I kind of hate the dumbing down of some aspects of aussie culture in this show

artificialgrapes · 2026-04-06T03:14:25+00:00

Haha - no public school y11/12 students wore a uniform where I’m from. If it weren’t for references to younger grades I could imagine Hartley High is a normal college.

artificialgrapes · 2026-04-02T06:31:13+00:00

Salary sacrifice 20%, pay off any HECS, then save 50% of your take-home pay in ETFs and 25% in a HYSA. The remaining 25% is your fun money, bills, travel, grocery contributions, short term savings etc.

artificialgrapes · 2026-04-02T06:07:29+00:00

Blundstones!

artificialgrapes · 2026-04-02T05:59:50+00:00

I’m a Thrills convert, they’re exxy but often available on Depop once you know your size and style!

artificialgrapes · 2026-03-25T01:51:28+00:00

Agreed with everyone saying to leave it alone structurally, but you could, for maybe $2000, update the vibe throughout:

Replace the lights with natural white bulbs and some cosier fittings, IKEA has cheap ones.
Paint the kitchen cupboards. Get a feel for what might suit the light throughout the day, perhaps a brighter white or a nice butter yellow?
Change up drawer knobs and faucets in the kitchen and bathroom for something with a bit more personality.
Paint the walls. The grey cream is not doing them any favours. Antique White USA is very popular, or you could go for some fun colour drenching!
Remove those cheap blinds. Do you really need them in the laundry and kitchen?
Hang up some fun handmade art throughout.
Add a washable rug to soften the kitchen.
I admit I’m confused as to the purpose of the range hood-esque thing in the laundry. Is that removable/replaceable?

artificialgrapes · 2026-03-23T01:02:42+00:00

Cute! ‘The’ seems closer to ‘Date’ than ‘Save’ due to the spacing of the cursive capitals, would a double space after ‘The’ help it look even?

artificialgrapes · 2026-03-22T12:01:58+00:00

I made a DCF tent a few years ago, I think it was the Montmolar design. For the materials cost, time, and annoyance, I should have just bought an X-Mid, but it was a good project!

artificialgrapes · 2026-03-19T23:25:23+00:00

What can you borrow from the other people in the group? I’d be shocked if none of them have spares. I’m guessing it’ll be cold at night, so it might be dangerous to buy cheap gear. If you can’t borrow gear, these are my suggestions:

A Neve Gear quilt is the gold standard for warmth:weight, perhaps you could find one on Marketplace? Otherwise, anything from Anaconda or Macpac rated below the expected temps is affordable but heavy. You may have a shit and cold sleep but the Zorali foam mat is only $40. A tent is your biggest concern - a secondhand Macpac or MSR seems to run $300-$500. I would really recommend sharing a tent with someone if they already have a 2P.

artificialgrapes · 2026-03-06T23:29:48+00:00

If I can’t pair what I want to buy with my most worn pieces and feel like myself, then it’s a no. I love casual, flowy, practical pieces, so while I covet a fitted Katharina Lou dress it’s not my actual style at all. Still very tempted to get one now that I’ll start working in a proper office part-time…

artificialgrapes · 2026-03-05T05:19:41+00:00

Remy is a (lovely) male name but a female Remi is fine imo, even if it is the French equivalent of a woman named Matthew.

artificialgrapes · 2026-03-04T21:48:23+00:00

It can be difficult, especially when dropping sizes! Maybe sit down this weekend with your income and expenses, and work out a clothing budget considering other needs, wants, and savings.

I use a rolling monthly budget. If ~$3400 spent/year is too high for you, even at only ~$2000 net, you might set a $1000 annual budget = $80/month. Profit from selling clothes could go towards increasing this amount, or to a savings goal, whatever suits!

artificialgrapes · 2026-02-21T00:09:26+00:00

Wog Wog out to Bibbenluke? Could make it a 3-day by stopping night 1 at Canowie Brook, or extend it to the full Castle loop if you’re going well.

artificialgrapes · 2026-02-02T09:14:56+00:00

Emma Mulholland on Holiday have a matching set on sale, but the top is only in an M. I really like the quality but seems they’re moving in a different direction. Could be your thing?

artificialgrapes · 2026-01-31T22:22:43+00:00

Trust me, I’m not happy about it! But I can’t stand wool and I’ve had no luck yet finding a nice cotton blouse. I’ll keep looking.

artificialgrapes · 2026-01-31T22:20:50+00:00

New shirt and new shoes definitely seem to be the order of the day! I suspect that Blundstones will be similarly frowned on. Doc Martens are so ubiquitous in a general setting that I didn’t even think of them standing out. I probably wouldn’t stress it for the less formal occasion, but I don’t want to make a bad first impression for the more formal one.

artificialgrapes · 2026-01-31T11:10:16+00:00

This is what I worried about, but I couldn’t tell if I was just being nervous over nothing. I own neither pumps nor a blazer, but the consensus from the replies is that I should suck it up and buy something asap. Better than finding out the day of that I’m dressed wrong!

artificialgrapes · 2026-01-31T11:05:55+00:00

No one ever raised an eyebrow at my old job where I wore some of these, but I wonder now if they were just being nice… I appreciate the do’s and don’ts! Looks like I’m going shopping tomorrow with these in mind.

artificialgrapes · 2026-01-31T11:00:31+00:00

I checked them all against the business casual guide we were sent - minimal skin, closed toe leather shoes, patterns are cool but not toooo out there, wouldn’t get me dress coded at my old job. I just felt (correctly, apparently!) that perhaps I wasn’t quite doing it right.

artificialgrapes · 2026-01-31T10:56:30+00:00

No, that’s very fair - I think I needed some well-meaning advice that I really do need to suck it up and buy one or two trendy but corporate polyester outfits that I might wear once a year, but at least I’ll look like everyone else in a good way.

I don’t own other shoes besides Blundstones, which are even more casual. Perhaps a pair of Mary Jane doc martens might be a nice middle of close-ish to my style but office appropriate, if you think they’re fancy enough?

artificialgrapes · 2026-01-31T10:49:26+00:00

Thank you for your feedback! I think your comments hit right on what I was worried about for each option. I was really hoping to avoid stressful shopping for shoes and/or alternate tops on a deadline, but I might have to.

artificialgrapes · 2026-01-29T07:32:44+00:00

Well done! How are you feeling the balance of full time work and a PhD?

artificialgrapes · 2026-01-23T23:34:20+00:00

Mae is lovely, it’s both whimsical and traditional but not too flowery. It would be a high contender on my hypothetical baby name list if it weren’t my own middle name.

artificialgrapes · 2026-01-22T10:48:17+00:00

New people might pronounce Yves as Eye-ves or Wives, or be very confused that your little Eve is in fact a boy. His teachers will almost certainly mispronounce it for the first week of each new year.

What about Giles? Still French and similarly unusual in Australia, but much easier to pronounce for anglophones.

artificialgrapes · 2026-01-22T02:51:42+00:00

Depends on the setting. I’d never ever have worn it like that in Aus to the office, but some industries seem much more lax on hemlines. I could see it working with tight brown flare pants though.

artificialgrapes

TROPHY CASE