Just two days

If there was one thing I would bottle, besides the feeling I get when I’m sick and my son strokes my forehead (who’s the parent here, right?), it would be the weekends. You know the ones when you awake feeling fresh and new, no hangover, no additional work, no obligations… just good.

I’ve become quite selfish about the weekends. Oh yes. I like sleep ins, followed by the warm intoxication of fresh coffee. Sporadic conversations with Wolf, in between passive jazz notes. Shared showers. And lately, slowly making our way down to youeni.

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I think the diamond quote has it all wrong

Reunions can be a frightful thing. I remember the nerves I had before mine in anticipation of all that judgment.

The final report card. This would almost determine whether I’d made something of my life. Are the hot people still hot? Are any of the nerds frightfully successful? Are the sweethearts still besotted? I felt like getting a t-shirt made up to save the record-jarring spiel:

“Catherine. Work in PR, have my own agency, a baby son, still with (the ex), we live near the city, don’t really keep in touch with anyone.”

But instead I wore a knock off Chloe dress from eBay and decided to travel with a lovely acquaintance who lives nearby and works in the city. We rode in the car, the wind billowing all that conversation in the hour it took us to get out west. Upon arrival we were welcomed as “the city girls”. Great.

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To age or not to age?

Although I’ve quietly revelled in the salt and pepper slowly shading the locks of my friends, while styling my hair recently, I found a stray grey.

What to do?

There was no one around and I was quite entertained so I showed the stray to Wolf, who instantly shed a tear and refuted the fact that I was getting old. Although I was surprised, I guess getting old equates to dying and that is not allowed.

I’ve noticed something else too recently… fine lines around my eyes. Oh, and there’s a line appearing inbetween my eyebrows, I guess from frowning too much.

My brother and sister mocked my concerns but my mother took a different tact and suggested some “preventative botox” – perhaps the European gene would call shotgun on this whole aging business (awesome) and I should look into ways I can avoid wrinkles even forming.

So inspired by fear, I did a bit of research, spoke to a couple of beauty journos I know (who agreed my concerns were unnecessary) and although I don’t like the idea of injecting poison into my body at this age, I came across something quite alarming – a trend for people to get plastic surgery to enhance their career.

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A Great Escape

There are times when an escape is the most indulgent and satisfying thing you can do. Sure, you realise the curve balls you’ve dodged might be there upon your return – there may even be new ones – but for now you have permission to abandon it all and just breathe.

So I recently escaped to embark on a European adventure. On my own. And even though I missed Wolf quite spectacularly, I can’t express how wonderful it was to steal all of that time.

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When is too much choice a bad thing?

I have a love/hate relationship with shopping. Unlike common notions of a female reveling in hours of aimless wandering, I’m the type of shopper who likes to get what I want and then get out. Quickly.

The choices can be overwhelming. From jeans to toothpaste, beauty products and even cars, there are times when it all becomes too hard.

I understand choice is valued as one of our basic human rights, but too much choice seems to be doing us an injustice. Continue reading

“Borrowed” Words

I was reminded of this article recently when I was thinking about stolen books. Actually, I was thinking about books that I’ve leant out over the years, which have never made it back onto my shelf. There are so many. I haven’t bothered keeping count.

What an interesting concept though. I can’t imagine why someone would want to steal a book. It seems sacreligious. Books are one thing (amogst others) that I can never seem to throw out…

Anyway, according to the article, the five most stolen books in the states are those by:

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Advice I would tell my 16 year old self

I bought a book for a friend recently that covered this topic (which I can’t for the life of me find a link for!!) and became quite enamored with the notion.
If you could, what advice would you go back and tell your 16 year old self?
Oh there are so many things I would tell myself. Firstly, I would pluck those eyebrows. Wow. I’d also tell myself to hide those mustard coloured overalls from Mum so she wouldn’t be wearing them 15 years later.
So, while entertaining this fascination, I Facebooked the question and a friend followed suit so here is a collection of the responses to date… I haven’t attributed them to anyone, just because I don’t know the perimeters around this. I’ve loved the responses to date…

Oh I love…

I am obsessed with this beautiful little book, which is part of a very cool exhibition in Melbourne called “Insert Coin Here“.

I went through a fascination with Japanese vending machines around eight years ago. The quirkier the better. I still like them, so this concept really pleases me.

Can someone in Melbourne please find one of these two vending machines and insert $2?

Pretty please?

SIGH…

I’m a big fan of letters. Of course the notion is a romantic and idealistic one, but I like it. Handwritten thoughts to someone seems old school and awfully special, especially in this hyper colour, electronic age.

I’ve toyed around with the idea for some time now, but it’s never panned out. I’m still holding it though. Just in case.

So, you can just imagine how much I liked coming across this site and particularly, this post. I adore the image of a 14 year old Slash talking quite obsessively about his guitar – and loosing a girlfriend over it too. I’m reading The Rum Diary at the moment so I really like this one too, faxed over by none other than the great Hunter S. Thompson.

And speaking of all things nostalgic, anyone who’s ever been to my house knows I have quite a thing for Polaroids. So this site definitely deserves a mention. I wish I had even just a couple of these images in my hallway. Major job envy.

Revisiting boredom

So I came across this article recently and it reminded me of this old post.