Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
funday monday
so it's officially monday, although i am yet to go to bed.
before i do, i just wanted to say, let's have a fun day today.
i've been a bit up and down of late but i finally feel happy
again and i want to stay that way all day, all week, all month
and all year! i've realised that being anything other than fun
and happy is just a waste of time and energy. it doesn't make
me feel any better, it just makes things worse. lots of people
i know are on their own quests for happiness this year which
is very exciting. i hope you all find it or get that little bit closer.
late night baking
during tonight's epic five hour men's australian open final (which is still going by the way... go rafa!) i baked a chocolate sponge cake and made chocolate mousse! a friend from work celebrated their birthday over the weekend (thanks facebook!) so tomorrow i am surprising them with some late night baked treats! yum!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
paradise
this week i will be dreaming of paradise for
soon i will be stepping onto the shores of fiji!
my gorgeous friend is getting married there
and i am lucky enough to be attending.
today we spent the afternoon at her place
where she treated myself, anna and cam
to beautifully painted fingers and toes.
i went with a bright coral colour, suitably
named 'tropix' and now every time i look
down at my summery nails i get a little bit
more excited about the trip, imagining
myself by the pool sipping a cocktail.
it will be a very different experience to
my first time in beautiful fiji as there were
no pools or cocktails on kadavu island!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
a wise choice
today has been a little self indulgent to say the least... it began with a sleep in and then a girly dvd as the rain continued to fall outside. while contemplating what i was going to do with my day, kahli sent me a text to ask if i would like to take a massage and facial appointment of hers. it was booked and paid for months ago but with her last minute move to townsville she obviously couldn't enjoy it herself. being more than happy to help her out, i was in relaxation heaven within the hour. a full body massage, body exfoliation and facial made for a perfect start to the weekend. so thank you kahli! i owe you a much deserved treatment when i come to townsville for my first visit. after an hour and a half of pure bliss, i went for a wander down racecourse road and soon found myself sitting in the french bakery 'le bon choix', looking out the window at the rain. the beautiful french waitresses greet you with 'bonjour' as you walk in the door and you can't help but feel like you have stepped into a patisserie on the streets of paris. wouldn't that be amazing. one day. le bon choix means the wise choice, and what a wise choice is was. a beautiful coffee and a divine almond croissant all to myself. kathleen recommended i go there many months ago and i'm so glad i finally did. i just wish that she could have been there to share it with me. a trip to melbourne could be on the cards very soon just so that i can get my kathleen fix. my afternoon was spent indoors not doing a great deal. i can't even do any washing with all of this rain. so it was another dvd in our cosy and dark lounge room complete with a cup of tea made for me by beth. tonight will be spent sipping cocktails and sampling tapas at libertines with ash and her lovely friends, no doubt followed by wine with naomi as we brave the wet weather for a much needed night out. right now though, i must leave my new found and much loved home on our futon and go and get ready! au revoir my pretties.
seeing stars
lana del rey's crooning melody 'video games' came in at number six in triple j's hottest 100.
the home movie style clip is filled with sixties fashion and the faded glamour of old hollywood, along with glimpses of american flags flapping in the wind, tall palm trees, flashy houses, big billboards, the hollywood sign, brass stars bearing the names of the famous on hollywood boulevard, traffic lights, american police cars and cabs and more. these are all sights i saw on my own trip to los angeles, california, in june of last year. looking back on some of the photos i captured along the way (made even more reminiscent of the film clip thanks to instagram) i am reminded of how much i loved it there and how much i would like to go back to see even more of america. until then, i will just have to revisit it in my mind. a much cheaper trip and one that is made a little easier thanks to photos and blog posts from when i was there, like this one.
Friday, January 27, 2012
a happy day
happy australia day for yesterday!
after a beautiful and much dreamt about lie in, i had a late breakfast at kangaroo point. then naomi and i waved a teary goodbye to kahli at the airport. we spent our first best-friendless afternoon at nim's house watching the castle, baking lamingtons, listening to triple j's hottest 100, drinking beer, eating watermelon, sitting in front of the fan, applying temporary australian flag tattoos and flicking through old high school photos. considering i started the day with very few plans it turned out to be a really fun australia day.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
for kahli
my gorgeous, smart, hilarious, beautiful, lovely, darling best friend is moving to townsville. tomorrow. there are simply not enough words to express just how sad i am to loose her yet how happy i am that she is going to be doing something that she loves by the side of the person she loves. and because i love her so much and i because i know how happy she is going to be, the happiness i feel far outweighs the sadness. lots of happiness and love in this post! i have had barely any time to process the news and imagine life in brisbane without her, let alone send her some of her favourite flowers. so here is a virtual bunch my beautiful best friend. we are very lucky that i work for an airline because you can expect lots of visits!
lavender hot chocolate
it's been very rainy in brisbane all week and the temperature in our office has been chilly. chilly weather calls for hot chocolate in my books. the other day i stumbled across this lavender hot chocolate recipe. doesn't it look delicious and devine. i wonder what it would taste like. as beautiful as it looks i hope.
2 cups whole milk
3 ounces dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
1 ounce milk chocolate
1/4 teaspoon lavender buds
heat milk and lavender over medium heat, whisking occasionally until the milk begins to simmer. remove from heat and let lavender steep for 5 minutes. strain lavender and return milk to saucepan. over medium heat, add chocolate and mix until chocolate is melted and incorporated. whisk milk mixture for 10 - 20 seconds until frothy. pour into mugs and serve with a dollop of whipped cream. enjoy with loved ones.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
black cats
on another note, i think this photo just completely cheered me up. thank you cup of jo, there is a reason you are one of my all time favourite blogs. happy saturday all.
high expectations
taking a leaf out of beth's book.
no expecting and lots of enjoying.
hard to do but oh so necessary.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
you are loved.
i love these three words strung together. so simple. so true. everyone deserves to be loved. romantically, in friendships and of course by their family. i try to surround myself with people who love me and who i love. i think it's so important. too much time, energy and emotion can be wasted otherwise. beth and i talk about this from time to time. we're both such people pleasers, wanting everyone to like us all of the time, too often going out of way for others. this year however she is putting her own happiness first and she is inspiring me to do the same. it's actually really hard to do, to be selfish when your used to being selfless. to say what you think as opposed to saying what you think others want to hear. conflict has always made me extremely uncomfortable so i am happiest sitting on a little fence, away from the action. i know that it's no way to live though and that people tend to have more respect for those who are strong and say what they mean and mean what they say. i do of course speak my mind in the presence of those i love or who love me, that is the beauty of those close relationships, you are able to be your true self. my best friends will probably tell you i'm too honest at times! so what am i trying to say here? i think i've lost myself! i would also like to point out that i have only had 4 hours sleep so am not in the best frame of mind to be getting into this! a few things... i wish i was more the person that i am with my close friends, so my true self, around everyone. whether i've just met you or if you are mean or nice or indifferent. i wish i didn't go out of my way to be nice to people who i feel deep down don't deserve it. but then again, i think to myself, is that because i don't like conflict or because i am just a nice person who wants there to be good in everyone and everything? and then i come full circle and think, why do i care so much and why do i wish i was a certain way instead of just being who i am, and that is someone who is happy to sit on the sideline and be a little bit of everything to everyone. loud around some, quiet around others, always moulding to other peoples personalities and not letting my own shine. does it all come down to not loving myself in the first place? it is one thing to love and be loved by others but first and foremost i think we should be able to say 'you are loved' to ourselves. i know in my heart of hearts that i am not truly there yet. only when i stop 'wishing' will i know that i love and accept myself for the person i am. that is what i'll be working on in two thousand and twelve, wish me luck! ♥
Monday, January 16, 2012
refreshing rain
it's been a little rainy of late. unlike this photo where i think they have their umbrellas up for sun protection! (has anyone ever done that by the way? not i!) it's been lovely falling asleep and waking up to the sound of rain. certainly a nice change from trying to get ready for work in 30 degree heat! tonight i played touch football and throughout our game there was a light sprinkle of rain. it was so refreshing!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
new favourite pastime
i can't stop looking at old photos, especially ones of my parents. i wonder about what my
mum was like before she was my mum. i do know that she was beautiful. and i wonder
if my dad was as cool as he looks in old photos. did they dream of having three children
the way that i do now. maybe one day they will tell me. i also wonder if the world looked
differently back then, the same way that the photos appear, everything golden and hazy.
there are some downsides to looking back through your parents albums though, such as
learning your mum liked to sun bake topless with all her of friends. harmless but still! or
seeing photos of your dad with another girlfriend. and while i do love looking through old
photos i sometimes feel a sense of sadness and a tinge of jealously as i wish i could have
been there for it. like the hundreds of hilarious photos of my dad with his sisters and friends
or the time that my mum visited bali. impossible of course but i would have loved to have
been there to see what they were like or see what they've seen. i wonder if they remember
these photos like they were yesterday, if they know what they were thinking. i'll have to ask.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
domestic goddess
this time last week i was busy being very domestic.
washing, cleaning, vacuuming, organising, grocery shopping.
i had some photos developed, dropped some things to an op shop
and even tried to sign up to the library! i didn't get very far with
that idea though as the librarian reminded me i have outstanding
fines from 2006. needless to say i got out of there quick smart!
this weekend is a little more relaxed, less running around.
i do quite like getting my domestic goddess on though and
recently i came across an email with some household tips.
you can keep all of your sheet sets together and looking
neat by placing them inside the matching pillow case!
Friday, January 13, 2012
souls of our cats
tonight i was moving some photos onto our family's hard drive and i came across a folder belonging to me. in it were some early uni assignments, heartfelt yet dramatic post break up letters (aka cringeworthy essays!) to my high school boyfriend and this little poem that i found and printed out (complete with a clip art image of a cat!) when my cat fluffy passed away. i was 16 or 17 at the time and on my school ski trip when it happened. my boyfriend, and the recipient of my essays, had to break the sad news to me when i got home. the poor guy, i was distraught. i loved fluffy so much, she was a beautiful cat and a big part of our family. here she is one christmas day looking highly unimpressed (but still being a good sport!) that we've put a santa hat on her and tinsel around her neck. now we have the crazy, but equally as loveable, coco. we haven't tried anything like this on her yet, we'd have to catch her and pry a gecko from her mouth first!
rest in peace fluffy roney (pus)
once in a lifetime we meet a soul that makes us happy, a soul that we can tell anything, laugh with and hug. a soul that touches your heart, one that is so special that when they leave us, a part of us leaves too and all we can do is cry. but the beautiful yet strange thing is, that these souls are not of our boyfriends or family, they are in fact the souls of our cats.
love jess
Thursday, January 12, 2012
today i'm loving...
lychees! and... coral nail polish, forty degree days (not! ok kind of...), heart shaped chocolate cake, birthdays, freshly washed hair, thoughts of fiji, cold water, this ring (kind of harry potter-esque!), running errands, baby names, choosing a daily mood and really loving this blog melk (recognise some images!?).
never look back
i am always looking back! i love reflecting on happy memories and experiences from my childhood, teenage years or even what happened last week and then sharing these with other people. (just take my blog for example, it's almost all about the past!) but i sometimes tend to dwell on the past in a negative way, wishing i could have done something differently. so this year i am trying to focus on looking forward. onwards and upwards we go! i'm going to stop spending time worrying about the fact that i didn't exercise yesterday or that i've spent too much money on something. instead i'll head out the door then and there and go for a walk or make a more conscious effort to save my pennies. the past has been and gone, no amount of thinking about it can change things, but i can choose to do it differently today, in the present. of course you can not 'never look back' but you can choose what you look back on. i'm hoping to channel my energy into what my future holds. people, places, opportunities, new things. this is just one of my many 2012 resolutions. a little more meaningful than 'grow my hair long'!Wednesday, January 11, 2012
travel happy
hi world!
what a busy past few days it has been!
this week i am dreaming about travel.
i'm off to a wedding in fiji in february and i can not wait!
happy wednesday.
Friday, January 6, 2012
happy 40 years!
happy birthday to my beautiful (in and out!) cousin rachael.
i love you lots and hope you had a ridiculously amazing day!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
strong is beautiful
today danielle (my lovely manager) and i hosted some of our most frequent flyers at the brisbane international tennis tournament. it was a really wonderful day out of the office. the virgin australia suite was stunning, the food was amazing (i even tried smoked salmon for the first time, and i liked it!), the tennis was exciting and i felt really lucky to be there. there were famous tennis players everywhere. on the court we saw sam stosur and serena williams. in the stands we caught a glimpse of pat rafter (still looking very fit and tanned!). and outside our corporate box we had the players lounge on the right and the players restaurant on the left. i went to the bathroom about ten times hoping to catch a glimpse (and maybe even a photo) of a tennis star. a colleague who was there went to the bathroom to wash off a bird dropping that had landed on his arm only to come back with a photo of himself with pat rafter! he didn't know that it was a lucky occurrence until we told him upon his return! i'm sure he will believe in it now though! the day was made even more enjoyable with some fresh tennis knowledge in my mind, having read andre agassi's autobiography 'open'. in between watching a match i saw (and loved) the new advertising campaign for wta, women's tennis association, titled 'strong is beautiful'. i love advertising in sport, so much so that i used to think it was what i wanted to specialise in while studying and working for queensland rugby union. i now advertise flying instead while still admiring campaigns like this one from a distance. here are the series of ads from 'strong is beautiful'... countries. sugar and spice. serena. kim. ana. victoria. li na. if you are anything like me, you will want to watch each one and then go back and watch it again, oh and you possibly might also want to become a professional tennis player, i know i thought about it. another favourite ad of mine is 'better world' by nike. i hope you enjoy it my fellow sport (and advertising) lovers!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
still here!
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