I am on Castaway island in the wild and vast ocean of the blogosphere. What's happening in the world and why have I not written anything in that long? My organs are twitchy and lightning bolts are firing out my finger tips.
I'm on a plane right now and may or may not be thinking about changing my name after witnessing this very morning through the airport speaker system that, yes, no lies at all, a guy named "Cameron Curly" indeed exists and deciding that he has the best super hero-esque name in the history of gay hairdressers.
I'm contemplating between the following potential new names:
Marni Marbles
Coraline Charcoal
Astra Alkaline
Tori Tarantula
and
Peter Posh. Because people say I kind of look like a posh Peter. (scratches non existant chin beard)
Reader suggestions are welcome.
There are another seven flights for me to take this year. Seven. I am trying to sum up the annual total and am both curious and terrified about finding out just how much time I've spent mostly unpaid in metal transportation tubes or waiting for metal transportation tubes. My long haul flight doesn't count because awesome destination and no work.
People who air travel to work are a separate breed. You can easily filter them from the rest of the airport crowd. They pack lightly, look polished and ready for business at 4 am, lack excitement, their eyes are tired and empty and you can sense capitulation. We've made peace with the fact that flights are no longer synonymous to vacations, rest, relaxation and exploration. They don't mean newness, socialicing, adventure. They mean business, and they make a work day just that little bit (9 hrs last week) longer. They mean lonliness, homelessness, anonymity, disconnection.
We air travellers (that term reminds me of air benders and oh goddamnit I wish I could air bend Avatar style right now) don't have time for your shitty packing skills. We have our aerosols and laptops out so as to avoid any hold ups at the screening points, in order to place our coffee order just in time to get through half, then throw it and hope our bowels move quick enough before the final boarding call. Noone wants to poop on a plane. We don't go "ooo ahh ahaa smile smile okaaay" when we get chosen for that damn explosions test. We walk quickly, avoid small talk, we know our seat number and where exactly that seat is located before we enter that 737-800. We know that there is a thing called 'plane etiquette', which includes knowing that just because you got up as soon as the seat belt sign was switched off, you are still to wait until every row in front of you has gotten their shit together and not just squeeze past and force them to fall back into their seats when attempting to disembark. Pet hate right there. It's row by row, for crying out loud. We know getting up before the seatbelt sign is switched off will NOT get you off the plane any quicker. It will only agitate your cabin crew, mate. We know that not getting up and forcing your neighbouring seat mate to crawl over your lap whenever they want to get up is raa-huude! Ageing lady next to me reading The Hunger Games, take note! We ask the dude in the window seat if we can pass him down his luggage, to make life a little easier.
I guess it's pedantic on my side to pick up on these things. But seriously peeps, learn how to fly!
Now here's an unrelated hotel room selfie.
Enjoy!
A little late but better than never - here's a quick rundown of some of the fabulous things I picked up whilst in Austria six weeks ago.
I went nuts at Zara and am already anticipating the opening of Zara in Brisbane (albeit dreading the crazy Aussie price tags). For the first time in my life I've done what I'd call 'sensible shopping', buying a few statement pieces, a few basics and workout gear and only three pairs of shoes - one as an emergency pair for a wedding, a pair of Nike Free Runs and one pair of ridiculous Bershka heels I adored and snatched up without hesitation (they're now reduced so get in quick if you're equally as obsessed as I am). I usually buy ridiculous stuff whilst on holidays so this was definitely a personal victory in the 'stupid-consumerism' department.
One of my first purchases however wasn't fashion related - I went and stormed the MAC cosmetics counter asap and got some foundation, concealer and powder sorted. MAC is around 30 % cheaper in Austria compared to Australia, so I took advantage of that and stocked up on a few lipsticks as I went. YAY!
MAC face and body foundation, concealer and prep + prime translucent powder, lipsticks in "Ruby Woo", "Pink Braid" and "Snob"
intricate embellishments and the most interesting fabric made me do it. Also this is a skirt, not a skort. Skorts are for school girls and nanas. EUR 50 from Zara
the world's best skirt shape is back. Makes me feel weirdly mermaid-y. Preferably wear with a bikini top and nothing else. EUR 20 from Zara
hyper transparent and weirdly shapeless, a white body con skirt is kind of a must to wear underneath (it is THAT transparent). I never wear read, but after seeing it on Day One of my holiday and not being able to forget about it, it just had to become mine before I went home. EUR 50 from Zara
This is just an example of Zara doing, what Zara does best - floaty, boob-exposing shirts in seemingly timeless cuts and shapes - EUR 40 from Zara
excuse the change room selfies - I bought both these ankle caressing pants because secretly I'm still hoping to one day wake up and be Elin Kling. EUR 20 each from H&M (not available anymore). Also THIGHS! Starting to love those bastards.
heel-arious. ah, I see what you did there. EUR 40 (now $ 25) from Bershka
The title says it all. I can't deny having felt very excited about this collaboration at one stage, but the hype has hit saturation point and THIS horrifying tale, which gets me excited in a very bad way (read: Disgustingly over privileged sub-culture who fulfill no real purpose in society), made me un-like the whole spectacle and most of the collection.
There's something so inauthentic about fashion at the moment and it BORES me. The whole "white, straight, skinny, wealthy, privileged" concept is tedious beyond means and I cannot wait for 70 % of the fashion blogosphere to crash and burn. One day. ONE DAY. I just explained to myself why my bloglovin feed piled up to 300 + unread posts. Time to delete some of the airy fairy BS. Current sentiment: resentment.
Moving on to the collection - a lot of it is just fluff and poorly shaped silk pieces. Especially the skirts and dresses, usually a no-brainer for this butt-flashing lover, I'm not impressed with. Just typing these words made me feel like the wrath of the fashionistas is going to come upon me. The horsemen of the Apocalypse are trotting my way in fringed boots and oversized blazers.
At age 10 I went to visit extended family in Romania and, I kid you not, saw coats and pullovers at the Gypsy markets almost identical to the ones spotted in the Marant collection.
Some of the sweaters resemble those hideous Merino sweaters you can buy at any New Zealand Sunday farmers market. I'll make this observation a short and sweet one: WHY????
Like, I get it. Paired with the right outfit these pieces might stand out or be a uber-witty sarcastic ode to hipsters' parents' poor upbringing or something, but overall it's not a style I think anyone would rip off shop floors, if it wasn't for the label and/or expensive marketing campaign.
I'm not sure if I am the first to make this observation, but H&M sure know how to do designer collaborations REALLY well. And by saying that I mean they always, ALWAYS tend to bring out their own nifty little versions of the designer collections' best sellers about 6 months after its initial launch. For a third of the price. I mean it. Identical. That's what I call clever recycling. Of other people's brain juices, that is.
But, in all honesty, there are some pieces I wouldn't mind calling my own at some stage in my life, and if it's just to add some Parisienne finesse to my anglicized personality:
The Brigitte Bardot hooker hat had to be in my most wanted items. Paired with a pair of white embroidered jeans that scream "Marant" from two miles away. The fluffy knit with 3/4 sleeves can go with either the jeans or hooker leather pants (sarcasm aside the knee patch and overall detailing on these is divine), so can this white intricate knit (I'd wear this with black half-sheer stockings for a Nineties vibe). A metal scarf is on there too, because hey, it's a freaking metal scarf and I'm in the most humid part of the world I've ever been and the potential feels of it on my skin just seems like the coolest thing right now. Bad puns in every post people. You can't escape them. I also had one of these thin metal-y scarves back in 2004 and paired it with the most horrendously coloured polka dot singlets I could find at - and this is where the vicious circle closes - trusty old Hennes and Mauritz.
What are your picks? Will you wait around for H&M's sneaky follow up "I STEALS EVERY DESIGN" (in zombie voice please) collection, like me? Are you over fashion blogs? Are you craving substance? Am I substantial enough?
Hotel room art really is something else. It sums up the quality and rating of the entire hotel. Right now I'm staring at a green/yellow canvas with five stick-like acrylic palm trees painted on it. It's one of the better hotel room canvases I've seen. You know that feeling of mild anxiety before you enter a hotel room in an unfamiliar environment? Is it going to be clean? Gross? Mouldy? The mattress actually a nail bed? And most importantly: Are there free biscuits on offer? After many fails (one particular disgusting yet expensive hotel room in London 2011 gave me the final blow), I've taken to researching a little more in advance and decoding some of the misleading photographs (some of them are strictly hilarious!) BUT hotel room art is just one of the things I like to wallow in when I first observe a new temporary home.
Hi there. Hope you're having a lovely evening/morning/midday, wherever you might be from.
Thanks for stopping by again. I've been on hiatus for personal reasons, mostly because the universe decided to take a massive poo on my life, but I'm back and firing away at the key board.
I didn't want to write a "10 reasons" post about October, because October stank and the stink of it is still deeply embedded in my nostrils. I can taste it on my tongue. October, you sucked! BUT as the numerous self-help blogs I religiously frequent preach: You're responsible for your own happiness! Having what you want won't make you happy, but wanting what you have will! You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf... and so on and so forth.
So after a few extremely tough days, massive writer's/creativity block and some nervous breakdowns, I finally decided to take down the depression curtains and air out my stuffy brain. I'm not going to forcefully track down 10 reasons this month, but will gratefully make do with half that number.
October, you weren't great. You were one tough motherfucker to be precise. But you were full of lessons, revelations and opportunities for growth. And to be fair there was SOME fun stuff and one pretty great concert:
FIVE REASONS OCTOBER WAS AWESOME
1) QUEEN BEY
Holy shit balls is all I can say. Please refer to my previous post, for a more detailed description of concert awesomeness. I most certainly learned one lesson that night: "Whatever you do, be more like Beyonce"
2) TICKETS ARE MINE, AND MINE ONLY
A co-headlining tour featuring Queens of the Stone Age and Nine Inch Nails was basically a pinnacle of my month. Well, it was announced in September but pre-sale commenced on the 10th of this past month, and I sure as hell got in as quickly as possible and snatched up two tickets. They're playing a day after my 24th (!!!) birthday, almost exactly 10 years after I first bought a QoTSA record. It's a sign, people.
3) HOME GROWN KIDS
As announced previously, we've started a veggie garden and - aside from a few casualties thanks to our puppy - have managed to keep alive herbs and seemingly exponentially growing tomato plants. Nothing will ever beat my mum's Austrian homegrown summer tomatoes I enjoyed this September but ours can definitely give them a run for their money! Looking at how little effort it takes to grow your own food, I finally see so much potential in any and all small patches of dirt.
Grow food, not lawn peeps.
4) PUPPY SCHOOL
I had an encounter with a lady this morning, both of us walking our dogs, but hers being as calm as a tree in the wind and mine being the crazy ass puppy that he is. She reassured me that it gets better (edit: I love my puppy, but sometimes he drives me INSANE!) saying the first year with her dog (his name was "Atlas" - hands down coolest name for a bull dog), was like hell. Seeing the old fella standing there, taking all the shit he had to from my intense and over excited puppy, it gave me a lot of hope! I also started puppy school this month and, not wanting to brag or anything, Marlow has been THE star pupil and even won a handful of silly in-class competitions. Did anyone say proud mama?
5) HALLOWEEN
Ahh of course October harbors Halloween, which is always a fun thing to look forward to. I went to a party at a friend's house dressed as the evil possessed nun from "American Horror Story: Asylum" and had a blast (albeit running on 4 hrs of sleep and making it an early night). We got many trick or treaters this year, some of them in the cutest costumes, all of them super well behaved and polite, one of them even treating us (ahh...I just can't help myself) to a Halloween joke. There might be hope for the younger generations after all. (read: some capable parents still exist)
So yeah, this was it for my October. Sorry for the lack of posting and high levels of sarcasm.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel everyone. I, for one, am looking forward to a better November with more quality writing (than this...uhm.). The amount of interesting and awesome photos/articles I've flagged and taken screen shots of should give me enough material to post, like, every day for the rest of November. Sounds like a challenge to me?
Last Tuesday I went to see the Queen Bey, my trustiest childhood and teenage companion to whose vocal sounds I performed countless (and may I add exquisite) bedroom mirror dance routines, live in concert. It was a pop diva first for me. I've only ever seen Pink and Katy Perry, both by chance, outside of stadiums, but have never felt the urge to actively contribute to a pop diva's wealth by attending one of her concerts. Long story short I spontaneously went, by myself, and I was and am still blown the flip away.
Whether it's the overwhelming amount of work that was obviously involved, one woman's ability to draw an ocean of people of all ages/genders/socioeconomic groups into one spot or the fact that Beyonce simply is one of the best in the business, the concert has definitely left a sweet and tenacious after taste in my life. I walked in with excitement, but little expectations and left the building feeling motivated, ambitious, emotional, proud and (all the cynics close your browser NOW) empowered. Yes, everyone - I felt empowered. I felt like nothing in this world can stop me, if only I have a clear vision of self, of my purpose and of what it takes to get to where I want to be. The concert was a first-hand demonstration of the fact that dreams can come true, as long as you outline what that actual dream of yours constitutes of. And then work your buns off for it of course.
The concert
Dull moments please walk on, because there are no seats for you at a Beyonce concert. Some people might get the idea that I'm too biased to say anything about the show itself, but let me tell you that after the experience I had, I will always, ALWAYS buy a ticket to her shows from now on for the rest of my lifetime. I don't care if she ends up doing acoustic folk at Age 80, while still busting out those edgy dance moves, I will be there, waiting in anticipation, lining up at that mother of a box office.
There has been a bit of speculation about whether or not she sings live or over the top of a pre-recorded track, but either way she sounded better than on record. Hard to believe, but true. Her dancing was spot on, rocking her glittery leotards once again made me feel good about my body shape (moderately sized boobs and big legs/ass over here too), the curly weave, the dark make-up, the hard earned sweat on her forehead, the glitter canons, the fire shooting guitar - short: it was a premium A class pop gig and most importantly it seemed authentic.
In between costume changes the audience was treated to short movies, all separately shot for the Mrs Carter World Tour (wouldn't expect a re-run of something at a Beyonce concert, now would you?), hinting what song/season the crowd could expect next. Energy levels in the room hit boiling point when her last short film played, picturing significant achievements and moments in her life. We got to see snippets of her "Life is but a dream" documentary that included family life, concerts, the whole "Beyonce/Sasha Fierce" transformation, Destiny's child, her meeting the president, selling out stadiums and just being a (somewhat) human being. Don't quote me on that but I believe 99 % of the crowd were equally as emotional as I was during that last short film (Yep...cried like a baby, je ne regrette riens).
The show itself evolved from a cool and a little aloof start with "Girls" and a mash up of "Bitter Sweet Symphony" and "If I were a boy", into what I would call different seasons. There was "sexy Beyonce season" (think: "Naughty Girl", "Crazy in Love", "Baby Boy"), running into "loved up Beyonce" ("1+1"), next up "Party Beyonce" ("We like to Party", "Freakum Dress"), into "Dirty South Beyonce" ("Why don't you love me"), into "empowering Beyonce" ("Love on Top", "Irreplacable") and last but definitely not least we got served "grateful Beyonce" with her closing number "Halo" - wearing a wicked costume-made shoulder accentuating long-sleeved hyper-embellished jumpsuit. (hyphenated idioms run the world!)
Her all female band and back up singers charmed the crap out of us bystanders and were showered with standing ovations throughout the gig. One would think a performer with an ego as large as Beyonce's wouldn't want anyone to steal her shine, but all her band members got their moment in the spot light and were received with praise from the audience. For me that's just another valid reason to respect Beyonce. Valuing other people's talents instead of trying to overpower them is a beautiful character trait and expresses her level of confidence and professionalism in a way that is most beneficial for all parties.
The aftermath
I was dreading a massive post-awesomeness come-down when the show wrapped up and the unavoidable truth of going back to a glamour-lacking job hit.
Thankfully the come-down is yet to come down. ahhh....AAAHHH...NO SHE DIDN'T.
As ridiculous as this may sound to you, attending this concert has kick-started an almost dead thought process in my brain. I've started thinking about my life again, my past, connecting long passed events with present strange behavioral patterns, questioning every path I take, asking myself why I'm feeling happy or miserable when I do, taking a step back when I feel overwhelmed, listening to my body, trying to concentrate my emotions into a stream of productivity or total relaxation, figuring out why I am the way I am and starting to trace the outlines of who I want to become, what I want to achieve, the shape and consistency of that mark I want to leave on this Earth ball.
And while it's a bit of a shame that it took participating in a pop culture event to make me question my current path, I'm pretty much open to enlightenment in any form or shape. Some people climb a mountain, some people find illumination in volunteering, I pay $ 200 for a concert ticket to feel a step closer to my purpose.
HOOOOWWWW on earth is everyone going? Have you missed my semi-professional attempt of aligning words on this platform? I sure do hope you survived without me this month so far. Life has thrown a few bumps in my road but I am steering around them as best as I can and seem to feel some creativity returning and space freeing up for FUN stuff like..uhm...living...and...eating honeycomb ice cream! I think getting through a crisis creates the perfect opportunity to test out potential new hobbies, welcome some new quirks into your life and get rid of a few bad habits. Which is why I invite you to have a look at these
FOUR FABULOUS THINGS YOU SHOULD TAKE UP RIGHT NOW: Learn to play a quirky instrument Transport yourself to the shores of Honolulu or the South of France by learning to play a quirky instrument. Yes, this sounds like a horrible ad you'd find in the yellow pages, but it speaks the cheesy truth. I'm talking Ukulele, I'm talking French accordion, I'm talking Austrian Zither - the real goods of instrument heaven. I had a visitor over for the last four days and he was the main inspiration for my urge to pick up a Ukulele for cheap asap and start teaching myself with the help of one of the 476 000 youtube tutorials. He played one night after a long day's worth of work and other annoyances and I kid you not the smell of Hibiscus blossoms and salty ocean air filled my kitchen.
Teach yourself how to braid hair This is something I've been meaning to learn for a long time now, but I always give up due to frustration and/or arm cramps. As one of my friends recently exclaimed, braiding involves too many individual tasks for a way too grande selection of fingers that need to be executed simultaneously and therefore is a doomed and completely unnatural task for a human being. It is unfortunate I have long hair that compulsively sticks to my forehead whenever I break a sweat, and seeing as I reside in Queensland and do not deem shaving my head as an option, learning to braid will be an inevitable necessity this summer if I want to avoid said forehead-stickiness. Luckily the internet raised me so youtube once again provides a wide array of professional and semi-professional hair braiding tutorials, some of which are actually pretty simple. Also, there is such a thing as a Dutch braid, which inevitably makes me think of Dutch ovens. Ahh...we've all been there... PS: This isn't addressed at just one gender. Braiding ain't a sexist activity. Tweak your vocabulary In other words READ, READ and READ! I guarantee you'll find it extremely intriguing and rewarding to have a conversation
and switch up your usual vocabulary. I myself talk at light speed at work and have become a sponge for 'new' words to use in order to change it up a
little. Because English isn't my first language, it gives me even more satisfaction to surprise conversational partners with unusual words. It's not about sounding like a douche or pretending to be a
smart cookie, but more about breaking out of your vocabulary comfort zone and having some fun with language. I am a big fan of this facebook page and have just signed up for A.Word.A.Day. Also a good tool for this: Listening to every Russel Brand interview of the last twelve months. One smart motherfucker.
Get up early to fit in some fun There are two reasons I like getting up early: For one I feel like I have a head start on the day, which automatically gives me a feeling of accomplishment. The other reason is that by the time it hits 8 o'clock, my work phone turns into Satan's pager and I bid farewell to my Yoga-ad well-rested calm self and welcome distress-riddled crazy balls-deep in work Astrid until 9 pm that same night. I have started walking my puppy at 5 am, so that he has the chance to expel some energy before he has to stay at home while we're at work. Needless to say getting some sun rays and fresh air before being locked up in mall after mall after mall is worth its weight in gold! When time allows I write or reply to emails in the mornings, do some research or look for inspiration online. I have breakfast with my love and most importantly I DON'T RUSH. Running late instantaneously puts me in the most miserable state, so I try and avoid it at any cost. Fitting those few pleasant activities into my mornings, way before I head to work, can be balm for my soul. You kick off your day with happiness, instead of dragging yourself from bed to coffee machine to car to your work place. By jam-packing your morning with stuff you actually like, you don't reduce your Monday-to-Friday to a purpose that is solely earning your rent. Don't take part in a culture that is miserable during the week and anticipates the weekend, then fears the week ahead on said anticipated weekend. You know what I mean... For all the weirdos who hate walking, here are some alternatives for fun and fabulous morning activities:
Go outside to soak up some sun. Seriously, do it! Just for ten minutes!
Browse pinterest for photos of your potential next travel destination (set a time limit of ten minutes)
Enjoy your breakfast by concentrating on the meal in front of you, instead of scuffing it down while watching the morning show (I am so guilty of this)
Practice juggling or get stuck into some other brain training activities (there is a huge offer online)
Learn all of these words cause they're awesome:
Whatever you choose to do, whether it's one of my suggestions or something completely different and ludicrous, remember to never stop evolving. Don't spiral down the work-eat-sleep routine and let life pass you by. You only get one shot! Now excuse me while I go get some more of that ice cream... (images via pinterest)
Here are a few shots from a beautiful wedding we went to this weekend.
I've had a very busy few weeks and have been lacking time for posting, reading, browsing the web, really everything that doesn't involve screen shooting things I find when checking instagram in a rush.
I have taken on walking at 5 am and it seems to be the best thing in the world right now. I also love my puppy very much. Just so you know. This is also where most of my time and energy goes into, aside from my actual job of course.
That's that out of the way. More from me in October, for suuure.
Skipping back a few weeks I found myself frolicking around Austria, wandering through deep green fields, exploring forests scattered with the first colourful fall leaves, watching wild deer upon sunset, enjoying the cuisine, company and lack of responsibility. My friends, family and relatives were absolutely wonderful, with all of them making time to see me. Needless to say my holiday is what is dominating my top 10 for September, but some rather spectacular things occurred at my Australian home as well. My start into the month October has been pretty stressful, as you can probably tell by my absence. I had a few delays on my way home that unfortunately led to me missing my connection flight to Brisbane, which was also the last one of the night. I had to stay in Melbourne until the next morning, which left me feeling lonely, angry, frustrated. All I wanted after an emotional good bye from my parents followed by a 25 hrs trip was to see my better half and sleep in my own bed. I finally got home on the Thursday, only to return to work on Friday and work for nine days straight. Yesterday was my first day off and understandably enough I really just wanted to enjoy some silence, rest and relaxation. It's amazing how quickly your batteries recharge though if you actively force yourself to do so. Rest, good food, exercise and a big portion of laughter and fun do wonders for your body and mind and were absolutely necessary these past two days after what has been a very exciting yet hectic month. I still feel so incredibly grateful for being able to go overseas to see all my loved ones and I'm sure I will be able to feed off this holiday for yet another year in which interaction with my family and friends is limited to (admittedly marvellous) skype sessions and hilarious emails. But let's get started with the
TEN reasons September was AWESOME
1) PUPPY
We adopted a puppy from the RSPCA on the 4th of September. It wasn't an overnight decisions, we had been thinking about it and discussing it basically since we moved in together. Surprising as it may seem, it was always me who didn't think it was a sensible idea to get a puppy as we are both working full time and are avid travelers. What can I say? It would have been impossible for me to leave without a pet after stepping foot in the adoption centre. The hopeful looks in those neglected creature's eyes are heartbreaking and filled me with such disgust for mankind, I had to fight tears the whole way through. But being able to give our boy a good home gives me a sense of purpose, something so deep and satisfying no job could ever provide. If you're thinking of getting a pet, please visit your local adoption centre first and see if you don't connect with an animal there, before going to a pet store. Not only will you be a hero for saving a pet, but you will also save money in comparison to buying from a breeder or pet store. Not to mention the gratitude your new family member will shower you in day and night.
2) Disconnect
My three week holiday in Austria was a dearly needed break from work. Being on call takes its toll on you and you start forgetting what it's like NOT to be working or thinking about work. I switched off my work phone two hours before my flight and it was a moment I thoroughly enjoyed. Once in Austria I had my trusty laptop, but didn't take a phone or activate my Austrian mobile, as I was craving being disconnected, not having to rush, knowing that no one could reach me. Oh heavenly bliss.
3) Organico
If there is one thing I really miss about home, it is the quality and price of organic food. This sounds so profound but it haunts me weekly that I just cannot afford to buy organic produce or meat here, whereas overseas I can indulge in those organic and local foods that are packaged in recycled or biodegradable packaging (double the good conscious!). I ate organic yoghurt out of glass jars which had to be washed and then taken back to the supermarket for a small store credit. Genius! Not sure why I am so excited about this concept now, as I grew up with this stuff, but let's just say it will be nice to see this or a similar system taking over all Western countries.
4) Pastry chef
It goes without saying that I spent a lot of time in the typical Austrian "Kaffeehaus". We're famous for our afternoon tea "coffee and cake culture" and, seeing as I couldn't disappoint my fellow countrymen, I completely overindulged. Blackforest cake, sponge cake, brioche, apple strudel... the list goes on. And don't get me started on the coffee...
cake cake cake cake cake
5) The shopping
It's not cheap to shop back home, but I love buying statement pieces while I'm there. I decided to leave all my money at one particular Spanish retailer that starts with a "Z". I swore I wouldn't buy shoes either for obvious reasons and managed to buy four pairs. Yay me. Post on my awesome new stuff is coming this week! Can I get a "Yeee-haa"?
6) Foundation fun
All make-up wearing humans will agree with me when I say it is THE hardest thing to find good foundation. It's either too thick, doesn't have great coverage, you never get the right colour, it irritates your skin and you end up scratching your face like a crack head. The list goes on. I've put this off for ages but finally had the time to visit the MAC counter in Austria. Unpretentious and honest advice is what I wanted and exactly what I got. I now own the MAC face and body foundation and translucent powder (the foundation is a little oily), as well as their super thick concealer. It's a lot cheaper overseas so I definitely made a wise choice by putting my purchase off for a little while. While I'm not a super massive fan of their lipsticks (hyped up WAY too much for my taste), I am hands down impressed with this foundation and can recommend it to anyone with dry to normal skin. Free advertisement over and out.
7) Siblings to the left, siblings to the right
I got to spend some much needed quality time with my family, but also had a day with each my siblings individually, doing normal stuff and talking day-to-day shit. It's interesting how people think that, living so far away from my familia, it's the social events and the birthdays and the weddings that I feel worst about missing, when really it's partaking in daily life. Driving to the servo to get fuel, doing the groceries, eating lunch, getting ready for a night out, feeding the dogs - not being there for these profound tasks is the harshest reality about living abroad and is funnily enough what I enjoy doing the most while I'm over there. I went on a road trip with my brother and have hardly laughed so hard in my life before. I had breakfast with my sister before she showed me her horse and how amazingly well she interacts with it. I downloaded apps for mum's iPad and talked smack with her, I watched travel movies with Dad while asking a million questions. I can't help but smile thinking back to these moments and anticipate all the ones that are yet to come.
8) I learned how to ride a Segway
I mean...how awesome? I want one. They're only EUR 8000.- You buy for me, yes?
9) Ba-NANA-rama
The older I get, the more I enjoy talking to my grandmas. They are by far the coolest, strongest, most respectable and most genuine ladies on the planet. The conversations I had with both of them this past month are absolutely priceless and will be forever saved in my brain hole. I might pass them on to my own children. But only the non-R-rated topics. AHhhh...yes. Cheeky nanas.
10) I came home to the best human
Nuff said.
Album I was addicted to in September: Arctic Monkeys - AM That one came as a surprise, didn't it? Ahahah...ahhhh. Hilarious me. Bye.
Yes, I am indeed the worst blogger in history but damn did I have a good time in Austria!
You know when you're just SO busy you don't even have time to like, shower, and stuff in between days - not that that happened A LOT while I was over there, but yeah...
I legitimately had around three coffee dates per day, an event or something we turned into an 'event' every second night, tons of shopping to do, tons of food to eat and litres of Austrian yeast beverage to put away, just to punish myself with squats and burpees afterwards, all within two modest weeks.
I drove on the right side of the road again, killing the manual car religiously and using the windscreen wipers in place of indicators (and vice versa) more times than I can count. I hardly took photos, which really just reflects how comfortably disconnected I intended this holiday to be and my digital highlight were puppy photos whatsapped to me once every couple of days. I didn't blog much, I hardly ever opened bloglovin and to be honest it was a nice change from artificiality.
I feel like September went way too quickly, and counting my posts for this month I am surprised I even still have that many page views, so a big thank you for letting the author here who loves to switch between first and third person in one sentence have a bit of a breather!
And for all the stalkers and list fetishists amongst you, here is both a list and a major insight into my personal life. Consider this a warm attempt at combining your two mild disorders, accompanied by low-quality instagram photos and lounge music you shall now start playing in your head: (...and GO!)
I ...
went hiking through Austrian forests and past beautiful crystal clear lakes
went on a Segway tour through an ancient Austrian town (castle and castle gardens incl.)
went to my cousin's wedding, which was a marvelous night fueled by illegal amounts of white wine and cheesy dancing to a band wearing Lederhosn
went to the stables to see my sister's beautiful horse and decided I should start riding again
went for runs with three dogs at a time (and most of them mistook me running for me wanting to play the "bite me in the butt" game)
was never without a drink on the four occasions I went out with my lovely friends
went to a birthday party and ate ridiculously good roast beef and rocket salad, followed by ice cream and Bombay Sapphire gin and tonics (partying in style, I know)
ate organic yoghurt out of recycled glass jars with fresh organic blueberries for breakfast, without having to spend more than $ 3.00 - the Austrian organic food offer is fantastic, not to mention almost all organic foods you can buy is competitively priced (some only 20 c - 50 c dearer than the same non-organic product) and comes in recycled/reused or biodegradable packaging - definitely one massive step ahead of Australia there. Also a fun fact: Cage eggs are banned in Europe and Austria was one of the first countries to enforce this ban!
picked herbs and vegetables out of Mum's impressive veggie garden
went shopping so often my suitcase wouldn't close upon leaving (whoops!)
indulged in Austrian Kaffeehaus culture and totally caked it up (six different flavors, ya'll!)
went on a hilarious road trip with my sober brother while being hungover as shit, listening to quality German and Austrian rap for 4 hours and completely over-thinking my taste in music
went to the MAC counter way too many times, Ruby Woo is MINE!
didn't give the old butt much of a holiday, but returned with a lovely jelly belly (which is the official symbol for "I had a wicked time")
went to a candle and organic soap factory with Mum and bought pomegranate soap that smells divine!
found the most perfect dress at Zara, along with three skirts and a blouse
bought amazing Nike Free Runs and lots of gym gear, but regret not having bought the classic "Swoosh" sports bra SO MUCH RIGHT NOW!!!!
ate a fantastic variety of dishes that contained carbofatdrates and carbofatdrates ONLY (see what I did there?)
from left: Asos, H&M (top), Zara (bottom), Zara, Asos, Zara
Pinstripe is back and going strong, ladies and gentlemen. I thought this day would never come. I used to wear my black pinstripe blazer over a Kurt Cobain t-shirt religiously at age 14 and I couldn't be more confused/excited about this revival. I mean they even made that infamous Zara skort out of pinstripey stripey material! I hear angels singing.
And how gorgeous is that skirt's shape? I may or may not have bought the black version of this baby yesterday. Amongst other beautiful things.
Zara loves to take my money. And I just keep on giving.
It's been just over a week now that I have been in Austria and I would be lying if I didn't say that I am having a good time. There are more social events going on than I would usually experience in 6 months. I completely forgot what it's like NOT to work every single hour of the day and just let things happen as they do. I didn't activate my Austrian mobile, because knowing that no soul on Earth can reach me unless I want them to is all sorts of sexy. Needless to say my friends and family are absolutely fantastic for slowing down their lives a bit to fit me in. I don't talk to a lot of these people all year round, not all of them are on social media (and there really is no other way of communicating when you live 15000 km apart and have a thing called "career"), but when I come back I am always welcomed in the most beautiful and warm way. There is nothing more reassuring than coming home after such a long time and the knowing people will treat you like you never left. At the same time my amazing and handsome other half is at home, excited for me for having a great time, looking after our beautiful little dog (blew the surprise there, didn't I?), working and being awesome. It says a lot about my wonderful friends and family, doesn't it? That, males and females and in betweeners, is what one calls "riches". Diamonds, cars and clothes ain't gonna love you like that.
Autumn has struck the country three days into my vacation, so the sky is dyed in a dark grey hue, the wind is icy and the rain drizzles without end in sight. Wherever I walk shoes are soaked, pant legs are wet and visages are a little sad. I would probably chime in if I still lived here, yet I find myself feeling so enlightened and excited by the nostalgia that is unavoidably creeping up on me wherever I set foot. I feel transported back to what used to be that crappy time of the year when summer holidays wrapped up, school started again and winter was approaching quickly. Back then I would dread the cold weather, dread school, dread getting on the school bus (a traumatizing experience I shall dedicate a whole post to), dread winter depression, dread pretty much everything that came with autumn (everlasting rain-infused curly hair included).
Now that I am older and mayb that little bit wiser I can see so much beauty in this time of the year. The grass glistening with heavy rain drops, the pumpkins growing in the garden, the deep, deep green of the landscape that swallows me as a whole, the deers frolicking at dawn. Where I am from I see no more than ten cars crossing the roads on a good day. I used to hate it. Hate the silence. Now I indulge in it. It's like I came her and put on noise cancelling headphones on my life and indulged in a bit of silence, like one would indulge in a piece of cream-layered cake. (I did that too, don't you worry!)
It's truly a revelation to me, coming back to where I grew up after being away for an extended period of time, and realising how far I've come since being that at times self-loathing, insecure teenager who never thought she was enough. I look back and feel the urge to pat my own back for moving somewhere I could unfold my purest self without those deeply embedded hang-ups, without unrealistic expectations from myself (and myself only), without wanting to please everyone while slowly imploding. I once thought I didn't deserve happiness, I wasn't going to find happiness unless I was thin, smarter and had a gorgeous boyfriend. Once on the other side of the globe, all by myself, with no one to aid me but also no one to hinder me, I was finally able to work through that media-induced "smarter, thinner, more successful" bullshit.
I was suddenly made aware of my numerous fantastic qualities pointed out by a variety of strangers, but much more importantly became aware of and spent a lot of time figuring out the origins of my irrational hang-ups, misogynistic way of thinking, my preference for fellow male Earth dwellers of the unfaithful arsehole type, my tiring drive to be more, do more with that same crushing revelation that whatever I do it will never suffice. That time of realisations saved my life and evened the path to my very own happiness. No boyfriend, size 0 pants or IQ of 180 required.
Now excuse me while I eat yet another bag of whatever Austrian goodness is hidden in mum's pantry.
Neh.neehh..neeehh.
Paging in from my teenage bedroom in Austria today, where I am currently keeping busy with a combination of dog padding and jet lag fighting.
I love a good jet lag every now and then - it's amazing how productive one can be, when the rest of the house is completely quiet.
So...
I know this platform has been neglected a little these past few days, but let me tell it was mainly due to September kick starting with grandeur, adventures and a ton of sparkles! And yes I am completely disregarding the fact Tony Abbot is our new prime minister and hell will probably open up and consume feminists and homosexuals all AT ONCE! There have been a few positive changes in regards to my family life (which you would already know about if you followed me on instagram! There, click the button on the bottom of the page, dear friend!), pleasant restructuring at work and some other nice things that were done and did in the first ten days of what looks like a very promising month.
August, though, needs its very own spot light! It was a month of procrastination, and I would like to detach any negative connotations you might associate with the word 'procrastination' in this very context. I looked at a lot of pretty pictures, wrote a lot of pretty words, I moved my limbs a lot, I talked to interesting people and spent some of my hard earned dollars here and there and overall had a brilliant time living!
And once again I picked a few reasons why August was, indeed, a month to remember!
1) EUROPE FLIGHTS BOOKED
On the 2nd of the month I booked a return flight to Munich. I went way over my supposed max of 2 weeks off work because, hey, I really needed more time! Travel is such an exciting thing to look forward to and really does keep you going whenever you feel like spitting life in the face! Not to mention the prospect of seeing my family and friends, eating and drinking local food and shopping at places I used to shop at when I was 16 years old all are things to utterly look forward to. I did cry like a baby when I had to leave my better half behind but I know our next adventure together is just lurking around the corner!
2) PRESSING LITTLE CHILDREN
This month I leg pressed more than my body weight, in fact almost twenty kilos more. I can't really explain the excitement I felt to anyone, who doesn't do weights or doesn't come from a background that is completely non-sportive like my own. I never used to believe my body was capable of being strong, lean and full of energy - years of feeling like a failure in PE class had taken their toll - and to watch myself do all these amazing things is probably the closest I've come to an out-of-body experience in my time. I also did an unassisted chin up for the first time in my life and I know September will be the month I will give a lifetime premiere at rope climbing! You better watch out!
3) ORGANICO
After years of putting this off due to my phobia of insects and other stupid reasons, I finally managed to create a little veggie patch. When I say "I managed" I mean Dan actually did most of the work while I...uhm...supervised I suppose? It was about 3 hours of kinda team effort to get a little patch set up and running so if you're planning on doing this by yourself, probably allow a whole afternoon. At this stage I don't even care if something actually grows, but I just feel so pleased with how we finally got around to doing something I have been meaning to do for such a long time!
4) AM
This interview is grande for its subtlety. The excitement for their Australian tour announcement ensues. Their new record is fucking amazing. I should get a fan girl tattoo.
5) Single(t) best
Albeit risking sounding like an ad I would like to declare that armed with two of these babies, Summer can't come quick enough! These are literally the most perfect singlets I have ever purchased. I am a sucker for backless anythings and love the casual way they fall in the front. Sexy yet unpretentious. Yes, it's just clothes but the lack of excitement I have felt towards garments lately needed to be compensated somehow! The brand is "Silent Theory", style name is "Fonda" and you can get them at Universal or Glue stores (or go online) and they're a steal at $ 25. Pair with boyfriend jeans, short shorts, thin strapped maxi dresses, tucked into skater skirts or high waisted jeans or garments of any other kind whose names I can't recall right now.
images via Westfield
6) Road trippin that I wish you saw
There is probably nothing I enjoy more on a day off than setting a destination but leaving the way in which we get there completely blank. I need equal parts of exploration and spontaneity in my life, in order to not go crazy and road trips combine both, with an extra portion of fun. Add a slurpee and some of Dan's new music discoveries and you will see me at my happiest.
7) The Intouchables
After intending to watch and then forgetting about it as you do when you're swamped with information, we stumbled upon this French masterpiece when searching through Netflix last month. At this point I would like to stress again how fucking amazing Netflix is - the amount of quality shows, movies and documentaries I have conveniently discovered since starting to use it is fantastic. Once you've watched a movie it will suggest you similar ones and that's really how you get the pop culture ball of marvel rolling.
But back to the actual movie it was such a charming, delightful, smart, politically incorrect, honest and realistic portrayal of what can only be described as a collision of two completely different world as intended by the universe. Wait, what? WATCH IT!
8) SHOWCHICKEN
I vaguely introduced this artist this month, but the pleasure his creations give me warrant a listing in my August TOP 10. Shop Nick Sheeny's art here
9) READ
You should read this article over at XOJANE and then re-think everything you've ever been taught, shown or told about the concept of consent. Then teach your sons and daughters. Then cry about how horribly wrong our society treats sexual abuse victims. What did this article contribute, to make my August a little more awesome? Revelations flying at me like missiles after reading it. That's what it did. Bam.
10) Winter gone
With August being over it also means Winter is over for this year! Nothing wrong with that in my opinion. I can see myself whining about the heat and humidity in probably less than 60 days but until then, I shall soak up whatever cancerous UV rays I can get my skin exposed to and frolic in barely there clothes to the point of god damn darn arrest for whatever I care!
PS: Winter, you suck balls!
Ahhh be good in September and stay tuned for some Austrian style updates! My DSLR is with me 24/7 and while I might not do much more than eat, sleep, drink, shop and cuddle various people and animals, it should still stay pretty amazing around here! For more frequent updates follow me on instagram @astridapfelkern
How is everyone going? Have you been good little chipmunks over the last few days?
And eased into what is cruelly enough the only one-digit - month left in this year?
I wonder why we try so hard to hold on to what is essentially a way for humans to add a bit of structure to their already totally structured lives. It's just a name for a stretch of round about 30 days, yet we use it as an opportunity to reflect on what we have achieved in the last so-and-so months and feel bad about ourselves or want to achieve more More MORE.
In any way it is SPRING now in Australia and the multifaceted smiles on my face can only be taken off with an angle grinder. There is something about the weather slowly warming up that makes me melt a little inside. The bare leg pairs popping up around town, the insatiable cravings for fresh mangoes, peaches and watermelon, the amazing gym sessions, the bikinis wandering to the store fronts, the lizards and geckos and bees returning - it feels like everyone's waking up from a long, cold and monotone slumber.
Hello. This is a picture of my face. Wrinkles hidden by filter. xoxo Narcissist
I have been mentally preparing for a 26 hour long-distance flight I am boarding on Sunday - this will also be the first long distance flight I'm boarding by myself in three years and the thought of me being squeezed in between two people, without the option of sleeping/dribbling on these people's shoulders is quite frankly FRIGHTENING! Well, the option will be there. But I don't do things to strangers that aren't 100 % consensual. You shouldn't either. Ever.
Nevertheless I feel excited, or as excited as one can be when there are still a million things to organize and think about and when there is still a massive load of work to be dealt with...
On another note Dan and I have created a veggie patch and are looking into getting a puppy, so hey, September looks like it will be a pretty exciting month! Crazy dog lady and hippie vegetable farmer have been added to my CV.
And now: Random photos that are vaguely associated with my definition of spring. Drumroooollll
To go back to platinum or not?
Pro: Looks awesome with white and black and no clothes. No need to tan. Doesn't get greasy due to lots of chemicals on scalp.
Con: Hair like icky straw. Red complexion becomes FLURO red complexion if one has platinum hair. People think you're in some kind of "scene". Hair will be whiter than teeth.
Note to self: Even with platinum blonde hair I don't look like Anja Konstantinova. But that's cool.
Sorry not sorry for the boobs because really, they're just boobs. If you feel offended by a female body part something's clearly wrong with you. Boob on to another blog!
