Long Summer

It's much hotter this far north, and the change in weather has me thinking (at long last) about my plans for summer.  It has been hard to get too enthusiastic in Capital City - even though we've been having some beautiful days, we've also been having more than a few cold ones.  This trip has been timely and reminded me it's only a few more weeks until we all hit the beach for the summer holiday.

From top left: gorgeous shimmery water under a blue sky; the pohutukawa came out early this year, promising a long hot summer; I'm gearing up for my annual Christmas get together; finally, some fresh berries are appearing in the shops!; long walks under evening skies; a girl can dream about gorgeous YSL sandals (www.ysl.com); a girl can also dream about a new bikini - this long top and low bottom would flatter my shape (www.asos.com); this year my Christmas treat is going to be macarons for all my friends - I hope!