Endometriosis Afternoon Tea

On Sunday the 1st June, we hosted a fund-and-awareness-raising afternoon tea for endometriosis research at my mum's house in Adelaide. My sister thought up the idea a few months back when I told her I would be coming back to Adelaide to have my second surgery. We ended up raising over $1000 for endometriosis research and I was blown away by the amount of support. The research we supported was that done by Dr Louise Hull at the University of Adelaide. She is looking at a plasma microRNA based diagnostic test, which would mean that patients could get confirmation of their endometriosis without needing a expensive, painful, inconvenient and risky surgery.

I made a little speech (along with my sister) and unexpectedly got a little emotional halfway through it. I was talking about how many women fight for a long time to get diagnosed. If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know that I had symptoms of endometriosis from the age of 12, but was only diagnosed at 23. I got emotional because I had never considered a world where there would a non-invasive diagnostic test to screen patients if they showed characteristic symptoms. A world where women hopefully wouldn't get told for years and years that it was all in their head. If we can achieve that in my lifetime, I will be so happy.

Most photos thanks to my bestie Lisa from The Thrifty Challenge, some from my iPhone.

PS In case you were wondering, my outfit details are:
Denim jacket: SAG, op shop (USA)
Dress: Retrostar Vintage Clothing, Melbourne
Cowboy boots: Wrangler (from when they were still made in Texas), gift from a friend who got them from an estate sale

Stockings: Columbine, Teal Soft Opaques (50 Denier)
Glasses: Gok Wan for Specsavers

Day 5: List of 3 things I'm thankful for and excited about

Today I am thankful for:

My best friend Lisa whose birthday it is today. She is a really great support and is so talented and fun to hang out with. I'm so thankful she was born and I don't know what I'd do without her.

The internet. Being able to read other people's blogs of their experiences with endometriosis has been a lifesaver. It makes me feel a million times more sane and I know I am much better off knowing that there are other people in the world going through the same things as me.

Jasmine. Jasmine is blooming in our backyard and along our fence at the moment. I used to walk home from school past jasmine plants so it holds good memories for me.


Excited about:

Summer! Canberra is cold in winter, and everyone goes into hibernation a little bit. I can't wait to not need a jacket at night and to be able to wear summer dresses every day.

Jakarta. I'm going to Jakarta for work in a month to help out with a workshop. I love teaching so I'm really looking forward to it, I've also never been to Indonesia anymore so it should be exciting!

Setting up the Canberra Endometriosis network. We're having planning meetings at the moment to figure some stuff out but are hoping to have support meetings going on soon!

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This month I will be taking part in National Health Blog Post Month. Check back every day to see the new topic and learn more about endometriosis. Today's topic was to list three things that you are thankful or excited for.

A day on the slopes

This day was an adventure up to Perisher and Thredbo ski fields to have a frolic in the snow with my bestie (who had never seen snow before). I was thankfully very toasty.

Beanie: Urban Outfitters

Jacket: Urban Outfitters

Jumper: Vintage Cue, Material Pleasures (http://www.materialpleasures.com.au/)

Jeans: Levis (From the US... SO much cheaper there)

Gloves: Random glove store in Canberra Centre

Scarf: Witchery

Sunnies: Prescription Ray Bans

Apples and Penguins

Another outing with my bestie (you can tell by the quality of the photos). More fun with curls, vintage and bright lippy. You can't see the cherries on the cardie, but they definitely up the cuteness.

Cardie: vintage, $15, Fash & Treasure (http://www.fashntreasure.com.au/)

Blouse: vintage, $10, vintage store on Magill Rd that I'm pretty sure doesn't exist anymore.

Skirt: vintage, $10, Librarian Chic (http://www.librarianchic.com.au/findthestoryinyourwardrobe/Home.html)

Orange you glad to see me?

This outfit was worn to a high tea in the country town of Hall with three of my closest friends. I had just invested in a curler and was very excited to use it - along with some red lippie that I usually am way too lazy to use. It was fun and I spent all day with a massive smile on my face because it's just impossible to be unhappy while wearing so much orange (or in such great company).


Dress: Fash & Treasure, $10, vintage, (http://www.fashntreasure.com.au/)  
Belt: op shop, $2 (many moons ago)
Stockings: Forever New, $6.95 (http://www.forevernew.com.au/) 
Shoes: Ink shoes, $Don't ask (http://www.inkshoes.it/) 
Lippie: Body Shop (http://www.thebodyshop.com.au/)
Specs: Specsavers  (http://www.specsavers.com.au/)

An Outfit A Day

Two weeks ago my best friend came to visit me and I realised that I had been wearing a little too much black for my liking. Not that anyone could ever accuse me of dressing blandly as I always have some bright shade in my ensemble somewhere, but I had lost my drive to be daring with what I wore and had settled into a routine of colour and shape combinations.

So here is my effort to document some of my more colourful outfits to try and motivate myself to dress more the way I want to dress and not worry about how people perceive me. Because that is when I am happiest, and interestingly, that is when I get the most compliments.