​I mentioned in my January ‘16 Instagram Roundup about the pure joy that comes from a whole month of no heartache. It almost feels too good to be true, but February has been another really lovely month. A close friend and I were catching up last week and I asked her if this is what life is meant to be - just normal days filled with happiness and occasionally filled with darkness. She smiled and said yes. The sad thing is that since having a little more time to look back, reflect and learn, I didn’t realise just how many years I had been deeply upset, scared and constantly disappointed. You feel so stupid when that ah ha hits you, and you then become really ashamed that you couldn’t see it during that time - close friends and family have been kindly and gently guiding me up and out of that shame. The only way I can describe this feeling is that it’s like a very sad, thick and overwhelming fog that hung over me for far too many years had finally lifted since this year started. And to be honest, I have never felt happier to be in a clearer and simpler life now.

I have been sharing a few of the lovely things I have been up to during February on Instagram - it really has been a lovely month to remember. I turned 29, the week leading up to my last first first was a weird mix of emotions - my birthday was such a special day and I’m really looking forward to the final year of my 20’s. And since sharing my birthday post, have heard from so many beautiful women that their 30’s was the best years of their life. Which is really lovely to hear and look forward too. I also marked the end of my endless cleaning and sorting with a beautiful new open wardrobe in my bedroom - it’s such a calm space now and I’m still in awe what a little planning and an afternoon of work can create.

One of the best nights that was celebrated during February was attending Diner en Blanc with my Mum - I have wanted to go for years and it was so special to be able to attend and take her with me. A lot of people have talked badly of the event because of the heavy rain that evening - but to be honest, it made the evening. I absolutely loved that we all arrived looking incredibly elegant in our all white outfits and then after a bottle or two of rosé, no-one cared about the rain, or how ‘ruined’ our outfits, hair and makeup were. We all simply enjoyed and lived in the moment and ended up dancing the night away in the rain while looking back towards Auckland city. It was the most incredible night, I have never seen so many happy people in one place and I can’t wait for next years. Dancing all night in the pouring rain with my Mum is just one of the happy memories I’ll take away from a really lovely February, where work, life and happiness was celebrated. I hope you all had a really wonderful month too and I’m so looking forward to seeing what March will bring. x