Explore // Japan: Sky Tree + DisneySea

I wish I could post everyday but truth is I'm having too much to even think about blogging about my trip, but I'm trying to post my highlights through photos. (Ps I am blogging from my phone so I have no idea what these posts look like on the computer - apologies! 

Finally made it up the SkyTree in Tokyo. We went there at night and the view was amazing! I could really define where the other Ferris wheels and the rainbow bridge was. On the way down we found Cold Stone Ice Cream parlour! It's a glorified ice cream shop with an option where you can have waffle bowl. Since it was our first time there, the girls there were kind enough to sing to us, I have the video up on my Instagram @divinelimits. 

A few friends had told us how much they loved DisneySea and wanted to spend more time there. From that advice, we decided that we were going to only go to DisneySea. Which probably was the best idea. DisneySea is perfect for those who want more exciting rides. 

We left 'home' about 8am... Which meant an interesting experience with rush hour train traffic. Had a bit of a laugh watching 3 train guards pulling the doors open to while another 2 pushing people into a carriage... I had heard about rush hour, but seeing it was another experience. It's exactly what you think! Think trying to squeeze your luggage into a small suitcase... Busting at the seams. 

Everything about the Disney experience was amazing. To the Micky mouse shaped windows in the tram, to the each area themed immaculatly from the rides, gift shop, lavatories and food.... 

My favourite ride was the Indiana Jones Ride ((see above ride photo) which we waited patiently for 90mins I might add), and the Journey to the Centre of the Earth ride (with a fast pass). No regrets on my Disney souvenirs, my mini mouse ears and Mr Potato Head popcorn bucket. 

While I'm on popcorn, each area has its own flavour popcorn - our favourite was the White Chocolate and Strawberry flavours (don't knock it till you try it!)

Lunch was in the Aztec area which meant taco set for ¥1200 - 2 wraps, a drink and sponge log (which is LEGIT!) I have to note that the Japanese have a thing with filling up cups half with ice. So if you prefer drinks with a little bit of ice - ask. 

This was my favourite day so far, 9am - 8.30pm. A long day, but ended on a high with a premier fireworks show. 

Explore // Japan: Harajuku

Day 2 in Japan, we trained out to Harajuku for a spot of shopping. 

Sooooo many cool little places down alleys. Seemed very high street / Ponsonby-esqur down certain side streets, but basically - it's craaaaaazy cool. The styles are what you would expect - some are crazy colourful, while others are immaculatly dressed in knits and layered textures. Here there are subcultures within subcultures (if that makes sence). 

I really admire that they wear what they want to wear and you don't get strange looks or laughs like what you get in NZ. And they rock it!

It's Halloween here so a lot of the retail workers were dressed to theme. And they're all so friendly. 

There's a store called ABC Mart... I would describe it like footlocker, at No1 shoe warehouse prices! Purchased my first pair of nikes and a pair for my brother. 

Unfortunately, they often don't have women's sizes after 6, so it can be a mission to find myself a pair. However, most sneakers can be unisex, so shopping via men's sizes ain't much of a hassle. 

There was a man with a pram full of (dead-but-drugged-up-cats) which was a concern. Took Chelsea prodding them to get them to even stir. But how gorgeous is this cat though? Plus saw pizza and carbonara flavour sorbet. Pass haha. 

 

Explore // Japan: Blue skies

Landed in GC after a 3 flight from Auckland. Overall wasn't too bad. (Note that I flew with JetStar and I made it here on time!) Got an aisle set so I could stretch out a bit more compared to the poor guy in the middle. 

Once your in the air, I love the moment you breach the clouds and it's piercing blue skies, no matter the weather. Just gives you those good vibes of summer. 

My best friend at the moment is my gold polka dotted travel pillow that I purchased from Typo. I totally recommend getting one of your travelling this season... But here's a tip. Instead of wearing it around the back of your neck, place the pillow around the front and it keeps your head from dropping down and keeps you wedged between the seat. (Top tip from Drew Maama). 

I'm currently waiting in the furtherest corner of the GC airport trying to get wifi and charge my battery. 

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The flight to Japan... 9hours. I would never wish that upon anyone. Plan of action was to sleep majority of the flight, but only mangaged to get in 4 winks... Contemplating sleeping pills for the return. The sunset was beautiful though. Blues, purples and oranges. 

Flying over Japan was surreal. All your could see was city lights for miles. 

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Currently day 2, I'll try remember to post about the train system. Efficient but crazy hard to first get your head around. 

Reflection // Thank You

For a wee bit, I was following this lovely lady on Tumblr who was a Graphic Designer, living in Auckland - low and behold did I know that she was going to be the door way into my first (industry) job!

I was only in my second year of uni when I started contracting for Opus.
I instantly thanked God for landing me a part time job in design. We had been told time and time again how hard it was to get into the industry as a grad - so this was God-sent.

I can't honestly thank Michelle, Danelle and Aishia for putting up with my stupid-as-questions and dealing with all my mistakes. For helping me deal with difficult clients and guiding me in the right things to say. Going to all the best places to eat and chatting about anything and everything on our way home.

Honesty didn't think that I was going to stay at Opus for this long, but it was the people that made me stay in the end. And I couldn't have wished for a better team to grow with!

Hopefully will be seeing you somewhere along the line!

Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart xx
Dawn

Explore // Detour!

You know that feeling in your gut when you know something is going to happen?
Well I had that feeling this morning as we were traveling to the airport.

Turns out that you need your passport valid for at least 6 months prior to leaving. And if you hadn't guessed already… I had less than 6 months.

So here I am. Wallowing in pity that I wasn't able to make the flight that everyone else was on.
I feel so stupid that I let something like this slip from my mind - I remember checking my passport's expiry date several times, but never did it occur to me that there was a minimum amount of time.

The good news is that I am in the process of getting an emergency passport and re-booked to fly this Thursday and from there will meet up with the team on the other side.

Before my flattie left, she said to me "There will be a good reason why you missed this flight", and I like to believe so. Today has been a major test for me, in patience and faith. Fingers crossed that Thursday will be more positive.

Faith

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” 

Romans 1:17

It's too easy to just live day-to-day on our emotions and dealing with what gets thrown at us daily on our own... But to trust God, no matter what, that it will all workout in the end -- that's what I still find a challenge.

Explore // Konnichiwa

Never would of thought when I woke up last week, that I would be travelling with a bunch of my closest and dearest friends to Japan!

My initial thoughts once we booked our tickets was ' what the heck are we going to do now?!' There's 10 of us going, some for a week, the rest for two weeks - and we have no idea what we're going to do! Having to plan around 10 people can be quite a mission. The plus side is that though, we tend to get large group discounts. Can I get a holla!

What I do know, however, is that I want to go to Disneyland / Disneysea, Tokyo tower, visit an owl cafe, Shibuya crossing, Kyoto to see temples and geishas, watch a Sumo match, Harry Potter world (Universal Studios) and do a whole lot of shopping! But of course, you can fit a lot of stuff in just 2 weeks!

If you have any recommendations of what we can do and visit, leave a comment or tweet me @divinelimits! I really would love to hear them!

#wonderlust

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling twenty-twoooOOOo..

Tomorrow is my 22nd birthday. It's been an interesting year - but there has a lot of growth and maturing - which is what all adults do eventually right? *UGH that word - adult*. I love that story of when you're with a child and they need an adult - and you realise that you're the adult!


Highlights of the past 365 days

• Purchasing my first car
• Hiking 6 hours on Christmas Eve
• Renovating Drew's bedroom
• Riding a Horse
• Seeing Wills and Kate
• Cooking Gnocchi (and pretty perfectly if I do say so myself)

What I'm looking forward to doing within the next 365 days of 22-ness! So in no particular order:

• Flatting!
• Travel to Greece or Canada or Tokoyo!
• Being more independent
• Learn how to bake something, gracefully and skilfully
• Participating in the Colour Run
• Having a marriage, not just getting married
• Going to Disneyland
• Be a more confident designer
• Going to the South Island of New Zealand.

What else should I have on my list? Do you have any suggestions?

Matthew 6:1

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven."

Matthew 6:1

The things I do, I don't do for you; or you; or you. You may not understand the choices that I make or the actions that I take - that's because they weren't assigned to you: but for me and my purpose on this Earth. That is not an excuse either for my actions, for at the end of the day we aren't judged by man, but by God. 

-

Everyone fits in somewhere - here or there, but once we find our little cosy corner, it's natural to want to give and serve and sow into the church. And that's where I find myself now. 

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Something big is happening at the end of this month...

It was decided about a month ago, that my Mum and Brother are moving to Australia!!!!

It's a scary thought for me, knowing that I won't have my Mum around to help me and tell me what to do, but the sliver lining is that I have more independence. Even though I'm 21, Mum has always kept a close eye on me - still doing those 'Where are you going?', 'Who are you going with ?', 'What time are you going to be home?', keeping me accountable I guess - plus still living at home, she still dictated a lot of my life. Not in a controlling way, just in the 'I'm the Mum, I'm the boss' way.

Mum asked me if I wanted to travel across the ditch with them, but honestly, I don't find that there is anything over there for me. Sure, the cost of living isn't high as NZ, but I would be leaving my friends, family, church and Drew. Sure you can meet new people and make new friends - but I've known a lot of these people for 5+ years - and they are the glue to who I am. Leaving them is not something I'm willing to do easily!

So what that means for me here, I've had to find a new home and a permanent job (currently I'm contracted). I'm fine on the home front - even though for timing I have to move twice - but I can't wait! The plan is to move to where I am currently for about a month or so, until I move with some good friends from church. What I'm looking forward to the most, is having more creativity with my space and letting my style free of the confines of my bedroom. Me and Mum's styling is quite polar opposites! She's the more simple, clean, refined - where I like… mixing modern and vintage, showcasing what I have in an organized clutter? Is that even a way to describe something? Ain't that an oxymoron!

If you have any style advice for my new room, or any words of encourage for when my family's left me behind…  leave me a comment below, I'd  greatly appreciate it!

MIA

Apologies for being out of action the past few months!

I've realized that i'm not the kind of blogger that has to have something out every week. I much prefer to share something that has some significance to me.

It's a long weekend due to Easter weekend and ANZAC coinciding, so I'm currently back in the Far North, spending time with these hairy monkeys! So far, kissed about every Nanny and semi-immediate family member within a 20k radius. I'm not up here very often, so a lot of the time I recognize faces rather than names. But I promise I'm trying!

At the Marae, I got the chance to try Poroporo (I tried to find a google definition but to no luck) which according to my Dad and Aunty is a Fish organ that works similar to a Kidney / Liver. It takes like Chicken, but it's quite tough and grainy like giblets. Was… ok - but not something I'm going to do again in a hurry.

Always learning a lot of my family tree  - like, my great great.. great grandfather's daughter had children to a Pakeha (NZ European), so her mother ran her partner away in attempt to keep the bloodline pure (maori).. long story short - that's where the European (Everitt) side comes from.

Not too much planned for the rest of the week, but I am definitely enjoying time away from the big smoke.

To everyone, have a safe and happy Easter x

Moonshine Jungle

Moonshine: Moonshine is illegally distilled homemade whisky, usually with a very high alcohol content. It got its name because it was normally distilled at night "by the light of the moon." Most moonshine is distilled in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia.

I apologise for the crappy iPhone photos

A few friends (+ Mumsy and the MIL) went along to Bruno Mars' final show in the #MoonshineJungleTour on Sunday.

And it was impressive. I would definitely call it the BEST choreographed event I've been to yet. He's not just a great performer, but everything was well co-ordinated to the lighting, the pyro, even his band wasn't just people that played in the background. They danced together, sung, joked and played together through out the night - shout out the the trumpet player with the hole in his pants! shame guuurl hahaha.
He opened with Moonshine, followed with his recent hits Natalie and Treasure. And it only got better. He has so many hits that I really wasn't to sure what to expect. I think the only song that wasn't a single that I wanted to hear was Somewhere in Brooklyn, but it's not all about me; sadly. With some of his songs that weren't so 'mainstream' he did snippits of remixes with some of the 'old school' tunes Ignition and Pony which was awesome. He really did cater to the wide age range of the audience. It's funny going to a concert and seeing older people really getting into it and chatting with people around them - just goes to show how broad Bruno Mars' music really is! I hope I'm still into 'current' music when I get older! 
There were a lot of interaction with the crowd that got all the girls swooning and the guys chanting "Bruno! Bruno! Bruno" between every-darn-song. I loved the part where he singled out a girl in the crowd and they serenaded her with the cheesiest pick-up lines and the bands staunch boy-band pose. Can't forget to mention the "DAYUM" .

Bruno Mars is a showman. We know that. Superbowl, anyone? But what really kept my attention was the entire production. I'm a total geek when it comes to stage productions or anything live really. With my background in TV and Video production, I find it hard to sit and enjoy a show because I'm always thinking of how they're doing camera work and things like that.
They really left no stone unturned. The lights was a little hard on the eyes for Miguel's opening set (strobe lights are never fun for long periods of time). When the main act arrived they had this MASSIVE LED screen covering the back wall which worked perfectly in balance with the deep stage. There was a giant disco ball that appeared from the roof and something similar to Venetian blinds that were pulled down in effect with the music. There were pyrotechnics, smoke, mechanical stage lift and gold confetti canons; pre encore. I'll be honest. There's nothing more exhilarating than having gold confetti rain down upon you. I get it now! I make it rain. 

Bruno Mars. 5/5 - I'll go again in a heart beat.

2 years, baby!

Drew and I celebrated 2 years of togetherness yesterday with a nice quiet dinner at Jack Tar.
I've been to Jack Tar for a few events, but this was Drew's first time. He ordered the Pork Belly; which can with some greens and kumera mash, while I got Steak'n Chips. Both were sooooo gooood! Pork Belly had a bit too much fat, but the meat was delicious! Same with the Steak. Nomnomnom. Admittedly, I did order from the kids menu, but it was just the right amount. Bonus points that it cost a measly $10, holla!
Had dinner at 6, so it was quite picturesque with the sun-setting next to the ocean... How romantic *swoon* haha.
I've always enjoyed Silo Park - something is always changing and happening down on the wharf. Found that in one of the silo's had been painted with funky illustrations. If anyone knows who the artist is, let me know!

365MOD // 5ever a work in progess

1 // Bi-monthly update

I know we say this every time, but seriously, where is this year going? It seems like the older we get - time seems to be sucked in to a vacuum of some deep abyss. Which even something as mystical as a black-hole, it still isn't even an excuse for slacking off lately.

CHALLENGES: 

I joined #356MilesOverDays a little after the start of the year, so I had a fair but if catching up to do with in terms of miles and the first challenge of 1000 squats. At first I did find the squats a tadd challenging - but I have naturally strong legs, so got into the groove of pumping those out with my usual exercise routine. February's challenge required skipping for 5 mins... which didn't go down very well *cough*... but moving on!

MILES: 

Now the miles... that's a completely different story. There is not one bone in my body that has the urge to run, walk / do cardio what-so-ever, so a wee bit of encouragement was required in the first month.
I find that I can't do the same thing, day in-day out, something about running is just boring. Call it self-sabotage, but I loose concentration so easily! For now I'm mixing between the basin, tread milling, block runs and some 'off roading' up local parks and mounts.
Hopefully by the end of the year, running will be a breeze. Here's to me thinking that I will be 'that person that hated running' and tried really, really hard and then just owns it in a few months.
I'm not quite up to par with a mile a day, but am chugging along not too far behind. Hopefully with daylight savings can get some extra sunlight (and motivation)  in the mornings to get out in the cold!

Fingers crossed x D

Home is where the heart is: II

The last couple of weeks have been super busy for me. Mainly because I don't seem to have any free time to myself, since we are in URGENT mode to get Drew's room finished!
So far we have successfully sanded, filled, and applied under coat to the room - and gosh it looks good if I do say so myself.

The photo below is taken last week just as we were finishing the prep work before paint and the bottom one was taken last night! The original colour of the walls were white, but after years of abuse, they're looking great with a new lick of paint! You can probably see that we haven't touched the wardrobe yet as it's not urgent, but the plan is to paint it with a darker colour, leaving the door off and adding some shelves in there (so i'm pretty happy with that!). We plan to add colour to the walls tonight, matching the living area with white trims and brown walls. (you know that kids brown that most 'modern' houses have these days).

 

Fingers crossed that it can be completed by this weekend!

Home is where the heart is

Lately I've been dreaming about what I would do if I got the chance to renovate my own space. So naturally, when the chance to renovate Drew's new room came up - I jumped at the chance!
In my head I know what I want the space to look like, but it's a bit harder for the Mr to wrap his head around my big ideas.
As of last, we've given the room a good scrub down with sugar soap (which is a miracle in a bottle if you ask me), removed doors, hinges, lights; basically anything that doesn't need a coat of paint and started sanding down in prep for plastering. We probably lasted a good few hours until it dawned on us that we can pay a friend to do this for us.. professionally!

The room it's self has gone through a lot of wear and tear - with at one stage 2 teenage boys sharing the space. So we have our work cut out for us! We're looking at getting some new carpet and maybe some mounted shelves for storage. I think it would be cool to take off the wardrobe door and turn that into a desk / workspace / TV / storage thingy. My best friend at the moment is Pinterest and Apartment Therapy for all inspiration. Surprisingly, there aren't too many posts around on really nice manly-rooms that aren't 'man-caves'. So just looking at elements within rooms, rather than to try and copy paste entire projects...

I can't talk for both of us (aka, if I had it my way), but I quite like the cubby-hole shelving in this kitchen space, and the rustic head board and antlers; and the photo montage above the bed. I think we'll have to make a mood board so we know what he wants.

Still a work in progress - I hope that he will let me add a little bit of me to the room... But a girl can dream right?


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Recent Work // Teneya Te Whata Photography

I've been working on wonderful project for Teneya Te Whata Photography. Teneya is a portrait photographer based in Auckland. She photographs in newborn, family, children, maternity and events such as Weddings. Teneya came to me wanting something simple while at the same time, reflecting her personal style, so we chose to do hand lettering, something that is unique and detailed to her.

Make sure you you check more of her stunning work on Facebook. Plus, let her know that I sent you :)