How I miss Africa...

Photo courtesy of Facebook - ha ha! I love how at peace Robs looks, and in her own little world.

I got to talk to my friend Robs this weekend, which was fantastic as we haven't chatted in a while. She's working in Botswana at the moment, and gets to see and do some incredible things! This is a photo of her (which I stole off facebook - sorry :)... It made me miss her so much. And looking through all her photos made me miss home so so much!

Don't get me wrong, I love New Zealand, but it'll never be able to compare to Africa. I miss the thunderstorms most of all. It would be a really hot day, and at about 4 o'clock the clouds would suddenly gather and we used to get the most amazing storms. They had a certain energy about them, and when the rain came it was like your very soul was being cleansed.

So beautiful! This was from Dom Cram off flickr

And one last one just because I love it! This was taken by Robs' boss Louis I think...

On the bright side, I'm going back in June next year and will hopefully be able to squeeze in a trip to Botswana to see my friend. And hopefully a thunderstorm or two... Hope you enjoyed the photos and it gives you a little inkling of how lucky we are in Southern Africa.

Spot you soon
xoxo

Happy Sunday!

From John&Fish

Today I'm hitting the books hard, so not much from me I'm afraid. I did have to share this super cute little birdie with you though... Don't you just love his little (big) tummy?!

Spot you soon
xoxo

A tribute to Mum's garden...

It’s spring here again, and what a beautiful time of year. Spring has always been my favourite season, with all the flowers reawakening and the hint of summer in the air. Daylight savings has kicked in and with that brings a sense of excitement and seeming indulgence. Just getting that extra hour of afternoon light makes all the difference to my day.

As much as I wish I could say these are photos from my own garden, alas, they aren’t… YET! But as soon as I pay the deposit on my first house (aiming for a year’s time), rest assured, I will definitely be enlisting mum’s help! Mum and Dad have been very busy in the garden, and it’s starting to pay off. So I thought I’d give you all a tour of my favourite spots…

The little stone birdfeeder I bought Mum from French Country Collection - isn't it cute?

Our crabapple tree - trust me, this baby looks way prettier in person!

What's not to love about a cup of tea in the garden on a sunny afternoon? This is my favourite Maxwell & Williams mug! I like to collect them...

I love our little 'daisy rockery' by the postbox. I have a bit of a thing for clean green and white.

And to top it all off, these two ducks came up from the pond to visit! We fed them a bit of bread in the driveway, and named them Jeff & Cait after my sister and her boyfriend. Ha ha. The male was much cockier than the female and even ate out of my hand.

Happy Spring!

Spot you soon

xoxox

Homemade Christmas Cards

Well, it's nearing that time again... There are only 2 months left until Christmas, and I haven't even started making my cards yet. Not so shocking except for the fact that the majority of my cards now need to be posted back to South Africa, so I have to allow for extra time. Either way, I have been furiously gathering ideas. Here are some of my favourites...

Corky wreath card from Misiu

Fantastic CD card from Pebbles and Poppys - GREAT for a Christmas CD swap

Cute little snowman card by Pixel Adventures

Felt characters from AnK - they're actually hairclips but would be super cute for cards!

Thumbprint reindeer cards from Family Fun

I'll post up pics of the ones I actually end up making soon! Back to the books now... Any ideas of what your Christmas cards might look like?

Spot you soon
xoxox

Heaven...

I’m feeling a bit nostalgic at the moment, so I decided to make a little treat for dessert. Back when I was living in Pietermaritzburg (in South Africa) my best friend Jade and I liked nothing better on a hot summers day than to pop down to Rosehurst for some rose iced tea and Eton mess. Wow, what a treat! First, you need to see Rosehurst to understand the attraction...

One of the rooms in the house than was converted into a shop

The cafe part of the shop



The verandah leading onto the back garden



The view of the house from the country gardens

Rosehurst is honestly the most delightful little tea garden and 'things' shop. They sell the most beautiful handmade things, from jewellery, to baked good, to fabric and vintage teacups. It's amazing! And the food is to die for! Just to give you an idea, here's a sneak peek at their menu... All the photos of Rosehurst are courtesy of Ninene at Lily and Rose 1126.

Now imagine it's a hot summers day and the flowers are all blooming and you can smell the cut grass. Add a bowl of Eton mess and a cool, fragrant rose iced tea. See the appeal? Gosh I miss it : (

Photos courtesy of Room for Dessert and Jamie Oliver

Well friends, I must be off. Got some yummy dessert waiting for me... and some textbooks staring! Spot you soon

xoxoxo

Life in the South

Once I've got a bee in my bonnet the only way to get rid of it is to explore the topic until my heart's content. Most of the time it takes an afternoon, but on the rare occasion this little bee stays with me for quite a while. For example, my latest little love affair is with anything Southern. Southern Weddings (my favourite blog), Southern traditions, Southern cooking! I've got my eye on two or three amazing cookbooks but I'll let you know how that progresses. I'm very keen to start trying out recipes... And so I'm writing this while waiting for my peach pie to finish in the oven. Smells pretty good!

Last night my mom and I went to watch The Help with my aunt. What an amazing movie! Possibly the best I've watched in a while. But here's a hint - take a tissue! I cried (properly) twice! Anyway, hats off to Sharen Davis for such fab work on their costumes, and also for reminding me how gorgeous the clothes were in the 50s and early 60s. I really do wish I lived in those days.

All photos courtesy of Imdb.com

However, I have bought two dress patterns, and I'm going to sew some dresses. My cousin and I have decided to start sewing lessons so I thought I'd get the ball rolling. Will let you know how those work out, so watch this space! Ha ha.

Vogue Patterns V2902 and V2961

Better be off now, but spot you soon! Hopefully with photos of a fabulous dress that I sewed myself (one can dream).. hee hee.

xoxoxo

I Heart Stationery (and weddings)

So I'm a little bit of a stationery whore... I literally can't get enough of it! Can you imagine my excitement when I discovered Rifle Paper Co and found these...

I think I'm in love <3 Anna's artwork is truly amazing! Even though I'm in NZ (and not even engaged - ha ha ha) I would seriously get my wedding stationery from them. Sigh... One day ; )

In the meantime, I've been bitten (I use that term loosely, its more like clobbered or possessed) by the wedding bug. I'll admit, I've always loved weddings and the fun that comes with them, but lately I think it would be fair to say they're pretty much all I think about. In my defence, my cousin is getting married in April, so there's a lot of inpiration searching going on here. More on her wedding tomorrow.

In the meantime, check out my wedding inspired pinboards on Pinterest. I'm having so much fun putting them together. For a vintage wedding look here and for my one day dream country wedding look here.

From Victor Sizemore off the Austin Wedding Blog

Got to run, I'm off to the movies now.
Spot you tomorrow
xoxox

I Love Sundays!

Mmmmm… Sunday mornings. I think Sundays are my favourite day of the week, and what a beautiful day it is today! I’m currently sitting in my bed indulging in my latest guilty pleasure… Marmalade on 12 grain toast and a nice cup of Earl Grey tea. Frankly, I’m not sure why I regard that as a guilty pleasure, as it’s pretty damn healthy if you ask me. But there you have it, that’s just how my brain works.

Actually, come to think of it, I’ve had a pretty indulgent weekend. My mom and I have both had rather awful weeks at work and decided to go shopping yesterday. Well… I think I blew most of my week’s pay at Forever New – oops! I’m supposed to be saving for a deposit on a house. However, when you see what I bought, I’m sure you’ll agree that one week’s worth of savings might not necessarily kill my dream ; )

I’ve been looking for pretty, light coloured (read cream or white) high heels for years now, and have never quite found ‘the pair’. You know, the ones that can look oh so girly, while still looking relaxed and sophisticated all at once? Surprisingly hard to find in a white or cream colour! And yet, I walked in and they were practically calling my name… Sigh.

Okay, I could spin you this story about how I needed a new handbag because the neighbour’s dog ran over mine and blah blah blah, but let’s just be honest, it’s pretty amazing isn’t it?

And last but not least, my purse, which my mom has hidden from me until Christmas!! Gorgeous aren't they? Well, I must be off. Have a spot of studying to do for my final exams in November so I can GRADUATE! Woohoo!

Hope you're having a fab weekend y'all and spot you soon

xoxox

Hello...

Welcome to my brand new blog! I've always wanted to start one and never quite got around to it, so here goes... I love cupcakes and teacups and pearls and anything Southern . Even though I live in New Zealand, I have a theory that I'm a Southerner at heart trapped in a South African body. Quite a mix, aren't I? I've only just moved here a year ago, so am still exploring my new country.

Either way, I was born with an innate love of anything creative. Be it crafty endeavours or baking and gardening, redecorating and gutting a house, I love anything you can do with your hands! If you're interested in any of these things or have anything you'd like to share, please drop me a line. I'd love to be friends...

xoxox