Blue

Titahi Bay beach, a few minutes walk from our place

I was crocheting my hat yesterday and gazing out the window from my room to the ocean and sky beyond when two things occurred to me. The first that I chose blue yarn and that's an odd colour for me. For over twenty years, black has dominated my wardrobe. The only exception being the odd vintage dress or cardigan. I never wear blue. The second thought that quickly followed is that its highly likely that my environment influences me more than I maybe I realise.

I recently purchased this vintage-y blue yarn from Holland Road Yarn Company in Petone. I'm often drawn to this particular blue when I'm op shopping too.

I even dreamed I painted my lounge blue, but I'm sure that was majorly influenced by Paula at Lovely Sweet William and even more so by this particular post.

So I went around the house quickly and gathered up a few blue things I owned for a mini blue photoshoot to indulge this cool coloured whim I'm currently having. I've fallen for this colour in a major way. Have a look see.

our vintage bed linen

My friend Nina's blog Ornamental has lots of lovely blue in it.

This doesn't really do it justice. The view from my desk. 

A blue collection

Cascade 220 Heathers (Col 9452). The pattern, well there isn't one because I just make it up as I go. 

I was dreaming this colour in my sleep thanks to this yarn from Tash's shop.

A drawer from my Japanese sewing box. A string of old glass Japanese beads and\some vintage buttons from Asia Gallery in Kilbirnie.

Detail

Colour is big this season. Big pops of it. I love my collection of kitsch religious prints. 

A koha from my dear friend Lynley. Blue blood. 

My sewing box

Thrifted blue mug collection. 

Crown Lynn Jug. My friend Betty-Ann gave me hers a while back and that same week I found an identical one in an op shop so I gave her that one back to her. Now we both own one that was gifted from the other. 

I found the rabbit salt shaker at Trash Palace and the little blue dogs were found in the yard
at my friend Cleo's house in Wanganui so she sent them to me with some yarn. 

I love these old biscuit tins. You used to get them at Christmas with a selection of biscuits in them.
My mama used to fill hers with baking. Now they are so desirable and collectible. I love the floral ones. 

More green than blue. Hiapo.

In his mama's buttons.

Looking for treasure

Hei tiki

Nothing but nothing compares to spending time with my kids and family. I'm a total sucker for this guy and his brothers. Everything comes to a standstill for them.

Inside my sewing box. A small project from recycled kimono. 

Its ANZAC day here in New Zealand where we remember our fallen veterans and those who fought for our country in WWI & II. My grandfather included. I'm off to spend the day with my friends in the country with the kids. Its for these freedoms our grandfathers and uncles fought. May we never forget the cost of war, the price they paid of being separated from their families and the privileges we now enjoy. And may we spare a thought for those who still live in war torn countries. My thoughts go out to friends who are missionaries overseas, who live to ease the suffering of those in abject circumstances and who fight the great fight of evil in an unjust world. And our military who are involved in peacekeeping efforts overseas.

Feijoas: Green Gold

It feels odd my blogger name 'Ahipara Girl' because I'm now in my early 40's, no longer a girl. But Ahipara is where I lived as a kid with my grandparents for the first eight years of my life. We had a giant feijoa (pronounced 'fee-joe-ah') tree out front. Big enough for grandad to build a swing for me under it; and to be able to climb up and read books in the branches. My grandmother made feijoa ice blocks, jam, preserves, crumbles, and juice. We scoffed them and threw the empty husks at each other afterwards. Feijoa wars in our front yard.

I'm convinced I am part feijoa. They are so yummy. Sweet, a bit tart but so moreish. You eat the flesh. The best way is straight from the ground (they are ripe when they fall, you shake the branch and then duck as they fall), cut them in half (or just bite them) and then with a spoon scoop out their innards and eat. Soooo good. I think we all get a bit guts achey because we eat so many. In Wellington, they are not as abundant as the upper regions of New Zealand where its warmer. They can be huge, the size of small apples. They are also known as pineapple guavas! Who knew that?

Thank you Catherine (of Imba Design) for dropping off a bag to us. Precious fruit. In the writing of today's post, my nine year old has kindly finished the whole bag. He did bring me a bowl of cut fruit first, so thankfully I get to imbibe in some. I did have a friend invite us to come get some fruit from her place in Tawa, which I will have to now that Marcus has completely demolished the lot. We need to replenish our supply.

I love being a home girl. One day I will travel but for now, I'm happy in our own little corner of the world.

pohutakawa trees and tuatua fritters

Yesterday our pohutakawa tree's were trimmed in front of our property. They become a bit bothersome overgrown, getting tangled in overhead lines and such. It is illegal to cut one down anywhere in New Zealand, even on your own property. They are beautiful and love having a good hack to keep them healthy. 

Its returned a lot of light as well to my room, where I sit at my desk writing this post and staring out the window view again. Today there's a huge blue sky and deep blue ocean, all the way to the horizon . Its a beautiful day here and after the cold and blustery day yesterday, and the miserable winters we can have, the sunshiney warmth is most welcome. Its the last day of the holidays and it feels like God is smiling on us. I found my youngest lying in a pool of sunshine on the floor this morning, sun bathing in the lounge. My heart did a happy sigh.

I salvaged these unopened blossoms from yesterday's pruning of our front trees.

The pohutakawa tree (metrosideros excelsa) is also known as the New Zealand Christmas tree. Around December/January in the upper North Island, on the coast, these are seen everywhere in their resplendent beauty. I love them and cannot wait to plant my own one day. They are part of the myrtle familyand their flowers consist of a mass of stamens. Maori know that when those flowers start blooming, its diving season. The kina and paua are fat, creamy and ready to be eaten (my mouth is watering as I think about it) and the tuatua  (similar to pipi) are ready to be gleaned from the shores of the Ninety Mile Beach.

There is a revered tree at the very top of the North Island. Te Rerenga Wairua or Cape Reinga as it is more known, is a spiritual place for Maori. There at the uttermost tip of New Zealand stands a lone pohutakawa tree where legend has it that spirits make their final leap to return to Hawaikinui, their ancestral home. If this was possible, what a beautiful place to enter heaven on your final spiritual journey home. 

When you stand on the cliff top there is one of the most amazing sights I've ever seen. The meeting of two oceans, the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean. There you see them colliding in this big wash. Its incredible. When we were small, we would frequently make the trip to Te Rerenga Wairua, taking visitors who had come to the Far North on the journey. Like mountain goats, we'd slip under the safety barriers and scurry down the side of the cliff (as a mother, I would have a heart attack, as a kid it was awesome) to get to the strip of beach at the bottom. 

The trip back down the 90 Mile Beach on grandad's landrover was always a bit fierce too because you havd to race the tide and if you get caught out, you're a bit stuffed. There are many buried, rusted cars that had to be abandoned on incoming tides. The Ninety Mile Beach is a registered highway. Don't forget to take a bucket, get your toes out in that low tide, and get digging for tuatua's (pronounced 'two-ah two-ah') in the sand. They make delicious fritters .

Tuatua Fritters

Here is my basic approach to making tuatua fritters. 

• Sit the shellfish in a bucket of water for an hour at least, overnight is better so they spit out their sand. 
• Shell them. The easiest way is to steam them slightly til they just open but not too long or they get too cooked and tough.
• Mince or chop the shellfish finely. I kinda like it chunky so you know you are definitely eating tuatua.
• Then add finely chopped onion, flour and egg. Some people make a beer batter which you can google. I like the taste of my kaimoana and so don't do this but it is also a good option. The right batter is a personal thing. I only like mine thick enough to hold it everything together but not to make a tuatua cake. 
• Shallow fry in fry pan and hot oil. 
• Lightly salt for flavour. 
• Serve with a wedge of lemon, garden salad and a bit of sweet chilli sauce, (if you're a Kiwi, chances are you smother them in tomato sauce), and a cold beer or glass of white. Yum.

• They are also nice cooked with a bit of butter, garlic and some Shipwreck Bay sauvignon blanc, a happy chance discovery while I was up North.. Of course you can also drink the same wine with your dinner. Its perfect. And you can cook most shellfish this way like mussels and cockles etc. Its delicious.

If you are headed north, there are safari buses that depart daily from Kaitaia, that will deliver you safely to your destination. They also head up over the sand dunes and kauri gum fields. 

I have to say that I have been feeling a little homesick lately for the Far North, its warmth, the large stretch of beach, the hibiscus and my green eyed Maori relatives up there. Its been awhile since I was home (read here and here). However home now is where we live in Wellington, and the sound of my children in the next room, the sight of those trees out front and the view of the ocean beyond help settle this nomadic girl from Ahipara for now. 

A tuatua shell I collected from the beach last time we visited Ahipara. It was wintery and cold. I had a baby and a seven year old by myself. The spring tides were all wrong for harvesting tuatua. So this is the closest I got to one. Next time though, we will eat ourselves silly. I have a holiday house there that we can stay at. I look forward to heading up there next summer fingers and toes crossed. 

NB.

I am always surprised where my rambles take me. From chopped down trees to making tuatua fritters to the shores of the Ninety Mile Beach. I just write what's on my heart. Some days its a wander through a junk shop searching for treasure, down a country lane in my head, or like a tumbleweed flying away down the beach on a gusty day. Thank you for all your messages on facebook, email and the few who have managed to comment here over the past few days. A few of you have written me that its impossible to leave a comment. I don't know what's up with that, but thanks for taking the time to make contact however you could. I have been a bit blown away to find out how many people do visit and who you all are. I am discovering people I didn't even know existed. Its a bit exciting to see where you all come from, how you connected with my little old self, and its a privilege and honour to hear that some of you find joy here. 

I started writing online at art school, to help journal my progress and its continued into my online life journal. I hope it stands for a decent season so my children and grandchildren might have a record of their whakapapa. The past few years have also seen a brief interlude where posts were sporadic with a new baby in our home and times where I didn't want to contrive material just to make a noise. I'm back again with the ever pressing desire to write and share again. I also have the time to indulge in this habit of mine, now that the youngest is in kindergarten a few precious hours a week. 

I know some of you come here specifically for making/art/craft things and its an honour for me that people would. Please, let me be honest. With three sons, I squeeze bits in here and there, a knitted hat, a banner, a stitched bit of this and that. I've found it difficult to find the amount of time I need to develop my work as I see it could be. This has however become a great incubator for me. All that thinking time and frustration at not being able to have at it, has got me sitting longer with ideas and developing them in my mind. I have some incredible ideas and I know I have to wait a bit longer because my commitments currently are not in this particular sphere. Conceptually speaking, its a bonus for me as I'm an intuitive maker but think my work is stronger when the two sides both heart and mind can collide and make music. It means I'm not just shooting straight out there all the time into things but having to be really intentional. 

Making stuff ... art, design, craft can be selfish in that it can consume me and at this time in my life with a family and being actively involved in our community, that's just not an option. Growing my kids and loving my husband, being a good friend, and growing in my faith as a Christian who can serve and love others, those are my priorities. 

Art is a powerful and valid form of expression, as is music and any other kind of talent. However it does not define me as a person. I am not the sum result of my work. I am the sum result of the people around me, the God I serve and what He says about me, and each day as it comes. How I treated the people in my life, how quick I am to forgive and to give and to extend grace. Those are my daily challenges.

This period of time is about growing people, my kids, myself, my friends. Being a cheerleader, an encouragement and an inspiration. I am not perfect. I have a pretty hard time keeping on top of anything and my house always looks scruffy. I am nearly always late and have random ways to go about things. I always do things with good heart, give my best and care for those who live in my life. I start things and I'm committing to finish many of them, including raising my boys in a healthy and stable home. 

I do have some make-y things coming up with Handmade 2012. In fact its part of why I do those things, so I can get in the zone by setting that time apart. It combines my love of making things by hand while making meaningful connections with others.

I'm off to eat feijoa's. What are feijoa's? They are yum. I shall tell you about them tomorrow. ;)

thrifty opportunities

It was pay day for us yesterday so I headed to a local op shop. I always love reading and seeing what people find.

Last week I gave away some of my treasured soup bowls to a dear friend, who had the same bowls at her nana's house when she was growing up. I had got them very cheaply but even my husband was fond of them. Imagine how happy I was to spot SEVEN of them at only $2 each. Very good price. They are of course Crown Lynn, and we need to pause a moment, because as I have mentioned before, my grandmother used to work at the Crown Lynn factory and indeed our home was full of Crown Lynn. It is now very collectible and I could cry if I spent too much time thinking about my grandmothers china and even our everyday plates we eat off.

I also have a thing for old flatware. I don't care if its distressed or not. I love its weight. I love that its silver. I love that its got stories. I love that its only 20 cents a piece where I go. Yes, I am the mad woman rummaging noisily through the cutlery boxes everywhere I go. I even start eyeing up the relatives cutlery and plates. I am shameless. The old picnic basket cost me $5 at a car boot sale recently. I'm going to use it for my banner stuff. I have so many projects on the go, and don't like those very practical but ugly plastic boxes. This will do for now.

Then I found some vintage wool fabric which I first thought of giving away because its metres of the stuff and it cost me only $15. However, I have since read this post by one of my favourite bloggers, Amanda of Soulemama and am inspired to finally have a go at reading a pattern and making a dress. There is a really good sewing course that I have done run at the local college in Tawa. The lady there takes you through the beginners steps (done that) and then you return with any pattern and make your own stuff during her class. Its a night class once a week and will work for me as a full time mama. I love Luellen, she's such a good tutor, its affordable and she keeps it all real. She worked for Massey University in the textiles department but has a real community spirit and heart. I love me some good people with plenty of heart.

There was some lovely cream yarn and vintage cotton, all for $5. I couldn't pass it up could I. I'm making a new hat for me from the cream yarn and some more of those cool crochet flannels like the ones seen here. I picked up all three for $1 at a funny little shop in Petone on the weekend. It was a treasure trove of things.

Yes, I'm getting older and I feel the cold so much now. Our home is not new and therefore very cold in winter. I love the old vintage wool carpet that keeps wee feet warm. (I know people are ripping this stuff out in favour of wooden floors but we love this carpet). I love our eco-heaters which run 24-7 at the worse parts of winter. I love my beanies and scarves and wool coats. I am especially grateful for some hand me down merino tops which a friend gave me last week. Those things are magic!

Yesterday eighty people visited and three people left comments. That is the norm say my bloggy mates. Ok. So I shall assume you are all super busy, knitting, running your families, businesses and what not, but if u can please leave a wee note below so I can acknowledge you mystery readers, I'd be so grateful cos I don't quite believe the traffic reports and feel the need to verify this for myself.  Thanks so much.

Do go op shopping people, there's so much goodness out there for next to nothing. We don't really need to keep manufacturing new gimmicky things all the time, its so wasteful and when I read the report of our wharfies who were all fired because they wanted permanent contracts, not casual, it breaks my heart. We are responsible with our careless consumerism for keeping people in poverty. For not spending our money wisely. We make a difference when we are intentional about what we own. It really bothers me that manufacturers make appliances that have a life of five years, about the time the warranty runs out. They are not concerned with quality so much as getting more dollars out of our pockets. Its manipulative and we are at their mercy with our need for more appliances.

Its why I love second hand things, its why I have no problem selling vintage goods because its just another way of recycling things that have heaps of life left in them. Its a smart way to save your family money and pick up awesome stuff to do up your house, wardrobe and life with. I'm probably preaching to the converted but do you also consider doing your present shopping there? I love that most of my friends bring me vintage stuff. My mum gave me the most awesome quilt she found in an op shop for $5 for my son's first birthday. I love that quilt, with its little marks. The cotton is so soft after the numerous washings and use it had already had, before it came to live at our house. And its handmade. Someone somewhere made choices about the fabrics used, for the baby it was first intended for.

Two of my favourite things. Handmade and secondhand. If you are a novice op shopper, find someone who knows how to navigate those stores. I often hear complaints 'its too expensive', 'I went and all I saw was junk' and indeedy, it can look like that, unless you know what to look for. See every store has its strength. If you find a store with lots of strengths, then that's awesome. Some will have awesome kitchenware, or textiles, or furniture, or childrens clothes, or books. They are not one size fits all.

I have a mental list of what my family needs. Shoes for this person, hoodies for this kid, books for that person, etc. It is opportunity shopping (hence the kiwi phrase op shops) because you just have to make the most of the opportunities that come your way. If I'm unsure about something I might leave it. I have to love it to take it, or know I will use it. I have taken things that I've thought might or might not fit one of us, with the thought that if it doesn't, its too good a deal to leave behind, and I'm happy to pass it on to someone else. 

I'm a gatherer, a treasure hunter, yes, an opportunist of bargains and good finds. Its not uncommon for me to put my wee stack of goods down (usually in the shop baskets they provide) only to turn around and find someone fossicking through my stuff! lol. I usually give it unless I really need it. I believe one develops an eye after a while. I love my vintage dresses, furniture, and goods. I have a plethora of collections that aid me as a maker and designer. And its affordable and within our one income family budget.

Indeed my husband when we were first married took me to a Salvation Army store, handed me his card and said 'go wild baby, whatever you want, its yours'. He does love my thrifty ways and encourages me to head out. He even comes with me now, especially now that we have a small vintage stall. He is starting to develop a very good eye himself and he gets pretty excited over things like old typewriters and prints. ;)

Yes, thrifting is very much a way of life for us and has been my whole life. My children have resigned themselves to the fact that 'I'll just be a minute' can turn into an hour. But I bring snacks and handheld games for my lads because I am a smart mama. They will sometimes venture out. My 9 year olds favourite find were his metal army ammo boxes for $5. He loves those things even though I threaten to chuck them out because everywhere I turn, there they are underfoot.

Ok, I'm headed off to visit my dear friend Shells who has finally moved into her beautiful handmade house on a hill. You can read all about it here. She's one half of this business Lovely Sweet William with her equally talented sister Paula. I am taking myself off to the country for the afternoon. There's about five thrift shops on the way. I hope I get there. ;)

slow down

Its the school holidays here and my three sons and I are totally chilled out. Just as well, as the weather has definitely turned a corner and we're heading into winter. Its great for pj days, movie marathons, chocolate cakes and having friends over every day that we're home and not heading out to other folks houses.

I'm doing a quick round up of some projects that are due as well. I miss the beach and warm sand already but my head is now down in design mode as winter approaches. My husband and I also run The Little Vintage Store, our own small store of vintage goods at The Underground Market. We will be running those during the peak seasons, and festivals in Wellington. Meanwhile he just got promoted to management in his firm which is good news in the current economic climes. And I have a couple of online shops to stock with handmade and vintage goods.

What do you do during the winter months? Do you hibernate and start thinking casseroles, soups and baking tins  full of homemade treats? Do you start itching to quilt a new blankie, or knit up some warm hats and mittens? I have a friend who changes her home interior to match the seasons! I think that's awesome. Personally I love that its a time to slow down, savour things like nesting in our homes, spending time with people we love and eating hearty kai.

Speaking of awesome, I am currently hitting  between 100- 200 views per day! I couldn't believe it. Apparently you all swing by without leaving a comment.

Please take the time to comment. Its always nice to hear from you. ;)

I am currently working on a banner for a 25th wedding anniversary and a wedding banner. If you are interested in commissioning a personalised one, please contact me directly at ahiparagirl@gmail.com. I also run a local crafting group. If you are interested in The Clever Crafting Project group, then please do also drop me a line. New faces are always warmly welcome. 

Koha

Koha is a New Zealand Māori custom which can be translated 

as gift, present, offering, donation or contribution.

Koha literally means gift. Traditionally, in our culture, when people visited, they left a koha, a gift as a token of appreciation. My home has many taonga, treasures gifted to me over the years. Today my friend Wendy gave me a beautiful ring that she no longer wore. Its an old half crown coin fashioned into a ring on a silver base.

I love this ring. It has so many little motifs on it that are sure to find their way into my work. Little hei tiki, a crown, a coat of arms. I am quite taken by the Queen at the moment. I recently went to a local book fair and was compelled to buy every book I could find about her. I admire her capacity to remain calm and poised, gracious even under fire. I don't know how she does it with the family she has. I know I can learn a lot from her as a  significant woman leader.

Historically Maori have not had a great relationship with the Crown. When New Zealand became colonised, our people were subjucated to English laws, our language was lost, and we became second-class citizens in our own country. We have our own personal experiences in our family. My grandmother has deformed hands from being beat with a cane for speaking her native tongue. And an outsider did a con job that caused us to lose our tribal land thanks to a clause in the law. For many folk it is still a bitter point as the effects of colonisation are still felt across the nation into the third and fourth generations. Though some efforts have been made on both sides to address the imbalances of power, the tension between cultures is still there. We are fortunate that there is more tolerance in our part of the world still comparatively speaking. My husband and I are a marriage of mixed cultures, and it makes our family all the more colourful I think.

We have our language nests, kohanga reo where a minority send their children to learn Te Reo but New Zealanders in general still see Te Reo Maori as an option not a necessity. I always wonder what would happen if non-Chinese people went to China or non-French people went to France and refused to speak their languages. Awkward.

However, we must move forward. For my children's sake, I refuse to be hindered by backward thinking except my own for which I am responsible. My faith in God helps me to understand and forgive, and gives me a more honourable context to come from. One fuelled by love and forgiveness for others rather than keeping track of offenses, being mistrustful and fearful. I'm encouraged to be fuelled with solutions for the next generation. To give our children a future and a hope that is based on something higher.

I'm not immune to prejudice, lots of people annoy me and I'm certainly not perfect. But this ring on my finger helps me recall the best of our world, the best of people. And I admire the Queen, as an individual. I think she is beautiful. A stately strong woman who has held her own. (And I loved the movie The King's Speech about her dad.)

Koha, gift. Its important that we remember to be people who bring gifts to other people's lives. Whether it's grace when someone errs, a warm knitted hat, some thrifted goodies or a meal for a new mum. And not to be takers only. Like those that colonised our land. We need to be people who care for people. To leave behind taonga that will grow people, not tear them down.

He aha te mea nui? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.

What is the most important thing? It is people, it is people, it is people. 

Maori Whakatauki

Handmade 2012

Its coming into our colder season. In Wellington, that means more time indoors. Keeping warm and cosy becomes a priority, so out come knitting needles and soup pots, baking tins and hot water bottles.

If you would like to try some making for the first time, or learn some new skills, perhaps create something new for your home, sewing box or wardrobe, consider coming to play with us at Handmade 2012. There are so many great classes. 

If I wasn't teaching, I'd definitely hanging out with Melissa of Tiny Happy in her stamp making and stitchy projects class. I'd love to make a crochet garland and necklace too. There's cooking classes, jewellery making, and so much more. I'd love to hear Sue and Gary talk about their salvage to supreme business, making industrial furniture and art; and attend Tamsin Cooper's lecture on how she has steadfastly remained a 'handmade' industry. There's fashion, there's home decorating, there's classes for beginners like my bottle cap pincushion through to advanced jewellery and quiltmaking intensives. The Meet the Makers party was great last year and is a good opportunity to make friends and get up close with some of the country's leading makers, designers and artists. I hope they have lots of cheese again. 

I will be teaching three classes! I'm not sure the wisdom behind this, I think I was just hoping to land one class. Surprise, surprise, I landed all three. Its going to be lots of fun. There's a handmade tribal banner, some handstitched narrative jewellery and a humble bottlecap pincushion. All my classes are relatively low tech, using basic skills and recycling things most people already have access too. 

If you are coming, think about symbols that have some meaning for you. Bring a piece of cloth that holds memory. Raid your nana's stash of doileys and buttons. I will have hiapo for you to use in the tribal banner class. And don't throw away that shrunken jersey or holey old wool blanket. We can use that too! There are  packs for some classes too that you can purchase and I'll have a heap of stuff for people to choose from as well. 

I'm looking forward to hanging out with the lovely Tash of Holland Road Knit Company and the gang in the Knit Lounge between classes. Look out for me there. I'll be the one sewing amidst the knitters. ;)

Handmade 2012

Te Papa, Wellington 

2-3 June 2012

Click HERE to view the Handmade 2012 website. There are so many classes to choose from. Come, make some new friends and cool stuff. I'll see you there. It's going to be awesome. 

+ tribal banner workshop +

+ handstitched narrative jewellery +

+ bottlecap pincushion +

going walking

I went walking with my dad recently. These summer days have come to an end sadly and we have well and truly entered autumn and fast tracking towards our winter. 

So while the kids were in school and kindy, I had more time to catch up with people. When the kids were small, I always found it a bit stressful going out with them but now they are older, there's a bit more time for me things. It is very nice although I am aware they are growing up slightly too fast now. Still it is nice to spend this time with my father.  

wild gardens

seventy

 his daily route

 big sky, big sea

 our time

 an old building spills from the bank,

 the kids and i are definitely going back to investigate and treasure hunt

protection

 WWII bunker

 rusted rock

 new narratives

 dad

 smiling for me

as we head into the light