Our Backyard Collective

Our Backyard Collective A homeschooling family with a love of creating things. This is a collective of our handmade creations. Direct Message to order.

Some recent glimmers.I’ve noticed that when I stop taking photos or making a note of the little things that make me smil...
23/08/2026

Some recent glimmers.

I’ve noticed that when I stop taking photos or making a note of the little things that make me smile, I also stop noticing them as much.

So I’m making some more.

Looking back through my camera roll always reminds that life is actually pretty beautiful.

1. The patterns in ferns. Everything in creation has its own pattern, and I never get tired of noticing them.
2. Lilies. Always a favourite.
3. A walk with my husband, looking for signs of deer. It’s been ages since we’ve done something like that together.
4. The sound of rushing water. There’s nothing quite like it.
5. This girl always manages to make me laugh.
6. The first spring blossoms appearing on the fruit trees.
7. The chickens are finally earning their keep.
8. Speaking fluent cow.
9. Night walks.
10. Glowworm caves and the beautiful rock formations.
11. Native bush. My happy place.
12. Awww, they do love each other.
13. A morning walk. Blue sky, white clouds and a pretty ordinary view that I just really liked.
14. Moss growing over a road sign. I love how it just grows over things and, in my opinion, makes them more beautiful.
15. A morning sunrise with all those colours in the sky.
16. A little w**d standing out amongst all the green.
17. A tiny bush walk close to home.
18. A rare photo of me and my husband. We hardly ever get photos together.
19. Moss, fungi and spiderwebs. So much going on and somehow it all works together.
20. Two of my favourite oils for free this month.

Nothing amazing, just little moments worth noticing.
Reminders of the good things in life.

This week’s glimmers were a bit different. Most of them couldn’t be captured in a photoThey were kindnessPatienceFamilyG...
02/08/2026

This week’s glimmers were a bit different.

Most of them couldn’t be captured in a photo

They were kindness
Patience
Family
Good friends
Caring nurses
A dad taking care of his daughter
A brother picking flowers for his sister
Thankfulness

Sometimes the brightest glimmers are the qualities we see in other people.

What’s been a glimmer from your week?

When I sat down to update my glimmers notebook this morning, with this week’s glimmers, I noticed something.As I wrote e...
25/07/2026

When I sat down to update my glimmers notebook this morning, with this week’s glimmers, I noticed something.

As I wrote each glimmer down, the moments came clearly back to my minds eye. I actually think writing my glimmers out is becoming just as important as the noticing part.

Do you journal?

Here’s just some of this week’s glimmers. Yeah the photos aren’t that great but they bring the moment back for me. Some glimmers can’t even be captured, I think that’s why writing them out is great too.

It’s been so nice to have the creative spark for sewing come back recently.Playing with different fabrics, mixing and ma...
23/07/2026

It’s been so nice to have the creative spark for sewing come back recently.

Playing with different fabrics, mixing and matching, imagining.

I wrote the story behind this wee dress on my substack.

This little dress is also looking for a new home.

When I first started looking for glimmers, I thought I’d maybe notice one or two.Now I’m filling pages in a notebook. I ...
20/07/2026

When I first started looking for glimmers, I thought I’d maybe notice one or two.

Now I’m filling pages in a notebook. I don’t think life suddenly became better, i just started paying more attention, and now i seem to notice more beauty around me
I’m feeling creative again.
My family has started pointing out glimmers to me.
Someone told me they’d been inspired to start walking and looking for glimmers too.
Something so simple is making such a difference. Would you like to join me?
Every evening I write down the glimmers from my day.

If you’d like to receive my monthly Notes From Our Backyard letter, where I share a few of those moments, along with what I’ve been making and learning, I’d love to have you.

Just send me your email address, and I’ll add you to the list.

Today’s glimmer wasn’t just starting a new sewing project. It was feeling creatively inspired again.It’s been ages since...
14/07/2026

Today’s glimmer wasn’t just starting a new sewing project. It was feeling creatively inspired again.

It’s been ages since I’ve felt excited to make something from start to finish, rather than slowly plodding away at a project.

I started pulling out all my fabrics, playing around and imagining how they’d go together as a little patchwork dress for a child.

It reminded me how good it feels to create with my hands. Sometimes a glimmer is rediscovering something we used to enjoy.

This morning I was up before everyone else, making sourdough bagels while the house was still quiet.There’s something so...
13/07/2026

This morning I was up before everyone else, making sourdough bagels while the house was still quiet.

There’s something so therapeutic about the whole process—rolling out the dough, shaping each bagel, watching them pop to the surface as they boil, and then opening the oven to see them golden and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

They disappeared pretty quickly too!

Today’s glimmer was finding contentment something pretty simple but satisfying.

What’s been one of your glimmers today?

I’ve forgotten my phone my last few walks and i kinda missed taking photos of little glimmers I noticed and i started ru...
11/07/2026

I’ve forgotten my phone my last few walks and i kinda missed taking photos of little glimmers I noticed and i started rushing my walks a bit more.
It made me realise that this little habit I’d created, just for myself was making slow down and notice things.

What’s a glimmers you’ve noticed today?

To be honest, I don’t really, not at the moment anyway. I used to go in weekly to look for vintage sheets for my sewing ...
08/07/2026

To be honest, I don’t really, not at the moment anyway. I used to go in weekly to look for vintage sheets for my sewing but I don’t have the patience for it just lately. But my kids, my daughter has a really good eye for finding things. Last time they popped into an op shop, instead of waiting in the car I went in. So glad I did. I found this beautiful tin, it’s too pretty for cake, I think I’ll use it for some of my craft things.
Some of the bits and pieces I found inspired me to start a patchwork quilt from off cuts of some of the vintage sheets I still had.

What’s your favourite op shop find? Pop a photo in the comments, I’d love to see, who knows, maybe it’ll inspire me again😁

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57 Fergusson Drive
Gisborne
4040

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