Messy Smashmas

So Christmas has come and gone... and whilst I don't really believe in it, I do believe in having a few drinks.... and so this year, I renamed the day "Smashmas!!".

On "Smashmas Eve", I cooked a beautiful roast chicken to enjoy with my friend Eve, who was down from Brisbane. It was my first attempt, and it turned out perfectly, if I do say so myself!

On "Smashmas Day" day, the weather was absolutely beautiful for a change, and the gorgeous sun was out in force.

I spent the day down near the beach with a few other 'orphaned' friends and we ate, drank, dipped in the ocean, and most importantly, laughed!!

The boys

The 'Tipsy' Tree

The highlight of the day for me was seeing Ben, a Scotsman who'd only been in Australia for a few months, enter the ocean for the first time. Upon realising how cold the water was, he started to tiptoe into the ocean.... which was funny in itself. Once he was waist deep in, a massive wave started moving towards him.... and I have to say that seeing the look of pure horror on his face, while he turned around and tried to RUN from this wave, only to get dumped, was probably the most hilarious thing I have seen all year!

I hope you all had a lovely day as well :)

x Mich

I love Coogee!

With all the events of the last couple of weeks, I've failed to mention that I moved apartments. I must say, I truly DESPISE moving. I counted up the number of times I've moved, and in the last eight years I have moved a total of 10 - yes, you read that right - 10 times!! 10 times through three different states... Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales... and that number doesn't include the handful of times I've crashed on someone's couch whilst looking for somewhere 'permanent' to live. Crazy? Most certainly! But hopefully this is the last move for quite some time....

So where did I move to? Well I've actually stayed in Coogee, but I've moved much closer to the beach. My apartment is on a high level, and I am extremely blessed to be greeted with 180 degree views of Coogee beach and the ocean! It is truly a spectacular sight, and seeing the ocean everyday seems to calm something within me.

Coogee Beach and the Bay

Wedding Cake Island...you can sort of see it!

These photo's were taken on my new iPhone 4 - my insurance claim finally came through! It's a shame that I couldn't get a 4s.... but oh well! I'm so glad to be part of the digital world again lol :)

Now - if only the weather would clear up and some sun would shine through - these pictures (and the cloudy outlook) simply do not do the view justice! Honestly Sydney - why have you become like Melbourne all of a sudden? There's a reason why I'm here and not there.... so brighten up, stat!! :)

x Mich

Nickelback

http://data.liveguide.com.au.s3.amazonaws.com/newsandreviews/nickelback.jpg

I have been a huge fan of Nickelback ever since they released their album 'Silver Side Up' in my senior year of highschool. I love how their songs can range from dynamic rock anthems to powerful love ballads, and their lyrics have always stuck a chord with me.
OK - I know not everyone likes Nickelback, and many have criticised the band for being misogynistic, but I personally take some of their lyrics to be tongue in cheek - some people need to loosen up and gain a sense of humour! :)
I recently purchased their latest album from iTunes the other day, titled 'Here and Now', and there is one song that has struck a particular chord with me - 'Trying Not to Love You'. I have shared the lyrics of this song below, taken from http://www.metrolyrics.com

NICKELBACK - TRYING NOT TO LOVE YOU 
(V1)You call to me, and I fall at your feetHow could anyone ask for more?And our time apart, like knives in my heartHow could anyone ask for more?

(Chorus)But if there's a pill to help me forget,God knows I haven't found it yetBut I'm dying to, God I'm trying to

'Cause trying not to love you, only goes so farTrying not to need you, is tearing me apartCan't see the silver lining, from down here on the floorAnd I just keep on trying, but I don't know what for'Cause trying not to love youOnly makes me love you moreOnly makes me love you more

(V2)And this kind of pain, only time takes awayThat's why it's harder to let you goAnd nothing I can do, without thinking of youThat's why it's harder to let you go

(Chorus)But if there's a pill to help me forget,God knows I haven't found it yetBut I'm dying to, God I'm trying to

'Cause trying not to love you, only goes so farTrying not to need you, is tearing me apartCan't see the silver lining, from down here on the floorAnd I just keep on trying, but I don't know what for'Cause trying not to love youOnly makes me love you more

(Bridge)So I sit here divided, just talking to myselfWas it something that I did?Was there somebody else?When a voice from behind me, that was fighting back tearsSat right down beside me, and whispered right in my earTonight I'm dying to tell you

That trying not to love you, only went so farTrying not to need you, was tearing me apartNow I see the silver lining, from what we're fighting forAnd if we just keep on trying, we could be much more'Cause trying not to love youOh, yeah, trying not to love youOnly makes me love you moreOnly makes me love you more

[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/trying-not-to-love-you-lyrics-nickelback.html ]

Copied from MetroLyrics.com 

What resonates with me is:

But if there's a pill to help me forget,God knows I haven't found it yetBut I'm dying to, God I'm trying to

And this kind of pain, only time takes awayThat's why it's harder to let you goAnd nothing I can do, without thinking of youThat's why it's harder to let you go
I'm looking forward to six months from now, when the pain will have lessened, if not completely dissappeared. Either that, or someone invents that magic pill! It's sad that I'm wishing time away though, isn't it?
I am a lot stronger though, despite the mood of this post. But the healing process takes time, and I'm allowing myself that time. I cannot rush this. I cannot dull what I am feeling. I cannot be on a time frame determined by others as to when I 'should be better by'.

They say that a journey starts with just one step. I have done that, and have to continue taking each day as it comes.

x Mich

Surviving

It's been a little while since my last post, but considering the events of the last few weeks I think it's understandable. It's been hard for me to make a return, but I'm here. I may feel hollow, as if something significant has died inside, but I'm still here. I'm still alive, and I am surviving.

I think I'm still in shock, to be honest. I didn't see this coming. I thought he was happy with us. Which in hindsight is kind of stupid, because while he was living on the Gold Coast I was still in Sydney, and I knew he wasn't in a happy place. But I truly thought he was getting better. I was busy planing to move up there to be with him.We were planning overseas trips. I was happy. I didn't realise he wasn't anymore.

This really isn't easy for me. I love Shaine more than anything. And it's absolutely gut wrenching to know that the future that you had planned is no longer there.  But if someone doesn't love you back, what can you do? If you truly love someone, you have to let them go. And I truly do love him. So I have to let him go.

The first few days were really hard. I tried to keep myself busy - I went to the beach to tan and go for a walk, and I caught up with a friend and met a few new people and went out to Ivy (where we subsequently got kicked out - arguing with the bouncer is never a good idea, but that's a story for another time), but I mainly stayed at home. While seeing people did help, the fact of the matter is when it got to 1am I was crying because I'm over getting drunk and going out and I wanted to go home to Shaine. I tried to go to work, but I couldn't concentrate.

I'm back at work now. I suppose I could say I'm feeling a little bit better, but it's mainly because I'm not crying anymore. I actually wish I could cry - all I feel is a pain in my chest that I wish I could release. I flit between feeling that or numbness. Since I can't release the pain, or I'm finding myself numb, I'm throwing myself into my Mortgage Brokers course. It's taking my mind off things and giving me something to look forward to.

I'm not going to move home to Perth. I think that a lot of people expect me to. But I don't want to, and I wont. Although I am fairly isolated here in Sydney, I do enjoy my job and I get paid well. I'm going to stay here for at least the next 12 months and start looking after me. I'm going to throw myself into my work and my study, and finally pay off my debt and save up some money. Eventually I will become a Mortgage Broker, travel overseas, get the breast enlargement surgery I've always wanted (shhh), and buy a home.

I don't know what else to say. I guess I'll write another post when I do.

x Mich

Heartbroken

http://cache2.allpostersimages.com/p/LRG/27/2751/MT3TD00Z/posters/i-anson-richard-palm-trees-against-an-ellis-beach-sunset-australia.jpg

"If you love something set it free; if it returns, it's yours forever; if not it was never meant to be." - Anonymous

I'll always love you Shaine.

x Mich

A few thoughts; a review on Absynthe; a new dress!

A few thoughts....

I'm writing this post today from Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. I flew up yesterday morning to be with Shaine as Francesca's funeral was held yesterday in Perth, and I wanted to keep Shaine company. And to be honest - I didn't want to be in Sydney alone.

It's strange how death can affect the living. Despite not having known Francesca well, her death has rattled me. It has had me thinking about the people who mean the world to me - about how much I miss them and how much they mean to me. I don't ever want to lose anyone close to me, but I know eventually it is inevitable.

I really need to keep in touch with the ones I love better, particularly those in Perth. But I don't. I think I'm so worried that keeping in touch with everyone will make me miss them even more than I already do, and I'll end up throwing in the towel career-wise and move back home - which is not an option for me. I did the exact thing in 2009, when I moved back to Perth after living in Melbourne for 18 months. I missed everyone terribly, and I felt extremely isolated and sad. I suppose the difference back then was that I really didn't like Melbourne, and my job at the time was going nowhere anyway. This time around, I love Sydney, and I love my job. But I have no-one here! My loved ones are all either on the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth. Not in Sydney.

Arrgghhh!!! No more deep thinking Michelle! It's time I moved onto something a more positive!!


A review on Absynthe
Anyway - yesterday evening Shaine and I decided to dine at Absynthe restaurant, which is below the Q1 building in Surfers Paradise. We've walked past it a number of times, and have always wondered about the food there, but the thing that always turned us off was that it always looked quite empty. Because of it's apparent lack of diners, we didn't make a booking. Boy, was that a mistake.

When we walked towards Absynthe, we saw that once again there were a number of vacant tables. So we'd be fine to get seated right away, right? WRONG. When we told the hostess that we didn't have a booking, she just about gave us the third degree, and made it apparent that we were lucky to be getting a table because someone who had made a reservation was late. Alllllrighty then. I guess all of the vacant tables were purely there for decorative purposes then?

When we were finally seated, we decided to take advantage of the degustation menu with six courses as they were offering a 50% discount for the month. Considering it ending up only costing us  $105 per head with wines it was a pretty good deal! But I must say that overall, while the menu was good, I probably wouldn't be paying full price for it - or be dining there again.

The service kept falling with every course that was served. There was no explanation of each course, aside from the basic menu description. The wines were served in the incorrect order, with the incorrect courses. And there was an extensive delay between each course serve. It was absolutely disgusting. To make matters worse, a couple who came in while we were on our fourth course ended up getting through the first three courses of the degustation menu before someone even bothered to collect our payment. And the tables that were vacant at the beginning of the evening? They remained vacant. Absolutely disgusting service.


A new dress!
Oh geez - I was supposed to be more positive, wasn't I? Oops! Well I forgot to mention earlier that I bought a new dress for dinner last night - it's a beautiful backless cobalt blue dress by Blockout. New dresses always make me happy! Hahaha, god I can be such a girl sometimes :)

So what do you think of the new dress? I'll post a picture of the front soon :)

Lots of love,
Mich xox

Life

http://www.justquotes.org/images/short-life-quotes-3.jpg

Life is truly a funny thing. A wonderful gift of course, but fraught with the unknown. Every day we wake, we face a number of possibilities - some known and planned, but for the most part, the possibilities before us remain veiled and unknown.

Because of all these unknown possibilities, life can be likened to a roller coaster ride. We get on board with, at best, a vague idea of what to expect. However it is not until the ride takes off that we truly experience it for all it's worth. With every high, there is an equal low; for every sharp twist and turn, there is a narrow straight; for all the fear and screams, there is also laughter and a feeling of giddy exhilaration.

The beauty and tragedy of life is that despite having a vague idea of what is in store for us, none of us truly know exactly when we will face that sharp turn, or have everything thrown upside down, or when it will end. We can't ever really know what is ahead of us, and so we cannot ever really prepare for it.

Because of our inability to prepare for life's challenges, most of us charge forth into every day oblivious to what is around us. We rush off to work or school and we focus on the little every day things that don't really mean anything. We worry about getting paid, and being able to pay the bills, and whether or not 'so and so' said this about us, and so forth. While I am not discounting these concerns - they are all valid, and I face these very same concerns every day - the fact of the matter is that we shouldn't let these concerns dictate the direction our lives take. It should never become the main focus.

Too often we forget to treasure those around us. We forget about the ones we love, or we neglect them. We forget to take in the beauty that surrounds us from our friends, our family, and from the very nature around us.

I was reminded of this today.

It is with great sadness that I write that Shaines good friend Francesca died tragically on Wednesday. She was only 32.

The news has come as a real shock to me, and I am quite upset. And I feel absolutely selfish to be feeling this way because I didn't know her as well as I'd liked to, and what I'm feeling simply cannot compare to the extreme pain her family and her friends, including Shaine, are going through right now.

I had only met Francesca a few times, and because she lived back in Perth I never had the opportunity to get to know her better. But from the moment I met her, I really liked her. She was a happy, fun, and friendly girl with a beautiful smile. She was a good, close friend to Shaine, and to many others. I can't believe that she is gone.

My thoughts and my prayers are with her family and friends.

Francesca - ciao Bella. I like to think that one day we will all meet again, and we'll finally get to know each other properly. Sleep peacefully.

With love, Mich xox

Leather me up!

Look what I received in the post yesterday!

I purchased this lovely skirt off eBay a few weeks ago - I know I shouldn't be shopping, but I've been looking for a leather skirt for ages, and this skirt was exactly what I was looking for at a price that didn't break the bank.

I've become really interested in adding leather pieces to my wardrobe lately, particularly since I saw a photo of Rachel Bilson wearing a pair of leather shorts along with a beautiful flowing floral top.She looked absolutely stunning! And so the obsession with leather began, and two months ago I purchased a pair of brand new genuine leather shorts for only $20!

The next thing on my list is to purchase a pair of leather pants, but that may have to wait until Autumn next year - after all, it is Spring now and leather pants would be too hot to wear! Having said that, aside from todays lovely weather, Spring seems to have disappeared in Sydney. We've had a run of overcast, rainy and just plain gloomy weather.... hopefully today's beautiful day marks the end of the bad run of weather!

What are your thoughts on leather?

xx Mich :)

Happy Days!

October is PUMPING! We're just over a week into the month, and I've just about made my monthly target - YAY!! That is, of course, if everything gets approved and delivered this month. But so far, so good - October is definitely looking awesome, and I'm looking forward to absolutely SMASHING my target!! :)

Sadly, I have no news on my iPhone yet - I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the cab company might have found it by tomorrow. All I can do is keep positive - if worst comes to worst I'll make a claim on my Insurance. - thank goodness I have that in place!

Moving on - as I mentioned in my last post, Shaine and I had our one year anniversary on Wednesday. I flew up to the Goldy again, and we celebrated by having dinner at Vie Restaurant at the Palazzo Versace. It was lovely - the food, the ambiance, the staff. The only problem was that Shaine and I had started drinking earlier in the afternoon with some friends, so by the time we made it to the restaurant we were well and truly TANKED. Oops. I guess it should come to no surprise then that I would leave my iPhone behind in the cab. The lesson has been well and truly learned!

In other news, we're planning to take a trip to Europe next year. Shaine and I have been talking about it for awhile, but I know that if I put our plans up here then I will put myself under pressure to ensure our travel plans become a reality! We have decided to do the Contiki Mediterranean Trail + 7 day Greek Island Cruise around July next year. The tour will last 18 days, during which we will explore Rome, Sorrento, Corfu, Athens, Istanbul, Mykonos and Santorini - just to name a few. I'm so excited!

Santorini!
(Picture taken from http://www.greektravel.com/greekislands/santorini/)

Lots of Love,
Mich :)

Oops.

I lost my iPhone last night :*(

Silly me left it in the cab last night when I was paying the driver. I'm normally so careful, but I think I went a bit overboard with the alcohol last night, after celebrating my one year Anniversary with Shaine. Oops!

I'm not a religious person, but I'm praying that someone honest has found it and will hand it in. Although the phone is only a material item, it's very important to me. Your prayers would be appreciated!

Thanks :)

With love,
Mich xox

Love makes my world go round

Work is a bit slow today, so I've been spending a bit of time blog stalking, which has prompted me to write another post on my own blog focusing on why my blog is named so. Apologies in advance, as I'm in a thoughtful, daydreaming mood and I anticipate that I'm going to be rambling a bit!

Finding a blog title was quiet difficult for me, especially since this is the first Blog I have ever started and I had no idea what direction it would go. Having only made a few posts so far, I still don't know where it's going to go! Which is why I thought that I should make the title a little bit more personal to me, as no matter which direction this blog heads, the one common factor that would always remain would be me.

I titled this blog "With Love, Mich" as one of the most important things in my life is Love. Too many people, including myself, have wasted precious time and energy into people, jobs, and various activities that we dislike or despise, all the while forgetting what it means to have happiness and love in our lives. When I started this blog, I knew that I wanted to make it a positive and happy experience, not only for myself but for whoever reads this too.

When I left Perth, I was an emotional wreck - I had left a soul sucking relationship with an abusive narcissist, who had reduced me to a faint shadow of the person I was. I had lost a lot of confidence, not only in myself, but in others as well. - and the most scary thing was that I never thought I would find love again. I felt betrayed, hollow, and lost. Little did I know that going through that dreadful relationship was probably the one of the most important things to happen in my life, because it ultimately it led me here in Sydney, and it led me to Shaine.

Shaine is the most loving and supportive man I have ever met. He never puts me down, and he always supports me. We never (yes, never!) argue. Instead, we discuss everything and we hear each other out. We also give each other the required kick up the backside when required! Above all, we understand and respect each other.

Before I get too mushy, I guess what I'm trying to say is that Shaine reminded me that Love does exist. Since being with him, I am the happiest that I have ever been in my life. I've remembered that not everyone is out to discredit me, or put me down, and that good, pure, GENUINE people still exist! Despite the fact that we are currently separated by state lines, I've been able to see the beauty in things once more, and compared to where I was 15 months ago, I now feel like ME again.

My friends, too, have reminded me that Love exists. Although I may not see them all or keep in contact as well as I should, I know that they will always have my back, and I theirs. It doesn't matter how much time has passed, I know that when we see each other again we will pick up right where we left off. My friends are my family, and I love them dearly.

Having said that, I know I'm not perfect, and I do have the occasional whinge. We all have a little whinge sometimes- it's normal, quite natural, and to be honest, it's to be expected at times - life is never perfect, after all! However, while we many have the occasional whinge, I don't think the majority of us mean too much by it. I am thankful everyday for the friends in my life who understand it when we need a little vent, and understand when we need support, and understand when we are just having a little bit of fun!

And so it came to be that I named this blog 'With Love, Mich' - to remind myself everyday of the love I have in my life, and to remember that things are never as bad as it may seem. I'm not a perfect being, but with everything I do, it comes from a place of Love.

To all my friends out there - I miss you and I love you all. Without your love and support, I wouldn't be where I am now.

To many more years of love and friendship!

With love,
Mich :) xoxo

Lusting

What's happened to Spring, Sydney?? It's cold, grey, and pouring down with rain... I may as well be back in Melbourne! Oh well - I guess I should be glad I'm at work and can't go to Parklife today, this weather is terrible!

*Sigh* I just wanted to get that off my chest :)

Moving on, I thought I'd share a few things that I've been lusting after - as you may have noticed, I spend a lot (ALL) of my time at work in front of my computer, and have perhaps a little bit too much time on my hand to surf the Internet. These are some of the lovely things that I have found in the last week!

Kookai Snake Clasp (Comes in both bracelet and necklace versions)
http://www.kookai.com.au/womens-clothing-styling.php

Kookai Miami Bangles
http://www.kookai.com.au/womens-clothing-styling.php

Oroton Essential Flats - Leopard Spots
http://www.oroton.com/footwear/oroton-essential-flats/w1/i1504459_1036245/

PeepToe "Miss Soho" Shoes in Coral
http://www.styletread.com.au/miss-soho-coral.html

It's a shame I'm on a shopping ban!

With love,

Mich :) xxx

Grape Seed Oil - a Miracle for skin!

September has been soooo SLOW.... work-wise anyway. After hitting my target last month, I truly thought that the economy was fine, but this month.... well, I'm not too sure at the moment. I'm miles away from my target, and with one day to go until the month closes off there's no chance to redeem myself! Sales have slowed down, and everyone seems to be shying away from finance options and are paying cash for everything - which I suppose is a good thing, but it doesn't help me out! Lol, oh well. What can I do? Well I'm looking forward to a busy, action-packed October! (Who says I can't be optimistic?)

So with the free time on my hand, I've realised there's a MIRACLE skincare product that I want everyone to know about. It's 100% natural, very easy to obtain, and it only costs around $5.00 for 500ml. So what is it?

100% GRAPE SEED OIL.


Yes, you heard me right - Grape Seed Oil. Bought directly from Woolworth's supermarket shelves for $5.00. The stuff they use for cooking oil. Sounds gross doesn't it? I thought so too at first, but a wise woman once said to me:

"If I can't eat it, why would I put it on my skin?"

Her words stopped me in my tracks - she had a point. In recent times people are becoming more aware of what they are eating and putting INTO their bodies - why aren't we also concerned with what we are putting ON our bodies? After all, skin is the human bodies largest organ. - shouldn't we be more aware of what we are putting into it? And so, it was with the principle of "If I can't eat it, I won't put it on my skin" that I made my foray into Grape Seed Oil.

So how is it a miracle oil?

It's a miracle oil for me because:

1. It is light and easily absorbed into my skin
2. My skins stays moisturised throughout the day
3. My skins oil stays in CONTROL and doesn't get to that 3pm oiliness stage
4. My pores have decreased in size
5. My skin is tighter and more supple, and above all CLEARER

All of these things in just four weeks of using it!

Mind you, I don't use it during the day, as it does leave a light sheen on your face if you don't blot it away with tissue paper. I use it at night after my cleansing and toning routine. During the day I use a natural moisturiser with an avocado oil base. Before using the grape seed oil I noticed that my skin would get an oily sheen by the end of the day, however since using the grape seed oil the sheen has dissappeared!

Now, I can still hear your objections - how can Grape Seed Oil CONTROL the oil in your skin? Wouldn't oil make your skin oilier? But after doing some research, I realised that all moisturisers have some form of oil in their product, whether it be olive oil, soybean oil, avocado oil, or - you guessed it - good old Grape Seed Oil.

I have always had fairly oily skin, and as such I have always been prone to breakouts and blackheads. Going through puberty was a nightmare - my pores were HUGE, my blackheads were dark and menacing, and at one stage my youngest sister (who was seven at the time) dubbed me "Pizza Face". It was the stuff teenage nightmares are made of. Because of this I was always drawn to the "Oil-Free" moisturising products, and as I grew older and started earning money, I began to spend my money on more expensive skincare brands in the vain hope that they had the 'technology' to control my skin.

However it is only now that I come to understand that my skin NEEDS oil - we all do. Moisturisation is achieved when we replenish the oils that we have lost in our skin. So it would make sense that we would use natural oils, wouldn't it? Not only that, but Grape Seed oil is rich with antioxidants and Vitamin E, all of which help the skin keep healthy.

If you're still in doubt, check out some of the links below, which outline the benefits of grape seed oil. Otherwise, for only $5.00 a bottle it's a pretty good punt! If you don't like it on your skin, fry some chips with it instead.

The Oil Cleansing Method
Grapeseed oil - Promoting Health Within and Without
Grape seed benefits in skin care cosmetics

All I know is - it works for me and I LOVE it!

xx Mich :)

Clothes my boyfriend has banned me from wearing

Shaine has banned me from wearing certain clothes.

Yes. That's right, you heard it here first. There are certain things he has banned me from wearing.

Do I listen to him?

HELL NO. After all, where would the fun be in that?!

So what has he banned me from wearing?

"Nothing frilly or with ruffles, or tassles (tossles??)... (yes, his words exactly!

Black frilly bib necklace from Kookai

...and DEFINITELY no Skorts, or polka dots!!"

White Kookai top with lace pleated shoulders;  High-waisted skort from Sportsgirl.

So, can I wear pleats then?

"What are pleats??"

I show him my new white Kookai tank top which has pleated lace shoulder accents.

"But they're frilly! NO FRILLS."


Maybe I should wear this pleated skirt next time I see him!

Black tank top from Kookai; Black skinny belt from Sportsgirl; Pink pleated skirt from Sportsgirl.

Hahaha - poor, silly Shaine. Doesn't he know that his protest is futile? After all - he knows my wardrobe is made up of everything he has banned!!

Happy Friday!!

Lots of Love,
Mich :) xox

Bad Blogger

First things first. I have been a terrible blogger this week. I have broken the cardinal rule of blogging, which is "Write REGULARLY". Oops.

Anyway, to recap my week - last weekend Shaine was in Sydney for a conference - lucky me! Well, lucky if you don't count the fact that I was working all weekend. I did have Monday off though, and I trekked into the City to have breakfast with Shaine in Darling Harbour. And guess what - I wore my trusty Bright Red Capri Pants again! I'm really beginning to fall in love with these pants, and so I thought I'd better share a picture with you - please don't mind the fact that it looks like I'm gripping on for dear life:

This time around, Shaine didn't say anything... but I did get a full frontal stare from a woman waiting at the bus stop! Was it positive or negative? Hmm... I don't know, but at least I'm making an impression!(?)

After breakfast, I made my way back home to visit my local hairdresser for a few highlights. From there I then walked down to the beach to get my tan on while reading  "The Girl Who Played With Fire" by Stieg Larsson. Have I mentioned to you just how much I love my Kindle?!

Later that evening I got dressed to meet Shaine in town again - this time to have dinner before heading out on a river cruise as part of the Convention he was attending. The river cruise was lovely - I love cruising in Sydney Harbour, the views are always so beautiful, and it was nice to be out with Shaine talking to strangers! It's quite funny - in social situations (particularly those that involve alcohol), Shaine and I get into our little routine of witty repertoire, whereby we take the piss and insult each other endlessly. It starts out quite funny at first, but towards the latter part of the evening (i.e. after several more glasses of alcohol had been consumed), we may have offended someone - unintentionally of course! But that's another blog update for another time.

Darling Harbour - right before we boarded the boat

Other than that, life has been pretty 'ho-hum'. I've been at work.... not doing much work.....although it's through no fault of my own! I work in a sales/finance/insurance role, and the economy has really seemed to slow down.... believe me, I want to be working - after all, no work = no money. Eek!

So I guess I really don't have an excuse for being a bad blogger, do I?

xx Mich