For a start, happy birthday to ME! 37 years eh? Who’d have thought. I’ve outlived Princess Diana and that is a weird feeling indeed. I may be outrageously grey-haired and my face looks like a ravine-filled Tonka Truck track for three-year-olds and I can’t run for a minute and nor can I touch my toes, but I’m healthy and alive and bloody happy to be here.
I know you can’t see heaps in this pic apart from that rogue determined wiry one, but I’m not dyeing my greys. They’re out there for public consumption. You wear fancy things to opening nights at the theatre, I wore what looks like a leftover bit of steel wool on my head.
I remember reading a blog post where someone announced they weren’t going to dye their grey hair, they were just going to let it go as it pleased and I thought “you have to announce that? That’s a thing?” but as I’ve thought about it these last few months, it is totally a thing. My grey isn’t cute, it’s not stylish, it’s the legit hair of a 37 year old whose hair started betraying her at the tender age of 23 and while it isn’t fashionable, it’s me. It’s my hair. I figure people will get used to it. But it does feel like a bit of a rebel act.
I’m also probably just really lazy. Dyeing it regularly just holds no appeal for me, it’s too much effort. We’re lucky I even wash it at all.
It’s been a while since I was here, so I figured I might do a bit of a love list to catch us all up to speed. Shall we begin?
Reads
I’ve been BUSY. I’ve re-read The Dead Zone, Carrie, ‘Salem’s Lot, and now onto Firestarter. I listened to Cujo and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon as audiobooks, and although I have already read them back in the day, it was interesting to listen rather than read. I’m not 100% sure I enjoyed it (lord knows the narrator for Cujo was getting on my nerves by the end. There’s something about a grown woman trying to talk like a scared little boy y’know?) but it was efficient. Driving? Cleaning? unable to sleep at 2am? ALLOW SOMEONE TO READ TO YOU. Fabulous.
I’ve started listening to Rage, and the dude who is narrating is dead set awesome. He sounds like what narrators of books on tape sound like before they started getting celebrities to do it. Like his day job is infomercials about knives that can cut through shoes.
Yes, so that’s a lot of Stephen King is it not? More than the usual allotment, anyway.
Prior to all this, I was trying to read a Dorothy Parker biography but ended up putting it back on the shelf after about half way.
Eats
Last year before Christmas, I knew there was going to be heaps of work I had to do, so decided to streamline the food department so I wouldn’t die of decision fatigue. Same breakfast every day (the horror! I’ve never done it!) and a routine meal plan that found tacos every Tuesday, pasta on Wednesday, and pizza on Friday. The rest I could fiddle around with as I wished. It’s been SO GOOD. Less brainpower taken up with lists and shopping and making and defrosting and god knows what else. but I haven’t been making anything fancy. A couple of cakes for birthdays and that’s about it. I’ve no time to be a cordon bleu chef when I’m moving house and changing jobs and juggling school holidays and whatnot. Let’s see how I feel next week!
Views
So I finished Downton Abbey finally… a hundred million and two years behind the general population, but we’re here. We’re done. And I still love Barrow the big dumb idiot. Netflix has thrown up some Stephen King gold – Misery was excellent on the 90th rewatch, The Mist I thought was nondescript until one bit absolutely blew me away and now I’ll never be the same, the new Carrie was just so un-pleasing. I didn’t enjoy it a bit.
What I have enjoyed is Doc Martin, Cosmos, Minimalism, Food Choices, The Queen, and I’m stoked to see Yes Minister, Party of Five, Stand by Me, and See No Evil Hear No Evil have been added.
I’m due to watch the last two episodes of Broadchurch and this time I really don’t know whodunnit… I hope I’m surprised!
Listens
YouTube has been throwing up some decent 80s music mixes so they get a run fairly regularly, but Lunchbox delivered my much-desired Human League Dare record this morning, so all is right with the world. Soon I can legitimately make this joke, often, in my own lounge room. a long-held dream fulfilled:
Mind you, we’re all pretty potty in this house.
If only Netflix would add The Young Ones… ahem.
Threads
eBay again throwing up the goods for ole VM, I cleaned someone out of their entire shoe and wardrobe collection as they were moving house. I shan’t need to buy a fancy dress or matching shoe for a long time. This is so satisfying to my lazy, shopping-averse self. I also bought thermals, because Melbourne.
Stuff
- The new house is awesome and we FINALLY have hot water, praise be!
- I spent a weekend afternoon with my old neighbour Nikki at her High Tea with Styling You, lending a hand. It was so nice to see her and hang out properly, I had a ball. We also had a bottle of something nice at Madame Brussells then I went back to her room at The Westin and ate mashed potatoes in her bed. She’s so great.
- The school holidays were really cool, we chilled out most of the time, but did manage to get to Polly Woodside for the launch of the Fun4Kids Festival, the OPENING OF LEGOLAND where I was the most excited adult in the bunch, went to see Mr Stink at the Arts Centre, and had three easter egg hunts. THREE.
- Poor Bobbin has been in and out of the vet’s, he had to have surgery for an abscess thanks to a cranky neighbourhood cat. Turns out Betsy has something similar and we may need to go through the whole rigmarole again. Oy.
- I saw the opening night of Aladdin at Her Majesty’s Theatre with my buddy Nathanael, and attended the opening night after-party where I wore the wrong shoes and felt more like The Little Mermaid after she got her stabby legs than Princess Jasmine. They had an ice-cream bar inside and every dessert imaginable but you can guess I ended up hovering over the cheese platters. The cheese platters and the Genie were the highlights of the night.
- I’m off to Ballarat tomorrow to have a shared birthday dinner with my dad, who turns fiftysomething on Wednesday. he’s basically a baby. fiftysomething is nothing these days, I can’t believe how young my parents are. I probably aged them 25 years apiece between 1992-2001 so that might have something to do with it.
On This Day on Veggie Mama
2010: Smoky Barbecue Kebabs
2011: Where in the World Has Veggie Mama Been? (quiet month that one!)
2012: Raspberry and White Chocolate Scones
2013: Super Healthy Anzac Biscuits
2014: Toddlertown (I’m so clucky, help!)
2015: The dusty bookshelf challenge – level: Fail (I’m actually still doing this! The Swiss Family Robinson is next)
2016: Easy Garlic Bread (2016’s first appearance in this retrospective! This is nuts).
So what’s been happening? What did you do for holidays? What have you been making for dinner? Watching on Netflix? I want to hear all about what’s going on with you lot, and blog like its 2009.
cathie says
April 24, 2017 at 2:17 pmHappy birthday!!
Hope you have a wonderful day.
If my hair looked that awesome au naturale I’d be a rebel too.
Enjoy your birthday..birthweek, keep on celebrating!
x
Stacey says
April 24, 2017 at 6:31 pmI agree, I should party for a FULL seven days in recognition of this momentous occasion. Thanks so much!
Robyn says
April 24, 2017 at 2:20 pmHappy Birthday Stace. Very jealous you get to hang out with
Nicky love her styling for the not so much size 8-10. I dye
the shit out of my hair but might try going red again Nd curly
I’m old I want to relive my curly red hair. The girls are growing
so much duh and cute as. I was at an Internet cafe when Princess
Diana died. Kerri and I both remember it. Cheesecake and internet
No computers at home. How it’s changed. I would love to throw all my
Technology to kingdom come. Even just for a week. Had new carpet put on the other day and the carpet layer had an old Nokia which only rings and texts. Oh for those days. Have a happy day. Hope we see you agIn soon. Love Robyn and co
Stacey says
April 24, 2017 at 6:35 pmhey was it your birthday yesterday? I was so busy but thought I saw something. Happy birthday, if so!
I hear they’ve actually brought out a new nokia 3310, just like the old one. I’m so keen to get one. I know what you mean about technology, sometimes I wonder what the hell I was thinking choosing the internet for a job. I do often take the facebook and Instagram apps off my phone and only go online for work. It’s so great – there’s so much time in the day for other things. I love the internet (shopping without leaving the house! eBooks! recipes on demand!) but I can very well do without it when I need to.
I think you should definitely bring back the curly hair! Why not have a throwback, I say. If it works – do it! It’s only hair, amirite?!!
I was living in a caravan in NSW when I heard the news about Diana. I was devastated.
Hey give my love to aunty kerri and co. You’re a good egg xoxoxoxox
Maxabella says
April 24, 2017 at 4:16 pmHappy birthday, gorgeous!!! Love all your news – there is A LOT of S King going down at your place. I am going to get an audiobook of IT, I think. I like that one.
I dye my hair sometimes and other times I can’t be bovvered. I never think of it as a thing or not, mainly because I never think of it. Nobody ever says anything. It’s just me: I have a random spaz from time to time and get rid of the greys. I think not dyeing makes me feel neglectful and after a while it gets to me. x
Stacey says
April 24, 2017 at 6:39 pmyes do it! I don’t know who reads IT but I’m sure they’d do a great job. Anne Heche reads The Girl Who Loves Tom Gordon, which I found unusual but also cool. It’s been weird and awesome revisiting these books I read so long ago. I’m definitely due to do IT again, I can’t wait for the new movie, as much as I love the old one.
I’ve been wondering if my inner vain stacey will freak and dye the greys but so far I always come out on the side of thumbing my nose at convention and going old school. TBH I’m more worried about my saggy face… maybe the greys will take the focus off hahahaha
Thanks my love x
Tina Lacy says
April 24, 2017 at 5:15 pmHappy Birthday, hope you have had a great day and been spoit by all. Nothing much exciting has been happening here, little miss is nearly a year old (where has that time gone) and has just learnt how to caterpillar crawl…..am busy organizing her party if I can make a cake half as cool as yours ill be happy!
Stacey says
April 24, 2017 at 6:40 pmwhat?!!! A YEAR? oh man. That’s crazy. You’ve done well, mama.
I once made a strawberry cake and chucked a bunch of flowers on top – that’s all you need!
have a great one and thanks for always sticking around <3
Sjyl says
April 24, 2017 at 8:01 pmHi Stacey,
I hate to sound direct but just wondering when will the sweet teen podcast come back? I’ve missed you and Carly’s dissection on all things and people of Sweet Valley:)
Thanks
Stacey says
April 25, 2017 at 10:12 amI know! I miss it too! Carly and I have been super busy and sadly STC has had to take a back seat. I’m hoping by mid-year things quieten down and we’re back in the saddle. So glad to hear you love it!
Amy @ HandbagMafia says
April 24, 2017 at 8:21 pmHappy birthday lovely lady! There is no such thing as too much Stephen King, so please don’t fret. Get yourself a copy of Mr Mercedes- there are 3 in the series- a fab read that will hook you in and break your heart as usual- well worth it! (Or PM me your address and I’ll post to you!)
Stacey says
April 25, 2017 at 10:14 amThe more Stephen King the better, I say! They’re so re-readable, there’s none that I thought weren’t worth the second, third or fourth go-round!
I have a friend who hates Mr Mercedes so I’m keen to check it out. I’ve a long list that I’ve tried to prioritise, haha. Hopefully it will be on it sooner rather than later.
Zena says
April 24, 2017 at 11:25 pmHappy birthday big girl! Yes it is a thing you have to announce unfortunately. I stopped dying my hair because I was worried about chemicals and everyone started commenting on my greys. In my despair at the healthfood shop, Ann told me that people don’t know what a 40 year old looks like anymore and that is why it may seem like a big deal to yourself and to others when you go grey. Like you I started getting grey hairs when I was in my 20’s and I just kept dyeing my hair black. Henna doesn’t work on my hair grey hairs even with a plastic shopping bag on my head and sitting in the sun for four hours! Two years ago I went a very light brown/blonde but my hairdresser did it over a year and now I just get very low toxic highlights that don’t touch my scalp and it is blended in with the greys and this works really well on maintenance, chemicals etc. It’s a nice balance of looking cool cause I’m a 90s’ kid and telling the world yeh I am a grown up too.
Stacey says
April 25, 2017 at 10:20 amOh yes, henna wouldn’t come near these bad boys! I felt so sorry for my brother in law once, who used my head as part of his hairdressing exam. I think they marked him down as the colour didn’t seem to take in some areas and I was like I’M SO SORRY, THEY’RE MY GREYS AND THEY’RE IMPENETRABLE! poor bugger.
I think my hair is too dark in general to do anything with it, and I’m terrible at maintenance. I’d end up with huge chunks of the year where I hadn’t got around to getting anything done so may as well just go with that year-round! I do think people will get used to it. And if they ask, I’m happy to tell them I’m too badass to care about greys.
Isn’t it weird about the 40 year old thing… I can’t tell how old people are just by looking at them so you’re right – I wouldn’t know what one looks like! You can be anything these days which is cool af but I guess when you do just hang out and age, it stands out a bit. I had NO IDEA I’d ever think this much about grey hair hahah
Angie @ The Little Mumma says
May 11, 2017 at 1:38 pmI know I’m late to the party but I totally meant to do this – on your actual birthday. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope it was super-rad to the power of lit. Rock the greys, woman. xx
Stacey says
May 11, 2017 at 3:03 pmHey, why not extend the birthday goodwill? I’m all about it! Thanks mate!