I'm going to start writing again - Shock, Horror Etc.

So it's been nearly six months since I wrote my last blog.  The irony is that heaps has happened in that time, so I really have no excuse for updating it except for pure laziness.  I think my desire to write is tied in with my enrolment at university.  Maybe because while I'm at uni it seems like more fun to write blog posts and when I'm not at uni the rest of life and sleep is more exciting :P

So quick update on the last six months!

In December we went to go see Muse in concert - it was amazing.  As expected they totally rocked my socks off and the show was just way too exciting.

At the end of December my BFF's little son turned one! She had a lovely 'woodland' themed party for him and it was very sweet to see all the little ones playing together.  The cake was omg amazing (visually since I couldn't eat it :P):

And I finally got to give Cameron the quilt I'd been working on since *thinks* October.  I did a quilting class for four hours every two weeks - great fun and a really good starting point for a complete newbie to the sewing machine!

In January, where I live in Queensland was hit by the floods.  It was a pretty scary time for us because we can see the river from where we live.  But we were really, really lucky to avoid the flooding - by only about 20cm!  If the river had reached the height they were predicting, we probably wouldn't even be living at home still :(  It was really positive to see Queensland pull together and be really supportive of each other in a crisis - makes me proud to be an Aussie :D

Also in January we went on a trip to Melbourne!  I'd never been to Melbourne but always wanted to and let me tell you, I was not disappointed.  I love how eclectic it is as a city - it has something for everyone, which makes it really interesting to visit.  I couldn't live there, but it's definitely a great place to spend a week in.

View from Eureka Tower, Southbank.

I'd also made the decision two weeks before we went to Melbourne to say bye bye to all animal products.  Yes, I am now a vegan (superpowers pending).  So it seemed quite fitting to spend our time in Melbourne with our vegan friends: Phil and his gf Amy.  I have seriously never been so well fed in my entire life - the food was amazing, vegan and just.. omg amazing.  

I'll cover some of the vegan stuff in another post (as well as updating some of my blog roll!).  For now more photos of Melbourne!

Trams!  Really funky way to get around!

 R.M Williams building in the middle of Melbourne Central (shopping centre).

Oh no! It's a giant bird attacking a village! (Relax, it's just a model tudor village :P)

Dinosaurs @ the Melbourne Museum

OMG! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!

Projects on the go in 2011:

- Learning the in's and out's of veganism, nutrition, cooking and the art of a smoking hot bod.

- Writing a business plan to buy a new business mid next year!

- Going to uni and continue to be awesome

- Learning to sew clothes and look at creating some upcycled pieces (inspired by Tweal blog)

- Creating a line of party decorations and giftware

- Researching homeschooling and alternative curriculums

So this year a lot of my writing with focus on those things as I come across them and as I learn more (of course in amongst the usual day-to-day crap I do that I feel the urge to write about!).  Now off to obsessively download apps for my Iphone before taking a walk through the Toowong cemetery! xx

Crap Days

There's two reasons I'm here right now typing this blog.  One:  My university website is down so I can't keep hitting refresh on my grades waiting for my Visual Comm. grade to come up.  Two:  I had a crap day, and that usually gets me pretty chatty.  Luckily for you I'm not here to talk about how crap my day was.  I've actually found that bad days make me evaluate my life.. not in terms of how awful I think it is (although I used to be very guilty of that) but more about what I'm doing, where I'm hoping to head etc.

But first let me show you my massive bowl of salad that is now my dinner:

It's seriously as big as my head!   But salad makes me feel human and alive, when I start to feel rundown a salad is always there to pick me up.  Of course if I had never decided to try being a vegetarian I probably would have never picked up on it - the way that certain foods have an almost healing/positive effect.  I'm much more in touch with my body and really that's what this blog post is going to be about - how changes I've made have made me more in touch with different parts of myself.

I start off every year saying 'This is going to be the year of change'.. I can tell you it rarely is.  I mean sure I've always done little things, changing things I don't like, but this is the first year that I've looked at things that I've wanted to do for a long time and just started doing them.  I cut my hair all off because I wanted to (although I am growing it back now it was quite the experience in liberation), I am studying something I like, I took up being a vegetarian and a few other secret projects that I can't reveal to protect the innocent (and save my own butt).

What I've learnt the most so far though, is how much I'm becoming this person that I always wanted to be but never really saw myself being.  People that are close to me and have known me for long enough could tell you that I've changed a lot in the past two years.  It's like I've always needed to chase different focuses because I couldn't focus on myself, finally I think I've learnt how to keep most of the focus on myself.  I have gained a lot of confidence about myself and what I can do.  

Two years ago my best friend was counting down for her wedding; she was also trying to conceive their first child.  We (including her husband) were all 20 at the time,  and while they were committing to each other I was getting over a messy breakup and fumbling through a new relationship.  I didn't get where her head was at 2 years ago, because I obviously didn't believe in relationships lasting or that making plans ever got someone anywhere.  2 years later I think I have some idea of where her head was at, it's like this change of heart/mind that just hits you - and little (HA!) things like commitment, children and womanhood hits you like a ton of bricks.  Being a mum, being a wife once seemed like foreign (but eventual) concepts and now they're what everything is going towards.  I'm not saying that I expect them to happen right now, but I accept them as things that will happen for me and that I welcome wholeheartedly. 

In the meantime I'll research homeschooling (which I'd love to do!), read about what other women do with their children, cuddle Cameron (Rachel's 8-month old son), read about growing vegetables/fruits/herbs, find out how to raise chickens and ducks, learn to sew toys/clothes/blankets, collect wooden toys and books in fear that they'll for some reason stop producing them over time.  And yes I'll do my degree, even though I can never see myself in an office.. because I figure any skill is a good skill and all this stuff I am doing at university will surely come in handy in ways that I can't expect or predict.  I may even be able to do something entirely unique that will require all the great multimedia stuff I'm learning, may require creativity or writing or German hahaha.  

I guess the point I'm trying to get to is that even crap days are to be expected on this path I'm strolling along in life. And that over time they make me stronger, no matter how much I whinge or vent - there's a bigger side of me that is happy than a side of me that is sad - so I finally know that I'm winning against the negative little rain cloud.  I know everything will be great - that it already is pretty great and that I'm lucky to have so much opportunity and love in my life. :)

PS:  See how much I love that salad? :P

The Week That Was - 23 to 29 August

Wow, I have been soooo very busy this week.  Yet again I skipped class to do work (and possibly to have fun, but details details).  I had my first 'Intro to Visual Communication' assignment due on Friday and I think I did okay!  It was a 2 minute video pitch and I found it really odd that I was one of the only people I saw that actually picked up a video camera?  Apparently there was a loophole that as long as you used a video editing software you could use still images.  Some video project huh?

After my hand-in I treated myself to a grocery shop and a boost smoothie (picture above).  OMG banana buzz how I love thee :D  I also love the pasta bake I made with our new oven - ooooooh yeah!

So despite how busy I was it didn't stop me doing two things:
1. Oogling craft books.. found this great book about making felt toys.

 

DO WANT TO MAKE THESE! So cute :D
And 2:  Watching Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World with Patrick

This movie was seriously AWESOME!  Maybe it's cause I'm you know part of the generation of Nintendo and Sega at it's finest - but also exposed to the arcade games and Atari by my parents.  I just absolutely adore the stylistic choices in this movie, and the music/sound is freaking incredible.  I was seriously blown away the entire movie and I'm dying to see it again - watching it in cinema is quite the experience! (Note: Dear Boyfriend, stop reading here thanks! xx) FYI I think I have the biggest crush on Brandon Routh (he's the second last guy in that pic).  So freaking hot, plus the first time you see him he's playing a guitar!  Ignore that he's a jerk - he's practically my dream boyfriend.  Did I mention he's freaking hot?

(Note: Boyfriend can read from here onwards!! xx)

Last but only due to timelines (I did this today!), I've been starting work on my storyboard for film class.  

I'm working with this other guy, on a story about a kid trying to buy alcohol from a liquor store (he's underage) in a spaghetti western style - so lots of dramatic close ups and gunshot sounds lol.  Think the stand-off scene in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly; then you've got the right idea.  So today was background day!!

I put in that last picture so you can appreciate that I am literally working off tiny crappy little scribbles to make these.  Apparently the 2 years I spent doing interior design taught me something about scale and perspective drawings - yay!  These are just my drafts, so I can run something visual past my partner and then make the final pictures (that's why there's no people).  Also people aren't exactly my strength as you can see by my amazing stick people in the picture above.

And that wraps up this week!  Now to do some cleaning and dig out my neglected German book from my epic paperwork pile.  Eek! xx

Music - Tunes of the Moment

Wow two updates in a day?  Yeah I stayed home from Uni because I was tired and felt really sick this morning - For those keeping tabs on me it's OKAY I'm going to my compulsory lecture/tute tonight, so there.

So something a little different today - I've been really getting into the movie soundtracks of In the Mood for Love and (500) Days of Summer.  I thought I'd share my standout songs from the movies, that really stuck out to me.  They're completely different films so I'll explain them and their soundtracks individually (and yes there's links.. there's always links!).

In the Mood for Love is a film from Hong Kong made in 2000.  It's a really odd story with very little talking, with a lot of emphasis put into camera positioning and repeated sequences to establish the moods.  It's really one of those 'love or hate' films.. I have to admit when I was made to watch it for class I may have fallen asleep, plus I hate having to read subtitles.. but when I read the synopsis and realised the actual storyline I could see the charm.  Anyway what really struck me in this movie is the sweet little soundtrack.. I instantly recognised the kind of spanish love songs that my grandmother would listen to and fell in love at first listen.  Turns out it was actually Nat King Cole singing in spanish, which I never knew - I love his voice, it reminds me of christmas time because my mum has his carols always playing.
There's also some violin - which always scores with me.

Songs:
Quizas, Quizas, Quizas - Nat King Cole
Aquellos Ojos Verdes - Nat King Cole
Yumeji's Theme - Shigeru Umebayashi
Angkor Wat Theme
Te Quiero Dijiste - Nat King Cole

(500) Days of Summer is a 2009 film, a story of 'boy meets girl' but with twist.  I've yet to meet someone that watches this film and hates it.  Plus I have the biggest girl crush on Zooey Deschanel, she is just too cute (even if she does break Joseph Gordon-Levitt's heart in this film).  The real winner in this movie are the The Smiths who are grossly under-appreciated in my opinion.  I'll list some other songs in this movie that were just beautiful - within the movie and out.

Songs:

Us- Regina Spektor

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths

Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want - The Smiths

You Make My Dreams - Hall & Oates

Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap

Hero - Regina Spektor

Enjoy! xx

My Crazy Craft Obsession

I have always wanted to be good at one craft thing.  My first blog was about knitting - which is one of the crafts that my mother is absolutely fantastic at - alas (Update!) I have to tell you my knitting adventure was a complete failure.  Thankfully my lovely mum is almost finished the scarf for Justin so he at least HAS one!

So I'm moving onto sewing and felt craft!  For as long as I can remember I've looked with utter confusion at the piles of fabrics; with complete wonder at clothes/toys/furnishings made by this contraption called a sewing machine.  Last Saturday I bit the bullet, stole my mum's sewing machine and hit the fabric stores/bookstores/craft blogs - here are the results!

My modest little fabric pile - augh I could have bought so much more!  Poor store assistants, I sucked them dry for information on the differences between the fabrics - but hell I spent enough!  The top three are all 100% cotton, I'm hoping to make a little quilt from the yellow ones and maybe a skirt from the red stripy one.   The pink fabric is for a secret project, so shhh.  I also got a teal one and a grey stretch blend to make dress pants.

My not-so-modest felt pile.  These are mixture of different felt materials.. I seem to have this love for the material, probably stemming back to making little toys with it when I was in primary school :3  It's so cheap and versatile; I'm particularly interested in making felt appliques to go onto things.  I'm already pretty handy with hand-sewing it's just the sewing machine I have to master!

I <3 Buttons so so so much!  I had to buy these cute mix packs, more buttons then you can poke a stick at!  Here we also see half of the pretty thread colours I bought to make my fabrics.

Finally, this is the book I bought from Borders.  It was fairly exxy @ $55 but it's one hell of a chunky book!  It goes into a lot of detail about different sewing techniques and is a really great starting point for a nubcake like me.  But in saying that there isn't much in it for exciting 'projects' which is why I want another half a dozen books already haha.

Ekka 2010

So I'm pretty sure the last time I went to the Ekka was when I was a teenager.. so maybe around 14 years old? Okay so lets say I went to the Ekka around 8 years ago.  For those not from Brisbane the Ekka is like a big city fair that lasts for a week every August.  We even get a day off (or two if you're still in school).

I couldn't remember anything about it, so I thought 'Okay this year, I'm going to do it!'.  I actually had a really great time (despite being all on my ownsome), there were heaps of areas to look at in most interest bases - my personal favourites were the animals, the cake decorating and the food stalls (yum!).

Epic Failure

So for the few of you who are actually following this - besides the 2 official followers (Hi by the way!) - you may have noticed that it's been about three weeks since I did my last post.  Those of you who know me, probably saw this coming.. but seriously heaps has happened since my last mind-blowing post and I will be updating soon!!

With this announcement comes the change of my byline from 'aiming for daily snaps a day' to 'aiming for weekly stories'.  Because that's really all I have at the end of a week - a bunch of random stories and happenings, but I do hope to be able to at least up date twice a week.  Also I'll be taking my day numbers off and just leaving the titles.

Okay off to have some Sunday brunch and then massive update when I get back!
xx

PS: Okay now that I've had a look it's actually been a month.. eek!