March's Best Bits

A few months ago I started what I intended to become a regular feature on my blog with 'November's Best Bits'. Like many things in my life, this was something that managed to skip my mind as I became concerned with other things. But I am glad to say that it is back, and here to stay!

March was an insanely busy month for me. Right in the middle was my 21st Birthday! And thank gosh they only happen once in our lives. The lead up to my birthday was long, costly and incredibly exhausting. But once it finally arrived, the night was amazing! You can read about it here in my Runaway To The Circus post.

Throughout March I participated in a little blogging challenge called 30 Days of Lists. It was a wonderful opportunity to list various aspects of my life, and even compare them with other list-makers around the world! I highly recommend other bloggers to sign up to their newsletter for information about when round two starts!

Although I worked most weekends in March, I am beginning to enjoy my new Bar. The girls I work with are just lovely and they make the night run super fast. I am keen to take a night off and treat my friends to all the fruity cocktails I have been learning.

March also had just enough spare hours for some much needed down time. Most of my Sunday mornings were spent sleeping in, waking up next to my boyfriend, and lounging around the house watching movies in alphabetical order. Recently we have discovered a new TV series for those lazy days. We are a little behind, but we love Weeds!

What did you love March for? 

List Thirty - To Do Today

Well here we are, we've finally reached the end of the list's. I can't believe that I actually committed myself to something for exactly thirty days. It became quite the novelty to wake up each morning to a new prompt. Something I will probably miss when I wake up tomorrow. At the end of it all though, I'd like to thank the lovely ladies from 30 Days of Lists, for curating this little project with just the right amount of fun. They reinvigorated my love of list making and influenced a level of regular blogging I once deemed impossible. For some posts, 30 Days of Lists allowed me to use my new camera, as well as some quick photoshop creativity. While on other days, the prompts merely inspired some personal reflection to be shared with the blogging world. I eagerly await the next round of lists! But for now, here are today's to-do's...

 Get through this three hour 'Law of Associations' class. 

Do my 'Family Law' readings. 

Make a delicious sammich. 

Wash my work clothes!

Start my 'Equity' assessment. 

Take Mindy to the vet. 

Get my car key cut. 

Visit Joel in the evening. 

Today is such a busy day for a Thursday! Assessments at Uni are starting to pick up, and if I want to maintain the lifestyle balance that I am enjoying at the moment I am going to have to start making a move on my assessments earlier than the night before they are due. That being said, I am certain that I will get through it all. Boyfriend visits in the evening can act like a reward for the days efforts.

List Twenty Nine - Favourite Foods

If the world was coming to its end, and there was only one food available to eat for the rest of our existence, I would want that food to be mushrooms! I am absolutely in love with all things mushroom. I started this little love affair about two years ago now, and still haven't found anything remotely comparable. Aside from mushrooms though, I am a huge fan of...

- Scones! Especially with jam and cream! 

- Sundried Tomatos. 

- Watermelon. 

- Potato Bake. 

- Bananas. 

- Tacos... or sometimes Burritos. 

- Home made Pizza. 

- Zucchini. 

- BBQ Eggplant. 

- Apple & Cinnamon anything! 

- Spring Veggie Dip with Carrots. 

- Tom Yum Soup. 

- Bruchetta. 

- The Leek Pasta from work.

Photos from here!

Coconut Rum & Photobooth Fun

Just sharing some photos from work the other night. Saturday night's at my bar are usually quite conservative. The crowd is much older and much more mature than the Friday youngens. But we decided to shake things up this week, and invited the people from Malibu come out. We served our drinks in coconuts and took silly photo's in front of a vacation type backdrop.

List Twenty Eight - Vacations To Take

And here we have it! Finally a 30 Days of Lists prompt that I will have to edit down to size. The idea of travel just gets my brain ticking... I am forever in complete wanderlust. When I was younger I had this dream of going to every continent, and I still do. But then reality kicks in, and money kicks in, and I slow it down a little. But if I could, I would love to go to...

Europe

- Belgium

- France

- Germany

- Greece

- Ireland 

- Italy

- Spain

- UK

North America 

- Canada 

- United States 

- Alaska

- Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Orlando)

South East Asia 

- Vietnam 

- Cambodia 

- Laos 

- Thailand

& Africa 

I have high hopes to cross these off one day. But for now it's a routine of solid work at Uni. Until I find my feet and save enough money to book some flights someplace.

Lessons I've Learned

Today's 30 Days of List's prompt is a little reflective. I kind of like that. When I originally read this topic I thought that I would have nothing to write about. I almost always do something stupid, over and over again, and I never seem to learn from the last time I did it. Like just last night I managed to lock my only key inside my car, on the very same day that my Mum had advised that I go and get a spare cut and I replied with "I like to live my life dangerously". Really I should have said, "I like to live my life stupidly". I sought out some male-minded help from my Papa and my boyfriend and they saved the day! After I worried un-necessarily about its retrieval, and began to dwell heavily on my stupidity, my boyfriend pointed out that stupid shit like this is ALWAYS going to happen, and I would be better off laughing about it, getting over it and just dealing with it. Anyway, those wise words are what kick started my "reflection" for this list.

 Lessons I've Learned (almost always the hard way) 

- No one can tell me who I am supposed to be. 

- Times change, and people change with them.

- Smell the milk. 

- Don't run down the stairs at work. 

- Sometimes it is okay to say Yes. 

- It is also okay to say No. 

- I am not a wizard.

- Double check library due dates. 

- Eating breakfast is actually good for me. 

- Parking front to curb does not mean the Parking Officer will not see my expired parking permit. 

- Procrastination leads to stress. 

- Take time to appreciate life's little things.

- Maccas coke will not cure my hang over. 

- Trust my instincts.

- Bite my tongue (this is yet to be achieved).

30 Days of Lists: List Twenty Five & Twenty Six

It's Monday again! Which means time to play catch up on all those lists I missed over the weekend. I must admit to you, the list prompts over the weekend actually frustrated me a little. You'll see why in a minute...

List Twenty Five - Things I'd Rather Be Doing Right Now

• ANYTHING that isn't working for twenty-something hours over the weekend! 
• ANYTHING with my friends. 
• ANYTHING with my boyfriend. 

Since this list fell on Saturday for me,  I was already amidst one of my crazy day and night working weekends. My list ended up being fairly blunt, but at least it was honest. I have a few more weekends like this, but then my friends and I should be going on a little camping trip!

List Twenty Six - Books I'd Like To Read This Year 

Lunch in Paris - Elizabeth Bard
(A book I have wanted for a while.  A little sappy love read... YES! But who doesn't want a romantic read every now and then. Especially when it has cute French recipe's throughout).

The Dollanganger Series - Virginia Andrews
(I believe that gothic horror is best read and not watched).

The Time Travellers Wife - Audry Niffenegger 
(I still haven't seen the movie, so I am keen to read this first)

 To Kill a Mocking Bird - Harper Lee
(This would be a re-re-re-re-read. But I have never found a book that truly captures the idea of human dignity as this does).

Sing You Home - Jodi Picoult 
(Her latest novel only released at the start of the month... I just love her take on highly contentious social topics. So this one on Gay Rights should be great!)

On The Road - Jack Kerouac
(A classic Beat novel that needs to be read in times of spontaneity).

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher - Kate Summerscale
(Just to spark up those old Detective Fiction inklings).

This list was exciting to write, don't get me wrong. It's just that in the back of my mind, I know it will be a long wait till I am able to read a book in recreation again. For now, Family, Commercial and Associations Law are the only books I will be turning the pages of. Boo!

Lovely photos from weheartit.

List Twenty Four - I Make List's For...

A list about list's... who would have thought? I don't think my list's are any different to most people's. Anyway, here they are:

• Groceries. 
• Homework & Assessments. 
• To Do's. 
• Life goals (check my 101/1001 challenge). 
• Blog ideas.
• Gift ideas. 
• Important dates.
• Trip essentials. 

Thank gosh I got given this 'Listography' book for my birthday. I don't know what I am going to do with myself when this little project is over. Only six list's to go!

List Twenty Three - My Guilty Pleasures

"Guilty pleasures" suggests to me that I should be listing all those things that I love doing, but feel slightly guilty whilst doing them for one reason or another. Or even those things that I do... and part way though I think to myself "wow, am I actually normal?" I have so many, so I'll try to keep the list relatively shortish...

• Sleeping in when I'm sharing my bed. Not just a few minutes or so... but hours.
• Smelling new books.
• Opening people's eyes while they are asleep.
• Taking more than two showers a day.
• Drinking cheap wine.
• Spiderman kisses.
• Spending so much money on new stationary.
• Walking around in my underwear.
• Eating the cake batter while I bake.
• Watching complete TV Series all at once.
• Biting.
• Playing with Mindy's whiskers while she sleeps (I have a sleep thing okay!)

Head over to the 30 Days of Lists page to snoop other people's guilty pleasures!
Pretty picture from here.

Today I Saw...

I can't believe that we are up to list 22 already! March has just completely flown by! For today's list, we were asked to jot down the things we saw throughout the day. But since my day today was particularly boring, there really wasn't much to list. I did enjoy a rather long sleep in before I had to run some errands... purchasing ink and such. Then it was off home for a while where I played with my kitty (she features in today's photo) and attempted my Uni readings. Now I am about to get ready for work, where I can only assume I will see a lot of people. I wish I saw something crazy today...

The Art of Gift Giving

As promised, here is a post detailing the wonderful gifts that I received for my 21st Birthday last week! I adore each and every one of the gifts I was given. I don't ever expect anything from my friends or family apart from their "presence", and so it was a lovely surprise to unwrap so many amazing items the day after my party.

The art of gift giving is something that I pride myself on. There is no better challenge than that of thinking up the perfect gift for someone. And no better reward than seeing their smile to reaffirm your choice. It's an art form that doesn't necessarily require a lot of money, but rather a little bit of time, patience, thought and of course love. And it is safe to say that each of my gift givers should be considered experts. Here are some photos...

I received an overwhelming amount of teapots and teacups for my birthday. Some were new, some were vintage and some were even oriental, but each of them made the smile on my face grow even larger. Worthy of mention is the squarish one right in the middle. This little charmer is over 150 years old and was a gift from my Great Grandmother. She hasn't been with us for about 5 years now, but gave this to my Grandmother to pass on through the generations to me. It was actually her Great Grandmothers... so I'm a bit unsure as to how many "greats" it actually is. Either way though, it is lovely to have something heirloomy to pass onto my children one day.
 

 

For some years now I have been a collector of the lovely, timeless and sentimental jewelry created by Pandora. Although I have a rather large collection, I received some new pieces this year that really made my heart swoon. The bracelet is something different, and has just the right amount of patterning to make it glimmer in the sun. The ring was a gift from my best friend... something I pointed out months and months ago whilst we were shopping for another friend. And the charms will make for a cute addition to my bracelet from my boyfriend. Now I just need an occasion to wear them all!

Books and lists are two other things I enjoy in my everyday life. This leather bound book was a gift from a friend, who instead of writing a card, wrote some inspiring words on the inside of the cover. The "listography" book was an accompanying gift from the bestie, another item that I had admired in passing which she sneakily purchased for me.

I think I have made it fairly evident that on rainy days, or really any day, I will whip up a batch of something to cure those blues. I love that my friends know this about me and purchased me gifts to continue the trend. I just don't know which book I should bake from first! 

Some of the other amazing gifts I received were these bottle's of Chandon, the Marc Jacobs Daisy Ring (so freakin adorable), a make up bag for my latest Napoleon purchases, Revlon nail polish and a one year subscription to Frankie Magazine! 

Oh and I cannot forget... my parents were ever so kind and gave me a brand new Cannon DSLR (used to take these, and so many other wonderful photos). Might I just say, best parents ever!

I also received some very well thought out gifts from friends to help me finish off my 101/1001 list. One of my best friends cleverly purchased me a 6hr Photography Day Course in the city, crossing off number six. While my family friends thought it appropriate to give me a gift voucher for Circus Trapeze lessons, which is about as extreme as I will go, crossing off number 64.

For those of my friends who read this regularly, thank you again! I can't believe how lucky I am. 

Autumn Aspirations

Today's prompt from the 30 Days of Lists ladies has everyone writing down their Spring To-Do lists. But here in the Southern Hemisphere it is only a few weeks into Autumn. Autumn is not really a season that I would usually make a to-do list for. Autumn for me is a three month block, filled to the brim with university work and regular work right up until the Winter break. But this Autumn I might do something different. Apart from aspiring to do well in all my units this semester, I would love to cross off a few of my 101/1001 goals. It is actually perfect timing since my friends and I decided just the other night that we would embark on some Autumn adventures. This Autumn I would love to...

- Go camping.
- Make a bonfire.
- Go fishing. Without complaining.
- Stay in a Bed & Breakfast in an amazing place.

I think Autumn will give us the perfect weather to cross all of those off!

Lauren's List

It has been a common practice amongst my friends to get up and say a few words about what we enjoy about the birthday friend. Like I mentioned in the previous post, the speech part of my 21st birthday was truly amazing. It was so lovely to hear such kind words from my parents, my sister and my two best friends. One of them however, took it upon herself to stray a little from the norm, and complied a list that was seemingly endless. I definitely need to share it with you. It reads...


"In the nature of Kaisha's recent list frenzy (for those of you who read her blog) here is a few things I know and love about Kaisha.

• She prefers mints over chewing gum. 
• She has a crush on Harry Potter. 
• She is against wallets, and prefers her receipt filled coin purse. 
• Has an incredible memory, especially when it comes to movie or Simpsons quotes. Or just anything in general. 
• She gets angry when I say 'abracadabra' instead of 'avada kedavra'.
• She loves mushrooms and eats them at every opportunity. One time she had a dream about mushrooms and throughout the past year has considered being a mushroom farmer. 
• She has way too many jobs for one person. 
• She rarely takes compliments. 
• Has 50+ pets. 
• Loves baking, especially cupcakes. 
• Is super smart with one degree down and one to go. 
• Enjoys writing creatively where she can be graded. 
• Is a big nerd when it comes to stationary, highlighting, handwriting and colour schemes (but who isn't).
• Loves books, including the smell. 
• Kaish leaves her assessments to the last minute because she somehow works best under pressure despite the tears often involved. 
• Prefers her clothes on the floor rather than hung up. 
• Likes second hand shops for their cute vintage items. 
• Has an illegitimate wife. 
• Likes the juice of olives, but not the actual olive. 
• Is an obsessive compulsive perfume user and abuser. 
• She refuses to wear sunscreen. 
• She is frantic about correct spelling and grammar. 
• She cringes at people crunching or slurping their food. 
• She is still waiting for her acceptance letter into Hogwarts. 
• She is the only one who gets my jokes. 
• She enjoys making similar lists. 

But more importantly, I just want to say HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY. We are all so proud of you and have no doubts that you will bring laughter and good times to all of us in the next 21 years. I love you".

Re-writing this and re-reading the one written by my other bestie has made me teary again. I love my friends.

Runaway To The Circus

Nothing screams childhood nostalgia like when the circus comes to town! So, for my 21st Birthday I decided to runaway to the circus... and lead all my family and friends in a night set to farewell my infant years (hence why I thought it appropriate to dress as the ring master). 

The night began in true carnival fashion... with popcorn and cotton candy in abundance. The sugary goodness was infectious and I became so incredibly overwhelmed with the arrival of so many of my beautiful family and friends.

All of the guests looked amazing! We had lion tamers, mimes, clowns, gypsies, fortune tellers, acrobats, circus animals and even our very own carnival technician.

 

 

For most of the night we pretty much just clowned around... it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with family members I rarely get to see, as well as my lovely friends of course.

After everyone's dinner had settled, it was time for the cake and speeches. The clown cupcakes came way of my talented best friend Kahlia. She saved the day by providing me something to "blow candles out on" when a number of cake ladies fell through. Equally as amazing was the surprise mushroom cake made during the day by my darling boyfriend (and aesthetics aside, it was delicious!)

 

Looking back on the night, I'd have to say that the speeches were definitely one of the highlights. Although they went a little longer than anticipated, I had the opportunity to thank a number of people for their positive impact on my life thus far, as well as having the pleasure of listening to such kind words spoken by those closest to me. My father (in true Dad form) thought it appropriate to share highly embarrassing stories will all of the guests. Likewise, my two best friends took some time to let out some of my deepest darkest secrets. But at the end of it all, I could not have been more appreciative for everyone that came along to celebrate.

As you know... the circus is extremely exhausting. So at the winding down of the night, the make up was removed and costumes were traded for hoodies and cardies. The few of us that remained drank wine and roasted marshmallows around an open fire.

Overall, I could not have been happier with the outcome of the event (except of course if it had to of stopped raining). My 21st Birthday in its entirety was definitely the best. I look back on the photos now, and think to myself how truely blessed I am to be surrounded by such amazing individuals.

Check back soon for a gift post... I received some lovely pressies!