Weekending

 

 

 

 

 

Just loved our weekend.  Tom scored his first Try at Rugby, there was minimal squabbling the only real hiccup being the button someone shoved up their nose!  And after complaints from Bell Saturday morning that she was bored after telling her she needed to do something other than play on her phone, I was on a mission to make her weekend phone free and fun!  She loves craft so I set up the table with paints, mini canvases, buttons, washi tape, a necklace making kit and anything else I could get my hands on.  She loved it and crafted all day.......mission complete.

Let's not forget the Looming too.  I actually thought this had been and gone in our town and had simply bi-passed our house.  But no, after having Bell talk about it all week we did a quick dash into town to pick up the necessary supplies (yay a cheap hobby) and this kept her occupied (and off her phone) for the rest of the weekend.  I've since been on line and ordered her a huge Looming kit with all the Bell's and whistles.  With school holidays approaching this new hobby/distraction could be great timing.

Over the weekend:

 

Home time - hanging at home over the weekend is under-rated I think.

A roaring fire.

Homemade vegetable soup with a bacon hock for dinner.

Date and cinnamon scones.

Mr H's English breakfasts on a Sunday morning.

Washing conquered.

Windows and window sills washed.

Vegetable garden weeded and dug over ready for new plantings.

Winter sun.

Blue skies.

Mud pies and outdoor kitchen/café play.

Books, trains and Lego.

Tea, tea and more tea.

I would have loved more sleep but heck you can't have everything.  Here's to a good week ahead and another weekend to look forward too.

Nice things and changes

With Easter and the first week of the school holidays under our belt things have been busy.  Not frantic, just family life, running around here and there with the kids.  The first week went quickly so I'm going to saviour this week a little more.

 

Here are some nice things from the past week.......

 

Craving colour at the moment so new cushions have been bought.

 

 

 

And a new rug.

 

 

 

Feijoas (Pineapple Guava) season in full swing.  My nephew dropped of another box, just when I had nearly gotten to the bottom of the last one!  This week I have been making Feijoa crumble and sponge cake.  More jam is on the cards I think.

 

 

A parcel from overseas and a friend.  Sewing goodies galore.  I just love the little wicker basket.

 

 

I have finished sew school now and will update you next week of my progress.  I have a few projects on the go that I'm hoping to finish soon.  I've been spending a lot of time in the garden lately and enjoying books and movies in the evenings.  I don't know if it's the change of season and recent bugs but I've been feeling so tired in the evenings.

 

 

A very sweet pin cushion - love the chicken print.

 

 

More washi tape.......

 

 

And new to me fabric tape.  I've bought it for gifts before but have never used it before.....any ideas?

 

 

Pins for my quilting.

 

 

Hazy afternoons and leaves disappearing from the vines.  I love the sight of washing hung on the line.

 

 

We have been moving furniture off the grass and back onto the gravel for the colder months.  Clearing and weeding gardens and lots of tidying up around the house.

 

 

Just love these three.  Bell turned fourteen this week, can you believe it?

 

 

I'll back tomorrow with the 52 project although from now on it will be a little different.

 

I'll just be photographing the boys.  I have noticed a shift with Bell lately.  She has been wanting more independence and with that she spends less and less time hanging out with us.  It has become more noticeable in the past month or so.  A letting go has been needed on both sides.  She is craving more freedom so with that I won't be including her in the portrait project anymore a decision that was decided between us both.  My girl is growing up.

Have a wonderful weekend xo

 

Joining in here with Meg and here with Em.

 

 

 

A bit of this and that

Flamingo fairy lights - I love this quirky pink bird.  These are currently hanging from the mantle but will be moving somewhere else once we start lighting the fire for winter.

 

 

Stargazer lilies - these have been my favourite flower for ages.

 

Orange-gate - the orange quilt is the result of "letting" Mr H choose a new bed cover.  I thought he  was joking and trying to wind me up as I wanted a blue one.  He said it will go perfectly with my ugly flower power pillowcases.  It's grown on me and it lets of this unreal amazing glow in the bedroom.......which can also been seen when you are in the garden AND walking up the hallway.

 

 

A craft package sent off in the recipients favourite colours of orange and fuchsia.

 

Making homemade pasta sauce with Roma tomatoes.

 

 

A London linen tea towel and Harrods Tins found for my collection.

 

 

Rugby season has started.  Ah yes, Saturday morning sport...........in winter.

 

Obsessing about getting washing dry.  We have had lots and lots of rain.

 

Long weekend breakfasts.

 

 

Easter drawing and the beginnings of story writing.

 

 

And Easter making.........thank you Julie for the idea and recipe.

 

 

Enjoy your Easter long weekend.  It is also the start of the school holidays for us here in NZ - 2 weeks, can't wait!

 

Happy Easter! xo

 

 

  Joining in here with Em.

 

 

Weekending

I turned free roadside stall quinces into jam - the best batch I have ever made.  Super thick and tastes really good.  Such a pretty jewel colour too.

A quick banana cake on Sunday afternoon.  Trying really hard not to let anything go to waste.  We always seem to have a surplus of bananas round here.

Vanilla cupcakes for George from a very clever friend - edible decorations on top of buttercream icing.  Say no more!  The kids loved them.

Freshly picked mushrooms from the garden.  Mr H is going to eat them, me not so game.

Have planted in my winter vegetable patch.  After keeping the soil covered in grass clippings for the last 6 months and then mixing through sheep poo and compost the soil is so much more healthier than last year.  It was so compacted and dry but now is perfect for winter planting.  I've planted savoy cabbage, silverbeet and kale.  My sister n law Em is going to plant different vegetables in her garden so we can swap produce when the time comes.

I have only planted half the vegetable garden as I thought it would be too big, but I'm now thinking I may need more room.  I still have the patch under the apricot tree planted up.  I put down stepping stones to make it easier to navigate over the wetter months.  And a border down one side of marigold plants.

An old Dove Cote from our neighbours.  I've been cleaning it out and will put in some hay for any new bird families that may want to take residence over the winter.  Hanging bird seed feeders are next.

Yay!  It's that time of year again.........Feijoa season!

Farmers market bread and tomatoes for lunch.

Snippets from around our home.......

My growing washi tape pile.  Love the stuff!  I have had a couple of months of Birthday and Swap parcel wrapping and I love being able to use my washi tape.

 

Hope your weekend was a good one, here's to a happy week!

Joining in here with Meg and here with Em.