Re.Discover Bunbury

Today Izzy and I went for an adventure around our city because there was something exciting happening for a change! The Re.Discover walking street art exhibition involved six West Australian artists creating six murals on six walls around the CBD in Bunbury over four days. This piece (above) was created by Anya, I have previously admired and photographed some of her work in Perth, so it was rad to see her brightening up the streets of Bunbury as well.Today was day three, with four walls already complete and the last two in progress, including this one (above) by the super talented Jodee Knowles.Izzy and I were lucky enough to watch the exhibitions creator Andrew Frazer (pictured) as he worked on his piece. He was such a nice guy, so friendly and clearly amazing at what he does. When I was speaking to him I had no idea it was his ‘baby’ and the time and effort that had been put into making it all happen. I would have loved to have been able to tell him to his face how much I appreciated that effort and asked some more questions. !t was wonderful feeling a buzz around a city that had felt so stagnant to me for so long.It was a perfect summers day for walking around the city, we both had so much fun getting to ‘find’ the walls not knowing what we were going to see. It was also pretty special hearing so many people talking about it and supporting the whole project. The arts are my passion and it was wonderful to hear that there are so many people that appreciate and enjoy it just as much as me. The first part of the project concludes tomorrow night with an exhibition at the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery which I’m hoping to attend so I will keep you posted. I can’t wait to see what the next instalment of this awesome idea brings.

A brand new year!

It’s a new year! Derr, I hear you say.. Yes, I know I’m late to the whole 2014 party and I know I’ve been a big WordPress stranger as well. That’s all about to change, well that’s the plan. I like plans, I like to make them, think about them, plan for them, write about them, I just like having them in general. Thinking about this new year ahead I definitely have a few plans (resolutions are overrated!)

I plan to learn to like/love myself more. This was something I started working on in the later parts of 2013. I’ve never really liked/loved myself and have spent a huge part of my life actively hating myself. 99.9% of the hate is directed at physical aspects of myself, I don’t spend much time thinking “wow, I really hate my personality” but I do spend so much time thinking about my physical appearance and picking it to pieces. I will physically pull or push bits as I tell myself how horrible they are and think about how I wished they were smaller or flatter or smoother etc. No more. I have started following some body positive instagrams and blogs and have come across some amazing people of all shapes and sizes that are helping to change the way I view and treat myself.

I plan to spend more time being creative. It’s what makes me happy and it’s what I would love to spend the rest of my days doing. I want to do some courses, enter some competitions, blog more and spend time just practicing and enjoying it all.

I plan to keep trying new things. There are still so many things I haven’t tried and experienced.. I’ve never had Japanese food or Indian or Vietnamese for example! I want to keep going to new places and having new experiences.

I plan to take better care of myself. After being so sick lately I want to make a real effort to get strong and healthy again. Eating heaps of fresh food, working out, drinking heaps of water and remembering to take all my vitamins. I want to get back to that super healthy and happy place I was at a couple of years ago.

There you have it, a few (there are many more) of my plans for 2014. What are some of yours? I hope you all have an amazing 2014.. I can’t wait to read along 🙂

I turned 30 and didn’t die!!

I honestly felt that I would, not because of the 39 degree fever I had on the day as I came down with the flu, but because I felt like turning 30 meant my life was over.

As a 29 year old I I went ten pin bowling for the first time, hung out on Tumblr more than I studied.. or slept, hooked up with a 19 year old who’s name I didn’t know until he was in my bedroom, I watched four seasons of The Vampire Diaries, got pimples on my face, realised I was doing my Psychology double major for all the wrong reasons and still don’t really know what I want to do with my life, played in the rain, babysat the toddlers for my mum, spent days in bed because of anxiety and ate a lot of chocolate. I didn’t once feel like I was at the end of my twenties, more like I was just starting them.

I was worried I could no longer be me at 30. I thought 30 meant having to know what you were doing in life and be in the process of doing it. I thought 30 meant being settled. I thought 30 meant being a “grown up” and all the people I consider “grown ups” in my life are nothing like me and living lives nothing like mine.

Since turning 30 I have found that life is EXACTLY THE SAME as it was before. It’s a Thursday afternoon and I’m in bed with seven tabs open, about to watch Archer and I still have no real idea about what I’m doing with my life. I turned 30 messing around with a younger guy, the other day I filled with child like excitement as I spent an hour in the water with 5 dolphins, I have played in a playground, eaten a new flavour of ice-cream (apple pie!!..amazing), holidayed with my family where I sat in the back as they drove us about, dad still had to cast out my fishing line and I still collected “treasures” that are now still sitting in the bottom of my bag. Nothing much has changed except how I feel about being 30. I feel content. My birthday has reminded me that 30 can be whatever I want it to be, the same way life can! Yes, time is always ticking but at least now I’ve realised I can spend that time being me. 30 has been a reminder that ageing is a privilege, I’m so grateful for all of it.

The day itself 29-12-2013!

          

I wore a another new dress from asos that I absolutely LOVE! Izzy and I went out for a pancake breakfast near the water. She gave me the cutest card and gifts! I then got so spoilt by my family and had a family lunch. Justin gave me a plane ticket to MELBOURNE!!! Eeeek! and then by tea time the flu had taken hold and I was in bed! It was a big, big beautiful day.

                    

I love this new dress from asos! It makes me feel pretty and girly, two things I don’t feel often but want to feel more. These flowers were actually given to me by a lovely lady at the fruit and veggie market, such a beautiful random act of kindness.

Painting.

I found a cheap set of watercolours that Izzy had been given but never used, so I decided to give them a try. I had only ever used acrylics before and avoided anything “realistic” I had never even drawn birds let alone tried to paint them, it was something I thought I couldn’t do. I was stupidly too scared of failing, to even try! Until now.

I sometimes feel like a cat… not in a furry, skin clawing, curtain climbing kind of way but in a strong urge to quietly approach a safe human to snuggle up on (or next to) kind of way. 

Detail

I love detail, I love experimenting, I love trying to view things with wonder and curiosity the way children do. This could have just been a leaf that remained on the sidewalk, something I stepped on or over, something I saw but didn’t take the time to really see. Instead it entertained me for an hour as I observed its beautiful structure, the intricate veins, the colours, the way it all came to life in front of the light. I wanted to post this as a note to self, to remember that things can be as mundane or amazing as you allow them to be.

My wish came true and is now making wishes of her own.

They removed one of my ovaries, diagnosed me with Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and told me it might be hard to have babies, I was 19.

I grew up the eldest of 6 children, I grew up being a “second mum” and a big part of me grew to resent that. It wasn’t my choice to have that many children but I didn’t have a choice in helping to raise them. I don’t mean that as harshly as it probably comes across, I love my younger siblings so much and I loved our childhood, we were very lucky to have the childhood that we had but there was that one side that resented the responsibility that I felt was placed upon me. As a result I had never been all that fussed about having kids, in fact I had stated multiple times I didn’t want them. That was a choice I had made at the time, but that all changed as soon as it seemed I didn’t have a choice at all.

I went from not wanting children, to desperately wanting a child. Suddenly I had a very different perspective on what it meant to have a child and an appreciation for what an amazing experience that is (another post for another time).

I tried, hoped, prayed and wished for a child and after a year that wish came true.

This is Isabella (Izzy) and she is five. The other day she said to me “I wished to be here mum, before I was alive, when I was nothing out in the darkness, I wished to be in your tummy and it happened”. It is mind blowing to look at her growing, hearing the amazing things she says (and the horrible things too), watching her play, learn and make a mess wherever she goes and realise that she came from me. My wish came true and is now making wishes of her own.

I’m still not convinced that I’m meant to be a mum but I am so glad and grateful that I am.

Dear WordPress

How are you? I’m Elle and I’m new here.

I have come from Tumblr, where for the last three years I have made a lot of friends, recorded the messy bits and pieces of my life, liked 26026 posts, scrolled through a lot of porn and started collecting gifs for all occasions (there really are gifs for ALL occasions and the fact I can iMessage them to people makes me so happy, probably happier than it should). It’s become too comfortable though, I’m not writing as much as I would like, I’m hiding behind the content of others instead of creating and sharing my own and I wanted a change, to add something new to the mix, so here I am.

I feel like a complete newbie right now, not really knowing where or how to start but eager to start regardless. So I guess I should tell you a little more about myself.. I love the colour green, I get lost easily, I have big feet, I paint, photograph, draw, build, write, sew, dye, fold, design; creating is what makes me happy. I get anxious, I think a lot, I’m currently wearing a dress with robots on it, I’m indecisive, I have reading glasses and lose them constantly, I love to love, I often get tears in my eyes when I laugh which confuses people that aren’t aware of this fact, I am allergic to shellfish and I love the smell of coconut. There is a bit more to me than that, but that will do for now.

Thanks for having me, I look forward to getting to know you (and the people who use you) better!

Love Elle xx

P.S If anyone reads this, don’t be afraid to say hi 🙂