FortyEight/52

"Portraits of my boys, once a week, every week, in 2014."
 

Tom - fresh from his first school disco - and showing me how cowboys dance......crazy.
George - watching his big brother quietly in the background and most likely thinking the same thing as me........crazy.

  

Joining in with Jodi's "52 project".



 

Christmas Giveaway...........a Little Anahera Fairy

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the festive season approaching............one lucky reader will win a beautiful Little Anahera Christmas Fairy.  Handmade here in New Zealand by my clever sister n law Em using wool and silk.

Along with  flower in her hair, this beautiful fairy is holding a tiny Christmas wreath.

Perfect for the top of your Christmas tree or displayed with other decorations around the home.  These sweet fairies are lovely as a "keep you safe" sleep angel and a few hung along a twisty branch make for a magical mobile too.

Little Anahera is the name of Em's business and you can visit the Facebook page here to see all of the beautiful fairies she has made.  You can also make contact through this page for custom orders and queries.

To enter the Little Anahera Fairy giveaway all you need to do is:

Comment below - tell me what you are hoping
Santa brings you this year.
(for me it is more uninterrupted sleep, a smaller waistline and flamingos for my garden!)

 

Feel free to share this giveaway via Social media (Facebook, Twitter, blog).

This is an International Giveaway.

 

Giveaway closes on Wednesday 3rd December at 11.59pm (NZ Time) - and will be announced the following day.  The winner will have 1 week to get in touch or a new name will be drawn.  The sooner contact is made the quicker I can get your fairy posted out - and hopefully in time for Christmas.

This giveaway is now closed.  Click here to see who won.

 

Thank you Emma from  Little Anahera and good luck!



 

FortySeven/52

 

"Portraits of my boys, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Adventuring........always.

Tom - climbing the chicken coop.
George - in the corn field.

  

Joining in with Jodi's "52 project".



 

Afternoon tea under the trees

I hope you have had a great week.  Things here have started getting busy.  With the lead up to Christmas I have been doing extra hours at work.  Lots of things on with the kids and a wonderful work dinner Friday night with Mr H.  It was walking distance from our house which is a real novelty around here.

Saturday Bell and I spent the morning in town getting her sorted for next weeks school camp - then the plan was to spend the afternoon catching up on housework and washing..........but I nana napped instead.

I've been hoping to catch up with some friends lately, so Saturday afternoon I sent a message out saying Sunday afternoon tea at mine, 2pm - bring the kids and a plate!  Everyone said yes, so it was a quick blitz of the housework Sunday morning and some baking and sandwiches made before everyone arrived.

I haven't picked my camera up all week, so once the table was set I took a few snaps.  So glad I did as once everyone arrived the camera stayed tucked away inside.  There were platefuls of food, tea, orange juice and bubbles to be enjoyed.  The sun shone and the kids were great and played well together.........all SIXTEEN of them.  That's how many kids there were between we six mums - SIXTEEN!

It was a great ending to a really good weekend.  We are all hoping we get another catch up in before Christmas!

 

I hope your weekend was a happy one - what did you get up to?

Keeping calm and carrying on.............

Hello lovelies!  I wanted to sit down and have a catch up with you - I've posted plenty over the last few months, but there will always be things I don't share - one thing in particular I wasn't going to but a message from a friend today has made me have a change of heart.

I started a part time job in June - before I began I thought it would be a good idea to go and have a few things sorted that I had been putting off like visits to the dentist and doctors.  I did both, all went well and I thought nothing of it until a letter arrived.

My smear results came back abnormal..........follow up visits to the hospital with a specialist resulted in me finding out I had early stage cancer cells in my cervical "canal".  Gobsmacked.  And extremely relieved due to the fact that it had been caught early and was only on the outer tissue layer and had not spread.

After a couple of treatments that included tissue removal I was given the all clear in September.  Phew!  I choose to keep the results and my hospital treatments to myself apart from Mr H of course, two family members and my boss due to the fact I needed to take time off work.  I'm not good with sharing info like this and have always preferred the "Keep calm and carry on" approach.  I'm the same way with most things.  I have ups and downs like everyone - I just tend to "suck it up" and keep going.  A not entirely healthy option I'm sure.

After I was given the all clear - I did casually mention it to a couple of friends.  One of them sent me a message today saying she went for her smear after I told her and has found out she has abnormal cells and is about to start going through the motions of removal and further tests.  She was grateful I had told her, as it made her pick up the phone and make a very overdue appointment.

So beautiful ladies.  Early detection is key!  I am so grateful it was found early and that I will be around for my children.  I hate going to the Doctors for "Lady Checkups" but the alternative is much worse.

 

We need to look after ourselves first so we can be around to look after those we love.

 

xo

 

 

 

 

FortySix/52

 

 

"Portraits of my boys, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Eating ice cream and climbing trees by the sea........
 

Tom
George

  

Joining in with Jodi's "52 project".



 

Isla and Olive sweet giveaway winner!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Leigh for treating one lucky person to an A4 print of their choice - such a lovely giveaway.

 

Designed and printed here in New Zealand by Leigh, her new designs include clouds, apples, pears and stars perfect for any small or big person, nursery or chill out area.  Great for gifts, and easy to post as they are, or popped into a frame of your choosing.

All prints are A4 size and printed on 300gsm acid free paper (the frames are not included).  Prints retail at NZD$29 plus postage.

 

 

 Visit the Olive and Isla online store to purchase.

 

 

And the lucky winner of an A4 print is............

 

Sara Speight

(I don't think Sara has a blog - so no link to share)

 

Winner has not been in touch - to be redrawn.

 

Renee - as you were the first one to comment on this post - you are the (new) lucky winner of an Isla and Olive print.

 

Renee please drop me an email with your address details and which print you would like to

alittlebitcountrynz (at) gmail (dot) com

 

(The winner has 1 week to get in touch or a new name will be drawn). 

 

 

 

 

  I have a beautiful Christmas Fairy giveaway coming up soon, so stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

Retro Blue

Be still my beating heart!  I bought this treasure of a set home this week from my favourite Retro store in town.  It wasn't cheap, this shop has beautiful retro items but they are not op shop prices.  I paid this set off over a few weeks.  So glad I did though. 

The colours caught my eye, blue being my favourite colour and I love anything with a flower or three on it.  It's a Johnson's Bros of England set complete with six cups and saucers, milk jug, sugar bowl and the beautiful coffee pot.  The flowers look like they have been hand painted.  An absolute treasure.

Bought anything beautiful lately?  Does the hubby know?  Mine doesn't!!!

 

Happy weekending.....

The Isla and Olive Giveaway finishes this Sunday - click here to enter.

Over the fence

 

 

Notice anything different??? 

The view over our back fence has changed a little.  The vineyard is undergoing a few changes, sections of vines are being removed to make way for new grape varieties.

But first, the soil is turned and corn is to be planted.  Mr H was loving the green bare land........somewhere to practice his golf swing.
 

Beyond this patch are further hectares of grape vines.

Now we are just watching for the corn to start showing.  Love the sound of corn fields rustling when there is a night breeze.  I just try not to think of the film "Children of the Corn".
 

 

Over the other side of the fence there are new vines going in..........

 

 

 And these lovely vines are in the organic section - no harmful sprays used here.  This area always looks a little wilder.

This time of year the vineyard gets busier, there is a lot to do before the busy Wine Vintage Season hits in February.  That's when I become a Wine Widow.......both the boys were born during "Vintage".  How is that for timing???

Pinch myself sometimes that we live here.

Happy week lovelies!



 

FortyFive/52

"Portraits of my boys, once a week, every week, in 2014."

The paddling pool has been dusted off............. We are ready for you summer! 
 

Tom
George

  

Joining in with Jodi's "52 project".



 

Isla and Olive sweet print giveaway

My clever friend Leigh is at it again!  Always up to something creative, while also being a busy mum to three beautiful little girls.

Back in May I ran a Giveaway for her new range of Olive and Isla stationery featuring a woodland animal/floral theme on invites, cards and tags.  Now she is introducing prints to her range. 

Designed and printed here in New Zealand by Leigh, her new designs include clouds, apples, pears and stars perfect for any small or big person, nursery or chill out area.  Great for gifts, and easy to post as they are, or popped into a frame of your choosing.

All prints are A4 size and printed on 300gsm acid free paper (the frames are not included).  Prints retail at NZD$29 plus postage.

Below are the Woodland Animal prints..........I just love that goat!

Visit the Olive and Isla online store to purchase or comment below to win one print of your choice.

One lucky person will win an A4 print of their choice......All you need to do to enter is:

 

Just leave a comment below.

 

 

For extra entries you can do any (or all) of the following.....just leave a comment for each entry:

 

"Like" Isla and Olive on Facebook.

 

Follow "A little bit country" by GFC, Bloglovin, Feedly or email.

 

Follow "A little bit country" on Facebook. 

 

This is an International Giveaway.

 

 

Giveaway closes on Sunday 16th November at 11:59pm (NZ Time)

This giveaway is now closed.  Click here to see who won.

 

 

Good luck!