old and new in welling-town

i've been to wellington before. in fact, i couldn't envision living anywhere else in new zealand before i actually arrived. ok, clearly that didn't work out. you could say i have a love/hate relationship with wellington and its extremes. but as with any bitter separation, give it a little time and you see things in a different light. it's been over a year... and wellington welcomed me back with open arms. :)

thank you wellington! i so enjoyed your quirky cafes/shops, barefoot pedestrians too cool for school, schmancy restaurants with good eats (broccoli bruschetta!!), hidden beer houses full of certified beer snobs like myself, and condensed city center making it easy to get everywhere. i may have fallen in love with you all over again.

new sneaks & new sounds!

finally invested in a suitable new pair of romping-through-town shoes

yesterday... and it makes me think... where in the world are these adorable new

chucks going to take me? europe, southeast asia, canada, or back home to the 

good ole us of a? maybe all of the above! shoes can stick with you for a loooong time!

first stop: brunch with the ladies

now for some great new beats from one of my favorite bands, beirut... zach condon

could quite possibly be the quirkiest/most talented musician of his generation. chill out

and groove to "santa fe" here: http://hypem.com/item/1ct3q/Beirut+-+Santa+Fe 

indulge in your favorite pasttime

for me, one of those things is experimenting in the kitchen. 

where's the fun in baking cupcakes unless you decorate them with roses on top?

i tested a martha stewart recipe for meringue buttercream icing

and four hours later...

yum!

Off to the markets!!!!

a lovely winter day spent at the matakana markets...

*good weather*

*good food*

*good music*

*good friends*

 

happy 4th of july!!!

times they are a changin'

it's wintertime in new zealand... meaning aucklanders dress in their favorite colors (black & midnight black), torrential rains, and farewells as good friends move to warmer pastures.

this week i said goodbye to my old flatmates amanda & sam who are off to england indefinitely...

and to my good friend tim (the non-canadian) who is off to summer camp for the next 3 months.

farewell friends, and have fun!! you will be missed. 

mini milestones

today was monumental for two reasons:

1) nz residency application submitted

2) attended my first yoga class

bravo me! how long have i been going back & forth with all of this residency stuff? hah, take that nz immigration... i'm ready for you now! all things go, so now it's just a waiting game. crossing my fingers that nz will take me as i am before my current visa expires on aug 13th....

i can easily see how yoga is addicting for so many people! what a great natural high and i can't believe i was afraid of it for so long! thanks so much to leah & sadaf for inviting me to the yoga loft with them for 75 minutes of yoga (actually 60 + 15 of relaxation) and a super yummy vegetarian meal afterwards. love it!