Elyn Saks: A tale of mental illness -- from the inside

Just.. Wow. I don't even know how to explain the way I felt when I watched this TED talk for the first time. When I can encapsulate it, you'll be the first to know. But watch and be... in awe. x

Thomas Insel: Toward a new understanding of mental illness

I think that this TED talk is one of the most brilliant ones I've seen in a while. It's a very insightful & fantastic video for understanding the neuroscience of classified mental disorders. Most importantly, it suggests a new shift in understanding mental disorders to seeing them as 'brain disorders'- focusing on the neurological deficits and encouraging an early invention approach to managing these deficits.

Laura Marling - Once - Later... with Jools Holland - BBC Two

Beautiful x

New Post on Blussh !

Greetings ! I have a new post on the Blussh website called "let's talk about..." which is reviewing a new range of products released by amele.

I think it's the first piece of writing where I have used adult language ... As in , I used the 'v' word .

I'm still giggling :)

Check it out ! X

Banned

The National Archives of Australia have now opened a cafe with a twist... it's an exhibition on the 'banned' books of Australia in the 20th Century!

From the Banned Blog:

"The National Archives in Canberra has updated its café with a new display on banned books. Read about the secret history of Australian censorship as you sip your coffee. You can also examine a censor’s report or flip through a copy of a book or magazine once prohibited in Australia."

Although it is in Canberra, it is definitely on my to-do list for the holidays. To satisfy my curiosity,  they actually have a blog which they are updating each month to highlight a certain book. It is really interesting to get an insight into what was happening in Australia through the banning of these texts. Even being able to have the opportunity to read the criteria for a suitable book in each time period sounds incredible!

There is a fantastic article on "The Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger on the blog at the moment. I was not aware of the degree of literary censorship in Australia- especially on such an influential novel. I wonder if there are any books still on the list? I can not wait to get down there and enjoy a coffee (or two!) and explore all these banned books :).

Blussh!

Hello, hello! Yes, I am crawling back into the world of blog land slowly... So much so, that I am really excited to announce that I am now an official contributor for Blussh!

The Blussh girls: Heidi, myself and Katie at a PR event for amele.

Here's a sneak peak of what I have been writing on the blog, from my post "Why, hello there!":

"Writing has always played a significant role in my life as a means of self expression, articulation and sometimes just to capture something on paper. I have always kept notebooks or journals and it is only recently after moving house I have realised how valuable they are to me. I can open a notebook from 2004 and read what I was thinking- the very thoughts and opinions that were buzzing in my head at that time. Although this is exciting, what is even more thrilling is that I can see how far that I have grown from that point. It is almost like I could make a graph charting the highs and lows and plot what has made me 'me'. "

I would love to hear what you think about Blussh- it's all about promoting healthy & whole body image for women of all ages. I am thrilled that I am on board with such an amazing team to write and share some of my experiences.

More from me soon! xxx

Winter days in summer

To be honest, I think that the weather is slightly confused... Apparently, we are in the middle of summer ... Yet it feels like a cool early winter afternoon . Not that I'm complaining, my favourite season is autumn and early spring. I love the colour changes and the snugly clothes. I'm currently wearing my brown boots with jeans and a light cardigan , and of course drinking a cup of tea. Maybe I am destined to live in a colder climate governed by woollen garments and snow days ... It's such an enticing idea. But I do love the variety and spontaneity of Australian weather. You could say it even has personality !

Quite unrelated to this post title, but please enjoy the following quote by Roald Dahl, in which I acquired off Pinterest .. See my profile on Pinterest to get its source :) x

Yellow cup of sunshine (coffee?)

Finally , after enduring the wrath of post Christmas sales and all the wonders of stressed customers , I have a day off ! And I am currently sitting on my balcony where I have just finished my breakfast and a lovely cup of coffee .

My house mate , Skye , inherited these little cup and saucer sets from a family friend (or family member, I can't seem to recall the exact detail..) and they are the most gorgeous yellow colour ! They almost match the colour of our couch - they are a little bit warmer version of a sunshine yellow . They are quite solid too - most tea sets I have handled are fine china and I'm always very self conscious that I will break them!

I've actually never been one to use a cup and saucer together on a regular basis . I do prefer the comfort and larger quantity of liquid that a mug can hold .. And it's ability to warm up the hands ! However , I did find it rather refreshing to hold the saucer / plate whilst drinking this cup of coffee , and it seemed just the right size to accompany my cereal . Between you and I , I think my pinky finger did slip up a few times whilst sipping the coffee , but I think it's a perfectly natural reaction given the cup-and-saucer circumstance.

For the rest of my rare day off , I may have to indulge myself in less amusing tasks (various house hold chores which I shall not think about at the moment )... But I can't help but wonder if I should embark on the quest to find a matching , or similar, tea pot ....? My learning curve for today appears to be that I find quite a lot of joy in simple, colorful moments. I shall make it my mission to try and record as many of these as possible .. Xx

Long awaited... HELLO!

Ok, so i admit this blog post is a tad.. late. But i have been quite busy of late,  and i hope that i will be more frequent with these posts as things settle down...

But right now i am quite excited because i bought a new microwave, kettle, food processor and iron... and saved almost $300!!!! My homestarter appliances kept breaking down, and thanks to the boxing day sales i have been able to afford to buy decent kitchen appliances! yay! Can't wait to use the food processor tomorrow.. Admittedly, i am turning into a house wife... but after moving house and living out of home, it's great i can get a kick out of things that would otherwise seem pretty ordinary.. or boring. And they are stainless steel.. and shiny.. and the kettle has temperature options. Yes, that's right... if its a certain type of tea you can select a certain type of temperature.. woo hoooo...

Anyway after all this excitement, i'm going to go to bed... but the biggest thrill of today was melting cheese on my left over ham toastie... in 45 seconds!!!!! <3 nbsp="nbsp" p="p">

Apple Store Update

Exciting news, you can now purchase "Almost" from the Apple iBook store ! Just jump on your i-device and search for Emily McIntyre!

Truth

Real, raw truth feels like the gravel stuck in a graze on your knee as you slide on the school yard bitumen.

It is powerful, and I do believe that it is an underestimated force in life. So often we search for love, peace or happiness, driven to pursue a cocktail of emotions that assumably forge well-being .

The thing is, emotions change . They fade or exemplify , they are not a constant , stable state . This phenomena is taught from when we are born - we learn to say "I'm feeling ........ Today". Tomorrow , I may feel something else. Emotions have a vast amount of variables that all weave and intertwine to create fluctuations in perceptions, self and on a completely biological level - the amount of hormones released to determine a specific chemical reaction .

Truth, however, is not temporary . It does not fluctuate or change with time . It is a solid state or fact that cements the foundation for realization, action and opportunity . But it stings ... Truth is not considerate. It can state the obvious or scream subtext at any given moment , and it will really tell you if your butt looks big in a dress (and not be sorry ).

It is does not buckle under pressure or change its mind at the last minute . It is what it is, and that's it.

A lie can often be so much sweeter and appealing, and yet once it's sweetness fades , the truth is always the thing that literally gives you a hit... And I find it interesting that so often I hear people (and myself ) strive 'to be happy' or to 'be at peace '. Not that there is anything wrong about those ambitions , it's just that the reality if setting a goal based on an emotion is that there are several variables to be negotiated. The biggest being , how can it be measured? And how can the variables be controlled to determine a constant state of "peace/happiness?" Do I feel at peace emptying the garbage ? No. Do I feel un-peaceful ? No ... So does the absence of my desired feeling mean I'm not peaceful or achieving it ?

The old saying is that the truth will set you free . And I believe that it has the power to... It just takes time and a lot of effort . There are some things I know in my life that I have not wanted to hear . The truth is not polite , or won't tip toe around the point - it is just there, it just is.

But that's its secret. It is as it is. Truth can not change because it is not hidden, misleading, deceptive or sugar coated . It is real. And that's why it can hurt.

But from encountering truth , I do believe that we have the opportunity to equip ourselves to manage and achieve emotions - whether that be happiness or peace or love . These feelings come as a consequence of encountering and desiring truth.

It's definitely not something you want to bring to a dinner party . But truth will ignite and sustain your being -- rather than succumbing to mountains of variables: like the infamous chocolate bar .

Rest in peace, part 1

One of my childhood friends passed away a couple of days ago.. Although I didn't know him well over the last few years, I can still vividly remember and relive the times we spent together .

I met Cam when I was around 11or 12 at my mums fortieth birthday party. We were the bored kids in the corner .. And we soon discovered that my sister and I , as well as Cam and his sister, shared a love for spy movies . Well, to be more precise , spy movies like Spy Kids and Men In Black... And we also shared a love for dress ups . From these mutual interests , we started playing probably the longest 'make believe ' game that continued for a few years. You see, we were top secret spies fighting against an evil mastermind named Gregory, who (as all bad guys do ) was trying to take over the world . Armed with code names and hats , we would spend hours developing plots and saving the world on various missions . Cam's code name was always topaz (top secret info!) and mine was diamond . I remember he loved to wear a particular hat and sunglasses when we were on our missions, and it appears this fashion trend continued as he became older !

During this time I was finding it quite difficult as I had moved areas, but what I found was that spending time with Cam always made me feel more energized and happy. We would let our imaginations run wild and he was just a creative, inspirational kid. This was manifested in our competitive karaoke sessions ...

... That's right , karaoke ! I was given some karaoke DVDs for Christmas one year and I remember battling it out to prove who should audition for Australian idol. He managed to perform an off key rendition of "angels bought me here" - and it was that performance that I grudgingly agreed he had one the best ' karaoker' title .

I also remember one afternoon when he told me he had started a radio station . I thought he was kidding ... But he had ! Some how , he had managed to get a hold of a mini transmitter ( that would broadcast a few meters ) and he would record his favorite songs off the radio on to a tape. He told me at a specific time each afternoon he'd play a few songs and talk .. I desperately tried to get an interview on his show , but never quite got a call back ... He was always so inventive and creative and ready to try something new!

The more I write , the more I remember ... But I just thought I'd share these moments as they come, because I think it's important to remember and cherish people who made an impact on your life.


As we got older and we both moved areas we gradually became out of touch ... And I suppose this is why the news of his passing came as such a shock. I still remember him as the twelve year old by my side, dodging Kung fu ninjas sent by the evil mastermind Gregory, and at the very last minute , saving the world . I'm sure he is at peace now and has returned to mission control, I just hope he knows how much he is loved xx

Hope

I found this via Pinterest.. And it is very important to remember :)

Common Practice

This happens quite a lot... Poor Kevin .. It's happened to my Vegemite before !! (Well the Vegemite named Emily..)

Baby photo

This is one of my favorite baby photos at the moment .. It's of my dad and I .. I don't know how old I was , but I think I carry off the bright jacket quite nicely ! We were pretty photogenic, even though we are looking different ways ! ❤

imovie

So.. leave me alone with a fancy mac computer to do my assessment on imovie... and then i take a tea break... and this is what happens.... I need to get Rusty to be more enthusiastic!

Mind you, this was taken yesterday.. I couldn't quite figure out how to do the pop art effect, but i have a whole lunch break coming up to discover how to do it! xx

Self explanatory

I think this picture is self explanatory .. I love it! Hehe no offense intended to family members ;)

Halloween Costume Ideas

The only tradition we had in my family for Halloween was not celebrating it .. But alas, after all these years I have found my perfect costume ! I stumbled upon this cartoon on Pinterest ... Xx

Crosswords

Due to the frequent nature of my blog posts in the last two hour period, you may (or may not ) be aware that I can not fall asleep. So, thanks to the wonders of technology I can veer my accumulating frustration towards sharing meaningful little musings . Well that's the theory anyway ...

My next little musing shall be about crosswords. For the past two weeks I've been recovering from my wisdom teeth removal surgery and surprisingly the best pain relief was distraction. Well, focusing on something else rather than the pain .. And crosswords did just that ! There's nothing like the rush of trying to guess clues about half Egyptian birds or a type of endearment .
Although , I will admit , the more time I spent on them , the more I began to think about words and how they would fit into each other ... And seeing black and white squares when I closed my eyes ... That's when I knew I had to take a break!

Frankie

It wasn't until I met up with an old school friend recently, that I rekindled my love for Frankie magazine. Lucky for me, their latest issue was released a couple of days after, and it was their 50th issue !

The embossed front cover feels amazing and it is jam packed with stories, buzzing creative ideas and some delicious looking traditional cake recipes. It's the kind of issue that you keep coming back to and exploring, with a cup of tea essential for the journey .