Good Reads

A few months ago, I compiled a Summer Reading Guide to get you through what was (hopefully) a well-rested holiday break. How did you go? Get through a few that tickled your fancy? Or perhaps you're waiting for the movie? *wink wink*

Well, if you're like me and continually on the hunt for something good to read, I've got a few titles to add to the list (and if you're like me in another way, you might have three to ten books on the go at the same time, depending on what you feel like reading and/ or if something else good comes up).

Before I start my reviews, I would like to mention that there is a bit of a theme: both books are written by female authors and largely discuss the female experience - however this is not to the exclusion of men. In fact, I strongly encourage men to read these books, they are very insightful (and if we are going to get political about it, women have endured male authors for centuries for similar insights into human psyche, so naturally woman have insights that are just as valuable).

The Confidence Code By Katty Kay & Claire Shipman 

I discovered this book through a website that is based on how to make ideas happen. This book is brilliant for identifying what barriers impact on ideas reaching their full potential - in particular the neurological factors that will impact on decisions individuals make in their pursuit of getting ideas off the ground - or in everyday life generally. 

Kay and Shipman are journalists who have spent time producing work that centres around how women can and should achieve success in a range of domains. What is fascinating about this book is that it focuses less on what action people can take in life, but more on what factors are influencing them at an psychological level and specifically, the role of confidence. Confidence is one of those character traits that often we (falsely it turns out) assume is inherent in some but not in others - either you have it or you don't. Throughout their research, Kay and Shipman have investigated genetic, biological and environmental factors, all of which affect confidence. It's amazing. 

What I love most about the book, is that Kay and Shipman have written in such a way that that they avoid suggesting that failure to achieve success is because of effort. This is often what I find frustrating about some self-help and motivational books. Mantras like 'follow your passion' and 'think positively' or 'stop wishing, start doing' are counterproductive. They are not helpful for people in developing an understanding of their sense of self - what it is that ticks in each of us to either enable or inhibit our process for achieving (which is obviously different for everyone). Whereas The Confidence Code is actively identifying how our neurological and psychological processes are effecting so much more that we ever truly realise. When we know what is happening psychologically to ourselves, only then can we implement strategies for how to move forward and get where we want to go.

**Strongly recommended if you've ever second-guessed yourself. EVER.

The Fictional Woman by Tara Moss

You may or may not have noticed that there has been a lot of media focus with regard to women and the women's movement. If you follow Daily Life or Mamamia online, you are probably well aware of modern feminist issues, equality and feminism generally. If you read Mark Latham or listen to Tony Abbott ever, you will probably understand a lot of the fuel that fires robust (and important) discussions about gender equality. Also, you may either be encouraged by it or completely sick of hearing about it. If you are one of the latter, before you roll your eyes, I want you to consider the cover opposite. 

Your immediate thoughts may be 'pretty', 'ugly' or 'nice lipstick', but for a mo' just forget the face and instead consider the words and think about this - would you ever see a book cover with a male face with similar labels written on it? Would such a book about a man exist?

Simple answer is, not really. Men are just men. They might have labels, sure - and I'm not arguing that they don't, but what is important to consider is that labels for men have less of an impact on society's view of who they are and who they should be, than labels have for women and how society view them, their actions and what their part in society should be. Tara Moss is exploring this theme in her book, though her own experience and her observations of women in our everyday culture.

To clarify another point, I am not necessarily advocating a particular position on feminism, but I do believe it's important to understand that women have an experience different to men and what that experience looks like - Moss herself is an excellent example of how labels do impact perception, and usually in a negative way. A timely memoir, it's a valuable insight we can all benefit from.

**Strongly recommended if you like to be informed on issues beyond facebook.

Happy reading! If you have any titles you can recommend, please leave a comment below!

E x

My Maternity Shoot

Today instead of being the stylist on the shoot I was on the other side of the camera for my very own maternity session. I wasn't sure if it was something I wanted to do at first as I'd seen some maternity shoots that didn't take my fancy. You know the photos I'm talking about, they're really staged, often with awkward poses of the couple hugging the baby bump. That just wasn't for me so I'd discounted having a maternity shoot altogether...that is until I saw Renee Trubai's work! reneetrubai.com.au

Beautiful, relaxed, bare-foot-and-back-to-nature style photos that really capture the essence of carrying a child rather than just a portrait-shot taken in a studio. Renee is a mother of two herself & she absolutely loves being apart of this special time in her client's lives. Her calm & kind demeanour have you feeling at ease from the get-go because trust me, at 35 weeks you're feeling huge & not your usual self so encouragement & direction during the shoot go a long way.

Renee & I also had the pleasure of working with florist Deanna from Distinctive Blooms who supplied the stunning floral crown. She not only picked flowers to match the colour of my dress but the flowers she used all had special meaning (see below)

After a few snaps in the park we headed back home for some relaxed "at home" style shots with my husband (and dogs!)

Ladies, I can't thank you enough for helping me capture this special time in our lives xxx

I've shared a few of my favourite pics from this morning but the rest are yet to come once Renee has the film developed. Yes! Film! 

If you like what you see please give Renee and Deanna's facebook pages a "Like" for me :)

Your stylist,

Megan

Carnation - Endearment and Beauty, they also symbolise a Mother's love
Rose - in general is for love - the colour peach is for appreciation, pink rose buds is for new love
Fern Leaves - Sincerity
Rosemary - remembrance
Lavender - Grace
Gum symbolises protection

Food Love: Summer Strawberry Shortcake

It's the last week of summer! Officially anyway, but we all know that this crazy Australian weather might mean the hottest days are yet to come.

There are some fabulous summer fruits still available and I picked up some beautiful strawberries for $1.00 a punnet - time to get baking (and another resolution ticked off)!

Here is a fantastic recipe for Strawberry Shortcake (a fancy scone if you will) that will impress everyone and taste delish.

Summer Strawberry Shortcake

Prep Time: 35 Mins

Cooking Time: 20 Mins

Serves: 4-8

Ingredients

2 punnets strawberries, cut in half (quarters for big berries)

5 tablespoons caster sugar (white sugar is also fine)

1 1/2 cups thickened cream (plus additional 1/2 cup for serving)

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2 cups plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch salt 

to serve: icing sugar and whipped cream

Method

Rinse well, drain and hull your strawberries, then cut into halves or quarters.

It's hard to do this without taste testing...

When your strawberries are cut, puree a quarter of your quantity.
Add the liquid to the remaining strawberries.
Add three tablespoons of sugar and the balsamic vinegar, mix well and allow to macerate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

I used flavoured balsamic, but ordinary balsamic vinegar is fine - whatever type you have!

While the berries are doin' their thing, gather the shortcake ingredients.
Sift flour and baking soda then add remaining sugar and salt into a large bowl.
Gradually add the thickened cream, using a spatula to combine.
NOTE: your mixture will be a scone-like consistency - use your hands to bring the mixture together and form a dough - DON'T KNEED or the dough will be tough.

The shortcake mixture will resemble scone mixture

Lightly grease and flour a 5cm-deep baking tin (I used a square tin) and press dough into base. Be sure to evenly cover the tin (the dough will be sticky, use lightly floured hands to press into tin)

Get your hands dirty!

Place into a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees and bake for 18-20 minutes - the shortcake will be cooked but not too golden on top. Cool completely.

While short cake is cooling, grab your remaining thickened cream and give it a whip - add vanilla essence if you're feeling adventurous.

When shortcake is cooled, cut into desired serving size (I was generous and cut four - will comfortably cut eight pieces), then cut each piece horizontally to create a 'sandwich' of shortcake.

The dough won't rise, but the height is in the stacking

Get your deliciously macerated strawberries from the fridge. Layer a tablespoonful of the juice onto the bottom half of your shortcake 'sandwich' then pile on a few berries. Then smear cream on top. Add a few more berries. Smear more cream onto the lid of the shortcake and carefully place lid on top of shortcake stack.

Sticky fingers

Give your shortcake a dusting of icing sugar and garnish with a few more strawberries.

A fine dusting

And there you have it! A fabulous summer strawberry shortcake to share with your sweetheart!

YUM!

The beauty of this recipe is the minimal amount sugar it requires. Sugar free is optional, just increase your quantity of balsamic vinegar to three tablespoons to macerate your strawberries. Also, thickened cream can be substituted for 'light' thickened cream for a (slightly) more healthy option.

Enjoy lovers x

Elouise

My take on current trends - Autumn/Winter 2015

I know it doesn't feel like it but there's only a week left of summer!! Adelaide is still boasting 40 degree days and Brisbane is still shrouded in humidity with lots of rain about, but relief is in sight. 

It can be hard to imagine being cooler, which can mean you don't feel like shopping for Winter clothes yet, but I'm telling you this is the perfect time to shop for them. If you start shopping now you get the pick of the bunch of all the latest designs for the cooler months. 

Better still, there's trans-seasonal pieces in stores at the moment, perfect for the mild winters that we get here in Brisbane and further north. Think casual anoraks and parkas and light-weight trenches like this beauty below from Sportscraft. It's all we need for a Brisbane winter and if you're from the southern end of the country this will get you through those "not too cold but not too warm" days during autumn before winter really hits. 

Sportscraft Drape Trench Coat: It will literally go with everything!

A word of warning: If you wait until winter really sets in there will be fewer light-weight options available. By that stage its only knits and heavy coats remaining.

You might have noticed a 70's vibe if you've hit the shops lately and no you're not mistaken! Flared jeans are already available from your chain stores and they're inclusive of a higher waist line too (bye-bye muffin tops! Hooray!) But it's not just the jeans that have received a 70's makeover - you'll see striking 70's inspired prints, bold florals, faux fur and hints of velvet too. Not to mention beautiful wide-brimmed felt hats and tassel trimmed bags! Don't let the 70's vibe scare you off though, it's all about taking one or two items from a trend and mixing them into your current wardrobe to make them work for you. Less is more.

Country Road

Two styles lingering on from summer are the A-line midi skirt (finishes just below the knee) and culottes. Both options can be made to work for winter with brogues (above) or boots (below). Get your monies worth by making them work hard for you all year round - refer to the Cost Per Wear Ratio below.

Veronica Maine clothing, Tony Bianco boots

Cost Per Wear Ratio

Total cost of the item / estimated number of days you’ll wear it = the cost per wear

For example, if you spend $500 on a great winter coat, wear it for about 100-150 per year over the next five years, it’ll cost you about $.67 to a $1.00 every time you wear the coat. The more you wear the coat, the lower the cost per wear. On the other hand, the trendy top you bought for $20 at your local Temt, that you wear only three times before throwing it out, costs you around $6.50 everytime you wear it, making it almost SIX times as expensive as the coat.So what’s the moral of this shopping trick? Value, not low prices should be your focus when budget shopping. Remember a bargain is only a bargain if you actually wear it

If it's just the colours of the coming season that you're on the hunt for then read on because there's something for every taste. Monochrome (black and white) is still huge and not going anywhere or if you'd like a softer approach then winter-whites (stone, beige, off-white) and greys (50 shades perhaps!) are everywhere too and they look spectacular paired with metallics. 

Jen Hawkins in Toni Marticevski

Other colours include mustards, burgundy, aubergine, violet, persimmon (orange), khaki and navy. To really turn heads try head to toe in one colour like white, grey or navy but mix up the textures.

More Sportscraft goodness

More stripes and animal print will be around and this is A-OK with me! I can't get enough of either of them! I'm also happy that flat shoes like brogues and loafers are still popping up because I'm all about comfort! White sneakers are being sported by fashion it-girls but not just with active wear and I like it!

Seed Heritage: Khaki on animal print

Midi skirt with white sneakers
image source: oraclefox

Lastly, we can't forget the fellas! Blues will always be around for the boys but greys, burgundy and khaki will be popular for them too. Don't worry flares are not rearing their heads in the men's department anytime soon, straight leg jeans and chinos are still on the cards. Team them with check shirts, puffer vests and military inspired jackets. As for shoes, trainers, loafers and lace-up boots will have the boys covered. 

image source: Myer

For those that really want to make an impression, 3-piece suits are now hugely on-trend for the office and shouldn't just be saved for special occasions. Love a man in a suit!

image source: man and bag

So that's my Autumn/Winter wrap up! What will you be trying?

Your stylist,

Megan x

Walking TALL

I have been plagued with bad posture my whole life. One of my aunties used to ball up her fist and push her knuckles in between my shoulder blades to force me to stand up straight. My mother would regularly remind me to ‘put my shoulders back’ to encourage straight backness. In fact, my posture worried her so much that she took me to a GP who agreed something wasn’t right and sent me for x-rays to check for scoliosis (this was significant for my ‘my life is a book’ phase - if you’ve read Deenie by Judy Blume, you know what I’m talking about). Even now, my loving partner will catch me in an unguarded moment and ask ‘why are you standing like that?’. Of course, I was not always particularly convinced that there was actually a problem with my posture. Until, a physiotherapist friend of my parents asked me this confronting question: ‘El, why do you stand like an 80 year old woman?’ I was fifteen at the time. When it was backed up by photographic evidence, I had to concede that I did have the appearance of an 80 year old woman with musculoskeletal issues. Not an awesome discovery for a 15 year old girl.

You’re probably wondering why I’m sharing all this information? Well, apart from being a little cathartic, I am getting to the wider point of taking care of our bodies (which I will explain shortly) but first, I need to further explain what I have come to realise about myself whilst planning this post.

I choose to have bad posture.

Kind of ridiculous right? How does someone choose to have bad posture? Firstly, it was proven that there was no medical explanation for my bad posture. More recently, I became aware that there are those who have no choice in their bad posture (namely my dad who actually has scoliosis which causes him daily pain). There is actually no excuse for me to slouch. Again, what does this have to do with anything? Well, once I took ownership over my spinal habits, I wondered what led to my (subconscious) decision to hunch up my shoulders and tilt my head down. And it starts way back in my tweens...

In primary school, I was one of the first girls to get boobs. I was also one of the first to wear a bra (in training, of course). At the time, this didn’t thrill me. Why I wasn’t completely stoked about boobs, I now feel a little sad about. BOOBS! Is there no greater symbol that I am woman?! WO-MAN! I should’ve been celebrating and proud of my new additions. Except that these boobs attracted a lot of unwanted and cruel attention. Unwanted attention that mostly came from boys. And what does one do to avoid unwanted attention? Minimise the very thing that makes you stand out. So I shrank into myself. I hunched over so so much, that surely my boobs wouldn’t be noticed, those mean comments would stop and my bra strap wouldn’t be flicked. I wore my brother’s t-shirts hoping they would swamp and/ or swallow me whole. Every time I heard mum whisper ‘put your shoulders back’ I was actually hearing: ‘thrust out your ample bosom into peoples faces!’ - an idea I was obviously not keen on.

This is all very psychoanalytical, but suffice to say that I was not confident nor proud of my body and this was reflected in the way I stood. 

Which brings me to the power of WALKING TALL.

Don't worry, it's not all sitting in grass and posing

I have been researching a lot about how to maintain good health. Overwhelmingly, when I looked into posture, it contributes a great deal to our physical and mental health. And it really is so simple to change our posture habits. Here’s what I’ve discovered:

Confidence: according to The Confidence Code (an amazing book that I will review very soon), sitting and standing up straight can give bursts of confidence which leads to greater efficiency in many tasks. Stand up straight and you will feel empowered to get jobs done well.

Happiness: upon reading a similar blogpost at Fast Company, when we sit and stand up straight we are more likely to remember positive memories, and think positively more generally. Pretty important for feeling happy every day. 

Energy: good posture is important for maintaining good circulation, which keeps our mind alert and energised. When we slouch, our oxygen tanks (lungs) become compressed, lowering the amount of oxygen released into the blood stream. Less oxygen leads to stress and fatigue according to www.redbookmag.com. Keeping your chin up will keep you going longer.

Mindfulness: engaging consciously with our bodies is useful for minimising negative thoughts. Wriggling your toes, for example, is a common suggestion from mindfulness therapists because we cannot, effectively, focus on wriggling our toes and a bombardment of thoughts at the same time. Purposeful posture will assist with mindfulness practice and quieten your mind.

Musculoskeletal benefits: according to the health wiseos at Huffington Post, good posture can help ward off the effects of osteoporosis and other age-related bone/ muscle issues. Good posture requires an engaged core, supporting and strengthening the muscles around the lower and middle spine. General movement will become easier and maintained over a longer period of time.

Cue my current posture habits. I don't always get it right (using a fitness ball instead of computer chair is helping), but just being aware of the need for better posture increases my effort to make it better. 

And the very good advice my physiotherapist friend gave me at age fifteen had nothing to do with thrusting out boobs or even putting my shoulders back. It was at simple as this:

“Tuck in your bum, tuck in your tummy and picture an invisible string attached to the top of your head. Imagine that someone is pulling that string upwards. Your body will do the rest.”

What do you think readers? Are you a conscious posturist? Any other tips you can share? Would love to hear your thoughts.

And choose good posture - walk like The Rock!

E xxx

NB: This post is of a general nature and should not be used in replacement of advice from a trained medical professional. Care has been taken to be thorough, but you should consult a doctor if you are experiencing ongoing issues related to your health.