Goodbye, 2009!

Hello, everyone! I am back from my Christmas break a bit fatter but a lot more relaxed. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.

It has been a typical Christchurch day - warm and fine in the morning, cold and windy in the afternoon. I'm actually quite pleased to get some cooler weather, though, as it means I can wear this velvet jacket that I thrifted last week! That thing on the floor behind me is one of Mink's Christmas pressies - a catnip mouse. He had more presents than we did (as usual), and they are strewn all over the house in varying stages of disintegration. Sorry about the bad photo quality - my camera is dying of old age, I'm afraid. Poor thing.

I can't believe that it's almost 2010. I have no idea what the new year holds - exciting plans are afoot for us but are not yet confirmed and solidified, which means that the whole year is going to be fairly unpredictable. It has been a big year, though - an amazing year - and I wanted to look back on some of the major events in my 2009.

1) Had a major breakthrough regarding The Cry of the Go-away Bird, and completely rewrote it. So glad I did! As well as improving the book, it taught me an awful lot about plot, structure and story.
2) Successfully completed a film for the 48-hour film festival with LOML and friends.
3) After many rejections, signed with a wonderful agent!
4) Got a new haircut! And then another one.
5) Was mugged. I still find that weird.
6) Signed a publication contract with Harvill Secker, an imprint of Random House UK!
7) Went on a six-week trip to Europe with LOML, stopping in the States on the way back. I met my agent and editor in person for the first time - very exciting! - and we visited both our families, which was lovely. I also visited Germany for the first time.
8) Made my best thrift find ever, and wore it!
9) Completed my Masters with High Distinction.
10) Finished the first draft of my second novel (still a long way to go, though).
11) LOML and I welcomed our nephew, Thomas, into the world!

I don't make traditional resolutions: instead, I like to choose a word that describes how I would like my year to be. For 2010, that word is 'mindful' - I want to be more present and aware in my everyday life, and appreciate every moment - particularly as it will be a year of big change for us. What word would you use to describe your hopes for 2010?

Another Christmas Party!

I've been dying to wear this 1950s cocktail dress (thrifted for $10!) for ages. It still needs taking in at the bust, but I couldn't resist wearing it tonight - it is a very Christmassy colour, after all. Excuses, excuses.



Again, sorry for the brief and patchy posting this week - I'm continuing to blame it on Christmas. I hope you're all having weeks that are as happily busy and full of social events as mine is - after all, it's only Christmas once a year.*

*Except in New Zealand, where a lot of people celebrate it in mid-winter as well as in December. But apart from that.

Queenstown!

Wow, less than a week till Christmas! I am suffering from December-itis, also known as 'being really busy,' and I think a lot of other bloggers are suffering from it too. I apologise in advance for what is sure to be patchy posting and commenting over the next couple of weeks as the festive season kicks in, but hope that you are all enjoying the holidays. Now that I've finished all our Christmas shopping, I'm starting to get excited about the parties and events coming up.

Last weekend LOML and I went to Queenstown - the adventure capital of New Zealand, and the birthplace of bungee jumping. I am never going to bungee jump. It just isn't going to happen. LOML has done it, and has tried to convince me, but it just doesn't appeal at all. We did go jet-boating, however, down the rapids of the Shotover River, which was fantastic! We both got completely soaked. Lots of gorgeous meals out on the waterfront, lots of stunning Lord-of-the-Rings scenery, lots of rain (I have learned, though, after my seven years in New Zealand - I always take warm clothing on summer holidays), a ride on the beautiful steam-ship T.S.S. Earnslaw, a day in Wanaka exploring Puzzling World (a place where optical illusions are the key, as you'll see in a couple of the pictures below) and a lot of lovely Otago wine. I can't believe it was only a week ago - it already seems like we've been home for a month. December-itis again, I think!

Christmas party!

LOML's work held a formal Christmas party on Saturday night. I had honestly been looking forward to it for months - how often do you get to wear evening gloves and travel in a limousine, after all?

I'm wearing that vintage dress I thrifted from an Oxfam store in Northern Ireland. It's actually the first time I've worn it - I wanted to save its debut for a special occasion!

Doesn't LOML look dapper?

We rented a limo to take us to the hotel - complete with red carpet! There were six of us altogether. The photographs are not going to be of super-duper good quality, I'm afraid, particularly as the evening wears on, but they will give you a flavour. LOML and I got to show off our ballroom dance skills (or should that be skillz?) but, unfortunately, only the confused moments were captured on film. Usually the ones where I was saying, "Wait, what are the steps here again? Oh, okay, I've got it. No I haven't."

Here's the group! (Stand up straight, Andrea).