Quickly while it's not raining.

Hello Blog Chics.

It's been a while. Real life has been all consuming. Most specifically keeping up two big gardens and two sets of lawns, in the small intervals when it doesn't rain, and rain, and rain!

And then there's the ever present problem of trying to get the washing dry. I confess at times I have just piled it into the car and taken it into Mum's and put it in the dryer.

Most reluctantly, because I am an ardent fan of line dried washing - especially when I have a lavender enclosed meadow to hang it in.

AND - I've been forcing my way through an extremely boring assignment for a paper I'm doing for work. Sooo boring, mostly about legislation and medico legal considerations. Put you off the whole business if you let it! But I've finished it all thank goodness, so onto better things Blog Chics.

I'd hate anyone to think I was moaning. On the contrary. I am totally consumed with it all in a good way, and I love the house and both gardens, and I even like my job. I just have no time for anything else because of the rain!!!!

And no blogging! I've had a few goes and deleted them in the embryonic stages because they were just not worth reporting. Or the photos were rubbish. Might resurrect a couple and put them into a different context when I feel more creatively inspired.


This has been my one source of creative inspiration lately, and I have really had to be disciplined and psyche myself into doing it because it's good for my soul. A bit like that assignment!!! My soul is ABSOLUTELY not improved in the slightest way since the assignment, I can assure you.
But it has been slightly buffed by my foray into the world of "Material Obsession Two".
But again it has taken on a character building flavour, as while I admire pieced quilts, and the use of colour in this book, I have had to challenge myself to actually take it on.
It's very spatial, but once you've cracked the formula it becomes boring blog chics, and the only buzz you get is from choosing the colours. But I suspect it's a bit like weeding, when you're finished you're pleased you put the effort in because it looks great. And it will use up all the random things in my stash that are not my kindred colour palette. I imagine it will become a favoured picnic blanket!




Give you an update soon when I've had time to get batteries into my camera!
Today I am happy to report some watery sunshine has penetrated the standard grey of the 'Naki skies, and I can even see three quarters of the mountain through my kitchen window.
The question remains ... to hang or not to hang - the washing !

Chics in Aprons.

This is what happens at a typical party here in The 'Naki.

I don't know weather it's a universal thing, or not, but this is what the girls do here at a party!

We all hang out in the kitchen get busy, and have a fabulous time.

Everyone loves my aprons, and they had to take turns for the photos.

These are my friends Patrice, Heather and Leigh on clean up duty.

You wouldn't think it would be fun would you, but it absolutely is!

And this is what blokes do at the same time as the Sheilas are fighting over the aprons.
You wouldn't think it would be fun would you? Would you?
They look pretty happy about it.



Maybe it is a universal thing at parties.
Does it happen at Northern Hemisphere Parties too?

Can't have a party without cupcakes (and aprons).

Grannies like aprons too.

Lemon meringue pie - a shared triumph!

Cath Kidston apron.

Pudding!

Walter and Willis Go Hunting For Eggs.

This morning the Easter Bunny came to Mawhitiwhiti Rd.

I captured her in full motion, like those old photos of faeries at the bottom of the garden.

Leigh and Willis are here for the weekend.

Big housewarming party at our place this evening!

Leigh is my Jo Seager Cook School friend, so I'm getting her to do all the difficult bits.

Willis is really called Ron, but to us he's been Willis for years. As in , "what you talking 'bout Willis ?"







So Leigh and Willis took full part in the performance of the Easter Egg Hunt.

And this is where the Walter part comes in. That's Willis' name for Hubby, to even things up. makes it easier to tell stories about Walter and Willis' adventures. Alliteration really helps in theses matters.

Callum got a Transformer egg from the Easter Bunny.

And here's the customary random photo of my cat - looking very "House and Garden" amongst the autumn leaves.

Then what else would you do but the cross word with your Granny!

Morning Talk

Do you remember morning talks at primary school?

This post is going to be a little bit like one of those,

because I have nothing particularly important to say, and a random photo of my cat!

So it's mostly about how my friend Claire who is a stitcher /quilter extraordinaire invited me to a stitching group with a couple of other ladies who both happened to be called Michelle.

I enjoyed it so much, and it was nice to meet new people called Michelle!

All I could find to take was my Christmas Beatrix Potter cross stitch. And that was just lucky because I found it behind a chair in my knitting basket.

I managed to complete a small area of brown hedgehog.

This is what they are all making, with their own choice of fabrics, colours, threads etc etc.

This one is Claire's. I just love it, and am feeling re-inspired, but I still have to find all my stuff!

It's here somewhere.

I think I'll do mine in silver threads with shabby chic colours. Surprise, surprise!

And I really, really want to get some bunting made for our housewarming party.

But time is of the essence, and I probably won't have any left!

I have made some more curtains from tablecloths. My life is complete blog chics.

There are just not enough days in the week at the moment.

I'm scared of the Cooker!

Today is the first day since I've been here that I have been able to stay home all day and just enjoy it.

I began with some baking. For every day lunch box fillers you can't go past the institution of the Edmonds Cook Book.

This book remains on the best seller list year after year. It's been published since the early 1900s I think, and every Kiwi Cook has a copy. I was going to say housewife, which would have been the case for most of its history, but I don't think the "housewife" really exists any more.

That sounds fairly straight forward you might think. But I have a small confession to make.

I'm scared of the cooker! It's so flash! And the hobs are gas, the nobs are different, and I'm slightly scared to twiddle them in case it self destructs in 10 seconds!

I managed to work it all out without anything going bang, and made vanilla biscuits with chocolate drops and no raisins! A lot of the recipes in the Edmonds book can be modified to suit your larder. The ones I make I have made so often that I know all their little idiosyncrasies and tricks for doubling the recipe etc.

So I've been sneaking round taking pictures of small vignettes that are different in this house, but at the same time very familiar.

Autumn is beginning to set in. Daylight savings finished last weekend.

I have been lighting the fire at night.

But today I lit it in the afternoon and sat there writing a letter to my friend Debbie in Tauranga, whom I haven't seen since 2003, but who has recently discovered my blog, so we are back in contact, which is lovely.

Debbie wrote me a real letter. I re-discovered the joy of the letter that day, and promised to write her one back. So today was the day.

I have another friend who writes me real letters on special occasions.

Hello Fi, if you are reading this post.

There is just something special about a hand written letter. It says the same thing as "handmade" to me.

Somebody values you enough to take the trouble.

And my cats STILL only drink from china cups. As soon as I put the cup and saucer down on the back veranda she went straight there for her customary "cup of tea".

The Magpie Cat is getting old. She is appreciating her new cat door. It's a big step up for an old arthritic cat, but it means she can stay inside out of the cold.