tiny happy

So many pictures of flowers in the sun! But when I got home from my summer holiday, that was pretty much all I had on my phone, because I had tried to capture ALL the flowers. The first photo is to show you a small midsummer display I collected on the solstice. Little shells (we used to call these witches' hats when I was a kid), pebbles from the beach, honeysuckle, alstroemeria and hydrangea petals. There's something so lush and bright about the top of the South Island in January. Everything was blooming and buzzing and beautiful.

I hope you have had a happy summer (or wintry) Christmas or New Year break if you were celebrating. I loved spending lots of time with family and friends. It was a treat and one that will keep me going now we're back at work in the city.

I was lucky enough to fit in some good reading time over the summer. Tom and I found ourselves housesitting for some friends in a beautiful wee spot in the country. Our only tasks were watering a garden and feeding an (admittedly big) flock of chickens. I finished a couple of books while there, including The Dutch House by Ann Patchett and Exit West by Mohsin Hamid – both were excellent reads.

Around Christmas, I read Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These, a small but perfectly formed novella about one of Ireland's Magdalene Laundries. I highly recommend all these books, and more – and feel so happy that my reading 'bug' has returned (it lay dormant for quite a long time in my adult life). In the spirit of spreading that enthusiasm, and because I always enjoy other people's recommendations, I've started sharing the books I've finished this year over in my Instagram stories (I did the same in 2021 and 22). Fingers crossed I will keep it up as the year gets busier!

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A small amount of making took place over the summer break. I was working on a Tegna top (a knitting pattern by Caitlin Hunter) and knitted most of it in the midsummer sunshine but have been finishing it here at home. Hopefully, I will show you the finished piece in my next post.

I also knitted a few more mushroom ornaments to give as gifts over the holiday, sewed up a dress and cooked some new recipes too, including this Vegan Wellington for Christmas day that I was so pleased with! Very simple to make (I used pre-made flaky pastry) and delicious too.

I have lots of projects planned for this year (beginning with a bit of a daunting one: a cabled sweater for Tom – if I start now it might be done in time for winter?) and a few clothes to wear to the office. I'd also love to sew my way through my current fabric scrap stash. I have two big storage boxes filled with small pieces of fabric and I am going to try and think of fun projects to make from them. Will document my progress here, of course.

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2 albums I've loved listening to lately: Troy Kingi's Ghost of Freddie Cesar (especially this song – my favourite!!) and Big Red Machine: How Long Do You Think it's Gonna Last?, especially this track. What have you been listening to, making and cooking? I'd love to hear from you in the comments if you have time to leave a message.

Sending you lots of love and see you again soon,

Melissa