The Day the LOLCats Died
16
Jan 2012
I love mail. In fact, I adore it. I love receiving mail. That’s partly why I’m moving this blog more into being a bit artsy/crafty because I would love to connect with more arts/crafts people and, you guessed it, send/receive more mail.
Today I was very excited to receive a package from the States, and I was all prepared to take pictures… but my camera pooped out on me. It really doesn’t like rechargeable batteries and I don’t have any regular ones. So we’ll just have to settle with other people’s pictures of what I got.
Though I didn’t get an actual Smashbook because I wanted to try making my own first, I did order some of the accessories. From the journalling squares (smashpads) to the awesome pocket folders, I figured I just couldn’t go past the stuff.
Some of it will be used in my latest project – a homemade travel Smashbook I’m making for a friend. Others will go into my personal book, which will be the next project up, I think. I’ve had my practice and now it’s time to enjoy one of my own.
Category: Arts & Crafts, Mail!
Leave a Comment
02
Jan 2012
As many of you know, I’m not originally from Australia. I made the best decision of my life back in 2006 and moved here. I’ve never regretted it for a second. Australia is a beautiful, amazing country filled with fun and wonderful (and some very strange) people. It’s the melting pot that hasn’t melted yet, granting glimpses into nearly every culture you can think of.
And this year, I am going to become one of its citizens.
Technically, I was eligible for citizenship as of July last year, but things kept getting in the way of making it a focus. Now finally I have been able to sit down and look at what’s required to make me a citizen.
I sat down and did most of the paperwork this afternoon. Now I just need a few things like a passport sized current photo and some documents copied and signed by the police department. Then I apply and wait for notification of my citizenship appointment.
In reality, things could take up to five months before I finally get to take that step into officially being a citizen. But it could also happen a lot sooner than that – and should, given that I’m a fairly simple clean slate.
I am so excited at the prospect of becoming a citizen of the country I love so much. Australia immediately felt like home when I first came here, and I always want it to be that way.
Wish me a speedy application process.
Category: Australia, Day in the Life
Leave a Comment
31
Dec 2011
1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
*Moved more than a kilometre in Australia (haha)
*Had the pets outnumber the humans
*Published a novel
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
*Probably not. I don’t really remember what they were in the first place.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
*I don’t know about ‘close’, but people I know gave birth. Plenty of bubs for the year. No one I know in person, though…
4. Did anyone close to you die?
*Not as far as I know.
5. What countries did you visit?
*Just Australia, this year.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
*Better self-control. There are plenty of things I would like to do, but they require sticking to a schedule – something I’m not the best at.
7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
*February 4th, when we moved into the place we’re renting now. It was absolutely stinking hot and humid. By the time we were in, we just put the mattress on the floor in the kitchen because that’s where the aircon is and fell asleep.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
*Publishing my novel – Echo Falls.
9. What was your biggest failure?
*Letting my weight gain so much. A large part of the initial gain was moving into a place without a working oven/stove, but I had plenty of time to correct that.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
*YES. Ugh. The flu that didn’t leave me be for nearly two months and ended off with a particularly strong ear infection. Not fun.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
*Copies of my book. Haha. Other than that… I don’t think I actually bought anything noteworthy.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
*My husband’s. As always, he’s stood strong by me while I’ve dealt with things.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
*Turn on the news. Pick some names.
14. Where did most of your money go?
*Honestly? Food and drink. Isn’t that where it usually goes?
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
*Publishing my novel. (I promise I’ll only mention it sixteen more times.) Getting our first dog… and getting our second dog when it became obvious Brin needed a companion.
16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
*I honestly don’t know. I don’t listen to a heap of music.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Calmer, which is the more important for me
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter.
c) richer or poorer? About the same, I think. A little less in debt from paying a year’s worth of student loan payments, so I guess that would make me richer.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
*Exercise (haha – but seriously…)
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
*Mucking about wasting time. Doing little things that end up taking so much time like playing Facebook games or pressing the snooze button on my alarm.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
*Having fun. Driving around a bit, making homemade pizza, movie marathon – all with the husband.
21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
*No, but I stayed in love, which is just as important these days.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
*I can’t really say. I didn’t stick to any particular one for very long when I did watch television.
24. What was the best book you read?
*The Hunger Games series.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
*A minor. Just kidding. No great discoveries.
26. What did you want and get?
*A lot of stationary/scrapbooking supplies.
27. What did you want and not get?
*A lottery win.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
*I don’t keep up with movies, so I couldn’t really say…
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
*I turned 25 this year and had a night at a pizza place with a mate who has a birthday close to mine – with all our friends, of course.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
*Not having to deal with the flu.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
*Confused.
32. What kept you sane?
*Deep breathing.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
*None.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
*Occupy Wall Street
35. Who did you miss?
*No one specifically.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
*Missy! She was like insta-friend and it’s been great ever since.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
*That it’s okay to admit you need help.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
*If you’re wrong in all the right ways. – Raise Your Glass – Pink
Category: memes
Leave a Comment
30
Dec 2011
Making all my Christmas cards by hand this year instead of just buying them, has really put me into a crafty sort of spirit even now that Christmas is over. It creates a lot of clutter on the kitchen table, but I love having all my papers, scissors, inks, tapes, stickers and so on spread out around me while I decide on what touch to put on a project next.
While I do plan on making more cards because it’s always nice to have them on hand, I stumbled across a different crafty thing to make…
Smash books. First, an intro.
I came across the idea by accident, but I loved it. I’ve been calling it punk or messy scrapbooking. Scrapbooking for the rest of us, you might say. I was tempted to buy the book and products featured on the video, but I found many more instructional videos on how to make your own. I decided that I would try out making my own and then decide if I wanted the ‘brand name’ stuff.
Using blank greeting cards torn in half (because it was the most decent and sturdy cardstock I had on hand for the covers), I set out making two different ones. I’m going to stick all the pics behind a ‘more’ tag, though, so people don’t have to wait for the page to load if they don’t want to.
Category: Arts & Crafts, photos
Leave a Comment
28
Dec 2011
Now that everyone has received their Christmas cards, I can finally put the pictures up! I’ve been feeling quite crafty this month, starting with making all these Christmas cards… I quite like making cards and am thinking of starting a stock of birthday, thinking of you, etc cards that I can just pull out when needed.
On with the cards! You can click on them to make them a bit bigger. This is the first time I’ve used the ‘gallery’ function, so let me know if you don’t like it.
Category: Arts & Crafts, photos
One Comment
14
Dec 2011
New look! I hope you like… It’s probably temporary, but I have been ready for a change for a while.
This blog has become less about my expat experience and more about my regular life. While I still have a giggle over Australia vs the world at times, this is my home and I am less inclined to look at it as something weird and new.
I’d like to focus on more pictures of the pets, talking about what we’re doing and even more about mail because I’m looking to get into mail art, crafting, etc.
So, here’s to change…
Category: announcements
Comments off
29
Nov 2011
Well, I seem to have made it through the wilderness. What wilderness, you ask? Well, tattoo recovery.
I know tattoos aren’t everyone’s favourite subject, but I have them and I plan on getting more. I’m usually not anyone’s first idea when it comes to tattooed people, but I had my third done on Friday. It was rather a massive project that completely exhausted me – not to mention made me endure levels of pain like I’ve never experienced before.
But back to tattoos.
When it comes to tatts, I’ve encountered plenty of people who hate them, dislike them, think they are discusting, etc. But it’s through tattoos that I’ve truly known what following your bliss means. I smile, nod and accept that what I am doing to my body is considered absolutely disgusting by others. But that is their opinions, and I happily continue on my way. Because tattoos are my way.
I am an artist. My life is about creating. To be able to express and commemorate important things in my life through art makes my life complete. So when people say tattoos are disgusting, I can only accept and move on. Because to me, making my body into art… It is the epitome of who I want to be and how I want to express myself.
Most of my friends will remember that I have a Celtic knot butterfly tattoo on my right wrist and the Chinese symbol for ‘night’ on my left wrist. For my third tattoo, however, I wanted something much bigger.
Years in the planning and months into creating and approving the art, I finally took the first step to my massive back tattoo on Friday. It consisted of spending four hours in the chair with a few breaks thrown in. Very painful, but very worth it when I saw the end product – which, by the way, is only half of the entire design.
I’m going to put it after the ‘more’ tag simply because not everyone likes tattoos or will want to see my bare back with a tattoo on it.
Category: Day in the Life
Comments off
23
Nov 2011
The Bloke is currently on the train back home from Melbourne after two days of training. He’s done two levels of barista training, Responsible Service of Alcohol and Resposible Service of Food.
I couldn’t be prouder.
Often in life, we don’t pursue our true dreams because surely we couldn’t really make a living out of something we consider fun and pleasureable, right? Wrong. Haha. While I am not making a living off writing, I am doing well.
And I know The Bloke will do well.
Since quitting his 9-5 and taking up working from home as his main work, we decided that it would be best for him to get a casual outside of home job. He’s a social kind of guy, and I knew it would only do him well to have some work that kept him meeting new people.
We just so happen to be friends with a local pub owner, and the pub already selling my brownies, so it was only natural to welcome The Bloke when he asked to come in and sling coffees every now and then.
A lot of our relationship has been about me, my life and my past, so I am so happy we’re finally shifting focus to The Bloke and his dreams.
If you’re local, I’ll try to let you know when his first shift is so you can grab a coffee from him and a brownie from me!
Category: Day in the Life
Comments off
