dogs in { blogs }

I have two puppies and two kittens who I adore. I would actually have a whole menagerie if I didn't live in a house with no backyard and if I could stand any more white hair on every single black piece of clothing I own. So when I came across these doggy blogs I had to share.

Maddie on Things
Um I'm pretty sure these aren't photoshopped - how do Maddie's owners get her to stand on so many crazy things - a horse, a bike, her owners shoulders? Gorgeous photography too.

Food on my Dog
I thought this was an absolute crack up - the look on the puppy's face? Adorbs!

So now you know what I've been chuckling at this week. What crazy / different blogs have you been checking out on the interwebs?

ten things that are { awesome }

It's all about the little things. Here are ten awesome things I'm digging this week:

Not matching your nail and toenail polish. I'm rockin' a disco glitter pedi and a hanging-on-to-the-last-dregs-of-summer coral on my digits.

2. Parting your hair on the opposite side for a no-mousse bouffant.

3. Accepting you love bad reality TV. I watch Biggest Loser every night and bawl my eyes out every time. I draw the line at My Kitchen Rules, however.

4. The iPhone thing where you press the top and bottom buttons and it captures your screen - my phone is fast filling up with take-anywhere inspiration.

 

5. Sunshine.

6. I know it's unbridled consumerism that it's only February and Easter eggs are in the shops - but there's something about the chocolate. It's different - thinner, creamer, and infinitely more delicious. Mmmmm.

7. Neon and neutrals - love a fresh new colour combination.

8. Lady Smaggle's 'Why Don't You?' posts.

9. Getting new magazine subscriptions in the mail. 

10. This video clip.

(toes, bouffant, sunshine, neon)

what's your { style }

Do you ever look into your wardrobe, at your piles and racks of clothes and think 'I have nothing to wear?' Yup, that's me at the moment (and it drives my boyfriend crazy!)

I was reading this post Nikki wrote over at Styling You and I thought 'yes - that's it!' Despite the fact that I have a wardrobe full of clothes, I've changed in the last few months and my old wardrobe just doesn't feel like me any more.

My old job was corporate and I worked with all males who had a propensity for elastic sided boots and chinos on casual Friday - I got (not flattering) comments whenever I ventured out with something as bold as a red lippy. Naturally, the place didn't really foster sartorial daring. However, now I work in an office filled with natural light, where we talk about clothes and where brightly coloured lips are the norm.

So, my old wardrobe doesn't fit with how I want to be perceived - the new me.

Naturally, the ol' interwebs has come to my rescue. I don't want to rush out and replace my entire wardrobe this week (well I do actually, but inconveniently have a mortgage to pay) so these steps are going to help me work what I've got by replacing a few staples:

Wardrobe Rehab
I'm a big chucker. I don't hold on to things and seasonally clean out my wardrobe but this time I held on to a few things I probably shouldn't have just to 'keep my options open'. I've actually realised it's a lot easier to have fewer options because not only does it make it easier to see what you've got hanging in your closet, it reduces your chances of trying on 37 different tops every morning only to decide on the first one you chose. So - less is more. If you haven't worn it in 3 months, chances are you won't. Chuck.

On the note of having more space in your wardrobe - once you've done a purge, hang up everything. And not on ratty, wire hangers either. Go out and get yourself some pretty hangers and hang up everything except for your underwear. I could never find my t-shirts when they were folded - ten white shirts look like one big mess when stacked. It's way easier to choose an outfit when things are hung up like you would find in a boutique.

Define your Style
This is probably where I am struggling at the moment - basically because I change my mind every five minutes. One minute I'm feeling girly, full skirts, then it's leather and skulls, then classic french chic. Lucky for me, there are common elements across all of these styles, which is made easier to see when you create a bit of a mood board for yourself. I've started pinning images of fashionistas whose style I love to pinterest which makes it easy to see what I'm missing or how I can create the look with pieces from my own wardrobe. Checking out a ton of fashion blogs also helps with finding inspiration - I'd have to say I would love the wardrobe of Lucy Laucht, Atlantic-Pacific or Karla's Kloset (and her hair!) and I also follow some pretty stylish women on tumblr - so I have no shortage of style inspiration! 

Mapping your Wardrobe
You might want to make sure you've got lots of time because you're going to have to pull eeeeverything out. And it also helps to have your inspiration pics at the ready. Basically, pull everything out of your wardrobe and put it in piles - shirts, skirts, shorts etc. Now comes the fun part - mixing and matching! Using your inspiration images as a guide, replicate some of the outfits using your own flair - don't forget to add jewellery and accessories too. I've then taken a bunch of polaroid pics of outfits I loved and stuck them on the door of my wardrobe - if I'm stuck for what to wear at 8.42 when I'm due to start work at 9, I know I've always got a backup plan! It's basically like Cher from Clueless - and what girl didn't want that computerised cupboard thing...

Stocking Up
If you thought mapping your wardrobe was fun (I did say that, didn't I) then this next step is even more so. Shopping! Now you've got an idea of what you're missing, it's a lot easier not to get lost in the shops with an armful of sequins when you really went in for a basic black singlet. I know I'm missing the perfect white tee (and black tee for that matter), a pair of tan wedges that will go with anything and a white button down. Any shopping destination tips for these elusive items much appreciated!

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What's your style? How do you organise your wardrobe? Any tips for me in defining my personal style? Share your comments below - we love hearing from you!

(eep! Some of these images have been on my computer for a while - if they are yours please let me know! Other images from Lucy Laucht, Atlantic-Pacific, Gal Meets Glam)

{ 30 day } affirmation challenge update

We're well and truly into our affirmation challenge for January and it seems like plenty of you are joining us for the ride!

So what have we learned?

I have to admit, I've not found it easy to do affirmations every day, but I will say that I'm definitely more aware of my 'inner critic'. You know how I mentioned in my last post on affirmations that we'd never speak to our lovers or friends the way we speak to ourselves? I've found out I'm a real meany when it comes to my inner voice! However, while I can be a bit hard on myself, the affirmation challenge has certainly made me more aware of this tendency which is the first step towards kicking the habit. 

One thing I've found is that it helps to have constant reminders, even attaching your affirmations to things you see everyday. I've found a few 'triggers' in my life that have reminded me to do my affirmations, because let's face it, when you're caught up in your daily life, things like these can be the first to go! One of my favourite triggers is a sign that I see every day on my way to work. I'm not sure if it's graffiti or art but, oddly positioned under an overpass in the Valley, giant red stenciled letters say: "The more I think about it, the bigger it gets." Seems like it was written just for me - a reminder that focusing on the good brings more good into my life. (On further research, it's a public art installation by Brisbane artist Sebastian Moody and it's goal is to "create a place for philosophical contemplation in urban environments.")

So would I keep going with affirmations? You know, it's actually really nice to have a cheerleader in your corner reminding you about how awesome you are. Regardless of whether you're reciting mantras in the mirror every morning or just appreciating a piece of public art and it's ability to make you smile, a little self love goes a long way.

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Some bonus tips - I've been loving Jess from the Wellness Warrior's daily affirmations on twitter and Notes from The Universe are a daily dose of cute delivered to your inbox. One of my favourites?

If you were able to look back at your most brilliant successes, stunning comebacks, amazing catches, and smokin' ideas, Claire, and you were to find that virtually all of them seemed to materialize out of thin air, when you least expected them, and that they had exceeded even your greatest expectations at the time, how excited would you be about the new year and whatever else I've got up my sleeve?

Hubba, hubba -
The Universe

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So how have you been keeping up with your affirmations? Any tips you've picked up that you want to share? We'd love to hear!

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sweet lime and spiced tea on { the urban list }

Hello lovely blog followers! Well it's been a touch quiet on the blogging front from me (not so much on the 'real life' front - I've started a new job that I couldn't be more excited about). I've missed you! While posting from me might be a little sporadic as I get into the groove of 2012, we've still got plenty on the go. 

If you're not a regular on our Sweet Lime Facebook page or following us on Twitter, you might be wondering what we're doing with ourselves every Wednesday. Well, we're regular columnists on a fabuloso site, The Urban List where you can read all about goings on in Brisbane and beyond. Some of the things we've written about lately? We're so glad you asked:

New age fitness trends for 2012 - We spoke to the delightful Claire from Black Dove for her take on the fitness trends for 2012. Her thoughts? A return to nature (running, surfing, biking) and a focus on holistic health rather than weight loss.

Declutter you life - The new year is the perfect time to get your life in order. We spoke about our top tips for getting your wardrobe to look like the pic above!

Words of Wisdom - Instead of resolutions, we put together our words to live by for 2012 - starting with a dedication to being more awesome!

The 'it' drink of 2012 - We spoke to Kal, manager of the hip Laneway Bar on his top tips for the it drink of 2012. You heard it here first - prosecco, rose and German boutique beers!

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{ homemade } olive oil & sugar exfoliant

My Saturday afternoon project involved making my own exfoliant. It's the one product that has been missing from my beauty routine. And since we love all things chemical free here at Sweet Lime I thought I would try out a simple, all-natural recipe.

I made a little video to share the process - my video skills are sketchy but it was fun to give it a go!

{ friday streetstyle } trousers

Men's style trousers. Comfy, coloured, dressed down with a white tee, warmed up with a coat.

Wear them any which way.