Twenty nine - oh so sublime

Soooo.... I turned 29 last week. I'll admit at first I wasn't thrilled about the whole idea of 29.

The prospect of 30 doesn't seem to fuss me so, but 29 did. I'm not a particularly negative person by any means (generally quite the opposite) but earlier in the year I'd labelled 29 a 'nothing year'. A sort of wasteland between 20s and 30s that didn't quite feel like it fit one or the other. Was. Not. Thrilled.

And then I realised - some pretty fucking fabulous things are happening this year!

Firstly - I'm writing shitloads! Corporate (and getting paid for it - winning!) fictional, factual and theatrical. It seems the last few years I've really started to develop my writing style, really started to feel it. Something they always say you will establish overtime and voila! I can finally feel it coming through! This whole concept of being a writer is actually starting to feel real.

Secondly - I'm getting involved in theatre publicity and over the next 6 months will be assisting on 3 shows. Theatre is something I've always been insanely passionate about but have only rekindled this over the last four years. I'm loving writing short peices and meeting fabulous writers in the Stages Playwriting Group as well.

Thirdly - I'm putting plans in place to start my own business. Something that mixes my creativity and marketing/events experience which is super fabulous! I'm having such a great time harnessing my creativity and being inspired by so many things (Pinterest you devil!). And I'll have more on all of that over the next few months.

Fourthly - (is that a word? Forthly.... hhmmm doesn't sound right, let me check the dictionary....) I'm ticking off some fun things on my Thirty before 30 list, and now less than 12 months to go - it's certainly time to get moving.

And last but most definitely not least - MR and I have recently booked our flights to go to the US for 6 weeks in December! Yahoo!!!! This is a trip we've been planning for some time and while it has changed over time we are super excited for a little adventure. New York for Christmas and New Year, New Orleans, San Francisco, Austin or Chicago or both, Napa Valley, maybe Yosemite National Park. In just a few short months - cannot wait! So there'll be more on that soon too :)

29 is infact, very far from a nothing year! By comparison, it's actually one of the busiest year's of my life and I'm certain over the next 12 months it will only continue to be. I suppose every year is only what you make it. So let's make it pretty damn awesome.

What are you up to this year? I'd love to hear what's on your Thirty before 30 lists.
 

The last of the sunny days

Winter is slowly creeping up on us over in Perth, we seem to have cold days, rainy days and sunny days all mixed in at the moment. But as June bustles along, it's clear we're heading for the last of the sunny days.

The last weekend in May I took the opportunity to head down to my favourite WA destination with some writing friends for a little R&R. Man was it worth it! The perfect way to farewell autumn and welcome winter with great company, good books, blissful surrounds, tasty food, quality wine, beach appreciation, explorations, realisations, hilarity and silliness and ofcourse a spot of writing.

Lately it's been a mix of creativity, socialising and burying myself under the doona with my favourite Grey (Earl of course) in one hand and a good book in the other - all of which have been an absolute tonic for my soul.

As the darkness of winter mornings make it increasingly more difficult to get out of bed at a productive hour, I'm taking on a training regime for the City to Surf in August to burn off all the extra 'layering' I've done in the lead up to winter. Urrgghhh is all I have to say about that at the moment.

But the thing I love most about the change in seasons isn't just that I can bring out all my favourite cardigans (I am a cardi-lover for sure!) but that it awakens my creative home-body self with writing, knitting, sewing, cooking and other crafty projects all in the works to accompany many a quality glass of winter friendly red wine.

How will you be spending your winter?

This week's pearls

This week's pearls brought to you from my brand new laptop! After almost 6 weeks without one, it is a welcome experience to read on a 13 inch screen instead of that of my iPhone.

1. This beautiful coffee coconut body scrub made for me by a lovely friend. I'm yet to try it but cannot wait!



2. A meeting with some wonderful writer friends (and some decadent pastries... not pictured).

3. There are few things in this world that cannot be solved by Dim Sum. Seriously, world leaders, take note - eat Dim Sum!

 

4. Beautiful flowers I just couldn't resist buying - love love love them!

 

 

5. This striking tea cup and saucer gifted to me by a fabulous friend (what am I saying, all my friends are fabulous and so are tea cups!).

 



 

6. Quirky coasters (a very well chosen gift from my Mum).

Cool, calm, creative

And so it is finally, FINALLY, autumn. The days are cooler and the nights are chilly. The fans have been switched off and blankets for snuggling up on the couch brought out. I have worn/carried a cardigan with me every day this week. There have been several moments when I have genuinely felt cold. Finally green leaves are starting to brown, although others might skip this stage entirely and just fall anyway. And the best thing - it's finally red wine weather. I forget just how fond I am of red wine during the summer months. But now that burgundy stained corks have been popped, it's making me think that I really am a cool weather person. There is something so intimate about cool weather. It's romantic, the dark and the rain. It's cosy, cuddly, couchy weather. It's dinner parties in cosy apartments weather. It's love in a jumper weather.

I've not yet donned tights and I'm still yet to purchase a new umbrella and I don't want to even contemplate how my jeans will be fitting this year (note to self, buy tights, buy umbrella and for god's sake keep up the exercise!) but the change in weather is already bringing with it a change of mood. I am always more creative in the cooler months, and my brain it ticking away with lots of little ideas to fill the time spent mostly indoors in cooler months. 

So let there be words and wine and creative endeavors. Let there be curling up on the couch and reading and chatting together. Let there be storms that rumble (but l

et me know be caught out in them). Let there be friendship and cardigans and love.

How does the cooler weather effect you? Do you see a distinct change in mood with the change of seasons? Or am I just getting old?