SS shoes and an outfit

I ordered these Secret Shop shoes from Qutieland back in June.  It was a pre-order, so it was always going to take a while for them to come.  They ended up arriving on the 11th of December, ONE DAY after I left the country.  So I only got to see them when I got home 2 weeks ago!

They fit super well!  And they're very comfortable.  I wore them at uni all day yesterday, and did a lot of walking and standing up and playing marimba.

The heel is big but it's nice and thick too.

Sorry this photo is so bad.  Bad camera I guess, or bad lighting.

I curled my hair but you wouldn't know it.

Look!  I have a new present hanging on my bookcase!

I've been wanting to do more outfit posts but it's been hot!  I don't like wearing my really nice dresses when it's hot.

Non Stop Butter Biscuits - a walkthrough for Charles

Since staying with Charles in Sweden for so long, I got pretty good at making biscuits.  Cakes were kind of difficult and took too long to eat, so biscuits were perfect.  Despite using the same recipe every time, the biscuits always came out different, but delicious.  I don't want Charles to go without this treat, so I've made a walkthrough for him.  

In Sweden I found a delicious chocolate bar called "Non Stop" which was a milk chocolate bar with smarties through it.  Later I figured out that the smarties are what's called Non-Stop, and the chocolate company just mixes it together.  Anyhow I loved Non-Stop chocolate.  In Sweden I added the Non-Stop smarties to the biscuits.  You can also use glacé cherries, chocolate buds, or chopped nuts to your taste.  In the photos there's chocolate buds instead of Non-Stop, because I'm not in Sweden anymore!

Ingredients:

125g butter or margarine (about two tablespoons full).  Butter makes the mixture more firm, with Margerine you need more flour.

2/3 cup sugar - any type is fine, but I prefer brown for maximum deliciousness

1 tablespoon vanilla sugar OR a splash of vanilla essence

1 generous cup plain flour mixed with 1 teaspoon baking powder OR 1 generous cup Self-Raising flour

1 egg

Non Stop (or whatever)

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C

2. Prepare baking trays.  Either use clean baking trays or line a tray with foil.  You don't need to grease the tray because there is butter in the biscuits.

3. Melt butter in saucepan.  Swirl it around to make sure it's all melted.

4. Take butter off the heat, add sugar, and stir in.  

5. Cool mixture for a minute and then stir in the egg and vanilla essence.  I sometimes cool it by placing it in a sink of cold water.

6. Add flour and mix.  Add more flour if it is too runny - it should hold its shape.  Test for taste and add sugar if necessary.

7. Add some non-stop to the mixture and stir in.  Instead of mixing in the chocolates, you can also arrange them on top of the uncooked biscuits in fun designs.  

8. Using a teaspoon, ladle dollops of mixture onto baking trays - not too close together!  Makes around 20 biscuits.

This is for me:

9.  Remove from oven when they look golden brown and have risen - takes about 10 - 15 minutes depending on the oven.  Leave to cool for a bit.  Use a spatula to get them off the tray.  They should easily come away from the tray when they're cool.  Careful of getting hot chocolate on your fingers!

 

Too much sugar will cause the biscuits to spread out all over the baking tray and become brittle when cool.  However, this can ALSO be delicious and fun, so no problem.  These ones didn't spread much at all!

Yum yum!

My Crazy Alphabet Book

The other day, my friends and I were talking about how everyone knows what a Xylophone is.  I realised, of course, people know what a xylophone is because it's the X-word in all the kids' alphabet books.  A is apple, B is banana, C is cat, X is xylophone.

Then I remembered MY old alphabet book.

Here's the X page...

Look again...

Extra large mouse?!  That doesn't even start with X.  I think the reason I've kept this book for 15 years is because this page is so bonkers.

Hittade

Here's the video we recorded in Piteå for Maria!

Hittade for solo marimba and 3 percussionists, by Maria Finkelmeier

Home.

I've been home for two days now, and I'm slowly putting my life back together.

Leaving Charles at Arlanda was the hardest thing I've ever done - harder than leaving him at Perth, because this time I was also dreading my giant flight.  It totally tore me apart and I'm still very sad.

The flights were much more tolerable this time round.  Flight no. 1 from Stockholm to Bangkok went through the night, but to everyone on the plane it felt like day.  They turned off all the lights and stopped serving meals to make us sleep, but those crazy Swedes drank all the alcohol on the plane and talked the whole way.  There was also a very naughty little girl in the seat behind me who kept playing with the tray table and kicking my seat and yelling.  GOSH.  Anyhow it didn't matter much because nobody was tired.  Bangkok airport was much easier because my phone had reception this time around!  Such a feeling of reassurance when one's phone works.

On the second flight I sat next to an Irish dude who was visiting Australia to see his girlfriend.  He drank 5 beers and then fell asleep.  I watched a cool movie called "Not You Again" or something.  Anyhow I just endured it for long enough to get into Sydney and meet my parents.  They kindly picked me up from Sydney and drove all the way home to Canberra.

I was kind of sick the next day... jetlagged and bilious.  That kind of flight is quite an ordeal to get over, for someone wimpy like me.  I'm both physically and emotionally drained.  I felt so lame I didn't even try on my new dress until the evening.

I had fun making outfits with my new Victorian Maiden dress and my new Secret Shop shoes.  I ordered those shoes back in June, and they arrived the DAY AFTER I left for Sweden, in December.  Worst timing ever!  Photos of both these things to come, when I feel more energetic.  The dress fits me absolutely perfectly.  They only have one size, which is kind of unfairly exclusive.  There must be lots  of girls who would like to wear VM but don't fit.  It would be nice if they could introduce a couple of sizes.

Today I amused myself by throwing out lots of old clothes.  It's something I really enjoy doing - the chance to clear out all the junk and stuff I never wear, the mistakes, the worn out clothes I loved to bits.  A chance to make room for new, more awesome clothes.  I always try to throw out more than I bring in, because in the last few years my wardrobe has become kind of ridiculously bloated with unworn clothes and shoes.  I also like having a clear wardrobe so that I can see clearly what I actually have.  Lots of clothes get forgotten because they're simply not seen.

While I was away my parents painted my brother's old room and fixed the carpet so that now it actually looks nice!  It's bigger than mine, so I've decided to change rooms.  A change is as good as a holiday, and even though I just had a holiday, I feel I need a change.  Going away and living independently for so long has made me realise I really need to sort my stuff out, and this is ONE step along my process.  It will probably make me realise that I have a lot of stuff that's not wanted any more.

Once all my stuff is sorted and I'm no longer busy organising, I hope to get back into craft and stuff.  I have actually been knitting a jumper, but haven't taken photos.  I'm worried it'll turn out weird!

Last night in Piteå

So the other night we had our friends over for my farewell party.  It was a dessert party, so I made a lemon merengue pie and biscuits, and everyone else brought cakes and stuff.  It was amazingly filling and nice.  We have some really nice friends here!

Today the four of us percussionists recorded a piece by Maria.  She played the solo marimba part, and Charles, Jake and I were batterie.  It was great!  We used nice cameras to get good angles, and used the University media students to record the sound and do the lighting.  We ended up having a very professional setup.  It only took three takes to get a really good recording.  Then we had to bump out and move heaps of percussion and other gear.  But after that it was like 6pm and it was home time!  It was sad saying goodbye to Jake and Maria - we've become really good friends.  Maria gave me a signed copy of her piece - parts and all - so when she's rich and famous I can say "I knew her!".  The recording will be up on the internet in the next few days, so stay tuned!

Charles and I came home super tired from standing up and playing and moving gear all day.  Had dinner and then our OTHER friends Margrét and Gisli came round to collect their cups (we borrowed them for our party - Charles only has 4 cups) and had a coffee.  I'm going to miss them heaps!  They are special people.

So now it's almost bedtime and tomorrow we're off to Stockholm!  We'll be there for two nights and then I'm off home to Australia.  I really do love Australia, so I am looking forward to being home.  But it just will hurt to leave Charles here.  I know he misses home more than I do!

Last VM dress co-ord (possibly)

My dress has finally been delivered to my house.  Even though I'm still in Sweden, I'm happy that it's there waiting for me.  So to celebrate I made one final coordinate on Polyvore.

My mum opened the package for me to check that it was the right dress, and commented that it would look nice with a pink skivvy underneath!  Well this isn't a pink skivvy but it's pink and cute.  I love that jacket, it reminds me of Vivienne Westwood.  Those shoes are Irregular Choice too, and we know how much I like them!  

(I like them so much, I bought a pair.)

Tonight we're having a farewell party for me... oh no!  I hope I don't cry!

Fascinating fascinator

The other night, my friend and I were looking at Polyvore and found some cool looking hair bands.  We said "We could make those!"  So yesterday we walked into town and bought some supplies from craft stores.

I bought a shoulder pad, some lace, feathers, paper flowers, paper leaves, little hair clips, and matching fabric.  I was going for a natural, mori-girl kind of style.  Here's what I ended up with:

I covered the shoulder pad with fabric and sewed in place, then glued on the feathers and paper stuff, and then sewed on the lace which I'd gathered into little rounds.

Then I used scissors to cut two tiny holes in the back of the shoulder pad, and inserted the little clips.  Complete!

It just clips on!  Shoulder pads are nicely curved and fit well on a head.

I got loads of compliments on it today.  People were astonished that I made this!  Dudes and ladies: it's not that hard!  It was fun because I was with a friend!

My friend chose a red colour scheme and she pleated her fabric and used black and red feathers as highlights.  Hers was much more of a classic look.  We had such a nice time last night making stuff together!

Polyvore is the most fun thing in the woooorld

Number 1: Brown outfit because I like brown things!

Number 2: Purple outfit to match the purple check in the fabric of the dress!

Why yes, I AM looking forward to receiving my dress!  It's been shipped now yay!

J et J dress co-ordinate 3!

Here's another one again!  I really like this dress.  So many options!

This one was inspired by the creamy tones in the lace and ribbons on the dress.  It has a bit more of a vintage feel to it with those boots and the jewellery.  Still can't figure out a blue co-ordinate but I'll keep trying!

Each time I make a coordinate, Charles likes this dress more.  Eventually he'll say "You should buy it!"  Not that I need his permission - but his approval is desirable!

I like Polyvore for another reason - all the items have information attached so you can see how much each thing costs and where you can buy it.  It's like window shopping except more fun because there are less people to get in your way, and you don't have to look at stuff you don't like.

I wish the website had a different name though.  Polyvore sounds kind of gross somehow.

Co-ordinate take 2

I made another co-ordinate with the Juliette et Justine dress because I like it THAT MUCH.  And I don't really have any homework.

Which is better?  This one is more pinky coloured to match the flowers on the print.  I tried doing a more bluey co-ordinate but it ended up looking TOO blue.

J et J dress

I've been looking at Juliette et Justine lately... And I love this dress.

<3

want

I liked it so much I made a co-ord on Polyvore:

The nice thing is, that I actually own a pair of ruby slippers!  AND frilly socks!  I think it'd look beautiful together.  But... I still don't have that MM jacket yet!

la la la

^.^

Aurora Borealis

Last night at around 9:30, Charles and I were just chilling out here in Piteå.  Then we suddenly got a text from our friend saying "Aurora!"  We dropped everything and put on coats and walked out.  We could see the aurora faintly from our building, but wanted to see better.  We went to the field outside the university.  Even there was quite bright, but standing in the middle of a snowy field was darker than anywhere else we could think of.

The field is covered in about a metre of snow.  There's a path through the middle that's raised and made of compacted snow.  If you stray even one centimetre off the path, you step into snow up to your bum. 

 On the way out of the field, we saw another path that would be a shortcut.  Bad choice!  It was super deep snow and NOT a path, and I fell over about 6 times.  Not a shortcut, but pretty fun!

The big pole of light is a spire at the concert hall.  It's cute that we got it in the photos - makes the photos very Piteå-y.  A nice romantic evening in the presence of magnetically charged particles!