New year and many new things in my life! I shall of course only discuss the good things, which today is Psychology and Hoopnotica. Psychology – Most of us have no clue what we want to do job-wise when we leave school. I coasted through two years at uni, before going into a career in IT. To say I “chose” it, isn’t correct. I fell into it, was good at it, so stuck with it. Teaching myself and progressing up the ladder. Does it make me happy though? Not anymore. Its only been in the last year, when I’ve had time to seriously self-reflect and think about who I am, where...

My family has never celebrated Christmas, which has meant some very lonely and quiet Christmases for me. Not that I should feel that way, because technically it’s a Christian holiday, but how many people really remember the true reason for Christmas? I usually feel a little left out of all the fun. This year I decided I didn’t want to spend Christmas Day alone. So two friends and I had a picnic at a local park. We ate and ate, talked and laughed, played on swings and chased one of the girl’s dog around. I am sitting here feeling so warm, relaxed and tierd. Seriously considering...

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love hunting down and acquiring pretty and rare things. Not just any pretty rare thing… it usually revolves around a specific hobby or interest of mine… most of the time anime or manga related, books or cross stitch related. Like the time when Amazon was advertising the superbly limited edition Tales of Beedle the Bard Collectors edition. I initially wanted two copies, one to keep in pristine condition, the other to open and drool over. Alas I only bought one copy, and it sits, un-opened, being pristine and untouchable. Or certain anime/manga statues...

This year I took part in my first cross stitch Christmas Exchange, organised by members of a local cross stitch forum. Members were given the name of another to be the “secret santa stitcher” for… we had to stitch a Christmas themed ornament. Took me a long while to decide what to stitch, but I finally settled on a Just Nan design called ‘Holiday In Ice,’ a complimentary design published in 1997. Surprise surprise… can you tell how addicted I am to her work? Christmas Exchange Holiday In Ice After some initial froggy moments (where I stitched some stitches in one...

Last month I put my name down to take part in a cross stitch meme style Pay It Forward (henceforth referred to as PIF) with the lovely Heather over at Reflections in the Pond. Received the package yesterday and all I can say is, yay! Pay it Forward from Heather Heather sent me: Just Cross Stitch magazine featuring Teresa Wentzler’s ‘Nativity’ Topiary Trees by Teresa Wentzler Petites Peacock & Unicorn by Teresa Wentzler Stitchable bookmark DMC, Whisper, beads and a gorgeous card. I’ve been wanting those TW designs for quite some time, so thankyou Heather! Still need to...

No matter how you earn a living, never forget to: Keep It Simple, Stupid The KISS acronym is applied from principles of business, advertising, computer operating systems to science and learning. Albert Einstein’s maxim was: ‘Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.’ – i before e (except after c) old-school ways to remember stuff by Judy Parkinson How appropriate a mnemonic this one is to my life these days. In trying to stay on top of things, I need to break all my actions down into small manageable steps so as not to lose the plot (ok, lose it more.) One...

I’ve never really been a ‘girly girl.’ I’ve always struggled with the whole clothes, shoes, make-up thing, partly because of my weight and my upbringing. Makeup and high fashion is a no no in my culture. So when I had to go shopping for corporate clothes, I knew I needed help. On Wednesday after work, I bumped into my good friend Angela at the bus stop. We started chatting and she offered to come along with me. I’d pick her up from her place and we’d head over to Sylvia Park for a day of shopping. The art of clothes shopping is an interesting one… I started...

I am very happy to report that yours truly is finally gainfully employed! Its been a rough 7 months since I lost my last job thanks to these recessionary times, and while I am excited about the new role, I am also very very relieved. No more worrying about how to pay the bills, no more worrying about transport, no more worrying about eating! I have learned some valuable lessons too, and will never ever find myself in this position again. Busy few days ahead. Things were verbally agreed on over the weekend, picking up the contract today, and I’ll be starting work tomorrow. Such a fast pace, but...

Yet another installment of ‘Things I Love’ and a little late, oh well! Fantasy Sampler Unicorn Teresa Wentzler – is a needlework designer of much re-known and fame. She’s been around for a long time and has a massive fan base. My own discovery of her happened 6 years ago when I was searching for interesting cross stitch designs. A lot of the designs out back then were, well, crap. Homesy, drab, Americana style designs that didn’t appeal in the least. Then I discovered Teresa’s designs, and it’s been a love affair since. While I love her work, I’ve never...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I know this is a bit early, but I wanted to get it up to share with my friends in all the various time zones they inhabit. The design is called ‘Scream Girls’ by Just Nan, a quick fun stitch for a colourful Halloween treat. Hope everyone who celebrates has fun! I am definitely looking forward to the trick or treaters. Scream Girls by Just...