Dotti.

It's 104 degrees outside (40C) and I think I have a fever, but I can't tell because it's so hot.  No fan, no air conditioning, no ice, no mommy to take care of me.  It's times like these coming home to my big fluffy bed sounds so perfect.   I also ended up with bed bugs in my bunk bed, twice this month.  It's nearing the end of my trip, as it started out being a 4 month journey and changed into a year.  I have met the most incredible people and changed my entire perspective on life in this year.  I also have worn the same clothes for 11 and 1/2 months now.  Sick of my wardrobe does not even begin to cover it.  You know your in a fashion rut when you prefer to wear your work uniform rather than your own clothes. I can see now how spoiled I actually have been my whole life to live the way that I did, and hopefully, that makes me a better person in the future because I truly can appreciate the simplest things in life now.  I get really excited if I go to someone's house and get to drink out of a glass because for almost a year now I have had to drink out of bowls or mugs.  That's just the backpacker lifestyle though, and I've grown actually attached to it.  When I think about my big room back home with 2 closets, I actually cannot believe what on earth I could have needed that would fill a whole room.  I feel like I have everything I need here in one suitcase, everything but my family.  Christmas made me a new person, and it gave me the homesickness I needed to finally accept going home.  I officially know no popular music, I have no idea what's playing in the cinemas, I haven't cut my hair for 8 months, I haven't seen the latest Real World, I have no idea who's dating who in the celebrity world, and I honestly have lost all touch with the latest trends. But I have never been happier.  So, I must have done something right on this trip.  There's so much clutter in our lives that we don't even realize, so at least I have cut everything down to the bare minimum and I know that I can survive this way, and somehow that's empowering and gives me hope!Don't worry though, I still love myself a pair of gorgeous heels or a Mulberry handbag.  And I am sure that when I get home that all that clutter will hit me in the face.  But for now, I'm still enjoying the simple life.

Dotti's mexi-cali collection

Aussie Christmas.

{I learned how to dive for the first time in my life. I also forgot my swimsuit (to a pool party, I know!) and had to borrow some boys clothes to swim in, until I found my swimsuit hanging up in the bathroom from a previous pool party I thought I had lost.}

{a true aussie Christmas tree}

{my amazing photography skills worked wonders on M}

{the boys trying to do handstands and mostly failing}

{the most amazing chocolate ever, I got a bunch as a Christmas present from the "room 14 elves" aka my roommates :) so sweet Xx}

I woke up, threw off the covers, and looked out my window. It didn’t look a thing like Christmas. Bright blue skies and even bluer water!  It didn’t feel like Christmas either, it was about 90 degrees already and it was only 8am!  I went snorkeling, swimming, and had a few hours of tanning and reading on the beach, but I still missed my family more than ever.  On my way to the pool party, the beautiful florals and warm sunshine heated me up.  I have never been more home sick in my life, and all I could think about was a white Christmas back home with my family and friends. Finally, after trying to catch a train, my friend S picked me up, champagne in hand and started singing Christmas carols in the taxi to cheer me up. It was a Christmas I will never forget, spent with amazing friends that I will never forget.  Why do all the Christmas songs talk about a white Christmas? To half the world this is normal for Christmas day.  Where are the songs about a sandy, hot Christmas? It took a few Christmas songs blasting and Aussie Christmas decorations to get us in the Christmas spirit, but we had an amazing day.  My friend from Ireland’s parents were here in Australia visiting her, and her mum made the most amazing dinner ever!  My favorites were the cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire pudding!  We had prawn salad to begin with, traditional turkey dinner, and grapes & cheese for dessert.  It was fabulous. I spent the day with friends from all over the UK, and they introduced me to the amazing Christmas Crackers! Which are amazing and I wish we had them.  You pull on both sides of the Christmas cracker, and whoever gets the larger end gets a prize, a joke, and a crown!  Sometimes you have to give up the comforts of what's normal to you, and open your mind to a new and different way of doing things. It turned out to be the perfect Australia Christmas, but I am excited to celebrate the usual way when I get home for a re-do.

Give me a ring...

I love...

this photo

these shoes

^ this collection ^

this pinterest

my best friends

I hear those...

In my head.

Christmas decor ideas by Lipstick & Ruffles

Lipstick & Ruffles instagram posts

Next book I am dying to read/listen to Cleopatra: A Life

Her palace shimmered with gold but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Cleopatra, the wealthiest ruler of her time and one of the most powerful women in history, was a canny political strategist, a brilliant manager, a tough negotiator, and the most manipulative of lovers. Although her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world. 

Scarlett Johansson's gorgeous Moet & Chandon Champagne ad

Photograph from the finalist of the Canon EOS competition.  I love. "Rain on me"

Peppermint Bark.

Last Christmas I was in charge of the desserts because that's the best part, to me at least!  Last year was filled with cookies, but this year I definitely would've made this Peppermint Bark.  I'm in charge of desserts for my friends' Christmas dinner/pool party this year, but I still don't know what I can make without a good kitchen, measuring cups, or any pans.  How yummy do these look?!

Peppermint Bark Recipe here 

Advent Love.

I have the cutest parents ever.  Seriously.  It is my first Christmas away from home, and I got this adorable advent Christmas package in the mail.  Each present has a note on it and a date to open it up until Christmas.  They also sent little bags and chocolates to make presents for my friends!  As the weather keeps getting hotter and hotter, it progressively feels less and less like Christmas.  There are no Christmas lights or decorations, caroling, or Christmas music on the radio. While I am an anti-snow girl, I do have a love for the red cupped creme brulee lattes at Starbucks and Christmas shopping at Barnes & Noble where it's warm inside.  Christmas is the only day I allow snow; Every other day it is unacceptable. Somehow though, I do miss the chill in the air, the Christmas light drives and hot cocoa by the fire.  But not enough to keep me from enjoying a change in tradition!  This year I will be on the beach, sipping an ice cold cider and jumping into the ocean to go snorkeling with the tropical fish. I have an amazing group of friends from all over the world that I can spend the day with on the beach.  Then, I will finish at a party at my friend's house where we will cook dinner and have a pool party.  But while I'm enjoying basking in the Australian sunshine, this box keeps me remembering my family, friends, and all the things I love about Christmas in snowy Colorado.

These Last Pennies.

Festivals are the epitome of Australian happiness.  The thing about Aussies is they love their sun and any excuse to drink.  So, when summer comes, they dress up all crazy or strip down and party all day in the sun to any and every kind of music every weekend for as long as they can.  As a happy goodbye I decided to spend my last pennies on a few festivals before I left.  I chose Stereosonic and Sets on the Beach.  Sets on the Beach was actually my favorite because you got to watch the sun set on the ocean as you danced the night away on the sand.  I know these will both be memories from Oz I will never forget and that is priceless to me.