My birthday picnic

I decided to have a family picnic for my birthday at Shakespeare Park near our home.  This park is about 4kms from our house and right next to the beach.  It was a bit windy but everyone had a lot of fun.  Mom, Dad, Granny & Sam was visiting from Hamilton.  Aunty Cynthia was in NZ visiting Granny.  Uncle Terry, Aunty Heidi & boys just arrived a few weeks ago from South Africa.  And my mom and dad spent the day with us too.  So this was a lovely family get together just like the old days...

What a picnic feast:  cold meats, cheese and the rest!!!!

A variety of breads: pumpkin & fennel, rye, cheese & herb, baguettes & farmstyle.

Yummo!!!!

Digging in Allison & Smal style!!

Graham and my dad joking around...

Granny, Sam & Aunty Cynthia.

The crowd... the beach just behind the little dune...

The spectaters...

Ethan ready and waiting.

And game on!!!

Yip, this whole park just to ourselves and look at all the sheep on the hill at the back!!!

This was such a lovely birthday and I felt truly blessed spending it with all our family.

Looking forward to lots more times like this...

My new wheels!!!!!!!!!

I go my new car, Toyota Yaris/Vitz this week!!!

It's so AWESOME!!!!



Just love the way this car is purely designed for woman...

Everything is just perfect and I love, love, love it!!!

Photo's are curtesy of Jason, our inhouse photographer. 

Thanks Jas, mom loves the photo's!!!

and you ....
And my car...

Up for scrabble anyone...

We found these amazing magnets.  Just can't decide if I want it on my fridge or somewhere on a wall.

They are just so cool!!!  Want to get some more soon...

Lots of love and life happening around here...

whoopee...

I've been having one of the best days ever...  got amazing news this morning and had a generally good day at work.

Just feeling good and sooooo excited.  Last week Graham surprised me with my own kitten.  He took me out to lunch and let me choose any cat I want. 

We found this adorable ginger kitten.  His name is Brule (like creme brule, the pudding), he is four months old and the cutest little thing.  He's settled right in with our family and it feels like we've had him forever!!!  I've been waiting for so long to get a cat, somehow it just makes our home feel complete.  I will put some photies of him on soon!!!

I have some more news to share... but that will have to wait until tomorrow!!!!

Just need to finish cleaning my house now and get into a warm bath...

Tish & Yan

My beautiful sis and husband came for a three and a half week visit!!!

It was so absolutely amazing, just so hard to believe they are gone.  They are now living in France and it's terribly to think they are so far away.  I am missing them heaps and heaps.

We have a goal to now save to go and visit them!!!!!

Lots of photo's to follow of our wonderful holiday with them.



Something red for my kitchen..

Well, I love red and that's why I decided to add some splashes of it to my kitchen...

 and with me loving anything retro and old fashioned, and that's the theme I want to carry

through. 

With having a totally white kitchen it gave me the perfect canvas to add a lot of red!!!

This was a pressie from my mom & dad.

My mom and sis are some of the few people that love coffee as much as I do!!!  

But I must be honest Tish just adores it!!!

And the perfect spot for it...

We just fell in love with these retro bar stools.  One for the boys each!!!

This makes weekday breakfasts just so much easier and more sociable...

now I have extra time to chat to my boys while we get ready in the morning!!!

I just L O V E my kitchen.

Time to relax...

What more can I say? 

I love you babes!!