Little stories on the big ‘ol world.
Hi, I’m Matisse. Notetaker, storymaker.
Here’s a collection of stories (hopefully fun, hopefully heartwarming).
the stories
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September Story List
Welcome to my story list, September edition. This is a list of the imaginary or reimagined worlds I have been inhabiting over the past month. Whether via books, podcasts, tv…
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First Loves And Forever Ever Afters
I don’t really know what my first love was. I think I started to fall in love with things fast and furiously from a young age. Jonathon Taylor Thomas might…
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Why are love stories so terrifying?
This month, I have been inhaling love stories. Where I am in my life right now, keeping an eye on middle-age as it lurks in from stage left, this is…
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Unpacking The Women’s Movement In Australia (For The Confused).
NOTE: This article is an intentional simplification of a complex concept, as a tool to meet people where they are. It does not attempt to capture or represent all the…
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IT’S TIME FOR THE CLIMATE MOVEMENT TO ALSO TRANSITION.
From Anger to Optimism. The Climate Movement was born out of the deep dark silence of what industrialisation was doing to our planet. We were making Mother Earth sick and…
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The Great Cry of 2020. Are we listening?
Oh my. What a year. Something. Something is speaking. Can you hear it? It feels like the skies are screaming. Something out there, whatever you believe in (you beautiful soul…
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Chat with beyond the narrative podcast
I had the pleasure of sitting down with the Beyond The Narrative team late last year to talk all things love and life, grief and my enthusiasm for ideas as…
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Tips For Working From Home Without The Added Stress, From A Remote Worker.
While it can be tough at first, as someone who worked remotely for almost four years, I’m here to tell you it can also be great! Up until late last…
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An Open Letter To Everyone Trying To Sell Me Something
Get your shift together. As I watch the Australian skies blacken, the news channels go ticker-tape orange or decide whether or not it is smoke-safe to take my children outside,…
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#BAFFLED Why haven’t these things been invented?
Bula, Aloha, Hello, and Happy New Years to you beautiful people! It is I, Matisse! Here with you once again, sans my high horse (tied her up out back), with…
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I have a complicated relationship with Fashion
If we are being honest (and I hope we are), I have always had a really complicated relationship with fashion. In my late teens and early twenties, the industry paid…
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Why Greta Thunberg is the real Mockingjay – and what activists can learn from her
Greta Thunberg, the 16 year old climate activist from Sweden, is quickly becoming the real life Mockingjay of this generation. Within a year, our very own teenage Katniss, has unified over 4 million…
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#BAFFLED ‘If you know you know’ and I do not know.
This is SUCH a common occurrence in my life, I should be sponsored by Google. Honestly. I spend a good amount of my youthful(ish) existence googling the meanings of things,…
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#BAFFLED – What in the lipstick, Jacyln?
Welcome once more, to #BAFFLED … a series of notes for the utterly confused, truly perplexed and entirely bamboozled by pop-culture hot button topics. Hello again. As previously mentioned (right here)…
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#BAFFLED … for the utterly confused
WELCOME TO #BAFFLED … a series of notes for the utterly confused, truly perplexed and entirely bamboozled by the pop-culture hot button topics. This is a safe space for those…
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Who knows… maybe I’ll start writing again.
I brought sparkles and sequins and leopard print. But the two things I forgot to pack are pen and paper. Which was so silly. I seem to have forgotten. The…
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Self-Care Don’t Currrrr
Hello again party people let’s make some noise !!! Just kidding. Let’s do this quietly. The kids are asleep. SO! I have yet another (fab) idea to impart on you.…
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Dear 20-somethings …
Ladies and Gentle-People it is time to do another blog! For those of you who have been loyally following my journey of life via the ol INSTA-STORY today, you will…
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My Second Mum Post! Two For Two…
(*Gets coffee. *Sits down to write blog. *Thinks to self: Gosh. What AREN’T I an expert in. *Sips coffee with a smile.) Hello again all of you out there! So,…
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Don’t Take Your Eyes Off The Road
How you sense of purpose will knock down any pretty sandcastle, if it can’t see itself in the architecture.
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I Am A Full Moon (And So Are You)
How to embrace all the different, contradictory, outrageous, fabulous & horrifying parts of yourself…
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“Greenpeace’s Head Of Pacific Net, Slams Australia For Selling Out Its Pacific Neighbours” … Heeeey That’s Me!
How Australia always sides with coal. Always. And how that … a climate leader doth not maketh.
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My First Ever Mum Post (Hold Onto Your Nipples!)
How to back yourself when you have no idea what you’re doing. Specifically applies to the journey that is MOTHERING. (Not at all dissimilar to going North of The Wall.)
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An Open Letter To My Daughter. Before We Meet
How to try and introduce your unborn child, to the woman you were before you had her.
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My Pregnancy. I Have Not Craved Cupcakes.
How to not be afraid of prenatal depression.
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The Rise Of Pacific Power: From Small Island States To Large Ocean States
How the Pacific is more powerful than rest of the world wants us to think.
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The Girl Who Tweeted From A Cupboard Through The Storm.
“The Girl Who Tweeted From Cupboard Through The Storm” Miss Cayla Tikaram !
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Dear Baby
How I disappeared when I found out I was pregnant. How that confused me. How I got my dreams back.
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I’ve Done Some Bad Bad Things
How I am the naughtiest of the naughty … but … “who am I?” (Hmmm now you’re thiiiinking..)
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Bare And Bubbles
How I got sick and it was so scary. How I got better and never felt more grateful.
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You Win Some, You Lose Some. And If You’re Smart, You Let A Lot Go.
I’m currently sitting at the Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington DC. Writing this on my phone. Looking out at the city skyline. Eating a turkey sandwhich. (I’m so American now…
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Here Is The Story Of The Dream Diary
In 2013 I had a bit of a ‘Dream Diary’ Debacle some may say. I’m sure it’s a common pickle. I was living in Sydney working in the PR department…
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Heart Child
As Originally Seen in Current Issue of Mai Life Style Magazine… HEART CHILD By Matisse Walkden-Brown People usually don’t like talking about their internal fear, their deepest sadness, their…
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Growing Pains
When I was about 13 years old I remember my legs hurting during the night. They would ache. Stretching and extending and pushing my muscles to the limit. Beginning their…
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I Have Just Wrapped Up One Of The Most Amazing Days Of My Life
I am now in my Bob Marley Rasta pants and borrow sun-bleached surf tee, inside my cabin on the crew deck of the Rainbow Warrior. I have new epic shells…
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Dear Blog. I Am Okay. And On Board The Rainbow Warrior.
Dear Blog. I haven’t forgotten you. If anything I think of you most days. I don’t think about what I want to use you for, what I need you to…
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Grudges Aren’t My Thing. And Turns Out Judges Aren’t Either.
I’m going to tell you about last week. It was raining against my window and my heart was soaked. There were cyclones. One in the sky. The meanest of the…
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The Love Story
I have a story I want to tell. It is called, The Love Story. It is about a man and a woman. When they first met, they adored everything about…
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Here Is The Story Of Having My Clothes Stolen
Since being back in Australia for a week or so, I have thrown a few little tantrums and gone on many more a rant and rave over everyone’s obsession with…
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Dear Bubba 3
2 days ago… it was 5 years since my family and the world lost you. My little brother. It has been a sad, difficult, heart-wrenching, aching, complex and bittersweet journey…
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Instagram Island
It seems like these days, everybody has a sunset, a swim, a coconut or a horse in their day to day life. Everybody has a tan, a laugh, a natural…
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Beautiful Blank Books
I watch an MTV show called Catfish. I first saw the original documentary in 2010 with a group of friends in Newtown, Sydney. Back then, I thought the story was…
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Here Is The Story Of Jetstar Sucking
I have been back in Australia less than 24 hours and have somehow already summoned the Federal Police. This morning I got up at 6:30am, put on my new silver…
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This Happened To A Friend Of Mine 3
A friend of mine recently got out of a relationship that can only be described as a catastrophically bad idea. It was one of those unions that you hear about…
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Set Your Fairy Lights To Random
The hardest place to be is exactly where you are. One of my most cherished wrote this on her Facebook Wall recently. If anyone has ever known that little pixie…
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Get Out Of Your Own Way
Last night I went to a Sydney Writers Festival Talk with two of my close friends. It was a Friday night and for awhile, I was simply impressed by our…
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The Peace Promise
A few weeks ago I saw a picture of a little Syrian boy. He was sitting on a grungy hospital bed. Blood around his neck. He was crying. The story…
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Two Thousand And Fourteen
So I have moved back to Fiji. I do not know why yet. But anyway. This morning over breakfast my dad was telling a story to a group of spear-fisherboys…
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How Much For Your Butter?
To put this as graciously as I can, if I am selling my jugs of milk for $2.50 … but you are Swedish, only here on holiday and don’t mind…
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Hey Babe, So Brave Of You To Show Your Face Here
Getting older comes with a lot of crappy things. Medical cover. Mammograms. Matching linen with your teal trimmings. It also comes with some good stuff too. Clarity. The ability to…
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Here Is The Story That Proves I’m Totally Psychic.
When I was little I had a very strict morning routine. I would wake up in my wooden boat-bed filled with sunrise enthusiasm and quickly bound into my parents’ room.“Do…
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Birds Of A Feather
I have a tattoo on my arm. It is a feather. It is maroon and looks like henna. I got it on my brother, Cormac’s, 17th birthday. I have another…
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Little Mitch 2
Mitch called back again tonight. If you don’t know who Mitch is you are missing out on a little ray of sunshine. This is Mitch I wrote on a piece…
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Here Is The Story Of The Stupid Bunk Bed
‘Disappointed’ would be the understatement of the week and a half. I blame the manner in which this bunk bed found its way into my life, for all disaster that…
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The Soldiers Of Suicide
Firstly, let me apologize if you think this post is a bit heavy. It’s not. It’s reality. And secondly, let me take that apology right back. Suicide is a taboo…
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Little Mitch
The cutest thing since Rudy Huxtable just happened. A little boy named Mitch called the radio show I work on. He told me what his name was and that he…
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Love A Good Theory…
I love a good theory. That is why I called this post ‘Love a good theory’. (#perfecttitle) Over the weekend some friends and I came up with a coupla’ crackers…
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Here Is The Story Of The Felafel Earring
Firstly. That is certainly not the way I thought you spelt felafel. I would have guessed faluffel. But that’s not the point. Fell. Laugh. Fell. (Whateverly Beverly) So I was…
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Dear Dreams
Dear Dreams, I know I’ve been cutting down your time to shine. I have been squeezing you in like my boobs in that blue C cup. (Apologies to both of…
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“Matisse, Did You Just Wink At The Bartender?”
Today is my last day of being 24. 24 is a good number I think. Nice easy even numbers. 24 hours in a day. (Then of course there is that…
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Hey Good Karma! I’m Over Here!
I felt like a pirate. With a treasure chest of stolen dollar-dollar-bills-yall. I was flying on the high seas of payroll mishaps! Captain Mat Sparrow! But somehow it didn’t feel…
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Reasons I Believe I Am An Adult
I’ll have you know, my preoccupation with all things teenage Disney pop princess aside…. I am in fact a fully grown adult. And here’s the proof
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Be Nice To Your Waitress
Don’t be a bitch to the waitress in front of your date. This usually results in him leaving his digits on the back the receipt docket. For the .. well..…
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To Run Or Not To Run?
I also kinda maybe feel like… if more people took a vow of steady pace, of making up their mind, of walking to their own beat…. we could have saved…
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Dear Bubba 2
Dear Bubba, Another day another year. I’m not one for milestones. Everyday is big. Everyday is something. Someone once told me…. Don’t think of it like you’ll never see him…
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Lessons Learned The Long Way Round 7
November has gone. And now December has come a hollering in all it’s fairy lit and festive glitz and glam!! So more things to note. More conversations had. More mistakes…
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Live From The Arias!
Guys- currently in the media room at the Arrrrrias drinking sugar free red bull. What an incredible day. It was sweltering hot and the girls were smoking hot. We got…
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My Little Friend
Friendships are funny. They can be confusing and all-consuming. I sometimes wonder if all species bother with making friends. Like… do gecko’s spend thursday nights on the roof with their…
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Here Is The Story Of ‘Bee’ing Stung In The Face
Like every good story this one has morals, tragedies, moments of comedy, tears, laughter, policemen, gang war victims, glow sticks, dogs, vomit, guidos, boobs and lots and lots of chicken…
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Lessons Learned The Long Way Round 6
1) Cookies expand in the oven. You can’t just make letters, love hearts and peace signs. They literally turn into blobs. (Quite upsetting really) 2) Don’t get confused by intrigue.…
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Here Is The Story Of Being Bogged On The Beach….
At 8.30am we drove out of Bondi in a Pajero filled with Books, Blankets and Blue Cantrell. We drove fast. Got the hell outta there! This time around it was…
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Some Say There Is A Castle In The Sky
Some say there is a castle in the sky. Some say there is an inevitable script. Some say there is a big load of absolutely Nothing. An eternal field of…
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Lessons Learned The Long Way Around 5
1- Cities are cold. Even in the sun. 2- Freedom can be overrated. It really just means ‘single and unemployed’. 3- Weakness is very unattractive. 4- Fate doesn’t rule the…
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Sometimes You Need To Ride A Bus Not A Pony
After all, I am a little bit this girl as well. Just as much as I belong up a creek with star fruit in my pockets.
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Dear Chaos
Dear Chaos, How you doing old friend? I’ve been pretty good over here. You know, sunny days, soft music etc etc. I know we catch up from time to time,…
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Lessons Learned The Long Way Round 4
1- If you are patient… Life can exceed your expectations. 2- Do not overdo the pineapple. Trust me on the this. 3- Treat your friends with tenderness. It is the…
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Lessons Learned The Long Way Round 3
1. Never put your paddle board between you and the wave. It will not shield you. It will wack you in the head. 2. Live your life. Not someone elses.…
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Here Is The Story Of Being Punched In The Face
Twas a rainy Sydney Saturday. I was hungover. I can’t remember why now actually… Oh yeah that’s right. Boozy dinner in Bondi. Leaving the party to go skinny dipping with…
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Lessons Learned The Long Way Round 2
1- Just because you drink vodka in the same club… doesn’t mean they are your friends. 2- Don’t nail hooks into the walls of your rental. The Landlord sharnt be happy. 3-…
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I Don’t Know When I Stopped Writing. I Think Maybe It Was When I Started A Blog?
I don’t know when I stopped writing. I think maybe it was when I started a blog. But I can you know. Write I mean. I usually use pencils. Or…
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Lessons Learned The Long Way Round 1
1- When you learn a lesson don’t repeat it. It makes people think you are incredibly stupid. 2- Don’t worry so much about people think. 3- You hate wearing High…
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Tonight I Taught A 7 yr Old About Forgiveness
7 year old sobs are sweet and thick. They aren’t guarded. They aren’t worried about mascara. 7 year old sobs are hearty and heart breaking.
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I Don’t Remember The Funeral, Or Driving Off The Road
If someone asked me how it all happened, I don’t think I would be able to answer them. I mean, I could rattle something off about champagne, hitchhiking, fairy lights,…
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Sometimes On Sunday’s I Want To Go Home
Sometimes on Sundays. They say – think big. See that box? Think big. They say- never stop. See that sky? Never stop. They say- want more. See that home? Want…
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My Favourite Thing About Being A Model Is Photoshop.
Dear God. I used to HATE being half way through hair and make-up and having a stranger poking my eyes with eyeliner. Someone behind me chewing gum and pulling my hair. Teasing…
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Welcome To The Sunrise
New years eve smelt like salt water and barbecue. As it should. New years eve is the sea, lamb chops and a beach bonfire. It is drunk backpackers and slurry…
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Dear Bubba 1
Last night I saw you, on a green oval, running a race. Like that one you ran around the grounds of your school. With the boy in the silly shoes.…
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Moved To A New Town. And A Suburb Named Newtown.
I brought pictures. And my guitar. Clothes and anklets. A cork board. Five big black letters. D. R. E. A. and M. My friend gave them to me. When she…
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Dear Priorities
Dear Bent out of Wack Priorities, I have been told to get you straight. So we are going to work as a team here and sort the lot of you…
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Here Is The Story Of The Stolen Pencil
(c) Matisse Walkden-Brown 20/09/2010
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My Scrapbook
FIJI 2005 MELBOURNE 2007 GOLD COAST 2009 NEW YORK 2006 GOLD COAST 2009 SOMEWHERE OVER THE ATLANTIC 2006 BRISBANE 2007 CHINA 2004 …
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This Happened To A Friend of Mine 1
A friend of mine has been with her boyfriend for two years now. They have done everything together. They jumped out of the sky together, seen snow on Christmas Eve…
A Piece by Matisse 