Tray of Goods II Candles 'n' Nail Polish Organisation

This is my little Tray of candles, nail polish and nail art pieces that I keep neatly sorted. The top part of the tray I have my candles laid out and on the bottom part of the tray includes my nail polish collection, that I have collected over years, in a puzzle box, as well as my nail art pieces in a Victoria's Secret bag. I hope you enjoyed my organisation and storage ideas of this small section of my room's decor.

- Niki<3

Tray- K-Mart
Blue Candles- Hand-Me-Downs
Our Eutopia Scents Candle- Farmers
Rose Candle- Farmers

Side Note- Most of the things I own, I actually collected or received as gifts that have lasted years so you won't find a lot of these things in stores soz

Simple Ways to Make a Difference/Reduce Waste

This is something I used to do while I was in high school, which is donate extra change on Mufti days.

.......

Use re-useable bags when grocery shopping instead of plastic ones and use re-useable drink bottles instead of plastic ones.

.......

For me, I use fashion as a creative outlet and it keeps me mentally stimulated. I still buy new pieces, But with so much excess waste being produced these days and with pieces I end up growing out of or having to throw away, eventually ends up in the landfill.. So, I try to limit what I buy or keep pieces for a longer period of time. The great thing about this is, styles keep coming around back in trend, so it's easy to switch in between the pieces, play around with matching colours to keep inspired. Fashion is also subjective, so anyone can dress to how they feel and to whatever style they desire.

....... 

I also use layering pieces... For example, I created 5 different outfits with 3 pieces, and the middle piece I sometimes layer over a bikini.

.......

Use old study notes for gift wrapping.

....... 

 Cut up pieces from magazines to make a collage, Paint on a quote (I used acrylic paint to make it appear like chalk), The poster is from a school trip from 2 years ago...lmao.

.......

I hope you enjoyed these tips..

- Niki<3

Meditation 'n' Mindfulness

Meditation... This is something I started getting into this last month. Due to a temporary setback of a limitation of recreational activities, I had to find a calm way to handle emotion and stress. Usually, I'm not one to mediate or do yoga even though I have tried to do so in the past. I'm not that calm and patient most of the time when it comes to things. I get bored easily sitting down or waiting for too long, I'm constantly pacing back and forth, bouncing up and down the walls and I accidentally broke the printer the other day.. oops, my bad..

But this exercise has taught me to
a) work on mindfulness..
b) unwind, be grateful and appreciative of the little things in life that are usually forgotten or taken for granted. This includes getting in tune with your senses, sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

Notice the blossoming of flowers in the summertime, the smell of fresh coffee in the mornings, the taste of hot chips, the touch of grass or sand beneath your toes OR the first hint of sunilght touching your skin when you leave a cold, building and the swishing and crashing of the waves in the ocean.

I'm still, not that calm of a person haha, but it's nice to do this once in a while..
So, light a scented candle, AWAY from any curtains or any other flammable materials
Take a step back from reality and relaxxxxxx

-Niki xoxox

Below are Some Meditation Videos I Enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1PAsXKduLA -Guided Meditation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO559oWXS34 -Soulmate Meditation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4qCFFBrrgk -Guided Meditation for Sleep... Floating Amongst the Stars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyy0ra2WcQQ -Guided Meditation -Blissful Deep Relaxation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBBpj6MG8ow -Guided Meditation for Trusting Your Intuition (Higher Self, Inner Adviser)

Outfit Details...
Outer Layer, Dress- Dotti
Top- Esprit
Shorts- Factorie
Moon Necklace- Birthday Present

Clock Recreation

There was a broken Clock lying around. So I painted it using acrylic, white and gold gel pens and scrap paper. Above are the before and after pictures of the process.

- Niki xoxo

Skincare Selection

Today I wanted to make my spin on a skincare post as I'm happy with the set of the cleansers and foam I currently use. I used to experiment with using a range of different types of cleansers but changing it frequently only made my skin worse. My skin isn't particularly oily or dry but it's still really sensitive so a mark takes forever to go away. I'm not always happy with the condition of my skin but I found its better to stay away from products with fruity scents and instead, stick to  something more basic and simple. Bonus points for the green colour scheme haha.

Gentle Skin Cleanser- Cetaphil

This cleanser is the one I use most often and it's suitable for all skin types. I really like how there's no fragrances and that it's smooth and gentle on my face. It's also easy to wash off which is especially great for when I'm in a rush in the mornings.

Formula 10.06 Absolutes Dream Clean, Creamy Foaming Cleanser

I saw these in a lot of magazines when I was younger and still see it trending around on a lot of blogs today. It foams really easily and I only need a small amount. It's suited to defend against breakouts. Although it didn't help clear my acne because mine was hormonal, I really like the cucumber in this cleanser. It gives a cooling refreshing sensation on my face. I also absolutely love the design of the writing of the name and the description of the cleanser on the front of the bottle in green and grey.

Positively Radiant Cleanser- Aveeno

This is the cleanser I only use once in a while. I like how it evens out my skin tone while it's still gentle enough for my sensitive skin. It feels really refreshing and deeply cleansing. I've also tried the exfoliator in this brand but rather not use it everyday because the U.V rays from the sun can get quite strong where I live and I don't want my skin to dry out or get damaged. 

- Niki<3

What to Bring to the Beach

I've been going to the beach pretty much every Summer since I was really little. It's one of my happy places and has pretty much become a routine for me to know what to bring.

What I Bring
-Togs ~Dotti
-Towel ~Farmers
-Keys, Wallet, Phone (Oh, the daily struggle of adulting responsibility.. No matter how organised I am or how well I plan things, I feel like this is another part of my brain because I always misplace something..sighhhh. Maybe one day I'll get my shit together. I heard this is a sign of higher intelligence though aha) ~Wallet is a Hand-me-down
-Sunblock (Necessary UV protection. The Beach defender ones are great and has a higher SPF)
-Sleeveless Top/Beach Coverup ~Bought on Holiday
-Jandals (Or some type of comfortable footwear)
-Sunglasses ~Can't remember, sorry
-Lip Balm (With SPF)
-Beach Bag/Backpack ~Cotton On (To put everything in)

If You Want To Be Extra Prepared
-Aloe Vera (Amazing to apply after a swim or for sunburns (not for severe burns though))
-Drink Bottle (Stay hydrated)
-Running Shoes (If there are brush walking trails nearby..)
-Beach Blanket (To sit on)
-Hat (Extra protection from the sun)
-Snacks (Veges, fruit, chips..etc)
-Deodorant

If You Want to Go Even More Hard Out (I usually don't because I'm lazy and also you will need to carry all this stuff back, BUT you can bring...)
-A small tent
-Parasol
-Book
-Camera (Capture Memories)

..........
- Niki<3

Life is a Journey Box~ DIY

I got an old, wooden box that was lying around the house and gave it a little makeover. Basically, all I did was use Black Acrylic paint and used gold, white and black gel/ink pens to decorate and design it. I made it for a pencil case but it can equally be used for storing makeup. 

I chose the quote Life is a Journey because one of my relatives told me this, which means life is not about the destination. Instead it's the experiences we go through which help us grow as a person. Life gives us the lessons we need to learn. Without pain we cannot grow. Not necessarily meaning to put yourself in a bad position to learn a lesson you don't need to learn. But finding your own way to get through the tough situations (e.g: 'when an artist is in pain, they create'.. they express how they feel, whether that being through literature, song or illustration) while focusing on the good. There are no right or wrong decisions in life, just different results and responsibilities. Life's a climb..

- Niki<3

Think Between the Lines Box~ DIY

I got another wooden box that used to be a container for cider and started messing around and getting creative with it. Similar to the other box I 'd.i.y-ed', I used Black Acrylic to coat it with paint and then used gold, white and black gel/ink pens to draw.

Think Between the Lines. These days, it's difficult to be original and creative... This is because by now, the same or similar ideas have already been used over again or have been recycled into something new. Therefore we lose motivation. So, it's important to be inspired, enjoy the process of creating, 'be in the zone' and put your heart into your work. Then the effort and love you put in your work will show. Also, good things take time. They don't happen overnight. Take breaks. Patience is a virtue. Cheesy as it sounds, there's only one you. You're irreplaceable. Make time to do what's important to you, for yourself. It's easy to see the obvious and 'Read Between the Lines', but takes a bit more effort to Think Between them...

- Niki<3

Found the Old Lego Set..

A few weeks ago I found the old box of Lego and cleaned it up a bit. Suddenly the nostalgia of playing with Lego as a kid. And NOT bothering to look at the instructions and creating something came back to me...

I loved playing with Lego because I could make my own creations, the way I desired without anyone telling me how to build it... Or the difference between the right and wrong way of doing things... Because there is NO right or wrong.. Just the fun of the PROCESS of building and naturally improving overtime.

I built a picturesque looking set of Detached Houses with my younger sister. She made the tree by herself and added apples... I thought it was very creative and I was really proud. I recommend playing, building something or completing a puzzle to anyone as it's quite relaxing and therapeutic.
- Niki<3

Baking Brownies

Pretty much all I did was bake brownies using the brownie mix and made them appear as cupcakes. This was done by pouring each batch in cupcake cases. I then got creative with the decorating and just improvised with some of the decorating ingredients I already had. Above as pictures of the process. These are really nice with ice cream and wipped cream.

Ingredients Used For Brownies: 
-Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix

Ingredients Used For Decorating:
-Icing Sugar
-Chocolate Drops
-Fresh or Frozen Berries
-White Chocolate Buttons
-White, Black and Red Edible Gel

Extra Items Used:
-Cupcake Cases

.......
- Niki xoxo

Crystals 'n' Candles~ Desk Area

These are the little things I keep around on my desk. It's not much because sometimes I find it annoying to have excess material around, but it's enough to keep me inspired to draw more and create each day. 

On the left side of my desk there are small candles which are hand-me-downs from my auntie (when I light these candles it sets a calming mood and I feel like I'm 5 again and pretend I'm a witch hahaha...), crystals from Crystal Mountain, a bracelet surrounding the crystal from my lovely friend, the larger candle from Farmers (I remember when I bought it, there were other selections including a yellow one labelled Happiness... but my Rose Scent one smells the BEST. Omg, it actually smells so good and makes me so happy..yay). 

On the right hand side are my stationary materials and paint brushes in pickle jars I just washed out. I hope you enjoyed taking a look at the decor of my work space.

- Niki xoxox

Bookshelf Organisation

This is my bookshelf showcasing my books and dvds I have gathered over the years. I have organised my shelf in terms of colour.

What I enjoy about movies and books is that both tell a story and are magical, inspiring and at times brings enlightenment in different ways. 

It gives a new perspective on things such as why... 
'Some people don't like you is because of their own insecurities' OR 'People sometimes don't have the room to love others because they need to love themselves and accidentally hurt others in the process'.
'Ignorance is bliss' BUT 'Love is a choice'.
'Do we blame the person for their faults' OR 'Society's impacts upon that individual's choices and behaviours?'
'Do any of these reasons make 'it' 'okay'?'
These types of concepts, lessons and morals I find interesting (when I have the time and energy to think)...

- Niki<3