Missing the Mundane

Well haven’t I been a lazy blogger of late? Time, friends and the seemingly never ending job hunt has had me rather pre-occupied. Temping has kept the money flowing in; however I’m struggling with the absence of a regular routine. You know what it’s like – you get up, you have your shower and drive/catch the bus to work. Your morning coffee wakes you up before you start your working day. Lunch is over and before you know it it’s 4pm and you’re at the biscuit tin ready for your sugar fix. After work you hit the gym and work out for about an hour or so before heading home to cook dinner, shower and catch your favourite TV program before falling into bed only to repeat the whole process the following day. This all sounds very practical and boring, yet I find it to be somewhat comforting – knowing that you have a desk that belongs to you, along with your mug, mousepad and photos. You have a purpose for getting up every day and feel as though you are contributing to the working world in some way. I can hear you all saying ‘yeah right’ – what you would give for a day or even a week off here and there. Of course it’s terrific for a couple of days, but try it when you don’t get paid for a couple of weeks. The only way I can justify having this time off is by filling every hour with some sort of task – I think that ornament requires dusting again, doesn’t that shirt need dry-cleaning? Oooh, I’m sure I need to get some more fruit/veges/food or something from the shops.

If I had the money I could easily become a lady of leisure, however when the bills need to be paid and you find yourself relying on your significant other for cash it’s not much fun at all! So if you catch yourself thinking how much you dislike your job for the hundredth time today, take a moment to reflect on your situation and realise how lucky you are to actually have a job to whinge about!

AVD
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PS – Anyone out there need a confident, capable Personal Assistant? ;-)

Isn't Life Peachy?

After a quick conversation with my Mum this morning I have set myself a new challenge. She was stuck in traffic and was forced to listen to morning radio - apparently there is a test that ordinary people in the USA (is there such a thing?) are undertaking in the hope of a brighter outlook on life. A number of people volunteered to remain positive for a total of twenty-one days, foregoing any pessimism.

This may appear effortless for some, however when you’re down in the dumps for some reason or other it can be extremely difficult to pull yourself up. For women it can be especially rigorous considering we have a monthly onslaught of bent up hormones raging through our system. I can’t speak for other girls, but during this trailing interval I often experience up to four or five emotions per hour, I mean day! Ah hem… Trying to persist with happy thoughts and positive energy at this time might be asking a little too much. Although in saying this, I am not deterred!

Starting from today I have decided to exude happiness and optimism. The people I encounter throughout my journey will have no choice but to feel as though I am just a pleasure to be around! Do you have friends such as this? I know I do and I’m always left feeling a little lighter (so to speak) after hanging out with them. I have derived great expectations for my future from these people and a new appreciation of life.

I would love to have this affect on a friend, or even a stranger for that matter. I have met people in the past that have been so energetic and happy to be alive - to be honest I found it to be a little contagious. Don’t you find that your mood can differ depending on the people you surround yourself with? If you have someone whinging in your ear for half an hour about how bad their life is, you walk away feeling exhausted and negative about things in general. I wanna be that friend that fires you up and inspires you to go out there and live life! Maybe I should consider motivational speaking?

So that is my new challenge! Note to all my friends out there, if you find me being a little unruly and falling off the happiness wagon, make sure you remind me that cynicism is so not hot right now…

AVD
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PS Have you got your rose-coloured glasses on today? Hmm?

A Hairy Situation

I have been toying with the idea of cutting my long hair into a stylish bob (think Victoria Beckham) for some time now. I get so bored with my hair and am constantly trying to think of innovative ways to regenerate my look. I could go blonde and dye my eyebrows lighter, I could cut it all off or I could even do both! However every time I kiss my hairdresser goodbye, I am sporting the same longhaired brunette mane I kissed her hello with!

After a few drinks with the girls last week I decided that I am going to go quite a few shades lighter (again, Victoria B style) and think about dying the brows for now (admittedly I’m a little worried about the re-growth that may occur – not a good look on your head, let alone your face).

I would love to hear some stories on how you have experimented with your hair. How did it look? Were you happy with the outcome? Any pics?

I am booked in to see my hairdresser this weekend – I’ll keep you posted on whether or not the brunette chicken crossed the road to discover the lighter side of life…

AVD
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Weary Bones

Picture it – Sydney…this morning…26 year-old girl (moi) struggling to drag herself out of bed due to unreal lack of sleep. Next to her lies the body of a spectacularly fit young man (a.k.a her husband). However all is not as it may appear…

As I roll over I’m told, “Don’t touch me – move your arm, ooowww!” Ironically enough, he was trying to get fit at the gym yesterday and put his back out in the process. Now I’m not just talking about a little pain here, the poor guy was in absolute agony all night.

Let’s digress and go back to Monday evening for a minute. I’m boxing for the very first time with my trainer at the gym (loving every second mind you). I finished up and skipped out of the gym feeling light as a feather. Later that night I was washing my face when suddenly I realised I had lost total control of my baby fingers! What the? Long story short I am still struggling to type and my wrists are killing me!

Why do we persist on putting our bodies through such stress and physical exhaustion? There’s a difference between feeling a little discomfort from a great workout and not being able to move due to pangs of excruciating pain! I put my minor injuries down to over-training and exercising way too hard - not the fact that I am unfit in any way, shape or form. (I might also add that I have a little pair of wrists and my fingers are quite fragile).

I could list a number of reasons why my wrists are so weak, being typing at a desk every day, not paying enough attention to them when stretching or exercising etc. As for the pre-mentioned back pain, I would say that is due to a lack of stretching and a re-occurring injury from playing football.

Then again, maybe we’re just getting old…

AVD
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PS Speaking of getting older, our beautiful little Lulu turns 1 today! (10.5 in dog years). Happy Birthday gorgeous girl!!!

Lackluster Threads

I was shopping with my Mum last night, looking for a new outfit that would be suitable for a job interview. I really didn’t think it would pose to be much of a problem – I had some cash left over from a few gift vouchers and was ready to spend!

We walked from store to store in search of the perfect ensemble, only to be met with boring corporate drapery! I caught myself thinking of what it would be like to go to work dressed in characterless suits every day, looking frighteningly similar to the girl sitting next to you (see right for shocking example). I decided then and there that I would not be one of these stereotyped women trudging into work for yet another monotonous weekday.

Cue my entrance into Cue! I adore their clothing right now – they have beautiful suits with a bit of personality. You don’t have to give up your sense of style to work in an office these days ladies!

Next time you go to grab that (shapeless, black) suit jacket from your wardrobe, opt for something a little more chic from Cue.

AVD
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Front Row

‘People want to read about fashion and controversy and gossip. If Vogue can’t give it to them, who can?’ – ANNA WINTOUR The New York Times, October 21, 1988

Spoken like a true ice queen! Anna Wintour is the unforgettable, infamous, uncompromising Editor in Chief at Vogue magazine. Her “gleefully vicious” biography Front Row has been written by bestselling author of Just Desserts, Jerry Oppenheimer.

After watching the The Devil Wears Prada, I could not go past the opportunity to have a piece of the real thing! I bought this book in my lunch break and had significant difficulty putting it down to come back to work. I’m only halfway through the second chapter and I’m already hooked. The 'cool life and hot times' of Anna Wintour is definitely one for the gossip mongers!

AVD

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Barbie Facts

Being the only girl in my family along with being born last, gave way for me to receive just about every doll any little princess could wish for. The benefits were endless, however one perk that sticks in my mind the most is the amount of Barbie dolls I got to own. A whole drawer was stuffed full of the iconic brand figurines, along with a hundred different outfits, accessories, shoes and who could forget the Cadillac? These days Barbie gets around in a cool Barbie Beach Glam Cruiser… she’s moving up in the world I see. Barbie is also looking hotter than ever – see right for some serious before and after plastic surgery pics!

I still haven’t moved away from my fixation on the Barbie doll (well my Mother doesn’t think so anyway). She bought me ‘The Wizard of Oz Barbie Collection’ for my 21st birthday. For those of you out there snickering at your computer screen right now, rest assured those little plastic toys will be worth something one day. I have Dorothy, The Cowardly Lion, Tinman, The Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda the Good Witch, and Scarecrow. The only dolls I’m missing are the Munchkins – ‘Kelly dolls and Tommy doll make their debut as the unforgettable Wizard of Oz movie characters…’ How wonderful!
Do you know how many different Barbie dolls are available to the young ladies of today? In the 2007 BarbieCollector range alone, there are thirty-one new dolls! (My favourite being ‘Red Hot Reviews Barbie Doll’). There is even a Vintage Collection - who keeps coming up with these crazy doll ideas? You might have seen the email circulating at the moment advertising dolls such as ‘Bankstown Barbie’ or ‘Eastern Suburbs Barbie’, loaded with coordinating accessories such as a trailer or BMW. You may laugh, but one day just one day, those big wigs over at Mattel may just surprise us…

AVD
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