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.

simple + cute

Ok so I was planning on having this wonderful surprise valentines afternoon tea for the kids on Monday..........but then I remembered its golf straight after school + then hip hop + we don't get home until after 6pm..........so that wasn't going to work!! So I aimed for Tuesday but I had totally down scaled it!! So I went for simple + cute!!........we don't really celebrate this day ourselves Kev or I.........but I thought it would be fun for the kids. And Ruby had made us a sweet card!

So here's simple + cute.

I made the little signs + stuck them to the lollipops + then suck them into the muffins (Nigella muffins......which are sooooo good). Underneath I placed jellybabies + Hersheys chocolate kisses. There was more in the bottom but I wasn't as quick as the kids.......they found them + had already sampled some!!


and my little Valentines!!

saying goodbye is hard

on Thursday our lovely little cat Twiggy passed away. He had being with us for 13.5yrs.

I miss him heaps already.........the kids are real sad ..........but Ruby is broken hearted. They were the best of friends. Man its hard to see your kids hearts break like that. She loved him to pieces + I have being warning her for a year that his time was coming to a end as he was pretty old + it was going to be hard to say goodbye to him. Its amazing how animals become the extra member of the family without you even realising it. He was always there.........so faithful...........I would whistle out the window + he would come running...........he would follow us across the farm when we went for walks...........he always came to the washing line with me.........he was always waiting at the door when we came home..........he always sat with the kids while they watched tv + me + kev later at night.............and just quietly he would sit at the dining table with his little face just peeping over the top while we ate dinner..........waiting!!

We know he's already chasing the rabbits + resting in the sun in the long grass!!

We will miss you our little Twigga puss!

come he said ...............

and I followed!

well hello 2011

where did I go?.........time just got a hold of me + it went!!

Xmas was great......I had my family from Wellington staying till yesterday!!

New Years was spent with friends.......doing the usual.......sparking up the barbie, having a few bevies + letting the kids run wild!!......it was all good!!

so here I am at 2011.......I'm excited for it!!.......the calendar is filling up!!.......love it!!

i'm hoping to create more.........can we just celebrate for a moment that I have completely completely (can't stress it enough) cleaned up my space!! you can walk into it now + not have to climb over boxes + boxes, furniture + just crap!! I can throw my arms out wide + spin + not hit anything!! I feel so good + I can leave the door open!! Thank you kev for kicking the 'tidy up' into gear!! That man is a superstar!!

I hope for better health

its a year to celebrate...........kev + I are turning 80!!........i'm so excited to celebrate this number with him!! And yeah we are so planning a party!!

I can't wait to see what 2011 brings our kids.........the growing, developing, new experiences + challenges that lie ahead for them!! Its gonna be crazy fun!!

the well is dry!!

yes the sun is shining + shining..............and yes what a fantastic start to our summer!!

Don't get me wrong I love summer but we soooooooooooo need rain + lots of it!! I know the townies don't want rain + complain if we get a spit + their washing might get wet!!..........but hey guys we have already run out of water + had a truck load delivered 2 weeks ago!! Today we rang up to order some more water + we were told there is a 2 week waiting list + they are not taking any more orders!! I was shocked to hear this in our free country!! I feel desperate knowing we can't order water but lucky we can hook up to the farm well...........but that too is low!!...........so what happens to the ppl that have no extra supply!!??

So I have trained my kids up to only flush when they do #2's, use wipes to clean their hands + this will probably expand to their faces too, no more showers - back to bathing, I'll probably have to buy in some drinking water + I'll only be washing clothes that are really dirty!! OK i know this sounds extreme but we have to be real about this as there is alot of talk that we will have this fantastic weather for the next few mths!! And of course it will effect our business, which will then effect the local businesses in town..............and so goes on the ripple effect!!

So please do a little rain dance for the farmers + so I know i can have a short dripple of a shower each morning!!

hey while we live on a small supple of water we still know how to celebrate someone turning 6 in our house at the weekend!!

on Saturday Taggie + his friends hungout on the waterslide + ate party food + shared a spidey birthday cake (made by Kev)!!............. real easy party!! Then on Sunday it was his birthday........... we started the day out as Spiderman opening his gifts!!

then later on we went out for dinner + a play at the park!! I must say it was such a easy birthday!!

ok gotta run..........late for a xmas do!!

in our thoughts

All week I have hung on hoping they would get the 29 men out of the Pike River mine........and to turn on the TV yesterday afternoon + discover another explosion had taken place was so sad.
I sat with a huge lump in my throat + a sad heart for those affected by this tradegy.
RIP all 29 miners.........aroha + prayers to their loved ones.

i'm doing this!

CAN'T WAIT!!

Kim is such a lovely + talented lady + as well she has a talented team!! Its going to be fun!!

its not too late to join in if you are in the festive + handmade mood!!

http://www.kimarcher.com.au

just a little bang!!

we don't normally do Guy Fawkes due to the farm animals. I would love to go all out + have a huge bombfire + lots of great fireworks..........wrapped up warmly sipping on some mulled wine.......that does sound very autumn + english like!!

But last night we had a little play at the inlaws!! Kids loved the sparklers + then Kev let off a few things that fizzed pretty colours into the air + then some things that went crazy on the ground!!

It was just a little box of firecrackers my mil brought to share with the kids!! No animals were harmed during our moments of fun!!

new but old chair + the rest!!

after having a wonderful fabulous day with my lovely friend sitting in her vintage store drinking coffee + eating chesscake I spotted 2 amazing chairs!! I fell in love with them + knew they were meant to be mine!! Paisley has the most amazing shop + very interesting shop!! one week you can go in + there is a 1 person walkway to get through the shop + then on your next visit furniture is moved + a darling table has being set up with a retro table cloth - circles made up different shades of green, a retro tea set (which I would love to buy but its not for sale) + retro glasses. This was set up for me + another friend........it was wonderful + we sat + chatted while customers came in looking!! Sadly i didn't have my camera on me + I always carry my small camera around with me.............next when we do it again!!

So getting back to these chairs!! I took them home + went about pulling furniture around the room to get the right look. I can't show you the whole room yet as its not finished + I'm taking a sofa bed out - which really lives in the scrapbooking/office/ guest room. That room is another story + you can just barely get in that room. Its become the dumping ground!! And we have friends coming to stay this mth from the UK + my family are coming at xmas.........so I need to get my AintoG!!

the chair!!

I couldn't get over the condition of them.........they are in such lovely shape. kev reckoned the previous owners must of hardly sat on them. I'm going to stain the arms + legs black eventually. I had to buy the cushions as well!!


And my birdcage!! Its new but made to look old.


I've had the filing draws for quite a long time but they were just sitting in my scrap area doing nothing. So I paired them up with that little sidetable that I got when Tim my brother passed away 9yrs ago. I'm thinking I'm gonna spraypaint that black too! Now just got to get the perfect side board to go on other wall + get all my art work up that I have stored under my bed!! We have lived in this house for nearly 11yrs + these 2 wall in this room have no pictures or art work on them........not sure if I was scared how to do it or wanting it to be perfect!!??

A few weeks ago I decided to pull out our mircowave that hasn't being going for nearly 2yrs. We had decided not to replace it as I'm not a hugh fan on mircowaves + we hardly ever used it........mainly to melt butter or reheat things!! We never brought it.........it was a wedding gift!!
So I decided to make it a little area to place all my cookbooks in (as they were all lying in a shelf in the island + it always looked messy + did my head in!!)


Before

now

I need to get the rest of that sticker off!! I love the filing cabinets + they are great for my handwritten recipes + ones I have ripped out of mags. And as this area is deep I have hidden behind the books more recipes books!!

And finally my extra egg holder. I've got one of those wooden boxes that looks like a mini hen house but its over flowing with eggs + I needed something else to hold those extra eggs. A kids red sandpit bucket just doesn't look good on the bench!! So I found in another vintage store locally a few mths back this lovely little enamel bowl. The eggs look perfect in there now + keeps the bench tidy!! I was told that Nest has put out a new range that looks like this..........bet theirs is not as cheap as mine is!!

I just love the thrill of thrift shopping + the amazing treasures that can be found!!

to Trick or Treat or Treat to Trick?

Halloween.......how I love it!! And why do it I love...........cause I get to go silly + decorate my house + dress my kids up + make fun invites!! So we had held another party at our house last night. They partied hard from 6pm to 8.30pm..........they ran around like crazy, they got wet from bobbing apples + sticky in the face from the jelly eating comp! We fed + watered them + filled them up with sugar + then sent them home!! All 24 of them...........9 couldn't make it!! I didn't mind!!.........lol

The Joker.

Do you love his green hair? How important was it to have

green hair............very important!!! His eyes lit up when I

mentioned that I needed to add food colouring to his

hair to give him the complete look! It got a bit

messy!!

Shopping bags make the best ghost!!

Welcoming party sits on canvas I made for last years party.

Jelly eating comp!!

Ghost on arrival at front door.

Ruby apple bobbing. And she went as a

Cheerleader this year! How easy was her

outfit!!

Had fun making up wee displays. Not alot of choice in NZ

for Halloween.......but we made it work!!

Girls just wanna have fun!!

My massive web............this was fun!!

Waiting for lolly scramble!! Nothing like sending kids home

filled with sugar!!

The spooky hallway!!


Do you notice there is 1 thing missing?

I have a child missing!

I got no photos of him in his outfit.

But little does he know I will be making him

put his outfit in again so I can get a wonderful photo of

him in his Mad Hatter get up.

There was a bit of confusion for his outfit. He told

me he wanted to go as the Mad Hatter but not the Mad Hatter from

Alice + Wonderland.............der.......the Mad Hatter from Batman!!

But hey he looked cool as the Mad Hatter!!

I hope you enjoyed the party as much as we did!!??

can we go on an adventure?

the sun was high, the togs were discarded, the mood was right, the bags were packed + the food was prepared!!


The trio set off on their adventure to the back of the farm.........armed with goodies + the camera of course!! So I take no responsibility for what you are about to see on this adventure.

It starts with one girl taking on the whole world!!

And one boy who dared to share this adventure with 2 girls!! And I'm guessing his sister told him to pose like that!!


Of course there always has to be two fair maidens!!

But sometimes one can be a bit feisty ............and claim her brother ditched + left them behind!!.........lol.......love a bit of drama to the story!!

They passed The One Pine Tree on the track.

And discovered......... a hidden creek.

So last weeks puddles!!

Often you meet travellers at the cross road.

Sometimes you might discover roaming animals.............can you see them?

And these's always a couple of characters along the way passing the time chewing some grass by the barn!!

And after a long walk from the big hill at the back of the farm the adventurers arrive home safely...........needing fresh supplies!!