July in Pictures
7/31/2012

July in Pictures

Well July, you have been a jumble. It was almost like life went to the pick & mix bins. There was the good, the not so good & everything in between. July was rather relaxing though & a lot of fun & exciting things happened.

Without further ado, here's a look at July documented as always by Instagram with some help from Diptic & Pic Fx.

Captions are below!


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New to the Beauty Bazaar: The Sale Edition.
7/30/2012

New to the Beauty Bazaar: The Sale Edition.

I was so excited to buy & try both these products as they were on sale & a friend had just recommended them to me. I wore them both over the weekend & I got a couple of comments about them so I decided to share them with you now. I think the Farmers sale ends today so if you're quick you can still head in & grab yourselves a bargain.


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Monday Marvel #8
7/30/2012

Monday Marvel #8

You may have read about my purchase during makeup hour last week & this is it; today I bring you the Chanel Levres Scintillantes Glossimers, simply put, Chanel's iconic lipglosses.

Here's mine, Shade #169-Jalousie.
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What I Love Weekly #14
7/27/2012

What I Love Weekly #14

1.  This recipe from Dani's blog. Doesn't it sound amazing & look so simple to do? I'm making this tonight for our dinner.

2. 1 hour makeup runs. Yesterday M & I caught up on one of our breaks in between classes and visited various beauty departments up & down Queen Street. I didn't do too much damage to my Eftpos card in 60 minutes and only escaped with a Chanel Glossimer in Jalousie

Jalousie is the 8th from the right in this image.


3. Forget every traditional Dolly Varden cake you've ever seen and look at this one Britney of Lemonwood & Honey made! I'm probably a little biased because she's my friend but I think this is a stunning cake. I love the piping on her skirt.

4. Getting stuff done. This week my 'To-Do' list has been more or less entirely crossed off. This is such a rarity for me & seeing all those ticks is so satisfying.

Seeing as the London Olympics are just around the corner I've made a collage this week. It features English Roses & Style Icons, Alexa Chung & Florence Welch.
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Get prepared for the Auckland Art & Craft Fair!
7/26/2012

Get prepared for the Auckland Art & Craft Fair!

Twice a year something wondrous arrives on the Auckland Art & Craft scene. I'm talking about the Auckland Art & Craft Fair of course! The 6th fair is taking place this Saturday in the Aotea Centre.

The Auckland Art & Craft Fair is; "a one of a kind, special event happening twice a year, in Winter and in Summer. Designed to showcase a selection of New Zealand best independent and contemporary Designers, Artists & Crafters selling their products direct to the public for one day only.


At the Fair you will find products with an emphasis on quality, craftsmanship, creativity and style. You can purchase direct from the seller, knowing that you are supporting our local talent and you will be taking home a special piece that has soul".


One of the fair's sponsors is the legendary Frankie Magazine. How awesome is that?!

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Mid Week Music
7/25/2012

Mid Week Music




'Payphone' was the first single off Maroon 5's latest album, Overexposed. 'Payphone' was written by Benny Blanco, Ammar Malik, Dan Omelio, Shellback and the American rapper Wiz Khalifa. It was produced by Benny Blanco and Shellback.The song is a mid-tempo pop ballad and it features a rap verse from Wiz in the middle of it.  Lyrically it explores the way a relationship used to be and discusses how it's no longer like this.


I love this song because it reminds me of the end of Semester holiday I just had, which seems like ages ago now! It was always playing on the radio at that time & it was on my Spotify playlists for quite a while.
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Culinary Delights: Basic Chocolate Cake
7/24/2012

Culinary Delights: Basic Chocolate Cake



Today's recipe is one of my favourite cakes to make. The name makes it sound simplistic (which it is) & this cake is one of the easiest you will ever make. The Chocolate Glaze is what takes it to the next level & makes it a luxurious delight. Every time I make this cake it never stays around for long. In fact the last time I made it, it was gone within 20 minutes!

This recipe comes from Donna Hay's Chocolate book, one of the best cookbooks ever. Ours is used so much that there's chocolate stains on the pages.

And now lo & behold, the recipe!


Ingredients


-375 g butter, softened.
-1 1/2 cups brown sugar.
-3 eggs.
-2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted.
-2 teaspoons baking powder.
-2/3 cup cocoa, double sifted.
-3/4 cup milk.
-1 quantity chocolate glaze recipe (see below).


Method


1. Preheat the oven to 160 C (320 F).

2. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 8-10 minutes or until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs and beat well.

3. Fold through the flour, baking powder and cocoa and stir in the milk.

4. Spoon the mixture into a 22 cm (8 1/2 in) round cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

5. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack. Ice with chocolate glaze. Serves 8-10.


Chocolate Glaze Recipe




1. Place 150g chopped dark couverture chocolate (I just use Cadbury's Cooking Chocolate) and 1/2 cup (single or pouring) cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until melted and smooth.

2. Allow the mixture to stand for 10 minutes and to thicken slightly.

3. Pour the glaze over a well chilled cake and tap to remove any air bubbles.






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Monday Marvel #7
7/23/2012

Monday Marvel #7

I remember going to one of the first Auckland Art & Craft Fairs two years ago now & being captivated by a duck print lampshade. The vibrancy of the purple colours contrasted with the roughness of the duck illustration really stood out to me & it is still one of my favourite prints by local graphic designer, Evie Kemp.

Now she has a stunning new series of prints featuring a menagerie of animals & cute cards to send on to lovely folk. Standout pieces include the Gypsy Cat series & this Cockatoo.



I was lucky enough to have Evie answer a few of my questions about her work this week. Read on if you want more insights into this designer's work.
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What I Love Weekly #13
7/20/2012

What I Love Weekly #13

1. This week Semester 2 began. The last one was, interesting to say the least. I'm really looking forward to this semester though and all the challenges + rewards it will bring.

2. Spending time with people I rarely get the chance to see. The only downside to this is that time seems to pass a lot quicker than normal.

3. This amazing lip scrub from Lush. I bought E this for her birthday and it smelt so good that I went back and got myself one. It is made from castor sugar and vegan flavour. That sounds a bit disgusting but it's not, to me it tastes like raspberry licorice. It is designed to remove rough skin & at $12.20, this one's a steal.

The greatest delicacy I consumed this week.
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The Reading Pile
7/19/2012

The Reading Pile

I was so busy these holidays that after the first week I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to just sit down and read books. I'm feeling guilty about this so I will start bringing books to read on my train trips to Uni.

In the meantime, this month I read two of my favourite magazines while I was in Australia. I don't really like to think of them as magazines though as the content is on par with books. Anyway, without further ado today I bring you Lula (Issue 14) and Frankie (Issue 48).


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Mid Week Music
7/18/2012

Mid Week Music

This week's song has been on repeat over the last week or so. I absolutely love it. There's something about these lyrics which have really stood out to me.



Wide Awake is the final song released from the Teenage Dream period. It was specifically written for Katy Perry's Part of Me film. Currently the song is holding the Number 1 spot over on the New Zealand music charts. 



I also love the supporting music video which takes on an Alice in Wonderland vibe. It follows the highs & lows of Katy's fame. There's some very subtle references to her previous records & videos too so keep an eye out for them!


-Images via Tumblr & We Heart It.
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Quotacious Quotes
7/17/2012

Quotacious Quotes

"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must forge and hammer yourself into one."
-Henry David Thoreau.


"Mostly I just want to take chances and have fun and truly live."
-Katy Perry.


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Monday Marvel #6
7/16/2012

Monday Marvel #6

Flowers & installations are one of my favourite things ever. They're such a colourful, visual feast. Some of my fondest memories are the times I made flower arrangements at primary school. So when I saw the  photos of Dior's Haute Couture set at  Paris Fashion week, a part of my heart melted.

Hard at work piecing together one of the floral walls.

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What I Love Weekly #12
7/13/2012

What I Love Weekly #12

1. Overheard on the train last week; "Every day is a good day." This is what one of the ticket collectors said when quizzed about his job. Sometimes hearing things like this at a time when you think the world's been pulled from under your feet can make all the difference.

2. The people in life who are just magic. That sounds really corny, I know. Basically it's those people who have good energy. They are so full of positivity & just being in their presence can make you feel fantastic. I'm lucky to have a handful of people in my life like this.

3. Party planning. This week I've been helping organise my brother's birthday dinner. I love compiling menus, thinking of decorations & of course what I'll cook. Birthday parties are the best.

4. Going back to basics with Kikki K's latest stationery range. Sometimes all you need is a simply designed product and these Swedish gems deliver again. I got the trio of blue notebooks for my study notes this semester. I love these colours but I do have plans to decorate the inside covers to make them a bit more exciting.

My latest nails by Leah showcased through Picfx. If you have an iPhone you should buy this! It is the Narnia of photo filters.
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Brilliant Blogs, Edition 6
7/12/2012

Brilliant Blogs, Edition 6

This style blog is one I've been reading for a long time now. There isn't a great deal of writing on there but the pictures really speak for themselves. Today I bring you Sea of Shoes, blog of the lovely Jane Aldridge.


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Mid Week Music
7/11/2012

Mid Week Music



Ray of Light was released in 1998 as the second single from Madonna's album of the same name. The song charted well & was credit for bringing electronic dance music into mainstream pop & radio.


It has featured on shows & movies like Glee during their Madonna episode as well as in countless advertising campaigns. The song was most recently featured in a promotional clip for Masterchef Australia.

-Image via Google Images.

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Australia in Pictures
7/10/2012

Australia in Pictures

As some of you might've noticed I've been a little bit absent from the blog over the last week or so. I've been in Australia, on the Gold Coast to be exact. We had an amazing time but as always, it's good to be home.

To be honest I didn't really take many photos as we were out and about most days at places like the Theme Parks where you can't use cameras most of the time. Anyway, here's a selection I compiled of what I saw and did on my trip.

Captions are below!

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One afternoon I went to the movies & left extremely moved by Katy Perry
7/09/2012

One afternoon I went to the movies & left extremely moved by Katy Perry

I don't know if it's because of what I'm going through in my personal life right now, but I was incredibly taken by how real Katy's story & struggles were, and still are. After watching Part of Me, the new documentary chronicling one of the busiest years of Katy's life, you'll realise hers is not a manufactured pop success story.

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Monday Marvel #5
7/09/2012

Monday Marvel #5

I love a lot of things, but I'd have to say feathers are one of my favourite symbols. When I think of feathers I think of freedom, flight, headdresses & couture gowns. Believe it or not, a lot of couture pieces will feature feathers in their design. See, even designers recognise the beauty of feathers!


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What I Love Weekly #11
7/06/2012

What I Love Weekly #11

1. Beauty hauls. So my Duty Free dream haul didn't go quite to plan, with nothing I wanted being in stock. Did that set me back? Absolutely not. I ended up with completely different things to try. I'm yet to use my products but when I do, you'll be the first to know.

2. Walks in the rain. Last week I walked to Pacific Fair, a massive shopping complex on the Gold Coast. It was worth getting wet to be there, just to see new sights & explore new surroundings.

3. Ben & Jerry's Phish Food. New Zealand is really missing out not having this icecream available. Phish Food is an amazing combination of chocolate, caramel swirls & fudge fish. Divine!

4. Summer in Winter. Winter on the Gold Coast seems a foreign concept. Temperatures barely dip below 17 degrees. Cold winds are a rarity and the sun may as well be a permanent fixture. I love this climate & I'd be lying if I said I'd missed Auckland's chills. Getting off the plane last night was a shock to the system.

The Bobbi Brown counter in Myer's Beauty Department. I could've spent hours on this floor.
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Mid Week Music
7/04/2012

Mid Week Music




Wonderwall by Oasis was released during 1995. It reached the top ten on 13 charts and topped the charts in New Zealand, Australia & America.

Lead singer Noel Gallagher describes Wonderwall as being "an imaginary friend who's gonna come & save you from yourself." The song's title originated from a 1968 film who's soundtrack was provided by George Harrison, one of the members of The Beatles.



Images via We Heart It.



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June in Pictures
7/03/2012

June in Pictures

Well June you have been joyous and extremely cold+busy+fun. Half of the year is gone and I've only got a month left of playing Peter Pan, as of today. Now that's frightening food for thought.

Anyway, here's a look at the month that was June! For more of my updates follow me @nanawintour over on Instagram. Captions are below!



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Monday Marvel #4.
7/02/2012

Monday Marvel #4.

I love looking at nail art & designs, whether they're done by professionals or amateurs. It's always interesting to see where people are getting there inspiration from. More often than not it will be drawn from what's curently happening in the fashion world.

Today I bring you some of my favourite looks, many which can be easily done by you at home. There are plenty of nail art tutorials around as well like Leah Light's or vlogger Fleur De Force's.



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