hot much?

More than one 35+ degree day in a row is too much for me.... 3 days into the heatwave and I am wishing it was monday already..... The best part about it is- I cant WAIT to get to work where I control the aircon and its a divine 22 degrees at all times!

How do you keep cool? Do you have the luxury of home aircon? Or do you sit in front of a fan with some water spray and sulk, like me?

ugh i have tried to find a picture that accurately depicts the heat.... no can do. The worst thing for me is looking outside and seeing no clouds, no shade, and the sky so blue its hazy.

Great weekend!

does anyone else ever just really feel the need to DO something? not something big like save the world, but just something physical, to get something done, or to give someone a hand?

This weekend I hung out at my parents place, and my dad was cleaning out the pool - it hasnt been used in over a year, and was a solid green pond of slime. He had the bright idea that if I got in and created a whirlpool it would move all the slime to the centre then we could scoop it out... I wasnt keen. I could SEE the gunge in there. But I was bored, and really keen for some action... so I went down to help, and when dad said "press that switch and we;ll see if the pump works" I pressed the switch. The pump hose burst. Sprayed green water all over me. My shock was such that it took me several seconds to turn off the switch. I was soaked. Dad couldnt stop laughing. So I figured, I'm already soaked. In gungey water. He needs help. I might as well. So I put on my bathers and got in. YICK!!!!!

But it was great!! It was totally disgusting and there were all kinds of creepy things in there but it was sooooo fun. And mum made me lunch and I dried off in the shade and then- cleaned out the car. Ulterior motive for cleaning the car was that i wanted to drive myself back to the big city today. Which I did, in clean car, all by myself, for the first time. Yep, I'm 25, and pretty much never driven anywhere, and havent done a reverse parrallel park since I passed my Ps. But I did it!

And now, to cap off my Australia Day long weekend, I'm watching Simpsons, the Royal Windors, Friends, Top Gear, South Park. What could be better than that?

Oh, and, I made Apricot Jam. From freshly picked apricots, delicious:

love in sydney??

I'm not a traitor... but I went to Sydney to go to All Tomorrows Parties and I loved it. I've been before, a few times, who hasn't? But this time i went on my own, stayed with a friend but travelled around on my own, and I remembered this: I dont hate Sydney.

Aside from the fact that Nick Cave is seriously unbelievable, and that ATP was honestly the best freaking music festival I have ever been too, I had a really good time. I even caught a ferry (!) and then a BUS (2 things I would never do in Melbourne) to Oxford St and went shopping. And bought stuff.

I agree that generically the shopping MAY be better in Melbs but theres a lot to be said for a completely new shopping strip, that you've never been to before. I bought a fab mens shirt from World (extremely awesome store dude informs me that a Melbourne store is trying to come about), they also sell great womens stuff and generally totally fun stuff and you can see their New Zealand website here..... PS if you have a larger than average (average being a c-d) TRY A MENS SHIRT. They button across the bust, and theres no gaping!!!!

I also almost spent about a third of my savings on some Nom*D pants but came to my senses... but Zambesi is of course also in Melbourne so I can always shop at home. Greatest find of my travels was by far Pink Zebra - and happily they have a Melbourne store. I bought some cashmere drastically reduced from almost 300 sequins to a much friendlier 70, and also a lovely soft singlet also on sale. Their Melb store is in High St Armadale which means its getting more and more worth it to travel out there. You can also buy online.

I love shopping in new places with different stores and genuinely different stock- it gets so tedious going to half a dozen stores only to find the same cheap trash in each one. (Also, I am OVER seeing the same jewellery but in very slight colour varieties in both Diva and Sportsgirl.... And I'm not afraid to say DIVA DOES IT BETTER GET OFF ITS BACK SPORTSGIRL- get your own junk its not that hard.)

ack

I only lasted one month without Vogue... I totally cracked out in the country and bought this months edition... I was swayed by the Daria at home thing, which was good.... still, I've flicked through it about 3 times and I am bored. BORED. BORED. Appreciating a lack of fashion stories that come direct from American Vogue (although I havent received my last one of that yet so I shouldnt speak too soon) but still bored. Step up, goddammit. I wanna see something that makes me desperate to buy it ASAP and read cover to cover. Not pick up a week later and flick through twice.

On another note Vogue Living is quite exciting these days!! I wish I had the funding to buy a place and decorate it as I wished.... or just the funding to rent somewhere awesome and decorate.... or just the funding to buy my new favourite thing:

Did I mention I'm a mother again?

I was feeling some serious motherly guilt over the state of my lone bunny so I started looking for a ladyfriend for him. And found one, disconcertingly quickly. Her name is Sadie. After some initial uncertain bottom-sniffing and floor-thumping, they love each other.


PS I get bored with writing about the usual stuff so this year you'll hear more about me. Unless you dont like it, in which case I guess you wont read it. Simple!

like a goldfish

my memory, that is..... I'm between jobs and boy has gone overseas for a few months and I sit at home..... since Sunday I;ve been spring cleaning, then today I have watched over 9 hours of Greys Anatomy. I dont even like it that much. Its just addictive. I've started talking like Cristina. Its not a good look. Anyway when I need a break or the medical scenes get too graphic for my delicate constitution I go online. And look at street style. And house style. And cool people wearing awesome outfits. With good hair. And pretty makeup. And then I think about getting a bit more dressed up, and feel like going and changing into a totally amazing new outfit. Then I get up and go into the room, and theres all my old stuff. Still the same. Nothing new, nothing exciting, just a whole lot of clothes that I cant get any imaginative inspiration out of. Then I dejectedly go back to the couch, re-start the dvd player, and sulk.

2 hours later, I do it all again.

2008.....

2008 is almost over and I am glad of it. It seems this year that things have just happened- happened without me doing anything or attempting anything, just happened to me. The only thing I instigated this year was getting a new job. Which was awesome, until my contract expired and wasnt renewed.... but now I have another new job, which will hopefully prove to be much better.

I didnt blog as much as I wanted to, partially because I was too busy trying to make life normal, but mainly cos everytime I sat down to write I had nothing to say. I stopped buying stuff, to save money and also because the accumulation of stuff had become pretty depressing. Instead of buying things to feel better, I just tried something else. Something else turned out to be reading Apartment Therapy and GoFugYourself, which apart from making me desperately want to go to Ikea was free.

Four significant people in my life have moved away, the shortest distance being Hamilton. One other went to Sydney, the other 2 are overseas. Its funny cos those four people were my main people to go in a crisis. As in, "I dont know what to do now, I dont want to go on, I need help". All gone! I wonder if perhaps the universe is giving me a sign to grow up, or if its just been the year for it.

This month is the first month since 2001 that i havent bought Australian Vogue. Not last month but the one before was the first year since 2003 that I havent bought Harpers Bazaar. I havent missed either. I'm not even worried that the next one will come out and I will have a forever imperfect collection. Instead all I want to read is Elle Decoration - a direct influence from Apartment Therapy.

I've culled my wardrobe down to one ikea kids cupboard and one clothing rail. I have culled my house down to essentials and things I absolutely love. And books. I have grown my hair longer than its ever been before. I got a scary looking mole removed cos I couldnt stand another summer of seeing those awful skin cancer ads at tram stops making me feel scared, and after all the drama (and valium) for a 15 minute proceedure it was all ok.

I havent kept any of my resolutions. I cant even remember what they are. I'm not going to make ones for 2009, cos I cant be bothered to inflict the guilt on myself. Whats the point?

One good thing- I finally picked up the sewing machine i've had on layby for months. Tomorrow I'll set it up and start to teach myself how to use it. Then I'll alter/repair all the stuff I cant wear at the moment cos its ripped/too long/needs taking in/or out and voila! Almost new selection of clothes.

Next year I am going to do things cos I want to, not because I have to, or because its for someone else, or because I think it will be the right thing. I'm going to get some balls and just go for it. I'm going to look after my body better and give it the right stuff- enough vitamins, fruit, vegies and proper things. A year of clenching my jaw and losing hair from stress is making me want to treat it right. I'm gonna wear unapologetic clothes, cos who cares?

I leave you with my inspiration. Happy New Year.



pics are from the sartorialist