Thought of the Day

'You are probably going to be a very successful computer person. But you're going to go through life thinking that girls don't like you because you're a nerd. And I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that that won't be true. It'll be because you're an asshole.' -The Social Network

Red Lipstick

This morning I went out to brunch and my aunt greeted me by saying 'you look glamorous'. It's a wonderful thing to have said about oneself.

Before I start telling you about the creation of my glamorous look. I must tell you that before I decide what I'm going to wear that day I think to myself 'who do I want to be today?' Sounds bizarre? Gosh Lily! You're just Lily! I mean that I think to myself 'do I want to be a funky rocker chick today? Or a professional high power business woman? Or a wannabe indie kid? Or a glamorous nineteen fifties socialite?' Each day I decide something a little bit different and I dress accordingly.

Today I decided I wanted to emulate 1950's Hollywood aka the Marilyn Monroe era. You know Marilyn? Everyone does. She epitomises glamour what with her delicate blonde hair and enviable curves. She's the fifties style icon. Of course I'd never call her a 'role model' after all she did have that whole mistress to JFK thing going on.

Moreover I feel that the Marilyn era is very much one I'd like to have lived through. It was a time when the cancer causing properties of cigarettes were unknown so everyone could glamorously swirl cigarette smoke as they laughed delicately and sipped their martinis. Some days when I dress I try to give myself a bit of that suave sophistication.

It's not difficult to do. I don't smoke or smile sweetly or have numerous cocktail parties. I just put on red lipstick. Somehow it immediately makes me feel like I'm Marilyn the glamorous actress on the set of 'Some Like it Hot'. Whenever I'm wearing red lipstick I feel like I can walk around 'Pak 'n' Save' with high heels on and the people staring at me aren't thinking 'why is she wearing make up to the supermarket?' but instead they're thinking 'what a glamorous, incredible woman I wonder where she's going,' I feel like I own 'Pak 'n' Save'.

Don't believe me? Try it out. Buy some red lipstick! Whenever you're having a bad day then put it on, as soon as that magical colour comes to your lips you'll feel like you've been transported to 1950's Hollywood. You may even find yourself waiting for the director to shout 'cut'.

A fun photo, since I've been even more MIA than community channel lately.

Found a Coin

A few days ago I encouraged a group of people to tell me something interesting that happened to them that day. At first I was met with a stunned silence. No one could think of anything that had happened to them that day that was worthwhile saying. I then told them that it could be something as small as 'finding a ten cent coin.' Once they'd realised that something as small as finding a ten cent coin was interesting then I was told a variety of interesting things that had happened like being given a block of chocolate and getting money from StudyLink.

We always seem to think that our lives are horribly dull and the regular good things that happen to us just aren't worth reporting. Yet on the other hand when something bad happens like losing a wallet or missing the bus then we're eager to tell the entire world about it. It's rather sad because then before we know it a perfectly lovely day turns into 'the worst day ever' purely because of all of the little things getting us down.

We need to start recognizing the little things.

So I've decided to start a revolution using a ten cent coin as a symbol. You can't buy anything with a ten cent coin. But it still should be celebrated. As that coin will eventually be spent with some other coins to buy a $4 cider one night at Shooters. The little things may be common but they're still worth something.

Appreciate them.

Next time you're walking down the street bend over and pick up that abandoned coin. Think of all of the things that coin could help you to achieve. Before you know it a ten cent coin would have become something worth blogging about.

I found the ten cent coin in the photo today. I smiled, put it in my pocket and realised that some good little thing happens every day.

Freaked out about Identity Theft

I realise that most of you, my lovely blog followers don't know about my one glaring character flaw. But in order for this story to make sense then I'll have to tell you about it.

I'm horribly absent minded.

I frequently forget where I've left my keys, to lock my bedroom door and even to turn off my car headlights. I even (to my Granny's frustration) frequently forgot to feed her cat before I went to bed. Don't worry the cat's still alive since Granny never forgot to feed it.

My absent mindedness means that I often lose things since I'm always in my own world so I can't think where I put certain items. It meant that today I lost my wallet. Or at least I thought I lost it, although that's a bit of a spoiler.

I was at the Printery and I started hunting through my bag for my wallet to pay for my printing. To my horror it was gone. I couldn't remember where I'd last seen it or where it could be. So I left my bag with friends at the Printery and began a mad dash around campus. First I went to the Wool Building. I almost was tempted to barge into a ten person lecture. Then I found a staff member to ask. He dutifully took me around to various offices and asked people if they'd seen my wallet. No such luck. I thanked the man and continued on with my quest.

I ran up to AgHort C and checked what I thought was my lecture theater. But since I always just absent mindedly follow everyone else then I wasn't entirely sure if it was the right lecture theatre. The group of chaps chatting in the corridor must have thought I was very strange what with my worried dashing into and out of lecture theaters.

I continued searching with no luck. I even filled out a lost property form at Security which made me list the contents of my wallet. Due to the previous phone disaster which proved that people aren't as kind as I thought they were I believed that I probably wouldn't get my wallet back. I then began to wonder about the person who had my wallet. What if they were a crack addict? What if that crack addict ended up dead in a Palmerston North ditch? Then because they had my wallet then they were incorrectly identified as me. Then the next day in the newspaper the headline read 'Crack Addict Lily Grey Dead'. I began wondering about everyone mourning my death and the awkwardness that would follow when I came out and said 'hey guys I'm still alive.'

I began thinking about what if the wallet finderer and keeperer was a regular kind of person wanting a thrill. Then they might use my season pass to go skiing and drive around on my full license or use it to buy alcohol if they were underage and then they'd use my $40 Pak N Save voucher to finance their illegal alcohol buying.

Obviously I was freaking out a little. I didn't want someone to steal my identity.

I arrived back at where I'd left my bag and a friend kindly suggested that I look in my bag one last time. I exclaimed 'it's not here, I don't have any money to get home. How am I going to do anything without my wallet!'

'Lily.' She said quietly. 'Is that your wallet?'

To my delight it was sandwiched between a book and my diary. After that I was overcome with embarrassment. A stranger who stood just a little ways away from me was quietly smiling to herself. I'd freaked out to the extreme and wasted countless people's time.

I'd blown the entire situation out of proportion and because of that little mistake of mine I learnt that people are willing to help as long as you're willing to ask. One person may have decided to keep my wallet but at the same time five other people helped me to try and find it.

Wears Maxi Skirts

The Famous Maxi Skirt op shopped from Aeon on
Cuba St in Wellington.

When everyone was buying Maxi skirts I vowed to myself that I would never follow that trend. Oh well I guess I broke that vow because as the photographic evidence above shows. I, Lily Gray bought a maxi skirt. What can I say I finally tried one on and I liked it!

Today was my experiment with wearing a maxi skirt to University. Before I start my spiel I must confess it was a little bit difficult. You see I had to catch the bus to university.

Of course I missed my bus this morning. That meant I had to wait for an uncomfortably long period of time at the bus stop, during which time a man in a car drove past me and stared at me for a good 200 m. I guess they didn't have maxi skirts in Palmerston North until I came along...

Then I had to stumble onto the bus. I think stumble is the right word because although I've read extensively about the maxi skirt in Fashion Quarterly they forgot to mention one important detail. Maxi skirts/dresses are horribly impractical. Today I found myself tripping over my skirt going up stairs and down stairs and I even had to awkwardly hitch up my skirt while I was walking through my horses paddock. Maxi skirts aren't made for walking or doing anything vaguely physical (except perhaps shopping). The especially uncomfortable thing was that when I tripped over my hemline I found that my skirt would slip down and expose my petticoat. I was perilously close to a disaster, I could have flashed my undies!*

So I now know that maxi skirts are horribly impractical. Although if I were to choose my clothes based on practicality I'd end up wearing track pants and sneakers 24/7...shudder. I believe that in clothing there must be a balance of wear ability and style. How did the maxi skirt measure on the style front? Well I got complimented by four different people today. Ergo very stylish and a must wear.

I shall just have to pick out a day when I'm doing very lady like things to wear it.

*Although that's quite modest when you take into account that when I arrived at the Equestrian center today there were six vet students posing naked for a nude photo shoot for their calendar. I was a little bit surprised to say the least... A little bit of an eye sore...

Can find culture in Palmerston North

I live in Palmerston North in New Zealand. I didn’t choose to move here. Instead I made a decision to study something that can only be studied in Palmerston North so I didn’t really have any further decisions to make. 

So what’s Palmerston North like? Well ever since John Clease said ‘If you ever do want to kill yourself, back lack the courage, I think a visit to Palmerston North will do the trick,’ then it’s more or less been the butt of every joke. 

I think they kind of bring it on themselves, yes I refuse to call myself a Palmerston Northian... After all their most famous icon is the naked pie man; he sells pies to drunk students and yes, as the name suggests he runs around naked. I think I’ve painted you a reasonably accurate portrait of Palmy as a rather bogan and dull place.

It therefore becomes a rather difficult task to find creative happenings in Palmerston North. When I first arrived I was shocked by the fact that the ‘best’ shopping area was a homogeneous mall. I say homogeneous because quite literally you could pick it up and plonk it anywhere in the world. It’s a rather boring place full of girls dressed horribly in supre outfits, shudder. Then lucky for me I discovered George St. It’s a magical street with owner operated boutiques. There’s not many but there’s just enough to be able to spend an hour or so perusing the offerings. The shops on George St show a classier side to Palmerston North and let me remind you that the New Zealand brand Kilt started with a shop on George St. 

If clothes don’t interest you there’s a few nice brunch places in that area of Palmerston North. My personal favourite is OE cafe in the art center. They make a variety of delicious coffees, many of which I’ve never heard of. While you wait you can look around the gallery at the array of art work. If that isn’t culture then I don’t know what is!

That’s my little Palmerston North spiel. You never know I may do another if I continue feeling sorry for Palmy.

Oh and finally I must mention that there’s a cafe on George St called Barista which does a regular high tea, with live music. Beat that Queen St!

Wellington, from ages ago. Mainly because I really miss the sun...

The weather's terrible at the moment, rain wind et al. Hence why I included the first photo...

Song Obsession
Red Rabbit - The Shins. It was hard to choose one song because I'm in love with this band at the moment.

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