Day 36 (27/10/2014): Photo Joy!

I spent the first day of half term in the most joyful of ways! As anyone who knows me will know, photos are one of my absolute favourite things in the whole world and today I finally got round to organising which of my million photos I was going to get printed and put in which frame (this literally took HOURS!), then I went and got them printed and then I came back and put them into said frames... J.O.Y. A very productive and happy first day of the hols! :)

Day 35 (26/10/2014): Bob the Builder Eat Your Heart Out!

Five minutes peace on my sofa with a cuppa admiring yesterday's handy work! I'm becoming a DIY goddess! Who'd have thought it?!

Day 34 (25/10/2014): ...met Slagroom

Following my first ever Sichuan dining experience in Rotterdam, this ice-cream sundae, met slagroom, was the perfect way to cool down! :)

NB: If you hadn't already guessed, this is another iPhone cheat photo as I didn't have my DSLR on me. Thank goodness for iPhones, eh?!

Day 33 (24/10/2014): I Heart My Job!

This week, I received this joyous surprise from the loveliest little girl who was in my class last year and it pretty much made my week! Notes like this were a regular occurrence from her when she was in my class so I was touched that she still thinks of me now she's in Year 2. How sweet ;') Gotta love the exaggeration - "I love you very, very, very, very much"  - I wonder where she could possibly have got that from?! Haha. Oh, I do miss last year's class! :(

Day 32 (23/10/2014): All You Can Eat Indian...

...with all my favourite foodies! On Thursday, I met up with my Asian Food Lovers crew, after a slight hiatus due to a busy few months, for All You Can Eat (and drink! Woo!) Indian. It was absolutely GLORIOUS! I've not had Indian food in a while so it was a nice treat. It was also very lovely to catch up with friends I haven't seen in a while and talk all things ASIA! I also met a fellow Northerner which was banterific and I even got asked out on a date! Successful night all round! :) 

Day 31 (22/10/2014): Homemade Soup Dinners Are The Best!

It doesn't look like much, but this homemade carrot and broccoli soup was de-lish! Even if I do say so myself! I've finally got back into my groove and made a whole batch that I can take to school and have each day for my dinner. My body is in desperate need of all this vegetable goodness after a VERY long first half term back at school. 

Day 30 (21/10/2014): We're ALL Beautiful On the Inside!

Love, love, LOVE the real-life-ness of the fruit and veg here! It was the same in Korea. It makes Tesco seem like one big fruit and veg beauty pageant! We're ALL beautiful on the inside!

Day 29 (20/10/2014): Just Another Manic Monday!

A spontaneous after-school catch-up with your favourite New Zealander followed by slippers, pjs, tea and cake is the only way to end a manic Monday! Goodnight, world! Zzz...

Day 28 (19/10/2014): Daydream Believer...

Dream BIG and never stop! :) 

Day 27 (18/10/2014): Two Saturdays In a Row! :)

All you can eat Korean food for two consecutive Saturdays = a very happy Chelsea! :)

Day 26 (17/10/2014): Three Parties, Back-to-Back , Is How I Roll

Being walked home from the third party of the evening by new friend, Rosie, (pictured) and remembering I hadn't taken my photo for the day. The complete blurriness of this photo sums up the night (and my general state in that moment!) perfectly! Gotta love after school drinks on a Friday! : )

Day 25 (16/10/2014): V.I.P. Deliciousness

V.I.P. tea with one of my faves at our favourite place! Also, the second time at V.I.P.s in a week! How naughty! But how nice! :)

Day 24 (15/10/2014): Monthly Meditation Club in the Tower

"You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day - unless you're too busy; then you should sit for an hour." - Old Zen Adage 

Day 23: (14/10/2014): LOVE

"'Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all." Tennyson 1849

Day 22 (13/10/2014): Surprise Messages

I love my little chalkboard and I love having surprise messages left for me by my friends. This was a lovely little surprise while I was eating my breakfast this morning and a happy start to the week. Thanks, Ruthie! It was my pleasure and I shall see you again soon! xXx

Day 21 (12/10/2014): Visits and Treats

I'm very lucky that my friends often bring me lovely treats when they come to visit. These treats from Ruth symbolise a wonderful end to a wonderful weekend with a wonderful friend. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! :)

Day 20 (11/10/2014): This Could Be Rotterdam Or Anywhere

On Saturday, Ruth and I went to Rotterdam for the afternoon. We did a bit of shopping, had lunch at the most wonderfully quirky cafe that we just happened to stumble across and went for a wander down by the harbour - the largest harbour in Europe.

This photo is of the Erasmus Bridge (Erasmusbrug) and it is the largest and heaviest bridge in Western Europe. It connects the northern and southern regions of Rotterdam. The blue sky in this photo tells a different story to the showers we had to trudge through upon arriving in Rotterdam. Although, luckily, before long, it turned out to be a lovely, bright afternoon and this photo is much lovelier than it would have been had it been taken an hour or so earlier.

Day 19 (10/10/2014): Den Haag by Night with Ruthie

Ruth came to visit this weekend and what a lovely weekend we've had. This photo was taken on Friday night on our way to one of my favourite restaurants in Den Haag - V.I.P. (Very Italian Pizza). I love this city and I love it when friends come to visit :)

Day 18 (9/10/2014): Successfully Snapping a Full Moon Is Harder Than It Sounds...

I fiddled with my camera for ages and much to my dismay, this is the best photo I managed to get before the moon disappeared behind the clouds. It was a really pretty sight from my balcony but unfortunately, this photo does not do the moment justice. Oh well, something else I can improve on...

Day 17 (8/10/2014): Sunset Inferno

As with yesterday's shot, this looks better smaller. I went for a walk this evening after a third consecutive 11 hour day this week just as the sun was just going down, and despite the fact it has been a very rainy, miserable day, the evening sky was BEAUTIFUL! I wanted to capture the beauty but it's difficult when you're in a city and all the surrounding buildings are so tall. I then walked past this largely glass fronted building and the reflection of the the sunset in the windows was spectacular! I was mesmerised. I really wanted to capture the exact sight I was seeing so I tried hard to adjust the settings and get it just right. The colours here aren't quite as striking as they were in the moment, but by the time I'd fiddled with the settings, the colour of the sky had darkened and just moments later, everything was in total darkness. It's amazing the sights you stumble upon when you're out and about on a whim. :)

Day 16 (7/10/2014): Leafy Layers

I like this shot; (I like it more on the camera screen) I like the colours and I like the layers of blurriness and vividness. However, I also think it could look soooo much better. If only I know how to use this camera to its full potential!

Day 15 (6/10/2014): Cosy Nights

Still without curtains and not completely there yet, but now the evenings are drawing in, I'm loving cosy nights in my new home.

Day 14 (5/10/2014): Sunday Treat

Oktoberfest gingerbread and a nice cup of tea. Happy Sunday! :)

Day 13 (4/10/2014): A Productive Lazy Day

Sometimes, all you need is a lazy day where you don't get out of your pyjamas and don't move more than five meters away from your bed all day! And after a crazy, nonstop four weeks and two consecutively jam packed weekends with Munich then friends visiting, I welcomed it with open arms yesterday. As well as it being restful and relaxing, I also managed to get lots done too which was handy - the kind of things I've just not had time to do because I've been so busy. It did, however, make the Photo Challenge more of a 'challenge' than usual, but I feel that the shot I ended up with summarises the day perfectly. Wonkiness aside, (although I do like what that adds to the picture) it's one of my favourite photos of the challenge so far. I love the blurriness of the foreground in contrast with the sharpness of the background through the mirror. Yay for photo fun and lazy days! :D

Day 12 (3/10/2014): Locked Out... AGAIN!

...although this time it really wasn't my fault! Long story but this photo sums up the hilarity and randomness of the whole situation! I'd expected a very quiet Friday night and to be in bed by 6pm. It turned out to be rather different in reality but such a fun evening in the end. Nights like this are the best! Hehehe :)

Day 11 (2/10/2014): The Long Way Round

I had to go the long way round to get to school on Thursday and Friday as the back entrance was closed off meaning I got to cycle to school and back along the canal. Lovely :)

Day 10 (1/10/2014): Love Is Always the Answer

This bed equals happiness right now after an exhausting but happy, positive and successful Wednesday. Oh, and love is ALWAYS the answer! <3