Crafty + Bright

Today I wanted to share some brightness... I recently came across a gorgeous little book by freelance writer and designer, Kelly Doust, called 'The Crafty Minx'. Kelly's knack for creating hand made crafts from flea markets and vintage finds is very inspiring and as I was reading her book with a cup of hot tea, it dawned on me that I was really needing to make time to unleash my creativity. Here is the sentence in Kelly's book that really resonated with me.


"Things made by hand are special and hold a little bit of you in them...Spending even a small amount of time doing this actually restores the spirit and is much more rewarding than sitting down in front of the television after a hard day's work." Kelly Doust

Kelly's blog, The Crafty Minx, is a sweet mix of craft ideas to warm the heart. I'm also looking forward to grabbing a copy of her new book, Minxy Vintage, due for release in October 2011, which is all about customising vintage clothing.

Beautiful bright accessories
(image found at theBerry)

All it takes to reawaken your inner-creative is to clear away the clutter and surround yourself with positive inspiration. One way to do this is write down your new aspirations and add them to a fun vision board of ideas, quotes and images! I'm planning on getting myself a little sewing machine soon and have already started a collection of treasures such as ribbons, fabric pieces and buttons I can use to make my own original items. I'm also very interested in furniture restoration and plan on dabbling in restoring an antique wardrobe soon.

Have a great weekend and happy creating!

Buttons! (image found here)

A cute sewing table
(image from the dainty squid)

My very exciting news...

There's a very good reason why I haven't written a blog entry over the last few months... my amazing boyfriend proposed to me in Melbourne in May! It's such an exciting and busy time at the moment and really feels like a brand new chapter. We've also moved house and are still unpacking, but I'm really looking forward to setting up our home studio next week and getting back into writing. I've got a lot of new ideas for Gloss Posse and will be sharing some fun wedding planning events, inspiration & ideas over the coming months so make sure you check back soon. Last night I went and saw the new Bridesmaids movie with my own gorgeous bridesmaids and it was such a funny movie - I definately recommend going to see it.

Gorgeous handmade bridemaids cards by Anna of Rifle Design found here

Australia's Sarah Prout! online media socialite / entreprenuer / published author

I first heard about Sarah Prout when I picked up her book at the Brisbane City library titled, 'SPROUT the Life You Love' in 2009. It was such a refreshing read and really resonated with the way I looked at the world. Since then I've checked back onto Sarah's website, read her other books and watched her online empire grow from strength to strength. Now with the release of her latest book, 'The Power of Influence' I wanted to share Sarah's positive energy, success and talents on Gloss Posse...

How do you best describe yourself?

I'm a creative person, a little quirky and always inspired by success principles and metaphysics. In other words, I'm a self-help junkie that loves personal development and vibrant ideas.

 

When did you first discover that you wanted to be a published author and how did you make it happen?

I've always wanted to become a published author. For as long as I can remember I'd have secret fantasies of seeing my books on the bookstore shelves. And then one day it happened!

In 2006, I was invited to contribute to a compilation book called The Path to Success which featured leaders in the field of personal development such as Dr Wayne Dyer, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. That book was an instant bestseller. And then in 2007, I created a publishing company and self-published my own compilation books that featured amazing A-list female entrepreneurs from around the globe.

And in 2010, I landed a book deal with the largest business publisher in the world (John Wiley and Son). I guess the secret is to keep holding your dream in your awareness and work towards your desired outcome.

Can you share with us some of your favourite experiences as a social media entrepreneur?

I love social media. Some of my favourite experiences include tweeting with Ashton Kutcher and of course meeting the love of my life (Mr. Sean Patrick Simpson). I see social media and the number #1. tool for the new currency of connection online.

Who/what inspires you at the moment?

Gratitude! That's the theme I've really connected with so far in 2011. I've been inspired by gratitude before but I want to take it to a whole new level this year. There's a special power in being grateful that I'm teaching my students in my 8-week Adventures in Manifesting program. Actually, I'm really inspired by my students and my clients - they always amaze me how tuned in an fabulous they are.

Your latest book, 'The Power of Influence', has been flying off the shelves! Can you tell us a little more about this book and its global success?

The book is all about how to create a business you love using social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. I'm so thrilled to hear the feedback from people that read and enjoy my book. It's so awesome to get emails from readers in Denmark, Portugal or the USA.

I'm really delighted to announce that it's being translated into German now for European distribution. I think the main appeal of The Power of Influence is that I've written it from an authentic and heartfelt perspective. Lots of people tell me they can read the book in a single day because it's easy to absorb the information. 
 

What are your dreams for the future?

I have some top secret projects going on behind the scenes at the moment which are so exciting! I guess my dreams for the future include the success of one particular project and also to buy my dream home somewhere in the world.

I also want to buy a Maserati.

What advice can you give to people wanting to become a published author?

Keep writing! I would suggest that if you want to be a published author you need to LOVE writing. And if you're truly passionate about what you're doing then keep visualizing your desired outcome. Always stay on the look-out for opportunities and connect with great resources that can give you excellent advice.

Thanks Sarah! You can find out more about Sarah at Sarahprout.com and follow her on Twitter & Facebook. I can't wait to get a copy of The Power of Influence!

Arielle

Summer Love

Summer is a time to be outdoors, relax on the beach, have BBQ's and go to as many festivals as possible! It's also the start of a brand new year which means a lot of us have fun getting a new haircut and culling our wardrobes for a fresh look.

Sometimes it can be a little daunting as to where to start when revamping our wardrobes, so I've recently discovered something that is surprisingly addictive and lots of fun... online shopping! 

Don't get me wrong, I've dabbled in buying and selling on EBay and often buy music and beauty products online, but it's really only in the last month that I've discovered a lot of new designers by surfing the net, and catching onto this trend of online designer shopping! It's a great way to stay on top of the latest styles as well as snag a great sale. 

This blog entry is all about sharing some fantastic designers, online retailers and my favourite fashion styles and accessories for this summer!



May Vanessa Scallop Layer Dress
by May, $79



Kohl Gold Amsterdam Pendant by Polli
$54.95



Miss Rosie (light nude) by Peeptoe
$249



Pratten Eel Skin Wallet, by Birdsnest
$69



Rae Leather Handbag (white)
by Coco Kitten, $259

Ruby Long Sleeve Wilma Blouse,
Maximilla, $96.50

Seduce Making Waves Tunic,
Birsdnest, $119

Swarovski Cocktail Ring - Beautiful Wickedness
Sugared, $125 

Honey & Beau Vivaldi Strapless dress
Gosh Celebrity Fashion, $99

Happy Shopping!

2011... A Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a great Christmas and a bit of time off to relax and rejuvenate over the New Year. I had the most amazing New Years to date spending 5 days camping with friends down in the beautiful Nimbin hinterland! We managed to escape the torrential rain (the sun seemed to follow our van all the way along our road trip!) and now that I'm back to my creature comforts, it actually feels strange to be typing on my laptop and watching TV. I was without reception on my iPhone for about a week and realised how much I depended on technology. Not that there's anything really wrong with that... but it was so refreshing to catch up with friends around a fire, listen to music all day long, jam on guitars, play endless rounds of uka card games (not nerdy - totally addictive) and creating delicious cocktails on our custom made tiki bar.

We made this fun tiki bar out of a recycled desk which was perfect for lining up our bottles of spirits and shaking up delicious drinks on the top bar. Adorned with fairy lights we all wrote our favourite lyrics and quotes on the bar over the 5 days, such as "Underneath the hollow ground lies a night time sky, only for a desperate eye" and "Chalk outlines will circle the city" along with sketches. A perfect piece of memorabilia, which my boyfriend and I are now using as a shelf for the sun room stereo.

Granny's Farmstay at Nimbin

Making this year count...

So now that I'm back from the simple life in the country to life in the busy city I feel ready and rested to take on all of the exciting, challenging and fun times 2011 holds for me. I am making this year count... That doesn't mean being a workaholic and running myself into the ground! Actually it means making time for all of the areas of my life. Having a healthy balance of play, work and rest. (I prefer them in that order)

A little something I like to do at the start of each month is to write a few lines underneath the title of that month - positive affirmations or goals that I want to achieve by the end of that month. For example, for the month of January 2011 I've written "Fresh new beginnings; music; creativity; career opportunities..." You can be as general or as specific as you like. You'll be surprised how they unfold when you look back.

So whether its learning a new instrument, writing that book, getting on top of your finances or making more time for you, make sure you stay empowered and keep following your dreams!

A Coveted Christmas Wishlist

With my last Gloss Posse entry written over five months ago, I've decided to jump back into the world of Gloss Posse online socialising and kick it off by sharing a fantastic competition I've just discovered! The only down side is that this competition ends tomorrow so you better start clicking!! So in true Christmas cheer I'll now share how you can be in the chance to win a $5000 Covetish Wishlist..

I discovered this special competiton through the Covetish website and it's actually a lot of fun - slightly dangerous fun! Because now that I'm in the process of selecting amazing designer pieces to go into my wishlist I've also fallen in love with a lot of them along the way! The competition is unique in that you open a 'Wishlist' account with a 'credit' of $5000 where you can browse through hundreds of beautiful fashion labels and select all of the items you wish for up to the value of $5000. From leather handbags to swimwear, cocktail dresses and heels and designer labels such as Zimmerman, Ruby Rose, Tigerlily, Peeptoe, Kuku and Seduce its a great way to find some online bargains as well as try your luck at winning them!

A

Enter the Covetish Wishlist competition!

3 nights in NYC!

 > Review of NYC by Australian interior designer, Arielle Spratt 
Tips for students & travelers on a budget 2010

If you haven't made your way to New York City  yet I suggest you set a date and start planning a week or two away. The following blog is an insight into my very recent 3 day solo stay in NY. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my OS trip and already I can't wait to go back!

As an emerging designer and musician I soaked up the electric atmosphere and made the most of every second.

I opted to stay at the Hi-NY youth hostel and was pleased with the accommodation and prices. It was good to be staying in a fun and vibrant hostel with lots of other young travelers. I made some great new friends and ended up out on the town with them.

The hostel is only a couple of blocks from Central Park so I kick-started my NY adventure by walking through the beautiful park early in the morning . I'd made friends with an English fine-artist called Clairie and we headed towards the Guggenheim Museum. After realising that it didn't open till 10am we walked another block and found ourselves on Madison Avenue where we had a cup of tea at a decadent coffee house/deli.

It was so exciting to finally walk through the Guggenheim Museum after studying it at Uni and the current exhibition was titled, Haunted: Contemporary Photography/Video/Performance . It was a dark display as of works by artists such as Bernd and Hilla Becher, Sophie Calle, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Zoe Leonard, Robert Rauschenberg, Cindy Sherman, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Andy Warhol as well as works created since 2001 by younger artists. 

With only three days to spend in NY I decided to  let the random experiences take place instead of going to all of the 'touristy' destinations and so headed straight to the life of the party , for a cosmo in Times Square. I suggest grabbing a MetroCard 1-day fun pass for around $8 so you can jump on as many subs as you want and see as much as possible on a budget. 

Later that night I met up with some friends in Soho and we explored the night-life...

Some great places I discovered in New York are:

1. A secretive word-of-mouth cocktail bar whose name I really 'can't tell'... Definitely a unique experience. Given careful hand written instructions on the back of a paper napkin by a local, we arrived down a rather quiet street about 5 minutes out of Soho by cab and found the hot dog shop, Criff Dogs. Sure enough, inside the hot dog shop, hidden in the back corner was a vintage phone booth. Intrigued I went into the booth, picked up the phone & pressed the button. Suddenly a secret panel slid open and a girl with a clipboard appears, guarding the front of this exclusive little bar hidden behind the wall. We had to wait for about half an hour before we could go inside as there are strict numbers allowed in, but once inside it was a fabulous experience and the cocktails lived up to the expectations...

2.  Hotel Gansevoort.  

The stylish penthouse Plunge Bar + Lounge was a great place to see the lights of New York and enjoy a martini or two. More of a mainstream rooftop bar with house music but definitely worth seeing while you're in the Meatpacking district. The interior design was a delicious mix of texture and colour and a bar of b&w voyeurism to vamp up the scene.

 

3.Pravada. 

If you fancy an underground, Russian 'vodka Caviar bar' experience this is worth a late night visit. Tucked away down a flight of stairs off the corner of Lafayette St just outside of Soho, we pushed open the big carved timber doors and entered a dimly lit scene of vaulted ceilings, lamps and people clustered in the rustic looking booths. We didn't stay here for too long, but long enough to try some fruit infused vodkas. It was a nice way to have a nightcap with friends and laugh about the events of that night.

4. 8 Mile Creek.

As an Aussie, 8 Mile Creek is a great home away from home. Owned and run by 3 Aussie expats, I was lucky to perform an acoustic set there one night at the downstairs bar and the atmosphere was fantastic! Located in downtown Manhattan, the food, cocktails and service was a lovely, genuine & welcoming Australian flavour.

5. Walking across Brooklyn Bridge! 

Grab a subway to Brooklyn and take the time to soak in the views of New York from the Brooklyn Bridge. It's also interesting as its one of the oldest suspension bridges in the USA.

Overall New York was a fantastic experience. There was so much to see.. I could easily spend 3 months there instead of 3 days. Times Square was incredible and I found the people of New York happy and friendly. I <3 NY.

Arielle.