On the weekend I was fortunate enough to attend the Bloggers United event in Brisbane. I had purchased my ticket a few months ago and was uber excited. On the actual day I was filled with a lot of nerves, albeit I was mostly pumped, but very nervous at the fact that I was going to an event where I didn't properly know anyone. Eeeeek. In the end I gave my self a pep talk on the car journey there and told myself that it won't be as daunting as I think it is. Upon my arrival I met a bunch of lovely girls and felt at ease, us bloggers are all quite similar aren't we?
The event was great - it featured a few brands (such as BYS and Kiehls) which gave information about their brands vision and different products. It also featured two established bloggers on a panel who gave some advice about starting your own business and how to manage blogging. I don't see myself chasing blogging as a full time thing but a lot of their advice was really encouraging and beneficial. It also allowed time for mingling which made me really bond with quite a few other bloggers!

I think that's what I loved most about the event was getting to meet other like minded people. We were all so similar and have such a passion for creativity. It was really refreshing! Hopefully in the next few weeks a bunch of us are going to meet up again which will be great. I feel so cool now that i've finally made some blogger friends!

• Steph from The Soul Echo (just a gorg blog, her photography is amazing)
• Alex from Justashine (writes super cool interesting stuff like ingredients in makeup )
• Shivanni from Quarter Life Crisis (writing about life as a millennial) 

As an operating theatre nurse I get asked this a lot.

It isn't something I resent answering because I would ask myself it too.

So, is the operating theatre really like Grey's Anatomy? Yes and no. 

Why it is...
There are definitely handsome doctors walking around looking all important. I don't know what it is but on average the majority of people in the medical industry are so attractive. Perhaps it's just them walking about with stethoscopes around their necks which magically makes them appear more attractive? I'm not sure but there are so many beautiful people i'm faced with day to day.

Sometimes (depending on the doctor/nurses) music is played in the theatre. People plug their phones in and play cool music. One time a song came on which was off a Grey's Anatomy episode and I had to keep my chill even though inside I was like "OMGGG MY LIFE HAS COME FULL CIRCLE".

There are super cool and fascinating surgeries. When I used to watch Grey's I was always fascinated by the surgery side of things. Now I get to see a bunch myself ranging from cancer being removed, babies being born, and fixing up broken limbs.

There are emergencies every now and then. When they occur it does kind of feel like a scene off Grey's: doctors and nurses comes running in, people attaching monitoring, and medical jargon is being yelled out. It's all so interesting to watch. At first I thought I would be quite freaked out but everyone is soo efficient in what they do that the situation is always under control.

People do chat during surgeries. Sometimes it'll get a bit intense so conversation halters, but usually if there's a nice surgeon they will chat with everyone about various topics like politics or what good movies are out at the moment. A few weeks back we were all discussing favourite Simpsons episodes which was great.


Why it isn't...
There isn't much dating that goes on. In Grey's everyone is dating everyone but realistically this doesn't happen. Occasionally, yes. But not often. What I have found is that 95% of people are married with kids, and the ones that aren't are in long term relationships. Mentally I just assume everyone is married with children because even the younger looking ones seem to all have their own family.

There aren't constant emergencies in every surgery. On the show it seems like something goes wrong each surgery but this barely ever happens. Pretty much most surgeries will go smoothly.

On Grey's all you see is it being allll about the surgeons but the anaesthetist is just as essential. Anaesthetics gets really ignored on Grey's but they're super important!! Like they help a patient go to sleep and stay asleep and deal with pain stuff.

No one discusses their sex life, in the show you see Meredith discussing nitty gritty topics with whoever she's working with whilst operating on a patient..but personally i've never seen anyone get this personal. It's definitely a fabrication of the show just to bring the drama in - which I totally don't mind - but realistically that wouldn't happen. It makes great television though!

Surgery isn't just the surgeon being a one man show - nurses practically run the operating theatre! They're the ones who check in the patients, make them feel comfortable, set up all the equipment, and ensure everything is accounted for. I don't want to diminish the role of doctors in any way because they do a lot, but nurses are just as essential in the theatre and without them doctors would be screwed. It's a team effort.

I adore travelling, which you may have gathered from my many posts regarding travel. I guess I just get this euphoric feeling of seeing new places, immersing myself in cultures, and being away from reality. The past four years I have been to Europe three times, Japan, and various cities around Australia. As soon as one trip ends I mentally start planning where i'll go next.

The issue is that I don't feel fully content being still. I get so down on myself when I feel like i'm stuck in routines and doing the same thing. Even though I love my job, family, friends..I can't shake the feeling of wishing I was somewhere else. It's completely unrealistic though. You can't just travel your whole life away (unless you're a travel blogger..you truly blessed people) and at some point you need to stay put and anchor yourself to a place. This can feel quite depressing though and leave you feeling stuck in a glass box looking out at all the places you're missing out on.

When i'm travelling I feel free. You can be whoever you want to be without prior expectations. You can be spontaneous and catch the train to a nearby village. You can walk the cobblestones of an old English town and smell the coldness and fireplace smoke in the air. You can go tan topless in the South of France cause you won't get tan lines and no one will know you (i'm guilty as charged on this one). You aren't tied to anything and can simply be.

Right now i'm at a point in my life where I need change. I don't know whether this is me actually needing it or just romanticizing the idea of change. I would love to move to a new city and make new friends. Would love to have my own flat (ideally to myself) to decorate with cute homewares. Would love to find a new local coffee shop where I go to read and get my daily flat white.

So that's my main problem of being obsessed with travel is that I crave to always be doing something and struggle with letting myself be still. Maybe someday i'll be content with where I am based but for now i'll be daydreaming of new places.

I have been an extremely good girl this year. I've become quite savvy with saving money and have repeatedly opted against going on huge shopping sprees. After months of being quite good and only splurging here and there on drugstore makeup I decided it was time to go to Mecca Maxima. Albeit I didn't go CRAZY and buy up the whole store but I did buy a few bits and pieces that I have been wanting for ages. I also got a free beauty box from Mecca so a few of these items are from that.

Nars Laguna Bronzer: Have been after this for agesss so I knew it was time to give in to the temptation. Used it once last night and so far I really like it.
Blush Duo of Hot Sand and Orgasm: A blush and a highlighter duo? Yes please! Orgasm has been a cult favourite for years so the beauty blogger in me just had to buy it.
Stila Stay-All-Day Liquid Lipstick in 'Perla': I've never tried this formulation and even though I thought I was done with my phase of liquid lipsticks..I just couldn't resist? As soon as I swatched it on my arm I had to buy it. Have worn these the last two days and I love it.
Mario Badescu Facial Spray: Not only does this smell amazing but it was only $9! As a big fan of dewy makeup and facial mists it was something I really wanted to try.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara mini: Got this in the beauty box, score! I really rate this mascara so i'm glad i've got another one.
Stila Stay-All-Day Liquid Lipstick in 'Rubino': Another mini from the beauty box. Haven't worn this yet but the colour it is right up my street.

At first when I thought about posting this I was like "nahh no ones going to want to read this" but then I realized that this is the sort of thing I like reading on other blogs...so I may as well post away! Also it's great for the memories, I love scrolling back through my blog year to year and remembering little milestones and moments.

A few weeks ago I was given a week off by work and I wanted to make the most of it. At first I considered going to Greece but a) I would only be able to go for a week so jetlag would be killer and b) it was EXPENSIVE flights..like $2500. So instead I decided to go back to my old roots: Tasmania. I was born there, left at 5/6 to come live in Queensland, and go back every 2 years to visit family and explore around. If you're not Australian then Tasmania is that liiiitle island at the bottom of Australia. It kind feels like a mini England, it's so cute.

After months of adjusting to working a proper job post university I was exhausted and needed a break. Not just a holiday, but a mental break. Personally the way I feel revitalized is hiking. Something about leaving my phone behind (okay it was actually in my backpack but I swear I didn't touch it!) and being in nature makes me feel at peace and relaxes me. Cradle Mountain is one of the most popular hikes in Australia, it's absolutely stunning and rewarding. Would definitely recommend it to everyone - you have to option to do easy hikes or more difficult ones..which is nice if you're just getting into it. I'll let the photos speak for themselves though.

 (How cool am I hiking with a pink shirt on, red backpack, and a puffer jacket tied on my waist haha..nottt)

Some days you wake up and it feels as if the world is trying to pick a fight with you, whether it be realizing how ghastly pale you've gotten or new spots emerging in the midst of the night. Whatever it is:  you just feel rubbish. On these days (heck, sometimes it can last weeks) it can be so easy just to hibernate away but there are some things I like to do which make me feel human again. These are also the things I do when I want to feel on my A game for a special event. So you sitting right there reading this: if you are in need of a bit of a pick-me-up then try out a few of these things.

I have gotten a lash lift twice and can testify that it makes me feel soo nice. It's just something about how it opens up my eyes and makes me feel as if I have nice fluttery eyelashes. Some before and after pictures are on this post here so you can see what a difference it makes. I've actually booked myself in tomorrow to get another lash lift. An alternative is eyelash extensions, I haven't gotten this before but I have seen some girls with them and it just looks lovely.

I can get a bit lazy with this but every time I get my eyebrows waxed/shaped I go "why don't I do this more often?!". My brows can get a bit out of sorts so having them freshly done can really make me feel a lot better.

Going back through travel photos is fraught with danger, it will flood you with memories of incredible times passed. I'm a big ole' sook when it comes to reminiscing the past..I've always been super sentimental.

A place that makes me suuuper duper reminiscent is London. The first time I flew the 24 hour flight to get there I was a bright eyed 18 year old girl excited to see somewhere outside Australia. I instantly fell in love with the city and in no time felt like a local zipping around on the tube and even having my own Boots card. After spending a few months there I came back to Australia and instantly started planning my next trip. I went back the following year (after saving every penny) and did house sitting in Putney with a best friend. I started to really image living a life there - and it excited me. Since then I went back the following year for some more Europe travels. A part of my heart belongs to London and I so wish to move there one day. For now i'm saving up in hopes that one day in the future I can move there.

So here are some of my photos that I was looking at which made me go "ahh London, I love and miss you".