GUIDE TO gift giving

I've hit that year of my life. That year where everyone around you is starting to turn 21. There's a 21st every second weekend.

21st parties tend to go hand in hand with 21st gifts. Which I don't resent at all, in fact I really enjoy shopping for gifts for my friends and looking for the right card. I've even found myself enjoying the card part more than the gift part.

I have two 21st parties coming up soon so I went shopping for them both to save some time later. Look at the cards I got, they're adorable. Greeting card companies sure have lifted their game, honestly. Kudos to them for most improved business and services.

Pleeeeease ignore my terrible nails.

Honestly, sometimes I think I could keep the cards I buy. I have absolutely no use for them, they're a useless item to keep laying around - yet I want them, because they're cute.Regardless of how much I like the cards, the gift itself is the part that takes the most thought and consideration.

For one friend I purchased a pair of Pandora earrings in her birth stone, Garnet. For the other I bought a shirt online of her favourite member of One Direction, Louis, with angel wings on her back.

I think gift giving is really all about thinking about where and how you connect with the person you're buying for. If you share a strong love music, I'd lean towards a gift to do with that. If this person is someone you consider a dear friend, I think it's really good to spoil them with jewellery or perfume.

Sometimes it's hard, you're not sure who else is buying for this person. I've found recently a lot of people are buying the Pandora birth stone rings, which is why I went for a bit of a different option with the earrings. You don't want two of the same gifts. Sometimes it's good to think a little bit outside of the box.

What's your favourite gift you've ever received?

THE 1975

I went to a concert for quite possible one of my favourite bands at the moment, The 1975. I absolutely adore them, I can't get enough of their music. I went to one of their concerts late last year and I managed to catch one of the drummer's, George Daniels, drumsticks.

This concert was just so much better, even though I didn't catch another drumstick. It was a bigger location, the vocalist (Matty Healy) was a lot more sober, and they interacted with the crowd beautifully. 

At one point Matty came out with this amazing quote:

'The world focuses on boring things like gender, race, sexuality, religion. Here we all are because of music, music transcends all of that".

The set list was superb, they even played their most recent song which featured in a re-scored version of Drive. I got separated from my friends during the concert but found I wasn't lonely at all, I was surrounded by people who I shared one common thing with - the love of the music.

During one song Matty Healy asked us to hold hands with whoever was next to us, and we didn't hesitate. I held hands with two complete strangers, everyone smiled and no one was uncomfortable.

The uniting feeling of concerts are amazing. Even when you're 'alone' you're not really lonely. I really appreciated the music a lot more being alone, I'm even considering buying tickets to more concerts in the future just by myself.

It was quite possibly the best concert I've ever been to. I hope you enjoy the pictures I've included.

CARE PACKAGE

Last year I had the absolute delight to live with an amazing girl from the United States. We'll call her Care Bear. Care Bear is one of the nicest people I have ever met. She was so interested in learning about Australian culture. It was a pleasure to share my lifestyle and experiences of Australia with her.

Unfortunately, as most exchange students do, she had to return to her home. The far north of the United States. To say I miss her is an understatement. I miss her every Wednesday morning after a night out at our local uni bar, when we would gather and discuss the night before. I miss her dry sarcasm, her hugs, because after all she was my care bear.

It's been 18 months since I've seen Care Bear and it's beginning to become a bit annoying. Sometimes you just want a chat, or a hug. But unfortunately the Pacific Ocean and 15,000 kms sepreate us now. I'm not quite sure when I'll see her again, but I'm hoping sometime in the next 18 months I can save up enough to head over to her half of the world.

In the meantime I put together a Care package to send her. Inside I included Australian goodies such as Milo and Tim-Tams, an Australia fag mug for her to enjoy the Milo in - also she can use the Tim-Tams to create a Tim-Tam slam,- there's also a few post cards, an Australia flag wristband, and a little vial of sand from "down under".

I stumbled across a cute card that I also decided would be a good fit, as all I want to do is give her a huge hug. I wrote a two page letter and stuck it inside the card, along with about a hand full of tiny little star confetti.

It will probably take weeks for her to receive, lets be honest, it's Australia post. But I'm so excited for her to receive it. I felt almost instantly better after wrapping it all up and writing her address on the box.

Long distance friends suck, but at least I have a holiday destination for the future.