One magical night

On the 8th of December it was the 21st of one of my nearest and dearest friends. A group of about 20 of us went out for a meal at Lonestar in Napier and then went back to her place for dessert and drinks. My amazing friend had completely decked out the backyard with a gazebo, fairy lights, candles and other lovely things so that the effect was a magical wonderland of sorts. It was just beautiful. The dessert was fantastic too - cream puffs, jelly slice, cheesecake, strawberries, whoopie pies, mini pavlovas...!! It was the most wonderful night. Great food, great music and great company. Unfortunately I didn't get too many photos of the setup but here are some that give you a rough idea (though they don't really do it justice):

^^and one of the cool kids couch ;)

I believe that Jess got a few ideas for decorations from pinterest. Definitely a source of inspiration if you have any events coming up!!

xx

Food

I love having a camera on my phone. The ability to snap something you see while out and about is excellent.
Another thing I love is food. And therefore, I will often combine these two loves. I have been eating out quite a bit over summer (as you do) and so my phone has a fair amount of pictures of what I've been putting in my mouth....

YUM. 

xx

A Tragedy

This school shooting over in Conneticut. Such a tragedy. So many innocent lives lost, lives that could have gone on to achieve greatness. I just cannot fathom how someone can be drawn to commit mass murder like that, and I (along with MANY others) am frustrated at the lenient gun laws over in the US. It's such a culture over there, a gun culture, and it's completely ridiculous that such a deadly weapon can be purchased so easily. I really hope that this leads to a reform of the laws.

Also, I bet this would have been classified as an act of terrorism if the guy had been an Arab (a frustration with US media that I could go on and on about)
R.I.P to all those who lost their lives in the shooting.
xx

Money Woes

Although I do enjoy the festive season, it is made significantly less enjoyable for me because all manner of expenses seem to occur during the period. On top of buying Christmas presents and travel costs etc, my car rego had to be paid recently (almost $300...sob..) and my WOF is due soon which I need to get two tyres for...waaa. Plus having my new smartphone and not realising that it would let me go over the limit on my plan has led to a huge first bill.

I hate money. It's so depressing.
Sorry to be so full of complaints! Actually pretty happy atm :)

^^^^ Cute!!

xx

A salute to the suit

I don't think there is any outfit that looks better on a guy than a suit. They just look so crisp and clean and sexy when they're worn well. And it's such a rare occasion these days to see a guy (especially in NZ) in a suit. My dream is to one day go to some super swanky event in a beautiful designer dress with a man in a suit on my arm....the kind of event that has live music, champagne, delicate little nibbles and all that jazz.
Bahaha...a girl can dream, right?

Join me in my appreciation of the beauty of the suit...

Liam Hemsworth

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (I have a massive crush on him)

Eddie Redmayne (love this guy)

The Cloonster...always so suave...

Matt Bomer

If that spread doesn't convince you then I don't know what will. 

I hereby salute the suit :)

xx

Productivity is key

Today has been a very productive day! 

I have: cleaned the bathroom (including the ceiling), installed a washing machine, hung up and cleaned our massive bathroom mirror, sorted through the new flatmate's kitchen/house stuff (took ages!) and washed everything to go in the cupboards, sorted the shed out, did some washing, hit the gym, blogged...YAY satisfied!!

Haha for some reason I just woke up with a plan of attack and have been on the go all day, and it's so satisfying to have done all this stuff that needed doing.

I think I deserve some chocolate after all that....

xx

Movie Wrap

My thoughts on some movies I've seen recently...

Breaking Dawn Part 2 - Wasn't keen to see this tbh as I'm not a fan of twilight. But I obliged on the request of a friend whom I hardly ever see. It was actually not as bad as I expected, and I even found myself engaged at some points (particularly the battle scene). Not terrible, but still not a fan sorry.

Argo - An interesting true story about Iran-America relations. Saw this with a friend in Hamilton and really enjoyed it. It's intellectual and has some really intense moments. Ben Affleck is brilliant as the protagonist, and the supporting cast are also great. I felt smarter after watching this.

Magic Mike - So incredibly lame. Yes I do appreciate the fine male specimens on offer but that could only sustain my interest for so long. Bad acting, a lacklustre story-line and so much cheesiness meant that I was bored early on, and resorted to facebook chat instead.

Melancholia - I had high hopes for this flick, as it received rave reviews from both critics and my mum and sister. However, I disliked it immensely. I was interested at the start, with the wedding scenes, but after that it became boring, weird, depressing and drawn-out, and I found myself irritated that nothing was being explained. Kirsten Dunst's character annoyed me too. The only thing I really liked about the movie was her wedding dress.

Brick - Now this was a goodie, but that is to be expected of films starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The plot had twists and turns and kept me on the edge of my seat. It's a film full of teen angst, and I enjoyed it very much. Recommended.

Any suggestions of films I should watch?
xx