Saturday, October 4, 2014

My Little Veggie Patch DIY

Good Morning all! 

Life has been pretty crazy lately, so on this beautiful Summers morning I shall sit upon my breakfast bench, drinking my morning smoothie and tell you all about the fruits of my labour (hehe, pun intended here). 

Joe and I were pretty lucky in the fact that we purchased our home virtually completely renovated - the only work we really need to do is on two bathrooms, the gardens and entertaining area. This weekend I jumped in little black (yes, my car has a name) - insert, 'ugh, she is one of those people' here - and went on my way to our local bunnings. 

I really like the thought of growing your own produce in a farm to table sort of way, it has always been a dream of mine to be able to walk out into my back yard and have produce just a harvested pick and cook now kind of way. In saying that I wanted to share some of my gardening tips and ideas with you all, and of course my personal finished product. 

1. Soil 

It is always good to find out the pH level, or if you're not into it that much the soil that you are going to be working with. Unfortunately we had major plumbing issues and had to dig up our whole back yard to fix the pipes so I knew i would be working with super crappy soil. I swear our soil is more like concrete/rock haha. Due to this I had to buy four bags of garden soil (25L each) to fill the small space below. Firstly I used the pick to loosen the soil i already had, then poured in the new garden soil and mixed it all together with the shovel. 

2. Location

You need to ensure you pick a location that gets plenty of sun, your veggie patch should get about 6-8 hours of sun per day. Of course, myself being difficult I chose to plant my veggie patch where there were existing hedges so had to do a LOT of hard work to trim back, remove and replant elsewhere just to get my location sorted. 

3. Plants 

There are many guides on pinterest like the one below that I found that gives you a good guide to plants and what works well with each other. I obviously chose items that we enjoy to eat a lot of and some fun other things that we can experiment with. I chose tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, chives, chilli, baby carrots and capsicum. Needless to say I'm sure the range will expand as it's never good to bite off more then you can chew at the beginning, not to mention initially veggie patches are expensive.


4. Planting - Nutrients - Water

Now for the fun part, planting your crops! For transplanting (moving from pot to garden) I use the Miracle-Gro MaxFeed Soluble Plant Food, these come in different varieties, I obviously chose the ones for tomatoes, fruits and vegetables. Follow the instructions on the back of the packet. Dig the hole for your plant and pour some MaxFeed in with a small amount of water to assist in the shock that your plants occur when moving them to the garden bed. Repeat this step for every plant you wish to put in, cover with soil and add mulch to the garden bed for Nutrients. Make sure you give the plants a VERY good water, they are going to need watering everyday for at least a week afterwards. Follow with fertiliser every 7 - 14 days. 

5. Enjoy your finished product!! 


Although this is just the first step to our garden reno, there is much much more to come so stay tuned. 

Until next time, stay fabulous. 

Jacqueline xxx

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Home Decor: Dresser DIY

Hi There! 

Firstly my apologies for being a little bit absent this past week, unfortunately I had emergency surgery to have all four of my wisdom teeth removed. I have had about a week off work where I have virtually just starved, taken pain killers, iced my face and slept haha. Needless to say I am SO beyond happy to be back writing frequently for you guys. 

Now onto the fun stuff.. today I am beginning the first of a series of home decor posts. Our little love nest is coming along slowly but surely. When we moved in we literally just had our bed, bed side tables and the old dresser we will be talking about today. Living with no furniture was somewhat fun, moving in and eating our dinners on a picnic blanket in the living room was a memory we will never forget. 

A little story behind the furniture piece - Joe bought this dresser years ago, it actually matches the rest of his bedroom set which we will eventually move into the spare room and be revamped. This piece was actually my VERY FIRST paint job! Pre redo this was a very dark wood. Needless to say this job cost me $100 and a quiet weekend in. 

My Tips for Painting Furniture Like a Pro

  • Sand your furniture piece by hand.
  • Do not get too sand happy!
  • Once sanding is complete wipe excess with a damp cloth then dry with paper towel.
  • Prime your surface with your choice of primer using a paint brush. 
  • Ensure your primer coat is not thick! This just needs to be a light coat to avoid drips.
  • Paint as many coloured coats as you need for desired finish.
  • Choose a paint that has a shorter dry period to get that project done and dusted! 

Finished product using medium-gloss crisp white and existing hardware

Currently adorning my dresser

Styling my finished piece has been the funnest part, currently it is very plain and economical holding holding my jewellery box and perfumes. I like to hang my currently favourite chains on the Eiffel Tower. It is currently holding a longer in length plain collette chain, last season's kookai choker and my favourite HRH Collection ombre necklace. The shabby chic looking white bowl is from bed bath 'n' table I like to display my current favourite bracelets in here. 

The dresser is most definitely still a work in progress, I am currently on the hunt for a mirror, piece of art or some beautiful frames to place up on the wall above. I would love to hear some of your painting tips, please leave them down below also with some suggestions of what I should add to this wall to glam it up! 

Until next time.. 

Jacqueline xx 

Sunday, August 31, 2014

NYX Mini Haul

Lately I have been obsessed with trawling the isles of my local target, I have recently stumbled across some amazing finds to the point where I must admit I have an unhealthy addiction to that of target haha. NYX is such a great quality and affordable brand, it just makes sense to have some of their products in my kit which I have been building upon, more or less lately. Below are some of my favourite tried and tested products of theirs that have become a staple in my daily makeup routine. 

PRIMER // BROW PENCIL // SETTING SPRAY


Let's talk about these products in more detail so you can get a feel for how I use them in my routine. 

  • STUDIO PERFECT PHOTO-LOVING PRIMER - Anti-Redness green base 
My history with primers hasn't been so good, I have tried some of the higher ender products like Napoleon Perdis (all three of their primers) and just seemed to break out. I have also had experience with lower end products such as Revlon's primer and still no luck, this would infuriate me when girls would say 'not to prime is a crime' because every time I primed crime city would pop up all over my face. There are three of these products to choose from and I went with the green based anti-redness formula as when I do get small breakouts I want to be able to cover the redness under my foundation instead of applying more coverage to these areas and making the break out worse. I have been using this product for a good month now, once you apply you can't feel the product on your skin it just makes your skin feel super soft and guess what... no break outs!! 

  • PUSH-UP BRA FOR YOUR EYEBROW
I have been looking for a suitable highlighter for quite some time now, coming with a back up brow pencil was just a bonus (although I'm still using my old faithful anastasia beverly hills pencil). I use the highlighter in the corner of my eye just near the tear duct, on the bottom of the brow bone and under the eye. Sometimes I also find myself using this as a concealer it's great because it doesn't crease. 

  • DEWY FINISH SETTING SPRAY
I'm nor usually a fan of setting sprays and tend to like a matte look but I love using this because it means I don't have to worry what-so-ever about touch ups throughout the day (low maintenance is what i'm all about). NYX actually recommend this for make up artists working with professional photographers, me well I'm just a make up enthusiast. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on NYX, your favourite and not so favourite products. 

Jacqueline xx 


Thursday, August 21, 2014

The ICONIC Haul

Pretty little loves the weekend is upon us and today we have a haul! Honestly, what could make Friday any better then this? 

The ICONIC is currently having their winter sale with some awesome mark downs, so I thought, why not share! 

I ordered a few pieces and then the following night continued browsing and ordered a few more, haha. I hadn't shopped this site before so wasn't sure what to expect sizing wise but luckily majority of their Zalora and Ezra by Zalora brand pieces are quite true to size. The great thing about this site is that if you order something that doesn't fit they offer returns and exchanges through your online account with them. Postage was super quick and I had my items within 2 business days, definitely stowed this one away for any last minute outfit requirements!


This jacket is perfect for the remainder of winter
and will work nicely for  spring and summer evenings to come
// currently sold out similar here


Flounce Flipsy skirt
 This little number is perfect office attire with some opaque stockings
// shop here


Left: Ezra by Zalora Tulip dress perfect for office to evening with a red lip and black pumps
// shop here
Top Right: Ezra Basics by Zalora versatile black peplum
// shop here
Bottom Right: Ezra by Zalora pleated fit and flare skirt
// currently sold out
Overall I am really happy with my purchases, my items came in beautifully wrapped Zalora bags and The ICONIC sent me some vouchers for their supporting brands. The only small issue I have is that my jacket sleeves are a little too long however I won't return the item instead have the sleeves hemmed (I'm used to this being so tiny, haha).

I hope you guys liked this haul, if so please comment below and I will be sure to post more of these for you. 
Please head on over to my instagram account @jacjoyce_ I will try and do some OOTD's with these pieces for you.

Jacqueline xx 

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Beauty Blender Dupe

Happy Hump-Day!

Today I am wanting to share with you all my tried, tested and loved beauty blender dupe. During the week I tend to reach for my pot of Revlon Colorstay Whipped however my brush or fingers just weren't cutting the application side of things and I was constantly left feeling like I was wasting way too much product. 

I don't really like the usual sponge application for any foundation however I had heard a lot of hype about the beauty blender from fellow bloggers, but let's be honest is extremely high in price for a sponge. Browsing the isles of my local drug store I came across the Natio Complexion Perfection sponge for a fraction of the price I figured I would give it a whirl as it presents similar shapes on the sponge for blending.


The very tip of the sponge is perfect for getting into tight crevices like under the eyes and around the nose to ensure no creasing occurs. I like to use the slight indent of the middle of the sponge to blend out any lines around my jaw line. I like to wash my sponge after every use to ensure I get the longest possible use and don't apply bacteria and old foundation back to my face. After use I will just pop a bit of my makeup brush cleaner onto the sponge, pop it under warm water and give it a scrub, after i sit it on the bench and it dries out for my next evening or morning use. 


Foundation applied with complexion perfection sponge
 no photo finish primer or powder 
You can pick up one of these sponges at your local price line, giant chemist or discount pharmacy that stocks Natio. You can also purchase online here! 


The speed this little sponge allows me to blend my foundation in and onto my face is an honest life saver of a morning. Let me know if any of you guys have tried this sponge and leave your thoughts below in the comments. 

Jacqueline xx 

Saturday, August 16, 2014

The Newest Addition

Hi there pretty little loves! 

It's great to be back from our travels and settled back into our little love nest for good as first home owners. Buying a house together was a big step however for a while now we have been contemplating adding one other to our little family. 

Together we umm'ed and ahh'ed about getting a puppy, looking at different breeds and ensuring our yard would be suitable for a dog. Once we investigated we came to the conclusion that realistically it would be unfair to have a puppy and not be able to give it the time and dedication required to extensively train it and ensure it would be taken to puppy school, not to mention all home work completed.

I came across a rabbit breeder in a tiny little town two hours from our house and began my research on the house rabbit society. Some weeks passed by and needless to say I took that road trip out there and picked up our perfect little house bunny Hazelnut, Hazel for short. 


Joey is now outnumbered by girls, yet he is so smitten with little Hazel I doubt that he minds. This little bunny has both of our hearts for now and many more years to come.

Please let me know if any of you guys have a house bunny and share your instagram account, I would love to follow some of Hazel's bunny subbies out there! I look forward to doing some posts for you all on bunny care and training techniques we are trying out at the moment. 

Jacqueline xxx

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Thailand Travel Diary #3

Picking up where we left off a dreaming of Asia from Koh Panangh we caught a ferry for about an hour onwards to Koh Tao the most beautiful part of our trip. This island is perfect for diving and snorkeling with beautiful coral nurseries all over the island. 

We lazed around at our front door step and enjoyed wonderful foods.


Snorkelling shark bay, mango bay and many of the other coral nurseries we hopped a boat and swam with black tip sharks and beautiful big sea turtles. The following day Joe and I took a five course Thai cooking class and basked in our delicious foods. 






After our stay in Koh Tao we ventured back over to Koh Samui drank cocktails while the sun went down and enjoyed the street markets before flying home to freezing cold Australia. 


This holiday was perfect and has left us relaxed and rejuvenated coming home to our perfect little love nest.

Jacqueline xxx

Friday, July 18, 2014

Mani + Pedi

To say I have been taking advantage of the Thai exchange rate and super cheap mani and pedi's would be an understatement. At home I generally only treat myself to a professional mani and pedi a couple of times a year as for me this is a luxury. I generally would purchase new polishes and do a DIY at home as money seems to go further that way. 

I wanted to share with you all the current state of my nails.


How sweet is this purple colour definitely summer and spring appropriate! I will be hunting down a similar colour to this when I'm home and I'm sure it will be a staple.


On the other hand my toes remind me of my recent post Essie rock the boat. This colour is still my favourite. What are your staple nail polishes? 

Jacqueline xx

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Thailand Travel Diary #2

Dropping a line again! 

From Patong, Phuket we hopped a tiny little plane with Bangkok Airways to Koh Samui. The flight was extremely short lasting only about an hour and the views prior to landing magnificent clear blue water. We were only in Koh Samui for a few hours before catching our ferry to Koh Panangh, our boat was extremely delayed by hours so we made the most of the location and went swimming at the port. 

Once on the island we checked into the Bayshore resort which was nice however the rooms not quite as luxurious as The Kee Resort, but located right on Haad Rin beach and the most beautiful pool - just check out that view!


Our first full day on the island we booked a tour heading out kayaking, waterfall climbing and swimming, exploring the island's Chinese temple and caught a boat out of the local fishing village to a snorkeling spot to explore. This island is honestly jungle meets the beach and you can really see the Thai authenticity compared to tourist over run Phuket. 




The following night we sipped margaritas on the beach post dinner and lazed around prior to the full moon party on Haad Rin beach. This party was crazy with buckets of whatever your heart desired only at 400 baart a pop. Proudly I lasted until midnight before heading to a street stall getting a slice of pizza and heading to bed. Our stay on Haad Rin beach was five days of great fun, relaxing and lapping up the sun - ticking another thing off the bucket list. 




Until next time ..

Jacqueline xx

Monday, July 14, 2014

Thailand Travel Diary #1

Hi there pretty little loves,

I have been a little M.I.A as I am currently lapping up the summer weather in Thailand. We started off our adventure in Patong, Phuket checking into The Kee Resort and Spa which is so central to everything in the heart of the hustle and bustle and is an extremely nice resort. The days flew by walking the streets, bartering for my goodies, eating many different types of food, bathing in the sun and trying every cocktail on the menu (the chi chi is my all time fave 🍹). Unfortunately during our stay here I got struck down by food poisoning so we couldn't get out on the James Bond island tour we booked and the weather was too bad and seas too rough to venture out to Phi Phi island. 

I still find myself very grounded and lucky that I got to experience my first little piece of Asia here and am dreading this trip finishing. Enjoy some of my snaps below from Phuket xx 






Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Essie: Rock The Boat

Priceline currently has a sale on essie nail polishes, so many bloggers that I personally follow rave about these polishes so I picked up this babe'n new colour rock the boat. 



Although this is not your typical winter colour it's the perfect colour to don my nails with on my summer getaway to Thailand and I think is winter doable and would look totally cute dolled up with a nice white outfit. 

This is my first essie nail polish and I find the consistency is totally different to any polish I have used. I would love to hear your tips and tricks for application and of course all your favourite colours, please leave these in the comments box below!!

Jacqueline xx

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Girls Night Out


Tonight I pulled on my most comfortable Lorna Jane, glammed it up with a sweet little lip stain and some pretty little flats to watch the way too funny, The Other Woman. 

This is definitely the best all girl empowering film I've seen in a long while, mind you I could have watched it again on repeat once the credits started rolling! A girls night out for an all too funny film such as this is such a fun and affordable way to spend your evening that I can promise will give you many laughs throughout. 

I would love to know your favourite gal films, this one now takes out my top spot. Leave yours in the comments below. 

Jacqueline xx

Friday, April 25, 2014

Ballet Beautiful



Hi there my pretty-little-blogettes, 

It is no secret that the Victoria Secret Angels' favourite workout is the infamous Ballet Beautiful Barre workout according to their overloaded instagram accounts. Historically ballerinas have such long and lean physiques, these women are just captivatingly beautiful due to their hard work and dedication. 

Xtend Barre uses the techniques of ballet and principles of pilates to create a thorough full body work out. To my surprise a studio was built in my local area, today being open day so I went along to the studio this morning to see what all of the fuss was about, and let's admit in hope to walk out with a body similar to that of below. 


All hail the mighty Lily Aldridge's curves in all of the right places! 

Okay, now that we're all done drooling over the above, I would love to share my experience with you all. I attended the Xtend Barre studio in Miami, previously a wedding gown designers work shop it adorns beautiful big windows for the sun light to filter through, with mirrors and ballet bars fit to the remaining walls. Once all of the ballet terminology was explained we began the class with a 'warm up' and by warm up I mean, in all of my life I have never sweat so much in 10 minutes. 

The class went for an hour, however I had so much it felt like much less! We did a lot of lengthening exercises, turnouts, pliés and work with the ball along the barre, along with planks, push ups, weighted ballet exercises and made use of the pilates band. 

All in all I would highly recommend heading down to your local barre to give it a go! For those of you who don't have a barre in your local area here is a really easy to follow at home barre workout by VS Sport

Until next time ...

Jacqueline xx