merry merry

Just stopping by to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Hope it's full of everything you want it to be, Early tomorrow morning we'll be heading off on our little holiday. Looking forward to spending Christmas just the four of us, our first as our own little family. Then heading straight off to our new home across the water. See you in 2012!

our new home

I mentioned a few weeks ago that something major was on the horizon, and I can now share the news that we are moving to Australia! Curt has accepted a really great job working for a company in Melbourne (he is an Environmental Consultant if you were wondering). This is a place we've been hoping to call home at some point in our future for a long time so we're absolutely thrilled that it's actually happening. Melbourne is an amazing, cosmopolitan city, I love the creative, cultural vibe and the proximity to beautiful golden beaches and stunning coastline. Even better, this is where my sister and her husband live! Also, in an awesome turn of events, one of my very best friends in the world is also moving from the UK to Melbourne at the end of January. Hands down the most challenging part of being in New Zealand for the past year has been being so far away from family and friends so this will change our lives in a big way.

On the downside, we now have to say goodbye to a number of very dear friends we have made and spent time with since we've been in Auckland. I'd say it takes a year to feel fully settled in a place and in the past six months here we've really hit our stride. Although it has turned out to be a relatively short stay, I'll never forget the time we spent here, the awe inspiring places we've seen, my wonderful job, and the many good times with some amazing people. We have made some great memories to look back on.

The next week is going to be something of a whirlwind. We applied for our working visas a few weeks ago, expecting them to be granted in a couple of months however they already came through this week. This means the girls and I will not be coming back from the holiday to Melbourne we had planned over New Year. Curt will just come back to Auckland for a couple of weeks to finish up his current job and tie up our loose ends. On Thursday, all our possessions will be collected ready to be shipped (thank goodness the shipping company will be packing everything up into boxes for us too!) and the next few days will be spent sorting and deciding what to ship, fly with and leave behind before we set off on our little trip to the Bay of Islands for Christmas. And of course saying our goodbyes, the hardest of which we did last night, but we are already looking forward to lots of visitors when we get settled in our new home.

Images of Melbourne found here, here and here.

a little bit of Christmas

This will be the third time I've spent in Christmas the southern hemisphere but I still find the whole thing so incredibly bizarre. As well as a time to be with family, to me will it always mean chilly days and snow, mittens, blankets, warm fires, mulled wine and warm mince pies. Everything that it is definitely not in New Zealand, where it means Summer holidays, beaches, bbq's, cold beers and ice creams. Though having said that, it has actually rained almost constantly for the past week so it is starting to feel more like home. It's still always warm though, no need for a woolly hat or a fire round these parts! However I've still done my best to make our home feel festive.

Having children makes Christmas really magical again and I love the fact that Lila is now old enough to get ridiculously excited about it all. Not that I need any excuse to fully embrace everything even remotely Christmassy. Early in the morning on Christmas Eve we will be driving four hours north of Auckland up to the beautiful Bay of Islands for a little three day getaway. No doubt we'll probably head straight for the beach but come the evening, I can't wait to hang the stockings, leave a mince pie and a carrot for Santa and his reindeer, put the Christmas songs on, light some candles and settle down with a glass of mulled wine to watch The Snowman with my girls :)

Pictures... a few shots from around our home.

love her look

I'm very inspired to rock this gorgeous, vintage inspired hair and make up look during the party season. That red lip is just the right amount of festive. The good news is that there is a brilliant tutorial on exactly how to do it here. Yay :)

Via Miss Moss

the dreamiest of dresses

Take note all brides to be! I've fallen head over heels with these beautiful wedding dresses by French designer Laure De Sagazan. They would be perfect for someone looking for a romantic, understated and ultra feminine dress. They could totally work for other occasions too (see how I'm trying to justify buying one some day, despite the fact I'm already married). Though definitely avoid wearing one as a wedding guest unless you want to completely upstage the bride ;)

Discovered via A Cup of Jo

just a minute in ... november

This is little late seeing as it's now already December, but it's been a whirlwind of a month for us with a very exciting new development on the horizon. More on that to come in a few weeks or so. In the meantime, here's a glimpse of what's been going down here lately.

Wanting... The month to be over as soon as possible so Curt would get rid of the monstrosity growing on his face. Don't get me wrong, I think it's awesome that he got involved and I fully support the cause of Movember, it just really creeps me out on seeing a mo on my own husband.

Wearing... My beautiful new dress from Topshop, after some deliberation over the midi length, I decided to embrace it and I really love it.

Selling... Some of my unworn clothes. Out with the old to make way for the new! We've been undertaking some pretty major clearing out around here, trying to scale down and simplify. The amount of extra possessions you accumulate when you have children verges on the insane.

Organising...and wrapping a little package of gifts to send over to the UK, the last Christmas posting dates leave you with no choice but to be super organised. At least it's one less thing to worry about during December.

Watching... Finally got to see the movie 500 Days of Summer which has been on my must watch list for about two years. Embarrassingly enough this is only because it was shown on TV but it was worth staying up to see. You can't go wrong with a bit of Zooey D.Which reminds me I really want to get the She & Him Christmas album. (She & Him is Zooey Deshanel's musical collaboration with M Ward).

Planning... Our mini getaway to the Bay of Islands (at the top of the North Island) for a few days over Christmas and then our trip over to Melbourne for New Year to see my sister and her husband and my parents who are flying over from the UK. We're staying in an awesome holiday home on the gorgeous Mornington Peninsula stretch of coast which comes complete with a tree house, pool and trampoline. Needless to say, Lila can barely contain herself.

Images above...Curt sporting his moustache......some flowers gathered on a walk.....my new dress...... His recently aquired vintage 70's surboard (the new love of his life, never mind me and the kids)