Week Forty-Eight

Sunday
It was the 21st November but I started decorating for Christmas. In my case this just meant putting out a vase of candy canes.


Monday
A Koi Carp kite. That is all.


Tuesday
Dawn at Park Place.


Wednesday
Learning lines. For the usual Summer Shakespeare audition. Only this time? I really care. Eep.


Thursday*
I'm usually really quite heartless about these things but the Pike River disaster made me so so sad.


Friday
Wellington Train Station. Late. Again.


Saturday
Post-audition gelato (Pistachio!) with my mama, sister, and a lovely Nun.
Yep. She called me Sue and said I was pretty. Also, she told us about how she "buried" her dog by dumping the body off the end of a wharf. And no, she didn't see why that was illegal.


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* Also? Unfortunate juxtaposition. Explosion at Pike River next to explosion at Mt Ruapehu.

Week Forty-Seven

Sunday
I spent the day holed up with Harry Potter 7.


Monday
I highly doubt that Picasso's first word was Pencil ... but I can see how it would be a good story.


Tuesday
The clouds feel so close these days. The humidity is oppressive and soporific.


Wednesday
My darling Petra sent another postcard. This time, Washington DC. I remain envious.


Thursday
Craig was out climbing walls so I ate dumplings with sriracha sauce.
Yes, that fork has a face. It's in the shape of a squid and came from the Osaka Aquarium. It's adorable. Shut up.


Friday
Ten to midnight on the train. Drunk ish, Emphasis on the ish.


Saturday
A quiet night of mindless movies, hairdye, and spicy spicy noodles.


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Dimple.

It's been over a year ...

It's been a year since Japan.
It's been a year since Craig and I have come close to leaving New Zealand's shores.

This is the first time since 2007 I have been in one country for 365 consecutive days.
This is pretty damn depressing.

But! in 55 days Craig and I will be back in Hawaii.

Week Forty-Six

Sunday
Big ol' utes -a quintessential sight on New Zealand rivers in summer.


Monday
Another postcard from my darling Petra as she travels around North America. This time, New York City.


Tuesday
Crazy sparkles by O.P.I. - the Burlesque tie in.


Wednesday
This bicycle has been parked near my office for days now. It's parked by a rubbish bin so I think they're just hoping that someone will clean it away.


Thursday
It's peony season again!!


Friday
The Rocky Horror Picture Show ... I really should go see it but lord I am not up for much at the moment.


Saturday
Shopping for work clothes while Craig's car had a service.


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Week Forty-Five

Sunday
Asparagus is back in season! I'm thrilled.


Monday
Work work work ... and my Raspberry filofax.


Tuesday
I closed my eyes as we left the house in the grey dawn and when I opened them again? golden hour was in force. Amazing.


Wednesday
Bee and the Beehive.


Thursday
I loved these Pantone pens. I wanted to buy so so many of them.
But really, what would I use them for?


Friday
A rough-faced amethyst plug made especially for me. I love it. I love ninjaflower.


Saturday
My new shoes from Jeffrey Campbell arrived!
They are beautiful and comfortable and ... too too tall. They remind me of classy stripper shoes.


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?

I accidentally deleted the self-portrait for this week.
Yes I am very annoyed.

The dome glows ethereal in the night, London's own rising moon ...

Dearest darling London,

Today I ache for you.
I read and reread the article A.A. Gill wrote for The Times about St Paul's Cathedral and I sigh.

St Paul's Cathedral is the solemn, eternal boss and hub of our city. We look up for it, mark our bearing by it, judge our distance from the lantern on top. It is the axis of a compass. The great dome is the calm centre of the spinning city.

A couple of nights ago, thinking in the liminal dark, I was struck by the idea for a tattoo*, a bolt of lightening from my subconscious. The idea for a tattoo which honours my love for the city more than the obtuse and multi-symbolic crown on my right arm.
The idea arrived fully formed. So clear in my mind that I wanted to run out and get it straight away. But I am too sensible for that. I must wait to see if the seed idea grows roots.

Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. I ache for you today, London.

Much love,
Sarah-Rose


* I'm done apologising to my parents for my tattoos.
They may have created my physical being but they also created who I am. And I am a person who loveloveloves my tattoos.
No Philip Larkin here. THIS be the verse: I love who they helped me become.

Week Forty-Four

Sunday
Craig made us pancakes. With curly bacon.


Monday
It was Labour Day so I went bra shopping. I found this Geisha style changing room bizarre.


Tuesday
Packing treats to send to overseas friends.


Wednesday
I was dropped off nearer the waterfront than usual. Golden hour was beautiful.


Thursday
My darling Petra sent me a postcard from Ottawa.


Friday
A hazy hazy morning.


Saturday
The sun was out and I was home alone. So I walked down to The New Dowse and went to Craft 2.0 where I bought a rosette I've been wearing on my bag.


Loser Rosette by Dear Colleen.


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58 days to go ...

It was a fortnight ago that I spied them first. Hidden behind a table laden with goblin masks and a giant fake tarantula was a particularly red and green and gold display.
We were only halfway through October and Christmas decorations were on sale.

In America it seems that the popularity of Hallowe'en and Thanksgiving staves off the fat man in the red suit but down here at the bottom of the world?
Hallowe'en is advertised but not embraced, and we have no November holiday of note. Or at all. And so Christmas can start as early as the stores like.
It seems they decided on mid-October.

Don't get me wrong. I adore Christmas with a fervour unusual for someone of so non-religious a bent.

I do, however, enjoy the scent of pine, decorating the tree, spending a day with my family (though, as years pass and my Father's temperament changes, we have become increasingly insular) revolving around food and alcohol. But what I love most of all? is buying presents.

Not battling the neon-blind masses in the mall but I like thinking about the recipient and choosing just the right present. I suppose I prefer giving presents as opposed to buying presents.
I'm quite good at it too!

I think my trick is that I start thinking about christmas presents for my most immediate family members at the end of August - directly after the last of their birthdays. I keep a list in my diary, or on my phone, and I write ideas down.
I only start buying presents when I have to. But because I embrace the digital age in which we live, I do a great deal of my shopping online.

Shopping I started and finished earlier this week. Do you hate me?

I couldn't help myself.
The sun is out in Wellington today and being raised a southern hemisphere girl, the start of summer means that Christmas is coming. I knew it wasn't far off - on Monday I heard the first creaking cicada.

Now all I have to do is hope that they arrive on time, that I don't find anything more perfect, and that the recipient doesn't find out.
Such are the pitfalls of shopping early and online.

But it's okay! All I do is make sure that the presents I buy? I wouldn't mind so much owning for myself.

Week Forty-Three

Sunday
It was raining in Auckland and the weather was worse in Wellington.
I always forget that above the rain clouds the sky is still blue.


Monday
I stayed home with a head cold and felt miserable. The beautiful weather didn't help.


Tuesday
Wearing this Portmans skirt for the SECOND time and the fabric frayed apart. And no, it was not overly tight.
Thankfully the skirt was lined. Unfortunately the lining was nude coloured so that didn't really help at all.


Wednesday
It must be so difficult being a window dresser for a hearing aid shop.


Thursday
I went to dinner and a show with my mother and sisters. I ate this delicious delicious pizza.


Friday
I have GOT to memorise the train timetables.


Saturday
Path to the river.


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I've been wearing my hair curly recently.
It's getting so so long.