Instagram Fest // The Week That Was

I realise I have been a little absent lately! Between sorting my internet, trying to get rid of the pile of cardboard boxes that are still littered around my new house and frequent trips to Dunedin in the weekend blogging has been at the bottom of the heap over the last couple of weeks! I have plans to get back onto to it ASAP though, so no worries!!


I went up to Dunedin in the weekend and reviewed the Imperial Russian Ballet Company's 'A Festival of Russian Ballet' which is touring New Zealand at the moment.You can read my review here if you like! also caught up with a couple of friends and had a quiet drink in town which was fun!

So you all know what else I've been up to lately, here are some lovely Instagram pics to fill in the gaps. I love how my phone is always there to capture little moments and entertain me when I'm bored!

 A pretty thrifted playsuit I bought off Trademe, making hot chocolate at home on my espresso machine, a pair of thrifted silver mary janes I plan to do a DIY on, the dress pattern and material I am using at dress making class (middle right!), my old ballet shoes I found when moving and wore while doing plies using my dresser as a barre, the view from my awesome seat before watching the Russian Ballet Company perform (read my review here!), a cheeky cherio lunch yesterday, an awesome vintage tutu I just bought (I've been looking for one for ages!!) can't wait to get it!!

If you have Instagram too look me up sometime - my username is sparkleylining. I'd love to see what you take photos of!!

The rest of this week will involve looking for storage solutions for my sewing/dressing room and cake studio, baking some tasty treats to take to Dunedin this weekend  when I go up to see Sleeping Beauty (yes, more ballet!) beginning to sew my dress at dressmaking class on Thursday and waiting by the phone in case my little nephew decides to make an appearance this week!!

What are your plans for the rest of the week and the weekend?

Life Lately // Plans for November

Advertising for the Cake Decorating Conference in Blenheim - iPhone/Instagram

 Hello everyone! It's been a while. It wasn't a deliberate break, but more of an unfortunate situation involving Telecom and their inability to sort out a faulty phone jack point for an entire week!! No internet for work or play!

Anyway, I'm back in action!! I just got back last night from the New Zealand Cake Decorators Guild (NZCDG) annual conference which was held up in Blenheim this year. It's held in the South Island one year and then the North Island the next year. It was a pretty cool experience - I was a Delegate for our local club (Dunedin Sugar Craft Guild) and attended the AGM meeting, I saw 3 demonstrations from Cake Decorators hailing from America, Australia and New Zealand and I picked up a bunch of cool cake decorating supplies. The next South Island one will be in Nelson in 2 years so I'm looking forward to it! I'll post some photos from the trip tomorrow!

This weekend coming I'm reviewing the Imperial Russian Ballet which is touring New Zealand at the moment. I'm so excited! The last time I saw the Russian Ballet was just after I graduated with my Architectural Draughting Diploma - I had started my first 'real' job and shouted my Grandma a trip to the ballet. The following weekend I'm reviewing Sleeping Beauty from the Royal New Zealand Ballet which I have been looking forward to since I heard about it almost 2 years ago! So I'll have a busy couple of weekends up in Dunedin over the next little while. 

To top it all off I'm about to be an Aunty soon! My sister is due on the 15th November so not long to go now!

What have you been up to lately? Do you have any exciting plans for November? Oh! For the guy in your life - get them involved in 'Movember' !! I used to work in an office where I was the only girl among 10 or so guys - they all grew beards until the 29th November, then shaved most of them off into funky beards or moustaches. There were prizes for the best design, least hair grown, etc. Great cause!! 

Cake Day Monday // Baby Shower Cupcakes

 

Red Blazer - Savemart Invercargill, Lace T-Shirt - Salvation Army Mosgiel,  

Black and White Skirt - Kmart, Black Tights - Won from NZgirl and Razzamatazz,  

Black Boots - The Warehouse, White Rose Earrings - The Warehouse

Hello Monday! I spent the weekend up in Dunedin, attending the monthly meeting my cake Decorating Club holds and helping out at my sisters baby shower!

I made these yummy cupcakes on Saturday and then iced them on Sunday morning. I used little blue fondant flowers as decorations as my sister is having a baby boy! It was a bit of a mission as there were about 30 people invited, so I made 32 cupcakes with only one 12 hole muffin tin...about 2 hours later I was finished!! It was worth it though, as most of them were gobbled up and the 20 or so business cards I left nearby had disappeared once it was clean up time. 

The shower was so fun, my sister got some amazing presents - people are so generous!! My little nephew is gonna be the best dressed baby in town! I made her a mobile with sea creatures, a palm tree and a surf board on it (she has a surf board and her favourite movie is Blue Crush) she loved it!

Hope you all had a great weekend! What did you get up to? 

Insta-Fest // August

A little slice of my life in August through my iPhone!! I love this app so much. It's so handy and it makes all my pictures look great! 

Wearing my yellow scarf for the Phoenix soccer game, The view in the yellow fever section at the soccer, sunset through the cabbage trees in Invercargill, A bright, pretty new skirt, a naughty puppy on the leather lounge suite, a gorgeous vintage lace and silk playsuit for $2.50, a cupcake ring I purchased off Etsy, an old school desk I wanted to buy at the Habitat Store in Invercargill, The Habitat Restore I found in Invercargill = love, my awesome vintage patterned glass coffee mug for my office, the most amazing vintage macaroon bag I found at Recycle Boutique for $8, Hershey sleeping on my feet in the sunshine.

Do you use Instagram too? Tell me your username in the comments so I can check out your pics and we can follow each other! My name is Sparkleylining.