August 2007

August 31st, 2007

Problems in the laundry

I have been having mysterious spots appear in my washing and they have ruined virtually all of Astrid’s clothes. I specifically kept all the Nature Baby boxes in the hope of selling them – but only a few items have come through stain free.

I changed our washing powder six weeks ago and the spots vanished. My best friend also had the same problem. Again, she changed powders and the problem has gone.

The reason I’m writing today is that I sold the few baby clothes that were unaffected on TradeMe and for some reason said I only used that particular powder on them – so off I went and bought some yesterday, washed the clothes I had just sold – and hey presto – the brown stains are back.



Ooh I was mad!!! Goodbye Trade Me money :(

Which led me to phone the company today. The junior guy says oh yeah heaps of people have had that problem. The owner says no – you’re the only person we’ve ever heard of with that problem and he’s coming to my house next week to investigate. (As it turns out the junior guy meant something else).

These are the same spots you get when you spill essential oil on fabric – but I know I’ve not been doing that. I thought it was my floral water – but the past few weeks have told me that isn’t true.

Have any of you had the same spots? This will only apply to kiwis (and possibly people in Oz) as it’s one of our brands. I would love to hear what brand you use and whether you have had problems or not.

Thanks so much!!

13 Comments »

August 30th, 2007

Kitchen improvements

Last week our national ISP made some ‘improvements’ which meant I didn’t have email for a week. I also didn’t have internet access for three days. At first I was aghast, but then – oh joy – I had so much fun!

One day I made curtains, which I’d already cut out a few weeks earlier. The next day I made floor mats. An idea I’ve had in my head for ages now. It was something I saw in the Nuku Nuku zakka book and so much cheaper than buying rugs.



I used natural canvas ($70 for 10m) from Frosts in Richmond Rd, backing them with natural calico ($20 for 10m). Curtain tape was from Village Fabrics in Mt Albert ($2/m).



The floor mats are backed with canvas and I used some Cath Kidston fabric I bought on eBay for the tops.

We’ve found something called ‘smooth surface sealer’ which means we can paint over varnished wood so the built-in cabinets are all going to become either a blue or green shade of French grey.



So for now I am quite happy. Especially as I have just found some perfectly acceptable oak laminate flooring at Mitre 10 of all places and it’s less than $20 a square metre.



To herald the arrival of Spring our lovely new dreamcatcher arrived from Tamar. And the fresias are still going mad. I picked half of what was in the garden and got two big jars full which you can see on the table.

18 Comments »

August 27th, 2007

A nice Sunday morning

Yesterday morning we got up early and decided to go to the flea market on a photo mission.

This is one of the places of my childhood and teenage life. Every weekend we’d walk up here or catch the bus. And then walk home along the shoreline – along sandy beaches and rocky outcrops. Then up the steep steps up the cliff at Seacliffe Ave to home. More often than not we’d be barefoot and it was Summer when problems arose. The footpaths were literally melting and the grass was full of prickles. Which do you choose?



We bumped into Ben at the flea market and arranged to visit him at his new place later in the morning. Stupidly we didn’t buy any of these danishes for breakfast – we were on a hot dog and tomato sauce nostaligia pilgrimage. Sadly that went unfulfilled as the people weren’t at the market this week.



We were however well rewarded for our patience with gorgeous breakfasts later at Devonport Farmers Market.

When we got to Ben’s we just couldn’t believe our eyes at his view! It’s enough to make us want to move to Devonport – but we have other moving plans for next year which I shall disclose in a few weeks time.



And because we never go to Devonport without a visit to Cheltenham off we went. This is the place I was lucky enough to spend my early years – right by a lovely, pretty, very safe beach. It’s my favourite place in the world. It’s the first place we go to when we arrive back in Auckland and it’s the first place we always bring visitors.



Well, so much for painting the living room this weekend – but we had the best weekend we’ve had in ages. Oh, and I went and played with an overlocker too. Yes. Watch this space!

9 Comments »

August 20th, 2007

Spring is here

Not officially until next month, but the daffodils say it’s here. Astrid’s on the mend. My lovely new oilcloth arrived today, the sun’s shining and the fresias are flowering and flowering and flowering. How I do so love our garden.



I remember seeing the photos on flickr when the northern hemisphere was starting Spring and I wished it were us. Well now it’s our turn and my heart is happy.

Astrid is looking so much better now – she’s been eating rusks today as you can see. Her swelling and bruising are much better but we’ve still got a week or two until she’s healed. But look – a flat forehead – such wonderfulness – it’s done!!



We’ve had a few more treats in the post recently too – Yvonne sent us some lovely lovely swap goodies – I especially love the little singlet bodysuit she sent for Astrid – I think we’ll use it as togs this summer too. The socks she sent are just so fab – Astrid was wearing the flowery pair when I took this photo so you can’t see them.



She also sent a bag and zip pouch she’d made which smell just utterly divine! And some magazines. The zip pouch is lined with my favourite CK jersey knit and Yvonne embroidered some pretty lanterns and my initials on it. Yay!



The magazines just made me want to run away to Holland and have summer forever. And – you can see Yvonne there on the left with Boo. Now for some reason I didn’t photograph a few bits – but I’ll get them later in action! Thank you Yvonne! We are lucky little kids!!



Thinking about blogland today while I was posting about one in ten – it’s like a little paradise . Such a lovely community which we are so so lucky to be a part of.

17 Comments »

August 20th, 2007

one in ten

The one in ten auctions have begun.



Do go and have a look – find something you like and bid on it if you are able to :) There are some lovely lovely things up for auction and all proceeds go to help Eireann of Ohbara and her family pay her mother’s recent medical bills.

Comments »

August 19th, 2007

Good things in them thar hills

Before Astrid went into hospital we bought a pair of little shoes by Tiny Happy in Nelson. They’re just so lovely – and Melissa very very kindly sent Astrid up a beautiful birds t-shirt and a vintage cardi which Astrid wore to hospital. She wore the shoes every day while we were there. They certainly helped us feel more cheerful! This pair my friend Sandii bought for her daughter Mercedes.



Alison has just released her first ever knitting pattern – the gorgeous wrap cardigan we do so love to see on Pia. I’ve said to Alison I think I’ll need to take up knitting once I’ve built my shop. I am going to have to have a BIG rest. Which I somehow don’t see happening. But I would truly love to learn to knit properly so I can make anything past garter stitch squares.



And in other shopping news I just have to recommend Cristina’s cuter than cute linen bibs. Astrid swears by hers and she looks very cute with it on. I was clever enough to work for Astrid’s – both by naming Cristina’s mannequin (now Fifi Trixibelle (sorry Bob)) and creating her blog banner. Cristina sent us lots of other goodies too – just look at these lovely things!


I made my first ever Etsy purchase the other day – a fairytale dreamcatcher by Tamar. I’d seen it on Yvonne’s blog and blow me down if I couldn’t stop thinking about it and go along to her shop and just buy one. I can’t wait to hang it in the office. But you know what I am going to need at least one more to put in the kitchen. Tamar also makes the most amazing fairy crowns and other fairy things – a woman after my own heart!



Only about half an hour ago I spotted Jen’s new Etsy shop – Plainly Jane. Jen is the queen of vintage fabric – which you can buy at her other Etsy shop String and Scissor. Jen’s children’s clothes are utterly lovely – her fabrics are just such a treat. Aren’t these little shoes just so so cute? I shall certainly be ordering a pair for next winter!



I added Yuko’s blog to my links ages ago and then just re-visited a few days ago. Which lead me back to her lovely Etsy shop, Patapri where she sells beautiful teatowels which she screenprints herself. Yuko has also recently created a lovely duvet set.



I know where my next etsy purchase will be – I just love love love her designs. Her blog is lovely and sweet so do go and say hello!

8 Comments »

August 12th, 2007

It’s winter and spring

Astrid got a little friend before she went in to hospital – a little bunny for her patch in the garden. It’s a flowery ceramic bunny that Ande made for her. And when we all got back home from hospital there were loads of fresias blooming in the garden.



So before the big rain today we went outside in our sandals and picked fresias and hellebores – both such typical flowers for their seasons; spring and winter. Ach the seasons are a changing. Trees in our street are blooming beautiful crimson blossoms alongside the pink rhododendrons.



I bought some old Agee preserving jars from the charity shop at the old homestead in Pt Chev for ten cents each. Gone are the days where I’d spend fifty dollars on a fancy vase – how my tastes have changed. Although I do still like expensive vases. A Lalique one would be quite nice.



Yvonne (Yvestown) got her swap yesterday – hooray! Here it all is laid out on the table the night I wrapped it all up. Half way through I ran out of my usual white tissue and I had to wrap the rest in whatever I could find. But it was all nicely tied up with my favourite yarn Louisa Harding Kimono Angora.



I did go to town a bit and apart from the Cath Kidston items I had a bit of a New Zealand theme going – including feijoa chocolate, the Edmonds Cook Book and the Crown Lynn book. I also sent her a piece of Crown Lynn (pink and green roses of course), a big bag of milk bottles and a zip pouch made from Zambesi silk velvet in antique green. The funny cube thing at the back left has a bell in it. It’s an object d’art for cats by Pussy Galore (um yep, that’s me) and was of course for Boo.



The funny story about the swap is that me being me I left a few bits till the last minute – like making the zip pouches and the merino scarf… and on the Saturday night my new sewing machine broke. Kevin was thanking his lucky stars I had out and out refused to sell my beautiful vintage machine when I bought the new one a few months ago because he would have been in pretty serious trouble then. Oh yes, he was right about that. Fur would have flown.

The reason I’d bought the new one was because I thought the old one had something wrong with it – but the problem was actually with me not threading the bobbin properly so I didn’t need to buy the new one at all. And the old one is actually much more solid and it’s so smooth and quiet. Oops!!



Astrid’s getting back to her old self – I am seriously looking forward to being able to wash her hair in two days time. Her scar has healed so amazingly well – it’ll be hidden very soon as they only shaved off a strip of her hair from ear to ear. She’s still a bit bruised and swollen but she’s very very happy again and back to her little smiley self. I won’t go into detail right now about the hospital. It’s something I don’t particularly wish to re-live.

One thing I would like to say though is if you are in hospital and they are going to do something you don’t think sounds right, question it. Question it again and don’t let them brush you off. We came far too close for my liking to Astrid being overloaded with blood (they gave her 300ml when it should have been 100ml) two days after the operation. And that could have been not very good at all.

Two things that made me happy while we were in hospital were the brown daisy CK duvet I made and Astrid’s crochet blanket. They transformed our little room and I felt almost at home. I created certain rituals about making up Astrid’s bottles; and keeping our room tidy and looking after young Astrid were my full time jobs. No homework was done at all :)



Yesterday we at last got around to ripping out the carpet in our living room. Man is it amazing the difference it’s made. And I am so sick of having old granny throws on our modern furniture to protect it from Plum I’ve just thrown caution to the wind and taken them off. I did make some chair covers out of CK blue pop print which makes our lovely Gelderland chairs look like bach (kiwi for beach house) chairs. I like it. And as you can see so do the cats – that’s Mr Rufus and little Oscar napping in the kitchen while we do all the work.

In a few weeks we’ll have the walls white and the room will be transformed. This is one half of the living room – the other half shall be revealed in due course…



Here’s a little sneak peek of some items being made for Little Orchard. I’ve set an opening date of September 21st. It’s going to be well stocked I tell you!


And here’s my new rimu chest which holds all my fabric and sewing stuff – I love it. And best of all it was only sixty dollars from the Sandringham Road junk shop. It’s in the other half of the living room which is currently my sewing space and Astrid’s play area. I think I’d get too lonely if I had to sew tucked away in a room on the other side of the house. And I quite like kids room decor so I’m surreptitiously spreading it throughout the house. Tomorrow I hang the rainbow butterfly mobile…



Alison will laugh to see Astrid’s toys in a wooden bowl. Yep, just like fruit and veg, we also like toys in bowls.

And that my friends is the diary of my past week and a bit. I hope you all have a fabulous and fruitful week.

20 Comments »

August 6th, 2007

Home again

Just a very quick note to say hello, we are home. Thanks all so much for all the well wishes and thoughts. Astrid was a very brave little girl. She amazed us all. Had it been me I’d have been screaming my head off if I couldn’t see for four days. The little head is no longer black and blue but purple and yellow and the little eyes are slowly opening fully. She’s still quite swollen and she will only sit happily in the car seat or in my arms.

I’ll write a proper post about it all in the next few days. Our little family saying helped us through; “everything is always over in the end”. We’re nearly there.

23 Comments »