my first 3 months in Australia

Hey hey!

I arrived here in Perth on the 24th of October 2014, so today it is time for me to pause for a moment and look back on the last 3 months. So much has changed and yet so much has stayed the same. I left my old life and home behind to experience something completely new.

I had never left Europe before, I had never been to Australia - it was so scary and exciting to fly into the unknown.

So let's see what has happened, what has met my expectations and what was completely different from how I imagined it.

// palm trees in the city // cbd skyscrapers // view from mundaring weir // a germany brick // babe and I at Toastface Grillah //

The city

My expectations: I am not exacly well-travelled so I could only try and get impressions of Perth from Google and Jarryd. He didn't really do a good job in making me excited about moving here because he had been living here for most of his life and said it's quite boring. However I was so thrilled about moving to the other end of the world that I pictured it to be big, pulsating and exciting.

What I think now: I have explored quite a bit of the city and its different suburbs now. For a European like me it appears HUGE because the Australians here do not live on top of each other in jam-packed apartment blocks. The city spreads out wide and outside of the centre you hardly ever see buildings with more than two stories.

Furthermore it's not boring at all here, very much the oppposite. There are awesome eateries and cafes everywhere and the city if sull of art, music and events. Very popular here at the moment are food trucks and food markets as well as upcycling and handmade products that are preferably sold on little markets and street festivals.

The weather

My expectations: HOT! I expected it to be unbearably hot every day with a burning sun that would cause me skin cancer and daily sunburns. I hate heat and was really nervous about if I'd be able to cope with the Australian summer. Sweating is just not my cup of tea at all...

What I think now: I totally overestimated it! It is a rather dry heat here and luckily a constant breeze from the nearby ocean makes it absolutely bearable. There are those odd days when it's 42°C but in general I'm happy that my expectations were wrong.

As an inveterate German I however have to admit I miss rainy, cloudy and grey days a bit. No one understands, I know. That's just me...

// perth skyline // there's a beautiful sky with fluffy clouds every day // one of the many graffittis around town // iced latte from the daily at swanbourne beach //

The insects

My expectations: Horrible! I have a big fat insect phobia and that's no exaggeration. I heard so many horror stories before I came here, especially about spiders! I was so worried about not being able to handle the many big and dangerous insects here.

What I think now: The same unfortunately. I have become a bit more relaxed about the quantitiy of encounters because I do not come across yucky crawlers as often as I expected. However if yxou come across an insect here it's always either huge or venomous or both. In my first week here I already met a Redback spider, one of the small but dangerous ones. Two weeks ago I had my first Praying Mantis sighting and then at work we had the biggest freakin cockroach I've ever seen in our office. It's really not a piece of cake at all for me, I'm trying to keep my cool but the phobia just really freaks me out. I have decided to tackle it with hypnotherapy soon.

The money

My expectations: I was told everything is more expensive than in Germany. Especially Perth has the reputation of being the most expensive city in Australia due to the many well-paid mining workers living here. Then again I was also told that the wages are obviously higher here than in Germany. So I hoped these two aspects would simply balance each other out.

What I think now: Well, I'm not 100% sure because I have not lived on my new job's wages yet. I've been working in my new job for one month now and next week I'll get my first payment. However I have already calculated my cost of living and think it will be okay. I won't be rich but it'll be enough to do all the nice things I've planned to do (weekend trips, dinners at nice restaurant, a new laptop, a new tattoo etc.).

// fun at kings park // breakfast at sprolo // la paleta makes the best popsicles // swanbourne beach //

I could actually list a million other things here but this shall be enough for now. Maybe I'll do another recap after 6 months then and talk about the other aspects I didn't mention today.

Congratulations if you made it through and read it all, I know my ramblings can be a bit long sometimes. So thanks for reading!

Have a wonderful weekend!

carry our house to oz

Hello hello!

How have you been?

I am a bit tired today because a big fat thunder storm woke me up last night. The thunder and lightning were directly above our neighbourhood and it sounded like war had broken out. For a moment I thought a tornado would come and carry our house to Oz (haha see what I did there?!).

The badweather front was still lingering around Perth this morning and we had the first rain in 60 days, so I decided it was time to wear my lovely little rain jacket. Polkadots and florals combined on one jacket? That's pretty much perfection if you ask me. 

// rain jacket: primark // dress: primark // belt: vintage // bag: kmart // shoes: vans //

As a good blogger I have to talk about the weather, yes I know. And I did in the paragraph above. However even though it is a boring topic I have to additionally say: holy crap does it suck when it rains in 35 °C! Not that I don't know these humid days from our summers at home in Germany, but Australian weather takes air humidity to a new level for me.

I already start to sweat while I put make-up on in the morning (what a hassle!), then usually when I leave the house and walk to the train station a nice relatively cool morning breeze dries the compact powder on my face. Not today though: after the 5 minute walk to the train station I was sweating like crazy! Wet armpits and a sweaty neck with moist hair sticking to it in the morning, mmhhh who doesn't love it?! 

Okay, enough complaints about the weather! I'm still no fan of hot or sultry weather but I have to admit I'm handling the weather here much better than expected. Yes yes self-praise is no recommendation, I know. But it's true!

More about this and other aspects of going abroad in the next post because it's time to stop and look back on the last 3 months. Yes that's right I've been in Perth for 3 months already! Crazy, isn't it!?

Time flies...

Happy Thursday and until next post!

Australia Day

Hello loves!

Thank you very much for your sweet comments on my last post.

I have recovered a bit and was able to relax. I think a lot of the pain in my foot is caused by mental stress so it was good to mentally calm down a bit. Putting my mind at ease has soothed the pain in my foot quite a bit.

It's healing veeery slowly though, so annoying!

Anyways, now I'm back to blogging and for a smooth re-entry after a one week hiatus I only have a short post with snapshots for you.

// cardigan: h+m // dress: h+m // belt: thrifted //

Yesterday was Australia Day, so happy belated Australia Day to all Australian readers!

My first national holiday over here! I dressed in the colours of the Australian flag, Red, White and Blue, because that was the easier version. Australia's national colours are actually Green and Gold but my closet does not offer this combo (because over half of my clothes are stored away in my dad's basement in Germany).

We had Jarryd's family over for a late lunch, then played video games, had drinks and later dessert. Chicken, beef, salad, puff pastry snacks, trifle, we had it all. That's the reason I couldn't eat much today! Still total food coma from yesterday!

It was actually not very Australian of us to stay inside the airconditioned house all day but I am happy we did because it was bullshit hot outside.

I'll be back with picture-heavier posts soon and wish you a happy Tuesday!

Tomorrow is already hump day and the next weekend is almost in sight so hang in there people!

Toodels!

recovering...please wait

Hello loves!

Yup I'm still alive, just struggling with a little ailment a bit.

I have so many ideas for new posts in my head and have been determined to finally prepare some new posts for the blog but never felt like it when I got home from work.

My problem at the moment is my right foot.

I have a very rare version of port-wine stains (dark red birthmarks) on my right leg all the way down to the tip of my pinky toe. Now one spot of these red stains is scratched open from an outdoor activity, it doesn't want to close anymore and is inflamed. As these stains are such a rare thing no doctor ever knew what to do about it when an inflammation occured - and that's the case again now.

I put iodine on the wound and wear special band-aids which I change at least twice a day but there is still no healing in sight. Last time when I had this problem the wound was open for a total of 2,5 years and then one day suddenly started healing. It's still a mystery why and how it did this, but it did.

I believe it's the same this time, I just have to be patient and wait until it goes away (f*cking hard I tell you).

It wouldn't be so annoying if the open wound didn't hurt like hell sometimes. Several times a day I get episodes of this sudden stinging pain in the wound which feels like a very fine needle poking the inflamed area. It can really drive you nuts because there's hardly anything you can do about it.

I haven't been sleeping much since Monday as these episodes of pain are especially bad at night. I've been feeling physically and mentally tired and this is the reason why I don't feel like going online after work. 

It will get better soon, I just have to try and make the wound heal somehow. For the moment I'm taking a little break from blogging so I can recover.

I will look after the wound, rest myself, eat healthily, do yoga to relax body and mind and carefully work out to keep the foot fit despite the pain.

I'll be back soon (probably next week).

Until then you can follow Bad Taste Toast on Instagram where I post pics daily!

Guildford

Hello hello!

Last Saturday it was pleasant sunny weather so Jarryd and I decided to get out and spend the afternoon doing something nice. After googling back and forth for new coffee shops we could try out (because Perth has quite a lot of them left for us) we decided to head to a suburb called Guildford.

The actual café we wanted to visit, Little Guildford, looked nice from outside but was closing when we arrived. They're only open until 2pm on Saturdays, a phenomenon that seems to be common here in Perth. Even though Australia originates from the British culture with fancy afternoon tea tradition, most coffee shops here close around 4pm on weekdays and even earlier on weekends.

 // shirt:pull+bear // dress: h+m // bag: ebay // shoes: vans //

Coffee-thirsty as we were, we started walking to find another café nearby. On our little walk we came across the Stirling Square Park with its old canons and iron gates - a perfect spot to take some pictures and pull some silly faces, hihihi...

I also fell in love at first sight with Guildford's old post office building, which is so picturesque, it looks like a film set.

When we were both getting hangry we continued our search and discovered the most adorable shabby chic country style tea house and café I've ever seen: Maddison Cottage.

Never in my life have I seen so many quirky metal chairs, fences and bird cages! And the mismatched cups and saucers, oh so cute!

After cappucino, latte, a toasty and a piece of cake the no longer hangry boyfriend and I were happy again. Time to explore the little stores we had seen on our way there before! And what makes a lovely Saturday afternoon with the boyfriend and coffee even better? Antiques!

There are some nice antiques and vintage stores scattered around James Street and some of the backstreets. I don't have money to spend at the moment but I still love to look at all the old knick-knack.

Another very interesting and rather unusual find on James Street was the Museum of Natural History and Academy of Taxidermy. I might sound like a creep but I've always dreamed of discovering such a hidden gem of a place somewhere unexpected!

We couldn't say no to the 5$ admission fee and were not disappointed. The building turned out to be a beautiful former movie theatre built in the 1920s with artdeco ceiling and the old auditorium being the exhibition room.

Stuffed animals mixed with replica, dinosaur statues and lots of other weird interesting things framed the aisles.We spent more time in there than I had expected simply because we found the creepiness paired with surprise, disgust and curiosity so entertaining that we couldn't tear ourselves away.

We didn't have to drive far, got out of the house, didn't spend much money and still had an awesome afternoon - I love it when that happens! We saw canons, a creepy doll in a wheelchair, stuffed animals, dinosaurs, had coffee and explored a suburb I'd never been to. A perfect little weekend adventure if you ask me!

Do you guys do that too sometimes?

Is there anyone here from Perth who can recommend more lovely secret tips about hidden gems, be it cafés, museums or whatever else is out there?

Leave me a comment please!

Happy Tuesday!

bunnies and camera issues

Hello hello!

How have you been?

I am tired. I was unemployed for two months when I came here to Perth and I have to admit getting used to doing nothing was so easy. I enjoyed sleeping in and having time to cook, watch TV, explore the new neighbourhood and all.

This week I have started my new job at a recruitment agency and love it to bits already! It's just so hard to change my sleeping pattern again. I'm really tired every day and first have to find a certain groove and daily routine again. Bear with me, the blogging and taking pictures routine will be back soon and until then you will have to stand my whinges about my lack of sleep. 

 

// jacket: fleamarket (h&m) // dress: dotti // tights: dangerfield //

Speaking of photo taking for the blog: 

I know I shouldn't criticise my own pics, especially not when I still upload them despite the criticism, BUT seriously what the hell is wrong with my camera?!

I admit my photos here have never been professional (I'm still a DSLR noob after all these years) but they used to look clearer, sharper and better some months ago.

Not sure if that really is the case but I think my camera does "that" (whatever it is) since I came to Australia. I fear it maybe got a tiny bit broken or at least damaged somehow while it was in my hand luggage. Or the settings were changed or whatever. I don't know... 

All I know is that my photos have a much poorer quality than before. I have already played around with the settings but couldn't achieve better results.

Look at the pics above and how grainy they are. I can only show you these two because all the other ones from this shoot looked awful quality-wise.

Does any of you clever DSLR people have any idea what could be wrong?

I have a Canon Eos 1000D with the (crappy) EF-S 18-55mm lens.

My boyfriend says my lens looks scratched, but that does not make the whole image grainy, does it?

I was thinking maybe it's the different light here in Australia (much more sunlight) and I just haven't found the right settingsfor the new environment yet.

What do you think? Do you have some advice or helpful links maybe?

Happy Thursday everyone!

a little prom dress wish list

 

Good day my lovelies!

 How has your week been so far? I hope everything is fine and you are all having an awesome weekend.

I have finished my first week in my new job now and I am very happy so far. I however first have to get used to a certain routine again and have to figure out how to incorporate taking outfit pics into the daily grind. I'll try my best but for now instead of an outfit I have a lovely wish list for you.

I just let my shopping lust go wild on PickeDresses, an online shop that specialises in Prom Dresses Canada. I put together a list of beautiful dresses I would purchase if I had the money and occasions to wear them. When picking them I focussed on flattering pieces for pale redheads like myself.

Mint green, turquoise and aqua are some of my favourite colours for spring 2015! These fresh shades of green and blue look dazzling with a fair complexion and gingerish blond hair and really compliment Celtic looking girls. Strawberry blond, ginger, fair, pale, freckled - if that's you, then these colours will be highly flattering.

Also look at the fit: tight bustier tops and wide breezy drapy skirts. There is nothing better to bring out the best of your curves! No matter what body type you are, this silhouette will work on 99% of all girls.

My eccentric music teacher in high school used to say "Black is the colour of the diva."

Wasn't this woman absolutely right? Black is simple, minimalistic, subtle and still can be bold, dramatic and stylish. Black prom dresses radiate timeless elegance and make you look classic and classy. In case of fair skin and copper hair a black prom dress will even add a touch of witch and/or gothic to your look. 

Fantastic side effect if you ask me!

Emerald green - aaand we are back to the Celtic theme here!

It is one of my favourite colours of all times! Again, just like the mint and aqua, it simply is very flattering for the Celtic pale redhead kind of girl.

Be it a gown with subtle drapery or a princess dress with a dash of glitter, emerald green will make you shine!

Additional  fun fact: as some of you might know I'm a big Ireland fan!

Don't let anyone tell you you can't pull off hot red! I've heard people say that a lot! It is a common rumour that red-haired ladies shouldn't wear hot red. I say "Bullshit!" because bold shades of red look amazing on pale gingers, especially combined with black accessories such as high heels, a clutch and elegant gloves.

What do you think? Do you like my little wish list?

Which of the dresses is your favourite?

Have a lovely day!

how to wear a prom dress in winter

Hello dolls!

Happy new year and all the best for 2015!
How was your New Year's Eve? Mine was relaxed and unspectacular because I stayed at home with the boyfriend.
As I don't have a post with a fancy New Year's Eve outfit or anything like that, I will move on straight to dressing for the new year. 2015 has just begun and I'm pretty sure there will be a lot of occasions to get all dolled up for you (and me), right?!
Here in Australia it's the hottest time of the year right now, but many other places in the world have wintery cold, frost and snow, so I thought it would be nice to collect some tips for wearing prom dresses in winter. There might be anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, baptisms, prom balls and whatnot coming your way this year and in case any of these will take place in the cold season, let me show you how you stay warm in your fancy dress.

These two dresses above are my examples. I found them at PickeDresses, a website that sells Prom Dresses Online. I picked a short and a long dress to cover both styles with the tips so you can compare the different ideas. Hopefully even though the anniversary, birthday, baptism or whatever takes place in winter, that doesn't mean you have to be in the cold somewhere outside for longer than a maximum of 30 minutes. My tips are only for spending a short time in the cold, if you have to be outside for a longer period of time please wear a real winter jacket! 

For the short dress I would recommend a crop jacket because a long one would destroy the silhouette. If you go for faux fur you kill two birds with one stone: it keeps you extra warm and looks very glamourous. Please no real fur though, I don't support that!
As the jacket has long sleeves you will only need a pair of cute short gloves or if it's not freezing you can also go with bare hands of course.
As for cold legs that's a bit tricky with a short dress, right? Well, the best solution is to wear a pair of tights and  also keep a second pair of tights ready to put on over the first pair before you have to go outside, say for example in the car or on the toilet before the outdoor part of the celebrations takes place.

For the long dress I would choose an elegant black poncho with a cozy faux fur lining. The poncho's silhouette creates a dramatic look with a long gown and the faux fur adds an extra touch of elegance.
If your dress is not tight around the hips I also recommend a thin cotton stretch skirt, which can easily be put on and taken off.
In addition I would go for long gloves to warm your arms underneith the loose poncho sleeves and cozy leg warmers that are invisible under the long dress. Both gloves and leg warmers can easily be put on before going outside and taken off again for indoor celebrations as well.

I hope this helps you for dressing up on cold days!
Have a lovely day!

looking back on 2014

favourite outfits

It was a year of colourful outfits with playful prints.

upper left to lower right:
1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 

important events

A broken foot, two weddings (one of them being my mum's second one), my 28th birthday and finishing university as a Bachelor of Arts.

the big move

I made the decision to follow my Australian boyfriend to his home country.

After having lead a long-distance relationship for 8 months I finally took the big leap, got rid of most of my belongings, left Germany behind and moved to Australia.

My boyfriend had left Germany in February and when I went to Australia in October we were finally reunited again.

 

That was my year.

I have made lots of changes, readjusted my views on many things in life, set new priorities.

I closed old chapters and opened new ones, achieved a lot that had seemed impossible for me before.

I worked hard to reach my goals, discovered new sides about me, said goodbye to my home and hello to a foreign country.

2014, you were not easy for me, you were a challenge!

I'm glad you were challenging though because you have brought me further.

Now you're over and all that's left to do is say

"Hello 2015, I hope you'll be a good one for me!".

Happy new year to all my lovely readers!

Thank you so much for supporting my blog!