Today while doing my morning read of the newspapers, okay Facebook, I stumbled across my post from last New Years’ Eve:
“2014 was a bit of a bitch”. Ha. Little did I know what 2015 had in store for me.
To steal a phrase from Queenie, 2015 was our family’s “annus horribilis”.
I spent most of the year feeling like an unwilling participant in one of those crazy Japanese game shows where you’re constantly being hit by things or knocked off ledges and every time you think you’re going okay, something else comes along and sends you flying.
But true to my word, I still found time to shake things up; by the end of February I’d quit my day job, mumbled something about freelancing and hoped to hell I’d find enough work to still put ice cream in the freezer.
Thanks to Kozii Swinwear, Mater Foundation, The Urban List and Falvey Hotels, I can afford ice cream and cocktails!
Then, in May, I woke up one morning and decided to move apartments. and by the end of that day, I’d signed a new lease and was moving on up, literally as it turns or because I now live on the 19th floor.
While my bucket list took a backseat to work and riding through the rough times, I still found time to get a few things done including to feed—and be bitten by—a zebra.
I also managed to catch up with two very dear friends twice each throughout the year; starting the year with a lazy day in the pool at Kingscliff with Shan, Willie and Xanthe and doing a speedy trip to Sydney to hang with Erin before the arrival of gorgeous Rosalie.
I went back to Gwinganna where I met Hugh Jackman, I saw Taylor Swift in concert and spent a weekend in Noosa for my birthday. I celebrated a cousin’s wedding and spent time with family I hadn’t seen for a while. We laughed and we danced.
I travelled to Nundle for another wedding, had lunch at Icebergs Bondi, rocked my Melbourne Cup outfit, drank so much I was hung over for days, went to Noosa Food & Wine Festival, watched the sunrise at Southport, went to Future Music Festival to see Avicii and went to Chinchilla for the Melon Festival.
I launched What Brooke Wore, won $1000 from 97.3fm for being Brisbane’s best Christmas tree and got really drunk on a giant bottle of vodka. And to top it off, thanks to What Brooke Wore, I was invited to celebrate the #everydaystyle second birthday with some of Brisbane’s coolest fashion instagrammers and made some lovely new friends.
So that’s it. 2015 done and dusted.
It’s now New Years’ Eve and after last year’s night spent by myself at Kingscliff, I’ve decided I’ll see in the new year alongside my family at our pub in Goodna.
We’ve got confetti bombs, kabana and cheese and flashing hats and while it probably won’t be one for the record books, and I probably won’t kiss anyone at midnight, I’ll be with those I love and in the end, after the year we’ve had, that’s all that really matters.
So, f*ck off 2015, it’s time for a sweet 16.
May 2016 be everyone’s annus mirabilis (that’s ‘wonderful year’ for those who are too lazy to google).
Happy New Year!
Street art at Bondi. 
Chris & Claire’s Wedding in Nundle 
Bondi Icebergs 
Friends for 18 years. 
Roadtripping to Nundle. 
Chris & Claire’s Wedding 
Park hangs with my godson Patty. 
Instagram brought me this girl. 
Afternoon walks along the river. 
Summer hangs at Dicky Beach. 
Home. 
With Zambeze the Zebra. 
The Story Bridge 75th Birthday celebrations. 
RUOK. Ask it. Mean it. 
Lee & Leanne’s wedding. 
Spa time at Kingscliff. 
Drunk. 
Taylor Swift with Rish. 
Christmas Markets at South Bank. 
Meeting the amazing #everydaystyle crew. 
Brisbane’s best Christmas Tree scored me $1000. 
Reunion with the Mater Marketing girls. 
Melbourne Cup. 
Girl time with Nell at Those Two Girls. 
Celebrating B’s 40th at Blackbird. 
Here’s one we prepared earlier. 
Dicky Beach. 
Armageddon is coming. 
Strawberry Sundaes at the Ekka. 
Hungover at the Ekka. 
Drinks at Eleven. 
No good. No good at all. 
Les Bubbles in the Valley. 
Rocking my core strength at Gwinganna. 
Early morning winter swims in Noosa. 
Melbourne Cup. 
Winner winner … Stradbroke Handicap. 
Sunrise at Southport. 
New home! 
Birthday cupcakes on the way to Noosa. 
New home for these two. 
The best snack on the way home from a health retreat. 
The view from my place. 
Noosa Food & Wine Festival with Brigid. 
Good morning … the view I wake up to every day. 
A surprise visit with Erin. 
Lennox Head. 
Welcome to the family, Bronson. 
Sunrise over the Brisbane River. 
Southport Pier at sunrise. 
Goodbye Ted. 
Future Music Festival with JP. 
What Brooke Wore. 
Stormy days in Brisbane. 
Road tripping through the Darling Downs. 
Melon Festival in Chinchilla. 
Cocktails and dreams. 
Moonlight movies with Jane. 
Summer days. 
Kingscliff at the start of 2015. 
How many people can we fit in a lift? 
Chasing waterfalls … Aaron and I.
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Watermelon madness with mum. 
Future Music Festival. 
Christmas party pics with Brigid. 
Tuffy! 
Hen’s night fun with Leanne and Mum. 
Winter days in Montville. 
Follow the yellow brick road. 
Love these guys.
