Travel In Style...

We've all been there. That moment when you find yourself staring at your closet wondering "what outfit should I wear on the plane tomorrow?"

What will the weather be like at the destination? Should I be wearing all my 'heavy items'? What's going to be comfortable enough to sit in for 20 hours? What material isn't going to crumple up and what pants aren't going to get too tight after I've sat and ate for hours? These are all questions I thought most people would consider, but apparently not.

On the countless number of flights I've been on, I am continuously amazed at some peoples lack of a) common sense and b) desire to look semi-respectable while traveling. When did leggings and an over sized tshirt become acceptable to wear on an international flight? I mean, you can be comfortable and still look good, but far too many times people stumble onto aeroplanes looking that they've just rolled out of bed or off the couch.

Now, I'm sure I may be coming across like a bit of a snob, but I just believe that you don't have to be rich to look respectable. Plus, you never know who you're going to bump into or what kind of situation you'll find yourself in because airports are such unpredictable places. You may be seated next to the love of your life, a potential business partner or even a celebrity. And, let's be realistic- the lady in the hot pink crushed velvet tracksuit is highly unlikely to get upgraded to business class.

I also believe that your airport outfit should be an extension of whats in your carry-on luggage. I've heard far too many stories about friends flights being delayed or cancelled and they're forced to camp out in the airport terminal with nothing but shorts, a singlet and a pair of flip-flops- no jacket, no clean underwear and no personal hygiene items what so ever. I'm all for stuffing your heaviest items into your hand luggage bag to avoid it being weighed at check-in, but there are just some necessities that I won't travel without.

I am, by self admission, one of those people who steps onto a plane and looks like she could go straight to a restaurant for dinner, but the truth is, everyone is on their way somewhere, so who's to say my destination isn't fabulous?

So, as I contemplate my next holiday destination, here are some noteworthy celebrity airport styles...

[ Rosie Huntington-Whiteley ]

 

[ Cameron Diaz ]



[ Chloe Sevigney ]



[ Emily Blunt ]



[ Kate Moss ]



[ Kim Kardashian ]



[ Lauren Conrad ]



And what can we learn from these starlets? You can go a long way in a pair of jeans, a comfy jacket, ballet flats and a scarf.

Miss Quarter of a Century...

Today marks the celebration of my 25th birthday. I have mixed feelings about turning a quarter of a century, but if I'm being honest, they're mostly good ones. If I had asked my 18 year old self where I thought I'd be and what I would have achieved by 25, my answer would have most likely been completely different than my reality. Owning my own home, being in a long term relationship and well on my way to establishing a professional career are things I'm sure I would have listed, but truth be told, although those things haven't eventuated yet, I can't say I'm disappointed with what I've achieved and experiences to date.

I have instead travelled the world, worked in a number of diverse corporate businesses, lived in a foreign city and done all these things without boundaries or limits. When I sat down and broke up the past 7 years, I realised that I have had amazing periods full of adventure, others filled with personal growth and as expected, some that were what I like to call my "building block years" which allowed me to experience those amazing periods to the fullest.

As many regular Life After 20 readers will know, following my 22nd birthday I compiled a list of 25 Things To Do Before 25. I have to be honest and admit that although I gave it my best shot, there were some goals I must have been crazy to list in the first place, as they were more appropriate to make a "Lifetime Achievement" list. Learning the piano and being able to speak Italian were obviously not accomplished, but instead, I managed to tick off 20 out of 25 things on my list, with a couple of activities still pending for the very near future. Not bad odds, right? Amongst the items I've already blogged about, other successful goals included:

1. Going Skydiving
2. Volunteer
3. Go on a holiday with my sisters
4. Drink a beer and eat a hotdog at a US Baseball game
5. Put a $1 bill in a strippers G-string
6. Go hot air ballooning
7. Get a tattoo (of the henna variety)
8. Do the 12km leg of the City to Bay
9. Visit the Pyramids of Giza
10. Donate plasma 
11. Spend a weeks wages on something fabulous
12. Do a barrister course
13. Get a university degree
14. Drive a Mustang convertible on Route 66
15. Watch Gone With The Wind 
16. Going Speed Dating
17. Watching all 7 seasons of Sex and the City; and
18. to 25. are unfortunately too personal to list :)

As I embark on the first day of my 25th year, I've got a good feeling that there are exciting times ahead. I'm one month in to a new job which I'm loving and I can honestly say I think it's the beginning of a professional career that I'll continue to be passionate and excited about. I'm also developing a better relationship with my body, mind and soul and am gearing up for a big 3 months to cap off 2012.

I am also, by nature, a compulsive planner and with a vague outline of the next 18 months, I'm excited by the potential which is on my horizon. I'm not sure whether the next 12 months will bring with it the things my 18 year old self expected, but even if it doesn't, I'm in a great place and I know I'm heading in the right direction. 

I'M BACK!

After taking a 4 month hiatus from blogging and in many senses reality, I'm back from my overseas trip and ready to launch into my little slice of the Internet.


When you travel overseas, your accent becomes one of the most important (and obvious) distinguishing factors between you and the thousands of other tourists traipsing across the world. Fortunately, the Australian accent in my experience has always been received well and its usually the number one talking point when you're interacting with locals. I'm a very proud Australian and when I'm abroad, I subconsciously find myself promoting the country, especially whenever I'm asked about our quality of life in comparison to the country I'm in.
I remember being 17 and my parents taking my sisters and I on a summer vacation to Tasmania (an island just off mainland Australia). At the time, I couldn't have thought of anything worse than spending my precious holidays in a place that is most famous for its natural resources, environmental wonders and flora and fauna. I know who I am and an 'outdoorsy' girl I am not.

I was being a particularly moody teenager on the trip, when my mother turned to me and said "one day you'll travel the world and realise just how lucky you are to live in a country with all this natural beauty. People come from across the world to experience this and you're taking it for granted". At the time, her words went in one ear and out the other without a second thought, but now, I can confidently say she was right. Truthfully, I am still not overly excited by the outdoors and would much rather stick to the big cities, but I have come to appreciate how diverse and unique Australia really is. I have been to some of the most popular beaches in the world- San Sebastian, Miami, Nice, the Greek Islands, and still I couldn't help but look at each of them and compare it to the beautiful beaches which line the Australian coast. If Australia adopted the sun bed and umbrella culture like they do in Europe, our beaches would be perfect.

[ Positano, Italy ]

While traveling the United States with my friend Justine, she turned to me one lunch time and said "Natalie, you're such a good ambassador for Australia" following a conversation I had had with the waitress serving our table. Her compliment surprised me but made me realise just how much I loved being able to call Australia home.

My travels have exposed me to some of the most beautiful cities, exciting places and diverse cultural melting-pots in the world, but each time I return home, I find myself with a little more appreciation for the quality of life we have. I'm the first to admit that I crave big cities and would happily move back to London in a heartbeat, but deep down inside, I think I'll always want to raise a family and settle down in Oz.

* * *

On the way home from the airport, my dad was filling me in on the latest local news, when he told me a piece of information that got me feel all patriotic inside. He said that the annual Global Livability Report had recently ranked Melbourne as the most livable city in the world. What I found most impressive however, was that 4 of the top 10 cities were within Australia. The top 10 looks like this:

1. Melbourne, Australia
2. Vienna, Austria
3. Vancouver, Canada
4. Toronto, Canada
5. Calgary, Canada
6. Adelaide, Australia
7. Sydney, Australia
8. Helsinki, Finland
9. Perth, Australia
10. Auckland, New Zealand

So in conclusion, I suppose my promotion of Australia was not unjust or biased, but rather an accurate reflection on the country I call home. Our grocery prices may be rising, we unarguably pay too much for petrol and we may be far away from the rest of the world, but we also have a free health care system, above average wages (with a relatively low unemployment rate) and an abundance of sunshine. So in my opinion, the pros of being an Australian far outweigh the cons.

I'm back online!

Bonjour LIFE AFTER 20 readers.

Firstly, I must apologize for having failed to post in almost 2 months. I have been (and am still on) an incredible traveling holiday, which has taken me from North Africa, through Europe and in a few weeks to North America.

While I had every intention of posting regular updates of my adventures, the days just seem to pass by so quickly, that after the social media updates, email replies and travel journal entries, there hasn't been much time to dedicate to the blog.

But, fear not, I'm missing the blogosphere too much to stay away, so over the next few weeks I'll be sharing little snippets of my experiences and highlights in the places I've travelled thus far.

This entry is coming to you fresh from Paris, and although its my second time visiting the city, it is still just as impressive and magnificent as the first time I laid eyes on it.

[ sometimes on holiday, you´ve just got to kick up your feet ]

 Until my next post, I hope that life is treating you as kindly as it is me.

Finding Mr Right vs settling for Mr Right Now...

A few of my closest girlfriends and I recently caught up for coffee and unsurprisingly, it didn't take us long to get onto the topic of men, love and relationships. We're all at the age now where people we went to school with are starting to get engaged, married, pregnant or all of the above, which got me thinking about the paths we choose to take after high school finishes and 'real life' begins.

In my mind, our mid-twenties is a time best used to 'find' yourself, to make stupid mistakes and brush them off as 'life experience' and a time when it's somewhat acceptable to browse the male market in search of someone worth holding onto. While twenty-something is still incredibly young in the context of a lifetime, when your classmates begin taking that next step, you can't help but wonder if you're underachieving in the subject of romance? Perhaps the only thought scarier to me, as dramatic as it may sound, is the possibility of feeling this way in another 10 years time!

Going around the table, my girlfriends and I began throwing out the classic one-liners that we constantly seem to hear. "You're too fussy" is fired at me all the time, while one friend gets "You always go for the wrong guy", another "Aren't you afraid you'll end up alone" and finally "I know you want to be a young mum, but what if that doesn't happen?" When we listed them all together, it was a powerful little box of ammunition.

When I looked over at my gorgeous, successful and intelligent friends, I wondered whether or not we were the problem? We are, admittedly, quite a confident and intimidating group of women, but were we simply scared by past romances and carrying the burden of previous heartache into possible new relationships? Were we the ones sending out the wrong signals? In my personal opinion, when it comes to love, women tend to be stupid. In fact, I would almost go as far as to say, that in this area of life, men often have the upper hand.

Now, I'm not saying that all women are innocent or all men are the enemy, but I've heard one too many stories (and at times been the star of the tale) about women who ignore the red flags in a relationship in the hope that their gut instincts are a little off target. I learnt the hard way that your instincts are always right, but we just seem to forget that fact because love inhibits our ability to think rationally! And then we get hurt.

So why do women think we can ignore the red flags and still have the happily ever after we so desperately desire? Perhaps in a twisted way, we're attracted to the challenge? When men look at a red flag, they think things like "she's too hard", "too high maintenance", "too much baggage", whereas women look and think "I can be the one to change him"...and so our attempt begins.

I've tried to change an ex's views on a vast array of issues and while it was a slow and tough lesson to learn, I now understand that in most instances, people don't change. If a person lies, cheats or disappoints you once, chances are they'll have no problem doing it again. In fact, women going into a relationship expecting to be able to change someone, I believe are setting themselves up for heartache. Although I thought the movie was terrible, the book He's Just Not That Into You is sheer brilliance. Its honest, it's brutal and it's a dose of reality that so many women, including myself, need to hear from time to time.

I've had girlfriends who have tried to make their partners less racist, more eloquent, ready for a relationship...or a puppy...or marriage...or children...or at times, them! All roads in these cases have led to disappointment and when your friend continues to go back for more, all you can do is sit on the sidelines and in most cases, wait for the fallout with open arms.

I remember asking my parents one day what they believed the key was to their 28 years of marriage? Their answers were simple and consistent- compromise. "You can't go into a relationship expecting to be able to change a person, you have to accept them for who they are and compromise to create a situation you're both comfortable with. That and communication is the key" replied my dad. I knew instantly, his words were wise ones.

When it comes to love, sometimes women are just waiting to hear things like...

...and to know it came from a place of honesty.

And finally, to remain somewhat unbiased, I do often feel sorry for men. How are they supposed to know what women really want, when we can't even answer that questions ourselves!

Album of the Month...

Last week while driving home from work, I sifted through an old pile of CD's in my car and came across Craig David's album Born To Do It.

Instantly, my eyes lit up as I put the CD on and turned up the volume. Luckily for me it was dark, because if anyone else driving saw me singing along to that album, they would have thought I was trying to impersonate one of Tina Turners backup singers...it couldn't have been a pretty sight! I was singing very loud, very out of tune and I was very 'in the groove', but I was also very surprised to realise I still knew about 95% of the lyrics.

I think this fact can be attributed to the countless years during my teenage life that the CD was blasted on repeat, but regardless, having not heard the album for at least a year before that night, I still couldn't believe how quickly it all came back.

What also came back was the memory of my total and utter crush for Craig David. I'm actually fairly confident a magazine clipping of him was stuck firmly to the cover of my year 9 school diary.

Reminiscing aside, that drive home reminded me just how good Born To Do It actually was and how much I still enjoyed singing along to the smooth RnB tracks of the British singer today. With hits such as 7 Days, Rendezvous and Walking Away, I'm sure I could play that album to all of my school friends and without a moment's hesitation, have us singing along and acting like we were 14 again.

And just as a side note, I can't talk about Craig David without mentioning my beautiful godsister, Nicole, who is perhaps the only other person I know still pressing play on her own copy of Born To Do It. She's a girl after my own heart!


BORN TO DO IT
1. Fill Me In
2. Can’t Be Messing ‘Round
3. Rendezvous
4. 7 Days
5. Follow Me
6. Key To My Heart
7. Fill Me In (Part 2)
8. Last Night
9. Walking Away
10. Time to Party
11. Booty Man
12. Once in a Lifetime
13. You Know What
14. Rewind

Master Cleanse for a Master Body...?

Last week, Seal (as in the ex Mr Heidi Klum and the only man I know who can rock neon yellow nail polish), performed in my home city.

It was a cozy, intimate show with plenty of interaction between the crooner and his fans. He sang a mix of old hits such as Kiss by a Rose, Crazy and Amazing, combined with tracks off his new album Soul, (including my personal favourite, It's a Man's Man's Man's World). In my opinion, it was nice to see a show which was more about the music than all the flashy stage productions that many artists welcome with open arms.

With all that being said, this post was never meant to be a blurb for Seal's fan page, but rather a look into the lives of the rich and famous...

Upon arriving at work that night, I was introduced to Seal's PA, who told me that he would not be consuming anything that evening, except a special detox drink. In the scheme of things I've seen, heard and experienced during my time working backstage at an entertainment venue, Seal's request was a surprisingly normal one, so I didn't think much of it.

Soon after, I was sent out on a mission to find more lemons for this detox cocktail and when I returned to the dressing rooms, I found his PA elbow deep in lemon juice, with a jar of maple syrup and a bag of cayenne pepper within close proximity. I put two and two together and cautiously asked if Seal was on the same diet Beyonce made famous when trying to loose weight for her role in the film, Dreamgirls? The PA looked at me, smiled, and confirmed my assumption, but also added that now, most of Hollywood have tried the Lemon and Cayenne Pepper detox diet at one point or another.

A couple of women I know who have attempted this detox only lasted a few of days, rather than the recommended 10-14, before they began to feel the effects of no protein, no carbs and well, no food. I saw their moods change, their energy levels drop and their concentration plummet. Its not a detox for the faint hearted, but lets be honest, it's got to be a hell of a lot easier to do when you a) have an assistant to make the fiddly drinks for you; b) spend your life bouncing from a plane to a hotel room to a stage (at the most); and c) don't actually have to get up and work the standard 9-5 day in, day out.

Now, I'm not saying that celebrities don't work hard or have the same pressures and responsibilities as us ordinary folk, but there's no denying that life has to be easier when you have the funds and the help to make these 'luxury lifestyle choices' work. I mean, if I had a world class personal trainer kicking my butt every morning, followed by a chef doing my grocery shopping and preparing my meals as well as a stylist making sure I looked the part, I have no doubt I'd be fit and fabulous enough to make the cover of  a popular magazine too.

I am, by admission, a lover, consumer and reader of glossy gossip magazines. I own subscriptions and I'm 'that' person at the supermarket checkout who constantly gets tempted by the bountiful display while waiting in line. I also have a journalism degree though, and fully acknowledge that most of what I read is untrue and involves little to no investigative reporting. However, despite all this, I still can't help but devour a magazine whenever I get the chance and although I take the 'facts' with a grain of salt, I'm not surprised that we are becoming a society with increasing mental health problems and unhealthy perceptions of body image.

When we see our favourite celebrities walking the red carpet or acting on screen, we've all had that moment when we think to ourselves "she's perfect!" or "I would do anything to look like her". What's terrifying however, is that these women that society considers to be some of the most beautiful in the world, are still subjected to harsh photo retouching. As if these gorgeous people aren't gorgeous enough, they're automatically propelled into the stratosphere of perfection, which is detrimental to us all because it's 100% unattainable.

You need only to look at the examples below to realise that perfection only comes with the help of computer software.

With the help of social media, we are also now more connected to our favourite celebrities than ever before. Last week Lady Gaga tweeted “Just killed back to back spin classes. Eating a salad dreaming of a cheeseburger.” with the hash tag #PopSingersDontEat.

The comment sparked outrage around the world by critics, haters and fans alike. My personal view on the matter, is that Gaga simply stated the truth in outlining the kinds of lifestyle choices and 'sacrifices' celebrities have no choice but to make. The media love to endorse a beautiful, young starlet eating a piece of chocolate cake, but in the same week are just as happy to slam her for an imperfect bikini shot.

I've heard Miley Cyrus turn down a fun size snickers bar because she was 'getting fat and needed to watch her weight' and I've seen Joel Madden encourage Nicole Richie to eat a small bowl of salad leaves during her infamously skinny days. The pressure on these women to look 'perfect' is immense, and its nice to hear people like Gaga tell it how it really is, regardless of how politically and socially sensitive it may be.

The truth of the matter is, the media combined with people like myself are the ones adding fuel to the fire. I'm intrigued by a catchy headline and attracted to a glossy editorial and if it weren't for those who consume the media's jargon, then it would be an industry in decline, rather than a rapid increase.

On a side note: At the Logie Awards a few nights ago (Australia's equivalent to the Golden Globes), comedian Hamish Blake commented on Facebook that Seal (who was on the next table) had kept his back turned to the food that night. Despite everything I mentioned above, I suppose the one thing we can all learn is that wealth can not buy will power.

Blazer Fever...

The one thing I love more than Kim Kardashian's style, is a perfectly tailored statement blazer. So when you combine the two, you've pretty much got my style inspiration rolled into one.

The fact is, the majority of my wardrobe consists of either black, white, gray or neutral tones, so it's no surprise that my go-to pieces are bold blazers with a statement necklace. Ever since seeing Kim fashion this A.L.C. Zoe mint green blazer (because don't we all look this good while putting petrol in our cars?), I've been on the hunt for a cheaper alternative to add to my collection.

Although I'll be travelling during the Australian winter and will therefore have back to back summers, I'm still determined to scope out some inexpensive yet fabulously bright blazers to add to my collection.

I'm thinking this orange jacket from the Kardashian Kollection could be a good place to start, even though I'll have to hang out until May for it's release. Well, there's either that, or I could visit their store in Las Vegas and peruse the collection first hand.

Blazer Fever... by natalie-ev featuring a gunmetal necklace

Belle Noel by Kim Kardashian gunmetal necklace
$99 - shopthetrendboutique.com

Belle Noel by Kim Kardashian black necklace
$99 - shopthetrendboutique.com

Belle Noel by Kim Kardashian leather bangle
$85 - neimanmarcus.com

Belle Noel by Kim Kardashian yellow gold earrings
$49 - shopthetrendboutique.com

Dannijo jewelry
singer22.com

Belle Noel By Kim Kardashian Mini Dagger Collar Necklace
$188 - metroparkusa.com

Moroccan Inspiration...

Today marks the 1 month countdown until my next big overseas adventure begins and as you can imagine, I'm just a little bit excited!

I'm going with two A-Class travel buddies, known to me as Alina and Nadia and the first three stops on our trip are Dubai, followed by Egypt and then Morocco. Having just come out of an Australian Summer, I feel as though I'm as well prepared for the harsh heat of North Africa and Southern Europe as I can be, but my wardrobe tells a very different story.

In Australia, when the weather gets hot, people tend to simply wear less clothing to compensate, but that couldn't be further from the reality in the countries we're visiting.

So, by taking a little inspiration from the second Sex and the City film (and yes, I concur, it was horrible), I've put together an inspiration board to get my girlfriends and I in the mood for Sahara chic dressing...and shopping. I'm thinking bright, bold colours, white cotton pants, big beautiful gold jewelry and of course, kaftans! I might however, leave my sequined turban at home (sorry Carrie, but that's a little too much!).

Egypt in particular, has been a country I've always dreamt of visiting and if my obsession with the pyramids and my childhood ambition to become a Egyptologist (it lasted until I realised they spend their days digging in dirt and sand) are anything to go by, I'm sure it's going to be an experience of a lifetime, no matter what I wear!

Moroccan Inspiration... by natalie-ev

Caftan tunic
birdsnest.com.au

Matthew Williamson caftan tunic
$488 - theoutnet.com

Caftan tunic
€845 - luisaviaroma.com

Matthew Williamson print tunic
$1,015 - matthewwilliamson.com

Fresh Laundry linen pants
£95 - the-dressingroom.com

Mystique white sandals
€126 - pret-a-beaute.com

Givenchy leather handbag
£1,250 - liberty.co.uk

Collar necklace
$68 - macys.com

Yellow gold bangle
$40 - fantasyjewelrybox.com

Belle Noel by Kim Kardashian silver bangle
$89 - shopthetrendboutique.com

Irene Neuwirth teardrop earrings
$2,620 - ylang23.com

Linda Farrow aviator shades
£420 - boutique1.com

NOTRE MONDE Moroccan Tray
$460 - calypsostbarth.com

Picture Perfect...

There are some images that just have to be shared, and this is one of them.

Shot by photographer Rodney Smith this photograph had me at hello.

Carrie Bradshaw once said "Year after year, twenty-something women come to New York City in search of the two L's: labels and love"  and well, this photo ticks both boxes.

Here are some other favourites I've discovered in Rodney Smith's portfolio.

Fact: the guy shoots love beautifully.