In desperate need of inspiration

I need to make a change, get out of a rut, spice things up in the hope that it will start a fire under my lazy ass to make me find my way in this world. Imma confused lil gal.

So I saw a friend for the first time in a while the other night and good golly she looked good. She lost some lbs and cut her hair in a sassy short cut and I am envious.

This is how I look on a regular day:

Hi, my hair isn't windblown, it just looks this way, everyday!

I am wanting to do this to my locks. It would be quite the change I know, but like I said, I need quite the change:

Katie makes everything better.

Only with a short sassy do like this can you play coy.

How happy and cute does she look?

Well, people I want to look happy and cute too, so I need to make it happen.

Sad Panda

Well, it is less than one week before my hubby leaves for the US. I am freaking out inside but I am keeping it totally cool on the outside. I suspect I will loose my shit at the airport in front of thousands of strangers. Fabulous! I will miss this man:

Career

The other day while pondering my existence I decided to google career tests. I am not sure what I want to do with my life so any quiz or test that can help me in this regard is welcome. I came across a quiz on ivillage.co.uk



These were my results: (my comments are in red)


- - -


You would be very happy in a career that utilized your level-headedness (huh? me?), and allowed you to work mainly on your own (YES!). You want a career that allows you to be creative (YES!), without having to be involved with lots of people (YES!). Some careers that would be perfect for you are:

• Artist – Would love to be but my art sucks…for now


• Historian – I do not quite enjoy history, or I didn’t enjoy it in school, maybe something changed?


• Banker – Too much pressure, ya don't mess wit peeps' ching


• Novelist – Obviously, judging by my writing on this here blog, I am fully equipped to be a writer


• University Professor – Umm, no


• Photographer – Would be awesome! I’ve wanted to be a photographer for years


• Vet – Would also like this but I will cry all day long, feeling sorry for the poor animals and end up taking all of them home with me.


• Paralegal – Although I know little about law and politics, this sounds like something I could do


• Graphic Designer – I would enjoy this as well but so many people have this on their resume


• Online Content Developer – Anything I can do online would make me happy


• Webmaster – Have looked into this before, does not sound too bad


• Producer - Nope


• Managing Director – Hell no


• Nutritionist – I don’t know about this, it would be cool but also not sure what it involves completely


• Advertising – Same as the graphic designing and banker, too much pressure, too many out there


• Nursing – I hate blood


You like working and being alone (we’ve established this, carry on). You like to avoid attention at all costs (yep). You tend to keep to yourself (yes), and not interact much with the people around you (semi-true). You enjoy spending time with a few close friends (very true). You like to listen to others, but don’t like sharing much about yourself (true, depending on the person). You are very quiet and private (yes).


You are very practical, and only act after thinking things through (not always). You don’t like being forced to answer quickly (I get defensive). You have to evaluate the situation completely (I try to). You make decisions based on what you can verify with your senses.


You like to be deeply involved in one or two special projects (true). You like to be behind the scenes (like a ninja). You are very logical and fair (except when I’m emotional and crazy). You feel you should be honest with others and protect their feelings (don’t we all feel like this?).

You trust your gut instincts (not enough). You are easily inspired and trust that inspiration (ok). You are very innovative (that sounds nice). You analyze things by looking at the big picture (you said that already). You are concerned about how what you do affects others (always, it is my downfall). You worry about your actions and the future (every day). You tend to use a lot of metaphors and are very descriptive and colorful in your choice of language (“colorful” meaning?).

You are very creative, and get bored easily if you don’t get to express yourself (creepy true). You like to learn new things (very much yes). You don’t like the same old routine (I have a problem with that yes). You like to leave your options open (hence me looking for something else to do with my life).


- - -


So very true, Johnson. I think God writes career tests in his down time, how else would they know so much about me, right?


This is pretty close to what I feel like most days. I have wanted to change my career for a few years now, but not knowing what I am good at does not help my cause much. It is quite frustrating to feel lost and without purpose, but quizzes help.


I am an architectural draughtsperson by trade, but I am fed up with this. I still enjoy it from time to time, but I feel all tapped out. I am not learning anything new and I do not have the motivation to learn anything new in this regard. I’ve been doing it for 7 years. It is time to move on. It’s not draughting, it’s me.


So judging from my comments above, I think photography wins? Right? So now I need to pursue it? Like, study and stuff? Make a portfolio? Right?

Maybe I should do more quizzes.

Kitchen!

I think I like a modern country style kitchen. I like a cozy kitchen. It will be the place where I lovingly prepare meals for my family. I don’t want it to look too surgical, so color would be welcome. I would assume our kitchen won’t be too big so even though I love a dining area connecting to the kitchen, I probably won’t have that, yet. Sun is always a must in a kitchen for me. Also, clutter and knick knacks are not welcome.

Me likey: 

1. The green walls. The simplicity.
2. Feels very light and sunny in here. It is also very clean without looking too surgical. The cupboard door style is also something I like a lot
3. This screams “gramma's farmhouse!” to me. It looks very cozy and I like the colors of the backsplash tiling.
4. The purple accents = awesome. Very clean lines and also neat. I think this one is a little more modern than the rest.
5. What not to like! Open! Sunny!
6. This feels very girly to me, but in a good way. It also seems like it would be easy to switch colors if you get sick of it. Small but I think if kept tidy, it won’t matter.

 Next up, bathroooooooms!

Bedroom #2

So, we saw how adorable this color combo works and also some inspirational rooms. As I’ve said, my husband is not too thrilled about it, so I have made an optional collection:

Yes, grey is still in there, also yellow, but I am a ninja and I changed the name as to disguise it from my husband. “It’s not yellow honey, its marigold!” Also, purple doesn’t fly in my house so “plum” made an appearance. I do not enjoy the word cream at all so I said “wheat”. Just sounds so much richer doesn’t it?

Again, everything I love about the respective rooms:

1. Wheaty awesomeness. Those colors look so rich together! And what an awesome duvet cover? Simple retreat.
2. Although I wouldn’t dare do it myself, I really like that headboard. Something different. And those pillow cases? C’mon! I want some! I love how royal the grey and plum look together.
3. That bed is perfect. See it has no headboard, so adding a padded one would be so easy. And then just making an extra brace in the middle of the top frame, drape some fabric…perfection! Also, that gold-ish yellow color and the purple together? Yum! Love the rug as well.
4. The headboard! Simple, cushy, stunning color. What more do you want? This room is the equivalent to my previous favorite. Everything about this room is welcome in my house. No poster bed though, but I will live.
5. This room is very chic. Clean lines and I do love that bedside lamp’s color.
6. This is husband’s favorite, apart from the wicker. I do enjoy myself a piece of yellow and blue together so yes, this is very nice. Also, the layout of the room? Bed in front of the window like that? Very unique. Do like those curtains, the rug, the floor and the all around beachy feeling this room has. It is a very strong contender, minus the wicker.

So, even though it can be overwhelming, I am thoroughly enjoying the decoration process of my future home.

I have made some similar inspirational boards for the rest of the rooms. Next up, the kitchen.

Bedroom #1

I have been trying to get myself excited to move. All can agree, moving sucks! So, to make things a little more interesting and exciting, I have been making inspiration boards for every (future) room of our (future) home.

First up, is our bedroom. I need our bedroom to be our mini vacation spot. We love sleeping and just laying in bed. We already have a king size bed waiting for us back home. As for the rest of the room, we have nothing. Daunting to think about, but also kind of thrilling. It is a blank canvas! I can do whatever I want!

I get very happy when I see this color combination:

It is relaxing but the yellow gives it a little zoosh. We will have to get a bed frame and both of us love four poster beds. But, when you’re lounging in bed you would like your back to have a cushy part to rest on. So a padded headboard would be perfect. I’m hoping we can combine their powers to make one super bed. What I like about each picture, besides the colors:

1. The striped sheets! That cute cushion!
2. The bed, the deliciousness of the yellow trim combined with the stripes. The amazing light streaming from those wonderfully big windows are also making me salivate
3. The white nightstand is just adorable, and a refreshing change from the normal wooden ones. The textured wall gives an interesting feel. Those pillow cases with the ties on the side? Cute! The bedside lamps are also keepers.
4. Good lord that bed! The soft drape of the fabric on top is so romantic. Once again the nightstands, white again. Also, here they have sort of incorporated the padded headboard, although it does not lend any cushiness to the back. So if you could remove the wooden back part of the poster bed and somehow combine the pad-y part with the poster part.
5. How cute is that cushion? Love the bed as well and adore the curtains
6. This whole room is yummy. I love everything about it. So much so, that I will overlook the lack of pad. It makes me smile like an idiot when I look at it. Heaven!
7. This one caught my eye purely because of the window treatments and pad-y-ness. I’d like to have a similar shutter but also some curtains to make it more comfy and warm
8. I will steal that dog! Also, the bed? Nice! It will be like crawling into your own little cocoon. Maybe instead of the stiff fabric over, I would have it more flowy?

I think it would be easy to create the perfect bed. Maybe if we could get a beautiful four poster bed and construct a padded headboard covered in some nice fabric? Attach a top frame and drape the soft fabric over. Et Voila! I could change the fabric from white to yellow to grey. And we could make a few headboards too. And this way when I get tired of the color combo (which I undoubtedly will), we could just make some new headboards and get new fabric to drape.

This could be fun.

Although I love this color combo, husband is NOT convinced. So next I will show something a little different, and also very doable.


**All pictures were taken either off of flickr.com or housetohome.co.uk

Life List # 27 – Go quad biking

01/05/2010
3year Anniversary Celebration

This was Dave’s idea and I have to admit that I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it all that much. Fine! And I was a teeny tiny bit scared. I’m not an excellent driver and I am terrible at making a good decision in a panic situation. So in my mind, quad biking was probably not the best activity for me. I was right. Well, kind of.
First off, I look ridiculous in the gear:

Glasses + Helmet = DORK much?

We were taken for some practice and instructed on the use of the machinery. I am pretty good at driving in a straight line, no turns, no inclines, no fancy schmancy hills and slopes. Yes, well, our route was not just straight and level. But, it was exhilarating! And quite the workout:

Red and happy to be alive…and standing still

We went through orchards, up a hillside, down some slopes, over rocks and through streams. I struggled some, sometimes going off the beaten track. I like speed. Speed + Retarded Motor sense = Disaster. Dave on the other hand was a pro. He LOVED it and did not break a sweat:

What are YOU smiling at?

It was actually pretty awesome and the landscape was also very beautiful. I eventually got the hang of it and was speeding along. We went through a stream and I almost got KO’d. When in doubt, slam on the brakes!

In the end I loved it and I wished we could do it all day. We had tons of fun. Next time I will try to get an all day trail with long stretches of straight path so I can speed my little heart out.