It takes courage to grow up/Splendour Report

Well, hasn't it been a time and a half? I have officially been 21 for just over one month, and so far - so good. I took those previously mentioned two weeks off at my birthday, went to Agnes Waters and had a ball. Ate so much amazing food, fished and boated, listened to 50's style jazz floating out the doorway and down into the garden of our beach house at breakfast time, laughed a lot, played in the sand and drank Jagermiester. The whole weekend blends into itself in my memories, and I can only remember good things. What only made it sweeter was the pre-weekend surprise party my Boy threw for me on the Wednesday of my birthday. I've always wanted to know what a surprise party was like, but I always thought I was too nosy to ever get a proper one. He pulled it off! I was very amazed, almost bursting into tears and laughing at the same time.

We travelled home on Monday tired and sandy, but I was filled with glee when everyone else had to go back to work on Tuesday and I was still on holidays. On Thursday morning, bright and early, I was up and packed to leave on our Splendour-bender with my darling friend Wickers. I went over and found her in a state - nothing packed, none of her tickets printed, cash strewn all over her bed, and her self downstairs smoking cigarettes in the garden. Needless to say, we left a little later than planned, but we had the most smashing time. We met Harvey and P in Woodford at around 7pm; one bottle of wine and half an hour after that we joined the line for the festival entrance which is 1.5km from town. We got into the festival 5 hours later, and by sheer luck nabbed possibly the best campsite in the history of earth. We couldn't believe it. We beat 20,000 people to it, set up the tent in pitch darkness, and so began the Best Weekend of my Life.

I'm not going to lie. I don't have one photo from the whole 4 days. All I know is that it was amazing fun, and I wouldn't swap the memories I have for one million dollars and a season pass to the Dodgers. We'd wake up in the morning to my cousin crawling through the tent flaps loaded up with coffee, then we'd get up, brush our teeth in the bushes behind the car, and chill out with the guys from the next campsite until the first good band. All our phones died on that first night so we didn't really seperate the whole weekend, but we still managed to catch up with Wickers and J once a day. Mother Nature was an absolute daaaahling about the whole thing, each day presenting us with the clearest, crispest weather - even though we were camping in the depths of winter. Coffee, Vodka Redbulls and Cinnamon Suger Langos breads were the order of the day, along with numerous sessions in a very smoky car, otherwise referred to as the Woodfire Pizza Oven. And then, we would dance. And run around the giant festival trying to catch as many acts and go to the toilet as many times as we could. FUN!

On Monday morning, when everyone had fillled up on coffee and our very last Nutella rations, we piled back into the car to join another line, this time to exit. Driving back towards Brisbane through the rolling hills, Florence and the Machine blaring through the speakers and the windows down, was the meaning of elation in a teacup.

The rest of my holidays were spent visiting my Nan and Pa and my two best friends from high school. My cousin and I also went up to West End to scrounge op-shops and secondhand bookshops, and pay a visit to Happy High Herbs. I acquired a pipe and a set of Bohemian Lifestyle Cards, and a white cardigan with large skulls peppered across it.

The next morning, Wednesday, was time for home. I had the windows down on the freeway til Maryborough, which is where I met up with Wickers. She spent the last two days in Hervey Bay with her boyfriend and brother. And that's how our bender ended. We had the most amazing time, and there is no way I am not going back next year. Winter festivals are the shiz!

All my love, OTIG

Waters off 1770, my 21st birthday weekend, Toadfish. Awesome day! xx OTIG

Winter Festival Connotations

Countdown to my birthday is 5 days. Countdown til my holidays start is 6 days. Countdown to Splendour is 13 days! I can't wait for winter, festivally goodness!

I can't believe how much I've missed out on writing up here due to a lack of time in the blogging department. I've been busy working, training, cleaning my house and hanging out with new people. Oh, and a lot of time watching re-runs of How I Met Your Mother.

My new favourite dinner is Baked Potatoes Covered With Lots of Delicious Toppings and Microwaved Until All the Cheese Dumped on Top Melts. Take one large, clean, farm potato. Cut it in half and prick the insides twice with a fork. Place face down on a plate and microwave for 4 minutes. Then microwave face up for 3 minutes. Take potato out of the microwave and proceed to dump toppings of choice on the faces of the potato. I'm digging Diced Bacon, roughly diced Onion, Salami, Tomato (fresh or sundried) and truckloads of Tasty Cheese. Let the toppings fall off the side a bit, it doesn't matter, just make sure there's lots. of. cheese. Microwave the whole lot for another 3 minutes, then bravo, chop it all up, season with salt and pepper and you're done. That is the best food for just after you get home from the gym! (Health can get screwed!)

Updators.

I booked my tickets to Paramore last Friday night, and my best friend Barb will be accompanying me which will be really great - I've been spouting love lust for this city to her for months, and now I can show her what all my fuss is about. So have a look at the wonderful things Lonely Planet has to say about my Melbs:

"Sophisticated and slick, edgy and rough, Melbourne’s physical and cultural landscape is shaped by a dynamic population, ever-ravenous for a bite of global culture. The result is Australia’s most accessible multiculturalism. Ornate Victorian-era architecture and leafy, established boulevards reflect the city’s history, and cutting-edge developments such as Federation Sq exemplify its enigmatic contemporary style. But, Melburnians still keep their urban frenzy to a deliciously sedate pace. Trams lumber back and forth on routes radiating out like spokes from central Melbourne, and cycling is a common way to get from A to Z."

"Character-filled neighbourhoods, such as Fitzroy, St Kilda and Carlton, hum with life and the city produces some of the best art, music, cuisine, fashion, performance, design and ideas in the world. Melbournians are also devoted to their sport and they go ballistic around the Australian Football League (AFL; ‘footy’ to the locals) finals and during Spring Racing Carnival. They love to shop, eat and attend the myriad festivals that the city offers. You’ll even find them defending the city’s temperamental weather, and if you’ve ever experienced Melbourne’s inclination to plummet from searing heat to drizzling rain in the space of an hour, you’ll understand that this must be the true definition of unconditional love."

Some places I want to try out this time include:

The Bell Jar, 656 Smith St, Collingwood +61 410 336 019

Journal, Shop 1/235 Flinders Lane, Melbourne ph: 9650 4399

My boyfriend got an iPhone yesterday, jolly menace he is. I still have to wait a month and a half til my old contract runs out, and he sneaks in before me just to make sure he is always just a little bit cooler. I will have one in my hot little hands soon enough. He bought me shoes last week, mind you, they were $20.00, and it was only because he accidentally spewed on my face the night before. But that's another story for another time.

xx OTIG

Harriet the Spy

I love the idea of being properly prepared, the whole package, ready to go out into the world. I am snug, dressed in stockings, frock, coat, scarf and boots. I have a bag, and in it I have all the tools I might need - nail file, face wipes, phone charger, make-up, bottle of water, hair spray, disposable camera, notebook and pen, map, money, toothbrush, spare pair of undies, ribbon and safety pins. With these on my person I can survive any situation I encounter. I am leaving my base, my cave, which holds everything I own, and I'm setting out for the whole day with only the essentials.

This is a lazy Sunday afternoon of blogging. OTIG

Shoes, Snooze and Tattoos

I'd give anything to be able to wear anything I want, anyway I want, to my job every day. I can't wait to work for myself.

Melbourne, Paramore, October

It's 5:05am and its still dark outside, but I can hear a rooster crowing in the chilly, misty morning. My poor boy left for work about 15 minutes ago. I'm so glad I don't have to get up that early today - I don't start til 8. I've been getting inspired at really strange times lately, like at work yesterday afternoon when I was looking for some good seasonings in our dry store. Not because it was inspiring work, just because I thought of some things that I like, in my head. I was making a nut mix for the bar, at the time. I never get as much time as I'd like to post on here, so I need to do it whenever I can, no matter how strange a time it is.

SO! I have tickets coming out of my ears. And now Paramore are touring in October, and I'm going to witness them in my favourite city, taking a small break and seeing my mumma at the same time. I think I might head down by mself... I can't wait to travel and fly again, and be in my Melbourne and love everything about it, without having to drag the boys everywhere I want to go (even though last time was ridiculously fun, so maybe if they show a little inkling they want to come, I might let them). Darling mum is coming over the channel for a few days to see me, so we'll have the best girls' weekend ever, staying at the hostel on Church St (which is ridiculously close to my favourite cafe in Melbs, where I intend to go for breakfast every second day). And I'll see my cousins J and S.

While in Melbourne I mean to visit theChanel boutique, smuggle sticky gingerbread into coffee shops to nibble on while drinking my coffee, ride on trams, do the Victoria Markets (crusty bread, cheese, salami and fresh, fruit yogurt for breakfast, washed down with a mocha on the crowded sidewalk), find and purchase the customary skull scarf (tradition), try on a lot of pretty frocks and invest in a fresh batch of brand new, cotton, thigh-high socks. How can anyone not love Melbourne?

The Boy's parents are away this week, and without giving too much away, we are having a smashing time sleeping in their water bed. Water beds are so old-school, but so, so snuggly - you would not believe. Its pretty fun. There are also not a lot of nicer things than flanelette sheets, because they are soft and snuggly and isn't it just the hardest thing ever to try and get out of them of a morning?

Excuse me while I go and fetch myself a coffee. xxOTIG

Disposable Memories

 

 

The excitement of getting an old disposable camera developed after you've completly forgotten what is on it, is great :) OTIG

NEWS

A couple of things:

I know its been round for ages, and I've loved it for ages, but I'm posting because I'm excited about nude. And pink-nude. I love the YSL colour below, it epitomizes every element I've ever wanted in a nude lipstick. Now to save. Oh, and the heels are delicious too, no?

Next, I've been looking into a new vocation/enterprise, because everybody likes cotton candy. That's right. I want to buy a commercial fairy floss machine and travel around to all the fabulous festivals on the east coast, selling freshly spun sugar and bringing an old school delight to poor minions who have never experienced the real thing (shock horror!). Don't steal my idea!

 

Otherwise... lately I've been fiddling round with the idea that I am actually capable of saving relatively larger amounts of money. Last week was a bit awful. I have been really uninspired. I haven't been able to do much due my dedication to paying off my Splendour ticket and saving as much money as I can - but I did manage to go out with my friends on Thursday night and get rather plastered.

Also, I also haven't had a lot of time to play around with my clothes. Add to this the recent cold weather and a lack of storage for my beloved clothes and, I'm ashamed to say, my style has been suffering a little.But hopefully, tomorrow I can travel to the city and buy a few more warm things, and I'll also pay some small visits to thrift shops as well to try and pick up a few interesting tit bits. My treat! I just want to travel down creative road again.

Not long until my 21st birthday. I'm getting ridiculously excited, but I'm putting off planning for as long as I can - so I can savour it when the time comes! I love planning. Right now my ideas include: copious amounts of soft, sweet profiteroles, tiny meatballs dipped in sweet chilli and sour cream, boiled cheerios served with tomato sauce (and plenty of double dipping!), sweet corny and sour creamy hot pumpkin soup with crusty bread rolls and melting butter, dough-boy dampers cooking on sticks and filling up with sticky golden syrup, and the biggest, tastiest, most fingerlickin' Birthday Cake this planet has ever beheld. All this on a breezy, chilly beach, with big hot bonfires and cosy Indian tee-pees.We will spend the long weekend lazing about in our Bali house and daring the boys to surf in the icy waves.

And the weekend after that I'll be packing up my camping things and heading down to Woodford for Splendour with my cousin and P, two of my favourite people in the world! Its going to be fun! I hope - cos it will be for the whole weekend!

Oh! Shortly I will be coming into ownership of the much coveted 4G iPhone. My current 24 month CAP plan with Telstra comes up end of August, and after that, I'll be the proud owner. I can't wait, and I'm happy because it actually means I'll be spending less money, as I'll be able to drop back down to a cheaper plan - with more! Check out Telstra's new CAP plans... I can't see how anyone can live without one - they are so jam-packed with calling, texting, data goodness.

And last, but not least (for this post anyway), I bought more tickets two days ago. Tickets are very often my downfall. But I can afford them cos I've really been good with my cash! Anyway, they are to see Parkway Drive in September, when they tour the east coast for their new album. They are going to be great - one of the few hardcore bands I like. I like them because I feel safe because knowing they aren't massive tattooed freaky men: they are rad surfer dudes, just like us! And they are from Byron. So that will be awesome too. Come September! Oh, and I'm seeing Powderfinger on their farewell tour in October as well. I actually feel really lucky now! Lots of things to look forward too.

Writing this has made me feel really happy. I have to do this more often.

Yours, OTIG

PS. GO THE BLOODY MAROONS! Even though they didn't need the rousting - as if NSW is going to win Origin.

Lately I've been really frigging un-inspired

Weeks like Weeks

Ohh man! Well, I wanted to write this because I've not got long to post, but I have been so busy that I haven't been able to maintain my blog baby. And I just wanted to state that I've been working my butt off in my tri-weekly workout sessions with my PT, and I am finally at the stage of seeing results. I am ridiculously excited because I've never actually stuck with exercise long enough to notice much of a difference. But this - this is amazing, and so fun to watch. And the best part is I haven't really had to change my diet at all... I never ate terribly badly, but I am not one to pass up a treat. Now, if I have a treat, I just remember it at my workout the next day and it makes me work even harder, and I find I have the best sesh ever!

So if you're thinking about changing something about your body or life - you can do it, because I can!

xx OTIG

Dreamtime Rabbles

xx OTIG

Sleep-House

Don't get me wrong, I love my bed. But I love this one more. There will be one of these in my house as soon as I can get my grandpa to create me one. Actually, who needs a house when they've got a Bed-House? Ingenious.

Sweet dreams, ones xx OTIG

Eating Strawberries and Cream for Dinner

One of the best book series on the planet, and one you should definately read.