Swamped

Sometimes it is easy to feel swamped down by all the things that seem just too big, too stressful and too overwhelming. I have to learn to know when I have done as much as I can and go with the flow. Challenges overcome will make us stronger, challenges give us something to look forward to when they are done. My goal is to keep focusing on small successes and the many, many things I have to be grateful for.

my plan for staying positive;
1. a bit of reassessing of future directions and life goals;
2. thinking and planning of that wonderful event which is happening in 5 months! (the wedding in case you were wondering!);
3. taking time to be grateful for all the wonderful things in my life;
4. lots of hugs and encouragement;
5. Only working as much as I need to to stay ahead;
6.Focusing on the successes of the day and not dwelling on the negatives;
7. and, whole lot of dreaming of walks on the beach and swims in the sea!



Wish me luck on this positive journey :)

Four seasons in one day

I know, I know, two posts in one day! But I had to show that the saying about Victoria having four seasons in one day is very, very true. First there was the rainy post...and then....

we went to the beach for a very sunny lunch...
followed by a short walk back to the car with some ominous clouds rolling in.

Phew it is hard to keep up!

A wet weekend

A lot of rain...

results in creative drying...

and rugged up studying...


and a warm bath with a good book.

Traffic Hazard

After surviving the various ring roads, highways and freeways on my hour plus drive to work I am faced with the biggest challenge. At the bottom of the driveway, as I arrive at work, I am met by these cute yet fearless traffic hazards. They have no road sense what-so-ever. It is their driveway, they live in the lake next to it, they cross the road to the graze in the sport's ground next to the lake. The drive way is their territory. And when you are faced with these adorable and stubborn creatures you can't help but say, fair enough, they can do whatever they please. Hmm, I need to clean that car window.

Treasure hunting

Perfect Public Holiday Weather ( although not warm enough to swim!) Another beach explored. We are slowly making our way down the coastline trying to discover as many places as we can. Today we started at Parkdale and walked down to Mordialloc. We tend to spend the first part of the walk on the beach, enjoying nature, looking for treasures. The second half is usually along the footpath looking at the fancy houses and dreaming. Such a lovely day, with some treasures brought home, some found and left behind. Can you believe we actually saw a starfish? Very cool. I hope you have a sunshine filled day as well.

around the place

Evidence from our treasure hunting adventures at the beach seem to pop up all over the house.



My increasing ability to cook is also evident around the place. I made muesli bars (which are now named muffin bars) to take to work.

Finally, some time for blogging

Today is very, very cool. So we are rugged up inside, lazing around watching Little Miss Sunshine. I survived my first week at the new job. And I will keep pushing through the rest of the weeks to come, it can only get better, right? Teaching is such a challenging, difficult and even inspiring job. Some days you feel elated with small triumphs or wonderful relationships. Other times you feel swamped down by the amount of behaviour management, planning and paperwork you have to do. It is a challenging and rewarding profession and I have so much respect for every teacher, whether they are super organised, have wonderful classroom discipline, great student-teacher relationships or have creative lesson plans. I have the highest respect.

Last night we had a beautiful Italian meal to celebrate the end of a week of new work. It was beautiful and scrumptious and even a bit funny. Yes funny, the waiter was a stout, grumpy old Italian. He looked like he stepped out of a cartoon and everything was done on his terms. It was very cute. We also went to the affordable art show in which my cousin and his wife had some work on display. Their display was awe inspiring, and their work is so beautiful in real life, so much detail. Just lovely.


It is starting to look a lot like Autumn outside. Which makes snuggling up and hunkering down inside all the more appealing.

Replacing

after a couple of challenging days and feeling a bit flat I have decided to replace a negative with some positive thoughts. We had a very nice barbecue outside, with a table loaned to us by some kindly neighbours, and a new success...a spicy potato salad, yum. Good company, good food and lots of wedding planning, dreaming and anticipating. I am feeling better already.

on a roll...

I have almost finished all planning, really, almost finished. Or as much as I can do without knowing where my classes are up to. A good excuse, eh? I decided that since I had some new pens and pencils for school, I needed a new pencil roll to put them in.

So my old favourite 3/4 pants, which had honestly died a long time before I stopped wearing them, turned into a new pencil holder. Without Mum around to patch them up, again!, i decided the only way I would never be tempted to wear them in public was to hack into them. Oh how I will miss the buttons randomly popping open, the zip falling down and the behind ripping open!



Ah, nothing nicer than having a something new to inspire work!

A week in Queensland

My wedding dress is in the progress of being made. I had a few days in Queensland, a few jam-packed days in Queensland, and as a result I have beautiful material and a dressmaker in a country town. But that is all I will say, some things have got to be a surprise! I was also able to catch up with all the people I have been missing.

A nice week to have before I have to get back into the habit of actually working. That's right on Monday I will be finding a new rhythm and Adam and I will be working out a new daily routine. I finally get to start the second year of my teaching profession. I am excited and nervous...and am going in with a positive and confident attitude. You know what they say: believe you can do it and you will succeed, have a positive attitude and you will be happy (lets see how long that idea lasts).

On another note, check out this artist. His music is so bright and pop'y...it is enough to make anyone have a bright attitude. I will be listening to it on the way to my first day, or maybe just a part of the hour and 10 minute drive. I love, love the illustrations and website, very nice indeed.


And since this post is all over the place (yes, I am feeling a little scatter brained today) and I don't want to leave you without any pictures, here are some shots of the walk Adam and I took just before I left for Queensland. you've got to love a beach with city skyline! And the beach boxes, Ack, too cute. Some had their doors open and they actually have them all done up like little homes, including portable stoves. And here Adam and I were thinking people actually stored equipment in them. Have a great weekend, I am off to plan some classes (here's hoping I have a less scattered approach to planning).

This one's for Jess

So I had a blog request from Jess for a special Kath and Kim post. I was all to happy to oblige!

In case you don't know (because you have been living under a rock, or perhaps just not in Australia) Kath and Kim is the funniest and best show ever written. I can watch it over and over again, and sometimes just have it on in the background because it is so comforting, and I know Jess feels the same way. All the characters are awesome, and Kel Knight is just the most perfect and doting, hunk-a-spunk, husband...hint, hint Adam ;)

Anyway, the reason for the post is that I have moved to the same area that Kath and Kim hang out in. Yes, I was extremely excited to find this out. And as Jess said it would "team with the thoime" of showing photos from outside my new life perfectly.

My Kath and Kim pilgrimage, (the still images are from Da Kath and Kim Code written by Jane Turner and Gina Riley and produced Jane Turner, Gina Riley and Rick McKenna) Click on the pictures if you want to see more detail.

Here is the oustide of Southland (5 minute drive from my home) aka Fountain Gate. Where Kath and Kim like to hang out, eat, shop and buy sticky tape from Target.


This is the Harvey Norman which I am quite sure is Bret's Computa City. Sorry for the quality of the pictures, I forgot it was school holidays so the shopping centre was packed. I felt like a bit of a goober taking photos of shop fronts!


Here is the food court where Kath and Kim eat. Yes, I have eaten here too, many times...how exciting.


And I finally worked out that Prue and Trude work in this House shop. Which was grayshsh!

And lastly as I drive home from Southland aka Fountain Gate I pass the Buckingham! Yes the place with the good shower pressure and the place that inspired Kel's song "making love on the ensuite floor"

So Jess I hope you enjoyed this Kath and Kim pilgrimage. I am obviously quite excited to live near here (you might be able to tell from generous ammount of exclamation marks throughout the post !) Sorry if you are not a Kath and Kim fan, although I can't understand why you aren't! Have a wonderful and relaxing Easter.

Oh procrastination...

How I missed you. I have had nothing to procrastinate about for so long, now I am remembering all too well how good I am at it!


This is what my morning looked like today. Sitting outside, trying to enjoy the sun and any warmth left, and trying to get my head around my new subjects. If I can just get my first lesson plan for each class worked out I should be right...fingers crossed. Of course I had just set up and started reading through the information when it started to rain, rain on an angle, right onto all my notes. I know I shouldn't complain as we need all the rain we can get in this drought. But as you can see moving everything back inside allowed me more time to procrastinate.


Anyhow amongst my piles of print outs and papers from the school, I have been enjoying reading The Complete Idiot's Guide to Drawing. Feeling a bit worried about a new subject, which focuses on technically accurate drawing, I bought this book. It is such a practical book and has so many great activities and great tips which can easily be turned into lesson plans. I love the Complete Idiot's Guides. So helpful.

I particularly love Frederick Frank's 10 Commandments for Drawing.
1. You shall draw everything and everyday
2. You shall not wait for inspiration, for it comes not while you work but while you wait
3. You shall forget all you think you know and, even more, all you have been taught
4. You shall not adore your good drawings and promptly forget your bad ones.
5. You shall not draw with exhibitions in mind, or any critique but yourself
6. You shall trust non but your own eye, and make your hand follow it
7. You shall consider consider the mouse you draw as more important than the contents of all the museums in the world, for...
8. You shall love ten thousand things with all your heart and a blade of grass as yourself
9. Let each drawing be your first
10. You shall not worry about "being your time" for you are your time and it is brief.
So inspiring. I think I will use this as my classroom commandments.



There was another reason for some good procrastination. Yet again the postie delivered a lovely parcel with lovely birthday pressies form an equally lovely Aunt, Thank you so much, it was just what I needed when faced with a day of planning and study!



Tomorrow I will be posting a special post, my first Blog Request! and then I will be off to Queensland so will be taking a good week long blog break.
( Phew...I told you I was procrastinating...this is one heck of a long post! I am going to go work now, really I am)

how lucky I am

I am so grateful for all the wonderful family and friends I have in my life. Thank you all for the lovely birthday wishes and presents. I am so lucky to have so many special people to remember me on my birthday.


It started with the many parcels I found in various places. Like an Easter egg hunt, I kept stumbling across a parcel left in a new place. I am not sure if the postman was throwing them in my yard, or neighbours had received them by accident and then placed them over the fence...but for whatever reason, I found a parcel on the bins, a parcel on the porch and a couple of parcels on the front steps. So much love and thought in the mail and how exciting to get a parcel from England as well as a few from Queensland.


Yes, I know I am impatient. I can't wait too long to wear new presents. I am ready for my birthday dinner wearing a newly received top and necklace. I also got some excellent magazine subscriptions from my mum and sister.








And then of course there was the fancy dinner I was talking about with a handsome date. Thank you all so much I appreciate your thoughts and birthday wishes more than I can ever say.

Easter

I was going to post this later but I am guessing I will have some birthday photos to share tomorrow. I also doubt i will be able to post so regularly once I am working so I amy as well make the most of it while I have the time! So I will show you what I made this morning. An Easter still life. We always had an Easter tree growing up and it is a tradition i would like to continue. I was feeling inspired to use some fimo/sculpey so I made the little Easter Gnome, collecting Easter eggs. The decorations for the tree are bits and pieces of jewellery (most from a bag some of my old students gave to me last year, yes even my students could sense I was a hoarder of things which could be used for art and craft)

I am going to sit back and enjoy my Easter Tree (and thoughts of chocolate to come). Enjoy, your day.

24

Today I am 24. It is the first birthday I have had where I am not near friends and family (luckily I will be going to Queensland for a few days soon!) I have had some lovely love by mail, both snail and e-mail. So today I will take a day to do some creating and tonight there will be a fancy dinner and drinks and hopefully lots of chocolate!

I am excited about all the that comes with my 24th birthday. A new job, a marriage, the year I moved out of home and interstate, travelling overseas.

Here is a portrait I did of myself in watercolour yesterday while in a reflective mood. A way to capture myself as I am at 24.

Peek-a-boo...

say hello...

..to a little friend, who popped in last night to see what we were eating. This little possum and his friend came into the yard, we think the smells of the barbeque might have been the attraction.


Speaking of Sunday, here are a few pictures from our afternoon walk. The sun is still shining and it is still warm enough to wear thongs and short sleeves. Let's hope it the sun stays around for a little while longer!