Arohanui

What I Love....

2011-03-18T22:16:00.002+13:00

I'm a summer lover through and through, but i have just recently remembered that I have a little love affair on the side with Autumn. One of the things I love about Autumn is the stillness of the air (that is starting to cool) and the heat of the sun still going strong.

Needing to remind myself to 'stop and sniff the daisies' we popped out to Raglan (or Ragland as my LJ calls it) to take a deep breath of the sea air, run around on the beach, splash in some tepid pools left by the tide and eat fish n chips as the sun set. This little excursion out in creation did good things for the soul.

I need to remember in the hurry of life to stop and do more of this.

Vintage Moments

2010-05-11T21:27:00.003+12:00

My parents have been sorting through all their gears as they seek to de-clutter.

I offered to give my Mum a hand with a particular hall way cupboard and came home with these.....

The big wooden box was what my mum used as a sewing box for much of my childhood, it's an old display box used by travelling salesmen back in the day, the small carved wooden jewelery box probably originates from Indonesia (and although we're not sure, it was probably brought back to Holland by my late Opa S. on one of his trips there) and underneath is a large handkerchief or bandanna, on it is a map of The Netherlands surrounded by seals representing the provinces, a very Dutch item.

And this......

....is my favourite.

The cross stitch was done by my Mummy when she was pregnant with me and it's on linen.....love the colours. The jug, is part of my childhood. I always remember this sitting on a table in our house, so home it came.

A Mothers Day Meander

2010-05-11T20:27:00.005+12:00

My 7th Mothers Day has been and gone!

Being a Mum is such a privileged and although you'll definitely hear me complain on the odd occasion, you just can't beat hearing:

"Mummy you're just the awesomest cook in the world"

"Awww Mummy I just love you so much"

"I missed you Mummy".

And all those extra hugs one gets as a mother....complete bonus material!

I sometimes fall into the trap of looking for outside praise or recognition for the "job" I do, but if I look a little closer to home I get that feedback on a day to day basis from the kids or my darling hubby.

Therefore.....My little (or large) goal for the rest of 2010 (and potentially the rest of my life) is to be content in my role and task at hand. To look for those little things in the day that are precious gems.

Here are a few pics of our Autumnal Meander on Mothers Day

Time to get this Party Re-Started!

2010-01-27T20:41:00.003+13:00

I feel a little shamed.

It has almost been a year(!!) since I last posted anything here.

WOW! how time flies....much too fast for my liking.

One of my new years resolutions is to post a little more regularly this year.

SO.....keep your eye out.....something new will be here soon.

BUG DAY

2009-03-20T11:10:00.003+13:00

Our JK has been doing a little stint of kindy in his life.

He is attending our local Montessori School House and loves it.

Completely suits his way of learning and socialising.

On Wednesday it was Bug Day. JK announced a week earlier that he would like to go as a Cicada. Mummy subtly moved him away from that idea (thinking to myself "how the HANG am I gonna make a Cicada costume!!!") and he went on to the idea of a grasshopper (me groaning to myself) but eventually he settled on a butterfly. He's been quite fascinated how the whole caterpillar to butterfly process works..." Mum, the caterpillar eats and eats and eats until it can't eat anymore, then it becomes a racoon"......priceless.

I got out the fabric scraps, the sewing machine and other paraphenalia ....WHALAA!

A Butterfly emerged!

SUMMER HOLIDAYING

2009-02-21T17:01:00.002+13:00

Our New Bubba

2008-11-04T20:22:00.003+13:00

Welcome to the world our little boy, MF! Born 25 October, a smidge before midnight and without complictions (Praise the Lord!) 9lb 8oz (gosh they just keep getting bigger!) and 57cm. He's just perfect and we are so grateful for his well being. We love you lots our little MF and we pledge to you that we will do our best as parents to bring you up to be a great citizen.
Your brothers adore you and will be your best friends.
Arohanui

Busy Nesting

2008-09-14T23:04:00.000+12:00

Ahhhh! The nesting bug has gotten me!
I have

knitted
cleaned and tidied random stuff
reorganised
sorted
oh yes and knitted
sewn stuff

and I still haven't done 1/2 my list but we're making progress and that's the main thing.

It's 4 more weeks till my scan date (technically my due date was the week just gone.....after all this is Laura we are talking about and the last 2 just turned up when they were good and ready, yes 2 and 3 weeks later).
I'm feeling good! Not too incapacitated by the large basketball protruding out the front and enjoying this little person moving around inside my belly.
The boys are showing lots of interest in bubba and JK has taken to commenting at least once a day "I wonder if it's a boy or a girl?". LJ's fav comfort thing is to lift up my shirt and put his head on my puku (tummy), talk to the 'bubby' and rub my stomach like it's magic. All very cute! Oh yes and speaking of cute, my darling hubby has been bonding with his next child too.

So here are some of the projects that I have completed and attached photos of

Emma's Apron! This is an 'Emmeline Apron' from a pattern by Sew Liberated (formally Montessori By Hand). This special apron has been sent of to my darling sister who is on the Mission field in Ethiopia. Oh and it's reversible! She chose the material herself before she left so this is totally her style.
Sarah's Mei Tai. This was great fun to make as it is so simple and quick esp once you have all the pieces cut out.
Knitted Baby Soakers and Longie. One girlie coloured one, just in case we have a little girl!
Calorimetry. My first attempt at one of these in this cool wool. It was easy to knit and a great instant gratification project. I think I didn't check the gauge carefully enough (i'm just lazy) so it's a little wider than it should be.....thinking I might give it a bit of a hotish wash to size it down a bit.
One toddler sized longie for LJ. This was the first one I have ever knitted. Am so proud of the new skills I learnt along the way. Knitted in Tekapo Landscape.
Another 2 Dishcloths... One went all the way to Ethiopia for my Mum and the other to my sister Marcella....opps no photos of these.

Baby Thoughts

2008-09-14T19:29:00.005+12:00

I was just having a little meander through the photos on our computer and came across a file named "LJ's Birth". They brought back lots of memories of that first day and week, along with the reality of having to do the whole labour thing again.
I felt quite tearful looking at the photos as LJ and I were seperated for 3 hours following his birth as I was transfered to the main hospital from the birthing unit.... he had made a bit of a mess. I still remember being in theatre and thinking....'damn this is just wrong, I should be bonding with my new bubba not lying here in this most dignified (NOT) position listening to the theatre stuff discuss family and work'. ( I know it could've been a hang of a lot worse....but still). I have a wishlist for this labour....if God will just cover 2 of the bases, I'll be stoked.
LJ bonded with his Daddy for those 3 hours, a bond which continues on even now. They have something a little extra special going on between them.
As most parents we did wonder how our the 2 and half year old JK would handle going from an only child to sharing his world with a little brother. Well we needn't have worried.....look at the photo I found ...............................

JK's Quilt

2008-09-14T15:56:00.004+12:00

FINALLY!!! i have managed to get JK's quilt on the line for a photo. It's only been 4 months since it was finished and gifted to him for his 4th birthday!!
He requested the colour scheme (blue and green) and found a picture of a quilt with courthouse steps as the pattern...he decided he quite liked it.
Some of the fabrics where chosen purely for their colour but many were chosen for their NZ designs. We have pukekos, kiwifruit, korus and ferns. It was loads of fun to make and JK just loves it to bits.

Nappies Away

2008-09-13T11:33:00.003+12:00

I'm very proud of my little LJ (or not so little as the case may be!).
Yesterday I packed away his nappies.
He is dry all day!!
At night he's wearing pullups and this morning even they were dry!!
Now I've had a few mums say "gosh you're lucky" but I would like to think that luck has nothing to do with it. We started LJ on infant potty training (or Elimination training) when he was about 2 months old. We haven't been religious about it but I definitely believe that it's made a huge difference. Going to the toilet has never been a new thing for him and boy does it make it easier when you want to get them into undies.

So away with those nappies.......for a few more weeks, then we start all over again.

Just Because They're Cute

2008-09-06T23:42:00.007+12:00

An Ice-Cream to commemorate the beginning of Spring

A very satisfied smile from LJ following a fluffy at a new "kid-friendly" Cafe.

JK with yet another flying creation

Check out that expression!
Anybody would've thought LJ was listing to music through those earmuffs!

JK showcasing his new clothes

A New Toy!

2008-08-11T21:15:00.002+12:00

Today I purchased myself a new toy....
AN OVERLOCKER!! (or serger if you're from the USA)
I requested that some of my birthday presents a few weeks ago would come in the monetary form as I am not in NEED of anything in particular. My family were very obliging and I ended up with a lovely mix of hand chosen gifts and money.
The reason for asking for money rather than gifts?
Aha! A great question......
I have been saving up for an overlocker without much success, but now.......
I have my very own one.
Found it on Trademe (NZ version of Ebay) for a reasonable price and the lady lived less than 10 min away. Yay! It works and is about to go in for a service now that I've had my first little play with it.
Now I would add a photo for your perusal but the camera is playing hide and seek with me so may have to add that one in later.
Right....off to play some more.

A Great Giveaway to Enter!!

2008-08-03T22:10:00.002+12:00

http://lilatuellerdesigns.blogspot.com/2008/07/woodland-bloom-giveaway-contest.html

Winter Busyness

2008-07-05T16:46:00.015+12:00

It's that wonderful time of year when the evenings are long and the need to be in close contact with great colours and textures is paramount. It has been rather chilly over the last month and very wet so lots of time to be indoors working on projects etc. I think it's not only the weather but also my pregnancy that motivates me to be home....even when I'm offered an evening out, I am happy-as-larry to be home keeping my hands busy with a new challenge.

Here are some of the things that are happening......and it's not just me but the kids too!

Jordan and Levi with hammers, nails, softboard and wooden shapes.....they LOVE it.

And then there's Mummy's projects.....

The Wheat Sacks requested by my Ken and Dad, they have been divided into 3 compartments to stop the wheat travelling from one end to the other and just a little bit of lavender to keep it smelling yummy.

I knitted a baby beanie from leftover wool to add to a small pile of baby gifts that I'm trying to gather for my own and all those up and coming. It was a quick satisfying project (anybody get the feeling that I need quite a bit of instant gratification!!).

The following knitted item is not my work...you can tell cause it's not very simple looking!!.....my Oma in Holland knitted it for our new bubba.

For my twin sister's birthdays I made them each a messenger bag to take with them on their year long family adventure to serve on the mission field in Ethiopia. They have magnetic closures and the fabrics were esp chosen for each twin. Just in case you don't guess.....one of them is a bit horse crazy. Here are photos of the bags I made.

Bag #1 was made from denim and cute cherry print cotton with an appliqued flower on the outside for a bit of fun.

Bag #2 (sorry no close up photo yet....am doing some adjusting to the strap length....what a mare!!!.....hehe no pun intended) Made from vintage bark cloth picked up at the local sallies and lime green lining. This one even has a pocket on the inside.

And then of course you need to have something sitting to the side to do when ya finish the projects currently on the go (pjs for JK, nappies, flannels, baby cardy, baby hats etc etc) so I purchased 2 patterns from Sew Liberated (formly Montesori By Hand). The apron will be part of my little sister's 21st pressie and the Mei Tai carrier for a friend who is having her first bubba any day now.

Making Dishes Interesting

2008-06-05T14:00:00.003+12:00

I tried my hand at knitting a dishcloth!
What a great little project to do when you need a change of scene from a more ongoing WIP.
So heres my hot-chocolate-with-marshmellows dishcloth....

AND....here's the pattern for those who aspire to more unique and interesting
dishcloths in their kitchen.

co4, k 1 row
Next row, k2 inc in next st, k1
Next row, k2,yo,k to end of row
Repeat the k2, yo, k until you have 45sts on the needle
Next row, k1, k2Tog, yo, k2Tog, k to end of row
Continue to do this , decreasing each row until 5 stitches are left. Then, k2, k2Tog, k1.
Bind off the 4 sts.

Walks, Autumn Leaves, Playgrounds and Helicopters

2008-06-02T20:26:00.015+12:00

I LOVE summer!!! Especially with two rambunctious little boys who do some much better when they can burn off their energy with running round outside, swimming and more running.
Therefore the minute winter starts to crawl up, I hold my breath and wish the months to go quickly. I'm a bit lazy so even though I say "oh yes, no matter what the weather they WILL go outside EVERYDAY", in reality that doesn't happen, as the thought of MORE washing etc etc just puts me off.

I've been making an effort to get out with the boys to do what boys do best....adventuring. This is what we've been up to........

VISTING PARKS

WEEKEND WALKS WITH DADDY

NAVY HELICOPTER VISITS @ DADDY'S SCHOOL
(We live @ school....one of the perks)

FUN WITH OUR FRIENDS FROM ACROSS THE FIELD

Nappy Sewing

2008-06-02T19:57:00.009+12:00

I have caught the nappy sewing bug.
I think I might blame Sharon after viewing her creations and finding a great pattern to use.
I've fought a little with the old sewing machine, wished for an overlocker and started to sharpen up on the self taught, limited sewing skills and I think I'm offically addicted........esp judging by the LARGE stack of material sitting to the left of my dining room table.
Here are a few of creations thus far......

It started with a fitted nappy and cover for our LJ. The nappy is made from Flannelette and hemp, cover is made from PUL. He did a great job at modeling for me! Need to go up a size in the nappy for him or make the wings longer.

Then I had a baby shower to attend so I made a newborn fitted from cotton velour and hemp, a PUL cover and 4 little cloth wipes. Lots of fun!!

An open view of the fitted nappy, it has an extra soaker inside that can be removed so that it all dries quickly!!! Very important with the dank, cold weather we've been having. Bring on summer I say!

I hope to make a set of velour fitted nappies for our up and coming little one along with some PUL covers and some knitted soakers. With the JK I used disposables completely and with LJ I didn't start using cloth till he was about 2 months old....my aim is to get into those cloths as soon as those icky meconium poos are over with.
Check back for more photos later!

I Promise.........

2008-05-30T16:12:00.002+12:00

Ah... promises are dangerous things!!
But seeing it's the long weekend coming up I endeavour to blog up some photos of all the fun things I (we)'ve been up to over the rather slient weeks in my blog...
BUT FIRST I NEED TO:
1. Finish fitted nappy, Nappy cover and 4 face cloths for a baby shower tomorrow
2. 2x messenger bags for my twin sisters birthdays on Sunday (the family is going on mission in Ethiopia for a year so they should come in handy.......no use giving them something they can't take with them!)

Once those 2 major's are out of the way I will take a breath and update photos of quilt (LONG overdue), nappies, bags etc etc along with adventures in the lives of the REST of the family....who by the way don't find my sewing quite so interesting!!

Completed Quilt

2008-05-08T11:35:00.001+12:00

The quilt has been completed and delivered to JK for his 4th birthday yesterday.
I think it's been dragged round the house for the last 24 hours with much love.
Photos to come.............

Update to List

2008-05-01T22:12:00.004+12:00

Why am I blogging when I should be sewing binding on to the quilt????
Very good question.....on which shows I either have a short attention span or I have a serious issue with multi-tasking!!
Anyway.......

Things done off my list......

#2 - Finish knitting JK's hat (I just pulled back about 10 lines as I found a stitch round the wrong way and it just annoyed me!)
#10 - Organise JK's birthday ON TIME to avoid stress

Things that nearly done:

#1 -FINISH JK's Quilt....very urgent

Oh and I had a divergent moment on the way through my list of to-do's and made a Kete Pikau (Maori for Woven backpack) for my hubby. I dyed it black and wine in colour and it was my first unsupervised (by the expert, Tia) effort at making one.

Pictures to come!

Setiu Bubba #3

2008-04-30T10:20:00.003+12:00

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret; When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:13-16

Airballoons Over Waikato

2008-04-13T21:27:00.011+12:00

The past week has been the Waikato Air Balloon festival, a bit of a long standing institution around these parts. The kids have been running outside every morning to see how many balloons would be up in the sky and spending quite some time watching them drift on by. The festival is rounded off with the Night Glow on Saturday night. Here are some photos from the past week, the night ones are a bit (or a lot) blurry but that adds to the novelty...

Lists Lovely Lists

2008-04-06T12:18:00.008+12:00

I like lists! Small ones, big ones, official ones, lists on scrap pieces of paper, lists in my head, lists everywhere. They help me to keep all the stuff floating in my head in order AND are useful for ensuring I achieve something concrete in my day.
So in following my fav blogging Mum's I thought it may very well be time to publish a list

Here's what I NEED (and want) to achieve in the next little while!

FINISH JK's Quilt....very urgent
Finish knitting JK's hat (I just pulled back about 10 lines as I found a stitch round the wrong way and it just annoyed me!)
Finish knitting little Bubba cardigan (to add to my little collection of 'new' baby clothes)
Finish knitting my poncho
Add buttons to LJ's knitted jacket
Learn to knit longies and socks (Karen is my source of knowledge)
Sew two fabric bags as pressies for my twin sisters' birthdays in June
Sew some little baby nappies with scrummy material from Sarah @ Greenbeans
Knit another little Bubba cardigan for a friend's bubba due in July
Organise JK's birthday ON TIME to avoid stress
Finish reading 2 books that are in progress
Learn to crochet (mummy help!!.....maybe start a blanket of blocks so it's attainable)
Clean my oven....ICK! (I dislike this job with great intensity.....maybe get hubby to do it while I supervise)t
Organise a box of interesting activities for the kiddos on rainy days
Sort through the multitudes of photos on our computer and delete the bung ones

I think my list could go on for a little longer but 15 things will keep me busy for a bit. Will report back as things are done just for the satisfaction of seeing the progress for myself.

Quilt Madness is Upon Us!

2008-03-26T16:08:00.004+13:00

It's time again....
Time for what??? you may very well ask....
Time to dominate the dining room table with fabric, sewing machine, cutting mat etc and the floor with fabric, thread, left-over fabric......and probably more.

My husband Jumps with Joy or is it....Grimaces when I start cutting a quilt.....he knows it'll be a while before he gets the dining room and lounge looking tidy and orderly again.
It's JK's 4th Birthday at the beginning of May and he requested a 'cool blanket like LJ's' as his present and he would like it in blue and green and he likes the courthouse step pattern.
Huh!! opinionated.....NOT AT ALL!!
So I've done the mad dash to Spotlight and the Fabric Barn for material (no trouble with the blues, but the greens seemed to be mainly in muted colours.....weird....a bit limited!). I've cut 11/2 inch strips and 2 inch squares (actually I cut 21/2 squares cause I didn't re-read the instructions...but we'll downsize as we go).
Last night I put together my first 2 courthouse blocks and this was the result...................................

Scrumptious Little Boy

2008-03-19T11:12:00.004+13:00

Bag-erific!!

2008-03-18T10:00:00.007+13:00

One day the itch to make a bag came upon me.
So in true "Laura-Motivation" style, it was done on that very day!!
I used the Tutorial from Tiny Happy and was very happy with the results.
Fun and reasonably fast to make to...all things I love!

I gifted that one to my sister Emma who loves a bit of vintage in her life.

The great thing about it was the denim on the outside of the bag was given to me by Emma and the flower fabric on the inside was a good find at the local Salvation Army Thrift shop. In fact I got a few goodies that day including vintage bark cloth with a Horse-themed print all over it....I know a little sister who would just LOVE to have a tote bag made from that!!!

Good Kai and Mahi

2008-03-17T10:10:00.008+13:00

Having quite a few cultures represented in our family unit, I have always wanted to learn the cultures (ie. cooking, craft, language) of each one. Being bought up in a Dutch family I can speak conversational Dutch and know enough about the culture to navigate it. I can cook Dutch meals and sing Dutch songs to my kids. That's one down.
My husband represents the Maori and Samoan cultures. To get a better grip on the Tikanga (protocols and traditions) of Maoridom and to fulfill a desire to learn the Maori arts, I enrolled in a Raranga (weaving) course at night school.
I have done 4 weeks of the course and am just loving it. Our tutor, Tia, has such a beautiful heart and is so encouraging and knowledgeable. So far we have learnt to harvest our own Harekeke (flax) and prepare it. We have made a bouquet of flowers all woven from one piece of work.............

Rourous (food baskets) and a wall hanging (sorry no photos yet!).............

And.....a plasticbag holder..........

This week we are going to start our Kete Pikau (backpack bag) so it is all very exciting. I love the challenge, the character development (great way to practice perseverance and patience!) and the company of the 5 ladies.

In addition to my weaving I also attempted a traditional Maori meal of Boil-up.
It consists of stewing meat, potatoes, kumara, pumpkin, cabbage and dough-boys.
I felt very proud when my husband's verdict was, 'just like mum's boil-up'. Yay!!
I found a great website with Maori recipes
These recipes have cooking times and quantities which is FAB as most recipes are passed down through the family so everybody has their own variations. Have a go!!

Our 6th Anniversary

2008-02-26T22:28:00.010+13:00

I just spotted some photos from our Wedding Anniversary back on January 19th.
So here is a post in hindsight.......

On our Sixth Anniversary we took our lovely children to their Opa and Oma's home for a day and night of fun with the rest of the whanau.
We headed off to spend the day doing whatever we wanted without having to think about feeding and napping little people on time. We popped in and said HI to our dear friends Dave and Rae on the way out to Raglan. Consequently we stayed for a leisurely lunch and a good catch up (at that stage they were waiting for the arrival of their firstborn Eva-Elise). We then meandered out to Raglan with a stop at the Bridal Veil Falls (55m high) and enjoyed the sights and sounds.

Then we spent a leisurely 3 hours out at the beach, Ken surfed, I read my book, we swam at 7pm and basked in the warmth of our summer sun.

All of this outdoors worked up a bit of an appetite so Fresh fish and homemade kumara fritters for dinner. Followed by a coffee at The Tounge and Groove.

What a wonderfully relaxing day, spending time together, just being.

Time like this is so refreshing to one's relationship and binds us closer together.

BLUEBERRY BLISS

2008-01-12T14:20:00.001+13:00

It's Blueberry season here in NZ and where we live in the Waikato, it's Blueberry Country.
So off we went to pick some scrumptious blueberries with the whole family in tow.
We picked 7 kgs between 2 families. That may sound a lot.....trust me it's not, they are just too nice to leave hanging around.....even in the freezer. We have done Blueberry Smoothies, Blueberry and Lemon Yogurt Cake, Blueberry Pancakes and am planning Blueberry Cheesecake, Blueberry Pie and many more Blueberry Smoothies.....YUMMMY!!!

1 Corinthians 13 Christmas

2007-12-24T19:07:00.000+13:00

Some Food for Thought!!

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,
strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen,
baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals and arranging
a beautifully adorned table at mealtime:
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen,
carol in the nursing home,
and give all that I have to charity;
but do not show love to my family,
it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels
and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties
and sing in the choir's cantata
but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love does not envy another's home
that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love does not yell at the kids to get out of the way,
but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love does not give only to those who are able
to give in return; but rejoices in giving
to those who cannot.

Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things, and endures all things.
Love never fails.

Video games will break,
pearl necklaces will be lost,
golf clubs will rust,
but giving the gift of love will endure.

--Author Unknown

PRE-CHRISTMAS RELAXING!

2007-12-24T14:18:00.000+13:00

Amongst all the rush and madness that Christmas has become, we decided to take a few (4) days out to relax at the end of the school term. We have friends who have a bach in Whiritoa and had kindly offered for us to use it if we ever needed to get away from it all.....and we did. We took our kids plus my Brother (J14) and my Brother-in-Law (T15). We had a lovely time as it was wonderfully quiet at the beach. Here are some photos of all that we got up to:

PLAYING AT THE BEACH

CATHEDRAL COVE WALK

ALL PACKED UP, RELAXED AND READY TO GO HOME

HEALTHY HEALTHY!

2007-11-22T19:18:00.000+13:00

Yes we are on a health binge (if there can be such a thing?!?! Oxymoron??)
I am going to the gym x3 a week at....wait for it.....6am in the morning (you do the maths.....that means I have to be up at 5:30am!!!). My trial period is over and now I'm paying good money to go there so I promised my hubby I would be committed to it (that was his condition to forking out his hard earnt cash...fair enough!).I think it'll be worth it...over 10 sessions I lost 6.5cm so that was encouraging. Bring on summer baby!!

The second half of the health binge is to do a detox. We (hubby and I) did the preparation for it over the last few days and today started to add in the herbs. Feeling fine so far........will keep ya posted on the up and coming 10 days.
The detox (The Ultimate Cleanse) requires you to stick to fruit, vege, plain yoghurt, olive oil, herbs and spices. And at that, if possible, most of it should be eaten raw, in a soup or a smoothie and the odd bit of steaming for variety. Not too much of a hassle for me as I'm a grazer and have no objections to eating things raw. Have noticed that a lot more time is required to prepare meals as there's lots of chopping up. I guess I never realised how many 'fillers' I use in our daily diet!
Check it out at the link above, Hubby has done it twice before and has felt refreshed and energised not to mention the fact that ALL food tastes fabulous afterwards.

FANTASTIC FUN & FRIENDS

2007-11-15T21:22:00.000+13:00

Karen and her lovely kids meet up with my little whanau every fortnight for some like-minded fellowship and play. The last time Karen was at our place in the Tron we visited the Hamilton Gardens for some fun in the sun and exploring of all the lovely gardens.
We visited the Japanese, English, Italian and Modernist Gardens and investigated The Sustainable Backyard, Kitchen and Herb Gardens.
We had lunch under the shade of lovely fresh green leafy trees and the kids just loved the exploring. Here are some pics of our afternoon out and about......

Blue Caterpillars and Pink Rainbows

2007-11-05T20:36:00.001+13:00

My darling JK was looking out his 2nd storey window from his bunk bed while waiting for his Mummy to tuck him in. Suddenly I hear him exclaim,

"Look! There are blue caterpillars in the sky!"

I wasn't quite sure what he was referring to but on further investigation I discovered a lovely sunset in motion. With a little more discussion, JK decided that there weren't only blue caterpillars but also pink rainbows. I love the way this little guy's mind works!

Mom's Overture

2007-11-05T11:18:00.000+13:00

Here's a light little bit of relief for a Monday!

Remember:

Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly

Snow Trip 2007

2007-10-26T15:17:00.000+13:00

In the last weekend of September we spent 3 days down in Taupo with our good friend Glen and Sarah. Glen was our Best Man at our wedding so we go a little way back. We had a wonderful weekend and so enjoyed their hospitality!!
While down there.............

On the first day:

We Ate Crayfish...yum yum...........

Quite an education for JK and G(my sis)! Learning to get as much flesh out of the shell as possible and then having a sample......what a shame they weren't that keen on it.....wink wink GRIN! (more for me!!)

On the Second day:

We headed for the snow (which was nothing short of a military operation!!)....

Note the ash on top of the mountain, there had been an eruption the week before and if you look carefully there is even a molten rock flow.

We dressed up warm and caught a bus to the ski field from the car park.....................

We Tobogganed......

We Ate...............

We fought with snow (note JK hiding behind Glen....he's got the idea!)...................

We rode on the chairlift....................

We viewed the majestic scenery....................

On the Third day:

We soaked ourselves in natural hotpools............

A fabulous weekend, so much great fun and fellowship......let's do it again!

Anticipation..........

2007-10-25T22:20:00.000+13:00

Anticipation of what? you may well ask...........
True....I have been silent for over 2 months
LOL! So much for my goal of at least blogging with some regularity.
I'm Back and have lots of blogs to write so watch this space as I sort through photos (which we thought we had lost...all 9Gbs worth....) and share a bit of what we have been up to in our world.
This is the start of my week long BLOGARAMA!!!! (imagine some crazy carnival music)
So please visit once more to find something new, something fresh and something funky.

I Leave you with this pic of LJ......You can't really see it but that top he's wearing says
"NOT MY FAULT".............hmmmmmmmm

ALL DONE!

2007-10-10T21:08:00.000+13:00

FINALLY!! It is finished.

The colour in LJ's quilt reflect the personality
and nature of our little boy.
He was so sweet when I gave it to him on his
1st birthday, He lay on it and said "ahhhhhh..."

Now he cuddles under it each night and sometimes
we even catch him examining the colours and patterns.

Many sweet and peaceful dreams our little LJ.

28 Years Ago..........

2007-08-08T20:45:00.000+12:00

.................on the 3rd of August I came into this world a few weeks earlier than expected..........
My first language was Dutch as my Mama and Papa had only arrived in NZ 6 months earlier from The Netherlands.
We lived in Auckland in a little street named Onedin Place. Now it just so happens that this is the same street that my friend Jess' husband Javi was bought up in. In fact we were bought up with a few other kids that I still keep a finger on where they are at in life.

I have lived in many places in the upper half of the North Island and now 28 years on I am married to my darling Ken, I have 2 beautiful boys, JK and LJ. I live in Hamilton, 20 -30 minutes away from the rest of my direct family. Life is great and God is good.

On my actual Birth Day my hubby took me out for dinner which was FUN! It took us a large walk around the resturant block in Hamilton to finally make a choice! I have no dislikes (except for BAD QUALITY FOOD) so making a choice is rather difficult. Ken had never tried Thai so we stopped in at the Thai Village Restaurant. We had fun just chatting and enjoying our meal.

I had some lovely texts and emails from my dear friends from NZ and other destinations in world. I just had to SMILE (even though my kids had been sick all week and I had for half the week).

On Sunday my family came to celebrate my birthday. My Mum and one of my sister's organised lunch so that I wouldn't have to do anything. My Mum made me an Apple Tart which is a bit of a family tradition.
My Family gave me cards with special heart warming words.

My Hubby and kids bought me a pair of new sneakers/runners which is FAB as I have a bad back and need good cushioning when out and about on Concrete. The rest of the family put together so that I could buy a watch.........LOL I may actually turn up to something on time!!!
It was lovely just to hang out with them for a few hours over lunch. It's always an interesting mix as I am the eldest and the youngest are twins who are 9 years old. I have a total of 5 siblings. But I do so love having them all around and my kids just love their Oma and Opa, Aunties and Uncles.

So here's photo to finish it of............... Me, my new shoes, JK and my big little brother JJ

Post Script #2

2007-07-19T21:30:00.000+12:00

I've caught Kate's Bug !!!

What possess me to clean and tidy after 7:30pm???

All day I've been feeling highly unmotivated and sluggish.......then hit the evening and KAAAZAAMM!! I'm revitalized and ready to roll!!!

It's dumb really........I should be sitting with my feet up with a hot drink and doing some knitting or other enjoyable activity instead I have sorted out the laundry and the hot water cupboard. Sorted all my 'homeschooling' resources into some semblance of order and HIFFED a large amount of junk and have a bag ready to go to the opp shop. Looking much better might I add....I just need to find a thrifted curtain or large piece of material to hang in front of the shelves in the Laundry.

Soooo.............what shall I do next time I get one of these moments of inspiration????
I think the cupboard under the stairs (aka...dumping ground) and the unused hallway leading from one of our 3 entrances to our house (aka...dumping ground #2). OH and I'ld like to rearrange the kitchen cupboards so things are once again where I expect them to be, not 3 doors down..........
Oh and then there's the..........................................................................

STOP!! No More I say!!!

That's plenty to keep me busy for a while.

Uses For Kiwifruit #1

2007-07-19T19:16:00.000+12:00

Now I have the habit of just going a bit crazy at the vege shop.........I would love to go crazy in a garden but we live in a hostel house and they are a bit vege garden unfriendly.
Anywayz....I bought a bag of green Kiwifruit for $2. I just can't leave a bargain, but then we tend to not be able to eat through the amount I buy before it goes off.
So my new rule is...."Thou shalt not let any fresh fruit of vege rot in the bottom of ones pantry or fridge."
FIND A USE FOR IT!
Now eating a bag of kiwifruit would play havoc with ones digestive system as they are rather good as a laxative......so that wasn't an option......
I searched around on the internet for a recipe................and this is what I came up with

Kiwifruit Chutney Recipe

Ingredients
1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) Kiwifruit

2 bananas

3 onions

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 3 lemons

1 cup raisins

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons crystallized ginger (I used normal raw ginger root)

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup white vinegar

Instructions
Peel and slice the kiwifruit, chop the onions and bananas. Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and boil gently for about 1 hour until soft and thick. Stir frequently, cool, spoon into sterilized jars and seal.

Yum Yum Yum.............
It's FAB and my new favourite chutney (i'm a bit of a chutney lover!).
Easy, flavoursome and no nasty preservatives, flavour enhancers or colours.

Farewell Our English Friend

2007-07-16T19:40:00.000+12:00

Last week we said Goodbye to our friend Ed.
He has been a Gap student here at the hostel where we live for the past year, working as an Assistant Master in exchange for board and opportunity to experience life in NZ!
We will miss having him around as he has definitely become part of the furniture.
Ed is back in the UK now and will start studying to be a PE teacher in September. He assures us that if life goes as he imagines now, he'll be back here when he's finished.
Our boys will miss him as Ed built a special relationship with them both.

You go get 'em Ed! Thanks for be part of life here at HBHS hostel, we look forward to seeing you back in a few years.

Wild Westie Winter Walk

2007-07-10T19:49:00.000+12:00

Alliteration is sooo much fun!
It reminds me of one of the many Dr Suess stories my JK likes me to read.
You feel positively tongue-tied after the first half of the book!

ANYWAY..............
It is the school holidays here in NZ. It is a short break between Terms 2 and 3. Two weeks to be precise. AND I, being the wife of a school teacher, am blessed to have my hubby around for 2 weeks. We have been making the most of hanging out as a family. Doing all those little jobs that we both need to be there for etc etc.

Over the weekend we were very impulsive....Yes WITH 2 kids in tow.............
On Saturday we got up and by 8am had decided we would go for a visit to Auckland. So by 10am we were packed and in the car without any upheavals.
We checked out some cars, hubby went to visit his Aunty regarding his trip to Samoa at the end of the year.........oh the benefits of being a High School teacher.............NOOOO I'm not green with envy at all!!!
Anyway, I digress.........I spent a lovely 3 hours with Jess (from Oh My) and her 4 kids. I so enjoy hanging out with them!
Then we popped in and had dinner with my Dad (and my Sister and brother-in-law, who were visiting). We packed the kids back in the car at 7:30pm, blankies and all, and were home at 9pm.

NOW.........You'ld thing that would be it wouldn't ya!!

NO!! On Sunday morning, we chose to head off to Raglan as the weather was beautiful (and the surf was good....much to my hubby's glee) and I felt the need to be out in creation admiring God's handy work. So you may as well say, we did church at the beach.

It was glorious!! JK, LJ and I had fun exploring the beach and rocks while hubby dusted off his body boarding gear and spent 2 hours out in the winter water........brrrrrrrrr

Here are some of my FAV snap shots of the day....................

U.F.O's and Other Craftyness

2007-06-27T20:28:00.000+12:00

Just in case you're wondering what the UFO stands for..........Unfinished Objects.......... haha if you didn't know....now you do!

Right I thought I might just blog all my works in progress ( some have more progress than others). It has a double purpose..

For me to SEE what I need to acheive before starting ANY other projects!!
To share my little success ( and I promised Jess from OH MY that I would take photos of what I have been up to).

Well here it is.....hmmmm where shall we start!

KNITTING

I knitted my first soaker in the round!!! The i-cord (also a new skill) is a bit thick and the leg cuffs need to be finished (I undid the one I did as it was a BIT small). I also discovered that size M is a bit on the tight side for my LJ. So this one will be given to someone who needs (and uses) them. I love the colour!! A bit girly for my boy but HEY it's underneath. If you want it or would use it.....drop me an email and i'll send it to you. kenzilandlauz AT gmail DOT com

So on that note I've started a size L...in a less girly colour........ Tekapo Wool by Ashford is my FAVOURITE! This one is Storm..........

I am also 1/3 the way through knitting a cardy/jacket for LJ from Tekapo Landscape. It's knitted as a whole piece.....very cool and i'm learning lots of little skills on the way. The colours look a bit wrong on the photo, it's a bit bluer than it looks.

KNITTING RELATED.....BUT MORE LIKE BEADS!

I made my first set of stitch markers for my fabulous friend Jess. I used art beads, celestial crystal cubes and little metal beads. I loved doing these. They are SO classy......well I think so!

SEWING.........BUT ALSO KNITTING RELATED

For my Mum's Birthday I made her a knitting needle Pouch thingee
I chose all NZ fabrics. It is almost finished it just needs 2 buttons and button loops added on the outside to hold it all together. I added French knots to the appliquéd panels on the cover for a bit of depth. I had fabulous fun making it and am quite happy with the result.
Mum loves it which is just what I hoped for.

So there you have it! I've been a busy gal!

And here are 2 photos of SUPPLIES for my future projects.
1) Hemp fabric for fitted nappies 2) More wool for a hat for JK and another soaker and.....

Post Script

2007-06-19T22:35:00.000+12:00

I should be in bed!!!
I just returned from a MOPS committee meetings and was doing a quick catchup on a few blogging friends.......................................
I just need to say, I am so EXCITED.......our new camera arrived today!!!!!!!!
So you may indeed see some new photos in the next few weeks!!

pps. My little LJ waved for the first time today and said "es" for 'yes' and "bo' for book and there is a yet undescribed sound for JK. WOW! don't they just change sooooo quickly, where has my little bubba gone! But it does so warm my heart to witness these amazing learning curves........I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Nighteee Night

Comparisons and other such murmurings

2007-06-16T20:13:00.000+12:00

I was just pondering today upon the way we, as parents and as a society, seem to be in a constant state of comparing ourselves, our children, our lifestyles, our skills etc etc with others.
I considered the fact that comparing oneself to another can be quite damaging to one's stability as a 'whole person' because whose 'ideals' are we comparing ourselves (or others) to?

I remember reading a portion of Brendan Manning's book "Abba's Child", he explained how our need to compare ourselves to some arbitrary worldly standard (basically being far to worried what everyone else thinks of us) causes us much grieve and insecurity. He goes on to say that if we were only worried about whether we are right in the sight of God and concerned about what he thinks and where we belong than so much of this insecurity will be a thing of the past.

Now there is a point to all this :-) .................
I often have people say to me, "oh your boys look so alike" OR "he's just like his brother". And then I have my own self-talk where i compare my child to someone else's child or some standard that isn't really founded in much. AND then there's the "baby olympics" that goes on amongst friends and acquaintances.........

So as I was pondering these things I went back through some photos and found some "similar age" photos of our boys to see whether they really look alike. This is what I found................. (JK (born 2004) on Left, LJ (born 2006) on Right)

On Their Birth Day

3 Months Old

8 Months Old

And I concede they are similar!!
But I work hard not to fall into the trap of comparing them (not saying that I won't!), they are their own little people with their own God given talents and gifts and personality. And I have been inspired by Rach from Intricate Simplicity to foster my children's interests and provide them opportunities to explore their little groove in life.

I think I might have written this blog for my own benefit :-)
But feel free to join in with my rambling thoughts.

Celebrate the uniqueness in your own life and then in those around you. Together we bring different colour, texture and depth to the painting of life. OH how bland it would be if we were all the same or too similar.

Funny.........

2007-06-10T23:04:00.000+12:00

This a fave piece of Rowan Atkinson....................

Warm Fuzzies

2007-05-27T19:42:00.000+12:00

Hmmph!
So much for blogging twice a week!!
I'm not very good with goals as I tend to cheat a little.........

But here I am with some yummy photos (taken on Dad's Camera) last weekend while visiting friends and family up in Auckland. JK received his Birthday pressie from his Opa J which was some extras for his Thomas the Tank Engine set. He was so excited and entertained for hours......and 1 week on he's still entertained for hours..........the sign of a worthwhile toy. This last Birthday all his presents where strategically chosen so that they had thinking, problem-solving and creative elements. He received Lego, Thomas the Tank Engine tracks etc and one of those sets with the soft board, nails, hammer and geometric wooden shapes which you then hammer on to the soft board. They are also toys that can be passed on to younger siblings. There are so many trashy toys out there which are neither useful nor developmental and I'ld rather not have my house stacked with them.

Check out that cheesy smile!!

Our little LJ has quite a little personality and is a box of birds in the evening so Ken and I took the opportunity to have a little fun with him and takes some pics. Yesterday he started to show signs of getting coordinated to crawl!! Oh my goodness! Where has my little bubba gone! Doesn't time fly! Here are some of the cutie photos that we took.......(ps...some where taken in the morning after Ken and LJ had a sleep-in together)

Wow...I made it into a photo!!

Snuggles with Daddy on a Lazy Sunday Morning

Warm Fuzzies!!

Diggers, Bikes, Tractors and Trucks

2007-05-13T15:10:00.000+12:00

On Thursday's we take Lunch to Daddy at morning tea time.
This Thursday just been, it was a bit of a nippy day so going out and about wasn't that attractive
BUT it all paid off as we saw a raft of interesting things on the way over to the main school building from our little house.

First there was the Groundsman mowing the field...............

Then there was the Digger and Truck doing some earthworks on the fields...............

JK is a very serious spectator and was concentrating rather hard........

And then there was LJ
Very happily perched in his Ergo on Mummy's Back................................

All in all it was quite a entertaining 30 min outing,
we'll do it all again next Thursday...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JK

2007-05-07T11:17:00.000+12:00

Happy 3rd Birthday to you our precious son and brother!
You have been so excited about your up and coming Birthday...
You talked about having a cake and a little party with our extended family
We were so proud that you didn't once mention presents in the whole build up to yesterday....

Yesterday morning you woke up to find balloons tied to the end of your bed and streamers hanging from your wardrobe to the curtain rail. It was all very exciting at 6:30 am (eeekkkk!!!!).
When you came downstairs you found more streamers and balloons in the lounge.
The first half of the day we kept to our normal routine (apart from having 'church' at home) and you had your early afternoon nap (you've been suffering from a cold so you were ready for a sleep by 11:30am). After a 2 1/2 hour sleep (wow!) it was almost time for the rest of the family to arrive. *while all this sleeping was happening, Mummy was busy decorating your cake. She made you a gluten free banana cake and decorated it in soft icing. This year it was a Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber cake*

The family came over and there were 13 people in total. We had a yummy afternoon tea with lots of gluten free foods so that you could have your pick. You received some lovely presents including Lego to add your collection. You have spent a good hour this morning playing with it! You have such a great imagination and at the moment you are into building cranes.

Well my big boy, it was 3 years ago that you were born into this world at 5:17am on the 7th May and we have had so many precious times with you. You are such a lively boy and we so enjoy watching you develop into your own little person and the dimension you add to our little family. You are a wonderful big brother and LJ just loves you to bits.

You are God's precious child, our JK and we pray that you will continue to walk hand-in-hand with him for the rest of eternity.

www.Estacreationz.com

2007-05-04T09:06:00.000+12:00

I promise I will do a proper post today!
But in the meantime.....
Our Website, Esta Creationz, is up and running, so check it out and keep an eye out for new products. At the moment there will be cards and jewelery, but i'm hoping to branch out into lots of other cool handmade items (mind you.... I do need to discuss that with my partner-in-crime...my lovely sister Emz)
Please bear with us as the whole thing is still under construction so there's no logo or cool colours and backgrounds etc etc etc.
My Dad tutors a group of students in computing and has put the challenge out to them to come up with a logo in exchange for morning tea.....pretty good deal me thinks.

Ok.... it's not officially my 'computer' time of the day so I better busy myself with some housework.....oh and I also should think about my son's 3rd birthday and................................................ah! you know how it is.

Which Austen Gal?

2007-05-03T07:33:00.000+12:00

I took the test and I am.............

Take the Quiz here!

Anzac Day

2007-04-25T09:34:00.000+12:00

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

She's Back!

2007-04-24T13:16:00.000+12:00

Right, hubby is back at school and life is slowly returning back to it's usual routines and groove.
I like my routines....life feels manageable with them and I'm a bit of a list person..helps me to SEE what I have acheived that day/week/month.
So now....I need to start my attempt at keeping my goal to Blog twice a week.

What's new and exciting at our place?

We have come to the crossroads as far as our car is concerned.... Our trusty little Toyota Corolla was my first car 7 years ago and has done us well except now it's too small. Two carseats on the back seat and there is no room for anyone else (us being such social people need room for more ;-) ) and going away with a pram and portacot etc......basically it just doesn't fit!! We definitely want more babies so we are taking the leap to the 'People Mover' stage. We have given a wish list to my brother-in-law and he is on the hunt for one through the Japanese auctions. That will definitely help us keep the cost down. So.....in near future you may see us zipping round town in a....wait for it...yip...you guessed right....a Toyota Estima.
oooo I finished knitting my first Nappy Soaker!! It wasn't knitted on the round (as i'm not that skilled...yet...) but I'm stoked with my first attempt at knitting something other than a square. On to the next project....I think I might attempt one on the round... i like a bit of challenge
hmmm I'm contemplating options for a quilt for JK or a pseudo quilt in the form of a duvet cover. I've seen quite a few patterns/designs that I like...now it's just a case of waiting till I finish LJ's quilt which after much unpicking and feeling like I could just throw the sewing machine through the window (Nooooo I don't have a short fuse....haha), my hubby and I have decided that I can get LJ's quilt machine quilted professionally (cost about $40). I feel like I'm cheating a little BUT then if I get really stuck it'll just end up in the cupboard unfinished and that is SUCH a waste. Then I was thinking about one for our bed....maybe done in the Tivaevae style (Cook Island quilting technique). In other words....so many ideas, just not enough time.
On the weekend Emma (my little sister) and I are doing a market at Pirongia. A bit nervous about the whole thing as it's the first face-to-face test of the stuff I make, I'm highly critical of my own jewelery as it's never as good as I want it to be.....and people have the nerve to call me perfectionist...hummmph! Emma makes really cool 3D cards so her and I are in the cahoots together as we start our own little homemade biz under the name Esta Creationz. Our Dad is setting up a website for us (www.estacreationz.com) so we can sell our creations through that avenue. I had an idea last night to makeup some cool gift baskets using handmade items sourced from all you lovely NZ ladies who 'do it yourself'. I reckon there might be something in this!

As much as I could go on forever, this must be it for today....more later on in the week....otherwise I might just end up doing a Postarama like Karen!!

To finish off today....here is a lovely photo of my big boy JK at the park on the weekend.

Excuses Excuses

2007-04-13T12:39:00.000+12:00

SLACK!!!

I haven't posted for ages!!
I have a raft of excuses

I am busy knitting my first knitting project since I was like....12 years old (a nappy soaker)
My husband (being a teacher) is home for the 2 week break at the end of Term1, so all normal routines kind of grind to a halt.
My parents have been overseas and I have been helping to 'oversee' the younger siblings
I bought a new quilting magazine and have had my nose buried in it.
I have just finished reading Mozart's Sister and am trying to catch up with my hubby who is coming to the end of Of Course I Love You....Now Go To Your Room by Diane Levy
My camera has died .....sob sob......so there are no interesting new pics (we will get one soon!)
etc etc etc etc

But really, they're just excuses....
So here's my resolution to at least blog twice a week.....starting at the beginning of Term2

Till then............Live Life with Passion and Exuberance

Beads Beads Glorious Beads

2007-03-22T20:26:00.000+12:00

I was just thinking about all you jewelery buffs amongst my friends and fellow sojourners out there....I have a whole stack of excess beads sitting here waiting to be sold on for a very reasonable price SO if you would like some..............................................
Check out the pictures, descriptions and prices below and drop me a comment if you want some. OR you can check out my listings on trademe
These are only available to those who live in NZ.......sorry. You can also
They are all glass beads and are of varying grades, the sizes range from 6mmx6mm to 10mmx20mm

HOT RED MIX
Various shape Hot Red Mix Colour range of Dark Blood Red to Hot Red There are at least 100 beads in this mix including some fancy beads.
$9

OCEAN BLUE LUSTER MIX
Various shape Ocean Blue Luster Mix
Colour range of Ocean Blue to Seafoam.
There are at least 40 beads in this mix including some fancy beads.
$6

GREEN GARDEN MIX
Various shape Garden Green Mix
Colour range of Dark Green to Light Green.
There are at least 50 beads in this mix including some fancy beads.
$7

YELLOW BEAD MIX
Various shape
Colour range of Dark Amber to Light Yellow
There are at least 60 beads in this mix including some fancy beads.
$8

Right! That's it for now.....I also have a mix in Cold Blues, Lots of strands of czech firepolished crystals in the Clear "colour". They come in 4mm, 6mm, and 8mm on a 16inch strand. When I say lots........I bought a mass of the 4mm and 6mm and 1/2 a mass of the 8mm. (1 mass is about 1200 beads) And some other bits and pieces so just ask away.
Have fun with ya creating!! The sky is the limit.

Jewelery, Digital Cameras and Craftyness

2007-03-22T19:51:00.000+12:00

Today I finally got our digital camera to the camera shop as the flash has gone on strike.
Not only did the flash go on strike BUT it went on strike just as I pulled it out to make a photo at my dear friend's wedding for whom I made the last lot of jewelery !! HOW TYPICAL!
Photo's of the jewellery (the last photo's I made before it went on the fritz) are further down on the blog........
.............ANYWAY.................the camera........
The guy looks at me, the camera then back at me and says "Well, there's good news and bad news"
hhhmmmm......I always cringe when I hear that statement.
"The good news", he says " is that the camera still works"...........................Yeeeeeess.........wait for it....." the bad news is that it will cost between $200 and $300 to fix the flash and the camera isn't worth that anymore"
(I hear Karen's hubby saying "Go the SLR....a REAL camera")
So There you have it...........with winter coming up this camera will only make photos outside in good light and apart from that it's not much good at all. Which is very sad :-(
So I reported the verdict to my hubby who suggested we start saving..........
"SIGH"

On to more cheerful things.....
Here are the photos of some of the jewellery I made for my friend B's wedding.

The 4 strand bracelet was the bride's one and the others for her bridesmaids. Each Bracelet was completely individual with the same pattern of beads on each strand just staggered so that the 2 strands next to each other didn't look exactly the same. Mostly Swarovski crystals with a few czech and celestial ones thrown in. The slide bars where Sterling Silver.

The Earrings where once again all similar....
this photo is of the bride's earrings
and her bridesmaids had the same thing just
smaller crystals. There is a different shaped crystal on the end of each drop. Lots of fun.
I also made a belt for her consisting of 2 lengths of about 84cms full of crystals of varying types. This project was great to work on and sitting there at the wedding looking at the final result was very satisfying.

Visual Descriptors

2007-03-19T21:26:00.000+12:00

Had lots of fun with this one!
Always into things that don't rely heavily on words.
Our Western world is SO cluttered with unnecessary words.
Check it out and enjoy.

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Whole Foods....RAW foods

2007-03-12T13:49:00.000+13:00

Today I received an exciting little parcel in the mail.
I bought "Rejuvenate Your Life" by Serene Allison. It's a book on the Raw Food diet otherwise known as the Hallelujah Diet or The Garden of Eden Diet.
VERY interesting. She has written it as a handbook...so it has interesting bits on the philosophy, anatomical benefits, lifestyle, budget etc etc and LOADS of recipes.
I'm INTERESTED in this change of diet. My darling KP did a detox this year where apart from taken herbal capsules which aid in cleaning the length of your colon, he was only permitted to eat fruit, veges, plain yoghurt, olive oil, spices and herbs. I joined in in the eating part and felt a million dollars healthier (and lost 2kgs of baby weight I was having trouble shedding!).
I don't know If I could do a 100% raw diet but definitely could aim for 70%. My hubby is supportive of the idea and even wants to give it a go himself.
So there we have it.....watch this space.

Immunizations, Gluten Intolerance, Choices

2007-03-11T19:21:00.000+13:00

A year ago I started questioning a few things.....
At 18mths (or around about there) I started noticing some interesting patterns in JK's health and behavior.......runny poos (he does have a high fruit and fibre diet...but these were not the healthy kind), big dark rings under his eyes (even after a 12hr night and 2hr avo sleep) and general irritability and grottyness in the later half of the day. After trying to figure out what was going on I happened to speak to my wonderful Christian Chiropractor about my son's disposition. She recommended I do some food eliminations to see if it was a dairy or gluten intolerance. Now he hardly has much dairy as it stood cause that we established early on......but my breadloving, polynesian little boy had a rather healthy appetite for bread.
It soon occured to me that the gluten must be it and since we have cut it out for the most part, he looks much better and when he's not teething, his disposition seems a lot more balanced also.
The Gluten free walk is one of reading labels and turning to whole foods as EVERYTHING processed seems to contain some form of gluten. YAY! for gluten free breadmix and bakingmix which has made it possible for my little man to have some of the 'normal' things in his diet.

From that point on I started to keep my eyes peeled for interesting info on gluten intolerance and coeliacs..............One day I came across an article on the highly possible link between our childhood immunizations and the intolerance......
I took it into my stride, popped it away in the back room of my mind for futher thought on a rainy day as 'WHO THE HANG WOULD BE DUMB ENOUGH NOT TO IMMUNIZE THEIR CHILDREN'..............but WAIT there's more....
As we got closer to the birth of LJ the question mark about immunization cropped up in my busy little mind and felt very prompted to start exploring some more about this widely accepted and EXPECTED practice.
Well you know how it goes.....the more knowledge you have, the more responsibility you have to DO something with that knowledge! I started to ask around about the whole idea of NOT immunizing my new little baby....
I talked with Mum's who haven't done so and about their experiences of the diseases we are immunized for, I spoke with people who had a great understanding of how the body operates and I now better understand our immune system, I read 'How to Raise a Healthy Family' by Dr Mendelson (a leading American Pediatrician) and 'Just a Prick' by Peter and Hillary Butler (NZers). It amazed me and continues to, how LITTLE we know about BOTH sides of the immunization story. It's not that we have been lied to directly.....but there is a lot they (medical world and pharmaceutical companies) they aren't telling us.

Well now I had so much weighty knowledge under my belt....it was time for a decision......... I shared the condensed version with my hubby who said......'that's easy.....we won't be immunizing LJ"...........He has A LOT more faith than me.
So to this day our little 5 month old has not had a needle anywhere near him. He is a healthy, bonny and robust little boy and each day we pray God's protection over him and his brother.
It's been a gripping journey ( and continues to be) of not following the 'normal' thing to do ..... just because that's what everyone does. It's been a challenge to my habit of trying to control everything, even though I KNOW that God is ultimately in control and it's time to live the knowledge. It's been scary at times but God has spoken rather loudly to me about trusting Him and having FAITH!

Now.....I haven't told you what I know about vaccines or suchlike as if you don't WANT to know that info than you can walk away from this blog, none the wiser. But if it has caught your eye and you want to know more there ARE places you can look. Check out www.ias.org.nz for more thought provoking info.
You may read this and think I'm an absolute NUTTER!! And that's ok, I understand. It's a decision that one has to make for one's own children and not to be made lightly. That decision must be rooted in your convictions not on some person's opinion.

My Boisterous JK

2007-03-08T07:59:00.000+13:00

In the last few weeks JK and I have been having a trying time with each other,
So today I will write about some of the FAB things about JK as I need the perspective and he is such a great little kid.
JK is funny, happy, imaginative, intelligent, loving, caring, boisterous, boyish and full-of-energy.
He has super fun interactive big little personality
JK supplies us with many laughs and entertainment, plenty of cuddles and kisses. He loves a good story, singing songs, doing games with Mummy, kicking the ball, playing in the sandpit, collecting 'cada skins' (aka cicada shells), climbing, jumping etc etc

This photo just says it all...........................

He is a caring little boy! From the day little LJ was born we have been talking to JK about him and LJ being great friends. He seems to have taken this quite to heart as he is just lovely with LJ and has been very concerned and aware of his little brother's needs. We have also been having little talks about sharing as JK can be a bit grouchy with other kiddies when it comes to sharing space, toys, turns etc...... Well all of that seems to be paying off.....check out what I spotted the other week.....................................

oooooooo.....how cute!

JK is a special young lad who will one day do great things for God's kingdom. He will be a FAB leader and great people person..............BUT for now his mission on earth is to shape his Mummy's character!!!!!

The Bigger the Party The Better

2007-03-07T09:48:00.000+13:00

Welcome to our party!

My aim for this week is to celebrate something special about my little whanau everyday. Reckon it helps keep it all in perspective!

My title is "the bigger the party the better"....but in all honesty....I'm not a big party gal! I love little intimate parties where all can fit round a table round a YUMMY meal and talk and laugh the night away.

A bit about me!
I'm a sahm with 2 lovely boys (nearly 3 and 5 months). I have a fabulous husband who is a rock and helps keep our whanau (for those of you who are from abroad....that word means "family" in Maori) running smoothly and keeps me sane! We live on site at the High School my husband teaches at as he is also a Hostel Master, so life round here is always interesting.
I am into a loads of stuff so check out the profile. In my past life I was a primary school teacher but now am happy to be home with the kiddies and journeying with them through life.

Enjoy your partying week!

Late Night Procrastination

2007-03-06T22:35:00.000+13:00

It is late in the evening....10:35pm actually!!
The house is quiet as I am the only one up. My friend is getting married on Saturday and I am in the throws of making her jewellery. The last items are nearly finished....but as I went to hang a load of washing out for the morning....the computer distracted my walk to the laundry and here I am.
Being a night owl, this time of day is my prime working hour.....not very convenient when you still need to get up early in the morning!
Making jewelery became a bit of a hobbie of mine when JK was but a little bub and time was readily available. I have a whole stack that I need to sell/give away as it's getting a bit nutty having all this made jewelery sitting in the cupboard. The joy for me is in the making. I love working with crystals as they have such a fantastic brilliance and the way they refract light will always mesmerize me. Here is a photo of the necklace I made for my sister's wedding in 05...being worn by none other than my beautiful sister. The options are endless......
It's been fun, but I feel that it's time to dedicate more time to crafts etc that are of use RIGHT NOW! Such as LJ's almost finished quilt....here is photo of it in progress. I need to quilt the 3 layers together and my sewing machine is being uncooperative. GRRRR!! I will bring it out soonish and get it finished before the cold waikato winter sets in.
I have been inspired by all the wonderful ladies out there who, no matter the size of their families, still get some amazing bits of work done.

RIGHT..........no more procrastinating!!!
On with hanging washing and finishing this FAB (even if I do say so) jewelery....photos to follow

Exciting Beginnings!

2007-02-22T15:08:00.000+13:00

Yehaa! Something New and Exciting!
I have just checked out OhMy's Blog spot and am oh so inspired!
As a Christian, wife, mum, woman, a do-it-yourselfer, crafter and an avid investigator of anything we don't really know about, I guess it's time to journal some of my walk through life and share with others what I am up to. Esp as my friends are spread out across NZ and the world, and time & distance does not allow for big in depth coffees over the length of a lazy afternoon. (Although that would be FAB! )This is just a little fore runner.... More will come........................