Cupcake-Mania

Perfect for Birthdays!

Simply Divine for Weddings!

CupCake Photo Session

One of my dearest friends is starting up a CupCake Business and its already going great guns. The one thing that was missing? Good, colourful, bright shots of her magical work.

Enter K, the photographer.

And here are just four samples of her work, which I photographed for her website yesterday. Thankfully, my eyes were focused on getting the right shot, rather than picking which one to start eating! I had to stay "on the job", as difficult as it was!

See Shell's website at Unnum CupCakes:









More to come, I expect!

I took 350 photos....(perfectionism.. its a b*tch)

Thinking, Thinking.

I've had a lot of time to think lately. Unemployment has that effect on you.

I've been thinking about whether I keep this blog or whether I upgrade to a more personal website, something a little more professional just in case anyone wanted to check out my travel writing or photography while I am on the road.

The thing is, I dont have the time or skill to invest in starting up my own website. Blogger seems to be easily accessible, it uploads photos well and its what I know.. and its what everyone knows...

I feel like there needs to be some kind of new era though... Kate sadly isnt on the bike... Kate is on a new journey....

I'm not sure what to do....

And The Truth of the Matter Is.....

..... I am terrified.

And the more people that tell me that they do not agree with what I am doing, the more terrified I get. I'll confess that it is true. I am scared about what is about to happen to my life. I am walking out of Australia, back into Asia, but this time without a job, but with a heart and a camera. Of course I know that what I am doing is not the conventional road to take at my age.

But each time I hear "now is the time you should be settling down, getting money behind you, developing your career", it urges me on. It feeds my desire to take the road less travelled. Sure, I am scared. And those that are close to me are scared too, but its only because I have challenged the mould in which people so desperately wished to fit me. I come away from this "journey" and what will I have?

Is there any one of you out there who are just as interested as I am to find out what that "something" will be? A warmer heart? A better outlook on life? More compassion for the human race? I sure hope so.

I have no idea what I even need to pack. What do you need to pack when you really have no idea where you are going? Sure, I start in Bali, Indonesia and I spend two months living and learning about life in one of the outer villages, away from the tourist centre that we know to be Bali. Its amazing how we spend our entire lives accumulating material possessions, collecting things that we think we want, things that will provide us with what we think will be security, but when it all comes down to it, they are the very things I wish to turn by back on.

I truly feel as though the only things I need in my backpack this time around are a few clothes, my camera, my mobile phone, my passport, my few needed possessions like bank cards and identification, and then my laptop.

Yes, I am scared. Of course I am scared.

But like someone said to me the other day, in order to be brave, you have to be scared of something.

Where We Are, Westlife

So I've finally accessed the new Westlife album (somehow they seem to forget Australia these days) and if its one thing that gets me happy, its Westlife (despite their very sad, emotional songs). I've been the biggest fan of Westlife for so many years. Eleven years in fact (before they were even named "Westlife"). Am I embarrassed? Heck no. These guys have become the soundtrack to my life over the last decade....They are corny, cheesy, and plain old pure boyband but they just keep getting better.

....I am so excited to see that they are collaborating with the "Man of the Moment", Ryan Tedder (of OneRepublic) and yes, AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys, rather than collaborating with the same old producers that they've been producing with over the last 10 years. The sound? Unbelievable. What an album.

Mark Feehily's voice is getting stronger and stronger as the years get on. Apparently many of these songs were written for Leona Lewis but because Mark's voice is far stronger, they suited the Westlife album better (which is pretty admirable, because Leona Lewis knows really how to sing!)

I'm devastated to find out that he proposed to his long time partner (yes, gay partner) in January. So there goes my chance of him singing me to sleep each night. *sigh*

How To Break A Heart

Since you're not worth my love
I haven't given up
I'm stronger than that
(I'm stronger than that)
And though my heart will break
I'm takin' back my faith
Cos right now my world is spinnin' too fast
But you won't be the end of me
If you were the one you wouldn't hurt me so bad
You gave me the world

Gave me the world to take it all away
All you left me was yesterday
And this space in my heart
Now it's slowly tearin' me apart
I'm takin' all that I learned from you
I'll make it something I'll never do
I can't be who you are
You taught me how to break a heart
You taught me how to break a heart

I'll make it through this pain
My dreams won't call your name
I'm stronger than that
(I'm stronger than that)
Cos I still know how to love
Know that will be enough
And this moment will fade into the past
You won't be the end of me
If you were the one you wouldn't hurt me so bad
You gave me the world

Gave me the world to take it all away
All you left me was yesterday
And this space in my heart
Now it's slowly tearing me apart
I'm takin' all that I learned from you
I'll make it something I'll never do
I can't be who you are
You taught me how to break a heart
You taught me how to break a heart

I'm takin' all that I learned from you
I'll make it something I'll never do
I can't be who you are
You taught me how to break a heart
You taught me how to break a heart

I'm taking back my faith
I'm taking back my life
I don't care for who you are
Cos you taught me how to break a heart
How to break a heart
How to break a heart
Cos you taught me how to break a heart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eMP_esWPBU

Another Week.... Another Set of Art Work

The people I'm selling this stuff to seem to love the frangees at the moment, so I'm producing the odd canvas with these on them, commanding about $15 per painting. That covers cost of goods and my time... given that my time is so valuable at the moment (ha ha ha!)

This is one of my favourites, and it took me a really only time (not as long as the pack of cards did, but it took enough time for me to say it did!). Acrylic paints are terrible for this kind of blending (pastels are better) but I managed to still get the affect. I adapted the design from this artwork, so I can't claim it as my own per se.

This one I can claim as my own or at least an adaptation of a Scrabble Board (which of course I didnt invent - sadly, because I would be a millionaire). Anyway, I asked IMOM for permission to put this up, as it is clearly about our breakup and quite personal. Artwork has been great therapy for me in dealing with losing who was, for such a long time, my best friend. So thank you IMOM for allowing me the freedom to express my feelings publicly, when I know that you have always remained such an intensely private man.

Gone :(

Lost Then Found (Leona Lewis ft. Onerepublic) lyrics

Staring at tears on the pages
of letters that i never could write
i know love isn't painless but its worth the risk its worth the fight
playing it over and over i wish that i could turn back time
baby we're wrong but we could have been right

why do we say things we cant take back
and why do we miss what we never had
both of us fell to the ground and love was so lost
it couldnt be found...

why do we say things we cant take back
and why do we miss what we never had
both of us fell to the ground and love was so lost
it couldnt be found...

the winds are calling up we cant stop the rain
wish that you could take it back but its too late its too late....

More Art....

Unemployment = Time For Art

This last one means the most to me. I spent hours upon hours meticulously drawing and painting those cards. People have asked whether I stuck the cards onto the canvas but in fact, each one of them in finely drawn and painted by yours truly.

I have painters cramp in my right hand now.

Apologies

Apologies for lack of posting.

I am just trying to get my stuff in order ready to depart in early June.

An adventure of a lifetime.

I am sure my bloggers will love it, every inch, every mile of the way.

Shedding the remains of a life that once was is hard work, so I will be back on board real soon. Maybe some pics of the art I've been doing in the meantime.

KoTB

Ugh

"Field Of Innocence" - Evanescence

I still remember the world
From the eyes of a child
Slowly those feelings
Were clouded by what I know now

Where has my heart gone?
An uneven trade for the real world
Oh I, I want to go back to
Believing in everything and knowing nothing at all

I still remember the sun
Always warm on my back
Somehow, it seems colder now

Where has my heart gone?
Trapped in the eyes of a stranger
Oh I, I want to go back to
Believing in everything

As the years pass by
Before my face,
As wars rage before me,
Finding myself
In these last days of existence,
This parasite inside me,
I forced it out.
In the darkness of the storm
Lies an evil,
But it's me.

Where has my heart gone?
An uneven trade for the real world
Oh I, I want to go back to
Believing in everything

Oh where, where has my heart gone
Trapped in the eyes of a stranger
Oh I, I want to go back to
Believing in everything

I still remember.

More Art Done

I have to give credit where its due - I actually didnt draw this with0ut assistance. This is actually a piece of charcoal work that was first drawn by Zindy, on:

http://zindy.deviantart.com/art/Sad-Butterfly-Girl-17143457

I thought I would give it a go myself on a bit of canvas and here we go!

A bit of contemporary art...

Bits of wood stuck on canvas... I am sure there is some psychological meaning behind this but I'm not in the mood to psychoanalyse myself today.

Difficult Times

So when Loz was dumping stuff out of his room, he threw a card at me that he was going to give to someone and said I could have it (how sweet... NOT). He regifted me a card meant for someone else. How endearing. He said he didn't end up giving the card to the person because it was a card that someone would give to their Grandma.

Anyway, I disagree...

Contained in the card has some beautiful words and I want to write them here on my blog because it really says a lot about tough times, and the beauty of personal journeys.

"I'm truly sorry to know how tough this time must be for you. It wouldn't be easy for anyone to experience what you're going through, but it must be especially hard for someone with a heart as big and as beautiful as yours.

Maybe the silver lining in this cloud is that the heart makes you feel things so deeply...is the same strong and wonderful caring heart that will lead you in your journey to a brighter day. And if there's one thing I am sure of... its that you will see your way through and the love of others will always walk beside you.

As you begin that journey, know that you go with every wish that could possibly be wished...traveling by your side. Know that, in the grand scheme of things, we live in a world where rainy days eventually give way to sunnier skies, and where simply believing in tomorrow takes you halfway up the mountain to getting beyond any sorrow you may have. I wish you the companionship of comfort on every path that you take, and I wish you the gentleness of peace.

I wish you the serenity and strength and every single thing....that will put your heart at ease."

Anyway, thanks Loz for giving me the card that you were going to throw in the rubbish bin. It has given me such an amazing piece of writing, words that really touch my heart... and given me a wonderful amount of hope.

I hope everyone enjoys it too.

Funny Fact

Okay, so for some reason, it appears that when people are searching "happy endings" and "massage", that blog I wrote about in Vietnam, when I had that woman dancing up and down my spine, swinging on the pole, appears to come up as a result. Its so funny. So I am getting random people registering as coming from Google, having had that particular page come up as a result.

Too funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Vietnam Massage Experience: "Happy Endings and Massages"

What a laugh....

BritPop Invasion

Stop Crying Your Heart Out


In keeping with the "BritPop" theme, Leona Lewis does an AWESOME cover of Oasis' "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" on You Tube (click on the title above).

Hold up... hold on... don't be scared,
you'll never change what's been and gone.
May your smile... Shine on...
don't be scared,
Your destiny may keep you warm.

Cause all of the stars have faded away,
Just try not to worry,
you'll see them some day.
Take what you need,
And be on your way,
And stop crying your heart out.

Get up... (Get Up) Come on...
(Come On) why you scared? (I'm not scared)
you'll never change what's been and gone.

Cause all of the stars have faded away,
Just try not to worry,
you'll see them some day.
Take what you need,
And be on your way,
And stop crying your heart out.

Cause all of the stars have faded away,
Just try not to worry,
you'll see them some day.
Just take what you need,
And be on your way,
And stop crying your heart out.

When all of the stars were faded away,
Just try not to worry,
you'll see us some day.
Just take what you need,
And be on your way,
And stop crying your heart out.

Second Sale!

Woohoo!

I sold another piece of my art work today.

$5 for the first one.

$20 for the second one.

Clearly my name is getting out there, my reputation is developing and the value of my art work is increasing!!!

HA HA HA

Oil

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is making my stomach churn.

It reminds me of the time the IMOM and I went to Bintan, only to avoid walking along the beach because of the clumps of oil that were strewn across it.

Humans are continuing to destroy this planet with its quest for oil.

Its put me in a bad mood.