Bandits + Bicycles.

Another essay-style whinge post! Yay!

I've had the unfortunate luck to have had my bike stolen on Saturday afternoon. My lovely, slightly rusty, vintage dip-frame, faded pale apricot indi 500 flamingo was I assume taken by one of the lovely bus-stop patrons (the bus stops right outside our house) as a quick get-out-of-the-rain steal...

Apparently I deserved this, as I had left it unchained (well, the chain was locked to its-self under the saddle), and at the front door, which is about 5m from the property boundary. While this does suggest neglect on my part, I simply didn't think anyone but me would appreciate its rusty frame, sagging seat and slightly dodgy brakes - and so there wasn't a need to protect it from unscrupulous bike bandits. Plus the fact that said bike bandit WALKED UP OUR DRIVEWAY and onto the property to steal it away.

So all in all, I was annoyed, especially as I used my lovely bike to ride to the train station, the local IGA and for general joy-rides, as well as the post office when I can be bothered - which meant I had to start the hunt for a new two-wheeled friend right away... Can I just say gumtree is awesome? The next day my brother and I drove off to pick up my new, $25 royal blue indi 500 bike. Its a little more rusty, and a little incomplete (missing brake levers and cables, and might need new wheels depending on how rusty the spokes are on closer inspection) but considering the price, I'm happy with that.

And you know what? I like this bike more. Its got a basket, a back carrier, a working adorable bell, and its a nicer frame... oh, and it has twice the amount of gears of the last one, which seeing as my first gear was STILL too hard when moseying along on my old bike, is a very good thing!!! Plus I was lucky enough to not have put my new expensive tan wall tyres on my old bike before it was stolen, and they fit my new bike too! Hoorah!

So... sort-of thank you bike bandit. I hope the brakes finally fail just when you decide to ride down a massive steep hill with a brick wall at the bottom. xx Lauren

Hello :)

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for still being here when I decided to come back from my journey to hell! (read as final weeks of uni semester). It was a really hard slog this half-year, mostly because I have lost all sense of discipline and self control when it comes to computer time. I don't know why its so hard to switch off the computer/log out of facebook/turn off the tv and actually DO SOMETHING. I've been speaking to my crafty friends about this too and a lot of them are having the same problem as I am. I achieve nothing, feel guilty/crappy about it, and gain a sore neck and back from it... so why is it so appealing to me?

One of the reasons is that I've trained my mind into a cycle of distraction. I literally and honestly cant concentrate on one thing for more than 10 minutes now without getting antsy and wanting to do something else - be it checking facebook, google reader or making a cup of tea (for those that don't know, I drink about 7 cups a day). And by not pushing through and forcing myself to do the task at hand, I reinforce the behavior and so it goes on...

So I've decided to take action. I'm making a commitment. I'm taking a small first step, because then it wont seem so overwhelming. I WILL SUCCEED at this small step, and in doing so, will give myself the endorphin rush of actually DOING something for once.

And that small step was this post. Because I've been meaning to get back into blogging since the 6th, and I've finally managed on the 18th. And you know what? I feel great at having written the longest post I've EVER written. It is a self-absorbed rant on an uninteresting subject, on a blog which I have purposely kept from being any deeper than a puddle. But its going to lead to better things, more interesting content in the future, and an enthusiasm for getting off my butt and ACHIEVING. And I'm super excited about it.

Oh, and one more thing. I'd like you to join me on your blogs (yes, the ones you've been neglecting!), your facebooks, or your twitter. Write a post on something you've been putting off. And then I want you to DO IT. You know why? Cause it feels super :)

While I'm here, I'm going to commit to my next procrastination job. I'm going to go measure up my Dads spare living space for a mezzanine addition. Right now.

Seeya :)

*Sighs in Frustration*

Man o man I wish I had time to do these projects. My dad's house has some palettes lying around too...

CANT WAIT FOR END OF SEMESTER. MY LIFE WILL BEGIN AGAIN.

I Miss You Terribly

Dearest Blog,

I miss you very much. Uni sucks right now, Masters is no fun at all.

Hopefully I can post some pictures of recent events come Monday night, as well as tell you and everyone else about the market I'm doing in the next few weeks.

xx L

Moving Out #4

Darn conflicting feelings.

xx L


p.s. Australian Aboriginals did not make tipi/tepee/teepees. They made mia-mia/wiltja/wurley/gunyahs.

Who says Sayings anyway?

Lauren heartily disagrees with the old saying "opposites attract"... it knows not how my heart beats when I see a boy with thick rim glasses dressed in vintagey/indie clothes.

whether its celebrities


tv characters




or just some random guy off tumblr...


And yes, yes I do know that I need help.

Day 4 : Roadtrips and Rollercoasters

I did intend to do just a picture post today, but my little brother has deleted all my photos. I hope he saved them on his computer, otherwise I'm gonna be angry. I had tigers and "my head on a wanted poster" fun-park kind of stuff, so nothing hugely exciting. But my baby tiger photos are SO CUTE.

But I did enjoy my favourite rides - the rollercoasters. They're so hugely awesome. The combination of speed, g-force and being able to scream at the top of your lungs without people glaring at you (my brothers actually punch me in the arm at home when I scream :) ) really does it for me.

Currently in a beautiful white house (my mum's old uni friend) that looks onto the east ocean. If I was brave I'd get up early and watch the sun rise over the sea while i drink coffee and huddle in my grey cardigan on the deck. We'll see if that happens though.

UPDATE: didnt happen :)

photos;

Alter Ego - Innerspeaker - Tame Impala

This song is getting me through the last two weeks of my degree.

ONLY 7 DAYS LEFT OMG!



Said the voice from afar
Don't you know it doesn't have to be
so hard?
Waiting for everyone else around
to agree
might take too long...
(might take too long...)

When it won't be so hard
(it won't be so hard)

Well it's true
yes, but you
won't get far
telling me
that you are
all you're meant to be
when the one
from my dream
is sitting right next to me oh
and I don't know what to do

Oh alter ego.

Get them to love you
while they may
depending on your words and wealth
the only one who's really judging you
is yourself.
Nobody else.

If I could part
it wouldn't be so hard.

Well it's true
yes, but you
won't get far
telling me
that you are
all you're meant to be
when the one from my dream
is sitting right next to me
and I don't know what to do.

Oh alter ego.

Listen here.

He's a bit strange

But has a velvet voice so he can get away with it I suppose. The "I'm off my tits" head bobbing weids me out something chronic though. Kind of like David Grey (Mr Bobblehead - go look up a video of him and you'll see what I mean), but much much much much cooler.

I would like to let you all know that the reason I have seen this is because my Dad is a fan. No other embarrasing stories behind that knowledge. Unlike a friend of mine who confessed his first concert ever was Savage Garden because he was obsessed with them. And he hadnt been to any live music since then (this was four years ago, and we are 21. You do the math).

But onto strange lead-singer antics with awesome music...

I always feel idiotic once I find out what the lyrics to a song actually are. This is one of them - I've just been kind of mindlessly humming along whenever this comes on the radio, and then I find that he's singing about "blood-buzz" - hipster vampire reference? Maybe?

I really have no idea. It's 12.24 and usually that isnt late but I have an infected sinus and throat from severe hayfever (the devil isnt a red dude with horns, its heavily brut-ed teenage boys - one of which lives in my house. that and flowers.) which means that I need much more sleep than normal but I cant cause I have a 2500 word assignment due at 4pm tomorrow and I've only written... *goes and does wordcount tool* ... 251 of them. So the knowledge that I probably will be getting very little sleep, in addition to knowing I have a vintage market I'm supposed to be ready for by now that on on Sunday and my little brother (the one that doesnt smother himself in hayfever inducing "deoderant") wont give me the commodore to lug my vintage things down to Freo makes me want to go to bed extra bad.

Gosh I wish I had written this many words in my essay instead of procrastinating here. It's now 12.39.

Sorry to have freaked you all out with my mind-spew, I seem to have a habit of doing that (my facebook friends know what I'm talking about). But I think this is the most pretentious blog post I have ever written - so feel free to deride me in the comments if you wish - or ignore this post entirely perhaps. I won't get mad.

I'm a bit strange. Perhaps Mr The National and I can have a late night chat. Once I finish this essay...

Pitter Patter

No that isn't the sound of tiny feet (i.e. an "I'm pregnant!" blog post - shudder/yuk/I'm way to young.

Its the sound of what all the farmers and gardeners want - rain!

I admit I would find it a lot more enjoyable if I could find my yellow polka-dot umbrella, or if I had some bright red gumboots...

But instead I decided to look at Australian made items that went with the theme!

Epheriell $28	pocketcarnival $18
Incalesco $189	MelsHandmadeTh... $23
RedLetterStudi... $12	benconservato $10
miniEnvy $30	alyoisiusspyke... $55

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

On the plus side, I saw so many rainbows today that my gloomy weather mood got cancelled out with joy - I even saw a double one - you know, the ones where theres the normal rainbow and then another on the outside of that, but fainter? It was so happy inducing I actually slowed down enough to notice the cars coming the other way were flashing at me so I slowed down and didn't get pinged by the good folks in blue. Brill!

xx Lauren

Sexyness is... Voting

img via girlsthinktank.org

Yup, I'm one of those people. The people who LOVE they get to vote, and who really do think they make a difference.

I mean, you have to pop a peice of paper in the box anyway, so why not make it count? (for those outside Australia, we here have compulsory voting - you get fined/punished if you dont)
The basics;

Two peices of paper.

One for the people who represent different areas who make up new laws (find yours HERE) -The House of Representatives. So pick the person for your area that best represents what you want, so if they get voted in all their actions will hopefully be what's best for you.

One for the people who vote on laws to see if they get passed or not. - The Senate. Vote for people based on their party policies (or personal policies if they're independent) so if they get voted in they'll vote for the stuff you want and reject the stuff you don't.


And if you really cant be bothered, dont donkey vote! Votes that have "watermelon" scrawled across them don't affect the final result, whereas donkey votes do.


x Lauren

Hoorah!

Finally sold my first Twenty Kisses Brooch, to a lovely lass named Natalie!

Only took 7 months... hehe.

x

R.S.I., Lineweights and Caffeine

I miss you blog.

Will write to you soon, after my building is finished. xx Lauren

Old Green Eyes

The jealously monster has struck with force this week as I struggle to find the enthusiam to dye my hair or go to the hairdresser in the frenzy of getting ready for Christmas, all the while pining longingly for straight hair so that I may partake in the awesomeness that is a pixie cut... I have to say that this jealously was spawned not only by my crappy brown-ornage-blonde grownout fringe, but by Peta's awesome pixie-cut... so instead of doing anything about my jealously, I sinfully wallowed in it, by making a collage of google images...


...sigh.

No Opinion, Just Stunned.

I know lots of you may think I've had my head in the sand for the past year or so, but I only stumbled across this amasing person today.

Tavi Gevinson.

13 years old, sits at fashion shows seats away from Anna Wintour and Gwen Stefani. And her favourite label is Comme des Garcons. Which I simply dont have the capacity to even look at as fashion; coture at its most extravagant I just look the other way and let the people who know about such things look instead.

I'm not sure wether to be impressed, sickened, saddened, happy, wildly jealous or excessively greatful.

On a slightly less confusing note, the best thing that came from this whole experience is learning about a tv series called Freaks and Geeks (one of her favourites), and that one of the characters is Sweets from Bones. But younger. Much younger.

I'm so tired

Hello All,

Just wanted a quick whinge about how tired I am from poster/promo bombing for Made On The Left today on William Street in Northbridge and Oxford Street in Leederville. All ready for the Colour Me exhibition opening tonight. Phew!

From the OnWilliam Website:

Hours: 7.30-10.30pm
Cost: $20 at the door
More Info: www.sugarblueburlesque.com

---

Sugar Blue Burlesque proudly presents a Burlesque Graduation Show at the end of each of our Burlesque courses. Come down and catch our burlesque academy's latest graduates in all their glitter (and glory)!

See Perth's glamorous new Queens of Tease as they brave the stage for their burlesque debut, plus guest performances by the Sugar Blue Burlesque artistes.

Alcohol will not be available for sale at the Burlesque Lounge for this event. BYO beer and wine. Non-alcoholic refreshments and snacks will still be available for purchase.
These shows always sell out, so arrive early to avoid disappointment!

Colour Me

Hours: Opening night: Wednesday 4th November, 6-9pm. On display until 10th November.
Cost: free to view
More Info: www.onWilliam.com.au

---

Take a walk down William Street to discover a treasure trove of colourful activity within store windows created by Curtin University Fashion Merchandising Students.
Colour the rainbow with collectable pencils from each location to reveal the colours of Northbridge.

Colour Me opening night across all venues from 6-9pm Wednesday 4th November, exhibition runs until 10th November.

Participating venues are Red Stripe Clothing, Harry Highpants, Fi + Co, Lala Orange, Last Chance Studios, Mixtape Gallery, William Topp and The Butcher Shop.

Oh Why Cant People Just Be Original

Is it really that hard?

Can people not have an original thought in their head?

Must people steal from indie artists and think they can get away with it?

Sorry it's happened to you again Ali, deepest sympathies.
Read about it here.
Let them know they're rotten scoundrels here.

It's Finally Over

Farewell winter.

I will not miss you.

I will not yearn for your cold mornings,

your soggy socks,

the way you blow my hair around,

or how you steal my enthusiasm like a theif.





See you next year, fiend.


image from here.