Purge to splurge

I believe the world is your mirror... and if that is truly the case, your home is a manifestation of where you are at.  If there is chaos in the home, that chaos reflects in everything you do - your mind, your work, your relationships.

I've been messy (and down right dirty) in my past... and it was totally a reflection of my head space.  The worst periods have been when I've had little respect for myself, let alone my surroundings.  The other side of the coin is having your place like a display home (that says something entirely different about you - the need for perfection can be almost as destructive).  Like everything in life, it's all about balance.

These days, I'm clean, a little messy at times... but I think I'm getting the balance almost right. 

So, where was I going with all this?  Oh yeah... that's right, my wardrobe and drawers.

Sometimes a purge is totally necessary.  I've always been a bit of a hoarder... not like 'Hi, I'm Karly and I'm a hoarder', but I do find it hard to let things go. 

I have clothes that I was wearing in 1996 because they have memories attached, or I remember feeling great in them.  I have letters from girlfriends from Year 7, tickets from concerts, old costume jewellery my Aunty gave me, dolls with one eye and missing hands...

I guess without really realising it, I've been a bit of a hoarder emotionally too.  While I've forgiven, I seem to have hung onto their beliefs. I'm only just figuring out which serve me... and which certainly do not.

So, I'm going to hang onto that doll (called Matthew - yes, it's a girl) because it was a big part of my childhood, the letters will also stay... and the clothes?  Well, that's how I've spent my morning. 

It's time to let go of the past and move on (metaphorically and physically).  I've kept a few pieces - like the Mooks top which was my first present ever from Micko and the pants I wore on our first ever date.  The rest is off to goodwill - or in the garbage (where it definitely belongs - like those period undies I've had for 10 years, or the bra with the broken strap).

It's amazing how good you feel after a big purge... it's like a weight of the shoulders (or your wardrobe hanger).  Things feel more organised, less cluttered.  Bedroom, mind and soul.

I'm making room in my closet, and my life, for bigger and better things.  And they are coming... because, finally, I am ready!

Karls and the giant basilstalk...

One of my rad friends, Graphical, had a slight obsession with a basil plant I kept while living in Vic.  Every time she'd come round she'd point out how fabulous, healthy and huge it was.  We'd done nothing special with it - in fact, the dirt we planted it in was mostly ash from out fireplace.  I was supposed to pass it on to her when I moved... oops my bad - I think we just chucked it in the garden to die.

Anyways... we use herbs (especially basil) quite a bit and have a little balcony planting space - where we've attempted to grow regular basil, thai basil, coriander, mint, lemongrass and oregano.  Nothing was really happening - a little disappointing considering my previous 'basil success'.

Then, Micko (who recently started a new job working in hardware) came home with some sample packs of this fertiliser. 

I mixed up a batch and poured it over the basil... 

Two days passed, we headed off to Sydney for the night...

and from virtually empty stalks....

Magic happened!

Now, I was pretty blown away by this - to show the size, I've used a large can of Aeroguard.

A few weeks later, and this is the progress (I've not used the fertiliser since)...

Same Aeroguard can!  And... I've pulled almost every leaf off twice - made a batch of pesto and some other heavy on the basil dishes.

It's just incredible!

Perhaps I missed my calling as a bit of a green thumb.

Schmoking...

I'm not a resolutions type of person... if I want to change something badly enough, I do it - regardless of the date.  Often I'll procrastinate... until I'm at the point of no return.  Then, I'll make the change.

I decided to quit smoking.   For a few years, I was a pack a day kind of girl.  After I got married, I went to see a hypnotist and although it was still super dooper hard, I stopped smoking.  And it worked well for a year or so - until I moved back to Vic and had no pot to smoke (oh I didn't mention I'd traded one 'smoke' for another - it was only when I was drinking).  We (Micko and I - we do all of these thing together) started to sneak a couple in when drinking... slowly it crept into our week (one after work)... then into a few every night. 

I didn't want to turn into a full time smoker again... I didn't want to be sitting in a movie theatre wishing the movie would end so I could nick out and light up.... I didn't want to be desperately sucking down 4 or 5 durries before checking in at the airport, looking at my watch to count down how long till my next 'fix', running out the doors and lighting up before collecting my baggage.  I also didn't want to be buying 3 packs of cigarettes before a big night - had to have a safety deck after my safety deck (if I'd run out and not be able to scab some, I'd go to bed immediately).  I didn't want to be that sad, addicted freak anymore.

So, I smoked my last cigarette on New Years morning (just a coincidence) - like around 2am.  I wasn't going to put undue pressure on myself... I was just not going to smoke anymore (but if I did, I was going to accept it and start again fresh the next day). 

First week was fine... second and third day were particularly tough but I managed to get through them.  The challenge would be when I picked up a drink!  And it was challenging... I tried to keep myself busyand was a bitch to Micko... but, I got through the night... clean.

The rest of the week was a breeze and the word 'cigarette' hardly popped into my mind at all.... until Friday.  Certainly not as hard as the previous week but I did notice I was a little 'shirty'.  Especially when woken up at 3am by Katy Perry and Micko singing Firework at ridiculously high volume (Micko was a mutant - he'd have to have been to be singing Katy Perry - certainly not one of his favourites!)

Saturday was the real challenge... a night out - with.... chain smokers!  ARGH!  Once again, a battle of will, of which I came out victorious!  I surprised myself and it was much easier than I thought... I was tempted a few times, but thought about how gross it really is - and how my head and chest will feel in the morning.

So, it would seem that I am now officially a non-smoker.  I've come up against my biggest hurdle and I've cleared it with ease.  I've finally joined that group of people that I've admired and envied soooo much over the years!  And I'm smoked (ooops Freudian slip) - ahhh, I mean stoked! 

Ss-Ss-Studio

I'm getting my blogging freak back on... And I have a few stories to tell you - life hasn't been standing still while I've been awol. 

The last 6 weeks have been quite a whirlwind... a trip to Melbs, a girls weekend on the Goldie, Sydney for Muse (which in itself deserves an entry - hell, I think there is one if my drafts folder somewhere), some partaying and of course the craziness that is Christmas/New Year/Summer.  I'll save those for another day....

You might remember, some time ago, I blogged about the shithole that was my working studio.  Drab, depressing and damp - not at all condusive to creativity. 

Well, that's all changed. 
Still a few things to do - like hang my paintings and put up some shelving, but it's certainly a billion times better than 6 months ago!  If you need to see the shithole to believe the shithole, click here now.

And now I unveil the new and improved workspace...

The recording booth that Micko worked tirelessly on... A dream to record in! Loving the chalkboard lightbulb - a perfect match for my logo.  Soundproofing plasterboard (dry wall), filled with soundproofing insulation, another layer of plasterboard and some acoustic foam.  The window is 2 planes of double glazed glass. And it features a solid decorative door to boot (heavy mofo - and a total prick to hang).

Perfection!

Inside the money maker... gets a little hot and sticky in there, otherwise it's a total gem!

New studio monitors - still need to get the right lead so they'll work - slacker!

The back wall is teal... I can't show you that side just yet - that's where all the crap is neatly stored awaiting shelving and storage... hey, I'm not perfect, but I'm halfway there!

Speaking of a beautiful, functioning workspace... I really should get in there and start working!

aveagoodweekend!

Rain, rain, go away...

Floods... suck major arse!

I should know... I've lived in Northern NSW for about 6 years now and I've spent my fair share of time a prisoner in my own home while the roads around me close, one by one, until there's nothing left to do besides pull a six pack out of the fridge and a deck of cards from the junk draw and play some snap.

We are coming up to our 2 year anniversary of moving to Nambucca and last year alone, I saw the river flood around 4-5 times. It's a bizarre thing to watch... Water, water every where... Trees flying past being thrown around like a leaf, dead livestock washing up on the beach, the sea turns a lovely shade of brown and there is caramel coloured foam as far as the eye can see. High tide hits and town becomes an inland lake. Then as quickly as it comes, it recedes. Leaving behind a damp, wet, muddy path of destruction.

This time round, it's not my little town of around 10,000 batting down the hatches... it's the third largest city in Australia. Not just a few hundred people in the low lying area's of the Nambucca Valley - but thousands upon thousands upon thousands of people, displaced for what could be months and months and months. Devastating is an understatement!

I've been blown away by just how thoughtful and caring people can be... The amount of texts, phone calls and emails I've received, asking if I'm okay, has been overwhelming! This morning I got an email from a complete stranger who'd just stumbled across my blog and was concerned for my safety. And just now, another from the lovely 'Seattle Heather'. Sweethearts!

I've had many a drunken conversation about the humanity of people... that the world is a good place, full of essentially good people (some of which do bad things from time to time) and on many occassions I've been told I'm niave to think that. But I'll stick to my theory... my world is a good place - overflowing with great people... and in hard times, these great people do extraordinary things.

Humanity always surprises me... unfortunately, so does Mother Nature.

My thoughts are with everyone affected - including my family, friends and work collegues.

As someone wise once said... but for the life of me I can't recall who...  Woah - you know what?  I think it was Bill Rancic (please don't tell anyone I watch Guillana and Bill!)

Everything will be alright in the end... and if it's not alright, it's not the end.