And that is exactly what it was.  Women gathered in the beautiful surroundings that is Willowdene Boutique Bed & Breakfast, the scent of Roses, Geranium and Lemon in the air, to share an experience, and learn skills to create an enriching way of life.  The Kinfolk way of life.

Kinfolk Magazine is a quarterly publication designed to inspire by offering a collectable print magazine full of personal stories, recipes, interviews, styling by the best and killer photography that makes you sigh and long to travel.  During 2013 Kinfolk is hosting monthly gatherings, working with hand picked hosts to create learning-by-doing experiences.  These intimate workshops and dinners are an invitation to guests to indulge in curiosity, taking part in the learning of skills our grandparents used in their daily life.  Greta Kenyon (Greta Kenyon Photography) and myself are hosts for little ol NZ.

This was our first workshop representing Kinfolk Magazine and the theme was “Freshen Up” – a guide to creating home made cleaning products out of everyday pantry items (and a few sweet smelling extras).

We taught guests two products.  A liquid soap and a room mist.  There is a local company called Soapnuts Nz, who import nuts (yes from a tree) from India.  These nuts can be used for any type of cleaning and particularly to be boiled to make a liquid soap.  While Greta photographed and documented as she does do so well, I showed our guests how to boil and infuse the nuts, using Lemon zest and Rosemary.  Guests added essential oils, tailoring the scents to suit.

For the room mist, Greta and I showed our guests how to simply mix alcohol with rosewater, adding Lavender or Rose Geranium or any essential oil you prefer…. within seconds the air was filled with a haze of floral smells, freshening up you might say.

But wait there’s more.

Once each guest had packed up their wooden boxes filled to the brim with their hand made goods, an eco store dish brush, tea towel and NZ made soap, Danielle from Spongedrop treated us to her cakes, biscuits and magic.  We shoved light pillowy Rosewater sponge cake into our mouths, and sneakily hoarded (more than we needed) Lavender biscuits and Beetroot & Goat’s cheese tarts on to our plates.  We washed it all down with the finest tea in town, Informal Organic Tea.  Honestly, I’m a coffee girl, but this tea is the business.

The whole point of these gatherings is for Kinfolk to spread it’s message.  It is a food and lifestyle magazine about people.  I love the idea of gathering like minded folk, to share an experience, learn something new, not only from this aesthetic but from each other.  I love that I have not only created homemade products and a more natural life but I have made new friends.

I want to say THANK YOU to those that came (you can read one guest’s recount here), my sister friend Kate for helping out on the day, our sponsors and of course Kinfolk Magazine.  The positive feedback Greta and I received from our first workshop is encouraging and humbling.  We are so excited about upcoming gatherings and look forward to seeing some new faces.  We will be providing info about the upcoming gatherings through our Facebook pages, so follow us if you’d like to come to one!

All photography below is by the talented Greta Kenyon Photography.  Thanks Greta xx