ONE QUIET WEEKEND IN.

How was your weekend, loves? As I mentioned, Patrick has been away visiting his mumma (4 nights down, 2 to go... not that I'm counting or anything. Fingers crossed this whole situation settles down so he actually can get home!) so I had the weekend to myself. I stocked up on a couple of little treats: some T2 tea and Green & Blacks organic chocolate, and I've managed to have a pretty productive weekend, catching up on things that have been piling up (and up and up....).

Of course, I also managed to find time for a movie ('Love and Other Drugs'-- lovely, but sad), some reading ('Freedom' by Jonathan Franzen-- another recommendation by Gemma) and breakfast in bed with croissants and the sunday paper. I got a new vintage-look kimono robe the other day, and maybe I am kinda loving just swanning/lounging around whilst wearing it :)

So, not a bad weekend really. But still, can't wait til my love is back x

FLAGS.

You might remember that a little while ago, I mentioned that I had just gotten myself a copy of Brooke Fraser's latest album. Well I have been listening to the album a lot the last few days, and I can't seem to get past the title song, Flags. It makes me cry every time I hear it. (And it also reminds me a little of Sarah McLachlan, another amazingly talented lady).

PS. If you're familiar with the Bible at all, you might recognise some of the lyrics x

image source: here. design: my own.

A LITTLE HOLIDAY BY THE SEA.

I can't remember if I've mentioned this already yet, but Patrick and I are planning a little ten-day holiday to Thailand right after new years and I'm SO EXCITED.

Our last overseas holiday to Japan was SO amazing, but we spent most of our time sight-seeing and soaking up as much as we could while we were there, by the end, I felt like I needed to go on another holiday-- know the feeling? So this time, all I want to do is lie on a beach or by the pool (I'm not fussy, either option makes me a happy little Rachael), drink from a coconut, eat some yummy food. Oh, and maybe do a little bit of shopping ;)

What is it about this time of the year that just makes you feel like you should be anywhere except in your day-to-day life? Only 5 days left of October-- when did THAT happen?! x

sources: one. two. three. four.

IT'S INSTAGRAM TUESDAY.

1- F/A 18-F super hornet flyover in the city last week
2- the morning routine-- waiting for my train one sunny morning
3- even weeds can be pretty
4- my new favourite perfume (smells like a summer night)
5- tastes like summer!
6 & 7- the lovely city views from the building I'm currently working at
8- a HUGE freddo haul from a thankful client!
9- a kitty cat kettle... yes please (find it here)

I'm still struggling a lot with this whole new routine and I'm missing blogging and regularly reading all of my favourite blogs most of all. I can't remember it ever being this hard to adjust when I've started new jobs before; but maybe it's because I know this is only a 4 week contract job (halfway through!) or maybe it's because I was just so comfortable with the way things were before. Either way, other than taking up all of my time, I'm still liking this job a lot more than I thought I would and sometimes I feel so settled there, I can't believe that 3 weeks ago things were so different. Anyway, the hunt for a shiny new permanent job somewhere continues :)

How's your week been so far? The weather has turned so warm and sunny and beautiful here the last few days, it's made those early morning starts so much easier. On another note, Patrick is going away for the next week to visit his mumma (without me, because I have to work... boo) and I'm such a sook when he goes away, but maybe that means I'll get to catch up on some of my blog reading this weekend :) x

PARADISE PT.2

You might remember that a few weeks ago, I posted about Coldplay's new song 'Paradise'. Well, the official music video has now also come out, and it made me smile so much I thought I would share it. It may or may not involve Chris Martin in an elephant suit on a bicycle ;)

(Their new album is out in a few days-- EXCITE!)

LET THEM EAT CAKE.

I'm pretty sure that just about every kid who was born and raised in Australia in the 80's will remember the Australian Women's Weekly Birthday Cake Cookbook-- or at least remember the amazing birthday cakes we all had, thanks to our mums owing this book. Yep, there's even a facebook page dedicated to it ;) (That's me, above, at my 6th birthday with my beautiful doll cake and amazing plastic clip-on earrings).

So it brightened my day when I walked into General Pants recently and found them selling the original, vintage version of the book in store. Long live the Women's Weekly Birthday Cake Cookbook! You can get your very own copy right here.

ONE SINISTER AFTERNOON.

I know it's nearly Wednesday already (hump day-- hurrah!), but I thought I would post up a couple of photos I quickly snapped mid-Saturday afternoon. When Patrick and I left the house, the weather was almost perfect-- warm, sunny and clear. So when we got those "thunderstorm warning" text messages a couple of hours later, my reaction went kinda like this: "meh". But when we stepped back outside again later, these photos are what we saw: a dark, menacing, glowering, ominous sky. Amazing.

PS. Hope your week so far has been happy-- mine: BUSY! x

IT'S INSTAGRAM FRIDAY.

1- new lilac nail polish
2- banoffee macaron: SO good (I want one right now!)
3- bye bye, old desk!
4- wearing "sensible" shoes, on my first day at my contract job
5- FINALLY-- I own Totoro on dvd... yippee :)
6- an old photo I found of Patrick and I-- yeah, I ♥ us, alot :)
7- rainy day traffic chaos

Well, a bit fat P-H-E-W that this week is over! Thankfully, my contract job has been far less daunting than I thought it was going to be (I'll admit it, I was stressin' out a little) and all-in-all, it's actually been a pretty good week work-wise. I really do love what I do for a living. But having to adjust to a new work-day routine (earlier mornings, public transport, and of course, those sensible shoes!) sure does make me grateful for weekends.

On a side note-- just quickly wanted to say thank you for all of your lovely, supportive comments lately. It means so much, it really does and your kind words truly do make me feel a thousand times better. Bless you.

Hope you have some fun weekend plans in store-- Happy Friday x

WHIRLWIND.

The last few days have kind of just blown by. Last Thursday was my last day at my job, so needless to say, it was a busy day, tying up loose ends. The whole thing has been quite a weird experience; I really loved working there so it almost feels like I'm mourning a loss. I know-- strange thing to say about your job, but it's true. I know you've probably had a "Steve Jobs" overload the last week, but the other day, I read something he said which meant a lot to me:

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

So (thanks to a lovely lady I know), I managed to get a four-week job contract which I started today. It's WORLDS apart from my old job-- but it's good experience, and something to keep me going. Although, I do have to dress "corporate"-- not so easy for a girl who doesn't own a single pair of sensible trousers ;)

Happy Monday-- I think this week is going to fly x

TRIBUTE.

(Please click to see the image larger)

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently-- they're not fond of rules. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things.

They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do."

-- Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011)

A very, very sad day-- such an inspirational man.

(photo source here, design my own).

IT'S INSTAGRAM WEDNESDAY.

1- pretty spring blossoms-- this photo was actually taken by my favourite sister (well, actually, Patrick's sister)
2- laser light show (the rest of my post is here)
3- is it REALLY that time of year already?! yikes....
4- the drive home from the coast
5- my new favourite chips-- SO good :)
6- yep, I have a panda singlet. I know you want one.
7- one rainy morning

Just a random little assortment of the latest instagram photos off my iphone (plus a couple of hipstamatics thrown in there for good measure). Just out of curiosity, what do you all think of instagram v2.0? It took a little bit of figuring out, but I'm really liking the new filters and the new setup.

Happy hump day (second last day at my current job....eeeek) x

THANK-YOU ♥

Happy Monday :) Just wanted to say thank-you so much for your kindness after my post last week about losing my job. It really does mean so much and I'm so grateful that I get to be a part of such a kind-hearted blogging community.

It is still causing me some sleeplessness (I may have gotten up in the middle of the night and tripped over a chair) but I'm really starting to feel like it's a time to start afresh, an opportunity to refocus.

So, did you have a good weekend? Other than tripping over chairs, our weekend was pretty tame, but nice: long sleep-in's; pizza; folding and putting away a MOUNTAIN of laundry that had been growing for months; a yummy and fun date-night dinner out at Wagaya (definitely recommend it); watching a movie in bed; and winning a giveaway over at this little port (YAY) :)

Here's to a brand new week x