Life on Instagram.

Yeow! Okay, admittedly I have been rather quiet lately haven't I? But that's most certainly not what this post will be about, how quiet life has been lately, because it feels like it's been the exact opposite! Life is going at a hundred miles an hour and I'm freaking out because it's already MAY?! Say what! Who would've thought ;)

Things are starting to cool down quite quickly now that we are moving into May and I've started piling up more layers and investing in some nice woolies to keep the cold out. I actually love this time of the year, as there's nothing more satisfying than heading out for a nice breakfast on a Saturday morning and warming up with some of the finest coffee here in Melbourne. As you can see, majority of my photos on Instagram lately have all been of hot drinks and cafes! I just can't resist a good hot drink! Some favourites include:
♥ Coffee stop at Kinfolk on Bourke Street (an incredible not-for-profit cafe! Seriously, you need to go!)
♥ Tea Two's Very Berry Fruit Tea
♥ Market Lane Coffee (very handy having this cafe just across from the markets!)
♥ And of course cannot resist a cupcake and coffee from Little Cupcakes

And I just had to throw in a cute little photo of my favourite little succulent plant that now lives on my desk at work. It's amazing how something so small and cute can just bring so much joy! If you can't tell, I'm a bit of a sucker for plants and flowers ;)

Auction Rooms.

Yesterday Neil and I decided to stop at the Auction Rooms for a breakfast date before heading out on our Saturday ritual of going to the markets. I've had many friends recommend this fantastic spot to us and we finally picked up our game and actually went. Set in the old WB Ellis auction house, this is a beautiful, quaint and very welcoming cafe. I must admit, I am extremely jealous of their incredible building and location, as the exposed brick, high ceilings and unique industrial PVC pipe lights are all things that's right up my alley of things to love in my future home.

The cafe is actually much bigger than what I expected as well. Most of our favourite cafes around town are very cute and fantastic in their own ways, but a lot of the time, they can be quite small and you aren't always guaranteed a spot. Which is why I think that Auction Rooms is such a winner! With great coffee, incredible food (we both had poached eggs, chorizo and sourdough bread - a.mazing!) and fantastic atmosphere, these are all ingredients for a top spot that we will definitely be returning to!

Mount Buffalo.

There's one thing I realise more and more...and that is I love camping!

We went on our first camping trip in Australia last weekend and I have to say it was everything we hoped for. The incredible nature, the serenity and the epic views that just take your breath away. We drove 350km after work on Friday night to get to our destination: Mount Buffalo. We definitely weren't used to the distances between places, as in New Zealand, you probably only need to drive 2-3 hours to get to your destination ;)

High in the peaks of Mount Buffalo, we set up site in the bush right next to Lake Catalina. With hundreds of hiking tracks within a 5km radius, there was plenty to keep us busy with. And not to mention, there's nothing quite like getting back to camp, starting a fire, opening up a bottle of wine and preparing for a night of feasting and cards.

This is the joys of still being quite the newbie in Victoria, there is so much exploring to be done! I hope to share many more wonderful road trips like this one with you.

Finders Keepers Market: Recap

This weekend past the all too lovely Finders Keepers market came to town and of course, anyone who loves arts, crafts and handmade designerware was there! This has only been my second time going to the market since we've been in Melbourne and I must say, I'm a fan and will forever be a visitor to this great market.

With an incredible range of stalls from homewares, jewellery, clothes, books, stationary and vintage finds, you are bound to find something to fall in love with! Neil and I headed over to the markets after work on Friday night, so I only managed to snap some photos with my phone. It doesn't do it justice, as the whole the look and feel of the hall was incredible and themed so well with the work of Meeri Anneli - there were the sweetest teepees and signposts around the place that really added to the experience.

If you didn't manage to stop by the markets, or unable to go the next one in another city, it's a great idea to head over to the Finders Keepers website and browse through the whole directory list for some online shopping! These were just a number of my favourite stalls that's worth checking out:
That Vintage l A Skulk of Foxes l Pop Plant l I Tram Melbourne l Crayon Chick l Stampel l Dan300
Bird Meets Bliss l Able and Game l Inky Co.

Adventure Time.

Well my friends, tonight has been a very exciting evening. After years of wishing and dreaming, the husband and I have finally bought our flights to New York City! For as long as we've been married we have been hoping of one day visiting New York and it is finally happening. What makes it even more special and incredible is that we will be visiting over Christmas! *gasp* PLUS we will be stopping over in San Fransisco for a week!!! I am actually so jealous of myself (is that even a thing??) I can't quite believe it's all happening ;) Both cities are in my top cities to visit in the world, so it's pretty surreal to be able to visit them BOTH in one trip!

We've already been looking into some places for accommodation and different attractions and sights that will be on our list of to-do's, but it can be a bit overwhelming as there's just too many places to look through! This is where I need your help friends...WHERE SHOULD WE GO? What should we do? Any recommendations on places or areas to stay? Have any of you visited either of these beautiful cities? It's all good reading reviews on the net, but I don't know, I seem to appreciate advise more when it's from someone I'm familiar with!

The months of planning will be quite exciting and I know it's still eight months till our trip, but I am already counting down the months ;) Also, a shout out to Hannah from Nellie and Oliver who has so kindly already passed on her awesome knowledge of New York so far!

30 Before 30.

Today is my 25th birthday (woohooo!!) and if you can't tell, I'm rather excited about it all! Turning 25 has made me realize now how close to 30 that is! And with that comes flooding in thoughts of all the things I still want to do before I am 30, so I thought of making a list and consciously try to achieve these and with that starting my 30 Before 30 list (saw this idea a while ago, check out Tabitha Emma's fantastic list here!).

30 Before 30

♥ Visit New York

♥ Have a white Christmas

♥ Run a race

♥ Attend a market as a seller

♥ Plan an overseas holiday with friends

♥ Organise a dinner party (a REAL dinner party...think 1920's dinner party)

♥ Renew our vows

♥ Buy a bike

♥ Get a bunny again

♥ Get a tattoo

♥ Have a couple's photoshoot

♥ Start a business with Neil

♥ Sell a painting

♥ Go to a cooking class

♥ Stay up all night

♥ Knit a blanket

♥ Make a quilt

♥ Go to a ballet

♥ Visit Queenstown in the winter for the snowboard season

♥ Shout someone's flights to come visit us

♥ Climb a mountain

♥ Go to the airport for a spontaneous trip and buy tickets on the first flight out

♥ Go blonde

♥ Try spearfishing

♥ Conquer my fear of heights (whether it be skydiving, bungyjumping, jumping in a hot air balloon, or going on a zip-line

♥ Get a pedicure

♥ Plan a holiday with my girls, no boys allowed!

♥ Be a part in a play (or even better, a musical!!)

♥ Sew a dress

♥ Have a baby

I know some of these will be easy to physically do, but they are just some things that I've been 'planning' for too long and never done (can I get a holla from anyone else??) so want to make more of a priority to do them.

If you have a list similar to mine and would like to share, pop them / a link to the post in the comments, would love to see them! I'm sure I'm not the only one who makes lists. Well I am off now to go enjoy the birthday celebrations! Hope you all have a wonderful and safe Easter :)