Autumn to Winter Musings

As I said before, we've had a cold snap and it really feels like winter's upon us, which is nice. I've had a really good past couple of weeks actually, even though I've been so busy I could hardly realise. I've made real headway at work - I've recently made proposals to my bosses which they've embraced, and I've been able to put huge improvements into play already! I might even be getting qualified soon, they've made me some really good offers and I'm seriously considering them. this will make it easier to get a job and career that I really want, when I move to the city.

My guitar is still in getting fixed, but my learning is coming along nicely. I don't know why it took me so long to really get it, because I've always wanted to be able to play. I guess I've been trying harder than before. Anyway, its much easier than I thought, just to strum a little tune along to accompany my singing. Obviously lead would be a lot more difficult so I leave that to M, who plays lead while I sing. We possibly decided on the weekend to call our duo Melbron Shuffle, as in a twist on the hip hop dance step. It's got both of our names in it. Yes, I can just see the drunk people trying to say that out loud. We always seem to pick tricky ones.

I got really inspired on the weekend, when we all went up to Rocky for my Boy's band; they had a gig up there at a bar that promotes up-and-coming local bands. It was fun and they did really well. Barb came too and we got drunk, went out and didn't get home til dawn. My poor bf had to sleep on the floor due to a mix-up with his accommodation, but he still had a pretty good weekend. He's my rocker boyfriend. On sunday we went to Yeppoon in the band van, and also to the movies - just us two. Then we had the best Quarter Pounder I've ever had (extra ketchup and onion), and drove all the way home while I slept with my head on his lap up in the front of the van. Bed that night, was amazing.

Other things I've been mulling over lately... tea parties, dreams, relationships.

Happy winter.

xx OTIG

How did you fare at the Fair?

 On Friday night I had take-away chinese (which was delicious) and went with the BF and our good friends to our annual rural town Show. You can tell it is Show season because our town gets hit with a sudden, sharp cold snap the weekend before. So by the time the show rolls around, about an eighth of our community has a severe cold, but still goes along. Come the end of the Show, the whole community at large has a raging case of the Flu. But I still go anyway because I love it.

When I was little my whole family was very involved in the show. My mum was a Steward in the cookery section for a few years in a row, so we would get there early on Thursday morning - before the show is even open to the public - to put our entries in. Dad would enter his hay and sometimes a selection of grains he grew on our farm; Nan would put in her amazing scones and other assorted cookery, along with my Mum; My brothers would put in little craft items and pictures they had made; and my sister and I would enter little flower arrangements, cooking and sewing projects (that we had most likely finished around 12pm the night before).

How fun then, to skip around the whole show on a Thursday and look at everything with Dad before anybody else got to! Because we were home-schooled, we were allowed to take the whole day off when every other kid in town had to go to school til Friday, which was a public holiday. We would go around and look at all the animal and tractor displays, pat the prize bulls and wait while Dad talked to other farmers from the district. Then, at lunch, we'd sit up the top of the hill at the Eatery (which mum and I would go on to manage for a few years in a row), eat sandwiches and drink Orchy orange juice, and watch the carnival people set up the ferris wheel.

My favourite part of the whole show is being there so early that you can sit up on the hill and just watch the show wake up. The pony club people start to trot their ponies bareback around the paddock, the carnies start to trickle up to the Eatery for bacon and eggs, birds start to flit around excitedly, and vendors start to set up their tents and displays for the day. The fresh, crisp start of another show weekend.

A Carnie's Life for me. xx OTIG

Show Me The Monkey!

Mum bought this soundtrack for us as soon as it came out, and it is the cutest, most chilled out album on the planet. They're all by Jack Johnson, so you can be confident of love. You have to get your hot little monkey paws on this, pronto!

xx B

Cat the Cat

I have a cat. Well, he's not really mine, but I'm adopting him as my own. He's all black, exept for two tiny front white paws, and white back legs. He's also got a white bit on his soft chest, and he has shiny white whiskers. He looks exactly like Topsy the Cat, Milly-Molly-Mandy's cat.

The first time I saw him was outside work a few nights in a row. Every night for about 1 week, he'd be waiting out there for me when I finished work and came down the steps. Then, not last night but the night before, my friend and I went there for dinner and I decided that, should he be waiting when I came out, I was going to invite him over to my place for a saucer of milk and some strokes. Sure enough, there he was, patiently waiting for us. So we coaxed him home. He doeesn't like being picked up, but he didn't claw me when I tried. We gave him some milk on the patio and soon he was jumping all over us! We put him out at bedtime and washed our hands with soap, just in case.

Then last night, when I finished work, I came out and Cat was nowhere to be seen. I scouted around in the bushes for a little while but couldn't see him anywhere. I was a bit sad, but put a saucer of milk out on my path when I got home, just in case. He didn't show before bed, so we shut the glass door (its been a bit nippy lately), and turned out the lights.

At 6am, just as the Boy was getting up to leave, he quickly came back to my room, shook a rather groggy me and told me excitedly that my cat was outside after all, drinking the milk all up! And Cat was so excited to see us come out that he meowed non-stop for a minute, then just purred a lot. And I patted him for a while then went off to bed again as the sun was coming up. I think he'll be back!

In other news, my Personal Trainer gets back from holidays tonight and we've got our first session again tomorrow. I'm rather excited because I've been a bit slack while she's been away, but now I'll be fit again in no time. Get ready for some super workouts, body!

Have a lovely day! xx OTIG

Splendour Bender

I'm going to Splendour and I'm going to see Florence Welch in real LIFE. Best 21st Birthday present EVER.

The Dog Days are over.

 xx OTIG

There are little tears trickling down my cheek.

I just discovered, upon the return of my boyfriend's computer from a serious update session, that all of my pictures from the last six months have been mislaid. Apparently I was supposed to be saving them to the external hard-drive, not just in the Pictures folder on Desktop. Mislaid, I believe, is the wrong word. Try gone forever. I can't let myself start thinking of specific pictures because if I can I will miss them more. This is a sad day.

Not completely sad though because I fortunately, finally made an appointment for a hair cut last week - and it is for today! I'm keeping it long yes, I'm afraid I've caved to the Boy in regards to my Camilla Belle hairstyle envy. Ohh to have shoulder length hair again, if just for something different. But I have to admit I do love my long dark tresses, and after all, we are coming into winter. Next spring I'll chop it off!

 xx OTIG

PS I might be getting a chef uniform (with pink buttons) to wear to work now, due to a recent promotion! I'm rather excited about this.

Indisposable Love

♥ Oooey Zooey ♥

Well wow.

So, I will give you an update into my fitness foray, because I feel authorised and pressed to do so following my third session yesterday afternoon. I feel really good; actually I feel freaking fabulous. I've only had three sessions and I already feel like a newer version of myself! Where before my energy levels would peak and drop as often as Gordon Brown's attitude changes, they have - in the last few days - stayed at a consistent and productive level all day; making it easier to get things done and allowing me to feel more in control of daily productivity.

On the first day, Friday, we did circuits up at the football fields. It was earlier than I am usually active, and it was hard to get in the zone. But my goodness, what an extreme workout, and I'm rather proud to say that I spewed at the end, having given 110%. Yes, a bit shocking but so worth it - I felt amazing when I got home and had a hot shower. I spent the rest of the day moving around in a vain attempt to ward off sore muscles the next day.

By Monday, almost all of my muscles were in full working order again and had stopped hurting completely. So on Tuesday we went out again, this time on an interval walk. Walk really hard and fast, then break into a run, then walk again, and backwards up Suicide Hill (that used muscles I didn't even realise existed). Then a fast walk home. About a 40 minute session.

Then yesterday, Tuesday, off to the gym to work on my legs and back. I wasn't sore at all from Monday and by now I was starting to feel the positive effects of all the exercise, so I was feeling really fresh, energised and ready for a tough workout again. It was so good - we did so many different exercises and hit so many parts of my body in just one hour, and I walked out with the wobbliest legs. Another hot shower later and my body is so switched on and alert, and the Boy thinks he can see and feel the difference already!

I definately feel like I'm well on the way to doing this properly, and finally getting really toned up, fit and healthy. I just can't believe what a difference the exercise has made already, and that I never thought that putting this effort in could be so worth it. Having a Personal Trainer has hugely influenced my view of exercise, I actually look forward to and get excited about it! Absolutely, sincerely worth the money.

Next, I will be concentrating on eating well, because I've only just started on that area. There will be a lot of fruit, veges and salads in the coming week I think!

xx OTIG

You can't know the thrill of snapping up one of those.

Today is my day off, and I'm enjoying it a lot. First - roll out of bed at a slightly heinious 10am... I didn't mean to sleep in. But it was nice, so I did. I make a cup of tea, tidy the kitchen after the hasty departure of my brother to his work, and tuck myself into the couch for a little morning television with the fresh sun streaming through my open front door. I wait until I've seen the morning news, then hop up, put a load of washing on and try on one of my favourite little dresses, then its off to Vinnies for my routine check for anything that could possibly resemble a bargain.

I walk out 15minutes later laden down with - a vintage crystal punch bowl (only 11 cups - but only 8 dollars), a lovely soft cashmere pink cardigan (full size, not crop), 3 matching mugs with little floral patterns (but different colours and 40c each), a funny Alf plastic mug as a surprise for my brother (its really ugly in a funny way), and two queen size flannelette sheet sets for winter - one for each of us. All up 14 dollars.

Bargain.

Then its off to the shops, with two rolls of film to be developed. Paid the rent, found disposable cameras on rediculous sale in Woolworths (only 4 dollars each!) and said hello to my brother. I love using disposable cameras, because when they are developed they are more predictable than my Diana, but still have the raw vignetting and darker frames round the edges. Delightful pictures, and on their way into my hot little hands!

Back for more later - so keep your hats on! xx OTIG

21st Birthday Bash

I have decided that, for my impending 21st in July, I will be taking a house in Agnes Waters for a long weekend and holding an all day, classy, Cowboys n Indians themed bash on a nearby secluded beach. Afternoon beers, huge bonfires, cosy teepees and hot tasty nibblies on the beach in winter. It will most likely be too cold to go in the water, but I don't mind - there's just something about the beach in winter that I love. We will have plenty of warm snuggly things to keep us warm. Everybody I've told so far has loved the idea.

I just fell in love with the idea, even more so after I was inspired by a one year old's party of the same theme. His mother is beautiful and a genius and has the sweetest blog called Ché and Fidel. I really hope she doesn't mind that I borrowed her picture!

Holly Hobbie

I subscribed to Grazia today. It feels good because I saved a lot of money at the newsstand, and I know I would have bought all those issues anyway. And now I get weekly magazine mail! Magazines have morphed into my main source of entertainment - with my recent money scrounging keeping me mostly in-house and away from temptations. They are good; they keep me updated on topics that interest me, I can cut the pictures out and stick them in my style book, and they inspire me to try new things. So basically, my list of hobbies sticks at:

...Blogging - this blog is like my diary. Hopefully the Internet never crashes and loses all its information so I can come back when I'm 50 and take note of my style insights

...Reading Magazines (aforementioned benefits)

...Playing with my clothes - washing them, pressing them, trying them on, displaying them, loving them

...Learning French and practicing songs on my guitar (which is in getting fixed at the moment)

...Training with my personal trainer S (we have our very first session tomorrow morning - I'm so excited)

Oh oh, and check out this picture of Peaches in the cutest playsuit you have ever clapped eyes on. I love playsuits, but, as with a lot of things, I am yet to find the perfect one. As far as I'm concerned there is nothing bad about this outfit. The playsuit, the stockings, the leather jacket, the shoes, the bag - all perfect together. Why does Peaches receive so much bad press? They are cruel Peaches, forget them.

You know I love you xx OTIG

Change is good - no matter how poor you are, you'll always have change.

Life has been fairly sweet this week. I've been home from my trip one week tomorrow and I miss everyone badly, but I'm grateful that I at least got to see them last week. So I've just been keeping busy with work. On the weekend I catered for a wedding - my first ever solo flight as a caterer; I used to do it with mum. It was incredibly stressful, as the bride's planning skills were a bit sketchy (understatement of year.) and not everything was going to plan. But we got through handsomely with the help of my brother, who luckily had come with me to wash up for a little extra cash. Thanks bro!

In other areas, my life is about to change fairly dramatically - I now have a personal trainer. Yes, I've taken the plunge to invest someone who is going to guide me on the road to a fabulous body. Why didn't I think of this before? I know its going to be hard work, but I'm just going to DO this, because I need to show myself that I can. I've been so lazy in areas of exercise and effort in regard to health and now my body will have the opportunity come into its own. Good body, don't worry, I will take extra nice care of you now!

Write soon. Must take movies back to store before they are late. Awful overdues! xx OTIG

Release the Advertorials Lavazza la Luna!

If you haven't noticed Lavazza's advertisements and promotions over the last few years, you're missing out. Italy's favourite coffee outdoes itself with its beautiful and inspiring ads and calendars every annum. I have worked with their coffee for a number of my baristering years, and although it's not my absolute number one (how could I say that when I currently sell Miko in my coffeeshop?), let me tell you it is right up there. I got a hugely positive response as a result of almost every cup I sent out to my tasteful customers. Here's a couple of my favourite publications...

The prim and proper Con te Partiro by Lavazza, featuring Daisy Lowe

Love the blue and yellow together (this will inspire the decor in my dream house's lounge/living room), and the oldschool pin-up air hostie feel.

What can I say? This is sex. Makes me feel like taking my clothes off and consuming la caffiene. Which, I suppose, was the aim.

A more elegant approach, with a romantic, mysterious and dreamy feel.

They also had a Marie Antoinette themed calendar one year. I think I will be investing in one of their calendars, not to mention grind for my espresso machine, every year from now.

xx OTIG

My Favourite Song of All Time (at this moment)

Sleepyhead - Passion Pit
LOVE