Weekly Inspiration (21/12/20)

 

 

Hello lovelies! It feels like forever since I’ve sat down and had a chat with you all! Tell me, how are you really? What are your, albeit tentative, plans for the Christmas season? My family and I usually host or attend a lunch/dinner party and then just soak up the festive season with music and good company. What I love most about Christmas and holidays in general is the gaps they bridge in time, place, culture and religion. After all, there should be no bars on enjoyment just because you don’t subscribe to a particular set of beliefs!

My mum’s side of the family is Christian and my dad’s side is Muslim but we always celebrate in our own way, as do many of the multicultural and diverse families I know. That’s what true holiday spirit is, if you ask me. My living room is looking quite pretty at the moment- we’ve got our baby tree up and it’s fairly decked out! fairy lights, baubles, animal ornaments and the like. We’ve also got an inflatable Rudolph- when we turn him off at night, he collapses face down, almost as if to say “Okay, I’m out! I don’t want to know about anything until tomorrow evening!”

Hopefully in the closer lead up to the big day we’ll go and see Christmas houses. I remember adoring those nights spent out and about when I was younger. At my old place, there was a lot of friendly competition around Christmas time. Some houses took on a nativity theme, choosing not to stray from the truest and most authentic version of Christmas, some looked like winter wonderlands and others would just make Santa proud! It was very cheery. There is nothing like the carefree bliss that comes with having so little concerns. While this year has shaped up to be much more convoluted, it continues to serve a purpose, a notion I hope will shine through and be reflected by today’s inspirational segment.

This week has been an absolute flurry of activity between shopping for my summer wardrobe, bittersweet goodbyes as I bode school farewell for the last time and undertook preparations for the new year and holiday season. I miss my friends already, suffice to say. Wednesday marked not only the end of my traditional schooling but of an era. Just as my friends will see a major shift as they enter the transitional stages of senior years, college is going to see me step up my game big time. I can reflect on it at length and make my own determinations as to how it’ll play out but I know there’s no rule book on growing up. My friends and I caught up as a group the following day for a proper send off. We had a girl’s day out with lunch and then a walk to the park. We listened to music and sat on the swings, something I haven’t done in a good while. It was very pleasant and the sun was shining. We all felt quite radiant.

I know I’ll have to put in a lot more effort to maintain friendships from here on in- in the past I haven’t dedicated enough time to staying connected to old friends. Each time I moved schools, I’d leave another group behind. Those close friends became acquaintances and finally were relegated to being social media contacts. It’s true what they say- making friends is easy but keeping them is difficult. There’s nothing worse than stagnant relationships. They are akin to living houses that remain in construction for forever and a day. Not only do they cease to be furthered and built on but they become weathered by elements and age. Brick crumbles. Cement wears away. The foundation creaks and groans. Weeds find their way into broken wood planks. It is messy and awkward. That’s what I hope to avoid. Nonetheless, I am very much looking forward to a break. I have many personal projects I hope to undertake this summer. I’m thrilled because my holidays this year last just over two months as compared to a month and a half. I feel as if I’m a typical American talking about this elusive never ending summer break. Isn’t that the dream? Time, however, does funny things as you grow older. I’ve already been on holidays for four days and I’ve barely blinked. As a kid, six weeks well and truly stretched on forever- I actually had time to feel bored. I managed to run out of ideas to occupy myself many a time. As I’ve gotten older though, the days and weeks were gone in a snap. Perhaps I just slept it all away. I was a pretty regular sleeper up until my teen years. Now I’ll just freely admit it- I love my bed and won’t drag myself out of it, even when necessary- ssh, don’t tell my future employer!

On that note, it’s hit me that I really need to set and solidify a range of significant goals for this year. I plan to delve into this topic in depth during a later post. This week I began the process by determining my strengths and weaknesses- I have many admirable and positive traits but my weaknesses have been and will continue to pull me down in the future. My lack of time management and struggle to adapt to a schedule. I’m not an early bird in any sense of the word and this has not served me well. My old school would dish out detentions every time you arrived late, except when you brought in a note explaining the absence and the reasons behind it. I got my fair share of lunch time’s spent inside a classroom for my lack of organisation!

I can pinpoint a few highlights of this week. The first was ordering a handmade tassel chandelier for the room I’m designing at my grandma’s place- it’s from hello Marla Co and is the absolute cutest. Her other featured items include seasonal stockings, Pom Pom garlands, advent calendars and Pajakis, also known as Polish chandeliers. I placed a custom order for a mini triple layer chandelier. I chose Rose Ash, Fawn and Linen as my colours. I’ll always be a neutral lover but thought a pretty pink pop would liven my space!

Another highlight this week was my so called graduation dinner. My mum, grandma, brother and I went to my favourite tapas restaurant in Rouse Hill, an area not far from my place. Our meal was delicious as always! We are the sort to stick to our normal order once we find the perfect assortment of dishes but it always proves to be a great night out. We ordered lamb and chilli kofta with tzatziki, spinach and cheese gozleme and spicy fried chicken drumettes with chilli mayo sauce. For dessert, Mediterranean ice cream with rose water, pistachios and fairy floss. It was absolutely phenomenal!