Thank Frock It's Friday! (Okay... Monday!) ♥

Hello from... my house!

After a whirlwind adventure to New Zealand, I've arrived back home. Upon stepping off the aeroplane, I was greeted by thirty degree weather (a shock comparable to a slap in the face after almost a week of freezing myself silly!), and the crushing guilt that I hadn't actually delivered Thank Frock It's Friday on, well, a Friday. I'm terribly sorry!

On the very day in question, the only internet source that I could locate in Whakatane was a tiny space in a music store, charging $2 for 10 minutes. (Rip-off alert!) NOT overly fantastic. Nevertheless! Here's my recap of the week that was... it was busy (think: five planes in six days!), mental (are family reunions usually anything but?!), hysterical and wonderful... all of which formed an excellent recipe for a superb week! :

Best. bus. EVER!

Our travels began when we flew from Sydney to Christchurch, and the plan was to immediately drive from there to Blenheim, but of course, this idea was TOTALLY thwarted once we spotted The Antarctic Centre (and their amazing Penguin Express bus!) opposite the airport. How amazing is that vehicle?! Penguins are one of my favourite animals, so I briefly entertained the idea of kidnapping it, until I was distracted by the delicious fudge creations that actually lay inside the museum. (Probably just as well!) PHWOAR! After some taste-testing and purchasing, my parents and I commenced our approximate three-hour journey into Blenheim, where we spent my 22nd birthday, my grandmother's birthday, and my father's birthday!

We went shoe shopping, visited wineries, gobbled delectable pizza and dropped into a chocolate factory (above!), until the time came a few days later for my mother and I to fly into Auckland and then Whakatane... where the madness REALLY began! My sister Caroline (or as I prefer, Schmaz or Fooly McFoolstein!) arrived the same night as we did, and honestly? She is my #1 partner in crime. Whenever we're together, we can't help but become entangled in mischief and very rarely does a second pass by when we're not laughing until it feels as though we've cracked a rib. Whakatane was the town where we spent every Christmas holiday since our births, and since we hadn't been there together for more than five years, naturally we decided to visit all of our old childhood haunts...

... and generally cause neighbours/complete strangers to look on at us with amusement horror...

Jeez. No wonder our mother sometimes pretends in public that she doesn't know us!

Family reunions and sibling hijinks aside, here's what I'm loooving this week! 

x Outstanding Customer Service - From the mega-friendly supermarket cashiers to the lovely airline staff, all in all, New Zealand's customer service standards were top-notch!

x Buying New Moon, the second instalment of the Twilight series and.. - ... hopelessly devouring it in less than six hours. I'm addicted, ADDICTED, I tell you!

x Other Little Things - Birthday wishes from the other side of the world; being coerced into trying clothing in new shades (and actually loving it!); comfy beds; fresh freesias; gleefully spritzing myself with a bunch of perfumes in the duty-free stores; slumber parties; and continuing my silly tradition of always saying ''thank-you, plane!'' at the completion of a safe flight...

♥

Okay, I know that it's only been a few days, but... it feels like it's been forever! How ARE you?! How was your week?! Tell me, as I quickly hurry off to comment on what seems like the thousands of blogs that I've missed!

xoxo