivity is now the norm.. I am sometimes forced be in tedious long-day conversations where we relay mundane details of daily life and a sense of repetitiveness or deja-vu happens. The talk is now routine and painfully predictable.
It was taking a toll on me - I was suddenly expected to not live a life and lay in bed answering my messages on Wattsapp. And it doesn't help that my life consists of a lot of days off and alot of time to kill. The mysteries and excitement of life and important people was getting choked by Wattsapp.
Some conversations are amazing and worthwhile to keep and I appreciate my friendships but some are just tedious and forced. I can't spend my life texting and become smothered when people ask why I don't answer back straight away. It's not the end of the world, hey?

So one of my new years resolutions for 2014 is to become less engaged and reliant with hyper connected social tools and rather concentrate on the present moment and real dates and lunches and dinners with people face to face. Get off the phone. People are so used to communicating via a phone screen in 100 conversations at once that we run out of things to say and people become obsessed with that vibrating message tone.

With Wattsapp hopefully trickling out of my daily life, I've decided that my other New Years Resolutions this year are to:

Learn how to skateboard
Travel outside of the Country
Cook at least two recipes form each new Cook Book I received over Christmas last year
Learn to take self timer photos on my DSLR
Be less engaged with Hyper-connected Social tools like Facebook and Wattsapp
Fill my weekly planner at least a week in advance (make real plans)
Pick up a pen and draw again
And finally, be fully concious of my time and how I spend it

All in all though, I must learn to embrace myself, all my flaws and insecurities and celebrate me. I realised last year I spent alot of time feeling sorry for myself, being sucked into negativity and putting alot of pressure on other people to pull me back up again.
I definitely shouldn't be too hard on myself! I'm 26 years old and heaps of things going for me.

I took time to reflect my life with Wattsapp when I was at the beach with Betty the other week as we sunbaked and read novels and gossiped (real plans and real conversations, yay). And even though I think my body isn't 'beach body' I already felt fitter and toned and healthy from weeks of gym and I enjoyed the peace as I layed in my Funkita (Australian design and lovely) swimwear.
Life for 2014. I hope it just keeps getting better and better and bigger and brighter and colourful and sweet. And that I remain in the presence of it all.

There are always Second Chances

Wearing: Riders by Lee Australia Slouch Roll Up Shorts thanks to Riders by Lee; Cali & Cale Shelly Sandals thanks to Cali & Cale; H&M Pink Parka; Chiciabooti Lace top; May 28th 12.40PM Watch thanks to Surfdome; Sportsgirl's 'Spring Fling' Lipstick

Oh dear, my body hurts so much these days. I've been attending gym and doing weight exercises for my legs, arms, back, shoulders and chest. And I'm doing a whole lot of abwork and that painful exercise called 'planking' which makes me scream in my head so many stupid swear words.
It's also a whole lotta ugly when I leave the gym, red faced, sweaty chest and matted hair. Panting like a dog. I wouldn't want to bump into myself at the gym. But hey, I've been making up excuses for a whole year not to go to gym and take care of my body. I'm forever complaining that I lose my breath walking up a small flight of stairs and about my non-existent thigh gap.

But, that's why we're allowed second chances, when you cannot keep making up excuses any more (work, fatigue, heart-ache). Like my broken relationship right now, I feel I need a fresh start or at least to take care of myself first before opening up my heart to someone new or to cherished loves ones. First, I start with my health which brings about them natural endorphins and non-jiggly body parts which makes me feel good about myself and then that will reflect my mood, my mental health and the enthusiasm I have for blogging (self-conciousness out the door when taking photos). It's like a ripple of positive energy in my life.

Second chances. I don't want to screw up Life this time (well mainly, my relationships with men), I just want to move forward with commitment, courage and most importantly, honesty.

Thanking Riders by Lee (Australia and NZ) for providing me these beautiful slouch shorts that hug my hips nicely but allow for a slouchy loose fit for my relaxed and casual Aussie style.

A Pretty watch from May 28th thanks to Surfdome

 Wearing: Front Row Shop Army Green Jacket thanks to Front Row Shop; Nasty Gal Blouse; Beginning Boutique lilac skirt; Steve Madden Boots; May 28th 12.40PM floral watch thanks to Surfdome; Double Stripe Hipster backpack thanks to To The Nines

I love to be a free soul most of the time, have no-one keep me tied to the ground or control what I do or what I say. But sometimes I want to belong to something solid, be with someone who can be my rock.

And in these confusing times, I feel myself torn and considering things I've never considered before. It's scary when you're experiencing feelings that rarely come at you and sweep you off your feet. It's like the sudden feeling of not wanting to go home but knowing you can't stay where you are. Well I could stay, if it were easily possible...

In time though, I will learn from my lessons/mistakes and recycle my knowledge and try not to repeat mistakes, and in the end, always remember that no matter what happens, I will be OK. Absolutely OK.

And now having been two years of blogging now, with countless outfits and hairstyles, I still encounter the bad outfits and confusing camera pose choices. And again in time, I hope to learn from my mistakes from blogging as well. The most important lesson though it to ABSOLUTELY be yourself.

I'm temperamental about my style, so sometimes I like to wear colours. Thanks to Surfdome I found myself wearing a bright watch from May 28th, called 12.40PM (interesting hey?) combined with lilac, polka dots and khaki. An outfit that makes me look younger, but that's part of my temperamental personality. Yet always try to be yourself today live in the moment, even if your heart will change it's course tomorrow.

The Riders by Lee Attitude

Wearing: Mid Rise Vegas Jeans (similar here) thanks to Riders by Lee; Velvet Top thanks to Riders by Lee; Front Row Shop Khaki Jacket thanks to Front Row Shop; Vintage Felt Hat (from Terrigal); Jeffrey Campbell's Oil Slick 'Solitaire' Heels; May 28th 12.40PM Watch thanks to Surfdome; Sistaco Cloudy Skies necklace thanks to Sistaco

I've been cooped up in my room lately, determined to clock POKEMON X on my 3DS and beat my boyfriend and all my other friends that were smart enough to get the game... it means that I've tried to squeeze every free minute I have in between blogging, emailing, work, parties, social outings, fashion events and baking to play.

I know there are more pressing issues in the world to think about like washing my hair or feeding the dogs (or feeding myself in that matter) but playing Pokemon at the age of 26, still transports me back to me to that giddy 10 year old kid playing Pokemon red, blue, yellow, gold and silver. I finished all games but since the Pokemon went beyond the original 150... I stopped (and I guess I grew older...).

Playing games is fun but it seriously is different when you're an adult. I have to schedule 2 hours here and there in my diary for play, I make decisions like taking a train over driving to get play-time. Doing this has seriously put my work/life balance into perspective. Pokemon is pure play-time for me, not like social obligations or fashion events and I've found that my play-time is slipping away.

And my leisurely strolls have gone out the window too. This is one of my rare walks I've taken recently, the type I take for a good escape or breather. As I've been mentioning lately, I've been happier so there is rarely anything bad to escape from these days.
All I can look forward to is pure play-time and my now fun-loving life.

Riders by Lee adopts a care-free, life loving and relaxed attitude. So today I wear some wicked Riders by Lee mid-rise Vegas denim with slashed knees and a velvet/chiffon top from their 2013 collection in the hopes that I can adopt this Riders by Lee attitude forever and ever.