June 2009

June 23rd, 2009

To the islands indeed





We’d never have guessed how prophetic that particular blog title would be and if you’d told us a week ago we’d be moving out to waiheke for two months, well, we probably would have believed you – but we certainly wouldn’t have thought of it ourselves. Not then anyway.

But we did a few days ago (think of it). And the next day we found ourselves, the kids, the cats and all our stuff in a car, on the car ferry on our way to a little cottage in Little Oneroa. A cottage with a dualit toaster and gas cooker – that was enough to convince us – a little cottage just a few minutes walk from a beautiful beach – and a few more minutes up the road to the local shops. There’s a lovely organic general store, a butcher and a closed-for-winter junk shop (damn!).

So here we are. On island time for two months.

Timeline of recent events: Friday, land at lunchtime. Saturday, coffee and danishes at our favourite little spot at cheltenham. Sunday, find our little cottage, visit Campbell and Ande – the beginning of the virus. Monday, still all sick, pack up, go to Waiheke. Tuesday, eat eye fillet which we’ve been waiting for for a whole year, everyone well again.

We get broadband on Saturday – currently sitting in a cafe – so if you haven’t heard from me I’ll be catching up on emails over the weekend. Thank you T and H !! And L I will email you to catch up soon xx

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June 15th, 2009

my perfect garden





Just down the road a little old lady has a wonderful meadow garden. Ours never had the chance to establish itself but this is exactly what we’re after. Vegetables in amongst the flowers and flowers everywhere. Perfect!

I felt a little bit naughty taking photos so these don’t quite capture the full magnificence of it all.

Two of my other favourite gardens are this one and this one.

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June 14th, 2009

bye bye camp richmond (in two days)



It’s been such fun!!!!

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June 9th, 2009

a little book

Lovely styles of London living spaces at amazon.jp

Just after edith was born I was emailed out of the blue by a japanese journalist asking if I would like to be interviewed and for them to photograph our house for a book on London interiors.

And here it is a few months later – by a very strange coincidence it arrived the exact day we moved out – our humble little home – in print.  There’s also a little cushion tutorial at the back which I forgot to photograph in my one hour off babies and children to cram in as much blogging and flickring as I could.

We spent a Very Long Time getting the place ready for the shoot. Edith was all of four weeks old and I’d have never managed it without Kevin’s help. Yvonne rallied around and sent the message – dust and vacuum, buy flowers and fruit and you’ll be fine.

I feel quite sad about our little Hampstead cottage that we’ll never live there again. So far I miss the oven most. The hot little oven that would bake a cake to perfection in 35 minutes, oven fries in 12. Perfect roast potatoes in 30, roast pumpkin in 15. And the best pork crackling ever. Ever.

Oh, and the other London Charlotte is in it too. It’s nice having a friend there to keep each other company. Another friend who’s leaving her little house very soon too.

Thank you Saya, Aya, Kevin, Yvonne and Lottie for saying yes!

satin blue nailpolish by chanel

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June 9th, 2009

camp richmond

Here we are a week later. We’ve sorted and sold and thrown away and packed. The cats are in Auckland already. We’re at my brother’s in Richmond another week.

It’s a bit of a utopia once one hits the river path. On Sunday we walked to St Margarets village and down to the playground. It was raining and we thought it would be lovely to wander home. The plink plonk of raindrops on the calm river. Families in raincoats rowing long narrow dinghies up to the pebbly beaches along the riverside where canopies of emerald branches give shelter.

The train goes by at the end of the garden every ten minutes or so. It’s a sweet little train from St Margarets that sort of just goes whoosh in a nice quiet fashion.

Also, I know in general I’m pretty crap at replying to questions and things – so… the white mugs from ages ago are from Skandium. I think they’re ittala. The painting in our Mt Albert house is by Elspeth Hitchings – my old drama teacher – and one day I promise I’ll write up my risotto recipe.

And thank you all very much for reading and commenting – I appreciate it so much. I’ve been a bit pre-occupied with stuff of late but I’m planning on being here more, writing more, taking more photos – yes, a bit more being here.

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