Summer in WA

It's been a while, so here is a big old photo dump of the things that I have been doing. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking for me!

Australia Day - We drank and lazed in the sun at South Beach, Fremantle. The shade of the gazebo was a godsend, as the day was a scorcher. In the evening we watched the Indian Ocean Skyshow which was great. Excellent way to spend a chilled out day.

We rented paddle boards at Point Walter for a few hours one day through Elemental SUP. Such a fun way to spend a morning. I had never tried paddle boarding before, but it's super simple (which possibly had something to do with the fact that we were on calm flat water) and felt like a workout. Quite excited for the sister to get down to Perth with her paddle boards so we can get out there some more!

 The boy and I spent a few evenings at Monument Hill in Fremantle, eating cheese and spreading out on the amazing beanbags I bought Ben for Christmas. We were lucky enough to be given a few wicked picnic bits and pieces, like the hamper and blanket below, so we were accessorised to the max, which was brilliant - honestly, even if it takes a while to load it all in the car, take all the things you don't think you'll need. Maybe you don't need them, but it sure makes life comfortable.

We took in the Perth Laneway for Wolfie's Birthday

Melissa's Hen's Night - Amazing Cocktails at the Merrywell (and damn good food!!!), followed by a fun night at the Crown Perth Casino, and some dancing that took me back to 2003 at Eve. 

We also went to Sculptures By The Sea in Cottesloe. It finishes up this weekend, so if you can get there, GO! 

And finally, Melissa and Mitchell's Wedding in Yallingup. Ben and I woke up and were on the beach at 6.30am. Thankfully the cloud burnt off by ceremony time.

Awkward wedding guest poses

The Ceremony

The sun setting over Yallingup.

Bali beckons in a week, so will be sure to take a heap of photos and make a meaty post when I am back! Excuse this poor attempt!

Home, Sweet As Home

I hadn't set foot back in New Zealand since I moved to Western Australia - just a few months shy of two years! - so to say I was a little excited to be heading home was more than a bit of an exaggeration.

We spent two weeks in the Motherland, not nearly long enough to fit in the things I wanted to do and the people I wanted to see, but we sure gave it a stab. I covered quite a bit of ground, heading to Waihi Beach one day, Lake Tarawera the next, and then on to the Coromandel the following. An hour or two in a different direction and you find yourself in a completely different scenery, from beach to lake to waterfall. I think I forgot how amazingly beautiful home is during my time away.

I got to spend Christmas with the family - the first time in five years that the whole family was together at home. I can't say that I made the most of it though, as all my jet lag hit that day, and after the 7am wake up call for present opening from my over excited mother, I slunk back to bed, where I stayed fast asleep until the boy woke me at 2.30pm. He had been playing Rummy-O with my mother and sister the whole time, determined to play until he won. 

The weather wasn't really on my side while we were home, raining all except maybe three of the days I was home. I was quite surprised at how warm it was though. Before we left we were looking at temperatures that were nearly 20 degrees cooler than Perth, but I was still in a tee and shorts the whole time - Humidity definitely plays a part in making you warm!

I was pretty slack with the camera while we were away, only catching a few snaps in the Mount, and then a heap more during our New Year trip up to Coromandel.

Dinner at Pilot Bay - We actually tried to go to Taste of Asia, but I kooked it and didn't make a booking. Completely forgot how popular that place is! Instead we went to Mount Pizza (Formerly known as Summit Fresh) and got my favourite pizza ever - The Cranberry Chicken - and sat and watched the sun set. Topped off with a Copenhagen Cone and I was pretty damn happy.

Our Bach

We stayed in a cute little house in Coromandel, that we rented through the Coromandel Top Ten Holiday Park. I think we all drove up expecting the six of us to be stuffed in a one room cabin with bunk beds, so we were quite shocked when we arrived to this three bedroom cottage. The house is one of the last remaining miners cottages in the coromandel.

Hydrangeas were EVERY WHERE!

Snugged up in front of the fireplace

The campground's Jumping Pillow

My lady loves

We had to drive to get to any beaches, and on New Year's Eve everything on our side of the coast was a bit too windy, so we headed over Whitianga way and found this sweet spot.

Sticky Tar from the road.

Gigantic Ice Creams from Kuaotunu Store

Our actual New Year's Eve celebrations took place on the front lawn of our bach, with a round of four kings, dancing and singing and lots of laughs. At about 11.30pm we walked into Coromandel Town, with the house clock as our official countdown clock. We got to a pub, and actually ended up passing the clock up to the band who used it for the Midnight count down.

Erin losing (or winning however you may look at it) four kings

While the boys went out fishing on New Year's Day, the ladies took a drive down the 309 Road between Coromandel and Whitianga. The 309 is a 20km long road, that is mostly gravel, which was fine on the way there, but provided a few sketchy skiddy moments on the way back in our trusty little Juicy Swift. We had found a brochure from the Waterworks that had a few spots along the road marked out on it, and unknowingly we hit most of them. 

As we were driving along we saw a few cars pulled over and a bunch of people gathered around a heap of pigs, so curiosity got the better of us and we stopped. I didn’t realise until later, but the Pig Farm and Stuart, the friendly guy rounded up piglets for us to hold, were actually marked on the map we had been looking at.

Let's pretend that's mud on Erin's arm!

We made our way to Waiau Falls, which were pretty much roadside, and the easiest two minute walk I’ve ever done to get to a Waterfall. Erin, being the brave soul she is, ended up jumping from the top of the falls as soon as we got there, while I was more of a wuss, walking in. The water was absolutely freezing and my neck did start to go numb, but it was so refreshing! We sat around and warmed up on rocks for a while before heading back.

I didn’t have nearly enough time at home, and missed out on doing a whole bunch of other things I really wanted to… Oh well. I will hopefully be back there sooner rather than later!

Now to start looking forward, and planning the next trip – I was lucky enough to get a ticket to Bali for Easter from the Boy for Christmas, so Charlotte and I will be reunited in about eleven weeks, and I cannot wait!!! Jealous Zen?

Big love to you both and hoping the 2013 is bring lots of good things your way

xxxxx

Jade

Trinkets and Treasures from Travel Adventures

As promised, here is the post about the treasures I acquired overseas. I picked up a lot of things to adorn the home - I have this vision of being an 80 year old, with bookshelves and sideboards cluttered with a lifetimes worth of trinkets, regaling my grandchildren with tales of the exotic location where I made my purchases, so I'm firmly on my way towards achieving the dream with this haul!

While everyone else on our bike tour of Berlin worried about toilet breaks and refreshments, I was concerned with the important stuff, like whether I would be able to carry this Amethyst candle holder in my suitcase for three weeks without shattering it. Bought from a crystal shop near Check Point Charlie, this is my favourite purchase of the trip.

You know those dodgy shops that look like they only sell bongs and weed shaped key rings? Well, you should go in them, sometimes the yield gold - like So High, Soho in London, where I picked up this Mexican Mosaic wall hanging. 

Scully, my skull shaped money box, comes from Urban Outfitters.

I picked up some very creepy fingernail rings from Top Shop - I really liked wearing the pinky one, but took it off one day and can't remember where I left it... whoops. The tiny skull is from a little shop in Paris, it's actually an eraser, and now sits with my jewellery.

In Hvar, I became obsessed with these old maps. They are printed on wax paper, so have been framed and hung in the bathroom - until someone comments to me to let me know if steam is going to damage the prints?

I picked up this clutch in KL and am yet to use it, but love the colours. It looks pretty perched on the accessory shelf in my bedroom

Snagged this jacket from H&M in London. It's in a really great burnt orange, so I can feel like I'm not just being bland in all black, like I usually do, when the weather is unpleasant.

Sand Castle Building in Hamelin Bay in the jacket

This suede and wool creation is from Garage in Berlin, as discussed in my previous post. I LOVE the suede tassels. It's a real 80's cut, with major shoulder action going on.

Top Shop Stud Shoulder Paisley Tee - This tee is in high rotation at the moment, definitely getting my wear out of it. The studs are actually quite sharp - no lending a shoulder to cry on in this top!

Picked up this number in Paris on the Champs D'Elysee. It was the perfect dress for the super hot weather we faced whilst in the city - you can't really see, but it is lace, overlaid on a very thin slip. The slight peplum at the bottom makes it that little bit more interesting than your usual black dress.

Strolling the streets of Paris 

Another Top Shop Shoulder Studded Stunner. I love how slouchy this is, the perfect amount of sloppy comfortable.

Rooftop drinks in London

In Ryan Town, I bought the 2013 Calendar. I'm looking forward to spending next year with him.

I've become one of those magnet people - picking up souvenirs in each of our stops, and then having Stickygrams made from my Instagram pics once I got home. I'll leave it to you to pick out the buys!

While in London, we went to Harrods, where I discovered the Christmas Shop and went a bit mental. Christmas is my thing - I love decorating, and sending christmas cards, and buying and wrapping presents, and catching up with all my friends and family and... I could go on forever here, so let's just leave it at I LOVE CHRISTMAS, and was very excited to get some very London decorations for my tree.

I also visited the Bermondsey Square Antique Markets, which were conveniently right outside our doorstep when we stayed at the Bermondsey Square Hotel. The BF lacked my vision and thought I was being ridiculous when I bought a broken chandelier, but what he couldn't envision was how perfect the broken pieces would be to use to make christmas decorations.

I set to the task of putting these together last month, with some jump rings from Spotlight, ribbon from Myer (I STILL have no idea where the safe spot I stored my special ribbons purchased in London is, I'm sure they will turn up one day...) and a set of Jewellery Pliers. Basically, I just pulled all the motley wires out of the chandelier pieces and then used the jump rings to create some different combinations of the pieces. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out - example below.

From this to this...

And now that I have once again successfully managed to lull you to sleep, I conclude my banging on about the Europe Trip. I promise to never speak of it again. We are off to New Zealand at the end of the week, to celebrate Christmas with family and friends at home, before a quick weekend visiting the boy's family in Bendigo, VIC, so I'm sure I will be raving about that instead and driving you nuts.

I'm going to be doing my best to make you as homesick as I can Zen - I'll be sure to get a good pic of your Ma and Pa for you, and Charlotte, I will make sure that Erin and I have many a drink in your honour!

Love love

Jade xx