Lunch time walk

No snaps of daisies on my very short lunchtime walk today. I have a bit of a fluey virus and felt a bit wobbly so went back to the office early. I did manage to snap a butterfly and a beautiful orange aloe.

Today's Handbag Daisy

This is the remains of the lining of my handbag. Slowly over the last year it has disintegrated and became more holes than lining. I wanted to reline it but have been putting it off because I thought it would be difficult. Amazingly, it was much easier than I imagined. I was even able to add lots of little pockets around the sides for my bits and pieces - even my umbrella has found a space of its own. And to top it all, without realising, I choose a fabric that matched my wallet. There will be no more half eaten biscuits stored for not so small children in this handbag.

Celebrating half a century of Peter

This weekend Peter was a whole half a century old. Something worth celebrating I think.
What he decided he wanted to do for his birthday was to go to Waimarama and eat fish and chips on the beech.
A very good choice I thought. Unfortunatly, it seems that fate was perhaps working against us.
First of all the weather - seemingly a storm the size of Australia was about to throw all its force at New Zealand, with sea swells of 18m and hurricane force winds, and weather warnings telling us to stay away from the beeches this weekend. As you can see from the snaps - it was a little wild but not to bad.
Then getting the fish and chips was the next chore. The local shop that provides the fish and chips takeaways in Waimarama was closed for this weekend, the only weekend in the year that it is closed. Luckly the local cafe Jarks was able to provide us with a couple of scoops of chips to take down to the beech. Where we ate chips, walked along the beech and roasted marshmallows over a fire.

In the evening our good friends Keriann and Ian came over for a light supper. Bringing with them some lovely armenian street bread and an absoulutly delicious chocolate and hazelnut tart, as a birthday cake. Yum, yum, yum. I have to admit it was me that pinched the roasted hazelnuts that you can see are missing from the tart. In case you are wondering it tasted as good as it looks. A perfect end to a perfect day.

Today's Exuberence of Spring Daisies

Thanks to Napier City's planting schemes, I spent another lunch break wandering among the daisies, with the sweet spring scent of wall flowers wafting by me. Bliss.

Everywhere you look there are daisies and more daisies, and who am I to complain.

The sun was shineing and the breeze was warm.

This riot of overplanting colour, shouting look at me, I love it.

Daisies, daisies as far as the eye can see, close up and in reflection.

And just in case you thought it was all daisies - here are some glowing euphorbia. I have been trying to get a snap of a euphorbia for ages, I love their shape and colour, but usualy I can't capture that perfect snap. The pic below is getting closer but still not quite there.

And just to finish things off yet another snap of Cape Kidnappers. This time through the cabbage trees of the miniture golf course.

My own Cheshire cat

While I am working in the garden the cats are never far away. Ranna likes to water any holes I dig - don't think you want to see a picture of that. And Buffy likes to sit in the cabbage tree watching and occasionally chasing her own tail. This can be a bit a little dangerous and often ends up with her falling out of the tree.

Spring is in the air

Spring is well under way here in Hawkes Bay. With a promise of summer fruits to come. Tiny little fig buds on the fig trees.
Blossom on the plum tree. And at the end of a wonderful day working in the garden, the golden light filtering through to light up the plum trea.

Happy Tui

While working in the garden today I heard a lot of splashing. Looked over my shoulder and there was a very happy Tui having a bath in the gutter of next door's garage. I rushed in got my camera and tried to take a snap before he flew off. Not a great picture, but a great experience.

Today's Lunch time Daisies

Today's riot of spring colour, collected at lunch time. I think that is enough daisies to keep me going for a while.

Amazing glowing clouds

While cooking dinner yesterday evening I noticed these amazing glowing wisps of clouds. I just had to drop everything and rush out with my camera. The dinner almost survivied - the cheese sauce for the cauliflower did have a couple of darker spots in it - I think I may have cunningly disguised them as ground pepper. Or perhaps not, who cares when you can look up and see sights like this.

Today's Daisy and epic fail

I have been trying very hard this year not to buy any fabric. Especially fabric that is just for my stash. I just happened to be in Spotlight and they just happened to have a sale on. All sale quilting fabrics were half sale price, $3.50. The daisy fabric above is for a project, a 1960 based project, it will be used. The fabrics below are not they were just there and nice, so I bought them. Maybe I should just stay out of fabrics shops all together.

Study Makeover - yet another step

After its trip back out to the garage again, for more sanding and primping, the sproused up sewing table is now in place and looking much better against Peter's desk.

Today's Daisy

If you get down low among the grass stalks you find some of the most beautiful daisies.

Study Makeover - Still progressing

Peter has made himself a new desk out of an old pine bookcase and the left over bit from the kitchen island unit. He has had a busy week. I think it looks amazing. Unfortunatly it has made my recently improved sewing table look very shabby. So back to the garage for the sewing table for some more tarting up before it is allowed back in the study with Peter's posh desk.

Today's Daisy

Peter made this desk top background for me. There is a bit of a story behind this poster, which you can read about here. Thank you Peter, I love it. What do you think, would make a great teatowel?

Another sign that Winter is retreating

Yes, you may think, some pretty spring flowers. But have a closer look.

Can you spot them yet.

Not just one but three Monarch butterflies flitting around in the warm sunshine. You would almost think the parks department had put them there.

Today's Lunch Time Daisy

After a very miserable wet weekend today was beautiful - typical. I did have a great walk at lunchtime.

The start of Blossom season

It has been a very wet weekend. Too wet to do much gardening. The quince bush is in full flower and so beautiful, with the most heavenly perfume.

While collecting some limes I found these beatles hiding under a leaf.

Study Makeover - The Zebra floor stage

This weekends project more floor sanding. What I wanted to do was just give the floor a very slight sand before varnishing. But no matter how lightly I sanded I still ended up with a zebra floor. This time I did not want to take it right back to the original colour, it would have looked weird against the rimu skirting boards. After a bit of searching I found a stain the right colour to match the rest of the wood. I think it looks really good. Just need to do a few coats of varnishing now.

Today's Daisy

Sometimes you just can't resist a bargain. This little pot of sunflowers was reduced to half price $5 and I had just won $22 on the National Lottery. Now it is in the daylight it is looking much, much better.

Today's Daisy

I found today's daisy on a quilt at Keirunga Quilters quilt exhibition.

I had forgotten all about it until Keriann suggested we go and have a look.

These are some of my favourites. I felt very inspired and wanted to go home and do some quilting.
I love the design of the quilt below, very simple but wonderful. I think I would like to try one of these. My eldest son will be 21 next year. I would like to do a quilt for him. I think this is the design I would like to do.
I loved the colours of this quilt, again very simple but very effective. Unfortunalty, I did not take a photograph of my favourite quilt. I was too busy looking at it.