You say Potato

Here are a couple of images from a recent "rua" potato harvest...together with some other jewels from the garden.

Practical Presents 101

Christmas for our family is about being creative.  The theme is "homemade handmade" and always sees some imaginative and practical ideas with a personal touch.  One of the gifts we received was a sewing kit from Mum.

We think this is such an amazing idea and gift! It's been so handy to date and something that we will keep for a very long time.

Happy Friday Everyone xx

Sewing Kit Essentials

1. an assortment of pins and miniature pegs
2. handmade needle wallet
3. craft blade
4. a tin to hold safety pins in different sizes
5. assorted needles
6. sewing scissors
7. thread
8. handmade pin cushion
9. tailoring chalk
10. tape measure

Made with Love - Homestyle Magazine Food Shoot

I recently helped out with a Homestyle Magazine baking shoot.  The baking was all packaged and labelled beautifully and would make great gifts for Mother's Day.  From Apple, Ginger and Honey Loaves to Tropical Passionfruit Marshmallows the day was filled with sweety goodness!  If you would like to get your hands on a recipe follow this link or grab the latest issue of Homestyle Magazine in NZ supermarkets or bookstores.

Sneak Peek

We have been very busy here at owlandlou creating beautiful pink things for the up and coming weekend - so stay tuned to see what evolves.  We think you will love.  More pictures to follow soon ...

When Life gives you Lemons . . .

Make Lemon Meringue Tartlets!

I made these to take to a baby shower high tea last weekend and used this fabulous recipe here!

Enjoy xx



Spaces

I have transformed a little piece of our apartment into an inspiring creative crafting area.  Everything now has it's own place and is so organised, it's wonderful (mum, you would be so proud)!

before

after

Maisy & Grace

Maisy & Grace are merchants & makers of vintage inspired homewares, art, craft & design. They believe it's the simple pleasures which make life beautiful and we absolutely agree!

Please visit their fabulous online store here.

Autumn Hues

Autumn is slowly moving in on us - the air is cooler, the trees are turning

and leaves are falling and arriving at our doorsteps.

a beautiful autumnal bouquet which cost me a grand total of $0 -
handpicked from random front gardens and road-side on my walk home

pumpkin minikins - so adorable, would be great spray painted gold and used as table decorations

Autumn is knocking

toasting marshmallows on the bonfire

Sushi

 

A 19th century gentleman called Hanaya Yohei − Japan’s equivalent to the Earl of Sandwich, invented a creation of food which is clean, quick, and simple to eat. There has rapidly become a worldwide boom and we can't get enough of it. Last night we hosted a sushi and sashimi dinner party. We sourced the tuna, salmon and snapper from the Auckland Fish Market where there was an abundance of fresh seafood. If you would like to have a go at making sushi too, follow this link makemysushi. Thank you Hanaya Yohei.

Figs, Figs, Figs

 

A work colleague of mine brought me in a bag of beautiful figs from his tree a last week. I had actually only tried figs for the first time a year ago and now I.am.hooked.

I decided to make this whole fig jam, which goes so well with some nice cheese and a glass of wine. I also wanted to make something savoury and this prosciutto, brie and caramelised fig flatbread is a wonderful combination.

Donna Hay's basic pizza dough is my go-to recipe and is what I used for the flatbread base, but I added a sprigg of chopped fresh rosemary too.

Green Bean

 

Over the weekend, we visited our Aunty Cath's magical garden, which is nestled away in Matakana. An abundance of hard work has gone into her back yard, which pretty much resembled a swamp when she moved there a few years ago.

We loved sitting in the sun picking apples and passionfruit and eating snowpeas and strawberries straight off the plants. Em thought she had struck gold when she found the passiontfruit vine, as 3 of them cost her $7.50 at the supermarket a few days before!

We also found this giant bean and immediately wanted to use it for something. A story was told of how Isaac's grandpa, every year, used to pick the biggest bean he could find in the garden, take out the beans and dry them on the window sill and use them for his next harvest. We have decided to do the same, so please stay tuned ...

What To Wear?

Below is a visual snack of classic fashion and hair photographs we love.

 

 

Via Pinterest

diy S'mores Kit

This weekend I am going camping to celebrate a friend's birthday. For the long weekend, I wanted to make her a gift which is something camping-esque and found some inspiration on Pinterest for a DIY Smore's Kit. It is not a widely known treat in NZ and Australia, so I added a little note and some instructions to explain what S'mores are and the process in which to make these delicate beauties. The colour palette was drawn from earthy browns and greens to reflect the surroundings of a camping landscape. I thought these could make perfect wedding favours for an outdoorsy-inspired wedding!

Happy Birthday Beck! xx

Knitting Needles

You can find this gorgeous Robert Gordon milk and cream bottle set here

 

It is said that knitting is defined as "combining a piece of thread with two needles into a piece of fabric"... if only it was as simple as it sounds. Fortunately, our Mum and Aunty have years of experience and spend their down-time creating unique booties, tea cosies, blankets and rugs. The modern style of the pieces has inspired us to celebrate the art of crafting, attention to detail and an opportunity to showcase their talent!

Birthday Bliss

 

 

I was lucky enough to head back to New Zealand to celebrate my birthday over the weekend. My wonderful sister organised a surprise high-tea with all my girlfriends and did such an amazing job! The food was ridiculously good and I'm in love the colour scheme she put together. My lovely mum made a Strawberry Cloud birthday cake – Annabel Langbein's recipe.

All the delicate china plates, vintage champagne glasses, silver spoons and antique vases were organised and borrowed through friends and family members or which she found looking through hospice shops. The decorations were all handmade and hung up perfectly.

It was a beautiful day! THANK YOU LITTLE EM xx