Just some things I'm really proud of...

This week I have been thinking about the things I'm proud of and I came to the conclusion that I don't just have one thing, so here's my round up of things I'm proud of...

In no particular order -

1. Proposing to Daniel my darling fiance and husband to be. And reaching our 5 year anniversary is another thing I'm proud of too! It's the longest relationship either of us have had and we have both grown a lot in the past 5 years. I'm really proud of what Dan has achieved with work, travel (for work and with me) and just being together.

The ring is engraved and says "Will you marry me?"

He said Yes!

Here we are with our flatmate Loren - photographed by Gareth from Duo Photography -

2. Making a future for myself and sticking with study, even through the tough times, illness and failures. Everything has helped build me up to be the woman I am today. 

In under six months I'll be all done with study and exams... And in less than a year I'll be walking across the stage at Graduation!

3. My nails - just having long nails and going to see my nail lady Serenity every month - has filled me with pride. I used to be a chronic nail biter from anxiety.  

 

4. Furthering my skills through online courses and courses from the university - just creating a better future for myself. To be doing what I love and learning lots every chance I get is amazing.
Recently I completed a few courses over the break from uni with Shaw Academy for Blogging and Content Marketing; learning how to be a Celebrity Fashion Stylist and Event Planning courses through Skill Success.
These cheaply found courses online have helped me to develop skills I didn't know I had to make me a more employable person. I've decided that Fashion Styling isn't for me, but the skills I've gained in learning how to tape shoes and such skills I've learned from these courses may be beneficial in future.

5. Working through my Anxiety and Depression and finding an awesome counsellor and doctor who helped me work through and learn techniques to help me control my panic attacks and keep calmer in exams. I must be doing a great job of it because I sat two exams recently without fear and without having any panicky feelings. So I'm really proud of myself for pushing through the tough times and persevering! I'm also really thankful and grateful for Daniel sticking by me throughout all these times, the good and the bad.

6. Having friends, family and flatmates who are there for me when I need them, and when they need me. They know who they are.

Until next week,
xo, Lisa.

Learning and Educational opportunities.

This year is my final year at university and as I get ever closer to graduation and my final two papers being done. I realise that Education, and learning for that matter, is an every day occurrence both in and out of the classroom.

For me learning is about gaining knowledge and is a skill that many possess but not many actually take advantage of. For me I am always on the lookout for skills and try and learn new skills through courses and online classes. I enjoy being in the classroom but I also enjoy working through things at my own pace.

I have been taking some online classes recently in Event Planning, learning skills to be a Fashion Stylist, and furthering my skills as a Blogger, Photographer and individual.
I hope to be able to apply the skills learned to my life now and in the future as an educator and teacher for ESOL students. I find vouchers online from sites such as GrabOne for educational opportunities which I take on. I've also done a 140 hour ESL teaching certificate through them too.

One of the difficulties I face is in organisation of actually getting work done when I work from home. Because I often find other jobs to complete before I allow myself to really get into study and get the course work done. When I'm on campus and working in a lecture theatre I'm more organised because I can attend at the lecture and tutorial times which are pre-set by the university. When I'm working from home I have to really work to schedule these work and study times or I can easily stay distracted all day or just not work on the things I'm meant to be doing.

Today for example instead of studying for my online courses I vacuumed the house and made dinner and extra food. I tidied up. I did a bunch of cleaning that needed to be done.

And I didn't get my work done for study.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that some days just getting out of bed and breathing is a big achievement for the day.

I hope to report back with the good news of completing assignments for my courses and that I've been awarded the certificates soon...

Until next week,
xo, Lisa.

Special Post PSA: Foot and Toe Pain OH NO Morton's Neuroma

I have a Morton's Neuroma and that's a swollen nerve. Yes it is painful. No I won't need an operation yet. No I don't want the injection therapy for it.

Since April 28th* I've been battling sore feet.
More specifically it feels like there's a marble or stone in my shoe.
Wearing sneakers hasn't helped.
Nor has buddy taping the offending toes.
Having a pad attached to the sole of my foot hasn't helped either.
And sleeping with it raised on a pillow is often uncomfortable until I can find a good place to lie down and relax properly.

So I saw my GP who sent me for an Ultrasound, after that it came back as a Probable Morton's Neuroma, so she suggested I go to a local Podiatrist for further treatment.

We started off with taping padding under the foot across the Metatarsal pad area to try and unload the area where the Neuroma is. This is meant to remove some of the pressure build up so it will reduce the pressure on the nerve. I kept this on for a week, and when I went back to my Podiatrist I had said it didn't really help, the pain was still there and it was frustrating because I couldn't get it wet. This week I also learned how hard it is to keep a limb (or in this case, foot) completely water-resistant in order to keep the padding on. Let's just say that taping three layers of shopping bags over the foot, is 1. Slippery and 2. very, very uncomfortable.  I ensured safety by showering when someone was home in case I did fall. And with the door closed but not locked in case of needing assistance.

Week 2 appointment changed to make a padded the area of the Metatarsal pad with the Neuroma area having a "cut out" in that zone. And the insertion of padding in my shoe in the form of a foam orthotic. This was a bit better, but still painful to walk. When I had just the padding on my foot (eg in socks) I could walk without pain, like I could tell I had a neuroma but it wasn't aching. When I went out wearing the orthotic with the underfoot padding my foot became achy.

Week 3 appointment - this week we removed the padding off the foot, and moved to a foam insert in the shoes. I had two sets made one for the sneakers and one for my ugg boots.

Now it's been a couple of weeks with these and my foot is feeling good. I still have sore feet when walking barefoot (so I try and only do that when I'm going from the shower - to bedroom to get dressed).

Gap toes, with the V sign on the right foot - characteristic of Morton's Neuroma. 

Below are some photos of the various padding stages - 

Initial Buddy taped toes with a strapping across the metatarsal pad which helped with pain.

Buddy taped toes with soft soled slippers.

Waterproofing foot for shower. Two notes: this is slippery and dangerous. 

IF ever need to do again get a "cast cover" from pharmacy near hospital.

Week 1 taping with padding across the whole metatarsal area.

Week 1 padding after a lot of wear.

Week 2 padding across whole metatarsal with the 'neuroma area' cut out of the padding.

Week 3: last Podiatrist appointment waiting for the in-shoe orthotic things to be made. 

I don't have a photo of the inserts for my shoes, they're made of foam and fit into my sneakers and ugg boots. 

*The pain has probably been there a lot longer, but that's the date I really noticed the pain in my foot and then went to my General Practitioner for it. She diagnosed a possible Morton's Neuroma and advised to Buddy Tape the offending toes. She also ordered an Ultrasound which came back with 'probable Morton's Neuroma'.

10 things I think about Winter

This week it has been feeling colder as Winter brings in more cool weather and snow hits the mountains... I was thinking about how Winter is a pretty special time of year - for us in New Zealand it's winter in the middle of the year June to August ... and starts warming up again for Spring in September (just in time for my birthday!).

Here's a round up of my 10 favourite and least favourite things about winter:

1. The Wind - the chill of it gets into your bones.
But it also means you have an excuse to be indoors eating soup, enjoying cup after cup of hot chocolate and staying in bed all weekend!

2. Hot Water Bottles - heaven.
Whoever created them is a genius.

3. Ugg Boots - Fur and Slippers.
Warmth is key.  I don't care if you think Ugg's are fashionable or just uggly (Sorry I had to!).

4. Snuggling under blankets on the couch, or bed...
Any excuse to keep warm and watch Netflix, am I right?

5. Soup, hot foods, roasted meals, and ordering take out - pizza delivery is the best!
Or cooking a pot of Slow Cooked soup in the slow cooker is also a great all day heater.

6. Layers - you can wear three shirts and look warm and be warm.

7. Snow and Ice - these are both good and bad, depending on if you're on foot, or driving through it. Snow can also create fun for kids and adults alike with building snowmen and having snowball fights. I strongly recommend checking the weather updates prior to driving in wintertime, as icy conditions can cause vehicles to easily skid off the road. I've driven in Sleet before - that's the weird weather formation that is between hail/rain and actual snow falling. Sleet is dangerous on the roads too - as black ice can easily form. 

8. Scarves - I'm a fan of wearing scarfs nearly year round although I don't wear them in the hottest part of summer. They do make good wraps in summertime in the warm evenings.

9. In New Zealand winter time also means more storms which means plenty of wet weather. Personally I'm not a huge fan of being soaked all day long, so where possible seeking out shelter, taking public transport is a good option. I also Uber to university if I can't go by bus. Anything to keep warm and dry.

10. Hot Cider, warm toddies and alcoholic hot chocolates... Drink in moderation. And not at all if you're driving.

Until next week,
xo, Lisa.

A check in and some new things in the works!

Back on January 4th 2016 I wrote this post and highlighted these goals - 

1. To finish my final 5 papers for my final year of study at VUW. I'm enrolled in a paper for summer which starts tomorrow - I'm excited and nervous to get these final 5 papers done. - I don't know what 2017 will bring - uni will be done and I'll be working!?

2. To lose weight, and this isn't a generic "I'll lose weight because it's New Years" thing, I'm serious.

3. To actually push myself creatively - writing blog posts, photographing for my Instagram, making YouTube videos? Actually doing things regularly to get my creative juices flowing.

And the usual New Years Goals:

• have fun, 
• keep growing my nails out, (2015 and prior every year it was hard to stop biting nails, counseling helped on this one!)
• exploring more of the city,
• learning new skills,
• and learning new things.

Well, now for an update - 

1. I've just done both the exams for my first two papers and I'm waiting patiently on the results from those and my course overall.
Oh! And I talked to my course advisor who has said I only need to do 4 papers this year, so the compulsory English 201 paper, then one from English 300-399, one from English 300-329 and another Religion paper... and then I can have a double major for my BA in English Literature and Religious Studies!
And in my exams, yes there were two! I didn't have any anxiety problems, no panic attacks or fear during the exam. I kept calm and got it done. (Go me!)

2. I haven't been doing much actively towards this goal, because of having a possible Morton's Neuroma in my toes diagnosed. I'll write a longer blog post about that later.

3. I've currently got 3 weeks off between exams ending and term 2 starting, so I've signed up to THREE online courses and I hope to upskill myself by doing those. They are in -
- Fashion stylist
-Blogging
-Event Planner

My nails still look awesome, although no photo as the polish needs replacing, my appointment is in a week, so I'll do a post about them later too.

I haven't been exploring more of the city recently at all. I really should do it more.

As for learning - see above with the online courses.

I feel like this post is more of an update kind of one, but that's okay. Sometimes we just need to check in and see how things are going.

Until next week,
XO, Lisa.

Hello blog no I haven't forgotten about you

Two weeks ago was my last blog post ... Oops!

and to be honest I've been very, very busy the past couple of weeks! 

• I went home for the weekend and celebrated with Daniel and his family for his Nanna's 80th birthday. 
• Had a family dinner with our parents, siblings and grandparents all meeting up before the Engagement Party in July. 
• Saw great Aunty Pat; and Great Uncle Buster with my Dad and Chris. 
• Visited with my Nana a whole bunch at the Rest Home where she lives. 
• I also booked in to see a Podiatrist for Friday this week - about my toe/foot pain, from the Morton's Neuroma. I'll be keeping updates regularly about that. 
• I've been really busy with the final week of university for the trimester. I've got to write one more essay which is due today, and hand in the one I just finished today... 

Before preparing for exams for the next week before they start in two weeks time! 

A bookcase at my Great Uncle Buster's house.

My little brother Chris took me for a walk in Pukekura Park while Dad, Nana, great aunt Pat and great uncle Buster had tea. 

Chris in the Fernery tunnel, he's so tall he has to duck his head...

Pretty flowers all over the place - Cyclamens.

Pukekura Park main lake...

More flowers from the Greenhouses and Fernery at Pukekura Park.

Donuts from the airport when I got back to Wellington.

Hopefully when things are even more settled down I'll be able to actually blog more. I feel like something had to be neglected... 

Until next Monday!

xo. 

Lisa.

Update for the year and the future is coming

It is insane how fast this year has flown by, it's already the middle of May and that means that I have only mere months before I'm all done with study.

Come mid November after my final two exams are done, I'm a free woman - from university life at least - entering the big wide world of full time employment. I have a few ideas up my sleeve from working for myself as an ESOL Teacher, to finding full time work in a local tutoring service or school... or heading out overseas into the ESOL role I was offered in South Korea. There's plenty of options and I'm sure more will come knocking this year.

In the meantime I have to keep studying and reading - two more novels this week, and two essays by the end of the month... before two exams in June. I really hope I have managed to learn some relaxation techniques for my exam anxiety. I just want to pass the two classes and be done with school.

Then the excitement and madness of the Engagement Party in July with our families back in New Plymouth...            Before it all starts again for the second term of uni study!

(A dated selfie at Te Papa).

Daniel just celebrated making 5 years at his job at CricHQ which is quite impressive. He started at CricHQ when we hadn't started dating yet. I've certainly never worked that amount of time in one job!

I am also considering blogging more often in 2017, like a few times each week instead of just one post per week, but Daniel suggested I find a bit more of a niche market to write to, write about and share things from. Truth be told I don't really know what my overall theme or topic is, because I just write about my life - maybe I'm a lifestyle blogger? I do like a variety of themes though - I decided against cooking as an overall topic just because I find it hard to write a lot about cooking and baking... so while I enjoy doing it I won't be writing about it... I also like interior design type things but I also like to read about what others are doing in that realm!
It's hard to nail down to one or two topics.

If anyone has help or advice about how to nail down a blog topic - I'd love to hear it.
You can contact me on facebook - here, or on twitter here or leave me a comment below!

Until next Monday,
xo Lisa.

26 places to see, do stuff and go to in Wellington, New Zealand

This week I decided to do a re-run of the Top 26 things about Taranaki post, but with a twist - everything is about Wellington and the city is the main feature.

Here goes my A to Z of Wellington, New Zealand!

Arts and Culture Capital - there's so many spaces to see and do things, from local art galleries to theatres for shows...

BATS Theatre - so many shows, so little time. I've counted up all that I've seen as an Usher and I'm up to show 146 in a week or so. Not far to 200 shows! #Counting

"Coolest little capital in the world" - The 2011 one liner in Lonely Planet about Wellington.

Dirty Little Secret - rooftop bar.

Exhibitions - at various art galleries and museums.

Fever Hospital, Mount Victoria - now the SPCA location.

Garage Project - beers and brews.

Hutt Valley - Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt at the base of the Rimutaka Hills.

Improvised theatre - Wellington Improv Troupe.

Jackson - Sir Peter Jackson turned JRR Tolkien's books the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, into award winning cinematography.

Katherine Mansfield House and Garden (formerly Birthplace) - I'm yet to go and check this out. It's up in Thorndon.

Love - what I found when I met Daniel my now fiancé!

Mount Victoria - the Lookout is a must, also the Southern Walkway.

Newtown - the community centre has a good feel for what's happening in this bustling suburb.

Oriental Bay - from the beach to the views over the harbour and the ice cream shops along the way, O'Bay has it all!

Porirua - from the Shopping Mall to a list of places to visit... I need to spend more time in Porirua ~ It's a bit of a hike from where we live, but well worth the cheaper prices! (About 21 minutes on the train, plus time spent getting to and from the station...)

Queensgate shopping mall - the main shopping mall of Wellington, located in Lower Hutt.

Royal New Zealand Ballet - Ballet troupe of New Zealand based in the St. James Theatre on Courtenay Place. Flatmate Loren and I are going to a show very soon!

Somes Island - the island in Wellington Harbour, where at one stage Enemy Alien Internees were kept during WWII. Today the buildings are still on the island and can be visited. The island is a special place with shared history of many people. It is a great photography spot.

Te Papa -  the National museum. Lots of it is free and there's a wing that has a charge to see the exhibits. Well worth paying the small fee for many of them. We've seen a number of them. Keep an eye out for Locals deals too.

Uber X - a popular ride-sharing company that usually riles up taxi companies. I really like using it. It's in New Zealand in selected cities, so keep an eye on the app. (Use my code for a free $10 credit: lisat2293ue )

Victoria University - where I am in my final year of study for my BA in English Literature with a minor in Religious Studies.

Windy Wellington - the weather in Wellington is somewhat all over the place with a Marine climate; Windy Wellington is the nickname given to the city especially when it's blowing a gale.

X-plore Wellington - a favourite pastime is to go somewhere and just explore the surroundings. It's a great way to learn the city when you move somewhere new. A few weekends back Dan and I went out to Island Bay, he had never been before. I'd been once, years ago. We went to the Aquarium there - the Island Bay Marine Education Centre - well worth the $5 (adults) or $2 (kids) entry.

Young and Hungry - Wellington theatre from young actors.

Zealandia - a wildlife sanctuary in Karori which happens to also be the first suburb I moved to when I first moved to Wellington for University way back in June of 2009.

Until next week,
xo Lisa.

Top 26 places of things to do and see in Taranaki, New Zealand

This week I decided to take on the A-Z challenge and decided to focus on Taranaki, New Zealand.
Here's my top 26 things to do and see in Taranaki:

Americarna - a yearly car festival celebrating American cars.

Beauden Barrett and Waisake Naholo and a number of other Taranaki players have gone on to become All Blacks (in the National rugby team).

Centre City - the main only shopping mall in New Plymouth.

Dawson Falls - a sweet waterfall on Mount Egmont/Taranaki, you can access it by following these directions.

Egmont Village - a quiet little village, with spectacular views of the Mountain, situated perfectly between New Plymouth and Inglewood, and Bell Block, it's where my family live. The local primary school pool is a popular hangout in the summertime.

Francis Douglas - the local Catholic boys high school and where Daniel went to high school.

Gables - an old hospital in Brookland's Park, the location of my parent's wedding photos - funnily enough their wedding photos were used by the local Police in order to find the missing light's which featured in their wedding photos.

Home - it's where both mine and Daniel's families come from; we both grew up there.

Inglewood - a sleepy little town where an aunt and uncle and a number of my cousins live, about 20 minutes from New Plymouth.

Jewellery shopping from one of the many boutique jewellers in New Plymouth, or head further afield to Dalgleish in the city, or Silverado in Hawera.

Kawaroa Pools and Park - the location of the New Plymouth Todd Energy Aquatic Centre. Be mindful of trains in the area as the train track is used (daily) by trains ferrying goods to and from the nearby Port Taranaki.

Lucy's Gully - a romantic bush walk which is picture perfect, with views over the city and sea; It happened to also be the scene of a murder in 2007. For directions to Lucy's Gully click here.

Mangorei Road - where you can see sweet views of the city and sea at one end and the mountain at the other.

New Plymouth - the main metropolis of Taranaki. Population of 68,901.

Oakura - a surfer's haven and township, just south of New Plymouth.

Pukekura Park - the botanical garden of New Plymouth. Fun fact: I used to live in the Curator's Cottage at 25 Victoria Road.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's Royal Visit of 1954 -

"I was a young school teacher and a cub leader in Hawera…. 

the streets chosen [for the visit] had some very unsightly and the powers that be who arrange these things

 decided something had to be done to cover these sights from royal eyes.

 Every school child set about making paper flowers in red, white and blue crepe paper. 

These were gathered and hung on these."  -  Judith Foy

For more about the Royal's 1953 - 1954 visit you can go to this website.

Rewa Rewa Bridge - the location of the Proposal/where we got engaged. It's a bridge on the Coastal Walkway. For directions go here.

Spotswood College - where I went to high school.

Taranaki - the only region where you can Surf and Ski in one day! Mount Egmont/Taranaki and surf at Oakura.

Urenui - a sweet little coastal town in Taranaki.

Valley "The Valley" - with lots of Outlet style stores and a large supermarket make it a popular shopping destination.

Walkways - there are many in the city and include the amazing 12.7km long Coastal Walkway.

X-perience - the Forgotten World Highway. Take the scenic route from Stratford to the border of Taranaki; Grab a bite to eat and a beer at the pub/hotel at the Republic of Whangamomona.

York Loop Track - for directions visit here.

Zoo (at Brooklands Park) - where you can visit and see many kinds of animals.

Let me know in the comments if there's anywhere you'd like to visit, or see... In a few weeks I'm going to do the Wellington version of this with an A-Z of Wellington. 

Until next week, 

xo Lisa.

Photography and photo shoots

So this past week has been awesome, with preparing a bunch of stuff for our engagement party...
The past two weekends we have been getting photo shoots under way. Daniel was in charge of booking a photographer to take our engagement portraits and stuff... and we just got everything organised with that and waiting on the venue... and then I get a phone call saying I had won a free photo shoot and three complimentary 5x7" photos (from the Wellington Women's Expo we had gone to earlier in the year/late last year). So of course we couldn't say no to a free $249 photo shoot! Fast forward - we get the free shoot done of us as a couple, and had a number of extras taken of us with Loren and Thomas, our flatmates. Such a fun time!

Here are some behind the scene's shots that I took on my phone, so please excuse the quality.

You can see the mobile studio backdrop, lighting gear and such too.
We moved all the lounge furniture and positioned everything.
With the studio lights and professional camera the light from the window isn't seen.

Hero pose.

Dan modelling for Hallensteins? hehe.

Behind the scenes setting up the camera and stuff

Dan with his Bug-assault rifle - getting directions from Gareth.

Dan sniping bugs.

Gareth snapping away and Dan being a model...

The photographer for this shoot was Gareth from Duo Photography.
He was really fun to work with and put us all at ease being in front of the camera.

At the end of the shoot we booked a time for Gareth to come back and show us the photos, so on Monday evening at 7:30pm we sat with Loren and looked through all the photos in a huge slide show. Duo are pretty neat in that they create a video slide show - we didn't purchase this as we just wanted a number of digital files of our photos. We ended up getting a deal from Gareth - 18 for the price of 10 plus the 3 free prints and he threw in a few extras; since we couldn't whittle down the choices much more!

These following images are some throw back images - Dan and I on the waterfront with my Asahi Pentax K1000 film camera...

Our second photo shoot was with David from Von Photography - this was the engagement shoot package for $99 it's for an hour shooting, and has a set of 20 digital images at the end.

We hired the Dome at BATS Theatre as the venue - I volunteer as an Usher there so it made sense to come and play around on the stage area! The Dome is a large space, with a matte black floor, amazing white columns on the walls,
We had plenty of fun playing with shadows from the lights that David bought with him, and the Dome, then a few sneaky stairs shots.

I really enjoyed this photo-shoot because David made us totally relaxed in front of the camera - we even got a few public displays of affection shots - kissing and holding hands!

My favourite shot so far - us on the stairs, with our D and L letters on the windowsill.

David was lovely and took this on my new Polaroid camera (from Dick Smith for $77.40).

More shots from the day...

Us holding hands.

Oh do you see that? Hot damn gurl! my manicure from Serenity at Absolute Therapy looks amazing!

Until next week, 

xo, Lisa.

Volunteering - skills for life

This week it is Student Volunteer's Week: 11-17 April.

Image credit: Volunteering NZ

I saw an advert on Victoria Plus asking people to make contact if they wouldn't mind doing an interview for Student Volunteer's Week through Volunteering New Zealand. I thought I would sign up to do it and then I thought well, why don't I write a blog post at the same time - about what I've been doing and how awesome volunteering is?

Throughout my time at Victoria University I signed up to Vic Plus, it's an award and certificate system that recognises student leadership and volunteering. I've really enjoyed the opportunities I've been given to excel in my areas of expertise, and developing skills I didn't really have before. You can sign up to and learn more about Vic Plus here.

One part of the programme is developing skills through personal and professional sessions and this helps the student to transition from study into paid work. Some of the workshops I've done through the Vic Plus programme cover things like how to write a kick-ass cover letter and curriculum vitae, and how to really nail an interview and get the job!

The second part is based around volunteering and giving back to the community.

Through my time doing Vic Plus I've done a range of things from charity letterbox drops for fliers as a one off day with my sister; volunteering long term as an usher, fire warden and ticket taker at BATS Theatre (just passed three years!); helping to man the stalls for Vic Plus at Club's Week 2016; and a range of other things on campus like Class Rep for my classes (for a trimester for each paper) and being on the FHSS Faculty board as a student rep (for one year).

Part three of the Vic Plus programme is writing an E-Portfolio, I am doing this step now. This is a place where the student reflects on what they have been doing, what they have learned and what they can take away from the experiences they have been doing.

Through being Class Rep and Faculty representative I've worked closely alongside VUWSA (the student association at VUW) and a large number of fellow students. The Class Rep acts as a voice between the students of the class and the lecturers and the school. They have training from VUWSA and that includes free pizza! And then at the end of the trimesters they also meet with the department and talk about the issues raised by students. The more the Class Reps put in the more they get out of it. In my first trimester I impressed the head of school of English so much that he offered me a PhD position when I get to that level... Needless to say that is no longer in my plans. But still pretty awesome!

Through my volunteer ushering, fire-warden-ing and ticket taking role (I wear many hats at once) at BATS I've learned to multi-task and prioritise things. I've also developed more confidence with talking to strangers and public speaking in general. I still have a few (rare) moments of worry like when a siren is in the sound effects of a show (and I think it's the real alarms going off!)

I am currently working really closely with the Box Office staff each night - we also communicate via radios and I help to ensure that the audience is kept happy and safe within the space.

Because of my love of theatre and box office assistance at BATS - I decided to take on the role of volunteer Front of House Manager for Summer Shakespeare, where I took on full responsibility for all of the Box Office area - from selling tickets, to training fellow Vic Plus volunteers and other community volunteers, and being the main First Aider and on the Health and Safety team.

Summer Shakespeare 2016 - Cast and Crew first rehearsal photo.

Posters by Glover Park, in Ghuznee Street, Wellington.

I had a number of challenges through the season from an audience member being involved in an accident with a prop, to EFTPOS terminals and ticket scanners malfunctioning!

Thanks to my training at BATS I was able to apply a lot of what I already knew, mostly regarding how to fix things up - I had friends who had come along to the show comment that they had never seen me so organised, in control and busy before!

Due to personal reasons* I will not be returning to Summer Shakespeare in 2017.

From the pre-promotional shoot we did which was used for styling ideas.

I had a great costume and didn't know what to do with this apple.

Volunteering for me is about giving back to the community, but it's also about a transfer and use of skills. When I'm not volunteering - I'm often studying. Studying only uses certain parts of my brain. I like being creative - volunteering in the theatre allows me to explore my business side as well as my more creative outlets.

Because of my volunteering at BATS I was introduced to a theatrical genre called Improvisation, because of that exposure I signed up to community college classes for Improv in 2015. I really, really liked performing and I want to expand my skills in that area.

From the pre-promotional shoot we did which was used for styling ideas.

I had a great costume and didn't know what to do with this apple.

*I have to work and get money to help fund our wedding. So by this summer I should be in employment which means less time for all of the volunteering I like to do. However I am sure I will continue doing some volunteering things just because I love doing them so much. For example - BATS you haven't seen the last of me yet!

Until next week,

xx Lisa.

Do little and often

The quote on the whiteboard above my desk in the office says "Do little and often" - it's my personal saying for this year to help keep me on track. I'm not even sure where it came from as a quote, because I can't find it online. I like it as a saying anyway.

I'm in my final year of university and it feels like life is going by super fast.
Possibly due to the excitement of being engaged, and our upcoming parties and plans for this year travelling back and forth between our home town of New Plymouth and our home here in Wellington.

I find that sometimes little quotes and sayings help me to keep on track and keep myself grounded.

Now of course I have to save up to buy the film because it doesn't come with any. But yeah. Super excited. I can't wait to use it for like my Bachelorette Party and maybe the Engagement Party too. 

This past week was one of excitement - every time a courier came it was another box for me. Another and another. So many boxes. Not too many to count though!
Two on Tuesday.
Four on Wednesday - well three boxes and a courier package:

The courier package contained this amazing long cardigan from The Warehouse. 

I've been wearing these loose long cardigans for a while now, they're really nice and layered.

This one is a red with black flecks colouring. So like a burgundy red.

The small box was from The Body Shop - I ordered a Blueberry body wash 250ml, then there was an Easter special online and I found their Easter Egg so it was a free hand cream: coconut flavoured. Plus they threw in a free sample of the Japanese Cherry Blossom perfume spray. 

I really like that this is in an actual mini spray bottle. 

No more messing around with the annoying dropper their old samples used to have!

Then one of the boxes had the two black fake fur pillows -also from The Warehouse.

The Body Shop things on top of them.
The canvas wall art is also from The Warehouse.

Tuesday's Haul: Two striped throw blankets for the couches in the lounge.

The coasters and the place-mats (all from Farmers)
The aqua/turquoise throw from The Warehouse.

Also from Tuesday's haul: a grey they call it "taupe" on the website fake fur pillow 

also from The Warehouse.

On Monday we went to Neil and Erin's house for lunch, then wandered into town. I'd seen the advert for the Fujufilm Instax Mini 8 camera at Dick Smith for $77.40 so we wandered down to Dick Smith after lunch and I grabbed the deal with a baby blue one. 

They had a few other colours in store too - pastel yellow, pastel blue, white or black. 

I just really wanted the pastel blue one.

Sadly the sale on them ended on 30/03/2016 so it won't be available when this post goes live. 

Now of course I have to save up to buy the film because it doesn't come with any. But yeah. Super excited. I can't wait to use it for like my Bachelorette Party and maybe the Engagement Party too. 

I feel like I've been super productive this week - all the parcels arrived and the flat things were all put away today.  Yesterday I also washed all the new lounge throws so they're all nice and clean. Today I also hung some art in our bedroom and ensuite! In between times I've also been watching lots of vloggers on YouTube - notably Aspyn + Parker, Casey Neistat, and Erik Conover.

And we have two photo shoots this week - we started the week with one on Sunday (March 27th) from Duo Photography and I'm going to do a blog post behind the scenes and talk about what we did, and then this Sunday (April 3rd) we had another one with David from Von Photography.
The second shoot is just us as a couple though. Totally different styles for each of them and I'm really excited to get our pictures back when they are all done.

Considering we have been in our house now for about three months, it feels like it has been longer ... I was thinking that I feel like I have known Loren (our flatmate) for a lot longer than a couple of months.

All of us as flatmates get along really well, and I'm loving it!

Until next week,
xo Lisa.

I've just realised that I haven't posted a quote in quite a while either - 
Quote of the week:

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen." 
~ John Wooden