Your wildest dreams. Just how do you reach for them? And what do you do if you never get to them? This morning I tried to imagine what it would be like if I never get to live out my wildest dreams. What would it feel like and could I possibly be happy? And if not, . . . → Read More: Reaching for your wildest dreams]]>

Your wildest dreams. Just how do you reach for them? And what do you do if you never get to them? This morning I tried to imagine what it would be like if I never get to live out my wildest dreams. What would it feel like and could I possibly be happy? And if not, why do I waste so much time watching TV when I could be out chasing those dreams.

Do you have a dream that you want to follow and if you do, is it achievable? I’d like to think mine is, with a hell of a lot of hard work, discipline and a bit of luck. So why do I find myself doing everything but sometimes?

There are ways to drastically improve your home even if you’re a renter with a limited budget. Structural changes are obviously out of the question. But have you thought about how powerful a tin of paint can be when it comes to home improvement?

A lick of paint can transform a room. My home office is a . . . → Read More: Home renovations for renters!]]>

There are ways to drastically improve your home even if you’re a renter with a limited budget. Structural changes are obviously out of the question. But have you thought about how powerful a tin of paint can be when it comes to home improvement?

A lick of paint can transform a room. My home office is a small relatively damp space. Recently, after a few weeks of rain, I noticed mould and mildew building up in the corners of the room. The paint work was old and peeling, I was spending less and less time in my office and more time at the library writing. My office felt gloomy and ugly. I hadn’t updated the furniture (most of which I had been given) because the space was so small that it didn’t feel worth it. However, I was beginning to realise that it was crazy to pay rent for a home office space and not use it.

I decided to take action.

I set aside a weekend to renovate my office.

The before photos:

The after

 The process

So what  I took everything out of the room and scrubbed the walls with sugar soap. This got rid of the mould and made the room feel clean. Great for Feng Shui.

I painted the ceiling, walls, door and window sill – an undercoat and then a final coat in semi gloss. Enamel for the door and window sill.

Clearing the room out and cleaning took about three to four hours on a Friday night. Painting took about 6 hours on the Saturday, this included a two hour break to wait for paint to dry.

Because the room is narrow, I decided to try a low lying line of bookshelves at the back of the room instead of a tall book case. I turfed out my old Ikea tower bookcase. I found a great desk at Offiecworks for $90 and three small white bookcases for a total of $90. The office cabinets I’d seen at Ikea cost hundreds of dollars, but these bookcases when stacked up against were a much cheaper alternative. I also turfed my old lamp and picked up a new one at IKEA for $20.

When we moved into the house there was a really ugly bathroom mirror, which we replaced with a nicer one. The ugly bathroom mirror ended up in my office (as I have my make up and dressing table in my office). Good quality mirrors are expensive, so instead of buying a new one, I grabbed a can of aqua spray paint and gave it a once over. I think the result is pretty cool.

I also added new art to my office – The Bird by Claire Nakazawa (Sydney NSW), the red tree by Seth Birchall (Sydney NSW) and 3 smaller paintings by Natalie Sherring (Newcastle NSW). The photos are a little blurry because you’ll get the idea.

The result – well, I think the results speak for themself and I love my new office.

Once I set aside my own envy of Hardy (she’s had some great opportunities land in her lap) I really enjoyed “You’ll Be Sorry When I’m Dead”. Good funny hungover stuff. Her stories struck a chord with me as I’ve recently begun to . . . → Read More: Book review – “You’ll be sorry when I’m dead” by Marieke Hardy]]> You’ll Be Sorry When I’m Dead by Marieke Hardy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Once I set aside my own envy of Hardy (she’s had some great opportunities land in her lap) I really enjoyed “You’ll Be Sorry When I’m Dead”. Good funny hungover stuff. Her stories struck a chord with me as I’ve recently begun to wonder where my self destructive hedonistic twenties went to. Would I recommend this book? Yeah, I would. I didn’t find it particularly shocking, but then I have my inner trashbag volume turned up to 11. It is now two weeks after finishing the book, and I can still hear Hardy’s writing voice in my head when I think back to various chapters. Which is what you want to achieve when you write a book… except now I have phrases like “piss horn” floating about in my head



View all my reviews

This awkward looking coat hanger with its double metal clips would catch on other hangers and on other clothes in my wardrobe. It never sat straight, always on an angle. . . . → Read More: The day I threw out THAT coat hanger]]> For my entire life (decades and decades of it), I’ve had this awful coat hanger in my wardrobe. As a kid, as a teenager, as an adult.

This awkward looking coat hanger with its double metal clips would catch on other hangers and on other clothes in my wardrobe. It never sat straight, always on an angle. Snagging scarfs, tangling up with belts. The clips on it are too tight as well, making it almost impossible to open them to hang clothes on. I remember making a comment about it as a kid and mum told me that it saved space.

So I kept it. And I kept it. Disdainfully moving it to the end of my wardrobe so that it didn’t catch on so many clothes. I’d hang skirts on it that I never wore.

I went to hang a skirt on it this morning when a light bulb moment occurred.

Get rid of it.

That’s what I can do. After all these decades, I can just t h r o w out the awful coat hanger.

Like… put it in the bin.

Never have to lay eyes on it again.

Today is a great day people, I threw out that blasted coat hanger. Gone. Adios. Sayonara.

D38AMSRXVN3P