Curing Christmas blues

The thought of Christmas shopping, glazing hams and over-excited kids can take the shine off the festive season. So at this time of year I try to focus on stuff that is fun, easy and bright.

I've been surrounded by inspiration - early-summer blue skies, the delicate blue eggs from our last post, the blue borage that creates the most delicious honey available from The Honey Collection  and finally a selection of blue buttons...

 

Personalised handmade key rings make lovely presents - especially if you need to pop them in the post - they're small and travel well.

 

Happy making and an even happier Christmas!

 



Count down to Christmas

Here in Ripple Bay it seems to be High Summer already, it is hot, the sea has warmed up and we've been swimming daily already. My favourite rose is in full bloom, it reminds me of my Nan, my Mum and my daughter.

Albertine

Bizarre, as it's not even Christmas. Not many days to go though, the kids have already started down the big count down, you know the one, the big count down til they can start the advent calendars.   I have seen a furtive preparing of a Christmas list and I have even started to think about making a list of presents to make or buy. Some Christmas presents are over in a flash and I love those, no need to find a place for them just use up and enjoy; I'm thinking home baking or decadent handmade Makana chocolates here which are a real delicacy in the Bay of Islands. If someone gives you some you feel like you have been handed a rare treat to be handled with care.

And some presents give continual surprises and fabulousness, like the bird box made for me last year. We have been sort of keeping an eye on it, but it really came on the radar when we noticed some clear plastic hanging from it and when we peeped inside we were beside ourselves with excitement to see 3 small blue eggs. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon trying to surreptitiously go up and down the step ladder to take a glimpse.











Happy Blue Egg Monday, Love Blue x

Collections

I seem to be going through a 'collections' phase - collections of glass bottles, collections of wooden photo frames, collections of birds nests (unoccupied of course!).

In my humble opinion, these things add personality to a home - your own personality - not something painted or crafted by some anonymous designer and then mass produced off-shore.






I love going for beach walks with my friend - she collects sea-smoothed glass.


Maybe one day she will find washed up a sea-smoothed wedding band. My other half lost it while fishing off their beach.... I wont hold my breath!

Pecking order

I am beginning to wonder if all 'first born's' are the noisy ones in the family...

In the wee hours of Tuesday morning the 10 year old and I watched Pepa Pig (the guinea pig) bring 3 very cute fluffy little bundles into the world. 

Bob, Penny and Peaches arrive in the world weighing in at next to nothing!



"My name is Bob and I like to squeak!"

The first to arrive - Bob (the white one) has given his mother no end of trouble. She only has to venture a few foot steps (paw steps?) away and off he goes - SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK.

Bob's siblings on the other hand just wobble around quietly and happily trying out their new found freedom.

Penny trying to escape from Bob

It is somehow ironic that our first born (aka Screamy), who watched Bob's arrival, also spent the first 12 months of her life exercising her lungs.


Pepa trying to get some sleep.

All I can say, Pepa is hang in there - you will eventually get some sleep!