day in the garden

i have spent many days in the garden this week, yet I have achieved very little.  Below is a photo of our vege garden in a rather overgrown state of disgrace.  Also the half painted side of the house.  I have moved and stacked a delivery of wet firewood, done much weeding and started on moving a truck-load of mulch.  Still much mulch to move.  And then a garage to clean, Oh joy! 

So I found some nice gardens on the internet.

 Landscape garden design

 pretty lawn shape

 desire to inspire

above and below from elite home design

above and below house interior design

 an outdoor fire would be divine especially if it cooked pizza aswell.

japanese moss garden, looks cool and tranquil.

nice tattoos

 finger-tattoo.

 where indeed?

 I know it's wallpaper but I think it would make a pretty tattoo.

pretty

 harry wakefield

 finger-tattoo.

cute

Most of these were found on finger tattoo, which has some nice simple designs, and seems to have stopped blogging.  worth a look though if you like tattoos of the simple variety.

pink

For my birthday I got some pink pretty things.  I am actually a grown-up, but I do also like these things.  I have worn the swallow hair grips quite a bit, and the pink rose earrings, but I haven't got around to making any heart-shaped cakes yet.

And a few photos of more pretty pink things.

found at casa pinka

I want these pink glittery shoes so much.

funky fashion show

This weekend in town we had Eco-fest and as part of the entertainment there was a funky fashion show. This was really for school age people but the nice lady Christine, from Labels,  said anyone could enter so I enlisted my 8 year old to model for me and we were on to it. 

 This was the start pile. Blanket, boys school trousers and an old blue sparkly frock I'd had in my stash for at least 3 years, 

This was my pattern which I made by putting an old sheet onto duct-tape dummy and drawing on the expected shape with felt-tip pen.  (The duct-tape dummies have been a revelation in the dress making department, they make pattern making so much easier, you can pin material onto them and they stay still for-ever and don't make a fuss.)

The design idea for the coat was taken from this one above from Goldie London.  Isn't it beautiful?

I didn't quite have time to put on buttons, the trousers were held up with safety-pins, the sparkly top was unfinished at the sleeves and the hem, but my daughter actually loved the blue top and said she may wear the coat and trousers.  Result!

 and sloping around on stage in a really blurry photo. 

 My other beautiful and older child, made a brilliant paper version of her school uniform out of used printer paper and brown paper painted with the many test-pots and old paint pots we have in the garage.  Again the photos are not good, but it looked so realistic.  

 Paper clothes are not v practical though, any movement out of range was met with a ripping sound and required a paper patch to be glued on.  There were loads of brilliant outfits but I didn't ask anyone for permission to publish their photos on here so I thought it better not to.  

And last night me and husband went to a fancy dress party.  The theme was "heroes and villains".  I decided to go as Vivien Westwood and set off to the op-shop with this in mind. About 3 hours before the party I got a chance to make my outfit and this is how it turned out.  Dress made from extra-large mans check-shirt, chopped up, pleated, shorter-sleeved and pink slipped.  I'm not sure what Viv would think of it but my pre-teen thought it was fab (not her word) except for the pink slip bit.  I wore her cool red converse and  long stripey socks, I don't know what the babysitter thought!  And a grey wig, yes I know! but the orange wig at the $2 shop wasn't pretty and I am a vain girl.

Husband went as DentArthurDent from Hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy, in a rather nice wool dressing gown from the op-shop and some very fetching pyjamas.  He didn't have the right foot wear and he forgot his tea-cup, but he was well prepared for most other eventualities with a towel.

And it was a lovely party, good crowd, great costumes, yummy food.  

Rockville Store 1990

I took these photos Motueka apple-picking season in 1990, I've just had the negatives put onto disc and I like the way they have turned out, all grainy and dusty.  A friend lived in the Rockville Store near Collingwood in Golden Bay, so we escaped from the apples for a weekend.  I have strong memories of driving over the Takaka Hill in a big old house truck and sitting out on the veranda looking at the stars.  I imagine the Rockville Store is a bit smarter these days, its potential wasn't quite fullfilled back then.

Takaka Hill lookout

I think this was an old quarry nearby.

Demolition Day 1990's

A rather retro post because I have just had the negatives for these put onto disc, and I thought I would share them.

Once upon a time in Hackney, East London they decided to demolish some tower blocks.  They knocked quite a few down, it seemed, over a small period of time and it became quite a spectator sport I tell you.  This was my first demolition and if I have any regrets it is that I had to wind my camera on manually.  This is why there are photos of complete towers/ half a tower down/ no tower, then lots of dust.  As I remember the wind then changed direction and blew the dust of decades and tonnes of concrete all over the nosy spectators.  The countdown was fun.

                                 

"Now where's the pub gone?"

English clouds

Fluffy white (English) clouds.  

It is funny but not that surprising that clouds in England are different from clouds in New Zealand.

These were taken on my June trip to England.
And it is my birthday today.

Mountain-biking for the faint hearted.

This morning my husband took the day off and we went for a mountain-bike ride.  It was a beautiful sunny morning, but my it was cold!   And this is the view/ well some of it that we had on our ride.  Not bad eh?  Anyway I was a bit girly about the downhill bits, so I got cross with my husband for dragging me up there and also cross with myself for being a right girl.  But actually as I didn't fall off it was fun.  And cycling up a big steep hill is a good way to warm up on a day like today.
The country is under snow (except here of course), including Wellington, Christchurch and there was even snow in Auckland.  Although it was clear here we still get the wind blowing off the mountains across the bay.  And this afternoon we did actually get some snow-flakes falling from the sky.  So exciting for the kids!

prints from my mother

Today I thought I would post some photos of prints my mother has produced.  She is a very talented artist, and is now starting to increase her production level, of drawing, painting and printing.  Here are some of her works that she has sent to me over the last couple of years. 

 (above) a reduction lino-print which she copied from an original Japanese print.  Its one of her earlier prints.

 Sheep

 This poor kingfisher crashed into one of her windows and that was the last thing it did.  Except then be a still-life model for my mum.  The pose is rather regal and distinguished I think.

A solar etching from one of her life-drawings which I have in my proud possesion.