A Flurry of Thoughts

So it's been four months since I've been 'back' and I once again have neglected my blog. So much has happened in the past year I scarcely know where to begin. I have begun studying nursing at university which I'm loving although it can be a little overwhelming.

We don't really have proper autumn in Brisbane so it was exciting to see bunches of fallen
leaves like the movies!

I went to Melbourne for a week a few months ago which was wonderful. I traveled with a friend and we had a lovely relaxing time going shopping, seeing movies, and having amazing dinners at some beautiful restaurants. Melbourne is such a beautiful city with amazing architecture and such a vibrant, exciting feel about it. My camera ran out of battery on our first day but here are a few photos that I managed to snap.

Sitting down to give our feet a break from walking around which we did a lot of.
My first ever coffee...well a short mocha with half-strength coffee and cream which doesn't really count but still...:)

Many of my friends have/are traveled overseas lately and seeing all their photos and hearing stories is making me so restless to travel again. I'm feeling in need of a holiday and Europe is high on my list. Although I'll go anywhere... I'm planning on going to Fiji in about a year with the same friend who I went to Melbourne with. I would also love to go on a cruise to the Caribbean. Does anyone else ever feel the same itchiness to see new places and visit all the places you've read or dreamed about?

Our room which was so small that two single beds wouldn't have fit side by side. A less glamorous side of travelling:)

My family will also be expanding by a few in several months. My oldest sister, Jordan, is pregnant with her second child and is due in January and another sister, Salem, is pregnant with twins! It is the first pregnany and children for her and her husband and the second set of twins in our familyof which is so exciting!

On a side note, I recently saw the latest movie version Jane Eyre which was amazing! I loved it so much and it was extremely close to the book, one of the few book-to-movie films that transitions well. I would definitely recommend it!

Well until I've finished my classes for the year the posts may be a little sparse but I'll try to post at least once a week!

Have a lovely day,

Mercy

I'm Back!

'This world demands the qualities of youth, not a time of life, but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination - a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over a life of ease...

...Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance...

...Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change the world which yields most painfully to change...I believe that in this generation those with the courage to enter the conflict will find themselves with companions in every corner of the world.' - Robert F. Kennedy, Day of Affirmation speech, 1966

Fabulous Fabric Giveaway!

How cute are these fabrics?! Retro Mummy is having a giveaway for these fat quarters. Don't they make you feel so creative looking at them and imagining all the fabulous things you could make with them!! The giveaway is open until New Year's Eve so pop on over and take a look:)

The Year That Is

I've had a very busy couple of weeks and lots has happened but the biggest thing is that I turned 18 last week!! I ended up having a prolonged week-long celebration starting with going away with two best friends. It was lovely although rainy and we just relaxed, watched christmas movies, swam a little...

The delightful Char

The following weekend was my actual birthday and I went out to breakfast with most of my family which was also lovely. And in between were lots of christmas breakups, end-of-year celebrations and the MUSE concert:)

My 'excited' brother at my birthday breakfast:)

I thought I'd have a look over the year that was and share some of the highlights-

1. I finished school last year so this year has been study-free!


2. I was asked out by a boy for the first time (may not be a big deal for some of you but it was for me:)


3. I made some new friends and found friendship unexpectedly


4. I got to travel (just to cairns but still...)


5. I decided what I want to do for a career: nursing. And I'm now waiting to hear if I got into uni!


6. I got two new nephews, one new niece and one brother-in-law this year:)


7. I hit an all-time low in my relationship with God and also an all-time high


8. I discovered so much about myself, why I do things, what makes me tick, etc. and still learning:)


9. And now it's Christmas, my favourite time of year filled with sun, family, friends, presents, the awesome Christmas food...:)

My amazing birthday cake!! I do lots of baking and cake making hence the design:)

I'd love to hear some of the highlights from your year too! If I don't get a chance to write before Christmas, I hope you all have a fabulous time with family and I hope you remember the reason for it all!

Mercy xo

Summertime

Aah I just love this time of year!!! Swimming in the salty, cold ocean...reading a book by the sparkling pool... drinking ice cold drinks in front of a blowy fan... wearing floaty dresses that embody the essence of summer... everyone smiling because they're so happy summer's back again...


I'm going away this weekend to the beach with my two closest friends, Char , and Ash. It'll be 3 days of swimming, reading, sunbaking, eating, laughing, etc. I'm so excited (if you couldn't already tell) I'll be sure to post photos when I get back.

In the last few weeks a few things have been happening round my place...my sister Salem and her husband moved to a small town about 8 hours away for work. I miss them a lot especially in this season when it's so often about friends and family. But they'll be back for Christmas and holidays so that'll be lovely! Well, I'm off to dream and traipse around the sunny coast:)

Icecream and Ideals

I've had a revelation. Now once I reveal this priceless gem most of you will probably say something like, "Um, have you been living under a rock? How did you not know that already?!' But that's okay, it's just sunk in for me over the past couple of days and I feel the need to share it. Are you ready?

People think differently.

Groundbreaking, isn't it? I mean, I always knew there were the obvious differences like between males and females and their thinking but apart from that I've always sort of assumed the people around me process things the way I do, like the things I do, come to the same conclusions I do, etc... And if they don't then I obviously just didn't explain myself properly:)

It amazes me that icecream isn't everyone's favourite food, that not everyone gets inspired by the same movies or music, that not every girl loves the feeling of a swishy skirt or dress, and that not everyone thinks life should be lived and not just tolerated.

A couple of days ago, I was telling a good friend of mine a new perspective I have on life and basically that I thought that if everyone knew about it they'd abandon their old ways of thinking and jump on my fabulous bandwagon:) Unfortunately, the overjoyed, enlightened expression I expected to see on her face was not there. In its place was an interested, trying-to-be-supportive face with an undertone of sympathy to my enthusiastic ideals.

This is when my reaction of, "She just didn't get it and soon it'll register and she'll love the idea," kicked in. And only a few moments later my revelation began. People think differently because people are different. Just another musing I picked up on my daily travels!

Gleams of Sunshine

"I'd like to add some beauty to life," said Anne dreamily. "I don't exactly want to make people know more. . . . though I know that is the noblest ambition. . . . but I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me . . . . to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn't been born."

Squeezing My Heart Into Little Inkdrops

Whenever I feel a little discouraged about the world and sometimes, the people in it; 7 billion strangers all being selfish and striving after what's best for them, something happens that restores my faith in mankind and human kindness!

Yesterday I received a letter in the mail (there's such a thrill in receiving a hand-written letter, don't you think?) from someone I've never talked to. It was a letter of encouragement and thanks for something I'd done for this lady's son and daighter-in-law and I was so touched by it I had to share that with you all:) It continually blows me away when people are very selfless and thoughtful.

Another story of selflessness, last week I was working and a gentleman came up to the counter and gave me a $50 note to use for the ladies behind him in line, towards their purchases. When I told the ladies that they just could not stop smiling and in turn it made me so happy to be able to be a part of the blessing:)

I apologise for the length of this post but I encourage you to reach out in kindness today because it makes all the difference:) Maybe even post a letter of your own...

United Flowers

I've been thinking lately that the whole blog world is strangely fabulous! It's amazing to me that people from across the world, of different ages, walks of life, faith, ethnicities etc. are drawn together by a common bond of inspiration. Not many other places has such encouragement and freedom with complete strangers (although I feel like I know most of you already:) I wanted to say thankyou to all the fabulous stardrops who've commented or followed or simply looked at my blog and made me feel like I've had something worth sharing! You are all very special:)

Heartburst

I'm very sorry for my long absence my dears! I've missed hearing from you and I'm sorry I haven't been active on your blogs either.

It's amazing how life can take you down roads you could never imagine and yet once you're traipsing down them you look around and think "This is home..." I feel like after months of feeling not quite contented and strangely unsettled, to really finding my place in life, in my family and my friends. It's a gradual process but I must say it feels quite wonderful. And so because we are now coming into spring here are some 'springy' pictures to put a spring in your step and a lightness in your heart:)

Mercy

xox