Love Books

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I keep reading some amazing books and then forgetting the names and authors. So I've decided to create a special place on my blog where I can share those that have touched me and are worth a read (in my opinion at least - I'm not a literary booksnob!). Welcome to On My Bookshelf.

I believe books can change your life.
I believe books can teach you alot.
I believe books are a powerful medium.
I believe books can take us on adventures.
I believe books can be a delightful escape.
I believe books can inspire.
I believe books expand your vocabulary.
I also believe there are many crap books out there that don't add any value. But that's up to you! I used to have to finish every book I started. Now I believe that life is too short and there are so many great ones out there.

So I encourage you to read. Find out what you like. Test drive different genres - even if you really think you might not like them - you may be surprised (hello science fiction and fantasy!). Read fiction and non-fiction. Read inspiring biographies, how-to books, classics, cheesy romance, mystery, self-help, cook books. Enjoy them :) and share the ones that stand out. You can get a heap of free books on the Amazon Kindle store and the iTunes bookshop to help with your test drive (and the apps are free too.)

Make a list of books you want to read and make your way through them. Whenever I'm perusing a bookshop (or an online bookstore) I make a note in my phone for future reading so I don't get too overwhelmed with the books I physically have that I've not read yet (though that pile by my bed and on my Kindle app is pretty large).

I have a book problem. I don't spend my money on much anymore except for books (and stationary, craft goods and homeware...) but it is an addiction. A relatively healthy one though. I just need to get through them all and put into action what will help me!

Arienne Loves...TiLT #7

 Photo Credit: Me! A wonderful flower shop in Borough Markets London

Welcome back to Things I Love Thursday. The gratitude post inspired by the sparkling Gala Darling. I do find that seeking things out in my life that I am grateful for or paying attention to things that make me stop and think makes me happier in my life. You should try it. Go on - give it a go!

Things I am grateful for and things that made me smile this week:
The above picture Books & Writers - I totally admire you and what you have to teach me and what you inspire in me! The ability to travel My ability to see wonder in the everyday Kids getting people's attention from the balcony of the Tate Modern in very creative ways Cringeful families that made me question why I judge unconsciously The flowers I returned home to courtesy of my Aunty Ursula - what a lovely welcome Seeing The Man again after a month - love love love Dad cooking my favourite dishes - hello Gazpacho! Smelling like garlic on my Bangkok - Sydney flight (sorry! I couldn't stop myself from eating my favourite Thai dish - Som Tam during transit!) Mango and sticky rice Cranking up my juicer for the first time in ages My portable light to read books in darkness Clean sheets Victoria from Qantas getting me home after the grounded Qantas flights Having a fancy smancey camera that allowes me to take awesome pics with such little photography skill Catching the tube in my Halloween outfit Nipple tassels (maybe I should get some?!) Risotto - why have I not ordered you before?! Zander - whose full name is now Zander Aqua Zorro Bandana Banderras Varga Gorlach Talking about Zander non-stop to purposefully 'annoy' my sister Liane Being on a mission to get my little sister reinstated to her chef's apprenticeship which was cancelled because 'students going to a gifted school should not attend TAFE (a technical college)' - WTF?!?!?!

What are you grateful for SSSs? What made you smile this week?

Make it as you wish SSSs!
Arienne xo 

Hello Halloween!

Happy belated Halloween! This year Halloween was celebrated in London. Over two nights. Very efficient too as I wore the same outfit each night.

My inspired outfit (well, it was the cheapest thing I could do as I didn't want to spend too much on something I couldn't bring back with me!) was to be an inexpensive version of Black Swan.

Night #1 saw us at a house party hosted by my sister's boyfriend and her bestfriend (who flat together). They did a fab job of decorating and baking Halloween Cakes as you can see below. It was great and I stayed up way past my normal grandma bedtime (and paid for it the next day...).

Night #2 was celebrated at Proud Cabaret - a burlesque supper club where we got to ogle (in a very refined way of course) lovely women (with, I had to mention it, nipple tassels) and hot topless men... It had such a great atmosphere and all the staff had Halloween costumes on - we were served by the Bride of Frankenstein! It was really hard to take pictures because of the smoke machine, but the last one may give you a bit of idea. Highly recommended if you visit London!

 Black Swan with a purple bra (I didn't pack a black one for the trip!)

 My gorgeous sister Liane as a Puddy Tat

 

Home made Halloween cake - great decoration huh?!

 

 Some of us gals at the partay

How did you celebrate Halloween? What alter ego did you go as?

Make it as you wish SSSs!
Arienne xo

November Dreams

Hello November! Fancy meeting you here after October. I think you and I are going to get on just swell :)

It has been a while since I've posted a monthly dream, but I'm not going to beat myself up about that. November is the start of a new chapter in my Life. After quitting all my jobs (I am still with the fabulously inspiring 10thousandgirl Campaign), going on a wonderful almost month long London adventure and deciding to Leap, my life is going to change.

It will be more authentic. I'm going to have more time to work on various projects I've been putting off because I've been 'too busy'. I'm going to kickstart the creation of Savvy Sassy She more formally. There will be more creating. More love. More focus. More attention. More...me.

So what better way than putting my monthly dreams out there! Here goes!

1. Start creating a herb and flower garden on the terrace and put my not-so-green-thumb to the test

 

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2. Start the family cookbook I've been talking about for the last 11 months. Take pictures and collect recipes of what my family cooks.

3. Talk to Dad about his memoirs and see how I can officially help. We've discussed it quite a few times and he has started putting together the stories of his interesting life.

4. Get into the habit of writing 500 words a day - regardless if it is for the blog, my journal, a plan - whatever it is just write everyday. This was inspired by Chris Guillebeau's book The Art of Non Conformity (read it if you want to break out of the status quo).

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5.  Start drawing/visual journaling regularly (another habit re-inspired by an awesome book called The Creative License Giving Yourself Permission To Be The Artist You Really Are by Danny Gregory - I have a creative crush on him).

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6. Create and implement new routine for my new Life.

7. Start juicing again! After the extremely positive experience of Raw Food and the unhealthy holiday in London (and the kilos it put on!), it is time to get back in to healthy eating.

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8. Spend quality time with my Aunty Ursula who is visiting from Germany.

9. Run 10thousandgirl Geelong workshop.

Photo Credit: Me!

 

10. Enjoy T Harv Eker's Millionaire Mindset seminar here in Sydney.

11. Look at mortgage options with mortgage broker.

12. Chair final Steering Committee meeting where we are 'guinea pigging' the final 10thousandgirl Personal Finance Program module.

13. Create picture wall at home. I've printed the pics and have most of the frames. I just need to put the pics in the frames and hang them!

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14. Explore new income streams - I still have that mortgage to pay and I have to buy dog food!

15. Create my SSS formal email address

16. Start formal SSS plans! Woohoo!

What are your plans for November?

Make it as you wish SSS!

Arienne xo

Unexpected Adventures

 

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So, as I'm writing this I've been on hold with Qantas for an hour. Why have I chosen to spend my Sunday doing something so exciting? Well, as most of you know I've spent the last 3.5 weeks here in London have a good ol' time with my sisters and having a bit of a holiday.

While I'm having a lot of fun and enjoying being a Londoner for a month (I am now a tube expert), I'm also missing The Man and the little love of our lives (who has reportedly put on 2kg) Zander Bander the puppy.

So when I found out that Qantas had grounded its fleet indefinitely in retaliation to the striking groups that are effecting them, I was of two minds. 'Yay!' that I may spend a couple days longer than expected here and 'Boo!' that it would be a longer time away from my other loved ones.

Now that has turned into a bit of frustration that I've spent so long trying to get hold of Qantas to see what my options are, ran out of credit after an hour on hold in the middle of the night and now spending my Sunday morning glued to my laptop while Skype is on hold with me.

I'd just like to know what is going on so I can rearrange myself as required. I've just seen that they've booked me on a flight on the 13th of NOVEMBER! Another two weeks away. Which is why I'm on hold (yes, it has now been 1 hour and 15 minutes!).

I'm grateful that I am luckier than most as I've got my sister here and I don't have one of those pesky things called jobs that most people have to go back to (another benefit of being an entrepreneur!). But I didn't plan on being away for 6 weeks and I do have some meetings and deadlines and a workshop I'm running on the 13th November and some other responsibilities!

Whichever way it works out will be okay. I'm glad I'm not panicking and every occurrence has an opportunity that comes out of it. There is no use getting overly stressed over something you don't have much control over. See the potential that can come out of it (on a side note, I just read a fantastic book called Flipside - about finding the opportunities in life amidst trauma or bad things happening - I highly recommend it)

For me that is spending more time with my sister, catching up with a few other London based people, perhaps still getting over to Ireland, having more time for inspiration in a new place and working on a few projects without the distractions of working from home. I'd really like to be home in a few days though.

Now, Qantas, I'd really appreciate if you would prioritise people that are in the midst of their trip and away from home. And I would be super grateful if you could answer my call. It has now been 1.5 hours and you're eating up my Skype credit...

Wish me luck lovelies. I'm going to make it as I wish.
Arienne xo

Update: After being on hold for two hours the lovely Victoria from Qantas managed to get me the last seat on a Thai Airways flight tonight and I'll arrive home on Tuesday only one hour later than originally scheduled!