And I am back

Have a tendency to get wrapped up in things and forget to update blog.

Uni is now almost over. Have final works to submit but in the meantime, I am dealing with a sad sick little boy who turns 3 next week. Who I may have turned into a zombie child in the final project.

I spent most of today playing with the blog set up and watching Orange is the new black.

Pet rats passed away on the weekend, so I have the sad pants on. Also have a stupid stress ulcer and everything hurts to eat. Even coffee causes me pain and that just isn't right. Ice-cream for life!

No incoming mail so far this week, and haven't decorated anything recently. However, all the artistic ability has moved across to Miss I.  She drew a portrait of me, complete with headphones. Because lets be honest, Skull Candy Aviators are just that rad.

Only a small update I guess, but better than nothing.

1. That's me. Woo
2. Attempted making stove top coffee while making breakfast. Fail.
3. Zombie stickers at uni.
4. Sugar Skull stamp I am loving.
5. New season Walking Dead fixes everything.

Finding inspiration to write

Sometimes I question why I write this.
I tend to share and then quickly delete what was said. I don't know if people read this. There is also the possibility it could float around the web until unwanted people discover it.
Perhaps I could put a notation in each post just for them. *Please feel free to die*
Nothing new is happening here really.
It is spring, busting to wear t-shirts and jeans. Do so, and end up with a cold. Though realistically the air-conditioning unit and daycare contributed more. Nothing like a breeding ground of communicable illness to make your week.

Took husband to have Pho on Thursday. I don't have a picture to post. Despite the fact I have had it 3 times now, each time I am too excited to take a photo. Having only just discovered this soup/noodle dish, I am devouring it every chance I get. Plotting, of course, to try it at home. For now I am happy just to hand over cash and drown myself in broth. Tried to counteract the cold by adding way too much chilli any time I have it. Delicious and burning, but didn't fix cold.

I have ended up with a huskier voice than usual. Though to be fair, if I speak normally, it is pretty deep. It is only when I am wound up that it is higher pitched. Truth be told, I am usually wound up, so that doesn't really matter. Either way, I am able to sing along with Eddie Vedder without sounding like the female back up vocals. Woo.

Nothing much else to report. Reading The Passage, and trying to stop writing in first person. Lots of learning to be had. Showing rather than telling while writing. I have under a month to get the 7500 words and it just isn't happening. White paper is incredibly daunting. Sharing even more so. I don't think I will ever be a real author.

There is really no point to this post, but learning to write again. There are always more important things I can be doing. For someone who is constantly distracted, I found a study tip for staying focussed.
Something called the Pomodoro Technique. Still searching for inspiration, Diablo 3 and Walking Dead season 3 to the rescue.

Spring cleaning life

Received two lots of meh news in the last few days.
Did a general clean of house today, super clean of office and given it is almost spring- I am thinking about spring cleaning rest of life.
Not sure how to do that though. Maybe a postcard or a sky writer- "Hey hey. Yep I am done. Bye"
That could totally work.

In other news, I got a little friend who I named Jemima and the Ps3 remote died. So plenty of writing is being done. Can't kill dragons, write letters. Perfect trade.

Have had no mail in the last 1 1/2 weeks, which has been kinda crap & good at the same time. Allowing me to catch up on letters. Bills or junk mail only sucks though.

Temporary hiding spot complete with frozen peas

Out of time, and out of practise

I should be writing everyday. That doesn't happen. So of course I am not sure that this is up to scratch, hopefully being edited soon by group before dreaded presentation on Thursday. No title yet..

Edit: Only took 4 hours for me to be super uncomfortable and remove story.

ps No Spend July can suck it.

Failed in record time. Just as a FYI
Damn all those enablers *shake fist*

Heaven on the floor

Granted, I ended up with a sore arse from sitting on carpet for hours, but it was quite lovely to sort in peace. Sort all the things!

For the first time ever I was able to work out what mail needed to be opened, what letters needed to be written, storing the different pens together, discovering missing note pads and even watched two movies.
All while the children were all home.

Of course they were happily kept busy painting and popping bubble wrap. I didn't do any letter writing, but I am at least sorted in the general lounge area. Not the office of course, that still looks like a paper cyclone went through. I may need some stronger coffee for that.

So now there has been mass sorting, the vital question remains… Which pen to use today!

No spend July with some antiques

Decided to check out local antique store, just in case they had some stationery. No luck, but it was still vintage heaven. Thankfully it is no spend July so that made it easy, not to mention the prices. Where is my lotto win?!
So here is the tour, stealth iPhone photo style.

1. So many fountain pens

2. Writing table

3. Thimble collection

4. Postcards

5. Teacups

6. That is not the vintage paper I was looking for...

No reading and no coffee makes me something something..

Go crazy.
Ah The Simpsons, useful in most situations.

Winter term is a tad more difficult than I expected. Instead of making a program specifically for a 7 week period, 14 weeks worth of work is just smashed into the smaller term. Super.

Need to read more as usual. I tend to forget how to do creative writing when I only end up watching TV. It is easy to multi task in the evening, but having to devote all my attention to one this is near impossible.

Time to punch out a 500 word idea and buy a decent coffee.

Morning Glory!

1. Letter sets
2. Books
3. More letter sets
4. Notepads
5. Envelopes
6. Oh yes, more letter sets

From the Lovely Shirley

Arrived home from 4 hours drive, dead tired & still danced like a fool when I found this delightful package.

Of course I could only peek in because I had to head straight to work for the rest of the week, so without further delay here is the haul. I am somewhat tempted to join Stampin' Up.

Haul of Awesome

 Owls, stickers buttons and cards.

 Ribbons.

 Card sets & scrap book page.

 Stampin Pastels- No idea how to use them. In love already!

And this is my absolute favourite- Clocks!

Uninspiring Post

Plenty of reading and uni assignment to work on. 

Don't have the energy for complex thinking. Words with Friends and changing blog layout it is.

Productive day for all

Bag Fail & Postcrossing

Either my bag could read blogs or the universe tried teaching me a lesson.

The day after I wrote the 'what's in my bag' post, my pvc bag of awesome broke. Thankfully it broke as I got into my car, so nothing had to spill all over the ground & no one could hear me cursing out a bag.

It is a long weekend here, and 3 days of 3 children at home will result in nothing creative. I tried my hand at watercolour pencils before small people ran off with them. Instead sending some love via postcrossing and hoping to squeeze in some letter writing once the kids sleep.

Quote of the week

We can't expect things to change
if we keep doing the same things
over and over
- Albert Einstein

What's in my bag

Or more to the point why is all that in my bag?

I change my bag every day, and each time I try to cull the amount of things I carry with me. It just never happens. Entirely possible I am messing with my shoulder and possibly my spine from oversized bags full of paper. Pictures taken with iPhone, sorry for the dark photos.

I typically only buy leather bags because I tend to overfill my bags, leather ages beautifully & pvc tends to split and break. This bag I purchased for only $2 from an op shop and I think that it might have been a camera bag. Lots of compartments and padded inside. It is however PVC and I can see there are splits on the handle already. Boo.
Looking forward to seeing what the other LEP members are carrying around  ^_^

1. Without fail I always carry: wallet, ipad mini, journal, two different pens sets, overstuffed beauty case filled with pens & markers, notepads, zip up folder of letters, stamp, coin purse, washi tape, lip balm, iPhone 5 & keys (not pictured) and travel toothbrush.

2.  PVC bag of awesome

3. Three notepads and pencils for lettering.

4. Beauty pencil case and folder full of letters received, replies in progress, and blank envelopes for mail art.

5. Pen sets for art

Letter Mo and Op Shops

Received my first #LetterMo letter on Friday. Very exciting.
Have sent out quite a few letters and postcards for both #LetterMo and my regular letter writing. Forgot to take photos though. So here is a shot of today's postcards.

First week back at uni has been rather hectic. Lots of planning, time management and of course reading. So much reading. Have only had one tutorial, but we spent the whole 2 hours discussing graffiti and whether it was art or not. Fantastic to be in classes with 3rd year students, no one has been hung over in class etc. Will see how the year goes.

Friday was class free so I happily spent the day doing mail art & of course the rounds of local op shops.  

1. Postcards out for #lettermo
2. Pearl tea of doom
3. Op shop bag of wool. Can't wait for winter
4. New tea cup
5. Catching up on letters
6. Vistaprint order on the way!

Tattoos and Tea

So after having a little vent on a parenting forum re a filthy stare I got from a complete stranger, I was able to find out other people's views on tattoos. Some close minded, some with the utterly ridiculous "what happens when you are 80", and other like-minded people who agreed with me when I said, having a sleeve of tattoos does not make me any less of a married university educated home owner with 3 healthy happy children.
From that vent has come quite a few recommendations for types of tea (because tea and tattoos just go together). Will be looking at doing tea swaps with my penpals very soon.
Now need to finish my Irish tea and get back to cleaning this office in prep for uni and of course letter writing.

1. Miss I taking a photo of me painting

2. My big girl Ruby

3. My little girl Sugar

4. Tea! 

Last Week of Holidays

Uni is rapidly approaching and I may in fact be wasting the last days of freedom I have.
January is almost over, and I am almost done with replies. Good thing I am caught up as it is nearly A Month of Letters time. Just discovered this, and am amazed there are so many people out there looking for penpals.

1. Sign up here: Month of Letters
2. I am level 41 on Skyrim, so that is something. Not necessarily something useful. Oh well.
3. Fantastic movie. Made me want to cry. And eat southern food as well!
4. Missed it in the cinema. Ended up watching it twice at home. So good.
5. Uni text I have started reading & 'The Mandarins' by Simone De Beauvoir
6. Catching up on mail with the help of my fav cup of tea.

Mail Call #3

INCOMING

OUTGOING

1. Ballet Mail Art from the extremely talented Sarah

2. Letter from the lovely Nicole
3. Christmas letter from my darling Christine. The letter was lost for a while due to awesome postal system.
4. Owl love from Cheryl
5. Last but not least, letter from fellow Potterhead Rin