Inspire your creative side. Fuel your adventurous side.
I figured it was time to address some “basics” about New Zealand! James and I get a lot of questions about New Zealand. I’m from Michigan, which makes New Zealand quite literally on the other side of the world. So, listen up, I’m answering your questions about our south pacific home, and I’ll let the pictures do the rest.
Continue reading “Frequently Asked Questions About New Zealand”
Christmas is right around the corner! I really love Christmas… the decorations, the lights, the snow… not to mention the presents. The gifts are good too. I love giving as much if not more than I love receiving. And finding that perfect gift is everything! I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite fun and practical gifts this season for the adventure lover or DIY-er on your list! I’ve also included several of my favorite gifts that I just couldn’t leave out in the snow.
Continue reading “Gift Guide: For Lovers of Adventure & DIY”
`Many of you know we bought a beautiful home on some land in the spring. Built in the 1980s, but hasn’t been updated since then. We spent a few weeks painting until I thought my hand may just permanently attach to the paintbrush. I’ve been putting off the master bathroom because it’s covered in wallpaper. *sigh*. Removing wallpaper can be super intimidating and time consuming!
I’ve removed my fair share of pastel-floral and fruit covered wallpaper over the past two years with our two fixer uppers. I’m here to share my favorite removing wallpaper method, with items you probably already have in your pantry!
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I wanted to take minute to share a bit of a different post… I’m really excited to share that this little blog was nominated for the Liebster Award!
The what? Yeah, that’s what I said. I had heard of this award a few times since I started this blogging adventure a few months ago, but didn’t really take the time to look into it… until we were nominated!
Continue reading “A Girl and a Kiwi Has Been Nominated for the Liebster Award”
I just got back from a weekend in Grand Rapids with my sisters and my mom. It was so refreshing, we shopped for hours, made our fall wreaths, shared gourmet appetizers, and saw the play Wicked (hiiiiighly recommend), which was every bit as good as I’ve heard.
My sister Mandy, is studying at Grand Valley State University and was our unofficial tour guide for the weekend. She knew exactly where to take us, how long it was going to take to get there, and nailed our dinner and brunch reservations! I asked her about what’s what in Grand Rapids: what to do, what to see, and what’s worth the drive. Check out her recommendations for your next trip to Grand Rapids!
Continue reading “What to Do and See in Grand Rapids, Michigan: A Local’s Guide”
My sweet sister, Allie, is getting married next summer! We thought we’d kick of the celebrations with an early bridal shower to celebrate. My amazing aunts hosted the shower at my mom’s house. One aunt put on a show-stopping, mouth watering meal, and the other was in charge of decorations. Guess who jumped at the opportunity to help with decorations…. I love love love all things weddings and showers, and I rarely say no to a themed party.
Allie and her fiance, Derek, love sailing. They took their engagement pictures on my dad’s sailboat, and are getting married by the water with a subtle nautical theme. We knew that with a shower, we could have some fun with more nautical-inspired decorations and get away with it! Here are 9 DIY ideas for a nautical themed wedding shower (or wedding!)
We’ve had a beautiful fall here in Michigan, almost a little too beautiful. James and I love crisp, cool air in the fall. But last weekend we had perfect weather for exploring Northern Michigan’s wineries and breweries! My family and extended family have done a Beer & Wine Color Tour for the last two years, making this our third annual tour. I have to say, my uncle, aunt, and cousin nailed the wine tour itinerary this year.
Saturday morning, we loaded up my uncle’s motorhome, affectionally named “The Bus”, with waters, snacks, beer, spiced cider and of course cider mill doughnuts. Here’s what we got up to!
Continue reading “Northern Michigan Beer & Wine Color Tour, Petoskey & Harbor Springs”
I want to start off by saying: I love Queenstown. It’s definitely one of my favorite places in New Zealand. I’ve travelled to Queenstown in the winter and in the summer, and it’s hard to say which I love more. It’s also really hard to write and discuss ALL the reasons I love Queenstown and ALL the activities I recommend in one post, so I think I’m going to have to write a short series! I’m going to start it off with my favorite – or one of my favorites, I have a hard time with favorites – wine tasting along the Gibbston River Trail.
Just a few months after James and I were married and starting my fifth year living in New Zealand, my two best friends visited us New Zealand for 10-days. We spent time on both the North and South Island, and we spent 2-3 of those days in Queenstown.
Continue reading “Wine Tasting Tour on Mountain Bikes in Gibbston Valley, Queenstown”
If you know us or read our blog, you probably know about River. He’s our darling fur baby, a 1-year old German Shorthair Pointer. He requires a lot of exercise, and James hated keeping him in a crate all day. And when we got home, he was just bursting with energy – he was like a tornado. We recently moved out to the country and decided to build him an indoor/outdoor dog kennel! Somewhere where he could seek shelter, stretch his legs, go to the bathroom and chew on sticks – safely and securely.
We did some research, but couldn’t find what we were looking for. James has a vision for this sort of thing and he whipped out this dog kennel in less than 2-days. Got a jumper? A digger? We’ve done the problem solving for you! Check it out. Here’s what you’ll need:
Fall is typically the season to give thanks for friends and family. But it’s so important to give thanks all year round! I was raised to write a thank you note for everything. And not just “thank you” notes but also “I’m thinking of you” notes, for every and any occasion. I feel like it is so important to express your love and appreciation to the people in your life. You might just make somebody’s day.
Honestly though, I dislike getting thank you notes that say something to the effect of “Thank you so much for the gift, and for coming to my wedding. Love, so-and-so”. Like, do you even know what I got you!? Please. Let’s get personal. Brides, future brides, and all gift receivers – I’m talking to you. Listen up.
I’m going to talk about the 5 key points to writing a great thank you note your guests, friends, or family will love. Don’t worry, I’ll give examples as we go.
Continue reading “5 Key Points to Writing a Great Thank You Note”