30 June 2009

*explodes*

*explodes*
i am so glad that mum found my birth certificate.
the people at the department of justice discriminate against non-drivers and non-travellers like myself.
i dont have a passport or drivers licence, so this working with children check had me pulling my hair out with frustration.

the curtains were a no-go on my RDO yesterday, turns out that the curtain rod nan had only reached about 3/4 of the way.

stocked up on heaps of fabrics from spotlight though, hurrah for end-of-financial-year sales!
20% off EVERYTHING - fabrics (some were already as low as $2 a metre!) and paint were the hot topics of the day, i had to push past the old ladies to get me some. lol.

26 June 2009

commute

To the man who squeezed his way into the seat between myself and the smelly man against the window, on the 8:12am Broadmeadows train to Melbourne; i hated you this morning.
It wasn't even the fact that you insisted on sitting with your legs wide apart so that both the smelly man and myself had to sit on the edges of our seats to avoid touching you.
It wasn't the way you turned your head and glanced at me, somewhat menacingly, as if to say "I've noticed your music, it is loud and irritating."
It was the fact that despite having my ipod up loud, I could still hear the whistling sound you made every time you breathed through your ugly, spotted nose.
I could have used the shoelaces from the smelly man's shoes to strangle you, the sound you kept producing, like an old steam kettle, was beyond aggrivating.
Lucky (for you) the smelly man was wearing sandles.
Why he was doing so during Winter is beyond me, but it's hardly the point of my blog.

Snotty nose, I hope you get fired at work today so that you never have a reason to commute with me EVER again.

25 June 2009

lord mayor's creating writing award

a goal.
Entries for this close August 31st.
That gives me heaps of time to fictionalise the events of my life. lol.

I have an RDO on Monday (paid! hoorah!) so I'm hoping to start making my curtains. I purchased sooo much fabric, I don't know how I'm going to manage it all.
Maureeeeeen, help meeeeeee!

24 June 2009

curtains

Yesterday before work, I managed to scoop up enough time to visit Lincraft to investigate fabric for my curtains. Luckily, now is a good time to buy things, not only with the global financial crisis, but also, stocktake sales.
The fabric I chose, a thick cotton-something-or-something-else was on sale, reduced from $6.98 to $4.98 per metre.
Nan, in her traditional way of doing things, perscribed that I needed 13.3 feet of fabric to adequately cover the window space. This however, is doubled, because I want the curtains to be heavily bunched and draped.
The poor shop assistant looked blankly at me when I told her that I needed "13, or maybe 14 feet" and then continued to fumble around through things, calling her manager, and looking just plain clueless until the lady behind me got so fed up from waiting, that she approached the counter.

The shop assistant and I exchanged glances at this lady, who said nothing but "hand me that bit of paper, I'll show you."
What continued was a maths lesson about converting inches to centremetres.
After she had concluded that 36" equalled 1 metre, the shop assistant told her, "yes, thanks, but we need to know about feet."

Suddenly, I guess something Rangarashasha (or whatever her name was, you know, my year 9 maths teacher?) taught me actually sank in, because, hoorah! 12" = 1 foot.
3 feet = (12" x 3)
= 36"
36" = 1 metre.


but scrap all that maths, which is probably incorrect, but the moral of the story was I ended up completely disregarding any of that, and purchased 6 metres, which, I'm guessing, is somewhere close to 18 feet.

Why did I purchase so much extra?
I still don't know. All I do know, is that I left the shop feeling very staisfied that I had finally settled on what fabric to use for my bloody curtains!

23 June 2009

where oh where did my daughter go?

olivia lee, I miss you.
all of my attempts to contact you have so far been unsuccessful.
you are one of the few people i trust completely, and i never thought this much time could pass without us speaking.
i hope to see you soon. its been too long.

I'm going to write a blog-book

Not a book about blogs, but I'm going to start blogging things that I hope to eventuate into a book.
My family and friends are some of the weirdest and funniest people on the planet, and with a nice kick up the bum for exaggeration and a touch of fabrication, I'm confident that people would actually want to read our crazy tales.
Like the time(s) in which my dad gets naked to celebrate the New Year.
Or when my brother Dylan, full of childhood ignorance, shouted "Ninjas!" in Broadmeadows Shopping Centre in front of group of Muslim women.
Big Nan dances to the music they play over the speakers in IGA, and Little Nan was threatened by a lunatic with a shotgun.

Expect to hear these tales, and many more in my up-coming blog posts.

Nobody cares what I had for lunch

In an attempt to disprove Margaret Mason, author of "No One Cares What You Had For Lunch; 100 Ideas for Your Blog", I would just like to point out that today I had a tupperwear tub full of leftover soup from last night's tea.
Hmph.

22 June 2009

the bedroom dilemma

Moving out of home certainly came with it's lists of pros and cons.
There were plenty of things to start, change and redecorate.
I have an ever-growing to-do list to help my get really settled in my new environment.
Surprisingly, the decor of my new bedroom was on the top of the list, and continues to occupy most of my thoughts as I lay in bed staring at it's walls.
My irregular, futon-come-bed-with-smelly-but-new-mattress covers a heap of floorspace, and so I chose to co-ordinate my furniture around it's colours.
I hadn't even moved in yet, but already Nan and I had chosen a striped black, grey and white cover that was surprisingly cheap, and oh-so velvety, but not freaky to touch or sleep in.
I had wanted a really funky and modern room, full of retro or very modern furniture and/or artwork on the walls.
Sadly, the bedsheets steal soooo much attention that I found myself in a very dull room.

A trip! to Ikea! *whips stallion*

Okay, so I don't know why, but against the ruling of my desire to have a black and red room, I purchased a green and white quilt cover from Ikea. And a red steel shelving unit.

I'm not saying it was a bad choice, because it actually works really well with the red furnishings around my room. (I painted some old things, but more about that later)

So now my goal is to create a funky, multicoloured bedroom. lol.

I purchased a tube of red (technically "scarlet") paint from Bunnings last weekend, and painted a few photo frames and my corkboard. I'm pleased with the results of my amateur interior design skills, but am dying to get rid the old stereo system and coffee table (with TV on top) that occupy the space infront of an entire wall.
Once they are gone I will shift my bookshelf away from the heating box thing (don't ask) and use that space to create some art.

Liking the idea of fairy lights tangled around dead tree branches, and maybe I'll paint them red. Or put them in a red vase or something.
My brain prohibits any explanation better than that, so I'm sorry but you will just have to wait to see some photos of what I actually mean.

$9 outdoor party lights create a really relaxing atmosphere in the evenings. I currently have them hanging along the front of the window, but am thinking of moving them.

One night next week, if the weather is good, I will make a trip to Lincraft in the city and have a look at some red fabric to serve as a curtain. The blind in which Nan ordered finally arrived, but it's off-white colour makes me want to do something about it. lol.
I'm planning to just hang this red fabric, heavily bunched up underneath the box that covers the top edge of the window frame to add some colour to the wall.

Would some photos help make any of this comprehensible?

*adds to the to-do list*

21 June 2009

sunday

I had planned to do sweet nothing today.
Instead I woke up surprisingly early, and conducted my morning routine in auto-pilot.
A few hours later I found myself walking through Carlton Gardens, making my way towards Brunswick street.
I don't know why I felt so compelled to go there, but I had a really good day just walking around.
I restrained the urge to start collecting leaves, and felt really inspired to make stuff from viewing all the designer things in the boutiques along Smith street and Brunswick street.
Cute brooches and earrings, made from plastic, old computer parts, buttons and felt.
Most are ridiculously priced, but that's what makes it all the more enticing for me.
I don't want to copy the designs, but to replicate their appeal would be a dream for me.
It's funny how something as simple as lego pieces can become fashion when worn as earrings or on a necklace.

I wandered around near the antique boutiques, but sadly, one or two of them had shut down. One other was closed because the storeperson went to lunch, and I couldn't be bothered waiting around for them to come back.
The plan was to purchase an old record, and use the sleeve to create a notebook.
Using the cover, a holepunch and some paper, I think I saw the idea in a book, but I forget which.

In the end I found myself spending less time looking for artistic inspiration, and more time inside clothing stores. I scoured the length of Brunswick street looking the the dangerfield/revival clearance centre I had seen when Ree, Johnny and I went out one evening.
I found it (at the opposite end of which I had walked) and spent too long rummaging through heavily discounted clothes.
I tried on 5 pairs of jeans and pants, but in the end only bought one pair.
Even though it's a size 28, paying the $20 I did, instead of the $108 I would have in the retail stores, I think it's worth squeezing myself into them, or wearing a belt to hide the fact that I cannot button them up.
lol. shh!

My blog's background is from cole-and-sons. They manufacture wallpaper (for walls, not blog backgrounds) but I screenied it and cropped it so it would tile.
I saw it on a wall at Ikea, and saw it again on homeMADE.
If it weren't so darn expensive I would purchase it and create a feature wall for my bedroom.

refreshment

Hey all.
This post is just a little refresher so that everyone can be up to date on the things that are going on right now.
Firstly, I am now living in Broadmeadows, having moved out of my home in Wallan.
I have started a new job in Moonee Valley, doing what I love, and regularly commute via a late train every morning.
My bedroom is comfortable and very "me" whilst slowly filling up with furniture from the one and only, Ikea.
In less than 3 months I will turn 19 and am scared shitless of the future.
I thought I had everything sorted out.
but now I dunno.