Love is in the air

Just when I was beginning to panic about my very quiet mind, along comes Valentines Day and the light bulb obligatory single lady post is generated.

Now before eyes roll, this is not a woe is me I hate love and happiness and I could go out to dinner alone tonight if I wanted to kind of post. This is the first big day of hearts and Hallmark in years that I have probably NOT spent the day trying to be "strong and happy" and 'thats fine I don't really need a man anyway mmhmm Sharnay..' I actually woke up light and excited, except unlike any other day, in the sense of really strongly, I could feel the love in the air. And that was kinda nice. AND no I don't even remotely have a man that could explain this sway of feelings. It was nice to see woman with cheeky smiles on their faces, and the floral efforts from boyfriends of Facebook captured in a snapshot.

I DO (no pun intended) think it is ironic how all the statuses come out to play with the declarations of love. Not attracted to mush myself I admit, that shall the loved up day come for me one time, I will be partial to a bit of flower and choccy treatment (mainly choccy, can't eat flowers). I just think it is funny to be suddenly flooded with one of two takes on good ol Cupids Day.

 

The couples, all instantly realise they are couples with the very public 'I have the best boyfriend in the world, love you baybe mwah mwah mwah' vs the 'trying to ignore the happy couples, love my ladies, who needs boys, where's a cliff?'' ones- why is it that one day can make us so black and white about love? If you are in a relationship, is he not obviously the best person in the entire world every other day as well?

And THEN, the single sisters like myself skirt the edges of being too self righteous and feminist when we declare- that we are actually really single and happy! The loved up lass's nod sympathetically whilst the smug voice in their head (we all have a voice in our heads, mine is called Babette) says just you wait, a man WILL make you feel rainbows and butterflies and ohh the flowers you will see! And the fellow single ready to mingles will be like whatever boy germs are gross, we are all the woman who independent (throw your hands up at meehh).

You can't win. I personally had a cracker of a day. I went to work early, had some laughs, shared the love, received a card from a secret admirer (who was not so secret and actually was just following my earlier instructions to get me a card), learnt some wisdom about men, giggled at Facebook "why did I wake up today" vs "I'm so blessed I am with an everyday hero, and don't forget he is the only amazing person in the WORLD" updates, I ate chocolate and worked back late. And I'm happy.

Why can't we love everyone everyday? Can we wake up tomorrow and still feel magical about everyone in our lives? Or do we wait another year to stop and remind ourselves how lucky love is whether we are single or taken? And when can we eat chocolate next?!

Touch Base

I have to be honest with you all. Lately I have been having a creative blank. Life is getting the better of me, caught up with social activities, a busy time and new promotion at work and the general feeling of not being able to type anything worth putting out there.

Fear not my friends, I promise I shall be back soon, I am just working on getting back that wordy gift I enjoy giving!

In the meantime how about this week you try the following:

• Stop yourself from saying something negative about someone
• Look for a positive in a moment of despair or frustration
• Smile at a stranger
• Sing like you're Beyonce at Superbowl in the shower or the car
• Exercise three times
• Give a compliment a day
• Over eat at least once
• Get a good nights sleep
• Laugh as much as you can
• Write down a dream you wish to achieve
• Admire the Braxton brothers at least twice

Will be back in your inbox soon peeps ex oh

Tales of Elizabeth Bay

My Uncle gets to live here. Hello Sydney!

Write Me Some Words

Let's talk about inspiration. I have a couple Australian female role models that I am a true fan of. Not in the crazed One Direction like manner that I subject toward Harry Styles, but in the way that after reading a piece of their work (these role models write words and stuff) I literally am overcome with awe at the talent and articulate(nessness) these women possess. I sit and just ponder how I could emulate more of their style in my work.

Recently I discovered a new blog, Life and other Crises by Kerri Sackville and if you are not yet familiar with this blog- get on over to her page now! These blog posts are delivered by the sweet internet postal gods (I imagine them to look alot like flying Postman Pat's) direct to my inbox and are 1 out of a daily 50 emails that I purposefully scroll through my inbox to read before anything else.

Last week I enrolled in a short course from the Australian Writers Centre, called from Blog to Book. I signed up to the class with the intent to see if I could inspire some confidence toward my bucket list ambition to write a book one day. Baby steps, as at this newborn blogger stage of life, I am still in the early days of delivery and discovery and enjoying the creative outlet that is Small Things Quirky. That was my 'intent'. However I also (fully tabouli) signed up because after only a mere month of reading Kerri's blog, I HAD to meet this woman and drink in every single word she had to say.

Similar to my other wordy idols Chrissie Swan, Zoe Foster and Jessica Rudd; I love the wit, the dry sense of humour, and self deprecating way of looking at life that Kerri includes in her writing. I was that student sitting upright, gazing admiringly and getting annoyed when fellow classmates interrupted her speaking as it took away precious minutes of my idol's wisdom for me to furiously write down (six pages of notes in total)!

Now initially I was tempted to jot down some of her advice here, but then I thought, pfft that shit cray (Kanye), keep it to yourself and let the people flock to Kerri to find out for themselves! One point I want to illustrate however, is that for a best selling Australian writer to be successful, they must sell around anything over 10 000 copies of their book- is that not insane and so tiny of a number! Why are we not reading more?

Another point I loved was Keep It Witty, Be Interesting and Be Newsworthy- or as I like to call it KIWBIBN (pronounced kee-wib-bib-ben).

Without sounding like a tribute to Kerri (it is), she also has two books that I ordered the day after her class because I NEED to read more of her! You can find When My Husband Does the Dishes and The Little Book of Anxiety over here or here (or anywhere else that sells books and stocks her books).

What she taught me was priceless and I can see myself doing the course again just to get round two of knowledge I may have missed, and in my future blog-reer (I'm pioneering a new word for blog career, like it) I can only hope that through practice, interest and content that engages, I can deliver to the standard and witty quality that is like my fabulous fearless role models. THAT, or else I will just maybe try my luck at finger painting- its like the internet except less interactive. 

New Year Giggles

My sistah and I stumbled across a best of autocorrects page the other day, and oh my did we reap the benefits of giggles to our festively plump bodies!
Here are some of my highlights:

Visit here to see where I found these as well as read some of the naughtier ones that are well worth the giggles and the tummy toning benefits!!

Dot Points

As the new year looms my head is doing a mental clean out and prepping itself for what could be in store. One thing I have decided is that everything from my past will stay in the past and not come into 2013. By ‘everything’ I mean da boys.

Looking back this year has been a year that extracts the sound ‘pifssshhhpossfffhhh’ from my mouth, similar to the sound of exasperated air leaving my body. Life for me is never dull, I admit when the oober original question ‘and are there any boys in your life?’  is asked, I do always have some sort of humourous/dramatic/never-ending stooorrryyy to tell. However, I am B-O-R-E-D!! The boys of this year’s past are what I refer to as 'time fillers'. I feel like it’s the Universe dropping them into my life like a puppet-master dangling strings and teasing saying ‘how bout this one? No? Ok fine cause it wasn’t happening anyway’. 

To give a better picture to those outside my inner circle who have not yet enjoyed the 2012 Chronicles of Leeshs' boys here is a brief dot pointed summary:

•  Started the year with Smokey Joe who although was a very nice boy, and had all the same future dreams and values as me, was also not without the cancer stick in hand and turns out, this is something I do not value.
  
  
•   Took myself off to the US of A for a getaway and had the token Vegas hookup with a nice English boy, again nothing really wrong with this one, mesmorized by the goddess gal that is Leesh, he immediately offered to come to Sydney for me, and took all forms of communication deets off me i.e facebook, email and US phone number. (Ok this one was my fault, growing up in the shelter of the Shire doesn’t really equip you for knowing how to deal with an international admirer).
  
  
•  A continual facebook (romance at its best), texting and casual hang out relationship with The One Who Got Away from ghosts of boyfriends past- but me thinks this one should remain The One Who Got Away (which was a nice discovery actually that knowing I will not die wondering)
  
  
•  An annoying Will They, Won’t They Situation with long term best friend. Still annoying and without conclusion (although again, a lot my fault for being indecisive and holding onto a distant fantasy of finding someone new, on my own without relying on the ol textbook besty to step in)
  
  
• The odd innocent/inappropriate crush on my part with boys on trains, lift boys, office building boys and older men- generally amounting to a facebook status.
  
  
• The "reoccurrings": random repeat offenders with no progress, or purpose other than being a funny confusing 'what the' story.  Some of these are the usual phone happy handful of Shire boys who turn to Old Faithful Leesh for the odd texty text, upon what motivations I have no clue (a drop of the alco sweet stuff might play a part) but you gotta give props for consistency, and spare a thought to what on earth made them message me? (again, probs just the liquid courage)
  

Yes, my milkshakes bring all the boys to the yard, and the above tends to read a little like scenes from many a rom com movies yet the movie has not ended and I am fairly unimpressed with this years events.

I do wonder after past woes, having become very self aware, stopped caring so much, and established my standards accepting nothing less, I am now making my own life until some One comes along and can even better my life and self- is that to romanticised?

The boys of The Shire are fun, visually delightful and have a lifestyle and personality that I am more so inclined towards, but is that ye old catch 22 of the south- how many fish can you throw back in the sea? The boys of 2012 have been amusing/time filling but in no way take me breath away-ish.

In reflection, this year I have also experienced new levels of happiness is surrounding myself with some really good female eggs; gigging, DJ Leesh-ing, dancing retro and enjoying laughter and ‘virtual’ affection with my soul sistah lady friends and that in itself has been amazing and proven that I Don’t Need A Man to make me happy. (semi cringe at the single lady anthem just there but you get the point)

Hence, in 2013 none of these dot points are coming with me and I vow to continue through enjoying a focus on my career and loving life with my lady friends by my side. When and if, the Universe decides to give me something worth excitement, well then, I will be well and truly grateful for the Lucky Lad (and he will be my Squishy and I shall call him Squishy)

·    *  Kelis, Pussycat Dolls, and Nemo references all for your enjoyment

Merry Christmas

Inspired by this Decor8 post I thought why not ask myself the following questions and get in the festive spirit!

 

 

What does Christmas mean to you?

Christmas to me is all about enjoying friends and family. In particular at mid twenties I am finding more and more importance in developing my own traditions and customs to do each Christmas, I love a Christmas catch up with friends, going to the Carols and then spending Christmas with my fam and lazing around on Boxing Day. I love Christmas movies; Elf, Miracle on 34th St and Love Actually. I love the feeling of giving, making people feel loved and happy and buying gifts for all my loved ones, I love a last minute shop to enjoy the Christmas mania and then I love buying myself the odd treat as well!

What doesn’t Christmas mean to you?

 

A cold wintery day!

What three dream items would you love to be gifted with this year?

Hmm that’s a tough one, “dream” items would be a trip to an island destination, with a great companion, I would LOVE an apartment of my own and I would actually love to speed up time so I could get Pitch Perfect on dvd!! (I’m guessing I would have to be super good for Santa to give the above!)

What are some special things that you do with your family and friends this time of year?

Each Christmas Eve I celebrate locally with friends which I really enjoy, being all dressed up and seeing people you wouldn’t usually see as often as you like, wishing each other well and feeling the holiday spirit. Later on I also enjoy going to my aunty’s house where tradition has it that we celebrate with a Dutch midnight supper, and that’s always a nice spot of calm in the middle of the mayhem. (I still look out for Santa's sleigh in the sky on the drive home -young at heart much?) Christmas day is generally at our house which also makes me feel festive, seeing my Dad get excited to theme it and Mum prepare all the food and just generally being the hosts to everyone’s enjoyment. I used to always love going to my counsins house on Boxing Day as well for a swim and a chilled out family bbq to unwind.

 

What will you do on Christmas?

This year Christmas is at my cousins house so I will enjoy being able to relax and play with the little cousin’s, laugh with the elder cousin’s and catch up with the family over nommy food!

 

What is your favourite food to eat this time of year and why?

I love the abundance of salads at the Christmas do, as well as the yummy desserts whether it be a pudding or a pav! And the lead up to Christmas I definitely eat my fair share of Christmas ham.

 

What memory do you associate with Christmas the most?

I remember one year I had eaten pizza the night before, probably over ate, and then threw it all up on Christmas morning in the reindeers water bowl! It was a fair few years afterwards that I decided I was no longer ‘allergic’ to pizza and the love fest began again! Our Christmas morning is always very traditional to the Bourke family, we wake up and do our presents, usually to the Hi 5 christmas soundtrack, our nan used to stay over the night before as well and then Father Bourke gets in the kitchen and does a massive brunch. I love how the day has a global happy feel to it, the sun shines and everyone is feeling love, peaceful and relaxed! I think the best words to describe Christmas are magical, love and family/friends.

 

New Year’s Resolutions! What are your goals for 2013?

I actually have a few that I am so focused on achieving this coming year. Numero Uno is I am very excited to continue to work my butt off to finallymake my career dream of becoming a marketer a reality. Two is to get on top of my finances and finish the year with some dollarz in the ol bankaroo and three is to continue to be creative and explore new learning opportunities, enjoy my single life and everyday be grateful for the little things.

That’s my Christmas thoughts. Wishing everyone a healthy, festively plump Christmas break and hope your New Year kick starts with fireworks, bangin beats, lots of love and a drop of the sweet stuff

x