Goodbye house

As of today we are officially moved out of our flat, almost two years to the day we got the keys. It’s a bittersweet feeling because I had really grown to love that poky little place with all its quirks. It felt like the first proper home Marc and I had made ourselves, and represented our first real shot at living alone after a few years of share houses and a short attempt living in the city in a shoebox apartment.

But I am even more excited about moving to Sydney and finding a new, better place to call home. I am dreaming of wooden floorboards, light-filled rooms and maybe even a bathtub if we are lucky enough. In fact, I have already made a Pinterest board dedicated to wishlist furniture for our new abode.

It’s going to be fun chronicling our adventures through house-hunting, to furnishing the place, to settling in and getting all our faux deer heads up on the wall. Even I’ll admit my collection is getting a little silly!

2012 in review

The New Year has come around oh so fast and I actually can’t believe that one of the best years of my life is over. 2012, I’ve got to hand it to you - you were amazing. If someone were to have told me this time last year what was in store for me, I don’t think I would have quite believed them. It was one of the most formative years of my life to date, and I know all that crazy change I have experienced is going to continue long into 2013. For a while now I have lived by the motto “change and creation”, and the past 12 months have so perfectly summed that up. So before I jump headfirst into the next chapter, here’s a little reflection on the year that was - what I got up to, the highlights and the pinch-me moments:

• Beginning my first job in journalism after a stint of work experience in January. The West Australian has been the greatest learning experience imaginable and I find myself thinking daily, “I love my work!” It’s going to be so sad to leave in a few weeks when we move to Sydney.
• Holding the second White Elephant vintage clothing sale with my pal Robyn before she flew the coop for the fab city of Melbourne.
• Watching three of my favourite musical acts live: Death Cab for Cutie, Bon Iver and Sigur Ros.
• Travelling to Sydney for a few days to take part in a fun blogger project.
• Speaking of Sydney, planning and preparing for said move. I have been dreaming of this for years and the time has finally come.
• Attending the second annual Christmas in July do at our friend Alice’s house. That girl always puts on a fabulous soiree.
• Overhauling my health and fitness. This was one of the biggest accomplishments of my past few years and one I am keen to talk about in more detail in the near future.
• Marc and I entering our seventh year of dating and growing better together every day.
• And here’s the big one: getting married! What a journey that was, from the scheming, to the engagement photo shoot, to the big day itself. Photos aren’t too far away I promise!

Check back tomorrow for my 2013 plans.

My week (and a bit) in pictures

I know it’s been a while since I last did one of these, but it’s now going to become a weekly feature! Feel free to leave a link in the comments if you do a similar round up of your own. Here’s what I got up to over the last week (and a bit):

1. Christmas shopping with my new husband (it feels so weird to say that, I still keep referring to him as ‘my partner’ in conversation).
2. We went to an incredible party on a farm for our friend Alice’s birthday with her twin Lucy. The set up was beyond amazing!
3. The pontoon over the dam at the twins’ farm.
4. Marc bought me this Marc by Marc Jabobs bag for my 23rd birthday the other week and I have taken it out every day since.
5. High tea at the revolving restaurant for said birthday.
6. On the way back from the country we visited Gnomesville, a ‘town’ with thousands of gnomes everywhere. I only wish we had taken one of our own to leave there!
7. I may have gone a little overboard with buying gifts this year. Wrapping them all up is just too fun.
8. Regrettably selling my YSL arty ring to save for new endeavours. Email me if you want details.
9. $10 bargain gold sparkly sandals from Rubi. Perfect for the festive season I think.
10. We went to watch the Christmas pageant on the weekend but all I captured on camera was the waffles we devoured afterward - I got peanut butter and cookie. Yum.

DIY: vintage Christmas stockings

I was feeling a bit festive the other day and in need of a good DIY, so I thought it might be an idea to whip up some Christmas stockings for the Mr and I. We lost our old stockings years ago in between moving house and never replaced them, and I needed to put my piles of vintage fabric to good use too. Check below for a tutorial to make one of these babies for your own mantel, adapted from this one.
Here's what you'll need:

• Two types of fabric, one for the outside and one for the lining
• Ribbon or trim (I used pom pom trim)
• Paper
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Pins
• Paper
• Iron

Step 1: Cut your desired stocking shape out of paper, keeping in mind the final product will be about 1cm less on each side. Fold fabric in half and pin pattern. Cut out fabric so you are left with two identical pieces. Repeat with second fabric choice.

Step 2: Pair one piece from the outer and one piece from the inner together, right sides facing each other. Sew a 1cm seam along the top only. Open and press the seam. Repeat with the second two pieces.
Step 3: You should now have two separate pieces in a mirror-like effect with the sides pointing away from each other, with each side in a different fabric. Pair up the two pieces so the right sides are together. This can be seen in the below image with the seams paired in the middle. Sew a 1cm seam the whole way around the stocking, with a small gap in the lining to turn it all out. Snip little nicks in the seam fabric the whole way around to make turing out easier.

Step 4: Now turn the whole stocking the right side out. It will look quite weird at this point because it looks like two stockings in different patterns connected at a middle seam. Iron and make sure the seams are all nicely pressed out. And now what will make it look more like the final product: tuck the lining stocking inside the outside stocking so you are left with one. Press again.

Step 5: Turn over the very top of the stocking so the lining fabric is visible. Iron again to make sure it is all nice and flat. This is what you should be left with! For added pizazz, sew a trim around the edge of the lining and make a loop for hanging. Now hang over your mantel and wait for Santa to fill it with treats!

All I want for Christmas: 2012 edition

With all the chaos of planning the wedding I now feel like I am way behind on all things Christmas, and with two weeks to go I am frantically searching for the perfect gifts to thank those special people in my life. While I get on top of my last-minute shopping, here's what I am hoping Santa sends my way:

1. Gorman droplet tank dress - this would be perfect for the summer part of our honeymoon
2. Mimi loves Jimi leather sandals - I'm getting out of my comfort zone with bright pops of colour
3. Chanel red lipstick - can't beat a classic red lip for the festive season
4. Recreational initial necklace - I'd love one of these with the initial of my new surname
5. Modcloth cat-ula - how fun would this be to cook with?!
6. TwentySevenNames Dolores dress - because you can never have too many cat-themed items of clothing
7. Glasshouse Tahaa candle - burn this for an instant holiday in your own home
8. Status Anxiety Audrey wallet - it's time for a new wallet and this one is perfection

Glamping with Magshop

Immediately after getting married last week the talk turned to honeymoons and future adventures. Now, I wouldn't exactly say I am high maintenance but I do appreciate some degree of comfort, whereas Marc has been bugging me for the longest time to go camping. Staying in a tent in the bush just isn't my thing - think of all the insects, snakes, frogs and miscellaneous wildlife creeping around in the Australian country.

But my ears pricked up when I heard about Magshop's Christmas competition, which aims to revolutionise the concept of glamping. A mag subscription would make the perfect Christmas gift for that special person in your life, and now comes with the added bonus of going in the draw to win an Airstream travel trailer and a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo, with a total value of more than $185,000.

For those of you who don't know about the Airstream, it is a luxe travel trailer favoured by the likes of Matthew McConaughey, Brad Pitt and Geri Halliwell. Gone are the days of fiddling around with tents for hours and rain seeping through the cracks. Now people like me can travel the country while maintaining their dignity.

So the details. Simply purchase an eligible online subscription to one of Magshop's many great titles across a range of topics before December 25, and that's it!

Here's what you could be taking home:

1. Airstream 762 “International Series” travel trailer. It contains a bedroom, kitchen, shower, toilet, sofa and dining area and, sleeps up to five people.
2. Plus, one night’s stay at Bateman’s Bay NSW for collection of and training on the Airstream.
3. Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo – 3.0L diesel with automatic transmission. All on-road costs (registration, stamp duty, CTP insurance) are included.

Happy shopping, and good luck!

This article is sponsored by Magshop Christmas Promotion 

Happy December

Photos from our most recent Paris trip, this time last year

Ever get that feeling of sadness when you have been planning something for a long time and suddenly it's over? I've had it before after my two big Euro trips, but this post wedding blues takes the cake. But I am making it my business to focus on all the positive things around me, so I thought I would take a leaf out of Amanda's book with her 'Things to look forward to' posts and write one of my own to focus on all the fantastic things that are happening this month. There sure are plenty things to be happy about in December!

• Starting new traditions with my new husband
• Getting into Christmas mode by crafting gifts and baking gingerbread
• Continuing with my fitness and health regime (I'll write a post on this soon)
• Donning a bikini and heading to the beach
• Planning our honeymoon (more on this later too!)
• My 23rd birthday this week
• Watching the annual Christmas parade for the first time as an adult
• Starting to edit our wedding film and hopefully learning more about my camera in the process
• Making the most of the time with my friends by planning fun adventures

Tell me, have you felt down after a big life event? How did you bounce back?

I'm married!

After what felt like a lifetime of planning, Marc and I tied the knot on Friday November 30, 2012. It was one of the best days of my life and I just feel so happy to be starting this new chapter of my life. I don't expect that much to change as we have already achieved so much together, but it's nice to know I can officially call him my husband and he can call me his wife.

I will have a crazy number of posts coming from the wedding as soon as we get the photos back, but until then I have plenty more planned. The Velvet Bow was a little quiet in 2012 but I am amping up to make it better than ever for 2013.

Thanks for sticking with me, and for all the congratulations and kind words we have received during the wedding process.