One Year

It's been one year today, since our lives changed forever. A day of remembrance and a day reflection. Rhys, you are always and forever in my heart.

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Kia kaha Christchurch, all my love.

Meet Lola

New Year

Happy, happy New Year to anyone out there still reading this little corner of blogland. I have been gone for quite a while from this space (although MUCH lurking has been done on other lovely blogs), but living in someone elses house with ALL of your belongings packed in boxes makes it very hard to find a little space to be quiet and inspired. While we were suppose to move into our new house a few days before Christmas, this didn't eventuate, due to paperwork required from a City Council currently snowed under by the ongoing barrage of earthquakes Christchurch is suffering. However, Monday 9th January is our day!

I've been lucky enough to have the keys to our new home for the past few days, so have spent a large chunk of time there, with the help of my parents and a friend (thanks so much!!), cleaning (and cleaning and cleaning and cleaning), and getting some of the larger furniture moved. Does any one have a magic way of getting rid of the smell of cat piss??? That is the only thing I can smell in the new house at the moment... yum. Oh the joys of buying an ex-rental!

Our wee 1920s bungalow is definitely a project and I'm still getting my head around the fact that this will take quite some time to get it how I want it to be... But, patience is a virtue and not a skill I currently have, so it will be good for me! In the meantime, it will be a good challenge for me to find ways to make my current space workable, beautiful and homely.

The start of a new year, while entirely arbitrary, seems a great time to set goals. After the year that was 2011, anything has got to be an improvement. Due to the horrible start and ongoing challenges faced last year, I was treading water for most of it. However, some big decisions were made (selling and buying and starting my PhD), so now it is time to get down to business! Here are some of my goals for 2012:
- get up early - 6am please.
- do more yoga - no excuses now I have a yoga studio directly across the road from my house!
- travel - maybe a big call given the other things I have taken on this year, but it's a nice one to ponder.
- become more self-sufficient - vege garden, fruit trees, bees, chickens and making everything I possibly can myself will help with this.
- focus my eating around whole foods - many of the lovely blogs I have found over the holidays have provided delightful and delicious inspiration for this.
- work my arse off on my PhD, and hopefully see the bank balance grow as this takes up a large chunk of my time...

I'll be back in a few days (my new home's internet is not hooked up until Wednesday) for a few photos of my new house.

New house!

I've been making a bit of a habit of these monthly posts lately, but life has been in a bit of disarray, making it hard to find the time and equipment to actually post anything! Since I last posted, a few things have happened. We have bid our first house farewell, and are now living with a VERY generous friend, who has taken Paddy and myself, Max the dog, Fang the rabbit AND the entire contents of our house on as guests. Unfortunately, many of the things I wish I had access to, became packed e.g my camera cable... This makes it tricky to share photos of the lovely bunch of peonies I have sitting in a new hurricane vase in the lounge (one of my favourite flowers) and a perfect Crown Lynn swan, rescued by my dear friend from life as a drip-catcher for an overflowing gutter.

But, what I can share is a picture of our new house!!

Isn't she cute? Settlement day has not yet been decided but I can't wait to get in there and get stuck into the garden! With a massive (for us) 678 square metre section, the possibilities for my vege garden, dwarf orchard, bees, chicken house, cut flower garden and compost heap are endless! Not to mention all the lovely things we can do inside the house too. So, watch this space for lots of exciting developments (just as soon as I've tracked my camera cable down...).

Life Update

Well, it's been over a month since my last post, in which I filled you all in on the many exciting things that were happening in my life at the moment. I do have somewhat of a tendency to over-commit myself, and this have been another example if this...

But, I've had a few successes, despite my over enthusiasm:

1. I sold my house, all by myself, last Sunday. We don't go unconditional until this Friday, but as it's only conditional on insurance getting approved, and that is just about sorted, it looks like we will be all good to go! This also means we have to move out of our house, in three weeks time... Luckily it's a long weekend in Christchurch next weekend, so we will aim to get a large chunk of it done then. As of yet, we have not found anywhere to buy yet, so at this stage, are moving in with a friend until the right house comes along. House hunting is a tiring hobby, and I can't wait till we find the right one!

2. I have been approved, and officially started my PhD on November 1st. No news on scholarships yet, so fingers are still crossed, but the study is all go! I am going to work and study for a while, until things get too busy, and then I'll cave, and go back to being a student again. I may wonder what the heck I was thinking in a few months time, but oh well, too late now!

3. Paddy and I celebrated our six year anniversary last week. Well actually, we both forgot about it as things have been soooooooo busy. However, a delayed celebration will occur next weekend. I can't believe I've been with this lovely man for six whole years! He still makes me warm and fuzzy inside and I can't wait to start our next adventure together.

4. We had a lovely trip to Melbourne, in which lots of delicious vintage goodies were purchased. And an iPad, which I am quite smitten with. I'm typing this very post on it actually! Speaking of which, if anyone knows of any nice covers, please point me in the right direction. I will share my goodies in a post with more photos in the near future.

5. Earlier this week, 15 litres of elderflower champagne was bottled and is carbonating away in the garage. If you have elderflowers in your area I can't recommend enough to make this incredible elixir. In a glass with some ice and mint, over gin or feijoa vodka or by itself, it is the ultimate summer drink. I posted a recipe here, last year.

Apart from sulking about not getting to do any gardening at the moment, that's pretty much my life in a nutshell! I'll be back again once the packing is done, hopefully with a new home announcement!

Long Time, No Post

Well, I've been a little MIA for a while. I've still been around, just not so much on here... Things have been crazy busy, as I've taken on 3 MASSIVE projects, all at the same time. Probably not the best idea, but it's how it's worked out...
Project Number 1: PhD, kick-off, hopefully 1st November (applying for study and scholarships takes a lot of time!).
Project Number 2: Sell our house... A bit of work needs to be done before this is possible, and we are going to have a go at the private sale thing too. So... wish me luck!
Project Number 3: As a result of selling the house we live in, we also need to buy a new one. And we want a project. So, again, wish me luck!

I'm still planning on blogging, of course. But I just need to get through the next few weeks which will see me a) complete applications, b) have the house listed, and c) take a week's holiday in Melbourne (unrelated, but well deserved).

As the weather warms up, the number of fabulous things to be done outside greatly increases! It's elderflower season very, very soon, so elderflower champagne and hopefully elderflower vinegar are definitely on the to-do list. And of course, many hours spent in the garden. Spring is so refreshing, after a long, cold winter. Max and I are very much enjoying our night time walks, and I love coming home when it is still light outside!

So, I'll be back soon, with hopefully some exciting news and lots of fabulous spring/summer projects.

Birthday Loveliness

I turned 25 on Friday. Gosh, I feel like I was only 18 just a few years ago! I have had a lovely 3-day birthday weekend, including Electric Wire Hustle, dinner out, breakfast out and spending time with lots of my most favourite people.

Only five years till I'm 30 and lots to get done, including my PhD, which I am hoping to start in just a few short weeks! Things will be very busy around here, as I endeavour to work full time and study part time... Phew. Life is short though and opportunities must be seized. Wish me luck!

Some of my birthday treats...

 And more to come... I have been very spoilt.

Snow and Bread

Today in my lovely city we woke up to an actual Winter Wonderland! It had been snowing heavily overnight and it continued throughout the day, leaving us with a rather thick layer of the white stuff. In true Christchurch-ian fashion, the city shut down and we all had a snow day!

Max loved the snow!

What better to do on a snow day than make bread and soup. For the soup, I was lazy and used one of those great Kings soup packets and added in a few veges, but the bread was my classic favourite - wholemeal five seed. Perfect with lots of butter, dunked into a bowl of hot soup after a snow frolic!


Wholemeal Five Seed Bread

1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups warm water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups wholemeal or spelt flour
1 1/4 cups white flour
1 Tbsp each of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flaxseed and sesame seeds
1/4 cup wholegrain rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp bread yeast

Place all ingredients in a bread maker and set on the dough option. Alternatively, if you are organised, follow the steps for no-knead bread in this post. Keep an eye on the dough for the first five or so minutes, to make sure it has combined properly. Add a bit more water if it is too dry or a bit more flour if it is too wet. Once dough cycle has finished, turn dough out onto a floured surface and give a quick knead. Shape into your desired loaf, slash the top a few times and place in an oven, preheated to 200 degrees celcious. Bake for around half an hour or until the base sounds hollow when tapped.

A Whinge and a Prize Winner

Well hello there. I've been somewhat MIA for the last few weeks, and I'm sorry. However, for those of you who live in Christchurch, or are close with someone who does, I'm sure you can understand why. It's been a bumpy few weeks here (more so than the usual) and for me, I'm just about reaching my limit. The chronic stress (it's been over 10 months since our first big quake) of almost constant earthquakes, is seriously getting to me, and I'm almost, almost not coping. Last Monday June 13th, we had another big one. A 6.3 magnitude, which was the same magnitude as the devastating February earthquake. I was in the same place as I was in February, doing a very similar thing. For those of you who follow my life, I work 90 kms and over an hour away from my home, my friends, my family, my life. I very much still feel the larger earthquakes where I work. They are not nearly as aggressive and sharp, but still very obvious. After previous experience, I now know that when I feel an earthquake like that, something very bad may be happening in my home town. And so I panic. I can't get hold of the people I love as all the phone lines crash. I don't know what has happened and where it has happened and it sends me into hysteria. Not the most practical thing to happen, but at this point, after 10 months of this, my body takes over and this is what it does. June 13th's earthquake wasn't nearly as devastating as February's - most likely because our central city is pretty much a ghost town and that is where the buildings fell last time, but it was still bad. People's houses continued to be destroyed, even more than they already were, rocks slide down hills, uninhabited buildings collapse and people are scared, terrified even, for we know what happened once, and who's to say it won't happen again. Christchurch is exhausted, on edge and over it, more than words can ever describe.

And then this week, another big aftershock hits, 10.35pm on Tuesday night. We got out of bed for that one (and not much gets me out of bed); it was long and powerful. However, once that was over, the series of aftershocks a larger earthquake sets off begin. This is something people from Christchurch now now intimately. Yes, big earthquakes are scary and annoying, but do you know that they are followed by many, many aftershocks? Aftershocks often rumble, like a jet is taking off directly over your house. I liken it to a Giant, walking with his massive feet, right outside my house. So, they start with a rumble, maybe 5-10 seconds long, and then they hit, in varying strengths, but very similar to the a fore mentioned Giant kicking your house. This past Tuesday night, after the 10.35pm aftershock, the littler rumbles and punches continued well into the night. In the paper the next day, the headline read something like 'Here's Why You Had Such a Bad Nights Sleep', and showed the aftershock pattern, which continued until around 4am. And then I get up at 6am and drive for over an hour, away from my home and my life. Safe to say, I've been pretty tired this week.

Trust me, I know, despite all this complaining, that I am lucky. I still come home to a house that is dry, watertight and still standing. I have water and electricity (unless a large aftershock temporarily knocks them out) and I have a job to go to, despite how far away it is. But that doesn't mean I am not exhausted, living in a semi-constant state of heightened arousal due to very regular aftershocks, missing life pre-February 22nd, sad, angry and upset that my reality is in a constant state of stress, change and uncertainty. I feel like I am underperforming in all areas of my life at the moment, and for a perfectionist, this is very hard to accept.

So please, let me have my whinge, because while I know I am lucky, my reality is still hard. And understand that my absences have a reason; because sometimes, it is all just a bit much. 

Now, enough of that and onto the winner of my wee competition, to celebrate my 100th post. After flipping a coin for the TWO entries I received, 'heads' and Fran from Frangipani was the lucky winner. Fran lives in Christchurch too, so be sure to pay her a visit and say hi. Fran, please excuse the delay, and I will have something lovely in the post for you by the end of the week :)

Earthquake: Two Months On...

It's two months today since the world as I know it changed forever, and I think it is time I shared my own experiences of that day.

On February 22nd, 2011 at 12.51pm, the ground beneath the feet of Canterbury shook. It shook so violently that it tumbled buildings, crushed cars, rolled boulders down hills and shattered lives. It also shattered the security and peace of the life I viewed as pretty much perfect, prior to that minute. I had finally, after six years of study, begun my first, real job; I owned a home with my partner of six years, the love of my life; I had an amazing group of friends who I am grateful for every single day. Life really was good. The earthquake took that away from me, and hundreds of thousands of others. It took from my city fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends and partners. It took from us the happy, peaceful life that once was. I can't even tell you the final death toll, as I stopped following the media a few days after the event. Why would I need to watch it on the news? I was living it.

Everyone has an earthquake story, and here is mine:

I got up that morning, like every other morning, still buzzing from a fantastic weekend with my friends. We had been out for an incredible dinner to celebrate mine and one of my friends' new jobs. Many laughs were had, like every night out with my friends and plans were made for the following weekend. I went off to work in Ashburton, an hours drive from Christchurch city. The morning went by as usual. I had a client booked for 1pm, who arrived early. I hadn't met this client or her mother before, so we sat down to have a chat. Not long after, an earthquake started. Now, this is nothing unusual for me, as earthquakes happen in Christchurch all the time. They don't normally bother me and after waiting for a second to evaluate the severity of it, I am usually back to what I was doing before it is even over. This one was evaluated differently. The mother of my client grabbed her and we moved into a doorway. The quake was long, much longer than they normally are, and very swaying. It was like being on a boat on slightly rough sea. It startled me a wee bit, but I never thought about the fact that I was 85kms away from my home, and the effect it may have had there. We went back to the session, feeling a few aftershocks here and there. The session finished up, about 45 minutes later, and I farewelled my client and her mother. Checking my cell phone, I had several texts: one from Paddy, asking it I felt that, and one each from my parents, seeing if I was okay. That was fairly standard, as texts are often exchanged after large ish aftershocks, just to see how every one is doing. I tried to ring Paddy but the lines were down, and a small part of me started to worry. I tried again and again, getting more panicked every time, until I finally go through to him. We had a very short conversation checking each other was okay. He told me everyone was fine but the school was being evacuated and he was going to head home. I said I would finish my last appointment, and see him around 5pm. We said our love yous and goodbyes and I hung up. Keep in mind neither of us was anywhere near any source of media, and at this point, had no idea what had happened in the city. I packed up my things and made a phone call to my colleagues in the Ashburton office, to check they were okay. Everything was fine there but the lady I spoke to said she thought I should go home. I was planning on finishing out my day, but after that, I began to feel uneasy. I rung to cancel my appointment and tried to get back through to Paddy to tell him I was coming home. The phone line was out again. I got in my car and needing petrol, drove to the petrol station. In the few short minutes I was in my car, listening to National radio, I began to get an idea of what had actually happened up in my home town. This was not just another aftershock. The cue at the petrol station was huge and I began to get panicky. Shakily I filled up my car and cued to pay. People were not really talking, they all, like me, were on a mission to get home. I tried to call my mum at the petrol station, I got through to her and started to cry, telling her I was scared and had she spoken to my brothers, one who has special needs and one who works in a restaurant in a large hotel in town. She had heard from one, and said dad had heard from the other. I felt a little bit more at ease, and she reassured me everything was okay and to drive home safely and keep in touch. I got on the road, for what was to be the longest drive of my life.

A trip that usually takes me an hour, took almost three. The traffic was bumper to bumper in both directions from Ashburton to Christchurch, and gridlocked once I hit the outskirts of town. I was glued to the radio the whole time, trying to take in what I was hearing. The CBD was destroyed, buildings had collapsed, buses were crushed, and the worst of all, people had died this time. The miracle of September 4th was just that; a miracle. This was reality. It all got a bit much for me about 45 minutes into my drive. I began to have a panic attack, on a long stretch of bridge. I managed to breath through it until I got over the bridge and then I pulled over and broke down into hysterics. I tried to ring Paddy and my parents and I couldn't get through. I was beside myself, on the side of the highway and I didn't know what to do. Eventually I had no choice but to pull myself together and keep driving. The longer I spent on the side of the road crying, the longer it would be until I was home. Tears blurred my vision, but I kept driving. The radio was telling me the city was destroyed, especially the CBD. I live very close to the CBD, only a few kilometres away, and I was convinced I would have no home left to go to. I knew Paddy was okay over an hour ago, when I had spoken to him, but aftershocks were coming thick and fast and all I could do was hope and pray he was still safe. Eventually I made it into the suburbs. The devastation was unreal. The roads were torn up, there was flooding and liquefaction everywhere, lights were out and there were people everywhere, walking, grim-faced, trying to get home to their own families. I spent a lot of time looking at faces as I sat in my car, stuck in traffic, and I still remember them now. Many were fighting back tears, all looked very somber. No one was really talking. We all knew this was bad.

Waiting in traffic only a few hundred metres from my house for over half an hour was torture. I thought about abandoning my car many times but, I didn't know what I was going home to- the weather was packing in and if my house was gone, my car may be all I had left. I waited and waited, texting Paddy regularly, not knowing if they were getting to him, and not receiving anything back from him. Finally I pulled up the driveway; I was home. Feeling Paddy's arms around me was the biggest relief of my life. He was safe; we were together. I started shaking and couldn't walk properly. He told me the house was pretty much okay, and he would walk me through it, showing me the damage. A friend of ours, who lived in Diamond Harbour but had been at Uni had walked to our house, as he had  no where else to go. He would not be able to get back to his house for at least a few days due to the Lyttelton tunnel being closed and rock falls. I started to cry when I saw Simon, saying to him I was so glad to be home and that he was okay.

Finally being with Paddy in my not-too-damaged home was not the end of this awful day. Now began the mammoth task of contacting all of my friends. As phone lines were down, I sent texts to my closest friends, in particular those who worked in the CBD. Most were fine, some I didn't hear from for ages. Then, I got the terrible news that my friend, whose new job we celebrated only a few days prior, was in the CTV building, which had collapsed. At the time I remember feeling sick to my stomach, but then being able to comfort my friend on the phone, who had rung to tell me the news (calls got through sporadically) that it was going to be fine, they would get him out. We just needed to be patient and send him all of our strength, because he was going to need it to help him get through this. As we still had no power or water, we ended up at my parents for tea and I sat, glued to the News, with the laptop beside me and my cellphone in my hand, hoping and praying for the news that they had rescued him and he was coming home. We went home later as both Paddy and I wanted to sleep in our own bed. The power came back on and we stayed glued to the rolling news coverage, again checking Facebook every few minutes for updates. Still, nothing. I went to bed that day at around 2am, barely slept a wink thanks to the ongoing aftershocks and a racing mind, and was up again at 5am. Instantly, I went to Facebook, knowing that if he had been rescued it would be on there. In my heart of hearts I truly felt they would have pulled him out that night. I expected to spend that next day at the hospital, around his bed, joking but relieved of the happy outcome. But still, nothing. If it was possible, I think the day after the 22nd was even worse. I sat on the couch and did not move for the entire day, watching rolling news coverage of the devastation of my beautiful city. Watching and hoping for the news that didn't come. It was, quite possibly, the worst day of my life.

It was three long weeks until they finally recovered my friend's body. Three torturous weeks of waiting and hoping, because, if you don’t have hope, you have nothing. And so we hoped, we prayed, we spoke to him, wherever he was, telling him he would be okay and we couldn't wait for him to tell his story. When the news finally came that they had found his body, it was the most intense sense of disbelief, sadness and relief, all at the same time. Disbelief that this had actually happened. A building collapsed and killed my friend. Doesn’t this kind of thing only happen in movies? Is this really my reality? Apparently so.

The last few months have been surreal, to say the least. I said before that the world as I knew it is no longer, and walking around Christchurch, it is quite obvious that this is still true. For weeks after the earthquake, the sound of helicopters flying overhead was normal. Army men were on every street corner. No water. No sewerage. Sporadic power cuts. An ongoing feeling of anxiety and an overwhelming feeling of sadness. I haven't ventured near town yet, I don't want to. The photos floating around on Facebook and in the news are enough to bring me to tears, even now. The thought of seeing the devastation with my own eyes is too much.

Life goes on in Christchurch. Aftershocks hit almost daily, they say we will have 'increased earthquake activity for the next 50 years'. I get up in the morning and go to work, and Paddy does the same; but little things are different. Everyone is exhausted. The kind of exhaustion that a few early nights can't even touch. We have a comprehensive emergency kit in our garage, torches beside our beds, a plan for what to do and where to go if it happens again. And, most importantly, every goodbye counts. Because, as we now know, it may be the last one.

Max

We have a new member of our family, as of a few weeks ago. Allow me to introduce Max, the spoodle. He also responds to MaxiPad, Maximus, Maximum Cuteness, Maximum Hotpants and Oi.

He is naughty and cute and makes us feel happy, all at the same time :) Oh, and he feels like a teddy bear and gives a great spoon (he prefers small spoon). I think they call this puppy love?...

Inspiration

I have a little folder on my desktop simply named 'Inspiration'. It's a place where I save images that really speak to me, for one reason or another. It's mostly interiors at the moment, with the occasional outfit thrown in here and there. I spend a lot of time daydreaming about my dream home...
Unfortunately, I don't have any credits for these images, as they are just saved away as as I find them. For this, I apologise profusely. To the people whose images these are, thank you; you are amazing; you inspire me.

I hope you enjoy these images as much as I do... :)

Earthquake

I am so, so saddened to write that there has been another massive earthquake in Christchurch, this time much worse. Paddy, myself and our home are ok but our city is destroyed. We have one friend that we know of most likely trapped in the CTV building, one of the worst hit, and are hoping and praying (despite not being religious) for a positive outcome. There are many more people who have been badly injured or killed by this terrible event and the true toll will not be known for days, if not weeks.We are constantly being rocked by huge aftershocks, and sleep is hard to come by.

The devastation is unbelievable. Paddy and I live just a few kilometres from most of these photos.

Please send your thoughts, prayers and strength to those in my beautiful city who need it most. xxx

Vintage Love

I can't get enough of vintage, it is my greatest love...

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To fulfill my vintage needs I have been doing a bit of online shopping lately, on two gorgeous, vintage clothing sites in particuar. I highly recommend you check them both out! Two new dresses arrived today, and it was major excitement at the letterbox. I can't wait for the weather to perk up so I can wear them!!

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Here are the links, you simply MUST look at them!


House of Maryanne Vintage

Vintage Marketplace

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Any other good vintage sites I should know about? Please do tell!

Happy New Year!

Just a quick note to say Happy New Year to all those people out there, who take the time to stop by and read my little blog. I hope you all had a Christmas full of delicious food, spent with people you love, and a safe and happy New Years.

Last night we christened our new pizza oven, lovingly built for me by Paddy, by having a party for any and all of our very special friends. It was a wonderful night, ending with fireworks and the most amazing bottle of mead! I am now indulgently sitting on the couch, still in my dressing gown (!), eating leftover dessert from last night (dessert pizza, chocolate pav with cream and berries, and extra cream and berries) and watching my all-time favourite programme, River Cottage. Sheer bliss!

Have a happy day everyone. Much love xxx

Home Sweet Home?

No, home actually is quite sweet. It's the flu I have that isn't so. Yes, that's right, day 2 of freedom from University and I have acquired Paddy's horrible, cottonball-head, bones aching, sore throat, snotty nose, feeling like death flu. Safe to say, I'm not impressed! To rub it in even more, I rolled over yesterday morning and said "I feel like s**t". To which he perkily replied, "I feel GREAT! I should have given my flu to someone days ago!". I repeat, not impressed!

It's ok though I suppose, as I'm on holiday and he is in the throws of performing his latest play, and working. I'm just grumpy because it's 26 degrees in my garden right now, and I would much rather be out there than moping inside because I can't bend over from the aching!

I will be back when I feel better and have achieved something worthy of posting about!
xx

A Long Time Away

I have been very slack with this blog lately, in action, but most definitely not in thought. Living away from home is hard. I am not around the people I care about most, I am not around my things, or in my space. But, after 3 months, and a lot of action, it is almost all over. I am 2 weeks away from being home again. Home to my loved ones, my garden, my sewing machine, my kitchen; home to my home.

I have spent these past 3 months working my butt off, finishing my degree, getting a job (yippee!!), and pondering life, and the direction I hope it will take. I look forward to getting back to my home, my space, and reviving this poor, wee neglected blog. What I have not neglected these past few months, is reading blogs. I am very, very humbled and in awe of all the amazing people out there, who inspire me daily to do better, to try harder, and to be true to myself and what I want for my life. Thank you to all those people who take time out of their day to share their wisdom, their thoughts, and a tiny snippet of their life, which truly helps me to strive for more, and makes me a better person.

Shaken Up

Well, I had every intention of posting a new entry this weekend, and getting some more sorted for the week. However, I didn't anticipate being thrown out of my bed at 4.35am on Saturday morning by a massive earthquake (7.1) hitting my poor wee hometown. Amazingly, no one died, and although there is alot of very serious damage very close to our house, Paddy, myself and our home and belongings are all unscathed. It's actually very surreal. From our house it looks like nothing has even happened, but turning on the news shows a completely different story. If the buildings weren't so familiar, I would find it hard to believe this was happening only 10 minutes away from us. Check out some of the amazing, and scary photos of the damage here.

We are still getting hit by some pretty big and persistent aftershocks, and I haven't had more than a few hours sleep since it happened. We are all very on edge and every rumble stops you in your tracks, wondering if this will be another big one. It's really not pleasant.

However, I am grateful we are safe and well, and have a roof over our heads. I will be heading back to Dunedin tomorrow (a day late, as I can't bear to leave Paddy just yet), and will be home again next weekend. Hopefully by then, all will have calmed down and my nerves will let me sit down and concentrate.

Until then, take care xxx

Southern Girl

Well, I am feeling very guilty and quite shut off from the blog world, as it has been quite some time since I have written, and even longer since I have read what everyone else is up to!

Allow me to explain...
As the last part of my degree, I have been sent to Dunedin to work in an internship-esque arrangement for 3 whole months! Unfortunately, I don't have internet access at home so I have not been able to post anything.
So, I've snuck on here in my tea break to reassure those who care that I have not, in fact, fallen off the face of the earth. I am just quite near the bottom of it, literally.

I plan on heading back home every second weekend or so, and while I am back in my own home, will most definitely endeavor to a) do something that involves my sewing machine, kitchen, or garden, and b) write something about it!

Paddy, who is in charge of my very baby seedlings, and protecting my fruit trees from any sign of a frost, assures me that everything is fine, and the house and garden are still standing. I get almost nightly updates and he even brought me photos down this last weekend as proof my trees were alive and kicking (as much as mostly dormant trees can be...). What a darling, he sure knows how I tick.

I am still myself though, as much as is possible, and I'm still baking, and making bread and buying my veges from the Farmer's Market. However, with a laptop that won't read my camera, no internet, and a flatmate I am trying not to weird out too much ("excuse me, can I please photograph your dinner?"),  it has been hard to write about these things.

So, that's where I am, and will be for quite a few more weeks. I look forward to a thorough catch-up of everyones goings-ons and a new and exciting post this coming weekend.

Obsessed...

I've been kind of obsessing over a few websites lately. So much so that my uni work is not getting done, the dishes stay unwashed until Paddy gives up and does them (not such a bad thing...), I am overdue for a new (and proper) blog post, and most dramatically, I haven't even begun to plan my spring/summer garden yet.
However, with all their distraction power, I decided I must share the love and the websites that are currently taking over my life...

Lisa Leonard Designs
The most beautiful and personalised jewellery ever! I just mentioned to Paddy that if I was my own boyfriend I would be so awesome at buying me presents. I'm not particularly subtle, and that includes at dropping hints. Maybe I'll just email him the links of the things I like?

vol25
Gorgeous prints. I actually want them all. So much cuteness, I can't handle it.

Young House Love
An adorable couple, cute baby and an amazing house. I have the overwhelming urge to redecorate. The thing I love most about this blog/website is they do it all themselves! It is a bounty of great do-it-yourself ideas.

Any sites you are currently obsessing over? Do tell...