What a trip to *finally* find this ol’ WordPress log-in, folks!
Now, a LOT has changed in my life (and of course, we are all currently dealing as best we can with this COVID-19 pandemic), so things might not be entirely the same as they used to be here. But let’s give this blogging caper a crack again, eh Katy?
Category Archives: social media
6 tips for using the Olympus PEN E-PL8
This year, my splendid (and obviously very smart and attractive) husband surprised me with pretty much exactly what I wanted for my birthday, and I didn’t even drop any hints! I had been checking out small mirrorless cameras online for quite a few months (I’m the world’s best procrastinator when it comes to any purchase over $50) and had finally decided to say ‘Hey, I’d love to get a new camera’, but he beat me to the punch and asked me a few weeks before my birthday if I’d like to go camera shopping for my birthday.
After all my research, I pretty much knew what I wanted, and after I phoned around to see who had them in stock, we picked up a beautiful Olympus PEN E-PL8 in tan. After years of only using my phone to take snaps, it’s taken a little getting used to, but I’ve settled into it, and now absolutely love it! It’s a gorgeous bit of gear, and the tan leather detailing really goes well with my tan Kate Spade everyday cross body bag – and of course, that’s very important! With Wifi for exporting photos directly to my phone, remote shooting function, flip-down selfie screen, and compact but powerful lens, it was exactly what I was after – although I had no clue how to use it!
My big confession here is that none of the advice I’m about to share is my own, nor is it original. We bought my camera from Ted’s Cameras in Maroochydore, and the staff there let me know about a complimentary workshop offered instore by All About Photography with every camera purchase from Ted’s! This was SUCH a great incentive to buy the Olympus camera, because I knew that I’d actually get the chance to ask all the dumb questions which were rattling around my brain, and I would be able to really get the most out of my camera.
The three hour workshops are held on Saturdays, and the week after we purchased the camera, I trotted along to learn from Rich and Jay. They customised the workshop for each different participant’s camera type, and I felt super-comfortable asking questions about how to make my camera work for me (and for selfies)!
Here are my top tips for flicking your Olympus PEN E-PL8 off auto mode, along with a couple of handy-dandy cheat sheets:
Get used to touching the screen
If you haven’t already, turn your touch-screen on. To do this, check the little on-screen tap icon in the bottom lefthand corner. If this isn’t showing, press Menu and then go back to your active camera screen. If the ‘finger tapping a rectangle‘ icon is showing, then you can focus your shot by tapping once. If you want to tap the screen to take your photo, tap on that icon and it changes to ‘finger on two lines‘, or tap it again to turn off, the icon will go white.
Never crop again!
You can change your aspect ratio to square to take shots specifically for Instagram. I actually always have this set to square, because Instagram is of course my favourite place on the internet! To access your aspect options, press Menu, then scroll down through Shooting Menu 1 to get to Image Aspect, then select 1:1 for square.
Apertures and F-stops
So apertures and F-stops have always confused me, but attending the workshop really helped me understand what they do, and now I think of aperture as the controls for the pupil of an eye – the wider it gets, the more light it lets in.
Aperture is measured using something called the F-stop scale. Once you’re in Aperture mode (A on the big dial on the top), you’ll see F followed by a number on the bottom of your screen. The most important thing to know about these numbers is that, from each number to the next, the aperture decreases to half its size, allowing 50% less light through the lens.
With Rich and Jay running through a bunch of great settings for different types of shots, I made the following notes (and a handy cheat sheet below – save it to your phone for reference):
- f/2.8: Good for low light situations, but allows for more definition in facial features as it has a deeper depth of field.
- f/4: As autofocus can be temperamental, this is the minimum aperture you’d want to use when taking a portrait photo– you risk the face going out of focus with wider apertures.
- f/8: This is good for large groups as it will ensure that everyone in the frame remains in focus. Call it the party f-stop.
- f/11: This is often where your lens will be at its sharpest so it’s great for portraits.
- f/16: Shooting in the sun requires a small aperture (less light going into the iris, remember), making this is a good safe bet for most bright daylight conditions.
ISO
ISO is another manual setting that always terrified me, but it turns out that once you realise that it is the sensitivity of the film or sensor to light, it’s super-easy to manage! A higher number means higher sensitivity to light. If you’re in a dark place where you can’t or don’t want to use flash, increase the ISO. (Beware going too high however, as high ISO numbers increase the graininess in your images.)
Here’s another cheat sheet for you to save!
Import your photos directly from camera to phone
With the free Olympus App, you can easily import your photos directly to your phone to upload on social media on the go. The App also has the great option to use your phone as a remote to take photos!
Use the Scene setting
Pretty much all digital cameras now come with a Scene (SCN) mode, which is actually more of a menu than a mode. On the Olympus PEN E-PL8, you’ll find Portrait, e-Portrait, Landscape, Sport, Hand-Held Starlight, Night Scene, Children, Candle, Sunset and many more presets which means you can quickly flick to what you need without having to go into your menu and change your aperture, white balance and the rest. I try not to use Scene mode too often, but when I’m out and about and trying to snap on the go (such as going to Aussie World or Australia Zoo and being in constantly changing lighting) and don’t want to constantly be fiddling with camera settings, it’s a great failsafe option.
Have you upgraded your camera lately? Got any great tips or suggestions for me? I’d love to learn more!
The Bachelor Recap, episode 2 and it’s all about Jennifer
After an elongated recap of the previous episode, we open to the ladies having already moved into the mansion and artfully lounging around the courtyard waiting… for what, we wonder? And here it comes, the first date card.
Ellora seems like a smart girl, but it is hard to trust the judgement of a girl wearing big ol’ chunky heels to walk along SAND. We’ll forgive her for that however, because she said she doesn’t mind if it rains on their first date – she seems pretty damn low-maintenance. Turns out Ellora is a teeny bit more exotic than we first thought, as she’s of French descent, was born and grew up in Tahiti, and has been living in Hawaii. (Not exactly a gold medal for diversity for the producers, but they tried.) The folks at Instax should be pretty happy with their product placement deal, as Matty snaps a sweet selfie of the two of them with the Instax Mini70 as a reminder of this moment (and I’m guessing to also sell to the Daily Mail about a week before the season finale, to really keep us guessing).
Meanwhile back at the mansion, Jennifer is calling Ellora a threat and warning both Leah and Sian that while she loves them (really?), she would walk all over them for Matty’s heart.
A group date card arrives at the mansion, and Jennifer delights in announcing that Cobie, Liz, one of her personal faves Sian, Laura, Florence, Tara, Simone, Natalie, Leah, and her good self are headed off to ‘remember the first time they fell in love’.
Ellora and Matty are gazing at each other, before playing an annoying high school game of ‘what are you thinking?’ and Ellora starts talking about the temperature in the room rising. I like you, girl; but what on earth. This is dullsville. She then passes along a prompted question from the producers about how Matty is feeling about Georgia, and he gave a well-scripted answer designed to keep the peace in the Channel Ten stable. Wait, is Georgia still in the stable?
Matty is obviously concerned about ever having to move from Sydney, so he checks with Ellora that she doesn’t plan on travelling or moving on anytime soon, ignoring the fact that she throws the word ‘adventure’ into her answer. They trade a rose and a chaste kiss, and Ellora heads back to the mansion hoping to hide the fact that she’s head over heels by calling it ‘really real’.
Jennifer slugs a red wine, and proves herself to be incredibly jealous. (Remember Jennifer? She was the one who says that she’s not a jealous person.)
The group date takes the girls far away to a special location (the pool patio) to dress-up and enjoy a competitive fashion shoot for Women’s Day, which sounds to me like a special kind of hell. Also, who reads Women’s Day anymore? Seriously, are they not just reprinting early 90’s issues to bulk up the rubbish on medical centre coffee tables?
Florence prepares for her 80’s photo shoot with a lot of eyeshadow and some chewing gum in case of a sneaky pash; and Jennifer prepares by giving the other girls a LOT of grief about their hideous dresses before donning Straya’s ultimate non-sexy outfit – the red and yellow cap and rashie of our sunshine superheroes, volunteer lifesavers. Flo and Matty enjoyed great chemistry, before Jen jumped in the pool and tried to take over the shoot while the girls all side-eyed her.
Laura, Elizabeth, Natalie and Sian – the 80’s school formal shoot was fun and dorky and contained NO sexual tension, but Matty seemed to enjoy rocking the daggy dance moves with Laura. When Sian pulls out the Worm in her fuchsia sequin bubble dress, Matty seemed confused and impressed. Sian is officially friendzoned.
When Tara, Simone and Cobie come out wearing remnants of Glee’s cheer wardrobe, Matty’s little eyeballs almost explode; and when Simone gets some one-on-one time chatting to the man of the moment, Cobie is delighted as she’s not had many opportunities to talk to Matty while Leah (our resident show-off) rants about how Simone just wants to be the centre of attention.
When the photo shoot groups were announced, Leah terrified Matty by announcing that yes, THIS is happening; and then terrified the girls by wearing a Bad-Sandy outfit – leather leggings and jacket and all. the. blonde. curls. Matty delights everyone by pulling away from Leah as she moves in for a kiss, although she doesn’t seem self-aware enough to know he was REALLY off it.
The next day, Matty arrives at the mansion unexpectedly in a spunky little vintage sports car (which is much too small for two tall people) to take Lisa for a game of tennis; and she certainly dresses to impress in a country-club worthy white outfit. After about eleventy million lost serves, Matty listens to 12 seconds of Lisa’s coaching suggestions and aces it. A friendly game with a kiss and some Pimms at stake ends with Lisa giving a pity cheek kiss, and Matty looking around for some medical assistance and a solution to his clicking elbow (not a sound you ever need to hear on a dating show, BTW).
Lisa should feel robbed by the strawberries and Pimms promise, as there were obviously bikini strings attached – feeding each other whipped cream in the pool looked WAY less romantic than I think Matty had hope for. To remind us that we’re all here to find love, the traditional ‘What are you looking for in a partner’ conversation ensued, with the date rose given to Lisa, so she’s still a frontrunner.
And to the cocktail party… Jennifer starts by eating her feelings again and stating that Matty isn’t just there for the taking (has she seen this show before?), Florence reveals ALL THE LEG, and Leah turns as green as her dress as Ellora swoops in to take Matty for a chat and a kiss, even though she’s safe and holding a rose. Ellora keeps it clean, and says to Jennifer ‘I don’t think you’re very nice’, and somehow Jen manages to sound like she believes herself when she claims to be a bright and vibrant person. What?
Who receives roses:
Cobie, Alix (who is even taller than Lisa), Simone, Laura, Akoulina, Elise, Michelle, Sian, Elizabeth, Florence, Stephanie, Tara, Jennifer, Sharlene, Belinda, Natalie, Leah.
Who goes home:
Sweet Laura-Ann. I’m disappointed because she seemed like a closet party animal and that Italian fire just never got lit.
My style picks of the evening:
Lisa again, in this bombshell Wheels and Dollbaby rose gold sequin dress
Simone in this J’adore two piece was stunning, and hello abs! She could give Matty a run for his money with the whole washboard stomach situation.
I feel like I’m already choosing favourites, even though I know I should wait a little longer to commit my heart to one contestant. (Hang on, I feel like Matty should do the same!) And is it just me, or is Jennifer’s jealousy too painful already?
Showcasing Small Biz in 2017
I know that Christmas is behind us, and all that most of us are thinking about is spending less, eating less and exercising more. (No… just me? Righto then.) But we’d be lying if we said we were going to stop spending altogether, right? Why not make that spending as pleasurable for the store as it is for you?!
This year, I’d love to introduce you all to some of my favorite shops, both online and locally on the Sunshine Coast. Supporting local and small business is supporting continued growth, prosperity and healthy competition, as well as providing local entrepreneurs and business owners (real people, not giant companies) with continued cashflow. Not only are you more likely to find something unique but it really does feel awesome to to shop small and support these people who are trying to make a living doing what they love!
This month, my blog will be getting a long-overdue facelift (yes, from a local small graphic design business), and I’ll enjoy hanging out here and writing so much more when it’s all pretty and tidy. Along with sorting the the aesthetic side of the blog, and my irregular random thoughts (blogger/oversharer = same/same), I’m hoping to showcase fabulous stores and businesses each week, so if you know of a small Australian-owned business which you think I’d love, let me know!
Now, to my first little round-up of small biz awesomeness.
1. Dew & Rose teal crystal stud earrings – These oversized teal crystals in a simple rose gold setting aren’t just the perfect accessory, they come beautifully packaged and ready for gifting. Dew & Rose supports girls’ education through partnering with One Girl onegirl.org.au, so you’re really giving the gift that gives twice. Winning!
2. H&G Designs black grid mood board – Getting organised for the start of the school, uni or work year never looked so good, with this black wire mood board to display current projects, goals, ideas, photo’s, design objects and memos. The suede straps to hang are super-cute too!
3. The Hello Workshop 2017 desk calendar – Still on the organisational theme, this quirky desk calendar has more than a little nod to the fun-lovin’ 80’s, with bright pastels in geometric designs.
4. MinPinShop Grumpy mood ring – This sterling silver mood ring is definitely the grown-up version of a piece of jewelry you might have worn as an angsty teen. With other mood options available too, you could fill your fingers and really confuse your friends!
5. Clutch Zuha beaded clutch – Need a clutch fancy enough for the big events, but also neutral enough to go with every outfit in your wardrobe? The new arrivals to Clutch are all gorgeous, but this tan, ochre and black beaded zip clutch is my pick, the detachable cross-body strap was the clincher for me.
6. Inactive Wear Can’t Even tank – Created by local genius and all-round sassypants Lauren Jane, Inactive Wear is for the fit and not so fit, who don’t want to take themselves (or their gymtime) too seriously. I’m dying over the Can’t Even, but wait until you check out the Good Fat or the Gluty Call designs, they’re too cheeky!
7. Miss Monogram Miss Victoria large pouch – Sunshine Coast local Natalie Tink recently launched her new personalised accessories line Miss Monogram, and the simple and elegant styles have caught my eye – especially the A4-sized Miss Victoria. In pink, taupe, black or navy (my fave), it’s a classic.
8. Indah Koin Australian 2 cent coin necklace – I have one of these gorgeous silver necklaces from my husband’s birth year, and I get so many compliments about it – one of these necklaces would make a fabulous gift for a special birthday or anniversary! Indah Koin also have bracelets, bangles and rings.
9. Soak Society rose wellness bath soak – Another clever local, Natalie decided that she was sick of seeing lurid and bright bath bombs full of all kinds of nasties, and got back to basics with a range of gorgeously-scented products; and has recent;y branched out into beautiful gift packs too. (Don’t worry everyone, I’ll remind you with plenty of time for my birthday, hehe!)
Now head on over to these amazing stores run by incredible people. Let’s all shop small a bit more everyday!
Do you run a small business?
Test driving the new Hyundai Tucson
Although I’m in my (ahem) mid-thirties, I’ve not been driving that long. I only got my license when I was 28, prior to that I was the quintessential public transport and taxi queen. I just wish Uber existed back then!
My first car was a small second-hand hatchback and while I loved her, I always knew I needed to get a proper grown-up car. My husband encouraged me to ‘size up’ and we shopped around for a car which looked cute (my priority) and was safe, fuel-efficient and drove well (his priorities)! We ended up at Sunco Hyundai at Maroochydore and chose a Hyundai ix35, at the time one of the most popular SUVs in its class, and it has served me incredibly well for three years now.
As an already happy Hyundai customer, I was thrilled when the sales team from Sunco Hyundai gave me the chance to test drive the new Tucson recently – how lucky am I? I promise I told them that I’m not a revhead car buff, and any review I shared wouldn’t be as comprehensive or informative as a CarsGuide article!
I would be lying if how cute a car is didn’t make up 90% of my opinion of it!
Whilst I love my ix35, there’s certainly something awesome about stepping into the newer version – this year’s Hyundai Tucson is like my current car, but luxe. From the moment I collected the Tucson and got the full tour of how all the great gadgets worked, driving this vehicle felt like an experience, instead a ‘daily drive’.
On top of the standard features which you can read about here, the Elite Tucson model comes with extras that I just love, such as a panoramic sunroof, full leather interior, large multi-function screen and reversing camera.
Reversing cameras… how did we ever live without them? This colour screen is a fantastic size.
Yeah, this stuff doesn’t matter so much to me, but my husband loves that he can track fuel economy really easily using the Mode button on the steering wheel. Me, I just like knowing how many kms until my petrol tank is empty. #livingontheedge
Hello soft sumptuous leather.
All the boot room I could possibly need for a weekend full of shopping!
The 60/40 split-fold back seats can give even more room than the spacious boot provides, and I know from personal experience with my ix35, the removable roller blind over the cargo bay keeps everything right where you put it, and shields shopping and luggage from prying eyes.
Apparently the Tucson is a five-star ANCAP recipient – that means safety first, folks. Again, that’s husbo was interested in, and I’m sure if you were a mum carting precious little ones around, that would be important to you too.
For more on the new Hyundai Tucson, visit Sunco Hyundai’s website. Thanks to Ky, Collin, Leah and the Sunco team for the opportunity to take it for a spin!
*Sunco Hyundai kindly loaned me this vehicle. Like everything you’ll find on Katy Potaty, thoughts and opinions are all my own. For more info, check out my disclosure policy. Please check the suppliers’ website for car specs.
Instagram ate my photos
Instagram is my favourite social media channel, for two solid reasons.
It’s just too easy, I can just take a picture, add a mildly-amusing caption, and boom. Done. No sitting down at a computer, logging into Blogger, editing (apart from a quick caption scan for typos) or typing with both hands required. It’s just so user-friendly.
And it’s engaging. It’s the fastest way for me to see what my besties are up to at any given moment, and I can comment on huge brands’ fashion photos and they can respond almost immediately.
I love the beautiful little community I have on Instagram.
But right now, I’m trying not to pick up my phone and check into Instagram, because it ate over 200 of my recent posts. Posts about fun times with my friends, posts about coffee, and posts that featured gifted product or were sponsored. All goneski.
I know it’s not just me, that thousands of other people are dealing with this first world problem, but I’m praying that my Insty feed will be restored sooner rather than later.
I promise I’m trying to think positively about it (now, that is – yesterday I was ready to murder over it!), but in the meantime, there will be minimal Instagram cruising, and a lot of puppy-cuddling and coffee-sipping.
All without me taking photos of it!
Have you ever lost some of your social media and thought you’d just DIE?
flowerbomb – Valentine’s Day gift inspiration
I’m sure you’re all well aware that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner – the high volume of Michael Hill Jewellers ads on TV are certainly announcing it loud and proud.
In my most recent blog post, I shared some current favourites and gift ideas, including the lovely flowerbomb, a Sunshine Coast florist with style, and I just can’t get enough of their amazing attention to detail. I was lucky enough to have the chance to ask Deb of flowerbomb about her business, and I’d love you to get to know her too!
What do you do? What do you make?
Owner/Florist at flower bomb
Why and how did you make your first product?
I saw a gap here on the Sunshine Coast for fresh flowers delivered. I wanted to make it simple and affordable! Our flowers are a small, thoughtful gesture 🙂
Who was your key support during the fledgling stage of flowerbomb?
My hubby!
How do you manage your time well?
I do everything at night when the kids are asleep. It’s amazing how much you can get done without distractions 🙂
How did you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
We make flower giving really simple! There’s one type of arrangement each week and it’s easy to order though our website or Facebook. The exact picture of the week’s flower bomb goes on to our website and social media on the Wednesday, ready for delivery Thursday. Our customers know exactly what their flowers will look like.
If you could have given yourself a piece of knowledge or advice when you started what would that be?
Always go for the ‘hardy’ flowers. Our customers give great importance to how long their flowers last.
(Note from Katy: I can vouch for this, I have been so impressed with just how long the glorious flowerbomb arrangements last. And check out all the reviews on their Facebook page too!)
(Note from Katy: I can vouch for this, I have been so impressed with just how long the glorious flowerbomb arrangements last. And check out all the reviews on their Facebook page too!)
How do you conquer any moments of doubt that threaten to stop your great ideas? What pushes you through?
I try to focus on all the positive feedback we get. The Sunny Coast has embraced flower bomb with open arms and I’m really grateful for that.
Righto, time for some fun stuff.
What is your ‘uniform’? What do you wear more often than anything else?
An amazing denim Apron from Cargo Crew with our logo embroidered on (yes, aprons can be amazing!)
What is your favourite thing to wear to make you happy?
Cute earrings or perhaps a fresh flower crown.
(Well, isn’t that just darling?! I want to wear a flower crown to work too.)
Where do you deliver to?
Caloundra to Noosa, and everywhere in between!
My sweet Valentine’s Day tip: use discount code ‘katypotaty’ for $5 off at checkout (valid until Friday 19th Feb), and treat yourself, your lover and your Mum this weekend! For more info, head to their website.
Do you love to send fresh flowers as gifts? (Note – you should, especially if you love receiving them!) What do you plan on gifting for Valentine’s Day? Let me know in the comments!
Note: not an ad or sponsored post – just sharing in the hope that locals will flowerbomb everyone they love!
Christmas 2015 – time to celebrate!
It’s that time again. Time for booze at breakfast (mimosas if you’re classy, beer if you’re not), and lazing around eating way too much, and most importantly… feeling loved.
Contrary to popular belief and seasonal supermarket ads, Christmas doesn’t need to be an enforced long lunch shared with every relative in the country. As someone who comes from a small family (there are four of us in total), I get that sometimes Christmas is a lovely quiet day. In fact, these are my favourite kind of Christmases. So if you’re not hosting 18 people around a table with makeshift seating, or going to Great Aunt Edna’s family reunion of 75 long-lost cousins, please know that I’m with you in spirit.
Enjoy a day doing what you love, whether that’s with many folk or few. Take time to do something nice for others (leaving a few beers out for the garbage man is popular in my street), and take time out to be by yourself or with the very special ones – your partner, your mum, your kids, your pets.
I wish you all the most wonderful Christmas, and thank you for stopping by. I love having you here.
Now for a little festive fun that I hope you get the chance to enjoy over the Christmas weekend…
“The Late Late Show” host James Corden created a little Christmas treat by delivering a Christmas version of his carpool karaoke segment featuring artists Carrie Underwood, Justin Bieber, One Direction, Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart, Reggie Watts, Jason Derulo and Iggy Azalea.
Re-read that, folks. Yep, I said Stevie Wonder, Carrie Underwood AND Justin Bieber. What more could the discerning Christmas carol viewer want?
The slew of talented singers belt out their version of “Joy to the World” while driving down the sunny streets of LA and it’s awesome. Iggy Azalea even offers up a free-style rap for the tune, but only makes it one line in before bursting out into laughter.
Enjoy, chuckle and sing!
Celebrating two years of #everydaystyle with Styling You
Last weekend, Peta and I headed to Brisbane to attend a beautiful lunch hosted by Nikki of Styling You to celebrate two whole years of the #everydaystyle hashtag she created. Yep, hashtags have birthdays, and they know how to party!
The gorgeous #everydaystylers; image from @stylingyou instagram
Honestly, blogger events and meetups are usually pretty awkward for me. And even more so when it’s stylish people like fashion Instagrammers. *insert hand-wringing and excuse-making here* Unless I know someone really well to latch on to, it’s typically just me standing in the corner near the food.
When I received the invitation from Nikki, the very first thing I did was text Peta and hit her up. I was all ‘Did you get invited? Are you going? Are we going? What are we wearing?’ and she was very casual and ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, I dunno’. This is because my bestie is now what I like to call a big deal. She was Nikki’s gorgeous model for the last two Styling You shop seasons, and hence had her face plastered all over the Australian style interwebs. I bask in her reflected glory.
Peta just babin’ it up on the Styling You shop
Nikki had arranged for the event to be held on the Hilton Pool Deck right in the middle of Brisbane City, and oh my, it was perfect for a bunch of blinged-up ladies enjoying champagne and chit chat on a stinking hot late November day. There were fans and a cool breeze from across the pool, and we were handed a chilled champers the minute we entered. Nikki’s sponsor Olympus generously put on the lovely spread of food and drinks, and there was a lot of ooh-ing and aah-ing over the new Olympus selfie camera.
After a nice mingle getting to know the folk that we hadn’t previously met and catching up with old friends, we were seated at an enormous table, with placecards featuring our own favourite #everydaystyle Instagram photos, and lovely gifts from Louenhide – my red journal and cream clutch are going to be well-used, I’m sure.
I’ll always love sitting down to a meal and finding goodies at my place setting. Always.
Thanks Louenhide. My love for you runs deep.
After a light lunch, Nikki introduced Simone. A former international model (hanging on the catwalk with the likes of Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford no less!), Simone got us all up and giggling, sharing her top tips for posing in outfit photos. I learned a lot, and think I should probably focus a little on having ‘softer’ hands in photos, instead of my usual Cancerian claws!
I wore a Seed off-shoulder dress, Witchery wedges (old – similar here), Samantha Wills Bohemian Bardot ring, and Adorne necklace (old – similar here)
The fun didn’t end there, Nikki and her assistant Alisha had pulled together an amazing table chock-full of lucky door prizes and I won a lovely hair and makeup transformation from a well-known Brisbane makeup artist who comes out to your home, Bruce Rehbein. I was looking forward to using this, but after a little thought, I decided to offer it up in a swap to the other recipients, as I’m just not getting to Brisbane as much as I’d like these days. Fellow Coastie, Bev of Iris May Style had won a sunshiny yellow Louenhide bag-in-a-bag that I was swooning over, and she quite fancied getting her hair and makeup done for her daughter’s upcoming law degree graduation, so swapsies worked out perfectly!
The gorgeous yellow/biscuit Sydney Louenhide that now has pride of place in my Louenhide collection.
Nikki’s assistant Alisha was there to help out, and we had two other awesome attendees. Helen of Rhubarb snapping posed and candid photos, as well as the oh-so-talented Jakomina who is such a skillful fashion illustrator!
Jakomina‘s sweet watercolour fashion sketch of me is stunning, I’m definitely framing this baby!
Find her website here
It was great to get the chance to speak to women who I’ve connected with previously online, and also to meet and follow new people. Of course, we all took a million pictures with the silver STYLE balloons before heading downstairs to the Hilton Bar to continue our chats. Everyone was so well-dressed, pulling out some #notsoeverydaystyle glamour for the event! (And I’m pleased to see that kaftans as daywear are still a thing. Big fan.)
It was a really fun afternoon and I’m so pleased we both headed down to Brisbane for it! Peta and I made a bit of a weekend of it, staying in the city that evening, heading for dinner at Southbank and then enjoying the morning by the river the next day; so I’ll share all those photos in the next blog post – here!
The gorgeous #everydaystylers*; image from @stylingyou instagram
Thank you very much to Nikki and the Styling You team, I’m so pleased to have been a little part of the celebrations of the #everydaystyle hashtag which has been such a hit online. Thanks also to Nikki’s sponsors and brand supporters who contributed to the occasions. I’ve met such awesome-sauce women through #everydaystyle and felt honoured to be invited.
Have you met people in the ‘real’ world after meeting online through social media such as blogs, Instagram, Facebook, etc? How did it go down? Are you besties now?
*I don’t want to single people out, but there were some key kids that I was stoked to see at the #everydaystyle party. @traineemama (duh), @what_brooke_wore, @mrs.lauren.roney, @ilovethatskirt, @sisterinstyle, @retailgenie, @kirstyashestyle in the most amazing Mister Zimi set, @style_scouting_, @istyl, @styleloving2, @loveface_beauty, and of course @stylingyou (obvs).
Want to win a Glasshouse Candle? And want more awesome-sauce blog posts like this? Sure you do, sign up to get Katy Potaty via email and go into my monthly subscriber draw to win a Glasshouse Christmas Cheer candle!
The winner of my November email subscriber giveaway was Kirsten D. I’ve emailed you, Kirsten so holla me back with a postal address! Congratulations!
Getting the ol’ blood pumping
Well, here we go again. Another ranty post brought on by reading Woogsworld.
Now before you carry on, please know that Mrs Woog is a good and excellent person, and the ranting that will shortly ensue is not directed at her, but aimed at the disgusting twerps she wrote about the other day in her blog post called Keep walking, you fat mole. Ugh.
If you haven’t yet done so, head over and read it here, or let me give you a simple run down:
- A woman puts on clothes.
- A woman walks along a footpath in an effort to get the ol’ blood pumping.
- A carload of teenage boys yell abuse at her.
What the hey? This is not ok. But it is certainly not a one-off incident.
When I regularly exercised outdoors (this was a good long while ago, and I needed all kinds of promises from housemates that they would keep any tempting chocolate out of the fridge to not ruin my efforts), I would often get yelled at by men in whizzy little wanky cars. You know, Nissan Silvias and 1998 model Subaru WRXs… the kind of cars driven by grown men who never quite outgrew the pizza-delivery-boy stage.
I wasn’t getting complimented or asked out, I was getting ‘encouragement’. Because being told that your ass is huge is super-encouraging. I regularly would hear that tell-tale whooshzaaaa of a crappy little turbo blow-off thingy, cringe in anticipation, then hear ‘Hey fat bitch!’ or ‘Long way to go before I’d f*** you!’
Let it be known that I was not exercising outdoors to reach a point where I would be attractive enough for these boy-racers to procreate with, I was exercising because my doctor thought it would be a good idea, and because I lived a 45 minute walk from my home in the inner city suburbs and it was faster to walk than catch public transport. I walked because I liked the time to think, to decompress after a day at work. What planet do those guys live on that makes them think for one second that my walking at a pace not unlike that of a sleepy turtle (although I think I rocked that lycra better than a turtle) was for their benefit?
I’ve also been egged as I walked along a main road. It was so horrible. The worst. And oh my word eggs are harder than you expect when they hit you hard on the boob.
I know that not everyone thinks this is a big problem, but I do. I spend a significant portion of my week up close and personal with women who have poor self-esteem and are wanting to change the outside of their body to feel better on the inside. A significant portion of my week squishing big boobs into sports bras, pulling up high-rise exercise tights to above belly-buttons to prevent them rolling down, and explaining in hushed tones that pawpaw ointment is BRILLIANT for preventing chafe on thighs that rub.
I’ve seen women cry when my colleagues and I passionately proclaim that they are allowed to exercise, and that nobody is at all interested in their camel toe (although, I can fit you in tights that won’t give you a camel toe, I assure you). I have heard women tell me that they are at a great point in their life where that feel like they don’t need permission to exercise and be comfortable in their bodies, and I love it.
Yes, I get all Spice Girls and make women come out of the change room in their huffypuffy* pants and strut around to Katy Perry’s Roar. Sometimes they really need it, and I love that they can get it.
However, I hate knowing that there’s a chance (a high chance) that walking their dog, strolling with their kids, riding a bike for the first time since they were 12 years old, they’ll get yelled at. They don’t need to be bigger for the abuse to be hurled either; I know women sizes 6 to 22 who have received charming** comments from guys driving past. (And occasionally girls. Carloads of teenage girls full of language you wouldn’t expect from a sailor.)
So how do we stop it? I don’t know. I know we need to talk about it though. Talk to our family and friends, both male and female and share that it happened. If you have to (and I am totally fine with this), call someone who thinks you’re hot and tell them – get a nice little compliment out of them to balance the crap.
Have you been hollered at by some idiot while out exercising? What did you do? (And what would you have yelled back if you were witty enough?)
* Brilliant Woogs-word for workout tights.
** Not charming. Actually pretty shit.
*** In more pleasant news, I have a pretty fabulous giveaway next week, so pap back soon for a chance to win something special.