Christmas Glimpses

Wow has this year gone fast for everyone? Here we are at Christmas's door, doing what we can to reduce the commercialism of the holiday, yet trying to maintain the celebration. So here are a few pics of how we've gone about it this year.

The Christmas Tree

I find myself over the effort that I have put into trees in earlier days - the bought-from-charity pines, and the wilding (weed) pine even, that I kept green in our hot summer by misting with water every day...so this year's tree is low maintenance...

Found driftwood from our stash and decorations from the collection that gets hauled out every year. I have to say that I found inspiration for these ideas on Pinterest.

I have admired the cute little scenes with a Christmas tree tied atop a vehicle in snow - even though we don't have a snowy Christmas, I'd like to see one one day. My tree is a piece of rosemary, and the snow is epsom salts - which will be recycled out to the garden for the tomatoes and citrus later. The light is a rechargeable that plugs into the USB port. The old car is one we found on the beach.

Gifts

My daughter's partner Logan is into landscaping - and on his Christmas list was "native plants". It just so happens that we needed to clear these off our bush path, so I hope he likes them!

We've only lost the droopy one - the rest are looking good

Our dogs will be getting a stocking - Munta will be getting a new spare lead, made from the strap of a damaged-beyond-donating handbag.

Twitch (Logan's dog) will be getting all the tennis balls that we have found on the beach, because Munta has no interest in them whatsoever. Plus some packaging free dog treats each.

Derek and I have agreed on a $10-limited something fun from the op shop each, because we have bought ourselves an experience gift of a few days away with a music concert included.

We might not have a snowy Christmas here in Paradise, but we have Christmas colours in our flax flowers, with the added bonus that the birds and bees love it.

In case I don't get back here before Christmas - Merry Christmas everyone, and a safe and peaceful holiday to you all.

Musings on Travel and Blogging

Driftwood screen

The above pic is one of two screens I whipped up to cover the utilities in our carport when we were expecting lots of visitors, and it is an area they need to walk past. 

I thought it was good use of a couple of free pallets and some of the many fine pieces of driftwood we have accumulated. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I think better than looking at the rubbish bin and worm farm etc.

This post is going to be a bit of a mix, as my head is in preparation mode for our imminent trip to Tasmania and Melbourne, where we will be holidaying with my siblings and their spouses.

Travel is not environmentally friendly, and it makes the little things we do to help the environment seem like a drop in the ocean. Never the less, we will continue to do them, and use the travel as an opportunity to learn more. 

I'm looking forward to visiting Tasmania, where I understand they have quit plastic bags in many parts. 

I have my reusable bags packed. I also managed to stop the travel agent giving me a plastic folder and more plastic luggage tags.

Why Blog?

With some of the bloggers that I follow deciding to stop blogging (and then starting again when they missed the outlet and their online friends), I thought about why I love my blog - here are a few reasons...(none of which are for money)

1. Just for myself - so I can find my own recipes and references - I've used this heaps. I can log my own progress too.

2. So that one day, should my daughter or step kids ever want to find a recipe or heaven forbid - even find some of it interesting - it will be there. I would have liked to have something like this from my mum.

3. A surprise aspect has been getting to chat with other lovely bloggers.

4. Maybe I'll inspire someone.

OK, the next blog will be when I get back - so until then - so long.

 

Easter, Waiheke Island

It was beautiful weather here over Easter. The days were hot and the beaches crowded on Waiheke Island where we went to catch the Jazz Festival. Not bad for Autumn.
Just a few more mailbox pics, as Waiheke has the greatest selection of arty letterboxes of anywhere I have seen.

Not so easy to see, but it has plants growing on top

We came home with a carload of "stuff" from Waiheke, including a bag of seaweed for the garden and these two items that we found dumped on a side road.

The winch will replace the one on our boat trailer - being of superior quality, and the frame, which came with hinges attached, was originally the canopy of a swing seat we think. It will be put to use as a wall-attached drying frame. It annoys us to find people have dumped things carelessly in such a beautiful place.

As an aside, I recently came across these clips of the motion picture about a beachcomber on the Cornwall Coast, which if, like me, you love that kind of thing, you might find interesting - The Wrecking Season, part one and The Wrecking Season, part two



As a follow up to my earlier post about Turmeric Bombs, I have been unable to take the therapeutic dose of turmeric, due to the somewhat laxative effect of the coconut oil, so today I will be making Turmeric and Honey Jellies - little jubes, to see if that will work. I'll keep you posted!

(Some Of) What I'm Not Making and What I Am Making.

In the past few years I have been trying to make more and buy less. This works well for some things, others I have discovered are better off bought. It's all a big experiment.
Yesterday I discovered yet another product that I will buy instead of make - sweet chilli sauce. Firstly, my chillies turned out to be smaller than I had hoped - and you know, the smaller the chilli, the hotter it is. Still determined to make my own chilli sauce I decided to use two red capsicums in there to reduce the heat, plus I barely used more than 6 chilli seeds in it. The seeds of course are the hottest part.

Well the chilli sauce turned out nice. Hot, but not too hot. The problem is, I think it cost more to make than it would have to buy, plus it took me ages to remove all those chilli seeds and prepare it all. Not to mention the burning fingers for hours afterwards, despite having worn gloves. 
So that goes onto the shopping list again, along with dishwasher powder(which I can refill into my own container), and currently I'm buying Eco Store coconut soap, after I ran out of my home made soap. It's cardboard packaged, is reasonably inexpensive and does as good a job, including hair and face washing as my own soap. And it smells yum. 
I find that making everything can be just a little exhausting at times, when added to garden upkeep and everything else, so I'm happy to find some items that meet my criteria to buy. 

Something that I have made recently - and it's just a bit of fun - from bits and pieces lying around that we have picked up.

My Junk Man

Something I will be making lots more of:
Market bags

My prototype market bag

I am working with a group to help our Farmer's Market become plastic bag free, starting with plastic carrier bags. We aim to have a supply of bags to give out to people entering the market who have forgotten their own bags. The District Council have donated a good quantity of "Love It Here" cloth bags for us to distribute. We also aim to make some (via SewGood, the community sewing group that is getting up and running), which hopefully we will be able to get small donations for, to support SewGood.
I was given a huge carton of the most fabulous curtain offcuts, just for having asked, from a local business.

I was so excited to be given this for our project

 I have made one up as a prototype - I hope this all works to plan - I'll let you know, eventually.   

Guitar Strings and Chandelier Crystals

My garden is a shambles right now. We went away for a week, then I had a sore back, and on top of it all the possums ate all of my first crop of corn cobs grrr!
As well as all that, it is hot and humid, so that by 9.30am I have to come inside and wait until about 5pm to carry on out there.

So, with having to be inside most of the day I am finding time to play. 
Today's post is just a little one, with some examples of what I have been up to.
I love making do with what I have. Fortunately for me, being in the band, I have great access to used guitar strings. The boys have to change these after every six gigs or so.

The chandelier crystals came from the shop Junk and Disorderly in Auckland, and were $10 for all of them.
I'm going to make drop earrings from the two smallest crystals - am thinking they might make nice Christmas presents for the end of the year (if I remember and can find them).

This pendant uses a vintage cuff button, a piece of driftwood and a chain from which I removed a tacky piece of costume jewelery, and the chandelier crystals.

This one uses a guitar string and a long wooden thing with a hole through it that I have carried from house to house in my stash for probably thirty years.
...And a guitar string bracelet.

Watch this space for more playtime productivity.

Enjoying Post-Christmas Time, Sorted Jewellery.

Don't you love that time just after Christmas? There is still so much food around that I haven't needed to cook properly for days and can keep well away from any madness in the shops.
We got some fabulous gifts this Christmas - made all the more special by the effort family made to give us things that fitted into our wishes for things that would be environmentally friendly.
Among the gifts were two wood and canvas hanging chairs, some cool recycled fifties records (we have a turntable), some bottles of wine, a box of cherries...now picture all of those together and you'll see how we are relaxing under a shady tree in the beautiful days we have been enjoying.

Every Christmas I swear that I will be more organized next year. We like to make the few Christmas cards we send and make at least some of the gifts. This year I was again making gifts at the last minute - jars of crumble topping with instructions, and I made this terrarium, which was really easy. It is low care and very quick to make, with plants from the garden and pieces collected on beach walks. For locals, the glass is a vase from Spotlight that was on sale for under $20

Boxing Day saw me reorganizing my messy jewellery box after Derek made this cool hanger for all my necklaces. The cute knobs were a find in a charity shop a couple of years ago - I bought bags of them, at less than $1/ knob.

I then fished out some plastic gift packaging (that had been received & thrown out by someone else) to put all my earrings in order.Young Katie thought that was a good idea so promptly did all hers too. (Helping her to see a use in what she throws out).

Using plastic packaging to store earrings

Another cool gift that I got (from Derek) was this battered old tin trunk, which we think looks great, tidying up a mishmash of pot plants.

We are off to Russell tonight to enjoy the other part of his gift which was tickets to NZ band The Feelers - looking forward to that!

I wish you all a Happy New Year. We will be rocking the night away with our band up in Paihia. May 2016 be good to you all.

Hand Warmers, Some Eco Shopping

You Northern Hemisphere people will laugh at us, but we are starting to feel the cold here, with it having got down to one degree at night (I think that's 33.8 Fahrenheit).

Brown rice filled hand warmers - a good way to use up fabric scraps

I made my daughter a couple of little pocket handwarmers, and when the other girls saw (and felt) them, they wanted some too, hence the little birds, and not shown, one more manly and larger dinosaur for the grandson.

I filled them with brown rice, and each little bag heats up in a minute in the microwave, along with half a cup of water alongside to stop them drying out and presumably catching fire. The warmth lasts nearly half an hour.
They can be kept in the freezer to use as an ice pack too.
I'm sure in colder climes these are something you have been using for years.

Yesterday I kept my friend Di company on a shopping trip to Auckland. I just have to show you this shop she took me to called Junk and Disorderly, at 18 Kawana Street, Northcote (you can find them on Facebook). Di found the old tap and a crystal droplet she wanted to make her water feature. All I bought was some rolls of washi tape, as they have a section of new things as well as a massive amount of preloved but nicely displayed stock.

Junk and Disorderly, Northcote, Auckland

Washi tape is great as it is paper tape, biodegradable, you can use it to stick things to your walls and it wont take paint or paper off when removed, or for lots of craft ideas and it comes in so many colours and patterns.

washi tape

Next was a visit to a place that sells everything for water features, and I couldn't resist this photo of the prices of driftwood!

 We could be rich! Derek, you can retire right now!

The New Artisans

The New Artisans

I fell in love with this book by Olivier Dupon when I first saw it whilst visiting a friend almost two years ago. When I got back home I requested it from our library, but unfortunately someone else loved it so much that they stole it before I could have it. So when we saw it in a bookshop, I decided that it would be one that I would enjoy dipping into and Derek kindly bought it for me.

The front part of the book is dedicated to different artists, with such beautiful inspiring photographs. The back section is a gallery, divided into different types of art, such as ceramics, metalwork, textiles and jewellery.
It's a great book to pick up and dip back into - makes me want to get over to my studio and create!

Picmonkey
It has been a busy week, but not a lot of new activity for my blog - so I've just decided to post up a few original images that I have made.

Poetry by Celia Thaxter

This is a little technique that I have taught myself from picmonkey.com
If you don't know it already, go and have a play - it's great what you can do - mostly for free, but if you want something fancy then you can pay. 
It's fun to be retired and have time to learn new tricks.

And a journal page, with a quote I like

Altered Book Journal page

Hey, thanks for visiting!

Gone Fishing and Iced Tea

We're just trying to keep cool here, with bright blue skies day after day, and beautiful starry nights.

ICED TEA

Instead of bottled drinks I'm trying to go low (no) sugar, and no packaging, so have been making iced tea. I don't really have a recipe, and have been using up those random teabags that seem to accumulate, but which no one really likes hot, you know some of those strange fruit ones. I take a mix of 4 teabags and make a strong brew with them. If I need the iced tea in a hurry I pour the brew over a jugful of ice, along with some form of sweetener to taste, some mint leaves, a squeeze of lemon juice and a few lemon slices. 
If I am more organized I sit the brew in the fridge to chill and pour over ice in the glass. It makes a great alternative to water or alcoholic drinks. 

Gone Fishing

I helped Katie to make this sign for her Dad for Christmas. My part was mostly locating the things she needed and admiration. The sign was made from one of our shipwreck driftwood finds, painted using a paint pen, which makes writing easy, and strung with some old rope from a beach find.
 I think it turned out really well and her Dad was delighted. We've hung it out a few times while Derek is on holiday. We holiday at home as it is such a lovely spot on the coast and we just walk over the road to go fishing and swimming.
After putting the net out yesterday we had flounder for breakfast this morning - woohoo!

Flounder for breakfast

We get a lot of visitors over the summer, which is great but I have felt a bit distraught over the amount of packaging that comes in over this time. 
I have decided that an attitude change is necessary on my behalf, and now I see it as an opportunity for change by osmosis. Our visitors see what we are doing, and change comes in small increments...a recipe given here, a plant given there.
Then of course there has been the delight of receiving home made gifts - of divine pesto (thanks Di), elderflower cordial (thanks Erika), truffles (Trudy) and Trudy's divine broccoli salad - the best I have ever eaten - the recipe of which I will be sharing soon. And the fun of their company of course.

Thanks for stopping by at my blog today. 

Summer's Started

It's a beautiful day here. By 9.30 I had watered my gardens - mostly by the bucket-load of fertilizer tea...

Looking very tropical - first day of summer here yesterday.

Sunflower from saved seed. Beans racing up the new arbor.

I'm going to be cooking these in 100 different ways soon - 3 courgette (zuchini) plants all producing.

No new plants - just used the runners from last year

Heritage ruby chard - looks beautiful and the bugs don't seem to go for it.

...and been to the beach to see if I could get more seaweed to top up the brew.
There was very little seaweed on the beach, and almost no rubbish or plastic to pick up, and as usual, no other people. Munta had a good run.

I hope your day is fabulous, wherever you are.

Microwave Cinnamon Porridge Mix and more

...And there is the odd day when I do just about that. I'm almost over feeling like I shouldn't.

Today was one of those days - but not much creating. The dog and I went off to Whangaumu Bay for a muck around: dog running everywhere, me finding coins (6) with my metal detector, and chatting to people.
On the way I spotted this cool letterbox stand.

MICROWAVE PORRIDGE

Now I thought everyone knows how to make porridge in the microwave, but as I have recently come across a few who don't, I will put this in.
My daughter who is flatting, buys sachets of flavoured rolled oats to microwave. All very well, but it is a more expensive way of making porridge when it is really so easy, so I have made her up a jar, with instructions on how to cook, and also how to make it herself. It goes like this.

CINNAMON AND BROWN SUGAR PORRIDGE MIX 

2 cups of quick cooked rolled oats
3 tsp  of cinnamon
4 tsp of brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt, if desired

To cook for one serving, place 1/2 cup of the porridge mix into a medium sized microwave bowl and add 1 cup of milk, or milk and water mixed. 
Cook on High for 2 minutes and stir, then cook another minute - done!


Just to finish off...I love how some of the fashion in the shops looks like they are trying to emulate upcycled clothing. 

for a mere $299 and is 60% acrylic (winter 2014)

NYFW Autumn/Winter 2012/13

Upcycled Fish Smoker and a Driftwood Trellis

A Great Upcycle

Derek's been on holiday, so has finally had time to pop over the road and go fishing...hence I have something to show - our upcycled fish smoker. I remembered many years ago my Dad used to smoke fish in a 44 gallon drum, with a fire in the bottom, fish hanging from wire hooks at the top and all covered by a wet sack. Working along these lines, ours used to be a washing machine - it is now just the shell of one. Instead of a wet sack (which burned), we have a sheet of corrugated iron. This isn't a thing of beauty, and therefore is in a less conspicuous place in our yard.

Upcycled washing machine fish smoker

The fish smoking involves lighting a fire using mainly teatree, neither too wet or too dry, so that there is smoke, in the base of the smoker.

The fire can be tended if necessary through the opening at the bottom.

The fish are rubbed with a mix of salt and brown sugar to taste, then laid on a metal rack, which is suspended near the top of the smoker.

Fish on the rack - ready to come out.

The lid is put on the smoker, and the fish is done after approximately 45 minutes. Eaten still warm from being smoked - yum!

Smoked Kahawai

Driftwood Trellis

We have grown a few passionfruit plants from seed, from a dried up fruit I found under someone else's plant. Time had come to put up a structure for them to climb, so we had looked at buying some trellis....but then I thought -that is silly when we could make a more organic looking (and free) one from some of our driftwood stash. So I left it to Derek to figure out how to do it ...and here it is - yay!

Driftwood trellis for our passionfruit