Pork Roast at the Morrisons

My beloved sister had my flatmate and I around for a pork roast, along with niece Magda, who WAS our flatmate, on Monday last. What a great winter meal, and how nice to be with my two nieces and nephew for the night.

Okay I'm going ahead with these

I've decided at last to just run with these. . . going to leave it a choice of pink, blue, green or orange background depending on my mood, and get some cards printed. Hope you approve.

Here it is, I HOPE

Um NO, that's not it

Can't see the pics before I actually publish, so NO that's NOT the logo. Will put it up when I can get it working.

Wild Line Design

I'm doing this Small Business Course at the moment, to get myself up and running as a Sole Trader. I just found out I can't use my favourite INKLINGS name, because some marketing company in Whangarei are using INKLING LTD, so all my website and logo etc are no good. Sigh.

So, I'm working on a new name and logo, and so far got this. What do you think? It goes with the subject of my dissertation, on the Wild Line in NZ Illustration, but more than that, it also says design, and that there's a wild line in there somewhere. Still working on the logo, but I thought I'd keep you posted on the progress and get some votes for each one. This is todays.

Jen

Let's take an early morning walk together

Okay, let's wander out my front door at 6.50am and start walking. . . I always greet the Lord first and as I do, I can see the growing dawn ahead of me above the rooftops. This is what I saw first though. What precision. . .what pattern. . . what design.

The street draws me on, around its curves and through the mist, and I thought of how we now look in a glass dimly but then shall see him face to face.

Looking back at our house with the soft light playing on the foggy shape of it. The Rhodadendron tree from next door overshadowing it with splendour

And then I turn and see this lovely blossom tree, and a close observation of the blooms sends thrills through me. After the winter, there is the growth and freshness of Spring. His mercies are new every morning.

Seeeee. . . .

And this Early Cheer with its nodding head ready to lift to the sun. Aw, so beautiful.

But my favourite has to be Magnificent Magnolias. There's just something about a magnolia, the way it bursts forth in WINTER when all is so cold and cheerless, and all of the magnolias energies and life are poured into these glorious blooms that reach high and are so very sumptious. Ah, for that inner life.

I'm SOOOOO on line! So wired. . .

What can I say? There's nothing like a NEW cellphone that actually lets me have ALL my calls without deciding which ones to give me. Okay, so it's not ringing a lot, but hey, it can send pics, and it can do all sorts of fancy things I haven't worked out yet, and most importantly, it's RIGHT THERE if I should get any calls for work. Do I look happy? I am.

Peter's birfday. . .

Just finished celebrating a lovely weekend with Peter up from Ngaroto Nurseries to celebrate his 46th birthday in style. Here's the dinner table last night. . .

Did I say that flowers and gardens were the theme of the evening, in keeping with Peter's work as a nurseryman. . .

Peter and I getting into the spirit of his floral occasion.

John and Naomi came laden with their wonderful bright personalities. . .

And Gord and Cath made a colourful pair on our couch. . .

This is Cath and I enjoying the predinner nibbles and good conversation.

Daffodil tree

It's true! Daffodils DO grow on trees. I went up to this one on my porch and tugged at it, because I thought my nieces had been fiddling around dropping daffodils into it to trick me, and it was attached. Well, alright, it had to struggle up through the entire gardenia bush, but hey, I think it was a creative daffodil and deserves a photo. Roll on Spring.
Here is another one of both the daffodil tree and me in my new studio, which you will see I still am keen about. AND I don't have much else to photograph these days, so you see another version a few days later. Forgive me.

Moving up in the world

It may not look much different from the last shot of me in the kitchen studio, but this is me in the spare room studio, and what a world of difference it is. Look - two desks - and a NEW MAC (almost) with wide screen. I don't know myself. Can't stay off it, hence this blog. Onward and Upward.

Two beloved nieces under the tiger blanket

This is a common sight at my house on a cold winter's night - a DVD on, and the fire going, and both nieces on the couch under the tiger blanket. I looked down on them from above and two sleepy faces looked up. Cute huh?
Anyway, sadly, the one on the right is going out into the world and flatting soon, in Mt Eden, so I won't have Magda staying here at home with me. I'll be keeping an eye on her from afar, don't you worry.

The Rise of Inklings II - the sequel

Just felt I should make a log (as it were) of the beginnings of Inklings again - it seems I might be getting off the ground freelancing quicker than I expected. So, this is the START, (the 'before' picture) - from the corner of the kitchen, where I presently work, and hopefully there will be a progression as the months go by, eventually ending in a studio somewhere.
Meanwhile, it's a cosy corner, is it not? And not too bad even in winter with that wee heater blasting out behind me. Roll in the work!

The Gumstore AGAIN

I know - I can't stay away from this place. Megan came up from Christchurch for a few days, and I HAD to take her here too. We had, as you can see, lovely coffee, French toast and savoury scones, and later shared a wee homemade cake. Meg loved it too.
Oh, and we enjoyed 'Tara Road' on Friday night. A Maeve Binchy film, and with some token caricatures in there, but a great portion of it was most watchable.

Back to Ngaroto Nurseries

Just had a lovely holiday of a few days down in Te Awamutu in the frost and countryside enjoying a break from the hectic schedule of the last few months. The course is now over. This is the lovely entrance and cafe to Ngaroto Nurseries.
On Friday I spent the day in Hamilton reminiscing over our old family haunts, and wandering the banks of the Waikato River. Then I met dear Jeanettie Clarkin-Phillips for lunch at a splendid cafe just off the banks.
Back to the nursery and this is a part of the HUGE and glorious display garden behind the cafe and surrounding the back part of the nursery. It goes on and on for ages and one can get lost in it.
A frosty morning when I donned my hat and gloves and went out to take pictures from the house.
Peter showed me how to stick lard in string bags for the waxeyes, and then he went back out to put cut fruit in their wee house.
Something happened in the middle of my coat, I think I must have stuffed my gloves and hat, and maybe a few cardigans in there for safekeeping. Peter and I when I finally left. Does he look relieved?
Sunset through THAT tree again. Makes it look like it's on fire. What a great time.

What a weekend

Okay, finished the course on Friday and had drinkies with classmates before going to movies with Peter and the Duncans. Then on Sat morning went up to the Kauri Gumstore cafe to show Peter where it is, and we had a great time on a crisp sunny winter morning enjoying the ambience of this place.
Lovely Louise Cake and latte's and hot chocolate.
Then shopping at Pak n Save and lunch at Catherine Gardner's place with her sister, Anne, up from Oamaru. We sampled her new sandwich maker and enjoyed the excitement of eating to the sound of two smoke alarms simultaneously going off. Hee hee.
THen an evening dinner party at my home, which Peter was responsible for cooking for, and we all dressed as paupers, (except those who thought they were paupers dressing up!) and enjoyed French Onion soup, croutons, followed by beef and olive casserole and mashed potatoes and mashed parsnips and carrots, and then a huge steaming pudding with custard. YUM.
The fire was going, the candles all lit the place in a serene light, and the laughter barely stopped.

Mini-conference with Nick and Jen

Oh dear, these photos are all a bit mixed around. The sisters all went out with Jen Vasiliades this afternoon before their meeting, and we shopped at an outlet store block and then off up to the Kauri Gumstore cafe for coffee. This is us THERE>
Two angles so that you can appreciate the lovely scarves that Jen, Lorna and Jenny are wearing, that Lorna's friend knitted.
ER, the photo that is out of place. It's a portion of the meeting this evening with ROger who came down from the North for the meeting, talking to Nick, and Lorna talking to niece Magda.
And back to the Kauri Gumstore for the sight of the food!
. . . and Jen V outside
. . . and the actual sisters' meeting with us all moving our legs in swift motion simultaneously. A feat we are rather proud of. Poor Nick.

Dissertation night

Yep, it's finally happened! We had our exhibition of our dissertations at a gallery in St Paul's St last night, with wine (in polystyrene) and nibbles. Very nice event with a chance for fellow students and I to relax and read each other's work and to invite family and friends to see our work.
Here's my friend Catherine Gardner and I hovering over a disseration on Vodka!
And this was my entire contingent: Niece Magda, Catherine, Helen and niece Jem.
The gallery and the tables spread with our work.
LAST weekend, my sister-in-law (and Magda's Mum) was here and we celebrated with a meal she put on!! on Helen's place. That's Mum and Jem with Magda and Lizzie.
The family gathered around the table. Great food. Great company.