2015 - the good the bad & the 'to do' in 2016

Hello 2016, 

You have ALOT to live up to coming off the back of 2015, it was a pretty fantastic year !
I'm so grateful that this years 'good' far outweighs the 'bad' & those points that feature in the bad are not even all that terrible

I do have big plans for you 2016, be good to me ! 

Here's what i have to say 'bout  2 0 1 5

2014 - the good the bad & the 'to do' in 2015

A fresh new year is almost upon us, only 1 sleep to go ! 

2014 has been a good year, i would probably describe it as a 'comfortable' year, following on from 2013 was hard because that was a fantastic, exciting & busy year. 2015 is set to bring many exciting things for M & I, the biggest of which is our wedding ! 

Blogmas 2014 - Day 10

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie/s? 
i really can't pick a favorite, but i do LOVE 'Home Alone', 'National Lampoons Christmas Vacation' and 'Love Actually'. There are lots of good ones on Netflix too, i love to have on in the background for feeling extra festive 

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
Always Christmas Morning ! Always will :) this year i gave M an early christmas present (an Xbox game his bro has that he was desperate to play) & it just feels so weird that he has it already ? Hahaha i'm pretty set on this rule, we always open them together with a coffee / hot chocolate :) 

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?
I remember one year all my family were over, it got really late so my brother, sister & i went to bed, that year we had just got a swimming pool & i remember falling asleep feeling so happy and excited, listening to my parents / aunties & uncles enjoying a midnight swim, laughing and having fun. Then i woke up with a stocking full of little pressies on the end of my bed :) 

4. Favourite festive food?
Roast potatoes, tandoori chicken with extra coriander my inlaws make, christmas custard, salted caramel pretzel bark...oh my gosh i LOVE festive food !  

5. Favourite Christmas gift?

The most special gift i've ever received was a mural / artwork that M painted for me last year 

6. Favourite Christmas scent?
'White Christmas' candle by Glass house and 'Spiced Red Pear' by Circa Home YUMMM

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
We spend it with M's family, eating and playing boardgames. It's the best night ! I have a particular tradition in mind i want to start once we have a little person in the house, but that is a long way off :) 

8. What tops your tree?
A gold star from the emporium known as Ikea 

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?
A swim from the roof in my bedroom. Dad said yes, Mum said no :( turns out there weren't any roof beams in the right places so i couldn't have had one anyway lol random 

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?
Giving gifts, eating too much, having DnM's with my cousins, looking at lights, spending time with people :) 

Blogmas 2014 - Day 3

Hello again :) 

Today we finally set up our tree ! 

Each year we get a fresh one, usually i forget to water it but this year i was on my A-Game ! Well i was until the dogs started drinking from the water holder haha 

Here it is...

It looks pretty impressive at night too ! 

The best bit about it is just having it in the room, like instant decor, kinda wish i could leave it up year round, that and the scent :) 

We went for black, gold and white ornaments as most years we have purple and gold (for the super laker fan in the house) 

I love it ! It officially feels like Christmas here 

xx

Blogmas 2014 - Day 2

Today i remembered one of my Christmas favourites from the last few years !

Well from like the last 20 years, haha

The humble chocolate advent calendar

Things have certainly changed since i was a youngin' because in my childhood advent calendar i always got a teeny tiny piece of chocolate that you had to either pop out or jimmy out with a (blunt) knife. This year M surprised me with a Freddo advent calendar :) I had completely forgotten about getting one but he hadn't & not only did he get me one he got me the BEST one !

This calendar is a little more special than the average, M made some customisations before giving it to me.

Each day has a fortune M has written for what he thinks the day will bring ! It sounds corny but he's written them really well !

How cute is that, it's the best thing to look forward to of a morning

Only 23 sleeps until Christmas

Introducing Blogmas 2014

Well Hello,
Happy December, well December 2nd hahaha

I for one am a massive, massive Christmas nerd !
Really i love Christmas,  the whole spirit of the season just gets me so excited for life haha

This year i've decided to do Blogmas ! Have you heard of it ?
Basically it's blogging once a day, right up until Christmas Eve :)
There are no strict rules, except to blog daily ! You can write about anything that is relevant to you that day, most posts seem to focus around preparing for Christmas but it's completely up to you !

I originally came across the idea from My Pale Skin 

I really want to take this as an opportunity to to revive my blog & mix in a whole lot of Christmas cheer !! My blog is missing a bit of personality & i want you guys to get to know me better 

I cant wait to get into it, i'm planning to post each evening so i can post about the whole day ! 

So if there is anything in particular you'd like to see, please let me know below 

p.s i'm currently a day behind, my internet keeps dropping out :( this evening i'm planning to have my day 2 post up :) 

Christmas Recap - 2013

Ta-da ! 

This is my haul from Christmas day !!

I was pretty spoilt by Santa :) 

So lucky

From left to right:
- Miller & Moore Bath & Body set
- Tiffany blue jewellery box (from Forever New)
- Ornate rocking horse ornament
- Lux body wash & cleansing puff
- 'Hello May' wedding magazine
- Cute little hang up tea-towel
- Icing nozzle kit
(perfect for the macarons i plan to make for our engagement party favors)
- Lindt milk chocolate balls
- Cadbury fingers *drools*
- 2x little bottles of 'Yellow'
- Dachshund book ends
- 'Meow' by Katy Perry (gift set)
- A bunch of avon creams, soaps & lip products
- Body Shop 'Born Lippy' in raspberry

Such an eclectic mix of present ! My family are too nice :)
I also got money for my parents & gorgeous canvas made by M which i havent shown

This Christmas i bought M a Wet 'n' Wild Season Pass as his main present, i also got him a bunch of smaller items to go with is (boardies, deodorant, shower speaker etc) 

I couldn't really work out a cute way to wrap & present a piece of paper, like the season pass, so instead i made his gifts into a treasure hunt ! I wrapped all the gifts with a clue & placed them around out house  :) He really enjoyed finding them all, at first i was a but worried he would think it was lame, but i think it went down really well 

Presents before they were wrapped ! 

My parents christmas tree, with loads of presents & our family dog Beba

 Nugget & Jelly trying to scab some Christmas dinner off Grandma 

2013 - the good the bad & the 'to do' in 2014

Hello Lovelies !

Can you believe that 2013 is almost over ? I seriously can't, i feel like this year has pretty much evaporated ?? 

2013 has been an AMAZING year, i loved it & would happily relive it over again. That said though, i am so keen for 2014 as well :) 

The feeling of a new beginning & a fresh start that comes with a new year really can't be beaten.  So in keeping with the previous 2 years, i'm going to recap the good & bad things about 2013 + the goals & plans i have for 2014...

So here we go !

the good...
- became puppy parents to our beautiful Jug, Jelly

Here she is with her little bro Nugget 

- Spent pretty much a whole season at the snow ! I am in my element at the snow like nowhere else

- had the most amazing holiday to Hawaii, Tahiti, Bora Bora & Fiji (upcoming post all about that) 

- became engaged to the most amazing man (upcoming post on that too)

- applied for Uni, i find out my fate in less than 3 weeks 

- bought a Jeep
- lost (just shy of) 5 kilos
 - completely redid our backyard (upcoming post)

the bad...

- still didn't feel completely comfortable in my own skin
- didn't make any new close friendships
- lost my grandad at age 81

the to-do's for 2014...

- loose another 4 kilos
- keep eating clean(ish)
- blog at least every second day
- have an amazing engagement party
- start saving money towards our wedding
- live in the moment & live the best life i can

Yay for 2014 

Can't wait to see what you hold

If it tickles your fancy, you can revisit my posts from 2013 or 2012 :)

Happy New Years xx

2012 - the good the bad & the 'to do' in 2013

Whoooo so 2013 is almost upon us !

I for one am looking forward to next year

I love the 'fresh' feeling that comes with a new year & the idea that it's a new beginning 

Twenty twelve was ok, i felt like it didnt even happen lol it went so quick i could barely keep up, let alone get things done !

For now though, its all about twenty twelve & the year that was

the good...

- moving into our first home together 

- reaching the '2 year' mark with M

- learning to snowboard in NZ

- quitting the job i knew wasn't right for me 

(funnily enough the same one i thought was right for me this time last year)

- getting a job that isn't my dream job, but is perfect for right now

- getting the happiest, smartest & most beautiful puppy EVER

- being debt free

- seeing a few of our closest friends get engaged & being so so happy

the bad...

- wasting 6 months in the wrong job 

- dwelling on silly things that happened in the past 

the to-do's for 2013...

- save loads of money towards our Hawaii / Bora Bora / Tahiti holiday

- keeping my nails perfectly manicured, especially on my left hand (wink wink)

- incorporate clean eating into my diet

- walking nugget every day instead of a gym membership

- starting study & doing up the spare room as a home office

- having fun !

Yay for 2013

Can't wait to see what you hold

Happy New Years xx

iPictures Week #3 & #4

Hey you guys !! 

I've had a pretty crazy / emotional / busy past few weeks and weekends 

I must apologise for the lack of blogging, but am happy to say i'm back with 2 WEEKS worth of iphone pictures 

Enjoy & you'll hear from me again soon xx

1. This is our kettle, alot of people like this kettle & M is particularly infatuated. We spent ages trying to find it (sold all over the place now if you're interested) & ended up buying one from Costco, when it's boiling it bubbles & the glass turns blue & once it's off its metallic & mirrored 

2. OMG yum ! Mum & Dad got back from a holiday to Malaysia not long ago & brought loads of flavoured coffee mix thingo's from a place there called 'coffee tree', this was hazelnut <3 sipping it from an insulated bodum glass makes it even tastier 

3. Hart of Dixie ! Best.show.out !! Watch it, actually it's on summer holiday break at the moment, but once it's back, watch it :) 

4. Not sure about you guys, but avocado's have been sustaining me ! I adore them (6 in the last week)

5. A friend i follow on twitter posted this pic ! I desperately want white jeans for Spring/Summer. Someone remind me closer to then, they're so pretty !! 

6. Do you guys remember these lolly pop ? They used to be everywhere a few years ago, me & my sister used to get a whole bunch & eat them slowly, i bought this one for her 

1. i LOVE this foundation, i cant wait to review it. Rimmel foundation has always been a favorite of mine 

2. How icky is this candle, it's a yankee candle & i adore the smell but it burns kinda weird & leaves like tide marks against the edge of the jar as it burns

3. Avocado, tuna & cheese on turkish bread, this was lunch today 

4. New kitchen canisters, can't wait to fill them...thats just how i roll lol 

5. BEST body spritz, Victorias Secret really can do no wrong. I like to wear this with 'Believe' by Britney Spears 

6. M won a meat tray when we visited his dad in the country 

2011 - the good the bad & the 'to do' in 2012

i came into twentyeleven off the back of twentyten (as did we all, duh)

but twentyten was an amazing year for me personally & so i had high hopes for twentyeleven

Whilst it wasn't the worst year, it certainly wasn't the best

i tried my hardest in alot of areas & am proud of myself for that, i'm ending this year on a good note, i know i'm a much better person that i was when it started.

Once again, i have high hopes for twentytwelve

(I'm beginning to think that even-numbered years hold the best for me)

Anyway, in the coming 12 months we shall see

For now though, its all about twentyeleven & the year that was

the good...

- saving enough for a deposit on the house of our dreams

- reaching the '1 year' mark with M

- going to Hawai'i in March

- quitting the job i knew wasn't right for me

- getting the job that was right from me

- buying lots and lots of homewares, at incredibly low prices, in anticipation for our new house (this was before we had found it) people said we were silly to start so early, those people were very wrong :D

- finally curing my acne (it plagued me for 5+ years)

- growing closer with old friends

- making a whole lot of new friends

- loosing weight & getting healthy, there really is no better feeling

the bad...

- having a car accident

- loosing touch with a few people

- not being organised or time efficient

- focusing too much energy on things that dont matter

- not appreciating myself

the to-do's for 2012...

- celebrate EVERYTHING !! We never know how long we have left

- look after myself, maintain my weight, eat healthy & exercise regularly...easy right ?

- slow down ! drink more tea, stare at photos and art, take deep breathes & sit in the tree ( a standout feature of our new house)

- cook more, i love to cook & to feed

- spend more time with friends

- let things that dont matter, not matter...dont dwell on the small things

- travel more, somewhere relaxing & with a beach

- try my very best in the new job

- love more

- indulge in the things i love, not necessarily new louboutin's every pay but to buy good chocolate or a bunch of flowers. To take long baths every now & then, to burn candles each night rather than 'saving them' for when company is over.

Ah twentytwelve, i am welcoming you with open arms & a few cold drinks

Can't wait to see what you hold

Happy New Years xx