Creating Holiday Memories at Home

I have some very exciting news to share with you all! I was recently invited to become a Brand Ambassador for the gorgeous UK wall interiors group,  Graham & Brown. Of course I said yes straight away - as I am building a house, I had already stumbled across some of the gorgeous Wallpaper Graham & Brown has on offer in my many hours spent researching decor for our new home. So I am super thrilled to be working with the talented team and be able to share with you my favourite designs and decorating inspirations on a monthly basis.

Some background on the company - Founded in 1948 by Harold Graham and Henry Brown, the brand has grown with it's customers and offers fashion-forward designs across 4 continents and 65 countries throughout the world. Wallpaper, Kids Decor, Wall Art, Paint and Home Accessories are items that Graham and Brown specialise in and everything they do, they do it well!

Each month I will be sharing my ideas and thoughts on a particular design trend, as a part of Graham & Brown's Year in Design initiative. This month, I am exploring the 'Horizon' trend. Nature is a big influencer in a lot of people's decor, and personally, I love to create subtle reminders of special vacations and trips within our home.

As we were married in Hawaii at the beginning of the year, the Hawaiian Islands hold a very special place in our hearts. If I ever find a Hawaiian scented body wash, candle, soap - you name it - I will most likely purchase it as a little daily reminder of our magical trip.

When I spied the Honolulu Palm Wallpaper by designer Julien MacDonald, I was in love.

"This ultra hip palm leaf wallpaper design hits the tropical fashion trend of the moment, this gorgeous design is very versatile allowing you to create real drama with the darker colourways or a more subtle effect with the neutrals. With a glittering background and metallic embellishments to the leaf it's got to be the hottest look of the season. This statement wallpaper design in palm green, white and metallic looks fabulous on all four walls, or if you prefer you can use as a feature or parallel wall utilising the Disco white design as the coordinate. This design would look perfect in any room of your home, and better still so you can spend less time decorating and more time relaxing we've produced the collection using our paste the wall technology which means it's far easier to hang and remove, so what are you waiting for embrace your inner glitter" 

 Given that our new house is still a month or two away from being finished, I am going to create a mood board based around this amazing wallpaper. I could see this statement wallpaper as a feature in a guest bedroom or even to make a Home Office feel fun, cheerful and inviting.

{from top left and clockwise}

Honolulu Palm Green Wallpaper, Graham & Brown

Map Printed Canvas, Graham & Brown

The World Wall Art, Graham & Brown

MAP Shaped Letters, Graham & Brown

Our Wedding, Kualoa Ranch, Ashley Goodwin Photography

Aloha Pillow (already owned), Target

Oahu Candle, Glasshouse Fragrances

My Hawaiian Memories...

Disney's Aulani Resort, Hawaii

During our recent trip to Hawaii, we stayed at Disney's Aulani Resort and Spa,  which is located in Ko Olina, on the leeward coast of Oahu. If you haven't gathered by now, I am a bit of a Disney Girl and kid at heart, and love all things Disney. Luckily, my Husband is also a kid at heart and has as much fun as I do exploring Disney's creations around the world. 

While researching our trip, I looked into other hotels as resorts as a bit of a 'due diligence', but always knew we would end up staying at Aulani. I will run through the pros and cons of staying at this Heaven on Earth, general tips, what we got up to and of course - photos! 

Resort Information and History
Aulani means "messenger of the chief" and opened on the shores of Ko Olina in 2011. Aulani celebrates Hawaiian culture, history and traditions while adding a touch of subtle Disney Magic to the everyday resort happenings. The resort spans over 21 acres on the edge of a private lagoon and you truly feel like you are in your own little paradise. With Ko Olina Golf Course across the road, as well as a selection of shops and restaurants, there is plenty to keep you occupied within the area.
A variety of rooms are available, from standard studio styles to family suites. Rooms are on the side of pricey, starting at just under $400 USD a night, but if you keep an eye out on the Aulani website, deals like these pop up all the time. We stayed in a 1 Bedroom suite over looking the resort pools and ocean (view from our balcony is displayed in the picture above) and it was absolutely stunning (not to mention bigger than our current apartment...).
Aulani is a decent car ride out of Waikiki. If you are after a fast-paced holiday, nightspots to go out to and shopping centres, Aulani is probably not the resort for you. It is easy enough to spend the day in Waikiki and get your tourist and shopping fix, but probably not quite the same as just 'popping out' if you are staying in Waikiki. If you are after a true, relaxing vacation, then I would highly suggest looking into this resort.

View from across the road

Our Hawaiian Wedding

Aloha!

Those of you that know me, know that I am recently married. My Hubby and I had a a very short engagement and decided to do things slightly different to the 'traditional' wedding. Hubby and I have always had an open communication line about our wedding, even before we were engaged. I have never been a big 'wedding' girl, and although I love attending weddings and celebrating love, I had never fantasised about 'my day' and all that comes with it, I just dreamed of actually being married.

After many, many talks, run throughs of several different scenarios, we decided on what we felt was perfect for us, and like to call a 'Backwards Wedding'. The ceremony part of our wedding was done in private (just the two of us) on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii. So in essence, yes we eloped. Prior to our departure to Hawaii, we had what the majority of our guests thought was our 'Engagement Party' (one in Western Australia and one in Victoria to cater for all of our loved ones), and we surprised everyone with our wedding news on the night. As you would imagine, we were faced with a room of many stunned and shocked faces, tears, laughs and cheers. Our engagement - turned - wedding celebrations were some of the best nights of our lives, and we wouldn't change a thing for the world.

When the news broke, many of my girlfriends had the same questions. Are you wearing a wedding dress? Do you have a photographer? Are you getting married on the beach?!!? You are SO not a beach girl... Do you have a minister?  What about your hair?? Makeup?! How did you organise it? and the most frequent of course was: Why??! When you hear the word 'Elope', many minds turn straight to a runaway bride, Vegas, bad photographs and unhappy families. Before sharing some of our beautiful photos (which in themselves manage to diminish all preconceived ideas on eloping) I thought I would answer these questions and explain how eloping doesn't have to involve some guy dressed as Elvis.

Did you wear a wedding dress?

Yes. I am not a Princess dress type gal, and was always going to choose something sleek and classic. I turned straight to one of my favourite Australian Designers, LOVER and fell in love with the Marianne Dress. I ordered it in a heartbeat and luckily it fit like a glove and was perfect. Yes - this is a very 'simple' dress in terms of a wedding dress - but it is 'me'.

Did you have a photographer?

UMMMM... Yes.  Photos are very important to me (my iPhoto catalogue could easily tell you that) and I pretty much like to document everything. Many people don't know this, but we changed our wedding date to suit our photographer. I am the type of person that researches everything to the absolute core. Planning a Disney vacation? I became a Disney expert. Buying a bed? I became a bed expert. Getting married in Hawaii? I became a Hawaiian Wedding Photographer expert.  Many, many hours were spent researching and stalking other people's Hawaiian weddings, and guys, I found the Holy Grail. Ashley Goodwin is beyond amazing, and if you know anyone planning on getting married in Hawaii, recommend her one thousand times over.

Did you get married on the beach?

That would be a no. Not that there is anything wrong with getting married on the beach - I think it is beautiful! But as my friends pointed out, I am not the quintessential beach girl by any means. I am pale, don't really like the sun with out a hat and love heels. Again, I researched quite possible every wedding location on every Hawaiian Island. And settled on the amazingness that is Kualoa Ranch (and I promise it's not just because Jurassic Park was filmed there...). Photos do not do this place justice at all. We were absolutely dwarfed by the landscape and our breath was literally taken away. There are several venues to choose from on the ranch, and we decided on Hale Moli'i. For those movie fans reading along - it is the location of Kate Hudson's wedding in You, Me and Dupree. Anyway.  It can be quite tricky finalising the details of your wedding via the www, and Heather at Kualoa Ranch was more than helpful and patient when I was deliberating between two different locations.

Did you have a minister?

Yes, our Wedding Planner (which I will get to in a moment) matched us with the most perfect Wedding Celebrant. Kahu Bruce gave us a truly spiritual, meaningful and personal ceremony, with elements of Hawaiian culture and tradition tied in. I couldn't recommend him more.

Did you have your hair and makeup done?

Of course! It was my wedding day and I wanted to look my best. I found Leslie Fair after (surprisingly...) extensive research and knew she was the gal for me. Leslie is the sweetest and really listened to what I wanted in terms of my look, and I also trusted her input and suggestions.

How did you organise it?

If you haven't guessed by now, I am a Type-A personality and like to have everything organised and researched to the tee. There were some things with a Destination Wedding that I wasn't 100% comfortable in organising myself, so enlisted the help of the amazing Kibby from Oahu Wedding. This was seriously the best money we spent in regards to our wedding, and having Kibby there to help us prior to and on our day was amazing. She organised flowers, Kahu Bruce, coordinated our vendors, transport, wedding licence meeting and also supplied us with a time line of events for our day. She was such a darling and could not recommend her and the rest of the girls at Oahu Wedding more.

Why??

This is a very personal question with a very personal answer, but in a nutshell, it is what we felt was right for us. It had nothing to do with our families not getting along or disapproving of our marriage, it is quite the opposite in fact. If eloping is something you and your Fiance are considering, the best advice I have for you is to block out all outside noise and decide what is important to you as a couple, and to do it for the right reasons.

Now! Time for the photos. As mentioned earlier - all photos were taken by Ashley Goodwin. Enjoy!!

Tokyo DisneySea | Japan Travel Diary, Part Five

Tokyo DisneySea is perhaps the best Disney Park in the world. The Magic Kingdom-like parks are my favourite as they are quintessentially Disney, but TDS is the most detailed, perfectly executed park I have visited. Each land has a different and unique feel and themed down to the last grain of sand. You truly feel like you have been transported the one of the pages in a Jules Verne book, or down to the mysterious fathoms below with Ariel and King Triton. 

In this post I will be giving you a rundown of the park as it is so different to all other Disney Parks worldwide, as well as our 'plan of attack' and what we loved. Again - this post will be very photo heavy - but how could it not be with SO much beauty. 

King Triton's gorgeous castle. 

The entrance to Tokyo DisneySea at dusk. 

Selfie with Mt Prometheus

Tokyo Disneyland : Japan Travel Diary, Part Four

Experiencing a new Disney Park for the first time is perhaps more exciting than all of your Christmases combined. Adventuring into the unknown, but also feeling like you are right at home is such a unique and special feeling that only the magic of Disney has managed to create. 

Tokyo Disneyland has long been touted as a carbon-copy of Magic Kingdom park in Orlando. I couldn't disagree more. Yes, they both have the amazing Cinderella's Castle as the beautiful centrepiece, and some similar lands and attractions, but that in my opinion, that is where the similarities end. Tokyo Disneyland stands on her own two feet, and the fact that I was proposed to in front of this beautiful castle may have left me slightly biased - but dare I say, I like it better than than the Florida version.

So much beauty

A successful day at TDL require some planning, research and dedication. Yes - you can just rock up to the park after opening hours and cruise around, but if you are a big Disney Parks fan and expect to experience all of the attractions, that wont work. Basically if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail (thanks Hubby for that quote haha). In this post, I will go through the plan of attack we used for our first day at TDL, and any little tips we picked up along the way. This will be a very photo-heavy post, so don't say you haven't been warned! 

it's a small world

Tokyo Disney Resort : Japan Travel Diary, Part Three

"I only hope we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse" - Walt Disney

Disney. This to me is a symbol of happiness, joy & magic. I don't love it because it 'takes me back to my childhood' or makes me feel like a kid again. It just makes me happy. Plain and simple. Watching a Disney Film or entering a Disney Park is like swallowing a happy pill. The smile doesn't leave my face & nothing is wrong with the world for those hours spent within Walt's magical creations.
My Bucket list basically consists of visiting every Disney Park in the World (standing at 6/11 currently, hubby at 2/11...guess I'll just have to revisit a few. Shame!), seeing an Orca in the wild and that is about it. Adventurous, I know. This Japan Travel Diary instalment will cover the first initial stages of getting to Tokyo Disney Resort, Ticketing, Hotels and the basics. I will go into the Parks in depth in posts to come.

Hubby enjoying the Mad Hatter's Tea Party

We spent 5 days at Tokyo Disney Resort, which consists of 2 parks (Disneyland & DisneySea), 3 Disney Hotels, a Shopping area 'Ikspiari ', as well as 6 Official Disney Hotels. The Tokyo Disney Resort website is in Japanese, but translates fairly well to English in most sections.

Getting there
Hubby & I travelled from Osaka to TDR on the Shinkasen (Bullet Train). As I assume most people will arrive at Tokyo (Narita) Airpot, I won't go into this too much, except to say that it was a very easy & enjoyable experience. Very little English is spoken in Japan, with many not understanding a single word, so be prepared to become an expert in charades or learn some of the language yourself. We purchased tickets for the Shinkasen at the Shin-Osaka station and found our platform with ease. All train stations and airports have some English signage (numbers and text). If given the chance, a Shinkasen trip is definitely worth experiencing at least once in your life. It is super smooth & much more comfortable than a plane and regular trains.

Typical station signage. I love that the TDR poster is in the foreground. That wasn't even intentional.

We took the Shinkasen to Tokyo Station, which is the heart of the Tokyo train lines. It is big, fast, and if you don't know what to look for, confusing. It really pays to do your research prior to arriving at this station just in case you are unable to locate someone that speaks English. It was a fair hike to the next platform we needed to be at, and I highly suggest investing in good quality baggage with a spinning wheel system, as there are A LOT of escalators/stairs/lifts where you need to think quick and enter & exit swiftly.

JR Keiyo Line is the one you need to look for if traveling to TDR via train. It is red (all lines are coded with a different colour and if you know what colour you need to follow, the whole process is very easy), and is located 4 stories below ground. Tokyo Disney Resort's Station is named Maihama, and is about 15 minutes out of central Tokyo. Once you have spotted that on the overhead screens you know you are on the home stretch!

Gateway to where dreams come true

Osaka & Universal Studios : Japan Travel Diary Part Two

My Husband & I love a theme park. The rides, the atmosphere and the contagious feeling of absolute happiness is something I haven't found anywhere else. I have visited a few in my time (it's tricky for us Aussies as we have only a few small ones here!) and like to incorporate them into overseas travels when possible.

Hogwarts Castle at USJ

Arriving in Osaka
We flew Cathay Pacific (highly recommend) via Hong Kong from Perth & it was a hassle free & enjoyable (well, as enjoyable as a long haul flight can be), as most flights to a holiday destination tend to be. We arrived at Kansai Airport, Osaka around 9pm and reached our hotel (Hilton Osaka) by 11pm. We were up at 3am (there is only 1 hour time difference between Perth and Japan) so suffice to say we were ready for our bed!

Super tired faces at 7am

Kansai Airport is about an hour from Osaka City Centre, and I would recommend taking a 'Limo Bus'. They are easy and take you to many different hotel destinations around the city. They run regularly (every 20 minutes or so) and cost 1550 Yen per person. The stops are easily identifiable directly outside the airport, and if you research which line you need to take, all you need to do is look for the correct number.  A taxi is quite expensive, and although the rail system in Japan is amazing, you have to transfer, and doing that with luggage after a long day of travelling is not always the best idea.

Japan Travel Diary : Part One

In October last year my Husband & I (then Boyfriend!) took a trip to Japan. The first thing that people asked me was 'Are you skiing?!' 'No, we are going to Disney' I would say and look forward to their confused looks in response. Truth was, we did go to Disney, but we also travelled to Osaka & Tokyo City. The Disney portion of the trip was what I was excited by the most.

**sigh!**

New York State of Mind

New York City has been on the mind since NYFW started last week. I was lucky enough to travel there a few years back now, and I think a second trip will have to be on the cards in the coming year or two. I love this city so much.

Below is a bit of a photo diary from my time spent there. I hope you enjoy.

  

  

empire state cheese.

holly golightly's stoop. 

halloween in the states is crazy! they celebrate it so much more than we do in australia. 

the met.

times square on a gloomy evening after viewing 'chicago' on broadway. 

yum.

times square madness

the best ever.

top of empire state.

simply breathtaking.

sisters three xx

these are too fun not to include. 

Add caption

beautiful bryant park

lunch.

view.

sisters.

JL.

notes:

trip taken in the middle of october.

all photos taken on canon powershot by brooke. 

xx