summer nights

ahh well at last the summer nights are here!....... warm nights filled with late night games of badminton, drinks on the deck + night sessions in the garage!  how one loves summer!!

then the rain fell out the sky onto my little parade of happiness!!  damn that rain for falling just before new years!!  please hurry along Ive got important outdoor things to do + a  few celebrations drinks to be had
 with friends + family on new years eve!!

wow where did xmas go?.......the build up was big as ever!!  I over did myself + had to put myself to bed early on xmas day!!  was a fantastic day.........great food + great people to share the day with!!
I didn't over do myself this year with photos.

finn playing mr cool!!

my reindeer ruby........ever so helpful........bless her!!

omg does this boy start with a capital T or what?....... not for Taidhg but for trouble!!

see no over doing!!  one never knows what do with 50 million photos from oneday!!

I am playing a bit of catch up here + going backwards!!
Once again I pushed my creative brain hard to make pressies for the teachers!!  Big effort as I have struggled creatively since my mum has passed + thats over 3.5yrs now.........death eh how it effects us!!  Anyway I can celebrate now as my creative brain is back!!  It feels sooooooooo good + I forgot how relaxing it makes me feel to make things with my hands!!  might even start scrapbooking again!!

So I have a little collection of retro pillowcases going on here + lets not forget the sheets + table cloths!!
And the doilies........omg the doilies!!

I have been inspired by this very clever lady for awhile now dottieangel
so I pulled everything out + set too.
I also have a reason for making these creations.  A week before school finished one of our lovely teachers lost her 19yr old son.  he just died!!  its terribly sad + my heart broke for them + as well our school has had a shitty year with illness + loss.  So I just wanted to bring some warmth + a smile back to their hearts.

I made this for our head teacher

finn had two teachers this year

and for Taidhgs teacher.........sadly I took a crap pic of this (in a hurry)....... this was a lovely irl.

Rubys teachers got a jar of food........he's a man!!
Teachers also got these..........my fav thing to make at xmas..........xmas bark with some apricot slice thrown in!!

so here's to a fantastic new year + lots of good things happening for 2012!!
see you on the other side!! :)

7

On Monday Mr Taidhg turned 7!!
We had a quiet Do on Sunday......just two friends this year.   I asked Taggie what cake he would like for his mini party...........'chocolate cake please'.........yay easy for me!!  Then we covered it in lollies.........can you tell I was going for easy!!

Jelly + lemonade drinks........these are so much fun + you suck the jelly up through a straw.  I got this idea from a Donna Hey birthday mag.  I did these for our Halloween party this year too.

Then for his birthday on Monday I made him frog cupcakes instead of a cake.  Easy again!!

Another great birthday!!  Taidhg had a ball + his best present was his roller blades!!

Now I can pull out all the xmas decos!!

the shadow box!

I brought a shadow box from spolight like 4 years ago.  Its shaped like a little house.  Always planned to do something with it.........but it just sat + sat for a long time.  Then finally this year after attending a awesome vintage fair in Palmerston North back in March I had brought Ruby some miniture cats......a wee family infact + some other vintage miniture animals.  That girl is animal crazy!!

I got it out + painted it white a few mths back......yes quiet a few mths back!!
Then after visiting the lovely Rachel Tucker at her home back in September she gave me some Fancy Pants papers + some bits + bods.  Finally while at the beach during Labour weekend + watching the rugby world cup final with my kids I got stuck into it!!

This was the end result. 

I have one happy girl!!  Aren't those Fancy Pants papers + embellishments cute!

clearing out the cobwebs!!

yes well some time has pasted since I last posted here!!
No boring catch ups.......even I have slacked off in the photo department.......and that makes me feel sad when I look up my photos on the comp + see i'm lacking photos!!  What if I missed a really important moment.........not like getting award at school just a everyday moment that meant something!!.....ok now is a good time to start eh!!

Have being busy getting crafty of late.........not in the paper way but other ways.......oh hang on I did add paper too a shadow box does that count??  Done a truck load of thrifting.........love it!!  Also done a lot of cleaning out the cupboards........feels good!!

I'm really enjoying pinterest at the moment + getting some wonderful ideas!!
Like this idea to make the old doormat a bit interesting.  The version I saw on pinterest was for a inside mat but I knew I could do it for a outdoor mat.  So a few weeks ago I brought all the supplies + had a go.

So first you need a plain doormat...........cheap + cheerful!!
Some masking tape.
Some white spray paint.

I kept my plan pretty basic.

Apply the tape on the mat into the pattern you want.  I went for a chevron look.  And easy to apply!

Next get out your spray can + have some fun!!

Once dry take off your tape.  And whala you got yourself a cheerful fun happening chevron frontdoor mat!!

and this is what it looks like at my front door.  Unfortunately some egg creating creatures decided to jump the fence + nest on my front door + left some unwanted deposits!!

Now how much fun was that.........and it was all done in under a hour!!
Got 2 more doors that need mats........soo I gonna get some coloured spray for the next 2!!

she sipped her tea + laughed with her friends..........

we had a such a FAB time on Sunday celebrating Rubys birthday!!

the girls arrived in their prettiest dresses.

They played games of pass the parcel, freeze, musical cushions + the chocolate game (which was not very lady like eating chocolate with a fork + knife)!!

And the brothers had to play too!!

The table was dressed + ready for a lovely afternoon tea party!

Delicious food was laid out........and we served the girls + boys with little tongs.

it was so much fun!!

they drunk juice or lemonade which was served from the teapots!



and then finally the cake!!

the cake had being my biggest stresser as I wanted it sooooo perfect + Ruby asked for this cake

months ago + I so wanted it to turn out!!

And it did!!

I was also very lucky to have kev's mum on hand to help me out + she put the cake

together while I'll was putting on my party dress!!

ok so it looks like a simple white cake right??

but wait there is a little surprise inside!!

every girl loves a rainbow right?

all the girls loved it + got a lovely surprise when I cut into it!

now I think the boys want one too for their birthday!!

but you know it was super easy + once I found the colouring to make those bright colours

I was happy.  its just takes a long time as you have to cook six different little cakes!!

so happy birthday our little scooby doo.........we love you lots + lots.

I know you had the best time + loved it all but there was just one person missing + that was

Poppins + how she would of loved this tea party!!







she ran away with her imagination to a lovely tea party........

this week has being all about preparing for a tea party for a certain girl who will be turning 9 on Sunday.

we have shopped this week for tea cups, saucers + plates......along with vintage tablecloths, mushrooms, pretty napkins + birds.....and more........

its going to be so much fun!!

I got to play with some of my new jenni b stamps when putting Rubys invites together

and and and..........I misted for the first time!! 

I'm addicted!! 

right its time to start some baking so we can have some delicious food to eat!!

what have you done lately?

well this is just a few things i have done lately!!

the last weekend of March saw me travelling to Palmie North + spending a fab weekend with some excellent girls, some great vintage shopping + lets just say some very very late nights + lets not forget the great dancing!!

 me, Rachel T + Kate

Jo + Kelly



then the New Plymouth Weetbix Tri........another hot day!

someone turned 40 on the last day of March!!

hanging out at the beach + making most of the hot autumn weather in April

attending rugby league comps......where I got jandel marks it was so hot!

The following weekend I attended a FAB weekend in Taupo the Autumn Escape.  I took NO photos

and I'm sure i wasn't in any!!.........lol........another great weekend!!

After being in Taupo I headed over to Ohope to join kev, kids + some friends from the Naki.

A great few days away here.  Kev took his standup paddle board + the kids got into it!!

For the rest of the hols I had the kids booked into some holiday programmes!

kids did some real cool activities + sadly I think that was the last ones forever!!

Thats Taggie up there!! 

Easter!

we must of had the fastest easter egg hunt ever in NZ!! 

then we had the most amazing Easter brunch with friends!

must add Ruby set the table for our Easter feast!



I made some Easter Bunny cupcakes

Cheats way of course!! Sorry there is a link to those ears but I just can't find it atm!

and now we are back to a routine with school back on.

and lastly the tiger who came to tea at the weekend!!

the end!!

p.s thinking of those affected by all this bad weather atm here in NZ + last week in the US!!















all night long!!

recently we partied all night long to celebrate kevs coming of age 40!! I say coming of age as he doesn't turn 40 till the last day of this month!!

It was a awesome party.............a garden/farm party!! No dress ups............but just some good wholesome kiwi fun in the garden under a huge tent with fairy lights, candles, roast lamb on the spit + with some hay bales added to the mix!! And the weather was perfect!!......but being autumn the nights are cooler + we had to wrap up a bit warmer.............it was really the perfect autumn garden party!! OK kev would not call it a garden party but I do!! ;)

I was a bit slack on the photo taking .............. but you know I was playing host + all!! But I do believe there are some goodies floating out there........er um esp of some people having pole climbing comps at the end of the night!!

We were able to leave the tent up for a few extra nights + have a lovely family barbie the next night before kevs brother went back to Aussie.

The last few weeks have being crazy aound here with the farm, school actitives, builders + weekends away! Speaking of weekends away a few weeks back we went to support our friend in the Taupo Ironman. Wow amazing!! The fitness level of some ppl are just mind blowing + I'm not talking about the ppl that are the pros..........but just the everyday ppl like you + me. I was very inspired but not enough to do one!! I just don't have the mental stamina!!

Also have to mention the amazing fundraising ppl around the country that I know personally have done for CHCH. You girls are awesome!! But as well I love reading in our local paper here in the Naki The Daily News the amazing things ppl are doing to help CHCH out too!!.......the huge amounts of money being raised. WOW makes me so proud to be part of some of these awesome things happening. I can't imagine what CHCH is going through + to have more aftershocks last night........... CHCH is never far from my mind!!

summer is coming to a end...........I feel sad about this as we have had the most amazing summer this year doing so many things as a family!

On the creating side I have made a few cards of late.