Just a Minute - April

Time for another 'Just a Minute'

Reading...
'Gentlemen and Player's by Joanne Harris. My sister lent me this at Christmas, so I thought it was about time I gave it a go. I must say I'm not overly impressed yet, but only a few chapters in, so will persevere. 

  Watching...
The year slip away...how can it be almost May?!

Loving... 

The Easter holidays. Having 2 of my children at home and friends visiting  from Australia. 

 My eldest daughter took this photo of one of the Easter ornaments our friends brought us over from Australia, isn't it cute?!

 Craving...
A big bowl of Birds Custard. Nothing like it. YUM!  :)

Learning... Some new tricks in Photoshop CS5 thanks to a friend who has bought it and kindly lets me play with her on her computer.  Sigh.. One day I will upgrade my faithful CS3....I can dream!

 Planning... to keep all my accounts neat and tidy this year! Hmmm, wish me luck!
I have monthly folders for receipts etc, and have drawn up a book to keep all the individual totals in under headings. (Power/phone/petrol etc)
 I attempted this last year, but it didn't exactly happen quite as I meant it to...rummaging through a years worth of receipts, credit-card bills, statements and other paperwork to gather figures was not only time consuming, but about as enjoyable as pulling my toenails out.

If you’d like to do 'just a minute' on your own blog, or already do,  please leave the link in the comments I'd love to see! :)

Road Trip!

For months I'd been meaning to make a trip to Hawkes Bay to visit relatives, so when I was invited to supply the Photographers' Gallery Hawkes Bay with some prints and cards for their shop, I decided I had a good excuse for a road trip!
So it was that on Friday morning I set off, with Stanley (aka top of the range in car stereo system) in the passenger seat.

...and my fancy pants GPS all ready... (see now why I don't have a car radio? Where else would I tuck my printouts?!) 

First stop was for lunch, at a lovely little picnic spot, somewhere between Hamilton and Tirau.

Then onwards, stopping a couple more times along the way. Just outside of Hastings, was the only time I got a bit lost, so Stanley tried to help out. 

I made it to my relatives just in time to be taken out for dinner! Fish and Chips in a place called "Breakers." Yum!

On the Saturday I went to visit the gallery, left my work there and had look around. It really is a lovely place. The cafe has a lovely atmosphere too, and the coffee is well worth popping in for. Best flat white I've had in ages! There were some rather scrummy looking cakes too, but I managed to resist those, not sure how though! 

My cousin showed me around the town, and we had a good look in some of the antique shops, galleries and other crafty shops as well as a stroll along by the sea.

If you aren't familiar with Napier, the town is famous for its Art Deco architecture, which is regarded as being one of the finest collections of Art Deco in the world. Following a devestating earthquake in February 1931 much of the city was destroyed, and as the architectural fashion of the time was Art Deco central Napier is almost entirely built in this style. If you would like to know more read HERE

This bronze sculpture in the town is beautiful. Named "A Wave in Time" it was made by Mark Whyte and is modeled on 'Miss Sheila Williams', the daughter of an architect of the era. She led the "New Napier Week Carnival" in 1933 to celebrate the towns recovery from the earthquake.  

I stayed Saturday night in  Archies Bunker Backpackers, a great little place tucked around a quiet corner. It was very clean and comfortable and at $35 for the night amazing value! 

On Sunday morning I was out early and headed up a path I had spotted, hoping that I would get a good view from the top. Sadly it was so foggy all I got to see were the trees, and the houses at the top, but it was a nice bit of Sunday morning exercise!

  Also on the Sunday I was lucky enough to be able to go along to the "Made it Here" meeting with some wonderful Hawkes Bay members of New Zealand Handmade. After coffee we headed out to wander around some of the lovely galleries and crafty shops in the area. It was so nice to meet some of the people that I 'know' online in real life, to share ideas and discuss our work together.

We found these adorable kiwis outside one of the shops.

When we said our goodbyes, I set off for the drive home.  One last look at Napier beach,

a quick side trip to the Huka Falls View point 

and a brief stop in Tokoroa

Then my next stop was Tirau, where I arrived  ten minutes after the public toilets closed...! I took my mind off the 2 coffees and 500ml bottle of water I had consumed since breakfast by taking some photos around the town 

before heading onwards, to the services at Pokeno. :)

I arrived home at 9.30pm, and slept like a log! 

Just a Minute - March

Reading... Still ploughing my way through a novel I picked up for £1 in Brighton for the plane home, yeah, it's not that thrilling!

 

 Watching... The trees bending in the howling wind outside, birds being blown sideways as they frantically try to fly in a straight line, and the clouds speeding across the sky. 

 Loving... My weekend away in Napier! I caught up with my cousin and family, visited the Hawkes Bay Photographers Gallery to deliver my cards and prints, and met some of the lovely New Zealand Handmade ladies for coffee and a look around some local arty/crafty shops and galleries. 

Photographers Gallery is a beautiful space, and the coffee was wonderful!

Love how we are all standing under the 'Antiques' sign! ;)

 Craving... time to create, and sleep! After the 8 hour journey home yesterday, I'm torn between trying to catch up with things around the house, wanting to get on with some new ideas, and the overwhelming desire to give up and have a nap! 

 

 Planning... Things to do and places to go with our Easter holidays visitors from Australia.

More greeting card ideas, and new prints. So far just sketches in my notebook but hoping to get on with them soon.

If you’d like to do 'just a minute' on your own blog, or already do,  please leave the link in the comments I'd love to see! :)

Giveaway Winner!

OK it's time to announce the winner of my giveaway! 
First let me tell you how I allocated numbers.
For a comment here you got 1 number, for saying which of my items you like best you got a second number.
For re-posting/blogging/FB linking etc you got one more number
Starting with Miss Delerious who had numbers 1 2 and 3 I continued allocating numbers to everyone ending with Greta at Topography who had numbers 23 and 24. 
Random.Org chose number 13.... 

Which worked out to be AMANDA DICK who had numbers 12, 13 and 14. 
CONGRATULATIONS Amanda, and THANK YOU so much to everyone who entered for your support, I wish you could all have won! 

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

It's GIVEAWAY TIME!  My Facebook page has reached 400 likers, thank you so much to each and every one of you!
It makes me all warm and fuzzy the level of support, encouragement and love shared through Facebook page interactions, I really do appreciate each and every like, comment and view. :)

SO what am I going to do to prove it? Give one lucky liker a set of my brand spanking new (so new in fact they are still at the printers, and the envelopes don't arrive till today!) Greeting Cards, that's what!
Thats 6 different designs perfect for any occasion. Each comes with a matching envelope.  Of course that means you will have no excuses when you forget that special persons birthday/anniversary etc! ;)
Here they are ;

You can see them individually, and read the info behind each one in my Facebook album

SO what do you have to do? Well you have to be 'in it to win it' as they say, so leave a comment here, including your email address so that I can contact you if you win.
For a bit of extra fun, and to earn an EXTRA ENTRY, take a look at my new tabs at the top of the page, Shop Wall Decals and Shop Prints. Have a browse and tell me which is your favourite and why.
Feeling greedy and want 3 ENTRIES? Then re-post, twitter, blog, Facebook-linkie or anything else you can think of  to promote my giveaway, come back and let me know here and you'll get a big smoochie smacker. OR alternatively, you can take that as an extra entry. ;)
If you can let me know which you have done in one post that will help my poor brain out when I'm counting entries, but if its 3 separate comments, then thats all good too. I love comments, who doesn't! :)
I'll let Mr Random.org choose a winner in one weeks time, thats Friday 18th March, at 8pm (New Zealand)
Open worldwide, including free shipping.

Christchurch...

I have been trying to write a new blog post for almost a week. Since last Tuesday, 22nd February. The day of the devastating earthquake in Christchurch.  
 Every time I decide to start, I stop. Before I have even started. It seems so pointless, so trivial to even try.
 No matter where in the world you are, you will have heard about the Earthquake in the news, seen the heartbreaking images, read the stories that make you weep. Here in New Zealand everywhere you go flags are at half mast, it is all anyone is talking about, everyone is stunned, wondering what they can do to help. Shops, churches, volunteers in the street all collecting donations to try to do just a little bit.
What can be said? Nothing I or anyone does can bring back those loved ones lost.  To sit here safe in my home, the sun shining, my kids playing, the worst of my worries what to cook for dinner tonight...seems so unfair, and I feel so helpless when others are homeless, suffering, coping with the loss of loved ones, homes, historical buildings.  The city will recover, the people will rebuild their lives and their city, but nothing will ever be the same again.  I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like. Nobody can, unless they are there or have lived through a similar situation. Seeing blog posts and Facebook updates from the people I follow who live there, with photos and descriptions of their experiences make it all so much more real.


Yesterday I came into my lounge to discover a puddle on the carpet, a dark line on the ceiling where water was dripping through and  wrinkled bulging lining paper. Something in the bathroom above must be leaking through. For a few seconds I felt like bursting into tears, another thing to deal with, the cost of a plumber, the repair,  the worry of the damage done... Then I stopped. How trivial!  This is nothing, nothing at all. It is so insignificant it is laughable.  I have a house, working sewerage, running water, power, phone. I, my family and friends are all alive and well.  It suddenly put everything into perspective for me.


There are lots of organisations and charities doing their bit. You can of course donate through the Red Cross  or the Salvation Army by calling 0800 53 00 00. All ANZ Bank branches are accepting donations through the account number 01-1839-0188939-00

Vodafone customers can donate either $3 by texting 'Quake' to 333 or $5 by texting 'Quake' to 555. 

There are many others raising funds, but please, please be careful, it is sickening but true that there are those out there that would take advantage of the goodwill of people at this time, and scam emails, fraudsters and fake ids are all over the place. I can't say what I think should be done to people like that, they are the lowest of the low. It makes me feel sick and so, so cross. 

Here are a few ideas,if you want to help out in another way. There are of course many more legit charities and groups out there doing their bit too.

If you make handmade items you could consider donating something to Handmade for Christchurch. This is being run by the most amazing group of NZ women, all freely giving their own time and expertise to run fundraising auctions on Trade Me Regardless of whether you have anything to donate yourself, you are sure to find something there that you would love to buy, and with no guilt as you know every single cent of the purchase price will be going to the Salvation Army and Christchurch Womens Refuge.

 Li'l Magoolie is running a fundraiser Here 

Charity Auctions for the Christchurch Earthquake 2011 are also running auctions on Trade Me, with all proceeds going to the Red Cross. 

For those of you in the Christchurch area, know that the rest of us are all here behind you, sending prayers, strength and love, just wishing there was more we could do. Stay Strong. <3

Paris in Canada!

Recently I sold one of my 'Paris je t'aime' prints to a lovely lady from Canada, Kathy, of Katie's Cows and Udder things. (Don't you just love the name?!) who told me she had plans for it as part of a mixed media canvas. Well, I always drool over anything like that, so was really excited about seeing the finished piece... and here it is! 

 I took the photograph of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Created the print with it in New Zealand,(with the fan going full blast in 90% humidity/28 deg heat) sent it to Canada where Kathy created this (in colder than I can begin to imagine temps!) No doubt the other lovely things she used to create the canvas came from all over, so it really is a worldwide creation! You can see it properly and also more of the amazing work she does on her blog and Etsy Shop I'm in love with her painted signs and bottles!