Great coffee and fine food: Elmwood Fine Food
At the heart of every café are the treasures that lie inside its cabinets. What goes better with the perfect coffee than a slice of something nice, or a savoury treat? If you’re swinging by a café during work, you’re probably also looking for a quick convenient bite to eat. Ticking all the […]
Rich fruit cake
Years ago my grandmother gave me her recipe for old fashioned pound cake, which was baked for special occasions such as weddings, christenings, and Christmas. It was adapted from the New Zealand Country Women’s Institute Cookery Book. Ingredients 6 eggs 340g butter 340g sugar 450g flour 450g sultanas 450g currants 115g almonds 115g […]
Pack a picnic
Special events usually mean photographic sessions, celebratory drinks, and if you’re organised, a few delicious canapes. Engagements, birthdays, anniversaries often call for photo shoots, meaning the participants may disappear for more than an hour to have photographs taken. While guests are usually catered for with food and drink during that time, spare a […]
Luxe hosting
Many occasions, special and otherwise, call for drinks with friends and family. Presentation counts, and top of your list should be a gorgeous ice or Champagne bucket, plus some standout serving trays. A luxe ice bucket will not only look good, it can be used for wine, beer, and keeping mixers chilled too. […]
Swim in blues: Resene
When it comes to bedroom colours, dusted blues are an ideal choice. Blue is a natural colour we see in the water and sky, and it’s considered the world’s most popular hue. Blues convey a sense of trust, loyalty, cleanliness, and understanding. In a bedroom, where you want to rest, relax, and recover […]
Brilliant botanicals
Decorating with botanicals can be a lot more subtle than turning your home into a plant-filled glasshouse. Not everyone has a ‘green thumb’, however if you love the look of plants and flowers there are numerous ways to introduce them to your interior design, without the risking of killing off prized greenery. Here […]









