One year on..

Life has come around one full circle since this photo was taken nearly a year ago. Tonight I was sitting in this exact same spot and I had the sudden realisation that my blog is almost a year old.

It's been a while since my last post. Partly due to my heavy training schedule towards the Auckland Half-Marathon in three weeks (eep!) and the sudden craziness of my life in general. It's all good news though. So here I am one year on from my first blog entry link here! and still blogging.

Update on my progress and New Year's Goals 

Number One- Include a furry friend into my life.

Not quite fulfilled this one but I do have a month left of this year. It will happen, but maybe not this year. And does a potential boyfriend count?

Number Two- Save, not spend.

I'm working this one. And a trip to the States and Canada for the holiday period to prove it!

Number Three- Blog and stay blogging.

And here I am and promise to keep writing. My shopping trips will be enough to haul and blog about in the New Year. Yipee!

Number Four- Act, don't react to situations 

I think as I find calm and peace, this one is growing in my life.

Number Five- Make general and everyday good habits.

Definitely fulfilling this one... My gym sessions and training schedule is somewhat on track. My vege quota has doubled and I'm making larger commitments in life.

Mottos:

- I will choose to be someone who takes control of the decisions in their life.

- I will am an executive decision maker in my life. Not choosing to act on a issue, is still a choice. I can't blame other people for an outcome I could've foreseen or have chosen to ignore.

- I am trying to be the thirty year-old I dreamt of being. 

I have a vision and am determined to stick with it. I finally feel like good things are starting to happen for me and my life is about to start...

Happy Anniversary Budgie!

 xo

Running Part Deux

Mount Eden
   * there is sound with the video

Budgie xo

Five things

1.   technically two favourite things but I'm killing two budgies with one stone... tee hee

  budgie key ring

  nailpolish- Planks A lot by O.P.I.  dirty purply love.

2.  pinterest- late on this band wagon I know.. 

3.  autumnal knits of cosy woollen textures

4.  homemade muesli {recipe link!}

5. favourite words thus far..

    autumnal

    baubles

    clove

I have a sneaky suspicion that I may be purchasing a waffle maker to make these Healthy Protein Waffles. I love the Malibooty workout Karena and Katrina have. link!

Budgie xo

Autumnal Reading II

Completed the second book of Fifty Shades now.. I read that the prospect lead roles in the possibly created movie may just be Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson from Twilight (which is fitting as the author is a fan). However, I really would've rather have seen Anne Hathaway in the lead role (think young budding careerist in The Devil Wears Prada combined with her sexuality in Love and Other Drugs)..  and the other lead Christen Grey to an actor like Patrick Bateman in American Psycho or Ryan Phillipe in Cruel Intentions ( probably both too old to play these roles now).

It is such a long time til November for the second Breaking Dawn movie so I'm looking forward to Kristen Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsman coming out next week. 

Budgie xo

Op-shopping

Or "charity shopping" as it is called in the UK thank you to my English flattie Charlotte :)

{Collectable second hand soup mugs I'm on the hunt for}

Soup of the root vege variety 

...and anything and everything skulking around in the bottom of the refrigerator.

(recipe).

one potato

1/3 packet of minestrone soup

3 garlic cloves

one bak choy

can of tomatoes

handful of dried gnocchi pasta

one diced onion

handful of pearl barley- god's gift to my healthy bowel, yum.

sprinkles of brown lentils

chicken stock and a bay leaf

dash of chili, ripped basil leaves from the garden and cracked pepper...

Budgie xo

I look like I make homemade muesli...

{Outfit of the day photo}

Turquoise knit dress purchased in St Paddy's Markets Sydney last month.

Baby alpaca green scarf with baubles kindly on loan from my sister.

Muesli

Sick of the crap in the cereal aisle at the supermarket, I thought it time to make my own muesli..

My cousin in London made this muesli for me whilst I stayed with her, and I inhaled it.

Dabble with the quantities as much to your liking as you like (:

(recipe)

2 cups of rolled oats

1/3 cup chopped pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup chopped sunflower seeds

1/4 cup smashed almonds

1/4 cup of shredded coconut

1/2 cup diced apricots

1/4 cup sultanas

1/4 cup rice bran oil

3 tablespoons runny honey

1 tablespoon cinnamon 

Heat oven to 180c. Use a roasting pan to bake oats, add each dry ingredient (except the fruit and coconut) as you smash, chop and hack at them. Turn the muesli each time you add a new ingredient. 

Melt honey, cinnamon and oil together in a saucepan. Add the warm honey mixture in quantities alternating each time you add a new dry ingredient. 

Once all the dry ingredients have been added and turned, add the coconut for the last five minutes of cooking so it doesn't' burn. Remove from oven and add diced apricots and sultanas.

Makes 2 litres.

Budgie xo

Comfy couches and late autumn reading...

Home Décor

New edition to the couch: Knitted cream pillows with wooden buttons (on sale at Briscoes $19 ea.)
Fresh potted daisies.

The bed throw was a bargain... I saw it at Bed, Bath and Table for $169, but couldn't quite justify the price for a bed cosy. Until I spotted it at Easter for $89. It is actually a single bed duvet cover with a gorgeous burgandy trim and patchwork fabric. The underside is a paisley pattern (see below) 

Pillow from Spotlight.

Autumn Reading

Wicked- Pretty Little Liars                                              Fifty Shade of Grey-  by E.L. James

TV2 Sunday 5:30pm                                                (with paisley underside of bed throw)

Pretty Little Liars is the teen drama of my thirties... honestly, will I ever grow up?

But it draws you into its mysterious plot line, and even though I know who 'A' is through the book series, the pretty cast, teen angst and edgy/pretty American teen makeup and wardrobes draw me in.  Perfect Sunday afternoon hangover tv watching.

The 'Fifty Shades'  trilogy book series by E.L. James couldn't be further from the innocence of PLL.  This is the new 'it' book on the bookshelves, but reading it, you wouldn't believe it. It is seriously kinky. The S & M theme is very detailed and blushingly descriptive to read. However, the plot line is strong enough to carry you through the Seattle setting with a young female antagonist who is also a recent graduate and budding publisher. Slight pangs of career envy tug at me and that post-grad feeling of the open world unknown, is nostalgic. 

Are you nose deep in any good reads at the moment?

Budgie xo