Week {or two} round up

Just a photo round up of my last few weeks...

1. I baked a cake for our mechanic - I found his weak spot and got myself a WOF on the house. Yusss. 

2,3,4 & 5. A new friend lately that I've met here in Katikati I discovered is also a keen foodie and photographer and food styling is one of her passions. She needed to clear space in her spare room so she amazingly gave me this shelf with two containers of her food styling props to use. We are going to catalogue all the props and share them between us for use. Talk about getting the juices flowing!! 

6. I'm loving the new space in the house, and it also got me inspired to do a spot of furniture re-arranging...so I have a new reading nook which fills with sun at mid morning. Perfect time for a tea break with a good book or magazine. I rescued the crate from a fate of becoming makeshift cricket wickets for the backyard and gave it a bit of a clean up...it makes a perfect little bookshelf for now.

7. Then I went rearranging crazy and rearranged my oldest daughters room. I found a tiny little formica table at the local 2nd hand shop and it fits perfectly beside her bed {she made that bird house for a school project with her dad, its yet to go up outside}. My mum also treated all the kids to new duvet covers, so Mads is very happy with the outcome. 

8. I've been really enjoying this beautifully photographed book, Real Food Chef by Dr Libby as it is full of recipes that look amazing and are really really tasty and good. I've been stocking up on my pantry supplies to make these meals feature more in our diet as a family. Yes I do a lot of baking but I also balance this out with giving my kids as little sugar as possible and giving them lots of fresh fruit and vegies and buying packaged foods is almost phased out in this house. There is the odd packet of chips that sneaks in...

9 & 10. One of my gorgeous nephews and Katie messing around...and the kids all playing on the band rotunda during our most recent trip to Devonport.

Other random things:

My mum came down for the weekend and we got to spend some quality time together, especially as she picked me up and took me to Auckland for yet another appointment with oncology. Luckily these are almost all over {the 4 monthly ones anyway} as my trial comes to a close in August. After that I can look at transferring to Hamilton for any oncology care. But it was lovely to have time together as well as get a chance to say hello to a special lady up on the oncology ward who has been going through a tough time lately.

I am still pursuing my book being published however I'm still struggling to find a publisher for it and I've still to hear back from one. No one wants to take it on as a project {yet!} as the market is FLOODED with books like this right now. Its pretty disappointing, as I've already done most of the work myself and I know I have so many guaranteed sales but I will keep pressing on and working on it. Admittedly it hasn't been at the front of my mind for a while, what with Christmas and then our trips away and I was going to wait until after my surgery {which I thought would be well and truly done by now}. But I'm going to make this more of my focus for now as I really need something to do! My hands are getting itchy and I've come to terms with the fact I'm no good at knitting {stop laughing Maria!}.