Leaving (noun) an Autumn activity involving leaves.*

Just some lovely photos to share, of my sweet boy, and his best mate Soul enjoying Autumn... 

Arohanui, Tink Xx*

How cool is this chainsaw? Bought for Soul at the Steiner Autumn Fair*

Don't worry, that hammer actually lands about 2 inches behind that wee finger!*

Magic!*

Scooping...*

Throwing...*

Brooming...*

Fall*

Hello again! My, it feels like so long... Oh well, life happens, doesn't it! ;-).

So the fabulous Craft Wars has been and gone, and I am disappointed to say I didn't take any proper photos!! This is not like me at all- but I shall put it down to excitement!

All packed up- after the show*

 Fortunately my lovely Flower did take some photo's, so check hers out over here. We had an AWESOME time, and I can't wait for the next one in November. 

I have sorted out a wee Felt shop with some of my stock, which I will add to as soon as I sort out my shonky photos. Also, I need to find a clever way to test the recycled fabrics I pick up from our local Arts Recycling Centre when I'm a bit unsure of what they are made from... Any ideas? (Yes, I shall get my butt around to googling it, but any 'tried and true' tips would be awesome!). I prefer to use wool or cotton, or other natural fibres, but if I spot a gorgeous (reclaimed) fabric that I'm unsure of the 'contents' of, I grab it.

And, of course, Autumn is falling all around here- and it's beautiful :-).

The view from my Stitch Room. Not the sunny side of the house unfortunately*

Leafy puddles, ready for faerys to collect*

Our apple crop was bountiful last year- though is looking a lil' sad this time around*

Gearing up! All three porches are stacked*

Eternally wet washing*

Autumn Silverbeet*

Our first Fennel bulb, which I'm REALLY excited about!*

My sweet boy, out for a puddle-splashing adventure with me :-).*

Hope you're all warm and toasty, and loving the Autumn leaves, 

Arohanui, Xx Tink*

Around here...*

When I see this photo, I think of the Sia album titled 'Some People Have Real Problems'!*

Stamp. It works sometimes! Still faster than hand painting them all.*

Crunchy, floaty autumn leaves :-).*

Definately the last swim of the season!*

Also, three things worth taking a peek at:

 a) Going to this in Palmy, next Saturday,  b) A wonderful birth story from the lovely Rhianon over at Toast- Congratulations, clever Mama! :-). and c) something that has been on my mind much lately. Arohanui, Tink Xx*

Exciting!*

Just lately, I have been sewing, quite a lot, and quite happily :-).
You may (or may not!) have noticed a complete lack of me around here... this is why:

Yup, my very first market! Woohoo!
Ever since I was wee, I knew that when I did eventually become a Mama, that I wouldn't be sending my babe off to 'daycare', so I could go back to work. I personally believe wholeheartedly in the importance of my lil' one being with me (or the dada, but in the first few years, mostly me), and learning about the world with me (/us), rather than from some stranger, who will (no matter how nice they are) have an entirely different way of seeing things. I didn't know it at the time, but I already believed in attachment parenting, I guess :-). Anyway, once we made the decision to get pregnant, I started looking at different options for potential income which I could do from home. I love to sew, among other creative pursuits, so that seemed like quite a logical choice. I have always found satisfaction in dressing in a way which expresses my individuality (though I'm FAR from eternally stylish- I love comfy-ass-clothes too, most of the time actually, OH YES!!!), and when I had my darling boy, and was first starting out on our breastfeeding journey, I found it really difficult to find clothes which fell into any of the catagories of 'nursing friendly', warm, comfy, affordable, all whilst still maintaining some semblance of my former personal style- PHEW! In short, I wanted clothes I could comfortably breastfeed in, while still feeling like 'myself'. So I decided that was what I wanted to focus on. And hence the name 'Milkface'. Any breastfeeding Mama will know the immeasurable beauty of that newborn sleepy-milky-face as they just come off your breast (often asleep, with milk on their cheeks, OOoooohhh, just so lovely!).

(Yes, that is a hospital tray table in the background. But that is a story for another day!)

So, now my sweet boy is nearly two, I am finally settling into some form of organisation, where I am managing to get a bit of sewing done here and there. I have gotten a bit distracted from my original plan, -or as I prefer to call it 'branching out', and am making all sorts of things, and not just solely womens clothes. But this is my time to research and design, and to build my skills, and I am enjoying that part of the journey. I have made a couple of lil' woolen coats, in sizes to fit my ratbag, and am playing around with some other lil' things too. So, we shall see how this all goes! I am enjoying it, and feel real excitement, enthusiasm and joy at the creative process. So, as I am clearly at risk of this becoming a) a novel, and b) my 10th unfinished, unpublished, blog post, I shall end it here, with a couple of photos.

See you again after May The Fourth! Arohanui, Tink Xx*

We live behind a dairy...!*

So.... after my last two super healthy food posts, here is the flip side! We live behind a dairy- and for someone with a fairly epic ice cream/chocolate addiction, I manage to spend not too much time, or pocket money in that place. Its hard. I'm still at the beginning of my 'Willpower Journey'! 

It was sunny the other day, and as we have been feeling a bit shafted by summer, we decided to celebrate... with ice cream :-).*

'I think I love you..!'*

'Share? Not ice cream!'*

'Have I got something on my face?'*

'Maybe if I close my eyes really tight I can pretend I am not feeding my toddler  ice cream!'*

Mmmm...... Ice cream! 

And, to make myself feel a little less hedonistic, and to show that I am learning to share, here is a recipe for home made ice cream that I frequently make, and totally rate! I always use diferent flavourings (the latest was Peanut Butter-Choc, made with organic p.nut butter, raw organic cream, and choc ganache made from 70% cocoa choc! CORR!)

Arohanui, Tink Xx*

A pocket full of (black) gold*

Treasure!*

Our blackberry bush is roaring at the mo! Everyday we are bringing in at least a good sized pocket full!

Would you like a smooch?!*

Gearing up for winter*

I am making a conscious effort to find creative ways to feel excited about the approaching Winter. I have always felt 'most alive' in Summer, and have, for much of my life, really just been 'surviving' Winter, to get through to the warmer months. What a waste! I am amazed I have allowed myself to keep this attitude for so long! So, this Autumn, and Winter, the little fellow and I shall be embarking on as many outdoor, rugged up, boot wearing, tree climbing, bush walking, umbrella toting, puddle splashing adventures as we can- followed by hot baths, a cosy fire, soup and stories. Oh, and plenty of hut making on really shoddy days (we live in the Manawatu- I foresee MUCH hut making!)

Behold, the SUPER HUT!*

You could fit a queen bed inside this hut! CORR!*

We have been blessed with a really good tomato season. There have been plenty of opportunities for the darling boy and I to discuss the difference between red and green. Tomato's, chilli's, strawberries. I think he was just getting the hang of it when the blackberries ripened, and now nothing makes sense!  

Roughly chopped and frozen, free flow tom's.*

THE BEST tomato sauce!*

My fabulous friend Flower (erm.. I do have other friends, I feel I must point out- but she seems to be the only one I mention here!) told me of this (above) excellent way to make use of tomatoes. Roughly chop them, add onion and garlic (though I did forget these once, and that was a whole other kind of lovely!), herbs, olive oil, salt n pep, balsamic vinegar, some sugar (or other sweetener), and roast on 100-150 for a few hours, checking occasionally, until it is all caramelised and yummi (though, you can decide at which stage you want to pull it out of the oven, depending on what you will use the sauce for), then whizz it up in the blender/food processor, and you will have the most amazing sauce for pasta, or damn near anything you like. We had some warm today with Zucchini fritters!
I have also added chilli, as we have plenty, and other times chopped raw vege's, such as Zucchini and eggplant. I have frozen a few batches for some instant injections of Summer in the middle of Winter.


And here is an (as always!) thoughtful and interesting post from the wonderful Veronica over at The Mother Magazine blog.

Wishing you all as much warmth as we can possibly squeeze out of Autumn, and then some damn good cold weather adventure! Arohanui, Tink Xx*