Cheerio!

I’m off for a few weeks to follow the sun.
See you again in the New Year.
Have heaps of fun and safe journeys to you and your loved ones.
Ka kite ano au i a koutou.

... a few of my favorite things ...

Silver and Garnet ring from Hanne Andersen Jewellery.
Fluevog “Bondgirl” boots - terrific on my moped.
The architecture of Ernst Plischke.

Dogs in Space

Re-release of one of my favourite movies. Filmed in 1986, yet just as exciting and controversial today. Fantastic soundtrack, great costumes, gorgeous actors, poignant story - lets not forget this is how many of us in Australia and New Zealand lived at that time. Spent a few hours in the weekend reliving my misspent youth. The special features add a new dimension too.
Buy it here, listen here (with movie stills), watch here and here, and trailer here.

Sunday at the beach

Lovely day, Sunday, so off to the beach we went - first time this season.
A few things about Lyall Bay - its a “Woof Woof Ruff” ( area designated for exercising dogs), has fantastic surf for all levels of surfers (lessons available) and the sea temperature is frigid! Watch out for those iceburgs. (Really not kidding).

Grace

Dear friend Charise Isis has launched her new website Grace - Portraits of Breast Cancer Survivors.
A beautiful collection of images honouring women of great bravery and inspiration.

They grow up so fast

Nearly a year old now - haven’t they grown! Because they were adopted from the SPCA, I don’t know their exact birthdays so I’ve guessed them to have been christmas babies.

Blowing out the cobwebs

Clockwise (from top left): Breaker Bay, viewed from Beacon Hill; Pencarrow Heads; On the trail of Hobbits, New house under construction, Pass of Branda; InterIslander ferry in Cook Strait (with snow-top South Island in distance)

Wellington has been living up to its nickname (= windy) so after a Saturday indoors, a brisk walk was in order Sunday morning.
We chose the closest - the Eastern Walkway.

Lizards and predators

Peruvian lizard @ Machu Picchu and his New Zealand cousins – Common Gecko and Copper Skink

This is a blog of shame. The warmer weather has the lizard population out sunbathing on rocks around my house. Unfortunately, they're easy pickings for my young predators and some other introduced pests. Learn more.

The predators: my lovelies, Kotare (NZ Kingfisher), Australian Magpie and Hedgehogs

Laundry day

Looking at Lyall Bay from Strathmore Park, Wellington.

It’s extremely satisfying to get all the laundry flapping happily on the line by midday.
I paused to enjoy the view.

From the front door, Strathmore Park, Wellington.

These are a few of my favorite things

Couldn’t stop humming Julie Andrews while taking these pix.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
(dum-de-da-da-da dum dum-de-da-da)
Paintings and music and recovered armchairs
These are a few of my favorite things

Looking for inspiration

I've several new projects on the boil, just need to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. So I've been hitting the books, the net and figuring it all out on paper - you can't bet a bit of manual doodling.

My poor garden is crying out for attention after the foul winter we've had here in little ol' NZ - more to come on this later.

500 days of Summer

***
It’s been a crazy busy couple of weeks. Hardly have had a moment to myself.
Needed a fluffy movie in the weekend, and 500 Days of Summer was perfect.
Summer wore the most gorgeous clothes - I’ve chosen a couple of pix of my favourite frock.

Samson and Delilah

A truly thought provoking film
**** 1/2
Here’s the trailer.

A walk in the park

Today it’s was finally warm enough to lose the cardigan during my lunchtime walk through the park.

Roll on summer - its been a long time coming this year.

And I’m looking forward to being able to wear this again - a true summer frock, made at the beginning of the year but sadly only worn once or twice before summer end.

World Press Photo Exhibition

World Press Photo Exhibition

Fantastic exhibition in Wellington for another week. Gold coin on the door.

WOW!

www.worldofwearableart.com

Congratulations to my friend, Hayley May who together with Fiona Christie won the Gen - i Creative Excellence Section at the World of Wearable Arts 2009 with this little number entitled "Second Skin". They were also runner up to the Supreme Award.

Whip it up

A top I whipped up out of some merino scraps in the weekend. Needed something to wear under the jacket.

Nana’s Wardrobe

In a corner of the room is a splendid piece of Irish Oak. A wedding gift to my grandmother from her distant family, it’s now home to preciousness and patience.
Below are saris - gifts of Shanti, and within - mystery and wonder. Fabrics collected over a lifetime waiting, patiently, for inspiration’s breath. (And the odd cat or two.)

Spring blossoms...

Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men.
Chinese Proverb

On the mannequin

Remember the blue lace inset I was stitching together? Check out the back of the top.

It took a while to finish. I made the pattern too large, got feed-up after trying it on for the first time and didn’t look at it again until the big wet. But it was worth finishing - it’s a gorgeous blue and drapes beautifully.

Stormy weekend...

...on its way.
This was taken last night from home.
I am fortunate to have a small view of the South Island, and yes, that is a sprinkling of snow on the Kaikoura ranges.

At the zoo

Some of my favourite shots from the annual birthday visit to the zoo.

District 9

Another great movie, completely different from the last one I recommended but also worthy of
****
Awesome website too.

Soooo cute!

My beautiful babies!
9 weeks old in this picture, the day after we brought them home.
The best Valentine day present ever.

Another remake

The jacket was made as a 14 year old in high school. I recovered it from a suitcase, let all the seams out and following the advice of a tutor from design school “made a feature of a mistake”. Originally I hadn’t placed the buttonholes close enough to the centre front, so I’ve re-cut them and covered them with decorative looped piping.

Couldn’t help myself - had to make another kanzashi flower.


SunnyJim bought a couple of pairs of trousers in the Marvel menswear sale, so I have some hemming to do in the next few days.

Shake, rattle and roll!

Earthquake in Wellington 2.10am this morning.
5.2 in magnitude - quite a jolt - made the cats jump!

On the mannequin this week...

... well, not quite.
Piecing together lace I dyed to make an inset for a merino wool tunic.
Watch this space.

Separation city

Saw “Separation City” last night -     from me!
Showcases Wellington beautifully - including the weather.
Here’s the trailer.

On the mannequin

Blaming it on the recession, but I’ve definitely noticed there is less disposable income this year in my purse. So I’ve been getting creative. This week on the mannequin is a dress I’m making from an old wool suit of my mothers. I found this great online tutorial to make the kanzashi flowers.

In the beginning...

Are you also of a certain age, still young at heart and would like to see what women of a similar generation are wearing? What they would like to wear and could possibly wear? (Lets face it, a lot of 'fashion" make us look either ridiculous or frumpy, or is way too expensive for those of us with mortgages, kids and lives!). This blog is for you - it's my hope to inspire.

Why do I feel qualified? Well, I'm passionate about fashion, photography and design. I've studied and worked in fashion for many years before trying my hand at costume, and was skilled and fortunate enough to work on several films made here in New Zealand. Through this I became interested in digital design, the field I now work in.

But there are other things I love - like photographing sunsets, landscapes and places I've been, life here in Wellington, my moped, food, coffee, and of course my lovely furkids.
Enjoy.

Strathmore sunset, looking over Lyall Bay