Brave

Today's Music Mondays: Brave by Sara Bareilles

"Say what you want to say, and let the words fall out. Honestly, I want to see you be brave"

Although the song was originally written directed at coming out, this song can be applied to many situations in life. Whether that be telling a friend or family member a secret or just letting them know about something that is going on in your life. This song gave me the courage to finally speak my mind and tell someone something that I should have told them a long time ago. Actually, it gave me the courage to talk to a few people. The more you speak up, the easier it becomes. I was brave and I'm proud of that.

"Nothing's gonna hurt you the way the words do when they settle 'neath your skin"

Despite my short act of bravery the outcome was not expected. I expected everything to be okay after the truth was out but it was far from it. Things snowballed... and not in a good way. Although the majority of people will have positive reactions and become even more supportive, there will always be a few people who don't. I think in situations like this it is important to remember that you took the small act of bravery and that is an achievement enough.  If someone else can't accept it - that is on them, not you.

"You can be amazing, you can turn a phrase into a weapon or a gun"

It is also important to be aware of the fact that your words have the power to be hurtful. And you should not use your words as a weapon. Of course, we are all human and in the heat of the moment it is easy to say things you don't mean. But when this happens it is also where your true feelings are exposed. I believe that there is always some truth beneath the cruel things that people can say to you, that is the truth that THEY think about you. It doesn't necessarily mean that it is the truth. After all, most of the time people only see things from one perspective; their own.

Just remember that once things are said they cannot be taken back. Yes, it is good to tell the truth and yes, it is important to speak your mind but if you really care about someone, you shouldn't say things to purposely hurt them. Relationships are dangerous. These people who know you inside and out are the ones who know how to hit you where it hurts. Words have the power to destroy a life or the power to save one. So use your words for good. Be brave... speak up... and let your words change the world.

Love, Nicole Marie

Support

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We all need someone to lean on. We all need that support at some point in our lives and the only hope is that when you support someone they will support you back and be there for you when you need them. It's funny how in the toughest of times you realise who is a true friend. Sometimes you can be there for a person and they can't return the favour. There is no doubt that this hurts but it's okay. Everyone has their own lives and their own worries.

Being friends with someone is a funny concept. Even though both of you have your own lives, at the end of the day you are expected to be there for the other. Even if it takes dropping what you are doing at that moment and just listening. Sometimes it's important to put a person before other things in your life, otherwise you don't know what could happen to them. It is also important to look at things from both perspectives, a lot of the time if a person is making you feel a certain way, odds are that you do the same to them. I think in situations like this communication is important. However, when communication fails, it might be time to simply move on. 

For me, the people who have been supportive are not who I expected. People who I haven't know for long have proven to be the most understanding. People who I never expected to be supportive and understand, actually understand the most. And people who I expected to be there for me, aren't.

What I am now trying to make myself realise is that it's okay. Not everyone can be your knight in shining armour and as long as you have a few close people that you can lean on you'll be alright. At the end of the day, whatever 'down' stage of your life you are in, YOU need to be the one to get yourself out of it. People can help you as much as they can but before you decide that enough is enough, no one is really going to be able to help you.

As they say, quality over quantity. 

Love, Nicole Marie

The Atlantis Hotel; The Bahamas

The Atlantis hotel.

Beachy, calm, tranquil, holiday in the sun. These are the words I associate with the island of the Bahamas and the breathtaking hotel that sits upon it. 

Between the private beaches and the private water park, the Atlantis hotel is a perfect location for a getaway (even if it is just a three day cruise from Miami like it was for me).

You may have already read my Florida post where I touched a little on the big step it was for me going on this cruise but in this post I am going to focus more on the island itself. The island that I have now named my honeymoon island (sorry future husband, it's already decided. We are going to the Bahamas for our honeymoon).

When arriving on this island we were met with streets of shopping filled with fine jewellery and make up brands. After spending most of the day wondering around the shops we finally made our way to the Atlantis hotel.

This hotel is home to an amazing water park which we unfortunately didn't have time to see BUT we did have time to explore the aquarium at the hotel filled with exotic sea creatures. I would 100% recommend adding this hotel to your bucket list! 

If you are interested in seeing some more of my time in the Bahamas then feel free to watch my Florida travel vlog :)

If you live in America I would recommend taking a short 3 day cruise out to the islands of the Bahamas, it really was the perfect getaway. 

Love, Nicole Marie

p.s. I know it has been a very long time since I actually went on this trip but I am doing a blog post on every state/city I went to! There are still a few more left so keep an eye out :)

We Are Who We Are

Recently I have been listening to 'We Are Who We Are' by Little Mix.
Yes, it's an old song.
Yes, they are coming out with new and amazing music.
But to me, the importance of the message in this song will never diminish.

The song talks about something that is so important to have within yourself and that is pride and acceptance of who you are. You are stuck with yourself forever so why not love yourself? There are so many amazing things about each and every human being that is individual to YOU. These are the things you should be most proud of and share with the world. I know, I know... it's easier said than done but it is worth a try!

While we are here... so much amazing new music is coming out! Little Mix, 5 Seconds Of Summer, One Direction and many more I'm sure. I would be lying if I said that didn't overwhelm me a little because thats twenty bucks an album to fork out all in the same time frame.

While on the topic of music, for an assignment for uni we had to create a blog (which personally I was very excited about). Anyway, our blog topic was music and I made posts like this on inspirational songs. I enjoyed it so much that I have decided to continue it on this blog. So, I will now be doing 'song reviews' on songs that mean something to me. Let's call it 'Music Mondays'. Hopefully this will allow you all to discover new and inspiring music that will make a difference in your life.

Love, Nicole Marie

You Need To Be Cold To Be Queen; Blair Waldorf

I am in the middle of a very exciting Gossip Girl marathon. As of right now, I am watching the finale of season 3 and what I have realised during these first 3 seasons is that Blair Waldorf is the most inspirational character. Despite her obvious flaws (the scheming, blackmailing and bullying other people to get what she wants) I think she is a good person. She is loyal, loving and hard-working. These are three things that I am working towards improving in myself.

Blair doesn't let anyone step over her. She doesn't let anyone stand in the way of what she wants. She doesn't let the pressure of life get to her. And whenever something DOES get to her, she will bounce back every time. The resilience of Miss Waldorf is another thing that inspires me about her. Throughout all of the pain and hardships, Blair still ends up happy and successful.

The power of Blair Waldorf's forgiveness is amazing. No matter what mistakes others make - whether it be Serena sleeping with her boyfriend or Chuck trading her for a hotel -  she always has the ability to forgive and forget in time. Holding a grudge will never do you any good and although Blair can hold a grudge, she will always forgive the people who are most important in her life. And this is a very fine line to master. It's important to figure out who is there to stay and who is just passing through your life.

She carries herself with grace and poise. She dresses to impress. She speaks clearly and articulately. She is one classy lady, that's for sure. And right now, she is my biggest inspiration.

Blair Waldorf is my alter-ego. Whenever I need to remind myself to be strong, to be powerful, to let nobody stop me, I think WWBWD (what would Blair Waldorf do?).

I desperately need this cup to serve as a constant reminder:

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Here are a few of my favourite Blair Waldorf quotes:

"You need to be cold to be queen"

"If you really want something, you don't stop for anyone or anything until you get it"

"I'm not a stop along the way. I'm a destination" 

"You can't make people love you. But you can make them fear you"

"Feelings never make sense. They get you all confused. Then they drive you around for hours before they drop you off right back where you started" 

This is my second blog post in a row dedicated to the wonderful Blair Waldorf, if you haven't seen my last post it was on the fashion of Blair Waldorf, so check that out if you are interested!

And remember... WWBWD?

Love, Nicole Marie
(All images from my pinterest board)

The Fashion of Blair Waldorf

"Fashion is the most powerful art there is. It's movement, design and architecture all in one. It shows the world who we are and who we'd like to be." - Blair Waldorf 

Blair Waldorf has impeccable fashion sense. Out of everyone on Gossip Girl I can easily say that Balir's style is my favourite. Her style could possibly be the classiest on the Upper East Side (even with her headbands).

In an ideal world, I would be able to dress like Blair everyday. But unfortunately money isn't on my side and for now I'll have to settle with admiring her style through pictures.

Here are a few of my favourite Blair Waldorf outfits (all images from my pinterest board):

I adore this dress. The cut is so flattering for her figure. 

Weekend Getaway; Queensland

Recently I went on a little getaway with my mum and my sister to Queensland. It was honestly such a beautiful time and I couldn't be more thankful that I had the opportunity to go.

We flew into Brisbane, only spending a few hours in the city before starting on our hour drive to one of my sisters friends house. The whole reason we flew up to begin with was to celebrate her birthday and it was so lovely to spend a relaxing weekend with people I have known my whole life. We then drove just over an hour to the Gold Coast and stayed at the Hotel Grand Chancellor. I 100% would recommend this hotel. Fabulous location and fabulous rooms (even though there was no free wifi). We spent the next two days relaxing, eating, walking along the beach and doing a tiny bit of shopping. We also got tickets to the Russian ballet and saw 'Sleeping Beauty' which was beautiful and well worth the money. We had a night flight back to Sydney from the Gold Coast (the airport was so cute!). 

While being away for just four short days I was able to face my fears (some of them) and I am glad to say I have come out alive! I don't know why this trip was such a big deal for me, maybe it's because I'm at a rough stage in my life right now where I am just trying to work things out. But this trip WAS a big deal and I'm going to say that I'm proud of myself. I'm proud of how far I have come in those four days and how far I have potential to go in the future. 

There is a long road ahead, I know that for sure, but this trip has given me hope that I can get through it. Sometimes all we need is a few days to ourselves to think and decide what we really need in life. And I think I've decided.

Here are some photos from my trip, hope you enjoy them!

5 Make-up Lessons Learnt The Hard Way

(By the way this photo was taken at my high school formal - it was the only time I have had my make up done by someone else and it was absolute favourite makeup I have ever had!)

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Number 1 - Eyebrows are important

Now when I say eyebrows are important it is not just the shape. For me personally, the biggest eyebrow issue is the fact that my eyebrows are so light that in some photos it appears that there are none at all. This is why it is important to fill in your eyebrows, or at least use an eyebrow tint. It could save you from untagging yourself from eyebrow-less pictures on FaceBook.

Number 2 - Eyelash curlers DO work

When packing for my holiday I decided against bringing my chunky eyelash curler purely to save room. However, upon applying mascara on my lashes before a night out, I realised that my eyelashes are completely flat. Honestly, I never noticed this before because I always curled my lashes before applying mascara. If you have naturally curl-less lashes like mine, I would definitely recommend investing in an eyelash curler.

Number 3 - Don't forget the lips!

Also when packing for holiday I seemed to forget one of the most essential aspects that completes a make up look; lipstick. This left my lips to flaunt their natural pink I was born with. Now at first I thought this was a bad thing. I thought how can I go out with no colour on my lips? Well I have come to find that sometimes its refreshing. Sometimes a little bit of lip balm is all you need. (In saying that I would have gladly time travelled back to when I was packing and add in a lipstick).

Number 4 - Powder makes all the difference

I have always been a powder enthusiast. I think one of the most essential parts of any make up routine is locking in that foundation with a good translucent powder. For me, powder not only helps keep the foundation on my face for longer but also stops shine. Powder can definitely be powerful. 

Number 5 - Choose your foundation wisely

Speaking from experience foundation makes all the difference, not only to your appearance in person but on camera. The worse thing about foundation is having a colour that doesn't match the rest of your body. Unfortunately, this happens to the best of us (me included on numerous occasions). The only solution is to have different shades of foundation handy for the different times of year. Right now, I am still the lightest shade money can buy but hopefully (as we are going into summer) I can bump up a few shades.

Another foundation consideration is whether it has SPF. For a daytime foundation, this is great. For night time, not so much. In an instance when you know you will be photographed, it is far better to opt for a foundation without the SPF because this is what makes your face turn white as a ghost in photographs. 

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I hope you enjoyed my little tips and tricks! In no way am I a make up expert, these are just a few things I thought I would share.

One final note: don't ever feel like you need to wear make up to be accepted. Wear make up because you have a genuine interest in the art, not because you feel pressure from society. You are beautiful just the way you are (without make up!).

Love, Nicole Marie

Serendipity.

Serendipity means a 'fortunate happenstance' or 'pleasant surprise'. To me, serendipity is a wonderful and intriguing word, possibly one of the most beautiful in the English language. Until recently I didn't know what serendipity meant. Yes, I have been to the dessert restaurant in New York but I was never curious enough to look into the meaning of the word.

I think that most of our lives are made up of serendipity. When you think about all of the amazing things that have happened to you, you didn't expect any of it. It was complete luck, or maybe fate, or maybe destiny. Or maybe it was a combination of all three.

I like to think that there is a plan for all of us. Yes, we get to make our own decisions but there is something bigger than us giving us signs, pointing us in the right direction so that one day we will be brought to a special someone who makes us whole. Now I'm not saying that we can't be whole on our own but doesn't everyone want to find that special companion to tackle the ups and downs of life with?

The movie Serendipity goes into the idea of fate and destiny a lot and I couldn't agree with it more. To me, the movie proved that if it's meant to happen, it will happen. It just takes time. Maybe you're not ready for a boyfriend right now or maybe you aren't ready for that job just yet. Whatever it may be in your life just remember that something good will come to you just when you stop looking for it. And that's serendipity.

Love, Nicole Marie

P.S. Serendipity is a great movie! I definitely recommend giving it a watch. I would rate it 9.5/10 :)

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