BRASS TO BLACK The door to my little house is paneled wood; quite unloved it’s surface was largely weathered and looked fairly out of place in my monochrome interior, though I did love the dignity of it; a little bit of contrast to my mostly flat surfaces. It got a coat of Black Semi-Gloss paint soon after I moved in though I hadn’t gotten around to changing the hardware; brass and also fairly weathered they needed an upgrade. My Stories
Brass to Black
BRASS TO BLACK The door to my little house is paneled wood; quite unloved it’s surface was largely weathered and looked fairly out of place in my monochrome interior, though I did love the dignity of it; a little bit of contrast to my mostly flat surfaces. It got a coat of Black Semi-Gloss paint soon after I moved in though I hadn’t gotten around to changing the hardware; brass and also fairly weathered they needed an upgrade. 
My Obsession with Chairs
MY OBSESSION WITH CHAIRS My obsession with chairs runs deep. It started in my late teens when I had no money, I did however, own a 2-bedroom unit. I begged, borrowed and stole four wooden chairs that were painted white. I painted each one of these a different colour, (yes monochrome me); red, yellow, blue and green, (well it was the late 80’s/90’s). Placed around an old Kauri table they looked incredibly cool – think ‘Friends’. So fast Lets Stay Home
LETS STAY HOME A month ago things seemed normal, but they weren’t, slowly and steadily this strange virus was making its way around the world, sneaking through airports, invisible to the human eye, invisible to those of us who thought NZ was a safe-haven from things like this, things that threaten the existence of, well, us. It seems like life has become a movie that is playing out around you and somehow you have become the main character, Banana Bread Recipe
LOCKDOWN BANANA LOAF RECIPE I used to make Banana Bread/Cake or Muffins when the banana-lovers in my home were away or for some reason stopped eating them… in this new regime of ‘Staying Home’ I think taking a Banana and making it become so much more is pleasure for both the stomach and the mind. This is my favourite , its the quickest and easiest as well as the most moist I’ve ever made, and in the spirit Best Christmas Ever
BEST CHRISTMAS EVER Just a few words and a few highlights from our Christmas at My Little House 2017. It was a much quieter affair with just the close family. Missing the annual soccer game, but loving the pool, which now occupies the grass that provided the Soccer field. Hygge NZ Style! Life doesn’t need to be complicated, simple pleasures of laughter, good food and wine, family and pets. If you stop and take in what you have Where do I come from?
WHERE DO I COME FROM? Its a simple question with a few answers. I was born in Wales, my parents are from the United Kingdom, I live in New Zealand, but really, where do I come from? It is something that intrigues me, the family tree. We don’t really have one, my knowledge extends only as far back as my Grandparents. So where to start? I don’t really have the time to research. So the interested, but lazy The Last Renovation
THE LAST RENOVATION Here at My Little House we are no strangers to renovations and the upheaval they bring. We have lived through winters without walls, and microwave dinners for weeks on end, but I have to say adding a pool was most probably the worst project of all. It shouldn’t have been, its outside and it was summer. What could go wrong? Well, the start date got pushed from early January to mid-February, the hole was dug, How to paint over varnished wood
HOW TO PAINT OVER VARNISHED WOOD When the painter left our little house a few weeks ago it was looking whiter, brighter and beautiful; with the dated wood balustrade gone I had high hopes of a builder following with lovely new skirtings and doors. My hopes faded as I realised that the builders were all too busy with the big jobs and so I set about with a little DIY. I am no stranger to DIY, back in History Never Repeats
HISTORY NEVER REPEATS Well lets hope not! When we originally viewed my little house we were feeling rather desperate, we had sold and nothing on the market was exciting us. It wasn’t what we were looking for, in fact it ticked no boxes, but we drove into the drive of number 7 and knew it was for us. The driveway led us upwards and it was dusk on a Friday evening. The agent was in a hurry to Sangria
SANGRIA SANGRIA There is something about those long lunches with girl friends; the conversation never dies, the laughs are quick and sometimes even the tears. Those lunches are special, each one marked, noted in my memory bank. Remember when… This one we had Sangria. We talked, laughed, shared and that drink now has a special place in my memory. So, a recipe is in order. Sangria is Spanish, traditionally made with Red Wine. I prefer White or Rosé. I’m