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: the little things
8 under $80 – Christmas Party dresses
It’s that time of year again – Christmas Party season!
Every year, November brings with it the search for the perfect affordable and stylish dress to wear to work and social occasions.
These are some of my favorite dresses under $80 (some even under $60!), with key trends covered like off-the-shoulder (OTS isn’t going anywhere this Summer), ruffle sleeve and quirky prints. And I’m amazed, there’s not a stripe amongst them!
Hummingbird dress in red floral, $59.90 St Frock; Poppie dress in green ricrac, $79.99 Adrift; Amy pink pineapple shift dress, $79.99 Style Me Over
B Collection Broderie Bell Sleeve dress, $35 Big W; Mandy Christmas Flamingo Wrap dress, $59.95 Little Party Dress; Arabian Goddess Boho Maxi, $79.99 Erin Louise
Spencer dress, $60 (on sale) Dressy Bessy; Ruffle Sleeve Pattern dress, $59 Chasing Case
The navy B Collection Broderie dress from Big W is the perfect budget option for a work Christmas party, while I love the floaty boho style of the Erin Louise maxi and Chasing Case pattern dress for casual family barbeques by the water. And the quirky Santa-hat-wearing flamingos of the Mandy Little Party Dress are fabulous for ANY festive celebration!
Which is your favorite? I don’t think I can go past the flamingo LPD, or the Amy Pineapple shift! (Predictable, I know!)
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?
Test driving the new Hyundai Tucson
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!
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.
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.
5 of the Best Blowdries on the Sunshine Coast
Today is the first is a little series of posts I’m sharing about Spring hair and beauty. Let’s all agree that I’m no beauty blogger – I don’t know how to contour, Kylie Jenner’s lip kits are well beyond my lippie-application skills, and I may have the world’s most boring hair. But I’m interested in it all. I have friends with fabulously bouffy hair, and I really appreciate a good brow. So here’s hoping I learn a little sumthin’ sumthin’ when I write these posts!
If you’re too lazy to lift a brush, or like me, just don’t have the skills to create Victoria’s Secret-worthy bounce in your limp locks, the solution is a salon blowdry. Once the sole domain of the rich and famous with private stylists on call 24/7, the professional blowdry is fast becoming the quickest way to freshen up limp locks – especially if you’ve got a BIG weekend coming up. Best part is, the professionals can really make a blow dry last, sometimes up to four or five days with the right products!
Whether you’re after a glam retro beehive, Gigi-style blowout (always my goal!) or a casually undone lob á la Jennifer Lawrence, check out my favourite lock-lifting blowdries on the Sunshine Coast, and swish your way through the day in style.
Heads in the Cloud, Buderim
This smart salon doesn’t just boast an adorable name; it’s practically a description of how high they can get your hair with the magic of their driers! With brushskills that are recognised around the world, head stylist Sam Rizzo can really make you feel like a Texan beauty queen, and he’s recently been crowned 2016 Creative Artistic Ambassador for Keune Haircosmetics. The locally owned salon is also often searching for hair models for training, competitions and photo shoots – who knows, you might end up on the cover of one of the world’s big hair glossies!
Evalyn Parsons, Moffat Beach
For the coastal Southerners who like to channel a big-haired Southern Belle, the team at Evalyn Parsons know how to transform – and you won’t be left waitin’ around either, darlin’! Their Glam & Go services will pack a punch, transforming you from drab to fab in under 20 mins for just $30, or if you need a little more work, upsize to the 30-40 min Style package for only $50.
House of George, Maroochydore
The goal: thicker, fuller hair with volume that lasts. The action: book a blowdry at House of George. New salon manager Samantha joins the George team with a wealth of knowledge from her UK-trained background, and official ghd educator. Anyone who can wield a straightening tongs with that much experience definitely knows how to add shine, body and ontrend style to every ‘do! PS it’s part of the cutest old Queenslander, and their barista serves fab coffee too, so every moment at House of George is totally Instagram-worthy!
Another Maroochydore salon makes the cut, with Universal Hair consistently nabbing places on ‘best salon’ lists. With experts in upstyles, braiding and curling, you’ll be ready for your big night out in now time. Or if it’s a seamlessly smooth blowdry you’re after, the soft results from their iron-free blast dries will have you craving such straight hair, you’ll be back to book in for their Perfection or Keratin Fusion permanent straightening treatments!
A favourite Spring outfit
After a Winter of cool weather (ok, 10 degrees is mighty cold for a Queenslander), aren’t we all daydreaming about those balmy days at the end of Spring? This feminine-yet-tomboyish outfit would be perfect to wear on bike rides, to brunches and on picnics…
I wear similar spins on this outfit pretty regularly, adding or subtracting a stripe sweater tied around my waist, a kimono, or mixing up the sleeveless shirtdress to one with a print. Simples.
Do you have a go-to outfit this season?
Don’t forget to sign up to get Katy Potaty via email to go into my September subscriber draw to win a luxe Glasshouse candle!
The winner of my August email subscriber giveaway was Louise Mc. I’ve emailed you, Louise – so holler me back with a postal address! Congratulations!
Instagram ate my photos
Instagram is my favourite social media channel, for two solid reasons.
6 life lessons from Empire Records (advice for teens who didn’t get to live through the 90’s)
I was involved in a long Empire Records ‘quote-off’ with Brooke of Blonde Ambition last night (you know, where you riff back and forward with quotes from – usually – a cult movie), and it got me thinking that 1995, when Empire Records was released, was a pretty intense year for me.
I was 14, and in my second year of high school at one of the more exclusive private schools on the Sunshine Coast. My father had just left my mum, brother and I, to live a jaunty life of new women and weekday yacht sailing. I wore a back brace all day every day (thanks scoliosis), had a very small group of friends, wasn’t invited to many parties, and whilst I had discovered boys… they had not yet discovered me.
I struggled to express myself verbally, so when Empire Records hit the screen, with all the angst that only the 90’s could offer, I felt like I’d found characters who were as messed up as I was. (Disclaimer: in hindsight, I had a pretty good life. Thanks Mum.)
Working in a high school now, watching teenage girls struggle with all the same kinds of dramas that my friends and I went through – but with the added stresses of technology and early sexualisation – I wonder how teens these days manage to express themselves without such killer lines as ‘We mustn’t dwell… no, not today. We CAN’T. Not on Rex Manning Day.’
Here are my top life lessons for teens, as taught by the indie kids of Empire Records.
For me, the dynamic between good-girl Corey and fun-loving free spirit Gina is my favourite part of Empire Records. They secretly love each other in a weird ‘I wanna be you’ kind of way, and the movie ends with both girls understanding and appreciating some of those differences.
Also, safe-sex lessons. There are plenty of safe-sex cautionary tales in this sarcasm-fuelled relationship.
The recalcitrant shoplifter Warren is a kooky kid with some eclectic taste in CDs, and I guess his message to the youth of the 90’s is that you should love what you love. If you like weird ukelele music from Eastern Europe, like it hard. Don’t let anyone tell you that you shouldn’t like it. Same goes for fashion and style, do your own thing, try something that your friends aren’t trying. We’re not all meant to be clones… even as teenagers searching for our clique.
His tough-love boss Joe is here to tell him that it doesn’t need to be hard. It really doesn’t. Sometimes we (and I clearly mean ME) overthink things to the point that they can’t be said, and unless we have written instructions, the words never come out.
Be your own tough-love boss, and make yourself say the things you feel. Even if they come out awkward (and they 99% will come out awkward, move on).
Which 90’s movie coaxed you through the awkwardness and pain of your teen years? Any of your fave Empire Records quotes that I missed?
Sunshine Coast Cafe – Bohemian Bungalow, Eumundi
A recent birthday celebration for my aunt had the extended family coming from across the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane to one of my favourite Coast towns, Eumundi for a long leisurely lunch together. Some of these uncles and aunts hadn’t seen me since I was a teen, so I had a lot of fun surprising them!
Bohemian Bungalow has become quite the institution already, with a famous Sunday session featuring an ever-changing roster of bands, duos and single artists from 2pm to wind down your weekend; and a gorgeously eclectic decor which will have you going for a stroll around the restaurant to check out their treasures.
We had such a lovely lunch here, the birthday girl has even popped back a few more times since then to enjoy the atmosphere.
Do you like your cafes quirky and unique? Any other eclectic places in South East Queensland worth a try?