A New Year!

First of all, happy new year to all (or you small bunch) of readers out there. Hope you all had a magnificent new year wherever you were. I've been reading a few other blogs recently and most of them are posting about new years resolutions etc etc; However, I'm not so good at new years resolutions, so instead we'll call them goals I aim to achieve. Same thing? Probably. 

2012 was a good one for me, although I kind of just plodded along, lived a student life and didn't actually achieve a hell of a lot. I've been thinking about what this year will bring. Here's what I hope to achieve. 

-Be more creative and do more things I love. This pretty much means blogging, writing, and scrap booking. {Something which I haven't done the last six months}

-Get into DIY. I love houses and interior bits and pieces, so with the help of Pinterest I hope to do a few things for my bedroom or my flat which I'll be proud of and can keep forever. 

-Do something that is going to help me in my future. Now this ones a bit vague, but since I'm in my last year of study, I feel like I need to be creating a magazine or at least writing for one. We'll see how this goes!

-Maybe, finally do a half marathon. Eeeek. Every year I say I'll do one, but the excuses come out and it never gets done so surely this is the year. 

I've got a few plans for these goals up my sleeve so will keep you updated. In the meantime, here's a few bits from Instagram. 

1.That chair was $2 in a second hand shop {such a great buy!} so I'm getting it recovered for a bit more than $2 but I can't wait to have it in my room. 2.Christmas Day swims. 3.NZ Sun. 4. NZ Beach. 5. Lolly bangles. 6. The most perfect poached eggs (obviously not made by me.)

Happy new year people, may it be a good one.

Back soon oxo

Over and Out

Well 2012 is nearly complete and Christmas is literally at our doorsteps so this is it. This will be my last post for the year as I'll be popping home for a few days over Christmas then finally have 5 days off work for New Years. I'll be heading to the beach with family and friends to relax and unwind {if I haven't done enough of that already.} 

Might even go swimming as the sun sets...

 

 Or jump off rocks? Who knows, but I cannot wait!

For those of you who actually take the time to read my blog, {or scribbles} thanks a bunch. Hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I've loved writing it. Next year I'll write a list of things to blog about and will hit it off in January. Suggestions welcome. 

In the meantime, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and an even better New Years. Catch you lot in 2013! Kisses and hugs. Liv x

A Kiwi Christmas

I don't know if you're feeling the same way, but I don't think it feels like Christmas is literally one week away. One week?! Usually I'm so excited at this point and have wrapped up everyones presents and am now onto wrapping up everyone else's for them.. But this year, not so much. 

I am really unsure of why I feel like this, but nevertheless, Christmas is only seven days away and then before you know it, we'll be in 2013 starting a whole new year! 

A New Zealand Christmas is less about sleigh bells and snow, and more about sun, sand and barbecues in the backyard. Some may go to Church and others will be opening presents and eating all day long. For me, Christmas is just about spending time with friends and family, enjoying a pressie or two and relaxing! 

For those of you not from New Zealand, above is what we call the "New Zealand Christmas tree." It's a Pohutukawa Tree. But don't worry, we don't put a branch of Pohutukawa in our lounge, we're still the same as the rest of the world with out Christmas Tree and find a cute green one that smells delish. 

Wherever you are in the world and whatever you are doing, Merry Christmas. I hope you have a fantastic day. Enjoy x

Sydney Bound!

Recently there's been a lot of talk of going on a holiday (maybe months) but nothing had yet eventuated. A while back I was planning a trip to Thailand with the boy but December/January doesn't fit in with his golf tournaments and yardy yardy yar. Even in this post I talked about dying to get away. Great news, I've finally sorted myself out and am off to Sydney for five days in January. 

Need a wooohoo. 

#Yolo got the better of me and I saw myself at midnight on Sunday booking tickets to Big Day Out in Sydney with a friend from school. I've only been to Brisbane/The Gold Coast so it'll be fun to venture around a new place and get out of old Hamilton for a few days! 

That's Big Day Out in Sydney - all those people (and on Bondi Beach as well) hollly moly. I'll be one of those people in just over a months time rocking to Red Hot Chilli Peppers and The Killers!

Been to Sydney? Know of places we must visit? We're there for 5 days so suggestions of activities/tourist attractions welcome. Can't say I've ever been on a holiday just me and a friend - first time for everything. Let me know if you recommend places to stay/shop/eat/dance etc etc etc; 

Love oxo

Need to get away?

Me too. I am seriously counting down the days until I finish tech for the year {10 days until I'm completely finished but 101 things to do in the meantime - blogging keeps me sane} and then before we know it, our New Zealand summer {that did exist once upon a time} will be here. Can I get a woooohoo!

Although it's all fine and dandy that I get three months off and pretty much get to do what I please... {I'm very grateful of this}... Sometimes I just wish I could literally book some tickets to some place hot where I could lie on the beach all day. I'm at a point where If someone gave me a few thousand dollars {anybody listening?} I'd book an overseas holiday right there and then.

In the six years that we've been together, me and the boy have never been overseas together so anywhere, like anywhere would be amazing. Australia, any of the Pacific Islands, Thailand or even Tahiti when I wish I was rich. Although my budget doesn't allow, I'm often very tempted to just book a flight somewhere, then at least I have to go. Wouldn't that be fun? Or does no one else get this feeling which is a bit like cabin fever?

Anyway money fairy, please be nice to me. If you are listening, drop me some money from your tree when you're looking over me. Even better, book me a holiday anywhere in the world! Would this be a good time to send the link of mymindonscreen to my parents and say I know exactly what I want for christmas? Seriously, just get me out of Hamilton. Lots of love, very poor student. Ex o ex o.

Summer's coming..

Which means i'm now in my last two weeks at tech - the few weeks when life is a little bit cray cray. One of my final assignments is to make a website {as I mentioned in my last post} So I've been a bit slack at blogging. 

I'm sorry I haven't blogged because..

1. I have school work to do, and making a website is by far the best assignment I've ever had to do therefore it's taking up a lot of my time. 
2. The Block Australia has started {Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday nights} and I already have my favourite couple. {Sophie & Dale if you watch it}
3. I spend a lot of my time singing to the Pitch Perfect soundtrack. 
4. Refer to above. 

If you haven't seen Pitch Perfect, you are missing out. I'm not a big movie fan as most of my friends will know so when I was busting to see this, it may have come as a surprise. The only movies I really enjoy are romantic comedy's or movies with singing/dancing in them, true to Dio girl form. Sitting in Pitch Perfect, us four girls were clapping and singing away {much to the embarrassment of the one boy who came with us, sorry Binney} Fat Amy is hilarious and it's just so much better than the normal dancing/singing movies 'cos it's a laugh as well. Even though I'm a poor student, I may have bought the soundtrack for $20 cos I enjoyed it so much. 

But seriously, stop reading this and go see Pitch Perfect. It's worth the $14. In the meantime, here's a sneak peak of my favourite bit in the movie. 

Not long now until I am finished at tech for a few months, summer will be here {I might finally get a tan} and all my bestest of friends will be home from university.  Hopefully I'll have some blog inspiration too, enjoy beautiful people oxo

Back to the gym!

I've been a bit slack recently and although I've got a gym membership, (which I pay $18 a week for!!) I wasn't really using it to my advantage. Gym memberships can be, and are an expensive thing to get yourself into, but I've finally realised that you just need to get up and go! I joined Les Mills in May 2011 since that's where my boyfriend goes, and I thought I'd tag along with him. This worked for a while but guys do different things to us girls (they're all into weights when I just want to lose weight.) I would basically pay $18 a week to go and run on a tredmill. Everyone told me this was ridiculous and a few months ago I was going to cancel my membership. Not sure why I didn't, but now I'm glad. 

Les Mills have the most amazing fitness classes, and everyone was telling me to try them out so I bit the bullet and went to a Body Attack class on Wednesday night. I planned on going with a friend so I wouldn't feel so intimidated, but when this didn't work out, I ventured in there on my own. 

Body Attack is "A high-energy, calorie-consuming athletic workout that will push you past the limit with strong, simple moves and pumping music.'' Check out this video of it. 

My goodness, It was hard - yet so much fun! After 20 minutes I thought to myself, "this is so hard, you are dying, maybe you should leave." The moves are quite complicated to understand (and I'm so un-coordinated) but I stood behind a girl that definitely knew what she was doing which was helpful! I've never sweated so much but man it felt good. The atmosphere is exciting, and everyones there for the same reason. Hopefully once I've been to a few classes and learnt the right moves, I'll b able to push myself a bit more. 

If you have a gym membership that you aren't using, maybe set some goals and use it? Or think twice and cancel it if you can. The floor staff at the gym tell me that if I do cardio in the gym, a few weights, and attend the classes they have available, I'll see results.

Our New Zealand summer is just around the corner and we all want that bikini bod don't we? Will keep you updated with any other classes I head along to. Good luck xx

Hi pretty people! Hope you have all had a fab week. Friday has finally arrived which means it's the weekend for me so it's definitely time to blog. Best part of your week? I went up to Auckland with my broadcasting class to visit all the radio stations. Was such a good experience to see what the studios at The Edge/ZM etc; all looked like. Seems like such a fun career to get in to so it's definitely on my list of "options for my life." 

Just on my favourite photo sharing site - We Heart It and found a few things that took my fancy. These all get me very excited for summer which is just around the corner!

Wow! So cute.

Looks delish, just what I feel like. 

Again, wow! Have a great weekend you little bloggers xx

Escaping to the tropics

..Ok so it's mid September so maybe not the tropics, but Mt Maunganui does seem to be the place to be over summer. I got work off on Thursday and the boy is playing golf over there for a few days so I thought I'd join him. If you're reading this from another part of the world, Mt Maunganui is a beach town 1.5hrs drive from where I live. I haven't been there a lot but it is one of the many places to be over summer. See that mountain in the background? Everyone climbs that.. I just might do it once or twice while I'm there. 

I'll definitely be going to these famous hot pools though..

No doubt I'll be watching a bit of this aswell.. 

Or a lot? 

If you don't hear from me, at least you know I am "out of the office" {ha ha} and will be back at the end of the week. I will take my camera and see what amazing things I can capture. Hope you are all having a fab week, catch ya on the flipside xx

Apologies!

Right, I'm sorry I haven't blogged all week! No excuse really - am on holiday so just pottering around home, trying (but failing) to get work done, looking at flats for next year and enjoying this gorgeous spring sunshine. You may have noticed I figured out how to add pages to my blog, so down the right side of my main page, there is now an "about me" and "my favourite sites" section. Have a read of these and see what you think. Does anyone know how to make the titles of the pages larger though? Jess you little blogger? Help me out here, I'm stuck on this one. 

Anyway, shooting home again to take photos on the farm as well as help out Dad in the afternoon. Hope you are all out enjoy this weather, will have more photos to blog tomorrow (hopefully!)

A few photos that are getting me very excited for summer, just around the corner. Isn't this house stunning? 

Have a wonderful day xx

Daisy a day

A few weeks ago, I said I would do a photo a day for August, based on fatmumslim (not fat muslim as I read it) and her gorgeous blog. However, my little android doesn't take very beautiful photos (thinking about getting an iPhone 4s so I can do everything from my phone) sooo.. It was a disaster, and I gave up after three days. 

Not getting me down though, i'll do a daisy a day instead. Made this one up myself, how original huh? I just think daisies are such cute little innocent flowers and make for perfect photographs. Being the middle of winter in NZ, it's a wee bit hard to find daisies to photograph, that will be a plan for summer. So in the meantime, most of the photos I use are sourced from "We heart it." 

This was just to cute not to post! 

Have just finished reading the crazy book 50 Shades of Grey (my Mum is reading it too - ew at the thought) and have a few things to say about it so that'll be the next blog. 

Thanks for reading, much love x