Bring Some Happy Into Your Week!
[ 14 September 2009 ]
Hello! I’m back after a week-long holiday! I turned 26 on Sunday (yay!) & my birthday gift to myself was a week away from the internet. It wasn’t a perfect break (I can never really extract myself from its evil clutches!) but it was pretty good, & now I am back, feeling refreshed, energised & excited to go. I haven’t had a break that long in almost three years, since iCiNG started, so it was long, long overdue!
Here are some fun things you could do this week. What do you have on your agenda?
Monday 14th September 2009
Celebrate Nubby‘s birthday! Wear red, impersonate Michael Jackson & then pass out in all your clothing! (Aw, bless!) Alternately, celebrate the birthday of your favourite Virgo. There are plenty of Virgo writers, Virgo rappers & other rad people whose lives we should be excited about. (Some of my picks: Ani Difranco, Bill Murray, Fiona Apple, Frances Farmer, Greta Garbo, Janet Frame, Jeremy Irons, Jesse James, Michael Jackson, Milton Hershey, Roald Dahl & Tim Burton.) Wear a hat, blow up balloons, eat some cake & have a good time!
Tuesday 15th September 2009
As you recover from the previous day’s sugar coma, make time to go through your jewellery box & fix or re-purpose some of your old treasures. Brooches with the pins broken off or earrings with a mate missing can be made into pretty much anything you can think of. Glue pendants onto a broad headband, pin a necklace to the lapels of your blazer, or safety-pin a bunch of jewellery together & wear it all at once, around your neck. Very decadent darling!
Wednesday 16th September 2009
Take photos of your favourite places: your bed, your best friend’s bedroom, a café, the view from your roof. Get them developed on one of those clever Kodak machines you see around the place, then stick them into your journal, notebook, etc. I am always blown away when I see photos of my old habitats, it brings back so many memories.
Thursday 17th September 2009
Get excited about the new season coming! In New Zealand, it’s all blossoms & big blue skies: very beautiful, whereas in the United States I know the wind has started howling & people are breaking out the cardigans. Think about what you want to do with the rest of your year! Eat lots of soup? Take up running? Hibernate with your sweetheart or dazzle the city with your flirting prowess? Grab a piece of paper & make a big list of things you want to achieve. Stick it to your fridge & cross the items off as you go. (Nubby & I have one of these at International Playgirl HQ!)
Friday 18th September 2009
Read about Louise L. Hay (even better, get your hands on You Can Heal Your Life), & think of some affirmations you could use. Write them down, put them somewhere visible, & start saying them out loud whenever you see them. (You cannot possibly say them enough.) One of Louise’s ones that I really like goes, “I do the work I love, I work with & for people I really like, & I’m earning good money”. Remember to phrase it in the present tense (as if you have it now)! P.S. Look! There’s even a Louise L. Hay iPhone application! That’s the best use of 99 cents ever.
Saturday 19th September 2009
Do some research into continuing education. Many universities & community centres offer classes which only go for a couple of days or occur one night a week. The other day I was at lunch with my friend who has been studying ayurvedic medicine, & as she told me about it, it reminded me how wonderful it is to learn something new. Do a weekend class in photography, creative writing, sales, jewellery-making, Italian, gardening, dance, graphic design… whatever excites you!
Sunday 20th September 2009
Organise to have lunch with someone you wish you knew better. Pick one of your favourite places to take them, & then go on some kind of adventure afterwards. Take photobooth pictures, walk around a park & talk to people together, or go shopping for ridiculous vintage sunglasses. Maybe even all three. Doing something fun & magical will bond you together much faster than just having lunch would!
What do you have planned for this week?
Love letters & feather headdresses,
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this is just what I need right now. you are incredible as always!
Oh god, I’m so glad you’re back! Love all these ideas, particularly Saturday’s and Thursday’s. I’m already super excited for the upcoming winter! Nothing beats snuggling, fires, snow, and fuzzy socks.
Beautful ideas Gala, random but beautiful. Hope you had a lovely birthday!
happy belated birthday :) & fabulous ideas, as usual.
I also suggest camping before it gets too cold. My boyfriend and I are finally getting in a weekend camping trip and I’m really excited for it.
My other plans this week revolve around the continuing adventure that is my brand new etsy store (http://fallenpeach.etsy.com). :D and looking into possible cont. ed. business courses…
Great post, I may just have to do some of this stuff. My list includes doing my awesomely fun math homework and having a party everyday on the bud home though.
I do need to sort through my jewellery and reassign solo earrings and tangled necklaces. Thanks for the reminder!
I have a very exciting week ahead of me:
Thursday – I’m going to see a play featuring an old school friend.
Friday – Grease is showing at a theatre in town and I’m going along with a bunch of girlfriends.
Saturday – Dancing at half time at the Richter City Roller Derby.
Lots of fun stuff! Maybe I’ll also have time to recite some affirmations and read some Janet Frame.
we have been waiting for you!
lots of love to you always and never forget how special you are
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
hey gala, i missed you! :) glad you had a great week tho :DD
This week is my country’s independence day celebrations (september the 18th and 19th), so we have friday off :D Everything and everyone is in the national mood; traditional decorations everywhere, music, dances, FOOD...is so awesome, is one of the best weeks of the year! So I’ll skip thursdays class, and meet with my boyfriend, maybe going somewhere that day, and on friday go out with my friends! On saturday I’ll go to my family’s beach house to celebrate my mom’s birthday. I’m so happy about this week!
Plus spring is comiiiiing, is awesome!
Have an incredible week!
I was wondering where you were! I hope you had a good break from the internet (we ALL need it sometimes), but I’m glad you’re back!
Happy birthday to a fellow Virgo! (Mine just passed as well, on the 1st!)
I’m laying low for most of the week but as for Sunday, September 20th, I plan to attend a fantastic wedding… supposedly there will be a lake with white candles burning around it, horse drawn carriages, and fireworks (!!) at the end of the first dance.
.......and by the way, I’m the bride!!!!!!!!!!!
Can everyone who reads this comment please do something celebratory at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Sunday the 20th?? That’s when the ceremony should be wrapping up… so if you could light up a sparkler, blow some bubbles, or have a sip of champagne to toast me and my new husband, it would make the day that much better! I know I won’t be there to see it, but I think I’d still feel it!
Sorry to exploit your comment section like this, Gala… but dude, I’m getting married!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are wonderful Miss Darling! :)
I love the changing seasons changes! It’s always a new opportunity to reinvent yourself. I actually do plan to take up running. Nothing like crisp air filling your lungs to get you invigorated for the day!
Happy Birthday, Gala! Virgos rock! I’m celebrating Monday with a decision to dress up as MJ for Halloween, and do a damn good job of it (my tribute to both him and Nubby, I suppose). How serendipitous that you and Nubby are born so close together—aww!
I just celebrated my own Virgo birthday, and my boyfriend’s as well, not to mention his twin brother’s—seems they are 3 days older than you, and no younger at heart. Kudos for that.
happy birthday!! i have the same birthday as you! we share it with roald dahl. :)
Woo! Happy birthdays to you and your darling Nubby! Your list looks a lot like my calendar that I wrote on the subway not a few hours ago, right after I made a list of Post Secret cards to print out for my room & signed up for my third continuing education course this year, no less!
A little bit more happy is in order, though, now that the world will be mourning Patrick Swayze (I just watched the VMA awards this afternoon and cried for MJ for the longest time too, what a day) so I’ll be obtaining some bath salts to soak in. & bubbling cider. Bless the bubbling cider.
Thanks for the birthday wishes, I love you!
Limespark — I’m excited for winter too! I haven’t had a full one for years, I have been jumping between countries & chasing the sun for ages, but I think it’s finally time! I am pretty excited about winter fashion too. I tried on this MAJORLY beautiful coat by Karen Millen the other day, I think I need it: www.asos.com/Karen UNF!
Lindsey — Haha, I am really not a camping kind of girl but I am sure lots of people reading this are! So it’s a very timely reminder! I hope you guys have a great time.
Gem Wilder — Dancing during half-time at a roller derby sounds totally rad, haha!
sarah f — Mwah mwah mwah!
fran — It sounds like your week is going to be incredible, I’m totally jealous!
Summer — Happy belated birthday for the 1st! I hope it was a wonderful day!
Becca — AHHH have a fantastic wedding! I will do my best to do something celebratory for the occasion! Lots of love to you & your man!
Alzy — Any opportunity to reinvent yourself is one worth taking! I feel like that about my birthday, seasons changing, the new year, & even new moons. Actually there is one on Friday which will be a DOOZY, I should write something about it!
Amy Rae — Virgo power, for real, hahah. I love that Nubby & I were pretty much born on the same day. Separated at birth!
cecilia — Happy birthday gorgeous! Hope you had a great time. I love that we share a birthday with Roald Dahl, also with Fiona Apple & Milton Hershey!
ansi — I am still sad about MJ but did you see the trailer for This Is It? GOD I am so excited. I MUST see it as soon as it comes out!
I second the suggestion to take continuing ed classes. I started graphic and web design certificates last week and can’t believe how energizing it has been. I look forward to the classes and can’t wait to learn more.
Also, happy belated birthday!
YES the trailer looks so good!!! Gosh, it makes me wish I were a dancer so I could have been on tour with them all, haha. I’m so glad they showed it at the end – way to give everyone something HAPPY to look forward to! (Also, what did you think of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ duet? It seems like everything that man touches turns to EPIC.)
Gala, I wish my Google calendar could have this much positivity.
PS: Happy National Cupcake Week!
Some nice ideas, welcome back to the Internet Ms Darling, good to hear you enjoyed your sojourn to the “real” world and happy belated birthday!
A belated happy b-day!!! :-)
Your post made me smile, I definitely need some happy in my week! Also, the idea of unplugging for a few days could be a nice excuse to pamper ourselves…right?
Take care!
YES! This is just what I needed. Thanks for all the suggestions, Gala!
Wow, a voluntary week offline!
I’m STILL catching up on blogs and emails after my crazy little week in the desert
I’m not too excited about returning to grey authumn-y london, but have resolved to make the most of it: take up a martial arts class, do more artwork, generally ease up on the booze!
I love this one. No, srsly, I missed Monday, but I shall wear red today and sort through my jewellery. FIERCELY.
And glad to see you’re back. Though Internet retreats should be a regular thing on every person’s time-table.
Glad you’re back! And happy birthday!!
My birthday is this Saturday and I have no idea what I’m going to do, but this post woke me up from my lethargy so I’ll do my best to think of something fabulous!
Or I can just celebrate my b’day on the 19th! Woohoo! Fellow Virgo baby here :D
Happy Belated Birthday, Gala! Hope you had a great birthday :)
Renee
Friday 18th is my BIRTHDAY!! WHOO!!
So I shall be celebrating all day long =)
Very excited about it!!
love you gala!
xx
Woohoo, I love the idea of bringing happy into your week! Happy birthday to all of those fellow Virgos out there! :) This week I’m going to be celebrating the little joys of fall creeping into my life… leaves beginning to change, candy corns popping up at the drug stores, and the warm early fall air… LOVE this time of year!
I love the idea about taking classes. I’ve been considering taking classes at the School of Philosophy, because that’s something that’s always interested me. I also want to get back into dance classes. I was doing regular ballroom dancing for a while, but I haven’t is a while, and I miss it!
Your post just may be the kick in the pants I needed! :)
Just in case no one’s mentioned it, Saturday the 18th is also International Talk Like a Pirate Day! My place, Robothaus, is celebrating by having a party. I ordered one gross of eye-patches through a friend’s party wholesaler, and a treasure chest pinata. Costumes!
I love the idea of getting to know someone better.
CLEANING OUT MY CLOSET FOR WINTER. YES.
I am also anticipating giving away loads of stuff at a clothing swap at the end of the week (:
Oh! And working on my Halloween costume!
Thanks so much for this, Gala!
I’m excited to be wearing my beautiful coats again for winter, as well as starting a course in sewing machine use (I’m also applying for one in Fashion Illustration). Expect lots of exciting DIY projects from me very soon!
I absolutely love this piece! Can you please do more? Its just so inspiring to hear of romantic adventures you can have which will bring joy into your life and take almost no effort to do. Tomorrow – pictures of my loves! I’m quite excited.
Okay, so i had my own little carousel and found this hilariousness…
www.mediazine.net/view/essays_…
Glad you’re back, Gala! In your posting absence I purchased a couple of Love & Sequins podcasts – the first one was great so I can’t wait to receive the next one!
Thanks for the day dedicated to me. ;) You can do no wrong! Missing you muchly and scheming to plan a decadent Virgo getaway.
Thank you, Gala…my 25th was on Saturday, and while I am far too happy to have a full-on quarter-life crisis, I’ve definitely been a little un-thrilled recently. When I’m in a funk, it’s hard to come up with things to get un-funked…and these are PERFECT. I’m absolutely going to go take home photos tonight, and work on finding some new thing to learn/try/visit. This was just the mini kick in the pants I needed.
[And happy birthday weekend! hope the thrills are continuing for you :) ]
Oh my how I missed you! I’m glad you had fun & welcome back :D