Quiet contemplation

Today is actually the 2nd of March so this half-written post has been sitting in my drafts for yonks . Why? I'm constantly thinking about what makes good blog fodder but not actually writing - i've decided I think too much and should just write random stuff. So i'm going to. Expect lots of 'I-read/watched-this and you should too' stuff coming up. Because I like soap-boxing and jumping on bandwagons.

Launching into a new year on the back of six weeks of unbridled adventure is particularly promising on the scale of motivation-for-things-one-wants-to-achieve, yet for the first time in years I begun 2011 without even a couple of new year's resolutions to half-heartedly attempt come 1 January.

Now, two weeks back in Oz, i've done enough navel-gazing and mental life-list-creating to keep me busy well into 2012. Anything to combat the post-holiday blues I say.

When it's all over

I've been a very bad blogger, but i'm here to tell you i'm back, married and refreshed after six weeks of amazingness in South America. Drunk on life with a dip in my hip and a glide in my stride in fact.

The realities of cubicle-dwelling have taken the shine off a little of course, but that's another discussion. The wedding was awesome. Twelve months of planning boiled down to that one surprisingly balmy Friday afternoon of love, hope, and rump-shaking fun.

And while our driver was 20 minutes late to pick me up, we made a few fumbled mistakes in the ceremony and I accidently threw my bouquet on the restaurant's roof, I would not change a thing. All those things paled in comparison to the overwhelming feeling that things don't get much better than this in life.

Not long before the wedding a recently-married colleague at work told me to try and take time to remember every moment as it happens, as it really goes by so fast. Many people recounted a similar story in their advice to me during wedding planning, but this stuck with me - maybe because it was a guy saying it perhaps. As I stood next to my soon-to-be-husband during the ceremony, I did just that; looking out at the familiar faces of dear family and friends I saw a cross-section of our lives together, these wonderful people giving up their day to be there for us - to celebrate us.

So if I could go back and change one thing I'd slow time down, because it flies by so fast it's almost unfair.

{image via fffound}

sore cheeks + warm fuzzies

This photo captures the hilarious good fun that was my hens last weekend. There was bountiful penis paraphernalia; very embarrassing, too-much-information-for-my-mum pass the parcel, hilarious garbage brides strutting the catwalk and shiteloads of mojitos and malibu.

But what overwhelmed me most was how lucky I felt to have such amazing girlfriends. And that's what this is about. It's not just me and Marcus getting married, our wedding is also an occasion to thank everyone we love, because without them we wouldn't quite be who we are today. And that's awesome.

older but no wiser

This was me on Sunday two weeks ago, however it was much less dignified. I may have even been wearing snowboard boots. It was my birthday and we went to Mt Buller for the weekend for one last hurrah before the season ended - it was fun! I was very spoiled and got to enjoy an awesome ride and dinner with a great group of friends. But I was doomed to driving the porcelain bus when I reluctantly succumbed to a tequila shot in full snow gear at 4pm. Thank god these only come around once a year.

(image via fffound)

special delivery

Yesterday I got an email from the work receptionist letting me know that two boxes had arrived for me. I knew it was too soon for the ebay jars, so it had to be my wedding invitations - and here they are!

When my mum and I started the design process with the Save The Date cards six months ago I hoped we'd end up with something pretty awesome, but these have far exceeded my expectations. My beautiful mum has worked tirelessly on these and put up with me changing my mind and throwing up different ideas here and there, to produce something she can be very proud of. Thanks mummy!

Together with having a mum who is a graphic design teacher and Adobe Illustrator whiz, I was lucky enough to have a designer and printer I use through work offer their services as well. The designer made some final tweaks to get the files print-ready and my amazing printer sourced paper and created the envelopes, all as a wedding gift. Very sweet since all I was asking for in the first place was whether he knew any stockists of string and button envelopes!

for the love of dogs

Meet Simba, our eleven-year-old heart-melter extraordinaire and RSPCA rescue. We gave him a second chance when we brought him home in 2006 and he has given us so much more in return in the years since. We always wanted a dog having both grown up with them, but I know I didn't quite expect to feel my life so much more enriched by the experience.

Enter Bronco:



You know how people sometimes say that they wondered where they'd find the capacity to match the love they have for their first child, when thinking about a second? I think that's the same with bringing another dog into the fold. But we found it pretty quickly, even if he does think that the [socks/pen/remote control] taste pretty good.

ebay win (I hope)

I just snapped up six of these pretties for $8.74 on ebay. Trouble is, they're in the US and when I asked about postage costs the lady told me after the auction that she doesn't ship to Australia.

I'm hoping she'll give me a sweet price to post them to Florida where I can use a parcel forwarding service to get them here. I think shipping could be about $80 - $100 so they're certainly no steal, but they would be perfect as vases together with some plain glass jars, plus they'll go splendidly with our vintage photobooth.


(image via google - the ones i'm looking to buy were photographed with tatty old carpet as a backdrop, not nearly as pretty!)