The Mt.

Tonight I head for the hills, Candle Vandal and I are carpooling to the Mt for their Little Big Market. I've heard so many great things and am very excited to finally make it down. If you are in the area please do come say hello!

Market starts 9am tomorrow.

Tonight.

At the Basement. The 8.30 slot. I highly recommend it.

Grace.

Happy Birthday girl! For yesterday. Some of the treats we took along to her grand pot luck dinner. Many comments were made about how great it is that we are 'of an age' now where people really go all out on their potluck dishes, so many amazing salads. No more chippy bags around here! God.. old.

Some very average 'we saw these on pinterest and thought they would come out better' marshmellows.

Lemon Meringues aplenty, one special mini one for Grace to devour.

And the greatest bunting cake topper I bought from Hunting Letter Flags this past Kraftbomb.

Goat edition.

Belle + Beau

I was lucky enough to shoot my very talented friend, Claires, Belle + Beau Winter range last week. Here are some of the pictures of her latest loveliness. All the fabrics are so soft, the styles comfortable and organic! Hello!

 Plus Belle + Beau is stocked at the new(ish) Oyster Inn on Waiheke. How I long to visit!

Jennifer Lawrence.

Summer.

Thank you so much for staying so long. Please feel free to hang about a bit more too. You will never outstay your welcome.

The melon from my garden! Edible and even delicious. Plus a beach dinner, Piha you too are great.

Opens Thursday.

This guy I know (my most terrific and talented other half) has a show opening on Thursday night as part of the Auckland Fringe Festival. It's on from then, every night, through to Sunday night and I've been meaning to post a little ditty about it on here for weeks. Finally, here I am.

The show is called 'La Vie Dans Une Marionette', which means 'Life in a Puppet', an extension of a 10 minute piece they (White Face Crew) created and performed in The Short and Sweet Theatre Festival a few years ago and won the Wildcard with. A story of a puppet master who discovers his puppet comes alive with music and the friendship they discover. A bit of physical theatre, a bit of live piano (think Amelie beauties) and gags to keep you grinning. It's a two man show (actually 3, Jarrod plays the moon), the other main performer is Justin Haiu who is pretty much the greatest mover I've ever seen.

Have I sold it?

Folks, if you've got a night free on one of the performance dates I hope you might come along to see it. I'm going opening and closing night if you don't find a friend to join you, sit with me! It will be grand I know, those boys have talent coming out of their.. everywhere. You can get tickets here if you like, or buy them on the door on the night.

A wee performance they did this past Friday in Aotea Square.

Birthdays.

Thanks Murray Bevan for your lemon meringue recipe. NOM.

From late last night. Happy Birthday Ben.

Planting Kale.

One of my new favourite veges is kale. So I plopped it in the garden.

Looking forward to plenty of these and these. It's said that per calorie kale has more iron than beef, and I choose to believe it because I'm not beefs no.1 fan.

Meet Paloma.

Some of you may have met her before. I certainly have met her on many occasions, and over and over and over at one wedding when I was in Mexico. See how to make a Paloma by A House on a Hill.

Also, speaking of Mexican weddings look at the bridal party of a friend of a friends wedding. Massive! Congratulations!

Little birds.

I met a little bird at Little Bird this morning for a catch up before she flew back to the Coromandel. The lucky duck has ordered a Little Bird wedding cake! Yes folks they do weddings and it is going to be pretty much the greatest thing.

I cannot wait. Hurry up and get married already so I can eat your cake woman.

We had smoothies, carrot cake (see it's glory below) and macaroons, the passionfruit ones are yum!

Music.

Can be good and evil. From here.

Sevens kids.

So a few weeks ago some friends and I ventured to Wellington (on a twelve hour bus I might add) to go see what the Sevens is all about. It was nuts, yes, but not quite as nuts as I thought it would be and we had a grand old time. Dressed as lost luchadores mob (Mexican wrestlers). There weren't too many others in the same thing, Lance Armstrongs however, I swear I saw one every 20 seconds! And we even got to enjoy some of Wellingtons pleasures, a stop in at Swonderful (a must!), Po Boys and curly fries at Sweet Mothers Kitchen, Snickers milkshakes at Maranui Cafe and a spot of swimming at Breaker Bay.

Oh, and I did watch a bit of rugby, how I cheered my lungs out for Kenya to win, very disappointing, a loss right at the last minute and to England, ouch.

Some shots of our crew below and the Cairnsy breakfast that saved my life.

La Taco Tickler.

Rojo Riding Rod.

Salsa Face.

Tantric Tortilla.

Itchy Enchilada.

Grapplin' Gringo.

Lil' Loco.

Chiquita pero Picosa.

Plus.

The museum even dressed in rainbows.

Double rainbows.

It was a colourful weekend past. I managed (just!) to make it to the Gay Pride Parade in Ponsonby and what a brilliant event it was. I so hope it's back to stay after a over 10 year hiatus. Such a well oiled machine too, with trucks packing up the parade fences right behind the final float (complete with roadworkers in good spirits dancing along).

GPP, it feels good to have you back.