2014!!!

I can't believe the first month of the year is already over... And I must apologise again for not posting for ages!!! 

I now have a Facebook page for my photography where I have been posting for the last 4-5 months... Please go and check it out "Kiri Riwai-Couch Photography" but since ur here, here is a little sample of the shoots I have been doing... 

Thanks for comin to visit... After this I will only be posting from my FB page so please come and visit regularly... Thanks guys and have a GREAT year!!!

Take care my blog buddies

Mrs C

Do you like X-Factor? What about Idol?

I don't... ok its a good way to get noticed if you're talented... but so many seriously talented people get voted off or sent off and overlooked...  I think these days, with technology and social media, its possible to share your talent with others and get well known , if that's what you really want... and the best part is not having to embarrass yourself or open yourself to national and international criticism...

 

Through the wonder that is social media, I have been introduced to Sam Tanner... he's super talented, his music is a easy and beautiful, I love it and my kids even like it... teenagers, that's got to be a good thing right? AND he's from Masterton... I hope you take time out to check him out. 

You can listen to four tracks from his debut EP HERE...  My favourite is 'For Love'...

If you like Ed Sheeran and Jason Mraz, I'm pretty sure you'll love Sam Tanner.

Mrs C

• xox

A few of my favorite things... FRIDAY!!!

Hooray!!!  It's Friday! 

And it's school holidays, double yay!

Mr C is super happy that he decided to work at school...  But boohoo for me, I have to keep working, but I'll be sorting out some Annual leave soon so woohoo!

Let me tell u more about my favourite things... Almond Magnum's even when it's cold out I still love these... coming home to blazing fire, happy kids and dinner already cooked... mmmmm favourite fav's!

 

Coming home to a little surprise gift on my bed is also one of my most super favourite things everrrrr... granted it doesn't happen very often BUT it happened today....  My beautiful besty, Mrs H, sent home a beautiful holiday gift for me, the most gorgeous necklace, packed in a homemade vintage wallpaper envelope with a little feather... I'm so lucky... Big hugs n kisses to you Mrs H...

 

 

I hope a few of your favourite things happened today

Enjoy the holidays, I know the C family will...

 

Mrs C

xox

A Fairy Party...

As you can see I thought it was about time to have a little refresh here at curves.  I hope you like it...

So... WOW!!! What a busy weekend!

 

On Friday our youngest child, Miss Muki, turned 7! I can't believe our babies are growing up so fast!  So... a couple of weeks ago we had a little meeting with the said Miss and she decided that Fairies were the order of the day...

 

I was very excited at the opportunity to finally do a fairy photo shoot, which I've been wanting to do since HERE but it never happened because of the little eyebrow incident HERE 

 

Anywho... After netball  on Saturday all the little fairies met at the movies to watch Despicable Me 2.  It was a super cool movie we all enjoyed it thoroughly plus Gru dressed up as a Fairy Princess at a birthday party. 

Take your kids to see this...

Seriously! Its great!

 

 

 My little girl had the best day and that's what makes all the planning effort worthwhile.  So without further ado, here are some of our favourite Fairy-party-photo-shoot-shots...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope your weekend was a fabulous as ours...

Mrs C

xox

I'm a Thriftaholic - Serious Vintage Love...

Hey there!

So... its been a while since my last "Vintage Love" post, so there's a few things I want to share with you today, hope you enjoy...

 

 

 

 

Top left: I found this little piece at the Salvation Army, I call it "Bambi and Mumma" I sit it on the piano, its so cute, though a little bit pricey at $15 its still a cute little buy, you probably would pay twice that much at a vintage shop...

 

Top right: This set of divine green vinyl suit cases caught my eye at a Lions Rotary Garage Sale, and at $10 for the set I was sold... literally!  You can see the airline tag on the small one because I packed all my photography gears in here and took it to Melbourne and Brisbane with me, and I got lots of compliments for it too...

 I found this lovely little cabinet also at the Salvation Army for $30.  I love it because now I finally  have somewhere to stash my little collection of cute personal stuff that were otherwise spread all over the house... I'm contemplating painting it white... or sanding it back and giving it a darker coat of matt finish poly... what do you think would look better?

 

Bottom shelf: These special items can now be safely displayed; my carved jewellery box given to me as a farewell gift when I left my job at school... The greenstone patu is one of the only things my husband was lucky to receive from his grandfather's estate, its very special.  My beautiful Crown Lynn Swan which I saw the exact same one at a vintage shop for $120 but scored my one on Trade Me for $48.  My Grandmothers glasses, they're a beautiful mustard/yellow, bumpy-embossed-very-retro pitchers.

 

 

Bottom shelf: my carved jewellery box from my Mum and Dad for my 21st birthday, I have my twin sisters one as well, as it hasn't yet made its way to Australia. A beautiful vase which is reminiscent of the Crown Lynn design which I love so much but its English made, not NZ.  My teeny coloured kete from a market and a hand made woollen tiki (I just love tiki's)  and finally a couple of silver embossed handheld mirrors which I snagged from different garage sales...

 

 

 

On top: a vintage floral bowl full of little printed photos which is really cool because I don't have to log on and find them somewhere on my hard drive to show people.  A gorgeous sewing box from another garage sale, its full of playing cards and knuckle bones.  The set of candle holders were $4 from... can you guess?  Yes.  A garage sale! lol.  And lastly a beautiful paua shell from one of Mr C's diving expeditions.

Above the cabinet:  I found this beautiful coat hanger at a home décor sale and instead of hanging hats and umbrellas off it, I decided to show off some of our kete (woven kits) between my mumma, my sister and myself we have quite a few beautiful ones.  I love the little sign we have hanging here, its one of the only home décor things I brought with me when we moved back to NZ from living in Sydney back in 2003, 10 years ago!!

 

Have you scored any beautiful vintage bargains lately?

 

Mrs C

xox

Super Sunday - Trelise Cooper and Little Red Riding Hood...

New Zealand designer Trelise Cooper is one of the first designers that I ever really started following.  Now I'm not much of a designer freak, I'm pretty sure Vintage is my favourite designer and more my price range too... However,  the first designer dress I ever added to my wardrobe was by Trelise... and even though it was last season when I brought it (three seasons ago), I still love it and wear it all the time.

 

I have two Trelise dresses, today's Super Sunday Post features the second of the two which I snagged for a bargain $67 from Trade Me.  I love the colour, the polka dots, the fall, the flow, the length, the fabric, the softness and femininity of this dress...

 

check it out... 

 

 

(NB: in New Zealand almost every elder-woman in your family is a Nanny to you, Nanny Angie, is a cousin to my father)

A few weeks ago, my dear Nanny Angie, gave me a beautiful surprise when I went to visit her... she asked if I had a coat for the wedding I was going to in Melbourne and I said 'no', I hadn't even thought about needing a coat in Aussie, she proceeded to pull out of her wardrobe the most beautiful red cape and gave it to me, complete with the gold and green stone flower brooch... I was soooo excited and soooo thankful... It was grey and raining in Melbourne so I was glad to be able to wear it to the wedding... I absolutely love it!!!  I wore it today also...

 

 

It's been a wee while since I've done a Super Sunday curvy style post but I hope this has made up for it... and in case you were interested my shoes are from Poetic Licence, I just love the red velvet ribbon.

 

The green suitcases featured in this post is part of my Vintage Love post coming up later this week... hope you can come back for a little look.  Until then, keep your hot water bottle close...

 

Mrs C

xox

 

The Great Debate...

 So... Are you are kiwi living in Australia? 

 

I'm interested to know... do you like it?  Do you love it?  Do you Loathe it?  Do you tolerate it?

 

When I had my little visit with my twin sissy a couple of weeks ago, its fair to say that she's really enjoying her time there, they have a beautiful brand new 4 bedroom home they are renting and they are raising their kiddies as little Maozzies (Maori-Ozzies).  Truth be told though, the kids seem to love it over there too.  My sissy respects Australia and sings the national anthem loud and proud!  Don't get me wrong though, she still backs black!

 

I totally get it!  I get why kiwi's flock there by the thousands each year... and I'm getting itchy feet... my sister has put down the invitation... "come over!" she said, "it's great!"  and it's very very tempting.  Mr C and I are contemplating it... not so seriously to worry anyone at the moment... but contemplating nonetheless. 

 

Perhaps when I was over there I was impressed by the cheap shopping and the seemingly wonderful lifestyle, but like all kiwis I wonder about the snakes and the spiders and the biting ants!  Even though my sister has assured me that she hasn't seen any snakes in the time she's been there (just about 2 years) but... it still freaks me out!

 

Now New Zealand... it's home!  I love our green country and the way we can go bare feet in the grass in summer, I love the little hikes up the mountains and swimming in the crystal clear rivers... I love the summer and I love the winter and it all just seems too hard to pack up and leave for anything else... even if it is for some kind of financial gain. 

 

We have been pretty blessed as a family with the jobs that we have and leaving them would be a huge leap into insecurity and financial uncertainty... 

 

I feel like we could totally go...

but then I feel like we couldn't possibly go!!!

 

But are you happy there?  Would you pack up your family and move there?

 

Anyway... It's Friday and I'm a bit rambly tonight...

 

I'm going to do a 'Super Sunday' post and a 'Vintage love' post this week so keep an eye out...

 

I hope your toes are warm and your belly is satisfied!

 

Mrs C

xox