Pretty. Geometri by Samantha Alice.

Part of the reason I have been so absent of late, is that uni is trying to take over my life. One of my assignments this session was a rather large practical project that was to utilise both my specialisation areas, being textiles and graphic design. Here you can see the final product of all my hard (ahem, yeah right) work. It is a capsule collection of home wares that includes a floor cushion, scatter cushion, magazine rack and coasters. I designed the fabric myself (!!) and had it printed by the folks at Spoonflower. I am super pleased with the fabric design and would love to get more printed soon. The layouts here are also part of the project and form a small catalogue or pamphlet. My favourite is the magazine rack as I can actually see myself using it.
Enough of me showing off...

xx Samantha Alice

Tasty. The Smoothie to Whoop all other Smoothies.

I know, more blueberries. I really like them ok? I also really like smoothies. Like,  A LOT. Starting the day with something this yum and this healthy and jam packed with goodness has got to be great. You might look at some of the ingredients and think 'well she's a weirdo', but trust me, this tastes amazing. If I have one of these puppies for breakfast, I am not hungry until mid morning, so they are very filling.

Coconut and Blueberry Protein Smoothie
You will need: (Serves 1)

• A handful of frozen blueberries
• large tablespoon of yoghurt (I use soy or lactose free)
• small handful of raw oats (these have loads of protein)
• small handful of shredded/flaked coconut
• 2/3 cup milk (I use soy)
• 2 tsp psyllium husks (Good source of fibre and keep you feeling fuller for longer)
• 1tsp cold pressed coconut oil (this is optional, tricky to find and a tad expensive but is a miracle food. A teaspoon of this a day helps with heart, liver and thyroid health)

Chuck it all in a jug or a blender and whiz away until all smooth and creamy.

xx Samantha Alice

Style. Icon. Edie Sedgwick.

// 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 //

"Everything that happened to me has been a paradox for life. The very things that I should have done would have been the trap. The very things I might have given into, that demanded, that said, this is your life. I mean, this is your only way to survive, are the things I found hardest to end. 'Cause I believed in something else. You have to work like mad to make people understand... Even if I don't make it, you know, I really insist on believing, and then I fall off the edge because there's nobody else to follow it. And I would just fall off the edge." Edie Sedgwick 

xx Samantha Alice

Life. The Insta Eight

1. The most amazing roses!
2. The start of my London vision wall
3. Currently addicted to tomato and avocado on crackers
4. A braid and a pink rose stud
5. Tempura prawn sushi is my fav
6. Chicken noodle stir fry 
7. Samosas at the markets
8. Sister and Cousin! So pretty! 

I just had the best weekend! My Aunt and Cousin (incidentally not mother and daughter) came to stay on friday and saturday and we just had the loveliest time. The markets were on, so we spent some time wandering around and buying treats, and on saturday afternoon we went for a great walk on the board walk at a near by beach slash mangroves. We got all dolled up and went out for an amazing dinner that night. Sunday was spent on relaxing drives and more yummy food. I was sad to see them go; it was so relaxing and so nice to catch up.

This week should feel more frantic, but either I am very unmotivated or very relaxed. I got my prac placement finally; a small school about half an hour from my house in a place called Dorrigo. I am happy with the school, but the drive up there is not fun. I am new to driving really, so the thought of going up a steep and winding mountain road kinda freaks me out. I am going to do some practice drives between now and prac, so hopefully I can get my confidence up a bit. I am really relieved to actually have a spot though. Can't wait to start teaching again!

I am working on finishing my final two assignments for the session by next monday, so that I can spend next week getting some posts written and (finally) getting around to some overdue outfit posts.

xx Samantha Alice

Tasty. Whole Wheat No Sugar Blueberry Hotcakes.

Life. An Apology!

Ok so I have been sooooo very slack on the blogging front lately, but I don't want you to think I am over it and that my posts will fade out to nothing! I have been immensely busy these last few weeks with uni and other life happenings. I am only doing three units at university this session but with prac looming (just two weeks away!) the pressure to have everything handed in and under control before I start is intense. I can't believe my last prac is already so close- although I guess it doesn't feel real in part because I still don't know where I am going! My uni has a lot of education students to find placements for in an area where there really aren't that many schools, so it can take some time. But right now I feel in limbo. I have been feeling ultra stressed out, so this week I have put a plan in place to help with the stress including having well structured days at home when I am studying and making sure I am much more active. So far so good, and though my head is still in a million and one places at once I hope that my nervous system starts to calm down before the intensity of prac. I know they do it much differently in the states ( and I'd like to hear how prac works in the UK) but here in Australia we do incrementally longer blocks in a school where our teaching load increases from one to the next. This will be my third and final prac, and as such I will be taking on an 80-90% class load, will be largely unsupervised after the first 2 weeks, and will be expected to take on extra duties and responsibilities in the school community. It will be full on, but hopefully very rewarding and challenging. I don't even know which subjects I will be teaching, which makes it hard to prepare. I guess all I can do is try and get my head in the right place and then I'll cope with anything really.

Anyway, I just wanted to say sorry for being so erratic with the blog; i'll try to post as much as I am able in the next two weeks. Once prac starts and I get into the rhythm of teaching again, I'm sure I'll have loads to share with you on here!

xx Samantha Alice

Life. Curbing my Addictions (And saving money for London)

So, it turns out that money doesn't rain from the sky. Huh? Who would'a thought? I actually have to save money for my very expensive move to London. Whilst trying to save anything right now is a crazy thought considering my income is basically non existent, I figured cutting back on my spending now  when I don't have any cash will help me stay on track when I start teaching at the end of June. I just spent a depressing half an hour writing a list of all the things I have to stop wasting money on, and because I am a sharing kinda gal, here it is:

Life. Patience (A rant)

Someone once told me that a sign of maturity is the ability to cope with delayed gratification; the ability to be able to wait for things to happen when they happen and not having a tantrum about it in the mean time.  Now I don't know if the fact that I can be a very impatient person necessarily means I am immature, but it is something I struggle with and would like to be better at. I was tweeting with Kristin from Hello Sweet World (Hello Kristin!) about waiting for our blogs to get bigger and better and how frustrating it can be, and it got me thinking about patience and what it really means.

Life. Guest Post from Supikuku

I am really excited to bring you a guest post from the lovely Arleen Diaz from Supikuku. She is a South American gal living in Taiwan, and I was so fascinated by her and her blog that I knew we needed some of her here on le'Love. So enjoy!

Life. The Insta Eight.

Style. An Autumn Wardrobe via Pintrest

I tend to wear a lot of the same clothes in my day to day life; simple shapes that are comfortable and easy to wear. I guess my uniform this Autumn will be jeans and a blazer with the occasional exception of course. I went a little Pintrest mad this week pinning like crazy around a few key items I think are a must have for my wardrobe at the moment. Click through the images below to see my boards (and make sure you follow me so I can follow back!)

Style. What teachers wear.

//Via Here//

I have my last and final teaching practicum coming up in May; I can't tell you how excited I am. I haven't really talked about it much on here, but I love teaching. Teenagers are hilarious in my view and have rarely had any moments in the classroom that I really disliked. It's tough, sure, but for the most part I love it. Something about having my own little world in which I don't put up with nastiness or criticism is really appealing, and I adore the feeling of getting through to a kid with troubles.

Pretty. Maintaining the Balayage.

Not sure if all you other balayage haired gals out there agree with me, but sometimes I feel that looking after my hair is like looking after two completely different heads of hair. My roots get greasy easily and my regrowth is depressingly a bit grey, plus, obviously, the top of my head is brunette. My ends get desert dry and lack lustre and again, is obviously blonde. Maintaining my long and multi problem hair can be a challenge, but lately I feel as though I have the hang of it, so thought I would share my thoughts with you. So here goes...

Style. Black and Nude.

I always thought that nudes would really wash me out, but I think having plenty of colour in the face counteracts the shade of this ASOS top. It's the same as the black one I showed yesterday. The pants (although you can't see them at all! Damn dark background) are also ASOS. They are the most comfortable trousers I have ever worn. This will be one of my prac outfits, minus the red lip and dramatic winged liner I think.

I don't know if you can tell, but I totally gave myself a hair cut the other day (I know, shock horror right?) but it was very successful I think and has left my hair feeling fresher and lighter. I do miss the extra 2 inches of length but I'll cope.

xx Samantha Alice

Style. Stripes and Bunting.

So I have been pretty slack on the outfit post front lately. I just haven't been feeling it, you know? Plus I hate half my wardrobe and the other half you have already seen. I got this this simple top from ASOS in the post this week and I love it. It has a stretch back and a woven front so hangs beautifully-it will definitely be one of my staples for my up coming prac, which, incidentally, is less than a month away. All I can say is eek.

The skirt is an oldy, well last year old, from Kmart, and I haven't really worn it much. It is hard to find things that go well with it but I think this top works well. The necklace, be still my bunting loving heart, is also from ASOS and although it is shorter than I'd like I still love it.

Also, I have made a pact with myself that I will only do one London related post a week. If I don't follow this rule, it is all you will hear about and I'm sure that you don't come to hear about my moving plans (however exciting and life changing they may be!)

I am off to write an essay (eww) and start work on a new Photoshop tutorial (yay) and work out the logistics of a little surprise.

xx Samantha Alice

Life. A London Playlist.

You know what is really ironic? When I lived in Sydney I lived on London Street. We were always talking about having a party called London calling and sometimes we called ourselves the Londoners or the London Street Militia. We were a bunch of broke students living in a falling down terrace but it was so fun. Now nearly three years later, I hear London calling again, but this time I am going to the other side of the world. Here are a few of my favourite tracks that are in some way about the city I am going to call home in nine months or so.

Pretty. March Glossy Box

I know, I know, it's April, so why am I just posting this now? Well to begin with I felt that the March Glossy Box here in Australia arrived a bit late in the month, and lastly, when it did arrive it turned out mine had a product  that I had already been sent before. I emailed Glossy Box and they told me they would send out a replacement product so I decided to wait for that to arrive before trying and reviewing the products.

Pretty. Photoshop Basics. PEN AND MASK.

I can't tell you how much fun these have been to make! I have been so flat out busy that I have been neglecting this little blog (sadness) so the fact that I can whip up a tutorial in half an hour makes blogging easier at the moment. Plus making pretty things for you all is a nice change from the endless sea of paperwork I find myself in; man, becoming a teacher is tricky, and getting my British Passport is even trickier! I want to give a shootout to Becky from Becky Bedbug for her insight into the British education system, was great to hear first hand from a teacher. Plus her blog is pretty rad.
I promise more outfit photos and other little goodies very soon (I have a package on it's way with some new clothes!) but until then I hope this tutorial satisfied your need for pretty things.
Like I said, I am going through the things that I never learned, so I am really no expert, but I hope I can give you some ideas for using this intimidating program with all its many bells and whistles. So let's get into it with a quick look at the Pen Tool and Clipping Masks.

Pretty. Photoshop Basics. L A Y E R S

If you are reading this and you think, well derr I know what a Photoshop Layer is, then I am super sorry. The feedback from my last tutorial was so great (Thank you!) but what I really took from the response to the post was that it was super simple, and that is a good thing. I am starting at the beginning here, as if I am teaching it to a class of year 7 students who don't know the jargon. I am actually going over the basics that I was never really taught, the stuff I had to blunder along and figure out. Last week we looked at the basics of colour and some snazzy ways to use colour in our blog images, today we are going to look at Photoshop Layers and create something that I think is having a real moment in blogging at the moment; a good old animated gif. If you never thought you would be able to create an animation, you are mistaken; it is extremely simple! So without further ado, let's get started.

Links a la Mode: Inspiration Station

Inspiration Station

Edited by: Jess of Fresh Jess
The turn of the season can trigger a serious need to purge, refresh and recharge our style. While the sun shines brighter and each day gets longer, our bloggers are finding fashion inspiration everywhere they look. From runways and designer collaborations to hip-hop and the Hunger Games. From gardens and fairy tales to rainbows and relics of beautiful starlets past, this week's Links a la Mode is just a peek at what’s making bloggers tick this spring. Enjoy!