holidays

A moment alone...

Holidays,
go by fast,
a blur of learning to bike ride,
short visits with family,
a first birthday even.

Enjoying the autumn weather,
sunny days,
the last warmth before the real frosts start.

So much to do,
but so easy to be distracted,
children drawing, playing,
teething(!)

Learning to cook all over again,
Nourishing Traditions, Making my head spin.
No time for sewing,
but lots of time for planning,
where to begin?


A few treasures, pictures , found on the beach by airport after dropping off oma and opa. Did you know you could walk all the way around the perimeter of the airport and theres a beach and no-one else, right there in the middle of the flight path?

Shop update

As promised, some images of items for my shop update, completed this morning (it pays to read the help pages!) Also delivering some stock to Delume in Nelson this morning.

I am so excited, we are also going to print in hard copy some lovely photos of Tobin for his inaugural birthday album update! His birhday is tomorrow! My last baby is one already..... An era is slowly (but too fast for me) coming to an end.

Easter Fair

The day dawned bright and sunny with just a hint of a chill in the air. We were organised and left home without any last minute stress! I had to climb through the drivers side to get into the passenger seat but no matter, it was going to be a great day! And so it was! I caught up with lotsof people I hadn't seen for ages, and got to see some of my new womens clothes tried on for fit (I was very happy with how they looked!). I was particularaly pleased to see and hang out with my frined Gill and VERy happy with the swap we made. My eldest daughter Anoushka saw it this morning and exclaimed "Mama, look at this dolly, she's so cool I'm going to put her on the nature table!" Hehe, obviously our most treasured treasures belong there... (I know, i have linked to Gillybean lots this week, but she's my friend and I think shes cool! :)

We have spent the last few hours trying to get decent photos onto my felt site, without much luck, but will feature my latest shop updates tomorrow (After the kids have gone to bed etc...) Hope you visit then... (p.s. anyone who knows what they are doing with that kind of thing, give us some clues!!!!Any help will be much appreciated!)

Autumn foraging

I've spent a lovely few days enjoying the autumn sun. On Friday I spent a day in Dovedale with a good friend and our motley children, foraging the old spots I used visit on my daily walk around when we lived there. We didn't manage to get around to the blackberries, plums or apples but we did gather enormous amounts of newly fallen hazelnuts and chestnuts. Chestnuts are always an adventure to gather, as I remember well from my childhood. Yes even in suburban Auckland there is scavenging to be found,, or at least there was in those days. The spikes on the chestnuts certainly took their toll on poor Tobin's fingers on friday!. They are near to the most beautiful, serene spot, by Dovedale church, where the children and I used to spend a bit of time playing amongst the fairy toadstool rings and sheep brought in to keep the grass down. It was a stunning day, and I always come away from a visit there and especially a visit with my friend feeling full of love, not as strange as I sometimes feel about myself, and with lovely ,sleepy, children!!!





So far today has been lovely too. Anoushka rode down to the local sunday market on a bike, all by herself. The vege stall was selling cooking tomatoes for a dollar a bag, so tomato soup for lunch, the best recipe in the world from my friend Gill. I found a recipe for chocolate chestnut cake from rivercottage and made it, and there are still more chestnuts left. When I was young we roasted them on the old pot belly and hoped they wouldn't explode all over the place. Autumn days are good!