Styling Our Bedroom

29 May 2015

So I have basically furnished my entire house, and all that's left to do is to accessorize and fill with decor and art. Which is the most fun but also most tediously long part. It can take quite a bit of time to find what you really want, or what you've got in mind for the space. I've decided to work on one room at a time, and actually (finally) share with you some before and afters!

We bought a really nice black wrought iron bed for our bedroom, and we also had a lovely bedspread. While we really liked the bedspread, the drama was that since we bought it so late into after it had been released, you could no longer purchase any of the matching throw pillows or european pillowcases for it. Which is turned out to be kind of important if you want the colour scheme to really pop! 

Adairs is having a sale at the moment, and I'm also a member of their "Linen Lovers" club so I get free postage and discounts on all items. I picked out this bedspread because I really liked it immediately and the colour scheme is pleasant and kind of muted. I've purchased it online and the matching european pillowcases,  so now I'm just waiting for it to arrive. 

I've used the colour scheme of the duvet cover to create a colour palette and to help pick out more items to decorate the room! Some of these items are a definite and others are there for inspiration/more of a maybe. 
Silke Bonde Puffin & Fox Print - Pappasvens | Flaming Galah Pot - Weakend Club | Mountain Pillow - HushRumble | Otis Blush Pot - Milk & Sugar | Copper Metro Lamp - Freedom | Haus Deco Statues - Freedom | Mercer + Reid Kasuki Duvet Cover Set - Adairs |
(typography print made in photoshop)
I just can't wait to style and finish this room! I'll make sure I take some before and after shots so you can really see the difference. Having a colour palette is really so helpful, I'll definitely do this for the next rooms too! 
Cya! xx


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Setting Up Your Self Watering Planter with Smoko Inc

27 May 2015

I love writing for Smoko Inc! I just did a post for them on how to set up your very own self watering planter. How cute is that little piggy! He's growing clover in his little backpack there. 
You can also get other self watering animals that grow different things, like a panda, cat and bunny!
I would love you to check out the post and tell me what you think!

View the Post Here!

Cya! xx


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Blogging 101: The Sidebar

25 May 2015


Think of your sidebar as the kind of home base and hub for your blog. It's likely on every page, every post that your readers will view, there is your sidebar. They can't escape it, and they shouldn't want to. 

There set up for your side might seem like a cliche one, but it's a design that works and makes your blog and it's content easy to access. I've put together a short guide on what your sidebar does and doesn't need. Of course they're all purely optional but it will help ensure a kind of consistency with your blog design.

These are a few things things, that I as a reader love to see and be able to access in people's sidebars when visiting their blogs. 

The Ultimate Blogger Photo Prop Wishlist

22 May 2015


Ultimate is probably too strong of a word. But how often do you see bloggers with their beautiful photographs, filled with pretty props that make everything work perfectly together. I wracked my brains and scaled the internet and rounded up some pretty cool items that will help bring your blog photos from drab to fab
Reclaimed Wood Tray - Anthropologie | Faux Fur Rug - Adairs | Marble Ceramic Plate - H&M | Life Journal - Kikki.K | White Horse Candle - White Horse Home | A2 Chalkboard - Typo | Home Pennant Flag - Typo |
A lot of these items give off an especially luxurious feel, especially the marble tray, faux fur rug and the candle. These can be styled in photographs to show off trinkets and beauty items. The journal is something pretty to add to photos as an extra bit of lovely. 
I really love the reclaimed wood tray because you could photograph close enough so as not to see it's a tray, just as a lovely wooden background. Perfect for rustic shots of food or any DIYs you've created. The Home banner is a nice touch to have sitting in on a photograph, and the chalkboard can be used in the background, with writing or without, or even as the base for your main prop to be photographed on. 
So tell me, what is one of your must have photo props, when you take a photo for your blog or instagram??

 I'm currently loving white backgrounds for mine, but would love to add some marble in eventually.
Have a great weekend! Cya! xx

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Journey to a New Hair Colour

20 May 2015

The Beginning

I wasn't exactly sure what my original hair colour was, but I knew that it very clearly shone through at the top of my head and at the beginning of my bangs. For the last few now, I've dyed my hair darker because I've always seen myself as a dark haired brunette.

It wasn't until my hairdresser pointed it out at my first appointment that I realised how light my natural hair colour really was. I decided then that I would like to go back to my lighter roots.
I had gotten used to how dark my hair was now, but even I had to admit it was too dark for my complexion. With my hair even looking black in some light, which wasn't my original intention.

I had picked out a lighter colour that matched my natural growing hair, and stated that I also wanted it to have some highlights/go lighter as it got towards the ends of my hair in a sort of ombre style.

Newsflash 

My hairdresser explained to me, much to my dismay that because my hair was so dark that it was going to be a long process, and that my hair would become very coppery if it was bleached.
She said that we could eventually reach the colour that I wanted but that it would take some time, and couldn't all be done in one day, especially if I didn't want to ruin my hair.

So here we have the first step down, bleaching the ends. For some reason in my instagram photo my hair looks super coppery. I even thought that would have been the main colour, but now today I am seeing a different shade all together. A rustier brown copper perhaps. It will be a little while before my hair is the perfect shade I want it but that's alright, I like mixing it up.

I've started using the Fudge Violet Toning Shampoo & Conditioner, which is meant to get rid of brassy tones and it is already working! My bleached ends look more natural and blended every time I use it.

For now you can follow my hair inspiration on my pinterest board.


Cya! xx


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Blogging 101: Template Design Basics

18 May 2015


I am certainly no expert on style, but I always love to search through blogs and pinterest for inspiration. I do all these things because I really want my blog to be aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable to visit.

Obviously there are more important things to think about than just the design. Your blog could be as pretty as the stars and have terrible & empty content. Likewise your content could be amazing and be overlooked due to your poor blog layout & design.

Today I've picked out three incredibly basic template design choices and listed the do's and don'ts of each one. To some people these might seem incredibly obvious, and that's okay! But to others they might be exactly what they need to give their blog design a reboot. If your blog suffers from any of these design faux pas, don't despair! They're all an easy fix! I'm here to help.


Illegible & Unattractive Blog Headers

Your blog name is very important, it is your brand and it's what people see as soon as they come onto your main page. You want it to be lovely and memorable. 

Don't:
  • Use a font that's difficult to read
  • Use a font & font colour on an image so that your name is hard to see
  • Upload an image and then have blogger automatically put text in front of it
  • Use a default blogger header
Do:
  • Pick a font that's easy to read and suits your blog style (Dafont has free fonts!)
  • Create & upload a header that is an image that has the text attached (guide)
It's easy to create a lovely header for your blog in a variety of programs and websites. There are many different styles and designs to choose from, whether you want to have your blog name on a photo or just have a beautiful font. Make your blog stand out, it's the first thing a reader is going to see.


Crazy Post Text

I want to read your content, that is why I'm on your blog. So I kind of need your text to be large enough for me to read, visible against your background and a font that doesn't consist completely of squiggles.
Good vs Not So Good
Don't:
  • Use a coloured font. . 
  • Use a decorative font. 
  • Don't make your text this small
Do:
  • Have your post text black or grey. Save the colours for your header or sidebar headers.
  • Use a traditional and easy to use font, helvetica, raleway, georgia, verdana. No one is going to fault you for going too basic with your base font.
  • Keep your text at reasonable size, between 11-15px as a min-max size. 
Simple doesn't mean boring, it just means a little bit easier and a lot less effort to read. 
(guide on changing fonts/sizes/colours on blogger)


Super Patterened & Non-Seamless Backgrounds

What I mean by non seamless backgrounds is when you choose and image for your background and you have it repeating. But the image isn't seamless so it has a clear edge, and when it repeats it is very visible. Super patterned backgrounds are completely fine as long as they aren't actually underneath the text you're trying to read.
Good vs Not So Good
I know you love your background. But do you really want it to be the only thing your reader can see?
You can also find some sweet seamless backgrounds to use here.


Some Final Tips

  • White space is your friend. You don't need to fill every inch of your blog with stuff.
  • You don't have to commit to a header or a font straight away, keep changing it up until it's something you love.
  • Decide on a colour scheme and adapt it to everything. I would only choose a maximum of 5 different colours. Mine are black, grey, white and gold. What can I say I love monochrome.
  • Have a maximum of 5 different fonts on your blog. So everyone doesn't get visually confused. Use the fonts for everything. Make it your signature brand and style!
  • Don't be afraid to start from scratch with your template. Clear the fonts/colours/backgrounds and start fresh!
  • Most of all love your blog! Love how it looks! It is yours after all!

Cya! xx

**If you need some help creating a blog header or making sure it's the right size for your blog, you can drop me a line at tegans.home.blog@gmail.com


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Cute as Heck - Pocket Embroidery

15 May 2015

I have honestly wanted to do this project for so so long I just hadn't gotten the chance. As well as not really having any of the supplies or you know general talent for DIY. I finally got around to purchasing the bits and pieces I needed.

  • 1 Plain Shirt with Pocket - I Bought mine from the mens section at Factorie in XXS
  • Black Embroidery Thread & Needle - Purchased these from Big W
  • Overall Cost: $15


Let's Do This

First I pencilled in a small outline of what I wanted to have embroidered on the shirt. I did capital letters to make it a bit easier as I'm a newbie at embroidery. Also I like the look of the capital letters.

Take a piece embroidery thread, maybe 60cm long, and thread it through the eye in your needle. Don't forget to knot the very end of your thread so that it doesn't go through.

Start embroidering from the inside, so stick your needle from the inside of the pocket out. Put the needle back in again at an appropriate distance apart. Or for however long you want each bit of thread to be. When your needle is again on the inside of your pocket, you want to poke it out closely to where your last bit of thread ended. So as not to leave too much of a gap.

Trial and error is fully okay! I had to unthread so much of H & E in Heck because I don't even know I must have tuned out while I was embroidering. If that happens, take your needle off the thread, and use the needle to pick out the stitches gently.

When you're done carefully tie the thread inside the pocket as close to the material as possible, so that there's not too much room for the thread to move and pull.

Rock that shirt like the cutie you are!

Super happy with how my tee turned out! And the project only took me about an hour tops. A lot less if you're actually not crap at embroidery.

If you were going to embroider your own shirt, what would you write?

Cya! xx


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Anorak Love

12 May 2015


Anorak - Cotton On (similar) | Crop Top - Factorie | Jeans - Motel Rocks (similar) | Choker - The Lair | Watch - Olivia Burton | Sunglasses - Quay Australia |

I was trying to take a bunch of OOTD photos during April, but I worked a lot at my main job that is in uniform. So that is a lot of days where I'm dressed boring. So here are two cute outfits I managed to put together on days I had off.

I have been wearing a lot of high waisted jeans and crop tops. The weather here has been atrocious. #NewcastleStorm and our cyclonic winds. Staying warm has been what it's all about.


Khaki Anorak - Factorie (similar) | Striped Dress - Evil Twin the Label (similar) |

I love my Anoraks! I bought that khaki one a few years ago from Factorie in the Men's section! I love it. I literally have an anorak in most colours. Khaki, navy, grey, and two in black. One black one is really thick and wintery and the other is a lot thinner. They really do go with so many things!

Dressing for Winter is fun! It's been so cold, I can't actually believe I got to wear shorts and a sleeveless top today. The weather is so weird.

NOTE: I really wanted to do a giveaway when I reached 200 followers on Bloglovin' and it's getting closer! So excited! I can't wait!

Cya! xx



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Three Bears Kitchen

11 May 2015 2 Market Street, Newcastle NSW 2300, Australia

On Friday the 8th of May, my Dad took me out to breakfast and I got to pick the place. I recently spoke about wanting to try out all the new food places that have been popping up in the area and I am determined to do just that.

Three Bears Kitchen opened in Newcastle in mid March this year and I was buzzing to try it out. From the vintage decor to the original refurbished ceiling this place somehow pulls all the vibes of being both vintage and modern at the same time.


Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation and Concealer

9 May 2015


I used to be a tightass when it came to makeup. I would say that I still kinda am, but during my time in America, I bought a heck of a lot of makeup. And definitely not items that I would consider cheap either. I am always quite cheap when it comes to foundation for some reason, and this seems dumb as I would call it the most important part of my morning beauty regime. Well at least the it is the largest visual part.

Can you believe that I go into Priceline Pharmacies and basically hope for the best that the foundation will match my skin tone? I would maybe trial a tester, but how easy is it to tell your own skin and face colour, by yourself under fluorescent lights? It's not easy, in fact it's very hard.

The Foundation

I had a leftover $50 Myer gift voucher that I hadn't used yet, and for some reason I had completely forgotten Myer had a beauty section. I just tended to avoid it. I sat down to get my face colour matched by the Clinique lady.
 I had seen a few reviews online before making my decision on this foundation, but what I remembered the most was a lot of people saying that the foundation was too dark for their skin tone. Even in the lightest shade. So to no surprise I was colour matched with the shade Alabaster. Which is the lightest foundation tone. If you google image the word alabaster I don't know if I could really agree. I know I'm not Rihanna but I'm no Iggy Azalea either.

Pictured: Neither of my skin tones.
In the small cheek patch that the Clinique lady put on me, it still looked a tad dark, but we will soon know the reality and how well it truly works.

What Clinique Claims

The Beyond Perfecting Foundation is both a Foundation and a concealer. It is suppose to be full coverage, but lightweight, with a moisturising feature for dry skin. My nose tends to peel all the time, so this seems like a good addition for me and for others with this skin type. The foundation is said to last all day (12 hours), and that once blended and allowed to dry the colour will appear much lighter. 

On the official website, it says that one dip of the foundation wand holds enough foundation to cover your entire face as it goes a long way. It also will stay malleable long enough to properly blend. It is oil free, and dries with a natural matte appearance. After the foundation has dried you can tap the brush in problem areas and then blend as a built in concealer.

Let's give it a go shall we!

Creating a Cute & Productive Workspace with Smoko Inc

7 May 2015

Create a cute and productive workspace with Smoko Inc.
I have been lucky enough to work with some fantastic companies lately, and one of them is Smoko Inc! If you haven't checked out their online store I fully urge you to as their stuff is adorable! I'm such a big fan.

I recently wrote up a post for them on "Creating a Cute and Productive Workspace" so please go and check it out and let me know what you think!

View the post here!


Super excited to continue working with them in the future as well.
Have a great weekend!

Cya!




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Papa's Bagel Bar

5 May 2015 Hunter Street, Newcastle NSW, Australia


I am still yet to take full advantage of living walking distance to such a large variety of food places and boutiques. But finally having some free time this May, I thought it would be a good time to start.

Papa's Bagel Bar opened early this year. With no lack of competition on eateries in the area, it stands apart as one of the only Bagelrys around. Papa's is tucked into a small side street off of the main Hunter St which only serves to make the rustic style bar all the more cosy.

The open style kitchen means that you can watch the kitchen staff rolling and preparing all the bagels that are made fresh in store. All of the freshly baked bagels means that delicious smells are constantly wafting through the cafe and out onto the street, drawing in new patrons as they walk along Hunter St.


My Favourite Designers on The Iconic


I am always on the hunt for new online shopping destinations and new designers to sink my teeth into. (and throw my cash at) The Iconic is no exception, it may have been around for a while now but with new brands being added on the regular, it's quickly becoming the place to be online for new must have pieces.

I've picked out a few of my favourite designers that sell their goods on The Iconic and a some of my must have picks from their collections to share with you. Because what good is fashion if you keep it all to yourself.


Cheap Monday

Grungy as heck and all around cool, Cheap Monday is making a comeback with their monochromatic style that no one else can seem to beat. A good denim jacket is hard to come by but I think Cheap Monday has done it with their Slouchy Denim Jacket, the light tones are sure to go with almost everything in your wardrobe. A Fan-Tastic sweat is a must for any Winter Wardrobe. I just went and bought these killer Dungarees after much indecision, can a short person pull of long legged overalls? I say yes. Lastly the casual Tee Autograph Dress, perfect for lazy days and paired with combats boots and an anorak you'll be prepped for anything.

Karen Walker

Sometimes you want to wear a thick leather choker and other days you want to be decked out in dainty fine pieces of jewellery. Such as basically anything Karen Walker comes up with. I mean have you seen her sunglasses & Benah bag collection?? Amazing. The sterling silver Bear Ring is simple enough to be worn on an everyday basis as there will never be a time where you'll say, "Does my bear go with this?". Of course if you want to girly it up a tad you can't go past the Mini Bow Necklace. Go take a closer look, the bow is so non-invasive in size and shape that it'll become a key piece of your daily accessories in no time. Finally whether you're feeling a little bit romantic or are rocking more of a heart breaker vibe you can't go wrong with these Exploding Heart Studs


Keepsake the Label

Now here's a brand that is somehow both in and out of my price range. This fun and feminine range is just begging you to purchase a new outfit for every occasion. I personally would only be able to add one piece of these per year to my wardrobe if it wasn't for online shopping discounts. The best thing is when you don't even have to go hunting for coupons and codes, as rad sites like Cuponation have all the best discount codes all in one place. Not just discounts for clothing sites, but also on a huge range of general lifestyle stores as well. There's even one for a mega cheap domain name registration with Go Daddy, which is worth checking out if you're looking to expand your blog!

The Motion Picture dress is so tricky because you could wear it to a work meeting and then wear it straight out afterwards while everyone else stands around awkwardly feeling like they should change. I don't own anything pink but I would be will to give the Divide Mini dress a shot because hey sometimes I just want to feel like a princess okay. Another doubly classy affair in the Restless Heart dress, but when is black and white not sophisticated? Wear this to the races with a big fancy fascinator. The final outfit is actually two pieces, but as if they just weren't born to go together. The Divide Bodice is figure hugging with a super cute peplum waistline and it pairs perfectly with the Distraction Skirt, and immediate favourite just because I love monochrome. What an outfit!

Now I'm off to cry a little bit about how much money I do not want to (and hopefully won't) spend. Though I was extra good last month for No Spend April...

Cya! xx


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*This is a sponsored post, but all thoughts & comments are 100% mine. xx

The End of No Spend April

3 May 2015


It was a lonnnggg month, or at least it seemed to be. Don't you want to know how my No Spend April turned out? The short answer is "I failed" the long answer is a bit more complicated than that.
As the month went on I subtly changed the goal to more of a "be more careful with money" than just a straight up no spend.

The Start

The first week was going strong, until my work, a clothing store gave us our uniform deal that was 75% off on selected items. I thought that was a no brainer, and I got two tops and some track pants, which I have been wearing constantly, so no regrets. Then I bought myself a wheat heatbag, because I was unwell and had been meaning to purchase one, no spend goals aside. Rereading my Spendee App transaction list now I did pretty well for me. I put some Cheap Monday overalls on Layby on April 10th, which I need to go and pay off tomorrow.

The Middle

Then tragedy struck. I was a complete idiot and decided to attempt to park in my garage at the poorest and stupidest angle of all time, (there was another car in the way). This resulted in me getting my poor Nissan Micra (Zippy) literally stuck half in the garage on the entry corner, it's practically too dumb to even believe. I realised I was stuck when both reversing and going forward did nothing except for making loud scraping noises. I climbed out of my passenger door and loudly sobbed and flailed like an idiot, cursing myself for being an idiot. I then called Joshua who was at work, bawling on the phone at him. He honestly thought I had been in some kind of major accident, as he could barely understand me through the tears.

After I managed to calm down slightly, I called his parents, as they own my house/garage the car was stuck in, lived 5 minutes away & are really nice people. They arrived, moved my car for me and put it in the garage, and then took me to get Thai food as a "please calm down/it's alright" gesture.

Long Story Short I f**ked my car. I scraped the shit out of the side door. Mostly why I was so upset. I had to take my car in and replace the entire door and get it repainted to match my car which I'm very lucky my Dad paid for 75% of and I paid $350. *sad face*

This obviously put a huge dent in my non spending plans. But it was unavoidable, after I was unable to avoid running my car into a wall.

The End

Overall, not including the car payment, general bills/rent/groceries I only spent $350 in the entire month. Which is obviously higher than well zero but significantly lower than my spending in March which was a sad $1,050. Which is really what No Spend April was all about. Not doing as badly as I did in March.

Anyway it's May 2nd and I've already spent $280. It's going to be a bad really great month!

Cya ! xx


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