One Sparkly Life

I'm not a writer, but I blog. I'm not an artist, but I create. I'm not a chef, but I bake. I'm not a mother, but I want to be. I'm not a wife, but I am an awesome girlfriend. I'm not an explorer, but I love to travel. I'm not an academic, but I love to learn. I'm not a fashionista, but I love great clothes. I am all of these things and none of them at the same time.  I am more than a label. I have dreams, plans, goals and crazy ideas. I love and am loved. I am the product of my decisions and the blank canvas of my future. I am me and who I choose to be today, tomorrow and next year. I am both complex and simple.  I am on a journey without an end.  I have been inspired and tortured recently  by the concept of who and what am I. I am many different things to many different people. But who am I to me? Who do I want to be? What do I stand for and against? Too big to answer today but I wanted to share.  Who are you? Who do you choose to be today? Xxx

Another beautiful autumn sunrise this morning. Every day I see these balloons, I remind myself that one day I want to take a trip and see the city from the quiet spot in a balloon. One day.... Sunrise from my balcony And on another sunny note - drum roll please............. I have a new job!! Yippee. A wonderful moment happened on my birthday Friday where I got a call to say all the hard work and effort I put in applying and interviewing have paid off. Woo Hoo. So it was double celebration with toasts for me and my new role. More details on that to come as I draw closer to my start date. Needless to say a weight has been lifted and I feel that I am moving forward rather than treading water. A feel some baking coming on to celebrate. Hope you are having a wonderful morning. xxx

As I noticed last week, the last few months of craziness in trying to get another full time job have taken a toll on me and it is to baking and cooking that I have turned. See what you think of the last two months as I share some of the photos. Man and his fire Clouds from the balcony My mum's version of hedgehog - Plonky Square Pork and Apple Sausage Rolls Lemon Cupcakes with Mascarpone Icing My first attempt at honeycomb Lake Eildon My new favourites - Brownie Cookies with Peanut Butter Icing Balloon flights at sunrise from my balcony Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes - Heaven Balloon over the Yarra River at sunrise Beef pie with parmesan crust Roses at St Patrick's Cathederal My first batch of Hot Cross Buns White Chocolate and Macadamia Cookies Here's to another month of baking and cooking. xxx

Sunrise over the city.

Another month has flown by and we are already in the middle of February. Why does time go so fast as I get older? January was a month of craziness. I started the year with a cast iron desire to stand up for myself and not sell myself short. My first act in this was to hand in my resignation to the that was draining everything from me. Thankfully my contract included only a 1 week notice period so Monday morning I booked a meeting with the CEO and by Friday I was waving goodbye. While this brought a massive sense of relief that no longer was I being hammered in a toxic environment, the reality of what I had done started to sink in. I had thrown in my job with no back up plan. No savings and no other job to go too! Ahhhh sheer craziness and a sure sign of just how drained I was being there. It has been a long time since I had done something so foolhardy without a plan. But I had enough cash to pay the next 2 months of rent and a new enthusiasm for myself. My first week was a joyous...

A belated post wrapping up the year that was 2014. I mentioned it a little previously that 2014 started well but July to Dec was a pretty challenging time for me and my family all round. From work pressure and family grief by the time 31 Dec rolled around I was more than happy to say goodbye. On reflection there were some happy points but the last 6 months have been one big stress. I learned a lot about myself, my colleagues, my family and my friends along the way. I learnt to listen to my inner voice and trust myself.  I also learnt that your true friends will be there for you through these times and that some people have their own agenda and will step on anyone in their way. That was a hard lesson for me to learn as I trust people and believe in their good nature all the time. I am by no means "pollyanna" about things but I do believe that people are inherently good and not evil. This last year has shown me evil side of human nature. A side of some people I never thought ...