Well who can actually believe that the holiday break has come to an end!? I’m not sure about you, but I’m certainly not ready to go back to regular life starting Monday. My staycation has been lovely but just not quite long enough.

I’ve been lucky enough to have my partner at home with me every day – thus a date with him every day! We’ve been exploring different beaches, parts of Auckland, cooking delicious meals, and relaxing around the house.

With garnet being January’s and my birthstone – here’s a bright red roundup for you this week!

1. A fantastically fun tutorial on how to do two-toned lips! 
2. Martha Stewart has come out with a list of Valentine’s Day cocktails - this Rasberry Chocolate Kiss Cocktail looks delish!
3. Just love this cherry illustration by Lisa Masterson – it’s so sweet.
4. Finding this bow bandeau bikini absolutely adorable- who can resist bows??
5. Just love this whole outfit.
6. Red velvet melting moments sound like just the best baked good yet!
7. Do you have a Valentine? Let them know with this heartbreaking print.

Until next week lovelies! x

I hope everyone is having a lovely holiday break so far! As all my family is in the US and my partner who’s family is in beautiful Wanaka originally thought that he would have to be working through – we are having a “staycation” in Auckland this year!

With so many people leaving the Auckland region for the holidays we thought it would be a great time to explore our “new” home. Unfortunately the weather gods have had other plans. Providing us with some pretty bad weather.

So we’ve made the most of it with doing what we love!

I FINALLY got some new gym shoes (been wanting some for about a year – yay!) and have really given them a go with going to the gym for the last five days straight – wowie (helps justify that summer wine of course)! I did the girly thing of cleaning out my closet, tidied up my desk (that was seriously needed) and have given our apartment a nice big clean. We’ve also made some delicious meals (pictured top right – recipe to come) and did my first baking in four months! Since going super healthy I’ve stopped baking – which breaks my heart – but sacrifices have to be made…  We also managed to get on over to White’s & Co  (pictured bottom left) for a delicious soft serve yogurt treat thank’s to The Collective!

Fingers crossed, the weather is supposed to improve and tomorrow we’re venturing out for our first tiki tour! I’m sure to keep you posted and hope you’re all having a lovely break full of family, friends, and great food! x

Well we did it!

The summer / winter break is finally here and it’s time to kick off those shoes and enjoy some time off! Yesterday was my last day of the “day job” for the year – I was one of those lucky people to finish at noon and then had a lovely catch up with Rachael from Made from Scratch at the beautiful new Libertine at the redone Victoria Markets.

If you’re cutting yourself off from the world this break, have a great time! If you’re like me and sticking around, catching up on things, we’ll be here! We’ll do blog posts here and there, be announcing new things for the new year – so stay tuned! We’d love to hear what others are up to this holiday season so please do share! Hope you all have a lovely and safe holiday break! x

1. If I have a weakness it’s brownies – and these cinnamon brownies from The Little Red House look like no exception!
2. This classic bikini from Anthropologie is just so stunning…
3. With New Years coming up, make sure you have that clutch ready!
4. Absolutely love the typography on this logo.
5. Is it too late to request a gift from Santa…?
6. How perfect is this bunting for the holiday season or any celebration really?!

Have a great week and holiday break everyone! x

The holidays are quickly approaching…which means the New Year is near!  Here is a range of our stationery to help keep you organised and calm in 2013. Help keep your New Years resolutions with our lovely range of calendars, note pads, and cards.

These items make lovely gifts as well – remember this is the last week to order to ensure everything arrives in time for Santa!

Well everyone the countdown is really on for Christmas now! Orders have really been flying through the shop and we have our last market of the year! You can find us this Saturday at Britomart’s Moad Christmas Market open from 10-2:30. Then on Sunday I’m super excited for the Day on the Green concert at the positively beautiful Villa Maria Estate Winery featuring The Black Seeds and Fly Me Pretties! Do you have some fun weekend plans – we’d love to hear them!

Now onto the good stuff – this week’s roundup is a gift guide for the cooks in your life!

1. Beautiful mini wood bowls by Wind & Willow Home.
2. A lovely handmade apron by Beth at Chirp will surely do the trick, located locally here in Auckland.
3. OneCanoeTwo make the most beautiful and vibrant letter-pressed stationery including these recipe cards.
4. For the baker – this colourful cookbook is perfect!
5. Have lots of shopping to do – no problem! This notepad will help keep you and your home organised.
6. Time to make those baked goods shine with this handcrafted cake stand.
7. There’s nothing like a tidy kitchen, keep your cooking utensils looking fab.

Sure do hope this roundup help bring some inspiration for those cooks and bakers in your life!  See you all next week!

Who can believe that it’s already mid November – is it just me or is time really flying lately?  I know I now live in the Southern Hemisphere and it’s Spring here, but when I think of the holidays, and the fast approaching Thanksgiving – I can’t help but think of naturals, warm comfort foods, and delicious sweets!

I do hope you all had a fantastic, relaxing week. Things over here at Toodles Noodles HQ have been buzzing away with big store orders, new notepads arriving, and preparing for our upcoming markets: Kohimarama School Christmas Market, MoAD’s Christmas Market, and Auckland Art & Craft Fair. Also on a personal note, I’ll be doing my first 6k run (walk) this Sunday – very excited to cross that off the bucket list! Now enough chit chat and onto this week’s roundup!

1.  All time classic quote beautifully written up from “A league of their own”.
2. Love these cookie cutters and icing ideas from - A Woodland Christmas at Martha’s House.
3. Moving? How about letting your family and friends know with these super cute postcards designed by Wild Horse Press.
4. These adorable nautical tea defusers come in four different design options – I’ll take another cuppa thanks!
5. My favourite piece by designer friend Kristen Shearon from Havok Designs – her shop is full of gems!
6. I may be somewhat obsessed with everything in the West Elm shop at the moment… this week’s pick is Letter Press cookie cutters – the perfect combo for a graphic designer who loves baking.

Until next time and hope the weekend has a bright, shinny sun wherever you are! x

Can’t wait to see what November has in store! x

Happy Friday everyone!  I hope you all had a lovely short week with Summer finally giving us a sneak peek.  Hopefully the nice weather continues for the weekend – we’ll be over at the We Can Create markets on Saturday from 12-5 if you want to pop by and say hello!

1. This amazing logo is home to Spruce Collective - started up by five like-minded girls who share a love for vintage treasures and are inspired by all things creative.  I could spend hours looking at their site….

2. Father Rabbit just opened their store in Auckland. Everything on their website is to die for, including these stunning bath towels.

3. How sweet is this canvas pouch by Paloma’s Nest found on Etsy based in Austin, Texas.

4. This beautiful coffee packaging  is from Coffee Balzac’s Roasters, a company based in Ontario  Canada – if the love of caffeine doesn’t get you going in the morning looking at this stunning illustration might help get those creative juices going!

5. These finger licking looking donuts are by a Spanish blog named “La receta de felicidad” which translates to the recipe of happiness.  With beautiful recipes, food styling snaps and website design this one is an overall winner!

6. Don’t these measuring cups by West Elm just sing Julia Child?

Hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s roundup – have a great weekend everyone! x

Spring is in the air, the weather is warmer, the days are longer, and the birds are chirpier!

It also is the perfect time to start planting for the summer to come. As we only have a wee deck with little direct sun (read lots of succulents, ferns, grasses planted) I can only dream of my perfect veggie / fruit garden.  Here are some great ideas of others fantastic gardens.

All images sources can be found here.

Do you have a green thumb? -Share your images here!

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you may have noticed that I have a slight addiction to coffee.  Not necessarily the caffein associated with coffee, just the smooth taste and comfort of a nice warm cup.  It’s a treat that I “allow” myself at the start of the day.  Here is a list of places I’ve tried thus far in Auckland and why I like them:

1. Shakey Isles (pictured up top and with sketch book) always have the most welcoming staff, creative environment and no matter how busy they may be will never make you feel rushed.  It’s a great place to go for brunch, an afternoon working session, or a quick stop for a well made coffee.

2. Allpress Espresso at the Browns Mill Building (pictured top left) now if you’re in a hurry in the mornings this may not be the best stop for you. But if you love cinnamon brioches then this is the place!  The coffee here isn’t the speediest or even that consistent, but the staff and the finger-licking treats will keep you coming back again and again.

3. Atomic Coffee (pictured lefthand side) now these guys know strong coffee. As someone who usually orders a flat white with an extra shot…well no extra shot needed here.  The coffee never tastes burned just fully flavoured and packed with a punch.  Their new brunch menu is also a winner (try the Spanish eggs!).

4. My daily spot Columbus Coffee, located just by my work these guys now know my order when they see me walk through the door.  Greeted with a smile and the barista reciting my daily order back to me always puts me in a great mood to know my coffee will be done right.

Have a favourite coffee spot around where you live or work? Would love to hear about new spots and why you love them! x