tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20021644920767312772012-02-16T05:25:38.993-08:00wabi sabi, flowers, seasons, nature, colour, life, death, bouquets, weddings, pleasure, food, familybridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.comBlogger601100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-25670034797919266272010-11-19T00:17:00.000-08:002010-11-19T00:38:04.408-08:00

it's been a long while since i've updated my blog. real life has been continuing on meanwhile & these flowers have been growing my garden. this poor char finch flew into mum's lounge window & thoroughly knocked himself out into sweet oblivion, louis found him on the carpet in perfect condition, it was fascinating for us all to be able to hold the bird & study his texture & form. in the end we

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-88794391667502552312010-11-08T10:45:00.000-08:002010-11-08T11:03:09.802-08:00

our first strawberries. celeste & i made these biccys & the chocolate caramel fingers yesterday for school lunches. i've just finished another alexander maccall book 'the lost art of gratitude', i really enjoy reading this series, it's so entertaining & i like to ponder the main character isobel's philosophical thoughts. 'something to do with beauty. yes, she thought, that was one way of

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-19769935511840370482010-10-31T00:50:00.001-07:002010-10-31T19:34:36.751-07:00

these sweet peas are the most divine soft purple with the most divine scent imaginable, i put them in our bedroom & they perfumed the whole room. i've been dreaming about french patisseries lately as i have a library book at home at the moment called 'french feasts - 299 traditional recipes for family meals & gatherings' by stephane reynaud. i wish someone would open a french bakery here in

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-80012710966148806482010-10-24T18:00:00.001-07:002010-10-30T16:59:57.882-07:00

we have lily of the valley growing in the garden, who doesn't love the name of this plant? it has such old fashioned connotations & i'm looking forward to it taking over a larger part of the garden. i bought a bunch of iris bulbs from a second hand shop a while back & i was pleasantly surprised to find them to be such a bright vivid purple.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-66324654851084498692010-10-24T17:35:00.000-07:002010-10-29T23:46:46.642-07:00

i was attempting to try to recreate a dutch masters painting here, an ambitious undertaking indeed. anyway i enjoyed the process, well apart from not having any paintings to reference as our computer is broken & all my saved images were inside it & apart from trying to make a studio in our kitchen with an upturned table as my backdrop & 3 curious children all around & all over me.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-14190596276124752672010-10-24T16:31:00.001-07:002010-10-26T20:37:34.319-07:00

i found all these flowers growing down the matai valley, mmm great pleasure in that for me. nana's neighbour blew out these thrush eggs for the kids after the mother abandoned the nest, the colour of the eggs is so lovely & i can see why it is often replicated in house paints etc.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-34378928553476465872010-10-24T16:13:00.000-07:002010-10-25T15:27:29.931-07:00

these flowers were for my mumsy from my sister, i don't think i normally like lillies in bunches unless they are on their own but the colour combination of lime green & white is so fresh. i found this watercress growing in a pool by the side of the river, there was something very rewarding about then making this tasty pesto out of it.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-44682832073815943652010-10-24T16:03:00.000-07:002010-10-24T16:29:44.918-07:00

we had a family bbq on friday & i enjoyed spending the day making salads & alternatives to sausages for the bbq - i mean i don't mind a barbie but surely we don't have to only eat snags? more photos of poppies but this one is proudly growing in our garden.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-26706540340310750322010-10-24T15:31:00.000-07:002010-10-24T16:35:53.746-07:00

i have a back load of photos as our computer is broken! harsh news.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-62066630147143515812010-10-17T21:23:00.001-07:002010-10-17T22:12:26.719-07:00

i made these almond fingers today, the recipe is again from 'ladies, a plate' such a great book with such great results - which is entirely a credit to the well researched & selected recipes. i'm not sure what this yellow weed is, i'm thinking maybe something beginning with 'c' & maybe something that farmer's feed their cows but i can't be sure.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-62345002506672826202010-10-16T23:04:00.000-07:002010-10-16T23:24:48.106-07:00

sunday. it is addictive taking photos of moving things, goldfish for example.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-52776168609685225882010-10-16T05:12:00.000-07:002010-10-16T12:34:37.673-07:00

we had a productive family day today, mostly spent on the property. eliza painted her seats for her 'nature' clubhouse & we planted a circle of cosmos around it, the honeysuckle should enclose the space within a few months - we are both pretty happy with progress there. louis & i have reignited their mid lawn gardens from a few seasons ago, he chose sunflowers & carrot seeds so we shall watch &

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-22290068485973468632010-10-14T23:47:00.000-07:002010-10-15T01:13:34.022-07:00

wow another post so soon. unusual! these were flowers from my sister for our mother today. the masked parade is on tonight & for the first time since we've lived in nelson we're not there, i'm trying not to feel too guilt ridden but it's hard. tom has gone out to a work function & i just didn't have the stamina to get all of the remainder of our family out of the general house zone. hmmm the old

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-66216928182309553822010-10-13T23:48:00.000-07:002010-10-17T21:27:04.636-07:00

i was really attracted to the cover of this version of goldilocks & the 3 bears when i first saw it. of course - small bear with a tear in his eye, perfect! we had it out from the library recently & i was very interested to find celeste really enjoyed it & requested it heaps. she has decided she is growing her hair influenced by goldie, naturally(unexpectedly for us though as she is our sort of

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-71941226028486264532010-10-05T23:50:00.000-07:002010-10-06T00:31:00.362-07:00

today i found this sunprint kit i'd bought ages ago, louis & i had some fun making images together this afternoon. what a beautiful day, we are absolutely loving day light savings. it's so nice to head out to the street for some bike riding in the early evening, lots of other people are coming out too & it feels like winter hibernation has come to an end. these are all the flowers growing in our

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-67937823071661640752010-10-03T19:44:00.000-07:002010-10-03T20:10:02.035-07:00

fooee it's been a long time since i've written on my blog, a lot has been going on but i haven't really been taking many photos, i'm in a lull. it's a beautiful day today on the 6th day of the spring school holidays & we are mooching around home, it's really rather lovely. 3 loads of washing are out & i've even managed to do some weeding in the garden, i check the garden at least twice a day at

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-91952599682627825152010-09-16T02:05:00.000-07:002010-09-16T02:35:14.916-07:00

speaking of bundles, my sister annabel & her fiance nick had their baby boy theo on monday, i was honoured to be a part of that as i was in auckland for the occasion. bells is coping amazingly well with everything, i am proud of her. it is EXciting to see them taking on the mantle of parenthood, they are both already so devoted & loving. i feel quite attached to their munchkin & am looking

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-71359759764232610052010-09-08T21:47:00.000-07:002010-09-09T00:29:03.431-07:00

tom & i had a fine time in wellington, g'dang that place is cool. we had a lovely meal at the ortega fish bar, i liked the decor alot & the food (& cocktails) were delic'. we had breakfast at the maranui surf club one day & the next day we had breakfast burritos at sweet mama's kitchen so, lots of yummy food & welly people watching. it was beautiful weather other than the first night which was a

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-34138262886565750642010-09-08T21:38:00.000-07:002010-09-09T00:29:03.435-07:00

flying fantails & winter branches

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-21978410211342855472010-09-01T22:31:00.000-07:002010-09-01T22:34:22.304-07:00

we're off to wellington tomorrow for 3 days on our own, too exciting. this is our beloved neighbour maggie's fudge brownie, made today to share with my class tonight.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-80220675161324918482010-08-28T22:19:00.000-07:002010-09-02T22:34:24.339-07:00

yesterday i made my favourite winter soup 'Minestra di Ceci e Porri' for lunch - mmm it's so good with all those chick peas, leeks, spinach & what not. there were some chick peas left so i made them into hummus, i was pleased about that because i then got to use the little turkish bowls i bought from the dump shop. these daffodils were for mum to give to her aunty margie who sadly is living in a

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-51120020480076052002010-08-28T13:45:00.000-07:002010-08-28T14:42:49.141-07:00

i haven't been updating my blog regularly enough i don't think, maybe it will have to just be a weekly blog? it feels odd to me sometimes to be writing about myself & detailing everything i do, kind of self involved or egotistical or boring or something...these flowers were for nana's birthday yesterday & the card stand warren cut for me from silver birch branches we found when were in st arnaud.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-58302285986939051672010-08-18T01:17:00.000-07:002010-08-18T12:14:37.194-07:00

it was mum's 60th birthday yesterday & i made her these flowers with love from robin & her brother john. the colours look a little washed out in the photos unfortunately as i haven't yet mastered my camera, i'm looking forward to knowing how to saturate the colours much more than this. we are celebrating ma's birthday this weekend at st arnaud with all of us 4 children/adults & our respective

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-34083458773901974852010-08-18T00:54:00.000-07:002010-08-18T01:13:28.609-07:00

this is the blossom on the peach tree in our garden, we can see it out louis & celeste's bedroom window. the little lambykins are down the matai valley bouncing around, these stereotypical sure signs of spring are sure heartening to the soul.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-27892730995752378842010-08-13T01:36:00.000-07:002010-08-18T17:13:43.249-07:00

i was out for a run this evening in the torrential rain looking into people's lit up & comforting looking homes, it made me feel appreciative i had a warm welcoming home to go to also. at home i knew there was roasting pork in the oven, children bathing & getting into clean pyjamas, cabernet sauvignon waiting on the shelf, a pile of new books from the library as well as daphne on my bedside table

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-39929231390152355862010-08-09T21:21:00.002-07:002010-08-09T22:12:24.417-07:00

some flowers & afghans i made today for the lovely libby's birthday. the afghans are in a great baking book called 'ladies, a plate' traditional home baking, by alexa johnston. we have had a busy weekend of birthdays & it has only just begun really, it seems most of our family's birthdays fall in winter starting in july & running full tilt until the end of august. louis turned 6 today so we had

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-17425538100948350392010-08-05T19:23:00.000-07:002010-08-05T19:42:05.063-07:00

here are some flowers i made today for ruth to give to the woman who found her beloved dog sadie, sadie had been missing for a week so i'm sure it was a very happy reunion. i've had to use my business card on the bunch of flowers as i don't have a swing tag made up yet, maybe that could be the next thing for me to do as i think the business card looks too big & bulky. the other photos were taken

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-54402747966506266972010-07-28T00:43:00.001-07:002010-07-28T00:46:29.219-07:00

some tulips for mum's library & driving home tonight in the dark.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-17386955767476661672010-07-26T00:35:00.001-07:002010-07-26T02:04:48.111-07:00

i went down to wanaka on my own in the weekend & although it was sad to say goodbye to my family & of course i was happy to see them again, i really did savor every quiet moment, being able to do things at my own leisure was rather lovely.i found this old rusty tin on my long walk around lake wanaka, i've got a thing for rust, it draws me to it. the crab apple trees down there were bright red &

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-61829890455952563272010-07-26T00:27:00.001-07:002010-07-26T02:06:37.936-07:00

we got each other...(anyone remember that 80's tv show? the theme song has stuck to me all these years unfortunately.)

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-85792864345336762552010-07-18T00:56:00.001-07:002010-07-19T02:20:34.237-07:00

as i write this i am listening to my youngest most determined child resist the inevitable that is b.e.d time. wow her stamina belies belief. i am happy for her knowing it is an admirable quality but that doesn't seem to make it any easier now somehow...well i have just returned after having had to sit beside my mungbean until she has settled into sweet oblivion - it is hard to believe, looking at

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-47299234764536680742010-07-15T23:21:00.000-07:002010-07-16T01:06:35.395-07:00

yay i got to put some flowers together today, that was fun. it was exciting to discover the sweet peas at the wholesaler today - m-mmm the smell the smell. i just had to take another photo of the magnolia, it pleases me so. the tiny scallop shells we found at rabbit island yesterday when warren, louis & i biked down along the beach as far as we could go. it turned out to be a bit of an adventure

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-81228330484331037972010-07-14T00:21:00.000-07:002010-07-17T03:32:37.935-07:00

i haven't said a lot lately in blog world as in my main world we've been having school holidays, chicken pox, frosty mornings, working bees in the garden, sleepovers, playdates & also just generally winding down in preparation for winding up for the next school term. we have had some cold frosty mornings which in fact help to justify staying in pj's until at least 10am, the days following the

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-83945373116208681062010-07-08T02:36:00.000-07:002010-07-08T13:59:08.655-07:00

silhouettes have always given me pleasure & i think this probably came from the magical illustrations of jan pienkowski, whose books we were read as children. we have had some spectacular sunsets lately & that time of night as dusk approaches & the light fades is perfect for silhouette spotting, the sunset behind a black foreground object reminds me of jan pienkowski's gorgeous marbled backdrops.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-21380074948810082622010-07-02T23:28:00.000-07:002010-07-04T17:58:40.670-07:00

today i made an arrangement for mum's friend's 60th Bday luncheon tomorrow. it was fun to use my iron urn that my best customer called 'mum' bought me. louis & tom went fishing down at the port & when i went to collect them i had some playtime mucking around with my camera, i'm liking the way the sparkling sea turned into real looking stars in this photo.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-42076808302457850732010-06-30T22:43:00.000-07:002010-08-13T01:36:27.656-07:00

i'm reading 'the elegance of the hedgehog' by muriel barbery at the moment, here is just one quote from the book i related to & am still thinking about.'those who feel inspired, as i do, by the greatness of small things will pursue them to the very heart of the essential where, cloaked in everyday attire, this greatness will emerge from within a certain ordering of ordinary things and from the

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-44353525675729020032010-06-29T00:47:00.000-07:002010-06-29T02:10:27.816-07:00

o bliss is the scent of winter sweet. this massive keruru was feasting itself on the kowhai tree on our neighbour's property today. i was wondering what it was devouring so hungrily at this time of year, berries or new growth perhaps?

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-51700830226960684702010-06-27T17:04:00.001-07:002010-07-03T00:09:07.561-07:00

celeste, eliza & i stayed out at ruby bay again this weekend as tom & louis went to wellington to visit g & geoffery, tom's mum & her husband. we ate lots of yummy food & generally mooched around, although i did manage to put in a bit of effort at one point & went for a walk along pomona road, it is very picturesque with green valleys & vineyards dotting the landscape. on my way i managed to make

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-89015251192846254782010-06-24T19:20:00.000-07:002010-07-19T02:16:20.691-07:00

we had a going away party for the head teacher of te pouahi last night, she is a truly inspirational woman & much respected so she will be greatly missed. i made a few bits & bobs for the venue, in this arrangement the box is covered with bark that was laying around our woodpile & filled with harakeke & manuka. some of the girls made some flax flowers & we shoved them into pots of beech, taken

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-90462448770452100932010-06-18T00:55:00.001-07:002010-06-18T01:38:04.106-07:00

i have just discovered a spelling mistake on my business card which i have spent every spare moment(& of those there are very few!) designing this week, most unfortunate, infact unbelievable grrrrr. o well it's back to the printers for me asap. i made this vase today with my newly acquired glue gun & some wooden lacquer i found in the nelson intermediate rubbish pile, we were there to take eliza

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-77301834491504549892010-06-11T16:19:00.000-07:002010-06-13T20:59:09.547-07:00

celeste.this blog is not going to be about children but i do want to include them occasionally, as of course they are my life. i realised yesterday one of the problems with modern parenting is the lack of independence kids have, which conversely means they are too dependent on their caregiver. so after school yesterday i sent my 2 oldest children eliza & louis to the dairy without me for a dollar

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-41794978963978136442010-06-10T01:05:00.001-07:002010-06-10T01:50:12.389-07:00

until i found these roses. aarrrgh i'm just longing to get my business up & running...

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-56761680969780891542010-06-07T00:25:00.000-07:002010-06-10T01:52:03.558-07:00

a long heavily raining weekend here in new zealand. we went to st arnaud, which is an hours drive away from nelson - it is such an unspoilt place, the native bush reaches right down to the lake edge & the lake is surrounded by mountains. amazingly not many people seem to know about it or go there, possibly they are put off by the abundance of pesky sandflies in summer?

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-26041324570380953672010-05-31T22:12:00.000-07:002010-05-31T23:35:00.373-07:00

the first day of winter & it's all about food. winter lentil soup & nigella lawson's ginger marmalade bread & butter pudding for tea,(this photo is pre-cooking) then chocolate truffle fudge cake to accompany cups of tea, mmm. the winter lentil soup is just right for a cold winter night & is a annabel langbein recipe, i use her recipe book great food for busy lives a lot for our family.epilogue:

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-49597855589538188982010-05-30T01:03:00.000-07:002010-06-07T22:18:26.728-07:00

i found a flower growing on a branch, it looks a lot like japonica but i think it is too early for that. flowers are getting few and far between now. i would like to be making more bouquets....

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-39450821664745063722010-05-26T22:57:00.000-07:002010-06-07T00:58:32.967-07:00

my baby was poorly today so we spent the day indoors, it was cabin feverish for me but was needed for her. i made this caramel slice which is laden with butter & inadvisable if you are not wanting to fatten up for winter - it's got healthy oats in it if that's any consolation?

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-31288417156704203562010-05-26T00:06:00.000-07:002010-07-19T02:12:35.889-07:00

celeste and i are staying at my ma's place in ruby bay, while the rest of our fandam are in wellington. this granola/muesli is in my humble opinion the best i have ever had, it is an ottolenghi recipe & is made by my mumsy. i'm going to post the recipe as i think you should try it if you enjoy muesli in the morning. i will make it myself one day but imagine it will cost at least $50 for the

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-84962861075989831232010-05-25T01:05:00.000-07:002010-05-31T23:55:29.104-07:00

i am proud to say my children are in te pouahi, the bi-lingual unit at nelson central primary school. today they all set off for camp to wellington, this was a little bit different to the mainstream system in that all the children went, including the potiki, the littlest ones. so the 5 year old children - louis included, were sent on their way with some nervous but certain & sure parents behind

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-68827708986838161772010-05-22T22:58:00.000-07:002010-07-19T02:11:20.867-07:00

well it's beer o'clock so that's good news. a lazy day today, i always intend to go for a run in the weekend but somehow i never do, sad but true. we went for a walk along the river after spending the morning inside with movies, a baking fire & pj's on, some space & fresh air was necessary after a while. i made this bunch of foliage from eucalyptus i picked on our walk & some delicate looking

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-39725682359805869442010-05-20T00:30:00.001-07:002010-07-19T02:16:56.309-07:00

the very last of the roses i asked my grandmother to selvage from her garden, ethereal beauties. i made this hair piece out of ginko leaves from the trees on our street, i am getting a lot of pleasure watching them again as they turn their bright yellow colour & then drop from the tree. ooo the quinces, the shape of this fruit is so appealing to me, then the quince jelly, what a colour, divine.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-50542043276511723432010-05-16T20:51:00.000-07:002010-05-16T21:17:11.263-07:00

i went to my friend's home last night for some b'day celebrations, i took this autumnal platter filled with vegetables & decorated with leaves off our ornamental grape vine which looks so vibrant & RED at this time of year. my plate was a wedding present, made by kathryn smyth, she also made these caper juglets which i have long admired.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-19670138097126416062010-05-14T20:33:00.000-07:002010-05-17T00:30:05.688-07:00

we had a stormy night & the following day louis, celeste & i went mushroom gathering. it was very successful which was exciting for everyone, we made the mushies into hungarian mushroom soup from mollie katzen's moosewood cookbook, a family favourite. the kids gobbled that up, like i don't think they would have if they hadn't been involved in the whole process. yumbo

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-67958998124036204772010-05-11T23:15:00.000-07:002010-05-17T00:27:39.063-07:00

i am having a whole lot of fun with my new camera.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-71958913357190338562010-05-10T18:52:00.000-07:002010-05-17T00:37:22.626-07:00

look at this dandelion growing in the middle of our driveway, you have to admire it's tenacity. the daisy seed heads are growing by our driveway (in some dirt, the crazy things) i suppose someone else might have chopped them down by now but i like the way they look & that works as quite a good excuse for another job not done.

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-88834151264405138112010-05-09T18:48:00.000-07:002010-05-09T21:52:23.607-07:00

o-wee i had my first customer, admittedly it was my grandmother on behalf of my uncle but it was pretty exciting for me. nana loved it but i did pop out to see her today & couldn't help noticing she'd made a few adjustments, a tad insulting but i did think she could be a tricky one, as she is notoriously hard to please!

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-8248411152359118502010-05-08T01:03:00.000-07:002010-05-17T00:33:57.110-07:00

well the weekend, hoo-ray. we hunkered down tonight with the fire, red wine & beef bourguignon, followed by apple shortcake, mmm perfect combination for a comfort plus evening & an overly contented stomach. have you ever tried taking photos of fire? try it, every photo is so different from the last it's hard to stop. we own this book, illustrated by my absolute favourite children's book

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-52944869188103743622010-05-04T00:37:00.000-07:002010-05-17T00:33:57.112-07:00

i've been trying to make bouquets out of what i can find around here & up the matai valley, this bundle of foliage includes the very last of the strawberries from our patch. i love to collect & hold magnolia leaves at this time of year, that central yellow fade to a brown edge is so pretty. louis had a praying mantis as a pet for a while, we feed it insects we caught but it really was disturbing

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-14303504097530456932010-05-02T21:09:00.000-07:002010-05-02T21:13:31.186-07:00

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-41682806853005694902010-05-01T22:54:00.000-07:002010-05-17T00:33:57.114-07:00

1. wild fennel & roses trying hard to make themselves into an appealing bunch.2. i like the texture in this combination of corn rows, leeks & parsley in the foreground. we stopped at my favourite produce stall out in the country today & stocked up large, there are always many bargains to be had. what a pleasure it is to buy straight from the grower.3. hamish the stork, a legend in mapua. while we

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002164492076731277.post-24285055844885000312010-05-01T13:26:00.000-07:002010-07-08T15:01:37.797-07:00

...i'm new to this & it's making me nervous, how do i start? well...er...i made this bunch in my newly acquired iron urn, thank you mum.the cake is easy peasey to make, it's one of my fall back options, tom & i took it to a friend's graduation party the other night. i think the passionfruit looks a little like dead flies though, which is rather unappealing really. mmm anyway it is a yummy lemony

bridgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16542525964325654853noreply@blogger.com0