Nature

I've been very busy these last few weeks with custom orders.  I love custom orders - making that special something for someone and having it come out just as they want.  However, it doesn't leave a lot of time for much else, especially when you work, exercise and have a family as well!

However I took a little time out today to play a little with my camera.  Something I've been wanting to do for a long time - well since we bought it really.  Earlier this year after a pretty frustrating experience trying to take photos of our friends kids with our old camera I pursuaded Mark that what I really needed was a digital SLR.  We spent weeks looking (the one condition of getting it was that I had to throughly research it, not impulse buy as is my usual style - I want it, I must have it NOW) and after much research, reading reviews and trying them out we ended up with an Olympus E520.  All in all I'm pretty rapt with it, the only thing I don't like is that it seems to take dark shots at times - however I'm pretty convinced that's got more to do with the photographer than the camera!!  Next year I am determined to find some time to really read the manual properly, practice more with it and possibly attend a nightclass on photography.

As I sit here and type I can hear the reason why this post is to do with Nature and my Camera.  We have two Tuis that have adopted our neighbourhood.  This is pretty unusual considering we live in the 'burbs, have a cat and the two dogs (and lets not forget the pretty wild kids!!)  Their song is just so beautiful, I could sit in the garden and listen to it all day.  For the last few days we've noticed them feeding from our flax flowers and I've been trying to snap a shot.  This morning after having set my alarm wrong (grrrrr) and being woken at 7am I got up to see one from the window sitting there.  I snuck out and got a couple of shots.  They're not very clear - it was terrible lighting and I didn't want to get too close in case I scared it away - and it does not do their beauty justice at all, their colours are so vibrant and pretty 

Here are some more shots I took while out again this afternoon having seen them fly through our trees.  I didn't manage to get any more shots of the Tui's but this is our backyard:

a Bee in my lavender

Apples on our apple tree (yum!)

 One of the 4 plums we have growing on our new plum tree

   

The brocolli I planted mid winter all has nice sized firm heads on them

               

All the buds on our Manderin tree mean lots of Manderins!!!

    

              

Just a couple of the gorgeous Paua shells I have through the garden

 

Believe it or not Mark only mowed the lawn 5 days ago and look at all the Dasies already!!

I have to apologise for the haphazerd photos - one thing about blogger is that the photos appear normal on my screen as I'm doing the post but when I publish the post so everyone else sees it they change - grrrr, it takes ages to correct and I don't have time currently sorry :-)

Thula Thula

I've been lucky enough, in my ventures into internet selling, to meet some pretty supportive, creative and wonderfully all round lovely people.

Naomi is one of these and I love her stuff so much I must blog about it and share her creations with you all!

It's nice when you meet someone who reminds you of yourself.  I was taught to knit by my Great-Grandmother and sewing was a passion of my Nana and she was taught her skills by her Grandmother's also.  I laughed when she told me she started out with fashions for her Barbies - me too!!  However, what I haven't done, which she has, is trained as a designer, making her own patterns and sewing for herself.  I really admire that she's following her dream and turning her love for her children combined with her love for designing and sewing into a business.

Her brand name is Thula Thula (pro-nounced t'ula).  I asked her where the name came from and she said that it's a Zulu word meaning 'Hush' (she's married to a South African so there's also that connection as well) and to her it  reflects the innocence of children and their adventurous spirit within.  Her clothes are simple classic cuts for girls and boys, using her love of silhouettes from the 30's/40's.  They're also road tested by her own children so you can be assured of practicality and quality.

Worth a special mention is Naomi's new range, just in it's begining stages, of prem clothes.  There's always a gap in the market for these I feel so it's really nice to see someone taking the time to think of the preemies (and that reminds me, I must hurry up with my preemie items I have in mind!)

Well enough of sounding like an info-mercial (and I have to add here - I'm not one of those bloggers who puts things on because I'm paid to do it (no offence intended to those blogs) but if I've written it up here it's truly because I love the product!!)   Go and check her out:

Thula Thula

Thula Thula ETSY

The Verdict is in .....

Harper is not pregnant :-(

I've had a few requests for info so thought I'd better fill you all in as soon as I knew.  Looks like we may have to go down the AI road.  I dunno but for a dog, it just doesn't seem right LOL!!  However I'll leave you with a couple of photos just to show you how cute she is and convince myself that her puppies will be even cuter!!

Death

These last two weeks my family has been hit by death.  A tragic, unexpected, heart-breaking death.  One of my parent's closest friends, a beautiful lady whom I have known for over 30 years,  passed over and we said our goodbyes to her on Sunday and Monday.  I have been hit by her death harder than any other I've ever experienced.  Maybe because other close deaths I've known have been grandparents who, while still very sad, are not unexpected.  I find myself waking, like I have an internal alarm clock, every night for the past 2 weeks at 3.18am in the morning - I wake, I roll over, look at the clock and it's always the same time.  Then I toss and turn for a couple of hours and over and over in my head is my Mum telling me and my feeling of disbelief - that first inital thought of 'no, she didn't just say that, I must have misheard'. 

On top of that we found out a couple of months ago that a very much loved family member is terminal and I also find myself thinking often of him.  Bracing myself for the inevitable, hoping that it's later rather than sooner, trying to think of what to say when we see him.  It's very hard.

I'm very tired and I'm sure my eyes look like I have an extreme case of hayfever they're so puffy.  In fact when I went back to work yesterday even my male co-workers were asking if I was OK so I figured I really must look as bad as I felt!!

I'm not ashamed to admit I'm very, very scared of death.  The fragility that is life, something that can be taken in a second, a bad decision, a wrong turn.  The visit to the Dr for a cold that won't clear to walk out knowing you don't have long left.  And not just my own, but my husband, children, parents and friends.  The people who are nearest and dearest to me.

About now re-reading my post sounds like I'm having a little pity party here on the computer all for myself but I'm not.  I just wanted to impart to those of you reading to celebrate your life and those of your loved ones.  Work and money is not everything.  Take the time to relax and enjoy your life and hug someone and tell them you love them everyday.  Live for the moment because you really don't know what is around the corner.

Ravelry

If you're a knitter out there then I'm sure you know what Ravelry is.  If not then you need to go to http://www.ravelry.com/ and join.  If you're not a knitter - don't bother - it won't interest you (and I mean that in the nicest possible way - it's a total knitting community!).

I however, love Ravelry.  I've found projects and patterns to do and seen yarn to drool over.  I've joined many groups and made lots of friends, both here in Lower Hutt and overseas.  One such group was the button and stitch marker swap group.  The idea behind it was that we were given one person to send a small parcel to which included 6 buttons and 6 stitch markers.  I sent off my parcel to my swap buddy and patiently waited for mine to arrived.

In record time it turned up and WOW!!!  Was I spoilt - I shall never want for a stitch marker again, she made me 6 sets of six, all different sizes from sock to bulky.  Here are some photos so you can see just how spoilt I was:

All in green - my absolute favorite colour (I rather suspect I was stalked LOL!).  Thank you very much Joan, I love them all and you totally made my week!

That neglected feeling .....

Well blog, sorry to say you've been a bit neglected this last week and a bit. Life is busy, busy, busy!!

It's school holidays over here in New Zealand and they go so quickly. We've had a very peaceful week though as Brittany went to Taupo with friends so there's been none of that brotherly-sisterly love (otherwise known as fighting!!) happening. To top it off we managed to farm off Gareth for the weekend to Nana and Grandad's - BLISS!!

Not that I don't adore my children but it's nice to have some time out every now and then. Now I'm sitting in my lovely clean, tidy house, dogs at my feet and waiting for Mark to come downstairs so we can go and treat ourselves to coffee down the mall and a bit of shopping time. What's even nicer is that when we come home it will still be clean and tidy.
I have managed to get a few things done - couple of hats, pair of socks and a secret product that I'm working on and can't wait to finish. Hopefully it'll be done by tomorrow and I can show you all.

Well Mark's here so this is a short post, just so you don't feel unloved xxxx

Lame Pig Costume coming up

Well there it is, as promised, the lame pig costume I whipped up for Britt with a day's notice. I'm actually still amazed she chose to be a pig - Wilbur actually if you're wondering what pig - I mean seriously with all those amazing characters why a pig?? She could have been Fern, Nancy Drew, Hermione.... and many others but no, a pig *sigh*