Day 3 - I Am Currently Addicted To This TV Show #26DayBlogChallenge

The TV series that I am currently addicted to is…… 

Californication!

I cannot begin to tell you how many people have recommended this series to me. Most are completely baffled when I admit that I haven’t seen it before.

Hearing from these people what it was all about definitely made me think that it was my cup of tea so while waltzing about the Cape Town Waterfront just last week, I picked the first season up and couldn't say no.

It’s based on an (alcoholic) writer whose a bit of a nymph. Fabulous!

But trust me, the story-line goes way deeper than that. I've only really just started so I can't really say much as of yet, but I can tell you that a few episodes in and I'm already hooked. 

The main character, Moody (David Duchovny from The X-Files,) struggles through his inability to avoid chaos, drugs, sex and rock n roll. He's got this incredibly intelligent 12-year daughter and you watch as he continuously mucks up every chance he gets at getting back together with her mother. 

It is disastrous, entertaining and a perfected balance between humor and sadness.

I find this series (and David Duchovny..) truly irresistible. 

Plus... movies, series and books based on writers are always front-runners for me.

What series have you been watching lately?

 

 

Day 2 - What's in my Make-Up Bag!? #26DayBlogChallenge

My make-up bag... probably the most uninteresting, dull place that a woman could possibly find herself in. 

You'd never guess from this little Hugo Boss clutch that I am in fact a qualified make-up artist. Yip. That's right. A few years ago I graduated with distinctions in Bridal, Day and Night make-up. 

Not that I actually EVER use these skills I obtained on myself, let alone on anyone else. I used to do brides make-up on their wedding day or Prom / Matric dance make-up; the occasional fashion photo-shoot. It was fun and all but it wasn't really something I was that passionate about. 

This is the contents of my make-up bag:

• Woolworth's 'Warm' Foundation (have yet to find a foundation to beat it!!)
•  A thick powder brush
• Bronzer (The Body Shop)
• Blush - pink (no brand)
• La Lu Waterproof Mascara (it's really clumpy and old now. Time to invest in a new tube!)
• Eyeshadow Brush
• Gold Eyeshadow (The Body Shop)
• Black Eyeshadow (no brand)
• Mixed (and broken) Eyeshadow Palate (probably from some cheap Chinese store... sshh)
• Almay Black Liquid Liner
• Maybelline Black Kohl Pencil Eyeliner 
• Dark Brown Lip Liner (Alia.. I think?)
• A collection of lipsticks. I have thousands - I have this huge lipstick fettish. 
• Lip-Ice with peppermint beads (this is my new discovery... I ADORE this product!! It's so minty and refreshing on my lips, especially over this winter period).
• x 2 Tweezers
• x 1 Pink Pair of Nail Clippers (no idea how they got in there....)

Just FYI: I don't usually wear all of that at once!

There is my ever so fetching no make-up 'selfie' from this morning. Straight out of the shower and getting ready for the working day. 

(before the caffeine fix I so desperately need):

My usual routine is to usually wash my face with some luke warm water, pat dry and apply my Vichy moisturizer. 

I then slick on some eyeliner if I feel like going for a darker look that day before applying my foundation with my fingers (I used to use a sponge but got sick of them). 

Then I take my black eyeshadow and brush it across my eyebrows to give them more definition and shape. 

I use the same brush to put some dark shadow under my bottom lashes and around the crevices at the top of my eyes. 

I blend in some gold eyeshadow and sometimes put brushes of white shadow under the eyebrows and on the inside of the eyes to highlight! It really helps to make the eyes POP.

I choose either my bronzer or the pink blush to apply over the apples of my cheeks to give my face some color.

Then I brush some mascara onto my lashes before dabbing some minty lip-ice over my lips and finishing off with a coat of lipstick. 

Today took under five minutes to get ready and this was the look I went with - including the wild and curly hair:

I'm attempting to go for a no heat styling month... 

Wish me luck!

26 Day Blog Challenge: Day 1 | Take a Photo of Yourself and Describe Your Day

Every so often, we all feel a bit uninspired and end up wondering what to fill our blogs up with.

I've often seen these 'Blog Challenges' around the blogosphere... 30 Day Challenges, 100 Days of Happiness etc.
They seem like fun - but I never really knew how exactly to join along.

Then, a fellow South African blogger, Lisa-Jade, suggested that I make my own blogging challenge. 

So I have compiled a list of things to keep us busy with over the next 27 days of August.
Join along if you'd be interested in doing something like this - I think that it's quite a fun way to link up and share your life and experiences with others.

So here is my list - come join in the fun - start WHENEVER you want to, it doesn't have to be today!  I'd love to see what you share with us from my list!

DAY 1: Take a photo of yourself and describe the day that you had.

It's the start of a new week - and pretty much the start of a new month! Golly... where does the time go!?

I woke up at about 02:30 this morning and decided to crack open the spine of my book in order to drift back off to sleep. I ended up reading until about 4am before I eventually drifted back off. Needless to say, by the time my usual alarm went off at 06:30am - I shut it right back off and cheekily ignored my running shoes placed ambitiously by my bedside.

I am such a procrastinator...

I had this great idea that if I lay out my sports wear close to the bed before going to sleep, it would give me the inspiration to shove them on in the crisp new morning sunrise and get some endorphins flowing.

So far - it has been unsuccessful.

In my defence though, it is still icy cold winter here in South Africa so curling up under the blankets with my cats and a book with my morning coffee sounds far more appealing.

One good thing came of this though - I finished my most recent book this morning and can now start on something new! To me, that's always exciting.

When I finally kicked off the blankets, I chucked myself into the shower to wake my groggy self up. Thereafter, low and behold the dreaded: Bad Hair Day.
Yip.... today was just one of those days where my hair did everything EXCEPT what I wanted it to.
So, what's a girl to do? I waltzed out on my lunch break this afternoon on the hunt for a hat, which yes, means I had to endure the scraggily hair-do for a few hours before the hat came around!

I managed to find this cute white hat as seen below in a really cute little store called Bloom.
It was R 99.00 and from the moment I saw it, I knew that I just had to have it.... although I felt pretty much the same with about twelve other things in the shop but alas, my budget did not allow those things to join me on the car ride back home - sob.

When my phone buzzed in my pocket, I hauled it out and had the lovely surprise of a book I had ordered a few weeks ago arriving at the local bookstore.

I've never read John Connolly before and I get a feeling that many of you haven't either... well... my usual books to settle down and read at night are all these easy-to-read romance, chick-lits. They're lovely and all - but I'm really craving a little something different. I'm also starting to get this idea of maybe writing a murder mystery / thriller novel once I've completed my second novel (almost done by the way!!).
So, I was recommended this series by John Connolly. I usually can't stand 'series' books, but even so I ordered to first in this series and have high hopes for it actually! Very excited to start the new and different read.

If anyone has read him before, I'd love your thoughts and opinions!!

So after work I sang along to some music in my car, drove by the lagoon-side watching the gorgeous sunset before slipping into some pyjama's at home and pouring myself a large glass of Shiraz.

That brings me to now...

The fire is lit, my glass of shiraz is close to needing a refill and I have a bowl of Chicken Ala King awaiting me in the kitchen!
Extreme Make-Over Home Edition is on the telly - so there's bound to be some tears. It ALWAYS makes me cry.

That's me for my first challenge post!! I really hope that you all enjoyed this.. it's a little something different and something fun.

Have an amazing evening (or day, depending on where you are in the world).

Until tomorrow,