Apology Anthology + Blog Re-Boot 2009

Hello!

I am not dead! Huzzah!

My apologies for leaving this blog by the wayside. I have been very busy/ quite unmotivated since returning from Thailand. Here's what I've been up to:

- Mr A & I now own a house. A lovely, lovely white weatherboard house built in 1926. I'm completely in love with it.

- Although I am in love, said house is in a state of disrepair. It got attacked by the 60's and a terrible DIY-er. I have been renovating like mad! We have removed asbestos, replaced walls, smashed disgusting kitchen cabninet (that had a mouse poo mountain behind them) and intalled beautiful, clean, storybook, milky white ones. I also have a brand new Smeg oven! 90cm! So wonderful.

- I have been burlesquing like a crazy (sexy) lady. I can now dance on point, spin 4 hula hoops and throw fans every which way. I have an awesome gig in Broome soon with the amazing bendy beauty Kimtortion. To say I am pretty excited would be an understatement. I also have a show this weekend, Puttin' on the Glitz. I'm doing a fan throw and a wacky flapper charleston. The next show after that will be even more exciting, as we will have a super special guest.

- I have my kitten back! She is so cute, I get distracted playing with her and just staring at her adorableness. Although I think she is going through her rebellious teenage phase. She has been a little destructive and moody lately. Or it might be because she's on a diet (she got a little fat while I was away).

- I'm usually knee deep in cupcakes. I am developing my cupcake business very very slowly but surely. I currently operate out of home which is a titch bit illegal but I'm only selling for the Retro Markets at the moment and the odd wedding or two. But I hope by the end of the year to be a little more legal.

So yes, that is what I have been up to, among other things. I am hoping to start blogging more regularly again. I have a little challenge set for myself and I think blogging about it will help me stick to it.

Chat to you again soon darlinks.

Clara
xoxoxoxox

A Place to Call my own.

I know! I know!! I said I'd post more but things have been a little crazy since the start of the year. I've had visitors since the fourth and showing them around has been super tiring.

I'm going home in two weeks and I've trying to sort stuff out for that too. I have been thinking about own new house too. Mr A and I have very different tastes in interiors so we will try and keep the main area's of the house neutral. But we will both have our own rooms. Mr A for his guitars and me for my sewing. I can do whatever I like in my room!!!



I'm kinda going for a Kawaii Tea House/50's Boudoir/French Bordello kind of look. If you can understand that. I am completely in love with wall decals right now and I think some cherry blossoms would be beautiful. I really like the look of pink and red together also. Fashion Hayley pulls this off in her house so beautifully. I picked up some lovely red and pink frames at the markets on the weekend. I think I'll put some of my burlesque photos in them. I love the idea of bird cages too. I bought some in Vietnam. I want to fill them with butterflies and maybe even some plants/flowers! How sweet would that look!?














I like these colours a whole bunch! I'd also die and go to heaven if I could get my hands on a mirrored desk. Sadly, all the ones I have seen are way out of my decorating budget!!! BOOO!!! I really like the dressing table thing too. I despise having my make up and the such like in the bathroom. I'd love to have somewhere to sit and put my face on without having Mr A bugging me to get out because he has to pee or shave or something. I will defiantly get an inspiration board for my projects. I like to have everything laid out in front of me. I might even cover it with fabric to make it a little more aesthetically pleasing.

A day bed might be fun too!! Great for impromptu guests and lazily reading a book on a Sunday afternoon.

What do you think? I really want to make our new house more me. The one we are in now and even the one before showed far more of Mr A's taste then mine. I can't wait to start!

I *Heart* BKK

The view from my apartment.

So I'm back in the Kok (heh). And I'm glad. It took a hellish 12 hour tiger flight to get here. I was already pissed off when I checked in because I realised there was a highschool rugby group on my flight who I thought were going to make a horrible amount of noise. But I didn't hear a peep from them all night. There were however, some very loud and obnoxious english slappers, two groups infact. It seemed they were from opposing slapper/laddette gangs or something because they started fighting and yelling at each other for reasons I clearly was not chav enough to understand. Heartbreaking. It was a bit amusing. There was also a "Is there a Doctor on the plane??!!!" moment when the woman behind me passed out and couldn't be revived. Luckily there was one (which brings me to the question of why a doctor is flying on a budget airline). He put her on a drip and sat with her until we landed. So we had to wait on the plane 20 minutes while they organised the stretcher but then the lady just got up herself and walked off! Luckily, there was more amusment in the form of the slapper gangs waring as the got off. There was alot of "Fookin' bitch" and "Oh shut it you right slag or I'll 'ave you". Hehehehehe. Slappers. So after all that, I finally arrived in Bangkok, was through immigration in a flash (there was no line!! That never happens!) and my bag was the first off WOO! Ale was there to meet me and we stepped out of the aircon and into the slap in the face known as Bangkok weather.

I guess I haven't been away that long but is was enough time for me to almost forget how much I love it here. It's dirty, smoggy and there's a general smell of garbage water around every corner. It's fiercely muggy pretty much all the time. Tuk-tuk bug the crap out of you. There are mangy dogs and cats all over the place. And they have squat toilet. I hate squat toilets, no matter how much more "hygenic" they might be (note: I don't find standing in other people's pee very hygenic-sorry Doc).

But this is a city full of life. There is always something happening. But at the same time, people move through the city at a slow pace. No body ever seems to be in a rush (except Tuk Tuks). I swear, the Thais invented ambling. Sure there are people trying to rip you off but if you actualy read up on everything you're warned about it all and if you are polite they leave you alone. It is totally worth putting up with those little hassles. The food oh the food. It is so good. I'm currently addicted to buying whole cobbs of corn from street stalls. Not strictly Thai food but it's soooo good!!! My soi has so much good food, both street and restaurant. There are THREE places to get really great massages and manicures and the train is only a short walk away. I have been walking everywhere tho. BKK is not exactly the best city for walking but it can be done!

Oh plus, before I forget, Alex and I have move house since I was last here. I'm now living on Soi 11 right near Sukhumvit. There is so much more to do here than Nonthaburi (about an hour out of anything exciting) where I was before. My new apartment is just as nice as the last one, maybe even a little nicer. It has a gym, a pool (which isn't as nice or as big as the one at my last apartment but it is on the roof) ping pong and squash (I use the squash court for Hula Hoop practise tehehehe). I can just walk down the street and there are a million things to do. Plus I am alot closer to alot of my favourite haunts, like say, the Wat Po massage school or Platinum shopping emporium.

So, I am glad I am back. I am hoping to make as much of my time here as possible. I plan by the time I leave to be atleast confident enough to have a conversation in Thai. I's also really like to learn to cook good Thai food. So many things, and I have all the time in the world. Somewhere in between I'll be be guzzling down copious amounts of Tom Kha Gai, quaffing lemon iced tea and exploring Asia with Alex. Mmmmm, life is good.