12 Monday Sep 2011
I’m carrying on my quest to find more inspirational souvenirs for all the World Cup visitors to New Zealand to take home…..this time we’ll take a look at another standard souvenir item, the tiki.
1. Tiki Red Artwork by Shane Hansen @ The Poi Room $865
2. Wiki Tiki Softie @ Soul Gallery $135
3. Tiki Nesting Dolls @ Huhu Store $49
4. Model Tiki @ Tuatara Designstore $17.50
Loving the Shane Hansen artwork….better start saving my pennies me thinks!
Until next time….happy travels
06 Tuesday Sep 2011
Posted in For the Kids, Homewares, NZ Icons, Pretty Things
Wth the Rugby World Cup just about upon us, and numerous visitors hitting our shores I thought I would take a look at some souvenirs that they may want to take home with them…..I don’t know about you but you can keep the tacky Made in China crap most of the souvenir shops sell, when I visit somewhere I want to buy something that is made in the country I’m in, is made with love and attention, is something I’ll actually want in my house, and will evoke memories from my travels. Hopefully we can find some of that inspiration for our visitors in the upcoming posts.
I thought I would start off with the Kiwi – pretty standard souvenir fodder – something first for the adults:
1. Large Flax Kiwi @ Huhu Store $150
2. Kiwi Lampshade by Pookie
3. Ceramic Kiwi @ Texan Art School $45
4. Rugby World Cup Cushions @ Clever Bastards $88
And for the kiddies:
1. Cuddly Kiwi Cushion @ Whare $59
2. Keko Kiwi Pullalong toy @ Endemic World $36
3. Good Night Kiwi T-shirt @ Mr Vintage $29.95
4. Kiki and Kura the Kiwi @ Mummade $27
Yep thats much better than the standard souvenir shop offerings, don’t you agree?!
Until next time…happy travels
22 Monday Aug 2011
Posted in Artwork, Homewares, Pretty Things
Tags
I have been channelling my inner nana lately……I have a thing for plate displays on walls…..well only conceptually at the moment but I seem to be quite attracted to them…..not sure if I could convince the Mr. that it would be a good addition to our walls….hmmm have to work on that. Here’s a few different ways to display old plates…..love the plates that remind me of my childhood, and by upcycling them they can be enjoyed by another generation….got to love that! 
1. A plate becomes a clock, available from Plateclocks from $40.00
2. Plate art, available from Trixiedelicious, Jane and John Doe plate set $35.00
3. Cake stand from Sisterhood $79.00
4. Plate art, from Odd One Out, from $40.00
Until next time, happy travels…….
02 Tuesday Aug 2011
Posted in Outdoors
Tags
Oops I’ve been MIA again, seems life gets in the way a bit, that and my new addiction to Pinterest …cant seem to get enough! I wonder if there is a 12 step program to wean myself off?
One thing I have been loving on Pinterest is all the inspiration for turning old things into something new again, either by painting, upcycling or just being super clever and innovative……definitely has me thinking about how I can get in on the act…I love the idea of taking something old and neglected/unwanted and giving it another life, another purpose.
I will be showcasing some clever ideas that I come across where “old is new again”….I hope you like them and they inspire you to look at some of your things differently…..remember one mans junk is another mans treasure.
And whats more Kiwi than a bit of No. 8 wire? Wire Art takes old used wire and creates some fantastic garden art…check out their website, I can only get small pics to show here….but you get the idea…..I am loving the wire trees, could see a couple of those in pots at the entrance of my house, and best of all I can’t kill them, no green thumbs in this house!
18 Monday Apr 2011
Who knew that plywood could look so cool? Well me, since I discovered the work of Native Creative. Using decorative paper they create ‘kiwi nature’ inspired collage pictures on varnished plywood and the result is artwork that is original, funky,and natural. I think these pictures would look great hung together in a group of two or three, but if the budget can only stretch to one, well thats still going to look good too!
They have also just introduced some 3D slot together creatures which would make a great present for anyone overseas, you have to love flatpack gifts when posting! Not that you can’t just buy one for yourself…..i’ve got my eye on the kiwi, can so see that little cutie on my desk!
Collage pictures are $75 with free postage, and special prices for buying more than one – 2 @ $140, 3 @ $200.
The cute little 3D creatures are a very reasonable $20 with free postage.
If you want to check out more of their artwork, you can find Native Creative here and here.
Until next time…….happy travels xx
13 Wednesday Apr 2011
Posted in For the Kids, To Wear
Tags
I stumbled across these great dresses on Facebook the other day and fell in love with them immediately. Lulu’s Closet turns retro tableclothes, tea towels and fabric into gorgeous dresses with a vintage/kiwiana twist. Too cute!!
Lulu's Closet
All dresses are $45 plus postage and available in sizes 1-5.
You can find more of these gorgeous dresses at Lulu’s Closet facebook page.
Until next time…happy travels xx
12 Tuesday Apr 2011
Posted in Uncategorized
Oops so I may have been on a bit of a hiatus lately……been back home to New Zealand for some R and R, on my own real life tiki tour! But I’m back with some great new finds which I’ll be sharing with you real soon…..stay posted!
03 Monday Jan 2011
Posted in Random
Tags
Happy New Year!!!
I came across this website recently and thought it would be a good time to share it as many of you will be heading away on holiday. Ever wanted to know where to find the best cafe in town, where to buy the best fish and chips in the country, the best bacon, bread or icecream? Well take a look here, as the website lists recent winners in various competitions across a range of food areas – a great place to find out what the locals know but you as a visitor may not.
Heres a couple of places to check out if you are in the area over the holidays
For great BREAD check out Vics Bakehouse in Christchurch
For a great LOCAL restaurant in Auckland, check out Molten
For the best BACON you will have to head to Christchurch and find Peter Timbs Butchery and Delicatessen
For the most delicious CAKES in the land, head to the Ten O’Clock Cookie Company in Masterton
Its all looking good isn’t it – heck its the holidays, treat yourself you can worry about the diet later!
Until next time…….enjoy!!
20 Monday Dec 2010
When all the christmas goodies are eaten and bellies are full there is the unenviable job of doing all the dishes{but thats the boys job in my family!}
Here’s a few cool tea towels to make that job a little bit more enjoyable and they’ll work well for a bit of tea towel flicking too, which seems to go hand in hand with boys in the kitchen right?! {PS: is it right to have cool and tea towel in the same sentence?} Of course it is, I love that we can have art and design throughout the house without just having it on the walls, art can be functional and fun too!
1. Assorted Tea towels @ Satch+sam
2. Dishes I’d Rather be Doing Tea towel @ Dear Colleen $20.00 {Colin Firth, Hugh Grant and Sean Bean}
3. Kiwis are allsorts Tea towel @ The Poi Room $20.50
4. I scream for icecream Tea towel@ Clever Bastards $22.00
Until next time…Merry Christmas everyone!! Have a good one!
16 Thursday Dec 2010
Posted in Magazines, Regional Love
Tags
With all the talk of food last week and have being keeping myself busy in the kitchen making Christmas goodies I had to carry on the food theme this week!
I have discovered a lovely local foodie magazine that I had to share for all those that live in the Bay of Plenty and the Waikato. These are definetely my part of the country, born in BOP with plenty of holidays and family visits thrown in, and raised in the good old Waikato. Now I’m the first to admit that these regions haven’t really been known in the past for their cafe culture or as a foodie destination, but it looks like that may be changing {which sounds good to me!}.
Nourish is a new, free {even better!} quarterly magazine highlighting all the foodie goodness in the Waikato and BOP(a seperate edition for each region). The mags are distributed to local cafes, food stores, hairdressers and beauticians and for those that can’t get their hands on a copy you can check the magazines out online. Nourish has recipes, cafe reviews, and a focus on local manufacturers and food/drink related businesses. Definetely worth picking up for a read over the summer months as you sip a Nashi cocktail (pg 4, summer edition) and nibble on a piece of Strawberry Dream Cake(pg 19).
I’ve now got a list of places to visit on my upcoming trip back home : Botannix Cafe in Bethlehem {have driven past this cafe so many times but never gone in so that has to change}, the Flatwhite Cafe at Waihi Beach {looks like a great location for a Sunday morning brunch}, and Momento Espresso in Hamilton.
Until next time…..get out to your local cafe and relax and enjoy!
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