Chasing the Blood Moon

October 8th marked a full moon and a total lunar eclipse.
I was super excited to see this ‘blood moon’, but unfortunately I was battling with the clouds.
Like a kid at Christmas, I ran to the window every 5-10 minutes to see if the clouds had cleared, or if they were still blocking my view.
I did manage to see the moon throughout the night, if briefly, and it was a stunner.
Did you manage to see this ‘blood moon’?

Gone Girl got me again

**This post does not include spoilers!**

By now pretty much everyone has either read, or at least heard about Gone Girl, amiright?

I was first introduced to Gone Girl by Joy the Baker, who mentioned the book in a couple of her podcasts. She was reading it at the time and it sounded like such a gripping story, I added it to my ever growing ‘to read’ list.

So, during our European holiday last year, while getting my tan on, I decided to download the preview of this book. I was keen to read it, but not quite willing to part with any money just yet. I ended up devouring that preview and immediately bought the whole dang book. It was great! Not the kind of novel I would usually read (preferring chick lit or fantasy genres), but oh boy did I love it. You can read my review here.

So when I heard they were turning this gripping thriller into a movie, oh boy. And last night, I finally got to see it!

The theatre was packed, and as the movie progressed, I got the sense that there were a few people in the crowd who hadn’t read the book yet. Boy were they in for a fun ride!

The movie was great. So great. They didn’t take too much out of it (well, from what I can remember a year down the track!), everything flowed pretty seamlessly and the casting was wonderful. While reading the first half of the book I HATED Nick and I loved Amy. Unfortunately, I feel like the movie didn’t quite capture that to the same extent for me. Nick wasn’t quite as much of an asshole, and I don’t know if it was because I already knew what was going to happen with Amy, but she just wasn’t as likeable as she is in the book.

Also, viewing the story unfold is so different from reading and imagining it. Parts of it were difficult to sit through, and definitely got some good shock-value from the audience members who were unprepared!

The soundtrack was perfect parts tense and eerie; the lighting was dark, moody and mysterious; and there were just enough light moments of conversation in amongst the deep and serious. Even though I knew the plot of this story, I was still thoroughly entertained throughout the movie and had many ‘oh, that’s right!’ moments during various scenes. They kept really true to the book, which always gets a big thumbs-up from me.

If you haven’t seen it, you totally should. If you haven’t read the book, you also totally should. And I really don’t think it matters which order you do this in, as either way you will be taken on a roller-coaster ride of emotions!

If you have read the book or seen the film, I’d love to hear your thoughts

Tell Me What You Want

*What You Really, Really Want*

Lately I’ve been thinking about how I can improve this here blog of mine. As it stands, I enjoy what I write about, and can only hope you enjoy reading it!

But I guess I would love some insight into the kind of content you’d like to see here, and what you enjoy reading about.

So, I’ve created a little poll and I would really appreciate your input!

Road Trip: Beaches

During August we road-tripped around Victoria, hitting up some of our favourite spots including the Mornington Peninsula area and Brighton.

What’s your favourite road-trip destination?

Tips to Improve Your Emotional Well-being

Without realising it, or consciously thinking about it, I was looking forward to September. September means Spring, and new beginnings.

August was full. It was tough. It was too much.

The last week of August especially was a challenge for me. I felt physically exhausted. Tired every single day. Worn out. Over it.

As much as I tried to push through it, there was just so much negative energy all around me. It was thick.

And, if you didn’t already know this about me, I am an emotional sponge. I naturally, without conscious thought, soak up whatever vibes are floating around me, and take them on myself. So throughout the month of August, I was soaking up all that negativity, taking it away from other people, and using my own energy to get rid of it.

No wonder I was exhausted.

Kosciuszko Walk

On our third and final day in Thredbo, we decided to brave the cold and fog, and head up the only operating chairlift, not really sure what we would find at the top.

What we found, aside from thick fog, was ‘Eagles Nest‘ – the highest restaurant in Australia. So we popped in and warmed up with home-made scones and jam, and a hot chocolate each.

Before long, the fog began to clear, so we decided to go for a wander along the Kosciuszko Walk, which lead us to the mountain lookout. It was absolutely stunning, we quickly forgot about the cold!

Baby, you’re a firework!

So we didn’t plan for it, but the weekend we stayed in Thredbo also happened to be ‘Opening Weekend’ for the snow season. It’s a shame the weather Gods never got that memo, and the snow machines only really made enough to build a half-arsed snowman. Although there wasn’t enough snow for the field to officially open, and not as many people around as they would usually expect, Thredbo still celebrated Opening Weekend with an ice sculpture, family-friendly activities, Sneaky Sound System concert, and fireworks!

Spoiler Alert: I totes wore sneans

Because we arrived in Thredbo when it was dark out, we had no idea really what to expect come morning.

So I was pleasantly surprised to wake up on Saturday morning to this gorgeous view! It was icy cold outside, but the skies were blue and the sun was shining – the perfect Winters day, in my book.

Because we weren’t able to snowboard on this trip, due to lack of actual snow, we decided to make the most of our surroundings by checking out the sights and just enjoying the peace and quiet of this little ski resort.

Road Trip to Thredbo

This year we decided to extend our July long weekend, and also celebrate our nine-year anniversary by spending a few days in Thredbo, NSW.

That very same weekend was also opening weekend for the snow season, but unfortunately a lack of actual snow meant that we were unable to get out our snowboards and carve up the mountain. Not that I could anyways, but at least I had planned on trying.

The drive to Thredbo took us longer than we expected, and by the time we arrived it was pitch dark. But, we got to see the Victorian countryside on our way, which was beautiful, and reminded me of home.

Let Us Be Frank

Today I want to talk about something I’m slightly obsessed with – Frank Coffee Scrub.

Mostly made up of ground coffee beans – with some added goodness – this stuff is amazing! It comes in three different flavours: Original, Coconut & Grapeseed, and their brand new Cacao.

So far I have only used the original one, but I also have (and can’t wait to try) their coconut version. Of course, I will totes have to get the cacao one too, because…..chocolate, duh.

Using Frank could not be easier. Basically you stand in the shower, dampen your skin, take a big old handful of the stuff and just rub it all over your body. Simples. You can use it on dry skin, but I found that the product is so much easier to apply, and goes a lot further when your skin is slightly wet.
Frank is totally safe to use on your face too, but I found that my skin was just a bit too sensitive for this type of exfoliation.