Stumbling My Way Through Life One Glass of Wine at a Time

Stumbling My Way Through Life One Glass of Wine at a Time

Monday, November 25, 2013

DIY - Jewelry Making



Over the past month I have developed somewhat of an obsession with DIY projects. 

My favorite project lately is jewelry making. I've never done it before, not even as a little kid. So to be honest I felt like a little kid when I ventured into The Bead Shop and bought two ginormous rolls of gut, my first pair of dainty red pliers, a packet of crimps and hooks; as well as an abundant supply of beads and charms.

The lady in the store literally had to teach me the entire process but once I'd gotten the hang of it I was confident enough to go home and fiddle around with my beads and charms. 

Here are a few of the things that I have already made (there are thousands of bangles and anklets lying around my house right now!):










Then I started getting more creative and making anklets and headbands - I've only made one headband so far but once I get some more beads I'm hoping to make a whole lot more! 




This is such a wonderful, fun hobby and it's cheap too! The great thing is that I've gotten into it just before Christmas - guess what everyone's getting as gifts this year!? 
I've always said that something you make and create is a far more special and personal gift to someone anyway... when I make someone a bangle or an anklet, I'll choose the charm, colors and beads I think best suits that persons personality! The best thing is that no one else will ever have the same thing because it's completely unique.

Wishing you all a lovely week ahead! 




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Saturday, November 23, 2013

Trance - Movie Review





I leave out no enthusiasm when I say that Trance is by far one of the best films that I have ever seen. It is one of those films that you really need to pay attention to right from the start – yet even if you do you are ensured to get wonderfully and hopelessly lost.
The film opens with Simon (James McAvoy), hosting a fine art auction. McAvoy opens with a gripping voiceover, explaining the procedure of what to do should a robbery take place with the million pound artworks that he deals with.
Of course, a robbery pursues that night; a robbery controlled by gang-leader Franck (Vincent Cassel). What you don’t realize right off the bat is that Simon turns out to be the inside man in the heist. 
Simon suffers a severe blow to the head during the robbery as he tries to juggle the act of ‘protecting’ the artwork while at the same time, stealing it. The blow to his head causes a bad bout of memory loss which only infuriates Franck as the whereabouts of said painting is now unbeknown to all.
Franck is convinced that Simon is lying when he says he cannot remember where he stashed the painting and so Franck and the gang try to torture the truth out of him. When this doesn’t work, they then decide to send him to a hypnotherapist.

Simon is given a few choices of hypnotherapists but finds himself particularly drawn to a woman by the name of Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson). Little does Simon know that choosing Elizabeth as his hypnotherapist was no coincidence at all and will inevitably open up a whole new can of worms. 

This is such a mesmerizing, psychological film to try and dissect and understand because you have absolutely no grasp on what is reality and what is not. You are also strangely puzzled by who is the hero and who is the villain in the movie – even once it is over. That alone is something that makes this film such a unique gem and so enjoyable to watch.
The second you feel like you finally understand what is going on yet another twist is added into the equation, leaving you speechless, confused and biting right down to your nail bed in anticipation.

It is a mind-teasing, sexy crime-thriller that you find new understandings with each time you watch it.
When I finished director, Danny Boyle’s, latest film I literally wanted to re-watch it all over again right then and there. 
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Monday, November 18, 2013

Breaking Free by Chett Vosloo Book Review



Blurb:

“During Jed Matthew’s final year of university he was diagnosed with a rare skin disorder that the doctors told him was incurable. Rather than face  up to the disorder, Jed tried to ignore it, hoping that it would go away by itself, but it didn’t, it only got worse.
After graduating from university Jed packed a bag and set off on a gap year trip, not realising that he had just begun a journey that would completely change his life. Jed’s gap year opened his eyes to the world of adventure. A 25’000 kilometre bicycle trip around the world and a 1’300 kilometre solo trip by foot through the south of India, were among the adventures he would go on. Yet, no matter where Jed went or how much of the world he saw, the anxiety and fear that he felt over his skin condition shadowed him wherever he went.
Eventually, after years of travelling, Jed happened to come in contact with a spiritual teacher in India who would forever change the direction of his life. This teacher would help Jed to realise that real peace and happiness come from within, and that he would only be able to find true freedom in his life once he had faced his problems head-on. This was the start of Jed’s inner journey.
Breaking Free is the inspiring true story of one man’s desire to transform his life, and to search for what it means to be truly happy and free.”



I cannot commend this book enough!

Breaking Free came into my life exactly when I needed it to - I like to believe that it ‘found’ me.
I was in the yoga studio in the building I work in when I was handed this book by one of the yogi instructors. At first I was mainly drawn to it for the title, ‘Breaking Free,’ because for those of you who I know follow my posts fairly often, you’ll know I’m always on the hunt for new travels and adventures in life.
The second thing that drew me to the book was the yellow italic writing under the title reading, ‘A Journey of Self Discovery.’ Self-discovery is a big part of my life and it always will be. I will never stop growing and finding out new and exciting things out about myself that make me who I am.
Thirdly, the photograph on the cover is of a man with a rucksack slung across his shoulders and he is walking away from the camera, down a path into the unknown.
I know they say you should never judge a book by its cover but I was already sold.

If I wasn’t sold enough by the front cover - when I flipped the book over the read through the little blurb on the back (found above) I was hooked!
The book is by far THE best, most enlightening book that I have ever had the privilege to read. The writing itself isn’t exactly AMAZING. It’s as though the author is having a conversation with you, yet to me that really only adds to the beauty of it.
Regardless of whether the writing is fantastic or not, it is the messages within the pages and between the words, nestled in each chapter that make this incredible true story what it really is – and what it really is, is an absolute masterpiece.
I found that I had to put the book down fairly often because I was getting so many messages and lessons from the author’s words that I completely overwhelmed with the growth within myself as I read it. I had to take the time to just sit there and take the words in, go for a walk and breathe in the new awakening each and every time it happened.
The eerie thing about it is that I related to it almost too much – to the extent that I started to believe, in a really strange way, that this book was actually written for me! Some people say that about certain movies that the main character is going through exactly what they are in their life and they feel the movie is based on their life. I always thought it was just a silly comment people made the second they could relate to something – that was until I read this book and entirely understood where these people had been coming from.

In the book, Jed Matthews (the main character / author) suffers from panic attacks – which I do as well. It was amazing to have it described and explained in such a way that I totally related to that I literally got tears in my eyes and a little bit shaky.
He also has certain issues about himself that he was finding hard to deal with, as am I. He was diagnosed with a skin-disorder that the doctors’ told him was incurable and I also have one or two things that plague and bother me about myself. It’s not incurable skin-conditions but they are things that for years made me miserable and self-conscious about myself. I guess everyone has them right?

He goes on a spiritual journey for years, which I have been doing myself as much as I can. I’ve explored and learnt in the temples in Thailand and hopefully next year at some stage I’ll be going to China where a few of my friends are already meditating down the road from their apartment in a temple.

His travels and spiritual journey inspired me beyond belief but throughout the entire book, there was one paragraph in one specific chapter that took my breath away and changed my life. That might sound dramatic… but it’s meant to.
Chapter fifteen, page 106, the first paragraph… in just over 100 words the author summed up absolutely everything that I have been feeling for so long.
He writes about how to transform into who you can and want to be and to have true inner awakening, you need to be away from all of those people that know you the best. This is because when you are around the people who know you so well you automatically act a certain way around them. You develop masks that you wear around certain people and for inner awakening and to blossom into what your body and soul wants to become you need to break free from all attachments and familiarities.
Anyway… I am not going to repeat him – his words are perfect and you just need to get your hands on a copy of it!
I have a friend in Canada called Adrian and I told him about the book as soon as I got it and he downloaded it and is starting to read it this weekend.

The reason I say this book came into my life right when I needed it to is because although having read the blurb on the back, I had no idea what sort of things Jed would do with his life while traveling. Just before finding this book I met someone and we gelled straight away. He told me about this TEFL online course you can take and go overseas to teach children English and he went on to say that the places he is interested in going to is China, Vietnam, Beijing, India, South America, Bali… all in the rural areas to get a real slice of what the real country is like – away from all of the touristy attraction places.
Within moments I knew this was my calling and exactly what I was supposed to do – so when I started reading this amazing book my dreams to travel and teach English overseas was only fueled by the author’s words as it turned out he was teaching English to children in Korea!
That being said, you may have seen my first ever ‘Vlog’ I posted up just the other day… if not, here’s the link to it… try not to laugh – blush:

http://bohemianmuses.blogspot.com/2013/11/my-first-vlog-sideways-movie.html


I mentioned there that now I would love to work on the ski slopes. At first I thought Austria or Switzerland would be amazing but seeing as I’ve been to both of those places already, my hearts fairly set on Canada now. As I have a few friends in Canada that would be pretty perfect too! 


I’m getting off-track now so it’s time to wrap this post up with one more quick thing…

One of the nice things about Breaking Free (from a woman’s perspective) is that it goes in depth into the male psyche. I’d often wondered where the line is drawn between how females think VS males and in this book it definitely clarified that men’s minds are a lot more sexually driven. I’m not saying that woman’s minds don’t think about sex on a regular basis, we do.. we are sexual beings by nature! But men could look at a woman walking down the street and get a mindful of sexual fantasies about how his evening’s sexual endeavours would play out with this random woman that crossed his path. Whereas, in my mind, I see a good looking man and think, ‘Hmm, wow.. he’s gorgeous!’ and then I get on with the day or maybe have a sneaky little fantasy about nothing more than getting to know him… the male would go a step further in a fantasy…therefore crossing the line on which males and females thinking-trains function. 



Please get your hands on a copy of this book guys.
It awakened me. 
Inspired me. 
Taught me. 
Gave me growth. 
Showered me with understanding and peace. 

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Enjoy it – it’s a one in a million. 


Tuesday, November 12, 2013

My First Vlog - The Sideways Movie


Hi Guys! This is my first ever Vlog!! Very excited to share it with you.... although slightly embarrassing as it is sideways..... epic fail!! And so we learn - right?

Have an awesome Tuesday night bloggers'.

Signing out for now.

J
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Plannning a Vlog In Between Getting Kicked in the Ass by Technology

Bah Bloody Humbug...... That is how I feel right now. Why??? Well.. because technology flipping HATES me. That's why.... and I hate IT! 

I can't even figure out how to use that silly new app called Bitstrip or something or another! My friend Shaheen posted this cartoon up because I just cannot figure it out. 



I have concluded that if the world was to be taken over by robots .. which in this day and age is a pretty plausible happening.... I would surely die within the first split second. 

Let me get to the point of this short post today... on Sunday I made a video.. a 'vlog' if you will... I wanted to publish my first ever vlog to you all as I thought it would make a nice little difference to rather hear me speak and communicate in other ways rather than always writing. So the video I made went well but turns out the format doesn't work for YouTube or for Blogging.... so after work today I have a meeting with a techie to teach me the ways of editing it to make it easy to publish you you all. SO... hopefully tomorrow or this evening I will be publishing my first VLOG!!! Which is pretty exciting.. if I get it right. 
I plan on Vlogging maybe twice a month... depending on how it goes. We shall see! 
In the meantime though... here are some pictures of what I got up to over the weekend:








Hope you all had a wicked weekend and enjoy the week ahead!

Peace

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Thursday, November 7, 2013

Angels by Marian Keyes - Book Review

Marian Keyes - Angels 
Book Review 



BLURB:

"After catching her husband having an affair and being fired from her job, Maggie Walsh suddenly finds her perfectly organized existence has become a perfect mess. She decides, for the first time in her life, to do something daring -- and flees to her best friend, Emily, in the faraway wonderland of Los Angeles. In this mecca of tanned, beautiful bodies, unsvelte, uncool Maggie is decidedly a fish out of water. Yet, overnight, she's mixing with film folk, pitching scripts, even experimenting with sex -- and discovering that the end of a marriage is not the end of the world."

*

This is quite an old Marian Keyes novel that I've had hibernating in my bookshelf for quite some time, wedged between a copy of One Day by David Nicholls and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

I eventually picked it up when I had absolutely nothing else to read. It was my last resort. It wasn't that I don't like Marian Keyes as an author.. in fact I thoroughly enjoyed her novel: Sushi For Beginners a number of years ago.

The reason why I was a bit more hesitant to pick it up was because it was about marriage, which lets face it, is a pretty sensitive subject for me after my heartbreak with married man that claimed to be some amazing Christian. What bolluck's that was! Anywho....

Also.. the cover looked naff. So it just didn't really appeal to me at all.


However, I was surprised when I cracked open the spine, to find myself really enjoying it.
I've been on a bit of a spiritual journey for the last year or so, so novels about Hollywood and 'la la la land' haven't exactly been interesting me so sometimes when it went on about clubbing and drinking and the overall glitz and glam of Hollywood I was tempted to throw it away because quite frankly I felt like I was gaining nothing from it... but I guess sometimes you need to read something a little bit more light-hearted... which is exactly what this book was.

I also really didn't connect much with the main character. She annoyed me a lot and I felt that she was actually quite nasty.

I fell HEAD OVER HEELS in love with her husband... as many did with Edward Cullen from Twilight...
Garv from Angels was my fictional lover for the past month. Mmmm.... Pure delight!

If there's one thing I can suggest... if you are going through a rough time in a relationship, married or not, push through this books weak spots because right at the end is a really beautiful (somewhat cliche) message that really just gives you hope and picks you up.

I'm happy I read it... it's a proper feel good girly book.

Enjoy!

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Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Mountain Biking

I think I have discovered a new hobbie... 

This past weekend my good blogging friend Ricardo over at The Wine Oak (link below) came to visit:
http://www.thewineoak.com/ 

After demolishing three bottles of wine off on the first night and a pint of a bright blue cocktail concoction the next.. on Sunday we decided to give our bodies a health kick to even it out. SO... we rented mountain bikes! 

The trail we went on is at the Farleigh Nature Reserve - it was actually supposed to be closed to the public due to logging taking place but we decided to hell with it and started the cycle anyway. 





There was only one big tree that had fallen across our path but we managed to get through it and push on with the ride. 

I swear..... I thought that I was going to die at one stage. No exaggeration. 
15ks uphill is not for sissies!! Especially not when it is a blistering 31 degrees and all you have on is a bikini top and some yoga pants. 



It got the the point where we drank the water from puddles in the ground that was trickling down the mountains from the waterfalls. It was so cold and refreshing... I am all for living off of the earth and using plants instead of the crap we buy from chemists or cosmetic companies. At first though, I must admit that I had been slightly skeptical to drink the water from the ground. In a huge way this adventure completely opened me up to even more than before and just reminded me just how special and important nature is.

At first I absolutely hated the downhills and preferred the uphills, which soon changed let me tell you!! 
When there were downhills I really did think my life was going to end at first.. especially when I crashed into a ditch and my back wheel lifted up and chucked me over the handle-bars! But it was such good fun regardless and I absolutely loved it... 
The smell of the forest.. the creaking of the trees.. the sound of the waterfalls in the distance.. views of the greenest hills spanning out for miles on end... it was breathtaking. 

It was one of the best Sunday's that I have ever had. 
I had never mountain biked before.. so I did it and concurred it.. and will definitely be doing it again! 

Think it's time to invest in a bike!

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