January: The Highlights

How was everyone's first month of 2016? Have you kickstarted your 2016 resolutions?

January has been a month of growth for me. I've settled into my new job, found time to juggle work and life, explored more of this city and I've even gone shoe shopping!

So here are the highlights if you missed them:

After an initial struggle with homesickness, I picked myself up and embraced this wonderful city.

I took some time to explore a little bit of London and visited Tower Bridge.

I went shoe shopping at Kurt Geiger and rewarded myself to some new shoes.

And I built my Winter wardrobe to help fight the London cold.

I fought the cold and explored the Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the London Eye.

Finishing up the month, I styled my Ultimate Vegas Outfit.

What were the highlights of your January?

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Coming up next: The 5 shoes to avoid this Winter in London

A year in review

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you have a very wonderful and prosperous 2016!

Welcome to my first post of the year... And I thought I would kick it off with a review and reflection of last year! It's better late than never, right?

2015 was a big year for me! My shoe collection took a hit as I jetted off from the land of Oz to Europe with my Frenchy. I have learnt many life lessons, experienced the highs and lows of travelling and I have seen some wonderful places.

So what were my highlights for the year?

Firstly, I collaborated with a close friend of mine to produce a series of popular shoe posts.

Images ny Jordan Swioklo of Precision Film Editing services

Together we had so much fun, many outfit changes and locations to showcase my latest and favourite shoes! During my time away, it has made me miss my shoe collection and I love to review these photoshoots frequently! 

A little leopard never hurt nobody

Hello Sailor

Block it out

Foxi and Fabulous

Arm candy

Fullforce

Autumn is here

It's a jungle out there

Next I prepared myself and planned my travel into the unknown!

The 6 must have shoes for travelling overseas was one of the most popular posts and well read posts from all around the world! 

For the remainder of the year, I got to travel and explore France. I got to experience French food, the french language and explore nearing countries. Read My Travel Diary to see where I've been on this amazing journey.

Finally, I finished the year off in London. Experiencing, exploring and working in this wonderful city. For more information from London, head to my London series for everything I have discovered so far.

2015 was an eventful year for me and I look forward to see what 2016 has to bring!

What was the highlight of your 2015?

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My true passion

My true passion lies in the pages of Vogue magazine.

The glossy pages have me coveting the latest designer fashion, falling head over heels for the most beautiful shoes and dreaming of the moment I can afford the luxury.

I love my current life. Travelling with my Frenchy is amazing. I love visiting and exploring new places and I love the life lessons that go with it. But sometimes, I wish I could settle back into my old life, surrounded by my 200 pairs of shoes, without the responsibilities.

But, I recently found a great way, I can have a taste of both worlds.

Before leaving France, I applied for a position as the Clothing Specialist for a busy London company. I was fortunate to be the successful candidate for the position. 

Now, every day at work, I get to meet and style new customers in the latest fashion, I get to learn about the fashion industry in one of the fashion capitals of the world and I get to do it all in a new city. On my way home from work, I stumble upon little London bars and restaurants, sample different cuisines and discover great places to shop in this big city.

So what do my duties include as a Clothing Specialist in London?

While I'm still in training for the Company, I style new and returning customers in luxurious, high quality fashion and accessories. I also get the privilege to see all the new products for the upcoming season, before we release them in stores. This means I get to create new outfits and style the latest fashions before they hit the streets.

The ultimate reward for me! :)

I'm still finding my way in the Company and developing my position, but for now it's a great way to be surrounded by fashion for one of London's biggest companies, while still exploring more of the world.

What is your true passion?

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Where my shoes took me: In the streets of Munich

I was lucky to experience Oktoberfest.

And it's based in one of the most beautiful cities I've ever visited.

* M U N I C H *

When I wasn't enjoying the festivities at Oktoberfest, I was exploring everything Munich had to offer.

I went on a city walking tour to see the city centre and learn some of the city's history.

We started in Marienplatz and walked around for 3 hours. We learnt how the city of Munich was built into the city it is today and the history of the people who built it. It was rather fascinating. 

Things to do in Munich:

• You definitely should enjoy some traditional beer in one of the many, many beer halls. If you are not much of a beer drinker, you'll get over it and learn to enjoy it! 
• After enjoying your beer, you should head to hans im glück for the most amazing burger!
• Walk through the parks and gardens to enjoy the nature and serenity
• You can climb the top of the church in the city centre for just 2 euros! You'll climb about 200-300 stairs but the view is worth it! 
• After climbing the many stairs, you can enjoy a German pretzel! I had two favourites, sugar pretzels for the morning and cheesy pretzels for an afternoon snack! Definitely worth the 1.80 euro!

One thing to know when travelling in Munich, no shops are open after midday on Saturday or all day on a Sunday! So don't leave grocery shopping to the weekend! We spent close to two hours walking around the city centre trying to find a shop to buy some toilet paper and chocolate! Weird combination right? :) We were lucky to discover a small convenience store at the train station.

If you have the chance to be in Munich during Oktoberfest, I highly recommend it but Munich is so beautiful to explore... Anytime of the year is a bonus.

I don't need my shoes anymore...

During my trip to Montpellier, I saw many shoes hanging high above the houses in the street. At first I thought it was random. Just someone being silly and throwing shoes way above everyone's head.

But when I saw more and more of them, I realized it wasn't so random and that the shoes were meant to be there!

And I needed to know why people were throwing their beloved shoes out of reach...

Apparently when you throw your shoes above your house, it means you are happy where you are.

That you no longer need your shoes because you aren't leaving this place.

It's nice to see so many happy people in the city of Montpellier!

Have you found the perfect place to leave your shoes or are you still exploring?

Where my shoes took me: Oktoberfest

* O K T O B E R F E S T *

If this is something on your bucket list, you definitely need to put it at the top of the list right now! It is something you should experience at least once in your lifetime.

Millions of people from around the world flock to Munich to enjoy the beer and enjoy Oktoberfest.

Oktoberfest 2015

You get to meet so many people, drink German beer and sample German cuisine.

At one point, I was sitting at a table full of people from France, Germany, Australia, America, Holland, Spain and England.

It was incredible.

I was in shock the first day I arrived in Munich.

Firstly, I couldn't get over how an entire city embraced the tradition. Getting off of the bus, it was like I stepped into a different century. Women were walking around in dirndls and men were wearing lederhosens.

After settling into Munich and our accomodation, we decided to check out the festival.

There were rides, food stalls and of course beer tents.

I went into a beer tent, with a crowd of thousands, singing along to German songs, drinking litres of beer and all having a good time. I was surprised to see so many people, all having a good time together.

I'm not a beer drinker. I've only tasted a few beers in my life but when at Oktoberfest, you have to try the beer, right? The beer was fresh, strong and ridiculously heavy. It was a workout in itself just to hold the beer.

If Oktoberfest is something you want to experience, you should plan 6-12 months in advance and reserve your table in a beer tent. The beer is nice to drink but the 1 litre steins gets heavy after holding it for only 5 minutes. Having a table makes it so much more enjoyable.

Oktoberfest Munich was a great experience and one that I will remember for a long time.

2 months in France

Sometimes I can't believe I'm in France...

And sometimes I'm ready to get on the first plane back to Perth.

I love exploring all the cities that France has to offer and I love sampling the French cuisine but sometimes I just want to spend an evening at home with my family.

2 months is the longest I have been without any of my family and it's difficult.

A review of my suitcase

So I've been in France for about 8 weeks now and it's hard for me to admit...

I packed too many shoes!

I had a lot of arguments with my friends, family and boyfriend when it came to packing my suitcase. They all told me I had too many shoes but I was adamant, I didn't have enough.

Now that I have had some experience travelling for 8 weeks, I wish I packed more clothes and less shoes.

It gets tiring really quickly to wear the same clothes over and over and over again! I like having different shoes to change the look of the outfit however, it would have been more practical to pack a few more items of clothing to get just a few more outfit options!

Since I am travelling for 12 months, I think my shoes will get more rotation when the seasons change but for now, I've been living in the same 2 pairs of shoes.

5 things I want to do in Paris

When I first arrived in France, I had a short day trip in Paris. While this satisfied my desire short term, I have been dreaming about going back!

As a fashion lover, it's been my dream to explore one of the most popular fashion capitals of the world. 

And now I can...

Here are the Top 5 Things I want to do in Paris:

1. Go to the Christian Louboutin store - As a shoe lover and a proud Christian Louboutin owner, I would love to visit the store and see all the beautiful shoes and dream about wearing them.

2. Have a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower - Some people hate the Eiffel Tower and call it an eye saw, I personally am in awe of it everytime I see it. Tonnes of iron standing so proud, is admiring. And I want to enjoy a romantic meal with my Frenchy waiting for the night to come and the City of Lights to shine!

3. Euro Disney - The one and only time I went to a theme park, I was too small to enjoy the big kid rides and now I am at maximum growth, I want to feel like a kid again!

4. Walking along the Champs-Èlysées - Shopping is apart of who I am, so naturally I want to take a stroll down one of the biggest shopping streets admiring luxury brands and sharing French pastries with my Frenchy.

5. Evening river cruise on the Seine - So romantic for enjoying the City of Lights with your one and only.

There are so many more things I want to see and do in Paris but these are the top of my list!

What's your favourite thing to do in Paris?

A month in France

So I have been in France for just over a month now and it's been amazing!

I've spent most of my time here in Angers, the hometown of my Frenchy. We've spent a lot of time catching up with all his family and friends around Angers. I have also spent a substantial amount of time driving along the French country side, through little towns and admiring the scenery.

It's been such a great experience for me. After the initial shock of leaving my family and friends in Australia, I have started to really appreciate where I am.

I am slowly learning how to speak and understand some words in French, I have tasted food I never would have tried before and I've experienced a new culture.

Something that still shocks me, is the amount of food they can eat. I've never been much of a foodie so for me to sit through (and try to eat) a 5 course meal, it is a real struggle! But I have to admit, I have tasted some delicious food!

Where I have been so far:

Paris

Angers

Nivillac

Moliets-et-Maa

Vannes

Where to next:

Puy du Fou (a popular medieval theme park)

Nantes

Toulouse

Monptellier

Italy

While I am proud of myself for starting to understand more French words everyday, my goal for next month is to be able to speak some phrases and have minor converstations.

Follow my Facebook page and Instagram for some holiday pictures!

Where my shoes took me: Beaching in the South of France

So actually, there are no shoes required for Moliets-et-Maa.

Moliets-et-Maa is a popular holiday destination in the South of France. Most people go there to enjoy the beach, catch some waves and enjoy some chill time!

Which is what I did for 8 whole days...

Where my shoes took me: Exploring Angers

I haven't done nearly as much travelling as I always wanted.

But now, I finally found the courage (and the right man) to live my dream.

I was lucky enough to find a man who loves me and loves to explore the world. So what better time to explore the world, then with a gorgeous French man by my side?

And our first destination.

Europe.

T-shirt dresses and trainers = Sports Luxe, perfect for sight seeing 

It was a good time for myself and my Frenchy (my affectionate nickname for him which he hates!) to return to his home city so he can see his family and friends, before we hop between cities and countries for lord knows how long!

Saying goodbye to my friends and family was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Knowing I couldn't give my little niece and nephew a hug and a kiss broke my heart. And knowing, it would be impossible to feed my high heel obsession, sends my into a panic. But, it's a sacrifice I have to make, in order to live my explorer life.

So now we start!

Exploring Angers, France. The home city of my Frenchy.

Let's go travelling

I hate flying.

Being stuck in an aluminium cabin is not my idea of a fun time.

And don't even get me started on trying to sleep!

But flying is the quickest and most efficient way to travel 15,000 kms from Australia to France. And once the plane descended into Charles de Gaulle, I forgot all the troubles of flying. 

But that's jumping ahead in the story...