Renée Alexis

Just Catching My Breath For A Moment.
Here are a few quick things that're occurring on my side of the world. Holy Moly, December has been one hell of a month. Definitely one of the busiest yet!

A Handful Of Grouse Sayings.

On "Futures".
I've never been surer of my most hated question that ever decided to make itself apparent in my life. For some, knowing what they want to do as a career has been crystal clear since the day they saw a firefighter in person or declared that being a vetinarian was the only thing they could imagine themselves doing after someone in that occupation saved their dog's life. I don't know if it's just some phase in my life right now or if the same feels are also occurring for others as well, but all of the "do you know what you want to do?" or "what courses are you going to take when you leave school?" is beginning to get on my nerves.

The Three Killer Scents.
These stellar perfumes are my go to's at the moment, and boy do i adore them.
I'm the kind of person who will be the first to get a good ole' pain inducing brain ache if inside a small space filled with strong fragrances. Yes, i'm the annoying one who will probably roll down a window or two if you get into my car with more than 10 assorted scents on. I have never been -and probably never will be- the strong perfume loving gal.
This is undoubtedly is the reason for every perfume I own being sweet, simple and subtle, which is exactly the way I try to present myself.

This week has been full to the brim of celebrations, here there and everywhere!
I turned sixteen last monday (hooray!) and got up to a whole bunch of things, so why not share some snaps with you guys? :)

I think sixteen is one of those ages we all aspired to be when we were younger at some point. It's the age of becoming, well at least the type of becoming that happens before the eighteenth birthday! It's the age where decisions in your life start to get the ball rolling into life changing outcomes, such as career paths and coming down the home stretch of remaining high schooling years. In one word, it's exciting.

I made quite a point to take photos throughout the week of all the achievements and happenings that occurred in the duration of sixteenth birthday related stuff.

The Rules:
You must answer all 11 questions given to by by the person who you were nominated by. 
You must include a link back to who nominated you.
You must nominate 11 bloggers (with less than 200 followers) and give them 11 questions of your own.
You cannot nominate the person who nominated you.
You must let the bloggers who you have nominated know and give them a link to your post to learn about it.



These are my given questions:)
1. Where do you like to shop for cute clothes?
peppermayo.com and saboskirt.com what can I say, I'm forever an Australian retail supporter.
2. Facebook, twitter, snapchat, or instagram?
Instagram, without a doubt. I actually deleted my snapchat last week, it felt sort of like a pointless mobile internet devourer.
3. What is your favorite music?
This question is super duper broad, so i'm just going to tell you all my favourite genres and they would be alternative, indie and the occasional rock or pop song. Anything I can get away with dancing to like a lunatic really..
4. What is your favorite makeup brand?
Benefit or napoleon perdis!
5. Summer or Winter?
This is a tough, tough question, but i'd say summer because there's alot less complaning about the weather when the sun is out ;)
6. What is your must have in your purse?
Pawpaw ointment and mini pufume sprays.
7. What made you start a blog?
I guess it was curiosity as to what it would be like to run a blog and i've never ever looked back since! 
8. Who do you like to watch on youtube (Example: Zoella, bethany mota, tyler oakely, etc)? 
Hellooctoberxo, Missglamorazzi, Cutiepiemarzia, Meghan Rosette, BeyondBeautyStar, Lily Pebbles & Evelina.
9. What is your favorite dessert?
Churros, the other day my mum and I had a cute little coffee date and we thought we'd order some for a bit of a treat. They had salted caramel dipping sauce! It was pretty much heavenly.
10. What is your favorite movie?
Eat Prey Love, after watching this flick last weekend I fell in love with the plot and places shown in this film. What I would've done to be cast in that movie...
11.If you could meet anyone, who would it be?
All of you! I love you all so, so much and it's such a shame most of you live in completely different countries to me. But i'm thinking of starting some kind of pen pal thing so please let me know if you'd like to be apart of it! Handwritten letters are just so timeless and authentic. :)


My Nominations:
1« Babette // beautures.blogspot.com
2« Emma // atripdownreverielane.blogspot.co.uk
3« Becca // beccasfashionandlife.co.uk and beccasfitnessandlife.blogspot.co.uk
4« Danielle // polishedrose.blogspot.co.uk
5« Jamie // j4miejohnston.com
6« Kate // beautiboe.blogspot.co.uk
7« Michelle // felishmichelle.blogspot.com
8« Siobhan // thebeautybaker46.blogspot.co.uk
9« Harriet // makeupandmeringues.blogspot.co.uk
10« Allie //yougottabegorgeousx.blogspot.com
11« Charlotte //ch-style.blogspot.co.uk

My questions are:
1« Whose blog design do you envy?
2« Favourite milkshake flavour?
3« How to do take your tea/coffee?
4« Would you rather walk out of the house with only mascara-d eyes or a face of foundation?
5« Favourite music video?
6« Fashion staple that you love to pieces but have probably over worn?
7« What's your natural hair colour or if you've never dyed it what colour/s would you change it to?
8« One thing in your life thats changed you for the better?
9« What's the most amazing thing you can bake?
10« Would you rather go on an exotic cruise or tour the biggest cities on the globe?
11« Top three most used emojis/your guilty pleasure emojis.

Ah books, lovely books. Theres so many. So, so, so many.
I think a booklist is much, much needed and after weeks (not even kidding..) of narrowing down my all time favourite reads, i'm putting the spotlight on four novels.
I can promise you with profound certainty that this wasn't easy. My love for books has blossomed ever since I was practically born, having my dad read me stories every night before bedtime up until the age of probably twelve or so. Dad is still today the best story narrator I know, haha.
So here it goes (in no particular order), my favourite books that i've ever laid eyes on.

//Looking For Alaska ~ John Green (2005):
This list would never be truly completed without some kind of mentioning of They're a Weird Mob, and for good reason too! 1. It's hilarious 2. There's nothing quite like it and 3. It's a complete and utter reflection of Australia, its even relevant to us all now. Written from the perspective of an Italian immigrant in the early 1950's ish who hasn't a clue on Australians and has fantastic English skills, this book even has a happy ending (for once!). The protagonist struggles to fit in and learn the lingo that is Australian.
One thing I'd like to confess is how much even simple gestures of kindness mentioned in this novel have made me more aware of the way Australians go about their day, even the subtlest of things. They all make me smile when I realise how often we skip over these in every day lives here Down Under. From someone else's point of view us Australians must look incredibly peculiar, haha! This book sums up Australia in a nutshell beautifully.
//Let It Snow ~ Maureen Johnson, John Green & Lauren Myracle (2013):

Hello all!
Hope you're well, sorry this post is a day late, but i've been super busy with life and what-not and have been virtually wi-fi less for the past 4 days or so.

//Wear.

//Life.

//Eats.

∆ Picking at spots, oh my gosh this is my worst habit by far and my skin hates me for it!

Yes, of course, it's none other than the beautiful Angus and Julia Stone.
After a handful of years, the siblings have once again taken over the music world, alternative especially. This record has been long, awaited.
It's been a while since these guys released an album together again, due to parting ways after their third album together and releasing a few solo albums between themselves.

Now if you don't know much about these guys, basically they burst onto the music scene with their debut song 'Big Jet Plane' in 2010 which I still consider one of their golden tracks. What's even better about the Stone's is that they're Australian born and raised.

Anyways, enough of the backstory stuff and onto the real topic we're discussing today, Angus & Julia Stone's latest album. From the beautiful covers (the one showed above is the deluxe version) to the first song, first impressions were definitely positive. These two have such a humble and subtly empowering sound about them, as they always have, it's hard not to be blown away.

Choosing my favourite song has involved the most thinking all day (yeah, you could say my day was on par with the most relaxing day ever experienced) and I've managed to narrow it down to three. The first being Get Home followed closely by Little Whiskey and All This Love. The Australian brother-sister duo have definitely set the bar high for themselves, a great album has again been produced.

The only complaint I would have is that it is so unlike their previous three albums they've released. I'm just going to guess that's because it wasn't self produced like the others, this album was produced by the same person who worked his magic on the likes of Ed Sheeran, Lana Del Rey, Adele, U2 and so many more well known names. Rick Rubin (the producer behind the magic) has added a little bit of a kick to the duo's usual sound, which is let's just say different. I still adore it to pieces though, it's a step in the right direction once again.


In a final word i'm forever enchanted by Angus and Julia.

To say that I adore August is most likely an understatement. So many great things always happen in the eighth month ever since I can remember for some unknown reason..(it's probably just my mind set, haha.).This month will yet again, be one of the goodies of the year.
Here's a handful of things I plan on achieving by the 31st of the eighth month this year :)


The list.
▽Buy a bunch of fresh daisy's from the local florist down the road
▽Have one internet free day per week for the month
▽Spring clean the unruly closet in winter
▽Purchase an actual hardcopy of Angus & Julia Stone's new album
▽Discover a new Café
▽Be more fierce with the eyeliner, bolder wing and all.
▽Take more spontaneous 'in-the-moment' photographs.
▽Find a new staple nail shade.


I'll keep you all posted on my progress in one form or another, whether it be through Twitter, Instagram or my blog :)
How many things do you have on your August to-do list?

The perfect hot drink can be made at home. Yes, thats right, I decided to experiment with the one and only classic winter comfort. Homemade mochas.  Theres a special announcement at the end as well, so read onwards :)

1 cup

hot brewed strong coffee

(I used Moccona Classic)

2 tbsp

hot chocolate mix

1/4 cup

milk

optional: 

whipped cream

additional hot chocolate mix for dusting

candy canes

Method:

• Stir together the coffee and hot chocolate mix in a large mug.
• Heat the milk on the stove to warm -- it should be around 100 degrees or just hot enough that you can only keep a finger in it comfortably for a couple of seconds. Remove from the stove and froth the milk using an aerator. Alternatively, whisk vigorously by hand until the milk foams, about 1 minute.
• Pour the frothed milk into the coffee. If desired, garnish with whipped cream and a dusting of hot chocolate mix.
• For a peppermint mocha, stir the coffee with a candy cane.

Xo,

Renee.

Special Announcement:

After much um-ing and ah-ing i've decided to finally dedicate blog posts to Thurday and Sunday's (Melbourne time). This has been a long time coming, and will add a little more consistency to Renee Alexis. I hope you've had a wonderful week, if not Friday is only mere hours away, fear not! I love you all immensely ♥

//Collected a whole bunch of birthday presents for my dearest friend.

One of my closest friends has her birthday flying around the corner at an incredible speed (August 5th to be exact) so gift shopping has certainly been a priority. During the past week-and-a-half-or-so I figured out just how difficult Emily is to buy for, oh my gosh. I think we all have at least one of those hard-to-buy-for friends, and boy when those gift seasons come around eventually its a stretch and a half just to come up with ideas. The photo above is a cheeky sneak peek :) p.s: if your wondering what the bejeebers "Jessica" has to do with this weekly occurrence its a teeny tiny inside joke that involves Em and this song which is a fairly odd one, haha.

//Felt photogenic.

Usually this isn't so, but lately i've been experiencing photo-addict-y needs (particularly this week though), strange right? I think taking a whole bunch of great pictures on the DSLR of the gorgeous landscape during my week away kicked me back into the spirit and just photography in general. P.s: Emily is the beautiful blonde on the left :)

//Have been divulging into the absolutely brilliantly written Becca's Fashion and Life.

This blog is one of my all time favourites. I have been scrolling through Becca's Fashion and Life ever since I began this little outlet of mine, which feels like forever. I frequent Becca's blog for its absolute individuality, quirkiness and that fabulous head of hair! 

//Bought a Full Bag of Malteasers.

This bag of goodness was wonderful to munch on, and even more wonderful when I opened it and to my delight it was full of actual Malteasers. That's right, not the usual half-air-and-half-food deal-eo, it was full to the brim. AND, it was only three dollars! #winning (sorry, not sorry) ;)

//Began a countdown for my permit test.

One of the most annoying things about living in the Southern Hemisphere, when it comes to the world of blogging and other social media what-nots, is the polar opposite seasons.

//Hearing About The Exotic Locations

//The Winter Dreadful-ness Is Eased

//All Of The Enviable Photos

The most organic looking sugar pot.

The cakes are all homemade and deliciously beautiful.

Full to the brim with tea cosy's, cups and simplistic home wares.

The museum's barn made completely of natural materials.

Flying bicycles of Deni.

Hello all! I really hope you've had a wonderful week and an even better weekend to follow.

I felt like doing something a bit out of the ordinary with this post, so taking inspiration from Hello October, a Sunday Edit post seemed like a sensible choice.
Today my dad and I decided to take quite a long walk into the town of Deniliquin, where we'd ventured for work related stuff. Bracing ourselves for the cold, we ditched the brick walls of the hotel room in search of some much craved caffeine. I had about six layers of clothes on, it was so incredibly cold!
When we arrived at this little coffee shop called The Crossing Cafe, I really didn't want to leave it, it was unexplainably inviting. The staff were all lovely and the atmosphere was definitely warmer than outside, not to mention their mochas were sensational! As you may be able to tell in the photo above, the cafe has a few bicycles hanging for the tree right beside it, dad and I found it profoundly amusing. Definitely worth a photo or two.
Timber filled and carefully decorated this place is seriously a little slice of heaven itself.

Sitting cosily beside The Crossing Cafe was the town museum which showcased a peek of the history of Deniliquin. There was even buildings outside that were replicas of old barns. The whole exhibition was worth having a look at, especially with a fantastic cuppa in hand.

This morning I decided to do something somewhat productive to kick off school break. So naturally I whipped up a batch of vanilla cupcakes. I was originally going to make a dozen chocolate chip muffins but of course, when I started combining everything without really thinking it though, I realised we were out of chocolate chips.. *note to self: check pantry stock before mixing ingredients together* Not that this was a massive problem or anything, because this recipe is literally the best vanilla cupcake recipe i've ever used, definitely a blessing in disguise. The mixture is incredibly light weight and moist even after having some resting time.



To make the cupcake mixture
~Firstly preheat the oven to 170°C (fan forced) and line your muffin tray with paper cases around the same size. 
~Then in a large mixing bowl beat butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
~Afterwards, in a separate bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla together. Add small amounts of this mixture to the butter and sugar and beat well after each addition.
~Sift flour into the bowl and gently fold through.
~Pour in the milk and mix gently with a wooden spoon to form a smooth batter.
~Distribute mixture between the cake cases. If you plan on adding frosting or icing to your cupcakes afterwards, fill the cases up around halfway, they're a lot easier to ice afterwards.
~Bake for 20-25 minutes or until they're a nice light brown on the top.

To make the simple lemon water icing
~Make sure your little cupcakes have completely cooled down before frosting them.
~Sift the icing sugar into a medium sized bowl.
~Gently and gradually pour in your fresh lemon juice and mix until smooth. If its clumping up, add a few drops of water, and if too runny add the necessary amount of icing sugar to thicken the mixture up.
~To intensify the flavour, add your lemon zest.
~Add your food colouring when icing is smooth and glossy. Spread evenly over cupcakes.


This particular recipe makes around 12 standard muffin sized cupcakes and should be stored in an airtight container. It's definitely best to eat them within 3-5 days after making them and if you choose to ice your lovely cupcakes keep them in the refrigerator.