Urgh, when did I become such a slacker?

I've been meaning to do so many things, like write reviews, take pictures, edit aforementioned friggin' pictures, and all sorts of stuff, but I never actually got around to doing any of that. I do have some books on procrastination, so maybe I ought to read one, but then again that would be a kind of procrastination in itself, the mere thing I want to avoid doing...

Answering the question above, it probably happened around the time when I forgot that blogging should be, first and foremost, F-U-N. Yep, all those hours spent trying to do lifelike swatches of my minerals and then editing the pictures for another couple of hours are all fine and dandy, but there are moments in a (blogging-) girl's life when she wants to forget about them and just paaaarty. :-D

So. Today is the 7th January which means I'm a teeny bit overdue with my retrospection of the year 2008. Let's start with a fun word cloud then. I've fed my blog into Wordle, and this is what I got:


The words were selected based on the frequency of their appearance on Binary Star, and the colors I used here are the colors I'm determined to wear more often in 2009. They are the ones that go really well with my olive complexion but also the ones I've been neglecting to incorporate into my wardrobe in the past few years. I mean, pale blue, pastels and dusty rose? What the heck have I been thinking???

Back to 2008 then. (For the last time, I promise. After that, there will be no looking back.)

2008 had brought many changes into my life. Some are documented in my blog, some just happened in the background, mostly because this is still primarily a beauty-blog and not a personal diary. This time, however, I am inclined to make an exception, as 2008 had mostly been a year that challenged me both personally and professionally and that had been a transition from the (mostly) carefree life of a university student to the considerably more trying one of a working adult.

The biggest thing in 2008 was that I got a job back in March and I'm now a freelance teacher and independent contractor, working for a language school and teaching English to adults. I can't say that living the life of an English-teacher has been entirely hassle-free or that I took to it like a duck to water, nor did I connect with my students immediately. It's certainly been a bumpy ride, but I'm starting to feel in my element and I have a pretty good idea about where I want to go teaching-wise and also, I'm now a little bit closer to devising my own methodology.

I guess I've also told you about the 3 months I spent alone in summer while my parents and Miss Munchkin were taking a vacation in our summer cottage. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit but it was the first time in my life that I got to live on my own and fend for myself. I am, however, much more willing to admit that I enjoyed every minute of it, even if it meant considerable down-time both from blogging and from all my other hobbies. It was great to discover that Yes, I can!, that is, that I can take care of things around the house, figure out how several of our household appliances work (we had not been on speaking terms until then :), learn to bake, and basically realize that had I the opportunity to live on my own, I could do it. I've been feeling much more empowered and autonomous since then and I'm looking forward to starting my own life. You can read more about the trials and tribulations of this period here.

As someone who teaches business-people, last year I had the chance to gain insight into the everyday lives and workings of several multinational companies, and while the first few tastes left me a bit confused and dizzy, I soon learned to enjoy discovering these previously uncharted territories, to appreciate their intricacy, and to even be a bit tempted to join one sometime in the future.

Binary Star also got a makeover in the middle of summer, and though I've been having some minor issues with the template ever since, I am still quite happy with the way it turned out and am planning to stick to this look for a while.

Also, in the last one and a half years of blogging I may have just improved my English a bit, though, to my great unhappiness, it'll never be as perfect as that of a native speaker. Still, one can try to shoot for the stars... :-)

I formed wonderful friendships with fellow bloggers The Seeker, Grayburn, Bagaela, Brittany, Mikaela, The Muse, Vanessa, Rocketqueen, Jaimie, Chililady, and Someone Loving. Girls, I cannot tell you how much having you in my life means, even if sometimes there's half a planet's distance between us. Each and every comment you posted on Binary Star and each e-mail you sent me made me jump with joy, and that won't ever change. Your kind, encouraging words, your fun and cheerful personalities, and your considerable expertise in the chosen subject of your blogs has amazed and inspired me from the moment I got to know you. I sincerely thank all of you for your friendship.

Last but not least, I made many beauty-related discoveries in 2008, but I shall only elaborate on that on the 10th January, together with some fellow bloggers of mine. ;-)

Now, if you've beared with me until now, then you're the most patient person ever... No, really! You're the best!!! :-D

Take a look at my new phone! (I know, I know, totally random... :) My old one was a bruised and battered little thing, but I kept holding onto it as I really didn't have money to sacrifice on the altar of trendiness. When, however, it kept delivering messages 2-3 days after they were sent to me, I got fed up and bought myself this baby:




It's the Nokia 5310 Xpress Music, and while it's not an iPhone or a Blackberry, and it isn't even one of the latest models, I seriously love this little thing as it makes my life so much easier and saves me a heck of a lot of time. (Or it will, as soon as we figure each other out. :-))


Wow! Blogging is fun! :-)

Take care,
Izar