If today could speak to you...

what would it say?

Shutter Sisters posed this question today. To me, I think it would say LET GO.

New Home, New Season

I love that just as Autumn has settled firmly into the atmosphere, so it is that I have settled firmly into my lovely new home.

I love autumn - it's a close 2nd to Spring. The temperature is dropping, there aren't so many bugs around, hayfever is non-existant... it's a wonderful transition time - and change is my middle name right now.

I spend the whole of Saturday moving - I got the keys to my new house that morning, and moved in immediately. It was a good move - all things considered - I was really organised, everything was in boxes, the removalists were fabulous. Then they left and I was surrounded by a mountain of boxes, so what did I do? I did what any new home-occupier in their right mind should do... I went shopping. ha!

I had a ball, I purchased some practical goodies - food and flowers : ) Then it was time for the real work to kick in, and I must say I was surprised at how far I've come in just a couple of days. I have worked my butt off and I'm very smiley at how things are coming along. I even made it to a yoga class yesterday afternoon (after much debating) to stretch out this sore and tired body of mine - and how grateful that I didn't listen to my head and stay home. Sometimes I really just need to get out of my own way! I also have today off work (phew) to settle some more.

The only thing not so fabulous in this whole move is the $$$ going out. Double rent, connection fees, removalists, ugh! But it's probably a good thing in that it will make me tighten my belts - let's see how little it is possible to live on this month!

Till next time with photos,
shiny xx

What if married people were treated like Singles?

Owners of the singles advocate blog, Onely, came up with this list of the types of statements couples would be forced to endure:
"Don't worry, you'll get a divorce someday."
"Oh, you're married? I'm so sorry!"
"You're so great - how come you're still married?"
"It's OK to be married for a while but eventually you need to grow up and become single."
"You're so lucky to be married and not have as much responsibility."
"But don't you feel bad not having a life, seeing as you're married?"
"When are you going to get a divorce?"
"It's so sad having to come home to a house with someone in it all the time."
"Well, I would've invited you to book group, except you're married and I thought you wouldn't want to be around all those happily single people."
"What's a beautiful woman like you doing married?"
From professorwhatif.wordpress.com

I LOVED reading this in the SMH yesterday. Giggle-worthy (and so true!!!).

Loving...

The Avett Brothers : )

Hope

hope⋅less  /ˈhoʊplɪs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [hohp-lis] –adjective
1.providing no hope; beyond optimism or hope; desperate: a hopeless case of cancer.
2.without hope; despairing: hopeless grief.
3.impossible to accomplish, solve, resolve, etc.: Balancing my budget is hopeless.
4.not able to learn or act, perform, or work as desired; inadequate for the purpose: As a bridge player, you're hopeless.

While I was in the depths of depression, perhaps the scariest part of it was that I had no hope. Joy, happiness, love... all these emotions are vital and important but at least if you don't have them, and still have hope, you can get through the day. In my depression, I had no hope that I would ever have these things again - indeed, I had no inkling at all that things would change. It was a hard, heavy, very upsetting path to be on.

Hence I am so so so so over the moon and happy to say that things now are looking up. They're far from ideal but the turning point for me was that I now have HOPE again - Just an inkling of possibility that things might be different.

I had a mini melt-down this morning, just thinking about packing and moving and holding down a full time job and a part time yoga job all at the same time, all while having a cold.. but then spoke to a wise woman who said "just do it". Ha! That is so true! There is really no option but to just put my head down, and power through this upcoming week.

So here's to HOPE, to packing, to tissues and to YOU. Just do it!
x

photo credit: super hero journal

Hello, you GORGEOUS people!

Just curious, friends, when was the last time you looked into a mirror and addressed yourself as "Gorgeous," "Magnificent," or "Sublime"?
Friends, it matters.

Isn't that a beautiful sentiment? Dear friends, remind yourself daily of these ideas by signing up to Notes from the Universe. They'll make you smile!

Change of Scenery

I'm moving to a new home! I'm really really excited - within 24 hours the decision was made AND a new home was found. I'm moving back out on my own (share housing, pah!) and it's a beautiful one bedroom studio in a gorgeous old federation house. Big windows, wooden floorboards, and checkboard tiles in the kitchen and bathroom - bliss : )

Living alone in Sydney obviously means there's lots of $$$ going out in rent, but it's worth it. I am so in love with my new home and sign the lease today. Hoorah!

It's amazing to realise that while I've been working on paying off my debt and doing quite well at it lately, there is much more I can be doing. I will be tightening the reigns on the budget and am actually looking forward to it. And with no flatmates to eat your food and never replace the toilet paper, I am sure there will be some expenses that actually come down ;)

Hope yr smiling x

Validation : )

Smoking Chair

I'm at home sick again today. Still got the fever thing, the belly thing, the dizzy thing. Dr said it's a bacterial thing. All these things... but I'm getting lots of sleep, which is good. I really can't even bring myself to watch tv - despite getting out the entire season 2 of Six Feet Under.

I've not really eaten much today either, just some toast for breakky. So I'm a bit peckish - but the thought of cooking, and actually - the thought of eating, doesn't really sit too well with me. I was in shock when I dropped by my bday gathering last night (delivered my cupcakes!) and couldn't even be tempted to nibble on all the party food. That is how I know I'm really sick - me, knocking back sugar?? LOL.

Spending some time now reading some personal finance blogs to help me stay on the track to get out of debt. Feeling good that I've consolidated the debt and now it's just the one easy payment to knock off each month. That feels SO GOOD - seriously, I started getting anxiety attacks thinking of all the debt I was in. So future - here I come! I actually am excited about pay day now, seeing those debt figures come down (see the funky debt counters I've added to the blog too?).

One way I could surely save some dosh is to stop eating out, but I guess it's one battle at a time. At least I'm eating dinner most nights now - which was a very different story 6 months ago. So baby steps. And speaking of 6 months, come this Friday it'll be 6 months I've not drunk, god willing. I'm so happy and more than that, I'm nowhere near as depressed as I've been prior to now. So no drinking, I'll stay with it.

I was feeling a bit of a pity party attack this afternoon, I mean seriously - it's day 4 today that I'm home sick and I just want someone to come and take care of me ; ) But I'm now sitting by the back door in our elegantly titled 'smoking chair', and feeling that breeze come through and watching the sun over the back yard, well, the pity party is moving on. If I have to be sick, I suppose it couldn't be in nicer surroundings : )

Today I'm grateful for:
* I have a job
* I have a beautiful home
* my family
* books books books
* study retreats coming up
* the net!

Baking.. Throwing.. Baking

So tonight I'm off to a first birthday celebration and I'm on babycakes cupcake duty. I bought 3 packets (not quite up to the making from scratch stage yet) and got up bright and early to start baking. So homely! But alas, one batch done and only when I got to baking the 2nd batch did I realise I forgot to add the oil - hence my babycakes were more like baby ROCKS.
Throw!

Batch 2 is in the oven now, let's see how they go (fingers crossed!)

I've been a bit sick lately with a funky virus going round - it comes in waves, I feel good and then like death warmed up. Part of the reason I was also up so early this morning was because I wanted to go to Body Mind Life for a Power Yoga class - but it's just not going to happen, I feel my belly is going to explode. Blah. Not pretty, this funky sickness.

Felt pretty average yesterday too (came home sick from work on friday, when it all started) but did manage to pick up my special order from Phoenix Rising Books - my Voice of Knowledge audio cd's. Don Miguel Ruiz is someone you have to check out if you're not across him. We heard some of this CD in my recent yoga training and it was phenomenal - I just had to track it down! Whilst in the store, I also came across a fab collection of Pema Chodron cd's (a 3 set!) for meditation. Lucky I hadn't transferred $$ into my debit card account or I would have also purchased What About Me, the dvd. All good purchases - not so good for the debt payoff plan though.

However, I've commenced my mentoring course in yoga and need to up my personal practice, and timewise, meditation looks like the only practice I can fully commit to daily. So the cd's are great : )

Now.. off to ice some cupcakes. Much love x