What I've learnt about life so far

So I’ve lived for 21 years now, which is a pretty decent amount of time to learn a few things in. Today I am going to share with you a few things that I’ve learnt about life.

• Being too strict or regimented is no fun. Whether it be exercise, eating, work or whatever, letting one thing rule your life is not healthy and can drain a lot of the fun out of life.
•  I shouldn’t be ashamed about what I like to do or what I believe in. If it’s benefitting me then who cares what other people/society thinks.
• Continuous mental engagement is super important.
•  I’ll never be like Blake Lively (body-wise, fashion-wise, looks-wise). But that’s ok, she’s probably highly overrated and not as cool as me anyway ;)
• I’ve been given a lot in life. Lots of people are worse off than me and I should try to never forget that.
•  You meet heaps of people in life, but there are only a few who stick by you. Everyone needs those sorts of people in their life so treating them well is absolutely essential.
•  It’s true what they say about exercise being a great way to unwind. When I finish work on a Friday, all I can think about is going to the gym.
• There are some things in life that are totally worth sticking with despite warnings. Like chocolate, for instance.
• You’ll meet some people in life who you don’t click with. It’s not you, it’s not them. The combination just doesn’t work.
• There is nothing wrong with being picky. 

xx

Work life

So while in my last post I was all happy with life, it is of course not the case that all areas of life are amazing. 

I like my new job. It’s interesting, challenging and busier than my previous one. There’s just one thing that’s getting in the way of it being super awesome. And that’s a co-worker. From my very first day here she’s been the least friendly towards me and I feel like I’m constantly doing things wrong. Sure, she says hi and ‘have a good weekend’ and all that, but it’s always uneasy and forced when we talk. She’s just one of those people I can’t bond with, no matter how hard I try. And unfortunately she’s my direct superior and the one I work closest with. Even though my previous role here was boring, I was happier because I was around people that I could joke with and be myself around. And she’s the only one in the entire office that’s harder to get along with. I love everyone else, they’re great!

She constantly shoots down story ideas that I come up with and takes lots on herself rather than delegating to me, and then complains about being ‘soooo busy’. And she makes me feel like I’m really useless at what I do. She doesn’t critique my writing as much anymore (thank goodness) but there are all these other, subtle things that just make me feel crap. Like today after we went to print she told me I had to go and get a new photo for this one shop that advertises with us. I said to her that the client had told me to repeat the last photo then she was like “No, you need to get a new one. Take the initiative, that’s the one they always use.” Like how am I supposed to know, having never dealt with this client before, that they always use that photo? And if the client wants to repeat something, that’s what we do.  But it’s more just the way she talks to me. It’s not friendly at all, it’s harsh and patronizing and I feel like she hates my guts and would rather work alone.

You know how females do it, they make little snide remarks and comments that get under your skin and make you feel stink rather than confront you straight up. This situation is no different. She’ll laugh and joke with everyone else in the office, but never me. Though I guess the same goes for me, as I just can’t with her. It’s not a big, obvious thing, and no one else in the office probably notices anything. But it’s definitely there. And it sure cuts.

I hope and pray that things will get better. We’ve only been working together for a while, so still getting to know each other and stuff. But if not, I don’t know what I’m going to do :(

Those moments you're just like YES

I love those days and moments when you're just like YES cause things are going well. I had a day like that on Sunday. I was back in Hastings for the 22nd birthday of my best friend. I love going back to Hastings, especially in summer. It's where a lot of my favourite people reside and in summer the weather is beautiful and they have the best summer fruit and there's lots of lovely things to do outside whilst soaking up the sun.

So anyway, I had a lovely lunch surrounded by lovely people, then bought some deliciously juicy strawberries from the strawberry patch and chilled back with friends before driving back to Palmy. Even the drive there and back was good because I had new music on my ipod and a new car that is super smooth to drive. Ahhhh bliss.

I got to spend time with this gorgeous birthday girl, which is always a pleasure:

xx

Beautiful Celebs

So I was talking to my friend about celebrity crushes and now I want to make a list of mine. Because I quite like making lists. I will limit it to the males today. Here they are:

Johnny Depp
Cristiano Ronaldo
Matt Bomer
Gabriel Macht
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Logan Lerman
Jake Gyllenhaal
Kit Harington
Henry Cavill
Leonardo DiCaprio
Josh Duhamel
Jon Hamm
Stephen Amell
Alexander Skarsgard
Tom Hardy
Matt Corby
Kelly Slater
Shemar Moore
Gael Garcia Bernal
Michael Ealy
Jared Padalecki
Pharrell Williams

...that's a pretty aesthetically blessed list!!
xx

One curl

I curled my hair for work today (well, attempted to, GHD curling is hard) and there was this one lone perfect curl that has remained perfect all day. It's very frustrating that the rest of my curls kinda failed. But at least there was one!

I am pointing to the perfect curl. But cameroid does not do it justice. Believe me though, it's lovely.

xx

The Anti-Bucket List

So coming up with a Bucket List is pretty easy. So I thought I'd instead write a list of things I don't want to do in my life. Far more interesting, and far more difficult!

So here is a list of things I don't want to do in my life:

• I will never go out with someone who doesn’t read books.

I love reading and books. They bring me so much pleasure, and I don’t understand people who don’t enjoy reading. Books and reading have always been a massive part of my life, so no future bf of mine will be a non-reader

• I will never live alone.

I have watched too many scary movies in my lifetime to ever be able to live alone. All the squeaks and creaks would freak me out WAY too much. Plus, while I do like my alone time, I like being around people too much to ever be able to live alone. Not for me thanks.

• I will never smoke or try hard drugs.

I think smoking is the foulest habit ever. And I will never try cocaine/heroin/meth or any of those really scary, harmful drugs. Delving in drugs is just stupid; I honestly don’t see the point. Nothing is gained.

• I will never eat shark fin soup.

The way they make this is absolutely disgusting, and I would not eat it on principal. Glad to hear in the news recently that New Zealand is in the process of outlawing Shark-finning in our waters. Yay for NZ!

So that's all I could think of at this point, but I may revisit this list as things come to me. What's on your anti-bucket list, readers?

xx

Hair up #2

So I had a hair treatment today and my lovely hairdresser wanted to practice a hair-up on me afterwards. I was more than happy to oblige, and here's the amazing result:

She did a quiff thingy on top, plaited the sides then did a spirally thing at the back (super technical terms haha), and these photos don't really do it justice. It looks very elegant and lovely and I hope hope hope it lasts the night so I can show it off at work tomorrow!!

xx

A fantastic read

I just finished a book that I can’t get out of my head. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. It’s a beautifully written novel about one man’s search for redemption, set in the backdrop of a turbulent Afghanistan (the shift from monarchy to Taliban rule). I think it is quite possibly the most poignant book I’ve ever read. I cannot fault it, it is just fantastic.

The crux of the novel is the protagonist’s search for atonement, after an event during his childhood had continuous repercussions on his life. But while this is the continuous theme running through the novel, the various relationships that are explored, along with the intersection of Afghanistan’s political situation, make for many layers to sink your teeth into.

This book is a lesson in the persistence of the past, of friendship, love and tension, the abuse of power and personal growth. There’s just so much to learn from this novel, so many ways the lessons apply and make us evaluate our own life. It’s a definite tear-jerker as well.

Because I think everyone needs to read this book (and also because I do not want this book review to become too gushy), I won’t say much else other than that I’ve read many great books in my life, but this one stands out considerably. Please read.

xx

From the woe files

Ok, if you're sick of my constant complaining on here, don't read on. I've warned you. Therefore, if you're reading on, you have no right to get annoyed at me. ok? cool.

I want my dark hair back!!! When it was dark it was smooth and shiny and healthy and thick. My hair is now soooooo thin and not the nicest colour and straw-like. And it makes me sad when I see girls with lovely hair because I get very jealous.

I am super impatient when it comes to my hair, I just want long luscious locks asap!!

OH WOE IS ME
(first world problem I know)

xx

Last weekend

Last weekend was one of those beautiful ones where everything was lovely and well with the world. This was very nice considering the car sadness of late.

On Friday my lovely mother picked me up from work and drove me down to Hastings. We had my favourite meal – a kebab from Café Anatolia (if you’re ever in Hastings, you must eat there) for dinner then spent the night catching up with the grandparents. On Saturday morning I went to the gym with my sister, which was good fun, then that afternoon my sister, mother and I went around Napier for a bit. The weather was divine. Later on, le sister and I shared a drink and a plate of salt and pepper calamari along the waterfront, just enjoying each others’ company and the splendid sun. That night we had a roast with the grandparents, and then watched a movie. So nice. On Sunday I went to church with the mothership, and caught up with one of my best friends whilst there. I got the bus back to Palmy that afternoon and chilled out back at the flat for the rest of the night.

Then it was fabulous waking up on Monday morning knowing I didn’t have to work! (4 day weekend here in NZ). In the morning I went to the gym then cleaned the house a bit. Spent the rest of the day with le garcon (walk, bird watching, bowling, dinner, movies). SO NICE.

Aaaaaaaan it’s Wednesday already!! Wooop!! This means only two more days and it’s the weekend again!! Love it.Hope you all had great weekends readers 

xx

Woes

My car has been written off. On my way home from work last Thursday, a woman failed to give way to me at a busy intersection and plowed right into my car, completely screwing up the front right wheel and side panel. It was really scary, and I was shaking like crazy afterwards. It’s eerie because I’d been talking to my workmate less than an hour earlier about how you can do all you can to be a safe driver, but can’t control how other people drive. Then boom, car gets written off. I also remember thinking a few days prior that everything in life was going pretty smoothly. Then boom, everything is complicated by a car accident.

I’m really lucky though. My flatmate pointed out to me that if I’d been hit a bit further back, on the car door, I could have broken my leg. And then I wouldn’t have been able to go to Thailand. Now THAT would have been depressing.

xx

Curiosity

I think I’m a very curious person. And I find people interesting. Because I work on a busy street, people are going past my window everyday, so I do a fair amount of people-watching. There are regulars who go past, and it sort of comforts me to see them go past at the same time, everyday.

There are these two guys that walk past together at 12pm everyday. One tall and lanky dark-haired guy who wears glasses. He’s always on the right. He kind of reminds me of Harry Potter, but is much taller. The other one is shorter and has a big nose. He exudes more ‘cool’ than his friend. They both wear crisp suits, though the shorter guy’s one is better fitting. On the odd occasion that taller guy is on his lonesome, he’ll walk back past eating a pie. Perhaps when he’s alone he succumbs to his pie-vice.  I feel like these two guys are accountants or lawyers. Or perhaps in real estate. With the risk of sounding incredibly creepy/stalkerish, I enjoy watching them. Not because I’m in love with them or obsessed with them. Just because I’m curious about them.

I want to know their names. I want to know their stories. I want to know who they are.

xx

Suits

I have a new addiction. It’s a television show called Suits. And it is amazing. One of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Never before have I seen such wit, intelligence, handsomeness and class done so well. The show is about fictional Law firm Pearson Hardman, their cases and the various relationships and characters within the firm. One of the main characters, Harvey Spector (played by the very good-looking Gabriel Macht) is like the ultimate man. I’m in love with him. He’s quick witted and owns just about everyone he comes up against. His saucy red-haired assistant Donna is similarly fantastic. Suits is a show that I can really sink my teeth into, and that I feel smarter for watching. And on top of the glorious script and acting, all of the men wear suits. And I don’t think there’s anything that looks better on a man than a suit.

If you do nothing else today, watch the pilot of Suits. You’re missing out on some serious televisual brilliance if you don’t.

xx

Rocking the Braid

Last week I went to the salon for a hair treatment and because I was waiting for over half an hour for my appointment to commence (not that I really minded, they were all stocked up on the latest magazines), my amazing hairdresser Joanna did a free hair-up on me. She did a braid that started at my fringe and went all the way around my head. I loved it! Take a look:

Pretty aye!! She's such a talent.

xx

Sticky Situation

I’ve found myself in a very uncomfortable situation as of late. 

Let me explain. 

One of my best friends used to be friends with this guy. Well, it was more of a ‘textship’ as such, as they never hung out just the two of them or anything, they just texted each other a bit. When asked about it, my friend admitted she had a wee crush on this guy. This crush lasted about a week and wasn’t reciprocated. Nothing happened between the two parties and they stopped texting. (On a side note, this friend of mine is very popular with males. She’s had numerous crushes and numerous males have had crushes on her). This all happened at least 4 months ago, and there have been many other male interests since then.

Anyho, I knew this guy too as we all hung out in a group a couple of times, and he came to my 21st. I ran into him in town a few weekends back and had a fairly decent conversation with him. Numbers were exchanged. Now before anything went further, I asked said friend if she was ok with me talking to him etc etc. She said it was fine. So I accepted a brunch and then dinner date with this guy. And I started to get excited and happy and started to like this guy. I had dinner with my friend the other night and my date came up and my friend seemed fine and supportive of the whole thing, and was telling me of her recent dating ventures. I again asked her how she felt about the whole situation, and she said she was sweet as with it. All kosher.

The next day I got a text from my friend telling me she was not ok with me hanging out with this guy, that it was disrespectful, that she never wanted to hear me talk about him, that it was something a friend should never do, and that I’ve fully ruined our friendship. 

Here’s what I don’t understand:

• If you aren’t ok with something, why would you tell me it was fine?
• I know friends ex’s are off-limits (it’s like friend code), but friends of friends? I didn’t realize there was some rule there.
• If it was a brief crush, ages ago, and she’s over it, what’s the big deal? I’ve had lots of crushes in my life, and if one of my friends started liking one of them I would honestly be fine with it, cause I’m over them
• Why can’t my friend be happy for me? Does she really have to ruin my excitement? 

It just makes me really sad. And I hate stupid drama like this and I don't know how to handle it. 

What do you think of the situ, readers? Advice/thoughts would be appreciated.

xx

Breakfast

I’ve had breakfast everyday for the past 5 weeks.

Now, this may seem like something completely ordinary for most people, but for me it’s quite a big deal. I’ve struggled with disordered eating in the past and ever since it started back in high school I’ve had irregular eating patterns, which hasn’t included breakfast.

I’ve written eating plans and told myself numerous times to get back into eating regularly, and there have been times when I’ve stuck to it for a couple of days at a time. But it would never last beyond that. 

But for some reason, 5 weeks ago I started and have finally been able to maintain the breakfast habit. And now I love Breakfast and can’t leave home without it! I know this may sound incredibly trivial to some, but eating disorders are completely psychological, and don’t just go away (try as hard as you might). So this is a small victory for me :)

xx

I want to be this kind of beautiful

xx

Put flowers in her hair, baby

I went to a birthday party last night. My friends and I all wore flowers in our hair. It was lovely.

It's nice to be all girly sometimes :)

xx

16 little things

Some of  the little things I appreciate in life:

• A person's sleepy voice
• When I think back over a week and realise I've done lots of exercise
• Putting on PJs after a long day
• The patter of rain on the roof when you're all snug up in bed
• Sliding across the floor in socks
• Free shipping
• When you talk to an old friend and it's like nothing has changed
• Finding the most flavour-coated chip in the bag
• Watching a movie/reading a book and noticing things you didn't realise before
• Warm water on cold hands
• Getting into a bed with fresh sheets
• Perfectly toasted bread
• Finding out someone has the same interests as you
• The smooth surface of a new jar of spread
• When you make a reference to something and someone gets it
• When I get an email saying someone has commented on a blog post

xx

Gossip Girl

So today I finally finished Gossip Girl. All 6 seasons done. It's funny because I always looked at the show with disdain (maybe because everyone was so into it and I wasn't allowed to watch it) and thought it looked like a stupid, cheesy soap opera. But once I started watching it this year, I got addicted. Well and truly. I can't really pinpoint what exactly it is about the show that I love so much. I don't particularly like any of the characters, and the storyline isn't all that amazing. I did, however, fall in love with the lives of the characters, so I guess that's it. Their clothes, their social calendar, the constant drama. I guess in a sense I was living vicariously through them, as it's so far from my own life. And in that sense it was escapism for me.

The final episode. My goodness. It was perfect.

A bit sad now that it's all over.

xx

Adventure time!

So I'm officially going! Thailand come at me! My friend and I have booked our flights and are off out of here on the 23rd of December! To say I'm really excited is the understatement of the century. Just some of the things I want to do in Thailand include:

• Ride an elephant
• Go on a hilltribe trek
• Go on a river cruise
• Visit some fantastic temples
• Go to the Full Moon New Years party on Ko Phangan
• Stay at least one night in a 5 star hotel (accomodation is crazy cheap)
• Visit the amazing markets
• Eat amazing Thai food
• Drink amazing cocktails on an amazing beach

I'M SO EXCITED!!!

xx

Last night

Starts conversation with attractive stranger at party.
Attractive stranger can converse about dystopian novels, is a fan of Johnny Depp and loves Game of Thrones.
Converses with attractive stranger for extended period of time.
Finds out that attractive stranger has cool, different European name.
Decides that attractive stranger is guy of dreams.

FINDS OUT ATTRACTIVE STRANGER HAS A GIRLFRIEND.

sigh

Lows and Highs

So we’re over halfway through the year. And my goodness it’s gone by quickly. It’s been a rollercoaster of sorts for me. There have been massive highs and massive lows.

In the low corner:

We have boys, income and weight. All the usual suspects.  The year got off to a slow start job-wise after finishing my degree in 2012. It was pretty tough there for a while without much income coming in, which meant I was eating into my savings a fair bit. I still had the job I’d entertained whilst studying, but the hours weren’t enough. Seeing my bank balance diminish was not fun, and it was getting to be a source of stress the longer it went on.

Unfortunately, over the last year I met a boy who I liked more than I’ve ever liked a boy before. Not going to lie, I had high hopes. These hopes were dashed. Not once, but three times. The boy who I thought was lovely and sweet turned out to be completely selfish and mean. Not to mention the most confusing person I’ve ever come across. I shed a few tears over this boy, which I know is completely stupid. And the worst part about it all is that I still hold him on a pedestal. Argh! Some of my lowest of the low moments were because of this boy. And that annoys me immeasurably. Fortunately said boy no longer resides in the same city as me.

Weight is a constant struggle of mine. It weighs (…cringe…) on my mind all the time and is where much of my self-esteem issues stem from. I know I’m not fat but my ideal body is very far from where I am at the moment. I know that weight is so unimportant in the scheme of things and doesn’t define who I am but it’s still something I seem to see as being very significant and thus I feel pretty stink about it at times.

In the high corner:

We have income and travel. After doing a bit of experience at the local paper, I was offered a 35 hour/week job. This has enabled me to build my savings again. It’s also been excellent in terms of getting articles published. This will help me build a portfolio and increase my job prospects in the future. There have also been some very exciting days on the job, which has resulted in being on the 6pm news and interviews with Stan Walker, Ruby Frost and Benny Tipene (household names here in NZ). Days like that make me so excited about my area of work.

A recent high is that I’m going to Thailand at the end of this year! I’ve wanted to travel for so long and am now finally getting to do it. South East Asia looks like such a fascinating place and it’s a massive  understatement to say that I'm excited. I'm going with a really good friend of mine and one of her mates and it is going to be just amazing. We are going to get lost in a different culture. I can't wait.

 
I think the last couple of years have been particularly formative for me, as what has been in my path has really solidified my beliefs, values and personality. Even the tough times teach you things about yourself, and how you'd approach a certain situation differently in future. And I'm incredibly blessed to have the most amazingly supportive friends and family. I can't even imagine life without them.
xx

My life lately (as told by my smartphone)

Attempts at eating healthily 

Books. Reading. Bliss.

Ice Skating

Healthy eating failures

Articles being published. Yuss.

Gossip Girl

Good food

Being blonde again

xx

A completely boring browser history

Here are the websites I visit the most often:

Social
Facebook - Unfortunately, I'm addicted. Have to check it multiple times a day.
Blogger - To keep you all in the loop. So this is clearly very important. I love to write, so this is a great forum to do so on an informal basis.
Google Plus - To edit the photos I put on my blog.
Hotmail - For obvious reasons. All that fan mail must be answered.

Blogs
Here comes the sun - I love this blog unconditionally. It's just so beautifully done and the girl who writes it is a New Zealander so it has that local appeal. This blog is why I began blogging.
Nailed it NZ - My good friend Jessie's nail art site! She's amazingly talented and I always love to see her latest creations.

Shopping
Asos - So much range and so cheap! Free shipping too which is a massive drawcard.
The Book Depository - Same deal as above but with books. Have purchased quite a few titles from this site. It's marvellous. Truly.
1day - A one day sale site that sometimes has deals worth looking at. Often provides terrible temptation by offering mass quantities of chocolate and sweets.
Grab One - Seldom any decent deals on here but I check it regularly via email subscription. Did have a lovely high tea last week that was purchased from this site so it's not entirely useless.

Other
Project freeTV - To watch TV online.
Stuff - For news.
Buzzfeed - For hilarity in list form. Anyone who knows me knows that I am an avid list-writer and therefore can understand why this site has massive appeal for me.

Creating this list has made me realise just how boring of an internet existence I have. Please recommend some worthwhile sites for me to become addicted to. Please readers, help.

xx

Lyrical Love

When life leaves you high and dry
I'll be at your door tonight
If you need help, if you need help.
I'll shut down the city lights,
I'll lie, cheat, I'll beg and bribe
To make you well, to make you well.

When enemies are at your door
I'll carry you away from war
If you need help, if you need help.
Your hope dangling by a string
I'll share in your suffering
To make you well, to make you well.

Give me reasons to believe
That you would do the same for me.

And I would do it for you, for you.
Baby, I'm not moving on
I love you long after you're gone.
For you, for you.
You would never sleep alone.
I love you long after you're gone
And long after you're gone, gone, gone.

When you fall like a statue
I'm gon' be there to catch you
Put you on your feet, you on your feet.
And if your well is empty
Not a thing will prevent me.
Tell me what you need, what do you need?

I surrender honestly.
You've always done the same for me.

So I would do it for you, for you.
Baby, I'm not moving on,
I love you long after you're gone.
For you, for you.
You would never sleep alone.
I love you long after you're gone
And long after you're gone, gone, gone.

You're my back bone.
You're my cornerstone.
You're my crutch when my legs stop moving.
You're my head start.
You're my rugged heart.
You're the pulse that I've always needed.
Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.
Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.
Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.
Like a drum my heart never stops beating...

For you, for you.
Baby, I'm not moving on.
I love you long after you're gone.
For you, for you.
You would never sleep alone.
I love you long after you're gone.
For you, for you.
Baby, I'm not moving on,
I love you long after you're gone.
For you, for you.
You would never sleep alone.
I love you long, long after you're gone.

Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.
Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.
Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.
Like a drum my heart never stops beating for you.

And long after you're gone, gone, gone.
I love you long after you're gone, gone, gone.

(Phillip Phillips - Gone, Gone, Gone)

Ugh..the most lovely lyrics!!
xx

Last weekend

After being relatively unsocial and nanna-ish of late, I had a fabulously social weekend last weekend. A very dear friend who lives in Hamilton came down to visit from Friday to Sunday which was outstanding. On Friday night a group of 6 of us went out for dinner at The Brewer’s Apprentice (if you’re ever in Palmy, stop here, it’s the place to be on Friday nights) which was delicious. After dinner and a cheeky walk to get dessert, we went home to get changed and then went back into town for a bit with another of my lovely friends who was visiting from Wellington. Saturday morning we hit the gym for two hours then saw Johnny Depp’s latest flick The Lone Ranger, which was very amusing. That night we had a few friends over for drinks and hit town (the first time in agesssss for me, considering my town appearance history). It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately my Hamiltonian friend had to leave on Sunday which was sad – a weekend visit just isn’t long enough. But regardless, it was a fantastic weekend.

My friends are just fabulous.

xx

Things that make people interesting

1)      Travel - One of the things I find most interesting to talk about is travel experiences. This is always a one-sided conversation (so it is potentially not as interesting to the person I’m conversing with) because I have yet to leave New Zealand. I love hearing where people have gone, what they’ve seen, and their thoughts on what’s worth seeing and what isn’t. People who are well travelled are worldlier and tend to be super interesting.

2)      Career - Someone with a career that sounds interesting or that I’m unfamiliar with gives that person points on the interesting scale. Imagine the conversations you could have with a taxidermist or criminal lawyer! I have friends in a range of occupations like graphic design, radiography, hairdressing, childcare, accounting, physiotherapy, photography and psycology so I'm pretty spoilt for interesting career talks. I find some jobs are just fascinating. 

3)      Opinionated - Someone who is opinionated is an interesting person. I'm not talking about people who have an opinion about everything, cause that's just annoying. I'm talking about people who are well informed and can hold a decent conversation about something and back up their argument. These people are interesting because there is always an event or something that has led them to hold such beliefs.

4)      Risk-taker - I like to think I'm quite the risk-taker myself. I find people who do things out of the ordinary/out of their comfort zone quite interesting. Perhaps this is because I wish I had the guts to do the same sometimes. 

5)      Avid book reader - I don't really need to explain this one as I have stated before how I love people that read. It's so hot, and to have a deep conversation with someone about a book is one of the best things in the world.

That song

Do you have one of 'those' songs? A song you can't listen to without getting tears in your eyes? While I have never cried in a movie or book (I know...odd...), there is one song on my ipod that never fails to bring tears to my eyes. It just moves me every single time. It is called Pieces and it is by a band called Red.

*sniffle*

xx

Non-fiction must reads

Not sure if I've really communicated on here how much of a fan of reading I am. But I most definitely am. Reading is, in my opinion, one of the best and most worthwhile pursuits on earth. Though I do admit I haven't done much of it (for leisure anyway) in the last few years whilst I've been at uni, I'm getting back into it again now and have re-discovered why I love it so much. I grew up with a love for reading and books, to which my lovely mother can attest. I was a complete and utter bookworm. I would read over 100 books a year, easy. I want to be like that again. Because, while I did entertain the notion that being a bookworm was 'geeky' and 'uncool' for a while there, I now think that people who read are far more attractive than people who don't. To be able to have a decent conversation with someone about books is a rare gem these days, and when it happens, it's like an instant attraction.

Anyway....I tend to read fiction, just because that's what I've always enjoyed. But I want to get into reading more non-fiction. Not only is it informative (therefore making you smarter), but it can be super interesting!!  Here are my favourite non-fiction books to date:

In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
An absolutely brilliant read that details the 1959 homicide of a family in Kansas. Capote actually befriended the killers and we get an interesting insight into their minds and how they cope in prison awaiting death. This book is excellent, highly recommended.

The Innocent Man - John Gisham
Another tragic but brilliant book. I read this when I was 14 and it has stuck with me ever since. It's a poignant tale of gross injustice, written by an excellent author. Grisham doesn't usually write non-fiction, but he proves in this book that his talent for writing is not limited to fiction. Read it.

The Sweet Poison Quit Plan - David Gillespie
I read this book recently because I saw it at my sister's flat one day and was intrigued. I never read self-help/diet books so this was different for me. I found it really interesting though, and it shocked me a bit (in a good way). It's pretty much about how bad sugar is for you, and why we need to cut it out of our diets. Oh and the author lost 40kg just from cutting out sugar. Wow. A book I needed to read.

Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain
I've always been interested in cheffing (ask anyone who grew up with me) so this book appealed. I also enjoy watching Anthony Bourdain's shows on TV so it doubly appealed. It's written exactly the way that Bourdain speaks, and gives a raw insight into the hard life of a chef. It's a fascinating read about the underbelly of the kitchen industry, and all of it's horrors.

Open - Andre Agassi
Also am a fan of tennis, and this guy. This book was well written and made me feel quite sorry for Andre. His father was a pushy parent who pressured him into going far with Tennis. Yet while I felt sympathy for Andre, I also got slightly annoyed at his selfishness. I find it interesting to read about well-known people and get to know a bit of what they're really like. Enjoyed this read.

Can you recommend any other great non-fiction reads?
On a side note, just received my copy of The Great Gatsby from The Book Depository! Yuss! When I finish the book I'm currently reading, that's me.

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Gatsby

So I went and saw The Great Gatsby last week. I don't even know which word would accurately describe it. Perhaps something like sensational, epic, amazing, fantastic, brilliant, visionary, dazzling, magnificent, majestic. Yet these words still don't grasp just how great it was. The cinematography was beyong brilliant, the casting perfect and acting exceptional. The costumes were gorgeous and the music contemporary yet somehow still of the time (1920s). Argh. I don't think I have ever been so in awe of a movie, and still so in awe of it a week on. And here I was thinking Leonardo DiCaprio was past his best. Oh no, my love for him is completely reaffirmed. I wrote a review for it which featured in the Guardian on Thursday the 13th June. If you're interested, read it here (page 20).

This movie was just delicious. Definitely go and see it on the big screen. It needs to be done.

xx

Yay & Nay

Yay - It is almost Friday!!
Nay - I just watched the season 3 finale of Game of Thrones. Waiting for season 4 is going to be tough.
Yay - Got to see my best friend a couple of weekends back, and had such an amazing time with her.
Nay - Realised how much I miss her and now crave her company even more.
Yay - Have been to the gym 3 times already this week, on track for 6 times this week!
Nay - Made a delicious (and semi fancy) meal for the flat tonight and there ended up only being 2 of us there to eat it (out of 5 of us).
Yay - The All Blacks have started up their season again, Saturday night rugby = good times.
Nay - Was fully keen to do the Tough guy and gal challenge with the flatties but then realised I have work on that day. Lame!
Yay - Only one month before I can get my hair done again, hopefully for the last time!!
Nay - A whole month before I can get my hair done again. waaaaa.
Yay - Getting back into reading again, and it is good. So good.
Nay - The weather here lately has meant that I pretty much permanently have my clothes horse up in my room. This means frequently walking into it = bruises = not ideal.
Yay - Have been able to save money again. This is excellent and alleviates a bit of stress from my life.
Nay - Have to pay my car rego tomorrow :(
Yay - Am going overseas at the end of this year! wooop!
Nay - Keep seeing so many lovely things I want to buy. Sometimes I wish I was a millionaire. Then I realise that material things are pretty worthless in the grand scheme of things.
Yay - Get free movies at both Downtown Cinema and Cinema Gold here in Palmy, so I can write reviews for the paper. Ideal for the movie lover that I am.
Nay - I was fully going to write like three posts tonight, then somehow managed to waste time doing nothing at all. As I do. Seriously so bad at that!

And now it is late, and I must rest my tired eyes. I leave you with this:

Stay Rad readers

xx

Hair update

So I have mentioned before that I've begun the long, arduous journey towards being blonde again. After spending far too much on foils, I am now only one full head away from the blonde I want, YAY!! I have to wait about 4 more weeks (minimum) before I can get my hair done again though, due to the damage, but so so so excited that I'll be a legit blondie again by July! I am currently sporting a ginger-ish shade (timed well to coincide with 'Hug a Ginger' day, I might add) which isn't too bad, but not great. But the end is near, and this makes me very happy.

Here's what it looks like at the moment (though of course cameroid quality is fairly terrible):

Please also note my cool nails. They are semi inspired by pokemon :)

Have a sweet long weekend, readers!

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How we should look at our bodies...

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20 something angst

Apologies for not blogging in so long, working 9-4 and then catering at nights plus hitting the gym is keeping me pretty darn busy at the mo. But do not worry, I always return :)

So I'm helping a friend out with her 4th year uni project. She's a graphic design student and is re-designing a book called "20 Something, 20 Everything" by Christine Hassler. She asked me to re-write the content which I have gladly agreed to do. So far I've only re-written the introduction (which is rather lengthy) but gosh this book is relatable! It's actually quite ridiculous. Basically, the book's about the common belief amongst women in their 20s that everything must be achieved in this decade of their lives: successful grounding in a career, deciding where to live, whether you want to settle down and who with, whether you want kids or not etc etc. It's described in the book as a "quarter-life crisis" and is very common when you finish your education and being to experience feelings of anxiety around these issues.

Having recently graduated, I feel as though I can completely relate to what's raised in the book. Though I do have a job now, it's not what I want to be doing for the rest of my life, nor where I want to be living for too much longer. I'm single, while a lot of my friends have steady, serious boyfriends. I do want kids at some point but I also want to be a career woman. Because fertility drops significantly when you reach 30, I pretty much have to meet my potential husband now (considering dating them, marriage, enjoying married life sans kids etc). ARGH!

"With thoughts such as these going through most twenty-somethings' minds, clearly we need to discuss and be conscious of what happens in our twenties - and we need some guidance on how to deal with it all. Our twenties are a turning point in our lives when we feel the pressure to do, well, everything. As the security blankets of college and parents are peeled away, we are faced with finishing jobs, building careers, perhaps moving to new cities, separating from our old support systems, taking care of our own finances, dating, marriage, thinking about children, starting families making our first large investments, creating new social lives, watching our parents age, and shaping an identity to last the rest of our adulthood. Whew! That is more responsibility that we've ever been faced with."

And it's funny cause we're never really warned about all this pressure that will come after you finish your education. I find this book really interesting thus far, and am intrigued to see how it deals with getting past a "quarter-life crisis". Can you relate?
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Graduation

Officially a graduate. Was fun feeling like a Hogwarts student for the day.

xx