Jan Constantine creations

These hand embroidered creations by Jan Constantine are lovely. They make me want to get creative and crafty and take up drinking tea just so I could justify getting the tea cosy...


{images from Jan Constantine}

Hurrah for the weekend. I plan of having a weekend with nothing planned. Hope whatever you have planned is a good one. x

Feather Down bliss

So I sort of made a deal with myself (a few months ago, when it was warmer mind you) that I would embrace winter. Who was I kidding?

I know I could choose warmer climes than the UK right now, but I really fancy the idea of being whisked away to a Feather Down Farm. They just look so cosy. Plus, I think I would have to stay at one during a UK summer, I don't think I could handle a UK winter either!

These farm stays look so glorious. Animal feeding, bike riding, marshmallow toasting...oodles of goodness.

Yes, I think I shall embrace the next NZ winter by fleeing to a Feather Down Farm!

{gorgeous photos from Feather Down Farm Days}

sesame & pretzel power

{photo from sesame media}

My daily email from Michi Girl arrived on Friday to tell me about online magazine - Sesame Magazine.

It's a great website with some great styling & photos so definitely worth checking out. I explored a little further and found their blog where I found the fabulous jewellery design of Lucy Folk. These pretzel pendants are oh so cool.

Pretzels make me smile and think of New York. And I like to smile and think of New York.

Alyson's Etsy goodness has arrived!

So pretty. So perfect. So Alyson.

Anyone who is a paper/stationery lover (like me) will love the goods at Alyson's new Etsy store.

Buy from here and support this talent.

Music Tuesday - tour news

It's a good news week. Crowded House will be touring New Zealand in November. Hurrah! I adore Neil Finn and although I have seen him tour as a solo artist, I have never seen Crowded House play live. It's a definite for me.

And a tour rumour that I hope is true is the reuniting of the Spice Girls. I'm not ashamed in sticking my hand straight up and saying I would love to go to this! (Let's hope though that their fashion sense has evolved).

I saw the One Tree Hill girls dance to Wannabe which was funny. I've always wanted to break out into a spontaneous yet choreographed dance like the Fame kids or like in Bride and Prejduice. Sadly, I don't think I could pull it off!

Discovered

It's safe to say that if I still lived in the UK, I would have been hooked on this show. I confess, I love reality tv. Not all. But most. At least I don't do drugs. Oh yeah and I love anything with Ant and Dec on it.

It's hard to believe that this talent was working at the Carphone Warehouse.

And another star in the making. She's 6 years old!
And the winner who gets to perform for the Queen is...

Weekend stories

And it's Monday already?
I'm never very good with Mondays but as it is getting colder and colder, it's getting easier and easier to stay in bed just that little bit longer and harder and harder to get up.
But the weekend was lovely.
It went a little like this...
I read this post by Andrea on Friday night. Please read it. After reading it I felt so sad that I couldn't do much and had to take myself off to bed! It sure does make you think about those that are important to you and that we need to live for each moment now. Not later. Actually I do for various reasons, harp on about this a lot, but it really is true. Trust me!
Shopping for winter decorations (mostly snowflakes) with Miss Emma. Fooling around in Spotlight. Lucky I had my camera with me! You make a wonderful pin-up Em.

{Emma at her most fierce}

A lovely quiet Sunday. Enjoying a hot chocolate and UK Vogue at my favourite library.

And then before you know it, it 's Monday again...
I know I am complaining of the cold, but I really hope it snows tonight...

By the way - thank you for the lovely comments on my bookbinding projects. I should have made it more clear that there was a lot of very sticky glue and muttering under my breath to get that far!

Handmade projects

Here is a little peek at a couple of projects I have made on my book binding course.

A Japanese notebook with a cover that unfolds and a classic black photo album which is my favourite (and it features my best corners yet).

Last class tomorrow night but I think I will sign up again next term. I see lots of Christmas presents on the horizon. Yes, I am going to be handmade and organised. Famous last words? I hope not!

Music Tuesday - Travellers Tunes

{image by flickr member DirectorUzi}

A mix cd for my friend Jamie, a soon to be traveller

1. I'll Say Goodbye (Even Though I'm Blue) - Dance Exponents
2. Ticket to Ride - The Beatles
3. Better Be Home Soon - Crowded House
4. Tomorrow Night - The Front Lawn
5. City of Blinding Lights - U2
6. Travellers Tune - Ocean Colour Scene
7. Another Travellin' Song - Bright Eyes
8. You Held the World in Your Arms - Idlewild
9. Tips for Travelling - Drugstore
10. New York, New York - Frank Sinatra
11. Transport Is Arranged - Pavement
12. Tickets To What You Need - Badly Drawn Boy
13. See the World - The Kooks
14. Northern Sky - Nick Drake
15. Fly Me Away - Goldfrapp
16. Wonderful World -James Morrison
17. A Thousand Miles - Vanessa Carlton
18. When You Come Back Home - The Front Lawn
19. Southern Lights - SJD
20. I'll Be Seeing You - Billie Holiday

Some weekend goodness

I blame my lack of posts lately on the weather. Our Autumn was like an Indian Summer but I knew it would bite us in the bum soon enough. And it certainly has. It's so freaking cold here...

some highlights from my weekend included:

• Some book shopping. For someone who doesn't cook alot, I sure do buy a lot of cook books. I'm a sucker for the pretty pictures. And I am really looking forward to making some cocktails from Jane Rocca's book.


• Catching up with my friend Jamie and talking about her impending European holiday (and giving her all of my shopping tips)
• Takeaway Chinese (Moon Wah rocks!) & Singstar on Saturday night. Briar and Finn were so cute. Their Dad is a singer/songwriter/musician so we lucked out and got to use microphone stands. I'm not convinced that the mike stands improve your singing but they sure do make you feel like a rock star.


• Reading. Finally my reading drought is over. I have so many good books to read (and I keep buying them too) but just haven't been able to stick to anything lately which is very unlike me. Lacey Jane wrote about this book which I thought sounded good. Ok, so it's in the young adult section but it's really really good! Thanks for the tip Lacey Jane!

I hope it is warm wherever you are. I'm off to read my book in a hot bed (Winter = electric blanket on high. Oh yeah.)

Flavia del Pra tiles

I discovered Flavia del Pra tiles from UK Marie Claire June 2007.

I immediately looked up Bodie & Fou who stock them. I was so pleased to see they have a blog. Stores that blog rock!

Aren't these the most gorgeous tiles you've ever seen?

I'm in love.

By the way - Music Tuesday took a rest yesterday because the pub quiz was more important! Team name: Don't free Paris. We came nowhere close to winning but who cares. It was fun. I love pub quizzes!

But I will miss you being so close...

{Andrea at The Fish and Chip Shop - the outside lounge room balcony!}

No post on Friday because I was busy out celebrating with my beautiful (in every sense of the word) friend Andrea (prounouced On-dray-ah - the Colombian way). Well, maybe celebrating is not the right word. You see Andrea has a new job so we were giving her a good send off. But it was also sad because I will really miss working with Andrea and seeing her everyday. Andrea started work just 2 days after me, so we trained together, worked together, laughed together and hey, sometimes we cried together. (But I guess that was mostly me huh Andrea? You provided a great shoulder to cry on by the way).

The night started out with dinner at The Flying Burrito Brothers which was fun and fabulous. Oh and the margheritas (which I once vowed never to drink again) were to die for.

{Margherita toast. The daily special. Feijoa & Pineapple. Mmm. De-lish! Thanks Keri!}

{Giant rosary beads}

Then we ended up in SOL Square at The Fish and Chip Shop. This place was so cool. It's quite new and has been decked out in a very kitsch kiwiana kind of way. Lots of loud patterned mis-matched wallpaper. It even had the wallpaper my Grandparent's had in their kitchen!

{not my Grandparent's wallpaper. But a pretty funky light shade}

I'm definitely going back to sample the fish and chips.

{such pretty lights}

It was a fabulous night. Thanks Andrea. Love ya!

Fabulous felt

Via UK Vogue June 2007 I discovered Anne Kyyro Quinn and her beautiful creations. I love that something as simple as a cushion is turned into a 3D art form. Lovely.

too cool for school

My good friend Leanne in Sydney sent me a picture of some cool Puma shoes she ordered. But what makes these shoes even cooler is that Leanne customised the design herself! I'm so in love with this concept. You get exactly what you want and you don't have to worry about seeing someone else wearing the exact same shoes as you.

Start cooking here.

{Leanne's shoe pictured}

Music Tuesday - Lounge-a-go-go

My good friend Emma is planning for her cocktail Engagement Party. So I made her a mix cd to get her in the mood.

1. Volare - Dean Martin

2. Strangers in the Night - Frank Sinatra

3. My Heart Skips A Beat - The Berry Lipman Orchestra

4. Balancafro - Corisco e os sambaloucous

5. Roda - Gimmicks

6. Let's Face the Music & Dance - Frank Sinatra

7. Coleur Cafe - Serge Gainsbourg

8. Spooky - Dusty Springfield

9. It Had To be You - Harry Connick Jr

10. I Won't Dance - Frank Sinatra

11. Sway - Dean Martin

12. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Paul Anka

13. Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Tim Beveridge

14. New York, New York - Frank Sinatra

15. Puppet On A String - Sandie Shaw

16. It's Not Unusual - Tom Jones

17. Frontin' - Jamie Cullum

18. Hello, Dolly! - Bobby Darin

19. My Kind Of Town - Frank Sinatra

20. L.O.V.E - Nat King Cole

21. Danke Schoen - Wayne Newton

22. Little Girl - Vic Damone

23. We Are In Love - Harry Connick Jr

24. That's Amore - Dean Martin

25. Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra

I love those cool cats.

favourite new swap

Be quick to sign up to Kelly's Favourite Things Swap. I'm excited to send some of my favourite things to a new blogging friend. And it's always nice to get a little surprise in the mail...

such pretty cranes...

Liz's blog for The Paper Crane Project is up now and it's gorgeous! Check it out here.

Hurrah for birthdays

It's Friday. Hurrah! Which means that:

1. I get to turn the alarm off tomorrow

2. I get to turn the alarm off on Sunday

3. I get to turn the alarm off on Monday

Yes, that's right folks - Monday is a holiday in New Zealand.

It's the Queen's birthday which is a little odd for 3 reasons:

1. The Queen's actual birthday is April 21

2. Her official birthday is June 17 (but surely her official birthday is April 21??)

3. In the UK they don't even have a holiday for the Queen's birthday.

So I am going to enjoy and make the most of the long weekend because we don't have another public holiday for another 19 weeks. Eek!

Have a fabulous weekend x