tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68696019391795632082024-03-13T20:25:12.735-07:00Piou piouThe love of upcycling: turning the old into new.natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.comBlogger299125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-86385895498095655362012-11-28T20:07:00.001-08:002012-11-28T20:07:21.694-08:00relocatingWell... It looks as if I just ran out of photo credits on Blogger. Since I'm a bit of a cheap ass rather than upgrade and pay a monthly fee I thought I'd try something new. Check out my new blog here: http://pioupioukids.wordpress.com<br />
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Thanks Blogger!natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-70529056858260665512012-11-14T12:54:00.000-08:002012-11-14T12:54:41.626-08:00chairs revamp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u1m2BopcGxY/UKQCxLrSo6I/AAAAAAAAC5Y/7kWd1iAN0kk/s1600/chair+love's+garden+of+roses2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u1m2BopcGxY/UKQCxLrSo6I/AAAAAAAAC5Y/7kWd1iAN0kk/s320/chair+love's+garden+of+roses2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Josh has been dreaming of having a set of matching chairs. Don't ask me why, I can't understand either. He'll happily wear mismatched socks, use the floor as his wardrobe (he calls it "floordrobe") and put all sorts of nails and screws in one big box that has to be tipped out every time you're looking for a specific size of nail.<br />
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So we've had these chairs that he found second hand, with some ugly paint. I added some padding to make them easier on the bum (see here), and now that he was threatening to throw them out again I decided to take action and give them a new life. I'm not particularly attached to them, but they are good enough to be sat on, so why throw them out?<br />
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I set to sanding them, then found some cool lime green paint lying around in the garage (Josh was horrified, didn't even remember he had that!) then stuck some music scores on the front panels (found at the op shop for very cheap). The varnishing took the longest, each chair probably has at least 20 coats of shellac! I was going to do more to give them a good thick layer but Josh got sick of waiting for some decent chairs to sit on so back inside they went.<br />
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The scores have neat titles: "Love's Garden of Roses", "Il Trovatore", "Friend O'Mine" and "A Gaiety Girl". Most of these date from before the second world war. Crazy.<br />
The cut out paper is from a stack I bought in China 10 or 15 years ago and that I've been using up slowly on special projects like this one.<br />
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I'd been wanting to revamp these chairs for a while and initially I was going to paint them in various bright colors. Then I found a book about paper crafts at the library and got inspired...<br />
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-91127188707363703322012-11-09T20:04:00.002-08:002012-11-09T20:04:28.472-08:00Of sheep and shearersJosh helped a friend design a set for a local play and as a thank you gesture they gave us some tickets.<br />
I haven't been to a play since I can't remember when. And I've never been to one in Gisborne.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The set. Truer than true shearing shed.</td></tr>
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So what was it like? Well it was better than I expected really. Obviously the actors are not professionals but they were overall very good. The play was enjoyable and a real touch of kiwiana, which I wasn't expecting. Called "The Learner's Stand", it's the story of a B grade shearing gang composed of a law student, an old timer and a transsexual (what is it with New Zealand plays and transexuals?).<br />
Very far from my european play experiences... a good laugh. I love how New Zealand has this way of doing things differently.<br />
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I took some photos for the said friend, but our camera was a bit too noisy so I was asked to stop half way through. I still got a few good photos, it was a fun experience (and nice to get out without the kids!).<br />
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The play had this "Animal Farm" element to it, embodied in two sheep that popped up every now and again and made some revolutionary comments about taking over. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a sheep in the foreground.</td></tr>
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Who would have guessed Gisborne had so much talent?<br />
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-58943903342430184762012-10-30T03:14:00.001-07:002012-10-30T03:14:53.497-07:00Shop update and baby expoThings are a little crazy around here. No the vege patch is still on slow mode. Meanwhile I'm sewing like crazy this week getting ready for Gisborne's baby expo. I'm hoping to have a bit more than I had for sale two years ago, and of course really hoping there will be some buying!<br />
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Meanwhile I still have some custom orders waiting to be finished and am slowly updating my <a href="http://pioupioukids.esty.com/">etsy shop</a>... My to do list hasn't shrunk a bit, the workshop is still full of fabrics. My aim this year was to get rid of all the fabric in the workshop before buying any more, luckily I didn't give myself a deadline.<br />
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-43769277673942851452012-10-21T23:22:00.003-07:002012-10-21T23:22:33.534-07:00Reconnecting with summerAaaahhh, summer, you are on our doorstep, please come in. The equinox winds have picked up again but the sun is definitely a tad warmer. We had our first (windy) day at the beach today, the kids were stoked and ran around, splashed in the water. Nice.<br />
We bought a big tent from some friends and tried it out (on a windy week end, eeeek!), it's nice and roomy, with an opening in the middle (I can stand!) and two little alcoves on each side. I can picture us freedom camping this summer up the coast, by the beach. Super nice.<br />
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A few weeks ago we spent the night on a farm where Josh has been doing some building work. Spring here means lots of baby animals everywhere. This farm was no exception and they had three cute orphan lambs hanging out in the back yard. Tahi and Miro had great fun playing with them and Tahi fed them their daily ration of milk very lovingly. Baby lambs are super cute and we were very tempted to take one home... maybe one day...<br />
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-79665009576580964622012-10-18T01:32:00.000-07:002012-10-18T01:32:06.365-07:00Miro and the egg<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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If you thought there was only one way to eat a soft boiled egg, Miro will prove you wrong. There's the nice tidy clean way, and then there's... well this.<br />
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PS. Do your kids go completely nuts when it's very windy outside? Mine seem to turn their energy levels to max and go completely hysterical. Is this normal???natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-2392771111784532302012-10-15T23:58:00.001-07:002012-10-15T23:58:34.586-07:00inspired by: paper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I spent quite a few holidays in Hong Kong and China. Paper cuts are one of the many exotic things you can buy as a souvenir. I've always like the beautiful simplicity and intricacy of them. I doubt they are still handout as they probably were once. This book introduced me to other creative ways of paper cutting. I can only imagine how many hours these artists spend on each piece. Crazy.</div>
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-72723402022990393902012-10-08T00:16:00.002-07:002012-10-08T00:16:39.888-07:00It's warm!And I've been making stuff! Sewing of course (photos later), but also doing some DIY around the house: painting the chairs lime green (Josh hates it!) and some garden seats for the boys. They're not the prettiest but hey, they're flat and the boys fit into them!<br />
I used whatever wood bits were lying around, roughly sawed them and nailed them together. 10mn each, done.<br />
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It was Earthquake day last Wednesday, so we made jelly to take to our playcentre. Did you ever notice how when you shake jelly it looks like an earthquake? We figured it would be a good way to show the kids what happens when the earth shakes. Tahi was delighted, most kids thought it was funny but just wanted to eat it really.<br />
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Josh took the boys to the beach the other day, it was sunny and warm and the boys had a ball. They even went into the water and met a cute little baby seal.</div>
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-58313092147123501412012-10-03T02:17:00.002-07:002012-10-03T02:17:27.363-07:00PatienceWe're now well into spring, , there are flowers everywhere, the days are warmer and we haven't had a fire in a while... It's been really nice to be able to hang out in the garden, get the vege beds ready for spring planting and sow some seeds. Watching seeds sprout then grow into seedlings and later plants has been my favorite part of gardening. Whenever I think about it, I still find it amazing that a living entity can emerge from such a tiny thing. It definitely puts life into perspective.<br />
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When it comes to gardening, spring feels a bit like a waiting game. At the moment, half of the vege beds are composted, mulched and just waiting for some seedlings. The said seedlings are growing in seeds trays until they are strong enough to be put in the ground. And so I have come to the stage where I just have to be patient and wait. Wait until the time is right. Sometimes I find this wait excruciating. I just want the garden to be full of veges growing everywhere, and sometimes I just can't wait anymore and put some seedlings in too soon. Most of the time I loose half of them (to birds, snails, dog-crossing-the-vege-bed-although-he-knows-not-to, aliens?). I could try and stop whatever ruins my seedling from ruining them (I do use bird netting now and again, but I don't really like to kill too many things, and no nasty Round up type chemicals of course). Or I could just wait.<br />
So spring for me is just a game of patience. And if I manage to refrain myself and just go at nature's pace, I seem to end up on the path of least resistance.<br />
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-89519920111342112562012-09-25T03:36:00.003-07:002012-09-25T03:36:42.899-07:00The boys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When Josh is away, we all sleep in the same bed. Oh well sometimes I do wonder if I would be more comfortable on the floor.</div>
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I have monsters under my bed though...<br />
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Collecting snails. Monsters love snails.<br />
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-72928155034687874002012-09-22T03:23:00.003-07:002012-09-22T03:23:28.742-07:00inspired by<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-85256045198780490592012-09-19T03:56:00.001-07:002012-09-19T03:56:52.194-07:00Spring craftsEvery now and then I sneak into the workshop and get some sewing done. Mainly for my shop, but every now and again I feel like doing something for us. Miro has pretty much destroyed the banner that was hanging in the hallway (paper+kids=disaster waiting to happen), so I decided it was time for a small revamp.<br />
I saw some cute fabric patchwork clouds on Etsy and pinned them.<br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/177751516513748562/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="600" src="http://media-cache-ec4.pinterest.com/upload/190840102929439435_V0ofhcNk_c.jpg" width="558" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/48020890/cloud-mobile-grey?ref=fp_treasury_3" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">etsy.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/pioupiou/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Natacha</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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Bits of fabric is what I am not lacking, so it was pretty easy to put together some fabric. Tahi even gave a helping hand stuffing the clouds.<br />
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I also made a 3/4 sleeve shirt for Miro from one of Josh's old tee shirts.<br />
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For a while I've wanted to try making a lamp shade in the style of the doily lamp shades.<br />
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Source: <a href="http://blog.mad4flash.com/2012/06/20-awesome-do-it-yourself-projects/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">blog.mad4flash.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/pioupiou/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Natacha</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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Since I have no doilies and none of that special glue you need, I thought I'd try it with pattern paper. It turned out as I expected, the various bits of paper overlapping look great. The shades do look a funny old kind of faded yellow, not the prettiest, but when they are lit they are pretty and they add warmth to the room (I've put them in the bathroom).<br />
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-7535925833953745412012-09-16T19:34:00.001-07:002012-09-16T19:34:20.599-07:00meanwhile in the gardenSpring is finally here and the wind has picked, announcing warmer days. I have been spending a lot more time in the garden getting it ready for summer planting. Most of the seedlings are still in boxes and I'm itching to put them in. This year I've even managed to get tomatoes, basil, capsicum, eggplant and cucumber going in the house where the temperature is much higher (these plants need a soil temperature of about 15ºC) and they have shot up very fast.<br />
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After spending the last month digging a new potato patch (our garden spreads every year, there's never enough space), fertilizing most beds with horse manure, adding compost and mulching, the garden is looking a bit empty but tidy (this stage never lasts!).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">peas growing in the foreground (with Cds on the teepee to keep birds away), netting over strawberries to the right and cape gooseberries in the background</td></tr>
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My favorite crop of the moment is asparagus. If you've never tasted a freshly picked asparagus, you're missing out on a beautifully delicious crunchy asparagus. When I pick some I don't even steam them when added to salads. Well worth the three years wait for the roots to get strong.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">asparagus... yuuuuuuuuummmmm</td></tr>
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Miro loves giving a helping hand, watering the garden to death with the hose or a watering can, pricking out seedlings and trowing them in the air, tipping out soil (usually with newly planted seeds)... I guess at least he's showing an interest in it, even though it can sometimes be frustrating (and take me twice as long to go through my list).natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-56081196666936347202012-08-27T03:35:00.001-07:002012-08-27T03:35:17.756-07:00Kids updateWell, I might as well huh? Some of you might not be so interested in the house, but maybe you want to know what our little monkeys are up to...<br />
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Well, tahi's into making things, he makes all sorts of crazy things. Lego of course, but paper and tape as well (lots of tape) mainly for making airplanes. He also loves using these cool little pastil shapes my mum sent him.<br />
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Alright, I know I might not be very objective, but hey, isn't he amazing? I mean look at that plane/ rocket/ space ship thingy. It's quite complex and notice the symmetry in shapes and colors... When we go to playcentre at the moment he likes to make stuff. So we sit at the craft table, and I ask him what he wants to make. Then I suggest a way to do it. He says "no, not like that" and tries to explain how he wants to make whatever he has in mind. This is where I've got to remind myself not to be too bossy and actually let him do it his way. Because you see, most of the time I'll think to myself "his way will never work, I'm going to show him how it should be made". But this boy is stubborn. I finally give in, follow his instructions, and once I see the result feel like a complete dick. He actually is way better than me at conceptualizing ideas and working out a way to make them.<br />
He has this thing at the moment of asking us to make him a paper plane. We diligently spend a minute or two doing all the proper folds (I only know one way of making them, I know, lame). Then he grabs a pair of scissors and starts cutting it all up. Then he gets the tape (he loves tape) and tapes it back together but differently. Then he flies it. And you know what? It flies better than the original one (Even though it seems it would fall under the weight of all the tape straight away). Yep I know, amazing.<br />
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Miro is right into motion and wanting to ride a bike, a scooted, anything Tahi's riding. It can get frustrating at times, but he is very stubborn (as well, joy) and bold.<br />
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Josh gave me a bundle of his old tee shirts a while ago, I made a long sleeve shirt out of one of them for Miro. Groovy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The (french) pout</td></tr>
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Both of them get on like brothers. Sometimes great, sometimes not. Most of the time is feels they do get on like a ball on fire though, and I love watching them play.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K_h5exl8px4/UDtLpZSRmMI/AAAAAAAACkU/xG3sEHKneLs/s1600/tahi+and+miro+Aug'12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K_h5exl8px4/UDtLpZSRmMI/AAAAAAAACkU/xG3sEHKneLs/s320/tahi+and+miro+Aug'12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tahi wanted me to take a photo of the two of them, Miro wasn't so keen.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RloHMrfWiq8/UDtLqiG2oTI/AAAAAAAACkc/vdt4vSCgj1c/s1600/tahi+and+miro+aug'12+bis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RloHMrfWiq8/UDtLqiG2oTI/AAAAAAAACkc/vdt4vSCgj1c/s320/tahi+and+miro+aug'12+bis.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then Tahi tried to talk him into staying next to him for the photo. Ha ha.</td></tr>
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-37606579889695280872012-08-21T03:42:00.001-07:002012-08-21T03:42:25.112-07:00House interior updateWe've had a bit of time to make some improvements on the house front. Mostly cosmetic but oh how nice it feels. Not mentioning how good it must be for the feng shui. Surely it must be.<br />
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Feature wall in the lounge! Josh brought back a whole box of 70s and 80s wallpaper from his job. Of course there was never more than a roll or so of each pattern (at least the ones we liked), so instead we went super funky and wallpapered a wall in the lounge with two different patterns. We like it and think it looks cool. Even though I would never do that on all four walls of a room, one wall adds more texture and color to the room without enclosing it too much or darkening it too much. It's great for framed paintings and pictures too! (more photos in <a href="http://pioupioukids.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/winter-bouquets.html">this post</a>).<br />
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Then it was the turn of the wall in the master bedroom, this time with a slightly different pattern. The alternating of the two patterns chosen creates a stripy effect that I quite like, and the colors are warm and light, perfect for a bedroom!<br />
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Since we have no wardrobe, I use this frame I found at a garage sale to hang dresses, skirts and cardigans. It's got hooks on four levels which I use to hang coat hangers. I like the layering effect of the shit load of clothes I've got. And that's just the ones on that wall (the rest is in the chest of drawers). Believe it or not, we just had a clothes swap and yes I did get rid of more than I scored.<br />
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I've also recently rearranged my most precious shoes (the ones I don't want the dog and/or kids to play with, throw in the mud or use to decorate the plant pots) underneath my hanging clothes in the bedroom. This is when I realized I may have a few too many.<br />
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the bathroom now has a door! (and a bathtub, a shower and a vanity). The elegant puppet you see on the door was a birthday present Josh got many years ago that somehow survived his many moves and tidy nature (most probably hid at the bottom of a box, smart man).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The paper banner is made using pages of a picture book and now removed (Miro took a liking to hanging from the string and tearing the pretty pictures. tut tut)</td></tr>
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The asian corner...<br />
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Somehow this sideboard is permanently cluttered with all sorts of stuff that has nowhere else to go (or temporarily got lost).<br />
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The shelves in the bedroom are in the middle of a revamp. I used some of the wallpaper Josh brought back and pasted it to the back. Next I'd like to paint the whole thing, maybe this summer when I can leave it outside. Watch this space!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh found the cute little couple in an op shop. I wish I could say we got them on our travels to some exotic places. Maybe I will.</td></tr>
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-59446014283078179182012-08-09T01:26:00.000-07:002012-08-09T01:26:06.959-07:00In the making<br />
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Look at this cute little woolen top...<br />
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Some pants and a merino singlet for my brother's first child, another boy! Yay! A few more and we can start a team of some kind.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome cards for new babies</td></tr>
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And a dress for a friend's daughter...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--JhczS9wSt8/UCNvMWOwuZI/AAAAAAAACfU/GgM7d5fOmJg/s1600/IMG_1319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--JhczS9wSt8/UCNvMWOwuZI/AAAAAAAACfU/GgM7d5fOmJg/s1600/IMG_1319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-49944276422788301302012-08-06T01:15:00.001-07:002012-08-06T01:15:15.247-07:00winter bouquetsAs mentioned in some previous posts (as seen <a href="http://pioupioukids.blogspot.co.nz/2012/02/urban-bouquets.html">here</a>,<a href="http://pioupioukids.blogspot.co.nz/2011/08/urban-bouquets.html"> here</a>,<a href="http://pioupioukids.blogspot.co.nz/2011/04/urban-bouquet-2.html"> here</a> and <a href="http://pioupioukids.blogspot.co.nz/2011/04/urban-bouquets.html">here</a>), Tahi and I like to gather flowers while walking around the neighborhood. We end up with beautiful bouquets, full of colors and superbly fresh. Obviously we're spoilt for choice in spring and summer. Winter not so much. But we still managed to pick a few blossoms. Mainly camellias. There's lots of camellias in Gisborne.<br />
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They must have been really trendy a few decades ago. Like "don't talk to the neighbors honey, they've got no camellias in the garden" kind of trendy. A bit like the rose mafia, in the days where a manicured garden was good practice. Nowadays it's all about lawns. There's rhododendron too, which I think I prefer, but not as widespread. Must have been second choice. Either or, both trees produce flowers whose colors range from white, pale pink through all the shade of pink up to bright deep pink. It's a pink fest.<br />
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I'm not a huge fan of pink, but camellias and rhododendron have made it acceptable in my view. Luckily not many gisbornites (people from Gisborne) walk, otherwise I would have been caught more than once marveling and talking to myself in front of a particularly beautiful specimen of camellia. And picking a few branches off (only the ones over the footpath side mind you). I know where the prettiest pink ones are, and I know which itinerary to pick depending on what shade of pink I feel like. The only bummer is that they don't last very long once cut. Any tricks anyone?<br />
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-89095800218902546452012-08-02T00:00:00.001-07:002012-08-02T00:00:16.693-07:00Old fish, new fishBeen updating the <a href="http://pioupioukids.etsy.com/">shop</a>... Slowly. A few exciting new items, like the women's cardigans. I'm exploring the up cycling universe and am getting more and more inspired.<br />
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As you might have noticed, I still haven't found myself a decent model. haha.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeve pants.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0qDaLXMVAUs/UBocwGX6XJI/AAAAAAAACcE/NXsO-a5E-r4/s1600/IMG_4337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0qDaLXMVAUs/UBocwGX6XJI/AAAAAAAACcE/NXsO-a5E-r4/s320/IMG_4337.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tahi never wants to model my clothes. Usually.</td></tr>
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And surprise surprise, I've got some more coming!<br />
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-14728170709993309442012-07-27T22:28:00.001-07:002012-07-27T22:30:00.057-07:00Inspired by: Sibella CourtI'd never heard of <a href="http://www.thesocietyinc.com.au/">Sibella Court</a> before I read about her third book, "<a href="http://www.thesocietyinc.com.au/books/">Nomad</a>" in a magazine. Luckily we have an awesome library (I will never say it enough) that is very onto it, so I was able to take it out (it was on the shelves! In Wellington the waiting time is a year for the same book!!!). Then I renewed my loan. I always thought interior design books rather boring.<br />
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I'd flick through them one, maybe take a few photos of some stuff I like, then take it back. But not this one. This one is on my wish list. Every time I'd flick through it, I'd notice a new detail, an object I hadn't noticed before. It's like walking into a big shop and discovering a new room every time you turn around. And I identify so much with her style and esthetic.<br />
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I've always loved incorporation queer and unique object from my travels, little finds that have meaning and value only for me (although a few of my valued treasures got pinched by some un-civilized tenants in my flat in Paris). Most of the time, I like object to have a use too, I disseminate pretty and useful things all around the house. So I made patchwork curtains, pillows for a pallet couch,... it's nice to think that everything that surrounds you has a history, is linked to you somehow.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gipsy inspiration... *love*</td></tr>
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Reading "Nomad", I got inspired with more crafty ideas, and just simply enjoyed traveling through the pictures. Sibella draws from her travels to five different countries to style as many interiors, with an extra interior designed around the theme "gypsy" (my favorite, could you guess?). She uses a ten color palette to guide her choices, the rest just follows. The only downside to this book is that it is very hard to read, the font and color don't stick well enough, and perhaps it should have been bigger, I simply gave up reading the text.<br />
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-63877244721169263762012-07-20T14:25:00.000-07:002012-07-20T14:25:22.813-07:00More mosaicThis time, the mosaic man in New York. Good excuse to go back there...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/45865095?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe>natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-84592147964617191852012-07-20T01:22:00.002-07:002012-07-20T01:22:12.451-07:00Origami cranesHave you ever made origami? When I was a kid, I used to spend hours folding squares of paper following instructions on our origami book until I ended up with a little paper figurine. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origami">Origami</a> is a traditional japanese paper folding craft. No glue or cuts, just folds. And yet, the number of paper sculptures you can obtain is pretty much unlimited. We even found a dinosaur origami book at the op shop.<br />
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One of the most popular origami is probably the crane (the bird). Recently I re-taught myself to make them. Since you need to start with a square piece of paper and most of our paper is a rectangle, you can also use the left over strip to make paper beads (if you want to find out how click <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Paper-Beads/">here</a>).<br />
And then with a few origami cranes and some paper beads you can make a mobile, using a rolled up sheet of paper as a rod.<br />
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I made this one in Wellington and hung it under a light. The paper is from an old geography book but you can use any picture book you like, heck, you can use up your old yellow pages.natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-55850960599328991702012-07-16T17:44:00.001-07:002012-07-16T17:44:27.154-07:00Inspired by: The Giant's HouseI was never a huge fan of mosaic. That is, until we visited The <a href="http://www.thegiantshouse.co.nz/default.asp?page=about">Giant's House</a> in Akaroa. The house (and garden) owner, Josie, has spent the past 12 years (yes, years!) creating the most amazingly fabulous original artworks all around her little garden, all covered in mosaic. Now, this is an ode to the craft if there ever was one. It just looks amazing, check for yourself.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many flower seats</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the garden from the top, house on the left</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tahi sitting in the mirror arch</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam and Eve</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How about an apple honey?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bees flying over some beautiful (real) red flowers. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another flower seat</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Le Cercle des Amis", where it all started...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some bigger than real life musicians and my mum ready for a boogie</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PULp1ba80LU/UASAfNQIDkI/AAAAAAAACXk/2oAGfymYWYw/s1600/The+giant's+garden+pink+shoes+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PULp1ba80LU/UASAfNQIDkI/AAAAAAAACXk/2oAGfymYWYw/s320/The+giant's+garden+pink+shoes+detail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">crawly spiders along one of the paths</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sweet Patooti. It has real music coming out of it too!</td></tr>
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-26269855231775871862012-07-16T01:07:00.000-07:002012-07-16T01:07:01.721-07:00revamping the workshopWhen we got back, I spent a week (or maybe a couple?) just settling back into the groove of things. It's amazing how long it takes me to feel ready to start creating. This is one of the reasons I never really got round to creating anything when I was working, because it takes so long for my brain to adjust and switch to hobby mode, by the time I felt ready to go for it I was working on a new contract. Or more likely I was going from one contract to another with little or no days off. After I had Tahi it took me a year to figure out what I wanted to be doing, as a hobby. I love being a mum and caring for my kids, but I need an outlet, something just for me.<br />
After 3 months away, I started seeing my workshop with new eyes. I looked messy and my mood had completely shifted from what I had put up on my wall when I first moved into the room. Yes, it was time for a revamp! (and <a href="http://pioupioukids.blogspot.co.nz/2011/06/my-workshop.html">here</a>'s if you're wondering what is used to look like)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2yvPHwNQJ2Q/UAPHVlUhp_I/AAAAAAAACVY/RtbpbF22Poc/s1600/IMG_1256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2yvPHwNQJ2Q/UAPHVlUhp_I/AAAAAAAACVY/RtbpbF22Poc/s320/IMG_1256.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New visuals on the wall. Great for artistic inspiration and stimulation</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I even made a collage (bottom right) of colors and textures that inspire me at the moment. Yes, green is my color at the moment. Green and red .</td></tr>
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Josh had lots of leftover wallpaper from his job (the advantages of being a production designer, you get first pick!), and I've used some here and there to liven up our old cheap (often free) furniture. I pasted some cool dark red wallpaper on this table, then put a few coats of varnish to make it look a bit like the tables they used to have in libraries, the ones with a leather covered table top... Now I'd like to sand the legs and other parts of it and either leave them with the vintage sanded look or repaint them another color.<br />
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-43194615853394842502012-07-09T01:28:00.002-07:002012-07-09T01:28:25.970-07:00South island - part 3I'd never been through Arthur's pass before. It's a pretty amazing drive! Getting to the highest point involves driving over a very high bridge, the bridge having been built over what's left of the road that used to be in use and that has now land-slided away. We stopped at the view point, it was even more impressive. Some very friendly and inquisitive Kaka (an indigenous type of parrot) were hanging out and picking up food scraps. These birds are known to be worse than magpies! I've heard stories of people whose boots left outside overnight ended up destroyed by their powerful beaks (when you're hungry you're hungry).<br />
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We then stopped at lake Pearson for the night. It's pretty quiet (and cold) at this time of the year, but what a sight. We woke up to a frosty orange day, the sun shone on the lake and the ducks swam around, the kids had a walk and played with frosty bits of grass. This lake is supposed to be a good bird watching place, but at this time of the year most birds have migrated.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Pearson at sunrise</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Y__xkFfvmo/T_qSZVURhBI/AAAAAAAACUg/qafREoHf6vQ/s1600/Lake+Pearson+motorhome+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Y__xkFfvmo/T_qSZVURhBI/AAAAAAAACUg/qafREoHf6vQ/s320/Lake+Pearson+motorhome+1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">frosty grass and snowy mountain top!</td></tr>
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We stopped at another awesome place on our way, called Castle Hill. Seen from a distance, it looks like a giant lost the marbles he was carrying in his pockets. A whole lot of dark grey round boulders scattered over the landscape, some as high as a child while others reached several stories high. It's a place of great significance for maori as well as the most famous bouldering spot in New Zealand. Unfortunately I wasn't so trigger happy there so I can't find any good pics...<br />
Once we reached Christchurch we decided to keep going until we reached Akaroa, a little town situated at the end of Bank's Peninsula, famous for being the only french settlement in New Zealand. It is very cute and reminded me of some little seaside village in France. We stayed a couple of nights and relaxed during the day. This was our last stop before heading back to Wellington and the kids definitely deserved a break from driving!<br />
We spent a great afternoon at a place called "the Giant's Garden". The owner is a local artist (and horticulturist) whose past 11 years have been spent creating amazingly stunning mosaics in her garden. We couldn't stop marveling at every step and I took so many photos this garden alone will have to be the subject of the next post...<br />
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869601939179563208.post-26804859675438060612012-07-05T01:18:00.000-07:002012-07-05T01:18:10.760-07:00South Island - part 2Now, if you've never been to New Zealand, you should know that the most recommended and toured part of it is the west coast of the South Island. Well at least I would think so. And if you ever come this way, I warmly recommend you do the same. It's a beautiful piece of coastline with some amazing scenery. The south island is the least populated of the two islands, and a lot of it retains its untouched wilderness aspect (although don't look too close or you might stumble on a mine... yes, New Zealand is opening up national parks for mining, what a shame).<br />
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Since my mum hand't seen much of the west coast we decided to go through at least part of it. We took the road inland that goes through Reefton, and old mining town and the first to have street lights in the whole Southern hemisphere. That's what mining will do for you. Now they still have street lighting but the town seems to have come to a halt... I guess it was good while it lasted.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold no more</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VsVPGy-JK2Q/T_VMEV-YVwI/AAAAAAAACTs/VJ2eFPMkxHk/s1600/Reefton+motorcamp+frise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VsVPGy-JK2Q/T_VMEV-YVwI/AAAAAAAACTs/VJ2eFPMkxHk/s320/Reefton+motorcamp+frise.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reefton's one and only motor camp. </td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0YlngwOGN08/T_VMDAq129I/AAAAAAAACTk/K74bm8_1N2c/s1600/Reefton+motorcamp+cabins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0YlngwOGN08/T_VMDAq129I/AAAAAAAACTk/K74bm8_1N2c/s320/Reefton+motorcamp+cabins.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KbvpnHmFe7I/T_VMHqGTmbI/AAAAAAAACT8/_17ofr0wDUw/s1600/Reefton+motorcamp+his+and+hers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KbvpnHmFe7I/T_VMHqGTmbI/AAAAAAAACT8/_17ofr0wDUw/s320/Reefton+motorcamp+his+and+hers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We then hit the west past and headed for Punakaiki. I'd forgotten how stunning this part of the South Island was. What a drive. We stayed at a nice campground right by the beach, played in the waves and watched the sunset. Magic.<br />
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The next day we headed south, through Greymouth, visited Shanty town (another ex-mining town that has turned into a make believe tourist attraction. I had hoped we could make it all the way down to Queenstown, but that would have way too much driving, the kids would have gone mad.<br />
So we ended up heading back to Christchurch through Arthur's Pass. and that will be in the third and last post about this trip...<br />
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<br />natacha leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06186881429929341504noreply@blogger.com0