Wordless Wednesday: The Zoo

Easter birthday biscuits

Sabine is off to pre-school in the morning, on her 1st birthday! So for her little friends to share i made some easter/birthday biscuits. They are just like the duckie ones if you want the recipe, soooo easy to make! I have been sick all week with bronchitis,  but i had enough anti-biotics in my system to summons up enough energy to make these (they are that easy to whip up!). 

Seriously if you want to impress at a birthday party or similar, make some of these as they require not much skill and they get the Oooh factor! Go on...try it...dare you!

Oma Rapiti

Numero uno eggies

Yummmmm

The afternoon was a great success, lot's of happy toddlers eating yummy things, friends and family all chatting and having a few drinks. Sabine was a wonderful birthday girl and there was not a tantrum in sight! It was a shame to eat the  duck biscuits and cake, but that's what they are for hey! There was even a fantastic turn out of dads too, that really made my afternoon! 

The group of wonderful mums from my coffee group had sneakily teamed together and bought Sabine a balance bike, i was gob smacked! I actually had a wee tear in my eye but don't tell them that! 

Some weables, a little car, some awesome books and the rocking horse Sabine's popa had up-cycled. A very lucky little girl. And more to come on thursday when it's her actual birthday. 

I wonder what the next year will bring, this one has been a roller coaster of fun!

Duckie birthday cake

Today is party day, and i have just finished the birthday cake! It's by far perfect, but you get the gist hey! A likkle wee duckie just for Sabine, i bet she won't even care just as long as it tastes good hehe.

Finishing off the butterfly cakes this morning and hanging the bunting and blowing up balloons. Hmmm, is this really Sabine's party...or mine ;D

Giveaway Winner :D

Congratulations to Sarah Lee! You lucky wee winner (check your FB mail honey!).

Check back soon for another sneaky giveaway!

Little duckie biscuits

With the wee monster's 1st birthday on sunday, the baking has begun...





Only a gazzilion more to ice!




Basic sugar buscuit recipie:


1 1/2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla esc
2 Tsp baking powder
5 1/2 cups flour




Once you have made the dough, chill for and hour
Cut out into 1/4 inch shapes with your choice of cookie cutter
bake 8-10 mins at 190


Then roll your royal icing wafer thin on some baking paper, cut with same cookie cutter
Coat the cooled biscuit with apricot jam, 
Stick on the icing and add any extra detailing


Easy peasy!

Facebook Page Giveaway...

Due to the stinky facebook rules, and not wanting my page to be closed down, i'll be running the "200 Likes" giveaway here on my blog. 

So in 8 more likes, i'll be giving away a Little Sabine creation and picking a lucky person via the random number generator. For all my Blog readers you can enter by either liking my FB page of commenting below :D easy hey!

Wedding hearts

Next month a friend of mine is getting married, she has been making lots of things for her special day like the vases, the flower girl dress etc. But she was getting a little stuck when it came to the large display behind the top table. The ceremony is outside on a beautiful deck by the harbour, over looking the sea, so she wanted a natural feel to the decor. So i have picked some amazing Flax pods, they are huge!! And very striking. To tie them all together i have some think black ribbon, some fine white ribbon and i will bundle them all up with these to top it off. 

These are made from baked clay with lace detailing and a shiny glaze. I have made one large one as well to be an alternative wedding horse shoe to give her.

No words needed!

Strike a pose...

It was a tough birthday pressie decision to decide between a new dress (impending friends wedding coming up) or a new camera. Took me a few days to decide but i thought i would love the dress for a day then stash it in the wardrobe for eternity, but the camera would get used every day. So hold on to your hats, there is probably going to be a photo deluge in the next few days as i play around with it. 

Here are the first few shots:

My beautiful cat Minka, always keen for a picture!

Hobbes (ex-racing Greyhound) woken from his slumber to be snapped

Last of the summer roses in our garden, still wet with dew

My first holiday

We have just got back from a well executed holiday to Wellington and Wanganui, a master plan was put in place, and all went well with no melt downs or tantrums (from any of us!!). Staying with some of my friends in Welly and then a trip to Wanganui to see Sabine's great-nana and cousins. I was pretty nervous to start with as previously Sabine has screamed the entire airplane down the moment she got on, but this time was a great success! Slight mission packing with all Sabine's stuff (porta-cot, buggy etc) and my training stuff including bike! But somehow we managed to get it there and even fit it all in a rather small ford focus! 

5 days away, lot's of friends to entertain Sabine, family BBQ and crazy time in the swimming pool and Sabine was one happy camper the entire time! Yes, she is always like this, i giggled to my friends. 

Tips for traveling with a 11 month old:

~ Pack lot's of nibbles for on the plane

~ Give them a drink on take off and landing to help with their ears

~ Toys to entertain on the plane

~ Find out where the nearest park is (preferably with duck pond!)

~ Ask your friends to baby proof their lounge before you get there so all precious items are   safe!

~ Shop around car rental companies for a "free" baby seat, some will charge you! And most are forward facing which i didn't like.

~ Sit next to another family in the departure lounge, instant play mates!!!

Watching the ducks with my Papa

Feeding Nana's cat, this ended badly (for Sabine!)

Me and my great-nana Heather

It's been a long day!

What the wardrobe threw at me today...

Bit of a cooler jeans-kind-of-a-day today, and the other day i bought a new pair of blue ink colour size 8 skinny jeans (yes skinny, only took me 11 LONGGGGG months to get here) but it's so worth it when you get there! Rocking the glasses as it's late and my eye's are tired typing.  Felt good to be back to a shape where i can feel comfy wearing 'tight' clothing, not a muffin in sight hehe. Some long hard hours out training to get back here, so a reward of some new jeans is feeling fabulous!

Jeans: Jeans West $69.00 (bargin!)

Belt: pink with lace sewn on top, Cotton On

T-Shirt: Good old Glassons

Shoes: Brown Ballet Flats from Country Road

Glasses: Brown hounds tooth from Prada

Windy city here comes Sabine!

Were away for a few days to the Windy city, catching up with friends and family, celebrating my birthday and our 2nd wedding anniversary (and i'm sneakily going to watch the Triathlon Nationals). I lived there for over 2 years and i miss the Capital so much, i felt comfortable there, i didn't even mind the weather...i know!!!

Hopefully we get to see some of these (preferably whilst i'm not swimming!) that were seen today by a triathlete out swimming.

Sabine will get to meet some of my oldest and dearest friends for the first time, it's so nice for them to get to meet her and for Sabine to see some of my favorite places in the world. She will even get to see the place where her Papa proposed to her mama on our anniversary which will be very special!

I am NOT looking forward to the flight, previous flight have resulted in one tiny person crying beyond control, then a slightly larger person crying cause she can't do anything to help the tiny person. The short hop from Nelson to Welly should hopefully be short enough to avoid any huge drama's and i'm packing a small supermarkets worth of food to keep her distracted! 

Bike bag, running shoes, swimming togs and a pram later...i'm ready. Bring on Wellyvegas :D

Nap time crafts

My darling little monster is down to one nap a day at lunch time for about an hour and a half, during this time i find that i can (if i'm quick) make something without interruptions of the Sabine kind.

So to jazz up Sabines usual wardrobe of a onsie and trackies, i made this wee cross over top to pop over the top and make her look all pretty and girly (please note not a hint of pink in sight...i'm a little anti-pink).

I still have my friends overlocker and i'm using this as much as possible before she asks for it back. Makes things a whole lot easier when you only had an hour and a half.

What can you make in your child's nap time? Have a try...

Shoe addict at 11 months...

I can't afford new shoes, so i am living vicariously through my daughter. Now that she is doing some walking i thought i would get some soft shoes for when she is outside and for the few cold mornings we have had here. Some i have grabbed as $4 bargains, some as expensive as $20, Ooooh i hear you say. 

These i bought today and are my...i mean Sabine's new favorites. They were in the boy section at Pumpkin patch. I don't normally shop there as there style doesn't appeal to me much and they are rather expensive but i saw these and couldn't resist. Actually their boys section had a few things i would put a girl in!!

These are the "dress to impress" shoes, the "dancing feet" shoes. I have featured these before but i thought they warranted another look cause they are so sparkly and cool! A $4.50 purchase!

Feeling down, but not out!

The other day i put up an auction on trademe for a dress i had made for Sabine's 1st birthday to raise some pennies for CHCH. 

Rather excited i checked to see how the auction was going...and no bids. over 250 views, 4 watchers...but no bids. I felt really down about this as i thought at least one person would grab it for the reserve of a measly $30. Ho hum, onwards and upwards i thought. Not everything works out as you had envisaged it, so the dress sat on the hanger in Sabine's room looking all pretty. 

But things work out is funny ways, you see my cousin in England had seen the dress when i put the auction link on facebook, and he asked if he could bid. I told him sadly he couldn't as it was a bit too complicated for dumb old me to work out international funds transfer etc. He asked if i could make one for his little girl, so i happily said i would. Then he emailed me, with an electronic receipt for NZ$110 to Canterbury SPCA. So as fate would have it, the donation i wanted to raise was made for me and my cousin gets the dress! 

Isn't the world wonderful sometimes! A big thank you to my cousin Mark, this little dress is destined for England!

Things i'm loving...

Linking in with the lovely Paisley Jade again:

I'm loving my husband, how fortunate i am to have him in my life, how i miss him whilst he is away on work. How wonderful he is as a father, did i mention i miss him whilst he is away!

I'm loving Blueseventy, i won a competition they were running to win a swimskin. I still can't believe i won, i never win anything let alone this amazing item. And i need all the help i can in the swim as it's my least favorite discipline in triathlon. Now at least i'll look fast...zoom zoom!

I'm loving being part of Handmade For Christchurch a group of wonderful people donating handmade items that are being auctioned off on TradeMe to raise funds for Christchurch! Awesome job New Zealand, Kia Kaha Christchurch!

New March Header

I decided to change the header of my blog today to display a recent pic of my monster and also the impending chocolate...I mean easter celebrations coming! I have already spied hot cross buns (OMG i am so glad they made some without yucky orange peel) and chocolate eggs etc. Monster will of course have no idea this year about easter, it's meaning, and of course the chocolate! Phew! Too much chocolate gives me a migraine so i will be happy with hot cross buns fresh out the oven which Sabine will enjoy with me. The other half will consume enough chocolate to pretend to be an Oompa Loompa! 

Nearly a year...panic stations!

Holy @#%^(%^&* where did nearly a year go to??? Today is officially the end of summer and the beginning of March, meaning 31 days till my monster is one and only 27 days until we have her party!! I can't believe that nearly a year has passed since she dramatically came into our lives (read about this here) and i can't imagine life without her, she is amazing in so many ways. Especially when she makes me laugh by doing things like this....

So, as i try and think about a few other things in my day other than the terrible time that Christchurch is having, i think about how lucky i am to have a healthy and happy little girl. To celebrate how blessed i am i am planning a wonderful birthday party for her.

She LOVES ducks, so this is the theme for the afternoon! My clever little monster can actually say duck and make a duck sign too (must be clever like her mama hehe). So i have set about finding all sorts of things ducky and blue and yellow 'stuff' to add to the ambience! My poor long suffering husband thinks i am nuts and that i am probably doing the stuff i would like for my own party...probably right, but hey, you gotta act your shoe size some of the time!!