6 Responses For When Life Gives You Lemons...

Okay, so life isn't always smooth sailing. Sometimes it's more sour than sweet. So when life gives you lemons, you obviously have a shot of some sort of strong alcohol. And then take another. And another. Repeat until no more lemons can be seen.

Or you could just view the best lemons-and-life quotes. Your choice.

A Start To Uni... Part One

This is Melissa's first post. Yay! But for some technical difficulties she cannot post it from her account, so for now we will post it from me.

I was so keen on my first day of prep that I woke up at 6am and had to watch some exercise show for an hour with creepy old chicks doing squats in yoga pants.

On my first day of high school I remember practically prancing to class, two calico bags full of copious amounts of stationary in either hand, thinned-out front fringe in disarray and oversized blazer flowing in the wind. I was (still am) the poster girl of teenage awkwardness.  Those were the days.

So, um, let’s just say that my first day of uni was not met by the same amount of enthusiasm on my part. I didn’t have the best start to my tertiary education. I didn’t really have the greatest start to 2014 actually.

3 Of The Best DIY Clutches

I realise that I may have a mild obsession with bags.
It's an obsession I can live with, but every now and then it will flare up in reaction to a new trend or just-plain-awesome style. Bag-obsession; it's a real condition.

So this time around I blame Emily Cocklin's dreamy collection of clutches for this round of bag fever. Seriously, do not check out the rest of her blog unless you want to undergo major wardrobe envy. But then again, it can be major inspiration so it's definitely worth the jealousy ;)

And what is better then a simply magically clutch collection? Is when you can DIY your own creations of course! These are three of the best DIY clutch jobs ever. Seriously, these aren't on my 'oh, I should make that' list; these DIYs are on my 'I MUST MAKE. RIGHT NOW.' list

Have you noticed?

Have you noticed the addition of an extra blogging author?

Don't worry, it's okay if you haven't. Just a heads up that there will be double the blogging fun now since now Missing Instinct has gone from a singular 'I' to 'we'. Niiice.

My Five Wardrobe MVPs

Melbourne weather is temperamental.
Perfect sunshine, rain, thunder, blowing a gale, then back to perfect sunshine in the space of 10 minutes. So how's a girl (or anyone) meant to deal with this without looking like the clothing version of the Michelin Man?

Here are the Most Valuable Players in my wardrobe for the upcoming season.

1. Faithful Jacket

Photography Instinct: What's on my camera

A little bit of photography. 

 

 

 A very foggy morning.

 

 

A new book. Such a pretty cover!

 My over-stuffed bag for uni. May Contain lab coat, pencils and squashed lunch.

I found a seat in the library. I think I have a pink obsession.

 

Some gorgeous nature shots (if I do say so myself ;). And don't worry, the car was parked when I took the first one!

 

It was warm today. What I wish I wore. Maybe next time :)

New and Improved

Changes to layout complete.

Introducing the new and improved

I've been working hard to produce a new layout that not only I like, but you might like too. I've tried to make it easy for you to comment, share, or 'like'.

I've changed the name to something that I feel sits much better with me. missing instinct also has Instagram, Google+ and Facebook.

 

I'm going to try and produce unique content and share some creativity. I have a lot of plans for exciting posts, and hopefully it will be able to happen (and soon) :)

Going through changes

We're going to change a couple of things around here. For starters, a name change.
There will be a better layout, design, and everything. Just be patient and stay tuned.

And yes, I realise that no one will care too much, but here it goes.

Google+

The Best French Toast Ever

My friend and I caught up today over some lunch.

The restaurant we went to had the most extensive menu I'd seen in, well, ever.
My friend ordered Eggs Benedict (just because she wanted the hollandaise sauce) and I opted for some French Toast.

Apart from looking amazing, it tasted SPECTACULAR!! It came with poached pear, mascarpone, maple syrup and bacon. Yeah, that's right, bacon. 

😋

We topped it off with a couple of iced mochas and a shopping spree.

 

I highly recommend that combination if you want possibly the most delicious breakfast EVER.Try it. To save you guys the hassle, here is a collection of French Toast recipes (courtesy of Taste).

 

Someone (a guy) once told me that to impress a special someone, don't make him a sandwich, or pancakes; make them French Toast. So go on, add this recipe to your repertoire (just based on the advice from total strangers 😉)

 

What has been your favourite restaurant meal? Or the best thing you've had with French Toast?

What about that special dish you use to impress a certain someone? I'd love to hear it!

 

 



A day in the life of a serial Procrastinator...

"I'm going to be organised next time around, I swear!!"

Yeah, that's what I thought after I handed in an assignment a day late after putting it off for far too long. But next time was going to be different.

...Oh how I was wrong

 

I did all the right things this time around. I downloaded the essay guidelines off LMS (it's like an online student subject thing; it has basically everything you need in one place, including assignments and due dates). I read the essay guidelines. I got the due date off the essay guidelines. Everything was sweet.

  

So the due date edged a little closer. No biggie. It was still two weeks away. I had organised my time so that I could start it on Tuesday (May 13th).  I'd do the research and plan it out; do everything properly and not rush. The guidelines stated that it was to be 1500 words and worth 40% of the entire subject.

 

I rocked up to a lecture on Tuesday morning. I was chatting to my friend (who so happens to be doing the same subject as me) when she said

"Hey, have you finished that essay we have to do yet? It's due tomorrow."

Confused, I told her

"No, I haven't started yet. Its due next week, the 22nd."

"Oh." She responded.

"Is that the date from the guidelines sheet you had to download? Because that's last years due date. The real due date is the 14th. And its supposed to be 2000 words and 50%."

 

Cue meltdown.

Not only was it bigger and worth a lot more than originally thought, it was due the next day. THE VERY NEXT DAY??!?!!

😱

The rest of Tuesday was filled with searching the internet for appropriate sources for my essay amidst my other classes. It also involved complaining. Lot's and lot's of complaining. They should really update these things.

 

Now on to Wednesday.

I woke up late after so much attempted work. Really I hadn't accomplished anything. This caused me to miss my first lecture and run late for my second one.

Because I was running late I couldn't find a car spot at uni.

The TAFE across the road was closed (why?), so I couldn't park there.

I had to park in an overflow carpark, which was confusing just to find, and just as packed as a can of sardines. At least I found a car park, but now I had entirely missed my second lecture because it took so long.

 

So I didn't know how to get to uni out of the overflow carpark. I started following this guy (at a distance, of course!) because I was so lost. He dropped his jacket.

Now I'm not the most confident of people, so when I shouted "hey" so he would turn around, it came out all distorted and weird and someone-stepped-on-a-cat like. At least he turned around so I could return it to him. I did receive a weird look from the other person in the car park; they were probably wondering who stood on a cat.

 

I went to the library. I (miraculously) found a seat and started to read my research *cough* pretty blogs *cough*. My friend from high school came up who I hadn't seen for aaaagges. We had a good chat.

 

I then brought a muffin and a mocha and headed to my biology lab. I don't know, but is $3.30 a good price for a mocha? Well, I got one anyway. 

 

Our lab finished early (winning) so I attempted to find my car (without any hassle too!).

Today was a good day.

But now for that essay...



Some Free Music... Sort of

This week when I was listening to Triple J (a nation-wide Australian radio station for all who don't know), I was reminded of some of the awesome covers that bands come in and preform for their 'Like a Version' radio segment. Here are two of my favourite covers from their show:

This is John Butler Trio covering Pharrell Williams' Happy.

 

 

This is Glass Animals' cover of Kanye West's Love Lockdown

 

 

And the best part? You can download them free off the website. Granted it's the whole radio segment, but you get some uhh-mazing music basically for free.

 

If you can't seem to find it, here are the links to the pages.

John Butler Trio's cover

Glass Animals' cover

*just click the downwards pointing arrow to download*

 

There's heaps more covers (all good to download) on the Triple J website. Enjoy

 

Liked this post? Please tell me your favourite cover below!



App Instinct: Fhotoroom

Who here has a Windows 8 device? *raises hand*

It's great how Windows has decided to try and incorporate apps into the mix, although there is one downfall; the Store. Windows just doesn't have the variety of apps that Android or Apple has. But do not worry! Here are the apps that I use (and recommend) for photo editing.

Okay, so you could fork out some hard earned dough and buy Adobe PhotoShop, but seriously, for the amateur photographer (a.k.a me) it can't be justified spending that much for functions that I wouldn't even begin to know how to use.

Presenting to you, Fhotoroom

The 'home' page.

It's like a Instagram/Photo Editor cross. It has all the filters you need plus your basic editing needs. And that's in the free version.

It's super user friendly, which is good. It may take you a couple of minutes to find out where everything is (it did for me), and once you're right, you can begin on the whole quest for the perfect edit.

General Fhotoroom layout

One downside is that you have to pay for a little something called 'ProTools'. Despite this, I loved how you can use the ProTools and see how it will affect your photo without having paid. You just can't apply the changes, but I feel it gives you a good idea of what and how you can use them.

I went all out and spent a whole $1.49 for the complete app. Yeah, that's right, less then the fee for not using your Bank's ATM. And it's $1.49 well spent. I love the ProTools edit brush which allows you to target specific areas for contrast, brightness, saturation and sharpness. ColorSplash is also a favourite because you can intensify specific colours which can take you pics to the next level.

Using the edit brush to sharpen specific areas

There is also a FhotoRoom 'store' where you can buy or install more filters and frames. Some of them are free whereas some sets are 49 cents. It is a little annoying that you have to pay for additional filters, especially when you have already paid for the app (although I'm led to believe by buying the whole app you get 12 additional filters included).

Another plus is that you can control the threshold of pretty much everything. You can control how intense the filters are, to the frames, to pretty much any corrective measure you would like to use.



Before

 

After.

And the app is probably the closest thing to Instagram for Windows. You can share your photos with the Fhotoroom community, apply hashtags, and search for similar things. Some of the edits will blow your mind and inspire you in a number different ways.


Searching for photos within the app



Searching for photos on the website

There is just one photo editing service that this app lacks. It is the ability to 'stitch' your pictures together or make a collage. But that is no problem since Fotor can do that for you, and it's completely free.

Some may enjoy Fotor more than Fhotoroom, but I find that it lacks some editing ability when compared out of the two. That being said, the two together; woah.

In conclusion, I would definitely recommend Fhotoroom for the average person's editing wants. Depending on what level of editing you need within the app, buying the whole app and all the additional frames and filters is unnecessary for your very basic needs. If you want a bit more scope within the app, I could not recommend the ProTools addition enough. This app lacks (but only slightly) because you cannot make collages and pic stitches with it, but try Fotor for that.

If you want more editing power than this, definitely go for Adobe PhotoShop products, but be prepared to pay more then $1.49 for it - although they do give you a 30 day free trial before you make up your mind, so it is worth checking out.

THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED POST. I just wanted to share something that I like using and to give a review on it. If you have any favourite apps to rave about, please comment below!!

Strike a Pose

I love taking pictures. I also hate taking pictures.

Scotch, the giant puppy

Photography: probably one of my favourite hobbies, but I get so disappointed when I take a million photos (okay, so not that many, but close to it) and only two turn out alright. I understand trawling the internet for 'tips and tricks' for taking the perfect photo. I know what it is like to not have the best-of-the-best gear, or editing software, or computer, or talent. I know all too well. But you can still capture a beautiful moment, even if the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I am going to share some photos which I think hold their own beauty (even if only to me). They aren't great, and are nothing to write home about, but they are my attempts at photography and I enjoy it all the same.


I have not done anything to this pic. Sometimes raw images just turn out alright.




Dad likes to call our miniature cattle 'little pandas' because of their colouring.



Getting close and personal



Apparently it is very hard for your camera to take pictures of highly contrasting black and white. This isn't (by far!) the best pic, but I just like it for the arrangement. Baby animals are the cutest!




This picture has a filter on it. It's blurry and technically horrible, but for some reason I like it this way. Maybe I should call the blur artistic? ;)

 

Okay, these pictures are not the best but I can't help but like them. I have fun taking them and that's the main thing. It's the experience of trekking out into a slippery paddock, trying not to fall over, trying to get as close to the timid calves as possible, or trying to get further away from the over-inquisitive horses (animals don't quite understand focal length - but then again, neither do I). So, do not despair if you cannot get that professional look, it takes practice and knowledge to be able to frame pictures like the pros. Right now I enjoy the amateur look. The photos tell a little more; the struggle with focus, lighting, framing shots, camera settings, alongside all the attempts and effort in trying to nail it. And some shots just come by not worrying about any of those things. And that is why I love photography, but also hate it too.

 

Cheap Shoes-day

 

How good are outlets? Yesterday (Tuesday) I went shopping. I wasn't going to buy anything extra, I just needed a black singlet. My plan was to get in and out and not spend a whole wad of money.

Then I walked into Novo. Ooopps.

 

I saw these shoes. I saw the price. I went weak at the knees (not really, but almost). They cost me a whole $20. Yeah, that's right twenty bucks. Oh, and did I mention that they look awesome?

 

 

 

I hope this doesn't come across as bragging; I am just super happy with my bargain high and needed to share. I'm sure you fellow money-savvy fashionista's would understand!!

 

If you have had a fashion find worth sharing, please comment below!