It’ll be our first overseas trip together (recent health risks = no flights), and I’m just so excited to be getting away from it all (quite literally, there’s hardly any interwebs in the middle of the ocean!).

We originally snubbed cruising as a holiday option because of the cost, but we’ve discovered that leaving from a port that isn’t Sydney is MUCH cheaper. Also, given the crap we’ve been through in recent months (read: we had to cancel our “proper” wedding, #stillprettycrankyabouthatthankyouverymuch and I had my mother moved into a nursing home). So, South Pacific honeymoon, here we come!

I can’t stop looking at photos of our destinations, which includes the Isle of Pines:

Can’t wait to get the sand between my toes and sniff some New Caledonian fresh air!

• casual summer = Haviana thongs
• work = my brown leather Duo Boots from the UK
• casual winter = hand-me-down boyshoes from Dan

But my overall favourite? Ugg boots!

Join the meme over at Hello Owl, and you can even email Danielle nominate themes for future episodes!

So I get embarrassed when someone finds out that I drink THAT STUFF. Cause more often than not, I get a firm talking-to at the same time.

Someone who’s not afraid to show her love of energy drinks, though is the gorgeous Suze. Though she drinks Mother instead of V. Check out what she tweeted* this morning:

Alas, the 7-11 $1 sale didn’t include V, so I couldn’t join in with the taurine, guarana and caffeine overload. Sadface.

While I’m totes jealous (check me keeping up with the young’uns), it’s probably better for my insides that I wasn’t able to buy 3 cases of V, no?

* I feel like tweeted should be a proper verb. As in, Tweeted. I think this is a sign of over-Tweeting.

I found the stuff I should have used, near the honey and whatnot in the supermarket. Try not to notice the price:

Perhaps I’ll regret this, but I’ve been wondering if I have enough to turn it into my own personal meme, a-la Noice-ities:

This is me, circa 1989, crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge for an anniversary of some kind. I remember thinking I was so cool with that canvas backpack and the hoodie underneath my jumper and THE HAIR. Oh my god, the hair. I appear to be sporting a fetching camel toe, too.

Perhaps I should call it “Friday Fashion Faux Pas by Rah”? I have no doubt I have an infinite supply of pics to fit that category!

Here’s what Bear thinks:

At first, Bear would only fight the rug; then he ignored our attempts to sweeten the deal by putting it next to the heater (and masking it with polar fleece and even his beloved $10 pet rug).

And Elvis? Oh, he won’t even acknowledge the rug. He stays as far away as possible.

So, um, sorry guys, the sheepskin rug is full of fail! Cats really do have a sixth sense when it comes to ignoring all the expensive shit you buy them.

Right-hand side: drawings from nieces and nephews, some family photos, recycling calendar and lots of novelty magnets.

Front: more of the same, but movie quote magnets up the top and a variety of religious-themed magnets.

And the left-hand side a.k.a my view while washing up: featuring “Keep calm and yell assbutt”, a nod to my love of Supernatural and Misha Collins :))

There are LOTS more joining in with this week’s My Place & Yours – the last time I joined in there were only 8 brave souls! But I suppose exposing the way you dress you fridge is less frightening than showing the world how you look first thing in the morning ;)

So for some people, that post was twice as surprising as it was intended. And I think caused people to worry moreso than necessary.

But I got so many lovely emails, messages, comments, texts, DMs on Twitter… so many that I haven’t even finished replying to them all. It meant so much to get so many words of encouragement, love and support the last week or so. I needed it.

I’m doing better than a week ago. And this afternoon I’ve been in the best mood of the last two weeks. We’ve been in a limbo of unmade decisions, anger and whatnot.

But this afternoon we got some new perspectives on it all. And we sat in the sun eating burgers and wedges in one of our favourite places and agreed that we’re making some awesome decisions here.

Nothing like a bit of perspective to…. get things into perspective, I guess ;)

(takes deep breath)

We’ve cancelled the wedding.

And we’re going to elope.

(exhales. slowly)

There are a multitude of reasons for our decision, some of which I’ve eluded to in my previous posts. The minor details are far too personal, and to be honest, it hurts my head to explain it. But those of you who have (tried to) arrange a wedding will have been there and understand all the complexities; we’ve just decided that we need to strip it back.

For our sakes.

It’s not been an easy decision. Last week we were in a daze, weighing up all the options, possibilities and potential fallout. I cried. Hard. But we ultimately know that our perfect day would just be a simple one that allows us to focus on each other, so we know we’ve made the right decision.

While elopment hasn’t happened much in my family, my in-laws prefer it and heaps of friends have eloped or had a small ceremony. And if I’m completely honest, I’ve had a massive crush on the idea of eloping after Jon and Heather eloped back in 2002. Yes, if the circumstances were different, I would have happily continued to organise our pizza-and-cupcakes wedding. But it’s just not meant to be.

I’ve unsubscribed from all the wedding blogs and site alerts. I’m packing away my wedding books and hoping to find them a new home. I’d be lying if I said that I don’t still feel pangs of hurt when I remember what we’ve surrendered. But as the days pass, the happier I am that we’ve made this decision.

A weight has been lifted off my shoulders. And I’ve always been lazy, right? ;)

Best of all? Dan and I are even stronger and closer than we were this time last week.

My weekend was totally focused on doing something NOICE for myself. I knew I had earned it!

I spent Saturday on the couch and crocheting. I mastered the technique with the help of a few more YouTube videos and am now well on the way to making a baby blanket for a friend’s bubba:

Look! The edges are almost straight!

Other noice-ities of the week include (and not limited to)

• Lovely friends who make lovely Tim Tam-themed treats
• Ordering our wedding bands (zomg I’m getting diamonds on mine!!!11!1!!)
• Discovering and watching about 10 eps of Glee (how fabulous is that damn show?!)
• Hanging out with my youngest nephew – who apparently described me afterwards as “cool”. Not bad from a 12yo!
• Booking TWO massages (!). One’s at InSpa, a place so popular I have to wait until the end of August for the next available appointment. So I booked an interim one this week with the girl who “shapes” my eyebrows.

What was noice in YOUR week? Join in at That’s Noice, our weekly meme called Noice-ities :)