cupKATEs

my friend ang has recently started making the most divine cupcakes and having champers-and-cupcakes parties. she's calling her business "angel cakes" and was desiring an apron to wear at speshal functions and at the local boutique craft markets.

so ang came up with an idea: would i like to make her a *cupcake* apron... and SWAP it for *two dozen* of these delectable delights...?
ummmm, let me think about that...
*snort*
ab.so.lute.ly.

so off i went looking... and looking... and LOOKING for fabric. i wanted something fresh and cupKATEy *cupcakey* to fit ang's brief of PINK AND PASTELS, and finally i found *exactly* what i was looking for... kaffe fassett.

*squeeeee!*

is that not THE most *cupcakey* fabric in the ENTIRE WORLD? ah yes, i think it is. it shrieks *lollies* and *sprinkles* and *flossy sparkles*... well... actually it shrieks the whole of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory (minus Monsieur Wonka. give me Johnny-the-gypsy or Johnny-the-poirate, or even Johnny-the-freaky-psycho-writer, but DO NOT give me Johnny-with-the-chocklit-coated-grin).

so i gathered a few other bit'n'pieces and started snipping fabric and sewing and dreaming of all things sugary... spicy... oh so nicey and lookit:

the *angel cakes apron* (lovingly modelled by a tree at the park-over-the-road 'cos my resident model is weekending at her girlfriend's place) with:

pink chick "angel cakes" lettering

dinky pinky rick-rack and frills

a scalloped "icing on the cupcake" band
and "pink stripey lollies" waist ties

a lovely big pocket
for stashing little surprises

super-delish cupcake with lollies

i had so much fun making this apron. it's A-line like a skirt and oh! so! girlie! it's made for twirling around the kitchen with a glass of bubbly in hand, sneakily dipping your fingertip in the bowl of ganache - and i hope it inspires many many more delicious *cupcakes*.

Q: What does Freddo Frog eat for breakfast?

A: croak-opops!!!!!
(that's Bulldog's world famous in New Zealand
seven-year-old joke)

this morning we took a big box of cocopops
for a drive up the road
to see Angel and the Charlies.
ya think the Energizer Bunny is on speed?
here's Ang In Real Life.

Woozie and Angie magicked up some
french toast and maple syrup
to go with the cocopops.
yep, we're all about
the fresh organic stuff here...

and The Boyz?
The Boyz went straight into
Sugar-Fuelled-Band-Mode...

keyboard,

electric guitars,

and DRUM KIT!!!!!

(which lives permanently in
the Main Living Area of Ang's house)

while Woozie and i did a Photo Shoot
(pics of which will be
unveiled sometime in October).

treasure on earth

"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
(Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, in Godric's Hollow; as well as other sources, lol)

my grandfather, who i never met, had a whole acre of ground upon which, year after year, he grew flowers. he didn't sell many though, he loved to give them away.

it's an exciting thing, going global. it's a tingly thought, knowing that people are actually willing to *pay* me for doing something that gives *me* such delight: threading beads. i *love* the buzz that i get from designing something unique, something that epitomises an individual woman and gives her the message: you are special.

i made myself some little cards earlier in the month, with my label *kate couture* (it's a pun on Haute Couture) on them, and as i was thinking of a slogan that is "mine and all for me", i couldn't decide. so i've made different ones, with things like:
*beautiful inspiration
*intricately yours
*making every day sparkle
*celebrating femininity
*crystal heartstrings
all in different fonts printed on them.

in my perfect world, i'd love to design jewellery for people who can afford it, and then i could use that $ to buy beads to make pieces to give away. also, i love designing the *first* piece, i'm not so good at a production line. but i believe in my friend ang's vision: so gratis, in the last two weeks i've lit many candles and sipped a lot of espresso, and listened to lovely music, and chatted to patient kiddos and friends, and threaded heart-shaped beads and pink pearls and twirly heart charms to make two hundred and twenty five little danglies (for a mobile phone or a keyring) for ang who's sharing the love at next month's *shine* conference.

and it makes my heart sing that like my grandfather i can make something beautiful, and give that treasure away, and the love goes global.

YOU'RE DELICIOUS - whatever your cup size!

i got a crazy text from my friend Ang a few weeks ago asking me if i'd team my boobs up with some of her cupcakes for The Sunny Bay's annual Breast Cancer Fun Walk...

HAHAHA!!! whaddya think i said?

yes... those are ANGcakes tucked into
that pink cupKATEs bra!

Charlie is most definitely the man for the job
when it comes to packaging forty cupcakes
for our team of girls -
he has the patience of a SHINING *STAR*!
it's been *ages* since i sewed a pink fairy skirt
(for a Toddler Woozie!)
but we definitely needed
the *pink* fairy skirts and wings.

funny day though... as i was sewing,
i found myself blinking back tears
for my Auntie Megan
(who introduced me to ABBA when i was eight!)
who lost her battle with cancer a few years ago;
and my Dad's Mother,
who courageously fought cancer
when he was a child.
i would've loved to have known my grandmother.

and what a walk!

she has her father's genes, don't ya think?
HAHAHAHAHA!!!

four thousand women (and a few disguised men!!)
*pinked ourselves up* and walked together
4.5km through the main streets of town.
and we sisters, mothers, daughters, aunties,
friends and families remembered the brave ones
who've gone before us,
and the courageous ones still living with cancer.

(the inevitable self portraits)
Nush, Katie and Kath
Woozie and Mummy

Madge, Nush, Ang and moi.

and then we partied!!!

including a wee tussle over the pink hairspray
(*ahem* which turned our hair to pink straw!)

so that's the *pink mania*
we've been living over the last few days.

and now i feel a bit emotioned out,
but i'll be signing up to walk again next year,
because of solidarity and sisterhood
and remembrance,
and because the message of
YOU'RE DELICIOUS -
WHATEVER YOUR CUP SIZE!
is forever to be celebrated.

stop press!!!
i just saw that we're in the paper...
(yep, Woozie and me and Nush and Kath are highly visible at the bottom of page three of our local rag. you just need your magnifying glass!!!!!)

two and a half seconds of fame

it's been about three decades since i was last on telly - 'twas when my dad was involved in a project with vietnamese refugees in the late 1970s. i remember the bright lights shining in my eyes, but i didn't see myself onscreen. oh how i love today's technology. and replays. and screen prints:

can you say, "CELEB"?

yep. that's me'n'the girls having a hilarious two and a half seconds with the PRIME MINISTER, during our girls' weekend in the sunny seaside town of whangamata...

so, we arrived early afternoon, and after a glass or two of bubbles to celebrate, we turned up at the marina, which was being opened, controversially, at two o'clock. i said that the PM would probably arrive by helicopter, so while we were waiting, we all wove our way to to the front of the oldies to get a good vantage point. and dared each other to shake his hand. so mags nipped over to the other side of the throng to take a photo of the shake, and of course i pushed to the front of the queue, and thrust out my arm!!! i admit i sorta got celeb'd out and gushed "lovely to meet you!" cos he's a nice guy (no i didn't vote nats in the election).

anyway, after the legendary shake, ang said out loud that she wished we had a photo, and the PM's delish bodyguard offered us to have one!!!! and the tv cameras were rolling... and (to cut this ridiculous ramble off at the kneecaps) here we are!!!!! (fast forward to the 53rd second) (PS the footage was taken before the formalities, which we *ahem* skipped.
cos we had a date with the Air Force One chopper pilots.)
oh, more photos:

(some of) The Afternoon:

complete with freebie drinkies.

The Evening:

The Morning After:

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Mexican Sunglasses :

refashioning: love the love hearts

*refashioning* seems quite the buzz this week:
today's creationing started with a heart pendant which was retrieved by my friend ang from a Christmas decoration (it's been done before, the-making-of-the-jewellery-from-the-christmas-deco's)... and continued with a few more of *those* sparkly beads...

so while the kiddos were making a bit of a D.I.Y. dinner, i zoomah-loomah'd these up.
they just caught the last rays of the setting sun.
(do you have a red outfit, leighleigh??? just jokes, they're *mine* lol)

On the Eighteenth Day of Christmas

(egads! i forgot to post the link yesterday - katie's *Christmas giveaway* is here! go and get yourself a chance at a Christmas bracelet - don't be shy - except Abbs and Shazzy and Ang - you girls can be a little bit shy bwahahahaha!)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

ohk - divulge - what was the last thing you wore to a Dress Up Party?

cos i went to my Ohm Zen Class at the gym tonight and i thought i'd be w-a-a-a-y underdressed for the theme of "Christmas" - i wore this over my gym clothes - just the pink tutu and the wings - going as The Christmas Fairy - er - Angel...

and out of a class of six peeps (yeah, everyone else is at the mall) there was the instructor with a Santa Hat and a bit of silver tinsel wound around herself and *one* other lady wearing a Santa Hat, and ME! everyone else - that's half the class - had no dress ups.

so while i was s'posed to be Ohmming and Zenning i was actually doing a statistical analysis in my head - and wondering if it's a personality thing? cos i LOVE dress ups - actually there's a "Hawaiian" theme for my saturday morning gym class too - and i'm gonna rehash the pink tutu with a bikini top and my big fat daisy necklace i think (which i almost wore THE OTHER DAY when it was NOT dress ups - thankfully i phoned a friend first lol) - so not too full on - but the million dollar question is - do *you* do dress ups? or not?

anyway go on, if you're reading me - SPILL baby!!!!!!!!!!
do ya love/hate dress up parties - and if ya love 'em, what's your latest or favourite dress ups..? (except Deb - you'll make us blush!)
mwah X