Sconnies in New Zealand

who knew...Burger Wisconsin!
Originally uploaded by kirsteng117

Families and friends have come and gone and now we are left with fond memories and great pics! (and still a few scattered family members traveling the country) I can't believe how fast the last few weeks have gone. We have been running around like a bunch of crazy people trying to help people navigate around NZed, getting (or trying to get) organized for the wedding, and trying to enjoy every minute. Sometimes that was hard (the enjoyment part). We had a few minor debackles, but things turned out pretty well all and all.

Now I have time to breathe and enjoy my new husband :D
Coming soon: more updates on wedding near-catastrophies and good stuff too!

Knitting for babies

It seems that everybody is procreating as of late. So all of my knitting has been for babies. The great thing about knitting for babies is you can afford (and feel compelled) to use nice yarn, baby things tend to be quick knits, and since the items are so small, they always look cute! 

This particular set was knit for a work colleague's baby girl - Sophie Kate. I hope she appreciates the little pink bows I added for that feminine touch (I even sewed them in place - mostly because I was afraid they would come undone before the presie got unwrapped).

The hat pattern is Vine Lace Baby Hat free from knitting daily.

a kiwi dictionary excerpt

In preparing for family and friends to arrive for our big day, blue and I put together a few lists that will help them to ease into New Zealand culture. Below is a list of definitions we came up with:

Dairy - a convenience store
Bach - holiday home (not usually very fancy)
The ditch- the Tasman Sea
Sealed/unsealed road - paved/unpaved road
Footie - Rugby
Pavlova - special new zealand cake
Smoko - break
Togs - speedo
Tea - dual meaning: 1) literal translation, tea 2) a less formal meal (dinner)
Torch - flashlight
Fush & chups - fish and chips
Chippie - fish and chip shop
Chips - fries
Crisps - potato chips
Jandles - japanese sandles (aka flip flops)
Biscuits - cookies
Bonnet - hood of the car
Boot - car trunk
Breakie - breakfast
Entree - starter
Main - entree ;)
Jersey - jacket, sweatshirt
Swede - rutabaga
Courgette - zucchini
Aubergine - eggplant
Lollie - candy (any kind)
100s & 1000s - sprinkles
Plaster - band-aid
Chemist - pharmacist
Tomato Sauce - ketchup
Z (pronounced zed) - Z
Long Black - similar to an americano, but stronger and much smaller (can be ordered in larger sizes or with extra water)
Flat white - strong, small coffee with steamed milk (no/little froth)
Fine (referring to weather) - nice/clear
Kona coffee - drip coffee

Koala cuddles

Koala 1
Originally uploaded by blue442

Blue just put up a few pics from our trip to Oz (just click on the image to access).