tiny happy

I've been doing a bit of baking while working at the cafe, and one of the most popular things on the menu is lemon slice. Customers often order a wedge with their morning coffee and it's pretty easy and quick to make. I felt a bit shy about stealing the recipe from the cafe for my blog. But then I came across a very similar one online- Julie Biuso is a well-known NZ chef and has some recipes on her website, including sticky lemon slice. I made it this afternoon (we're having friends over for dinner) and I can confirm it's pretty good.

Have a great weekend!

After school today I drove out of town for Arlo's piano lesson. The wind was pushing the heavy clouds quickly across the sky, and they were gathering together in protest over the sea. I had to stop and take a photo.

I've committed to spending the next few weeks doing other work during the day, while the children are at school. Some friends of mine own a cafe, and needed someone to help for a while. So I think my blogging will be sporadic for about a month, until that has finished. I hope to still update my etsy shop once a week on Wednesdays, as I can, but probably with fewer items. I'm looking forward to doing some different work for a bit, but will no doubt miss my embroidery threads…

Hope you have a happy week.

I ordered some of my favourite cards- these recycled ones, made by my friend Caireen. They arrived from Scotland this week, and C had wrapped my parcel in these pages from the latest Gudrun Sjoden catalogue. I have a deep love for this Scandinavian designer, and often go and gaze longingly at the images on the website. Wishing my NZ dollars translated into just a few more kroner. The shop sells really beautiful clothing, ethically-made, and homewares, too. And proceeds of the profits go to different environmental campaigns. The colours, the shoes and the styling .. everything. I think you'll like it too, if you have a look.

Have a great weekend- I have a busy one coming up with cafe work and a cake stall to run. Deep breath.

Inspired by the amazing pieces of vintage lace that I'm lucky enough to be sent by kind readers (thank you, lace suppliers!) I worked on a new design this week: a treasure purse. I used gathered linen of different colours, and pieces of vintage lace to make a few for my shop update today. I like the way they are both sturdy (linen is such a great fibre, isn't it?) yet delicate and rather lady-like. I thought they might be good for keeping treasures in, such as old buttons or love letters.

A friend of mine moves into a new house this week. She likes drinking coffee so I decorated two vintage ceramic coffee cups to give as a housewarming gift. Inspired by lace too, of course.

I saw this for the first time last night- it's amazing! Sand art by Kseniya Simonova of Ukraine.

Keira will turn five over the weekend, and to celebrate we're having a family dinner at the Indian Cafe to eat dahl, her 'favouritest' meal. But then on Sunday she'll have a small tea-party in the park with some of her friends from kindergarten. Today I prepared a few things for this: the all-important bunting (i made the flags petal-shaped and cut them from vintage cotton sheets.) And the teapot and cup cards were painted by me for the invitations.

Another thing is, I discovered an amazing new recipe for making chocolate chip cookies. I first saw it featured here (at 'inside a black apple') then later, here (at 'smitten kitchen.') The recipe is this one. I promise, you won't be disappointed, unless of course you do something like absent-mindedly switch the sugar for salt. I've done that before, and it wasn't good.

Also, my blog now has its own facebook page! Pretty modern, don't you think? You can 'become a fan' here, if you like. Have a great weekend, friends.

I love green. In all its forms: pure, fresh lime-green and dark, lush leaf-green, like the grapevines spreading across our back wall. I've made some green things for my shop update this week: a sashiko-quilted purse made from a very old piece of Japanese kimono fabric: light green with black running stitches and a wool layer inside. And a green satchel made entirely from recycled textiles: wool, cotton and a leather strap. The bag is quite simple, forest-inspired, and can be closed with brown cotton tape.

Unrelated–

– I agreed to show what I carry around each day at the design blog post grad haircut today. 

– I was sent this link by a reader- it's a beautiful stop-motion music video called the Fish and the Doll, by Orla Wren. I think you'll like it.

I was listening to a science podcast from our national radio station last week, in which local organic winemakers talked about biodiversity in their vineyards. In particular it was about how they use flowering plants around their crops to encourage 'good' insects, and keep away others that are not beneficial. NZ native plants are often used, but one winemaker mentioned the common plant alyssum for its hardiness and quick-flowering properties.

Although it is native to the Mediterranean, alyssum was always growing in borders around my Mum's garden when I was small, and still does. There's a nice little crop of alyssum growing in my garden too, amongst some succulents. I like how it's extremely delicate and fine, but tough.