Weddings are Beautiful

I honestly feel like I am the only person who hasn't attended a wedding as an adult. I'm secretly jealous of everyone who has friends old enough to be getting married, cousins/aunts/uncles that are going to get married. I've been to two weddings in my life, but I was 3 and 10 so that barely counts. I wanted the fun that comes with picking out your dress and then getting ready. I wanted to be able to celebrate and enjoy that special day with everyone.

So, I still don't have friends who are getting married. But luckily my boyfriend does :) 

The other day, we attended a wedding for one of his good mates and I honestly had so much fun. The wedding was incredible and the bride was beautiful.

Blinded by the sunlight & my heels sunk halfway into the grass, but it was still all good

Kieran and I (well probably me a lot more than him) enjoyed getting ready. He cleans up nice, I might add.

Polaroids are fun & now I really want one 

I must say, the biggest disappointment of the day was that I barely got any photos on my phone (and haven't been able to locate all of the photos that were taken on other phones sadly). I got a few nice photos though, so I just really wanted to share them here, along with my congratulations to the new couple. It really was a beautiful day.

The 'cool table' as Kieran called it all night

I was very happy with what I wore as it was super comfortable and looked pretty good. My dress was from the Iconic and is the brand Lipsy and the shoes I wore to the ceremony (white heels) were also from the Iconic. I changed shoes for the reception (more comfort for dancing) and they were a pair of nude/pink heels from Forever New that I bought many years ago for my Year 10 formal. I definitely have gotten some wear out of those haha.

Thanks for reading
Kristelle xxx
Instagram: @krristelley

Bondi to Coogee

After (I don't even want to calculate how long so let's just say a long) time, I finally was able to go to Bondi and do the Bondi to Coogee walk with my boyfriend!

Bondi Street Art

 This happened a couple of weekends ago now, but it was still something that I just wanted to cross off my list so bad, so it deserved its own post. If you ever come to Sydney, this is definitely one of the things that you have to cross off your list of activities.

Kieran and I stopping for 1 of 1383482 photos we always take with the GoPro

Bondi Icebergs

It's still Winter here, so it was pretty cold (cold enough to wear pants and a jacket) but it was still a beautiful sunny day. There was also a surf comp on the day we were there which was pretty cool, but I have no idea how they could even bare to be in the water (even in a wetsuit) because the water was freezing.

Bondi is a beautiful place, lots of street art and plenty of nice little cafes to eat at. Which is exactly what Kieran and I did before our walk. If anyone is ever in Bondi I totally recommend checking out the Lammond Cafe, food was great and so was the service!

Bondi Street Art

Originally, Kieran and I were only going to the Bondi to Bronte walk, but it's actually only a few kilometres and takes about 20 minutes each way (even calculated with the constant stopping to take photos of the scenery).

So instead, we decided to go the step further, which is to Coogee and back, and it is a lot further than Bronte. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining, however near the end the weather turned a bit sour. No rain though, but plenty of clouds and overcast weather quickly turned the day cold and we had to head back to the car to venture home.

Overlooking Bronte?? beach

There is plenty of nice places to stop along the walk to take some nice photos and also grab a smoothie or a bite to eat if you get hungry.

If you can't handle the heat, I would definitely recommend only doing the Bondi to Coogee walk in Autumn/Winter weather because even in Winter we still got hot out there. Alternatively, if you're not up for the approximately 13km round trip from Bondi to Coogee, Bondi to Bronte is a great choice. It's only a few kilometres each way, so you still get to enjoy all the beauty this place has to offer, just with less walking distance.

It was a good day and Kieran and I 150% plan to do this again- in Summer. The idea was to take our exercise clothes but wear swimming costumes underneath. We would walk/swim/walk to mix it up a bit (and to obviously cool off during the walk). There's so much to be excited for this Summer and I can not wait for this.

Thanks for reading,
Stelle xx

Instagram: @krristelley

Sisters

Having a sister is a wonderful thing. Your very own bestfriend/hair stylist/ make up artist/ partner in crime (and way way more) from the beginning. You may hate her at times but you will always love her. 

I'm (un)lucky enough to have a little sister of my very own. 

I used to get annoyed when she would copy everything that I say/ do/ like/ wanted/ bought but as my mother ever so kindly pointed out all these years, 'imitation is the highest form of flattery'.

I think you love playing with toys together when you're young (barbies and polly pockets for us) and playing other silly little games (doctors, teachers and spies were our favourites). Then you get to that age where all you can possibly do is fight with each other. You hate each other more than you like each other and you can't stand to share anything let alone talk to each other sometimes. 

I am happily past that age now (for the most part) and get to enjoy all the perks that come with having a sister again.

You want someone to paint your nails?

Drive you to the train station to go clubbing?

Cook dinner with?

Go out to random places to get food because you're hungry?

Fashion advice?

Need to borrow an outfit?

Wondering if your hair looks good today?

Have the sudden urge to go shopping and don't want to go alone?

Need help fake tanning the middle of your back?

Want to go on a maccas run but don't want to go alone?

Need someone to exercise with you?

Need someone to hang out with just so you don't feel lonely?

All of the above for me are reasons why I actually love having a sister. As much as she annoys the hell out of me, I know I will always have someone there to do these things with me and help me out when I need it. Best part is, we live in the same house so there is literally next to no effort to do all of these things together. No need to make the same effort to hang out with a friend and you can be mean to each other and know that at the end of the day you will always have each others backs.

I appreciate having a sister (but I'm still glad I'm the older one).

Kristelle xx

Instagram: @krristelley

Brains and books

If there is one thing that I have loved since I was a young girl, it would have to be books. I genuinely don't think I would be the person I am today if it weren't for all the amazing (and not so amazing) books I have read throughout my life. 

I am probably just another cliched teenage girl when it comes to reading. Books have changed and shaped my life and I get extremely attached to the characters, so when something happens I feel every emotion they do. I have cried and laughed and felt as though I were part of the stories I was reading. 

I think everyone has a life changing book. The book(s) that made me realise that I loved reading and I have never stopped since then were the Harry Potter books. Sure I had always read books since I obviously learnt how to read and I was always ahead in the 'readers' we were given when we started school. But when I was about 8 years old, my teacher I had at school loved Harry Potter so in the afternoons she would sit us down and read us a chapter (or two) from the books. I can vividly remember how much I enjoyed listening to her read the books I wanted to know what it would feel like to read them too. For my 9th birthday my mum bought me the Harry Potter books (well only the first 4 and my aunty gave me the 5th one) and I fell in love. I would stay up until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore (which I still do when I am reading an amazing book). I remember getting the 6th book for Christmas and waiting until 2007 to get the 7th book when it came out. I had it ordered for me and I carried it around school for the whole 2 days it took me to read it (I was in 6th grade at this point). Obsessed is definitely an understatement. 

Still to this day my love affair with books continues. I am always open to people's suggestions of books that I have to read and my favourite kind of shopping to do is book shopping (even more than I love buying clothes and make up AND I love buying clothes and make up). 

The only thing I don't enjoy about reading is the fact that these days, my reading books I enjoy for fun has more so turned into me reading case study upon case study and chapter upon chapter from my university textbooks (oh the joy).

For the most part I enjoy books about teenagers and books about love/romance or "finding yourself". Those types of books always capture my attention and probably because I can relate to a lot of the characters really well. I do also enjoy reading classics, but it usually takes me a bit longer to read those. 

I absolutely adore the Harry Potter series (if you couldn't already tell), Sarah Dessen is an amazing author. The Hunger Games series= amazing. I love Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher and the YouTube video of the cassette tapes to go with it honestly sends shivers down my spine. John Green books are amazing and my personal favourite of his is Looking For Alaska. I have so many 'favourites' that I can't even name them all (let alone think of them right now).

I think after all my blabbing people will surely understand that I love books and I love reading. I wish I was a better writer (I really do) and maybe that's part of the reason why I even enjoy having a blog. It's my form of expression and I think all the reading I have done in my life has helped shape that.

I will happily take any suggestions of good books to read that anyone has.

Thanks for reading,
Kristelle xxx
Instagram: @krristelley

Questions

Thought this would be fun to answer a bunch of questions about myself to let my beautiful readers get to know me a bit better. Anyone who feels like answering them do it and send me the link so I can read your responses!

Shallow: 

1. Favorite color- pink

2. Height- 166cm

3. Eye color- blue 

4. Hair color- blonde 

5. Age- 19

6. Piercings? 2 on each ear and my belly button 

7. Tattoos? 1 (for now) a small heart on my wrist 

8. Favorite animal/pet- bunny

9. Favorite scent- Marc Jacobs Daisy 

10. What time is it? 12:44am

Wading: 

11. Favorite time of day- evening/sunset

12. First pet- goldfish 

13. Siblings- little sister 

14. First car- white ford laser

15. On a day like today you would...? Lay in the sun

16. The last book you read- my Human Resource Management textbook 

17. The last text message you sent/received- sent to Kieran (can't even share what that said oops) and received from Kieran (would be perfect!!)

18. Are you usually hot or cold- hot. Always hot 

19. Pick one thing to your left, what does it mean to you- it's a pillow 

20. Day or night and why- day because I love the sun and adventure 

Knee Deep: 

21. When was the last time you told someone you loved them? A few hours ago 

22. When was the last time someone told you they loved you- few hours ago 

23. Who is your best friend and how did you meet- Kieran at school and Amber at little athletics 

24. Would you rather love or be loved- love. I love to love 

25. Do you get sick often- not really 

26. Do you live alone or with other people- with my fam

27. When was the last time you saw your family- saw my sister this afternoon and saw my mum on Saturday morning 😐 (it's Tuesday lol)

28. What do you want to achieve in the next year- just be the best I can be at what I'm doing 

29. Do you believe in true love- yes

30. Have you ever been hurt by someone you thought cared about you- yes

To the Waist: 

31. When was the last time you got hurt- today I ran into a bench 

32. Have you ever hurt yourself- yes

33. What was the last fight you had about- moving out 

34. Has anyone told you they hated you- yes lol 

35. Have you seen anyone die- no

36. What would you tell your younger self- don't grow up hating yourself, do your homework, don't give a fuck what people think, you're gonna meet the love of your life at 14 (be warned) and don't let the popular girls make you feel ugly or inadequate because you're going to be better off when you're out of school so it's all going to be okay 

37. Would you skip the bad parts of your life to be successful- absolutely 

38. What do you want to do with the rest of your life- get my career where I want it, stay sassy, get married and be one bad ass wife and mother 

39. Have you left behind/ were you left behind in a friendship- yes but no regrets 

40. What is more important money or love- they're both important, but still love

Neck Deep: 

41. Who would you want to meet again in your life- no idea 

42. Why did you choose your career path- because I love it

43. What is something you regret from your past- giving up too easily 

44. How much time is left at the end of your day- depends how you look at it. Either 23 hours because it's a new day or the day's already over and I should be sleeping 

45. What was your last dream about- moving into my own house and being happy lol 

46. Have you ever hated someone and why- just because asshole

47. Talk about your favorite family member- my mum and sister are my favourites. Annoying, stubborn and a pain in the ass to be around. But, thoughtful, loving and my bestfriends. 

48. What is one thing you want to confess- I can't wait to have my own family even though I always tell everyone I hate kids when they ask me lol

49. Have you ever tried to take away your problems instead of deal with them- yes?

50. Who would you save- yourself or a stranger?- I'm selfish. Everyone would like to believe they're a great person, some sort of hero and believe they would save a stranger. But realistically no. Human instinct says no. I would save myself. If I was like 90 and had lived a long fulfilling life I would save the stranger. Ask me to save someone I love, no problems I genuinely wouldn't hesitate. But not a stranger. Nope. 

Head Under Water: 

51. Have you been in love- I am so yes

52. Talk about someone in your life who has died- my nanna. I loved her. Her stories, her hugs that crushed you and the lipstick smears on your face after she's said hello. The visits to her little place and the traditional Chinese food we ate every Christmas Eve. She was a lovely woman and I miss her very much. 

53. Describe your first love in 5 words- passionate, adventurous, soulmate, crazy, fulfilling 

54. When was the last time you thought you were beautiful- a few weeks ago when I looked good in my clothes, had a killer tan and my make up was amazing. Topping it off I took a great picture lol 

55. Have you ever had to recover after something- yes and damn it's hard 

56. What do you hate about love- it's exhausting sometimes and you can't ever let it not be a priority 

57. Top ten life values- health, happiness, love, honesty, passion, adventure, intelligence, friendship, loyalty and trust 

58. How do you fall asleep- Monday-Friday after a long day of either uni or study and a long night at work I fall asleep with my phone next to me after scrolling social media til I can't keep my eyes open. On weekends I fall asleep next to my love

59. When was the last time you smiled and the last time you cried- smiled: tonight when Kieran texted me he loves me. Cried: uhh probably yesterday morning when I had a sook my cafe was too busy to eat at 

60. What would you give up everything for? I'd give up everything for the three people I care most about in my life (and in no order) mum, sister and boyfriend 😊

Parties and Partying

I'm 19 years old, almost 20 so it is safe to say that I am no stranger to going out and partying. I do enjoy it most of the time (I really have to be in the mood for it sometimes) and I have to be out with the right people to have the best experiences. I'm pretty happy to say that 98% of the time I am actually out with the right people (my amazing boyfriend and beautiful bestfriends)!

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I am currently in my busiest time of the year. From July until December I seem to be non-stop on the go. Everyone is having their birthdays (which is actually quite funny because both my bestfriend and my boyfriend don't have their birthdays until January and February). This means a lot of weekends are spent going out celebrating and a lot of money is spent doing so. But it also means there are a lot of times that I (and everyone I go out with) need to be careful of what is exactly going on around us.

I'm from Sydney, Australia and I know the 'nightlife' used to be pretty good. But now there are so many laws and lockouts that apply basically anywhere you go in the city regarding what times you can go into/out of clubs and times you can buy alcohol. I don't really think these laws have done anything except increase drug use. Everywhere you go (and yes I do mean literally everywhere) there are people on drugs. It's really obvious to tell the difference between people who have drunk too much and the people who have decided to do drugs for the night instead. Neither is safe (obviously), but I don't think the laws introduced were the way to go. All that's been done is drive many places out of business because 1am onwards was when they would make most of their money. 

No more club hopping and partying all night long, drinking until the sun comes up. 

I think it's sad (and I know it isn't just here, it can happen anywhere) that people spike drinks... Listening to stories friends of mine have told me about drink spiking makes me so angry. Stories my girlfriends tell me about creepy guys following them around and pursing them even after invitations to dance/ get a drink/ go to their hotel rooms or houses have been declined. It's scary. I'm lucky in the sense that I have amazing friends and a very protective boyfriend who I know will always look out for me and I look out for them. But the scary part is still anything can happen. You can't "let loose" for a night because there aren't good people out there.

The number of fights I've been around and that have impacted me is ridiculous. Being pushed down and bruised and cut up because of fights happening near me is ridiculous (and I know I am not the only one that this happens to).

I wish everyone who decided to go out partying and clubbing would take a bit more responsibility, control their behaviour and not be inappropriate/creepy because then I know everyone would have such a better time and the government wouldn't have to be so strict with laws and enforcements on everyone as a whole. 

I'm really looking forward to my birthday 'week' this October because I have about 4 days/nights of fun planned and I really hope none of it is ruined or spoilt from anything I've mentioned above. All anyone would like is to feel safe when they go out. 

And on a much lighter note, enjoy these happy snaps from the last two birthdays I attended over the last two weekends.

Semester Two, Let's Go

Semester 2 is well on it's way now. It's like every single time I go on uni breaks and then it's time to go back to uni, I forget how much work there really is and how fast time goes (all my fellow uni/college students out there I am positive you can agree with me on this one).

It's already the third week (well my week is over because I only need to attend uni on Tuesday's and Wednesday's) and I thought I would share a little bit about how I feel this semester is already going (classes, timetable, friends and free time).

So for those of you who are new to my blog or just perhaps have forgotten since the last time I spoke about uni, I study Commerce and I am majoring in Marketing and Human Resources. (The most interesting/deepest question I have ever really gotten about this revolved around why I actually want to do this. If I can ever come up with an answer better than I'm interested in it/I'm good at it/ plenty of job opportunities I will definitely make a post about that. But for now...)

This semester I am taking two core units relating to my Human Resources major (I have finished all of the marketing components until third year classes) and two electives (needed to fill up the credit points to earn my degree).

This semester I am taking:

- Introduction to Global Business (elective)

- Organisational Behaviour (core HR unit)

- Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management (elective)

- Human Resource Management- Recruitment and Selection (my online class which is a core HR unit- surprise!)

So far I think i am liking my online class the most (just kidding, but I find it the most convenient because I do the work at my own pace, which surprisingly I have been going week to week with as a regular unit). Least favourite is global business. Probably because I don't really have any previous knowledge on the subject and I feel really pressured to do well and learn all of the concepts. I will manage though, the downfall again is a lot of group work. 

Timetables are always so stressful for me. If I want a good timetable, I panic so much trying to make one and then I feel like I can never get it just right. I attend uni Tuesday mornings 9am-12pm and Wednesday mornings 10am-1pm. This isn't including the two lectures I can;t attend because they are at crappy times (4pm Thursday and 8am Friday [yeah right]).But I have it pretty good. 

One of my favourite things about a new semester at university and just being at uni in general is the opportunity to make new friends. This is the time that I really wish I wasn't a shy person and that I had a more outgoing personality. I tell a lot of people when I get talking to them that I am rely shy and most people don't even believe me. It really is a struggle to put myself out there and fake the confidence, but (and I am pretty sure that I have said this before) fake it until you make it. I don't think there's anything wrong with that and I really think it's helped me over the last year and a bit. 

In high school I was terrified of talking in front of people and couldn't manage without turning into a tomato and having a panic attack. Now, I am a lot more confident, I can make presentations and speeches. Of course I am still freaking out on the inside, but most of that sheer horror at speaking in front of anyone is kept on the inside and I am pretty proud of myself for that!

I have a love/hate relationship with uni! I think I love the opportunities that it gives me (both now and for the future), but I am just trying to make the best out of my life because I have the power to decide what I am g0ing to make of it.

Nothing (and no one) will hold me back.

As a side note I would love to mention that I was talking to my best uni friend about being an exchange student and how much I would love it. I wish I would get the opportunity but I unfortunately don't see it happening. Oh well, a girl can dream. And what would my blog be (forever dreaming) without all of these dreams.

Until next time my beautiful followers, 

Kristelle xx

Instagram: @krristelley

Food is life

Okay, so I don't know about everyone else here, but I am absolutely obsessed with food. Not just "oh this place will be good let's eat here" but to the point where basically everything I do is revolving around what I am going to eat that day (lol). Tbh I would love to know how many other people out there do this, so I don't feel so alone haha. 

I basically eat everything. There are very few things I won't eat (I don't even pretend that I'm allergic to cucumber anymore, I eat it now!). There are some things of course that I would prefer not to eat, but given the opportunity, I will still probably eat them.

So for those of you who have read some of my previous blog posts, you would know that I have made the choice to move towards a healthier lifestyle. Of course I still eat junk food, but I have been trying to get that out of my system. 

One of my favourite healthy foods are acai bowls. They are super tasty and you can basically just top them with any fruit, chai seeds, muesli, just basically anything you want. They were super quick and easy to make (and they make for a good Instagram photo haha). Here's a few of the best acai bowls I've had lately (and a quick recipe for my home made one!!). There's a wonderful place near me that makes the best acai bowls ever (and that's what these two pics are from). XS Espresso for anyone who lives in Sydney!

Simple acai recipe:

Acai smoothie pack

Raspberries/bluberries/strawberries (to blend in the puree)

Splash of almond milk

To top:

Fresh fruit (my favourites include: strawberries, passionfruit, banana, kiwi-fruit)

Any other toppings (I personally enjoy muesli and chai seeds)

And as for the method you just blend the first three things together and then pour it in a bowl. It should be a thick consistency. Then chop up all the fruit and make it look pretty on top of the acai mix :-)

Simple, easy and one of my favourites. 

 Apart from my acai love, yes I do love other things. Recently my boyfriend took me on a date to a wonderful gourmet burger place (I've been here once before, but this time was better). I had an amazing chicken snitzel burger and he had a kangaroo burger and we 'shared' chips. Not the best photo, but it was a good night! Moo Gourmet Burgers for anyone who lives in Sydney, look it up :)

 Another one of the most amazing meals I have had recently was just a random bestfriend lunch date. We went to this amazing place called Grano. They have a coffee shop version with just drinks and desserts and a restaurant next door. We were starving so naturally we went for the restaurant. (pictured above) we had a prosciutto pizza with rocket (and it was amazing) and some kind of chicken salad with their special dressing. We shared both of the foods and I am seriously still dying to go back there!

Last but not least, considering I am obsessed with food, I think you all can guess what else I may be obsessed with (yes it is grocery shopping). Doing the groceries calms me, and I find it relaxing to plan out and buy the foods I plan on eating for the next week. It is genuinely fun for me, even though I know most people hate it. 

I am always on the hunt for nice places to eat (mostly cool/cute cafes around the beaches) and I plan to make a list and visit all of these places and order something of the menu. I might make this a plan with my boyfriend considering we both love eating.

Kristelle xx

Instagram: @krristelley

Updates

So life has been pretty crazy lately. All I have seemed to be doing is working and now I'm back at university for a new semester, the stress really seems to be piling on.

Even though life is getting crazy busy again (well a different kind of busy than it has been during holidays) I am happy to say that I am at least feeling better now and want to get back into the swing of things. 

Regular routine is back! This semester I am going to be at university twice a week for three classes and I am taking a fourth unit online (only offer, but works out pretty well for me in the end anyway!) I am aiming to work about 5 times a week, workout 5-6 times a week and have regular blog posts (hopefully all about something interesting) online for you all to read :-)

I like keeping busy and having such a huge variety of things to do (and begin able to spend time with my beautiful friends) makes me happy!

I have so many exciting adventures coming up in the next few months because this half of the year is defiantly the busiest for me!

I will have a new post up soon, just wanted to quickly update you all on life and let everyone know I have a smile on my face again. Here's some happy photos to end my blog to prove that :) Also want to say how happy I am that us folk down here in Australia are in our last month of Winter! I am definitely way way too excited for it to be Summer again.

Instagram: @krristelley