New Year New Start

So its the New Year, 2011 has officially started. I know most of you are probably sleeping in and washing last night's makeup off, but it is that time of year to look back on what has happened in the past and to look forward to what will happen in the future.

 So to start it off right here's an overview of my year:

• Got a new job as a sales rep
• Hated my new job as a sales rep
• Got homesick for America and my family
• Took as many sick days as possble until my 5 week holidays in May back to America
• Was in a friend's wedding in Denver, hung out with some friends and family in LA, Denver, and Ohio and went on a Carribbean cruise
• Turned 28
• Went back to work and started counting down til Christmas holidays
• Had a lot of work stress, life stress etc.
• Ate and drank too much to cope with all the stress
• Decided I wanted to quit the ratrace and have a baby
• started my blog to have a creative outlet
•  Loved writing my blog until it became another thing on my to do list.
• Counted down the minutes until Christmas holidays
• Decided I was crazy to think a kid would be less stress than a job
• Got a promotion and a raise at work
• Got stressed out over the heightened expectations for my new promotion
• Finally got a holiday
• Hosted my first ever extended family Christmas dinner
• entertained the inlaws
• went camping with some friends and their 14 month old
• wondered whether I will ever have kids
• went to bed at 10pm new years eve because I just couldn't be bothered staying up any longer

So there you have it, my year in a snapshot. Now looking forwards to 2011 here's what I hope happens:

• get fit again
• eat better
• not stress so much about work stuff
• start getting better pay because of commissions
• pay off some bills
• do some more writing
• do some more styling and take pics
• go to Bali in March for a friends 30th
• get lots of visiting friends and family from America
• convince my parents to retire to Australia
• make some new friends
• take the time for old friends
• take the time to stop and think and enjoy life
• write some goals down and remember where I put them so I can actually keep them
• get more involved with the blogging and fashion community
• renovate our house

I think most of these are pretty standard normal resolutions, and some are ones that I makes every year, and I know most of you would be the same. But we have to encourage ourselves at this time of year when we actually take the time to stop and think about our past and our future, that for hopefully most of us a lot has changed since this time last year, I know that I have grown and learned a whole lot and I hope you have too.

See for all life's challenges and hardships we become stronger and smarter for having made it through them, and grow into better people because of it. So look at the silver lining of 2010, and use it launch forward into 2011, because I know I am planning on having a fantastic year...
xx

Search Amazon.com for new years resolution

Things That Make You Go Hmm...: Princess Claire and the Royal Ruff

I know these pictures from the Belgian royal family's Christmas concert are a little bit old by now, but we need to talk about this.

Focus your eyes amongst the gray on the grayest of them all, Princess Claire.

What's going on here?? This is a serious question. Is that fringy thing a necklace, or a part of the dress? Are my eyes really spying a neck ruff here? Somebody please explain this to me.

There hasn't been this much action around a royal neck since the days of yore. And I do mean yore:

We don't guillotine people anymore, Claire. There's no need to carry neck protection to these extents.

Photos: Zimbio/Mark Renders/Getty Images Europe

Things That Make You Go Hmm...: Princess Claire and the Royal Ruff

I know these pictures from the Belgian royal family's Christmas concert are a little bit old by now, but we need to talk about this.

Focus your eyes amongst the gray on the grayest of them all, Princess Claire.

What's going on here?? This is a serious question. Is that fringy thing a necklace, or a part of the dress? Are my eyes really spying a neck ruff here? Somebody please explain this to me.

There hasn't been this much action around a royal neck since the days of yore. And I do mean yore:

We don't guillotine people anymore, Claire. There's no need to carry neck protection to these extents.

Photos: Zimbio/Mark Renders/Getty Images Europe

Gold Star: Prince Harry in Berlin

I don't talk about royal men's fashion too much on the blog, apart from some incidental admiration and/or doses of eye candy for the lady (and selected gentleman) readers. It's not that interesting, really: suit, tie, repeat. The Danish royal men are prone to the occasional show of sartorial flare...

But even the best laid plans have a tendency to go astray.

So I was particularly excited to see these pictures surface of Prince Harry in Berlin.

 Now, this is how it's done.

Well fit coat atop a sweater atop a shirt and tie in coordinating patterns. I could get used to this.

Who makes your list of best dressed royal men?

Photos: PPE/ddp/Langbehn/Bauer Griffin/Zimbio/Getty/Daylife

Gold Star: Prince Harry in Berlin

I don't talk about royal men's fashion too much on the blog, apart from some incidental admiration and/or doses of eye candy for the lady (and selected gentleman) readers. It's not that interesting, really: suit, tie, repeat. The Danish royal men are prone to the occasional show of sartorial flare...

But even the best laid plans have a tendency to go astray.

So I was particularly excited to see these pictures surface of Prince Harry in Berlin.

 Now, this is how it's done.

Well fit coat atop a sweater atop a shirt and tie in coordinating patterns. I could get used to this.

Who makes your list of best dressed royal men?

Photos: PPE/ddp/Langbehn/Bauer Griffin/Zimbio/Getty/Daylife

Make do, mend and maintenance

 We've been working inside and outside the house today. Last night, Dearly Beloved got round to 'Frankenhoover' and took our working motor out of our old Dyson (electrical wire defunct and suction tube broken beyond repair), which funnily enough was also given to us over ten years ago and was second hand then. He transplanted the working motor into the Freecycled Dyson (perfect in every way but needed a new motor!) and now it works perfectly. So #1 of household maintenance (will you pleeeeeeaaaaaase fix the Dyson xxxx!) is done.

Above is a photo of the kitchen window and it at long last has a blind. We didn't buy that either. It came from the bathroom of our old house and we took it with us and never got round to putting it up. The canvas photos of trees on either side used to be in our dining room and never really did anything to the room. I think they 'add' something to the kitchen. They are certainly not what I would choose and I would dearly love to go out and buy something to brighten the house up, but as we don't have the money to spare; making doing will have to be the order of things for the years to come.

I also did some more garden maintenance today and cleaned up more fallen leaves, cut away a whole mile of sprawling ivy which had invaded the paths and swept most of the mulch, off the paths and back onto the borders. Our next job, is to go through the garage and have a look at all the paint, filler, sandpaper, brushes and any other resources we have, to see what we can use to clean the house up and keep on top of things.

I am determined to use up and wear out what I already have and get as many jobs done as possible without spending any money at all! I am also determined to not waste what I have and use every last scrap. Nothing spent and three jobs done.

Panic relief: Party this New Years with BOW!

so the clock is ticking and im sure some of you havent found that perfect dress yet... 

well here is our first aid kit for your wounded fashion hearts!! 

BOW comes to the rescue with FG10's favorite picks from her collection.. 

and to make your shopping experience easier! 

we give you the VIP treatment with a FAST TRACK email to contact if your interested in any of the below dresses! just mention FG10 and get the Royal treatment.

Contact:  info.bowed@gmail.com

Zip it up this new year with Bow's Zip dress

 (pink with gold zippers)

 The Snow leopard dress is one of our Favorites from BOW

 The Grapevine Jumpsuit is one HOT number! 

available in sunset orange and pistachio as well as midnight blue and dark grape purple.

 (Green and lavender long pants jumpsuit)

Sun-kissed jumpsuit-

this color is not available, yet it is available in black and in shorts version instead of pants.

 (Off-white crepe satin and french lace jumpsuit) 

Maintenance saves money!

 Dearly Beloved and I have been getting on with MY new year's resolution (I am so kind sharing it with him xx!) to make sure we keep up with maintenance and do one job a week, no matter how small, to keep our home in good order. Although I live in a detached house, we are quite tight to the boundaries on either sides of the house and we neglect those areas; they tend to be wild and messy and I am going to look after all areas of my home. It will save money in the long run as I will keep it in order.

 Today I started by cleaning up all the winter leaves that have blown here in the storms. They are now in a compost bin and being turned into mulch.

 I scrubbed the steps with hot soapy water. Everything gets covered in green algae when you live in a densely wooded area, we're surrounded by trees, which are beautiful but keep the light out. So paths, steps, fascias, window sills go green and there is no alternative but to scrub away with the hot soapy water and then rinse off afterwards. I washed down the exterior of the utility room and cleaned the windows outside, the door frames and the canopy over the back door. My arms are aching from stretching and scrubbing and my hands are sore from the hot water, but strangely I feel really satisfied at my simple endeavours.

It's also vitally important to clear out drains, gutters and areas that could flood, gather mould or attract vermin. These jobs need doing monthly and will work your muscles in a way the gym never could. There is also something cathartic about having a clean house and garden (that may be unique to me!) Clean and tidy home equals a clean and tidy psyche for me; in fact, order equals sanity. We were in the garden for just over an hour today and now I'm off to find some indoor maintenance to do. If only I could decide, which of the seventeen jobs must be done first?

Be Dazzled With Vogue Russia January 2011

Lucky! Lucky! Model Caroline Brasch Nielsen got to pose in some amazing designs for Vogue Russia January 2011. Starting of the year wearing ensembles from Vivienne Westwood, Yves Saint Laurent, Maison Martin Margiela and more. Now for the Jewels compliments to Harry Winston, Tiffiany & Co, Van Cleef & Arpels and Boucheron, for loaning out some edgy elegant pieces, that should be shipped of to us...

Photographer Anthony Maule

Vogue Russia

Links-

Front-row-view

Best Dressed Men 2010

So we've had the Best Dressed women of 2010, now let's see who FG10 picks for the Best Dressed Men of 2010... Ladies prepare to drool over the looks and styles of the men who have been an inspiration over the year, from the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal, Ed Westwick, Brad Pitt, Kanye West, Usher and plenty more (if only we could get our partners to dress like them). One Can Dream!!!

Jake Gyllenhaal smothering looks great rugged & smart

Zac Efron grown into a stylish man

Usher works street Fashion & Runway

Scott Disick knows how to wear SUITs

Russell Brand doesn't leave his skinnies

Robert Pattinson puts the mess back into Fashion

Prince Harry a true English Gentlemen

Pep Guardiola all football coaches take note(dress like Pep)

Nacho Figueras makes riding boots for men HOT

Kanye West the Risk taker & Trendsetter of Mens Fashion

Jon Hamm Mad Men got him hooked on suits

Jerad Leto mixes Punk/Rock with Runway

Ed Westwick taking pointers from Chuck Bass

Chace Crawford simple & classy

Brad Pitt well ITS BRAD PITT need I say more

Links

people, zimbio, whosdatedwho, exposay, twi-star,

contactmusic, accidentalsexiness, thedailytruffle

Turning leftovers into some thing special

 Saute any onions, garlic and peppers, or any veggies you have.

 Defrost the ready made pastry and sausage meat that only cost 20p each on Christmas Eve - if you can stand the last minute crush, and if you have a freezer, then you can get bargains for pennies.

 Roll out the pastry into a large oblong, place the well sauteed onions, garlic and peppers onto the pastry, roll the sausage meat out to fit the pastry.

Use any leftovers you have. I added a few chopped sun dried tomatoes and a couple of tablespoons of cheddar that I had curling up in the corner of the fridge.

Cut the pastry so it resembles a child's version of a Christmas tree and then plait.

Glaze with a beaten egg and bake in a hot oven on 180' for 45 minutes.

Get Dearly Beloved to make a salad of reduced price spinach, grated carrot and peeled and sliced reduced price cucumber. Toss in a homemade dressing.

The finished plait will serve six with salad, or made three meals for the pair of us.

The final result make leftovers, for nothing more than pennies, into a delicious and very frugal supper.