An update in pictures

So this is an update for the past couple weeks or so, but in pictures, cos I can :)

Recently went to Otane and this gorgeous old church is on the way, had to stop of course and take some pics 

This is it not in black and white, love the red door

A nice old building on Otane, not much else there to be honest

Smudge and Hoot enjoying the sun on Te Mata while I went for a walk

Me and my boy heading off to Mangakino to see parents new place

My boy found a good location to keep an eye on everything easily 

We are a cosy team at work, and very quiet sometimes lol

Cat prints and a ball print on my new concrete path, I must be loved :) 

My new friend Felix who is hanging out in my bdrm under the cool cubby dad made by knocking out most the old linen cupboard to give my room more room

Have started on decorations for my beary Christmas tree, they are felt bears if you are wondering

My first ever egg apron, am very happy with how awesome it turned out, its for Samara for when she gets her chickens, the pockets are for eggs :)

Just a random thing I made with a frame dad built me, just gotta figure out where to hang it now

Hastings certainly knows how to turn it on in sunny weather

Do love that this is my home, its just so pretty sometimes

Visiting and touristing in Raglan

I spent the wknd in Raglan with my Aunty Kay and Uncle Terry which was super cool, and as I hadn't been there for ages (Easter doesn't count as I wasn't there long that day) they took me sightseeing which was cool.  The surf was playing its part and being all wavey which I miss with the ocean over here, cos the ocean over here is often real boring and calm.  On the Saturday Raglan was showing off in the nice sunshine, and it didn't even matter that the wind was a tad chilly cos it was so pretty. 

On Monday morning while I waiting for Aunty Kay to finish at the physio I went for a wander and did my touristy thing like I did in the UK, the weather helped by being wet and cold lol.  I got rather drenched but it was still pretty, and I rewarded myself with a salted caramel hot chocolate num num :)

I also got to chill with Smoko and Lucy (she used to be called Marilyn but me and her agreed that she will be called Lucy when she becomes a Hastings kitty hehe).  Think Smoko is also keen to become a Hastings kitty but I wasn't sure how they would cope with the warmer climate over here so I left them behind this trip.  Maybe next time I will bring them back with me hehe.

It was a fantastic wknd with lots of chilling and catching up done, just what I was needing I think :)

Saturdays sightseeing

Mondays meandering

34 of the most awesome things I have done....

Since I have been alive for 34 years now I thought I would list 34 of the most awesome things I have done.  Not everything awesome I have done is listed, cos come on we all know I have done way more than 34 in my amazing life so far :) 

Listed in alphabetical order, here you go:

Acquired 1 of the best bears ever

Backpacked Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England

Been to India

Bet Duynie in a Math Exam

Bet the twins in cross country

Bet mum in WI sewing section of Arts and Crafts Festival

Bought a house

Built a bark garden

Can still undo and redo dad’s shirt buttons if he’s not paying attention

Climbed the Eiffel Tower (stairs not elevator)

Discovered ‘Hart of Dixie’

Earned Gold D of E and Queens Guide Awards

Explored Singapore and Malaysia with mum

Finished Oxfam 100km Trailwalker

Flown in a biplane

Held a 6 weeks old baby without dropping it (cheers for that one Dons :p)

Lived in Scotland

Make pretty damn good GF bread

Paid off 2 student loans

Ran 3 half marathons

Ran round a castle, including to top of highest turret

Road tripped South Island with Brudda

Road tripped top of North Island with Brudda

Skydived (twice)

Studied for and gained a double degree and 2 diplomas

Summited Mt Taranaki

Visited every hut on Mt Taranaki in the space of one month

Was a Guide Leader for over 5 years

Watched Edinburgh Military Tattoo live

Went running while it was snowing

Went Snowdog hunting in Brighton

Won the Avis Griffin trophy at the Franklyn A&P Show

Won mum heaps of chocolate

Won Young Achievers Award for Community Service

I’m a spinster :D

All my dictionaries have the below definition for spinster, or one very similar:
‘A woman still unmarried beyond the usual age of marrying’
And when you google usual age for females to be married in NZ you find out that it’s now 28.5, therefore I’m totally a spinster 😁 how awesome is that 😄 I totally thought I’d have to wait ages more before I could rock the spinster title, super stoked I can do it now 🥳

Reflections time

On the 13^th it was one year since I moved into my first home so I thought I would do a bit of a reflective post on the past year. 

Things I’ve learnt:

-Having the internet is actually not necessary, there is loads to do without it and you (well I) don’t miss it anywhere near what I thought I would.

-Having TV is something that you do kinda need, if only for TaskMaster and Formula-E.

-Renovations really do cost way more than you expect, that I was warned about, but the one thing that I wasn’t sure of is that you really do appreciate having them done and it doesn’t matter that you are more poor than you expected cos you have that awesome new or changed whatever J

-Overall I don’t mind being poor, ok so I probably wouldn’t say no to having more money to splash around but I don’t and I’ve found that I don’t really mind overall.  Sure for doing stuff to the house it’s a pain but when it comes to doing things with friends I’ve just become more selective in what I do that costs and I’ve found that I am appreciating the things I am choosing to do more, prob because I have chosen it over something else.  Like going to the theatre over the movies, or cooking dinner for friends instead of going out for dinner.

-I don’t like gardening, even vege gardening.  Don’t get me wrong I like the having food in my garden but I would love it if someone else would come and weed it lol.

-I do quite like baking (not cooking, just baking).  It started cos I was poor but then I found I actually like doing it and eating it I really like.  Is nice knowing that none of the pans or dishes are contaminated with that evil gluten stuff too haha.

-Napier/Hastings seems to be the same as New Plymouth/Inglewood, some people I thought were friends are very reluctant to visit me cos I live in Hastings and expect me to go to Napier every time we catch up.  Good thing I have friends that don’t care J

-My lounge is perfect for dance parties and even though he wont join in I know that Glenny likes them too, he laughs at me enough. I think I would get top marks for effort and enthusiasm from the judges (if there were any) but skill and talent would be bottom marks lol.

-I love living with just me and Glenny and all our other friends JJJ

* Am sure there are other things that I have learnt but I just can't remember them at the moment...

Things I would change if I had to do it again:

-Nothing.  I wouldn’t do anything different, I wouldn’t get a flatmate to have extra money or company, I wouldn’t wait longer to buy somewhere else.  I also would not get a pet, I like that I can do what I want in wknds or after work and not have to think about something that needs to be feed or anything.

Most important massive big thanks to all my ‘slaves’ (even the ones whose work has since been removed by another slave and then professionals) and other helpers.  And thank you to everyone that has come to visit me even though I am on the other side of the Island now (hehe that sounds like I’m not as far away as if I said the other side of the country) J

Working for a radio station is just so hard some times....

No not all the toys are mine..... just most of them lol

And if you would like to see more of what we get up to at work follow us on Facebook, just search for Radio Kidnappers and there we are :D

No longer looking like an ex-rental

Finally got my bathroom done :) there were some complications and some stress but ain’t that the way with reno's, or it seems to be atlst that's what I'm learning. It’s looking pretty awesome, if I do say so myself :D and it definitely makes my place look more like a home and less like an ex-rental.  The hallway has also been wallpapered and is looking good :)

It is certainly nice walking down the hallway now and seeing the improvements.  The kitchen also has all the yuck old lino removed and I have carpet offcuts down which is def warmer on my feet and also looks way nicer than the lino ever did.

My grown up awesome looking bathroom :)

The hallway is also looking lovely now its nicely wallpapered

Kitchen floor, if you interested :)

And for those of you wondering what I did with the old bath here it is, turns out it was one of those heavy as cast iron baths so removing it was a bit of a mission, good thing I know a couple of big strong men who like me enough to help me out (well David did, not sure Dof had a choice... lol) 

Long wknd fun

I had a rather chilled out but fun long wknd :)

On Friday night Steph and I went to a murder mystery night at Theatre Hawkes Bay.  Was real fun, turns out I am just as terrible at solving mysteries when I can ask the suspects questions as when I am reading about it in a book but it was still super fun :)

On Saturday Cleo took me over to Brudda's so we could hang and watch cricket later that night.  I may have slept through most of NZ's batting innings but that's ok cos we still won so I don't feel like I missed too much hehe.

On Sunday it was back home to go camping with Glenny and Snowy.  We set up the projector in the lounge and watched White Collar.  Then on Monday we used it to watch movies :) so much fun :)

Back to work today cos sadly the long wknd was not a forever one :( lol

 Me and Steph in our 1930's murder mystery solving outfits

 Bro's new work boots which I was so tempted to 'borrow'

Movie watching

Love my new kitchen

Kitchen phase one is done :) thanks heaps to Brudda and Dof for all your hard work in making it happen and cheers for letting me think I'm bossing you around :) lol