Pandaandbears

Sir Purrton: The New Addition

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Jun 2014 06:48:00 +0000

Gosh, I told a bit of a fib when I said I would update more frequently! The last few weeks have been enormously stressful, so it's been quite hard to find the time to blog.
As you know, I resigned from my job last month. The few weeks leading up to my last day were pretty tiring as I had to find a replacement for my position, and train them to hopefully get an idea if what I do. Luckily, it wasn't so bad, it at least took my mind of the 'new job nerves' which got to me later on.
Whilst all this was going on, I was frantically packing up as much as I could of my things in suitcases, ready to move to Melbourne. I got most of it done, but the night of my last day at my previous job - I was still packing. I had to be ready by the next morning as I had to pick K up from the station, and we were going to drive my car back to Melbourne. Everything went smoothly, my car held up pretty good with the amount of things I'd stuffed into it, and off we went - not without a heap of tears on the way. I have a really good relationship with my parents, which is why I've been able to stay as long as I had. Plus they have been there through the hardest parts of my life, and since then, it's been very hard to break away or even entertain the thought of leaving home. In saying that, it's taken me quite a while to settle into K's house. It just doesn't feel like 'home' yet. I'm hoping as time goes by, that feeling will go away. Although, I really think that once we actually buy our own home - it'll feel more homey, but that most likely won't be until next year.
So, after moving into K's house that weekend, getting my things all sorted, and going grocery shopping for our work lunches - I started work that Monday. Let me tell you, my nerves absolutely killed me. For two whole weeks, my stomach felt like it was about to curl up and die. I could barely eat, I slept terribly, I missed home, and I cried every night after work. Things are better now, but gee, they were a rough few weeks.
To compensate for my rough time, K said that I could find a cat of my own. And that's where Sir Purrton comes in! We adopted him a week ago from my home town at an animal shelter, and drove him home to Melbourne. I tell you, you want to rip your hair out when a cat just meows the entire time for 2 HOURS! Argh. But, he is the cutest little thing and I just love his ginger fur. My first cat was ginger when I was a child, and I've never had one since. So it feels so odd to actually have ginger cat again. But he's the biggest snuggler, and enjoys company and lots of pats (and food!). He has the best personality and I laugh at all the funny things he does. He's only 6 months old, so still a kitten, but he is as big as our 1.5yr old cat! I wonder how big he will get when he's older?

Purrton playing with my slipper drawstrings

Looking at me when I was holding the bag of catnip. Oh yes. He does funny things for catnip!

Two Weeks Notice

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 12 May 2014 11:17:00 +0000

Today I gave my work my two-weeks-notice. I'm still unsure how I feel on the subject as I have mixed feelings. However, I know this is a brand new start for me, not only job wise, but I get to finally move to Melbourne and live with K! After two years of weekend traveling back and forth to each other as we live in different cities - we will finally be together! FINALLY. I'm so unbelievably happy, but I'm also really scared at the prospect of walking into a new job I am not familiar with. (Hear the nerves speaking? Haha)
I was quite lucky in regards to nailing a job down, I thought it would take weeks, maybe months considering the market is a bit on the slow side. But obviously the world needed some office girls because I had calls coming out my ears! I had a permanent headache all week trying to fit interviews in during work time. I don't know how people do it, but it's such a hassle finding work when you're already in a job! Lucky for me, 5 calls later, 3 interviews in the space of a week and I got one. Phew!
Today, not only did I give my notice, but I had the responsibility of helping to find my replacement. Basically my day consisted of booking interviews, calling up references and giving advice on who might be the next 'me'. If you've never had to find your own replacement, it's not a really good feeling. I felt extra protective of my job more than ever - even though I'm leaving, it just felt really unusual and nerve wracking to give it up for sure.
I'm in the midst of packing up my room in pieces to move to K's house. It's slowly getting there, and I'm sure I will feel more relaxed and comfortable once all my things are moved and set up properly in my new home. It feels weird to say I've lived with my folks for quite some time, but we get along really well, and they've been an enormous part of my life, and will continue to be. I'm hoping I won't miss them too much when I move. I may need to bring some tissues on that day when I drive away for real!

Hong Kong Beauty Haul

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 09:35:00 +0000

Omigosh, I finally get to share with you my little beauty haul I did whilst we were in Hong Kong. Let me tell you, it took a lot of will power not to go completely overboard at the beauty counters, however I was able to resist temptation and buy only what I had on my list to begin with. Pretty good eh?!
The newest items that I've not really worn much of in the past but in the last year or so I can't get enough of, and that's lipsticks. I was more of a lip balm girl as my lips usually got quite dry - especially being indoors all the time during the day for work, there just wasn't any point in wearing lipstick as it would look hideous on dry lips.
However, over the course of the year my lips haven't been getting as dry because I'm constantly piling on the lip balm & moisturiser at night - which has helped immensely during the day for wearing lipstick. Winning!
So here's to welcoming fabulous new products!

First up, lipsticks. I can't remember how many You Tube videos I watched, and reviews I read trying to figure out which colours would suit me, how they looked on other people, and their staying power.
From left to right:
- Rouge Coco, Paradis 39
I first saw this used on a Lisa Eldridge You Tube tutorial for Chanel, and her finished look was perfection using this lipstick. It's a beautiful medium coral shade perfect for the spring/summer seasons. It's semi-opaque, but still gives a good amount of colour, and has a noticeable sheen and shimmer. This just brightens up the face immediately and it's definitely one of my absolute favourites.
- Rouge Coco, Chambon 31
Chambon is a wonderfully rich, vibrant, glowing red, with a glossy sheen. I wanted to find a red lipstick that wasn't too red, as being pale, I thought it may look a bit stark on me, so I was after something with more pink tones. I think I found it!
- Rouge Coco Shine, Aventure 57
A beautiful light pink shade, I would say this is a little bit more of a gloss than a lipstick, as the staying power isn't as good as I would expect it to be, however it's really good for a natural day to day look - especially those with a light complexion.
- Christian Dior, Rouge Dior, Darling 567
I adore this shade. It's almost verging on a hot pink, but not quite there. It's a great tone to wear if you're not wearing red, and it adds an almost instant pop of colour once you apply it to your lips. It's very moisturising and very comfortable to wear, and it lasts for a good 2 hours without applying more and leaves a nice stain afterwards.

On my shopping list, I had already decided I needed a new blush. I was going to go with one a Chanel creme blush, however I couldn't find the colour I really wanted. It was out of stock everywhere! So that was a pain.
So an alternative I spied was the Christian Dior Rosy Glow in Petal 001. It's a really light Barbie pink, and gives a nice rosy cheek. Although I've become accustomed to creme blushes in the past, using powder I find is a little difficult with judging the correct amount, so not to look too overdone. In all, I really like this blush, it suits my complexion and creates a more 'awake' and fresh look.

I have to say, this product, is my holy grail of products. The Chanel Hydro Base Lumiere is just waaaaaay too good. It's a primer and a moisturiser, so you can use it under makeup or just on its own. Since I got it in 2012, I've used nothing else but this primer and my skin is thanking me for it. It's quite light in texture when you're applying it with your hands, but as you rub it into your skin it sticks a little. You can see when you apply it, it gives this white sheer sheen to your face and evens out blemishes, and just makes you look more fresh.
I love this product, and I'm really sorry to say it's only available in Asian countries. The Chanel's De La Blanc is the alternative available here, but I just don't feel it comes close to this product! Well worth the money.

As we all know flying can be a complete bore, and sometimes we get looking at the InSky magazine with all these wonderful duty free items. I was browsing on our way over to HK, and I was debating on whether or not to get this YSL travel makeup kit. I spent the next two and a half weeks thinking about it, and I ended up buying it at the airport beauty kiosk before we departed for Australia. It comes with this really stylish black fold up case YSL logo on the front, containing three makeup brushes, eyeliner and a mascara. Once you open the makeup box, there's a choice of five eyeshadows, one blush, and four lipsticks. Each are very pretty, pigmented spring/summer shades. Perfect to look fresh when traveling.
I hope you enjoyed some of my beauty buys, I'd love to know what is your 'must have' in your makeup bag because I'm really loving all these wonderful products and I just can't decide!

My Traditional Hong Kong Wedding P/2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 12:29:00 +0000

Continuing on from my last post is part 2 of our Hong Kong wedding! Featuring the tea ceremony with my in-laws, the extended family, as well as parts of our banquet. I have been over these photos a hundred times and as much as I want to post every single one, it's just not possible. Ah!
After we had finished the tea ceremony with my parents and headed over to Kane's Grandma (who conveniently lives just around the block!) we were welcomed into her house by many family members - some who I'd met previously, and some I hadn't. Everyone was so lovely and welcoming and I felt truly like I had been given a place in this amazing family.
Once we arrived, we paid our respects to the ancestors. There is this gorgeous shine Kane's Grandma keeps with photos & tea cups and burning incense. We bowed, offered tea, and received red envelopes in return. (If you're not familiar with red envelopes, or red packet money, it's a Chinese tradition. They are a gift given during celebrations, weddings and CNY. The red symbolises good luck and wards of evil spirits. Usually its only married couples that offer them to you. )

We then performed the tea ceremony with Grandma, where she presented me with two gold bangles. They are the most perfectly beautiful bracelets and I feel I had great honour in wearing them. We laughed as she gave her speech afterwards, hoping that we'll have good fortune, and make lots of babies!!

Kane's parents were next, and they surprised us with a few gifts. Kane received a medal, which was the 'Year Of The Dog'. Apparently they are quite hard to come by, so he was very happy with it! I received two more gold bangles from my mother in law and a pearl necklace which is so beautiful. I think it was my favourite thing I wore all night! We continued with the tea ceremony with a few other family members before stopping just before 12pm, & going back to Kane's parents apartment for lunch with the family and film crew.

I finally had a bit of time to reply back to a few messages, and relax and have something to eat. It's funny how having a permanent smile plastered on your face for an hour can start to hurt, but I guarantee by the end of the night - we both had very sore faces! I had about an two hours to unwind and fill my tummy with yummy pizza, however Kane had to leave a bit earlier to go check into our hotel for the night at the Mira Hotel.
Finally we headed to the banquet venue which was at the BP International Hotel, a family favourite as Kane's mother is a member there. We arrived to see the crew hanging decorations, and putting the final touches up on the stage. I can say, that I have never, in my life, seen anything that looked so regal and like it was from a different time. We decided to not go with the usual pretty backdrops that most couples use for their weddings- we went entirely different.
The stage was a blaze of red and gold satin, and in the middle of the stage was a stand that held the 'Imperial Edict'. An Imperial Edict was something that was used back in the Chinese Dynasty's by the Emperor to make orders the law. This was basically a little bit of fun, and we opened the Edict up during our speeches and found both sets of parents had written well wishes for us. A very interesting and fun idea! We were also told our stage decorations was something the entire hotel staff had not seen before. So that was special, and kudos to all the crew for making it happen!

We made an exchange of rings, and finally got to eat a bit of food before I changed costumes numerous times during the course of the night. We spent a lot of time standing and taking photos on stage with all our family members, and I may have just got a bit clucky when gorgeous baby cousins were bought up on stage and would just stare at me. But lucky me even got a kiss, so I was happy!

The night finally came to a close at around 11pm, and it was so sad to see everyone go as it had been a truly amazing night. One I will remember always. But at the same time I was feeling for my face and feeling for my poor feet! Luckily it was a short walk to the Mira Hotel, but a refreshing one to be out in the night, with people still bustling around, and staring at me in my purple lace cheongsam and red and gold shoes.
The hotel was a good relief, and I found out the Kane, the sneaky thing, had upgraded up to a suite when he checked in earlier in the day! It was divine, and I spent a good amount of time soaking in the bubble bath!
I have many many photos and video and memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life, and somehow I wish I could do it all again, but alas, once is enough :) It may not be a Chinese wedding in September, but it's the big one, and I can't wait for the day to arrive! Just under 6 months to go!

My Traditional Hong Kong Wedding P/1

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 07:12:00 +0000

Yep, it's here, my Hong Kong wedding blog post! I know I said I would blog during my holiday, but really, I didn't get a chance to sit down we were that incredibly busy. But I hope the wait has been worth it! I feel so happy when I look back our photos,(video coming soon) almost like I can't believe that was me on my wedding day! It was an amazing experience, and I'll remember it always as one of the happiest and exciting days of my life.
Another first was, the days before the wedding, I had my hair cut and colored at a salon in Festive Walk. I wasn't too sure on how the experience would go as I've heard a lot about Asian countries not really knowing how to deal with western hair. I should't have worried! 4 hours later and my hair was a perfect dark brown with lighter brown highlights and it was such a good result. I just hope my salon here in Australia can keep up with that reputation.
We picked up my traditional dress the day before, and did one last fitting before taking it home. It's such a beautifully crafted dress, the red and gold stitching together is just spectacular. At first I said I wasn't going to keep it (as I had the option to buy) but after putting it on, I decided right then and there it was coming home with me as this was now 'my dress' and had my 'memories' on it. I may not wear it again in my life, but it's one of those sentimental items you keep.
We woke up on Saturday the 15th at 6.45am, with Kane nudging me & saying 'wake up baby it's our wedding day!' which I thought was cute. I didn't really sleep during the night so I was quite tired but I had a long long day ahead of me. A shower and a cup of jasmine tea does wonders for relaxing though! My hair & makeup started just before 8am, and all the while I was sitting there, there were two cameras and a video camera filming. The constant sound of the shutter clicking and the flash was enough to make me think I was starring in my own movie and I was the star!! The girls did a brilliant job with everything, and I was in love with my hair, it was just what I wanted, especially using the berry & flower combination so I felt a million dollars afterwards.

We had enough time to relax a little after getting ready, before I was helped into changing into my traditional dress which was SO exciting, I could not wipe the smile off my face the entire time! I think mum was just so proud & my dad cried when he saw me before he walked me out to give me away to Kane. It was a very special moment between us, and I'm so glad they were there with me. As you can see by the photos, I think they looked like very puffed up birds filled with pride!

I remember being so nervous performing the tea ceremony I was afraid I'd drop the cup! But Kane was whispering instructions along the way so I felt a little more comfortable. My dad was his usual self, cracking jokes - I scolded him saying 'Dad! Now's not the time!', but I think my parents were nervous, if not more than I was! But they did very well, and I was very proud to give respect to them like this. After the tea ceremony, we were now heading around to the next building to give respect to our ancestors, and to perform the ceremony with Kane's Grandma. This was the really fun part, as not only were there cameras everywhere, people on the street stopped and looked and took photos, taxis pulled over to watch, it was all very exciting! (My parents told me the day after the wedding when they came for dinner, that whilst they were in the cab on their way to Kane's parent's house, the taxi driver asked if their daughter was the one getting married!)

My work colleague came all the way from Australia as well to be there for my big day, she has always said 'from day one of you dating Kane, we were already planning your wedding!' which is true because in a way, so was I! (But don't tell Kane I said that!) She was asked to be apart of the procession by throwing rice over the bride and groom. My mum pictured on the left below- held red umbrella and opened it whilst we were outside, this protects the bride from evil spirits before she's married, and the rice is somewhat a cleansing ritual. My work colleague was very honored to do this and she said thank you for having a wedding in Hong Kong!

I'm so happy with all the photos, Kane's brother and his team did an amazing job, and I can't wait to see the final video. They actually have company in HK and it's called C & Co Video, which you can check them out here. They do amazing work and the cutest music videos and wedding MV's for couples. I really do recommend them!
In my next blog I will upload more photos of the second tea ceremony with my In-Laws and Grandma, as well as our wedding banquet! Stay tuned!

One Week Until I Get Married!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 06:35:00 +0000

So! It's has finally come! This will be my last blog for a little while (or until I have sufficient time to update you all) before I head off to Hong Kong with my fiancé and family to get married! Gee, I can't tell you the emotions I'm feeling right now, but kind of in the middle of my heart coming out of my mouth with nervousness, and at the same time feeling so giddy because I'm SO excited!
Today was my last day at work until the end of the month when we arrive back. I tell you what, when you're wanting time to hit home time - it goes even slower, like it knows you want to get out of there! But as celebration, last night the work girls organised a get to together just to catch up. However it turned out to be a bit of a pre-wedding hens night complete with hot pink sash, fuzzy headgear and some rather obscene accessories! Apart from having an amazing meal at one of the local waterholes, we spent most of the time chatting about the 'real' hens party that will happen in September, and oh boy, it's going to be a big night! My work colleagues have delegated themselves as the 'party planners', and will sort it all out which is great! Always good to be surprised :D
I have a very busy weekend ahead before we go, I still have yet to complete my packing, and just making sure I have absolutely everything - though I'm sure if I miss something, I can always get it in HK. So....by this time next week, it'll be the night-before-the-wedding. It's just feels so surreal. Everything has been organised in HK, so all I have to do is turn up!
So, here it begins!!

Why, Hello Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 06:14:00 +0000

Wowsers! I haven't done an update for sometime, and I apologise profusely! However, the last few weeks have been an absolute whirlwind which I'll go over below. Things have quietened back down (for now) but I expect this will reoccur again once we head off to HK in a few weeks.
So I'll start from the start shall I?
Let me just say first off, the weather here has been absolutely HORRENDOUS. Hideous. Disgusting. Any other negative words you can think of, feel free to add them in! More than a week of consecutive days over over 38 degrees. Not to mention it's bushfire season, so there has been a lot of warnings going out lately, and some have been quite close to home. I hope mother nature can spare us some cooler weather very very soon. (Even the pooches have been so tired of it, see my furry puppy Trevor napping above!)
Starting from tomorrow, we have exactly ONE MONTH before we get married. A month. And gee, I can tell it's just going to fly by. We have still so much to do, and have a lot of little bits and pieces to purchase for my parents so they'll have a comfortable flight/holiday. Not to mention what I'm going to pack!
In amongst all the organising, the lists we've written down, the itineraries we've planned down to the last day - we've also been very busy with our September wedding. So far we've bought all our stationary, and wedding decoration supplies - and so far the small mountain hasn't moved from the corner of my room due to not having the spare time at the moment, so that will be waiting for me once we get back from overseas, when I can really get stuck into creating our DIY decorations. I'm a little bit surprised my brain just hasn't gone completely bonkers from all the wedding prep, (which I admit it has gone a bit mushy lately) but I think it's all about time, and giving yourself some breathing space so that you're not completely and utterly overwhelmed - like I was beginning to be.
I am still a little nervous about next month and how it will go, but I'm gradually coming to terms with it and I know it will turn out to be absolutely amazing. Of course, I can't wait to see Hong Kong again, and I hope to come back with a lot more photos to share with you all.
In other BIG news. I bought another wedding dress. Well, okay, not me, but my mum for me - (she totally talked me into it!)
We decided my previous dress I bought last year - although very pretty and simple, it just wasn't....me. It did need a small amount of alteration which could have possibly either ruined the dress, OR the dress would end up to be to short. So in the end we said 'Hey, we only do this once in our lives, so the dress should be one of those memorable experiences!' But I'll write about more of that day on my Wedding Sunday post, so stay tuned :)
Another reason I haven't updated lately is more for personal reasons. I'd been waiting since last November for a letter from my hospital with a surgery date for my laproscopy. I can't tell you how many times I wrote all over my admission form and phoned them up to let them know this had to happen before March as I was getting married overseas. I guess they listened to my pleas and I had my surgery this past Monday. So very happy about that - not so happy about the recovery process!
(Please skip if TMI) I've been a long sufferer of painful, heavy periods since I was in my teens, and since there was a long family history of Endometriosis on my mums side, it made sense that I could have it. Previously to meeting K, although still bad - it wasn't high on my priorities list. I felt I had a high pain threshold, and could deal with my reproductive organs exploding in my body every month.
However, it has progressively gotten worse with age, and since we're planning on having babies next year, now was the time to get it sorted and find out exactly what I was dealing with. It turns out I DO have endometriosis, and I'm just under the severe category. I had 3 cysts removed from my uterus and had a laser ablation. I am now the new owner of three incisions, one on my left and right side, and one in my bellybutton - which is the WORST place to have stitches, so much pulling when you move! But each day I am getting better and am able to move around a bit more. Today is the first day out of 4 that I can sit for some length of time at my computer without feeling like crap. So that's a bonus!
I do hope I'll be a lot better on the weekend as we have our appointment with the cake maker on Saturday. We know pretty much what we're after and I'm hoping it'll look super super cute :D I'll let you all know how it goes, and try to update as regularly as I can!

Rolling With The Times

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 12:07:00 +0000

I had to share this magnificent post. My father got me to order these two watches as a gift to himself and to my mother. I think he did alright in the beauty stakes, my mum was over the moon!
The two are are Rolex Datejust and the Cartier De Ballon Bleu De Cartier. Well worth the purchase I think!

2 Months To Go!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 10:44:00 +0000

It's hard to believe in 2 months I will be jetting off with the love of my life and my parents for our wedding in Hong Kong. There have been a few ups and downs along the way, but mostly it has been easy flying, but now that it's sooooo close, I'm feeling a lot of emotions; happy, excited, nervous, anxious...I think that's totally normal, especially because its the 'unknown' of things to come.
As K and I live on the other side of the world, it's been long distance planning with his parents, who've taken the time to do most of the groundwork, and organised everything for us. It's kind of like planning a wedding over Skype and photos sent by email. I'm positive his parents have done an awesome job and I can't wait to just walk into my wedding banquet and see how wonderful it is!
I'll be posting more of our Hong Kong wedding updates as the weeks pass, and I still have an enormous amount of packing to do for not only myself, but helping my parents as it's their first time overseas! Exciting!
In the meantime, I hope you like this little gem. This is my wedding band we bought last year in HK, so I could wear it on my other hand as a reminder of our first wedding!

So This Is Christmas 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 08:00:00 +0000

The Christmas holidays have almost come to a end, I would like to say I did a whole bunch of cool things and went here and there - but really, this Christmas I did practically zilch. And you know what? I am totally fine with that. There were no early mornings (apart from the cat burring in our ears at 6am) no rushing around, we had no where to be that we didn't want to be. It was laziness at its worst and I can say in 100% certainty, I definitely needed to just do just that. The year has been quite a whirlwind so its was nice to give the brain some much needed recovery time!
I finished work on the 20th December so right after I headed to Melbourne to spend two glorious weeks with K. We did last minute Xmas shopping, and caught up on the newest films at the cinema (you all need to see Firestorm!), and prepared a list of groceries for our first attempt as a couple at making a roast on Christmas Day! I think we absolutely killed it, and it tasted so good, we ate the leftovers for dinner as well. Speaking of cooking - I got some awesome cook books from K's aunties family. Italian, Asian, and baking cookbooks. I can't wait to try them out!

On Christmas Eve we did our traditional going out in the evening to find the best Christmas lights in town. We went to about 7 houses, some were good others were overdone. But we got lots of good photos, and they looked so pretty!

Of course, the biggest perk of the Christmas holidays, is Boxing Day sales. We had originally planned to get up and be in the city at 6am, however we we couldn't be bothered! So we woke up reasonably early and went out for breakfast with a few friends at Pancake Parlour before braving the massive crowds that were around. We knew what we wanted to buy, so we got the important things first. One being 10% of lenses at Digi Direct, which was awesome as the lens I wanted was included in that sale. so I'm a very happy owner of a Macro 100mm! We continued shopping and bought a few kitchen items, some bakeware and a food processor. See below for our booty of the day!

The next few days we spent relaxing watching movies on the couch, cooking, or spending time with my family. We did have some time to go out to the city recently, and went to Crown Casino for dinner, took some photos and even did a little gambling on the pokie machines. We won big, meaning, we won a few more dollars than what we put in, $8.00! Haha but none the less, a good night out with my wonderful fiancé.

New Years Eve, we were invited to a dinner by a few friends at a bar called Fathers Office, it was a set menu, however we got to choose what main we wanted which was a really nice change from the usual set menus you get else where. It was supposed to be a 1920's night, some of us dressed up, some didn't, and some got halfway there, like us. The atmosphere was loud because everyone in the bar was excited, but that was to be expected. K and I were tired from 10.30pm onwards (because we are really old now haha!) but we made it to midnight, when everyone spilled out onto the streets of Melbourne to see the fireworks. Apparently approximately 600,000 people where on the streets which was just mid boggling! Overall, it was a great night out, and we throughly enjoyed bringing in the new year!

Purse In Gold

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 03:55:00 +0000

Since my old purse had taken quite a beating over the last year, it was time to renew and find something a bit more chic and restrain me from carrying a lot of spare change around, (which usually amounted to a small bounty that could knock someone out) and one that was a change in colour.
I spotted this beautiful gold purse during the Boxing Day sales, (which by the way I will be doing a post about Christmas 2013) at Mocha, and not only was it on sale for half price, it was perfect to go with my newly purchased designer bags because it looked soooo chic.
It has the perfect amount of 'no space' for me to clutter it up with receipts, rewards cards I don't use, and coins to prevent closure. I think I made a good choice, and it's a really good size. It even comes in a really nice black with gold strings pouch which I thought was a good marketing.

Hello. I'm Mr. Mac

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 10:06:00 +0000

Yes, it's true folks. After much consideration I have ended my 'how-ever-many-years-i-don't-really-know' relationship with Windows - in favour for a brand spanking new iMac.
For the last 5 or so years I have been using a laptop - and although it has it's perks, such as sitting anywhere I want in the house or carrying it around on the go- the performance was lacking quite a bit, and I found myself getting more frustrated using it. I wanted more. And that's where Mac came in.
I haven't used a Mac for over 6 years, my last time using one was in 2006-07 during the 2 years I studied for my Design Degree at school. The class was assigned one iMac each for the year and we used them on a daily basis for all the projects we had to complete. After awhile it was like second nature. Previous to that - using a Macintosh when I was a kid in Primary School. I remember we had to put our name down on a list at lunch time for certain times so we could all have a turn playing around on them. The highlight? Playing the really old school games. Oh the nostalgia...
I'd been thinking about buying a Mac for a long time, but I was a bit hesitant to get on the Apple bandwagon, (says someone who has owned an iPhone for the last 4 years) I was worried that I would just have a complete melt down with the new platform! Haha But rest assured, Mr. Mac and I are getting along fabulously.
We purchased the 27" iMac because the specifications were a lot better than the 21". I figured, I'll be using it a lot more now that I'm taking more photos with my 6D, and I needed it to be quick with editing, and possibly, video editing in the future if I chose to go down that road.
We missed out on the 10% off computers the weekend before last, but another retailer was offering it for just over $2000, so we were able to price match (with a little bit more taken off!) So far, I'm super impressed with how fast and responsive it is. Although I've had to sit down a few times and work out where folders are, or how to do this or that - it's been a relatively easy process. Everything is at my fingertips, and with my external hard drive hooked up all the time, it's easy to find things I've already done previously to getting an iMac.

So far I'm loving everything from the whiteness of the system, to the aluminium keyboard, and cute mouse. My desk is definitely LESS messy because it's so compact. I've yet to really put it to the test - but so far it's been a very positive experience. 100% would recommend!

Weekend Getaway To The Beach!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 12:05:00 +0000

K and I have needed to get away for quite some time as the last few weeks have been pretty rough on us. It was so good to be able to completely relax and chill out at my parents beach house, and not have to worry about rushing to be somewhere, or do something that required extra thinking! Our brains had earned a well deserved break, and we had an amazing quiet weekend just being together.

My parents beach house is situated in Blairgowrie, in the Mornington Peninsula which is about an hours drive from Melbourne CBD. We've had this house for over 10 years in our family, and I've seen it transform from being pretty horrid inside to something that is very homey. It still has a long way to go, but it has good character and a lot of potential! A diamond in the rough if you may. We got to the house at about 10pm on Friday night, we would have got there earlier, however we made a stop at Chadstone where I purchased my first full frame camera - the Canon 6D! I cannot tell you how much I am loving this camera, the added Wi-fi feature is a real help with uploading to instagram, so I'll be carrying it with me a lot!!
We got up late on Saturday morning - we needed a good sleep in after Burdie, (aka BurdieWood) our baby cat, kept us awake by exploring her new surrounds! Naughty kitty! We headed off to Sorrento, (which is a beach side town about a 5 minutes drive away) just before lunch and chose a cute cafe by the name of 'Buckley's Chance' to dine at. They had these adorable menus, which were made out of 'Little Golden Books', a series of story books that were around when I was very young. I remember I had a huge collection of those books, but now the originals are hard to come by.

After flicking through the menu, K decided on the slow cooked beef foccacia, and I went for the full Buckley's Breakfast! Both were pretty good, and even though Sorrento is well know to be a little pricey - it wasn't that expensive at all. Around $14-$16 each for what we ate.

After our bellies were full, we walked the many arty stores that lined the town, and were amazed at some of the art that people had designed. This one particular shop was heavily into wood art - and there was a huge elephant, a pig, and a bull with huge horns made entirely of pieces of wood that were found on the beach. It was just inspiring, but I'm not entirely sure where you would put a massive wooden bull though at your house! I did however, as it was pretty hot, bought some cute handmade burgundy shorts with white lace trim to wear around the house for $12. Not bad!

We made our way down to the beach, stopping at the botanical gardens and taking a few snaps, before heading to the pier and watched the sailboats with their fishermen, the speedboats and even caught a seat plane taking off! It was such a nice day - I really should have listened to my dear husband when he said 'put sunscreen on', which now I'm regretting not doing because my feet and neck are quite burnt! Silly me :( But I'll live (I think). At least my feet and legs got a really good exfoliation walking along the beach though!

I actually enjoyed this weekend a lot, it felt great to just take our time and do what we wanted - and take as many photos as we could with the new camera of course! I am very much looking forward to the Christmas holidays which are just over two weeks away so we can spend more time together, and enjoy the festivities the city has to offer - and not forgetting the Boxing Day sales! Hopefully the next few working weeks go really really fast!

What are you doing for the Christmas holidays?

Our Honeymoon Plans

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 09:32:00 +0000

K & I been trying to decide on a destination for our Honeymoon for quite some time, and although we aren't following tradition and going right after our September wedding, we'll be going the year after. There are a few reasons why, most of them are because of me being in a new job and most likely not being able to take time off, so we decided this would be a better solution.

Firstly we decided on South Korea. I've wanted to go there for a long time, and I was 100% convinced that's where I really wanted to go, however, being a woman you know what we're like! Just kidding!

The reason I re-thought our plans was because I knew K wanted to go back to Europe. He had been there before a few years ago with his family, but missed out on a lot of things he wanted to do and see, like more of the British Museum, or more time in Rome - which he is fascinated with. We had spoken about leaving the European trip until we were old (retired and walking with canes), but I thought, 'do I really want to do that when I'm old??'

I probably spent a good day thinking about this, thinking 'can I survive the long haul plane trip? I've done 14hrs when I went to the USA (and almost went mad), it cant be too bad right? Right?'

Finally, I ended up telling K, 'lets do it'. I'd much rather travel Europe whilst we're still young, as its basically a once in a lifetime trip. We can do South Korea at anytime we go to Hong Kong as it's only 4 hours away, and perhaps, be a good destination for future family trips with the children!

Needless to say, K didn't need much convincing!! Haha

So at the present, I am planning like a lunatic, I have spreadsheets of different routes, different destinations with every cost detailed so we know exactly what we're doing, and where we're going.

If its one thing I've learnt from K, (apart from learning how to work a DSLR!) is how to plan. He is an absolute expert when it comes to planning, and me being such a forgetful oldie, it comes in handy.

So far, our route will consist of; Rome, Florence, Venice, Vienna, Munich, Berlin, Amsterdam, & London. I've basically lived on Viator (check it out!) to see what day trips, and tours we can do in each city. I used this website regularly last year, and bought a whole bunch of tours and attraction tickets for my trip to the US. It makes things so easy, and it's affordable as well.

Once we've fine tuned our itinerary, and have all the places we want to go, we'll take it to our travel agent and see what fabulous deal they can give us! (hopefully a good one!! Haha)

So my question is; what is the best place/attraction you've been to in Europe? I would love some travel tips, advice, tidbits and alike to help plan the best honeymoon EVERRRRR.

Our Rustic Engagement

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 05:47:00 +0000

They are hereeeeee! We only had our engagement shoot last Saturday and we thought it would take awhile to get them back, but we had them in our hands in record time!
We were told they were ready to be picked up, but as we had other commitments, we wouldn't be able to get them until next weekend. But K, the sneaky thing, surprised me last night when he came over! I can't believe how good they are, and Neiyo did an AMAZING job capturing us. I can't wait for her to do our wedding photography!
We kept our photos simple, with limited decoration, so we only had vintage books, suitcases and a basket full of iced donuts and cupcakes. (and they were delicious by the way!) So what do you think? Don't we look like a totally loved up couple?!! Enjoy! :)

Perfect For The Holiday Season

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 08:30:00 +0000

I got these beautiful Swarovski crystal earrings whilst in HK (yes I know I am posting a lot about my gifts, but they are so special!) I think these are perfect for the upcoming holiday season, and I can't wait to wear them as they are so adorably beautiful. If only Australia had winter Christmas holidays that would be perfect, but I can only dream can't I?!

Sneak Peek: Our Engagement Session

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 09:16:00 +0000

K and I finally got to have our engagement photography session today with our very talented wedding photographer Neiyo Sun. (You can view Neiyo's amazing work here on her blog) I was nervous about a week before the session because I was worried all our preparation & hard work finding props, wasn't going to be enough. I needed to have not worried as we had more than enough, and everything looked just as we wanted it to be!
We wanted our session to be rustic/country/relaxed, as our wedding will be just that - so we wanted to keep things on the same level and not be too formal and boring! I even got up early and went to the local hair salon (which from K's house is 5 minutes away!) and had my hair put into an up-do, I found the style on Pintrest and thought it would suit. I LOVED this hairstyle, and Dee from Madeeka did a fantastic job of recreating it from the image I sent her. I think she'll become my hairdresser when I finally move to Melbourne :)

I should have a sneak peek of our session on either Sunday or Monday, and we won't get the official photos for about 2 weeks. I can't WAIT to see them. So stay tuned!

Times Ticking Away

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 10:35:00 +0000

Whilst I was in Hong Kong, I was lucky enough to receive a Longines watch from K's dad. He bought it in 1997 in Switzerland when the family when on a European tour. He ended up not wearing it at all, and it's been sitting in a cupboard, so he gave it to me.
I've never really worn a watch, (who needs one these days, when our fingers are glued to our phones!) however I really really like this one. I think the color combination is lovely and suits me well, and the face isn't too big either. So I'm pretttty happy with this little acquisition!

Little Red Slippers

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 09:46:00 +0000

Whilst we were in Hong Kong, my wonderful finance bought me these beautiful handmade slippers after one of my dress fittings. They were so pretty we got a purple pair for my mum as well. Aren't they super gorgeous?! I almost feel like Dorothy from The Wizard Of Oz because they are so vibrant! I love these soo much!

Blanche & Matthews HK Wedding: Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 11:30:00 +0000

After the tea ceremony, K's family and relatives all went out for a Shanghai lunch at one of the plazas in Ma On Shan. I tried a lot of different food that I haven't eaten before, some very nice, some not so much! Although it was a really nice opportunity to meet with all the family again.
We left at around 1.30pm from the restaurant to head home to get ready for part 2 of the day which was the church ceremony. We had about an hour to get dressed and ready, before being taken by car by one of K's relatives to the church. There was a session going on in the church when we got there so we had to wait around an hour in the holding room before we could go in. Once we got in, it was actually quite large. I don't know what I was expecting, but being in Hong Kong I expected something smaller! Haha. But it was decorated very nicely and I realized that it matched the Brides bouquet.
Once the official ceremony began, which was in Cantonese (I couldn't understand) so K translated all the important parts for me. Matthew wore a grey & black trimmed suit, and Blanche wore was really beautiful, and covered in tiny crystals. I did particularity love her veil, it suited her very very well!
The whole ceremony was cute and they had a lot of praise for each other in their speeches. K & I also got a special thank you for coming all the way from Australia, so that was lovely to be included in their speech which was unexpected :)

Once the ceremony was completed and the happy couple were now 'husband & wife', most of the guests were loaded onto a bus that took us to the reception at the Langham hotel. I don't think I've ever seen such an elaborate reception venue before. There were 30 tables for over 300 guests, a Tiffany blue backdrop for photos, and the napkin holders were covered in rhinestones. Not to mention the TASTY snacks that were going around, I was definitely in food heaven!

The menu had about 10 different courses on it, I think by the 7th I was over food, but still tried as many as I could, even the really bad sounding ones, which I'm pretty proud of as I'm not a big seafood eater. K's brother bought along a flash light (which later that week I bought) and did some videography of the night. I've seen video clips of it and it's amazing what he does. (I'm pretty happy I bought the same flash light as him so now I can do more (and better!) photography! (It was used on these photos of K & me below!

The night went on until about 12.15am, which considering I'd been up since 7.30am and doing a lot of running around, I was SO tired by the time and thankful for a warm bed and a huggable fiance! I still think I was very lucky to be invited to such a great event, and I'm thankful I got to see it, and it know what I will experience in March next year, maybe not on such a grand scale but at least close to it. I have so many good memories of this day that I'm sure I will keep with me for the rest of my life as the first HK wedding I've been to!

Blanche & Matthews HK Wedding: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 13:33:00 +0000

The whole purpose of our Hong Kong trip this year, was for us to not only wind down and relax a little from our jobs, but to attend K's cousin - Matthew, and his bride to be Blanche's wedding. I'd never seen a traditional Chinese wedding before, apart from what I'd seen on You Tube. The day was an early start, and a late night, so we were definitely ready for bed by the time we arrived home! We were able to take lots of photos of the days events which I'll explain below. I've broken this up into two parts, the traditional tea ceremony, and the church ceremony & reception :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our day started at 7.30am, we woke up and got ready, as we had to leave at 9.45am to go to Matthews parents house in Ma On Shan for the traditional tea ceremony. It was a high rise apartment and the view was amazing. A massive window of sea views and a great view of the water park that was close by! All the girls, including the Groom's mothers sisters wore flower armbands, which we wore all night. Must say it did go well with the dress I wore later on for the reception! I had photos with my mother in laws sisters which was nice, now I have something to put in my photo album :)

LTR: With my flower wristband / My gorgeous man! / Cute pic of us!

Me & my mother in laws sisters. My MIL is on the far right :)

The Bride & Groom arrived just after 11am, and they both wore traditional costumes, which were so beautiful! After greeting everyone, the ceremony began. I would imagine with conducting the tea ceremony with most of their relatives, kneeling for the long period of time would have hurt, or either, you'd have very good leg muscles! Fortunately for me, I will only have to kneel for a short time at our wedding in March, as my knees probably wouldn't hold up that long!

The Bride and Groom arriving for the tea ceremony

Giving of gifts (red envelopes) Should also mention this is my father in law!

The Bride and Groom with the Grooms parents

I'm very lucky to have been able to witness such a great event, and it makes me a bit less worried and more happier that I know roughly how the day will go for myself and K. (Which by the way in other news, my two custom made dresses are finally finished, and OMG, I cannot believe how BEAUTIFUL they are. Our tailor did a superior job and I'm absolutely elated!)
Stay tuned for Part II of Matthew & Blanche's wedding!

Will Typhoon 'Krosa' Hit HK? I Hope Not!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 10:28:00 +0000

Yesterday K and I were advised when we got home from shopping in Mongkok, that the Hong Kong Observatory had put out a level 1 warning. Typhoon Krosa is about 800km away and may or may not affect us. It was a little overcast in the afternoon we got back, but at night it was very very still, which probably isn't the best sign, though I have never experienced typhoon weather before!
It has only just started to spit with rain, and I was able to capture amazing colored sky above from K's mums bedroom, which I've been told is what typhoon weather looks like.
Apparently its the first typhoon that Hong Kong has had in 7 years in the month of November, and looks like it could rain a fair bit tonight. I hope not too much as we have a wedding tomorrow to go to!

HK Bridal Hairstyle Trial

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 13:53:00 +0000

Sorry everyone! I know I haven't updated in over a week, I'm currently in Hong Kong at the moment, and I haven't had a spare chance to post any updates. I'm using my old iPhone, instead of my usual one for safety reasons, but I'm really regretting it because the camera is just SO crap! So I haven't even updated my Instagram for that reason.
The past few days have been an absolute blur trying to get everything organised for our Hong Kong wedding next March, so lots of dress fittings, shoe fittings, decoration scouring and dinners. I unfortunately fell sick early Monday morning - which could only be described as hell. But I am better now finally and am able to think of shopping adventures again! Yay!
Yesterday I had my makeup and hair trial with K's brothers lovely girlfriend and her friend. We were supposed to be doing the trial at K's parents house, however we ended up doing it at his brothers office, complete with studio lighting and filming which was interesting! I think they did a pretty good job on me, although there are a few little changes I'd like before settled on the 'look'. I have another trial coming up next week so I'll see how it goes! Meanwhile, here are some photos of the afternoon :)

I promise I will try and update more frequently over the next few days, I'm hoping to get some more camera gear and lighting so I can better improve the blogging experience!

Proactiv 3 Step System - Does It Really Work?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 08:49:00 +0000

So does it? The answer is yes...and no. And I'll tell you why.
Last year I was looking for a new skin care regime, one that would be easy to remember, keep my skin clear from breakouts and be cost effective. After seeing countless commercials on TV and reading in magazines how wonderful Proactiv was, I finally caved and bought the 3 Step System online. I think at the time, I paid $29.95, with a 60 day money back guarantee. You can buy this system here. (Note: only half of the system is in the above photo but I'll get to that in a minute).
I thought it was pretty good value, and with that price it didn't really matter if it worked or not. I received the package a few days after I ordered and I excitedly opened it up to find the tiniest bottles I'd seen in my life. And it was that moment, I thought 'how is this going to last 2 months!?' Don't be fooled, they actually last longer than you'd think they would! So it's definitely a bonus in that regard.
Now when you purchase this, or any other system on the Proactiv website, you will be paying by credit card, and you will automatically be sent 3 new bottles every 3 months. Now this was the only annoying part of the process, as the next order you recieve, the bottles are 240ml in size and this COSTS MORE. So if you're like me, opening the next box up, seeing these huge bottles compared to the last and wonder why $120 has gone from your bank account, this is why. I hadn't even finished my first bottles, so what I did was cancel my membership, and returned the 240ml bottles to Proactiv, and got my money back. They had no problem in me returning the items, as I told them I was going to buy them directly from their kiosk in one of the shopping malls here in Melbourne.
The 3 Step System comes with a ) step 1) cleanser, (step 2) toner and (step 3) repair (not shown). Each are labeled so you know which one to apply first. The kit also comes with some bonus extras, for me, it came with a green tea moisturizer & a clear purifying mask.

Left To Right: Deep Cleansing Wash, Cleanse & Toner

I started using the system religiously for about 2 weeks, and every time I used it - my skin felt clean & fresh. However after a few weeks my skin was drying out something chronic, especially my nose and T zone which got really flaky and incredibly itchy. I read online that the green tea moisturizer could help with the dryness which I applied liberally, but wasn't enough in the end.
In all fairness, this system DOES work, you just have to tailor it to your skin type, which means if you can, go into one of their kiosks at a mall and explain your situation to the sales person. I did this, and the lady tailored a system and advised me on products that would better suit my skin - as the 3 step system is just a generic system and not aimed at a particular skin type.
I now only use the (step 1) cleanser 3 times a week, and every other day I use Proactiv's 'Deep Cleansing Wash' in the 240ml bottle, which is not as harsh on my skin. I then use (step 2) toner, and I follow up with my Natio Ageless Firming Night Cream - which I talked about previously here.
I find this combination of using certain Proactiv products and my own choice of moisturizer works better for me, and has kept my skin hydrated, and clear with only one or two breakouts during that 'hormonal time' of the month. I would think if you had very oily skin, perhaps the 3 Step System would work for you, but with combination skin, maybe looking into the more sensitive range.

Also, I will advise you on the little gift they give you - the 'clear purifying mask' is horrid! I used this at K's house once after my shower, and after I put it on my face, all I could smell was sulpher (which if you don't know, smells like poo!)- and I stank his house house out well and truly. So I have never used it since then. But if you like the smell, feel free to smell like poo! :)
I actually really like Proactiv, it doesn't cost an organ to buy and it's a well known reputable brand, not too mention really helpful when you need a little guidance with products. I'm not entirely sure if the commercials are 100% truthful when you see teenagers with really really bad acne and it's gone in a month, but like I said - it may work that way for them - just like my own personal system works for me.
Am I going to continue using Proactiv? For sure! Let me know in the comments below on what your experiences have been using this or any other system on the website!

Purchased: Last year Overall Quality: 5* Price: $20-$120 (depending on different systems and individual products) Value For Money: 4* Would I Recommend It? Yes I would, and I have to many people, even my fiance who now uses it everyday!

Bra Bra Bra Talk!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 09:22:00 +0000

Sometimes we all have to say goodbye to our old bras and in with the new!
I'd been complaining for awhile that I was desperate for some new bras, especially for our trip to Hong Kong, as my old ones were getting a little..well..old. I've had about 4 on rotation for about 2-3 years now, and after the money I spent on them, I wanted my moneys worth! You may think well, gee! It's easy to go and buy some cheapies at Kmart, or Target and get away with those, and you'd be right, I could. I just have big issues with the 'comfort factor'.
Being a small built woman, in the past there wasn't enough sizes that would even FIT me let alone be comfortable. As I said, the bras I bought 2 or 3 years ago, are under wire, and are either filled with water or cream to get a 'push' in whatever way possible. It hasn't been the most comfortable experience wearing them, but I've dealt with the fact I needed boobs to wear certain pieces of clothing.
I've realized now, probably more so since my open heart surgery almost 4 years ago, that they a) are indeed uncomfortable, especially with a sternum scar, it constantly rubs against it b) they don't breathe - as the cream & water is blocking airflow c) they weigh at least 500g and d) they cost about $50 each.
It is just lucky for me, in the last year or so my body is finally, finally changing, so I can get rid of those pesky under wires!
K and I went shopping not long ago at Myer, and I found a few bras that met my criteria. But you know what the best thing was? It was 25% off that weekend! I finally settled on Chloe & Lola's basic wire free contour bra, and I got them in 4 shades which I'll post below. Chloe & Lola have so many cute bras, as well as sleepwear all for an affordable price! You can see more of their cute range here.

These bras aren't designed to give you a big 'lift' but they are SUPER comfortable and I don't have keep tugging at the under wire all the time. The difference no under wire makes, is just amazing, and I'm sooo glad I can finally get away with no padding or weight at all. Which means I can try more pretty styles if I want as well! It's made the 'girls, new improved girls!
Which brings me to my question, which bra is your favourite that you couldn't live without? It can be any brand or style, and how would you rate it in terms of comfort? Let me know down below!