Happy New Year & Emergency Gardening

Not a bad haul! 

Christmas and New Year over, visitors have left and I realised that the garden was in dire need of a quick fix before it all got totally out of hand, like it so often does here at Ripple Bay. It was so windy today that I battled my way to the hidden garden tucked behind our garage and pulled out weeds and things and trimmed and tied back tomatoes at a rate of knots. Felt very virtuous when I also found a whole hidden cache of yellow cherry tomatoes from a plant that was supposed to be in a trailing pot but which I had stuck straight in the ground last year in a fit of optimism.

Big bucket of weeds and things

makeshift driftwood bench

garden after the quick fix

My New Years Resolution? Get in the garden and keep on top of things? Nah, only joking. My real resolution is "DO MORE STUFF"! Thanks Kate (one of our groovy visitors) for the inspiration.

Happy 2014, Emma x

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Winter in the Bay

 Here in the Bay, Winter has arrived. Winter means many unexpected things, Orchids, trees laden with Mandarins; and all kinds of things washed up on to the beach to be recycled or reused, like this piece of rope which will come in handy in the garden somewhen. 

The colours in the orchids would make sumptuous fabric for curtains and so I had a go at painting them (orchids not curtains!), trying out some water colour crayons. Two sick children this week and some surprisingly tranquil moments sitting and chatting with them, drawing and painting and drinking coffee/hot chocolates as necessary.

....and here the last sun of the day just catches the waves breaking. I was going to write about finding happiness in small things, but somehow these things don't seem so small after all. Happy weekending, Blue x

Long Weekend

paper plaster tape in use

All our plans for the long weekend had to be shelved at the last minute as one by one we all got the dreaded lurgy. The upside to this was a big blank canvas for hanging about together and getting stuff done. I finally picked up a Blue silk quilt which has been waiting for some hand-stitch quilting and I got a fair amount done, it is such an easy thing to pick up and put down. There is something therapeutic about small handstitches on a big scale, meditation for the mind of a sort I suppose. I am using up some paper tape left over from our plaster board venture last year, it works a treat for marking out the straight lines for sewing.

Autumn Magic

I'm sure there is a hidden doorway to a secret world through there!

In Japan the changing of the autumn leaves is given a word all of its own, "koyo" and it is a national pastime following the wave of leaves changing as it sweeps the country. Here in Ripple Bay, where the climate is totally different, teetering on tropical, the koyo is like a game of hide and seek, with the added bonus that when you find a tree or a small gathering of trees in full flight of change then the effect is spectacular and heart warming. Each time I walk our Big Dog I watch to see the changes to a particular tree and by the time it has completed its circle and dropped all its leaves it feels like an old friend.

With winter on its way, I looked out my massive woollen blanket handknitted by my Great Grandmother and a quilt that I have made in Japanese blues, with the added twist of crimson embroidery.









The flowers and spirals were designed by Miss Blue and both Small People drew round their hands and added the date so that I have an embroidered record of their hand prints. I feel muchly pleased with myself about this small feature which means such a lot to me.


Happy Koyo, Blue x

Black Forest Cupcakes

Alas, no photo of black forest cupcakes; we ate them too fast!

We definitely go through fazes and fads in our house at Ripple Bay. This month's craze is cup cakes, all types with the main requirement being the amount of icing it is possible to lusciously cram on them. But top of the cupcake wish list are these decadent sugary treats which are from a recipe from Waitrose supermarkets sent with love in the post from England. Shame it's so difficult to post the actual cupcakes!








How To Make Black Forest Butterfly Cupcakes

Makes 12 prepare 20 mins | cook 20 mins

Ingredients
                                    Method                                 
150g golden caster sugar                 1. Heat the oven to 180 degrees gas mark 4. Place
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::               the sugar, butter, flour, cocoa powder, eggs and                    
150g butter, softened                           vanilla extract in a large bowl. Using an electric
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::                hand whisk, beat for 5 minutes until light and
125g Leckford Estate                           fluffy.
plain white flour                                 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::             2. Sit paper muffin cases in a 12-hole muffin tin
25g cocoa powder                                and divide the mixture between them. Bake for
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::                 15-20 minutes until firm. Transfer to a wire rack
1 tbsp baking powder                            and leave to cool.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::                ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
3 medium eggs                                 3. With a small serrated knife, carefully slice the
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::                  top off each cake. Using the star nozzle, pipe a
1 tsp Dr. Oetker vanilla                          large swirl of chocolate flavour icing onto each
extract                                                   cake. Cut each top in half and position the
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::                   wings back in place. Sit i cherry in the centre
180g Dr. Oetker easy swirl                      of each cake then spray lightly with shimmer
chocolate flavour                                    spray before serving.
cupcake icing                                        ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
12 cook`s ingredients
glace cherries

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Grey Sunday

Taking Shelter

We got caught in the rain today on a walk, rock hopping along the adjoining Bays. Luckily there was a massive pohutekawa to shelter under and we watched the rain and the white horses driving into the beach. What is it about the mix of ocean and weather that makes it so addictive? 

After that I felt no compunction at staying indoors for a big chunk of the afternoon and planning Autumn projects. I was given these chestnuts and when the rain lets up I am going to have a go at seeing if I can roast them outside without them exploding.....!!

planning with coffee, crochet and chestnuts

Last day of school holidays, Blue x

Pattern Friday

I have been following the wonderful Tiny Happy Blog now for some time; Melissa has incredible ideas for making things of beauty from old and forgotten treasures. Anyway, I noticed recently that she has begun "Pattern Friday" posting a different design for fabric every Friday. I believe she started it as a way to start using a precious notebook.

This got me thinking and this week I have created my own design which rather appropriately is a retro print of watercolour radishes, as this week has been full of Peter Rabbit incidents with our own Beano and Sooty the escape artist rabbits!


Those of you with a passion for fabric may well know about Spoonflower where you can get your own designs printed up.
Happy weekending, Blue x

Crochet Squares

The rain finally came and was slamming against the windows. It was a welcome sight and really needed here. Seeing as we were forecasted a few "indoor" weather days I looked out my crochet hook and yarn.

During my visit to England last month my convalescing Mum taught me to crochet (thanks Mum!), and after a quick recap watching this You Tube video here I was off the starting blocks and concentrating hard to count the stitches for a granny square.

The wonderful thing about crochet is that unlike knitting if you mess up you don't have to wind back millions of rows to pick up a stitch or make a correction - the perfect craft for a multi tasker as it can safely be incorporated into the general business of running round doing 100 hundred jobs at once - if you know what I mean!

Happy Autumn, Blue x

Preserving and Saving

Autumn and the smell of the air has changed. On the sea it has become more metallic and on the land it has a colder sharper tone in the evening so that the warm scented days and the stunning sunsets are really appreciated.

At sea we have been catching kawhai and smoking it with our neighbour's fish in our home made smoker, made (or should I say hand crafted with love!) from our old stove and a gas burner. The wafting smell of the manuka smoking is very autumnal and bonfire like.

In the garden I have been removing all the tomato plants and in the kitchen preserving the last tomatoes. I thought I would have a go at freezing them, I know this is not the usual thing to do, but somehow I just didn't feel like fiddling with all the canning stuff. I wanted to get on with it and get it done.

Funny how we are packing and preserving a bit like squirreling away nuts for the season ahead!
Blue

Easter Trees

Snowy Sussex

It has been a few weeks of extremes for me as I traveled from sunny New Zealand back to unusually snowy southern England and returning to sunny Northland again. And now it's Easter, already! I was inspired by a wonderful craft shop in Sussex where the owner Philip had made a fabulous Easter tree in his window. 

I haven't seen one since I was a child when my non religious Grandma religiously made me one every year. 

 So when I got back home to the beach we made our own special kiwi version, thanks Philip. Happy Easter everyone!

Guerilla Gardening

I have been reading a lot about guerilla gardening where people reclaim public spaces, some big some small, to grow vegetables and flowers and breathe some life back into places which need a fresh breath of air.

I am really lucky to have a garden, it is so secret and hidden away behind our garage that often people have no idea it exists at all. The perfect place to steal some tranquility and time out. I go there if I need to think - it must be the equivalent of a man's shed. Come to think of it, it would be the perfect place to sit with a good book and a glass of wine in the early evening; the children would never find me!

Do you have a favourite space?

Blue x

Yellow Circles

Have you ever noticed that some days are filled with one particular colour? Yesterday was yellow here, from giant circles of massive pancakes cooked by a Boy, to smiling sunflowers opening up and finally an amazing sunset of yellow light flooding the sky. What colour is your day?

Blue x

Which came first the Tomato or the Egg?

Every year I am always surprised and caught out by which vegetable plants decide to take off and which dwindle off and fall by the way side with barely a small offering. This year the star of the show have been the tomatoes which have been amazing, particularly a variety called Cherokee which are huge, almost black and heavy and warm from the sun.

I think they must like all the seaweed and fish skeletons I have been cramming into the soil. Are you a neighbour like me? I rush round to the boats I see coming in with a catch and requisition the fish remains after they have been gutted, and then I plant them in my garden. And....it really works!

Happy weekending,
Blue x

Sparkle and bling

Downward facing dog???

The sparkling blue water in the newly erected pool not only keeps the husband busy,

it also serves as inspiration...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

 A blank canvas such as this lampshade can be easily transformed with some shiny beads and a sketch. Admittedly I am going blind gluing the tiny cobalt balls in place. However the end result will make it worthwhile.

There are so many options out there for transforming something plain into something stunning and unique.

I went to Nicky's Bead shop to get some great advice. The selection of beads, crystals and supplies was overwhelming which really just means I'll have to start another project soon!