Translating the Bird

the hideout

2010-07-10T17:23:00.001+08:00

Caversham

2010-07-09T21:22:00.001+08:00

we're breaking

2010-06-22T05:53:00.003+08:00

last minute submission

2010-06-13T21:30:00.004+08:00

Putting in my application for the FACPA tomorrow! Eep. Fingers crossed?

zoomzoomrush.

2010-06-06T14:37:00.002+08:00

home and the handsewn

2010-06-05T08:19:00.002+08:00

My textiles project

...based on childhood, my home area (local park/landscape), and a touch of inspiration from Where the Wild Things Are.

cloth, shibori dyed silks, block printed (using bark), cotton and viscose stitch, quilted

testing, testing

2010-06-01T17:52:00.001+08:00

Giving it a shot

2010-05-27T12:57:00.004+08:00

Just some sample objects (silk flower, mini cushion, small owl softie) I've made over the past couple of days for Textiles, just to experiment. Still need to think of what exactly I want to make as my final piece... which is due soon hah. Such is life.

Thrown

2010-05-23T17:32:00.005+08:00

image: http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&q=blue+eyes?#/dcc7jw

"You think you know the world you are living in if you can feel it, and touch it, and smell it, and taste it, then it must be so. You tell youself that you would bet your life on the simple fact that the sky is blue. And then one day someone comes along and informs you emphatically that you're wrong. Blue, you insist. Blue as the ocean. Blue as a whale. Blue as my daughter's eyes. But that person shake his head, and everyone else backs him up. You poor girl, they say. All of those things - the ocean, the whale, her eyes - they're green. You've gotten them mixed up. You've had it wrong all along."

jodie picoult

Open Up Your Eyes

2010-05-16T21:50:00.007+08:00

"When we fall in love for the first time, we tend to be falling in love with ourselves and only see what we want to see until its too late."

- Jill Drury

Woah. Wise words of my literature lecturer.

Haven't felt this way in so long...

2010-03-07T14:12:00.004+08:00

I (along with my rather bare bank account) must be kept away from Sportsgirl. Their current collection makes me swoon.

"Love is our Resistance"

2010-03-04T19:22:00.007+08:00

Resist dye methods from Textiles this week; rust, tannic & indigo dyes

Thought

2010-02-28T18:54:00.004+08:00

collage by VUHwex @ deviantart

"a word is a microcosm of human consciousness"

- L.S. VYGOTSKY

Somersault

2010-02-27T16:31:00.010+08:00

I don't intend to only be writing about films lately. There just happens to be a lot of powerful movies that I have watched recently that I have so many thoughts about! So I shall continue commenting on them...

Although released in 2004, it wasn't until this week been that I finally had the chance to view Cate Shortland's film Somersault. I didn't have a clue what to expect with this movie, I just knew that it was Aussie, it starred Abbie Cornish, and that Decoder Ring made the soundtrack for the film. In fact, I purchased the soundtrack so long ago, I've been intrigued to see the imagery that goes with what I'd recognised as somewhat whimsical music.

Somersault is barely whimsical. Aside from the scenery and cinematography you experience via Heidi's walks and her drive home, the movie proves to be more of an occer, sex-centred, smack in the face. But not in a bad way.

It speaks about adolescence and egocentricism; the choices you make at this time in your life, and amongst all of this; an exploration of sexuality.

Though seriously engaging, it wasn't until the following day that I thought, 'shit, I love this film'. Well, probably not just like that, but you get my meaning.

From my own personal reading of the film: I loved the inclusion of the boy with Aspergers Syndrome. Heidi originally doesn't know what this "disability" is, and seems to be very contemplative about it once it is explained to her. I like to think that she finally understands the consequences of her actions and how they effect others (how she hurts people) when meditating on this. My reading, of course, would differ to others who have seen the film.

And then there's the soundtrack I mentioned... Just amazing. I forgot how much I love Decoder Ring.

Somersault just goes to show, Australia's got talent.

The Muse Bids Farewell

2010-02-14T21:27:00.003+08:00

pencil

Song

2010-02-11T13:21:00.005+08:00

"...the origins of speech lie in song, and the origins of song in the need to fill out with sound the overlarge and rather empty human soul."
David Lurie in Disgrace - J.M. Coetzee

Above artist unknown

Cause and Effect

2010-02-08T12:37:00.010+08:00

An overcrowded car park at the Burswood had us abandon seeing 'Nowhere Boy' at the outdoor cinema in the Parklands there, only to go on an adventure to UWA's Sommerville Auditorium:

to sit;
to eat;
to see the extremes that love and relationships can push you to.

And by extremes, I mean the utterly insane things you will do for a lover, and your own happiness.

Leaving (a French film playing for the Perth International Arts Festival) attempts to put you in the shoes of a middle-class woman who is in a boring relationship with her husband of 20 years, finding herself in a position of falling for another man who is far less well off. For me, it challenged what's considered "right" and "wrong" by social standards, by having you connect with this woman and her emotion for this man, and boldly contrasting it with the relationship she had with her husband.

While adultery, stealth and murder are all crimes frowned upon by society, the film made me think... Well hey! I can't say I wouldn't be so crazy to want to do all of those things for the person I so loved either... And I would not put up with an abusive psycho husband either...

And then of course you end up confused because you'd hope you'd have more brains than this woman if you did find yourself in this position, because she really just fucked things right up now, didn't she?

It's a bit of a Catcher in the Rye moment - and is definitely a film that will just as easily stick in my mind for some time.

Bright Star

2010-01-23T07:20:00.006+08:00

If ever you seek the most beautiful of worlds, it's possible to find the entry to such place via the scenes, words and portrayals captured in Bright Star (produced by Carolina Hewitt, Jan Chapman, and David M. Thompson)

"She found me roots of relish sweet,

And honey wild, and manna dew;

And sure in language strange she said,

I love thee true."

Christmas Faerie

2009-12-23T14:10:00.002+08:00

Wishing you all the Merriest Christmas and the Happiest New Year; Have a magical 2010

Chloe in Frankie

2009-12-18T07:41:00.002+08:00

Mistaken Youth

2009-12-07T15:43:00.002+08:00

coloured pencil

To Think

2009-12-02T15:33:00.005+08:00

watercolour

There was a rather thick layer of dust covering my art things when I pulled them out today. It's been a while...

Imagine

2009-10-15T19:26:00.003+08:00

Imagine... Yoko Ono's advice to artists and musicians: "Just keep creating"

She may have got some laughs when she rambled on about the "wide ocean" that we consider the universe, but she made a very good point. Just to paraphrase a fair bit: if you are creating and getting your ideas and work out there, it's influencing somebody or something, somewhere and somehow. Never think that it's not reaching anybody.

If we start off small, we're going to have some sort of impact... which might end up being bigger than we could imagine

Spring

2009-09-28T14:57:00.006+08:00

life works in cycles
we are forever changing and blossoming
we are extraordinary

What's the Go?

2009-09-24T14:26:00.004+08:00

Just an extended update on recent events

As of yesterday I officially finished my first prac! Amazingly I passed. It was definitely a learning experience. There is so much that you find out about yourself when you're thrown into a situation where you're forced to teach groups of teenagers, and all the while you have people judging you on your level of skills and knowledge.

Being a shy person, just speaking to large groups of people on a daily basis was a big step forward for me! So really I don't mind if my delivery got picked on by my mentor or supervisor, or if they tell me I need to work on particular things. I've started to grow. I'll keep on growing. I now have some idea as to what is required for me to be the best I can be :) A little bit of scrutiny can be a good thing in this respect.

Not only did I learn so much about my planning, presence and delivery, I also learnt how much knowledge is out there that I still need to get my little hands on! Books, books and more books. Resources upon resources. Photocopy upon photocopy. I took so many photocopies of resources away with me, I'm going to struggle to go through them. It's incredible. I was so excited to find these little gems and be allowed to take whatever I pleased.

This first teaching prac was jam packed full of inspiration. The work that upperschool students were creating was amazing. I got so many ideas for my own practices from them (mostly because I never studied art in upperschool myself, so have only learnt some mere basics at uni), as well as books I was shown, and first-hand crash-courses - such as the one provided by Trish the technician. She showed me some basics in using watercolours, which was lovely of her. She is an incredible watercolourist / botanical artist and I hope she illustrates magical children books one day!

You know what's terrible... I'd never seen the feathering technique using coloured pencils before a couple of weeks ago at the Year 12 exhibition. So I gave it a try and gave some poor girl a crappy nose and a mong eye, haha.

Today I also went ahead and bought myself some "end of prac" presents

They were expensive, but will be worth it - and I'm so excited about owning them! I had been shown 'The New Acrylics' by the technician / seen it on the bookshelf in the Art Dept. at the school, and it's just packed full of some great techniques and information. So this version will be very useful. As will the 'Complete Painting and Drawing Handbook' for explicitly teaching concepts that I just automatically might go and do in an artwork without thinking about. Some great ideas in it!

So yay. Now I have a week "break" - which is really just me working on boring assignments that are due one on top of the other for the rest of the term, so yay for me and my wonderous uni life. Before I know it, Summer will be around and I'll be turning 21!

Speaking of Summer... Do watch '500 Days of Summer'. Funniest, most devastating movie, ever.

All That Shines

2009-08-26T07:47:00.003+08:00

Sometimes we all need a little reminding that

life is full of opportunities and endless possibilities

In the midst of my uni studies, I'm getting the opportunity to work with students with special needs (yet to happen, trying to organise that). I'm also about to go on a Professional Practice at a Catholic college close to home for 3 weeks to learn about the school environment and the rather complex role that teachers play. I get to play teacher!! To all those big kids who once died to play "schools" when they were younger, wanting to get first dibbs on teaching the "class"... Eat your hearts out. I'm insanely anxious and excited all at the same time.

And now that I finally have my drivers license... well! I am looking forward to one hell of a summer. Please come out soon little Sun? And keep me warm?

"We cannot meet or be met if we don't speak up, or take a chance. Let's all boldly talk to new people!" - SARK

If Time Really Was Physical Money (...I'd be rich right now)

2009-07-22T21:46:00.004+08:00

I suppose one bonus of being home is that I've actually had time to draw...

original pencil drawing has been photographed + hue, midtone and contrast very slightly adjusted (digitally)

Busted Strings

2009-07-21T15:21:00.005+08:00

Tickets to Josh Pyke's Variations Tour go on sale tomorrow, and I'm keen keen keen to get my paws on them! I've never seen this fellow live before, and I believe sooner is always better than later.

His Perth show is going to be held at the Fremantle Arts Centre on November 6 (probably exam time for the good majority of uni students), and I imagine that with the booking fee the price will be somewhere between $45-$50 each.

I figure I'll just buy two and see who waves their hands in the air to be my super-dooper company for the evening :)

I've Heard of Blue Monday

2009-07-21T14:59:00.009+08:00

...but why do I get to endure a Blue Tuesday?

I'm still sick with this cold/flu like thing, and I'm really keen to just get better!

Cold n' flu tablets are my best friend at the moment, seeing as they seem to keep me functioning to some degree.

Also enjoying heading out to the cinemas a bit lately, and apparently needing the whole popcorn/chocolate/diet coke experience (hello winter kilos). I've had my dose of magic thanks to finally seeing Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince with the sistie on the weekend, and as for today... well... with too much shame to name the movie, I was inspired to learn the Hoedown Throwdown. Ohyeah, that's right.

Now all I need is some sleep and to see if I'm ready to go back to work tomorrow afternoon - eek!

Safe & SOUND

2009-07-20T12:34:00.006+08:00

Favourite Bands of All Time

Angus and Julia Stone
Coldplay
Gotye (one-man-band?)
Tool
Gyroscope
Karnivool
The Mars Volta
MUSE
A Perfect Circle

When I think of favourites, I think of bands whose CDs I own; who I've listened to over and over in my adolescence; who I still love now and have never managed to get sick of over so many years. For that reason, a lot of bands I do really like haven't made the list (I might not be so well acquainted with them as the ones listed above). A lot of older bands that I appreciate aren't in that main list either, mostly because I've never spent a lot of time listening to those bands - and can't digest that era so well... Otherwise I'd def be mentioning The Beatles and possibly some other classic bands that were the geniuses behind the genres.

I also failed to mention amazing singer/songwriters, as I wasn't sure if they were meant for this list. I'd have to include Jack Johnson, Josh Pyke and Lior. I'm considering adding Missy Higgins and Lisa Mitchell to that list as well.

There's always a little self-revelation that comes from writing these lists, which is what makes me love writing them. Today's lesson: I MUST EXPAND MY MUSIC KNOWLEDGE. I feel terrible to not have a better idea about the music of past eras. Sure, I've heard a good deal of songs thanks to dad, but I've never really sat with them and made time to really get to listen to them. There's a difference between hearing and listening for me. Unfortunately I need to get hold of entire albums to do this, otherwise it just doesn't happen. There's something a little less magic about music downloads on the computer.

Perhaps now's the time to raid a 70s-music CD collection

I Am He As You Are Me...

2009-07-17T11:18:00.008+08:00

Image by Fairy-Bluebird @deviantart

"If we do not use fully who we are, then who are we?" - SARK

Difficult To See You In This Light

2009-07-16T21:56:00.004+08:00

A series of drawings to come... hopefully; Inspired by recent events.

Lend Me Your Ears

2009-07-16T08:31:00.005+08:00

JulyPlaylist

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE Little Bribes

BOB EVANS Hand Me Downs

PHOENIX Lisztomania

PETER BJORN & JOHN It Don't Move Me

JOSH PYKE Make You Happy

KARNIVOOL All I Know

JAMIE T Sticks 'N' Stones

YEAH YEAH YEAHS Dull Life

NIRVANA Come As You Are

EMPIRE OF THE SUN Tiger By My Side

FLORENCE & THE MACHINE Dog Days

LADY OF THE SUNSHINE Big Jet Plane

COLDPLAY Yellow

LADYHAWKE Professional Suicide

SARAH BLASKO No Turning Back

LISA MITCHELL Coin Laundry

PORTUGAL THE MAN People Say

PLACEBO For What It's Worth

LYKKE LI Let It Fall

NEW BUFFALO Cheer Me Up Thank You

All of Us Stars

2009-07-16T08:05:00.005+08:00

My Most Proud Accomplishments

Being one of five students out of so many that was chosen to be able to play guitar for years 6 and 7. Ohyes, I was a proud 10 year old.
Teaching myself to draw
Being recognised as one of the "star" students in my TAFE course I did a couple of years back! Nerd!
Getting into uni without my TER and receiving high grades
Surviving 5 weeks of living alone with my self-centred sister - Being homemaker and cleaning up after somebody else!

Writing this list, I realised that most of the occassions I ever felt much sense of pride were associated with academic achievement, which goes to say a bit about my values. Possibly why I value education so much. Much of this pride was felt in younger years though... such as primary school and highschool, and therefore I didn't feel like I had much to add to this list.

So I'm thinking, I need to start doing more things and experiencing the world so that I actually have things to say about myself! One thing I want to do is start completing art works that I can possibly get into exhibitions etc. Unfortunately, since I'm going back to uni in a couple of weeks to study all education units for the semester, I won't be able to think about doing this until the end of the year. But at least it's something to strive for.

The next thing to do is start saving to travel. I think this would be an accomplishment in itself! The hunger to get out of little old Perth is definitely there though, especially now that I have my parents back from Italy - showing me videos of the beautiful Sicilian landscape and all the rellies! I want to climb hills with the cute old folk with no teeth and animated hand movements dammit!

It probably doesn't help the money-making scheme for me to be home sick from work today, but I think that as long as I know what I want, I will somehow make it happen.

Playing Favourites

2009-07-08T22:41:00.008+08:00

nice choice of photo if I say so myself; me&Missy - April '09

I know it's not fair to play favourites amongst the siblings, but I sure am loving my eldest sister Marissa a whole lot right now! This evening she cooked us an amazing Indian curry along with papadums and flat bread (no naan available unfortunately). We probably have Patak's to thank for such a tasty meal, but she did well. To top it off we opened a bottle of wine, and she served me up the best dessert I've had in a long time! Really simple too - Sliced banana, melted Cadbury chocolate + vanilla icecream! So good! Not to mention she cleaned up as well.

How nice it is when family do something special for you ^_^

Where Media Takes My Mind

2009-07-08T22:05:00.002+08:00

Favourite TV Shows of All Time

Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Merlin
Scrubs
Desperate Housewives
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Rugrats
DuckTales
Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Where's Wally?
Fullhouse
The O.C.
Naturally Sadie
Masterchef
The Babysitter's Club

and I'm just about sure there are a million other favourites that I just can't think of right now... Always the way!

"You're cheering me up and I'm thanking you"

2009-07-08T13:50:00.006+08:00

All creatures have their preferred seasons, and I'd happily say that mine most definitely is not winter. Being a December baby, I crave the sun and warmth and clear blue skies. I can never understand how people enjor the dreary greys, clouds, rain, wind or cold! Perhaps it's British blood, or most likely the obscure desire to pile on mounds of clothing until you're cocooned away from the atmosphere. I'm not fond of this, but I understand that it's a necessity in these cooler months. Therefore I've been looking for the perfect coat to barricade the chilling winds. I'd had no such luck in finding something warm, somewhat aesthetically pleasing, aaand retailed at a decent price... Well, not until yesterday.

I consider yesterday to have been one of the best winter days I've encountered so far in 2009. The rain was on pause, and I took the opportunity to head into town and get some things done, including some shop browsing. And of course browsing leads to trying things on, which leads to me pulling out my eftpos card and leaving the shop with a bag in hand. Ahdear. But! The point is... I finally found a pair of jeans in JeansWest which were marked as being $79.99 (AUS), but I asked about the student discount offer which I saw on the counter. So down to $72 they went. How sweet it is to milk a discount! Haha.

Next stop: Lick. Seriously, if you ever visit Fremantle or Cottesloe (Western Australia), check out this little shop. I love just about everything in there, and it should turn out that after yesterday, I love the staff as well. Just before thinking I was going to turn and leave the shop, I spotted just the kind of coat that I'd had in my mind that I was after all this time! Even bigger bonus, it was only $90, so I tried it on straight away and decided it needed to be purchased.

Now if you check out the site, under 'Stockroom' the manager gives updates on new stock that comes in and the goings on in the shop. You might also see that Annette (the manager) might set a little task for customers to do in order to receive a discount on their purchase. I'd checked the website before leaving home and saw that if you said "Would July to me?" (nice pun!), you could receive 20% off. Very generous! So I asked about quoting this at the counter. While the shop assistant wasn't sure of the task, being as lovely as she was, she was kind enough to call Annette about it - who was apparently very happy that I had checked out their website and completed this little task :)

So not only was I happy to receive (what I consider to be) a wonderful little coat for $72, but also to be reminded of some simple values. I sometimes forget that there are good kind-natured people in the world (for some reason...), the kind that can be bothered doing something for you and just treating you kindly. I also forget that little tasks on your own behalf can brighten somebody else's day in some way, which in turn brightens your own day a whole lot! Maybe I forget because I'm usually the checkout chick trying to please the customer, and mostly remember the bitter customers that cut you down, rather than the lovely ones that appreciate your work and conversation.

Who knew that a good shopping trip would be the pick-me-up I've been looking for this past month...

P.S: Photos of the Sunny Girl coat!

A World Away

2009-06-26T15:36:00.004+08:00

image by lunar122192 @ deviantart

"It is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame."

[Edward Rochester] - Charlotte Bronte, 'Jane Eyre'

Paper Dolls, Handmade Dresses

2009-06-12T13:07:00.004+08:00

Paola Zakimi dolls

Some months I'll buy my copy of Frankie magazine and never manage to find the time to do any more with it than give it a quick flick-through. I'll end up looking through it again after a month or so and realise all the preciousness I've deprived myself of, as was the case last night.

Having had to plan a lesson on paper-mache sculpture as part of an assignment, the write up on Paola Zakimi's beautiful creatures left me several kinds of awe-inspired. Her lovely paper-mache dolls are calm and quaint, sweet and innocent, filled with the world's secrets that they will never share.

I can admit that I am now stupidly inspired to make a paper-mache piece as one of my winter holiday projects thanks to the wonderful Miss Zakimi

Down the Rabbit Hole

2009-06-11T14:45:00.004+08:00

Image by Tim Walker

Yesterday marked the last day of uni/assessments for the semester! While there is a slight sense of freedom, I feel more as though my world has been turned upside down. What with the parents away on holidays, my new role is 'mum' - and who knew it would be more stressful than the piles of uni work I had to get through? I've never been so greatful towards what my mum does for us. Also have never been so annoyed with my sister for being so fantastic at creating mess and not doing anything about it... but that's another story I suppose...

Point is, I'll have more time on my hands (at home at least) now hopefully. So fingers crossed to some more posting-a-happening :)

One Week Later

2009-05-28T13:08:00.004+08:00

One week later and a little bit of stress has been taken off my shoulders
one unit from my studies down

One week later and the sun is out again
once again feeling a slight ounce of warmth

One week later, Emiliana Torrini's sweet tunes fill

one little heart ... (lend me your wings, and show me how to fly)

One week later I'm still putting off my drypoint etchings for
one little hand-drawn owl in a small hat takes approximately
one hour to scratch into the surface of the plastic

One week later, and
one week more
I'll be free of several kinds of burdens

Thursday

2009-05-21T17:16:00.003+08:00

This day was spent indoors while the wild wind

Thrashed and the rain it crashed;

The weather more vicious than
The day before.

Though I do love the thought of being cosy at home, I

Think that heading out and braving the weather tomorrow may be tough

Things that are making me happy today: forgotten (pretty) blogs, Chris Martin, copious amounts of tea and knitted berets

You know...

2009-05-21T13:28:00.005+08:00

My Character Flaws

I'm a big whinger. I hate whingers. I blame the fact that I'm apart of Gen Y

I'm awfully shy with people that I don't know very well

My anxiety tends to get the better of me

I'm pretty terrible at making conversation, and can therefore make situations a bit awkward for people

I'll only get things done if I'm in the mood to do it, actually enjoy doing it, or I know I'll be in trouble if I don't...

My attention span is poor when it comes to doing assignments. Here I am, writing a blog, when my best intentions for the day were to spend the whole time getting an assignment done.

I'm not as warm and caring as I would like to be with people

I made a conscious decision a few years back to stop being creative in making jokes. Mostly because, even though they were funny, they were mean. So now I don't know how to use my sense of humour... Don't ask me to tell a joke.

I'm quiet. My voice does not project.

I tend to spend more time thinking rather than doing

Who knows, perhaps listing these things will make them seem more insignificant, and therefore I'll be able to get past them easier? These points make me a little sad though, because I've worked towards getting over these things in the past, and even had some progress, but then I go back to uni or something and I'm bitter and twisted all over again.

Lucky the mid-year break is coming up in a few weeks!

Wednesday

2009-05-20T22:11:00.003+08:00

Warm breakfasts for chilly mornings, bowls are filled with porridge
Weary eyes cease to exist this early morning, for I am
Wide awake, ready to face this
Wicked day on
Which the weather will play tricks on us, drowning its sunshine
With clouds and wind and rain

Note to self

2009-04-24T23:08:00.002+08:00

Stick with one hairdresser. The one that always gets it right in the end.

At first you think they've ruined your life by cutting your fringe too short and all sorts of messy, but it grows a little and you love it a lot. Then the next hairdresser comes along, cuts it that bit too blunt, leaves it that bit too long, and you're that bit more devastated.

Poo you hairdressers.
Why can't you just read my thoughts and know exactly what I'm after?

Bed Full-o-Prints

2009-04-20T14:48:00.001+08:00

Monday Mornings With Kieran

2009-04-20T14:43:00.002+08:00

The Concept of 'Self'

2009-03-23T14:03:00.002+09:00

"New car, caviar, four star daydream"

2009-03-20T16:33:00.009+09:00

My Best Purchases

acid wash prarie dress from Kmart for $15, purely for the bargain factor
white canvas shoes from Target for about $10; again - cheap! Yet so comfy...
black Bluejuice dress for $90 - not so cheap, but incredibly versatile. I've worn it many-a-time
black ballet flats - get me through uni life
black cardigans - worn with everything
black skirt from Sportsgirl last year. don't judge me! but it works its way into many outfits lately
Coldplay albums: 'Parachutes' and 'X & Y', $10 each and getting a massive workout in my stereo
patterned fabric headband for about $8. It makes outfits ten times more awesome
my USB stick. Trustiest little things!

And I notice that the majority of that is black! Black is all too handy...

trainofthought and meaningless rambles

2009-03-19T22:30:00.002+09:00

i'm thinking... ditch dali, gleeson, ernst and miro
it's time for walker

Tim Walker

----

Okay, so obviously lets not completely ditch the aforementioned artists. But times are changing, contemporary artists are wooing us, and what's considered to be art is branching out in all sorts of directions - and nobody knows where to look first!

I'm thinking... Walker should be incorporated into my project plan for Yr 10 Surrealism

Oh yes.

I think I'll go and eat worms

2009-03-15T22:39:00.003+09:00

My favourite books

Harry Potter series (J.K. Rowling)
The Tales of Beedle the Bard (J.K. Rowling)
The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien)
A Million Little Pieces (James Frey)
Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
Various titles by the wonderful Jodi Picoult!
Lord of the Rings

Hold my hand, warm my feet

2009-03-14T09:57:00.003+09:00

Charcoal is my friend

2009-03-10T17:54:00.002+09:00

Take Flight

2009-03-04T14:55:00.003+09:00

Be.

W's

2009-03-03T15:10:00.004+09:00

I'm going to have to expect nudity nearly every Monday morning for the next few months.

Mealtime

2009-03-02T14:41:00.002+09:00

"Shadow Virgins"

2009-02-28T07:50:00.007+09:00

Have you ever noticed, the most mesmerising of music performers are those who talk to and interact with their audience? This Thursday night just passed, I had no option but to swoon over the amazingly wonderful Lior as he drew in the audience with his beautiful melodies and an abundance of charisma!

It's funny that I even ended up as a member of the vast crowd that filled the Fly By Night Club in Fremantle on Thursday evening actually, because I hadn't even planned to be there until I received an unexpected phone call the previous afternoon. A friendly voice belonging to a young lady named Amaya called me on Wednesday telling me that I had won a double pass to the show, and would just need to rock up and state my name at the door to be on my way to Lior Heaven. So there you go. All those times of thinking it wasn't worth entering in those little competitions at the front of street magazines (i.e. Drum Media and Xpress), and yet there you have it. I finally won something!

One thing that I love about going to the gigs of singer/songwriters is that their support is often going to be of a similar nature to their own style, creating a window of opportunity to discover new Australian talent. Unfortunately I can't remember the names of the support acts of the night for the life of me! However, the following guy was amazing (pity about my timing!)...

... and the second act of the night (I think her name may have been Freya) got to perform "I'll Forget You", a duet originally recorded with Sia, with the man of the night himself! Her vocals are truly amazing.

One of the beautiful things about this particular tour of Lior's is that he has teamed up with shadow artists Stephen Mushin and Anna Parry, to create a fascinating animated backdrop, all created and performed by hand. You have to remind yourself of this, because it's truly incredble to think that somebody could perform it so smoothly, as well as creating the effect of objects floating off into the distance etc.

The shadow board also proved to come in handy for one particular gentleman that made sure he was apart of the audience that night. Once stepping onto the stage and announcing his nerves, the image on the backdrop changed and read the 4 little words that filled the room with love and even made me a little teary(!): "will you marry me?"
It was honestly one of the sweetest moments, especially when it was followed by Lior's "This Old Love" - we'll grow old together... and this old love will never die...

All in all, with Lior's amazing music, his sense of humour and stories, along with letting us participate in clapping and back-up vocals for 'Superficial', (and not to mention my great company for the night, many thanks to Chris for coming with me!), the night was absolutely awesome.

Remembering How To Play

2009-02-27T15:47:00.004+09:00

My Favourite Childhood Toys

PJ Sparkles
Lego
Bundle Baby (Nursery Kids)
My Child - "Rosie"
Barbie and her caravan, ferrari, and even her cardboard house with a loveseat and all
Polly Pocket
our play kitchen
a giant and rather ugly baby doll that would make noises when you "fed" it with a bottle (aka sticking the bottle between its lips), or stuck the dummy in its mouth
Playground Kids
Gameboy Pocket
Super Nintendo - Super Mario 3!!

As you can tell, my nurturing girly side was overtaken with the nerdy and compulsive desire to enter a 2D virtual reality. Nice.

On another note, recalling all of these toys (that came before the uprise of Nintendo, etc.) makes me all too nostalgic of the times when you could call upon your imagination to entertain you for the day, and you barely needed to try very hard to do so. I so badly want that same kind of creativity back! If only children knew just how lucky they are.

Weekends Past

2009-02-22T10:33:00.005+09:00

Baseball finals, hotdogs, nachos, sisterly-bonding, long drives, life on the canals, boat trips, beer drinking, frangelico, cheese and wine, good company, brass band funk, my first cider, new friends, old friends, solitary runs, family walks, the waterside, wind, and learning to be

But alas, memories of the previous weekend spent in Mandurah are slowly fading, and this weekend is coming to an end; It's time to face uni life all over again

My summer break just died

Pockets of Heaven

2009-02-19T07:46:00.006+09:00

My Favourite Restaurants

You can see why I love these places by checking out these links!:

Little Creatures, Wagamama, Dome, The Moon, Cocos

Lost Time

2009-02-17T13:55:00.005+09:00

(making up for last Thursday)

The People I Love The Most

Mum
Marissa
Natalie
Dad
Phoebe
Nonna & Nonno (RIP)

Those that love you unconditionally are the most important people in the world

Tongue Twisters May Treasure These Tangy Treats

2009-02-17T13:37:00.004+09:00

Baked today: Poppyseed and Lime Cupcakes with Lime Drizzle

P.S: Mum won't be pleased. There's 36 of these babies waiting to be devoured, and my darling mother only just started her "diet" yesterday... I'm so cruel

"I've Never Missed A Stranger Before"

2009-02-07T13:05:00.007+09:00

In memory of one tonka tough goldfish

You were an amazingly friendly fish little Angus

We'll miss you and the way you lit up our kitchen counter

For those that don't know, I received a goldfish from my university last semester as part of what was known to us as our "kit project". Each student in the unit 'Visual Praxis' was given a bucket full of bits and pieces to make art from, as well as inspire us. You can only imagine the commotion that came with discovering one of these "items" was a live goldfish!

I was almost certain that he was going to die the day I got him, the poor bugger. But alas, he survived for just about 5 months! And now his sadly drawn out death (it was over 2 days) will indeed continue to serve as inspiration.

It was funny what issues surfaced in the event of a goldfish dying. For one, my mother and I had opposing views concerning euthenasia for a fish - And it surely made me question my values. Would I feel the same about a human? Could I bare to let them suffer right through to the end? It's also troubling me a little that I'm not too upset by his death. Is it because I expected him to die sooner rather than later that whole time, or simply because I never bothered to give the fish a personality, like we tend to do for other pets such as cats and dogs?

So be the questions of life...

Psst

2009-02-05T10:10:00.004+09:00

Things Most People Probably Don't Know About Me

I was brought up to be a Catholic - baptised, holy-communion(ised), yet never quite confirmed
I can't swim
I don't have much of a right ear drum / am partially deaf in that ear
My childhood "thing" was taking modelling classes
The length of my fingers makes it impossible for me to click
I share my birthday with Emily Dickinson
I learnt guitar for 2 years, keyboard for over 1 year
I'm some kinds of artistic
I secretly enjoy baked beans

Songs for the Faun

2009-02-03T16:41:00.001+09:00

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

"All My Loving"

2009-02-02T08:51:00.010+09:00

I'm well and truly intrigued by the butterfly effect: If the financial recession means less customers in the shops, thus less money for businesses to pay their employess with, and therefore less hours for me to work in the week - then so be it that I otherwise fill my time with baking and drawing! I'm not complaining.

The other day was my second attempt at making cheesecake cupcakes which, in my humble opinion, combines two of the greatest concepts in the world of baking. In both endevours I took my recipes from the amazing book '500 Cupcakes'. My first ever batch, all that time ago, worked out quite well. They were made in the Texas muffin tins (which make 6 large muffins) and simply had blueberries arranged on top. I thought I would be a little more adventurous with my second batch the other day, and go for a low-fat variety that had blueberries throughout the filling, as well as trying to make some sort of crumble to sprinkle over the top.

And yet I still don't feel like I've perfected the art of little cheesecakes! I'm thinking that it's not really worth the money spent on large amounts of ricotta to make the low fat variety - as they are a little plain, and the margarine used in the base makes them slightly too moist. While both versions are definitely decadent, they seem to lack a little something. A little something I must find.

It's possible that I've found the answer.

How sweet are these little raspberry cheesecakes? These come from the amazing book 'Little Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse' by Kaye Hansen & Liv Hansen, which is packed full of the most adventurous cupcake creations I have ever seen! Not to mention some fantastic tips. At first glance, you could be sure that you heard that little cupcake whisper "I love you"...
All too perfect for Valentines Day!

Aside from some rather pleasing aesthetics, the recipe - though in American conversions - looks promising. Unlike previous occassions, there is no ricotta (only cream-cheesey goodness/evilness), no icing sugar (just your average castor sugar), the use of flour (which I found unusual), as well and using the zest and juice of lemons. Lemon cheesecake is truly awesome, and this addition to the recipe would save me from listening to my mother's complaints that my cheesecakes need a flavour through them; "something like lemon".

And doesn't that raspberry sauce look divine? How to make that sauce:

In a food processor, combine and mix until pureed:

1 six-ounce container fresh raspberries, gentle washed and picked over
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or Framboise liqueur

Strain into a bowl to remove the seeds. Set aside.

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Meanwhile, I've seen heart shaped pans in Kmart for just over $8.00 for a pack of 4, or individual pans that have more shape (and possibly a longer lifespan) for $12.00 each at a specialty homewares store.

No matter what, such a sweet idea is bound to impress! So if you're a firm believer in reaching a person's heart through food, you can't go wrong with appropriately-shaped cheesecake.

Upside Down

2009-01-29T14:05:00.001+09:00

My Biggest Fears

insects, namely bees
great heights
drowning
hurting the people I care about most
failing

I suppose I'm also highly paranoid about losing close relationships with people purely out of neglect. I'm always expecting the other person to nurture the relationship, or think that extra nurturing shouldn't be necessary, that a friendship should fuel itself. But alas I've learnt, we must love (until our hearts hurt) in order to be loveable.

Time Passed So Slowly

2009-01-22T08:08:00.007+09:00

My Past Jobs

Grocery Assistant @ Coles Supermarket: April 2004 - April 2007
Store Refit team member @ Coles Supermarket: Oct - Dec 2006
Call Centre Assistant for Challenger TAFE: June/July 2007
Admin Assistant (filing - much to my distaste) @ Education and Training International: one whole week in August 2007
Receptionist / Admin Assistant @ Hazelwood Resources/McAuliffe Legal: Aug-Dec 2007
Checkout Operator @ Kmart: Jan 2008 - Present
Supervising Assistant for wristbanders @ West Coast Blues and Roots Festival 2008: volunteer for one day

It's funny to look back on these jobs and recall why exactly I did them, which tells a whole new story about the person behind each of these jobs.

Obviously we've all been in the retail business before (or at least I think the fair share of people have) - and they're usually jobs that you keep to get you through your school years. Coles supplied me with pocket money wasted on alcohol, clothing and outings while I was in Years 11 and 12 at school, and then while I was at TAFE the following year. The full-time position I served while trying to completely re-shelve the store paid for my first car and some better Christmas presents for the family.

My short-lived job at the TAFE's Call Centre lasted as long as the enrolment period allowed. It was the crusiest job as there were times that hardly anybody even called up, yet you sat there surfing the net and got paid a fair government wage for doing just that (as well as occassionally processing an enrolment online).

The filing job landed in my lap thanks to the lady in charge of the Call Centre, which I took up out of desperation for fulltime work. It was based in the city in some hectic office where nobody was calm and it seemed as though everything went wrong. I was originally told that I would be doing database work, which I was fine with when trained. It was only when I started asking questions in order to get my head around it clearly that they thought maybe I was actually incompetent and made me do filing all day every day instead, where you were treated rudely if you ever stopped rushing around off your feet. I felt elated the day that I quit!

My job in reception was purely "for experience". Actually, all of this office work was just to have some full-time work away from customers, gain some skills (particularly in my communications), and look good if I ever choose to go and work in the UK! However I was underpaid and surrounded by bitchy and cruel women that I haven't quite had the time to think about forgiving just yet....

Volunteer work at Blues and Roots was my ticket to see Gotye that evening...

and my job at Kmart gives me pennies to survive my years at uni!

I reflect back on this and see that it was only working at a festival (the volunteer job) that was done purely for, what I thought would be, enjoyment's sake.

Once Upon A Time

2009-01-20T20:05:00.004+09:00

While deep down you know that every single person surrounding you has a creative spark smouldering away inside of them, it's sadly not expected that everybody will give their creativity a chance to escape and flaunt itself in the big wide world.

So when you do get to see artistic talent (in whatever form) flowing from somebody, it's truly uplifting and enviable.

I feel like it's all the more awe-inspiring when it's unexpected of people to produce beautiful things, such as these images taken by my father many years ago.

My dad used to study Photography at "Tech" when he was younger, and I (in my somewhat biased opinion) think it's such a shame that he never continued with it professionally, and seemingly only practiced his skills from there-on by trying to make our family snaps feel more dramatic than the situation intended.

It's still the case today, that the arts aren't quite as glorified as maths or science, and therefore fall second-place. Parents aren't encouraging their children to engage in visual arts, film-making, photography, journalism, etc. etc - mostly because they want their kids to be money-making machines and probably feel there just aren't any jobs in such fields. But I believe that creative minds can make anything happen for themselves in their life journey, all with a bit of positive thinking and effort. If only it were reinforced that we should "do what we enjoy" for work!

I'm hoping that when I finally get to teach Art (or English) in schools, that I will be able to encourage, inspire, and change minds.

Rebel Rebel

2009-01-17T15:04:00.012+09:00

Current fashion-trend crush: rebel girls / early 90s;

The mesmerising tale of when Simplicity met Attitude

with a love for white tees, denim and acid-wash, throws of plaid, as well as tousled hair and blunt fringes.

Idolising the likes of:

Chloe Sevigny

Francoise Harding

Jane Birkin

Liv Tyler

Lou Doillon

Because we have no shame revelling in our youth

post insprired by previous issues of RUSSH magazine

"The world plays for our pleasure on this windshield silverscreen"

2009-01-15T14:39:00.005+09:00

My Favourite Films

Across the Universe

The Prestige
Pan's Labyrinth
The Little Mermaid
Into The Wild
Once
X-Men (trilogy)
Amelie
Big Fish
The Notebook
Garden State
Donnie Darko
Miss Potter
Mary Poppins

Beauty is Power

2009-01-14T14:05:00.001+09:00

How about a sundance?

2009-01-11T22:12:00.011+09:00

I've come to the realisation that Summer mornings are a bit too precious to miss, hence why I've been waking up between 6:00 and 7:00 am all throughout the holidays.

I will admit, it's probably something to do with my uncanny habit of waking with the sunlight that manages to slip through the slits in the blinds... Even so, I'm grateful! For me, early morning is the most peaceful and tranquil time of the day. I've just woken up and have no worries, because the magic of dreaming is that it allows me to filter my thoughts and happily* greet a brand new day. There's generally nobody else awake (or just not home), so I can just feel at ease.

There's something awe-inspiring about the way that it is cool, with a light breeze and a rising sun, which continuously changes the colour of the sky and the appearance of your surroundings. How could you not help but want to plot out your day to keep the good vibes running right through?

And of course, my favourite thing about the morning.... Breakfast!

Breakfast is my hands-down favourite meal of the day, and probably the number one reason why I can drag myself out of bed in the morning. While some may think that my daily usual of cereal with soy milk, a banana and a cup of tea is boring - I think it is the greatest and most exciting thing since sliced (raisin) bread! Though I wouldn't object to french toast, or scrambled eggs, muesli, a bacon and egg muffin...

To think that some people give it a miss...

All this talk about the joy of mornings, and yet it's still the late hours of the evening here in Perth, WA. On that note I should probably get some rest so that I can rise and shine tomorrow!

Good night and very good morning x

*Not a guarantee

Note: all images posted on this site are either created by, or photographed by, me (or taken by a family member!), unless otherwise stated :)

The Good Eggs

2009-01-08T09:55:00.003+09:00

It should seem that Thursday is upon us once again, and I've decided that it's a good day to keep going with my Listography.

My Closest Friends

Marissa (whom happens to be my sister)
Natalie (also my sister, but my sisters are my best friends - I can't exclude them from this list!)
William
Matt
Nikita
Belinda

... All of whom can make my day a little bit brighter

Top Picks: Summer Skin - Face & Body

2009-01-06T13:12:00.007+09:00

Laura and Marissa @ Southbound '09

summer music festival; sunscreened up

If there's one thing that I've learnt from camping down south over the weekend, it's that the Australian sun shines no mercy upon the outdoors-lovin' folk, but only raw and blistering heat that leaves your skin dry and quite possibly a nice shade of crimson.

It's taken me a few times of getting seriously burnt in previous years (so bad that I still have tan lines on my knees from getting burnt two years ago) to realise just how important it is to remember to "slip, slop, slap" in this climate. Therefore I am now proud to say that I have been converted and am a regular-sunscreener! My Pop has undergone many-an-operation to remove skin cancer, and I definitely don't want to end up in the same situation, nor encourage any more wrinkles than I deserve any time soon!

So in the summer-spirit I've put together a collection of low budget skin-savers and other fool-proof products that I'm currently using, and don't think that I could live without.

1. Nivea Visage Gentle Cleansing Creme: A moisturising facial cleanser that leaves your skin soft and feeling hydrated

2. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula - Moisturising Body Oil: I use this as an alternative to a moisturising cream or lotion. It's much lighter, goes on easily, and smells heavenly.

3. Cetaphil Moisturiser: Cetaphil products are incredibly gentle, so you know that they will always be a winner. This is quite a thick moisturiser, so you generally don't need to use a whole lot of it on your face. I usually opt for something lighter, but have found this to be a life-saver after plenty of sun exposure which has left my skin relatively dry.

4. Nivea Moisturising Fluid SPF 15: As most sunscreen lotions are quite thick and greasy (even if they state that they are non-greasy formulas!), this facial moisturiser with SPF protection is perfect for those with oilier skin types.

5. UV tripleguard sunscreen lotion: This stuff goes on blue and rubs in clear, as well as smelling sweet and pleasant! It claims to be non-greasy (which it is in comparison to other lotions), and has very good protection! I'm impressed by this one.

6. Lucas Papaw Ointment: What can't this stuff do? I was originally introduced to this stuff to stop my mosquito bites from itching when I was younger. Then I found out about it being a miracle product that can be used on cuts, burns, chaffing, everything. I now use it on my lips and would reccomend it as one of the best "balms" that I have used.

7. Klorane Dry Shampoo: So obviously this one is for the hair, but it's a life saver if your hair is prone to getting oilier a lot easier during the summer months. Spray, leave for two minutes, brush out, and wha-lah! Fresh hair! I'm not a fan of the smell (a bit like fake tan), and feel that you could probably get the same results by using baby powder - But the can is a much more practical method.

8. Nivea Refreshing Cleansing Wipes: Can you tell I'm a bit of a Nivea fan? I think it might be because it's a very gentle brand that still does the job (something I needed after subjecting my skin to pro-activ). These wipes clean up any make-up after a big night - which proved perfect for the festive season, and even better for camping.

I would also recommend Clinique Moisture Surge (both moisturiser and mask in one), as well as drinking plenty of water!

So remember that looking after your skin is looking after your well-being, and I bid you happy sunny days x

"He who walks honestly walks securely"

2009-01-05T11:24:00.009+09:00

Honesty: a quality we admire in people, that allows us to trust them and thus build big, wonderful, tonka tough friendships! Or at least that's how I feel about honesty...

Before Christmas (I think it was) I was awarded and tagged by the lovely writer of Loveology, Mila, with the Honesty Scrap Award. Therefore I need to share 10 honest things about myself and go on to tag another 7 people to do the same. I've left this post for far too long because I'm quite new to the world of running a blog, and therefore don't have seven people in mind that I would like to tag! I figured I'd get the post out of the way now and find my honest seven soon enough - and inform you who they are at a later date. So the tagging will indeed continue!

I honestly...

enjoy myopia - I am indeed short sighted! Call me crazy, but I'm pretty content without contact lenses or constantly wearing glasses. Sure, seeing things clearly is refreshing and less frustrating - But I like the way my vision gently blurs the reality, kind of as though it airbrushes my surrounding and makes everything smooth and pretty.

am a bit of a health freak - I don't enjoy junk food anymore and most certainly miss exercising as frequently as I did at one point last year. Now that it is the new year, I'm determined to cut back on the alcohol and get back into the gym or other physical activity.

have terrible anxiety - I can hype myself up to feel worried about the most straight-forward things. I hate this.

often make elaborate and exciting plans in my mind and never acually follow through with them - This usually is the case for holidays I dream of going on and such. The general reason for not following through is my dreadful inability to save money.

feel that my wine drinking makes me as equally classy as it makes me bogan - I'm sure this works somehow?

have never had a boyfriend - This looks quite sad when I type it out. I guess I have my reasons though. I wouldn't go out much before, and when I did - it was always with my two best friends, of whom were male. You can imagine how this would be the instant boyfriend repellent. Plus I didn't feel inclined to find a boy seeing as I had male companionship already... That and I'm fussy. Did I mention I'm fussy? I'm very fussy. But alas! I'm ten times more comfortable with myself now, rarely see these friends I speak of anymore, and feel more ready than ever for somebody to sway me.

am incredibly crabby when I'm tired - I'm also very stubborn. Don't take it personally... I just need to work on finding a way to still be nice to people when I'm in this state

can usually only pinpoint exactly how I feel about particular people when I sit down and write out my opinions - The wonderful thing about writing is that you're in your own comfort zone, you're chilled out, you're well aware of your values, and you have time to consider exactly how important and wonderful each individual in this game of life actually is. Even if the person seems like a bit of mole, I could probably bless them for shaking things up and creating a point of interest.

can't define my personal tastes - I think this may be because I'm open to everything, and also know that I could easily change my mind about something within a couple of weeks

cannot eat raw carrots - I do not know why, but I cannot eat a whole raw carrot. It is impossible for me to swallow.

And so there we go! A glimpse at the strange but honest things that make me, me. It feels good to have spilled that information out and into the open, because it even allows me to get a better idea about myself. I'm still learning you see...

Stay truthful x

To Be Clean Again

2009-01-04T20:12:00.003+09:00

... is a magical thing!

More on Southbound 2009, as well as actually completing a post I've been tagged to do, all coming soon!

The Loyal Ones

2009-01-01T14:10:00.008+09:00

I may have mentioned once before that on my birthday I was able to open a package from my friend who was studying in Canada at the time. One of the many sweet gifts that he had sent to me was an amazing book called 'Listography: Your life in lists' by Lisa Nola.

I am in love with it. Complete with illustrations and pencil-like fonts, this book asks you to create your autobiography through list-making. The subject for the list is stated at the top of the page, and your job is to fill in the blank lines provided below!

As I'm a bit scared to fill in the book just yet, I thought it might be an idea to publish one list per week on my blog, as a way of easing into it without damaging the pages. Well, not anytime soon anyway.

So taking it one list at a time (and in the order they are in the book), today's list is

PETS I'VE HAD AND THEIR NAMES

our first goldfish: Blacky, Goldy, Splotchy, and Stripey!
while we had many canaries over the years, the only names I remember of all of them were: Twinkle, Frisky, and Peachy
budgies: Blinky and Blossom
hermit crab: Sebastian
rabbit: Molly
dog: Phoebe
current "goldfish": Angus

Carpe Diem

2009-01-01T09:15:00.004+09:00

image by jimroot @ deviantart

Happy 2009 m'loves! I'm hoping that it's an amazingly fun and prosperous year for everybody, and that plenty of good things come your way.

While the New Year may have started in a park, feeling bitter at being a third wheel (only to be followed by finding a friend in the taxi line and coming home to pig out on copious amounts of bread?) - I've decided that the day time is going to be a time of personal healing. What happened at 2am will not effect my determination to undergo some kind of detox today!

I'm determined to eat light and relatively fresh

Water is the only drink that will touch these lips!

I've showered and made sure that I rid my face of every trace of remaining make-up from the night that was

Today is a make-up free day

I'm going to clean my room

I'm going to clear my head, do some writing

I'm going to tell myself the positive things

I'm going to make whimsical plans for the year to come!

I need to pack for Southbound.

I'm really hoping that 2009 is a year of growth and learning for me, as well a whole lot of positivity, new friends, and appreciation for the little things! x

Not Just A Spot Of Tea

2008-12-28T16:31:00.004+09:00

During the year, I've managed to receive two "Tea for One" sets, which consist of a teapot, a matching teacup, and also a saucer. They are so sweet and it felt like such a shame to have them hidden in the kitchen cupboard amongst all the other mugs and dinnerware.

So what is one to do with these pretty pots, if not lock them away until some tea party I may end up throwing for myself? Well... I sat mine proudly in my bedroom, and happily gave them a purpose to serve.

Let me introduce you to the perfect hiding place for all the chocolates I managed to receive for my birthday!

A sweet idea, indeed!

The Heartbeat

2008-12-28T15:59:00.004+09:00

image by opheliadreams @ deviantart

In my mind, the typical festive summer sounds like classic 80s rock and a fair dose of Justin Timberlake. But of course there's a whole sweltering jungle of summer-lovin' tunes to get us through the sunny days: Those that can take us back to memories of sun and surf no matter what.

Here I've compiled a brief (and rather scribbly!) list of songs that make the summer-born-baby in me smile:

(I believe I mentioned the same song twice! But that's okay, because I love it twice as much)

If you don't recognise some of the songs, I recommend you go on a downloading frenzy! Also feel free to comment with your own top summer-day tunes :-]

Subconsciously Yours

2008-12-26T15:28:00.003+09:00

Time's danced away from me and it's already time to be saying that I hope everybody had a wonderful Christmas, and plenty of naps.

I personally thank nanna-naps for getting me through the Christmas time, from the eve right through to today (Boxing Day). I needed each and every one of them! And I hope you've treated yourself to a pleasant little series of your own naps. If not, what are you waiting for? Go now and nap away!

Nap away your weary eyes, your weary thoughts, the stresses, the food, and those bitter tongues. Nap to your heart's content. Dream a pleasant dream, and know that you can wake-up-a-fresh!

There is no guilt in napping, only much needed peace for your pretty soul.

image by brambura33 on deviantart

Towards the Sun

2008-12-16T17:42:00.007+09:00

What do you hope for?

I hope for overseas adventures, where I spend my evenings talking to strangers and absorbing their tales over cheese and wine. During the day, I explore cities and landscapes, constantly on the move.

I hope to experience different cultures that send me flying outside of my comfort zone.

I hope to someday realise that I'm doing exactly what I love, and wouldn't want things any other way

I hope for people to get enjoyment or a sense of purpose from my own passion

I hope to change peoples' perspectives

I hope to learn from others

I hope for people to think I'm good company, likeable

I hope for a romantic twist

Sun's Playtime

2008-12-14T22:02:00.004+09:00

The mercury decided to prove that it sure could rise; 38.4 degrees Celcius!

The Border

2008-12-14T10:24:00.002+09:00

Last night, I went to Mexico

Musings and Mailboxes

2008-12-12T19:02:00.003+09:00

Call me a bit strange, but I have a daily habit of wanting to check the mailbox before anybody else can get to it, so I can see just exactly what we've received and if there's anything for me.

Now although it wasn't me who personally went outside to check the letterbox today, I was there when my father came strolling back inside with his collections. There, in his hands, was a nicely padded envelope - addressed to me!

I am in love with surprise packages

It was from my friend in Melbourne who was probably my sister in a past life. I am now the proud owner of a pretty bird necklace and an awesome mixed CD! How I love birthdays.

So seeing as I spent time writing out many-a-Christmas card last weekend, I thought I would use my friend as some inspiration/motivation and finally send them off today.

Look forward to some Christmas mail x

Twenty Times Around The Sun

2008-12-12T10:08:00.011+09:00

It should seem that this Wednesday just passed, I threw off my teenage shoes (at least I think I had a pair of those..) and jumped into my twenties! How scary! Mostly because I'm "the baby" of the family, and to think that my sisters and I are all well and truly adults by now... it's insane!

The day went well, starting with plenty of birthday wishes and surprises (like my package from Canada full of some of the most awesome things), followed by friendly visits, and ended in a night with the family - who all hit the wine together. Oh the joy of unlicensed venues that offer you to Bring Your Own. It was actually rather fun/ny! For us at least. The wait-staff at the resteraunt we went to probably thought we were nuts.

My sisters and I out at dinner on my birthday; Natalie, Marissa, Laura

So while I know that New Years may seem like a more appropriate time to reflect on the year that has been, I thought I would take the time now to note some important things that I have learnt since turning nineteen last year. You would hope that I would have become just a little bit wiser, yeah?

So here goes.

+ Happiness is a Warm Gym: The gym is not a bad place; The gym keeps you sane! I actually started going before my birthday last year, but I was well and truly dedicated to going right up until some tough times with uni this year. I love feeling fit and strong, and the happiness and confidence that comes with exercise. How I need to go back!

+ There is no place like Southbound: I attended my first ever Southbound Festival at the beginning of 2008; an annual 2-day camping festival down in the South-West of Western Australia, packed full of great bands and endless fun. While it was exhausting, hot, dirty, and uncomfortable - you wouldn't think to have it any other way. I'm going to the 2009 event in just a few weeks! How exciting!

+ You don't need a high TER to do uni: So I got a fairly poor Tertiary Entrance Rank when I sat my TEE a few years back. I was pretty crushed at the time, because I knew that I wanted to keep studying and do something that I enjoyed. After plenty of working and a couple of TAFE courses, I finally went to uni this year. And that was simply by applying with my high school grades and a letter/resume. AND - I've even received High Distinctions and Distinctions for a fair share of my units. So it just goes to show, if you put in the effort, you will get the results.

+ Absence makes the heart grow fonder: While I definitely haven't realised I've been in love with one of my closest friends all this time!... I had a friend spend a good majority of the year overseas. First in China, now in Canada. While he was here, I found that I was unfortunately finding myself getting mad with him over silly little things. I guess that when you know somebody incredibly well, it's easy to do that. It wasn't until he went away that I realised how much I value our friendship and certain qualities about him. So in a way, I'm glad that we had that distance for all this time, and certainly cannot wait for him to return to the land of Oz!

+ Positive things come to positive people: This year I received a book called 'You Can Heal Your Life'. It sounds a bit corny, and people would brush it off as "things you already know and don't need to hear from some fruit loop that thinks they know it all". But honestly, I am so glad to have read it. Every page filled you with positivity and reinforced the fact that you only get out of life what you put in. Positive thoughts will lead to positive things happening in your life. People that are negative are only going to keep falling into negative patterns.
This was most certainly true for finally getting my Phase II for driving this year. I failed the first time because I kept telling myself that I wasn't ready, that I couldn't do it, that it would go badly. I beat myself up about driving really badly.
However the second time around I told myself I could do this, that I was prepared, that I knew everything that there was to know - and managed to have the most lovely assessor for my practical driving test! She passed me and I was just estatic!

I also feel that just recently I have learnt to like myself a whole lot better, and it is now that I seem to be attracting a lot more new people into my life. I want this to continue, which can be hard when you start feeling down - So I guess I just need to keep my chin up!

I'm sure there are a lot more things I have learnt (including with regards to friendships and what I've actually learnt in terms of new methods of making art and such at uni), but this list would be never-ending!

Maybe you too could reflect on what's changed over the course of the year? I love hearing other people's stories!
Happy list-making! x

LifeInTechnicolour

2008-12-09T08:13:00.008+09:00

I was going to simply pose the question of, "why can't everything be in black and white?"

... as if I want everything in life to be straight forward. Simple. Spelt out to me.

It's easy to forget that with simplicity comes monotony. And who really wants to see the same thing everyday? The same problems, the same people, the same systems and cycles...

The end of uni has seen some incredible changes for me, and I've come to realise that this year has been one of the most positive I've experienced in a long time. These holidays so far have been so positive in themself.

I am loving my life in technicolour right now

Note: all images excluding final image by me; 'confetti' by drivemeinsane @ deviantart

Soothe the Soul

2008-12-08T06:53:00.005+09:00

My Monday morning is being spent trying to nurse myself after a sleepless (but fun!) weekend.

So now that the first cup of tea for the day has been consumed, I'm assuming there'll be a few more to come, and a lot of sweet tunes.

If you're having yourself a stress-free Monday and need some pretty music to help you through it, check out this lovely lady

http://www.myspace.com/lenkamusic

Bohemian Like You

2008-12-04T18:23:00.007+09:00

Be inspired by exotic items and bohemian fashion, and have yourself a week of ethnic fun. We're talking cuisine, parties and dress-ups!

Tonight is "Indian Night" for my sisters and I. Numero Uno sister is having us over to her place and cooking us some yum food, while Numero Due sister is providing us with some fun dress-ups! I am, of course, providing my wonderful company...

Bollywood anyone?

Current Mood:

2008-12-03T08:20:00.005+09:00

I'm not sure how much longer I can stand being confined between the walls of this home, sick with a cold/flu.

I thought this painting I did not too long ago as part of a uni project summed up how I'm feeling today pretty well. It's the most chaotic/non-structured work I've ever done (mind you, there is method in the madness).

Good Morning

2008-12-02T06:56:00.001+09:00

We Dreamt Ourselves A White Christmas

2008-12-01T07:58:00.001+09:00

As a kid, the first day of December was just as exciting as Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I'm not sure if it's a Roman Catholic tradition, or just something our family has picked up from somewhere unknown to me, but December 1 means putting up the Christmas tree and opening the little square marked with the number '1' on a colourful cardboard advent calendar.

I'm fairly nostalgic about our old Christmas tree that we had when my sisters and I were little. It was tall and lush green, with big red bows and golden ornaments of musical instruments and little bells. Our coloured lights would sing Christmas carols, and you couldn't be sure if the musty smell was the tinsel or the old nativity set. It's these memories that make me incredibly fond of using traditional Christmas colours and ornaments around the home.

You can only imagine my reaction to mum announcing that she wanted a white tree this year with lime green and hot pink. The thought was revolting. Maybe not as revolting as our blue/purple/silver theme in previous years, but the mental images screamed a hot breath of 'tacky'!

Down in the land of Oz, December 1 not only marks the so-called first day of advent, but also the first day of Summer. We don't get snow. Hell, we don't see reindeer or even want to imagine being covered completely in a red felt suit and fluffy night hat. We try to be as naked as possible and drink as many alcoholic beverages on ice as we can. So why oh why would it make sense to get a white tree?

But alas, mother put up the tree yesterday (which does turn out to be the first day of advent by Roman Catholic standards), and she proved me wrong. The white is so peaceful and calm, and it seems as though lime green and gold was a theme made for that tree. She put so much effort into decorating it, and while we still don't have lights for it yet, I think it looks lovely.

I hope you all have a great start to the advent period, and don't forget you can get your German Lutheran on, and open the first window of your calendar this morning!

Note: mine doesn't have illustrations on the inside flap like they used to :-( ;
(You will also notice that I contradict myself in saying we shouldn't believe in having white Christmases in Australia by clearly buying myself a calendar with Scandenavian imagery - but hey. We're dreamers. We can't embrace what we have, so we pretend we're totally going to be roasting chestnuts on an open fire this year)

Count your sleeps x

Sunday Blues

2008-11-30T19:32:00.000+09:00

Summer means: Sundays are for recovery