Sticks and Bones: A Guide to Self-Love



Back in primary school, your popularity status was determined by how decked out your Moshi Monsters house was or how complex your scooby bracelets could be. In amidst my memories of running loose in the playground, was my affection for my hair. Yes, you heard that right; I cherished my locks with the same amount of pride and care I had for my Tamagotchi digital pet. For some reason, my boring old hair was somewhat of a spectacle for my 11 year old peers. I was even bribed a few times to wear it out in exchange for some Red Rooster chips (I can never say no to food.) The only thing my little 11 year old me liked about her appearance was her blasted hair. But maybe, it wasn't my hair I was obsessed with, but others' compliments of it.

So you can imagine my distress when one day, my good ol' mother cut my hair a little bit more than my strict, designated guidelines. I remember my stunned reaction when I saw myself in the mirror. I spent the rest of the day in isolation wallowing in my despair and devastation; in my eyes, it was truly a tragedy. My poor old mother... I literally did not speak to her for the rest of the week. All I could fathom was hair = bad, trust = broken.

Then, once I entered high school, my eye sight became so horrible I was literally an accident waiting to happen. I was basically squinting at anything and everything (y'all look blurred and the same to me) and I couldn't even read the whiteboards at school (yeah, that's why I probably almost failed science... that's why...) But I refused to wear glasses for the horror that *gasp* I may look like a nerd or something (news flash: I was already a nerd, with or without glasses.) It took me a whole year of ridiculous squinting and blurred vision to overcome my insecurities as to what my peers would think and I finally got a pair of glasses, and wow guys - the world is so clear and I can like, see!!!

What with my new repaired vision I then found an abundance of things I had to improve on to be deemed "pretty." Look at my acne covered skin! Look at the size of my thighs! Look at the lack of certain features that society pressures girls to have! But mostly: look at the way that our culture stresses the importance of appearance as a measure of self-worth. Yes, self-love is important, there's no denying it. But why limit self-love to accepting the way you look? Being beautiful and feeling beautiful doesn't just mean being comfortable in your skin; it's knowing that you are more than the bones you live in. Limiting yourself to the restricting confines of your body and measuring yourself up to the hazardous and repressive European beauty standards does no one any favours.

So if someone had a time machine they could lend me, I would love to travel to the 70s to live in those snazzy times with their rockin' wardrobes but I would also go back and tell my younger self this: The roots on your head are not as important as the roots in your life, or the thoughts inside your head. The glasses you use to see aren't as important as to how you see the world. The size of your thighs do not compare to the size of your heart. As cheesy as it all sounds, I really do believe it's true. You are not defined by your insecurities. You are not simply the skin and bone of your body.

In the words of Jac Vanek, "You are the books you read, the films you watch, the music you listen to, the people you meet, the dreams you have, the conversations you engage in. You are what you take from these. You are the sound of the ocean, the breath of fresh air, the brightest light and the darkest corner. You are a collective of every experience you have had in your life. You are every single second of every single day."

Last week, I let my mum cut my hair and I bought new glasses. But I also finished reading a really great book, volunteered at church, learnt new songs on my guitar, danced around to some crazy good tunes, cooked some half-decent French toast and daydreamed in the afternoon sunlight. And that encompasses me more than my outer appearance ever will.

Image via Jasmine Dowling

Back 2 Basics

Chuck on some Chucks, denim and grey knitwear for a laid back, every day look.  Too easy. 














MAGGIE WEARS:Top / Dotti || Skirt / Pare Basic || Jacket / Dotti || Shoes / Converse || Sunnies / Hello Sweetie ||
Velvet Choker / The XY Collection || Watch & Bangle / The Peach Box || 
Hiiii guys! Back here today with a simple, basic outfit consisting of greys, whites and denim: a combination which you basically can't go wrong with. As you may know, skirts are my LIFE and a-line skirts are my absolute favourite favourite favourite and right now button through skirts are really in. I still haven't found my own button-through skirt as I'm looking for the perfect (as in won't break my wallet) one but for this I stole my little sister's denim one. White denim isn't usually my thing because I'm in constant fear of making them dirty as I am quite possibly one of the clumsiest people ever. Oh the sacrifices I make for a blog post. 

To jazz up the otherwise simple outfit I've added a velvet choker (can someone buy me this one though??), reflective circular sunnies, a lil' backpack and statement jewellery from The Peach Box. Isn't this rose gold Marc Bale watch paired with this gold aztec bangle a perfect combination? I'm in love with both pieces and if you are smitten like myself, you can grab 15% off storewide using the code "mb-yemagz".

I'm also totally loving this versatile grey knit vest and oversized denim jacket sent from the lovely folk from Dotti and believe me, they have gotten a lot of wear in the past few weeks. Here's a tip: knit vests and denim jackets are PERFECT for trans-seasonal wear. But speaking of weather... Tomorrow's the first day of summer and I'm SO not prepared for the stinking hot humid air and blazing sun. Eugh. No thanks. Not for me. You'll find me curled up watching many, many movies and TV shows while devouring Connoisseur ice cream (half price at Woolies, people!) That's basically my plan for the whole summer holidays. 

Auf Wiedersehen,
Mags xx

Insta Hacks 101: The Cafe Flatlay

via @meowjoce 
Ahh, the art of perfecting the cafe flatlay. An elaborate mixture of precisely placed plates and flattering angles. It's the epitome of Instagram success; that one perfect shot we strive towards. Here are some golden insider #hacks on how to take the flawless Insta you have always dreamt of. 

via @taramilktea
1. LIGHTING, LIGHTING, LIGHTING
As all Instagram photographers (because if you take photos, you must be a photographer right??) know, natural lighting is a must. Be seated next to a window to keep up that clean, light Insta feed. I for one have never moved seats because of this... *sweats nervously* 

via @boyform_
2. B IS FOR BACKGROUND  
To maintain that minimalist and totally goals feed, it's vital to have a bright, preferably white, table. Because if it doesn't match your feed, might as well just give up then and there and shamefully snapchat the unworthy meal. Extra 10 points for a marble table top. 

via @thatsotee
3. WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE GRAM IS GOOD FOR YOU
Now we've got all the #aesthetic interior sorted out, let's talk about food. Don't even think about ordering what you feel like eating - that would just be ridiculous. You gotta order what will look most visual appealing. 10 points for a smoothie bowl. An extra 5 if it has flax and chia seeds, quinoa, goji berries and kale sprinkled artfully on top in perfectly orchestrated lines. 

via @theiconicau
4. CHANNEL YOUR INNER STYLIST 
Alright, so you've ordered your food and now you wait patiently for it to arrive, right? WRONG. You are wasting crucial planning time in which you can gather objects to fill your frame.
Salt and pepper shakers? Check.
Floral centrepieces? Check.
Wallets? Check. 10 points for an Acne or Mimco purse
Calculatedly opened magazines or newspapers? Check.
Carefully sipped coffees which still have their coffee art? Check.
iPhone that you should be taking the photo with? Check.
Your watch which for some reason you take off when you eat? Check.

via @crimixaled
5. THIS IS IT
Young grasshopper, your moment is here, this is what your training has led up to. Your food has arrived and so has your time to shine. Place the prettiest plate of food in the foreground - your friend doesn't have to eat the food they ordered, it's fine - and take about 624 photos from all angles. You gotta get that perfect birds eye view shot! Stand up! Stand on a chair! Bring a stepladder! And my personal fave tip: getting your friends to freeze mid cutlery-hold to pretend that they're about to eat. But we all know they're gonna have to wait another painstaking 10 minutes to eat.

via @katnt
6. OH YEAH...
Satisfied with a photo that's totally going to make you Insta famous? I guess you could like, eat your food or something. But don't forget to gram it at #primetime... because if you didn't post it, it never happened right?

via myself sadly (@yemagz) (nothing like a bit of good ol' self promotion) 
I for one am guilty of indulging in this addictive behaviour - well, maybe not to the extent I mentioned but you catch my drift. SO it's totally okay to snap a pic of your food but y'know like it's a good idea to eat it before it gets cold/your chia seeds get soggy or whatever. 

OK lots of love as always,
Mags xx

LBD


All a girl needs is some confidence, killer shoes and a little black dress. 

I just want to formally welcome this new addition to my wardrobe: this little black dress. The history of LBDs dates back to millenniums ago and from them the have spurred into a classic, a must for every wardrobe. 

Dresses have only been recently creeping into my closet because for some reason, they just honestly look really bad on me. Like I just find it so hard to find one which the cut, style and pattern suit me. Sigh. A tragedy I know. Talk about the real difficulties in life. 

Anyway, the other week my mum came home with this dress from Pare Basic and I did a lil squeal since I love all things ribbed and high necked. So naturally, I stole it off her. And here is a blog post of two of the many ways you can style a LBD. Let me know in the comments which you prefer! X 

LOOK 1: Milkshakes & Pom Poms 







MAGGIE WEARS:
Dress / Pare Basic via Universal Store || Jacket / Retrostar Vintage Sale || Bag / Thrifted ||
Earrings / Hello Sweetie || Sunglasses / Sportsgirl || Socks / Dangerfield 

LOOK 2: Kimono lovin' 





MAGGIE WEARS:
Dress / Pare Basic || Kimono / Cotton On || Shoes / Rubi Shoes
 I have so many blog posts ahead so keep an eye out! I'm right in the midst of exams yet I'm still finding time to post on my blog more regularly than usual... #prioritiesstraight. 

Well I'm going to head off and finish rereading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for about the seventh time and then write up some more studio essays. Talk about a wild Friday night.

Catch ya on the flip side,
Mags xx

Masterpiece


Hermitage? More like Herm mah gerd, am I right? 

Ok so Internet jokes aside, today I've got a treat for you all - I present to you Masterpieces from the Hermitage: The Legacy of Catherine the Great exhibition currently having its final days over at the NGV. 

A few weeks ago I revisited the collection for the second time, the first being with my Studio class to prepare for our upcoming exam - 13 days people!! I absolutely love the whole ambiance and atmosphere of the collection, it really felt like you were transported into the beautiful Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The works of art were, of course, all phenomenal, but what I loved most was Catherine the Great herself. For those of you who didn't know, she was one bad-ass ruler who had a passion for art and believed that it could broaden the minds of her subjects and citizens. She was the longest reigning Queen of Russia and this is even more cool seeing that it was set when everyone was (probably) super patriarchal and sexist (we still gotta pick up our game, people.) 

Anyway, I'm totally trying to persuade myself that writing up this blog post counts for Studio revision... but I should probably get back to real revision. So I'll stop jabbering on now! X 








One of my favourite things about art galleries is other people. Sounds a bit weird but I think a major part of admiring art is other people's reaction to it. I love looking around and seeing people have different connections and feelings of particular works.

Art is expression and art is finding yourself. It's all about interpretation - there's no right or wrong answer. That's what I love about it. 







MAGGIE WEARS: 
Top / Lushous || Skirt / Thrifted Roxy || Bag / Thrifted  || Velvet Choker / The XY Collection ||
Opalite Quartz Choker / Made by Renee || Socks / Hello Sweetie || Shoes / Rubi Shoes

My sister and I also went to a cool installation under Flinders St Station and these grungy-ish photos were the result. Also, the Hermitage exhibition closes on November the 8th plus there's a couple of live performances going on there soon so check out the NGV for ticket details and more! It's not to be missed so check it out while you can. 

So exams are drawing very close for me, with maths methods starting in five days so wish me luck! I'll be needing as much of it as I can get... I better get back to the sad pile of homework staring at me right now. 

Also I have been grooving out to It's Strange (ft. K.Flay) by Louis The Child today so check it out and get boogieing. Also loving Ms by alt-J thanks to my friends' killer theatre performance.

Lots of luvvvv,
Maggie xx
© The Misfitted

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