buttons aborad: journey to tauranga

Continued from last week....

The following morning we awoke to a down pour. On the bright side we were to make our journey to Tauranga which is where we had our work placement and where we spend the majority of our time in NZ. 

We decided to travel with the intercity bus company. We bought a pass for travel for a certain number of hours. This pass allowed you to travel on any journey by intercity buses and also the interislander ferry. The number of hours for the journey would get taken off. It was also possible to top up the number of hours. I would definitely recommend this pass as its more cost effective the buying individual journeys. 

We arrived in tauranga late afternoon. The rain was still going strong..so we took a taxi straight to our accommodation. I can't say I was impressed with the accommodation. It was basically a like a dorm. Along corridor with around 20 rooms with a unisex bathroom and lounge and kitchen to share. But it was cheap and a place to sleep.

I couldn't believe we were finally here after months of planing. I was excited to get outside and explore :) (and kinda nervous about starting work!) 


Sita xoxo

Butterfly brights

Hey guys!

Just thought I'd share my outfit for today. It incorporates some of my favourite pieces. I wore my blue jeggings from my ASDA haul and teamed it with a sleeveless, peter pan collar top from Warehouse and my bring pink long cardie from Zara. I love the butterfly print on the top it's so cute! I the colour of the pink cardie, it's so bright! I wore my black brogues that Sita got me from Primark and bright pink rabbit studs from Claire's. 


Have a good week. 

Radha xoxo

sisterly discord

sisterly discord by radha-m featuring vintage style jewelry

Hey guys!

Hope you've all been enjoying the sunny weather this weekend. For this weeks sisterly discord, the question is necklaces or earrings?

Sita: I would choose earrings as I don't usually wear any jewellery, earrings are the only thing I wear on an everyday basis. For work I'm not allowed to wear bracelets, rings (aside from wedding rings), long necklaces and long earrings so I just tend to wear studs. I think I definitely need to accessorize more and start to introduce more jewellery in my outfits out of work as I think I've just gotten use to work rules. The only time I properly include jewellery in my outfits is when I wear Indian clothes

Radha: I have to go with necklaces. I do wear studs but am not too keen on big heavy earrings, even when wearing Indian clothes. I love necklaces though I hate chokers. They make me feel so confined and claustrophobic! I think necklaces can make an outfit and are a great way to add colour. 

Let us know your preference below and don't forget to email any questions to buttonsapart@gmail.com or with your answer below.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Sita & Radha xoxo

Garnier deodorant review

Hey guys!

I recently received the new Garnier mineral deodorant sample. I was quite surprised as I didn't realise Garnier made deodorant! The deodorant claims to to leave clean feeling, fresh underarms so much so that you feel you can wear your top twice. Now that's one hell of a claim! It doesn't contain alcohol, which is always a plus for me as I have really sensitive skin and suffer from eczema. It is enriched with an ultra-absorbent mineralite from volcanic source and claims to provide 48hrs of protection. It also contains an anti-bacterial agent, which is suppose to help prevent odour.  

I was pleasantly surprised with the product even though I usually prefer using roll-ons. The lock switch on the bottle work well- no spillages in my bag. I did not get any white marks on my clothes which is always great when wearing black. But most of all, I was impressed as I was left with dry, fresh feeling and smelling underarms for over 24hrs even in the hot weather we've been having recently in the UK! I didn't test it for the full 48hrs. It has a fresh and subtle smell, which I liked. I also found it was great if you had cut yourself shaving (something I always manage to do!) The cuts healed relatively quickly. As to it's claim, I definitely was able to wear a top twice whist using it. It cost about the same as a bottle of Sure or Sanex.

So what are the downsides? Well the only ones I could find were availability. It is available at selected online stores and larger stores only. I definitely loved the product and would recommend it if you can get your hands on it! 

Have a good weekend =D

Radha xoxo 

mustard, monochrome and movies

Hey guys!

Summer's here!!!!! After the snow and rain (yep snow!), the sun has finally come out. Today I wore my monochrome striped dress from Miss Selfridge with black tights and the black brogues Sita got me for £3 from Primark. I also wore a large beaded necklace gifted to me. My camera died before I could take a close up  so will post one later. I also wore it with my mustard cardigan from Next.

The other day I went to watch What to expect when you're expecting. The film boasts an all star cast and follows various couples coping with the challenges they face throughout pregnancy and adoption. Including a celebrity couple, Jules (Cameron Diaz) and Evan (Matthew Morrison), who were partners on a dance show. The film's received mixed reviews, I enjoyed it but would say it's one that I would probably wait until it was one TV to watch.

Radha xoxo

buttons abroad: kelly tartans

The picture shows the ferry...but are we on it?! The ferry is actually is just arriving...so you'll be glad (I hope!) to know that we got to the terminal just in time! I have no idea where the adrenaline came from. A combination of fear and determination I guess! I have to say though both of us were completely shattered after that. We got back and knocked out !

The next day we went to kelly tartans, which is an aquarium. It was a alright day out..we saw pengiuns and many types of fish..In my opinion its in an average aquarium. If you have time to kill than it's worth paying a visit, otherwise there are plenty of other things to do. 

 

That evening we met up with a friend and we discovered an indian vegetarian restaurant. I have mentioned it before but i'll just mention it again that I am a lacto vegetarian which means I don't eat any type of meat, fish or eggs. I was glad to find the restaurant because a) I was missing indian food b) it's always hard to find a good vegetarian variety in places. This place is in the food court place near the cinemas on queens road, and its called Dosa hut (or maybe dosa place - something to that effect). I would definitely recommend it! 

I was sad that I hadn't discovered the restaurant before as the next day we were to leave Auckland and arrive in the location we would be spending the next 6 weeks for our work placement...

I'll see you guys next week ;) 

Sita xoxo

florals, brights and yellow tights

Hello Everyone! Hope you guys are enjoying the weekend! These are some pictures from last weekend when we had some sun and I had the chance to wear my floral dress from Primark I bought recently. I love floral dresses, they make me feel so girly. I especially love this dress as it combines my love of florals with my love of brights! :)

Outfit Details: 

Dress: Primark £10

Cardigan: H&M £9.99

Tights: River Island £2 

Shoes: Primark £6

Bag: Urban Outfitters £10 

sisterly discord

Another week, another question!

This week the question is: Trousers (Pants) or Skirts? 

Sita: I prefer skirts. I do like trousers too but because of my height (I'm 5 foot 3 with short legs) I always find it really difficult to find trousers that fit well lengthwise, normal sizes tend to be too long for me and petite lengths are just a little too short for me! 

Radha: I prefer trousers as I find them more comfy and practical and you don't have to worry about a gush of wind blowing your skirt up! 

What do you prefer? 

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and we'll see you soon! 

Sita & Radha xoxo 

Disclaimer: These pictures do not belong to us. These Items can be found at missselfridge.co.uk and topshop.co.uk.

buttons abroad: rangitoto island

Hey Guys! I'm sorry I have been MIA for the past few days! Work has been so hectic, I think all I have been doing is working and sleeping! I know this post is long overdue...but as they say better late than never! So here goes...

The next day I woke up excited for our trip to Rangitoto Island. We took a ferry from Auckland harbour and the journey took around 45 minutes or so. During the boat ride we sat on the boat deck. It was refreshing to be out at sea, away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Auckland, to have the wind blowing in my face and to be breathing in the fresh sea air.

Once we got to Rangitoto Island  we commenced on our journey to the summit. On our way we stopped of to explore some caves. Once we reached the mouth of the volcano which is now covered in regenerating  bush, we were greeted with beautiful views over Hauraki Gulf, the Waitemata Harbour and Auckland city. We sat down and enjoyed the views whilst we ate our picnic.

Caught up in discussion of the stunning views and our plans for the rest of the trip we made our way back to the ferry terminal.  There are many different walks to the summit, and I remember thinking that the walk on the way back down looked different to the one on the way up. However we were able to see some different scenery so we carried on. When we got to the next signpost it all became clear that we had taken a longer trail!

We both saw the board and read what was on each others mind. The time to the ferry terminal was 1 hour 15 minutes. The last ferry was at 3.30pm and it was currently around 2.45pm! Could we make it?! We both started running as  fast as we could, it was the only way we had a chance to of making it.

Did we make it to the ferry terminal in time or did we have to spend the night on the island...to be continued next week!

Sita xoxo

finally a chance to wear my primark dress!

This weekend the rain cleared up and made way for the sun to shine! Yay! For those of you who have been following us for a while you will remember my spring ready dress from my Birmingham haul 2 months ago. The weather was finally nice enough for me to wear it :) My relationship with new clothes tends to go one of two ways, I either wear something straight away and if that doesn't happen then then it will sit in my wardrobe for ages before I eventually discover it. But once I do start wearing it I will wear it endlessly, until I get bored and discover something else.

I decided to make the most of the good weather and was out and about in the countryside, pictures of which I shall share with you soon.  I also went to watch the new Johnny Depp movie Dark Shadows. It's a vampire movie set in 1972 based on a television program of the same name. I don't want to give the story away as I myself find it annoying when someone tells me what's going to happen in a movie as it ruins the suspense. I have to admit I am a big fan of  Tim Burton/Johnny Depp collaborations. I love the quirky sense of humour and the slightly awkward characters they work with. However this movie did not live up to expectations, the storyline was not great and I was expecting the movie to be alot more funny from the trailor. If I were you I  would wait for the DVD!

 

Outfit Details: 

Dress: Primark £13

Tights: Warehouse £3

Shoes: Primark £6  

What did you get up to this weekend? 

Sita xoxo 

asda haul

Hey guys!

Hope you had a good weekend. I went to ASDA, a supermarket, over the weekend to buy some milk and bread but came out with some clothes as well! As I walked in they had a rail of clothes reduced to £3 so I had to take a look. I found some real gems for Sita and me.

The first item that caught my eye was cropped bright red trousers. They were a size smaller than I usually wear but had to try them on and luckily they fit! =D

I also got a pair of navy jeggings. Can't go wrong at only £3!

I picked up a cute red bird cardie, initially for Sita but it fits me so I'm keeping it =P He he he.

And for Sita, I got her a short sleeve pink cardie which is perfect for summer workwear as well as casual.

I also got her a navy printed long maxi, there was only one and it was in her size so it must have been fate! I was gutted they didn't have my size. =( Sita always complains that she's too short to wear maxi skirts/dresses but this was a good length and should be perfect for our summer holiday.

Have a nice day.

Radha xoxo

sisterly discord

Glasses by radha-m featuring yellow sunglasses

Hey guys!


Yay, it's finally Saturday! So it's time for our weekly feature and this weeks question is glasses or contacts?


Sita: Contact lens. I tend to wear contacts on a daily basis and wear glasses when I'm at home. Because I have a small face and find it hard to find a frame that suits my face. I usually end up having to buy children's frames! Which is annoying as there's not as much choice! I find that my vision is much clearer with contacts and its really annoying when your glasses get steamed up!!

Radha: Glasses. I hate anything getting close to my eye so struggle to get lenses in, especially early in the morning! Plus I think glasses are cool and love that you can accessorise to match your outfit. I currently own four pairs and love switching between them to match my clothes.

Which do you prefer? Leave a comment below with your answer. Also if you have any question suggestions then feel free to leave them below or email buttonsapart@gmail.com =) 

Have a good weekend.

Sita & Radha xoxo

jacket conundrum

Hey guys!

I've got an interview soon so it's FINALLY a chance to break out my grey River Island dress that I bought over a year ago! I'm struggling to decide what jacket to wear with it so I thought I'd ask you =)

The first choice is my black jacket from Warehouse. It's my favourite and most worn jacket.

The second choice is a grey checked, 80's inspired jacket from River Island. I had to have it as soon as I saw it! I call it my Dynasty jacket as it's got the huge shoulders!! 

The third option is to wear it without a jacket. My favourite is with the checked grey jacket. I'd appreciate your thoughts on which one looks best. 

Radha xoxo

monochrome with a pop of purple

Dress: Miss Selfridge £10

Jacket: Warehouse £5

Tights: Next £5

Necklace: Gifted

Shoes: Brantano £13

Hey Guys!

Hope your well. It's been a hectic day today. I woke up late today so just threw on the first outfit I found. I wore my striped monochrome dress from Miss Selfridge. I teamed it with a jacket as it looked really dull and gloomy out the window. I picked a purple necklace but struggled to find my purple tights to match. =( 

I just picked up a black pair as I had to leave. 

 

I love the shoes, which my mum bought for me on one of her shopping trips. They have a very small heel thus are perfect to wear for work as I'm on my feet for most of the day.

Good job I wore a jacket as it rained all afternoon! Hope the weather's been better where you are.

Speeak to you soon.

Radha xoxo

buttons abroad: exploring auckland

Continued  from  last week..

The next day we woke up early, it was a lovely bright day. We headed to the i-Site, i-Sites are tourist information centres located in most cities and towns throughout New Zealand. The staff have a lot of knowledge and can give you lots of information and can also book everything for you from accomodation, to travel to activities. We met Elsie at the isite and she helped us to organise the rest of our trip. I would thoroughly recommend visiting the i-Sites to help you plan your trip.

R and I both had the Auckland bridge climb on our list of things to do. Elsie our new found friend from the i-Site arranged this for us. They had spaces left for that very same afternoon so we grabbed the opportunity. We got picked up  from outside the i-Site and got driven to their base near the bridge. We had to change into some trendy grey and black overcoats! before we got taken out.

In our group there was me, R, one other lady and our guide, so it was a nice small group and we had the opportunity to ask lots of questions and get some recommendations on places to eat and things to do. We had a lead thing which hooks onto your overcoat and hooks onto the bridge and moves along with you whilst your walking, to keep you safe incase you slip! I found the walk relatively easy, the guide led the way and we followed. Unfortunately they don't allow you take your camera so couldn't take any pictures, but it was a great experience, the sun was shining and we had beautiful views over Auckland. I would recommend the bridge climb for people of any age (as long as your not afraid of heights!)

Following the walk we got driven back to the i-Site. We went for a walk around the harbour and had an early dinner at one of the restaurants.

I got back to the hotel to find that my suitcase had arrived intact, which made me really happy! All in all it was a good day. My trip was improving and I went to bed looking forward to the following day, a day trip to Rangitoto Island, a 600 year old volcano. I shall share that with you next time!

I'll leave you with a few pictures of the sky tower and Auckland harbour.

Sita xoxo