'New Shoes'

I love shoes.

When i was a little girl, my Nana had a picture book called "Katie's New Shoes". The book followed a little girl, throughout her day, and detailed all the different pairs of shoes she wore.

 From sports shoes, to jelly sandals, fluffy bunny slippers and finally a pair of dress up high heels, finished with purple jewels.

With every page that turned, there would be a new pair of shoes.

And with every new pair of shoes that Katie put on, there would be an illustration of the shoes that took up the whoooooole page.

I often have thought that this book could be the fundamental basis of my obsession.

I thought wrong!

Over coffee with Mum last week, I was reminded that  I  have been a shoe critic since the day I was born.

Closely following my grand entrance in to this world, I as a wee babe, were passed to my father, in all my nakedness.

I took one look at his disgusting tan leather shoes and I showed Dad exactly what I thought of them.

Those shoes were a piece of crap, and that my friends is what they got. I lifted my little baby leg, aaand......number 2.5's.  The rest is history.

This is the closest I could fine, minus the code brown/tar :)

'Down to the market'

On Saturday morning, Brad and i helped out for an hour, at his sisters garage sale before i prepared to head to town for a dear friends baby shower. At nine thirty in the morning I was already so tired. I had woken up tired and knew that i had a huge day ahead of me. It had been a long week full of assignments, work and sickness and the supermarket shopping gotten overlooked in the flurry that is my life. There was literally no food in our house to make breakfast.

In between leaving the garage sale and leaving for the baby shower we decided on a 'no effort required' breakfast. Off we went to the Paraparaumu Beach Market, for a sausage sizzle and fresh pastries.

As soon as i reached the market i became instantly relaxed. The sun was shining, their were happy people everywhere. Bright colours from fresh fruit and veggies, cut flowers and hippies' hats lifted my mood. I bought a deliciously fresh pear and custard pastry, and i carried it in it's brown paper bag with the same love and tenderness I'd treat an infant. We followed our noses and made our way over to the sausage sizzle.

A man with long dreadlocks and sunglasses perched on a stool at the pancake stand was playing his guitar and singing tunes that remind you of the likes of Tiki Tane, Jack Johnson and Ben Harper. This made me so happy. I looked around the market, letting all the positive energy fill my soul to the brim.

And then out of the corner of my eye, i saw the sweetest thing. A little girl, stood i amongst the vegetable bins, holding a plastic basket, which was almost too big for her to carry. She must of been only two or three years old, she had a red woollen hat and gumboots to match. She was drawn, like a magnetic force, towards the man on the guitar. She stared at him, mesmerized by his art. Her face was so full of curiosity it was hard to tell what would happen next. Then she danced. She bopped her head, and moved her feet to the beautiful music. The most honest smile spread across her face, and amongst the flurry of the market i saw something beautiful.

It was then as if a light bulb had been switched on inside my tired, gloomy head. Sometimes we need to stop what we're doing, look around us and look for what is good, honest and beautiful in this life. Life is busy, but that is no excuse, to look past all the gifts we are given daily and to not acknowledge all that is right with this world.

I stood there and thought about Erica and her lovely round belly. I thought about how exciting life is, and how the impending birth of her child is a miracle. I thought about how happy i am for Josh and Erica to be able to experience this wonder.

I made a promise to myself. If i am lucky enough to one day be able to share only one morsel of knowledge with Baby Gray, this would be it...

Sometimes it's hard to see any good, when you are tired, stressed and woeful. However, with all that is wrong with this world, there is beauty, happiness and good all around you. If you look really hard you will see it. And when you don't ('cause sometimes you wont, eh Dr Seuss? ) i will tell you how. For I saw it in your mother's eyes when we once talked about your arrival. I saw it in the smiles of your family, when guessing whether you'd be a boy or a girl. But most of all I felt it in my heart when i felt your kick. And I felt it in my heart every time i thought about the first time I'd get to hold you and gaze into your eyes.

Congratulations to Josh and Erica, and to their families. I can truly not wait to meet you Baby Gray. You have literally your whole life ahead of you and i know with the parents you have, and all the support and love they have, it is destined to be a great one.

'Mama Mia'

I have only been apart of the 'bloggersphere' for a short time, and have only posted seven times to my page. However, i have left little trails for you all to find. And let's be honest, there aren't that many of you so it shouldn't have taken you this long. The competition was not what you'd call 'fierce' people. I'm not too sure if you just didn't notice, or you just didn't think it was 'cool' enough to mention but, each of my posts has been named after a song. I have also left a link to YouTube in my post, which will take you to the music video for said song.


Today as i am home sick, and my Marja was somewhat bored at work, i suggest she check out my blog. And she did. She liked it. She noticed.


"Oh you've named each post after a song, that's neat"


"Tadaaa! You're the first one to notice Mum. You win....a hug"


I've decided that a hug probably isn't enough. So instead have a post.

Mum, Kelsey and I, the day that Kelsey was born (11/07/1991)

'Moon river'

I am in love with the moon, I always have been. Ever since i was a little girl, i have felt such a strong admiration for it's beauty and have experienced an overwhelming sensation of "magic" and mystery when gazing up at it's luminous face. For me, personally, the phases of the moon have provided me with a constant, a foundation, on which i have built many memories and roused thoughts.

The moon represents unity. I have always loved, that although my own connection with the moon is very personal, it does not shine for me alone. At any given moment, so many people could be gazing skywards and feeling the same love for the moon as i do. And when the dawn breaks, and the moon is no longer seen in our skies, it is amazing to think that despite our vast difference's, across the globe, that we are all under one moon, one sky and one sun.

The moon is a clock-face for the universe. It was here long before we graced this earth and will remain, long after we leave. It is fascinating to entertain the thought that your favourite historical figure, once looked upon the same moon.

The moon encourages my synethsesia. There have been a few times, in my short life, that i have seen a truly amazing moon. When i close my eyes and think of the moon, i can take my self right back to that moment. I remember it, as if it were yesterday. I was in the back of a friend's mothers jeep, with two girlfriends, it was December 23rd 2002. We had spent the evening late night Christmas shopping in Porirua and Sade's 'No ordinary love' was playing on the stereo. We wound round Pukerua Bay, on to centennial highway, and i saw it. Beautiful, full and white. I have never seen the moon that big, or low, shining over the ocean. It was truly a spectacle, in fact i even cried. Every time i refresh this memory, i feel as if i did then. Warm, excited, young and truly contently happy.

If you were lucky enough to glimpse a peek of the moon, through the clouds, on Friday night, you may share the feelings i have. Although it was not as low as it was in the summer of 2002, it was still spectacular. It was roughly 3.30am and it will always remind me of the smell of freesia's in the night air, wet grass and the taste of Jägermeister. I tried to take a few pictures, but they never do the moon justice.

'American Pie'

The New Zealand contingent of Burger King, is no longer manufacturing the ever delicious ‘Hershey’s Sundae Pie’. There aren’t any even left for you to get one last hit. Instead they have replaced the 'love-in-a-slice' with some manky chocolate mousse, which is covered in syrupy sauce. What is going in with the world? I am appalled and saddened. I just thought you should know.

'Dinner at Eight'

Today, after cleaning the entire house Brad and I treated ourselves to fish and chips for lunch. I ordered the 'Chicken Tenderloins Meal' from 'Fed-Up Fast-Foods'. Three tenders of crumbed chicken, salad and chips, and all it cost me was $8.50! Definitely well worth the effort i put in cleaning.

(P.S how cool is my glass-topped coffee table?)

"Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini"

For the last few months I have been saving really hard, for a trip to Australia, with family, in December. I cannot wait! This trip will be my first time overseas, and the weather will be fantastic. I cannot wait to get my 'tan on' and spend lots of time on the beach.

As much as i am looking forward to this, i am also very aware that my swimwear from last season, is a tad on the drab side. A shabby swimsuit is just not Gold Coast chic. The thought alone of shopping for new swimwear sends me into a frenzy, the perfect pair of togs is hard to find.

1. The perfect pair must...


a) Have decent support.

b) Cost under $150 (expensive i know but if you see 1.a and 2.b you will understand that $20 Warehouse jobbies are not going to cut it).

c) NOT look as if it were purchased by my Grandmother from Ballantynes.

d) Be pretty!


2. And, if you...


a) Are a "curvy" woman

b) Have big boobies

c) Have ever been shopping in NZ for swimwear


d) All of the above...


...There is a high possibility that you are thinking that i am out of my mind. "Off her tree" or "three sandwiches short of a picnic", you may say i am to believe. But i do have faith that it is possible to find the perfect pair. I know, I hear you (loud and clear, Sister). I was once too, a non-believer. Until I found it....

http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Swimwear


What a fantastic website, full of gorgeous swimsuits for all shapes and sizes. Here are some of my personal favourite's. You're welcome :)

...And the one that i am planning on buying...

'Runaway Train'

There are seven days in every week. For at least five, out of those seven days, i usually rely on Tranz-Metro, to get me to and from Wellington.

Most days, i usually enjoy my train ride, in fact, some day's i would stretch my like of the train, to Love. I love shuffling through my ipod play list and savouring fifty whole minutes by myself.

However, not all days are like this. After last week's, three hour wait, following a break-down, the cracks in our 'relationship' were starting to show. After said incident, i did whatever i could to avoid the train, cursed 'Tranz-Metro' at every opportunity and declared my seething rage for the unreliable service.

After a bit of breathing time and, (let's face it) no other way home, i gave-in and jumped on the Capital Connection, to head back to Paraparaumu.
The train station was packed full of people, i raced through the crowd, and just made it on the carriage, with the doors closing behind me.

I felt a twinge deep inside, after i had so ruthlessly snubbed the train for days. I went to sit, and the guilt was really setting in. Just then, i smashed my arm so hard against the plastic arm-rest that i had to fight the urge to swear out loud.

Coincidence? It is possible. Tranz-Metro's way of getting even with me? Most probably.


Check out the bruise it gave me!

'Raindrops keep fallin' on my head'

When i wake up in the morning, the first thing i do is turn the T.V on to watch 'Breakfast' on channel One. I watch this show for two main reasons. 1) Paul Henry is hilarious. 2) Tamati Coffey tells me what i need to wear in order to be temperature comfortable in Wellington. Well, today Tamati told me that it would be moderately warm & windy, and that it would be absolutely fine to wear a chiffon dress layered over leggings and a long sleeved t-shirt. He lied. So you can imagine my dissatisfaction, when i left the warmth and shelter of 'New Kirk' to be greeted by the rain - it was bucketing down! I could feel the moisture seeping into my patent ballet flats by the second. The bus shelter was of course full, so i was left on the footpath, 100% exposed to the elements. A handsome man in a leather jacket stood next to me, looked me up and down and said "you weren't prepared for this today were you?" In my head i responded with "think you're funny do you wise guy? What i actually said was "no, if i knew it was going to rain i wouldn't have worn this". Then, it happened, as if it were plucked straight from the pages of a Nicholas Sparks novel. A 'meet cute', if you will. He then took off his jacket, put it round my shoulders and said "I'd hate to see a pretty lady in polka-dots get soaked." Swoon. The few minutes that lay between the 'meet cute' and the bus arriving, felt like a dream. My bus arrived, i gave the jacket back, and profusely thanked him. Chivalry, ladies i can assure you, is far from dead.

'A whole new world'

Hello friends, family & Internet weirdo's. After much deliberation, i have decided it is high time that i started my own blog. Welcome! I intend for my blog to be a means of collecting & processing thoughts. I will share the things i enjoy most about this world, the things that i most dislike, and some parts of life that just make me think. My blog will give you a glimpse of what life is like, through my eyes, and you will perhaps know what it is like to walk in my shoes.