Bondi

It's taken me quite a while to get through all of our photos from Australia. Setting aside time just to sort through them all is hard to do, and then once I have the time, choosing the ones that I like the most becomes quite the chore! On our first full day in Sydney, we took a ferry to Watson's Bay for some lunch and then took the bus to Bondi. (You know you want to click that link. I was only singing this song in my head the whole way there...)

Bondi is home to one of the most popular city beaches and was a place I often went to just to relax and chill out. When we arrived, it was cloudy, which made me a bit sad. However, as we stayed for a little while, the sun came out and the weather warmed and we were able to enjoy a beer while watching all of the surfers take on the waves.

Our first full day in Sydney was busy as we took in the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Sydney Opera House before heading to Bondi, but we knew we were short on time for our entire trip. There was no better way to get over our jetlag than to just jump right in with all of the adventures.

Up next, I'll share some photos from our second day before we headed out to the red center.

New Holiday Cards Are Here!

It has been a crazy few weeks in my home studio as I've had one of the busiest months this year and have also been working diligently on my new holiday line. After several weeks of work, I'm happy to say that the full line of holiday cards is officially here! Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah combined, there's a bit of everything-- some simple, some funny, a few naughty, a couple bright and fun, and a lot of eco-friendliness going on in there too. Many of these cards are 100% recycled paper content, something I've been striving for recently. While not all of the cards are listed in sets, I am happy to do sets for you if need be, so feel free to get in touch with those sorts of requests! Now, here's a look at the full line of cards. You can click through the photos to find them in my shop!

What do you think of the new holiday line? Which are your favorites? It is hard for me to choose which ones I like the best because they all turned out just as I had envisioned, which is a super exciting thing! Are you preparing for the holidays yet?

A to Z Book Survey

There has been a lot of discussion in my world about reading lately, mostly because I've recently been getting back into reading. Now that I have spare time to actually sit down with a book since I'm not teaching anymore, I've been reading a lot more. Recently, both Paige and Kristen posted this A to Z Book Survey, so I thought I'd join in with my own responses. I'm interested in what others are reading these days because I want to add to that list of books to read!
 
Author you've read the most books from:

Gertrude Chandler Warner. Who the hell is that?! I know that's what you're asking yourself, but let's face it, when I was a kid, I read just about every Boxcar Children book that existed. If we're counting adult books, probably Sherman Alexie.

Best sequel ever:

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. I know this is going back to my childhood again, but the entire series of books by Mildred D. Taylor is incredibly moving. I would still recommend reading this and the others (Song of the Trees, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, The Road to Memphis, and The Land) as an adult. I read these around 4th and 5th grade, though they actually deal with fairly adult material, and I tended to read books several years before my peers. (I know, I was an advanced reader aka nerd.) Either way, incredibly compelling books that need to be read!

Currently reading:

Questions of Travel by Michelle de Kretser. I bought this for vacation reading while in Australia and am still reading it. It's a long one!

Drink of choice while reading:

Wine. I read the most during the fall and winter, and I often read at night or after dinner and often bring my glass of red wine from dinner with me while I read.

E-reader or physical book:

I have a Kindle and use that a lot simply because books are more affordable in that format. However, I really enjoy being able to have the physical book in hand much more so than an electronic device. Every now and then, I still splurge and buy the physical book for that very reason. Sometimes I read a really good book on my Kindle and then instantly regret not being able to add it to my physical library.

Fictional character you would have actually dated in high school:

Hmmm. I can't think of any. I'm not one to get all gushy about characters in either books or movies, so I can't even think of one!

Glad you gave this book a chance:

The Hunger Games. I thought it was going to annoy me, but a friend convinced me to read it anyway. I ended up reading the majority of it in a day while I sat in jury duty and then decided to teach it to my students a month after I read it. The adult themes of a dystopian society as well as the issues of desensitization were enough to hook me amid the sappiness of the romance. I will admit, however, that I still have a few chapters left to go in Catching Fire and I still haven't read Mockingjay. So, that being said, it didn't hold my attention as much as I thought it was supposed to.

Hidden gem book:

The Black Crusade by Richard Harland. Harland is an Australia author, and I picked up this book for a literature class I was taking while living in Australia. This novel is a darkly satirical statement about they way our world works-- very cynical and right up my alley.

Important moment in your reading life:

When I was a kid, I always made sure that I was the first to get the newspaper. I'd hear it hit the porch and then I would immediately run out to get it. Our public library was only a block from our house, so I have memories of walking there with my mom and sister during the summer and carrying home a huge pile of books. We'd go back then next week or in a few days and restock. On super hot days, we would just stay at the library and read for hours to escape our hot house without air conditioning.

Goshen Public Library

Just finished:

The Round House by Louise Erdrich. I've always like Louise Erdrich, but this one just depressed me. I had a hard time getting through it for that very reason. My mom, who has also been a fan of Erdrich's books,  mentioned something about Erdrich recently dealing with some fairly depressing situations in her life, so maybe she carried that with her into this latest book of hers. I'm not quite sure.

Kinds of books you won't read:

Most science fiction, sappy romance novels, and horror-ish books (if you know what I mean). I don't read a lot of non-fiction either-- it has to be a really good read for me to get into it (i.e. Fast Food Nation, Savage Inequalities). I also don't really do many of the classics. They bore me. (I know! Gasp!)

Longest book you've read:

Questions of Travel is almost 600 pages. Also, The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver was up there. I'm not really sure. I think I read a lot of 500+ page books to be quite honest!

Major book hangover because of:

Any story line that makes me think beyond just the story will really get to me. I find myself deconstructing texts to find meaning in themes and symbolism and then having to go back and reread sections in order to understand that bigger picture. Maybe that's the English major in me. It's hard for me not to analyze literature in that way since I spent four years doing it in college and another six teaching my students how to do the same.

Number of bookcases you own:

Only one small one at the moment. We don't have enough space in our tiny row house. We did install built in shelving in our basement though so I guess I started putting a few books there. At our old apartment, we had an entire wall of built in shelving where I stored my book collection. I had to trim down the collection and sell a lot of them and now others are stored in milk crates and boxes in a closet. :(

One book you have read multiple times:

The Book Thief. I've read it probably about five times. There are so many new things that I pick up or notice each time I read it.

Preferred place to read:

I like to curl up in one of our big sofa chairs with a blanket.

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you've read:

Uhhhhh. I don't do well with these kinds of questions. I don't go for specific quotes, though I know there have been plenty of times where the writing that I was reading was just so perfect that it made me smile and gave me shivers.

Reading regret:

Can't say I've had one yet. I try to steer clear of the books I know I'll regret reading!

Series you started and need to finish (all books in series are out):

Considering my admission about The Hunger Games series, I suppose that'd be a good answer for this one.

Three of your all-time favorite books:

Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and High Fidelity by Nick Hornby.

via

Unapologetic fangirl for:

Anything by Sherman Alexie or Nick Hornby. Their wit and humor get me every time! I get excited when either of them come out with a new novel, especially Alexie.

Very excited for this release more than all the others:

I usually snatch up the new Sherman Alexie books as soon as I can. He doesn't have anything new out at the moment (his last was a collection of short stories from about a year ago), but he publishes fairly regularly so I can only hope!

Worst bookish habit:

Not finishing books. Sometimes books just don't quite cut it for me so instead of giving it a chance, it just sits unfinished. Sometimes life gets in the way of a good book, so I just don't finish it. I need to make that stop.

X marks the spot: start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby. The title also doubles as a music album title, so get your minds out of the gutter, people! ;)

Your latest book purchase:

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver. I was looking forward to the release of this book. Can't wait to start reading it after I finish my current novel!

Zzzzz-snatcher (the last book that kept you up WAY late):

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I just couldn't put it down!


And now, I'm curious about you! What do you love/hate to read? Any really good books you have read lately? I'm a HUGE fan of contemporary literature-- not the stuff that isn't that great of writing, but sells. Rather, those authors of recent that just blow my mind away with incredibly surreal writing. The ones where you're like, where have you been all my life?! Suggestions? Please leave them in the comments!

Halloween Giveaway

Coming out of my spontaneous blogging absence to share a super fun giveaway for Halloween. I don't do giveaways very often, but thought it would be fun to do something for Halloween which is just right around the corner, so I teamed up with my friend Ayla to have a little fun. I'm giving away a set of Halloween pencils and two Halloween cards, and Ayla is giving away the cutest spider web pencil case (seriously, I really wish I could win it!) and a Halloween themed keychain.

The giveaway will end at 12pm on October 25, and the winner announced on October 26th just in time before Halloween! It is open to residents of the US and Canada only. There are lots of ways to enter, so enter away and hopefully you'll be the lucky winner! Good luck! :)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sydney Opera House

We continued our first day in Sydney by making our way along Farm Cove and on to the Sydney Opera House. Andrew was in architect heaven. He walked amongst the sails scoping out all of the little details-- the materials used, the way seams in the building came together, that sort of thing. Even if the Opera House is that cliche tourist attraction that you MUST see, I have found that it never gets tiring to look at. It is an architectural beauty.

After a couple weeks of adventure elsewhere in Australia, we made our way back to Sydney for one more day. Our last night there, we took a night walk after dinner to take a few spectacular night shots. Day and night, this structure is impressive and paired with the Harbour Bridge, the two are a true icon of the city.

While the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge are those natural icons we often think of when the name Australia comes to conversation, there are also plenty of other amazing things happening in this city. I'll be sure to share a few more photos from our time in Sydney before I move on to the red desert.

Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens

After our vacation, it has taken me a while to get back on my feet again in my shop. Catching up on emails, ordering supplies that I let get really low before we left, and just getting into the general swing of things again has taken me about a week. Yesterday, I was determined to start the week off right and I finally feel like I'm sort of back on my normal schedule. Slowly, but surely, I've also been making my way through all of our photos from vacation.

We left Baltimore on a Tuesday afternoon, flew to Dallas-Fort Worth, and then took off for Sydney around 10pm that Tuesday night. From there, a 15 hour flight ensued as we made our way to Sydney, finally arriving at 8:30am on Thursday. Missing a day is the strangest sensation. You feel like you've missed out on something at your final destination, but realize that you've missed nothing back home. You sort of feel like shouting across the Pacific, "Take that suckers! You still have to do Wednesday, and Thursday is a pretty damn good day!"

In Sydney, we rented a gorgeous apartment in Potts Point that had huge picture windows overlooking the Sydney skyline. After dropping off our bags and taking much needed showers, we managed to keep ourselves awake by stumbling through the neighborhood to explore, pick up some groceries for the next few days, grabbing a beer at a local pub, and organizing a plan for the next day.

On a side note, if anyone is planning on visiting Sydney anytime soon, I'll gladly give you the information for this gorgeous apartment. It was perfect! ;)

After a good night of sleep, we spent the day doing the normal touristy things that one should do, I suppose. We hopped a metro with the early morning commuters and then walked through the Royal Botanic Gardens. When I lived in Australia, I often took the train up to Sydney to spend time in the gardens enjoying the beautiful, lush flora while I would read and study for my classes. It's a beautiful haven that almost makes you forget you're in the city until you glimpse up at the skyline.

We enjoyed the rose garden first, made our way through the native tropical plants, and on to see the succulents before finally arriving along Farm Cove for a glimpse of the Opera House. And the white cockatoos! I'd missed the white cockatoos sitting, flying, squawking about everywhere!

These gardens are certainly beautiful and were a peaceful way for us to start our first early morning (thank you jetlag) in Sydney. Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with more photos from Sydney!

Perspective

After leaving you with a rather dark post for about three weeks, I am finally back. We returned from Australia on Saturday afternoon after an incredible and epic adventure.

During our first few days in Sydney, Andrew seemed slightly annoyed with how things worked. These people are crazy! or This country is ass backwards! he'd interject when he had forgotten to look right before crossing, or when I failed to tell him to order a long black instead of a black coffee, or when he realized there is no such thing as a one cent piece in Australia, or when a group of men in their mid-twenties began singing Advance Australian Fair as loud as they could on the metro.

As our trip continued, we reached the red center of Australia and spent a day hiking around Uluru, a massive rock structure that jolts out of red earth sand dunes. We thought about the Anangu people that still live in the region and how they live off of this land despite its harsh conditions. Not a cloud in the sky, not a bit of humidity, not a trickle of water, and spring temperatures of 90 degrees and even hotter in the sun.

It was humbling. It was perspective.

That perspective is what continued to grow as our adventures unfolded. I was reminded of the passion that Australians have for life, and Andrew was exposed to that passion for the first time. Slowly his These people are crazy! comments became These people know how to live! or This country is doing things right! or Why can't Americans be so excited about the simplest things in life? 

We noticed a lack of unsmiling people, a lack of overweight or unhealthy people, a lack of rude behavior, a lack of poor service in restaurants, bars, and stores, a lack of negativity, a lack of disrespect for their environment. And the more we noticed that these thing were lacking, we realized perhaps that's actually how life should be. To think of something as lacking is to think that it is not complete, but to be happy, healthy, friendly, hard working, positive, and environmentally conscious is not to lack, but to gain something in life.

Things we often save for vacation or rare occasions only were things people were doing on a daily basis. I'm not talking about things that require spending money because we tend to be tight-budgeted travelers, but I'm talking about soaking in the daily life. They were living life to the fullest in their own cities, towns, and villages. They didn't care what people thought about them if they were doing what made them happy and weren't harming anyone else.

That's perspective.

When we travel, Andrew and I often ask each other at the end of the day, What was your favorite thing about today? On Sunday, our first full day back in Baltimore, we did the normal things we usually do-- go to the coffee shop, watch football at Max's, do laundry, go to the grocery store. But we did things differently and pretended we were still on vacation. We biked to to the coffee shop and bar so that we could enjoy being outdoors as long as possible. Instead of stressing out at the grocery store like I usually do, I made a conscious choice to make it fun even if other people thought we were crazy. We decided to enjoy each aspect of the day, just like we would do on vacation.

When we sat down to eat dinner, Andrew looked up from his plate and asked, What was your favorite thing about today? I chose the bike ride in the beautiful September weather. Andrew chose a Browns victory just slightly more over the bike ride. And then we decided that from here on out, we're going to live like we're on vacation.