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.

dress making

Today I have started making a new spring/summer dress after being inspired by the positive response I received from everyone yesterday when I was wearing my blue/red tulle 40s dress that I made. My dress didn't fall off and everyone seemed impressed by it, a few people want me to make them dresses (not going to happen), and one woman has asked me to make her the exact same dress and is going to pay me $100, which is pretty cool!
I also got some different materials so that I can make a couple of work dresses, which I'm pretty excited about. I do enjoy making things, and now that I know I can make a dress that won't fall off I'm looking forward to making a lot more!

you'll be next

While at a wedding on Saturday I got a bit teary when the Bride was leaving, and one of my friends said to me (in an effort to console me) "Don't worry, you'll be next!".
The comment made me wonder two things:
1. Why did she automatically assume that I was crying because I'm single? I was actually a bit teary because I was a little drunk and I'm going to miss my friend.2. Why do people always say "you'll be next" even though the actual statistical likelihood of me getting married is next to none! There are many other people who have already been with their boyfriends for years, and I haven't had a decent date for 18 months or more, so really I'm not going to be next.

I guess the comment did make me stop crying pretty quick because I was just kind of shocked by it, so it achieved what my friend meant it to achieve. But it has also been playing on my mind because I'm wondering why she would just blatantly lie and who exactly she thinks I'm going to marry, especially since she confirmed that the guy I've had a crush on at work likes someone else at work and that they've been emailing non-stop, blah, blah, blah! So just who am I meant to be marrying?

christmas plan

I know it is only September, but after chatting to my friends last night I have decided that it is time I get started on my Christmas Plan!
The plan is: to hand-make gifts for my friends and family. I'm not sure how much money this will save me (as I believe a quilt can be a bit expensive to make), but I think it will be quite nice to give some hand made gifts rather than just store bought crap. I may team some of my gifts with little touches from L'Occitane (my new favourite shop!).
The items I am thinking of making include:

• apron
• oven Mitt
• Christmas Stocking
• a variety of handbags/purses
• table accessories (place mats etc.)
• lap quilt
  

Hopefully people like the gifts I give them and don't think I'm being dodgy!

home decorating

When I got home from work today I did some home decorating! I bought some vinyl decals from Ebay last week, and they arrived today so I put them up straight away.
We have a lovely Cherry Blossom tree for my bathroom.

And a lovely city-scape shot of Paris on my bedroom window (with my Cat approving).
While I was putting up the Cherry Blossom in my bathroom my cat actually started trying to climb it! It was very funny, but of course he stopped by the time I got my camera out.

Both of these items were bought from the Ebay Store "Ozdecocomau".

as long as your eyes are blue

Wilt thou love me, sweet, when my hair is grey
And my cheeks have lost their hue?
When the charms of youth shall have passed away,
Will your love as of old prove true?

For the looks may change, and the heart may range,
And the love be no longer fond;
Wilt thou love with truth in the years of youth
And away to the years beyond?

Oh, I love you, sweet, for your locks of brown
And the blush on your cheek that lies --
But I love you most for the kindly heart
That I see in your sweet blue eyes.

For the eyes are the signs of the soul within,
Of the heart that is leal and true,
And mine own sweetheart, I shall love you still,
Just as long as your eyes are blue.

For the locks may bleach, and the cheeks of peach
May be reft of their golden hue;
But mine own sweetheart, I shall love you still,
Just as long as your eyes are blue.

by Banjo Paterson, first published in The Bulletin, 1891.

robert the bruce

Last night I met a man who resembled Robert the Bruce from Braveheart. Unfortunately it turned out that he wasn't Robert the Bruce at all! He is studying for a PhD in Chemistry apparently because he missed out on being in a residential college during his Bachelors degree so he decided he would stay at uni for as long as possible.
Isn't that reassuring? A man who looks like Robert the Bruce is actually basically a 12 year old!
He also kept doing the same dance move over and over again, swinging me out, swinging me in, bla bla bla! The first couple of times it was fun, but then I was just plain bored!

geisha

I think I may have been a Geisha in a previous life.
A few things have led me to this assumption:
1. I simply adore Cherry blossoms. Something about them makes me smile;
2. I'm unusually (when compared with my friends) good at kneeling quite artistically;
3. When presented with a fan the other day I simply wanted to dance with it and make beautiful movements through the air; and
4. As they say in Memoirs of a Geisha "To a man, a geisha can only be half a wife. We are the wives of nightfall".
I feel that I am not meant to be truly loved (as Queen Victoria was truly loved). The only love I receive is half love, the love of nightfall I suppose.
Therefore I assume that I was a Geisha in a previous life.

the young victoria

What a wonderful film! I just returned home from taking myself to see The Young Victoria and it is a movie I would highly recommend. It seems to be fairly historically accurate, and the love story between Victoria and Albert, whether accurate or not, was just lovely.
I have to admit that I shed a few tears towards the end of the film, in particular after Albert jumps in front of a bullet aimed at Victoria (one of about 5 throughout her reign!) and says to her
You are my whole existence, and I will love you until my very last breath.
It is the most beautiful of sentiments and I hope one day that someone will say something similar to me.

I also have to acknowledge the fabulous costumes in the film. They were spectacular and amazing, and worn very well by the actors who seemed very comfortable in them. I am often annoyed when watching historical movies and seeing the actors look quite uncomfortable in their period costumes (Keira Knightley is a big culprit of this!).

glamorous dita

When googling for pictures of Glamorous women I came to the conclusion that Dita Von Teese is the most glamorous of them all.Dita is a fabulous model of how a woman should look, with curves, natural (looking anyway) hair, and natural (not spray-tanned) skin. She is beautiful and classicly glamorous.

Even when she is out doing some shopping, with minimal make up on, she still looks glamorous.

She has an inner beauty and style that I admire. And I would strongly reccommend to everyone that you purchase her book as it is a wonderful read, with great photos and a lot of history about style and the art of burlesque.

a thousand years

I don't know what it is, but I sometimes feel as though I could sleep for a thousand years.

Recently my cat has started waking me up at 6:30am so that he can go outside, and from then I really should pull my lazy butt out of bed and start my day, but I just can't bring myself to do it.

Today I would have happily slept until 10am at least! But no, I pulled myself out of bed at 7:15am and came in to work. It is a lovely day outside, but I think there are a few other people at work who would rather be in bed. It's really rather morgue like at my work sometimes. Very quiet, everyone either working hard or pretending they are working hard. Laughter is rare, as are conversations between staff. There is no music, no background noise, if you take a phone call everyone can listen to your conversation. People walk in to our section and I think it freaks them out a little bit that we're always just sitting at our desks not interacting with each other.

It freaks me out.

internet revolution

This morning at work the internal network was down and no one could access the programs requried for us to do our work. It made me wonder "what did people do before the internet?". So much of the work in my organisation is internet based. We look online at international qualifications and accords, direct people to our website when they need more information, and email people letting them know that they haven't certified their documents properly.

Apparently in the 'olden days' instead of the internet that had heaps of books and folders with information in them, and everything would have been done by snail-mail and the phone. But it is really quite amazing. The internet has taken over our lives, and even the parts where we still did things the old fashioned way (in particular I'm thinking of invitations) you can now do online. Paperless Post do lovely online invitations that come with an envelope and everything! It's a great concept, and is quicker than hand making 50 invitations...but does it take away that personal touch?

Has the internet changed things for the better or taken away personal communication and put a computer in between us all?

How many of you would rather email or text than actually call someone?

When was the last time you hand wrote someone a letter?

sexy biker chick

Nothing makes me feel more free than riding my motorcycle.
Today I cruised in to work, and even though my new windscreen is obviously in the wrong position (and caused my head to get buffeted around something chronic) it was still so much fun! As I was walking into work I saw my crush (who has lost a fair bit of his charm of late), and stopped to hold the door open for him. I then walked ahead of him, helmet in hand, cute butt in a pair of cargos, and auburn pony-tail streaming.
Even though I'm so over trying to impress him or even make him like me, it was still a great feeling! For some reason holding my helmet and knowing that I just rode in on a motorbike (something that not even that many men do!) made me feel untouchable!
Don't hate me, 'cause you ain't me!

in love

While twirling around in the spring sunshine, under the cherry blossoms of Canberra, my friend said to me "look at you, you must be in love!". And I said "you're right! I'm in love with ME!" I'm seeming to be quite happy at the moment. I'm busy, but enjoying everything that I'm doing, and I have more exciting things coming up in the future that I am really looking forward to.

This weekend I am auditioning for Singin' in the Rain (which I'm quite nervous about), celebrating one friend's birthday, helping another friend with her wedding preparations and going for a ride on my motorbike with my Dad for Father's Day.

The weekend after that is my friend's wedding - which means I really have to finish the dress I've been working on for months now!

The weekend after that is my birthday and after going to the Opera on Saturday I will be going to Floriade and afternoon tea at the Hyatt on Sunday.

I then have a weekend off before I go to Melbourne to visit my sister who will probably be engaged by then! So there will be lots of wedding dress shopping and general merriment to be enjoyed.

Then it is my best friend's birthday and the day long Winery tour she has planned.

That brings us half way into October, and that is just my social commitments. I have included my Girls on the Move commitments or Tupperware (which hopefully I can get rid of!).\

So I have to ask...how could I honestly have a boyfriend at the moment? I would only want to see him if he was going to clean my house!

My pefect man would:

- have a motorbike

- clean my house

- buy me nice things

- help me rehearse for Singin' in the Rain

- get along with my cat

I don't think a guy like that would exist in real life.

jaunty hat

Today is the first day of spring and the weather prediction was for a fine and sunny 14 degrees. So I decided not to wear a full coat today (I have a high waisted skirt on with a matching little 3/4 sleeve jacket) and instead wear a hat while I was outside and commuting.
I pulled out my cream beanie/beret, which complemented my predominantly black and cream outfit nicely, and suited the waves I put in my auburn hair perfectly.
I've also pulled out my Voodoo swirly-seemed stockings, which are such a lovely touch to any outfit. I am determined to get some more when I see them.

I'm thinking that next time I pull together such a lovely outfit, with great accessories, I need to get some photos so that I can put them on my blog. I shall see how I'm looking when I get home tonight and might take a photo then.

sewing circle

On Saturday I had a most lovely day with some friends of mine. One of my friends hosted a group of us at her house and had set up her dining room so that we could all bring our sewing machines along and do some sewing! Three of my friends were working on their quilts (which are coming along very nicely!), one of my friends was finished off a winter coat, a friend who hasn't used a sewing machine since high school created a bucket bag, and I whipped up an apron for a woman at work.

It was such a lovely day sitting around sewing and gossiping - a bit of a "stitch and bitch" session - while the rain poured down outside. I could just imagine us all sitting around in the olden days hand sewing quilts! It was really lovely and I'm looking forward to doing it again.

spring

Spring is busting out all over!

In Canberra the blossoms have started to bloom, Floriade is being prepared, people are falling in love and babies are being born. If we were in a Hollywood musical we would all burst into song!

I should point out, however, that it is Canberra and while the sky may be blue and the blossoms may be blooming, the wind is still icy cold.

But Spring is a time of new beginnings and fresh starts. Out with the old, in with the new. Spring clean your house, your wardrobe and your life!

vivacious

Of all the words in the English language the one I really love is "vivacious". I love the way it sounds, the way it is used, and what it implies.
In Gone with the Wind when the other Southern Belles are being mean about Scarlett O'Hara behind her back Melanie Hamilton (soon to be Mrs Ashley Wilkes) says that Scarlett is "just high spirited and vivacious". My sister and I will often use this line in describing each other as it is really quite perfect for almost any situation.

On Monday I had a job interview and I received the rejection email that afternoon. I wasn't too crushed because the two women I interviewed with were wearing this horrible ill-fitting grey suits and I was worried that it was some kind of uniform, and I just don't do ill-fitting grey suits! Anyway, when I sent out a group text to tell some of my friends that I had the interview and didn't get the job (probably beacuse I'm too stylish) one of my friends wrote back "You're to vivacious to work at that place". Isn't that a lovely thing to say. And she's probably correct. I had on a lovely blue and purple Cue dress, vintage black boots, and my auburn hair half pulled back with ringlets falling. While the women who interviewed me were wearing pale pastel colours shirts with their ill-fitting grey suits, and had boring hair. I definitely would have stood out in that office.
I stand out in most offices - that sounds conceited, but I'm just "high spirited and vivacious!"

tuesday morning

It is Tuesday morning, about 9:30am, and I am sitting on my bed with my cat doing some assorted work and stuffing around. Why aren't I at work I hear you ask, well because my hot water system is being replaced and although the plumbers offered to just let themselves in, I thought it was best if I was at home.
Winston (my cat) has been a little weird, he doesn't really like strangers. At the moment he is stretched out with his little hand (paw) on my pen that I had been using. I have no idea what he is planning to do with it, write his memoirs maybe?

When I started this blog I was intending to blog every single day, but unfortunately I have been a little bit slack over the last couple of days. I will blame my friends and all of the alcohol I drank over the weekend at my friends hen's night. It was a very messy night, but I guess what is youth for if not to get a little messy every now and then?

I also failed miserably in my declaration to not talk to my crush at all. I was going alright, there was even one stage when we were both in the kitchen at work and I didn't say anything I just filled up my water bottle, but then he asked me something and I had to succumb to his charms and talk to him. We then had a very funny interlude as he played an email prank on myself and some fellow coworkers. But then he came to play pool with us at lunch and when it came time to him choosing someone to play with he didn't choose me. Which made me eager to remind myself of my declaration and the fact that boys are poo!

Today I will eventually go into work, because if I don't I will just have a heap more work to do tomorrow, and I will try my best to ignore my crush and do some work. Some of my friends think I should just ask my crush out....I just don't want to have to sit there as he tells me that he's just not that into me.

stormy weather

Tomorrow I am attending a Hen's Night (well it's starting at 1 in the afternoon) on a boat! The last time I was on a boat was for my friends Wedding Reception, and it was not fun. This boat was out on the sea (or along the coast anyway) and the seas were quite rough and we all got sea sick! We were told that it would take only 30 minutes to get to a sheltered spot where we would drop anchor for the actual reception, but it ended up taking over an hour. There is no worse sight than a bride haning over the back of a boat vomiting.

We have checked the weather forecast and are expecting it to be a bit cool, but we're all hoping that it won't be rough. This boat will be out on a Lake, but I have seen the Lake very rough sometimes where there is bad weather. We have already decided that we will mutiny and take control of the ship should we find ourselves to be unhappy.

Wish us luck!

wink

Isn't it amazing what a simple facial tick can do.
For example a wink from a certain someone can make your knees go week.
Although there is every possibility that it was just a facial tick and it didn't actually mean anything.

Yes, this post may be about that guy I'm not supposed to be posting about. But don't worry, I got my boss to pinch me! It's all about negative reinforcement.

desperation

While watching The Farmer Wants a Wife the other night I was shocked by the clear looks of desperation on the faces of the women participating in the show. They are standing there loudly proclaiming that they want to have kids and a family, that they are ready to settle down, and that they are falling for the man that they have only met a couple of times.
Some of the women are getting quite competitive, not wanting their farmers to pay any attention to the other women. While others are getting quite upset when the farmers are not paying attention to them.
One of them said to Farmer Nate, "Nate, can I talk to you for a second". Now she has met him twice before (initially for a five minute speed date, and then as part of a group date), and has now been on his farm for a day and a half. No girl in her right mind would say to a guy she has just started dating "can we talk" in that serious and dreaded tone. But these girls don't seem to mind. They are doing everything that we are constantly being told not to do. And still the show will end with these farmers having chosen one of these desperate girls.
Meanwhile in real life I am still on the shelf gathering dust. I would like to think that I don't appear to be desperate (at least not as desperate as these women on Farmer Wants a Wife), but maybe that's what I'm doing wrong.
Maybe I should throw myself at some guys feet and say "I feel a strong connection with you and I know you feel it too! I can't wait to have heaps of children with you!!" and then start crying. Is that what guys want nowadays? Does my independent, Pussycat Dolls "I don't need a man" persona make them uncomfortable? Hmmm.....

gus gus

I may have a parasite. I have named it Gus after the very cute mouse in Cindarella.
Click here to see the best of Gus.

In about three weeks I should know whether I have a parasite (and have killed it through a course of antibiotics - poor Gus!), or if it isn't a parasite. If it isn't a parasite I will start a new round of tests to work out what it is! Maybe it is an Alien from the Alien movies and it will shortly spring forth in a very grotesque way!

self preservation

I have made a decision to stop wasting my time liking a guy who doesn't have any idea that exist. Instead of making an effort to talk to him, I am going to basically ignore him. I will be polite, but that is all. I have also decided to stop talking about him, and that will include not writing about him here in this blog. I wonder how long I can keep it up for? I have told my friends that they are welcome to slap my face if I do talk about him.
Wish me luck!

BTW - the title of this blog comes from Love Actually when Keira Knightley's character discovers that her husbands friend Mark is in love with her. She says to him "but you hate me, you never talk to me", and he replies to her "it's a self preservation thing".

french beauty

I have been lucky enough to find a fabulous book called Two Lipsticks and a Lover by Helena Firth Powell which tells you how to unlock your inner French woman. I read this book a while ago and have already started adhering to some of the guidelines that are mentioned in the book, such as:
1. having two lipsticks, one for day and one for night
2. not wearing runners unless actually going for a run
3. always doing my hair and putting lipgloss on if I go out
4. always having something for breakfast, and sometimes having something quite fancy!
But yesterday I decided to start another French life-routine...using Firming and Smoothing products from L'Occitane in order to (hopefully) reduce the cellulite on my thighs.
I am determined to use these products for one full dedicated month to see what happens. I'm fairly confident that I'll see some changes.