Heading back to SoCal...

To say I haven't blogged in a while is an understatement...

Lets put it down to "moving country" or "adapting". Yes, its taken us well over a year to adapt to our new life as a couple in Australia. For me, this feels like home again. It took about a year to have that feeling. I still get moments where excitement creeps in I think "I can't believe I'm home". I love living in Australia, and feel a deep sense of belonging and happiness here.

Only in the last 6 months has my husband settled in more. He will never be Australian, but he is getting there. He still has times where he misses home, but they are less frequent. Tonight he really wanted to go out for a good beer, but craft beer bars are a bit of a rarity in Sydney. They don't frequent every suburb as they do in Southern California. Our friends here are busier with work and life compared to our SoCal friends. Still, I tell him we're lucky to have to many friends, especially seeing we have only been back for 1.5 years.

We're headed back to America in November for a few weeks. One of my closest friends is getting hitched and I'm going to bridesmaid it up. She's a dear friend with a big personality. I love her to bits, and am very excited to have the opportunity to support her and party with her on the big day.

I'm a little nervous about meeting up with family in America. There is always pressure and my tolerance for it has decreased over the years. I hate confrontation and tend to switch on my "ignore" button.

I do plan on stocking up my wardrobe. I have been so careful about not spending the last year or so. I've bought small things here and there. I do really miss shopping in America. Maybe I sound like a princess - but whatever - there's worse vices.

What I miss about America...

Shopping.

Source: anthropologie.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I'm in love with the fur jacket.

Source: anthropologie.com via Michelle on Pinterest

Source: shop.nordstrom.com via Michelle on Pinterest

There are other things I miss about America. My friends. Hiking. Mexican food. Thats about it honestly. America is a memory for me with good and bad times. America feels raw for me. End of Saturday morning thoughts. Thank goodness for online shopping :)

Old School NY Diner

This old diner looks rad. I wish I'd checked it out while in NYC.

PRIME from thismustbetheplace on Vimeo.

Video care of This Must Be The Place

Check out the video. Its a few minutes long, but well worth the watch.

Song of the Day

Love this song. A good start to my day and week:-

Bike

I've been wanting a nice bike for some time. I know I'd have to invest a fair amount to get a very good bike - and that is not on the cards just now. But here is a bike that is a little more budget friendly that I'm looking at. Laybuy perhaps?!

Source: ebay.com.au via Michelle on Pinterest

First Aid Kit - Emmylou

Saturday morning and we slept in. We woke up to showers so decided to stay in. Its amazing how quickly time passes when you're doing nothing...

I love the voices of First Aid Kit and have been listening to them a fair bit lately.

Fall at your feet

One of my all-time favourite songs:-

Me, You, Tea for Two

Today is my day off. I'm giving myself one day off each week and dedicating it to housework, planning things out, study etc. The other two days are for other enjoyments. It feels so luxurious only working two days a week! Although this week I'm working more than that, training in the city.

So today. I've got to make a plan. I already went grocery shopping. I hit up Burwood for Chinese sauces and groceries. Rhodes for vegetables and Five Dock for meat. I love that here I get to go to independent stores for what I want. It means meat and veges are fresher, and a better price. I also love that I have the time to do this now.

So, at the moment I'm indulging in a cup of coffee via my beautiful new cup and saucer. I use this cup and saucer when I'm taking a moment to relax. Its only a small thing, but makes me happy. Here's the cup and saucer:-

Source: kettlesdirect.com.au via Michelle on Pinterest

This cup and saucer was released by Maxwell Williams in a variety of shades. I was tempted to buy all five shades, but decided it is enough to have just one fun cup of my own. Besides, I just moved country and am a little broke right now. I have a penchant for cups and plan on slowly building a collection over time, only when I see something I truly love. This is another reason I decided on only getting one of the Maxwell Williams Kimono range - its a special piece, and I want to enjoy it.

So today I have to find some motivation. I already have the laundry going. I'm thinking it would be good to go for a fast one hour walk. Read a little. Tidy up my clothes and wash floors. Perhaps get a massage for my shoulder.

Congratulations

Song of the day! I heard this on Triple J today and really liked it. I'm surprised I haven't heard it before. It is very Beatles-esque in my opinion.

You Broke My Cool!

This morning I hit up Newtown. Newtown is such an interesting part of Sydney with lots of random shops. Music stores, vintage clothing, art supplies, organic food and lots of really good restaurants. This morning I went to Max Brenner and had a cappuccino - they drizzle melted chocolate over the foam. mmm.

One shop that caught my eye was Mag Nation. I was very excited walking in. They have the most amazing array of magazines. Magazines that people can never get their hands on - one I saw there was "Lula" magazine which girls are always on the hunt for. I finally got to flick through it. It wasn't my style fashion magazine. The pictures are very beautiful. But I'm more a fan of European and American high end fashion magazines. I love the editorials. So I browsed the fashion magazines for a while, being good and not buying anything. I really wanted to grab a copy of US Elle, US Vogue and Paris Vogue - but couldn't justify the prices. I headed upstairs where there are leather lounges so you can sit and read. There were huge sections of food, fashion, photography and music magazines. Heaven! I sat and read some music and food magazines and ended up indulging in The New Yorker, BBC Music (it has the 50 greatest recordings of all time! - had to get it!) and a magazine called "Sight and Sound" - an international film magazine. It features the best films of 2011 and reviews every new film. Eeeek! Exciting! I'm eager to pour into them. I love the New Yorker. Well written and intelligent articles. I've always enjoyed BBC Music Magazine. I was tempted to get Triple J's magazine, but figure I listen to their radio station a lot - so that is enough for the time being.

I've been hearing good things about "The Separation". I'm eager to see it.

Here's a song I heard this morning which I liked. Pond is Triple J's band of the month, so I'm sure I'll be hearing a lot more from them. "You Broke My Cool"

Islands - "Hallways"

This song makes me want to dance

"Housework Day"

Thats right. Today is housework day. Its a mix of housework and fun. Listening to music, reading blogs, and cleaning. And its pouring with rain outside! What a great day to be home! I heard that Sydney's dam is set to overflow today. Its been raining that much!

Its amazing how disheveled my house gets in just a few days. Its not beyond repair, it will take a few solid hours and it will be clean, neat and dusted.

This week I started my new job. I'm so excited. I'm working for a trading company in the heart of Sydney's CBD.

I've made some new friends in Sydney. One friend I just started hanging out with this week in particular seems really fun. I like her a lot. She is a swedish girl, and we laugh a lot together. I'm intrigued by how we connect with certain people in life. Some people you get instantly. You feel cool around them, feel yourself - unjudged. Then there's people you don't connect with so much. When that happens I find myself being very quiet. Then there's people you can be loud, obnoxious and silly with. There - thats my epiphany for the day ;) I need to stop procrastinating and do some cleaning...

Here's a song I'm loving at the moment:-

" I don't want to make money, I just want to be wonderful."

This famous quote is by none other than Marilyn Monroe. In America I had a framed print of Marilyn with that quote on it. Last night I went to see "My Week With Marilyn" with a couple of friends. I wanted to see it regardless, but I *really* wanted to see it before watching the Oscars. Yesterday I taped The Oscars, but our cable sucks and it kept cutting out. So last night we downloaded it and I'm eager to watch it. Possibly this afternoon. If not this afternoon, then tonight. I'm still avoiding most forms of media - which means no TV, no Facebook, no radio. I don't want to hear the winners until I see The Oscars for myself. I'm very excited about it all, and am planning on writing notes about the awards ceremony - the skits, the banter, who won, outfits etc and then calling up my friend - who is equally as excited about The Oscars as I am, and having a good chat about it.
My votes? I'm betting on the following:-

Best Picture:- The Artist
Best Actress:- Meryl Streep
Best Actor:- George Clooney
Best costume/wardrobe:- My week with Marilyn
Best Makeup:- Iron Lady
Best Supporting Actress:- The lady from The Help, whose name I have forgotten, and I don't want to google her name - just in case!

Often Bio's win a lot of awards. But I hear Hugo (which I'm yet to see) is up for a tonne of nominations too - and I hear its excellent, but I still haven't seen it. (Maybe this afternoon!). I'm yet to watch The Descendants and Hugo. I've seen a lot of Oscar Nominated movies this year:- The Artist (loved), My Week With Marilyn, The Help, The Iron Lady, Midnight in Paris. The other day I was gracious enough to see The Vow with my Mum. I didn't hate it, but its also not my kind of movie. Its a cheesy, predictable romantic comedy. Its saving grace is that its a true story - so that gave it some credibility. And yeah, Rachel McAdams is cute. It was ok for a romantic comedy. I didn't go in expecting a super punchy storyline. For what it was, it was good.

As to movies I've seen - I really enjoyed The Artist, The Help and Midnight in Paris.

So, back to My Week with Marilyn. I don't enjoy Marilyn Monroe's persona, I've always found her a little annoying. She played the damsel in distress. She was brilliant, but not my kinda woman. I've never been a huge fan of her movies. I like a couple of them, but overall she's not one of my favorite actresses. As for My Week with Marilyn, I thought Michelle Williams played her perfectly. Michelle Williams is one talented, and beautiful actress. I loved the costumes and dialogue. All in all it was incredibly well done. I think last night when I saw it I was tired and not in the mood. I'd watch it again - but I didn't love the movie in the same way I loved The Artist, which I'll be able to watch over and over again.

Laugh Kookaburra Laugh

I haven't blogged in a while, but I have my reasons.

We've been back "down under" for a month now. I'm still coming to grips with being home. It feels surreal. It still hasn't sunk in that I'm actually (finally) home. Do I miss America? I get asked that a lot. I'm a horrible liar. I should work at being more gracious. I don't hate America is my honest answer. But I resent that I lived there so long. I don't say that part, only on my blog. I talk about the things that I enjoyed about America. The truth is we stayed past my living-in-America-threshold. My feeling is that I never want to live there again, only visit.

People keep saying things like "you must be ecstatic to be home". I am. It also feels incredibly normal. It doesn't feel like I never left. I do feel like I was away a long time, and changed somewhat. The way I think has changed. I'm grateful to have had such an amount of exposure to another culture.

So since being home I've delighted in the little things. Hearing kookaburra's at random hours. Hearing cicadas singing when I wake up in the morning. The beautiful beaches, and hearing the thick Aussie accent all the time. The Aussie accent still sounds very foreign to me - I haven't been home long enough ;)

At the moment we're busy moving into our new apartment. We've secured a nice little two bedroom home by a lovely park. Today we bought a couch and wardrobe, the other day a mattress. The wardrobe was $30 and absolutely huge! Its for the spare room. We're planning on using it as a coat closet. It was a very big wardrobe to move! We're going to have to start working really soon! Our money isn't worth as much as we'd hoped over here!

I will write more when I'm less tired and feeling more inspired. For now I'm still feeling like I'm getting back into the groove of things. Its a strange, but altogether very nice feeling.

You search on the roll... with your fingernails...

Daniel and I have been watching a lot of Flight of the Concords lately. The Tape of Love song is my favorite. Its been going through my head constantly!

Its very strange that I'm flying overseas next week. It feels very weird indeed. Yesterday I was confused, thinking it was this week. But no, its Wednesday next week on December 21st.

Almost everything is packed. We still have a fair bit to do. We'll have to stay up late tonight and Tuesday, then wake up really early on Wednesday morning. Wednesday we are going to a friend's house for a week.

All in all I'm very excited!

Found!

For the last year I have been in search of the perfect faux jacket. And now I have found it! It was the one last thing I was looking for before I moved home.

The home stretch

In three weeks time I'll be on the plane to go home. I can't explain the amount of excitement and anticipation I'm feeling. I'm wondering what it will feel like to wake up and be home, day in and day out and not for a couple of weeks, but for good, knowing I don't have to leave home anytime soon. It feels like a big gift I'm being given.

In the last five years I've gone home 3 times. The first 2 times were within the first year of living in America. The 3rd time was almost 3 years ago. Had I visited more, maybe my feelings would have been different. We had always planned to move back, so didn't see the point in making too many visits. A 2 year stint in America quickly turned into 5. Time sure flies.

I have a couple of regrets, but all in all I'm happy for this experience. You live and you learn. There are some things I'd do differently. But we can't change the past, only learn from mistakes.

I wonder if it will feel strange to feel at home again. I'm trying to imagine what it will be like to wake up and know I'm back in my homeland. I wonder what it will feel like to be surrounded by Australians, to sound the same as everyone else. Well, almost. There's no hiding the hint of American twang happening these days. The last year my accent has changed just a little. Sometimes I catch myself pronouncing a sharp R in my words. Two weeks of home and that will disappear.

For now, I'm liking a pair of D&G sunglasses. The code is DG4035 if you're interested in looking them up. I tried them on in black and they were amazing. Very Hollywood. I love some glamour;)

The November List

I recently added this purple blouse and black and brown leather skirts to my closest. I got them on a tremendous sale at the fraction of their original cost. Leather midi skirts have been all over the runway and I for one am loving the edge they bring to a normally conservative outfit. Besides all the shoes I am coveting I'm yet to find the perfect faux fur coat. Fur coats are so luxurious. I'd never buy real fur due to lack of funds and I might have PETA after me ;) All the faux fur coats I have tried on have ended up being a little boxy which isn't the best for my figure. So I'm on the hunt (no pun intended) for a longer faux fur coat.

Last night I started watching Woody Allen's "Alice" with Mia Farrow. I love her mink coat in it. I'm really enjoying the movie and am excited to watch the rest of it tonight!



Here's some things I'm coveting lately:-

These shoes are adorable. I'm thinking patterned tights, or black fishnets with these:-




Purple tights with these ones! Or socks. I haven't figured out what color yet:-

I love suede shoes. So rich looking:-



These fabulous sunglasses have been on my want list for quite some time!



These are to die for:-

Red Tide

Last night was really fun. Daniel and I played Caylus and then I was ready to hit the sack. I’m a bit of an early bird in terms of bedtime. I like to be in bed by 11pm. Anything after that and I get pretty tired. I figured that out about myself many years ago, but now that I’m no longer in my 20’s I seem to need my sleep a little more. Or maybe I’ve just realized what suits me. There’s no more nights where I have just 4 hours of sleep then wake up at 7am full of adrenalin and ready for the day. I used to be able to do that for a few nights in a row with no consequences. These days – I like and need my sleep. I think as you mature you realize what you need in your life. For me that is 8 hours sleep every night, thank you very much!

After the game Daniel said he wanted to show me the “red tide”. I hesitated, feeling more inclined to go to bed. Instead I agreed, since its not very often my husband suggests a walk on the beach at night. I love to walk on the beach at night. We’ll often go down after dark for a stroll. Hardly anyone is around at night and its peaceful. Its just the two of us, our chatter and holding hands. The red tide was incredible! I was so happy we went down to see it. In the day the water looks red, but at night time you cannot see the color of the water. The water and the dark sky blend into each other, erasing the horizon. Out of nowhere suddenly come white clouds of waves which look as though they have been hit by an electrical storm. Its amazing! The waves are fluorescent with the red tide. Crazy!

Saturday was nice. Daniel and I went down to San Diego and visited a historic house. It was down near Balboa Park. We did a tour then walked the streets from Balboa to Hillcrest. It was sunny with only a slight crispness to the air, which I love. The area near Balboa Park is so green and leafy. The streets are lined with trees and have a lot of older homes. We had coffee and gelato at this little Italian café. I went and got my eyebrows threaded. We walked some more and eventually decided to get dinner at a new organic pizza place. The salad and pizza were superb. They served craft beer. The vegetables in the salad were so fresh and rich, the salad didn’t even need dressing. So unlike the vegetables bought at the supermarket. Saturday was a fun day. Then yesterday we took Daniel’s Nana out for lunch, came home, ended up sleeping for a couple of hours! Then we did some packing. After that was the beach walk.

That was our weekend in a nutshell. I’ve decided to keep this blog in Australia. After all, I’ll always be not quite Californian ;)
(And I can't think of a name I like any better!)

Three months but whose counting

I have decided to work right up until we leave. Until December 16th. I figure I might as well work as much as possible here since I have a well paying job here in the States, and I don’t know when I’ll find a job that’s a keeper in Australia. I’m planning on taking a three month break when we get to Sydney. We’ll see how that goes. Yesterday I got all practical and was looking up jobs already. I’m worried I’ll look at jobs when we get there and find something I like, and will want to take it. I’m not a workaholic, but I’m a wannabe slacker who never delivers. I get all practical and think about finances. I could never be “looked after”. The other day my MIL said to me “I can’t work because it takes over my life and I can’t keep a balance”. I thought it was a cop-out. My inlaws are staying with people at the moment because they have no money and my MIL refuses to work. I told her that sometimes it’s a necessity to work and its important to pay the bills and compartmentalize our focus and time. Work is work, but in your lunchbreak and home time – that’s your time that your boss will not pay you for! Its hard to find balance sometimes, especially if you work full time, but a necessity. Who wants to get to 80 years old and realize they spent their life dedicated to “the man”? Lately I have been worried about my inlaws and how they’ll cope as they get older. They are good and kind people people. My mil is a good woman, but feels that she should be looked after and catered to by her husband and sons. I have a hard time with that. I believe that women too have a responsibility to help the family financially. I’d love to sit back and relax too and not have to worry about making a living – but it’s a part of life these days, unless we have a very wealthy husband! Thoughts?

Anyway, we are starting to pack up our apartment. We’ve slowly been getting rid of things. I’m looking forward to having less “stuff” and taking more of a minimalistic approach to living. Moving is a good time to start afresh. Daniel and I both have goals we’re looking forward to working towards finally.

To be honest, I’m most excited about seeing Australia through more appreciative eyes. I will appreciate feeling at home more than ever I suspect.

For now its about America. I can’t believe we’re only here three more months. People are asking me if I’m sad to leave America. I wish I felt a twinge of sadness, but I don’t. I’ve been ready to go for a couple of years. I only feel happiness, excitement and anticipation. Three months can’t come around quickly enough. I feel bad that I don’t feel a sense of loss. I know there will be no tears on my part. I love the friends I have made here but don’t like the area we live in. I wonder if I would have enjoyed this five year experience more if we’d lived in another part of America.

This week we’re telling the parents we have booked our tickets. We booked our tickets a couple of months ago but have been holding off telling them. Hopefully it will be without too much drama. I doubt it though.