Odd Hobby

I pick up a hobby, buy all the tools, supplies and whatnot, enjoy hobby for approximately a week, and then drop said hobby.

Rinse, repeat.

So far I've been completely enamoured for shorts amount of time in- felt food making, jewellery making, glass bead blowing, wire sculptures, origami, calligraphy, boxing, making my own beauty products, illustration, scrabble letter creations, scrapbooking, handbag sewing, organic dog baking.

That's just in the past 12 months alone.

My new favourite thing?

Polymer clay.

I've just spent 3 hours avoiding my essay, but making tiny, cute little food item charms. I have no flipping idea what i'm going to do with them now.

What's your hobby?

7 Days

.. I will have arrived in Tokyo, no doubt suffering from extreme culture shock!

Like I mentioned in this post, I have been quite stressed with uni and whatnot lately.

It hit me like a lighting bolt- how can I possible be stressed when soon I will be visiting Disneyland?!

I went to a winery the other week. It was lovely, but nothing especially post worthy. However I went to the bathroom (stay with me here) and look who I saw out the window?

This little guy (im assuming from his colourful feathers that he is indeed a he) flitted next to the window back and forth, quite happy for me to take photos.

Look what I found when on the hunt for boardgames- Sylvanian Families!

Man, I had forgotten about those. I used to be so envious of my cousins giant Sylvanian treehouse and collection. They come in meerkats now?!

When is too old for Sylvanian families I wonder. Or do I just claim to be collecting toys for future children? Actually, thats probably even creepier than buying for myself.

I purchased my first Inglot pallette. The excuse was that it is perfect for travelling and more secure than my MAC palettes. Who wants to dick around with bubble wrap the whole time im on my trip?

I was initially sceptical that they would be as good as my MAC shadows, but im impressed. They are so soft and buttery!

On Monday (!) night Billasaurus Rex kept me up all night.

...not in that way.

He asked me to come to his house- I told him I would come over, but I would have to finish my homework at his.

I get there- he is atrociously drunk. He was an absolute menace.

When I finally got around to commencing my homework, turns out his computer doesnt even have MS Word.

I had to set the alarm to 5am, so I would have time to go home and finish the assignment, get ready for uni, and hand it in at 9.

Less than impressed.

I'm lucky that I get to read the paper and get paid for it.

When I finally arrived to work, my blearly eyes looked at the above headline and read it as 'Our Ice-Cream Wave'

I smiled and was happy that we had a positive news story on the cover for once. I imagined a giant wave of Neopolitan ice cream waving its way through my city.

Der.

Doesnt that just show my naivety too?

Sorry for the boring post today folks, i'm feeling flat getting everything organised to go away!

12 Days

In 12 days time I will be landing in Tokyo. Eeep!

The weather in Tokyo has been...not so great. I've had to go out and buy some comfy boots and a winter coat, just in case.
I've got all of my accommodation sorted, my JR Rail Pass so I am free to roam around Japan whilst I'm there, my tickets to Disneyland, and have spent what feels like a billion dollars on all those things you buy new before you travel. Because of course, I am desperately going to NEED that Country Road scarf I have never even thought about wearing in my daily life. But now its a necessity!

Look at that face! Isn't it killing you with cuteness?!

Theres that cute face all grown up!
My eldest neice Jamieson turned 18 on the weekend. I'm feeling really quite old thinking about it- and i'm only 6 years older myself. I also love in this photo my little nephew Jhye in the corner, who is clearly thinking, 'CAAAAKKKKEEEE!!!'

Billasaurus Rex and I had a party fail on the weekend.

Our aim was large: to go to 3 parties in the one night. This was made harder by the fact BR had been up since 5 working, and had to do the same on Sunday, the next day.

We started off strong with my nieces 18th birthday dinner. He kept tapping his iPhone suggesting we really should head off to the next party. I kept putting him off, and stalling. I reassured him that no engagement party would be getting quiet so early.

Finally he said at 9...we REALLY need to go so I finally wound up my goodbyes. (I'm one of those painful people that take forever to leave a party.)

By the time we arrived at the party it was 9.15, and I shit you not, they were packing up.

Nothing feels quite so awkward as rocking up to a party, present in tow, whilst they are folding down tables and packing their gifts into the car.

Woops.

But seriously- 9pm?! Who has an engagement party that goes from 7-9pm?!

Have you been to an awkward party? Please, tell me all about it in the comments and make me feel better!
 I promise not to laugh at your misfortune (too hard!)

Cupcake Therapy

My name is Cindy, and I'm a stress-baker.

Last night I baked these cupcakes- Red Velvet cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Chilli Chocolate. Holy capital letters, Batman.

Why on earth did I think I could take on full time study, whilst working 38 hours, doing volunteer work, hiring 3 new staff members, have a social life, be able to keep coffee dates, plan 2 overseas trips, see my family and be the worlds best girlfriend all at the same time?!

I'm feeling stressed just typing that, lol. Do you have any tips?

As well as the afore mentioned cupcakes, I also baked 24 choc chunk cookies.

I turned my back on the kitchen, and painted my nails. When I returned only 10 mins later, I found an empty bench, and Billasaurus Rex looking pained.

"Babe... I don't feel so good....."

He had eaten 11 cupcakes (lucky I sampled one beforehands!) and 24 cookies!

He didn't feel well?! No shit, really?!

Lol.

The day I found a penguin in the suburbs

On a sunny Tuesday, I found a penguin in suburban Geelong.

I'm not a big believer in the universe and its mysterious ways, a bit of a sceptic even. But maybe, after this, I believe a little bit more.

I was 19 at the time and staying at my boyfriends house. We had been together for three years and were absolutely inseperable. In hindsight it wasnt inseparable in a cute way, it was more inseperable in the less fortunate, co-dependent way.

We had never had a major argument- until this particular night. I dont remember  how it started even- but I know it had something to do with me spilling chocolate sundae on his car interior.

There were tears, and screaming. The screaming eventually moved on to him shoving me around, and then pushing me on to the ground. It was quite late at this stage, and anyone who has ever had an all out argument knows that they are draining.

He finally let up, and went to bed. I got into the bed and joined him- before I knew it I was crashing down onto the floorboards.

The man I thought I loved so dearly said in a chilling tone that I can never forget- 'You're a dog. Dogs sleep on the floor.'

I lay awake on that floor for hours, not daring to get into the bed with him. I started off bawling, then sniffling, then got angry, then bawled again. As I stared at that ceiling (brown ceiling fan, white chipped paint and with cobwebs, how could I ever forget?) I wondered how had I gotten to this point? How had I let this man treat me this way?

I started to think about who I was, and what I wanted out of my life. Every plan I thought of, he wasnt in. I made a massive mental to-do list, and the last little goal I had before going to sleep was to one day hold a penguin. I imagined holding this tiny littly fluffy creature and smiled before dozing off.

In the morning I had had a change of heart. I woke my boyfriend up with breakfast and a sincere apology. I told him that I was sorry for upsetting him, and I would do my best not to again. I told him I was sorry for making him scream and shove me, and that I would do better.

Remembering my grand list of plans, I pushed them to the back of my mind. I was being stupid- how or where was I ever going to hold a penguin?!

We left the house for the day. As my boyfriend was locking up, I noticed there was something under his car.

As I walked down the driveway, I thought perhaps it was a Macca's bag or a bit of branch.

I strained my eyes- it had moved? Maybe it was a kitten?

My boyfriend was taking his sweet ass time getting organised. I wasnt holding him up for once, and he was in a reasonable mood after my apology. I walked up to the car, placed my bag on the ground and crouched down.

Halfway down I heard a tiny little 'MARP MARP MARP!'

Holy shit. Huddled next to the wheel of the car, was a tiny, fluffy PENGUIN.

I stared at it for what felt like an eternity.

Finally I stood up and said to my boyfriend matter-of-fctly, 'There's a penguin under your car.'

He scowled at me. 'Real funny.'

I motioned for him to come to the car and look for himself. He lay down under the car, and came up bewildered.

'Holy shit! There's a penguin under my car!'

As we both stood there mouths agape, I had noticed a stray cat circling the car. He seemed mighty interested in the penguin, who looked like it was trying to be invisible next to the tyre.

The sound started again- 'MARP MARP MARP MARP!'

Thinking quickly for the first time in my life (and the only time since!) I scooped up the penguin in my hands. It's tiny wings flapped against the side of my hands.

I remembered that my boyfriend's neighbour was a Wildlife Ranger for Parks Victoria. Maybe it had somehow hitched a ride home with him?

We ran up the street like banshees.

"STEWART!!" I yelled at his front door, 'WE HAVE A PENGUIN!!!' (Apparently, my brain was too busy to consider the doorbell.)

'What?' we heard as he slowly opened the door, 'You've probably found an injured native bird, an ibis or something...'

He looked from my hands, then back to me. 'Fuck me- it IS a penguin.'

I slowly passed my new little friend on to Stewart, who wrapped the penguin up in a tea towel. We sat at his kitchen table incredulous, whilst he made a few phone calls.

It turns out, there was a wildlife rescue house in the court behind my exes house. Somehow overnight, this tiny little penguin Houdini had escaped from their care and went for a wander!

The poor ife rescue lady had been looking for him all night, before giving up, thinking me must have been eaten by a neighbourhood cat. (They have been known to find penguins delicious.)

So- that was the day I found a penguin in the suburbs. It could be completely unrelated and totally random, but I like to think that the Universe, God, or whoever you believe in was sending me a little signal to say that even the craziest dreams can be achieved.

Ranga/Pink Hair Club

I'm not always that keen on going to the hairdresser for multiple reasons-

1. I have curly hair. I'm always nervous im going to walk out with a mushroom shaped do- curls need to be cut a certain way.

2. I have brown hair. I can dye it at home and get the same results.

3. Sometimes you can get a hairdresser who wants to chat beyond normal paramaters and get all intimate about their lives and yours. Now im pretty open, but I dont need to hear about how your partner leaves his pubes everywhere (Yes, my last hairdresser told me this AT MY FIRST APPOINTMENT WITH HER. Lol)

A woman at work who I trust dearly always has beautiful hair. She is in her 60's, but her hair is funkier than any 20 something I know! Naturally I asked her for a reccomendation.

And so thats how I found myself on Saturday morning sitting in the salon chair, wondering what on Earth I was going to walk out looking like. (Please not the mushroom 'do, please not the mushroom do)

The hairdresser was amazing! I went from not knowing what I wanted done, to all of a sudden I hear myself spilling out that I am sick to death of having boring brown hair, and lets go something a bit out there.

She winks, and asks if I trust her. I say yes, trying to look confident but at the same time, wanting to shit a brick.


So, now I have pink hair.

I hate posting pics of myself. No- Im not one of those gorgeous women who are all, Oh I hate photos of myself! And the post a pic of them in a bikini. Lol.

I figure a hair post is useless without seeing the results- so heres my new 'do.



Oh hi, Ive just discovered my iPhone has an option to take self portraits. Wee!


Please excuse my skin- Ive been having some SERIOUS skin issues lately. Im contemplating Roaccutane.

And since I've posted one, you might as well see the rest. (In most photos my hair looks kinda burgandy, but I assure you the foils at my part are pure magenta!)

So there we have it, no more brown hair.

I Still Exist

I have not forgotten you! Unless my accountant is reading. I have forgotten him lately.

My 72yo father is very proud of how he has adapted with the times and can use modern technology.

He went to one computer class in 98, learnt how to make one calender on MS Publisher (because if you are going to know how to use one program, thats the one) and from that day on has been confidently clicking left, right and all over the place because HE KNOWS HOW TO USE THE COMPUTER. AND NO I DONT NEED YOUR HELP BECAUSE I KNOW HOW TO USE A COMPUTER.

Gah.

So the other week, Dad decides that the modem is looking unwell. He decided to unplug the modem because he didnt like the look of that little light. Surely it needed a reset.

My father reset our modem because of a light that was blinking. That light has been blinking for over 6 years and means we are connected to the internet and the outside world.

Good one Dad.

Now im stuck in an endless loop in between my ISP (who swear they have given me my username and password correctly) and my modem manufacturer (who swear they have given me the instructions correctly and the ISP must have given me the wrong details).

Bah humbug.

So, heres a photo that made me giggle.