ballgown

This is my ballgown.

I love this dress so much. Even when the dress is bustled (see below) it is still magnificent! And I am so comfortable in it (which give more evidence to the idea that I was born in the wrong century). All I need now is somewhere to wear it!

psychic - i don't think so!

Yesterday I spent $50 going to a "Wellbeing and Spiritual Festival" where I saw a psychic.
Along with there psychic there were many stalls offering 'healing energy' and all of that. I really have to wonder about paying someone $20 or more to hold their hands over me and claim that they are healing me. There was also a guy there with these mobile chicken coops who said to me "call me Uncle Joseph", which just sounded wrong and very pedophile-like.
So my Psychic reading was very disappointing. The woman was just plain crap! And she didn't even make up anything good. The most interesting things she said were:
- Something will happen that will change your life, but there's no way to predict what that is,
- There are people who are jealous of me because I "have it all",
- I'm going to meet a man before the end of the year.
She was just so crap!! If you're going to be a dodgy psychic then you should at least make up some decent stuff!!

lost

This weekend saw me riding my motorbike to Sydney, taking 4 hours (each way) and then an extra 30 minutes or more spent lost around Sydney. It was very funny! And I was very happy to get off the bike!
As a Learner I technically can't go over 80kms/h in NSW, however the speed limit on the highway is 110kms/h. So I was pottering along at about 95kms/h and made good time. It wasn't too uncombfortable. My seat is quite nicely padded, so it was probably just my shoulders that ended up hurting.
I made three stops on the way up - one for McNuggets at Macca's, one shortly after then to put on another jumper (it was a bit cool), and one to put in some more petrol. But then once I was in Sydney I had to stop and consult the GPS on my phone 4 times before I found my way to the hotel!!

On the way back I had to stop once to check my directions as I had gotten lost again, and then stopped twice on the way back. Once for food and a much needed toilet break (I was close to pulling over to the side of the road!), and once for petrol. All up I put about $20 worth of petrol in the bike, didn't pay for parking and I'm waiting to see if I get any toll notices. That is a big difference from the $110 it would have cost me in the car!

But the funny thing about getting lost on a bike is that it is quite difficult to read a map while you're riding (it's actually impossible), so I had to pull over, turn off the bike, and get out my phone so that I could use the GPS to work out where I was. But even though this is quite incconvinient and in a car I could just look at a map while I was driving, it really isn't at all stressful. I just kind of ride around aimlessly looking for the right sign, hoping I don't end up on some road that I can't get off of.

And the traffic in Sydney is not as bad as I thought it would be. In Canberra if you put your indicator on and try to slot into a space in front of the car next to you, the person in that car takes it as a personal insult and tries to kills you. In Sydney no one really cares. So I was slotting in and out of traffic and I didn't once feel like I was going to die. I also think that in Sydney people are much more used to driving close to people and so are actually maybe a little more aware.

dream diary 6

On the weekend, while napping, I had a dream about a man. The man was inspired by either the character of Eric Northman in True Blood, or the actor himself, Alexander Skarsgard.It was a fairly innocent dream, nothing too kinky, and the one major part that stands out in my memory is fixing his tie and collar before he left for work. We were together, not just shagging, but as a couple. (for more specific details he was wearing a blue, green and white striped shirt with a very nice matching tie, but the collar was messed up and as I fixed it he smiled at me - I think he must have been sitting down since he is 6'4"!!)


It is really easy to interpret this dream: I'm lonely.

date was a bust

So it turns out after all of my stress yesterday I can probably put the date into the category:
"He doesn't like me"

Everything was fine during the date. We were chatting, laughing. No awkward silences and he didn't say anything to annoy me. He is maybe a little full of himself (but apparently that is a common trait for an economist).
But then the end of the date comes, we go to the counter to pay and I pull my purse out. I'm waiting for the "oh don't worry, I've got this", but as I'm pulling money out of my wallet and the waitress is taking it I realise that it isn't coming. And obviously, he's just not that in to me.
We stand outside the cafe where he says "It was nice to meet you" (a dismissal if ever I've heard one), and I just said "yep, good to see you" and then we walked our separate ways.

I would love to know if it was something in particular that turned him off. I obeyed all of my friends rules and so he shouldn't have been freaked out - I didn't even ask him if he was married! And I guess it's fair enough if he just doesn't like me. There have been plenty of guys that are nice enough that I just don't like. But still, considering he arranged the date and all of that I have to wonder what changed.
And during the date, when he was telling me how drunk he had been when we met, I said "I'm surprised you even remembered me to text me", to which he replied "well I always remember the important things". That would count as a good sign wouldn't it? Obviously not.

first date angst

My first date with the new guy 'Michael' is fast approaching. It is fast approaching because it was meant to be tomorrow night, but instead it has been changed to tonight.
This means that the carefully planned first date outfit, hair and makeup is not being used. Instead I'm in my standard work clothes (thankfully I made a bit of an effort today), and I'm riding my motorbike, which means that my hair is not perfect.
I am taking consolation in the fact that when he met me I was not looking my hottest. That is, I've looked hotter.

So after work tonight (well at 6, which means I will hang around work for a while) we will meet for coffee (well hot chocolate since I don't drink coffee).

My angst is as follows:
- What if I really am affected by ugly lights, meaning that in day light I look like crap?
- What if I really like him but he doesn't like me?
- What if he really likes me, but I don't like him?
- What if he is married?
- What if it all does work out? What happens then? Where does this lead?
- What if I spill my drink down my front?
- What if he stands me up?
- What if I talk to much?
- What if there are awkward silences?
UGHHHHH!!!!!!

the drought has broken

After at least a year of not one guy asking for my number, the drought has finally broken! Last week my valued wing-woman and I were shocked that we spent a fair amount of time flirting with some guys (I was flirting, she was supporting) and they didn't make a move or ask for my number. What's with that! So when I went out last night it was with the expectation that it would be a quiet night and once again all boys would be poo. But I was proven wrong!

Dancing away with my friends in T&G I noticed a guy through the crowd. He looks like (or at least has an air of) Michael from Grease 2 (see below). He was tall, light brown hair, button-down shirt unbuttoned enough to show some chest hair (my friends and I agreed that it was very 'manicured' but I liked it anyway!). He has a cute smile and even a chin dimple (slight, and discovered once he moved closer). He just has the clean-cut look about him, but as we know from Grease 2, the clean cut guys can become 'Cool Riders' and join the T-Birds!
So I smiled at Michael (as he will hence forth be known), and he definitely saw me. BTW, just so you know I had on a black short skirt, black heels, maroon top, the top half of my hair pulled back and my glasses on. I, naturally, pointed Michael out to my friends and one of the agreed that he did look like Michael from Grease 2. I noticed Michael talking to his friend and his friend then looking over at us.

So we kept dancing away, Michael made his way over towards us and then stood behind me. When someone walked past and luckily I had to fall back into Michael he made his move. And his opening line....."Do you girls work in the public service?".
Me: "No".
Him: "Because those glasses look nerdy"
Me: "I'm going for the naughty librarian look"
And from there we were off and running.

At one point I thought he was after one of my friends, which I resigned myself to but happily knew he would be disappointed since she has a boyfriend. But she maintains that she could tell he was always interested in me. He was a little random, asking how tall I am and being amazed at how tiny I am. He picked me up to confirm that I was tiny (he's 6'2", an economist and 32 years old).
Anyways, eventually he grabbed me for a bit of a 'groove/grind' (which I'm not really in to because I like to be able to dance normally without obstruction). Then I said "we're going to King O'Malley's now"....and he asked for my number!!
Wooohooo!!

Then we left and I let him kiss me on the cheek, to which he responded "You can do better than that" and he got a kiss on the mouth - but not a pash. I'm not going to give the milk away for free. And there was a couple who had basically be mating on the dance floor, which put me off any kind of smooching in public.

BTW - why is it when you only give guys a peck they respond with "you can do better than that". It's not the first time a guy has said that to me and I just think it is the weirdest comment.

I already received a message from Michael, at 5am saying "Sorry I didn't get back to you, my phone died". I responded this morning with "then I'm lucky you got my number before your phone died ;-)". We'll see if anything progresses from there...I'm trying not to get my hopes up since boys are poo, but we'll see.

the library

Today I re-joined my local Library. It turns out that I was actually still a current member, although I hadn't been there since 2004. I also had a current fine from returning some books late in 2004. The books were all politics ones that were obviously for an essay for Uni - damn Uni! You have cost me so much!!


But I have to say that the new Library (well I went to a new one, there are still plenty of old ones around) is quite fancy. There is a new self-check system that reads micro-chips in the books, so you don't have to scan them one at a time, and I do believe that the range of what the library carries has increased.


Today I borrowed Hell Island by Matthew Reilly as an Audio Book for my drive to Sydney this weekend. The book only goes for just over 2 hours, but all the other ones that were there go for over 10 hours! And since it's only a 3 hour drive to Sydney I figure I can mix the book with some music listening.


There is also this great system of being able to go online and request items. So I requested the latest Matthew Reilly book (I'm 70th in line for that) and 90 Day Geisha. I also have a list of other books that I want to read, so I'm going to use the 'My List' system they have where you can add heaps of books to your list and then request them when you're ready to read them. Then they ship the books to the library that you choose and off you go.


Really it's all very civilised.

the stranger

She didn't know him, but as their eyes met she knew that she wanted to.
He had turned around and left the counter just as she walked in, and they almost collided. He looked at her and then looked away as he said 'excuse me' and made his way around her. She watched him walk away, her eyes taking in every inch of him as he went to a table and sat down. She quickly looked away and walked to the counter to place her order.


As she stood waiting for her hot chocolate she allowed her gaze to wander back to where he was sitting. He had taken out a book and was reading it while sipping his coffee. She sighed as the barrister handed her her drink. Across the cafe she walked, wondering if he was watching her. As she walked through the door she turned for one more glance to find that he had been watching her and once again their eyes met. She gave a small smile and turned walking out of the cafe and away from the man.

what I did today

Today is Sunday, and after an early morning motorbike ride (ok, it was 11am but since it's Sunday that is pretty early!) I decided to finally make something with this fabulous material I saw a while ago.
When I saw this fabric I fell in love with it...I was just drawn to it for some reason. But at $24.95 per meter I was naturally very hesitant to splurge on it. To put things in perspective I usually spend about $8 per meter on material, lately I have been lucky enough to find some great fabrics on sale (but even at full price they're no more than $15 per meter!).
When I finally realised that I couldn't stop thinking about it I went to buy a couple of meters so that I could make a summer dress (halter neck style). Unfortunately they only had 1 meter left! But I bought it and today I made this skirt.
I had a particular idea of what I wanted, but unfortunately I didn't have a pattern that would create my idea...so I made it without a pattern! I had an idea and I made it happen. I know it's a pretty simple skirt, but it is a Duchess original!
People often say "you must have so much time on your hands" when I tell them that I have made something. But this skirt only took me a couple of hours. And sure, I probably should have been cleaning my house, but apart from housework what else would I be doing if I wasn't sewing?

saying goodbye

Last weekend I was out at my parents place and I decided to help with my Mum's effort to clean up by sorting through some of the stuff that she is still keeping for me. I found some great treasures (a couple of watches), a lot of that stuff you keep for no reason (boxes from jewellery), and things that I thought it was time to let go of.

In particular I threw out my horse ribbons and most of my horse books (I only kept one).
After being involved with horses through most of my teen years I became un-involved when my parents and I moved to the country. It turns out that it is harder to find horse agistment in the country than it is to find it in the city. I moved my horse from a paddock that had established yards, dressage arena, jumps and trail rides to an empty paddock with nothing in it. I also went from a paddock where other people would ride and you could make friends to not knowing anyone. Then when I decided to go to Uni and I was working a lot I realised that rather than leave my lovely horse (who was still quite young) sitting in a paddock doing nothing I should sell him to someone who would use him.

My horse, Doc Holliday, is now in the Snowy Mountains doing regular horse treks and apparently he is well taken care of. Selling my horse is one thing that I really regret. But I have to be honest and say that I didn't ride him half as much as a should. I had a bad fall from him and I was admittedly a bit nervous. He is better off somewhere where people ride him regularly.

So when sorting through all of the stuff Mum has kept for me I came across a pile of horse ribbons that I had won when I was young. There was only one blue ribbon, and that belonged to Doc not me. One of my friends took him in an event and won on him - something I never could do. So the ribbons have gone. The saddles have gone (except for one that my Dad has kept for himself, just in case). The grooming kit has gone and the horse books have gone as well. I have let go of that part of my life, but I yearn for the day when I will have the time and money to ride again.

dream diary 5

Last night I had a dream that I am sure I have had before.


In the dream I am in some kind of military unit (I don't know whether it is the army, or a private thing) and I'm in Central America or Mexico to be exact.
I arrive on the base with a heap of other people (I think before hand there were some issues with packing). While I'm sitting on a bench taking in the surroundings, which includes a body of water, I see an Alligator coming up! Oh my god!! I jump up on the bench and start freaking out! But it turns out that the alligators are actually soldiers who turn in to alligators in the water, but are human on land, and can be stored in photographs so that they don't take up a heap of room when travelling.


With one of the other women I start going through a series of gates when she tells me to stop and starts trying to get something off my back. It turns out that there was a giant black scorpion on my back!! Arghh!!


Then we go into a room where we're all dancing and making fun of our national dances. The zoom gets stuck on my camera while I'm taking photos, but I fix it.

The end.

Weird, huh?

Some interpretations from www.dreammoods.com:
Alligator: To see an alligator in your dream symbolises treachery, deceit, and hidden instincts.

Scorpion: To see a scorpion in your dream represents a situation in your waking life which may be painful or hurtful.

Army: To dream that you join the army suggests your feelings of superiority. You feel that no one is a match for you.

Dance: To dream that you are dancing signifies freedom from any constraints and restrictions. Your life is balanced and in harmony.



Those are some pretty conflicting symbols to have in the one dream!

divorce

Everywhere I turn people seem to be splitting up, getting divorced or cheating on their partners.


There is the friend I work with - her husband left her when their 2nd child was less than 12 months old.


There is the friend of my sisters - her husband left her with 4 children, no job and no work history (she started breeding as soon as they got married right after school).


There is my uncle - his partner of close to 30 years kicked him out and had a new guy move in after a week (how she found a new man I have no idea!!).


There are the parents of a friend of a friend - they went away, the husband went home early and by the time the wife got home he had cleared out all of his stuff and left her.


There is the husband of one of my friends - I think he makes advances towards me, but I just freeze him out. I feel, however, that were I to encourage it he would easily cheat on his wife.


Then there are a lot of my friends and people I work with who complain about their partners. And most of the women in my Women's Motorcycle Club are divorced - getting a motorbike seems to be the thing to do if you get jilted!


I know a lot of this blog is me complaining about being single. But I am quite happy to not have to wonder if my partner is flirting with the new girl at work, or if he is leaning too closely to one of my friends, or if I have his babies will he leave me. I am quite happy to be single to avoid these thoughts.

a year in review

I am about to throw out my 2009 Diary, but thought I should go through it an see if there is anything I need from it, as well as taking the opportunity to review the year of 2009.

January
On 29 & 30 December 2008 I got my motorcycle L's, so I started the year with an exciting new adventure! I picked up my new bike (Pagsta 250cc Cruisa) on the 10th. I also had three social events to go to that weekend. Then there were social events through the week and on the next weekend as well. January ended with my sister visiting, and me getting badly sunburnt at the Australia Day concert.

February
In February I went on my first ride with Girls on the Move, and became a Tupperware demonstrator as well. I was hating my job as a Marketing Manager (well more hating the people I was working with than the job itself) and I was itching to do something else. I was studying French on Monday nights and doing Swing dancing on Thursdays. There were also a lot of social gatherings going on. I decided to quit my job and start my own Event Management business. I also started getting injections for my upcoming trip to Egypt. I finished work on Thursday 26 February.

March
I started March looking for work, but I have come to the conclusion that Employment Agencies are a complete waste of time for people looking for work! They may do their jobs if you're looking to hire someone, but if you're trying to find work they are no help at all. They put you through a long interview and assorted tests and it is a waste of time! But early in March I found employment through a friend of mine and I have been there ever since. March was also the month of my super wedding weekend, with a wedding on Saturday and one on Sunday. They were both great, but I was exhausted afterwards! I also met my sister's French boyfriend.
By this time I was also doing Tupperware parties and quickly learning how annoying Tupperware is! I also found a new crush at my work.

April
I departed for Egypt in April and spent a month travelling around Egypt and Jordan, returning to Canberra in early May.

May
Back in Australia, back at work, back in to Tupperware and back into my social life. I also did a few Yoga classes at the gym I was paying for, but not using. Another thing I started was a walking group with my friends. I would send out an email and go for a walk every weekend. This really only lasted just over a month! I think May was when I started losing touch with one of my friends, or noticing that she was in a different space to me and that we really have nothing in common any more.

June
June started with my motorbike breaking down in the middle of the night. Very annoying! Then I started noticing how dismal my finances were. This led to a change in Health Insurance, which hopefully won't come back to bite me on the bum!

July
In July I decided to cancel my planned trip to New York (I was going to go in November). I realised that my finances just weren't going to accomodate it. And there were social things that I wanted to be able to do, and I didn't want to have to say the dreaded "I can't afford to go out" - it's so boring! I also went rock climbing this month, it was great fun! And I started tap dancing, also fun but a bit tricky at first.

August
August was a social month with quite a few outings due to the Fireside Festival - this included some trivia nights, dinners, etc. This was also the month of the dreaded hens night, where I got so drunk that I vomited on myself in the taxi home. It was hideous! I hope never to repeat it!! I also got my first official client in August, although really they're my friends, but they are insisting on paying me, so that's official enough! I also started my blog in August.

September
This is the month that my sister got engaged, by bike broke down again, I started making my first quilt, I went to my first Opera, and I think I started giving up on my crush round about nowish.

October
Looking through my diary October seems to be quite boring. But thinking back it was horribly hectic. It was the month of Motorcycle Awareness Week and GOTM were working hard on the Pink Ribbon Ride, and the MAW Fashion Parade. And nothing wears me out more than dealing with unorganised useless people. So it may have been quiet, but I think that is because I couldn't deal with talking to anyone!

November
In November I committed to advertising in the Local Wedding Guide for 2010 and I took a week off from work to just take some time out. Instead of taking time out or doing all of my house work that I needed to do, I sarted making my wonderful Regency period dress. This is the month that I also decided to submit items to the Craft section of our "State Fair" in February 2010. Sometime in the past couple of months, I can't remember when exactly, I coloured my hair changing myself from a brunette to a red head or "ranger".

December
Apart from the usual Christmas things (which this year also included making a lot of my own gifts) nothing else is happening.

So that's my year. I did a thing on facebook that listed some of my status updates for the year and it was very funny! I'm a bit crazy with "I love boys" then "I hate boys", it made me laugh to look back on it.
Hopefully I've made you laugh as well.

the dress that launched a thousand ships

I don't know why I have titled this post "the dress that launched a thousand ships", but maybe because I think it should be able to launch a thousand ships. I made it from scratch with my own two hands and I am pretty impressed by it.
The pattern is from Butterick and the material is from Spotlight.
It probably cost around $100 to make (including pattern, fabric, lining, trim, etc.) and would have taken roughly 30 hours - the longest part being the cutting of the fabric and the overlocking of the edges.
Huge thanks have to go out to my Mum who paid for all of the materials (part of my Christmas pattern) and helped me by pinning the hem and yelling at me to stand straight so that the hem would be straight!

If I use this pattern again to make a more simple dress I will make the sleeves a little pouffy! What do you think??

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.