Monday. Seriously...I Love You

I haven't posted on a Monday in ages, and today I'm not even complaining because I'm on holiday! I was meant to be cleaning the house and packing for a trip away but instead I spent most of the day wandering around town and perusing the second-hand shops.  The 30 minute walk home from town took at least three times as long because I kept popping into shops on the way.  I loved having the time to search through everything properly, and picked up some great finds including a brown leather satchel and vintage style overnight bag! It's been a long time since I had a day with no set plans and it was so relaxing. 

Today was the perfect start to a long-awaited holiday, and with more fun times ahead I'm sure I'll be sharing them soon!

x

Lonely No More

Last Saturday I woke excitedly and dressed up in my red lipstick, seamed stockings and vintage brogues (plus other clothes, obviously). Then as the rest of the city was still waking to a mild spring day, I clip-clipped my way down to the latest Vintage Roundup market.  The weather allowed stalls to spill out of the old Lone Star restaurant and onto the street, creating an excited buzz of activity in a normally quieter part of town.

The volume and variety of goodies got me pretty excited, and it was very tempting just to give up on photographing altogether. The only tragedy of the day - I was having so much fun taking photos and catching up with lovely folk that I didn't do any shopping (I must be coming down with something)! I'm really looking forward to next time when I can focus on buying some treasures to take home.

Click on the photos to go direct to the stallholder's website,  and check out my Facebook page for lots more photos of the day!

x

Bloom

Despite the current cold snap, spring has officially arrived and with it a sense of anticipation for the fun months ahead. Blossoming boughs and longer, lighter evenings are no longer a distant memory, but a real and joyful sign that summer will be here soon enough. There is so much to look forward to - trips away, festivals, concerts, sunny evenings in the backyard with BBQs and friends.  I can't wait!

To Better Days

It's been a long time since I blogged. I've been missing writing a lot, but sometimes your world is turned upside down and hobbies take a back seat to just trying to carry on! Which sounds far too melancholy - everything that's happened has been for the best and has been liberating to say the least.  It's a relief to be back on track and to have life return to some sort of normality.  Here's to new beginnings, and getting some balance back!

x

A Bit Dark My Friend

My staple diet for the past week

 I have been so very lazy this past week. No exercise, no blogging, no sewing or anything creative - just eating, reading and watching TV. The weather is a mind-numbingly cold mixture of wind and sleet with snow to come, and the rest of the country is worse off than us. Seriously, who can be bothered doing anything?

 

Luckily today is the winter solstice and that means we are finally on the way back out of our wintry dark days. It's not going to get warmer for a while, but at least we'll have more daylight. Plus our winter carnival is on tomorrow with a beautiful lantern parade, so I can't wait to brave the cold and appreciate the beauty of my city on a winter's night.

 

Here's to keeping warm! x

Monday. Seriously.

Yup

Why do I hate Monday today? Well because I am super mad at myself. I dropped my cell in water (no prizes for guessing where) and it was only 6 months old (a Christmas present - waaaaa!). Not a problem in the grand scheme of life but I'm so so annoyed and I hate not having a phone. BOO.

A Right Royal Roundup

1 & 2 Two Squirrels Vintage/3 Modern Miss/4 Needlebot Crafts/5 Kings Emporium/

6 Needlebot Crafts/7, 8 & 9 Brown Street Bespoke

Yesterday was my first time blogging in a journalistic sense (if journalistic is even a word) and to be honest I was extremely nervous.  I felt like a big faker -  approaching people (eek), asking to take pictures (eeeeek!), saying my blog name out loud (*faints*). I fumbled with my camera and jumbled my words, dropped things and nearly got stuck in a dress, but in the end everyone was so nice that I needn't have worried.  Self-promotion is difficult and I find it a bit cringy, but I couldn't have picked a better place to start.

So much vintage clothing under one roof - I could hardly contain myself! The Vintage Roundup at Queens Bar is one of Dunedin's newest markets and is organised by Tannia Lee, who also has her own fantastic online store called Most Wanted Vintage. The stallholders are vintage collectors who have shops or sell online, and there were also a few crafters. I was lucky enough to be contacted by Tannia to visit and take some photos, and I was so excited to be asked!  I managed to restrain my spending and only buy two pretty dresses, although it was almost too hard to choose from all the treasures on offer.  I met some wonderful, interesting people and had a lovely afternoon chatting with them about beautiful fabrics and how much we love our cats.

The photos in this post are only my favourites from the day, you can view the rest on my Facebook page. To see Tannia's photos, keep an eye on The Vintage Roundup page on Facebook too!  

Monday. Seriously - Did You Know You're Actually Tuesday?

WHY are there SO MANY expired yoghurts in the work fridge??! You know you're not going to eat it, WHY even bring it in. Oh wait, I think one of them's mine/I HAVE RUN OUT OF TEABAGS/I wish it was appropriate to lie down in the middle of the office, even just for a second. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and just need a moment/SO MUCH WORK/

Thank goodness for short weeks huh?  Only a couple of weeks until the shortest day, then we're on the way back out - yay! I can't wait, I've really been missing being able to run in the evenings and all this darkness is a serious mood-dampener. Luckily I've got lots of fun things with friends (and inevitibly wine) coming up. I know that I'm usually a stay-at-home kind of girl but I'm feeling cabin-feverish lately, and it's so nice to have fun things planned to break up these dark wintry days...

Freedom

Some days you just want to quit everything and escape....days are cold and dark, work is doing my head in - all I want to do is lie on a beach. Who's with me.

When Books Imitate My Life

I know that a book is enjoyable when the protagonist is relatable, but it's a little unnerving when you realise you often have the exact same thoughts as your main characters.  My current book is the kind of story that makes me laugh at the pithy, resigned way my main character observes his life, but only because I often observe mine the same way.

I'm not yet halfway through my book, which I prefer - I've still got a way to go so I can savour the story, and the anticipation of when I next get to read.  I'm not yet at that panicky stage when you really want to see how the story ends, but you don't want it to actually end - the internal struggle is nearly overwhelming.

I suppose a story is more relatable when it's set in the present, and doesn't involve any exotic locations or supernatural elements. But that's my favourite kind of story. I always seem drawn to books in which the main character is someone frustrated with their (often self-imposed) oppressed creativity, someone who is nearing 30 and still doesn't know what they want to do in life.  

Not that I'm unhappy with my life, but I just think I'm nearing the age where things haven't worked out the way I thought they would, and I'm realising that's the way it is for most people. Does that mean I'm finally becoming an adult? If so, it's about time. Up until now I've felt perpetually 12 - a bit awkward, internally clumsy and with front teeth a bit too big - but still with childish hope.  But lately things have been shifting and I can't really pinpoint when or why.  I'm still hopeful, and my dreams haven't faded at all, but now I feel like someone with determination and the realisation that your dreams don't magically drop out of a unicorn's rear and shower you with sparkles while turning you into a pop-star.  I feel purposeful and more in control, which is probably more exciting than any childhood dream.  Self-reliance is no longer scary, it's liberating and the anticipation of what I'll achieve as an adult is pretty cool.  I only wish it'd happened to me sooner.  

When did this turn into a therapy session. Sneaky books making me think about stuff.

(If anyone is wondering, it's called Charlotte Street by Danny Wallace)

A Public Place to Hide

It's nice to have quiet time in a crowded restaurant.  

If you've never dined alone, you're missing out. It can be a little bit scary to begin with, but if you take a book (or have good games on your cellphone) it can be lovely to sit somewhere warm, have someone bring you food, and just enjoy the time to think your own thoughts and people watch.  My favorite place to go is a Thai restaurant close to work, and I usually go there on days when I think I'm getting sick. Don't worry, I'm not a psycho bent on spreading my germs to unsuspecting folk - but I am convinced that a steaming bowl of spicy tom yum soup can stop a cold in its tracks. Today was no exception. I'd been battling a sore throat all morning, but I swear all that chilli and lemongrass cleared any lurking virus away before it could take hold!

I am naturally someone who likes spending time alone, doing something crafty, or reading. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my friends and going out to parties etc, but if I had to choose I would usually rather stay tucked up at home.  So sometimes a public yet solitary experience can be quite enjoyable - you get to go out and do something fun, but you can make all the choices about what you do, and you can go home to bed whenever you want!  I really want to try going to a movie alone, which I'm sure would be easier than a restaurant, but somehow I think I would feel creepy. Depends on the movie I suppose....

Monday. Seriously.

When I woke up this morning I thought "WHAT. It's Monday already?!  I HATE YOU SO MUCH". Then I shook my fist in a Homer Simpson manner. But now, in the comfort of my sofa, I can honestly say that I still hate it.

Today was the worst. Not only did I have to talk to people and do stuff, but I was nursing the Monday hangover. Now the Monday hangover is VERY different from the Sunday hangover. Sunday hangovers involve slothing around the house, eating lots, maybe feeling a bit ill or headachey. You feel crappy but at least you can hide in your house and recover in a peaceful manner.  

Monday hangovers are a whole other story. If I've been out on a Saturday night, the next Monday is by far the worst day after that. Physically I feel fine, I just hate myself and the entire world around me.  Not only that, but all my money is gone from the weekend so I can't afford anything nice to eat. 

Today I had cereal for lunch, and let me tell you, I was dark. 

Something Nice To Look At If, Like Me, You're Feeling Lethargic

I'm a bit poorly today.  I didn't overindulge on the gin too much, but it was definitely a late night and I really need my sleep. Despite a sleep in I'm still a bit jaded and have the shades of a hangover blurring the edges of my senses. Strong sweet coffee and food high in carbs usually help, but for me, looking at pretty things seems to counteract the feeling-sorry-for-self that comes with the morning after.  So today's post is full of things that are just nice to look at. Plus if I do a blog post then I've done at least one productive thing and I don't feel so guilty about lazing around all day.

So settle in by the fire with a cuppa and enjoy my selection of nice things.

This stunning photo project with a beautiful back-story

This Salted Chocolate Caramel Fudge Cake. Oh my.

This delicious ampersand photography project

My talented friend Julia captures exactly how I feel today

This treehouse surrounded by cherry blossom (Photograph copyright Akihisa Masuda)

My friend Heather cooks this dumpling soup to remedy a cold, but it looks so good, I'm sure it could cure a hangover too!

These pictures have definitely helped me feel better, but I'm also super hungry now...I'm off to rustle up something delicious.