The Gorman Velvet Skirt

I tried to keep shopping to a minimum while we were on our honeymoon. It was hard! But my bags were already pretty heavy, and I only had a couple of pounds to spare for shopping before hitting the 50 pound limit. It wasn't until we got to Sydney when I started to get antsy about it. I needed to shop, and there was much shopping to do in Sydney.

I ended up getting out of there with just two new skirts. Not bad. And this high-waisted multicolored velvet one from Gorman was my splurge.

I wasn't even sure if I was going to make it out of there with anything. I loved everything at Gorman, but the different sizing kind of threw me off and I just wanted to make sure I was getting something that I couldn't get back home.

The different colors and shapes on the silk white fabric create some sort of balance for me. So many dots and zig zags. It's definitely a busy skirt, but with a fairly simple shoe and straightforward top it seems to work.

[Gorman skirt; J.Crew shirt; restyled necklace; Madewell sandals; ring from Schatzelein]

P.S. I want to buy more velvet now, like this velvet schoolboy blazer that I blogged about here. What do you think?

Me. You. New Zealand. Australia.

It feels good to be home. Thank you, Kyle, for being my partner on this amazing adventure. Up next? The rest of our lives.

[Queenstown]

[Queenstown]

[The Remarkables]

[Sydney]

Catch up on our trip to New Zealand (Auckland, Queenstown, and Dunedin) and Australia (Melbourne, Cairns, and Sydney).

Honeymoon Highlights: Sydney

Is our trip really over already? It sure is. It’s amazing how quickly a 20-day trip can fly by but still seem like a long and tiring journey at the same time. The crazy part is that Kyle and I haven’t even been married a month, but it feels like we’ve already seen so much of the world together, or at least so much of a tiny part at least.

So here’s a quick wrap-up of the last leg of our trip. First of all, Sydney is huge--a whopping 4.3 million people or so roam the city streets and surrounding neighborhoods. But the great thing is that it doesn’t really feel like a ginormous, crowded city outside of the main city center. It’s cozy, diverse, and delightful.

After a quick driving tour around the city with our group, we hopped off the bus to explore some of the quaint suburbs by foot, starting with the Paddington and Surry Hills areas. Oxford Street in Paddington is full of great local designer shops and boutiques, like Gorman, sass & bide, and World (all which I blog about and drool over in this post).

The streets were also pretty charming. I loved how well the buildings and old signage were preserved. I noticed this cute Unicorn Hotel sign and logo and snapped a quick one before realizing that it’s now a bar. It’s still really cute and the bar looked pretty hip.

I got a similar vibe after checking out this old building along Manly Beach. I love the color of the building and the fun typography.

Sydney has tons and tons of beautiful beaches along its coastline. In addition to Manly, we stopped off at Bondi Beach, one of the city’s most well known beaches and neighborhoods, just to take a peek at this tourist hot spot. It was pretty lovely, and we even spotted a small group of dolphins swimming close by.

I decided that I hadn’t had enough pastry on the trip, so we popped off at Bourke Street Bakery in Surry Hills to get our hands on some homemade lemonade and one of these macadamia nut sticky buns.

As for evening activities, we ate, a lot, and caught one stellar performance at the Opera House. I’ve always been a pretty big Nick Drake fan and Kyle was definitely familiar with and intrigued by his music, so we felt pretty lucky to catch a show featuring 10 or so artists performing a collection of his songs. Artists included Robyn Hitchcock, Vashti Bunyan, Lisa Hannigan, and then some. Each one was unique and different, and I loved hearing the various arrangements of Drake’s songs.

And I couldn’t get enough street art while we were away. We spotted this beautiful installation in between two buildings buried within the city center. The piece was called “Forgotten Songs” and it represented the various bird species that used to live and thrive in central Sydney before the Europeans settled there. The installation included recordings of the birds’ songs and you could hear each one as you stood under the cages. It was quite lovely and all the tourists passing by loved it.

And that’s a wrap. We had a beautiful time. When can we go back?

See what else we did throughout Australia in Melbourne and Cairns.

Honeymoon Highlights: Cairns

I think we’ve probably experienced every type of weather on this trip, from the cool and rainy mountainous regions of New Zealand to the warm and humid rainforest area of northern Australia. Our second-to-last stop was in Cairns (pronounced cans), which is a small tropical city located just a few kilometers from the Great Barrier Reef.

The atmosphere was just beachy with lots of young backpackers sunbathing in the city’s open park and public pool. We delighted ourselves in the same sort of laziness, but not without indulging a bit while we were there. We were sure to try some of the local beer and an ice cream cone or two from one of the city’s many gelato shops.

We had one of the best meals of the trip at a little Greek taverna called Fetta’s. Sadly, this was the only night of the trip that I didn’t feel like lugging the camera along, so I have no documentation of all the dancing, drinking, and plate smashing that took place. Needless to say, it was a pretty wonderful evening.

Thankfully I remembered to pack one lightweight, breezy dress for walking along the boardwalk. However, I did forget my hat, so I just picked this one up from one of the souvenir shops.

As for local beer, my grandfather recommended XXXX Gold, a nice light, full-flavored beer. Perfect for beach drinking.

Cairns is also full of some pretty wild street art. We spotted this giant mosaic conch shell along the boardwalk and had to snap a few.

We spent one day in Karunda, which is a small touristy type town up in the mountains. It’s full of cute souvenir shops and I was sort of tempted to buy one of these little backpacks in the shape of a kangaroo.

We also had the opportunity to check out some captive-bred koala bears and kangaroos. At first I was a little taken aback by how differently these animals interact with humans in captivity. In the wild, we weren’t allowed to get closer than 25 meters or so from the kangaroo, and even if we did they just bounced away. And the koala bears were completely still in the wild because they try their best to blend in with the trees and go unnoticed.

Not in captivity. Our guide said that most of the animals have been hand-fed and nurtured since birth, so it was slightly refreshing to know that they were used to being that close to humans. The kangaroos were hopping and lying around loose in the open wildlife area. We easily approached them and could even feed them by hand.

And I couldn’t get over the adorable koala bears. They were MUCH more active than the wild ones as they climbed around, ate, and did what looked like koala acrobatics.

We ended the day with one of those army duck rides through the rainforest and into the river. Have you ever been on an army duck? One of those giant, noisy tank looking things that can ride on the road and float on the water? We have them in Austin, and I always thought they were sort of goofy. But they are perfect for riding around in the rainforest.

See what else has been happening in Australia.

Honeymoon Highlights: Melbourne

After 9 days in New Zealand, we were pretty excited to arrive in Melbourne, our first Australian stop of the trip. We were looking forward to dressing for warmer weather and exploring three of the country’s popular cities: Melbourne, Cairns, and Sydney.

I was immediately astounded by the diversity of Melbourne. There’s so much to do, eat, and see, but sadly we didn’t have enough time to even scratch the surface. We only had two days to figure out what this city was all about, and we spent day one running around town and exploring as many neighborhoods as possible. (St. Kilda was my favorite!)

Melbourne is just full of beautiful gardens. I love how Australians embrace the natural beauty of almost every city. We paid a visit to Fitzroy Gardens just on the edge of the city center and caught a glimpse of dozens of blooming orchids in the park’s conservatory.

I was so excited to try the coffee going into this trip. A few friends back home kept telling me how wonderful all the coffee drinks and sweets can be. I finally ordered my first iced coffee in Melbourne, assuming I was just ordering a plain black iced coffee. Apparently I was not. I was pleasantly surprised as I was presented a milky iced drink with a giant lump of ice cream in it.

One of the biggest reasons we didn’t have enough time to explore Melbourne is because we’d signed up for a savannah walkabout to explore some of Australian wildlife. I didn’t really know what to expect because I’ve never been on a safari or anything like that. But let me tell you—this was awesome. Seeing wild koalas, emu, and kangaroo in their natural environment was way too much fun. The koalas were especially fun to look for in the trees. They blend in so well! We spotted 5 of them, which is apparently way more than these tour groups usually spot in one day.

 

And the kangaroo mobs were just gorgeous. We couldn't approach them directly, but we were able to walk alongside them in the open grassy area so we were only about 25 meters away.

We saw more captive-bred kangaroo and koalas in Cairns and the experience was completely different. More about that in my next post!

Honeymoon Highlights: Dunedin

Our last New Zealand stop was in Dunedin, the country’s second largest city and home to thousands of college students. In addition to beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean, the city is full of historic Victorian-style homes.

On our way to Dunedin we stopped at a cute little fruit stall by an apple orchard along the side of the highway. 

As soon as we arrived, we drove about an hour outside of the main city center to reach the peninsula. We read about the Royal Albatross, admired the sea gulls, and made fun of the rabbits, which happen to be serious pests in this region.

Not exactly a photo of Dunedin, but I picked up this sugar packet over breakfast and thought it was too cute not to share. 

Stay tuned for quick recaps of Melbourne, Cairns, and Sydney!

P.S. You can see what else we've been up to in New Zealand by reading my highlights from Queenstown and Auckland. 

Honeymoon Highlights: Queenstown

After a quick stop in Auckland we headed to the South Island for a four-day stay in Queenstown, an uber-popular outdoor adventure destination. The city rests along the coast of a gorgeous lake and amidst one of the most remarkable mountain ranges and countryside. We spent our time oogling at baby lambs and sheep as we drove by, cruising along a fjord, eating savory meat and veggie pies, and lounging away in cafes drinking beer and coffee, lots and lots of coffee.

The views along the rocky beach just outside of the downtown area were perfectly picturesque. The water was consistently calm and I love how we could still see snow on the mountain tops.

There’s a popular burger joint in Queenstown called Fergburger. Next door to Fergburger is Ferg Bakery where we found yummy sweets and the most perfect pot pies. The crust was the flakiest thing I’ve ever tasted. And the innards were full of the yummiest veggies. Ugh. I wish I’d eaten more of these. They were absolutely delicious.

The day after we arrived took a three-hour excursion out to Milford Sound to cruise amongst the fjords and experience some of the beauty of the South Island. Even though it rained quite a bit, we were lucky enough to see so many gorgeous waterfalls up close.

I stumbled upon Frankie magazine in one of the cafes and fell in love with the Australian perspective on art, fashion, life, and culture. I can’t wait to get my hands on another copy.

We took a ride on this 100-year-old steam ship to a small ranch house where we ate and learned about the wool industry.

One of the farmers even sheared a sheep right in front of us. Lots and lots of wool those sheep can grow. Is it weird that all I want to do is cuddle with one? I think I miss my poodle.

Check out more New Zealand highlights here and here. 

Style Post: Polka Dots in Auckland

Hello, hello. We’ve only been out of the country for a few days and I already feel a bit “empty” without all of the hustle and bustle of blogging, tweeting, etc. Perhaps “calm” would be a better word to describe the feeling. Either way, it’s a bit weird being so disconnected. Thankfully I’m able to get an Internet fix here and there, just enough to publish a couple of posts about the honeymoon so far. 

We were welcomed in New Zealand with a bottle of champagne and cozy hotel room in Auckland. But we only had one night to spend in the lively city, so we made the most of it and headed straight down to the waterfront to feast on some seafood.

Packing for the trip was terribly confusing. I knew temperatures were going to be completely different in New Zealand and Australia due to varying climates. I basically needed to pack for spring (read wet, cool, and cloudy) and summer (read warm and probably sweaty). We’ve yet to experience much besides the cooler temperatures and rain, which is why I’m oh so glad I brought my trench coat along. I’ve had ample opportunity to put this garment to good use over the last week or so.

The waterfront in Auckland is full of bars, pubs, and a couple of casually swanky restaurants. I was in the mood for scallops and Kyle craved lamb, so good thing we were in a country where both are easy to come by.

[Madewell shirt, jeans, and clutch (last seen here); Urban Outfitters flats; Banana Republic trench coat; Michael Kors watch (gift from Kyle)]

After nine days in New Zealand, we finally made it to Australia. And the best part is that the trip isn’t even halfway over yet. I can’t wait to share more highlights from the cities we’ve visited so far, and the wedding!

Style Post: Minty Fresh

Right now Kyle and I are in Los Angeles. Our flight for New Zealand leaves around 11 p.m. and we're just passing the time by hanging out with Kyle's dear friends, some who we even just saw at the wedding!

The weather is cool and crisp here. I was so tempted to pack all my favorite layering pieces for our 1-day stay. Too bad layers aren't exactly fitting for the Australia/New Zealand summer. But I've got one more fall fashion post for you before I go on another binge full of denim cut-off shorts, strappy sandals, and loose, light-weight tops.

I wore this outfit a couple of weeks ago right before the wedding, just when it started to feel like fall in Austin. It was 55 or so degrees early in the morning and my mint blue wooly sweater was just begging to be worn. I immediately took advantage of this opportunity to actually dress for fall in Texas. So off with a wool sweater, jeans, and boots I went.

Along with my cripsy clean minty fresh sweater, I sported a brand new do. I had just paid a visit to my hair stylist to get my locks in tip-top shape for the wedding. We went with a light trim and a darker, richer shade of brown. Finally a good hair day.

 

All the clutches I own are pretty casual, so I knew I needed something more versatile that I could use day or night. I thought this metallic gold one from Madewell would go with any casual or evening look. Plus, it's shimmery.

[J.Crew sweater and shirt; Madewell jeans, booties (last seen here), and clutch; Tiffany's necklace (old gift from mom)]

Thanks for sticking with me while I'm "out of the office." Stay tuned for a few outfit, food, and adventure posts from Australia and New Zealand!

P.S. We're still taking recommendations for places to go, eat, and shop while we're over here!

Goodie Bags

Kyle and I are starting to plan for our honeymoon. If I had any brains at all I would take advantage of my girl Laurel, personal stylist at Trophy Boutique. What I would do to have someone help me sort, pack, and pre-style each and every item of clothing I bring on this trip. But sadly, there just isn't any time to even think about packing until the day before we leave. Oops!

One thing Kyle and I HAVE done already to prepare for the trip is purchase some brand new (and matching) suitcases. I know, I know--that probably sounds pretty cutesy. But we both needed super functional and affordable suitcases and everything we've owned until now is old, broken, or just plain worn out. So we picked up a couple of basic black 4-wheel rolling suitcases. They are way too functional to be cute, so I'm not inspired to post a pic on the blog yet. But all the suitcase shopping got me excited to find some extra cute luggage for those trips when fabulous AND functional are top priorities.

The Cutest of Carry-Ons

Swedish company Fjallraven makes the cutest darn bags for travel and backpacking. These little mini day packs would make such a perfect carry-on or everyday purse if you're going for a casual look. And they come in so many fun colors, like this lovely teal green. If you're in Austin and want to check one out in person, I know Bows + Arrows carries several sizes and colors in this day pack.


Solid and Sporty

One of my oldest bags is a Le Sport sac duffle. I bought it in 2005 and still use it to this very day. I even took it with me on a 70-day road trip during college. That's how tough this sucker is. It's definitely worn, but Le Sport Sac bags last! That's why this rounded duffle would be more than perfect for the simple and sporty traveler.


Handsome and Vintage

I knew I'd find some good stuff over in J.Crew men's accessories. Love, love, love this classic leather bag. It's simple and looks like something Don Draper would take on a short trip.


Heavy Duty

And now for the behemoth of luggage--the 22 inch Swaine Adeney Brigg trolley suitcase. It's actually not that big of a suitcase. But the meticulous construction and craftsmanship certainly calls for the hefty price tag. I don't think I would ever check this bag on a plane though. I'd take it along on a cruise or a fancy four-day getaway.


Do you have a favorite piece of luggage that you like to travel with?

One Day We'll Be Honeymooning

Kyle and I are VERY excited about our honeymoon. It will be our first international getaway without family accompanying us. It will also be our first time visiting this part of the world. Can you guess where we're headed?

Australia and New Zealand!

(Looks like New Zealand didn't make it into the little heart, but I'm just as excited to visit, I promise!) We get to explore this beautiful region of the world for 20 days. 20 days! We'll be trekking (via airplane) through six different cities. When we first found the trip we thought it was going to be jam-packed with various excursions. That combined with all the traveling between cities sounded like a lot--maybe too much. But I've ALWAYS wanted to visit New Zealand and it almost seems like a waste to go all the way over there and NOT do and see as much as possible. So, we're doing as much as we possibly can. But in addition to furiously exploring six cities, we'll have several days of downtime when we can relax and mosey about each city at a leisurely pace. 

So one question I have for my Australia- and New Zealand-based readers is how can Kyle and I make the most of this trip? Aside from enjoying our first couple of weeks as husband and wife, our main goals are to eat and drink well, see some beautiful things, and try to enjoy life as the locals do. 

Here's a taste of our itinerary:

Auckland (1 day)

- I'm sure we'll be absolutely dead after our flight from states, but the exploring and sightseeing will begin just as we arrive in Auckland, starting with a 4-hour city tour and dinner cruise.

Queenstown (4 days)

- The next few days we'll be in Queenstown where we'll enjoy a cruise on a fjord, a scenic tour on a cruise, and a picnic. We also have two full days to explore the city on our own, so this is where your recommendations come in!

Dunedin (2 days)

- This leg of the trip was originally scheduled for Christchurch, but our hotel is still undergoing repairs after the earthquake earlier this year. 

Melbourne (2 days)

- I've heard many wonderful things about Melbourne, so I'm slightly disappointed that we only have two days there! However, I'm very excited about the savannah walkabout because we get to meet some kangaroos! 

Cairns (3 days)

- After a bout with kangaroos, we get to visit Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef. Coral gardens, rainforests, and wildlife swim--it should be lovely. 

Sydney (4 days)

- And last, but not least, Sydney. This final leg will be full of sightseeing and hopefully plenty of eating to soak up as much of our honeymoon as possible before heading home. 

I can't wait to start packing for this vacation (what am I going to wear?) But first things first--the wedding. 

Again, please comment with any travel tips and recommendations you may have for our trip! 

UPDATE: I've posted recaps of each city that we visited and added links to those blog posts above!