The Happiness Project

See: Happiness Project

If, by the end of 2013, you could magically change one aspect of your life, what would you change? What single thing would add the most to your happiness?

How hard is this question!

One, because it means there is a whole other year to live before I could decide if anything needed changing to make me happier.

Two, without sounding super dooper wanky, I’m not sure if there was anything I would want to “magically change” to cater to my happiness levels.

I definitely could not come up with only a single thing. I would like to achieve a few small changes that could also be viewed as goals otherwise known as New Year’s Resolutions:

·         Open a first home owners account and put actual money into it.

·         Put actual money into current savings account and attempt to leave it there in order to have a substantial amount at the end of the year (sometimes referred to as life savings).

·         Learn all the words to Rock of Ages soundtrack and have a concert (for one) performance in my car

·         Finally get into a marketing role at my work, in my actual team= dream role achieved (for now)

·         Continue to find enjoyment in this little ditty of a blog.

·         Embrace another year of domino effect engagements and weddings.

·         I would like to judge people less, for who am I to judge (yet it just provides so much amusement...)

·         I would like to focus on gratitude every day and acknowledge the small things that I am grateful for in life.

·         I would also like to think that the New Year might bring along a NEW and IMPROVED male companion for a new stage in life however if it doesn’t I beginning to be content with the single life and enjoy all the time I have to myself- I almost wouldn’t know what to do in a relationship!

·         I would also like to show my Kim Kardashian workout dvds just who’s the boss.

·         Clock up a few more appearances at The Retro and own that podium.

As you can see these are all only minor changes to my life, and nothing that really requires the Genie from Aladdin needs to step up and grant my wishes.

 
What would you change in your life?

All Aboard

Lately I have felt like a sheep.

Why?

Because my train station is implementing new event style marshalling to help control the morning peak hour crowds. This did need actioning as prior to this, most mornings on the train felt like I was a blip on the Bangladesh population scale. I am not affectionate at the best of times let alone dealing with the accidental hand hold, the nose wind on the top of my head and being jammed in so much so that you are literally head to armpit with someone  and making direct eye contact with a third party also squished in.

This is how my week has gone:

Day 1- arrive to platform to usual spot and note blue markings all along the crowd. Whilst JUST noticing these markings I was then promptly yelled at by a man in a high vis vest and a clipboard to "STEP BEHIND THE LINE MA'AM". Voice in my head: oh god I totally just got yelled at in public how embarrassing. Where the frick is this line? I make it on the train and am pleased at how I can breath and not cop a mouthful of curry flavoured air.

Day 2- prepared for any yellings I immediately stood in the blue painted square minding my toe did not dare touch outside the box. The train pulls up and a Maori lady in a high vis vest parts the waters (minions) and with one very strong arm, holds us all back as her other enthusiastic arm waves, waves, waves, waves the people off. Whilst waving she too yells “STEP THIS WAY PLEASE, STAY LEFT, HEAD UP THE STAIRS YES THAT’S RIGHT KEEP MOVING AND HAVE A LOVELY DAY”. Me and a fellow minion exchange a giggle at her vocal yet polite shepherding. I get on the train and again, am enjoying my space but a little gobsmacked at the staff member telling people they cannot get on the train and to wait for the next one. (there is room for them on this one…)

Day 3- I come down the stairs to typically be in an awkward situation where I find myself trapped in a caged off area. I have apparently come down the wrong side of the stairs now and am instantly “directed” to go back and come down the right side of the stairs. Again, the voice in my head: oh no you’re being yelled at again and people are looking at you and good one, you were just in a cage. Upon making it to the ‘right’ side of the stairs I then get hustled along by a staff member who literally was just missing the sheepdog as he yelled “GO FURTHER DOWN THE PLATFORM”. Oh my god, I am flustered, I have just been in a cage and now I have to walk along the platform past millions more people and as a creature of habit, this little sheep just wants to get on her regular carriage! The train comes, the crowd surges and as I go to step on I am weeded out by the bigger sheep and then informed “STAY BACK IN THE SQUARE PLEASE YOU CAN GET THE NEXT ONE”

“I DON’T WANT TO GET THE NEXT ONE I WANT THIS ONE!!!!”

Day 4- I am feeling strong, I come down the right side of the stairs, avoid the cage and stand right in the middle of the blue square. The train comes and after a quick interview “DO YOU NEED TO GET ON THIS ONE OR NOT?” I am permitted to hop on this one. I am enjoying the space but I am also feeling more and more anxious each day and I brace myself for the next nip at my heels.

I see the point and I commend the goal, they have managed to get two extras trains in the hour now due to this new '60 second’ policy, however the loss of freedom while at first, was entertaining, has now become almost degrading as majority of the crowd have stopped fighting it and we all stand mute munching on some grass until the next dog barks.

Take A Picture

Better late than never, but LAST weekend I had the pleasure of being able to partake in a Blog Photography Workshop hosted by my always inspiring marketing/blogging mentor, colleague and friend Jaclyn over at Little Paper Trees along with the wise photographer guru Emma of Emma Scamell Photography.

This class was such a lovely way to spend my Saturday, learning the skills that don't necessarily come along easily once you invest in the wanky pro camera. An intimate setting with fun classmates, cute, colourful decor and a nommy lunch PLUS a surprise discount to shop downstairs at Little Paper Lane made the classroom environment one that you could go to every weekend! Below are some of the snaps that I took- I'm addicted and can't wait until the next class (and coffee).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*this one was an accident of testing how far I could take a setting but it turned out to be my favourite shot!

 

 

**Annnnd I have literally only just twigged that this 'SNAP' might have meant like the snap of a camera shutter- ohhhhhhhh...I get it now!

 

 

 

Matchbox Hunter

Hello hello! Last weekend I escaped to the Hunter Valley with a couple of girlfriends to stay at the Crowne Plaza and make the journey over to Hope Estate to watch a trifecta of Evermore, INXS and Matchbox Twenty. As a child of the 90's following in my older cooler cousin's footsteps, I was always partial to abit of Rob Thomas (visual treat via link), I may have even started my own one instrument band with my 'own' songs that sounded very similar to that of Matchbox's catalogue just with different lyrics. Now as an adult and avid lover of all things beats, I need to make a public declaration of how underrated Matchbox Twenty are! They were AMAZING, FAULTLESS and for the past week I have had their music, new and old on repeat. If they come back to Oz again my Lord I will be chasing them on tour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

As you can see after such a lovely day relaxing and enjoying abit of the old Cessnock township, once the gig started and the wine flowed (abit too easily being a winery-when in Rome...) there was nothing left to do but enjoy the tunes and the *scenery* (lust after Rob Thomas).Oh babehhhhh it's 3am....  

L.O.V.E

As a single lady the most given piece of advice I receive is 'when it's right, you'll know' and 'it won't take work, it will just happen'. What baffles me about love is that the people who are in these relationships, only know that once you have it. If you are on the other side of the fence you have no clue. Lately I have been pondering this fact on the relationships around me.

For example, Doting Doris met her fiance on a blind date thus proving the tried and tested theory of 'once in a blue moon' and with similar family, height and values, they are happily engaged. They have it.

Affectionate Antoinette was in a four year relationship with a good friend of mine, one of those couples that are just adorkable and you think suit each other so well. But things went downhill, bad and fast. No sooner had this cherub fallen from the love nest then in swooped a lovely Prince, and now THEY are a couple that you can only hope to be like and ridiculously perfect, their deep love and respect for each other oozes out in their presence. They have it.

Glorious Gloria is in a relationship with her true equal, same interests, same style and same beautiful personality. They have it.

Long term Lucinda had her heart broken by her love. But then fate intervened and like a true Prince he spent the better part of a year making it up to her and now as simple as that, they too have it.

But then I have friends like these:

Chasing Cheryl who instead of hanging out for that true soulmate, just wants a relationship for the sake of having ownership on someone and devotes all of herself to giving up everything for these boys. Every man met is an instant lover and all else is forsaken in the chase for claiming the Frog.

Passive Patty who is so blind to what she has had to sacrifice for her relationship, that she still stands by her man and at the peak of putting up with less than average treatment, still troops on, whether through a belief he can change or whether she too, just needs a man, I am not sure.

Fix-it Fern who persists with a completely unavailable married man, pours her own money into helping him out, loses so many personal identifying things and still devotes herself to this man. In between, she also devotes herself to men of similar calibre to fill the need to take care of someone. She just does not get it.

I too have been known to have many a crazy lady moment but it does make me wonder how come the rational lady cannot shine until she is in a settled relationship? I suppose the answer is because of the 'journey' and that's all fine and dandy. When you have it, you have it, things are clear, they are meant to be and it just works. But until then, all the singles and the should-be-singles will send that drunk texty text, they will justify every dodge piece of manly behaviour, they carry around the emergency makeup kit so they can look casually hot, they will wait 16.23 minutes to coolly reply to a message and they will sit on his facebook page monitoring his actions.

LOVE indeed, works in mysterious ways.

New York DVF style

How fabulous are these pics from designer and global icon Diane von Furstenberg's New York abode? First seen here and then here, I just had to share them as well!

 

You can check out the awesomeness of this label here