Book review: The Doll's House

I have always enjoyed reading. As a child, my dad would read to me every night before bed, filling my head with beautiful images that the stories and poetry described. Unfortunately, in the last few years, I have been reading less and less. Last year I'm pretty sure I read less than five books! This is so unlike me! But that's okay, because I have been striving to read more this year, and have already finished quite a few books.

The most recent book I have read is The Doll's House by M. J. Arlidge. I actually finished it in a day. It was so fast-paced and had me hooked from the start, so I really couldn't put it down. Basically, it's about a young woman that has been abducted, and locked in a dark cellar that has been made to be a life size doll's house. What makes it interesting is the alternating perspectives between the abducted victim, the police investigating, and the abductor himself. It was very well written, and had no dull moments. I would definitely recommend this book!

In between reading new books, I'm trying to read the entire Nancy Drew series. I have a mixture of the classic hardcover books as well as the electronic version. Currently on number 33 out of 52!

Happy reading!

xo Sara

Getting dolled up for the day with Review Australia

Hello lovelies!

Does anyone else genuinely enjoy getting ready for the day? I'll admit, I'm a bit of an early bird, and I really like being able to take my time in getting ready. I just thought I'd share my outfit of the day: this super cute pastel pink collared knit top and high waisted black skirt. Though you can't see it, I love the gold button details and a-line style which sits just on the knees for me. This outfit (and 90% of my wardrobe) is from Review Australia, and while these particular pieces are no longer available, you can find a similar top here and here, or other black skirts here and here. 

My favourite part of purchasing the collared tops from Review, is that the collars are actually detachable, allowing you to also wear the top on its own, or to attach a different collar with it. In fact, the collar I'm wearing above is from a different Review knit! I seriously adore the vintage girly style of this brand, and the quality is absolutely amazing! It's so easy to wear their pieces for any occasion, whether it be daywear, a special event or work. I like to wear these more preppy, 1950's inspired outfits for work as it makes me still feel professional and conservative, but also feminine and vintage! What better way to boost motivation to work?

I hope everyone had a nice and productive day today - I know I sure did! Time to relax and rest now :) 

xo Sara

5 Tips for Getting Organised

Hello lovelies!

It's been a little while! We've been busy travelling Japan :) Now that we have started a new year, it's the perfect time to get organised for the coming year.

1. Buy a planner .
Write down any important events so you can be prepared for anything! This weekly diary is the cutest way to keep track of things. It comes with gold stickers too! So much love.

2. Declutter your life.
This is a huge task, so I would recommend separating this into visible clutter and hidden clutter. Visible clutter is simply getting rid of anything you didn't use or think about last year, and reorganising your space. Hidden clutter is more of a deep clean of all the things you tend to hide away in drawers or cupboards - you've got to go through them at some stage! Also, don't forget your tech items - removing unused apps from your phone, or files from your laptop or computer.

3. Go through your kitchen.
I'm guilty of buying random ingredients and products in the moment, only to completely forget about them after! Make sure to remove anything that has expired, and tidy up. You may just find yourself getting inspired to use up some of the things you find!

4. Create time-saving habits or routines.
Some people (like myself) find themselves way more productive following a daily routine. It helps me to remember to complete mandatory tasks, and settles me. Others prefer writing out to-do lists, or just create handy habits. For example, wiping down the counters after preparing a meal, or doing the dishes straight away. It's the little things that count!

5. Share your schedule with someone else.
It's great having your own planner, but it can be helpful to share your schedule with others. Serena and I use Google calendar to share our personal schedules, so we always know when the other is busy. Weekends can get pretty busy during the year, so it can help to prevent any double bookings if you share your calendar with your family.

These are a few little tips to help you start getting organised for the new year :) Please let us know what other tips you find useful in staying organised.

xo Sara

Beauty Review: Alison Jade

Hi everyone,

So today I wanted to talk to you about my visit to Alison Jade in Cottesloe. Something I have found is that while there are so many bloggers and Instagrammers out there, very few people seem to actually do posts on their experiences at beauty and hair salons. I really enjoy trying out new places, and am constantly on the lookout for great local places, but I do like to research the place before going. There's only so much an Instagram photo can tell you! This is why I thought I'd share my experience, so that others looking to try somewhere new can have a little more insight into the place before trying it out!

I called in to book an appointment, and was lucky enough to get an appointment for the following day. There is parking just across the road by the train line, but you've got to keep an eye out as those spots can fill up quickly! Having said that, an eyebrow appointment generally lasts somewhere between 15 - 30 minutes, so there is a lot of movement there.

Walking into the building was like walking into what I imagine a lobby for a fashion magazine would be like. Very chic, clean and spacious with elements of luxury here and there.

Such a gorgeous waiting area!

I arrived early to my appointment (surprise, surprise), so I was encourage to help myself to some delicious T2 iced tea. There were also macarons and even champagne available for those after something a little more glamourous.

T2 iced tea

Macarons and champagne

Soon I was greeted by my brow specialist, who led me to my room. It's more like a row of open rooms, with beaded curtains for a little privacy. As I settled into my large, plush chair, I felt more like I was having a spa appointment rather than your typical brow appointment. We chatted a little about what sort of shape I was after, how long it had been since my last appointment and how I had been maintaining them. As I have Asian brows, I am really quite particular with how I like my brows shaped, and often end up just shaping them myself. I'm not a huge fan of the arched look, preferring more of the typical Korean style straight brow, but I do like a soft, natural arch. 

First, my brows were trimmed, then a medium tint was placed to match my hair. After this, my brows were waxed and then plucked to perfection. So much attention on the brows! My specialist really knew what she was doing, and was quite a perfectionist in getting a super clean shape. The whole experience was finished with her filling in my brows.

Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take a photo of what my eyebrows looked like before to compare, however I have a photo of what it looked like straight after.

I know there are hairs sticking out! She told me to leave them to grow out more, and to use a brow gel in the meanwhile to keep them down.

Overall the experience was a lovely one, a place to feel a little bit special and have wonderful service. I do really like my brows, even though I feel like they still may be a little too arched for my taste, and perhaps drawn on a little longer than I normally would draw them. Besides that, I like how the rest of the shape and thickness ended up. At $60 for an initial appointment, and $55 thereafter, it is definitely on the pricey side, but completely worth it if you are like me and just needed a completely brow reshape. The price covers not only the actual service, which is very detailed, but also good service and yummy tea!

xo Sara

Stepping into Spring

We are so ready for spring! Personally, it's my favourite season (although maybe I'm a bit biased because it's my birthday season). I'd thought I share a few pretty things to get your month started! I'm all about the pastels all year round, but for the start of spring nothing beats a pretty pink dress. Check out our Polyvore account to see all the details for the set - just search for The Petite Pair!

xo Sara

The 2015 advent calendar list (and ones you can get in Australia)

Hello lovelies,

It is finally December, which means we can finally put those textbooks aside and focus on getting ready for the festive season. A must have item for Christmas is an advent calendar because not only is it a fun way to count down to the big day but who needs an excuse to get a little treat every day? I've compiled my ultimate advent calendar list for everyone who hasn't gotten one yet, it's not too late!

The beauty advent calendars 

These usually are quite rare in Australia but this year I've noticed a lot more beauty calendars popping up in Australian stores though at slightly higher prices.

Benefit Big 12 Party Poppers ($78, valued at $93)

This calendar is the perfect treat for make up lovers, with 12 days of sample sized Benefit products including favourites such as they're real! mascara, lollitint lip and cheek tint and POREfessional pore minimiser. It also plays an original 'Bene-song'  jingle when you open it but beware it is also light sensitive so when you open the curtains in the morning don't get scared when it suddenly starts singing!


Myer beauty box ($160)

I was so excited to see Myer offering this beauty box because I think it's one of the first major Australian department stores to do so. Although, it's on the pricier side it does contain make up and skincare products from brands like YSL, Lancôme, Giorgio Armani and Kiehls as well as a few mini perfume bottles. They only have 2000 of these for the whole of Australia so I would order one as soon as possible.


Loccitane advent calendar ($70)

A more reasonably priced beauty calendar with 17 beauty products, the majority of which are foot/hand creams but also including oils and eau du toilettes. It also has 7 Provençal gifts, which are miscellaneous items like gift tags and stickers. Although I like the price of this calendar, I think I would have preferred it to contain all Loccitane products instead of the little crafty bits and pieces.


Body shop advent calendar (Standard: $129, Deluxe: $199)

Deluxe version

There are two versions of this calendar: standard or deluxe. The difference between the standard (green) and the deluxe (red) version is mainly that the deluxe calendar is much bigger in size because it contains more larger/full sized products and a few more make up products instead of skincare. The green one seems to be selling out very quickly probably because of the cheaper price. I recommend looking at the contents list on the body shop website if you don't mind the spoilers as the calendars do contain different products from each other.


12 days of Lush ($99.95)

Completely vegan with a decent haul of bath bombs, body lotions and bubble bars in popular festive scents plus two exclusive Oxford St shower creams, this is the perfect way to make the lead up to Christmas more relaxing.

Charlotte Tilbury Book of Magic

With a mix of 12 sample and full sized beauty products and featuring the new Magic Night Cream, exclusive to the advent calendar, this one is a firm favourite with make up gurus.

Adore beauty advent calendar ($199, valued at $369)

This calendar has 24 deluxe mini products from a variety of popular brands such as Benefit, Essie, Lancôme, La Roche-Posay, philosophy, SK-II and St Tropez. It's similar to the Myer Beauty box but has more types of products (nail polish, primers, moisturisers, body oils...). Note: there's free shipping to Australia :)

Chocolate advent calendars

Moo free advent calendar (Prices online are quite expensive but I got mine from Target for only $5, what a bargain!)

Organic, dairy free, gluten free, soya free and vegan. What I love about this calendar is that it contains tasty dark chocolate and doesn't give me that intense sugar rush I get after eating the chocolates from those generic grocery store advent calendars.


Lindt advent calendar ($25)
Contains classic Lindt milk and dark chocolate truffles. I cannot find an image on the Internet of this but it's white and gold and I've seen these in David Jones and Myers.


Hotel Chocolat- Advent Calendar for Two

I absolutely love this calendar because behind each window is two baby truffles so both you and a friend get a fancy chocolate at the same time. Each truffle is uniquely flavoured including Pecan Gingerbread, Cinnamon Praline and Salted Caramel Cream. They also have normal advent calendars which comes in white, milk or dark chocolate which is perfect for those with a preference to a certain type, which can be harder to find in the grocery store.

I hope this helps you score some last minute advent calendars especially to my fellow Australians where it requires some research. The calendars I've listed are still available as I'm writing this but as expected they are are disappearing off the shelves fast so go, go, go! Are there any that I'm missing from this list? If so please spread the Christmas cheer by mentioning it in the comments section below ;)

Serena

5 Things To Make Your Commute Bearable

The mere thought of the journey to work via public transport can make your morning dreary. But there are ways of making the commute a pleasant experience!

1. Music: Listening to the right playlists can set your mood for the day. Feeling tired? Listen to upbeat, energetic music to keep your spirits up. 
2. Headphones: Investing in a good quality pair of headphones will help distract you from the mundane travel.
3. Reading material: This is the best time to catch up on your reading! Whether it's just getting lost in the world of fiction, or learning new things, bringing a book or magazine will help to pass the time.
4. Coat, scarf and/or gloves: Now that it's winter, using public transport can be super cold, especially when waiting for buses and trains. Ensure you're layering up against the wind!
5. Umbrella: You never know when it's going to rain, and walking in it is certainly not fun at all!

These five essentials will help to make that daily commute a little bit easier and make it feel like it's going faster. Hopefully it makes your day brighter too!

Sara