flowers from Hubby

Hubby brought me this awesome bunch of roses for no particular reason.

I thought I'd try some fun edits and really liked the results.

Meeting a fellow blogger at Pukekura Park

I am contacted now and then by Americans wanting to know about New Zealand but I was surprised when a fellow New Zealand blogger let me know she was coming up my way and wanted to meet. Marja from the blog Dutchcorner, along with her hubby and brother, met Hubby and me at Pukekura Park. It was fun to meet in person someone whose blog I have been reading for a long time!

 Of course, we had to take a picture. Marja on the left, me on the right.

When the lights came on, we walked around a little until Hubby's allergies kicked in big time!

I was very impressed with the lights on Poet's Bridge.

Here's to another year of blogging! Cheers!

Remaining dairies of Taranaki

Below is the culmination of a  personal journey for Hubby and me when he bought me the book 'And Then There was One' which is a history of the Taranaki dairy industry. 

In 1963, the hundred or so little dairy factories dotted around Taranaki were combined into one big company, and we ventured around the Taranaki countryside to locate the buildings/remains that were thriving at 1933, finding 77.

A few have become private homes, some are, or were, other businesses. Sadly, most are in disrepair. If I were to win the lottery, I would save them all :)

Thank you, Hubby, for the research, the names, and all the driving!

When wallpaper eludes you

Renting a house has its good points and bad points. 

One of the bad points is that not all renters treat it with care. 

Another is when the wallpaper on all the walls is out of date and, even if you could find the large flower pattern (which resembles angry goats, according to Hubby) it would probably not match perfectly. 

Below is an excellent example. I covered this plaster spot above the living room/lounge light switch with a framed photo, but have decided it's time for a change.

My first thought was to take a photo of the pattern and print it out and glue it onto the appropriate place. (That's where my mind goes. I've come to accept that it's about a half-bubble off plumb).

So, I took the photo and printed it; then I edited it several ways, but couldn't adjust the colors to even closely match. :(

When I showed it to Hubby, he suggested to frame it, and so that's what I did!

We call it 'Home Renovation, Eltham Style'!