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Monday, January 19, 2015 365 Project // Day 15 - 16 "Learning Swahili and all of the coffees"


15th January

About six months ago I decided I wanted to put more effort into learning some Swahili words and phrases. George is from Kenya, and so Swahili is his first language, and it's actually kind of redonk how little of the language I know, considering how much I hear him speaking it to his friends and family. And so I bought this chalk board from a cheapo shop up the road, and every now and again I get George to write down a few Swahili words and the English translation. Let's just say that I'm not really a natural when it comes to learning languages, but I do think it has helped a little bit. On the board at the moment are lyrics from this song, by a popular band in Kenya at the moment called Sauti Sol. Apparently it's an expression used to say that you really smitten with someone? Go figure :P



16th January

I caught up with a friend after he finished work on Friday. We went to a place called Queen Street Rescue for iced coffees and beers. It's a cute cafe/bar, with friendly staff and a relaxed vibe. We're making an effort to not always go to the same places. While it's good to have your old favourites, in Melbourne ya can't help but feel that there are lots of new favourites that are waiting to be discovered xx

Thursday, January 15, 2015 365 Project // Day 14 "Masks of acid, yipee!"


14th January - I started packing today for our move. It's not until mid February but who knows when the next heat-wave will come, so I just wanted to start getting a few tasks out of the way. This includes going through all the boxes in all the drawers and under the bed - my version of being 'organised': shove shit in boxes and hide them away so you forget they exist, until you have to move again. 

I found this mask in the 'skincare' drawer of my desk, because apparently I have a skincare drawer. I don't even know where this mask came from. But I Googled it and turns out this brand is pretty expensive, so I decided to give it a shot. I tend to use pretty 'natural' products to clean and moisturise my face, and generally fragrant-free because I have really sensitive skin. So as soon as I opened the packet the first thing I noticed was the stench. It didn't smell bad, just strong. The second thing I noticed, when I was taking it out of the packet, was how slimy it was. Then I put it on my face and the third thing I noticed was how stunning I looked (see below, judge for yourself). I left the mucousy cloth on my face for 15 minutes, as directed, then removed it, splashed my face with water to clean off the snot-like consistency, and patted it dry. The fourth thing I noticed was how it made absolutely no difference to my skin. 

xx

Wednesday, January 14, 2015 365 Project // Day 13 "Welcome back, ladies"


13th January: The weather these days - either super hot, or raining and humid ie. summer in Melbourne :/ It means that, unless you live near a beach, it hasn't been the best weather to be out and about in. We're also trying to save money, and I also have Irish skin that burns like sugar butter, and so in my books, this can lead to only one thing - copious amounts of TV watching :P 

'Girls' started back again on the 12th, for the fourth season. I was excited, as always, for its return. Those one-liners, the quirks, and awkwardness... it didn't disappoint. And while I hold high-hopes for what is to come, and while it still has me glued, I do have to say that I think the show could do with a 'breath of fresh air' of some sort. Perhaps a few new characters, a change in scenery, some character development. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've also been binging on Orange Is The New Black, and THAT is a show that does all these things really really well. You can never get bored, because it is never stagnant, and so you're always left wanting more. Anyway, if you have any show recommendations, please do let me know!! xx

Tuesday, January 13, 2015 365 Project // Day 12 "Ginger Misters and Sisters"



I found this gingerbread men kit in the post-Christmas sale at our local Woolworths. It was $2, reduced from $8, and so I grabbed it. Gingerbread is good all year round... jokes on them :P

I had a few friends over in the arvo, and we decided to give it a whirl. We assumed this kit is meant for children, but it was actually harder than we were expecting! The dough was sticky, and it was difficult to get to the right consistency, fit for rolling. Hence the bucket loads of flour you see in the pic. I had also used a wooden spoon to stir the mixture, but you know how wooden spoons can sometimes 'absorb' the flavours of things you've cooked, the spices and onions etc? Well, let's just say that the cookies had a slight taste of the last night's dinner... And don't even get me started on the decorating :S




I think we'll have a much more humbled approach with the next kit ;) xx

Monday, January 12, 2015 365 Project // Day 11 "Drinks and clothes"



11 January - Caught up with friends from school for a few drinks. I wore clothes.

Sunday, January 11, 2015 365 Project // Day 10 "Sunday Socks"



10th January - I couldn't sleep the night before, and for no particular reason. Just one of those nights. I think I got about 2 hours, absolute max. So by Saturday arvo I was in struggle-town. We had to go to a friend's BBQ that night, and I knew if I "napped" I wouldn't wake up. And so we walked to get coffee. A large one. I asked George to take off the socks. He refused.

Friday, January 9, 2015 Remember me? And the 365 Project // Day 1-9

Alrighty. Talk about long-time-no-see. I don't want to inundate you with a long list of excuses for my absence, so I'll save you that boredom. In a nutshell, life got in the way. More specifically - a thesis and visa applications got in the way. But I'm back. And I've missed this! 

I'm in a really weird head-space at the moment. For the past couple of months I've always had something to stress about... there was always something I "needed" to be doing, or somewhere I needed to be. And then as of New Years, everything was submitted - both my project report and George's visa application, and all of a sudden I could breathe. I allocated the week after New Years to just chill, guilt free - to binge watch TV shows I've been wanting to watch, and binge read books I've been wanting to read. But it's like I still can't shake this feeling that I constantly need to be doing something. The final semester of my Masters degree doesn't begin until late February, and so I have to figure out how I can use my time until then - in ways that are both non-stressful and productive. I've got a few ideas up my sleeve. I've started a free 30 day yoga program (really recommend). I've downloaded some recipe apps so that I can begin to expand my cooking repertoire beyond pasta and sweet potato chips. And I also turn to you, ol' bloggy friend ;) 

I've decided that I want to try and commit to the 365 photo challenge. I'm sure you've heard of it, and it's also pretty self-explanatory - but basically you try to take at least one photo per day, for an entire year. Other than that, there are no other guidelines or 'rules'. I like the idea for several reasons. I like that it will motivate me to take a moment out of each day to document something and to try and 'creatively' capture it, if I'm feeling that way inclined. I like that it will provide an accessible and non-daunting way to blog. And I'm just interested in giving it a shot, basically, and seeing how it goes. I also love the idea that 'mundane' rituals in people's lives can be somewhat interesting to someone else. Or they might be totally fricken... mundane. But I guess we'll find out!

So here are the first 9 days of my 2015. I know everyone says this.. but I can't believe we're already 9 days into the new year. It's scary. I planned to upload these after a week, and totally lost track of the date. I will try to make these weekly from now on :) 



1st January - New Years Day. Yup, we chilled. And slept. And ate fried food. 





2nd January - People in our neighbourhood have the habit of leaving beautiful and not-so-beautiful furniture out on the street, for other people to take. We've collected a few pieces over the last year - a standing mirror and a desk chair, to name but a few. George and I spotted this beauty on our way back from getting dinner, and at the time it seemed like a good idea - in fact, it wasn't even a question, this TV cabinet needed to be ours. The photo doesn't do justice to how heavy this thing is. My shoulders and hands hurt for dayyys from carrying it up the street and up the stairs to our apartment. When we finally got it through the door, it occurred to me, where the hell as we going to put it? It's way too bulky for our small apartment. We're actually moving at the end of February, and I convinced myself that we'll find a way of fitting it into our new place.. but I think I'm kidding myself. Anyway, for now it's just sitting there, between the couch and the desk, blocking the sunlight into our apartment... what a find ey :S 





3rd January - My sister leant me this book. And I was hooked from the very beginning. (Until I got hooked onto something else.. to come later). Roxane doesn't just talk about feminism, but about race, about our bodies, about our culture - a whole range of topics. It's challenging but accessible. I haven't yet finished it (once again, this will be explained later) but I still highly recommend it.





4th January - Mum got George this AeroPress coffee machine for Christmas. It goes without saying that I use it 10 times more than George. It's amazing. I love it. Thanks Mum!






5th January - Cos as they say, a summer just isn't summer without overpriced seasonal berries!






6th January - I haven't bought clothes for ages, and now that I actually have the energy to actually think about what I'm wearing, instead of just slapping on my 'study uniform' (ie stretchy pants and loose tops.. think boho-chic minus the chic and multiply the unflattering), it began to annoy me how little clothing options I had. Enter Boohoo. I know these tops don't look very 'summery', but I have a whole lot of girly, flowy 'grandma' skirts (continue to think boho-unflattering) that I felt needed to be paired with something a bit more 'edgy' and fitted. Maybe one day I'll even do an outfit shot, once I get over my photo-posing phobia. Maybe one day.






7th January - I promised the explanation as to why I haven't finished the book, and THIS is it. It's been a long time coming, but I finally understand the whole OITNB obsession. I understand. I'm there. 






8th January - I eat the same thing for breakfast almost every single day. I ain't gonna lie. They say variety is the spice of life, but I say who wants spice for breakfast :P (probably lots of people).






9th January - In summer I become obsessed with nail polish. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I usually have more time? Anyway. Lately it's been these three colours. It's funny because I don't think I would really wear any of these colours as an item of clothing, but for some reason I like these bright pastel/coral colours on my nails. It's the most flamboyant I'm ever gonna get :P




I hope you've all had a wonderful start to the New Year!!! xx