Right Now

Right Now its a beautiful sunny day. 

Not a raindrop in sight so no umbrellas needed.

I saw this cool shot of an umbrella the other day:

I just escaped my work room to zoom down the road in a friends gorgeous red fiat.

With the sun roof open and the heater on for a lovely much needed cafe lunch at the beautiful Wallace Art Gallery Cafe:

I am now back in my work room and seeing things with refreshed eyes.

Look at the vibrant greens in my felt bowl.

More Colourful Hair clips are coming along:

More  hearts filled with colour

Here's to sunny winters days.

Right Now

Right Now I am sewing, and when I am not sewing I am thinking about what I should be sewing. 

My list of what I wanted to achieve is getting smaller. 

So progress is being made.

Here are some Festive Hearts that I have been working on.

Have a great day.

This Moment

{this moment} - A Sunday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from
the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause,
savor and remember.

Head Down

This last couple of weeks since I found out I have a spot at the Devonport Market I have been head down sewing away. 

I have been enjoying it, but I must admit fitting in sewing around my part time job and everything else has left me pleasantly exhausted at the end of each day. 

I am sleeping like a baby.

I spent last week making Hot water bottle covers and this week I have been making bags.

Here is a bag I just finished that has a lovely countryside theme with windmills going on inside.

 

Here's one I have just started working on. 

This is lovely material from a vintage table cloth that has never been used.

Love Notes

I read a lovely blog the other day about a mother who everyday put a note in her child's lunch box.

Her little girl loved these notes. 

Every night her husband would take the notes out of the lunchbox and place them in a glass jar on the window ledge for safe keeping.

Sometimes when the mother was running late in the mornings she would recycle a note. 

Her daughter found this very funny.

So  I decided to put a note in Master O's lunch box. 

It was very simple it just said :

"Dear Master O, Have a great day . Love Mum." 

(I did not want to embarrass my eight year old boy in front of his friends).

That night Master O said Mum you sent me a note.

Yes I said all excited.  

"What did you think?"

His answer:

"It was disgusting"

"Oh" I said.

The next day I did not send him a note and that night at dinner he told me off for not putting a note in his lunch box.

So now Mr O and I are taking it in turns to send our boy notes.

To my boy who still wears flowers in his hair and secretly likes love notes.

Steiner Spiral of Light

As the days grow noticeably shorter, and the frosty winter nights approach their longest, we all begin to yearn for the light, which so recently illuminated our lives. 

To symbolize this yearning, each June, Master O's class participate in a Spiral of Light. 

In his classroom, a path is laid out of green foliage and flowers. Moss, crystals, and shells are placed on the greenery. A single candle in the center of the spiral lights the room. Soft music sets the mood that brings the children into the room to sit on the chairs surrounding the Spiral. One at a time, the children walk the spiral. As each child approaches the entrance of the spiral they pick up a white candle in a shiny red apple, which is carried to the center of the spiral. They light their own candle from the center candle and then return outward. On the journey back they place their candle and apple beside the spiral foliage. When all the children have walked the path, the whole spiral is aglow with lights. The music softly continues as the children quietly leave the room. Finally, the apples and candles are gathered and given to the children at the end of the day as a present to take home.

For the past few years I have gone into Master O's school on a Sunday to help create the spiral with other parents. This year Mr O went and had a lovely time creating the spiral and taking beautiful pictures.

Today for the first time I sat in as the children walked the spiral. I even had the pleasure of walking the spiral. The children sang beautiful songs and played musical instruments such as the violin, the piano, the cello, and the flute. They are all 7 and 8 year old's with such great talent.

The entrance way into the classroom

The candles in the apples

Setting up the spiral

The centre table

The centre table

The Spiral at the end.

 It was a truly moving experience.

 

This Moment

this moment} - A Sunday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from
the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause,
savor and remember.

Right Now

Today I have been thinking of all the things I have to be thankful for right now.

It is a beautiful sunny winters day. 

My washing is drying and my garden is full of new life.

Grapefruit Tree and Kale plus a sneaky bit of rhubarb

Orange Tree

 

Magnolia Tree

 Master O just had Lantern Festival and he made a beautiful lantern, which we have been lighting every night at dinnertime.

I just finished my first Fantail Hot water Bottle Cover

I am reading a great book about Green Smoothies

Life is good.

White Duck / Rabbit

I came up with a new design for a Hottie Bottle cover yesterday it is called 

Duck / Rabbit. 

Depending on which way you look at the design it is either a cartoon Duck or a Rabbit.

Duck

Rabbit

Its just a little quirky and fun as hottie bottles can be held a number of ways.

I also got some great news yesterday.

I have been accepted to have a stall at the Devonport Craft Market

on the 3rd of July.

I have never had a complete stall of all my own wares so now I must 

sew, sew, sew..............

Its exciting plus scary at the same time.

Craft Fair

I really enjoyed the Auckland craft fair .

So many wonderful exhibitors.

I have been inspired by the following:

MAY MAY CHUNG

 

MayMay Chung is a collaboration between 3 sisters.


They decided to combine there experience and create a brand of products that they feel are unique - and a range that is hopefully not too serious and a little quirky.

There first season is themed around there favourite New Zealand birds - the fantail, morepork and tui or MayMay, Florence and Huey.

There initial range of products includes home ware and stationery - cushions, tea-towels, prints and gift cards. They plan to expand there range to include bedding and bags as well as a dedicated children's range.

All there products are designed and hand crafted in New Zealand.

Here is the link to there website: http://www.maymaychung.com/


There little Kiwi inspired me to try doing a kiwi on a hottie bottle.
Here is my what I ended up with:

I had such fun making him . I think I might try for a fantail next.
In the meantime I will start saving my pennies for a couple of
Maya Maya cushions for Master O's room.

This Moment

[this moment} - A Sunday ritual. A couple of  photo's- no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Right Now

 * The Long weekend is over and my house guests have left .  

    I am contemplating Housework!

* I am doing numerous loads of washing created by one muddy Rugby Player and a few guests

* One house guest has stayed the lovely "Bella" who we are dog sitting for a couple of weeks.

   Master O is in heaven. 

* I am cutting out Hottie Bottle covers, my blanket supply is shrinking (yippee).

I can see the back of my storage cupboard.

* I am happy that my niece loved the bag I made her for her birthday.

* I am loving this mild winter weather.

* I am looking forward to going to The Auckland Craft Fair this coming weekend with my girlfriends.

   Here is the link if you are keen to see some talented Crafters:

   http://aucklandfair.blogspot.com/

This Moment

[this moment} - A Sunday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Favourite Things

A good friend is off to England for a month.

So I took this morning off of work and we went out for a girlie morning. 

We did a couple of our favourite things.

We went Op shopping and found a few bargains.

We then went onto a lovely cafe called "Little & Friday" in Belmont. 

Located at 43 Eversleigh Road.

It was a truly enjoyable experience. 

Well I am off now. 

We have a long weekend ahead of us with guests coming to stay. 

So I will be back next week.

Take Care

Autumn Cleaning

The Autumn cleaning bug must be upon me, as for weeks now I have been slowly clearing things out of Master O's bedroom.

Eight seems to be a real year of change.

Toys he has played with for years no longer interest him. 

He no longer plays with toy trains, his wooden pirate ship or his dolls house. 

He is not even noticing that things have disappeared from his room.

He is now interested in drawing, writing, the time, rugby and any form of sport going. 

The questions he is asking are so grown up. 

Yesterday out of no where he asked me " What is Acupuncture ?".

We then went on to have quiet an in depth discussion on Acupuncture and massage.

My little boy is growing up.

Today I finished the Russian Doll bag and loaded it for sale in my Felt shop.

I  am so enjoying making these bags that I have started another.

Once again in my favorite greens and reds on a lovely fabric that I picked up at a school sale.

I will keep you posted.