celebrate the small things | April 24

What a week it's been!  A truly marvelous one with lots and lots to celebrate!

1) my cosmos flower bloomed!  I'm especially proud of this because it's the first flower I've ever grown from a seed :)

2) my baby white winged dove is learning to fly!  it's amazing, and so fun, to watch.
(for those of you that know, yes, there were two baby doves - but we had a pretty bad storm here last weekend - hail and all - during which both babies fell from the nest... only one survived).

3) Will's aunt Amy came to visit!
Always sooooo much fun!

4) Will's mother came to visit!
I totally loved playing tour guide and drove her (a real first) around to some of my fave places in Austin: County Line on the Lake/ the Oasis and dessert at Chey Zee's. Will was out of town so it was great to have a real girl's day!

5) i've saved the biggest and best 'til last; and for added suspense I'll start by saying that it's taken many months and many denied applications ... but I've finally got a job back in the finance industry (what I was doing before writing... yeah yeah contradictory I know!  I guess I'm blessed to be both right and left brain-abled or maybe I'm not at all, since writing hasn't worked out... anyway), I feel silly for fretting over those other total loser jobs!  This might be the job of my dreams.  It's for a super-chilled company that specializes in business lending and other finanical services to small businesses so I'm stoked not to work with individuals!  But it also stands out because it encourages personal growth, hones individual skill sets and has some of the nicest, happiest employees I've seen anywhere.
Added bonuses include:
- peeps my age
- close to home in a brilliant wooded area that feels more like a country retreat than an office
- catered lunches EVERYDAY
- super laid back dress code
 - 7.5 hr work days

Yep, I reckon I've hit the jackpot.  I hope every one else has had a week as brilliant as mine :)
Right now I'm off to celebrate and make this weekend count since I start work on Monday!

celebrate the small things | Mar 27

This week I'm celebrating:

- my new car!!
She's not technically 'new' - she's a 2009 model Mini Cooper S, but she's new in my life and I adore her!

Isn't she pretty!?

- two new friends and catching up with two old ones
I met two awesome, empowering girls at SXSW // and on Wednesday had an 'old-school' cocktail evening with my old neighbours!

- the enriching experience of SXSW
learnt several things about human nature, threatening situations, shock and myself.

- my vegetables seeds growing like crazy!

- getting organized
Will was gone all week, which enabled me to complete all the washing/ tidy the house/ organize scattered paperwork and rearrange a few stray decorating items that have been doing my head in.  Now I'm sitting here, with a coffee, looking around and feeling a proud sense of accomplishment.

- the weekend
We've got quite a few exciting things planned this weekend: breakfast downtown/ the local markets/ visiting friends/ a nature hike and detailing my new car.

celebrate the small things | Mar 6

Hello to everyone celebrating today!  I can't wait to share in your joy with you!  As for me, I'm celebrating several huge things: a blissful anniversary cruise around the Caribbean and checking off several bucket list items along the way!

If you've peeked at my blog recently, you'll see I'm all about said cruise!  So much happened and it was everything I wanted our anniversary to be: romantic, adventurous, spontaneous, magical: perfect in every way!  Besides the plethora of on-board entertainment and sheer awesomeness of the ship that kept us super busy every day; we also had no internet or mobile phone connection for the entire week!  Although this meant that I couldn't share things as they happened - and now have to play catch up with about 500 photos - I'm glad we didn't have connectivity, because without the distractions of FaceBook, Instagram or Will's never-ending work emails, we really had a chance to unplug from the rest of the world and reconnect with each other. What wife doesn't want that?

Anyway, here are the bucket-list items I can cross off my list, thanks to the cruise:

1. a visit to Mexico (although I didn't get to see anywhere near as much as I'd like!)

The best part was that Will and I rented a scooter and went off on our own, exploring everything we wanted on Cozumel Island.  It was neat to see how the locals live.

2. Mayan Ruins  - we visited not one, not two, but three different sites:
San Gervasio on Cozumel Island in Mexico

Altun-Ha in Belize:

 and Chaccoben in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

3. learning about the Mayans from an actual Mayan family - this came with a bonus visit to their house and traditional lunch that I hadn't even imagined in my dreams!

4. drinking a pina colada from a coconut on a pristine Caribbean beach

5. snorkeling in the second largest coral reef in the world

6. steak tartare from one of the best French restaurants in New Orleans (before we set sail).  I'd never had raw meat before and it was exquisite! 

7. a real, on-stage, magical illusion show!  This was so much fun and I was amazed that the world renowned duo 'Sander and Alison' were just part of the ships' on-board entertainment!  We got to see two of their acts and I was stunned each time

  

8. attending a real art auction

Needless to say, I've had to pinch myself several times to confirm that this is all real.  I feel so grateful and happy that I'm literally bursting.  I wish the same happiness for every single one of you x.

celebrate the small things | Feb 13

So much to celebrate in Austin this week!  While the rest of the country still firmly sits in the clutches of winter, battling temperatures close to freezing and snowfall every other day: Austinites have un-offically welcomed Spring!  The sudden appearance of dandelions attests to the splendidly sunny days we've had, while trees and other flowers are budding all around.  The best news however, is that my own flower seedlings (planted on Monday) have already sprouted!  Here are a couple of pics of my Bachelor Buttons babies, that I took just 15 minutes ago:

 
I've also planted some Cosmos that are sprouting and daisies, (that I'm still waiting on, but) beyond excited all 'round!!  The warm weather has also brought more outdoor excursions for the pups, so they are thrilled.  Here's a pic of Baxter from a recent hike we went on:

And some more evidence of Spring in the photos below that I took on various walks around the neighbbourhood throughout the week:

More exciting news is that I enrolled in an online writing course and am loving every minute!  It's rather challenging but each successfully completed task provides a much needed confidence boost so I'll be starting this Valentine's Day weekend in rather a giddy mood.  :)

And finally (for once) I'm celebrating the swift passage of time which enables me to say that I only have 9 days left until my fabulous anniversary cruise!  Yipeeeee!

Have a great Valentine's weekend!  Hope you're spoiled rotten!

celebrate the small things | Jan 30

Not a whole lot happened this week, but I'm celebrating regardless because there's seriously so much to be happy about, like:

• my health - I felt elated earlier in the week, after I managed a six mile hike and the pups seemed more exhausted than me!   
• my hubz - constantly thoughtful and romantic, even after 6 years of staring at my face and putting up with my BS! 
• my pups - well they're just the cutest, cuddliest and always make me smile.
• my girl friends - this weekend we're off on a bachelorette getaway to the Hill Country, to celebrate Meredith's getting married! Can't wait
• the city - found out this week that Austin offers rebates to anyone who buys a composting system!  I'm constantly in awe of how environmentally friendly and forward thinking this city is!  Now it's off to the store because you'd better believe I'm getting my own compost bin to sit on the patio.

oh yeah, and as of today: 23 days left until our super romantic, anniversary Caribbean cruise!  Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

celebrate the (big and) small things | Jan 23

After a gloomy and cold couple of days I'm celebrating the sun coming out in time for the weekend! Hooray!  Everything looks more cheerful with a sunny backdrop!

Also this week I'm celebrating two new additions to the family:

a baby blue point juniper and Baxter, saying hello

and a baby lavender <3
(this will be my third attempt at growing the herb, so fingers crossed!)

And something that's always cause for celebration is dates with girlfriends! This week I've had two!  Lunch and a wedding dress fitting with my girl Meredith who gets married in May // then The Theory of Everything at the cinemas with my love Susanna.

I should mention that this movie, about the life of Stephen Hawking, blew my mind and opened my eyes in a way I can't describe.  I highly, highly recommend it and plan on buying it for myself the second it comes out on dvd.  Perhaps the biggest thing I should celebrate this week is the lesson I received from this incredibly moving film - about the tenacity, positivity and sheer purity of the soul of the man who has achieved so much despite a horribly debilitating disease: a condition that surely would have destroyed a lesser man.  It's a testimony to the human being, really, that in spite of body wasting away, the mind can reach such heights through simple, unwavering determination and positivity.

I actually haven't stopped crying.  I mean I've literally been breaking down on and off since watching it.  Its impact so deep that it's caused me to reevaluate my life and all my bull-shit, nonexistent, self-pitying excuses about why I haven't grabbed life by the scruff of the neck and fought for my dreams.  I'm filled with shame for myself, and awe for the man.  I have a renewed sense of determination and believe that if Stephen Hawking can smile and achieve more than anyone ever thought he was capable of, I simply have no excuse.  How can I even dare to invent one?  I refuse to wallow any longer!  Please do yourselves a favour and see this film.  If it doesn't drastically affect your outlook on life, then at least you will know more about what it's like to walk in the shoes of this lovable, brilliant, radiant man.  If you're anything like me, you'll be left with a bit of a crush really.

Hope everyone has a marvelous weekend.  Don't forget to give thanks for your able bodies, mouths that speak, eyes that see and ears that hear!  For that alone, you are blessed.

celebrate the small things | Jan 16

Ok, what the heck... I know you've all heard someone complaining about this and I don't want to become that person... but where is the time going?  The 16th already?  That means half the month has gone by!  I'm not celebrating that.  I'm bummed about that.  But maybe time's gone by so fast because I've had such a great week.  Here's what I'm celebrating:

- a spontaneous, cozy and romantic lunch date with my hubbie, who was away all last week and whom I'd missed dreadfully.

- on Wednesday Feebee, my fiddle leaf fig, unwrapped her second, brand new leaf!!  This is a HUGE deal to me since I was so worried about all my plants after our big move in October - plant peeps know a shock like that can potentially cause them great harm - but now I know she's ok!  (I am a little puzzled as to why she's decided to grow in the middle of winter - perhaps it's the indoor heating that has her confused - but SO celebrating this regardless!) 

- oh, aaaaaaaaaand a brand new Birchbox: packed full of goodies as usual.  This time a liquid body scrub, lip stain, body lotion, face cream and hairspray:

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and continue celebrating all the small things throughout xo

spoiled

Let's lighten the mood a little and focus on positives.  For one thing, my hoard of Christmas presents this year was utterly incredible! I truly got spoiled by friends and Will's family; what the heck people?  The present that surprised me the most was the one Will gave me - especially because we agreed not to get each other presents and I thought I was being super terrific and sneaky getting him a book!  Ha! Here's what he gave me:

A hand-crafted, genuine citrine and amethyst necklace! I was astonished. 

My bro and his wife sent a box full of lovely goodies, but my fave item was this cheese board and knife set:

My mother in law spoiled me, as usual, with a whole Santa's sack full of goodies: entirely too much to mention, but my favourites were the Chanel perfume// the MK handbag with matching travel case and passport holder (for future adventures)// the monogrammed overnight and book bags (that will also come in handy!) // and the J Crew scarf.

My sister in law, Erica, gave me this adorable snakeskin bag:

Will's aunt spoiled us with a week's worth of fancy dinners, since we stayed with her during our visit to Atlanta.  We went to several different restaurants, where she argued for the cheque every time and, as if that wasn't enough, gave me an immensely sentimental tree ornament, along with the ice bucket of my dreams!

Will's uncle surprised everyone by actually buying gifts this year (he's never done that before).  I can't help wondering why that is, when he's evidently great at it:

My friend Meredith sourced out the only two books in the world
that sum me up, completely:

My lovely Melissa found me something that'll make me
smile every time I look at it: 

i think it's strictly meant for Xmas but I love cardinals and
plan to use it whenever I like :)

I was over-the-moon to arrive home one evening and find a box on the doorstep, that contained a live amaryllis bulb inside from our dear friends Mike and Jane, who clearly got the message about my plant obsession!  I have named her Ruby and I love her <3

My cousin Rita made me somewhat mad (but also kind of full of glee) when she sent me an entire BOX of my favourite Kazakh chocolates!  This isn't helping my paleo lifestyle, nor is it conducive to that summer bikini body, but my God is it delicious!!

And lastly, I haven't taken off the brass bangle or cozy socks from
Madewell that Will's brother's girlfriend gave me:

Thanks guys, I couldn't feel luckier!

How about you?  What was the favourite gift you received this Christmas?

playing in the leaves

There's something amazing about the different coloured, falling leaves of autumn. I've not met a single person who doesn't appreciate their splendor, even those who've grown up with it all their lives. In the part of Australia I'm from there are no visible seasonal changes, in fact aside from the varying temperature, there is no difference at all.  Leaves stay on trees, beaches remain littered with surfers / sunbakers and for the most part, people still walk around in flip flops!

Here in Texas it's a similar situation.  The only leaves that change are those belonging to sporadically planted maple trees - few and far between.  The main landscape remains the same grey/ green it is all year long; unless a freak snow falls, like it did last winter.

That's why it was such a treat to see so many jewel tones when we visited Will's dad in Shreveport recently.  His suburb was like the inside of a giant, living snow-globe - only instead of white snow; yellow, orange, brown and red leaves.  A leaf-globe? Whatever, it was divine!  The pups and I had a blast playing in, rolling in and throwing leaves all over the place.