Our Favourite Grammy Looks !

TOP 5 GRAMMY LOOKS:

Beautiful Giuliana Rancic in Alex Perry gown and Marina B jewellery 

Flawless Beyonce Knowles in Michael Costello white lace gown

Effortless Chrissy Teigen in gold Johanna Johnson gown and Neil Lane jewellery 

Glowing Ciara in gold Emilio Pucci gown

Stunning Paris Hilton in white Haus of Milani gown 

-Posted by Olympia & Vanessa 

Female Empowerment : Latest Thoughts

Just a short post, on some things that have been playing on my mind as of late, in regards to women and their attitudes towards other women. Obviously being a woman myself, I can confidently say that I have been on both sides of the table: 1. Been hated on for no legitimate reason 2. Hated on others females out of envy etc. As I grow into a better person everyday, I have come to realise the imaginary competition females have amongst each other is all BS. With times getting tougher in all aspects, I can't think of anything more comforting than having my 'sisters' to turn to, with no judgement placed.

Women also have an "unfair" hand dealt as far as their place in society. We continue to earn less than men, face sexual harassment and domestic violence at a rate incredibly higher than men, have our sexuality shamed and our bodies put on display for evaluation (see- every fashion/pop culture magazine). We are victims of our culture and society and yet we often target other women for making us feel this way instead of targeting who is really to blame. We should not need validation from men or mass media. Supporting other women springs from realizing that we all face common struggles and not competing like "they" want us to.

Referring back to a video by my favourite spiritual mentor, Iyanla Vanzant, here is my take on the 5 main reasons for female betrayal/hatred.

1. Self Hatred: Picking the things you hate in yourself, and diverting that attention to a flaw in another female.

2. Seek External Validation: We look to other people to make us feel good all round and when we don't get it, the bitchiness comes out. Sometimes, it's not always people we seek. Social media has recently come to play a big part in ones confidence, based on how many likes you get on a picture (obviously not the case with all females).

3. Honour your true self: Simply, be true to who you are. Don't get caught up in trying to keep up with the latest as this will undoubtedly shadow the potential you have.

4. Role models: We mimic what we see. Therefore, the attitudes of key females in our lives (mums, sisters,etc) play a massive role in moulding our own attitudes towards certain things.

5. Unrealistic Expectations: We tend to focus on how others will help us/what they will do for us, forgetting the true value.

All in all, females should not feel threatened by other females' success, and rather embrace and lift them up. 'The way to achieve your own success, is to be willing to help someone else get it first.' 

Here's a link to Oprah's first-ever Power List of females doing amazing things for those interested!
http://www.oprah.com/money/Power-Women-O-The-Oprah-Magazines-Power-List

-Posted by Vanessa 

5 Tips when visiting the island of Oahu, HI

Over the Christmas holidays, I met up with my parents in Honolulu, where we rented an apartment in Diamond Head for about two weeks. I definitely enjoyed staying in an apartment more than a hotel, as we were able to cook and make ourselves 'at home'. I thought I'd compose some quick tips and suggestions as I have been to Oahu several times now and think I have found some great spots to eat, visit and see. I added some pictures from my trip as well. Enjoy!

1. To swim...

Firstly, let me say that it is SUPER important to get around the island of Oahu, rather than just staying in Honolulu or Waikiki and walking around. Getting a rental car to drive around the island would be ideal but if your budget does not allow, the public bus system is fantastic, easy to navigate and cheap. If you don't get out of Honolulu or Waikiki, you will really miss out on the beauty outside of the city.

My absolute favorite beach on the island is Lanikai. It takes about 30 minutes to drive to it from Waikiki. I have taken the bus before and that takes about an hour. You can get off the bus at Kailua and walk to Lanikai. The beach is one of the most beautiful I've ever been to.

Clear water, soft sand and an incredible view of the two islands, Na Mokulua. An extra tip would be to visit Lanikai during the week when it is less busy.

2. To eat...

There are some really interesting, unexpectedly good places to eat in Oahu. I'm going to break it down by meal-time and tell you some of my favorites.

For breakfast: Visit the North Shore and the town of Haleiwa. You will find a local "shack" called Haleiwa Bowls serving Acai bowls which are a blend of acai (berry) sorbet, granola, bananas, coconut flakes and honey. Absolutely delicious (and healthy). It takes about an hour to drive to the North Shore, but the drive has dramatic views and there is plenty to see and do once you get there, including checking out some of the beaches frequented by pro surfers that have gigantic waves.

For lunch or a snack: Visit Leonard's Bakery, about two miles from Waikiki. At this bakery you will find the most delicious pastry in the universe: the malasada. Traditionally a Portugese dish, malasadas are egg-sized balls of yeast dough that are deep-fried in oil and coated with granulated sugar. I found myself going back for more every single day of my trip- they were THAT good! This bakery has been running since 1952, a testament to its success. 

Finally, for dinner: Visit Prima in Kailua. Incredible pizza, incredible pasta, with an emphasis on sourcing local, sustainable ingredients. We had fantastic service here and would not have found it without a recommendation from a friend, as it is in a smaller town and looks very modest from the outside.

3. To shop...

I would advise to stay away from shopping in Oahu, mainly because there is so much natural beauty and other things worth doing. However I will mention a bikini store called San Lorenzo, which has several locations across the island. Their swimsuits are made in Peru and Brazil and are very unique and flattering. You can also customize tops and bottoms to ensure the right fit and color selection to your liking.

4. To learn...

An interesting day trip my mother planned was visiting Doris Duke's old home, Shangri La. The Honolulu Museum of Art organizes tours of the home, as it has become almost a museum of Islamic art. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable on the art forms in the home and it was fascinating learning about how it was built and designed. On top of the educational experience, the home has a jaw-dropping view of some of Oahu's coast and a flawless garden and pool.

5. To see...

After eating a few too many malasadas, a walk to the top of Diamond Head volcano is a must. It takes about an hour but the view over the island from the top makes it well worth it.

(Photo from Wikimedia)

Hawaii is truly one of my favorite places on earth. It has so much history, culture, beauty and warmth. I plan to go back as many times as I can and see more. One thing I deeply value is the Hawaiian promotion of respect for the environment and the highlighting of local business and produce. Although tourism has benefited the economy, I'm sure it has undoubtedly threatened the environment and preservation of native culture. However, Hawaii seems to be making efforts to sustain what is really important and I noticed it more this time visiting.

- Posted by Olympia

Royal Botanic Gardens

I had planned to visit the Sydney Botanic gardens for ages, as I haven't been since I was little and greatly needed the R and R. Yesterday, I finally got the chance! I went with my younger cousin who photographs as a side hobby, and took some pretty dope candid pictures. I'm not normally a 'nature' person, but I was in awe the majority of the time at the gardens. The whole time I was just thinking, God created all of this, for us. It is so beautiful.  I believe my age group should devote more time to the simple and free things in life, like the gardens. It completely puts you in the right head space, allowing you to soak up the often forgotten about natural beauty of Sydney.

Here are a few of my fav shots:

You can further check out my cousin Clara's work here: http://vandalphotography.tumblr.com

- Posted by Vanessa 

YEVU CLOTHING: Ethical Ghanaian/Australian Brand

This week, I went to support and check out an ethical brand inspired purely by Ghanaian prints, founded by Sydneysider Anna Robertson. To be honest, I wasn't completely knowledgeable of the brand prior to attending their pop-up store apart from seeing them on Instagram. However, the trip to the store left me nothing but inspired, informed and impressed. Anna began to know Ghana as she was there for volunteer work, and soon fell in love with the simple yet highly fashionable pieces of many Ghanaian designers. As time passed, Anna found the means to start her reputable line, Yevu clothing (which actually means 'white person' in Ewe-traditional dialect of Ghanaians in the Volta Region/Togo). She sources all the material from West Africa, predominately Ghana, and has them made by local tailors and seamstresses. This chain effect allows for a beneficial economic status to the hired team, as they hold shares in the growing business, giving them constant work. This simple, yet effective means of exchange is one I see and aspire for Coconsa Bags. On a larger scale, Coconsa hope to hire underprivileged Ghanaian women to use their skills knowing they will get fair working conditions, regular pay, education opportunities for themselves and their children. Lots of vision that will come to light by Gods will. Anything is possible! We are all here to make a difference in this world one way or another.

For my Sydney folks, you can check the Yevu collection for yourself:

YEVU 2.0 Pop-Up Store

302 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills

Hours: 
Daily 10am - 7pm

From December 18 - 24 or until stock sells out

-Posted by Vanessa

The dangers of texting

I feel compelled to write a quick post about the car accident I got into this morning.

I live in Atlanta, GA and as all know who live here, the traffic can be terrible on the freeways to and from work.

On my commute this morning, I saw the car in front of me braking, so I put my foot on the brake. I looked in my rear view mirror at the car behind me and the woman driving was clearly texting and not paying attention to the road in front of her- with her small daughter in the back.

She hit me extremely hard which pushed my car into the large truck in front of me. My car is totaled but luckily and most importantly, my body is fine (although very sore).

Those of us with a long commute know how hard it is to sustain the focus needed to drive really well for that long of a period. We get restless sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic and find it tempting to text, surf the web on our phones, etc.

Today I realized that if one cannot sustain focus on their commute, they just shouldn't drive. If we were driving any faster, my life, the woman's life and her daughter's life would have been taken.

If anyone reads this, PLEASE resist the temptation of texting and driving. Listen to an audio book or some great music but DON'T take your eyes off the road! If your focus cannot be sustained then look into shorter commute options- carpooling or public transport. Hopefully it doesn't take something like what happened to me this morning to realize the importance of this.

- Posted by Olympia

Current Style Favorites

I've been caught up on Tumblr and fashion blogs on my lunch breaks recently and have compiled some of my favorite street-style images. It's pretty apparent that I am attracted to a simple, comfortable look that can be dressed up or down. And yes, I'm after some white wide-leg pants. Please share any great fashion blogs to look at!