my hair and makeup trial!

I had my hair and make up trial this weekend! It was really fun and I now totally understand why rich people spend so much time at the hairdresser.

Me at Emma Dean Salon!

I have chosen to engage the lovely Emma Attenborough, of Emma Dean Salon to do my hair and makeup for the big day. Her boutique studio is located on Darling Street in the heart of Balmain, and it's a chic, light, airy space with comfy chairs and gorgeous full length mirrors.

Emma is great. She's very professional and doesn't have a crazy hairdresser hair cut. Also, she was gentle with the hot straightener, remembered I had ears, and didn't drive bobby pins into my head.

It's probably obvious that I've never been to a proper, high-end beauty salon before, so this was really an experience. When we arrived, we were offered a selection of teas which were served with little amaretto biscuits.

Tea at Emma Dean Salon

Emma took the time to listen to what I wanted, looked at pictures I brought, and made her expert recommendations. As someone who doesn't ever wear makeup, not even for special occasions, I worried that a pro-makeup artist would be too heavy handed for my tastes.

I was pleasantly surprised by how Emma took on my brief. After saying, "leave it to me!" she shunned foundation in favour of a tinted moisturiser, and softened a lipstick by mixing it with Lucas Paw Paw ointment, giving it a glossy, moist look. She did a great job of giving me the look I was aiming for. She kept my face looking normal, just a better version of normal :)

After the luxury pampering at Emma Dean Salon, my maid-of-honour and I walked up Darling Street to Adriano Zumbo's famous patisserie.

Adriano Zumbo's Patisserie

It was crazy town! Line out the door, no room to move in the little shop, and really odd sweets in the window. Zumbo is a little bit Willy Wonka. I saw a pine, mushroom, and mint chocolate bar; and a satay macaroon! I played it safe and bought a strawberry and cream macaroon. My first macaroon ever - I had no idea they would be chewy instead of crunchy, like a biscuit.

Salmon at Pink Salt, Double Bay

Then we headed for a girly lunch at Pink Salt, Double Bay. I had pretty high expectations, after eating there when they were at Manly, back in their My Restaurant Rules days. I've never eaten anywhere in Double Bay before. I am sorry to say Pink Salt was pretty disappointing. The food was very average, a tough steak, soggy chips, lukewarm piece of fish, and the coffee was really poor. I've had better food for cheaper in my local area.

For example, that night my fiance and I dined at La Tratt, Fairfield RSL, expecting a cheap and simple meal. Well, for what we got, it was pretty affordable and the food was delicious! We shared a yummy entree of prawns and couscous, I ordered a rich duck and mushroom pie and Dane had a pork belly main. It sounds really sad, but I honestly reckon my dinner at Fairfield RSL was tastier and more beautiful (and cheaper!) than my lunch at Pink Salt.

Dinner at La Tratt, Fairfield RSL

It was a pretty cool Saturday though - starting the day at a salon in Balmain, morning tea at Adriano Zumbo's, lunch at Pink Salt and dinner at the RSL... I wish every weekend could be like that!

Have your tiara and wear it too!

Kate Middleton wore a gorgeous tiara for her big royal wedding. I've been thinking lately, that there aren't enough opportunities for people to wear tiaras. Unless you sign up to multiple beauty pageants, your tiara-wearing days can pretty much be counted on one hand. Why don't we have more chances to wear that shiny, crystal circlet?

I've never been one to strictly adhere to society's dress code. When I was in highschool I cut part of my hair into spikes so I could look like I was constantly wearing a tiara, although people just gave me weird looks (also, I looked more like a pineapple...)

Even today, I try not to feel pressured to look or dress a certain way. I think if I'm broadly within the realm of decency, I should be able to wear whatever I want.

But for some reason, I can't bring myself to extend this logic to those pretty tiaras. I can't convince myself to go about my daily life with that shiny silver circlet on my head.

It's hard to pinpoint why I feel this way. I like the way they look and I feel great wearing one. The other day, I lounged around at my sister's apartment wearing her wedding tiara just because I felt like it. Tiaras are not offensive or indecent, and there's no reason I can think of why I shouldn't wear one. Others might find it strange, but I'm usually self-confident enough for that not to bother me. It shouldn't matter what strangers think of your accessory choices.

But still, I won't wear one out. I won't jump on the train to work with a mini-crown on my head. Perhaps I'm not brave enough. I need someone else to start the trend, make it kind of normal, and then I'll be able to happily follow suit. Like how everyone is wearing clogs at the moment(?!). All those closet clog-wearers must be really happy this season.

Do me a favour - have your tiara, and wear it too! Wear it casually to the shops, professionally to work, and sexily to the bar on the weekend. And then maybe I will be brave enough to wear one around as well.

I'm Engaged!!

Ok, so that's not really new news. I've been engaged for over five months now. I can't believe how fast time has flown since Dane proposed, and I don't want it to go too quickly! You only get engaged once!

Which brings me to this post. I dabbled in blogging during my uni years, and was forced to start a blog as part of my journalism degree. After graduation, I went straight into full-time work. It took up most of my intellectual energy and so I gave up the blog thing. Besides, hardly anything interesting happens to me, so I've got nothing to blog about, right?

Not anymore! This is exciting. I'm getting married.

Plus, I have only just begun to miss writing for fun. Also, I'm getting married. Did I mention that already?

I realise that wedding blogs are so cliche and what could be more tacky? I tried to talk myself out of it, rolling my eyes at the lameness, but the truth is I just can't help myself. I have tried to get it out of my system by emailing a select set of friends who I felt sure would tolerate my gushing, but it's not enough. This blog is the inescapable, inevitable result.

So! How did he propose?

Dane and I started dating in year 11, and had been going for six years before he popped the question. During that time, we had never, never, spent a new years eve together.

He had always been volunteering at a kids summer camp on the south coast over this time, so I had never gotten a new year kiss. Last summer, Dane convinced me to volunteer with him on the camp. For me, it was seriously roughing it - all the leaders slept in a dorm-like tent, and the canvas floor became a muddy mess when it rained.

On New Years Eve, we stayed up late with the other team members to count down the new year. I was wearing pyjamas and a hoodie and was ready to jump into my sleeping bag as soon as 2011 kicked over.

Dane walked me a little way away so I could finally get my first new year's kiss. I heard the campers in the background yell, "Three, two, one, Happy New Year!"

I leaned in for my kiss, but Dane stopped me, got down on one knee and was holding an engagement ring! It was the last thing I expected at that moment, and took a few seconds to process what was happening, but of course I said yes and finally got my kiss.

We called our families straight away, and our friends cheered for us when we walked back to the campsite.

Five months later and wedding planning is in full swing. There is not long to go and I want to enjoy this whole experience, and write down my thoughts, and share them with our family and friends over this very special time in our lives.

Thanks for sharing it with me!