Being positive

In an effort to not be so self-deprecating and negative, and inspired by these lists currently floating in the blogosphere, here is my list of 10 things that make me terribly happy: (not including specific people... obv).

1. getting the terravision bus to the airport

2. a cheese platter, a bottle of red, and one or more girlfriends

3. waiting for the curtain to come up at the theatre

4. reading letters from my sister and my gran

5. saving up really really hard for something I covet, and finally holding it in my hands

6. finding treasures at the library

7. dancing and singing giddily when I'm all by myself (a.k.a pretending to be a rock star)

8. being given a bunch of flowers

9. spending over an hour getting ready for a night out - esp if doing so with a friend

10. Christmas

image from here

Such a shame.

On Wednesday we are going to Greece for a few days.

I desperately want to swan around wearing variations on this:


But unfortunately will probably end up looking more like this.


In my day dreams I am so stylish. This rarely never translates to how I actually look. Not that I look completely dire... I am presentable in a my-clothes-are-clean-and-fairly-innocuous kind of way, just not up there with Sienna, Giselle, or any of those other lovely ladies who can put it together. "Fashion Forward" is a term that neither I, nor my well-travelled polarfleece, are familiar with.

Dress, sandals, headband by Naomi.

wedding!

Today we're off to Coventry for the wedding of Chris and Julz! yay! I'm so excited. I have high hopes for the Britishness (Britishicity?) of the wedding ... I hope to see a lot of hats, a turkey curry buffet, and Hugh Grant moping around looking foppish. Fingers crossed best-man Andy decides to crank out the "fears and recriminations" speech.

Help please!

Since time immemorial I have had Big Issues with my hair. There was the unfortunate shortening incident in 1997, closely followed by the red dye disaster of 1998. I have been on a fairly even keel since, not straying too far from the shoulder length layers, but I've still not over come the Triangle Head. You know what I mean - thin on top, but ridiculously curly and frizzy at the ends. It is something of a problem. I have tried so many different products, but I still look like this:

(no, that's not actually me).

Any suggestions? I have heard Big Sexy Hair is good... I need something for volume on top, with curl-enhancing anti-frizz properties all over.

Ingredients are not my main concern. I would bob for apples in a vat of hydrochloric acid if it would provide resolution.

new ventures...

While quietly bemoaning my lack of talent when it comes to weddingy things, and the fact that I am {very} unlikely to open a lovely wedding-related business any time soon, here are three awesome newcomers (or revamped blogger favs) for you to take a peek at:

Swoon Over It - The Blissful Bride has some stylin handwriting. I think she is going to do very well.

Thoughtful Day - a new baby and a new business from one of my favourite bloggers

just what NZ brides (and grooms...) need - Magnolia Rouge. Three of the best vendors in NZ have gotten together to give us tips and inspiration and some STUNNING mood boards. I will definitely be keeping an eye on this one over the next couple of years. (thanks for the tip Mel).

Of course, there are tons more wonderful ventures from many gifted bloggers out there... but these are three in particular that took my fancy.

Pretty dresses.

Both of my bridesmaids are lovely girls who are tall and slender and can wear most things. So it's no surprise that I am enjoying looking at bridesmaids dresses more than I did shopping for myself! Jim Hejlm is one of my very favourites at the moment. Sure, hardly any of the dresses can be worn again in a non-wedding situation, but considering that I'm leaning towards full length silky-type things that's kind of a given anyway. Sorry guys.

Colour choice pending, these are two of my favourite styles. At the moment.

XKCD Friday!

Jurassic Park is my favourite movie (the sequels were shite). From here

I am seriously considering walking up the aisle to the theme tune. This sounds a bit silly, but when you really listen to it, it's a cracking good fanfare... lots of pomp (what is pomp?).

Thanks for all the well-wishes for travelling - but I'll be around a while yet! Not sure when we're leaving exactly, but probably round July.

If anyone UK-based knows of a good sized campervan conversion-type vehicle going for around £800 (hey big spender) - hook us up yo?

Shopping for some wheels

Thanks for all the support on the dress everyone - I am still deliberating (this is not unusual for me. Up until a couple of years ago I was going to get married in a pewter ballgown. so we'll see).

This weekend we are doing something fun and non-wedding related - shopping for a van!! we are heading off in a little while to drive our way to Russia. Then train/bus/drive/hitchhike/swim our way back to New Zealand. I am {very} nervous, but very excited too. I am also nervous about buying a van, as my {our} mechanical know-how is not great. But we'll be fine.

In my day-dreams we drive a van like this:

But have you seen how much these things go for these days?!? crazy!!

More likely we'll get something like this:

But it will still rock. Oh yes.

weekend/outfit/dress

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I had a lovely time in Liverpool for Julz's hens weekend. I love Liverpool more each time I go, it's such an interesting city. The Cavern Quarter is awesome. We dressed as pirates for the Saturday night, which was great until some mofo stole my hat. I recovered though with a few hearty "shiver me timbers's".

I think we were pretty good pirates, except we all ended up sounding a bit more like drunk Cornishmen than Johnny Depp. Only two weeks till the wedding now - can't wait!! (speaking of which, anyone who cares about the outfit - it's all sorted now, I've found a matte pewter clutch and matching feathery-jewelled-hair-clip thing. I'm probably going to make do with shoes. Unfortunately).

By the way - thanks for all the support re the dress "dilemma" - I'm sitting tight for the moment, in an effort not to make a rash decision based on a fleeting love affair with a dress-that-is-symbolic-of-much-more-than-a-dress. I'll keep you updated. In the meantime, here is the dress:

... and this is the bit where you all go "seriously Julia? that's hideous. What Are You Thinking???". It's ok, really - my taste has been questioned before (a guy I "dated" in uni and the dungaree/headscarf combo of 1998 spring to mind).

XKCD Friday!

From here

Have a great weekend everyone, I'm off to Liverpool for a Hens weekend! yipee!!