Recently in Favourites Category

Salada crackers are crisp and flaky, lightly salted and packaged smartly in a Smurf-blue box.

The best thing about these crackers is that they are perforated, which allows me to very neatly break each large square up into four further little squares. It gives me much satisfaction being able to do this with minimal mess and crumbs.

Not surprisingly, Salada crackers are excellent with cheese. Marmite and crunchy peanut butter (separately) are next.

I happened upon this style blog a couple of days ago, and it's already become a quick favourite. Resident Style Rookie Tavi describes herself as a "tiny dork that sits inside all day wearing awkward jackets and pretty hats". In fact, she has a sparky personality and a sense of style so unique and sharply defined I can hardly believe she's only 13 years old.

(I was wearing shorts and dinosaur t-shirts when I was 13. This was back in 1990, so just remember folks, that dinosaurs, robots, spaceships etc were not yet being considered icons of retro cool.)

Tavi, however, creates amazingly inventive outfits from such unlikely items as her mother's shirts, old Halloween costumes, and even the reflective neon belt from a crossing guard's vest. The trousers pictured below are from an op-shop and too large for her so she's taken to them with safety pins. Clever.

I also like her post about beauty icons. So incredibly perceptive, and so strong and original at an age when kids just want to be the same as each other.

Tavi's blog is fun. Go be inspired a little, or a lot.

After many months scouring nearly every shoe store in central Wellington, I found a worthy (maybe even worthier) replacement for my beat-up old Skechers. The feet now look forward to staying stylishly dry on wet days.

Reading and eating at the same time is quite possibly my most favourite thing to do ever. Some particularly fine story/munchie combinations so far discovered include:

• Harry Potter / curry and rice


• Malory Towers / peanut butter and banana on toast


• The Darling Buds of May / bowls of pasta (instant noodles will do in a pinch)


• Beverly Cleary or Roald Dahl / cheeseburgers


• Little House books / breakfast cereal

Some pointers:

1. Remember your manners and don't do this when eating with other people unless they are doing it too, or watching telly, or don't mind.


2. It helps if the book can lie flat on its own. Some foods, like messy sandwiches, will require the use of both hands.


3. Resist the urge to find out how terrific Nigel Slater and a great big bowl of laksa would be together. Respect your books and keep them clean.

Slumbering in the fridge right now are four slices of leftover pizza from Rendy's birthday dinner at Piccolo tonight. Sweet dreams, little pizza, for tomorrow you will be consumed with a chapter of The Order of the Phoenix.