The Librarian

I've got new buttons on my blog, and I love them!! (If I knew how to draw an arrow on my blogpost, I'd have drawn a big one pointing left!) Thanks to the lovely ladies at Frank and Dean Co. Ltd. (yes, my sweet little sisters a.k.a. the 'cute little buttons'!) there are now direct links to my blog posts on travelling, and family traditions. Soon there will be a button for my craft and gardening projects too.  Check out more of their illustrations on their blogs;  www.verydarkhorse.blogspot.com and www.raumaewa.blogspot.com . Thanks Frank and Dean, you're awesome! x

Did I mention how beautiful this book is?

The other day on a car ride home, I got to talking with my daughters about star signs. My eldest daughter, a cancerian, started with; "I can't see much good about being cancer, like, it's a crab , yuk, and cancer isn't a nice word either!" So, I gave her a run-down of the many talented, inspiring, wonderful people who are cancerians like her. She was placated. Then my second daughter piped up with; "That sounds like the best star sign, what about us Pisceans then mum, are we beautiful inside and out too?" I remembered quite liking being told as a teenager that as a Pisces I had a mysterious chic allure, so I put a spin on that. My eldest thought about it for a while and then said;             "yeah, well, I agree with that. I mean, when I look at you Mum, I wouldn't think you belonged to a knitting club!!!" The tone in her voice made it very clear that my cool 14 year old is not joining up with the knitting club any time soon! I g

I was so so excited to see this new book on the display shelves of the book shop today. Published by Random House Pipi restaurant is a Hawke's Bay favourite. It is colourful, quirky and very much itself. It all works; the unconventional marriage of pink and red paintwork, the retro/elizabethan features, the romantic outdoor gazebo, the poetry pasted all around the bathrooms, the mismatch of everything from tables to candlesticks, the untraditional pizza combinations (who knew that caramalised onion, sliced potato and blue vein cheese went together so well?)and the free giant jaffas. The book is an incredible new step for the restaurant owners. While the recipes look amazing. I think it is worth looking at for the styling alone, they've got it going on! It's exquisite.

I am off to the library asap to hunt this new release down!! I'll let you know how I go. x Library Girl

Happy Easter! I must admit the weather has put a real dampener on our Easter celebrations, it has been raining in Hawke's Bay for the last week, and the place feels pretty soggy, and the mood around the place is a little dreary. Easter weather is often pretty magic, and I hadn't quite realised just how much that helps set the mood.  But thank goodness for the traditions, the chocolate....and the darling book that reminds us every year about what matters (the big stuff and the little stuff; like just how well your house can be run if you get your kids onto the housework!)  I just noticed while hunting for an image for this book, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Du Bose Heyward ,  that some academic work talks about Mother Bunny as a very early feminist role model - the ultimate working mother. I'm all good with aspiring to uphold the ideals of a bunny rabbit, she's definitely quite something! A family staple

I tripped over this book tonight as I was tidying things away in the lounge, I thought it was a sign that I should mention it on my blog. Jane Hissey is so very awesome. If you and your children have not yet discovered her, may I recommend that you take a BIG bag with you next time you visit the library, and make sure you bring some of her books home. Pure loveliness.   I promise.  x Library Girl.

On Sundays, even before we read the paper or settle in with a good book, we get out into nature. The thought of our sporty sunday outing gets me through our occasionally rough week nights. I so love it -  it's being out in the sun, the wind, the weather. It's having a chance to chatter and talk big dreams, and it's the flat white that is always part of the adventure. This weekend, we made the most of the new lime bike paths that have popped up all over Hawke's Bay, with a coffee at Clifton Bay cafe along the way. I heart sunday outings! And then it was home to my new favourite book - The most quirky, stay-all-day delicious Auckland cafe, Little and Friday, now has a beautiful new cookbook. Love love love! Published by Penguin x Library Girl PS Don't forget to enter the book giveaway for the Louise Rennison book! Only 8 days to go