I really am sorry! Everything has been so time consuming lately - particularly work, and then when I get home from work I’m too tired to do anything but veg out on the couch… I seriously don’t even have the energy most days to sit on the computer (this may have something to do with the fact that I keep forgetting to take my iron tablets, but I think work still plays a part).

I’ve been living at Tim’s house for the past few weeks because his parents went to New Zealand and needed someone to house sit. Tim lives about 25 minutes away from me, but that somehow becomes a 2 hour public transport trip, so commuting to work has been contributing to my tiredness factor too. Losing an hour from going into daylight saving time has really thrown me off too, I think I’m only just beginning to adjust now.

The other weekend, it was our friend Richard’s 21st birthday. It was a gangsta dress-up party and was heaps of fun. Here are some photos:

I have a massive to-do list that just keeps piling up, as I keep wasting more and more evenings having early nights… guess I better get back to it. I hope everyone has been looking after themselves!

Oh, hey there engagement ring!

After working the past 9 days straight, I am very much looking forward to tomorrow when Timothy and I leave to go camping very early tomorrow morning. We’re going to the Flinders Ranges and we’re planning on going horseback riding, hiking, bike riding, and relaxing until Tuesday when we’ll come back home in the evening.

I thought I’d be courteous and give you all an update, because I’ve been pretty slack with blog posts lately - I’ve been extremely busy.

I hope you all have a great weekend and I’ll fill you in on what’s been going on when I get back home and back into the swing of things!

I’m going to the shops to get a couple of things done today, like opening a higher interest savings account! I might be going to buy a couple of things too… just between you and me! Straight from the shops, I’m going to work. This is what I’m wearing (ignore the weird pose, I was in a rush and couldn’t be bothered getting completely in the frame!):

Blouse - Dotti
Cardigan - Supré (ew!)
Brooch - my Grandma gave it to me when I was younger
Skirt - Dotti
Tights - my Mum bought these for me
Shrek band aid
Shoes - Zu

And here’s the detail on my top and brooch.

The weather’s actually really nice today 23°C (73.4°F), not too breezy and the sun’s out which is a nice change! Unfortunately, I get really bad hayfever during Spring, so I don’t have all that much fun outside. I hope everyone else’s day is going swell!

The other day I had a revelation:

Ever since school, I’ve been out to please other people before myself. I’ve always been fairly academic, but I’ve also always enjoyed the creative subjects too. I was brought up (mostly at school) thinking that university was the way to go for academics, that pursuing a career in the Arts wouldn’t really get me anywhere and that if I have the brains I shouldn’t “waste” them. Because of this being drilled into me, I didn’t do any art subjects in Year 12 (as much as I would’ve loved to!) and I didn’t even consider TAFE or other vocational training as a tertiary option. I was always going to go to university, because that’s what I was supposed to do.

Now, almost 2 years later, I’m really regretting letting other people’s opinions affect my life. I wish I stuck with what I was passionate about, instead of doing other things half-heartedly. I was a bit down the other day, prior to my revelation, because I was thinking I’d wasted my life and put myself down the wrong path. Then I realised (with the help of Mum!), that I’m only 19 and there’s a lot I can still do if I set my mind to it!

The time has come where I am going to start doing what I want to do and not let other people sway me! From now on, I’m going to do what I want and not waste anymore time!

So, goodbye old Kara…

…and, hello new!

1. planning, 2. The Photo booth trauma, 3. To Photo Booth and Beyond!, 4. wonderwall, 5. mariposa, 6. vegas sun, 7. Marlboro & Lipton., 8. August 5, 2008, 9. Untitled

Budgeting

I’ve been spending a lot of time writing up earnings and expenditures… not only for right now, but also for when I move out. I’ve been having fun thinking about how much I need to save and also considering everything I may possibly need when I’m out “by myself” (that is in quotations, because Timothy will be by my side). It adds up, but organising my funds is making it seem like a more affordable venture.

Ida Maria’s “I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked”

Oh gosh, this song has been in my head non-stop all week. You’d think I’d be sick of it, but no, I’m addicted to it! It’s a catchy, fun song and though it definitely wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea, you should definitely check it out if you haven’t heard it yet!

Love Hina

I bought the whole series of Love Hina (ラブ ひな) on DVD! I haven’t watched it yet, but I’m definitely going to as soon as I get the chance. I’ve never been a big animé fan, but the one’s that always appeal to me are the fun/silly ones. The series is about a boy who decides to stay at his grandmother’s apartment complex to study (after being rejected twice by Tokyo Univeristy). When he arrives he finds that his grandmother is gone and the apartment complex is actually a girl’s dormitory. It’s a very funny romantic comedy manga-style show. My cousin brought it to our house years ago, and I loved it, I can’t wait to watch it again.

Plotting for Father’s Day

I’m looking forward to this Sunday when I can give Dad the presents I’ve bought for him and also something else I’ve been working on.. I’ll show everyone after the day - just in case he reads this!

Spore

Yesterday I bought Spore, a PC/Mac game by the makers of The Sims that allows you to control the evolution and development of a species, right from it’s beginnings as a tiny microbe, through to possible interstellar exploration! Sounds thrilling, right? I’ve only played it a little bit and I’ve managed to get up to the second (out of five) phase(s) - the creature phase. I can’t wait to play it a little more. If any of you have the game, make sure to comment with your usernames so I can check out your creations!

Wow, a week without a post! I bet some of you were wondering what was going on, especially with the last link I left you in Hump Day Hotlinks! I think when I began this blog, I set unrealistic goals - I wanted to try to post at least once a day and I don’t believe I did this even in the first week. Now, in my fourth, I’ve decided that it isn’t quantity, it’s quality. I’d still like to aim for at least 3 posts a week, but I’d like those posts to be decent in length and content. We’ll see how it goes!

Anyway, I think something that contributed to my short absence was my new computer…

I finally got an iMac! Yay! It’s the 20-inch 2.66GHz model. I’m very happy with it and so glad I finally made the switch (from Windows, that is). I love the way it looks in my room as well and it matches my new Canon PIXMA MP610 nicely. It’s taken a long time to install the programs I wanted on there, and also to transfer all my files over… but the fact that I’ve been so distracted by Photo Booth doesn’t help at all!!

Some of my favourites!

Also, in the last week I was offered a full-time position at work. I accepted it, it came at a good time - I’m not studying at the moment, I’m looking to move out (and will be in need of extra cash, and a steady income) and next year, if I do start studying again (at TAFE), I wouldn’t mind doing it part-time as night classes. I won’t be working in games (or software [DVDS/CDs/games]) anymore, unless they’re really busy and need the extra help I guess. I’ll be on the counter now. It’s kinda cool to be working with money again. I’m glad that I’ve started learning counter now, because work gets crazy busy over Christmas and it would be horrible learning how to use the registers and juggle customers and phone calls at the same time, around then. I’ll have plenty of practice before the rush comes.

On that note, I’ll leave you with what I wore to work today:

Patterned t-shirt - JayJays
Track jacket - Adidas
Jeans - JayJays
Camera necklace - Diva
Pointed flats - Novo

I hope everyone is well and I promise you’ll hear from me again before next Wednesday!

Photo by Shaolin Tiger

I’ve had quite the busy week and not much time to search the Internet for good reads, but I’ll update you all on what’s been going on in my neck of the woods at another time. For now, just a few links to get you through the rest of the week… enjoy!

a beautiful revolution
This page is a collection of “hand-written” notes answering the question: what are you thinking about? This is a lovely project, that also contains pages devoted to “postcards I may send”, “absurd words” and “love poems”. This site has a slight PostSecret vibe and I think it is so cute!

Don’t Panic
A free publication that unfortunately isn’t provided in Adelaide. However, if you live in London, Brighton, Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, Nottingham, Sydney, Melbourne, Budapest, Kuala Lumpur, Barcelona, Ibiza, Dublin or São Paulo: you may just be in luck and should pick up a copy! It contains lots of different information about arts and culture all around the world but has a definite emphasis on design and environmental issues. I particularly enjoy the poster section and hopefully, when I move out, there’ll be an empty wall that is just begging me to order one of these to cover it with!

How to Score a Job With a Web Magazine
The author of this article shares some tips and hints about scoring a freelance position with a web magazine. These can be applied to almost any creative freelance job, and I recommend this article to fellow freelancers or people in the design/writing industry. A little advice never hurt anybody!

Six Lessons I Could Only Learn By Letting My Blog Go
This post will definitely appeal to bloggers alike. Though I’m not thinking about “letting my blog go” in the sense you might think before reading this post, I definitely need to re-evaluate my goals and determine whether or not they’re realistic or practical.

I’ve been curious about Brightkite for some time, but only asked some online buddies for an invite a few days ago. I’m a bit behind (I believe the beta was released earlier this year, correct me if I’m wrong) but it’s always better late than never. So, what is Brightkite? Brightkite is a social network that has an emphasis on location and mobility. It works by allowing users to check in at a location either via the Web, by SMS or by email. Users can also post notes and pictures from their location.

This sounds like it could be a potential tool for stalkers, but users can actually choose how exact or vague their check-ins are. Also, there are privacy filters that can be utilised as well - for example, my profile is completely private when it comes to all check-ins and posts that I make, only people I allow can actually see where I am and what I’ve posted. Even then, I’m able to add trusted friends - it’s only the trusted, that get to see my exact whereabouts.

I love the simplicity of the interface on both the regular ‘net and also on mobile web. It’s also so easy to send an email from wherever I am and update my friends with an interesting/funny/cute picture or a random thought. Brightkite would be especially useful for people with a data plan (on their mobiles) that allows a massive amount of data or free emails (like I have).

If you’re interested in joining up, make a comment on this post and I’ll send you an invite. I’m looking forward to seeing you on Brightkite soon!

If you follow my Plurk timeline, you would probably already know that on Wednesday morning I decided to defer studying at university, at least for the next 6 months. This wasn’t a brash decision, it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while now and a few unfortunate events on Tuesday (such as my computer crashing when I was mid-way through an assignment) just happened to be the final straw.

For a long time I’ve been wondering whether I’m heading in the right direction but I’ve been so stressed out with uni, I’ve felt like I haven’t had time to think about it or even consider my future. After being unhappy with what I was doing pretty much all year, I decided now is the right moment to take some time out and figure out what I want to do with myself - without wasting any more time and money.

University is right for some people, and I always thought that was the direction I wanted to head in as well. I definitely want to complete some form of tertiary education, but I’m thinking a TAFE course might be the way to go for what I want to do (web/graphic design) because, from what I’ve heard, it’s a lot more hands-on and practical.

So, for now, I’m going to spend my days still working part-time at the hi-fi place (hopefully getting a few more hours here and there though), freelancing and working on some personal design work so I have a bigger and better portfolio to submit for my application to TAFE at the start of next year. I definitely think I’ve made the right decision and hopefully this post helps to explain my reasoning to some of the people who didn’t understand!

Have you made any big decisions lately?