101 Books

It's official. I have an actual problem. I realised last weekend that I hadn't read anything since moving into our new abode and with all the craziness of the move before that - suffice to say it's been too long between books. (Since then I've been pretty much inhaling Chuck Palanhiuk's Choke - awesome read.) But that's not the problem. Oh no, no, no. That is the least of this gal's problems. Read on.

So once we finally put the bed together and the shelves up, I decided it was well overdue to let the books out of the boxes. But with so many books and so little space, I figured I better be reasonable and you know, just unpack the books I hadn't read - because those are the priority. If I do that, then I'll have something to focus on, a pile you know... turns out, it was a little more than just a pile :/ 

Hi, my name is El and I'm a book-aholic.

A selection of the unread books I own. It's a travesty. It's a problem.

I wrote about my book diet earlier this year and now the reality of just how necessary it is for that to be imposed is sinking in. I have a first-world real booking problem here. 

Now some of these I have actually started... and not quite gotten around to finishing before I got distracted by some thing, some book else (wow I'm sensing a life pattern here - eek), but at least that's a start I suppose. But the overwhelming pile of books just kept growing until it took over the whole bed! And then I counted. There's 101. 

Holy shitballs I have alot of reading to do!

Those who DIY together...

MR and I spent much of our weekend 'DIYing'. We used our new drill for the first time, which was simultaneously a terrifying, nail biting and exhilarating experience. This was MR's first ever drilling experience, and my first drilling into the actual (don't stuff it up! just a little bit that way, I mean the other way, no up, down, wait wait wait!) wall. You may have gathered by now, we are not particularly handy people. But this weekend, we assembled a very complicated day bed-pull out-storage system from Ikea (oh the curse words! Not to mention losing the tip of my middle finger), hung some floating shelves (insert more curse words), put the legs onto our new couch (are you effing serious? We have to attach the legs ourselves!) and hung my favourite artwork (by that point we were experts at this drilling business). We had the electrician over to discuss putting in a new aerial point, power point and light fittings. And there was even a batch of baking. 

We stuffed it up and we fixed it. (The first few holes drilled were touch and go but by the second shelf we had the hang of it.) We both cracked the shits and we calmed each other down. We drank beer, that helped. Beer is definitely necessary when DIYing on a Friday night - I'm sure that goes against all safety regulations... but I doubt you're actually taking any of this as real life advice. At the end of the day, there was high-fiving and that's what counts. We are homeowners. And now we do, indeed, do it direct form the Ikea instructions ourselves!  

First rain

So today was the first rain of the year in Perth I believe. Well now that I think about it, maybe it wasn't ... <look left and right and up and down searching your mind and seemingly your surroundings for an answer that doesn't come> but it's the first rain I can remember for a long time ... which either says it's been a long time since it rained or my memory is shot. There is strong cause for both of these options.

Either way, this morning there was rain in Perth and all day the air has had that smell of cool rain. It conjures a yearning within me for jumpers, socks, wool and for a glass of red wine snuggled on the couch. (And it gives me a thrill to know that the couch we ordered 9 weeks ago now will finally be here this weekend.)

There's a certain change of mood that comes with the onset of the cooler weather. Something calm about it, especially when it happens gradually like this; a day here and there of showers and the odd cardigan making an appearance atop my shoulders. It's better this way. People are more accepting of it this way. When it comes in spraying bullets in a crazy storm, understandably people are less receptive. Myself included.


But this way, it just builds excitement in me for the change of season. Of course, I don't particularly want it to be wintery just yet, there are weddings to attend, gardens to plant, boxes to move inside and new outdoorsy habits to be cemented into my brain before winter can truly be welcome. But I do love the anticipation of the change of seasons. The tease of mother nature in autumn and spring leading into winter or summer. In Perth at least, I always think of autumn and spring as 'in between' seasons. They're more of a transition period than a full blown season of their own in this part of the world. Not as cut and dry (pun intended) as summer or winter. They're just a taste, a tease of what's to come. And today it's the tease of cardigans and coats.

Do you have a favourite season? What do you look forward to the most about it?

Marking pages

I bought these oh-so-cute wafer thin metal bookmarks, I don't know how many months ago and then ofcourse because they're so teeny tiny, I lost them almost instantly in my house. Then came packing and moving and I was delighted that they reappeared and I put one pride of place at the top of the page I was reading in Jack Hourac's On The Road (a book you definitely need a bookmark for, if you lose your spot you're likely to have to start all over again). 

I can't for the life of me remember where I got them, but I found them at Yeestore on Etsy, along with many more! Aren't they just adorable? I love creative bookmarks, especially little ones.   
 

Home

There are a number of songs I could have picked for this post, Crowded House You Better Be Home Soon (an old fave) among many more spring to mind. But none other seemed more fitting than Edward Sharpe's joyous jig-along track to welcome you (by virtual way of typing)to our new home.

It has been an exceptionally busy two weeks of moving, cleaning, unpacking & a bit of friendly fun thrown in too. But how thankful we are that through the exhaustion we are home. 

For the most part, the Operation One Truck was a success but it's all those little things like removing junk, maneuvering plants and unaccounted for outdoorsy stuff, organising cleaners and pest sprayers that had us shuffling back and forth to Old Milney several times that first week. But finally I handed over the keys - the final inspection was done (not without a few hiccups of course) and Old Milney is now free for new tenants, as we are to enjoy our new home.

Apart from us, nothing has quite landed exactly where it belongs in the little unit yet; our new couch is still a few weeks away, we are yet to organise wardrobes and a spare bed/storage, even Zeus hasn't quite identified his 'corner' yet. There are so many wonderful ideas we have for the place that will take some time to execute. But we've managed to clear the sea of cardboard boxes (or at least confine them to the spare room) which has made being in our space much more relaxing! 

None-the-less we're both so happy to be home and know everything will (literally) fall into place soon enough and we'll start to establish a new kind of 'normal'. 

I look forward to brining you some pics very soon!