Sun shining your way? We have had some SPECTACULAR weather here this week. Freezing cold nights and mornings, warmish days filled with glorious sunshine. This is winter at its best. The pear trees are starting to bud up though, my hellebores and Daphne are in bloom and bulbs sprouting here there and everywhere! While we have LOTS more of winter to go, the mere promise and hint of spring is enough to put a spring in my step this week. Sarah took some photos of my place when she was down here for Mrs Woog’s 40th. She wrote a post about it here if you want a gander. It all looks a bit cold, dead and dreary…she has promised to come back down in the spring for some more photos…she sure can take a good one!
I watched this video about 3 0r 4 months ago now. And I STILL think about it. How extraordinary it is the things that people make. The artist is called Ron Mueck and he’s an Australian hyperrealist sculptor who lives in the UK. Thank goodness we have things like this in the world. I think so anyway.
Another video worth watching is this one. Martha Stewart shows you how to peel garlic in 10 seconds. IS THERE ANYTHING THIS WOMAN DOES NOT KNOW? I bow down to you Martha.
So this is me. Sans ANYTHING. No TV make up here that’s for sure!
I need some help. My skin has been TERRIBLE for the past 6 weeks. Can you see that red line from the side of my nose all the way down to my chin? Special attention to the pimples and red, dry rash on the sides of my chin. I changed skin cream about 4 weeks ago to some fancy French cream that my Mum raves about (Avene). I started to cleanse my skin and generally try to take better care of it mostly because I had dropped $100 on various products, when up until then I used a $10 Nivea moisturiser since I was about 13. And that’s IT. I have always been really lucky and had great skin, but something has snapped and turned. I stopped using the French stuff about 2 weeks ago, have been wearing no make up if I can avoid it and yet? SKILL NASTY. Red and dry and bumpy that’s not pimples per se. WHAT IS IT? When does that shit end? I’m about to turn 36 and figured I would be past acne issues. I think it could be a combo of being stressed, then a change in cream that I reacted to, and then the dry, cold winter. OR…is it rosacea? Will it go away? Help me.
Do you have someone little to buy something for? You should totally get them some of these shadow puppets. They get used here every other day. And I like them. Creative play and all that. Hop to it.
Rob arrived back from New Zealand last week and he was stopped at Customs, as one does. The lady checking his details asked him to remove his hat, and then said “I know you. You’re Beth Macdonald’s husband. I read her blog.” My work is done. And hello to you kind Customs lady! Thanks for reading and thank you for the laugh.
I read this link this week about 10 beautiful tree tunnels in the world. It just filled me up with goodness. Thank goodness for tree tunnels in this world too.
I’m up to Sydney tonight to have dinner with some old blogging friends who I haven’t seen in AGES. Then the rest of the weekend will be spent hanging in some more sunshine, some gardening and some lunch with beautiful Neighbour and her family on Sunday. I hope you all have a great one!
What’s in bloom at your place?
Do you love strange art too? Or is it just me?
Any ideas on what’s going on with my face?
Lovely lady my BFF is head of Avene sales (insert fancy title) in NSW or something…..I will forward this onto her seeking her advice STAT! xx
Thank you so much for that email x
Could be the dreaded ‘perioral dermatitis’ – can appear if you’ve changed your skincare regime lately. Bad news – needs a LONG course of antibiotics to get rid of it. Oh, and don’t use steroid creams – makes it worse. Good luck!
Thanks so much – hadn’t heard of that!
I’m a lover of the nivea moisturiser.. but i also use the simple brand face wash (just from woolies) works miracles. once a week i’ll exfoliate with St Ives apricot scrub. After having skin troubles, this shit works. Good luck lady! x
Thanks Liz!
OMG. The garlic peeling method. Bane of my existence in an Italian household with an Italian husband who loves garlic in everything. Can’t wait to try it out.
The trees. My most favourite things to photograph and be around…I love them. Have put one of them as my screen saver.
Your face – it’s looking a bit like eczema to me. Have you got any cortisone cream you might be able to use on it to try it out? If it is eczema it will respond to the cortisone.
Have a great time in Syd! xx
Thank you lady!
Lemon scented daphne here in Melbs smells divine in cold winter but at least the sun is shining
Love all the random bits you shared, will carry me into weekend along with some lamb shanks in red wine…
I went to that bamboo tree tunnel outside of Kyoto, it was eerie and magical and beautiful all at the same time
Thank you
Wow! That tunnel was amazing. Have a great weekend!
Hi there! My skin went completely bananas recently, too. The cold, dry weather definitely doesn’t help. I’d adios the fancy products and go to priceline and get a soap-free cleanser with no parabens, fragrances etc – the sort of thing people often use for babies. I tried pure coconut oil as a natural moisturiser for a while and it worked wonders for me. I wrote a full post on it: http://mumabytes.com/2013/05/21/coconut-oil-whats-all-the-fuss-about/ Hope it clears up soon 🙂
Thanks so much and thanks for that link too!
Check out sarah wilson’s blog (the “i quit sugar” lady). She has a recent post about toxin free beauty. It’s an interesting read, even if she has quit sugar…….who does that????? Good luck.
I quit sugar for about 3 weeks one time. I am SO not committed ti anything.
Beth I love all the things you are loving too,be careful of your skin,i would go natural or gentle ,looks a bit rosacea and dry and yes you can get acne as well as wrinkles ,go for cetaphil or something cheap and plain jane for your skin.I have horrid skin problems I am allergic to a lot of things I can only use organic and Dermalogica products ,just because they cost a lot of money doesn’t mean they suit your skin,if you have a Dermalogica salon near you or can get to one they will give you samples to try and let you know what it is,very helpful they are and the free samples last a while.good luck with it and take care of your skin.
I will! I hate it being out of sorts…
Could be the tv makeup making your skin flare up? I use qv face cleanser- it’s amazing, very calming on the skin and a loreal moisturiser. And Aldi eye cream- surprisingly good!
Camellias in bloom here- gorgeous.
Those trees! Stunning.
Enjoy the sunshine AND those camellia’s!
Wondering if your rash is perioral dermatitis too Beth. Both me and my 19yo daughter have it – the location is typical for it. Maybe get your GP to check it out – heavy duty antibiotics or the pill have eased it for us
Thanks for that, I haven’t heard of it before and could be it. Appreciate it!
Oh I love reading about your garden and your face and then my shadow puppets! Thanks Beth. Nice surprise xx
They are just SO good!
Have pinned shadow puppets for future reference for when I have no idea what to get the various nieces + only nephew.
I have had terrible skin since grade six. I remember it vividly – one pimple on my chin that wouldn’t go away. I thought it would go away and that would be it. It was THE BEGINNING of a terrible foray into acne that has spanned well over ten years. Various medications, various topical creams, various dermatologists. Some pretty scary medication which sent me loopy, being on the pill way too early, being pulled off the pill due to scary migraines and possible stroke, more hideous acne due to not being on pill. Ugh. It seems more under control these days (I’ll be 27 soon) but I’m never going to have great skin. Last year when we were traveling and camping I did absolutely nothing to it, splash of water if it was lucky, was the best it’s been – salt water and sun and lots of exercise from the walks will do that.
Has been icy cold here with wind blowing off the southern ocean, but today is flipping glorious with sunshine and birds chirping. I’m off to pot up some herbs and plant a happy wanderer to happily wander up the verandah.
Enjoy that sunshine…it is GLORIOUS here again today!
My skin is terrible at the moment too! How much water are you drinking? I don’t think any of us drink enough and being in heated homes, cold outdoors (sorry make that freezing where you are!) and combine with stress and it’s no wonder your skin is playing up. It will calm down, promise!
Any travel plans late next week? 😉
I know that is TOTALLY part of it. I don’t drink nearly enough water…
I suffer from rosecea and it was the first thing I thought of when I was reading your symptoms. Rosex from the doc is great (if that’s what it is).
X
Thanks lades!
thanks, I will be back for sure, I think it looked lovely in the Winter, but then I love that whole Wintery country thing…
hmmm to the skin…I am the same, always used simple stuff and NIVEA the original blue tub of thick cream…as soon as I try the fancy stuff all sorts of crapola starts to happen…
I do think tho it could be all that tv make-up xx
Nivea cheap as chips has always been so good for me too.
Sukin Rose Hip Oil.
Every night.
I swear I am starting to look younger.
And for the past month I have been using Natural Instincts foaming face wash and I haven’t gotten any chin pimples. This is a small miracle. Not sure if it is the new cleanser or the fact that I have been mostly on holiday and therefore not stressed but I am sure as hell sticking with the cleanser!
It’s amazing isn’t it how our skin reacts to whats going on in our lives. I have no doubts this started from being REALLY stressed out about 6 weeks ago.
It could also be systemic candida overgrowth – check this site out for more info: http://www.candidamd.com/candida/symptoms.html
Thanks for the link
For a long time I wore make up as thick as marzipan on a cake! Not confident about my “problematic skin”. So past six months I’ve invested in a serum by skin ceuticals (for the morning), Clarins double serum (for the night) Cetaphil, sunscreen with tinted moisturiser, some kora products – micro dermabrasions once a month, a vitamix blender (that i use for green smoothies) something called Vital greens and this combination seems to have gotten my skin to a stage where people compliment me on my skin. Sounds exhausting I know and It’s pricey but so worth it. I realised it’s a combination of what we intake and what we use on our skin that makes it all the better.
P.s How GOOD is Felix Bistro? Such a sexy place – Enjoy xx
Great regime you’ve got going there! I LOVE Felix, really love it.
I love the photos of your home, it always looks warm and inviting! And as for the skin….39 and still pimples here. What’s with that?
It’s entirely inappropriate, that’s what it is.
Ok my advice on the skin is this-
Make sure your using a CREAM cleanser- NO FOAMING ONES! It’s the rules once you’re over 30.
Get a Clarisonic Mia. Use it daily.
Go get a proper facial. They will determine what needs doing & in 28 days you’ll have grown new skin & be ready to start a new skin regime. I had this done a few years ago & it was the best thing I’ve ever done for my skin.
Trilogy Rose Hip oil at night is a MUST!
Get Zoe Forster’s Amazing Face book-a wealth of knowledge ! As is her blog FruityBeauty. I love Zoe 🙂
My garden is blooming with all kinds of grevillea & some native hibiscus. And shit is green which is always nice here in Perth 🙂
Thank you for all of that!
Call me re the skin. I’ve had same and it’s a docs visit x
Onto it x
That Martha Stewart trick is wild! I just crush with Zyliss garlic crusher, no peeling required, but if I ever need to peel cloves I’ll be doing that! Boo re the skin. Hope it’s sorted soon. Never heard of perioral dermatitis so googled and found it’s known as muzzle rash!! Good lord! That is the most adorable looking veg garden. 🙂
Oh dear LORD. Really? I bet that’s what it ends up being. How delightful…
I have no idea what’s going on with your face but may I recommend Trilogy rosehip oil. Started using it last year and it has cured all that ails me (skin wise, anyway!)
Thanks Alex – I have some of that and had been using too – just trying to stop everything to see if that makes a difference. It’s great stuff isn’t it?
I love Ron Mueck – I’ve seen his exhibitions a few times and they’re just so unbelievably powerful. I did a post on his work a few years back. The realism of his sculptress amazes me.
I am all things dry skin. I wouldn’t recommend what I use on my face, but I would recommend seeing a dermatologist and also slapping on some MooGoo. I do use the shampoo and bath wash and it is amazing. 🙂 Gold luck.
I have this on my face. ARghhh. I have for a few weeks (months?) I’m hopeless at looking after myself when it comes to stuff like this, but I’m glad you’ve given it a name for me (saved me doing the googling). Antis for two months though, sheesh! And now it has come back. Bigger sheesh! I’ll try eliminating a few face products and see how I go. I’m over it though too and have been wishing it would just sod off on it’s own.