the haps over here.

yesterday. last day of holidays for Indie-mindie-bindie.

i think we are ready to be doing our own thing for a while.

the day was sticky hot.

exibit A of sweaty over-it child...

 and please don't you be jealous of my fluffy 'hot weather' hair and the 'i need to sleep for 1000 hours straight' face...

(i would have made this photo the same size as the rest...but the smaller...the less wrinkle giveaway...)

and there where some serious heat inflicted emotions running wild from us all in the afternoon. i needed to step out the back and focus on some good shizz.

new jandals. yes. i am a total jandal snob. the only thing i will shell out the big bucks for. since i wear them all through winter as well.
brazil blues.

the race is on between me and the birds for the toms.
speaking of birds.
check out these ducks!

they quack me up. (oh i am hallarious.)

summertime. yes.

what a crate day it is.
ba dom dom chi.
so many ideas for these beauties.
beds.
tables.
seating.

what cool things have you seen crates made into around the interwebs?
best idea gets a virtual hug.
now that's a competition.

watch this virtual space peoples.

salad of the week...and some fish action.

we are very lucky to have a Papa that goes fishing.

even luckier that he shares the bounty with us!

tenacious D loves her some fresh fish...big time.

oh yeah. love me some sea creature.

so glad this wee baba-ganoush is feeling better and eating again. 

(really need to sort that blank wall behind her noggin.)

oh and to go with the fresh crumbed fishy (other than peas...because the broccoli from the garden had a team of caterpillars inhabiting it and honestly my stomach couldn't handle if i missed one...)

..was my go to salad of the week.

so easy.

so don't be surprised if when you ask me for dinner i bring this puppy.

basil, sweetcorn, tomato pasta salad.

what i do...

bring a big pot of water to boil add salt, pasta and a corn cob...(huskless...of course)

while that is cooking chop some lil' tomatoes in halves or quarters, some spring onions and tear up some basil leaves.

when pasta is cooked. drain and take out corn cob and chop off kernels. add some olive oil to pasta to stop it sticking together (lordie i hate that) 

add some crushed garlic (about 2 tsp) and loads of cracked black pepper and some salt to taste. 

add toms, basil, corn, spring onions and grate over a generous amount of parmesan cheese.

the sweetness of the corn, tangy toms, and moreish parmesan. winning.

the family that dresses up together...

...stays together.
because no one else will want to stand beside you.

we had a 5 year olds M party this morning. (Happy Birthday sweet Maddi :)

we weren't sure whether we would we be making it with little D feeling less than chipper this week.
but we rallied together this morning and got our outfits sorted.
(with a quick run to a friends house by the Lars to get a certain bossy-i-need-to-be-a-mermaid-or-else's tail...)

it was such a fun party at a park. so glad we got out and about.

so here is our mermaid...(the tiara was added later as a last minute addition...obviously Indie has never heard of Coco Chanel's mantra...)

and then we had the MUMMY... lordie i love this kid.

Once upon a time...there was a mechanic and a mouse.
he even smelt like a mechanic. so pleasant.

this wee mouse is slowly on the mend. she loved having the ears on though.

and i bet you are wondering what yours truely dressed up as...

minnie mouse?

a man?

m..m.mmmm an m&m?

oh no.

A MICROWAVE!

i am so cool sometimes. i bet my daughters are going to love being in public with me in a few years.

colour popping the old side table.

so the Lars and i bought this side table 5 or so years ago from a second hand store.
and ever since we have had it i stared at the orangey varnished wood and mentally painted it in my mind.

i haven't got a before picture... but this is the during.

this is in the garage...not my house...although my carpet does some what resemble this after a  few weeks of school holidays.

so with a bit of sanding...well a lot because the varnished that sucker good...and a slap of the brightest paint in the paint shop, we have this POP of colour.

oh yes 2013 you are full of YES. and this is pretty much true to colour...i have a good man who lets me indulge in crazy colour everywhere.
one day i'll get a photo to fill that green frame...one day.
a wooden puzzle, lamp (known as the onion lamp) wooden numbers and old milk bottles that usually have flowers in them...oh and that wee rock by the frame is a painted snail by Indie. cute.

and underneath.
a bag full of nappies and wipes for daisy, a letterbox that is supposed to be gracing the front gate instead of 'manky antville' letterbox that resides there now.
also a blanket and another bag of blocks.
and a rouge red block underneath...story of my life.

i find all sorts poked in that letterbox. from toys to cameras to bikkies...yum.

i also changed up the handles. i grabbed these ones from bunnings for 5 bucks each. i wasn't too sure but they were the right price and the only ones that didn't look like they belonged in 1990's nana house.

but i put them on and i quite dig them.

tadaaa! that zebra painting is still going strong. i did it in 2007 and it's the only painting i still love.

now i am looking around for my next victim/project.
have you indulged in a little d.i.y these holidays?

DIY flour tortillas...

i have been wanting to have a crack at these flour tortillas for a while now. and they are super easy.
i used the Annabel recipe from her new book.
delish!

what you will need:

3 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup neutral oil
1 cup very hot water.

place flour.salt. baking powder in a bowl and add water and hot water.
mix to combine and knead for 3 minutes.
the dough should be soft enough to roll easily.

first you make the dough and leave it to rest for 15 minutes.

i divided it into 16 balls to roll out.

then you roll roll roll your flatbreads...gentle down the stream. or just in your kitchen. which ever you prefer.

mine weren't perfectly round...but i like things a bit rustic.

you cook them on one side for about 1 minute until they get all bubbly.

then...you guessed it you flip and do the other side!

at the same time i was cooking up some thai-pork-balls. 

(excuse my oven...it's a but rustic at the moment too...)

and wrap away! i put out grated carrot and cheese and sliced cucumber with the pork balls. with an avocado and garlic dressing (which was all i had in the fridge but it was good)

now when we have build-your-own meals this always happens...

such a happy wee tortilla.

they were a hit with the critics.

which makes for a happy camper.

beach and the blues.

what a great year it has been so far. you know... all five days of it.

yesterday we had a wee trip to himatangi beach with my parents (the mama and the papa), and hung out with one BILLION blue bottles.
(managed to find a wee space that hadn't been invaded for some good sand castle diggin'.)

Daisy is in love with the beach...and had a huge sleep in the salt air. bless her.

and then today we ventured out pohangina valley to Kim's, a friend from my former life's house. (back before kids when i worked in a restaurant)

it was an awesome morning, i was going to take the kiddos out by myself, but Lars decided he wanted to tag along which added to the sweetness.

we visited the the pick-your-own blueberries and have a wicked stash in our freezer...hello antioxidants! 

the girls were great wee foragers! 

 a bit of a selfie for ya'll...to show off my new sunnies. i picked them up at the checkout of the super market and they are the comfiest sunnies EVER. i love surprise wins.

and the cost 20 buckeroos. yes.

Kim also has some friendly animals (apart from old grumpy cat ;) that live at her place.

one was this cow. who's tongue wrapped right around my arm when i attempted to feed her an apple.

Indie was far braver than i! 

oh this year is going to be a goodun'

i can feel it in my nuggets...:)

word up!

a whole 365 days of possibility lies ahead...well 364 because i spent the 1st January eating cheese and crackers.
the year just past i look back and feel as though i accomplished...well...not so much. but really it was a year of survival, and i feel okay letting myself have that. i needed to put everything i had into my family. and honestly it was hard, and very tiring and overwhelming. looking back it was totally worth it.
my word for last year i chose was possibility. but i think the universe had a different word for me. 'family' 'survival' ...or possibly 'hermit'. ha.

this year however.
my word shall be BRAVE.

not in a Bear Grylls kind of way.
bravery in a feeling the fear of finding 'myself' after having kids kind of way. sounds all very fluffy i know but there is a comforting blanket of being a mother. i guess because the focus is not really on me...it's on children. (look at the pretty pretty children!)
where as stepping out (particularly in a arty/business sense) it's all me. and that makes me feel vulnerable.
so i need my warpaint on.
be brave.

three bed-headed excited wee gals.

(Honor's face still cracks me up...Indie woke her up to see the pressies, Honor sooo doesn't do mornings.)

Wishing you all an amazing, fulfilling new year.

do you have word to guide you through?