Business Cards and Bloglovin...

 Good morning. I am just fiddling around with new reader sites to replace google reader so that you can keep up to dates with my posts. Apparently I now have to paste in this code to claim my blog! So here we go... Follow my blog with Bloglovin
I am working on a new business card at the moment - it's not there yet but hopefully will be in about half an hour.
Lots of love,
Kate xxooxx.

Recuperation.

Today Archie and I spent a quiet morning at home together. We both inadvertently contracted a minor bout of food poisoning (from town bought soup) and need a bit of r. and r. This involved card games, crochet and hot chocolate milk (thank goodness we were sufficiently recovered for hot drinks).

 I love a boy who values dressing gowns, flannel pyjamas, slippers and survivalist manuals. It's almost a shame that pipes for children have gone out of fashion. Maybe a silk cravat would work?

 By the way, the chooks made me laugh when I returned from the bus stop this morning. I really did stop and wonder about what they were discussing.

And look at this little boy ready to tackle this morning's cold bite. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!!!

Speaking of love, lots of it to you from me,

Kate xxooxx.

Thank You!!!

Thank you so much for all of your kind words and wonderful support! It is such a huge thing to reveal your dreams to people and you guys have made it such a positive step or dare I say leap. So once again, thank you!

Pictured above is Stanley's mother visiting the mouse scene in between photo shoots. She is not actually  in this part of the story but couldn't resist having a gander!

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

Stanley Rabbit.

 Okaaaayyyyy. So I am feeling a little bit shy right at this minute as I'm about to tell you what I have been secretly up to over the past couple of years. Making a children's book, a completely unsolicited, no contract guaranteed story. Even Stanley feels nervous about me 'coming out'. See how he is clinging to his mother.

 I have crocheted the characters, handmade the sets, written the story and have now reached the photography and editing stage. The house is appalling and I am just managing to meet the family's need for nutrients and clean clothes, but beyond that, every spare minute goes into the world of Stanley.

Did I mention that all of the patterns will be included from Stanley as a baby to little mice, hot air balloons, trees, balloons, bedspreads, cushions and of course Stanley and his mother. It has been such a joy developing all of these patterns and I can't wait to be able to share them all with you in this way.

 So hopefully not that much longer and then it will be time to keep my fingers crossed and start looking for a publisher. But in the meantime, I will keep you up to date with how it is all developing.... that is if you would like me to. Gaaaahhhh, I am feeling a little jellyish in the arms now after revealing my inner workings... I had better go and have a cup of tea.
Lots and lots of love,
Kate xxooxx.

Bead Counting.

 Ummmm, so that was a pretty racy typo for those of you who caught it in yesterday's post... eeeek! Anyhoo, enough of that. I came up with the best game to solve one of those silly, time consuming incidents that occasionally happen in a crafty house. Yesterday I spilt a jar filled with beads and buttons (pictured above) upstairs in our biggest room. Beads were everywhere and I couldn't face picking them up. So this morning I challenged Hugo to a competition. Whoever picked up the most buttons and beads (with a weigh in rather than a count up at the end), would win $1. He won!!!!!!! And now I have a wonderfully clearish floor again!!! Winners all round I say.

 This afternoon we are heading off to school for a fun games night. There's going to be a skill test for the adults with a round including knitting. I don't think I'm allowed to compete sadly. And now I come to think of it, I should have had Jonno in training for it over the last few days. Luckily his mother taught him very well!

And what is this photo of... not another pair of wrist warmers. I couldn't resist uploading it - sorry.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

Crochet with a Chance of Sparkle.

 I seemed to have temporarily moved on from hot water bottle covers to wrist warmers at the moment. And for the first time ever, I have not only crocheted in black (for a little girl who is obsessed with it), but used sparkly sequin wool. I thought it was a good compromise - yes I can use black but only if it's pretty.

 Archie and Hugo were very relieved as they were going to be roped into a photo session. Their friends, Lily and Hanna (or 'the girls' as they are known around our house) turned up just in time to take over. My boys are very long suffering.

 The pattern is still in development but I can't wait to share it with you. I promise it will be worth the wait...

 I'm still busy working with Stanley and various sets at the moment - I will be telling you more about this project later on in the week.

Until then,
Lots of love,
Kate xxooxx.

Fingerless Mittens.

 Hugo has requested a new pair of fingerless mittens a few times now so I thought I had better start working on a pattern... which of oddly enough resulted in a new pair for myself. How did that happen!

 Usually I knit fingerless mittens on double ended needles but at the moment I am in a crochet frenzy and so, went back to the drawing board. The good news is, after ironing out the odd kind, I will be able to post the pattern! Wahoo!

 I am really pleased with how the rib worked as it starts off a little tricky. So stretchy and worth it though.

 I perhaps could have made them a little longer but I quite like having fingers free to turn pages... or let face it, crochet.

And this is what I spent a bit of time on this morning, playing with my watercolour paintings from last week on photoshop. I love photoshop so much. If I weren't already married.....
Lots of love,
Kate xxooxx.

A Trip to the Library.

 We seem to have fallen into the habit of visiting the town library every Saturday morning. 

 I used to go during the week when the boys were at school. They were happy for me to gather a large pile for each for them however, things have chagned. These days I can no longer carry all of the books required for the household on my own.

Fiction, non-fiction, talking books, magazines, c.d.s and even the odd d.v.d make their way home from our library which bulges with the most incredible selection of books. Sometimes I think that New Zealand is pretty lucky not having an airforce or space program as it means that so much more money can be channeled towards libraries. And of course my overdue fines are a huge resource for the country too.

Today turned out to be pretty special... 10 books I had on hold were ready to pick up -exciting in the extreme and then..... I FOUND A WHOLE TROLLEY OF BRAND NEW NON-FICTION BOOKS WAITING TO BE SHELVED. Oh my lucky day!!!!!!
Lots of love,
Kate xxooxxoo.

p.s. This stack represents my non-fiction selection - there is a whole 'nother' metre of fiction waiting for me to crack their spines!!!!! It was a good day at the library indeed.

An Eager Assistant.

 It is always so good to have help when you are setting up a photo shoot. Archie is having a quiet morning at home, exhausted from a busy week. 

 And I am always so happy to have him involved and interested in what I am doing because somehow, I don't think this stage is going to last forever.

And extra hands when you find yourself up a ladder holding a camera are always valuable to say the least.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

Lucky Stars and Hot Air Balloons.

May your day be filled with wonderful adventures... or at least a really good cup of tea.
Lots of love,
Kate xxooxx.
p.s. My day involves watching poor, innocent children being forced to run cross country. Wahoo for finishing school and never being forced to run in a horde again!

Our Last Morning of a Splendiferous Holiday.

 As I write this, Jonno is now driving Mum up to the Auckland Airport. What a wonderful time we have had together, painting, crocheting, knitting, card playing, reading, tea drinking, talking, breathing, etc, etc, etc.

 Archie took a couple of photos of us and Hugo provided the entertainment to make us smile. Note how his grandmother found him highly amusing but I, as the mother, was slightly disturbed....

 With the boys.

We love her.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

Hot Water Bottles and Watercolours!

 Mum arrived from Australia bearing the most wonderful gift of mini hot water bottles. Hugo was delighted and promptly said "They're portable - we can take them on the bus with us"! So of course my first task was to start crocheting covers for them.

 Look at little mini snuggled up with big ummm biggy?

 Here is a message for my sister Lucy who is revelling in the world of poppies at the moment. A little watercolour I painted this morning.

And another painting from this morning.
Lots and lots of love,
Kate xxooxx.

A Little Bit of Watercolour.

I have had such a lovely time painting with Mum. My sister Lucy is crocheting the most beautiful poppies at the moment and she has inspired me hugely - so for me at the moment it's all poppies and flamingos. I am not a confident painter at all so it has been wonderful to let go and just have fun.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

Around the House...

Stanley and his mother look as though they are auditioning for a cooking show. I hope they get the gig.

 I wonder who vacated these tiny chairs?

Mum's glasses carefully bookmarking a page.

So many funny and poignant scenes around the house today.

Lots and lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

Tea and Painting.

 Mum and I are certainly making the most of each other while she is visiting. Today we had a lovely cup of tea with Stef (Happy Birthday Steffi wah-wah) and I gave her a new cover for her tablet. I really can't stop the crochet at the moment.

 We have also been spending lots of time painting together which has been so special. Mum is full of such wonderful tips and is so good at sharing her paints with me - a very good play-mate to have. You can see more of what we have been up to over at Mum's blog.

 This just seems to be so much more satisfying than hanging out the washing.

 Watercolour lucky stars. So busy we have been with all of the star making (imagine Yoda voice).

And of course the tea drinking.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.