If You Like Alice Hoffman.....

 If you like Alice Hoffman, Sarah Van Allen, Lisa Van Allen or a beautifully written story with a pinch of magical realism, then you will love 'The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender' by Leslye Walton. I don't want to give too much away but it does begin with a baby girl born with wings...... Now I want to crochet a pair of wings for myself! 

You can find my wing pattern here.

Lots of love,

Kate. xxooxx

Books for the Soul!

I am feeling so lucky to have this beautiful pile of books. Life is good.

Lots of love,
Kate. xxooxx.

Yarny Days.

 Time is moving swiftly at the moment. Summer is quickly changing to Autumn and my big little Archie grew 1cm in 1 week. How does this happen? The roses are onto their last flush and the apples are plumping up in the orchard. 

This is actually my favourite time of the year, both boys were born in Autumn and the sudden cold mornings and clear skies fill me with such a nostalgia... of course it also means that two birthdays are looming and no presents have been purchased!

My days have been filled with endless crocheting and stitching (more on that another day) so I have been getting up early each morning for a walk. Some mornings the boys come with me - these mornings are the ones where I have to remind myself to walk slowly and enjoy the conversation. Other mornings it's just Bertie (our Border Collie) and myself enjoying/avoiding the fresh dairy farm smells that crop up here and there, barking at pheasants (just Bertie I swear) and trying to get a little bit of a pace up.

My ergonomically adjusted chair.

I've also been having a bit of a book festival. Lovely, easy reads have been making their way to my bedside table. I adored 'Garden Spells' by Sarah Addison Allen which was her first book written in 2007. 'First Frost' is a sequel and has only just been released - I loved it, truly a case of catching up with old friends. 

Susan Wiggs has also kept me very happy with her Bella Vista Chronicles. The first in the series is called 'The Apple Orchard' and the second, 'The Beekeeper's Ball'. Add a little bit of Tess Gerristsen to the mix and you have a nice balance!

And finally, some roses.

Lots and lots of love,
Kate. xxooxx.

Books.... and Running Late.

 First of all, let me just say how sorry I am that I didn't get the tutorial up today. I have worked so hard today to finish it but just didn't get there. My afternoon has been cut short a little bit as Jonno and I are going out to dinner tonight to celebrate his birthday (we spent last night watching the boys in their school play). So PLEASE FORGIVE ME and I will have it up tomorrow instead..... pinky promise!

 This is going to be a quick post as I want to put a bit of make up on before we head out (I've reached that certain age) so I will just show you what we have been reading in the house and will talk about them another day. 

This is the pile of books I picked up from the library the other day. I am so excited.... Lucy - can you see that I found some of yours!!!

So here are some bluebells picked to say "Thanks for your patience".....
Love Kate. xx
p.s. What have you guys been reading lately - any good tips?

Library Love.

 One of the best things about being back is my library. It is so good to have a great stack of books for the family to work through again. We read constantly while we were away, picking up books here and there and I also had a jam packed kindle. But to have this pile without spending a fortune is gold.

 I'm so excited to have the last Deborah Harkness book in her All Souls trilogy. I've enjoyed it so much. Mary Lawson is such a favourite too. She writes such a beautiful stories set in Canada. I have also been loving 'Design Bloggers at Home' by Ellie Tennant. Their houses are sooooo pretty. No huge towering piles of washing and loom band detritus anywhere.

 I'm feeling pretty happy too after sending out a stack of Stanley books. Don't forget Little Woollie's giveaway over here. The winner will be drawn on Tuesday.

I hope you are having a lovely weekend.
Lots of love,
Kate.

p.s. I am reading 'When the Cypress Whispers' by Yvette Manessis Corporon which is wonderful. Mum read it a little while ago and justifiably raved about it. I can't believe I have nearly finished it, it'll be like saying goodbye to a friend!

Books and Boy Crafts.

 I am not featuring a huge stack of books today. Instead I am showing you two of my favourite books from the last few weeks. I had a run of reads that left me feeling a little meh. But these books had me neglecting the family, the house and the world.  

Funnily enough, I really don't want to give you the full synopsis for 'Boy, Snow, Bird' by Helen Oyeyemi. I went in without knowing anything about it and was blown away by a little twist half way through the story. All that I will say is that it's set in 1960's America with a slight air of Snow White  but instead of an evil step-mother, deeply human characters. 

And as for 'The Circle' by Dave Eggers, think of a world run by a corporation bigger than google that encourages complete transparency in everybodies' actions and transactions..... giving Big Brother (the George Orwell kind, not the television version) a friendly face. Both were completely unputdownable which can be a blessing and a curse.

 So what did the boys get up to in the meantime? Hugo had a case of strep throat and worked steadily on a tapestry that he designed (awwwwww).

 Archie stripped electrical cables for copper wire and made a forest. Apparently they are for Easter and support a mini egg in their roots. Beautiful and practical considering the season!

What have you been reading?
Lots and lots of love,
Kate xxooxx.

Books for a Hurricane.

 Friday afternoon saw Archie and I at the library stocking up frantically on books to get us through the weekend. Why the frantic pace.... according to the met service, Cyclone Lusi was bowling its way towards us. Of course we did stop at the supermarket as well, food is always good at such times but really, books were top of our list.

I also had this book arrive in the mail. It is such a lovely one - I will take you for a tour another day (I am also trying to get dinner cooked so I had limited photographic time). It comes with a present in a little glassine bag secured with washi tape... 

In the end we were very lucky with the cyclone in that it delivered rain to our area with little to no damage. We lost power occasionally but had it at night - you can't ask for more than that. 

Still no crochet yet. I tried knitting last night but ended up with a throbbing finger again. Patience is required AND a good pile of books helps: 

-I am reading 'Mercy Snow' by Tiffany Baker (who writes wonderful books) and am devouring it. Set in small town America, it has a very good story line with an older mystery running through a modern tragedy.

-I have just finished 'While Beauty Slept' by Elizabeth Blackwell which I cannot recommend highly enough. It is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale using a historic (as opposed to fantastical) spin. I couldn't put it down (which didn't particularly matter with the rain beating down) until I finished and came away feeling so sleek and satisfied. It was so cleverly told and I don't really want to tell you much more because the story is so well known that its reboot delights with surprises and I don't want to spoil that for you. So go and read it and then we can talk about it.

-If you are up for a thrill, then you may enjoy Jennifer McMahon's 'The Winter People' as much as I did. I finished it quite a few days ago but it is still haunting me a bit. She is such a good storyteller.  Watch out for the sleepers (kind of a bit like zombies but much more benign) and the snow.

Anyway, better go and check on dinner - baked potatoes and sausages with tomato jam.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

p.s. I am often asked how I get through so many books. The truth is that I wake up earlier than I need  and steal as much time before the boys wake. I then read for a while after lunch (like my mum and granny did before me) and then will always read for as long as possible at night before going to sleep. In fact I can't get to sleep without reading for at least 30 mins. Luckily Jonno is exactly the same so there are never complaints about the lights being on. 

Thank Goodness for Blogging and Some Book Talk!

 I have missed blogging this week. Somehow the change of weather from summer to autumn has caught me though and I feel a bit like a weetbix left too long in a bowl of milk. Soo happy to have my favourite season come along but altogether very soggy and needing lots of sleep. Luckily I have had some wonderful books to read. One that I adored (and was a quick, easy read) was 'Whistling Dixie in a Nor'easter' by Lisa Patton. It was such a great comfort read and I really loved the characters.... and then I followed that with 'That Part was True' by Deborah Mckinlay which I really, really, really loved - a little gem. I then went on to Wendy Webb's new book 'The Vanishing' which was spellbinding - one of those books where it is hard to get anything done as the pages almost turn by themselves. She always has a good spine tingle moment but not so you can't turn out the light at night which to me is a great balance.

I have to admit that I wasn't so keen on Sarah Addison Allen's new book 'Lost Lake'. It was a perfectly pleasant read but didn't have as much depth as I would have hoped for. A slight hint of magic to it but once again, not as much as I had hoped for. I really do enjoy her books but I love a writer who develops with time. I am sure this will happen but just not with this one. It is absolutely worth reading if you are in the mood for something very light. 

 Onto other things - I have been crocheting madly for the Simply Crochet mag again. This time it has been a project for father's day... watch this space.

 Still finishing up some projects for the book.... The t-shirt fabric underneath the yarn is for a dress that I would like to make myself as soon as I have finished up the Stanley project. I am starting to get soooo antsy for other challenges. 

 Refining the hot air balloon pattern which will be in the book!

And managing to find a few moments here and there to make the most of a friend's tomato glut. I love the excess of vegetables at this time of year!

Lots and lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

p.s. I would loooooove to know what you are reading at the moment. I have just begun 'The Winter People' by Jennifer McMahon and am loving it. 

Books for a Rainy Weekend.

 Because I am doing a lot of work on the Stanley project at the moment, book wise I am gravitating towards easy and entertaining reads. Hugo is going through a Paul Jenning's phase (wahoo) and Jonno is busy hanging out with Tony Park in Africa. When Archie is not reading the Skulduggery Pleasant books he has been devouring Jon Mayhew's Mortlock series.

 I have just finished Karen White's Tradd Street series (very light, a bit of supernatural and like being on a holiday) and started reading 'The Husband's Secret' by Liane Moriarty which is as unputdownable as a Jodie Picoult. The only things is, it's set in Australia and I am really homesick at the moment so that is kind of intensifying it.  I am so looking forward to 'Lost Lake' by Sarah Addison Allen - I love a bit of magical realism and am beside myself to think that a new Alice Hoffman book is coming out over the next few days. She is up there with Barbara Kingsolver (although entirely different) as two of my all time favourite authors.

 I will explain my Lonely Planet book another day.....

 Some new craft books and a couple of old friends.

 And the cookbook by Matt Preston that my mum received for Christmas - once again, another book that is making me homesick.

And here is the little creature that is keeping my busy and my mind bustling at the moment. Stanley Rabbit himself!

It is rainy here and there are some interesting boxes to be unpacked so I had better scurry along.

Lots and lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

Books and Crazy New Hair.

 So this is what happens when you get cooped up with unwell children over summer. You start to feel a little drab and then the next think you know, you ask your neighbour to dye your hair… which she very obligingly does. I really like it but it did take me a couple of days to get used to it. My head piece was bought yesterday on sale as I thought it would come in handy for our mid year school ball (which is dress up). I will try to wear it only when I am tidying up the house - it will make cleaning more enjoyable.

 I also went to the library yesterday and borrowed a few more books. 'The Goldfinch' was such a stand alone read that it was quite hard to settle into a new one for a couple days. I actually ended up culling a couple of less than wonderful books as they couldn't measure up and life is too short for Not Very Good Reads…. sadly this for me included Adriana Trigiani's new book which I will try another day when I am not feeling so fussy (I usually really love her). I then read 'Dreamquake' the sequel to 'Dreamhunter' by Elizabeth Knox which I adored (I think I mentioned that in the last post) and am  now reading 'The Magicians' by Lev Grossman which is pretty good. I'm thinking Amy Tan next. I am so spoilt for books right now.

 Another head shot. Just hanging out with the kids…

And little cool cat Hugo with his new $6 sun glasses. Apparently they are very hard to wear inside as everything becomes dark.

Lots and lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

p.s. Lesley, it was lovely to meet you in the library the other day and such a thrill to see your reading list!

Crochet Bears and Things

 Hugo has now finally had about 4 days of being temperature free. He was a sick little lad for 10 days and it feels as though we are only just starting to breathe again. So as I am sure you can imagine, Christmas and New Year's were very quiet. I am finding it heavenly to be on the other side of it all. Anyhoo, I saw that they have released the new cover of Simply Crochet uk, issue 14 and as I hinted a few times, I have a project in it. So here is a sneaky little peak. The brief was to design a vintage teddy bear. I thought I would go a little circusy with it. So here he is above (in a different wool) and below… 

I had such a lot of fun with it and the boys were very pleased as they both ended up with a new toy.

I've just finished reading 'Dreamquake' by Elizabeth Knox, the sequel to 'Dreamhunter' and am feeling glossily satisfied from having had such a great read. I love when an intricate plot is set up and then  manages to answer everything at the end. It is for teenagers (which never puts me off) but I have come away with so many thoughts to chew over which is always a wonderful result.

Now to choose the next one. Fortunately I have a pretty great pile at the moment. What are you reading at the moment for your summer/winter.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

Books this Year.

 Here are the books that I picked up from the library today. A few to get me through the Christmas season! I thought that I would do a quick run over some of the books that I really enjoyed this year….

 And here they are:
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (hilarious and poignant)
Wool (the whole trilogy, Wool, Shift and Dust) by Hugh Howey (riveting)
The Signature of all Things by Elizabeth Gilbert (sublime)
Maddaddam by Margaret Atwood (the final of her trilogy(isn) which I loved).
The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells
Sea Creatures
Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield
Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox (I am gutted that dreamquake is out of the library)
Wake by Elizabeth Knox (gory but sooooo good)
How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny (possibly one of my all time favourite authors)
The new Bridget Jones book - I liked it.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (I couldn't stop reading it, whether I liked it is another thing)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor (how dare she take 18 months between books)
Karen White (books by)
Carol Goodman (books by)
Wendy Webb (books by)
The House at the End of Hope Street ( I always like a bit of magical realism)
The Raven Boys series by Maggie Somethingorothermaybe-stiefvardt
Crochet at Play by Kat Goldin

There are so many other books that I have read and loved this year but these are the ones I remember for the moment. If any more spring to mind I will let you know.
Lots of love,
Kate xxooxx.

On the Ground Running.

Well, life in New Zealand has picked up pace again. It is amazing how fresh my brain feels after our sojourn to Australia even though it was quite physically and emotionally challenging. 

Archie and Hugo had a dress up day at school where they had to wear gold or go as a miner. Archie decided to be a canary and his little brother followed suit. So cute!!! They both made their own costumes and looked so sweet. Once again I missed taking a photo of Archie because as soon as it was made he packed it away to keep it safe in his school bag.

 I love costumes you can staple rather than sew. Archie is a professional.

 And my roses are out again. They are such a joy, especially my 'Pierre de Ronsard'.

 On Friday I finally made it back to the library where I had 11 holds waiting for me. I think the boys thought it was Christmas when they arrived home from school. I love that 'safe' feeling when you have a stack of books waiting to be read. Nothing worse than running out….

 I have also been working on some mysterious projects which I will hopefully be able to tell you about soon. In the meantime, let's just say that it looks as though a plague has swept through.

And here is Birdboy number two!

Lots and lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.