October 8th marked a full moon and a total lunar eclipse.
I was super excited to see this ‘blood moon’, but unfortunately I was battling with the clouds.
Like a kid at Christmas, I ran to the window every 5-10 minutes to see if the clouds had cleared, or if they were still blocking my view.
I did manage to see the moon throughout the night, if briefly, and it was a stunner.
Did you manage to see this ‘blood moon’?
Category Archives: Melbourne
Road Trip: Beaches
During August we road-tripped around Victoria, hitting up some of our favourite spots including the Mornington Peninsula area and Brighton.
What’s your favourite road-trip destination?
Crafting the Perfect Cupcake
A couple of years ago I was a woman obsessed, when it came to cupcakes. I enjoyed baking them, trying new recipes, and generally sharing them with my work-mates.
For the most part, they all tasted pretty good.
The hard part was making them look good.
No matter how hard I tried, the icing never looked right, and any attempts at creating delicate swirls or fluffy tops fell pretty flat.
So, as part of my 30 Things to do Before 30 Challenge, I wanted to attend a cupcake decorating lesson.
I was pretty stoked when my partner bought me a voucher for my birthday so I could attend said lesson.
I booked myself in for May 10th, and was pleased that I would finally be able to cross this off my list.
Where we’re going, we don’t need roads
A couple of months ago, I discovered that Steamrail Victoria were having an open day at their Newport site. A biannual event (in March of this year), we decided to brave the crowds and go along.
I love train travel, so it was pretty cool to see some of their steam trains up close and personal.
Many of them were open for inspection, and some of the carriages were even set up for high tea, a work trip, or a snow adventure (complete with skis and fake snow!).
Unfortunately my camera died within minutes of us arriving, and I hadn’t bought my spare battery, so these photos were taken on my iPhone instead.
A Message from my Past
So I wasn’t going to do another post for a little while, but then this morning I received the below email from my past and I decided that I had to share it!
To be honest, I don’t even remember writing this, which kind of makes it even better.
But anyhow, I guess three years ago I must have stumbled across futureme.org and wrote my future self a little letter.
Reading it this morning was actually pretty great and I think if you’ve never done this before – you totally should.
Dear FutureMe,
Happy Birthday!! I hope you have managed to complete everything on your “30 Things Before 30” list, but even if you haven’t – who cares?! It was all just a bit of fun and something to do, right?
I guess I should refresh your memory of what life is like right now (July 3rd, 2011). You are currently in Melbourne with Chris, have been here 2 weeks already and quite like it here. You don’t have a job yet, and you’re house-sitting in Collingwood, just outside the city.
Three years into the future, I have no idea where you are, or what you are doing now. I hope you are happy. Really, that’s the main thing I hope for you. I don’t know if you still keep in touch with your friends and family, or if Baylee is still in your life? I don’t know if you are married, single, still with Chris? Have you had a baby or brought more pets into the family? Did you end up going travelling next year (2012) and see more of the world?! Did the dreaded 2012 disaster end up happening?? In which case, I guess you won’t be reading this at all. Or ever. Not many people I know believe that the world is ending, but after all the earthquakes, fires, floods, tsunamis and hurricanes happening lately, how could it not? There is only so much disaster one world can take before it folds in on itself and gives up.
Anyways, if the world is still struggling on, I hope you have seen more of it. I hope you are still baking and scrapbooking, and I hope you are working in a job you love. If not, at least one you can tolerate with wicked work-mates.
But, I guess the point of this whole exercise is not for me to ramble on about all the things I hope you have accomplished in the last three years, but to give you advice. I don’t want to offend you!!
So, here is the advice from the PastYou –
* Be nice to everyone – who knows what kind of day other people have had, and even a smile from you could be enough to brighten their day, as well as your own.
* Have a go. Even if something scares you or makes you feel nervous – give it a try. I know it’s easy for me to say, sitting here in the past, wishing I were braver, but I have heard that nothing makes you feel more alive than trying something you were scared to do. So, give it a go!
* Remember that you’re not the only one with feelings and thoughts. Other people have a right to their opinion, even if it is not the same as yours. Sometimes you find it hard to think about the way other people are feeling, and focus mostly on yourself – if you still do this, please try and change the way you think. And stop being so over-sensitive!!
* Work is not the most important thing in the world. Don’t miss out on an opportunity because you are worried about having to take time off, or getting up early the next day. Life and its experiences are more important than a job, and there are worse things you can do than turn up to work tired!!
* Explore. Not only the wider world, but the world around you. Have you gone for many walks in your immediate area? Have you found any nooks and crannies? Any special places, un-seen on first glance? If the answer is no, then get out there today!
* Stay true to yourself. If you’re still not entirely sure who you are, then what better time to find out? If you like something, buy it. If someone else doesn’t like it, who cares? It’s obviously not for them, it’s for you. Don’t let other people’s opinions put you off being yourself.
* Keep taking photos!
* Keep Baking!
* Keep Scrapbooking!
* Keep being a good friend, sister, daughter, girlfriend, mother(? Pets count as kids), auntie and whatever else you may be. Keep at it.
* Keep smiling!
Anyways, I hope this letter finds you well and happy. Have a wonderful birthday, and enjoy your 30’s. Your 20’s have been a roller-coaster ride so far, but if you have survived those years, then your 30’s should be a breeze. Don’t worry about getting old, or being too old to do certain things. You can do whatever you want to do, whatever you put your mind to. When the time is right, it will happen. And as Paul would say – “where there’s a will, there’s a way”. Hehe.
Love, Shell from the Past xo
Thing 20
Thing 20: Spend the night in a 5-Star Hotel with all the Trimmings
Sometimes I like to feel fancy.
I was very spoilt on my 28th birthday, being surprised with a mini getaway out of the city.
We traveled out to the Mornington Peninsula area; went strawberry picking, had a delicious lunch, explored the area and then checked into luxury bed & breakfast for the night.
Trimmings included our own private cottage with a spa bath and four-poster bed, ingredients to whip up a scrumptious cooked breakfast, a bottle of bubbly and spectacular views.
I mean, what more could you possibly want?
It was amazing.
Thing 16
Thing 16: Buy a one-way ticket overseas
You guys are probably going to think I’m cheating with this one.
But, when I started this ’30 Things to do before 30′ list, I was living in Christchurch, New Zealand.
We then moved to Melbourne, Australia like three months later.
We did not purchase return tickets.
It totally counts.
Thing 14
Thing 14: Take a Swift for a Test Drive
I have wanted a Suzuki Swift for as long as I can remember.
Over the years my favourite colour, sweet treat and drink of choice have changed; but my favourite car has remained the same.
Unfortunately I haven’t yet been in a position to purchase one of these beauties, but I have always wanted to drive one.
During the Christmas holidays in 2011, we hired one so we could head out an explore regional Victoria and I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel!
Oh boy, do I still want one.
Thing 13
Thing 13: See a Favourite Band/Artist Live
Since moving to Melbourne, we have been so lucky with the number of concerts, shows and gigs that are available to us – this thing was so easy to cross off my list!
Unfortunately we haven’t been able to go every great concert that comes our way, but we have gone to a few of my favourites, including Eskimo Joe, The Temper Trap, Snow Patrol and The Killers.
My photographic evidence is average to say the least, but here I go anyways!
Thing 10
Thing 10: Learn a New Dance
Yeah, I have no idea where this thing came from.
It’s not like I knew any dances to begin with.
But here we are.
Lucky for me, a friend and I found out about a group here in Melbourne bringing dance to the people.
The first Friday of every month, they were to introduce the public to a new type of dance.
After some dutch courage (read – a few glasses of cheap wine), we headed off to see what this was all about, and “get amongst it”!
We showed up on Bollywood night, which was so fun and so hard all at the same time.
Somehow we ended up at the front of the crowd, and thanks to our enthusiasm, caught the attention of a few of the instructors.
Next thing you know, I am being pulled on-stage with some other guys and gals from the rather large crowd that had formed; and we performed the routine we had just learned in front of everyone.
So awkward.
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