Taking Stock – 2018 Year In Review

 

As another year is about to come to an end at a very rapid rate, and I am truly grateful its over.

This year has not been much fun, but seems to be a collection of many days of hard slog for little reward and very little spare time so my blog has been severely neglected.

So instead of a monthly ‘Taking Stock’, this post is an annual edition and it gave me the opportunity to reflect and remember what 2018 dished out, both good and bad.

Goodbye 2018, and I am looking forward to 2019 and doing things differently because as the saying goes ‘you can’t get different results, if you keep doing the same thing’!

MAKING – The most of being on holidays for two glorious weeks…..the first lot of annual leave I have had since last Christmas.

COOKING – Getting creative with festive food leftovers….last night was turkey breast slices, cranberry sauce, garlic aioli, onion slices, capsicum slices and grated cheese all rolled up in Lebanese bread and toasted in the flat toaster….yum!

DRINKING – Lots of coffee and my newest favourite thing, Mediterranean Fever Tree tonic water with gin, for the best G&T you can get.

LISTENING TO – Cultivate Your Life with Lara Casey podcast.

READING – Re-reading ‘Big Magic’ by Elizabeth Gilbert.

NEXT READ – ‘Attitude Goddess’ by Lea Gay……cause its time to give mine a big shake up.

WANTING – A month or ten in a high rise apartment overlooking Waikiki Beach! After all my years as a travel consultant I never got to go to Hawaii and its still on my wish list.

LOOKING – For a missing person, the fifth member of our old school group for a reunion in January. Its very hard when you don’t know their married name, you have all moved from the area that you used to live in and she seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth.

PLAYING – In my studio, surrounded by all my crafty goodies is the best method of stress relief I know.

DECIDING – If its time to get a new pet.

WISHING – For a gigantic lotto win….except I never remember to buy a ticket.

ENJOYING – An awesome reunion with two friends from way back, the next one is in January and a fourth friend has been found and coming along for the fun…..now if we could just find number five!

 

WAITING – To see how many days it will be before we have ANOTHER new Prime Minister, probs not too many!

LIKING – Those Twinings In’fuse cold water tea bags, they making water drinking so much more fun.

WONDERING – How many different types and colours of craft paint does one really need?

LOVING – Planner girls meet-ups and weekends away, we all get our addiction to pretty papery things.

PONDERING – When will I be able to move to the beach, its just a matter of time until my last birdie flies the coup and I can head to my happy place.

CONSIDERING – Going down the no sugar road…….but can I truly live without chocolate???????

BUYING – Thongs that have diamante’s embedded around the edge of the sole……because its bling and I can’t say no to sparkly things.

WATCHING – Took myself to the movies on my own for the very first time in 53 years to see Bohemian Rhapsody, and so glad I did it was amazing.

NEXT WATCH – Aquaman……for the eye candy.

HOPING – Another season of ‘Harlot’s is made. This is one of the best find of the year on SBS on demand, apart from a ‘Handmaids Tale’ of course.

MARVELLING – That after 22 years this little cross stitch deco I made when my first daughter was born still looks as good as they day it first hung on our tree.

 

CRINGING – Every time I remember how hard it was to move house earlier this year, with a crushed meniscus in my knee that had me barely able to walk let alone deal with the hell that is moving!

NEEDING – Some genius to invent a really amazing strapless bra that will keep the girls where they should be instead of having to be hauled up every time I move as I am really missing out on all the off the shoulder thing that is so in right now.

QUESTIONING – Why did our gorgeous cat Miss Tiger literally disappear one day and never came home, its been 6 months now.

SMELLING – The beautiful fragrance oil  ‘Noel’ by Crabtree and Evelyn, that has been discontinued and my bottle is almost empty, and I want to cry. It is truly the most beautiful Christmas scent I have ever had and its in my burner everyday during December.

WEARING – All the metals, as I just can’t pick a favourite, so why not wear them all together?

FOLLOWING – The horrible joke that is Donald Trump. Its such a mess that you can’t help but wait for the next instalment in the saga.

WORRYING – At all hours of the night, as that is when my body is so physically tired from work, but mind has all those glorious hours of darkness to play in.

NOTICING – How negative thoughts have dominated my thinking this year.

KNOWING – That summer is much more fun than winter and I truly hate the cold.

THINKING – Do way to much of that and will constantly grow my list of things to do to reign that in.

ADMIRING – How Miss WW has followed her passion and even though she works full time, she has managed to open not one but two physie clubs in two years and the culture she has created together with her bestie is like one huge happy family.

 

SORTING – Through my huge collection of craft supplies and selling some off or throwing out things that I simply will never use.

GETTING – Ready to take ALL the Christmas deco’s down….I like them gone before the New Year.

BOOKMARKING – New recipes to try, the currant repertoire is on repeat a little too often at the moment.

COVETING – A little more zen.

DISLIKING – Setting my alarm for 4am every work day.

OPENING – A bottle of Sav Blanc, as long as its from Marlborough…..ahhhh the joy!

GIGGLING – At how much mess a little jar of glitter can make, I even had to have a shower to get rid of the last little bits that were stuck to me.

FEELING – Ready for some big changes!

SNACKING – That is one thing I am an expert at and something I need to seriously tackle head on in the New Year.

HEARING – The Kookaburras singing their song every morning, just one of the things that I love about living in Australia.

Thanks to Pip from Meet Me At Mikes for this great list.

No matter what life has thrown at you this year, hopefully its lots of good things, a new year is brings with it hope and the chance for a fresh start.

Cheers to a good one for you all.

xxx Nikki