Hanmer Girls Trip

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.

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!

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.

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.

Amy Katrina

West Coast Holiday + Five Things

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.

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.

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. 

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.

1. I need to visit the West Coast more often! It is so much more beautiful than I remember.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week!

Amesmames xx

 

Written in the Stars - School Ball 2018

 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.

For makeup I put in a lot of research to find the best artist. After a solid couple of weeks searching I decided upon Kasia Stanicich. She did a brilliant job, and both her and her mother are so lovely!

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!

I had my hair done at Merivales Hair and Beauty 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.

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 the iconic before finally I settled on this ivory lace cocktail dress by Shona Joy. (similar style here). I paired the dress with some nude pumps.

The lace detailing on the dress is absolutely beautiful!

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.

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!

Amy xx

Winter Reading List 2018

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.

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; one of my New Years Resolutions for 2018 is to always have a book on the go. 

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).

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.

Here is my 2018 winter reading list, I hope you get inspired and maybe get some ideas for your own winter reading!

1. The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney - A suspenseful murder mystery set in a small village in Northern Canada, the winter of 1867. 

2. Villette 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.

3. Persuasion 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.

4. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - Saw this on The Modern Jettsetter'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!

5. The Eye of the World 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!

6. To Capture What We Cannot Keep 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.

7. Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres - An insightful love story that explores culture, capitalism, religion, and war in Greece 1941.

8. I Dared to Call Him Father by Bilquis Sheikh and Richard H. Schnieder - An encouraging testimony of a Woman's journey from Islam to Christianity.

9. Wuthering Heights 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.

10. Dune 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!

11. Harry Potter 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.

12. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - I'm sure to cry over this tragic WWII novel, but having read it before I know it's worth the tears. 

13. Crime and Punishment 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!

14. The Count of Monte Cristo 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.

15. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - A beautiful historical Fiction (my favourite) about a blind French girl and a German boy in Nazi-occupied France during WWII.

16. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë - A classic full of tragedy, passion and mystery.

17. Magician by Raymond E. Feist - Something fun and adventurous to keep me captivated after some heavier reading.

18. Under A Pole Star by Stef Penney - Another from thrilling novel Penney, this time set in the Arctic.

19. The Kite Runner  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. 

20. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - A family favourite that I'm hoping to read with my little sisters as winter melts into spring this year.

Amesmames xx

17th Birthday Party - Girly, Autumn Picnic

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.

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!

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 here) 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!

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.

 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.

The salad options were Greek orzo salad, roast vege, and rainbow mexican salad. The cute jars were a total bargain from the warehouse. After lunch I also had fruit salad in jars to go alongside the lemon cake.

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.

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!

Amy Katrina xx

Swiss Exchange Trip Week 7 - Saying goodbye & Paris

From our last day in Switzerland.

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.

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.

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.

 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. 

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. 

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 instagram, I'd be more than happy to answer.

Amesmames xx