Day 29 of 30/Days with My Father

First of all, I came across Days with My Father by Phillip Toledano only a few days ago. So so beautiful, definitely got some tears going. Anyway, keeping with the theme of being-the-last-to-discover-everything, I just realised that you don't need a credit card to purchase from Fishpond! Uh oh! Danger! I've already paid online for the hardcover of this book. Excited! I'd love to give it away as a gift, but I don't think I'll want to part with it...

It's also my Day 29, which means tomorrow is the last day! I've enjoyed following these blogging prompts so much that I'm planning to start a new 30 Day challenge this Saturday! Stay tuned, and feel free to follow along with me. It'll be a mix of all the best blogging challenges I've come across over the past few months.

Anyway, around to the actual prompt. In the past 29 days, I've become a lot more organised, I wrote up a budget (and, yes, I just spent $34.95 of it on a book, buttt I am almost finished an urgent art commission which I am very excited to share, and also excited about getting paid for!) Obviously I learned you don't need a credit card for Fishpond. I've also done a lot more artwork in general. I've learned why Internet Explorer gets a bad rap from geeks (I normally use Chrome, but needed IE for a specific programme... nightmare). I learned that 10.6 lbs is massive for a newborn baby (nfi). I've learned that there are a lot of lovely people visiting my blog. Most importantly I learned I will never ever get 15/15 on the daily Stuff quiz. Crying.

Day 27 of 30/Tuesday tidbits

A painting by Brianna Harden popped up on my feed this morning, so I checked out some more of her work on her website. I absolutely love it; her watercolours are everything I would like mine to be some day! I also found her blog, which seems to have been abandoned since her website went up, but has a lot of great work in past entries.

Last night my 'cousin' (aunt's partner's daughter) finally had her baby, about 9-10 days overdue, a little girl.

The prompt for Day 27 is to write about why I am taking part in this challenge. I started doing it just on a whim, and didn't really think I'd stick to it (nor did I read through all the prompts and realise how silly a couple of them are!) I guess I kept doing it because it was fun, gave me something to write about, and prevented my blog from resembling a Tumblr (art link, art link, art link). I can't recall which blog I originally copied it from, but there's a few on my Reader who are one day ahead of me. It's especially cool now that tens of NZ Tweeters have picked it up; always interesting to read local blogs.

Wow, only three days of this challenge to go now! Does anyone have any suggestions for a new challenge I could start doing after this one? Preferably not photography, unless the prompts are really awesome... although I guess I could apply the themes as drawings/paintings... anyway, suggestions please!

Day 24 of 30

This post is a day late, and I'm a little bit sorry but I'm opting out of the prompt for Day 24. I don't really want to post a letter to my parents online. They are completely amazing and I love them with all my heart. That's all you need to know.

Day 23 of 30

The prompt for Day 23 is to write about something that I crave a lot. like the majority of women, I crave chocolate. Frequently. Daily. Over the past few months I've been terrible at indulging in it, too. Since I left high school, I've been in a very unhealthy cycle of good-summer, bad-winter. My favourite chocolate is the pictured Strawberry Lindt. It's expensive; about NZ$5 for a pretty small block (can't remember the weight, but only has 12 pieces I think) but it's sooo good. My other obvious craving is cigarettes. I've been a smoker for about four years. I attempted to quit last year, as a "gift" for my Dad. I lasted about two weeks, then started again. I'm completely aware of how bad it is for my body, and definitely aware of how expensive it is, but I honestly just don't have a desire to quit it at this stage. I enjoy it. However I won't elaborate, because I don't want to be advocating it..!

Charlie's 30 Days of Me

Head over to my boyfriend Charlie's new blog and follow him; he's just started doing the 30 Days of Me project.

30 Days of Me Update

A whole bunch of NZ Tweeters have joined the 30 Days of Me challenge in the past couple of days! Check out the whole list here, for some new blogs to add to your Reader!

Day 20 of 30 et cetera

The instructions for this adorable necklace can be found here, although I think it'd be pretty simple and is just a matter of sourcing such pretty buttons and beads.

Today's prompt is really stupid not so relevant to myself since I'm not single. Obviously I want to be with Charlie for as long as it continues to be wonderful, and I don't really like marriage. Easy.

Day 19 of 30

The prompt for Day 19 is to list the nicknames I have, and why I have them. A few of my friends still call me Ally, for obvious reasons. My English friend Ross calls me Alison, to annoy me. One friend from school calls me Al. Sarah and co. call me Ally-Cat lately… Charlie calls me Girlf, which started after I kept calling him Boyf. We also went through a phase of calling each other Schmoopsie, after seeing it on Lamebook. I don’t really have any cool nicknames, and 9 times out of 10 I’m just called Alice. ALSO, I just Googled “Alice Jones” and found the picture accompanying this post (click to enlarge) CREEPY.

Day 18 of 30/Father's Day

It's Father's Day today here in NZ. Unfortunately I don't really have the spare funds to go home for the weekend, but hopefully soon (it is one of my goals for September after all!) I mailed Dad this watercolour I did of his motorbike, and a card. I love him heaps.

For Day 18 I have to name some plans/dreams/goals I have. In no particular order:

• Have a solo exhibition of my artwork
• Travel to South America, USA and Canada
• Live in NYC (most likely a dream, unless we do the illegal alien thing as Charlie suggested!)
• Meet Rufus Wainwright while he's here next month!
• Work out where I want to go in my career and damn well do it

No sweat...

Have a whole bunch of cleaning to do now, while Charlie's at work. My friend Vikkie and her new boyfriend are coming to stay tonight so best make the apartment presentable! She lives in Auckland now, and I only see her when she's doing trips through Wellington. She's in Christchurch today, flew down this morning and is driving back up to Picton today. So will be interesting to get her take on the damage down there.

Day 13 of 30

I apologise that I am totally wussing out of the prompt for day 13. I just cannot be bothered "writing to" the only person who's really fucked me over in my life. It doesn't matter anymore, I've taken the lessons I needed from it, and that's done. Life is amazing now. So, instead of a letter I've posted this submission from this week's collection of Postsecrets. Similar sentiment.

Day 12 of 30/Babes

As anyone who has previously read a recent post on my blog will know, I'm currently sprinting my way through the three released seasons of Breaking Bad. I didn't think any show could ever come close to the glee I get from watching Dexter, but this show is certainly getting there. And I'm told by a film-buff friend, whose taste I can trust, that I'm juuust about to reach the best part! Squee! Anyway, pictured are Krysten Ritter and Aaron Paul, the babes of the show.

Also, today is day 12. I joined Blogger last year, and this was my first post. I did others between that post and the present-day ones, but they're all a bit irrelevant. I've had Xanga and Livejournals in the past, but this is my first blog I'm happy to advertise. I have it to share my artwork, and draw in customers when I have sales and exhibitions. Also just for a hobby, and a future record for myself.

Day 10 of 30

Today's prompt is my favourite music to listen to when I'm feeling happy, sad, bored, hyper and mad.

Currently I'm listening to Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' The Boatman's Call, and I'm feeling pretty happy, though a bit hungover. When Sarah picked me up last night Where the Wild Roses Grow with Kylie Minogue was playing, so this morning I was hunting through my CDs for more of him.

I think I'm happiest when I'm sitting at my desk, drawing. I usually have my iPod on shuffle, but my preferences include Kate Miller-Heidke, an Australian singer who is currently touring the USA. My favourite of her songs is No Truck. Unfortunately I can't find any videos with the studio recorded version on YouTube, but here is a live version with alright audio. I also love Rufus Wainwright, though for any mood. I absolutely adore him. We have two of his live DVDs and I have most of his albums on CD. You can tell I love an artist when I have their albums store-bought haha. We got tickets for his Wellington show earlier this year, but it was cancelled when his mother died. He's rescheduled for October 30th, and I have tickets to go with Charlie, Sarah and Jo. So so so excited. Will probably cry. His sister Martha I only started listening to this year, and my favourite song by her is Factory.

Backtracking slightly (this post may end up pretty long) I've just been letting No Truck play while typing that paragraph; she's so amazing. If you take anything away from reading this (possibly boring) post, make it that you look for more Kate Miller-Heidke music! She's so fantastic. She also Tweeted back at me the other day, so I'm on a bit of a buzz for her. Haha.

Anyway, back to happy artists... I like Girl Talk, who I first heard about from Dylan when he was going to see him at San Fran here in town. Sooo wish I'd known how awesome he is back then! I like some of Charlie's music, especially Kanye (mainly for the memories) and Big Sean (after Charlie had Supa Dupa Lemonade on repeat and I learned all the lyrics). My favourite music to listen to while cleaning is Panic! At The Disco, who I loved during my last years of high school. I think I appreciate their music even more now, however it's definitely only "home alone"... haha.

When I'm sad, like heartbroken, I listen to my favourite song of all time which is The Great Western Road by David Byrne. I first heard it in the credits of one of my favourite films, Young Adam. I absolutely love the Talking Heads too. I have a few of their albums on vinyl. Unfortunately I listened to them constantly during the worst phase of my life so far, so I have mixed feelings about hearing them now... definitely reserved for sad times when I just want to wallow and feel sorry for myself (which is not often at all!) I saw David Byrne live in Wellington at the end of 2008 which was fantastic. He's just incredible. I think we were the youngest people at the concert by at least ten years!

I don't think I have specific music I listen to when I'm bored. I'd just be searching You Tube for songs from TV shows and films to entertain myself. One of my favourites is Song to the Siren which is on the amazing Australian film Candy (two versions).

When I'm hyper, I'd be listening to much the same as when I'm happy; Girl Talk, P!ATD and top 40 type stuff.

When I'm mad, I'd pull out some old CDs I listened to in my early teens; Puddle of Mudd, Nirvana, Alanis... and a whole bunch of old mixed CDs I have. And definitely The Masses Against The Classes by Manic Street Preachers (although currently I'm playing it and it's just making me smile!)

Day 9 of 30/Whinging

This past week I've had a few things to be proud of. Obviously getting Wallace, and feeling like I rescued him from a very bizarre living arrangement. Going to Sarah's school to help with backdrops. Being a bit more frugal with my money than usual. Finally buying Rufus tickets (well, Sarah had to help me out there, since I couldn't get the credit card to work online...!) And I think I've had a pretty productive week at work too.

On a negative note, I've had a couple of minor (in comparison to the benefits) side effects from Humira. The most annoying of which is that my hands have gone insanely scaly, dry and cracked. I put moisturisers and creams on them all day long, and they still split. My hands were in better condition when I was washing dishes in a cafe for hours on end. Still, it is a minor complaint! My next shot is tomorrow, in my thigh, and I'm sure Charlie's looking forward to administering it! I still can't bring myself to. My last one, two weeks ago, was in my stomach and left a bruise that's STILL there! The EpiPen shoots pretty damn hard. Sigh! I'm not too bothered really, I just like having an outlet for complaints!

Tonight I'm going to a party wearing a moustache. Should be good!

Day 8 of 30

The prompt for today is my short term goals for the month. Since it's almost the end of August, I'll make my short term goals for the month of September.

• I want to see Inception before it finishes showing at the cinema
• I want to see Tomorrow When The War Began
• I want to go to my hometown to visit my family for at least one night
• I want to save up the $150 I need to get my passport redone

Day 5 of 30

The fifth prompt in 30 Days of Me challenge is a "picture of somewhere you've been to". Which is obviously extremely vague! I've chosen a photo I took on a road trip I went on with Sarah and my sister Emily, to visit our friend Lydia when she first moved to New Plymouth earlier in the year. This was taken in the evening, on Oakura beach. Gorgeous spot in terms of scenery, but we encountered a lot of creepy locals when we went to the pub! Not so fun. I guess it's the same for any out-of-towners visiting small town pubs.

Wallace/Day 4 of 30

Today's secret mission was driving to Ohau with Sarah to pick up this little guy! He's around one year old, and super fluffy. When I got him home he hid behind the toilet for half an hour or so, then curiosity got the better of him and he moved to hide behind the vacuum cleaner. So after a while I went and patted him and he started purring... then turned into a crazy snugglemonster! So so cute. He's back to hiding at the moment, but as soon as I go over and pat him, he attacks me with smooches and purring! Looove!

Charlie gets back at about 10 tonight, will be interesting to see what happens!

Prompt for today is a habit I wish I didn't have. That's easy; I wish I didn't mess up the house during the week and make it a big job every weekend! Unfortunately most of the time I just cannot be bothered to clean after work, or I have better things to do! I do enjoy having a big clean up on the weekend, but it just sucks by the end of the working week when everything's a mess.

I'm going to go play with Wallace some more. I keep showing him his litter box so hopefully he takes the hint... keeping him out of the bedroom until I know he's got his toileting sussed.

Oooh, Facebook Friend/Day 2 of 30

I highly recommend checking out this post about the artwork of Kirsten Hassenfeld. This sculpture pictured is made out of paper. Amazing.

Last night I posted a status on my Facebook, asking for friends' permission to use their photos for drawing practice. 30 "likes" by the time I got home! I did five drawings last night, which I'll start posting this evening. Hopefully I don't offend anyone with their illustrated likenesses (or lack thereof). A couple I'm really happy with, but the rest I'm still iffy on. But anyway, they're just for practice and to keep me in the habit of creating.

After culling a bunch of people I never talk to anymore from my friend's list, I'm left with exactly 300. I think if I could get everyone's permission to use their image, 300 "quick" (I spent a max of half an hour on each drawing last night) illustrations would make a pretty cool exhibition. My biggest problem is still that I can't resist posting my new work online as I create it!

I'm still working on Kathryn's watercolour, though with my thumb injury I'm doing a little bit at a time; since it's a custom piece from a photograph I can't go making mistakes!

The second prompt in the 30 Days of Me challenge is the meaning behind my blog name. 'Niceties' has been my social networking username since the Bebo days; it's short, usually available for new site profiles and, by definition, sweet. Google defines it as: "A small detail that is nice or polite to have but isn't necessary." I remember my Mum said it when I was a kid, and I looked it up in the dictionary. No idea why it stuck with me, really. Obviously (especially on Twitter) it is often mistakenly read as "Nice Ties".

I chose to get a ".co.nz" domain name primarily because "niceties.com" is already taken; secondly because of my workplace; and thirdly because I feel that New Zealanders see ".co.nz"s as more trustworthy than ".com"s (probably not the case for my overseas visitors).

Sooo looking forward to the weekend. I'm planning to do lots of sleeping, lots of artwork, and if all goes to plan something very exciting (and secret, for now) on Sunday.

By the way, the first part of this blog post title is a reference from a British show The Inbetweeners. Definitely check it out if you can! There's two (quite short) seasons out so far, and a third out next month. I am so excited for September; so many new seasons and movie releases! Most exciting of course being season five of Dexter and the movie adaption of Australian writer John Marsden's book Tomorrow When the War Began.