Here Comes the Sun

Golden Leaves

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Sat, 26 May 2012 04:01:00 +0000

(Mink Pink skater skirt c/o Market HQ, vintage sweater c/o Vanilla Berries, Mink Pink sleeveless shirt c/o Market HQ, Rubi shoes)

In what was a bit of a happy accident I ended up somehow matching todays outfit to the backdrop of autumn coloured leaves where we took these pictures. I know Tieka from Selective Potential would be proud being the amazing match-your-outfit-to-your-surroundings dresser that she is.

In the weeks leading up to our departure from this city we're making sure we take time to enjoy all our favourite spots we've discovered here over the last few years. It's so nice down by the river for a walk or a run, especially at this time of year with so many golden leaves littered around.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend. I'll be dropping back in tomorrow with a round up of the final week of Healthy May and the chance for you to win your own nutrition plan :)

Botanical Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:27:00 +0000

If you're one of my more observational readers you might have noticed that I never wear pants. For the last few years as a result of my own insecurities (not feeling like I have the right shaped figure for them) I've become a strictly dress or skirt wearer. But in an effort to be confident in wearing whatever I please, I splashed out the other night and bought these pants. Which was a bold foray into the world of pant-wearing I guess but now I'm kind of obsessed with this botanical print and spent hours googling street style snaps of its variations. If you're looking to treat yourself there are a few different styles up on ASOS at the moment and I have to say the Camilla & Marc skinny trousers are kind of amazing.

Picture credits: 1. Fashion Vibe 2 & 3. FASHIONNERDIC 4 & 5. Tuula

Giveaway - Dahlia Fashion

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Thu, 24 May 2012 00:45:00 +0000

Hello lovelies! I am so happy to bring you this giveaway today from one of my favourite online brands - Dahlia! I've been a lover of their beautiful dresses and tops for awhile now and am so happy to be able to offer one lucky reader a treat from their website too. Giveaway details are as follows:

To Enter:
1. 'Like' Dahlia Fashion on their Facebook page & leave a comment on this post
2. For a second entry share this giveaway on your Facebook or Twitter & leave an extra comment

Easy peasy! The winner will get to pick one item of their choice from the Dahlia website (here), with NO price limit on what you choice. The only restrictions are you get to choose ONE item and it's subject to availability.

Maximum two entries per person, giveaway open until Wednesday 30 May 2012. Good luck!

Circus Circus

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Mon, 21 May 2012 09:17:00 +0000

(all pictures by me, of my husband)

If I'm stuck on repeat for the next few weeks I do apologise but you might be reading frequent posts following this train of thought for a bit: I'm excited to live in Auckland.

I've been living in Hamilton for 6 years now and though it's been an amazing season in my life I'm so ready for the next stage to begin, to focus on my career and enjoy the opportunities of a bigger city. Only 6 weeks to go and we make the move!

The above pictures were taken last week while we were visiting Auckland. Circus Circus is a favourite spot of ours in the cute neighborhood of Mt Eden. I can't wait to get to know the city better and document on here all the new nooks and crannies I discover. I think that's one of the great things about having a blog - getting to record all the little (& big!) journeys and moments in life.

Healthy May - Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Sun, 20 May 2012 09:04:00 +0000

(instagram username - @lauratj)

(instagram username - @itsnicehere)

(all images taken from instagram pictures tagged with #healthymay)

Hello again lovelies. So we're 3/4's of the way through May already, isn't it crazy? By now I'm sure the numbers of people still committed to and involved in Healthy May have dwindled greatly (not to be negative, but it's just how these things often pan out) but if you're still on board congrats to you!

This week I don't have much to share other than I've run 25.45 kms this week which I'm super stoked about. Also my attention was drawn to this (old) article by Scarlett Johansson which is well worth the read and fits in perfectly with my previously mentioned thoughts on committing to a 'healthy lifestyle' rather than fad diets etc.

Lastly I wanted to share this little work out which doesn't take long at all but is a great place to start if you need a little help with where to begin:

That's all from me! I look forward to reading your posts again this week, make sure to leave your links below :)

Natures Playground

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Sat, 19 May 2012 08:10:00 +0000

Happy weekend everyone :) Mine so far has been perfectly relaxing: a Harry Potter movie marathon, a Saturday morning sleep in followed by brunch at my favourite cafe and a wander through a field full of fallen leaves. I love this time of year and watching the city transform into shades of yellow, orange and red and can't help but run around like a child in natures playground.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend! I'll be dropping back in tomorrow with my review of Healthy May - Week 3.

The City of Opportunity

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:33:00 +0000

(excuse my bedraggled hair, we had not long before this run through the rain)

A few days ago Jeremy and I went up to Auckland to see off Ilana from See Me Everywhere and her hubby as they jump across the ditch to start a new adventure in Melbourne. I don't think I can quite yet comprehend how much I'm going to miss those two but at the same time it's a great excuse for more holidays in Australia!

Anyway being in the city J and I are about to move to was quite fun and we found ourselves driving around the streets looking at cute homes and wondering which one we'll end up in. After being based in the same city for so long this is going to be such a change of pace for us and one we're quite excited about!

These pictures were taken on top of Mt Eden where you can see the whole city stretched out in all directions around you. It was quite fun looking out at it all and picturing what our life might look like. I'm excited for the chance to put my degree to use, for J to get his degree and for all the little opportunities this adventure will bring. For once this is a change I'm excited for rather than terrified of!

Shades of Autumn

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:39:00 +0000

(Bag c/o Chicwish, Dress c/o Romwe, Wildpair shoes)

Despite the fact that this colour scheme would make me blend in well with the oompa-loompa's in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I love how this outfit came together. I'm not really a matchy-matchy dresser but somehow I happened to acquire all these items recently that fit within the same palette. (And despite how these pictures turned out my shoes are actually orange, not red as they appear).

This is also probably the last time you'll see me without stockings and thicker layers for awhile, a winter chill has crept into the air and it's time for rugging up in my winter favourites again. It's kinda crazy how fast this year is going actually... Only 6 weeks left in Hamilton and I bet it's going to fly by!

Meow

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Sun, 13 May 2012 21:11:00 +0000

For the most part I consider myself a 'word person' and usually have no trouble finding the right words to accompany the images in my blog posts. But something about these has me stumped and not really sure what to tell you? I think these might be my new favourite pictures of myself, which is funny considering my face doesn't actually feature in them, which probably says something about the level of love I have for cats.

Moving forward with other news, there's something I have been planning for awhile and now can finally share with you: At the end of June Jeremy and I are moving to Auckland! We have lived in Hamilton for the past 6 years but this season has now come to an end and we're looking forward to new adventures and a change of pace in a bigger city. I'm excited!!

Healthy May - Week Two

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Sun, 13 May 2012 01:25:00 +0000

(Homemade berry smoothie - 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries, 150g passionfruit yoghurt, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup of trim milk)

Food:
Not too much to report back this week food wise, as the healthy habits I've developed over the past few months have remained the same. I've been enjoying snacking on nuts, fruit and smoothies, been cooking healthy meals and enjoying a few treats here and there as well. My effort to increase my water intake has been going really well and I'm finding that more I drink, the more I want to drink it.

Exercise:
Being able to find the time for running at the moment is a little tricky as it's so dark when I finish work so for the rest of winter I think I'm going to have to try run in the mornings instead. This week I've made up for the lack of runs with extra focus on calisthenics (push ups, pull ups, crunches etc) and noticed a huge difference in my strength and muscle definition. Also, yesterday I decided to go for a massive run to make up for the lack of runs throughout the week and ended up running my first ever 10km (6.2 mile) run!! I am beyond stoked with this achievement as my runs normally average 4-5kms max so I really surprised myself. It's amazing what you can do when you're determined.

Hope your week two has gone well!

Iconemesis iPhone cases

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Fri, 11 May 2012 03:36:00 +0000

(picture from my instagram - @herecomesthesunblog)

I have a bit of a love for quirky and different iPhone cases. The above picture are the two I've been using at the moment but I can only imagine that over time my collection will increase. The white case was an amazing score on eBay (only $2 including shipping!!) and the one on the right was a lovely gift from Iconemesis, illustrated by Leah Goren.

Iconemesis is about bringing together creative art with mobile phone cases and I love the results. So far they have collaborated with artists such as Leah Goren, Fifi Lapin and Gemma Correll. I have to say I have a bit of a weakness for the cat-themed cases. Make sure you check out their site for the rest of their designs as well!

Giveaway: The Lost Boys Club - x4 Bowties

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:08:00 +0000

1. Two by Two bowtie

2. Country and Crown bowtie

3. There, There Daisy bowtie

4. Kaleidoscope bowtie

The Lost Boys Club is a new brand by my good friend Dane from Tornadoes and Tigers. In fact, that's my hubby modelling in the pictures, what a babe ;) For this giveaway each bowtie is a separate prize and will go to a different winner - 4 bowties, 4 winners.

How to get yourself in the draw:

1. Leave a comment on this post with which bowtie is your favourite

2. For a second entry share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter

This is my first time having a giveaway for the lads on here and I'm quite excited about it. Mind you, a bowtie can look quite charming on a lady too, not to mention on our feline friends- check out my cat rocking the kaleidoscope one here, so cute!!

This giveaway will be open until Monday 14 May 2012 and 4 winners will be drawn using random.org Good luck!

Healthy May - Week One

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Sun, 06 May 2012 06:13:00 +0000

(picture credits: one. two)

Hello lovelies, so as promised here I am with my update on my first week of the Healthy May challenge. As I mentioned in my first blog post on this subject (here if you missed it) I actually started to pay more attention to food and exercise back in December but I suggested the idea of Healthy May as I think we can all benefit from some encouragement and support from each other. So here is how my first week went:

Goal Setting:

Firstly let me begin by sharing my current goals with you:

♥ Drink more water

♥ Run a minimum of 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) 4 times per week

♥ Get more control over my '3-oclock-itis' at work (when I get tired in the afternoons and just want a high sugar pick me up)

Food:
My philosophy when it comes to food is (in a nutshell) 'everything in moderation'. Those of you who are connected with me on My Fitness Pal (username 'herecomesthesunblog' if you'd like to add me) will see that I still have sweet treats throughout the week but I've gotten pretty disciplined with portion control so I can eat what I like without stuffing myself. My biggest issue is getting afternoon sugar lows but I'm working on this and I think for me having a bigger lunch will help. And I'm happy to say I'm doing well with my goal to drink more water and I've noticed quite a difference in my skin already!

Exercise:
This week I only managed 3 runs instead of the 4 I was aiming for. I could probably come up with excuses (hard to find the time, super cold now it's Autumn etc etc) but really none of them are valid. But I did have a few successes in my runs too, including shaving a few minutes off my time on one route. I think my exercise goal for next week should be to include some calisthenics and pilates in my routine as well to keep it well rounded.

If you're joining in on Healthy May let me know how your first week went!

Time for Tea

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Sat, 05 May 2012 05:32:00 +0000

Harney & Sons is my favourite tea brand and if you haven't had one of their blends before you're definitely missing out! This morning we went out for brunch and enjoyed the mint chocolate blend but every single flavour is equally as tasty and unique. I want to start buying it for my house too because the tins are so pretty.

This weekend is quite a busy one for us so it was nice to be able to grab a little bit of downtime over good food and a cuppa. Hope you're all enjoying your days off and I'll be dropping in again tomorrow with an update on my first week of the Healthy May challenge x

Illustrated.

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:15:00 +0000

(Work in progress shots on the left, final images on the right)

Inspired by pictures from this shoot and this shoot a friend of mine recently illustrated me! She doesn't have a blog or website but you can check her out on instagram - username @kisstheskies. I just wanted to share as I'm absolutely blown away by the results and also beyond flattered to be the subject of someones painting. How lovely :)

Highs & Lows

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:21:00 +0000

(picture credits - one. two. three)

Little things about life I've been loving and not loving lately:

Highs:

♥ Healthy May is underway and I'm enjoying connecting with bloggers and encouraging each other towards a healthier lifestyle.

♥ Autumn has arrived in New Zealand and the mornings are so crisp and clear, the trees are changing colours and I'm adding more layers to my wardrobe. I love this time of year.

♥ I'm re-reading Harry Potter at the moment and reliving the glory all over again. I'd forgotten how much I completely love these books and get so swept up in the world. I just started The Order of the Phoenix last night and can't wait to get home today to snuggle up with it.

♥ I'm fitter than I've ever been in my life and even though the weather is getting colder I haven't let that stop me from running. It feels so satisfying!

Lows:

♥ MBFWA is on at the moment and my twitter/ instagram feeds are full of it. This is a low just out of pure jealousy because I wish I was there too right now. Maybe next year I'll get the time off work and go.

♥ It's so dark when I finish work now that it's hard to find the time to take blog pictures which means I am waaaay behind on outfit posts I have lined up to shoot

♥ In less than two weeks Ilana from See Me Everywhere and her hubby are moving to Melbourne, Australia. I'm so excited for them but at the same time so emotional about not living in the same place as them anymore.

♥ I still really really really miss Ziggy :(

Healthy May - Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:28:00 +0000

(picture from my instagram - @herecomesthesunblog)

In December last year I hit an all time low with my overall health and fitness. I wasn't exercising, I wasn't thinking about the kind of food I was putting into my body and I was the heaviest I'd ever weighed. I realised I needed a huge lifestyle change and to become fit and healthy again. For me personally I do not believe in dieting (as I feel it's not long-term sustainable) but I do believe in educating myself about what I'm eating, in being active and taking control of my health and fitness. Four months later I made it to my goal weight, had reformed the kinds of meals I was preparing and was exercising 4-5 times per week. The next step for me now is keeping up with this lifestyle change and not becoming complacent or lazy.

This is where the idea of Healthy May kicks in! So many of the health and fitness articles I've read (and I've read a lot over the last few months) say that if you have other people keeping you accountable you're more likely to reach your goals. So I thought this might be something we as bloggers (or even if you don't have a blog) could do together! I will be posting once a week on a Sunday with a review of the week I've just had and splitting it into these categories: food, exercise, goal setting.

If you would like to participate in Healthy May here is what I suggest (these are just guidelines):

One blog post per week covering the same cateogies (or more if you wish)- food, exercise, goal setting with an update on how your week has been - a healthy recipe you might have learnt, something you're struggling with, a goal you might have achieved or need help with etc etc.

Use the hashtag #healthymay on your twitter and instagram

Sign up for 'My Fitness Pal' on your smart phone or on their website. A great app for tracking food and exercise. If you'd like friends on the app tweet your username using the #healthymay hashtag so we can find and add each other. If you would like to add me my username is 'herecomesthesunblog' and remember if you'd like to share your food diary with others make sure you enable visibility in your settings.

Use the "add your link" button at the bottom of this post to leave the URL to your Healthy May blog posts. This link will appear at the bottom of each of my Healthy May posts and will enable us to engage with each other easily.

Also I hate to have to do this but a little disclaimer: I am in no way doing this to promote weight loss or dieting. The concept of this is to encourage each other to live a healthy and active lifestyle - to share yummy healthy recipes, to think about the kinds of food we're putting into our bodies, to be fit and active.

So! I hope you guys will join me on this journey. Let me know your thoughts in the comments :)

Little Black {Polka Dotted} Dress

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 05:15:00 +0000

('Formally Known As' Minkpink dress c/o Market HQ)

Ilana from See Me Everywhere and I met up today to make a little video (more info on that soon) and while we had the backdrop out I thought I may as well make the most of the opportunity and snap a few outfit piccies as well. It's a bit of a change for me to have such a plain background instead of my usual backdrop of trees, grassy fields and flowers but quite fun to try something different!

This little black dress is a new addition to my wardrobe and one I'm quite happy with. I've found that over the last couple of years I've built up a huge collection of brightly coloured pieces in every shade and pattern, but now it's time for me to focus on creating a solid foundation of basics that I can mix and match with my statement pieces. Next on my list is a pair of blue jeans which is a bit of a scary step for me (I've never found jeans that are flattering for my shape) but I'm feeling up to the challenge!

A Slice of France

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:58:00 +0000

So far today has been a perfect day off. The husband and I slept in then took a drive to a small town not far from our city (same one featured in this post). We wandered around stopping for coffee and snacks at Panache- a sweet French bakery, browsed through antique and gift stores and swooned over all the amazing organic treats at the Farmers Market. So nice to break from routine, get out of the house and explore somewhere different. Hope you all have a lovely weekend xx

Recap: Insta-Life

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:51:00 +0000

Just thought I'd share a few recent pictures from my instagram feed. If you'd like to follow me my username is @herecomesthesunblog. I have to admit I love looking back on my instagram feed because I've documented so many little happy moments in life and it's nice to relive them. I'm thinking about using Blurb to make a coffee table book full of my snap shots. Have any of you done that yet? I'd love to hear your feedback!

Also while we're on the topic of smart-phone apps, what are your favourites? I have quite a few but the three I use daily are the twitter app (I'm @yourself_onfire), instagram (of course) and the My Fitness Pal app for tracking my food and exercise. I'd love to hear your favourites!

Giveaway: Little Treats

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:50:00 +0000

Prize One: Coffee table book full of inspirational quotes, sponsored by Sian Richardson Design

Prize Two: Vintage laced collar top, sponsored by Vanilla Berries

Hello lovelies! The winner of this giveaway will receive both the quote book and the vintage top - two prizes for one winner, yay :)

To enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post

2. For an extra entry share this giveaway on twitter or facebook & leave an extra comment

Entry is open to all readers, international included and will close on Monday 30 April. Maximum 2 entries per person. Good luck!

Garden Party

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 05:06:00 +0000

One of my very best friends is about to have her third baby so this weekend Ilana from See Me Everywhere and I threw her a little garden party to celebrate and shower her with gifts. The weather turned out perfectly for it which meant we could sit outside soaking up the sun and enjoying cake pops, cupcakes and other sugary treats. Such a nice way to spend the weekend and a perfect excuse to spoil someone I love very much!

Other than that my weekend has mostly been consumed by Harry Potter. While I'm adjusting to Ziggy being gone I thought losing myself in the world of Hogwarts all over again would be a good coping mechanism (I was right). In fact I'm just about to get off the computer and start The Prisoner of Azkaban now, so excited!

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend xx

Florals & Stripes

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:26:00 +0000

(MinkPink blazer & Stripe Tunic c/o Market HQ, Romwe bowler hat, vintage velvet skirt)

Hello lovelies! Sorry for the hiatus this week but it was nice to take a break from the blog and spend good quality time with the husband while we adjust to our home without Ziggy in it anymore. Also a big thank you to you all for your lovely comments, emails, tweets and facebook messages! You're all so kind and your thoughts mean so much to us.

Anyway just wanted to share a few pictures that the husband quickly snapped of me tonight. Some of the best outfits come together by accident and this was one of those times. I was getting dressed to meet up with friends for shopping and dinner and threw on the striped top when I noticed it was actually pretty cold out. I had the floral blazer on bed and hadn't tried it on yet (the package just arrived today) so I threw it on over top to see it what it looked like, before realising I actually quite liked this clash of prints!

If you've been following my blog for awhile you'll know mixing prints isn't something I've really experimented with before so this is new territory for me. Hope you guys like!

Ziggy - In Loving Memory

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 06:08:00 +0000

Hey guys. So as most of you will know my husband and I got two little kittens about a year and a half ago. Ziggy (the tabby) and Rocky (the black one) immediately became best friends and fit into our little world so perfectly. Unfortunately, over night Ziggy was hit by a car and killed on the road outside our home. We are so so sad and are going to miss the crazy little guy so much, but also can still smile at the memories of his larger than life personality and all the good times we shared. So this post is a tribute our little man and some of our favourite moments together.

Just a few of Ziggy's cute wee poses as he slept or snuggled on the bed. He was the type of cat that if you were home for the day would spend the day inside with you instead of doing his typical cat stuff. So many of my memories of putting together blog posts include trying to balance both him and and my computer on my lap and him distracting me from what I was trying to do.

Ziggy and Jeremy had a special bond. The photo on the right is a typical way Jeremy would carry Ziggy around the house and he would just stay there enjoying the ride.

Making himself at home in my bathroom sink! My phone is actually way too full of pictures of me catching him doing this. I'd always stop him and boot him out but couldn't resist snapping a few pictures first.

Some more funny memories with him and Jeremy. People food was always much more interesting and enticing to him than his own food and whenever we had something different he'd try his best to score a nibble or two. (Side note - his favourite people food was salt and vinegar chips)

This was my last picture with him taken just a few days ago. You can't see it in the frame but my lap top was actually on my knees as well and this was one of those balancing blogging and cat snuggling times I was talking about.

So today has been horrible. I was actually away on a girl weekend and got the phone call from my husband this morning to break the news. Such a sad time right now and Rocky - our other cat is very confused and running around looking for his friend. We had a burial with some close friends this afternoon and laid him to rest in the backyard.

He's left such a big whole in this family but I have a phone and a Macbook photobooth full of memories of the best times together. Rest in peace little friend x

Thoughts & Things

noreply@blogger.com (herecomesthesun) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:48:00 +0000

(credits: one. two. three)

Just a few little thoughts and things:

♥ If you don't follow me on twitter, then you might have missed seeing this. Um. Guys?

♥ I can't stop thinking about who is going to play Finnick Odair in Catching Fire. Please no more suggestions of Zac Efron (seriously people - no). But honestly WHO could do that role justice?!

♥ This weekend I'm getting away with a few of my best friends for relaxing, DVDs, good food and quality time. We're soon to all be living in completely different cities so moments like these are so precious and treasured.

♥ Someone painted me. I'm so blown away by the results! And this is only one in a series, there are more coming too. Once they're done I'll be sure to blog them all :)

♥ I had whipped cream straight from the can tonight. I just feel the need to confess this one because it felt so naughty and it was so out of character for me. Haha.

♥ Lastly, New Girl is seriously getting better and better with every episode. Schmidt's lines are golden and there are so many hilarious bits as well as just the right amount of touching moments too. I haven't been this excited about a show in a long time.

I think that was everything I wanted to get off my mind! Love x