(Photo) Adventure Time!

 

'These boots are made for photo adventures, and that's just what they'll do...' ♪ ♫

 

We're Coming!

  

 

 

Our work on hold,

Our feet off the ground

Time to change our money

From dollars to pounds

 

Say our farewells,

But not our goodbyes

We'll be back in a few months

Mum please don't cry!

 

Adventure time begins

The unknown awaits

It's time to explore...

...and make some new mates!

 

A few weeks in,

My heart is so happy

The thought of life back home

Just seems crappy!

 

New languages, currencies,

People and food

I never knew experiences

Could be quite this good

 

Ate paella in Spain,

Went paragliding in Switzerland

Travelled to so many countries

After beginning in England 

 

Island hopping in Greece

A month into the trip

To break up the cities

We jump on a big ship

 

Made a bucket list in Italy

Of things I want to do

Had conversations that inspired me

To keep living the life I want to

 

Saw a show at the Moulin Rouge,

Walked all over Rome

It's been the most fun I've ever had

But now it's time to go home

 

A suntan, souvenirs

and my travel diary 

Along with unforgettable memories

To take home with me

 

Travel has lit up my soul

and opened my mind

To experience more of this word

So I'm not just confined

 

To a life of just bills,

Work and no play

To ordinary years,

Months, weeks and days

 

So it's time to book another trip

To look forward to next year

Central and South America, we're coming!

Now that's a good reason to cheer :)

 

 

 

 

Books, Books, Books, They're Very Useful Things...

Ok, so I'm no Oprah, (what with her book club, power and millions of dollars) but I sure love a good book discovery!

 

This week I have been especially grateful for my current read to accompany me in bed while I get over the flu. As there is many of us under the weather in Canberra at this time of year, I thought I'd put together a list of my favourite books I've ever read. 

 

I personally like to read a serious book followed by a funny book to mix it up, and continue along this pattern when choosing which book to read next. When I find a book that is both serious and funny, I feel like I've hit the book jackpot!

 

I can highly recommend the following line up to keep your mind preoccupied until you get better...

 

 

Room by Emma Donoghue: The first chapter will have you scratching your head. I had to re-read the pages over and over to grasp what was going on. A fictional story told through the eyes of a very young boy. I desperately want to tell you what happens, but I won't. Truly brilliant writing.

 

Fat, Forty and Fired and Overworked and Underlaid also by Nigel Marsh: I met Nigel at a conference a few years ago (he was guest speaker). A fellow attendee raved about his first book and how it changed her attitude to work/life balance when she truly needed it. Warning: You may want to quit your job after reading these books. But Nigel has also realised the need for BALANCE, not just one extreme either way. Also just as funny as their titles suggest!

 

Love Your Sister by Connie and Samuel Johnson: A life changing campaign for this brother and sister team to raise awareness and money for breast cancer. I can't recommend this book highly enough, as detailed in a previous blog post of mine earlier this year.

 

Bang Bang and Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me and Uganda Be Kidding Me by Chelsea Handler: Chelsea's shenanigans (btw best word ever) as a comedian and TV host of Chelsea Lately. I don't know how to say it other than she is disgustingly funny.

 

Beautiful by Katie Piper: The true story of how Katie endured a truly horrific acid attack, and fought to inspire millions with her spirit to increase awareness about burns victims. 

 

Drink Smoke Pass Out by Judith Lucy: I love a book about a comedian's  path to becoming successful, reading about that one show they did in the early days with one person  in the audience, to where they are now.  A spiritual journey for Judith here, but don't worry, her dry wit is still very present.

 

My Story (A Child Called It, The Lost Boy and A Man Named Dave) by Dave Pelzer: One man's honest recollection of his childhood abuse, his escape from him the torture and how it has affected him later in life as a father.

 

Yes Please by Amy Poeler: You’ve been living under a rock if you haven't been won over by Amy Poeler yet. But I will recommend her book nonetheless, as it didn’t disappoint.

 

 

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusac: An amazingly well written and captivating book that tells the story of World War II through the eyes of a young German girl who realises the power of the written word. A MUST read!

It’s Not You, Geography, It’s Me by Kristy Chambers: Kristy’s personal experience as to what it’s like when the black dog decides to join you on your travels (uninvited, how rude). I admire Kristy for writing this book, and thank her for showing us that humour can sometimes be found in the darkest of places.

 

Nineteen Minutes and The Pact by Jodi Piccoult: I've read many a Jodi Piccoult book, but these two stand out as my favourites. Piccoult is known for her big twists, and the last pages of these books sure will leave you shocked.

 

Tomorrow, When The War Began series and sequel series The Ellie Chronicles by John Marsden: Like many young Aussies, I read these books as part of English class in High School. I became a fan of the series and re-them numerous times. Marsden knows how to write for teenagers, about teenagers.

 

The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan: I read Marina's title essay online (it went viral, read it here) and was blown away. Thought-provoking words  from a young college girl with undeniable potential, who was tragically killed in a car accident just days after graduation. These are her essays.

 

 The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion: Charming, funny and memorable, there is no other like main character Don Tillman. Just try not to like him, I dare you.

 

Happy reading! :)  

 

 

 

 

Set Me Free

(A message to my imagination, written at 4am):

 

Set me free from these nightmares

So my torment can end

I know they are preparing me

For when the sun descends

 

But do I really need to remember them?

 

Night after night

No rest for the wicked

This Nightmare Disorder

Means my dreams are so vivid

 

Don't bother me later,

Don't bother me now

Please let me just rest

When I lay my head down

 

So disturbed by the images,
Exhaustingly intense

So much confusion,

They so rarely make sense

 

Scared from their threats,

Their disturbing scenes

Like the most horrific movies

I'd never want to see

 

Imagination, please leave me

(Just not during the day!)

I've had more than enough,

Please nightmares go away!

 

I need you when I draw,

When I photograph and read

You help me to create beautiful things

For the world to stop and see

 

But tonight I need you to please set me free

Tonight, the night after, and the night after that

I desperately need restful sleep

Or at least let me peacefully nap!

 

I won't ask for much more,

I just want this one wish

So my sleep time can once again

Be time that I cherish

  

 



'Without the rain, there would be no rainbow'

 

 

 

 

I often buy cards with no particular person/occasion in mind... then end up keeping them for myself because I like them so much and can't bear to give them away!

 

Sometimes you just know you will appreciate it more than anyone else :)

Budding Passion for Floristry!

 

With the passion to learn how to make pretty flower arrangements and bouquets, I signed up for a two- part course at Jamison Flower School. With no knowledge of how to arrange and care for flowers, it was the perfect class for beginners. By the end of the first class I was keen to practice my newly learnt skills at home. By the end of the second class I felt confident I had learnt the basics, and eager to learn more!

I am on the call list for the more advanced class which is soon to be announced, I can't wait!

Here are just a few tips and tricks I have learnt (although I would highly recommend doing a class yourself to learn hands- on, the floristry teacher and horticulturalist are very knowledgeable and very patient!):

• Your vase should be filled with 1/3 of water.
• The water needs to be changed every 2-3 days.
• Remove the leaves of the flowers and foliage that will end up below the water line, as they contaminate the vase water and look unattractive.
• To make an arrangement, hold your thumb and middle finger together to make a circle, then cross stems through the middle, holding very loosely.
• Start with foliage, then add a focal flower to the middle, then keep adding your other flowers, creating a curved dome shape. Always use odd numbers.
• Add more foliage to the outside if necessary.
• When you are happy, check where the flowers will sit in the vase, and cut the stems accordingly.
• Be careful not to cut too much, remember you can always cut more!
• Cut stems individually and on an angle, so they can absorb more water.
• Stems should not touch the bottom of the vase.
• To make a bouquet (as opposed to an arrangement), once you have removed the leaves, spiral the flower stems in one direction instead of using the crossing technique.

 

So whether it's cutting flowers from your garden or a friends, buying stems from the florist, or buying a bouquet from the supermarket and rearranging them how you like, give it a try and brighten up your home!

 

For whoever sees them, it might just brighten up their mood too!

 

25 Words or Less

Recently I was asked to 'Tell us about yourself in 25 words or less' to apply for an exciting new experience. Quite the challenge, I thought. But an interesting little task.

Here is what I came up with:
 
Wanderluster, photographer, book obsessed, ice-cream enthusiast, right brain, first on the dance floor, chaser of sunshine, adventure, that perfect wave and that perfect light!


What 25 words would you use to describe yourself?