:: Spring Giveaway! ::

It's been far too long since I've had a give away for you guys.  My blog's first birthday came and went without any sort of celebration, so I'm having a Spring Giveaway instead!

This giveaway includes a selection of some of my favourite things! Nail polish, decorative tape, glittery pens, a pencil, lip gloss, mini cards and earrings from Gracie's etsy, a cute eraser, and an adorable pencil case to hold it all in! There will also be a few little surprise extras :)

(Note the nail polish colours - lavender and green. Oh, I am so hilarious!)

How to Enter:
1. You must be a follower of my blog (this is open internationally)
2. Leave a comment telling me your favourite piece of stationery (I might include it as a surprise!)

Extra Entries:
1. Post about my giveaway on your blog and leave a separate comment with the link.

Entries close midnight on Wednesday the 12th of October, and the winner will be chosen randomly.

And that's it! Simple, right?

PS. There may also be a surprise second place gift too!

:: Here's To The Ladies Who Lunch ::

 

Here's to the ladies who lunch - everybody laugh. Lounging in their caftans and planning a brunch, on their own behalf.

Continuing on from my 'I am in love with all of this warm weather - I love Spring picnics!' post, I thought I'd show you something else I also love - morning/afternoon teas with my family. The girls got together at my sister-in-law's house and sipped delicious drink while eating cupcakes, little sandwiches and a super yummy pavlova.

Does it get any better?

A toast to that invincible bunch, the dinosaurs surviving the crunch. Let's hear it for the ladies who lunch - everybody rise!

Mmm ... pavlova. It is seriously my favourite dessert for the warmer weather (caramel and coconut win out in Winter). I adore cupcakes, but I'm not much of a cake person.

Do you have any morning/afternoon tea must-haves?

:: Look Book - Practically Perfect Picnic ::

I am so excited it's finally Spring! I love the warm weather - it means swimming, bbqs, bike rides, and picnics!

:: Dress - Vintage / Cardigan - Valley Girl / Shoes - Ruby ::

I love picnics, there's something wonderful about them. Don't you agree?

:: Wedding Photography ::

I have to say, it's amazing the people you meet on the Internet. The connections you make with people you've never met before is astounding. The opportunities you come across thanks to those people is also incredible - and this wedding was one such opportunity.

Last month I had the pleasure of shooting the wedding of Gracie's older brother. It was so nice to meet all the people I'd read about on her blog - and to photograph them! She seriously has the nicest family.

It was such a fun day, full of little heartfelt moments - the groom crying during his personalised vows, the minister making them kiss three times (so cute), the flower girl striking some seriously awesome poses, the adorable bow tie on the little page boy ... I had a blast!

I love wedding so much. I would go to a wedding every weekend if I could!

I've just realised all the photos I've chosen are black and white - I promise I gave the couple lots of colour photos too!

:: For the Love of Flowers ::

Mr LG and I went to the Brisbane Markets the other weekend. We had a great time looking at all the fresh produce and yummy meats. But my favourite section was the flowers. There was only a small flower section, but there was more than enough to make me happy!

We ended up buying a bunch of bright purple flowers, a bunch of lovely tiny white flowers and a bunch of pale pink flowers. I'm not a flower buff, so I have no idea what they're called! We had enough to fill three vases. 

We put one in our kitchen:

One in our dining room:

And one in our living room:

I love the difference flowers can make to a room. They instantly brighten the place up, not to mention the yummy smells! This Spring/Summer I want to make a conscious effort to purchase more flowers. I think they'll be a good remedy for those days when you just feel meh.

What are you favourite flowers? I love jasmine (haha) and lavender (I know, I know). I also love hydrangeas, and roses. And I love how fun and happy gerbera's are!

:: Look Book - Friday Night Lights ::

Okay, so the title of this post is a bit of a lie. These photos were taken on a Wednesday night!

A little while ago Brisbane's Royal Show was on. I love going to the Ekka (as it's called, because it's held at the Exhibition Grounds). I love Sideshow Alley, the farm animals, the produce pavilion, the fireworks ... everything! I was excited to go this year and try out my new lens, but the day before we were planning on going I went home from work with bad asthma. So, I made the (sad) responsible choice not to go this year just in case I got sick again.

Instead, Mr LG and I went into the city and had a really nice dinner, then walked around the relatively quiet city enjoying some window shopping. I still got to play with my new lens, with Mr LG as my reluctant subject.

(Even though this photo it kind of blurry, I still really like it)

:: Jacket - Country Road / T-shirt - American Apparel / Jeans - Lee / Shoes - Vanishing Elephant ::

Today was the first day of Spring. I am so excited! I adore warm weather and can't wait to stop wearing so many layers and bring out my cute skirts and tops!

PS. I wanted to call this post 'Hot In The City' after the Billy Idol song, but Mr LG wouldn't let me! :(

:: Nail Love ::

I have always loved nail polish but, for the most part it's been a love affair from a far. I love all the different colours available, and I would always admire the brightly coloured nails of girls I saw in the street or on the train. It was never for me, though. I would stick to muted tones, and even then it was only on my toes where hardly anyone would see it. Sometimes I would lash out and do my toe nails bright pink ... but it was always the same pink as every other time I felt adventurous.

Lately I've been feeling brave and inspired! I adore Summer and I adore bright colours. I've been watching all the Summer fashion trends on some American blogs and one thing I have noticed is candy coloured nails. Fun! So, with a little pushing from the nail Queen Karina, I did it! I took the plunge, bought some new colours and started wearing brightly coloured nail polish ... on my fingers!

Bright aqua nails, bright yellow cardigan ... and a rainbow smash drink!

My namesake - lavender. Love this one.

This colour is my latest purchase (I took this photo about 15 minutes ago!). I was hoping for a bright sunshine yellow, but I quite like this egg-yolk yellow colour.

What do you think? My next colour purchases will hopefully be a pale mint green, a coral/peach, and to off-set all the colour a nice matte pale grey (for days when my outfit brings the colour!).

Do you wear coloured nail polish? What is your favourite brand? I really like OPI, but it's super expensive here.

Are there any other beauty trends you recommend? I love wearing fun eye shadow, but I'm practically a newbie when it comes to lipstick/gloss (I've only ever worn it a few times. I'm a balm kind of girl).