lemons

when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.

things are slowly but surely getting worse at a fast rate - but i am certain i will pull myself out of this situation. i'm determined to:

a) not to be ridiculously poor in the uk in september...going to work more, spend less, be more frugal and less impulsive about purchases

b) get to the uk in one piece...that means getting into nottingham, passing uni this semester and surviving this ridiculously cold "autumn" weather that has decided to hit brisbane

c) (in conjuction with the above) enjoy the next six months before i leave

i have discovered i am very stubborn about certain things - once i make up my mind, i don't ever change it. and if i want something, i won't stop until i get it. i choose to spin this...positively haha. and i am making a promise to myself that i will do the above.

i would upload this photo i found on archiblog.blogspot.com today of nottingham's city - complete with trams, old victorian brick buildings and new modern architecture but of course i am on an old old old computer which moves at the pace of a snail on weed so i won't even attempt it. however, if i manage to purchase a macbook tomorrow and don't get mugged on the way home, i will upload it. yayyyyy. 

X

sunday sesh and monday moods

following our WIN against a friend's team in touch last night, a sunday sesh was in order...involving drinks (starting very late), so late that i accidentally missed a friend's birthday at the RE, reminiscing on an old relationship with the ex, possibly spiked midori+lemonade which resulted in various body movements which may have looked as though i was throwing myself against a metal pole...all in all, a good night but definitely felt the affects of fun this morning.

i mentioned once before that there are just some people you meet in life who will always have a small place in your heart, no matter how long it is since you have seen them. and it is completely up to you, as to whether you would prefer to keep the relationship between the two of you idealised or not...a perfect friendship frozen in time or one which has the potential of being completely ruined. which is right? and where is the point where you know that you should take that chance, otherwise you will regret it forever?

unfortunately, some bad news today regarding travels...a friend (my travel companion in february 2010) was rejected from his host university due to 'lack of studio space'. i am sure they can pull up one chair and share the love around...surely they have seen clueless?

"So like, right now for example. The Haitians need to come to America. But some people are all, "What about the strain on our resources?" Well it's like when I had this garden party for my father's birthday, right? I put R.S.V.P. 'cause it was a sit-down dinner. But some people came that like did not R.S.V.P. I was like totally buggin'. I had to haul ass to the kitchen, redistribute the food, and squish in extra place settings. But by the end of the day it was, like, the more the merrier. And so if the government could just get to the kitchen, rearrange some things, we could certainly party with the Haitians. And in conclusion may I please remind you it does not say R.S.V.P. on the Statue of Liberty. Thank you very much."
X

kelly

"Here's how the night will work.. Everybody will arrive at differing times, wearing their appropriate costume. Your stereotype will be assessed, and if deemed to be acceptable, we will chortle and allow you entry. Drinks will flow. Drinks will be spilt. Some clown will break a glass early and someone else will yell out "Taxi". Rob will clean up the said broken glass, whilst showing off his wolf undergarments. Some smart-alec tells us the place is messy. Rob hits them with a wooden spoon. The dancefloor will begin to swell. The music will get louder with each drink consumed. Someone inevitably falls off the balcony to their immediate death. Party rages on. Buster becomes intimidated by the poster of Hoff on the wall, and hence question his own manliness. Al will attempt to bring some food out, such as party pies and sausage rolls, however having never used the oven before, will just fry them instead, to great success. Someone will challenge Rob to a drinking contest. Half a second later, Rob finishes his drink. Twenty-five seconds later, the challenger finished their drink. Someone will try to put a hardcore song, which just won't fly with the hosts. Bon Jovi returns rightly to the stereo. It's way too good that someone spontaneously combusts. The smoke alarm goes off. Everybody panics. Calm is restored. The weaker people with less party fitness begin to fail. They crash on the couch. We sit on their face. Someone realises the kitchen doesn't contain a booth, which disappoints some. Someone spews in the toilet. Al uses the opportunity to record video on his new phone. Toilet paper runs out. Abrasive paper towels are brought in for the emergency. Crisis over. Someone decides to sleep in the stolen Coles trolley. Sun rises. Bodies strewn everywhere. Emma parties on with Al and Moorley, once again outdoing all of her brothers. Al tells hours of stories. Pancakes are made for breakfast. Rob crashes and Burns. Crash and Burn is put on. People leave exclaiming "those Kelly boys throw a cracking party!""
X

hunting for witches

i'm sitting, on the roof of my house
with a shotgun, and a six pack of beers
the newscaster says the enemies' among us
as bombs explode on the 30 bus
kill your middle class indecision
now is not the time for liberal thought
/ bloc party

i would rather be hunting for witches right now. fortunately, i have digested quite a few nurofen plus's and feel quite a bit better. armed with a 5 day medical certificate, i think i'm ready to tackle these horrible assignments. i've had a sober weekend and it has indeed been a bit of a comfort to wake up refreshed, not tired/hungover/unsure of the previous nights' events haha.

apparently, the cause of my discomfort has something to do with what is commonly known as a 'tension headache' - am i tense? i didn't believe so. perhaps, it's all this running around, organising this, fixing that, planning the next hour/day/week/fortnight/month/six months?! i'm going to make a conscious attempt to slow down my life - less multi-tasking, more focus and less procrastinating.

i've also decided (i had a bit of a big fat thinking day today, you see) that i am thoroughly sick and tired of going out, fortitude valley, wasting money on drinks and not being able to talk to my friends because of the doof-doof. my garage would be the perfect venue for a house party - i'm working on it. perhaps a english themed going away party in late august?
X

donkey

my idea of a perfect saturday night definitely does not include:
a) writing an architectural history essay
b) nursing a 4 day headache + sinus which just won't go away
c) attempting an environmental management assignment

however, does include:
a) eating large bacon bones sized for dinosaurs in pea soup
b) afternoon cat naps to be interrupted by phone calls
c) css's 'donkey' on repeat
X

splen splen

splendour 2008

one last thing: 2009 line up out! comparitively ratshit to other years but still worth it.
however tickets are $250, so i am told.

bloc party
flaming lips
jane's addiction
mgmt
hilltop hoods
grinspoon
midnight juggernauts
the specials
augie march
sarah blasko
friendly fires
white lies
little birdy
josh pyke
the gutter twins
birds of tokyo
manchester orchestra
decoder ring
lost valentinos
bob evans
yuksek
kram
yves klein blue
leader cheetah
jack ladder
the middle east
polaroid fame
glass towers
X

archi-torture

architecture degree
=
time consuming
soul destroying
social life killing
but completely and utterly worth it.

office politics are hard to deal with. who is in charge; who has the power; who makes the decisions? as a result, i have swapped out of my tutorial group for design - as my tutor also works with me, thus making our professional r'ship a bit complex.

this weekend should involve: essay writing on manners and personal privacy in the renaissance - 19th century + domestic architecture; reflective journals; environmental management tasks (many thanks to my environmental management student who has failed to turn up) and sleeping, but instead will probably involve: friday night fans at alhumbra; saturday night soco and kings with archikids + charlie's 19th birthday at cloudland; sunday night touch + susie's 19th birthday at the RE.

mega fail haha.

another interesting note, i have decided to plan to get fit - exercise every tuesday night, thursday morning and sunday night. it really does make a difference. i feel aliveee! X

flowmarket

theflowmarket.com - environmentally sustainable posters & various other stuff. good for the eye, heart, soul and your inner greenie. X

in lands of clouds

images from home

good morning / rise and shine:
it's sunday mid-morning, a good time for brunch, hangover coffees / macdonalds, updating blogs, searching for hideous photos of the night before and starting assignments due on monday. happy 21st birthday liz, for last night. following fringe, we trekked to cloudland and waited in possibly the slowest moving line ever. but completely worth it. jellybean punch cocktail in tow (and eighteen beans poorer, but definitely drunker), we explored cloudland...it's magnificant grand scale staircases, bed-sized sofas (decorated in grandeur 17th century fabrics...tassels...chandeliers...), full length mirrors (every bar/lounge bathroom needs one) and retractable ceiling?! following that - press club + sky lounge (banana cocktail thing, thankyou jason) + met...probably the worst experience of my life. seedy, sweaty, dancing bodies, barely dressed girls in cages, spilt drinks, sore feet and music with a horrible anti-climax. however, today is sunday, and said brunch is definitely on the cards.

i nearly popped back into old habits last night but thankfully did not. it's true what they say - you always know what is right...the hard thing is actually doing it. it will be good to escape for a bit in september and forget. there are those people who just don't leave your wondering mind. X

figures, doors & passages

"the cumulative effect of architecture during the last two centuries has been like that of a general lobotomy performed on society at large, obliterating vast areas of social experience. it is employed more and more as a preventative measure: an agency for peace, security and segregation, which by its very nature, limits the horizon of experience by reducing noise transmission, differentiating movement patterns, suppressing smells, cutting down the accumulation of dirt, impeding the spread of disease, veiling embarrassment, closeting indecency and abolishing the unneccesary, incidentally reducing daily life to a shadow play. but on the other side of this definition there is surely another kind of architecture that would seek to give full play to the things which have been so carefully masked by its anti-type; an architecture arising out of the deep fascination that draws people towards others; an architecture that recognises passion, carnality and sociality."
- dr. robin evans

time

only just figured out how to change the time on my blog.
finally, i don't sound like i post at strange hours of the morning. X

you were the last high

tuesday night 150409
=
helen todd + candice chan + three monkeys, west end + turkish bread + english breakfast + romantic walk #1 + pineapple gelati + southbank + perfect parallel park + photographic evidence of said park + romantic walk #2 + gerties, new farm + 2 for 1 drinks + running into friends (brisbane is small) + taco tuesday @ alibi room, west end + delicious long-haired nose-ring bearing boy + 'where can i find you, candice' + two buck bean taco + cloudland, valley
=
funfunfun

wednesday night 160409
=
maria quirk + daniel troy + eleanor todd + candice chan + wagamama's, wintergarden + dreaming of overseas + travel plans + cute cafe (name forgotten), city + delicious citrus pudding-thing + more english breakfast + comfy couches + chats
=
funfunfun

...and it's only wednesday.
tomorrow i shall be a recluse, hiding in the queensland state library with books on 15th and 16th century architecture, manners and personal privacy. i shall attempt to ignore facebook/phone/society/distractions/attractive nerds in the library/ufo's - but admit this is unlikely.
back to work on friday ($payday$), much needed for the weekend coming.
strict budget is failing miserably, especially with my dear mastercard and recession sales (oh so tempting) - perhaps i will start playing lotto to try my chances.

zzz's needed for a big day of architectural theory tomorrow. X

neurotic

international travel involves a different kind of organisation - a neurotically strict kind of planning. it requires discipline, an understanding of airports and an awareness like no other. this is no walk in the park, this is the real world (not the tv show). similar to the amazing race, i guess. it's times like these, blackberries, pda's and i suppose even old school moleskine journals come in handy. the art is in the balance - the balancing of the best flight vs. the best airline vs. the quickest route vs. luggage restrictions vs. window/aisle seats. practice definitely makes perfect. and i have applied for a frequent flyer membership to make sure this happens. X

reggae all night

css 'donkey'...crazy, electro, dancey, synthesized love for the ears, soul and inner dance bug

cannot stop listening to these guys. incredible and perfect for late nights with the balsa, glue and knife. thankgod those days are over, for the next month at least.

easter time = happy time. beaches, barbeques, nintendo wii, cadbury stuffed individuals, double-time-and-a-half for those poor working souls and most importantly, time off. post-review fun involved drinks, gloves, cards and volleyball, exactly what was needed. however, next week involves essay writing about 'manners' and the influence on them on architecture. back to business!

today, i went shopping with tess - valley markets + city. good bargains at this cheap little stall - this lovely blonde lady sold dresses that she had altered herself for 25 or 35 beans. cheap shirt dresses with an 80's print. also scored a cute floral high waisted skirt (after vowing i would never buy another one, 45) + another one (bad person i am) - light blue tulip skirt with detail zip down the front (same silk fabric as the current standard ultra suite dress, 60). so not bad, all in all. apart from the whole blowing-of-100-per-week-budget. and my credit card bill hasn't even arrived yet.

tomorrow, will involve spring cleaning, spring cake making with aunty fay and wii with the pseudo siblings. oh, and possible reverse parallel practice with father duck (residence of brookfield + kenmore, watch your mercedes'). X

ooh, naughty, naughty.

so, i have a review tomorrow, in exactly twelve hours.
the week has consisted of painfully constructing models using balsa, zap-a-gap (designed to increase nail polish remover sales, i swear), plastic and paper. possibly the best models i have made to date, but i am uncertain of the actual ideas behind it. fingers crossed i will not be burned tomorrow. and, in true architecture style, tomorrow night will be a big, fat celebration ie. messy drinks at someone's house.

mother and father duck found some cheap-ass flights to london a few days ago - i am talking 1400 or so. i found cheap ones flying a different airline, yet, cannot book them due to my lack of acceptance letter. all this organisation is scary, however - this may really be happening. it seems as though this decision to study abroad may be one of the main influencing decisions of my life. whether good/bad, who knows. X

ps: love to port o'brien's 'i woke up today'

the weekend before

friday's on a saturday night, for no real reason at all. X

boxy boxy box box

atelier tekuto...
boxy, simple forms
exactly the house i want to live in

paying a splendour deposit today...so exciting! the flaming lips...answer to 80's heaven for your ears. i've finally sorted out all my banking/money issues, consolidated all my accounts into a few so life is simple now, apart from a big design review on thursday...i intend to lock myself up for the next four days but truthfully, i will be sitting offline on facebook, stalking haha. X

just splendid

hello hello...
various points of exciting news:

a) assisted the current financial crisis by purchasing fabulous items of clothing...on credit, of course
dark blue cheap mondays...stiff and bright in colour (navy/dark blue) - i cannot wait until they are old and faded and comfy! + a black flowy dress (princess polly)
b) accommodation for splendour is finalised. we have managed to score a sweet little place between belongil and byron...just on the main road before you turn left into the center of byron. little purple house next to a petrol station and opposite the police station. you would know the one. surprisingly, we are not paying through our noses...it is quiet cheap and super convenient (i can imagine hungover breakfasts will only be a two minute walk away).
so life is good and will be even better next thursday after this dreaded review. X

modernism in london

new tate modern 2 building, london.

incredible use of transparent/translucent materials to create a glowing set of 'blocks'.
to be completed in 2012 for the olympics, i think i'll book my flight back now. X

mr. nate, nice boy

monash university's brand spanking new archdes building:

i am quite enjoying the simple forms of the walls vs. the plain, bold colours (which define the different working spaces) check this month's aa, i am extremely jealous - zelman cowen refurb, you have big shoes to fill!

mr. nate is a nice boy, indeed. after painstakingly streaming the latest episode of gossip girl (best episode yet, may i add) - don't worry, no spoilers - i am now exhausted, behind in uni work, hungry, yet happy i just successfully wasted the last two hours of my life.

i am sadly becoming a slave to technology...social networking, blogs, informationinformationinformation. what happened to having one email address...one place you check for correspondence to the outside world. diversity has taken over, a facebook for photos and friends, a lookbook for fashion, a blogspot for thoughts, a twitter for stalking, an ebay for buying and selling, an email each for personal, work and university. make it stop! tear yourself away from the computer and breathe the outside air. conversation (real conversation...not that shit we call facebook chat/msn/text message/skype); birthday parties; laughter - that, my friends, is what life is made up of.

i am excited for the weekend...it should indeed be a messy one. with everyone having such a busy lifestyle - go go go - time is precious and it should be spent wisely. an example of wisely spent time would involve getting ridiculously blind with your closest friends when you have an assignment due the next week. speaking of ridiculously blind - splendour 2009 soon. get planning, party people. the flaming lips await. but zzz time for now. X