A weekend away with the man

This past weekend was Easter and Tony and I went to Hamilton ... yep. Hamilton.  It was amazing weather and honestly every time we go down there I have an awesome time! I never thought that Hamilton would equal fun and relaxation but there ya go 

It's SUCH a pretty drive. I love driving through all the country side and it was so nice that this time it was pretty much green. Often at this time of year its all brown after a long hot summer. We had the most relaxing breakfast ever in the most relaxing cafe I've ever been in ( The Kaimai cheese company). Then it was time to hit up the Hamilton Gardens with Taiga!! My nephew is seriously the cutest thing in the world. He got a hold of my phone and when I put the front camera on he LOVED it and took about 50 photos of himself. LOL

On Easter Sunday we went to see Fast and Furious 7 at the XTREME screen at Te Awa. Firstly they are the flashest theaters I've ever been in, just luxury and cool personified and secondly, movie review to come. After that we went all hunter gatherer in the name of lunch which is a lot harder than it sounds when you take NZs archaic Easter trading laws into account. We happened upon Diggers bar and LOVED it. It was just had a cool vibe and we enjoyed our pizza and beer :)  Then we finished the day with a little more Taiga time.

On Easter Monday we went home via Bridal Veil falls and Raglan. I fell in love with Raglan. It's the perfect beach town. I would absolutely live there if I could support myself somehow *le sigh* hahahaha. It's actually a little bit too cool for me. Everywhere you looked there was just Surfer peoples being cool! I was in no way cool enough and I didn't even mind because it's so PERFECT!! ...yes I'm just a little bit enthusiastic about the town.

This weekend made me feel so crazy lucky. I feel so grateful to have been born in such a stupendously beautiful country and to have free access to it. I feel grateful to have such a lovey man who takes me away to places like this and holds my shoes and towel when I have a swim in the freezing ocean. I feel so grateful that Taiga is mine (well my nephew at least hahaha) and that he's so happy and healthy and smart. 

I wish everybody could be as lucky as I am. 

xo

I want to be a Ballerina when I grow up!

http://www.rnzb.org.nz/news/news/rnzb-begins-2015-with-flirtatious-favourite-don-quixote/

Last night I was lucky enough to attend the opening night of the Royal New Zealand Ballets season of Don Quixote. I wish I could have take pics in the show but of course that's not allowed. This one comes from their site and is a still from one of the first of two sequences that just honestly delighted me so much. I looked like such a dork sitting there in my seat unable to restrain my delighted face and silent claps :)

This was my first 'real' ballet and it was both breath-takingly amazing and magical ... and kinda long and boring. The two lovers above were so so so so so so so SO awesome. I didn't want to blink when they were dancing. I just don't know how they learn to do that with their bodies and they were so perfect to watch. They had a lovely chemistry together and ... just ... UGH SO GOOD!

I guess my short attention span was a bit to blame for being a little underwhelmed by the rest. It wasn't their fault at all.. not even a little bit. They really put on an amazing show but like I said, this was my first Ballet and to be honest I could have done with some singing or dialogue or something. Yes, I'm pathetic. I know this. 

I won my tickets from Auckland Live and I'm so grateful for the experience. I have wanted to be someone who goes to Ballets for a long time and now I am. Of course I now want to be a Ballerina when I grow up! They're so strong and graceful and powerful and beautiful :)

And now, on my weekly trek to the Library tomorrow I'm looking for this bad boy...

xo