this is a public service announcement:

Jo-Ann is currently away on a much needed, much anticipated break to a place where the sun shines and where good times and laughs are mandatory.

She will be back in twelve days with memories, pictures and hopefully, a tan!

i spoke too soon

I've gone and changed it again!

I just said two days ago that no major overhaul was in the pipeline. Guess even I don't know what to expect around here.

4:26am-itis

I just created a new blog.

I wonder why?

Go here to find out more!

Update: I deleted it. I give no other explaination but that it was created out of sheer boredom and procrastination and was therefore, stupid.

fail

I got exactly half way in my month challenge for September and then stopped. Just stopped. FAIL! And to be honest, since I've missed days, I'm not going to try and make up for it. It was fun but it's official, I don't do well with completing something I started. And since this is my blog, and can therefore do anything I want, I'm not going to stress about it...

day fifteen - a guilty pleasure.

Not a lot of thought needed for this one:-)

day ten - a childhood photo.

This is me when I was six years old:-) Aw, I was cute.

September Challenge

day six - five things you can't live without.

1. Running water

One of the very basics that I would not be able to survive without. Having it forms the basis of so many other life necessities.

2. Tea

Oh, I could not live my life without a least two-three cups of tea a day...minimum.

3. Shampoo

I would like to include conditioner in here too but when it comes down to it, I can't stand dirty hair.

4. My family

Very important this one. I simply could not live without my family around me. They are so influential to who I am and what I love.

5. My Bible

Last, but definitely not least, my Bible is the item which I could not live without. It would just be too hard.

This is part of my September Challenge

day five - a favourite quote

"One can never consent to creep when one feels the impulse to soar" - Helen Keller

September Challenge

day four - a favourite tv show.

Ok. So now comes the time when I admit to the world that I am...a gleek. I love Glee. Love it. It's a little cheesy, I know, but there's just something about it that gets me excited about Friday night TV. I love that there are songs to sing-along and songs that are new to me and I think, "Oh, I have to look that one up cause it's a goody". And they have a fabulously diverse cast that portray a variety of personalities and characterizations of the typical teenager. Not that I ever was one - a typical teenager, that is:-)

So yeah. I would include a blub about my day here, but it's the kind of day worthy of a post all of its very own. You might even know what I mean;)

September Challenge

day three - a favourite book.

Again, too many favourites to mention. So this is not the top of the 'favourite' pile, just one of my top picks:-)

Persuasion by Jane Austen. At heart, a simple story about lost love and the possibility of second chances. Love it. I won't divulge the plot. Either you know it already, have a fair idea about it or have never heard of it and will consequently look it up on Google. But whichever category you put yourself in, I do highly recommend it.

September Challenge

day two - a favourite movie.

I have lots of favourite movies. They generally tend to stay within the range of chick flicks, dramas, period dramas (yes, definitely love those), some action and occasionally even a psychological suspense/thriller. So I thought I'd go with something a little bit different, something that surprised me the first time I watched it. And once it had got my attention, it captivated and intrigued me the more times I watched it. It's a little french gem (although, I will warn you, if you are easily offended, you may disagree with my taste. There are a few questionable undercurrents and scenes that don't sit right and I'm the first one to admit that I don't love that). However, I love the movie as a whole. It's complex. It has twists and turns and ups and downs that leave you wondering what just happened and totally in the dark about what's coming next. You never know what's going to happen next. Never. Yet it's not a scary thriller, which I love about it. As much as I love rom-coms, they do leave something to be desired regarding their average, predictable endings. No such thing with this one, and it is...

As adults, best friends Julien and Sophie continue the odd game they started as children -- a fearless competition to outdo one another with daring and outrageous stunts. Part ultra-modern cartoon fairy-tale, part bold psychological probe into the games we play in life and love, the tale starts, as many classic fairytales do, with two unhappy children. Julien is endlessly energetic and precociously brilliant, but unable to bear the heartbreak of his mother's impending death. Sohpie is wildly imaginative, mischievous and determined to be different, yet in search of someone who'll both accept and love her. But the game becomes something far larger and more thrilling than the sad and disappointing world around them. Will it ultimately destroy or save its players?

Loosely translated, the title means 'Children's Games' which I think is more fitting than the official english title 'Love Me if You Dare'. I'm not sure if it's a very widely available movie, but definately worth a watch.

--------

Today:
I've walked the dog to post a letter.
Been window shopping with my mum on her day off .
Went all the way to university only to tell my friend 'I told you so' because there was no class.
Spent the evening watching tv and writing this blog post. Yes, very productive, I know.

To read about my September Challenged, go here.

time for a september challenge.

Hello September!! Which also means: Hello Spring! You've been a long time coming or so it seems. The days are lengthening. How I've missed the sun's sun-shinery goodness!

September also welcomes a challenge for me (which I'll explain in a bit) and a plethora of university assignments due ON THE SAME DAY!! That being day number 24. Do I have permission to somewhat freak out about how much there is to do in so little time?! Arrrrgh!! Calm down. I'm sure it will be fine. I'm just hoping to chip away at it a little every day and then it will all magical fall into place on the day without any major stressfulness. As to the other challenge I mentioned, let me introduce to you my September Challenge: A question or piece of information to share every day for thirty days. The point is, hopefully, to share more about myself without going completely overboard and boring you. Well, that's the plan anyhow.


DAY ONE: WHAT'S ONE OF YOUR FAVOURITE SONGS?

Well, you'd think that it would be easy to start off with, right? At first glance, I suppose it is quite a simple question but I think it's so hard for me to pick just one! But after much careful contemplation, the final pick is...



So, tough decision to narrow it down but it did ask for only one of my favourites:-)
It all really depends on my mood, which dictates the music I choose to listen to - right now, it's jazz and a bit of Ella goes down a treat.

Today I am recovering from a cold, procrastinating from doing study and desperate to do my nails. They've gone for a week with a lovely shade of orange (which I never thought I'd like but I love) and they're looking tacky. So I shall be off to do that then!

changes.

Noticed anything?

Well, maybe just a little.

A little? What are you talking about? I've gone and changed my blog address, blog name, over-all look...changed? Nah! I'd better do some explaining!

Yes!

I don't know if you've poked around here enough, but since I created a blogging account less than a year ago, it's taken on more names and appearances than I care (or have time) to say without boring you to death. It's been a platform for me to be expressive in a creative way, so the look changed a lot! And I was never quite satisfied, so it changed again. And then I got bored, so it changed again. Just warning you, it might just unexpectedly change with no warning! In saying that, hopefully it won't change name or blog address again. But...who knows!

The reason for the change of name (and hence, address) is because I feel it's more relevant to who I am, overall. I love the small things in life, the insignificant, the simple things. And I think that's what I blog about mostly. So, this is me, simplified.

"i'll have a soy, decaf, caramel latte with cream and an extra shot".

I spent the greater part of eight hours yesterday making coffee at my work.

So what makes a good coffee?

Well, it's all about the crema. Of course, this is getting into coffee-speak so I'll explain.

This is a beautiful extraction (coffee that is extracted from the ground coffee beans and compacted. Water runs through the compacted, ground beans and comes out thus) with an amazing crema. So, the crema is the stuff with the lovely golden colour which when settled, forms a layer at the top of the coffee in the cup. Get it?

Pictured above is a long black, which is as it sounds, black. And long because water is added before the extraction so it's not pure coffee! A coffee with milk, like a flat white or latte is a shot or double of extracted coffee with frothed milk. Milk is an art. It took me about a year to master the skill of frothing milk! Needless to say, I got pretty good at it.

Depending on the kind of coffee being made, so depends the kind of milk being made. Flat white is smoooth, with hardly any bubbles. Latte is about the same but in a mug not a cup. Cappuccino is lots of froth, not quite bubbles but thick and full. The kind of milk that will give you a moustache when you sip it! And hot chocolates? They're almost fool-proof. Just add chocolate powder with the milk and froth away. And finish with marshmallows! Just the best when you put them into the hot chocolate and they're melted by the time you finish.

of comfort and of cheer.

Soft, warm and cuddly - that's what they are! There is not a lovelier feeling on earth at this very moment than to be "wrapped" in my nice, new pyjamas. They aren't faded and thin from wear, not just something to put on at bedtime - tonight, they're an occasion. Maybe not to you, but to me they are! And this occasion warrants a nice cup of steaming hot tea. Ah, my heart is warmed just with the thought. With icy-cold weather outside my window, there's no place I'd rather be than in bed, with my cup of tea in a pair of cosy new pyjamas.

*Sigh*

Goodnight.

My cup of tea (with pjs in the background - aren't they colourful?)

P.S. I can't believe that my pyjamas have just become blogworthy! I almost hesitate publishing this little piece of randomness. I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed. Hmm...

ta-da!

Welcome to my new look blog!! What do you think? I've given myself a make-over. Every girl loves a good make-over from time to time. I have recently been "browsing" the internet looking at some really amazing blog backgrounds that were freely avaliable. I had no intention of changing my page...until I started trying some of them out! I really got into it. And being me, not just anything pretty will do. I had a few things on my "list". It had to be blue. Check. It had to be soft and feminine. Check. And it couldn't be too busy and OTT. Check. I love it! And while I was at it, I went all out and added some buttons and things on the side too. Well, that was my excitment for this otherwise uneventful Thursday night. Hope you like:) And don't be at all surprised to see other random and unexplained changes to various things. I tend to get carried away just for the fun of it all.

welcome to a day in my life!

It’s nine something on Saturday the 24th of October. My eyelids refuse to open. My alarm has just gone off for the second or maybe third time and I’ve pressed snooze once again. I know I need to get moving but I’m no morning person and Saturday is about the only day of the week I get a sleep in. I hear my door open and in comes my mother. I‘m twenty-one, single and still live in my family home. Not that I’m complaining. I love living at home with my family. So I don’t really see the need to move out just yet! I live in the beautiful city of Christchurch in New Zealand. Google it and you’ll see for yourself, I’m not just saying it cause I live here! I study at the university, which is a 45min drive from my house. That’s not too bad in many places in the world. But where I live, it’s the other side of town. But I’m thankful to have minimal living costs while my income is so small. Anyway, my mum shakes me and tells me that we’re already behind. We had planned to be out the house by 9:45. I get up and start my morning routine. I have about twenty minuets by my calculation to get ready, but that seems fine. I have breakfast and by the time my mum inquires if I’m ready to leave, I’ve done everything I need to. Last night we decided to investigate a local farmers market for the first time, not far from where we live. So, off we go. We drive to the port “town” of Lyttelton, which is more like a suburb of the city. However, since it’s the other side of a hill from the city, it keeps an identity and flavour of it’s own.
This is a view overlooking Lyttleton.

It’s a beautiful, sunny day and as we drive around the streets it’s bustling with people. We have to park a few blocks away form the market, as it’s so busy. But it’s a lovely walk to get to the little farmers market that is in the courtyard of a school’s tennis court. The produce is fresh and colourful and we spend a good part of an hour wandering and exploring the market. Once we have walked the entire length of the courtyard and back to the exit, we make our way back to the car. We stop here and there in little boutique stores or anything that takes our fancy along the way. Eventually we find ourselves back at the car and we get in and head off to our next item of the day: shoe shopping. I’m surprised when my mum turns off the main road we’re travelling on and up a hill where there’s a little café halfway up. It boasts a beautiful garden and really good coffee. I can’t turn that down! We head in, order and sit down at a table that’s outside in the sun. It’s lovely. We share what’s going on in our lives and that turns to other things. We spend a long while just talking and enjoying each other’s company. When we finally decide it’s time to get moving and we proceed to my mum’s favourite shoe shop. Shopping with her for shoes is not just a pleasure but rather, an event (we don’t do it very often, she has hard to fit feet!). We spend at least two hours in the store and she leaves with two pairs of shoes. Success!!
By the time we get home, I’m ready to wind down and not bother with anything else at all for the day. Only I’m not so fortunate! Since I study full time, I work once a week to supplement my income somewhat. I iron my shirt and change into my work clothes and very soon after, I leave the house again. I work at a restaurant in the building at the top of this hill.

I know this may sound a little strange, depending where you’re from, but this is known in New Zealand as a gondola. Yes, you’re thinking “gondola, boat, Venice…that’s not a gondola!” well, I’m not sure what you know it as, cable car maybe? But anyway, it’s four o’clock and I’ve just got to the top station of the gondola. I go the back way, through the kitchen to the restaurant and get started with setting up the restaurant for evening service.
Sorry it’s not set and ready to go, I’ve just arrived and still need to make it look lovely, but you get the idea!

I’m by myself until about 6pm, when I’m joined by two other staff members. The evening passes with the usual busy pace and I’m glad when it’s all over and I get my things to go home. Myself and the other staff hop into a waiting gondola cabin and down the hill we go. It’s almost midnight. The day is just about done. I get home a little past midnight and can’t wait to get to bed. I start my usual bedtime routine and then get into my very inviting bed and read my bible for while as my mind and body calm down. Eventually I switch off the light and my head hits the pillow. I’m out like a light – goodnight!


Sharing a day in my life thanks to the Young Ladies Christian Fellowship's blog carnival.