Mia and other things.

Photo taken by the lovely Edaburi

And I'm back! I do apologize, taking off quite so suddenly, disappearing without a word...

Blogtoberfest is also over and my record is in tatters. But I promise you, I have a good reason.

Remember my post about House hunting? Well, I found that house. I found the house where I could rest my weary soul for at least another year before I have to move on again. (Well, that also depends on whether or not we are allowed to sign the lease for another year..)

So when I first signed up for Blogtoberfest, I wasn't exactly counting on the fact that I'd be losing my connection to the internet for more than half the month. And it is quite hard to blog without the internet, isn't it? So I do beg for your forgiveness and understanding. But I have so much to tell and share!

The above photo is actually of me during my recent visit to the Melbourne Zoo with my dearest friend Edaburi. She took the photo while I was strolling along, with nary in my head other than the thoughts of "oh my god, oh my god, what's in the next enclosure?" It was a fantastic visit even though it started to rain on us towards the end of our visit. We finished the day with pho from a vietnamese restuarant down in Richmond. Yummy.






Before I forget.. remember our very first giveaway from Waltzing through with Talent with Kristy from Filmless Photos? We do have a winner you know. I know, I know, terribly belated, but better than never? I do promise that all future giveaway winners will be announced on time. I do hope you are able to forgive me this one time!

Without further ado, our lucky winner for the very first giveaway is Haptree from Haptree and me! Congratulations darling! You win a free 8x10 print of your choice from Filmless Photos.

Do watch out for the next Waltzing through with Talent segment. It will go live today!



Image by Dottie Angel

Have you heard of the 'dottie angel' challenge? It is the challenge of the utmost kind and after reading about it, I knew this was a challenge after my own heart and that I had to give it a go.

However with all challenges, there must be rules and exceptions. These make the challenge realistic and of course, much easier to keep.

Food, undies, socks For obvious reasons, really. I can take 2nd hand shoes, but I will never be able to buy undies or socks from an Op shop. My love for op shops only brings me quite so far.

Gifts to me: It is not my responsibility as to what others would like to gift me. I would however, prefer handmade or thrifted, of course.

Business supplies: I think this requires no explanations.

Magazine allowance: I already have subscriptions going, plus half of them are actually for mumsies.

Electronics: While I do try to buy second hand consoles, sometimes it is just not worthwhile.

Large items of furnitures: I have tried. I went around looking for a shelf for my pantry, and ended up with nothing. Only Ikea had something that would have suited. I do however, promise to always try the op shops first before heading over to Ikea.

My start date will be today: Monday 2nd of November 2009. It will go on for one year, and I really do hope to be able to meet this challenge.

Excited? Oh terribly terribly so.






Also, it's fantastic to be back.

Mia and other things.

7 days to go: House hunting ahoy!

Image by Ania via Flickr


I'm moving house! Or I have to, soon.
The lease on my current house is expiring and while I love the place, I have been falling sick quite often in this house. I don't agree with heaters as they are incredibly dry and my skin is too sensitive; I also don't like the electricity bill when heaters come into play. So I'd much prefer a house that isn't going to be freezing cold while it's nice and warm out like my current house.

However, moving is one thing, actually finding a new place to call home is another. While I wish it was as easy as waltzing into a different place and say "alright, let's move here!", anybody who rents will know that this isn't quite the case.

Because it is when you are house hunting and running from inspections to inspections that you realise just how little your budget stretches sometimes. With Melbourne living expenses so high, and me merely a poor student / part time worker / home crafter, it really doesn't stretch all that far. And the places that are within my budget are usually about the size of a shoebox.

But sometimes you do find gems, and it's those gems you have to grab hold of and never let go.



Image by Esquareda via Flickr

After a week of house hunting , 20 inspections later and a very tired me, here are some things I'd like to have a rant about:

1. Support pillars: Now, I understand that they are important. They do keep the building stable after all. But right in the middle of the living room? Really?

2. Kitchens: So I'm aware that the modern day society is more and more prone to takeaway and 2 minute noodles. Unfortunately I belong to the diminishing group of youngsters who actually like to cook. Kitchens that are the size of a matchbox (fits 1 max) with shallow sinks and close to no bench spaces seem to be a trend. Really?

3. Weird layouts: Disjointed kitchens (you have to run back to the front door to get to the kitchen) and toilets right at the main doors. Whoever came up with these ideas, ought to be shot in the head. I don't think I want to be seeing a toilet or a bathtub the minute I open my front door, thank you very much.

4. Real estate agents: Yes, I do realise that they have a lot of house inspections to supervise. However you'd think that part of their job was to ensure that they had the right keys. The number of times I've had to wait and waste my time while a real estate agent jabbers frantically into a phone trying to convince a colleague to bring down the right keys.... I could have made it to another house inspection!

I'll stop here. But you get the idea, it's not all that fun house hunting. However the prospect of a healthier 2010 spurs me on!

So far I've put in 3 applications and shall spend the next few days biting nails waiting to hear the outcome of my applications. I have a favourite house that I hope I get, a place that I'd be quite happy with if I get it, and the last was a "If all else fails, this isn't so bad either." So here's hoping!

And to make this a little bit more chitty-chatty, tell me about your house renting experiences, what have you found in rental houses that were just utterly atrocious? I remember a friend telling me that she found a place that had bolts on the outside of the toilet door but not the inside. Creepy!

So please share, I can't wait to hear from you!

Remember! Our current giveaway is from Kirsty from Filmless Photos: Enter the giveaway here

7 days to go: House hunting ahoy!