2013Luce's Eternal Sunshine: 2013

22 November 2013

I'm a twentysomething and I'll keep being me

My friend posted this link on her Facebook page the other day. For those too lazy to actually go check out the article, it's The 20 Mistakes You Don't Want to Make In Your 20s and it is pretty self explanatory. Obviously I was drawn to it because:
1. I adore lists; and
2. I am currently in my early 20s - WHAT!
Whilst I agree with many of the points the author makes (Hello 'Blaming anyone else but yourself for anything in life' and 'Forgetting about the piggy bank and spending every dollar you have' - I still have eight years to figure that one out, right?), I had a weird feeling after reading it.
It took me a while to pinpoint what it was, but then I realised. I was angry! I was actually fuming that this author decided he was the one and only twenty something who had ever lived and he alone dictated the way it should be, no babies, relationships or mistakes allowed.
So of course, me being me, I analysed the shiz out of my feelings - was I just feeling inadequate, did I just tick too many of the boxes for my own liking? The answer is no. Yes, I do tick some of the boxes ('Getting comfortable like you actually deserve down time' and 'Thinking that this is the right time to fall in love' - I'm in a relationship BUT I did make that decision in my teenage years so technically...). Yes, there are times where I compare myself with others through the joys of 'social media stalking' and seem to fall really short, but the dislike I had for this overall article was something different.
The author hadn't taken into account the myriad of different twenty somethings out there. The twenty somethings who are happy being young mummies or the ones who don't figure out what they want to do until they're in their 30s. I'm not saying it's for everyone but by publishing these kind of articles that cast judgement upon people who live their lives, it's actually being a bit hypocritical. It's saying "look to challenge yourself and build your own dream"...as long as that dream aligns with MY idea of a worthwhile dream.
There are times when I've been guilty of just that. Anyone who knows me knows I can think of nothing worse than having a baby right now but two of my close friends have had babies in the last year AND THEY'RE BOTH UNDER 25! Shock horror. I remember when I found out, I was slightly thrown and had to pull myself up and realise that dreams, wishes, wants and needs come in all shapes and sizes.
This is something we all have to understand and be a lot more open minded about. As long as you're living as true to yourself as possible, why should you be concerned what someone else is doing. I mean, if they're wrong, according to the handbook of life, isn't your twenties the time to make mistakes anyway?
xx Luce

7 October 2013

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing, there is a field


Book club time!

Yes, book club. Please don't hate, we're the coolest book worms you ever could know. We're also  an unorganised and unmotivated bunch which is why I've decided this post is in order and in fact, quite overdue. So girls, get your analytical caps on, we're having book club via blog. 

We read And The Mountains Echoed  by Khaled Hosseini, who is an amazing author who wrote such other masterpieces such as The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

And The Mountains Echoed is a sensational novel about family and the way you are linked with each other, even when you may never have met. It is about betrayal, forgiveness and the moral ambiguity that lies between. Most of all, it's about love and all the different shades of love that exist. 

This book was beautifully written with the quintessential Hosseini voice shining through. Beginning in Afghanistan, the writer takes us through time and space to include FranceGreece and the USA in the ever growing story of strong family ties, harsh realities and sometimes the downright ugly side of human nature.  

While I adored this novel, at times it was hard to grab a handle of. Hosseini himself wrote that “a story is like a moving train: no matter where you hop onboard, you are bound to reach your destination sooner or later.” Whilst the destination was reached in the end, sometimes I forgot where I was heading to in the first place. It was slightly disjointed in places where I'm used to a solid continuous story line.

To be honest, the moral ambiguity in the book was the hardest for me to grasp. I like to think that I am completely open minded and understanding of certain circumstances, but I think this book pushed the boundaries of what is right and wrong in my own mind. Hosseini opened the book with a Rumi poem: "out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." This thought-provoking poem set the tone for the rest of the novel with many different scenarios that made you question just how close the line is between good and evil. Is it really wrong to give away your child if you feel they'll be in better hands elsewhere? Just because your someone's mother, does that give you the right to run their lives?

Although I found it difficult to follow at times (probably just me!), And The Mountains Echoed was a moving book. Just like in all his other novel, Hosseini has a way of drawing you in to relate to characters that seem nothing like you from the outset. I definitely recommend this book, and if you can't keep up, just treat it like a book of short stories, it's still beautifully written with interesting and heartbreakingly real characters. 
xx Luce

Discuss this: And the Mountains Echoed begins in Afghanistan, moves to Europe and Greece, and ends in California, gradually widening its perspective. What do you think the author was trying to accomplish by including so many different settings and nationalities? What elements of the characters' different experiences would you say are universal? Do you think the characters themselves would see it that way?

The book raises many questions about the wavering line between right and wrong, and whether it is possible to be purely "good"—or purely "bad." What do you think after reading the novel: Are good intentions enough to create good deeds? Can positive actions come from selfish motivations? Can bad come from positive intent? How do you think this novel would define a good person? How would you define one?

20 August 2013

Reboot

The last couple of months have been odd for me – I finished uni and began the dreaded search for employment. I managed to land back into the world of law, returning to my legal secretary position to tie me over until I found a career-starting job. Although it’s been great being with all my old colleagues and I've enjoyed having time away from study, I think I have become comfortable just getting by, that I lost momentum and motivation.

Two weekends ago, I went to Melbourne for a hen’s weekend away for a lovely friend of mine. it was a long weekend of food, cocktails, massages and shopping and it was amazing. Spending time with friends and changing my scenery really revitalised me (or was that the freeeeeezing Melbourne air?!) and made me realise the goals that I had allowed to fall by the wayside.


I am now ready to get back on track because I know when I am working towards something, whether that be a fitness goal or long term career shiz, I am at my happiest.

So, here’s to getting out of my comfort zone: I’m going to run my ass off (literally!), revamp my CV and start scheduling those blog posts like people will die without my writing. I mean, you never know! 

xx Luce



12 June 2013

A little vacay

The past few weeks have been extremely hectic, trying to finish my uni degree and all, that my blog has been slightly neglected - sorry to all my avid readers (Mazz and Brooke)!

Amidst all this craziness though, I did manage to duck down south for a couple of days as a belated birthday present from Steve, since he was away for my actual birthday. We stayed at Abbey Beach Resort in Busselton and spent a couple of days relaxing before he had to go offshore again and I returned to the study grind. 

It was completely beautiful and made me remember all the great times I had going away with my family when I was younger. We would go away for weeks at a time and spend most of it fishing, swimming and basking in the summer sun before heading back to school. Ah, the good old days! 

It was ridiculously chilly when we arrived in Busselton and seemed to get colder the longer we were there.


We made a beeline for Busselton jetty straight away in search of a delicious lunch venue. The place was completely deserted and we decided on The Goose for nosh, which turned out to be a lot better than I expected! I ordered the most wintery meal to go with the weather outside, which ended up being beef brisket with mac and cheese. 


Hail on the beach
Scrumptious!
Custard cider

Abbey Beach Resort


Cute birthday card from Shteve! 
On the Friday, we set off on a little adventure into the deep south - and drove as far as Cowaramup before stopping at Candy Cow, a sweets institution for anyone driving within a 30km radius. This little candy shop is so amazing and I never fail to stop there whenever I venture down south. The fudge is to die for and we bought a selection, as well as some goodies for the family.

The Margaret River Chocolate Factory was the next stop and we delved into the legendary chocolate buttons that are available for sample there. Yum! 

Reclining on a cow




The Candy Man
Dingo poo for Steve's pop! 
All I need to know - cocoa equals good health! 
We went to the Colonial Brewery for lunch, which is surrounded by famous Margaret River wineries. The brewery is very cute and has a massive outdoor area, including a playground for the kids (and me). They have a variety of beers on tap and a couple of wines on offer for the beer haters. I was only a little disappointed that there weren't more ciders on offer, which is definitely my drink of choice...aside from tequila! 

After gorging ourselves on taste testers at the chocolate factory and providore, the decision was made to go for a lighter lunch - chicken pizza and a tomato, bocconcini and basil salad to share.

Both dishes ended up being amazing choices and were super tasty. I got a little creative and ended up piling the salad on top the pizza to create a little double dutch deliciousness. Groundbreaking!

Colonial Brewery, Margaret River



My creation - amazing! 
Gorgeous little veggie garden at the brewery



Freezing tootsies in the sand
After returning to Busselton, we met up with my lovely, pregnant friend Alyce and her hyperactive husband Jon for some classic fish and chips and a good old laugh. I hadn't seen Alyce in almost a year so it was awesome to catch up and talk about how painful child birth was going to be (haha!) and hear about her first year of marital bliss.
Lovely Lyce
Thanks so much Steve for whisking me away for a couple of days! =D

xx Luce

27 May 2013

Orange collect

I have only just discovered the joys of Polyvore (about two years late), an awesome site that lets you mix and match all of your favourite trends in creative ways. It allows me to drool over clothes I'll never be able to afford, put them into pretty collages and procrastinate writing that dreaded report just a teeny bit longer...naturally, I'm addicted!

My wardrobe is already chock full of my fave colour orange but you can never have too much right??

Orange collect






Zara top
zara.com



Rebecca Taylor silk shorts
rebeccataylor.com


One Green Elephant slim cut jeans
$54 - zalando.co.uk


Topshop shoes
topshop.com


J Crew slouch bag
jcrew.com


Radà chain jewelry
$130 - pret-a-beaute.com


Neon earrings
$5.28 - ringsandtings.com


Tech accessory
trinaturk.com


Maybelline bright lipstick
$21 - nelly.com




xx Luce

20 May 2013

A bruised mind, darkest of days

So, this might seem a bit contradictory because my last post was about happiness but this is a topic I feel very strongly about. Mental illness affects many people in our society and for them, happiness is hard to come by.

Last week I went to a mental health public forum for an article I was writing for uni (last article for uni EVER, how exciting!). It's been done and it's handed in now but somehow I can't stop thinking about some of the things that were discussed.

Did you know that on average, people with severe mental illnesses live 25 years less than the rest of the population? I didn't. Apparently 75% of these deaths are caused by physical illnesses rather than the mental problems. Pretty sad hey?

These are shocking statistics but I find it more shocking that I wasn't aware of this and wonder how many other people would be surprised too. Mental illness still has a huge stigma attached to it. As Australians, we don't really make it easy for each other to get out how we're feeling without being labelled 'emo' or an 'oversharer' or in some cases 'un-Australian'!

I understand this perception. Even though I'm a stress head, I'm a massive believer in positive thinking. For a while, I had a hard time wrapping my head around a close family member's condition, thinking they were just a bit depressed...or ashamed to say, putting it on for show. I would be confused as to why they could not get up before 1pm and frustrated at their lack of drive.

Now I realise these problems go so much deeper than just your mindset on life, but there are a ton of other factors involved, such as genetics and biological make up. For people with mental illnesses, every day is a battle and the truth is, the majority of these people have to deal with it for the rest of their lives so they really don't need us telling them to 'get over it'!

Image Source
I just thought I'd write this post to encourage you not to dismiss mental health issues, and to try and have some compassion (something I am still learning, trust me) for those who deal with these problems on a daily basis.

xx Luce

17 May 2013

If you want to be happy, be.

Ten things that make me happy:

1// A winter morning. Or any morning that is spent in bed with a yummy breakfast and a book that cannot be put down.

2// Besties/Family/Boyfriend. Being with people that know me so well that no pretenses exist and small talk isn't needed. Perfect.

3// My three year old nephew. Sometimes he casually calls me Luce when we're having a chat, like I'm his best friend, and it is way too beautiful.

4// Morning runs. They clear my head and wake me up for the day ahead. It's always hard getting out of bed but worth it when I get in a rhythm.

5// Sudden bursts of laughter that turns into hysterical laughter. Especially if it's me making other people laugh. That makes me think I'm a little hilarious...or funny looking. Or both?

6// Spontaneous outings. They usually turn into the most memorable of times and require no itinerary - win win!

7// Seeing my family and friends truly happy. Especially if it's about something they think is stupid but amazing and they tell me with massive grins on their faces.

8// Reading. I read anything and everything, novels, picture books, blogs, newspapers, online articles. I love it! That feeling you get after reading a perfect book is indescribable.

9// Being active, fit and healthy. When I'm exercising regularly and eating healthy (most of the time...) I feel my best.

10// Op shopping - best kind of retail therapy! I love op shopping with my friend Ninny poo. Her excitement and enthusiasm for a bargain is contagious, she really should've been one of the crazy cats in the Thriftshop music video.

My happy list was incredibly hard to narrow down because there's so many things that make me happy: chocolate, helping people, hugs, tea, being motivated, blasting my favourite songs in the car, writing lists, guiltless decision making, giving presents, receiving presents and movies that make me think.

The ones that made it to the list came to me first and encompass most parts of my life.

By the way, this post was inspired by Story of My Life's challenge. I'm a little slow on the uptake but better late than never!

What's on your happy list?

xx Luce

14 May 2013

Dinner for Mumma Bear

Yep, the belated Mother's Day post.

My mum is definitely one in a million. She's completely bonkers, ridiculously caring and a bit of a psycho. We argue occasionally and she annoys me sometimes, especially when I have to show her how to change the TV settings for the MILLIONTH TIME. Mostly though, we are the best of friends and you will generally find us laughing manically about something nobody else gets. I love her to bits. 

Crazy mumma! 

To show my love, I decided to cook a Mother's Day dinner.

I like to think of myself as a bit of a champion in the kitchen, but in all honesty, I would be eliminated well before the croquembouche stage on Masterchef. So I pulled out Jamie Oliver's 15 Minute Meals cookbook to trawl through the colourful pages in search of a tasty meal. I was cooking for seven: myself, mum, dad, brother, sister, brother in law and my three year old nephew. My 12 week old nephew slept right through dinner, how rude! 

In the end, I decided on Jamie's ultimate pork tacos. I made them with kidney beans instead of black beans (black beans are hell to find!) and an avocado green salad.

I was so concerned in actually locating the pork belly (first time cooking pork belly and all) that I missed one small but important requirement. The recipe quite clearly says 'skinless' pork belly is required, for obvious reasons. I honestly thought I could outplay Jamie Oliver - rookie mistake. 

Utilising my sister's knife skills, and ignoring her vegetarian gag reflexes, we then removed the skin from poor Babe whilst trying to keep the fatty parts that make pork belly so scrumptious. This definitely reaffirmed Harmony's belief in vegetarianism, I mean, the skin still had little piggy hairs on it! Please forgive me for reminding you of this again Harms. 

Prepping my ingredients, like Jamie says.
Jamie is obviously a god with this 15 minute cooking nonsense, but the whole meal took me about 40 minutes, including cooking chicken for my skeptical brother in law. The only thing affected was the cooking time of the pork, which might need to be pulled off early if you're a slow poke like me to prevent overcooking.

The flavours were incredible though, and I developed a love affair with coriander - seriously, who knew coriander in a salad could be that amazing?!

For dessert, I made Salted Caramel Pots de Creme out of Curtis Stone's cookbook What's for Dinner?. Pots de Creme are basically baked custards and melt in the mouth divine. Salted caramel is my absolutely favourite so this was the number one pick!

What was lacking in presentation made up in flavour, promise! 
In typical Lucy style, I ran into a bit of a hurdle with this one too when I realised we didn't have enough ramekins in the house. After having a mini meltdown, I proceeded to make one giant Pot de Creme instead and increased the cooking time to ensure it wasn't a runny mess.


They were the perfect balance of salt and caramel, with a hint of vanilla and I added chocolate wafer sticks for some crunch. I scored 9 out of 10 according to my darling brother, so I'm guessing the meal was a hit!  
Happy Mother's Day Mum!

xx Luce