Okay so this blogging every day for a month didn’t actually happen. I became internetless for a week due to changing ISPs and then all I did was watch My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic once we were connected again.

So what has happened over the past week or so? Well Erin’s and my  care package arrived at each other houses within a day of each other. I loved mine and will be sharing in another post soon.  Work became super busy and has started to return a normal pace.  I developed some sort of stomach bug and couldn’t keep food down for 8 days.  I was a model for a friend who is doing body painting last Sunday. It was so much fun.  Again another post.

I’m finally back to my regular routine at the gym and have started saving again. So life is good.

So tonight my flatmate made a peanut butter cake  which I think was inspired by this for a baby shower.  I got to have a bit of the cut offs and omg is it super rich and probably not the greatest idea in the world to do when your tummy is already dodgy.  I’m so sure my body is telling me to lay off the sugar and the caffeine for a while so I might start doing that tomorrow, when there is no cake near me.

What goals do you have this week?

How was your weekend? mine was spent mostly resting and trying to take it easy from being a little unwell over the week.  I managed to leave my house for the first time since Thurs and had coffee and cake with Phillip and Kahu.  Bad idea according to my tummy.  Urgh! Hopefully everything will be better this week

In the meantime I’m participating in Paper Mama self photo challenge. Are  you?  I love to see your post if you are.

My camera is currently dead at the moment and since I bought it in Japan- I can’t seem to find the battery charger. Any hoo you’ll have to excuse the poor quality pic and the poor lighting. It was New Years eve/day *

Obsessing over…

being well again and getting back into regular exercise.

Working on…

establishing routines again. I’m feeling a little all over the place at the moment so getting regular exercise,diet and more routines will definitely help.

Thinking about…

future plans and what I need to do to make them happen

Anticipating…

Death Cab for Cutie concert in few weeks. So excited.

Listening to…

the humming sound of my netbook

Eating…

well right now its 11pm at night but at dinner it was Steak and Brocoslaw

Wishing…

I could do all the things I want to do NOW.

* Oh yeah blogging after 11pm at night makes me lazy to the point of I can’t be bothered to crop.

Some more illustration love

Artist: Yoko Furusho

I’m a bit woe is me I’m sick at the moment so have been keeping it low key at home since yesterday afternoon.  But enough of that.  Just thought I’d share a little illustration series by Kitty Moss  that I’m loving at the moment.

ballgowns at breakfast. wine not?

the veil; the only way to deal with a bad hair day

there is no new black….EVER

Jane Eerie

I got so caught up in other people’s online lives, opinions and self expressions that I forgot about mine and the good things that have happened and are happening.  I neglected the fact that for the first time in about ten years, I’ve only had one anxiety attack in a year and that was due to being in a foreign country, being incredibly sick and not being able to speak the language.  I’ve been exercising more than I ever did since mandatory high school P.E classes and have been thinking about making more changes to help lose weight but also be healthier long term.  I’m starting (well trying to) to save money for another overseas trip next year.   I have a small group of friends whom I see on an irregular basis. My weekends are always filled with caffeine, naps and gaming.  I lead a quiet life but it’s good.  It’s moving towards other things, bigger adventures, new sights, and new people.  Right now I’m just doing the groundwork.

Sometimes I just need a little reminder.

For as long as I remember I have suffered from major anxiety issues and still do. Many people thought I had left high school at a very young age because I didn’t like it but the truth was I left because I was suffering from panic attacks, depression and extreme social anxiety at the time.  None of which my parents or close friends knew about.  Since then I have had few depressive/ anxiety episodes where they have grown into full blown panic attacks to a sense of overwhelming fear.  It has taken me a very long time but recent years have shown that I have somehow learnt to manage my anxiety to a more controllable state.  Here are 5 things I have learnt that has helped me deal with anxiety.

1. Sleep.  If you can try and get whatever the recommended dose is (8 hours) every night. Try and establish a sleeping routine, one that will work for you.  I can not recommend this enough
2. Take regular breaks at work or study.
3. Surround yourself with people who are loving, accepting and are positive influences in your life.  For a certain period in my life, I went out with a guy who made it obvious that I was flawed and to be loveable/acceptable to him and his social circle I need to change physically but also personality. When that relationship ended, and I began to rebuild my life again, I found it easier to deal with my anxiety because the friends that I already had continued to be supportive even though I didn’t realise it when I was in said relationship.  Please note mentioned ex was not a horrible guy and was a major instigator in forcing me to get professional help.  It was just easier to finally deal with things when the relationship had finally finished.
4. Establish regular exercise into your life.  I wish I had switched onto this earlier.  Exercise for your own wellbeing and not to compete with others…..unless you’re that way inclined.
5. Delay worrying.  When you find yourself worrying about something – tell yourself that you worry about it later.  Quite often the things we worry about the most never actually occur.

Next week I will try write 5 more ways to deal with anxiety. How do you cope with anxiety and stress?

I love this film

Dear Lisa Khoury,

It is without doubt that this letter is one among many, that I’m not sure why I am even responding when there are  more eloquent and succinct responses out there.

Tattoos are not a modern invention, they has been around for centuries and if you done your homework, you would find that they hold very significant spiritual and cultural values in many parts of the world. Tattoos have and always be an expression of one’s self and societal status.  For example the Moko tattoo in Maori culture was traditionally seen as a sign of status and now has become a symbol of the revival of the language and culture.

But this isn’t about tattoos, and their histories or your dislike for them. You’re entitled to that opinion.  This is about the harmful message you are broadcasting to those who are still yet impressionable. It is about the reinforcement of outdated ideals that reek in sexism, cultural insensitivity and pure shallowness.

It is about the idea that a women’s purpose, value and worth lies only  in her physical ability to make “heads turn”, “guys drool” and that the notion of class and elegance is derived from this. It is about claiming that activities such as going to the gym, shopping, high heels are symbols of class and elegance but intelligence, self expression, kindness and acceptance of others and confidence are not.  It is about the perception that one’s morals and values is inanely wrapped up in one’s physical appearance and  that those who do not fall  within your perceived societal norm will find themselves struggling to teach any form of moral code.  It is about classifying women as objects and commodities of desire.  It is about inadvertently dismissing those who fall out of the hetreosexual/ cis  female gender realm.

That is my problem with your opinion piece because quite frankly I don’t give two hoots if you like tattoos or not.

yours sincerely,

Rochelle