The Night Market

Wednesday nights have never been more interesting. 

What am I talking about? Why the Queen Victoria Market of course! A social hub of activity, with food, drinks, music and stalls (stalls as far as the eye can see!).

The market runs every Wednesday night, from 5pm till about 10pm, from November till end of Feb. You need to get there early, because parking is a son of a b*tch, but well worth the hassle.

Now, let me tell you a bit about the market...

The Food:

As soon as you turn the corner into Queen street, you are hit with some of the most amazing smells you could imagine. Food from around the world, all under one roof! There are over 60 food stalls, serving goodies like Crab Burgers, Peking Duck, Afghan, Jamaican, Mamak’s famous roti, Macarons, Gelati1 and more.

The Drinks:
If you've ever walked around the Queen Vic Market, you will know it is a thirsty venture. There are so many stalls to see, you just keep walking, without realising how parched you are. Well fear no more, there are several bars, coffee houses and stalls offering drinks. 

The Stalls:
There are too many stalls to describe, I would be here for hours! But when we went, we were only there for a couple of hours, and we saw; an entire row of vintage stalls, hand made handbags, fisherman pants, paintings, make up, book signings etc. 

The Music:
They have local bands & musical acts playing on several stages around the market. 

I love the night market, and have now done most of my Christmas shopping. there are so many hidden gems, that you won't be able to find them all in one night. It just keeps drawing you back, week after week!

Love,

Jayde xx

1 - http://www.qvm.com.au/night-market/suzuki-night-market/

2 - 

Falling On Deaf Ears - Justice For Quinten

I like to believe that every life is precious. No matter how old, young, abled or not. 

I recently read a harrowing tale, of a beautiful young man named Quinten. It tells of the injustice some families face, in the American judicial system.

I have been given permission, by Quintens sister Valerie to retell the story. My hope is that people from all around the world will read, and sign the petition.

This is Quinten's Story:

*Please note, the following story and photos, may cause some distress*

Valerie was 19 when she met her younger brothers, Cameron and Quinten, and her biological father, for the first time. Quinten, who was 7 at the time, suffered from Chromosome 9 Ring, a  debilitating disease that left him unable to speak, walk, or care for himself.Just 3 days after meeting them Valerie's father disappeared overseas, and left the boys to live with her. 

The happy trio

"The doctors told his parents that he'd never walk, talk, or reach any sort of level of intelligence—but I wasn't there for those conversations," Valerie wrote. "Obviously he had his limitations, but within a year, I had him pulling up on people and things to stand, piloting his own wheelchair, feeding himself with a fork and spoon, and communicating with a mixture of hand gestures and monosyllable words."

The boys lived happily with Valerie for 4 years, before the task began to overwhelm her, both emotionally and financially. She was forced to return the boys to their father in 2008.

Valerie and the boys saying goodbye at the airport

Two years after the boys went to live with their father overseas, they moved back to the states, and were only 4 hours away from Valerie. They were ecstatic, Valerie would come and visit as often as she could, but as time passed, she noticed that Quinten had changed. He was looking pale, thin, and all around unhappy...

For the next five years, the boys endured hellish conditions and treatment. They suffered both physical and emotional abuse at the hands for their father. Cameron took on the role of sole carer for his brother, helping Quinten with all aspects of his care. 

"Cameron, who was 14 by then, was bearing the brunt of the burden—cooking, taking care of Quinten and himself—everything from bathing, to diapering. Our father was also physically and emotionally abusing Cameron. After coming to this realisation, I did one of the hardest things I've ever done, up until that point—on Dec. 17, 2012, I turned my father in for child abuse." tells Valerie.

Valerie says that before the neglect, Quinten was a happy go lucky kid, who loved Star Wars, listening to music, and just being loved. Even though Quinten was not able to talk, he would giggle and laugh at everything. He and Cameron were inseparable. Despite Cameron being the younger brother, Cameron was Quinten's body guard, he fought for him, shared his secrets, and tried his best to make his older brother better, with plenty of hugs and love.

A DHS worker visited the boys' school, and interviewed Cameron. He told them how their father no longer cared for the boys, and how he was looking after Quinten by himself. Cameron told her that their father was abusing him, and the boys hardly ever had food in the house. 

They were promised a worker would attend the boys house, and conduct a home study. But they waited, and waited. Three weeks came and went, and still no one came. Every day Valerie would call DHS, and every time she was told the same thing, "Just be patient, someone would be out soon". 

Valerie tells how she fought all of her instincts to go and take the boys back, "I struggled so hard with wanting to just drive down and get them - since this social worker has obviously decided that Christmas shopping or something was more important that getting my brothers out of this hell hole -but every time I called DHS they told me that if I took the boys out of state, it would be considered felony kidnapping, and I'd never see the kids again - they'd go right back to our father"

Around New Years, Quinten became ill again, and, just like every other time, he was left to be, and not taken to the doctors. Their father bought Quinten Nyquill and Vick's Vapor Rub, which he then made Cameron rub on his brothers chest. On January 3, Cameron called Valerie, panicking saying "Something is different - He's not getting better. He won't eat, he's crying and I can't get him to stop." Cameron put the phone to Quintens ear, so he could hear Valerie's voice, "Bubby, I love you. You'd better get better, I'm coming to town tomorrow and I'm going to hug you and squeeze you and take you home with me. Everything is going to be okay."

Cameron and Valerie begged their father to take Quinten to the hospital. He promised he would take him that night - he didn't. Valerie told Cameron to hold and rock Quinten, because sometimes, even though the medicine didn't make Quinten better, the hugs and cuddles did. So Cameron moved his mattress to the living room, where Quinten was sleeping.

With Quinten on the couch, due to his mattress being stained with urine, and Cameron on the mattress on the floor, the boys went to sleep, Cameron trying his best to help his older brother feel better. 

The urine soaked couch where Quintens body was found.

The morning of the 4th of January, Cameron woke up, holding Quintens cold hand. During the night, Quinten had passed away. Cameron ran to their father, who attempted CPR, to no avail. The paramedics were called, and while they waited, their father forced Cameron to change the continence aid on Quintens dead body, because he didn't want anyone to see that he was covered in his own filth. When the paramedics arrived, the declared that Quinted had been dead for at least 3 hours. 

Valerie now fights 24/7 for justice for her brother. She says "I'm working, pretty much around the clock, to try and see justice served. Our father needs to be in jail- there is just no other way around it. I don't care how depressed you are, it takes a special kind of monster to look the other way while their child wastes away to death. Unfortunately because NO ONE did their jobs and documented the abuse, it looks like our father could very well get away with this."

So please, click the link below, and sign the petition. Regardless of what country you're from, every signature makes a difference.

http://www.change.org/petitions/justice-for-quinten

For more information:

http://imgur.com/gallery/T9Vr1

http://www.dailydot.com/crime/justice-for-quinten-child-abuse-imgur/

#JusticeforQuinten #JusticeformyBrother #QuintenDouglasWood

Make It At Home

You may have noticed by now, that I try to make a lot of things myself, rather than buying them. these can include cleaning products.

I know it sounds like a strange idea, to make your own cleaning products. But when you think about it, before all of these big companies 'sold' the idea of '99.9% germ free', we cleaned with good old hot water and soap.

In our modern times, there are so many different options available. Just try walking down the cleaning/laundry isle at your local supermarket. We are spoilt rotten for choice! There are different scents, different types, different mediums, from lemon sprays, to infused cleaning wipes, to tablets and foams. I had never realised just how many different products i used in my house, and the horrible chemicals they contained, until I actually went looking.

I would like to sa I have been converted, and my way of thinking has changed, and I would also like to share these ideas with you.

So, stay tuned for new receipes for things for you to try at home. 

Talk soon,

Jayde xx

Preserving At Home

So, I've been thinking for a long time that I would like to make my own goods and preserve them. But I've never really been game enough to try, until today! I made salsa for Justin a couple of weeks ago, and he ate it like it was going out of fashion, and today I made a double batch, specifically so I could can some. 

(Apologies in advance, I forgot to take photos as I went along, there were a few issues with chillies and milk, but we'll talk about that later).

First, we start with some delicious food (in this case salsa). While it's cooking we boil our jars and lids (for 10 mins or more), then bake them at 110c for 15 mins. 

Once our jars have been sterilised, we can fill then with our goodies. Now be extra careful here, the jars have just come out of the oven, so they will be hot. You're best off using oven mitts, or a folded over tea-towel. Make sure you screw the lids on super tight.

Once everything is canned, we need to process the jars with a boiling water bath.

My 3 jars of salsa processing!

The water bath creates pressure within the jar, which when cooled, creates a vacuum, sealing our goodies in :) As long as the seal is clear, ie there's no chips in the jar, or food on the rim of the jar, then it should seal perfectly fine. Just make sure the jars don't sit on the bottom of the pot. It's recommended that you put a short cooling rack on the bottom of the pan to stop it touching the jars, but I didn't have one, so I used a tea towel. 

Guess we'll just see how it goes from here! I'll make sure I take photos next time so you guys actually know what I'm talking about. 

Which me luck!

Jayde xx

A New Harvest

Hi ya'll!

Over the weekend, Justin and I planted a few new things in our ever growing potted garden. 
When we started we had kale & silverbeet. Now we have our own little herb garden beginning! We have basil, oregano, parsley, coriander, mint & rosemary. We've also added a new fruit, some very delicious strawberries, and very mild Hungarian Black Chili!

This is our kale at the moment, still small, but they'll grow and be delicious!

L-R; Rosemary, strawberries, mint & chili's.

This is our silverbeet at the moment, they just got a haircut, as we're trying to get them to grow out instead of up. We have 4 stems in this pot.

L-R; Oregano, Parsley, Coriander, Basil. This little beauty will end up sitting on the windowsill in the kitchen. Plenty of sun, and in easy reach for premium picking!

Stay tuned to see how our little garden grows, and what delicious food we make with our crops. We'd still like to add a few more plants, but we're not sure what. It needs to be able to grow in pots and get a lot of sun. I'd like to grow some climbing beans, I just have to make sure my trellis is up to the challenge! Guess we'd best get the thinking caps on!

See you soon!

Jayde xx

They Call Us Curvalicious!

Calling all my beautiful curvy ladies!

Are you looking for new stylish outfits, that aren't the size and shape of a hessian sack? Well, look no further!

I've been scouring the interwebs for some fantastic new clothes for myself, and I've happened across these little beauties...

Chubby Cartwheels
http://www.chubbycartwheels.com/

A great store for buying leggings. They fit like a gem and are made of high quality material. They also have a few other items, like bodysuits, for those more adventurous ladies, jackets, skirts, and bandeau tops. Shipping to Victoria (Aus) is pretty reasonable, at around $12-15, depending on how many items. Everything is handmade so expect a delay of a few days. Shown below, from left to right: Two tone, lace, and classic.




Cult Of California
http://shop.cultofca.com/

Some seriously sexy, slimmin', stylin' clothes! I am currently in love with their "Out Of This World" collection, the patterns and material are to die for! They have a great range of skirts and tops that would be great for the office, as well as some ahhhhmazing dresses. As a bonus, they also stock some really comfy sport/yoga wear. Their skirts (selected styles) come with built in shorts, to stop the chafing, and the shorts are designed not to ride up, and are the perfect length so they aren't seen under the skirt! They ship to Aus ($25) and have a great Returns Policy. Shown below left to right is: Heritage Peplum Skirt (Black) with Mesh Sleeve Top, Galaxy Fit N Flare Dress, & Sanctuary Cold Shoulder Top with Basic Leggings.

  


Sick For Cute
http://www.sickforcute.com/shop/category/ladies_plus

Unfortunately SFC only stock plus size shirts, but by damn are they amazing shirts! The designs are printed on super soft ringspun cotton, and come in a great range of sizes. The designs are super cute, from moustaches, and cats, to donuts and deer! The shirts range from $8 - $18 and postage is  Below is the stunning Tess Munster modelling the I Love Moustache shirt, and the Keyboard Cats shirt.

 



Tattooed Zombie
http://www.tattooedzombie.com.au/

TZ  is online and also has a physical store:

Shop 4, 1 Dayboro Rd, Petrie

Approx. 30 mins drive from the Brisbane CBD or a 5 min walk from Petrie train station.

Ph: (07) 3142 0429

Store trading hours:

Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: 10-5pm
Wednesday: 10-5pm
Thursday: 10-5pm
Friday: 10-5pm
Saturday: 10-5pm
Sunday: 10-5pm

An Aussie store, located in Brisbane, stocks everything alternative, rockabilly & pinup you could ever ask for! From amazing clothes, to accessories and homewares. So if you're not looking for clothes, you still have an excuse to scroll through the pages and pages of goodies! If you're ever unsure if something will fit, TZ has been kind enough to give us a great sizing chart.
In regards to clothes, we curvy ladies have some fabulous options such as; Hell Bunny May Day Dress, and Hell Bunny Bobbi Lee Dress.

 




Jessica Louise
http://www.shopjessicalouise.com/plus-size/

Do you love polka dots, stripes, leopard print or the colour pink? Then this is the perfect store for you! JL has some simply adorable clothes, with both style and comfort in mind. JL offers mainly tops and dresses in plus size, and they're a fabulous rockabilly style. Below, from left to right are: Cupcake Keyhole Solid in Pink, Cupcake Scallop Dress & Lullabelle Top.


  


Domino Dollhouse
http://www.dominodollhouse.com


This entire online store is dedicated to stunning plus size clothes, without compromise. Could we really ask for anything else? They stock fun prints and designs and offer a huge selection! You can buy lingerie, dresses, tops, skirts, leggings, outerwear and they also stock some great accessories. Everything is made in America, so you know you're not going to get cheap quality clothing. Shown below is; Classic Garter Belt, Pin Up Perfection Pencil Skirt, Onyx Moto Jacket paired with Basic Leggings in Black & White Skulls.




Black Cat Bikinis
http://www.blackcatbikinis.com/

Here in Australia, Summer is only a couple of weeks away, and what do you do during summer? Why you go swimming of course! Don't shudder at the thought of trying to find a new swimsuit at the normal stores, head over to BCB and have one custom made! They're all handcrafted in a small studio in Florida, so make sure you allow about 3-5 weeks for delivery.Below, from left to right; Cherry Bombshell Ruffle Underwire Top & High Waist Bottom, Maryanne High Waist Adjustable Full Skirt Bottom & Maryanne Push Up Underwire Top.
 


TwentyFour20http://www.twentyfour20.com/

TF20 is a great little gem when you're looking for the perfectly fitted dress. Their collection hugs all the right places, and helps show off that beautiful body you already have. Some amazing staple dresses that are a must for your wardrobe this season. Trouble Maker Dress in Pink, & Take No Prisoners Dress

 

Swak Designs
http://www.swakdesigns.com/

Labelled as contemporary plus fashion, Swak doesn't fail to deliver! They have some amazing key pieces, that are both comfortable and stylish. My favourite aspect of their online store is the My Style/My Size section, where you can mimic one off their fashionistas. Another great idea from Swak is their Eternity Convertible Wrap Dress, it's available in short or long length, and can be wrapped and styled in dozens of different styles. Shown below is their Eternity Convertible Maxi Dress in Desert Sky, and the Emma Maxi Dress.

 


City Chic
http://www.citychic.com.au/

Previously known as Big City Chic, CC is a classy clothing brand for all of us beauty-full curvy ladies. CC has an advantage for Aussie's, as they also have a physical store that you can actually visit to try things on. I absolutely adore their collections, and only wish I had more money so I could buy EVERYTHING. They offer everything from undies, bras, tops, skirts and pants, to boots, belts and dresses. I cannot explain how much I simply love their store. Shown below, from left to right are; Drape Goddess Dress in Zinnia, Sexy Swing Skirt, and Chain Neck Peplum Top.




Okay, so I think that is everything...For the moment anyway! If you have any other brands that you think are worth a mention, comment below and let me know!

Until next time,

Jayde xx