just wanted to say...

this week has been a somewhat stressful one and

the last few nights i have gone to sleep with a frown,

which as we all know isn't a nice feeling to have.

luckily i have an amazing boyfriend in matt,

he is always by my side and on my team.

so i just wanted to say that i love him.

office inspiration

i have been spending lots of time at the office lately. 

for example, right now. we all had a spring clean

of our desks the other day. lots of things got

placed in draws, out of site.

it still looks nothing like

these spaces though.

i want! 

home in australia

i am so behind in the blogging world since returning from my brief but wonderful holiday. not only with keeping up with my own posts but also reading all of my favourite blogs. life has been somewhat hectic since i touched down last tuesday morning. i can't believe it's been over a week since i've been back, some days it feels like i was never overseas at all.

this is what i have been up to of late and why i haven't had any downtime with my beloved blog.

on tuesday
i made my way back from los angeles to sydney and then on to brisbane. luckily i didn't get caught up in any ash cloud drama but i feel for those that were. at brisbane i was greeted by matt at the airport. after a quick kiss hello he promptly advised me that i needed to book my car in to get the brakes checked... thanks babe i missed you too! on the way home we stopped for some fuel and i ended up buying a chocolate breaka and a tim tam, so unintentionally australian! i spent the rest of the day at home, unpacking, washing and copying old photos and documents from discs onto my mac. so many memories, i promise i'll share some on here soon.

on wednesday
i started back at work. it was really good to see my work friends, we have so much fun together and they are the best thing about my job. everyone was really excited to hear about my trip which was nice. luckily i had absolutely no jet lag from the trip back and was able to make way through the day without too much difficulty. that night i had a craving for a home cooked meal and decided that i would make lasagne for matt who was working late. i headed to the shops and used my phone to look up the ingredients, i must have looked funny walking around for twenty minutes, peering at my iphone. i am so pleased to report that the lasagne and salad turned out perfectly and it tasted delicious. i even received the tick of approval from my masterchef boyfriend. now i just have to test it out on mum, i've warned her mine could be better than hers but there is no way that is possible.

on thursday
i went to work again of course. it is so busy at the moment, the hours just seem to disappear. that night we had a work function on for the launch of our new velocity and american express credit card, which by the way i really want to apply for. we had drinks upstairs at the fox and it was an awesome night that ended up at fridays in the city. the amex team were awesome and with a few too many vodka cranberry and limes we all hit the dance floor and busted out our best moves. at one stage we went on to the rooftop of the fox where there was a uni party. if i ever needed a reminder that i am grateful my eighteen/nineteen/twenty year old uni days and nights out are behind me, that was it!

on friday
we paid dearly for all the fun that was had the night before. i stopped off for a mcdonalds hash brown and coffee on the way too work, my fail safe hangover cure that has worked for me numerous times now. our first priority at work was to get coffee and take as long as possible doing so. the day went reasonably fast though and lots of work got done as everyone was so quiet and unwell! that night i went straight home and got straight into bed and went straight to sleep! poor matt was really sick with the flu but i was so tired that i sent him on his way to the chemist alone. i felt so bad in the morning when i remembered!

on saturday
i tried to make up for the night before by taking better care of matt. i made an appointment at the doctor and hairdresser for him, all in the space of about ten minutes which amazed him! we drove out to ferny grove for the doctor which was a nice change of scenery from our side of town. after the hairdresser at this cool place in the gap we went to the movies to see the hangover two. a very boy orientated day, complete with red rooster for lunch. saturday night was a girly one though, kahli, naomi and i had dinner and watched the dvd blue valentine at k's house. it was a really nice end to my saturday.

on sunday
i had an amazing day with the family in noosa for jade's 11th birthday but i'm going to have to tell you about it and monday and tuesday and today another night because matt needs his computer and i'm ninety nine percent sure that this post isn't nearly as interesting as i think it is. it's been a long week at work and it's only wednesday. i also promise lots of posts and photos about america! goodnight!

lights, cars and palm tress

my blog is looking a little boring with too much writing and not enough pictures! so here is one i took tonight as we were walking to dinner in santa monica. i was just snapping away because the sun was setting and turning the sky a pretty pink. i think this turned out well though (fluke) with the lights and cars and of course the palm trees. i'm having such a good time here, i really don't want it to be over. and i've only seen the one state, imagine how i would feel if i had been to even more exciting places like san francisco, las vegas and new york. just more reasons to come back and do it properly i think. and with matt by my side. so as they say, all good things must come to an end and this time tomorrow i will be two hours into my long flight home.  

six bags full

we just spent a couple of hours at this amazing shopping centre called south coast plaza. now i have six bags sitting on the bed next to me consisting of all different items from bloomingdales, see's candies, sephora, abercrombie and fitch and banana republic. it's a good thing i'm not here for longer because i could and would spend so much money. everything is cheaper which is my kind of shopping and why i bought so much. clinique moisturiser that i buy at home for $74 is only $25 dollars here! i'm starting to see why people take the time to buy online from u.s retailers. i bought a few goodies for everyone at home and i think i still have a few more to go. i also bought a gorgeous blue silk dress which i think i will wear tonight when i catch up with amy, matt's housemate from when he lived on the gold coast. she's from here and i haven't seen her in years so i am really excited! i don't want to leave here.

spot the difference

america is so much fun, i don't want to leave. i've had a great two days so far, playing the role of a typical tourist perfectly. i wonder if people notice that we are from australia when they hear us talk, in the same way that we can pick up an american accent from a million miles away. probably not. i really want to experience all the different states and keep noticing the differences and similarities between here and home. you always know that it's going to be different no matter where you go in the world but it still doesn't change how you feel when you start to experience these things or sights for the first time. california seems very american to me, which might sound silly seeing as we are in america but it's the only way i can explain it. the people, the food, the conversations, the cars, the landscape. i could go on forever. you can't help but think to yourself, this is different or why don't they do it like we do. here are some mental notes that i've made so far...

paper bags instead of plastic
cars driving on opposite sides of the road to us
drivers on the left hand side

police cars that look fake

yellow school buses 

big freeways

big suv cars everywhere

american accents everywhere

very different food

bigger servings

lots of cheese

ketchup instead of tomato sauce

fries instead of chips

soda instead of soft drink

bagels instead of toast for breakfast

21 instead of 18 to buy a drink

fairy floss is called cotton candy

terrible coffee compared to what we are used to

no chocolate on top of cappuccinos

good service and tipping in return

everything is cheaper

different brand names

things you recognise from tv and movies

street signs that look the same as ours

toilets that flush the same as on an aeroplane

different time zone to home

paper money and one cent pieces

american looking and sounding 'moms'

finally, everyone here seems to be slightly disney obsessed

... and now i kind of am too!

hi from l.a.

just a quick hello and note to say that i have arrived safely. i am very tired but we are about to head back over to disneyland now after a full day there. our accommodation is right across the road. we are staying in a pirates of the caribbean themed room. i had an awful coffee at breakfast this morning, they really have no clue how to make a cappuccino. i've had the hiccups four times. got a little bit sunburnt. saw matthew mcconaughey and his family and marvelled at about a million and one things. can't wait to tell you all about them soon! hope everyone is safe and well. and that matt is missing me terribly already. p.s. i was very sad to hear that queensland lost in the origin!

tea?

i've had so much tea since being here. partly because of the weather and partly because of all the visits. 

i had tea in bed this morning while i read my book. how do you like your tea? everyone is so different.

i like to have it strong, just a dash of milk and one sugar. my brother has it black. my grandma joan also had hers black with no sugar so it was always very easy to make her one before i headed off to work. 

at work my friend anna got me on to green tea and vanilla which is really nice. i also have some t2 tea called gorgeous geisha. it's really fruity and refreshing. when i lived in melbourne shona and i liked to have tea at each others houses. it was also an excuse to indulge in a choc mint slice, or two or three!

chai and catching up

'you had me at chai'. that was on a sign that i read in sydney today, i think it may have been in the window of t2, the tea lovers paradise. once i worked it out, it made me smile. we ventured into the city this morning rugged up against the cold, rain and wind. after a successful shopping trip (i bought a poncho) and a yummy lunch (i had a veggie burger) we are now back indoors at my aunt louie's house and funnily enough, i am sipping a chai latte! despite the weather i've had a lovely time in sydney so far. on sunday afternoon di, my mum's cousin, picked me up from the airport and we went to her daughter amber's house. amber has two beautiful kids, three year old isla and one year old hamish. it was almost a year ago exactly that i was back here and had a visit so it was really good to see how much they had grown and to catch up with amber. that night we went back to di's and had delicious homemade minestrone soup (the best i've ever tasted) and toasted fresh bread for dinner while watching dancing with the stars. the next day after a nice sleep in and an egg on toast (a double yolk egg in fact!) we headed to the shops in macquaire where i bought some highly exciting last minute things for my trip like socks and a luggage tag. that afternoon we visited di's two sons nick and chris and their families. nick had recently transferred some old home movies from vhs onto his mac and he showed me some that we were in. one was of amber's thirteenth birthday at di's house. there i was jumping around in pink pyjamas trying to be the centre of attention, probably around the age of five or six. my brother matt was also in it and he was so cute. the second video was when di and the kids were visiting us in noosa one year and we went to pick out a tiny border collie puppy who was become our much loved and much missed family dog tilly. it was so gorgeous seeing all these black and white puppies running around and knowing that it was tilly as a puppy, so much so that it bought tears to my eyes! in one shot matt was knocked over by three puppies as they tried to lick his face, again so cute. i'm going to try and get nick to send my the videos and when he does i'll be sure to post the highlights on here. after seeing nick, his wife julie and their two boys tom and will, we headed over to bondi to see chris and anita and their baby romany. the last time that i was here she was still in anita's tummy so it was lovely to get to see her. she is so adorable. blonde hair, blue eyes, big smile. it felt very spoilt getting to see two babies in two days. after all of our visits were over di dropped me at louie and geoff's place in neutral bay over looking sydney harbour. we had a delicious roast pork for dinner followed by homemade apple pie and cream. so good. my cousin glen was also there and it's always good to see him. after a good nights sleep i was ready for some more shopping and so that is what we achieved today! i didn't spend nearly as much as i could have, there are so many cool shops here! we went into the new westfield which is amazing. i spent some time in zara and tried on some of the gorgeous clothes but sadly didn't buy anything. anyway, i think that is enough of an update on my last few days, i hope it wasn't too boring! i can't believe i'm getting on a big jet plane in the morning. i wish i was going to be away for longer and that i was seeing some more of the states while i'm there. i think i'll go again, hopefully with matt. he's told me i have to do something extreme while i'm there. i don't think so. i am going to have an amazing time though, with amazing people. i can't wait! i will try to blog a little bit while i'm gone but don't be surprised if a disappear for a while. when i was in fiji i wrote down a few things about each day so will try to do the same for l.a. so that i don't forget anything when i return to the land of oz! 

packing and paris

i wouldn't mind the rain and grey skies as much if i was in paris, looking out at the eiffel tower. it's a bit miserable today in brisbane. i'm not sure if sydney is any better. i'm warming up with some porridge and brown sugar, so yummy. i've been having porridge and honey every day at work for the last two weeks, one advantage of the cold weather at least. i still have to finish packing too! and i need to pop into work to send a few emails. too much to do, not enough time. can someone else pack for me? alyce? she was very helpful last night, she cleaned my room (dress and accessory options for the races were everywhere!) while i baked cup cakes. a pretty good deal i think! 

let's race

off to the races today with
k, alex and matt ♥ 

bliss

alyce and i went to see bliss n eso at the riverstage last night. i bought her tickets for her birthday. they were awesome. their second last song was 'the sea is rising' which i love. watch it below and be sure to listen to the lyrics. such a fun night, very worth almost freezing to death for.

winter

dear winter, far out today was so freezing cold.

i was shocked to the core! you sure snuck up on us.

i hear it is freezing in sydney which i am not looking 

forward to, nor am i prepared for. why does it feel like

summer is an age away? i guess maybe because it is. 

lucky for me though, i hear the sun is shining over 

my upcoming holiday in the states. thank goodness!

summer tees and shorts were the first things i packed.

i am in need of some serious vitamin d and some rays

to warm up this cold blood of mine. if only i were more

matt. he is always hot. forever turning on the air con or

fan while i am forever turning it off. when he gets in the

car after i've driven it he has to open all the vents or turn

it from the hottest setting to coolest. it's an ongoing battle.

what is your favourite season? no prizes for guessing mine. 

i know some people love seeing the leaves fall in autumn, 

an array of different shapes and shades of colour. others 

enjoy braving the cold of winter with warm scarfs, big 

jackets, cosy boots and heated cafes with hot chocolate. 

and some, like my grandma, love seeing the flowers in full

bloom during spring, when it's not too hot and not too cold. 

i know that my friend beth loves the wind. something that

i'll never understand but i like that it makes her a bit different. 

me, i'm all about the sun and of course that means summer. 

queensland summer that is. when it's so hot and humid that

you can't sleep. when the ocean or pool beckons you to swim.

fresh fruit, swimmers, sunscreen, sand, sunburn, new summer 

clothes from the christmas just passed. holidays. memories.

so while i huddle down under my doona for warmth, my 

hands freezing cold from typing this, and think back to 

how bitterly cold today was and tonight still is, i am very

grateful for a fleeting five day summer in the middle of winter.

home sweet home

i have spent most of tonight searching online for a house or unit or apartment that matt and i could call home. both of our leases end at the start of july and we are in two minds about whether or not to move in together or live with matt's current housemates, jeff and gm, as a group in a bigger and better house than where they are now. both have positives. and negatives. i would love to have a place of our own but actually finding something i like is proving difficult. where is my perfect spacious two bedroom house in a lovely area at an affordable price? does a place with a newer style kitchen and bathroom, white walls, wooden floor boards and built in wardrobes exist? if it does it's certainly not listed on realestate.com!

someone like you

'sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead'

listen to the beautiful song 'someone like you' by adele here

monday's mantra

sunday routine

today has been spent at home with mum and dad in noosa and it has followed the same routine, much to my enjoyment, as many other sundays here. the day started with a delicious cooked breakfast at matt's house, complete with juice, tea, bacon, eggs, avocado, toast and more. i always look forward to waking up at matt's on a sunday and knowing that more often than not a beautiful breakfast awaits us. when i got to mum and dads i decided to get productive and take photos of all the things i need to ebay such as my year 11 formal dress. whenever i am home i am normally sorting out something, be it clothes or documents or life in general. i got a big suitcase down from mum's wardrobe ready to start packing and while i was there i found a heap of old photos and wedding invitations. let's just say wedding invitations have come a long way since the eighties! i then moved on to cleaning my beloved car. it's really easy to do here as i have access to their awesome vacuum and all the car cleaning products one could wish for. my car always leaves noosa sparkling. while i am doing all of my sorting and cleaning, dad is noisily working away in the garage on his car and mum is doing a range of things like cooking, cleaning, washing, reading and chatting on the phone. for lunch i had mums amazing lasagne. it's up there as a favourite food of mine. i'm lucky to have parents who are such good cooks, if only their skills could somehow rub off on me! now it's late in the afternoon and we're about to put our feet up and watch a movie. i don't want to go back to work and brisbane and the rest of my responsibilities just yet! 

happy weekend everyone

ah, i couln't be more happy for the weekend to be here.

i can't stop thinking about all things upcoming holiday related. 

i bought some cute tops and casual pants on last night.

this weekend we're heading to noosa to see our families. 

matt will spearfishing while i hope to soak up some rays. 

i'll also be looking for some comfortable shoes for my trip.

i'll also visit nim, read my book, eat mum's delicious cooking, 

see matt's family and hopefully see the hangover two with dad. 

enjoy every second of your weekend and savour the free time.  

my kind of shopping list

i wrote a list tonight but instead of a to do list i wrote a to buy list

kahli and i are going late night shopping tomorrow and i need...

- coat hangers

- long sleeve black basic tops

- tights

- ugg boots (maybe)

- scarf

- new camera (maybe)

- stuff for my trip (not sure what)

u.s.a

in two weeks from today i will be mid air and on my way to the u.s.a!

excited doesn't even begin to describe how i feel right now, let alone how i'll be feeling in two weeks.

so for those of you who don't know, i am going to los angeles for five days with josh and lu

my flat mates and close friends from melbourne and lu's mum vivvian. they have been planning

a big american adventure for over a year now and will be visiting many other states after l.a.

i had dinner with josh when he was in brisbane a little while ago and he was telling me all about it.

as i work for an airline i thought (and said) 'hey i could probably join you' without really thinking. 

but this thought then turned into an idea and luckily it was one that my lovely friends jumped on board with

soon the idea was looking more and more like a reality, even though it was very last minute, and the

more i thought about it or we talked about it, the more i wanted to go. so i finally decided that i would make their party of three a party of four and travel to america for five days of fun and adventure.

we'll be spending three days in anaheim exploring the wonders and rides of disneyland. i am

expecting to have my photo taken with lu and multiple disney characters throughout our visit. 

the last two days will be spent in santa monica where we'll do some sight seeing and go to universal

studios. i'm hoping the days don't fly by too quickly. i know it's a long way to go for a short amount

of time but life is short and i may never get this oppurtinity again. my last day at work will be friday 10 june and i won't be back until 22 june. because of the public holiday on 13 june i decided to take time off from the 14 june meaning i can spend some time in sydney with family before i fly out. it will be like a holiday before i 

even take off as i have the bliss n esso concert with alyce on the friday, i'm going to the races on the saturday and i'll be in sydney for three days before leaving for l.a. plus, i think i should be flying business

class if all goes according to plan with my flights. that will make the plane journey quite an experience!

i have quite a bot of organising to do before i leave, including buying a new camera.

i want to capture as many memories and moments as possible to bring home.