Autumn Treats

So I took advantage of Country Road's 25% off everything sale and picked up a lovely new blouse for Autumn which I plan to wear with grey skinny jeans and my beloved Sezane boots. It'll be my take on boho!

I also bought a new gold-ring to wear with my jumpsuit at the wedding in July. Simple gold jewellery paired with black is the look I have in mind:

The Bay

Paul and I spent our Easter weekend in the Hawke's Bay. Although a little grey and drizzly, we had a lovely relaxing time. If you haven't been in a while (or at all) I thoroughly recommend it. Only six hours from Auckland and just over four hours from Wellington, it's very accessible.

We stayed at Katharine's beautiful Airbnb just outside Havelock North. A perfect self-contained cottage, tastefully decorated and located on her stunning grounds as an annex to the main house.

We ate breakfast every day at Wright & Co cafe, a new addition to the Havelock North dining scene. Gorgeous food and coffee, great service and wonderful ambience. It was that good, we didn't even bother with other cafes. We had lunch at our old favourite Mission Estate Winery, and dinner at Elephant Hill Winery.

A couple of new retail offerings in Napier. First, the gorgeous Blackbird Goods. Owned and operated by Gemma and Nathan, their small-but-perfectly-formed store on Dalton Street showcases a hand-picked collection of elegant goods. Gemma and Nathan were generous with their time, helping us pick a treasure to take home, and happy to chat about their new life in the Bay.

Guilty as Sin on Hastings Street in Napier offers a well-curated collection of womens clothes and accessories. Brands such as Lonely, Zoe Karssen, Commoners, Camilla and Marc and Juliette Hogan sit side by side in complete harmony. Add to that a very funky space, and you have a winning recipe.

Today

Today I did something I haven't done in a long time. I went shopping all day. My feet are sore, I'm tired and I'm poorer. I feel good.

Some events in my life during the past few months have pushed aside pursuits that were once normal and commonplace, like shopping for clothes. I'm pleased to say life has settled down a little.

I haven't been blogging because I have not had the time nor the energy. I have not been shopping either. I felt that I had nothing to say. I want to start blogging again. Posts will be sporadic for a while, but it's a start.

I also have an exciting event coming up in July: our niece Sarah is marrying Peer (who is Danish) and the wedding is in Denmark! Two things are relevant here:

1. Wedding outfit.
2. Overseas shopping.

Today, my focus was finding the wedding outfit. I must admit, I was bracing myself for a battle. I wanted something chic, elegant and very contemporary. I also wanted to wear the outfit again, and it had to work with 'sensible' heels (I want to look back and remember the wedding, not how sore my feet were).

I ended up with two options! One is a ruched bodycon dress. Now, this looks nothing on the rack (or even the super-slim model seen here), but it looks amazing on me!

But the one I am likely to wear is the most elegant, flattering wide-leg jumpsuit. The only photo I could find is here. Again, it looks not much but believe me, I did a double-take when I first saw my reflection in the mirror. The halter-neck style looks flimsy but it's very sexy without being overt. My decolletage is one of my best features as are my legs. My tummy, however is not! This jumpsuit accentuates the best bits and hides the worst! It's also comfortable and I can move easily. This is a style I could never have worn before the breast reduction. I'm so excited!

Whichever outfit I go with, it will be paired with these shoes (also Country Road).

As for the trip, Paul and I will be spending time in England (London, Somerset, Oxford), Denmark (Copenhagen, Tisvildeleje), France (Paris) and the U.S. (San Francisco). I am saving like crazy so I have a good budget for shopping! In a future post, I'll share with you some items I hope to pick up.

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