Nicely does it, nearing the end of the year... November

November has long been the month where I commence Christmas planning, and map out my shopping strategy, ensure holidays are booked, and social calendars aligned.  This November, we simply played.  Did what we wanted when we wanted to, enjoyed time with friends, and although there was a wish list of places to visit, put Christmas holiday's in the December basket. 

Miss 18 with Sir Cliff Richard - on her Summer Holiday

Christmas shopping took on the guise of travel fairy, and a flight was booked for Miss 18 from Melbourne to Bali, so she could spend a week with a dear friend.  On the topic of Miss 18, she spent her November exploring Cambodia and from all accounts fell in love with the place.  Loving the people, history, sights and enjoying the project they were on.  It also seems that having a slightly larger group, led to more partying and GAP year antics.  We haven't seen all the photos yet, but from what we have it looked like a youth charged work hard, play hard month.  One thing we have discovered via her best friends photos, is that fun life experiences will not always be shared, as I stumbled across a photo of Miss 18 and travel companions stood next to the one and only Sir Cliff Richard in Cambodia.  Celebrity excited teen would usually have excitedly regaled the story to us many a time, where as travel sassy Miss 18 has taken it all in her stride, and has managed to not tell us much at all.  Loving the independent spirit, but it is taking a little of getting use to.

Highlights of the month were a plenty and to avoid a marathon-like entry will sum up bullet point style.

• Bon Fire Night fun was had on the 3rd November from NZ House on Haymarket, from having never stepped foot in the place, we have been there for plenty of fun parties in 2012 and loved seeing the spectacular Guy Fawkes displays dotted across the city from the 17th floor
• Ziggle-It, my new business venture of colouring books for big kids has come to life, and I had a test run of colouring with my friend Sophie who came up with the fun name Ziggled during a brain storming session, more to follow on Ziggle-It in December
• My new working life means full days working at home or making mad dashes across London to get as many meetings in in one day.  One particular day saw me travelling from home to Richmond to Trafalgar Square which is a North West to West, to City trip so plenty of time on transport to plan and lots of time with people to meet and eat
• A lover of brunch, I caught up with friends Julie and Kathleen at an Antipodean owned gem Caravan, in Kings Cross.  Following a delicious meal and fabulous coffee, the girls sat trying out Ziggling and when celebrity Jonathan Ross appeared in the room I had an excited, "must introduce him to Ziggle-It!" panic - alas not ready with a product I resorted to tweeting him instead.  Since then, I ensure I have Ziggle with me all the time for someone of interest to sign (All Black Ali Williams was my first Ziggle Wall of Fame signature)
• Dining out and catching up with friends meant there wasn't much cooking going on, and I managed to see all my darling friends on a regular basis, along with spending time with visitor's from Malta and Hungary
• Musical highlights included seeing NZ Band The Feelers at Dingals in Camden - which turns out to be one of London's most famous music venues and home to Jongleurs Comedy club (there is always something to discover right under your nose here) and our friend John's band Little Red Kings in Cambridge, a night which saw me dancing on chairs and rocking the night away.  So excited to say that we were there then, when they make it big!
• A road trip to Oxford and Cambridge provided a weekend of sport and music.  We watched The Maori All Blacks play Canada at the Oxford University Rugby Ground, which turns out to be almost as old as Colonised NZ!  A real grass roots rugby match, where the hits were heard loud and clear, and sounded hard, and the steam wafted off the players in the chilly UK winter conditions.  A brief wander around Oxford before our journey to Cambridge where we had our evening of partying to Little Red Kings
• As a committee member of the NZ Society in London, my event of the year was the Winter Drinks and Christmas Fair.  A fabulous night where over 100 guests drank mulled wine, ate Christmas themed canapes and shopped till they dropped with 14 NZ Business'.  Blessed with the presence of Opera singer Aivale Cole, the spine tingling moment for me was having every one in the room singing the Kiwi version of 12 days of Christmas... A Pukeko in a Punga Tree
• A very weak effort has been made in 2012 to go to see off West End plays, but we did manage one before the year was out.  Ordinary Darkness by Shaky Isles Productions was a fast paced raw play, with 4 characters playing out a dark storyline set in a run down Mayfair squat.  I do love how you connect with the actors on such a different level when they are almost at your feet, and although I felt my age when some of the content almost shocked me :-) Loved every minute and will continue to seek out smaller theatres to explore and support
• I started my 30 Day Happiness Experiment, which saw me post on facebook each night the 3 things that I was grateful for, or which made me feel most happiest.  Some days were a stretch, but mostly I had to fight hard to only post 3 as my days were filled with such contentment and adventure.  The experiment has now been taken off line after finishing my first 30 days, and I have to say, that it has lightened my expectation of having to do all the time, I can be just as happy when I just exist - as every day is precious and every day offers something to be grateful for.

Today just for you, I will share the 3 things which make me happiest about blogging.

1 - It makes me reflect and appreciate the life that I lead, and the life that occurs around me
2 - It fulfils my love of writing and playing with the written word
3 - It surprises me often, to know that loved ones are reading it, and I delight in their feedback or tales of their own adventures

Until my December update, farewell!