New blog!

No, it's not April. I just had to start a new blog for the sake of a university assignment and so I have moved to the enemy (?), Wordpress. 

I may be back, as the formatting drives me nuts. If not, here's the link just in case. See you on the other side...

(If you know how to make the damn thing display posts in chronological order, please do let me know in comments in my most recent post. I am sick of looking up "how to..." every single time I post!) *Rant over*

Internet Communications at Uni

It is rather amusing that this week's study focus encouraged us to download/use a music streaming service when I'd only just decided the other week to pay for Spotify premium.

My husband and I are sick of fighting with Itunes and the like, and the ability to download a playlist and listen offline (camping and music go together for us) was an offer too good to refuse. We can change music as little or as often as we like, and add new stuff if we did happen to listen to the radio for 5 minutes and hear something awesome.
Thankfully we have similar tastes!

If these attempts to enter the newer media world continue on my behalf, I think I may just end up as a programmer of some sort! There is that option with this degree...Not sure my design talents (or lack thereof) will improve to support this as a career though.

Tiny, Minute, Petite, Ladybug...?!

I'm currently studying uni and that's my excuse for breaking copyright. Yeah, something like that anyway.
So this
post won't be entirely legit and therefore not up for long - as soon as the assignment results are released it's disappearing!
This unit is fun (well, it's fun because I haven't got any results back yet, if they're good results then yes it's fun) so hopefully no dramas come of this tiny itsy bitsy posting...

On a more important, serious note; I need Christmas crafting ideas. Off to Pinterest I go...

Real life and other stuff

Whoa man, did life happen or what!?

I'm using this again to throw all my thoughts around, mainly for the latest venture of mine which is family history research. Luckily I'm working off of other people's searches so it's not been too hard so far.
The sticking point now is the name/s of the ships (I'm researching two family lines at once, possibly a bad idea but hey, why not?). I can guess why both sets migrated, but finding when they sailed is rather tricky at this point in time.

The problem with shipping records (according to Janet Few, 2015, "The Ones that got away") was that the U.K didn't care if you left. Thankfully, Australia kept better details with it's arrivals, but I think I may be searching for the 'wrong' name as misspellings were rampant on these types of lists.
That, and it is the right era for convicts, and you just never know!

Back to findmypast I go...

Dollhouse complete!

December was kind to me and didn't pass too quickly and I was therefore able to finish the house 'renovation'.

Flooring begins...after the painting. I learnt my lesson from the big house!

Gluing the tiles to the old lino flooring; just in case another reno is needed in the future.

Good luck for the project.

Tiles are in, grouted and polished.

Roof being 'de-blue'd'. Yay for neutral colours. 

House all ready to be assembled, not a speck of blue paint to be seen. 

30,000 odd feet

No, not caterpillars. Flight TT424 to Melbourne. 1 am in the morning Perth time. I've given it a red hot go at sleeping (l even bought a neck pillow) but I think I'll just concede defeat now and scribble random thoughts until I either get bored or fall asleep midsentence.
As per usual, I have two sleeping beauties next to me (lucky things) and I swear the seats get smaller every time. Thank God it's only a 3 hour flight!

Just about to reach cruising altitude on the flight home. I copped a window seat again and one sleeper so I guess I'm stuck again. l believe they're expecting turbulence on the way home as the Seatbelt sign is still on. It's a slightly longer flight home but it should be more tolerable as it's afternoon not late night (more people awake).

The next post or two will be about my 'Mummy freedom' trip to Melbourne ...

Melbourne / Healesville

Arriving in Melbourne with Tiger airways is interesting. They're currently building a new terminal, so arrival consists of a small tarmac walk, and a long freight container tunnel stroll to baggage collection. This is in a large ex-hayshed (air-conditioned though!). l met up with Mum and dad at the hotel there, rental car pickup after that, and then off to Healesville.

Healesville is a very pretty, small town approximately 1 hour's drive from Melbourne. If you go, please drop in to Mocha and Lime cafe, as their food and drink is amazing! Healesville is part of the Yarra Valley wine region and just a few k's from the wedding location that was hosting the wedding we were attending.
Oakridge Estate is massive but very well run as a function venue, so kudos to the staff there!
The wedding day was very warm but bearable and of course the bride was beautiful.
The estate doesn't provide accommodation, so we all stayed at Healesville apartments. These consisted of several small apartments/cottages that were decorated in varying styled themes. Ours was French provincial I think. The bed was a little hard but it was intended for children so I just hauled the mattress onto the foldout bed for extra support, problem solved!

The bed I had in my Melbourne hotel was much better, however the room had no bedside lamp, towel rails on the opposite side of the bathroom to the shower, and no window except on the door. I left the door window ajar for 'natural light' as the hotel hallways were open to stairwells and the elements. For one night it was just fine though.

This morning l caught up with my brother for coffee and a wander. l rarely see him of course so it was wonderful to spend some casual time with him. We went for coffee at a place l can't quite remember the name of; something to do with manchester and bedding. Definitely a good coffee shop and very popular. I'll label it to this post when l can find the name. After that I was able to check out the Princess Theatre and the Royal Exhibition Building, two beautiful iconic buildings in Melbourne, among others. l love wandering a city's CBD and snapping photos of their beautiful or infamous places and structures.
Hopefully l can get into my own city again soon and snap away there, as there have been quite a few changes in the past few months, with more promised to come.