Crafty Mermaid

When we had our floorboards under construction recently, we had to operate without a kitchen - which meant a lot of eating out.  We tried the Mediterranean Food Warehouse Pizza place in Kelburn. Its a nice, cheap eat (though pizza pomodoro in Wellington do a better Italian pizza).  BM was intrigued by the taro cake on the menu.  I hadn't had taro before I came to New Zealand (apologies if I'm preaching to the choir).  Its a tuber veggie and is really common in Polynesia (and increasingly New Zealand).  It has a sweet nutty flavour.  I still haven't cooked it at home though and am pretty sure they added food dye! *** Giveaway details: http://crafty-mermaid.blogspot.com/2011/09/15-followers.html***

A view of Wellington from the Cable Car in the Botanic Gardens.  BM has this view on his walk to work every day - I only have it if I need to head into town for a meeting. *** Giveaway details: http://crafty-mermaid.blogspot.com/2011/09/15-followers.html*** 

There's been an awful lot of this... and this... recently because of this...  but thankfully, its started to look like this... And that's after 35 different floorboards were removed, replaced, sanded and varnished... Its been rather tiring. *** Giveaway details: http://crafty-mermaid.blogspot.com/2011/09/15-followers.html*** 

The second day in Martinborough saw us touring some of the wineries for wine tasting.  I drove so BM was able to stock up our cellar (doesn't that sound grand? Actually its a few bottles in the same cupboard as our cleaning supplies!). It can be quite good fun touring the different wineries and sometimes there's quite a drive between each of them.  Here's BM perusing the selection at one cellar door. And here's a smaller (but very cute) cellar door.  I find the whole idea of being able to visit wineries to be a wonderful idea.  I love that the climate supports grapes here. That evening we drove to Masterton and went to the Countryman for dinner and walked around the town first to peer in windows.  It seems that the young farmers contest was also on that weekend! Another wonderful meal.  The presentation was seriously appealing.  Paua frittter for BM and garlic bread for me to start. Scallops for BM and beef (I think!) for me f

Winter is a long, long season without the bright lights and celebrations of Christmas and New Years to break it up.  This year BM and I took a weekend trip to Martinborough in one of the wine producing regions of New Zealand.  I started the weekend with a hot stone massage and it ended with a refreshing juice and nibbly chocolate. I booked BM and I into a Bach (holiday home) in Martinborough.  I was much impressed by the bright blue kitchen splashback and the beautifully warm wood stove. The house would be great in summer as the living room/kitchen opens on to the deck. And around the corner is a very pleasant surprize - a wonderful hot tub. We ended our first evening with dinner in the Martinborough hotel .  A yummy souffle for BM and a fresh bread and dip for me. We both had a duck based main - yum yum! And BM had cheese for dessert.  So appetizingly presented that I had to steal a photo and some cheese! We went on a tour of

A quick picture caught on my way to work this week. *** Giveaway details: http://crafty-mermaid.blogspot.com/2011/09/15-followers.html*** 

But daffodils in the markets and cherishingly carried home. *** Giveaway details: http://crafty-mermaid.blogspot.com/2011/09/15-followers.html*** 

And snow on our path too...  Such a magical environment...

Last month's Wellington snow fall did make some pretty pictures.

The herb corner of our kitchen. Housed beside our Cath Kidson covered kitchen table. Now brightened up with new bright plant containers.

I started the crafty-mermaid blog soon after I moved to New Zealand and wanted to have a record of the things I'd been making.  I wanted a way of sharing this with some of my friends in Ireland, the US and even in New Zealand.   The last few years have been pretty changeable.  I made some wonderful NZ friends and moved in with them. I met and fell in love with BM. Moved in with him and his two cats and then convinced him to move!  This year, we bought a house together and I love, love, love it.  An Teach Gorm (the blue house). Its been wonderful to document all the changes and to look at the emerging pattern in 20:20 hindsight. As well as a visual record, I've also found some wonderful, colourful, bright and beautiful blogs.  I've visited blogs and started and entered into conversations.  Others have called in here and said hi or 'oh that's nice!' and its all been greatly appreciated.  I had a rather nice surprize today when I realised that I had 15 f

I've signed up for a few daily offers websites and recently spied a 'High Tea' treat.  I quickly nabbed a high tea for four at the Wellesley Club.  I've firmly placed the Wellesley Club into the shabby posh category, and its in one of the older buildings in Wellington.  Lovely embroidered linen with cute china. Monogramed spoons... Rough sugar chunks and sugar tongs... And a selection of lovelies - including cucumber sandwiches (which I passed off on one of my guests!).  Definitely worth the half price admission but I doubt I'd be keen to pay full price.

Mt Taranaki in all its snow capped volcanic glory. Last weekend, BM and I took a tiki tour to Taranaki to watch the Ireland - USA world cup rugby match (and after last night's amazing Ireland - Australia game, I'm really sorry I didn't shell out for tickets to Eden Park in Auckland too!). Taranaki is an active tectonic region and Mt Taranaki dominates the landscape (at least on a clear day as we couldn't see it the next due to cloud!). The mountain just seems to bubble up out of the landscape. BM and I stayed in Stratford about 4 and a half hours from Wellington. Stratford is home to New Zealand's only glockenspiel and the start of the Forgotten World Highway. I was unfamiliar with the glockenspiel concept so I'll explain it slowly for those in the same boat! In this case the Glockenspiel is a mock Tudor clock tower which at the same times every day, scenes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet play out over loudspeakers accompanied by ra