Tahitian Girl

This beautiful Tahitian wedding shoot epitomises everything that made me fall in love with Tahiti :- tropical flowers, perfect white sand, coconut palms hung with hammocks gently swaying in the breeze, jewel coloured waters, thatched huts, friendly locals and a simple, relaxed way of life. After looking forward to this trip for so long I am hoping it lives up to expectations!

Tropical Feast

Whilst in Bora Bora I am looking forward to eating plenty of fresh, local seafood. I've been dreaming of buckets of prawns, piles of scallops and freshly caught fish. I also love tropical fruit such as mangoes, pineapples, bananas and paw paw. I love the fantastic colours of a tropical fruit platter and the tangy taste. I'm also a big fan of the humble coconut and love it in everything from coconut prawns to ice-cream and Pina Coladas! It's also great just picked off the tree and split open - it tastes particularly refreshing when the flesh is eaten chilled. This Donna Hay photo shoot set on the Cook Islands has some lovely easy summer tropical inspired recipes.

Most images via Donna Hay magazine

Tropical Jewel

I'm off to Tahiti in a couple of weeks and I've been doing some last minute bikini shopping over the Easter break. I love the Seafolly range with all of their mix and match styles in jewel bright colours. I love the white bikinis with the blue Hibiscus flower on Jessica Hart. I thought these would look fabulous for lounging poolside, cocktail in hand!  

Images via Seafolly

 

Let The Sun Shine

I am looking forward to a carefree, relaxed weekend - getting out and making the most of the long days before Daylight Savings ends on Sunday. I am planning on spending the weekend barefoot on the beach, a game of beach cricket might be in order or perhaps a horse ride along the beach . But then again, I might just be feeling too lazy to do anything too energetic so I'll just lie in the sun and soak up a few rays. The rest of my time will be spent drinking chilled chardonnay with some friends on our sun drenched deck thinking about what to throw on the barbeque. I might whip up a few tasty morsels like some barbeque spare ribs finishing off with grilled summer fruits and ice-cream.  

 

Fun in the Sun

Sunny, beach days are slipping away - it's getting darker earlier and crisper in the mornings. The holiday makers have departed our pretty coastal town leaving the locals in peace and quiet for the autumn and winter months. It's this time of the year that I am desperate to make my summer last as long as possible so I make the most of every sunny day. Today promises to be a perfect beach day so the kids and I will arm ourselves with beach towels, beach bags, sunscreen and magazines and head to the beach for an afternoon of fun in the sun. We'll come back sandy and salty with sun kissed skin feeling very pleased with ourselves!

 

Escape to Paradise

I am very excited ...today I booked a 12 day vacation to Bora Bora, Tahiti. This has been a dream destination for as long as I can remember so it really is going to be a once in a lifetime holiday. I started collecting brochures and making enquiries with travel agents five years so I can hardly believe I am actually going. The best thing about waiting so long is that the pricing has dropped substantially so we can now afford 4 nights in a overwater bungalow and 4 nights in a beach bungalow. With the rest of the time being  spent in transit and Papeete. I am so looking forward to the amazing scenery, perfect weather, luxury accommodation, warm water and the French Polynesian cuisine. As we are going in May, I now have a 12 week count down to get myself into shape so I look Gisele below (although I fear that will take a little longer than that). I also have to start shopping for  my tropical resort wardrobe for the trip before all the summer fashion disappears from the shops. I think half the fun of a trip is in the planning!

Australia Day

Today is Australia Day - it's the middle of summer and a public holiday so the best way to celebrate is to gather some friends, fire up the barbecue, kick back for the afternoon and enjoy the sunshine. Whip up a pavlova and top it with fresh strawberries and cream, make some homemade lamingtons and serve up some mini meat pies topped with an 'aussie' flag. It might not be the most sophisticated of parties but it will sure to be a load of fun. Go on, throw another prawn on the barbie!

An aussie style boatshed

Food images via Donna Hay

If you are feeling energetic here a few ideas to host an extra special Australia Day beach barbecue. Send out some red, white and blue invitations. Fill up some big ice buckets with cold drinks, hang the Australian flag from the balcony, hand out pairs of thongs with Aussie gift tags to your guests, bundle up knives and forks with a serviette and tie them with red and white striped ribbon. It's amazing how much more fun your friends with have if you put in that little bit of extra effort!  

  

Images via styleguide.com