My House!

Yeh so me and mark had a few issues but all is well in the world of Jen again.

On Sunday I went out with my olds and have found "my house" its so cool. A few things I wasnt sure about - the more I think about the more I love. Like a door to the backyard being on the master bedroom which gives like a private area since its like a little cove since the house its kinda like _n_ shape and the _ on the right is the part on the bedroom. Its awesome and while a few of the colours i wasnt keen on in the display made a few bits like hm... i remind myself when i build it - i get to choose the colours etc so yay.

Its a Gemmill home, one called the Santuary. Heaps awesome, its on display in lakelands so if ur around there go see my house haha

For later...

There is one thing every single should not do when she makes the change from that single status to that of taken.

Delete ALL of her male "friends" numbers (you all know what I mean by "friends") as its always nice to have a backup plan or rebound available on speed dial incase you're back on the market or need reassurance on a 'fat day' or 'down day' that you are still desirable to others besides your stupid jackass moron of a chauvenistic lazy bf or if you have a fight with said bf that has made you really rethink things and you wanna know whats still out there though you know you wont do anything or see anyone but its just reassuring to know - you dont necassarily have to end up a cat lady if the relationship should fail. Which you hope wont but have had enough of for now.

Confused much?? hehehe

Future calling...

No matter what you have you always want more.

Why is that?

At the moment I am trying to sort my life out. As Mark so wisely said, slow down you're only 20. Yeah ahuh so by the time I am 25 nothing would have changed, I would have missed my chance to get into the housing market, I'll still be sitting dead in my job instead of moving onto better things and then what?

I have an oppurtunity with my payrise to actually manage a little earlier what my olds had always intended - buy the unit. With him planted in the foundations of what is going to be the rest of my life i dont want to slow down. I hope he is around for awhile, but if he is just gonna show no enthusiasm for anything - wanting to wait until "we get married" and not willing to take on a mortgage yet... how long is he really going to be around for? I dont want to be pushy but the future - our future is calling. We have the chance now and I want to take it. We - together have a chance to get a house. But if he isnt willing to be a grown up on this one I will stick to my original single status year plan.

Just Me.

I will buy the unit and that in itself has 2 options. Keep mine or go for the one below subject to sale on my current one. And then later on buy a house and if he is still sitting around while I am doing all this and setting up a future and the basis which to start a family, even if I am just 20 not... good for him. But i'd rather he be doing something WITH me rather than me doing it all and he just going along for a cruisey ride while everything just happens. Arg.

Dam growing up. It was so much easier when boys still has boy germs!!

Gotta love those FWD emails

You just gotta love those fwd emails that fill up your inbox, if its anything like mine that happens daily at work and over weekends from friends who have little else to do but everynow and then something comes through that I also like to fwd on. Like this latest gem.

1. Aspire to be Barbie - the bitch has everything.

2. If the shoe fits - buy one in every color.

3. Take life with a pinch of salt… a wedge of lime, and a shot of tequila

4. In need of a support group? - Cocktail hour with the girls!

5. Go on the 30 day diet. (I’m on it and so far I’ve lost 15 days).

6. When life gets you down - just put on your big girl panties and deal with it.

7. Let your greatest fear be that there is no PMS and this is just my personality.

8. I know I’m in my own little world, but it’s ok. They know me here.

9. Lead me not into temptation, I can find it myself.

10. Don’t get your knickers in a knot, it solves nothing; and makes you walk funny.

11. When life gives you lemons - turn it into lemonade then mix it with vodka.

12. Remember every good looking; sweet, single male is someone else’s ex boyfriend!

13. Now smile and send to any girl wasting time at work, suffering from a hangover, or just suffering from work that might need a reason to smile

I think its L.O.V.E

There is that time in everyone’s life when they come across that one person that makes them feel more special than any other in the whole entire known universe. It starts off when you know in the pit of your stomach when the lust you feel for someone turns into ‘love’, when casual turns into something serious, when sleep overs end up being moving in and eyes no longer sweep the crowd unless it is to settle onto his familiar face. Sounds a bit corny and a little mushy but hey; its true and I know I have found good old-fashioned love. Its like a warm feeling mixed with butterflies in my tummy that when I feel it I don’t know if I wanna laugh or cry but I always end up smiling – especially when I look at my man.

Sure we fight about ‘two flies walking up a wall’ and I call him a lazy slob and he calls me a spoilt princess and we never seem to really give each other a break but it works for us. Yes, even all the nagging about him doing nothing except the occasional night he decides to cook which is the ONLY thing he does.

Yet, I can honestly say I love him. Four years on and I really know what this feeling I have is.

And I think he feels the same way. Well I hope so.

When I grow up....

So lately I seem to have this whole "I wanna grow up thing". I am willing to take on the responsibilities I never thought I would I even think about until 21+ But I dunno it's just like something in me went "boom" and I have never felt so inpatient or so frustrated before about anything! I feel like a 5 year old the the week before Christmas. Its taken all year, been good and still you got that little bit left before you get there and it drags on foreveeeerrrr......

I dunno maybe my biological clock just started to tick and so it's gonna be like this for the next 10-15 years or until such a time I move into a house or have a brat of my own, complete with the dog and the white picket fence. I once thought that wasnt for me, part of me still does but at the moment, buying a house that I can make into my home, taking my "steady relationship" to that next level etc is all I can think about. Chelsea makes me clucky. Seeing Mark with Chelsea makes me even more so. Why cant I just fast forward the next say 2-3 years so by that time some things will be happening?? Hopefully happening....??

Then again as soon as I pay of my car it will be all about saving for a house deposit, with or without my "steady partner". Thats as soon as next year! While that part is exciting it also seems so far out reach I'm gonna be in my 40's by the time I leave the unit. And thats where the frustration part comes in.

I am happy with my life atm. I am on really good $$, I dont have any worries, things are going my way but I guess it could also come down to the wanting more thing that all people have. You have an apple but why have one when you can get two? I want my life to get started. It has, but in a more grown up sense. I'm done with being the Jen who has to borrow $20 off her olds for petrol as she is broke the week before payday. With my new found wealth of a payrise I am slowly become more self sufficient. Two days till pay I have about $400 in the bank still, after paying bills/food shopping/having a social life and buying my ticket to Melbz and stashing about $900 away for spending money.

I am on my way to savings and with that the growing urge to spend it on grown up things. Like a house. Getting rid of my car loan. I do not remember when I made an impulse buy I really didnt need but did just because. I have even cut down on Magazines and buying lunch at work. The savings I am making can even go towards a wedding - as that is also in the plans. Part of that biological clock thing I think.

I am becoming ambitious in my career, lots of driving forces have me wanting to excel in many ways and areas. I want to be a wife, a mum and a career woman. Oh and abit of old me - what I want is this ring, just abit different. I saw my perfectest - makes me cry when I look at it perfectest kinda ring on a site I am not telling but the design is v.similiar to this and you can get it at a bargain price. But thats my secret and when the time comes I can not wait to go that store and choose out that ring. My ring. It calls me Jen and I call it lover. We are meant to be..... Love at first sight that I didnt think possible until we saw each other. I wish I could get the pic of it but this is as close as I could find.

I am becoming obsessed with going through websites, newspapers and magazines of housing trends, house plans and decorating ideas. Also that of weddings. I am thinking red or black with white. Yes I, the girl who didnt even have any image or concept in her mind except Cinderella's cartoon fantasy of a wedding - has some kind of wedding forming in her mind. I also have a floorplan of a house in mind and while the suburb is unclear the front design of the house isnt or what landscaping the backyard will have!!

When I grow up..... really isnt far away, in fact its already started. Just not as fast or as simply as I imagined. It has just jumped on me and I am trying to sort out my thoughts, what exactly it is I want and where I am going to go with it. Until then all I can do is write nonsense blogs like this to let my mind out for a little while. Phew! Feel a little better already.

Leavin on a Jet Plane

So on Saturday it finally turned into reality.

I HAVE MY TICKET BOOKED AND PAID FOR TO MELBOURNE!!!!

So do Mum, Dad and Mark. How friggin awesome is that???? *squeals*

My Sweet Escape Experience

It was a cool crisp night, with rain stopping for no more than 5 mins at a time and yet the masses of Perth's mostly female dominated population flocked to the Dome for their own sweet escape for nearly 2 hours of entertainment from the one and only Gwen Stefani. All I can say is move over Christina, Perth has a new fav international blonde!!!

So let's begin at the well beginning. Gym Class Heroes gave an impressive show; the crowd went nuts for em when "Cupids Chokehold" and their latest hit "Take your clothes off" were performed but otherwise didn't really know the songs or really understand them. Way better support than what Christina had and I am glad Akon didn't stick with Gwen on her Aus part of the tour.

But the lights soon dimmed again and the audience was treated to close up viewing of the Harajuku girls. Two were dressed like convicts the other two as cops chasing after them throughout the crowd, ending up on stage where a large gold jail cell, similar to what was on the sweet escape film clip emerged, containing Gwen and some 'cell mates' aka backup dancers. Sweet Escape obviously being the first song of the show.

All I can say is it only got better from there. The play list included new and old songs, from Rich Girl, Cool, Holla back Girl and Danger Zone while a bunch of others like Wind it up, Real Thing, Yummy and Don't get it Twisted. The last song of the night being What Ya Waiting For. See told ya it would be Mark haha.

It was a simply stunning performance. With at least 5 costume changes involved Gwen really worked her ass off. But her hard work left us all applauding and screaming for more. It was theatrical and entertaining – and she even ran off stage into the crowd, ending up in the middle part where the cameras are and then moving off into the back seating – up the stairs right amongst everyone. Very awes. Sadly she didn't come near me but from where I was standing, I had the perfectest view (except when the little girl decided standing on her chair for the last 3 songs was ok) but no drama just moved over abit and could see fine.

The Harajuku girls aka Love Angel Music Baby - were also brilliant. It was so cool being able to actually see them all – Live! Like right there in front of us. Their outfits were cute but nothing topped one of my fav songs – Yummy. They were so cute in their little outfits and Gwen looked fantastic in her little chef like outfit.

Mark really had camera duties and he got some gr8 pics, either from the stage or the giant screen. The zoom button really got a work out but the camera performed beautifully and the pics are up in my pics if you wanna check em out.

She also confirmed during the show No Doubt was bringing out a new cd in the near future so who else hopes they tour and bring it Perth????

But yeah was an amazing night and I am sure every other person who was there would have to agree.. YAY GWEN!!!!

gwen performing "hollaback girl"

Just Say NO 2 Credit

I was reading the latest Cosmo and in it there is an article called “The New Debt Diet” highlighting the newest problem for most aussies. Pretty much about people who live a champagne lifestyle on a beer budget – a saying my mum uses all the time to describe me and after reading each girls story on how they got into debts of $80,000+ with nothing to show for it, I am so glad I have never incorporated one tiny piece of plastic that lives in your wallet. You all may know it as a credit card.

In the first story Sarah – 25 Flight Attendant, is now living at home trying to pay off her $80,000 debt that she built up over 7 years. It all started when she was 18 and started getting all the offers banks send out for credit cards. She was a trainee accountant so you’d think she had some kind of knowledge or sense with money and especially credit. After a year she had to get a consolidation loan after buying a house with her bf so at least the credit debt was cleared but then there was the house. When they split up and sold the house it cleared her newest debt additions but dew to single behaviour they soon built up again. She does was most people do and hence why Australia is a nation ridden with debt. Gets another credit card/loan to cover up another. So she isn’t really paying off anything.

And although in the pic her wardrobe looks amazing and I am spotting one or two designer bags in there, is it really worth it? I mean look at the times we are finding ourselves in. House prices have sky rocketed and people in my generation are really gonna struggle to ever own their own home. So now Sarah has what would be a great house deposit in debt and at 25, while she is still young – her debt has dictated her life until its all paid off and then what? Its been proved in studies and research – we are spending more than we earn. I live pay to pay – no credit to worry about, while its tough and I am tired of being broke and having to get rid of my bag/shoe addiction, its like I’ve had some grown up reasoning that its really not worth it!

Pretty much everyone I know has a credit card. One friend doesn’t know how I lived on my own for so long with out one. Not even an “emergency one”. When there are so many available, and with a shopping habit as bad as mine those bits of plastic and looking for appealing and while some come in cute colours very ugly. The only debt I want is that of a mortgage. And from having my meeting with my olds financial lady person already at my age of 20 struggling from pay to pay often doing shopping for cat food and things she needs only – I can borrow up to $200,000. while I am planning to buy my unit soon, thankfully I have my payrise and while its still gonna be hard that’s for the future 2-5 year future. I am not ready for that kind of debt. I am not willing to look at a 4 x 2 house now priced at half a million dollars as I know that is asking for trouble. Visa Debit Cards are also v.handy for when you do need to do things online or over the phone. Use your own money not credit.

This is taken from the article, “Experts say that Generation Y who have grown up with credit and have never known a recession, have high consumer expectations. Meaning we spend more, buy more and worry less about the financial consequences than our parents do”. Common sense, some money sense and not getting a credit card is something people in my generation and the ones to come are something that needs to be thought about otherwise by the time you come to retirement, it will be the age formerly known as retirement age as we’ll all be working till the day we die. If this is what its slowly turning into for us, what about our kids – and grandkids??

But that’s progress. That’s life. We all want more – and getting it is a world we’ve become accustomed to.

In other news I just got abit of a bonus in my pay due to back pay I was owed. I should save it, use only what I must but since I am part of the “Me aka Generation Y” I don’t see the harm in buying a new purse or a nice pair of shoes….. See we don’t learn do we?

Collect Them All!

So they have been seen in such magazines as Shop til you drop, Ok! Bazaar, Vogue - Cosmo and most likely Cleo going by the list... These funky coloured pocket size know it all travel guides are shaping up to the must be seen item in your bookcase!

I saw these a few months ago in I think it was Cosmo and was like cool. Then again in Bazaar and decided I had to have at least one but couldnt find them anywhere. Now I am seeing them monthly as like a chain reaction occurs in the magazine world and they get featured. They are now available in all bookstores I have gone into like Angus and Robertsons & Dymocks & International Bookstore in the city. And cheap - retailing between $11-12.95! How cheap is that!?

And whats not to love? There are like 40 City Guides including places like Amsterdam, Bangkok, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Mexico City, Milan, New York, Paris, Rome, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne and Tokyo with more being released yearly or something. The places in bold are the ones I am most keen to get as I hope to do alot of travelling in the next 5 years. If not I am sure it will be interesting to look at just wish I was going and as mentioned, a nice looking addition to my bookcase.

So yeah... thought I'd give em a mention!

Just a thought.

Once up on a pair of stilletos a girl had a thought. Not just any thought but i thought that caused her to head home one night and blog about it. it wasnt really her own thought, rather a shakespearian quote... So that night she stalked into the house with a mission, a mission so serious she kept her heels on for added effect. Why she did this was unknown since no one was there but the cat and no one who would read this would see her stunning black heels with a slight point at the toe.

"we know what we are but we know not what we may be"

How true is that quote she thought as she read it over in her mind after she had typed it. Sighing she sat back in the chair. We know what we are. We are people. But what will each person be? We know we will grow, go to school, get a job and so .... but how will we grow? Will we be kind and generous or vicious and selfish? Will we complete school or drop out? Will we work and if so doing what. What will our lives be? It is one of those questions that we all ask ourselves but will never truely know the answer till life is gone.

Yeh dunno what that was about. I just kinda sat here and typed what came to me. Odd. Im special hey!! But once again i have been thinking about LIFE. My life - your life - every life. I was reading through my Year 7 graduation portfolio the other night and i (like my friends) had put lame crap in about where we saw ourselves in 5 - 10 years time and all that junk. The first thing i put was still be friends with my 2 of my closest friends. Not happening. Another thing was by the time I'm 20 I'm meant to be married and have a kid. Oh god if i could go back in time and slap my 12 year old self... i would. Foolish Child!! So young so naive so unrealistic. But either way it just shows how plans no matter what we think of them or when we made them change. Even after all the planning and goal setting - who knows what we will or wont be? I sure as hell dont, look how far off i was!!!

But thats the thing i am going to discuss. With this life i sometimes hate mine. But what is there to hate? I'm always looking for what is wrong with it rather than what is right. It may not be perfect or the most idealistic but its all i got so i should make the most of it. I hate wondering if im ever going to be satisfied with who i am, what i have, where i am. Some things i would love to change but not for some one elses life because all though the grass seems greener you can guarentee to someone else, what your standing on seems greener than they could even imagine.

Love and Marriage?

I had a dream that made me feel all giddy (in a good way) and you know what, I am kinda hoping it will happen. How insane is that?

So I was in Melbourne with Mark and my olds and Shaz etc and was having a ball. It was our second last day and Mark suggested we see the sites of Melbourne by doing it on one of them hot air balloon tours. I agreed and had organised Shaz and Jace to come but at last minute they declined to due to both having a fear of heights in baskets. The hot air balloon was like a giant boat thing and there was a lovely dinner and everything - and this beautiful bottle of Merlot with a hot pink label (sooo hunting for a pink labelled red in Melbz when I get there) I woke up with a taste in my mouth like I had just had the wine and yeh. Anyways....

So we're circling around the city, the suns setting, we're just standing on the railing and when i turn around Mark drops to one knee, opens a little red box and inside is my perfect ring and he asks me to marry him. When we get back to earth everyone (even perthy friends) are there and champagne foam is going everywhere with streamers and shit and everyone is all excited and happy and did i mention the perfect ring??

I've had a few wedding themed dreams. Usually bad ones where he ruins something and I run off or something like that but this one was good and lovely and made me think... Could I really get married someday? Could he actually be my one? It was prob just a stupid dream but how romantic would it be if he did propose on our holiday to Melbourne. Having Shaz there for it would be awes!! What a holiday story for when I get back!!

But are we really ready for that? Will we ever be? Just a dream doesnt really determine all that does it? But for some crazy reason, I cant help but think how much I would just love for that to happen. *slaps self* Where is the old Jen??? Then again being engaged doesnt mean neccasarily being married straight away does it? Might talk to my Mr laters.... See his opinion on it all haha.