vegas

 Vintage sweater, Asos skirt, Rubi shoes, Oasap bag, sunglasses and bracelets

For some reason this skirt reminds me of Vegas; palm trees, retro cars, fabulous music and cocktails. It's one of my favourite Asos purchases and I love the retro vibe that it gave off while paired with this charming vintage sweater. The embroidery around the collar was what caught my eye the most... it's exquisite and pretty.
Today was a 'hair in a bun' kinda day. The weather was completely unpredictable! You wouldn't believe it but about half an hour before these pictures were taken, rain was pounding on the path outside and I thought the chance of outfit pictures was second to none. But! The sun popped out momentarily just in time and I managed to get some lovely, sunny shots with the fabulous sunglasses that arrived in the mail last week. I haven't taken them off since they came and I regret nothing!
Anyway, I'm glad it's the weekend. Tonight my little sis (also my fabulous photographer) is celebrating her First Holy Communion. She gets to wear a pretty dress, cape, veil and have her hair in curls. It should be very exciting!

On another note, my dermatologist has been very happy with the way things are going with my skin. It was flaring up a little a few weeks ago so he prescribed three months worth of Erythromycin, an anti-infammatory drug to help soothe my skin during the process of Isotretinoin (roaccutane). It has helped a lot and things are beginning to look a lot brighter.
Anyway, I have to go start getting ready for Tessie's big event. I hope you have an excellent weekend! I'll be returning comments, tweets and emails in between school work, hot chocolate and Little Women (my all time favourite movie!) this weekend xo

seaside

These photos were from the beginning of May. For Mother's Day, my family (well, half of it anyway) went out for brunch at Mooloolaba to celebrate my Mum being the amazing human that she is. We had delicious food by the sea then walked along the sand and breathed in the fresh autumnal air. It was a really lovely day! I was going to take a few more pictures by the ocean but my camera battery died *cries*. Hopefully these will suffice!
This week has been quite eventful! I've recovered from my complete lack of sleep after art camp and have been busy with assignments and projects that will be due in the next few weeks. To be honest, the holidays (at the end of June!) could not come soon enough; I am so ready to relax (and get my braces off!). I hope you are all having a marvelous week so far. xo

jewels

Hi everybody! Sorry that it's been such a while since my last blog post! Life has been so hectic lately. We went on a biology excursion on Thursday (and saw the prettiest rock pools ever), headed to art camp on Friday and got back Saturday night, then within an hour of being home, I went to a party. Let's just say that I'm a little exhausted and was so thankful that today was a chance to relax and work a little on blogging.

Last week I got an email from Ella in Perth, asking if I could share my jewellery collection. I thought it was a great idea so along with a few pictures of my favourite accessories lately, I filmed a short video. My queen bed arrived on Friday afternoon (while I was away) so today was a chance to really change my room around to suit it. If you'd like to see an updated room tour, let me know. Enjoy the pictures and video! I'll be back again with an outfit post very soon, xoxo

P.S: Also, a big thank you to lovely Veena for featuring me on her blog, it totally made my day and I'm a huge fan of her blog, so ya'll should have a read!

serendipity

Emerson polka dot dress (best spent $19 ever!), Oasap bag, Rubi flats, Forever New belt, Sportsgirl hat and handmade flower wreath

Yesterday afternoon was glorious photo-taking weather so I made the most of it by wearing a very colourful outfit! I'm so in love with Autumn; warm pyjamas, hot chocolate with marshmallows, scarves, berets and gloves, hot water bottles and cozy nights in. This winter is going to be beautiful, I just know it! Lots of good things have been happening this week (wonderful things that happen unexpectedly) like getting an extension on my three thousand word assignment religion assignment, an old man calling me 'sweet Maria' as he drove off after I took his lunch order, pretty stationery packages coming in the mail and (yippee!) the arrival of a long-awaited queen bed on Friday! Even better, it didn't cost me a cent. Friends of ours were cleaning out their spare bedroom and it just so happened they thought of me (updated room tour coming soon). I'm also going away on an Art camp with Izzy on Friday and we're going to have a blast.

I've been really trying to live by this quote: "Everyday may not be good, but there's something good in everyday". It's been helping me a lot, especially because my acne medication has been giving me grief. It's good to focus on the positive!
I hope you are all having a wonderful week so far! What do you think of my new blog design? I love it and am so pleased with how it turned out! It's still getting updated so just bear with me for now! :)

emerald city

 Blouse c/o Sheinside, Rubi flats, thrifted bag, Target skirt

It may not look like it in these photos, but it was so cold today! I was shivering my toes off while these pictures were being taken! I was dying to show you guys this blouse though. It's so interesting! It arrived in the mail this morning while I was devouring my avocado on toast and my family were giving the usual "helpful" comments referring to it as "the weirdest shirt" they've ever seen and "looks like a turkey... or an ostrich! a green one!"good luck styling it miss Avenue M".

*Rolls eyes* what do they know about fashion?! I happen to love it! It's such a unique style and something that will be perfect for wearing in the Spring. Anyway, I really must flee, I have such a colossal amount of school work to do that I shouldn't even be blogging... but I'm Maria and that's what I do. If there's one thing I am guaranteed to get a VHA in during high school is procrastination. I am a professional. 

:)P.S: Guess what?! The silly old braces will be off in a matter of weeks, yippee!

diy lip scrub

Heyo everybody! Since I've been on Roaccutane for about seven weeks now, most of the side effects have kicked into full gear; which includes really dry lips. It also doesn't help that it's freezing cold right now and my skin is just drying out to a pulp. I decided to make a yummy lip scrub that will double as a lovely exfoliant as well as a super hydrating finish. It's really easy and makes a great weekend project!

Ingredients: For mine, I really improvised my way through it because I wasn't really sure how much the container would hold. I decided to add a mix of ingredients to up the amount of benefits! Basically, you'll need some sort of main exfoliant, like fine sugar. Then, you'll need some moisturising base (such as coconut oil and honey) that will also make it moisturising and lastly, food colouring. All you need is a tiny drop and this will just give it a fun colour. Oh! You will also need a little container or jar. Mine was from a cosmetic mask sample; I simply washed it out and it was perfect.

Method: Combine all ingredients until you have the desired consistency. It should be quite sugary in the end but also have an even amount of coconut oil and honey. When you're happy, spoon into the container and compact it in. See, super easy!

beauty things: my makeup bag

I got an email the other day from Meghan, a lovely Avenue M reader in Sydney asking me what's in my travel makeup bag. The things I 'can't live without'. So, I thought I might share these with you all! The majority of these products are available world-wide too, if you're interested, and I've put a few links to where most of them can be found :)

Revlon Colorstay foundation: Best. Foundation. Ever! Well, from what I've tried! This stuff is full coverage, matches my skintone so much better than the majority of foundations at the drugstore and has great staying power throughout the day (hence the name!). It comes in a decent size bottle that lasts me at least three months. I highly recommend it! My colour is the lightest available; Ivory.

Rimmel Stay Matte powder: This stuff is great! It the perfect finishing touch to liquid foundation and is really great value for money. I got mine from Asos for around $7.

Rimmel Lasting Finish blush: The prettiest pop of colour for your cheeks! I chose 'Pink Rose' and was really happy with how it worked with my pale skin. It's a very subtle pink with a romantic shimmer that catches the light at all the right times. The only downside to this product is the packaging. It's super fiddly and tiny... I would have preferred it if it were packaged like the other Rimmel blushes.

Maybelline 'The Falsies' mascara: Unless you live under a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean then you would've heard about this product at some point. It gets so much hype! I think it's a great mascara that looks even more amazing on if you've curled your lashes before-hand. It does get a little flakey, so next time I might have to get the waterproof version.

Professional Make-up eyebrow pencil: This is an absolute essential! It's my exact eyebrow shade and is perfect for filling in those pesky little gaps where the hair just won't co-operate. I'm not really sure where this is available... I got it from my beauty therapist and I'm hoping that when I run out of this she'll have another one for me or else it will be the end of the world!

Maybelline Master Precise eyeliner: This is the ultimate eyeliner for beginners. It's very fine tip is perfect for those with an unsteady hand (*ahem* me) and creates the prettiest winged eye perfect for everyday. If it wasn't for Ms Fifi I would be sporting a cat-eye everyday at school!

Bourjois eyeshadow in 'Beige Rose': This is the third time I've re-purchased this little beauty. It's my favourite eyeshadow/ highlighter ever and can be used wet or dry. I love the packaging and it's just *sheds a tear* one of my fave products ever :)

Lucas' Papaw Ointment: The ultimate Aussie-girl essential. I think this is my fourth bottle in the last 6 weeks. The only lip balm that doesn't end up drying my lips out (Maybelline Babylips anyone?!) and adds the loveliest subtle gloss. Always in my bag.

La Roche-Posay thermal spray: This is aerosol thermal spring water designed to soothe red, irritated skin. I'm into the sixth week of the Roaccutane and it's really been quite awful this week. I've been leaving the shower with very inflamed skin that's itchy and downright horrid. This is great for soothing it and detoxifying.

Sportsgirl 'In My Dreams' roll-on: Izzy gave this to me for my birthday and it smells so good! It's an oil-based roll-on so it lasts all day and smells similiar to Marc Jacobs' Daisy. Another hand-bag essential.

insta-update (summer to autumn)

Hello all! Hope you are having a really great week so far! Mine's been very busy, but lots of good things happened so that's the most important thing. I'm slightly frazzled right now (three drafts have to be handed in tomorrow, yikes!) so I thought I would do a quick update from Instagram! I haven't done one of these since last year so I thought it was high time I shared a few pretty photos. If you like, you can follow me on avenuemaria and say hi!
P.S: My three year blogging anniversary is coming up! Woohoo! I'm also getting a mini blog makeover too, the lovely Christina is designing me a new header and layout over the next few weeks so I couldn't be more excited about that. Talk to ya'll soon!

wonderland florals

 Thrifted dress (for $6!), Miss Shop boots, Rubi bag, cat ears headband from here

On Saturday, my friend Ruby decided to spend the morning op-shopping and eating out at a cute little cafe that was full of fabulous food as well as half price vintage galore. I picked out a cream coloured sweater with embroidery along the neckline and this beauty for only $10 all up. Both were splendid finds and I think this dress will look beautiful with black lace tights and boots for the Winter. I really like the print too, it reminds me of the flowers in Alice in Wonderland.
How was your weekend? Apart from Saturday mornings outing, I spent most of it doing homework and reading The Secret River, the novel I mistakenly chose for English. It's so boring that I've even used it as a sleep remedy. Let's just say the history of Australia is not my favourite thing to read about...

april adventures {monthly series}

(how gorgeous is this flower crown made by my friend Tiara?)

Hey everyone! In the midst of research booklets on the foundations of Christianity, measuring the volume of superficial water tanks, reading the most snooze-worthy English novel ever and maintaining my sanity, I've been brain storming ideas like a mad woman for Avenue M. I've decided that at the beginning of each month I will document the month beforehand in a mini-series. I'll talk about lots of different things that happened in the previous month like thrifting adventures, room updates and fashion/ lifestyle things that I documented.
Hope you enjoyed April as much as I did! To be honest, this year is going way to fast...

Last month I made a huge difference in my lifestyle; particularly with my exercise. It's now become a habit to go for a run  (or walk) every afternoon to get fresh air and clear my head. When I'm not up to running, I like to bring along my camera to scope out new picture locations, lighting and pretty Autumn sunsets. I really recommend it to anyone. As little as half an hour of exercise a day can make a huge difference in your health :)

I'd been wanting a hair colour change for a while, so I enlisted the help of my visiting sister and she dyed my hair a few shades darker than my natural colour. I love it! It suits my skin tone a lot better and it's so much more even and pretty looking. You guys seemed to like it too which made it even better :)

I gave my room another makeover last month! It helped keep me on track and inspired. I cleared out about three bags full of things I didn't need and now my room is looking as spotless as ever! I was thinking about doing an updated room tour. What do you think? In video or photo form? Let me know!

Went out with a family friend of mine to a cafe to have tea (well, in my case, a caramel milkshake) and visited a nice Noosa restaurant on ANZAC day with my family. I think it's important to do these things often... it's nice to have a treat and enjoy good company.

Issue 52 of Frankie was a marvellous bedside companion, I must say! It was bursting with excellent articles, fab-u-lous illustrations and was probably my favourite issue yet. Time to compare it to Issue 53!

How was your April? Anything exciting happen for you? Please share it in a comment! I'd love to know :)