LUCKY

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Greetings, Elise,

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It’s been a cold, rainy, blustery dramatic March! We’ve been enjoying our flowers — mostly from indoors. And, of course, we enjoyed the taste of New Zealand we got by watching the live sheep shearing that you attended with your family. The wonders of the Internet!

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Cheers across the poles, Suz

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Kia ora Suz!

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While soaking up the summer delights in my younger sister garden I spied this quirky and rather cheeky quote – which I thought you might enjoy.  ~‘Make a little garden in your pocket.  Plant your cuffs with radishes and rocket.  Let a passionfruit crawl up your thigh.  Grow some oregano in your fly.  Make a steamy compost of your fears.  Trickle irrigate your life with tears.  Let your troubled mind become a trellis.  Turn your heart into a summer palace’~.

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Ka kite ano Elise

GOOD THINGS SMALL PACKAGES

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Greetings, Elise!

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The first flowers are just showing on our deck. We’ve been enjoying them, and the bluejays that come around for their winter feedings. Both provide a bright show! I hope you’re enjoying your weather and seasons and the small pleasures of observation.

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Cheers! Suz

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Kia ora Suz!

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I just adore this vibrant mural at Waitati School – my old primary haunt.  It captures the unique environment my sisters and I experienced growing up.   During the summer holidays my younger sister and I watched our energetic broods explore our childhood playground: walk the famous white WAITATI stones, perform daring acrobatics on the monkey bars, whizz down the flying fox and explore the enviro-garden!  Our education went beyond the playground to Blueskin Bay and Orokonui Reserve where other life skills were nurtured.  For a moment ‘TIME’ stood still…

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Kia kite ano Elise

DRAGON

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Greetings, Elise!

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Because I associate both red and fire with the fiery year of the dragon, I’m sharing this picture of a fire-engine red station in New York. I hope your year is beginning brightly and fortuitously.

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Warmly, Suz

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Kia ora Suz!

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During the festive season we walked the country roads of my childhood – exploring the colourful alternative life of  Waitati.  On Christmas day we stumbled upon this cheerful bunting by the riverside awaiting expected quests… it looked very inviting!

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Wishing you a vibrant and magical year…

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p.s.  My dragon sits happily with his fiery comrades above the doors of the Dunedin Central Fire Station!

FESTIVE

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Greetings, Elise!

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We stumbled upon this house by accident one year, because the outside was so thoroughly decorated. Little did we know that the inside was too. The Rombeiro family has been allowing people inside their completely and creatively decorated home for 20 years now and we try to go every year. Every room is extremely and lovingly decorated — this is an entire bedroom! They brought their tradition here from the Azore Islands. What a joy! I hope your season is appropriately festive.

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Cheers! Suz

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Meri Kirihimete ki a me te whanau ~ Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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A Christmas celebration ‘Downunder’ brings together the traditional and the Kiwi.  Christmas trees and flashing lights, church services accompanied by carols, Father Christmas wearing shorts and oddly shaped gifts – usually something for the beach! When the native pohutukawa tree lights up with crimson blooms – Kiwi’s know that summer is peeping around the corner and the festive season is only a leap away.  This iconic tree features on greeting cards, poems and songs- at this time many schools sing about our ‘Christmas tree of Aotearoa’ filling their hearts with aroha ~ love.  Happy days in our beautiful waters and the aroma of BBQ’s beckon! May your festive season be filled with an abundance of aroha!

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Nga mihi nui ~ With best wishes Elise

MY CHAIR

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Greetings, Elise!

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I thought I’d share one more view of what has been the most colorful and exuberant fall in memory. Perhaps it’s because we’ve had an abundance of blue skies, and those bright changing leaves just pop against them. It’s been a season of turning corners and being surprised anew at the glory of nature. We’re collecting acorns to make felt dolls as we prepare to hunker down in winter– not too much, just ever so slightly and cozily.

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Take care, Suz

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Kia ora Suz!

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Our front verandah has an array of comfy seats; classic rocking chairs, an elegant Cape Cod and a lounging swing seat.  Depending how you are feeling and what takes your fancy,  it’s an inviting sun trap no matter what the season! The view is forever changing with garden delights – fragrant lilies and old-fashioned roses, the lily pond with entertaining fish races accompanied by the soothing ‘plinging’ of the fountain.   Then there is the tree climbing antics in the white fairytale blossoms and fiery autumnal shades.   One also keeps look out for the postie, sometimes an unexpected handwritten envelope with exotic stamps flies in! Hope you find a ‘feet up’ moment and enjoy the view…

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Ka kite ano Elise

COLOURFUL

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Greetings, Elise!

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This extremely cheery array of fall pumpkins and gourds greeted me recently at my local market. I just love all the sights, colors and smells of fall. It’s been a been an especially beautiful and colorful season. I hope yours is as well.

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Take care! Suz

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Kia ora Suz!

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SHOW TIME!  Another year of  my gal practising dance steps,  learning new moves and the sound of tap shoes clippitty clapping down the hall…  this is when you endure and it improves with time!   The glitz and glamour of performing on stage keeps the enthusiasm high…  Dazzling sequins, glittery blue eye shadow and flamboyant costumes captures another world.   I quite enjoy being a backstage Mum and sharing a special time with my daughter.   ‘Around the world’ we went whirling through exotic lands and wearing many hats.  I hope you capture a glittery moment with your special gal this week.

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Ka kite ano Elise

CRAFT

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Greetings, Elise!

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One of my family’s favorite places to amble around is a large monthly flea market that offers everything from quilts and milk bottles to old LPs and doll parts and everything in between. It’s great fun to spend a long day there poking around and thinking about all the places you’d put your fun new items or all the new things you’d make. Luckily, one can always snap a photo to preserve a memory, such as the one of this box of colorful plastic thimbles! I hope this week brings you plenty of creativity and joy.

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Warmly, Suz

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Kia ora Suz!

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I was bitten by the craft bug at an early age!  Sewing, knitting, felting, embroidery, flax weaving, dyeing, pottery  – you name it I gave it a go!  At ten I even mastered the treadle sewing machine and spun wool from our sheep.  Luckily my Mum is artistically inclined and encouraged my creative dappling. I gravitate to vibrant colours and enjoy creating unique pieces of jewellery.  My liquorice allsorts necklaces have become very popular, which I now sell.  ‘The Owl and Pussycat’ brooch is made from my favourite old jerseys which I couldn’t  bear to throw out and enhanced with bits and bobs.  Hope you find a moment to get crafty this week!

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Ka kite ano Elise

YUM

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Greetings, Elise!

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I find it difficult to avoid the bakery window, camera or no. These lovely and tempting treats were displayed in a pretty window in Amsterdam, the requisite bike parked just outside. I hope this week brings you delightful and appealing treats as well.

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Cheers! Suz

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Tena koe, Suz!

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Homegrown raspberries and juicy plums… Mmmm!  This is only a portion of last seasons crop, amazingly some did made it into jars.  Red and black currant jelly, plum sauce and raspberry jam – do I hear smacking lips?  Gazing at the delicate array of spring fruit blossom my taste buds anticipate delicious treats ahead.    I couldn’t resist those tempting rows of sweet/lolly jars at the quaint Dunback store in Otago which also displays nostalgic advertisements from yester year.  I hope you share a yummy moment this week.

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Ka kite ano Elise

 

BLUE MOOD

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Greetings, Elise!

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I’ve been rising early on these Fall mornings, and baking simple things and completing mending chores to surprise my family. I love sitting in the quiet house, watching the sun come up and the day begin, and knowing there are so many delicious hours ahead.  I hope this finds you in similarly peaceful and creative spirits. Have a terrific week! Warmly,

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Suz

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Kia ora Suz!

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An arty shot  of me wearing  treasured earrings bought  many tides ago.  Paua is the Maori name given to large edible sea snails also known as abalone.  The oval grey shell hides the inner layer of iridescent swirls – intense green, blue, purple and sometimes pink hues.   It can only be gathered by free diving and has a size/quantity restriction.  The dark meat is a delicacy and makes divine fritters.  To the  Maori it’s regarded as taonga/treasure, esteemed both as kaimoana/seafood and  a valued resource for arts and crafts. Paua are frequently used to represent the eyes in Maori carvings and associated with the wheta/stars, the symbolic eyes of ancestors that gaze down from the night sky.   Always searching for a paua pearl !  May you find a treasure this week.

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Kia kite ano Elise

FRAME

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Greetings, Elise!

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I do love “framed” photos. This was taken in Venice, where my family traveled earlier this year. A chance sighting, a momentary glimpse into another life, during a walk along an ancient passageway. The photo of apples was taken on a farm, where my daughter went on a school field trip. We’ve had a glorious fall here, to match what sounds like a delightful spring across the poles.

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Take care, Suz

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Kia ora Suz!

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I adore this time of the year and fondly remember the days of being in full bloom, sitting on the verandah – waiting in anticipation. The white icing sugar blossom trees herald the arrival of our three children! The fairytale spendour is fleeting but the imaginative tree climbing  games are all year round – swinging through the green jungle, sailing a fiery flagged ship or adventures in the faraway tree.  May you find a frameable moment this week!

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Kite kite ano Elise