I'm on a quest.

I can't believe it's been a year since I've made a post on my lovely blog. How slack am I? And to be honest, I don't have a good reason for my absence. I haven't been particularly busy, aside from starting a number of different tertiary courses and not completing anything as close as a unit let alone the whole thing. It's not like I've been living in a hole, or depressed in the corner for the past 6 years. I've been doing all the things I'd usually be doing, including dropping out of university courses due to my fluctuating career interests. But it's as if I haven't really been myself while doing the things that I would be doing anyway. I'm as happy as I've ever been and somehow on the path to success because everything just feels right. My life is amazing and I'm entirely thankful for everything and everyone in it. Though at the same time, I look back at myself and wonder what happened. Beyond motivational quotes and virtually stalking quirky and inspirational people, I need to find the core of who I am, again. So I'm on a quest to find my motivated and cheery self all over. Where did I go? It must have been somewhere. And how do I get myself back? This is my new challenge. Only two minutes ago a friend of mine suggested I represent my life story through crochet, my newly found hobby. It has been decided! Though this, and a few other mediums (I'm thinking interpretive dance, expression through words and cartoon strips) I will track back through significant and not so significant parts of my life to reminisce, deconstruct and try to figure this shit out. I'd better buy a camera. If you're reading this, you're welcome to follow my journey to rediscover myself, and if you're not, I guess it's a good thing I'm doing it for personal growth. Until then, enjoy the sunshine.

Celebrating One Year of Self-Taught Crochet

At the end of this month, August 2011, it will be one year since I picked up a hook and successfully began to crochet. And in celebration of this marvelous milestone, I am going to yarn bomb. What is yarn bomb, I hear you ask? Well, before you ask Google search, let me give you a run down. Yarn bombing is graffiti with yarn. But before you go thinking of what monument I'll be covering with my creative yarn creations, I can reveal that it will NOT be something public that I can get fined for, but something closer to home. In fact, it IS my home! That's right, I'm going to yarn bomb my very own house, letter box included. Stay tuned and in the meantime, enjoy these pictures of some already-awesome yarn bombed things...

Christmas in July (In June) 2011

Myself, my husband and his parents celebrated our very first Christmas in July (In June) yesterday. It was different, but lovely. The weather is cooler, the shops aren't crowded and the time we spend together is about love and good times rather then presents and consumerism... although our gifts were quite awesome and the food was so amazing that we'll be eating fruit and water for the rest of the week to cleanse our bodies. While our two cats rival it out, we had a jolly day of simply laughing and enjoying each other's company and I spend my time viewing the world through my very snazzy new lense...



A polaroid 300! How beautiful and simply adorable and I cannot wait to fill my house space with a million teeny sized polaroid photos of all sorts of things that bring my inspiration. And talking of inspiration, I am full of it. My stories for the competitions are coming along well. I have story ideas for them all and now just have to get the ideas down on the page to start getting a true story happening from there. It's all coming along. Aside from those stories though, I have big plans for other creative aspects of my life. Watch this space to see more about them soon.

Until next time, sleep tight and Merry Christmas in July (In June)!

SM
x

Oh my.

So I absolutely lost track of everything I had begun in between a million chores, family visits and commitments and a bit of work here and there. The days are just moving too fast for a life that I'm trying to chase.

I have only a few days left of holidays (from my diploma) but there's not rest in the near future for me. I'm behind on three book reviews, about 30 pages of shorthand practice and a few of my portfolio exercises, just for school. Then there is my commitment to National Young Writer Month, which was to write a few short stories, some poems and to write everyday. The latter, especially, and it's what I've been dismissing so easily when the dishes need to be done. However, I can say that I'm quite proud of the ideas that I've been sprouting; these could definitely lead to something good when I finally sit down and get them all out.

So here is my plan. I've written out a list of competitions happening in the next few weeks or months and it's my first, baby goal to write something new for each and every one of them and post in my applications. They're quite inexpensive and have reasonable requests and something that will finally help me get my act together in actually writing new things, rather then just having awesome ideas for new things and it never progressing from there.

In the mean time, I have taken to jewellery making; or at least trying. Check out this groovy pair of doily earrings I made:



Considering I am trying to run an online business, I think it's not too bad when I take time out from writing to whip up a few upcycled accessories. You can check out my shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/chebylou

Til next time, which I hope will be tomorrow,

SM
x

I love you.

To my husband,

You're not my world, but you certainly make it wonderful.

You are not my soul mate but you are my best friend.

You do not complete me, but you do empower me.

It's been one year, since we stood in front of our family and friends, nervously and a little bit hesitantly repeating the vows that made us man and wife. It was never the married part we were worried about; and nothing has changed since then. I am proud to have made the next natural move in our relationship that simply meant the formalising of our togetherness over those past five years (now six).

I love that we always laugh together.

I love that you wear the bearded hat I made you.

I love that you make me apple crumble at 1am just because I asked you to.

I love that we don't have the same beliefs but it changes nothing between us.

I simple love you.

SM
x

Oh, croutons.

I do remember the first time we met. I was in primary school, and you were served by the religion teacher that my family had become affiliated with. Mrs White and her husband Mr White, had a lovely back garden with many plants and flowers. It was around lunch time, and how odd, I thought, to add small, crunchy portions of bread to a soup that would only make them soggy. I didn't like you at the start, but oh, how I grow to love you now.
I've begun to rekindle this appreciation for you, oh croutons, as I chunk up the bread and sizzle you in my fry pan. I anxiously heat up my soup and scoop you on top; some of you sink in, some of you stay partially crunchy... secretly my favourite.
I look forward to our winter adventures.
SM
x

Day Five; on a roll.

I'm getting better! It's 11:27am and I'm onto my blog post. Good work, I say! So today, I will be writing a book review on Jerzy Kosinski's, Being There. This is an assignment that is a little behind, so it's a high priority to finish. I also have some writing and re-writing to do for my interview following on from yesterday, and I'd like to have a crack at a poem. A poem that can then be used in a spoken word performance... that of course, I'll practice by myself at home in my pajamas.

Perhaps my new strategy of announcing my daily goals on a public forum will enhance the chances that I actually complete them. What do you think? :)

For now, I'm off to read the last chapter of Being There and to finish off my cup of earl grey tea with Minute to Win It playing in the background.

Cya!

SM
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