APRIL IS A PROMISE THAT MAY IS BOUND TO KEEP

If you thought the Glossybox I received in March was exciting, wait until you see what I got this month! It's packed with value: cosmetics, lotions and exclusive member discounts - and I am beginning to think of people I know who might like a Glossybox subscription for their birthday. It's the gift that keeps on giving, right?

The Glossybox brand has joined forces with Lust Have It! and will soon be branded under the Lust Have It! name. Subscription costs AUD $14.95 per month and $160.00 annually - you can check out their page here. Meantime, I'll be indulging in a whole lot of pampering with my new products and hopefully showing off a more radiant complexion :-) 


As usual, I'm not affiliated with any PR and pay for all the products featured here on Anna Savanna - any gushing praise comes from a place of honesty and true excitement.

PYJAMA-RAMA

For us Australians, winter is on its way. The air outside has begun to bite, cravings for hot foods are setting in and any moment at home is spent wearing the comfiest, warmest flannelette pyjamas we can find.


My go-to for pyjamas is Sussan. Believe it or not, it isn't just a shop for your mum: that place stocks an awesome range of pyjamas in the sweetest patterns and styles. They're also really high quality and cut perfectly. I'm so fussy when it comes to the quality of a garment and I need it to sit very well before I even consider buying it. Year after year, I scour every pyjama shop, rejecting items on the basis of poor fabric, poor sewing, high prices, legs that are too long or waists that are too high... The list goes on.


Then the thought occurs to me that the last place I found my perfect PJ's was at none other than Sussan. Here's what this happy customer picked up yesterday:

 'Dusty Rose' spotted print pyjama set: $39.95

'Milk' dandelion print pyjama set: $49.95

You can shop Sussan's great product range here

NEIGHBOURHOOD DAYS

Something I really enjoy about weekends is wandering around my neighbourhood and some of the nearby suburbs. I'm lucky to live in a beautiful part of Australia and I think my area is a really pretty place to see. It's filled with lovely old terrace houses and great places to eat, drink and shop...

These days I've had to take it slow. It's been wonderful to take in the sights and come home to simply relax, talk and indulge in a little nap when I feel like it. I gave up my beloved coffee some days ago (hence the sleepiness) so while James enjoys his coffee, I have a lovely cup of herbal tea. Strangely, I haven't missed that brown liquid gold, despite it having been one of my favourite things in the world. But enough from me, here's some of the sights and tastes from our weekend:

BRIMMING WITH PRIDE

... That's how I am feeling at present. Absolutely overflowing with the stuff! You see, my boyfriend was promoted at work just the other day. He's the most hard-working man I have ever known but despite the time he spends working, he somehow finds the energy to come home and shower me with love, kindness, affection and plenty of laughs. 


He's so intelligent and wise, one in a million and worth his weight in gold. But he's also totally humble and unselfish so he'll never talk about his achievements or seek praise. The very least I could do was send him a little package to work. We've already overdosed on chocolate since Easter so a chocolate hamper was out of the question and I couldn't very well send flowers so I decided upon cupcakes... 

...The card and lottery ticket (a chance at $50 million, no less!!!) are from my beautiful wee mum who is staying in Sydney with me at the moment. Thanks mum :-)


So, to James, my soulmate, my love and my life: WELL DONE! You deserve every good thing that comes your way. I know you don't like this picture but I think you're the most handsome man I have ever seen and this is THE BEST PHOTO that I've ever taken! (Thanks again possum for the new camera)

P.S. These glamorous, delicious cupcakes were from Sparkle Cupcakery. When I called to place my order, the staff were sweet, friendly and I got the impression that they were pretty efficient too. As they had assured me, the package arrived on time, perfectly packaged and filled with some of the best cupcakes we've ever tasted. I think they deserve this little plug!

Sparkle Cupcakery

132 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills

02 9361 0690

celebrate@sparklecupcakery.com.au

www.sparklecupcakery.com.au

THE FAN BOOKER PRIZE!

Just so you know, I'm cringing at that headline too...
I'm going to start this post by telling you some interesting, or at least odd, facts about me:

   

1. I can alphabeticise almost any word instantaneously
2. I am hell-bent on routine: it keeps me sane
3. I’m not very good at following choreography: dance-related fitness classes are not my idea of fun.
4. I never win anything. EVER.

See the fact at number four? I can now run a big, fat, indelible marker line through it, bringing my list of “interesting things about me” down to three items.
Oh dear. Three items. Not good for someone who isn’t keen on odd numbers!But my despair needn't be long-lived: Number 4 will now be: “I don’t like odd numbers very much.” Problem sorted.

I can see you rolling your eyes as I get carried away here. But I'm just so full of glee (and caffeine)! See, the reason I'm blogging today is because I am desperate to share my excitement about finally winning something. And not just one something: I won a big fat parcel of somethings!

I recently hosted a giveaway that included a copy of Zoe Foster’s The Younger Man. Coincidentally, a few days later, Ms. Foster hosted her own book giveaway with just about EVERY SINGLE BOOK she has ever written. I know what you’re thinking. And please get that nonensical notion out of your head:  Zoe Foster couldn't possibly have taken my idea and capitalised on it like that. That's plain conspiracy theorising, guys.

Back to Zoe’s competition. I actually felt like I was in with a chance with this one: the winners weren’t to be selected by a random number generator (competitions like that just put me off) -  no, getting one’s hands on such a glorious prize required skill, imagination and humour. I was up for the challenge:

And here was my (very grainy) picture entry. Note also the virtual chuckle I received from the author herself: 

Despite a big "YES" accompanied by a really juvenile and OTT arm pumping motion after seeing that my entry had elicited not just a capitalised "lol" but a big, overflowing LOLCANO, I had to remind myself that there was still a few days left of the competition - time for plenty of other entries that could sweep mine under the carpet.


But you know the punchline already - I was one of four "very clever" winners:

This morning, my bounty arrived. Everyone loves getting a big brown parcel with their name on it, but four shiny, new books in a big brown parcel... Now you're talking my language!

3 THINGS: GLITTER SPRINKLES

1. Anya Hindmarch 'Valorie' Multi-Coloured Glitter Clutch - AU$387.00~

2. Deborah Lippmann 'Candy Shop' Nail Lacquer - AU$18.45 (available at Nordstrom)

3. Colette Glitter Clamp Bracelet - AU$14.95

... These items make me hungry for sprinkled delights like this and this

LIFE LATELY

Gooooooood afternoon!

In case you can't detect my tone, I am over the moon!

I've handed in the last of my excruciating (3000 words - eek!) assignments and now I have almost two weeks of holidays to look forward to.

When I have an assignment to do, I go into hibernation until the task is complete. It's as if I can't really enjoy everything the outside world has to offer when I know I have work to do. I know it can't be study 24/7 but normally I leave things to the last minute so I am left with little choice. While I could be more prepared, I find I work so much better under pressure. Don't you?

Aside from very brief trips to the shops, cinema or uni, I allow myself a few in-house treats to get me through the day. This is a (somewhat generalised) portrait of my life lately:

...How do you get through a difficult study period? Or are you more prepared than I am when it comes to tackling assignments or work tasks?

LA VITA E BELLA...BOX!

Hello dear readers! I'm sorry it has been so long between posts! I have been knee neck deep in uni work and have not been blogging as much as I would like to. 

As you know from my very last post, I am now on the beauty box bandwagon. Being glued to my chair yesterday, two thousand words of my essay still to write (and absolutely no inspiration to draw from), I was pretty miserable. Luckily, it wasn't all doom and gloom because, like a ray of sunshine peeking out from a heavy blanket of dark clouds, my Bellabox arrived and lifted my spirits:

What I received this month: 


Benefit "Hello Flawless" brightening makeup
Ulta3 Nail Colour in 'Jade'
DKNY 'Pure' fragrance (a delicious fragrance!)
Comvita Brightening range samples
OP Therapy Body Hydrator with Emu Oil
Hollywood Feet Heel Cushions... Every girl who owns a pair of dancing shoes needs these!


If you'd like the latest beauty products delivered to your door each month, Australians can check out Bellabox here.

MY FIRST GLOSSYBOX

I first knew about the beauty box concept from my favourite bloggers in the UK. Luckily for me, when I googled "beauty boxes in Australia", I found that they existed here too! 

I love receiving pretty parcels in the post and I also love beauty products. While I know I can just order things online there's something so predictable about that. I mean, you choose the product, wait by the mailbox and hopefully you receive the same product you paid for. Glossybox is like having a present sent to your door every single month. Filled with sample sizes of some big-name products, it's essentially a try-before-you-buy concept. 

You don't know what you're going to get but the chances are there'll be something in there you never even knew existed, you fall in love immediately and live happily ever after in beauty heaven... Here's a pictorial of my first Glossybox delivery:

Well, well, well... What have we here? The theme for this month's box was all about maintaining "a fresh and vibrant look with an active lifestyle" and the products in my box included:

Klorane Dry Shampoo, The Body Shop Chocomania Body Butter, Avene Cleanser and Toner, Thin Lizzy Concealer, Power Balance wrist band and a $10 discount voucher from Zanui. What got me excited? The Avene products (gotta love the French skincare stuff) and the Thin Lizzy Concealer. I've never tried either before but I've heard great things about both. I'm a big fan of dry shampoos and I've been a repeat purchaser of Klorane so big ticks there.

Will I keep subscribing? Yeah, why not? I'm hopeful that as subscriptions increase, we might get more exciting samples (you should see the stuff they get in the UK!!!) Plus I'm enjoying getting to try things I normally wouldn't go out of my way to sample. If you'd like to receive goodies every month from Glossybox, Aussies can check them out here, US and UK here.