jodie nicholson

don't weave me this way

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:16:00 +0000

I have recently become obsessed with the idea of weaving after discovering Maryanne Moody and her wonderful creations. Something in my brain just clicked and I knew that this was something I must do, what I'm meant to do. I know that sounds corny as all hell but I've never felt as drawn to a creative outlet before as much as weaving. Who'd have thunk it!

So, I started looking for a loom and a class. I found a lot of simple, inexpensive looms online....so, so many looms to choose from and wouldn't you know it, the one I chose just happened to be the only one I didn't check the measurements for. You can see from the photo above that my loom is tiny. Stupidly tiny. When the parcel arrived I was so disappointed but decided to have a play with it anyway.

Hours of searching the web, looking at different techniques, I stumbled upon a website for Saori weaving and I fell in love. I've signed up for a workshop in June and I am counting down the days until then.

And before you ask, no, I'm definitely not planning to give up the handbags. Plans, plans, so many plans. So inspired. I can't wait to share my creations with you.

finders keepers

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 23:45:00 +0000

Yesterday I headed to The Finders Keepers market at the glorious Royal Exhibition Building with a couple of friends and it was definitely the best one I've been to. I hope they accept even more applications for the next Melbourne event and fill the entire ground floor space. I'm planning on applying for a stall at the next Brisbane and Melbourne markets *fingers crossed*
There was so much that I loved but the standouts for me were:

JukeCase
OMFG. The coolest portable music player ever. I want one of these for our living room. I must have one.

Able & Game
My friend Anna is the mastermind behind these kooky cards. They are some of the most original cards you'll ever give or receive and cover pretty much every occasion. The card below was actually inspired by a horrible date I went on.

Harvest Haversack
I wish I had bought some of these at FK. I will definitely be buying some soon. Most likely the herbs, mushrooms, garlic and ginger bags. They are gorgeous and functional.

Abby Seymour
For crying out loud, how beautiful is your work, Abby! I could have spent my monthly salary at her stall, it's all so beautiful. I will be dropping hints come birthday and Christmas time.

Fictional Objects
Smashing bedlinen that is soft and crisp to the touch....and at very reasonable prices.

Angus & Celeste
I adore their jelly mould planters but I have nowhere to hang them *sigh*. Mind you, their vases are things of beauty.

A Skulk of Foxes
I am kicking myself for not having bought one of their Single Platonic Icosahedron necklaces when I was standing right in front of it. I'll definitely be buying one in the near future, along with the iPhone 5 cover below.

Cat Rabbit
I am not generally a stuffed toy person, even as a kid they never really appealed to me all that much but these are fabulous, quirky works of art that I have fallen in love with.

Stampel
I have lusted after the Spot Fasett Vessels for a while and finally bought one yesterday, now I want more. The photo below was taken in my living room this morning.

my favourite time of year

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 12:46:00 +0000

Autumn. The horrid heat of Summer is behind us, it's now scarf weather and it's now fun to wander around town.....in a scarf....not sweating. This is the first weekend of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the city is such a great place to be. So many shows, lots of people wandering around, many of them wearing scarves, with smiles on their faces. Tonight we saw Tom Gleeson and although the show was good, the best moment was when a heckler was heckled and it brought the house down.

so, the gas poisoning...

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 10:13:00 +0000

If you're a regular reader of this blog or a friend on Facebook, you know that I recently had natural gas poisoning. When I wrote the blog post, I was still pretty whacked out. In fact, it took several weeks before I was back to my version of normal. I still have a final blood test to go, which I've been avoiding. It's to see how my kidneys are functioning because I had to go on blood pressure medication thanks to the gas making my heart rate all kinds of kooky. I could actually feel my heart beating every minute of every day. That scary-as-hell side effect has disappeared, thankfully.

I'm writing this blog post because this could happen to anyone, without them ever picking it up. I've read some horror stories of families being exposed to slow gas leaks for years and no one believing them. Some people have ended up being referred to psychiatrists because doctors thought they were just plain crazy. I read one story of a kid who had his gallbladder removed because the gas poisoning was screwing up his body so much.

Just to clarify, I am talking about natural gas poisoning, not carbon monoxide poisoning. There is a difference, one being that there are no medical tests for natural gas poisoning, which is why it can go undiagnosed for a very long time. We may not have discovered what the cause of my health issues was had it not been for a comment from a friend who had visited when we first moved in. In fact, the first day we got the keys, I noted a strong smell of gas in the kitchen, which we put in writing on the rental condition report for the real estate agent. But with the madness that is moving house, as well as working a full time job and Andrew preparing for a three week business trip overseas, we just forgot about the gas smell and got used to it.

While Andrew was away, I started feeling very tired but put it down to moving house and working too many hours at the office. Then I fell down some stairs at home and ended up pretty battered and bruised, then I crashed the car into a pole at work, then I started dropping things, then I started forgetting things. By the time Andrew returned, I was feeling very ordinary but we still put it down to overwork and not enough sleep. A week after Andrew got back, he was sleeping up to 18 hours a day. This is a man who can function on four hours a night for several weeks in a row. He became more and more lethargic, we were a couple of zombies.

It then got to the point where I just couldn't go to work, so I finally headed to the doctor. I had many tests but the doctor remain puzzled and I was getting worse, not to mention losing my mind. I couldn't walk straight, I often had the shakes, my speech was slurred and my memory was crap. My daily exercise was a five minute walk across the street to the park, held up by Andrew. I had to sit down every few metres, it was ridiculous. My vision would blur throughout every day, I wasn't allowed to drive, I was scared to use stairs because I had vertigo. I cried. A lot.

Everyone had an opinion on what it might be but they were all wrong. My doctor explored many, many options. Then, one night on Facebook, my good friend Simone who had stayed with us the first week we moved in asked if we had investigated the gas smell. I took that idea to my doctor, who did some investigating and she insisted that we get our gas line checked that day. She was convinced I had gas poisoning. The plumber who turned up thought I was crazy, he actually said, "A gas leak wouldn't hurt you". Ah, dude, people put their heads in ovens to kill themselves, so I beg to differ.

The plumber took about twenty minutes to tell me we did not have a gas leak and I felt my heart sink because we were now back to square one. I was devastated. Then he said he would check the line from next door because it runs through our kitchen. Ten minutes later he said there were two leaks in the line. Our neighbour, who, like Andrew is often away on business, had worked from home in the two weeks leading up that point and he said he wondered why he had been feeling lethargic and generally unwell. He just wrote it off as being overworked. Again, the plumber thought we were nuts and just rolled his eyes as we spoke. If I'd had my wits about me, I would have given him a serve.
My doctor called to find out whether we did have a gas leak or not and was thrilled that we did because she was feeling very frustrated with not being able to offer us any answers up until that point.

In the days after the gas line was fixed, Andrew and I both had the shakes. Our limbs were shaking and jerking constantly. We could feel ourselves coming good, so we were able to laugh about it. A week later, I returned to work on reduced hours. It took about three weeks to feel normal again.

When I walk past a building where there is a smell of gas, I am tempted to go and knock on their door but I wonder if they'll think I'm some alarmist kook. I'm paranoid when using gas now, I check the stove several times to make sure that I've turned it off. In fact, before I go to bed every night, I make sure the stove controls are all definitely switched off. Obsessive much?

On my first visit, my doctor asked me why I didn't come to see her sooner. I said that I was able to write off my symptoms as overwork, not enough sleep, haven't had a holiday in eight years blah blah blah. I am lucky that I have a great doctor, very lucky. If I had a doctor who wasn't quite a good (which is what happened when I was trying to get my lymphoedema diagnosed) and if Simone had stayed in a hotel as she'd originally planned, I'd likely still be dealing with undiagnosed gas poisoning. I'm sure there are plenty of other people who have experienced this or are right now and it will never be diagnosed. I wish I had pushed for the gas smell to be investigated when we moved in but there's no point dwelling on it. I just want others to be aware that this is a very real problem that could happen to anyone. If you suspect a leak, get it checked. It's that simple.

brown rice balls

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 11:57:00 +0000

These vegan rice balls are so damn easy to make and you can add all sorts fillings. This one is just finely chopped mushrooms, a mix of grated carrot, beetroot and broccoli stem (you could use any finely chopped/grated veggies), garlic and soy sauce, all sautéed with sesame seeds added at the end.

The brown rice was cooked in low sodium vegetable stock, then I added a good splash of rice wine vinegar and some sesame seeds (I was out of black sesame seeds, which would have looked better). Then I left it to cool.

To assemble, you can follow the photos in this set. All I did was put a few coriander/cilantro leaves on some cling wrap, then a couple of spoonfuls of rice. You can either press the rice down flat with your hand or lay another piece of wrap on top and use a rolling pin to press it down gently (don't use a rolling motion!). You can keep using that top piece of cling wrap for every ball.

Next, add a small amount of filling, I added a heaped teaspoon. You then shape the ball and once it's round, twist the ends of the cling wrap but don't do it too tight around the ball or the cling wrap will break.

Put the balls on a plate and put in the fridge for at least an hour, then unwrap and scoff!

open for business....finally!

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 14:35:00 +0000

Well it's about bloody time, isn't it?! Yes, I know there have been many, many, MANY assurances that I would open my online store again for the last couple of years, so many false starts. What can I say, life got in the way, stuff happened, priorities changed, health declined, blah, blah, blah. I will tell you that I hated having my business closed for as long as it was, it frustrated the hell out of me at times. Being a maker and not making anything for a long time is a form of torture. Yes, there were tears of frustration that I know other creative types will understand.

But all of that is the past and here, today, I am creating once more and my little business is back to humble beginnings. Humble indeed. I am easing into it with the familiar, which is my popular wristlet design. I currently have the 100% cotton wristlets in stock, which will be shortly joined by the leather wristlet range, then some larger bags in cloth and also leather.

You can visit my online store here and my Facebook page here.

To those of you who have followed my journey, thank you for your support. To those just 'meeting' me for the first time, welcome aboard!

day one

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 11:33:00 +0000

I hope you had a great night whatever you did. I worked and watched the midnight fireworks over Melbourne CDB from our office windows.

Ok, 2013, let's see what you've got!

another year bites the dust

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 01:55:00 +0000

'Atmosphere' by Inaluxe - I bought this print recently and can't wait to frame it this week.

It's 12.30pm on New Year's Eve and after spending the morning at the sewing machine, I'm now about to go for a walk in the sunshine before heading to work where I'll finish at 1.15am. Some may screw their nose up but to me, it's a damn fine day.

This year has presented plenty of challenges, sometimes it got really tough but my wish to finish the year on a high note is coming true, so I'm happy and I'm looking forward to seeing what 2013 brings.

Resolutions? I just want to make things happen. What I mean is, there's plenty of stuff I've been wanting to do but have put off for various reasons. I'm banning excuses and will instead look for solutions. I want to study, I want to travel, I want my online business kicking goals, I want more time with family and friends, I want to make a difference. By the end of 2013 I want to be able to say, I am studying, I have travelled, my online business is doing well, I'm spending plenty of time with loved ones and I am making a difference. Oh and health. I am going to look after myself almost obsessively. I never want to go through ill health like I have this year. A chest infection that knocked me out for a month, lymphoedema kicked my arse and then a couple of months being poisoned by natural gas.

Complacency can take a long walk off a short plank, stuff is going to get done, shit is going to happen. It has to, I said it in a blog.

I'm off for that walk now. See you in 2013!

I'm not making this stuff up

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:55:00 +0000

The plumber pulled the kitchen apart to find the cause of the problem

I've been unwell for the last few weeks with a mystery illness. I've had test after test, the medical clinic has been my second home, I keep expecting them all to call out 'JODIE!' (a la Cheers), when I walk through the door. Today, we discovered what has been making me so ill. A gas leak in our home. Yep, gas poisoning. Believe me, I'm still trying to register that in my head.

I'm looking forward to my brain functioning properly again and I'll write something more detailed when I'm well. Right now, I just want to work on getting my health back...and my sanity.

I do have wristlets made and some are photographed, hopefully I can add some to my shop later this week but at the moment, it's too big a task for me to handle. I've been dealing with weeks of dizziness, nausea, disorientation, loss of memory, difficulty engaging in conversation, blurred vision, fatigue and the list goes on. Tomorrow I'm going to the hospital to have tests done, something I am not looking forward to at all.

At least we know what was causing the problem, I'm just going to focus on getting my health back and will hopefully have an illness-free 2013.

our tree awaits your presents

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 10:53:00 +0000

Yes, I polished those floors so hard you can see your reflection in them!

it's beginning to look a lot like where the hell has the year gone?

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 23:50:00 +0000

I've done it again, neglected this blog. So what's been going on these past few months? Well, it took forever but we've finally moved and are now settled in our new home in Elwood. I could talk endlessly about how much I love Elwood but I'll save that for another blog post. Now I'm practically obligated to update this thing again!

our new living room

I turned 41 in September. That just seems surreal. Now I know what adults were on about when they used to tell me that they didn't feel their age. What is 41 meant to feel like anyway? Maybe your 40's are meant to feel like denial. I got an iPhone for my birthday and I can tell you right now, I opened that sucker with the sheer joy of child at Christmas, well, one who didn't get crap gifts.

I fell off the fruit and vegie eating wagon and have paid the price. I feel sluggish and ugh. But this week have jumped back on board and can't wait to start feeling great again. Again, I'll save that for another post.

Right now, I'm in the middle of having tests to find out what this vertigo is all about. A month ago, I fainted. Felt fine, felt fine, fainted and threw up. A week later, I fell down some stairs. Days later, I crashed my car door into a pole at work. It has been a month of headaches, dizziness, nausea and I've kept telling people I'm ok, just writing the symptoms off as tiredness. CT scan was normal (fyi, I do gots a brain!) and blood tests didn't show anything abnormal....but my doctor wants me to take three more. I hate her. That's the needlephobe in me speaking.

falling down stairs is every bit as painful as you would imagine

Finally, I have started production of my handbags again. Mind you, production has been painfully slow thanks to the kooky head issue. As you know, I'm now working with leather as well as fabric and although I've been playing around with different designs, given there's only a few short weeks until Christmas, I have decided to ease myself back into business by making wristlets. I just don't have enough time up my sleeve at the moment to nut out any hiccups with producing the other designs. So I will start off with a soft launch next week and then in late January, I will relaunch with new handbags, new website and new blog.

I know I have promised a relaunch many times but this time it's for real, I promise! Trust me, it is hard work to start from scratch again, it's really not as easy as people think. I can sense other self-employed artists and crafters nodding their heads. You can just sit down, nut out a few designs, slap a price tag on them and you're good to go. Then there's life getting in the way, when I stopped making full time, I still needed to make an income so I've been working for the last couple of years and it's hard to factor in time to create....even though I've been yearning to do so (man, that sounds corny). And things happen, good things, bad things and they both take up brain space. I know, it all sounds like excuses and maybe in part it is but I'm about to dip my toe back into the water before diving in later this Summer (Winter to my Northern Hemisphere friends) and that's a pace I can handle right now. In 2013 I'll be stepping right out of my comfort zone and that excites me.

some of the leather for my new handbags

so close I can smell it

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 10:15:00 +0000

Thank you to those of you who emailed me asking where the hell I am or checking regularly to see if I'd updated this poor, neglected blog. It's not my fault, really! Probably. Maybe.
We have been crazy busy moving house and setting up business for Andrew and his business partner. Can I just say how truly shitty shit shit shit moving house is. We live in a rather organised fashion where everything has a place and you'll generally find it there. Washing, ironing and cleaning is done several times a week, there is order. Given that, how in the hell was there so much cleaning to do before we left? Packing was a pain but the cleaning was a nightmare that reduced me to tears several times. I know how pathetic that sounds but it was so humid and I was up to my eyeballs in cleaning products....and I'm a sook. It was finally all done and I was happy to see the last of that damn house.
We then floated around a bit for two and a half weeks and now we are housesitting for three months before moving much closer to the city. Oh how I miss the city and Fitzroy and Carlton and North Melbourne and South Melbourne. I just miss it all. I am so sick of living in Frankston, it really has drained me. It's a suburb by the beach with so much potential that I don't think will ever be realised.
We may live an hour from the city but it may as well be five hours. Our social life is rubbish, it's just too much hassle to drive all that way to catch up with people for a couple of hours. I miss decent cinemas, cafes and shops. I also miss people wearing cool and interesting fashion. It just don't happen out here. My inspiration has been zapped.
But the good news is that it's all about to turn rosy and I'm finding that my groove is returning. Despite a few false starts, my online store will re-open in the coming weeks with all new and very different pieces. I'm excited about being in business full time again. So excited. The pressure is on but that is a great motivator for me. It must work. IT HAS TO. It will. I'm planning for success!
Now that we're somewhat settled, I'll be back to posting more regularly, although the photographs may be lacking as I broke another computer. Yep, that makes four. Let's not even go there....

christmas day

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:36:00 +0000

We're a month into Summer here in Australia, so Christmas Day is all salads, cold drinks, eating outdoors and this year, one mother of a hail storm. We were on our way from lunch with my family to dinner with Andrew's family when there was an almighty thump on the windscreen. We pulled over and Andrew threw the quilt we happened to put in the car that morning, across the windscreen to protect it. The hail stone were the size of golf balls and were hitting the ground so hard that they bounced several feet into the air...and against the side of the car.
It was only when the rain started that the size of the hail reduced and the scary thumps on the car became more like a bunch of kids hurling rocks at us. That's when I started taking some video.
Once we got home, we looked over the car, which is now very dimpled!

second time lucky

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 23:21:00 +0000

In February this year, I started the 365 challenge...to take a photo of myself every day for a year. I got to eighty five before the task of editing and uploading photos became too much effort. FAIL. I decided to start again on my birthday because I figured it might make it easier to have the end date etched in my mind. Yep, I'm bullshitting myself but sometimes I fall for it.
I am determined to do this, no matter how many false starts it takes. You just watch me!

salad days

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 13:35:00 +0000

For over a month now I've been eating a 60-80% simple, raw diet. What do I mean by simple? I mean just fruit and vegies, none of these raw vegan cheezecakes or gourmet vegan raw lasagne. As a friend said recently, "If it doesn't have pasta or cheese, it's NOT lasagne, call it something else".
Prior to starting this eating style, I consumed a lot of oil because I was convinced it was good for me and great for my skin. Well my skin might have looked ok but my health has been far from acceptable.
Eating a mostly fruit diet sits well with me now. It took a couple of weeks to get my head around it but now it makes so much sense because I feel so good. I'd like to share with you what I've discovered with my fruity diet.
First up, my skin looks fantastic. It's glowing, it feels smooth and clear like I've not experienced in the last ten years. I have energy, I can get more physical work done. I just need to get into a better sleep pattern and I have no doubt, my brain will be up-to-speed soon! I've lost just under 6kg (13lbs) and despite falling off the wagon on a few days, the weight didn't jump back on. I put on a kilo or so but as soon as I spent the following day back on my fruit, the weight would be gone a couple of days later.
Overall, I've dropped my salt intake considerably, so I have less headaches and the water isn't just barely scatching the surface when it comes to my thirst.
Something that I have definitely noticed is that when I have a raw fruit meal (eg: ten bananas, four dates and three glasses of water blended together), I feel satisfied afterwards and I also feel full but energised, like I've recharged the batteries. When I eat a cooked meal, almost any cooked meal, I feel sluggish and tired. So I'm confident that I'm on the right path for me, it makes sense and it feels good, so I'm going to keep going.
I've eaten out plenty of times in the last month, mainly fresh, simple, cooked meals, not overly-spiced or flavoured (like Vietnamese rice paper rolls, Tom Yum soup, rice, a vegies burger etc), some healthier than others but I definitely do look at menus differently now. I crave fresh, simple food (and sometimes, chocolate!). I crave it because I feel good when I eat it and I know I won't feel good when I eat something unhealthy.
I won't lie, it's hard to eat like this and be social but that's just something I have to work on. If I'm honest with myself, I'm just making excuses when it comes to social eating. Perhaps it's something I'm reluctant to change because it's easier to just shove it in the too hard basket? Like I said, I need to work on it.

life begins

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:29:00 +0000

Today I turned forty. Man, that's weird to write. I'm sure I'll settle into it but right now it doesn't sit comfortably with me. I'm middle aged! Disagree? How many centenarians do you know?
This past weekend, I had a birthday lunch at The Napier with my family and a few of my closest friends, it was a great few hours. Then Andrew and I headed off to my favourite cinema with my friends to catch a film. Not done with the day, we then all moved on to The Botanical for drinks and a laugh. Perfect day.
The next morning I met my girlfriends for breakfast, followed by a book buy-up at Jeffrey's Books, which a good friend owns.
Tonight, Andrew took me out for dinner and now we're just chilling out before getting an early night. I feel like I should be knitting or playing bingo or dying my hair blue....
At forty, I'm blessed to have incredibly supportive and understanding friends, family and partner. If any of you are reading this.....I don't know what I'd do without you....or my hairdryer.

good luck with that...you loon

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:45:00 +0000

Twenty two years ago I decided that I wanted to be a vegetarian. I was eighteen and didn't know any vegetarians but I just knew that I wanted to be one because eating animals just didn't make sense to me. I realised that I was only eating meat because that's what I had been taught, what I was used to, what was socially acceptable, convenient even. My decision was met with mockery, judgement, pity, bewilderment and questions and that lasted exactly twenty two years. Whatever.

So embarking on a new eating adventure, I was ready for the same things and while social eating habits have become a lot more diverse in the last twenty two years, it seems fruitarians haven't yet received their invite to the culinary party.

Just to clarify, I am not a fruitarian or raw fruit vegan, I am only eating two thirds of my diet as raw fruit, the rest is very simple fare and usually cooked/blanched. You can't be almost raw vegan, you either are or you are not. I am eating vegan meals but I am not a vegan. I am a vegetarian. Feel free to ask me the difference, I'll be happy to answer.

Ok, so the idea of eating up to ten bananas in one meal sounds insane, right? Until you try it. People have said to me, "I could maybe eat three or four but I'd feel sick if I had more". Yeah, I kind of felt the same but I can assure you, I feel fantastic after my meals. I go to bed with a happy stomach, I wake up with a happy stomach, I'm hydrated, my skin looks amazing and I have lost 3kg/7lbs in only a week.
Not convinced? How about, I can eat as many calories as I like, in fact, to succeed with this way of eating, you must eat no less than about 3000 calories a day. This lifestyle, although it appears restrictive, is actually about abundance.

I was struggling with getting my head around this lifestyle but then I realised that it was the same as when I became a vegetarian. I was eating the way I was conditioned to. I was living to eat, not eating to live.
Do I sound brainwashed? I'm not, I've just had that little lightbulb go off and now I see things a bit differently. Don't get me wrong, there will be chocolate cake and Mexican food in my future but those indulgences will be exceptions rather than the norm. I love food, I love cooking but I have to move away from letting food rule every day of my life. I have to adjust my entire way of thinking and just view food as fuel. I need to remove my emotional attachment to it. Easier said than done but I feel like I'm finally on the path that will get me there. The idea of living the rest of my life with no guilt or restriction with what I'm eating sounds too good to be true but I'm living that reality right now and I love it. Before you judge it, why not try it for a week or a month, what have you got to lose?

My average daily diet consists of around 10-15 bananas, loads of kiwi fruit, mangoes, dates, berries, broccoli, tahini, mashed sweet potato (with some avocado instead of butter or milk). For a treat, I've had a banana or two with organic tahini or peanut butter (organic, made with only peanuts). I've had a piece of toast with Vegemite and I've had steamed rice with a little sesame oil and tamari. One night I felt like ice cream, so I put some frozen bananas in the food processor with a little water. Bingo! Banana ice cream. Am I sick of bananas? Nope. When I blend them up with 750ml of water (3 cups), they turn into a delicious thick shake. Add some dates and it's hard to believe that it's good for you.

To learn more about the 80 10 10 Diet, you can find a wealth of information online or you can buy the book or check out 30 Bananas A Day or Megan's website. If you have any questions, feel free to email me, the link is in the Contact section above.

food glorious food

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 12:12:00 +0000

A few days ago I started a new eating plan, some might call it a diet. I'm hoping it's an answer.
Regular readers know that I have a condition called lymphoedema, so what I put into my body is important because putting the wrong things in can lead to serious fatigue, swelling and time off work. Not cool. Kooky chronic illness aside, I have always had a problem with food. Always. I had convinced myself that I just loved food too much and that if being overweight was the consequence I had to pay for that love, so be it.

It's only in the past few days that I have realised what a pathetic way of thinking that actually is. For the last twenty years, I've given myself permission to abuse myself on a daily basis. If I was doing it with drugs or alcohol, I'm sure my family and friends would have intervened but because it's food, it's completely acceptable. I convinced myself that because I've been vegetarian for the last twenty two years, that I was healthier than many, so this whole overweight thing was just my lot in life. I consider myself a reasonably intelligent, together person, so the weight thing couldn't possibly be my mindset, it surely had to be factors outside my control. Surely?

I have dieted since I was eleven. ELEVEN. It has done me no favours. I'm not a chronic dieter because I love food and cooking far too much, hell, I've even written a cookbook (I haven't printed it yet!). So far, nothing has worked for me.
Recently, a friend introduced me to the 80/10/10 way of eating and at first, I thought it was insane. I mean, eating just fruit and vegetables and huge amounts of them sounded absurd but I did some reading and watched a lot of YouTube videos about it and the penny started to drop. A little. I still wasn't 100% sold because the whole concept goes against every dietary rule I've ever been taught. It goes against the way I've lived for forty years. It's bizarre.....but then, it's not. Every time I had a question, there seemed to be an answer for it that made sense.

Walking through the supermarket the other night, I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. At first, all I could think about was all the things I couldn't buy but as I started to fill my trolley with organic fruit and vegies in large quantaties, I started to feel a weight fall from my shoulders. It was the weight of too many food choices and I was now free of them. Man it felt good.

I'm not for one moment thinking that this is the answer but I'm willing to give it a try for the next month....or two.....or three. I'm on my third day of this diet and am surprisingly devoid of my usual cravings. Normally, I have chocolate almost every day, it's a staple for me but because I'm eating so much fruit (11 bananas, 4 kiwi fruit, 1 mango, half a pineapple and berries today), the sugar craving is taken care of. Now I should stress, I am not following the 80/10/10 religiously. I do it for two meals a day and for the third meal, I allow myself whatever I like. No, I don't mean pizza or pasta etc. Today and yesterday, I had a head of blanched broccoli with a cup of chickpeas and a sauce of organic tahini with lemon juice, which satisfies my savoury cravings.

Oh and then there's water, I am now drinking two to three litres a day and that is hard because I am not able to sit on a toilet all day. But I'll do this to see how it affects my weight and lymphatic system. I need a solution.

I turn forty next month, my health is ordinary, I'm unfit, I'm overweight, this is not how I imagined myself at this age. I don't hate myself but I am angry at decisions I have made, why haven't I sorted this shit out? I could beat myself up about it but I'm not going to, instead I shall put that energy into moving forward.
I've heard people say this diet is confronting and now I see what they mean. It's hard to explain but it's a journey I feel I need at the moment because I've had my head buried in the sand for too long.

Wow, quite a heavy blog post....and now I feel like a big cry. I did say it was confronting! I'll let you know how it goes.

slacker

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:22:00 +0000

I've let things fall by the wayside. Again. When I've worked mostly at home, I find it easy to blog, take photos, respond to emails and call people. But when I'm working mostly outside the home, I find I just don't have the time or inclination to do any of that. Perhaps working a 'normal' job makes me feel detatched from my online life? I don't know.....but I don't like it. Not one little bit.
So what's been happening at Club Nicholson? Well, about a month ago, I headed to Bendigo to see my gorgeous nieces perform in a dance concert. Mabel, who is 13, has performed on stage quite a few times but Molly, just about to turn 7, was making her debut. Oh the joy in watching a six year old mentally prepare herself for those precious moments of sequinned glory.

A couple of weeks ago, Mabel came to stay for a week during school holidays. We had a ball, shopping, cooking, laughing ourselves silly. For a smartarse like me, there is nothing that makes me prouder than hearing the quick wit of my teenage niece. She's quick with a stinger and as it turns out, she's pretty damn nifty in the kitchen too. I can't wait for her to visit again soon.

Paella by Mabel

Chocolate Date Cashew & Coconut balls - we called them Maybe Balls

Alas, my handbag business is still on hiatus. It's a tough thing getting back into running a business full time, especially when you've backed yourself into a corner of secure employment that pays well, is interesting and educational. Don't get me wrong, I want...no, I NEED to get back to running my handbag business full time...and it really NEEDS to be full time, none of this part time bullshit.
My hope is that I can make that a reality before the end of the year but in order to do that, a few things need to fall into place and hopefully that will happen soon. I'll keep you posted!

The other thing I have sorely neglected is my 365 self portrait project. I have over two months worth of photos in my camera but the task has now gotten so big, I can't see myself catching up unless I dedicate two or three whole days to it and right now that's not possible. So, I'm starting the project again and I'm doing it right. This is something I've wanted to do for a few years now and I'm determined to finish it. Given I'll soon be turning the big *gulp* four-oh, I've decided to re-start my 365 on September 28th, when life apparently begins.....more like grey hair and crows feet.

See you again soon!

mummy dearest

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:12:00 +0000

Last night my niece, Mabel, was inducted into Girl Guides. Sitting next to Mum after the Promise ceremony, we had this exchange
Me: "Remember my Brownie Promise ceremony?".
Mum: "Were you a Brownie?"
Me: "YOU WERE MY LEADER! I WAS SIXER OF THE LULLIGULLAS!"
Mum: "Oh, ok"
And then proceeded to talk with the Girl Guide leader and my sister all about a Brownie camp I never went on.

boys don't make passes at smartarses who wear glasses

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Like my new frames? I've had several people recommend Zenni Optical to me over the last year and I could kick myself for not trying them earlier. The ordering process is so easy and it took all of two weeks to receive my new glasses in the mail. Oh and the best part, these new frames cost me $25.80...including $9.95 delivery!
Have I just blown your tiny mind?

the medical profession is sick

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Thu, 26 May 2011 08:20:00 +0000

I've been wanting to update my blog for weeks now but every time I sit down to type, what I end up doing is ranting about the hospital/medical system in Australia. WTF? I hear you ask. So, I'm going to just purge and get this out, then no more ranting for a while. Hopefully.
Look, don't get me wrong, there are some fantastic doctors, nurses and other medical professionals out there. My sister is an ER nurse and I know she's great at her job. My mother was a nurse for over 40 years and I know she was great at her job. They both work/worked with some people who were also a credit to their profession. The chiropractic clinic I visit weekly provides the most incredible patient education and care I've ever experienced.
But when I was diagnosed with Lymphoedema, I was misdiagosed several times before I actually went back to a doctor and suggested it as a possibility. Before I suggested it could be Lymphoedema, I was subjected to a myriad of tests, only to be told I needed to lose weight, I should quit my job, I should work less hours, that I had arthritis (I don't) and that I just need to deal with the pain I was experiencing. These were conclusions drawn by different doctors. I cannot tell you how frustrating and infuriating that experience was.
A few months later, I was injured in an accident and was treated like total shit by the surgeon dealing with my case. After months of pain, physiotherapy sessions and not being able to walk without a crutch, I was belittled and mocked in that final appointment. It was a humiliating experience.
More recently, my mother has been diagnosed with Whooping Cough and pneumonia. When she first presented at the hospital with symptoms, the doctor glossed over her results and essentially sent her home to die. She endured six weeks of hell, until she was rushed back to hospital by ambulance. Mum being a tough cookie, gave that same doctor a real piece of her mind and told him that she deserved a hell of a lot more respect than he had shown. The second doctor to treat her admitted that he knew very little about Whooping Cough, so she suggested he get online and educate himself. Why the hell should she even have to do that? She is still on medication and slowly recovering.
My aunt, who had been in contact with my mum during her contagious period had to be taken to hospital because she had similar symptoms to those my mother had when she first got sick. That hospital refused to test her for Whooping Cough. She too ended up back in hospital again.
The father of a friend has had months of seizures and has seen several doctors, one neurologist who was an arrogant, useless arse and one who was a lot more helpful. They still don't have any answers and his life is basically on hold because of these daily seizures that are somehow a medical mystery.
My own father has had several surgeries in the last few years and he ended up with one botched surgery and plenty of follow ups as a result. My sister inlaw just had major surgery and ended up discharging herself because of the poor treatment. Hell, they didn't even change her sheets in two and a half days, despite her complaining several times.
In my recent visit to an ER because of my back, the ER staff were fantastic. But once I was moved to the Short Stay Unit, I was treated like crap. The unit manager was a disgrace. My sister requested pain medication because I was feeling horrid and when one of the nurses asked the unit manager to sign off on the meds, she instead asked that nurse to check out something cool on her iPhone. The nurse repeated the request and the unit manager tutted with annoyance, like providing pain relief was somehow asking too much. Between the unit manager being an epic fail and me spending four hours sitting on the edge of a bed, in a hell of a lot of pain, waiting for a doctor to see me, I was fed up and discharged myself.
These are not isolated incidents, I'm constantly hearing of friends and family having shitty experiences with the medical profession and honestly, I'm fed up. I wrote to the hospital that my aunt was admitted to, I have so far had no reply. So, Ballarat Base Hospital, consider yourself named and shamed.
For most of us, when we see a health professional, we are placing ALL of our trust in that person or institution. When we present with pain or with serious symptoms, it's a scary fucking experience and I just wish all health professionals would remember that.
Look, I can be a ballbreaker of a customer/client/patient, generally don't take any shit. I once walked out of an appointment with an optometrist because the douchebag ate a sandwich during my consultation and didn't even look me in the face. I stood up, told him he was a pathetic joke, walked out and as he walked out behind me, I told the reception staff what had occured, then went home and wrote an email to his employer. I've also walked out on an appointment with a GP who was just phoning it in. He couldn't have given a shit about my problem.
Most people take the word of a doctor as gospel. Yes, in this day and age, we should do our best to better educate ourselves about our bodies and the factors of our lives that have an affect out health. Yes, we should be more assertive in the level of treatment we not only expect but deserve. WE need to be far more proactive in our own health care, for sure. Many of us are more proactive when it comes to poor customer service in retail but will not question anything their doctor tells them.
But the medical profession as a whole needs to regroup and get its act together. GP's need to start getting to know their patients again and stop handing out antibiotics like candy. Oh, don't get me started on that! Hospitals need to stop treating patients like cattle. I realise there is an enormous strain on their resources but pathetic employees like the unit manager who was in charge of my care have no place in the industry. Judgemental doctors also need to pull their heads out of their arses and treat people with equal respect. My mother is a smoker and while I detest the habit, the first doctor to 'treat' her was completely dismissive because she smokes. Same thing went for my aunt at the other hospital.
Like I said at the beginning, I know there are many great health professionals out there and I cannot praise them highly enough but the chain is only as strong as its weakest link....and there are a lot of weak links in the Australian health care industry at the moment. Something needs to change. Now.

reason #483 why he hates shopping with me

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Sat, 21 May 2011 08:09:00 +0000

Sales Assistant: "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Me: "No thanks, we're happy shoplifting"

*more blog posts coming this weekend.

there's something about mary

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Sat, 07 May 2011 14:12:00 +0000

It's just after midnight here in Melbourne, which means it's officially Mother's Day.
My mum, Mary, is an absolute legend and the glue of our family. Right now, she's recovering from Whooping Cough AND Pneumonia....yep, she had them both at the same time.
Mum is as hardworking as they come, funny, opinionated, caring and generous. When I was younger and told that I had some of her traits, I would cringe. But now that I'm older and a little wiser, I'm proud as punch when the same comparison is made.

Thanks for everything, Mum.

Love, Jodie x

v is for valium

noreply@blogger.com (jodie) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 04:57:00 +0000

A photo I took in my ER cubicle

Last Tuesday I drove by myself for the first time since my back went on strike. I was in discomfort more than pain, so I thought the two hour drive to visit my family wouldn't put too much strain on things.
When I arrived, I was a little sore but I was expecting that, so didn't think too much of the twinge. About an hour late, I was feeling pain, so I popped a couple of painkillers to knock it on the head. Didn't work. So I thought an early night would be a good idea but by then the pain in my lower back was so acute that there was no way I could fall asleep.
I hobbled out to my mum and in the few minutes that followed, the pain went from acute to unbearable, I couldn't stand, I couldn't sit, I couldn't lay down. My chiropractor had told me to take deep breaths regularly throughout each day and especially when I was in pain but the more I tried to breathe deeply, the harder it became to actually breathe at all. I was hyperventilating. Mum says my face was red and my nose was purple.
My sister, an ER nurse, arrived and made me breathe into a paper bag, this helped for a bit. But the pain remained and so the struggle for breath continued on and off during the half an hour ride to the hospital, which was also where my sister works.
We arrived at the ER around midnight and the painkillers I'd taken earlier also contained a sedative, so I was in pain, having trouble breathing and I was as dopey as all hell. I really was a delight to look at, sitting white-knuckled in that wheelchair.
I was wheeled into a cubicle where my sister, Tracey, informed the doctor that I am a total needlephobe. I'm pretty sure she repeated it several times because the doctor was confusing me with someone who doesn't like getting needles. Let's face it, no one *likes* getting a needle but I am scared to death of having needles. Scared. To. Death. The last time I had a blood test, I had to be held down as I went into panic mode and I sobbed the entire time. It was a humiliating experience, especially seeing as I can't explain why I am so fearful. I'm not at all concerned about the pain, so I really don't know where this phobia came from and I KNOW it's completely irrational.
So they loaded me with Valium, Endone and something else to help with the pain, then they put me on oxygen to help with my breathing because I was still hyperventilating to the point where I almost passed out. This happened again when a needle was ordered by the doctor. Tracey tells me that the doctor asked about my psych history because my reaction to the needle was so severe. Ah, hello.....FO.BEE.AH.
I remember apologising a LOT and doing it with the oxygen mask on as I continued my struggle to breath deeper and slower.
Then the Valium and Endone kicked in, so my memory becomes quite hazy and I had to rely on Tracey to fill in the brain gaps.

I giggled, I sang 'Tiny Dancer' and I giggled some more. Tracey suggested some Nitrous Oxide to calm me and an injectable pain killer to knock the pain right out because I was still in pain, despite the laughter and singing. For some reason, I agreed to give it a try and after breathing in that sweet sweet gas, I could feel my body levitate. I then declared that my feet were cookies and my hands were brownies, which amused my sister. Oh and I kept asking for more "nice socks". But her bonus was drawing plenty of blood. I'm still amazed that she managed to do it.
The rest of the night was pretty blurry, although I did remember the damn blood pressure monitor going off every half hour and driving me to the point of insanity.

Just after 7am I was wheeled around to have a CT scan and by then, the sweet sweet drugs were wearing off. It wasn't until my sister arrived that I was fully loaded up with drugs again and was able to shuffle out of the hospital. I slept for 15 hours straight when I got home.

Today I'm back to the chiro again for my second adjustment of the week. Because I bruise like a peach, my lower back looks like I've gone ten rounds and I've had to resort to applying arnica oil each day to reduce the black and blue patches.

My back is a hell of a lot better than it was three weeks ago but I'm told I've got a long way to go because it has been out of whack for so long and I've just been so used to the constant discomfort that I haven't done anything about it. Talk about not listening to your body! Once my back is sorted out, I'm off to the damn dentist, who needs money in their savings account anyway.....