tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69663092266344332202024-03-12T17:39:38.716-07:00AmesmamesAmesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-24891970647089700142020-08-09T02:06:00.000-07:002020-08-09T02:06:38.074-07:00A Weekend in Wellington<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="goog_1837072071"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="1250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7IOLY3exHz9BE_2yNu38JaUh2E6leRSSW2R6Wk2UTxz-eTdssWn9pC32mvnzyTNUuKMq6E2mf5so8SFD5VSyzG5zzApvOjmBYnYYDbA5cu3qwifO2xL2CHn93cXTtUlMQ8LDUpJjmaywf/w938-h1250/D5DAB65E-3002-4D14-9ADF-7BF09F478021-1B958E1C-5656-4A3C-B564-B6E183983DFE.jpg" width="938" /></a></div><span style="display: block; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-top: 1em;">When my best friend, Ellie, moved to Wellington for uni at the beginning of the year she made me promise to come at visit her at least once this year - which at the time didn't seem like much of an undertaking. By late March I was keeping an eye on flights and already making tentative plans.</span><span style="display: block; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-top: 1em;">For obvious reasons, my plans came grinding to a dramatic halt as the rest of New Zealand did, and unfortunately once things got going again there were a million things to catch up on. That's why, when cheap Air New Zealand flights popped up on one of my only free weekends, I jumped at the chance to visit.</span><span style="display: block; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-top: 1em;">And so, last weekend I finally set off on the sweetest little getaway to explore the cultural hub of New Zealand! Here are some of my highlights from the trip:</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHmbiG0QuJ_BwkYy-r53xhbH_mBsjOVdgye6inv5fy2MJcBj4uLVn2Mmh_FO37oekLxGupmL_rQlpWCB2f96l7PTuie1urmOEZ-uUNyugaMsQzeHA8h-EStsTQW6aa8LcwGQkSZC5cYjs/s2048/45B5ECF0-80D4-440B-AB02-5858B1FF7661-CDCF2617-3BB1-4537-B6AF-A7A36E5847CB.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2lOM-BHHdbT4XSXwdAf1SVDxvz1MDGEybxt5K3mWfn8CdRIoWhyphenhyphenmIQHMZSubv0Qqi1_MVK9KgwnNiKstHzX6neuL8O7GaUd8U-KhbVeOTmh1IPFaNhjCgL9EZQPzGiyN-DnJNbaCFoCKt/w641-h481/DE330366-9A9F-4F7A-A5BE-E3CCB22622B5-0F29A49C-91BA-4A2E-8986-1931F13E3CBE.JPG" width="641" /></a><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wellington Waterfront Walk:</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Wellington is all about walking, as I quickly learnt after walking the waterfront 2-3 times every day (hardly a drop in the ocean compared to the 67,000 steps we managed over three days). Not that I'm complaining. With all the buskers, boutiques and street food along the picturesque walk, it's hard not to appreciate the hustle and bustle the waterfront offers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="1001" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrxRjq8A0MXFdSuvhd2F-bEAxX2oO6ZyUhZk2qpPKZdnrcZPgdlF-bDQyjtF-twg3kJPw-fWcSuO_YyIozNw-VIwdWAcDNMqSgbssJlV2KTE1lKjWJ5Fa7IlUECOVf3pyM5-yp1JQDsao/w751-h1001/7BC3D897-B8E1-46F9-8BD0-4AB542827E35-83D6EFD2-C66D-4B28-B8B2-A71995DF8CBF.JPG" width="751" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We managed to find <a href="https://jaimelesmacarons.co.nz/?gclid=CjwKCAjw1K75BRAEEiwAd41h1IkXvr6od5XFJsmnMdQX2N39nc2zfPQeUtf4seCXzf2K4SMgsf4_cRoCfVQQAvD_BwE">J'aime les Macarons</a> on our first stroll down the promenade, so naturally we had to get a box to try out some of their winter collection (hot chocolate & raspberry marshmallow, and apple pie macarons were SO good). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlzPulqNcxfDoUsEoTUmUUZih9IjqARdz3Jwj3RVeQBj-XN-y0stAqkAn2V1ClZ1EX5zgXnht4AXBt6CFP5jz5xdsXhzW63Mh_RoSzCtKWCfz2iSVo2RE7i2lpiVS_qd8mk5iAPvNYtLS/s942/3429C899-4EE2-410C-AD33-A23DE13605C5-066E2298-A88E-47C2-83F4-2B3091756F5A.JPG" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXp6oz07Ygh02NeL13_jSvb6azK29ZvqtBql4dNcoHr2sBgpWVBqZ7zlTLKsOJGvEZarPMpNBOkRbAa6Ka5Hk-uGZMNFcoJpYxjV1j_oqI29GUjjlxvXe5W2gV0tM1PzKY0hcoinL1czq/w641-h481/04F8D338-2304-4CB1-A4BF-99A24D375AF4-F2817A16-53AE-4E2C-B4F0-75B301240EF9.JPG" width="641" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Everyday was something new.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiuw-YJc1iH7JduvfAOYa8ReD4LoM6qPkKKphoFNSwZ0Mm8t-ZKku6inPB1qThWnHdKx6ZrBN0GuehT1MWukzQOxA5DZXMvH_MGabcNQ2KA5mpF9FiGfAQ5F6n4LFL6moYO13T4rdJQoS-/s2048/7D9FA56B-37DB-48DC-800A-5FE23628F717-76680D3B-D495-4838-8EE3-F35436626379.JPG" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlzPulqNcxfDoUsEoTUmUUZih9IjqARdz3Jwj3RVeQBj-XN-y0stAqkAn2V1ClZ1EX5zgXnht4AXBt6CFP5jz5xdsXhzW63Mh_RoSzCtKWCfz2iSVo2RE7i2lpiVS_qd8mk5iAPvNYtLS/s942/3429C899-4EE2-410C-AD33-A23DE13605C5-066E2298-A88E-47C2-83F4-2B3091756F5A.JPG" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIoa29Ce8UhhA7RzwR85StTeZlFvWICv4dTr3oYgSTFyhYFwnA7-0Gj95NUWX7JxLiX_cWHxueyUgh-QpHE4Iad_Smn-2-musbj4cHodAt9yuAtx1YrjfMrFDQy2JM-kXKRwWjRqFRxAN/w641-h481/1A0F0600-10FB-4823-A9B3-B6072EE83872-45C2A866-D0D8-4BC6-8F80-1FD3C740AD4D.JPG" width="641" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJNDcCNDe9F1DkYRx1oJsYZEfFm_UdgpYP_bxQ5f_mgqa3XUVYYPNzf6UwICbIBQZwLCYk1deGXTrMkz87VE7ZMLsQq_av7gdzqGobRfCFR7LV158OfGwKZ0kmvrMhHIrJxCU7sffDn3j/s2048/2B2E5075-E110-413D-B77C-507A023A6A60-54B69E2D-1C15-4579-A403-3ED428965E6C.JPG" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDGVF1rlM2jLwLouUyEXI7s8W4um0H0UrtZ5gmv7ods0WYW1d-VebK0B8mmaC_yFtUBYQjSg182dj6yvWnsqnTtlwFHDztbCoQZmetknUCow112dC-QYlFDe-HKJIBnp0932uNtQg_A9w/w641-h481/DB881372-BD63-4FDD-B827-845D86DD5C3D-809A3C14-EC62-40EE-A524-3D6568C1C2A3.JPG" width="641" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The waterfront was most vibrant on Sunday morning as every man and his dog made their way down to the harbour-side market to enjoy fresh produce and the unseasonably warm sunshine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rUPkmG3sXTpM9wA_xeIfxKaJcbFPq11Yj1DzPZsN-USKqZxBrUa9JfvMOKpXMsHpPmorf3HADEZ3vFsfBpPd_zkzC47CowtZ1D15aClFl3CdXFyyzZ8TTgIQzofMmXpVag7e8Ylb99xh/w750-h1000/F89EA909-A90A-46DA-A16A-E102577EAFC3-CF514037-0D9C-4C6E-9B43-6947DAF9D9F2.JPG" width="750" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">On my last day we went all the way down to Oriental Bay - a very pretty, and very popular beach 1km away from Wellington's centre city. Just before Oriental Bay we came across these gorgeous little boat sheds that make such a pretty Instagram photo. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfhjHoo8nLvSNpkQ7ue-Bu_ZM0DPHr0rgagUjZdGU28g6w1laoiHU9S46CTq8ofuGpHWoSMDn69gqBbY8pKgJvoDqFimX0rOP5H27AV0754rroBB6cwPTuKYMg4fNMqqUumG4McVejLiJ/s942/3429C899-4EE2-410C-AD33-A23DE13605C5-066E2298-A88E-47C2-83F4-2B3091756F5A.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="942" data-original-width="750" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfhjHoo8nLvSNpkQ7ue-Bu_ZM0DPHr0rgagUjZdGU28g6w1laoiHU9S46CTq8ofuGpHWoSMDn69gqBbY8pKgJvoDqFimX0rOP5H27AV0754rroBB6cwPTuKYMg4fNMqqUumG4McVejLiJ/w638-h800/3429C899-4EE2-410C-AD33-A23DE13605C5-066E2298-A88E-47C2-83F4-2B3091756F5A.JPG" width="638" /></a><h4 style="text-align: left;">Dinner and dessert and <a href="https://www.chow.co.nz/">Chow</a> and <a href="https://thelibrary.co.nz/">the library</a></h4><div>You're not a student in Wellington if you haven't been to these two institutions (or so I'm told); <a href="https://www.chow.co.nz/">Chow</a> - a vegan friendly asian restaurant with the best rosebud cocktails, and <a href="https://thelibrary.co.nz/">The Library</a> - an upmarket cocktail lounge/reading room with an extensive list of quirky drinks, and decadent desserts.</div><div>Of all the things we did over the weekend, dinner at Chow is the one thing I can't stop thinking about, those pork belly pancakes were SO good. </div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJNDcCNDe9F1DkYRx1oJsYZEfFm_UdgpYP_bxQ5f_mgqa3XUVYYPNzf6UwICbIBQZwLCYk1deGXTrMkz87VE7ZMLsQq_av7gdzqGobRfCFR7LV158OfGwKZ0kmvrMhHIrJxCU7sffDn3j/s2048/2B2E5075-E110-413D-B77C-507A023A6A60-54B69E2D-1C15-4579-A403-3ED428965E6C.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="485" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJNDcCNDe9F1DkYRx1oJsYZEfFm_UdgpYP_bxQ5f_mgqa3XUVYYPNzf6UwICbIBQZwLCYk1deGXTrMkz87VE7ZMLsQq_av7gdzqGobRfCFR7LV158OfGwKZ0kmvrMhHIrJxCU7sffDn3j/w643-h485/2B2E5075-E110-413D-B77C-507A023A6A60-54B69E2D-1C15-4579-A403-3ED428965E6C.JPG" width="643" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1UxdJNdIgdHb7gA1Htx3YwASN40KIy_GY0g8bSw5ZT14fDcB8yLjsbjAQkLbLS9OEBNC58Uc_F8kCYXlcwUphCQMgfkrgUQ7vf-zZ9U6FgcpCXHSPtB2d6mivpR2kh77mL4c2KbTwMWH/s942/59496691-15D4-46AC-B722-3D13ED13CAFD-5249235C-A3CC-4BF2-A510-DF033DE4064B.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="942" data-original-width="750" height="801" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6K6LznIONgOpdpov2zrw1RAaEqY6TNRvOzr9-N9t0d2kIZOOx5PdlfV-hw2Y_-uDTvJ6YNP5WzMJpHJY9SG-E2NVEZgzYnsVjQceb3Mx5EeGtZ8bZpQtsDFa9d3iWzPrifdiPqssnIXC/w638-h801/02E651EB-CE10-4EAF-A1C3-F9B0A2F163A4-D22E2FAF-9616-42F8-B34D-A914561FF46B.JPG" width="638" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjhRuv4bnOxWGtDI1Sg7eTez5p8rT4GUznwdPQkD4U59u9wAsIVnfcn09hRk2Tb0aIBRj4_rtrJLjLU4PYcrHRZTiThliipGRY5jH6nY9nb_zwXDqeNg8e7aghqbbcVoAf3KNLfRktcps/s2048/4EE124DC-2E30-4DC9-916D-227D6C346E1C-D94F2F5B-86AC-4982-83B4-A335FA5F5036.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRceEst2guX-9kwzH0x9GJQ945VaGUkQneTV74VzT2CdtLc37CE17wsPKp1KQTomevw8lYOlZyelQ3GCotVEQ5ZGZ3hyphenhyphenwDoIZdKtuMIFe-QBYXROp-waAewR4g87tQ2oIWgLvcUYHKFMhJ/w641-h481/8606DBC4-1362-425E-AEC8-5AE08E7EC9D1-063CBCF2-9310-473E-B68A-CD4186B55058.JPG" width="641" /></a><h4 style="text-align: left;">Cuba Street</h4><div>Wellington's best known street is filled with quirky, bohemian boutiques, cafes, and vintage clothing stores that give you a taste of the city's heart and soul. I could have spent a whole day exploring the eclectic shops, but our busy schedule didn't quite accommodate.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiuw-YJc1iH7JduvfAOYa8ReD4LoM6qPkKKphoFNSwZ0Mm8t-ZKku6inPB1qThWnHdKx6ZrBN0GuehT1MWukzQOxA5DZXMvH_MGabcNQ2KA5mpF9FiGfAQ5F6n4LFL6moYO13T4rdJQoS-/s2048/7D9FA56B-37DB-48DC-800A-5FE23628F717-76680D3B-D495-4838-8EE3-F35436626379.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiuw-YJc1iH7JduvfAOYa8ReD4LoM6qPkKKphoFNSwZ0Mm8t-ZKku6inPB1qThWnHdKx6ZrBN0GuehT1MWukzQOxA5DZXMvH_MGabcNQ2KA5mpF9FiGfAQ5F6n4LFL6moYO13T4rdJQoS-/w641-h481/7D9FA56B-37DB-48DC-800A-5FE23628F717-76680D3B-D495-4838-8EE3-F35436626379.JPG" width="641" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjhRuv4bnOxWGtDI1Sg7eTez5p8rT4GUznwdPQkD4U59u9wAsIVnfcn09hRk2Tb0aIBRj4_rtrJLjLU4PYcrHRZTiThliipGRY5jH6nY9nb_zwXDqeNg8e7aghqbbcVoAf3KNLfRktcps/w641-h481/4EE124DC-2E30-4DC9-916D-227D6C346E1C-D94F2F5B-86AC-4982-83B4-A335FA5F5036.JPG" width="641" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Of the stores that I did see, I especially enjoyed <a href="https://shop-thrift.com/">Thrift</a> and <a href="https://www.spacesuit.co.nz/">Spacesuit</a>. Both op-shops were overflowing with a collection of well curated vintage and designer clothing and accessories. The pieces were a little pricey, and unfortunately I was travelling on a tight budget (life of a uni student), so I didn't buy anything, but I very much enjoyed the vast array of velvet, corduroy and denim, and am keen to come back on an official shopping trip.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHW7mNyJ9ghSSciqV3on7CN9MXzNz3mfPu3UmpHv_x9z3qYGcmj2NqH_obyFiIuBNrfwIxK-aQ91oA-lziXKh36HBNjkpPDAvBBWGH4WZA_vKtUz15bv5pxxh1im8bPqF5wMftbVB-L3my/s2048/F5F98820-4751-4B7A-9349-FC49AEE2146F-34F11E26-4595-42FC-8BDE-C9B240845DE6+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHW7mNyJ9ghSSciqV3on7CN9MXzNz3mfPu3UmpHv_x9z3qYGcmj2NqH_obyFiIuBNrfwIxK-aQ91oA-lziXKh36HBNjkpPDAvBBWGH4WZA_vKtUz15bv5pxxh1im8bPqF5wMftbVB-L3my/s640/F5F98820-4751-4B7A-9349-FC49AEE2146F-34F11E26-4595-42FC-8BDE-C9B240845DE6+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We popped into <a href="https://www.scopa.co.nz/">Scopa</a> to try their famous hot chocolates - went down a treat!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjq3ag7IFVPYhEy0tq6_U1XGZjQhaCJWrKUG_9Vy1b51VKwck4WFHpV6iph5X-x500InIzIgip3YFlG7jH9Uoir7sS12UxE-1cOOVPmaviZ3colV2pVQZVF0QnpgZvLFjQEcGbSzQ6YeKr/w641-h481/731783AB-BA46-4D52-A16A-A876967E9227-3542AB14-5D46-477F-AFF5-919A071384A9.JPG" width="641" /></div><div><br /></div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Wellington Botanic Gardens</h4><div>These pretty gardens were filled with hidden grottos, fragrant florals, and several impressive fountains. Ellie makes an early morning trip up through the gardens to watch the sunrise most weeks, and having joined her last weekend I understand why. There is nothing more peaceful than sitting in the herb garden on a Sunday, with the morning sun on your face, watching the rest of Wellington wake up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGCIUwzKcIhXDMnfErceS1rZuvJWl8G3nZeR5Zo50sBOcw9WnApYssuT_1ZMQpDWzdS_ulWUdq2wQVGMfqvHipO2WHzqigP_NLLigDsJWGG6lhfqe_Xx7L2nApBKh9USp5GykubLkb-6I/s2048/FAE0A6FE-5AFB-4440-B280-9B0565414482-A1835B6E-5A05-4C50-8304-7DEF86010346.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1UxdJNdIgdHb7gA1Htx3YwASN40KIy_GY0g8bSw5ZT14fDcB8yLjsbjAQkLbLS9OEBNC58Uc_F8kCYXlcwUphCQMgfkrgUQ7vf-zZ9U6FgcpCXHSPtB2d6mivpR2kh77mL4c2KbTwMWH/s942/59496691-15D4-46AC-B722-3D13ED13CAFD-5249235C-A3CC-4BF2-A510-DF033DE4064B.JPG" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaR9skZlCMpOvOaZImc7v6V2_yNo3CnNZWanFkB3JEb2ZsNOz3O3Eiyfi-aKgVrjg16WJ853Nk8vinKW_dohLVEuhqham0jqFkePaV41GsGARoLYk5Mgfl2qkOCHQBsERNBO9GI6wei0z/w641-h481/B1E1DF9A-B876-4C8B-87A7-92B290D51039-8158B552-48CA-4427-BC7B-87A89D9C2880.JPG" width="641" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKwdceMdSqZsbk1qwKsJ0CJDE_iXIsqeAc0lpV3mZEmsxnNVWCuwlGC26vvQrMDwxauSKn7xQz0k0FLhMCGK0_GwhtlSvLi9t5iKuIJy1-lLRg2xh_kz0zCcbHMrjY5FEWX_RfFcd1SDJ/s2048/45B5ECF0-80D4-440B-AB02-5858B1FF7661-CDCF2617-3BB1-4537-B6AF-A7A36E5847CB+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKwdceMdSqZsbk1qwKsJ0CJDE_iXIsqeAc0lpV3mZEmsxnNVWCuwlGC26vvQrMDwxauSKn7xQz0k0FLhMCGK0_GwhtlSvLi9t5iKuIJy1-lLRg2xh_kz0zCcbHMrjY5FEWX_RfFcd1SDJ/s640/45B5ECF0-80D4-440B-AB02-5858B1FF7661-CDCF2617-3BB1-4537-B6AF-A7A36E5847CB+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Everywhere you turn was like something out of a fairytale.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGCIUwzKcIhXDMnfErceS1rZuvJWl8G3nZeR5Zo50sBOcw9WnApYssuT_1ZMQpDWzdS_ulWUdq2wQVGMfqvHipO2WHzqigP_NLLigDsJWGG6lhfqe_Xx7L2nApBKh9USp5GykubLkb-6I/s2048/FAE0A6FE-5AFB-4440-B280-9B0565414482-A1835B6E-5A05-4C50-8304-7DEF86010346.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcY8OemZEiB8L2V5QrkORh536qclqXRpfXZCsaScbSxaXj8uyB7bCAFgwbAoeos8TbspyAail9G80f8P9s7ZX0lA_SA8m9h65H1vYHk0V6ywdjYWj8HQWyBYi_nRXpmrUssDmbm1Cf9cT/w641-h481/49C728D4-7155-4171-B7B9-F6116D7872E1-DA7FBEAF-73AE-4CDE-8A6A-82F56BA75A82.JPG" width="641" /></a><span style="color: black;">As always, there was so much to do and see, and so very little time. And while we managed to cram a fair bit into the little trip, I've ended up with a whole itinerary of stuff we missed this time. It's a good excuse to come back soon ;)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPSpQX2IVZ5tr64LeZNYMAeh_-VVtcY8dB1Nt4wyIsBmCwNUthsJbLLFkz548Z-doGyT9QBdIz2VW9FDHjpV04VG1f62TEOquuJNPLzUsF_nts58RAhpaE8EdPO063jm2lXix9D0k7m5E/s2048/IMG_1178.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1539" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPSpQX2IVZ5tr64LeZNYMAeh_-VVtcY8dB1Nt4wyIsBmCwNUthsJbLLFkz548Z-doGyT9QBdIz2VW9FDHjpV04VG1f62TEOquuJNPLzUsF_nts58RAhpaE8EdPO063jm2lXix9D0k7m5E/w246-h328/IMG_1178.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGCIUwzKcIhXDMnfErceS1rZuvJWl8G3nZeR5Zo50sBOcw9WnApYssuT_1ZMQpDWzdS_ulWUdq2wQVGMfqvHipO2WHzqigP_NLLigDsJWGG6lhfqe_Xx7L2nApBKh9USp5GykubLkb-6I/s2048/FAE0A6FE-5AFB-4440-B280-9B0565414482-A1835B6E-5A05-4C50-8304-7DEF86010346.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><br /></a></div></div>Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-38934924598090183202020-03-14T21:34:00.000-07:002020-03-14T21:34:05.778-07:00Tu Fais du Ski? Switzerland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If there's one thing I love about Swiss culture it's the ski weekends. Ski, eat, sleep, repeat. That's what we did for four remarkable days. Our Swiss friends have a little ski apartment in Crans-Montana (where they taught me to ski two years ago!), so there was no question if we would ski.<br />
We came up in the afternoon, driving up alongside the lake and into the Valais, beautiful blue sky all the way. The sun set just as we were renting our ski gear, morphing from pale pink, to purple and finally settling into a glittering deep blue. If the drive up didn't take your breath away, that sunset certainly did.<br />
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We woke up bright and early on our first day. Dad, who looked forward to the skiing more than anybody, wanted to be up there as soon as the chairlifts opened.<br />
Our friends know the place back to front, and acted as our guides, taking us first on the easier slopes, and gradually working us up until we were skiing right from the highest station all the way down. My siblings and I left at about 3 the first day, but Dad stayed out until 4:30! (Which he did every subsequent day as well!)<br />
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Dinner that night was at one of our friends' favourite restaurants in Crans-Montana, <a href="http://mayen.ch/">Le Mayan</a>, for a traditional Swiss meal. It was Fondue<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c4043; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> à</span> la Tomate for me, a delicious cheese and tomato fondue accomp<span style="font-family: inherit;">anied by fresh bread, pickles, and viande séchée (I'm drooling just thinking about it). There were several r<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">östis and raclettes around the table, and even a chocolate fondue for dessert for my youngest sisters. </span></span><br />
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What a way to end such a fantastic day.<br />
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Dad was up at the crack of dawn the next day as well, but I was in desperate need of a sleep in, so I told him to go without me and spent the late morning shopping for souvenirs and pretty coats in the village with my sister.<br />
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Quick stop at Taillens Boulangerie for a pretzel for lunch, and a peek at some of their sweet treats... </div>
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... before we headed back up the gondola to ski out the afternoon.</div>
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That evening was a quiet one bar one stroll around the village under a cascade of fairy-lights, swoon.</div>
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For the rest of our stay we lived out the Swiss mantra; ski, eat, sleep, repeat. We were absolutely shattered by the end of it!<br />
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On our final night in Crans-Montana we went to <a href="https://www.pizzeriamichelangelo.ch/">Le Michaelangelo</a> for the most mouthwatering Italian dinner. Our Swiss friends are real <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">connoisseurs of Italian cuisine, and they've been coming back here for 17 years. That in itself tells you everything you need to know. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had been there a few times already, but this was a first for the rest of my family. Suffice to say, they loved it.</span></span></div>
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There we were, after four full on days of skiing, sipping on red wine, feasting on the most delicious food known to man, watching the live slalom race they had playing (hosted in Crans-Montana on a run we had done just one day earlier!), not a frown in sight. </div>
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I sat back, looked at my family, and thought how lucky am I to be showing my family one of my favourite places on earth!</div>
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If ever you are in Crans-Montana go to Michaelangelo's and get the spaghetti michaelangelo.<br />
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You will not regret it.Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-33745003357223735452020-03-07T16:48:00.001-08:002020-03-07T16:48:58.039-08:00First Things First, Switzerland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When my exchange trip ended, and I left Switzerland two years ago I told myself I would be back, and soon. If I had my way I would never would have left! But once reality set in I could see it would be a good five years before I could save enough money to afford another trip - what with study and all.<br />
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So you can imagine my delight when my parents announced that we as a family were not only going on our first ever overseas holiday together, but we were going to Switzerland the following Summer!<br />
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Prior to Switzerland, my family had been touring around the southern states in the US. I decided not to go for this part of the trip, and instead stay home and work as much as I could to save up for the coming year (and a little spending $$$ on this trip).<br />
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This meant I had to do my first solo long haul trip, and to say I was nervous would be an understatement.<br />
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When the time came, and me and Ben said our tearful goodbyes, I was a nervous wreck. Just checking my bag was stressful, how on earth was I going to manage customs!<br />
I took everything slowly, focusing on one step at a time, and before I knew it I was on my first flight.<br />
Everything went so smoothly, all my worrying was for nothing, of course. But that has got to be one of the most boring experiences of my life! No one to talk to; counting down the minutes. I was more than happy to have that behind me once I landed in Geneva.<br />
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There's a twelve hour time difference between New Zealand and Switzerland, and I have to say, I think I fared pretty well. After a quick shower, and a fresh face of makeup, I was right into it - perhaps a little more enthusiastic and energetic even than some of my younger siblings!<br />
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First things first, a "sight-seeing" (shopping) trip to Geneva. There were several I was looking forward to on return to Switzerland, but one of my top priorities was SHOPPING. Mango, Zara, Manor, Kookai, Tommy Hilfiger. Shopping in New Zealand just doesn't compare.<br />
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Nibbling on marrons chauds whilst strolling through Geneva gave me flashbacks to magical Christmas markets. I just couldn't believe I was back.<br />
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After a considerate amount of shopping we made our way into Geneva's old town to appease some less shopping oriented family members. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">St Pierre's Cathedrale was a must. We made our way up the 153 steps of the bell tower, and were greeted with the most incredible views of the city running down to the mountain framed Lac Leman.</span></div>
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I had visited the cathedral at the end of my exchange, so unlike my parents and siblings (and myself the first time I came) I wasn't concerned with taking millions of photos. Instead I could be present and enjoy. </div>
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All smiles in Swtizerland!<br />
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It was incredible to be back, and with my family. I had been dreaming of this moment for a long time, to see it come to fruition was so special.Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-25082906793877449962018-09-09T22:24:00.000-07:002019-08-06T14:40:13.428-07:00Hanmer Girls Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is just nothing better than a girls trip. A mini getaway dedicated to relaxing with all my favourite people. My friends and I had been planning this trip for months, so there was not one dull moment.<br />
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We drove up to Hanmer Springs last Friday and settles into our cosy holiday home, which was situated on Hanmer's main road to make trips to the pools easier. We visited the pools twice over the course of the weekend - once on the Saturday morning, and once that evening after dinner. Normally, after an hour or two, I get a little bit sick of the pools, but we had such beautiful weather, and good chats that I think I could have stayed floating in those hot pools all day!<br />
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The highlight of the weekend for me, however, was not the pools, but our amazing brunch. I am a sucker for brunch, and am very willing to spend a lot more than I should for a luxury brunch - and luxury this was. We feasted on beautiful pastries and macarons, bucket loads of fresh fruit, and the most delicious bellinis while listening to the Skyliners, outside surrounded by the stunning snowy mountains. It was basically a dream come true.<br />
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I am so glad to have done this trip, particularly because next year will be so unpredictable with everyone in different parts of the country for university. We're ending the school year on a high note, making amazing memories together to last a lifetime.<br />
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Amy Katrina</div>
<br />Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-77189748876092073032018-07-18T22:06:00.000-07:002018-07-18T22:06:19.896-07:00West Coast Holiday + Five Things<br />
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Last weekend we made very last minute plans to visit my grandparents on the west coast. The last time I went there was over two years ago, so the trip was long over due. We only stayed one night but we managed to fit a fair bit of sight seeing in while we were over.</div>
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The drive from Christchurch to Greymouth (where my grandparents live) is a very pretty one, particularly during winter time, as you wind through the Southern Alps. We had beautiful weather going over, and blasted show tunes the whole way, so I was extremely happy.</div>
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We managed to fit in a walk to the Devil's Punch Bowl waterfall and a visit to the pancake rocks in Punakaiki, both of which were really lovely. </div>
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The next day we went down to Hokitika and Hokitika Gorge before heading home. Hokitika Gorge was the highlight of the trip for me, it was so beautiful. The glacial water is such a vibrant blue I just wanted to jump in! There were some very friendly and very cute fantails too.</div>
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1. I need to visit the West Coast more often! It is so much more beautiful than I remember.<br />
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2. My host family from my exchange trip last summer are coming for Christmas this year, and I am so excited to see them again. We're going to take them on a tiki tour of New Zealand, which means not only do I get to see some of my favourite people again, but I also get a great holiday! We're planning to go to Queenstown, Milford Sound, Akaroa, Auckland, Bay of Islands, and of course Christchurch, where they will experience a summer Christmas.<br />
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3. I've only got one more term of school plus exams before I graduate! I can't believe how quickly High School has gone, in a couple of months I'm going to have to start applying for university which has suddenly become a very scary decision as I have to choose between two very different passions of mine. I'm torn between nursing and singing. I've never not had a plan for the future, or not known what I was doing, and so the fact that I haven't chosen yet terrifies me! I have to keep reminding myself to trust that God has a plan for me.<br />
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4. I haven't even gotten through half of my winter reading list, and not because I'm a slow reader or because I forgot about it. I think I was a little bit ambitious trying to read over 25 books this winter, I'm going to have to carrying this through to next winter!<br />
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5. I am so excited for spring and summer this year. While I have loved every second of this winter, I am desperate for summer holidays! I missed out on summer last year because I spent the holidays on exchange in Switzerland. I've spent way too much time recently on asos shopping for sundresses, swimwear, rompers, sandals, and all things summer but I can't help myself! I am so jealous of all my friends in the northern hemisphere right now.<br />
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Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week!</div>
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Amesmames xx</div>
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<br />Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-65756466886501759122018-06-03T18:36:00.000-07:002018-06-03T19:58:41.645-07:00Written in the Stars - School Ball 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKKMP3HII31qdxHiGvWu_8KTX4mZM_12vTRYPrkPhyphenhyphenlWm0j0x5wAm3b0oIlVIO7bWeAPcmNxfZm_f7H0VT6c6RxOOyNsnp_1EY-me4tJEsE2_ywZWwXcpaShusvCom5RJSO4SLukAkok1/s1600/IMG_6681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKKMP3HII31qdxHiGvWu_8KTX4mZM_12vTRYPrkPhyphenhyphenlWm0j0x5wAm3b0oIlVIO7bWeAPcmNxfZm_f7H0VT6c6RxOOyNsnp_1EY-me4tJEsE2_ywZWwXcpaShusvCom5RJSO4SLukAkok1/s640/IMG_6681.JPG" width="358" /></a></div>
Autumn is now behind us,and we have reached that dreary time of year when school seems to go on for an age. There is only one thing that keeps me going mid-year, and that is our school ball (my school actually calls it a formal, but ball sounds so much nicer!). This year - my last year - the theme was 'written in the stars'. I tried to keep things simple and elegant because, in my opinion, less is more.<br />
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For makeup I put in a lot of research to find the best artist. After a solid couple of weeks searching I decided upon <a href="https://kasiastanicich.com/">Kasia Stanicich</a>. She did a brilliant job, and both her and her mother are so lovely!</div>
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I don't usually wear a lot of foundation and skin products, so we kept the base really natural. For the eyes we went for a champange halo eye with winged liner and falsies. I loved it!</div>
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I had my hair done at <a href="http://www.merivales.co.nz/">Merivales Hair and Beauty</a> by the lovely Corrin. We went for a simple low bun and loose curls. Corrin did a fabulous job getting both mine and my friends hair done in 40 minutes so we could make out next appointment on time.</div>
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Then, of course, there is the dress! I spent the longest time finding this, in fact I started properly dress shopping while I was in Switzerland at the beginning of the year. This year I wanted the dress to be quite light coloured as last year my dress was a dark, seaweed green. I must have spent hours scrolling through <a href="https://www.theiconic.co.nz/">the iconic</a> before finally I settled on this ivory lace cocktail dress by <a href="https://shonajoy.com.au/collections/ready-to-wear/dresses?page=5">Shona Joy</a>. (similar style <a href="https://shonajoy.com.au/products/core-cocktail-dress-ivory">here</a>). I paired the dress with some nude pumps.</div>
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The lace detailing on the dress is absolutely beautiful!</div>
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I had the most wonderful evening, although I spent a good 2.5 hours out of 4 taking photos. Once the night was over my friends and I had a girly sleepover sipping champagne and stuffing ourselves with smores dip, pizza and mini spring rolls, so it was basically perfect.</div>
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Now it's back to school work for another two terms until I can finally get all dolled up again for graduation at the end of the year!</div>
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Amy xx</div>
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<br />Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-73342631240920394742018-04-19T19:44:00.000-07:002018-04-23T21:48:50.136-07:00Winter Reading List 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My favourite thing about winter is how cozy it is, I just love the idea of snow falling gently outside while I am curled up on the couch, with a hot drink, reading a good book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately, in the past couple of years, my winters have been filled with bitter wind, heavy school work loads and stressful meltdowns. Reading has not nearly been high enough on my priority list. In fact I think the only reading I've done in the winter, in recent times, has been compulsory - as shameful as that is. To make sure this year isn't a repeat of the last; </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">one of my New Years Resolutions for 2018 is to always have a book on the go. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This winter I am trying to broaden my literary horizons by reading some more challenging texts, as well as branching out into genres I normally steer clear of (a.k.a. Science Fiction).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Most of the books I've chosen for the winter season are either extremely cozy, and therefore perfect for a wintery (or in a perfect world: snowy) afternoon or transport me to another part of the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is my 2018 winter reading list, I hope you get inspired and maybe get some ideas for your own winter reading!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/315340.The_Tenderness_of_Wolves">The Tenderness of Wolves</a> </i>by Stef Penney - A suspenseful murder mystery set in a small village in Northern Canada, the winter of 1867. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31173.Villette?from_search=true">Villette</a> </i>by Charlotte Brontë - The first classic I'll read this winter, and quite a heavy one at that. I love that it's set in the small french speaking town of Villette.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2156.Persuasion?ac=1&from_search=true">Persuasion</a> </i>by Jane Austen - I love Jane Austen, and always enjoy her writing (Pride and Prejudice is my favourite of hers). I can't wait to dive into this account of love and second chances.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>4. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29430012-a-gentleman-in-moscow?ac=1&from_search=true">A Gentleman in Moscow</a></i> by Amor Towles - Saw this on <a href="https://themodernjetsetter.com/">The Modern Jettsetter</a>'s reading list, and knew I had to get my hands on it; Russian aristocracy, 1920's glamour and a 4.37 on good reads, yes please!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228665.The_Eye_of_the_World?ac=1&from_search=true">The Eye of the World</a> </i>by Robert Jordan - When I asked my Dad for some winter reading recommendations, telling him I want to start reading some different genres, he provided me with ample choice. This is one of his favourite books, and so I'm very excited to give it a try - even though it's a sci-fi!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>6. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25901561-to-capture-what-we-cannot-keep?ac=1&from_search=true">To Capture What We Cannot Keep</a></i> by Beatrice Colin - Everything about this novel sounds so very romantic. A chance meeting on a hot air balloon in Paris during the construction of the Eiffel Tower which leads to a blossoming love despite a controversial difference in social status.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6580573-captain-corelli-s-mandolin?ac=1&from_search=true">Captain Corelli's Mandolin</a> </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Louis de Bernieres - An insightful love story that explores culture, capitalism, religion, and war in Greece 1941.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>8. </i></span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/98696.I_Dared_to_Call_Him_Father?ac=1&from_search=true">I Dared to Call Him Father</a> </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Bilquis Sheikh and Richard H. Schnieder - An encouraging testimony of a Woman's journey from Islam to Christianity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>9. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6185.Wuthering_Heights?ac=1&from_search=true">Wuthering Heights</a></i> by Emily Bronte - Another classic. I was hoping we would study this at school, but since we're doing Othello for our novel study, I'm definitely adding it to my list.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>10. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234225.Dune?from_search=true">Dune</a> </i>by Frank Herbert - Another recommendation from my Dad. It's considered by many to be one of the most influential science fiction novels, although I'd never heard of it before now!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>11. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3.Harry_Potter_and_the_Sorcerer_s_Stone?ac=1&from_search=true">Harry Potter</a> </i>by J.K. Rowling - I first read the Harry Potter series two years ago, although I wish I'd started on them much sooner. To me nothing embodies the coziness of winter more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>12. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19063.The_Book_Thief?ac=1&from_search=true">The Book Thief</a> </i>by </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Markus Zusak - I'm sure to cry over this tragic WW</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; letter-spacing: 0.6px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">II</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> novel, but having read it before I know it's worth the tears. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>13. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7144.Crime_and_Punishment?ac=1&from_search=true">Crime and Punishment</a> </i>by Fyodor Dostoevsky - I'm reading this as a intro into psychological novels - I think it will be a challenge, but thats the whole point of this reading list!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>14. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7126.The_Count_of_Monte_Cristo?ac=1&from_search=true">The Count of Monte Cristo</a> </i>by Alexandre Dumas - Dungeons, thieves, murder, pirates and stolen treasure. It's not my usual romance/historical fiction, but this adventure filled novel sounds perfect when the school term begins to drag.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>15. </i></span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18143977-all-the-light-we-cannot-see?ac=1&from_search=true">All the Light We Cannot See</a></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> by Anthony Doerr - A beautiful historical Fiction (my favourite) about a blind French girl and a German boy in Nazi-occupied France during </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">WW</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; letter-spacing: 0.6px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">II.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>16. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10210.Jane_Eyre?from_search=true">Jane Eyre</a> </i>by Charlotte Brontë - A classic full of tragedy, passion and mystery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>17. </i></span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43916.Magician">Magician</a> </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Raymond E. Feist - Something fun and adventurous to keep me captivated after some heavier reading.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>18. </i></span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30657146-under-a-pole-star?ac=1&from_search=true">Under A Pole Star</a> </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Stef Penney - Another from thrilling novel Penney, this time set in the Arctic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>19. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77203.The_Kite_Runner?ac=1&from_search=true">The Kite Runner</a> </i> by Khaled Hosseini - A thought provoking novel about the friendship of a young, wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant in Afghanistan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>20. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/100915.The_Lion_the_Witch_and_the_Wardrobe?ac=1&from_search=true">The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</a></i></span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by C.S. Lewis - A family favourite that I'm hoping to read with my little sisters as winter melts into spring this year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Amesmames xx</span></div>
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Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-70931186546956604872018-03-26T13:20:00.001-07:002018-04-01T22:30:26.890-07:0017th Birthday Party - Girly, Autumn Picnic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVtOIk3F6ST2fD-uop9AykF7IK8BSNK989oj18o6NLZExM0PVNws75wlgfLNbZN4CATNNnq1jcoAmMJAAScnc0F8IgCvlyMiWGJg4VSDelUkA9_avMKIR2EYGJZr-rkuwiJt6aLs_HAeC/s1600/DSC03427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVtOIk3F6ST2fD-uop9AykF7IK8BSNK989oj18o6NLZExM0PVNws75wlgfLNbZN4CATNNnq1jcoAmMJAAScnc0F8IgCvlyMiWGJg4VSDelUkA9_avMKIR2EYGJZr-rkuwiJt6aLs_HAeC/s400/DSC03427.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Planning birthday parties is probably my favourite thing ever. From the moment my birthday party is over I am straight into planning the next one. I would spend hours a day on pinterest if I could, scanning through the holiday and event section. For myself I generally stick to very girly parties; slumber parties, tea parties, and for this year a picnic party.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfhvZApAgWIaT5jPB7mRwq4hSknSLDVvkVlQMVa6CjukZqN7MDHmNipgGzGIyESGPk18Xnc9vQeq5CeyMVx9_OeivvtAerPBFGlSbWU8MPUKYdsM-nEWoltelm_3dEWGCTp0jXfPJV743/s1600/DSC03411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="1600" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfhvZApAgWIaT5jPB7mRwq4hSknSLDVvkVlQMVa6CjukZqN7MDHmNipgGzGIyESGPk18Xnc9vQeq5CeyMVx9_OeivvtAerPBFGlSbWU8MPUKYdsM-nEWoltelm_3dEWGCTp0jXfPJV743/s400/DSC03411.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Throwing a picnic for my birthday was a bit of a gamble considering I'm an autumn baby. It would be absolutely miserable to put in all that hard work only to have pouring rain outside! I watched the weather all week leading up to my birthday, hoping and praying that it wouldn't be cold and wet. Fortunately for me the weather managed to improve for Saturday (as it had been raining for three days before hand), and there was no rain and no wind!</div>
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I wanted the cake to be simple, considering I'm sugar-free and wouldn't actually be having any. I found a very easy Mary Berry recipe (see <a href="https://www.gdst.net/article/bake-mary-berrys-unique-gdst-lemon-victoria-sandwich">here</a>) for a lemon sponge cake which I whipped up the night before the party and filled with cream and lemon curd, topped with roses from our garden. While I did not taste any myself, I can confirm the cake was a success!<br />
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I'm a sucker for a cheese board (or in this case bowl). I know that the first thing I go for at any party is the cheese board, so I like mine to be well done. The great thing about a cheese board is it's so simple to put together. For this one I had brie, camembert and cumin gouda (my absolute favourite), rice crackers and grain crackers, a zucchini relish, some thinly sliced dried beef, salami, prosciutto salami, grapes and cashews.<br />
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I wanted to have a couple of different options for lunch, so I had three kinds of salads and two different sandwiches. For the sandwiches I made Italian sandwiches with salami, cheese, and lettuce in a french stick, and I also made some salad sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, cheese, cucumber, zucchini relish and grainy bread. To make them look pretty I wrapped them with grease proof paper and pretty string.<br />
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The salad options were Greek orzo salad, roast vege, and rainbow mexican salad. The <a href="https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/living-co-preserving-jars-20-pack-450ml/R2321186.html">cute jars</a> were a total bargain from the warehouse. After lunch I also had fruit salad in jars to go alongside the lemon cake.</div>
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The party was held at the picturesque Christchurch Botanic Gardens Band Rotunda. It was just perfect, nice and cozy with a covered roof surrounded by beautiful big trees and punting on the Avon river next to us.<br />
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I was so happy with how everything turned out on the day, it was exactly as I planned it! It was such a lovely afternoon spent with me friends, I'm so glad it all worked out!<br />
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Amy Katrina xx</div>
Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-54472298886691460242018-02-15T13:51:00.000-08:002019-08-06T14:40:30.552-07:00Swiss Exchange Trip Week 7 - Saying goodbye & Paris<br />
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From our last day in Switzerland.</div>
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I still can't fully believe that only three weeks ago I had just said goodbye to my host family and hopped on a train to Paris. It feels like months ago now. My last few days in Switzerland passed slowly and quickly at the same time. I'm a very organised person, so I was all packed four days before leaving - though I had started packing a week earlier. School was finishing up, and there wasn't really much left for me to do. Despite my lack of work to do, time still managed to fly by until I was in the Geneva train station saying goodbye to some of my favourite people in the world.</div>
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I didn't talk about my host family very much in previous posts, but they were amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better family. They were so incredibly welcoming and generous towards me, always doing their best to make me feel at home. I got on very well with my host mother in particular, so leaving her was the hardest of all. There were many, many tears that day. I cried first at the train station, but we were hurried onto the train, so I had to calm down in order to organise my luggage, and find a seat. I thought that maybe I wouldn't cry again, but about 30 minutes into the train ride, when it was very obvious by the landscape that we were not in Switzerland anymore I had another quiet cry to myself, on and off for the rest of the trip.</div>
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All 25 New Zealanders who had gone on the exchange had a four day trip to Paris before heading home. I had imagined this trip would be a good thing, because we'd be able to have fun in Paris and then not be as sad when travelling home. I'm not sure about the other kids, but for me this was not the case. I was so distraught about leaving my family that the last thing I wanted to do was traipse around Paris with a big tour group for four days. All I wanted to do was curl up and sleep. Paris of course was beautiful, but my bad mood combined with our limited time meant that I wasn't able to fully enjoy anything. I would love to go back there for a couple for weeks get a proper feel for the city. The trip felt very long for me since all I wanted to do was go home (to either NZ or Switzerland). I was quite relived when we finally got on the plane. One thing in particular that I did enjoy in Paris was the bike tour we did. This tour was a lot of fun, it felt a lot less busy than everything else we did. We hopped our cute red bikes, which was such a relief for my very overworked feet, and cycled around the main tourist spots at a leisurely pace, all the while actually learning the history of Paris and how everything fitted together from our tour guide. The bike tour was definitely the highlight of my Paris trip.</div>
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I always knew that 2 months was all I had, but I was so settled in in Switzerland I really didn't feel like I was going to leave. Switzerland was my home, I lived there. For the last month at least, I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else. It makes me incredibly happy to feel that I have a second home all the way across the world, and a second family. There is no doubt in my mind, I am definitely going back to Switzerland some time. </div>
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This exchange was one of the best things I've ever done, and I cannot recommend it enough. I'm trying to convince all my younger siblings to go on one. The amount that you learn about different cultures, languages, and yourself is worth every penny that you pay - if not more. </div>
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I hope you've all enjoyed following my time abroad, and if you have any questions about exchanges you can reach me either here or on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/amykatrinamorrison/?hl=en">instagram</a>, I'd be more than happy to answer.</div>
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Amesmames xx</div>
Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-11697185830164454422018-01-18T23:57:00.000-08:002019-08-06T14:40:45.962-07:00Swiss Exchange Trip Week 6 - Gruyeres and La Mer de Glace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm currently sitting on my bed listening to the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack because all the photos from the past week put me in such a fairytale mood! As I'm writing this I only have 5 days left in Switzerland! The mood of the entire trip has become very desperate as those of us on the trip try to fit in as much as possible before our departure. </div>
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Last weekend is a great example of said desperation. I did something every day of the weekend, and even skipped school on Monday to fit even more in.</div>
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Saturday we started out by going to Aquaparc, which was a really cool water park with about 10 different slides as well as hot pools and saunas. For anyone from Christchurch it's very similar to QE2 (Before it fell down). Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures there, but it was a lot of fun. I think it's a great family activity and totally recommend it.</div>
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Next on our weekend agenda was Gruyeres. I, along with my host father and a couple of other girls on the exchange, drove there sunday morning. The drive was beautiful as per usual. I love going on drives in Switzerland because it is such a different landscape to anything we have in New Zealand. I also love going on drives here because we always end up in some beautiful village, and Gruyeres was no exception. I felt like I had been transported into a disney movie. I made everyone stop every five seconds to take another photo because it was all so beautiful!</div>
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We toured the well maintained castle before having fondue and Gruyeres' well known meringue and double cream for lunch. We completely stuffed ourselves, making the most of some of our last Swiss treats. </div>
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Before heading home we also toured the Cailler chocolate factory. Once again I didn't take photos, but this was a really good experience. I didn't actually see that much of the factory, but I did learn a lot about the history of chocolate, and I got to eat a lot of chocolate (you finish the tour in the tasting room).</div>
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Last on our list was Chamonix, France. It took about an hour to drive from Geneva to Chamonix, and I find that so crazy, you can just drive to another country! You can't drive anywhere else when your in New Zealand.</div>
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When we first arrived in Chamonix I thought it couldn't get much more beautiful, nestled in the French alps with stunning views in any direction. Of course the view got a million times better when we actually took a train into the mountains. I wish my phone camera was better, because the photos I took do not do the view any justice. I had never seen such steep, jagged mountains in my life, it hardly looked real! Once again I felt like I was in a fairytale (actually I felt like I was in a barbie movie).</div>
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From the train you can take a gondola down to La Mer de Glace - the famous glacier. Each year they did out little tunnels/caves which they then open for people to walk through. I had never actually seen a glacier up close before then. It was so much more blue than I imagined, and so smooth to touch.</div>
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Ending it with a very durpy picture of myself having the tie of my life in the glacier. I really can't believe this whole experience is actually coming to an end. No matter how hard I try to slow down, the days seem to be flying by faster and faster. I know that I will come back here (hopefully this time with my family), but it's never going to be like this again, and so I'm savoring every last moment.<br />
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Amesmames xx</div>
<br />Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-89194825695707971852018-01-09T13:22:00.000-08:002019-08-06T14:41:01.839-07:00Swiss Exchange Week 4 and 5 - Crans-Montana and Venice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My time in Switzerland is very quickly passing by, I feel like it was just yesterday that I arrived, and now I have only two weeks left in this beautiful country. I remember being so freaked out by the idea of spending two whole months here, but now I'm certain that two months just isn't enough.</div>
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The past couple of weeks have been winter holidays, and I've been fortunate enough to have two amazing trips; one to Crans-Montana for a little bit of skiing, and another to Venice.</div>
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We arrived in Crans-Montana on the 27th. I took the train up, and it was absolutely beautiful. First we travelled alongside lake Leman, and the weather was reasonably nice, so I had a great view of the swiss alps. Eventually though, we passed the lake and journeyed into the mountains. I had originally planned to nap for this part of the trip, but once I saw the stunning snow-capped mountains, there was no chance that I would give up that view for sleep. </div>
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My host family have an apartment in Montana, and ski there very regularly, so they knew all the good restaurants to take me to, and all the good ski slopes. My first night we went to a traditional swiss restaurant, and I had my first rosti (basically a swiss hash brown) which was extremely delicious. I loved all the decor, the cow bells and red, checkered table cloths. </div>
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Our apartment had the most beautiful view of the swiss alps from the living area, and from my room. picturesque fur trees covered in snow. I took a photo out my window everyday.<br />
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On our first full day we skied. I was so nervous, because I'd only been skiing once before on a school trip, five years ago. However, I managed the bunny slopes without any dramatic falls, my host family were very impressed with how quickly I picked it up. Over the course of the five days I skied four times, each going a little higher, and a little steeper than the last time. I had one skiing lesson which immensely boosted my confidence levels, and once I felt in control I really enjoyed myself. I scared my host mother to death with my 'need for speed', but I was having the time of my life.<br />
Of course there were many spectacular wipeouts, most of which I managed to do sliding backwards down the slopes. But I managed to end the trip with minimal bruising, and no broken bones!<br />
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Crans-Montana is beautiful, I loved the view when I could ski high enough to see it! You could see the matterhorn at the top, although I'm not sure if it is in this picture.</div>
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The next big trip was Venice. We had one day after Crans-Montana to somewhat recover before we were off again. This trip was very eventful and fast paced! We started off our travels with insanely turbulent flights. We flew Geneva to Zurich, and the Zurich to Venice, which took much longer than planned because of weather delays, Our first flight was like nothing I've ever experienced before. We had a veeery shaky take off, but the captain kindly informed us that the plane was handling everything just fine. Even so, there was no point throughout the flight where passengers could get up from their seats. One lady and her kid ignored this a got up to go to the bathroom and the air host literally yelled at them to sit down! Stress levels on the flight were very high, people were puking all over the flight, each lurch sent the cabin into a mini frenzy. I didn't actually notice any of this as I was sitting at the window seat, and actually found the flight pretty enjoyable, kind of like a roller coaster. The most thrilling part of the flight for me was when we were struck by lightening. The bright, purple flash and loud pop noise on the side of the plane made me jump. Once we landed the entire cabin joined in a round of applause and breathed a sigh of relief, that was until we were informed that Zurich airport was shut down due to bad weather, and we had to wait on the plane for half an hour. And then we had to wait another three hours until our next flight took off. This was much longer than our intended hour and 15.</div>
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I didn't know what to think of venice when we first arrived. I had imagined it to be very sophisticated, much like Switzerland. Some things did feel very glamourous, like the water taxis, glittering Christmas lights, and designer boutiques. But to me the city seemed like it didn't fit together. I thought the small little alleyways, crowded footpaths, and rundown buildings didn't make sense. The whole place was disorganised to me. But my host family go to venice almost every year, and I know they have good taste. I made it my mission to find out what it was about venice that my family couldn't get enough of.</div>
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On our first day we visited Murano, which is part of Venice, but separate from the main island. Murano is known for glasswork. They have a big glass factory, that you can tour, where they make all sorts; from pandora beads to life size sculptures. The winter holidays are reasonably quiet for Venice, so rather than seeing the glassworkers making junk (and then shattering it right away) I got to see them making what I believe was part of a chandelier. It was very interesting, and I think very worth the trip.</div>
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On the evening of the first day I asked my host family what they really love about Italy. One of the main things my family appreciates is the carefree, joyful character of italians; the men don't work too hard, they eat good food, they laugh, they talk to anyone, they play little games with tourists. Suddenly the city made sense to me. I had expected it to be so similar to Switzerland, and - consequently - was disappointed when it wasn't. Once I better understood the italian culture, then I loved Venice, it fits with the carefree, happy nature of Italy. How interesting that countries so close to one another can be so very different! </div>
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The next day we tackled the big tourist attractions; Basilica di San Marco, Campanile di San Marco, Rialto bridge. These are popular for good reason, they are absolutely stunning. The Campanile has the most stunning view of the entire city, the gold mosaics and huge domed ceilings of the Catholic Church are unmissable. Unfortunately you can't take photos in the church, however it is unlikely to be something you will forget!<br />
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Our last day was the gondola ride, which to be honest, I thought was overrated. You got to tour the city a little bit, and I guess it's at a different angle, but I didn't find it to be a highlight of the trip at all. Of course, venice looked beautiful, it was particularly romantic because of the fog that settled in that morning.<br />
I wish that I had more time to explore venice some more, do some really serious shopping (although I did manage a fair amount in three days), and stuff myself with even more italian food. I'm sure that this will not be my last time in Venice. Once again, it's a spot I can't wait to bring my family and show them where I've been!<br />
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My trip to Venice made me realise some of the things I love about Switzerland. The swiss people are so prim and proper, you will rarely see a swiss person snacking, everything has a place, almost everyone has a gym membership and uses it regularly, and the style here is amazing. The country inspires me, and I have made a few new years resolutions based on the sophisticated culture. I can't believe i only have two more weeks!</div>
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Amesmames xx</div>
Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-43649395033436394332017-12-26T02:18:00.000-08:002019-08-06T14:41:37.386-07:00Swiss Exchange Trip Week 3 - Geneva and a Swiss Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I never considered myself a traveller. I always wanted to go places and see things, but it's not something that would define me. However now that I'm overseas I'm starting to realize how addictive it is to be immersed in a different culture, and fall in love with language, food, and traditions, maybe I am becoming a traveller.</div>
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There are many positive things I can learn from the swiss culture, I'm thinking of healthy eating habits in particular. I thought that I would come here, eat bread and cheese, and put on weight, but the lifestyle here is so much healthier than in New Zealand. I almost never see anybody overweight. I've found everybody is much better about not snacking so much in between meals. In New Zealand we tend to eat all the time, constant snacking, often just out of boredom. But here you go from meal to meal, maybe with a few crackers in between, and its perfectly fine. Fast food is much more expensive here as well. At lunch time it's cheaper for me to pick up a salad from the supermarket than a burger from McDonald's. It pretty much forces you to eat healthier, and I am not complaining.</div>
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The positive lifestyle habits that I'm picking up from Switzerland make me excited to travel the rest of the world and see what else I'm missing out on.</div>
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This week was the last week of school for the year. As a little reward myself and a few other girls went on a girlie shopping trip in Geneva. Geneva was insane, very vibrant and busy. This was partially due to the fact that we went two days before Christmas, but I can tell Geneva is an energetic city. The streets and stores were packed with shoppers and street performers. While that's not everyone's cup of tea, I loved it.<br />
Shopping in the vibrant city centre with the clear, blue lake on one side and pretty bakeries on the other was beautiful. The lake was much less polluted than I imagined it to be, it was a very striking blue colour. Actually the whole time we were there I desperately wanted to jump in, despite the chilly temperature.<br />
And the shopping was so good. The stores are massive, and so much better than those in New Zealand. I have a new favourite store, <a href="https://shop.mango.com/au">Mango</a>, which unfortunately is not available in NZ, but is in Australia. Everybody is so stylish here, at first I found the big oversized coats and statement pants a bit grungy and not up my alley, but the longer I'm here the more I like them. I will definitely return to Geneva for some more shopping after new years.<br />
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This week was our last week of school for the year, and basically one big lead up to Christmas. It felt so strange though, at home I would finish school at least three weeks before Christmas, so I couldn't help but feel that there were still a couple of weeks until the big day. We did all the christmas-y things: decorated the house, wrapped presents, and made Christmas cookies.</div>
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It's been very strange, in many ways it looked more like Christmas here; the towns were more decorated, and it's winter here, but I'm away from all my family, so it also felt much less like Christmas.</div>
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Everything is done differently for Christmas here. We opened presents on Christmas Eve after a big dinner of Fondue Chinoise - Chinese Hotpot - a very popular choice for Christmas Dinner. We opened stockings on Christmas day, and then said goodbye to all the family. But back home we would go to the beach on Christmas Eve, and maybe drive around to look at light displays, and open our presents early on Christmas day before breakfast. Dinner would be a big roast dinner. </div>
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So this year was different, but very cool. I was away from my family, but got to experience a completely different kind of Christmas in another country, </div>
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I hope everybody had a very merry Christmas this year.<br />
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Amesmames xx</div>
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<br />Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-61825141655985443572017-12-20T13:10:00.000-08:002019-08-06T14:41:54.787-07:00Swiss Exchange Trip Week 2 - Basel and Saint-Cergue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm two weeks into the trip - in other words quarter of the way through - wondering where the time has gone! I LOVE it here! Over the past week there have been so many moments where I stop in awe at how amazing this country is, and how lucky it is for someone to live here. I don't think I could ever get used the moment when the clouds clear for just a few minutes and everywhere you look are stunning, snowcapped mountains.</div>
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I've settled down both at home and at school, and feel completely comfortable in the cutesy town. The school is very different to mine at home. The days here are much longer, but often have massive breaks for lunch. The longer lunch breaks are great, it means my friends and I can buy some nice bread and cheese and explore Nyon for an hour or two most days. </div>
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Nyon has some super cool ancient ruins (as seen above), a castle, and other little heritage buildings which I find so amazing. We don't have very much history in New Zealand, so coming here and visiting castles and ruins that are literally hundreds of years old is so insane to me. Just imagine all the people who stood in the exact same spot looking at the exact same lake, mountains, and buildings over the past thousands of years.<br />
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I've also very much enjoyed the shopping here. There are lots of stores - like H&M, Zara, Zebra - that we don't have in Christchurch, or have only just gotten, so they are still very exciting for me. Everything is in walking distance from school, so it is super easy to pop out at lunch time and have a spree.</div>
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I knew it was going to be cold here, but I still packed lighter jackets like my leather jacket, which I can now see was unnecessary as it's too cold to wear a leather jacket by itself, and too annoying to layer under coats. I'm considering sending a box of things back home now so that I have more room in my suitcases on the way back to NZ!</div>
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During the week I get to explore Nyon, but the weekend is when it gets really exciting. This weekend we drove to Basel for the night and visited the extraordinary Christmas market in the evening, and the rest of the city the next morning.</div>
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Basel is located in the north of Switzerland, right on the French and German borders. The most widely spoken language in Basel is swiss-german, although it is hugely multicultural, I heard all sorts of languages while there. The public transport in Basel - Trams, busses, and biking - is much better than public transport in NZ, and makes it very easy to navigate the busy city.</div>
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Basel was beautiful, and completely different to Nyon. It has much more of a gothic style, which kind of freaked me out at the start. Despite the gothic building style, though, the houses were all very colourful and bright. The city itself was very vibrant, and lively.</div>
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The highlight of the trip was the insane christmas market. The stalls went on forever. You finish one block of christmas decorations and sweet treats and think you've finally reached the end only to discover a whole unexplored street of stalls. It was very busy, and very beautiful. Every stall was a decorated, wooden hut covered in christmas lights. I could have happily stayed there for hours.<br />
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The next morning we once again visited the centre city, this time in daylight which has a completely different vibe. We munched on pretzels and roasted chestnuts and pottered through the pretty little streets and huge gothic church, the Basel Minster.</div>
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I loved this pretty street, on the way to the Basel Minster.</div>
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The trip was busy and went very quickly. One day in the future I would love to come back to Basel, and spend a longer time to visit all the historic buildings and museums. </div>
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The next day me and a friend took a train up to Saint-Cergue for the afternoon. Saint-Cergue was breathtaking. There was so much snow! In some places we were literally wading through thigh-high snow! I've never really experienced powdery snow before. Christchurch snow is very wet/icy. I thought it was so impressive. We ended up lying down in some field watching the thick flakes float down on top of us (Which did get us wet, but we had already waded through the thigh high snow, so....). It was so peaceful, if I wasn't slowly freezing to death I would have stayed there till dark.</div>
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real life icicle!</div>
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I feel crazily happy at this point in time, I feel that every good thing that could happen for me on this trip so far has happened, and I am incredibly grateful to have this opportunity!</div>
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Check out my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/amykatrinamorrison/">instagram</a> to keep up to date with my mini adventures throughout the week, and more day to day stuff. Only four days till christmas now!</div>
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Amesmames xx</div>
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<br />Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-74679830483315897022017-12-11T10:26:00.000-08:002019-08-06T14:42:11.107-07:00Swiss Exchange Trip Week 1 - Long Flights, Christmas Markets, and Castles<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been working towards my exchange trip to Switzerland for 2 years. It' always been a big goal of mine, but never actually felt real. Even now as I sit on my bed listening to the Swiss rain wash away the Swiss snow writing this post it still doesn't feel real.</div>
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It was just over a week ago that I began the very long journey from New Zealand to Switzerland. There was a group of about 20 of us going, all very anxious and excited. I was mainly anxious, because I had no idea what to expect, and I came to the realization that I will be away from my family for two months, in a foreign country, speaking a foreign language, over christmas time. </div>
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I cried packing my bags, I cried weighing my bags, I cried while I hugged family and friends, and I cried as I walked through security. I was so nervous, and by that point in time I'd had so many mental break downs I was over it. I didn't want to go. I forced myself to leave everyone because I knew if I didn't go I would regret it for a very long time.</div>
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I hopped on the plane, the first plane of many, and pretended to be excited. We flew from Christchurch to Sydney, Sydney to Dubai, and Dubai to Geneva. All in all it was about 25 hours in the air. I'd never done a long haul flight before, so I was very excited. I found the flights pretty enjoyable, sleep was uncomfortable, but I managed to get 8 hours so I felt really good.</div>
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Flying into Geneva was very pretty, we flew over snow-capped mountains, and it was 0 degrees outside. It actually reminded me a lot of <a href="http://amesmames.blogspot.ch/2017/09/queenstown-winter-wonderland.html">Queenstown</a>. I had somewhat calmed down over the course of our flights, but when we landed the nerves returned worse than ever. I kept thinking over and over again "I'm going to be here for two months!"</div>
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Of course everybody here is lovely, and now that I've settled in I am very happy to be here. I'm staying in a small village just out of Nyon. It's so pretty here, the buildings are much nicer than those in New Zealand. I was surprised by the pretty houses in particular, I had naively thought that all houses were the same. The best thing about Switzerland so far is that everywhere is decorated for Christmas and it is so cozy!</div>
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On Friday my host mother, friend, and I visited a Christmas market at the Chateau de Morges. All my christmas dreams came true at this market, we don't have anything like it in New Zealand. We nibbled on roasted chestnuts and sipped Christmas tea while walking through the wooden huts.</div>
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I spotted these adorable christmas cookies, and so nearly bought one even though I don't eat sugar.</div>
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We haven't had snow in Christchurch in 5 or 6 years, so when I looked out my window to find snow saturday morning I almost cried.<br />
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Even though I absolutely loved the snow (which is sadly already melting) it was actually a bad thing because it meant we couldn't take a ferry to France, like we had originally planned. Instead we drove to The Chateau de Chillon. The drive from Nyon to Veytaux has an amazing view of the Lake Geneva and the French Alps. Although I think the castle itself has the best view.</div>
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The castle has a lot of history, you can see graffiti done by Lord Byron and the very post that Francois de Bonivard was chained to for 6 years. </div>
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Every room had a different ceiling pattern which I really appreciated. My favourite ceiling was in the Chapel, it's very light and pretty.<br />
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I got all dressed up for the occasion, finally getting to whip out my winter sweaters and makeup.</div>
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Castles and markets aside, this week was really about settling in both at home and at school. I feel very at home here because everybody is lovely, but this week has been difficult for me. Getting over jetlag, starting a new school, and speaking a different language was hard. I had to really concentrate on staying positive sometimes. In the difficult times I had to choose to be happy. However, the worst is now behind me, and I'm very excited to be able to enjoy this beautiful country for two whole months!<br />
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Amesmames xx</div>
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Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-88395647951389256612017-11-09T22:39:00.001-08:002018-04-01T22:32:57.836-07:00Ethique Advent Calendar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's November, which for me means its pretty much Christmas time. I've already started listening to my Christmas playlist and planning a Christmas party for before I leave. One thing I've never really gotten into is advent calendars. When I was a child I never had chocolate advent calendars, and I certainly didn't care for any other kind. However now as I get a bit older I can see that advent calendars are great for testing a variety of different products for a much cheaper price. </div>
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The other day when I got home from school my mum surprised me with the Ethique advent calendar! I had never heard of Ethique before, but I'm very interested in the brand now. Ethique is one of the first brands to develop an entirely solid product range. They sell a variety of skincare, hair, pet, and home products, all in bar form and can boast their prevention of 150,000 plastic bottles being manufactured and disposed of world wide. The products are all natural, sustainable, and have raving reviews, so I am very excited to give some a try.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMq1026LR50ndyQyNQeV9Pb6F_1Wrjg4pUPczD-GOHlSVpeTPHtD1cfGSS6oxDiKTOEyqDg-QdEujm4NZ8l4aH5-ThjP-MEDVYSy3fCrwwfZVUrlHgfApOLSlcRVEutddvoc_VveHYkn1_/s1600/Attachment-1+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMq1026LR50ndyQyNQeV9Pb6F_1Wrjg4pUPczD-GOHlSVpeTPHtD1cfGSS6oxDiKTOEyqDg-QdEujm4NZ8l4aH5-ThjP-MEDVYSy3fCrwwfZVUrlHgfApOLSlcRVEutddvoc_VveHYkn1_/s200/Attachment-1+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="150" /></a>The advent calendar has 12 sections with 12 mini beauty bars. All, apart from one, are cute little love heart shapes. They smell AMAZING! The scents are lime, ginger, lavender, peppermint, orange and vanilla. So far my favourite scent is ginger, but they are all lovely. This advent calendar prevents 3 bottles from being manufactured.</div>
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<i>Products you can expect:</i></h4>
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Day 1 - Saving Face, Serum</div>
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Day 2 - Foot Pumice</div>
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Day 3 - Foot Balm</div>
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Day 4 - Lavender Deoderant</div>
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Day 5 - Lime and Ginger Bodywash</div>
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Day 6 - Bliss Bar (cleanser)</div>
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Day 7 - Lime and Coconut Butter Block</div>
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Day 8 - Gingersnap Face Scrub (my fave)</div>
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Day 9 - The Guardian Conditioner</div>
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Day 10 - Damage Control Shampoo</div>
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Day 11 - Sweet Orange and Vanilla creme (body wash)</div>
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Day 12 - Lime and Ginger Bodywash</div>
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I love what Ethique stands for, and have very high expectations for the products. I hope that I find some new favourites because I would love to replace my current products with more sustainable products.</div>
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Amesmames xx</div>
<br />Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-50443467202545959092017-09-22T14:14:00.002-07:002019-08-06T14:42:26.908-07:00Queenstown - Winter Wonderland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDzf6M8kum-dK1kKj4uO5nvXDWdAdppWCydj_mI3fGkmjZTIz_-cGnLbbFfhd_wSMkVnO5IcvOxirJUg68AZmvbj7qiRVuU9CfoCz5oSDxlyNL43nBTu9cJAUceqgW2G6NkGdZkIBfTyU/s1600/IMG_1114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDzf6M8kum-dK1kKj4uO5nvXDWdAdppWCydj_mI3fGkmjZTIz_-cGnLbbFfhd_wSMkVnO5IcvOxirJUg68AZmvbj7qiRVuU9CfoCz5oSDxlyNL43nBTu9cJAUceqgW2G6NkGdZkIBfTyU/s400/IMG_1114.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Just when I thought I had said goodbye to winter, and was fully ready for summer, our trip to Queenstown almost made me change my mind! My Dad, Patrick, our exchange student, and I took a trip to Otago/Southland to show Patrick some more of our beautiful country. No one planned for it to be this amazing though! As soon as we hopped off the plane it started snowing, which was a huge surprise for all of us. We knew it was going to be cold weather, but none of us expected snow.<br />
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I was by far the most excited about the snow. We haven't had snow in about 6 years back in Christchurch. So even though I had seen some snow on the ground in places I hadn't seen it actually snow for 6 years. Driving into Queenstown from the airport was stunning. I felt like I was in a Christmas movie!<br />
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Everywhere you looked were insane views.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41yeICIg91smAYkCBhYo_osS4Ax53KZ88LLc8X-WXINlMViimKxf_QpSEyqcHjt5CFEZi2ZAjJdU8GvLsg6WAvyK7amycIze40PcXN5R_Y7lPNmeFu7AAebkhWXWqHMKvxZk8fFURz9M9/s1600/DSC08259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41yeICIg91smAYkCBhYo_osS4Ax53KZ88LLc8X-WXINlMViimKxf_QpSEyqcHjt5CFEZi2ZAjJdU8GvLsg6WAvyK7amycIze40PcXN5R_Y7lPNmeFu7AAebkhWXWqHMKvxZk8fFURz9M9/s400/DSC08259.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1ne-maYbM8kIIPO3cL9AX6niPAfMU5ZLF_hhU7Ouf88ZhWF6cj5UAiYUm0Sk8BapdUAjtGTqyxJ2g50ndIuOxuWYormhPAwSXP196-82L2UDMbbfehJoT3xr3osNj_9IxBUsgs4cY-jW/s1600/DSC08326-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1ne-maYbM8kIIPO3cL9AX6niPAfMU5ZLF_hhU7Ouf88ZhWF6cj5UAiYUm0Sk8BapdUAjtGTqyxJ2g50ndIuOxuWYormhPAwSXP196-82L2UDMbbfehJoT3xr3osNj_9IxBUsgs4cY-jW/s200/DSC08326-001.JPG" width="200" /></a>We arrived in Queenstown in the late afternoon on Saturday. To make the most of what little daylight hours we had we drove around Lake Wakatipu to experiece the view from different angles. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVOZ04psI2Ep_CcYq7IQ-JQ2F8gUtCrRbKde8DkFBUMg1IENtnizSnmtvWMZvOoTLhAcqT7V1P-eQ8GQiwaJfMeBl-Uq83EO-67bs5QUyuwWesyl9-6qfdhqP1w7GHrt4ASvFLJgahW1R/s1600/DSC08280-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVOZ04psI2Ep_CcYq7IQ-JQ2F8gUtCrRbKde8DkFBUMg1IENtnizSnmtvWMZvOoTLhAcqT7V1P-eQ8GQiwaJfMeBl-Uq83EO-67bs5QUyuwWesyl9-6qfdhqP1w7GHrt4ASvFLJgahW1R/s200/DSC08280-001.JPG" width="200" /></a>You cans see from the clothes I'm wearing that I was not prepared for snow! I, being the overly prepared person that I am, had packed for every situation possible, but I only brought enough really cold stuff for one day.</div>
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I just couldn't believe how beautiful it was, it so felt like a Christmas movie!</div>
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Dinner that night was from Fergburger. For those of you who don't know Fergburger, it is a world famous burger joint only found in Queenstown, and is a must do if you are ever in the area. The burgers were the biggest, most delicious burgers I've ever tasted.</div>
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We spent the rest of the evening watching the rugby at a bar across from where we stayed.</div>
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We got up really early (like 6am early) hoping to see an amazing sunrise. However there was low cloud, so all we got was a drizzly walk along the water front. </div>
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It was a refreshing way to wake up, though. I wasn't surprised to find out that Queenstown looks beautiful in the early hours of the day too. It was much quieter, and very peaceful.</div>
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We drove up to Arrowtown for breakfast since we were planning to do the Shotover jet and bungee jump later that morning. It didn't take long for the snow to start falling again, in big, fluffy flakes. We walked around a little bit, but it was absolutely freezing so we headed back to Shotover river to wait for our jet boat ride.</div>
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The snow was falling really heavily when we got there, and we were informed that our boat ride was delayed. The boys decided to go bungee jumping early. I am no good with heights, so I stayed cozy and warm sitting by the fire in a cafe, doing some study for exams.<br />
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When the guys got back we finally got to do our jet boat ride, which was so fun, but so cold. I really enjoyed it after being shut up in that cafe for so long. After that we drove to Te Anau, which is about a 2 hour drive. I didn't take any pictures, but we drove right by the Remarkables mountain range. There are few times in life where I have really felt small, but this was one of them. It's hard to think your problems are the biggest deal in the world when you can't even see the tops of the mountains next to you!</div>
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We were planning to drive to Milford Sound the next day, but the road was closed due to the heavy snow, so we were forced to rethink our plan. We decided top drive as far along the road as we could, because there are so many viewing points along that road. One of our first stops was at mirror lakes.</div>
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We also stopped and walked to a waterfall by Lake Marion. I think it's important to point out that I took just as many photos of my Dad as he did of me!<br />
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In some places the snow was up to my knees, which made for some very intense snowball fights.</div>
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On one of our many stops we were joined by a friendly Kea. I was extremely happy about this as it meant Patrick got to see one before he headed back home. I named him Arthur.<br />
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It seemed like every place we stopped was more beautiful than the last. What started as last minute plans ended up being the most beautiful and fun day of our whole trip.</div>
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By the end of the day, my shoes were soaked, and I was exhausted. We drove back to Queenstown where we bought some cookie time milkshakes (This was a cheat day for me). I chose the Malteser shake and it was way to sweet for me. I loved it but there was no way I was finishing that whole thing by myself, I only got through half of it.</div>
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The next day was our last day in Queenstown. On our agenda was the Gondola, the Luge, and a cruise of Lake Wakatipu. The view at the top of the gondola once again was stunning.<br />
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By this point in the trip I was exhasuted, I was definitely ready to come home.</div>
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We had so much fun in Queenstown. Despite the weather not being what we expected, and even forcing us to change our plans, we had a great time. I was so sad to leave the beautiful views. The trip was kind of like a final goodbye to winter for me. It's mainly been lovely and warm in Christchurch since we got back, and I am so ready for summer!</div>
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Amesmames xx</div>
<br />Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-65382573966844949782017-09-02T23:10:00.000-07:002019-08-06T14:42:48.007-07:00Spring Sunday in Akaroa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's finally starting to feel like spring! Last weekend, in particular, was lovely and warm. We decided to take advantage of the weather and made last minute plans to go to Akaroa. Akaroa's about an hours drive from Christchurch. It is a very popular tourist destination due to it's French atmosphere, beautiful views, and dolphin attractions.<br />
I've only been to Akaroa twice before this, and only really stayed long enough to eat some fish and chips for lunch and do a little bit of swimming. But because we have our student with us we decided to splurge a little bit and do a few more tourist-y things.<br />
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We started out walking through the town, checking out places to eat and admiring the harbour. It was fish and chips that we settled on for lunch.<br />
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After lunch we drove up one of the hills to get a better view of the town.<br />
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Later that afternoon, we booked a 2 hour cruise around the harbor with the promise of seeing some Hecters dolphins. I had thought this would be quite slow (in other words boring) until we spotted some dolphins, but I was very wrong. The whole trip was extremely beautiful and interesting, I would definitely recommend this to someone from out of town!<br />
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Almost immediately after we moved further out of the harbor a pair of dolphins came right up to the boat. We were very lucky to be right at the front, so we had the best view. Over the course of about 15 minutes 4 or 5 dolphins approached the boat. They were much smaller than I thought, as Hecters dolphins are the smallest in the world. </div>
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This was the only photo I got of them, and its very second rate.<br />
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The rest of the cruise was less eventful, my family and I used this time to go through the many photos we had taken.<br />
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Once we arrived back in Akaroa we rushed of to the Giant's House, another famous Akaroa attraction. The gardens there are filled with amazing sculptures and mosaics. (The photos from The Giant's House are taken by my Dad)<br />
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I was pleasantly surprised with this trip, and think it's definitely worth while to come and visit. One thing I will say, though, is due to the towns small size Akaroa is more of a day/weekend trip.<br />
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I'm now preparing for a trip to Queenstown next weekend, which will be very jam packed. If you have any good recommendations for things to do down south let me know!<br />
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Amesmames xx</div>
Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-3604653375593271012017-08-23T23:30:00.001-07:002019-08-06T14:43:05.969-07:00Hanmer + Kaikoura<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hanmer Springs is one of my favourite places. It has happy, almost christmas-y vibes, and amazing views from everywhere in the town. I take every opportunity I can to head up there, whether its just going to the pools for a day, or staying for the weekend. We wanted to show our exchange student some more of New Zealand, so we skipped a few days of school, last week and stayed at a holiday home in Hanmer Springs Village for the weekend. (These photos are a collection from my whole family - some are taken of phones, some on cameras)</div>
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We arrived Thursday evening, settled in to our little chalet, and started making plans for the following day. I'm naturally an early riser, so I woke up in time to see the sunrise and take some snaps of the surroundings.</div>
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Expecting rain in the afternoon we tried to fit in as much as possible in the morning, starting with a walk up conical hill.</div>
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We made it to the top despite the very muddy track, and were rewarded with amazing views of the town and snowy mountains. The weather was far better than we imagined, lovely and warm.</div>
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I, as per usual, made everyone take photos of me.</div>
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The rest of the day was spent exploring town and at the pools. Because we were showing our student around we got to do a lot of tourist activities we would normally skip like mini golf and limo cruiser rides. I didn't take many photos for the rest of the trip as I started to feel quite sick and decided to relax.</div>
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The next day we packed up and headed to Kaikoura. I have driven through Kaikoura on my way to Marlborough Sounds, but have never stayed, so the only thing I knew about Kaikoura is that you can go whale watching (which is on my bucket list). I had no idea it was so beautiful. The snow-capped mountains and rocky beaches were absolutely stunning, along with the Kaikoura Peninsula, which we explored for a few hours that afternoon.<br />
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The weather turned just as we were heading back to the car, so we spent the rest of the evening in the motel room and I had an early night, still feeling quite sick.</div>
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The next morning was fairly slow, we were in no rush to head back. Breakfast was at the Beach House Cafe, which was a bit of a treat for our last day. We had a lot of stops on the drive home due to the road works, and spent a lot of time enjoying the stone beaches.<br />
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The trip couldn't have come at a better time, I normally feel quite stressed and unmotivated at this time of year, stuck in a winter slump. But I've come back refreshed and ready for my exam study. Luckily for me we have a few more trips planned while we still have our student, so there's no chance of me becoming completely overwhelmed!<br />
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Amesmames xx</div>
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<br />Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-48633053967647424802017-08-12T21:24:00.001-07:002018-04-01T22:33:25.101-07:00Popflex Activewear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.popflexactive.com/">Popflex</a> is an active wear brand created by youtube, pilates instructor Cassey Ho, also known as Blogilates. I've been following Cassey on social media ever since I first got into pop pilates two years ago. I'm obsessed with the positive attitude and message she spreads.<br />
Cassey came out with her first range in popflex in January last year and since then has had two more releases. They are all stunningly beautiful and creative.<br />
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I was lucky enough to win a $100 voucher for the online popflex store on an instagram giveaway, and went on a mini spree. I only bought 3 items, and so far am impressed with the beauty and quality.<br />
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I went in with a game plan, one bra, one pair of leggings, and one top. I didn't quite stick to it, swapping a top for shorts, but I am very proud of myself for not spending any extra money. The <a href="https://www.popflexactive.com/collections/dark-bloom/products/wishing-star-capri-in-dark-bloom">wishing star capri's</a> were a must for me. As soon as I saw the sheer paneling and criss-cross pattern around the calf I was a goner. I decided to be brave and go for the dark bloom pattern instead my preferred plain black, which I do not regret. The pattern is gorgeous, but I expected nothing less from Cassey Ho. I had a little bit of trouble ordering these leggings. When they first arrived they were too small and I had to send them all the way back to America to exchange for a bigger size. The fit of the next size up was far better. The quality of these leggings is insane; they are incredibly stretchy and slimming, the fabric doesn't go sheer when stretched, and the material is super soft. The only down side for me is they tend to slip down when doing more intense activities. They work very well for pilates.<br />
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Once again I was a little bit brave, purchasing the <a href="https://www.popflexactive.com/collections/dark-bloom/products/fly-away-short-in-dark-bloom">fly away run shorts</a> in the dark bloom pattern. These are also beautiful. The fabric layers sheer, and opaque in a butterfly wing-like style. On the website they recommend wearing booty shorts underneath, which I think is definitely necessary as the shorts are very loose.<br />
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Last, but definitely not least, the <a href="https://www.popflexactive.com/collections/bras/products/set-the-bar-bra-black">set the bar bra</a> in night. This is my favourite item out of the three. One thing Cassey stressed was how hard her team had worked to produce the bra cups for all her sports bras. I wasn't confident that the bra would be as good as she said. When I put the bra on, though, I nearly cried. The support of this bra is AMAZING! No matter what crazy moves I do my boobs are kept in place, barely bouncing at all. I am a very happy customer. If you would like to see the bra in action check out my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/amykatrinamorrison/">Instagram</a>.<br />
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I am pretty stoked with the quality and beauty of each of these items. I'm already planning my next wee haul. I'd love to know what you think of the popflex activewear if you've tried any.<br />
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Amesmames xx</div>
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<br />Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-54793463693793062582017-06-30T17:12:00.000-07:002017-09-02T21:22:16.346-07:00The Liebster AwardOne of my favourite teen bloggers, Peyton, who I met over Instagram has nominated me for the Liebster award. Peyton is a lifestyle blogger from America who writes about life with a chronic illness. Reading her blog, <a href="http://patienceandpajamas.com/">Patience and Pajamas</a> has made me a lot more aware of issues I had never considered before. Check out Peyton's blog and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theygavemeacamera/">instagram</a>, and give her some love!<br />
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The Liebster award is a tag made by bloggers which gives bloggers the opportunity to share about yourself, and introduce readers to some other very cool bloggers! First I'll share 11 facts about me, then I'll answer 11 questions from Peyton, and then I'll leave 11 questions for anyone else who wants to do the Liebster award. (I'm doing 11 of everything because that is what Peyton did, I'm sure you could do more or less if you wanted)<br />
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<i>11 facts about me:</i></h4>
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1. I have five siblings, one brother and four sisters</div>
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2. I'm a major home body, and plan to never move out of Christchurch</div>
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3. I cried watching Finding Dory</div>
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4. I am the only redhead in my family, everyone else has brown hair.</div>
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5. When I was 14 I only dreamed in cartoon</div>
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6. I've never been further out of New Zealand than Australia</div>
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7. If I could have any superpower, I would fly</div>
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8. I've never broken a bone</div>
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9. I play the piano, and the flute</div>
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10. I love planning, and am already planning my birthday party... for April next year</div>
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11. I'm scared of needles</div>
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<i>11 questions from Peyton:</i></h4>
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<i>1. Where were you when you decided to start your blog?</i></div>
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This was a while ago, so I'm not actually 100% sure. I think I was at home, but I had been considering starting a blog for a long time before that.</div>
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<i>2. What is one thing you wish you could say to every reader who lands on your site?</i></div>
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You will never find satisfaction in material things</div>
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<i>3. If you could instantly become fluent in any language, which language would you choose?</i></div>
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I think I would choose either French or Italian. I've been learning French for almost 4 years, and am going on an exchange trip to Geneva, Switzerland at the end of this year, so being fluent would be incredibly helpful.</div>
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If I didn't choose French I would choose Italian because I think it's a beautiful language and I love European languages.</div>
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<i>4. Picture your dream home: is it big or small?</i></div>
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My dream home is reasonably big because I want to have a big family</div>
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<i>5. If you could only access one of the following for the rest of your life which would you choose: Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter?</i></div>
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Definitely Instagram! I live on Instagram.</div>
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<i>6. Stripes or polka dots?</i></div>
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I'm a stripes kinda gal for sure</div>
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<i>7. Who is your biggest inspiration?</i></div>
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I don't think I have just one, in terms of life I aspire to be like Christ, but my blog goals is Morgan of <a href="http://morganalicebeauty.blogspot.co.nz/">Morgan Alice Beauty</a> . She is simply the cutest!</div>
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<i>8. What is your favourite movie of all time?</i></div>
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This is going to make me sound like such a little kid, but my favourite movie is Rio.</div>
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<i>9. What are your feelings on rain? Dislike? Indifference? </i></div>
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I love I'm tucked up in bed or cosy in the lounge and it is pouring with rain outside. When the rain is very heavy it makes me feel comfortable and happy. But I hate the wet smell just before it rains, I have never liked it.</div>
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<i>10. Do you follow professional sports? Which is your favourite?</i></div>
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I'm not a big sport person, but I do enjoy watching the Rugby with my Dad.</div>
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<i>11. What is your favourite dessert?</i></div>
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Cheesecake, it's my guilty pleasure and biggest weakness when it comes to my sugar-free diet.</div>
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<i>11 Questions for Nominees:</i></h4>
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1. Why did you start your blog?</div>
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2. Have ever wanted to shut your blog down, and why?</div>
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3. Where is your dream holiday destination?</div>
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4. Sunrise or Sunset?</div>
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5. What is your biggest pet peeve?</div>
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6. Who is your Instagram goals?</div>
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7. What is your biggest regret?</div>
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8. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?</div>
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9. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?</div>
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10. What is one thing you could never live without?</div>
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11. What is your favourite lolly?</div>
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I'm nominating anyone who wants to do the Liebster award! I think it's a really cool tag, and so I'm leaving it with you.<br />
If you do decide to accept the Leibster Award be sure to:<br />
1. Explain what the award is<br />
2. Share 11 facts about yourself<br />
3. Answer 11 questions from whoever nominated you (me)<br />
4. Leave 11 questions for those you nominate<br />
5. Nominate your favourite bloggers!<br />
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Amesmames xx<br />
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<br />Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-84328433233646857732017-06-23T22:50:00.001-07:002017-07-01T12:23:32.528-07:00A Day at Sumner Beach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sumner is one of my favourite places in Christchurch, I love the cheerful atmosphere. I'm always nagging my family to go on a walk at Sumner in the evenings. Being the planner that I am, I had organised everything and been looking forward to going for the past couple of days.</div>
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I generally only go in summer, on mild nights, and it's normally packed! Because of the freezing temperatures and the high tide it was much less busy than I'm used to which was really nice.<br />
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Me and my sisters wandered down the beach and headed to the fish and chip store when I spotted this cute, pink building and made everybody stop....<br />
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... And made them take photos of me.</div>
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We then headed back down to the beach to eat our chips. It was short lived, as we were swarmed by seagulls and had to run a hide behind a rock.<br />
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Little trips like this are such mood boosters. It's so calm and peaceful, I found myself totally relaxed, which is incredibly rare for me. I found the week going so much faster when I had something to look forward to.<br />
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Outfit Details:<br />
Pom Pom Beanie - Cotton On (<a href="http://cottonon.com/NZ/p/cotton-on-men/poma-beanie/9351533039458.html?region=NZ#region=NZ&start=1">similar style here</a>)<br />
Peplum Top - Glassons (<a href="https://www.glassons.com/clothing/tops/fashion-tops/frill-peplum-long-sleeve-top-TL35238COT?c=GREY+MARLE">similar style here</a>)<br />
<a href="http://cottonon.com/NZ/p/cotton-on-women/mid-rise-shape-embracer-skinny-jean/9350486131486.html?region=NZ#region=NZ&start=1">Skinny Jeans</a> - Cotton On<br />
Shoulder Bag - Laura Jones<br />
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Amesmames xx</div>
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<br />Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-36677283307450528462017-06-18T22:29:00.000-07:002017-07-01T12:23:19.884-07:00Winter Walks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFq_cq3NCF94AKZcWIm9e2072EtP6gpw8KCh3Ga30nXup-H7MgDBCQ1JsVlP3wNfTb5_aiUyqmnPgIKACwFDi7CRWRkKqU0HNdMWAQQIaz-WIFWbNv8AiSHnMvSzn84qLnAfU82Fms9xyU/s1600/DSC07051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFq_cq3NCF94AKZcWIm9e2072EtP6gpw8KCh3Ga30nXup-H7MgDBCQ1JsVlP3wNfTb5_aiUyqmnPgIKACwFDi7CRWRkKqU0HNdMWAQQIaz-WIFWbNv8AiSHnMvSzn84qLnAfU82Fms9xyU/s400/DSC07051.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Last Monday was one of the nicest days we've had in a long time, it was so lovely and warm. So I did what any teenage girl would do, I dragged my brother out for a walk - which turned into more of a photo shoot. He wasn't impressed, but I couldn't let the chance pass me by!<br />
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It is winter now, my least favourite time of year. As much as I love cozy days wrapped up in blankets watching tv and playing board games, the reality of winter for me is stressful projects, tests, long and slow days at school, and a general lack of motivation. The truth is I've been very lazy and, I wouldn't say depressed, but low and lonely. I've been saying I'm too busy to do housework and homework, and then just going on my phone in all my spare time. So I'm making a huge effort to nip it in the bud, by doing little things like going on walks, face timing friends, and getting off technology more often.<br />
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Although I'm doing a lot better attitude wise, I'm still counting down the days until the school holidays. Two weeks and four days to go! I'm keeping myself going by planning holiday activities and blog posts. If anyone has any cheap ideas for Christchurch in winter I'm all ears!<br />
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Outfit Details:<br />
<a href="http://www.hm.com/nz/product/61997?article=61997-B#article=61997-B">Rib Knit Sweater</a> - $70, H&M<br />
<a href="http://cottonon.com/NZ/p/cotton-on-women/the-boyfriend-jean/9350486941788.html?region=NZ#region=NZ&start=1">Boyfriend Jeans</a> - $50, Cotton on<br />
<a href="https://www.numberoneshoes.co.nz/product/therapy-quinton-ankle-boots-23363694">Black Ankle Boots</a> - $80, Number One Shoes<br />
<a href="http://www.orejewellery.co.nz/shop/nine-triangles-stacker-ring-midsummer-star/">Ring</a> - $30, Ore Jewellery<br />
Leather Jacket - Glassons<br />
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Amesmames xx</div>
Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-58148360745936051912017-06-09T16:26:00.000-07:002017-07-01T12:23:07.609-07:00Sugar Free - The Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfibNNn9JwzYRwyD5DjQTp0tNW6f0woS4gNIyXtJ7m0gQYerSA6eN489Be40flX4V6LTriQ7KoQUa-2p7X-A4sUF8nscnxa-hyEGeQxple9RezV8CqvUrW-LnmhnifxjkUg7fjvQ0aQuH/s1600/DSC06344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfibNNn9JwzYRwyD5DjQTp0tNW6f0woS4gNIyXtJ7m0gQYerSA6eN489Be40flX4V6LTriQ7KoQUa-2p7X-A4sUF8nscnxa-hyEGeQxple9RezV8CqvUrW-LnmhnifxjkUg7fjvQ0aQuH/s400/DSC06344.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's been almost 1 year since I made the decision to be sugar free. I never imagined I would stay sugar free for so long, I thought it would last a couple of months at most! But now as I near the end of my 12th month I can't imagine going back.</div>
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This year has definitely been a learning curve for me. Finding sugar free snacks that aren't loaded with carbs is a lot harder than it sounds. I try to keep my diet as diverse as possible and try not to overeat one snack because otherwise I would get sick of everything really quickly!</div>
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It didn't take me long to find sugar free snacks in summer. I was eating a lot of fruit and veges, as well as chia seed puddings and smoothies, and all those things taste so good I didn't really want anything else.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99iz5m-hXdC2ON9fd5qX7s8_zuUStstUK6rsj8Sci-pXvDeFSdK4rATrM9wCed9QiQ8r0BmiyIsplFSLjtaXHXkcFQwBRxKT7PLY9sNGUZTFlwR6WVKi4UsaZn4kHsFyikkJDbyQ7ALuL/s1600/IMG_6992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1279" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99iz5m-hXdC2ON9fd5qX7s8_zuUStstUK6rsj8Sci-pXvDeFSdK4rATrM9wCed9QiQ8r0BmiyIsplFSLjtaXHXkcFQwBRxKT7PLY9sNGUZTFlwR6WVKi4UsaZn4kHsFyikkJDbyQ7ALuL/s400/IMG_6992.JPG" width="318" /></a></div>
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I'm finding winter a little bit harder as I am craving comfort food. I would love to stuff myself with pies, sausage rolls, and spiced wedges, but it's not doing anything for me. I generally take leftovers from dinner to school for lunch which is nice and easy, but it's when I get home that I struggle. It's 4pm, I'm tired, and all I want is to eat some cracker and cheese, or even just plain bread. It takes a lot of willpower and self-control to not have an afternoon binge. Scrambled eggs have been my best friend this past month.</div>
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One of the most interesting things about this whole sugar free experience is my body's reaction to sugar now when I do have it. I feel incredibly tired when I eat sugar. If I have a proper cheat day (i.e. eating dessert and snacking on sweets throughout the day) the next 2-3 days are always low for me. I generally end up conking out and having a nana-nap in the afternoon, and feel very unmotivated. I also get bloating and ulcers after a cheat day. </div>
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When I first started, I knew that my body wouldn't be able to handle sugar like it did when I was eating sugar, that's a given. I just wasn't expecting to have such an intense reaction. </div>
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It has made me very conscious of when I have a cheat day, and as a general rule, I will not have a cheat day anytime that something is important or stressful is happening. I guess it's just more motivation to not cheat.</div>
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Although it is nice to have a cheat day every now and again, I am slowly feeling less of a need to do so. I don't really want chocolate or lollies, and if I am in the mood for something like that there are sugar free options like healtheries chocolate and Tom and Luke's salted caramel snackballs. My 13 year old self would be so disappointed in me, I used to HATE healthy food that 'tastes just as good as normal food' because it never did. But when you're not eating normal food regularly, you can't tell the difference. It honestly tastes delicious to me, and I don't need anything else.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Edqvxjk2SoToBpz1G6X9Di6CIZV2ltwpkbqMblysx4nWfgSrTv5YuLnM9pevaNMTNfFIeK7CDiZSCzokDrABNL7atKkq6js7g6l4RvVDJorTHv8vDL6WMJOY0kK32nrBkPZ1mOp8yHVK/s1600/DSC06353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Edqvxjk2SoToBpz1G6X9Di6CIZV2ltwpkbqMblysx4nWfgSrTv5YuLnM9pevaNMTNfFIeK7CDiZSCzokDrABNL7atKkq6js7g6l4RvVDJorTHv8vDL6WMJOY0kK32nrBkPZ1mOp8yHVK/s400/DSC06353.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love how I feel now that I'm sugar free, and love the fact that I don't crave sugar anymore. I have a couple of good friends who have recently become sugar free too which makes it so much easier as I'm not alone! I'd love to hear how others have found their transition, and I'm always open to food suggestions!</div>
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Amesmames xx</div>
Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-72092820226894885422017-05-05T19:52:00.001-07:002017-05-05T19:52:26.553-07:00April Favourites 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
April has come and gone (far too quickly for my liking), and this month I have been trying out and loving bunch of new products. I've never done a favourites before, but I love watching/reading them on youtube and blogs, so I decided to give it a go. Here is everything I have been loving throughout April:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupJcYueDKrUKu9i8Bv_1zThp7NXBXLwhkZo0S_x9htt-7a1_YgniG2qPLPcYbakDhaJ61GkooGti3544ONItMw0rruCS17tRjynEKbZn-XQfN0EXHo1GOYLWmnmhyn0pLEQWxSXaehvz_/s1600/DSC06602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupJcYueDKrUKu9i8Bv_1zThp7NXBXLwhkZo0S_x9htt-7a1_YgniG2qPLPcYbakDhaJ61GkooGti3544ONItMw0rruCS17tRjynEKbZn-XQfN0EXHo1GOYLWmnmhyn0pLEQWxSXaehvz_/s400/DSC06602.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have been using the <a href="http://www.meccabeauty.co.nz/too-faced/natural-matte-eye-shadow-collection/I-021310.html#q=toofaced&start=1">Too Faced Natural Matte Eyeshadow Palette</a> pretty much non-stop this month. It is so easy to use, and because the shades are all matte they are very wearable on a day to day basis.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhormTIk_ps3zy_HKoVUFpPyAEZbiLW_7bXPaHCGBpCTcEpNiq0ZbrfhUeWXUrXWsSdd9wclocZjqTlt3ngbKJTMmU67DHOahl2Zj0PtHFvp9431-xJZitmsIGjq_wnGPPtAlnjHV1u3XD7/s1600/DSC06613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhormTIk_ps3zy_HKoVUFpPyAEZbiLW_7bXPaHCGBpCTcEpNiq0ZbrfhUeWXUrXWsSdd9wclocZjqTlt3ngbKJTMmU67DHOahl2Zj0PtHFvp9431-xJZitmsIGjq_wnGPPtAlnjHV1u3XD7/s400/DSC06613.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The <a href="http://www.farmers.co.nz/rimmel-brow-this-way-eyebrow-gel-6074434">Rimmel Brows This Way Eyebrow Gel</a> has been my go to for school because I don't generally wear any foundation or bb cream to school, so I like a very natural brow. This gel is great because it tidies and defines my eyebrows without making them to bold or in your face. I use the blonde shade.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSR5rLtV0cMqSAtAoN1KZ_1vUTX659iyvR4QsaMpMj79Y6_9IstGrMoIQBp4DwB0FlFHjPPef3lZP0WZNfVcDiZYopM_4Oa3vsN5GIjuJECdS35lPSqN-qf0cJbsx49kNdbWirYgKwn5Z/s1600/DSC06629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSR5rLtV0cMqSAtAoN1KZ_1vUTX659iyvR4QsaMpMj79Y6_9IstGrMoIQBp4DwB0FlFHjPPef3lZP0WZNfVcDiZYopM_4Oa3vsN5GIjuJECdS35lPSqN-qf0cJbsx49kNdbWirYgKwn5Z/s400/DSC06629.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am obsessed with this <a href="http://www.farmers.co.nz/rimmel-kate-anniversary-lipstick-6187864">Rimmel Lipstick</a>! This shade is 'Rock 'n' Roll Nude' from the Rimmel Kate Anniversary Collection. It is a gorgeous nude-pick, and I pretty much live in it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ruou0DNUKGzRUetgqVljymmWvmQxBcl5T_-VowOloepDEoFCFLL6sL0J6U-wO2efjjL1eQNUfY1chZTn16Ztp9cVUOUXWs0nn4TQ8xrT3OmEVSKXQfOTe7ytwGjwPx2RMnkyUTDdiLLm/s1600/DSC06633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ruou0DNUKGzRUetgqVljymmWvmQxBcl5T_-VowOloepDEoFCFLL6sL0J6U-wO2efjjL1eQNUfY1chZTn16Ztp9cVUOUXWs0nn4TQ8xrT3OmEVSKXQfOTe7ytwGjwPx2RMnkyUTDdiLLm/s400/DSC06633.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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April, being a month of sudden weather changes, has cause my skin to freak out a little and dry out a lot, particularly around my mouth and nose. I have been reaching for the <a href="https://herbfarm.co.nz/products/nourishing-rose-face-cream">Herb Farm Rose Face Cream</a> at these times, and it has been a life saver! I generally only use the face cream at night however, if my skin is particularly dry I apply some after my moisturizer in the morning. It makes my skin feel so much smoother and softer, and I love that it is made in New Zealand.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6t7xPee9LExf5VX5ggCOAG6SZpaV8grC9MkReBut6dU7Kk7_gtcByphwJ9loJvNMA_nm4VWNaO8PFsJQjvhAQm-I8CYtBUnhX4aQEjCR2zODFtwitlzYEmnsasTud9s0uUb5dTQwk2tZS/s1600/DSC06608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6t7xPee9LExf5VX5ggCOAG6SZpaV8grC9MkReBut6dU7Kk7_gtcByphwJ9loJvNMA_nm4VWNaO8PFsJQjvhAQm-I8CYtBUnhX4aQEjCR2zODFtwitlzYEmnsasTud9s0uUb5dTQwk2tZS/s400/DSC06608.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Another NZ brand (New Zealand represent!) that I have been loving is <a href="http://www.skinfood.co.nz/">Skinfood</a>. I'm a weekly face mask kinda gal. I really enjoy taking one night out a week to have a bath, pop on a face mask and watch a chick flick. The Skinfood <a href="http://www.skinfood.co.nz/shop/cleanse/mud-masque">Mud Masque</a> is super refreshing, and cleansing. Made with Rotorua mud, apricot oil, spirulina, aloe vera, and jojoba oil, the mask always help diminish the size of my pores and my skin feels SO soft after using it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqacm3TLlPw63YudThmCl1E18XMbQWVbKHo9qQSKDZC0W03hq-CWb5ZxygnNeUTH3SCTYtPftYKyoxgK9nN9xemnkEvKkxruu0A5paEcBJxorL7EZkhYCNNKnFNhzvwg0bynfbNJ4JozpU/s1600/DSC06642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqacm3TLlPw63YudThmCl1E18XMbQWVbKHo9qQSKDZC0W03hq-CWb5ZxygnNeUTH3SCTYtPftYKyoxgK9nN9xemnkEvKkxruu0A5paEcBJxorL7EZkhYCNNKnFNhzvwg0bynfbNJ4JozpU/s400/DSC06642.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Anyone who knew me last year knows that I could not go a day without my trusty <a href="http://www.thebodyshop.co.nz/?gclid=Cj0KEQjwxbDIBRCL99Wls-nLicoBEiQAWroh6qTFz5m38xy9Qo6OSAr8xwYNNJ4fYESEvkhCaQcZZEEaAo2y8P8HAQ">Body Shop</a> vineyard peach body spray. I was obsessed! It was limited addition, however, and so when I ran out mid September I thought that would be the end. Luckily the brought the vineyard peach range back for a limited time this year and I managed to get my hands on not one, but two body mists! It is, unfortunately, no longer available in NZ anymore. Fingers crossed they bring it back next year!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6g-5FbV7_6RIOyGMOGJedwZBWOmigXJEn_ilry7cE3A_DwNd7MIMa5wXqXNlgcr4NYHtq8yiVTSrBHfTjRcX_hGxMA6ZRqv-PMUau5whT8yFNB1gayrvCsOf6wfw0uGYedPqTVLeXft9m/s1600/DSC06648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6g-5FbV7_6RIOyGMOGJedwZBWOmigXJEn_ilry7cE3A_DwNd7MIMa5wXqXNlgcr4NYHtq8yiVTSrBHfTjRcX_hGxMA6ZRqv-PMUau5whT8yFNB1gayrvCsOf6wfw0uGYedPqTVLeXft9m/s400/DSC06648.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Finally, and my personal favourite, <a href="http://www.whitcoulls.co.nz/the-escapist-s-dot-to-dot-extraordinary-places-978000818206937485">The Escapist's Dot to Dot</a>. I was given this book for my birthday this year. Whenever I'm stressed, bored, or being lazy I go into my room, light all my candles and do a page out of dot to dot book. It puts me in such a good mood! If you're anything like me, a.k.a. a highly stressful human being, I recommend purchasing something like this, whether a colouring book or dot to dot book, because it is so relaxing! I love this one because each page is a different famous landmark, and its so exciting finding out what is what.<br />
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That is everything I have been loving recently! Let me know if you have tried any of these products and what you think.<br />
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Amesmames xx</div>
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<br />Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966309226634433220.post-13876217316466757952017-04-26T21:05:00.002-07:002017-05-05T19:52:46.746-07:00Lush Chick'n'Mix Bath Bomb<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CmVgD108sOAkiNxsnxidqPIMxQQ6r4Hlzflig_yfLDGi13kdnyuaHpXc9no3VHO7szvDJjQbARuG8x-iRSngbAde8SEgLre9cs8tiFG0gYIsfof19S8Gqr75SVUK56vp88TBeoAKd-xD/s1600/DSC06534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CmVgD108sOAkiNxsnxidqPIMxQQ6r4Hlzflig_yfLDGi13kdnyuaHpXc9no3VHO7szvDJjQbARuG8x-iRSngbAde8SEgLre9cs8tiFG0gYIsfof19S8Gqr75SVUK56vp88TBeoAKd-xD/s400/DSC06534.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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When it comes to Lush Easter bath bombs, I thought my favourite would forever be the Golden Egg bath bomb melt. I, of course, hadn't yet tried the chick'n'mix bath bomb. I have completely fallen in love with the bergamont, and tonka scent, and the vibrant colours of this bath bomb.<br />
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The brilliant thing about this bath bomb, is that it's not just one, but in fact three seperate bath bombs. In other words, that's at least three relaxing Easter baths! There are two larger bombs, which slot together to form what I think is supposed to be an egg (?), and one little orange bomb hidden on the inside. The blue section has a little sliver of glitter, but apart from that, they have little to no glitter, which means I didn't have to scrub the glitter off the bath like I do after using a Golden Egg.<br />
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I am obsessed with the scent of this bath bomb! It smells exactly like jelly, sweet and delicious. Tonka and bergamont make my favourite lush scent yet. It beats snow fairy, olive branch, and honey I washed the kids!<br />
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I thoroughly enjoyed using the Chick'n'Mix bath bomb, and if you are able to get your hands on one (depending on where you are in the world) I would definitely recommend it! I'm hoping and praying they bring this one back next Easter!<br />
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Amesmames xx<br />
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P.s. Follow the Bloglovin link in the sidebar, and follow me on bloglovin so you can keep up to date with all my blogposts!</div>
Amesmameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07250657038710786651noreply@blogger.com0