a new year

Tonight is New Years Eve and we are welcoming in 2010. I am heading to my friend's house for a fancy dress party dressed as Jane Austen. I have to stop at the supermarket on the way to pick up some meat to BBQ, although I could have gone earlier today, but why waste a great costume? Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to post a photo or two of my great Regency Period dress that I finished making yesterday. All up I would say it probably only took 30 hours or so. And I owe my mum a big thanks for helping pin the hem.

So what do I have planned for 2010?
- I'm going to learn Arabic.
- I'm going to try and keep on top of my house work, probably by implementing a reward system (I'll make a little chart, and get a tick for every piece of housework I do, and when I get 10 ticks I will get $10 to spend on crafty stuff or anything that I want).
- I'm going to start tap dancing again. It's a great skill and will be my fitness effort.
- I'm planning to make items to sell on Etsy, hopefully this will go well.
- I'm going to promote my event management business....hmmm....how, I don't yet know. But I have an advertisement going into the local Wedding Guide, so hopefully that generates some business.
- I will not be so generous towards people who just don't appreciate it. I limited my generosity last year, but I think I need to limit it even more.

I would like to strive towards having someone to kiss next New Years Eve, but I think that is a waste of time. This will be my tenth kissable New Years Eve (not counting any before I was 18) and I'm still waiting for a kiss. Although I did get an offer of sex from a guy I dated when I was 22. Hmmm....I don't think so. Although after spending time with my spinster aunt maybe I should think about it. Here are some boyfriend options that I have rejected:
- Gay Guy (apparently this guy really liked me, I thought he was gay, now I can't actually remember him);
- Dirty/Stupid Guy(the guy I dated who has offered me sex. I was his housemate for a while and I learnt that he doesn't wash his sheets and he thinks that history is boring);
- Fat/Philosophy major Guy (someone I don't find physically attractive, and he studied philosophy and so is one of those guys who just likes to argue about everything for the sake of it - very annoying!);
- A*hole Guy (the Fireman I lost my virginity to, who stopped returning my calls, but then texted about a month later saying that he really is a "good guy" and that we should go out);
- White South African Guy (tells racist jokes, although he is friends with a black Kenyan guy, strange).

So really, when I complain about not having any options for a relationship that isn't really true. There are plenty of options. None that I really like...and I think that all of these guys deserve to be with a woman who chooses to be with them, not one that settles for them.

ownership

There is nothing I hate more than people claiming ownership when they shouldn't.
Phrases such as "There's my girl" and "Look after your girl" just irritate me and make me want to scream out "I'm not your girl!!".
I'm sure, however, that when a big spunky guy (along the lines of Jason Statham) calls me his girl I will swoon with delight.
I know I'm just in a foul mood because I'm the only person I know spending Christmas alone again! Well, that's not entirely true. I have a friend who is enjoying her first Christmas since her husband left her, and I'm not exactly alone since I spent the day with my parents, but you know what I mean. Yesterday when everyone was leaving work to spend time with their partners, I was going home to an empty (although it's actually over-full) apartment. My cat wasn't even home.
I'm really getting quite fed up with this being alone thing. But am I willing to settle for one of the guys that I know like me, even though I don't find them the least bit attractive? Do they deserve to be "settled" for? Shouldn't someone choose to be with them? I just wish the right guy would choose to be with me.

its beginning to look a lot like christmas

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and my last day of work until 4 January 2010. Christmas is here and is causing controversy as usual.

With all of the bad things we hear about throughout the year, I have to admit that I cast a weary eye when I see a child sitting on a man's lap, even if that man is Santa. The problem is that we often hear about bad things being done by people we trust, and I think it makes us all a bit cynical and skeptical.

There are also issues with the words "Merry Christmas" and even Santa's involvement in Christmas. I saw a thing on the news last night where a Catholic school have set up a mini Bethlehem so that people can come along and see what life would have been like in Bible times. When asked why they were doing this, a small boy said "to remove Santa from Christmas". The problem is that while Christmas has become commercialised, with Santa being the main purveyor of toys, the traditional Kris Kringle/St Nicholas character is just as big a part of some peoples traditions as the Birth of Jesus is in others.

Then there is a town council who have removed their "Seasons Greetings" signs and replaced them with "Merry Christmas" signs because they wanted to bring "Christmas" back to the holiday season. But what about the many people who are not Christian? I for one do not consider myself to be Christian, and I wish people "Happy Holidays" rather than force a particular religion on them. However when talking with friends we always refer to Christmas, and I still expect to receive gifts! It is a very interesting and complex situation.

So Happy Holidays!! Enjoy the festive season and stay safe.

after christmas craft plans

I have many many plans for things to make at the moment, but here is a list of things I plan to make after Christmas.

1. Blue/Black/Grey check work dress
2. Black Bridesmaid dress
3. 3 different Studio Cherie purses (1 large vintage, 1 small coin, 1 clutch)
4. Patchwork quilt for a friend's wedding
5. Patchwork lap quilt for the Canberra Show
6. Patchwork quilt for a friends birthday/anniversary
7. Purple gloves to go with my purple dresses
8. Purple/Grey check winter coat & hat, possibly with matching hand bag (or is that too much)
9. Infinity dress (x2 - 1 as a trial for me, 1 for my friend when she goes to Europe)
10. Possible wrap dress for my friend who is going to Europe (maybe I'll have to send it to her)
11. Christmas stuff with the Christmas fabrics I will get during the sales (hopefully!), including:
• Christmas Tree skirt (for mum's Christmas tree)
• Christmas gift bags
• Christmas stockings
• Christmas table runners, place mats etc.
12. Many more dresses that I want to make - now that I have my duct tape dummy the world is my oyster!

I think that should keep me busy until July, actually probably even a bit longer than that!

treasury on Etsy

Today I have been "featured" in someones Treasury on Etsy. A Treasury is a collection of items that one person will put together. EndlessSummer has put together a Nutcracker Ballet Treasury (http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=79300) and has featured one of my Nutcracker PDF Cross Stitch patterns on it.
Unfortunately the pattern she has featured, while it is lovely, takes 12 emails to send! Well I have broken it down into 12 separate PDFs because it is almost 80 pages worth of pattern! But it would be a really great large Cross Stitch.

dream diary 4

Last night I had a very vivid dream about a baby. The dream started out quite strange (as usual) and I had to kind of hunt for the baby, or hunt for certain items to exchange for the baby (who had obviously been kidnapped). My parents were in it at one stage helping me look through a car park for something.

Anyways, when I finally completed the challenges (or whatever it is I had to do) I got my baby back. And it was Troy's baby (Troy is a married guy who once lied to me about being single...I believe him for a while before I started adding a few things together). I could tell it was Troy's baby because of the beautiful green eyes it had. And it was a boy.
The baby didn't have a name, but once I got it back I had to get nappies and food and outfits and all of that kind of stuff. It was very strange, and has left me with a melancholy feeling...

I'll never have Troy's baby and I think I would have liked to.

brrr...it's cold in here

In my office at the moment it is only 16 degrees, while outside it is actually 28 degrees. I'm all for a nicely air conditioned building, especially when it's warm outside, but I do feel that 16 degrees is a bit too much!

There are arguments raging in my workplace about whether it is too cold, too hot, just right. Should we complain about it and make something happen or should we just shut up and take it. Personally, I refuse to sacrifice myself on the alter of faulty air conditioning. I have been sick for weeks and I can't get over it because it is bloody freezing inside and bloody hot outside. A nice 22 to 24 degrees would be appreciated.

I don't mind too much if it is cold in winter because then you can rug up in cute winter clothes. At the moment I am wearing a winter beanie, a dress with stockings and a cardigan, as well as a winter wrap! I also have my heater on under my desk. I feel like a bit of a freak, and I feel feverish quite often.

I'm not allowed to whinge about it to my workmates any more, so I have decided to whinge on my blog. This is what it is for I suppose. And if you get sick of my whinging you can just take a break and not read it!!

pink lunchboxes and paperclips

The other day I was in a complete funk for no reason in particular. Actually that is a lie. There was a reason. My doona was at the bottom of my doona cover leaving about 20cm at the top of just empty doona cover - it upset me greatly!
Anyway, I was there in my funk and my friend said to me "you can't be miserable when there are still good things in the world", to which I replied "really, like what!?" (I may have been a little aggressive). Then she gave me the answer of the ages "like Pink Lunchboxes!"
It's so true - life can't be too bad when there are still Pink Lunchboxes.
Then a couple of days later we left work to go and get some lunch from "the van" when I saw my next happy-go-lucky thing. At the top of the driveway going in to work there was a pile of paperclips, and not a small pile either! It was huge! Like someone had just dumped a box of paperclips there. I exclaimed "Oh look, paperclips!" and I thought it was the most amazing thing in the world. Simple things!

craft this week

This week I have been quite productive craft wise: I've made a table runner, outdoor seat cushion, coasters, place mats, hand bag and a hand towel. Very productive all up!

I was going to wait to post this or show anyone what I have been working on, because all of these are potential Christmas presents (although I may not have allocated the present to the recipient yet)...can you see your present here? I'm hoping that if someone doesn't like their present they can maybe sell it on Etsy or let me know and I can give it to someone else who will like it.

I've had so much fun making all of this stuff and I would love to be able to spend all of my time just making things. I have a number of other projects to do before Christmas: a pin cushion (probably just for Etsy, but maybe for a friend), a quilted note book, a sleeping mask, an apron, maybe an oven mitt or two. Hmmm...there's only 3 weeks to Christmas, I wonder if I will get it all done in time.

I'm also waiting on my fancy ribbons to arrive from overseas so that I can wrap my presents. I have my brown paper all ready to go, and I'm going to print out some "TheDuchessE" stickers, but as usual I'm not using cards or anything. My goal for next year will be to cross stitch some small Christmas scenes and make cards out of them. But I'll have all of 2010 to work on that!

lamb korma

I currently have the biggest craving for Lamb Korma! I am most definitely not a fan of spicy food (I have a sensitive palate) but whenever I go to an Indian restaurant with friends I always order Lamb Korma, and lately I am craving it like nothing else!
I am hoping to find a "Chicken Tonight" style recipe base so that I can just add the lamb, and some rice, and I'll be good to go. I may swing past the supermarket on my way home tonight and see what I can find.

If you have a fabulous Lamb Korma recipe then please post it in my comments and I will love you forever!

current crafty inspiration

I am currently inspire to create the following to sell on Etsy: - I-Pod and I-Phone 'socks' using fancy fabrics and cross stitched motifs
- Note books covered with fabric with a fancy quilted front
- Apron with matching oven mitts
- Lap quilts (selling them for over $100!)
- Framed cross-stitched quotes
- Dresses or skirts, or even corsets!
- Fascinators and hair accessories

I think it would be nice to win lotto, quit my job, buy a nice place that has space for a craft room, and spend my time creating things. At the moment my apartment is so tiny that if i make a stack of stuff I wouldn't have anywhere to store it!

What do you think - please vote in the survey on my blog!

my christmas list

Christmas is coming (I actually can't believe how close it is) and I thought I would write a little Christmas list. Writing this list is actually quite pointless because I already have my present from my Mum, and my Dad will hopefully be getting me an ironing board...but it's something to do.
The Duchess's Christmas List
- Ironing Board
- Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow (on DVD)
- Transporter 3 starring Jason Statham (on DVD)
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine starring Hugh Jackman (on DVD)
- Overlocker - and a new apartment with a sewing room to put it in!
- Book on how to do vintage hair styles
- 3 to 4 meters of any kind of lovely fabric for dresses (with that much fabric I could make basically any dress, and possibly a skirt or something as well)
- Fat quarters of quilting fabric
- DMC Cross Stitch thread (any colours)
- Cross Stitch fabric (any type)
- a Quilting book or Craft type book
- Hand bag making supplies (although this would be at the bottom of my list because I think it could be too much hassle to make a handbag)
- Dress patterns
- Hair straightening Iron - one with a large flat bit for straightening my long hair

I think that is about it. I might add some more stuff to this list later, but to be completely honest I don't actually need any of this. But I think for Christmas it is good to get something that you want, rather than something that you need.

hair colour choices

At the moment I find I am at a crossroads in regards to my hair colour. I have naturally dark brown hair, but at the moment it is an auburn colour (kind of a "natural" red head colour). The problem with this colour is the maintenance. But apart from that I actually quite like it.

I need to go to the hairdressers for a hair cut, and at the same time I will make a decision about my hair colour. Either he will turn it back to dark brown, or keep it red.

The question is: do I want to be Poison Ivy, or Wonder Woman?

dream diary 3

I have been very lax in my blogging and my dream diary keeping. Sorry! I have also been having a few strange dreams so I really have no excuse for not posting them!

The strangest dream I have had of late will really make you laugh! So in the dream I am walking up the street near my home, it's day time and I'm just walking along (actually I think it was around 2pm exactly). And it is a lovely day, the sun is shining, and the inhabitants of the neighborhood are sitting in their front yards or on their front porches enjoying the spring air. The funny thing is....the inhabitants are all bears! There are hundreds of bears roaming around, mostly in their family units. Some are gardening, some are sitting in rocking chairs and knitting. They're all very friendly! They are sitting on their balconies in my apartment complex and sing out to me "hello! Lovely day isn't it?".
Strangest dream ever!!

lest we forget

Today is the 11th day of the 11th month, and at the 11th hour we will pause to remember the many men who lost their lives on the battlefields of France (as well as in the other pointless periphery battles).

I spent an entire year studying the World Wars at University, and for my class on World War I I wrote an essay on Shell Shock. There are so many victims of war that are not counted on the casualty lists.

Howard Hughes famously stated that he "stood for 60,000 dead", but how many more were walking dead. Men who couldn't exist after the war because of the extreme conditions they were placed in. Nowadays men, even soldiers, complain about the most minor of inconveniences without a thought to the men who were living in trenches for 5 years, locked in a stalemate in a pointless battle that was simply about mens egos.

Even though I think that this war, and all wars, are pointless and painful I will still pause to remember the brave men of yesterday who we lost to their own heroic actions.

my finished quilt

After a couple of months of hard work and tireless instruction (from some of the most patient women in the world) I have finished my first quilt!!
It is a lap quilt that measures about 40" x 40", with natural cotton batting, and all cotton fabrics.

If you ask I can point out many mistakes that I have made in this quilt, but from a distance you can't tell! And as one of my friends keeps telling me "it adds character"!

I have decided that I am going to enter a couple of items in the local Royal Show in February next year. I am going to cross stitch a photo of my friends at their Vietnamese Tea Ceremony, and I'm also going to create a quilt using the techniques that I learned while making this quilt.

Apparently I'm meant to name my quilt...hmmm...I will name this quilt "Briar Rose".

I think I want my next quilt to be a bit Gypsy inspired, I will call it Esmeralda!

best friends

This weekend made me realise that a good friend is one who will take time out of their lives to patiently hold your hand and teach you a new skill. A couple of my friends have been teaching me how to quilt, and with my swearing, sulking and drunken cutting, it can't be an easy task. But they keep going, and keep laughing, and I have almost finished my quilt. That is friendship.

A good friend is also one who will wrap you in a garbage bag, cling wrap and duct tape while drinking champagne. I sent a text to this friend on Saturday asking "do you need me to bring anything apart from champagne and duct tape?" - if someone intercepted that I'm sure they could take it the wrong way!
What we were actually doing is making a "Duct Tape Dress-Makers Dummy" so that I can use it to make clothes. It makes sense, really it does! But it was definitely a funny sight. We were wondering how we would explain it to the paramedics should something go wrong, or the people on the street should we have to evacuate the house all of a sudden.
Only a really good friend will go to so much effort! And you would only trust a really good friend to do it and then cut you out of it!

As they say - a really good friend will help you hide the body!

cross stitch

I know I'm an old lady before my time, but I do really enjoy cross stitch. There is just something about it that is relaxing, and you end up creating something which is a really nice feeling.

Recently I completed my Antique Rose cross stitch, which was from a pattern in a book given to me by my Aunty Phyl. All of the patterns in this book are quite old fashioned, but they are still nice, although I would prefer some more modern patterns.

I have purchased some patterns on Etsy, which I received in PDF format via email. You simply print these out and you're ready to go. People create these different cross stitch patterns by converting photos or pictures using a particular program.

I have finally realised that I should purchase a program that does this myself! After some googling I have located a couple that you can download for free, so when I get home tonight I will download one of these programs and get to converting. I will do cross stitches of my friends and freak them out!!

young men are my weakness

As I get older I find myself more and more attracted to younger men. I still favour my older men (especially Eric Bana and Gerry Butler, oh and Jason Statham...) but these younger guys, and I have never been attracted to younger guys before, seem to be getting cuter and cuter!

Do you think it's a biology thing? I'm getting older...maybe I'm reaching my sexual peak, and I'm looking for a guy who can match it? Hmmm... interesting theory. Just last year I was caught flirting with a boy who was still in high school! And he looked it! Now that is dangerous.

I found myself perving on Daniel Radcliffe (AKA Harry Potter) when he was on Oprah once. He wasn't 18 then, so I turned off the TV. But now that he is 18 (or maybe older) it's fine...isn't it?
And Zac Efron in 17 Again...well he was playing a grown up and he is oh so cute! And he can dance, and even sing a bit. Yummy!

Then there is Prince Harry. He is younger than me, but I've always had a soft spot for him!!

So it has to be said: "Lock up your sons!!"

heatwave

It has been so long since I've blogged! To be honest with you I don't know if I have very much to say at the moment, so this is really a blog for blogs sake!
It is hot! Summer has finally come, and it has come with a vengeance! But I doubt it will stay. Last week we were have 15 degree days, today it is 30 degrees!! And our air conditioning in the office is broken, so inside it is 28 degrees!

I had to laugh, one of my colleagues asked if I'm the type of person who gets grumpier as it gets hotter. I replied with "aren't I quite grumpy throughout the year? I'm not sure the weather really has much impact!!". But that isn't the case with some of my work mates who do seem to be getting grumpier as the weather gets warmer!!

Luckily tomorrow is a day off. Technically it is "Family & Community Day", but in reality it is Melbourne Cup day, which is so much more better!!

And on Thursday it is Crown Oaks Day, and at work we're having an Oaks Day Ladies Luncheon (organised by me) to celebrate Fashions on the Field! Which means that tomorrow I will spend the day working on my fascinator!!

petite streatched

There is something unnerving when the word "petite" which is printed on your t-shirt is stretched across your very full tummy!When getting dressed this morning I noticed that my muffin-top was a little bigger than usual. It is true that I'm wearing my tight jeans, but the muffin top was definitely more pronounced! What to do? Change my top of course! But then I realised that all of my t-shirts fit basically the same, and I'm just going to have to put up with being a little chubby today.
Then, when I finished my lunch (nachos from the local food van - yummy!!), I noticed that my t-shirt was looking a little more stretched than usual.
Oh well! I was single when I was thin, so I doubt being a little chubby will change it.
And you never know, maybe I'll attract a "feeder" who will assist me in getting even fatter!

dream diary 2

Last night I had another series of strange dreams. I remember waking up in between a couple and thinking "oh, I have to remember these so I can write about them on my blog".

One of the dreams concerned the Pink Ribbon Ride I'm participating in this weekend. Something happened and my Mum and Dad were late in picking me up. We were supposed to be at the park by 8:30, but they didn't arrive until 10:30. And then it was only Mum because on the way home the night before Dad had become curious about a fence, touched it and been electrocuted!
I don't know what that is supposed to mean!

I'm struggling to remember the other dream I had. I have a feeling it may have been about shopping or being at a shop or something like that.

These kind of dreams are I think just random chemicals reacting in my brain. I don't believe that they mean anything or have a deeper level of understanding.

vintage dress

Today I wore my vintage dress, that I have made, to work.

It is from a fabulous vintage pattern that I bought off Ebay (people selling their dead grandma's patterns, I love it!), and fabric that was on sale, $8 per meter, at Spotlight.

The dress took me probably 12 hours to make, and I had to alter the top of the dress to suit my figure and style, which also meant I had to alter the sleeves (well straps really) quit significantly.

All in all though, a successful effort and I'm looking forward to my next dress!

dream diary 1

Over the weekend I had a couple of strange dreams. One I can't mention because it contains a guy from work who is totally inappropriate! But so Jeremy Irons/Sean Connery!

But the one that I can remember was about Jelly Belly Beans!
In my dream it was my birthday, and my sister's friends picked me up in their Ice Cream truck (I don't know why they were driving an ice cream truck), and took me to a Candy Expo where there were just heaps and heaps of Candy suppliers and manufacturers.
In particular there was a Jelly Belly Bean stand, and you didn't just get one or two samples, they would give you a bag and you could load yourself up with free candy!
And the Karaoke guy from PJ's (a regular hang out of mine) was manning the Jelly Belly Bean stall.

Strange.
What do you think it means?

my quilt, part 1

Today, with help from some of my lovely friends, I started my first quilt.

I took this pile of fabric
And by the end of the day I had these five squares to start making up my quilt!
I have home work to do of course. I have 4 'Log Cabins' to make up to complete the 9 squares required for this lap quilt. I have to get some batting, cut out some strips to join it all together neatly, and get some material for the back. I thought that I might give this to someone for Christmas, but I'm so proud of it that I think I will keep it for myself and make another one to give to someone.

my cat

Something has changed in my cat, Winston, lately.

He is more playful - absolutely loving his tunnel! Pouncing in to it, going through the middle holes (and getting kind of stuck), and wanting me to play with him. It is very cute! The photo above is of Winston in his tunnel - he is often upside down trying the grab the feather thing that we play with! Notice the fangs on him - so adorable!

But even cuter is his new sleeping habit. Usually Winston will sleep down the end of the bed, or in the middle (with me wrapping my body around him so that he isn't disturbed), or even just stay out on the couch. But lately he is sleeping right up against my waist or chest. It is so very cute! And this morning he woke up a couple of times, would sit there and look at me, realise that I was still sleeping and so he would curl up again. Then when my alarm went off he sat up and gently tapped me on the nose (without his claws out!)!

He really is my most favourite of cats!

etsy

Things I am thinking of making and selling in my Etsy store:

• Christmas Tree Skirts - skirts for the tree, not a skirt with a tree on it! ($40)
  
• Nighties - simple cut, but with little embellishments and pretty things ($30)
  
• Handbags - made out of assorted cross stitch things I'll do, and from fancy fabrics ($30-$80)
  
• Jam cap and label sets - cross stitched things to go on the cap, and labels to tie around the jar (set of 3 for $20)
  
• Corsets - I have one pattern for a pirate corset, and I might buy another pattern. These might be a bit too much work though! ($80)
• Aprons - in fancy fabrics ($30)
• Cosies - for assorted things like bottles of wine, tea pots ($20-$50)

What do you think? Too expensive, or just a bit random?

lost

I believe that there are Gremlins in my house stealing things.

I have lost the key to a Post Office Box for a club that I am Secretary for! I have looked everywhere, and it isn't anywhere in my house and it especially isn't where it should be! This is so frustrating! I hate losing things and it has put me in a bad mood.
Actually, come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I was in a good mood.

A couple of months ago I also lost a pumpkin bag full of key rings (don't ask why I had it in the first place). It just disappeared, and the only explanation is that it was taken by the Gremlins that steal everything!

harry potter conclusion

I have finished reading all of the Harry Potter books! They were so stressful that I seriously think they were causing me headaches and making me scowl!

But, let's follow up what I mentioned in my previous post after finishing The Half Blood Prince.
- Snape will come back to the good side by saving Harry, or even sacrificing himself to help Harry,
Well Snape did kind of save Harry, and we definitely found out that he wasn't evil. I always had a soft spot for Snape although I didn't know why, but now I know it's because we both suffer from unrequited love - although it has never made me go over to the dark side!
- Hermione and Ron will either get together or date other people. I'm a bit sick of the back and forth crap.
Well Hermione finally kisses Ron when he says that they should protect the House Elves, and they end up together in the last chapter (which seemed a little quickly put together), but I don't honestly think they would have stayed together in reality - they irritated each other too much.
- Harry will realise that he is better off with Ginny than without her.
I'm not sure if Harry did realise that he was better off with Ginny, but they end up together in the end (naturally!)
- Maybe they will realise the prophecy was about Neville, and Neville will end up killing Voldemort...hmmm..
Neville didn't end up killing Voldemort, but he did help by killing the snake. So I was kind of right about that.


All in all I did enjoy the books, although I'm not sure how kids can read them as they're fairly depressing!!

dreams

I always seem to have the most crazy dreams. They're not affected by what I eat or drink, although I do sometimes find that if I eat close to my bed time I do usually have a pretty weird dream.
Some of my dreams have been:

• Walking around Windsor Castle observing the renovations, and then having to defend the Royal family from attack using a really large machine gun. This is a very exhausting dream since I'm running around all the time being shot at.
• Anacondas - for a while there I went through a period of dreaming about Anacondas. Sometimes there would just be Anacondas in my dream, at other times I was hunting Anacondas and in one dream I was part Anaconda myself!
• I have had a dream that I was at someones farm and they let me ride their Bison. The Bison and I got along really well, so the owner let me have him.
• The other night I had a dream that I was actually a guy, but I was still me. So it was more like being a girl trapped inside a boys body. And a girl wanted to have sex with me, but I wasn't really into it so I stopped, said sorry and left. Outside one of my friends was playing their keyboard (which was held together with that strong black tape).
• In another recent dream I was being held hostage by two men (in my old childhood home) because my cousin (who was actually a guy that I used to work with) owed them $9,000 in gambling debts. They were nice hostage keepers though, they offered a payment plan and everything. I ended up falling for one of the hostage keepers, or he fell for me, and having a baby with him.
• I have also had dreams where people are murdered. I'm usually just observing the murder - I'm not doing it myself or being murdered, just watching. What is weird about these murder dreams is how I just accept the murder like it's an every day thing.

Those are all of the strange dreams that spring to mind at the moment. But I think I will write my dreams on this blog in future. It will be a good way to keep track of them.

the half blood prince

Be warned - spoilers for the Harry Potter books, up to and including The Half Blood Prince, are in this post.


I have just finished reading Harry Potter: and the Half Blood Prince, and I am completely unimpressed! It was a horrible ending! I have only recently started reading all of the books, I managed to stay away from the Harry Potter phenomenon when it was happening, and I can see why people are hooked!
Although I think that I have been quite stressed and cranky lately because of these books. There are little glimpses of sunshine but then it is all gloom and doom, and I think it is getting to me! I am going to be happy once I have finished reading the last book!

But last night when Snape killed Dumbeldore, I just couldn't believe it! I know that Snape comes across as evil, and Harry hates him, but I always thought that Snape would be one of the good guys. Sure he has a few issues, don't we all! But in the long run I thought he would end up helping Harry, if not saving him. So I couldn't believe it when he ran into the room and just killed Dumbeldore, just like that. Not happy.

And then Harry breaks up with Ginny. And what a bullshit excuse, "Voldemort could use you against me if we keep going out". Well guess what genius, if you still love her, then Voldemort probably will use her against you whether you're dating or not! Boys are so dumb! Even boy wizards!!

Grrr!!

Today I will buy the last book and get to reading. This is what I'm hoping for:
- Snape will come back to the good side by saving Harry, or even sacrificing himself to help Harry,
- Hermione and Ron will either get together or date other people. I'm a bit sick of the back and forth crap.
- Harry will realise that he is better off with Ginny than without her.
- Maybe they will realise the prophecy was about Neville, and Neville will end up killing Voldemort...hmmm....

We shall wait and see.

60 years of death

Today marks the 60th Anniversary of the Communist Regime in China.
There is a Chinese guy who works in my office, and he has put up a picture of Chairman Mao and is celebrating this anniversary. I am sure that this regime did a great deal for the country but I can't help to think of the consequences, just as Hitler brought Germany back from the depression and was a successful statesman until he started killing Jews. 60 years of communism in China represents over 40 million people killed by the Chinese government. It represents the destruction of the holy country of Tibet and the peace-loving people who lived there. It represents the oppression of free speech and even free thought.
News articles (where you can find them, news.com and ninemsn seem oddly quiet) have made mention of the efforts scientists are going to to ensure that there are no clouds in the sky and it doesn't rain on the celebration parade. The Chinese regime are oppressing the natural functions of the weather, just as they oppress the natural aspirations of their people.

I cannot celebrate a country who killed hundreds of students who were staging a peaceful protest.
I cannot celebrate a country who have exiled the Dali Lama from his country.
I cannot celebrate a country who enact the toughest censorship laws in the world.
I just can't do it.

scowl

Lately I find myself scowling or pulling strange faces. I'm completely aware that I'm doing it (although I'm not doing it on purpose), and it makes me worry that I will develop horrible wrinkles and require botox...which makes me scowl even more!
I'm not sure why I'm scowling. I have a lot of my mind, and at times I'm resenting a lot of the stuff that I'm doing. I'm finding that certain things, which are meant to be fun, are not always fun they can be just plain annoying.
I would love to be able to sit at home and read or do my sewing, or just clean my house. But instead I'm at work, or doing work at home for Girls on the Move, or sorting out Tupperware crap. It's all just really annoying and I don't really want to do any of it.
But I have no 'legitimate' reason to not do this stuff, as I have found that people don't really accept "I just don't want to". But sometimes I just don't want to. I hate being really busy, I'd just like to relax, and when I'm busy I start resenting my friends because they take up even more of my time! And that's not a good way to be.
So I think my scowl might stick around for a while yet. But hopefully not long enough to make any permanent wrinkles!

fascinating fashion

Last night I attend Cor da Moda which was a fashion event held at the local Audi Centre showcasing shoes and fabulous fashions.
The tickets said "Dress to Impress" so I went out, got myself a hot glue gun and made a fascinator! I have to say, I think it worked quite well (and this really cute guy I met later on actually said "nice fascinator"!). I found these great purple feathers which matched my fabulous 1940s style shoes perfectly!!
I have to comment on the variety of styles that were at the Fashion Event. There were the fabulously stylish people, the horribly trendy guys (with too much hairspray!), the people who don't care, and then there's the people who care and try but miss! In particular there was one girl in a floral print strapless dress (worn over a black top and leggins). This might not sound too bad, but the dress was short (above the knee) and went out dramatically from the waist, hopefully with the aid of tulle. It was difficult to tell if the poufiness was from tulle or was just the way this girl was formed. She was a bit overweight so it was possible that she just had a huge ass!!
I know that sounds mean....but seriously, you should have seen what this girl was wearing! And I think she was with her mother whose dress was pinned up with bull-dog clips! It must run in the family!

vampires

With the popularity of Twilight I feel that Vampire lore is getting miscommunicated, and it is very frustrating! So I have decided to list my interpretation of the Vampires basics.

Dracula (by Bram Stoker), originally Vlad the Impaler who was the saviour of Transylvania. He was a genuine historical figure who actually did impale his victims on spikes. Bram Stoker made him a romantic character by focusing on his search for love and commitment. This Dracula can be killed by a stake through the heart or decapitation. He isn't impressed by garlic or crosses, but I don't believe they really hurt him.

Dracula (played by Gerry Butler in Dracula 2000) was actually Judas the betrayer (the guy who betrayed Jesus to the Romans). He was paid in silver, which is why silver can hurt him. He hung himself at dawn, which is why sunlight can hurt him. And his betrayal led to Jesus' death, which is why he doesn't like crosses. I don't believe garlic has any effect on him. He is also looking for true love.

Lestat & Louis (by Anne Rice) are some of the most 'humanistic' vampires. They can go out in sunlight, it will kill them, but crosses and garlic have no effect on them. They can be quite vicious or quite placid. But they are monsters, they have fangs, and they're not looking for true love (although they are probably looking for sex).

Angel & Spike (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) are probably my most favourite interpretations of vampires. They don't have souls (unless cursed by Gypsies) and therefore can be quite evil and vindictive. A whole lot of fun! They're affected by the regular things such as stakes through the heart, sunlight, crosses & garlic. These vampires are usually looking for love, or at least companionship and a little bit of fun!

Underworld (the movies) have a fairly traditional view of both vampires and werewolves. Vampires and werewolves are locked in an immortal struggle (as they should be), werewolves can be killed by silver while vampires can be killed by sunlight (or UV bullets), stake through the heart, etc.

Moonlight (TV Show) features a vampire who works as a Private Dectective, he is very cute though! Stakes don't kill these vampires, they just imobilise them. Sunlight doesn't kill them either, but it can make them sick. The only way to kill one of these is to cut off its head or burn it.

Twilight (based on the movies only) is full of mistakes and crappy decisions. The Vampires in Twilight sparkle in sunshine, they don't burn up they just shimmer! They also don't seem to have fangs or be very animalistic - how boring!! There also seems to be an issue with their werewolves who aren't so much man-wolf hybrids, but men who turn fully into wolves. As everyone knows, a werewolf is a man-wolf hybrid and therefore when they have changed into a werewolf they are half man-half wolf, not a full wolf!

morning tea

Every Thursday at my work we have Morning Tea. There is a Morning Tea roster and it is up to one person, each week, to provide morning tea for our section (which has about 20 people in it).
These morning teas usually consist of a few staples:
- mini sausage rolls
- cake of some kind
- dip and biscuits
Some people put on fabulous morning teas, while some people put on less than fabulous morning teas. Case in point: this morning we had about 4 loaves of bread (assorted types) and 4 dips (the cheapest ones you can find in the supermarket). Seriously. What a load of crap!
I know I probably shouldn't judge, but I'm very judgemental and I judge someone who is more than happy to enjoy other peoples efforts, but then provide the crappest morning tea ever!
I mean seriously! I'm already planning a menu for my morning tea, which will consist of zuchinni slice, mini crossaints, cup cakes, savory muffins, etc., but now I'm thinking maybe I will buy a packet of Jatz and one pot of dip and see how everyone takes it.

time

I am a big fan of time moving slowly, especially on weekends. You know those weekends when you get your house work done, catch up with a friend, and still have time to watch a couple of episode of Sex and the City. It's lovely. You feel like you have all the time in the world and there is no rush.
I am not a fan, however, of time moving slowly when I am at work. You know those days when you get to work, you do your first task or two and then look at the clock...and it's not even 10am yet! That's just plain upsetting.

Why is it when you are happy for the day to fly it often crawls along, whereas when you're in Melbourne for the weekend hanging out with your sister, the time flys!
I know they say "time flys when you're having fun", but there are days at work when the day does go quickly. It's just that they are few and far between.

Is there something that can be done to make time move more quickly when you're at work, and then slow down considerably when you're not? Maybe it's because I don't enjoy my work, and this morning I came in and not even one person replied to my "Good Morning" - not that that is anything new!

Hmmm....if only I could win Lotto and spend my time doing crafts and selling them on Etsy!!

cross-stitch

I have almost finished my Blue Rose cross stitch that I started a couple of weeks ago. I'm very excited and I'm going to make it into a cute little hand bag. I'll post a photo of it once I'm done.

Cross stitch is so cheap and easy to do (well I find it easy, it's just like a puzzle!), so I have decided to do more. On Etsy.com I found this great store, Bella Stitchery, and I have purchased some great "Pin Up" cross stitch patterns to make. One is a BBQ themed one, so I'm planning on working that into an apron, and the others I am planning on working into handbags. I also got a pattern of "Chat Noir" which I'll probably do and frame, or maybe work into a tote bag.

Hopefully I can churn these out fairly quickly and end up selling them on Etsy. There are some other great patterns that I would like to get including a great Rita Hayworth shot, some Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn shots, and some renaissance art and Van Gough patterns as well. It's all very exciting!!

lovely notes in birthday cards

I hope your birthday is as fabulous as your fashion sense!

You always look like Floriade!

friends

On Sunday I was lucky enough to be able to celebrate my birthday with a group of really great friends! We all gathered in Floriade (a flower festival) for a picnic. Many of my friends had baked and brought along some fabulous home made delicacies.
My birthday is on the 19th, while one of my friends celebrates hers on the 16th, and so for the second year running we have combined our birthdays. We share a lot of the same friends, and they're all really lovely and get along quite well so the joint celebration always works quite well.
While sitting there with this large group of friends I realised how lucky I am to have such fantastic and wonderful friends. They're all quite diverse, but all really lovely and they all seem to care about me (which I sometimes find strange).
My parents even commented that I have a lovely group of friends. My sister has had the same core group of friends (about 6 close girlfriends) since high school, whereas I don't talk to anyone I went to high school with (they were all bitches!). So I guess that they're happy I even have friends!! Plus my Dad loved the fact that quite a few of them made some very yummy treats!

So I will dedicate this post to my lovely friends, even the ones who couldn't make it (because I know that the girls who read my blog couldn't make it to Floriade!), and say "thanks for being such wonderful friends!".

envirosax

This morning I received the first of my 28th Birthday presents, and it was fabulous! One of my friends gave me two "Envirosax" which are great enviro-friendly bags that are very fashionable! I noticed hers the other day, I thought it was a fancy shopping bag from the fancy store we were in, but no! She keeps them with her in her handbag so she can pull them out when required. And they're required more often than not lately with so many stores deciding to charge for bags. Little do they know that their bags often act as a type of mobile advertisement!

Check out www.envirosax.com to get your very own!

They come in great designs and look so much better than these horrible Green Bags.

wedding dress

A couple of weeks ago my sister got engaged...and now the hunt is on for a theme, a venue, and of course...a dress! My sister is currently determined to go with a Red dress because it will be different and unique. For anyone else a red dress would be different and unique, but not for my sister. She once had a 'Black & White' party (where everyone had to wear black and/or white) and she wore Red so that she would stand out. That's just who she is.

I'm hoping that when we go shopping for dresses and she starts trying some on the she will change her mind about the red dress. I think a coloured dress would be lovely and I definitely don't have anything against it, but I don't think it has to be red.

Yesterday I sent her the link to Unique Vintage, and this is the dress she has currently fallen in love with:

But we must keep in mind that she has only just started looking and so there is every chance she will change her mind.

I love this dress and I think it would look great on her. More than that, I love the little veil the model is wearing. My sister has short hair and so she was already thinking that a fascinater would look better than a long veil, and I think something like this could be perfect.

bad influence

I believe that my boss has become a bad influence on me.

In an effort to find a nice dress to wear to an upcoming Christening she has taken to online shopping, and introduced me to some horrible (read: fabulous) online stores.

Unique Vintage has a range of Vintage inspired clothes from the 20s to the 60s. I have already decided that I will be purchasing a pair of 40s or 50s swimmers (think Marilyn Monroe or Esther Williams).

Mod Cloth has a range of fabulous dresses that are not necessarily vintage inspired, but still very pretty!

Both of these websites have inspired me to shop, and also to make these dresses myself. Some of the dresses are being sold for over $100, but the material would cost less than $50 (depending on the fabric you choose), and so I'm going to attempt to replicate some of the dresses I see online. I have quite a few patterns which I could use, it is just a matter of getting the right fabric and embellishments, and since I'm not actually very creative I will copy the styles on these fabulous websites.

I also think that my sister should purchase a fabulous 1930s inspired gown for her wedding - very Ginger Rogers!

etsy

A couple of months ago one of my friends was talking about this website she found where people sell handmade products. She bought a wonderful little clutch purse, and I think she also got a couple of things for her sisters and friends. Well it may have taken me a while to catch on, but I'm now in love with Etsy.com!
Not only do I think this website is great because of all of the wonderful things available to buy on it, but I'm also intrigued by the possibilities of selling things on it.
I think I will start small with some aprons or a couple of tote-bags, but then I might start making and selling more things.
Firstly I should focus on making things for Christmas, and the couple of dresses that I'd like to make. But the temptation of getting paid to do something that I enjoy is pretty great. I'd love to be able to quit my day job and just spend time writing and creating. But I suppose that if I was forced to make things every day I would probably tire of it pretty quickly.

vintage patterns

I have found some of the most wonderful vintage dress patterns on Ebay.

This pattern I bought for just over $5! I am really happy and I'm planning to make the sleevless straight dress in a blue/black/white check for work. Some other patterns that I was bidding on ended up going for a lot higher than I was willing to pay for them. I suppose you could look at these patterns one of two ways:
A) A great historical piece to be kept in pristine condition; or
B) A great historical style to be made and worn again and again!
I am going with the latter view.

green with envy

I envy people who are able to get paid doing something they love.
I envy people who have thorough and devoted support networks to help them and look after them.
I envy people who are truly happy.
I envy people who have true companionship.

I work in a not always positive environment where there are sometimes bitchy, or at least not very nice, comments thrown my way. My work is un-stimulating and slightly frustrating. And most times if you walk into my section it is dead silent. People in other sections refer to it as The Morgue.

I have a pile of washing up to do, a pile of ironing to do, I need to clean my bath, wash my bike, and generally try and keep my house clean. There are many people who don't have to do all of this on their own. Some people don't have to do any of it because they have wives or husbands (or maids) who do it for them. I often wish I had some help.

Sometimes I feel happy, and other times I don't feel happy. Are there people in the world who are truly happy? Or does that only exist in Disney? I often wish that I was in a Disney film, although admittedly the heroes and heroines in those films aren't always happy. Even when they do get to live happily ever after they've usually gone through a fair amount of heartache to get there (Snow White: poisoned; Sleeping Beauty: pricked her finger; Cinderella: locked up; Jasmine: held captive; Belle: attacked by wolves; Ariel: almost drowned; Pocahontas: causes a friends death; Mulan: gets attacked by Huns...you get the idea).

True companionship - humph! I can barely get my cat to stay in my apartment with me. I haven't had a decent date in almost two years, and I've never had an 'official' boyfriend. So yes, I envy those who are fortunate enough to have a true companion. Someone to share joys and sorrows with, someone to walk along the path that is life with.

I envy.