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!

Some stuff

I haven't blogged for a while, have been suffering the change of season sniffles, and keep forgetting how to upload photos! My husband is home today so I have some help!!!! So here are a few images of what we've been up to. I am in preparation for the biggest craft fair we have in the area at Easter (Come and check us out if you are in the area, Gillybean and I will be hanging out!)

So this is what happens when you choose two minutes of peace and quiet because you just have to finish cutting out one last softie!


A few bunnies for Easter, each one different, a variation of my first ever own softie pattern.


Some beautiful seed pods found on one of our Friday ambles, We also found a walnut tree in a local park with some very new walnuts starting to fall.


We've had working bees for firewood and painting and i've done a big change around in the sewing and toy room (theres nothing like a big sort out to get re inspired!). Yesterday we popped into Nelson for a trip to spotlight for notions etc, a play at Tahunanui and a fix for both of us. Struan found some great new music and i got a stash of inspiration from the newest edition of world sweet world, Frankie, and a UK sewing mag called Sew Hip. Check them out! Struan and I are inspired to join in with the badge swap for world sweet world, an idea inspired by girl guide badges, you can sew some badges, send them in and get some sent to you when you complete an environmental action. Click on the link to find out more!
I better go off and do some sewing. might share more photos later!

herfst stukjie (autumn display)

When I was young I used to reallly look forward to our autumn walks, especially through a particular reserve where sweet chestnuts grew. We used to collect stuff and arrange them in an icecream container or similar and have them on the table as inspiration and beauty. Ican remeber we even planted real toadstools in there. The very red and white fairy- type poisonous ones! The other day the children and I decided that the weather had turned enough, there is a definate chill in the air, and the rains have come: the nature table needed changing. This is our version of an autumn display_ no toadstools were harmed in the making of this one!

I also love to knit, and with the colder weather comes the need for winter woolies! On my needles at present are some socks for middle Maaike, her favourite colours(this week). Socks are my newest challenge. No longer content to mind numbingly knit and purl for weeks! Though there will be time for that too.

And the eldest goes to a dressup party this weekend. On the invitation was a request for handmade toys only- good on them! So a couple of moopy bunnys from here

Family Friday

By Friday Anoushka is generally tired from a week at kindy and I am tired of pick ups and drop offs, so I've made a general decision to keep friday asa home or walk/picnic day. So yesterday we went off for a wee walk around the inlet and cemetary then a swing by the beach and around back to the car. Anoushka walked particularly well, Maaike coped okay ( i only had a single pushchair) and even Tobin had a little wander. I had just found the website wildpicnic so had my eyes peeled to see what we could see. We found some purslane



And some of this? Any ideas? I'm pretty sure its edible, just don't know name, maybe Orach?


We had a nice time!

And there were some puddles left over from the recent rain!