Posts Tagged ‘Photo Diary’

3 months pass by

I’m really awkward when it comes to trying to update people on my life since returning to New Zealand. So much has happened, but time has flown by so quickly, so instead of rambling on I have compiled a brief list to sum up the last three months. I have also used instagram to provide a brief photographic overview of my life (spoiler alert – there’s a lot of coffee and pancakes).

So what have I been up to:

  • Eating enough cheese to feel sick (not something new, just reassuring you all that my love of cheese is still going strong
  • Having amazing #brunchclubs with Laura and Maddy, my two blogging inspirations and generally amazing friends
  • Settling in to a new wonderful flat with space and character and all those great things that make a house a home
  • Learning to love having flatmates again which mainly involves much wine drinking and the occasional sock on the door knob
  • Getting into Girls in a big way (the TV show, no dramatic orientation changes at this stage)
  • Pining over another overseas trip. Japan, I have you and all of your cat cafes in my sights.
  • Working too hard, doing too much overtime and then grumbling about it
  • Failing to join the gym but with all the right intentions
  • Enjoying the first little glimpses of summer with some iced tea and beers in our back yard
  • Feeling guilty over how hard I have found it to get back into blogging
  • Going for a couple of amazing trips to Wellington, one work related and one to launch Wellington’s very own #brunchclub
  • Baking things, but not as much as I would like to
  • Being awestruck and head over heels at my new little niece who is the most adorable piece of baby flesh I ever did set my eyes on.
  • Becoming ridiculously proud of my baby sister who makes motherhood look so darn easy, and has never looked more beautiful than when she is snapchatting her and the baby after very few hours of sleep. I don’t know how you do it but I know one day I will hate you just a little bit for setting the bar so high
  • Trying to make the neighbour’s cat love me the most and failing but still getting plenty of cat cuddles
  • Learning to appreciate the little things more, slowly.
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The “dream about you everyday”mint hot chocolate from Al’s Deli

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Using cafe’s as a way to get free (not really free) cat cuddles. 

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Experimenting with different Vegetarian meals

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Decorating the entire office to look like Alice and Wonderland and kind of knocking our own socks off

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Eating so much amazing food in Wellington. This is Chow *drool*

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Long Blacks look pretty and are better for me. So I’m trying to replace my love of lattes.

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Moving house and finding my favourite sun spot to read in

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Organising my first baby shower and not even screwing anything up!

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So I thought I wasn’t a fan of pancakes. Okra may have changed my whole perspective (which explains why I have eaten pancakes almost every weekend).

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Tried Best Ugly Bagels for the first time and thankfully they lived up to the hype in a delicious way! Peanut Butter and Jam for life.

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No words could describe how incredible it is to have a little niece.

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Entertaining which is mostly just an excuse to eat more cheese

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Had a great #brunchclub at Tuihana, more on this to come!

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Found an app that lets me replace faces with animal heads (called Animal Face, go figure) and have been going through all my travel photos to make them more appealing. So great.

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Enjoying the Kiwi Spring that has just started making itself known

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Befriending all the cats in the Neighbourhood, even the ones that look like little alien sheep.

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Reading this book and getting a little obsessed

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And lastly, embracing Halloween at work.

Looking forward to:

  • Lorde concert which is on tonight and which I should be getting ready for instead of blogging
  • Going to see Bill Bailey this week which will be amazing
  • The exciting future of #brunchclub
  • Watching my niece and my sister grow together
  • Spending more time with family now that the sun decides to come out more often
  • Continuing to make the new place feel like home
  • Joining a gym so that I can get fit and healthy
  • Doing some part time study, all though I might put that off until next year
  • Planning a budget that lets us save for a trip to the South Island and then later on for Japan
  • CHRISTMAS.

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A Glimpse into My Foxy Christmas

Hey Guys!

So as this year draws to a close I wanted to share a few photos from my rather hectic Christmas day. We have our Christmas routine down to a science now and I kind of love it. It involves 3 families, a few animals, lots of driving but also lots of presents and as the photos will show too much food. Also, thanks to my husband for all these awesome photos. I was far too busy eating.

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I love a Christmas tree with mountains of presents underneath. Best sight ever.

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Does anyone else get sad thinking of the moment all the decorations are packed away?

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Oooo Blurry lights….so arty

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I think my favourite part of Christmas is all the nibbles. Cheese and salami and crackers, Oh my!

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I also love bringing blue cheese to parties cause no one else likes it which leaves more for me!

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That face.

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Spider is not impressed by Christmas. Not at all.

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A day of family means wine is a necessity. Just kidding. But not really.

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Meet cookie the devoted yet extremely scruffy jack russell.

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Each time I spell Poinsettia correctly I give myself an invisible pat on the back.

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Watching kids open presents can be extremely satisfying. The end result is a wrapping paper bomb site.

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A better combination than tomatoes and fresh basil does not exist. Except maybe peanut butter and jam.

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A fresh take on an old classic (Waldorf salad)

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This salad was amazing. I was fed so much good food its not even funny.

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The best part about a Kiwi Christmas? The ham.

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This had whiskey in its glaze. It was fantastic.

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Okay I spoke to soon…The pavlova makes a worthy competitor for the ham. It wouldn’t be Christmas without one.

Our Christmas also involved turkey, a very cute baby, pancakes, our car deciding to break yet again, terrible Christmas jokes*, a hilarious game to end the evening and a game of mini golf to round off boxing day (which I very much won, highest is best right?).

What did your Christmas entail?

*My personal favourite: What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations? Tinsilitis! (okay, its funnier with a couple of glasses of wine I admit)

My Big Little City: Diwali 2013

Hi All!

Happy Monday! I did not start Monday well with a few unfortunate events all occurring before 8am indicating a terrible start to the week but overall the day wasn’t too bad, at least not as bad as I was expecting! Apologies for a lack of blog posts last week, I was away from the city (and my internet) for Thursday and Friday last  week which was actually kind of lovely, for a health and safety course of all things. I got two days off the phones at work and instead spent time outside in the sunshine and also with my lovely family who happened to be down where the course was. Bliss. Needless to say I know where I would rather be right now.

Anyway, today I thought I would share a few photos from our Sunday trip with my two little brothers to Auckland’s Diwali festival in the city. I don’t know a lot about Diwali except that it is an Indian religious festival of lights that brings life to Queen street and Aotea Square and is well worth the crowds, especially on a gorgeous Spring weekend. I will let the photos do the talking :) Definitely try it out next year, its free to go and enjoy all the amazing shows and the food is very decently priced (and there is every option available…without meat). I would go again if only to sit in the sun in Aotea square and just enjoy the lively ambiance.

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A face painting station gave me a chance to prove how terrible I am at face painting, luckily Mr 5 was convinced by my “Warrior” face paint and wore it proudly through the day!

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Gorgeous trinkets galore

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The food is one of my favourite things about the Auckland Diwali festival. Mainly because it is all delicious vegetarian dishes and there is more of it than I have ever seen in one spot before. Be ready to face the crowds for some cheap but amazing lunch in the sun. The kettle corn featured below was one of the only stalls that didn’t seem quite cohesive but made for a delicious afternoon tea sitting on the grass in Aotea Square.DSC_3363 DSC_3369

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This guy posing for Edd’s camera may have been the best thing in the whole festival.

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Thanks to Edd for most of these photos! I was too busy eating and enjoying it haha.

Xx