The end of 2012 is drawing closer.....

So It's officially December 27th - Boxing Day, and I am sitting here reflecting on the past 12 months. Some of it good some of it not so much in some ways... As well as looking at the lessons learned over the past months as well... 

I guess I could pretty much sum the past year up as a definite learning curve, where I have learned to voice my opinion a little more, stand up for myself and show others I am not some quiet lil door mouse when the need arises.. 

The past year started off with a plan, and I knew where I was heading and what I was going to aim towards doing... Then it changed into this Roller-coaster ride which I have not had full control over... Would I change it? umm Probably not because I have learned a lot about how much I can handle, as well as how good I am at figuring out a new plan when one changes. Albeit its been emotionally draining at times, I am glad to say I have made it this far in life and I haven't given up yet so I don't think I ever will.. 

This year has seen me move from Christchurch to Wellington due to having enough of the quakes & crazy family dramas, and then from Wellington to Auckland due to job stuffs. Unfortunately job things got changed but it has given me what I need to end up going back to Uni to study and head in a slightly different direction. The move to Auckland has also meant I get a lil more time with my Best-friend who generally can get me to see sense in most things...Well apart from one thing this year to which I think she still wants to slap the stupid out of me *giggles* either that or shes just going to keep rolling her eyes at me.... 

This year has also meant that I have made some decisions and had to cut some people loose from my life for different reasons. Each time it has been hard but yet I am a happier person for doing so.... I guess the saying of  "People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime, when you know which one you will know what to do for that person..." is true in most aspects. Sadly some have caused trouble since and continue to do so but for once, I DON'T CARE!!!  stuff them! if they think its about them then so be it, they never once showed their loyalty or seemed to know the true meaning of friendship if that's the case. 

This year has also been one for not relying on others for anything and it was kind of working... Till someone kinda half busted it... Its probably not a bad thing but it  changed a few things and in the end made me feel kind of like an expensive piece of china... COMPLETELY BREAKABLE! (in many ways)... and its something I am not sure I know how to deal with... I don't like being vulnerable in any way.. I am always the one who does things for others and doesn't need anyone.... 


Another awesome thing for this year is the fact I am still a Shrinking Violet and have come along way even without going to the gym every day for the last 5 months of the year.... Although I plan to change that in the New Year as I want to at least go swimming and the Gym a bit more each week since I can't run in the concrete jungle of Auckland as its nasty!

So Merry Christmas to all.... 

Afternoon Christmas walk on Raumati South Beach 2012

New Beginnings....

So the past 24hrs have been rather exciting ☺

'A' and I moved into an apartment which we are sharing with a lovely Brit dude! who we have hardly seen since we moved in... The down side of the apartment is no more Sea views! but we can see one of the mountains when we are on the balcony and the place is absolutely gorgeous :) so we can handle the no sea view...

We both feel a lil more relaxed and happy & the fact we are not completely living out of suitcases now is a bonus! It feels like an actual home! hahaha something I have extremely missed the past few months... Sadly its a place where we can't have pets so still without my fav lil four-legged friend... But eventually we shall be reunited ☺


So this weekend brings New Beginnings with the fact we now have somewhere to live.... along with watching my application for AUT progress through things.... as well as some other decisions I made this week.... 

I also get to celebrate a little for the fact I have now dropped something like 4dress sizes in 5months! which I am quite shocked but also happy with ☺ It means things are slowly getting back to what they were before I got sick..... 

Looking back over the goals I set myself in January, thus far I can actually tick off quite a few of them, even though some look like I wont achieve for a bit longer but that's fine... Rome wasn't built in a day as they say, and I know in the past year alone I have come a long way from where I was when I first moved home to CHCH to help mum etc....

I have become my own person again after everything, although still one that will always put others before myself. But I also have found that it makes me happy to do so. I have become more creative and have even picked up some clever new skills too.... Although I have to say I am still not that great on the knitting front but I shall keep practising after 'J' taught me earlier in the year....  Admittedly with Christmas approaching I am really missing my Cuttlebug and being able to start getting creative with christmas cards etc :(  looks like this year everyone will be getting store bought ones.... 

I have started my Christmas shopping as of this week though ☺ which is a miracle in itself as normally I don't think about it till at least the second week of December....


Today I am missing being home in Christchurch a bit... reason being... Its show day! I love going to the A&P show in Christchurch... Its usually the highlight of the year.... along with Cup day! and whats worse is I have the perfect dress I could have worn to Cup day this year *sigh* oh well! I made the decision to leave so now I must just keep going ☺

This week 'A' and I got to see Prince Charles and his wife Camilla while they were in Auckland as part of the Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations... We managed to get a couple of photos, nothing too exciting but it was nice to say well we have been and seen that now... 



So I guess thats it for this weeks update... Will have to take some photos of the apartment and pop them up next week....

scary decisions.....Or not....

So my deadline for getting a new ECE Teaching position in order to get Teachers Registration came and went last weekend. Sadly no luck in that department, and since I had decided that if it didn't happen I needed to make a scary decision on what to do next....

Luckily I had been doing research on many different things and so on the 6th I found the courage to apply to AUT and do the Bachelor of Education (ECE) Specializing in Steiner Education... Not something I expected myself to end up doing but in order to get where I want I know I have to do, what I don't really want to do which is redo studies.. So at least this way specializing in Steiner its something I enjoy and relates to my Teaching Philosophy...

I'm still a lil scared by the whole idea of going back to study and the thought of long nights of studying and assignments and really early mornings.... Since I always found 4/5/6am starts working on assignments etc easy when I was at Canty & Waikato.... Maybe its the fact I can either be a night owl or an early morning birdie or just the fact my ADD kicks in haha.... but anyways... Now I'm kind of getting used to the idea and not freaking out quite so much.... Just have to get used to the idea of having pretty much no life again!

I now have the fun thing of waiting to see what happens next.. Ahhh Patience... The Virtue I SERIOUSLY lack in all aspects of life! hahaha  You can not teach someone with ADD to have patience its not something that happens  lol.... But I am trying! Who knows how long I shall have to wait to know what happens next on this lil roller-coaster ride into the future.... 

I still applied for a couple of ECE Positions the past week but I am pretty much not holding out as much hope considering all I have been through the past 4months when it comes to being offered positions then the numerous interviews since... But at least with the fact I made a decision to study means I don't have to fully count on this now...

The rest of the past couple of weeks have been pretty un-eventful and I haven't even been running that much etc... then again I miss being able to run on grass etc like i did in welly & chch... but its getting into summer and I really should start again... although I must get my knee sorted first (not looking forward to that shot of cortisone in it)...

hmmm I know BD pt 2 comes out shortly and i am not even remotely excited... Even though normally it means Andrea and I have a catch up fest about CB but i just cant even bring myself to get excited.. Hell I havent even bought tickets to see it! Maybe I have grown up and realised that as much as books & movies have happily ever afters.. life really isnt like that? *shrug*

Stop the bus I want off!!

So it started off being a pretty normal day today.... We had planned to go shopping but ended up sleeping in which was great as we were rudely awoken by a noise similar to explosions at 3.30am I think it was....

So we decided on a late breakfast and to head to metro to check emails and update blogs and the likes...
ended with me having a freak Panic Attack which when looking back was weird in itself... I had obviously zoned out when A said she was off to the ladies room for a moment and so im not sure how many minutes it was but I must have zoned back into life and then a switch went off and i panicked because i thought she had just left me ROFLMAO! I can laugh about it now as its completely stuffed up but I freaked out! and she saw the whole thing asks me if im alright I crack up laughing and then bawl my eyes out while laughing... WTF! so then had a complete Adrenaline rush for an hour! lol  So I'm definitely some kind of special today...

we head home to drop our stuff off and then head out for lunch etc only to have me say something completely fucked up and blonde... stayed out shopping till 5ish headed home to get changed in order to go out again and as we are heading back into town i ask A to fix my hair as its falling out... Only for the light to change green and i apparently start sprinting across the road with A holding my hair! WTF!

my brain is obviously mush today!! as thats only the stuff I remember.... Luckily A being the lovely flatmate she is just laughs at my this like i do lol.. but god damn it!


Maybe the stress is catching up to me of the past few months...who knows but I even sound like I have spoken gibberish instead of words today! WTF!!!

So I'm really thinking this day just needs to come to an end before i completely fuck something else up!  Lets hope tomorrow is a better day!  They cant get much worse in some ways...

The calm after the storm..

So after the craziness that was last week (although it didn't really end till Tuesday when the long weekend was over), This week has definitely been the calm after the storm...

Apart from the fact I have had to start considering other alternatives to finishing my degree including being stuck in a classroom all the time :/ but if I don't get something permanent soon its going to have to be the reality.... ARGH! Reality check big time this week! 

Reality check #1
 I need a new wardrobe full of clothes... when your clothes are hanging off you and looking like sacks you realise its not such a good thing.  It also made me realise how much Stress I have been under as I haven't been to the gym in 2months and haven't been for a good decent run in 3wks! The only upside is I have been eating healthy lol... but its mostly stress thats making clothes too big lol... Kinda wish it was the gym lol!

Reality Check #2
Not getting the ECE Positions I have been going for = maybe having to do something else and studying full-time because I don't think the bank balance in my savings is going to last forever.... in fact I don't think it will last longer then Christmas at this rate.... So part-time doing something + study may have to be the decision I have to make soon..

Reality Check #3
This one was thanks to Mel - One must learn to remember that even though life hands lemons I am freaking awesome and can make freaking AWESOMESAUCE lemonade and that who gives a stuff what others think.. I am awesome and me and that's all that matters... and I do not have be what others expect etc... Oh and I'm Gorgeous no matter what *giggles* Yes that will always make me giggle... (sorry Mel!)



So the week for Reality Checks has happened... Along with realising that even though I have to make these decisions and figure things out, I haven't lost sight of the fact I want to go learn from some of the best photographers as well in the states.....  I just have to rework how I want to do that and when...

so I am definitely heading into the weekend a more settled and happy Pixie this week :)

pondering's of the week...

So its been a bit of a week where I feel like I'm in the middle of  tornado in a way...  stuck in the middle of the swirling winds and no matter what I do I cant get the damn thing to stop....  Every where I turn its still something falling down around me.. so many things all at once and not a damn thing I can really do about it...

In the past 3months I have attended so many Interviews for teaching positions and yet still only being offered relieving positions after the first place reneged on their deal with me. Which is why I moved in the first place! This week alone I went to three on one day! Sadly I heard back from one of them on Friday and as I guessed still no luck...

The last one I attended on Wednesday was an informal meet & greet and look around the centre to give me info and the likes to go home and ponder weither I would like to proceed further. So late last night I decided I did and emailed to ask for the formal interview next week.  Lets hope something good happens there!

The other centre I went for an interview at is not one I could see myself working in as it was so stuck up and snobby! Which is not what I expected at all considering its a Franchise centre but it was and I cant picture myself there so I kinda hope for bad news on that one lol.... 


Its frustrating as I know I'm a damn good ECE Teacher yet all I keep getting offered is relieving work which isn't stable.. god nothing in my life is stable the past 12 weeks!  If I could get this at least I would have something to focus on....

My life is definitely not where I expected it to be two months ago.... I miss the stability and the fact things are normally organised and planned.... There's none of that now....  Heck I kinda feel like a very small fish in a rather large scary pond with no-one she knows around...

On top of the work stuff there is so much other stuff I have no control over going on. As much as I want to try walk away from it all things pull me back and it starts going around and around again....

 I know life is not supposed to be simple... but who knew being Selfless would hurt as much as it does... Some days I really wish I could bury myself in a hole and not return.... because nothings going to change... As much as I'm honest with things and people nothing changes.... instead I just end up hurting, and as much as you try and ignore the pain its still there... it doesn't seem to just go away.

I try to make life as it was before everything, and it just doesn't work.... nothing is the same as it once was... 
I know you cant go back and change the past but cant you at least make things like they were before something in order to at least have normality or less pain?

Change is as good as a holiday some say....

so the past week I have been thinking a lot about changes for many reasons... 

The fact I am reminded every day that I made one of the biggest decisions of my life and created a huge change by leaving everything I know in Wellington and moving further north. Some days it has its good benefits other days not so much, but through it all Change is the constant factor.

I guess change is inevitable no matter what in life, and its how we deal with it that counts.... 

So the past week has been full of thoughts on the subject, I am not one for enjoying too much change in everyday things... I don't mind change as long as its not all at once but i guess the whole move thing created so much that I haven't really processed it all lol.... (lesson learned when it comes to that!) 

But now after a good girlie chat last night/early this morning with "A" I decided some of these changes need to happen. So now I have had to decide on a few changes that I need to make in order to get where I want...

Plan of study has been slightly adjusted and in the process of sorting, which hopefully wont take too long so I can start....

Interviews are still coming in left right and center but if someone decides from the word go and tells me they only want me to relieve then screw it, I will not be relieving as its not what i want etc..

so now to move forward with a clear head and conscience and know that no matter what I am making my decisions for me and that whatever changes they cause I will handle it & learn from it... 




"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. "  - Anatole France

It's been awhile......

So it's been awhile since I have updated this..... The past few weeks have been a mixed bag of goodies....

Some quite entertaining.....

Like the Sunday afternoon the guys (Dave, Phil, Riley, & Russell) decided thanks to the bar staff that they were going to wear skirts for ladies night in order to get free drinks....
So there they were in skirts, t-shirts, sneakers/boots... With Alex & I cracking up.....

There was also the afternoon a few weeks ago where Alex & i walked to parnell rose gardens.... And had to giggle at the handbag up high in a tree......

I am slowly learning my way around Auckland..... Although have managed to get lost a few times.....

Hoping to head over to the island sometime soon to see friends & relax if all goes well......

Alex & i tried this cute lil milk & cookie bar the other day called Moustache... It has the most amazing oreo & marshmellow cookies!!

Day 30 – Something you miss

That would be Kirsty (aka Kermit) who now has been gone just about half my life.... Its hard to think one of my closest friends has been gone that long now.... I can remember the smile but for the life of me i cant remember much else... apart from the fact she was an amazing friend whom i still to this day miss...

Day 29 – Dream Job

*beams* To work with Rob Daly, whom is one of my favourite photographers.... His work is amazing!! and something I would like to kind of approach is some of his styles :D

Rob Daly... 

Day 28 – Something you don't leave the house without

*giggles* shouldn't the question be whats left at home when I do go out?  ☺

I pretty much can't leave home without 3 things,

My Cellphone (as its also a small camera so i dont have to go on lil trips with the big one!),  My charm bracelet (which has charms from family etc) & Lipbalm (yep girlie very girlie Bodyshop Vanilla spice lip balm! lol)...

Day 27- Dream House

Hrmmm I don't really have one in mind... although my one thing is I have always wanted a two storey place with a library and an amazing wooden staircase..... although I would be quite happy with anything as long as I had an office/library to curl up and read in (must have a fireplace in it!) hehehe other then that Its never been something I have worried too much about... 

Day 26 – Favorite Place to eat

Ok I don't really have one... I'm one of those strange people who dont have a favourite place to eat.... 

Im quite happy even just having a simple picnic etc.... although in saying that I remember this most amazing picnic spot on the outskirts of Queenstown  I went to a few times when i was younger with friends a few times in the holidays! it looked out over the whole of queenstown!

Day 25 – Something you are afraid of

Hrmmm.....  I really have quite a few fears.....  The main one being heights,

which is probably due to this dream I had that occurred a few times when i was younger were i kept falling from these large concrete tubes..... 

another would have to be creepy crawlies.... Spiders mostly!!!

Day 24 – A YouTube video

*grins* Now this is where I can completely have a giggle... there is a you tube clip that makes me laugh whenever I'm having a bad day... actually there is 3 :D 

The first one my friend R played for me on my birthday which had me in fits of laughter and whenever we get together we have to do our own renditions of it ;) 

The second is one an ex used to play for me to make me crack up when I was having a shit day and tbh it still cracks me up ☺

and the third is one of charlie acting the fool  shuffling which cracks me up....

Day 23 – a website

Hrmmm so many to choose from... so I shall give the one I have been frequenting today :D

www.mightyape.co.nz

Which I love as I can get cheap books etc and at the moment they have a sale on so im a happy camper :D

Day 22 – Your day, in great detail

Hahaha  well considering its only lunchtime theres not much to say....

Got up did the usual things, went to a cafe for coffee and Wifi so i could check emails and send in another job application.  Spoke to a couple of friends... and now about to have lunch...

Later today I am off to see a friend :) so not very exciting.....

Day 21 – Blog about your nickname

ARGH!!! Which one? 

The one I grew up with was hideous and I can thank My lil brother for it lol when he just learned to talk...
I got stuck with Wee Wee for years *cringes* In fact he still to this day calls me that!! GRRRRR!!!!

Then  about 6 years ago a guy I was kinda dating decided I was rather cheeky like a Pixie and I got stuck with that  as even my family agreed! so have had that ever since although according to family and friends its me to a tea..... and has been since the day I was born....

Day 20 – Your favorite quote

Gahhhh!! I cant just pick one to be honest....  I have several favourite quotes especially of late so I shall put a few up to save having to make a decision...

• Nella vita chi non risica-non rosica = In life: Nothing ventured–Nothing gained
  
  
  • Shoot for the stars, at least if you don't reach them, you can land in the heavens....
    
    
    • Dream as if you'll live forever, Live as if you'll die today. ~James Dean
      
      
      • When you stop fighting, you stop living. so.. find your fight, then fight like hell 'till your battle has won....
        
        
        • Dum spiro, spero = While I breath, I hope

Day 19 – Original Photo of the city you live in

Ok so I still officially live in Lower Hutt so I guess I shall have to have a Hutt Valley one.... 

Day 18 – A photo that makes you sad

 Hrmm This is a bit of a tough one....  so I have Two, sadly they are the furbabies two which have passed away and one that I wont see again due to family stuff :( 

Bazil Faulty! (I blame my mother for his name) one very awesome cat though whom I miss dearly but due to family stuff I wont get back again :/

Rove & Rocky. Rove was my cat whom sounded like Gary the snail from spongebob lol! he was so affectionate sadly he disappeared & we presume passed away after the dec 23rd quake 2011 and Rocky was the family dog for 15yrs and past away of cancer in 2010... He was a pain in the ass but still cool! lol

Day 17 – A photo that makes you happy

Hrmm there's one that sits on my desk generally and has since I was 16. Its one of my favourite Photos of my amazing friend K, who was taken from us far too soon on New Years when I was 16.  Her smile reminds me that I have been through a lot and still keep going and even though she's no longer around and we will probably never get answers to why she was murdered that I can tackle anything.... She is my inspiration ☺♥

Day 16 – A photo of you taken recently

Gahhh!!! Yet again Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!

Ok so we shall go with one taken last month on my born day since I at least look ok hahaha

Day 15 - A photo of you taken over ten years ago

OMG now we get to the posts I don't want to do lol! I hate photos and have for quite some time! Probably because I like to be behind the camera and not in front of it lol.... To me it shows my flaws far too much! lol....

But hrmmm lets see if i can dig up a photo on my laptop from 10yrs ago... I'm sure I have one or two maybe from when I first went to Uni in Hamilton.

Okies so this was taken my second year at Waikato so had to be 2002/2003 from memory while Jenna and I made a road trip to Auckland for a the weekend and I ended up snapping tendons in my foot about an hour after the photo was taken lol... (always accident prone!)

Day 14 - A Photo I took

Ok so this is always an easy one  being the amazing artist and photographer that I am from all my years experience....

So here's one from the Wedding I had the pleasure to shoot in February and one taken on my mobile of one of my Fav lil gals☺

Wedding shot taken in February 2012...

Miss A at High Tea for my birthday July 2012

Day 13 – A non-fiction book

A Non-fiction Book...

Ok so there's one non-fiction book I have been slowly plodding my way through when I need a break from the sci-fi, fantasy or paranormal romance books I enjoy...

Its actually a Biography by one of my all time favourite actors and to be honest I'm not sure why he is one of my fav's.... Anyways I have slowly been making way through Rupert Everett's book - Red Carpets and other Banana Skins. He has this great ability no matter what hes actually talking about to make you get the giggles!

 

Adventurous August Already!!!

What the hell? How the heck did it become August let alone the middle of August?

I am the most lousy person for updating this crap when life gets busy, yet I made a promise I would try so lets hope the second half of the year I can actually keep my promise to Christin!  Considering I haven't touched this since march.....

So freaking much has happened since then.... some of it good, some of it not so much.... On the upside, I haven't been as sick as I was two years ago... (Big achievement there!) Probably due to the fact I know pretty much what I can & cant eat now and have been pushing even when not feeling the best to at least go for a walk or run if I don't have the energy for the gym..... Plus the fact I know to not put myself in situations I cant handle (well 99% of the time anyways).

Ahhh the Gym the place I love to hate! hahaha I did learn how Uncoordinated  I am since giving up Marching 2.5years ago. Me and Zumba at the gym equals free entertainment for all that attend! How I got so uncoordinated in two years I have no idea! Yet put the Kiwi's display music on and I can still do it! hahaha!

Its taken me the past 4months to get back into running properly after the fact it just wasn't safe to do so in Christchurch in the area mum lived in due to the quake damage... and due to work killing my soul and spirit by the time I moved out of hers again I didn't particularly have the passion to do so again.... It wasn't till I was rather pissed off at a flatmate in Wellington after I got back from a trip that I started putting my pissed off moods into something a lil more constructive again! Albeit I still dislike running but with music and the fact I know I should and was getting freaking great at  it before I went to Christchurch I have the determination to keep going.... One thing I learned from the issues of the past, my fight or flight reflexes are good, and Ive learned more to fight then to not now.... whether its a good thing or not is yet to be proven.... but at least I am not wasting my energy being angry at something.... There just isn't any point in being angry its just a waste of energy....


July ended up being a pretty good month, apart from the approach of the Birthday I didn't want to come, due to the fact I have yet to achieve the goals I had set that I wanted achieved by that day. Probably why I am still so annoyed at myself... The only good thing about it is thanks to Mother making her decision not to have anything to do with me i no longer have to deal with her reminding me what she had done by this time in her life (yes including the fact she wants grandkids! yep not happening this side of the next five years either! if at all) :P I have far too much I want to achieve first, and considering I have been on my own for so long, apart from the repeat mistake I made last year (although I was pretty much still alone then).... I don't think its going to ever happen... Too stubborn & independent for my own good as i am so often reminded...

Anyways, I hit the dreaded day and even though I didn't particularly want it to.. So have just reassessed my plans and now refocusing on achieving them! I refuse to not achieve them because I know damn well I can!  I am not my mother and I am not one to give up fighting for what I want.... albeit the past year I have a few times because I didn't see the point in wasting energy.... So now its onwards and upwards....

My gorgeous Nephew Corbin was born a few days after my birthday and I have to say even though I haven't actually met him or had cuddles yet he is the most precious lil fella ever!  The past month when Ive had a bad day the photos K has sent me have brightened my day! I cant wait to head south and have cuddles and snuggles! He is precious for so many reasons and I am so glad K has him! :D


 so I guess thats about all I have to update at the moment but at least I can say so far you have two blog posts to read now Christin :D

Day 12: A song that makes you cry

A song that makes you cry

Ok so I apologise firstly to Christin for so being behind in all this its taken me 7months and im still not finished it... then again my headspace for writing hasn't always been there so I shall try catch this up as quickly as possible over the next month..... 

So a A song that makes me cry.... I have Two of these. One relates to my friend who past away when we were 16 that we will never probably get answers for.... The other is one is one that for some reason I fell in love with but at certain times can make me cry depending on my mood.... 

 

Viva Forever - Played at K's Funeral

I'll Be  - Edwin McCain

Day 11 – about a recipe

Hrmmm.. What kind of Recipe are we talking here? I'm generally good creating a Recipe for Disaster.... Ask anyone and they will totally agree with me here! ☺

But seriously.. I would have to say my fav recipe is the following, which was given to me by a good friend about a year ago, I still cant eat it that often but it makes up for not having my fav caramel cake nowdays... 

Gluten-Free Chocolate Caramel Squares.
150g Butter
1/2 Cup Sugar
1tsp Vanilla
1 Egg yolk
1 1/2 Cups Gluten-Free Baking Mix
1/2 Cup Cocoa
395g Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
100g Butter
1/2 Cup Golden syrup


1. Beat butter & sugar until pale & creamy. Add vanilla, egg yolk, GF Baking Mix & cocoa. Mix well!

2. press mix into a slice pan (28cm x 18cm approx) reserve 1/3 of the mixture & refrigerate base till required.

3. place condensed milk, 100g butter, and golden syrup in small saucepan stirring over gentle heat until butter is melted and mix is smooth. Allow to cool.


4. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. spread cool caramel over base and crumble the last of the 1/3 base mix over the top. Bake for 25-30mins until caramel is rich and golden and base is firm.

Cut into slices..


 

Day 10 – Your favourite movie

Day 10 – Your favourite movie 

Ok this is one yet again where I don't just have one favourite....

My favourites are The Princess Bride which is kind of an Old Classic along with The Labyrinth... I have others but Ill just pop these two classics up for now.... 

The Princess Bride

The Labyrinth

 

Day 9 – a hobby of yours

ack... Now I'm put on the spot trying to think of something..... I've been creative and crafty my whole life so I guess you could put my card making and Jewellery making as a hobby.... 

Winged key Necklace I created from inspiration from Harry Potter Movies/Books

Day 8 – your favorite television program

Oh heck so I have more then one Fav to be honest... It really is hard to pick just one...

I absolutely love The Vampire Diaries & True Blood, but then I am also hooked on Alcatraz, Revenge & Once Upon A Time so I just cant pick one I also to be honest cant even rank them from most fav to least as it just doesn't happen lol...

Stefan & Damon - Season 3 Vampire Diaries.

Once Upon A Time

Revenge

 

 

 

Alcatraz

True Blood

Day 7 – places you have lived

Oh dear god there are far too many hahaha! so I am just going to bullet point them and they are in no particular order.... 

• Hastings
• Invercargill
• Bluff 
• Hamilton
• Wellington City
• Auckland
• Palmerston North
• Upper Hutt - Wellington
• Tawa - Wellington
• Lower Hutt - Wellington
• Christchurch

Why Hello There March 1st....

WOW! March 1st already!! Where have the first two months of 2012 gone? Only feels like New Years was upon us and now its March and the beginning of Autumn here in NZ.... 

This week has been pretty full on so far, packing, cleaning, moving from Christchurch and flying to Wellington with Kitty and I. Unpacking what was in storage since March 2011 when I headed down to Christchurch due to the devastating Earthquake to help the famdamily. It was like discovering old friends again unpacking those boxes... Its like having Christmas over again! 

I have to say it has been a relief to be back in Wellington, admittedly I know Wellington has fault lines that cause quakes too but I have always preferred the North Island for some reason and Wellington has always felt like home!

I have spent this afternoon with one of my closest friends in the city, as my big brother gave us tickets to Unveiled which is the wedding dress exhibition at Te Papa.  It was great to see as J and I looked at the dress from an artistic point of view as well.. I love being around like minded people and this was a great example... I am so totally in love with Gwen Stefani's wedding dress! I never realised when I saw it in magazines when she got married the pink on it was actually spray painted!! 

We also managed to find a fabric clearance store so finally I have the fabric I have been after to create the dress I have been meaning to make since buying the pattern 2 years ago lol! So might have a couple of pretty dresses to take to the states for my trip... albeit it will be Winter when I get there #eeektwowinters!!

Tomorrow is kind of D Day in a way! Its my business meeting which will hopefully see weither it will go ahead or not... (how can it not! I know I can do it!!) and if it doesn't go well it will just make me even more determined to make it happen...

So thats life on the crazy ship so far the past few weeks....and as the saying goes... you have to decide to not stay where you are before you can move forward!!

Day 6 – List 5 places you want to go to

Hrmm a tough on today so I have done this as a countdown to my number one spot since its a tough choice...

5. Paris - Always had a thing for wanting to see Paris and the high fashion.. not sure where it came from but I also think my creative side would come out majorly there!

4. New York - specifically Broadway!!! its always appealed to my musical side... I may have given up my dream thanks to the parentals but doesn't mean I cant go watch someone else & their dream lol :o) 

3. Orlando, Florida - Well this has been on the to do list since I was about 7 so hence still there along with Disney World lol... You're never too old for Disney!! - Hopefully I will be crossing this one off come December 2012 when I head to Twi-con ☺

2. Vancouver, Canada - Ok so this is another that's been on the list for awhile, to be able to visit friends and to experience the ski season over there... well mostly snow boarding these days.. cant say I have skied for about 5yrs now lol....

1. Los Angeles - ok so this probably wasn't a surprise to many considering what I want to do with my photography etc... but there's so much I want to see & do in LA lol.. so as much as it seems crazy to most its not... lol

Day 5 - List 5 places you have been to

Okies, so apologise that i got caught up and forgot about this till now so im determined to finish it... I was always taught finish what you start ;) 

So.... 5 Places I have been to... 

1. Deep Cove - It is a right of passage in Form 2 before going off to High school that every form 2 student no matter what school in Southland makes the Trip to Deep Cove and stays there for about 5 days! Unfortunately I missed out due to NZ Marching Champs and didn't get to go till I was 17 and was asked to help my younger brothers trip.

2. Waitomo Caves - While studying at the University of Waikato a group of us did a trip to Waitomo.. Absolutely amazing place! The Glow worms are just awesome!

3.  Stewart Island - Really don't have anything exciting to say about Stewart Island lol.. apart from don't take a boat!!

4. Auckland Sky Tower - Lets just say my fear of heights is a lot better after my visit here a couple of years ago... and its an amazing view from the top!

5. Huka Falls - One of my fav places to stop while traveling in the North Island...

Day 4: Goals

Goals...

Ekk I really don't like sharing my goals so I find it hard to put  these ones out there to be honest.. 

• Get my business up and running fully 

• Visit the USA and a couple of friends by the end of the year... 

• Keep running & staying healthy

• Try to get work under my admired photographer and see how much I can learn from them in the states.. 

• Complete NaNoWriMo 2012 later in the year :)  

Day 3: Last year, in great detail...

Last Year, In Great Detail...

eeek This is going to be a lil hard so bare with me on this one...

January 2011 - My website for charlie was in full swing and we started Rave Run Radio for his birthday. 

February 2011 - This mostly was quiet till February 22nd when my home town Christchurch was hit with a magnitude 6.3 quake at 12.51 pm which killed 181 people. More Info Here

March 2011 - March saw me having a visit from my mother from Christchurch for two weeks and then me heading to CHCH for a brief holiday and to attend the memorial service for the victims of the Feb 22nd quake and the city.. 

April 2011 - I moved home to Christchurch to help family and friends after the earthquakes... 

May 2011 - I remember the fact it was all over the tv that Osama bin laden was killed. I also remember May was filled with a little excitement as I started working again... along with getting my new upgraded Dslr.

June 2011 - Christchurch was rocked by a double-whammy earthquake on the 13th  which did more damage to our city as you can see here. The month was also filled with mostly work, along with the launch of my Jewellery page Pixie Creations. 

The Almighty Johnsons stars & I

July 2011 - Armageddon Christchurch happened the first weekend of July where I got to finally meet one of my fav NZ Actors Jared Turner (from Almighty Johnsons).  It was also my 29th birthday where we got to attend the midnight screening of Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Pt 2. 

August 2011 - I got to meet Lauren Kate author of the Fallen Series in Dunedin. She was amazing to talk to and very encouraging. I also went to Wellington to have a photoshoot with Krystol after the prize we won in January. Along with catching up with friends up there that I hadn't seen since I left in April.

September 2011 - This marked one year since the 7.1 earthquake that started it all in Christchurch in 2010.

October 2011 - This was the month I moved out of my mothers after deciding enough was enough.  Don't remember much else of October as I was working for most of it... 

November 2011 - Breaking Dawn Part 1 screening with Pip. Where I made up some small goodie bags and we had a blast. Also decided it was time to stop doing a job I don't enjoy and do what I love and get closer to my goal....

December 2011 - My website became a year old, and relaunched on a new format with its own website addy after months of work after having no laptop...It also gave me a secret which I had to hold onto for several weeks...  December also was marked by major earthquakes again on the 23rd of December as you can see here.  December also saw the launch of my own business for my photography thanks to the support of friends which you can check out here.

January 2012 - This month has seen me decide to move back to Wellington at the end of February to get my business up and running properly. It also finally saw the announcement that we had to keep a secret for a month or so that Charlie was coming to NZ for Armageddon in Wellington & Hamilton in April... 

Lauren Kate & I in Dunedin August 2011.

Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name

What's the Meaning behind my blog name...

Ok so this is an easy one for me to answer today....  Basically my Profile name on Blogger is because I have been called Pixie for quite sometime due to an ex who called me pixie and then my family and friends followed suit and I have not been able to shake it since.... 

As for the name of my Blog "Butterflies and stars" I came up with it when I started my blog in 2011 because someone who inspires me  told me to keep reaching for the moon and If  I missed it would still be ok as I would land upon the Stars.... 

The Butterflies part comes from the fact since I was 16 they have been significant for me since my closest friend was murdered over New Years. When I think about her or talk to her I seem to have this affinity to Butterflies and they seem to come around me... Mostly Monarchs... 

So I thought a good name for my blog would be "Butterflies and Stars" because its everything that means a lot to me ♥

Day 1: Blog 15 facts about yourself

oh heck, yep I really don't like this first one but I accepted the challenge so here goes... 

15 Facts about Me...

1. I was born in Hastings, NZ but grew up in Southland! 
2. I have never had a white Christmas .
3. I am the Oldest child on my mum's side of the family, but the baby on my dads side of the family, yet I have not met any of my older siblings from my dad's side & just to add to that - My big brother & big sister are not blood related at all as it comes from the saying your friends are you family you choose for yourself, and I love them both even though we are not actually related! ♥
4. I am Kiwi-born Brit and in the next few years plan on heading to visit where my dad etc grew up in the UK.
5. My favourite city in the world is Paris yet I have never been there.
6. I have won Gold, Silver & Bronze medals for the sport I was involved in for 20years.
7. My favourite colour is Aqua blue.
8. I live in the country that developed the Bungy Jump yet I have never been on it as I have a slight anxiety problem when it comes to heights but I plan on conquering it.
9. I have two favourite flowers, Daffodils & yellow roses. 
10. I love anything artistic (thanks to my dad who was an artist) so love Art History, Painiting, and am a qualified photographer and have been since 2001. 
11. My favourite animal is a Tiger although I love all cats. 
12. When the mood takes me I can write short stories and poetry and have been told I am really good at it. 
13. I make jewellery.
14. I am a major bookworm and when I am not crafting or writing or working on photo shoots you can find me with my nose in a book or my kindle.
15. I have eyes that change colours in different lights but tend to wear contact lenses instead of my glasses so people don't notice too much...