Three words that describe you.

Playful. Shy. Explorative.

When do you feel most yourself?

When I'm making something. Working with my hands really simplifies my mind and I can just get in a nice groove.

You are a multi-medium creative, was food always something that drew you in? Can you tell us how Some Things I Like To Cook came to be? 

I've always loved working with my hands, and I think both cooking and making (sewing, knitting, woodwork, etc) are really closely linked for me. Food was probably where it all started, learning to cook from my Grandma and Mum from an early age, but it lit a fire in my belly for making of all kinds, and I still get a lot of enjoyment from all different mediums this may take.  

Some Things I Like to Cook was created purely as an opt-in food page, so I would stop bombarding my friends and family from my personal account, and it just kind of grew from there. I would share recipes and pictures of what I'd been making and it was just a really wholesome and nice thing for me to share with people who were interested.

Your spreads are always styled so wonderfully. What are some of your favourite small brands, designers and makers when it comes to glassware and tableware?     

With a maybe unhealthy obsession with objects, I have been collecting pieces from makers and op shops and garage sales etc for over 15 years, so I have a very large collection now. There are so many wonderful makers, and some of my most treasured pieces are from people I know or have been following for a long time. 

Wooden pieces from Walk In the Park, a woodworking duo from Aotearoa who turn beautiful recycled New Zealand woods into stunning fruit bowls or cake stands, along with other bits and bobs. I also really love Claudia Lau's ceramics, a local Melbourne maker who I have had the pleasure of knowing since she first started making ceramics many years ago. 

I have a fairly large collection of Hasami porcelain, an institution in its own right. Jochen Holz, a glass blower from the UK makes stunning wobbly wine glasses in stunning colours. An investment for sure but a very special piece to treasure for life. 

Otherwise, I mostly buy second-hand goodies from op shops and second-hand stores. Every visit doesn't pay off, but over the years you will collect many special and unique things. Plates, glasses, table linens, yes, but also cooking tools and kitchen gadgets. Baskets and lamps. It's one of my favourite things, and I love to think of the life each object might have had before coming to me.

What are a few staples we'll always find in your fridge/pantry?     

I always have a well-stocked pantry, so I can make a meal or whip up a cake without needing to pop out. I always have eggs, milk, butter and Greek yoghurt in the fridge. Tinned fish, dried pasta and lots of lemons and garlic in the pantry.

You've recently moved from a small unit to a home in the country, what growing tips do you have for urban gardening? 

In my previous home, a tiny unit with an equally tiny courtyard, I had every inch of space growing herbs, vegetables, fruit and edible flowers. A tiny compost bin to help fuel them. I was lucky to get a lot of sunshine in this space which really makes it easier but I never accepted that a small space would limit me growing my own food. You've just got to be resourceful. 

Now that I have more space, a blank canvas is a nice way to put it but in reality, it's going to be a lot of work to get it ready, I am hanging out for Spring to start really digging in and preparing a large garden from scratch.

Would you like to share a favourite recipe of yours with us here?  

One of my favourite winter recipes is my Carrot & Parsnip Cake.   

If you're feeling stuck, or uninspired, how do go about transforming your thoughts? 

This is a really good question, as I often get in ruts. A few things help me. 

What are you currently watching, reading and listening to? 

I have been rewatching Juliette of the Herbs, a documentary about an incredibly inspiring woman, Juliette de Bairacli Levy. I highly recommend everyone watch it. I'm about to start re-reading Sunbathing by Isobel Beech, the best book I've read in ages and I can't find anything that has gripped me like it so I'm going to reread it. I have been listening to Adrianne Lenker and Bridget St John a lot, which suits my Country life.