BREAKING NEWS... THE BARN REOPENED.

Hi, Things are going through a huge change and one of them is to employ 1, maybe 2 ladies to work in The Barn and this morning I had to decide from 5 applicants. This was a very hard job as they all knew The Barn and most have shopped here. I,ve decided on 2 and will call them tonight and tell them. Next week I,ll introduce them to you as they will be an important part in the business.I have to get the staff organised as !!!!!!!!!! I am off on the 19 May for 9 weeks to England and Europe. It is so exciting and I will do a little blog each night to keep you up with the holiday.For you who know me, of course garden visits are a must and I already have my tickets for THE CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW, CHAMPAGNE TEA FOR TWO to HIGHGROVE ( Prince Charles garden ). Also the tickets to ALTHORP, the Spencer family home with the island where Princess Diana is buried. There is so much more to say but will drip feed it. So as you can imagine I have to have staff organised for the cattery, The Barn and the gardener to keep everything looking great. Garden visits are increasing and so it makes sense to have some help keeping it right and I must say it has been very hard to let go a little and take on these extra people but life is very short and we are NEVER promised tomorrow.

OHOKA FARMERS MARKET... THE BARN ON GILES.

THE BIG XMAS CAKE BAKE.

STORM AND PUKU...BOTH CATS WHICH HAVE BEEN LEFT.

THE WEDDING..29 SEPTEMBER,2012.

AVERY PROUD MUM GIVING HER ONLY DAUGHTER AWAY AND SHE SAYS THAT IT IS NOT EVERYDAY THAT YOU GET TO PICK YOUR SON-IN-LAW AND SHE LOVES HIM DEARLY.MAY THEY HAVE A VERY HAPPY LIFE TOGETHER.

A BARNGIRL, SHIRLEY, SPOTTED IN THE CROWD.

THE HAPPY COUPLE.. NANCY AND NYALL.

THE FRENCH WIRE PEDESTALS WERE ADORNED WITH FLOWERS BY MEGAN BAKER... THE BEST FLORIST I KNOW.

WOW,... WE HAVE A WEDDING HERE SATURDAY .

THIS IS JUST A FEW OF THE PHOTOS FROM THEIR REHEARSAL TONIGHT. I,LL UPLOAD MORE OF THE REAL DEAL ON SUNDAY.THE BRIDE IS MY MANAGER HERE AT THE CATTERY AND SHE IS NOT A BRIDEZILLA BUT A VERY RELAXED BRIDE INTENDING TO ENJOY HER VERY SPECIAL DAY.
WILL SHOW MORE PHOTOS OF THE 2 X FLORAL PEDESTALS IN THE NEXT POST. THEY ARE DONE BY A VERY TALENTED FLORIST.. MEGAN BAKER AND MORE OF HER TALENT WILL BE PUT ON THE NEXT POST ALSO.
OFF TO BED AS SATURDAY IS GOING TO BE A BIGGIE.

QUAKE AFTERMATH..just a little of the total picture.

THIS WAS WHERE THE PARK ROYAL USED TO BE.

TETE A TETE.... A TRADGEDY FOR VANESSA AND WARREN,BUT THANKFULLY THEY SURVIVED AND ARE NOW TIKI TOURING IN BASIL AROUND NZ,TAKING TIMEOUT AND NO DOUBT THEY WILL COME UP WITH A NEW AMAZING IDEA.

MANCHESTER STREET,VERKERKS CORNER.

THESE PICS WERE TAKEN ON SUNDAY AND I AM STILL DEEPLY MOVED WHEN I GO INTO THE CITY AS I PUT OFF GOING BUT FEEL THAT EVERY NOW AND THEN I NEED TO GO TO SEE HOW IT IS PROGRESSING. THE REST OF NZ AND THE WORLD WHO HAVEN,T SEEN THE DEVASTATION DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE ENORMITY OF IT AND THE AUTHORITIES WILL NEVER PLEASE EVERYONE AND THERE IS SO MUCH DEMOLITION,ETC., TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE ANY UNDERGROUND AMENITIES,ETC. CAN START BEING ASSESSED AND REPAIRED.IT IS GOING TO BE A VERY LONG TIME BUT CHRISTCHURCH WILL BE A WONDERFUL CITY AGAIN AND WE NEED TO FORGET ALL THE NEGATIVITY AND PUT ALL OUR POSITIVE ENERGY,ETC., TO HELPING THIS HAPPEN.

MY MUM AND JAN.. A VERY DEAR FRIEND )

 MUM AND JAN..MUM STILL IN HER ROBE AS SHE HAD BEEN BUSY CATCHING UP WITH EVERYTHING AT HER HOME AS SHE HAD BEEN IN CHRISTCHURCH WITH ME RECOVERING FROM A BROKEN HIP.SHE HAS RECOVERED SO WELL AND IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE SHE WILL BE 90 IN APRIL.I CAN NEVER IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT MY MUM AS SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY ROCK. WHILE WITH ME SHE DID SEWING FOR THE BARN AND WHEN I PHONED HER LAST NIGHT WHILE THE RUGBY WAS ON SHE WAS PINNING TOGETHER SOME CUSHIONS THAT SHE HAD TAKEN BACK WITH HER. SHE IS AMAZING.ALSO AMAZING IS JAN, MY LONGTIME FRIEND..

VIOLET O,FAIGAN IN HER INCREDIBLE SHOP,MORAY PLACE,DUNEDIN.

LATEST PROJECT..PAPER DRESSES.

I,VE BOUGHT A FEW PAPER DRESSES WHICH  FEATURED IN AN EARLIER BLOG BUT HAVE BEEN HAVING A LITTLE PLAY AT DOING THEM MYSELF AND SO FAR THEY ARE LOOKING GOOD.THIS FLORAL ONE IS MADE FROM A CATH KIDSTON WALLPAPER WHICH MICHAEL BOUGHT BACK FROM ENGLAND A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK. IT IS A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO FOLD AS IT IS QUITE A THICK PAPER, BUT WORTH THE EXTRA TROUBLE,THE OTHER PICS ARE SOME MAPS I,M USING AND WAS ALSO GOING TO DO SOME FROM THE GORGEOUS OLD SANDERSON WALLPAPER THAT I GOT FROM DUNEDIN( VIOLET O,FAIGAN ) BUT IT IS A LITTLE FRAGILE.SUCH A SHAME AS IT IS A BEAUTIFULSCENERY WALLPAPER BUT I ALREADY HAVE OTHER PLANS FOR IT.INSTEAD OF THE $200 ODD THAT THESE DRESSES ARE SELLING FOR ,I AM DOING MINE FOR MUCH LESS. CONTACT ME IF YOU WOULD LIKE ONE.