Lazy Sunday

Some pics from a lazy Sunday a couple of weeks ago. Have been meaning to share them here. I had a job interview today! And I have another on Thursday. Its scary to think that uni is about to finish and the real work really begins!

Sidewalk

A couple of weekends ago, a friend and I went to check out a new cafe that had popped up close to where we used to live. Sidewalk is cute and super cheap! Only downside for me was that the food came out on paper trays. But the coffee was good and there are lots of great cookbooks just lying around for browsing. Will definitely be going back!

Looking toward the sunshine

 

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Things have been a bit full on the last couple of weeks. My sister has spent a long stint in hospital, my flatmate did a runner without paying rent and some other more personal stuff has just been a bit too much. I fell apart briefly today, started to cry and there was a knock on the door. I attempted to pull myself together and answered the door to find this poor sales guy who launched into a pitch despite my red blotchy teary appearance. I quickly got rid of him (he was selling a power company that we are already with) but afterwards I had to laugh. The poor guy had probably never had a crying girl open the door before. And I'm taking a really deep breath and trying to remember its only going to get better. Looking toward the sunshine :)

In my kitchen: Warm Mushroom Salad

I tried making this warm mushrooom salad the other day that I found here. It is amazing and won me some serious brownie points with my flatmates! I used bacon instead of prosciutto because prosciutto is really expensive at my local supermarket. 

Whatipu

This Saturday we set off for a hike in the Waitakere Ranges. Halfway there we decided to head to Whatipu, which is one scary drive but so worth it at the end! 

I don't think these photos really do justice to the beautiful untouched natural beauty that this place holds. Neither can my words really. All I can say is if you ever get a chance, visit. Its absolutely magic.

Lunch was had in the grassy dunes on the beach sheltered from the wind. I was so relaxed I even managed a snooze in the sun afterwards. Uni was the last thing on my mind and it really felt like I had escaped the city without going too far. I felt so lucky to be living in such a beautiful country!

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1.  Something I am very proud of is    at the moment I'm proud that my workplace is sending me to a conference in another city next month. It sounds silly but it is the first time I've had to travel for my career and I hope it is the start of exciting things to come.

2.  My favorite thing about myself is  my positive attitude. I can pick myself from all kinds of situations and make the best of them. I know that sounds a bit obnoxious but making the best of things has literally saved my life in the past.

3.  My favorite color for fall is   maroon.

4. Something I've been learning lately is    that I need to balance to be at my best. I don't operate well under extremes.

5. A book I am reading now/have read recently is The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif. Its really nice escapism.

6. My favorite Pandora Station is  uh this must not be a thing in New Zealand because I have no idea what it is...

7.  This weekend I will   be going for a bush walk, catching a movie and going to the local french markets. I've given myself the weekend off assignment writing and I'm excited as lame as that sounds.

Join in here

Thursday Thought

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Blue and Grey Sunday

I fell in love with Titirangi again this Sunday. Blues and greys just seem to ease out of these photos.

My Baby

Isn't she pretty?

Fill In The Blanks Friday

This week has gone super fast! You can take part in the blanks over here.

1.  Right now the weather where I live is     cold but sunny most days. Spring is definitely in the air and I love the sense of possibility the nicer weather brings.

2.  The best piece of advice I've been given is    my two really good friends (my best mate and another who is my oldest friend) sat me down last year and said something along the lines of "some people don't deserve to be in your life. don't beat yourself up over it. move on." I really needed to hear that.

3.  My most favorite person in all the world is    my best friend and my little sister get equal favourite.

4. If I were to have a "mission statement" for my life, it would be     do whatever it is that makes you happy, be purposeful and remember that live is a verb. Something like that anyway.

5. My most favorite item in my closet is  a red snuggly circle scarf I got given on my birthday on Wednesday and my mustard coloured cardi.

6. The best cure for a bad day is   step outside and get some fresh air. Works every time for me. 

7.  Today is   almost over which means relaxing. Yus!

Food! Now that I have your attention...

I was quite stoked to come across this free e-book today. I'm such a foodie and great food with less ingredients appeals to my budget. You can download it yourself here, just remember to share the love.

Happy birthday to me

24 today. I like the place I've got to after 24 years. Here's to another year :-)

Corners of my world

My favourite blog posts are when bloggers show a sneak peek of their home. So I thought I would share a little bit of my space this month, starting off with my bedroom.

 My bedside table: Jasmine from our garden, what I've been reading and my pandora bracelet.

 I have my degree by my desk to motivate me during this year of post-graduate study. I really should get it framed at some point. That vase and elephant are probably my two favourite belongings. The elephant I obtained from my ex boyfriend (note the word obtained as he didn't exactly give it to me...) and the vase I bought at a craft market last year.

 Books. I have a growing collection in my room and an already full bookcase in the lounge.

 My wardrobe door has a selection of pretty photos, postcards and other things I find inspiring. The drawing at the top is a picture a little girl drew for me at work.

 

 I like lying in my bed, staring at the world map and dreaming of the places I will visit one day. My room also gets really nice afternoon sun.

 My collection of scarves. I think they are pretty.

I love this print, I bought it at the Splore Music Festival to remember the amazing time I had there at the start of the year. I was blessed with free tickets from a friend who had a stall at the market and felt very lucky.

My bed is probably the best place in the world in my opinion. I have a pretty sweet duvet cover too, don't I?

Sunday Afternoon

My flatmate and I are addicted to Mad Men at the moment. We watched the first season last week and when she got back from a weekend away on Sunday afternoon there was only one thing we wanted to do. So we went and got the second season from the dvd store along with a bottle of red wine and some ridiculously priced applewood smoked cheddar cheese. As far as Sunday afternoons go, it was pretty hard to beat.

A walk in the park

I've blogged about Cornwall Park before, but honestly its awesome. How many other cities have a beautiful farm and park bang in the middle?

Yesterday I had an exciting Saturday working on my current assignment and by 4pm I was craving fresh air. Unfortunately it had just started to rain. I decided to brave it anyway, grabbed a rain jacket and headed out the door. And boy, I was so glad I did! The park was pretty empty except for a few determined runners and some children who didn't seem to care either way. So I relished the solitude and enjoyed how pretty the park is looking now that spring has arrived. And there were lambs!!! So flipping cute! By the end of my hour loop around the park I had wet feet and a big smile on my face. Invigorated, I went home thinking about how lucky I am. It really is the simple things that make the most difference.

Couldn't agree more

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I'm so addicted to the quotes section of Pinterest....

A couple of weekends ago...

I won free tickets to go ice skating in Aotea Square. I don't often venture into the centre of town so it was a rather nice outing, finished with an amazing milkshake at Shakey Isles :)

Citrus and Berry Friands

I discovered Christina's lovely little piece of the internet a little while back when I was stuck at home with a horrible cold. I spent a fair amount of time trawling through all her past posts and getting incredibly inspired. And maybe a little hungry!
These citrus and berry friands were delicious with a cup of tea on a Sunday afternoon. I can't wait to try some of the other recipes she has posted soon!

Cider and epic sandwiches

One sunny saturday afternoon.

La Cigale

A yummy Auckland institution.