About me

Who am I?

I'm a mum of three great kids!

I work for a living - like most, but I have a passion for all things beautiful.

I can't help it - I am like a Magpie when it come's to spotting things.

In my spare time, I love trawling through junk & antique shops....or wandering around markets.

I love mixing the 'old with the new'.

I believe old things come with history of their 'previous lives' in homes of other people.

Put this in with your new stuff & you create a room with personality.

In a perfect world - I would love to help people create their home with things they love.

I know it can be extremely hard for people to pull colour & textiles together.

I'm pretty lucky that my husband let's me try different things in our house - constantly.

I studied Art at High School - but unfortunately left school early to work in an office

to help out my parents out at home.

Interior Design, & Fashion Designers were not a thing to pursue as a career in New Zealand in the 80's - or so my parent's thought.

But the thoughts of all things creative never left me.

I love the look of Vintage & the colour Pink.

I think it is Feminine.

Something that is quite often forgotten about today.

A lot of our fashion is 'Grunge' which is fine in the right place,

but I think it's important for a woman to express  their sensuality.

Woman are sexy.

And far too many these days have insecurities about the way they look.

I also believe it's important to create your 'own look' & feeling comfortable with that.

Summer turns 18!

 

Being Two is tough work for this wee one as behind the scenes is a noisy new born brother!

 

Looking adorable comes easy...especially with those big eyes & eyelashes!

 

However, the 6th April 2014 is a big day for her as she is turning 18!

 

 

 

I love to bake - so out came the cookbook.

 

 

 

Never one for waiting for surprises - Summer takes a peek!

 

 

Summer loves all things pink & Ballet, so it wasn't hard to decide on what direction

I was going to take with decorating the cake.

I thought the vintage roses would be a nice touch as since she is turning 18 - fresh

flowers from The Country Providore would 'grow the cake up' so to speak.

 

 

 

 

I thought Raspberry & White Chocolate Icing would look great with the colour scheme -

not too mention great flavour!

The name of the roses where 'Old Dutch' & looked great with the vintage little

ballerina decorations I found at a local shop.

The pink balls around the edge of the cake were in actual fact - scorched almonds.

They were coated in this amazing pink metallic coating!

I found these also at a speciality lolly store in town.

 

 

The cute little 'Happy Birthday' bunting came from a giftware sale that I had saved.

 

 

 

Our 'big girl' at 18!

 

Happy Birthday Summer xx

 

 

6months young!

This is me at 6mths being held by Rose & Pop!

 

Nan is looking pretty retro there with her trendy glasses of the 1970s!

William Vincent & Rose Matthews

 

Old - meets new.....generation.

 

This is the wedding day of two very special people in the photo.

 

Their names are "William Vincent & Rose Matthews".

To me they are/were my great grandparents 'Nanny Rose & Pop'.

They were married in the 1920s.

They arrived in New Zealand when they were both incredibly young.

They survived the 'depression' while they resided up the Thames Coast, New Zealand.

Nanny often spoke of those times, when all they had for a meal was boiled cabbage soup - because someone had randomly left a cabbage at their front door.  Without the kind heartedness of those - there would be nothing to eat that day.

When Rose sailed away from her home shores (originally from the Isle of White) - she left

her father & sister behind.

I recall on the odd occasions when Nan mentioned a letter had arrived in the post (to us snail mail) from her sister.

Nan never saw her father or sister again after she left. Travel was far too expensive for her & pop.

They had one child 'Eva' - a daughter - my grandmother.

Nanny Rose got incredibly sick after having Nana - so that was it Pop said.

Pop passed away when I was 5. I still remember him calling me 'Ally cat'.

Nanny Rose passed when I was 21 - she was 92.

Amazing how life would have been different for Nan if she had email & Skype to keep in touch with her loved ones!

How the times have changed.

 

But I just wanted to point out in my photo most of all - how it is possible to keep the vintage amongst the new and make it work!



Meet Ruby

Imaginative Play in the Woods - Autumn