that girl next door

Christmas Recap

January 7, 2013

Hello you guys !!

This post is just a quick one about our first christmas together since moving out

I know there isn't alot of substance here, but hopefully you enjoy the photos & pretty colours

I'm really trying to get into the habit of blogging at least every 2nd day !!

There are so many consistent bloggers around, who's realm i want to join

Ahhh one day !

Anywho, this was our Christmas

For christmas my parents bought us flights to go back to Hawaii !! So i spent the hot days infront of the air con researching all the amazing places to stay

Look how lovely my nails were !

Sigh, at least 4 of those 5 are now broken down to their nub :(

If only M had put a ring on it whilst it lasted

i kid i kid (sort of)

You know christmas morning will start off well when it entails a peppermint soy latte

Bliss !

One of my gifts from M

Nugget on a chain

Nugget enjoys watching the OC, lying on the rug & eating tinsel

If you're a frequent reader, you'd know my interior decorating ideas are constrained to the laker colours !! The tree wasn't exempt from this

Not impressed with being in a stocking

Christmas tree farms ! So festive

Christmas baking

This was Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

So delish !

Sigh

Note to self, take better photos next year

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

December 30, 2012

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

A Life Update Feat. Mr. Nugget

So i have been a crappy blogger for the past few months

There is no excuse except to say that life took over !

Ever since moving out of home in March this year i have missed the companionship of my dogs & have felt a little out of sorts without one around

Well, i am beyond excited to announce the arrival of my very own puppy by the name of nugget (nugalicious, nugaboo, nug dawg, nugacino)

So prepare for the onslaught of photos !

He is a miniature dachshund crossed with a chihuahua

and we are so in love with him

I want to get a DSLR so badly to take better picture of him

He'll definitely be featuring heavily on the blog

The clothes pile in my bedroom aka nugget mountain !

Thankyou for visiting

How's your self image ?

December 9, 2012

Ok so this post will be a little different to what i normally talk about

This post will be about self image

For the past month i have felt a bit 'down & out' i can't exactly pin point what it is that makes me feel like this but i know for sure i need to change it

Last night we had a family 'pre christmas' dinner as my brother in law & his girlfriend are going to the states for the holidays, it was so much fun...until it was time for photos

I can't tell you how much i HATE having photos of myself taken, i just never look good ! I know the photos wont turn out nice so i resist having them taken SO hard, which in turn makes me that annoying 'oh, i don't do photos' kind of girl ! Errrgh. I managed to have some taken but i havent even looked at them (& not sure i will), the feeling of such negativity towards myself put a dampener on my night

This morning i woke up & i realised i NEED to change this way of thinking, i need to give myself a reason to like myself, it sounds so conceited but if i don't i worry i'll become self destructive.

So this is where i'm reaching out...how do you get a positive self image ? What do you do to maintain it ?

XO Lauren

"... and the world we live in will be either better or worse, depending on whether we become better or worse. And that's where the power of love comes in. Because when we love, we

always strive to become better than we are."

Wardrobe Inspiration

November 5, 2012

I don't know about you, but recently i have been all kinds of obsessed with wardrobe organisation !

Perhaps because it's spring or maybe just because i have watched like 1,000,000 youtube videos about it. The latest was this one by Allthatglitters21

I literally sit at my computer & drool over wardrobe organisation like this !!

I decided it was time to overhaul our bedroom wardrobes (master bedroom & spare)

I keep the boring stuff (pj's, socks, knickers etc) in a white Hemnes Chest of 8 Drawers from none other than Ikea !! The rest of my stuff is stored like this...