#34 Go to a musical

I have actually gone to two since the original list was created with this goal on it.

Rhys took me to Phantom of the Opera for an anniversary. It was spectacular, beautiful and wonderful to watch. It was also terribly sweet for him to do considering how much he would have preferred putting the money towards tickets to a Foo Fighters concert.

Then late last year I also got tickets with Lauren to go and see Cats. This was not exactly what I had expected but still an enjoyable musical.

#50 Do a face-up on my dollfie and give her a name.

Meet Penelope.

She started as a blank face, body parts and elastic. She was a Volks MSD - Muy face, bought from the Volks store in Akihabara, 2008.

I first became interested in ball jointed dolls when I read Aimee Major's book about her visit to Japan. When I did some more research on them I thought they were very beautiful. When I went to Japan on holiday with Rhys and Dan I was determined to buy one and I did!

But she sat in pieces, without a face for a long while. Then by luck I found out that my good friend Mel was into them too, and better yet, she did face-ups! It wasn't long before she was painted and put together. Now she's beautiful Penelope.

I've sewn one outfit for her. I no longer thing of this as her underwear because it's pretty enough to be an outfit.

#33 Go to a concert

I didn't actually TRY to go to a concert. A concert HAPPENED to me instead.

A friend had bought tickets to see the Grates in Brisbane. One of the ticket buyers pulled out leaving her with a leftover ticket with a few hours to spare. She invited me to use the ticket for free so I did - more with a sense of guilty penance for being a bad friend than any desire to go to the concert.

We arrived and I decided immediately that I love the Tivoli. It's grand look mixed with the grunge of a young crowd drinking and hollering good-naturedly was heady.

Then the band came on and it was the atmosphere that was awesome. Not to mention the choice of clothes by the lead singer. Any girl who sings "Science is Golden" while leaping around the stage in a cute pink tutu skirt and braces has me enthralled.

I bought their new album at the end of the night and replayed it over and over and over and over at work for the next few weeks.

I haven't TAKEN the opportunity to go to another concert but if the Grates concert was anything to go off I sure should.

#41 Visit Queensland Art Gallery.

The achievement of this goal came as something of a surprise sneak-attack.

I received a call from my brother and sister in law to see if I was free because they were in the Redcliffe area.

We went out for breakfast on the foreshore at the coffee club.

Then walked along the pier and saw the most awesome hyper-speed-boat made in NZ.
Then I took them to the other end of that particular part of shore where there was a wrecked boat rusting in the water.

Chris was about to drop me at home when he suggested that we all go off to see the GOMA. I looked skeptical and asked "What is a GOMA?"

It turns out GOMA is short for the Gallery of Modern Art. It's the newly built art museum at the cultural center housing modern and contemporary art. So I decided to go along for the ride.

The 'Optimism' display was on show and though we couldn't take any photos inside there, we were able to take photos inside the kids 'hands-on' areas and the usual display areas upstairs.

It was a hugely fun day as the photos show:

#43 Visit 3 locations around Brisbane registered as Heritage buildings.

A- Meigunya House

Run by the Queensland Ladies History Organisation, this house is slowly being restored back to the state it was in when it was first built.

It has gone through many changes in it's lifetime, from a grand family home for a prominent Brisbane family to being divided up in war time to house multiple families or individuals. Then the ladies bought it and are doing their good work.

The Australian Costumers Guild, Brisbane Chapter held an Victorian themed afternoon tea there and I've been back twice since.


B- Newstead House

This beautiful old building was home to one of the more influential families of Brisbane's early history. It has wide, sweeping verandas overlooking Brisbane river and surrounded by Newstead park. We visited this park and the house for afternoon tea with the organisers of an event for Brisbane's 100 years federation celebrations. Unfortunately we left the ACG before event came around.


C- City Hall

I have been to City Hall a few times in the last few years. The first was for photos of our 2nd retro afternoon tea. Another time I went for a doll exhibition with Mel L. A third time I went with Donna at lunch-time to view a display of historical garments.


(Also visited: Booval House, Wolston House, Fort Lytton.)

#28 Give Rhys a massage

Rhys was worn out from hiking up and down the hill at work all day, moving equipment and doing more labor than he does in general.

So I told him to sit and relax.

I first gave him a foot massage - using a small foot tub with a lotion that smelled, supposedly, of grapefruit but instead just smelled overpowering. I did his toes, his soles, the balls of his feet and then up his calves.

Following that I got him to lay on his belly while I massaged his back, then sit up so I could do his shoulders.

I'm nothing more than an amateur but sometimes a quick massage from an amateur is all you need!