Making Me Happy

Hola! Are we good? Are we real good? Hope so!

This past week has had a bit of everything for me: the highest of highs (the kind you want to bottle and pour over yourself when you’re feeling less-than), aha-moments (the B-School Facebook Group is quite the rave party!), quiet observation, a night out on the town with my besty, lazy mooching, a stream of emails that have brought salty tears to the eyes of this incredibly humbled bloggette, goal-setting, sniffles + coughing (ugh, head cold begone!), cold mornings, the clearest blue skies you ever did see and the understanding that anything is possible. For real.

In more detail, I give you, The Highlights Reel:

A Night on the Town

 

Oh hello rogue baby hand…

It’s been ages.

Sure, we go to dinner every weekend and do fun things like GET MARRIED + HAVE BIG PARTIES but it’s been a while since I’ve dressed up and gone out on the town (here), besty in tow, with the simple objective of drinking cocktails and laughing til my sides hurt. I absolutely loved it.

Sometimes I feel like a bit of a Peter Pan – as in, there’s this huge part of me that fears completely growing up – and being a restless, energetic Sagittarian means I thrive off other people and “getting out and about.” I actually need it.

As I get older I’m more than happy staying home of a weekend (in fact, I love it just as much) but if I go too long without some sort of fun occasion (too long means more than one weekend, BTW) one of two things start to happen:

1. I lament that I miss the spontaneity of my early 20’s where my friends and I lived for the weekend (because that’s, like, totally sustainable)

2. I start frantically making mental lists of things I can do to bring a bit of old fashioned frivolity into our lives, whilst hassling Ramai with something that sounds like ‘WHY ISN’T EVERYONE KEEN TO DO FUN STUFF AT THE DROP OF A HAT ANYMORE?’ I’m always great to be around when I’m having one of those moments. Ahem.

Before I totally confuse you, this is definitely not about nightclubs or drinking. Oh, hell to the no. It’s more about the collective desire to be with good people laughing and forging bonds/ making memories that I start to miss when that side of things slows down and we all get super busy with other commitments. I remember fondly when having a birthday meant everyone was in, and then, over the years, it wasn’t.

Is anyone else with me here? Does this even make sense? I think I may have just confessed my deepest secret to you – that the thought of living an utterly boring life that doesn’t have a great mix of work and play scares the pants off me. Eek.

Heart-Warming Emails

 

I still pinch myself that people are thoughtful enough to take time out of their day to drop little old me a line, laden with delicious words of support that seriously make my heart sing.

This week has been a corker on the email front and I couldn’t be more grateful to the people that have reached out. You know who you are. Thank you, thank you (and just so you know, I file all the beauties I receive away in a folder and read them if I’m ever feeling flat. There’s nothing more effective to instantly brighten a gal’s mood!)

Strength Finding

 

I’m taking stock at the moment and conducting a bit of a mid-year review, which entails updating my vision boards, redefining my goals, setting up systems so I can work smarter, and finally, uncovering my ‘sweet spot’ – that awesome place where what I love and what I’m good at intersect.

I’m still plodding through all this slowly, but it’s definitely given me some food for thought on freelance projects that are well suited to my skill set, like whipping up web copy or social media consulting. I’m trained in Marketing/ Journalism/Public Relations and I get paid to write web copy and manage and develop campaigns for a range of social media channels by day (which I’m not sure if you know?) but it’s funny how I’ve almost glazed over those skills in the pursuit of other dreams.

I’ve got a web copy job on the go at the moment and may even take on a few more here and there soon, so watch this space, amigos.

Reliving Our Wedding

 

Last night we watched the low-res version of our wedding video (hip hip hooray!) and we’re soooo happy with it!

Apart from the bit where we’re saying our vows and we’re clearly emotional, both Ramai and I are grinning like Cheshire cats throughout the whole thing and watching the pure joy on both of our faces and remembering the various parts of the day together was really special.

Totally cracked up at last part where everyone is obviously rather ‘happy’ and busting some serious moves on the dance floor. We chose this track to lay over that piece of footage and it couldn’t have been more perfect. It actually looks like the dance moves were choreographed for the song, which is pretty rad!

Bring on the fully-jazzed up high res version, I can’t wait for a movie night – complete with popcorn and tissues – with our nearest and dearest.

(Oh and for those that asked, our wedding pics will be coming next week. Our girl is in high demand and off on jobs interstate so we’re waiting impatiently patiently to receive them this weekend).

Now, my dears, are you ready to claim your seat for the weekly In Spaces Between ‘love-in?’

Tell me: what are you grateful for right now? It could be something you did, somewhere you went, something you learned, or bought, or read. Share your happiness and take note of how you feel when you do (hint: blessed + filled with joy is a good place to be).

ONE MORE THING BEFORE I GO: have you entered the Rand Papele necklace giveaway? Today is the last day to enter so don’t miss out! 

Images: Kavan & Co | Fellow Fellow | Ban.do

11 Comments to “Making Me Happy”

  1. Phew! So when I buy a convertible Ferrari when I’m 40 and peroxide my hair, you’re totally there with me? ;) x

  2. Making me happy this week:

    – Listening and sampling music for our wedding ceremony (me getting emotional, future husby giggling)
    – A pilgrimage to Ikea today!
    – Laughing at photos from weekend antics with the ladies (my first time ‘out-out’ in months)
    – The sunshine Mother Nature gifted us with in Melbourne yesterday after months of drearyness!

    And of course…

    – Your lovely blog (again!)

    Indra xo

  3. Indra: Oh I know that feeling, it’s so hard choosing the songs (you’ve probably come to the same realisation as me that a lot of the nice sounding tracks have lyrics about heartbreak/ unrequited love etc etc!)

    Sounds like you had a great night out too. Laughing at photos after the fact ROCKS. xx

  4. Always love to read your Wednesday blogs. Thankyou Rachel.
    Making me happy….
    The sun
    My family
    Holidays
    Walks with my dog
    Cleaning out the pantry- when it is finished I know I’ll feel fabulous:)
    Peppermint tea
    and… your blogxxx

  5. + my dog
    + the fact that my man gets home tomorrow night and that I have him to myself for a week.
    + this is my last week at my current job. You’d think it would be sad but I’m super ready to moce on.
    + my new found love for fitness. It has come out of nowhere and I’m enjoying it immensely!
    x

  6. Making me happy this week is decision to simply be happy. (Felt a spiral spin down last week…)

    It is amazing how that simple decision has changed my whole week, getting compliments on how I look. Suddenly the same knit I wear to work suits me and i should wear it more often (umm, this old thing?) and even again this morning (in a different shirt that is!).

    The power of your thoughts is a beautiful thing and I’m celebrating it in a BIG kinda way this week. Xx

  7. Thank you Franjapani (oh what a lovely name you have). Good luck with all that pantry cleaning xx

    Jess: Hooray for quality time with your Mr and new beginnings on the job front. Go girl xx

    Monika: Have you changed your hair? ;) So, so simple isn’t it – our thoughts create our realities. Celebrate away gorgeous xx

  8. I’m a restless Saggitarean too and was thinking similar things the other day about spontaneity and how a few years ago we wouldn’t hesitate to jump in a cab and head out for a night out but now it requires planning and scheduling ahead (booooring!) Glad I’m not the only one xxx

  9. That’s what I’m talkin’ about Em! Bring back spontaneity, I say! xx

  10. Rach you look absolutely gorgeous in your wedding photos! I can’t wait to see more xx

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