The Winter Holidays

We're on winter break here in New Zealand. It's delightful to have time to knit, time to cook, and time to think again! I'm cozy, knitting a shawl, under a crocheted blanket that I found years ago in an antique store. It is a beautifully hand made wool throw.  This shawl pattern is really weird. Can you see the way the pattern is not symmetrical?  The stripes go straight up and down on the right, but angular on the left? I don't know whether to keep going or not? Any thoughts?

Naturally Sensation Yarn 70% merino/30% angora

Back in class with my knitting

It's great to be back in the classroom again!  Last month it was all about Human Resources, what motivates people, employees, and volunteers.  It's so interesting to consider what makes people want to participate in work and volunteer based organisations.  It begs the question, what motivates me to volunteer? What is it in my work or play that motivates or demotivates me to give of myself?

I recently decided to start tutoring French for my son's school.  I certainly don't have more hours in the day but I was motivated by the need to give back, the hope that my French would still be somewhere in the recesses of my mind, and the desire to be a part of my children's lives. My son, Ben, loves to learn and speak French.  He has found some keen students who also want to improve their French language and so we started a conversation class after school. If anyone has any ideas on how to get teenagers to speak French, please let me know!

What rewards do we need to help us keep going?  It's not all about money for me. I think recognition is high on my motivator list but that rarely happens. So maybe it's the journey? The sharing of knowledge?  Taking it to the craft room, I am motivated to finish a quilt when I have someone in mind who will appreciate it.  I would not get the same satisfaction if I were to sell it at a craft fair. I'd like to think that it's all about the cause, the person or group. Sharing knowledge of crafts like knitting and quilting are great ways to give back.  Last Saturday, a few women got together to make some quilts to give to a woman that I work with.  Jacqui goes to a local maternity ward and visits newborn babies and their mothers.  We made three cot quilts with another almost done.  I just have to quilt them!

One woman makes knitted toys like small teddy bears and balls to give to Jacqui for the newborn babies at the maternity ward.  I found two gorgeous patterns that I want to try but I'll probably just give them to Elizabeth.  She churns them out a lot faster than me!

Comfy Couch

Broadband is up and running today!! Yayyyy!  I'm so relaxed browsing my little world of antiques on trademe and quilts on my favorite blogs.  It's so nice to receive comments from my friends around the world who read my blog. Thank you so much.
Here's a quilt that I'm working on... it's been in the cupboard for years! Time to finish it and give it away!  I've been looking at Dear Jane again.  It's always fun to flip through the book and choose a new block to try.  I'll take pictures as I finish each one.

Starting to feel normal again

It's been a little while since I blogged the last post. Too long. I'm starting to feel back to life again.  The worst thing to lose in a move is your internet!  I've finally bought a plan that gets me around the lack of broadband. Hopefully I can keep up to emails and the blog now.

My sister is asking for some inside pictures of our new place.  Here are a few of the upstairs. The sunsets are gorgeous.  I'm pleased to also tell you that the sewing room floor is clean and I've been sewing quilts again.  Pictures to come soon.  I'm back!

Life is good!

I've been so tired lately, that I have found myself driving in the wrong direction. You know that feeling when the road just takes you where you have to go and you don't have to think.  Problem is, when you have just moved, the road doesn't know where you want to go?! I have been cleaning the old house and have finally finished.  OK, some of you who know me will know that by cleaning, I mean calling the cleaner, but really, I've been cleaning too!  Boxes and boxes fill my garage with no place to put anything. I have amassed stuff in my sewing room (yes, the spare room is mine!).  I just need to find the floor one day so I can actually do some sewing. I'm pleased to say that the house is warm and my furniture fits nicely in most rooms. I have not redecorated yet but when the boxes find a home, I'll go shopping. 

With all this moving, memories move too.  Boxes of junk that have moved with me since I was a little girl.  Prescious Moments, yes, those little figurines have made the move again!  I just unpacked perfume collections, hats, dolls and teddy bears.  What do I do with such treasures?  Maybe I need a bigger sewing room?

I'm thankful the move is over. But I'm also thankful for my family and my sisters who both emailed me this week. Here's to a new chapter in my life.  The Beachlands chapter.

Moving and Redecorating

Greenspace behind the house

I'm on the move... from a country setting on 43 acres to the beach! It's going to be great for walking and exploring a new area.  Pine Harbour has a ferry to the city (Auckland) and a French Market on Saturdays.  There are two golf courses in the area as well as 2 family sports centres (Formosa and Te Puru).  When we first moved to Auckland, we joined Formosa and used the swimming pool all the time.  My boys are looking forward to riding their bikes to the pool and the dairy.  They didn't have this kind of freedom in Clevedon.

Susan's new sewing machine

I have an entire room currently devoted to my crafts so it's hard to imagine sharing a room with my family, especially two teenaged boys. Where am I going to put my spinning wheel, fabric, sewing machines, and wool? That's the most important decision for my creative stability. I will be marking my territory tomorrow morning!  It's always fun to rearrange the furniture too.   I've decided to do some redecorating in the upstairs living room.  I'm moving the current living room suite down to the family/rumpus room along with the oversized TV (always hated that ugly thing in the living room).  I think rugby can be watched in style downstairs.  This leaves me with a new living room to redecorate completely.  I've left some Mexican glass and iron tables in Vancouver that I'm having shipped to NZ.  I think it's time to have a linen slip cover made for the pink couch and I bought some Sanderson fabric in Australia to recover either a small arm chair or large footstool.  It's all on! I'm on the look out for a new/old table and chairs to go in my new dining area. While the Kauri table and chairs were nice in the country home, it's not the right look for this house. I haven't fought my husband over the spare room yet.  He thinks it's going to be his office!  Another thing I'll be looking for is art and a feather sofa (traditional, overstuffed with rolled arms would be nice).  I've been on the Pottery Barn website and found a couple of beautiful rugs. Well, it's time to focus on the packing.  I'm watching the Royal wedding out of the corner of my eye. Bye for now!

Side view of the house

A new Country Living magazine

The UK Country Living has been my favorite magazine to find inspiration for the rural life.  But I recently came across a NZ House and Garden Country Living.  It's pure heaven from tea and scones to kitchen decor.  It's got NZ country images on the porch and in the living room. I'm loving the vintage linen. Glass and enamel ware, shabby chic country tables, rubber sealed vintage jars filling the pantry, and china tea pots to die for.  I'm telling you, this is my new favorite magazine.  I sure hope it's a regular on the newstand. Rustic ambience with stylish kitchen hobs, recipes which I have even made!

Last week, I made the gingerbread cake and the apple cake.  Check out the scrolled feta and pesto scones.  Today, I'll make the humingbird cake.