Guess who's back... back again.

So... it's been a bit over a year since the last time I posted on this blog. I actually can't believe it's been this long. I'll be honest, I kinda lost my motivation for a while there. I was still uploading videos over on Youtube semi-regularly last year but it felt like a chore for me and so for the last 6 months I've pretty much done nothing with blogging/vlogging. Not that I haven't wanted to - I've had blog and video ideas, I've started putting together content etc only to lose motivation quickly and never end up actually doing anything.

In all honesty, I've been struggling a lot with my mental health lately. My anxiety has gotten a lot worse - despite the fact that I've been pushing myself to get out and have a social life again (and have made some amazing, supportive friends in the process). I've felt pretty down as well and have just been getting stuck in my own head which is not what I should be doing at all. However I have been slowly working on myself, trying to be more comfortable in myself, not being so worried about others and just focusing on what's important to me.

Which brings me to this blog - I've always had some kind of a creative outlet to keep myself occupied and I've really missed having that, so I'm pretty keen to get back into posting on here and also on my Youtube channel. I think I'm probably more interested in blogging than continuing with videos, but I'd still love to upload travel vlogs and other stuff if I really find it interesting - hauls and grwm's honestly just don't interest me anymore and if I'm gonna be doing something I need to actually want to do it, y'know? But yeah, anyway. I don't have a schedule planned, I just want to start posting and get back into the swing of things at the moment, but I'm hoping to post pretty regularly! Content wise, of course I'm still gonna be posting about makeup and fashion but I also want to post more music, life and mental health related content, so hopefully that's something you'll enjoy!

So to those of you who are still here (no idea why but thankyou!) and those of you who have just stumbled upon this seemingly abandoned blog - thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy what's to come!

xx Chontelle

Celebrating Twenty.

                

Two weeks ago now, I celebrated the end of my 'teen' years and entered my twenties. It doesn't feel any different, although my last few birthday's haven't seemed as 'big' and 'important' as they used to when I was younger. However, the presents are always pretty great! Haha.

Nonetheless, my birthday only comes around once a year and I wanted to do something to celebrate! I didn't have a party or anything, but I spent some time with friends and family which I honestly would prefer over a big party any day!

I celebrated in a few small 'doses'!

The first, a week before my birthday, was a trip to Max Brenner in South Bank with mum. I didn't want a cake or anything, and while we'd thought of having dessert after my birthday dinner, we didn't really want anything that particular restaurant had for dessert. So, we separated the two, and ended up doing Max Brenner first! This was actually my first time at Max Brenner, despite the chocolate restaurant's popularity! I'd wanted to go for ages but honestly, I couldn't justify it - until it was for my birthday that is!

We just got the Fondue for Two - which had milk chocolate and dark chocolate, and strawberries, banana, marshmallows and banana bread for dipping! - and a hot chocolate for myself and a milkshake for mum. It was delicious! Seriously, if you haven't already, you need to try this place (or something like it)!

Then, the night before my birthday, mum took me for my birthday dinner at our local Groove Train. For those of you who don't know, Groove Train is a casual kind of restaurant with a pretty affordable price tag (main meals averaging $20-$30) that actually offers a wide selection of menu items ranging from pastas, pizzas and nachos, to fish & chips, steak, and Asian curries and noodles. Seriously, there's something for everyone! After sharing a starter of a selection of Eggplant chips, polenta chips, calamari, chorizo and bruschetta; we moved onto our mains. I went for the gnocchi with added prosciutto as suggested to me by the waitress (since it's usually expensive to add, however it was my free birthday meal so why not?!), while mum had battered fish and chips.

Then my friend Meg took me out to the Valley for my birthday! We went to Prohibition first, where they had $1 pizza (and it was massive pizza, just look at that slice)! If you're ever in Brisbane, definitely check out Prohibition. It's such a nice and classy club, with great music, and you need to see the bathrooms (just trust me on this one, talk about luxe)! We also went to Birdees for a short bit, before heading home!

And that's how I celebrated my twentieth birthday, I hope you enjoyed this little snippet into my life!

xx Chontelle

'Spring' into Spring

Spring. It's here. The cold season is officially behind us and as the weather warms up and everyone begins to emerge from hibernation, it can be a struggle to get back into the swing of things.

It can be easy to fall into the 'winter trap', losing both inspiration and motivation as the gloomy weather takes hold, bringing your mood down with it. All you want to do is curl up in bed, under your (several) blankets, with a hot drink and the television remote until the heat finally returns. It can be impossible to get out of bed many mornings and it's easy to feel uninspired, lazy and just, blegh. 

Sometimes you just need a little push to regain motivation and bring some life back into your life! Here are some of my top tips to help you do just that!

De-clutter. Also known as a 'Spring Clean'. Honestly, clearing out your space, getting rid of all the junk, sweeping up the dust and re-organising everything to create a space you want to spend time in - there's no better way to start the season! Clear space, clear mind!

Set some goals. Figuring out what you want to work towards is the first step in dragging yourself out of a winter rut. Setting goals gives you something to aspire to achieve and work towards. Do you want to lose 5kg? Start a blog? Spend more time with your friends? Save up for a holiday or some new shoes? Think about it, and set yourself some goals.

Make a vision board. This is such a great, fun way to gather the goals you've set, find some inspiration, and put together a visual representation of what you'd really like to set your sights towards. Ever since I started making vision boards, I honestly believe that the things I've been wanting in life have begun to manifest themselves in some way and it's really helped me to stay on track for what I want to achieve. You can stick inspirational quotes, pictures of dream travel destinations, a graduates cap, the apartment you'd love to live in, a number of blog views you'd like to reach - anything important to you!

Get outside and smell the roses (or whatever flowers are blooming near you). Being cooped up inside all winter can really put a damper on your mood. Get up, get dressed, and get outside - the fresh air will do you a world of good as you take in that spring feeling!

Catch up with friends. I'm sure we're all guilty of letting relationships fall through the cracks over winter, especially when the desirable alternative is to stay home in your p.j's and sleep. Get on your phone, Facebook - whatever, and organise to catch up for lunch or shopping with some friends. Reconnect with friends, have some social interaction, it'll be fun - promise!

Update your wardrobe. Who doesn't love a little retail therapy? Not me, that's for sure. I find that one of the best ways to welcome spring with open arms is with some new spring wardrobe pieces. Now I'm not saying you should spend all your money on things you don't really need and if you don't then you'll feel gloomy and uninspired forever, not at all. If you've got more important things to spend your money on then that'll always come first, and maybe you simply don't want anything new - but a few affordable pieces can really help you brighten up and feel good. Whatever works, right!

Begin a health kick. Chances are, you've been indulging in some naughty, hearty foods throughout winter and your body's feeling a bit sluggish and weak as a result. Now is the perfect time to...
and, bonus - you'll have a head start on that 'summer body' everybody strives to achieve (in the two weeks before summer arrives that is)!

What are some of your favourite ways to put some 'spring' into your step? Let me know in the comments below! 

Thanks so much for reading, and Happy Spring! <3

xx Chontelle Louise