An Evening With Julie Andrews*

*highly original heading, right? 

You know when you get that itch to get out of town? Be it for a vacay or a Sunday drive through the mountains - it just has to be scratched! 
Since Sam & I began dating, we usually spend a few weeks each year travelling; exploring a new city or relaxing on a sunny beach or catching up with far flung friends. Whatever it is, it scratches that itch pretty damn good - enough to leave us feeling inspired, motivated & fulfilled for the other 350 days of the year. 
Unfortunately, last year was a crazily expensive time (car troubles plus animal illness plus every white good & appliance dying = not much left in the kitty!) so we abandoned all plans for a visit to Sydneytown, & ever since, I have had an insatiable itch. The kind I was convinced could only be satisfied with a romantic Parisian holiday or an adventure in Japan. 
Turns out all I we needed was a night away in a tiny apartment overlooking the Brisbane River...& meeting Julie Andrews, well that's the cherry on top!


It all began a couple of months ago, when Sam discovered her most beloved childhood actress was traveling to our shores & for one night would be in a Brisbane theatre to share her life story with thousands of her adoring fans. She hinted at the wonder of this occasion & for once, I clued on without any further prompting.
Phone calls were made, credit cards charged & plan put into action. I kept my lips sealed (believe me, this is difficult with such an exciting event!) knowing that I had succeeded in what may be the greatest birthday gift ever*! 
I had almost forgotten about it all, when I received the call from an insanely excited wife that an unexpected package had landed on our door step - of course, addressed to her. The cat was out of the bag! We excitedly booked our apartment, made plans for a furbaby-sitter & daydreamed of our weekend away. 
Before we knew it, the day was upon us - we packed an overnight case, jumped in the car & sang our way down the mountainside to the bright & bustling city.  

The next 24 hours were a whirlwind of activities - moments of relaxation mixed with an intense intake of atmosphere & culture of the beautiful city. We took a late afternoon walk through Queen Street, marvelled at the vast view from our apartment, enjoyed breakfast in bed as the sun rose then a brunch of Max Brenner before walking along the winding river back to our diggs. Oh, & you know, revelled in An Evening With Julie Andrews!
  
*I am not sure how to top this one...& I fear it's a steady downward spiral from here!

Last, but certainly not least... Whilst I was sitting in the 'nose-bleeds', Sam was spoilt* to VIP seats, delicious treats, & a one-on-one meeting with the divine Julie Andrews...

*Big thanks to our family who made this very special Birthday treat possible!! You are incredible! xx

Byron Bound

I must admit that Summer is my favourite of all the seasons (Winter being the least). I find so much joy in it's warmth and brightness - days filled with icy cold drinks, sun dresses and top knots, afternoon siestas, swimming, road-trips, juicy stone fruits and of course, the Holidays.

Yesterday, was one of those Summer days.

We packed up the car, plugged in some sweet tunes and set the GPS South, to Ballina. The next 5 hours* were spent laughing, singing, waving at passers-by, and eating 'roast chicken and KFC-chip' sandwiches. In true Queenslander-style we chatted about the time difference** as we crossed the QLD-NSW border, and sighed relief that we would soon glimpse that vast and shimmering blue ocean.

As 6pm (or 5pm est) neared, the sun still high, the car was parked, and we dove into the cool, crashing waves. For an hour we delighted in the warm sun on our backs and sand between our toes. We explored rock pools and watched children chase gulls across the sandbar. As as the sun began to kiss the cliff tops, we piled back into the car, salty skin and dripping curls, bound for home.

These are my favourite Summer days - adventurous and candid - celebrating this beautiful season.

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How do you spend your Summer days?

Photograph #2 by Ayden Roberts

* For some ungodly reason we took the longest possible route to the North Coast - through Stanthorpe, Tenterfield and Lismore...yet had we not gone the 'back way' we would not have driven over the highest, narrowest, rickety-est bridge or seen the most gorgeous rolling countryside with foals and lambs galore. (The trip home was much faster, along the coast and up the Mountain.)

** Why, oh why is Queensland still so behind? (or ahead...?) - this topic spurred on much conversation, and dad-jokes about 'time' and the such.

The Exploration Project: Fortitude Valley

My mind is still trying to unpack and process the events of the past 3 weeks, leaving me somewhat speechless - So, I will let these images tell the story.

On My Mind: Career in the Arts

Where has the last 2 weeks gone?!! I woke up this morning, and realized that it was the weekend...only, I feel as if I'm two weeks behind! How can this be! Time is passing me by and I'm just holding on.

The last fortnight has been IN-SANE! I couldn't have possibly been prepared for the incredible opportunity I have been blessed with, and the experiences along the way.
Let me start a few months back:

For the past 8 or so months I have been working on a project in line with my Creative Arts degree. The first half of the year has been spent exploring the creative arts industry and researching the myriad of possible avenues of employment (including what I want to do and what I can/should do in order to live), and then trying to apply this all to my life, in some sort of way. I have interviewed industry professionals, studied practitioners and artists, asked question upon question, and spent sleepless nights dreaming of the life I could create for myself, and my family, if I'm committed to it all.

Well, cut to the beginning of August, I'm back at uni, sitting in my supervisors office - in tears - trying to figure out what I'm going to study this semester, and all of a sudden, he pipes up with
"You should really be applying for a secondment with a theatre company."
I almost fell off my chair. Besides not knowing what the fuck a secondment was (I do now, thanks to Google!) I knew it was going to be something outside of my comfort zone. After another hour of tears, deep breathing and a pep-talk, I was on my way home to research, plan, freak out and figure out the who/what/where of this crazy idea. I began with email an email to a director who I had met during an interview I conducted, months prior. I was so sure I wouldn't get a reply*, and spent another couple of weeks stressing over how I was to explain to my supervisor why I would be doing another boring-as-hell research paper...again.

Fortunately, I wouldn't get the easy way out, and a couple of weeks ago, I found an email in my inbox, accepting my proposal of a limited secondment with the Judith Wright Centre of Creative Arts in Brisbane! I remember the rush of emotions during those first few moments after reading the words "...we would be happy to proceed with a secondment for you." I was jumping up and down on the bed, running around the house laughing and cheering, all while Sam sat bewildered in bed. I guess I just couldn't believe that they would agree to me, an inexperienced student, coming into their workplace and shadowing their employees. I went through the many emotions throughout the next couple of weeks, from absolute joy to an overwhelming fear of failing, and potentially screwing up my future career ventures. It was only by the support from Sam, and my supervisor, I was able to pull myself together and make this into one of the most amazing things I have experienced to date.

So, this Monday passed I traveled 2 hours down the mountain to Brisbane, feeling like I was going to be ill and nervously deep breathing**, yet once I walked into the JWCoCA building, I felt at ease. I knew why I was there, and I believed I deserved to be there - and it has been one of the most wonderful weeks of my life. I have been welcomed with open arms (invisible, business-like arms) and am learning more than I would have just staring at a textbook or sitting in a lecture. I have a renewed passion for the arts and am beginning to find my place within this industry.

I can't wait to share more with you in the coming weeks, and I will be more present than I have been, now that I'm getting into this new routine. I have so many photographs and stories to share from my normal, not-as-exciting-as-all-this life.
 

*Not because I thought they'd be rude enough to not reply, but that I'm really nothing special at all. Agreeing to host a student without business experience, lives 130km away and during the busiest time of the year, is a big task. I am so grateful and blessed to be in this position!
**People in public must think I'm crazy (or in labor) when I do this, as it's often combined with an overly sweaty brow and pained facial expressions.

The Exploration Project

So Spring is finally here, and I feel like a new woman! I am revelling in the warm sunshine, fresh Spring fruit and veg,and am wholeheartedly ready for the annual 'spring clean'! So in celebration of all things fresh and new I have a project lined up for the coming Spring months (perhaps, I will continue through the Summer! We'll see!)

In attempt at fostering a more creative lifestyle, I am 'challenging' myself to capture moments within my every day that I find intriguing/beautiful/inspiring/creative; heck, there might even be some ugly stuff showing up here too! I am constantly noticing everyday objects, scenes and events that I find interesting, and later on wish I had captured that moment.
So, once a week, I will post a few images from the past 7 days, and I welcome feedback, comments, questions, suggestions, etc. I'm always looking for new ways to broaden and explore my creativity, and I would love to use this as a place of exploration; of my own creativity, and that of others. I'd love to 'hear' your ideas for projects and projects you're involved in, constructive criticism, or other blogs and sites which foster creative thinking in you!
I'm excited!

So here's my first instalment of The Exploration Project:

Sunday: Fresh squeezed organic 'Orange, Carrot, Apple and Ginger' juice and organic Cacao milkshake from our local organic market and cafe - Amazing!

Monday: Spring blooms peeking through our fence. So beautiful, however I'm not sure what they are.

Tuesday: The fridge is stocked full of beer, just begging to be enjoyed on a warm afternoon...hopefully soon, as I realised the James Squire is nearing it's use by!

Wednesday: New shoes.

Thursday: I finally put a new calendar up...Better late than never!

 Friday: Delicious dinner; Maple-glazed wings, with an orange and fennel salad & Turkish bread. We adapted this recipe from this lovely lady. *Check out that whopper fennel!!

Saturday: Caught these two soaking up the sun by the back door this morning.
x

Two Years

While laying in bed last night I realized that Sam and I have been together for 2 years. It isn't a long time but a lot has happened in those couple of years. I have grown, discovered, learned, explored and lived more than I could have ever imagined, and I have shared most of these times with Sam. In all those days we've spent 2 nights apart and spend most of our days together; dreaming and creating our life. 

 I'm trying to find the words to tell the story of how we met and found our love, and it's coming together slowly. Very slowly. There's a lot of unpacking of memories and reliving of past times to write our 'story'. It was a difficult path for us to be together, and tested us beyond imagination. Some things make me cringe, others make me giggle like a silly school girl in love. There will be things that are too cruel and confronting for me to write here, but for the most part it's going to be a wonderful journey writing these memories. 

For now, I wanted to share how much I adore this lady, and I think these photos do us justice. 

1.2 Alyce Nelligan

3.4.7.9.13 Samantha Raaen

5.11 Cassie Kowitz

8 Jess Webb

12 Luke Phillipo

 6.10 yours truly

To Market, To Market

So as I said in my last post, Sam and I went to the farmers market last Sunday and we've spent the week enjoying fresh strawberries and home-made caramel slice ever since. There's something relaxing and rejuvenating about waking early to enjoy breakfast at a local cafe followed by strolling hand-in-hand through the lane ways picking out the perfect punnet of berries or tasting 'sweet n salty' popcorn from vendors, all whilst listening to buskers and enjoying the early morning sunshine. Although I don't usually enjoy the chilly mornings up here on the mountain, I found the crisp breeze refreshing and found new appreciation for the dappled sunlight peeking through the trees and between tents which warmed our cold noses and hands.

I love these small, and somewhat ordinary moments spent with Sam. 

It's becoming increasingly harder to find time to devote completely to each other; between study and work and social events we're often exhausted at the end of the day. Even though it's just Sam and I (and the animals) at home, we often get so set in our everyday activities that we forget to savor the little moments spent together. 

I know I often think that we should be traveling more or going out to dinner more or spending more money on things in order to make our life together more memorable, but I'm slowly discovering that it's the little everyday moments spent together that I remember the most. 

Our little Sunday trip has stuck in my head for more than a week now, and I know it'll be a fond memory for a long time to come - no matter how mundane it may seem. 

* Photos by Sam and myself.