In between nana naps and coughing fits ( I thought I'd totally escaped Winter bugs this year-almost made it but not quite!) I've managed to get quite a bit of sewing done, hooray! Lots of bunting, in "boy" colours, some to be given to friends and some to go in the felt shop. And two headbands, an order from one of my colleagues.
This weekend has been a goodie for stitching little things. A recent trip to Rotorua assisted me in filling up the fabric drawer.
I made this pincushion, using the pattern and instruction from the book I mentioned here. 
And then I made some headband's. I never would have thought of putting the Omiage flowers onto headbands. I've used them on everything from little purses to fridge magnets and frequently on hair ties but I followed a suggestion on my Facebook page to make them on a longer headband with pleasing results. 
With nothing but rain, rain and more rain outside, it's been lovely to sit by the window stitching small things and daydreaming about Spring.
I've never posted anything remotely negative on this blog. It's not the space for that sort of thing. But lately something's been bothering me and I'd like to share my course of action and feelings regarding this issue. For the last 6 months or so, I've been experiencing harassment in the form of unwelcome spam comments being left on my blog, as well as explicit comments and links being left in other languages. I have loved sharing my creations, and little glimpses into our family life over the last two years that I have been blogging. I've made some wonderful friends through blogging, but I'm offended and disgusted at the people who are putting links to cheap, smutty "adult" sites in a space where I share photos of my precious children. Comments will be moderated by me from now on. How disheartening it is that people would behave so abhorrently.
The children and I agree that we like the beach just as much in Winter as we do in Summer. We go nearly every day. How could we not, when it's just over the road?
Having lived here at the beach for almost a year now, I'm not sure I'd ever want to live anywhere else!
What's your favourite time of year for beach visits?
"Oranges and Lemons, say the bells of St Clements!
I spent a large part of my childhood in England. And today as I looked out of the window to see the branches on the orange and lemon trees groaning under the weight of all the ripening fruit, I had a sudden vivid memory of skipping double dutch in a playground under a concrete-grey sky and reciting the above rhyme! Do you still remember your favourite games and rhymes from childhood?
And also, what should I do with all these oranges and lemons? I'll definitely visit my lemon curd recipe again, as I so enjoyed making (and eating) it last year. But what else? Perhaps some marmalade is in order as well....
Gosh it seems like I've made a lot of rabbits lately! I've just finished 4 (one had to be posted before I had a chance to photograph it-darned Winter light!). I do adore making rabbits, but I felt the need for some fresh inspiration, so I ordered this book, as a treat for myself.
I think I'll definitely have to try one of these gorgeous elephants...
And a new pincushion too.
What a lovely way to spend a grey, indoorsy type of Winter day. I'll leave you with a quote I read in a magazine which I thought was very eloquent. 
Have you heard of Chia Seeds? I discovered these nutritional gems on the weekend. Chia seed provides calcium and protein. The seeds are also rich in boron, which helps the body assimilate and use calcium. These nutrients support brain function. When inside your body, the seeds help you stay hydrated longer, and retain electrolytes in your bodily fluids. The shells are easily broken down, even when swallowed whole. This is an improvement over flax seed, which have to be ground up to be digested properly. The seeds can be used to replace less-healthy fat in just about any recipe. Yay!
And in other news, I was finally able to catch my children for a photoshoot in their Squidygums hoodies! Thanks again Kristin!
