3 year Anniversary getaway

Hello lovely people. What an intense past few days we've had. We went away to the Gold Coast for a few nights for our 3 year wedding anniversary. We stayed at the QT Hotel (amazing!). It was overcast and a little rainy but it was on the Saturday when it really started to bucket down. We missed the main storming of the Gold Coast but we can home to storming at our own place. We lost power for nearly two nights and a day and apparently we have a water shortage for a few more days so we have to go back to doing the water restrictions we had when we were in a drought. 

We are blessed that the floods didn't hit Brisbane like it did in 2011 but my heart goes out to the towns like Bundaberg that got hammered. They have had a horrific time. 

1. This was on the afternoon we arrived. It wasn't too bad yet weather wise

2. You can make lemonade in your room. They have the ingredients in the lobby and it tasked amazing.

3. This is what we woke up too on our actual anniversary

4. Me on our anniversary. We went shopping, had lunch and went out for dinner at night at the hotel restaurant called Bazaar, one of the best dinners I ever had!

5. Jason reading on his iPad. We did lots of reading because of the weather

6. The awesome pencils, paper and postcards in the room

7. The bed and part of the room. The design was amazing! In fact the whole hotel was so aesthetically pleasing

8. This was the day after our anniversary. Still very overcast

9. With my beach outfit. I love this playsuit it's so comfy. We decided to try the beach out anyway. It was still good even with no sun. It was warm and I relaxed on the sand.

10. The wind blowing my little deer dress. I love this dress too. 

This is a beach selfie I took on Instagram (come say hello @graciebellabutterfly) which Micaela said the funniest comment about me being at a nudie beach because you can't see my swimmers. So this is for you Micaela :) 

This is the second year our anniversary got rained out but I guess that's what we get for getting married at this time of the year (our honeymoon was also rained out). Next time we said we will just have dinner on our anniversary and go away a few weeks later instead. 

And it's my birthday on Friday 1st Feb so I will be taking a flex day off work and having a me day :) Have a good rest of week. 

Happy 3 year Wedding Anniversary

Happy three years to my wonderful husband Jason. I can't get over how quick these years have gone. It's been so amazing and I look forward to many more years to come. 

This is one of my fave photos because it captures a funny moment in our vows and every time I look at this photo I remember. 

Again I like this photo because our wedding party are all doing something silly in the background. 

This was before the ceremony and it's another photo I like. I'm not good at posing so I love photos that are captured naturally. 

I love my girls. They are amazing and this was so fun to shoot. We just mucked around which made for some really great photos. 

Right now Jason and I are staying on the Gold Coast so will have photos from that time away and maybe I will share more wedding photos (feeling nostalgic for it). 

Lifeline Bookfest Summer 2013

Hey peeps! I hope you had a great weekend. Mine was pretty amazing. On Saturday I had a brunch with some friends, then Jason and I went to the Lifeline Bookfest afterwards. (I also got a massage on Sunday!). If you have been reading my blog you will know that going to the Bookfest is one of my favourite events to attend each year. As I've mentioned before supporting a charity and books is a good combination. 

So here are the books I bought....

1. Babysitter Club books for my collection, St Clares and Malory Towers books, colour illustrated version The Boy and his horse (Narnia Chronicles), 2nd book in Emily of New Moon series, The Unicorn Sonata (in preparation for my unicorn inspired birthday - I do want to read The Last Unicorn as well), A unicorn picture book for inspiration (and my future kids book shelves)

2. So I'm a huge Star Wars fan and wanted to try reading a book series, have wanted to read Flowers in the attic, I like Juliet Marillier's YA books, Robin Hobb is a good fantasy writer, I enjoy Melina Marchetta books since reading Looking for Alibrandi for high school

3. I wanted to try the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, recommended Jodi Picoult, Still haven't read Water for Elephants, The Blind Assasin I thought could be interesting (though I have read A Handmaiden's tale and wasn't sure if I really liked it), another recommended Jodi Picoult

4. I thought this was a cute kids book since it's in English and French! Another good book for my future kids bookshelves. 

I got a good haul yet again. I'm running out of room on my book shelves but I just need to shift things around and maybe give away a few of the books I know I won't read again. 

Have a fantastic week!

Jasmine's 30th birthday

Hello hello! I hope you have been having a good week. So I went to Jasmine's 30th birthday a few weeks ago and it was wonderful. It was a 1920's theme which I think is one of the prettiest decades. Plus Alyssa was also there :) 

1. My wrapping for part of Jas' gifts

2. My outfit. I LOVE the dress

3. Trying to pose 

4. Jason looking very dapper. I bought him the hat

5. Old suitcase and cupcakes

6. Gorgeous old typewriter

7. Flowers and photo booth props

8. Delicious food!

9. What's a party without paper straws

10. Action shot while playing badminton (I quite like this game but it was hard to play with that dress)

11. Me and Alyssa making use of the props

12. Laughing

13. Jas, Alyssa and me. I have no idea what I'm doing with my leg. I look so awkward 

14. Jason and me

15. Doughnut cake :) 

16. lovely Jas laughing

It was a wonderful day with great food, good company and pretty clothes. Plus I loved that there was badminton and ring toss. You know I'm so grateful for this blogging world because I wouldn't have met Jasmine or Alyssa otherwise. Have a wonderful rest of week!

Exploring the City

Hello lovely people. I have a flex day from work tomorrow because it's been so slow. So yay for unexpected days off. 

Last weekend I met up with Jasmine and Alyssa in the city. Alyssa is a blog friend that came up for Jasmine's 30th birthday. It was also the first time I had met her. It was amazing. She is awesome and it was so much fun exploring the city with the both of them. 

1. It was an overcast day in Brisbane (which is a shame since Queensland is the sunshine state) some festive baubles are still on display

2. A photo of Jasmine taking a photo when we were on the ferry

3. Alyssa and Jasmine at Southbank

4. The Eye of Brisbane. It was the first time I'd been on it even though I see it every time I go to Southbank

5. Looks like a fairy tree to me

6. I adore these flower vines which are all over Southbank 

7. View from the Eye. I think those clouds are pretty too 

8. More views from the Eye 

I seriously adore my city and I must get out and explore more. We also went to the Queensland Museum and the Gallery of Modern Art. Both utterly fantastic. Even better that they are free and air conditioned. It wasn't the hottest day but it was humid and muggy (welcome to Brisbane). 

I think I'm going to add 'have more adventures' as part of my goals for the year. This is shaping up to be a incredible year and I'm going to embrace it.

Have a great weekend. Yay for a three day weekend. 

Goals for the Year

Hello my lovelies. I hope you had a great week. I'm so glad it was a short work week. It was easier to get back into it. 

So I have a few goals for this year. I realised when I look over my goals from previous years they are basicially the same goals. Seeing that made a me a little sad but it has pushed me to really organise myself this year and to work towards them. 

1. Flowers from my gorgeous friend Laura. She also drew the card!

2. Happiness journal and book

3. More journals for the year

4. Journals

I had to add the flowers from one of my best friends Laura. She's amazingly talented and I simply adore her. So back to my list...

♥ To do a letterpress course (there is one next month so I HAVE to do it)

♥ To take care of my body better with a healthier diet, more exercise, to sleep better and to relax more

♥ To be organised and work at my organisational skills

♥ To be more involved with my church (perhaps go to Cambodia on a missions trip)

♥ To do devotionals like SheReadsTruth

♥ To have a handmade business

♥ To put together my creative space

♥ One of my main goals this year is to journal more and to keep more memories

I want to live a more creative life and I need to stop waiting for the right time. When is the right time anyway? I have a collection of notebooks that I'm using to organise the different aspects of my life and I'm using the Kikki.K 2013 diary to write a line (or word) each day. I will try to write updates on these goals (and to keep me accountable) I do have a few more but these are the main ones that I want to achieve this year. 

What are your goals this year?