time...

to smell the roses and savour simple pleasures once more.

I hope your weekend brought such moments too.

stripes and spots...

checks and florals too!  Some Japanese treats...all for me!  My dear friend knows me soooo well and came back from a holiday in Japan with all these wonderful goodies.  Oh, the possibilities are endless!

Arigato Melissa-san!  Heaps and heaps!

lime green

A small repair meant that my paints found the light of day once more!  It seems some tiny little fingers and an inquisitive mind combined for a little accident...and so a long overdue repair was finally completed.  I've only done a few name canvases for friends but they really are quite fun.

And to smell the paint and feel the brush between my fingers again, ever so briefly, was wonderful.  Am I inspired... definitely!

bulbs in bloom

It really did feel like spring had sprung on the mountain...aren't these blooming bulbs just gorgeous?

Being amongst such prettiness has certainly encouraged my creativeness... there's been some progress in my little creative place!

winter wonderland

Saturday we went up the mountain to share in the delights of winter gardens.  Being tropical, our winter wonderlands are not gorgeous meadows covered in snow with gracious old oak trees, strong empty boughs dusted with snow and tiny snow drops underfoot.  I can only imagine such a scene enjoyed from within the walls of a sweet little English cottage, a roaring fire nearby.  It's funny what one imagines and dreams about sometimes...

Our winter wonderland was almost spring-like...there were daffodils, jonquils, tulips, blossom and more.  But there were the tiniest and prettiest of snow drops too...and I was in a land far, far away once more. 

weekend bliss

Started with a mixture of super delicious produce from the garden... these carrots are the brightest of orange, crisp and so full of flavour; the tomatoes so sweet and juicy!  There was cabbage too...and spring onions...oh and the herbs!  It really is such a treat to pop outside and harvest dinner.

There were the winter gardens to explore on the mountain, a lazy family breakfast in the morning sun and quiet afternoons creating and pottering with lovely music to sooth the soul.

And not to forget...an All Black win!