good bye 2008 ~ welcome 2009

who knows what lies ahead... the possibilities are endless, the sky is the limit, the world truly is your oyster...

the way i see it... 2009 could be fabulous if you....

- love like you've never been hurt
- don't live in the past - be present in the moment
- allow yourself to receive the gifts that life has in store for you
- remember that you deserve the best
- share more of you with those who are special to you
- give yourself some time, every day, even if its just 10 minutes
- buy yourself a new pair of high heels!
- listen... listen to what you say to YOURSELF... be gentle, be kind, be good to YOU
- live, laugh, and love

let 2009 be the year of YOU!

monday laughter

cookies that burn off their calories for you!

the young and the restless

As an eternal optimist, life has decided to test my limits lately, hence my quietness on my blog. As most of you know, we were burgled, not so long ago, and my work laptop was stolen. So I have been working hard to catch up on work that was not backed up and backing up the work redone :) Then over this weekend, my girlfriends handbag was stolen while we shopping in Sandton City... really, they stole our festive moods.

Being in Joburg has taught me a lot - I have realised how strong I am, and also that its ok to not always be strong too. I haven't had much time to blog, and as my internet connection was also stolen, I haven't had a chance to sort that out, hence I don't blog at home as I used to. So work hours have been work filled, and home time has been somewhat different and not as cheery.

It's been a while since my last post, and I haven't had time to catch up with any of my fabulous blogging friends neither - but know that I still adore you all, and will be dropping by your blog to catch up on all the news!

Life hasn't been the same since the break-in... I have become more paranoid, with every noise waking me, and wondering what it is. I have realised how easy some people are driven "mad" and go insane, as the imagination tries to reason and figure out what each strange and unfamiliar sound is.

What you've missed:

• I got a new kitten, 6 weeks old, dark grey with blue eyes... her names is Stormy
  
• I cut my hair - its gone from looooong, to shoulder length and looks quite fun and cheeky
• I've caught up on 95% of my work - YAY!!

While all my friends are away, except (literally) one, who is pre-occupied with things of her own... life in Joburg will be rather quiet over the festive season. My girlfriend will be working every day except xmas and the 26th and new years. What will I do with my time?

So instead of being the "sad sally" I have been lately, I have decided that I will take this time to:

• Watch my favourite movies
• Get into a good gym routine - my gym has an amazing relaxation and "spa" area!!
• Read the books I bought but never got chance to get to
• Lay by the pool and bake in the sun
• Buy canvases so that I can paint - I love oil painting and have wall space in our new place

And of course - wild nights of fun and fabulousness and debauchery, braai's and chilling round the xmas tree that my oh-so-amazing girlfriend got for us, and we decorated together!


So thats me in a nutshell. I haven't been feeling my normal cheery self. Missing my brother in Cape Town and all my friends, and the normal happenings going on there. I'd much rather be sitting on the balcony of my Camps Bay flat, over looking the ocean, sipping a cosmo and dancing the night away at Karma with my girl friends.

But I'm here in Jozi, and will make the best of it! Shopping is all done, despite the weekends incident and I'm very excited to spoil my honeypie!! Gifts are wrapped and will be put under the xmas tree and Christmas eve will be spent, eating, drinking and being merry!

~ * ~

Many merry and happy wishes to everyone who stops by this post... and I hope that your Holiday season is filled with love, laughter and all things beautiful!

~ * ~

Mwahness to everyone xxx

current addictions

addictions... we all have them ~ some we love some we don't... here are some of mine

lindt chocolate - all flavours... nuff said

fortune cookies - cant get thai / chinese take-aways without the cookie with the fortune! just for fun... of course!

little britain - computer says... nooooo.... the best bbc brit comedy with matt lucas and david walliams

col'cacchio in benmore - even tho my best friend's sister owns it, i'm not being bias, seriously... the best pizza in jozi and the best cocktails!!!! AND to top it off, ice-cream with LINDT chocolate sauce... i'm just saying... addiction to the max

one small seed - the best SA pop culture magazine! fashion, art, design, architecture, lifestyle, music... if you're young and fabulous you have to read it!


being brazen started this trend and now its a monthly must! want to see my previous addictions? read here or here!

24 hours a day

24 hours a day...
that's the one thing we all have...

take a minute to make a difference!

fabulousness

this year has been FABULOUS!
and I've had some FABULOUS bloggers keeping me informed, entertained and up to date with the latest this and that in their oh-so-fabulous lives!

so i've decided to thank these FAB bloggers with a little award, to let you know just how FABULOUS you are... incase you forgot!!

BeingBrazen - the first blog i stumbled upon and started reading regularly. light and cheerful, some good advice and an interesting girl no doubt!

KittyCat - seperated at birth, we have so much in common. i love her stories and the way she writes. intelligent and funny, ups and downs, her reads are a daily must.

BlondeBlogshell - hilariously funny and entertainment at its best, this girl is the epitomy of fabulous. a fellow joburger keeping me up to date with the latest happenings and goings on in jozitown, i love this blog.

Sass - a great mom, a busy life, and always has me in stitches of laughter, her writing style is so fabulous, you can almost hear her speaking to you.

Bambi - random thoughts, blurbs and awesome pics, she shares her life with us with no boundaries. it is truly a refelction of who she is... fun, colourful, joyous, and fabulous!

Prixie - her way with words and her expressive blog takes you to places she's been to... what she hears, what she sees, what she smells... i look forward to every post.

all the blogs i follow add value to my life on a daily basis. thanks to ALL
my bloggerfriends for being so FABULOUS... i love your work!

what you find when you lose something...

when things are taken from us,
we are shown more clearly what we have...
and for that which we have,
we should be grateful.

this week we were burgled. we haven't even been in our new place a week. while we were sleeping, someone climbed up to the third floor of our 'secure' complex, came through the window and stole money and my laptop (with all my work on... which, no, i didn't back up...hard lesson, but learnt).

from this negative experience i am grateful that we were not harmed, and i realised that i have so much to be thankful for and grateful for. life is very precious and those we love are irreplaceable. yes, i have a lot of work to redo and catch up on, however, i won't let this experience taint my love for Joburg or for our new apartment. onward and upward and just keep swimming... that's all we can do.

hence my quote above... we lose certain things in our lives,
sometimes material, sometimes the ones we love,
but that is a time for one to look at what we do have
and know that we are loved...
...and no-one can take that away from us

Where you are...

I see you...

what makes your world go round?

frenchie's bday in franschoek

juan's braai

lunch at fairview...
...my amazing friends

a good laugh

my cat ~
always jumping into boxes and bags and baskets!

the small things in life


love

these are a few things that make my world go round...

remember its often the small things,
that make the biggest difference in our lives!

world aids day... be part of the change

prevention is better than cure...
and when there is no cure,
prevention is all we have!

make a difference by making the right choices
get tested and be safe!

keep yourself informed
together we can be the change

cyanide & happiness monday

want to change your life?

start by changing the way you think
every moment is precious
don't look back and live in the past
this is your now
work with what is presented to you
but...

think positive
dream big
and live your best life
don't waste time
don't play it safe
don't settle for less
take risks
be free
allow yourself to receive
by being open
and grateful for what you already have

you are more than your past
your job does not define who you are
fears and doubt should have no place in your life

only love
create a space for self love
in your life

you have strength
you have courage
you have beauty
you are magnificence
you are amazing
you are love

be that...

to my US friends and fellow blogsters ...

so I'm a little paranoid

ADD Crazy Being Brazen suggested I do this quiz!

hmmm kay... so i'm a little paranoid... hehe!

I think everyone is out to get me, and that's because they are!! Right now, the government has the results of this quiz, so I'mscrewed. Now I'm going to put on my aluminum helmet and send a message to the FBI with my microwave.

see you later... got you on my radar!

c'mon do it too... i know u want to ;)

things i've learnt this week

• moving is stressful on one hand, but gives one the chance to declutter and start afresh
• where you are is where you have chosen to be - if you want to be somewhere different or do something different, you have to make difference choices
• holding hands with the one I love makes me feel alive
• stairs are the devil! :p
• coral nail polish is summer's red for the toes
• people who are negative drain me ~ surrounding myself with positive people fill me
• a smile can go a long way

• driving around aimlessly and exploring is so much fun
• if we were all just a little more patient, life would be a whole lot easier
• i love laying on grass
• don't take life too seriously... live, laugh and love...
• i'm a pretty good 'make-up artist' ~ i did my friends make up for her wedding and she looked fabulous!

november moods

comfort zone

as cosy as a comfort zone may feel,
it is a brake on personal evolution.
comfort zones are for those people
who choose to languish in dreary unconsciousness!
~ clive harvey ~

nurture your friendships

"Each friend represents a world in us,
a world possibly not born until they arrive,
and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
- Anais Nin

discover more about me...

i had fun at http://youniverse.com today... so i thought i'd post this so that you can discover more about me...

i added the widget on the right of my page.. scroll down to check it out!

i tag everyone that reads it... if you want to take a coffee break at your desk... do it and let me know so that i can discover more about you too!

have a super fabulous day x

cyanide & happiness monday

the time is now...

whatever you want to do, do it now...
there are only so many tomorrows
~ annon ~

when last have you thought about what you want?
do you always put others needs above your own?
do you love yourself enough to say yes to you and no to others?
do you procrastinate too much?
why haven't you called/emailed the friend you said you'd call/email?
what were your new years resolutions for 2008?
will they be the same for 2009?
do you feel like you have achieved something this year?

there are still 37 days left to make a difference

i have achieved quite a lot this year:



i took a risk...

i let go of things and people that no longer serve positive purpose in my life
i did my reiki course
started my blog
i eat healthier and feel great
i did an intuition development course
i bought my dream couch
i went on a scuba diving course with my best friends (in the middle of winter lol) and my brother was our diving instructor
left Cape Town and my flat in Camps Bay
moved to Johannesburg with my cats
changed jobs and I am far more challenged
made new friends
went to rugby matches
i go regularly to gym
i do things that make me happy
i am learning to love myself
i take long bubble baths

what did you do?

listen

"Lots of people talk to animals," said Pooh.
"Not that many listen though."
"That's the problem."

~ the tao of pooh ~

cyanide & happiness monday

come alive

”Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
~ Dr. Howard Thurman ~

busy busy... slow down

is life too busy? take some time to stop and smell the roses... or whatever it is that makes your soul smile...

this past week has been so hectic and busy i have become impatient, irritable and rather annoying, if i say so myself. so i have decided to slow down, and not take things so seriously... and to take things easy... and to remember the simple things in life that make me happy and make my heart smile :)

have a happy wednesday

a decade of me

Po did it, BeingBrazen did too, followed by KittyCat...
I think neil, the ranter should do it too...

here is mine...

hope you enjoy the read... it's a bit of a long one...

1997 | lived in port elizabeth. not the happiest year of my life. i took a year off to decide what to study. decided not to study. failed my drivers license for the 3rd time. felt useless. worked at edgars as the PA announcer. loved it. felt independant. met mr future ex husband. my hair was long. always had been.

1998 | decided to go overseas. worked in holland as an au pair. felt free and alive. travelled europe. met miss dutch blonde best friend. laughed alot. partied alot. met a boy, nothing came of it. was fun while it lasted. cut my hair short and coloured it blonde. lost loads of weight, looked healthy and fabulous. life was great.

1999 | after a year went back to SA. looked at mr future ex husband and said "there is nothing here for me, i'm going back to holland" and traypsed back to europe for another 3 months. partied like a rockstar. travelled more. loved every moment of my life. came back to SA in october. reconciled with mr future ex husband and moved in together.

2000 | started studying psychology at upe. was an older student, i enjoyed that. met miss blonde. was as if we were friends forever. we partied loads. i cut my long hair short again. wore blue eye shadow. played drinking games. was on the campus radio. volunteered at the oceanarium.

2001 | second year varsity. miss blonde left upe and went to stellenbosch. i was devastated. we did everything together even tho i lived with my boyfriend. he was boring. i didn't care. studied hard. partied. mr future ex husband forgot my birthday. it hurt.

2002 | class representative. top student. loved studying. partied less. got engaged. mr future ex husband forgot my birthday... again. it hurt more.

2003 | 4th year. wrote a psychobiography on princess margaret as my thesis. did my psychology internship at a childrens home. got married. small intimate in the garden under the bluegum trees. my hair was long. i felt like a princess. everything was perfect. or so it seemed.

2004 | moved to cape town. worked at a travel agency. met amazing people. felt like home. travelled. was lonely. mr future exhusband worked too much and paid no attention to me. had great friends. work kept me busy. i picked up weight. miss dutch blonde best friend came to visit. did a road trip. was awesome.

2005 | got divorced. 2 great people for 2 other great people. i was devestated. worked at a health food brand in marketing. met the swinger and the tart (also blondies). best girlfriends a girl could ask for. then the bruntte catering girl started - she had the nicest brother. i dated him.

2006 | was in love for what felt like the first time in my life with catering girl's brother. resigned from my job. wanted to be ontop of the world for my birthday so i went to austria and stood on a glacier 2600m above sea level. mr ex husband remembered my birthday. what a loser. my holiday was fantastic. went to switzerland and then to venice. came back. had no job. didn't care too much. took a break from life. my brother moved to cape town.

2007 | was still in love. worked for an online casino in cape town. met fabulous people. 3 french chicks. taught me a lot about life, love and friends. met the canadian wild child. she taught me more about myself. was a year of self growth. she became my best friend. she moved to joburg. she's also blonde. things weren't working out with bf. he was young, directionless, but super clever and always bought me flowers. i loved that. he loved smoking weed. we broke up. my heart shattered even tho it was the right thing to do. i got my tattoo, on my wrist... whisper.

2008 | i partied hard. moved to camps bay. bought a new couch. dated a lot. met interesting, boring, nerdy, funny, short, more nerdy people. kissed one of my best friends, my heart raced - wasn't a good idea coz i worked with her, some people knew, some guessed, some suspected. my hair is long again. i like it. turned 30. met mr vancouver. had one night of bliss - happy birthday to me. still party like a rockstar. met a girl. an amazing girl. we connected. i decided to get a job in joburg. then fell in love. i moved to joburg and stay with flat mate - new zealand blondie. missed my gf madly. threw myself into my work and gym. my parents, brother and friends are proud of me for following my heart - work and love.... i love the big city. but i love my gf more. she decided to take the plunge and move up here. she's in jozi. i'm in heaven. now it feels more like home. we moving into a place in sandton at the end of the month. life is beautiful.

Cyanide & Happniess Tuesday - caught in the act

perspective

~ it doesn't matter that we sometimes fall... what matters is if you lying with your face in the sand, or if you are lying on your back staring at the stars ~

bush reported dead

lol, its an old joke... but i still love it!

Life Moments

you are alive
so take your life
and enjoy it
you were born with the right
to be happy
to love
and to share your love
just to be...

so take a risk and enjoy your life
it is all that matters

make every moment count

current addictions

cupcakes ~ the most brightly coloured little evil treats in the universe! but i'm addicted! - i have found 3 specialist cup cake shops in Joburg so far... life has never been sweeter

google maps ~ easy way to find your way - and to see exactly what the street and building look like... no need for GPS for me... i google my way around town!

havaianas ~ fun and colourful flip flops for any summer day outside of the office... and of course my toes are twinkling with the latest summer candy floss colours

rose wine (i know this says rose as in the flower, but i can't find the e with the thingy on it) ~ the red of summer - what better way to drink your way through the summer days and nights! no particular favourite yet... but Wine Sense at Melrose Arch is a great place to start tasting ... along with some cheese and crackers - i just love summer!


** to see my previous current addictions you can click here or here
** being brazen tagged me in September and i've been posting my monthly current addictions ever since... go here to view her latest addictions

3 life changing questions

are you doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?
are you doing nothing but expecting something?
are you being who you are or who you are expected to be by others?

Cyanide & Happiness Monday

for other C&H click here

mistakes

~ Don't punish the people who are presently in your life for the mistakes of those from the past ~

it's the great pumpkin ~ charlie brown

Charlie Brown: Hey! I got an invitation to a Halloween party!

Lucy Van Pelt: Is the invitation to Violet's party?
Charlie Brown: Yes. It's the first time I've been invited to a party.
Lucy Van Pelt: Charlie Brown, if you got an invitation, it was a mistake. There were two lists, Charlie Brown: one to invite, and one not to invite. You must have been put on the wrong list.



Linus: He'll come here because I have the most sincere pumpkin patch and he respects sincerity.
Sally Brown: Do you really think he will come?
Linus: Tonight the Great Pumpkin will rise out of the pumpkin patch. He flies through the air and brings toys to all the children of the world.
Sally Brown: That's a good story.
Linus: You don't believe the story of the Great Pumpkin? I thought little girls always believed everything that was told to them. I thought little girls were innocent and trusting.
Sally Brown: Welcome to the 20th century!

have a spooktacular halloween!