Don't you wish you were in Fiji?

This is going to be the last Fiji trip for a while.  I am part of a team of voluntary business mentors who travel up to Fiji to help small and medium sized businesses.  This work is government funded because growing sustainable businesses is great for the local communities - it provides jobs and incomes. Our funding is up for now so it may be a while before I get back here.  I really love the place and the people!

But here are some photos for those of you in Northern hemisphere who are facing a cold winter, and for those back at home in NZ who are being driven mad by crazy, windy, changeable spring weather! Beautiful sunny days with gentle breezes and 32 degrees C.

We do get out in the countryside a bit and it is very rural.  I drove my colleague mad one day by obsessively photographing cows ...here's my two favourites.  The first was cool because she had such a stroppy stance and real attitude.  The second ones are pretty full on as well. You don't get many bulls working like this in NZ!

Fiji is of course very tourist oriented so we made a stop at one of the big new hotels - the Intercontinental.  It is the cleanest, shiniest hotel I've ever seen. 

There are obviously no cows but what else is missing??

 

Where are the people??

So since no one was around I got to play famous fashion model...

 

http://www.minnieree.com/belle-frock.html

Then we checked out the beach ...

 And the flowers are all out too - beautiful!!

 

What do you think of shipping costs?

We have been puzzling over shipping costs for some time now. A quick look around our favourite online shops gave every option from free to over $100 to get a jacket here to New Zealand from Canada! Hmmmm, that doesn't sound quite right.

Anyways, we have bitten the bullet and made it all super easy. Spend more than NZ$100 and the shipping is free. 

Less than $100 still attracts shipping costs and they are:

• New Zealand - $3.00 one-off cost and $2.00 per item (= $5.00 for first item) 
• Australia - $6.00 one-off cost and $3.00 per item (= $9.00 for first item)
• Everywhere else - $8.00 one-off cost and $5.00 per item (= $13.00 for first item)
• Shipping is added to your order automatically when you reach the final stages of checkout.

The shipping journey of your package starts in the mighty Cube (or on sunny days in the basket of the mint green bicycle) and then we use NZ Post.  They say it takes this long for your parcel to arrive:

• New Zealand: 1-3 working days
• Australia: 4 - 10 working days
• Most other places: 6 - 10 working days

If you wish you can use the international courier service which will halve the delivery times and provide tracking and signature required on delivery. If you want to use this option let us know when you check out (in the instructions section) and we will email you about the cost. As a general indication it is about NZ$27 for Australia and NZ$48 for USA, UK and Europe.

And of course, all the packaging of your purchases is strictly supervised by the cat. 

Working from home - PJs all day or are you a bit glam?

Everyone who works from home has those occasional days when you just don't care how you look and you get dressed in whatever you can find that's quick and clean(ish). Well hopefully everyone does and it's not just me!  And then you have to go out for something and you really hope you won't bump into anyone you know.  Especially someone who usually sees you on your more stylish days. 

My answer for the instant glam up when I go out is my favourite big scarf.  

I love this scarf so much - it is bright and colourful, it goes with nearly everything in my wardrobe and it is in the Spring colours that really suit me. And it's warm but not too heavy so can be worn all year round. 




I've been reading a few blogs lately that talk about how to amp up your Work at Home style.

This one from YOU LOOK FAB was a real favourite.  She suggests that you go for:

1. Dramatic Hair
2. Dramatic Eyewear: Be bold with your specs
3. Lighten Up your colours
4. Statement Knitwear & Tops - with colour, pattern and shine.
5. Dramatic Pants - again, think colour, pattern and shine
6. Lippie & Finger Nail Polish

Other than the nail polish which I don't seem to have time for at the moment I am 100% with her on this list.

As I mainly work from home I have developed some clothes that I wear all the time at home and I am now starting to make for others.  

Each article of clothing has to be comfortable, flattering and in our usual flexi-sizes since I can't stand all that rubbish around having "fat clothes" and "skinny clothes".  And I do not look good in yoga pants!!!


So here are my No. 5 Dramatic Pants. 

I've worn these so much and I love them. They should be up on the Minnie + Ree website soon...








And here's another pic of the Perfect Scarf.  I hunted this down after having my colours done for me by Sherna from Your Style Journey. I had done the colour thing years ago but I think I was mis-typed as I never really felt good about being a summer - too many pinks for me!  Sherna's advice was the best info I've had about what to wear - it makes a huge difference in how I look and feel. 

Do you know what colours make you feel great??