Currently : April

Photographing: Cool local personalities for Bare Beaunz - such a pleasure!

Saving for: A house, as much as you put away, it never feels like enough.

Eating: Homemade chicken noodle soup with pak choy.

Coveting: Penny Sage cherry red jumpsuit.

Drinking: Single malt whiskey with a dash of warm runny honey. I first tried this in Poland and it's gorgeous in winter.

Watching: Survivor. I can't help myself.

Reading: Crafty Girl's Road Trip - a brilliant little guidebook.

Listening to: Maz Totterdell.

Wearing: Kate Sylvester Lambie coat, see above...go on, stroke me :)

Talking about: The possibility of a Spring NZ Fashion Week. Wahoo!

Waiting for: The Artist on dvd, I missed seeing it on the big screen.

Smelling: wood smoke curling from chimneys - makes me think of my childhood days in Christchurch.

Searching for: fresh sardines...any recommendations?

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Sunday Sounds : Maz Totterdell

How unique and gorgeous is this 16 year old Brit? And I love the addition of her Mum playing the 'frog'. My toes are tapping in time with the croaks...


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The littlest letter set

I absolutely adore getting mail, proper mail that is; bills and marketing letters most definitely do not count.


Whilst I love the convenience of emails and phones for regular contact, there is nothing more delightful than opening the letterbox to find a handwritten note from a friend or loved one.


I'm always on the look out for beautiful paper and stock to make my own, and I discovered this gorgeous little letter set at Yellow Brick Road Boutique this week. As you can see, it is about a quarter of the size of a regular envelope so if posting, you would need to double-envelope or risk it getting lost altogether.


The best thing about it is that with limited space, the note can be kept short and sweet. After all, most good things do come in...


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Grey Lynn Bird Watching

Grey Lynn Vegan from Kokako

According to the DOC website, the Kokako prefers running to flying, leaping through the forest on its long, strong legs. Although the South Island Kokako is assumed to be extinct, it's Northern sibling is still holding on by a thread and its call sounds a bit like my daughter trying to play the harmonica. 


It might not be of the feathered kind, but there is a new Kokako we should treasure, native to Grey Lynn. A coffee roastery (of certified fairtrade organic beans) and cafe, serving brunch, lunch and all sorts of guilt-free treats, if you blink while turning out of Williamson Ave you may miss Kokako altogether. Don't!

I was introduced to Kokako by Charlotte Ryan (she'll be on Beaunz next week, stay tuned) who treated me to a Grey Lynn Vegan smoothie. I'm not usually a juice or smoothie fan, preferring to get my calories from whole fruit or just plain ice cream, but this was divine. Made with Omaha organic blueberries, All Good fairtrade banana, almond milk, coconut milk and goji berries (which, thankfully, you couldn't taste - blech) it was delicious and so filling I couldn't finish it, and didn't need lunch afterwards.

If you're in the area, pop in and take a look, and while you're there pick up a box of Kokako drinking chocolate...another native treasure you should keep your eye on.

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Colour - Pop Art

Penny Sage jumpsuit from Miss Crabb

Cherry red, check.
Pockets, check.
Bell sleeves, check.
Body skimming, check.
Feminine, check.
Insouciant, check.


Do I want it? Abso-bleepin-lutely! Don't get between me and Miss Crabb when it opens this morning...


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It's only words...

As the weather cools down and everyone moves indoors to hibernate for the winter, I’m suddenly obsessed with stocking up the games cupboard and I have fallen head over heels for this beautiful typography Scrabble.

Made from walnut, cork and birch, with metal detailing, it is limited edition and though it’s not even available to buy until August, we’ll still have a couple of cold dark months to play by then. 

I like to think I’m great at Scrabble, and technically I should be given that I make my living out of words, but the truth is I’m terrible. At least with this game I’ll be inspired to practice, and even the shortest, silliest words will still look pretty.

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Fashion Icon : June, 1947

When I'm looking for style inspiration, I never have to stray far from a disk of images given to me after my Nanna June died. It contains scans of hundreds of pre and post-World War 2 photos of Nanna, many of them not seen before by her family. 


This one in particular has taken my fancy, because she looks chic and beautiful in head to toe fur (real, sorry PETA) and her shoes are exactly what I have been looking for this winter. My second favourite shot has Nanna in high waisted palazzo pants, ballet flats and a cashmere turtle-neck. In 1944! And we think we're so fashion forward.


Even the composition and styling of the shot is perfect. Scott Schuman eat your heart out.


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