DIY: Valentine's Day Fruit Skewers

So I couldn't resist squeezing in just one more Valentine's Day DIY post! As with most holidays, Valentine's Day isn't the most waistline-friendly day of the year (the delicious culprits: boxes of chocolates, sweetheart candies, etc.). But these Valentine's Day inspired fruit skewers are cute and healthyl!

 Here's my finished platter... it didn't last long at Stefan HQ!
They were delightfully sweet yet guilt-free.

 

You'll need: various fruit, skewers & a knife

  

I used strawberries, grapes and watermelon (because I love them and because they perfectly suit the Valentine's Day colour scheme) but use any of your favourite fruits!

 Sculpt your fruit!

  

For the strawberries, I just cut them in half and then cut a little v-shape out of the top. For the watermelon I cut slices and then shaped them into hearts. Then just skewer them in various combinations – be creative!

I used Ms Monroe (who graces our Stefan HQ walls)
as a model for my creations...

  "The real lover is the man who can thrill you by
kissing your forehead or smiling into your eyes."
Marilyn Monroe

 

Sneek Peek into my Fitness Diary!

Nothing makes me feel better like working out does! Whether it be an intense boxing class 

or a social powerwalk with a friend, I always feel great afterwards!

The last couple of weeks, I have increased the amount of times that I work out and 

have been trying a few different classes! Last week I did my first Ballet Bar Pilates class!

It was a big change from my usual style of training but was fun to do something 

ultra feminine & graceful.

I don't need to go into the importance of exercise as everybody knows how great it is for you!

But it does more than help you lose weight and get fit. Its great for an emotional lift or to blow off steam after a stressful day. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. It can also boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. 

Below I have written out my fitness diary from last week. I try to mix up my 

workouts each week to challenge my body and keep it guessing. 

Obviously I am a little bit of an exercise addict but as long as you get moving for at 

least 30 minutes a day, your body and mind with thank you for it!

 Andrea xx

Wardrobe Essentials

UUUUGRGH! 

Today was just another morning I woke up with absolutely NOTHING to wear.

Even though I have a huge wardrobe, with 27 pairs of shoes and a ridiculous amount of clothes - why is it that I can never find anything to wear?!

After 20 minutes of throwing clothes all over the show - I ended up in a simple white cotton summer dress and wedges.

Don't you find that it is always the simple basics that help you out on these stressful mornings?

Here I have compiled the top 10 wardropbe basics, that every girl MUST-HAVE. 

No matter your size, colour, style, attitude...these are the indisputable wardrobe essentials.

1) The Simple White Tee 

My white tee is just a little cheapie from Sportsgirl, but I can't live without it.

Over a pair of tight capris, at home over your knickers or tucked into a high waited skirt with a statement necklace - a basic tee is a must have.

2) Statement Pants, preferable Stovepipe

I don't do jeans, so this is my equivalent. You always need a pair of perfect pants (have you ever seen the sisterhood of the traveling pants?!) They need to be tight but comfy and look great with sneakers, or heels. So I think 2 inches above the ankle bone is the best length.

3) A Leather Jacket

I am obsessed with leather jackets, so one wasn't enough for me.

You always need a plain black one - thats an absolute necessity, but me being me, I needed a bright orange one as well for those glum, dull days!

4) Easy-to-wear Wedges

Those days that you cannot find anything to wear - are always the days that you are running late! Make sure you've got some shoes that are not only appropriate for work, but you can still run for your life without breaking your leg! Mine are a pair of Steve Madden wedges, bought for me by our General Manger Rose.

Lucky she got me 2 pairs - I wear 'em almost every day! 

5) A Comfy Pull-Over

I have always loved these jerseys and have them in multiple colours, but a black is a must have. Scoop-necked, longer at the back and tight sleeved so you can pull them up when your making your dinner. They feel great to pull on after work (whip off your bra too for extra-comfort!), and chuck on a pair of boy leg undies. They also look really cute over pants and skirts , if you want to dress it up. 

6) The Perfect High-Waisted Skirt

My mum bought this for me, she has fantastic taste and knows me to a tee. I love that it's pleated and classic, yet is an amazing, vibrant colour. Its also made out of a beautiful suede, so will always look great and will never look ratty and old.

7) Statement Boots

Boots are your best friend. In winter, they look fantastic with summer dresses and leather jackets. I have an incredible pair of over the knee black leather boots that I adore and have worn to bits. I've also got a pair of outrageous (and obscenely expensive) red boots that are so fun, but completely impractical.

8) A Cotton Summer Dress

You always need that simple dress that you can pull on over your bikini, but also slip on with heels for a lunch date.

A see-through soft cotton is always so nice on a hot day, and you can always put a nude or black slip underneath when you want to wear it somewhere other than the beach.

9) Great Shorts

I am a short fiend! I have so many pairs, but since you can't really wear them to work, its all I wear on the weekends. 

I have always been a huge fan of dressing up shorts with heels and jackets, but they are also great to go with that plain tee when you totally run out of fashion inspiration.

10) 'That Dress' that makes you feel FAB

I know everyone talks about the LBD (or little black dress) being an absolute must-have. But for me, I never feel fab in all black - I always feel dull, and like I blend in.

All you need is the perfect dress. Doesn't matter how much you spend, this is an absolute necessity!!!

It needs to be snug, and skim the best parts of your bod - boobs, hips and bum - but not skin-tight.

It needs to be that dress you turn to on fat days, grumpy days, bad hair days and uninspiring days.

It needs to slip on, and zip up - and thats it. Doesn't need acessories, doesn't need statement shoes - it just holds it's own all by itself.

I wore mine to my graduation - and I felt fab!

So thats my Top 10 wardrobe must-haves.

Check-in next Friday and I'll go through the must have accessories.

Because we all know, an outfit isn't complete without a little glitz and glam.

Have a wonderful weekend all.

Kate X

How To: Choose your hair colour

 

Celebrities are always changing up their looks, but how do you know if Blake Lively's strawberry blonde will suit you? Whether you are looking for subtle highlights or a completely new hair colour, keep these guidelines in mind to help you choose your best hair colour yet!

 Skin Tone & Eye Colour

 

Skin tone should be the number one deciding factor when choosing a new hair color. A good color will accentuate your natural complexion and look like you were born with it.

Skin with warm undertones work well with :

Gold

Honey

Caramel

Copper

Red

Mahogany

Strawberry blonde

Chocolate

Ginger

Orange based reds

Dark browns

Rust

Andrea is a great example of pairing olive skin with a rich deep brown shade.( We love her new shorter cut too!)

 

Tiara has a medium skin tone, which suits  her light brown and warm blonde bayalage.

 

Katie has medium/freckled skin, so it works beautiful with her coppery red shade.

 

The eye colours that Complement warm undertones:

Hazel eyes with brown or golden flecks

Greenish-blue eyes

Golden brown eyes

Green eyes

 

Skin with Cool undertones work well with :

• Platinum
• Ash-blonde
• Cream
• Sandy
• Coffee
• Jet black
• Fawn
• Mid-level blondes
• Flat browns
• Wine
• Mahogany
• Burgundy

The eye colours that suit these cool hair shades are

Dark blue
Hazel coloured with light flecks
Blackish brown
Dark brown
Grayish blue

 

Chloe and Penelope both complement fair skin with their  cool ash blonde hair colour.

 

 

Remember, you can head into any Stefan hair salon for a free consultation about what hair colours would suit you and the best way to care for your hair!

 

Thanks for Reading

 

Becky xo

 

 

My Geeky Valentine

Following on from Tiara’s blog yesterday I’d like to ponder upon a few ways we can use technology to celebrate 'love-day' and at the same time, bring a smile to our Valentine’s face.

Make a calendar

Everyone loves a calendar (it doesn't have to be saucy) and they’re even better when it's full of you!  Get your hair & makeup done, pose and snap away.  Those feeling particularly adventurous can experiment with Photoshop.

 Record a song

Use GarageBand or other free audio software to record a self-written ballad.  Achieve maximum impact by putting the tune on your partners phone and changing their ringtone as a suprise!

An online treasure hunt

Take your Valentine on a journey through the past and best bits of your relationship.
  Leave clues in the form of comments or tags that lead to the next clue - and end with an amazing gift or online booking to something great!

E-cards / Instagram Valentine

Quite traditional but always a winner when it lands at their inbox or news feed.
  Why not attach a voucher or suprise too!

Show what your baby will look like

Potentially scary, but FUN!  Sites like www.morphthing.com can morph two people's photos and mix them into one.

 Build a robot

Not the easiest, but by-far the coolest valentines gift. 
 Wouldn’t you want a robot bringing flowers and  breakfast in bed?


'til next week, ALEX

DIY Valentines Heart Envelopes

How will you share the love this Valentine's Day? As far as I'm concerned, nothing is more personal than a handwritten letter. Or maybe there is... how about a handwritten letter that comes in a handmade heart envelope?

 My finished project... ready for my Valentine!
  

Step 1: Make your template

The only tricky part of this DIY is the right heart shape. Aim to make your heart a similar shape to mine, and it should overlap in the right places when you start folding. The lines that I drew on my template are where your folds will be.

Use a scrap piece of landscape A3 paper just to experiment first, and once you find the right shape and folds, you can use this as a template. Make your heart as big as possible because it will shrink a lot when you fold it. 

To make sure the heart is symmetrical, first fold the paper in half and then draw and cut.

 Step 2: Put your template to use

Once your template is folding correctly, trace it onto a fancy/cute/sentimental/special piece of paper and cut that out. I used one with a cute pattern. If you use a pattern (rather than a solid colour) just remember that you should cut out your heart upside down. This is because the bottom of the heart will become the top of your envelope.

Step 3: Your first folds

To make things easy for yourself and to keep unsightly accidental folds to a minimum, put your template on top of your new piece of paper and use a ruler to score the folds. Flip your paper so that the outside of your envelope is facing down, and fold the two sides of your heart towards the centre.

 Step 4: Fold again

Fold the top of your heart so that the top of the paper meets the corners of your last fold. Glue this piece in place. You're almost there...!

Step 4: Your last fold

Invert everything and then fold the white peak downwards. Voilà! You have a cute, handmade, heart envelope. Then just scribble some sweet nothings in a letter, and get a cute sticker to seal the envelope as well as a cute label for the front.

   My finished envelope with a label addressed to my love!

 

The Chop!

 I thought I would take a little break from my usual healthy food and exercise tips to 

tell you about what I did over my weekend!

I did the chop! ! !

•••

 Since it is the start of a new year, I decided it was time for a change!
 It may not seem like a crazy change, but for someone who has had long hair through all her teens and adult life, it certainly was for me! 
My amazing Stefan Stylist, Eric from Myer Centre, cut it for me and he did an amazing job! :)

BEFORE

AFTER

 Now for the fun part of trying out a whole new heap of hairstyles on my new hair! 

What changes have you made this new year?

Andrea xx