Wedding OOTD

Dress DIY / Shoes Target / Shell Headband Philippines / Fan Gifted in Tonga

So here's a quick outfit post from my cousins wedding on the weekend. 

When I moved back to Nowra I found an old bag of material and I made this oversized sack dress. 

I made a few dresses using this simple square design. 

Full wedding post will be up once I return from New Zealand.

Big Love,

Falala Mele.

Beautiful things: Thrifted wedding look in Hawaii

Aloha lovely people. Just wanted to share my wedding look for Mary and Trevor's wedding held in the Kameamea School Oahu chapel. The setting was so pretty and  the church was perched high up in the mountain and gave a breathtaking view of Waikiki. I have more pics to come later as these ones are just off my phone.

So before I left Mildura I donated the majority of my belongings to the various opshops around town. I was in a hurry but I quickly had a look around and I found this floral vintage dress and I thought it would be perfect for the wedding. It's light, cool and the white and pastel colours give it that fresh spring feel. Winning wedding outfit for $8. I picked up the white shells from and ABC corner store for 90 cents. Paired them with White sandals from Big W. I would have preferred a pastel yellow for contrast but that's all I could rustle up before I left the country.

Wedding was beautiful.....but I'll fill you in on that later. Until then, aloha!

Beautiful places: Oahu, Hawaii

Aloha Falalas,

I hope the new year is treating you well. So far my trip to Oahu Hawaii has been surprisingly beautiful. Cliche perhaps, but I've been told by many that it's so built up and commercial; you can be forgiven for believing that you haven't left the mainland.

I however, feel as though Oahu has managed to preserve that 'local' feel even with the influx of tourists and their unapologetic aloha shirts. I love that shit, people flock here to relax and kick back with that 'aloha flow'.

I've been feasting on Hawaiian barbecue as well as those convenient ABC sambos when we are on the run. As soon as I left town, it felt like I was really in the islands. The coast, the surfers, front yard barbecues and sweet melodies decorating the air from those big ass trucks. Man, I love Hawaii. It really is a beautiful place and it's not just cause of the hypnotic blue waters but more so because I've felt so much aloha (love/heart) from the locals.

Our circle island tour guide Hanalei shared his sweet and spicy dried fish with this curious food-obsessed tourist (yeah man it was yummy....kinda like a fish jerky sad the Korean sauce made it!), we've had people get off the bus and physically lead us in the tight direction and today we bused it out to the west side to go visit Uncle George in a notorious part of town. A local man came up and asked my friends if they were tourists. 'Yes' they replied. 'Are you safe?' He questioned. 'Yes' replied my sister. They wandered over to the bus stop together and the man waited until the bus arrived. 'Bye' he waved as we piled onto the bus and off he went. He wasn't catching our bus like we originally thought, he was dropping the girls off to make sure they were okay.

Stuff like that is truly beautiful. Strangers chat and the younger always address older people with respect and love. 'Yes Aunty, that's what happened' she stated. Interactions so beautiful and honest, it just made me really happy and I was almost overwhelmed with respect for the cultural teachings and the emphasis on respect and family in my Polynesian culture.

Today is Saturday, my Sabbath. We had planned to visit Uncle George for our free Stand Up Paddle Boarding lessons, and then walk around to the local SDA church to fellowship with the locals, but fellowship found up. God's message was shared through the people he sent our way. It was a very special day today and it needs a post of it's own but it just made my aloha grow. I mean, I believe people are good but when it occurs consistently I'm still surprised.

I'll share a few photos from my phone but you can see most of my daily happenings on my Instagram account @mele2541

Iolani Palace

NYE feed BBQChicken 

Big aloha,

Falala Mele.

endings and beginnings

Endings

My time in Mildura. The people, my job, students, friendships have been authentic and fulfilling. I'm so grateful for the experience.

2013. For many it has been a tough year however I'm always excited at the thought of another year unfolding. A friend recently said "I don't celebrate the new year anymore, I celebrate a new day".

Be thankful & bold and seize each day.

Festive Season. Even though there's still about another week of the festive season, I'm thankful for the abundant amount of family, food and time to just stop and breathe before it all starts churning away again.

My sister is underneath this heap :)

Beginnings

2014

New Goals: Health and well-being + travel and living abroad 

Grounded in my home roots (let's see how I handle this)

New adventure.... I fly out to Hawaii tonight, so Happy New Years in advance.

Whatever your truth, seek it and live it with conviction.

I wish you all the joy, health and happiness you could ever imagine as one year ends and another begins.

Big Love,

Falala Mele.

Aussie Curves: Headwear

Dress: Vintage Thrifted $2 / Hat $3 Cabramatta / Boots Target 

I'm not sure when it happened, but I think it may have started after my first summer trip to New York 3 years ago. I found a cute little white hat in Harlem for like $6....I never realised it at the time but hats seem to be another little outfit saver for me. I'm always short on time and the trusty hat always seems to liven up my dull outfits. These pics were taken in the afternoon. We'd had lunch, watched some movies, rolled around on the carpet.....we may have even had a nana nap....but I got up and put this lavender beauty on. I picked it up at Cabramatta for $3 from one of those awesome dollar shops. YAYURR! 

Big Love,

Falala Mele.

NYC Summer: Mermaid Festival

Dear New York,

Even though it's been a while and you've had a million other bitches since me....I still miss you.

teenage dream

Thrifted Threads: Dress $4 White Cardigan $4 Shoes Target Glasses Equip Earrings Prouds

Thrifted things make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream. 

All the things I could ever dream of when I was a teenager. Pretty clothes, cool shit. 

The type of gears that let everyone know; you were the shit and you knew it.

I was a complete poor soul. But I think everyone was. Nah that's bullshit. People were cool. I wasn't. 

I was a quiet, good, half-caste girl who was fat and couldn't afford all that fancy shit. 

It didn't kill my life like it did for others. 

It didn't sit at home and pine for it. 

I just waited around and grew into myself. 

It was nice dreaming away about all the things I wanted to become. 

I was connected to my family, friends and music and looking back, 

it seems to be the best youth ever. 

Things are getting messed up now days. 

You get everything you want and you get it quickly.

Now I realise that a lot of shit doesn't matter.

But it's nice to get all things that make me feel

like I'm living the teenage dream.

Big Love,

Falala Mele.

September Weekends

Hi Falalas,

Feels like another eternity since I've been on here. How are you all? I hope that you are all feeling strong and fabulous. It's a dreary Sunday morning here in Mildura and the lack of sun has meant that I slept in until 9am. I'm usually up when the sun creeps into the lounge room but not today, instead I'm sitting at my breakfast bench listening to old Mariah Carey & Destiny Child. So I thought I'd touch base and share a few pics with whats been happening with me the last few weekends.

Last weekend we had a visit by our lovely Level 2 sister Lolo. She was one of your youngest to graduate and she's doing great things in Melbourne with her teaching. We had another cause to celebrate because our other Level 2 sister Lo got the news that she was successful in her transfer to Melbourne for next year. She was out in Mildura for 4 years teaching. It wasn't one of those "serve your time in the country gigs" (and FYI Mildura is NOT country. Try Meekatharra and you'll see what real "country" is!) she loved growing out here in a smaller school; advancing to Deputy Principal in such a short period of time.

So we spent the last weekend laughing, picnicking, churching, dancing, brunching and chilling.
It was sooooo good to catch up with her and Alex and it reminded me that I need to organise a catchup with all my other college girls in the holidays.....YUSSSSS! Only one more week this term. This time last term I was in New York and now I'm gearing up to pack up my house and finish my time here in Mildura. It's going to go by so quickly, so we are making an extra effort not to let work get in the way of hanging out and having fun when we are not working.

1) Homemade garlic studded pizza 2) Asparagus Pea and Olive Salad 3) Brunch 4) Lentil & Current Salad

Brunch crew

Yesterday we were making our way into church when our Samoan family told us that they weren't staying for church because they were going to a wedding in Robinvale. We were about to say our goodbyes when Lo's Mami asked us to join them. It was such a beautiful day yesterday, there were two things that ran through my mind when she asked me: a nice road trip & fob food. YES I'll come.

We dropped our niece of at her friends place and set out on the drive. We arrived and sat through the long service (it was a lovely traditional Tongan wedding) and we chatted with all our Tongan school students who were there (they looked so beautiful and it was lovely to see them in their element with their family). Stelle loved seeing the contrast between a traditional service (she thought it was serious) and the joyous wedding reception where the dance floor was littered with Mums and Aunties and cousins and sisters dancing and singing shouts of praise. She loved the food and gobbled down the Ota (raw fish marinated in lemon juice and coconut cream) and lu (beef and coconut cream wrapped in taro leaves and baked). She spent time with her student and just really loved being immersed in another culture. I love how we can have these little adventures and I'm excited for our Hawaiian one coming up!

Stelle watching bridal party enter the reception

I also made my way around to visit Tae. She is a member of my Newman family. Everywhere I go, I always make a new family with the people I'm surrounded by. She is my friend Lupe's Mum and we all worked and lived together in Newman WA before my final year of college. I worked there for 2 months to save for my college fees and my trip to Europe.

I also saw her nieces. Lupe-Carmel (the girl nestled right into my shoulder was named after us both) and made arrangements for us to have some fun next term before I move away again. Aren't they just beautiful!










After the reception headed back to Mildura and I spent the evening running around a rollerskating rink with my students. We had a church social cake auction to raise money for the orphanage that our Grade 10 students visited in Vietnam earlier this year. Such a nice way to spend a Sabbath.

Big Love,

Falala Mele

NYC Summer: Evening 4 & Day 5

After the Bloomingdales event at FFFW I scurried off to the hotel in the horrors. "What a waste of time!" I complained. I was pissed off because I thought I had missed the chance to catch up with Deja. Deja was my first ever blogger buddy and a total sweet heart. We have met up every time I have been to New York. It's a personal tradition. Come to New York, visit Deja. This year was a little harder to coordinate because she had just graduated from college and was busy with her job schedule. We would text and try and tee things up but sometimes it just wouldn't work. I also didn't have internet on my phone so messages came through with every free wireless port I could find.Things seemed to work out okay because we managed to find a place and a time to meet up. To view our previous adventures

Mele & Deja 2012 CLICK HERE.

Mele & Deja 2011 CLICK HERE. 

Check out Deja's blog here: http://www.imjustdaisy.us/

We were so excited to talk about graduation and friends and family and future plans. Shake shack was okay. Not gross but I don't think I'll be dying to go there on my next visit. It all seemed to the one texture, just all weirdly soft and fluffy and I wasn't a fan of the fries. The shakes were yummy though.

After dinner we headed over to Crumbs to see the huge cupcakes. Sia turned her swag on to take pics and chat with the cutie behind the counter and I decided to jump on the subway with Deja while Sia and Theresa stayed to hang out in Times Square. It was great evening and I forgot all about the Bloomingdales disaster. All was right again in New York.

1)OOTD Friday 2) Bubba Gump Shrimp 3) Goodbye Pod Hotel we're off to Brooklyn

1) Shopping Soiree 2) Thursday Night OOTE 3) Lollies galore

Blazer Thrifted / Top Best and Less / Tights Target

Friday morning was our last day at the Pod Hotel. We woke up and packed up. We took some more photos of our view and doing things that had become our usual routines. We caught a cab through the rush hour to attend the shopping soiree. Wasn't really impressed with it at all. There wasn't anything I wanted to buy and there was no real atmosphere. People just wandered in and out. My sister bought a few pair of earrings but I left after about 30 minutes. Waste of money really. Vendors pay to sell and shoppers pay to shop. The whole FFFW was pretty disappointing. I missed tickets to Indie runway show and I didn't like the other 2 events I attended. The White Cruise was cool fun but if I was ever to attend again it would be to support my friend Jen sell her Seraphim label.

After we left we made our way into Times Square. My cousin wanted to eat at Bubba Gump Shrimp. I wasn't keen because I had it in Manila. It was nice but I felt it was the type of thing you only need to do once because it's quite expensive and there is so much better food around New York.

After we had lunch we organised a driver to take us to our new home in Brooklyn with Gabby and Candice. This is where our new adventures began. It was Candice's birthday and we celebrated by eating more at Dallas BBQ. The atmosphere was awesome. It was packed with families, graduation parties, birthdays and people on dates. Everyone was talking, eat and sipping on the signature frozen cocktails. We were full from lunch and decided to order one meal to share between the three of us. The meals are huge and we still had leftovers! It's definitely a place my family would love to go and eat at.

We ordered the Henney wings with corn bread and yellow rice. It's far from fine dining but that's why I loved it soooo much. Lots of hot crispy wings and rice and cornbread. The kind of food we grew up on. We drank virgin Pina Coladas and managed to pack two containers of leftovers to take home with us.

Big Love,

Falala Mele