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.

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!