The Machine
^ This was the first thing I saw this morning when I logged into Google Reader (via Swissmiss) and it pretty much made my day. Gummy bear chandelier, from Jellio.
Well, I have returned to the machine. Today was my second day back at uni and so far I'm feeling really interested but really overwhelmed. One particular subject I've taken called Drawing for Design asks for 65 self portraits as one of the (4) assignments. I am really not looking forward to drawing myself that many times (my lecturer recommended we actually draw three times that amount, cull, then submit 'the best' ones). So, four subjects a semester each with four major projects a semester = argh, when will I have time for a life?! I haven't written any letters in the last three days, but next week when tutorials start I can totally imagine myself sneakily writing letters in classes and lectures and tucking blank envelopes in my textbooks for decorating in my breaks. The content for all of the subjects I am taking is really interesting, I am really looking forward to it, but it's going to labour-intensive and it will take a lot of readjusting to not having 24/7 uninterrupted free time! I'm scrambling to get into the tutorials I want, but at present I have three 9am starts, and only have to go three days a week.
^ (via)
Yesterday I went to the mall to buy comfortable uni shoes. I came home with no shoes (at all) and I lost my phone. The shoes I was wearing were ridiculously uncomfortable so halfway through the journey home (half on a bus, half on foot) I threw them in a bin and walked home barefoot in the rain, haha. This morning I got a phone call from somebody who had found my phone and I organised to go pick it up. I have a very crappy phone, but I was very glad someone found it as I would never have been able to afford to replace it. I wasn't entirely sure what the protocal for this kind of situation is - do I just say thanks and leave? Should I have offered him money in reward? Food? Just my gushing thanks? After a recommendation from a Facebook friend I bought a 6-pack of good beer (well, I really wouldn't know, I've never tried beer, but it wasn't cheap beer) and set off on the bus to retrieve the misplaced phone (hoping he wasn't a recovering alcoholic). C was really hoping the guy would decline my offer of beer so I could take it home for him, but no such luck. Islington seems like paradise compared to the suburb I visited today - it was made up entirely of one or two room housing commission flats as far as the eye could see and there was one point when I was sitting at the bus stop to come home (for forty minutes) that I thought maybe I was just waiting for a bus that would never come and I'd be stuck in this bizarre place, sitting next to an elderly man with blue lips who kept looking down my shirt and a very loud, very talkative chain-smoking woman who blew smoke in my face, while various types of bogans and 'derros' walked past (I say 'derro' as I actually heard one person call their friend one as they walked past me). It reminded me of this;
^ Ghost World (he's 'waiting for a bus that never comes')
The best part of the last two days has been... COLD WEATHER. I know anyone North of the hemisphere must feel entirely the opposite right now, but I have missed cold weather so much, it feels like so long ago I didn't feel sunburned, sweaty and disgusting every time I am outside (or inside really) . I got up on Monday morning to get ready for uni and it was 17°C(62°F)! And raining! And it was grand and I wore a big red coat! I love Autumn already.
Also, I came across this sweet package exchange at Oh, Hello Friend that I thought you might be interested (I'm too poor to participate, boo);
I decided that at the start of each month I'd like to take down my cork board, file away everything pinned on it and cover it with a bunch of new things. I'll cover it each month with bits and pieces gleaned from letters, postcards, envelopes, miscellaneous paper from around my house, etc and document it here monthly. Here is what the cork board looked like earlier today (the calendars come free in each issue of Frankie), some of the items had been on there for 4 years;
^ Taking bits off one by one.
^ Some of the things pictured - a picture of C when he was a kid; a 'Student of the Week' badge C and I found in Woolworths in Tasmania; my school captain badge from high school; a painting my friend Sophie did of her pretty rat Lucy; my invitation to my year twelve formal; my ticket to Tim Minchin from last year.
^ Two scrunched up tickets to Twilight, haha; a paper crane my mum's boyfriend gave me four years ago that a lady in China made for him while he was there; a monkey bookmark my brother gave me; a shiny lolly tag that came with a gift from Garci; an anchor badge I've never used.
^ I took everything off and packed it all into this big old honey tin.
^ New calendar (a day late).
^ Arranging. I raided my drawers and opened up my huge letter tub, where I put all of the letters I've replied to (all 130 of them in the last six months) and picked bits and pieces out of them. See anything familiar?
^ The end. 'Til next month.
Want to guess how much money I spent on postage today? Nah, you don't. Here's the last two days' incoming mail;
^ The letter contained within this cute envelope made me laugh out loud several times and I actually read bits aloud to C. Melody, you write wonderful letters.
^ From the lovely Stephanie of Lunsh.
^ A pretty stamp coordinated envelope from Kati in Finland.
^ I get at least one item from this lady a week (I think I got five things last week!) but they never disappoint and there's always something lovely about each. She included a big wad of awesome 'par avion' themed stationery. I can't wait to use it!
Oh, this is my teeny tiny little outgoing for the week - my March Benevolent Postcard Society mail out, off to France;
And a handmade laborious postcard to Aska and her postcard project (it took between 2-3 hours though I don't know how you'd tell by looking at it);
Lastly, I went to visit my brother yesterday and played with my niece a little. Rose has some of the best facial expressions ever. I look at her and see all of my relatives in her face;
