Post Holiday Blues

Well I managed to cross off a few more things from my list. And had an awesome time doing it. My one disaster for the holiday was losing my holiday pictures due to a corrupt memory card. Oh the trauma! I do have a few, but not many. 
Some other amazing things I did that weren't on my list - cycling around Paris on the wonderful Velib Bikes - staying at an amazing B&B "The Old Convent" in Tipperary (please visit  Christine and Dermot for an out of this world experience in hospitality) - skiing in the most perfect little village in France - and of course being with my buddies old and new.

Have a picnic under the Eiffel Tower - Ski in Europe - Have a Ferg Burger in Queenstown - Attend Melbourne Spring Carnival Week - Knit/Crochet a blanket - Trek through Nepal - Own a beach shack - Own outright my own house - Be fluent in a language other than English - Live in Italy/France for a year - Sail the Whitsunday's for a month - Be in Ireland for St Patrick's day - See the running of the Bulls - Eat Snails - Drive Route 66 - Gamble in Vegas - Learn to play the Guitar - Have High Tea in London - Drink Guinness in Ireland -  Sing "The Hills are Alive" in Switzerland - Own a house with a window seat and a tree house - Send Thank You cards for every 'gift' for a year (and then get in the habit of doing it from then on) - Ride my bike to work for a month straight - Visit Gorillas in the Mist - Attend Anzac day at Gallipoli - Learn about my family history on both sides of my family - Host Christmas at my house - Be airlifted out of somewhere - Own a pair of bespoke boots - Have a suit made to measure - Design a clothing range - Hang all my pictures/paintings - 

The List

- Have a picnic under the Eiffel Tower - Ski in Europe - Have a Ferg Burger in Queenstown - Attend Melbourne Spring Carnival Week - Knit/Crochet a blanket - Trek through Nepal - Own a beach shack - Own outright my own house - Be fluent in a language other than English - Live in Italy/France for a year - Sail the Whitsunday's for a month - Be in Ireland for St Patrick's day - See the running of the Bulls - Eat Snails - Drive Route 66 - Gamble in Vegas - Learn to play the Guitar - Have High Tea in London - Drink Guinness in Ireland -  Sing "The Hills are Alive" in Switzerland - Own a house with a window seat and a tree house - Send Thank You cards for every 'gift' for a year (and then get in the habit of doing it from then on) - Ride my bike to work for a month straight - Visit Gorillas in the Mist - Attend Anzac day at Gallipoli - Learn about my family history on both sides of my family - Host Christmas at my house - Be airlifted out of somewhere - Own a pair of bespoke boots - Have a suit made to measure - Design a clothing range - Hang all my pictures/paintings - 

La Paris

Happy New Year! 
So I might just be ticking off one of my "to do's" from the list! Hurrah! (I always think of Enid Blyton when I see Hurrah! I digress). I'm holidaying in France at the beginning of March and I am tres excited! As a happy coincidence, this means I get to tick Learning a language off my list. While I  may not quite get to the fluent stage, I'm just happy to be going to French lesson. And I'm loving it. I don't think I've learnt something I had to study for since I left school, some 15 odd years ago. After the first class my head just hurt, you know that same feeling you get after the first day of a new job, the feeling that makes you wonder just how much in over your head you really are? So it was with some trepidation that I returned last night, and hurrah! all is good. There wasn't that nervous energy in the room, everyone was actually relaxed and laughing at our stupid selves. So I'm really looking forward to Monday's class now.
With the preparations of this trip I'm become painfully aware of a terrible habit I have. Whenever I get close to an oversea's holiday, I go on this crazy shopping splurge. And I mean insane. 
So far for this trip I have bought online: 
1 x pair of ridiculously expensive waterproof boots (which I justified by telling myself that at least I'll be able to wear these ones in Australia afterwards)
2 x Cashmere wrap style cardigans, one in Black, one in White (see above justification)
1 x Cashmere camisole (justification was that it would be silly not to reach the 'free delivery' limit)
1 x Cashmere drawstring pants (see above justification) (NB I did actually delete another $100 off the order when sense kicked in momentarily)
1 x Pair of Skinny Leg Jeans (because the other 2 pairs of skinny leg jeans I already have just aren't quite soft enough to travel in)
2 x Hand knitted Woolen Beret, one grey and one mustard colour (justification was I hate being cold and they were just so darn cute!)
1 x length of Boiled Wool Fabric, to make a cape to travel with (justification was that at least I wasn't buying it ready made!)
1 x Short French Course (didn't really need to justify too much, its on 'the list' right!?)


Still to buy
1 x Puffer Jacket (because as much as the cape will be cute, it probably won't be practical at all times)
1 x Skins or equivalent (don't want to be getting DVT! Plus they have dual application, also double as thermals)


So I estimate that so far the trip has cost me $1,400 (which doesn't include items still to buy, and flights and accommodation), bloody hell. 


The stupidity of it all is that I will want to buy things in London! Because, well its London! And fashion over there is just so interesting compared with Aussie fashion - I'm talking affordable fashion here, not high end. 


I'll have to work out a way to curb my behaviour.


Au Revoir!
Sx

Home sweet Home

I'm homeless, well not in the strictly speaking "I live without a roof over my head" homeless. I'm homeless in the sense of "I feel like I'm living in someone else's home and I want to put down roots of my own" homeless. 


I live in a home that was already furnished when I moved in, which was handy; I sold my furniture when I left Sydney 4 years ago and haven't needed to buy any since. But this means I don't feel settled. I am rarely at home (haven't eaten there in over 2 weeks) and on weekends I leave early and arrive home late. The house is owned by my parents (whom are farmers) so I rent it at extremely low rent and a great location. But I want my own home.


I'm conflicted, I'm buying a home by myself (singlish remember) and I'm trying to be extremely sensible about it, this will be the biggest item I've bought by a long shot. And coming from a long line of farmers, I'm trying to buy a house on a little tiny bit of land as opposed to a unit or a villa. I've been at this for months. Extending the already long list of suburbs I'll consider, changing my mind about renovated vs "character", tossing up between 2 or 3 bedrooms, calculating how much gardening time I can dedicate each week and on and on. 


I've come close to only 1 property that I quite liked and considered putting in an offer on. But that was sold for considerably more money than I was willing to pay for it. And so the search continues.


I know I'll find it; my character cottage on 400sqm of land, close to the city with only minor work needed to make it sparkling, for a bargain price. 


Fingers crossed 
Sx 

Double Dose

Is it kosher in the blogging world to delete blog entries? I’m pretty certain I don’t want to become a blog whinging about my friends or the cost of petrol. I wouldn’t want to read that and I’m pretty sure that my non-existent readers don't want to read it either.  So what are my alternatives? A witty commentary regarding my current crochet project? I don’t think so.

So I find myself right back to my very first post, already, only 6 posts in and I’m repeating my content. Apologies.

I’m thinking of creating a list. You see I’m not fabulous about completing anything. I have a very low tolerance to extended projects. But like everyone, I have a list. On my list…

a)Sail around the Whitsunday’s with a beloved/many beloveds for an extended holiday

b)Learn to play the guitar

c)Finish a babette crocheted rug

d)Buy a house

e)Learn how to speak either French, Italian or German

f)Get fit

So now I need to find a way of motivating myself to complete these goals. I’m the queen of procrastinating – even as I type I’m thinking, “I could get up early tomorrow morning, however it will probably still be raining and if I was going to get up early I should already be asleep, I can’t walk in the rain as I’m still recovering from a cold” et al.

I’m thinking bite sized pieces, which should be easy, right? Example, the babette rug, the individual squares each take from 5 minutes to about 30 mins depending on the size to complete. Easy huh.

My first short term goal to reach my Ultimate goal ‘c’ is to complete 10 squares a week. I figure a week rather than a day gives me cramming time. And as I need loads of small squares, in theory this target will be extremely easy to reach, (I need 128 squares of varying size in total). Yikes, so if I only just manage to make my weekly targets this rug will take me months to complete! But I guess if will be complete…

Ok, I’m heading to bed now to contemplate my new goal and to work out ways of tackling my other goals in bite sized chunks.

Sweet dreams

Sx

 Just to prove I can do it, here are some squares I prepared earlier ;-)