Saturday we headed out to the Eat Street Markets to sample a range of delights before making our way into West End for the first ever Tiki Time at Jungle. A Robot Productions event (run by Lori Lee Cash, the beauty and brains behind the Brisbane rockabilly scene including the GreazeFest Kustom Kulture Festival), it was the first of its kind for LL and Jungle was certainly the perfect venue for it. By the time the night was in full swing, the place was full of hibiscus bedecked kanes and wahines. DJ Leapin' Lawrie was spinning vinyl 45s all night playing plenty of classic rockabilly, although a little more surf or exotica would have really set the mood.

 

 

Now I have a confession to make. I may have been having a bad hair day (read skin, hair, dress) and I may have had a little meltdown at home. First of all, I've been trialling a new skin care product I was sent and I must say I'm quite disappointed with it. I don't normally get many pimples and I've actually discovered a great skin care system that really works for me (Shiseido White Lucent for those playing at home). Unfortunately this new product caused me to have the mother of all break outs, which wasn't making me feel the greatest.

 

 

Then when I put the dress I had been planning to wear on, it was too baggy and had no shape to it. I thought it looked most unflattering. I searched my closet for an appropriate belt to pull in the waist but couldn't find anything. Time was running out and I was dithering about, whinging about what I would do. The Man suggested that if we hurried up we could leave early and stop at a shop on the way to buy an appropriate belt. I figured this was my best option so I slapped on my make up (trying my best to cover my pizza face).

 

 

I didn't even have time to do anything with my hair. Just shoved in a couple of hair flowers and in half an hour we were out the door. I may or may not have said something along the lines of 'fine I'm ugly today everyone will just have to deal with it'. Such a diva haha Anyway, we rushed into the shop and I found a belt that would do the job. I figured once I was away from the mirror I wouldn't really know if I looked bad or not anyway.

 

The Viva Las Vegas festival is right around the corner. Some of my friends are already over there, others are leaving this weekend. This time last year, on this very day, I was in Vegas. As you know (because I can’t stop talking about it) I’m heading back there in August. Last time I gambled exactly $1 of someone else’s money haha Even though I’m not much of a gambler, it is Vegas after all and I wouldn’t mind giving it a shot this time. Who knows, maybe I’ll even win! Probably not, but I might as well try anyway. I’m making a plan of all the things I want to see and do that I missed last time around. Keep in mind it’ll be pretty hot in August, so I dare say I’ll be spending most of my time inside air conditioning drinking, shopping, eating, gambling and maybe even winning.

 

Given that I know almost nothing about how to play table games, I need to brush up on my skills. Roulette seems like fun and blackjack sounds pretty exciting, so between those invites to annoying games on Facebook and asking around the few friends I know that do gamble, they recommended Top Online Euro Palace Casinos as a good place to start. There’s lots of different games to play and some generous bonuses which should hopefully make my small stash last a little bit longer before it’s lost to the house.

 

We’re staying at The Flamingo so no doubt I’ll try my luck there. Given that I’m not the most passionate gambler though, I doubt I’ll waste too much time traipsing around the Strip to find casinos. Although I have heard The Mirage has better odds for roulette and the Alamo is good for blackjack. I guess we’ll see. 

 

Although Vegas might be all about gambling for a lot of people, it certainly isn’t for me. There are so many awesome hotels to check out with heaps of crazy attractions like the wildlife habitat at the Flamingo, the water fountains of the Bellagio, the Fall of Atlantis and Forum shops at Caesars Palace, Shark Reef Aquarium and House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, the volcano eruption of the Mirage, the Paris Eiffel Tower and the gondola rides of The Venetian. Eek I can’t wait!

 

There’s also plenty of stuff to do for thrill-seekers. The rollercoaster at New York New York is a must for some people, but Insanity at the Stratosphere might be the most self-explanatory ride in Sin City. Dangling 900ft above Vegas may seem like fun now, but how about when the chair starts spinning and tilting and hitting 3G’s? Hmm? I still can’t decide if I’m going to be brave enough to go on this, although I really want to!

 

It’s also a great town for live music, which is right up my alley as you know! One of the most atmospheric venues is the Double Down Saloon on Paradise Road. We wanted to get here last time but we just didn’t get a chance, so it’s high on our list this time. Their motto is “Shut Up And Drink”, which sounds perfect to me! There’s always great music there – even if it’s just the amazing jukebox.

 

So tell me, is there anything else that should be on my list? I can’t wait – wish me luck!

If you follow me on Instagram (you should!) then you've probably seen me posting to the hashtag #100happydays over the last week or so. In case you haven't done your own detective work (which is totally something I would do) I thought I would share it with you because I think it is a really awesome concept. It's basically just a little challenge for you to share something daily that makes you happy. It doesn't have to be anything earth shattering or grand, it could be something as simple as sliding into fresh sheets or putting your socks on straight out of the dryer.

 

I know myself, it can be very easy to miss the little things that make you happy, especially if you're feeling down or just busy and overwhelmed (like I have lately) and I think it's certainly worth reminding yourself. 71% of people who tried to complete the challenge thought they didn't have enough time to do it. That's 71% of people who think they are too busy to be happy. That's sad. I'm very much about noticing and appreciating the little things and being grateful for all that you do have, so this challenge had me written all over it.

 

Even better, you can officially register as part of the challenge, choose which platform you want to submit your pictures on (Facebook, Twitter or Instagram). You can even create your own hashtag for sharing your pictures if you'd prefer them to remain a little more private. It's completely up to you. The you submit a picture each day of what makes you happy, with your hashtags, and at the end you even get a little book of your happy moments to look back and remember. How lovely!

 

The thing is, this challenge is about you, FOR you and no one else. It's not about being happier than someone else or being in competition or showing off or anything like that. For all intents and purposes, your images could be 'boring' to anyone else. The point is that you take time in your day to stop and consciously think about the little things that have made you happy. It's designed to improve your mood, increase your optimism, amplify your gratitude and just generally make you feel good.

 

I have to say, so far I'm loving it! I feel more relaxed, more present, less overwhelmed, my thinking feels clearer and I am actually more motivated. It's easy to feel like things are getting on top of you and I had been letting that negativity creep into things, including sadly the quality of this blog. But I am totally reinvigorated and feel so much more in control, not to mention I've got some great content that I'm really excited about sharing coming up. Stay tuned for one heck of a shot of colour and positivity!

 

Won't you join me? Lets get happy together!