Today was the first day in the two day creative conference, Semi Permanent. This is one of my favourite times of the year. Something that I always look forward to. I think this is the 5th Semi Permanent I have attended, and boy, do the speakers keep getting better and better. Side note: the goodie bag seems to go further down hill year after year…

I will do a bit of a recap after the entire event about what I learnt and took away from it. And yes, I am aware I said the same thing last year and then never did it. But I promise I will this time!

These are the speakers at this year’s event:

• Special – Design/Advertising
• Gmunk – Motion Graphics
• Swifty – Graphic Design
• Moffitt.Moffitt – Creative Directors
• Benja Harney – Paper Engineer
• SouthSouthwest – Graphic Design
• Alex Trochut – Typographer/Designer
• The Monkeys – Advertising
• Stolen Girlfriends Club – Fashion Label
• Kelli Anderson – Graphic Designer/Artist
• Wallpaper* Magazine – Publishing
• Hi-Res – Web/Digital Agency
• Stefano De Luigi – Documentary Photographer
• Bec Winnel – Illustrator/Artist
• Industrial Light & Magic – Special Effects
• Ron English – Artist

Let me just say, it’s going to be hard to top my favourite from today so the day two speakers better bring it!

Loved this weekend. It’s been the first weekend in ages where we haven’t been doing a shoot, meeting with clients, or been away from home. So it’s been great to finally get some relaxation time in there, amongst doing more editing.

Now it’s time for a big decision…. make pancakes or go get chilli cheese fries from Carl’s Jr. Life’s tough.

1. Yani Arabena and Guille Vizzari are doing some really awesome type work right now. Totally loving their placemat designs for BZP Bazar.

 

2. Have just added this minimalistic ombre + grid duvet cover to my wishlist.

 

3. Quirky soap designs by Daniel Ting Chong. I love the puns on them!

 

4. Succulent cupcakes; I didn’t even realise that these were real cupcakes when I first saw them!

 

5. Anything cinnamon related always catches my eye. And then makes me drool. Cinnamon sugar messy bread, get in my belly!

 

6. Hazel Wonderland have some really gorgeous calligraphic work in their store. Particularly in love with this woodland + nature wedding invitation suite.

This year, on my 26th birthday, Hook and I shot our very first wedding together as A Couple Of Night Owls. What a day! I had so much fun and it really gave me the itch to shoot more weddings asap. You can check out our full post of Deliah + Marshall’s wedding at Matakana Country Park over on our A Couple Of Night Owls blog! Hope ya’ll love them as much as we do.

If any of you are looking for a wedding photographer (Auckland, anywhere in New Zealand, anywhere in the world!) please get in touch with us! We have some bookings coming up next wedding season which I cannot wait for! Such awesome couples with amazing style! Woo!

May crept up quick. Really quick. This year already seems like it is flying by! I keep meaning to get my butt back on this blog but it just hasn’t been happening. I guess we will have to make do with my little sporadic updates.

Most of my nights are spent making picks and editing photos with Hook now. This weekend will be our only ‘free’ one for a while, and although I say ‘free’… I really mean full of editing and planning. Lots of things to sort out for current jobs and upcoming projects. Looking forward to it!

Our flatmate of nearly three years is moving out in two weeks so Hook and I will finally be living all by ourselves! I’m quite excited about moving furniture around haha. Such a nerd. Also a little excited that we won’t have a TV. I’m hoping it will make me much more productive and less distracted. Here’s for hoping anyway. Ha!

I should really open my Teux Deux list now. I’m scared. It’s going to be horrifying, I just know it.

It gets dark far too early now. All it takes is for me to stay an hour later at work and it’s already blue-black skies on my walk home. It’s a little scary sometimes but generally there are so many people around that you feel safe. I love the sights I see on my way to and from work. I love being able to see the sea, hear the water ripple.

I stayed late at work today because I had an extra long lunch break so that I could meet and hang with the wonderful Rachael of Made From Scratch and Liora of Toodles Noodles! I love love love meeting bloggers and Twitter buddies!

In completely non-related news, Semi Permanent announced today that the final speaker coming to Auckland is none other than Kelli Anderson! I am beyond excited about this because I absolutely adore her work, so much so that I did this post about her a while back. At every Semi Permanent event they ask you to fill out an online survey and at the very end of it they ask you who you would like them to get to come to the event. Last year I wrote down ‘Kelli Anderson’. I guess they listened! So happy!

Right, now that this post is done I can get back to work! Just wanted to share a wee little update!

Today marks my blog’s two year anniversary/birthday. I missed my one year one so I made sure I put this one on my calendar so that I wouldn’t miss it.

This blog started out as a place for me to keep my baking adventures but it’s slowly changed over the years and so have I. I barely bake any more. And that’s not to say I don’t want to be baking. I would LOVE to be baking more. But my health issues have made it difficult and also pointless to bake. I definitely want to bring more recipes and baking posts back in… perhaps I should get some guest bloggers in to share some of their favourite recipes. Just a thought!

It’s been very scarce on here this year and hopefully I get to put a stop to that soon. I’ve just been doing my best to keep up with everything lately and this had to take a back burner. I’m looking to do a bit of a re-brand/design of the blog some time soon, although that too is low down on my list. One day I will get there!

Well enough of my rambling. I really just wanted to say thank you to all of my amazing followers and friends who have been with me on this journey! You’re the best! <3

The one thing I really dislike about Easter, is that all the shops close on Friday and Sunday. When I have a day off I generally like to shop, so this is annoying for me. Since it’s Saturday now, we have to organise everything for the big job no Monday and make sure we buy everything that we need for it today. We will be going out soon to pick up a second 5D MKiii for the job. Eeee! Then back to planning and buying.

Currently listening to: Hot Chelle Rae – Whatever

So much pop. I love it.

Here are a few little bits and pieces for you to gaze over this weekend!

1. I’m really loving these ombre tights!

 

2. Rubber stamps + chipboard = a gorgeous save the date.

 

3. Cute striped, floral and confetti patterned eggs.

 

4. These diy chalkboard table runners are a pretty cool idea to minimize what you need on a table at an event.

 

5. Umm. How freaking cool would it be to have your own paper doll of yourself!! I want one.

 

6. I really love the use of mini envelopes on things like these gender announcements! I may need to borrow this idea for something I’d like to make in the next 6 months!

How good are long weekends, right? Especially four day weekends! Friday is already down for us New Zealanders, and it was a goodie. The sun shone like crazy. Although the wind came out in full force. Hook, Carly and I went to Shaky Isles for lunch (thank you Shakys for not surcharging). Hook and I then spent the afternoon ticking some things off the TeuxDeux list – making photo picks for a couples shoot, planning for our big job coming up on Monday, emailing, sketching and catching up on some blog reading.

Hope you’re all having an awesome Easter weekend! Enjoy it!

Today I splurged. Splurged big. I am now the proud owner of a Canon 5D MKIII. Oh yes! I cannot wait to start using this bad boy! I wish there were some interesting things to photograph in our apartment tonight but there really isn’t and Hook is unkeen on me taking photos of him. Boo.

Bring on the weekend. We { A Couple Of Night Owls } will be putting it to great use this long weekend (yay Easter!). Will be working on a fun project and I can’t wait to tell you more about it. Now I’m off to do some planning for it! Woo!

P.S. The lovely Rachel of Made From Scratch featured our shoot with Amanda + Jeremy today. She’s the best!

I’ve got a real problem with buying pretty little crafty items that I totally don’t need but boy, do I want them! Rachel of Made From Scratch recently introduced me to this New Zealand based store, Little Ink. It’s so pretty! I basically want every item in their shop. I’d never use those twistie ties, like… ever, but I sure do want them in every colour and pattern! Adding to my wishlist…