Introducing Ella the Monster Munchkin

Ella officially became a member of the Rogue household back in January but for some crazy reason I have yet to introduce her to... well... cyberspace. So here goes:

Ella (Photo taken: July 25th 2009)

Born: November 2008 Sex: Female Breed: German Shepherd Character: Over enthusiastic greeter (ie. slobber kiss central), bouncy, hyperactive, ball obsessed, Olympic chewer. Dislikes citrus fruit (but being a dog, happily munches on anything else - including slippers!), feisty, stubborn and, last but not least, mischief maker extraordinaire!!

The day we collected her from the airport (January 9th). Ella soon made herself at home, the lil scallywag arrived with a bone almost as big as her (okay, so I'm guilty of slight exaggeration). However, Ella was, and still is on some level, adorable. See pics below.

Mini Rant

Grr! I'm not a happy bunny! In fact I may be in danger of sprouting horns,... atleast I'm not breathing fire... yet! Now onto the cause of my frustration: my laptop is falling apart, argh! Soon typing will become impossible, "c" is almost dead... thankfully I don't use it that often. Nevertheless I fear my laptop is, dare I say it, doomed! I think it needs to retire, shall start hunting for it's heir apparent.... :-s x Wow! I feel better already... no longer dreaming of taking a sledge hammer and putting my laptop out of its misery. Now that's what I call progress! XD hehe x

My eternally evolving bedroom.

Shockingly, 8 months later, my room is still a work in progress. Although this is not evident at first glance. A couple of months ago I fell in love with a deep grey sofa bed from Harvey Normans, which naturally I just had to have (It was on sale, how's a girl supposed to resist?!) Due to an abundance of cushions, it actually seems more like a chaise longue. Well I like to think so! Either way it is undeniably comfortable and perfect for snuggling down with a good book and a hot chocolate... or it would be if my crazy cats hadn't adopted my entire bedroom! Can you say... "chaos"! :P

Personality Type: The Groundbreaking Thinker

Personality Type: The Groundbreaking Thinker

According to http://ipersonic.com/type/GT.html this is me!

I'd like to think that some of it is accurate... but I'm not quite convinced.

Alas only time will tell.

Groundbreaking Thinkers are charming, enthusiastic persons. They really bubble over with energy and like to take centre stage. They love variety both professionally and privately. Groundbreaking Thinkers tackle changes consistently with their optimism and firm belief in their own abilities; they are always on the look-out for improvement possibilities. Their excellent communication skills are of great advantage to them here. They approach the world with curiosity and openness and master new situations with a great deal of talent for improvising and with resourcefulness. Their spare time is taken up with a large number of hobbies; most Groundbreaking Thinkers like to travel in order to gather as many different impressions as possible. This personality type is unbeatable at discovering new possibilities.In their work, Groundbreaking Thinkers highly rate challenges and diversified tasks. They cannot stand routine and too detailed work. They love to astound others with bold ideas for an original, new project and then leave it up to the others to implement them. Hierarchies, rules and regulations arouse their opposition and they love outsmarting the system. It is vital to them that they enjoy their work; if this is the case, they quickly become pure workaholics. Their creativity best takes effect when they work independently; but they are very good at motivating others and infecting them with their optimistic nature. Conceptual or advisory activities appeal especially to Groundbreaking Thinkers. It can happen that some people feel somewhat duped by their flexible, spontaneous nature.

Sociability and enterprise ensure that Groundbreaking Thinkers always have a large circle of friends and acquaintances in which activity plays an important role. As they are mostly in a good mood, they are popular and very welcome guests. Grumbling and peevishness are unknown to them. However, they do tend to be a little erratic and unstable when it comes to obligations and this makes them appear to be unreliable to some. Groundbreaking Thinkers are very critical and demanding when it comes to picking a partner because they look for the ideal relationship and have a very concrete picture of this ideal relationship. Mutual aims in life are very important to them. They do not like compromising and would rather remain alone. For the partner, it is often a challenge to have a long-term relationship with a Groundbreaking Thinker. Groundbreaking Thinkers need a lot of space and diversity or otherwise they become bored and feel cramped. Types who are rather more traditionalistic often have problems with the willingness of Groundbreaking Thinkers to take risks and their often crazy, spontaneous actions. However, if one can summon up sufficient flexibility and tolerance for them, one will never be bored in their presence and will always have a loyal and faithful partner.

Adjectives which describe your type: extroverted, theoretical, logical, spontaneous, rational, innovative, intellectual, open, independent, curious, enterprising, analytical, clever, enthusiastic, venturesome, inventive, energetic, sociable, optimistic, non-conformist, creative, freedom-loving, charming, able to get enthusiastic, self-confident, communicative, capricious, inconsistent, outgoing

My Room - A Work In Progress

A few months ago, I ranted about my confusion over the direction my bedroom decor scheme was going in. Vintage, leopard print, fashion prints, lace, you name it! Now, however, it's finally coming together. No longer a not-so-blank canvas but rather a work in progress. The walls are the palest grey-blue, with a black feature wall (originally fantabulous, even though I say it myself, now needs repainting, black shows every flaw, grrr! I blame the cats! lol) behind my bed (which seems far too small these days! But still oh-so-comfortable!). Also, for the first time in the history of Rogue bedrooms, my bedside table and chest of drawers (in gunmetal grey) are from the same collection and actually match. Wow! =]

New Philips music centre, I spent ages looking for something simple and elegant, no fancy supersonic boom and chrome. Unfortunately it also seems to act as a dust magnet!

Notice that the Twilight collection matches my colour scheme? Hehe. I know it looks a little cluttered but I haven't invested in a bookshelf yet and I really wanted the jewellery mannequin and chaise on display, they complement my bedside lamp. Atleast I think they do...

For some reason, I seem to have started a collection of mannequins. I don't really need two, well not yet anyway. But I simply couldn't resist this one, it's smaller but what a lush blue! The masks are from Venice, I have a slight obsession with Venetian masks, this is only the beginning of the collection. Perhaps I should have a masquerade ball for my 21st... And then next stop: Venice Carnival.

Still a work in progress.

Thus this shall be continued at a later date....

A not so blank canvas

Designing my new bedroom fills me with both excitement and despair, as I am still waiting for my bed etc to arrive from the UK (grrr! impatience it's one of my many flaws), the room is practically empty. Which is great, because I can let my imagination run wild. Except of course I can't, because before I left the UK I kept seeing furnishings etc to die for and obviously I just had to have them! And now I'm here and guess what Mackenzie Willis and Ballantynes have gorgeous wallpaper etc that I really wish I could get but I can't because I already have way too many patterns and themes going on. And whilst I lurve everything I've got, I have no idea how the hell I'm gonna pull it all together to make a bedroom as opposed to a vintage store. What can I say I have very eclectic taste!

So I have leopard print bedding in black and grey.

Two gorgeous prints I stumbled across! ($55 each!)

I just wish that I had prints for London and Milan as well. But nevertheless the prints will be perfect for the dressing room that I don't yet have. Failing that I'm sure I can find the perfect spot for them in my bedroom... she says... hopefully. Perhaps it's wishful thinking, I mean I can be innovative but I have my limits. I think maybe I've set myself mission impossible. But then impossible is nothing, and I like a challenge... sometimes!

The same day I bought the above prints, I also happened to fall in love with a gorgeous set of mugs from Farmers. ($15 for the set of four)

To be continued...

The Black Cat in Akaroa

A somewhat belated account of January 8th

(now known as the last day of freedom before the arrival of Ella the monster munchkin)

I went dolphin watching with my mom, on the Black Cat at Akaroa. All in all it was pretty damn cool. Obviously, I took lots of pictures (on my new digicam... wooh!), not all of them good. Fortunately I have, after many torturous hours, managed to sort through the riff raff.

Quant little church, don't you think? Doesn't the water look great? I feel like a swim!

Ooh... spot the seals! Seagulls are so graceful when they aren't making a racket!

Probably my two favourite shots of the day!!

Not only is the French town of Akaroa beautiful. There are also some really great views along the way, but I think they were all made even better by the fact that we were lucky enough to go on a sunny day with blue skies galore. But then the sun makes most things look better, don't you think?

Rural life... cows a plenty.

If you're in Christchurch then a visit to Akaroa is well worth the effort. It's only an hour and a half away after all. But a word of warning, if you don't like heights and you're not a confident driver then Akaroa might not be for you, because the journey from Christchurch, is kinda freaky. Lots of twists and turns, and for the most part pretty damn steep, kinda like a rollercoaster really, perhaps not the Colloseus though. Phew! (Bear in mind, however, that I am prone to mild exagerration. What can I say, it's a character flaw I guess.) I mean I like heights, but I think the journey might have made me a little nervous; especially if I was in a hire car with no camera or magazine to distract me (obviously I wasn't driving, I mean I can multi-task, but not that well!! Besides I'm the designated map reader. Although it's pretty much one road from Christchurch to Akaroa, so it wasn't exactly a challenge.)

~ Bella Vista ~

Tiny little river running under the road.

Driving through the trees....

Akaroa harbour Some more views from the boat, taken whilst in transit... (Don't you just wanna dive in?!)

Okay so maybe I went a little photo mad at the time. But (a) who wouldn't go a little crazy when surrounded by such natural beauty. And (b) it was my first ever digi-cam, I was entitled to a little craziness... Right?

Me, Myself and I

I'm new to blogging, and learning on the go.

I have an untameable sense of adventure and like to explore.

I'm 18 and starting Uni on February 23rd, can't wait!

I'm a Taurus, and stubborn so that makes sense.

I'm a bundle of contradictions so that makes me a complicated person.

My birthstone is emerald.

I hate early mornings, unless I'm going on holiday, doing something fun, or hitting the sales.

I love Guylian Pralines. So don't say you didn't know what to get me for Valentines baby!

I love cats.

Hate rodents. They scare the hell outta me.

I love the idea of surfing, but I'm petrified of sharks.

I don't have a favourite colour, but I'm strangely drawn to deep blues.

I'm fascinated by black and white photos.

I could spend forever and a day walking round the National Art Gallery in London.

I love Elvis Presley, Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe.

I'm tall.

I'm curvy and wouldn't have it any other way.

I have curly hair which is almost impossible to tame.

I think fireworks are pretty but they give me hellish headaches.

I love thunder storms.

Lightning makes me nervous, when I'm surrounded by metal.

I'm fascinated by fire.

But I don't smoke.

I love the sea and the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks.

I'm happiest at night.

I love art, but I'm not very good at it.

I love to flirt. So don't say I didn't warn you.

The thought of eating fish disgusts me.

I'd choose silver over gold any day.

I love animal prints but I only wear faux fur!

I'm a self confessed gossip queen and useless at keeping secrets.

But my real name is one secret you may never know.

I don't trust people easily.

I use sarcasm as a self-defence mechanism.

I fall into lust very easily.

But I rarely date.

I hate Valentine's day.

And yet I'm secretly a romantic at heart.

I love rock and roll.

I wish I played the electric guitar.

I love tattoos!

And bad boys are my kryptonite.

I'm a chatterbox and a txt addict, sorry!

And yet I'm a good listener.

I like to argue and I'm good at it.

But now, I'm gonna shut up.

xoxo

Amateur Fashion Journalism at its worst (courtesy of, yes you guessed it, moi)

For those in the know, fashion means fun! And this season, it's time to trip the light fantastic!

With more must-have pieces than ever before, it shouldn't be too hard to get it right. And if you do, then you're sure to be remembered at any party you choose to accept an invite for, or if you're a rebel like me then it's more a case of any party you want to crash. Just remember that looking good doesn't mean anything if you're not comfortable and confident, after all the dramatic entrance and the grand exit should always be the finest moments of any successful party.

This season the fashion cocktail gives you enough looks to keep you playing until the end of season sales. So here's my take on the hottest look this season...

Heavy metal: is not just a musical genre, it's also a great fashion statement. But don't forget that all that glitters is not gold. Although, this season it's fair to say that metallics are glistening and glittering in gold, copper and bronze. Shimmering yet earthy, warm yet metallic. Admittedly metallics do steal the show so not for those who shy away from attention. But don't be scared everyone can pull off metallic, so it's a fairly safe look. (NB: if it's a metallic dress don't go too short or too low cut... unless you want to walk the line between tacky and classy!) Oh and metallic should never be worn with shiny accessories, it's one or the other baby. Just work the look and let it speak for itself. Think Gianni Versace and Aquilano e Rimondi for drop dead gorgeous dresses!

Oh and a word to the wise... if you buy only one thing this season... make it a gold (although, with my colouring I'd choose bronze) trench, for killer style!

Hell, I think I'm going to quit while I'm not ahead. What can I say "peppy" just isn't my style! Argh.... can you say "CRINGE"?! Lol.