26 days and counting...

Have you ever been so excited for something that it is all you ever think about? I am currently in one of those phases.

Every year since Grade 5, a bunch of my friends and I have been going up to Bathurst for a Mother/Daughter Horse riding weekend at a property owned by one of my moms best friends. This year marks the 7th year, so it is basically a tradition now. Every year I get more and more excited about it and this year I feel like I am about to explode! I am so ecstatic about this you have no idea!!! This year's weekend is scheduled for the 10th & 11th of March. 26 days and counting...

The group that goes with us has shrunk to about 10 girls and their mothers, so in total there are about 18 of us (there are two sets of twins, me and Em being one, and therefore two less mothers). It is nice that it is small and I only ever see most of the girls once a year when we go on this weekend. It is always a really fun weekend. We go horse riding about four times over the two days and the rest of the time is spent swimming, chilling in the spa, watching Disney Channel and Nickelodeon (Suite Life On Deck and Spongebob are our ultimate faves), feeding the ducks/pigs/horses/sheep etc., laughing, talking, roasting marshmallows, creating new and delicious culinary creations (last time we made "Smoreos" which are pretty self-explanatory), taking photos and videos, wearing our pyjamas and ugg boots.... a lot, singing, playing Truth or Dare, dancing, playing foosball, playing pool/billiards, playing table tennis, playing actual tennis with a giant mushroom and occasionally a tennis ball, freezing our asses off in the winter weather, getting dizzy on the tire swing, being loud (we scream rather than speak to each other because we are hyperactive and full of sugar) and eating junk food galore! As you can see it is jam-packed and totally fun!

It is always nice to get out of the city, put everything on hold and escape out to the country. An added bonus about rural New South Wales is that I get hardly any phone reception, so no one can contact me, disturb my peace and disrupt all the fun that I am having.

I have been friends with these girls since primary school, so I definitely cherish their friendship and don't want to lose contact with them. Well, most anyway. One of the girls we go with is my ex-best friend and we can't not invite her because most of us are still good friends with her twin sister. Talk about dilemma, right? If I didn't have to invite her, I wouldn't but seeing as I have to, I just have to make do, mostly by just ignoring her, which is pretty much what I did during the last year of our friendship before our fallout. Oh, snap. Nevertheless, it is still awkward. Last time, she kept trying to talk to me which makes it hard for me to stick to my whole "ignore her" plan. I'm hoping this year will go smoothly with zero awkward encounters... or zero encounters period. I actually had a dream the other night that she dived across the couch and strangled me in front of everyone and I completely flipped out and was screaming to everyone about how crazy she was. Lets hope that doesn't happen. But, in the off chance that it does, I now know how to react to it (thank you sub-conscience).


I'll post some pictures and tell you my stories when I get back.

          

Around the world; France.

As a self-confessed world traveller/travelaholic I thought I should make some posts on here about some of the divine places that I have been lucky enough to visit during my 16 years. I am fortunate enough to have parents who take me and my siblings overseas almost every year, to amazing places unlike anywhere I have ever been before.

One of my absolute favourite places that I have been to has to be France. It is such a beautiful country full of the most incredible little towns and the people are so nice. My favourite cities in France are Auxerre and of course, Paris.

Auxerre
Auxerre is a small, medieval town located in North-Central France. My family and I visited it when we were driving from Paris to Switzerland. It is the cutest little town I have ever been to! It is like some of the little towns in Tuscany, Italy which is all the more reason to love it! The locals, Auxerrois as they are known, were also incredibly kind and friendly which is always really nice when you are travelling in a foreign country. I definitely want to go back one day, preferably when I am fluent in French!

Paris
Paris was amazing too, but on another level. Paris is a big, busy city and the architecture is absolutely breathtaking. All the buildings are of a similar style and they are just beautiful. It was said that Hitler refused to bomb Paris during World War II because it was such a beautiful city, and once you have been there, you can totally understand where he is coming from. One of the things I noticed was that the Parisians dress very elegantly. They look classy no matter what, which makes it harder for the rest of us. No wonder it is a city celebrated for its fashion designers.

These are some of my favourite places in Paris:

Ladurée
Ladurée is a must-visit during your stay in Paris. Their macaroons are to die for! It is pretty popular so there may be a queue, but let me tell you that it is completely worth the wait! Even just being in the shop is amazing. Their deserts are so perfectly made, it is almost a shame to eat them. But luckily, they taste better than they look, if that is even possible. I highly advise getting some caramel, chocolate and raspberry macaroons, ils sont fabuleux!! You may gain a few kilos, but it is totally worth it! 

The Musée de Louvre
Located on the Right Bank of the Seine, the Louvre is pretty much in the heart of Paris. The building in itself is a work of art. It echos the architectural style of the city and therefore doesn't look out of place or like an eyesore. The art inside it is some of the most famous and most beautiful in the world. Some of the paintings and sculptures date back hundreds of years which is incredible to think that they are showcased today and people still want to see them. My favourite piece was the Victoire de Samothrace (Winged Victory of Samothrace). To me, it stood out from the rest and is by far my favourite piece of art ever. It is at the top of a staircase which is at the end of a hallway and from the second I saw it 500 metres away from me, I was drawn to it. It is so detailed and powerful. All you Audrey fans may recognise it from her movie Funny Face.

The Champs-Elysées
Perhaps one of the most well-known shopping streets in Paris, the Champs-Elysées does not disappoint. The street is full of life and all the shops are worth having a look at. The added bonus about the Champs-Elysées is the fact that the Arc de Triomphe is at the end. The Arc is definitely worth walking all the way down the street for. It is so intricately decorated and surprisingly bigger than you might expect. 

Et voilà, my favourite places in France! I highly recommend visiting these two cities if you are ever in France. I know that when I go back one day, these will be the first two cities I go to!

I hope you enjoyed my first travel post, it shall be the first of many!

Merci pour lire!
Bisous,


               Phoebe xo


(Note: none of the photos used belong to me. I therefore do not take credit for them)

School days;

I've never really thought about it but I think that once I finish school late next year, I will actually miss it. Well, not school in general, but the routine. It has taken me about four years to perfect my routine but now that I have it down pat, I actually won't be needing to follow it much longer. Shame, right?

I am actually really happy that we wear school uniforms to school here in Australia. It makes getting ready in the morning at least ten times easier and you don't need to worry about judgemental people criticising an outfit you spent 20 minutes perfecting and piecing together. It also makes weekends more exciting as you obviously don't wear your uniform when you go out. Well, I guess you could but that would be weird...
And, by everyone wearing the same thing, you can express your individuality through your personality, rather than through the clothes you wear. I think that is truly important.

The other thing I have grown accustomed to over the years is teachers telling you what to do and which things to work on for homework. In university, you are pretty much left to your own devices when it comes to working out what you need to work on. Well, so I've heard. I'm not exactly the most focused person around so I think that university will be a big step up for me, especially if I am planning to do a fast-tracked course. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, I want to do a Journalism course, which generally spans four years, but the university I am planning to go to crams a four year course into two years. It's good that I will get it done in shorter time, but bad as it means that the workload will be bigger.

Love,
               Phoebe xo

Hello year 11!

Two days into the year and it is already busy as hell! I knew Year 11 would be busy but after two days? Seriously, what ever happened to a bludge week?!

I must say, my timetable is great. My subjects are: French, Design & Technology, Advanced English, Geography, General Maths and Modern History. I think they are a good mix and I am loving them already! I also have extremely good teachers this year, especially my maths teacher. Every time I tell someone I have her their jaws drop to the floor or they tell that I am lucky to be in her class/they learnt heaps from her/they wish she was teaching them (she was promoted to Deputy Head this year, so she is only taking one class, which is mine). I cannot describe how glad I am to have a decent maths teacher. I am not exactly pro-mathematics but with an amazing teacher, I am planning to top my class (hopefully the course, or even state) in the HSC. Fingers crosssed!

Another thing I am looking forward to about Year 11 is the free periods. Yes, I know, it's the small things in life hat make me happy. I get three every 10 day cycle and I also have Rec once a cycle, during which we do stuff like bowling, laser tag and classes at Fitness First. 

It may seem crazy, but I am actually excited about knuckling down and studying. I have an attention span shorter than any goldfish so motivation is key for me so I can concentrate and subsequently improve my marks. I am aiming sky-high for the HSC so I'm gonna need all the study hours I can get!! I think that the main motivation for me is university. I have my heart set on Bond University and I need to step it up a bit if I want to get in and graduate successfully. Luckily for me, Bond offers a half scholarship to one student in Year 12 each year so I will definitely apply for it and hope for the best! I have been told that it is not solely based on academic ability, but I know that a high ATAR will definitely improve my chances.

It is insane to think that this year is my second last year in high school. I cannot believe that I will be out of school and off into the big wide world in a year. When I put it that way, it kinda freaks me out! It feels like only yesterday that I started high school and now I'm a senior in my intimidating white ribbon. For those who don't know me, at my school you wear a blue hair ribbon if you are in the junior school and years 7, 8, 9 and 10. When you get to years eleven and twelve, you get to wear a white ribbon and can get a jumper with a red stripe around the neck. It is something you wait for ages for and it is totally worth the wait! I much prefer the white ribbon; I think it looks much better. Plus, it intimidates the new year 7's. 

Anyway, to those of you back at school, enjoy yourselves this year. I wish you all the best for everything you try. 

Love, 

               Phoebe xo

45 facts about Phoebe.

I have been wanting to do something like this for a while now and I have just finished perfecting it and voilà! Here are 45 unknown facts about the amateur blogger that is me.

1.     I love the colour pink.

2.     I am 16 years old.

3.     I live in Sydney, Australia.

4.     I love One Direction.

5.     I am a total girly girl.

6.     Ice hockey is my favourite sport, although I do not play it.

7.     Sleeping beauty is my favourite Disney princess.

8.     New York is my absolute favourite place in the world.

9.     I am technology-obsessed.

10. If shopping were an Olympic sport, I’d take the gold at every Olympics.

11. I love my family and friends more than anything.

12. I want to study journalism or communications at university.

13. I would love to be famous but I understand that life in the limelight can be tough.

14. I love ice-skating and horse riding.

15. I love travelling to different places all around the world.

16. Theme parks (especially Disneyland) are my idea of heaven.

17. Peanut Butter m’n’m’s and Berry Blast Mike & Ike’s are my favourite lollies.

18. Chanel Gardenia is my favourite perfume.

19. Sometimes I come across as a dumb blonde, but I can assure you that that is not the case.

20. I am full of emotion; I can go from happy to crazy in a split second.

21. I love the snow but I don’t like to ski in it. I just like to sit in it.

22. I can't wait to finish university and go out into the world.

23. Shoes are my weakness.

24. My favourite number is 333.

25. I have been dancing since I was 5.

26. Fashion is my biggest passion.

27. My dream job is to be the editor-in-chief of Vogue US.

28. I can be a real bitch if I have to.

29. I am the best Clue/Cluedo player ever.

30. When I leave university, I want to live in LA, New York, Paris and London.

31. I speak French and one day I want to be fluent.

32. I am not afraid to fall in love.

33. I want to be rich enough to own a closet full of designer clothes.

34. Sometimes I wonder why people hang out with me.

35. I am a dreamer.

36. I don’t do casual, its either sweats or black tie attire.

37. I make YouTube videos with my three best friends.

38. I love to write, which is why I think blogging is ideal for me.

39. I have been planning my wedding since I was 4.

40. I want to be a princess.

41. My iPhone and Mac are my life.

42. I am going to get a tattoo once I finish my HSC.

43. I am crazy.

44. I love rollercoasters.

45. I want to be wonderful.

Hopefully you got through them all without being scared off. I'm just kidding. :)

Love,

               Phoebe xo

New Years Eve; How I rang in 2012.

I know that this post is a bit overdue, we are already 25 days into the new year but I thought I'd share some photos that I took on New Years Eve. I rang in 2012 in New York City and it was an absolutely amazing experience. I had so much fun!

Where I was:

Me and my family were with one of my friends from school and her family. My sister and I are good friends with her and our brothers are roughly the same ages so they get on well. We went to a restaurant on West 43rd Street called China Grill. It was relatively packed as, after all, it was New Years Eve but it was great. The food was absolutely incredible! It was some of the most amazing food I have ever tasted in my life. It is definitely my favourite restaurant in the city. After our meal we went into a bar/restaurant nearby for drinks (non-alcoholic, just so you know). The bartender was very nice and refilled our sodas every time we drank half of our drink. Constant refills may seem great, but not when you have consumed so much soft drink that your bladder feels like it is going to explode. Anyway, we watched Justin Bieber and Pitbull etc. perform in Dick Clarke's New Years Rockin' Eve which were happening literally 200 metres away from us and chatted like there was no tomorrow. Our parents were full of New Year's Cheer (if you catch my drift) and were making friends with everyone in the bar, including a man and his extremely Botoxed wife, whose face did not move the entire time, I swear. Once we realised it was 11:45pm, we left the bar and walked down the street to the barricaded intersection of 43rd and 7th, 4 blocks away from Times Square. The barricades and masses of people were the main things stopping me from hooking left and running straight down 7th to Times Square to ring in 2012 in the middle of the action. That, and the fact that I would most likely be crash tackled by police if I tried. In the end, when the clock struck midnight, symbolising the start of the new year, I was in a throng of people at an intersection, cheering and trying to dodge the champagne spilling from the bottle the guy next to me just opened (so much for an alcohol-free zone, right?).

What I wore:

On the day of the 31st, mum, Emma and I went shopping on 5th avenue which was were I picked up the key piece of my New Years outfit, my 'London' top from Forever 21. I wore my new top with a black Zara skirt I already had, black stockings, my 'Phoebe' necklace from my beautiful best friend Mel and flat black boots; I was going to wear heels but decided on flats as they are much easier to walk around on the cracked Manhattan sidewalks at night in. I also wore my Aviator-style shearling jacket, gorgeous grey Topshop snood and Chanel leather gloves as it was cold out, somewhere between three and six degrees Celsius, I think.

I also got a pair of festive 2012 glasses. They lit up and everything! I had to turn them of when I was walking though, although they look great lit up, they got in the way of me seeing where I was going, and more than once I almost stacked it face-first into a nearby gutter. 

So that was my New Years Eve. It was definitely my favourite one so far!

Before I sign off, let me leave you with this: Every year is a new chance to start over. All of last years mistakes, defeats, loves and losses are in the past. 

Love,
               Phoebe xo

I'm home!

I spent the last 3 and a bit weeks over in America and I thought I'd share some of the photos I took. 

New York:

New York has to be my absolute favourite place in the entire world! It is such an exciting city- no matter what time it is, something is always happening! It is such a fun place to be and I absolutely adore the atmosphere. I also find the architecture extremely fascinating. I was staying on West 43rd street which is on the lower West Side. It was an amazing location, we were close to Times Square and the Village was only a quick taxi ride away.

Orlando, Florida:

On our trip, my family and I went to Florida for the first time which was so much fun! The theme parks we visited were Magic Kingdom, Islands Of Adventure and Epcot. We also drove out to Cape Canaveral to visit the Kennedy Space Centre. Magic Kingdom was my favourite, partly because it was my choice to go to it but also because it was just like Disneyland in Anaheim, which is one of my favourite places on earth! I've been there three times and every time I fall in love all over again, which is why i loved Magic Kingdom. The castle was absolutely phenomenal! I personally prefer the castle in Anaheim as it is Sleeping Beauty's castle and she is my favourite Disney Princess/movie. The picture below is the Cinderella castle in Magic Kingdom.

One of the highlights of our time in Florida was our visit to Islands of Adventure where we went to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! It was so realistic, it totally blew my mind! I was utterly speechless when we walked through Hogsmeade; everything was perfect, it was just like the movies. I bought plenty of souvenirs too, especially Slytherin ones, as I consider myself a Slytherin(: 

Bachelor Gulch, Colorado:

Bachelor Gulch/Avon/Beaver Creek was our next stop. My parents took me and my siblings skiing for the first time ever in July last year so our stop in Colorado was mainly for us to ski. I was terrible when we learnt to ski and it was traumatising for me! It wasn't a very good experience for me and after that I had sworn off skiing for the rest of my life. My parents were determined to get me up on skis this trip so they booked me and my sister a lesson and now I can ski! I'm very proud of myself(: Our instructor was great and the snow was absolutely divine! I swear, I am never going to ski in Australia again now that I have skied in Colorado. On one of the days, it snowed all day and all night and we got about four inches in total which was fantastic! I absolutely love snow! I took this photo when I woke up on the morning that it was snowing.

Santa Monica, California:

Our last stop before heading home was Santa Monica. I don't particularly like the Hollywood and LA areas but I love Santa Monica! Anyone who has been there before will most likely agree with me when I say that it is a gorgeous area. The hotel we stay in when we go to SM is right on the beach and about a one minute walk to the Santa Monica Pier. This was the view from the balcony in my room:

So that is my trip! I had an absolute blast and I can't wait to go back :)

Love, 

               Phoebe xo