WINTER HOLIDAYS!!

Hi all, how was your weekend? I went to a party on Saturday night and hosted our landlords for afternoon tea yesterday, but otherwise I didn't leave the house!! The weather was pants, plus I was packing and tidying for our holiday today! We picked up our friend who arrived from the Bahamas this morning and are flying to the South Island this evening for a road trip.

Flights are disrupted due to snow in the South Island (it gets a LOT colder there!) so hopefully we will get there at some point! This is my sister-in-law's garden today:

 

And today I finally succumbed to the flat fluffy boot club and bought these:

Which were $185 - then when the bf spoke to his sister she had paid ONE THIRD of the price for hers recently!!! BAH!

So I will try and update you on my icy road trip on the way....we are going to Hamner Springs (hot volcanic springs in an Alpine Village), Franz Josef glacier walk, Queenstown for snowboarding and various other winter destinations.

What are your plans? And yes, I have packed a hot water bottle!! ;)

What's in your bag?

Hello, I have something a lil bit different today! Over on A Pretty Nest Marie-Eve is having a link party for us to show what's in our handbags...and seeing as I'm a little bit nosey, I joined in!!!

So here is what was in my handbag today.....

Today was not an average day - and my bag contents reflect this!

My trusty Betsy Johnson - it's a really great bag as it holds a LOT. I treated myself to this when I got my first job as Editor a few years back and it's still going strong :)

SO what is in here???

Birthday card for my niece (she is FOUR next month OMG!), delivery of cabouchons for my shop I collected today (all the way from the UK!), and passport photos from my morning at the immigration office today - I DIDN'T GET MY VISA RENEWED and have to wait for them to decide whether I get to stay in NZ or not! How rude! hahaha

My purse (from Witchery) and a thermos cup from T2 in Melbourne - I was going on a work road-trip straight after the immigration office and so thought I might need a cup of tea for the road - I didn't so just carried it with me all day anyway!!!

My trusty pink Filofax!!!!!!! My mum asked me 'does anyone still use those!?' when I told her I'd ordered one - well Mum, I do!!! hahaha

The rest of the photos won't rotate sorry - I don't know why Blogger is saving them this way around :'(

Proof I may be the last Filofax user!!

My Radley passport cover - a gift from a friend when I left the UK

Which is now EMPTY because immigration have my passport with my visa application

Keys and leather gloves (Primark)

Sunglasses (cheapies I just leave in my bag for winter sun), headphones and camera cord

Make up bag, postal receipt for my latest shop sale :D, random business card, hair elastic and headband, painkillers and my business card wallet

A lot of stuff in one small(ish) bag!!

SO - WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG? :)

What I wore: To Brunch

Hello, welcome to hump day! Yay for Wednesdays! On the weekend the bf and I went shopping. His friend is visiting from the Bahamas next week and so we are going on a road trip in the South Island. I needed winter casual clothes as we'll be sightseeing, tramping and snowboarding - and I won't be able to get away with high heels ALL of the time!

It was a partly disappointing trip. Jeans just AREN'T my friend (well, my thighs aren't my friend but that's another story). I ended up buying more of the same style shirts and dresses that I normally wear, but I guess that's because they suit my shape.

I also bought this stripy loose lightweight jumper. And I really like it :)

Jumper, Glassons; Gilet, Tempt; Leggings, Glassons; Boots, Matalan; Handbag, Betsey Johnson

This is one of the latest additions to my Etsy shop and I am obsessed with them!!  (I will post clearer pics below!)
Necklace, Shh By Sadie

Vintage Amber Bead Earrings, Shh By Sadie

Rope bracelets, Shh By Sadie

This is my beloved Betsey Johnson bag. Four years old and still going strong!!

And here are some pics of my new babies <3 They've been going down a treat! I am preparing for my first ever craft fair next month and so have been making plenty of pieces for my stall. I have several other designs which I need to photograph but will share with you in a day or two!!

 

Isn't She Tweet Necklace

Isn't She Tweet and Papillon Pinky Necklaces

 

One more thing - the lovely Cait at Sailing to Nowhere featured my jewellery in her blog this week - check it out! Thanks Cait :)

How is your week going?

Mid Winter Christmas Party

Hi all, on Friday I went to a "mid-winter Christmas party" at my friend's house. For us ex-pats in the Southern Hemisphere winter is a very strange time. We're used to holidays like Halloween, Guy Fawke's and Christmas to break the cold months up, but here in New Zealand winter is just WINTER! 

So it's common for ex-pats to have a mid-winter Christmas, and as we like any excuse for a party, we jumped on the band wagon!

So I have three outfit shots - excuse the poor quality, my camera is too fancy for its own good and neither I nor the bf know how to use it :( Stupid camera!

Trousers, Valley Girl, Shoes, Zara; Blouse, Primark; Faux Fur Jacket, Tempt; Leather gloves, Primark.

Yes, that's right, I am wearing TROUSERS!! Wow!! I bought them last week as I am fed up of always wearing dresses!

My friend had borrowed chairs and tables from work to accommodate us all!

A token tree!

$5 secret santas :D

She had made us crakers from SCRATCH and printed out funny faces of the boys

And nice ones of the girls!

My fab secret santa prize - I do love a cup of tea!!

Now I can't wait for the REAL Christmas!!

Amazing Craft Swap Goodies!

Hi all, how is your weekend going? Mine's been swell - two parties, brunch with the bf and a spot of shopping! I even managed to snap a coupla quick outfit shots to share with you too!

I wanted to show you the amazing goodies I received from my lovely friend AJ from Missouri Daze. Her blog is super sweet and she shares all sorts of creative projects, so if you're interested in art and craft, check her out!

Here's the package!

A painting by AJ, some hummingbird transfers (I love hummingbirds) and a cute card

Gorgeous jewellery - I had to stop my work friend from pinching the bow ring! And I am looking forward to taking the turquoise earrings and cuff on holiday in September. I think the pendant is one of the pieces AJ creates for her Etsy shop - it's fabulous :)

Templates and cut outs and other embellishments

This little stone now lives on my bedside table. Hope it works! ;)

Swarovski crystals and jewellery findings :)

This was one of my favourite items - a set of personalised notecards and envelopes with my blog name and a flamingo!!! Thanks AJ :)

A bag of wooden, glass and pearl beads and other bits and bobs.

A stash of lace, fabric flowers and other fun bits

I received this little trinket box...and what was inside??

EEK how exciting!! Coral and turquoise beads (my fav colours) AND two amethysts!! I am saving these babies for something special!!

I have no idea how AJ managed to cram so many things into one modest box!!! :)

It made my day receiving this parcel and I kept getting the contents out to have another look at them al - thanks so much AJ :)

Weekend Etsy Sale and lots of cake!

Hello all, WOW it's Friday again! I have spent the day happily munching and sipping tea at our weekly work morning tea, and then again with a small afternoon tea with a small sliver of rainbow cake (which looked like this and was SUPER delicious)

Source

Then at 4pm we are having a small work function and tonight I am going to a friend's Mid-Winter Christmas Dinner Party! A lot of food orientated functions in one day - good job I went to the gym last night!!

What do you have planned for the weekend?

I received an AMAZING box of goodies from my good blogging friend AJ on Wednesday and am hoping to spend a few hours tomorrow making some bits and pieces with the treasures she sent me. (I have also taken a tonne of photos to share with you tomorrow of the goodies I received). 

In the meantime, I am having my first ever Etsy sale!! Yay! 

THIS WEEKEND ONLY!

Save 15% on EVERYTHING in the shop!

Use the code LOVEWEEKENDS

Why not share the love and tell your friends? :)

A flashback!

Hi all! I have been missing doing my outfit/fashion posts lately - and it's because of two (maybe three!) reasons...

1. I've been making more of an effort to go to the gym, so by the time I get home I'm in my joggers!

2. I keep forgetting (like on Weds for Weds Wardrobe Challenge - I'd participated and everything!).

3. It's been so cold that my outfits aren't always THAT exciting!

So in the meantime, here's a bit of a flashback. I love this dress so I thought I would share it with you all!

I bought it in a vintage warehouse in Spitalfields, London, a couple of years ago. Bows - yep. Stripes - yep. Puffy skirt - loved it all. And it was 25 POUNDS! OMG bargain!!

In November the bf and I went to the annual Hall of Fame gala dinner at the university where we work. Here are the pics!

Dress, vintage, shoes Tony Bianco, Silk pashmina, bridesmaid gift from my bff :)

Do you have a favourite outfit that you save for special occasions?